How tall are you?

5′11

5 things you spend the most time doing, in order.

Observing: In the broadest sense of the word. Aurelius makes sense of the world through observation, something that leads to accusations of lurking with predictable regularity. But keeping one’s eyes and ears open could be the difference between a loved one’s life and death. Observing could also be applied to his appreciation of the arts- though not an artist himself, Auri’s interests extend to all sorts of art, but he has a particular fondness for the visual. 

Family: Rarely does more than a day pass without Auri speaking to at least one member of his family in greater depth than a passing exchange of pleasantries, which is more than everyone else gets. Any time spent among the Mordecais and Ronan is good and valuable, and though he’ll grumble and act as though he was terribly put-upon, he’d drop anything to help any one of them if they needed it. 

Reading and Researching: Aurelius is a scholar of everything. What would the point of having countless centuries at his disposal be if he didn’t try to absorb all the knowledge he can? He’s often to be found tucked away in some odd, forgotten corner of the estate with a number of volumes on whichever obscure subject has caught his attention that week. 

Exercising: Whether its running, working out, or sparring, Aurelius alternates long hours silently hunched over a pile of books, or dissecting niche 17th century printing techniques, with explosive releases of energy. He finds exercise helpful in thinking, always has, but he’s also motivated by the need to constantly be ready to fight for everything he has. He’s a warrior in the end, after all. 

The Coven: Even before he was an Elder, Auri felt as though in some manner the coven’s safety was partially his responsibility. Now that he is an Elder, and one without another occupation at that, Aurelius devotes a significant amount of time to ensuring that things are going smoothly among his people. 

Favorite weather and why?

When Aurelius was a child, he loved the rain. In the beginning of the monsoon season, when the world balanced on a precipice, the first rainfalls seemed to break some sort of spell. He still likes rain, but the gleeful abandon of his young boyhood when he’d run through sheets of falling water and throw pebbles in puddles was dampened by the absolute menace the torrential rain was to his work leading the kingdom’s navy. Sometimes, if it rains at night in Roseville, he’ll go out and stand in the downpour. 

Favorite season(s) and why?

It depends on what part of the world he’s in at any given time. Whichever season offers the longest periods of darkness. Often, Aurelius won’t bother venturing outside when the sun slips away, but he appreciates having the choice, and having a longer time to make use of if there is something he wants to do in the world beyond the estate’s walls. 

Favourite comfort foods?

It’s been so long since eating food was anything more than a ritual. Aurelius doesn’t need food, but if he’s choosing, he’s fond of stews. The warmth of them is probably mostly imagined, at this point, but he likes it nonetheless.

Are you religious/spiritual? Elaborate on this.

Aurelius grew up in a sprawling palatial complex that had been expanded on and modified by his ancestors going back centuries, and the space was constantly populated by visiting scholars and holy men. He inherited his family’s following of the Mahāyāna buddhist movement, and was taught its tenants alongside things such as philosophy and art when he spent time in Nalanda, one of the empire’s most revered monasteries and early universities. Perhaps it was this close connection and similar emphasis of importance on spiritualism and academics that left Auri not particularly religious, but revering knowledge and study of all disciples as if knowledge were a religion in and of itself. He’s always found comfort in turning to study, something that he approaches with something near spiritualism. 

What is your greatest fear? What is your greatest desire?

Aurelius lives with the constant underlying fear that whatever darkness seems to come inherently along with his affections will claim yet another victim. He’s lost so many close to him that he expects the worst always, to the point that his greatest fear is almost mundane. He can’t imagine himself without that fear. It has become an insidious aspect of his personality. As for desires, Aurelius would be hard pressed to think of one. His life among his family and coven is far more than he expected to have, once upon a time, and much more than he feels like he deserves, most of the time. Perhaps he’d wish for a cessation of war. He’s always been a warrior, after all, and he’s seen all the trouble conflict causes. 

Describe one or more high points in your life.

Not the first time he met Ronan, because their vacancy then was so utterly at odds with who they really are, and the immediate aftermath of his turning them had been so wrought with anxiety that it certainly wasn’t the best time Auri had ever had. But the time afterwards, when Ronan came into their own and found their feet among the coven was a time of genuine wonder for Aurelius. The newling’s experiences were so disparate from his own, but seeing something restored in them even if he couldn’t restore it in himself was remarkable. 

Do you believe in love? What about love at first sight? Why/why not?

Aurelius has loved too deeply to not believe in love. He has never mated, and never intends to, but supernatural bond aside, he doesn’t think any romantic attachment he could have with anyone would be any stronger or more impactful than the love he has for his family. There are different types of love, but they aren’t hierarchical. If it weren’t for Amory and Hadrian, who are everything someone would expect of two soulmates, madly in love, Auri wouldn’t even entertain the idea of such thing as love at first sight. Still, he isn’t convinced. Maybe he just believes in those two. 

What is your biggest regret?

Hurt- Johnny Cash….. “I will let you down / I will make you hurt” The weight of this song is just so Auri- an old, old man with more history than even he can comprehend sometimes, burdened by a past characterized by loss and pain. The lyrics are almost an apology, one that could be addressed to any of the people Aurelius loves. After all, they would be better off without him around, dragging them down with him into danger and darkness.

Should Have Known Better- Sufjan Stevens….. “Nothing can be changed / The past is still the past / The bridge to nowhere” And the other side of the coin. In spite of the lingering weight of the past, life is full of beautiful moments and vital relationships rendering the weight of the years manageable. Auri’s joy is mostly to be found in his family and friends, or between the covers of a rare book on an obscure subject. The line citing his brother’s daughter as a source of joy is pretty damn Auri too. 

Iron- Woodkid….. “This deadly burst of snow is burning my hands, / I’m frozen to the bones, I am / A million miles from home, I’m walking away / I can’t remind your eyes, your face” A song for the fall of a kingdom, and the fall of Aurelius’ entire family with it. Those were his darkest days, and the crippling guilt and horror of them have never truly left him.

Weight of the World- Shayfer James…… “We do what we must to get by / That’s just the weight of the world / The weak and the weary will never survive” Hadrian and Amory Mordecai saved Auri’s life, and he’s been devoted to them ever since. This meant, in the early centuries, that he fought and burned through the world at their sides, all of them young and reckless and out for blood.

Giver- K. Flay….. “I’m learning to live / I’m trying to be better / I’m learning to give / But I don’t know if I’m a giver” Forming an understanding of the world that revolves around keeping everyone at a distance, especially those who are vulnerable, meant that when his best and oldest friends appeared with a child in tow, Auri was terrified. From the beginning, he’d have protected Arran with his life, but it took time for him to grow to love the man in his own right. He gave a part of his heart to Arran, and later it was Arran he turned to when he gave a part of himself to Ronan, turning them into a vampire and bringing them into the coven.

Run For Those Hills Babe- Tom Rosenthal….. “Dive in, the water might be lovely / Go keen and go boldly / Go wherever they sing” Ronan. 200 odd years ago, Aurelius saw a kindred spirit in a vacant-eyed high society performer whose music made his heart swell. He’d turned them to free them, selfishly opening his heart to them despite all better judgement. Ronan deserves the world, and he’d give it to them if he could.