#I still have a Lestat-inspired one I need to finish.

[neckromancy]

First time he appears in a dream at all (and even then very limited, never actually saw his face) and of course it was provoked by my gameplay with a friend yesterday where we ascended him for mechanical reasons (we play on a higher difficulty) so naturally I dreamed that we were both vampires and we were feeding off a body together.

But it was basically just a visual from the backside. I'll take any dream as limited as it gets at this point though. 👀

#mirika.txt #I have potential aphantasia so I truly depend on my visuals at night. #But I never dream what I want - EVER... please brain. I will take ANYTHING. #I envy visual thinkers for many reasons (though mostly because I hate that I cannot recall good memories). #It's easy to recall bad memories because they are led more by feeling than by visuals... but the good ones? Damn. #But that's a story for another time. #Probably makes more and more sense now why I perhaps spend too much on commissions sometimes. #Basically me going: visualize it for me 🥺 #Although I am now trying to doodle more and more. #I still have a Lestat-inspired one I need to finish.

[bubblegum-blackwood]

You guys I went to go see the ROYAL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA and it was SO EPIC but of course I have terminal VC brainrot so I was thinking of the murder family going to musical performances together almost the whole time. Anyway have a snippet of the rule 63 AU I'm writing because I couldn't get this scene out of my head (one of my first attempts in a loooong time to write in first person and I actually think it turned out okay!)

@butchybats this is for you because it was inspired by your blog FEM!LESTAT IN VICTORIAN MENSWEAR YOU'RE WELCOME

“Lesya, we’re going to be late if you don’t hurry up!”

“Yes, yes, I know, I’m almost ready!” Lesya’s door was closed to me, but I could hear her flittering frantically about as she rushed to finish getting herself all done up. The orchestra was in town, and how could she resist buying us both tickets? I was always ready to go before she was; the woman was prone to fussing over every minute detail, and on good days I found her meticulous attention to her appearance almost endearing, but more often I rolled my eyes at her preening. I tapped my foot impatiently, loud, so she was sure to hear it, and she called out again, “I’m coming, cherie!”

She opened the door, and my mouth went dry.

She had cut off all her luscious golden waves and styled what remained as a man of the era would, and to match she had donned an exquisite three-piece suit, somehow tailored perfectly to her, but where would she have gotten such a thing, although I only stopped to wonder about the details of that after the night had already passed. The waistcoat was of the same red silk satin she so loved to wear in gowns, her shirt beautifully crisp and white against the blood-red tie, the jacket and pants of fine black cashmere wool, with black velvet lapels and a rose in her breast pocket, and on her feet she had placed an exceptionally-made pair of men’s leather dress shoes. She wore no makeup, not that she needed much at all anyway, and it seemed she had bound her breasts, or padded out the rest of her torso, or perhaps a little bit of both, and the overall effect was flawlessly masculine. She smelled like masculine cologne. I could do nothing but stare.

For once, bashfulness coloured her lovely smile. She asked, with a bit of hesitance, “Do you like it?”

I simply nodded, once, and swallowed, and my brow furrowed. “But why?”

“Why not?” she shrugged. “Besides,” she stalked closer with a grin. “Now I can do this in public and no one will give us a second glance.” And she kissed me on the mouth, hungry, vicious, irresistible.

As a woman Lesya possessed an air of elegance and gravity that I have never seen matched, utterly dazzling with her curled hair and fancy jewels and pearls and voluminous skirts, but despite having temporarily put aside her feminine trappings I was drawn to as a crow to a shiny soda can tab she was no less breathtaking for it, presenting a different kind of polished magnificence while still feeling essentially like herself, which I found quite charming. And though I voiced my concerns to her about the possibility of being recognised, the transformation had been so thorough that likely I only saw Lesya behind the masculine facade because of how intimately I knew her - much more intimately than anyone in New Orleans who might have attended the performance that night. We would be indistinguishable from any other lady and her gentleman escort, and so we smiled to ourselves and she offered her arm to me and I took it and we walked out of the house together, and she helped me into the carriage as any gentleman would and threw herself into my lap, nipping at my jaw between indulgent kisses. I was still too much in shock to stop her, and I closed my eyes, let the feeling of her mouth and hands on me wash over me like little bursting fireworks, such vivid and exquisite sensations.

It was strange to see her walking about without ehr hair piled on top of her head like a bouquet of golden threads, strange to see her walking about with no skirts trailing behind her to obscure the sensuous curve of her thighs. I found myself looking down at our feet, mesmerised by the strong strides she took, the movement of her legs, the swish of the fabric around her ankles.

She introduced herself as Monsieur de Lenfent, though she refused to tell me the significance of that name, and said she was the son of a family friend, visiting from France. Everyone was absolutely smitten with this Monsieur de Lenfent, as they were smitten with Madame de Lioncourt, which delighted her greatly. She flirted endlessly with all the young ladies there, and every once and a while turned back to win at me with a mischievous grin. She had the time of her life; she dressed in men’s clothes when we went out together several more times fater that, and no one ever suspected a thing, which gave her that thrill she always chased after.

She walked me into the concert hall on her arm, and we took oru seats as they dimmed the lights, the sound of the tuning orchestra enveloping us. To this day such a noise has the power to transport me back to that time, and it creates a vaguely warm feeling in my chest. So many memories of our little vampire family like this among the company of mortals, a time I sometimes wish I could go back to, if only to ensure I better appreciated it while it lasted. I was still so young then, and still so enthralled by the way my vampire eyes saw the world, and often while Lesya became absorbed in the genius of the composition I became absorbed in watching the performers make their music, the look of bliss on the trumpeter’s face or the intense, focused gaze of the man behind the timpani drums, the elegant gestures of the conductor enacting his call and response with the thrashing flautist and the graceful first violin. The rows of violins, violas, cellos, double basses, so expertly employed. I reached out and took Lesya’s hand in the darkness, and she gave it a gentle squeeze, rubbing her thumb across my knuckles, and then I experienced one of the most profound revelations I have ever been blessed with at a concert such as this. The music surrounded me, enveloped me, wrapped me up as in a blanket and rocked me slowly, and everything I saw blurred save for two rows of string players, illuminated in perfect clarity, all their bows moving in unison. The orchestra seemed like all one cohesive unit, one singular creature, and as the notes swelled the beast heaved great elegant breaths as it stirred in rumbling slumber and whispered secrets in my ear.

The symphony came to its close. Total silence reigned for one trembling heartbeat, then the whole room erupted in applause like a shower of hail battering the roof above us. My head spun. Lesya leapt to her feet, one of the first to do so, and I followed suit, my dead chest beaving with unspeakable emotion.

As we left, Lesya held out her arm for me, and I clutched onto her elbow as if to remind myself that she was real, or perhaps to convince myself that I was, and she kissed me gently on the cheek and lead me out the door. The sudden cold of the night air stung my cheeks and snapped a little bit of life back into me, snapped me back into the present moment and out of my hazy epiphany, and I breathed, relaxing my shoulders.

In the carriage, I laid my head on my shoulders and wrapped my arms around her waist and closed my eyes, and I don’t do this often but I believe I fell asleep to the feel of her hand stroking my hair.

#vc #lestat de lioncourt #louis de pointe du lac #iwtv #loustat #rule 63

[saintarmand]

8, 17, 21 & 22 for the iwtv ask thingy! 🤍

8. Who's your favorite actor?

jacob anderson. come on now. they're all great but he is ethereal. second place assad zaman

17. Have you read or watched anything because it was referenced in the show?

oh just a few things

love's coming of age by edward carpenter

chéri by colette

nausea by jean-paul sartre (louis was reading this in ep6 when lestat and claudia are playing chess while talking about nicki. you can't see the full cover but i went detective mode and figured it out)

madame bovary by gustave flaubert

a moveable feast by ernest hemingway (s2 first look "esurient hearts beating as one, the rumbling beast of the moveable feast")

iolanta (tchaikovsky opera)

don pasquale (donizetti opera)

pelléas et mélisande (debussy opera)

a doll's house (henrik ibsen play)

a streetcar named desire (tennessee williams play) + the movie with marlon brando

i didnt read the full text but i did hunt down and read parts of "de masticatione mortuorum, the chewing dead" that claudia mentions, full title "dissertatio historico-philosophica de masticatione mortuorum" by philip rohr (1679) (view the original manuscript here + english translation here)

i havent finished all of emily dickinson's poems yet but im getting there! (some of these i had read before ofc but im reading them all in order now)

ive also previously watched nosferatu (and rewatched it for iwtv) and the trimph of the will (NOT rewatching 💀 that was for a film history class) and ive read dante's inferno which louis mentions ("if i was to join dante's wood of the self-murdered...") and i highly recommend it!!! absolute fav

there's also stuff that wasn't directly referenced in the show but the fandom has drawn parallels to, that i've read and watched for that reason.

anne carson's an oresteia (to better understand all the agamemnon iphigenia clytemnestra electra comparisons people make)

giovanni's room by james baldwin

rebecca (1940 film)

theres def more movies but i cant remember lol

and theres some nonfiction books i've yet to finish bc im slow at nonfiction

the vampire: a casebook by alan dundes (cited by writers as s2 inspo! about irl vampire folklore)

black new orleans 1860-1880 by john w. blassingame for historical context

the theatre of fear and horror by mel gordon, on the grand guignol aka the inspiration for theatre des vampires (i did finish this one except for the summaries of all the plays, i decided to skip that there's so many. very engaging read and gives a lot of insight into the some of the bts stuff we've seen about the theatre)

louis's favorite movies from the tale of the the body thief!

la belle et la bête (1946)

the company of wolves (1984)

the dead (1987)

i may be forgetting some stuff. there's also so much more on my list that i mean to get to. a prayer for owen meany by john irving, of "memory is a monster" quote fame is locked and loaded for example

if anyone's interested to hear my thoughts on any of these feel free to ask i would love to talk about it!!!

all this and i've still only read the first 6 of the actual vampire chronicles. and im still procrastinating starting merrick

21. What was your favorite monologue of season one?

HMM the obvious one is louis's confession. ive watched the whole sequence from the funeral to the end of the episode a truly unhealthy number of times. also claudia's coffin monologue

22. Who's your favorite character? Why?

LOUIS. probably because i relate to him so much. instant connection. tricked into loving myself. also like hes literally louis how could i not love him do i need to even explain this

when i started reading the books i didnt care for book louis that much lol but i did become an armand stan. possibly bc i also relate to him im selfish like that i guess. also just his whole backstory and the way it informs everything he does is so fascinating to me. ppl say hes incomprehensible and hes literally not. everything he does makes sense when you consider his life experiences

iwtv ask game

#iwtv #s #asks #interview with the vampire #vampterview #vampyyrit

[graygiantess]

👋 are there any fics that were memorable to you or have stood out (weird pairings, unexpected plot twists, high quality smut, crazy source inspiration that just worked, or just went in a different direction than you were thinking it would)? I am pretty new to IWTV series and embarrassingly, just discovered fan fiction not too long ago. I am overwhelmed with all the fics on AO3 and want to narrow down which ones to read that will leave a lasting impression. I found you through your Legally Blonde fic because it sounded like a joke making Lestat an Elle but it has been a standout for me.

Also, can I ask if you still plan to finish the Legally Blonde fic?

Hey Nonny! 👋

Thanks for asking!

You might have noticed I'm very much an Armandaniel girly so you'll mostly get Armandaniel answers from me. 😅

The first fic I remember reading for the show was Thy Fearfull Symmetry (very NSFW!). It's young Daniel/Louis/Armand. I really like how the author set the scene and the contrast between Daniel insisting that he definitely didn't come home with Louis for that and, well, what happens next. 😅

The most recent fic that blew me away was For My Muse (T) by the lovely @akinmablog. Armand keeps seeing Daniel’s books - and his author photo- everywhere and handles it very well, tyvm. Just love the concept and Akinma always manages to punch me right in the feels.

I recently made a list of my favorite 'active' fics. These are all works in progress that are still being updated. It's very Armandaniel heavy but also includes some other pairings.

If you like Armandaniel as a pairing, you should definitely also check out @bandedbulbussnarfblat's work (link to her Ao3 page).

My fave Loustat author is Pocketsun/ @thefairylights (link to her Ao3).

If you like romcoms, I can’t recommend Cherhorowitz8's delightful AUs enough (link to her Ao3).

There are so many amazing fics in this fandom so I can definitely see how it might be hard to get started! My main tip would be to check out the bookmarks made by authors of fics you like. You can find them on their author page and they're basically rec lists! (Though some people also use their bookmarks as 'to be read' lists.)

Here are my bookmarks.

RE: the Legally Blonde AU, that's definitely getting finished! Chxmpxgneproblems and I have it all planned out and are very committed to seeing it through. I just really needed a break for my health (boo hiss, long covid). I'm working on a chapter now. Can't make any promises as to when it'll be uploaded but Ellestat will be back. (And it's great to hear you enjoyed it so much so far! ❤)

Thanks again for your ask and I hope you find my recs useful! 😊

#asks #iwtv fic #fic recs #legally blonde au

[lady-phasma]

20 Questions for Fic Writers

Thank you so much for the tag @sylasthegrim (it's long, so I had to save it for the weekend).

1. How many works do you have on ao3 (or masterlist)? Almost all of them are cross posted so AO3 says - 27 but that's not totally accurate. I have multi-chapter fics on there and it only counts my drabbles as one (but there are 17 "chapters"). Masterlist and AO3 is Lady_Phasma.

2. What’s your total ao3/tumblr word count? 152,919

3. What fandoms do you write for? House of the Dragon, Dune (Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen), The Sandman, Marvel, The Walking Dead (Daryl Dixon), The Mandalorian, basically anything that interests me even for a moment.

4. Top five fics by kudos. I didn't chapter my Daemyra fic when I started it because I didn't know that I would write chapters. So Zaldrītsos and it's spin-off, Devoted and Enchanted (only on AO3 because dead dove), take up all 5 spots.

5. Do you respond to comments? Yes, and usually quickly.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? Honestly, not sure. I don't write a lot of angst but maybe my Frank Castle/Punisher fic?

7. What is the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? Here's another lame answer: I don't write much plot so it's difficult to determine. Almost none of my series are complete so I can't judge those. I would say my Daryl Dixon series is on track for a happy ending maybe.

8. Do you get hate on fics? I've never received any. I'm sure my style isn't for everyone, but the hate I have gotten has nothing to do with writing.

9. Do you write smut? Almost exclusively. I can only think of three fics I have that aren't smut in some form - one for Aemond, one for Daemon, one for the Punisher.

10. Craziest crossover? I don't write crossovers.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? I'm amazed that's a question. I guess people do that but it's so crazy to me. I mean, it's possible. I don't really have any way to know.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? Nope.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? Yes, but the collab ended after one chapter and I am still bummed about that. Aemond x Tyrell ofc. I loved it so much!

14. All time favorite ship? I'm not sure if this means "all time favorite that I have written" or "all time favorite." So both: all time favorite that I have written is probably my Helaemond because it turned out really well (also the first fic I ever cross posted to Tumblr I think); all time favorite is Eleventh Doctor x River Song (and I probably need to write that).

15. What’s a wip you want to finish but doubt you ever will? Probably my Aemond x ofc series, currently at three chapters. I lost the momentum and have never found it again.

16. What are your writing strengths? Descriptions. Sure, smut descriptions, but settings as well. In the collab mentioned above, I did most of the exposition and the other writer did most of the dialogue. Because:

17. What are your writing weaknesses? I suck at dialogue. And plot. I am way better at dialogue than plot and that's frightening. Also, romance. I'm aro so it is really difficult for me to find the inspiration for romance.

18. Thoughts on dialogue in another language? I've written some in High Valyrian. If I can't write in that language at all I try to avoid having characters speak other languages.

19. First fandom you wrote in? The Vampire Chronicles (Interview with a Vampire) around 1993/94. Before I saw the movie adaptation I was obsessed with the books and The Vampire Lestat is still one of my favorite books of all time. My copy from that time has the cover taped on - it is well loved.

20. Favorite fic you’ve written? This is so difficult! I think it's a tie. The one I am proudest of is my Aemond x fem!reader x Daemon because I tried something so far outside my wheelhouse and it worked! The one that I enjoy rereading the most might be chapter 1 of Hen embār masti - From the Sea We Came (Daemon x Velaryon ofc). I have more chapters planned (story of my life) because this is my baby. Honorable mention goes to my dead dove on AO3. I'll never post it here and may finish it one day but I really love it.

I was going to tag some people but then I got lazy. 💜 Please consider yourself tagged if you are reading this and interested in answering.

#fanfiction writers #tag game #love my moots #ao3 #this was fun

[gayestnerdsinfiction]

Danse Macabre

everyone wish a happy happy birthday/halloween to @korereapers and give her a big thank u for inspiring me to write this fic!! 

read on ao3

Jonathan was known for being reserved, stoic, even rigid at times. He was not the kind of person people associated with a fun time, and as a result his name rarely made it onto event guest lists. Until he began seeing Edward he had very little reason to find himself at any social function, much less a party. But that didn’t mean the Scarecrow couldn’t appreciate a bit of debauchery every so often.

Edward often made a point of bringing Jonathan as his plus-one to the various outings he occupied his time with, and Oswald’s annual Halloween party was no different. Edward had approached Jonathan on the fifteenth of September—two weeks before Oswald’s invitations even made it into the mail—to discuss potential couple’s costumes. By October first Edward had all but locked himself away in his office, the sewing machine running tirelessly for hours at a time.

When Jonathan finally got to see the finished costumes, he had to admit he was impressed with his partner’s handiwork. They were two eighteenth century style suits, one in a brilliant emerald silk and the other in midnight blue velvet. The green suit was paired with a black waistcoat and cream colored cravat. The blue ensemble had gold detailing on the lapels with a waistcoat to match, and when Jonathan ran his fingers across the fabric even he could identify its quality.

“You couldn’t settle for storebought costumes?” Jonathan asked, never resisting a moment to criticize his lover’s extravagance.

“Store-bought vampire costumes are so passé,” Edward replied, as if everyone should know that. “If you really want to stand out, you need to apply a personal touch.”

“Mm,” he hummed, still fingering the blue velvet absently. “So I’m Lestat, then?”

“Yes. And I shall be your naïve, corruptible Louis.” With a flourish, he donned the shoulder length wig he had ordered to complete the look, dark strands falling sloppily over his own orange locks. “I have his eyes,” he said, batting his lashes to draw attention to the eyes in question, an even more brilliant green than the costume. “Though, your hair is probably better suited for Louis’ style. He’s the brunette, after all.”

“If you expect me to put on a blond wig, you are sorely mistaken.”

“I don’t expect any such thing, darling. I only expect you to humor me by dressing up as toxic gay vampires for one night.”

That was something Jonathan could provide. After all, he could do toxic gayness any day of the year.

Though he had put his foot down about the wig, Edward had been able to coax him into wearing a pair of plastic fangs in addition to the elaborate, if narratively inaccurate, costume. With his messy curls and cool brown skin, Jonathan wasn’t much of a match for the vampire Lestat. Edward, however, completely looked the part. His eyes were sharp, wig set perfectly on his scalp, false nails and fangs securely in place. The natural pallor of his skin was fitting for the role, and his freckles had been obscured by creamy, ivory foundation. He was stunning, of course, with all the allure and charm one would expect from a bloodsucking creature of the night. Jonathan felt like a cheap imitation standing beside him, an eyesore by contrast, even though he was wearing a custom velvet suit. He was no competition, that was for sure.

But they weren’t here to compete, he had to remind himself. After all, most of the Lounge’s occupants were too inebriated to notice the details of their costumes, and those that weren’t were too interested in achieving such a state to care. And, after he downed a few drinks himself, Jonathan decided he didn’t really care either.

He was just polishing off two fingers of Scotch when he felt Edward’s soft hand slip into his own, tugging slightly. “Dance with me,” he requested, his voice a little too loud. “I love this song.”

Jonathan had no idea what song it was; some pop garbage with a blaring drumbeat. But he got to his feet and allowed himself to be led into the throng of bodies undulating under the strobing lights. Jonathan liked to dance, and he liked it even more when he was drunk. Even though the music was less than interesting, he couldn’t help but feel his body settle into a comfortable rhythm. His hands found Edward’s waist, pulling the smaller man close against him. Edward responded in kind, pushing his hips back to grind his ass against Jonathan’s groin. One of his hands moved to tangle in Edward’s hair, giving it an experimental tug.

“Careful!” Edward yelped, straightening up almost instantly. “Don’t snatch my wig off in front of everyone.”

“Sorry,” he mumbled, not feeling especially apologetic. He swept the curtain of hair to the side and pressed his lips to the nape of Edward’s neck, allowing one of his fangs to dig lightly into his skin.

“Mm,” Edward hummed, turning to face his partner. “You’re not sorry.” He kissed Jonathan, plastic teeth knocking together awkwardly. Before Jonathan could lean in to kiss him again, Edward’s hand appeared in the space between them, pressing a finger to his lips. “One more dance and then we can leave,” he said sternly.

Jonathan sighed, knowing that one dance could easily become two, or three, or a conversation with a friend, or God knows what else. But Edward’s charm was difficult to resist, even when he didn’t look as good as he did right then. He was dazzling as Louis, but he would’ve made a fantastic Lestat. “Fine,” he acquiesced. “One more dance.” 

#scriddler #scarecrow #riddler #jonathan crane #edward nygma #batman #dc #fic #my fic #writing #my writing

[leam1983]

Vampires in Broad Daylight

Having finished Interview with the Vampire with Walter, we found ourselves discussing the subject matter while under the covers. I was already snuggled up against him last night, eyes closed, but with my mind still fully active. He did as he usually does in these moments, and followed along while his pinched airways made him snore every other sentence. You could've sworn we were both asleep, but Walt's slight gestures when he raised a point, or his raising and lowering eyebrows, would've betrayed that we were in the midst of an interesting bit of discourse.

Back when Neil Jordan gave it his shot, all the Straights ever saw involved pretty monsters doing monstrous things to each other. Jordan's treatment buried the gay subtext under moral quandaries and enough sentiment to make even Herman Hesse's ghost tell Rice to tone it down. Now we've got a version vetoed by Christopher Rice himself, and the gay subtext isn't sub anymore. Louis de Pointe du Lac and Lestat de Lioncourt are gay. That's the series' beginning thesis. That reframes a few things interestingly - and posits that before being the "Brat Prince", Lestat was - and likely still is - a toxic individual to be around.

Walter started telling me about one of his earlier trysts, before he knew to embrace his own nature and to pursue love out of the perception that he deserved it. There was this guy, or so he tells me, who was the very picture of success. Clean-cut, fit, dressed to the nines in a way that made Sartoriophiles like Walter sweat bullets, cultured, pleasant to be around - and supposedly a living god in the bedsheets. Walter hung out with him for a few years, in the seventies. He rode the best cars, booked the best restaurants, and made Walt feel like someone finally appreciated him.

Then the microaggressions started. Tiny comments on Walter's weight, on his choice of tailoring, on the Marketing firm he was working in as a junior associate, at the time. On the food he ate, on how he snored in bed. On how he never had enough stamina to finish, when he took the lead. On how Walt was, and is, the type to roll over and fall asleep after sex. The truth is the guy didn't want to bare his soul or listen to Walter after doing the deed, he wanted to talk about himself. After doing exactly that for eight hours prior.

Walter didn't exist under this particular ex's wing. He merely survived. Walter ended up killing him - professionally - by exposing just how bloated our buddy's Expenses account was.

"Vampires exist," Walter told me. "They're the walking beacons, torches in the gloom of a Christmas afterparty. They've got more life than you or I combined - and everything is endlessly and forever about them."

His other hand rounded his gut and gently raised my head up. He had this precise look I keep falling for - a mixture of tiredness and boundless love; like we're not partners on equal footing for a minute or two, but I'm also existing as someone he also has avuncular fondness for; in parallel to the love that pulls us together.

I'm both his lover and the son he's never had.

"For every ounce of me you took over the past five years," he tells me, "you've given me a pound of your own. Your care, your attention, your time and your kindness - and you're always here, Grem. You listen, and you inspire me to keep doing the same. It feels like this jackoff sapped years out of me, and you make me feel twenty years younger."

I'm fighting to stay awake. "Even when we disagree on things?"

He smiled. "Especially when we disagree on things. We're constructive towards one another, and we're never so angry that we can't go back to one another, if you've noticed. We rephrase, reframe and apologize if need be... We work. We're not feeding off of one another, we're..."

He briefly lets me go to bring his hands together in a steeple. "We're feeding one another, instead," he says. "Not like parasites, though."

"We try and be symbiotic," I mumble. Walter repeats the word, mulls it over, I feel him nodding. He grunts in assent and his breaths start to deepen.

I wake up a few hours later. It's the middle of the night, I've rolled over on my side and Walt and I are spooning. I feel his head move slightly on the pillow, between his intakes and exhales. He's hugged me close without being too tight.

I remember Claudia's line about Lestat and Louis' breaths synching, when they share a coffin. Walt's pulse matches mine beat-for-beat. His exhales faintly smell of his Saturday evening pipe, like rythmic caresses on the nape of my neck.

You've got vampires who fizzle out after sapping the life-force out of everything they touch. Inconstant lovers who see themselves as a gift from God when they're more of an Infernal punishment. Maybe some vampires are like Walt and I, then: we give each other strength and I'm filled with the notion that the count of our years doesn't matter.

If I only get ten, maybe twenty good years with him, then these will be our Forever. Within the limits of that span of time, we'll effectively feel timeless.

#interview with the vampire #lestat #gay #relationships #toxic relationships #positive relationships #vampires #thoughts #life post

[13eyond13]

6, 9, 15, 17, 19, 20, 45, 51. I don't know if you write yourself, so I didn't ask anything related to that.

Hello! I have written a few fics before, but don't have anything published atm, more of a reader for sure

6. List your OTP from each fandom you’ve been involved in.

I'm kind of odd in that Death Note is the only fandom I've ever really participated within to any extent! I am usually too lazy to actually dive into fan content and shipping with most of the other media I enjoy, or I don't end up with the same unresolved feelings and curiosity about the series that I did with this one after finishing it. My OTP for this one is Lawlight for sure! HOWEVER thinking back to my teens, I totally would have been into The Vampire Chronicles fandom back then if Anne Rice had actually allowed people to write fic about her characters, lol. I would have loved to see some sort of Louis/Lestat/Armand OT3 triangle going on, they were my faves by far, and I loved all three of them together in various ways...

9. What are the best things about your current fandom?

I've met some of the nicest and funniest and smartest and most talented people here! I've learned so much from so many, and they always make me laugh and think and inspire me creatively from afar. ALSO this fandom is ridiculously chill and friendly in general, and anytime I dip my toes into other more dramatic ones it reminds me of that and makes me feel more grateful for the cozy casual vibes of the DN one

15. Is there an obscure ship which you love?

Does LxB count as obscure? If not then maybe AxB? I think I probably read every single fic under that little tag back in the day

17. Who was your first OTP and are they still your favourite?

Lawlight, and yes they are still my faves! A classic that is very hard for me to get bored of when it's done right

19. Is there a ship which you wished you could get behind, but you just don’t feel them?

Mikalight maybe? I approve of it very much in theory, but I can't seem to conjure up any enthusiasm for it in reality

20. Any ships which you surprised yourself by liking?

Meronia (MelloxNear) surprised me because it never even occurred to me before I got onto Tumblr... same with Moon River (LightxNear)... but both have potential to be very interesting ships, I think

45. What is your all time favourite fanfic?

Those Who Stand for Nothing Fall for Anything! (X) I've been able to talk just as in-depth about this fic with other fans of it as I can about canon, tbh

51. Rant or gush about one thing you love or hate in the world of fanfiction! Go!

RANT: We need more good non-shippy fics in the DN fandom! And not everything shippy has to include smut hahaha

#thank you! #ask #longagoitwastuesday #p #lawlight #lxb #axb

[vcsecretgifts]

VCsecretgifts Christmas 2018 Secret Santa!

To: @miss-nessarose From: @theoneandonlylestat Comments: Preferably Lestat/Nicki I’m a fan of domestic-y hurt/comfort or injury/recovery because of the fluff potential~

“It was just one of those days that although it was almost spring, it was very cold, crisp, cold, it even snowed. Lestat rose on his bed in the castle. Those cold walls, huge thick walls that should keep the cold outside but still it was so cold and humid inside. He opened his eyes, his body still awakening and that dream that same dream he had recently about the wolves. That dream from that day when everything changed or so it seemed to be.

As soon as he made the first movement, he felt that burning sensation on his side and he remembered, he remembered that his brothers had not been very kind the previous night when he returned to the castle with only one piece he had hunted and so they blamed him for that.

He sighed and felt that the castle was eating him, falling on him. In that moment he felt that he had to get out of there, that cold, these grey walls, to be away from his brothers. He got dressed and headed towards the village, towards Nicolas house. The road was slippery, wet, icy and still snowing but even so it was warmer than the humidity he felt in that castle.

He knocked at the door and Nicolas opened the door. His hair messed up, his smile when he saw Lestat, his white shirt half unbuttoned, as if he had dressed himself in a rush.

“Sorry to wake you up but I just needed to get away from there and … here I am. If you have nothing to do, can I stay here for a little bit?” Lestat asked frowning his eyebrows

“Of course! Come, come on in, here it’s cold” said Nicolas “what happened?” he questioned while closing the door.

Lestat went inside and how warm that room was. A small but cozy room, it gave him chills from the warmth on his cold skin. He took off his jacket and made a gesture with his face

“Are you ok?” Nicolas asked looking at Lestat

“Yes … only … a brush, nothing more” Lestat said leaving the wet jacket hanging on the chair near the fireplace, to let all the snow melt.

“Let me see” Nicolas insisted trying to lift Lestat’s shirt to see what was the damage.

“I’m fine … do not worry” Lestat insisted, with his hands trying catch Nicolas hands to stop him from not lifting his shirt and see that brush on his ribs. But he ended up seeing it. That purple red, pink, yellow brush on his right side. Lestat said nothing. Nicolas had won the battle.

“I’m fine. Do you want …” but Nicolas interrupted him

“Lestat why do you let them do all this to you? I know you defend yourself but…” he said saying no with his head. Nicolas knew Lestat defended himself in those fights with his brothers, but even so, Lestat always came out with some brush or broken lip and he was worried, someday they will do more than that to him.

“Look” Lestat interrupted now “I have not come here for another preach about my fights with my brothers, I left the castle to get out of that moment , that place and all of them and I came here for a moment of peace and to be with you. Can we just enjoy about this moment and forget about all of them? Some day we will leave this place and then none of us will have to deal with them anymore and these will be only memories, but for now” he said approaching to Nicolas, holding his hands with his, his thumbs caressing the top of Nicolas’ staring into his dark eyes “now at this moment, in this warm room, without anyone else … let’s forget everything else, just to us, okay? Please…” he said with a smile at the end of that sentence.

Nicolas nodded with a half smile. He was not convinced and that was how Nicolas was but it was what Lestat liked about him. And the way a look said a thousand things and how understood each other with just a glance.

“Let’s sit near the fireplace” Lestat walked towards the fireplace still holding Nicolas by the hand and sat by the fireplace, the brush did hurt when he vended but he was able to hold it and not to make any grimace. Nicolas sat next to him. Then Lestat laid down with his head resting on Nicolas’ legs, on his lap. He then looked at the fireplace and then turned his gaze at him.

“Why dont you tell me stories? stories about when you arrived to Paris or any story you want to tell me … about your songs, what that inspires you, in what do you think when you play the violin … tell me how do you create that magic, what do you feel…”

Lestat knew music was very important in Nicolas life. Nicolas sighed, looked towards the fire and then down to Lestat. He did not say anythingfor a moment  but Lestat kept looking at him with that smile. Nicolas did not look very convinced, mostly becasue all these issues with the fights and now to explain what he feels when he plays music. He was not the one to express his feelings openly. The other face of a coin. They were the sun and the moon, ying yang, the wolf and the crow.

Lestat kept looking at him and again, as it always had happened, a look said everything. Without saying a word, that look that Lestat gave him, gave him warmth, friendship, trust, support. And so Nicolas began to explain how he met Mozart, how he learned his first songs, how he felt when the violin was played. And while he was explaining that, his fingers caressed those blond curls on Lestat’s forehead and head, looking at him then back to the fireplace and so on. While Lestat found Nicolas free hand,  entwined his fingers with Nicolas’s and laid their hands on his chest. While Nicolas explained. From time to time Lestat raised their hands still intertwined and kissed Nicolas’s. Listening, Looking at their hands and then looking into his eyes, nodding to what Nicolas said, with a yes and a smile then looking back to their hands. The only hands that caressed Lestat, the only hands that had never hit him but taught him love and peace and trust. Nicolas the only one who hugged him. Lestat wanted to stop the time, that moment, that room, that warmth and peace. To never feel these cold walls again, that their hands would never separate, that it would always be like that, united. Because after all, they were made for each other.

Once Nicolas finished explaining, the good and the bad and more, Lestat lifted his gaze to him

“Come, lay down here beside me” he said in a soft voice.

Nicolas laid next to Lestat. He had his eyes fixed on the fire. There were no words but some of what he had explained had affected him and Lestat saw that in his eyes. Lestat made him to lay on his side so he could wrap his arms around Nicolas and kissing him on the head, on his temple and squeeze him against him. “Je t’aime ” Lestat whispered.

Then there were no more words but that embrace. Nicolas holding Lestat’s arms and he was now lacing his hands on Lestat’s and kissed them. That hug , these gestures already said everything without saying anything. Only the sound of fire, the crisp, that peace, that warmth and just the two of them. Nothing else was needed.”

#2018 VC Secret Santa #VC #Vampire Chronicles #submission #miss-nessarose #theoneandonlylestat

[mariusthevampire]

Marius’ Character Development

A vampire who represents the figure of the wise teacher.

“I’m always fascinated with the idea of the older, wiser teacher,” says Rice. “It captured my imagination in The Teachings of Don Juan- that an older, more experienced mystic or adept would teach one [an apprentice] how to use such powers.” 

Lestat first hears of Marius when Armand tells him how he became a vampire. When Armand first knew him in the fifteenth century, Marius had been a Venetian nobleman and artist. He chose to work among mortals, have mortal apprentices, and make religious art. It was Marius who bought Armand from the brothel and fell in love with him. He then painted The Temptation of Amadeo in an attempt to capture on canvas Armand’s qualities forever, and he made Armand so that he could join with another kindred soul. Marius desired their bond to be permanent, but their happiness was short-loved when, only six months later, Santino ’s coven put a torch to Marius and captured Armand. Marius managed to escape to his secret shrine in the mountains of Northern Italy, where he healed himself by drinking the healing blood of Those Who Must Be Kept. He did not see Armand again until 1985 in Sonoma, although he had been aware that Armand was suffering through three centuries of loneliness. (VL 292-300)

“I don’t remember the first moment Marius sprang into my mind,” says Rice. “Maybe it was when Lestat said he wanted to know whether immortals had been made in Roman times, when it was more enlightened and sophisticated than the Dark Ages. So Marius evolved as a character who really had the wisdom of that ancient world- the cleverness, the wit, the perspective on the world that I feel a sophisticated Roman should have had. He may have been evolved from the force of Armand’s image. I might have written Armand’s story before I knew who Marius really was.”

After hearing about Marius from Armand, Lestat decides Marius could teach him a lot about the best way of living as an immortal. He sets out to find him, for ten years leaving messages all across Europe until Marius- won over by Lestat’s persistence and innocence- finally comes to him. Marius then takes Lestat to his sanctuary on a Greek Island. (VL 310, 323, 338, 360-363)With blue eyes and white-blond hair, Marius wears red velvet no matter what the era. His face astonished Lestat: “What one of us could have such a face? What did we know of patience, of seeming goodness, of compassion?” (VL 361) 

Marius seems to depict a pure image of human love. Gentle, vital, and noble, he emanates a godlike power, although he is more human than any vampire Lestat ever encountered. Marius does have the ability to perform supernatural feats like levitation and mental telepathy, but he prefers to do things the human way. To him, human gestures are more elegant and require less energy. “There is wisdom in the flesh,” he claims. (VL 379) His goal is not to transcend human emotions but, rather, to refine and understand them. He also seems connected to everything around him- thus being the antithesis of Armand, who is connected to nothing. Marius shows Lestat Those Who Must Be Kept- Akasha and Enkil, the original vampires- and tells his own story. (VL 378, 385-396)

The bastard child of a Keltic woman and a wealthy Roman, he was a citizen of the Roman city of Massilia during the time of the Roman Empire. Never bored or defeated by life, he always felt a sense of invincibility and wonder. An important life theme for him was the idea of the existence of continuous awareness, because Marius desired that nothing spiritual ever be lost. A scholar, at the age of forty, at work on a history of the world when a Druid abducted him. Because he was an extraordinary human being, the Druids wanted him to replace the God of the Grove, a burned and crippled vampire who no longer inspired their ceremonies.

The Druid priest, Mael, forced Marius to learn the Druid language and customs. On the night of the great Feast of Samhain, the Druids took Marius to the giant oak tree where they had imprisoned their other god. Inside it, the vampire god taught him the lessons of the vampires and urged him to go to Egypt, to find out why vampires in other places- and himself as well- had been burned or destroyed. After being made a vampire, Marius broke free of the Druids and pursued this new course.In Alexandria, Marius encountered other burned vampires. One of them took him to the Elder- a vampire who told Marius about Akasha and Enkil, the vampire progenitors. Marius learned that he, like other vampires, is vitally connected to them, and that if they suffered harm, he and all other vampires would experience similar damage. Since they had been placed in the sun, as a consequence vampires everywhere had been burned or destroyed. The recognition that whatever happens to them happens to him upsets him, although it affirmed Marius’ desire for the existence of a continuous awareness.

That same night, Akasha asked Marius to take her and Enkil out of Egypt before the Elder- the one who had deliberately placed them in the sun- destroyed them. Marius took them as requested, traveling around Europe until he settled on the island fortress in the Aegean, where he built a shrine for them and where he now sits with Lestat. (VL 396-466)Marius feels he is truly immortal, that he is the perfect guardian for Akasha and Enkil, and that he is now the “continual awareness.” He is in love with humanity’s progress, although he realizes that human evolution away from belief in gods and superstitions has made him, as a vampire, obsolete. No purpose is left for him. (VL 466-467)

After Marius tells his story, he sends Lestat away to live on his own, for the equivalent of one mortal lifetime. He tells Lestat not to look to history to give him meaning, because the dilemma of how to live one’s life is always a personal one. However, Marius vows that he will be available if Lestat ever needs his help, and extracts from Lestat a promise never to tell anyone about him or his whereabouts. (VL 468-470)

They do not meet again until the twentieth century, when Lestat becomes a rock star and reveals the whole vampire history in his songs. By that time, Marius has moved his immortal charges to a northern wasteland where he plays Lestat’s music for them. In response, Akasha rises and destroys the shrine, trapping Marius in ice for ten days. Marius sends out signals of danger to the other vampires. His child and lover, Pandora, urges Santino to help dig Marius out, and while Marius survives, the experience has humiliated and spiritually bruised him. (QotD 17-31, 68, 264)

Marius joins the vampires who stand against Akasha and Lestat and their rampage of destruction, and uses his own belief in the need for human evolution to attempt to reason with Akasha. After he demise, he urges Lestat not to write about it, but Lestat ignores his advice. The surviving coven drifts apart, and Lestat believes that Marius has gone into Asia. (QotD 264-275, 437-444)

He appears again in BT only as an angry presence at Lestat’s antics; he turns his back on Lestat in front of Louis’ burning shack as if he is finally finished with him. (BT 272)

In a segment that was included in the first draft, then condensed to a few lines, Marius uses Khayman to bring Lestat to Hong Kong. There he scolds Lestat for making himself conspicuous to the mortal world. At this time Marius is still a scholar, reading newspapers and books in many languages, and looking through a high-powered telescope in search of the continuous awareness about which he dreams. (BT 4-5)

Taken from Katherine Ramsland’s The Vampire Companion.

#mariusthevampire #marius-deromanus #marius essay

[abeautifulblog]

you are honestly my favorite fanfiction author of all time, and it feels sort of back-handed in a weird inexplicable way to have "fanfiction" preface that... in my very humble opinion, if was to list my favorite (no preface) authors of all time, you'd definitely be in my top three; beaten only by Mitch Albom and Scott F. Fitzgerald for me, and youre steadfast one of the main authors I re/read for inspiration when i write... who are the authors that inspire you most??

O wow! That is – some high praise indeed, I am deeply honored. :) It’s gratifying to hear that this fic is resonating with you, because it is the most personal piece of fiction I’ve ever written. (Honestly, I’d be happy not to write anything this personal ever again.)

As for the authors who have influenced me (strap in)…

One of the most influential writers when I was a teenager was Anne Rice and her vampire series, though I think it was less about the vampire thing and more about the raging homoeroticism (I joke that Anne Rice made me gay) and the intense, almost claustrophobic emotional intensity of those books. I’ve actually written about her influence on my writing here. (I don’t update that blog anymore, I don’t even know how to approve/respond to comments anymore, but it’s got a pretty extensive archive for people who like hearing me talk about media.)

It’s interesting because just recently (like, last week) I reread a few of her earlier books – Queen of the Damned, The Vampire Lestat, and I’m about halfway through Tale of the Body Thief – and was reminded that yes, she was in fact really good before she went off the rails. (After Tale of the Body Thief, the rest of the series is nigh-unreadable.) She writes lonely people really well – the struggle of endlessly trying to achieve intimacy and failing. When I’m on my game and writing powerful emotional content, I feel like my style owes a lot to the way she does descriptions, which is… kind of hard to describe, but it’s like… emotive language in unexpected combinations? Pairing descriptions of the landscape with adjectives that tie in to the character’s emotional state, or abstract nouns with adjectives that describe a physical sensation. I don’t know, I don’t have any specific examples I can give, but I’ll catch myself writing sometimes and go “ooh that’s good” followed by “haha, you’re pulling an Anne Rice.”

Besides Anne Rice, most of what I read is sci-fi/fantasy; I tend to have very little use for realistic/literary fiction. (Which is why it’s kind of funny that I’m 70k and counting into a suburban love story.) I like SFF, and I like it gay, and for many years it was my quest to find and read every book in the intersection of that particular Venn diagram – the fruits of my quest are here, The Gay Fiction Booklist That Doesn’t Suck. Anything with a throbbing “top pick” icon next to it is, well, exactly that, but I’m not sure whether I’d call them an influence, because I was already in my twenties by the time I read them, so my literary style was kind of settled by then.

(Although when I need to read something to ~get me in the mood~ for writing, Karin Lowachee, Jacqueline Carey, and Sarah Monette are excellent choices for top-notch prose and top-notch emotional engagement.)

Someone who’s not on that list is a relatively obscure manga writer named Miyamoto Kano, who I really wish I could rec to a wider audience, but her work is mostly inaccessible if you don’t read Japanese. Her stories have been a very strong influence on the way I write romance, namely that in the real world, sex doesn’t actually resolve anything (except sexual tension, I guess), and it is not where you should be investing your narrative tension. I’m much more a fan of letting characters jump into bed with each other before they’ve finished working out their shit, and not making the resolution of the drama hinge on them having sex.

(…Which, again, funny – because we’re 70k into A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood and they still haven’t shagged, which means I’m writing exactly what I say I don’t write.)

I’m also a huge fan of Miyamoto’s brand of off-beat realism, that you’ll get these moments of comic absurdity popping up even at the most dire moments because that’s what life is. The universe has no respect for your personal crisis, and you get weird/funny/distracting shit popping up when you’re just trying to have a good cry, or a good solid screaming match. To reiterate my favorite George Bernard Shaw quote: “Life doesn’t cease to be funny when people die, any more than it ceases to be serious when people laugh.” Miyamoto gets that, so beautifully.

And I’m probably forgetting something, but those are the strongest fiction influences I can think of. I read a lot of nonfiction too in order to understand people better on both an individual and a societal level – my top picks would be Influence (Cialdini), Whipping Girl (Serrano), Made to Stick (Heath), On Killing (Grossman), Stigma (Goffman), Collapse (Diamond). (With a much longer list of specialty books for specific subjects.)

For learning how to write emotional involvement, I am a serious nerd for narratology and I recommend Dorrit Cohn’s Transparent Minds. It’s not a book on how to write, it’s one that documents the different methods for conveying a character’s consciousness to a reader. I read it for my thesis, but it wound up being an epiphany, because it explained exactly why some books achieve so much more emotional engagement than others.

And lastly, because it would be ungenerous not to give a shout-out to the very excellent fanfics that are no doubt feeding into my own writing in some way, here’s a sampling of some lesser-known favorites:

Ain’t No Grave (Can Keep My Body Down) - Steve/Bucky, with a very different take on Bucky than what you usually see. I guess maybe this one isn’t so unknown anymore, but I FOUND IT BEFORE IT WAS POPULAR.

Odi et Amo - Eagle of the Ninth, aka, that movie set in Roman Britain where Channing Tatum and Jamie Bell were being hella gay at each other. This fic is a Dead Poets Society fusion, beautifully atmospheric, makes you wish you knew more about poetry.

Love Is All You Need To Destroy Your Enemies - Dresden Files/Welcome to Night Vale crossover. So good that I don’t even begrudge it having dethroned my own Dresden fic from being top-in-fandom.

World Ain’t Ready - Les Miz high school AU. You don’t need to know anything about Les Miz to enjoy this; I didn’t! :D

In His Image - Supernatural, Dean/Castiel. There are a number of fics that are reworkings of season 5, but this one is brilliant. Like when you’re all of a page into the first chapter of a fic and you can feel a smile starting to spread across your face because, oh, oh, this writer is GONNA BE GOOD.

If You Liked The Book, You’ll Hate The Movie - X-Men: First Class, another high school AU because why not. I have a weakness for weird, dysfunctional people being weird and dysfunctional.

…And that does not even scratch the surface of the fics I’ve read and enjoyed, but yeah.

I should stop now. Thank you for reading this far.

#asks #dream daddy

[breanne-says-boo]

The Vampire Chronicles Facebook Interview **Recap**(5/4/17)

The Television Show

Production

As many know now, they will be working with Paramount Television and Anonymous Content

They want to stay fully engaged with fans in the production process

No set broadcaster, all options open (Netflix, Hulu, etc.) (Chris joked about it being on Facebook)

Next announcement will be when that network is decided

No timeline for production. They have no idea how long it will take. Script-writing is next. Chris is the one who will be script-writing, Anne will review

Chris: “She finished writing season 1 when she wrote the books!”

Pilot is done. Next are more episodes. They are starting the process and having several meetings with Paramount and Anonymous Content

Anne SWEARS the series will be 100% loyal to the books. (They named GoT as an example of doing this though soooooo)

Anne said compromises are inevitable but artistic control comes from good will and respect; you make it work by picking people you admire and trust. They worked with Paramount and Anonymous Content since they all agreed on a common vision and the end result of the series

No idea about locations of sets and whatnot

Don’t know if they will keep with the 80’s period of the books, however Anne wants to do Lestat’s pre-vampire period period-accurate

Neil Jordan may end up helping out on the project

Casting

Still taking suggestions from fans and looking fancasts up on imdb

Anne: “Lestat is always shaking his fists to those who would break him down…Scrappish impish…lovable hero” Chris: “--and he’s hot!! :D He’s gonna be hot. #LestatIsHot”

Chris and Anne might want to cameo in the series (joked about making a game out of it)

Some characters may change where “ethnicity is flexible”

Anne and Chris agree that POC being casted are important and will be considered in casting. The Millennial vamps (older gang) will most likely be largely POC.

Anne says she has taken notice of black fans showing their admiration of Aaliyah playing Akasha.

Anne gave a story about meeting an Akasha cosplayer who mentioned that she and her friends feel left out of high fantasy for being black and how Anne was moved by this.

Anne: “Akasha isn’t written as black or a person of color…she’s middle eastern” Me: ??? (Those aren’t...mutually exclusive???) Anne: “--but she could be a person of color.”

Marius was played by a black man in the musical and Anne thought he did a great job. Marius can be any ethnicity so long as he’s half Roman. She’d prefer to have Marius as blue eyes and blonde haired like Lestat but it’s “not imperative for him”.

Anne: “Louis at least has to be beautiful”

Armand has to look as described as well.

Anne wanted Cher to play Gabrielle.

Anne and Chris to be inclusive, but will always focus more on how fine the actor is. Talent is needed to get the role, not just looks.

Armand will be casted as someone who looks 17, but will be technically older. Not sure about age for Lestat and Louis (Anne is thinking early 30s)

Physical and emotional aging will be put into consideration (she gave Marius as an example as him looking like he’s in his 40s but being mentally older)

Plot and Episodes

They will tell the story chronologically in Lestat’s eyes so wolves-paris-so on. Basically, how knowledge unfolds for Lestat is how it will unfold for audience THIS MAY CHANGE depending on when they talk to producers, however this is not what they want in terms of how the events should happen.

Don’t want to cheat on Lestat’s life and skip out any details of it (go figure)

Stay faithful to the books and to Lestat’s story

Chris warns for us to be mindful of news that doesn’t come from official page

Lestat and Gabbi’s journey to be expanded

Origin stories of Marius and other older vampires will be shown and expanded on (done through the flashback stories Marius gives)

Blood and Gold will be involved but they won’t DO the story (so using that material for possible spin offs)

A lot about the Talamasca and especially David. Jesse too, but mostly David

(Anne: He’s close friends with Lestat in TOTBT Me: Is that what you call it? lmao)

TVL could be 2-3 seasons. IWTV may be one. Depends

Anne and Chris want to know what goes wrong in the translation from book to media in other series so they can avoid it

They’re keeping eroticism the same as in the books.

Lestat turning Gabrielle will be a big scene, as they feel this is when the series starts to truly bring the vampire world into view and Lestat really starts becoming a vampire. This scene is significant in asking the audience what they would do in that instance. Lestat turning will also be significant.

Characters and Character Relations

SOMEONE FUCKING MENTIONED LOUSTAT AS THE LOUIS / LESTAT SHIP NAME AND THEY BOTH LOST IT (which one of you was it? Hm?)

There will be a lot about Louis and Lestat’s relationship in the series (and Lestat and Nicki)

Anne says she understands how important queer relationships are and how they have driven the series

*On expanding on other characters* Chris: ...human characters like Jesse or Daniel Mollo- Anne: OR LESTAT WHEN HE’S HUMAN Me: :/

Anne doesn’t feel a need to make new characters.

More info on Théâtre des Vampires and the characters in that part will expanded as well

Chris and Anne openly acknowledge Lestat as bisexual and this will be depicted clearly within the show

On the topic of Armand, what that character means to Anne will shine, so he will gain a more sympathetic role outside of just the IWTV perspective. Both his dark side and his more childish, light-side will be shown

Jim Morrison of The Doors was Anne’s inspiration for Lestat’s singing voice and for the band (I forget but I think this was the song Anne named as being a good example. Though, I’m partial to their sexy song “5 to 1″). She describes Lestat’s voice as somewhere between a “barratone and tenor...Melodic”. (Something about Jon Bon Jovi also a little bit)

Mayfair Witches

Rights of Mayfair Witches not available to them (?) and thus, the crossover books are not a part of the VC TV series and, thus no show for them right now

Maybe Mayfair TV series in future. Anne doesn’t want them to play second fiddle to the vampires

Anne and Chris

They talked about the recent April Fool’s Joke. Anne apologized to Justin Beiber?? Why?? I don’t know (they weren’t behind the joke article)

Chris likes Riverdale (ew)

Chris worked with Anne on Ramses the Damned.

Someone in the VC Discord Server brought up the question of if Chris could/would carry out the VC books after Anne. Based off this interview, I think it’s very likely depending on how well the VC TV series goes. He seemed a little apprehensive about it, but he’s worked with his mother on writing and is familiar enough with her characters to care about them. I think it’s possible

Chris went to the VC balls in New Orleans as a kid

Chris’ A Density of Souls may get a chance to be a film. Chris is in discussion with someone about it (?? that’s what I got from the interview anyways)

*After Anne leaves to get Chris a Coke* Chris *to the camera*: She won’t let me out of the house. She won’t let me leave!! Me: Same

The Facebook Page and Other Information

Anne, yet again, made a little speech about how nerds mean a lot to Hollywood nowadays

“Readers know things about the novels that are valuable”

They have a record of fan comments that Anne reads every so often

They mentioned some of the fights going on in the FB thread

(Chris: There are some people with...strong casting choices. Anne: I got into fights with people lmao)

Anne prefers if you message her over the page rather than through emails

They cannot do much about given resumes and asking about jobs related to production. There will be a time for that later

Anne is in contract for two more VC novels. It sounded like her next novel is also included in the TV series’ contract, but I could have misinterpreted. 

Anne asks about any regrets or things she would change from the books as she goes into the series. More fleshing out but that’s about it

Disappointing the fans is their biggest concern and worry

#tvc #vc #vampire chronicles #the vampire chronicles #the vampire lestat #lestat #anne rice

[accidentalkittyghost]

Rules: Tell your followers eleven facts about yourself and then tag some people you want to know more about.

Was tagged by @slow-read  Btw, sorry for the late reply, I’m a little busy with college and I totally forgot about this. =^.^=

01. I love cats. Cats are life.

02. How I got into into VC? Summer of last year, Anne was announcing that she was releasing a new book. My brain clicked: “Oh, right, the author of IWTV... And Lestat! Omg... I miss him!” I couldn't start reading the books in a better time, they’ve helped me a lot, through the never ending bs that’s happening in my life right now, and they got amazing references that I can use for my graduation. All my projects this whole year were inspired directly or indirectly by book quotes and moments that inspire me. I’m reading them in order. Currently I’m at 1/3 of Memnoch the Devil.

03. My dream job is to be a writer. I wish I had more time to write.. And when I finish my graduation, I want to take a theater production course. One day I hope I can write amazing screenplays. ^^ (I need to post the last chapter of my fanfic but i’m still procrastinating........ )

04. I’m a natural hoarder. I think all artists are. (Srsly, the amount of crap that I hoard is absolutely insane. ESPECIALLY art supplies).

05. I learned how to read by myself at age 3.

06. I love everything from the Victorian era. And I have an unhealthy obsession with vampires. I wish I have more friends who can put up with me and my big fat mouth always talking about Lestat!

07. My favorite movie besides IWTV is The Crow. Every year I watch that movie. It holds a very special place in my heart.

08. I’m a goth, but sometimes I love to dress more colorful with different patterns.

09. I’m an introvert (INFP) and a little socially awkward xD.

10. I love everything spooky and creepy and mysticism related. I used to read a lot and watch a lot of tv shows about spirits and psychics. I’m an empath, people vent out to me A LOT. I’m currently studying tarot.

11. I’m Portuguese, and I love studying languages. I had 2 years of french but I can’t remember anything x)

TAGGING:  @dragonscribbles @thefailureartist and everyone that wants to do it!! :D

#IWTV #Lestat De Lioncourt #Anne Rice #the crow #james o'barr #artists on tumblr #art supplies #goth #goth girl #infp #artist #art materials #cat #11 facts

[hybridartifacts]

An Interview with Shervin Kiani, author of 'Sati and Doghu'

I gather you first started writing when you were 8 years old. What was it that first inspired you to first start writing, and what is it that inspires you to keep on writing now?

I was around seven years old when I was read Gordon Korman’s Macdonald Hall books at school.I remember the excitement of listening to a story being narrated with such joy and clarity, and I remember sitting with an audience of kids my age that werein rapt attention.  I was read to as a child, of course, but that was the first time I remember wanting to read the stories for myself, which was a big step because these were “big kid” chapter books.

And then I was fortunate enough the following year to get another teacher who was an even bigger bibliophile—who not only read a wider range of books with even greater relish but kept a large and eclectic selection of books for the class, everything from Superfudge to the The Vampire Lestat.  On Christmas, she even let us choose one to keep!  That’s really where my love of stories just burst right open. I had her for three years, grades four to six.  The more I read, the more I wanted to tell stories of my own, and in grade six I got the opportunity with a creative writing project.  I wrote and illustrated two full length stories, which my kind teacher then laminated and bound and sent to the school library where it was prominently displayed.  I was so proud, having achieved something like that all on my own!  I’ve been writing ever since, and that experience, that feeling of accomplishment and self-worth, is what drives me to keep going.

I created the cover for your book, 'Indigo Eyes' and was struck by the way you combined the familiar and the fantastical in it. The way you used the character of Peter, a child, to first introduce us to the story meant it felt like the magical was a part of the ordinary world, because he accepts it so readily. He is also close to the age you started writing. Is there a connection for you there?

It’s hard to look back at Indigo Eyes, my first book, and not cringe at all the flaws.  It tries to be too many things at once, and there are extreme characters and extreme scenes which I wouldn’t write any more, but they are products of the confusion and turmoil I was going through at the time, and earlier, during my University years.  So yes, there’s a connection, a lot of similarities I share with the major characters, for better or worse.  They are never whole representations of me, always refracted pieces.

With Peter, specifically, there was that latent potential which he needed to recognize and explore in order to grow—and that theme appeared again in Sati and Doghu.It’s a pretty standard archetype with a child protagonists that crops up again and again in fantasy stories.  Using a young protagonist…well, from that perspective magic and wonder can happen without restraint.  The reader who must see it through innocent eyes, accept and be awed by it through those eyes.  The Hobbit, The Golden Compass, At The Back of the North Wind, The Neverending Story…just to list a few great books.

You sent me a sketch for the cover to work from. Do you still draw and paint as well as write?

Actually it was a painting that I made originally to be used as the cover, but Storm wisely said to go with a professional, and your fabulous cover art was the result.  But yes, I do still draw and paint, and that all stems from that same early experience of writing and illustrating my own stories. In high school I was co-founder and –editor of the first and (possibly to this day) only literary magazinewhich unabashedly showcased my own art and writing.  I was rewarded at the end of my secondary education with an award in Visual Art, received at graduation, but I didn’t pursue it further.  I had these lofty and ultimately false ambitions of becoming a veterinarian and was discouraged from continuing with something I was told should be a “hobby” and nothing more; this included writing fiction too, of course. But once I realized that veterinary medicine wasn’t my calling—in fact, it was the appeal of James Herriot’s vet stories at the root of that ambition—I dedicated myself to writing and having my books published, and art did then become a hobby for me, a lovely pastime.

Which speaks the stronger to you creatively and why - pure fantasy or magical realism?

Hmm, that’s a difficult question to answer.  I grew up reading mostly pure fantasy. There was even a few years in my teens when I rejected anything but fantasy as a genre, until I clued into the fact that “fantasy” is a massive umbrella term that covered a lot of what in school was deemed as literature.  At the time, it was reasonable to read, study and learn from The Tempest, but the novels I was reading were just scoffed at as fantasy—sort of what Victorian writers of fantasy fiction must have experienced when their novels were classified under Children’s Fiction.  The same I found was true of horror fiction.  Hamlet, if you place it in these diminishing terms of genre, as I see it, is a gothic horror story.

Not to get into a diatribe here, but I’ve always disliked and rejected labels because of this.  When I tell people I’m a writer, the inevitable follow-up is, “What do you write?”  And no one is content with the desperately accurate reply, “Fiction.”  It must be labelled and categorized, which is how it’s marketed.  

Okay—sorry, it turned into a little diatribe anyway. Back to the question.  It wasn’t until University, where I took courses in Linguistics and World Literature, that I began to really expand my reading taste. And creatively speaking, it’s neither pure fantasy or magical realism, but a mixture of the two and many others that influence me.  I know it’s a frustrating answer, but I can’t be more concise than that.  Typically, I don’t read the sorts of books that I’m working on at the time.  Presently, for example, I’m working on the sequel to Sati and Doghu, an Arabian Nights-flavoured fantasy story, and I’m reading Capote’s Breakfast At Tiffany’s, Tusa’s The Nuremberg Trial, and Hammett’s The Big Knockover, to name but a few.

On the subject of the mundane verses the magical, you recently moved house. I find changing where I create my art can disrupt and even stall my creativity for a while until I settle in and find somewhere I feel comfortable working. Do you need a particular sort of space to write and has moving disrupted that or can you work anywhere?

In truth, it took me a while to adjust, too.  Moving is such a big stressor, and moving into your first house, as we did, is rather daunting.  I’m still trying to catch up after all these months.  I need a certain amount of physical- and head-space to work. It’s easy enough to get into that mental frame of mind…it’s just the procrastination that gets in the way. But the physical space is very important for me.  I need absolute solitude and quiet.  I’m fortunate enough to have that now, but there have been many periods in my life where I had to painstakingly block-out all the distractions around me.  I read long ago how Harlan Ellison did that in the army, writing after a grueling day of training.  For painting I can listen to music or audiobooks; but writing, like studying had been for me, must be done in privacy and silence.

How do you feel the mundane and the magical influence and affect your writing generally?

The magical is what I draw from the mundane.  I find it impossible to cope with life without an intense level of imaginative revision in my head.  I’m always daydreaming.  Even when I’m reading, I sometimes have to stop and let my mind finish wandering before I can continue.  I love levels and complexity in art.  I find I don’t often write straightforward fiction for that reason.  The fantastic lends itself to the .  

                                                                                                  What led you to write your new book, 'Sati and Doghu' and how would you describe the book?  Sati and Doghu was originally a novella I wrote quite a long time ago.  It was after Indigo Eyes, and I wanted to write something different, something a lot less extreme and for a wider audience. Indigo was always meant to be a cult novel, something to polarize readers and draw a strong reaction, even a negative one.  Sati and Doghu has an entirely different agenda.

The idea for the story came in a dream.  That’s very unusual for me, because my dreams are usually so distressing and convoluted. I remembered this one clearly the next morning, and I wrote it down, just a sentence or two.  Something like:  a boy and a coyote, running in the desert—where?  The boy was trying to escape something, but he was also being drawn to something else, somewhere else.  And I knew their names.  Sati and Doghu.  And that’s all I knew, and I wanted to find out more.  Then I left it.  And, as stories sometimes do, it just played out little by little in the back of my mind until I knew enough to put it on a page.  

I brought the story out originally in a short story collection, which I sent to Immanion Press.  My editor at the time, the author Sharon Sant, suggested I flesh it out into a book because she really wanted to know more of the story.It was the exact same suggestion my wife gave me years before, but I was onto another project and didn’t really want to devote so much more time into a novella.  Eventually however, I took the advice, and the rest is history.

I would describe Sati and Doghuas a magical adventure story, inspired by The Arabian Nights formula of nested stories, and about these young characters who are all breaking free of something destructive in their lives and finding their own way in the world.  The title makes it sound like a boy and dog story, but Sati’s relationship to Doghu is much more than that.  And you have to read it to find out what.

It is the first in a series. How do you feel about writing a series and how many books do you currently plan to write for it?

As Sati was a novella that was later expanded into a novel, I never really intended it to be part of a series.  I had a vague idea of events to come, so to speak, but I didn’t set any of this down. I like open-ended stories, stories that live on past the page.  It wasn’t until I began the revisions with my current editor at Prospective Press, Jason T. Graves, that I noticed all the loose ends.  And it wasn’t until Jason suggested a sequel that I even seriously considered it.  I’m working on the sequel now, but I had to put aside another book I was working on to do so, which I’m eager to get back to.  But who knows.  Some characters, like actors, have to and need to be center stage, and there’s always so much more to tell.

Get Sati and Doghu from: Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk Amazon.ca

My Review of ‘Sati and Doghu’ The book is an excellent read. I tend to be a bit wary of buying books online having found a fair few that were just badly written and failed to be engaging, but ‘Sati and Doghu’ is not one of those. It took a little while to get into it’s stride, but when it did I found the characters interesting and likeable and found I was hooked. The way their back-stories are interwoven works really well. Magic in the world is fascinating and original. You are not given heavy handed explanations of everything which can alas be a tendency with all too many fantasy books, instead you are given the  space to gradually build a deeper understanding of the setting and characters as the story unfolds. While it is marketed as Young Adult Fantasy it is actually very readable if you are older as well, partly I suspect because it does not try to lead you by the nose. Young Adult Fantasy as a genre has been producing some very good new writers with fresh voices and Shervin is definitely, for me, one of them. My only problem with it is that I will have to wait for the next book!

#fantasy #fiction #young adult fiction #young adult fantasy #fantasy art #shervin kiani #peter hollinghurst #hybridartifacts #wrting #creative writing #authors #sati and doghu