#lestat is like time for MY side of the story! let me tell you about how hot armand is

[cloudabserk]

lestat and armand are fucking crazy 😭 you’ve known each other like 3 days

[nalyra-dreaming]

"Let me know if you want to know more :))" If it's not asking much, yes, please?! I really know little to nothing about the books. I see what people post here, like, I didn't know about Rose and only found out about Viktor this week lol. Unfortunately the books aren't always available in my country and I'm still waiting to buy and read them. D:

Okay, for a rundown:)))

In the books:

Lestat finds Louis again through the rockstar career, and he writes his own story down for him, which Louis reads. Their reunion is quite beautiful, Louis and Gabrielle fight other vampires side by side with Lestat. There is a kiss backstage :)

Unfortunately Akasha kidnaps Lestat, because she thinks he is the epitome of toxic masculinity and that she can use him for her plan to take over the world (literally), burning a lot of the vampires. It’s a misjudgment though, Lestat is fearful of her killing the ones he loves, but starts to resist her ever more (she forces him to do her bidding via spells at times). Louis, Gabrielle reunite with all the others to hear the history behind Akasha and ultimately they meet up with her and Lestat, ending in Akasha‘s death. Louis and Lestat have a very romantic scene together.

Afterwards Lestat is changed though, battling with the event. He got a huge amount of blood from her, because she wanted him strong, and he experiences severe body dysmorphia and self hatred. Louis and he are in a weird “Netflix and chill“ era, visiting each other regularly, watching movies together, being petty with each other. Lestat’s guilt and that self hatred drive him to suicide, but he is too strong already to burn in the sun and he heals to retain a tan (only). The Body Thief sees his chance and offers him a mortal body for a while, and Lestat takes it. The Body Thief does not return his body though and so Lestat tries to bring Louis to turn him again but Louis refuses (very emotional scene). Louis tells Lestat to live that mortal life and Lestat has to turn to others (David in the book here maybe Daniel?!) to get his body back bc he realizes that he does want to be a vampire (after all). He manages, and there is a very beautiful but very raw scene with Louis in a church afterwards. Lestat tries to convince himself he is evil (for wanting that vampiric life back) and rapes David into darkness just as he was raped into it. All through the book Claudia‘s ghost is there and speaks with him. Lestat has Rue Royale fixed up and he and Louis (and David) live there again.

A while later a being claiming to be the Devil visits Lestat - he wants his help, and takes his soul onto a journey beyond (it is later confirmed that Lestat was gone from this plane of existence) and the events with heaven, hell, purgatory and Lestat drinking the blood of Christ (literally) shatter him. He loses an eye in purgatory, which is returned to him, altered. He goes a bit mad, confined to a church, where Louis and a few others tend to him. Louis comes by regularly to read to him, change clothes, etc. Lestat falls into a sleep.

Lestat’s coma continues, but it is involuntary at times. As he later tells it the altered eye allowed angels to take his soul to do their bidding, while threatening him. The unpublished novel at Tulane tells of one of those adventures. Lestat’s coma is hard on Louis. He is haunted by the fact that he has never seen Claudia’s ghost and with the help of Merrick, a witch, they conjure her, an event for which the diary pages are important. Claudia’s ghost is a vengeful one though, hating him, and he tries to commit suicide after. Lestat wakes up and saves him. They reunite and exchange a lot of blood and afterwards Louis is changed a lot. They leave NOLA because the Talamasca threaten them.

Something not closer defined happens while they are in the jungles, and Louis goes to Armand in NYC, where he is safe from the ever multiplying vampires. They spend some time apart, Lestat roaming, Louis with Armand, both coming to terms with who they are now. This is when Rose needing help must have happened. When Viktor was conceived and raised.

Another burning is happening - the spirit that propels them is clming to consciousness: Amel. It uses older vampires to thin out the ranks. Lestat is called and finally returns from his wanderings, and he defeats an elder and takes the core, effectively becoming the prince of the vampires. He and Louis meet, Rose, Viktor and first trouble with Roshamandes happens.

Amel is coming further to consciousness, recalling the being he was, once. Recalling who he was with, too. Lestat sets up court in his old family castle, now renovated. All big players come. Lestat goes to Louis and Louis comes to him - for good, with a very emotional plea. They are together for good after. Amel need to be removed fromthe vampires and Lestat, he gets a cloned body. Louis comes up with the solution, and holds Lestat’s hand through it.

Roshamandes, the ancient slighted bc he did not get the core is outfor revenge tjough, and kidnaps Gabrielle, Louis and Marius, sending ashes to Lestat. Lestat… shuts down. Armand goes feral (in words, incredible scene!!).

Lestat goes to Roshamandes in an all-or-nothing move and kills him, creating the “Blood Communion“ with the remains. Louis and the others are found, and Lestat can finally breathe again There is a big celebration, and the book literally closes with them dancing and kissing and Lestat telling Louis he loves him and always had.

______

This is the rundown :)

As you can imagine there is a LOT the show can do with this. In the books they kiss, the show has added sex, and so I expect some scenes to be a lot more sexy :) Louis is a lot more involved in the later arcs, his and Lestat‘s arcs are inverted. When they finally come together (for good) once more they are at peace with each other.

They have a son, and a daughter, their friends are with them. Former loves, too.

They have left their human pains behind, have accepted themselves as vampires.

Louis calls it the “monarchy of darkness“ in the unpublished draft at Tulane, and knowing Rolin knows of those drafts… I do expect this on the show :)

Obviously some of this will be spun differently. Has already been used, and/or used differently. But I expect to see the Body Thief parts, definitely. Akasha and the aftermath. And we know we’re getting the rockstar era :))

I think the show has already hinted at Amel, and so I do think they’ll finish with that arc :)))

We‘ll see. Since the relationship in the show is deliberately more explicit I think a lot of the canon events will be a LOT more intimate. It’s not about sex for them.

It’s about eternity and acceptance, both self acceptance and acceptance of the other.

And I cannot wait to see what the show makes of it.

[thoseyoulove]

I'm excited for Devil's Minion but I hope the Lesmand aspect isn't undermined in its favor. That ship may not be endgame but it's so important to both Lestat and Armand.

I only know Devil's Minion content from what I've seen on the tag, but I share the same feeling! I also enjoy Armand and Daniel's dynamic on the show. I can't wait to see more if it (and any possible duo, romantic/endgame or not, because they're all so appealing) and I hope they did have something in the past as well (and I think it's highly possible), because both Eric and Luke are great. And, well, this chemistry is too extraordinary to ignore.

Sure, this scene wasn't a positive one, but tell me they don't have potential to deliver the romantic content?

So, about the books, I'm still on chapter 5 of The Vampire Lestat (I'm leaving IWTV for last), but so far I don't see how they could reduce lesmand. I guess you could say there is some romantic aspect to them, but there's so much more than that too. Now, I might be interpreting this wrong or things will naturally change over the course of the books, but I believe they have this soul ties/mirrors/foils/two sides of the same coin aspect. It's only been a little over one chapter since Armand was firstly introduced, but their dynamic already feels so important. They're so similar and yet so different, they're fascinated by each other, they see parts of themselves that they don't like on one another, they see things they can't understand but want to, there's empathy, there's protectiveness, they're attracted to one another and not even just in a physical/romantic sense, but there's some genuine curiosity, admiration and magnetism there, but they're still afraid of each other, they still despise one another, they hurt each other, they know it's better to stay way, but don't really want to so it challenges them to the point they also HATE each other... I even feel like it's more frustration and projection than actual hate, but still... They're very INTENSE, in every sense of the word. And it keeps fleeting all the time, sometimes it's warmer, sometimes it's more explosive, sometimes they have similar reactions to one another and sometimes they don't... Which leads to different types of tension that is entertaining to play with. Plus, they have the best conversations and arguments for me. They touch on some really relevant topics about each other's existence, their collective existence as a species and as individuals (which is part of their conflict). Basically, we can call them whatever we want, but they're never boring.

So I can't see them being able to change that even if they want to? Also, because Armand is the first vampire Lestat meets after his maker and fledgling. Magnus kills himself shortly after turning Lestat, Gabrielle and Lestat are almost on the same level when it comes to powers and knowledge about vampirism. Armand exists out of their sphere, has been a vampire for a while, has more abilities/knowledge than them... I feel like you need that in order to 'shake' things up on the flashbacks instead of just being in the bubble of Lestat and his fledglings or using Armand as a small character.

And Assad is one of the main actors, he's paid for main actor screen time, so it would be a waste not to use him as such? And, like you said, it's so important for both Armand's and Lestat's arcs, and this is a main character + main character dynamic, it's not like a side plot with a guest star. It would be killing multiple birds with one stone, because you'd find a way to use two fundamental characters, tell the story in a proper and also engaging way. Not to mention they would be insanely stupid to waste this.

Yeah, I know this is different on the book, but my point is that the enigmatic chemistry they're supposed to have is there and Rolin should make the most of it. Like, I'm still a bit frustrated they didn't play a little more with Jacob and Assad's chemistry too.

So let's not do it again? I mean, this is the first show I watch where everyone has amazing chemistry and good reasons to have lots of scenes together because they live forever and need to have more than just one company, lol. I say let's explore all of it, whether something is romantic/endgame or not.

Anyway, I believe we'll see a lot of Armand in the 1700s flashbacks and that lesmand will be top 2 of Armand's dynamics on season 3. Depending on what they want to do with armandiel, they might even explore more of lesmand next season, since that's 'Lestat's' season and they can have all future seasons for armandiel? I mean, I can see something kind of like season 2, when we had loumand, but dreamstat was still a significant presence and then the big scene at the end. Plus, I'm expecting Daniel to have a lot of screen time with Louis and Lestat, respectively.

Btw, sorry I deflected so much, I just had a lot to say, lmao. Thank you for the message. :)

[effyrosemary]

oh my god unethical priest marius you're a genius!!!!! do you think armand resists the idea that letting his priest fuck him is totally okay in the eyes of god or is he relieved to finally let go and give into his baser desires.... or both! do you think it makes him less guilty or more? god and imagine if marius were to weaponize armand's guilt in order to keep him even more trapped, like yes you are so bad for this and i'm the only one who can absolve you. i'm so invested LOL if you have any hcs of how it would play out i'm aaalll ears

Omg! thank you! To answer your question:

I think it’s both kinda. I think for Armand it would be so liberating to finally give in to these desires, and I think the shame is also kind of what gets him off (it’s the classic “oh no this is so wrong, but it feels so good!”). But I also think that there’s still a small part of him that genuinely feels it’s wrong to do these sexual things. Armand desperately wants to believe in something, I think, and to have that stability so he can have a space for himself to rebuild and to trust again. (don’t get me started, I have this whole fic idea of Daniel trying to provide Armand with a cozy little home and emotional support and stability so Armand has a space to heal, but that’s another story for another day) But I also feel like Armand is very nihilistic in some ways, so maybe he feels guilty but he also goes against the guilt on purpose, to feel that hurt and to feel that shame, I don’t know if you’re following me hahah

And omg, Marius weaponizing the genuine guilt is so wrong and so deliciously GOOD. (idc! it’s fiction! they’re not real people! let us have our dirty thoughts OK!)

When I first saw “unethical therapist Marius” on @monstersinthecosmos I was so immediately hooked. (I then sent this anon bc I needed to talk about it lmao, I was still not familiar with tumblr again after being away for a long time and I thought maybe people will think I’m weird but now I say fuck it bc Anne Rice never shunned away from people thinking her stories/characters were strange/too much.)

Marius is always so seemingly in control, and I love when he’s fooling himself that he’s doing the right thing when he KNOWS he’s not. That’s also why I like Pandora and him together, she kinda sees through his mask. Spoiler: I still remember that one part in Blood Communion after Marius kills Arjun where they’re all sitting around the table and Marius is furiously talking to Pandora and Lestat says: “I had never seen him so angry”, in other words; Lestat has never really seen Marius’ mask break like that, except now that he is upset with/about Pandora. Or when he’s helped out of the ice by Pandora and Santino in QOTD where he childishly snaps at her and says “I can walk unaided, thank you!” when Pandora reaches out to touch him, and she just gives him a shove and is like ‘“Fine girl, walk then lmao”

He wants to be this voice of reason, this stability etc, and he is, but he’s also human. So I love it when those kind of characters secretly give in to their bad side and try to justify it! I also love it when usually reserved people finally snap and can’t control themselves anymore when they finally get what they want, it’s my favorite thing. (There is this beautiful fic by @0junemeatcleaver0 where Marius kinda loses his composure at some points and he gives in to what he really wants and it’s so good. Highly recommend that fic in general.)

I LOVE headcanons, please tell me if you have some! These are some of mine regarding priest!marius:

- Marius has to actively restrain his thoughts from going wild when he sees Armand on his knees, or when the boy is reaching up to clean a shelf and his shirt rises and Marius can see the silky skin of his lower back. He’s practically drooling :)

- Armand secretly kind of knows the relationship between them is wrong, but he tries to test Marius by experimenting. (Sitting next to Marius and accidentally letting their knees touch etc that sort of thing, playing it dirty but also safe you know)

- Armand gets turned on when Marius is preaching in front of the crowd (idk how that shit works I’m not even religious, I never grew up religious lmao! how bad I am!) because Armand loves to see Marius in a position of power, and he loves how the people of the church look up to him.

- Armand has definitely thought about sucking Marius off under his robes when he’s speaking in front of a church full of people.

- At night, when Marius can’t think of nothing but Armand’s shapely legs and his lovely mouth, he turns to his Bible with the stubborn will of A Good Man and tries to ignore the insistent throbbing between his legs. And he can manage it, at least for a while.

- But then one night, he walks in on Armand praying on his knees and he walks up to tell the boy to go on home because it’s late and he should get some sleep, and the boy looks up from where he’s kneeling and says in a small voice, cheeks blushing; “I can’t, father. I’ll have sinful thoughts when I’m trying to sleep, I need to pray first.”

- And Marius offers he can help Armand with these thoughts, if Armand is willing to learn how to be a proper man of God.

- Nothing gets Marius more worked up than the idea of Armand calling him ‘ Father’ when they’re getting dirty together, it drives him feral

Alors… as Armand once told David Talbot; “Look, I’m deranged x”

* English is not my first language so apologies if there are some typos. Edit: I can’t believe I forgot the word “not” in the previous sentence for DAYS I have No Brains

[i-want-my-iwtv]

Lestat, why didn't you simply lie about your time before you met Louis? Marius told you not to expose the secrets but he didn't stop you from telling "stories". And you have told plenty.

Hello! Sorry for the delay on this. I used to really love taking asks for Lestat (and I still do!) and I tried, but I can't summon him to answer this topic with a palatable attitude, so you're stuck with me 😅

(FYI this response is for my VC opinions outside of the AMC show, I'm referring to the canon characters or '94 movie)

[^X my edit, not a screencap!]

@codenamecesare's fic the Secret History is one of my absolute faves, in which Lestat told several different stories about where he came from, so Louis in disgust wrote it all off as lies and didn't bother repeating any of it in IWTV! So I highly recommend you check that fic out 💖

Ultimately, I think Lestat loved them too much to lie to them, even for fun, as a "story." In TVL, Lestat says to Armand, "I never lie, at least not to those I don't love." He says it after telling Armand that Les Innocents is going to be destroyed, which I assume was the truth as he knew it. So Lestat claims he doesn't lie to ppl he doesn't love. And I think we can assume he didn't love Armand at that time!

Anyway... I think Lestat knows that telling even a small lie leads to chains of lies, and it would be hard to keep track of the "facts" of these stories... and Lestat might've felt like even in lying, he might accidentally let something slip he didn't want them to know. Even informing them that a vampire's hands can be cut off and reattached later is technically a "truth" that could endanger them by reference to Nicki, even if it didn't name the specific vampire. Another vampire sneaking around could pick it from their minds and use it against them somehow. Or maybe Claudia might try to try it for fun? The possibilities for harm are endless!

(Hit the jump for more, cut for length.)

Plus, the stories could have motivated Louis and Claudia to leave Lestat just as much as the truth might have. Nicki knew most of the truth, Gabrielle knew all of it, and both of them left Lestat 😭

Keeping in mind that even tho Lestat was being a controlling POS*…. he was also right that Louis and Claudia would be obvious targets to any other vampires. (Of course part of what made them such juicy targets was their ignorance, Lestat, but never mind.) So, given that it was a real danger (especially to Claudia) he really might've been unwilling to risk that they'd glean anything from whatever he said, even lies, and just kept completely mum.

*I think part of why Lestat was so controlling towards Louis and Claudia is somewhat in the direction of how we control children for their protection, you'll grab an arm at bruising pressure if it stops them from waving open scissors in another person's face... it can be hard to calibrate the amount of control force to avoid the potential danger, and especially for Lestat, who had suffered so much loss before Louis and Claudia, couldn't bear to lose them, too, so he may have erred on the side of overdoing it 😭

[prouvaireafterdark]

Original Sin

This is my (nsfw) Loustat fill for the Kinktober Day 2 Prompt: Masturbation

@vampirefest

Also on AO3!

When Lestat comes to join him on the couch, Louis knows he’s up to no good.

“What are you reading, mon cher?” he asks, leaning heavily against his side, an arm thrown over the back of the couch.

“Nothing you’d care for,” Louis answers, turning a page as he steadfastly ignores the way Lestat’s fingertips tickle the skin above his collar. 

Lestat leans closer to take a peek and scoffs as he reads the title.

“The Book of Genesis, I see,” he drawls disappointedly. “Has Eve been unjustly blamed for all Man’s troubles yet or are she and Adam still blissfully ignorant?”

“They’ve long since left Eden,” Louis answers him.

“Hmm,” Lestat hums. “Perhaps I could tempt you to join me upstairs then, now that the best part is over.” 

Louis pulls a face at that. Lestat’s terrible line about temptation aside, there’s much more to Genesis than just the story of Adam and Eve.

Just as he’s about to say so, he feels Lestat’s hand on his thigh.

“Come now, Louis,” he coaxes him, his hand slowly creeping upward. “Let me show you how much I’ve missed you.”

“Not now, Les,” Louis tells him, his own hand covering Lestat’s wrist to stop him.

Lestat huffs, but withdraws his hand. 

“‘Not now,’ he says, for the seventh night in a row,” Lestat complains. “If not now, when, Louis?”

“I’m just—“ he begins, but Lestat interrupts him.

“Not in the mood, I know,” he finishes a little bitterly as he stands from his seat. “Well, if you change your mind, I’ll be amusing myself in our bedroom.”

Lestat turns on the spot and marches up the stairs, not bothering to hide his frustration. 

Louis sighs once he’s no longer in view. A part of him feels guilty about disappointing Lestat, about not being able to satisfy him the way he used to, but he just… he can’t kill anymore. He won’t. And if that means his libido suffers, so be it. It’s the least that he deserves.

He returns to his book, determined to put their encounter out of his mind, but he finds he cannot do that either.

Through the floorboards, he can hear the rustle of fabric upstairs as Lestat undresses and climbs into bed. He can hear the glass jar of oil they keep by the bed clink against the rings on Lestat’s fingers as he spills the thick liquid onto his fingers. He can hear the sigh Lestat makes as he takes himself in hand, the slick sound of the oil on his skin as he starts to touch himself.

“Louis,” Lestat whines a moment later, and though it cannot have been all that much louder than a whisper, Louis hears it as if Lestat’s mouth is pressed directly to his ear. “Oui, chéri, just like that.”

Louis feels hot under the collar suddenly. He tries not to, but he hangs on every sound that passes Lestat’s lips, every sigh and exaggerated moan of pleasure as he works himself over. He does it slowly at first, drawing it out, teasing himself, before gradually he begins to go faster and faster until he’s calling Louis’ name and begging for more. 

Nearly ten minutes go by before Louis realizes he hasn’t read a single word. 

He slams the book shut and sets it on the couch. He takes the stairs two at a time, reaching the landing in the blink of an eye. When he steps over the threshold of their bedroom, he sees Lestat naked and spread out on their blue silk sheets, his pale skin almost luminous in the lamplight. The thick, swollen head of his cock glistens where it peeks above his fist, wet with oil and precome, and it’s only by the iron force of Louis’ will that he manages to fight the sudden urge to lick his lips and crawl to Lestat on his knees. 

“Can I help you, chéri?” Lestat asks him, sounding out of breath. He doesn’t cease the movements of his hand over his own cock for even a moment, twisting his wrist on every stroke. “I am a little busy at the moment.”

Louis crosses his arms over his chest as he glares at him, but it does nothing to wipe the smug grin off Lestat’s face. 

“Don’t you have any shame?” Louis asks him.

Lestat laughs at that, a jarringly loud cackle he directs to the ceiling. 

“For what?” he turns to ask him, his eyes sparkling with amusement. “Enjoying my body? Imagining my husband’s hands on me? Yes, Louis, call me a priest so I can confess my wretched sins before he dies.”

Louis looks away from him, drawing his arms tighter across his chest. 

Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Lestat rise to face him on his knees so fluidly it’s as if he’s been pulled by a puppet’s strings. When he looks back, he sees the full expanse of Lestat’s muscled chest, covered in a fine sheen of sweat, and his fangs peeking out behind his smile. 

Though he has no need of air, Louis’ breathing comes a little quicker.

“Or should I confess my sins to you, Saint Louis?” Lestat asks him, his pupils swollen once more with lust. “Shall I tell you how I want you? How I love you? The terrible things I’d do to keep you?”

“Lestat,” Louis says, his voice rough. 

He feels as if he’s been hypnotized with want, his dormant need awakening for the first time in over a week. If he didn’t know better, he’d think Lestat had worked a spell over him with his blaspheming lips, but Louis knows… he knows deep down that this is his own sin. His own weakness. Sooner or later, he always gives in.

Louis licks his lips and Lestat knows he’s won.

“Oh, Louis,” he purrs, a triumphant smile on his beautiful face. “Viens à moi.”

[lou-iz-stat]

5 more weeks and I am starting to loose my mind a little bit haha. I am in my rewatch of episode 3 and I do have to say that I adore this episode. Once again there will be book spoilers and spoilers for the rest of season 1 as well as maybe some theorizing so be warned.

I’m excited! Let’s go!

IWTV S1 E3: Is My Very Nature That of the Devil

This episode starts with Louis and Lestat sitting at their bench in the park. ❤️

And it kind of acts as Louis trying to convince Lestat to only kill bad people. But in the book that is how Lestat actually kills so I wonder if this will come back when he finally tells his side of the story.

This episode definitely brings the comedy with Lestat quips and him just tackling that guy. 😂

Not the cat Louis!

I’ll tell you what Lestat can be such an asshole but just like the scene where he calls out the piano player at first he’s sour then he’s sweet. Yep Lestat is a sour patch kid.

I love how Daniel uses the recording from 1973 as that’s a callback to the first interview where Louis is just ragging on Lestat just like he did in the book.

The “Oddity of recollection” scene is great. I’m sure that is to come back in full force next season. I’m just excited thinking about what we are about to uncover.

When Louis realizes that Lestat didn’t kill Antoinette he looks so disappointed. Ugh I feel so bad for Louis here. 😩

And Lestat uncontrollably laughing when it’s the worst possible moment to do so is sooooooo Lestat it’s killing me…

But I just EAT UP the instant regret in Lestat’s eyes when Louis wants to fuck other people even he was the one who suggested it! He is just his own worst enemy all of the time.

When I first watch this episode I was so scared that Lestat was going to kill Jonah.

BUT WAS IT RAINING LOUIS!?

The look Louis gives Armand! “Your lingering Rashid” what sick game are they playing!!!!??? I’m going insane.

Lestat is doing the most this episode! But on second thought he always does the most lol.

“ I HEARD YOUR HEARTS DANCING!!!!!!!” It’s such an iconic scene!!!! “You watched the whole thing like some CREEPER!” The writing is everything

We have the iconic gif of Louis putting the “Colored Only, No Whites Allowed” that gif has gotten more people to watch the show than any promo amc has done.

I LOVE the scene where Louis kills that racist ass Alderman! Jake the dog gets his guts ripped out!” Some great quotes include. “Why’s your heart beating so fast?” And “ You said I’m arrogant!? Maybe I am arrogant! I’m a vampire” so goood!

It hurts just so much more after reading The Vampire Lestat when Louis tells him “It’s why you’re always gonna be alone.” 😭 Louis doesn’t know Lestat’s past yet but damn!

And finally yay it’s time for my girl Claudia!

I made it through another episode for my rewatch! If you are still reading this thank you for your support.

I’ll hopefully be back next week.

Until then 5 weeks! It’s going by fast!

[desertfangs]

Love your love for post-canon Armand/Daniel, I’m the same 🫣 In part because I love reading different interpretations of what their relationship is like in the present, what has changed and what has remained the same over the years. It seems like people agree on most things but I love how certain things simply come down to personal interpretation. And look, I know that Anne should’ve included WAY more armandaniel content in the last trilogy but I appreciate the fact that she had a plan in mind for them, or at least a theme: them wanting to spend as much time alone together as possible post-reunion, which is a thing every time their names are mentioned together (them sneaking out in the rain, them wanting to go back to Trinity Gate). They’re in their “run away with me/anytime you want” era and I really love that for them 🫀

I’m so into post-canon Armand and Daniel and I'm so glad you are too! Anne didn’t need to tell me they’d get back together for me to believe they would—I firmly believe they always will, they’re soulmates and two sides of the same weird coin, plus Daniel is Armand’s only fledgling. They have a bond in love and bond in blood. And they’ve always been so absolutely feral for each other. I just can’t imagine them staying apart for long without extenuating circumstances. I believe they’re that couple who will have their periods of being apart (either because they’re doing different things or because they had a fight, lol) but they’ll always come back together. They’re magnetic and they love each other so much.

But I am glad Anne did give us little mentions that they were in fact doing things together and, correct me if I’m wrong, as far as we know Daniel and Armand are living together when the series ends. Which is good enough for me. Of course I would have loved Daniel to get more screen time. I mean aliens are involved! Let the guy talk about that! I want his perspective on that stuff! Or just to be included in the ending because he is such a vital character. He’s the reason the series exists! He’s the one who started it all. I mean, come on! ISTG Anne.

💖💖 THEIR RUN AWAY WITH ME ERA 💖💖 Listen anon, I love that so much I want it on a throw pillow or a t-shirt! 😭😭😭 I’m going to refer to it as that from now on, it’s perfect, no notes. 

I love that you’ve pointed out how they seem to want to be alone together when they are mentioned in the last trilogy. I hadn’t really thought of it that way and now that’s my happy thought. Because it does seem in line with my prevailing in-universe theory for why we don’t get more of them together and that’s because they want their privacy. 

We know Daniel never wanted fame. He published Interview with the Vampire under a pseudonym. I can imagine he was vaguely uncomfortable with his story being out in the world once he realized people he knew might find it. (Which is a funny thought given how eagerly he devoured Armand’s story in TVL but like.. I don’t blame him there.) 

But also Armand and Daniel have been through a lot. Armand tried to end his life and has had to spend time recovering and then got saddled with two kids because Marius thought it would tether him to the world. Daniel thought Armand had died and he’d lost him and went mad for a while. Like they’ve been through some shit. I can absolutely see them deciding that they want some space and for their story to be kept off the published pages of Lestat’s books as much as possible and Lestat acquiescing because he clearly does love Armand. 

If they want some peace and their time together left out of the books, if they want to disappear together or run off alone for long periods, or even just sneak off to Paris when they’re at Court, or hole up alone in Trinity Gate with a “No Vacancy” sign on the door, frankly that’s beautiful and they deserve it. I love that for them.

Thank you so much for the ask! 💖💖 I’ve had a horrible week and this has greatly improved my night. I hope I wasn’t too rambly, my brain is very fried. 

[apoptoses]

Okay, I need you to be horny on main with me again I'm dying out here 🥹 so I'm sure we all have our respective mental images but with regards to your smut specifically... just how big do you envision Daniel's dick to be? Length, girth, the whole nine, tell me everything 👀 ty ily 💖

okay so like I usually leave this to the reader's imagination because what makes for 'good' or 'big' is so subjective, but I have SUCH specific ideas on how all of their bodies look.

SO IF YOU REALLY WANNA KNOW

I think if Armand was playing goldilocks and the three bears over dicks, Daniel's is the one that hits the 'this one is just right' target. Not excessively big, not too small- tbh in my mind it's just beautifully average. Like solid 6", just thick enough Armand's index finger and thumb can just touch if he wraps his hand around it. Enough to show someone more than a good time but not so much they're gonna be hurting, you know? Very straight, so perfectly proportioned it's like a textbook image.

And. Also.

The man was born in 1953 in the US, when doctors whisked babies away without even asking to cut them. He would be circumcised and I don't think we think about that enough in the smut side of the fandom because the rest of these vampires? Born in the past when that wasn't a thing at all unless you were Jewish or a member of some other very specific sects of religions. Chances are Armand would never have interacted with someone who's circumcised until Daniel and idk, idk, I think he would have questions and would be very curious!

and like later, at Night Island, he probably got interrogated by Lestat about it because he's also a curious and shameless weirdo but- that's a different fic entirely

Also if we really wanna get graphic and smutty, I see him with a fairly prominent vein on the underside that drives Armand insane from being so intimately aware of his pulse at all times. Like going down on him is the ultimate test of self control because the vein is just there, it would be so easy to nick, it gets the fantasy of drinking Daniel dry going in the back of his mind every single time.

And since I'm letting it all hang out here anyways- some people have really short flat pereniums and some are more slightly rounded and defined and he falls into the latter camp.

So. In summary. There's some dicks you tackle for the challenge and the story but there's some that are keepers because they hit the spot in more ways than one and I just think that's him. And I will die on this hill if I have to haha I find his normalcy and humanity the most appealing thing about him and in my brain Armand does too 😤

[rebelliousstories]

Snow Day

25 Days of Ficmas

Relationship: Lestat de Lioncourt x Reader

Fandom: Interview With The Vampire

Request: Yes by Anon

Warnings: Fluff, Slight Angst, Mentions of Blood and Vamperism

Word Count: 2,956

Masterlist: Here

Summary: Another Christmas had come and gone, but not without Lestat telling his tales of his favorite, and least favorite, holidays of the past.

Snow danced outside the window that Lestat sat at. His golden curls were loose, like his shirt. The chill didn’t bother him unlike his companion who was currently bundling up and starting the fireplace. Snow in New Orleans was rare but not unheard of, however it was interesting for the vampire. He was so used to warmer temperatures that he forgot the cold. And he wouldn’t be here had it not been for his companion.

She walked over and draped a blankets over Lestat, before setting down a steaming cup of hot cocoa. The man looked quizzically at the lady who now snuggled up to his side in the blanket.

“So, how do you enjoy the snow?” She asked as Lestat’s arm came around her shoulders. She reached for her cup of hot cocoa, enjoying the way it warmed her hands and her body as she drank it.

“It’s been some time since I have seen snow. I’ve been in New Orleans for so long that I had nearly forgotten of its existence. Although it did snow back in the 90’s there. Normally snow is during February though. It has been a lifetime since I’ve experienced a white Christmas.” He continued to stare out the window, as his companion stared up at him instead.

“Les,” he hummed, “can you tell me about some of the Christmases you’ve experienced? Surely you have some good stories to tell.” She sounded so hopeful, and who was Lestat to deny his lover anything?

“That I can do, Mon amor.” He took a minute to collect his thoughts and think about Christmases past that he could remember. Only a few stood out.

“Well, let’s start with one of my earliest.”

~

December 25th, 1771

A young boy with golden curls greeted his cousins in the living room for the large French mansion. He was dressed in his favorite royal blue outfit, with frills and lace. It was a normal Christmas in the home that he shared with his parents. There was nothing that mattered to him at that moment, except the presents underneath the Christmas tree. They always saved one present to open when the rest of the people got there, so there was always an element of mystery in the day.

The ten year old Lioncourt traded books, candy, and stories with his cousins. They did the same with him, and he consumed the knowledge that surrounded him. A distant memory of his mother’s face calling him for dinner. Lestat sat next to her at the table, and enjoyed Christmas dinner. He enjoyed the turkey, and rolls. Vegetables dawned the remaining parts of his plate.

But what he couldn’t wait for the most, was opening that final present under the tree. It was always something that was worth the wait. Usually a book, but Lestat didn’t care. A present was a present, and books that he hadn’t read were rare. However, once dinner was done, and the maids had cleared away the table, the box for the young man wasn’t shaped like a book. The box was tapered, resembling more a coffin than a book. He opened the box slowly, and was greeted with himself. Or rather, the reflection of himself. An ornate silver mirror was nestled gently in a plush interior. The boy picked up the beautiful object and observed it carefully. There were gems and crystals embedded in the back of the mirror, along with engraved flowers and vines.

He couldn’t stop staring at himself in the mirror or the mirror itself for the rest of the night. It was easily his favorite present he had received that Christmas.

~

“Do you remember what happened to the mirror?” His companion asked; Lestat was still staring outside at the snow falling down.

“I do not. After I ran away from home, the last I heard about my family was my mother and father died. My little brother was locked up in a mental hospital.” He seemed to have to think hard about what happened, like he hadn’t really thought about it for a while. But, suppose that’s what happens when you are alive for over two hundred years.

“What was Christmas like once you became a vampire? Can you even celebrate such a holy holiday?” His lover questioned from underneath Lestat’s arm. Said vampire began to chuckle.

“Oh I can certainly think of a few ways for us to celebrate.” He looked towards her with his eyes full of mischief. She groaned and gently hit her lover in the side.

“But yes. I remember my first Christmas as a fledgling. My own creator didn’t care enough to stick around after he made me. So it was a lonely Christmas.”

~

December 25th, 1781

Snow flitted on the streets of London. A fresh fledgling wandered said streets, looking for food. No one was nearby to show him what he was or what to do. All he knew was that he was hungry. His boots crunched the snow beneath him as he walked. Normally, he despised wearing shoes as common as boots when he wasn’t around to ride a horse. But winter was here, and he was on the streets.

Lestat was so hungry. He was on the hunt for food and shelter. If he was able to charm someone for the evening, he could find the solution to both problems. And maybe get a little more for his troubles. As he ventured down the dirty streets, lights greeted him as did the smell of freshly baked goods. The young vampire remembered having fresh cookies at his home for Christmas. Jam, and different sugars made the cookies sweet and delicious.

There was a tree in the middle of town, strung up with tinsel and paper decorations. His legs dragged him over, and dropped him in a heap at the base of the tree. Exhaustion filled him, inside and out. The hunger seemed never ending, and he was starting to regret ever talking to that strange man that made him the way he was. This was unbearable.

A hand gently placed itself on his shoulder, and Lestat’s head slowly turned. It took all of his remaining strength to do so while the mysterious figure draped a blanket over his shoulders. A woman, no older than he, was dressed impeccably, clearly having money and status. He remembered her honey sweet voice asking him if he’d like a warm place to stay, and a warm meal. He remembered meeting her husband and his friend that was staying over at the house for the holiday.

He vividly recalls the silent shock on the men’s faces as he tore into their necks, but he doesn’t remember destroying hers. A haze had made itself present over his vision and reasoning. When Lestat came to, it was a massacre in the home. But he finally felt alright. He wasn’t hungry, wasn’t exhausted, wasn’t cold. Blood drenched the clothes he wore, the carpet in the room, and the people that now lay dead. He went over to his gracious hostess and made sure to lay her down properly. She was kind to him, but he needed to eat as well.

Lestat remained in the home over night and left before anyone could find him the next morning. The man’s clothing fir him well enough that he could continue to find lavish homes to spend the night in for the rest of winter.

~

“That was the one death that I regret, truly. But when in a frenzy after going so long without food, it’s hard to contain.” Lestat was genuinely upset at the kind woman’s death. He’d forgotten her name after all these years, but he never forgot her generosity.

“She seemed like a lovely lady.” His lover was now pressed into his chest, Lestat was on his back. The snow outside kept coming down, slowly burying the home and roads in the icy white substance.

“She was. Did you know that Louis was absolutely insane over Christmas the first year he was turned? He was so concerned that he couldn’t celebrate the holiday because of the dark gift I gave him.” Lestat began to chuckle lightly at the memory, which caused her to start laughing as well.

“Tell me about that Christmas, Les. Please.” Who was he to deny her?

~

December 25th, 1791

Night falls across the plantation in beautiful and busy New Orleans, Louisiana. A young vampire, only twenty years turned, slowly wakes up from his peaceful slumber and takes in the sight of his coffin. His own prodigy, his very own fledgling, was curled into his chest, and had yet to wake up. In the dark of the coffin, Lestat could just barely make out the man’s full lips, prominent cheekbones, and soft skin. The brown hair on his creation flowed over his shoulders and tickled the man’s back lightly. His red eyes were shielded but the elder vampire knew that once he woke up and opened his eyes, Lestat would hear the incessant whining of him.

Speaking of which, his fledgling was beginning to wake from his peaceful rest. Just like he thought, his eyes opened and he realized what day it was. But Lestat was determined to keep the whining down today. He opened the coffin gently and helped himself and his companion out with care. Louis walked over to the portrait of his late wife and daughter, and spent several minutes just staring at the paintings. Lestat busied himself with having the maids set up the table for dinner, and the decorations for the evening.

Once Louis had emerged, he couldn’t believe the image that greeted him. Lestat could hear his thoughts from a mile away, and he was pleased to hear them. Louis was slowly taking in everything; lights, garland, paper decorations on the tree in the adjoining living room, and Christmas plants littered the room. He was so nervous and upset that he wouldn’t have been able to celebrate Christmas now that he was what he was. Lestat came over and took his hand gently in his own, and pulled the stunned man to the table.

They enjoyed Christmas dinner together, and Lestat brought out a special flask and crystal once the maids had retired for the evening. The two vampires made their way to the living room, and settled on the couch. Winds roared outside the home, while they enjoyed their post-dinner treat. Once they were satiated, Louis curled up to Lestat’s chest as they stared outside at the flurry outside. It was too cold for it to be rain, but too warm for the flurry to stick and become snow. While no words were said, Louis made sure to let Lestat know how much he loved being able to celebrate Christmas, even if it was different than how he usually did. His face when Lestat pulled a present out from underneath the tree was worth it.

~

“Did you continue to celebrate as you journeyed together?” His companion was so full of questions, but it made Lestat happy to talk about his life.

“Of course we did. And when we had Claudia, oh the Christmases we had with her. While she was a brat towards the end, in the beginning, she was sweet.” The vampire didn’t even need to have her prompt him anymore to talk about this kind of thing. So he begun the story of Claudia’s first proper Christmas of her life.

~

December 25th, 1794

Once the calendar showed that December had begun, Lestat was fully wanting to spoil his little family. He went full boar into decorations, planning, and prepping for the holiday. It was their daughter’s first Christmas with them; Louis needed to get on board. All it took was the two blondes to look at Louis with puppy dog eyes, and he was on board. It was more Lestat that did the actual convincing, but Louis couldn’t and wouldn’t deny Claudia when she looked so cute.

They made a new home ready for the holiday. Claudia talked about how before her mother got sick, she always tried to make her life better during that time. That admission tugged on his heartstrings, and made him want to give her the Christmas she deserved. Lestat took over most of the preparations while Louis rented the bill. It was all for Claudia anyways. The night before Christmas Day, Claudia kissed Lestat goodnight and took off to Louis’ coffin for her sleep. Louis stayed up for only a moment longer to put her presents underneath the tree, while Lestat watched him. He even put some underneath for the other blonde vampire but he didn’t need to know that until tomorrow.

He didn’t see Lestat go to bed, but he knew that as Claudia slept, Christmas Day would be perfect for this little girl. A gentle hand opened his coffin lid a few hours later, after the sun had gone down. Louis smelt actual food in the home, and saw Lestat holding open his lid. The elder vampire smiled down at his family that he had made. Their little girl had yet to wake up, but soft words were exchanged over her head. Making sure that everything was done and ready for her to experience. The rumbling underneath woke up the young fledgling, and she lept from the coffin to Lestat’s arms, begging for presents. While the other man woke up, they had already begun to sit at the dinner table.

They enjoyed their usual Christmas dinner, complete with their usual post-dinner treat in the best crystal they had. After Claudia had calmed down from her drink, that’s when she was allowed to open her presents. She tore open the paper on each present with childlike wonder and got excited each time the gift was revealed. Lestat sat with Louis on the couch and they watched their little girl have her first real Christmas. It wasn’t until Claudia saw a present with Lestat’s name on it that she got curious. She brought it over to her sire and turned back to discover if she had any more presents. But she just found one for Louis instead.

It was their first perfect Christmas as a family. Lestat remembered how happy he was when he saw how excited Claudia got over everything, and how Louis was excited for his presents. He just remembered being happy.

~

“That was the first Christmas I spent with both of them being happy with me. Claudia tried to kill me a while later.” His hand carded through the hair of his lover, who stared up at him as he spoke. There was a pause as she took in his words. She felt the mood drop, and she wanted to keep him at least happy.

“When was the last time you saw snow on Christmas Day?” There was more silence from the vampire. He really had to think about it. Lestat had spent most of his immortal life in New Orleans as he never got used to cold temperatures during parts of the year. It still got cold in Louisiana but never freezing except-

“1953. It was… that was the last time it snowed on Christmas Day here.” That far off look came back onto his face and she strapped in for the tale.

~

December 25th, 1953

It was cold. Freezing cold. Staying in one place for too long, Lestat tried desperately to keep himself warm with the thin blanket he had. Once it became summer, he’d be able to move far easier but for now, he was confined to the small rocking chair he called home. Hopefully next year got warm quickly, because this was painfully cold.

Lestat sat and reflected on his life and how it came to be. His lover and daughter both betraying him, killing him twice. But you can’t properly kill someone that is already dead the normal way. He was thankful that the house had the drapes still up so the sun didn’t get to him. Word of Claudia and the woman she was with being turned to ash. While he hated how much of an awful child she had become, he couldn’t be happy she was dead. She was his prodigy, his creation. And all the great memories they had made along the way flooded his mind.

He wondered where Louis was nowadays. He had always been the more responsible of the two, and much more attached to Claudia. In the span of a hundred years, Louis had lost two children. That has got to take a toll on a person, living, dead, or in between. Lestat wished he could see him one last time. He missed his family.

As he reminisced, snow danced outside of the window he sat nearby. The snow reminded him of every winter he spent with someone. Every Christmas he spent with his family, feeling like an actual family.What he wouldn’t give to go back to those days.

~

“I thought about going into the sun from time to time during the winter months, and especially at Christmas. But I could never bring myself to go through with it. It made me wish that I had held them a little closer to my heart.” While Lestat had a neutral expression, his companion heard the sorrow in his voice. She turned his face towards hers with a soft hand on his jawline.

“I’m glad you’re here with me, Les.” Her eyes sparkle din the dim light, while the man leaned in just a little closer.

“As am I, Mon Cher.” He bridged the gap between them, and shared a loving kiss with her. Maybe he didn’t have the perfect family with Louis; but he sure had something good going for himself.

[canonicallysoulmates]

You know when the ending is so bad it ruins the whole book?

That's how I feel about Tale of the Body Thief.

Disclaimer: I will be talking about the last chapter of this book so trigger warning for talk about rape. I will give a second trigger warning before I talk about it so if you want you can read the rest of this post and stop there or if it's triggering you can skip this whole post, and I recommend also skipping the book.

The first half I liked just fine, I have a whole separate post about it but basically, I felt very 50/50 I didn't care for the plot but there were some things I found interesting. At the time I would have given it a solid 3.5 stars. Then I got to the second half

Turns out the interesting stuff is only in the first half.

I don't know what it is about how this is written but I just don't care about the plot like I want Lestat to have his body back and I'm glad he does get it back but I'm not sucked into the story, and at first, I thought this was due to me already knowing that he does get his body back but then I remembered that I went into QOTD knowing quite a bit about it and the story still managed to pull me in and I got invested. That did not happen here. I'm deducting points.

I hate that Louis didn't help Lestat. I get that it was in character but I hate it. Not gonna take points away from it because of this but I will, however, take points away because of how fucking annoying I found Louis in that scene. I am on Lestat's side when it comes to burning his house down because he was practically begging Louis, trying to make him understand how horrible this experience has been for him and how much he hates the body he's in, and Louis is not listening and acting as if Lestat doesn't know what he's talking about! It annoyed me on a personal level, and with that, this book has made me annoyed at both of my favorite characters. I'm taking points off.

I don't care much for David, and I borderline don't care for even the friendship aspect of his and Lestat's relationship. This book really wants to sell me this couple, and I'm not buying. I saw more chemistry between Lestat and Gretchen which was a sweet brief romance albeit a bit weird because of the whole tending to a sick guy in the hopes he'll be nice and take your V-card thing. I'm not holding this against the book in the sense of taking points away from it but it did affect my enjoyment of it.

Before I keep tearing into this book the sex scene between Lestat and Gretchen was unintentionally funny to me because "I let my hand slip to the little doorway" I can't take this seriously, "and I felt her open petal by petal" this is why I stick to ao3 for all my smutty needs.

By this point, the book is sitting at a 2.5, Lestat has annoyed me once again by not realizing that David was not David and this was literally me with every page I turned

Then I read the final chapter and this plunged from 2.5 to 1.5 that's how much I hate David's transformation scene.

Once again, trigger warnings for mentions of rape.

I hate this moment for several reasons, the first and most obvious one being that Lestat forces himself on David. David is struggling, he's fighting back, he's trying to run away, he's telling Lestat no and asking him not to do this but Lestat does it anyways, and it would have been bad enough if he had grabbed David, bit him and turned him but he prolongs it, he drinks some of his blood he lets him go then captures him again this happens like three times with each time David trying to stop him. This person who was the only one there for him during his time of crisis, this man who Lestat is supposed to love so much he not only violates his bodily autonomy but he prolongs the horrible experience playing with him as a cat does with a mouse.

And I understand that Lestat is capable of doing horrible things, I get it it's a part of his character but this is also a character that it has been established was traumatized by having his own bodily autonomy taken away and being forcefully turned into a vampire. I would argue that we see part of this trauma in the first half of this very book because one of the reasons Lestat wants to be human again is that he wishes he could go back to when he was safe in his childhood home with his dogs before he faced the wolves, caught Magnus's attention and was turned.

To make it worse you have him thinking "Yes, fight, fight me as I fought Magnus. So sweet that you are fighting me. I love it. I do." What the fuck. Again, this is a character who has been on the other side of this type of traumatic experience.

And to make it, even more, worse, this is the second rape scene in this book. Because earlier in the book when Lestat was a mortal he forced himself on a waitress. Both scenes were unnecessary, one was more than enough, why two? why?

And after he forced himself on the waitress he felt bad because he knew he had done something horrible and yet here he is doing the vampire equivalent to his best friend. And this whole thing comes out of nowhere because yes, Lestat has been wanting to turn David for a long time but up until this point no matter how painful it was for him he had been respectful of David not wanting to be turned.

I cannot wrap my head around him doing to someone he cares about the same shit Magnus did to him.

This book could have had such a lovely ending if it had stopped at Lestat lighting the candle, and if Rice wanted David as a vampire it could have been done in so many better ways sincerely when the show gets to adapting this book I hope it either completely changes or completely disregards this last chapter. The only things I really want to see from this book to the show is Lestat being haunted by Claudia, Mojo, who is the best part, and possibly Rue Royale being restored.

There were things I liked, so I can't say it's all bad, but ultimately, I can see why this book is so hated. I, too, hate it.

[ruiniel]

Hey, dearie~ Apologies for the random Ask, but am curious as to your thoughts on a particular subject (and… may or may not need them for fic reasons 🤐): Does Alucard actually consume blood? Human and/or animal.

Aside from those stores in his keep under Gresit (which are… bizarre in and of themselves, honestly 🤔) and a comment to Trevor about 'killing and eating' him which could be interpreted in different ways, there doesn't appear to be that much canonical evidence to support the idea. Took my noob ponderings to the world wide web, but with little success. Most offered info from his game counterpart, which states that he apparently has consumed in the past but dislikes the taste? 🤔 If correct, one could fill in the gaps with info from similar sources as such, of course, but I personally still enjoy reading others' takes on the question. 😁

And it's naturally a fun idea that the fandom seems to eat up; him drinking from his partner 'cause c'mon, you have a half-VAMPIRE boyfriend/husband! Bu~ut, what if he doesn't like blood? What would the reason be? HAS he perhaps consumed in the past but no longer does? Share with me your wisdom!... Please. If it's not too much trouble. 😊

Hi! Finally got to this, thanks for asking! This'll be a long-ish one.

From your note I take it we're mainly interested in 'show-canon' here, and that’s the lens I’ll filter this through but I'll refer to other media from the Castlevania universe on this topic.

Yes, as you wrote, the show-verse interpretation of him has some references to hematophagy:

The presence of these in Alucard's private Keep:

Considering Alucard was in pretty bad shape after the first confrontation with Drac, and IF we assume those contain blood, it seems implied it was used in some manner as part of a healing/reanimation system OR, maybe, as sustenance during his Sleep ... The provenance of it? We (I) don't know, the show doesn't focus on that.

Alucard heals speedily when wounded as evidenced in the show a few times, and the fact that the chest scar remains after Dracula fights him in season I suggests to me just how close to kicking the bucket he might've been, if we think about who wounded him in the first place. So, maybe this was a one time case of needing this extra support? But don't know. In the speculation business here.

Just a fun thing, they make me think of these health bars in the games:

2. Again as you mentioned, the 'kill you and eat you' banter. It's hard to tell but my take is Alucard simply played on Trevor's preconceptions there to get a laugh out of it, since he was aware of the prophecy as shown when he asks Sypha here 'do you know the whole story?'

(can we pause to appreciate Sypha's blush for a moment aww)

And (I think) that when he saw them and heard their reason for coming, he likely knew, hence the 'do you care, Belmont?' questions. But he's a bastard(affectionate) and why not test a Belmont out because he can.

3. Adding what he told Sumi and Taka in season III:

Now, the statement might've been an extrapolation as a part of training, but do with that what you will.

It's a fun idea to eat up(har har) because blood drinking, or the symbolism of it - taking of one’s life force, has often been depicted as having a sensual side in certain literature genres and other media if the intent is not murderous (aka not a 'drink them dry' situation). It represents a physical and visceral connection between the (usually) willing giver and taker on a much deeper level than other pleasurable physical interactions let's say. It involves a huge amount of trust from one party, and the validation of that trust by the other.

I won't go into the wider discussion of the vampire myth origins and how it changed from its folkloric roots around the 19th century, though there is a lot to say. But the concept of vampirism has been around for millennia - as far back as Mesopotamia. Suffice to add that the contemporary Lestat-Dracula-Alucard types, the elegant, decadently flawless depictions of the vampire are a product of literary works gaining popularity at the time (rotting thanks to John Polidori, Sheridan Le Fanu and the like). Also! The term dhampir is not a Castlevania invention, but has its origins in Balkan folklore, with the same meaning.

Most offered info from his game counterpart, which states that he apparently has consumed in the past but dislikes the taste? 🤔 If correct, one could fill in the gaps with info from similar sources as such, of course

Right! The gameverse/Castlevania universe has some other references to it too, some I remember:

In SOTN he can activate a spell called dark metamorphosis, which in summary heals him if coming in contact with (enemies') blood 

Soul steal is another spell in the games that Alucard (and Dracula) can master, which is just that: healing by draining 'souls'/the life energy of those around them, dealing damage and healing themselves.

While neither of these are straight up 'blood drinking' they follow the trail of vampirism - draining the vital essence of the living.

And since we're here, lumping this together. A spinoff radio drama (Japanese) taking place after SOTN events deals strongly with Alucard and hematophagy. In Nocturne of Recollection Maria Renard is living with Alucard after the SOTN events (... nothing suggested they’re in a romantic relationship, mind you, at least it didn't seem like it to me).

The Villain of the story (incubus Magnus) appears to Maria and suggests Alucard won’t be able to control his thirst at one point around her, saying something like (paraphrasing) “why do you think he keeps a human around”.

She doesn’t believe him, but then asks Alucard about it, who admits he has consumed human blood in the past, but obviously doesn’t anymore. In the past he turned an old servant/friend (Lyudmil) into a vampire, which is strongly implied. It's also suggested that he struggled with his vampirism and legacy. I like to reference these bits in any ‘dhampir turns someone’ fic since it’s still in the Castlevania universe and Why Not.

Going back to the animated show, I’ve seen (and used) some common tropes in CV series fanfic:

drinks blood in dire circumstances: he’s gravely injured, usually beyond healing abilities for some reason and someone offers up blood to help him heal/get back on his feet

Sensual, usually blood kink/blood play, mostly in smutfic 

My headcanon of show-verse Alucard is he can drink blood, but he doesn’t need to, since we've of course seen him eat plain ol' human food. Nor is he interested, I see him presented as leaning more towards the human side of his legacy here. Anyway, this was the mile-long ramble, I likely missed some things but in the end it's up to you how you want to interpret it as an author, how much you want to keep to the fandom universe or expand beyond it.

I'm a strong proponent of 'it's canon if it works for me' in fanfiction writing tbh, and I've written AU show-verse Alucard drinking blood for various reasons/with various effects. Looking forward to how you apply it for fic purposes!

[kneelbeforeclefairy]

Okay okay okay so I need to process. I do not know why I am so upset over a fuckingtv show but I am

Okay so this is not the books. Now I do think any adaptation has to be...somewhat...faithful to the source material, or it becomes an adaptation In Name Only, and at that point why not do your own thing? However that doesn't mean it's BAD per se to change a lot of things, all media requires adaptation. Sometimes you can get the details wrong and hit the spirit. I use Howl's Moving Castle as an example of this. Pick up the book after you've seen the movie and the only thing similar is there's a dude named Howl with a Moving Castle. (Actually like the first 60 pages are the same and then they diverge wildly) but because like the SPIRIT felt similar, book fans tend to like the movie, and just accept them as two different things.

So initially I was a HUGE skeptic about some of these changes as they dropped. Why change the time period? Why age up Claudia? Why the framing device of the "second interview?" And I was pleasantly surprised as more trailers came out and FINALLY the first two episodes, that my fears were unfounded. The setting update was pretty cool, you didn't really notice it, the second interview became an interesting device to play with the idea of unreliable narrator. I'm still not crazy about 14 year old Claudia, but to be fair, being 14 eternally would suck, and it's a fun thing to explore, it's just not my favorite.

But this last episode. I mean--my chief criticism of Lestat so far was that he was too nice, and I wasn't seeing the Toxic that this relationship needs to get to Claudia Kills Lestat which is where it has to go. I was rejoicing at the moment where Lestat makes Claudia watch Charlie burn. Finally, FINALLY Lestat's brand of Awful. Other than that, aside from a few bitchy remarks, that one outburst at the table and a sort of tendency to ignore engaging with Louis emotions when he can throw money or sarcasm at them, he seems a decent guy.

And I was wondering how they're going to make him Awful, Abusive even, bad enough that when Claudia kills him we lose no sympathy for her, but also sort of mourn him, but also acknowledge it had to be done BUT ALSO when Lestat becomes protagonist, we still have to love and root for this guy. It's a fine line to walk. You can argue Anne Rice, goddess of inconsistent writing, doesn't always pull off.

But I think the answer was not just make him explode like that and beat up a man who he claims to love, who either can't or won't fight back, all because he's...jealous?

Thing is to me, it reads like lazy writing. They couldn't figure out how to show a relationship that was abusive without it being physically abusive, nor a relationship that is bad for everyone involved but does still have it's happy moments. They couldn't push Claudia to the point where she has to kill him without him doing the one unforgivable thing, and I think, to most audiences, that beat down is unforgiviable in terms of what you forgive of your protagonist. There's a line, you know? Withholding information, lying, and gaslighting people--sure, tell me your side of the story and I'll agree you have a lot of growing to do before you're a good person, but I'm still here, watching you become one. I still like you As A Charecter. Do THAT, over, let's face it, as tawdry an emotion as sexual jealousy and I frankly don't care WHAT happens to you. Thats like Tale of the Body Thief levels of "I'm not sure you can recover from that, Lestat."

And the reasoning behind it? They made it almost a love triangle. Lestat is jealous because Louis doesn't love him, he loves Claudia better? I mean, we got a good look at Louis' depression mode when she was gone, and I get Lestat gets angry because he's HERE, isn't he ENOUGH for him? And I think that's worth exploring, and I certainly think that's part of the Issues between the three of them. But that's not what we saw. We saw One Happy Family, even if Louis and Claudia are closer. We didn't see Lestat upset about it. And why should he be? I guess he feels left out? Idk it just seems...cheap. tawdry.

Oh, and I also Don't Like that the shorthand for Lestat is losing his investment in the relationship is him cheating. I didn't like it in episode 3, I really don't like it now. I think it's once again, a lazy shorthand of Bad Relationship, a sort of shortcut. I also think it falls into that old Depraved Bisexual trope and Bisexuals Won't Be Faithful To You trope. And I think there are better ways of doing that than just turning everything into sexual jealousy.

It's too....human. one thing that always set the Ricean vampires apart was how...non human...their way of love is. Most of them are polyamorous. Most of them are queer. Their love seems almost a little mixed in with platonic and familial. It's... interesting. And one thing that never happens is sexual jealousy and love triangles. That's too....easy. Boring.

The other thing that really bothered me is Claudia's assault. What. Exactly. Did it add to the plot? I get the OMG she leaves home and meets another vampire. Now she KNOWS there are others like her! But she could have left him for a million reasons--hes not as fun as Daddy Lou and Uncle Les. He talks down to her, calls her fledgling, she doesn't like that. He's old and stodgy, wants to pull her into some vampire cult. Not Claudia's style. Or best of all, he treats her like a child and that's a Trigger. But to take the only female main charecter, a black female character, and have her be sexually assualted--why? What does it add? Cause I'll tell you what it feels like. This Claudia has been aged up and sexualized--she not only is looking for romantic love, she's looking for sexual love. Now that's not MY preference in honing in on What's Eating Claudia, I think an eternity as a 14 year old is enough angst, but sure let's make it she wants sex and believes she'll never find it. (it also bothers me her snap is after 5 years. Like...girl....you might find love you are still 19. ) But whatever, okay, so she's very sexual. But the second she leaves home the first thing we see happen to her is she gets assaulted? It looks to me like a punishment. Claudia wants to get laid and that's what happens to naughty little girls who are too sexual too soon they get into bad situations that for some damn reason, a freaking vampire can't fight her way out of. (I mean if it was a 200 year old vamp, at least there's some textual basis, but that guy was her human and vampiric equal, give or take a few years. ) And the fact that this happens to a black teenager--when the sexualization of black girls is such a problem in media and in real life....it's not a good look, show. It's not a good look.

And that weird She Tore The Pages Out thing? Wasn't that a FUN way of dwelling on the assault of a black woman without showing it and getting the criticism for SHOWING assault a la Game of Thrones? Felt very have your cake and eat it too.

Anyway, I am just... Angry. Yes I'm angry as a Book Fan. But I've been enjoying this adaptation on its own merits until this episode. Sometimes it REALLY hits the spirit of the thing, despite so many detail changes. Sometimes it goes left and starts telling its own story...and that's FINE. But at this point I feel like it's not longer got much of a resemblance to the books, it's not telling that story any more, but I don't know what story it wanted to tell. I can't figure out what this is about. And I feel like the COMPLEXITY that is the Lestat/Louis/Claudia household has been thrown out the window in favor of ...almost a love triangle? Romantic jealousy, sexual jealousy and the only way the writers can show a bad relationship, infidelity and physical abuse.

It's lazy. It's lazy and I hate it.

[compo67]

When you get a chance to watch the unnamed thing, will you tell us what you think? Yours are some of the only fandom opinions I care about tbqh.

Hi Anon!

Well, in my sickness, I've had a chance to catch up on TV things, since I've been too ill to be at my laptop. (I don't watch anything on my laptop, I only use it to write.) I caught up with the Great British Bake Off (GBBO) and was horrified to see what Paul Hollywood thinks s'mores are. Abdul was the only one who got it right--s'mores are supposed to be messy, gooey monstrosities and if they're not? You're not making them right.

Onward though, below the cut. (Spoiler/TLDR: I'm not a fan of TW.)

Then I got caught up on Walker Independence, because I love a good Western and I wanted to see what it's about. I don't watch Walker just because I'm not interested in modern-day law enforcement shows. But I can and do love a historical drama, especially if it's done right. WIndy is everything I've wanted so far and more. I love the chemistry between Abby and Kate (eee!), between Abby and Hoyt (ha!), and Abby and Calian (yes!).

I love love love the fact that people of color have representation on and off screen in so many different ways.

There are so many engaging storylines and I just... mwah. Chef's kiss.

There's intrigue, suspense, grief, comedy, and none of it feels forced. I really feel for Abby as she tries to navigate new emotional and physical places she had never anticipated. And I love that everyone has their own backstories that unfold in a very natural way.

WIndy makes me wish I had cable TV so I could watch it when it airs and not the day after on the CW app. It makes me want to have a Twitter account just so I can gush about it there!

So, anon, if you haven't watched WIndy, I very much recommend it.

What I don't recommend is The Winchesters.

It really takes a lot for me to catch up on TV. I'd much rather watch Jurassic Park for the 10000th time or put on Pride & Prejudice in the background and knit or write. But since I've been bed/room-bound for almost... six days now, well. It was a good time to dust off the remote and crack open the TV.

I also started watching AMC's Interview with the Vampire, which is just AMAZING. Oh my goodness, it's gorgeously shot and written. The chemistry between Louis and Lestat! Scorching!

I watched all of that before I landed back onto The Winchesters. I watched TW the first week it came out. But I didn't really remember any of it, so I rewatched the pilot this week. Well. Let me tell you. I had regrets.

No matter how I try to slice it, it just doesn't feel authentic. It doesn't feel authentic to its time period, to its characters, or to its story. I don't see chemistry between the leads or their supporting characters. We know that John and Mary both live well beyond this time period, so there's no sense of urgency or fear that one of them might die. John is a little too sweet, too naive, too trusting for someone just coming home from a major war. And Mary? I can't even begin to express how much I dislike what they've done to her character. I really *hate* storylines where the female lead pretends not to be interested in a guy but then she's actually interested but not but no really.

I just don't see either actor as being John or Mary. That's not their fault, they're good actors, I'm just not sold. I'm far too entrenched in what SPN already sold me. I didn't need to be sold anything else.

Anyway. I also hate what they did with the side characters, whose names I can't remember. I wasn't invested at all from the beginning or the end. I found the Latinx character to be incredibly off-putting. Like they tried too hard to make him sassy. He came off cringe instead.

The demons, the missing fathers, the monster of the week, none of it hooked me.

I wasn't expecting to like it, but I wasn't expecting to hate it this much either. Nothing stuck with me except the negative takeaways. I didn't like this, that, and the other. I can't really tell you anything positive. Even the music wasn't memorable for me. And just because you have representation on screen doesn't mean it's necessarily quality representation.

TW undermines everything about SPN. That's just the heart of it for me.

Did I go back and watch another episode? Nope. I spent my time watching WIndy and IwtV instead. Absolutely no regrets there.

There's nothing to rally behind TW for me. I frankly don't care if John or Mary succeed because, well, I already know how it ends. Instead of trusting me, the viewer, to flesh out the in-between, I'm having it shoved at me and told it's canon now. I can't give them props for attempting to tackle PTSD, because even that didn't feel genuine. I feel like they picked the wrong time period to tell a story they're capable of telling.

So, those are my thoughts and feels about TW and a whole other host of things. I will continue to watch WIndy and GBBO every week. I still need to finish catching up on IwtV. But I will not spend more time on TW.

Thank you, anon. It felt good to put all of this into words.

-Cal

[findroleplay]

Hello! I am on the hunt for an Interview With The Vampire roleplay, specifically based around the AMC show. I have read most of the Chronicles but I am currently on a reread at the moment, so I would be happy to include parts from the books if my partner has also read! I’m happy to go strictly from the show though. Either way, I want to make this world our own and not just write scene for scene, let’s get creative and find a thousand things to throw at these characters!

Pairings I am looking for are Louis/Lestat and Louis/Armand, with a deep preference for playing Louis. If another pairing jumps out at you, let me know!

Plot wise, I want us to come up with something together but I am happy basing / beginning our story at any time depending on the pairing. We can talk and see what ideas come out, as long as we are equally contributing and vibing well of one another’s thoughts then I think we’ll be golden!

Me: I'm 21+ and looking for the same. I write multi-para to novella style and have zero limits so angst and dark themes aplenty for me! I love side characters so would adore finding a partner that is willing to explore other characters and relationships outside of the main pairing and this fandom has such truly deep links.

It's important to note that I am currently only looking for partners who are available to write fairly frequently. My uni is off now until the start of October and I will be around a bunch to write and chat. Real life always comes first and I have my own responsibilities BUT I am not looking to write with someone who is only about once or twice a week. Thank you. ❤️

Like this and I will reach out so you can tell me about yourself! Please, please, please give me a proper introduction about you, your writing style and your thoughts from this ad. I don't require writing samples but I do think of initial contact as a bit of an idea for how we will be as partners. We want to write together after all, l'm not going to be enamoured by a 'yeah, I'm interested' style opener. ⚰️🧛🏼

_

[skvaderarts]

Devil May Cry OC Week Day 1!

Happy first day of @dmc-oc-week! I’m so excited for this!

So I hope this isn’t too annoying, but a lot of the stuff about my OC relates to the 120 Post DMC5 Nero and V as brothers fic that I’ve been writing for the last year (Help I can’t stop), so I have yet to reveal a lot of the stuff about him. I seriously hope that at least one of you likes him, though! The artwork is by the always amazing @gaaebolg​, and I’ll have more sometime in the future, so stay tuned!

Also, I’m sorry for how long this post is. I’ve been creating things for this OC for the better part of two years now, so I’ve just got a lot of pent up excitement to get through. If at least one of you like him, then it’s a success!

Now then... SIRRUS

General Information:

Name: Sirrus (sear-us not Cyrus)

Age: Nope. He’s not saying. How rude of you to ask! Looks 21-25 though.

Eyes: Very light gray

Height: 6″ 5′

Build: Thin. He basically never eats anything. But he likes to cook (mostly for V and Nero) and he drinks sometime. And it’s normally wine. he doesn’t eat his own cooking, though. Everyone is freaked out by this.

Species: That’s tricky. Very tricky. He’s technically three different things at once due to his complicated parental lineage, and it causes him nothing but suffering. I may reveal what he truly is later this week if people actually care that he exists barely concealed intense crying. As a result of this, he had one hell of a power set, although many of his powers clash in a sort of MHA Todoroki sort of way. He’s not very pleased by this. The power is great and all, but it literally gives him a miserable migraine sometimes.

Personality: Sardonic, sarcastic, linguistically unapproachable at times due to his tendency to be very formal in an old fashioned, bitingly straight to the point, occasionally cripplingly brooding, and internally melodramatic. His entire internal monologue is just him chastising himself for every breath that he takes or him thinking he’s a total badass. He has no in-between. If left alone, he won’t make it off the couch due to a healthy dose of self-loathing. Thankfully he can’t become drunk. But he still tries. Think Tom Cruse Lestat meets Dorian Grey meets Alucard from the Castlevania Netflix anime. He likes to make dry, deadpan jokes, but he also knows how to read the room. He’s been around long enough to have developed that skill. But despite his desire to be left alone and work in isolation, he finds himself around the crew more than he might like to understand. He tries to be supportive to those around him, though he’s fully self aware of the fact that he’s not that great with it.

Preferences: Dark rooms, good food, better wine, even better conversations, and fantastically showboat filled fights. And not so subtly spoiling V with unsolicited but much appreciated gifts and luxuries.

Dislikes: Mostly his father and bullshit in general. Which is a large reason he doesn't like his father. Also, people who abuse others or power for self gain. So again, his father. I’m noticing a reoccurring theme here. It’s his mom’s fault, too.

Relationships: He knows the cast due to being sent to investigate the events of the fic I was writing, and from there he hangs around and offers to help in any way that he can. He’s on good terms with basically everyone, but later becomes very friendly with V and they have a frankly adorable relationship that I’m 10000% sure he wishes were more than just a friendship but he’s just too shy and sure he’d be rejected to ask. He and various members of the cast have some fun banter with one another, though, and he’s more or less free to come and go as he wishes. He also may or may have not gotten V slightly drunk off of blood wine once. It’s complicated.

Abilities: Wouldn’t you like to know, weather boy. Just kidding. in addition to the standard things like quick movement, increased durability and stamina, and some other things I’ve yet to reveal, Sirrus has a vaguely explained light ability that forces a lot of very powerful demons to recoil at the sight of it. He can also wield fire, but in a localized state, and the more he allows it to spread, the harder it is to control. The more localized and small the fire area is, the hotter he can make it burn, all the way up to white flame is he absolutely needs to. It’s very draining, however, as the usage of such power is in direct conflict with what he is. Far too much light for his tastes. But, at the very same time he, the other portion of what he is makes the light within him stronger. He’s a living contradiction, and yes, he totally hates it.

Weapon: He possesses a swept hilt rapier called “Kilnsbane” forged from a combination of Damascus Steel and meteorite. It earned it’s name for it’s ability to be coated in intense heat as a veiacle for his powers (it’s easier to control that way) and from the shards of dust that speckle the blade. The blade is slightly longer than average, reaching about a meter in length. It’s also sharp on both edges of the blade like a razor. It’s not as sharp as something like Yamato, but it’s exceptionally durable, kinda like the difference between Vibranium and Adamantium. Nico is going to have a field day with that.

Interesting fact: Due to two divorces on the part of his father, he is technically part of two powerful families. One by blood, and the other as a sort of honorary son after he sided with them over an important domestic dispute against his father’s wishes. if you’d like to know more, let me know!

Notes: I’d tell you more, but so many things about him are showed in mystery by nature, so if I tell you (yet) what some of these details are, I’ll spoil the surprises. And also, if your reading my fics, I don’t want to spoil anything about his roll in the story by telling you entirely who and what he is. His last name is actually a spoiler in of it’s self, so you can’t know it just yet!

So... what do you think?! I would so love for someone, ANYONE to give me feedback or just ask me more about him! It would be so exciting to see someone on Tumblr go down that road with me :D thanks for reading this! I look forward to tomorrow!