#while armand has no idea daniel feels like this and thinks daniel hates him now since he's been paranoid about turning daniel since the 80s

[collegeboysam]

parkinson's can cause lung issues (the chest wall becomes stiff and muscles weaker, which can cause a lot of coughing) so maybe being given the dark gift stopped the advance of the disease but didn't erase how it had already affected daniel's body to that point. armand, your fledgling is sick. daniel needs you. armand. armand please.

[gildatheplant]

Santiago and his relationship with Armand

OK so I actually wrote most of this as tags to a post that compared Santiago mocking Louis in the restaurant with Louis mocking Santiago after he set the theatre on fire, but I realized I wanted to expand on the idea.

Basically, I had always interpreted Santiago's hatred of Louis as jealousy over him 'stealing' Armand (both in the book and in the show). An interview with Ben Daniels confirmed that while Santiago was initially written as straight, Ben felt the only way Santiago would so viciously hate Louis was if he was in love with Armand. However, in the same interview he also said that Santiago had been in love with his maker, and his jealousy of Louis and conflict over Armand killing his maker made him want to destroy Louis.

After reading this, I was more than a little confused: if Santiago loved his maker, how could he fall in love with Armand?

Then I saw the gifset and was reminded of this moment-

Louis mocks Santiago about his maker's disdain for him, and how his maker abandoned him shortly after he turned him. Santiago loved his maker, but his maker did not love him back.

Now, we aren't given any timeline of events in terms of when Santiago is made, when he joins the Coven and when Armand kills his maker, but I think it's safe to assume it all happens not long after he was turned. So we have fledgling Santiago, bitterly in love with a maker who disdains him, meeting the beautiful and powerful Armand. Armand welcomes him into the Coven, gives him the opportunity to return to his theatrical career, and kills the maker that wounded Santiago's pride and heart. From that perspective, Armand must have seemed like an avenging angel to Santiago- of course he'd fall in love.

For years, Santiago forges his way up the ranks of the Coven, serving Armand and becoming his right hand man and star of the show. The other vampires of the coven practically throw themselves at him, some of the women literally fighting each other over him...but his heart belongs to Armand.

Then Louis and Claudia come into town, and Armand's attention leaves him for this beautiful man that Santiago can't help feeling attracted to too. And Armand lets this newcomer do pretty much whatever he wants, making the execution of Santiago's maker suddenly seem a lot less fair... yet Armand is still the one responsible for pretty much all the opportunities and good things in Santiago's life, and he's still the one Santiago loves and wants above all others.

Just look at his reaction to seeing Armand's photo in Louis' apartment-

There's no anger there, no hate. He's in love. And he wants Armand back.

Santiago must've been thrilled when Armand seemingly changed his mind about Louis and Claudia and agreed to punish them for their "crimes". I suspect, though this is only hinted at in the show, that after the trial, Armand regrets choosing the coven and allows himself to be overthrown by Santiago (Celeste is overheard by Louis saying that Armand was overthrown and there's no reason to doubt her at this point). Now Santiago has (he thinks) everything he wants: leadership of the coven, his rival dead, and Armand seemingly broken and at his mercy. When we see him watching Armand bow his head to him and slip into his coffin, Santiago stares at him with naked hunger, completely ignoring Celeste hanging off his arm.

He thinks it's only a matter of time before Armand will become his lover once more. Instead, Armand frees Louis and allows him to destroy Santiago's world.

[desertfangs]

I NEED YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE ARMAND/DANIEL BREAK UP SCENE IN TVA PLS

Not gonna lie, I would’ve loved for a more polished version of this to have made it into the book, the potential is there IMO as well as all the elements that make Devil’s Minion such an explosive, intense, compelling ship. The fighting, the yearning, the weird sexual analogies (this one didn’t quite land but it kinda always goes back to sex with them, doesn’t it?), the kissing in between hurtful statements. Daniel using INSECT parts for his models, Pandora trying to make him pay attention to Armand, Armand being sad and kissing Daniel while trying to fix things, but Daniel being too far gone at the time to even register the impact of his words. I NEED MORE.

Anon, I have so many thoughts, my brain is spinning.

I'm not sure I'd want this in the book or not, it's so hard to say now. I was absolutely baffled by Daniel's lack of inclusion in TVA when it came out, and and then suddenly he's there in B&G mad and being cared for by Marius, and I had to do a lot of mental gymnastics to figure out how I thought he got from A to B. I eventually decided him thinking Armand was dead drove him mad, which made the most sense to me. That is clearly is not what Anne had pictured, but at this point I'm honestly pretty happy with that conclusion instead.

I'm trying to imagine how it would have felt if this was included in TVA. What else does that change? Is Armand still bitter and angry? Is he more regretful? Does this mean we get any of his POV of the Devil's Minion years, including their break up? (Because that is the piece I feel is most missing from that book and what I deeply wanted from it in addition to filling in Armand's background.)

The idea that Armand abandoned the island to mortal hands--a reference to him selling it, I guess--would absolutely break Daniel apart. It does feel very much like something he would be devastated by but I don't feel we're given enough on this one page to really understand what happened. Armand left the others? That doesn't gel with anything I've ever thought. Armand always struck me as the one who was holding things together and was then heartbroken when everyone else left. So I'd need a more context into Anne's idea of how things played out there.

That said, there are pieces I like!

I love the idea of Pandora and Marius looking after Daniel together and Pandora trying to get his attention.

"I have no maker!" I mean, if Daniel and Armand had a vicious fight and Armand all about renounced him and left him wandering to the point where the loneliness and devastation of it drove him mad, then this is absolutely something I can see him saying. The way he talks about how Armand doesn't make others so clearly he has no maker is so full of bitterness and resentment I would love to see a fic unpacking that (Someone should write it! Maybe several someones!)

Daniel building his worlds with found objects and weird shit is amazing. Like it's so deeply unhinged that I can't help but applaud the creativity. I honestly wish I'd known about this months ago because I can totally see this happening as Daniel sinks into madness and I would have loved to have added a scene to my fic about that where Daniel is building a little town on the floor of some seedy motel with bugs and matchbooks and rubber bands or something. It's delightfully freaking weird and I dig it.

I love Armand asking after Daniel, which is another thing I think was sorely missing from TVA. The fact that he doesn't seem to care where he is just explained by his assumption Daniel hates him, but it still feels exceptionally weird to me that Armand wouldn't even ask, particularly after he almost died, and he doesn't know if Daniel may have tried to follow suit? This whole big thing just happened and Lestat is catatonic on the floor, I'd be accounting for my loved ones, no matter how we left things.

Armand losing all his anger and bitterness (does he have that in this version? He must have some, right?) when he sees Daniel in a bad state, clearly struggling, and offering him comfort is so precious. But also can we talk about "I didn't mean to abandon you..." ????? Armand ABANDONED Daniel in this version??? I just... that's so wild, I have so many questions. And then he kisses him??? That is precious. Look, I have wanted an Armand and Daniel interaction during his madness since we learned Daniel was in Marius' basement playing with model trains in Blood and Gold. And I think I would have been okay with this if we got some satisfying resolution between them afterward - we can have this hurt, but we need some comfort to end it on, you know? And I don't think that would have happened. I think Armand would have left defeated and we'd have been stuck with that in our heads for decades until PL came out and we get one freaking line about them hunting together, so.

I think I am glad this version did not make it into TVA, but I would also love to read a dozen fics that try to make sense of all this because there are some delicious tidbits I think talented fic writers could explore and really work into something great.

[dr-reids-fidget-toy]

Hello there! Original pedantic anon back again (haha is that the worst pseudonym or what?). To be even more annoyingly pedantic, Armand says “I do hope you’ll join us” which I agree with previous anon, does feel like it could indicate something more than a dinner.

However, what could it be if not a special meal? Cause I agree with you, it doesn’t really make sense if it was anything of what you earlier considered. And I really don’t believe Louis would erase Daniel’s memories.

If past DM is a thing, I don’t believe Louis knows (I’m also more inclined these days to believe there won’t be a past DM), I agree that it’s unlikely to be the money (also technically Louis gives Daniel the 10 million as compensation for his time because he decides to burn the laptop/stop the book - this is why Daniel offers to pay Louis the money back later in the episode since he decided to write the book anyway - the money and specific amount is a continuation/call-back of Daniel’s ‘whore fee’ as first mentioned in s1e7), I don’t believe it’s a threesome (also yes, I believe most who suggest it are joking), and I don’t think it was to offer to turn Daniel again. Louis said they had something “special prepared” - that is a weird way of phrasing it if the special thing was to offer to turn Daniel again, no? Not impossible, I’ll grant you - but I believe it to be unlikely.

I read an interesting theory somewhere that Armand’s words are specifically meant to reference/be a callback to his words back in the 70’s at Polynesian Mary’s, where he said he wouldn’t (want to) join Louis and Daniel (in other words, but that was the gist of it), when Louis asked. The theory was that Armand in s2e8 saying he hope Daniel will join them is a subtle indication of Armand’s growing interest in (maybe even attraction to) Daniel. AZ did say that the line between hate and love is thin, so while Armand is probably resenting Daniel trying to expose him - he could also possibly have began to be attracted to him here. So back when they first met at the bar in the 70’s Armand has no interest in Daniel, and rejects the opportunity to join him and Louis for their interview/potential hookup and now in the 2020’s he has changed his tune and is now interested in Daniel - the change in interest is implied by this 'change/development' of Armand's original dialogue/attitude to joining/having Daniel join in any way.

What do you think? What does prev. anon think? I’m excited to hear your (and your followers) thoughts!

Ooh that is an interesting theory. I love that. Everything in this show is so deliberate (the main reason I don’t think it was just a special dinner), and that could be it

I rlly like the idea of it being nothing else than a special dinner, despite not thinking it’s likely. I rlly enjoyed all the little moments of connection between Louis and Daniel and I so hope to see more of that in the next season

(Also I’m pretty much on the same side as you about past DM probably not being a thing and Louis not knowing about it if it was)

[lioncunt]

"send me a character" Armand?

YESSSS

first impression: my first impression of him was from the movie when i was a freshman in high school, and i honestly wasn’t super into him. i love antonio banderas but he just didn’t grab me as armand, especially since i hated brad pitt louis so much and all of his scenes are with pitt. when i first read the book after watching the movie, i at first didn’t trust him with louis, but i loved their scenes together and their discussions and i really wished the movie actually adapted them properly. then by the end, once i was finally on board with their relationship, louis didn’t care for him anymore and i was heartbroken for him. so i had an interesting start with armand!

impression now: i would literally die for him, i’ve felt such intense love for him ever since i read tvl and now after reading tva i think he’s one of the best written and absolutely the most complex character in the series. his arc is PHENOMENAL, the depth of sympathy i have for him is enormous despite all he’s done, his character voice and style of writing is so mesmerizing and the tragedy of all that’s befell him makes me want to cry. at the same time, the way he writes around certain incidents and explains his wrongdoings is so fascinating; he never mentions the interactions with lestat in paris, and he glosses over his reaction to marius being alive, and you just have to wonder WHY. he is an enigma and my best friend and all that i adore and my god i am so excited for assad’s portrayal of him

favorite moment: there’s like……so many to choose from but i will always love him pushing lestat off the tower it was the first moment that i was like. oh he’s a BITCH . thank god. from tva it’s the swordfight with the guy he slept with it’s just such a cool scene and i loved how brave he was 🥹

idea for a story: i want to see a comedy where he lestat and louis try to live together in book verse i think it would be v funny. like the odd throuple

unpopular opinion: in the show he is not mind controlling louis he’s just saying “your ex is a piece of shit” over and over again and failing to disclose his stint with human experimentation. in the book pretty much all of his acts of evil are so understandable from his mindset, it’s so clear why he does the things he does and i could never hate him for any of it, he’s just so interesting to me

favorite relationship: it’s a really solid tie in the books between devil’s minion and armandstat. for a while devil’s minion was my second favorite ship, but honestly i think armandstat has overtaken them for the time being. in the show idk yet!! i project a lot of my book feelings onto him cause that’s all we have to go off of, but i’m excited for all his relationships in the show

favorite headcanon: he likes to crawl around on the ceiling and just stay there until daniel comes in and turns on the light and then he screams

[bandedbulbussnarfblat]

Yours-Part 1

the next part in my Vampire Daniel series. Two chapters, first one is up. You can read it below or here

Armand returns from visiting Marius after a week. Daniel is disgusted to find he missed him. He is determined not to show it, doesn't even go to greet Armand once he arrives back home.

Armand finds him, of course.

Daniel is in the reading room, skimming through a novel. Armand appears and plucks it out of his hand. “I was reading.”

“You didn't come to say hello,” says Armand. “I missed you, Daniel.”

Daniel takes the book back. “I'm busy.”

“Did you miss me, Daniel?”

“Like a toothache.”

Armand presses a hand to his heart. “You wound me, Daniel.”

“Uh-huh. How was your trip?”

Armand looks away from him before answering. “Fine.”

“So when are you loading me off on this Marius?” Daniel asks. He's not about to tip toe around it. He wants to know. Has a right to. It's his life. Unlife? Afterlife?

Armand quickly returns his gaze and seems confused. “What ever are you talking about?”

“Don't lie to me. I know the reason-”

“You know nothing, Daniel.” Armand cuts in. “I have no desire to be rid of you.”

“Bullshit.”

Armand sighs. “If you must know, I asked him to take you on in the event you left me.”

Daniel snorts. That's a stupid fucking idea. “What makes you think I want to chum it up with your ex?”

Armand tilts his head and examines Daniel. “Is that jealousy? Are you jealous I visited Marius?”

(Yes, but he doesn't want to be. So that's the same as no.)

“We're not together.” Daniel rises to his feet as he says it and moves toward the other side of the room. He wants to put some space between him and Armand.

“But you are jealous.” Armand says, eyes focusing on him intently.

“I'm not,” Daniel denies.

“There really is nothing like it, the bond between maker and vampire,” Armand says. He takes a step closer to Daniel. “It's why I turned to him. Why part of me will always be his.”

Daniel nearly sees red. He wants to hit something, he wants to scream. “You aren't his.”

Armand smiles slightly. “Aren't I? After all this time, he's the first one I go to for help. It must mean something.”

Daniel can see what Armand is doing. Hates him and himself for it working. “It doesn't, and you aren't.”

“Oh? And how do you know?”

“Because-” Daniel starts, then stops.

Because you're mine.

Armand takes another step closer, eyes wide. “Say it.”

His voice is barely above a whisper, but demanding all the same. He knows exactly what Daniel is thinking.

“Because you're mine.”

There's a beat of silence while Armand stares at him. Then there's no space between them and Armand is kissing him, hungry and perfect. Daniel's arms go around him and hold his close and he kisses him back with an urgency he didn't know he felt. Fuck, it's been a long week.

Armand keeps kissing him and kissing him. After a few long minutes, he breaks away to pant against Daniel's mouth. “I am yours. Utterly yours. Only yours.”

It feels like victory. Daniel kisses him again. He's drunk on desire. All he can think is of want and mine. He moves his mouth the Armand's neck and suck at the skin there, kissing and licking. Armand's fingers tangle in his hair and he chants “Yes, yes, do it.”

Daniel bites down and the rich, sweet taste of Armand's blood fills his mouth. His head is buzzing and his body feels like it's on fire. He's burning, burning for Armand. Armand moans, low and needy. “Daniel, Daniel, Daniel. Take me to bed.”

Daniel pulls out his fangs and looks over Armand. His eyes are dilated and his chest is heaving. His gaze drops to Daniel's mouth then back to his eyes. He lifts a hand and traces his thumb along Daniel's bottom lip. “Don't deny me now, Daniel.”

Daniel seizes the hand and twists it, biting into Armand's wrist. Armand gasps and moans. Daniel takes the smallest of drinks before pulling away and meeting Armand's burning gaze.

“Bedroom, now.”

[sleepymarmot]

2.04 – I Want You More Than Anything in the World

I think I liked this episode more than the previous ones. And as with season 1, this means that I don’t have any particular thoughts to record because nothing in particular bothered me.

So I’ll talk about something I noticed in the online reactions to one of the previous episodes. Apparently people think that what Louis and Armand planned in episode 1 and enacted in episode 2 was not a continuation of some kind of unseen conversation they’d been having about Daniel’s memory and past, but just putting him in his place to retake control of the interview. I guess this works better with the rest of their bedroom conversation. My interpretation was based on/influenced by the subtitles that wrote Armand’s line as “We can have him saying what happened next in no time”, and I genuinely didn’t see other interpretation than “While Daniel is interviewing Louis, we’re secretly interviewing him back for some not yet revealed reason”. But if the internet people are right, then the subtitles are wrong and Armand actually says “We can have him saying ‘What happened next?’ in no time”, i.e. “We can force him to drop the aggressive prying and conduct the interview in a normal manner”. I relistened to the line a couple more times and the delivery honestly sounds like it could be either or even both. Maybe it is both? I’d hate to lose the extra layer to this subplot. We know that the surface level is that Armand is trying to shield Louis from Daniel digging too deep in order to prevent him from compromising their marriage, the viewers can see it, Louis can see at least a part of it. But is that what Armand wants us and him to see? The season 1 finale juxtaposed shots of Armand with the lines “Cold, calculating, on a mission” and “...the entire endeavor had been his idea to begin with”, which I took as an indication that the interview was secretly a result of Armand’s plotting. Am I just setting myself up for disappointment?

---

Alright, now I feel the need to say something about the episode. Here: a list of potential gifsets I haven’t seen yet:

Lestat (x2) and Armand lighting Louis’s cigarette

Armand preparing to kill Louis with his fire gift vs lighting his cigarette with the same

Louis offering Daniel a taste of Armand-as-Rashid vs Armand telling the story of how he used to be “donated”

As an extension of the above: Armand’s traumatic backstory vs Armand continuing the cycle of abuse by forcing Claudia to live an imitation of his traumatic backstory (“Fifteen minutes a night to pretend.” “It’s a degrading fifteen minutes!”) vs Armand consensually roleplaying a scenario that has similarities with his traumatic backstory

---

Wait, I have a question. Who lit which cigarette? Because the tone of the scene changes a lot depending on the answer:

A) Armand lit both cigarettes. Louis throws out the lighter because lighting his cigarettes is Armand’s job from now on. That’s what my first interpretation was, and it fits the narrative best.

B) Armand lit Louis’s cigarette as ordered, then Louis lit Armand’s cigarette, returning the favor. His gift has grown stronger compared to the beginning of the episode: now he doesn’t need to be angry to use it, as the weakness and hesitation were banished along with Lestat’s ghost. He throws out the lighter because he doesn’t need it anymore.

C) They actually both lit their own cigarettes. Louis’s nod was actually the permission for Armand to light his own. Follows from what each of them is looking at.

(Edited much later to add: In the film Now, Voyager (1942), previously referenced by Armand in 2.02, a man lights two cigarettes at once then hands one to his lover! Well, that settles it, then. Option A it is. Love wins! For a while.)

---

Okay, enough about the men. I have another question, inspired by the claudeline scene. If someone is turned into a vampire while menstruating, are they going to be stuck menstruating for all eternity? That would be horrific. The vampires should update the great rule about children and the injured etc. specifically to forbid this as well.

---

Edit: after one more episode and approximately two days of scrolling through people’s blogs from that period, I come back to this section because it concerns something from this episode specifically. I saw some strongly opinionated discourse about the “Arun” thing, and that suddenly made something click for my own understanding of the scene.

Sure, this is Armand’s birth name that he just revealed in a bid to solidify their relationship and that nobody else knows, so using it is an intimate gesture that indicates romantic commitment. However, that doesn’t explain why Louis simultaneously uses it as one of the markers of them bringing D/s into their relationship, or why Armand immediately understands it as such and responds by addressing him as “Maître” specifically.

Well, there’s something that caught my attention in a scene from 2.01 that I’ve already talked about a lot. Armand says about Daniel that “the boy” is “still in there, somewhere”, and that they “can find him” and bring this younger self out to make him more compliant. In the next episode that plan is put into action when Daniel acts out of line and Louis puts him in his place. When Louis asks his final piercing question, he calls Daniel “Danny”.

Fast forward to the episode I’m discussing here, 2.04. Armand, as the Maître of the coven, disciplines Claudia by making her wear childish clothing and makeup even offstage; Louis watches this happen. Later in the same episode, Armand opens up to Louis about his past for the first time, and tells him of the first of the several names he’s had, the one from his youth until 15 years old. These are the two pieces of information introduced earlier in the same episode with which Louis goes into the umbrella scene: 1) that Armand sees infantilization as a tool to enforce or signify hierarchy which is the job of the Maître of the coven, and 2) what Armand’s childhood name was. So Louis puts these two pieces together and addresses Armand by his childhood name (to sound patronizing like a coven leader would), and when he does so, Armand understands and effortlessly responds in kind (by addressing him with a coven leader title), because Louis is intentionally using the tools that Armand himself gave him.

(I guess this is a very long-winded way to say that Louis essentially calls Armand a (good) boy with a few extra steps but whatever ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯)

(And all of that is also connected with both of them repeatedly referring to Daniel as “boy”, especially in 1973.)

(And in 1.05, they’re doing their roleplay right in front of Claudia’s diaries... To the sound of her victims’ last words “no, please, stop” written in them... Not a direct connection, but that juxtaposition of presence vs absence of consent still feels thematically relevant to the similar contrasts presented in this episode.)

---

Edited right before posting to add:

I rephrased my wording in the section above to be clearer for a potential reader compared to how I originally wrote it for myself, because I’ve seen even more bizarre discourse since then and don’t want someone to mistake my opinion for those I actually disagree with. I didn’t change the meaning of what I was saying, though, and since then I’ve obviously gained some perspective, so here’s a couple of clarifications. The preceding part of the scene (“I’m a little wet”) was not mentioned because I didn’t have any questions about it, and was only trying to figure out why loumand were using these specific name and title for each other. I focused on Claudia’s punishment here because it was in the same episode, but in retrospect, the nickname “Puce” might be a closer analogy. As another example from the same episode, there’s Armand calling Louis and Santiago fledglings. Louis isn’t evoking the idea of punishment or hazing, just the general “age = hierarchy”, which in retrospect is such a basic obvious concept that I’m embarrassed I spilled so much ink over this in the first place. Let me go over the points I was trying to make above, again:

The usage of overly familiar and/or diminutive terms of address as a display of seniority and dominance is a fairly universal and basic thing, and in a previous episode Louis has demonstrated that in the present day he can do it to great effect in order to breach someone’s emotional walls.

In the 1940s, Louis has seen Armand use similar tricks to wield his authority as a coven leader, so he knew he’d recognize the power play.

Conversely, the main hierarchical relationship in the vampire community is “coven leader/coven member”, so these are the roles that Armand projects onto Louis and himself respectively. And Armand, who is sick and tired of leadership and also terrible at it, and has spent a long time trying to get Louis to see beyond his stoic façade and commit to him and be in a coven with him, is relieved and happy to grant Louis the symbolic title of the leader for the pseudo-coven of just the two of them. Also all this happens in the span of seconds and they’re both really horny about it, so they’re not overthinking it like I have been doing for a whole page.

Alright, that’s it. I feel stupid for retroactively attaching what is essentially a long disclaimer to my two month old liveblog, but it was either this or removing the whole section altogether, which would have defeated the point of leaving a record of my evolving opinions. It might be especially redundant because I also have a draft of a long post breaking down this episode’s themes and storylines, which makes similar points, and I’m hoping to publish it sooner than later. Well, at least it was nice to see AZ validate the main point of my interpretation in one of his interviews (the one quoted here), so I don’t feel like this entire wall of text is completely off base.

Next: 2.05 →

Interview with the Vampire notes, episodes 1.07–2.08

Here are the notes I took after watching every episode of IWTV, starting with the first season finale.

This post is just the intro; see the reblogs for the full text. I’m not sure that it’s possible to fit 20k words into one post, and even if it is, such a long post would be painful to navigate. More importantly, this way the contents of the posts shouldn’t flood the site-wide search results for pretty much every possible character and ship name I mention here. There is some negativity in these notes; if that bothers you, please scroll past.

I tried to simulate a fandom experience for myself, taking a break after each episode, checking out what other people said about it, and writing down my reactions mostly to the episode itself but sometimes to the things I’ve seen posted about it.

For context, I watched the first two episodes of season 1 back when they came out, loved them, but failed to keep up with the weekly releases and decided to catch up later. When season 2 aired, I checked out the trending posts every weekend, and after it was completed, I finally restarted the show from the beginning. Oh, and I had seen the movie half a lifetime ago as a teenager. This means that I was familiar with the premise and some of the main characters, was aware of the impending tragedy (one of the few things I remembered from the movie, and one of the reasons I was afraid to catch up and break my heart), had no idea about the events of the late season 1 or what the fandom was doing during the hiatus, but knew pretty much every major spoiler from season 2.

I didn’t take notes during season 1, because I was familiar with the opening episodes and satisfied by the following ones (I thought the first four episodes were flawless television). After the first season finale finally had things that bothered me enough to write about it, I started taking notes. Initially I just wrote down the things that I disliked or had questions about, but with each episode I got into the habit more, and had more fandom reactions to sift through and prompt further thoughts. By the end of the season, I was having long-winded arguments with myself. Since the point was to record my own evolving opinions, I didn’t go back and amend the previous entries, except for one or two marked paragraphs; all editing for that part was for clarity only. I wrote all of that in the notes app on my phone, for the first time in my life. The exception to the above is the final section with my opinions about the finale and the entire season: I kept periodically adding to my original phone notes during the almost two months between watching the episode and publishing this post. That’s why it took me so long: completionism finally took over and made me attempt to write down every thought about the show I had and attach it here, then proofread the resulting wall of text more times than it is healthy.

That’s enough for an intro. Direct links to each reblog:

1.07 – 2.03 / 2.04 / 2.05 / 2.06 / 2.07 / 2.08 / season 2

[faceofabotticelliangel]

5,4, 11!

CANON MUSE QUESTIONS

What is an aspect of your muse’s canon material or canon existence that you never had the opportunity to explore but really want to?

I’ve always, always wanted to explore his time with Santino and relationship with the Children of Darkness and the three hundred or so years in the Renaissance that he spent in complete darkness and brainwashed from his eastern orthodox childhood and hedonistic youth. Luckily, I very recently got a thread going in this era with a partner of mine’s oc and hoooooooo! I’m ready for some dark satanic Armand who might want to tear a certain apostate to pieces if he keeps offending the Devil’s delicate sensibilities!!

Have you made any outright changes to the canon material in order to write your muse the way you wanted (entire scenes you chose to omit, chapters you say never existed, things you assume were never said, etc.)?

I mean, I know a large majority of the fandom does this. A lot of AR’s writing is inherently racist or sexist and outright pedophilic. But for the most part I keep to Armand’s written source, only really changing the most minor of things. For a long while I didn't’ agree with the introduction of Sybelle & Benji at the end of his biography, but I’ve since come to accept them both into his life as essential and important companions. If I want to go in deep on this, considering the current canon timeline of the last two books of Prince Lestat and PL & The Realms of Atlantis, I absolutely don’t count any of those events canon sans the characters within them. I take tidbits of Armand’s interactions from them, like the fact Daniel and him apparently offscreen get back together, but ultimately I disagree with the Gary Stue treatment of Lestat in the most recent novels and feel like Armand has no place being there besides giving fanservice for Anne’s bank account. As for the question I get the most on this blog more than any other: DID Armand experiment on Claudia’s body before killing her?I like to keep this area grey. I felt Armand said he did this very deliberately, as he said a great deal of other deliberate and cruel words to other characters in his own book, but ultimately his intent has always been unknown. As his truths, as his lies, as his personhood. 

For book muses, what is a scene with your muse that you hate? Why? Can you provide a short excerpt?

OH MY GOD. I have many I hate ngl. But gesturing above to the newest books and what I said already, I still stand to the idea he does not belong there. Anne writes him in to be the hated character in the novels for something that happened oVER THREE HUNDRED YEARS AGO to a very small group of immortals, yet other characters who spent a literal millennium killing immortals get off scotch free. It’s kind of ridiculous to me. And I’m very, very tired of how Marius has been allowed to treat Armand in the recent book even going so far as to call him a CHILD ?? Like, the fuck Marius? YOU’RE THE REASON HE’S AN ETERNAL CHILD? How much more can you spit acid in your fledgling’s face because you’re bitter to be alone and you can’t rip off your martyr complex for one second and accept that perhaps Armand’s not naive anymore as you always thought??? I think one scene I hate most of all in the books though is when Marius turns Sybelle & Benji into vampires as a weak sort of apology for abandoning Armand and Armand has this fit and Marius doesn’t even apologize and grossly justifies himself despite Armand telling him he’s an asshole until Armand just internalizes that shit up inside of him and accepts his new fate. It’s soooo many levels of fucked up.Anyways, here’s the small bit in the book, but I STILL GET SO ANGRY:

”That was it, all of it. And I knew you would cry, and I knew you would suffer, but I knew you have them and love them when it was finished, and I knew that you needed them desperately. So there you are…joined now with the serpent and the lion and the wolf, and far superior to the worst of men who have proved themselves in this time to be colossal monsters, and free to feed with care upon a world of evil that can swallow every bit of pruning they care to do.”…….     “You should have trusted them, Master, you should have let them have their chance. Whatever you thought of the world, you should have let them have their time with it. It was their world and their time.”  He shook his head as though he was disappointed in me, and a little weary, and as he had resolved all these matters long ago in his mind, perhaps before I had even appeared last night, he seemed willing to let it all go.    “Armand, you are my child forever,” he said with great dignity. “All that is magical and divine in me is bounded by the human and always was.”“You should have let them have their hour. No love of me should have written their death warrant, or their admission to our strange and inexplicable world. We may be no worse than humans in your estimation, but you could have kept your counsel. You could have let them alone.”…….He hated the storm inside himself and he was overcome by my sorrow. I knew this plainly enough. And it gave me no satisfaction at all.   “You despise me now, and perhaps you’re right. I knew you would weep, but in a very profound way, I misjudged you. I didn’t realize something about you. Perhaps I never have.”     “What’s that, Master,” I said with acidic drama.     “You loved them selflessly,” he whispered. “”For all their strange faults, and wild evil, they were not compromised for you. You loved them perhaps more respectfully than I…than I ever loved you.”

[bandedbulbussnarfblat]

First Taste

here is a genderswap Daniel/Armand fic. It was for vamptember, but it's a day late. very nsfw

Danielle Molloy is endlessly fascinating.  A lovely mess of contradictions and so achingly human.  

He’s been chasing her for a little over a year now.  They’ve begun to talk, having long drawn out conversations about anything that comes to Armand’s mind.  It doesn’t matter if he shows her these parts of himself; he’s going to kill her anyway.  

The foolish girl has nearly stopped running.  She had the gall to greet him with a smile the last time he saw her.  A smile!  As if he hasn’t made it explicitly clear he means to end her life.  

It isn’t that she isn’t afraid.  It’s that she likes the fear.  It excites her.  Arouses her.  

The very idea of him arouses her.  She’s built some romantic notion of him, one he will thoroughly enjoy destroying when the time comes.  For now, she’s his prey and he has her cornered.  It’s time to play with her.  

Armand slips in through the open balcony doors of the hotel room Danielle is staying in.  It’s like the girl has no survival sense at all.  She’s practically inviting him in.  

He finds her sprawled over the bed, sheet twisted around her waist.  She’s wearing a light pink silk nightdress, and he can see the little nubs of her nipples through the fabric.  Her dark curls are spilled around her on the pillow, wild and free.  He can smell her blood pumping, and can see all the lovely veins along her arms and neck.  

How easy it would be to take her now.  He could crush her against his chest, and feel those pert little nipples press against him.  Armand imagines she’d taste sweet, like a summer wine or an overripe fruit.  Sweet, with an undercurrent of spice.  

She smells delicious.  Too delicious, her scent shouldn’t be so strong.  Armand drifts over to her, a fleeting thought passing his mind that she could have hurt herself.  His chasing her might have driven her to such actions.  Armand dismisses it almost immediately; Danielle is too stubborn to ever willingly face death.  She still finds a way to ask about becoming a vampire every time they meet.  

He glides down the blankets and understands at once what that aroma is.  There is blood  staining her nightgown, down between her legs.  She’s menstruating.  Armand lifts up the fabric, careful to keep the touch delicate and light.  He doesn’t touch her at all, only the blood-damp fabric.  That he rubs between finger and thumb, then brings both up to his mouth to lick them clean.  

She tastes like heaven.  

The blood from there is never as sweet as the blood from the veins, but it has its own appeal.  Armand learned that years ago, when he was just a fledgling vampire.  His mortal friend and confidante, Bianca Solderini, taught him that.  She knew he was a vampire, and so had asked him if any blood would sate his hunger.  He’d been eager to try.

It had been an overwhelming experience, to be so surrounded by blood.  To smell nothing but it, and taste it, again and again.  To be able to suck and pull out more and more blood, without fear of taking too much.  He’d been ravenous with thirst after and had sunk teeth into her inner thigh and drank so deeply she nearly fainted.  

Armand wonders if Danielle would let him taste her.

He knows that she’s attracted to him; he’s read her thoughts here and there.  She thinks he’s beautiful; though not quite like most people.  She likes the inhumanity of him, likes his monstrosity.  And she hates herself for liking it.  

She’s thought of him while touching herself.  Armand hadn’t been expecting to enter her room and find her doing that.  But he hadn’t let his shock show on his face.  He dipped into her mind and saw what she was thinking before he announced his presence.  It had been of him.  Specifically of him biting her.  Not at all what he had expected.  

Danielle stirs and her eyes flutter.  She yawns, and opens her eyes, then screams.  Or tries to.  As soon as she gathers the breath to build it, Armand presses a hand over her mouth.  

“Hush, Danielle,” he says, “I have no intention of harming you tonight.”

She relaxes and pushes his hand off.  “It’s just you.  Jesus, I thought you were some murderer-rapist.”

Armand arches a brow at her as she sits up.  Has she truly forgotten what he is?  Perhaps a demonstration is in order.

Danielle rolls her eyes.  “You know what I mean.”

Armand wraps a hand around her throat and slams her back against the headboard.  He only uses enough force to frighten her a little, not to cause harm.  He did say he had no intentions of harming her.  

Her breath hitches and her pupils dilate.  Her heartbeat increases and her cheeks flush.  She’s quite beautiful, this girl.  “I am a murderer.  Would you like to hear how many I’ve killed tonight?”

Danielle licks her lips.  “Stop trying to scare me.  You already said you won’t hurt me tonight.  Unless you’re a liar and a murderer.”

“You should be afraid, foolish girl.”

Danielle swallows; his grip is loose enough to allow her to.  He’d choke her, but he wants to hear what she’s about to say.  “What, you want me to be some scared little girl and cower in front of the big, scary, monster?  Go fuck yourself.”

“I’m the thing you feared when you screamed tonight.”

Her heart pounds a little louder.  “You’re a monster and a murderer…but not a rapist, right?”

There’s a flash of an image in his mind, the image of a clear blue sky out of the small round window of the ship.  The feel of wood grain under his fingernails, against his cheek.  Armand shuts away the thought before it can be properly born.  Some things are best left untouched.  

Armand leans in nearer to her, and moves his mouth to near her ear.  “When I take you, Danielle, it will be because you’re begging me to, and not a moment before.”

Danielle inhales sharply and her gaze drops to his mouth.  They’re very close, close enough that they can share a breath.  Danielle’s heart is racing and her thoughts are practically shouts.  She desperately wants him to kiss her.

Armand doesn’t.  Anticipation will make it all the sweeter, and besides, he hasn’t decided how much he’s going to indulge here.  He has no problems playing with his food before he eats it.  But this isn’t the right moment.  

He releases her and pulls back.  Her disappointment is nearly palpable.  “You’ve stained her nightgown.”

Danielle glances down.  “Fuck, I liked this gown.  I usually just wear tee-shirts to bed.”

“Yes, I know.”

Danielle crosses her arms over her chest.  “Creeper.  I should probably cover up.”

She makes no move to do so.  Armand tilts his head and runs a hand up her thigh, over the blanket.  He gets to where it stops and takes the edge between his fingers.  He glances up at Danielle’s face and slowly pulls it back.  She shows no indication that she wants him to stop.  Her thoughts are those of arousal and fear.  But not fear of harm, fear of embarrassment.  

“As much as I like where this seems to be heading, I’m on the rag this week.”

Armand doesn’t exactly know the expression, but gets the gist.  “I’m a vampire.  Do you think blood bothers me?”

“I guess not.”  She’s already wet; Armand can smell it.  Her thoughts are a jumble of sex and desire.  

“I want to taste you.”

Her eyes go wide.  “You mean…down there?”

“Yes, Danielle.”

Her thoughts are racing.  “What if I taste bad?  Oh god, that would be so embarrassing.  But what if he likes it?  What if it makes him like me more?  Maybe he won’t kill me if we’re fucking.  Maybe I can get him to make me a vampire.”

Armand wraps the hand back around her throat and shoves her down the bed and onto her back.  “Don’t make the mistake of thinking you can tame me.”

Danielle glares at him.  “I wouldn’t want you without your claws.”

Armand releases her and sinks down to kneel between her legs.  Her blue cotton panties are stained with blood.  She’ll probably throw them out, so Armand decides it’s alright to be a bit theatrical.  He rips them down the middle and Danielle gasps.  

“Tell me you want this, Danny.”

Her voice shakes when she answers, “I want you.”

Armand reaches between her legs and tugs out her tampon.  It’s soaked with blood and smells tantalizing.  Armand takes it into his mouth and sucks on it.  The rich flavor of her blood erupts on his tongue and he sighs with pleasure.  

“Oh god, that’s so disgusting.  That’s so disgusting, so why is it so hot?”

Armand ignores Danielle’s jabbering.  She never shuts up any other time, why would sex be any different?  He slings her thighs over his shoulder and puts his mouth on her.  He delves his tongue inside and licks into her.  The taste of her is stronger, sharper here.  Armand licks into her, again and again.  He chases after the taste of her and she pants above him.  

He only indulges himself for a moment, then he begins to focus on Danielle’s pleasure.  Her fingers wind into his hair and she says his name with a moan.  He licks into her, slipping into her thoughts to know exactly what it is she desires.  He rubs his thumb in circles over her clit while he licks inside her. 

His world is narrowed down to the blood, to the taste and feel of her.  He wants to sink his fangs into her, to bite down and drink and drink and drink, to drain her dry.  

Armand wrenches his mouth from her hole and licks his way up to her clit.  He kisses it softly, then licks over it, gently, with ever increasing pressure.  He waits for her legs to start shaking, then he pulls back and fucks his tongue into her instead.  

After the third time, her fingers are gripped tightly in his hair and there are tears in her eyes.  “Armand, please; please let me come.”

She did ask nicely.

Armand returns to her clit and circles his tongue around it until she starts to shift, then he wraps his lips around it and sucks.  He alternates sucking and licking, until she’s quivering and crying.  She comes and her entire body goes taut and she screams.  Armand works her through it, then sucks on her again, hard and forceful and another orgasm rocks her body.  

Her hand falls limp on the bed and she breathes hard.  “Fucking hell.”

Armand smiles and she glances down at him. “How’d I taste, by the way?”

“Divine.”

[bandedbulbussnarfblat]

or read it below for those who prefer to read on tumblr

The alleyway is dark as Daniel stumbles out the back entrance to the club.  He's wearing jeans, a faded Led Zeppelin shirt and his leather jacket.  It isn't the outfit Armand picked out for him, so he knows there will be hell to pay later.  He just didn't think Armand would punish him like this.

Standing in the alley, looking like sin incarnate in black leather pants and a mesh top is Armand.  His eyes are brown--Daniel hates when he wears the contacts--and focused on a woman standing beneath him.  She has blonde hair pulled back in a sleek ponytail, tan skin that's just a tiny bit pink across the nose and big blue eyes with lashes for days.  Legs for days too, and she's showing them off in those short suede shorts.

Her name is Nola, or Nina, or something.  She was chatting with Daniel in the club.  For once, someone took an interest in him and not Armand.  Not that this was his normal place for picking up chicks.  It was more of a gay bar, but she had caught him checking her out and said "You like girls too?"

Daniel had said yes and she had dragged him to the dance floor.  Armand was busy doing the Little Drink, meandering throughout the crowd.  So Daniel had danced and talked with her, and they really hit it off.  She didn't care that he had someone, she was into free love.  Daniel decided she could be the person he fucked tonight while Armand watched.  He left her to go grab some drinks, then when he returned, she was gone.

Here she is, leaning against the wall of the building and staring up at Armand. He towers over her and he speaks so low, Daniel can't hear his voice.  He doesn't need to, Armand saw he chose a play mate and swooped in to grab her for them.

Except that isn't what happens.

Daniel watches in horror as the woman turns her head and offers her neck.  Her eyes are vacant and her mouth is frozen in a smile. Armand latches onto her neck and drinks deeply from her.  Just as she starts to swoon, he wraps an arm around her waist.  They loom to all the world like two lovers caught in an embrace.

Armand lets her body hit the ground with a dull thud.  

Daniel breaks out of his shock and marches over to Armand.  His blood is singing in his veins.  He's never been so aroused or so angry.  He pokes a finger in Armand's chest.  "What the hell was that?" 

Armand shrugs lightly.  "You wanted her to play with, she didn't want to play with me."

Sometimes people don't like the idea of Armand watching.  Usually, they're too eager for the chance he might join to worry about it.  But this girl was different.  

"Oh my god, you killed her because she didn't like you," Daniel says, stunned.

Armand looks away from him.  "She was fond of you.  She was imagining a future beyond this night."

It suddenly clicks for Daniel.  It's not vanity that ended this girl,  but jealousy.  "You're jealous.  She liked me, and you're jealous."

"Don't be absurd, Daniel," Armand says.  "You're mine, I have no reason to be jealous."

"And you won't even admit to it, you asshole."

Daniel feels his previous good mood vanish. Now,instead of getting laid, he has to wait for Armand to deal with a body.  A body of a woman who did nothing wrong, other than want Daniel.  It's fucked up.

Daniel shoves his hands in his pockets.  "I can't believe you."

Armand shifts his gaze to Daniel.  "You're upset."

"No shit, Sherlock."  The last time Daniel had used that expression, it lead to he and Armand watching every piece of Holmes media that existed.  It had been exhausting.

"I will handle the body.  Meet me back home."

Armand speaks like he's sure Daniel will listen.  And that's the thing, isn't it?  Daniel always listens.  

"Fuck that; you do what you gotta do, I'm staying out."

Armand lets out a small sigh.  "Daniel,now is not the time to be difficult."

Daniel glances down at the body.  At the cold, empty eyes.  She was a good girl.  In med school.  Wanted to be a pediatrician.  She had a whole life ahead of her.  

He should feel guilty.  He should feel sick and disturbed.  Mostly he's just angry.  Armand had no right to kill someone just because he was jealous.

Like he couldn't just talk to Daniel! Then he'd know that Daniel would never leave him, not for all the med students in the world.

"Too bad.  You killed my friend."

Armand's voice has an edge of impatience when he speaks.  "You just met her.  She wasn't  a friend."

"She could have been!" Daniel says.  "If you let me have anyone in my life but you.  But you're too possessive for that."

"Ah, so that's what this is about." Armand scans the ally and lifts the body of the girl up.  He easily dumps her into a dumpster further down and floats back to Daniel's side.

Daniel steps away from him.  Armand frowns. "Daniel, beloved-"

"Don't start with that.  You can't sweet talk me into being okay with this."

Armand has that look on his face like he thinks Daniel is being ridiculous, but he magnanimously amuses him.  It patronizing as fuck.  

"And don't look at me like that!"

Armand says nothing, merely steps forward and collects Daniel in his arms.  He props his chin on Daniel's head.  "I've caused you distress.  It was not my intention."

Daniel refuses to give in just because Armand is showing affection.  He's angry, dammit.

His arms go around Armand's waist without his consciously deciding it.  He buries his face in Armand's chest.  "Next time ask first."

Armand's hand runs a soothing line down his back.  "If you'd like."

That's good enough for Daniel.  

Read my latest Armand/Daniel fic here