#long live daniel molloy!!!

[daftmooncretin]

like obviously i do like iwtv for the plot but the reason i am tuning in every week is more and more to see an old queen bully two infinitely older queens.

[theatrevampire]

lmao sorry if i was an old man dying from parkinson's with a lot of regrets in my life and the vampire i met in my 20s called me up 50 years after an interview where he attacked me and was like "can we try again?" and then i got to his billionaire dubai penthouse and sat down and THIS was what he said to me it would have been fucking van helsing ON THE SPOT like why don't we take a walk outside in the sunlight you shady ass queen

[mirrorhouse]

even though he seems to have objections about the vampiric diet, really it feels like he's playing it up, acting in line with the human morals he's "supposed" to have (killing & eating people is wrong)

of course there's nothing he could really do about it, but daniel literally sits there and watches a guy get escorted off to be lunch for armand and only has some short jabs about it in response

he's even curious about it all, another thing he can add to his book

really, his priority is always his book and his own life. i do wonder how he would've reacted to someone being killed in front of him (since the fox seems to disturb him), but it's clear by the time he's speaking with louis in the finale he has no issue with taking lives to feed himself. imo it's something that was present and lurking within him for a long time before becoming a vampire

[the-woman-upstairs]

Really beholden to the idea that at least part of why Louis was fascinated with Daniel initially was because of his project of interviewing citizens of San Francisco, documenting their stories and voices, in much the same way Louis was trying to do with his photography in Paris.

[hey-its-sybarite]

Seeing & Being Seen

There’s just something about an OTP where BOTH people will throw a goddamn tantrum if the other half withholds their attention. They do this even well before they know how they actually feel.

Person A: *throws a bitchy little hissy fit, maybe with some blackmail or destruction or murder*

Person B: This blatant attempt to manipulate me isn’t just working, I find it downright charming too.

Count on this man to react reasonably instead of escalating while internally chanting “look at me!”

In this pairing the “reasonable, quiet one” commits a lot of relationship-adjacent arson. Ooh and he withholds attention and affection until his attention-whore partner escalates to ludicrous degrees. So sane! So healthy!

Not that Daniel and Armand were very different.

At least the two below don’t kill for each other… as much? But the tantrums and hissyfits are epic.

This guy started young and spiralled. Unfortunately for him, the other guy was a bit slow on the uptake. Just as violent and obsessive though!

Then there are the many normal sibling relationships with normal sibling boundaries and NO mummy or daddy or abandonment issues. These guys get and hold each other’s attention in VERY NORMAL WAYS like teasing, fighting about who’s the favourite child, lying, blackmail, theft, state secrets, torture, murder, dying, selling your soul and going to hell, actual kissing, heroic rescuing and frankly unseemly amounts of eye contact.

I’m sure there are way more. I didn’t even separate out the Hargreeve’s dynamics because damn.

[gracerings]

lestat somehow ends up having beef with taylor swift because she released the 15th version of her new album the same day the vampire lestat album came out and made it go number two on the charts. his fans are mad and they say she’s not a ‘girl’s girl’ because they think lestat is secretly using she/her pronouns. this causes MAD discourse on twitter because people say lestans (official name of his fandom) are co-opting struggles of real trans/genderqueer artists and that lestat is clearly just a cis white man who thinks his aesthetic is cool and hip with the times but he’s actually super cringe. lestat has killed his pr team so he tweets himself in response to the drama and says that mademoiselle swiftié is a perfectly fine musician but she’s basically a baby compared to his long relationship with music. swifties ratio him on twitter calling him ‘an old queen’ and ‘world’s worst father’ (this is because they read international bestseller interview with the vampire). lestat has an emotional breakdown and cries for three days and he eats his makeup artist for making him look old. his producers are desperate and they ask daniel molloy to fix him because daniel is the unofficial vampire therapist now. vampire daniel’s idea of fixing lestat is to go on a blood bender with him. somehow this works because in between victims daniel tells lestat to stop being a little bitch and grow the fuck up. here lestat understands for the first time why daniel and louis are friends and asks daniel to telepathically call louis for him because he needs him. daniel tells him to eat shit. as they return to lestat’s shack (yes he still lives there when he’s not touring) they find out that swifties have doxxed him and showed up to the shack to ravage it. lestat starts crying again while daniel falls over himself laughing and records everything and posts it on tiktok. armand likes the video 0.3 seconds after it’s posted. throughout all of this louis is on a beach somewhere enjoying a quiet night, he telepathically asks daniel how lestat’s doing and daniel tells him to not even worry about it.

[cbrownjc]

"I'm the quiet you've been longing for." Or, in other words, Gentleman Death.

So yeah, there are people, rightly, laughing at Armand calling himself the "quiet" that Daniel's been longing for because if you know anything about their relationship, particularly with how it started, it was anything but quiet. Quite the opposite in fact.

But see, I think, when it comes to the moment in the image above, that is actually the whole point. Because this moment isn't from some point when they are romantically together. I think this moment is from when they first really meet and speak to each other after Polynesian Mary's. More importantly, I think this is sometime after Armand had stopped Louis from killing Daniel.

There is a great observation/analysis post here that notes the clothes both Armand and young Daniel are wearing, and how they match up to what they were wearing that night when they first encountered each other at Polynesian Mary's. So this moment above being either later that same night, or maybe even the next night after Louis attacked Daniel matches up.

And this moment is very much Armand offering Daniel an "easeful death." Namely, killing him, probably because of what happened with Louis. Armand likely only stopped Louis from doing so because he knew Louis would feel guilty about it later, as Louis doesn't actually like to know anything about his victims before he kills them. So Armand likely stepped in and stopped Louis to spare him from that and such guilt.

However, Armand probably also thinks Daniel now knows too much to risk letting him live. And so is going to kill him himself. And I think what we are seeing here, above, is one of the ways Armand will sometimes present himself to his victims. And I think it is something he learned from Lestat, which is to be "Gentleman Death."

It's been noted by the writers of the show that they were looking to drawn things from Anne Rice's short story, Interlude with the Undead, for Armand in Season 2. (A short story, btw, which you can read online here and here.) And, of course, the line about "easeful death" that we hear in the trailer can be found in that short story, not once but twice:

But if you notice, during the first passage, Armand also talks about being "Gentleman Death." The same exact thing Lestat said to Armand to explain his outlook on being a vampire during the time period when they first met; and basically upending Armand's entire worldview (and cult) under Les Innocents.

From The Vampire Lestat:

From Interlude with the Undead:

From the opening of Interlude with the Undead, we know that this whole short story was actually Louis telling Daniel something Armand had told him. Well, I think not only has the show cut out the middleman on that, but I think what they are about to do is show how very much Armand, in his own way, embraced Lestat's Gentleman Death mission statement for a time. Probably for a long time.

In the show, I think we are going to see Lestat give Armand his Gentleman Death monologue during the scene when these two images happen:

And I think, by the time Louis encounters Armand in Paris, we will see that he has, in his own ways and methods, adapted to that ethos of being Gentleman Death.

However, time does march on. And I do think Armand will begin to see presenting himself as such is beginning to not fit with the times he is now in. But it will still be one of the things he still will present himself as.

At least until Daniel.

Because I really do think when Armand presents himself in this way to Daniel, being a "quiet" (ie death) that he says Daniel has been longing for? Daniel is going to flat-out reject that.

Because Daniel doesn't want to die, no matter how many drugs he takes or the reckless behavior he may sometimes exhibit (during this point in time). What Daniel really wants is to live forever. The reason Louis attacked Daniel as he did was because Daniel asked Louis to make him immortal.

Death? Quiet? Hell no. Give Daniel Molloy immortality, thank you!

So Daniel is going to ask the same thing of Armand he asked of Louis. Which is for Armand to make him immortal.

And just like in the book? Armand is, at first, going to be taken aback. And then, intrigued by this brash (and beautiful) human:

This human whom Armand is sure is going to go completely mad at some point by the knowledge that vampires actually exist. But hasn't gone mad, no not yet:

So yeah, I feel that the "quiet you've been longing for" moment in the trailer is the moment when Armand presents himself as his own version of "Gentleman Death" and it flat-out doesn't work, probably for the first time ever. And that it doesn't work with Daniel is what starts The Chase between them in the show's universe; the show leaving out the 3-days or so that Armand locked Daniel in a cage before that, of course.

And all because of something Armand has been doing since Lestat first upended his life under Les Innocents centuries ago did not work on this one particular mortal. So, instead, Armand let him go to chase him instead.

And to hell with trying to seduce this human with promises of "quiet" because that sure as hell didn't work last time.

[ariaste]

listen i've had a 100 degree fever for four days and i have not been able to string any thoughts together except for gently rotating Devil's Minion in my brain and the bleary conclusion i have come to is this:

we know armand is a control freak

we know armand has spooky psychic powers of imposing his desired reality on top of other people's lived realities

the interview is happening despite armand supposedly claiming that he thinks it's a bad idea

Armand gives in to participating in the interview awfully quick. including a theatrical reveal of his true self at exactly the right moment for maximum Drama.

therefore, stay with me here, I will argue that armand DOES ACTUALLY want the interview to be happening. Who else is going to be pushing for it? Louis??? If Louis pushed for something Armand didn't want, Armand would simply wipe it from Louis' mind and move on with his day. He has that power, and yet he didn't USE IT in this case. So that means that the little tissue paper objections are mostly for show and to camouflage his true intentions (see also, though: the scene in Paris where Louis comes in and is playing maitre and Armand offers just a teeny resistance of "oooh but i'm looking at Sam's new pages", so it's a documented behavior pattern). There is one exception, but we'll come back to that in a sec.

So then the questions are: Why does he want it to be happening now as opposed to any other time? What is his motivation for having it happen again at all? What changed between 1973 and now that caused this?

(the rest under a cut bc this is gonna get long and i don't wanna clutter people's dashes too much)

my wild fever hallucination theory rn is that armand (my canceled wife who i stand with) is manipulative and psychopathic enough that he may have looked at daniel at some point in the 1970s and said to himself "you know what, the one thing that I would change about him is if he was like 40 years older, because i'm kinda into that, and also maybe he hates me a little bit, because i'm kinda into that as well" and then set Daniel on the back burner to basically finish cooking into the Perfect Daddy Boyfriend.

so why is he doing this whole charade again? Because the first time Daniel had the interview, the end result was "omg omg omg make me a vampire PLEAAASE", right? So Armand's insane little brain is like "ok, so we do it again, and replicate the same results :) and this time i will win and get everything i want, just like always :))))"

Going back to the tissue-paper objections i mentioned above, the one exception that strikes true for me is when Armand tells Louis that he's lost control of the interview. What control? What control, babygirl? what are you trying to control about this interview? what is the goal that isn't being achieved rn? Are you worried that Daniel seems Jaded and Cynical and Unimpressed nowadays? Are you worried that Louis does not seem to be selling the Allure Of Being A Vampire as effectively as he did back then and that Daniel is not going to beg for it like he used to? Armand is so used to being around people who NEVER EVER CHANGE in hundreds of years and so maybe he has forgotten that mortals do change actually. Oh no. Science experiment cannot be replicated. Results are going awry. PANIC.

this would also explain why he keeps explaining himself to Daniel, censoring the diaries, and lying about his involvement in things. could it be that he thinks Daniel won't play along with what he's supposed to be doing (ie: being deeply into him) if he knows upfront that Armand is Fucknuts Crazy?

that is where he is wrong tho. Daniel thinks fucknuts crazy is irresistibly hot. Daniel "I want BOTH [to survive AND the book] >:\" Molloy, aka Daniel "YOU BOTH FUCKED LESTAT? :DDD" Molloy aka Daniel "Fascinating Boy" Molloy loves mess. he loves mess. he's an investigative journalist who interviews KGB agents and the most dangerous people in the world because he's an adrenaline junkie who sincerely loves the thrill of hanging out with people who might kill him. He has been chasing that high since 1973 (and I use that phrasing intentionally). Every time Armand tries to control the narrative and woobify himself and act like he's not absolutely insane bc actually he's innocent and blameless, he is shooting himself in the foot re: the pursuit of his endgame goals. And that's extremely funny to me. Bc Daniel's love language is "WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU [enraptured, intrigued, captivated, fascinated]"

and in conclusion, that's why they're the ship of all time, ur honor. defense rests.

(will this make coherent sense once i'm not sick anymore? idk.)

[confirmeddead]

The crazy part about AMC’s Daniel Molloy and Devil’s Minion is they can do just about anything with it. They’ve turned Daniel’s character from someone referred to as “The Boy” in IWTV to a fully fleshed out character. They did this with Louis, who many didn’t care for until AMC’s IWTV. They transformed Louis into one of the greatest characters on TV!

So Daniel Molloy isn’t a “boy” anymore per se, he’s lived a long life in between the first and second interviews. He’s had two marriages, kids, written several books, and seen so much success in his career. So what does this mean for Devil’s Minion?

Anne Rice all but wrote Daniel out of TVC after Queen of the Damned. Armand’s first and only fledgling just… gone. But Daniel is so essential to AMC’s IWTV now. I think most viewers would be sad if we didn’t see much of Daniel after Louis’ current story wraps up.

So from what we know about AMC’s Daniel, I’m hoping this changes the “after” drastically. Daniel doesn’t take well to being turned and is taken away to be cared for by Marius. Could you see our Daniel doing that? He’s gone through every bullshit life can throw at you at this point. Two divorces, kids that don’t talk to him, drug abuse, etc. I don’t think he’s that boy Anne Rice wrote about, at least not anymore. Maybe he was in 1970s San Francisco, but that’s not him anymore!

Old Man Daniel deserves better than to be stuck with Marius and frankly, so does Armand. I’m not saying the companionship has to be a perfect, happy ending but I’d like to see it more than what Anne ended up writing. And I gotta say, I do trust the team at AMC’s IWTV to do something great.

[bastardash]

RIP to human Daniel Molloy. You were the number 1 bitch. Nobody did it like you. I loved you.

Long live annoying baby brother vampire Daniel Molly. You're already a giant pain in the ass, I love you.

[verimuru]

Red on Maroon A 16-page IWTV (2022) fancomic about the vampire Armand and journalist Daniel Molloy visiting the Mark Rothko retrospective in 2024 Paris. Content mentions & warnings: The comic depicts Daniel’s internalized ableism. Rothko’s suicide is acknowledged but not discussed in detail. There’s angst, talk about kink and lots of fluff. Louis is mentioned as well as Daniel’s daughters. Marius is not named but is hinted at. The comic is set up in post-Dubai-interview time and based on my knowledge about s1 of AMC’s IWTV with sprinkles of book canon. Some notes about the comic below:

As with my last comic, I am not a native English speaker, so I hope you keep that in mind when reading <3 trying my best here meow meow

The Rothko retrospective can be visited until 2nd of April of 2024 in Louis Vuitton Foundation. I visited the place in January, so the comic’s surroundings are a mix of memories and some image searches, but in no way fully accurate. Since visiting Paris next week is probably not an option for most people, the foundation has a very cool free app, where you can listen to an audio guide about Rothko and paintings in the exhibition. I mostly used their app as a source for this comic, so in case you want to learn more, go here: https://www.fondationlouisvuitton.fr/en/events/mark-rothko

 I listened to a lot of Morton Feldman’s Rothko Chapel -album while making this. So put it in playing in the background if you’re into that sort of thing. Link to the playlist on youtube

Since I am Finnish and I found out that one of LVF’s first exhibition had some Finnish painter’s work, ofc I had to include them… Page 14 has Schjerfbeck’s “Dancing Shoes”  and Gallen-Kallela’s “Kullervo Cursing”.

Ok finally some headcanon stuff: in my head, while writing this comic, I imagined Daniel having accepted the dark gift from Armand, but both of them wanting him to live as a human as long as possible to enjoy the benefits of a… mortal body. :’D Since, you know, vampirism is forever anyway, so why not enjoy the variety of bodily fluids, body heat, aches and weirdness of aging? While having a chronic illness is shitty, his life is not, and while his disability marginalizes him, there’s a perspective there, a person living and enjoying things, allowed to take space and feel his thoughts develop from these changes (that also affect over 6 million people around the world with Parkinson’s).

After finishing the comic I am not so sure if Daniel is going to be turned into a vampire after all. So your guesses are as good as mine, would love to hear your suggestions, hehe!

I wish we knew more about Daniel’s daughters! I just came up with something here because I wanted to draw them and wanted to see their dynamics as a family.

I have now read the Devil’s Minion part from Queen of the Damned as a separate short story and appreciate the TV show’s changes to Daniel even more. I can’t wait for S2…..

My sincerest thanks to @anaid-queen for being a test audience, my informant and such a cheerleader the past week <3<3<3

Hope you enjoy xoxo

SORRY I POSTED THE WRONG IMAGE FILES FIRST WAHHH I had to repost ;_;

[apoptoses]

It is #Molloy Monday and I am here to remind you that Daniel is featured most from 1975-1985 aka the Sluttiest Era of Modern Male Fashion.

Coming in HOT we have the cut off short shorts and cropped t-shirt or mostly unbuttoned button down combo. Daniel visited some warm climates during the chase years so I invite you to picture him in the tiniest ripped jean shorts sweating over whether or not that auburn haired lady down the street is actually Armand!!

Or going into the 80s sometimes the tops were REALLY cropped and exposed midrift and back!! Like just picture Daniel fucking around on Night Island in this, wow wow!!

But even when the pants were long the t-shirts were TIGHT, maximum pec definition through the shirt was a must.

If he didn't wanna show that much skin? That was fine because turtlenecks where IN baby!! These are basically vampire lingerie imo, covering up the most succulent part of the neck but still leaving a hint exposed below the jaw?? Armand had to have been dying of thirst!!!

(Also when it says Armand came to pick Daniel up from jail in a lawyer's tweed suit? He wasn't wearing no modern cut, he'd have been rocking the big lapels because this was the 70s tyvm)

Also important to note was that the 70s were the era of glam rock and androgyny, so picking a silky button down that looks like a women's blouse? Totally okay for men, very in style so long as you leave the top buttons undone to expose maximum chest.

Btw velour? Was IN. This is the 1979 equivalent of a juicy couture tracksuit which Armand could have snuggled right into while they were living in London.

And while the 80s sees the rise of a looser fit, that doesn't mean the crop top died or that people weren't still rocking a more form fitted jean when they were feeling casual.

This photo is from NYC in 1983 and shows that tight t-shirts and short shorts were still very much alive, just styled a bit differently! A tight top and looser straight leg jeans, or short bottom and a flowy open top took the place of all fitted looks.

Or that the mostly unbuttoned button down went away- if anything in the 80s the buttons went even LOWER and more revealing. Paired with a boxy linen suit this is essential 80s Miami aka Night Island looks.

and yeah that's spader, leave me alone, he's peak 80s here

This sweater is loose but it's got the deep V neck and a sheer knit, perfect for the beach!!

And yeah this is Sapder AGAIN but note the half open shirt, leather jacket, and jeans that get tighter near the ankle!! Classic 80s, baggy but still sexy, A+.

I SWEAR this is the last time I'm gonna use and abuse him but peep the muscle tank with the DIY cut edges on the arm holes! V neck! 80s!!!

Basically the takeaway here is that if you're putting them in the 80s and having them rock something baggy and double denim, the look still featured a tight waistline and rolled sleeves or rolled ankles to tighten the jeans. It wasn't just baggy all over!!

Here's some random images from the entire era to finish off:

So next time you're working on fic or art instead of just tossing Daniel into a regular old t-shirt and jeans consider doing some slutty 70s and 80s looks instead 😌

[byooregard]

iwtv fanfic friday: random fics from my bookmarks with less than ~200 kudos

wanted to make sure the stuff i was linking wasn't stuff everyone's read so i tried to go for the less popular works in my bookmarks

filthy with a twisted tongue by @shineforthee. 4k

Reach out to touch a dead guy’s face one time and he takes off. It’s not like it’s thrusted Daniel into a bottomless pit of despair and psychosis or anything, so who cares? (Nobody, that’s who. Not a damn soul even knows he’s here.) The smell of stale sweat and hot sugar clings in the air. A stained piece of flannel covers the window but light trickles in through the threadbare fabric, so it must be daytime. He tries to remember if it was daytime last time he looked, but it wouldn’t do anything to give him a sense of how many days he’s been here anyway.

value form by leavethebees. 4k, M

"Hey, I'm a journalist," Daniel protests. "I follow the story, and you just tried to set a guy's head on fire. That's front-page news." "Chasing stories," Alice says in an unimpressed, withering tone. "You're a romantic, then. That's worse, you know."

relentless, unbearable by eggalbumin aka @pollyclonolly. 2k

Louis taps his arm. He looks lovely tonight, and his eyes are brilliant under the bar’s light. He’s as beautiful as he is in the memory that exists in Daniel’s head, of the first time they met at Mary’s. The glimmer in his eyes, the smoke curling in tendrils around his lips, the way he smiled as he said, I did a terrible thing, once. He smiles, and it’s lined with sweetness. “You bored?” “An unreasonable amount,” Armand says. He’s not, and he knows he’s not. Louis knows, too. He could spend every day for the rest of his never-ending life chasing the shape of Daniel’s shadow and it wouldn’t bore him. He drinks whatever is left in his glass and it tastes like chalk in his mouth. Sometimes, he thinks he’ll always be trying to chase down the taste of Daniel’s blood in his throat, with Louis and alcohol and prey, and it will still find a way to linger on his tongue for as long as he lives. “Weddings are long, dull affairs. I don’t see the appeal.” (It’s 1982. Daniel’s wedding is a pleasant, lively affair.)

isaiah 43:2 by quentsy. 2k

Paul de Pointe du Lac was dead, to begin with. This was to be distinctly understood.

the whole world was ready to return by exastris_scientia aka @keepoffthetardis . 2k

There he was. Standing just outside the halo of light given off by a streetlight. His face was shadowed, but even from the distance I was at, I could see how sunken his eyes were, how tired. And how blue they glowed. Like church windows, Grace had once said. Burning like two cold fires in the night. “Been a while,” was all Daniel said when he saw me. Louis and Daniel revisit the ethics of murder. In spite of it all, they also have a little fun with it.

rocket man by quentsy. 5k, M

It was a bad idea, but that was the story of his life, yeah? Bad decision after bad decision, the longest love affair of his life. If the first was racing, and the second was heroin, then here was the third: Armand and all the scraps he tossed Daniel’s way, just enough to keep the hunger at bay.

GOODREADS by riverrio. 1k

Interview with the Vampire Daniel Molloy 3.75 STARS 328473 RATINGS 5238 REVIEWS 285 pages, Hardcover First published September 15, 2022 FILTER REVIEWS SORT ORDER POPULAR REVIEWS ONE STAR

among the wildflowers by ipsilateral. 2k

"You're soft," Jonah whispers. He touches Louis's jaw. There he goes still smiling, like it's a revelation, like he oughta be in wonderment about it all. "You don't seem like it but you soft, Louis." Louis stares up at him. There's the anger, whipping at his heart and making it race like a horse on a track, but beyond that is something else, too. Something that makes him almost tremble under Jonah's open smile. For the briefest of moments, Louis allows himself to believe that softness is a pure good, through and through. -- a few of Louis's core memories

[paintaboveyourbones]

Vampires Who Can Find the Clit

At long last, by unpopular demand, here is my personal list of headcanons on which of Anne Rice's vampires could find the clit on a map.

Lestat : he can find it! He's actually pretty proud of himself, as this was a rather uncommon accomplishment during his day :)

Louis : Does not. Merrick showed it to him once and he immediately started to cry and left the room.

Armand : the only vampire who not only knows where it is, but can also draw a diagram of the crura and vestibular bulb

Daniel Molloy : yes, but Armand took all the fun out of it. Now when he sees one, he has the unfortunate habit of sighing and rubbing at it like an old-fashioned gas station attendant trying to get your windshield clean so he can move on to the next car

Marius : taught against his will by Pandora during the 200 years they lived together. Still wasn't entirely sure that the female orgasm wasn't a myth until the 1300's

Mael : knows but is totally unimpressed by the knowledge. He taught Avicus about it once and never spoke or thought about it again until the 1970s when Jesse showed up

Enkil : no

Benedict: unknown. Will cry uncontrollably if you ask him about it.

Quinn : technically yes, but died before he had a chance to become formally acquainted with the finer points

Thorne : Still confused at times but more than willing in spirit to find his way around

David Talbot : unfortunately, not only does he know where it is, he calls it some sort of kooky British pet name, like her majesty's scrumpet, or the captain's cheeky little button bean

[dominantslasherking]

Armand With Dominant Male S/o pt 2

Backstory: Louis and Armand talk to Daniel about you. Armands, strange feelings and possessiveness of you is revealed. The obsession that Armand reveals for you is unsettling, Daniel can't help but wonder, what happened to you.

Authors note: heres part 2. click here for part 1. Tell me if you want a final part 3, which would be, sex.

My Stories are meant for the much more mature audience, 18+

The following evening, the soft hum of the dark outside was muted by the tension inside Louis and Armand’s apartment. Daniel Molloy, with his usual casual demeanor, entered the dimly lit space, clutching his laptop and a leather folder. The previous night's revelations had stirred something in him, a hunger for more information about the enigmatic [Your Name], the vampire whose existence seemed to linger between Louis and Armand like a forgotten melody. Louis, dressed in his usual understated elegance, stood by the window, his back to Daniel while muttering a soft tune to the volin playing through the speakers.

Armand, seated at the dining table, his caramel-toned skin glowing softly under the elegant light bulb, observed Daniel with an unreadable expression. The sharp angles of Armand’s face, framed by his dark, wavy hair, gave him an ethereal presence—his deep brown eyes tinted with orange, so often intense and calculating, betrayed nothing.

Daniel set down his recorder and laptop on the table before opening the folder and placing it next to the recorder. He smiled awkwardly, clearing his throat as he took a seat. “I’ve had some time to think about what we discussed yesterday. About [Your Name].” He let the words hang in the air, watching the way Louis’ posture stiffened slightly. Daniel slightly fixed his glasses as he stared at his computer.

Louis finally turned from the window, his dark eyes meeting Daniel’s. “Yes. I imagine you’ve found more to ask about him.” His voice was calm, but there was an undercurrent of unease that Armand noticed, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly.

Louis took his seat beside Armand, placing Claudia’s diary on the table—a relic from a time long past, its pages filled with the ramblings, insights, and sometimes unsettling thoughts of a vampire trapped in a body far too young for the horrors she’d witnessed.

Daniel glanced at the diary, flipping it open to where he had last left off. He furrowed his brow as he noticed something strange. “This wasn’t like this when I saw it last,” Daniel remarked, his voice cautious. He thumbed through the pages, stopping at a few that had clearly been repaired, the tears mended with meticulous care.

“You repaired the pages?” Daniel asked, glancing up at Louis.

Louis sighed, his fingers trailing over the table’s surface. “I did,” he admitted quietly. “There were things… things I couldn’t bear to read again.”

Armand’s gaze never left Louis, though his expression remained impassive. His voice, smooth and steady, cut through the silence. “The pages Louis tore out pertained to [Your Name],” he revealed. His words were calm, but the tension between him and Louis was palpable.

Daniel, ever the journalist, leaned in, intrigued. “Why rip them out? What was so important that you couldn’t stand to see it?”

Louis hesitated, his eyes flickering with something Daniel couldn’t quite place. He looked to Armand for a moment before speaking, his voice soft but firm. “Because they were Claudia’s thoughts. Her observations about me, about Armand… and about [Your Name].”

Armand’s fingers twitched slightly under the table, but he said nothing. Louis took a deep breath, his hand moving to rest gently on Armand’s. “She was… perceptive,” Louis continued, a small, bitter smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “She knew things about our lives that I refused to acknowledge.”

Daniel’s curiosity deepened. He thumbed through a few more pages, stopping when something caught his eye. He began to read aloud, his voice filling the room with the words written by a vampire long gone.

“‘Armand is unfaithful to Louis,’” Daniel read, his tone almost cautious, testing the waters. ‘He thinks Louis doesn’t see it, but I do. I see everything. Armand’s heart may belong to Louis, but his soul (If he even has one) belongs to another. To [Your Name].’”

The room grew still, the weight of Claudia’s words settling like a heavy fog. Louis remained motionless, his hand still resting on Armand’s, but his grip tightened slightly.

“Claudia knew,” Daniel said softly, glancing between them. “She saw what was happening between Armand and [Your Name], but you… you didn’t?”

Louis’ eyes flickered, a mix of pain and resignation. “I saw it,” he finally admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. “But I chose not to believe it. I didn’t want to.”

Daniel leaned back in his chair, processing this new revelation. “So, you were blissfully unaware. Or rather, you wanted to be.”

Armand finally spoke, his voice calm, yet with a certain edge that made Daniel’s skin prickle. “Louis’ love for [Your Name] was always there, but he never acted on it. He feared losing what little he had left—losing me, losing Claudia. He couldn’t bear the thought of ruining it.”

Louis’ jaw clenched, but he remained silent, his eyes locked on the table.

“And you?” Daniel asked, turning his attention fully to Armand. “You were with Louis, but it seems [Your Name] was more than just a passing attraction for you.” Daniel said, typing away at his computer carefully.

Armand’s gaze darkened, but his voice remained steady. “I loved [Your Name]. Perhaps more deeply than I’ve ever loved anyone. He was... extraordinary. The way he saw the world, the way he moved through it. I couldn’t help myself.” He glanced at Louis, his expression softening ever so slightly. “But my love for [Your Name] didn’t erase what I felt for Louis. It’s not as simple as choosing one over the other.”

Daniel hummed thoughtfully, piecing it all together. “So, Claudia knew, Louis knew, and yet you all carried on. Why? Why not confront it?”

Armand let out a soft laugh, but there was no humor in it. “Because we’re vampires, Daniel. We live with our sins, with our lies, because sometimes, they’re easier to bear than the truth.”

Louis finally broke his silence, his voice thick with emotion. “I couldn’t lose them. Either of them. Not after Lestat, not after everything we’d been through.”

The silence in the room was deafening, the weight of their confessions hanging in the air.

Louis sat stiffly, his gaze unfocused as he absentmindedly rubbed his temple, his discomfort palpable. Armand’s expression was cool, his features serene, but there was a tension beneath it all—something simmering just beneath the surface.

Daniel, never one to let a moment of discomfort pass without prodding, leaned forward, tapping his notebook urgently. “Something doesn’t add up,” he said, his voice cutting through the thick silence. “Louis, you’ve been hurt before. Hell, you’ve been hurt over and over again. Lestat, Claudia...much more-- and now this? You’re telling me you’d just stay with another lover who ends up cheating? No, there’s more to this story.”

Louis shifted uncomfortably in his seat, his hand pressing harder against his aching forehead. His dark eyes flicked to Armand, but he said nothing. Armand’s face remained impassive, though a faint twitch in his jaw betrayed him.

“There’s nothing else to it,” Armand said, his voice smooth but sharp, as if daring Daniel to push further. His deep brown eyes locked onto Daniel, his control over the situation tightening like a noose. Louis, under Armand’s thrall, said nothing, though his discomfort was clear in the lines of his body. The manipulation, subtle but strong, lingered in the air like a poisonous fog.

Daniel narrowed his eyes, sensing the unspoken tension between them but deciding to drop it, at least for now. He knew better than to push too hard when the truth was this fragile. “Fine,” he said, leaning back in his chair, though his pen still danced across the pages of his notebook. “But how about we delve into something else? Another story, maybe?”

Armand’s gaze flickered for a moment, but he nodded, leaning back in his chair as he spoke.

---

Armand sat with Louis on the velvet couch, his arm casually draped over Louis’ shoulder, their bond at the time seemingly unshakable. Claudia was off somewhere in the apartment, her presence as always felt but unseen.

The door opened softly, and [Your Name] walked in, his presence commanding without needing to say a word. He carried with him a drawing, carefully folded in his hands. His smoky red eyes scanned the room, as if making sure everything was as it should be.

“Claudia,” [Your Name] called softly, his voice melodic and rich.

Claudia appeared, her curls framing her face as she walked over with cautious curiosity. “What is it?” she asked, her voice tinged with suspicion, as it often was with gifts. But her suspicion melted away as [Your Name] handed her the portrait.

It was an abstract piece, hauntingly beautiful in its strange shapes and shadows, capturing the essence of Claudia’s form without exaggerating her youthful body. It was something more than a reflection—it was a tribute. Despite her usual aversion to seeing herself represented in any way, Claudia nearly jumped with joy, her eyes wide as she looked at the drawing, her face lighting up in a way it rarely did.

“It's... beautiful,” Claudia whispered, holding the drawing with a reverence that was almost foreign to her. She rushed over to Armand and Louis, showing it to them like a prize she had won. “Look! Look what he made!” Louis haden't seen her this happy in a while.

Armand, always composed, looked at the drawing and was struck by the raw, unsettling beauty of it. But what truly shocked him was the man who stood before him, the artist who had created such a masterpiece. [Your Name]. His smoky red eyes were focused, his sharp jaw moving slightly as he waited for their reactions.

For a brief moment, Armand was speechless, his deep brown eyes locked onto [Your Name]. He hadn’t expected this. He hadn’t expected Louis and Claudia to be acquainted with him, let alone so close to him. The intensity of Armand’s gaze was not lost on Louis, who noticed but chose to ignore it, as he often did when it came to things he wasn’t ready to confront.

“Beautiful work,” Armand finally said, his voice steady but laden with something deeper. Something obsessive.

The drawing was passed between them, admired for its haunting quality, but the true exchange of power in the room went unnoticed. Claudia’s joy, Louis’ quiet acknowledgment, and Armand’s growing fascination with [Your Name] were now intertwined, even if none of them realized it at the time.

---

The flashback faded, and the dim light of the apartment settled once again. Daniel, now intrigued more than ever, reached into his folder and pulled out something worn and faded. He gently placed it on the table, his fingers brushing against the fragile edges.

It was a drawing—Claudia’s portrait, old and worn with time but still visible, the haunting beauty still intact despite the years. Daniel’s eyes were sharp as he looked from the drawing to Armand and Louis. “Is this the one?” he asked, his voice low but intense.

Armand’s eyes widened slightly, his carefully composed facade cracking ever so slightly. Louis, too, looked genuinely shocked, his fingers tracing the edges of the worn paper. They had never expected to see it again—certainly not after all this time.

“I thought it had been destroyed,” Louis murmured, his voice filled with disbelief. Armand said nothing, his gaze locked onto the drawing as if seeing a ghost from his past.

Daniel, sensing their astonishment, leaned forward. “I picked it up at a pricey bargain,” he said with a slight smile, tapping the paper gently. “But I’d say it was worth it.”

Armand’s eyes narrowed, his gaze shifting to the worn-out signature at the bottom of the page. It was faint, nearly burnt out, but it was unmistakable. The signature of [Your Name].

Once it had seemed like a good more hour of talking, Daniel closed his laptop and called it a night.

After Daniel left the apartment, the door closing with a quiet click, the tension that had filled the room seemed to dissolve. Louis remained seated at the table, his thoughts lost in the past, when he felt a gentle brush of lips against his cheek. Armand stood over him, his touch tender, his expression soft but unreadable.

"I’ll return soon," Armand murmured, his voice low and comforting. Louis smiled faintly, his gaze following Armand as he made his way out of the room. He trusted Armand, as he always had, but there was a part of him that couldn’t shake the feeling of something... unsaid.

Armand’s steps were silent as he glided down the hallway, his destination clear in his mind. He passed through the grand archways of the apartment until he reached the library, where one of the blood donors—an obedient mortal, carefully chosen—waited silently. With a simple motion of his hand, Armand beckoned the man to follow him.

The two entered the library, the scent of old books and polished wood lingering in the air. Armand walked with purpose, his fingers grazing the spines of the countless volumes that lined the shelves. He spoke softly to the donor, his tone gentle yet commanding. "Your sacrifice is greatly appreciated," he said, his deep brown eyes not once meeting the man’s gaze. "Your family will receive the funds after this transaction, as promised."

The donor nodded, wordless but obedient, as Armand’s hand stopped on a particular book. He didn’t pull it out as one might expect. Instead, the book shifted slightly, triggering the mechanism of a hidden passageway. The library wall creaked open, revealing a narrow staircase that spiraled downwards into the shadows.

Armand descended the steps, the air growing cooler as they went deeper. The donor followed closely behind, his breath quickening with fear and anticipation. As they reached the bottom, the dim light illuminated a grand architectural room. The space was unlike anything else in the apartment, filled with the artistry of centuries. Paintings adorned the walls, handmade poems scattered across a nearby table, their words haunting and timeless. Sculptures, each more breathtaking than the last, were placed with precision and care. Vines hung from the columns, giving the space a Greek and Roman aesthetic—a temple for a forgotten god.

At the center of the room, bound in silver cuffs that attached to long, heavily restricted chains, was [Your Name]. His presence filled the room as much as the artwork surrounding him. Armand's steps slowed as he approached, a soft smile pulling at his lips. His voice, as smooth as silk, echoed gently through the space.

“Hello, my love,” Armand cooed, his dark eyes never leaving [Your Name]’s form. “I wouldn’t have needed to do this if you hadn’t tried to escape.” His smile was sweet, but there was a sinister undertone to his words. The chains clinked softly as [Your Name] shifted, his hands still busy working on a sculpture. He didn’t look at Armand immediately, his focus still on the statue he had been creating, the marble coming to life beneath his skilled hands.

But when [Your Name] finally turned his head to meet Armand’s gaze, the room seemed to still. Armand, with the speed of a striking serpent, vamp-sped toward him, his lips brushing against [Your Name]’s in a kiss that was both possessive and tender. There was a softness in Armand’s touch, but also the undeniable reminder of who held the power.

“I’ve brought you food,” Armand whispered against [Your Name]’s lips, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth as he pulled back slightly. His eyes flicked toward the donor, who stood silently by the doorway, his fate already sealed. “It’s been too long since you’ve fed properly.”

The donor’s heart raced, his breath coming in shallow gasps as he realized what he was. Not a sacrifice for his family, but a meal.

[Your Name] looked at the donor briefly, but his focus returned to Armand, their connection fraught with tension. The chains that bound him were a constant reminder of the twisted love that had brought them to this moment. Armand’s obsession was more than simple infatuation—it was possession, a need that consumed him as much as the hunger he had for blood.

Armand brushed a hand across [Your Name]’s face, his thumb grazing the corner of his mouth. “You won’t try to escape again, will you?” His voice was soft, almost gentle, but there was no mistaking the threat behind the question.

"I don't think fondly of being starved again, escaping sounds tempting, but I...doubt I could ever escape you." Your voiced hummed out, putting your sculpture tools down, as your lips connected with Armands, this time you taking the lead.

"I"m famished."

[wizardpink]

Hi! Random question, but do you think the show will have Daniel call Armand "boss" now that the Maître thing happened? I know it's very prevalent in the books, but it might have different and/or interesting Implications™ in the show.

This question reminded me of one of my favorite episodes of the It's Always Sunny podcast. Stay with me here because we are going on a journey.

If there's any journalist in the world, living right now, who doesn't have a boss, it's Daniel Molloy.

There was a post recently that said something about how the point in the story where the timeline shifts the most dramatically from the books to the show is in the early 80s, when Armand DOESN'T turn Daniel into a vampire. I think that is a major part of why the Devil's Minion storyline in the show scared and angered so many fans in the finale. It's so different from the story we fell in love with! But we were so focused on Armand being different (possibly turning Daniel out of spite) that we forgot that Daniel is the one who is really different, in a really genius and wonderful departure from the books.

In the books we know human Daniel primarily as a man in his early 20s through his early 30s, but who he is in his early 30s is extremely heavily influenced by all the things that happened to him in that previous decade. Meeting Louis, meeting Armand, being pursued by Armand, and finally becoming Armand's lover.

But show Daniel had a great big reset button pressed on his life either at the end of the interview or at the end of his and Armand's romance, and he got to experience a life that book Daniel never did, and as a result it shaped him into a man that I think book Daniel always would have become, until he got derailed. And it's fascinating how BOTH paths make perfect sense even though they start at the same pivotal point!

Book Daniel meets vampires and then immediately is sucked into their world permanently. It becomes his realm as well. And in that realm are hierarchies and power dynamics that he has to exist within. He becomes subservient in ways to Armand, to Marius, etc etc. I could go on but you know what I mean.

Show Daniel however! Show Daniel meets vampires and gets pushed OUT of their world back into the world of humanity. And yes, in that realm are hierarchies and power dynamics that he has to exist within. But they're upheld by human beings! People who are no better than Daniel himself, and certainly no more frightening than the shit he's already been through whether he can remember it or not. Show Daniel pursues any story, any lead he wants no matter how dangerous or powerful the subject matter may be. He writes what he wants when he wants, and it works because he's fucking good at it. And it doesn't always work out for him! He says he's been fired and rehired, he's been nearly killed when an interview subject gets skittish or tired of his bullshit. But the point is, he went out and he made his own damn rules. He's brash and opinionated and has zero filter. He'll say whatever he wants to anyone, demand answers and truth from anyone. And no one is gonna tell him he can't. They're gonna have to drag him out of here or kill him to shut him up.

Armand and Daniel's maker/fledgling, devil/minion dynamic is going to be SO DIFFERENT from the books and yet JUST as juicy because the important things -- the love, the longing, the passion, the understanding, the recognition -- that is all still there. But I don't see 69 year old Daniel Molloy falling over himself to worship and cowtow to Armand. My DREAM is we see BOTH dynamics just to juxtapose the two, and the strife it creates as two people who once loved each other try to get back to that place now that they aren't those people anymore.

So tl;dr, yes and no. If he says it, it's going to be like, one time and so dripping with sarcasm Armand will be fighting his fangs again. If we get an earnest pet name it'll be very private I feel (as opposed to Armand who would call Daniel his beloved in line at the post office).

Also on a personal note, "boss" is so deeply unsexy. Goons and henchmen call the Joker boss, I don't want that haha. Oh and also I have like zero recollection of him calling Armand "boss" in the books, that's a detail that my brain mulched up and ate years ago I guess. So I was the wrong person to ask this. Thanks for reading though! 😂