#armand and lestat on my shit list

[supersonicpussy]

Rewatching season two and the trial episode gets more sinister the second time around

[icystorm76]

I’m stuck in this intense cycle of “Oh my god Interview is going to be on Netflix I hope I blows up.” And “Oh my god if this show blows up then the fandom is going to get SO BAD”

I love this fandom as it is. There is some drama and discourse (looking at you Marius) but for the most people at least respect that the books and show are complicated and people can come away with different takes. There are a few bad apples but not so much that you can’t block them. People seem to respect that even if you don’t ship the same things those ships are still valid. My worst nightmare is a giant fandom and the black and white picture that comes with it.

The larger the fandom the more discourse there is and OH MAN does Interview have room for discourse. The nuance of Loustat and Loumand and Devils minion (to a lesser extent) are so important and the generally gray morality of most characters leads to a situation where things can turn very ugly very fast.

A list of my worst case scenario predictions:

- Lestat and/or Armand are deemed extremely problematic and shipping them with Louis is seen as a major red flag.

- Claudia and Madeline’s relationship is bashed, likely due to age difference.

-Armand is written off as a completely unredeemable monster (and subsequently Devils minion is written off as abusive and toxic)

- Daniel is either lauded as a perfect beacon of truth or a random old guy with very little importance or a pervert.

- FUCKING RACISM. This is my main sticking point. Large fandoms can get really fucking racist and with 3/5 main characters being POC things could get really shitty.

Those are just my worst case scenarios, but I think it’s worth thinking about. I don’t endorse gatekeeping and I absolutely love new people getting into the show (at this point I’ve forced 3 people to watch it with me), but we need to let people know that that shit, ESPECIALLY racism, sexism and homophobia is absolutely not something we will tolerate.

[nalyra-dreaming]

Hi! Do you think Armand was like ''Lestat Lestat Lestart' because he can see Louis hallucinating Lestat by reading his mind. It would be really awkward. Do you also think Louis can read Armand 's mind? As an old vampire he can probably block his thoughts but if I was Louis it would be weird for me to have my companion hiding his thoughts,like, do you have something to hide from me even after 77 years??

Sooooo....

Armand can definitely read Louis' mind, though it is debatable if he always does it. However, we have seen in the scene from August (at the Murder Mansion) that he does indeed do so, because he comments on Louis withholding and Claudia being able to mask her thoughts (contrary to Louis).

The thing about Armand and Lestat is... I mean you've seen the trailer. There's history. Armand... loves Lestat. Wants him. Desires him. Lestat rejected him, for reasons. Good reasons, and actually valid reasons. But... that hurt, of course. It's a complicated relationship.

(In the book Lestat goes to Armand to beg for Louis' life, and tells him about Louis, which makes Armand even more interested in Louis. We'll see how they spin it here.)

So along comes Louis, Lestat's lover (/partner / (arguably) husband) (and fledgling). But lover is way more significant here, because of the history Armand has with Lestat. Louis, and Claudia, who dared to hurt Lestat. (And which is ultimately why Claudia will die. Louis only does not because Armand (luckily) actually falls in love with him.)

Armand... is canonically into kinky shit. Not kidding. Cuck chairs, spanking. I believe "The Vampire Armand" is generally still listed as erotica.

So. With that in mind...

Armand didn't mind Louis envisioning / hallucinating imho. At first. He probably found it funny, stimulating, interesting, fascinating, arousing. Depending on the situation.

(For example here. That is in the bar. The bar we know Lestat "shows up in" as well from the BTS photo.)

He probably ... let's say supported those visions, too, given his gift to spellbind. Conjure illusions.

It must have been very entertaining - for a while. Even while having sex. (Can I have a vision-Lestat/Loumand threesome? Pretty please?!^^)

Eventually though... it must have started to grate. (Understandably so.)

That shot of him doing that "Lestat, Lestat, Lestat, Lestat" rant - that is in that apartment the interview was in. So we KNOW that Louis was still going on about Lestat at that time.

(credit to @virginiaisforvampires, sorry couldn't find it in the search)

Now, in the book there is this speech by Armand, and I can see that happening in the show, too:

"I used to believe you would get over it—that when the pain of all of it left you, you would grow warm again and filled with love, and filled with that wild and insatiable curiosity with which you first came to me, that inveterate conscience, and that hunger for knowledge that brought you all the way to Paris to my cell. I thought it was a part of you that couldn’t die. And I thought that when the pain was gone you would forgive me for what part I played in her death. She never loved you, you know. Not in the way that I loved you, and the way that you loved us both. I knew this! I understood it! And I believed I would gather you to me and hold you. And time would open to us, and we would be the teachers of one another. All the things that gave you happiness would give me happiness; and I would be the protector of your pain. My power would be your power. My strength the same. But you’re dead inside to me, you’re cold and beyond my reach! It is as if I’m not here, beside you. And, not being here with you, I have the dreadful feeling that I don’t exist at all. And you are as cold and distant from me as those strange modern paintings of lines and hard forms that I cannot love or comprehend, as alien as those hard mechanical sculptures of this age which have no human form. I shudder when I’m near you. I look into your eyes and my reflection isn’t there...."

He actually thought Louis would... get over it.

Over Claudia's death. Over what happened with Lestat.

In the books, Louis and Armand part then. We'll see how they spin it here. Louis says they've been together for 77 years, but that might be hyperbole - Jacob said that Louis chose that relationship "again", and that would then fit with canon once more.

(I personally think this is one of the good-byes, if not "the".)

But either way... it probably wasn't awkward at first. But it was beyond annoying eventually.

As per Louis reading Armand's mind: yes, if and when Armand permits. Armand is a very, very powerful mind and spell gift user. Louis would not be able to do so against his will.

[nightcolorz]

hey bro love your posts never stop entertaining us pls

random ass question whats your favorite minor character from tvc?

Thank u ❤️❤️ 😁😁

this is a touch question lol bcus I have so many favorite minor characters, I’m a tvc minor character fanatic. I can’t choose one so I’m just gonna list of all my fav minor characters lmao.

I love Khayman hes so real. He reminds me of a socially anxious large dog who just really wants to make friends but he keeps scaring them off 😭. That part in queen of the damned where he reacts to the popularity of vampires in pop culture like a kid seeing themselves represented in tv for the first time was so funny omh i was living. Vampire from ancient Egypt buys Dracula cosplay bcus he wants ppl to like him was a genius idea thanks Anne rice. Khayman just, his whole personality reminds me of a character who’d be in what we do in the shadows he’s so inspired. Omg remember when he was so excited to go to lestats concert and meet other vampires and then he’s inside for two seconds, instantly gets overstimulated, and then sits outside for the rest of the time 😭 Khayman might be me guys.

I also love Fareed and Seth 😭😭. I love that Anne rice casually wrote an ancient Egyptian vampire and a modern day Anglo Indian vampire falling in gay love with each other and funding an unhinged vampire mad science hospital, and the Egyptian vampire is AKASHA’S SON 😭😭. the reveal that Akasha has a living vampire son who has been quietly living under the radar for the entire book series just practicing science and pursuing his passion for healthcare alongside his long term partner had me clapping and cheering I stg. They also have sm personality 😭 especially Fareed he’s so iconic. This bitch tricked lestat into giving him his sperm for cloning experiments and he served cunt while doing it. I love that they raised Lestat’s clone son as their gay dads, just so much there. Fareed and Seth u will always be famous

BENJI MAHMOUD!!! I love him sm. I’m also a big fan of sybelle but Benji occupies my mind a concerning amount. Like what kind of character?? There is sm going on with him. First of all he’s Bedouin and Palestinian and then he’s human trafficked to America by an insane man who wants him to be the house slave and take care of his disabled sister second of all he’s twelve and he’s a canon genius and he chain smokes to cope with his insane life third of all he is turned into a vampire by Marius and grows up into an immortal child who’s unfazed by being twelve for ever bcus hes such a chad it doesn’t affect him and he becomes a rich and famous business owner who wears fedoras and runs a vampire podcast and he single handedly kickstarts the plot of Prince lestat and causes the vampire government to happen bcus hes such a good activist he convinces all the characters to be better. Anyways wtf. Also I love sybelle she’s such a darling ❤️ Benji and sybelle and Armand’s little family is everything to me.

DENIS??? Wtf even was that. On a similar note Antoine. I love them both bcus they r incredibly interesting and rlly sad and they reveal so much evil about my fav characters anddd they both happened to be unforgivably butchered by the amc show ❤️

andddd last and also least haha kidding, Benedict ❤️. I feel so bad for him 😭but he’s also so real. Ben was the guy who Magnus manipulated and pretended to be friends with and then he chained him up and forced him to turn him into a vampire 😰. I love the concept where he was the first and only vampire to ever be “raped” by his fledgling, and I feel bad that all the other vampires treat him like shit for it 😭. He’s just a little guy. He’s such a pillow princess also. I can’t count all the times in Prince lestat where Bens described as lounging gracefully on the bed or whatever. Forever twink and hashtag loving it. What a dude

[maester-of-spreadsheets]

DASH!!! or; kpop music to listen to when you're a vampire chasing someone for sport. or maybe just walking really fast and vibing sometimes because, like, whatever you'll catch the guy eventually.

Track list:

Shadow - f(x): why not warm up with an amazing song about stalking

Dash - NMIXX: I wanna dash, I wanna run it, I wanna run it run it DASH!

Baddie - IVE: I'm a baddie, ba-ba-baddie, baddie/Pretty little risky baddie/뭐든 될 대로 되라지/Catch me if you caAAAAan

The Chaser - INFINITE: definitely one i added because of the title and bpm but the lyrics are weirdly appropriate so here we are

LOVE BOMB - fromis_9: I MEAN...

As if it's Your Last - Blackpink: It's certainly going to be someone's last

I'm so sick - Apink: I'm so sick of lying........ You gotta know that☹️

Sleepless Night - 9 Muses: Metronomic!

Feel My Rhythm - Red Velvet: look it's sampling bach and it's cute but the hihats make it sound it lowkey wants to kill you what else was i supposed to do?

Eve, Psyche & The Bluebeard's wife - LE SSERAFIM: this is probably the title of a painting in the Loumand loft

Catellena - Orange Caramel: okay so here we have a kpop song sampling a punjabi folk song and the lyrics have all the antagonistic homoerotic yearning of Jolene and the music video has an extended metaphor comparing sushi to beauty standards and maybe capitalism?? i'm just saying it's avant garde enough for Armand

YES or YES - TWICE: 😊 Hey boy! /Look, I'm gonna make this simple for you😊 /You got two choices😊/Yes or YES? 😊

Hold on Tight - aepsa: Keep on moving!

PICK ME - PRODUCE 48: From now on, you’re mine, mine, mine, only mine mine, mine, mine (Superstar)

BBoom BBoom - Momoland: Great!

LIAR LIAR - Oh My Girl: Your freedom is OVER!

Oh! my mistake - April: You’re not allowed to make me feel lonely

Gotta Go - Chung Ha: Gotta go, gotta go

Smiley - Yena: [through gritted teeth] And I say, hey!/I’m gonna make it smile, smile, smile away/I’ll smile prettily and move past it/Just smile away, just smile away-ay,

GingaMingaYo - Billlie: Wel! Come! to! the! Strangeee-eeee! World! WOW!

Catch Me if You Can - SNSD: yeah, good luck with that

Wife - (G)I-DLE: I [pick lint off your couch] it's so twinkle twinkle

Run - BTS: Run, run, run!

RUN2U - StayC: So I run to you!! [unsettling chord progression]

Up & Down - EXID: free shit post vid idea...Armand telephathically moving Daniel's chair up and down during the chorus

Magnetic (Starlight Remix) - ILLIT: Dash-da-da, dash-da-da, dash-da, like it's magnetic

ETA - NewJeans: The day you couldn't come [home from your fuck pad]/The day [Daniel] got in so much trouble/The day [I] couldn't break up with [my husband]/The day [I had to kill our neighbor]/The day [Lestat's voice showed up in my mind]/I HEARD. HIM. SAY.......

I Don't Care - 2NE1: I don't care e e e e e, I don't care e e e e e e

Red Flavor -Red Velvet: Red flavor, I'm curious, honey/It tastes like slowly melting strawberry when I bite into it

ASAP - NewJeans: H-h-h-hi, it's me again, I'm back (hey)/Let's talk ASAP/Do you have the time?//A-S-A-P, baby/Hurry up, don't be lazy/A-S-A-P, baby/Hurry up, don't say maybe/A-S-A-P, baby/Hurry up, don't say/Hurry up, don't say/Just for a minute/Tik-tok, tik-tok, tik-tok, tik, tik tik-tok, tik-tok, tik-tok, tik, tik tik-tok, tik-tok, tik-tok, tik, tik...........

[slapjacq]

I am ill. Not okay. I’ve cried and thrown a tissue box at the wall. Then proceeded to scream at said wall for twenty minutes. Yes I am melodramatic, no I don’t care. I am still in therapy for a reason. Nevertheless, this episode was bonkers, off the wall batshit insane. Like genuinely so good that it almost adds to the tragedy of it all.

Here are my immediate and unfiltered thoughts from my post episode freak out that I have to put somewhere because if I don’t, I will, in fact, explode.

Warning: spoilers up the wazoo, a lot of profanity

First and foremost: Daniel, old Maniel, I can count on you to always keep it a buck, and for that I thank you.

Armand you piece of fucking shit I swear on everything that is holy, you are no longer babygirl, you bitch ass hoe, go stick that fucking doe eyed face up someone else ass you stupid fucking piece of shit. “i cOULD nOt pReVEnt iT” FUCK YOU MEAN YOU COULDNT PREVENT IT YOURE 500 YEARS OLD, YOU SOLD THEM OUT TO BEGIN WITH. YOU STOP TIME, CAN CONTROL BODIES, PLANT IDEAS INTO PEOPLE HEADS, READ PEOPLES MINDS AND THE BITTY BABY VAMPIRE ARMAND COULDNT DO ANYTHIGN ABOUT IT? SUCK MY DICK AND KISS ME MERRY GO TRH THAG SHIT ELSEWHERE (shout out Assad for really giving his all with the whole puppy dog eyes this entire episode 10/10 would fall for them if not the circumstances). I can’t believe I actually was defending this dude a few episodes ago, I literally can’t defend anything else from here moving forward.

Claudia and Madeline deserve to watch these assholes burn and the fact they died such painful deaths should warrant the gods to set the sky alight with constellations of their love. They were allowed NOTHING but a small taste of happiness before it was shredded away from them. No one is EVER gonna villainize them, not to me, not ever. Roxanne absolutely was incredible, and Delainey, in the coming future, better up there as an A-list actor because she has been that astoundingly good. (That goes for everyone here honestly, but Delainey and Roxanne really deserve their flowers here).

Santiago has a special place in hell. I simply cannot wait to watch him die. Decapitation is too kind for him, put him through pain and fury before sending him to hell. Ben Daniels you son of a bitch you played the villain so well. I damn near jumped through the screen when he began to read Claudia’s diaries with a shitty NOLA accent, I have never been so livid in my life.

The rest of Theatre: “All of you motherfuckers, fuck you, die slow.” -Tupac Shakur

Louis GET UP LEAVE YOUR WIFE DUDE YOU KNOW ITS BULLSHIT and honestly I’m not even going to rag on him this episode because the poor man has gone through too much. Jacob was absolutely brilliant in all of this, and honestly I literally will never stop talking about the performances in this show. Regardless, the upcoming rage is justified and I when get to watch him massacre these assholes, I will cackle with the same glee a schoolboy has after he disintegrates ants with a magnifying glass.

And finally Lestat. He rose on the third day and served cunt and made me ball like the mommy issues toting bitch I am. Sam, my man, you knocked it out of the fucking ballpark. Magnificent. Lestat, fucking bastard. You messy bitch. When you get out of whatever the Theatre is doing to you big man, I better see you read Armand to filth. I better see the same from the other. They both deserve to be dragged to hell and back.

Also Daniel Hart is a genius, just really fills your soul with dread this entire episode, I mean the score was filthy, vivid, and hauntingly gorgeous. The violins at the beginning were nasty work and had me fully hypnotized for the entire 50 minutes.

SFX is killing it, everytime, making it all believable and absolutely the worst someone could imagine it to be. I full body contorted at the sight of the sliced ankles.

Shoutout costume department also did its thing. Santiago’s costume was top tier camp. And Lestat’s suit was absolutely everything. Gender envy 11/10.

I could sit here all day and go on about how all the cast and crew did a fucking fantastic job. Like you can really tell they put their heart and soul into this episode.

I mean dear god I’m going to be in shambles for the next two years this episode was insane.

[dreadfuldevotee]

Forgive me but yall are talking abour mischaracterizing Louis to prop up Lestat but yall do the exact same shit with Armand. None of yall ever center Louis it's all about Armand's desirability. Those post-divorce posts about Louis unable to keep his hands off Armand are so out od character and disgusting like does Armand have a killed-your-daughter glow going for him? At least most of the loustat fans are LOUIS fans yall only care about Armand. It explains the Claudia/Paul erasure in yalls posts

Do I think we, as a fandom, need to center Louis/Claudia more? Absolutely, because they do get overlooked in favor of entertaining theory & thought about non-white characters. But- first of all, I'm not going to say Loustat fans aren't fans of Louis, but MOST?? I remember what this fandom looked like in 2022. Shit! I remember what this fandom looked like today- Opening twitter to a thread of tiktok comments calling Louis abusive to Lestat. Do not try to front with me that any "shipper" is better than the other when I have seen people defend and prop up Loustat for months via racist stereotypes of both Louis and Armand.

If you don't like the silly post-divorce drabbles, man just block me. Its only like 5 people who are writing these things, damn. Do I think its actually going to happen or is canon? No. But people still genuinely think that Louis went to New Orleans with the sole intent to Kiss n' Make Up with Lestat. Who, is also complicit in the abuse and murder of Claudia. Which is why I can't take this point seriously because ya'll love to forget that little tidbit, huh. Claudia is just a "gotcha" point and not a character you actually respect on her own.

Also, "Y'all". Look man, stay mad at who and whatever you want. But if you're going to come into my inbox, specifically? Get pissed about something I actually did. Louis is an active member in all his relationships and I am interested and engaged with the kind of conversations that acknowledge his interests, desires and his traumas. I don't need to list them out to you here because lucky for you I have a neat meta tag of just that. Live your truth or whatever.

[akajustmerry]

How would you fix Lestat's bisexuality then?

[ARMAND VOICE] there is no fixing lestat('s bisexuality).

yeah this is why I don't really like talking about it because it's so baked in that there's no real use, and also it's pretty low on the list of priorities (personally I'd rather fix the racism first). moreover, the actual solution to the problem of bad bi rep is just more rep in general. lestat being bad bisexual representation wouldn't be a problem if representation for bi men wasn't so borderline non-existent. iwtv is probably the show I've seen with the most bi dudes in it ever (3, Armand, lestat, and Daniel) but excluding iwtv I'm aware of maybe 3 other current shows that have bi guy characters just living normal lives. My point is I don't need to take a hacksaw to the homophobia/biphobia of a character like lestat because, thankfully, we have other bi dude characters. Not many but they're around, thank the lord. We even have them in the show itself. like. I desperately want to arrive at a point in lgbt representation where lgbt people can be pieces of shit and it isn't marked as a symptom of their identity and I actually think iwtv is the closest I've ever gotten to a show like that. I truly believe that Anne Rice harboured deeply homophobic/biphobic sentiments that are very obvious in her books in the way her characters are written. However, I don't think the show is written that way. I genuinely think the show goes to great pains to show that the issues with these characters aren't their sexualities, it's that their flawed and shitty people. But I'm also aware those bigoted sentiments will never be fully exorcised from the story because they're so baked in because Anne Rice was weird about gay people. It's unfixable and honestly I don't want to fix it and I don't need to because last time I checked Lestat De Lyingcunt wasn't the only bisexual guy ever in all of media. let's celebrate that <3

[avalonia320]

Darkest Before the Dawn sneak peek: ch 5

Sharing because I'm just excited that my writing drought might be over. Not sure when I'll post it, hopefully tonight but that's a long shot. Anyway, enjoy a little Daniel if you're so inclined. And if you want to see it, Lestat's house that Daniel is visiting is here: https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/4750-Encino-Ave_Encino_CA_91316_M10539-06277?from=srp-list-card

***

The next evening Daniel woke and dressed to find Maia had left him a bottled cold frappucino instead of the usual coffee. His overnight bag was neatly packed. There was a note on the table explaining that the checkout had been taken care of, the rest of his luggage sent on ahead, and she would meet him at Lestat’s compound the following evening.

It wasn’t long, the drive from Beverly Hills to Encino, especially in the late evening when the choked freeways of L.A. became far less congested, but nevertheless, going down the drive to Lestat’s compound always felt like entering another world. There was no intercom at the wooden gates, no cameras that he could see; still the large wooden doors always opened wide when his car approached and when he drove through them southern California melted away, even though the palm trees could still be seen in the distant, the traffic noises muffled to nothing, the endless stucco houses and red tiled roofs forgotten. The house that lay beyond was enormous, a stone French chateau styled with a certain irreverence for the history it was meant to pay tribute to, a perfect counterpart to its owner.

He was met at the front door by Lestat’s assistant Frankie, a nervous kid just out of college with a certain jumpy energy that always made Daniel want to rap him over the head with a rolled up newspaper like one would an unruly puppy.

“Hello, Mr. Molloy - a pleasure as always,” Frankie had been rubbing his hands together and he stopped to offer one to Daniel who ignored the gesture,  not in the mood for sweaty palms. 

“Hi, Frankie. I'm gonna be staying for a few days this time; can you have someone clear the groupies out of whatever room I’m supposed to stay in and clean up the bloodstains and coke dust?”

“Oh, we’ve got a suite set up for you already at Mr. Lioncourt’s request. And it’s um…fully stocked with the uh…special protein drink you requested,” the kid tried to wink at him, but only managed to blink very fast. 

“Oh great; clean sheets and a generous supply of True Blood. I’m a lucky man,” Daniel grinned sardonically, trying to ignore the pulsating vein in Frankie’s throat and the grumbling of his stomach that was telling him he really should have fed before he’d gotten here.  At least it sounded like Lestat had prepared for this oversight. There must be some Southern Cali version of The Farm that Armand and Louis had sourced their blood from, but he wasn’t privy to the details and wasn’t sure that he wanted to be. Besides, he preferred his blood fresh but he had to be careful here. Lestat did not allow hunting at his compound. He was oddly protective of the humans that constantly surrounded him these days; something Daniel had not exactly expected after Louis’s many tales of Lestat’s elaborate killing sprees.

Frankie was blinking at him in confusion.  Daniel sighed. “True Blood…the stuff vampires drink in that show, also called True Blood? What, you never heard of it?”

“No,” Frankie said politely. “Is it new?”

“Naw, it’s been around since like 2008 or so.”

“Oh. I don’t normally watch stuff that old.”

Little GenZ shit. Daniel smiled acidly as he handed Frankie his bag to carry. “I’m gonna outlive you, you know.” He was gratified to watch the smile drop from Frankie’s face. 

[monstersinthecosmos]

Hi Kacy! Question: do you like Lestat? Like, what is your opinion on him? Also I was wondering.. what is your least favorite VC character, and why?

fhjskdglsd lmao he is my least favorite VC character  🥸

But!!!!!!!! There’s some nuance here for me. 

Like, he’s the main narrator so if I TRULY couldn’t stand him I don’t think I’d like the books. I don’t hate Lestat. I also could group the many many many extraneous characters in the back half of the series as my least favorite, too, but it’s fair to say that I don’t care about them. I would’ve enjoyed more content about the characters we already knew and liked instead of having to spend so much time with like all the PL trilogy randos. So, of the main cast, my least favorite is Lestat.

A lot of this is like, subjective and personal and about preference, because we see the double standards in fandom constantly, like why do we give Lestat a pass while we demonize Marius for the same shit, etc. And for me as a Marius Girlie (GN), WHY DO I GIVE MARIUS A PASS ON STUFF LESTAT ALSO DOES? I can’t really explain it, I just don’t like him. LOL.

But what I find really fascinating is that Marius and Lestat are like, the father & son version of the same character. They have SO much in common, and it’s really engaging for me to use Lestat to extrapolate ideas about Marius. I think a lot about how they’re sort of pessimist/optimist versions of each other, too, and how perhaps Lestat’s “nauseating buoyancy” is what allows him to make such terrible, public decisions, vs Marius who has similar bouts of creative frenzy, similar self-loathing cycles, similar uses of ego, but who often crumbles and withdraws into himself without making Lestat-Sized messes. 

And like, how much of this speaks to their inherent personalities vs the lore about your age and temperament? Would Marius have been like this if he’d been turned at 20 when he was still full of verve? If Lestat had made it to 40 would he have calmed down? Was Marius this much of a mess in his first couple centuries, and will Lestat be like this if he makes it to 2000?

As a VC fan in general, I think whenever I’m reading one of Lestat’s books I’m usually really plugged in and enjoying him in the moment, but like, I am so much more invested in the de Romanus bloodline, like, in TVL I am so engaged with Lestat until Armand shows up, and then I’m like NO LET’S SPEND MORE TIME WITH THIS GUY. Same with the Marius chapter, it’s my favorite! And TVA/B&G/Pandora are my favorite. I mostly enjoy the other books, but whenever I do a reread it’s always a relief to make it to de Romanus books. THE DARK TRIAD, if you will.

I get him, too. Like, I get it lol. I get it. But I think by the back half of the series I just get super sick of him, and a lot of it has to do with the way the writing devolves. TVL Lestat is a very different person than Post-MTD Lestat, even PL Lestat, and I think when we start dissecting Anne Rice’s use of him as a Mary Sue it gets really annoying. There’s also like, the huge list of -isms in VC that we’ve discussed to death, and things Anne Rice handled better or worse, and even Post-QOTD Lestat really bugs the fuck out of me with how he treats Louis, and the way he is so plainly abusive to his lovers.

Like, I’m here all day defending Marius/TVA LOL and discussing diegetic kink and brand contamination and telling everyone it’s not that deep, and so this is my flaw as well that I give Marius a pass on stuff that I blame on the writing, vs how I have a hard time giving Lestat the same grace. It’s subjective, in a way, too, because the specific ways Lestat treats Louis are really triggering to me personally, and I have a hard time seeing past it, the way some people have a hard time seeing past Marius, or even a hard time seeing past the way Armand abuses Daniel. We all have little things like that, so I’m not judging anyone who enjoys it, it’s just not for me. I find it easy to understand the non-diegetic BDSM in TVA but less easy to watch the way Lestat treats Louis and David long term, the way his shitty behavior doesn’t get called out, the way Louis never gets to stick up for himself, the way David is so broken and traumatized and terrified of him but we never talk about it again except when Lestat makes a rape joke about it. Etc!!!

He’s just such a terror to everyone in his life, like! I feel sorry for everyone who gets involved with him! He’s traumatic to be around! AND LIKE, THE THEME OF VC IS THAT MESSES & BAD PEOPLE ALSO DESERVE LOVE, but like. Christ lol. He can meet us halfway and work on himself too lol. 

And it's interesting to ask like, when we talk about how Lestat gets a pass in the universe and no one holds him accountable, I think it's fair to analyze points of view and ask if it's simply Lestat withholding any criticism, but like ! idk! He turned a child lol. That happened! Other people met her! TOBT is about how he realizes he's a monster and accepts it, and decides he'd do it again! I love TOBT so much for being such a cool portrait of his evil, really! And it's part of his charm, too, like we like him as a character because he's charming and perhaps people in the universe also always forgive him because he's charming! He's just too irresistible LOL. But there's a turning point where it just starts feeling flat, the charm feels unironic, it doesn't feel like we're seeing him as a charming monster anymore. (This is just me but maybe it's because I get bored and don't analyze the later Lestat books enough.)

By the end it felt like Anne Rice writing silly lil stories about her lil guy, I get it. But I don’t really enjoy that in the writing and so like, I can’t say that I enjoy the Lestat stories too much, and whether it’s diegetic or not, he bugs the fuck out of me LOL.

On a fandom level, too, like, he’s the main character and Loustat is the juggernaut ship. He’s not neglected, there’s plenty of fan content about him. I don’t feel particularly obligated to create works for him or give him more attention, he’s doing fine lol. I don’t think I have anything to say about him that hasn’t been said, and I’m not interested in taking up space in fandom as a salty Lestat hater, so I just leave a polite distance. 

I do like him when I’m in the moment reading his books, I really value him as the main narrator, there are scenes of his that break my heart, Lestat/Nicki is one of my top ships of all time, I love him as a scared boy trying so hard to be good, I love him as a tortured creative person who needs so deeply to be heard, I love him as a baby fledgling who doesn’t know what to do and is so so so scared of losing people, but I also get sick of him and think that, as the main narrator, he shoulders the brunt of the weird writing decisions in the second half, and I’m just over it! Idk! 

[desertfangs]

I was trying to find the scene anon mentioned (and I did!) but I got too caught up and decided to to a little "Daniel being a little shit on the plane" compilation:

"You're dying", Armand said softly.

"And though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, etcetera."

2. There is almost nothing left the word that you enjoy.

"Except talking to you now and then. It's so easy to hear everything you say."

3. If you were never to see me again, that would only make things worse. If you go on as you are, you won't live another five days.

Unbearable thought, actually. But if that's so, then why have I been running away?

4. "I'm dying. They're dying. They got to be immortal before it happened; I am merely alive. See? I remember. I would like to have the bourbon now."

There is nothing I can do to make you want to live, isn't that so?

"Not that again. I will jump out of the plane if you go on".

5. "How can I help it? I can't get away from your voice when you want me to listen. It's like a tiny microphone inside my head. What is this? Tears? You're going to weep over me?"

6. "I work with limited equipment. The cells in my body are subject to deterioration, to a process called aging and--"

7. "For all that's happened, Lestat is to blame".

"A real devil among devils", Daniel laughed softly.

With a subtle nod, Armand acknowledged the little jest. He even smiled.

Daniel really said "I'll die tonight but not before one last stand up banger" 💣 And it just hit me how much they laugh during that whole scene. Even as they "get" to the Villa, and as weary and uncertain as Armand feels, they're both laughing so much. They never stop being playful and sweet with each other, even during Daniel's death/rebirth. I love them your honor 😭

Anon, thank you for doing the lord's work! (Speaking very metaphorically of course!) I need to save this post to look at when I get sad.

That's the thing with Devil's Minion though - Armand is described as being playful and laughing a lot in there. Daniel describes him as curious and whimsical and captivated by mundane things, but also as someone who laughs easily and whose laughter he adores.

They have philosophical conversations but it's Armand's laughter that really gets Daniel in the scene at the Copley: "Armand had been so delighted, laughing and laughing like a schoolboy as he sat watching, with folded arms. It was the first time Daniel had ever heard that soft, silky laughter. So seductive. He got drunk as fast as he could."

I think that right there was the moment when Daniel realized he was in deep and I believe from that moment on, making Armand laugh becomes one of Daniel's favorite things in the world. Even when he's dying. Honestly, I think Daniel would have been okay knowing the last sound he would ever hear would be Armand's laughter. (Luckily it did not come to that!)

I also love them so much 😭😭 Thank you for the list, anon! This is so great!

[nalyra-dreaming]

Did you write VC fics before the AMC version? I know there was a ban but there was probably ways to bypass?

If yes,how the show changed your writing for the characters do you still write both versions? For example if you write Louis Armand do you still go with book descriptions and for Claudia and Lestat with their book ages appearances ?

No. The show rekindled my passion for the VC and its characters, which... while old and very much always there... had taken a dip with what Anne did to fandom in general, and the books after Memnoch (till the last trilogy). I talked about it a bit here.

(For those unfamiliar with fandom history, here is a quick list of why we have Ao3 today. Anne Rice was definitely a big part of the shit show.)

I... don't think the show changed my writing per se (and I cannot say it for the characters, obviously), but the way I think about the characters definitely changed, since especially Louis and Armand are already so much more. Claudia, too, Lestat... will be. :) Everyone, really.

And no, my fics are all tagged into both show and book canon, because what I write... is a mix of what the canon gives us and what the show enhanced it to.

Louis is actually not that different, character-wise, for example. Jacob also stated that, ages ago (let me know if you want to have the link to the video). But he is so much more now. This is a Louis I can actually love :) and this Louis will be so amazing to watch going forward.

And that is the same for all of them, really.

I said it before, I waited 30 years for this.

And boy, did this show deliver.

[nightcolorz]

I am in NEED of more headcanons about Ivan, I'm so in love with the idea

AW OMG YAY!!! Ur in luck because I have so so many Ivan headcanons, so many dude 😭🙏. Thank u for the ask!!! I’m so excited. For ppl coming across this without context for who ivan is: https://www.tumblr.com/nightcolorz/754664585129279488/okay-i-swear-last-from-me-tonight-and-no-spoilers?source=share , here ya go. TLDR he is my Armand x Daniel fan kid who was conceived by vampire chronicles canon compliant prince lestat trilogy era vampire clone child means

HEADCANONS!!:

—Armand named his son Ivan to honor his mortal father, and to honor the culture and heritage he associates with him. By naming his son ivan armand vowed to find inspiration in the fierce devotion, love, and protectiveness his father had for him while breaking the cycle of violence and abuse his father introduced him to

—Armand very heavily restricts who is allowed to interact with Ivan, he is VERY weary of anyone being around him extendedly who isn’t him or Daniel. He has a selection of vampires he trusts with Ivan to varying degrees that he composed before he was born, and that list loosens as he ages. Bianca, Alessandra, Benji + Sybelle, Louis, Lestat (selectively), and Fareed and Seth (who handle Ivan’s pediatric care, he has check ups every three months or so), are the only vampires who Armand considers worthy of interacting with Ivan 😭 he’s very over protective

—Ivan didn’t start talking until he was around 6, which Daniel and Fareed thought was probably indicative of a developmental disorder they should screen him for. Armand was very insistent that this was normal and Ivan didn’t have anything wrong with him because “Armand was the same way as a child” (Ivan has autism 💀 and so does Armand). For the majority of his childhood Ivan carried around a communication device to help him with his speech impairments

—When he was young Ivan spawned some inappropriate behaviors from observing the way his vampire parents interact, such as biting ppl as an equivalent for kissing bcus in his household his parents bite each other/share blood bcus they love each other 😭🙏. Which is cute at a glance, but became a problem when Ivan started biting other children to try and communicate that he wants to be friends 💀

—When he was little Ivan had long hair that reached his lower back. Before putting him to bed Armand and Daniel rotated between putting his hair in a braid so that it didn’t tangle while he sleeps.

—Armand goes through hyperfixations like his dads, his longest and most prevailing interests being wolves and video games. He was the type of kid to wear wolf ears and a tail wherever he went, lol. He’s also a major screen addict 💀 his favorite games are Minecraft, Roblox, and five nights at freddy’s

—Ivan is a massive little shit 💀 it doesn’t help that both of his parents encourage him, especially Daniel (he thinks it’s hilarious). Armand is an enabler 💀💀. When he was little Armand used to bring Ivan to Vampire court meetings and have him sit on his lap while he played on his iPad, just for convenience and so that he didn’t have to leave him in someone else’s care, since Daniel usually attended meetings with him. He had to stop doing this when Ivan started talking at 6 bcus he’d end up interrupting meetings to run his mouth and make fun of vampires that armand complained about at home😭. Poor lestat couldnt get a word in without this seven yr old ginger boy making fart sounds whenever he spoke 💀.

—Armand raised Ivan as a Protestant Christian. Armand retains the healthy and comforting aspects of his faith and religious values post canon (in my heart), and he hopes to share the comfort and importance he finds in God with his son in an empowering and healthy way (and undue any generational religious trauma in the process ‼️). Armand tried taking Ivan to church in his early childhood but Ivan was too sensorily overwhelmed by the environment for it to work out, so Armand teaches Ivan his faith at home by reading a kid’s bible to him at bed time and doing nightly prayers, telling him that Jesus loves him, stuff like that.

—Armand was a suppperr overprotective parent, and he had an incredibly intense (trauma based) anxiety about someone harming Ivan or taking advantage of him while he’s a vulnerable child. This *heavily* influenced his parenting, which became a problem bcus the prevailing fear and anxiety that Armand let inform all of his actions began to affect Ivan and cause him to take on some of that social anxiety and paranoia during his childhood. Daniel had to have a lot of talks with Armand about this 🙏 and Armand is eventually able to work through it, but it’s pretty bad for a while

—Daniel is a good contrast to Armand when it comes to parenting. He’s lighthearted and chill, and is a very positive relaxing presence in Ivan’s life. It’s very important to Daniel that Ivan get to experience the typical, classic childhood trademarks Daniel grew up with, which can sometimes be hard to access bcus of his unique circumstances. But Daniel still finds away <3. He teaches Ivan to ride a bike, takes him to theme parks, gets him cheesy decorations and a cake with candles for his birthday parties, takes him on night time beach trips, stuff like that lol.

—Armand wanted to keep Ivan homeschooled for his whole life but Daniel insisted he start going to school when he turned ten so that he can interact with other children and learn to be social and independent from his parents. Armand obliged, and sent him to a private, small, high priced Catholic school, in fear that smth less sheltered and prestigious would be too much. Ivan quickly started to get badly bullied in school, and Armand freaked out and insisted that they need to pull him out of school. Daniel and him had a big argument, Daniel saying that cutting off Ivan from the world anytime he faces adversity is going to ruin him in adulthood. They can’t come to a comprise, and so Ivan is given the finale say, and decides to go back to home schooling. He only goes back to school when he turns fourteen, and tells his parents that he’d like to try public school so that he can get to have the normal teenager experience. Needless to say he has an interesting time 💀 Obviously being the homeschooled, extremely wealthy and socially isolated genetic clone son of a vampire makes it pretty hard for Ivan to relate to other children, but he is able to find his own flock of weirdos, and by adulthood Ivan is a thriving social butterfly.

—Ivan inherited Armand’s artistic talent and passion. The type of art he makes is very different though, lol. He draws a lot of animals (he’s a bit of a furry), and he is rlly into creating characters and making up stories with his art. He gets into animation in his teen years

—Ivan has pretty bad sensory issues, especially when it comes to sound, so he often carries his noice canceling head phones with him

—Armand fixated on child safety when he becomes a parent and took some pretty strict measures when it came to trying to protect Ivan. When he found out about online grooming and online pedophile circles he vowed to very thoroughly go through all of Ivan’s devices once a month. Ivan doesn’t like this 💀 particularly bcus of his love for raunchy wattpad mafia boss romances 😭. Thankfully for Ivan, Armand knows from experience that their r worse ways for a teenager to explore his sexuality then reading shitty erotic online, and if he happens to come across any smutty writing in Ivan’s history he will tasteful ignoring it🙏

—Raising Ivan caused Armand uncover a lot of repressed childhood memories (some good, some traumatic). One of the good ones was the memory of the song Armand’s mother used to sing to him and his siblings to soothe them. Armand starts singing this song to Ivan when he cries as a baby, and it heals a part of him to feel that connection to his mother after so long.

—When Ivan gets older he starts gaining interest in reading the vampire chronicles, which Armand is very adamantly against. When he reaches the age where Armand can’t exactly stop him from reading anything, Ivan tries reading the vampire armand, but he doesn’t get past the beginning because he finds it too nauseating to read about those things happening to his father.

—Daniel struggles with knowing that Ivan will never rlly have an extended family. He mourns that his parents will never know their grandson, and sometimes wonders what they would think of him

—As a rite of passage, on his fifteenth birthday Daniel gifts Ivan his favorite leather jacket when he was a young man. Ivan feels so cool in it that he wears it nearly everyday of freshman year.

—When Ivan reaches the point in puberty that Armand never did and starts to deviate significantly from him in appearance Armand is shocked by how much Ivan starts to resemble his namesake. When Ivan grows into an adult he is stocky and thick, and he wears his hair long with his natural curls, and has a pretty nice beard. He looks like a modern day gay Viking lol

—As a teenager Ivan goes through a rebellious phase and starts having a bunch of unhealthy, volatile relationships, in response to how restrictive and isolating his upbringing was. It scares the ever loving shit out of armand. At some point Ivan had a short lived relationship with an older man, which was quickly cut off by Armand and Daniel finding out and very violently killing him 😭. This prompted the end of Ivan’s rebellious streak

—Armand was concerned that Ivan would begin to crave the dark gift and resent Armand for refusing to turn him, but thankfully that never happened. Like any child, Ivan grew up finding his parents pretty lame, and so he didn’t have much of a reason to envy vampirism 💀. He always said he preferred werewolves

i could go on, but I’m going to end my list here haha, sorry for how long it is he’s literally my favorite guy. Thank u sm for the ask ur interest means a ton to me and as u can probably tell, I had a blast writing this ❤️

[bandedbulbussnarfblat]

currently rotating the perfect xmas iwtv human au fanfic idea around in my head that ends with armand, daniel, louis and lestat in a polycule. however i will not be able to write it in time for christmas, so here is a list of reasons why i'll probably try to do it anyway:

Gabrielle and Marius are in the mafia. I don't think it's ever going to be outwardly addressed, beyond a snarky remark or two by daniel. but marius is obviously some mob boss (like it could have been gabrielle, but tbh i don't think she'd give a shit about doing that)

also gabrielle and marius are married, but only bc they are doing shady shit together, and married people can't be forced to testify against each other in court. gabrielle makes no attempt to hide her affair with sevraine. marius even introduces her to people as his wife's mistress

marius is armand's adopted dad here. and there's nothing sexual/romantic about their relationship (bc i like to think that if marius wasn't from a culture that accepted pederasty as a done thing, then he'd not do it. in my land of make believe, where anne rice didn't give all her characters her fucked up opinion on kids and sex) (and like, not trying to shame people who are into them as a pairing. ship and let ship etc. they are just not for me)

that makes armand and lestat step brothers which either kinda turns you on or kinda grosses you out so for context: their parents got married when they were teenagers. (idk if it ever comes up in the fic, but Gabrielle totally murders her husband. bc in this universe she could get away with it) also gabrielle&lestat and marius&armand didn't live together most of the time, so it's kind of a reach if you're going for an incesty vibe. (not that it will stop daniel from cracking jokes about it)

there is more goddamn fake dating but it is my favorite trope and above all my fic is self-indulgent

the fake dating is less about mutual pining and more about armand tired of daniel being in denial and armand plotting

claudia is alive and well (as well as can be expected, with loustat as parents) bc it's a happy xmas fic and i just want her to be there

omg that technically makes Armand her uncle. she would hate that

loustat are happily together. but you know, they have their highs and lows. but um, never quite as low as the show gets

there's probably going to smut. i will find a way to squeeze a holiday pun in there somehow

i think this somehow became more of a note taking thing, but whatever, i'll post it anyway

[nightcolorz]

WOOOO!! This was hard to narrow it down to 5 songs I like bcus I listen to sm music but here we go. Ofc I’m going to explain how each relates to tvc also bcus I am so normal.

-The Unwanted Animal by The Amazing Devil

I mf love the drama of this song. So many lyrics r so visceral and vivid that I have them stapled in my brain lol. Basically about having a relationship with someone and feeling this looming threat that’s prohibiting you from properly loving and engaging with them. The metaphor of “the wrongness” or “the threat” is a horrible beast that keeps tormenting the narrator of the song. I associate this song with so many tvc couples bcus the metaphor of a threat looming over a relationship can apply to all of them lol, but I most strongly associate it with Nicki and Lestat. They both have literal unwanted animals tormenting them and cutting their relationship short and figurative ones. Nicki’s unending sense of dread, depression, or “darkness” that pervades every moment he spends with Lestat, and Lestat’s literal vampire stalker who prevents him from indulging in everyday joys with his partner bcus he’s too distracted by the looming dread of Magnus.

Remember my Name by Mitski

I really like Mitski bros. Chose to list this song out of all of them bcus every time I listen to it I get a profound wave of emotion and sadness that her other songs don’t make me feel. Remember my Name is about desperately needing your existence validated and “remembered”. This is such a Lestat song for me lol. 90% of his actions r driven by his desire to be seen, loved, remembered, etc. I heavily associate this song with reading qotd for the first time, specifically the parts where Lestat laments about the end of his rockstar career.

the fruits by Paris Paloma

Ok so I can’t think about this song too much bcus I’ll get crazy over how Armand it is and start chewing my arm off. This song is about the protagonist being in a relationship with someone who objectifies them and sees them as pure and “angelic” though the protagonist themselves believes they’re “fallen” and akin to a devil. It seems in the song that no matter if the protagonist is being compared to a virtue corrupting devil or a pure and innocent angel, both comparisons imply objectification and dehumanization. I don’t think I even need to explain how this relates to Armand, specifically The Vampire Armand cough cough.

Total Eclipse of the Heart by Bonnie Tyler

THIS SONG MAKES ME INSANE, I can’t listen to it without loosing my absolute shit. Everyone knows Total Eclipse of the Heart so I don’t think I need to explain what it’s about lol. But did you know it was written to be about a VAMPIRE LOVE STORY? The original title was “Vampires in Love” 😭😭Omfg. This is my ultimate loustat song. Just. The drama, the passion. I can’t

Curses by The Crane Wives

This song is about feeling “cursed” or haunted in an environment that’s filled with reminders of some past trauma, and finding comfort in someone who understands. I’ve always loved this song and find it very relatable lol, the feeling of logically knowing that your safe but feeling scared or overwhelmed because the curses of your environment keep following u around is one I’m familiar with. I also listen to the song and think about the revamped rue royale era of tvc, post totbt when Lestat had the rue royale re done to look just like their old home and moved in with Louis and ehem. David Talbot 😒. Ofc then they start to get literally haunted by Claudia’s ghost lol. The song reminds me of the untapped potential of the feelings moving into a house with that kind of personal history could’ve brought up.

tagging:

@translouisdpdl

@butchybats

@theydneverlosetheirlove

@love-me-im-dead

@bloodstainedembrace

@marssmaple

@viciousland

@darkangel1791

@mycupofstars

@eatstheevildoer

Put 5 songs you actually listen to and tag 10 followers!

Tagged by: @ladyvampir3

EVIL by Melanie Martinez

It’s a super duper good song basically about dealing with someone who’s narcissistic and them calling you a bad person because you won’t let them treat you poorly, it resonates with me in a very personal way and I associate it very much with Armand (as most songs on this list will :P).

Dinner Is Not Over by Jack Stauber

I love the funky way it sounds and the message behind it is super neat and I think the way he used dinner and dessert as a metaphor(?) for life and death is so cool.

Cupid de Locke by The Smashing Pumpkins

Cupid De Locke is a song basically about a failing relationship and how you can just feel the love leaving it and you can’t escape it, I love the song a lot because I’m a sucker for sad songs lmao and because Cupid is in the name! :P

Touch Up by Mother Mother

BAM another song I associate HEAVILY with Armand and that’s because this song is basically obsessing about your physical appearance and physical beauty which I associate so much with Armand because he’s only ever been reduced to his looks by quite literally everyone he’s ever around.

I Am a Poseur by X-Ray Spex

WEEEEE LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS SONG!!! This song was about the lead singer embracing her identity as a biracial woman and a “poseur” since the punk rock scene at the time when this song came out was mostly white men so she was constantly called a poser because people didn’t believe she belonged in the space she was in.

She embraced the fact that she was different and I really love that about this song!!

Taggiiiing:

@nightcolorz

@complicitsacrilege

@pinkestpigglet

@you-get-me-closer-to-god

@ghostfoolish

@grapes-of-orgonon

@meerawrites

@shit-garbage

@chaleshezza

[thecaduceusclay]

top 5 vampires

No explanation. I'm not justifying myself.

5. Vladimir Tod (Eighth Grade Bites)

4. Father Paul (Midnight Mass)

3. Draculaura (Monster High)

2. Regis (The Witcher)

Lestat/Armand (The Vampire Chronicles)