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saintarmand · 23 days

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a stray cat from a toy shop

while i'd noted it before, this post by @iwtvfanevents gave me a title for the cat painting in claudia's room: The Kitten's Art Lesson by Henriëtte Ronner-Knip. (if you enjoy being insane like me go read the artist's biography at the link, but keep in mind that just because you CAN draw parallels doesn't mean they were necessarily intentional. but they ARE delightful.)

let's take a look at the kitten's art lesson!

the kittens are studying under the watchful eye of the adult cat, who seems disappointed by the lack of decorum. the kittens are in a playful mood! one of them has torn through a painting. another is clinging to the art board with tooth and nail... just playing or trying to hold on after nearly falling? a couple are in a half closed drawer—almost like they could be trapped inside at any moment. one has actually found a paint brush but doesn't seem to know what to do with it. the teacher is not impressed.

i can't help but note the one staring towards us from the drawer looks awfully familiar:

the art teacher and students aren't the only cats in claudia's room; there's also a cat statuette on the mantle (click to see the closeups in full.)

above the cat painting, there's a blurry painting of what looks like some women sitting, and one of them looks she might have a cat in her lap, though that might be wishful thinking on my part. the bottom of the painting blends in so well with the wallpaper that at first glance i actually thought the painting had been cut into, which sent me on a wild train of thought but yeah that's not actually true lol. but the effect is interesting regardless. the cat on the mantle definitely evokes the idea that it escaped from the painting nearby, and could flee at any moment—and in episode 6, it's no longer on the mantle or anywhere else that i can see.

i wonder if it broke along with so much else in the house at the end of episode 5, or if claudia moved it somewhere. fellow insane people keep an eye out, a kitty's gone loose!

so... why cats?

there aren't many cat references in iwtv compared to other animals, but the ones that are there speak volumes. in episode 3, we see louis bite into a black cat as a substitute for the human blood he craves. later in the evening lestat says he "fears for the feline population of new orleans" (after comparing louis to fish and birds). when louis reaches a breaking point, "rats, cats, dogs, would no longer suffice." so what he really wants or needs is something else?

in the next episode, claudia delivers the punchline:

“I used to [live around here] too. I remember there used to be a toy shop a few doors down by there. They used to keep stray cats in boxes for people to take.”

claudia sees herself as a cat. louis took her in like a stray—a helpless little kitten in need of rescue—and he took her (took for free because no one else wanted her) from a box at a toy shop—a place where you find things to play with.

but cats love to play and they love sleeping in boxes so this is fine actually!

...right?

claudia knows herself much better than anyone else in this show. she is a cat in a kitten's body.

the thing you always have to keep in mind about cats is that they are not docile and subservient by nature. they don't do things because they are told but because they choose to. a cat's fur may be pretty and soft to touch, but don't forget those sharp teeth and claws! it's not that they don't like to be pet at all, you just have to get permission first. and even if you do, they might just change their mind, as is their right.

cats do like good company but they also like their independence. they prefer to come and go as they please; not to be locked up inside, and not to be kept on leashes. they like boxes because they feel safe in there, but they also like to jump out for play time: hunt! catch! kill!

they may be small and cute and soft but they're still predators, and brutal ones. if they don't get to hunt for their food in your care, you better find them another outlet or they'll go for your ankles. they developed that instinct to survive, but hunting also happens to be fun! cats love to play with their food.

if you manage to earn their trust, they'll make for wonderful companions—but do not make the mistake of assuming you can ever own them... or you'll have to sleep with one eye open like they do. they're quick and clever but also patient, and they know how to move without a sound. let them out of your sight for even a second, and you won't know what hit you until it's too late. and they'll relish the kill!

no matter how others may speak of her, claudia is not a lap dog, nor a bird in a feathered nest. lestat is not a beauceron herding sheep, and his last name does not make him a lion. the three of them are not fellow dogs either. from the very beginning, claudia knows she's a cat. and by the end, she realizes what lestat let slip in the pilot: he's just an overgrown fucking rat. and while “a cat and a rat” rhymes, that does not mean they're the same thing.

#spark in the dark #interview with the vampire #hopefully this inspires me to finally make that pig reference compilation soon that's another great motif #also there's some fish stuff which i don't really have a great handle on yet. i should probably make the compilation just to figure it out #iwtv #claudia #s #iwtv animals #vampterview #vampterviewing

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pantone-green-fiend · 1 month

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going insane and these have probably already been pointed out...but here are some things I noticed in the new trailer!

( ❗spoilers ig for the book iwtv and s2?❗)

firstly claudia in this still towards the end is wearing the yellow dress she wears for the trial :( I can't help but think that she is a hallucination which will just gut me if true. just :((((( like aaaaahhhhhhhh!!

secondly THE TRIAL ? IS INFRONT OF A CROWD OF HUMANS? ARE THEY USING IT AS A PLAY??? GET ALL THE WAY FUCKED OH MY GOD ITS EVEN WORSE THEN I EVER COULD HAVE DREAMED!!

next. are we all in agreement that this is Louis ripping out santiago's tongue?... okayyyyyy!!! interesting!!! i love to see it!

next. lestat is eating a picture. you can clearly see two pictures on a line, id assume this is louis' red/developing room? maybe?? like im sure he's being his normal insane self but still????? like what us he doing that for??? and I'd say he's another hallucination...but check lestats outfit 🔎🔎

it's the same suit from these two shots! at first I thought that they were in the Louvre, which Louis goes to before leaving Paris. but at this point Louis thinks lestat is actually dead/is so lost in his grief doesn't really give a fuck, so why would lestat be there???even in hallucination form??🤔🤨

"And I wanted to enter the Louvre, I formed words to tell Armand this, to ask him if he might help me do what was necessary to have the Louvre till dawn. "He thought it a very simple request. He said only he wondered why I had waited so long." ' - (iwtv act 3 ( I'll find the page number when I have my physical book w/ me)

but in the second still it's all run down? so idk. like it could be the tower? or lestats castle thingie? but the architecture doesn't make sense to me.

anywhoo I'm excited!!

#iwtv #iwtv season 2 #iwtv s2 #iwtv spoilers #interview with the vampire #amc interview with the vampire

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o0anapher0o · 6 months

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The prayer scene in ep 4. Once again there is so much going on.

For one it’s the only time we see ‘Rashid’ in a non-professional capacity. In every other scene he’s there as Louis right hand/blood bag; this is the only time we see him not working. Which means there is no immediate practical purpose for it (intradiagetically). In his other scenes Armand is organising/arranging things, keeping an eye on Louis, managing the household/the interview/Daniel’s treatment, making cocktails, guiding Daniel places. There is always a practical and obvious reason to why he is in the room at any given moment. They might not always be particularly good reasons (otherwise he couldn’t just leave at a whim whenever someone isn’t happy for him to be there), but you can bet if asked why he’s there he’d have an answer.

When he’s praying there is no reason at all. There isn’t even a reason for why he would be praying. Even if we assume this version of Armand is a devout Muslim who does pray regularly (for which we have no evidence, nor any against it. Only being brown doesn’t automatically mean he has to be hereditarily Islamic.), why would he do it in the room next to Daniel within hearing range of the old man. Surely he has his own room somewhere in the penthouse where he could go about it undisturbed. And if it’s just a part of the Rashid persona why include it at all. Because Daniel would expect a servant from Dubai to be a devout Muslim? Then why immediately undercut it by admitting he’s not from Dubai (ref back to not all brown people…)?

For some reason he wants Daniel to see him pray. Of course, the obvious answer is to mess with Daniel some more. The thing is though none of the incidents of Louis and Armand messing with Daniel are random. They always fit with the part of the story Louis is telling in that episode. The deliberately disturbing dinner parallels/illustrates Louis’ struggle with vampirism and provides conversational anchor points to his increased struggle with the morality of it all. Louis feeding from Armand at the beginning of ep 5 mirrors Lestat force feeding on Louis at the end.

In that regard I do not believe for a second that it is a coincidence that the episode in which Rashmand starts to become more than ‘guy behind an iPad’ (and starts blatantly flirting with Daniel) is the episode that introduces Claudia.

I do think the praying goes beyond that though. I think it’s also a way of testing Daniel. Hear me out: Asr namozi.

Again I don’t believe for a moment that Armand saying those words with Daniel in the room was an accident. That didn’t just slip out. He said it and looked to Daniel for his reaction. And that reaction is in fact the interesting part. Because I’m calling complete and utter bullshit on Daniel being able to identify the geographic origin of a language he has heard a total two short words in with any precision. Yes, I know Kazakhstan is ginormous but Crimea isn’t (it’s also nowhere near Kazakhstan. At least not anymore than England is near Italy). That’s a pretty specific location.The only way I would believe that someone could do that is if the were an insane polyglot or if they had had significant exposure to that or similar languages. According to Daniel’s official biography he falls into neither category. However, if we assume that official biography includes a couple vampire induces gaps…

It seems like the vampires are constantly testing Daniel’s memories, or rather the ones he shouldn’t have. Two episodes later Louis asks him point black what he remembers of their first meeting. And the Tintoretto conversation in ep 2 could be a similar thing. I wrote in another post how weird I thought it was to use Tintoretto as a reference (especially seeing the dates are off) and someone argued Armand would know that Daniel has the background knowledge to find that reference useful, but the thing is we don’t have a lot of indication that Daniel, as he remembers himself now, would have that knowledge (and I don’t count the puzzle at the beginning as such an indication. Just because you’re doing a jigsaw of a famous painting doesn’t mean you know anything about art. It only means you thought a picture with lots of figures on it would make a good jigsaw. Obviously not counting Daniel’s subconscious decision making here). I could go on a whole other tangent about that scene but this is already way too long.

The TLDR is Armand is praying in that scene because he decided that for some reason Daniel needed to see that and I think at least part of that reason was that he is testing Daniel’s memory, as he and Louis do this in different ways throughout the season (Other instances include ‘remember the best you ever had’, the proposal ice cream and reading from Daniel’s memoir, maybe even ‘I wasn’t sure you’d remember me’. All those refer to points in time that could conceivably have happened during or very close to the Devils Minion timeline. Most of those prod at the memories Daniel has as supposed to the ones that are missing). Which is interesting because it implies they don’t fully know the scope of the memory wipe.

#long post #sorry if it's rambly #This one’s been churning in my head for a couple of weeks but I didn’t get anywhere until I started typing it out #interview with the vampire amc #iwtv amc #armand #daniel molloy #daniel's memory #iwtv meta

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blaqueswanzaghouliishiilikeda · 9 months

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mmm…

i wanna talk about paul. i dont think i lingered too much there. bc it’s a sensitive spot i guess? it’s a sensitive thing to be openly unwell. my focus with this post if i really even have that is his relation with louis. i wanna talk about paul in relation to how louis treats him and that being a reason why i love louis so much too. i love both characters. i think paul doesnt really ever get mentioned in fandom much. which is the psychosis experience tbh. so it tracks.

it’s a public spectacle every one wants so desperately to ignore and to be over. in my personal experience (and i don’t think i’m alone in this) the person going through it wants it to be over too. wants that people don't see them that way. but paul’s whole character is generally ignored other than in conversations about whether or not lestat caused his suicide, which was a compelling conversation. whether or not he did is a incredibly prickly thing in the gut of the story. and to be followed up with Louis staying with Armand after having killed claudia who has a thread with paul too. she has a manic/psychotic moment. she’s a collector. she’s a lot of things that society doesn’t want to see exist. (nor does the fandom but i digress) and the way she lives in this undead world is as if she doesnt exist at all so manny ways (like paul in life too in ways) we’ve spoken of if you are someone who dares to acknowledge the fullness of her character. i said this was about paul but im working through a connection in real time. i think that’s why i wanna talk about paul. bc he carries so much of the story in the little time he was alive. and his death is the catalyst for louis’ initial death. not the one lestat gave him, but the one that made it possible for lestat to convince him in the first place. ( the spiritual one maybe? idk. im just thinking thoughts)

what i never question in regards to paul and louis’ relationship, is that louis loves him. that’s what actually makes that: “did lestat kill him really? and whether or not he did kill him….louis thought he did and stayed?” conversation so insane in the membrane to me. because the way he treated paul shows me he does love him so much. one: something in him died with paul. another thing is that louis genuinely wanted him around. he advocated for him to stay out of the hospital. he took him out as soon as he was given the power to as head of household when his father died. (i have so many questions about his own feelings and opinions on his father.) he openly spent time with him. paul was his favorite person. he let paul crawl into bed with him. which is kind of big deal from what i know in the openly unwell population. not a lot of people want to comfort that. and louis allowing his male brother into bed with him for that tender moment is kind of a key moment for him to me bc of how the pressures of homophobia can affect how men are made to feel they can treat their male family members too. Louis sees him and his need and is willing to give it to him. louis wants to be there for his brother. he decides he’ll be the one to take care of him. tells grace not to worry about paul. he would take care of him. he assures paul he wont see lestat anymore. louis’ love for paul was in the way of lestat’s wants and desires. maybe paul did have suicidal ideation already. maybe many things can be true.

(i meant to post this during disability month, but i went through it and so now i’ll just continue where i left off)

louis struggling with killing a man with a daughter and wanting to go home to his brother…😵‍💫. paul isnt a child, but louis was his caretaker. in paul you see louis shine in that role (barring the bit where he pulls a knife out, and threatens to gut him, bc that was a performance. it’s not great but he didn't even want to do that). louis recognizing that locking away a man for having delusions just because he has them at all made paul worse was such a powerfully impactful thing to me. i say this fully well knowing sometimes going to the hospital can be beneficial these days, but even still being locked up there?? drugged and treated horribly given he was black and in a time when mentally ill people were treated heinously? louis saying he belongs at home and seeing to it that paul gets to be home with his family. spending time with him like he’s a person beyond his disability. beyond his delusions. that shit makes me like quiver and cry tbh. that’s mostly what people going through that need most of all and don’t receive. he loved paul. and when paul dies louis dies. idc. (so if lestat’s did take paul away from louis….he killed him twice….also while i’m here i have stirring thoughts about lestat knowing he could tell paul his truthful intentions in town and that out of paul’s mouth no one would believe him. maybe that’s the whole thought. or maybe i’ll come back to it. idk)

(i think in some ways claudia was also theyre to fill the casm paul created too. sorry none of this is like linear or anything im just thinking i guess. maybe i’ll make get into how i see they’re related later.)

#iwtv #louis de pointe du lac #paul de pointe du lac #lestat de lioncourt #claudia #my attempt at participating in this fandom again lol #sorry if i’m not like clear or if i’m all over the place

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wisteriasymphony · 4 days

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comfort snapshot for @asukiess ignore whatever the other one's name is queen she's not important just crtl+f mari onto it no biggie

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The lock looked simple, and like it had been forced upon before in the past. Claudia fought with the doorhandle for a moment, but it wouldn't open.

Jesus, calm down. You know he gets a bit of a fuse sometimes, hearing you try to break a door down isn't gonna fucking help you much.

She sighed, speaking softly.

"Adrien, I'm going to try and open the door," Claudia whispered, "And then I am going to step inside. I am not going to hurt you. I won't even come close if you don't want me to. Okay?"

Three minutes of dead silence. And so, she slipped her fingernail into the lock's middle slot, the lightest force enough to spring it open. She tread carefully into the bathroom, finding Adrien in the corner. He had ransacked every cabinet in the room and stolen all the towels and washcloths and even the bathroom rug; And in that corner, he had curled up in a ball and covered himself with them, until his silhouette was more of a shifting mass of fabric than a boy.

He didn’t bother to look at Claudia, only muttering “I’m disgusting” under his breath like it was a curse.

“Hey, people say things they don’t mean all the time.” Claudia slowly knelt down onto the floor, watching Adrien with a concerned gaze.

“I promise I didn’t mean it. I don’t– I wouldn’t want—“

“Shh. It’s fine, okay? I’m not mad over it or anything,” she said, crawling over to him. “…I’m going to put my hand on your head. Is that alright?”

He nodded, and so Claudia started to stroke his hair again. Adrien still couldn’t bear to look at her… but the feeling was nice. Even if it only led to more tears. It was insane to think that she’d still really love him after that. Was he even worth it? She had to have known that he wasn’t.

"Why do you stay?" Adrien finally asked. "You seem to make it so clear that I don't mean anything to you. Like one of these days you're going to discard me at the drop of a hat." He stared her down with dull, watery eyes, for the first time in a long while. "Why do you even stick around?"

It was clear that there was a very specific answer he was looking for. One that validated all of his worst fears, one that reminded him that even the person he loved most in the world would only ever see him as one thing. But Claudia was tired of lying. Even when it meant she said things people weren't expecting to hear.

"Because I don't know what I'd do without you." Claudia slipped her jacket off her shoulders, placing it in Adrien's lap as another thing to cover himself with. "Because I like hearing you talk, and I like your laugh, and I like that none of your fancy photos ever show the dimple on your left cheek but I get to see it everyday." Claudia laughed to herself, admitting "..It's very faint, but it's there."

Adrien shifted closer to Claudia, leaning on her a little more. He was still crying, sure, but the tears were slowing down. She was doing something right for once.

"What else... I like listening to you play piano. I think you're the best in the whole world."

"Th... that's not true..."

"Psch! To me, it is. Beethoven can suck my left nut for all I care, he's probably terrible compared to you."

This time she got a laugh back. Another shift closer. Adrien had finally reached a hand out to cling onto her.

"..So you do love me?"

"Mhm." Claudia planted a kiss on his forehead. "I love you, I love you, I love you, and I mean it even more every time I say it. I don't care what you look like, what you say to me, even who you are. 'Cause I don't love Chat Errant, or Chat Noir, or even Adrien Agresté." She placed her pointer finger on his chest, leaning in to let their foreheads touch. "I just love you."

He broke out into sobs again, his face contorting into something scrunched and unsightly. "Y-you won't let me be cold anymore, right? I was s-so cold— I-" Adrien let his head fall to her shoulder, heaving and blubbering into it. "And the lights and they'd— The way she touched me in- I-in— It lasted for so long and- There's pictures of all of it and— A-all I can remember is that I was so cold-"

He stopped when he felt her hand hover over the towels draped on his shoulder—stopped talking, stopped breathing, probably stopped blinking too. Claudia could feel he had the most terrible fever, was probably only going to kill himself with all these layers... but she moved her hand to his head, ruffling his hair.

"No, I won't let you be cold," she said, taking off her shirt, then her bra: giving him the former but setting the latter on the floor. "Here. I'll warm you up."

When Adrien went to hug her, a few of the towels fell off his shoulders. Claudia swore she'd never been hugged this hard in her life—maybe that even most people would never been hugged this hard. He seemed to wrap his body around her, clinging on by every means he could, shaking and heaving and yet still holding on however he could. But Claudia was stable, and her skin felt like dew-kissed stones in a riverbank. Not cold, but just.. a little less warm. The good kind.

"D-do you ever feel like you want your mom," he asked, the words breaking against his tears, "...But you— But you know that she'd only make it worse?"

Claudia knew that if Adrien's mother had still been alive, this would have been the moment Claudia planned to kill her.

"...Every day, Eddí," she said, shifting to kiss the top of his head. "Every day."

#technically tweos spoilers oopsies #but if queen asukiess demands i shall provide <3 within reason #hurt/comfort #mostly comfort #thewarmembraceofshadow #miraculous fanfic #ficlet #cw csa mention #tw csa mention #csa ment tw #csa mention #cw child abuse mention #cw abuse mention #tw childhood trauma #tw mention of trauma #miraculous adrien #adrien agreste #mlb adrien

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lou-iz-stat · 24 days

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5 more weeks and I am starting to loose my mind a little bit haha. I am in my rewatch of episode 3 and I do have to say that I adore this episode. Once again there will be book spoilers and spoilers for the rest of season 1 as well as maybe some theorizing so be warned.

I’m excited! Let’s go!

IWTV S1 E3: Is My Very Nature That of the Devil

This episode starts with Louis and Lestat sitting at their bench in the park. ❤️

And it kind of acts as Louis trying to convince Lestat to only kill bad people. But in the book that is how Lestat actually kills so I wonder if this will come back when he finally tells his side of the story.

This episode definitely brings the comedy with Lestat quips and him just tackling that guy. 😂

Not the cat Louis!

I’ll tell you what Lestat can be such an asshole but just like the scene where he calls out the piano player at first he’s sour then he’s sweet. Yep Lestat is a sour patch kid.

I love how Daniel uses the recording from 1973 as that’s a callback to the first interview where Louis is just ragging on Lestat just like he did in the book.

The “Oddity of recollection” scene is great. I’m sure that is to come back in full force next season. I’m just excited thinking about what we are about to uncover.

When Louis realizes that Lestat didn’t kill Antoinette he looks so disappointed. Ugh I feel so bad for Louis here. 😩

And Lestat uncontrollably laughing when it’s the worst possible moment to do so is sooooooo Lestat it’s killing me…

But I just EAT UP the instant regret in Lestat’s eyes when Louis wants to fuck other people even he was the one who suggested it! He is just his own worst enemy all of the time.

When I first watch this episode I was so scared that Lestat was going to kill Jonah.

BUT WAS IT RAINING LOUIS!?

The look Louis gives Armand! “Your lingering Rashid” what sick game are they playing!!!!??? I’m going insane.

Lestat is doing the most this episode! But on second thought he always does the most lol.

“ I HEARD YOUR HEARTS DANCING!!!!!!!” It’s such an iconic scene!!!! “You watched the whole thing like some CREEPER!” The writing is everything

We have the iconic gif of Louis putting the “Colored Only, No Whites Allowed” that gif has gotten more people to watch the show than any promo amc has done.

I LOVE the scene where Louis kills that racist ass Alderman! Jake the dog gets his guts ripped out!” Some great quotes include. “Why’s your heart beating so fast?” And “ You said I’m arrogant!? Maybe I am arrogant! I’m a vampire” so goood!

It hurts just so much more after reading The Vampire Lestat when Louis tells him “It’s why you’re always gonna be alone.” 😭 Louis doesn’t know Lestat’s past yet but damn!

And finally yay it’s time for my girl Claudia!

I made it through another episode for my rewatch! If you are still reading this thank you for your support.

I’ll hopefully be back next week.

Until then 5 weeks! It’s going by fast!

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madly-empirical · 1 year

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Surprises from reading IWTV for the first time I knew the TV show was a reinvention/reinterpretation from the books, but just coming off of re-watching the movie there were some things that I was surprised to find out: - Louis helps Lestat kill someone before he's turned him into a vampire (???) - Louis kills Lestat's father but makes him forgive him first without knowing the full story (it's like a mercy killing because the old man is dying so that "merciful death" nickname is a whole thing isn't it) - Louis kills a priest for being understandably annoyed when someone confesses to have been killing for a hundred years (did you think he wouldn't be offended be serious louis) - Louis says killing people was not a moral, but an aesthetic choice (very surprised, I thought the killing people was the main point of conflict but no?)

- There's a subplot with another wealthy slave-owning family where Louis tries to stop Lestat from killing a young man and is involved with his sister named Babette when he fails (it doesn't go well for her...) - Louis knows that Lestat wanted to be priest but was taken out of school by his father - Lestat calls books "mortal nonsense" (lol) - Louis' late brother who had religious visions also had yellow hair so parallels - Louis is weird about money (he's spending all my money, but he never has trouble getting his own, I have to manage everything, I keep him dependent on me, etc., etc.) - Lestat massacres the slaves on his way out, and Louis appears to join him (Very hard to tell for sure) - Louis drags nearly everything about Lestat except for his physical appearance - Lestat falls asleep at the opera (they're long Louis!) - Lestat loves Macbeth and will shout lines from the play at passersby on the way home (unfortunately that's the love of your life) - Claudia is colder and creepier in the book (it's interesting that she never plays music after Lestat is gone...) - Lestat threatens to kill Claudia all the time behind her back and at least once to her face - Louis notices that Lestat is afraid when Claudia asks questions about vampires stuff - Lestat, in a clear fib, tells them there's no other vampires besides them - Claudia tells Louis that she's going to kill Lestat and he's in the room where it all goes down - Claudia gots the hubris ("Do you think I will have my power and his when I take him?") - She is also super convinced that Lestat is dead the second time, but girl why? - Claudia and Louis have troubles before Armand shows up stemming from the murder of Lestat (she did tell you what she was going to do!) - Louis pretends to a vampire hunter to explain some weird stuff in Eastern Europe where they find mindless vampires (like some else said, why would you bring your 5 year old daughter to the vampire hunt??) - When they can't find any other vampires like them, Louis is like I might have believed that we were the only ones if Lestat was the kind of person to have been some kind of serious sorcerer — but he clearly ain't (lol) - Louis is totally head-over-heels ignoring all red flags and ready to go as soon as Armand shows up (even after Armand is like killing vampires is exciting that's why it's forbidden and btw I used my powers to influence you to make Madeline a vampire...) - Madeline is a dollmaker and makes elegant miniature furniture for Claudia so she lives like a fairy queen - Armand keeps going on and on about a tower and how a healthy vampire would survive falling off it (-_-) - Armand is like yes, mindless vampire are called revenants and it's like how do you know that but no one asks - Lestat is in Paris when Claudia is killed, clearly tricked and confused he thinks he can take Louis home with him (He is also afraid of Armand. Insane that there's like ten years between the publication of IWTV and TVL, it's so clear that something went down between the two of them but there's zero hints in IWTV on what it was) - Lestat is frantic and weepy when Louis sees him in his grey gardens area. Louis thinks he is dying the way vampires die according to Armand, he can no longer endure immortal life (maybe it was the being murdered more than once that got to him Louis? Just maybe that might have had some effect...) Overall, I found book!Louis infuriating, hypocritical, complicit (NOT passive) and kind of self-involved. Impossible to tell what it felt like to read it for the first time without having knowledge from later books. Reading TVL makes me more sympathetic towards book!Louis because there's just so much he doesn't and couldn't know — especially about Armand and his hypno-powers. Obviously, it's very likely that he was doing a similar thing to Louis to what he tried to do to Lestat. Also, Lestat's version of himself sounds exhausting. He wants to go out every night!!

#and like all monsters he's an early riser so he's probably dramatically playing the piano at the vampire equivalent of 5:00AM #i will have to read it again bc i was really confused at how much killing louis was doing at the beginning #it felt like a mistake #until it turns out that's not the major conflict in the book #lack of answers seems to be a bigger deal #iwtv #iwtv 1994 #iwtv 2022 #lestat #louis de pointe du lac #claudia #armand #i like all the versions so far #the tv show #the movie #and the first two books #not sure how much else i will read though #no aliens for me

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withgreatpowercomesmyfuckingdick · 3 months

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GENESIS CHAPTER!!! YESSSSSSS MY BOYY

Genesis is a hate-reader 🍷 Canon to me. I'm also glad you give him time to shine as a strategist, like, he IS a caster and one of the most proficient SOLDIERs in existence 💅stands to reason he does have to think things through on the battlefield and this isn't addressed nearly enough imo.

Zack "I'm not traumatized 😀" Fair is breaking my heart here. Both Cloud and Zack get to miraculously be together after losing the other, but the fear is fresh in Zack's mind. And unfortunately due to the rapidly developing situation (SCREAMS) he doesn't really have time to process and address it, and that's assuming he isn't avoiding doing so like the plague because Cloud's alive so everything's fine now right? 😀 Except it's super not and now Zack is the only one who really knows how not fine it is 💔

Speaking of not addressing emotions lol Angeal is in full repression mode and Sephiroth is isolatinggg 😬 I know how easy it is to withdraw when you're used to not having anyone there for you, when you have to figure out and manage everything yourself regardless of how unequipped you are for the task, but I also feel for Genesis here because it really does take a lot of work to gently coax people out of that over and over again. I like how you're addressing this in general, but especially from this pov! I really feel Genesis' frustration here. He knows it would get better if Seph just came home 😥

I really enjoyed the intel gathering scene with Bolin 👌👌👌 You're really serving up top shelf Genesis in this chapter and it's delightful to watch! But Camp 28 is stressing me tf out agagshshshshs Zack is somewhat reassured for now but even Kenny is worried about Cloud's lack of self preservation (physically and emotionally damn) and he doesn't even know how bad of a situation they're walking into! Though no one really knows and that's kind of the problem, but I love Kenny and I want him to survive this 😭 He needs to survive so he can be brave and trust Juvie with the kids!

Speaking of kids, CLAUDIA IS SO PRECIOUS I CANT 💕 I'm as bad as Vincent at this point. Claudia deserves the world (and she doesn't even exist anymore.. I will never be ok again 🫠)

I'm a little worried about whatever Genesis has planned to address the Camp 28 situation, because, well, it's Genesis lol but at the same time I love his constant rebellion against being told "no" 💅

Thanks for the amazing chapter!!!! Time to reread the whole thing again to distract myself from the incredible suspense of what's to come 😁🍿

HI HI HI THANKS FOR LEAVING ME THIS TO WAKE UP TO!!!

Genesis being a strategist just makes sense to me. Like. The man led a rebellion against Shinra that turned into a straight up war, waged it for a decent amount of time, and managed to not immediately get eradicated. That in itself says the man’s got SOME brains on him lol

Yeahhh Zack’s still in the “just happy Spike’s here” stage and honestly doesn’t even realize what he’s doing. The weight of carrying Cloud’s secret is kinda trumping his own emotions in importance, which miiiiiight not be good :/

It’s kind of sad when, to an extent, Genesis is being the most emotionally intelligent among them. I mean. Seriously. Genesis? Same guy that thought talking Sephiroth into insanity would make the dude help heal him? Yeah if he’s the smartest emotionally everyone needs some DIRE help.

But also guess what conflict is going to be resolved next chapter because I like making Seph suffer but not THAT damn much? Angeal’s repression might take a bit longer but gimme a second there’s five character arcs going on at once 😂

Camp 28 is, if you guys didn’t notice, another parade situation, except I’m dragging it out for effect LMAO. It obviously isn’t exactly the same but…well, you’ll see ;) Kenny’s just trying to look out for a buddy :( Cloud’s doing the same thing, just like…way more risky and possibly self destructive. Immortality went RIGHT to his head IMMEDIATELY

Cloud says it’s his daughter but that’s OUR DAUGHTER!!!

And like you said lmao—

Sephiroth: Genesis, no

Genesis: is that a fucking challenge

Nah seriously like, Genesis and ‘letting that slide’ don’t go in a sentence together. it’s just

Genesis, squinting at Camp 28: I don’t know what the fuck’s going on but TRUST you will be dealt with

Feel AWFUL for leaving this answer to you in my drafts for like…for fucking ever 😭 But thanks for leaving me this lovely!!! Always encouraging to read a lil smth from you 🖤🖤🖤

#liddle’s asks #wgpcmfg

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thelioncourts · 11 months

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You’re definitely right they can remove some of the useless love interests but even if you do the stories are still about Lestat. Louis would just be there to offer support or whatever but he has no arc or character development in these books after TVL. That’s why it’s impossible to keep him a main character with these book storylines cause even if he’s there in every scene he wouldn’t be doing anything.

So I totally get why people would rather he just leave the show than be used as set dressing for lestat.

But I don't think they're going to just do book storylines??? Like??? They've not done book storylines as they're written thus far, so why would that be subject to change???

I'm sorry, I'm not meaning to come across as short or anything, but I have 11 asks in my inbox all about this right now and I don't have answers and don't really know why people are coming to me.

As I've said in previous asks, I have said most of what I can and have to say on the matter.

As a Louis-fan, I get where everyone is coming from, I truly truly truly do. Knowing his fate in the books, regarding material, is enough to have us all on edge, so please don't take this as something it's not, I just --

The show has already given Louis so much more than what Anne ever did. Not even talking about what the change of time period and race adds to him as a character, we have a fully fleshed out development of him as an individual, as well as him and Lestat as a couple and as parents to Claudia.

Show!Louis has this family that we learn so much about, at least in comparison to the book. In the book, we know Paul, and we know Paul because he's the catalyst for Louis. It's similar here, only we get Grace and we get Florence and we get Paul and we get Louis' relationship with each other these characters. We know that Paul and Louis were extremely close. Paul could come preaching at Louis' establishments in Storyville, causing scenes and making trouble for Louis, and Louis could threaten him and pull a knife on him and the next day they could be sitting at the breakfast table, bitching to each other like any set of siblings when telling on the other to mom. We know that Florence has insane expectations riding on Louis' shoulders and that the death of Paul was a catalyst for her too, no doubt since it's very obvious the entire family knew of Louis' queerness before Lestat even came around, but it was a thing they didn't talk about, and then he goes and moves in with Lestat anyway. We know that he and Grace are close, that he was the first person to know of her pregnancy (via vampirism), that they drifted immensely in his fear of himself as a vampire. We know that the loss of that family for Louis was the reason for so much of his pain, for so much of his struggles with vampirism as a whole.

We know that Louis is a businessman, and a good one too, and he likes it. Sure, he didn't like all the racist shitbags he had to deal with, but he was better than all of them and they knew it and he liked that. He was ruthless in his business, strong and fierce and proud, and the loss of the Azalea, the race-war waged against the black population of New Orleans, was yet another source of devastation.

We know, as a parent, Louis is smothering sometimes, motherhenning Claudia to the point that she had to learn how to shut him out of her head. We know, as a parent, Louis is softer, to the point of fault at times, but that he also gives in to her whims, drinking human blood again when she points out that his criticism of hers and Lestat's eating habits make her feel poorly. We know, as a parent, he watched her go out to hunt on her own proudly, like a parent watching their kid go drive to a friend's house for the first time.

We know, as a lover, Louis is spoiled by his husband. "How can I say no to you?" followed by Louis' most pleased, beautiful smile. We know, as a lover, Louis can look at his husband like he hung the damn moon that guides their nightly hunts. We know, as a lover, Louis can be argumentative, assured that he is right and not afraid to tell Lestat so. We know, as a lover, Louis will smile brilliantly at his husband as they sneak around in coffin together, acting like damn teenagers in love. We know, as a lover, Louis, for all his issues with Lestat, loves him tremendously so, to the point that their hearts sync up and that, when Lestat is lying there, "dead," Louis cradles his body to his chest and screams his agony.

None of this is in the books.

It's all made by the writers of the show. And, as of now, the writers have yet to disappoint me with their writing of Louis. So until that moment comes, I'm going to be optimistic because 1) they've yet to prove me wrong and 2) if I'm not optimistic, what am I really sticking around for then? I don't want to stick around and be miserable at the thought of something all the time.

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hekateinhell · 9 months

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there's a devastating trust between lesmand despite everything they've done to each other. Armand going to Lestat after Louis breaks his heart is kind of funny but also devastating after everything he did to Lestat, but also their NOLA team up and Lestat allowing Armand to drink from him. And how Lestat completely trusts Armand to keep Louis safe despite what he did to Nicki and Claudia. But Armand feels the same way! His breakdown in Blood Communion is because he gave Lestat his blessing to take Louis to court and then he didn't keep him safe!!! His screaming breaks my heart because after so many losses he still can't handle losing Louis and he trusted Lestat with him because he's sacred to both of them. That's the agreement, they keep Louis safe!!! Always wanted to know how the Loumand and OT3 reunion after that went.

Lestat and Armand have such an utterly insane dynamic, I've never come across anything like it in my life lmao WHAT IS THAT???

The thing with Nicki is that Armand genuinely did try to help him the only way he knew how at the time, and Lestat even acknowledges this in TVL. Claudia... I wouldn't get this answered in days if I started talking about Claudia. But Lestat also says in PL that he was wrong about Armand long ago — that he's not without compassion, not without a heart. And even if Lestat did think he was lacking those things once upon a time, it didn't stop him from loving him.

That scene in BC wrecks me every fucking time because you can see how devastated both Armand and Lestat are. Louis is such an enormous shared piece of their heart and Armand trusted Lestat with him because he had to and Lestat knows that! I think it has another layer for Armand, too, because he has lived and died by Lestat for so long (this is a slight exaggeration but I'm thinking about Lestat being what gave Armand the reason to want to survive following his suicide attempt, Armand doing whatever it takes to be around him when he thinks Lestat will need him, fuck everyone else, etc).

Armand's love for Lestat is perhaps one of the most consistent things (if not the most consistent) about him throughout the series, and it's a different kind of grief to lose that element of trust (though how much or how little Armand trusts Lestat is a seperate can of worms) with someone you love so deeply.

My fucking life to see Louis and Armand reunite on screen after Louis returns, and Lestat and Armand's first conversation following The Scene™️ in BC and Lestat 'sending all his love to Armand.'

#agony i live in agony (and i love it)#these are my hurt ships and my comfort ships at the same time it's the history and baggage and LOVE for me #also can you tell i'm avoiding my real life rn i haven't answered this many asks at once in weeks #armand/lestat #armand/louis #armand/lestat/louis #vc #you ask and hekate answers

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cosmicjoke · 1 year

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Sorry for spamming this stupid post of mine. I had to make a few edits to it, and I suppose, since it’s so long and overblown like all my posts, it’s best to make it a separate meta from my other about Nicki and Lestat. Anyway, if you saw this before, sorry for the re-post. If not, sorry for the obsessive compulsive posting in general about these books lately, lol. I guess if there’s one good thing I can take away from the AMC show (other than enjoying it on its own merit), it’s that it got me interested in reading the books again. I’m almost done with “The Vampire Lestat”, and once I am, I’ll be moving on to “The Tale of the Body Thief”! I’m excited about it, as I’ve never read past “Queen of the Damned”. And even though I know some people have said they don’t particularly like it, I’m looking forward to it anyway, and delving into more analysis if I find anything interesting to say. My tastes seem to deviate a lot of the time anyway, and I end up really liking things most other people don’t, so we’ll see. Anyway, enough rambling.

“I never revealed to him half of my powers, and with reason, because he shrank in guilt and self-loathing from using even half of his own.”

Another thing I wanted to talk about as I’ve gone along in my re-read of “The Vampire Lestat”, is related to what Lestat says here about Louis and being afraid to show him his vampiric powers, and how that relates back to his experience with Nicki.

In addition to Lestat fearing, because of Louis’ obvious disgust with himself and what he is, that if he shows Louis his own abilities, Louis will feel similar disgust for him, a large part of Lestat’s reluctance to teach Louis more about his new found powers and what Louis can do with them is, I think, because of what happened with Nicki, and what Nicki blamed Lestat for, and accused him of.

Because Lestat, rather than allowing Nicki to sink into the mire of his own negative feelings regarding his abilities as a violinist, tried to lift him up out of it, tried to encourage him and make him believe in himself and his chances at success if he only kept at it. He tried to make Nicki believe in the value of what he was doing, in the capacity his music had for creating good. And Nicki ended up blaming this encouragement, this refusal on Lestat’s part to let him fail, to let him wallow in his own misery and self-destructiveness, and succumb to his negative self-image, for his going mad. Nicki made Lestat believe that it was his fault, by trying to help him up out of the darkness, for his eventually falling to it.

And I can’t help but think that Lestat must have, once again, feared that history was repeating itself with Louis. That he must have remembered what happened with Nicki. How the last person he loved, whom he also tried to help through encouragement and support of his abilities and talent, ended up going insane and killing himself. And so, seeing Louis’ “guilt and self-loathing” over his vampiric abilities and nature, Lestat had to have been reluctant to step in and encourage Louis to embrace them, or to teach Louis how to use them properly, terrified that doing so would lead Louis down the same path Nicki ended up on. We see here again the damage wrought on Lestat by Nicki’s mad accusations and blame, the way they continued to have ramifications for Lestat decades, even centuries later. And that’s truly tragic.

This also ties into another point I wanted to make about Louis, and how Louis’ self-denial in many ways ended up unintentionally hurting Lestat. Lestat’s lack of forthcoming knowledge to both Louis and Claudia, and how that contributed to things eventually going bad between them, gets talked about a lot in this fandom, and rightfully so. But I think, for every instant of unintentional abuse Lestat engages in with Louis and Claudia, Louis engaged in just as much with Lestat, in a different way. Claudia’s abuse of Lestat and Louis was, by contrast I think, very much intentional, but that’s a different topic.

Another quote from Lestat sums it up well, when he said about Louis:

“His blindness to the motives or the suffering of others was as much a part of his charm as his soft unkempt black hair or the eternally troubled expression in his green eyes.”

Louis ends up blaming Lestat, and feeling resentment towards Lestat, for not teaching him about his abilities as a vampire, and indeed we see later, when he meets Armand, that he discovers for the first time his ability to scale sheer walls, for example. Louis convinces himself that his lack of knowledge in this area is Lestat’s fault, but I think in reality, it has more to do with Louis’ own lack of self-belief, born out of his sense of guilt for choosing to become what he is.

Lestat, after all, had no one to guide him. Magnus left him on the very night he made him. And yet, by the very next night, Lestat was already testing the limits of and discovering his abilities, experimenting by engaging in physical feats which would be impossible for a mortal being. He discovered he could climb sheer walls on the second night of his immortality, something which took Louis 75 years to figure out.

Louis convinces himself that his ignorance regarding his abilities is Lestat’s fault, but if he’d really wanted to, Louis could have begun testing and discovering his abilities all on his own from the start. He let his own sense of guilt and self-disgust keep him from it though, a kind of self-imposed punishment for what he was and what he chose to be, and in turn, though I don’t at all think Louis meant to, he ended up hurting Lestat by holding him accountable for it and using that as fuel for his own, growing resentment, feeding the turmoil and increasingly constant fighting between them.

And I think this manifests again in Louis convincing himself that Lestat was somehow keeping both him and Claudia hostage, that he couldn’t leave Lestat because he didn’t know the extent of Lestat’s powers and that made escaping impossible. But, again, just like Louis, if he’d really wanted to, could have discovered the extent of his vampiric abilities on his own, he could have similarly taken Claudia and left Lestat any time he really wanted, and I think he also knew, deep down, that Lestat wouldn’t have stopped either of them, that he never really would have been able to hurt either of them.

Rather, I think, Louis’ inability to leave Lestat was born out of a secret desire to stay with him.

Lestat talks about Louis omitting from his interview with Daniel all the good things between them in the 65 years they had together. How they used to walk and talk together, how they used to hunt the riverfront taverns arm in arm, how they would act out Shakespeare together for Claudia, or how Louis came to him at times in anxiety, begging Lestat not to leave him.

Louis convinces himself that it was Lestat keeping him tied to him and New Orleans, but in reality, I think it was Louis himself. And just like with denying himself his vampiric powers out of guilt, it was Louis’ sense of guilt in loving Lestat, I think, that made him believe what he did about being a hostage. It was only after he and Claudia seemingly kill Lestat and flee to Europe that an even greater sense of guilt begins to eat Louis alive, and he’s forced to have to begin acknowledging his actual feelings for Lestat. But only begin, as he’s still clearly in denial about them when he gives his interview to Daniel.

Claudia was the one who wanted to genuinely get away. She wanted to be free of BOTH Lestat and Louis, having developed a genuine hatred for them both over her being turned at such a young age, and doubtless she would have just upped and left on her own if she could have. But she needed one of them to take care of her, and I think she knew Louis, deep down, didn’t really want to leave. But she could sense the weakness in Louis born from his guilt. She knew she could easily manipulate that guilt over loving Lestat, play on it and reinforce this coping mechanism, this idea in Louis that they were being held against their will by Lestat, and in turn convince him to stand by and do nothing while she murdered him. For Claudia, going back to what I said about her abuse being, in contrast to Lestat’s and Louis’, very much intentional, when she tells Louis she’ll enjoy killing Lestat, I think she absolutely means it. It’s icing on the cake to her, that for her plan to work, to really convince Louis to take her and leave, Lestat needs to be gone, because otherwise, Louis simply won’t go. Again, not because he can’t, but because he really doesn’t want to.

Louis’ self-denial here, once again, and to much more devastating consequences, ends up hurting Lestat, nearly getting him killed, and plunging him into a state of degradation, desperation and isolation that would last for more than 120 years.

Going back to what Lestat says about Louis being blind to the motivations and the suffering of others, I don’t think Louis was at all aware how his own sense of guilt, and the self-denial born out of it, impacted Lestat.

#The Vampire Lestat #Lestat De Lioncourt #louis de pointe du lac #nicki de lenfent #Claudia #Interview with the vampire

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o0anapher0o · 9 months

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Four theories about the Devil’s Minion

First off, I don’t claim this is in any way comprehensive or that I have come up with any of those. I might have overlooked something really obvious, with this show that happens quite frequently. But these are ideas of what I think could have happened with Armand and Daniel in the seventies, based on the information we have so far, which is that they met in the seventies and Armand saved him from Louis, and that Daniel’s oldest daughter was born in the mid to late seventies (judging from the ‘seven years before car seats where mandatory‘ bit in Daniel’s autobiography).

1. The Devil’s Minion hasn’t happened (yet). I would say unlikely given they did meet, Armand decided for some reason to save Daniel’s life and Daniel’s memory of the time is shot. None of that would be necessary if nothing had happened (and where would be the fun in that). But it is of course possible that it’s all a red hering.

2. The relationship lasted shorter than in the book. Considering the show is on a condensed timeline and all the other relationships are also shorter, it would make sense if the ten years Armand and Daniel were together in the book would have been condensed to two or three years. Personally I’m not a fan because I think to get to the breaking point Daniel reached in the end in the book it would take more than a year or two, but it seems very logical for the show to do.

3. Alice is Armand. The theory that Armand twisted Daniel’s memories of him into memories of a first wife ‘Alice‘ and the reason Daniel’s eldest daughter doesn’t talk to him is that she doesn’t exist. Now I love this theory. I have written this theory. It’s fun and messed up and insane. But I don’t think it’s true. It seems like a neat way to circumvent enormous gaps in Daniel’s memories and it crazy enough that Armand would do something like that but. The sentence ‘my ex-wife reminds me I never owned a buik‘ indicates she was in some form consulted for Daniel’s book and that they therefore are (or where at the time) still in contact. Which makes sense for the woman he has a child with, but not for the vampire who erased himself from his memories. There is also no reason for Armand to add a fake daughter to the story, a lie that is unnecessarily complicated and difficult to maintain longterm.

4. There was overlap with Armand and Alice. This one seems the most likely to me. For one it fits the timeline. Two, it explains incoherent memories (maybe Daniel did own a buik with Armand that Alice didn’t know about). But most importantly it would explain why things went differently than in the book. One of the main reasons Daniel in book could never get away from Armand (other than being addicted to his blood) was that in the end he had nothing/no one else left he cared about. He was alienated from friends and family and barely working anymore. The only future he could see was as a vampire with Armand. If Daniel had had another relationship and a child that would have opened the option for another future. Another future he might have wanted (or that Armand was convinced he wanted). A child changes everything. And Armand in the book already assumed Daniel would grow to resent him if he made him a vampire, if doing so also meant taking him away from his child it makes a ton of sense for Armand, especially given his very (for vampires) recent experience with Louis and Claudia to not want to repeat that mistake. If he’s going to lose Daniel anyway at least he can let him have a life.

#and how enraged he would be to find he gave up Daniel to give him that and he fucked it up #interview with the vampire #amc iwtv #iwtv speculation #the devils minion #daniel molloy #armand

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bandedbulbussnarfblat · 11 months

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Remembrance Chapter 11

here on ao3 or read in below

Armand looks between Daniel and Louis, then back to Louis. It's obvious they're having some sort of mental communication. After a few seconds, he drops his hand. “I'll let you get back to it. Call if you need me.”

Daniel watches him go, though he suspects he doesn't go far. There's a moment of heavy silence. Then Louis begins to speak as if nothing happened.

And so the story continues.

Daniel listens without interruption as Louis talks about his life, Lestat, his sister, Claudia. Louis reads aloud how Claudia follows Louis and Lestat without knowing why, other than that she can't find meaning without them.

And doesn't that sound familiar? Daniel hadn't been able to find meaning in his life without Armand. But Claudia thinks she was made to be Louis' sister. Daniel wonders if Louis ever knew that was what she thought. Wonders if maybe it isn't partly true.

Of course, Claudia eventually returns. How could she not?

But that's when things fall apart. Because she doesn't come back to stay, no, she comes back for Louis. And Lestat can't have that. Her exact words to Louis were “I thought I could live without you, but I was wrong.”

Daniel had said the same words to Armand once. And what had Armand said? “There is nothing for you now, Daniel, except for me. Madness waits out there.”

Madness would be better than what happened next. Daniel knows it's going to turn violent even before Louis says anything. Things were at a boiling point, and violence was inevitable.

Had he and Armand ever truly been violent? Daniel remembers love-making that had been vicious, remembers fights that had been volatile, but true violence? No, that had never happened. Even when provoked Armand.

Once, during one of their arguments—and it was always the same argument, really—Daniel had accused Armand of being a liar and struck him. He had been packing his bags during the fight, ready to bolt. Armand had grabbed him by the arm to stop him and Daniel slapped him.

He can still remember the look on his face, the anger flashing in his eyes as he hissed “How dare you!”

Armand had looked truly monstrous and it was frightening and exciting and infuriating.

So Daniel had said, “Don't hit me. You might kill me. You're very strong.” Except he had been trying to provoke Armand to do just that. He wanted Armand to strike him, was the sick thing. Wanted it so he'd have something to hang over his head during their next fight.

Jesus, he was fucked up.

The next part is difficult to listen to. Daniel thinks if he didn't remember Louis, remember caring for Louis, he might be able to be objective. What Lestat does to him, in front of their daughter, no less, is sickening. Hell, it makes Daniel want to find the bastard and drive a stake through his heart. If that could even kill him.

Daniel wants to say something comforting, but what comes out is “And you don't consider yourself abused.”

Louis' face shutters and he draws back. “I think that's enough for tonight.”

Daniel sighs. “Wait, I didn't mean-”

“You did,” Louis cuts in, then looks off in the distance. Daniel can guess that Armand is telepathically checking in on him. Good. At least one of them isn't sticking their foot in their mouth.

Louis stands. “Good night, Daniel.”

Daniel watches him walk out without protest. Once he's out of sight, he rubs a hand over his face. This interview is proving harder than he imagined. He sits and tries not to think of Louis beaten and bloody. It's insane that he still cares. He shouldn't. He shouldn't be here.

He's not left to his thoughts long. Only a few moments pass before Armand enters and places a steaming mug in front of him. Daniel lifts it and takes a sip. It's tea, that ridiculously expensive kind made from leaves that only grow in a specific rainforest. It had been Daniel's favorite in the seventies. Armand still remembers just the way he takes it.

Armand sits across from him and doesn't speak. Daniel takes another swallow of tea and thinks of what to say. “Thanks,” he says and lifts the tea. He looks toward where Louis exited. “He going to be alright?”

“Speaking of the past is difficult for Louis,” says Armand. “But yes, he will be fine. I'll take care of him.”

“Why aren't you now?” Daniel asks. Why is Armand out here with him instead of with Louis?

“Then who would care for you, my boy?”

Daniel feels a flare of anger surge through him. What right does Armand have to call him his boy, after all this time? “Not your boy, and I don't need taken care of.”

Once, after a particularly vicious fight, Daniel had told Armand he'd always been his. They'd been wrapped around each other in bed, just finished fucking. Make up sex with Armand was always especially intense. Armand's fingers had been stroking through his hair and Daniel had his face buried in Armand's chest. “You know, I'm still yours, right? Even when I leave. I'll always be yours. I don't know what else to be.” Then Armand had made love to him again and things were good for awhile.

The memory makes him burn red with shame. He wonders if Armand is poking around in his head, hearing him think of it.

“Perhaps I want to take care you, whether you need it or not.”

“Well, don't,” Daniel snaps. He pulls off his glasses and rubs his eyes. “Shit. I slapped an abuse victim.”

Armand's mouth twitches at the corner. “Louis wouldn't like being called a victim.”

Doesn't mean he isn't one, but Daniel's not going to push it. “I'd feel worse if he didn't deserve it.”

Armand glances towards Daniel's hands. “How is your hand?”

It's a little sore, but that's par for course these days. Everything aches all the time. The joys of old age and disease. “Fine.”

“May I?” Armand says, and reaches towards him. He doesn't wait for an answer before taking Daniel's hand in his. He massages it, rubbing his thumbs over his tired muscles with just the right amount of pressure. It feels pretty nice, actually.

Armand is focused on his hand while he does it, so Daniel takes the opportunity to drink in the sight of him. He's a damn fool, but he's missed him. Even without remembering him, he missed him. There always was that something lacking that he could never find, that ephemeral feeling he kept chasing.

Daniel hates him so much he can't stand it; he wants him so much it hurts.

Armand kneads his thumb over a tender spot and Daniel lets his eyes fall closed. He sucks in a breath and pulls back his hand. “I'm going to bed. Go take care of Louis.”

He rises to his feet and Armand lets him leave. Part of him wishes he hadn't.

When he crawls into bed, it's hard to sleep. His brain won't shut off, won't stop bringing up memories. So much of his life is wrapped up in these two vampires. Being with them had been the best and worst time of his life.

After an hour, he's ready to give up. He goes to the bathroom—no one told him how often you have to pee when you get old—and washes his hands. He's sees a flicker in the mirror, something behind him. It's there and gone too quickly to make out. Then cold seeps down to his pores, sliding down the back of his neck and filling his body with an icy chill.

The image behind him flickers again. A girl in a yellow dress, her face twisted in anger. Claudia.

Daniel turns around and sees nothing. His heart is pounding in his chest. “Claudia?”

No answer. Whatever he saw is gone, and the chill fades with it.

A ghost. He just saw a ghost. Claudia's ghost.

Daniel casts his eyes around, but there's no sign of her. “Don't worry, I'm going to find out what happened to you.”

And he will. Then just maybe, by the time this is over, she can have some peace.

#iwtv fic

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nineincht0enails · 2 months

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Finally watching the AMC IWTV

~Precursor to the text below: I can't express what I want to say properly so if you have questions, PLEASE DON'T ATTACK ME I'M TRYING. Feel free to give me some insight or explanations but no spoilers for the end, just tell me to watch the last two episodes AND I WILLLLL~

So, I gave the AMC Interview with the Vampire a watch because I was bored and wanted to be included with everything TVC. I genuinely enjoyed it. Some things I have complaints about, but I'll discuss that in a bit. I love how they portrayed Lestat; I feel they did an amazing job with that instead of making him seem equal to Louis in "vampire status" and having the same three emotions (ahem 1994 (still hold it very near and dear to my heart)). I like the way they made Louis a pimp, still holding some accuracy to the book (in the way that Louis was a slave owner, same concept OBVIOUSLY different conditions). I haven't seen the last two episodes because of my busy schedule but so far, I am not hating it. Now my complaints... very small and probably unimportant but I don't know if I love Claudia's, like, representation because to me in the book, she seems to me as a punishment for Louis because he would not kill her but didn't want Lestat to either, so in turn Lestat turns her into a vampire and forces Louis to take care of this little girl. I understand how her relationship with Louis and Lestat in the show is extremely similar to the book, with Lestat taking her hunting and showing the more elaborate side of being a vampire versus Louis showing her how he still has some mortal conflict within himself. So far, it's very similar, so no crazy complaints but I feel like they won't give her the same, like, intense frustrations like in the book or movie honestly. Claudia 1994 had such emotional intensity to her frustrations (maybe it's just Dunst being a good child actor or how it was supposed to be conveyed). I haven't watched it all the way so take everything I say like lightly :P. Another complaint I have is probably the worst one depending on if you can understand what I mean, but I don't really like how explicit Louis and Lestat's relationship is. Not in the sense of the vulgarity or content of the relationship, I know they are clearly in an intimate relationship, but I like how it was up to some kind of interpretation in the book (depending on which way you view it, maker vs creation, lovers with a distinct power imbalance), not ENTIRELY up to the reader but there are some parts you have to determine whether or not they're freaky or just being vampires. I LOVE Louis and Lestat's relationship in the show, I think it's done amazingly and not overtly JUST a relationship, rather a relationship being between a "fledgling" and a "maker", even with Lestat calling Louis "fledgling" a couple times. But (I can't really explain it cause I'm not really good at expressing what I mean, so beware), there's just something...missing? I would say the things the show does better than the movie adaptation, the show does it like 100x better. Louis and Lestat's relationship and their DYNAMICS? The show. Louis's family life? The show. Not having two horrible people be cast in the two lead roles? The show /hj (LOL I "hate" Cruise and Pitt but they were pretty good in the movie). i can understand now why people can enjoy the show, the accuracy is huge one for me, but the adaptations of the characters are something new and interesting. I can't understand how someone could absolutely HATE the show though, mild distain or just not a fan sure I can see that, but hating the show? Just weird to me, unless you can give like a good explanation why, I just can't see it. Anyways, don't crucify me for this, I wrote this while being ten assignments behind my class and so I could get this out before I explode. Also, Se7en is an insane movie def recommend.

#iwtv #tvc #vampire chronicles #amc iwtv #review #trying to type out my words is lowkey hard #can't believe im passing my english classes #the vampire chronicles

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mermaidsirennikita · 2 years

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cannot WAIT for your thoughts on tonight's IWTV episode

Tbh I don't have like... fully realized thoughts on it and I don't think that I'll know how I fully feel until the season is over?

My initial reaction was pretty pissed off, because like...

Here's the thing. In a very real way, Lestat and Louis have a toxic relationship in the books and in the show. The show adds in the element of Lestat being white and Louis being black, giving Lestat power over Louis that he doesn't fully understand or acknowledge because he's that classic white partner who goes "no no I get it I'm cool" when he's not.

Additionally, there is a lot of emotional toxicity on both sides, and obviously, they are both murderers and Lestat did... kill Louis, even if Louis was in the moment really upset and asked for it (arguably in part due to a series of events that were manipulated by Lestat).

To me, all of those yeeeears of resentment and issues, plus Lestat's jealousy of the bond between Louis and Claudia would be enough to eventually motivate Louis to kill Lestat, which is what this is all leading to, right? The attempted murder.

So if Lestat beating the shit out of Louis happened just like that, and it's just something the writers threw in to motivate Louis to kill Lestat, I think that's bullshit on several levels. For though Lestat is awful:

--there's no basis for it in the books... which doesn't really matter, but I say that to go "this is a decision the showrunners made fully independently"

--it was unnecessary

--a white guy beating his black lover is an even tougher watch and not something we super need on our television screens at the moment, especially when it's on this supernatural TV show where it served the plot... not at all...

So the question is... and why I'm not passing full judgment as of now... did it happen like that.

We see it from Claudia's perspective. Not only does Claudia APPARENTLY (lol it hasn't happened yet but I assume) participate in the attempted murder of Lestat... she's the one really pushing it. Is Claudia making this up OR exaggerating a fight that happened in order to justify the attempted murder?

But also, Claudia is fully insane. I love her, but she is delusional in a way that I don't think Lestat is, despite his own mental fragility. (Sidebar: I don't super think we needed to see Claudia get assaulted in this episode, so that bugged me, but a friend of mine pointed out that this could play into Claudia recalling things different in terms of projecting the other guy's danger onto Lestat.) It is entirely possible that Claudia fully believed she saw something that didn't happen like that, as Louis is her father and Lestat is... different... for her.

And Claudia did not actually see most of the actual fight. What she saw--if that is all reality--was bad, don't get me wrong. But she also heard Lestat saying that he didn't want to hurt Louis, begging him to let up, etc. Which would play into the idea that Lestat has abilities and appetites that remain unfamiliar to Louis because he wants to protect him from that side of himself, something the show has played with before.

But I don't super know how any of this works with Lestat flying Louis up in the sky, soooo.

And even if they do reveal that this was another unreliable narration issue--I feel like I'm still a bit pissed. Maybe they'll find a way to convince me. But unreliable narration around the subject of DV seems.... dicey.... especially in our current timeline. And the unreliability coming from a mentally ill black girl who'd been sexually assaulted? IDK BOB. SEEMS LIKE A LOT OF BAD IMPLICATIONS.

And of course, it's also revealed... theoretically I guess, but I feel like this was real--that Antoinette has stayed Lestat's long term mistress? Not surprising I guess, but MESS.

I suppose there's also an element of--is the show going to get too entangled with the unreliable narration? Claudia's narration, Louis's, and theoretically we'll get Lestat's. With as much of the show's narrative theoretically depending on Lestat as it will, you'd think that they'd be hesitant to make him THAT coldly unsympathetic.

Unless, and here's the kicker because it is soooo possible: they are actually that dumb and don't recognize man-on-man domestic violence as the same as man-on-woman domestic violence. And that's, again, possible and I'd never trust the writers!

Here's the thing: in essence, is it unbelievable that a relationship as toxic as Lestat and Louis's would escalate to domestic violence? No. But in fiction, is it a) worth showing a gay black man being beaten brutally by his white lover just... because b) wise to make a character who's supposed to stick around and drive so much action as a semi-sympathetic figure a domestic abuser? Seems not to me on both counts.

Look, maybe they'll surprise me and pull this off. I really think there are a lot of questions up in the air still so I can't say exactly what happened. But either way, imo making this part of the unreliable narration game was..... not a good move.

#interview with the vampire #basically: not what i would've done no matter what

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