#and he could probably see in daniel's mind how desperately he wanted armand to be happy to see him and to reconnect with him

[the-woman-upstairs]

It’s just…so painful to watch Armand readily submit in order to obtain the love he so desperately craves. And while it’s most assuredly a manipulative tactic, it’s still one borne out of fear and desperation. He cannot lose this person he’s come to love and so will become whatever they want, do whatever they want just so they’ll stay with him. But it won’t be enough. No matter how much he acquiesces or seeks to control (himself, others, the environment), he won’t be able to make Louis stay with him in the perfect life, perfect self he built in the hopes of finally being loved. It will all crumble with Armand left alone in the rubble of what he created, the author of his own abandonment.

[desertfangs]

I’ve also been thinking about this a lot recently. In PL it’s mentioned that Daniel seems to be in a much better state and that he looks forward to traveling and has regained his dreams and ambitions. Do you think Daniel left Rio with his mind set on getting Armand back or was it something that happened more unexpectedly (for lack of a better word) when they reunited in NYC? The fact that he seemed to be in such good spirits (despite the brewing crisis happening around them) and was finally “ready” to leave Marius’ place has sometimes made me think that he might’ve been a man on a mission, but at the same time, after almost two decades on time out, I’m not sure if he was planning to do anything that long term yet.

I have definitely thought about this way too much, too, so I’m with you there! 

I don’t think Daniel left Rio with the intention of getting back with Armand but I do think he was thrilled to have an excuse to see him again. As you point out, Marius tells us, “Daniel was powerfully excited that they were going. Daniel wanted to be with the others, Marius knew this, and he was happy for Daniel, but he himself was full of foreboding.” Daniel is afraid about what might happen with Amel, sure—he’s the one who’s like “If Amel is destroyed, we all die! I am against that course of action!”—and so going to the others in this time of crisis feels right. But I think he’s also just really excited to have a reason to go to where Armand is. He had probably been hoping for an excuse to do so for a while tbh. 

I don’t think Daniel knows what will happen when they see each other again at all, so I don’t think he has any long term plans beyond “See where it goes.” I imagine he was probably full of doubt, in fact.

We don’t know what contact, if any, he and Armand have had since he regained his faculties. I imagine they’ve spoken on the phone, possibly even Facetime’d or something, but I also think those conversations were probably short and strained. Not for lack of love, but the distance between them, not to mention everything that's transpired, probably made it hard to really talk the way they needed to over the phone. So it was probably just a matter of small talk to reassure themselves the other was fine and that was it. Even if they wanted more, we know they’re both terrible at communicating so Armand wasn’t going to invite Daniel to visit Trinity Gate out of fear Daniel would reject him, and Daniel wasn’t going to offer to visit for the same reason. So instead they end up in this stalemate where neither is willing to push things forward and they stagnate. 

And, for what it’s worth, I do think Daniel was happy in Rio, just as Marius says, and that he enjoys Marius’ company and cares for him a great deal, so it’s not like he’s itching to leave him or Rio so much as he’s just really eager to be in the same room as Armand again. 

But Daniel has no idea if Armand will even want him there, or if Armand will actually talk to him, or what. He just knows they’re going to have a better chance at reconnecting in person (assuming this whole Amel thing doesn’t kill them all - together again on the brink of disaster! It’s familiar ground, at least!)

He probably went over how their first conversation would play out in in his head a hundred times - and when he finally sees Armand, it probably doesn’t go like any of the ways he imagined. It’s probably stilted and awkward and maybe it ends like one of their phone calls: too short, with nothing really said. But being there in person means more chances to be in the same room, to bump into one another, to catch the other in a corner or empty room and talk, and touch the other’s arm or hand or shoulder, and reconnect in ways they hadn’t been able to at a distance. 

Which is a long ass way of saying I think he hoped going to NYC and seeing Armand again would lead to them being back in each other’s lives in a more tangible way, but I don’t think it was a plan or anything. Just a chance at seeing someone he loved again for a while, whatever that led to. (Though honestly, deep, deep down I think Daniel probably knew that once they were in the same physical location, all bets would be off because they’ve always had a huge effect on each other that’s way harder to brush off and ignore in person.)

Thank you for the ask! 

[starofhisheart]

Sooooo episode 5, huh........

MAJOR SPOILERS FOR INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE SEASON 2 EPISODE 5 under the cut

Wow. What breathtaking acting from Assad, Jacob, Eric & Luke. Assad in particular had me captivated. The uncomfortable but graceful otherworldliness he exuded was incredible to watch. I asked for psychosexual torture for devil's minion and that's exactly what I got. Armand, angry but sexy, torturing and controlling Daniel for DAYS. Being so kind to his victim he becomes like a god in Daniel's eyes. The "teach me to be fascinating like you"!! The dropping to the knees part!!! Daniel talking back and resisting Armand's compulsion. God, such good food.

But what I didnt expect was being moved by Louis and Daniel's friendship. How Louis' words stayed with him throughout his entire life, pulling him back from the edge over and over again. Their flirty, casual comraderie in 73' and their burgeoning alliance in the present. They're the friendship i didnt know i needef but im so glad i have.

So.e moments that made me insane in bullet point form cause im lazy:

Armand mind linking to Lestat but not relaying his desperate "i love you's" to Louis

Daniel casually offering sex to Louis and present Daniel like "Did we...?" asdfghkl

Louis shit talking Lestat in the interview and Daniel hyping him up like they're drunk girls in the pub bathroom vs finding out he was doing that so Lestat would read the book and come find him (he doesnt know he's still trapped by Armand probably 😭😭)

The line Louis said at the beginning of the episode being said by Armand at the end, cementing how much Armand has played with Louis' mind

Armand revealing a piece of his past to young Daniel and then seeing him visually switching back to the kind killer (Assad when i find you!!!!)

Confirmed bisexual Daniel

Armand basically telling Daniel exactly what his life will be like and it being accurate 😭

Louis thinking he hears Claudia and immediately running into the sunlight

Thoughts:

So here's how the Alice theory could still work asdfhhkl lol no but seriously I think Armand, like in the books, stalks Daniel throughout his life and perhaps even interacts with him at different points. A cat and mouse chase, per say. This theory of mine is flimsy cause if this were true old Daniel would have had flashbacks & Armand could have just looked into Daniel's past with his powers. But what gives me hope about this theory is that interaction in a previous episode when Louis is cajoling Daniel & Armand tries to softwn the blows with "she wanted to say yes...but you hadn't given her a reason to" and also this:

I very much hope these devils minion seeds they've planted bear fruits, maybe not in this season but in the coming seasons. Surely there's more to their story...

But anyway, the show continues to blow me away each week and I am so sad we are nearing the season finale. I want a million seasons of this. Every Vampire Chronicles book adapted. Truly outstanding performances, writing, direction-everything!

[allegra-writes]

"The Aftermath" Part III

Armand x Daniel Molloy

NSFW

Warnings: Rough sex, dirty talk, a tiny crumb of daddy kink. Idk, this turned out cleaner and more angsty than expected

Disclaimer: I don't own any recognizable character, and for legal reasons I won't be accepting tips for this story or any story set in Anne Rice's Immortal Universe. Thank you!

MY MASTERLIST | SERIES MASTERLIST

Previously Next

“What the fu- GET OFF ME”

“I will not!” Armand had both of Daniel’s wrists gripped tightly, using the full weight of his body to pin Daniel’s to the floor, effectively trapping him, “If I have to physically restrain you to stop you from leaving me, so be it”

"You can't keep me here against my will!" Even as he said it, he wondered if, maybe, he could. Vampiric strength and all, he couldn't seem to make Armand budge. The more his maker pressed down on his wrists, the more Daniel understood just how much Armand had contained himself around him, the force he was using on Daniel would have shattered his bones to dust had he still been human.

"Then choose to stay!" Armand demanded, childlike and petulant, as if he truly couldn’t grasp why it had to be more complicated than that.

“It doesn’t work like that!”

“Then tell me how to make you want to stay! I’d do anything” He begged, and Daniel was able to hear the catch in his voice, feel the last thread of self-control Armand was desperately trying to hold onto. Daniel himself was feeling his own control slip. For all the power he could feel in his newly undead body, having the vampire -the other vampire, he was a fucking vampire too- so close, seeing the slow, faint pulse of blood pumping inside the bulging vein of his neck, was making him dizzy. Startled, Daniel realized he was hungry. “Anything you want me to do, I’ll do it. Anything you want me to say, I’ll say it”

Daniel shook his head in an attempt to clear it, to focus on what Armand was saying, but he took it as a refusal.

“You want me to apologize, for what little it would do? Fine, I will, even as it will not change anything. I am sorry. I am sorry for refusing to turn you when you asked me to, I am sorry for taking your memories of me and forcing you to live on. I am sorry for indulging Louis in his little schemes simply because the prospect of seeing you, of having you near again was too tempting to pass, I am sorry for not letting you die. I am sorry" Armand was practically screaming now, bloody tears streaming down his face, the mask of composure stripped away, "And the worst part is, I am not sorry at all. If I had the chance to turn back time, I would do it exactly the same, because I simply can't bear to even imagine a world where you don't exist anymore!"

Daniel cursed internally as he felt the words warm something up inside of him, melting his resolve, his righteous anger, away. Some forgotten, protective instinct inside himself, like a dormant agent that only Armand’s tears could activate. He had never been able to resist those tears, the bastard probably knew that. Even at his worst, at the height of his junky days and his mercurial, violent behavior, Daniel had always stopped short in his warpath of destruction to kiss those tears away. Armand, the puppet master, the play director, had to remember that.

Damned him. Damned the consummated actor, damn the manipulative bastard, damned the controlling freak. Damned his boyish face, so heart-rendering as it twisted in suffering. Damned his love. Damned the tears Daniel knew to be sincere.

“Damn you, Armand!” Daniel cursed, out loud this time, before crashing his mouth to his.

Damned himself. He had just damned himself, he could tell. There was no way an addict like him could get a taste of that and not become immediately hooked on it. The way Armand’s searing, silky lips felt against his own -hot with his blood- it was as if the link between their minds was there again, he could feel the kiss on his brain, the electric clarity of a thought, that's how pure it felt.

And then, Armand started kissing back, coaxing Daniel’s lips open with his own, his scorching, sultry tongue slipping inside his mouth, just a little bit, just enough for the tip to lick at the unbelievably sensitive interior surface of his upper lip, only to withdraw again, as Armand drew back, ending the kiss too soon, way too soon.

“Daniel,” There was concern in Armand’s voice, “you’re trembling”

“Feels good” Daniel mumbled. Understatement of the fucking century, but words were a little beyond his capacity at the moment. Something shifted in Armand’s eyes, the briefest spark of lust, pride, greediness, before settling on mischief.

“My firstborn… brand new and tender, a neonate” He whispered, almost in awe, before the mischievous look returned, “Everything must feel so different and overwhelming”

Daniel had no warning before Armand’s hand slid into his pants, making him cry out.

“Fuck, you’re evil!” There was probably a crack in the marble after Daniel threw his head back against it, but Armand didn’t mind, all of his attention on the newly fanged vampire as he closed his fingers around his length.

“And you, my beautiful boy, are mine” He whispered hot against Daniel’s neck, making shivers explode over his entire body, rippling and multiplying like the quiet waters of a fountain when a penny was dropped in it, “as you were always meant to be”

Before he could protest, say something inane and stupid that they both knew to be a lie, like how Daniel wasn’t his, the hand around his dick started moving, pumping slowly, the pressure carefully measured, barely there at all, but enough for Daniel to feel it, enough for speech to be an impossible feat for his mouth, busy as it was moaning.

“Do you like it, Daniel?” Armand’s devilish mouth was nipping at Daniel’s jaw, sucking at his earlobe, murmuring dirtily at his ear, “How even the smallest of frictions feels so intense on your cock? And that’s just my hand… imagine how my mouth would feel” He punctuated with a long, filthy lick at Daniel’s now hypersensitive neck, “How my cock would feel inside you… How yours would feel inside of me… I’ll never again feel cold to you, did you know that? Even if I don’t feed, you and I will be the same temperature. Can you imagine that? All that heat, all that exquisite pressure… we are so strong, Daniel, we have muscles humans don’t even realize they have, I could squeeze you just right, ride you until you came, and then just keep ridding you until you cried… You always did like it when I made you cry in bed, remember now, my Daniel?”

He did remember. Fuck, he remembered it all: The intricate patterns Armand would draw on his body with black ropes, tying him up tight and pretty just so he could spend hours torturing him, edging him with his hands and his tongue and his toys to the very brink of insanity, and then making him come over and over again until tears came to his eyes and he begged for mercy.

The devious vampire stopped the movement of his hand until Daniel opened his eyes to look at him in question, never once breaking eye contact as he licked his palm wet and sloppy, before wrapping the slick hand once again around Daniel’s cock, grip firmer this time, even as he kept the milking movements slow and measured.

“Do you want that, Daniel?” His personal devil asked, low and seductive, “Because I want it. I want to feel you inside me…”

Not fifteen minutes ago, Daniel had bragged about his self-control, the stoic discipline born out of a lifetime of self-denial, but there was only so much an ex-addict could take. It was one thing to wave a bottle of whiskey in the face of an alcoholic, it was a very different one to wet his lips with a few drops of Macallan 1926 and expect him to remain composed. And Armand was a fucking bottle of Isabella’s Islay. With a feral, animal snarl, he snapped, stunning Armand beyond reaction as he turned them around so he would be the one hovering over the older vampire. Daniel wasted no time with niceties, one hand holding Armand by the neck while the other frenziedly tore at shirts and pants and gloves until not a stitch of offending fabric was left to obscure the view of bronze skin and taut muscle. All the while, Armand smiled up at him beatifically, basking in Daniel’s fury, in the urgency and violence of his moves, parting his legs to make room for his crazed fledgling.

Daniel touched the pads of his index and middle finger to Armand’s plump bottom lip, slipping them inside the warm cavern of his mouth when he opened for him, pressing down on his tongue, letting him choke a little in his eagerness for sucking them, to taste them, to welcome any part of himself Daniel was willing to give into his body, whining as Daniel made to withdraw them before demanding,

“Bite”

He obeyed, eyes rolling back at the taste, but Daniel didn’t allow him to enjoy it for too long, quickly taking his fingers out of Armand’s mouth to briefly tease at his rim before shoving them inside, as deep as they would go, making his maker cry out.

There was little in the way of preparation, Daniel only managing to thrust and scissor his fingers inside Armand’s unholy, silky heat a couple of times before the demanding brat started begging,

“Now, Daniel, I want you now. I want to feel it, I want you to make it hurt!”

Daniel didn’t have to be told twice, letting go of Armand to lower his jeans and underwear just enough to free his dick and used his bloody hand to slick himself up before guiding his cock with Armand’s entrance and pushing in.

It was so immediately, devastatingly overwhelming that Daniel’s arms almost buckled, making him almost lose his balance. He managed to keep it together but barely, needing to hide his face in the crook of his maker’s neck to center himself again. Meanwhile Armand, as desperate and disheveled as Daniel had ever seen him, tried to wrap his legs around Daniel to push him down, to undulate his hips, anything to force more of Daniel inside himself, but one of Daniel’s strong hands splayed right below his navel was enough to pin him in place.

It was a power trip like no other. Of course they had switched before, inverting their usual roles of dominant and dominated, hardly anything could be found that they hadn’t tried in the heyday of their psychosexual games together. But it had always been make-believe, nothing but the flimsies illusion of control until Armand got impatient and flipped them over to ride Daniel as hard and as fast as he could without breaking his fragile human bones. Daniel had never held any real power over Armand… until now. Being able to keep his demonic lover in place with just one hand, forcing him to wait patiently, to take only what Daniel gave him, inch by agonizingly slow, unescapable inch, carving a place for himself inside this ancient, almost almighty monster that had haunted his dreams and nightmares for so long was exhilarating, to say the least.

By the time Daniel’s balls hit the supernaturally smooth skin of Armand’s buttcheeks, he was a sobbing, quivering mess under Daniel’s heavy, dead weight.

“Danny… Danny, please… I need… I need…”

“What do you need, baby? Tell Daddy what you need…” Daniel murmured, tone not-quite mocking. Armand whimpered, hands shaking as he clutched at Daniel’s wool-clad biceps, his shoulders, his hair, anywhere he could reach. Daniel kissed his blood-sweat damp curls, soothing.

“Don’t worry, baby, daddy’s gonna fuck you just the way you need it” Daniel rocked his hips a couple of times testing the give of Armand’s hole, splayed so snug around his cock, as much as his own resistance. He was acutely aware of every single one of his senses as they fired stimulus after stimulus at the speed of light. The only thing he could compare to how everything felt was that party down in Brooklyn so many years ago where he had tripped on LSD and ended up getting pounded within an inch of his life on the rooftop under a maroon sky. Both experiences had Armand at the center as his Polaris, the bright north star guiding him home, making sure he didn’t get lost in the whirlwind of sensation.

Proud of himself and sure he would not shoot his load as soon as he moved, Daniel pulled out. Not a couple of inches, not until just the tip remained inside, he pulled all the way out, just so he could slam right back in, muffling Armand’s cry with his kiss. Finding his purchase on Armand’s thick, athletic thigh, he hoisted it higher around his waist to deepen the angle of penetration and laid it in, setting a punishing, merciless rhythm that had Armand clawing at the back of his sweater, ripping the fabric to shreds.

“Daniel… My Daniel!”

“Yes, say my name baby… wanna hear you scream it… Fuck! You feel so fucking good…” Daniel almost asked, would have if he had found the words to do it, if it would always feel like that, every nerve on his body aflame, all of his newfound, insurmountable brainpower focused on one single point, the place his body sank into Armand’s over and over again. He could feel himself becoming this wild creature, this tameless animal with no higher reasoning, no other purpose but to have and take and possess the being under him, vampire instinct screaming at him, the voice of a revenant inside his own skull, telling him to mark his maker as his, to complete the ritual, to finish what Armand had started half a century before. Daniel felt his fangs descend, the drag of the dry bone almost sensual against his gums.

“Yes! My beloved, my fledgling, my Daniel… do it!” Armand clamored for it, exposing the enticing, endless curve of his neck, a lure impossible to resist. Daniel bit down.

Love. Cherishing, worshipful, all-encompassing love hit Daniel like a train as soon as Armand’s blood touched his tongue. He knew what it felt like, to have Armand inside his head, but that had never been a two-way street, even as the vampire had been more forthcoming inside the privacy of Daniel’s mind, his secrets had never been laid bare in front of Daniel like that.

Can you taste it, Daniel? Do you feel the sweet caress of the blood as it floods your insides? That searing, luxuriant gush of warmth as it flows incandescent from my veins to yours? I promise you, is just as orgasmic every time. There is nothing more intimate than holding a life between your arms and drink it up, no greater pleasure to our kind. Is it always going to be like this, you ask? Well, lover mine, my precious newborn, blood of my blood, sin of my sin, it won’t. In this big, wide earth, in this savage garden, no blood will ever taste as sweet, nothing will ever feel as good to you as I do. I am your maker, Daniel, nothing will ever satisfy you as I will.

A part of Daniel wanted to rebel, to protest, to push Armand away but it was useless. After all, he doubted any of his theatrics would be convincing, not after he came so hard at Armand’s words he could feel it overflowing his maker’s slight frame, leaking down his shaft, dripping on his balls. He parted from Armand’s neck, throwing his head back, overwhelmed by his very first swoon. And Armand, ruthless monster that he was, took advantage of his momentary helplessness to flip them over, straddling Daniel’s thighs so he could not escape.

“You did not think I was done with you so soon, did you, beloved?” He asked, the very image of depravity as he lazily stroked his leaking cock.

No. Daniel didn’t even dream of it…

To be continued...

[gh-0-stcup]

Examining: Paper Bags

So this is legitimately one of the worst things a character has done in the series so far, imo. It gets a bit lost in the Saw trapping and general craziness surrounding it, but it's quite horrifying when you actually imagine it.

It's also just...bizarre. How do two people end up going through with this? It makes me want to put both of them in a glass room for an extended study. So let's do a deep dive into all this.

In high school, you told a girl you'd only "do her" if she had a paper bag over her head. She agreed and you did it even as she cried.

The first sentence is awful, but fairly normal as far as teenage boys go. The second is where thing goes off the rails. My first question is - what kind of girl agrees to this?

Everybody's wondering what the fuck is wrong with Daniel, but I haven't seen too many people wondering what was going on with this girl. The two are tied together. To see what's wrong with Daniel, you have to look at the girl he did this to.

The most likely way this situation started was the girl (Jane Doe) hitting on Daniel. It also seems likely Jane had some pretty strong feelings for Daniel, given what she was willing to do for his affection. The rejection doesn't come across as something you would say to a close friend, so it's probable Jane was a classmate crushing on Daniel from afar.

I think it goes without saying that Jane had very severe serious self esteem issues.

We have a few options here.

She was so obsessed with Daniel that having him in such a hauntingly degrading manner was preferable to not having him at all.

She was consumed with self hatred and used degrading sex as a form of self harm. She sought out Daniel because she knew he'd hurt her.

A twisted combination of the two.

Another important point in this is that Jane cries, but does not say no or tell him to stop. She "allows"¹ Daniel to continue to completion.²

We've somewhat puzzled out our mysterious and tragic Jane Doe - what does this say about Daniel?

It's Jane agreeing to put a paper bag over her head that makes Daniel interested in having sex with her. The level of desperation this displays, the need to have Daniel even at the cost of harming herself, could very well be what made him want to do this.

It places Daniel very far above Jane. She is nothing, not even worth having her face uncovered. He is everything, the boy a girl would degrade herself for.

That he continued even though Jane was crying strongly suggests that he gets off on the humiliation and degradation of other people.

Putting it all together, Daniel is a sexual sadist with an ego problem who is drawn to desperate, damaged people that have an unhealthy attraction to him. He will exploit their problems for his own gratification and derives gratification from the exploitation itself.

Daniel's intuitive understanding of the emotions of others does not inherently grant him empathy or compassion for them.

¹ I would like to make it very clear that saying Jane "allowed" it to continue is for analyzing her thought process and state of mind in the moment, not a statement about whether this was a consensual act. That isn't up for debate - Daniel raped that poor girl.

² Armand would have mentioned if Jane had protested outside of her tears. The phrasing "you did it" implies that Daniel "completed the act", so to speak.

[i-want-my-iwtv]

Honestly I can't believe how gay everyone was for Louis. After reading the compilation of Louis' descriptions, all of them are like "oh he's so beautiful, so innocent and graceful, my eyes follow his every move, wow he's so gorgeous". I can't believe everyone (including myself) is Gay for Louis

[EDIT: Tumblr ate half my post! I took out all the indented “quote” formatting to fix it]

IKR?? He tolerates it, rolls his eyes at it when he reads it, but when it gets to a certain amount…

Louis says of himself in IWTV:

“You wonder if I was a handsome man when I was alive,” said the vampire. The boy nodded. “I was. Nothing structurally is changed in me. Only I never knew that I was handsome. Life whirled about me a wind of petty concerns, as I’ve said. I gazed at nothing, not even a mirror… especially not a mirror… with a free eye.”

The compilation of descriptions of Louis that @i-see-light-blog put together are mostly from Lestat, I think, and at least one or two are from Armand, both were lovers of Louis at one point. The others who describe him are Daniel, David, and Marius.*

And I think the deal with describing Louis is partly that, hey, it’s fun to do, like having a favorite flower, and AR takes the opportunity to remind us of it, and put the camera on him in a scene, so we know he’s present. It also serves a purpose, we usually get at least a scrap of context about him and/or the scene:

“I glared at him, at the sharp graceful angles of his imperturbable face, […] his wide-set eyes, with their fine rich black lashes. How perfect the tender indentation of his upper lip.” -Lestat, The Tale of the Body Thief

Lestat glares at Louis. –> Lestat is clearly pissed.

Louis’ imperturbable face –>Louis is not scared of Lestat being pissed.

And then Lestat lavishes this extra description on him, appreciatively. Attention on the lip area, now we’re picturing him pointedly staring there, which might precede a kiss, so we can infer that Lestat desperately wants to kiss him, probably. What I get from all that is the exquisite tension of Lestat wanting someone he can’t have, someone he treasures and wants even MORE bc of the difficulty. And Louis knows this when he reads those flowery descriptions. I think Louis secretly enjoys the power that he holds over all these hopeless admirers, when he reads these descriptions.

It’s the tension of the other characters pining for Louis that AR wrings every drop out for us, she’s showing us how helpless these other characters are that they can only try to capture Louis with descriptions since he defies being owned by anyone. Unrequited love is a powerful thing.

In my reading of IWTV, Louis was not just some dishrag Lestat could toss around at will. Even before Claudia appears, Louis is setting boundaries with Lestat:

“And to Babette I came now with Lestat. He would have killed the Frenieres long ago if I hadn’t stopped him,…

…`You call me the idiot, and you’ve been the idiot all along. Do you think I don’t know why you made me a vampire? You couldn’t live by yourself, you couldn’t manage even the simplest things. For years now, I’ve managed everything while you sat about making a pretense of superiority. There’s nothing left for you to tell me about life. I have no need of you and no use for you. It’s you who need me, and if you touch but one of the Freniere slaves, I’ll get rid of you. It will be a battle between us, and I needn’t point out to you I have more wit to fare better in my little finger than you in your entire frame. Do as I say.” - Louis, Interview with the Vampire

^And this is part of Louis’s hawtness, as well. He absolutely will cut a b*tch, if necessary.

Hit the jump for a little more, cut for it’s-slightly-off-topic-but-oh-well

*I’m pretty sure the other quotes are from Daniel, David, and Marius, I’m not checking bc I’m like 90% sure.

Daniel’s drawn to him in IWTV bc his story is so compelling, and that Louis is a vampire in the presence of a mortal who knows what he is, so he has that preternatural thing going on, mortal!Daniel is enthralled. Plus, Louis may have spellbound him inadvertently, as according to Armand:

“Louis… unable to read minds, or to levitate, or to spellbind others except inadvertently, which can be hilarious, an immortal with whom mortals fall in love…” - the Vampire Armand

David probably has some mixed feelings about Louis, especially in Merrick, bc Lestat’s out of the picture for most of that book, and I think David is stepping into Lestat’s role in his absence, to some extent, so I think he’s trying see Louis as Lestat sees him.

There was an artist in IWTV who painted Louis’ portrait, it makes sense that Marius, another artist who has done portraits, would also be drawn to Louis for this reason. Marius also thinks about what would happen if Louis were upgraded, and hey, I would think he’s had those thoughts about other vampires who are significantly younger than himself, for whom an upgrade really might change them. Now that I’m thinking about it, this was info that Marius confessed to Lestat when Lestat was drafting QOTD, and I bet this comment stuck in his mind, he very much wanted to upgrade Louis for awhile, but for different reasons. 

[desertfangs]

How do you think Daniel would realise he had the fire gift, if he ever develops it?

Since I imagine him returning to writing at some point, I think there is a distinct possibility that writer's block or some similar frustration could lead to the paper or computer just bursting into flames 🔥 (thankfully anywhere he stays has a very robust fire suppression system, but now everything is wet 😥)

Oh my god, I am so glad you asked. this!

First, like.. Marius discovering he has the Fire Gift is PEAK COMEDY. You all probably know but in case you forgot this amazing moment, basically Marius is being set upon by two immortals, and he reaches for a lantern hoping to burn them, and then as he's wishing he could set them on fire, one of them bursts into flame! And Marius stares horror-struck, realizing that he made that happen with his mind.

Like, just imagine you don't even know that's possible and suddenly you've set someone on fire with the power of your desire to do so. Incredible!

But I digress.

Our boy Daniel will hopefully get the Fire Gift! Because damn that would save on lighters. And how cool would he feel if he could spark a flame on his finger and light a cigarette that way? He'd do that party trick every chance he got, Armand rolling his eyes behind him and reminding him to try and blend in, while the mortals around think it's just some cool magician's illusion.

I love the idea of him discovering this skill as he's trying desperately to get words on the page (I do think he will get back into writing at some point!) and then the fire alarms go off and the room is soaked. That's an amazing mental image of soggy, downtrodden Daniel, frustrated and then amazed at his own power, only to have it literally washed out immediately.

I do wonder if Daniel tests his powers every so often. I would imagine Marius had him test them after he recovered from his illness, probably taking him out into the jungle to see if he could fly or set a tree on fire, things like that. Out of curiosity, mostly, because both of them probably did wonder. I kind of like to imagine he still occasionally checks to see if he can do things other vampires can do, to kind of see where he stands.

But if he does develop the Fire Gift between these little tests, and he doesn't discover it from the sheer frustration of writer's block--a pain so many of us know all too well--I would love to think it happens during a fight with Armand.

Like they're arguing over something silly, and it escalates, because it always escalates, and Armand is being intentionally obtuse, twisting Daniel's words and acting like him wanting to go to Germany for a concert or something means he doesn't love him anymore, you know how they get. And then suddenly Daniel's rage hits a boiling point and the curtains behind Armand burst into flame. And they're both so stunned that the fight ends and Armand makes him do it again, and then the sprinklers go off or the room fills with fire suppressant and then they're both laughing so hard that they can't breathe. 🔥🔥

That would be so amazing, to be honest.

[desertfangs]

The parallels between the first time Armand kisses Daniel as a mortal and the first time it happens right after Daniel is turned are driving me insane!!!

As a mortal:

"He'd come silently out of the shadows into the moonlight, a young boy in dirty jeans and a worn denim jacket, and he had slipped his arm around Daniel and gently kissed Daniel's face. Such warm skin, full of the fresh blood of the kill. Daniel fancied he could smell it, the perfume of the living clinging to Armand still. (...) Daniel had been trembling, on the edge of tears. And why was that? So glad to see him, touch him, ah, damn him!"

As an immortal:

"He steadied himself, but the sight of Armand made him want to cry. Even in deep shadow, Armand's dark brown eyes were filled with a vibrant light. And the expression on his face, so loving. He reached out very carefully and touched Armand's eyelashes. He wanted to touch the fine lines in Armand's lips. Armand kissed him. He began to tremble. The way it felt, the cool silky mouth, like a kiss of the brain, the electric purity of a thought!"

Armand: *puts his mouth on Daniel's*

Daniel: *instantly starts shaking all over*

So much had changed, so many years had passed, but Daniel's reaction stayed the same. Armand's kisses made him lose his mind! He began trembling and wanted to cry, scream, touch, kiss, and never let go. My boy is absolutely head over heels 🥲 Imagine their first kiss post-reunion, Daniel was probably like one of those toys with shaking heads that start wobbling like crazy when you touch them 🥲

Anon, I want to thank you so much for this ask!! Because oh my gosh, yes, he's totally head over heals, totally desperate to be close to Armand and touch him, you're so right! Both kisses are so intense and powerful! Daniel trembling and shaking with desire and the sheer overwhelming emotion of it is just chef's kiss. You can absolutely feel the love he has for Armand in both scenes.

I think a lot about how in that first passage, Daniel was probably scared Armand had vanished and he'd never see him again. He's trying to write, trying to find some semblance of normalcy in the world when he knows the monsters it contains, trying to cope with the fact that vampires exist and he may never find them again. And then suddenly there Armand is, kissing his face, arm around him, burning from the blood of someone he'd killed (Of course our boy is into that! Daniel being so into Armand as a monster is my jam) and he's literally on the verge of tears with relief.

The second time, he's just so enamored with how he sees Armand with his vampire vision, the way he notices every little detail of his face, the light in Armand's eyes, and the way the kiss now feels like such an electric connection fusing them together. Anon, I'm going to cry!

So their reunion kiss has to be equally incredible! Daniel nervous and trembling, because it's been so long, because time and distance have created a gulf of uncertainty between them. But then there Armand is in front of him again, his personal devil, his immortal lover, his beautiful maker, and I'm sure in some ways it suddenly feels like nothing has changed.

I don't know when it happens. Is it a stolen kiss in some empty room of Trinity Gate, a brief encounter because they've snuck away for a moment to be alone? Is it on the street in New York after they go hunting together, the streets slick and glittering with rain? Is it back in Armand's bedroom, Daniel standing there unsure if Armand is going to kick him out before sunrise?

Wherever it happens, I have no doubt it's an incredible moment, Daniel's hands trembling as he grabs fistfuls of Armand's shirt fabric because he's clinging so tight, Armand trying not to tremble himself as he reaches for Daniel and their lips finally meet after so many years apart. How soft and jolting the kiss is at the same time, how it quickly turns passionate and desperate as they hold each other and don't want to let go. 😭💖

Thanks so much for the ask, anon, this has been such a great thing to spend my day thinking about. I'd love to know what you (any of you) think their reunion kiss was like, any and all versions of it, because no matter how or where it occurred, it was definitely memorable.

[bandedbulbussnarfblat]

I totally forgot to add this, but here it is for people who prefer to read it on tumblr

Louis has his own cabin on the island.  Of course, he's more than welcome to stay in the villa, but usually doesn't.  He says he likes to give Armand and Daniel space.  

Daniel thinks mostly Louis just wants to avoid their fights.  

He still visits the villa and them often, though he rarely sleeps over.  Daniel's past any jealousy of Louis, for the most part.  So he worries that maybe Louis is drifting away from them, sometimes.  But Louis always seems content when Daniel hints at his concerns.  

And besides, things between him and Louis are generally fine.  Daniel doesn't love him like he loves Armand, but he does love him.  Knows that Louis loves him too, in his way that's also different than Armand.  So he feels safe asking for this favor.

Daniel doesn't knock before he enters, just shoves open the wooden door and walks in.  It's not a terribly large cabin, it has a small sitting room with a fireplace and a smaller kitchen beside it.  There's a short hall leading out of the sitting room, and towards a bedroom with a bathroom across from it.  The sitting room has two plush couches and an overstuffed armchair.  Along the walls are high bookshelves, stuffed full of different novels and poetry collections, tomes on mythology and folklore, academic texts, and all sorts of books.  

Sitting on one couch is Louis, facing the fireplace and reading a worn copy of Wuthering Heights.  Only the light from the fireplace illuminates the cabin, and in the dark Louis looks so perfectly still it's chilling.  Daniel sometimes forgets Louis is every bit the unnatural creature as Armand.

Daniel reaches out and flicks on the light.  Louis glances back at him, sees the backpack and the red eyes (when had he started crying?) and carefully sets his book aside.  "What's the matter, Danny?"

Like he couldn't guess.

"Armand and I had a fight.  I'm leaving.  For good."

Louis eyes him silently a moment.  He's heard this before, even tried to play referee to their fights in the past.  Daniel knows he probably doesn't believe him.  Why would he? History said he'd be back in a few weeks.  "Where will you go?"

"Anywhere but here," Daniel says. "I can't stay here anymore."

Already, he's thinking back on his fight with Armand.  Already, he feels that sick churn of guilt in his stomach.  He was cruel; he'd said hurtful things just to be hurtful.  Part of him wants to crawl back and apologize.  Not for the sake of reconciliation, but just to ease Armand's suffering.  He hates to see him cry.

He crosses the room to Louis and sits in the arm chair opposite the couch.  He rubs sweaty palms over his knees.  "I need a favor."

"What kind of favor?" Louis swings his long legs off the couch and leans forward toward Daniel.  "Is it money?"  

Daniel shakes his head.  "No, I have cash.  It's…something else.  Something you're gonna want to say no to."

Louis looks at him curiously, but doesn't say anything.

Daniel runs a hand through his hair and looks away from Louis.  "Look, just promise me to look after Armand after."

"After what?"

Daniel's stomach twists and his heart slams in his chest.  He can do this.  He needs to do this.  "I want you to make me forget."

Louis' brow furrows.  "Forget what?"

"Armand.  Everything.  I can't--I can't keep doing this.  He's never going to give me what I want, I'm never going to be enough for him."

"Is that what you think?"

"It's what I know." 

Louis sighs.  "That's years of memories.  My mind gift isn't as strong as Armand's.  I don't even know if I could do what you're asking."

"You can try," Daniel says.  "Look, I don't know how to make it out there.  I've tried, but I always end up back here.  I don't know how to quit this thing."

"Danny-"

"Listen, I know it's crazy.  But I need it, okay?  Louis, I need this."  Daniel knows how he must sound, but it's true.  He either ends up crawling back to Armand in desperation or Armand finds him on the brink of ruin and brings him back.

He doesn't know how to be a normal person anymore.  He might have failed to become a vampire, but he always sort of failed at being a human too.

Louis is looking at him carefully, expression oddly neutral.  Of course, leaving Armand means leaving him as well.  That's fine.  As much as he loves Louis, he isn't exactly in love with him. Besides, Louis will understand.  He knows what it's like to take drastic measures to free oneself from a vampire. 

"Every time I go back, I end up strung out.  Drunk.  Hell, I nearly died a few times.  I can't make it out there."  Daniel wipes at his eyes, burning red with embarrassment at the tears.  

"And I can't stay here.  Not anymore.  I'll end up doing something crazy out there, and Armand will drag me back.  Then it'll start up all over again.  It never fucking ends."

Daniel meets Louis gaze.  "I need you to help me end it.  Please.  I can't survive like this."

Louis doesn't say anything for long minutes.  Daniel understands that Louis is reading his mind, picking apart his choices before he agrees to anything.  He doesn't fight it.  

Louis sits back and eyes him.  "You really want it to be over."

"Yeah, I really do."  It isn't just the anger speaking.  It's his self preservation, his pride.  He can't keep giving his everything to someone who sees him as little more than a pet.  

"Alright."

Daniel blinks.  "You'll do it?" 

Louis reaches up a hand, drops it before it can touch him. He glances away, toward the door.  "You understand this will destroy him."

Daniel forces a smile to his face and shrugs.  "Nah, he's got you.  He'll be alright."

Armand never needed him like Daniel needed Armand.

He digs his nails into his sweaty palms.  "Just tell him I'm sorry, okay?  For what I said.  Tell him I didn't mean it, not really.  Tell him that I--no, he knows."

Louis places a hand on his knee and squeezes.  "Are you sure, Danny?"

Those green eyes are boring into him.  And Daniel will have to forget him too, won't he?  This is the last time he'll ever speak to Louis.

A kernel of doubt unfurls in his mind.  Maybe this is a bad idea.  Maybe he'll not be able to make it, regardless.  Maybe he's just broken.

But no.  He wants this.

"I'm sure."

Chapter 2 of Disremember, my newest Armand/Daniel fanfic.