#chameleon-Armand

[rustingways]

Assad Zaman if I could kiss your brain. You just get him, you really do.

x

[dreadfuldevotee]

Knowing now from QotD that Armand would get into arguments with random people at parties or clubs and pick up their accents, really makes me want to take him to a shitty sports bar in Alabama and watch him feud about college football

[thewingedwolf]

i finally started watching iwtv but because i do NOT have cable i have to jump between apps aksjdj watch the first ep on amazon (thru my aunt’s account), then check out each episode individually through my library’s catalog, THEN switch to hoopla, then BACK to prime but only for the free amc trial so i can watch all of season 2. amc hates me and i’m too old to figure out how to watch illegally now but these people will NOT get a DIME from me that’s what pride is about folks

[miraculous-prompts]

Write a fic about Barbara as The Bubbler and Chameleon saving Psycomedian, Armand and Andre inspired by the first song that comes on your playlist when you hit shuffle

[hekateinhell]

I love, love that tiny little passage that has Nicolas and Armand together in Lestat's old dressing room as the last time Lestat ever sees Nicki (and Armand until the events of IWTV):

I'd found him [Armand] earlier closeted in my old dressing room with Nicolas in the midst of a strange conversation dominated by Nicki's sarcasm and peculiar fire. He wore a wig and a somber red frock coat, and it seemed to me that he had already acquired a new opacity, as if every waking moment since the death of the old coven was giving him greater substance and strength. ~ Lestat, TVL

@eosphoroz requested Armand wearing a wig as was mentioned in TVL, so here's him being very fashionable in the 1700s!

I've seen so much history of the Habsburgs ect. but I know nothing about the finer details of Baroque era fashion. Armand is confused too. Somebody teach him!

[hvnnigrvhm]

i find it so fascinating in the portrayal of armand how his chameleon side shows even with something so trivial as the pronunciation of his own name. things like “without [louis] i am nothing” were never meant to be romantic but to bring an association with quotes like “don’t cover your eyes that would look on me, master, because i can’t live without your gaze” from tva. it shows us that armand only feels that his identity is palpable and real when he is perceived by others. he thrives when he is perceived. his later-on resentment towards louis in the books stems from the fact that louis doesn’t seem to notice him, quoting: “i look into your eyes and my reflection isn’t there”. it’s almost like he needs another entity, another being simply to endure and keep going. it has nothing to do with romance. and so in the show we have a comparison of how armand pronounces his name to louis back in paris, very strong french accent used by his theatre companions, showing exactly how he was addressed in the 40’s. because back then the theatre WAS his identity. then later on in san francisco in the 70’s he introduces himself to daniel and the pronunciation of his name is incredibly american, with a strong mark on the last syllable just the way always louis addresses him, because his companion was louis and the way he was addressed he just decided to go with it and take it for the truth. he is often switching accents, completely adapting to the customs in the place where he is, but we need to remember that he has no actual touch with humanity, his touch with the world is the presence of another person in his life and this person has been louis for the last decades. and so his own version of himself is not parisian anymore, it’s whatever louis wanted him to be. shivers.

[pirateshelly]

I haven't been able to get Claudia's line "I never thought about choosing to pretend, life hasn't been kind enough to allow me that" out of my head and how it really is THEE Claudia thesis (and in some ways a thesis for the whole show).

Because performance really does define every single character in this show, as does the degree to which that character has chosen that particular performance or whether it's something the world/other people/necessity has imposed on them. On one hand you have white men like Lestat and Santiago up on stages by choice performing these romantic/intimidating/charismatic roles. And then you have both Louis and Armand who are both people who, in different ways, have had to essentially be chameleons their whole lives just to survive. But for both of them there's a sense that it becomes, to some extent, something they simply cannot emotionally break free from rather than a material necessity for the sake of survival (and obviously the necessity never goes away for either them entirely, but they're both also very much characters prone to getting trapped in cages of their own making).

And then you have Claudia who is so DESPERATE to just be herself and to be seen. I read a great interview with Delainey recently when she says that she thinks of Claudia as probably the most honest and reliable narrator in the story and I think she's absolutely right, Claudia is not duplicitous by nature. It's that she has simply never once in her life been in a situation where she wasn't forced to perform to survive. As a young black girl in the early 1900s. As an adult woman in the body of a child who must perform childishness in order to not seem monstrous and disturbing. As a young woman living in an abusive home where she has to navigate an angry man's moods. As Louis' loving sister/daughter and emotional tether. When has she ever had the chance to CHOOSE to pretend, just for the sake of it, in all of that?

We see her watching Santiago on stage performing as this romantic yet intimidating personification of death and she is ENTHRALLED. It's a power fantasy she desperately wants for herself, but when she's finally allowed on stage there's no seductive power fantasy waiting for her, just the same humiliating child role she's played her whole life and once again she has no choice in the matter.

[eddiegotout]

really really really respecting daniel's 50 year hustle regarding armand and immortality. daniel said 'sure ok i'll beg for 12 years to become a vampire and not just your sidepiece because i want to be your immortal companion. but you always say no because you think i just want the cool powers and eternal youth. and then i get addicted to your literal actual blood as a human because i want vampirism so bad. and then you erase my memory. so then i go off and win two pulitzers out of spite for a man i literally do not remember. and then when i am 69 years old (sex number) you call me to your dracula castle in dubai where i interview the wife i always resented but it's cool because we bond. and i ruin your life. ohhh i ruin your life sooo bad. and then you turn me into a vampire the thing i always wanted and i adapt to it like a chameleon changing spots just sooo smooth and beautiful. i'm shining and colorful. i've got purple eyes.' like genuinely his game needs to be studied.

[defjux]

Here's 100 of the albums from 2024 that i''ve enjoyed the most: 50 hip hop records, and 50 albums in other genres. There's still a ton of stuff I haven't gotten to yet or need to revisit, but i'm feeling pretty good about this and don't think too much would change aside from the order. Insane year for music overall, and surely there will still be some big releases in the next two months. Biggest surprise for me was definitely The Cure making a comeback after almost two decades and putting out their best album since Wish. I'm also convinced that Robert Smith is an actual vampire. he still sounds great after all this time. Charts with album titles included Again, i'm sure there's plenty of stuff that has gone under the radar for me so as always i'm open to recommendations. Let me know what your favorite records are, i'd genuinely like to know. I'll post the list of albums below, and maybe at the end of the year will do some kind of spotify playlist with one or two songs from each. Peace.

Hip hop:

ELUCID - REVELATOR

Ka - The Thief Next To Jesus

AKAI SOLO - DREAMDROPDRAGON

Mach-Hommy- #RICHAXXHAITIAN

Cavalier - Different Type Time

The Fortunate Ones - RESIN

Armand Hammer - BLK LBL

Dead Players - Faster Than the Speed of Death

ShrapKnel - Nobody Planning To Leave

Sunmundi & klwn cat - Lived and Born

Desert Camo - Desert Camo

Nakama - EMBERGO_

Lee Scott - To Tame A Dead Horse

Joshua Virtue - Black Box: JOSHUA IS DEAD

Freddie Gibbs - You Only Die ince

Navy Blue - Memoirs in Armour

Phiik & Lungs - Carrot Season

Nickelus F - MMCHT

Nuse Tyrant - Juxtaposed Echoes

Mary Sue - Voice Memos From A Winter In China

DJ Muggs & Raz Fresco - The Eternal Now

Revival Season - Golden Age of Self Snitching

Midnight Sons - Money Has No Owners

Tyler, the Creator - Chromakopia

Sasco - The Hottest Year on Record

Boldy James & Conductor Williams - Across The Tracks

Hester Valentine - Valenta

Mavi - Shadowbox

Serengeti - KDIV

JPEGMAFIA - I LAY DOWN MY LIFE FOR YOU

Rap Man Gavin & postureless - Memories, Dreams, Reflections

yungmorpheus - WAKING UP AND CHOOSING VIOLENCE

Sadistik & Maulskull - Oblivion Theater

Roc Marciano - MARCIOLOGY

R.A.P. Ferreira - the First Fist to Make Contact When We Dap

Deca & Dealz - Bough

Nxworries - WHY LAWD?

Oddisee - And Yet Still

Rich Jones & SINAI. - Sour Dub

Lupe Fiasco - Samurai

Noveliss & Hir-O - Cyberpunk Rhapsody

Cavalier & Quelle Chris - Death Tape 2: We Gon' Need Each Other

Killah Priest - Abraxas Rebis Simha Pleroma

Vince Staples - Dark Times

Kooley High & Tuamie - All Infinite

MIKE & Tony Seltzer - Pinball

Daniel Son & Futurewave - BUSHMAN BODEGA

Vic Spencer & August Fanon - Psychological Cheat Sheet 5

Jack Jetson & Illinformed - Winter Forever

bromethugzine - THUG ZINE issue 002: WORLD-SPIRIT

Everything else:

Chelsea Wolfe - She Reaches Out To She Reaches Out To She

Iglooghost - Tidal Memory Exo

chat pile - Cool World

Frail Body - Artificial Bouquet

The Cure - Songs Of A Lost World

Trauma Ray - Chameleon

Terry Green - PROVISIONAL LIVING

Gouge Away - Deep Sage

Thou - Umbilical

ØKSE - ØKSE

Tenue - Arcos, bóvedas, pórticos

Krallice - Inorganic Rites

Nala Sinephro - Endlessness

Punchlove - Channels

Milton Nascimento & Esperanza Spalding - Milton + esperanza

Arooj Aftab - Night Reign

Hammok - Look How Long Lasting Everything Is Moving Forward For Once

Blood Incantation - Absolute Elsewhere

Crumb - AMAMA

Kamasi Washington - Fearless Novement

Fievel Is Glauque - Rong Weicknes

Camila Bañados - Viento 1.

julie - my anti-aircraft friend

Oranssi Pazuzu - Muuntautuja

Skee Mask - Resort

Mary Halvorson - Cloudward

Infant Island - Obsidian wreath

Blushing - Sugarcoat

Godspeed You! Black Emperor - NO TITLE AS OF 13 FEBRUARY 2024 28,340 DEAD

MAGDALENA BAY - Imaginal Disk

Leaving Time - Angel in the Sand

Joel Ross - nublues

Both Gibbons - Lives Outgrown

geordie greep - The New Sound

Nilüfer Yanya - My Method Actor

Nails - Every Bridge Burning

Hiatus Kaiyote Love Heart Cheat Code

Liana Flores Flower of the soul

Babii - Daredeviil2000

Blind Girls - An Exit Exists

HERIOT - Devoured by the Mouth of Hell

Julia Holter - Something in the Room She Moves

Cindy Lee - Diamond Jubilee

Melt-Banana - 3+5

Ulcerate - Cutting The Throat Of God

Spirit of the Beehive - YOU'LL HAVE TO LOSE SOMETHING

Hannah Frances - Keeper of the Shepherd

Ginger Root -Shinbanguni

Martha Skye Murphy - Um

Pluma - Não Leve a Mal

[desertfangs]

The Chameleon - Armand/Daniel - The Chase Years - 1000 words

Written for @vcmicroficmay for the prompt "performance." Daniel is thrown a small surprise launch party for his book, Interview with the Vampire, and special guest crashes the party (you'll never guess who!)

Full text posted here or read it on AO3.

It’s awkward being the guest of honor and Daniel wishes he could escape back to his hotel room. People keep coming up to him and shaking his hand while his editor makes brief introductions that leave his mind almost immediately. 

He’s curious about these people, of course. Some of them are authors with dozens of books to their names, or editors, or journalists. The sort of people Daniel would love to sit and chat with under normal circumstances. 

But these are not normal circumstances. This is a small, semi-private “launch party” that his publisher sprung on him.

Daniel had flat out refused to do public signings for his book but he finally conceded to signing copies in the publisher’s New York office that they could send out to bookstores. He’d arrived last night and gone straight to his hotel. He half expected Armand to be there to greet him, as this trip had been planned for over a week, and he’d inadvertently thought about it while Armand was pestering him about the various brands of soda in a vending machine outside his motel room in Tulsa. But the vampire was nowhere to be found.

Daniel spent the day in a boardroom in the publisher’s office, signing copies of Interview with the Vampire until his wrist was numb and his hand cramped. When he finished, relieved to be done and looking forward to going out on the town for some dinner, they’d surprised him with this launch party at a hotel down the street.

The decor is a little gaudy. Gold and red balloons that match the colors of the book cover float against the high ceiling of the rented ballroom. The cover itself has been enlarged and printed on poster boards.

There’s a bar on one end that Daniel only manages to make it over to once before his editor claps him on the shoulder and a non-stop line of introductions and small talk begin. He shakes the ice in his empty glass, hoping maybe someone will offer to refresh it for him. No one does. 

“How did you come up with the idea?” a woman asks. He thinks she’s a copyeditor but that might be the woman to her left. “Interviewing a monster, how clever!” 

Daniel laughs out of sheer discomfort. He’s worried that these people will sense that he’s a fraud. That he didn’t come up with anything. 

He repeats a party line he’s been giving: “I was interviewing people about their lives. A friend of mine was reading Dracula and I joked it’d be cool to interview him.” The crowd laughs.  

Daniel sips at the dredges of his drink, tiredness sinking into his bones. 

A hand touches Daniel’s shoulder and he turns, expecting to see someone else he needs to meet, only to be met with the familiar shock of auburn hair. His pulse quickens. 

Armand is wearing a blue suit, crisply pressed, with a white shirt and dress shoes. His hair is cropped short and he’s wearing glasses. His skin is pale but he’s fed enough to give it color. Like a chameleon, he blends right into this crowd. 

He hands Daniel a glass, a Jack and Coke, trading it for his empty one. Daniel takes it gratefully. His editor gives him an expectant look. He needs to introduce Armand. God help him. 

“This is my—” Daniel falters. What the hell does he say? Stalker? Vampire shadow? Friend? Armand is not his friend, surely. 

“Assistant,” Armand supplies. He gives a fake name and shakes his editor’s hand. 

“Ah, yes, I believe Daniel mentioned you.” 

Daniel definitely did not. 

Armand is charming and fits right in. Incredible how one minute Daniel is showing him something like how a vending machine works and the next, Armand is effortlessly hobnobbing at a publishing party, making clever small talk and enthralling everyone around him. 

Daniel finishes his drink too fast and slips off to the bar. He orders a double. 

“What a lovely celebration of your book,” Armand says. Daniel startles. Armand has moved silently beside him without Daniel even noticing. 

“Yeah, it’s great,” Daniel says. He’s counting the minutes until he can leave without being rude. “What are you doing here?” 

“How could I miss it? You’re the guest of honor,” Armand says with a wicked little smile. “Though I must admit, I enjoy knowing these people know who I am, and yet they have no idea I walk among them.” 

A shiver travels down Daniel’s spine. Imagine if they knew the leader of the Theatre Des Vampires was real and at this party! An unhinged laugh bubbles up out of his throat. Armand puts a hand on his arm, steadying, and strangely familiar. Well, they are familiar now, aren’t they? They’ve been playing this game for long enough. 

And though he’s loath to admit it, Daniel is glad to see him. He feels out of depth at this event, being praised as a creative genius for a true story he merely relayed. He’s a phony. 

You’re not a phony, Armand says. 

Daniel blinks, surprised. He knows damn well Armand can read his thoughts but sometimes it still catches him off guard. It’s not my story.

Of course it is. And you told it skillfully. 

Daniel considers that. The book was a lot of work, writing the descriptions of the interview itself, the editing… Armand often pestered him in various hotel rooms while he was working on it, though they rarely discussed the contents of the book. Daniel always expected him to ask that he edit things or leave things out, but he never did. Anything cut was done so at the discretion of Daniel and his editor. Armand played no part. 

Daniel starts to ask what he thinks of the finished product, but his editor comes over and ushers him toward a new group of folks he has to meet. Armand is right on his heels, effortlessly playing the role of his assistant as the night goes on. 

[nightcolorz]

Oh are we doing sad Armand song hours??? Because I have suggestions!

July by Noah Cyrus, especially giving like… Louis and Armand. Just the whole vibe of being scared of change, but unwilling or unable to let go of his own volition until he’s actively forced that way. And yet at the same time just… passively accepting it when the decision is made. I can’t give specific lyrics because it’s just all of it.

Body by Jordan Suaste. Perhaps somewhat self explanatory, but especially Armand in a healing arc, realizing there’s more to him than his physical appearance. Trying perhaps, to convince himself as much as anyone else.

Unsweetened Lemonade by Amelie Farren. The whole dying at 12/93 break down, how he was either going to die as a child but instead he’s living forever. “I fucked the reaper” becoming about Marius, who literally kills Arun in a way that matters and turns Amadeo. “Everything I loved decayed over the years”, that’s just his Paris covens!

Forever Fifteen by MOTHICA. Perhaps a little better for a book version who literally is seventeen forever but considering how preserved Armand is in this… stripped agency childlike while simultaneously grow up too fast nature of Venice, it seems fitting.

Aaaand lastly Cast the Bronze by Raynes. Perhaps the two lines that stand out the most are “make me bleed if you need to confirm that it’s something I can do” and also “engrave that I gave my consent to be anything that anyone prefer I be”. For the whole… willingly or forcefully becoming the thing that everyone else wants from him. He’s a chameleon and constantly offering up parts of himself.

I love seeing everyone else’s song ideas, I hope these pass muster!

AHHHHH THESE ARE AMAZING!!!! SO ACCURATE OMG!!! I love that u included one that Assad associates with him that’s perrrfectttt omg. Thank you for ur Armand songs I can never get enough Armand songs ‼️

[say-cyke-rn]

I'm just so excited for season 3, the way assad has been talking about his idea of what he might do as armand is making me insane... maybe a whole new version of armand the ever changing chameleon ... what personality will be best suited for whatever happens in season 3... i cant wait to see his insane ass cause issues.. I hope he has to run away from daniel his annoying old baby vampire for a whole season... well yes !

[masstxtbootycall]

An armand playlist is fun in theory bc he’s insane right but then you get into the nitty gritty of it and it’s like oh no wait he’s an insane chameleon am i projecting or is this accurate

[kasugayamaisforlovers]

You know what drives me personally crazy about this scene? The costuming! Traditionally you put the interest fabric of a vest/waistcoat on the front because vests are usually worn under a jacket. Back in the day fabric, and especially patterned fabric, was expensive. So it became a cost saving measure to say: look, the back of this vest is going to be hidden most of the time so let's use something cheaper/plainer for that part.

Look at Armand's vest! The pattern is on the back!!! AHHH

Ok so to me this is a great little costuming detail that extends our viewer understanding of this character. Over the course of the season we learn that Armand has managed to stay alive for so many centuries because he's a chameleon. He's great at assimilating, to conforming to whatever shape he needs to be, but all this masking/shapeshifting begs the question: who is Armand? In this scene we have a moment of true vulnerability. Armand tells us where he came from. We glimpse his hidden self come to the surface, just as we glimpse the pattern hidden behind the jacket (ie the back of the vest). In the same way Armand can swallow his personality, he can throw a jacket back over the pattern on the vesttttt.

my favourite armand fits 8/∞

[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. 

[armandmehidri]

Nicki Minaj - by Armand Mehidri