#what do you even call fans of rockstar lestat

[nalyra-dreaming]

Im going to say this because I have been thinking it for a while now - and this isn't directed at any of your anons or anything like that. It's just me venting 😅

I'm just really tired of some people doing everything they possibly can to either see problems where there are none OR who actively try to "step on Sam's moment", if you know what I mean.

We have had 2 seasons of Louis being the main/focus character, the one we see both Lestat and Claudia through. We then find out that not only do we see them through Louis' POV but also through Armand's POV and his manipulations of Louis' POV. This is The Tale we were told to let ourselves be seduced by. Through two characters of colour. Which they did AMAZINGLY.

Everyone and their mother praises the show for being so cleverly written and for being of such high quality. Based on s1 and s2 and the memory is a monster lens. Deservedly!!! Everyone was fucking amazing and both Jacob and Assad knocked it out of the park.

But we were always meant to end up here: The Vampire Lestat. They're doing the books - and Lestat is the most prominent character in the chronicles as a whole.

What did they expect? If they dont like that, maybe this isn't a show for them.

Sam has worked so hard and it's his moment to shine and everyone on the show has always been so sooo clear about their excitement about the TVL season. Why is anyone surprised/annoyed?

Sam is so fucking sweet, he even gave an eloquent and thoughtful answer when asked about the absolute batshit crazy fandom, and he did it with such grace that many people didn't deserve. He was called such vile things and it affected his mental health. He's such a sweet person and he just deserves his "moment" showing us the real Lestat. Finally.

And Im SO glad to know that:

1) Sam is offline and decided to NOT look into fandom. Good for him ❤️

2) Rolin doesnt have any fucks to give about what some "fans" think/vitriol they spew so it wont affect the show

And with all that said:

ROCKSTAR LESTAT WRITING SONGS ABOUT HIS HUSBAND LOUIS AND WEARING HIS WEDDING RING, BABY 🔥🔥🔥😍😍😍

YESSSSSSSS 🙌

As said before - this, what is happening now - was always set to happen. It's the Vampire Chronicles!! There's BOOKs they're doing.

And now it will be "The Vampire Lestat".

And I cannot wait^^

[showmey0urfangs]

i'm all for analyzing the fuck out of the show and would even say i rarely encounter anything that i would necessarily consider "overanalysis," just personally, because to me all interpretations are valid to some extent. like why not read into it like that if doing so creates added meaning to you if that makes sense? though of course there will always takes i disagree with or even find downright "wrong." what is beginning to piss me off though is how homophobic and gender essentialist some analysis in this fandom is beginning to feel. i'm not saying all of it is wrong or invalid but i can't be the only one who thinks people are taking it to such an extent that feels weird. acknowldging the show's commentary on patriarchy or louis being gender nonconforming is one thing but the number of people who seem very comfortable constantly referring to a gay man as "basically" a woman is getting weird to me. initially i was relieved to see people address the same subtext i was picking up on but at this point it feels like some people are engaging less in good faith analysis and more in feminization kink that's toooootally relevant to canon trust me guys

Hi there. I too have noticed this new trend for fans (usually women) to jokingly refer to queer or queer-coded men in media by feminine terms (babygirl, mother, referring to their "pussies" etc.) I'm not sure if it's a kink like you said or if it's done for some other reason, but I agree that it can sometimes become insidiously homophobic and devolves into trying to fit queer men into antiquated heteronormative roles.

It pisses me off when I see fans treat Louis like he's the sad frigid housewife and Lestat is the manly man, wolfkiller, protector and provider, who goes off on adventures and has multiple conquests while Louis sits at home crying and knitting by the fire.

I think a lot of this comes from the way Anne herself wrote their dynamic in the books after IWTV —where btw, Louis is the wealthy and business savvy one and Lestat depended on him, at least financially, but somehow by the time we see them again, Louis's broke, living in a shack with no electricity and wearing dusty clothes, while Lestat is a billionaire and a rockstar. 🙃

By disregarding Louis' storyline to solely focus on Lestat's , Anne left fans to fill the gaps with their own headcanons and apparently, that's what most of them came up with which...yeah.

We also see Claudia also call Louis a housewife in episode 5, but she did it in a moment of anger and obviously knew how hurtful it would be for him to hear that when he had spent his entire life grappling with his own sexuality and trying to comfort to a more "socially acceptable" image of masculinity — ❝the stern landlord, the deferential businessman, the loyal son--❞

To me, implying Louis is "less of a man" because he is more sensitive or less sexually aggressive is textbook homophobia, not to mention misogynistic because it implied femininity or feminine traits are less than, a weakness.

Ideally, I would love to see less of this type of narrative—especially in Loustat fics and other fan works of them. But I'm not the fandom police, so it's to each their own ig. 🤷🏾‍♀️

[pynkhues]

Gotta ramble a bit. The new trend of Louis 'the rockstar girlfriend' really starts to irk me. Mostly it's all fun and jokes but a lot of people really think this as a fact. And imo it's such an OOC concept. He's more of a "wealthy patron" kind of a guy, the record label owner etc.

He will NOT be standing in the middle of a sweaty screaming crowd, he will be in a private booth. he will NOT dress in low rise pants and slutty tank tops while waiting to sit on Lestat's lap, it's the other way around.

Am I missing something? Feels like yet another version of Louis the housewife and Lestat the patriarch but with 70s music scene terminology.

Yeah, I mean, we literally ended s2 on the note that Louis just wants to be left alone with the exception of mind calls with Daniel and the metaphorical door he's left open ajar for Lestat, I can't imagine he's going to want to be in a crowd of sweaty, fawning humans and pissed off baby vampires watching Lestat try to peacock his way out of a nervous breakdown, haha.

That's not to say I don't think he'll be around for the tour, I do, but like you said, I think it'll be in pretty specific contexts (and honestly, I don't even think they'll be back together until the end of the season, even if they do hook up).

I do think the fandom has problems with flattening Louis' character or cherry picking what they want to take from him, and of course, it's also indicative of that broader issue with same-sex ships where characters get forced into very constraining gender roles which can come across both as deeply sexist and homophobic, but I also think there's probably something to be said about mmm, a show that suddenly attracts a demographic of young fans? This is going to sound super weird probably, but I kinda put it a bit in the same category of people who think Lestat would like Taylor Swift's music - like, hoping not to rattle the cage with this one, but this man is a) 300 years old and b) bullied and murdered a tenor for being a bit pitchy lmao, I feel like there are better odds of Louis respecting her business acumen than either of them being a stan.

This isn't meant to be shade to younger fans (or Swift!) at all, of course, fandom space is for everyone and I've been that fan at points in my life, but, y'know, you bring your lived experience and ideas and fantasies to these sorts of spaces too, and I think that applies to how you might interpret or want to think / write about a character. To me, that idea of being that sort of rockstar girlfriend doesn't align with my interpretation of his character, nor with what I personally enjoy about him, but y'know, if people are having fun and being respectful, good for them. But yes, I agree that it's not my bag.

[desertfangs]

Daniel & or / Lestat

Opening sentence/prompt: Both Marius and Armand had warned Daniel not to let Lestat be a bad influence on him, and yet here he was.

5 lines whomst? Thank you for the prompt! I hope you like where I've taken it.

Both Marius and Armand had warned Daniel not to let Lestat be a bad influence on him, and yet here he was. With Lestat. Surrounded by fans who’d swarmed them in the middle of the Adventura Mall in Miami.  

Which of course was no accident. Lestat had encouraged it. Courted it. Was now clearly reveling in it. 

They’d come to the mall for an innocent enough reason: Lestat, having seen some new trendy sunglasses, was now determined to get a pair and he couldn’t do so on Night Island, even though Daniel was sure they were sold at the shopping center there. No, no, that was no fun and besides, they were already on the mainland. And Lestat wanted to see another shopping mall, wanted to revel in the accoutrements of modern life! Or so he told Daniel.

Daniel suspected he just didn’t want to go back to the Island. He’d come out of the room he’d been holing up in and had found Daniel in the parlor, where Daniel had been listening to music on his walkman. Lestat had pulled his headphones from his ears, bent down way too close to Daniel so that their noses almost touched, and said, “You have your hard-won immortality and you’re spending it on the couch?” 

Daniel had glared at him even as his pulse had raced at the closeness of his face, his breath on Daniel’s skin. He’d set the walkman aside, grabbed the keys for one of the speedboats, and brought Lestat over to Miami.

The sunglasses in question had been on an ad near a bus stop, sending them on their quest. They’d only been at the mall for maybe ten minutes when the speakers, which had been playing a selection of current top 40 hits, starting blasting one of Lestat’s songs. He stared humming along—loudly—and several people recognized him. By the time they’d reached the fountain in the middle, Lestat was loudly saying that it was one of his best songs and he was glad people had not forgotten him. 

The crowd had swarmed around them, asking for autographs, a few tourists pulling out cameras to get photos. Lestat had jumped up onto the ledge of the fountain, using it as a makeshift stage, ever the rockstar. And he looked the part, too, in his leather jacket and violet sunglasses, his blond hair loose around his face. Daniel looked more unassuming, his own blond hair short and feathered, in a gray sweatshirt and jeans. He stood on the floor in front of the fountain, awkwardly positioned between the group of onlookers and Lestat. 

Lestat signed address books and receipts, and, for those who had the tape on their person or ran to the music store to buy a copy, the linear notes from their cassette cases. Someone even produced a copy of his book. 

Just last night, Marius had been telling Daniel how important it was for their kind to keep a low profile, especially after what Lestat had done. This was the opposite of low. And the last thing any of them wanted—the last thing Armand wanted—was for people to come looking for them in Miami. Not just curious mortals who probably didn’t really believe, but people like the Talamasca, or intrepid reporters hoping to chase down what happened to the lead singer of The Vampire Lestat and finding their private island.  

“Where have you been?” someone called. 

Daniel searched the crowd and saw that a teen with facial piercings was the one who’d asked. 

“Ah, well, I’m afraid that’s a secret,” Lestat said, with a big wink. “But you’ll be able to read about it in my next book!”

The crowd went wild and shouted more questions, asking if there would be another album, new songs, what the new book would be called? Daniel spotted a security guard near the edge of the crowd, looking bewildered and unsure what to do. Clearly having a celebrity jump up on the fountain and draw an audience was not common place here and he had not been trained for it. 

Daniel had been so focused on the security guy that he hadn’t noticed Lestat was talking about his concert in San Francisco, and then suddenly he’d grabbed Daniel and yanked him on the edge of the fountain beside him. 

Lestat threw his arm around Daniel’s shoulders and gave him a conspiratorial wink. “Do you know who this is?” 

The crowd looked blank, no doubt racking their brains to think of everyone discussed in Lestat’s memoir, in which Daniel did not appear.

“How many of you read Louis’ damnable book, Interview with the Vampire?” Lestat asked. 

A few people whooped and hollered at that. 

“This is our infamous little reporter boy. The one who started it all.” 

One or two people looked impressed. Most looked uninterested. Daniel felt heat creeping into his neck and cheeks. 

“Don’t be shy, Daniel! Address your fans.” 

Daniel did not think he had many fans in that crowd and didn't dare read their thoughts to find out. He waved awkwardly. “Hi, it’s been great to see you all, but Lestat has an errand to run…” Daniel started. 

“Sing a song!” someone yelled. 

Daniel gave Lestat a warning look. Marius was already going to blow a gasket when he heard about this and he doubted Armand was going to be thrilled to hear Lestat had been parading around Miami announcing his whereabouts, either. 

Lestat shot a questioning look at Daniel. Daniel frowned, suspecting that trying to talk him out of it was liable to make things worse. 

“Unfortunately, without my band, I fear the show would not be up my rigorous standards,” Lestat said. “You’ll have to wait for my reunion tour!” 

Relief washed over Daniel as the crowd made disappointed noises.

Lestat let Daniel go, and Daniel jumped back down off the fountain, followed by Lestat himself. 

Daniel snaked through the crowd and Lestat managed to extract himself from their grasp, calling that they should look for his next book in stores soon.

“Was that really necessary?” Daniel asked. 

“Danny boy, let me impart to you one of the great lessons of surviving the centuries,” Lestat said, putting a hand on his back, the pressure of it reassuring through his sweatshirt. “Have fun.” 

Daniel looked at him. “Fun doesn’t always have to be reckless.” 

“Pfft,” Lestat said. “Reckless! I’ve been holed up for weeks. I’m allowed to stretch my legs.” 

Daniel didn’t bother to point out that no one had kept him holed up in that office. “There’s just been a lot of talk among the others lately about how we should conceal our existence.” 

Lestat gave him such an incredulous look that Daniel stopped walking. Lestat spun backwards to face him. “Ah, but don’t you see? The more rules they make, the more determined I become to break them all.” He grinned. He had a charming grin and beautiful, penetrating blue-gray eyes that made Daniel want to stare into them for hours. With looks like that, Daniel could see how he’d gotten away with everything that he had. 

“You’re going to get me into so much trouble, aren’t you?” Daniel asked.

Lestat winked. “Count on it.” 

He took Daniel’s hand and dragged him on toward the sunglass store. 

[blaqueswanzaghouliishiilikeda]

Hi! I love your blog ☺️

What are your fave theories of where or what Lestat is doing in the current timeline? How do you imagine they’ll finally see each other again in the present day? I know that I will go feral tho

🥹💕 aawwe hiii

Thank you! I appreciate you saying that. I like the Theories that Lestat might be in like a deep slumber and they are trying to get him up as this is going to put Louis in danger and Lestat would wake up to protect him. (at this point i need to see him raise actual hell behind Louis as much as i need to see him die and suffer multiple times. but love him. but i also hate him and i want to see him hysterically cry and go through PAIN like. its complicated okay!? he’s a fantastic character.) Maybe he’s underground in a deep sleep somewhere else, but there has been a theory that he might be the groan in the tower. and I wonder how that might be. I thought that was really interesting. especially with the aspects that Louis been taking care of him trying to get him up to no avail.

I like the theory that maybe he isn't sleeping, but hasn't done his rockstar era yet so we’ll get a modernized version of that. to couple this with a theory about his music. i like this theory that he’s like more of this underground artist that Armand is aware of and Louis isnt.

i like the theory that we might see a drop off the tower in Dubai. That it might be Armand who tosses Lestat off it. Though I’m thinking if this were the case it would have to be combined with him being awake and out there and that the interview makes him show up??? Im not sure how this will go. but I am a fan of seeing their dynamic like I sooo badly want to see Armand and Lestat at each other’s necks. like in each others faces like there might be a kiss but they won’t cause they fighting and arguing and the like. Assad and Sam playing off each other is gonna be so so good. like im ready to have my head blown panties blown off

ALSO i like the theory that David been cancelled all my homies hate david 🤭 and he’s being combined into Daniel. That Lestat might tell Daniel his story. I gotta say Daniel and Lestat in a scene together gonna send me into the stratosphere. I listened to like the first page of TVL on a youtube audiobook recording thing bc I wanted to see if that post about how it starts was real. I cannot even believe how accurate that was lmao. I’d love to seee Daniel take in Lestat telling his story. like starting him off with that description of himself as if Daniel isnt looking right at him. Sam would EAT. and Eric playing against is all these insane vampires would be incredible. They all play into the comedy soo well. like i expect absurdity at the highest level. It’d be interesting to watch Louis listen to Lestat talk about his end of things too you know? especially where Claudia is concerned as well. Like doesnt Lestat call up her ghost? so what if he’s done that you know? and he talks about that and that’s something Louis doesnt know yet? idk im speculating from a place of not knowing so please jump in if you know how that actually plays out. and like if Daniel does get pieces of David’s story then doesn't that mean Lestat would be kinda into him? I need this old man to get passed around is what im getting at 😭

(ohh re: daniel as david… will he be a part of the totbt stuff too!? oh that would be cool from what ive heard of it)

[little-smartass]

THE VAMPIRE LESTAT COVER ALBUM - the legendary Vampire Lestat is back and bigger and badder than ever, this time bringing a whole album of song covers ranging from classic bangers to newer fresh takes on chart hits! get your copy now, complete with a transcript of the artist's commentary on each song!

(songs I think Lestat would cover and release as an album in an attempt to re-kickstart his career and/or make some sort of dramatic statement to Louis. tracklist and "artist commentary" under the cut)

Survival - Muse

“And I’ll reveal my strength, to the whole human race, yes I am prepared, to stay alive, and I won’t forgive, and vengeance is mine, and I won’t give in, because I choose to thrive! Yeah I’m gonna win!”

Oh, I wish this song had been around back on that opening night at the Cow Palace - how apt that would have been! What a fucking anthem! They would have been rioting all night. I mean, they already were, but, like, because of the music. Not because vampires were being immolated in the middle of the crowd. Different kind of riot.

The Bitch Is Back - Elton John

“I’m a bitch, I’m a bitch, oh the bitch is back, stone cold sober as a matter of fact, I can bitch, I can bitch, ‘cause I’m better than you, it’s the way that I move, the things that I do!”

One day I want to have this play as I walk into Night Island. I’ll time it perfectly so that I throw off my coat - my denim jacket, or- oh, no, a fur! Maximum drama! - just as the chorus starts. Armand will know that I’m coming of course, but I think that’ll just make it even better. And I have good memories to this song... [muffled question] Sorry, gentlemen don’t kiss and tell, bébé. [laughter]

Everybody Loves Me - OneRepublic

"Oh my, feels just like I don’t try, look so good I might die, all I know is everybody loves me, head down, swaying to my own sound, flashes in my face now, all I know is everybody loves me”

Look, do I even need to explain this one? Didn’t think so.

Bad Reputation - Joan Jett

"I don't give a damn ‘bout my reputation, I've never been afraid of any deviation, and I don't really care if you think I'm strange, I ain't gonna change - and I'm never gonna care bout my bad reputation"

This one's fairly self-explanatory again. It could have been my personal anthem when I was mortal quite honestly. And it's an awful lot of fun to jump about and headbang to, don't you think? That's a new thing I've found out about, headbanging. People have been hopping about to music looking like fools for centuries but now there's a name for it. Fantastic.

bad guy - Billie Eilish

"I’m that bad type, make your mama sad time, make your girlfriend mad type, might seduce your dad time… I’m the bad guy. Duh.”

Creepy? Check. Sexy? Check. Tongue-in-cheek? Check check. This song was great and a lot of fun to cover.

Lover to Lover - Florence + the Machine

“I believe there’s no salvation for me now, no space among the clouds, and I feel I’m heading down, but that’s alright, that’s alright, that’s alright”

I don’t know, this one just felt very relevant. Also the piano was great to do. You might have noticed that I’ve picked a lot of songs with piano, and that’s because I bullied the studio into getting me a goooooorgeous grand piano for the recording space and I wanted to use it as much as possible!

Feeling Good - Muse

“Stars when you shine, you know how I feel, scent of the pine, you know how I feel, oh freedom is mine, and I know how I feel”

I just really like this song - I’ve done a cover of an excellent cover! Can- can you put emojis in this? Do people still use emojis? Well imagine I’ve put the shrug one. Wait, isn’t there- Daniel, Daniel, come here, isn’t there a shrug emoji made up of keyboard- [muffled words] yes! The shrug one! Yes, put that in the transcription. [ ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ] I just like this song.

The Man - The Killers

“I got gas in the tank, I got money in the bank, I got news for you baby, you're looking at the man, I got skin in the game, I got a household name, I got news for you baby, you're looking at the man”

I feel like this one speaks for itself too. Can you put that shrug emoji thing in here again? [ ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ] Yes!

J'ai Pas Envie - MIKA

J'ai pas envie, de faire comme si, comme les maris, qui disent oui, j'ai pas envie, j'ai pas envie, j'ai pas envie d'te faire plaisir, j'ai pas envie, j'ai pas envie, si tu m'aimes viens me le dire"

Look, I'm not going to translate the whole song for you, because it has all this clever wordplay you just totally lose in english… but the gist of it is that these two lovers are… at odds a lot. It's… it's maybe a little spiteful [laughter] but in a fun way! It's a fun song! Louis won't even be mad about it, it's MIKA.

Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy - Queen

"When I'm not with you, think of you always (I miss those long hot summer nights), when I'm not with you, think of me always, always"

[Long pause] God, I miss Freddie.

Let 'Em Talk - Kesha

Ah, full disclosure - I put this song in purely because of the expression Louis made when I played it in the car and it got to the line “can suck my dick” and she did that popping noise… it was incredible, and I just knew I had to cover it so I could see his expression when I said that. I can’t wait to play it to him. [laughter]

So What - P!nk

"So so what, I'm still a rockstar, I got my rock moves, and I don't need you, and guess what? I'm having more fun, and now that we're done, I'm gonna show you tonight, I'm alright, I'm just fine, (and you're a tool, so)"

I'm actually a big fan of nineties and noughties female stars - all that grrrrrrrl power, it's great fun, you know? I'd say this one is fairly self-explanatory, because I am still a rockstar! This is my new album! Fuck you EMP and your sniffy little article calling me "washed up"!

Little Lion Man - Mumford & Sons

"But it was not your fault but mine, and it was your heart on the line, I really fucked it up this time, didn't I my dear?"

This one could be self-deprecating, but it's also very vindictively angry at the same time, and that's a combination I definitely get. Like, oh, it's my fault, isn't it? It's my fucking fault again, what a surprise. Perhaps "learn from your mother or you'll spend your days biting your own neck" is a little on the nose… [muffled words] you've read my books, right? [muffled words] Good, good.

Missy - The Airbourne Toxic Event

"But I swear there's still some good in me, I think if you'd stuck around you'd see, all the botched attempts at integrity I once had"

Oh, I was feeling philosophical when I picked this one. No, philosophical isn't the right word… melancholy? Do people still use that word? "I swear I swear I swear I'll never get sad" is both furiously defiant and yet so self-defeatingly ironic. [Exasperated noise] Enough of that. Next!

Please Don't Leave Me - P!nk

"I don't know if I can yell any louder, how many times have I kicked you out of here, or said something insulting? I can be so mean when I wanna be, I am capable of nearly anything, when my heart is broken… (please, please don't leave me)"

Oh, we’re… we’re getting to this section now. [clearing throat] Well, I have to make up for that sucking dick line, don’t I? Get a bit vulnerable. Oh God, why did I decide to do this bit? [muffled words] [bad chicago accent] But why buy the cow? Because you love him, you really do. [sigh, laughter]

Next To Me - Imagine Dragons

"Oh, I always let you down, shattered on the ground, still I find you there, next to me, and oh, the stupid things I do, I'm far from good it's true, still I find you, next to me"

Why did I- I don’t remember putting so many of these ones in.

Run To You - Pentatonix

"I've been settling scores, I've been fighting so long, but I've lost your war, and our kingdom is gone... how shall I win back your heart which was mine? I have broken bones and tattered clothes, I've run out of time"

[Sigh] [clears throat] Yeah. I think we can move onto the next one.

Love of My Life - Queen

“Love of my life, don't leave me, you've stolen my love, you now desert me, love of my life, can't you see? Bring it back, bring it back, don't take it away from me, because you don't know, what it means to me”

I play this one sometimes on my baby grand when we've had a fight, and it's impossible for him to stay angry. He's a sucker for this sort of… formality in romance. God, I wish I'd realised that earlier. If I'd written him a letter in fancy copperplate script with scented paper and enclosed rose petals politely requesting him to bend me over his desk back in the day, it might not have taken two centuries of mutual blue balls for us to figure our shit out. Ah well, live and learn… as it were. [muffled words] Look, I did a whole bunch of vulnerable songs! Now I get to make sex jokes! [laughter] oh fuck off.

[i-want-my-iwtv]

Lestat, Louis is a sad sack of a man and doesn’t really seem to be worth loving. Ok so he’s “beautiful” that’s not enough to make a relationship last. Why is Louis worth loving?

//ooc: This is another fairly old ask, from November, 2017. I think anon was trying to rile Lestat by calling Louis “a sad sack of a man and doesn’t really seem to be worth loving.” Limiting him to just being “beautiful.” And while it is fun to rile Lestat and see how he reacts, idk… I was kind of taken aback by this and I had too many thoughts about it to have Lestat respond flippantly, which he would have. I think Lestat either gets defensive about loving Louis, or just dismisses these kinds of comments, one less person for him to compete with for Louis’ attention, lol.

TL;DR: I think when ppl ask that, part of where they may be coming from is that THEY feel like a “sad sack” who’s maybe not worth being loved, especially by the main character in a series, a flashy glittery murder machine. They worry that even if they’re loved for being “beautiful” that that really isn’t enough for a relationship, and that’s absolutely true, if we’re defining beauty as superficial characteristics. The beauty of Louis, to me, is in his character, and the emotions of the scene. 

I’ve written a lot about what draws me, as a reader, to love Louis, probably the best stuff is in my #we appreciate and love louis in this house tag. But I’ll try not to go overboard and answer you here, anyway!

I think the deal with describing Louis as *~SO beautiful~* is partly that, hey, it’s fun to do, like having a favorite flower, and AR takes the opportunity to remind us of it, and put the camera on him in a scene, so we know he’s present. It also serves a purpose, we usually get at least a scrap of context about him and/or the scene:

“I glared at him, at the sharp graceful angles of his imperturbable face, […] his wide-set eyes, with their fine rich black lashes. How perfect the tender indentation of his upper lip.” -Lestat, The Tale of the Body Thief

^Let’s take this line and unpack it a little:

Lestat glares at Louis. –> Lestat is clearly pissed.

Louis’ imperturbable face –> Louis is not scared of Lestat being pissed.

And then Lestat lavishes this extra description on him, appreciatively. Attention on the lip area, now we’re picturing him pointedly staring there, which might precede a kiss, so we can infer that Lestat desperately wants to kiss him, probably. What I get from all that is the exquisite tension of Lestat wanting someone he can’t have, someone he treasures and wants even MORE bc of the difficulty. 

It’s the tension of Lestat and other characters pining for Louis that AR wrings every drop out for us, she’s showing us how helpless these other characters are that they can only try to capture Louis with descriptions since he defies being owned by anyone. Unrequited love is a powerful thing.

Bringing these back, in case anyone else missed them and want to indulge in some Louis praise/discussion:

The first anon in this series: Honestly I can’t believe how gay everyone was for Louis ask and my response

“Louis rant” anon here.

A recent Louis canon hair fanart and commentary

Reply to an anon re: “fanon has cast Louis as a beautiful, frail flower destined and carried by Lestat’s will”

Anon grateful for “that whole “gay for Louis” ask reminded me of how much I love Louis” and my invitation to anyone to send rants about loving Louis (or any VC character!)

Also somewhat relevant: thoughts on Louis having a living lineage.

So, re: Anon might be identifying with Louis: 

We can find ourselves slipping into the characters we love and identify with. Some ppl find Lestat relatable in his lust for life, self-centeredness, refusal to quit, constantly screwing up and berating himself in the narrative (but rarely being able to outright apologize to those he hurts)… a flawed character for sure but an inspiring one.

I think some ppl who relate to Louis and feel less flashy, less glamorous, there’s smtg very appealing about how such a character could be so idolized by the more flashy and glamorous one. What could such a *rockstar* like Lestat find attractive in Louis?? You said yourself Louis is a sad sack. And yes, beauty is not enough to keep a relationship going. But, as I mentioned above, Louis’ beauty is often described in a context that charges it with the emotions of the scene. At least to my reading, there’s more conveyed than just eye color.

Still, why wouldn’t Lestat demand someone who was more like himself?

But here’s the thing I think a lot of ppl miss when they’ve only seen movie!IWTV, or only read a few of the books. 

^Louis & Lestat by @garama​

I personally believe that Lestat sees in Louis a similarly wounded soul with a lust for life. At their core, neither really want to die. Louis kept getting into fights with ppl bc he couldn’t kill himself as a mortal. Lestat has stubbornly refused to die his entire life and has had plenty of reason to want death. They’ve both almost killed themselves and been brought back. There’s a similar torment in them dealing with their natures.

As an anon put it so eloquently: “I think ppl forget that Louis is just as passionate and vengeful as Lestat, it’s just that he isn’t as vocal or showy about it. He’s more intimate and intense.”

The way they communicate/express themselves, and the way they practice self-care is vastly different. Lestat builds up his beautiful shell with retail therapy, redecorating and refurbishing his dwellings, and attending all kinds of shows and making elaborate plans with his kills, just spoiling himself silly. Always down for indulging his senses. He’s chasing new experiences, learning the new slang, trying to keep himself in the latest fashions. Novelty.

Louis prefers his nights at home, low-drama, in his own creature comforts, with his books and poetry to escape into. We don’t know much of what he’s read but he seems to want to spend eternity reading. What is reading? Even if it’s nonfiction, it’s learning, being told a story, being more informed. It’s novelty, too. Escapism through the imagination.

And their personalities seem to complement each other. Lestat’s lust for adventure spices up Louis’ otherwise too-calm existence. Louis’ calm and dignified manner brings Lestat back down to earth when he gets too untethered. Their bickering is bc they care for each other, can see beneath each other’s disguises. Louis sees the frightened boy inside the frustration that makes Lestat lash out and attack first. Lestat sees the potential in Louis of someone who, if he could get over his inhibitions, could experience so much more in his life.

When AR was kind of RPing as Lestat in her #Fan Questions for Lestat series, she was asked smtg similar:

“…but if I did have to choose, the companion would be Louis. My longest most enduring friendship and love affair in this world was with Louis. And though his limitations can be maddening, they can also be as inspiring to me as his virtues… the best choices we make are not always the wise choices. Sometimes they are intensely emotional choices. And I’ve always had a deep Romantic respect for emotion. My love for Louis transcends wisdom. And I may need the pain as much as the consolation that an eternal relationship with Louis would involve.“

^This is one of those moments I talk about where I feel like she recaptures the old magic, taps into the vein (pun intended) that got us all addicted to this series in the first place. Why I can’t just discard the crackier later books. She’s not all that specific here, but it’s believable. At least, to me. Lestat admits that Louis’ limitations (and this can be so many things, things Lestat disagrees with him about as well as things Louis refuses to do) can be maddening, and inspiring. 

And he admits that his love for Louis transcends wisdom. That may be a cop-out answer, but I’ve felt that kind of love in my life. Inexplicably bound to someone, despite the math of the personalities not seeming to mesh. 

Love works in mysterious ways. Even for beautiful sad sacks and the arrogant bastards who love them

[nalyra-dreaming]

Can I ask is it true do you think that Lestat’s rockstar Lestat is to take the heat off of Louis following last season? I’m aware he is interested in music but how much of it is his interest in music and performance versus purposely having attention from fans the public etc to protect Louis from vampires he fears will come after Louis? He will be touring and busy so unless Louis is there with him which I don’t really see in the first half of the season he must be extremely worried since he isn’t around Louis. He is aware that Louis doesn’t need a protector but he still worries right? They already lost Claudia so if he potentially lost Louis too it would break him. I don’t see them back together but maybe talking and in contact and taking things slow. Louis is off doing his thing and Lestat does his music but I can see an air of ‘I’m patient and I’m giving you space but I love you and eventually there will be a point when I think we can try again’ with the two of them next season

Well, I mean... Lestat doing that is literally book canon:

The Vampire Lestat

I wondered how many of our kind had "noticed " the book. Never mind for the moment the mortals who thought it was fiction. What about other vampires? Because if there is one law that all vampires hold sacred it is that you do not tell mortals about us. You never pass on our "secrets " to humans unless you mean to bequeath the Dark Gift of our powers to them. You never name other immortals. You never tell where their lairs might be. My beloved Louis, the narrator of Interview with the Vampire, had done all this. He had gone far beyond my secret little disclosure to my rock singers. He had told hundreds of thousands of readers. He had all but drawn them a map and placed an X on the very spot in New Orleans where I slumbered, though what he really knew about that, and what his intentions were, was not clear. Regardless, for what he'd done, others would surely hunt him down. And there are very simple ways to destroy vampires, especially now. If he was still in existence, he was an outcast and lived in a danger from our kind that no mortal could ever pose. All the more reason far me to bring the book and the band called The Vampire Lestat to fame as quickly as possible. I had to find Louis. I had to talk to him. In fact, after reading his account of things, I ached for him, ached for his romantic illusions, and even his dishonesty. I ached even for his gentlemanly malice and his physical presence, the deceptively soft sound of his voice. Of course I hated him for the lies he told about me. But the love was far greater than the hate. He had shared the dark and romantic years of the nineteenth century with me, he was my companion as no other immortal had ever been. And I ached to write my story for him, not an answer to his malice in Interview with the Vampire, but the tale of all the things I'd seen and learned before I came to him, the story I could not tell him before. Old rules didn't matter to me now, either. I wanted to break every one of them. And I wanted my band and my book to draw out not only Louis but all the other demons that I had ever known and loved. I wanted to find my lost ones, awaken those who slept as I had slept. Fledglings and ancient ones, beautiful and evil and mad and heartless-they'd all come after me when they saw those video clips and heard those records, when they saw the book in the windows of the bookstores, and they'd know exactly where to find me. I'd be Lestat, the rock superstar.

Canonically Lestat does not know where Louis is when he wakes and sees the book. We'll see if he will know in the show. But I can see a similar setup, with Louis maybe off somewhere in the vaults of the Talamasca trying to regain his true memories. Or he and Lestat meet from time to time during the tour. We'll see :)

But in any case the reason for Lestat to become rockstar in the first place will stay, I would bet real money on it :)