Hi everybody!! This is crazy4vampires587 here to talk (or "fan-girl" if you will) about my absolute favorite couple in the Night Huntress World, Mencheres & Kira! I am so excited to be able to be apart of the count down and even more excited to talk about these particular characters! Let's get started!
First off, their ages. Quite a generation gap by anyone's standards, but hey that's the beauty (literally) of supernatural beings that don't physically age! ^_^ Mencheres was born in 2553 B.C., so that makes him out to be 4564 years old. And still kicking! haha! In the beginning of Eternal Kiss of Darkness Mencheres jokes about his age saying that he is "older than dirt," later she finds out that that statement was highly under exaggerated! Kira is only 31 years old and as she so delicately puts it, "In my species, once a female is over the age of thirty, she's considered to be well on her way to middle age" (EKOD). Of all of the people that she could have made this statement to, and probably has made the statement to before, Mencheres is the most ironic of them all since he doesn't even truly have a "stage of life" category he can even consider fitting into. He also doesn't agree with humanity's labeling of "older women are no longer attractive," where in he refers to how old Patra was when he turned her into a vamp (35), and that she was "ravishing."
This leads into their similar pasts. Both of them have made mistakes in love that have nearly killed both of them and those close to them, albeit on a little bit different of playing fields. Mencheres's past is explained in more detail in EKOD (for those of you who don't know that yet) so I won't "copy & paste" his whole life's history, but I will touch on a few points. Kira as well has her past outlined later in the story so I won't ruin the surprise, though this part does have a bit of spoiler in it (***spoilers***). Those of you who have read through AGE know that Mencheres's wife Patra was a totally single-minded, power hungry, unforgiving, homicidal, psycho-path and a little bit of their history is divulged, but in this book we learn the whole story. For our purposes here I will simply say that Mencheres made a horrible mistake in whom he chose to love (but love is often stupid anyway, even if you did choose the right person) and he knew from the beginning that she crazed money and power but he thought that he could use that to his advantage to win her to his side and then once she was his he figured that his love for her would change her. Nope! Not how it happened. And because of that decision it caused him to be separated from her for 900 years and then cause a war (AGE) in which very nearly killed the ones he loved the most (like his co-ruler Bones), and did kill many loyal vampires and ghouls. Fortunately though, she was finally slain and, even as bad as all of that was, it paved the way for Kira to come in and steal his heart, the right way this time, with true love; totally sets them up to be perfect for each other. However, at the same time it also made even his closest allies weary of his new attraction to Kira because of how he completely lost his mind of Patra, and, even when she would have destroyed him and everyone else, he still couldn't bring himself to kill her by his own hands. But not to worry, Kira quickly dissuades all notions that she is anything like Patra ever was! She understand Mencheres even when his best friends refuse to give him the benefit of the doubt. This is in part because of her personality, but also because she has been through a similar situation. Her husband was a bad cop who use to beat her and put her younger, sick might I add, sister at risk. Kira knew that the only way to save her and her sister was to get out of there, but if she ran he would only follow. So she had a friend help bust him and get him thrown in jail. She knew full well what happened to cops who got thrown in jail, but, even though she did still love him despite all he had done to her (just like Mencheres), she did it anyway in order to protect her little sister. Both she and Mencheres knew that the only way to win was for their spouse to die, but they couldn't do it themselves because they still loved them. This ties into how similar their personalities are.
Both of them are insanely loyal to those they love and care about. They are also both very determined to finish what they started, or were thrown into. They're both very protective and have the capacity to endure a lot in order keep loved ones safe. They are both practical in that they do what ever the situation warrants no matter the personal cost to themselves. Both are very understanding of other people and don't judge on what they see on the surface. This is probably the character trait that plays the biggest part in the story! He is a far bit more cruel at times then she; where he would kill people for hurting her she would be willing to just punish them for hurting her. Now at the same time if it was someone hurting Mencheres then she might be willing to met out death as punishment, but whatever. In this book about them we get to see so much more of who Mencheres really is than what we see through the biased filter of Cat's mind. We get to see that he is actually rather funny, he just doesn't show that side to many people very often, and a lot of the first few times we see that it is internal. Like when he was caught eyeing Kira's chest, he can't remember the last time that had happened and thinks of how Bones would fracture a rid laughing so hard. *chuckle* Kira is also rather funny, but it's not as much of a shock since we didn't know her before. We do get to see that she is a thinker and that she has the mind of a detective (hint the Private Investigator) and is always curious for information on a million different things at once. I also love her spunk! She's so funny later in the story when she, first, picks up the clues of Mencheres's words and actions (& things that he didn't say or do) and determines that he does indeed have an attraction to her and is trying to hide it out of gentlemanly concern (we'll come back to that point in a moment), and then she sets her mind to making him admit to and act upon those feelings. So, I said we'd come back to Mencheres's "gentlemanly concern" and here we are. First off, he is very sweet in how considerate he is; at the end of EKOD he feels sorry for the pain it had caused Kira to even think that the screams she could hear over the phone were coming from him (& for those of you who don't know, they were not his screams, so put your minds at ease). Then we have his formal demeanor. The very that puts Cat on edge most of the time when she has conversations with him, especially she highly emotional and he is collectedly formal about it, like in DFAEG (*mini-spoiler*) when she wakes up after a "bad dream" at Spades house. This is one of my favorite quotes from him; Cat just explained the situation and it's bad news, so he says "That bodes ill," which I think is totally cool, but Cat doesn't agree, for she replies with "Hey, Walks Like An Egyptian how about for once you drop the formal stuff and talk like you live in the twenty-first century?" and without even skipping a beat, instantly replies with, "The shit's gonna splatter, start buggin', yo."!!!!! I already loved Mencheres before this but that comment right there totally stole my heart!! And then when I read EKOD I fell in love all over again! He is SO amazing, though not without flaws, and she is just as kick-ass as Cat, but without all of the immaturity!
Moving on, here's just a bit of background about the real Mencheres (yes, he was indeed a historical figure, which plays a big part later in the story, well really through the whole story) and the origin of Kira's name and how that fits into the story (Jeaniene Frost is just so talented!!). First off, the Greeks called Mencheres Eros after god of lust, for very good reasons. When you read EKOD (if you haven't already) and you piece together his past you'll have a better understanding as to why that was such an accurate description. Suffice it to say that with the way he looks and with a body like his the only time he was ever lacking for bed partners was when he was forbidden by law for over 900 yeas - & then once he was free he wasn't as interested in casual sex anymore, because by that time it was old news, until Kira, but then she wasn't "casual," oh no! she was much more! Speaking of her, now we have the meaning of Kira's name; in Celtic her name means "dark" (which is a HUGE part of the plot line *wink*wink*) and in Greek it means "lady," and when Mencheres lets Kira go after healing Tina he calls her "dark lady" just once. Now for those of you who wish to learn more about him, there is a poem, of which Jeaniene informs us about on her frostfans.com bio page for Mencheres, that is about the real Mencheres. It is called "Mycerinus" - which is another translation of Mencheres - written by Matthew Arnold. I personally found it a bit dry, but I'm not a poetry person. Even so it was still interesting, so if you like poetry and/or Mencheres then check it out; http://famouspoetsandpoems.
Now on to the really juicy stuff!! How cute they are as a couple! Allow me to just gush for a minute!! hahaha!!!! My favorite part about them is (everything) that Mencheres is a 4564 year old vampire, who is very cool, calm, and collected almost every second of the day and is a master of his emotions, and yet with Kira he is at a total loss! He doesn't know quite how to act or what to think. She completely and utterly floors him. It's SO funny. Here are some quotes to back that up: '"Quiet," Mencheres said instantly..."I've thought it over, but it makes no sense," Kira went on, completely ignoring his order to be quiet. For a stunned second, Mencheres didn't know how to react. It had to be centuries at least since a human had dared ignored his commands.' - '"Kira..." Mencheres did not know what to say. He'd expected some form of denial from her over his fate. Sadness also, but this lat defiance that what he'd seen was not going to happen was somewhat startling.' - '"Shush," she replied, putting her finger to his lips. He couldn't help but feel amusement slither through him. No one had ever shushed him in thousands of years, yet Kira did it without the slightest hesitation.' There are so many more, but those are just a few. Another adorable, endearing thing about them is that they have it bad for each other from the very beginning. (*mini-spoiler*) While he held he captive in the beginning (if you don't know you will once you read it) they both felt a draw towards one another, but he was to gentlemanly to act upon it & he wasn't sure how she felt about him, since he can't read her mind, and she didn't want to act upon it and start whole captor/captive relationship. However, once Mencheres let her go and then mesmerized her boss to help her out, she tries like crazy to find him, in the hopes that what she felt before would develop into something more between them. And Mencheres has to force himself to stop following her around, making sure that she is safe (aaawww!!!! *_*), so that he can get on with his life. He only decides to leave ,though, after assuring himself that she will be treated better and taken care of by mesmerizing her boss into giving her a few bonuses (*cough*car*cough*raise*). But fate wouldn't have it because the very day, the very minute, he was leaving he was called to help her, and he rushes to save her and she finally gets her wish of finding him again! Even though it comes with unexpected, and a bit unwanted, consequences, it is definitely for the best!!!!
Well that's pretty much it. I'm very long winded, so thanks for hanging in there with me. I won't leave you totally hanging; I've six more awesome quotes/scenes to divulge about my favorite couple, and a picture! So here is your prize to reading through (or just skipping over or skimming) all of my rambling, fan-girl jazz!! hmhm!! *_*
- 7 more reasons why I love this couple!!!!!
~ He's got a tattoo on his back!! Technically a shenu, or a cartouche, but still! '"This is an interesting tattoo. What is it?" "A shenu," he replied, rolling over on his side to face her. "The modern word is a cartouche." She still traced the tattoo even though she wouldn't be able to see it anymore. "What does it say?" "It's my birth name, Menkaure, in Ancient Egyptian writing."' - and then you go on to find out more intriguing details about him and his past that you will have to read the book to find out what they are!
~ He is just down right hilarious!! They are so compatible with each other because they can both loosen up and have a good time with each other! 'Mencheres felt his mouth twitch. She was daring him to tell her to leave with the implications that it would set back her admirable progress. He was curious to see where she intended to take this. "Please. Do Stay." He settled himself back against the large tub, lacing his fingers behind his head. Kira's gaze lingered over his chest before it flicked lower to the bathwater, paused, and then a slight grin broke out across her face. "Bubbles. On a scale of one to ten, a bubble bath has to rank at zero as far as things I'd expect an older-than-dirt, bad-ass vampire to indulge in. The only thing that would surprise me more was if you pulled out rubber ducky." He fought another, stronger twitch of his lips. "Bath toys are reserved only for the oldest, most lethal vampires. I have a full century to age and another thousand men to kill before I reach that hallowed landmark." Kira laughed, a feminine, throaty sound that made things tighten in him, reminding Mencheres of why he'd tried not to linger in her presence the past few days.' - Aawww!!! Aren't they just adorable! They are so cute together!! ^_^
~ This is earlier in the book, when they are having a conversation by the pool (with him naked in the pool) and they get distracted by one another. *snicker*snicker* 'Mencheres's gaze lingered on her chest until Kira crossed her arms over it with obvious annoyance. She gave him a pointed look as his gaze traveled up to meet hers. He glanced away, almost chuckling at this unexpected absurdity from him. How many centuries had it been since he'd been caught ogling a woman's breasts? A woman's clothed breasts, no less. His co-ruler, Bones, would fracture a rib laughing if he knew. "Some things must never change," Kira muttered under her breath. Mencheres found himself smiling. "It appears they do not."...[they talk more & then when she starts to say something he doesn't want over heard, he jumps out of the pool to silence her]...Her heartbeat had accelerated the moment he leapt from the water, and it stayed elevated when she looked away from his face at the rest of his body. Then she gasped. Her warm breath vibrated against the finger he still held to her lips. Kira gasped again as her gaze dragged from his shoulders to his feet, then became fixated at the point between his legs. Abruptly, Mencheres's dark mood over her nearly spilling his secret changed to amusement when Kira didn't seem to be able to tear her eyes away....[changes POV]...,Kira was surprised to see that he was hairless everywhere, even between his thighs...Kira's eyes fastened there, widening. Oh. My. If the vampire hadn't still had a finger to her lips, she would have licked them in reflex. "Some things must never change," a deep voice noted, as his finger left her lips to raise her chin.' - hahaha!!!! I LOVE them!!! ^_^
~ He is a big man *wink*wink*nudge*nudge*and even in the throes of passion he's considerate of that and other details. '"Take me. Don't wait," she got out in a ragged voice once he freed her lips to trail his devastating mouth down her neck. His fingers found her depths in the next moment, making her cry out at the sizzle of sensation. He stroked her fare more slowly than she did him, her faster rhythm wringing deep, throaty groans our of Mencheres that spiked her lust. "You are not ready. I would hurt you," he rasped.' - haha!!! I know I'm a tad bit evil, but you will just have to read in order to know what the rest of the scene entails!
~ In this scene they are hiding under water and they have to stay there for 2 hours. So what better way to spend that time than in each others' arms. (contains a **spoiler** if you can catch it. it's in the subtext) '...Yet her instincts said Mencheres was meant to be hers. Kira found herself smiling at the thought. Mencheres, hers. She reached through the water separating them, stroking his face, feeling the spark of his power against her skin. Mine. It felt right. It felt more right than anything had before, in fact. He pulled her into his arms, emotions too strong for her to name brushing against her subconscious. Suddenly, the thought of two hours in the ocean like this wasn't unpleasant. Not if she could hold him and feel everything he hadn't allowed himself to tell her yet.' - Aaahhh!! I'm so jealous!! I SO wish I could be Kira and that (JF's) Mencheres actually existed!!!
~ (****spoiler****) Mencheres can physically touch (or caress) or pick up things with his power. He uses that to his advantage in any and all romantic moments! 'His mouth teased her skin while more ripples traveled over her body. She let out a short moan. She knew it was his power caressing her with a thousand invisible strokes, some shockingly intimate.' - I'm a tease I know! But I seriously LOVE them and I hope you do too!!
~ (****spoiler****) In this scene they are meeting up with a Law Guardian, Veritas, to request her help in taking out the villain in the story, Radjedef and this scene demonstrates their devotion to each other, because both of them are willing to risk their lives in order to ensure the safety of the other. 'Veritas's gaze still pinned hers. "Are you willing to swear by your blood that he is innocent? To forfeit your own life if he is found guilty of committing even one of these acts?" "Yes," Kira said,...[skip dialog]...Mencheres gave Kira such a tormented look that fear slid up her spine. He wouldn't confess to something he hadn't done, would he? Of course not. He'd be condemning himself to death just on the mere chance that the other Guardians would rule against him..."Don't," she gasped, clutching his arms. "I know you think you're going to die anyway, but your visions are wrong, Mencheres! They're stalled and twisted from guilt you felt over things that weren't your fault. This is not the only way you can save me. Come on, if Veritas didn't in some way suspect more was going on, she wouldn't have shown up here. You didn't do any of this! Don't you dare say you did!" Tears spilled out of her eyes, and her grip tightened until Kira heard bones snap in his arms, but fear made her unable to let up. Mencheres was about to slip away from her forever, she could feel it. "Don't trust what those damned visions say," she whispered. "Trust me. We can beat Radje another way, I know it. Let me prove it to you." His eyes, so dark and fathomless, stared into hers. Very gently, he captured her hands and pulled them off his arms with a flex of his power. Then he brought Them to his lips. "I love you," he breathed against her skin.' - So sweet!!! Read to find out more! ^_^
And there you have it! I hope you enjoyed all that I had to say, and I hope that I garnered Mencheres & Kira some new fans today! Have a happy Valentines Day (or for singles like me, happy SAD Day!! ^_^)!!! Let me know what some of your favorite things are about Mencheres & Kira and EKOD!!! Jeaniene Frost really outdid herself with this one! It is truly and by far my favorite!!! XD
