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uozlulu · 9 months

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Fic. TQotD (book)/IwtV (AMC) crossover. The Vibrations of Unraveling Strings. AU. R.

Character(s)/Relationship(s) Armand, Daniel; Devil's Minion Genre Alternate Universe/Crossover/Drama/Fantasy/Prompt/Romance/Slash/Vampire Rating R Total Word Count 11,147 Disclaimer As this is fanfiction, I do not hold copyright to the source material(s) nor do I claim that I do. This is for free entertainment purposes only. Summary Throughout time and space, multiple universes coexist, vibrating beside each other. Sometimes through reflections, nearby universes glimpse one another. Armand and Daniel head towards Daniel’s transformation in two separate universes coexisting through their own reflections. Complete Warning(s) spoilers for The Queen of the Damned, captivity, mention of drugs, language, mention of food, blood drinking, hallucinations, needle injection, smoking, toxic relationships, alcohol, injury, wounds, blood, suicidal thoughts, blood sharing, sex mention, suicide attempt, mention of COVID-19, major character undeath, fatal vampire attack, malignant arrhythmia Notes There’s a DM ship week happening over on Tumblr during the first full week of September. I looked at their prompt list, wandered off to get the mail, came back with the thought, ‘What if the book and show universes were collapsing in on each other?’ and somehow ended up with this fic about being able to glimpse another universe through reflections. The prompts were quotes from the Devil’s Minion chapter from The Queen of the Damned. Each chapter of this fic will be four sections (one per character (the book Armand and Daniel and the show Armand and Daniel)) of short scenes inspired by each prompt quote. I decided to call the bookverse Universe B and the showverse Universe T to convey in headers which universe a particular section takes place in easily.

Also, thank you to cup of lix for assembling a book timeline for DM here, which was very helpful in creating accurate headings for the bookverse sections and estimations for the showverse since we've not gotten those types of details yet.

AO3 link

or read below (the AO3 link is split into chapters, below everything is presented in one post)

Chapter One Word Count 1,633 Warning(s) captivity, mention of drugs, language, mention of food Notes Like a lot of my first chapters when dealing with AU concepts, this one is where I adjusted to the concept, so it might be weaker than subsequent chapters.

I want it. I want to live forever. Daniel had sat up, climbed to his feet slowly, struggling to see Armand more clearly. A dim bulb burned somewhere far down the hall. I want to be with Louis and with you. “Laughter, low, gentle. But contemptuous. "I see why he chose you for his confidant. You are naive and beautiful. But the beauty could be the only reason, you know."

September 1973 – New Orleans – Universe B – Armand

Armand gazed at the door to the cellar where he kept mortals captive while he decided what to do with them. Sometimes the mortals became meals. Sometimes the mortals died before their captivity ended due to medical conditions. Sometimes the mortals killed themselves. Armand could hear a heartbeat on the other side of the door and it stirred something within him. From the moment he heard Daniel’s pleas to Lestat three nights ago, he watched transfixed. The boy was tall and blonde with unusual eyes that caught the moonlight just so. Armand had not yet decided the boy’s fate.

Armand entered the cellar and found Daniel conscious on the floor. Daniel gazed up at him almost as if he did not register Armand’s presence. Daniel’s glasses caught the light from the hallway and for a moment, a window opened to another world that Armand saw many times in puddles, glass, metal, and stone since he was a child. Another vampire’s reflection replaced Armand in Daniel’s glasses, a beautiful vampire much taller than Armand with wavy dark hair. When Armand was mortal, his mother said that the world in reflections was an assurance to the living. The church claimed that the other world was God’s reminder to abandon vanity. Armand tried many times in his youth to touch his other self, but he could never penetrate the partitions between them.

Armand stepped further into the room and the reflection disappeared. Daniel’s eyes followed Armand’s every move, his mind projecting desire as it transformed Armand’s visage into something befitting of the new artist Giger and the more established Dalí. These images caused Daniel’s desire to grow even though fear gripped Daniel’s stomach simultaneously. Daniel rose to his trembling legs and did not look away from Armand, his thoughts swirling with need of the Dark Gift and those who bore it. “I want it,” Daniel said with great conviction despite his weakened voice.

Armand could not help but laugh, his laughter growing as Daniel’s heart seemed to flutter at the echoing noise. It was no surprise why Louis picked this boy. Armand shook his head. “You knew Louis barely one night and me even less. You cannot truly want a future with us.”

“I do,” Daniel insisted, his voice barely a whisper.

Armand gazed at Daniel and decided upon a game. It would be a waste to drain the boy now and never experience his strange thoughts again. It would also be a waste to keep Daniel somewhere and not explore this modern world through his eyes. There would be plenty of time to eat Daniel if Armand changed his mind.

September 1973 – San Francisco – Universe T – Daniel

Daniel did not know how much time passed since he interviewed a vampire, said vampire bit him, and then another vampire threw him at a door before imprisoning him in a cellar, but he was still alive and still very much not a vampire. It was immensely disappointing. Sweat dripped down his face. His mind spun. He needed a fix and had nothing in his pockets, not even his tape recorder or the mini-cassettes from the interview. A leak created a puddle in a corner of the floor and he gazed at the reflection in it. The reflection was not his own. The other man’s hair was blond and his eyes a striking violet behind his glasses. He looked just as bugged out and exhausted as Daniel felt. Daniel could not remember a time that he could not see this man in reflections even when they were both small children. Daniel did not want to blink or disturb the puddle and lose his companion. Yet, he eventually had to blink and the other man’s face disappeared, replaced by Daniel’s own reflection. He drank the puddle water desperately.

Hair rose on the back of his neck. He glanced over his shoulder. The vampire that pulled Louis off him and threw Daniel at the door stood in the now open doorway. He was tall with dark hair and eyes that glowed orange in the dim light. Daniel gazed up at Armand and then weakly got to his feet. “Did I pass?”

“It wasn’t that kind of interview,” Armand said.

“But I want to be with Louis and you forever,” Daniel said. Even if the night ended badly, it was the closest that Daniel felt to anyone since his family kicked him out of the house two years ago for doing drugs and staring at boys in the same manner that he stared at girls.

Armand laughed. It echoed like a Vincent Price movie and filled Daniel’s heart and stomach with butterflies. “My beautiful, naive boy, I see why Louis chose you, but maybe only for your beauty.”

Daniel’s breath caught and his heart continued to pound. He wondered if Armand really found him beautiful or if it were mockery. He should back away, but his legs would not move. He should run, but his feet would not even shuffle. Only when Armand laid out his plan and commanded Daniel to run, did Daniel finally flee the room into the night. He glanced over his shoulder but Armand did not follow. It would be sunrise soon. At least Daniel had a head start.

September 1973 – New Orleans – Universe B – Daniel

Daniel ran until he gasped for air and skidded to a halt on the sidewalk. He put his hands on his knees and tried not to vomit. The sky began to lighten and people filled the city on their way to work. Daniel’s vision blurred and his stomach ached with silent hunger. He looked back over his shoulder, but it was time for the death sleep that Louis told him about during the interview several days ago so Armand was not there. Death sleep sounded inviting and peaceful. It would be great to check out of the world until the sun set, but unfortunately Daniel had no such luck. He needed money, food, and a flight out of the country.

Movement caught Daniel’s attention. There was a man hunched over beside him, also gasping for breath. Daniel groaned. “Man, today is the pits. It’s fucked up.”

“I want to eat breakfast,” the other man seemed to say in Daniel’s mind. “A lot of pancakes. There has to be a diner around here, right?”

“Right,” Daniel agreed and looked to his side. “You got some money I could borrow?” The other man beside him was a reflection in a shop window. The man was about Daniel’s age with dark curly hair and blue, almost purply eyes that seemed to stare into Daniel’s soul. The man in the window haunted Daniel since he could remember always turning up whenever Daniel was in some kind of predicament. His parents and teachers told him to ignore the person in the reflection, but it was difficult.

Daniel sighed. The reflection never spoke. He must have been talking to himself again. He looked away and when his gaze returned to the shop window, his reflection returned to himself with blond hair and violet eyes.

“Jesus,” he breathed and headed down the street. He needed to find something to pawn so he could get some breakfast and get on a plane. He would pick whatever country had the cheapest ticket at the airport.

July 2022 – Dubai – Universe T – Armand

It was over a week into the second interview. Armand moved silently through the penthouse. The session was over for the night and the sun would rise in a few hours. Armand found Daniel standing on one of the balconies. The waning moon climbed in the sky while the gulf and the city stretched into the distance. Armand stepped out onto the balcony and settled beside Daniel.

Daniel continued leaning on the railing. He did not look at Armand, but chose to speak after a while, “The more I remember, the more it pisses me off.”

“Once you remember how it happened, how will you feel?” Armand watched Daniel more than the view.

Daniel’s eyes narrowed when his gaze finally shifted to Armand. His mind seemed to spin and falter behind his eyes, all his thoughts choppy and brief. He let out a long, low tired sigh. “Still angry. You had no right.” Daniel looked back at the city. “I’ve been dreaming about the cellar. I wanted to be with Louis and you forever. I was naïve.”

Armand chuckled, deep and low, his laughter growing when the chuckle seemed to make Daniel’s heart flutter like it did decades ago when he told Armand just as much back then. “Louis chose you because you’re beautiful. Your beauty is why he brought you here again.”

Daniel eyed him and the reference to their exchange fifty years ago did not seem to register in his memory despite what he already recovered. Anger and doubt projected from him as he stopped leaning on the balcony. “If you’re upset that Louis invited me, why’d you let him invite me? You’re obviously the one pulling the strings here.”

“I am not upset.” Armand moved closer. “You are beautiful,” his voice was very low and very firm, “as you were then, as you are now.”

Daniel held Armand’s gaze. He shifted his weight and shook his head. He slowly stepped back towards the balcony door. “It’s too early in the morning for this.” He bid Armand goodnight and disappeared.

Armand watched him leave. His reflection in the door transformed into another vampire, short and muscular with wild, red hair. When Armand was a child, he tried to talk to his other self whenever he appeared, but the other boy could not respond. Marius warned him about fixating on the reflections too much. Benji said that the reflections appeared as a warning of trouble ahead. Armand did not know when existence itself was not a warning. He returned to the penthouse and retreated to his resting place.

Chapter Two Word Count 1,719 Warning(s) blood drinking, hallucinations, food consumption, needle injection Notes I liked the idea of the blood having a hallucinogenic property to it, so I ran with it.

Chapter Text

May 1981 – New York– Universe B – Armand

The room was small, but Daniel said it was warm. New York seemed to grow steadily louder outside the window. The death sleep approached but there was still ample time left to spend together. Armand closed his eyes, hands firmly on Daniel’s hips as Daniel drank from the wound at his neck. Shared euphoria coursed through Armand’s body but not enough to hinder his mind. At what seemed like the right moment, Armand gently pushed Daniel down so Daniel no longer sat on the bed but laid on his back against the mess of blankets.

Daniel gazed up at him, eyes gleaming in awe. He wiped the blood from his chin and licked it from his hand. He sat up slowly and gazed about the room. His eyes could barely focus on one thing until they moved to the next as if in a haze brought on by drugs, but it was the blood. “There is so much light here,” Daniel breathed. He slid off the bed and moved about the room. He peered at the wallpaper closely and ran his fingers along the upholstery of the chairs and sofa. As he moved about the room, a different boy reflected in the mirrors and the polished lamps, his hair dark and curly but the same awe and curiosity in his gaze.

Daniel returned to Armand and kissed him earnestly. “I love you.”

Armand returned the kiss before Daniel could beg to be together forever again. His fingers brushed Daniel’s blond hair from his face. “I must go, beloved.”

“But…” Daniel’s smile disappeared and his eyes lost some of their shine. He searched for a clock but his mind was still too full of the blood’s influence to find it, let alone read it.

“I will return tonight,” Armand said and quietly left the room, disappearing into the night to his resting place nearby. He could still feel Daniel’s euphoria through their connection even after he closed his coffin.

December 1981 – New York – Universe B – Daniel

Snow spit from the gray, dim sky. It was too cloudy for a sunset. Daniel’s fingers curled and wiggled as he lay on his back. He fell into a snowdrift at the park on a walk and had not moved since. The thirst gripped his soul and spread throughout his being. The last time Armand gave Daniel his blood, the trees still had leaves and Daniel did not need the wool coat wrapped around his body. He could still taste Armand’s blood and feel how thick it would be on his tongue. He could almost imagine how the trees would whisper to him and how the snowflakes would show him their true selves under a stronger influence.

The branches above Daniel began to fade into the sky, clinging to it, piercing it like fangs into flesh. If only Armand was here. If only Armand would bite him. If only Armand would let him drink in turn. Yet, it was not quite time for the death sleep to end and tonight might be another night where Armand would drink and Daniel would not once they returned from the evening Armand planned.

Daniel reluctantly sat up and adjusted his glasses. He stood and brushed the snow from his clothing. He shivered and walked back towards the place that Armand secured a few days ago when they returned to New York. The doorman let Daniel inside and the elevator shot upwards. Daniel watched the numbers change. When he drank more frequently from Armand, the numbers sometimes seemed to jump and dance or sparkled. Right now, they barely glimmered.

The elevator doors opened and Daniel stepped out into the hallway only for a cool hand to pull him back into the elevator as Armand exclaimed, “There you are!” just before the door closed again. “We’re late.”

“For what?” Daniel settled back into the elevator and it began to drop

“The dance recital,” Armand said. He curled a loose strand of short hair around his finger. It bounced right into place when he let go.

Daniel forgot about the dance recital. The last time the student they sponsored had a recital, Armand let Daniel drink some blood. That thought improved the night immediately. Daniel turned towards the elevator doors and watched his reflection transform into that other man with the dark curly hair and his tall, vampire companion who stood across from Armand just as beautiful and otherworldly to behold as Armand was. The man with the curly hair seemed just as pleased as Daniel felt. Daniel wondered if he had the blood more often than Daniel did.

The elevator shuddered to a halt and Armand instantly grabbed Daniel’s hand, pulling him along when the doors opened so they would move faster. Daniel hurried beside Armand into the night.

June 1982– Paris – Universe T – Armand

It was summer in Paris. Clouds obscured the moon and distant rain perfumed the air. Armand’s skin was flush and brown from feeding. Daniel was warm at his side, humming a tune that was barely audible to mortal ears as his mind filled with images of the buildings around them dancing under a disco ball.

Armand gazed at the same buildings. Raindrops clung to the windows and white exteriors, sparkling like tiny stones. Any slick shiny surface reflected the streetlights, spreading into spectrums of colors as far as Armand could see. They walked past several windows, oscillating between reflections themselves and reflections of their other selves. Armand extended his arm at the same moment his red haired reflection did, both of their fingers extending towards the building Armand and Daniel shared.

Armand and Daniel finally arrived at their residence. It was spacious and comfortable, a true testament to the power of money in the modern era. Armand slipped away to the kitchen and Daniel eagerly followed.

“We’re drinking in the kitchen tonight?” Daniel asked.

“Not that kind of drinking. You won’t have any blood tonight,” Armand said.

Daniel shook out his wet, dark curls. “But you gave me blood every night this month.”

“For one month exactly,” Armand said. “It’s enough.” He threw things from the fridge into a blender, ignoring the guideline on the size of object and the fill line on the side of the container.

“It’s not enough!” Daniel said.

Armand turned the blender on, holding its lid down like a vice. The vibrations seemed to travel through his entire body as the motor choked on its contents. He fixed his gaze on Daniel. “What is the blender saying?”

“What?” Daniel could not hear him over the whir not even so full of vampire blood.

The contents in the blender were smooth and liquid now with the exception of a few flecks. Armand stopped blending and asked, “What did the blender say?”

Daniel sang in the same tones and for the same duration that the blender motor spun. “‘Grass grass get some ass. Pour some blood into some mud?’”

Armand poured the blender contents into a glass and handed it to Daniel. “Drink.”

Daniel did. He made a small, displeased nose but kept drinking.

“When the blender stops talking to you, I might share the blood again,” Armand said, but he had no plans to share the blood again soon. Now that he discovered that a month’s worth of blood sips was too much, he needed to know how long Daniel could go without blood before their connection almost disappeared, though Armand would not let it disappear entirely. There was too much danger for that.

Daniel frowned. He made a face and stuck out his tongue. “What’s in this?”

“Vegetables,” Armand said. He began hunting for ingredients to make the most shockingly yellow concoction in the blender next. “The booklet suggested it.”

Daniel sighed and finished the glass.

July 2022 – Dubai – Universe T – Daniel

“You have a medical license for that, Dr. Feelbad?” Daniel asked as he slowly sat on one of the chairs in his bedroom at the penthouse.

Armand scrutinized the red serum in the syringe in his hand and barely tapped it so the air bubbles rose to the surface of the serum without breaking the syringe. “Fareed showed me.” He pressed the plunger until all the air bubbles escaped the syringe. He turned towards Daniel. “Show me your elbow.”

Daniel exposed the underside of his elbow. After Fareed visited last week, the serum injections became part of Daniel’s treatment. The nurse, possibly vampire, who typically administered the injections was absent so Armand arrived with the serum instead. Daniel should refuse the injection, but it did more for him than anything else he tried so far and Armand kept following the procedure the presumed nurse followed, so Daniel cooperated.

Armand slid the needle into Daniel’s vein and injected the contents. He swabbed the site with an alcohol cloth, but the mark already seemed to heal on its own. That should bother Daniel, but under the serum’s effects, he did not care and would forget about it by the time the euphoria dissipated.

Daniel leaned back in his chair. Warmth filled his body. He gazed up at the ceiling and thought the square of sun on it suddenly brightened. His eyes cast about the room. Decorative vines carved into wood seemed to sway in an imagined breeze. His chair seemed softer and he felt aware of every fiber in the upholstery. The heightened awareness would only last an hour. It happened every time he took this drug. Daniel gazed at the mirror across from him and murmured, “He’s back.”

“Who is?” Armand asked.

Daniel moved a hand and the blond boy in the mirror moved his. They sat in the same manner but the boy seemed to exist in a much more ornate room and seemed far less lucid than Daniel felt.

When Armand approached Daniel, another boy with red hair appeared in the mirror. The red haired boy peered at Armand and Daniel and then started to laugh at the same time Armand laughed.

“They are always there,” Armand said.

Daniel looked back at the mirror but it was just their own reflections now and the room was his bedroom at the penthouse again. He looked up at Armand, almost distracted by the collection of orange hues in Armand’s eyes. “I keep seeing that kid a lot lately. He hasn’t been around in almost forty years.”

Armand studied the mirror a long moment and said nothing more.

Chapter Three Word Count 1,500 Warning(s) mention of drugs Notes The first time I read the chapter and got to this part, I thought, 'Daniel doesn't know that the blood probably has a half-life,' and as I reread this section for context in preparation to write this fic, I was struck by the same thought. Since I already went in a direction of the hallucinogenic properties of the blood previously, I decided to ruminate on its absence in this section.

Chapter Text

September 1985 – Miami – Universe T – Daniel

It felt like summer, but it was already fall. Daniel left the rehab clinic where he spent the last several months and gazed at Miami, running a tongue along his teeth. He had no memory of entering the facility and hardly any memory of what he did leading up to his stay. One day that spring, he woke up on a hospital cot. The doctor running the facility told Daniel that someone paid all his bills in advance and if he followed the treatment program, his life would improve. This afternoon he graduated from the program still working towards sobriety but at least with the nightmarish withdrawals behind him and a desire to write blossoming from his very soul after what felt like years of absence.

Cars speed along the street beside the sidewalk. Money from whoever brought him here weighed heavily in Daniel’s pockets. A light breeze caressed his curls. He gazed into the darkest shadows, hoping to see something that he could not identify. He rubbed his chest slightly, but it did not assuage the hollow echo within it when he saw nothing lurking nearby. He listened as if sound might come to his brain more so than his ears. The doctor at the facility told him that he was addicted to hallucinogens. Maybe he missed the illusions they created. He could not remember much from the last decade. That fact kept him in the rehab program more than any other motivating factor. He did not want to forget chunks of his life ever again.

Daniel hailed a taxi and took it to the airport. He kept looking to the streets as if expecting eyes to follow him, but no one looked in his direction. One of the men Daniel wrote for back in the early seventies contacted him in rehab and offered him a job in Chicago. He had no choice but to take it and try to rebuild his life. He exited the taxi at the airport and paid his fare. A large poster for a mall at a place called Night Island greeted him upon stepping into the airport. Daniel’s heart seemed to skip a beat. He gazed at the poster for a long moment, taking in the detailed drawing of the mall, before frowning and continued on his way to the ticket counter. He felt certain that he had never been to that place. He was not sure he had a desire to go either. It was time to start anew far away from Miami.

October 1985 – Night Island – Universe B – Armand

The ocean crashed against the sand. Music played indistinctly from the mall on the other side of the island. Armand gazed at the ocean from the villa’s terrace. The wind blew his hair from his face and tried to dry the blood threatening the fall from his eyes. Armand swallowed and wiped his tears.

Daniel left Night Island six months ago. It was the longest that they went without Daniel calling or Armand finding him in time to send someone to retrieve him. Armand tried searching the world for him, but Daniel’s mind grew fainter and fainter as the blood left him. Armand returned to the villa in the hopes that Daniel would be here waiting, but there was no evidence that anyone visited the villa since Armand left on his quest. He opened his mind as much as he could, grasping for a trace of Daniel with his Mind Gift.

The pager in his pocket was just as silent as the villa. The cellphone peering out of his other pocket was heavy, almost distractingly so, as it waited for Armand to send everyone in motion.

Slowly, a weak, distorted vision came to Armand of a street in Chicago, wind gusting between the buildings as Armand watched through Daniel’s eyes. Daniel gazed upwards at the sky, seemingly unblinking, but he was still breathing and still standing. His gaze shifted to a taxi nearby where a boy with dark curly hair appeared in the taxi’s window before the reflection shifted to Daniel, his blond hair disheveled and his form gaunt, pale, and exhausted. Their connection was so weak now that the vision seemed to disappear from Armand’s mind as quickly as it appeared.

Armand opened his eyes and wiped at the blood on his face. He jumped down from the terrace and headed for the ferry. He pulled his cellphone free of his pocket and began coordinating mortals for his plans. There seemed too much to do before the death sleep arrived, but Armand would find a way. He had to find a way. There was no choice any longer.

October 1985 – Chicago – Universe B – Daniel

The wind coursed between buildings and the sunset peeked at Daniel through pieces of sky. Daniel gazed at all of this and shivered. He scoured the sidewalk for loose coins and bills, but found only cigarette butts and litter. He ignored the people bustling around him. This was the longest time that he had ever spent away from Night Island and the longest time that he ever spent away from Armand. His stomach was hollow and his mind was sluggish. He grasped onto one thought only to let it immediately go and grasp onto another thought only for it to drift away. He pulled his jacket closer to him but he could not stop shivering.

Daniel stopped along the sidewalk and closed his eyes. He thought with all his might about Armand, almost like a prayer. He never knew Armand to be so silent, to be so late. Slowly a warmth permeated Daniel’s brain as he stared into the window of a nearby taxi. He fell to his knees and wept. Armand finally was there, even just fleetingly in Daniel’s mind. It would not be long now. He resolved to stay where he was where the car would find him easily.

Hours passed. People walked around Daniel. He continued to shiver. He had no watch and there was no clock nearby. He was not sure how long it was since he felt Armand in his mind. Maybe sitting here was the wrong thing to do. He slowly rose to his feet, his legs trembling. He gazed into a metal door nearby. A man stared back distorted by the door’s weathering. His hair was dark and his eyes familiar. A second form appeared in the door’s reflection, very tall and very dark wearing only white.

Daniel looked over his shoulder, determined to see this vision in reality, but he only saw Armand approaching, dressed all in white like the figure in the door. Daniel felt tears in his eyes and he fell forward as he stumbled. He no longer had the strength to remain upright.

Armand caught him and whispered to him, urging Daniel into the waiting car. Daniel continued to shiver, but it would be all right now. He was with Armand. It was all he wanted and needed in that moment even if it could not stop his shivering.

October 1985 – Chicago – Universe T – Armand

Six months ago, Armand left Daniel at a rehab center in Miami and abandoned Night Island, traveling the world in a daze. With every day, every week, every month, their connection diminished until it was all but a whisper through the Mind Gift. Armand tried to stay away, but somehow found himself in Chicago when he should be on a flight to San Francisco following Daniel at distance through the breezing city streets.

The moon hung in the sky. People filled the city on their way to fun and home. Daniel’s curls shone under the streetlight as he walked at a brisk pace. He wore second-hand clothing and scuffed shoes. Thoughts projected from his mind. It was cold. He was hungry. Someone would pick him up soon and he did not want to be late. He had his first deadline in more than a decade and the words already flew through his mind in lieu of a typewriter.

Their connection was as strong as Armand’s connection to any other mortal now. The last time he shared his blood with Daniel, he never considered it would be the last. If he had, maybe he would have shared some before their final stay at Night Island. Maybe then it would not have had to be their final night there together.

Daniel paused at a building and stared at himself in its metal door, thinking about fun houses at carnivals from his youth. Armand drew closer until he could see himself reflected beside Daniel, his white suit in stark contrast to Daniel’s dark clothing. For a brief moment, their distortions seemed to have blond and red hair.

A car honked behind Armand. Daniel immediately turned and brightened before getting into the passenger seat. The woman behind the driver’s seat ruffled his curls and then drove away. Armand watched the car disappear, Daniel’s thoughts quieting with the distance until Armand could not hear a single one of them. Red miss obscured his vision. He needed to leave for San Francisco. He needed the distraction.

Chapter Four Word Count 1,498 Warning(s) smoking, toxic relationships, alcohol, injury, wounds, blood, suicidal thoughts, blood sharing, sex mention Notes My inspiration for this set came from the idea that the madness also waits at Night Island too as well as a reference to how Daniel responds with, "Same old dance."

Chapter Text

June 1984 – Night Island – Universe B – Armand

The sun disappeared from the sky and Armand left his resting place in the villa. The villa was dark. Armand followed the sound of the radio to the bedroom and found the clothes he had a servant lay for Daniel still neatly on the bed. The radio in the bedroom continued to play but Daniel was not in sight. Armand followed the sound of Daniel’s heartbeat and arrived at the terrace.

Daniel leaned against the stone railing, cigarette in hand, his hair and skin bathed in the light from the full moon. He wore only short shorts, his muscles and bones visible beneath his tanned flesh. Daniel took a drag from the cigarette and watched the smoke drift into the sky. He murmured his own version of “Hotel California” to himself, changing the lyrics into a song about Night Island. When he stopped singing, he continued talking to himself, unaware of Armand lurking nearby.

Wind rattled the chimes near Armand, causing his reflection to shake with the metal teardrops. Sometimes his reflection was himself. Then the chimes would move again and the other Armand stared back at him before the chimes moved again and he returned to himself before returning to the other Armand in an endless cycle like Daniel’s moods.

“Hey boss.” Daniel’s voice drew Armand’s attention.

Armand joined him on the terrace. There was no one on the shoreline. Stars spread across the sky where light pollution could not touch. “You’re not dressed. We’re going to a show tonight.”

Daniel ashed his cigarette and frowned. “It’s too hot.”

Armand grabbed Daniel’s hand and dragged him into the villa, his grip too tight to escape but his movement not strong enough to dislocate Daniel’s joints. He deposited Daniel in the bathroom to shower and brought the clothes from the bedroom for Daniel to wear. Daniel held Armand gaze a long moment but placed his cigarette in an indentation in an ashtray on the counter and stepped under the shower’s spray. They arrived at the ferry in time.

August 1984 – Night Island – Universe T – Daniel

Like that Eagles song, Daniel was back at Night Island again. It glistened in the light from the lamps and the moon. The servants went home for the night and Daniel poured himself whiskey, his mind returning to the argument he had with Armand after Daniel returned last night that dissolved into blood sharing that morning.

“I don’t have things out there. I do,” Daniel muttered before sipping the whiskey in his tumbler and sitting on the sofa in front of the television. The liquid shimmered and danced before his eyes under the influence of the blood in his body. His reflection in his drink distorted and that blond man stared back at him, his brow just as furrowed as Daniel’s brow. The liquid moved and the man disappeared. Armand was right. Daniel really did not have anyone else but Armand. He had not spoken to his family in over a decade. He had no way to know if any of his grandparents were still alive let alone his parents or anyone else. He had not spoken to his friends from school since graduation. He had not seen Louis in a long time either. He could barely remember the last time he had an editor or wrote something instead of be a vampire’s on again off again boytoy.

Pain stung Daniel’s hand. He cried out and let go of his glass but it had already shattered in his hand and fallen to the floor. A jagged piece lodged deep in Daniel’s thigh. He pulled it free. Blood puddled up from the wound and ran down his skin. He watched as the blood continued to flow through his broken veins, soak into the sofa, and drip onto the wood floor. It almost did not matter. Armand would replace everything as he always did with anything else blood stained in the villa.

Daniel turned the glass shard in his hand. He ran his tongue along his teeth as he pointed the jagged edge at himself. He almost jumped when Armand’s hand clasped around Daniel’s wrist. Daniel gazed up at Armand.

“Death is not worth it,” Armand said.

“You don’t know what it’s worth,” Daniel said.

Armand did not release Daniel’s wrist until Daniel let go of the glass shard. Blood continued to roll down Daniel’s leg. His hand continued to sting. Armand spread a towel across the glass and knelt on the floor. Foregoing his fangs, he sucked at the wound on Daniel’s thigh until it stopped bleeding. Daniel leaned his head back against the sofa and closed his eyes. Little moans escaped his lips. They shared blood and Armand claimed him on the sofa. When the euphoria began to dwindle, Daniel’s hand no longer stung and the wound in his thigh was an unnoticeable scab.

October 1984 – Night Island – Universe B – Daniel

Daniel woke on Night Island and laid in bed unsure of what he wanted to do, Armand’s words echoing in his mind as they always did every time he returned to the villa after running away. The sun was still in the sky so he eventually rolled out of bed to swim in the ocean. After a while, he meandered his way back to the villa. He ached for a future that seemingly would never arrive. Today could be his last swim in the ocean with the sun on his face if Armand would see things Daniel’s way. It would be a welcomed trade for immortality, to reunite with Louis, to meet others of their kind, and to be beside Armand rather than always so very far behind him.

Daniel entered the bedroom, paused at the mirror, and caught a glimpse of white hair. He almost did not want to look, but he could not bring himself to look away. An old man stood before Daniel as if a harbinger of Daniel’s fate. He looked very much like the man with the dark curls except his body was soft and sagging. This was not the first time that Daniel saw such a vision. Occasionally he spied this man with the beautiful dark haired vampire whenever Armand’s reflection appeared alongside his in these moments. He wondered if this man was the dark haired man.

Daniel frowned and turned away. He could not imagine living that long and did not want such a future. Every time Armand denied Daniel the Dark Gift, the old man appeared in Daniel’s mind. Maybe Armand bewitched the mirrors with his Mind Gift. Maybe these visions of the old man were a way to stop Daniel’s pleas. Maybe they were a way for Daniel to grow accustomed to his true future before it arrived.

Daniel’s hands became fists as his body trembled. Slowly his fists relaxed. He needed a drink or maybe more than one drink. He still had a long time before Armand would wake from the death sleep for even more drinks than that. Daniel poured himself two drinks worth and escaped to the terrace to avoid reflective surfaces for the rest of the evening.

July 2022 – Dubai – Universe T – Armand

The tower in Dubai was a place for vampires to gather and all were welcome. That included Lestat who burst forth into the penthouse just as the interview officially ended. Armand had not seen Lestat or Louis since they disappeared together to other parts of the tower once things calmed. Armand gazed at the sunrise through the treated windows in the sitting room. His other self returned his gaze in the window’s reflection, only disappearing when Daniel entered the room.

“Must be difficult being able to hear whatever they’re up to,” Daniel settled at Armand’s side.

“I can control what I experience,” Armand said.

Daniel gazed at Dubai, his eyes roaming the buildings as the sun brought them into focus. “My flight leaves tonight. I’m going back to New York and starting the manuscript once the jetlag stops.”

“You could start your manuscript here,” Armand said.

“Yeah, but if I stay here, Lestat might demand I write his memoir too. Then I’ll find myself writing multiple books that contradict one another until everyone gets their own say twice over and I don’t want to deal with that.” Daniel paused and then looked at Armand. He licked his lips. “I think you’re the only one here, maybe anywhere, who wants to talk to me for something other than their own gain or vanity. You’re all I’ve got, your horrible lack of boundaries and all, so if you’re ever in New York, my door’s open.”

Armand watched Daniel a long moment and did not blink. “A new dance.”

Confusion spread across Daniel’s face and a memory barely appeared in his mind before disappearing entirely.

“I will be there,” Armand said. It would be a welcome reprieve from the tower. He already planned to follow Daniel. The invitation fit well with the tickets waiting on his iPad.

Daniel nodded and bid Armand goodnight or morning in this case. Armand watched him leave and then disappeared to his resting place.

Chapter Five Word Count 1,699 Warning(s) toxic relationships, suicidal thoughts, suicide attempt, blood, injury Notes Part of my inspiration for this section also came from a part I noticed when rereading where Daniel was not sure if Armand would let him die. This also seemed like the quote to pair with an incident that would motivate show!Armand to seal Daniel's memories.

Chapter Text

March 1985 – Night Island – Universe B – Armand

The villa was spacious and filled with plush carpets, beautiful artwork, all the records and tapes that anyone could desire. There was a personal theater, lavish clothing, and furniture polished to a gleam. It was everything and more than Armand might have dreamed as a mortal. Somehow, no matter what Armand bought, no matter what he provided, it never seemed to be enough to compete with Daniel’s desire for the Dark Gift.

Armand watched Daniel standing in the middle of the spacious television room, this argument earlier that night echoing through both of their minds. Daniel gazed up at the paintings on the ceiling, murmuring to them quietly. Armand followed the lines of Daniel’s body, the folds of his clothing, every tremble of his muscles, and every catch of his breath. Daniel’s thoughts spread through the room, independent of his murmurs, suffocating, permeating. Suddenly, he pushed his hair out of his eyes as his shoulders sagged and then thought so strongly that Armand could not ignore it, ‘How does this end? When do I get to die?’

Armand’s vision blurred in a haze of red tears. ‘Not now.’

Daniel lowered his gaze and let out a ragged breath. He sank down onto the sofa and put his hands over his eyes. His shoulders shook with a silent, shuddered sob.

Armand sat at Daniel’s side and placed his hand against Daniel’s back. Daniel wrapped his arms around Armand and buried his face into Armand’s shoulder. Armand wrapped his arms around Daniel in turn. Daniel’s tears dampened Armand’s skin. “When, Armand?” Daniel whispered. “When?”

“Not now,” Armand repeated just as quietly, his voice thick. “You must live.”

Slowly, a presence drew Armand’s gaze to the television. The other Armand stared back at him. Anger gripped Armand’s stomach at the intrusion as if anyone had control of the phenomenon. He grabbed a pillow nearby and threw it so hard at the television that it toppled and shattered across the floor.

Daniel’s grip on Armand tightened. Armand pulled Daniel down on top of him so they laid on the sofa together. He ran his fingers through Daniel’s hair and felt the warmth from Daniel’s body seeping through his cold skin.

“Tell me anything but that,” Armand whispered. “Tell me another way to make you happy.”

Daniel did not answer. Maybe he could not answer. The ocean ebbed and flowed outside. Daniel’s sobs quieted. Silence filled the room.

April 1985 – Night Island – Universe B – Daniel

Every time Daniel ran away from Night Island, he stayed away a little longer, knowing that he would eventually go back, knowing that he would eventually run away again. Once again, the compulsion gripped him and he knew this time when he left, he might not return. Daniel gazed at the clothes waiting for him on the bed as his wet hair dripped in his eyes. Tonight Armand wanted to hunt at the mall and then they would take the ferry to Miami. Daniel tried to will himself to dry his hair and dress, but instead, he stood naked in front of the mirror in their bedroom.

He ran a finger along his ribs. He traced the lines on his face. He found a gray hair on his chest and plucked it free, watching it fall to the carpet. He wanted a future from Hell but this was not the Hell that Daniel envisioned. He sighed deeply and gazed out the windows towards the ocean. The ebb and flow of the tide in his ears only set him further on edge. He needed a drink.

When his gaze returned to the mirror, the man with the dark curly hair stood naked before him. The man’s eyes were as hollow as Daniel’s chest. He clutched the gold handle of Armand’s straight razor in his hand. Maybe it belonged to the vampire who lived in the reflections with this man.

Daniel closed his eyes, almost feeling the razor in his own hand. His fist tightened and sorrow gripped his stomach. His hand trembled and slowly loosened as he opened his eyes and gazed at himself the mirror. Armand stood behind him in the entryway to the bedroom, watching silently.

“My hands are empty,” Daniel turned to Armand, showing his palms.

“I can see that.” Armand never blinked. “Get dressed. Meet me at the ferry after I hunt.” He disappeared.

Daniel dried his hair and pulled on the clothes left for him. He checked himself in the mirror and his reflection never changed. He left the villa and forgot about the other man in the mirror with the razor. If he got to the mall fast enough, he would be able to watch Armand kill his prey.

April 1985 – Night Island – Universe T – Daniel

Daniel lingered under the shower spray. There were multiple jets and the water was always warm. His mind seemed to spiral increasingly lower with each thought. He asked Armand for the Dark Gift again and Armand refused yet again. It was all they seemed to do now. The future stretched out in endless monotony except Daniel would get older and Armand would never change. Daniel slowly turned off the spray and slowly dried his body and hair. Clothes waited for him on the counter. Armand already left for the mall to hunt. Daniel was supposed to join him at the ferry and they would go to a show. Daniel could not bring himself to care.

Sometimes Armand would bathe him and shave him like a Loony Toons skit with a long, sharp blade, but after a fight like this morning, both of them kept their distance first thing in the evening. Daniel’s gaze lingered on the drawer beside the sink. He slid it open and stared at the straight razor. Finally, he grasped the blade’s gold handle and lifted it from the drawer.

Daniel returned to the bedroom. He gazed at himself in the mirror. Tiny gray curls clung to his temples and spread across his torso. He closed his eyes and when he opened them, the blond man stood in place of his reflection. He gazed at Daniel, noted the razor, and disappeared.

Daniel licked his lips. He was alone. Even the weird man in the mirror wanted no part of this. He freed the blade from its handle and raised it to his neck.

Blood flowed down his neck, but the cuts were too shallow to be fatal as Daniel’s instinctive self-preservation impeded his efforts. Daniel tried again, but his instincts thwarted him again. His wounds continued to ooze blood and drip down his chest. Tears fell from his eyes. He dropped the razor to the floor and fell onto the bed, clutching his pillow tight.

Daniel almost began to pray, but evoking God seemed foolish since they had no use for each other. His blood soaked into his pillow and the sheets. Quietly, he whispered with his voice and his mind, “Armand, free me. Take me from this. I can’t stand it. I can’t take it anymore. Kill me. End me.” He let out a shallow, rattle of a breath and clutched the pillow tighter. He continued to pray. He continued to bleed. Tears continued to stream down his face. He hoped Armand would hear and grant him this wish since he would not grant Daniel the Dark Gift.

April 1985 – Night Island – Universe T – Armand

The mall on Night Island was endless stimulation and an endless buffet. Lights buzzed overhead. Plants grew to new heights. Creatures of all types haunted its atriums and many mortals arrived on the night ferries to see if the legends were true and to test their luck. Armand prowled the concourses. He stalked his prey through the shops. He found the other Armand following his path, just as hungry, just as predatory. He tried to glimpse the other Armand’s prey through the reflections, but there were too many people.

Just before Armand could strike, a ragged whisper reached Armand’s mind in a deep reverent prayer. Armand froze for just a moment and then abandoned his prey. He jumped down through a series of fountains in the center of the mall until he reached the ground floor and sped away back to the villa. The prayers and pleas grew louder as Armand neared. He jumped up onto the terrace and entered the bedroom.

Blood filled Armand’s nose. The moonlight glimmered through the windows, joining the dim lamplight illuminating the thin, shivering body on the bed. The straight razor lay abandoned on the floor its blade covered in blood. The pillow against Daniel’s face muffled his voice.

Armand kicked the straight razor with such force that it slid underneath a dresser and embedded itself into the wall. He sat on the bed and gathered Daniel into his arms.

Daniel’s eyes opened and widened. He had cuts at his neck that still oozed blood and he could not stop shivering. Daniel wrapped his arms around Armand and his tears began again. “Kill me. I can’t stand it. I can’t. I can’t, Boss. I can’t, Armand.”

Armand drew Daniel close and ran his fingers through Daniel’s curls as Daniel continued to shiver against him. Armand licked his lips and spoke in Daniel’s ear. “I can fix this. I can free you from this.”

Daniel’s grip seemed to tighten. “But you always say no.”

“Not to this,” Armand said. He kissed Daniel, passionate and sincere. He imagined a box in Daniel’s mind that that began to fill with all of Daniel’s memories of Louis, Armand, blood sharing, and vampires beyond common knowledge.

Daniel stopped kissing Armand. His eyes fluttered and he leaned heavily against Armand. “…I…” he could barely speak. His eyes closed and his body slumped. Armand continued to work until he sealed every relevant memory that he could find. He imagined the box disappearing into the depths of Daniel’s mind where it would not open until Armand allowed it, if he ever did someday.

Tears of blood dripped from Armand’s cheeks to Daniel’s face. Armand kissed his hair and held him a moment longer before laying Daniel back down on the bed. Armand pulled out his cellphone and began to arrange everything Daniel might need to get to rehab and live his remaining life away from this place and everything associated with it.

Chapter Six Word Count 1,476 Warning(s) alcohol, blood sharing, smoking, language, mention of COVID-19 Notes This was the most difficult prompt of the seven. Not only in terms of coming up with four different scenarios to explore it, but also figuring out how to explore it from both Armands' perspectives. Though, I do think Daniel's resentment in this quote influenced other sections much like all the sections kind of influenced each other in small ways throughout the fic.

Chapter Text

March 1985 – Night Island – Universe B – Armand

Armand woke from the death sleep and assessed his senses. Daniel was still on Night Island. It was the longest that Daniel stayed on the island in some time. It probably would not last. Armand slipped from his resting place and made his way through the villa. The wind gusted outside and rain lashed the windows. Thunder rumbled and shook the walls. There would be no ferries to and from the mainland until it passed.

Armand settled at the entrance to the bedroom. Candles danced in their holders placed around the room. Daniel lay in only a pair of cut offs on the bed, half-full tumbler of whiskey in one hand and his chin in the other. His eyes scanned the book in front of him as the battery-powered radio played where it sat at the foot of the bed.

Lestat’s unmistakable voice sang in dramatic vibrato. Daniel’s mind recreated the corresponding music video but substituted Armand in place of the actor who played him. Armand had yet to see the actual video since it premiered recently, but he doubted it would be as impressive as Daniel’s imagination.

A frown marred Daniel’s face. The more the song played, the deeper his frown became until Daniel gave up on reading and finally noticed Armand watching. “Hey.”

Armand changed the radio station before the song ended. Daniel began to protest but quieted when one of his favorite songs began to play. Armand sat beside Daniel on the bed. Lightning continued to flash and thunder continued to shake the villa as rain pelted the roof.

Daniel returned to his book. Armand looked around the room and his gaze met the gaze of the other Armand in the mirror that faced the bed. Slowly both Armands drew their hands up, hovering just above their respective Daniels. Armand dragged his nails down the length of Daniel’s back as he watched the other Armand do the same simultaneously. Both Daniels shivered in tandem.

Armand’s gaze turned to Daniel when he groaned. Armand dragged his nails back up towards Daniel’s shoulders and then began to make deliberate marks with one nail across Daniel’s skin.

The tumbler faltered in Daniel’s hand but he managed not to let go of it.

Armand leaned down and nipped at Daniel’s ear. He glided his teeth along Daniel’s shoulder. He flattened a hand against Daniel’s back, keeping Daniel gently in place.

Daniel shifted and tried to squirm. “I need…”

“…to keep from spilling your drink,” Armand said and rubbed his thumb into Daniel’s skin. “Spill it and only I will drink tonight.”

Daniel stilled as much as he could. His grip tightened on the tumbler. Two small drinks later, the whiskey spilled across his book and Daniel moaned as Armand drank a teasingly small drink again.

April 1985 – Night Island – Universe B – Daniel

Daniel’s restlessness continued to grow every day and he slept less. He wandered the mall on Night Island during the day, slipping from shop to shop, theater to theater, restaurant to restaurant with no destination or intent. A series of televisions displayed across the entire expanse of a high wall burst forth into music simultaneously. Daniel stopped and gazed at them, Lestat’s voice commanding all attention as it always did when he sang.

The first time Daniel saw Lestat’s music video, the visuals seared themselves into Daniel’s mind. The catacombs of Paris looked just as Louis described. Lestat and a man in a red wig fought each other with long claws and sharp fangs. It was a fight about vampires, blood, tradition, and most of all, judging by the romantic interest swooning into Lestat’s arms, humanity on some level. Daniels’ mind always substituted Armand in the place of the man in the wig. It was really a battle of dominance, of Lestat and Armand against mortals. Every time Daniel saw the video or heard the song, his future undeath felt impossible.

Daniel’s jaw tensed. The music video’s visual faded while the final bars of the song continued to play. Daniel found himself staring into the face of the old man with the white curly hair in the reflection of the black television screens. This time Daniel did not look away. This was his future. This was his punishment. He needed to accept it, but he could not. Tears came to his eyes and his gaze shifted to the ceiling until he could blink them away.

Daniel left the television display wall as the next music video began to play. There was no one nearby in the shop. The lights seemed to buzz around him almost like a hive but with less vigor. Daniel breathed a ragged breath and made up his mind. He left the mall and got on the ferry with all the other people who wanted to leave the island before dark. He would not beg Armand to bring him back this time. He would be stronger this time. He would stay away and survive this time. He leaned against the ferry’s railing and watched the island disappear from sight as the sun continued to lower in the sky. He continued to stare in the island’s direction until he reached Miami.

March 1985 – Night Island – Universe T – Armand

Armand moved through the villa, finding it dim and empty. The sound of Lestat’s voice drew Armand to the terrace where Daniel watched the ocean. The wind chimes fluttered in the breeze, every movement changing from Armand’s reflection to the other Armand’s reflection as they stared at each other. Finally, Armand stepped across the terrace and stood at Daniel’s side. “Why do you listen to that song if it makes you angry?”

Daniel looked down at the radio as if it might know the answer more than he did. His gaze shifted to Armand. “It just came on. It’s a good song.”

“But you hate it,” Armand said.

Daniel sighed and lit up a cigarette. “I don’t hate it. The video just pisses me off.” He exhaled a plume of smoke into the air. A series of images of Armand in place of the coven leader in the music video played through Daniel’s mind. His heart rate increased and his ears seemed to flush as his imagination went off the video’s script and into his own fantasies. He removed the cigarette from his mouth before he could inhale incorrectly. Yet, as the song continued to play, Daniel’s mind returned to the video’s script and his arousal seemed to dissipate as his mood darkened.

Armand picked up the radio and flung it from the terrace without warning. The radio broke apart as it tumbled across the sand. It did not stop playing until the incoming tide crashed down upon it.

“Hey! What the fuck?!” Daniel asked.

“You shouldn’t listen to it if you hate it,” Armand said.

“I don’t hate it! I hate this!” Daniel gestured to everything around them including the both of them. He took a drag of his cigarette and turned away. “Just turn me or kill me already.” He disappeared into the villa.

Armand watched Daniel disappear. The breeze tugged at his hair. He did not wish to do either.

June 2022 – New York – Universe T – Daniel

It was two years into the pandemic. Every day was exactly the same. Daniel barely slept, gave up on sleeping, ate, worked on physical and mental therapy, ate some more, fell asleep somewhere he should not, watched television, ate some more, and tried not to contract a disease that promised chronic inflammation or death. Today was no different. He settled in front of the television and turned on the news. The anchors droned on about the same handful of stories that only added to the languishing monotony. Daniel flipped through the channels, finding it more productive than scrolling through the guide.

A singer’s voice made him stop on one of the few channels that still played music videos. It was a video from before Daniel’s daughters were born. Vampires clashed as a gothic heavy metal power ballad played. The lead singer looked like a retro hair shampoo commercial and all but sparkled in his quest to bring about a new age of vampirism. Daniel’s attention, however, drifted to the antagonist in the video, a coven master with a ridiculous black wig and bright orange contacts. Daniel’s mind seemed to spin and tried to pull forth some sort of memory, but nothing appeared. The video faded to black and Daniel stared at his own reflection in the television screen. For a brief moment, he saw a young blond man staring back at him with haunted violet eyes, but before Daniel could fully register the change in his reflection, the man disappeared and the next video began to play.

Daniel sighed and turned off the television. He eased himself off the sofa and remembered a package that arrived a few days ago from Dubai of all places. He went to retrieve it before it slipped his mind again.

Chapter Seven Word Count 1,622 Warning(s) major character undeath, blood drinking, fatal vampire attack, malignant arrhythmia, blood sharing Notes This prompt felt more grounded to the moment like the first prompt in some ways because the moment is very specific.

Chapter Text

October 1985 – San Francisco – Universe B – Armand

When Armand finally gave Daniel the one thing that Daniel desired most, it was a funeral, a birth, and a marriage simultaneously. Consciousness deteriorated and blossomed around them in the elaborate illusions Armand created through his blood while Daniel succumbed to the Dark Gift. Armand held Daniel through his death rattle and through his rebirth. Slowly Armand let Daniel go, cleaned them, changed their clothes, and ushered Daniel to a place that Armand owned not far away once the plane landed. As they walked and the illusions began to fade, Daniel became increasingly aware of everything around them and his need to touch everything grew. Armand could not help but kiss him.

They could not linger on all Daniel could see. Time grew thin and the death sleep fast approached. Armand led Daniel into a residence and through its halls. A girl willingly waited for them in one of the rooms, unaware of all that she agreed to give. Armand could hear her heart beating in excitement and anticipation even before he opened the door and shut it behind Daniel when he entered.

Daniel jumped away from her as he grew too aware of his inclinations and turned to Armand. “I can’t!”

“You must,” Armand kept his voice firm.

The beating of her heart and the gurgling of her veins silenced more protests. Daniel pierced her flesh with his fangs and grasped her shoulders so tightly that his nails drew blood. Daniel’s throat moved with each gulp as the girl’s arms rose to push him away before dropping back to her sides. Daniel paused for a breath he did not need and bit her again. The girl’s eyes fluttered closed and she collapsed into him. He drank until no blood remained in her body. She laid limp in Daniel’s hands. He stared at her, his eyes unblinking.

Armand approached. It was an impressive display for a first feeding.

“What do I do with her…?” Daniel asked.

“Leave her,” Armand said. “A cleaner will do the rest.” It was amazing what one could pay someone to do in this era.

Daniel almost let the girl go, but rethought it and eased her to the floor. His movements lacked awareness of his increased strength causing her bones to snap when her body hit the ground. He turned to Armand.

Armand took his hand and kissed his face. “Come. The death sleep will take us. We’ll share a coffin tonight.”

Daniel followed. His thoughts seemed to spin behind his eyes. Armand could not perceive any of them. He glanced at a shop that they passed on their way to their resting place. The other Armand glanced back at them, guiding his Daniel with his curly white hair through the streets. The other universe disappeared as Armand led Daniel inside their resting place.

October 1985 – San Francisco – Universe B – Daniel

The visions Armand wove for him as Daniel transformed fell away and the real world spread out before him. He gazed up at the stars in the sky and marveled at how they sparkled like sand in full sunlight despite the light pollution and smog. He stopped walking to identify constellations. Armand tugged on his hand and spoke quietly, “We’re almost there.”

Daniel’s gaze shifted to Armand and he almost thought that his breath caught, but there was no burn in his throat or clutch in his chest. Before Daniel could contemplate his lack of breathing, his attention turned to how the streetlights brought out strands of all colors in Armand’s hair as if woven from fire or the sun itself. Even Armand’s lashes were full of gold, ruby, and amber.

Armand kissed him. Daniel tried to grasp Armand’s hips and return the kiss, to possibly succumb to the sudden need to bite Armand, but Daniel’s movements were strangely fast and uncoordinated causing him to almost lost his balance. Armand took Daniel’s hand again and continued urging him to a residence nearby.

“Have you ever seen so many colors?” a voice asked, seemingly from Daniel’s body but it did not seem to be his own voice. “Look at the street.” He knelt down and admired how it glistened in the streetlight. “Did you know it was green and purple? I always thought it was gray.”

“Yes,” Armand said in the same steady voice he used since the visions began. “There’s more.” He guided Daniel into the residence.

Daniel ran his fingers along the walls. His growing nails ripped the wallpaper. He tugged at the tears until Armand urged him to keep walking. The strange voice continued to talk, narrating everything that Daniel saw. He passed by a mirror and caught a reflection of the old man with the white curly hair that he saw so many times. The voice must be the old man’s voice. He looked just as in awe of everything as Daniel felt. Maybe they could meet. Maybe they could marvel at the way the vases caught the faint light that seemed to emit from everything.

Armand opened a door at the end of the hall and led Daniel inside. A beautiful girl waited for them. Daniel laughed and then froze. There were no mirrors in this room. The only reflection he could find was in the polished arms of the chair where the girl sat, but only his own face reflected back at him, distorted and pale. He gazed at his long nails and immediately jumped back. Terror filled his chest. Heartbeats and blood filled his ears along with voices. So many voices from all the places nearby. Daniel’s brain began to tear like the wallpaper. He closed his eyes and ripped his vampiric nature free.

October 2022 – New York – Universe T – Armand

There was no warning. There was no time to shave. There was no time to prepare one last elaborate hallucination. There was no time to think. No time to hesitate.

Armand and Daniel were on the sofa as they used to sit back in the days when Armand put specimens under microscopes and explored the stars. The movie just ended. The remote was still in Daniel’s hand. Then the remote was on the floor. Daniel’s heartrate began to drum rapidly, seemingly vibrating in both Armand’s ears and mind. Daniel’s veins began to gurgle and slow as his heart refused to pump properly. Daniel could not take a full breath. Then everything ceased and Daniel slouched forward, his entire body limp.

It happened in seconds. There was no time to process any of it. Armand sank his fangs into Daniel’s neck. He gave Daniel his blood and tilted Daniel’s neck to force the liquid down Daniel’s throat. If Armand were mortal, he might have held his breath. A hum seemed to grow increasingly harsh from the fridge in the kitchen. A dog barked far away. Armand searched Daniel’s mind but there was no way to know if he failed or succeeded in the suffocating silence.

Daniel’s eyebrows twitched. His eyes blinked and then opened, glowing in brilliant shades of amethyst and purple. He gazed at Armand and reached out with a slight, almost imperceptible tremor, his growing nails accidentally scratching Armand cheek when he tried to wipe the tear of blood sliding down it. “So many…colors…” Daniel whispered. “So much…”

“Yes,” Armand whispered in kind, “and not much time.” The sun might rise before they could complete the ritual. There was still so much to do. “Come. We must continue.”

Daniel’s gate was uncoordinated but somehow steadier than it was last night. Armand kept a firm grasp of Daniel’s arm as he led Daniel away to finish this phase, clean up, and then set in motion preparations for the final phase. Daniel gazed at everything they passed. Armand ushered him forward, barely exchanging glances with the red haired vampire in place of his reflection leading a blond Daniel into a different bathroom.

October 2022 – New York – Universe T – Daniel

Daniel could not remember the last time that he felt this way, if he ever had felt this good in his life. His muscles and joints no longer ached. He could recall any memory to his mind. His hands still tremored but the tremors were so slight now that he did not notice or care. Armand took Daniel’s hand once he was clean and in fresh clothes and led Daniel out into the night.

Everything sparkled. There were so many colors beyond mortal imagination. Daniel’s ears filled with heartbeats, veins, and voices. He could barely untangle any of it. He let Armand guide him as his coordination slowly improved.

“You asked if we’d show you the blood farm,” Armand said, “It’s too far away from here, but a volunteer lives nearby.”

Thirst gripped Daniel and only intensified at the mention of the blood farm. He continued to follow Armand, trying to focus on Armand’s words and not the over-stimulation around them.

Armand led them into a nearby building. The doorman did not even blink at them. They passed down a long hallway. Daniel’s hand slipped from Armand’s grasp. He paused at a mirror that they passed. The blond boy stared back at him, his skin an unnatural pale and his eyes sharper and brighter. He looked the happiest that Daniel had ever seen him in their lives. Daniel reached for the mirror as if he would be able to penetrate it, touch this boy, and congratulate him.

Armand grasped Daniel’s hand and tugged him away. “Come with me.”

Daniel heard a heartbeat nearby and blood flowing through someone’s veins. A woman waited for them in the room at the end of the hall. Her hair was gray but she was younger than Daniel and smiled at them in great relief. Daniel took a step back at how loud the blood sounded in her veins but Armand urged him forward towards his destiny.f

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