#devils minion fuck me up

[funtheysaid]

Who was gonna tell me about the canon “hand to small of back” Devil’s Minion moment?

Y’all let me down.

[bloodknife]

bound (1996) x devil’s minion

or, lesbian armandaniel

[asthedeathoflight]

Im here as a certified Blade Runner expert to inform all of you that Armand would prefer the theatrical release with the happy ending because deep down hes a scared little kid and he wants to believe that everything is going to be alright for Deckard and Rachael forever and Daniel prefers the director's cut which is obviously objectively the better version and so he would be very caught off guard by Armand preferring the theatrical release, even tho he really shouldnt because he and Armand saw the theatrical version together in theaters and the directors cut didn't come out until after they broke up so of course thats the version Armand has been rewatching all these years.

However because they're both so damn stubborn this would result in their first ever couple fight post-turning which inevitably becomes extremely personal extremely quickly (should Rachael get to live forever with Deckard? Is her life beautiful BECAUSE its short? Does Deckard's love for her mean more if he's turning his back on his long-lived brethren to embrace the ephemerality of her existence?) and results in several pieces of furniture being destroyed. After this Armand has a blu ray of the final cut overnighted bc neither of them have ever seen it (even tho its available digitally) and they have a seven hour long conversation about whether Deckard is a replicant and what it would mean if he was which at some point turns into makeup sex but never stops also being a philosophical discussion of the themes of timeless Ridley Scott classic Blade Runner.

And in late 2018 Armand kept mentioning that there's this science fiction movie set next year to Louis like he expected him to be excited but Louis was too busy manipulating the stock market or whatever and he just didn't really get why it mattered- all scifi movies are set in the future Armand, and we're immortal so we're going to live to see all of those futures, you weren't like this in 1984 Armand - and Armand doesn't quite regret what he did but the loneliness cuts sharper than usual on New Year's 2019.

[skltart]

danny boy

[helianthus21]

honestly if there's one change book to TV that I'm super grateful for it's ageing up Daniel Molloy. that wet sack of a boy needed to ripen to reach Bogosian!Daniel level of sass

[crimeronan]

ultimately i think the appeal of daniel and armand to me is that it's very much a typical dark romance storyline where the heroine is kidnapped and tortured by an evil monster but using her wits she manages to seduce him and make him emotionally vulnerable to her, because she is More Special and More Clever than all of his other victims, and because of this she enjoys a level of dangerous favor and protection from him, except in This version of the dark romance it's two toxic old men who both have the worst fucking personalities imaginable. who truly just fucking suck beyond measure. like no pun intended, they are Garbage, one is the actual literal immortal devil and the other is just kind of a deadbeat with no moral compass, neither of them is willing to work on himself and neither of them has ANY reason to want to rail the other as bad as they do.

and yet. There They Are,

[oldbutchdaniel]

What if Daniel’s turning mirrors the dialogue in DM?

“You’re dying.” Armand said softly. The twenty third Psalm. “Shall we bother with the particulars?…there is almost nothing you enjoy.” “Except talking to you now and then…” Unbearable thought, but if that’s so why have I been running away? …”what is this? Tears? You’re going to weep over me?”

…”damn you Daniel.” 😭

god i always forget how crazy this dialogue is. nothing daniel enjoys except talking to armand now and then ... armand is going to weep over him ... I NEED TO SEE ARMAND WEEPING OVER HIM

[justheretolurk003]

A long post on why Daniel is more fascinating than Armand (according to Louis)

Got you. In fact I’m a bit torn on whether or not Daniel is that different from other people that he is extremely fascinating. I think he has a risqué attitude that a lot of the people at the bar share: that willingness and unapologetic desire to live life and enjoy pleasure at maximum. A bit like Lestat’s answer in S1, when Louis asks him why vampires are on Earth, and Lestat answers he himself put Louis on earth for the purpose of pleasure and do whatever they want.

But I don’t think a resemblance to Lestat is the whole reason Louis didn’t kill Daniel that night. While being broken down by Armand, Daniel admits that he is good at getting people to open up, a trait that is more uncommon but not so much. Still, I think Louis picks up on that, even at the bar when Daniel says he is good at looking for people in the cracks. That sparks Louis’ interest. A way Daniel shows he is good at listening is the way he does not judge Louis when he shows him his own coffin —instead he just asks how it works. When Louis shows him his fangs, Daniel is scared af at first, then asks him to show his fangs again later on. This creates an environment of comfort Louis uses to rage against Lestat and mourn for Claudia. Their interview is not an interview based on accuracy, it is an “emotional upchuck” which can only be had in an environment where there is some level of trust, comfort and a non-judgmental attitude. In 1973 Daniel is not so much an interviewer, but a therapist.

And still I don’t think that is the whole reason Daniel was not killed by Louis that night cause Daniel is also unapologetically himself. Unapologetically horny, unapologetically weird, unapologetically chill, unapologetically idiotic, cringey and with no sense of danger when he offers to become Louis’ companion. I think this trait along with the previously touched upon ones are the reason Jacob calls Daniel “cool”. Daniel is cool in the sense he is unpretending. A dude that is chill, observant, with an angle and you can have fun with.

And still, these are not incredibly fascinating traits that few people possess. In fact, I know plenty of people who share these traits and embody them even more than Daniel. On top of that, at that point in his life, Daniel hasn’t lived a fascinating life. He said it himself: just a shitty kid from Modesto. In fact, Armand has lived a ten times more fascinating life than Daniel (argue with me in the comments if you disagree, bitch) and Daniel is right when he says Armand is more fascinating cause for fucks sake, he can actually read minds! But again, the comfort they offer to Louis is radically different. And that is why Louis prefers the night he spent with Daniel than the decades alongside Armand. On one hand we have Daniel’s non judgmental, unassuming gaze compared to the snobbishness and high horse attitude of Armand. We have Daniel letting Louis be messy and vengeful and emotional, and Armand who is composed and impenetrable and we’ll-adjusted, the whole time.

And yes, I think Armand looks down on Louis because Armand is giving a performance of how to be a well put together, good adjusted person. Armand looks down on Louis for picking up men at bars, he looks down on him for being a mess and opening up to Daniel, you can say he looks down on him for committing suicide (though this coexist with the hurt and betrayal Armand feels at seeing his efforts, cause yes, Armand sees it as efforts, be thrown away by Louis).

Whoever Armand is with, he tries to appeal to his partner and create an environment in which nothing is out of order, nothing is evocative, in which everything is to their liking. In this case, the environment is plain because the goal is that there is not a single thing that triggers Louis. Armand justifies this by saying he does it for Louis’ sanity and comfort. And the epitome of this place is Dubai.

Louis is cut off from society, in a place where everything is tailored to him to never upset him or trigger him. And I genuinely think this is the way Armand knows how to pay for what he did in Paris and show his love for Louis. This blandness and willingness to appeal to the desires of the other (“Is it gremlin or good nurse tonight?”) is how Armand expresses love. And it is tragic that is how he does it. Because what is sex work if not appealing to the desires of other people? What is a slave if not someone who is forced to appeal and is exploited to the greed of other people? What is a master if not a person you have to satisfy in every of their wishes? Armand caters to desire. That is how the dozens of people that exploited him taught him how to relate to them, especially Marius. The only way Armand could love Marius was by serving him, cause that was the only way Marius made himself available.

The power of Louis and Armand’s roles as maître and Arun is that Armand performs as a slave when he is the master and Louis performs as the master when he is the slave. Armand is recreating his dynamic with Marius, it is just that this time Armand has the power to be the master. Instead of outright being one, he is covert.

As a side note, I don’t think Armand is taunting Lestat when he contacts him to talk to Louis. I think he has that call with him out of the goodness of his heart — perhaps, to show Louis how good he himself is— but mostly because the role Armand forces himself to play is so suffocating, so unfair, so fucked up, that when Lestat says I love you Armand can’t deal with the pain of having to repeat that back to Louis. He just can’t. It is a genuine vulnerable moment of Armand. Ideally, it would be a wake up call for him to stop playing this role, but the events in Paris have him stuck playing that part.

It is intentional that they show us Armand letting Lestat come and destroy the coven, because he is letting Daniel do the same thing: come destroy Dubai, come destroy the catering to desire, come destroy the constant acts of service. And I hope this time is for good. I hope Armand and Louis are free from this dynamic that eats away at them. The space Armand holds for Louis to process his emotions hurts both Armand and Louis. Armand, hurt by always having to work relentlessly and never sit down with the truth according to Assad, which I argue is a lifestyle he inherited from his past as a slave. Louis, hurt by not having a non-judgmental space to cope, process and grieve as a victim of abuse, perpetuator of abuse, and the betrayal he committed against Claudia.

The reason Daniel comes across as fascinating to Louis is because Louis was begging for a listening ear, for somebody to care about his story, and Daniel has good the traits to listen to Louis and met him at the right time.

Sadly, centuries of trauma prevent Armand from being who Daniel is.

(Also didn’t Claudia say to Madeleine that there was something broken in her and Madeleine told her sometimes people go boom and then fine and then boom? To me, Louis in the 70’s embodies this so much).

Gif by @unicornspwnall

[knownoshamc]

No but these two scenes make absolutely no sense if nothing else happened? Armand's words and adoring look, are not used to gain anything for him or even for Louis, really. Louis messing with Daniel's memories could have been what Armand suggested, to bring him back to "what happened next". But his interference with that, looking actually sad at Daniel, saying what Alice was thinking and instead of being cruel and telling him that Alice isn't thinking of him, he put an end to it. And of course what was the point of the first flashbacks (even though they were from SF) when they were talking about Alice?

And then the next day, we have the apology on Louis' behalf and this heart eyes look.

It's certainly something beyond attraction, we have seen Armand grinning and being cocky about his sexual and hunting endeavours, we have even seen him actually being attracted to Daniel.

But these two scenes really don't make any sense unless something else happened. And of course the scene that Louis tells him he could turn him now...

[nothing-but-paisley]

Thinking about Armand's relationship with food and sustenance.

Much of his trauma relates to hunger--watching monks slowly starve in the monastery knowing that would be his fate one day, then being starved by his captors as a human AND as a vampire. Finally he inflicts this suffering on weaker vampires.

The first thing Marius does is feed him. Marius later becomes a literal source of nourishment by feeding Armand his blood, which he compares to honey. Armand often describes the lavish, abundant food at the palazzo. It's easy to see how he would grow to associate food and love.

That's especially interesting in light of his treatment of Daniel. When they first meet, he pulls his go-to coven master move (lock up+starve). A major turning point in the relationship happens when Armand orders everything on the menu for Daniel at the Copley. An abundance of food reflects emotion. It's how Armand expresses care.

On the night of the first blood exchange, Armand declares his love by feeding and feeding from Daniel. (Feeding is also an act of ownership: "you are mine, beautiful boy.")

[collegeboysam]

armand asking louis "are you asking me or are you making me?" and then finding out he'll become louis revenge plot against lestat without being asked. finally getting the companion he has seeked since marius, since lestat himself, and it happens in the exact same way it always does for him, in the exact same way it happened to him as a human: he's told how is going to happen and he accepts without protest, because that's the only way he's learned to have love. he's desperate for it, will do anything for it, and takes it in any form that he can get it, even when he knows deep down that it's fake. there is no "will you be my companion?" for armand. he never gets asked.

[funtheysaid]

🗣️ JESUS GET A ROOM 🗣️

[skydaemon]

armandaniel - my kink is karma

[okaytosave]

So for Armand does he see the term DILF and think ‘Daddy I’d Like (to) Fuck’ or is it ‘Daniel? I’d like to fuck.’

[monstersinthecosmos]

the most rancid drama starters in fandoms are always like "gee i wish this fandom was nicer, why do we have to fight all the time :("

[serpentarius]

“Do you know the story of Scylla and Charybdis, Daniel?” 

Daniel scoffs. “'Course. Any writer worth his salt knows Homer.” 

Armand gives him an expectant nod.  

The human sighs. “Odysseus faced Scylla and Charybdis on his way home," he continues. "Scylla’s the multi-headed demon, and Charybdis - y'know, the whirlpool, or whatever."

The vampire hums. “And what is your interpretation of the story?” 

Daniel simply shrugs. But a glint of excitement flickers in his eyes. "I mean. There’s the obvious, ‘lesser of two evils’ thing everyone takes away from it. But it ain't just about picking your poison, you know? It's about - I dunno, the messiness of life choices."

As he speaks, Daniel's voice gains a subtle enthusiasm, betraying his initial feigned indifference. "It's like, you're not just flipping a coin and hoping for the best. You gotta dive deep into the consequences, face 'em head-on with some guts and smarts. And you can’t just pat yourself on the back for dodging the bigger disaster, either. I mean, he still lost guys, right, so he has to own up to the fallout. Wade through it with some goddamn backbone. There's gotta be a lesson learned from the whole ordeal. Otherwise he's setting himself up for more trouble down the line."

"That's all well and good," Armand retorts. "But survival is the thing that matters most, in the end. Sometimes there's no time for overthinking or philosophical musings. You've got to act swiftly, to prioritize pragmatism over philosophy, in order to get out alive. So, Daniel, I ask you - who do you think is the lesser evil?"

"Between a man-eating monster and a ship-eating vortex?" Daniel huffs. "Odysseus chose the monster. I choose the monster."

Armand shakes his head disapprovingly. "A naïve decision. But then again, you are just a naïve boy."

Daniel bristles. His agitation is evident when he spits out, “Don’t fucking belittle me. You're probably just saying that because I'm actually making some good points, and you don't like being outsmarted.” He presses on, “Odysseus only lost six men that way. They all would’ve died in the whirlpool.” 

Armand meets Daniel's gaze evenly. "Odysseus was selfish. He only opted out of the whirlpool due to self-serving motives. There was a chance, however slim, that they might have survived it. But by choosing the monster, he risked the lives of his men for his own gain."

"It wasn't selfish if the odds were stacked against them!" Daniel argues. "You can't convince me it wasn't the best option they had. 'Prioritize pragmatism over philosophy', eh? What a fucking joke, coming from you."

Armand stands firm. "He should have gambled everything for a chance at survival," he asserts, his eyes fixed on Daniel's now. Despite Daniel's defiant posture, Armand can see the telltale signs of uncertainty flickering on his face; the creases on his forehead, the slight dilation of his pupils. It betrays his wavering resolve. "You should know by now, Daniel, that the watery abyss may spare you its grasp…”

He makes his way towards the door. Daniel's gaze follows, helplessly reverent.

“But the predator of men knows no mercy.” 

as long as I find you interesting (I won’t kill you)