#whatever i love new vampire daniel on night island

[desertfangs]

Reassurances Armand/Daniel Mature (blood drinking, adult language) ~2,800 words

I don't know if this really counts as aftercare, but that's the prompt I wrote it to. There's some nice cuddling at the end? I'll probably put this on AO3 later.

If someone had told him that the Villa would be full of immortals a year before, Daniel never would have believed it. And now the house was packed with them, filling the parlors and rooms, roaming The Night Island, and taking their boats to the mainland. It was incredible, the notion that Daniel could sit in the same room as people who’d witnessed the fall of Rome, of those who’d seen history unfold, and speak to them! And to Louis! How incredible to be in the same room as him again! 

When Daniel had imagined being a vampire, it had always been with Armand at his side, but he’d never really considered the others. The two of them had been alone in their own world for so long. The other vampires—the few he knew of by name—had felt more like mythical figures to Daniel by the end. And yet here they were, crowding his house.

Tonight, Daniel had gone hunting with Marius. He’d been hesitant at first, and half sure Marius only wanted him to drive the boat. In truth, the ancient vampire had seemed unimpressed with Daniel when they’d first met and hadn’t shown much interest in him since. And in addition to being something of a mythical figure in Daniel’s mind, he was Armand’s maker. They had a history Daniel knew very little about. Armand had let bits and pieces slip over the years, of course, but never the whole story. 

This was the first time he and Marius had really had a conversation one on one. Marius mostly asked about the Night Island, its creation and purpose. How Armand had conceived of it. What it was for. “What do you mean, what is it for? It’s an all-night shopping center and plaza, an elite tourist destination.” 

Daniel had asked a few questions about Armand, though Marius was guarded with his answers enough that Daniel had joked about seeing where Armand got it from, which only earned him a slight frown. Back on the Night Island, Marius had thanked him and then disappeared inside the house. The whole thing felt like some sort of test and Daniel was not sure he’d passed. But it had been exhilarating hunting with a vampire so old and practiced, and he wanted to get to know him a little better, given how important he was to Armand.

Inside, the Villa was noisy. Not just from the vampire voices or thoughts that filled the rooms now, but from the hum of electricity from the light bulbs and appliances. Sounds he’d never noticed with his mortal hearing. He could hear the waves crashing on the shores of the beaches so much more clearly, and even the distant sounds of the shopping center from the other side of the island. 

He wandered from room to room, finding most of the living areas occupied. The house had seemed absurdly massive when it had been just him and Armand but it felt impossible to find a quiet place to sit now. He found himself going through the back of the house and out the back door to the garden. 

Up around the side of the house was a patio made of paving stones that was perched on the cliff overlooking the ocean. Daniel sensed someone up there, but in the dark, dim way he could sense anyone. He could hear no thoughts, catch no hint of their mind. Which meant it could only really be one person. 

He walked the path up and saw a shock of auburn hair over the top of the Adirondack chair. Daniel sat in the empty chair beside him. He glanced over at Armand. His auburn hair was long and curly, its natural length. His face was ghostly pale, the stark white of a vampire who had not yet fed. He wore a blue t-shirt and jeans and a petulant expression that made him look closer to his mortal years.

In the sky expanding out before them was a thin strip of moon with dark clouds passing overhead. From here, you could see a hint of their private dock and he noted a couple of the boats were out. 

“Nice night,” he said. 

Armand turned his head slowly to look at him, a long, agonizing stare that seemed to pierce Daniel’s soul. “Hm.” 

Daniel snorted. “Don’t hold back.” 

Armand narrowed his eyes.

“What’s got you in a mood?” Daniel asked. Armand had always been mercurial but these past weeks since they’d arrived back home with the others in tow, he’d been particularly moody. 

“I’m not in a mood.” 

Daniel sighed. He considered getting up and walking away, finding someone who would appreciate his company. But he wanted to spend time with Armand. It had been hard to get a moment alone with him, except in the quiet dark of the coffin they now shared. But Daniel passed out too early and woke so late that even that time was short. 

“Fine, if you say so.” 

Armand turned back to the horizon, his gaze cast out over the dark ocean. 

“I went hunting with Marius,” Daniel said. 

“I’m aware.” His tone was flat. Was he annoyed? Bothered? Daniel studied his impassive expression. He could see all of the little capillaries, blue and thin with lack of blood, beneath his white skin. He could see the fine lines in his lips and every single eyelash. But he couldn’t tell what Armand was thinking. 

“He’s as cagey as you when it comes to discussing the past. Is that where you get it from?” 

“Is that why you went with him? To pester him about my past?” 

Okay, there was a definite edge there. Daniel reached for his cigarettes. “Yes, Armand, I dragged your maker to Miami so I could get him to spill all your secrets.” He lit the cigarette, taking a deep drag and letting the hot smoke fill his dead lungs. He exhaled slowly, watching the smoke curl into the air and disappear. 

Armand sat statue still in his chair. 

“Don’t worry, he didn’t spill any,” Daniel said. He took another drag on his cigarette before stubbing the butt in the ashtray on the table between them. 

Then he stood. He reached down, extending his hand. Armand stared at it like it was a bomb that might explode in his face. Daniel thrust his hand toward him again. Armand finally took it. Daniel used his vampiric strength to lift Armand to a standing position.

“Come on.” 

“Where are we going?” Armand asked. But he didn’t resist as Daniel pulled him down the path back to the Villa. Armand walked with him into the house. Daniel led him past a room where he saw Louis and Khayman having a discussion and then down the hall to the grand staircase. 

Upstairs, he pulled Armand into his bedroom, where he’d spent most of his days sleeping fitfully as a mortal, blackout curtains pulled over the giant picture windows that looked out over the ocean. The curtains were perpetually open now. He closed the door and flicked on the light. Armand went over to the dresser and studied the detritus gathered atop of it. An ashtray, clean only because the housekeeper had emptied it, coins and sticks of gum. Armand slid one of the pennies around on the wood with his finger. 

“Are you upset I went hunting with Marius?” Daniel asked. 

Armand looked over his shoulder, surprised. “Why should I be?” 

Daniel ran his fingers through his soft blond hair. He could feel the trail of his fingers over his scalp and his hair fell immediately back into place. It had never done that when he was alive. “I don’t know. Jealousy?” 

Armand gave him a wry look as if that were absurd. Daniel didn’t think it was. Armand had held him close several times around the others and put a possessive arm around him in the car as they traveled to Miami when Lestat had jokingly flirted with him.

Daniel dropped his hands to his sides. “Something is bothering you. And I can’t do anything about it if you won’t tell me what it is.” 

“Perhaps it’s not your problem to solve, Daniel.” Armand’s voice was soft, barely above a whisper. 

Daniel moved toward him, wrapping his arms around Armand’s chest and pulling him back against him. He kissed his throat and said into his ear, ��Let me try.” 

Armand leaned back against him, arms curling around Daniel’s. His body was cool against Daniel’s blood-warmed form and he pressed against him as if trying to absorb his warmth. Daniel bent against his hair and breathed him in, the scent of his floral cologne mixed with the shampoo he’d used in their shared shower two nights ago, the faintest hint of metallic blood, and beneath that, the faint, unmistakable smell of Armand.

After a long moment, Armand said, “We’re surrounded by other immortals.” 

Daniel laughed, even though he constantly thought the same thing. “Yeah, well, whose idea was that?” 

“I seem to recall you singing the praises of Night Island as a haven for our kind,” Armand said, but there was no edge to his tone anymore. He almost sounded amused.

And Daniel had done that. He’d been so proud of the Night Island, of this thing Armand had built—with his help, yes, but it had been Armand’s idea and design. He’d eagerly told any of the others who would listen all about it. It had not entirely been his idea for them all to come to the island at once—he’d envisioned them all coming to visit in small groups. Perhaps it had been Lestat who suggested it. But Daniel had certainly planted the idea. 

“Do you not want them here? We can ask them to leave.” 

Armand glanced up, his expression unreadable “I’m happy to host them all, Daniel, I merely worry that being surrounded by so many of them might make you—“ 

He stopped, cutting himself off. Daniel frowned down at him. “Make me what?” 

Armand pulled out of his arms and turned, leaning against the dresser. He stared in Daniel’s eyes for so long that Daniel thought he might lose himself counting Armand’s eyelashes. Wasn’t that a thing vampires did? Have the compulsion to count? 

“It might disabuse you of the notion that I am anything exceptional.” 

Daniel stared at him. Then he laughed. He laughed so easily these days but that was too funny. Armand did not look amused. He pulled away from Daniel and moved to the bed, sitting on the edge of it, his shoulders sunken.

“Armand, you’re the most exceptional person I know. No one can match you for curiosity or passion.” 

“I’m merely a vampire, Daniel. As you are now, along with all of the others in our house. You no longer have need of me.” 

Daniel laughed again, unable to help it. Such a ridiculous notion! “What, you think I’m going to replace you?” 

Armand stared at the floor. 

God, that was it! What an absurd thought! Daniel faltered, trying to imagine where this was coming from. But of course, he’d been enamored with Lestat immediately, and captivated by seeing Louis again. He’d been disappearing with Jesse. Desperate to talk to the others, to ask them all questions. How could Daniel not be curious about all of them, and a little starstruck by some of them? 

Tension gathered in the room like fog. Daniel swallowed, his mouth dry. He stared at Armand, who often seemed larger than life, now looking small on the edge of his bed.

He sat down next to him. “I don’t want anyone but you.” 

Armand made a soft noise of acknowledgement, still focused on the hand-woven rug on the floor. 

“You want to know the truth?” Armand’s eyes flicked toward him. “I don’t think Marius is all that impressed with me.” 

Armand looked up, face softening. “Then he’s a fool.” 

“He has to be,” Daniel agreed. “He let you go.” 

Armand huffed but there was a slight smile dancing on his lips finally, the barest hint of something other than solid blankness. “It didn’t happen quite like that.”

Daniel shrugged. “All the same.”

Daniel ran fingers through Armand’s soft auburn curls and then cupped his chin. He leaned over and kissed him. His mouth was cool and the touch of their tongues was electric. Every kiss felt deeper now, like a meeting of their souls. When it was over, Daniel felt breathless and desperate to get it back. 

“I love you,” he breathed.

Armand titled his head, studying Daniel’s face, even as his fingers caressed his cheek. Lately when Daniel said it, Armand would question him, asking if he was sure, if he really did. Daniel thought he was being sardonic, but now he worried that Armand truly feared he didn’t love him.

This time, though, Armand said nothing. He kissed him back, climbing on top of his lap and straddling him as he did. He kissed him with such intensity that Daniel fell back against the bed and Armand landed on top of him, mouth still connected to his as if he might die if their lips were parted. 

Armand’s fangs nicked Daniel’s tongue and blood exploded into the kiss, hot and charged. Armand moaned as his tongue licked the blood from his mouth, trying to get every minuscule drop. When the kiss ended, his lips trailed down Daniel’s chin to his throat, and left little kisses over the soft skin. Each one sent tingles down Daniel’s spine. Incredible how the tiniest touch could rack his entire being now. 

Armand sucked on his neck, mouth suctioned around the skin over his artery like a vacuum hose. He licked and sucked with vigor and Daniel writhed beneath him, thrusting his cock up against him out of sheer habit, though it no longer responded as it had when he’d been alive. Not that it mattered. Every cell in his body was a raw nerve now, every caress and lick and touch as intense as anything he’d ever felt. 

Daniel clung to Armand’s back, holding him fast, urging him closer against him as Armand sucked vigorously at his skin and Daniel thought it might break open from the force. A sharp pain jolted Daniel as Armand’s fangs pierced his skin. He tightened his grip on Armand, fingernails digging into his t-shirt. He loved this feeling, the way Armands lips moved slightly over the wound as Daniel’s blood rushed into his mouth and filled his veins. Daniel’s heart hammered against him, struggling to hold the blood he’d drunk from the evil doer on the shore. 

And then the connection clicked in his mind and he could see images from Armand’s. Images of Daniel in the Compound, surrounded by the others, Daniel wandering alone, Daniel with Louis, with Lestat, standing at their sides, talking, laughing. Armand was there but never beside him. 

His heart lurched as Armand swallowed another mouthful, bringing him back to the present. Armand against him, on top of him, connected to him. These were the thoughts Daniel tried to send back, that he wanted to be like this, together, linked, never apart. 

Their hearts warred with each other, Daniel’s straining against Armand’s, which tried to overtake him. Daniel panted as his blood roared through his veins, rushing toward Armand’s mouth. Pressure built inside him and threatened to overtake him.

And then Armand released his throat with gasp. He panted against his neck, his breath warm against Daniel’s skin. 

He sat up. Daniel could see the color in his white skin, just the faintest shift to a pinker hue. He’d have to kill to achieve more. Daniel sat up with him and kissed him again, chasing his mouth, wanting that connection back. 

Armand stood and Daniel reached for him, grabbing at his t-shirt to pull him back. Armand smiled at him, a soft, genuine smile that warmed Daniel’s heart.

“Don’t go. Let’s just hang out here for a while,” he said. 

Armand hesitated but then nodded. Relief washed over Daniel. He crawled up to the side of the bed he always slept on, grabbing the knit blanket at the foot of the bed as he did.Armand lay down beside him. Armand put his hand on Daniel’s chest. Daniel covered them both in the blanket and then put his arm around him, holding him close, his other hand threading fingers through Armand’s hair.

“No one could replace you, you know.” 

Armand’s grip tightened around Daniel. “Eternity is a long time, Daniel.” 

Daniel shook his head. “And now we have it to spend together.” 

Armand relaxed against him, the tension bleeding out of his muscles. “My Daniel.” 

“Always, boss.” Daniel rubbed his back gently, reassuringly, feeling the weight of him against his body, the way he clung to Daniel’s side, the feeling of his cheek pressed against his chest. This was what he wanted. Forever like this, with Armand. 

[lotstradamus]

i'm loving all your vampire posting lottie! if you're ever so compelled i'd love to hear what you make of the books vs the show and if there are any book things you'd especially like to see done on the show! (also, bookwise, are you a lestat girl or an armand girl or a louis/marius/david/akasha/claudia girl or or or)

as someone who tried to read Interview with the Vampire thrice (THRICE!!!) pre-AMC show revival and simply could not get through it (it is melancholy), I cannot BELIEVE how down bad I am for these books right now. I keep seeing bad reviews on goodreads and girding my loins for each new book expecting the quality to nosedive, but 1 star bitch WHERE? WHERE??? I AM HAVING THE TIME OF MY GODDAMN LIFE

in terms of books vs show, honestly after a point the books are kind of Unadaptable unless they radically change the main cast, vibe and format of the show every single season, and the changes they made to IWTV were good to the point of sending me fucking insane so they can just keep on doing whatever their little hearts desire with the source material imo!!! howmever I DO have some suggestions for the upcoming seasons:

Lestat crying twice an ep (non-negotiable)

I would kind of love it if Lestat is the only character who tells the truth. the most reliablest narrator and normal girl to ever live. and yet every time he says something like "I killed a pack of wolves single-handedly" or "I woke Those Who Must Be Kept by playing violin" or "I snog my mother with tongue" Daniel is just sitting there like "............riiiight."

Gabrielle. Gabrielle Gabrielle Gabrielle. mainly I would like to smash cut to Gabrielle in the middle of really intense Lestat/everyone else scenes and she's just like peacefully sleeping in the ground... strolling through a distant jungle... sitting on a mountain looking at the stars in silence...

EXCEPT that one scene where she pulls up to Lestat's concert like she's in 2 Fast 2 Furious

it'll be interesting to see how they adapt Queen of the Damned because so little of it is actually from Lestat's pov, and all of it is amazing and cannot be cut out: [Stefon voice] the Twins, Jesse, specifically Jesse being haunted in Louis and Lestat's old New Orleans house, everyone hanging out/playing out terrible interpersonal dramas at the Sonoma compound, NIGHT ISLAND...!

I cannot stress this enough: GHOST CLAUDIA.

I want them to do Body Thief. fuck it, why not. must haves are Mojo, a random hunk with a PhD in Sam Reid's mannerisms playing Lestat for 6/8 episodes, Lestat nearly dying 25 times cos he pilots his human body like a drunk muppet, and, most importantly, Lestat BEGGING David Talbot for some old man pussy

oh and an entire episode set on a cruise ship

my favourite scene from the whole of Body Thief was Lestat turning David at the end against his will cos it was genuinely quite awful and frightening but also. um. you know. awooga

if they include Gretchen, then I would like the opposite of my Gabrielle request for everything post-Body Thief: whenever there's a peaceful, quiet scene it smash cuts to the wilds of South America where Gretchen is absolutely stark raving mad on the floor of a chapel with stigmata

I can't even begin to think about how they'd adapt Memnoch, but regardless I want them to keep the scene where Lestat drinks someone's period blood. thanks

also his cunty little lilac-tinted sunglasses that he will not fucking stop talking about

and finally, human Armand getting drunk and falling into the Grand Canal

bookwise, I am a Lestat girl the house down boots... I love his over-dramatic idiot crybaby ass!!!!! although the final page of Memnoch the Devil made me burst into tears and cry my whole face off until I confirmed that Lestat comes back as the narrator in future books soooo maybe like calls to like. self recognition through the other, etc. I do also get a shot of pure joy every time Armand shows up, especially in Lestat's pov. 'ah, there he was, the Botticelli angel, so beautiful. I fucking hated him. we kissed.' sis THEE dopamine.

currently suffering because I want to a) stop reading the series immediately so I can go back and reread The Vampire Lestat, and yet also b) never ever stop reading the series for love nor money. please help me budget this my family is dying

[gas-station-dragon-statue]

Not to be unbearable (read: I love nothing more than to be unbearable), but this made me think a lot about how Anne Rice’s concept of “excess” (often explicitly capitalist) parallels Lacanian jouissance. Daniel wants this thing (Armand, to be a vampire, drugs and alcohol) so much that his pleasure at having (or nearly having) it spills over into all this agonizing excess which has its physical representation in Night Island—literally a big old mall. It’s so much consumerist luxury all the time that it’s no longer enjoyable. He doesn’t want to be there—it sucks to be there—but he keeps being drawn back by the compulsion to repeat, to do and have more, to increase pleasure beyond what is possible. It especially struck me in one of the first scenes when Armand buys every item on the menu at the restaurant or hotel or whatever (too lazy to look it up); it's an amount of food that would be physically painful to eat/enjoy. It starts there and never ends. From that angle, when his turning freeze him in time, it's the beginning of a new nightmare. Now he never has any hope of ending the stream of unbearable consumption because he’s part of it forever.

i'm kind of thinking about addiction in the vampire chronicles and specifically about daniel.

he is obviously an alcoholic. by the end of his mortal life the only things he cares about are alcohol and armand. and he's given up everything for armand. he’s lost his friends. he’s lost his family. he has no real dreams or ambitions outside of staying with armand. he might separate himself from him for a little while, but he always goes back. he’s in his 30s but looks much younger because he's stunted at the age armand came into his life. armand is everything; daniel is subsumed into armand. he winds up dirty, freezing, sleeping on a park bench, and what he wants most is to scrape up enough money for a drink, and to be back with armand. he loves him, hates him, absolutely cannot escape him, and it is killing him. it is very very much an addiction story (among other things).

so finally daniel is dying of organ failure, and what happens next is, in a way, the fantasy of every addict, and everyone who's loved an addict. the first part is that the addiction is cured. physically, he's well again. mentally, he is no longer dependent on alcohol. he's preserved right on the edge of death - kind of like claudia. the second part is what you dream about when you're addicted to something, and what daniel finds in the blood: a high so perfect it eclipses all other cravings. finally getting the thing you've been fruitlessly trying to reach when you use your substance of choice. both of these things feel...just intensely personal, honestly, coming from a writer who was an alcoholic herself, and who lost a parent to it. and intensely sad, and familiar. and both of these things are fantasies, as rice have known from experience. you can't excise an addiction from the rest of the person. the perfect high doesn't exist.

not even in this story, really. daniel doesn't get to have everything. armand does kill him. he'll be "the boy" forever. his parents will never see him again.

[covenofthearticulate]

armand for the ask :)

Send a character!

favorite thing about them Oh my god see this is actually kinda fucking me up because I feel like with the other vampires there are very specific things i love about them, but trying to describe why i love armand is like trying to describe how to fucking breathe LMAO i just love EVERYTHING about him!! i think overall i just really enjoy his capacity to be absolutely heart-wrenchingly vulnerable, but somehow an absolute cunt at the same time asdgfgakfhgvja idk i could write a whole novel about how we fall in love with armand through the eyes of others (louis, lestat, daniel, etc) vs. how he portrays himself, and the dissonance between the two, but i’ll leave that for another day and just say that one of my favorite things about armand is that there are so many pieces to him and he’s somehow familiar and enigmatic all at once

least favorite thing about them genuinely i can’t think of anything i dislike about him LMFAO he’s a bastard and i love him for it. he can do whatever he wants, forever.

favorite line  "I want to be in the vital center of things the way I was years ago in Paris in the Theater of the Vampires. Surely you remember. I want to be a canker in the very eye of the world."  

i’m never not thinking about how armand and lestat are such perfect foils to one another and idk i think this is a really good summary of that!! armand and lestat both want to be center stage, but lestat will always see himself as the devilishly charming anti-hero, armand wants to be a silent force of reckoning. brOTP Listen. Listen. I know they were lovers and blah blah blah but I just absolutely adore his relationship with Louis and I've always felt that it transcends romantic boundaries. They love each other but they also LIKE each other and that just makes my heart go "!!!!!". I think Louis is the perfect equal for Armand– he’s someone who will challenge him, not just for the sake of challenging him like daniel or lestat, but because louis genuinely wants an intellectual sparring partner. there is a tenderness to louis which leads to this sort of silent understanding between him and armand and idk like even after their eventual separation i think they’ll always be home to one another.

OTP I'm not even gonna attempt to write about how much i love daniel and armand because listen it feels almost insulting for me to come in and give my trivial opiniona when there are people on this site who conjure up the most glorious meta and fanfiction and have such a beautiful grasp on their relationship LOL but like. needless to say, the devil's minion has a special place in my heart.

nOTP I don't even hate him with marius because of the age thing i just don't really like them together because they're such dicks to each other lol like they have two of the biggest egos i've ever seen so if anything i'm just annoyed by their scenes together asdgfhavscbkdh. did i still cry during blood and gold when marius found armand’s paris coven? absolutely. but as a ship it’s just not my cup of tea lmao

random headcanon he once got really into learning new languages via duolingo. there was one year he got a 300 day streak but then forgot to do his lessons while traveling abroad to a different time zone and it lowkey sent him into a fucking rage LMAO

unpopular opinion  okay i’m prefacing this with the fact that i’ve only read PL once and it was like 5 years ago HOWEVER I still think Trinity Gate is fucking stupid! like it genuinely makes me upset to think about because even though I love the idea of Armand being the perpetual coven master and providing a home and an anchor to other vampires, nothing will ever live up to the night island, and idk trinity gate just feels...a little forced, if that makes sense. like, it suits the plot of the book and all, but it doesn’t feel like armand’s home. it feels like something he built for the others (benji & co) whereas the night island was as much for daniel as it was for armand. (I also know for a fact that louis de pointe du lac would rather fry in the sun than live in new york city but that’s a different can of worms LMAO). 

song i associate with them  god okay i was gonna suggest some lighter IDKHOW songs but like........sleep by my chemical romance is about post-paris coven armand and i will not be taking any critiques. i know this is too on the nose for me bc i’m in the middle of my emo phase 2.0 but tonally it’s just so beautiful and bleak and i mean just look at the fucking lyrics:

Some say, now suffer all the children And walk away a savior Or a madman and polluted From gutter institutions Don't you breathe for me Undeserving of your sympathy 'Cause there ain't no way that I'm sorry for what I did

THAT’S ARMAND, BABEYYYY

[welllpthisishappening]

Welllp These Are Books: the March 2021 Edition

There aren’t even any pictures! Except in that one book where there were pictures! It was weird! This was a weird book month! Back at it again with thoughts and opinions about a whole mess of books that no one explicitly asked for, but I’ve got lots of thoughts and opinions and they only count if I share them on the internet. Seriously, someone let me go to a baseball game soon. Obligatory warning for spoilers and vaguely unhinged rants under the cut. As always, feel free to come tell me what else I should be reading at literally any time ever.

Best Book of the Month Honors Goes to This Book, Even Though They Called It Halftime at a Hockey Game. A Hockey Game!

The Dating Plan by Sara Desai

Daisy Patel is a software engineer who understands lists and logic better than bosses and boyfriends. With her life all planned out, and no interest in love, the one thing she can't give her family is the marriage they expect. Left with few options, she asks her childhood crush to be her decoy fiancé. Liam Murphy is a venture capitalist with something to prove. When he learns that his inheritance is contingent on being married, he realizes his best friend's little sister has the perfect solution to his problem. A marriage of convenience will get Daisy's matchmaking relatives off her back and fulfill the terms of his late grandfather's will. If only he hadn’t broken her tender teenage heart nine years ago… Sparks fly when Daisy and Liam go on a series of dates to legitimize their fake relationship. Too late, they realize that very little is convenient about their arrangement. History and chemistry aren't about to follow the rules of this engagement.

— Ok, it’s important to know that I really did love this book. It hit all my trope-wants. Childhood friends, incredibly stupid misunderstandings, pining, seriously God the pining, fake engagement, BANTER. It was all going great. I was occasionally swooning. They kept making out! And then! THEN. They went to a hockey game. On a date. A fake date. Cool, cool, cool. All tropes, all the time right? Not so fast, internet! Because these self-proclaimed Sharks SUPER FANS referred to intermission as “halftime was coming up.” Halftime! At a hockey game! That’s—that’s not how hockey works! If this hadn’t been “traditionally” published, I probably could have let it slide. But that was not the case. This was a “real” book with, I can only assume, real editors. All of whom saw the words halftime and hockey near each other and we’re like YEAH, PRINT THAT SHIT. I read that at nearly one in the morning and seriously considered waking Justin up to be like CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS IS IN A REAL BOOK? Anyway, it was still real cute. Everyone lived happily ever after. It made want to eat samosas.

This Book Had Pictures, It Was Weird

Clean Sweep by Ilona Andrews

On the outside, Dina Demille is the epitome of normal. She runs a quaint Victorian Bed and Breakfast in a small Texas town, owns a Shih Tzu named Beast, and is a perfect neighbor, whose biggest problem should be what to serve her guests for breakfast. But Dina is...different:  Her broom is a deadly weapon; her Inn is magic and thinks for itself. Meant to be a lodging for otherworldly visitors, the only permanent guest is a retired Galactic aristocrat who can’t leave the grounds because she’s responsible for the deaths of millions and someone might shoot her on sight. Under the circumstances, "normal" is a bit of a stretch for Dina.

And now, something with wicked claws and deepwater teeth has begun to hunt at night...Feeling responsible for her neighbors, Dina decides to get involved. Before long, she has to juggle dealing with the annoyingly attractive, ex-military, new neighbor, Sean Evans—an alpha-strain werewolf—and the equally arresting cosmic vampire soldier, Arland, while trying to keep her inn and its guests safe. But the enemy she’s facing is unlike anything she’s ever encountered before. It’s smart, vicious, and lethal, and putting herself between this creature and her neighbors might just cost her everything.

— So, Ilona Andrews is a name that keeps coming up because when I borrow a book from the library I have to go through Kindle and Amazon is like...here are some other absurd fantasy romances you’d enjoy. Also, one of her other series had been recc’ed to me. Only problem? The first book in that series is the only book in that series not available at my library. So, I was like, ok, I’ll start this one instead. It was...weird. Honestly, it felt like I’d been dropped in the middle of the story and the narrator was like, well why don’t you already know what’s going on? In theory the world building was cool. (I was not expecting alien werewolves, lemme tell you that!) But also it all felt very rushed and the end just sorta happened.

In Which I Continue to Love “Same Verse” Books & No One Else Had Sex in the Port Jeff High School Dugout. For Which I Was Grateful

Love Her or Lose Her by Tessa Bailey

Rosie and Dominic Vega are the perfect couple: high school sweethearts, best friends, madly in love. Well, they used to be anyway. Now Rosie’s lucky to get a caveman grunt from the ex-soldier every time she walks in the door. Dom is faithful and a great provider, but the man she fell in love with ten years ago is nowhere to be found. When her girlfriends encourage Rosie to demand more out of life and pursue her dream of opening a restaurant, she decides to demand more out of love, too. Three words: marriage boot camp.

Never in a million years did Rosie believe her stoic, too-manly-to-emote husband would actually agree to relationship rehab with a weed-smoking hippie. Dom talking about feelings? Sitting on pillows? Communing with nature? Learning love languages? Nope. But to her surprise, he’s all in, and it forces her to admit her own role in their cracked foundation. As they complete one ridiculous—yet surprisingly helpful—assignment after another, their remodeled relationship gets stronger than ever. Except just as they’re getting back on track, Rosie discovers Dom has a secret... and it could demolish everything.

— Listen, one of my absolutely favorite tropes that I do not think gets enough love in the world is COMMITTED LONG-LASTING RELATIONSHIPS. And, like, ok, sure the premise of this was that they were separating in that long-lasting relationship. But no one really believed that, did they? Rosie and Dominic were real cute and their banter was good and I wasn’t totally skeeved out when they literally fucked on the kitchen floor. So, I think that’s saying something. Also, also! I seriously appreciated the realism of this book because no one on Long Island would ever call Manhattan Manhattan. It’s the city. Every other borough gets a name, but Manhattan is just the city and I nearly cheered when they said that. But also, no one’s taking a cab from Port Jeff to the Meatpacking District. You know what that would cost? God.

Tools of Engagement by Tessa Bailey

Hair, makeup, clothing, decor... everything in Bethany Castle's world is organized, planned, and styled to perfection. Which is why the homes she designs for her family's real estate business are the most coveted in town. The only thing not perfect? Her track record with men. She's on a dating hiatus and after helping her friends achieve their dreams, Bethany finally has time to focus on her own: flip a house, from framework to furnishings, all by herself. Except her older brother runs the company and refuses to take her seriously.

When a television producer gets wind of the Castle sibling rivalry, they’re invited on Flip Off, a competition to see who can do the best renovation. Bethany wants bragging rights, but she needs a crew and the only member of her brother's construction team willing to jump ship is Wes Daniels, the new guy in town. His Texas drawl and handsome face got under Bethany's skin on day one, and the last thing she needs is some cocky young cowboy in her way.

As the race to renovate heats up, Wes and Bethany are forced into close quarters, trading barbs and biting banter as they remodel the ugliest house on the block. It's a labor of love, hate, and everything in between, and soon sparks are flying. But Bethany's perfectly structured life is one kiss away from going up in smoke and she knows falling for a guy like Wes would be a flipping disaster.

— It should first be noted that in the three books of this series, I could not and cannot understand why Bethany’s brother was such a monumental dick. He was just...he was a dick. His marriage was awful. How long was his wife pregnant without him knowing???? I digress. This continued to be cute, Bethany was a legit heroine as far as those rom-com things go, Wes was very Texas and that got a little over the top, but they had sex in a bed like normal people so that helped. Oh, except that one time on the construction site. Whatever, this book was cute. This whole series was cute, really, and I was a big fan of the happy little wrap-everything-up with a bow ending.

Romance That Happens In Point Two Seconds Is...Unbelievable

Too Hot to Handle by Tessa Bailey

The road trip was definitely a bad idea. Having already flambéed her culinary career beyond recognition, Rita Clarkson is now stranded in God-Knows-Where, New Mexico, with a busted-ass car and her three temperamental siblings, who she hasn't seen in years. When rescue shows up---six-feet-plus of hot, charming sex on a motorcycle---Rita's pretty certain she's gone from the frying pan right into the fire . . . Jasper Ellis has a bad boy reputation in this town, and he loathes it. The moment he sees Rita, though, Jasper knows he's about to be sorely tempted. There's something real between them. Something raw. And Jasper has only a few days to show Rita that he isn't just for tonight---he's forever.

— For as much as I loved the Port Jeff series by my new pal Tessa, this one was...oof. Too much, guys. Too much. Fucking in trucks. Fucking in back offices. The whole book lasted, like, three days. And keep in mind this is coming from someone who has written like two million words about Killian Jones, self-loathing champ 250 years running, but Jasper’s self-loathing was a little over the top. Like, let’s not objectify dudes, but also...I don’t know guys. Maybe the other books in the series are better? I was mostly just annoyed by Rita.

What the Hell Happened at the End of This Book?? Seriously, I Have No Idea

The Queen’s Assassin by Melissa de la Cruz

Caledon Holt is the kingdom's deadliest weapon. No one alive can best him in speed, strength, or brains, which is why he's the Hearthstone Guild's most dangerous member. Cal is also the Queen's Assassin, bound to her by magic and unable to leave her service until the task she's set for him is fulfilled. Shadow of the Honey Glade has been training all her life to join the Guild, hoping that one day she'll become an assassin as feared and revered as Cal. But Shadow's mother and aunts expect her to serve the crown as a lady of the Renovian Court. When a surprise attack brings Shadow and Cal together, they're forced to team up as assassin and apprentice. Even though Shadow's life belongs to the court and Cal's belongs to the queen, they cannot deny their attraction to each other. But now, with war on the horizon and true love at risk, Shadow and Cal will uncover a shocking web of lies that will change their paths forever.

—WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED AT THE END OF THIS BOOK??? I figured out the so-called twist like...two chapters in. Fine, ok, whatever. It’s YA, this is not rocket science and I was interested enough in Cale and Shadow to see how it all played out. Only it didn’t really play out! Because the whole end was just this like four chapter retcon of basically EVERYTHING ELSE THAT HAPPENED and I genuinely could not believe it was happening. It didn’t make sense?!? Like with the plot? Also, spoiler, good thing Shadow and the other king haven’t consummated their marriage yet since she and Cale totally fucked after her wedding? What is YA? Why is Amazon telling me this is a Teacher’s Pick? Why hasn’t my hold come through on the sequel yet so I know what happens next?

Low-Stakes Romance Was Real Boring and All The People Were Boring In It

The Ten Rules for Faking It by Sophie Sullivan

As birthdays go, this year’s for radio producer Everly Dean hit rock-bottom. Worse than the “tonsillectomy birthday.” Worse than the birthday her parents decided to split (the first time). But catching your boyfriend cheating on you with his assistant? Even clichés sting. But this is Everly’s year! She won’t let her anxiety hold her back. She’ll pitch her podcast idea to her boss. There’s just one problem. Her boss, Chris, is very cute. (Of course). Also, he's extremely distant (which means he hates her, right? Or is that the anxiety talking)? And, Stacey the DJ didn’t mute the mic during Everly’s rant about Simon the Snake (syn: Cheating Ex). That’s three problems. Suddenly, people are lining up to date her, Bachelorette-style, fans are voting (Reminder: never leave house again), and her interest in Chris might be a two-way street. It’s a lot for a woman who could gold medal in people-avoidance. She’s going to have to fake it ‘till she makes it to get through all of this. Perhaps she’ll make a list: The Ten Rules for Faking It. 

— I am a broken record. Shouting. From the highest hilltop. Just because you think someone is cute when you’re technically not supposed to be dating them does not mean you get to be anything less than nice around them! It’s not cute! And part two, which often goes with part one: rom com dudes have GOT to stop lying or hiding or otherwise avoiding telling people who they really are. It’s a convoluted, passably lazy way of writing and dropping a third-act bomb on the story. Don’t do it. Stop doing it. We’ve moved past the need for hidden identities. Unless he’s, like, a spy or something. Um...this was a weird book. I know Everly had anxiety and that became a PLOT POINT, patent pending, but she was also not super relatable? Which is crazy considering my very real, rather undiagnosed anxiety. Chris was boring. The whole plot, as this title suggests, was very low stakes and no one actually  seemed to remember that their jobs were ever on the line? Did Everly and Chris have a conversation before they decided they liked each other? Who can say, really.

Shipped by Angie Hockman

Between taking night classes for her MBA and her demanding day job at a cruise line, marketing manager Henley Evans barely has time for herself, let alone family, friends, or dating. But when she’s shortlisted for the promotion of her dreams, all her sacrifices finally seem worth it. The only problem? Graeme Crawford-Collins, the remote social media manager and the bane of her existence, is also up for the position. Although they’ve never met in person, their epic email battles are the stuff of office legend. Their boss tasks each of them with drafting a proposal on how to boost bookings in the Galápagos—best proposal wins the promotion. There’s just one catch: they have to go on a company cruise to the Galápagos Islands...together. But when the two meet on the ship, Henley is shocked to discover that the real Graeme is nothing like she imagined. As they explore the Islands together, she soon finds the line between loathing and liking thinner than a postcard. With her career dreams in her sights and a growing attraction to the competition, Henley begins questioning her life choices. Because what’s the point of working all the time if you never actually live?

— YOU NEED TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH SOMEONE TO DECIDE YOU LIKE THEM. AUTHORS REALLY REALLY NEED TO LEARN HOW TO BUILD ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIPS. IF THEY ONLY LIKE EACH OTHER BECAUSE THEY KISS WELL IT’S NOT A GOOD RELATIONSHIP. AND THIS IS COMING FROM ME. Back at it again with the annoying so-called heroine who was just...occasionally real mean to Graem for no reason at all? Also her name was Henley. Which is not a great reason to dislike her, but here we are.

Apparently I Read These Books Out Of Order. Who Knew?

Pride, Prejudice and Other Flavors by Sonali Dev

It is a truth universally acknowledged that only in an overachieving Indian American family can a genius daughter be considered a black sheep.

Dr. Trisha Raje is San Francisco’s most acclaimed neurosurgeon. But that’s not enough for the Rajes, her influential immigrant family who’s achieved power by making its own non-negotiable rules:

·       Never trust an outsider

·       Never do anything to jeopardize your brother’s political aspirations

·       And never, ever, defy your family

Trisha is guilty of breaking all three rules. But now she has a chance to redeem herself. So long as she doesn’t repeat old mistakes.

Up-and-coming chef DJ Caine has known people like Trisha before, people who judge him by his rough beginnings and place pedigree above character. He needs the lucrative job the Rajes offer, but he values his pride too much to indulge Trisha’s arrogance. And then he discovers that she’s the only surgeon who can save his sister’s life.

As the two clash, their assumptions crumble like the spun sugar on one of DJ’s stunning desserts. But before a future can be savored there’s a past to be reckoned with...

A family trying to build home in a new land.

A man who has never felt at home anywhere.

And a choice to be made between the two.

— Surprise, apparently this was the first book in the series. I did not know. It didn’t affect my enjoyment of the Persuasion version in this same ‘verse, which is also strange because I liked the Persuasion one way better. There was a lot of medical in this. And not super uplifting medical, either. This was like...oh the Jane character (I guess???) has cancer and either she’s going to go blind after having a surgery (also she was an artist, so you see how this was a problem) or she’s just going to decide to die. Wait, what? That came out of left field, really. Also DJ and Trisha were not nice to each other. Like, I know this is Pride and Prejudice so there has to be some of that at the start, but it wasn’t like Trisha ever really went through the Darcy-required time at Pemberly. She just decided she liked DJ and told him and it was as awkward as Jane Austen intended it, but then we got more medical and everything was cool. It felt very rushed and shoehorned into a modern setting and the Persuasion one was better. You can’t have Darcy’s growth without the Pemberly stuff. You just can’t.

In Which I Didn’t Like a Nickname??? Is the World Ending??

Crazy Stupid Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams

Alexis Carlisle and her cat café, ToeBeans, have shot to fame after she came forward as a victim of a celebrity chef’s sexual harassment. When a new customer approaches to confide in her, the last thing Alexis expects is for the woman to claim they’re sisters. Unsure what to do, Alexis turns to the only man she trusts—her best friend, Noah Logan.   Computer genius Noah left his rebellious teenage hacker past behind to become a computer security expert. Now he only uses his old skills for the right cause. But Noah’s got a secret: He’s madly in love with Alexis. When she asks for his help, he wonders if the timing will ever be right to confess his crush.   Noah’s pals in The Bromance Book Club are more than willing to share their beloved “manuals” to help him go from bud to boyfriend. But he must decide if telling the truth is worth risking the best friendship he’s ever had.

— If Noah was going to call her Lexa, then her name should have been Alexa and not Alexis. That’s it and that’s all. Also, the story was n u t s. Estranged dads and kidney failure and they got together so fast in this book. Which usually is cool by me, but I really could not get over the nickname and the estranged family was mean to Alexis. Lexa. HER NAME SHOULD HAVE BEEN ALEXA, IT DOESN’T MAKE SENSE. Also Noah was a former hacker? The estranged family accused him corporate espionage or something? A lot happened in this book, guys. Her name should have been Alexa.

Dumb Brother Was Dumb™ Everyone Else Was Real Cute

The Off Limits Rule by Sarah Adams

I have found rock bottom. It's here, moving in with my older brother because I'm too broke to afford to live on my own. It's okay though, because we've always been close and I think I'm going to have fun living with him again.

 That is until I meet Cooper...

 Turns out, my brother has very strong opinions on the idea of me dating his best friend and is dead set against it. According to him, Cooper is everything I should stay away from: flirtatious, adventurous, non-committal, and freaking hot. (I added that last part because I feel like you need the whole picture.) My brother is right--I should stay away from Cooper James and his pretty blue eyes. He's the opposite of what I need right now.

 Nah--who am I kidding? I'm going for it.

— This was cute, mostly mindless fluff. Hit some trope high points, including, obviously, best friends sister. Only the brother in question was a Neanderthal and I really thought people were going to make out more while said brother was on his business trip. I got it for free off Amazon. Which I think should explain a lot. Like, story-wise. Sorry, free Amazon books. Don’t be insulted.

Prose, Prose, Prose, Please Someone Have a Conversation

Trick by Natalia Jaster

In the Kingdom of Spring, Poet is renowned. He's young and pretty, a lover of men and women. He performs for the court, kisses like a scoundrel, and mocks with a silver tongue. Yet allow him this: It's only the most cunning and manipulative soul who can play the fool. For beyond the castle walls, Poet guards a secret. One the Crown would shackle him for. One that he'll risk everything to protect. Alas, it will take more than clever words to deceive Princess Briar. Convinced that he's juggling lies as well as verse, this righteous nuisance of a girl is determined to expose him. But not all falsehoods are fiendish. Poet's secret is delicate, binding the jester and princess in an unlikely alliance—and kindling a breathless attraction, as alluring as it is forbidden.

— The purplest of prose. Mauve prose. Royal purple prose. Lavender prose. There was so much writing here. So much. Too much, some might say. I say. Actually. If we want to get specific. And that was a shame, really, because when Briar and Poet actually had a conversation, they were interesting to read about. Also, the world building here? Yeeeesh. The so-called, wait for it, FOOL TRADE played a prominent role and that was...super cringe. Super Cringe. That being said, I asked Justin what I should read next and he thought it was funny that a book was just called...

Dare by Natalia Jaster

In the Kingdom of Summer, they say she's wild. Locked in a cage by the sea, Flare dreams of escape. She dreams of a lost world, known only in legends. The island is calling to her. And she won't let anyone keep her from it. Especially not him. They say he's cruel. Jeryn has crossed the ocean for the Trade, to bargain for those fierce, imprisoned creatures that make his skin crawl. By law, they're subjects meant for experimentation. And easy to despise. One girl in particular. But on the cusp of transport, the tide rages. That hidden island awaits. Stranded, the prince and prisoner must fight to survive. In a mysterious rainforest, they must band together...if they don't slay one another first. Or become something more to each other.  Something just as dangerous.

— This was Justin’s fault. He could not believe this book was just called Dare. It should have been called “We’re going to weirdly force what is basically slavery into this story and then a prince is going to fall in love with an escaped slave and we’re also going to call that ROMANCE.” y i k e s. Remember that one story that took place over three days? This was the complete opposite. Years! They were shipwrecked for years! They got saved, spoilers, the DAY they started having sex. What are the odds, right?? And then MORE YEARS passed. Multiple years! Five years! They couldn’t actually be together because of that aforementioned slave trade. What the shit, man? Natalia, ya gotta be kidding me with this. The internet claimed Trick was good and a solid follow to reading ACOTAR and that there was this whole verse and it was also good. The internet was wrong.

Nothing Happened, Everything Happened, I...Hated It

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Kristin Cashore’s bestselling, award-winning fantasy Graceling tells the story of the vulnerable-yet-strong Katsa, a smart, beautiful teenager who lives in a world where selected people are given a Grace, a special talent that can be anything from dancing to swimming. Katsa’s is killing. As the king’s niece, she is forced to use her extreme skills as his thug. Along the way, Katsa must learn to decipher the true nature of her Grace… and how to put it to good use. A thrilling, action-packed fantasy adventure (and steamy romance!) that will resonate deeply with adolescents trying to find their way in the world.

— I can’t believe this was a book. Katsa was so annoying! Like, listen, I know her life was sad. And she was a pawn being used against her will. Blah, blah, blah. Whatever. The tone of the whole book was so strangely formal and Poe was strangely in love with Katsa? Who obviously didn’t want to get married because she was WOMAN HEAR ME ROAR. Or kill people, as the case may be. Only she wanted to make out with Poe? Only ONLY they didn’t even really get together at the end? I could not believe the end of this book. I nearly threw my Kindle across the room. Once again, no apologies for spoilers because do not read this book, but HE WAS BLIND? Katsa had to leave him behind to save his cousin and he just ENDED UP BEING BLIND? AND THEY NEVER GOT TOGETHER REALLY?? What the fuck? Seriously. Steamy romance, my ass. Nothing happened. The villain got defeated in point two seconds. There are other books in this universe? No, thanks.

[holidcy]

i am actually embarrassed to say how long this intro too me to write out ? so im not gonna say it ! it’s not like it took be 3 hours or anything 👀 . and for what ? idk because this intro is a mess . but anyways ... i’m mia , i’m a whole twenty years old which really just feels like a glorified teenager but whatever , we’re not here to talk about that right now . we’re here to talk about my lil baby holly . guys she is literally the sweetest human ever ? but also ? to sensitive for her own good and really the good of those around her ? very happy feet energy coming form this girl . but without further ado , below you can read up on holly & if you wanna plot give this a like . also my discord is 𝖒𝖌𝖐'𝖘 𝖜𝖍𝖔𝖗𝖊#9789 if you wanna plot there or just generally chat !

𝐆𝐄𝐓 𝐈𝐍 𝐃𝐄𝐏𝐓𝐇

full name: holiday elena addams nickname: holly ( she’s basically turned this into her name , not one really calls her holiday ) , holls , elle ( by her parents ) birthday: june 3rd birthplace: chicago , illinois hometown: highland park , illinois ( although the family home was located in highland park her parents would in chicago and holly even attended private school in chicago ) residence: new york city , new york nationality: american ( est. 1999 through birth )  ethnicity: english ( maternal & paternal , 50% ) , polish ( maternal , 25% ) , spanish ( paternal , 25% ) religion: catholicism  orientation: heterflexible ( she claims being straight but in all actually she’s not closed off to anything despite not having much experience outside the opposite gender ) languages spoken: english ( fluent , first language ) , spanish ( fluent , second language ) , polish ( conversation , third language ) , mandarin  ( conversational , fourth language ) . father: leandro oliver addams  ( 49 years old )  was born & raised in chicago , illinois by a politician / businessman & a philanthropist . leandro went on to take a little bit from both of his parents as he is a highly esteemed business tycoon as well as being regarded as one of the most charitable men in the world .  ( relationship:  there has never been a day that has gone by where the two didn’t get along . if there is anyone in this world who gets holly it is her father . truly , daddy’s little girl . the two of them are as thick as thieves . ) mother : susanna renee addams ( nee daniels ) ( 48 years old ) was born & raised in long island , new york . the daughter of a hedge fund investor & a stay at home mother . susanna grew to be an amazing cosmetologist and which the help of her father’s amazing business mind she was able to start up a salon in new york city . she gained the most devoted clientele , loving every second of her work . she took a break for almost a decade before deciding to return to the beauty industry . today she has salons across the globe in chicago , los angeles , toronto , london , and new york city .  ( relationship: susanna often had to play bad cop when it came to parenting and because of this the two butted heads quite often whilst holly was growing up . despite this , her mom is her role model and the two have always had a friendship that underlined their mother - daughter relationship .  ) social class: upper education: attending new york university ( s. 2018 ) she spent her first year of university at usc , she’s majored in creative writing at both universities  career: author ( her book is a coming of age mystery called privilege that she’s recently admitted to writing the full book during a coke binge ) , internet personality , philanthropist , socialite , and student  notoriety: being apart of the prominent addams family , amassing over 32m followers on all social media platforms , publishing a new york times best selling book at the age of seventeen . weight: 120lbs height: 5′5″ hair color: brown ( with blonde highlights ) eye color: brown positive traits: benevolent, high spirited , extroverted , romantic , honest , affectionate , intelligent , friendly , ambitious , passionate , approachable , charming  negative traits: immature , vain , garrulous , critical , sensitive , stubborn , inattentive , naive , sarcastic , obsessive , insecure , impractical , irritable likes: anything strawberry flavored , flowers , driving fast , pink , watching the first snow fall , birthday parties , lips gloss , netflix , sunkissed skin , dogs , peanut butter , agatha christie , redecorating , driving with the windows down , long plane rides , denim jackets , taco bell , orange juice , makeup , sports , female empowerment , online shopping , fresh berries , roller skating , photography , writing , tea dislikes: liars , driving in the snow , coffee , having no siblings , deep water , bad drivers , body shaming , pizza , hateful people , being rushed , cuss words , repetition , disloyalty , being alone ,  horror movies , dentists , silence , cheap perfume , criticism , the unknown , traffic , wine , poptarts ,  small spaces ,  hobbies: reading with a hot cup of tea , video editing in the back of a car , smoking before bed to help fall asleep , going out to eat with her parents , napping , hiding alcohol in her bedroom , painting alternate universe cartoons , attending big soirees , stashing drugs in jewelry boxes , sleepovers with her closest friends , talking the dogs on walks , early morning instagram lives , old disney marathons , scribbling in a notebook while snuggled up in bed  chara inspo: olivia baker ( all american ) , leila faisal ( all american ) , tan france ( queer eye ) , elena gilbert ( the vampire diaries ) , dorothy gale ( wizard of oz ) , lucy pevensie ( chronicles of narnia ) , lara jean ( to all the boys i loved before ) , elle woods ( legally blonde ) , jeffree star , jenny humphrey ( gossip girl ) , cassie howard ( euphoria ) fashion inspo: vsco girls , bella hadid , megan markle , rihanna , selena gomez , perrie edwards , emma watson aesthetics: ghostly sounding music playing as background music to a pen to paper , eyes widened at the chance to do something positive , the annoying beg for approval , infectious energy , a pout so crippling , the swell of regret as you sneak a bottle into your bedroom , tanned skin tousling with silk sheets , big eyes threatening to shed a tear , the zip of a pink mclaren 

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐇𝐎𝐋𝐈𝐃𝐀𝐘 𝐄𝐑𝐀

holly is the only child to leandro and susanna addams ( the addams family 👀 ) . she was born with not just a silver spoon but the silver spoon . the addams are a prominent american family , that are regarded as one of the leading industrialist during the gilded age . in short her families been billionaire rich for a long time and are known as one of the families to bring wealth to the city of chicago . she was incredibly spoiled growin gup as you would assume but by the grace of her parents teachings she was anything but a brat . she had being filthy rich and being an only child working against her and she still managed to be the most giving and down to earth child . from a young age holly would give her toys to other kids during play dates & ask her parents if she could donate the things she didn’t use anymore to the less fortunate . 

although her father had a busying career as he took over the family company just a year before holly was born , but in spite of that he always made time for his family . luckily her mother had stepped away from her career soon after meeting holly’s father , so she was able to be a stay at home mom and be there for every important moment of holly’s life . by the way , susanna was straight of of a real housewives show only just an overall better person ? they had dinner together as a family every night , threw parties at the house for every big moment in holly’s life . everything from birthdays , graduations , academic honors , to becoming captain of the cheerleading team and everything in between warranted a celebration in the eyes of susanna and leandro . 

she grew up extremely sheltered , mostly because her parents wanted to keep their little girl well their little girl . they didn’t want the world to taint her . she went to church every sunday and even wednesday nights , if she wanted to have a sleepover it was always at the addams household , and her parents met the parent/s of every kid she befriended growing up . 

despite their attempts her parents couldn’t shield her from one thing . getting her heart broken and at sixteen she experience her first bout of heart break . the boy she’d falling head over heels for just stopped talking to her one day , with no rhythm or reason he moved on to another girl with a blink of an eye . she couldn’t understand why ( pst ? it was because she slept with him and that was all he wanted to begin with ) someone could be so cruel an play with someones heart like that . it was her first experience of how the world could really work and in all honesty , holly couldn’t handle it . she got her hands on her parents bar room in the house and would literally drink every night before bed so she could sleep . 

this soon turned into her going to parties , promising her parents "i just want to hang out with my friend , i wont touch any alcohol” and her promise was always kept , she didn’t touch alcohol at these parties instead she smoke weed and on the chance one of her friends had it on them she’d do a line . 

this double life , if you would , didn’t lead to any real issues , at least not while she was in highschool . she still graduated top of her class  and even got accepted into her dream school university of southern california .  it wasn’t until she was a semester deep in usc that she realized she was losing control over her life . maybe it was a mix of her derailing mental state , being separated from her parents , and the los angeles social make up . whatever it was holly wasn’t too far gone to see she needed help . 

instead of going back to school the following semester holly checked herself into rehab . her parents freaked out , unaware their daughter had touched a substance a day in her life . it was a long process and took alot of owning up for her own wrong doings but after a couple months she checked out of rehab and flew out to her parents .

she had decided upon leaving rehab that her best bet directly after getting out would be to surround herself with people who loved her . during her short stint in california her parents had made the temporary move to new york city so that her mom could focus on the salon in the city , so holly transferred to new york university to continue her studies and be around her parents .

she lives under their roof , despite being more than self efficient thanks to her multiple branches of income including her trust fund but she figures there is only so much more time before they leave to go back to chicago that the more time she spends with them the better off she’ll be when they leave the city . speaking of , she doesn’t know her parents will be leaving the city in the next few months . on a positive note they plan on paying the rent in the apartment they live in for her until she finds somewhere she likes better .   

today , holly is a sober ( she smokes weed here and there but it’s not a addictive so it fine 🙄 ) and happy . although due to how sensitive the girl is anything could make her snap , she’s incredibly fragile guys . like capable of having a mental break at any moment but like we ignore it because if we bring it up it’ll happen . wooo . 

not so fun fact ? when she has an off day she’ll literally sit in her room holding either a bottle she had hidden in her walk in closet or stares at the coke she keeps in her jewelry box . she hasn’t used any of it but she tells herself its there as a reminder when really it’s a crutch for if she ever needs it again , she has easy access .

secret time ? she pushed her ex boyfriend of a balcony while she was drunk . this happened before she went to rehab ... perhaps you could say it was what prompted her to realized her crazy ass needed to go to rehab . ummm , it’s not acceptable and she knows this but one thing we all need to know about holly is that holly + substances + being upset = toxic shit that is always the equation and there is never another answer to it . 

𝐖𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍

a girl squad or just a squad in general really , give my baby her lil group of people please

maybe a fellow chicago native ? who she dated in highscool and you know is the one who dropped her like a hot potato after she slept with him

ex hook ups 

frenemies but more like a blair & lil j circa season 1 situation ? 

someone who just doesn’t like her , but like she does everything she can think of to get them to like her 

an unrequited ting were he’s leading her one so he can sleep with her ?

or maybe someone has a crush on holly but she just doens’t have the heart to tell them she’s not interested so now here she is kissing and OMG YUP NOW SHES SLEEPING W THEM ...

someone she races ? she loves cars especially fast ones

a we hang out and watch/obsess over sports but the whole time i can’t help but think about how hot you are kinda vibe ?

someone who is v bad for her and they know it but she doesn’t care because she like them so much & he likes her too but knows he’ll hurt her ?!

someone who sees that she might be teetering on falling off the wagon ( maybe they were over her place and saw the stash of substances all over her room ), maybe they’re trying to get her to stop smoking weed bc they feel like for her that’s a huge gateway  

smoking buddies where they literally just hot box cars together and munch on taco bell talking about why sound vibrates & shit

someone who she used to party with & be wild with ( could be from chi or nyc because she visited alot as a kid ) and now they feel like she’s a lame bc she’s sober

she’s a good influence on them ? they’re a bad influence on her ? ride or dies ? partners in crime ? only friends when there is a substance involved ? sugar baby vibes ? unlikely friends ? flings ? crush ? friends with benefits ? everytime they are around one another its a fight ? someone she lets crash at her parents place sometimes ? someone she’s backstabbed but like she got tricked into doing it ? anything fluffy , anything angsty ... reall just anything you got , i’ll take ! 

[spikeisawesome456]

1. Spotify, SoundCloud, or Pandora? Uh… None, actually. I use YouTube and iTunes mostly. I have YouTube premium family (means that for $15, I get six accounts that can have YouTube Premium) so I don’t have to worry about ads and all that. 

2. is your room messy or clean? Both? I only have a thin area of my room that can have movement, since it’s so small. The majority is taken up either of my bed or my dresser/end table/storage. So the room is full of stuff, but the main area is kept clean so I can move through it, ya know? 

3. what color are your eyes? Green/blue, but mostly green. I also have brown in the center of my eyes. I guess you could call it hazel? I don’t really know what hazel eyes mean, honestly. 

Here’s a close up I took a while ago. I’m looking at you!! Ha!

... I just realized I’ve not changed at all since I was a child. :-(

4. do you like your name? why? Yep! I like it. I have a long, more formal name (Katherine) but also a shorter, more informal nickname (Katie). I like this dynamic of my name. I also like how it sounds. Both of them. <3 

5. what is your relationship status? Single, but okay with that. I’m starting to think I’m aro, as I don’t… ahh, like people? Much? It’ complicated. 

6. describe your personality in 3 words or less Very, very, annoying. 

7. what color hair do you have? I think you could call it golden?? I usually call it dirty strawberry blonde. It’s a coppery color, but also blonde. Not quite strawberry, not quite dirty. A mix? 

This is a somewhat good example, but it is a bit more copper-toned than usual, due to the light next to my computer. The kids at work ask me sometimes if I dyed my hair, since it is almost completely orange on the badge my work printed for me, aha. But this shows the range of colors my hair goes through. 

8. what kind of car do you drive? color? Ha! What, you think I’m a functioning adult? I don’t know how to drive. 

9. where do you shop? Literally anywhere? I don’t care. I get my pants from Walmart, my shirts from wherever sells cute fandom shirts. 

10. how would you describe your style? Ha!!! I answered this one in an ask, but I determined I have no style. I just prefer comfort to fashion. 

11. favorite social media account Hm… I don’t tend to care much for social media accounts, personally at least. I just follow whatever is neat. I guess I like Game Grumps social media?? Eh. 

12. what size bed do you have? Twin. It’s pressed up against the wall and I just sleep pressed into the corner like I’m trying to merge and become one with the wall. One day, sweet wall……..

13. any siblings? Sadly, yes. _._ An older brother. He’s actually fine, but still siblings...

14. if you can live anywhere in the world where would it be? why? Probably…. Hm. I liked New Zealand when I visited, but I don’t know if it would be the best place for me to live, since it’s just so different to how I live now. Same with Ireland, though both would be amazing for me. I think… honestly, where I currently live, since it has good weather and is familiar to me. 

15. favorite snapchat filter? Don’t use snapchat! :-D 

16. favorite makeup brand(s) Hm… I used to only use Bare Minerals, but they don’t have great coverage, I’ve found. I’ve been using Clinique now, but I think they make me break out, which is bad. I don’t like makeup and I always feel it on my skin, or else it makes me break out after usage. I have very sensitive skin, ya feel me?

17. how many times a week do you shower? Never! I hate showers. I don’t like the feel of being blind when the water gets into my eyes.

I take a bath twice a day, though. Once in the morning and once at night, where I wash my hair. I know I’m not supposed to wash my hair so often, but it’s a habit at this point and it helps me sleep now.

18. favorite tv show? Buffy the Vampire Slayer, mostly since it was so important to me growing up. I still love it, though! I just don’t tend to have favorites, ya know? But Buffy will always mean the most to me. 

19. shoe size? I don’t… I don’t really know? Heels I’m a size 8, I think? But I wear size 9.5 for sneakers, since I like my shoes a bit big. I think??? I don’t really know. 

20. how tall are you? Ehhhhhhhh I say I’m 5’4, but who knows. I think I’m 5’3 and a half. I just round up. According to my doctor’s records I shrank and am 5’2, so who even knows anymore. Height is a made-up concept to control the short. ;-)

21. sandals or sneakers? Sneakers, god. I wore sandals once for a fancy event and I got sand and dirt on my feet immediately. It was sad. :-(

22. do you go to the gym? HA!

23. describe your dream date I don’t really know. As I said, possibly aro. Maybe…… Uh…. Somewhere quiet. Private. I’m not good in groups or crowds. OR! Maybe a theme park, the absolute opposite of what I said. OR a fair. I love fairs! Anything, really. I’m not picky. 

24. how much money do you have in your wallet at the moment? Oh! This one is a shock, because my dad just gave me a lot of money since I paid for dinner with my mom, since he was being an overly dramatic baby over me calling out his awful behavior and left us alone for dinner at Red Lobster, and he stubbornly paid me back. So I’ve got… let’s see… about $135, if you count the $30 I had in before. 

25. what color socks are you wearing? Ha! Jokes on you! I’m not WEARING ANY SOCKS!!!! AHA!!!!!!!

26. how many pillows do you sleep with? One. Too many makes me feel weird. 

27. do you have a job? what do you do? Well… I HAD  job, because Covid. I was an after-school teacher, where I looked after kids, kind of daycare style, ya know? I loved it, and I love kids. Currently I’m “teaching” some of the kids I used to look after STEAM over Zoom. Apparently, the girls- sisters- missed doing my STEAM experiments each week and asked their mom to contact me to do the experiments with them over Zoom. I use “teaching” in quotes, since I mostly just do science activities with them, step by step, without much teaching involved. I used to explain why what we did was science, but I don’t want to make the kids do more work when they have so much with Covid going on. Also, I’m lazy, ha. 

28. how many friends do you have? None! Seriously, but it’s okay. As I said earlier, I’m not the biggest fan of people so it’s kind of reliving to be on my own for the most part. I had been making a new friend before Covid, but we’ve not spoken much since. I did text her once and she seemed friendly still. Maybe we can meet up after this all is done with.

  29. whats the worst thing you have ever done? Uh… I don’t really know? I used to get into fights online, mostly just fighting for what I believed in, but I never really attacked anyone, or I didn’t mean to. I’ve not done many bad things?? Not to make myself out to be a goodie-two shoes, but I don’t like hurting people or being “bad,” so I tend to avoid things like that. I’ve probably done things others consider “bad,” but that don’t register to me, so I don’t really know. 

30. whats your favorite candle scent? Oh my god. I’m currently OBSESSED with this new candle from Bath and Body Works. It’s called Strawberry Pound Cake, but it smells like strawberry vanilla, and it’s AMAZING. I love it. I also have it in hand cream and hand sanitizer form and it’s THE BEST. It reminds me of those strawberry vanilla candy things from when I was a kid. 

31. 3 favorite boy names Daniel, William, and… uh… I’m not sure. Alex, maybe? I know I like Daniel and William though. 

32. 3 favorite girl names Emmaline, Clara, and… hmmm… Not sure, again. 

33. favorite actor? Hm. Not sure. I don’t do favorites much. I guess Misha Collins? If this were about YouTube people, I’d say Dan Avidan in a heartbeat. Though… technically he is an actor… he did an actual YouTube show, with a plot and acting, so he’s technically an actor. So, then, him. 

34. favorite actress? I’m even less sure about this one, honestly. I don’t pay attention to actors or actresses much, really. I know Misha since he does GISH, but otherwise I’m unsure about actors much. 

35. who is your celebrity crush? Oh, Dan Avidan, clearly. He’s amazing. My profile pic on Tumblr has been the same for 4 years because I can’t get over the fact I met him. I used to change my profile pic every so often, with my artwork, but now I’m never changing my profile pic. Ever. 

36. favorite movie?  Uh…. Probably Phantom of the Opera, 2004. I love that film. Again, not super into favorite things, but if I had to pick one it would be PotO. 

37. do you read a lot? whats your favorite book? Well, I DO read a lot. Mostly it’s fanfiction though, aha. And again, favorites aren’t really my thing. I used to say Island of the Blue Dolphins, but I reread that book a few years ago and didn’t like it as much. Still liked it but was more eh about it and never finished my read through. Maybe Stargirl, by Jerry Spinelli. I’ve not read it since I was a child, but I recall it being really good. My favorite book I’ve read recently would probably have to be Rebecca, by Daphne du Maurier. I had a lot of problems with it, but ultimately, I loved that book. 

38. money or brains? Brains, obviously. They taste better. :-)

Though to be honest, I do say brains. Money is good, don’t get me wrong, but with brains the person can actually think about doing what is right or wrong. Money corrupts and without thought, there’s so way around it. 

39. do you have a nickname? what is it? Yep! Technically I only go by my nickname, since I go by Katie, but my full name is Katherine. 

40. how many times have you been to the hospital? Ooooh, personally? Once, when I broke my arm when I was 4, almost 5. Well, many times for that, but one time overall. I’ve been in the hospital often for my mom and dad, though. My mom is disabled and is a bit of a hypochondriac, so we sometimes have to take her to the hospital whenever she has pain, just to be safe. She did once have kidney stones, though, so it was needed. My dad had a panic attack once and thought it was a heart attack, so we were there for that. I also went to the hospital once when my grandma was dying, to say goodbye with my dad. It wasn’t sad, which says a lot about my and my dad’s relationship with my grandma. 

41. top 10 favorite songs HA! Can’t. Seriously, can’t. I love too many songs equally for this one.

  42. do you take any medications daily? Yeah. I used to take Seroquel nightly, but that just made me gain 40 pounds and didn’t help with mood much. It only helped me sleep and that was replaced by over the counter melatonin and Benadryl. So I gained 40 pounds for nothing and I’m struggling getting the weight off. Yay!!!!!!

43. what is your skin type? (oily, dry, etc) Both, I think? 

44. what is your biggest fear? Death. 

45. how many kids do you want? I don’t know, one or two? I don’t know if I want to get married though, so… Single mom for the win? I also might want to adopt older kids, or foster them at least, give them a place to live. When I’m on my own and have a stable, good paying job of course. 

46. whats your go to hair style? Whatever my hair naturally does, honestly. I just brush it out and it does its own thing. I have thin, wavy hair, though, so it’s mostly fine. It parts in the middle, and I don’t have bangs. It refuses to grow passed my boob level, no matter how long it goes between haircuts, so it hangs there. It always grows back to boob level, but never passed. No idea why. 

47. what type of house do you live in? (big, small, etc) Very presumptuous, question thing, to assume I live in a house. I live in an apartment, with my mom, dad, and older brother. It’s fairly big, with two bedrooms and a converted den for my bedroom, but it’s small for 4 of us. Less then 1500 square feet. I think 1200? 

48. who is your role model? Hm. This is gonna sound conceited, but myself. Or, the person I want to be. I have an idea of what I’d like to be in life, and that is what guides me. It’s not based off anyone I’ve met, but based on my own personal desires, a mis-mesh of ideals. The only person you can be is yourself. Trying to be like someone else will only hurt you. Even wanting to be like someone else can be hurtful. Not that I’m putting down anyone who has role models! But it just… never worked for me. Putting people on pedestals hurt me, so I just look forward to being the best version of me that I can be. 

49. what was the last compliment you received? Hm… I get a lot of compliments on my Facebook page, people saying I’m doing a good job with that. So that, probably. 50. what was the last text you sent? It was too my dad, who, as previously mentioned, was being a bit of a butt and was mad at me for calling him on his rude behavior to me and my mom. I texted “alright,” to him telling me to not buy him a takeout dinner. I didn’t listen though, and he ate it when we got home after sulking a bit. He’s better now, but he’s yet to apologize. He never does. -.- 51. how old were you when you found out santa wasn’t real? Uh… Wait, Santa isn’t… real…?!?!?!

Aha. JK. I don’t know. Maybe 8?? I don’t remember. I just know I believed when I was 6-ish, when Polar Express came out, since I asked for Santa bells for Christmas. I think I also believed the next year, but I don’t remember much. I learned the difference between Judaism and Catholicism around then, and eventually decided to be Jewish when I was 12-ish, but who knows, man. Who knows? 

52. what is your dream car? One that self-drives and doesn’t ever crash, so I don’t have to drive myself. 

53. opinion on smoking?

Bad! Bad, bad, bad!!! No smoking!

Truthfully, honestly. My mom gets really sick around smokers, especially around pot and vape smokers. It makes her have an allergic reaction. 54. do you go to college? Yeah baby! I just finished and will be getting my (probably useless) degree in the mail soon! Summa Cum Laude, baby! (Highest honors, if you don’t know what that means). Now I just got to get into grad school so I can do something with my Psych BA! Aha. Haha. Ahahaha. Ha… 55. what is your dream job? School psychologist! I want to help children, but don’t have the temperament to be a teacher. I’m too lenient and would let them walk all over me. I kind of do as an after-school teacher. The kids respect me, though, and like me well enough. I don’t think I could be the only person responsible for them, though. I get frazzled, which I learned while doing my STEAM activities and the kids would NOT listen, sometimes. I could do it, though, if the whole school psych thing doesn’t pan out. Or school counselor, would be my second choice. Something to do with kids, though. 56. would you rather live in rural areas or the suburbs? Hm. I like city life, though I think I’d prefer suburbs. I live in a kind of suburb, though I live in a major city… We just don’t have skyscrapers near where I live, only downtown. We have over a million people in my city, and 3 million in the county. So, big. 57. do you take shampoo and conditioner bottles from hotels? Uhm yeah??? Why wouldn’t you? They’re free souvenirs! I went to a kid-themed hotel once, near Disneyland, for my parent’s anniversary, which had this neat bubblegum shampoo from their kid spa. I loved it so much I asked my dad to buy me a whole bottle of it as a body wash. It was… expensive, but I still have some left over, which I’ve kept for some reason. 58. do you have freckles? Some, yeah. Not many on my face, just some around my arms, scattered. I have a big one on my left palm, at the base of the meat of my thumb, if that makes sense. Otherwise they’re just scattered all around. 59. do you smile for pictures? Yep! Well… my version of smiling. I don’t ever smile with my teeth, since they’re small and my lips are so long, so it looks awkward when I smile with teeth. Instead I just smile with my lips. 60. how many pictures do you have on your phone? HA! I had to get myself a 164 GB phone to deal with the fact that I take lots of photos. Over 2,000, now. 61. have you ever peed in the woods? Ew? No? I hate the woods. Or, going into the woods. I like the idea of woods and I like being in them, guided, but staying in them? No. Scary. 62. do you still watch cartoons? Yep! I’m currently watching She-Ra! I like it! 63. do you prefer chicken nuggets from Wendy’s or McDonalds? Oh, no contest. Wendy’s. I do like McDonalds’ chicken nuggets, but Wendy’s are just *chef kiss* mwah! 64. Favorite dipping sauce? Ranch, but I especially like Wendy’s ranch. It’s creamy and nice. 65. what do you wear to bed? Pretty much what I wear during the day. I used to literally just go to bed in my day clothes, before I started taking a bath each night, about 6 years ago. Now I wear yoga pants (ones without pockets, since I finally found ones with pockets for day use!!) and an old faded T-shirt. 66. have you ever won a spelling bee? HA! HAHA! AHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! I can’t spell. I’ve liteally been spelling half my words wrong this entire time. Spell check is my best friend. Though! I did get to the finals of a class spelling bee once, since they gave me easy words (to me, at least) and my classmates harder ones. It was almost funny. 67. what are your hobbies? I like to draw, paint, write, do other crafty stuff… Things like that. I also read, fanfiction mostly. :-) 68. can you draw? Yep!! 

Behold! My digital drawings!

This was my most recent traditional drawing, using charcoal for the first time. It was for GISH. 

69. do you play an instrument? Nope! Ha, but I do wish I could, ya know? But I’m bad at doing different things with one hand vs. the other, which is why I can’t clap my hands and stomp my feet with alternating rhythm. I can only do one thing at once, ya know? 

70. what was the last concert you saw? Ohh, hm. This is a good question… Hm… I think… It was at my county fair last year? A country dude with my parents. Trace Atkins, my dad said. I’ve not had the chance to see many concerts recently, sadly. :-(

71. tea or coffee? I like coffee better on the whole, but I’ve begun to like fruit teas, like raspberry or strawberry. I also like this nice orange/cinnamon tea. 

72. Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts? Dunkin Donuts, is this supposed to be hard? We don’t have many where I live, though. I like their iced coffee from stores, though.  

73. do you want to get married? Ehhhh…… I’ve talked about this before. I’m not sure, really. If I find someone I like who likes me, maybe. But I have a hard enough time making friends, so I doubt it. 

74. what is your crush’s first and last initial? N.O.

(Stands for no one. :-) ) 

75. are you going to change your last name when you get married? IF I get married, probably not. I like my last name. It’s unique. 

76. what color looks best on you? Hm. I don’t really know. Maybe red? I don’t have style so I don’t know. I like blue and purples, but who knows. 

77. do you miss anyone right now? Eh, not really. 

78. do you sleep with your door open or closed? Closed, but my “door” is a curtain, since I sleep in a converted den which has two open windows into the living room that are covered by curtains, and no door, which I also cover with a curtain on a shower rod. It was good when I was a sleepless teen, but now that I’m an adult trying to fix my sleep habits, it’s not so good, ya know. 

79. do you believe in ghosts? Not… really. Not much more to say about this. 

80. what is your biggest pet peeve? People being rude. Like… stop it. 

81. last person you called` Hm. Prolly my dad? Or my brother. I don’t like calling people. Phone anxiety, ya feel me? 

82. favorite ice cream flavor? Rainbow sherbet! Fun fact, when I was younger at camp, maybe 16 or 17, our camp counselor asked us this question and I replied with rainbow sherbet, saying it properly (sher-bet, not sher-bert) and my camp counselor went OFF, saying “Thank you!” for saying it properly. He was… something else. 

83. regular oreos or golden oreos? Oooh, I like those cinnamon bun Oreos. You know the kind? They’re the BEST. I can’t buy them often or else… well. I’ve already gained 40 pounds the last couple years. No need for more, aha.

84. chocolate or rainbow sprinkles? Rainbow. Pretty!! 

85. what shirt are you wearing? My “Scare to Care” shirt that I bought for charity a few years ago. It’s a charity that raises money for Camp Kesem, which helps children who have a relative undergoing cancer treatment have a nice, normal camp experience for free, I think. 

86. what is your phone background? My lock screen is the picture of me and Dan, the background is the drawing I did of the Guardians of the Galaxy years ago. 

87. are you outgoing or shy? Both! Aha. I’m friendly when talking to people, seemingly outgoing, but I don’t go up and talk to people. I fear I’m annoying them, ya know? And I’m awful in groups. I never know when to talk and when I do talk, I fear I’m annoying people. Actually… I always feel I’m annoying people. Aha. Ha… 

88. do you like it when people play with your hair? Yep! People don’t do it often, though. Kids will, but you have to be careful when they do that. Sticky hands are not the best to be in your hair…. 

89. do you like your neighbors? I guess? I’ve not spoken to my neighbors since my next-door neighbors of 5 years moved out 5 years ago. They had kids my age, but we never really spoke. They were… not the brightest, or kindest. They once took in a stray puppy and locked it in their hot garage. My older brother and I freed it and kept it in our hallway outside our apartment, since we have emergency doors that we could close to keep him in, while we played with him. I’m allergic to dogs, though, and we have guinea pigs, so we couldn’t bring him inside our apartment. Luckily their parents got home after an hour or so and brought the dog to the shelter. They also had a different dog who kept escaping and my brother and I had to keep an eye on it often. It once got into our apartment and it was, ah. Fun. She didn’t hurt our pigs, though, so it was a plus!

90. do you wash your face? at night? in the morning? YES. Both morning and night. It has not helped my acne. 

91. have you ever been high? Nope! Not even when I got my wisdom teeth out. I was fine the minute I woke. I felt ripped off. I was a bit over tired, but no more than if I’d not slept the whole night. Maybe I’m just always in a perpetual “high” state??? 

92. have you ever been drunk? Nope! I have a high tolerance, so one or two drinks does absolutely nothing for me. And I’ve never tried more than a coupe drinks. I’m almost afraid to see myself drunk, ya know? I’m so energetic usually, but keep a lot of thoughts inside, so who knows what I’d be like. I don’t like being out of control and I honestly think I’d hate it.  

93. last thing you ate? Shrimp Scampi. From Red Lobster. ^-^

94. favorite lyrics right now Uh… Again, no real idea. I’m not good with favorite things. 

95. summer or winter? Hm. Summer, I guess? It’s not much different where I live, though we get more rain during winter. I prefer heat to cold generally, though. So summer in general. I also like summer aesthetics, you know?

96. day or night? Hm. Day, though I do love night time. I just usually am inside during the night. 

97. dark, milk, or white chocolate? Milk! I hate all other kinds of chocolate. 

98. favorite month? Do people have favorite months?? February, I guess? Since I was born in February! And it’s a rebel. Only 28 days compared to the usual 30 or 31. And sometimes it has 29. Take that, months! 

99. what is your zodiac sign Aquarius. :-D 

100. who was the last person you cried in front of? Hm… that’s a… good question… I don’t like crying in front of people. Probably my mom or dad. I tend to head off on my own when I cry, though. I don’t like people seeing me sad, ya know?

Yay!! I’m done!! This took waaaayyyy too long. I’ve been doing this for probably over 2 hours. Hope y’all learned something. Prolly that I’m uninteresting, aha. ^-^ If you made it this far without skipping, I love you. <3 If you skipped… YOU’RE DEAD TO ME! 

Ha, just kidding. ^-^

OR AM I?!?! 

:-)

[higherfeed]

What's Coming to Netflix, Amazon, HBO, and Hulu in November

This month all eyes are on The Irishman, Martin Scorsese’s epic gangster drama. But until you can see it on November 27, there’s plenty of other highly-anticipated releases in TV and movies coming to Netflix, Amazon, HBO, and Hulu, including shows like Jack Ryan, The Crown, and Silicon Valley October Streaming Guide: The ‘Breaking Bad’ Movie, ‘Glass’, and More to Watch This Month Along with those new options, movies like Creed II, Step Brothers, The Matrix Series, the James Bond collection, and Rounders will be streaming on various sites. The Best Adventure Movies, TV Shows, and Documentaries You Can Stream Right Now Here’s everything new you can stream in November 2019:

What’s Streaming on Netflix

the King / The Irishman / NetflixNov. 1 Apache Warrior American Son Atypical: Season 3 Barbie Dreamhouse Adventures: Go Team Roberts: Season 1 Billy on the Street Christmas Break-In The Christmas Candle Christmas in the Heartlands Christmas Survival The Deep: Season 3 Drive Elliot the Littlest Reindeer Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas Fire in Paradise The Game Grease Hache Hello Ninja Holiday in the Wild Holly Star How to Be a Latin Lover The King Love Jones The Man Without Gravity Mars: Season 2 The Matrix The Matrix Reloaded The Matrix Revolutions Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans: Seasons 1-2 Paid in Full Queer Eye: We’re in Japan! Rosemary’s Baby Rounders Santa Girl Sling Blade Spitfire: The Plane That Saved the World Step Brothers True: Grabbleapple Harvest Up North We Are the Wave Wild Child Zombieland Nov. 4 A Holiday Engagement Christmas Crush Dear Santa The Devil Next Door District 9 Nov. 5 The End of the F***ing World: Season 2 Seth Meyers: Lobby Baby She-Ra and the Princesses of Power: Season 4 Tune in for Love Undercover Brother 2 Nov. 6 Phillip Youmans Burning Cane SCAMS Shadow Nov. 7 The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open Nov. 8 Busted!: Season 2 The Great British Baking Show: Holidays: Season 2 Greatest Events of WWII in HD Colour Green Eggs and Ham Let It Snow Paradise Beach Wild District: Season 2 Nov. 9 Little Things: Season 3 Nov. 10 Patriot Act With Hasan Minhaj: Volume 5 Nov. 11 A Single Man Chief of Staff: Season 2 Nov. 12 Harvey Girls Forever!: Season 3 Jeff Garlin: Our Man in Chicago Nov. 13 Maradona in Mexico Nov. 14 The Stranded Nov. 15 Avlu: Part 2 The Club Earthquake Bird GO!: The Unforgettable Party House Arrest I’m With the Band: Nasty Cherry Klaus Llama Llama: Season 2 The Toys That Made Us: Season 3 Nov. 16 Suffragette Nov. 17 The Crown: Season 3 Nov. 19 Iliza: Unveiled No hay tiempo para la verguenza Nov. 20 Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator Dream/Killer Lorena, la de pies ligeros Nov. 21 The Knight Before Christmas Mortel Nov. 22 Dino Girl Gauko Dolly Parton’s Heartstrings The Dragon Prince: Season 3 High Seas: Season 2 Meet the Adebanjos: Season 1-3 Mon frere Nailed It! Holiday!: Season 2 Narcoworld: Dope Stories Nobody’s Looking Singapore Social Trolls: The Beat Goes On!: Season 8 Nov. 23 End of Watch Nov. 24 Courtesy of Bold Films Shot Caller Nov. 25 Dirty John: Season 1 Nov. 26 Mike Birbiglia: The New One Super Monsters Save Christmas True: Winter Wishes Nov. 27 Broken The Irishman Nov. 28 Holiday Rush John Crist: I Ain’t Praying For That Merry Happy Whatever Mytho Nov. 29 ‘Atlantics’ Courtesy of TIFF Atlantics Chip and Potato: Season 2 I Lost My Body La Reina del Sur: Season 2 The Movies That Made Us Sugar Rush Christmas

What’s Streaming on Amazon Prime

Jack Ryan Season 2 / Amazon Prime Video / Paramount TelevisionNov. 1: A View To A Kill (1985) Bad Santa (2003) Big Top Pee-Wee (1988) Chinatown (1974) Diamonds Are Forever (1971) Die Another Day (2002) Double Jeopardy (1999) Dr. No (1962) Escape From Alcatraz (1979) Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Sex * But Were Afraid To Ask (1972) Fatal Attraction (1987) Fire with Fire (2012) Flashdance (1983) For Your Eyes Only (1981) Freelancers (2012) From Russia With Love (1963) Gloria (English Subtitled) (2014) Goldeneye (1995) Goldfinger (1964) Kingpin (1996) LicenceTo Kill (1989) Light Sleeper (1992) Live And Let Die (1973) Moonraker (1979) Never Say Never Again (1983) Octopussy (1983) On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969) Overlord (2018) Reds (1981) Save the Last Dance 2 (2006) Soapdish (1991) Summer’s Moon (2009) Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007) The Counterfeit Traitor (1962) The Firm (1993) The Living Daylights (1987) The Man with the Golden Gun (1974) The Ring (2002) The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) The World Is Not Enough (1999) Thunderball (1965) Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) Training Day (2001) Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Big Happy Family (2011) Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Witness Protection (2012) Jack Ryan Nov. 6 Texas Chainsaw 3D (2013) Nov. 8 One Child Nation (2019) Nov. 12 Angel Has Fallen (2019) Nov. 13 Anna and the Apocalypse (2018) Romans (2017) Nov. 14 Instant Family (2018) The Souvenir (2019) Nov. 15 Creed 2 (2018) The Man in the High Castle: Season 4 (Amazon Original) Nov. 19 Bottom of the 9th (2019) Nov. 20 The Fanatic (2019) Nov. 22 Brittany Runs a Marathon (2019) (Amazon Original) Costume Quest: Christmas Special (Amazon Original) Nov. 29 The Report (2019) Nov. 30 Low Tide (2019) The Feed: Season 1 (Amazon Original)

What’s Streaming on Hulu

Nov. 1 America’s Cutest: Complete Seasons 2&3 (Animal Planet) Giada’s Holiday Handbook: Complete Seasons 1-3 (Food Network) Holiday Baking Championship: Complete Seasons 1-4 (Food Network) Into The Dark: Pilgrim: Episode Premiere (Hulu Original) Kids Baking Championship: Complete Season 4 (Food Network) Love Island: Australia: Complete Season 1 (ITV) Sex Sent Me to the ER: Complete Seasons 1&2 (TLC) Too Cute!: Complete Seasons 2&3 (Animal Planet) A Fairly Odd Christmas (2012) A Simple Plan (1998) Albert (2016) Big Top Pee-Wee (1988) Chinatown (1974) The Counterfeit Traitor (1962) Dinner for Schmucks (2010) Double Jeopardy (1999) The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill but Came Down a Mountain (1995) Escape from Alcatraz (1979) Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex, but were Afraid to Ask (1972) Fantastic Four (2005) Fatal Attraction (1987) Fever Pitch (2005) Fire with Fire (2012) The Firm (1993) Flashdance (1983) Freddy Vs Jason (2003) Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991) Freelancers (2012) Fun with Dick and Jane (2005) Gloria (2014) Head of State (2003) Home for the Holidays (1995) I Heart Huckabees (2004) In Enemy Hands (2003) Interview with a Vampire (1994) Kingpin (1996) Light Sleeper (1992) Madea’s Big Happy Family (2011) Madea’s Witness Protection (2012) Magic Mike (2012) The Mexican (2001) The Nightingale (2019) Overlord (2018) The Pink Panther 2 (2009) Reds (1981) The Ring (2002) Santa Hunters (2014) Shall We Dance? (2004) Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas (2002) Soapdish (1991) Spy Next Door (2010) Summers Moon (2009) Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003) Terminator Salvation (2009) Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride (2005) Tiny Christmas (2017) The Two Jakes (1990) Under the Tuscan Sun (2003) Undisputed (2002) Waiting… (2005) You Laugh but It’s True (2011) Available Nov. 4 Denial (2016) Nov. 5 Framing John Delorean (2019) Available Nov. 6 Long Time Coming: A 1955 Baseball Story (2017) The Biggest Little Farm (2019) Nov. 7 Texas Chainsaw 3D (2013) Nov. 9 You’re the Worst: Complete Season 5 (FX) Nov. 13 Anna and the Apocalypse (2018) Ugly Dolls (2018) Nov. 14 Instant Family (2018) Veronica Mars (2014) Nov. 15 Dollface: Complete Season 1 Premiere (Hulu Original) Creed II (2018) Wings of the Dove (1997) Nov. 18 Booksmart (2019) The Tomorrow Man (2019) Nov. 19 Apple Tree Yard: Complete Season 1 (Fremantle) Margaret Atwood: A Word After a Word After a Word is Power (2019) The Quiet One (2019) Nov. 20 Some Kind of Beautiful (2015) Nov. 22 The Accident: Complete Season 1 Premiere (Hulu Original) Holly Hobbie: Complete Season 2 Premiere (Hulu Original) Vita & Virginia (2019) Nov. 24 Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas (2010) Nov. 25 Love & Mercy (2015) Nov. 26 NOS4A2: Complete Season 1 (AMC) Astronaut (2019) Nov. 27 Meeting Gorbachev (2019) Nov. 28 Mike Wallace is Here (2019)

What’s Streaming on HBO/HBO Now

Movies Big (11/1) Blindspotting (11/1) Bruce Almighty (11/1) Chocolat (11/1) Crazy, Stupid, Love (11/1) Ernie & Joe: Crisis Cops (11/19) Flawless (11/1) For Love of the Game (11/1) Forget Paris (11/1) Head Full of Honey (11/2) Hope Floats (11/1) Indignation (11/1) Jingle All the Way (Director’s Cut) (11/1) King Arthur (Director’s Cut) (11/1) Lindsey Vonn: The Final Season (11/26) Little (11/16) Look Away (11/4) Mr. Bean’s Holiday (11/1) Nine Months (11/1) Pan (11/1) Reversal of Fortune (11/1) Shazam! (11/30) The Apollo (11/6) The Condemned (11/1) The Condemned 2 (11/1) The Darjeeling Limited (11/1) The Darkness (11/1) The Day After Tomorrow (11/1) The Kid Who Would Be King (11/9) The Town (11/1) True Lies (11/1) Us (11/23) Very Ralph (11/12) Wes Craven Presents Wishmaster (11/1) TV Daniel Sloss: X (11/2) Entre Nos: Erik Rivera: Super White (11/1) Halfway — HBO Access pilot (11/1) His Dark Materials (11/4) Message Erased (11/1) Pajaros de Verano (aka Birds of Passage) (11/8) Papi Chulo (11/15) Santos Dumont (11/11) Sesame Street (11/16) Sesame Street’s 50th Anniversary Celebration (11/9) Sobredosis de amor (aka Roommates) (11/1) Sterling — HBO Access pilot (11/1) Unimundo 45 — HBO Access pilot (11/1) Expiring 11/30 Blackkklansman Breakin’ All the Rules Captivity Crazy Rich Asians Darkman Darkman II: The Return of Durant Darkman III: Die Darkman Die The Darkest Minds Deja Vu The Diary of Anne Frank Disclosure Hop Insidious: The Last Key Legend Lions For Lambs The Lost Boys Macgruber (Extended Version) Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again Manhattan Night My Friend Dahmer Paper Heart Paycheck Peter Pan Pride Ramona and Beezus Robin Hood Steve Jobs Stratton Read the full article

[theamazingdrunk-blog]

Reposting DarkAngel's spec without permission

Little Know Facts about Louis and Lestat © Dark Angel

rueroyale@yahoo.com Spoilers: VampChron

Status: Complete Characters: Lestat & Louis Disclaimer: This piece of speculative fiction is not meant to infringe upon, sidle up to, nor slip in on top of the rights of the author of the Vampire Chronicles, Knopf Publishing or it’s subsidiaries, Kith and Kin, Geffen Pictures, Warner Home Video, Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, The Estate of Pointe du Lac, L’etat d’Auvergne, The Talamasca, Pointedulac Renovation and Construction, The Lion Court - Bar and Strip Club, Dulac Real Estate - New Orleans, LA, Melmoth Prophylactics Company, L&L Gazebo and Porch Swing Manufacturing, Amadeo World Enterprises, Molloy Bourbon Distillery, any other SPEC Authors, any SPEC readers, their pets, close relatives or chiropractors. Thank you. Author’s Notes: I began writing this in 1996 when I first discovered the a.b.a.r Archive. I want you all to know that if any of the statements below directly or indirectly oppose or contradict anything that has been written in your or any other SPEC, this is unintentional, and I am sorry. Conversely if anything contained below has already been stated in your or any other SPEC, this is also unintentional and again I am sorry. It is just for fun. One vampire’s view. Please enjoy. Dedication: With generous suggestions from Father of Lies to whom it is dedicated.

I am a vampire, one who is known to you from the writings of the aforementioned. I do not wish to identify myself further than this, as I am not possessed of the need for fame. I have read the “Anne Rice” books as well as the literature which has been appearing in alt.books.anne.rice. These are very interesting. Some are so close to reality that I feel convinced that I am not the first one of our little family to submit writings here. The portrayal of Louis and Lestat, in the books and in these specs, compels me to reveal a few of these facts (personal traits, mortal experiences, abilities, likes and dislikes) which may give everyone a clearer image of them. Even in their own writings, they fail to describe themselves or each other the way that I see them to actually be.

I do know them personally. I have lived with them. I am extremely fond of them both, this is why I feel the need to dispel the notions of a weak, whining Louis and a violent, self-centered Lestat. These are stereotypes which emphasize the very worst (notice I don’t actually say non-existent) qualities of these two very charming and well-rounded gentlemen quite out of proportion.

Lestat de Lioncourt *******************

-loves puns. The worse the better.

-plays radio and CDs extremely loud. Has been made aware that this is quite annoying to every one else, but seems to revel in causing others to yell at him.

-often breaks into to song with little or no provocation, usually accompanied by dancing. Has actually danced on tables.

-being the last surviving member of his family, is technically the Marquis. He sometimes mentions this , as in “is this any way to treat le Marquis d’Auvergne?”

-is very sweet, often presents a member of the family with a single flower, for no reason at all.

-is terrible at video games and has very little patience for them, though he loves new technology and is very knowledgeable about computers. He can take them apart and put them together, though if he is asked to fix one, he is more likely to appear with a brand new one instead.

-writes poetry incessantly, some of it is very good, and a few are truly beautiful, but with the volume he produces, invariably most are going to be quite bad. This is also true for lyrics and music which any passerby is unfortunately subjected to.

-whenever he sees Tom Cruise, in magazines, videos or on television , has taken to exclaiming “There I am!” This started with the film and has now progressed, everyone has now picked it up, “There you are, Lestat!”

-still occasionally buys dolls, I am not sure what he does with them.

-will do nearly anything, including acrobatics, to make someone laugh. (this is usually practiced upon Louis)

-loves riddles.

-seems to know an infinite number of songs which he plays on the piano, he is a virtuoso. Plays more ragtime than classical, however.

-is a very tactile person. Hugs everyone as often as possible.

-takes an intense dislike to certain media (personalities, programs, movies, bands, songs, etc.) and will go on long tirades about these people or whatever it is, each and every time they appear, to the point where many of us offer to just go and kill them if this will in some way placate him.

-is still enamored with the Shakespearean play, “Macbeth”, to the point of obsession. He has seen it countless times and purchases copies of it in print, on video and even on CD ROM. It is due to this obsession that the rest of us have been treated to : “Macbeth-the one man show”, “MACBETH!-the musical”, and even “Lady Macbeth-an all-drag revue” (the specifics of which I do not care to go into, and how he convinced the others to participate, I’ll never know )All have been delightful!

-is still deep in mourning over the seeming demise of the heavy metal music scene. You would think it was a close relative. Now he has closets full of black leather clothing which he claims he can’t wear anywhere.

-is terrible at spelling, but loves to work crosswords and cryptograms.

-would do anything, at any time, to help a member of the family.

-pouts often, over trivial things mostly, but this is usually short-lived.

-has sent the entire coven personalized autographed copies of all of his books, with his dialogue printed in red, of course.

-loves fresh flowers and has new bouquets delivered every night.

-has an intense dislike of insects.

-is much more generous and adorable than he has been described. Is constantly buying things for someone, or giving things away.

-is actually very paternal. He likes to take care of people and animals, and can be very gentle and comforting. Often teases his fledglings by referring to them as a father would “this is my youngest, David”, or “Well, Louis is a middle child, so we must expect these things”, “tell Papa what’s wrong”, or even “Bedtime for you, young man” and “Go to your Room!”

-loves books, has stacks of them everywhere, including at other vampire’s lairs.

-his nicknames among us are “Trouble” and “Brat” (shortened from “Brat Prince” of which you are all aware). Once, at Night Island , several of us were sitting quietly together (reading, playing games etc.) when Lestat appeared suddenly in the middle of the room, striking a rather affected pose. “Who am I?” he demanded, trying to start a game of charades. Louis looked up from his book and said quietly, “The Nyades Road ghost?” Lestat has been The Nyades Road ghost ever since, as in, “Telephone call for the Nyades Road ghost”, “Who do these boots belong to? ” “The Nyades Road ghost” “Of course I didn’t do that, what do I look like, the Nyades Road ghost?” Daniel has taken to calling him NRG (energy).

-loves to play hide and seek in its many different variations.

-loves pseudonyms and uses them as often as possible. Often they are names of established characters, such as Clarence Oddbody. Has also used: Timothy Cratchit, Samuel Spade, Nick Charles, Dorian Gray and Rick Blaine. He also uses other people’s pseudonym’s, such as Oscar Wilde’s Sebastien Melmoth, has also used: Richard Bachman (Stephen King), Alan Smithee (any director who does not want to be associated with a film he or she made), Max Schreck (Name given for actor who portrayed Nosferatu, but strangely no records of a Max Schreck can be found), Apollo C. Vermouth (Paul McCartney) Dr. Winston O’Boogie (John Lennon) and even Pandora Spocks (Elizabeth Montgomery as Serena). Also likes Clark Kent, Bruce Wayne, Mark Twain, David Banner, Peter Parker, Thomas Mapother and Howard O’Brien. When making reservations or holding tickets for himself and Louis, loves to put them under some variation of Louis’ name, ie. Louis Lioncourt, Louis Armstrong, Lancelot DuLac, Joe Louis, Ludwig Loch, Luigi Punta Lago, Pointdexter Lewis or of course, Brad Pitt. And then makes Louis pick them up.

- is a dog person, as you have probably guessed. Talks more to Mojo than anyone else. Bathes and brushes him often. Takes those disgustingly cute pictures of him - Mojo on the couch, Mojo at the table, Mojo reading a book, Mojo in front of the Christmas Tree, Mojo at the computer, Mojo calling his broker, Mojo fixing the VCR, Mojo kicking back having a beer.

-is not particularly fond of cats, even as a meal.

- when they are living together, almost constantly messes with Louis’ hair, to the point where Louis threatens to smack him, and I believe actually has on occasion. Frets over it more than his own, even. HATES it short. Would only cut his own hair if it were somehow unavoidable.

- loves shopping, for himself or others.

- calls Louis “Precious Darling” if he thinks no one can hear him. It always makes Louis smile a little embarrassed smile. Louis almost certainly has little private names for Lestat, but he is far more discreet about them. I suspect, on the basis of some very circumstantial evidence, that one of them may be “Tomcat”.

-would secretly love to have the entire existing coven living all together

Louis de Pointe du Lac **********************

-has a beautiful voice. Sang in the choir of his parish cathedral as a child. Still sings softly to himself. Will sing with Lestat if cajoled long enough.

-loves the smell of grapes. It reminds him of his youth, there was a grape arbor at Pointe du Lac.

-often becomes enamored of certain television shows and will not miss them. Uses the VCR more than anyone else in the family, to the extent that he has worn out several machines. Has closets filled with shelf after shelf of tapes.

-often asks Lestat to play the piano for him.

-though they do argue and fight, even physically, Louis does have the best rapport with Lestat, and is often asked by others in the coven to “ask Lestat something for me, won’t you?”. Which Louis always does.

-plays practical jokes, like sending Armand a series of tapes entitled, “How To Speak With A Spanish Accent”, or sending boxes of cheap plastic fangs to any one of us. Since the film has come out, he always makes certain that a crimping iron is prominently displayed in their bathroom whenever they have guests. He has even had it engraved with Lestat’s initials.

-is a very good story teller.

-has a subtle , yet very lively , sense of humor. His standard greetings to Daniel include, “I’m sorry, but I’m not allowed to talk to you” and “I never give interviews, monsieur”. He had a fake book jacket with the title Daniel Molloy-Boy Reporter by Anne Rice made up, put it around a copy of their book (IWTV) and sent it to Night Island.

-is the “family” photographer.

-has an iron will, matched with a vicious temper. Though he is very slow to anger, and does tend more toward depression, when he is finally provoked, he is intimidating to us all, strength, age, and powers notwithstanding. All of us who have witnessed, or even heard about one of Louis’ rages (which have been few, four in over two hundred years) do all we can to avoid him during one of them. I can say with confidence that we would all fear to be the focus of one. You have certainly read about one, recorded in IWTV, in which he burns down the Theatre des Vampires. Another occurred during the time that we were all together, while Lestat was with Akasha. It was so upsetting to everyone that even Lestat, with his well known penchant for publishing even the most disturbing things about all of us, declined to include it in his book.

-keeps a record of everyone’s “birthdays”(some significant date in their lives if they don’t know their actual birthdate) and sends gifts.

-is an excellent speller and mathematician. He was trained early to keep the books and the plantation journal at Pointe du Lac. He has proof-read all of Lestat’s books, is the only one Lestat trusts to read his proofs without taking anything out, or changing anything. Has often been asked to check up on various mortal accountants retained by one or the other of us, to be certain that our investments are being handled wisely and honestly.

-usually pays little attention to his surroundings, allowing Lestat to decorate as he pleases when they are together, and doing nothing when he is alone, but enjoys the traditional holidays very much and loves to drape the entire house in greenery and ribbons and fruit for Christmas, as was done when he was a child at Pointe du Lac. Lestat loves to counteract this by buying the brightest, cheapest tackiest decorations ( huge plastic lighted Santa with reindeer for the roof, brightly colored elves everywhere, Fake-snow-in-a-can on the windows, lights that play Christmas carols and blink in time to the music, welcome mat that says “Ho Ho Ho” when stepped on, silver icicles strewn everywhere, mistletoe in every doorway, all kinds of automatons, such as are usually seen in store windows - Santas, Little Drummer Boys, Elves working, Christmas trees that fall over, ect. Shiny red and green garlands everywhere, and even one of those cardboard fireplaces, next to the real one) and putting them up before Louis wakes, or while Louis is out.

-loves candlelight. He often turns off the lights in his room and lights several candles instead. He has been lectured about the danger of this, but he persists in secret. When he is discovered he will blow them out and use electric light for a few nights. He has had his candles confiscated after setting off the smoke alarm.

-knows how to drive and usually has a car, but prefers motorcycles and nearly always has one. Says it is closer to horseback riding.

-when annoyed or irritated with Lestat will call him “Lestat Christophe Marie!”. No one knows if this was Lestat’s actual name. When asked, Gabrielle claims she doesn’t remember, Lestat claims that it was not, Louis made it up. Louis will say only, “It is Lestat’s name.”

-often disappears without warning. For instance, once, in 1990 when he was living with Lestat, he was sitting on the floor, watching a video in the living room, Lestat was in a chair behind him. Louis got up, turned to Lestat and said, “I’ll be back.” Went into the kitchen, apparently out the window and was gone for three weeks. Lestat has threatened to put his face on a milk carton.

-according to Talamasca files, the name on Louis’ baptismal certificate was “Louis Michel Rene Antoine”.

-loves to gamble. He generally stays away from casinos, but has cleaned every one of us out during card games. Always has a bet going somewhere. His nicknames among us are “Lucky” and “Ace” (we can’t all call him “Beautiful One”). Loves to play Pool or Billiards. Has been known to hustle other players.

-is still somewhat claustrophobic and suffers from vivid nightmares often.

-loves film and video. Avoids quoting them very much, but can identify nearly any quote that is put to him.

-adores video games, although he owns none himself. Becomes immersed in them for hours and loses all track of time. Has had to be literally dragged to safety at dawn.

-is the most avid and interested listener of all the vampires. Will sit for hours and listen to Maharet, Khayman or any of the others describe their lives as mortals or vampires. Has asked Daniel to tell him of all of the other stories he had collected before they met. Loves to listen to David’s adventures.

-has very refined manners. Still stands when a lady enters a room, opens doors, pulls out chairs, sends thank you notes, etc.

-is a very graceful dancer. Had lessons as a child.

-periodically puts great sums of money in church poor boxes.

-often uses the French pronunciation of our names, such as, Davide, Erique, Danielle.

-can discuss philosophy and religion at length.

-draws and paints but doesn’t want anyone else to ever see his work. He often burns it once it is completed. Lestat has stolen some of the sketches while Louis was out hunting, and he says they are quite good.

-loves jigsaw puzzles and board games, especially chess.

-was a cat person in his mortal life, and was always making pets of the cats at Pointe du Lac. Now however, he avoids pets mostly, but since he has had Mojo foisted upon him, takes very good care of him, and I believe, loves him very much. Mojo has formed a very close attachment to Louis, taking any opportunity to lay on his lap. If Lestat is gone, Mojo will follow Louis and never leave his side. Is somewhat opposed to all the picture taking, but only as much as to say, “Lestat, leave poor Mojo alone.” Speaks to Mojo in French, claims that Mojo is bilingual.

-hates to shop for himself, but will shop for nights and nights to find just the right gift for Lestat.

-has no particular attachment to his hair, if not with Lestat, will cut it very short as soon as he wakes, but does not burn it, because he believes the odor would attract attention. As a result, has garbage bags full of hair that he regularly disposes of. Lestat likes to take them and give them to wig-makers and doll makers. This distresses Louis, but he cannot quite explain why.

-knows much more about Voodoo than you would ever believe. Not that he practices it …as far as I know.

-still uses his real name as much as possible, though Lestat advises against it. As forms and registrations have evolved, has changed it to Louis DePointeDuLac, then Louis Depointdulac, now it is usually Louis Pointedulac, or if the name space is especially short, Louis Dulac. When Lestat does prevail in forcing him to use a pseudonym, always uses something as far from his own name as possible, which results in Louis’ mail and phone messages coming for : Giovanni Martelli, Ciaran O’Shea, Bobby Lee James, Alexei Andropov, Angel Martinez, Dmitri Stadopolous, Biff Weatherington, Ping Chang Lee, Casimir Pulaski, DaShawn Lincoln, Ingmar Thorvaldson, Kefentse Unika, Israel Goldberg or Trinity Lovechild Smith. Lestat gets great joy out of this, and if he happens to retrieve the mail, or take a phone call, will often call Louis by whatever pseudonym it came under, for the rest of the night.

-has never, ever gone underground. There are other unsaid explanations for his disappearances.

FINIS

THE END

[desertfangs]

“ am i not good enough? ”  Armand/Daniel :)

The pressure builds in his chest as he watches Armand doting on Sybelle and Benji as he speaks to Rose and Viktor. He ruffles Benji’s hair affectionately, and pats Sybelle on the shoulder softly, planting a kiss on her cheek. They both beam at him, so much love in their eyes.

Daniel’s stomach churns. All he can think of is Armand’s book, of the way he dismissed Daniel as a demented, morbid romantic who could not stand him, who had never really known or loved him. 

He’s trying so hard not to think of those words and to instead understand Armand’s love for these two beings, but it’s so damn weird to stand here in Armand’s house, watching him with his new family whom he’s only just met. He and Armand used to be inseparable and now he’s just a guest watching him from across the room. 

He’s been here over a week and he still feels wholly out of place, unable to sit and relax anywhere, so he stands against a wall, trying not to take up space. Marius is in a conference room with Lestat and some of the others, making plans to go to France. Daniel was hoping to catch Armand alone, but no luck. 

Benji of all people glances up and looks at Daniel curiously, titling his head in a way that reminds Daniel of Armand. Maybe Daniel forgot to guard his thoughts. It’s hard, with all the immortals here, to keep the walls up. 

Benji says something to Armand, who looks over at Daniel. And suddenly Daniel wishes vampires could turn into smoke and he could just vaporize on the spot. 

His breath catches as Armand breaks away from the group and heads toward him. He’s stunning, as usual. He’s wearing an ivory sweater and dark denim jeans. His russet hair hangs long and loose around his pale face and rings adorn his fingers. He’s so beautiful Daniel could weep and as he comes closer, Daniel can’t breathe. No air wants to enter his dead lungs. 

Armand’s amber eyes rake over Daniel who suddenly feels lacking in his worn jeans and t-shirt. “Are you all right?” 

Daniel nods. Fine, yeah, just dandy. He struggles not to laugh and Armand can’t hear his thoughts. Before he can verbalize the sentiment, Armand speaks again: “Good. I want all my guests to feel at home.”

Daniel’s heart sinks. He’s just another guest. Of course. What else would he be?

“Thanks,” Daniel says, the word coming out short and terse. Armand stares at him, and Daniel shifts uncomfortably. He points to the ceiling. “Nice crown moulding.” 

Armand frowns slightly. He glances back at Sybelle and Benji, eager to return to that conversation and escape this awkwardness. Why the hell did he come over, anyhow? What did Benji tell him? 

“Every inch of Trinity Gate was meticulously designed,” Armand says. “No detail spared.” 

“So I see,” Daniel says. It really is an impressive house, more intricate and detailed than their Villa in on Night Island, though Daniel prefers the latter. 

Armand reaches out and tears a loose thread from the sleeve of Daniel’s t-shirt. He doesn’t say so but Daniel can practically hear him wondering why Marius allows him to dress like a vagrant. Instead, Armand pockets the thread and says nothing. He wishes he would. At least if they could argue—

Sybelle laughs across the room and the others all join in. Daniel’s stomach churns as Armand turns and smiles appreciatively at them. 

“Am I not good enough?” Daniel asks, the question tumbling out before he can think about what he’s saying. 

Armand turns back to him suddenly. “Whatever do you mean, Daniel?” 

Anger roars up at the way he plays dumb, the way he acts like it’s an absurd thing to ask. And maybe it is. Maybe there’s really nothing left to say between them. Except that when he looks at Armand, all he wants to do is pull him close and hold him there, and he can’t. There’s this weird glass wall between them now and he hates it. 

“As a fledgling,” Daniel says. 

Armand’s brow furrows briefly and then his expression smooths out, becoming impassive stone. “You have strong blood.” 

Daniel laughs scornfully. “Yeah, yours,” he says. “That’s not what I meant.” 

Armand looks back at his beloved children with Rose and Viktor, people he adores and whose company he can stand. Daniel turns to leave. Armand grabs his wrist. 

“Of course you are. What a thing to ask,” Armand says, as if he’s a fool. And he is. He’s here, blurting out questions he doesn’t want the answers to.

“Yeah, sure,” Daniel says. He pulls away and heads for the foyer. He’ll go for a walk, go kill some evil bastard and slake his thirst and maybe then he’ll feel better. 

Armand follows him to the door. 

“I just need to hunt,” Daniel tells him. He opens the coat closet and digs out his jacket. It’s too light for the climate and it’s raining out, but it will do. Armand is still watching him wordlessly, infuriatingly still and silent. Daniel wants to shake him and demand to know what he wants. What he feels. If he still loves him at all. But he doesn’t dare ask. “Do you want to come?” he asks instead.

Armand tilts his head, a gesture that always makes Daniel feel like he’s trying to get inside his mind. Then Armand pulls a wool coat out of the closet and shrugs it on.

“Lead the way,” Armand says. 

Relief washes over him. It’s not enough. Not by a mile. But it’s a start. 

[aion-rsa]

How The Living Dead Completes Romero’s Zombie Legacy

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George A. Romero figuratively wrote the book on zombies with his low-budget, independent 1968 horror film epoch Night of the Living Dead. World War Z, 28 Days Later, Zombieland and even The Walking Dead trudged that territory but didn’t map much new terrain. Romero’s final novel, The Living Dead, completed by author Daniel Kraus (The Shape of Water novelization), doesn’t expand on the basics of the zombie apocalypse. It doesn’t challenge the zombie trope Romero filled out with his subsequent works on animated corpses, when The Living Dead had their Day, Dawn, Land, Diary and Survival. But, with it, Romero and Kraus do peer deeper into the mirror to find a bitter reflection of the horrors Romero brings out in The Living.

The Living Dead is character-driven in ways the feature films could never be. In Night of the Living Dead, the audience didn’t know, nor would they have cared, whether Helen Cooper (Marilyn Eastman) put on weight after marrying Harry (Karl Hardman). But we know this about Rosa, the wife of novel protagonist Luis Accocola, the Assistant Medical Examiner who logs the first case of reanimation in The Living Dead. We also know Luis paid for Rosa’s education and had to wait to marry her because she was so much younger than him. We know Rosa suffered a miscarriage long before the recently deceased became the ambulatory diseased.

We’ll never know if “They’re Coming to Get You” Barbra (Judith O’Dea) ever dreamed of dancing with Fred Astaire at night. But we know Luis’s assistant Charlene Rutkowski recoils from the very sight of Astaire when her mother Mae tunes in to the classic movie channel because the top hatted, tuxedo-sporting tap dancer tries to lead in her nightmares. Even before John Doe becomes the archive in the novel’s version of Patient Zero, Luis wants to know more about his history, whether he mattered. Why the homeless man is dressed so fine, and why he doesn’t have the curved spine of the long-term vagrant. In this respect, he is Romero. The unimportant details may not solve zombification, but it holds clues to the fading humanity.

The Living Dead is a fitting end to Romero’s zombie chronicles. The novel form allows him to bring more of himself into the pages, each of the characters filled out with flavors Romero himself test-tasted. There is also a bittersweet meta irony to the fact that the horror genius died before finishing the work and it was reanimated by Kraus, an unabashed fan and likely successor to the “Father of the Modern Zombie Film.” He hides Romero “Easter eggs” throughout the book, while also bringing in references to the pandemic apocalypse novel The Stand. Romero worked frequently with Stephen King, adapting his writer’s nightmare The Dark Half, having a barrel of fun with Monkey Shines, and indulging their shared love of EC Comics with Creepshow. The feature film adaptation was even shot in the four color scheme which defined the magazine. They further explored the horrors of publishing with Bruiser. The city of Bangor, Maine, which is King’s home turf, is referenced within the first few pages. He and Romero are wonderfully horrific friends.

The Living Dead is divided into three acts. Act One tells the story through the introduction of disconnected characters. It unfolds like an archive from the future written from multiple points of view. The history is being put together by a team in Washington, led by the researcher Etta Hoffmann. She is autistic and unflappably records survivors’ stories. Goaded on by an internet troll named Chucksux69, News anchor Chuck Corso at the cable station WNN broadcasts the events as they come in, even though he has no idea if anyone can see him. He does this while his co-workers try to eat him. Similar things happen at sea, where the US Navy aircraft carrier Olympia becomes a floating arena where dead sailors face off against the living crew. The gospel of the dead is spread zealously by a preacher in the book.

“When there’s no more room in hell, the dead will walk the earth,” Romero warned in Dawn of the Dead. The characters in The Living Dead have to learn this for themselves. The only problem with living in a world written by George A. Romero is that the inhabitants didn’t grow up in a world with Romero in it. They don’t know what to do when the dead won’t stay dead. One of the most consistent things about zombies, whether they’re found in the Living Dead universe or one of the many other genre works, is you kill them by shooting them in the head. It doesn’t have to be a gunshot; Daryl on The Walking Dead does the deed with a bow and some arrows (though that series has gone on for a full decade without ever using the word zombie). From the very first ambulatory corpse, played by Bill Hinzman in Night of the Living Dead, to the present, a fractured skull is the only way to stop chomping teeth. Try telling that to the people in the book.

Why do zombies keep on biting? Day of the Dead posited the corpses reanimate because of primitive impulses in the spinal column. We, the audience, know from that movie onward it was because of special effects wizard Tom Savini. It would be nice to think of his hand on the elderly zombie in the novel who tries to gum someone to death. In The Living Dead, we learn zombies just wake up hungry. “This hunger is different from any you knew before,” a chapter opens. “This hunger is a lack. Something has been taken from you. You do not know what. This hunger is everywhere. Hunger, the fist. Hunger, the bones. Hunger, the flesh. Hunger, the brain.” Zombies aren’t evil, they are animalistic. Humans, on the other hand, are free to act horribly. If this particular horror niche is dead it can be reanimated here with this book. Night of the Living Dead brought the genre to life. The Living Dead gives Zombies souls. 

When Romero and some friends shot the indie film for just over $100,000 that would become The Night of the Living Dead, the country was going to hell. The Vietnam War was bringing death to the dinner table daily on the evening news. The generation which grew up in the shadow of the nuclear bomb was pulling away from a rotting society, unraveling like an exposed lower intestine. While women sew American flags sometime between “Year Fucking Six” and “Year Fucking Seven” of The Living Dead, Johnny and Barbara walk past a shredded flag as they enter the cemetery where their father is buried at the start of the film that started it all. The wreath is an empty gesture. Johnny can’t even remember what their father looked like.

Inspired by Richard Matheson’s 1954 novel I Am Legend and its film adaptation The Last Man on Earth, starring Vincent Price, Night of the Living Dead reincarnated Zombie movies. Once the realm of island magic culturally appropriated by actors like Bela Lugosi and George Zucco, zombies were now hungry legions munching on the living. Brains were not yet the delicacy The Simpsons would make them out to be. The undead are a metaphor for whatever we want to put on them. Romero is a political artist and the book is contemporary. Like the ill-equipped national response to COVID-19, we watch an unprepared society face a cataclysmic event and come apart at the seams. Similar to the effects of the quarantine, the zombie apocalypse is good for the environment. Also mirroring our times, the zombies infest a hate-filled world though they prove to be an equalizer of all classes and in the toxic racial divide.

“Someone dies, someone else learns to live,” Greer, a Black teenager who escapes an overridden trailer park in the Midwest at the beginning of the novel, is taught. Minority characters feature prominently in The Living Dead. Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated the year Night of the Living Dead was released. In the film, Ben, a Black character played by Duane Jones, survives the undead campaign, the tribal maneuvering of the other captive combatants around him, casual bigotry and betrayal only to be shot in the head by passing zombie thrill-killers. The final moments of the film shows photographs of men with dead zombies which look eerily similar to lynch mob photos.

Romero didn’t only use the undead as a political metaphor. They are endemic to all society. The Zombies aren’t the only brain-dead or dying characters in his films or the novel. In The Living Dead, most of the people’s minds are already infested by paranoid distrust of the news media and the hatred encouraged by social media. Luis’s life is saved at one point because he’s not flipping through his cell phone as he usually does. He actually notices the looks on the people’s faces. In Romero’s 1978 installment Dawn of the Dead, the citizenry’s minds were numbed by TV, radio and consumerism. Its biggest scene happens in a Pittsburgh shopping mall with muzak playing in the background. 

Act Two summarizes what would be the territory of 1985’s Day of the Dead (which gave zombies class-consciousness), 2005’s Land of the Dead, and Romero’s “found footage” installment Diary of the Dead (2007), but takes a turn at 2009’s western Survival of the Dead. Subtitled “The Life of Death,” Act Two spans eleven years, all of which are being recorded in “The Hoffmann Archive of Tales from the New World.” We learn zombies are more like us than we might wish to believe. Like modern man wastes most of its animal-based consumer products, the zombies only eat five percent of their kill. They also hold grudges. Zombies outnumber humans 400,000 to one. Camels, lions and zebras are immune to reanimation, but chimps come back from the dead.

Straightforward as they may be, Romero’s films were rarely what they seemed through the action. Subversive social commentary runs through his 1978 vampire film Martin, which was more about unfettered schizophrenia than vampires. John Amplas played the title role in a very realistic, and very violent, exploration. He drugs and rapes his victims before drinking their blood. The Crazies (1973) was more about the society struck by a military biological weapon more than an epidemic containment film. The Living Dead is more than a zombie novel. It is a bitter parable.

Act Three moves 15 years after the apocalypse as survivors try to put together a new civilization amidst an evolving zombie population. It is a planetary reset. The museums are covered in graffiti and overgrown. People begin to read books, mix paint, shoot each other in the face when agitated. The dead win. 

George A. Romero died on July 16, 2017, a relatively innocent time which, although it was only three years ago, seems very far away. Donald Trump rode a racist wave of xenophobia to the whitest White House the country has seen since President Andrew Jackson, but he was still treated as a joke. The Living Dead was written before COVID-19, the killing of George Floyd and a police force which militarized against protestors faster than the zombies could run in 28 Days Later. Romero and Daniel Kraus are visionaries who were able to make a parable of today’s times in almost real time. The news on Max Headroom came at you from 30 minutes in the future. The future legend of The Living Dead was predicted only months in advance to be delivered exactly on time.  

The Living Dead will be available to buy and read on August 4th. It is now available for pre-order.

The post How The Living Dead Completes Romero’s Zombie Legacy appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[desertfangs]

Can I ask 1. (Canon I outright reject), 3. (Obscure headcanon) and 8. (Unpopular opinion about them) for Armand and Daniel?😊

I hope you have a nice end of the year!🥰

Send me character asks. Specify a character or I will default to Daniel.

Thank you! I hope you also have a lovely end of the year and a wonderful start to the new one! (I can't believe it's almost 2024 wtf.)

1. Canon I outright reject

Night Island is still around & it's still owned wholly by Armand and Daniel (though it's definitely been moved under the name of a corporate umbrella by now). Armand is far, far too sentimental to sell something that was so vitally important to him. I think he lies about it in his book for two reasons: 1. He was still wounded and lashing out at Daniel, and he knew saying he'd sold most of the island would hurt him, and 2. After QotD was published, a flood of tourists "looking" for Lestat came to the island (same as we VC fans go to New Orleans and "look" for them... we know they're not real, but...) and Armand did not like that one bit.

I also think the name was changed and it's probably open 24 hours now with a brand spanking new resort hotel circa 1999 or whatever, but it's still theirs and they still call it Night Island. And they still use the Villa regularly, and try to get Lestat and Marius to agree to host some Coven events there, too.

3. Obscure headcanon

I believe Daniel and Armand were together until 1993 or 1994, and were traveling around trying to reconnect and rekindle their relationship when they finally had the fight that split them up "for good" pre-MtD. Granted, I think for Armand it was Daniel leaving him "for good." I think for Daniel it was more "I need to take a break and clear my head, I'm going to take a time out." But they are terrible at communicating, especially when they're fighting, so... we all know how that went.

For a more fun--"fun"-- obscure headcanon, here is the worst thing I think Armand ever did in the name of weird science according to Daniel (tw: animal cruelty): he read about Edison electrocuting that poor elephant and got really interested in how that electrocution worked. So he got a fish bowl and experimented with fish. Then one night, Daniel finds the bathtub full of dead rats with a toaster in it, plugged into the wall. They definitely fought about it, and they definitely moved out of that apartment that night. It might one of the only times Armand truly skeeved him out, worse even than the rats in the microwave. He also didn't take baths for a good six months after.

Okay, sorry sorry, but that has been in my head for a while.

8. Unpopular opinion about them

I'm so bad at these because tbh I never know what "the popular" opinions are.

I guess I will say, I don't think Armand ever regretted turning Daniel and was, in fact, happy with how he turned out. We only get little glimpses into his thoughts on the matter in QotD, but he seems pretty enamored with Daniel as a vampire. For all his fears that Daniel might come to resent him for it, or no longer want/need him, he does seem pleased with the result. (Is this unpopular? I honestly do not know.)

I also don't think Daniel was a mess of a vampire or a bad fledgling. I think he experienced being a newbie vampire with an extreme intensity that made him quicker to laugh or more prone to staring at the patterns in the wallpaper, but I don't think that's particularly abnormal for a new vampire, either. I also think Daniel was especially elated to finally get the Blood - it meant not only would he not die a mortal death, but it was proof positive that Armand truly loved him as he always believed and wanted to spend eternity with him. He was riding a hell of a high, but I don't think he was mad, or out of his head, or a problem fledgling in any way.

I also firmly believe they had some solidly good years together in that time, and even though there were fights and arguments (and Armand's fears that he tried to manifest as self-fulfilling prophecy), they did actually have plenty of fun together until they split.

Again, I have no idea how "unpopular" any of that is.

Thank you again for the ask and happy new year!

[desertfangs]

2. Share a snippet of an old wip that you never posted.

Sent in an meme ask by @hekateinhell but this is probably too long of a snippet (1100 words) so I wanted to share it on its own. Last year, I was trying really hard to write some serious post-QotD conversations and interactions (STILL AM! Just finished a fic from this era that I can't wait to edit and share!) but this is the only one I wrote with Armand and Louis. I wasn't happy with all of Louis' dialogue and it didn't really have an ending so I gave up on and set it aside.

So here is a big ol' chunk of a time I attempted to write something for Armand/Louis post-QotD on Night Island. It opens with Armand watching Daniel and Marius taking a speedboat to the mainland to hunt in Miami and he's pensive, and then Louis comes in the room and they start talking. The book in question is Interview with the Vampire, which is probably obvious:

--------

“It was just a book,” Armand said. “Do you wish I’d stopped it?” 

“No.” Louis’ answer was firm and immediate. “I only thought perhaps you’d tracked Daniel down because of the book and I was surprised to learn otherwise.” 

“He came to me as a gift from you.”

Louis smiled faintly. “I didn’t send him to you intentionally, but I am glad that you found him. He seems to love you.”

Armand’s heart constricted again. He loved him, yes, but how long until the resentment and hatred took hold? He’d taken Daniel’s life from him. He stopped himself, taking a steadying breath. No, he wouldn’t think of some dark uncertain future. He would think of Daniel happy for now, giddy with immortality. Daniel, who would return from hunting still buzzing from the kill and hot from the blood, and put his arm over Armand’s shoulders and laugh as he recounted whatever misadventures he and Marius got up to on the mainland. Daniel, who would nuzzle against him and let him drink some of that hot blood from his throat. 

“You must love him.” Louis stepped closer, seeming to see Armand’s internal struggle. He could not hear his thoughts but surely his fear had played out on his face. 

“Of course I love him,” Armand said, the way he’d said it to Daniel himself so many times, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “I built this island for him.” 

He wasn’t sure why he said that. Perhaps because Louis was looking at him with those penetrating green eyes, a little furrow on his brow between them. Perhaps because Louis was standing close to him and he could breathe in the smell of him again and he realized now how much he’d missed it. 

“He’s lucky he met you and not someone with more nefarious intentions.” 

Armand laughed. “He must not have told you of how things began, then.” 

“He did mention something about global hide and seek, but he was talking quite fast. His love for you is plain enough though.” 

Armand nodded. He had no doubt Daniel loved him. He’d always been able to see it in Daniel’s mind, his blood. He never would have given him the blood otherwise. But Daniel didn’t know—couldn’t truly know—the price he would pay for immortality as a mortal, and even now, it was too new, too fresh, for him to truly understand the gravity of it. Daniel wanted to be with him forever but it was an easy thing to want when forever was an abstract. 

“Yes,” Armand agreed.

“Yet you seem pensive.” Louis stepped closer, as if he might put an arm around him or otherwise reach out to comfort him but Armand moved backward, only slightly, just out of his reach. 

“There are a lot of vampires in my house,” Armand said.

“And that bothers you?” Louis asked, in a way that suggested he knew it didn’t. From his thoughts, Armand could tell he had a question on the tip of his mind but Armand would not answer it if he refused to speak it aloud. This was the Louis he remembered, such curiosity and passion, but so afraid to indulge it, even over something so small.

“No. I quite enjoy it.” Armand met his eyes, daring him to ask the question he really wanted to ask. “But it is different. It’s been only Daniel and myself here since the Villa was built. And Daniel was mortal.” It was odd having so many vampires in such a small radius, let alone in his home. He had to be careful to tune out their thoughts and still their presences burned in his awareness. But really, now they were all there, it felt almost as if the Night Island had always been intended for the purpose. 

Louis nodded, as if he felt similarly. Certainly it was strange for Louis, who had so desperately sought out others once upon a time, and who later could no longer tolerate them. Not even Armand. 

Silence filled the air between them like a tangible thing. Louis put his hands in his pockets and cast about the room for something else to say. Something about his posture and expression pulled Armand back in time, to when he’d struggled so haplessly to pull anything out of Louis at all. The frustration and the pain of being with him while he was so distant, and the elation whenever he could get anything from him. 

A wicked urge overcame him. He stepped closer, into Louis’ personal space. He brushed his fingers down Louis’ arm, his skin cold even through the knit of his sweater. Louis turned to him, startled. 

“Ask me,” Armand said. 

Louis frowned. Pretended not to know what he meant. He pulled his hands from his pockets but did not move away from Armand. 

Armand kept his gaze level and steady, silently demanding.

Louis coughed softly, as if vampires could need to cough, such a mortal affectation. He broke from Armand’s gaze, turning to study the unused fireplace. “When you learned I was in San Francisco, did you ever consider coming to find me?” 

Ah, there it was.

“Why would I come find you? You made it perfectly clear you had no want or need of me.” He wasn’t sure what he hoped for in Louis’ reaction: some fire or spark maybe. An angry retort about how he was the one who’d left. He’d spent too many years sparring with Daniel, who shot back. But instead, disappointment etched itself in Louis’ beautiful face and Armand’s chest felt heavy. 

“That was a long time ago,” Louis said softly. 

“So it’s changed?” Armand asked, almost inaudibly. He stood rigid, waiting for the answer.

Louis, so human, so gentle, looked faintly surprised. “Yes.” 

The tension in Armand’s body eased and his shoulders relaxed. He reached up and caressed Louis’ cheek with the backs of his fingers. Louis closed his eyes, almost reverent. Armand stepped closer still until they were only inches away. 

The front door banged open and voices filled the foyer. Jesse, Eric, and Santino, having some animated discussion that echoed through the parlor’s open doors. Louis’ eyes snapped open and he stepped backward as if caught out at something he shouldn’t have been doing. 

Ridiculous, of course. No one would begrudge them this reunion so long in the making. Well, maybe Lestat, and only because he hated not being the center of attention. But if he cared so much about what Louis was doing, he was welcome to come out of that room he’d holed up in and do something about it.

[desertfangs]

Had some thoughts after reading your recent fic

Do you think Armand and Daniel might have had a slight role reversal in terms of energy levels after Daniel was turned? When Daniel was mortal he was always getting older and more tired and finding it harder to keep up with the forever 17 year old with an immortal's boundless energy.

But when he's finally in the blood, maybe it was Armand's turn to feel like the slightly grumpy and tired 500 year old man with his hyperactive puppy of a fledgling.

I'm just picture newly turned Daniel throwing a coat around Armand's shoulders and dragging him out the door while Armand tries to suggest they have a night in, wondering if this is how Daniel felt all those years

Oh my gosh, this is a great question! (Also thank you for reading my fic!!)

I do think maybe they have a slight role reversal. Or, at the very least, their dynamic changes a little. Daniel is very high on being a vampire at first. Armand tells him, "You take a lot of teaching." He's a little overwhelmed by Daniel as a vampire, and Daniel is a little overwhelmed by heightened vampire senses, and while they are in the midst of a crisis, I do think Daniel takes some time to adapt to his vampire senses and abilities. I think Armand is fantastic maker and teacher, and Daniel is lucky to have not only him there but also so many others who can give him tips and tricks and also tell him stories about when they first turned.

(I will say I don't think Daniel is particularly an outlier. It might be an unpopular opinion, but I think his reaction to vampirism is pretty standard, especially given how potent Armand's blood is. We don't get a lot of him as a vampire until we see him again mad in Marius' house, but I've mentioned before I don't think it was being overwhelmed by vampirism that did him in, but rather Armand's apparent death drove him mad.)

But yes, once Daniel has the blood and is a vampire, he's no longer being run ragged by trying to keep up with Armand. And he's also no longer burdened with the knowledge of his own aging and death. I am older than Daniel was when he was turned, and I can tell you as you get older, your body DOES WEIRD SHIT. Stuff stops working as well. And I'm not even THAT OLD. But like... imagine living with Armand, ageless and turned at 17, while Daniel keeps finding more gray hairs or new lines on his face or he can't move his left arm one night because he slept on it funny - that had to have to weighed heavily on him. So I think it was just the sword of Damocles, over him all the time in those last couple of years, and no matter how hard he tried to ignore it and push it back, it was hanging above him ready to fall.

So Daniel is lighter and unburdened as a vampire. He's ready to live forever with Armand. And Armand is absolutely proud of him and still loves him, of course, but Armand is a fatalist who starts to worry about when things will fall apart. I don't think that fear becomes too pronounced until later and I don't think he starts subconsciously pushing Daniel away for years yet, but it's in the back of his mind that Daniel may not need or want him anymore one day.

So in that respect their roles have changed. Daniel probably is excited to go travel or see some show or just go to Miami and walk around and shoot the shit and talk about the drunks stumbling past and all the tourists running around. He wants to go see and do everything now that he can do it without stressing about the lines on his face when he catches his reelection. He's excitable and hyper and like... I don't know how long dude is high on being a vampire, but I kind of think that initial burst probably lasts a while. And Daniel is talkative and affable and no doubt getting along with everyone.

Armand, meanwhile, is also dealing with all of his ex's in his house. So there's that to consider, too. And playing host. And running whatever business he's running on Night Island and elsewhere. (He has people! But he still needs to sign checks and papers and check in.)

So yeah, I do think a lot of '86 and '87 and maybe even '88 are more of Daniel going "Hey, boss, let's go see this thing or do this thing" and Armand being a little more... maybe not reluctant but less quick to jump on board with the idea. Not all the time. He's still Armand, he still likes to go see things and learn things! But sometimes!

I'll tell you, I think the real karma is Benji and Sybelle, wherein he has to indulge their interests and needs and suddenly Armand is there at TG remembering when he used to be the one dragging Daniel out the door as Sybelle grabs his hand and drags him to the music store or to see some concert and he's like "Ah, this must be how Daniel felt."

Thank you so much for the ask! Sorry for the long essay. TL;DR: Absolutely! LOL! I love the idea of Armand grumpily sitting in his office wondering if he can hide out and avoid being dragged to yet another rock concert with Daniel and Lestat over on the mainland for the 3rd time in a week.

[desertfangs]

Just finished your San Francisco one shot, stunning as usual. 11/10 zero notes 🥹🤌🏼 The atmosphere feels so right for the three of them during that era. I love how Daniel is so captivated by every single thing and how magical and surreal it all feels with his new vampire senses. And yet, you allowed him to truly take it in and let the melancholy settle in nicely. And how could it not? The fact that he wanted to take Armand to SF to show him where it’d all started (“see? this is who I was before you”) and that they took Louis with them to reminisce please. Spot on characterization for Louis too, I’ve always appreciated his sense of humor the most, he truly started it all on a whim, what a legend. Would love to know more about their stay in Miami too, I imagine they gave him quite the tour once they made it to the Night Island 😮‍💨 (Armand lowkey bragging and Louis being lowkey impressed was hilarious lmao) xoxo DA

DA, this is so sweet! (I'm scared I'm ruining your naughty reputation! But you can be both!!)

I'm so glad you liked it! I really went back and forth on it, so I'm glad it's landing the way I'd hoped and you can see Daniel's elation and excitement but also some melancholy for the past, which I think is just the nature of going back to places that used to be significant to us. There's always a weird sense of disconnect and a little bit of sadness, even if the memories of the place bring you joy. Or maybe that's just me and I'm just melodramatic that way! Louis definitely has a funky sense of humor and I love him for it. I'm always trying to figure out why that outfit (other than it was a one-off book originally and that is how vampires dressed) so it had to be on purpose, right? Like the guy was not walking around the Haight in a cape all the time, surely? (Whatever he was wearing, I have no doubt he got plenty of attention though!)

I'm also glad you liked some of the interactions between Armand and Louis. They have such a history and at this point, I don't think they've had much time to discuss anything so I really wanted them to like... have a few moments where they were reconnecting here, too. And you know Armand has wondered some of this stuff since he found Daniel.

I'm sure they gave him a great tour of Night Island and made him feel very at home (*wink wink*). They probably would have done the same for Lestat if he wasn't holed up in some office he commandeered being a drama queen.

Thank you so much for this lovely and kind message! It's always a pleasure to hear from you, DA!