#and that is how long Lestat was really in France

[cbrownjc]

Listen. Armand having a "painfully" close view of the stage was no punishment. Not if you know how the Mind Gift and the Spell Gift work.

INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE (2022-) S02E07―I Could Not Prevent It

[pynkhues]

What confuses me the most when it comes to these femme/masc discussions is that these poeple act like the majority of fanarts, fanfics, even analyses, don't characterize lestat as the masc one.

He is predominantly the top (and even though they are CANONICALLY vers, bottom lestat is very much unpopular), he is drawn taller, bigger, more mascular than Sam actually is. He is also usually "the husband" , "the father", and I would say that even the fact that he is seen as less vulnerable plays into that trope. Of course Louis being seen as the total opposite.

It is disingenuous to act like your opinion will take away all of those popular interpretations or that you have taken away all Louis' feminine traits by doing your own research behind some fan readings. And the fact is that many of them are based on modern standards of what it means to be masculine/feminine,on the way poeple see gay men as more feminine by default or are simply already largely accepted by the fandom.

As you've said already, neither of them are exclusively masc or femme! And at the end of the day caring more about a fictional character than about the fact that there is a real person behind the screen you are calling names or making negative assumptions about is weird. Especially when that person has been open to fair and real discussions from the beginning.

Sorry for the ask being so long but the way some people act on the internet without any care or consideration really bothers me. Hope you had a good day despite all of this!

I hope you don't mind me grouping all your asks together like this, because I really appreciate you all being so supportive and engaged with the discussion, and think you do bring up some different and interesting points, most of which I agree with, some I don't necesarily (in particular, I wouldn't say Louis' just Jacob once he's stopped performing masculinity, but I appreciate too that there are some mannerisms there that do feel more informed by Jacob's own movements/experiences than in other periods of Louis' life), but I feel like I've said all I really want to say about it at this point.

So! Links! Because yeah, I've been pretty baffled by people being so vitriolic about different interpretations of the dynamic, given masc!Lestat x fem!Louis is far and away the most popular interpretation, which I talked about a while ago here, and I do tend to see it as an exercise in trying to control the fandom and iterations of Louis' character that may appear in fandom spaces, which I talked about here and here along with the pervasiveness of gender essentialism in these conversations (although I guess they finally did respond directly and off anon lol). I know a lot of you are responding specifically to this post, but the fashion and nails I talk about here, and - - yeah. I think I'm just going to leave it there for now, if that's okay?

Thank you all though for these thoughtful asks, they were really interesting to read (and honestly, it's nice to feel some resonance in both directions), and I'm grateful for the flurry of support after yesterday. I'm fine though (yoga helped, haha), and I'm really just ready to move on from it honestly. Hopefully that cohort did just block me, as they tagged they would, and we can enjoy our own spaces in the fandom playground. :-)

[gilberttheboy]

Interview with the Vampire characters as Commedia dell'Arte stock archetypes

I talked a bit about why I thought it was such an interesting choice to have Lestat playing Harlequin (Arlecchino) instead of Lelio (the Innamorato) so I thought it would be fun to pair up other characters. The thing about the commedia is that the characters are intentional stock figures - they're meant to be immediately recognisable as like, the vain princess, or the miserly old guy, but their portrayal and the way they evolved through theatrical traditions across Europe can differ quite a lot. None of these characters are especially complimentary to be compared to and their nature does not lend itself to a one-to-one match up!

It's been about six years since I studied anything to do with the commedia (with the exception of a very odd, three month long, masked clowning course i took in France a few years ago), so this is going to be pretty vibes-based as opposed to in-depth analysis, especially since all the IWTV characters are so wildly complex.

Lestat as Arlecchino:

Harlequin, or Arlecchino, isn't really a classic clown within the commedia - he's much more sophisticated and tricky, and his background as a stock character evolved from a demonic character in earlier plays (specifically French ones!)

A very fun backstory for Arlecchino dates back to Medieval France, where the Mesnée d'Hellequin (the French version of the Wild Hunt), roamed the countryside, led by a demonic figure in black and red (classic Harlequin colours).

Arlecchino was a member of the zanni servant characters, but in the French tradition, evolved into much more of a romantic hero. His mask here is a pretty typically zanni mask, with the characteristic pug nose and 'devilish' eyes - but what's interesting is the length of the mask's nose. The zanni were almost always masked, and as the comic relief characters, they traded a lot on stupidity and clowning, but the length of the nose became a sort of shorthand for HOW stupid each one was (lots to unpack there, but I don't know nearly enough to go into it). For Lestat's mask, the nose is pretty short; he's not playing an idiotic simpleton, he's playing the more devilish, charming version of Arlecchino who was beloved in the French tradition.

However, he's also conniving and greedy, and generally just sort of a pain who demands a lot of attention. There's a reason he's the character than most people have some sort of familiarity with.

It honestly makes a lot of sense for Lestat to be Arlecchino after becoming a vampire - Arlecchino is the mischief maker who keeps the action going, known for his agility, demands attention, and beloved by the audience. He would've been a lot more fun to play than the more one-note innamorato!

Louis as Pantalone:

This was tough, because as funny as Louis is, he's a deeply dramatic character vs a comic one. However! The case for Pantalone: Pantalone is a member of the vecchi, and he's the wealthy, money-obsessed miser (the first vampire capitalist? why not!) and the only thing he loves more than money is his daughter. He's immensely protective of his daughter, who is often styled as the innamorata, one of the young lovers, and will go to great lengths to keep her apart from her love. As much as he may call it love, his relationship with the innamorata is a very possessive one - she is not seen on her own terms, even through the eyes of Pantalone, she remains the archetype of foolish, feminine youth.

Pantalone is also a loner, with few friends or confidantes, but he enjoys the power and status that his money affords him, and he doesn't hesitate to wield it, or chase more.

They diverge when it comes to desirability. Pantalone is forever chasing, yet always being rebuffed by the inappropriately younger women than he pursues. Louis on the other hand, has never heard 'no' from a perspective partner (nor should he).

Armand as Brighella:

This bitch is a LIAR (i love him). Brighella is another member of the zanni, and he is a consummate liar. He's also incredibly adaptable - suiting any narrative need, and twisting into any role that needs filling. He may be a servant, lower-class tradesman, or barkeep; whatever the scene calls for. In the older forms of the commedia, he's a pretty nasty guy - he rises from extreme poverty and then becomes cruel and violent to those he's newly superior to. However, he's never portrayed as brutish, or stupid - he's wily, and he's been described as the smarter older brother of Arlecchino. Tragically for Brighella, his popularity with audiences declined as Arlecchino came onto the scene, and he became largely eclipsed by the other zanni character.

It's easy to draw parallels here with Lestat and Arlecchino - Lestat enters the story, shakes up Armand's control of the coven, and comes out on top, popular and adored. Armand's influence quickly wanes in the face of his garish, acrobatic Arlecchino.

Daniel as Beltrame:

I fully forgot about Beltrame and only found him because I was struggling with Daniel. Beltrame is, appropriately, often associated with Brighella, either as a character variation, or as a family member (an off-shoot of the original? like a fledgling? carrying out the purpose of the other character? like a minion? this is a stretch. ignore me).

Beltrame is the clever villager, noted for his wits, his skillful arguments, and his scheming. He gets what he wants, but it's not super important to him how he gets it. Unlike Arlecchino, he can lie, and he can play at having good manners - so long as it serves his purpose.

Unfortunately, there isn't tons of info on Beltrame - the trouble with the zanni characters is many of them became conflated with one another, and it's hard to distinguish between them. Regardless, I think he's probably the best fit, mostly based on his rhetorical skills and association with Brighella.

[licncourt]

The power dynamics between Louis and Lestat being a huge obstacle between the two ever trusting the other and reaching the kind of intimacy they both long for was so intriguing in the early books. So it was wild when Anne went full King Lestat mode and lobotomized Louis lol don’t get me wrong I love their romantic passages as well in later books but like in isolation and not so much because the books are actually good. How would you have liked to seen their power dynamics shift and change over time?

That's the perfect way to put it, I really do think the romantic moments work better with no context because you don't have to Know....

The Interview era of their relationship is so perfect, and I don't think Loustat could have the effect that it does because of how evenly matched they are in opposing ways. They

In general, I think it would have been nice to have a bit more fluctuation between them and we missed out on that because of Anne's disinterest in exploring Louis' inner world. I think moments of hesitancy towards Lestat on Louis' part would have made sense, maybe some times where he isn't emotionally available or has priorities of his own that aren't Lestat. The Louis we saw in IWTV becoming basically a sure thing from their reunion on is a bit jarring, though I suppose there could be reasons for that. Ultimately though, he doesn't DO anything, his life is not passing the Lestat Bechdel Test. I wish his ENTIRE existence hadn't seemed to revolve around sitting around waiting for Lestat.

I'm so glad that Louis rejects Lestat's begging in TotBT because it's the only time there's any real pushback from him and I think it's crucial that Louis be that person in Lestat's life who will say no to him. Basically from TotBT on, Lestat is a the Michael Jackson of the vampire world and he gets his way with virtually everyone he encounters. In many ways I think the reason Louis can be a forever partner for Lestat over anyone else is because he can't be bulldozed the way others can. He knows and sees Lestat for what he really is in the deepest sense, but also loves him for who he really is. He doesn't succumb to force or to star power. I wish we had more examples in mid and late canon showing this side of Louis. He's a quieter personality than Lestat, but an equally strong one that provides a super important check on Lestat's overpowering will.

The thing I think AR did right though with what she set up is having Lestat ask Louis to come to France with him, having Lestat appeal to him to regain that relationship etc. It's a great way to establish this upcoming part of the relationship because of the reversal of the dynamic we've been seeing for so long. Until Lestat was willing to relinquish that level of power he's had since their reunion and put himself in a position to be rejected, they were never going to be on truly even footing again. Lestat allowing himself to be at a disadvantage for the first time is so crucial. If he's been radically IN control, he needs to be radically powerless too.

I would say that this kind of continues too in a less obvious manner. Lestat is wrapped around Louis' little finger in the PL books, absolutely pussy whipped and he kind of needs to be so that this feels satisfying at all and not sort of uncomfortable given the prior context. Even with the lobotomy, you at least never feel like he's getting steamrolled or in a bad situation or anything. He's clearly going to be getting what he wants from Lestat without even trying, he's doing just fine. I do wish there was a still-recognizable push and pull between them so so much, but with how the 90s and 00s books were written, I don't see another option tbh.

If more of that dynamic and Louis' personality had stayed intact, it would have been really fun and really interesting to see him take more of an active interest in his position as consort too. He has the personality, skillset, and personal history to be an deeply yet subtly authoritarian freak. I wish he had felt like a real counterpart to Lestat's immense physical and social power at this point in canon in his own intellectual way. This sort of mirrors what they had going on in IWTV, except before they were equally matched in opposition to one other with Louis using intelligence and manipulation for control and Lestat leaning into his brute strength and dominance. Seeing them take those traits and use them in tandem this time would be a cool full circle moment and have a still sweet and romantic but appropriately VC-dark vibe to it.

[nalyra-dreaming]

Oh I love these:

Jacob Anderson

On Sam Reid's performance as dream Lestat: "I noticed after we did a few scenes together with that dynamic, I would just notice Sam copying me. I would have to be like, 'OK, he's studying the way that I stand or the way that I say things. It's the story. It's what's supposed to be happening.' But occasionally I was like, 'I don't do that!' Now I've seen the season, and I'm like, 'It's genius.' I'm looking forward to seeing what Sam says about playing Louis, essentially. It's Lestat as Louis remembers him, filtered through the things that Louis doesn't want to say, and can't say. And maybe the things that Louis is embarrassed or ashamed about, Lestat just says it."

Sam Reid

On Lestat and Armand's relationship: "They have a very, very, very messy relationship. I think a big part of why Lestat didn't want to go back to France, in Season 1, when they were in New Orleans, is because he doesn't want to run into Armand. He doesn't want to see Armand. He's got a very, very complex relationship with him. It's not like he's like, "Ugh, Armand!" [Disgusted noise] It's like, "Ugh." [Exasperated noise] He's not twisty, turny, thinking about Armand every single day or whatever. He's like, "Ugh, I just would rather… Yeah, I don't want him around." But when he does the flick of his wrist when he thinks about Armand, he's also flicking a huge chunk of his life away."

Delainey Hayles

On Louis and Claudia's relationship: "The book became like my Bible in a way, where I was able to look back and look at how Anne Rice describes Claudia. And I was taking into consideration that it's been her and Louis for a very long time. As a child, you absorb your surroundings. Claudia has spent a lot of time with Louis over the past couple of years. So I think, in a way, his empathy kind of rubs off on her."

Assad Zaman

On the show's memory theme: "I personally think often we equate — if the memory's a little bit inaccurate, then the feeling isn't real. [But] if you think back to our childhood, we elaborate on the stories in our heads so much, and often the tiniest things, moments that meant a lot to us become bigger as we remember them. Time slows down or speeds up, and people become larger or smaller in our heads depending on how they made us feel in that time. I think [there's] a lot of that this season — when we go into Paris, I think that's where the performative nature comes into it. We get to really embrace those emotions. The love between Louis and Armand, the romance, is one of the most beautiful parts of it, the way it starts."

Eric Bogosian

On his experience working on the show: "To be working on such complex material and be asked to do things that I haven't done before, and to be working with such amazing creative team — I mean... I've been around. I'm not speaking from, like, this is my second show or my third show. This is like, my 35th show, or 60th, or something. So when I say that Rolin [Jones] is amazing, Hannah [Moscovitch] is amazing — that's our writing team — and that Jacob and Assad are amazing — these guys are very generous. And I think a lot about [how] when you go into deep work as an actor, you have to feel safe. I have definitely not been safe [in the past], especially with men. Men can be real jerks on set, and the audience can't see it, because we have to do our job. But if you're with a bully star, it's hard to go to where you need to go to. And Jacob, who's mainly who I'm working with, he's a very loving guy. Maybe people don't want to know this about him. Maybe I'm only supposed to say things like, 'In real life he's actually a vampire,' but in real life, he's actually a real, very sweet man. Very human."

Ben Daniels

On Santiago's approach to the theater: "It's like people trolling on Twitter. It's like, they're hidden behind the screen, but his screen is the fact that he's pretending to be a human. And he sort of is getting those mortals by the scruff of the neck and saying, 'Look at yourselves. Look how ridiculous and pathetic you are.' But they lap it up because they think it's a show."

THERE'S MORE!

[thenatco]

It's weird that I don't ship loumand, but I find the ship compelling. I'm interested in the tragedy of it. To me the biggest obstacle wasn't Lestat, but the death of Claudia. For a brief shining moment there was a chance for Armand and Louis to build something genuine, but Louis withholds, and Armand didn't believe in his love. Then the trial happens, Claudia is killed, and Louis and Armand's relationship becomes a codependent mess built on a foundation of spite. Louis can't forgive himself, or Armand, for the trust he put in the man who let his daughter die. Armand in a futile attempt to regain Louis' love turns himself into someone he thinks Louis could love again, but it only bores him. They carry on this way for two decades and some change until it all comes to a head in 1973. Then the memory wipe and over 50 years of false contentment. Could they have made it if Armand had said, screw the coven and left France with Louis before the trial? I don't think so really. They both have a mountain of issues. One major issue being Louis' unresolved feelings for his soulmate Lestat, but it still makes me wonder how long they could have been happy together.

[manynarrators]

Thought of the day: Armand has spent more time in France than Lestat by several orders of magnitude. Lestat is born and raised there, but leaves when he’s around 20. While he does come back, as evidenced in moments like the trial, he spends a long time away. Meanwhile Armand was the leader of the Parisian coven for like… 250-300 years, and then the Theatre for another 150. Armand’s spent most of his life in Paris.

I just feel like the amount of time he’s spent there is something I never properly considered, especially when compared to the Frenchman.

How does he feel about watching the city itself changing around him? About the fact that Les Innocents no longer exists? French was fourth and poorest of his languages once, I’m sure it isn’t anymore (speaking of, French, Italian, anyone want to weigh in on what languages three and four are?)

When does the Theatre become an institution on the Boulevard du Temple? Does it as the neighbourhood changes in its entirety? Are there old bones of his former coven members preserved in the Louvre alongside the paintings with him in them?

Is there relief or grief when Les Innocents is destroyed? How about when the theatre goes up in flames? Does he read the news articles talking about its destruction?

Like we all know there’s Venice shaped traumas and rose tinted lenses some days, but tell me more about Armand in Paris. Can he really live somewhere for the 4/5th of his life give it take and then walk away with barely a backward glance.

If he ever returns, what is that like for him?

[old-long-john]

I know, killer bone structure and they all seem like lovely people too, it's disgusting. Total lack of consideration, hogging all those good qualities. Not demure.

But this reminds me of how funny it was when Rolin said that his first reaction to Sam was "no fucking way this guy, with his chiseled stupid, chiseled, and his locks and his dreamy eyes" -- I wonder if he envisioned someone less intensely handsome for the part for whatever reason, or if it was that he wanted someone perhaps more androgynous and Sam read as really masculine with the jaw and everything? Which is funny now since I feel like, with the long hair especially, Sam is an interesting mixture of "masculine" and "feminine" qualities in his looks, and the 18th century stuff really emphasizes that.

God I love that Rolin quote. He's so fucking funny. Honestly, I think he just had the same natural reaction to that face that we've all had. The Lin Manuel-Manny Jacinto tweet response: 'that can't be right'

Actually

(I spent way too long editing that)

I feel the same about that really interesting mix of masculine and feminine qualities he has though! I've written about it at length in a fic I still haven't finished that I really need to, because I have thoughts. What's super interesting though is that someone pointed out a while back that Lestat's features wouldn't actually have been considered the ideal for an aristocratic man in 18th century France. I think Jacob's softer, more delicate features are much more in line with what was considered handsome then, face shape-wise. But I don't think for a second they're gonna try to make us believe that anyone in 1790s Paris thought that man's face was mid, lmao. Even in this universe we can only suspend our disbelief so far.

[shelikesorchids-archive]

Designs On You: Chapter One

City Life, Apple Pie Made Just Right

Pairing: Human AU Lestat de Lioncourt x Louis de Pointe du Lac

Summary: Lestat de Lioncourt leaves France for New Orleans to get away from his life and his demons. He falls in love with the city and buys a townhouse in the Quarter. But, what happens when he also falls in love with the contractor he hired to renovate his house?

Louis de Pointe du Lac is trying to find his way as a business owner after his father dies and leaves him the family contracting company. He takes a job from a French man new to town offering him a disgusting amount of money to renovate his townhouse. He knows he's hurting, but can he fix more than his house?

They both have demons, but can they tame them? Can Lestat really run from what he left behind in France? Can Louis be everything his family needs? Can they fill in the cracks in each other's hearts? We'll see when the paint dries.

Word Count: 2.5k

Author's Note: JUMPING INTO THE DEEP END HERE. We're starting from the end and working backwards! That's right! We'll get a happy ending, but how do they get it? Well, you'll see.

Big thanks and many smooches to @mythicaltzu for beta reading, editing, and being my cheerleader in DMs!

ENJOY!

Louis and Lestat had just celebrated their first anniversary as a married couple, and life was absolutely blissful. 

Louis had taken on the role of business owner full time, and no longer did any actual contracting work. He had an office, but he worked from home quite a bit, which made Lestat very happy. The house Lestat bought on a whim now felt like a home, and it was about to get fuller. They had started the process of adopting a child, and they had their first meeting with the social worker at the adoption agency today. Both of them dreamed of this life, but they never thought it would be possible until they met each other. They were nervous about becoming parents, but they were both buzzing with excitement. 

Lestat came downstairs freshly showered and dressed to find Louis sitting at the kitchen island drinking a cup of coffee, and a second cup waiting for him. Louis knew just how Lestat took his coffee, and it was those little things that made him fall deeper in love with him every day. Even though Louis was off work for their appointment today, he was still aimlessly scrolling through work emails on his phone. Lestat could feel the nerves radiating from him, and even though he was just as nervous, he knew he had to comfort Louis. 

He took a seat at the island next to Louis, took his hands in his, and quietly asked, “Penny for your thoughts, mon cher?” 

Louis turned to face his husband, and let out a long sigh before answering, “M’just nervous. Are we really ready for this?” 

“Oh, my beautiful Louis. I’m nervous too. We may not be ready for this, but I want to do it with you. Just think, mon cher, a beautiful little child to fill our home with joy and laughter. Doesn’t that sound lovely?

“It does. But there’s also sleep deprivation, dirty diapers, spit up, and all that.” 

Lestat barked out a laugh, which made Louis chuckle as well. He cupped Louis’s cheek with his hand and smiled, “I know, I know. But there’s no one I’d rather suffer through a newborn with than you.” 

Louis smiled and stood up from his seat at the kitchen island and wrapped his arms around Lestat’s neck. Lestat put his hands on Louis’s hips and pulled him closer so he could share a sweet kiss with him. Once they broke apart, Louis leaned down to rest his cheek against Lestat’s head, and Lestat hugged him tighter. They stayed in the embrace for a moment before Louis finally pulled away to say, “Well, we better get going. Don’t want to be late, do we?” 

—--------------------------------------------------------------

The two of them smiled brightly at each other before walking through the door of the adoption agency hand in hand. They checked in with the receptionist and before they could even take a seat, the social worker that had been working with them was coming out of her office to fetch them. Her name was Julia, and she was a very smiley young woman with her hair up in a messy bun, and comically large framed red eyeglasses. They had met briefly to drop off paperwork and they had spoken to her several times on the phone, but today was the day they were actually going to get the process in motion. 

Holy shit, they were going to be bringing a baby home soon. Hopefully, anyway. 

“Lestat! Louis! So wonderful to see you both,” she sing-songed as she shook their hands. “Well, if you’ll both just come with me to my office, we’ll get this show on the road! Follow me.” 

She led them into her small office, which was decorated with lots of band posters, pastel stuffed animals, and various vinyl figurines of superheroes. They took a seat in the chairs in front of her desk, and Lestat grabbed Louis’s hand, gently rubbing the back of it with his thumb to ease his husband’s nerves. This was really happening, and they were both a mess of emotions. 

“So, all of your paperwork looks great! We should be able to get this filed with the courts no problem and complete your family! How are y’all feeling about it?” 

Lestat and Louis glanced at each other before Lestat finally spoke. “Well, Julia, we’re incredibly nervous, but we’re both very excited. Both of us have dreamed of having a family, and we just want to thank you for helping us realize this dream.”

Julia laughed and blushed. “Oh I’m just doing my job! So, the next step is to find a baby! I realize this is a bit weird, going through prospects, but it is part of the process. Now, do the two of you have any-”

She was interrupted by a soft knock on her doorframe, and the three of them looked up to see another young woman holding a manila envelope in her hand. 

“So sorry to interrupt,” she said. “But, I have that paperwork on Baby Edwards at Oschner’s NICU. Her parents signed over all their parental rights, so she is officially in our care now.” 

Julia motioned for her to step into her office and she took the envelope from her as she thanked her. Lestat swallowed a lump in his throat at the thought of this tiny premature baby being abandoned by her parents. Louis could tell his husband was getting emotional, and he knew he wanted to know more about the baby in the envelope, so he gently squeezed his hand and gave him a nod to ask Julia about her. 

“What about baby Edwards? We’d like to know more about her,” he said as his voice cracked. 

“Oh, she’s new to us, and the world for that matter. She’s only 4 days old, but she was born at 30 weeks, so she’s currently in the neonatal intensive care unit at Oschner. Her parents hated to give her up, but they just didn’t have the financial resources available to take care of a premature baby, so they decided to give her up for adoption. I’ll let you look at some photos of her, but I must warn you: she’s on oxygen and she has a few tubes sticking out of her, but she’s doing great.” 

Julia handed Lestat the photos, and Louis scooted his chair closer so that he could get a closer look at them. Lestat’s breath hitched at the sight of this tiny baby that was connected to several lines and wires like Julia said, but at the same time, she was the most precious thing he had ever seen. His eyes started to well with tears, and Louis put his arm around him to hug him close as they both gazed at the photos of the tiny baby girl. They exchanged another glance, and they wordlessly decided that she was going to be their daughter. 

“Can we meet her?” Louis asked Julia as he continued to comfort his emotional husband. 

“Well, they are very strict about visitors in the NICU because the babies are so delicate, but I’ll make some phone calls and see what we can set up. I’m assuming this means you’re interested in adopting her?”

Lestat handed the photos back to her and wiped his eyes. “Yes, we would love to adopt her. I can’t believe someone would just abandon such a tiny helpless baby.” 

“It is hard to imagine that, but we really try not to judge here. They loved her enough to make sure she would be taken care of, so they made the very difficult choice to put her up for adoption.” 

“And we can take her home and love her, mon cher,” Louis interjected. 

Lestat gave him a watery smile, and squeezed his hand. Louis always knew just what to say to make him feel better. He wiped his eyes once again and told Julia, “You’re right, I suppose. So, when can we meet her?” 

—----------------------------------------------------

After three agonizing days of waiting, Lestat and Louis were finally in the NICU with Julia to meet their future daughter. A nurse guided them through washing their hands thoroughly before she led them to the incubator where the baby lay. Even though they had seen photos of her at the adoption agency, the mere sight of her before their very eyes took their breath away. Lestat gripped Louis by his waist as they inched closer toward her, fearing his knees might give out. 

“Oh, mon dieu. She’s even more precious than in the pictures,” he whispered. He bent down until he was eye level with her in the incubator, then turned to ask the nurse with tears in his eyes, “Can I touch her?” 

The nurse smiled as she replied, “You can, but be very careful not to jostle any of her lines.”

She opened the small door to the incubator and motioned to Lestat to come closer. He slowly put his hand inside and stroked her fuzzy little head with his fingertips. He was surprised by how soft her hair was, and she seemed to lean into his touch, which made the tears finally fall from his eyes. Louis bent down to join him and he whispered, “Hey baby girl. You wanna come home with us?” 

They stood there for several moments, taking turns gently stroking her hair or holding her tiny little hands until she started squirming and whimpering, which upset Lestat because she was clearly uncomfortable. The nurse came over to assure them that she was fine, but then caught them off guard by asking if they wanted to hold her. Both of them nodded vigorously, and the nurse rolled over a recliner for them to sit in so they could hold their baby. Louis let Lestat go first, and he was overcome with emotion yet again at being moments away from holding his daughter. 

“Unbutton your shirt,” the nurse told him. 

Lestat’s face quickly turned from amazed to confused. “What? Why?” he asked. 

“Skin to skin, or ‘kangaroo care’. It’s great for all babies, but especially premature ones. It promotes bonding, helps regulate their body temperature, and other things babies need. She’s also never been held, so you’ll be the first.” 

He felt like he might cry again, but he did as the nurse asked and unbuttoned his shirt to expose his chest. Louis couldn’t help but admire his husband’s pristine form as the nurse situated the baby on his bare chest and covered them with a blanket. She snuggled into his chest as he gently rocked her, and Lestat felt an overwhelming rush of love for this tiny baby in his arms. He made a silent promise to her, and to himself, that as long as he was around, she would know nothing but comfort, safety, and love. Louis kneeled down at the side of the chair and placed his hand over Lestat’s on her tiny back, stealing his husband’s lips for a chaste, loving kiss. 

Once they both broke the kiss, they gazed down at the now sleeping baby and knew their family was complete. 

“Claudia. Her name is Claudia,” Lestat whispered as he traced her cheek with his finger.

—-----------------------------------------------------------------------

“Louis, mon cher, what are you doing?”

“Just taking a video of you doing the ‘hot new dad walk’. I wanna remember this forever, “ Louis replied as he walked behind him, recording him with his phone.

“Your daddy is incorrigible, my darling,” Lestat laughed as he walked down the hallway to the hospital exit, baby Claudia in tow, fast asleep in her carrier. 

All of the paperwork had been finalized, and she was officially theirs. More importantly, she was finally well enough for them to take her home. After weeks of visiting her in the NICU every day, she was finally breathing on her own, they were able to feed her with a bottle, and thanks to the nurses, they were comfortable with taking care of a newborn baby on their own. They got her safely buckled into the backseat of their shiny new SUV, and Louis sat in the backseat with her while Lestat drove them home. He didn’t care that people behind him were honking at him for going under the speed limit, he was going to get his precious cargo home safely, everyone else on the roads be damned. 

Once they were parked in the driveway of their townhouse, Louis carefully unbuckled her from the carrier and she fussed in protest of being woken up from her nap. Lestat couldn’t help but smile as he got her bags out of the car and watched Louis try to soothe their cranky baby girl. Their baby girl. He couldn’t believe he had a family of his own to love and care for.

“I know, sweetie, I know,” Louis crooned as she continued to fuss. 

“We’re home, ma cherie. Would you like to see your new home? You even have a room of your very own,” Lestat whispered to her before kissing her head. 

Louis gave Claudia the grand tour of the townhouse, starting with the courtyard in front, then continuing with the downstairs portion of their home. Lestat took the bags upstairs to put away her things from the hospital in her nursery, and he was taken aback at how beautiful it was. After they first met Claudia and decided to adopt her, Louis had spent quite a bit of time sequestered in the spare bedroom they decided would be her nursery, and Lestat was worried that he was having second thoughts about the adoption. A week later, he was pleasantly surprised when Louis showed him the new room with hand painted Azaleas and Magnolias on the wall, and the most beautiful baby furniture he had ever seen. He remembered breaking down in tears at the thought that this is where his daughter would grow up, in this gorgeous room her daddy designed just for her. 

He was soon pulled from his thoughts by Louis walking through the door, Claudia held tenderly in his arms as he told her, “And this your room, I hope you like it. I did this just for you.” 

Lestat crossed the room and took Claudia from Louis’s arms and propped her up against his shoulder so she could see the room. “Yes, your daddy made this beautiful room just for you ma cherie. He loves to make things beautiful. He made my life beautiful.” 

Louis had tears in his eyes as he gazed at the two loves of his life, his beautiful husband and his precious daughter. He came behind Lestat to wrap one arm around his waist, and the other around his arm holding Claudia. Here was his everything, his whole life, right here in his arms. He stole a quick kiss from Lestat as they stood there together holding Claudia, who was growing sleepy. They both laughed softly as she let out a yawn and buried her tiny face in the crook of his neck, and Lestat pressed a kiss to the top of her head, lingering there a moment to take in her sweet baby smell. 

“A nap sounds like a great idea, don’t you think, mon cher,” Lestat asked Louis. 

“Amazing idea. Let’s get all the sleep we can before the real fun starts.” 

[hekateinhell]

The seven deadly sins! Please assign one to Lestat, Louis, Armand, Daniel 🤓

These are not concrete by any means, I just went with my first superficial thought but I'm pretty sure every sin could be applied to each of them in different contexts.

Lestat — Pride

A large part of what keeps him from being vulnerable with those he loves is his pride.

Lestat, on the distance he feels from Gabrielle after they left France:

She must have known what was happening, that we were growing ever farther apart, that my heart was breaking and I had too much pride to say it to her. (TVL)

Lestat, on never being able to listen to other people:

Why didn't I learn from any of them-Gabrielle, Armand, Marius? But then, I never have listened to anyone, really. Somehow or other, I never can. (TVL)

Lestat, on love:

[...] the sheer excitement was excruciating, and the love I felt for him [Louis] was positively humiliating. (TVL)

Lestat, on expressing his love out loud:

And I wanted to call to him [Armand], to tell him that it was a lie I'd spoken to him, that I did love him. I did. But it was my time to be at peace with all things. (TVL)

I took a deep breath and looked away from him [Louis], wishing I could say what I really wanted to say. That I loved him. But I couldn't do that. The feeling was too strong. (TVL)

I wanted to say we all love one another. We all have to love one another. If you [Armand] and I and Louis don’t love one another after all we’ve been through, well, then all our powers mean nothing, and our dreams mean nothing, and so we have to love one another. And maybe I did say this silently and he heard it, but I doubted it. (RoA)

That's enough of Lestat, I'm getting cranky. He could've also been Lust.

Louis — Sloth

Just thinking about him makes me lazy so I'm not going to dig up quotes to justify this. But I don't think Louis has accepted a lot of agency in his life and he doesn't seem to take accountability for his part in the things that happen to him. It has always been Lestat, Claudia, and Armand who have called the shots, more or less. Left his own devices, he sits in a rotting shack with disintegrating clothes.

Sloth.

And also mood, honestly.

Armand — Lust

I feel like Lust is too easy for Armand but the other sins of desire like Gluttony and Greed don't fit as well to me. I'm not necessarily thinking of lust in the carnal sense though it does apply to mortal Amadeo, Armand's relationship with a human Daniel, and the way he drinks from Lestat in TVA.

But rather an intense and covetous longing for love, passion, and connection that takes on many forms (some of them possessive and violent) and stops at nothing.

Lestat did famously call him "the embodiment of thirst itself" (derogatory) in TVL. But because Armand is blorbo, I also have to point out that Lestat later said in PL, "Armand's not without compassion, not without a heart."

Daniel — Lust

Like Armand, he could've also been another sin of desire, I was tempted to give him Greed for variation here but Greed is more for material possessions.

Just thinking about how desperately he wanted to be a vampire, that lust for eternal life before he ever met Armand that was then amplified tenfold and combined with a desire for Armand and his blood.

No, he had never been revolted by Armand, he [Daniel] had to admit it. What he had always felt was ravening and hopeless desire. (QotD)

[thkmadame]

I keep wondering where has Lestat been, how long has he been in France, was he really just a ghost to Louis all of those times he appeared to him? Not Ghoststat but Astral projection Lestat?? Will I get any answers before this season wraps in two episodes??

[pynkhues]

hi! I've been rewatching IWTV and had a q about the show - so in S1E2, lestat said he'd been there when the opera was written 73 years ago, and in S1E6, lestat said he'd played against a chess master in 1878 (?).. but in S2E7, he said he'd been sleeping for a 100 years. Which do you think is true? I think it may be the former because wouldn't he try to hide parts of his life more from the coven than from Louis & Claudia?

Hi! That's a really interesting question, anon, and not one I have an easy answer for, mostly because I think one of the (only!) places Rolin drops the ball sometimes as a showrunner is with the timelines and references to time. But! I'll try and give you an answer, haha.

There are a lot of book spoilers here, so please bear that in mind, but Lestat's definitely at least partially lying in the trial, because he's woken up by Marius and taken to the Greek Islands before he goes to New Orleans, which is a pretty important plot point that I can't see the show not adapting (Marius literally sends him away to go play house with someone aka live the mortal life he was denied by his family and Magnus, which is why Lestat's basically looking for a husband when he arrives in the US and finds Louis). It makes sense that he'd be lying about that though because Armand doesn't know that Lestat knows where Marius is, and Lestat's keeping that a secret for Reasons.

Beyond that though, what do we know about the show's pre-NOLA timeline so far? We know that Lestat was born in 1760 and turned in 1794, Nicki then died in 1796, and Lestat was then in New Orleans by 1910.

That means there's 114 years that the show's not given us much information on at all yet, and it's actually tricky to use the book as a gauge in that sense, because making Lestat that little bit older actually changes a lot.

How it goes in the book is that after Lestat gives the theatre to Nicki, and Nicki, ultimately, to Armand and the Coven, he and Gabrielle spend what's described as 'years' travelling together (sort of, Gabrielle starts disappearing on Lestat before they even leave France only to come back and find him), with Gabrielle really just wanting to travel, and Lestat trying to find Marius after being swept up in Armand's account of him, around Western Europe, Eastern Europe, West Asia and North Africa, with longer stays in Italy and Egypt. Egypt is their last stop. Lestat's receiving letters from Eleni across all of these travels (a character I'm also excited to see in the new season! She's one of the Coven vampires who does the most to look after Nicki and build the Theatres des Vampires), and she and Roget (the lawyer we've met the descendent of in the show already) are who keep Lestat up-to-date on the French Revolution and his family. Both are telling Lestat not to return to Paris because of said Revolution, and it's at the last stop in Cairo when Roget writes Lestat to tell him that his brothers and their families have been executed, but that his father's escaped to New Orleans, and when Eleni tells him that Nicki's died.

It's then that Lestat and Gabrielle part ways (Gabrielle wants him to go deeper down into Africa with her, but Lestat's understandably extremely griefstruck and can't manage it), and Lestat decides that he's going to go to New Orleans instead to care for his dying, exiled father. That never ends up happening. Gabrielle leaves, Lestat gets burnt, and ends up buried beneath a torched building for the long sleep until Marius - having found the messages Lestat's left him - comes to pick him up.

SO, with Lestat's year of birth being the same in both the book and the show - 1760 - but being turned at 21 in the book instead of 34 in the show - so in 1781 instead of 1794 - and the French Revolution running from 1789-1799, Lestat and Gabrielle were presumably traveling with one another in the book for about a decade?

It can't be a direct adaptation of that anymore, given we're in the thick of the French Revolution on the show when Lestat's turned, meaning his family (and him!) are already targets, so it actually does make sense to me that they'd condense that timeline. Having Nicki's death be in 1796 kind of verifies that for me too, because I think it implies that the show is going to keep Nicki's (assisted) suicide + Lestat's brothers' murders together symbolically, and it makes sense. The French Revolution was pretty localised to Paris in the early days (although the Reign of Terror with most of the massacres was between 1793-1794, and I'm curious to see if the show ties that into Lestat's escape from the Auvergne and/or his turning), and the death of Nicki and Lestat's family, and the escape of both his parents, really marks the end of Lestat's mortal ties in the same way that Grace burying Louis does for him.

But yes! More to your point, the show's either going to be condensing Gabrielle and Lestat's travels to two years instead of ten, they're going to have Lestat find out about their deaths long after the fact, or they're going to be having Gabrielle and Lestat travel after those deaths, which - - I don't know if the last one works? I think it's a pretty massive trigger point for Lestat, of course - it's enough for him to burn himself, then starve himself - but also the beat of him wanting to go and care for his abusive, dying father feels like such a revealing and meaningful moment for his character.

To your question though, anon, (sorry, haha, this has devolved so much). I've always read the line about playing a chess master in 1878 to be a lie. I think he was just being a dick to Claudia, especially because he does it after Claudia's being so goading to both him and Louis about Nicki and the song Lestat wrote for him (and the one for Louis). I feel like it's a way for him to get control of the conversation, especially given there's no way Claudia can prove him wrong, and I don't think either of them even know Lestat had a long sleep yet at all.

As for the question in 1.02, assuming it's still roughly 1911, that's probably meant to be true, given that would be 1838, so I don't think Lestat's lying, but I suspect it'll be a plot hole going forwards. I could be wrong, but I get the impression that Rolin and Co hadn't really plotted out the broader timeline outside of New Orleans in s1 beyond events that were important to the season i.e. Lestat's turning, and so it's kind of a secret third thing (a mistake), as opposed to a lie or a truth, haha.

I do think he's lying in the trial though too. Like I said, he's definitely lying about Marius, and he's also lying about burying himself in Paris if nothing else, given him burying himself in Cairo is pretty important narratively.

[thelioncourts]

The Nicki actor in his acting profile actually says he plays ages 18-26 lolll so it’s possibly he’s playing even younger than his age which would certainly be an interesting choice for nickistat. Tbh I’m trying to picture Sam with him and it’s very hard not to see quite an age gap.

That is interesting. I mean, I just -- I don't really care about problematic age gaps in TVC if I'm being so honest. Like, yes, we can get into the logistics and morals of what's right or wrong, but 1700s France had different standards than we do now. Again, I know that's problematic, but, again, it's the reality of it so I just....don't care.

I think it'll all be interesting no matter what given that the Nicki relationship, while important, is so short-live, so fast-paced. Someone made a good point on a post I made theorizing about Lestat's life pre-Paris in the show about how it's almost impossible for the Nicki/Lestat relationship to have been long term given that Nicki's wish for their downfall, his fall into his own self-destruction and stuff would have won out, would have been something he would have eventually broken/confessed/etc. And so I fully maintain we're working with a 'Lestat and Nicki don't go off to Paris until Lestat is 34/35 years old.' So, y'know, whatever they do with Nicki's age, I do think, logically, he's going to be in the mid-to-late 20s because Nicki spends time in Paris studying violin before coming back to Auvergne. Having him there longer, becoming more practiced in his craft, wouldn't be a bad thing, especially given how he gets lost in the music. It would/could also be a great give in to his bouts of depression; not finding success after being in Paris for a couple years, only for Lestat to find it in the months they're together in Paris? Idk.

But, I'm being honest, I'm only tolerating Nicki for his importance to the plot and I will.........I won't say look forward to his death, but will not be angry when it comes. I'll be sad for Lestat, for Lestat's suffering mental status, but :))

[desertfangs]

Daniel/Armand 'It was a spectacular display of devotion to the atmosphere and what the others in the smoke fogged room called 'the vibe', but you could never tell what was going to catch Armand's imagination and he looked like he was enjoying himself."

This prompt was so fun! I like how it really set a scene but still allowed me to come up with the specifics! I have no idea what you pictured but I'm curious to hear how it compares to what I ended up with.

It was a spectacular display of devotion to the atmosphere and what the others in the smoke fogged room called ‘the vibe,’ but you could never tell what was going to catch Armand's imagination and he looked like he was enjoying himself.

Armand had somehow procured a number of neon glow sticks in various colors that now adorned his neck and wrists, the colors reflected against his pale skin. One, neon blue, sat in his thick auburn hair like a crown. He leaned against a pillar, having a conversation with someone similarly adorned. 

Daniel watched him, captivated by how easily he played the part of a young college guy at an art house rave. How effortlessly he could slip into the role like a practiced actor, adapting as he got more information or the situation changed. 

He’d seen him do it a thousand times but he’d forgotten how much he enjoyed Armand being chameleon in any setting. When Armand had first suggested they come here, when the guy had handed them the flyer as they’d left the gallery, Daniel had been dubious. As a vampire, he couldn’t drink or partake in the drugs people were definitely doing in the bathrooms, at least not directly, and he wasn’t sure coming to a loud, raucous party was the thing they needed. 

Things were still a little tenuous between them. Still new. Still strange, because while it was all so familiar, so much time had passed and so much had happened. It was easy to get comfortable only to have something jar him back to the reality that their lives had been separate for a long time. And yet he’d welcomed Daniel back easily enough and, due in part to some fraught conversations they’d forced out, things mostly felt okay. Like maybe they were finally on the same page. Only took them forty years. 

But time alone was precious—Armand’s house was full of people coming and going and Lestat kept calling him to France to deal with matters of the Court, a trip Daniel sometimes accompanied him on or sometimes opted out of—and he hadn’t been thrilled to spend this night at some loud, bombastic party. 

Armand glanced over in his direction. He could no longer hear the trepidatious thoughts whirling through Daniel’s mind but he could see him running his hand through his blond hair. Armand ended his conversation and came over to him. 

He unsnapped one of the green glow sticks from around his neck and put it around Daniel’s, giving him a grand total of one, smoothing Daniel’s t-shirt against his chest. He leaned back to admire his work. 

“Do you wish to leave?” Armand asked. His amber eyes burned into him.

Daniel was surprised by the question. They’d attended countless parties together and Daniel could count on his fingers how many times Armand had ever given him such an out. “It looks like you’re having fun.” 

Armand titled his head and studied Daniel in a way that set the hair on the back of his neck on edge. “But you’re not.” 

Daniel shrugged. He’d had fun at the gallery. And he didn’t mind being here. “I like watching you.” 

Armand smiled. He took another glow stick from his wrist, this one bright orange, and took Daniel’s hand. Armand’s hand was cool against his and the touch sent tingles up Daniel’s arm. He fastened the glow stick around Daniel’s wrist and it cast orange light on his pale skin. Armand kissed the soft skin of Daniel’s wrist, almost like a blessing, before letting it drop. 

“One dance,” Armand said. “And then if you wish, we’ll leave.” 

“Yeah, okay.” 

He let Armand lead him to the dance floor, which was full of writhing, bouncing bodies, their heartbeats louder than the bass-line that thrummed in his ears as the music roared. A smoke machine pumped fog into the air and the strobe lights reflected against it, making the atmosphere surreal and neon. Armand danced elegantly in a carefree way that made Daniel’s heart ache. 

He’d missed him desperately, more than he'd even let himself realize, and seeing him like this, covered in glow sticks and dancing to the music as if nothing else mattered, really hammered that home. He thought of all the nights he’d spent in nightclubs in Rio, perfecting the art of the little drink and trying so hard to recapture the feeling that immortality had supposedly promised: an eternity unburdened. Only to find it here at this make-shift warehouse party in Soho, because eternity was empty without Armand in it. 

A man approached Armand, tapping his shoulder to get his attention. Daniel continued dancing but kept an eye on them. The man handed Armand a sheet of something that looked like pink tabs. Drugs of some sort. Armand nodded and slipped the drugs into the pocket of his jeans. 

He danced back to Daniel and put his arms around him. 

“You saving those for later?” Daniel teased, fingers brushing his pants pocket.

Armand smiled widely, viciously, and Daniel’s pulse raced. He pressed himself against Daniel, lips at his ear, and said, “He’s laced them with poison.” Armand nodded to the man who'd given him the goods, who was now moving through the crowd, back toward the exit. “I think perhaps we’ve found dinner.” 

Daniel grinned at him as Armand took his hand and led him through the throngs of revelers in pursuit of their new-found victim. 

[hekateinhell]

Armand has had a lot of terrible experiences in his long life. (Understatement) What do you think are his most heartbreaking reactions to some of these events?

His reaction is his entire existence. Look at him.

I think it's his complete and utter inability to function on his own. Think about it... Armand is never really alone. In a myriad of tragic and violent ways he goes from the monastery and his parents to Marius to Santino and the Children of Darkness to the Theatre to Louis.

There's a period of a few decades where Armand's listlessly prowling around Lestat's resting place while he takes his dirt nap and looking out for him. This obsessive attachment to Lestat comes from somewhere, right?

Then along comes Daniel. Daniel leaves (according to Armand), then there's the suicide attempt, followed by Sybelle and Benji, then it's Marius's house in New Orleans with the new crew. From there on, it's Trinity Gate (Louis again) and it's sort of implied that Daniel and Armand reconcile before Louis goes to be in France with Lestat.

Armand might be able to think and act for himself now, and all things considered, he's obviously quite capable and ferocious. But I don't think he ever truly learned how to be okay in his own company. Which, even if everyone around you is supposed to live forever, is a very precarious position to be in.

[pynkhues]

feel free to ignore but if you’re willing to share a little bit more about how you see louis and lestat’s first encounter going in your courtesan au that would make my day !!!!

I'm still getting their first encounter right, anon, so I feel like I can't really talk about it yet, haha, but how would you like part of a scene I've actually written? It's a little bit of Louis first finding out about Lestat at all ;-)

-

“The Prince is bringing someone.”

At that, Louis arches an eyebrow, pulling his gaze from the pages in front of him to where Armand lingers just inside the closed doorway.

“Oh are we calling him Prince now?” Louis asks, and he can hear it. A dangerous note of disdain in his own voice, so he’s sure Armand hears it too, although the other man makes little acknowledgement of it beyond a tilt of his elegant head.

“If you are to climb the echelons of Parisian society, you really should be across these things,” Armand replies smoothly, finally crossing Louis’ cabinet to drop himself gracefully to the chaise lounge beneath the window, forcing Louis to turn in his seat to see him. Light spills across the other man’s form, illuminating his fine features in the quiet dark of the room where Louis works, and for a moment, it stirs something low in him. A heat, perhaps, an aimless, unfocused sort of desire, but more than that, an understanding of why the Duke has indulged in this particular courtesan for as long as he has. “The King re-anointed Magnus two days ago, so in answer to your question, yes, we are calling him Prince now. If it’s of any comfort to you, it’s in ceremony only, not in power. A decorative rank for a man who needs all the trimmings he can get.”

Louis hums, leaning back in his seat still facing Armand, feeling the engraved edge of the desk pressed to his side, even through the thick hold of his embroidered waistcoat.  

“And yet your Duke Marius would change the entertainment for the evening to appease him?”

He’d be lying if he said that Armand’s tight-lipped smile doesn’t give him a thrill – evidence enough that Louis’ correct in his deduction that the Duke’s pandering to the newly-retitled Prince is more than simply a welcome back to society. He has the King’s ear, Louis supposes, the fact that he’s been given back the stripped rank, even just in title, proves that, but to what extent the King means to allow Magnus sway in court is anyone’s guess now.

If Louis were to be honest, he almost respected the machinations of it all. As it were, Magnus had been pushed from his pedestal a generation ago, losing his place in line for the throne after his father had been knifed and his mother poisoned, a bloody coup that had seen a new monarchy atop the gilded throne of France. Divested of his title, Magnus had spent the long years of his youth in exile, where, Louis had no idea (and neither, it seemed, did anyone else), but he’d returned to cast his shadow in court in this late decade of his life. Gnarled and black eyed and ugly, yet silver tongued and somehow dripping with gold, and it was the latter that had the aristocrats of Paris opening their doors and – politically speaking, of course – their legs.

“My Duke Marius would simply like the evening’s plans to go off without the reveal of a seam,” Armand simpers from his draped position on Louis’ chaise. “Besides, at least the Prince is predictable unlike some of our esteemed society fixtures. Even in these last uncertain years of his position, he has always been particular in his choice of accessories, has he not?”

And, well.

Louis would be hard pressed to deny that.

“Always has liked himself a blue-eyed blond,” he allows, because he’s ended up with some of them on his books over the last five years. Not all have gone the distance – one at least he knows worked only to earn enough to flee Paris with one of the Queen’s ladies in waiting – but he still has two in his employ. Wild-eyed things, the pair of them, one a meek little waif prone to playing dead – which, Louis can say with authority, works for a certain clientele – another a spitfire in the sack who’s only request of Louis is that he never be in the same room again as Magnus, a stipulation Louis has and will continue to honor.   

Now though, Armand just hums in agreement.

“How he finds himself so many little golden trinkets in all the mud and piss of Paris is the true mystery of the man,” he says, picking at a loose thread on the chaise behind him. “The Duke would have you remove the boys from the evening’s festivities though.”

Which is to be expected, Louis thinks, turning in his chair back to his desk to pull at the books he’d written the Duke’s request for the salon in, flicking through the pages for the carefully scrawled list of girls and boys he’d wanted to entertain his guests in. When Magnus presents a new pet to the aristocrats he seeks to dominate and impress in equal measure, he wants all eyes on his most recent selection. As if the discovery of beauty makes up for the lack of his own, and the claiming of it so publicly cements him in society more as the Prince than any re-titling by the King of France ever could.

Dipping his quill in his little pot of iron gall ink, Louis draws a clean line through the names of the three boys he’d organised for Marius – not a blond in the bunch, and to Louis at least, three he’d found personally more appealing than any boy Magnus had ever brought to court, although he could admit that that could be more a reflection of his own sort of inclinations than anything else – before letting his gaze dip back to Armand on the chaise behind him.

The other man remains sprawled, legs delicately parted and looking resplendent in a deep brown waistcoat with elegant white lace trimmings. The morning light shifts through the window behind him, illuminating the amber flecks to his eyes, the warmth to his skin, and the jut of his high, sharp cheekbones. A familiar pull of heat pools low in him again, and Louis wets his lips.

“If your Duke is playing host to the Prince and his pet tonight, will you be needing company of your own?”

The question is enough to have Armand’s gaze darken, his fingers drifting languidly down the back of the chaise lounge, deepening his recline. They don’t do this often, not really, as Louis has never needed nor wanted to pay to fuck, and Armand is often reluctant to risk the opulence of the life that the prize between his legs has secured him (although Marius has never seemed bothered about sharing him), but still. They have warmed each other’s beds on the night the fancy has taken them, and if Louis is to spend the evening overseeing his girls be fondled by bejeweled hands while the Prince parades a boy he’ll dispose of in a week, he may as well have something to slip away to.

“I could be,” Armand says now, sitting up a little straighter, as if remembering himself. “My duties have not yet been decided. We are all at the King’s whims, I fear, even my Maître, and tonight the King wishes for his new Prince to have everything that he wants.”  

-

(And then Louis and Lestat become psychosexually obsessed with each other 💖)