“Marissa came around the corner, looking Grace Kelly-fine as usual. With her long blond hair and her precision-molded face, she was known as the great beauty of the species, and even V, who didn't go for her type, had to show love." -Vishous' thoughts about Marissa
Marissa is an aristocratic vampire in The Black Dagger Brotherhood series by JR Ward and is one of the main characters of the fourth book, Lover Revealed. She began the first shelter and social services for their kind and she is the former shellan to Wrath, king of the vampires, and mated to Butch, a member of the Brotherhood.
Biography[]
Raised as the quintessential female of the glymera, Marissa was raised virtually ignorant to sex. For three hundred years, she never wore jeans, even wore corsets on a daily basis as was deemed proper for the glymera.[1] When she was younger, a mating with Wrath was arranged, however, the only contact they really had was when they needed to feed because she was scared of him and he didn't want a relationship.
When Wrath dissolved their mating to mate Beth, he did his best to do so in a way that wouldn't harm her reputation, but the glymera is quick to assume the worst of a female, especially if to do otherwise would put a male in a bad light. She quickly found herself shut out of polite society.
While Butch recuperated from being a captive of the Lessening Society, she neglected to don a hazmat suit and was exposed to the Omega's contamination inside Butch. Once Butch was a little more on his feet, Havers caught them in bed together and shortly afterwards kicked her out from the family home just before dawn.
With nowhere else to go, she went to the Black Dagger Brotherhood as dawn was breaking, finding the mansion via the blood Wrath had drunk from her for so long. Wrath and Beth immediately took her in and told her that she could live out the rest of her life at the mansion if she wanted.
When it became apparent that the vampire race needed social services, Wrath put her in charge of developing those.[2] She founded Safe Place in the house she intended to move into in order to achieve independence before she mated Butch and moved into the Pit.[1]
Personality[]
Marissa has had social anxiety as a result of having to live under the intense scrutiny of the glymera.[3] According to the Scribe Virgin, she possesses impeccable manners, coming from a well-mannered lineage.[1] Her hellren characterizes her as intelligent, capable, and compassionate[4]; while he may be biased, her actions support his views. She smells like night-blooming roses.[5]
Physical Description[]
Marissa is often described as "the great beauty of the species."[1] Tall and slender, she's so perfect she appears to have been sculpted rather than an actual person. She has light blue eyes, long blonde hair, and smells like the ocean.[6] The Scribe Virgin herself describes her as physical perfection. She's thinner than Beth, whose jeans are a "little baggy" on her.[7]
Skills[]
- Those commensurate with running a women's shelter.
- Embroidery[8]
Abilities[]
- Dematerializing
Relationships[]
Beth[]
There's never been any jealousy or animosity between the two females. Indeed, Beth is grateful to Marissa for having saved Wrath's life with her blood after Beth was abducted and welcomed her to the mansion with open arms, even dressing her from her own closet until Marissa could muster a wardrobe of her own.
Butch[]
Despite being from vastly different backgrounds, they were attracted to each other from the get-go; although Havers' interference, her fears, and his sense of being unworthy created issues early on in their relationship. They still have communication issues from time to time, but are working through it. They're thinking about having young, but haven't made a decision either way yet.[9]
Havers[]
After Havers kicked her out of the family home, their relationship has mostly been restricted to coordinating care and services for the women at Safe Place. Realizing that she no longer has to live by arbitrary rules and rigid customs, in a way, she feels almost grateful to Havers for disowning her.
Jane[]
Jane and Marissa get along like a house on fire.
Mary[]
They have a close working relationship as Marissa asked for her help when she set up Safe Place; Mary works as a counselor.
Rehvenge[]
While Rehvenge dreamt of something more between them, Marissa didn't reciprocate the feelings, although she still thinks of him as a friend. He was her second and last chance if Wrath hadn't taken her into the mansion.
Vishous[]
There's never been any jealousy or animosity between them; they're more likely to worry together when Butch is in the field than fight. Shortly after mating Butch, V encouraged them to move into the main house, but she'd steadfastly refused, doing her best to not make it seem like it was out of pity.
Wrath[]
Despite his best attempts to protect her, the glymera is what it is and her brother is no exception. Taking her in without a second's hesitation, he told her that she could live out the rest of her days at the mansion if she chose. Since then, they're more like siblings and they offer each other advice from time to time on their relationships with their mates.
Trivia[]
- She still keeps the money Havers gave her when he kicked her out; every so often she opens up the drawer it's in and wonders why she keeps it.[10]
- The colour of her family line is pale blue[11]
- She collects Albrecht Dürer prints.[12]
- One Halloween, she dressed up as Elizabeth Hurley.[13]
- She's older than Havers by 11 years and represented their bloodline on the Princeps Council.[11]
- Often says: "Dearest Virgin in the Fade."[1]
- As a joke, she gave pink UGGs to all the females of the household.[14]
- She owns a Patek Philippe watch with a black alligator band and it's Butch's favourite of hers.[4] He also gave her a Cartier watch for their first anniversary.[15]
- She embroidered a pillow that says "Fangs for the Memories" for the couch in the billiards room.[8]
Appearances[]
- Dark Lover
- Lover Awakened
- Lover Revealed
- Lover Unbound
- Lover Reborn
- The King
- The Shadows
- Blood Kiss
- The Beast
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Lover Revealed
- ↑ Lover Revealed, Ch. 32
- ↑ Lover Revealed, Ch. 1
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Lover Revealed, Ch. 41
- ↑ Lover Enshrined, Ch. 18
- ↑ Dark Lover
- ↑ Lover Revealed, Ch. 28
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Lover Avenged, Ch. 52
- ↑ Beth. "Missive From the Mansion." Caldwell Courier Journal. Vol I, Issue 3. December 3, 2019
- ↑ Blood Kiss, Ch. 17
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Lover Revealed, Ch. 45
- ↑ Lover Revealed, Ch. 13
- ↑ Beth. "Missive From the Mansion." Caldwell Courier Journal. Vol I, Issue 8. October 1, 2019
- ↑ The King, Ch. 41
- ↑ Blood Kiss, Ch. 34