just got rebelle 7, so here's a doodle of stormy rhoshamandes. this is sort of the colors they say that he has in the book altho tbh cmon man. black hair. like viktor. stop. you have black hair.

Tulane notes on Rhoshamandes, Khayman, and Maharet's death

Rhoshamandes really does seem to have been kind of a fall guy at first. And it's interesting that Benedict doesn't even seem to exist yet.

Moral of the story: Do not kidnap Lestat's son!

Benedict/Rhoshamandes | The Vampire Chronicles | Graphite | November 2023

See on Ao3! See on Pillowfort!

Inspired by Rhosh and Bene in "Prince Armand" by SaintRayne It's a full cast chapter fic (in progress!) where all the makers and vampires are switched, and where the De Landen Family stays together through the centuries. It has delightful twists and delicious romances and heart healing humor and I am obsessed. Warning for the first chapter being a real punch of angst (book readers know the theme and why!). . .

Day 6 - Believe in the Power of Tenderness

Breaking my drabble streak for @saintrayne, without whom this idea probably wouldn't have happened (yet).

Officially, this fills the Day 6 prompt for Marius Appreciation Week. Thank you to the de Romanus coven for keeping me motivated <3

Unofficially, it's also for the de Landen squad, and primarily @fofoqueirah, and @allegra-writes, who are basically part of all my squads at this point.

Soft as Strength (7184 words) by faerywhimsy Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Vampire Chronicles Series - Anne Rice Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Benedict/Rhoshamandes (Vampire Chronicles), Armand/Daniel Molloy, Armand/Marius de Romanus, Armand & Benedict (Vampire Chronicles), Armand/Daniel Molloy/Marius de Romanus Characters: Armand (Vampire Chronicles), Benedict (Vampire Chronicles), Rhoshamandes (Vampire Chronicles), Daniel Molloy, Marius de Romanus, Allesandra (Vampire Chronicles), Bianca Solderini, Santino (mentioned), Everard de Landen (mentioned), Magnus (mentioned) Additional Tags: Kneeling, Children of Satan (referenced), Trinity Gate, Armand is Amadeo for part of this but there's no tag for that, Nobody kidnaps Viktor, maybe he doesn't even exist here who knows?, no one does it like the de landens, Blood Drinking, Marius' crypt within Trinity Gate, The new Palazzo boys Series: Part 3 of TVC Oneshot AUs Summary: Armand is offered the unique opportunity to learn from Benedict that softness doesn't necessarily need to equal fragility, and then comes to some interesting conclusions because of it. A version of events that does occur in Trinity Gate, but where Lestat doesn't simply cut off Rhosh's hand (and arm, Jesus, Lestat).

okay, throwing myself on the mercy of the fandom.

so what happened to Louis when he was kidnapped by Rhoshamandes? I’m gathering Lestat at the time thought Louis was killed, but it sounds like whatever Louis *did* go through is sort of glossed over in the general synopses I find. Just that it was traumatic.

I haven’t read the prince lestat books because I didn’t vibe with the direction she went in, but I am curious about the canon i’m missing.

Do a character headcanon for Rhoshamandes! Do one for Benedict! I recently heard a thing about Allesandra that has me wondering what you think of her too.

These two are interesting and I want to know more about them! Thank you for the ask 🖤☺️

RHOSH

Sexuality: I hc Rhosh as gay, or more accurately Benedict-sexual. For which he resents Benedict intensely lol

Gender: Rhosh hasn't been human for 5000 years so I don't think he thinks about it much, but he would say he's a cis man if asked.

Ship: I like him with Benedict, but Rhosh/Lestat could be spicy

BROTP: I don't see him befriending anyone really since he's such a miserable asshole. (Except Allessandra)

NOTP: Rhosh/Louis

Random headcanon: Rhosh grew up on ancient Crete, and consequently loves islands. If he's not close to the ocean he starts to get antsy and murderous.

General opinion: It's funny that such an ancient vampire is such a petty bitch. I would love to know more about Rhosh's coven leader era.

BENEDICT

Sexuality: I think in canon Benedict was a bit of a wayward monk who frolicked with men and women? But he only has eyes for Rhosh

Gender: Benedict has nonbinary energy to me

Ship: Rhosh, but just imagine all the depraved shit he and Armand could get up to. The shared monastic/religious trauma, the overbearing mentor/lover/makers, Armand's hilariously vocal disdain for him

BROTP: I think he'd get along with Louis

NOTP: None, have at it! (I mean he did let himself be erotically torn to shreds by dozens of vampires)

Random headcanon: Benedict drew a lot of those weird ass doodles you see in the margins of illuminated manuscripts when he was human.

General opinion: Benedict is such a gentle hapless soul and he deserved so much better. It's hard to imagine him feeding on anyone, let alone surviving for 1000 years. Rhosh must have been apoplectic after Magnus stole his blood lol

I haven't read the PL books in a while, so I'd have to revisit them before getting into specifics on Allessandra but I always liked her. Glad she came back from her mad blood drinker era

The journey of a shit-load of panels begins with the front cover.

Introducing the cover of "Prince Lestat: The Royal Wedding Reality Show."

Up top: Lestat and Louis

2nd Row: David and Armand

3rd Row Left: Marius holding Felix, with Jay standing nearby

3rd Row Right: Benedict and Rhoshamandes

Felix (5 years old) and Jay (87 years old, made when 7 years old) are my own creation. You'll learn more about "Jay and the Kid Vampire Gang" and how Lestat helps them in the story.

LOL, now I have to somehow make a comic that lives up to this cover. Full steam ahead! It's coming out in "episodes," with little sneak peeks along the way.

Rhoshamandes moments

❛    they can't kill me in a way that matters.  ❜ //post eric’s death au👀

"And Benedict?" Santino's voice rolled out like a storm front. He didn't move an inch from the fire, the harsh darkness of his eyes lit up with demonic glow. He had the makings of an executioner, how he stood by in somber contemplation, just alive enough to allow his chest to stir. He had listened to Rhoshamandes' proclamations with something akin to satisfaction. Burned out husk that he was, Santino no longer cared for the finer tunings of his sensibilities. Surely there were nuances to his rage, angles and second thoughts to the grief that drove him. But as any thing possessed, he did not marvel at the nature of his possession. He was reduced to vehicle. Vengeance of a scale so enormous that even Rhoshamandes' power barely scratched at the scope of it. And a sort of suicide, he supposed.

He knew the Ancient would not follow him all the way into the dark but he did not need him to. He needed him to unleash hell. In that, they were united, commonly bereft. Though Santino had to wonder at the strength of Rhoshamandes' feelings. He did not doubt them, though. And perhaps it was best to leave the rest be.

"I don't doubt your resolve. You've made it clear, and such resolve is what I need from you. I am your slave and servant in all things as long as you do not fail me. But what of your companion? They are as given to savagery as we are. What of him? Would you be able to continue, if he were killed?"

they are veeeeery underrated  

"Relax, Rhos. It's not even that big."

Sometimes life is about looking devastatingly hot while dishing out severe punishment to naughty vampires.

For he said 'I am your god now.' He gave me a taste of his unholy communion. By now I knew it was blood, but it was like wine to my blaspheming tongue and loins. His forceful hands did not bless me, but contorted my body to prayer all the same. He would pierce me as deeply as the Holy Spirit and made me utter words in tongues I did not speak. And after this crucifixion and I was certain I could bear no more, his unholy communion would resurrect me and reanimate my body to do what he chose me for. And after many deaths, he left me hollow as a false prophet's convictions and again and again I found myself sobbing in the bed's linen folds, wishing it to be Mother Mary's lap. And I would beg my first God for forgiveness, for the sin soiled me so deeply, the tar blocked my prayers from reaching heaven. Forgive me Lord, for I have sinned. Forgive me Lord, for I am Judas. I am filthy and I am filth. For he said 'I am your god now.'

Hello, I would like to linger on the topic of Armand and love in (primarily) the setting of TVL.

"What do we have now! Answer me! Nothing but the love of each other and what can that mean to creatures like us!"

Working backwards for a hot minute, this is the last appearance we have from Armand in The Vampire Lestat. It comes immediately before Armand tosses Lestat out of the very tower Lestat so graciously gifted to him.

Symbolism? Oh my heart, I lived for this sort of stuff during my English degree.

Anyone who's read a single page of TVC knows that love is pretty much prized above all things in the world of these vampires. It's... pretty much the only thing all of them by some unspoken agreement seem to hold dear. Even Rhoshamandes (one of many scions of Akasha) from the Prince Lestat at least appears to gain something from the affection between him and his fledgling Benedict. But I'm definitely getting ahead of myself.

Sorry guys, strap in if you wanna. This is gonna be another long meta post.

To go from the end right back to the beginning, something about Lestat does seem to bring Armand back to 'life'. And, in response, just the sight of him makes Lestat gasp. Armand is "perfect", "dazzling", "incarnate beauty". His voice is "teasing", his eyes are "fathomless". I've read bodice rippers with prose less purple than this.

Okay, fine, it turns out a lot of this is all a mind fuck from Armand to Lestat but I've already written a longer interpretation of that over here (and thank god because it just wouldn't have fit here). Just because we're seeing Armand's use of the mind gift does not necessarily invalidate some feelings behind it. Armand is one tightly wound, fucked up ball of crazy at this point in the eighteen century, and everything of him this early kinda has to be read through that lens.

All night you've been searching for me, he said, and here I am, waiting for you. I have been waiting for you all along. Dear God, this is love. This is desire. And all my past amours have been but the shadow of this.

Ultimately, Lestat's rejection of Armand after this is pretty brutal. He (correctly) manages to ascertain how much of a threat Armand poses to him, despite their both being of the blood. Later he even marvels at how he was able to overcome Armand in the brutal beating that followed. (My personal head canon is simple: Armand let him).

Yet still, Armand asks to be loved by Lestat and, thereafter, begs Lestat to be allowed to travel with he and Gabrielle. So when you read the disavow of love Armand makes—after Lestat has left him and returned to him, only to promise to leave him once more—it feels pretty clear Lestat went and fucked Armand all up and down. (I also wanna mention that meta post I think about often and is basically my head canon, on Armand's PoV in The Vampire Armand that shows him again rebounding hard in the wake of being rejected yet again. Let's face it, this is realistically an immutable part of Armand's character.)

How much of an impact did Lestat's rejection of Armand have? Allow me to put it this way: It takes him almost two hundred years for Armand to find his heart again after Lestat, but no more than forty years after Daniel before he finds some solace and makes house with Louis in Trinity Gate (kinda important to me to make this point given the consensus in fanon is Daniel is Armand's great love story).

Finally, there's a part of me that can't help but wonder how things might have gone differently, had Lestat not brashly come back with impossible demands of Armand. Would Armand have been capable of forgiving Lestat if he hadn't come talking about how little he actually needed Armand after he used Armand for a draught of his healing blood?

When Lestat first sees him again, he uses such words as "brilliant light burning in him", "thinly veiled excitement", "caressingly", "soft and compassionately" to describe Armand's attention. This is moments before Lestat goes off at the mouth.

And... just... damn, man. Maybe it would have been best to face Marius and his measly "condemnation" is all I'm saying. At least Marius wasn't in love and the worst he (probably??) would have done was turn his back on Lestat. No wonder, honestly. These are all immortal blood drinkers we're talking about, not a high end wine tasting.

Which of my friends asked me to write a Rhosh/Benedict fic?? I’m reading their 1st chapter in Prince Lestat right now, and oh gosh they’re great.