#yes its that time when daniel was living with marius

[moondustinfj]

Daniel Molloy posted:

Louis de Pointe du Lac tagged Lestat de Lioncourt

Armand liked this post

Lestat de Lioncourt replied: I went to the kitchen to get my yoghurt and within 2 minutes, you all ganged up aganist me!! I see how it is! So i should just fuck off and make all of your wishes come true!!

Daniel Molloy, Louis de Pointe du Lac, Armand and Marius de Romanus liked this post

Armand tagged Lestat de Lioncourt:

Lestat de Lioncourt blocked Armand

Daniel Molloy replied:

Louis de Pointe du Lac tagged Lestat de Lioncourt: Come on mon cher it was just a joke, no need to make this ugly. I was the one to tag you in the first place

Lestat de Lioncourt replied: You aren't the one making this ugly beautiful one. Those two idiots are

Daniel Molloy tagged Lestat de Lioncourt: simp.

Lestat de Lioncourt blocked Daniel Molloy

Lestat de Lioncourt unblocked Armand

Armand tagged Louis de Pointe du Lac: Thank you for taking my side Louis xoxo 💞💞

Lestat de Lioncourt blocked Armand

Louis de Pointe du Lac replied:

Marius de Romanus tagged Lestat de Lioncourt:

🖕🖕

(this is Daniel btw)

[murfpersonalblog]

IWTV S2 Ep3 - Armand as Unreliable Narrator

I'm seeing a lot of posts defending AMC!Armand against fans thinking he's lying or untrustworthy or something. I've seen people point out valid things like AMC's deliberate twisting / reckless disregard of book canon; to bad takes stemming from shipping wars; to personal preferences & biases.

My reservations against AMC!Armand go all the way back to S1, when we saw those floating bookshelves and sliced pages in Claudia's diary. I've long since been of the suspicion that Armand's not necessarily forcing Louis against his will or anything THAT nefarious; but that he's definitely been taking advantage of Louis' need for someone to help stop him from going off the deep end--and more importantly, that he's been taking more than his fair share of autonomy over things Louis does/doesn't have access to--specifically: information/knowledge.

For me, GABRIELLE'S absence is the most telling red flag. Cuz the writers know good & well that they want S3/TVL; Rolin never shuts up about it. It's not that AMC isn't doing the books so we don't need to expect it to be 1:1--it's that THEY ARE doing the books! They're planting seeds through deliberate misdirection & omission.

Gab's arguably the most important/impactful person in Lestat's life b4 he meets Louis. She's Les' very first fledgling. She's there when Armand kidnaps Nicki; she's there when Alessandra explains the Devil's Road for the first time (a scene AMC was obvs inspired by with Daciana in 2x1); she's there when Les leaves the Theatre; she's everywhere.

And what's more:

Armand hates Gabrielle's GUTS.

Gabrielle's "useless" to Armand, but she was EVERYTHING to Les, and most of his emotional damage & abandonment issues come from her. Armand KNEW to weaponize Magnus' suicide & Gab's lackluster treatment of child!Les as the best way to seduce him!

Armand, like Claudia, is DESPERATE for someone to want & need him as their #1.

Louis is pretty good for this--if only he'd hurry up & get over Lestat (& Claudia) already.

In the book!IWTV/TVA, Armand dumped Louis when Lou gave up on being happy & got way too depressed for Armand to help him anymore. But Armand really wanted Lestat. Cuz Lestat is CLINGY--he doesn't pack & up leave (ie: give up) without a DARN good reason--and it's mighty sus that Armand didn't mention that Les & Gab left him to look for HIS MAKER, MARIUS, cuz Armand didn't know ISH, and doubted Marius was still alive--cuz if he was still alive, why had ARMAND been ABANDONED BY MARIUS for all those centuries, left for dead with the Children of Darkness/Satan? 👀💔

Lestat is a carbon copy of Marius, down to the blonde hair, blue eyes, and red velvet. Armand's Louis' rebound of Lestat, but Lestat's Armand's rebound of Marius.

Louis is not the only vampire who lives in a constant state of denial/delusion, running from his fears. They are both exact opposites of Lestat, who confronts his fears head-on.

I'm becoming increasingly convinced that if Lestat IS asleep in the penthouse, Louis doesn't know--or he doesn't have all the correct info. Cuz Armand's been isolating Louis this whole time in their weird cage/penthouse, with its jail bars and floating bookcases. He is ACTIVELY AGAINST this entire interview; and he encourages any & all contradictory talk of Lestat being "dead"--

--so it makes sense that he wouldn't want Louis to know anything about Gabrielle, as that would be someone who KNOWS Lestat, and would probably know where to find him (IF he's not comatose in the penthouse somewhere).

So for Armand to leave Gab out and make it seem like Mama's Boy Lestat was this cavalier playboy who cared about nothing & no one but himself (as per Louis' words to Daniel) just smacks of a highly slanted angle, that even LOUIS is ignorant of--I don't think AMC!Louis knows anything about Gabrielle's existence whatsoever. 👀 Yes, "Lestat never told me ish!;" but clearly ARMAND never told him the whole story, either. 😬🤫🤐

Then, there's Nickistat....

Plenty of interviews/reviewers already said Armand's petty, so I'm not surprised that the Nicki info doesn't add up. First off, it's a great way to garner sympathy from Louis, and create a connection, and act as an effective stimulus for Louis' own unpleasant experiences being cucked by Lestat. If Armand can convince Louis that Lestat did to Louis what Lestat did to Nicki, it just makes Lestat look worse; legitimizing why Loumand is oh-so-much-better; which they're actively tryna pitch to Daniel.

But it's a risky gamble though, cuz it also puts Armand in the same spot as Antoinette--and we see how that went. 😬💀🔥 Only this time it won't be Armand who ends up in flames, but Louis, if AMC pulls a Merrick.

It helps that "Lestat never told him ish," either, cuz Louis CLEARLY has no idea that Nicki died--AND HOW. Lestat admitted that he & Nicki "parted ways," but if that's all Louis knows, then ofc Armand can tack on that Nicki was abandoned & hung out to dry--that Lestat was giving Armand money through Roget, not NICKI; that the Theatre was Nicki's, NOT Armand's--and neatly omit everything about what really happened: that Nicki was mentally insane, thoroughly hated & resented Lestat by that point, and was eventually tortured & killed BY ARMAND and his coven when THEY couldn't handle him anymore--a la PAUL'S treatment by the DPDLs.

Armand NEEDS to come across as sympathetically as possible; otherwise he loses Louis AND Daniel to this interview--only this time he won't be the one sitting back letting it happen.

For me, Armand's unreliable not cuz cuz I hate him--on the contrary, I've said 1000 times that he's my fave character in TVC; and Assad's doing an excellent job with him so far. But I don't trust him cuz I KNOW HIM--the fandom calls him a GREMLIN for a reason. I know the stunts he pulled in TVL (telling Daniel the Children of Darkness/Satan killed themselves, when in the book Armand killed them all (except for Eleni, Felix, and like 2 others IDER--they're all Rhoshamandes' fledglings IIRC). He's reduced Nicki's role significantly; making him seem like some desperate twink, while not mentioning how Nicki was half mad before Armand chopped his hands off & forced him to kill himself when he couldn't play violin anymore.

Armand is a MENACE in the early books, and he was originally supposed to be a main TVC villain before Anne Rice realized how much she liked him in QotD and toned him TF down--same way she did with Lestat's transition from IWTV to TVL.

THAT'S why Armand is both lovable/likable and also SUS AF. At least for me. I can't speak for other fans, ofc, cuz I know some folks approach Armand from totally different angles.

[faerywhimsy]

Day 1 - A Druid

"Will you tell me a story?" Daniel asked, at the end of a long night, at what was the second anniversary of his turning that Daniel and Marius had spent together.

The last year had been... rather more difficult. Marius had made both of them the silent promise that this year would not again be the same.

"Whatever you wish, young one," Marius said softly. "What would please you? A ghost story? One of a necromancer, perhaps?"

"Will you tell me about when you became a vampire?" Daniel asked softly, still not meeting his eye. "There was a druid involved, wasn't there?"

"A God of the Grove," Marius uttered, his voice still soft but now for a different reason. Marius did not like to think of his beginnings.

He supposed he was a little like Daniel in that way. The past still had such power to cause such pain.

"That's right." Daniel frowned, as though he was trying to remember something, then he let it pass as though accepting his brain still wouldn't work the way he wanted it to. The way he still sometimes expected it to nonetheless. "Would you tell me about that?"

"Will that help?" Marius asked him, lifting one fair brow.

Daniel gave a shrug, retreating back into quiet. Marius didn't know if it was because he'd lost his words to answer, or whether it was simply just Daniel did not know the answer to Marius' question.

And so Marius moved into granting to Daniel what he had asked for. With his soft, even cadence, Marius articulated the story of how one called Mael brought an aging scholar of the age of forty into the wood where the burned and crippled vampire known only as the God of the Grove could no longer inspire the devotion his followers required of him.

"I was to replace him," Marius murmured in his carefully measured tone. "I did not know that at the time. I did not even yet know of such immortals existed."

"Apart from the Greek Gods," Daniel acerbically inserted, having found his voice again for a moment, to Marius' delight.

He smiled. Daniel's engagement made unpacking this story for him all the more worthwhile.

"Apart from them," he agreed. Not Gods of the Grove those. A god of the sky, and lightning. Another of the sea and all its creatures. Still one more of darkness and underworld. And so, so many of their siblings and lovers and offspring.

Marius wondered how much his life would have been changed had even just Hades proven demonstrably real; capable of overcoming the druids who had kept Marius until his escape.

Alas, it had been many long centuries since Marius had believed in any god.

Marius learned the language of the druids, he told Daniel. The language that would enable him to converse with those of a world Marius had been unable to previously imagine.

Nobody had ever told him that a human couldn't hope to live with the knowledge of what they were without going insane.

Marius hadn't remained human long enough for that to become any real issue.

And then on the night of the Feast of Samhain, Marius was walked to the great oak tree, where the blood drinker in that place taught him what lessons he could of their kind before bringing him into the blood. It was he who gave Marius the purpose that turned into him becoming the caretaker to the Mother and Father of them all, long before Akasha's bloody rise.

Daniel was silent a long time while Marius was locked in his own thoughts. "Feast of Samhain," he said, breaking into Marius' darker thoughts. "That's... Halloween, yeah?"

Marius ensured that he could speak without his voice breaking before he ever opened his mouth. "It is. Yes."

Daniel smiled, his eyes seeming to go far away for a moment. But not too far. He didn't seem to struggle to come back. But, finally, Daniel observed softly, "You became a vampire at the same time of year as me."

Marius stared at this one so young in the blood, the fledgling of his own fledgling. He felt a softness rise in him for the first time, then, for a very long time. How simple Daniel made it. Bypassing entirely the shared trauma all blood drinkers seemed to carry, just that of being brought into the blood.

It had been something he tried to spare Armand many centuries before and, perhaps, in that one aim Marius had succeeded. But there were so many other ways he had failed him, and Marius keenly held onto each.

Ways that, centuries later, Daniel had somehow gone on to paying for on Marius' behalf.

There were times Marius could barely look at Daniel wouldn't feeling the guilt of ages washing over him. Was endless pain and suffering their only legacy?

And then Daniel, in a momentary reprieve, would say something so utterly genuine and simple that the reframing could bring beauty to something Marius had only seen as ugly before. He managed to bring Marius back to himself when he struggled to find his own purpose in this too modern world.

"I did," Marius said, unable to find the words to articulate the gravity of feelings Daniel had unwittingly stirred in him. "Yes."

Daniel nodded and smiled gently as his eyes began to flutter shut. It would not be dawn for some time yet, but Daniel still felt its coming far sooner than Marius.

Marius only watched the young one as he slept, this boy who contained multitudes that may have gone overlooked if if another lost vampire hadn't decided to offer him an interview.

[hekateinhell]

it's a four day weekend where I'm at so I'm going to live up to my very unofficial title of AU Queen (thank you DA 💖) and rec three of my favorite VC AUs!

today's #vcficfriday includes:

The Radiance of All That Shines (4885 words) by Anonymous Chapters: 1/? Fandom: Vampire Chronicles - Anne Rice Rating: Explicit Warnings: Rape/Non-Con Relationships: Armand/Daniel Molloy, Armand/Marius de Romanus Characters: Armand (Vampire Chronicles), Marius de Romanus, Daniel Molloy, Alessandra (Vampire Chronicles) Additional Tags: Workplace Sexual Harassment, camboy armand, CEO marius, Sex Work, Masturbation, Modern AU, I'll add more tags as i go, Dubious Consent, asexual armand Summary: Armand starts camming so that he can feed himself while he does an unpaid internship at Marius's company. :)

OKAY THIS ONE IS JUST SO REALISTIC WITH ARMAND'S CHARACTERIZATION AND NAVIGATING EVERYTHING THAT COMES WITH CAMMING I CAN'T WAIT FOR IT TO BE UPDATED ANON PLEASE 👀👀

change ain't so sudden (it just hides as it's coming) (47007 words) by Ghost_Ness/@its-ness-ness Chapters: 20/20 Fandom: Vampire Chronicles Series - Anne Rice Rating: Mature Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Lestat de Lioncourt/Louis de Pointe du Lac, Armand/Daniel Molloy, Armand/Louis de Pointe du Lac Characters: Louis de Pointe du Lac, Lestat de Lioncourt, Armand (Vampire Chronicles), Daniel Molloy, Assorted Band Members also, Claudia (Vampire Chronicles) Additional Tags: Human AU, Kidfic, Soap Opera Drama, Vignettes, absolutely dysfunctional relationship(s), general assholery, queer 80s rock entourage AU, Trans!Louis, everyone here is a gay disaster, helplessly watching your friends make horrible life decisions, retelling of Claudia's life in very specific AU circumstances, excessive use of swear words, and catfighting, Child Death, Armand having an emotional crisis as usual, Substance Abuse Summary: “Louis wants a baby.” Lestat swirls his glass again, for want of something to busy his hands. The ice clinks terribly loud against the edges. "Does it sound like such a terrible idea?" It takes all of Armand's remaining willpower not to choke on his coffee. “You really think you can make that work? Do you even understand what you’re asking him to commit to? You can’t. You’re going to break his heart.” If anything’s consistent, it’s surely Lestat’s ability to misread situations, and Louis’ tendency to own a bleeding heart, even at the worst of times. The whole story (or most of it) from the perspective of two outside participants.

I was following along with this one as new chapters were being posted almost daily and when I tell you IT WAS A JOURNEY I WENT THROUGH IT WITH EVERY SINGLE CHAPTER 10/10 my favorite telenovela. SO, SO GOOD from the capturing the decadent 1980s vibe, the whole outsider POV, and translating canon characters and issues into a very unique scenario. Also just saying, 40k is the length of an entire novella so you can consider it your book for the week!

Walk on the Wild Side (29324 words) by @sunshinerambling Chapters: 6/? Fandom: Vampire Chronicles Series - Anne Rice Rating: Not Rated Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Armand/Daniel Molloy, Daniel Molloy/Alice, Armand/Marius de Romanus Characters: Armand (Vampire Chronicles), Daniel Molloy, Marius de Romanus, Alice, Lestat de Lioncourt Additional Tags: Streamer AU, Armand is a streamer, Yes he wears the maid costume, He also has a secret only fans, Daniel goes broke trying to pay for it, Hand Jobs, Over stimulation, onlyfans au, Interview With The Vampire - Freeform, thigh fucking, Maid Costume, Marius De Romanus is a Tech Giant, Dry Humping, Soft humiliation kink, Marius is rough with Armand perpetually, Daniel wants to fuck Armand so badly it makes him look stupid, Surprise Lestat appearance, Lestat is rough with Armand, Public Blow Jobs, Public Hand Jobs, Public Masturbation, Daniel and Armand get closer and closer Summary: Armand streams vintage video games. Daniel convinces himself that he's just here for the video games. Until he realizes Armand also has an OnlyFans for members of a certain tier that sits behind a hefty pay wall.

Watching the virtual dynamics between Daniel, Armand, and Marius play out has me scandalized. I'm HERE for any version of Daniel ruining (enhancing) his life over Armand and I also can't wait for the next update of this one!

December 2023 addition (since I have now done enough #vcficfriday posts to start rbing older ones and share them with new people 💖): THERE'S NOW THREE MORE CHAPTERS AND SHIT IS ESCALATING DELCIOUSLY!! NOW LESTAT HAS JOINED IN THE SHOW AND DO YOU SEE THESE TAGS??? PLEASE THIS IS SO GOOD!!!!

[apoptoses]

It’s been like 10 years (my god) since I last read the books but I distinctly remember Armand’s turning being extremely consensual and… something he actively wanted Marius to do. Am I going insane? Have I actually forgotten a major plot point? Asking because I’ve been seeing a lot of discourse on here/twitter about him being turned against his will and I’m like “yeah that’s not how I remember it”. I figured I’d just ask an expert in all things Armand and settle it once and for all lol. He might not have been begging for it every 10 seconds like Daniel was but he wanted it right?

Armand pretty much begged for it every time he and Marius fooled around (like, he really gives Daniel a run for his money when it comes to pleading for immortality). Let's go right to the text:

Armand wants to become what Marius is when they first start playing with sharing the blood, and is overjoyed when Marius says he'll eventually turn him:

"It's lost its savor for a little while," he said patiently. "But you'd be surprised."

"At what?"

"At how much you'll lament it when it's gone utterly, when you are perfect and unchangeable like me, and all those human mistakes can be triumphantly supplanted by a new and more stunning series of failures. Don't ask for this, not again."

I would have died then, curled up, black and furious and too bitter for words.

But he wasn't finished.

"Amadeo," he said, his voice thick with sorrow. "Say nothing. You don't have to. I'll give it to you quickly enough when I think the time has come."

At that I went to him, running, childlike, flinging myself at his neck, kissing his icy cheek a thousand times despite his mock-disdainful smile."

-TVA p. 62

Then once again after the whipping, he agrees he would want to be turned:

"Yes," he said. Then he came again to kiss me. "Will you be this forever?" he asked. "This man, this young man, that you are now?"

"Yes, Master! Forever and with you!"

-TVA p. 85

Armand had no qualms about what being like Marius necessitated. When he sees him kill, he's not repulsed:

"I was speechless. Fear, loathing, these things had no part in it. I was simply amazed. If I thought, I thought it was wonderous."

-TVA p.89

When Armand does cry for a victim he goes on to say:

""Master, hear my lesson," I said. "Judge my work." I caught my breath in haste and went on. "I saw you drink from those who were evil, convicted in your heart of some gross crime. I saw you feast as it is your nature; I saw you take the blood with which you must live. And all about you lies this evil world, this wilderness of men no better than beasts who will yield up a blood as sweet and rich for you as innocent blood. I see it. That's what you meant for me to see, and it's done.""

[...]

"Would you be with me, and be my pupil and my love?"

"Yes master, always and forever, or for so long as nature gives to you and me!"

-TVA p. 113-114

When Armand is dying, this is what they say:

"It's not my time," I said. "I know it. And such a statement cannot be undone by a mere handful of hours. Smash the ticking clock. They meant, by a soul's incarnate life, it wasn't time. Some destiny carved in my infant hand will not be so soon fulfilled or easily defeated." "I can tip the odds, my child," he said. This time his lips moved. The pale sweet coral brightened in his face, and his eyes grew wide and unguarded, the old self I knew and cherished. "I can so easily take the last strength left in you." He leant over me. I saw the tiny variegations in the pupils of his eyes, the bright deep-pointed stars behind the darkening irises. His lips, so wondrously decorated with all the tiny lines of human lips, were rosy as if a human kiss resided there. "I can so easily take one last fatal drink of your child's blood, one last quaff of all the freshness I so love, and in my arms I'll hold a corpse so rich in beauty that all who see it will weep, and that corpse will tell me nothing. You are gone, that much I'll know, and no more." "Do you say these things to torture me? Master, if I cannot go there, I want to be with you!"

[...]

"Very well, beautiful one. This is the moment. Would you come with me, and be like me?" His voice was rich and soothing, though it was full of pain.

"Yes, always and forever yours."

"Forever to thrive in secret on the blood of the evildoer, as I thrive, and to abide with these secrets until the end of the world, if need be."

"I shall. I want it."

"To learn from me all the lessons I can give."

"Yes, all of them."

[...]

"This is the only sun that you will ever see again. But a millennium of nights will be yours to see light as no mortal has ever seen it, to snatch from the distant stars, as if you were Prometheus, an endless illumination by which to understand all things."

And I, who had beheld a far more wondrous celestial light in that realm from which I'd been turned away, longed only for him to eclipse it now forever."

-TVA 135-139

Now, what I'm guessing is going on since I don't read Discourse™ is that some people are out there playing morality games over whether or not Armand, being that he was under 18 and due to the nature of his and Marius' relationship, could consent. And I am not going to touch that argument, because I have no desire to get angry on this fine Monday afternoon when I have so much to do.

I would only say that though Armand comes to regret what he is that's due to his long and traumatic life, and he himself never once says that his turning was against his will. And as you can see in the text he, in his very own words, asked to be what Marius was, knowing what all that entailed, again and again again.

[graygiantess]

Fuck yes to Daniel punching Marius in the face! Thanks for all the headcanons/theories, loved reading them, and no need to ever respond quickly. I also obviously want to hear both stories. 😇

Okay, I'll start with the anecdote. 👀

Big shocking confession under the break.

This might be a case of "you had to be there" but I'll never forget this as long as I live.

So the last movie we watched that night was The Blair Witch Project, which, honestly, really freaked us out.

The last shot of that is someone standing in a corner, facing that corner while the person who's filming is panicking and wondering what's going on, and it's just really creepy.

My half-sister's son was 4 around that time. (He'd already gone to bed by the time we started watching scary movies, don’t worry.) Foster sister and I slept over and we stayed in his room while he slept in my half-sister's room.

This kid had an enormous anaconda plushie from IKEA. It was, like, legit 10 feet long and had a rattle on its tail.

FOR SOME REASON, my nephew got up really early (still dark outside) and decided to climb into the top bunk, where my foster sister was sleeping. He got really close to her face and rattled the snake tail. He sat completely still otherwise and was also breathing really heavily.

So my foster sister went to bed with that creepy Blair Witch Project image in her head and woke up to the outline of a tiny mouthbreather who was sitting completely still and rattling in her face.

And I woke up to her screaming and nearly yeeting a toddler through the room. 😂

Confession

DON'T CANCEL ME OKAY

But

I've never actually read The Vampire Armand.

I'M SCARED! It's literally been sitting on my shelf for 20 years. Moved house with me three times. But I’m scared.

Because I know more or less what's in there.

My other excuse is that the font is really small, which my covid-addled brain can't handle, but that really is an excuse because I reread IwtV, TVL and QotD with that same covid-addled brain.

I kinda want to read it before S2 airs and so I can stop feeling like a fraud when I'm cranking out all this Armandaniel. But I’m scared. 😭

[nalyra-dreaming]

Maybe a hard question but do you have a favourite book quote from each of the main characters? So, like Louis, Lestat, Armand, Daniel, Marius and Claudia? And maybe a favourite quote from a character I haven't mentioned but it just always stuck with you?

Oof.^^

So I had to chew a bit on this as you probably noticed, and... I'm not sure if they are "the" favorite quotes, but these are the ones that came to mind. They need to be seen in context of course, but these... always give me shivers down my spine, the emotional impact in the scenes is always there.

Louis in The tale of the Body Thief:

"I know. It was wrong. Sometimes you frighten me so badly I hurl sticks and stones at you. It's foolish. I'm glad to see you, though I dread admitting it. I shiver at the thought that you might have really brought an end to yourself in the desert! I can't bear the thought of existence now without you! You infuriate me! Why don't you laugh at me? You've done it before."

Lestat, in Memnoch the Devil:

"I don't like myself, you know. I love myself, of course, I'm committed to myself till my dying day. But I don't like myself."

Armand in The Vampire Armand

"I'm trimmed in memories as if in old furs. I lift my arm and the sleeve of memory covers it. I look around and see other times. But you know what frightens me the most-it is that this state, like so many others with me, will prove the verge of nothing but extend itself over centuries."

Daniel in Queen of the Damned:

"Goddamn it, do it yourself," Daniel had roared. "You're five hundred years old and you can't use a telephone? Read the directions. What are you, an immortal idiot? I will do no such thing!"

Marius in The Vampire Lestat

"You are the damnedest creature, Lestat, " he murmured. "The point is I can do anything I like to you if you tell. Surely you know that. I could crush you underfoot the way Akasha crushed the Elder. I could set you ablaze with the power of my mind. But I don't want to utter such threats. I want you to come back to me. But I will not have these secrets known. I will not have a band of immortals descend upon me again as they did in Venice. I will not be known to our kind. You must never-deliberately or accidentally-send anyone searching for Those Who Must Be Kept or for Marius. You will never utter my name to others."

Claudia in The tale of the Body Thief:

"Oh you are evil, my father," she said in a soft voice. "How can you abide it?"

(technically that is a vision? But still...)

Nicolas in The Vampire Lestat

"And for every aspect of our proposed damnation you found exuberance, and there was no end to your enthusiasm and the passion coming out of you-and the light, always the light. And in exact proportion to the light coming out of you, there was the darkness in me! Every exuberance piercing me and creating its exact proportion of darkness and despair!"

Gabrielle in The Vampire Lestat

"We can't live among our own kind, Armand." And I thought, yes, that is the truest answer of all, and I don't know why I couldn't speak it aloud. "The Devil's Road is what we want, " she said. "And we are enough for each other now. Maybe years and years into the future, when we've been a thousand places and seen a thousand things, we'll come back. We'll talk then together as we have tonight."

There are dozens of other quotes, too, that are impactful as these... the books are filled with them, tbh, so... take it as a snapshot :)

[artandhijinks]

I'm going to kind of do a follow up post to this one and this one to address some issues that have been brought up in comments, tags and reblogs. I've also received quite a bit of hateful and abusive anonymous ask and they will be shut off until further noticed because the internet cannot be trusted.

Yes, the criticism that Claudia the female character of color has no agency of her own is valid. But here's a quick history lesson. Due to the time period she would be considered Louis's ward/property until she found a husband. Then she would be considered his ward/property. Because women weren't even allowed the right to vote until 1920 and in fact, in banks were legally allowed to deny unmarried women their own bank account until 1974. So women were still technically financially dependent on their husband until 1974. Now she probably could have got married even though she was 14. My own grandmother got married at 14 in 1959. But there is no way that's going to fly in a TV show in this day and age. And we have a book to follow plot wise and this is just the treatment of women. The treatment of people of color is even worse. So I get where this complaint is coming from? And it's even worse the further back in history you go. However I would like to add more diversity to this story. That's why I'm really rooting for a lot of race swapping when it makes historical sense. But I still think you guys are looking at this the wrong way. Here me out

The modern day part of the story is going to be the make or break point. Not what happens in the past. It's going to be the modern day. But we don't know what's going on in the modern day. As long as the characters of color now have agency can stand up to their abusive makers. That is what matters. Now for the Louis and Lestat relationship, if they were human that's an abusive relationship. Get out of there but they are vampires. They have eternity to work on themselves and to try to change and work this out. The same thing goes for Daniel and Armand. Do you think the devil's minion when Armand basically stalks Daniel all over the globe and gets him addicted to his blood is healthy. But again we don't fully know what's going on in the modern day.

But I can tell you to justify them staying together and being the end game ship even though they were toxic in the past in the modern day, both Louis and Lestat are going to have to have a relationship with healthy boundaries and Daniel and Armand are in the same boat. Now I love the devil's minion and I'm totally looking forward to this being explored in both the past and its full unhealthy crazy toxic form and the modern day in hopefully a healthier form. But old man Daniel is definitely going to have to lay down some boundaries otherwise they're going to go down the same road as Louis and Lestat did in the past. If they are not at that point yet they need to be at least working to that point. Where they can have healthy boundaries. This is going to be a learning curve for everyone involved.

And as for the changes to Marius's fledglings that I've mentioned earlier. Here is what I would like for them in the modern day.

Let's start with Pandora I would like her to be Indian. Living somewhere far away from Marius. In the books she refuses to be in the same room with him The only exception was when they had to take down Akasha. So this would include her blocking him in every form possible and never contacting him again completely ignoring his existence. She hasn't seen him since he stood her up and he she's never looked back. I ship her with Gabrielle. They've both survived abusive husbands that have treated them like property and an extension of themselves. They wouldn't try to control each other and would probably be living off somewhere in the woods. She wouldn't care that Gabrielle sleeps in the dirt every day and would occasionally just disappear for a little while but she'd always come back her. She would pick up hobbies related to Indian culture because she probably never really learned anything about it until Marius stood her up and she decided to never look back, even though that's the culture of her mother. I could see her getting really good at some of those Indian embroidery techniques where they use actual gold thread or glass/mirrors beads. That just seems like a vampire hobby. It's super detailed and requires a ridiculous amount of time and effort to master again. It seems like a vampire hobby

Then we have Bianca. I mentioned before Venice at the time of the Renaissance had a large African and ottoman Muslim population simply because it was one of the largest and busiest ports in the world at the time. Doesn't this sound a lot like a Renaissance New Orleans? I'm beginning to see some similarities here And it's mentioned somewhere that Marius might have made her because she looked a lot like Pandora. So there's the reason to go ottoman. I would prefer they go African. From what I can tell with my research, the African and ottoman population we're part of just about every social class. This did include slaves but also had indentured servants, the working class and some wealthy merchants. But I would want her to be living her best life somewhere in Africa. Maybe the Caribbean. Far away from Marius if she's African learning everything she can about whatever part of Africa she believes she's from. Again reclaiming that culture that was taken from her. Have her pick up a hobby we know Marius taught most of his fledglings how to paint in the traditional Renaissance style. I could see her being petty and now learning as many of the traditional African crafts to preserve them. Because she's immortal and some of these traditions are at risk of dying out, so they would be preserved with her all she has to do is find someone to teach every few decades. She would be slightly more hospitable if Marius calls asking for something but she still would have no problem telling him to go to go screw himself if she doesn't want to help him do whatever he needs help with

Then we have Armand. Not only does he have Marius to recover from, he also has the satanic cult and all that brainwashing recover from. And can someone correct me if I'm wrong but if I remember correctly didn't he believe if Marius was dead up until Queen of the Damned? He's the one that is going to struggle the most with boundaries when it comes to Marius thinking he was dead combined with severe Stockholm syndrome and all the grooming. But he also has Daniel if they can have a healthy relationship at that point. Daniel would have no problem advocating on his behalf when it comes to Marius. We know he has no problem telling very powerful vampires exactly what he thinks even if it might get him killed. If him and Daniel are not in a good place at this point. Louis would also have no problem helping Armand. They may not be an endgame ship, but they are still good friends

So yes, in the past these characters probably will have little agency in the past. That's just how history was women and people of color were treated as second class citizens at best more commonly they were treated as property. They're going to have to be very careful how they show the past abuse and mistreatment these characters go through. But as long as they have found their agency in the present day. I think we are in a good place.

But I do think this is the direction they're heading at least for Marius and his fledgling since I do think it's highly unlikely David is going to be in the show unless they want to make him a villain cuz I think that's the only way to do it. But that trigger the book purest worse than they already are. So some of his bad traits like the whole colonizer issue are going to Marius because it would be super easy to do it because he's the literal embodiment of western civilization as a Roman philosopher. That leaves the other non-problematic parts of his story going to Daniel they've already set this up by aging him up.

[metalmessage]

Action: SMORRAH Title: Welcome To Your Nightmare Base: Gelsenkirchen • Germany Style: Death Thrash Metal Genre: Thrash Metal, Death Metal, Groove Metal FFO: Pantera, Sepultura, Exhorder Type: Full-length Format: CD + Vinyl + Cassette Label: Sick Taste Records Release: Feb. 23, 2024

[ Logo: Ersin Kara ] [ Artwork: Timon Kokott ] [ Pic: Anna-Lena Hickmann ]

Bulletpoints: 🔘 Strong debut album from the German powerhouse 🔘 Enormously rich, full-bodied Death Thrash package 🔘 Hard-hitting, precise and catchy material https://smorrah.com/ https://smorrah.bandcamp.com/ Socials: https://www.facebook.com/smorrah https://www.instagram.com/smorrah_official https://twitter.com/smorrahofficial https://www.tiktok.com/@smorrah Buy online: https://sektor12shop.de/epages/6c4798ca-5432-4f6d-8408-8e58beb96d35.mobile/de_DE/?ObjectID=1682740&ViewAction=FacetedSearchProducts&SearchString=Smorrah & https://sicktasterecords.bigcartel.com/product/presale-smorrah-welcome-to-your-nightmare-sick-034

The nameplate of this damn sturdy precision Thrash machine reads 2017 - and, yes, the four Thrash'n'Death metallers from SMORRAH are definitely powerhouse guys!

Location: Gelsenkirchen. That's right, the oft-mentioned city known for its glorious soccer club Schalke 04, also home to the Teutonic Thrash Metal pioneers of Sodom. In this former mining area, the eerie legend of the nasty demon "Smorra", who sits on the chests of sleeping people at night and tries to suffocate them bitterly, has been reverently told for generations. LINE-UP: Marius Wegener • Vocals Daniel 'Pumper' Hartmann • Guitars Christian 'Kraje' Krajewski • Bass Raphael Swierczynski • Drums

Our local patriotic heroes gave their own heavy steel commando such a demonic name. Also breathtaking are the stunningly vehemently riffed, fatally powerful and groovy SMORRAH blasts of notes, skillfully crowned by many technical refinements - DEATH THRASH METAL that just pops!

With charismatic playing strength, the bright formation delivers immensely intense, gripping song loads, all of which drill into your consciousness like a workaholic miner on adrenaline!

SMORRAH have also written some similarly spooky stories on their sooty banner, which the determined and tried-and-tested foursome around front beast Marius hoist high into the half-heartedly blowing trend wind!

With their unmistakable and thoroughly uncompromising sound, paired with gloomy lyrics, the band knows how to convince every time anew! Influences from all Metal genres and beyond come together to form a Groove Thrash monster that takes no prisoners.

TRACKS: 📺 01. Welcome To Your Nightmare 04:51 02. Dead Snake Eyes 04:45 📺 03. Age Of Decay 05:54 04. Killing Spree 03:58 05. Hope Dies Last 03:45 06. Buried Underneath 05:40 07. Death Awaits 05:00 08. Evil Betrayal 05:19 09. When The Tide Comes In 06:25

total 45:42

With their debut album "Welcome To Your Nightmare", SMORRAH release a total of 9 variedly conceived and hellishly powerfully produced songs.

High tension is guaranteed: "Welcome To Your Nightmare" energetically takes the listener on a gripping journey into the dark abysses of human psychology, leaving you hardly any time to catch your breath - the deliciously tight, bludgeon-from-the-bag quartet really does more than justify the legend surrounding the band's name!

Tireless headbangers, maniacal Thrashers and hungry Groove heads will all get their money's worth.

And anyone who has experienced these four likeable, down-to-earth heavyweights from Gelsenkirchen at one of their highly explosive and absolutely sweat-inducing live shows knows that there is only one direction with SMORRAH: Straight ahead! Auf Loik!

DISCOGRAPHY: 2018 • The Evil Within • EP 2020 • Necrosouls • Single 2022 • Live At Helvete • Live Album 2024 • Welcome To Your Nightmare • Full-length

MEDIA FEEDBACK:

9,5 / 10 ➤ "... fat riffs that almost take your breath away ... the fantastic thing about the guys from Gelsenkirchen is that they don't let anything get in their way and do their own thing ... Caution: danger of addiction! Groovy thrash monsters could also be lurking by your bedside, waiting for a favourable opportunity ..." (Bleeding4Metal)

9 / 10 ➤ "... singer Marius can not only growl very cool, he also has clear vocals that get under your skin ... blast their groovy riff monsters almost non-stop around your ears or sneak into your thoughts in quiet passages ... one of the pearls of the underground, if not the pearl of the month ... convinces with honest Metal that defies all trends and fires from all cylinders for the entire playing time!" (Obliveon)

9 / 10 ➤ "... really fat ... produces strong pressure ... SMORRAH process the anger in their songs and you can feel that in the relentless sound ... everything is offered to torture your neck muscles or to let off steam in the mosh pit ... what a great groovy crusher!" (Metalheads DE)

9 / 10 ➤ "... a very good debut ... convinces with great musical work and ingenious songwriting ... never gets boring, but makes you want more ... what stands out above all is the constant musical class ... not only the voice of Wegener can be heard, but also the qualities of the other musicians ... so one perfectly written riff chases the next and the solos are also uniquely played ... Thrash songwriting in a class of its own ..." (Soundmagnet)

4 / 5 ➤ "... a proof to SMORRAH's ability to combine Thrash and Groove Metal influences into a cohesive and devastatingly heavy sound. With unrelenting aggression, haunting atmospheres and impressive musicianship, this album is a must for fans of extreme Metal ... cementing their place among the genre's top acts." (MetalUnderground AT)

8,8 / 10 ➤ "A true Thrash monster ... a very fat debut album, which not only comes along with energetic music, but was also packed with a fat sound. A cool combination of old and new Thrash." (Zephyr's Odem)

8,6 / 10 ➤ "… absolutely pummelling … definitely nods to Kreator and Sodom in here and the other German Thrash classics too … melodic leads … shreddy as hell too in spots … absolutely fantastic debut … crowned as my favourite Thrash Metal release so far this year … if you just love everything about Thrash and German Thrash, then this absolute ripper is going to be right up your street …" (Drako's Death Metal News & Reviews)

8,5 / 10 ➤ "... relentless sound ... powerful ... as an experienced disciple in the thrash metal universe, you can raise your eyebrows with enthusiasm ... the fire of Sepultura meets the groove of Pantera, mixes with the coldness of Sodom and Kreator and yet has a whole unique style of its own that makes SMORRAH stand out from the sometimes confusing swamp of releases ..." (Powermetal DE)

8 / 10 ➤ "... nine songs that kick ass ... mixture of Thrash Metal (musically), Death Metal (vocally) and a bit of Groove Metal (rhythmically) ... contemporary, no cheap Retro Thrash ... manage to inspire the old and the new generation alike ... the production is mega fat and bangs ... a successful debut!" (Crossfire)

8 / 10 ➤ "... skilfully combine the qualities of bands like Sodom (also based in Gelsenkirchen), Sepultura and Pantera. Of course, one or two riffs sound very familiar, but otherwise they sound very independent. Good and varied songwriting. Good debut album. If you like your thrash metal varied and don't just like thrashing speed, you can pick this up without hesitation." (Time For Metal)

3,5 / 5 ➤ "Get ready to bang your head nonstop while raising your horns … old school, 80’s-infused Thrash Metal extravaganza spearheaded by classic riffs … Marius deeply vociferating like a demented beast … unstoppable, violent sounds brought into being while also alternating between more melodic moments and pure savagery …" (The Headbanging Moose)

➤ "... steely inferno ... relentless heaviness ... brute energy and gritty riffs create an atmosphere that is honest, hard and uncompromising ... debut album that perfectly epitomises the heaviness of Thrash/Death Metal ... with menacing intensity reflected in every track ..." (BlattTurbo)

➤ "Do you like your Death Metal with rich elements of Thrash? And preferably with a bit of Groove throughout? Don't worry - SMORRAH is the answer to your prayers... hard, delivered with tremendous precision and still catchy in that cool way... 9 strong tracks... sure to have many hitting the repeat button, because you can just listen to it again... and again..." (Rancor Metalzine)

➤ "... technically high quality ... fast, melodic, groovy ... the guitars have great moments throughout the album ... it just fits ... sounds really cool ... vocals - my goodness where does the man get these sounds from - Marius' style is brutal, varied and simply ... SMORRAH's debut is a board before the Lord and an absolute buy recommendation ..." (MetalZone - Support The Underground)

➤ "... cool Groove Thrash ... really cool mixture ... not only on the cap ... but also great guitar work, also with nice warm parts ... really good ..." (Scream For Metal)

➤ "… unsettling and ferocious … uncompromising and at times groove laden … sounds less like a debut album and more like the work of a band that have been playing together for years, which bodes very well for the longevity of Metal …" (The Razor's Edge)

➤ "... Thrash Metal rocket that could have come straight from the Bay Area ... this thing rattles brutally and just waltzes over you ... it's a real mouthful ... awesome! Fans of the band will be delighted ... a brutally good album!" (Festivalstalker)

➤ "... killer ... strong Thrash album ... if you like Thrash metal, you will definitely like it ... a little underdog pearl ... I can only warmly recommend SMORRAH ..." (Moshpit Passion)

➤ "... finally ... leave you barely able to breathe ... the band's high energy and live performance make the entire 45-minute album an ideal headbanger. The best examples of this are 'Age Of Decay' or 'Buried Underneath' ..." (Hardrock LT)

➤ "...of high quality, with thoughtful songs in a style that pushes technique and groove in equal measure, with enough energy and speed for my needs and yet with a more open approach to arranging where there is room for different tempos and atmospheres. Solid!" (Cvecezla)

➤ "Each song on the album offers a different experience, showcasing different essences that intermingle between the Thrash and Death base … demonstrates their ability to navigate a wide range of emotions and sounds within Metal … agonizing vocal performance … excellent instrumental execution … offering a very personal sound … an intense debut that will not disappoint you." (TNT Radio Rock)

[addictedtoeddie]

The full Esquire Spain interview translated from Spanish:  

Eddie Redmayne trial: guilty of being the most talented (and stylish) actor of his generation

The Oscar winner talks about what it means to premiere a film with Aaron Sorkin (The Chicago 7th Trial on Netflix) and filming the new part of the most famous saga of all time under the watchful eye of its author, J.K. Rowling.

By Alba Díaz (text) / JUANKR (photos and video) / Álvaro de Juan (styling) 10/23/2020  

At the Kettle’s Yard Gallery in Cambridge, stands alone and leaning on a piano Prometheus, a marble head made by Constantin Brâncusi, and the only piece of art that Eddie Redmayne (London, 1982) would save from possible massive destruction. He tells me about it as he leaves the filming set of the third installment of Fantastic Beasts in the early days of an autumn that, we suspect, we will never forget. It begins to get dark as the actor nods seriously: "I promise to do my best in this interview."

Eddie Redmayne made himself in the theater despite some voices warning him that he could not survive in it. "Many people were in charge to tell me that it would never work, that only extraordinary cases make it and that I would not be able to live from this professionally." Even his father came home one day with a list of statistics on unemployed young actors. Redmayne, who is extremely modest, polite and funny, adds: “But I enjoyed theater so much that I got to the point of thinking that if I could only do one play a year for the rest of my life… I would do it. And that would fill me completely.

Spoiler: since then until today he has participated in many more. He set his first foot in the industry when he debuted at the Shakespeare’s Globe Theater and won over critics and audiences. He then landed his first major role in My Week with Marilyn opposite Michelle Williams. And then came one of the roles of his life, the character he wanted to become an actor for, Marius. With him he sang, led a revolution and broke Cosette's heart in Les Miserables. “I found out about the Les Misérables auditions when I was shooting a movie in Illinois. Dressed like a cowboy. I picked up the iPhone and videotaped myself singing the Marius song. I always wanted to be him ”.

Now Redmayne is an Oscar winner - thanks to his portrayal of Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything - and the protagonist of one of the most important sagas in history, Fantastic Beasts. He plays the magizoologist Newt Scamander in it. When I ask him what it means to him to be the protagonist of a magical world that is so important to millions of people, Eddie sighs and takes a few seconds to answer. “I have always loved the Harry Potter universe. Some people like The Lord of the Rings or Star Wars ... But, for me, the idea that there is a magical world that happens right in front of you, that happens without going any further on the streets of London, that. .. That exploded my imagination in another way.

During the quarantine, J. K. Rowling, who has been in charge of the script of the film, sparked a controversy through a series of tweets about transgender women. Redmayne assures that he does not agree with these statements but that it does not approve of the attacks of some people through social networks. The actor was one of the first to position himself against Rowling alongside Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and other protagonists of her films. "Trans women are women, trans men are men, and non-binary identities are valid."

After having spent a while talking, Redmayne confesses to me that he has never been a big dreamer not to maintain certain aspirations that ended up disappointing him. So he has always kept a handful of dreams to himself. One of them was fulfilled just a few weeks ago with the premiere of The Trial of the Chicago 7, a film written and directed by Aaron Sorkin that can already be seen on Netflix and in some - few - cinemas. “I was on vacation with my wife in Morocco and the script arrived. I think I called my agent before I even read it and said yes, I would. She probably thought the obvious, that I'm stupid. After that, of course I read the script, which is about a specific moment in history that I knew very little about. I found it exciting and a very relevant drama in today's times. "

And it is that having a script by Aaron Sorkin in your hands is no small thing. Eddie Redmayne has been a fan of his work ever since he saw The West Wing of the White House. “His scripts have delicious language and dialogue. As an actor, it's fun to play characters that are much smarter than you are in real life. That virtuosity is hard to come by. I really hope that audiences enjoy this movie and feel that there is always hope. " He remembers that since he released The Theory of Everything he has recorded, to a large extent, English period dramas, “and although the new Aaron Sorkin is not strictly contemporary,” says Redmayne, “to be able to wear jeans and shirts and sweaters instead of so much tweed is great ”.

Besides acting, art was the only thing the actor was interested in, so he ended up studying Art History at Cambridge University. “My parents are quite traditional and when I told them I wanted to act they gave me free rein but on the condition that I study a career. And I'm very grateful for that because ... Look, beyond that, when I play a real character I usually go to the National Portrait Gallery in London quite often. There I lock myself up. Now, for Sorkin's film, I went through a lot of photographs and videotapes. Art helps me to be more creative, to get into paper ”. If he were not an actor, he would be, he says decidedly, a historian or perhaps a curator. "Although I think he would be a very bad art curator."

Against all logic, Eddie Redmayne is color blind. But there is a color that you can distinguish anywhere and on any surface: klein blue. He wrote his thesis on the French artist Yves Klein and the only shade of blue he used in his works. He wrote up to 30,000 words talking about that color with which he became obsessed. “It is surprising that a color can be so emotional. One can only hope to achieve that intensity in acting. "

Like his taste for art, which encompasses the refined and compact, Redmayne seems to be in the same balance when it comes to the roles he chooses. When I ask him what aspects a character he wants to play should have, he takes a few seconds again before answering: “I wish I had a more ingenious answer but I will tell you that I know when my belly hurts. It's that feeling that I trust. In my mind I transport him to imagine myself playing that character. When I read a script I have to really enjoy it. You never fully regret those instincts. It's like when you connect with something emotionally. "

So we come to the conclusion that all his characters have some traits in common. "You know what? I never look back, and this is something personal, but I do believe that there is a parallel between Marius in Les Misérables trying to be a revolutionary, someone who is quite prone to being distracted by love but at the same time is willing to die for his cause, and Tom Hayden from The Chicago Trial of the 7 who was a man who had integrity and was passionate and fought for the things he believed in. So I suppose there may also be similarities between a young Stephen Hawking and Newt Scamander. There are traits in common in all of them that I don't really know where they come from ”.

When we talk about the year we are living in, in which it is increasingly difficult to find hope, we both let out a nervous laugh. "There must be," Redmayne says. “There is something very nice that Tom Hayden, the character I play in Sorkin's film, said to his former wife, actress Jane Fonda, just the day before she passed away. He told her that watching people die for their beliefs changed his life forever. In that sense, I also think about what Kennedy Jr. wrote about how democracy is messy, tough and never easy ... As is believing in something to fight for. I look at history and how they were willing to live their lives with that integrity to change the world and I realize that somehow that spirit still remains with us. " We fell silent thinking about it. "There must be hope."

I tell him about my love for Nick Cave's blog, The Red Hand, and one of the posts that I have liked the most in recent weeks. In it, the singer affirms that his response to a crisis has always been to create, an impulse that has saved him many times. For Redmayne there are two activities that can silence noise: drawing and playing the piano. “When you play the piano your concentration is so consumed by trying to hit that note that you can't think of anything else. Similarly, when you draw something, the focus is between the paper and what you are trying to recreate ... There I try to calm my mind.

Before saying goodbye, I drop a question that I thought I knew the answer to, but failed. What work of art would you save from mass destruction? "How difficult! I could name my favorite artists but still couldn't choose a work. Only one piece? Let me think. I am very obsessed with Yves Klein, but I would stick with a work by Brancusi. There is a sculpture of him, a small head called Prometheus, in Cambridge's Kettle’s Yard, on a dark mahogany piano. The truth is that I find it very ... beautiful ”.

Before leaving, he confesses to me - with a childish and slow voice - that he would like to direct something one day. We said goodbye, saying that we will talk about his next project. Next, the first thing I do is open the Google search engine. "P-r-o-m-e-t-h-e-u-s". Although Eddie Redmayne has trouble distinguishing violet from blue, he doesn't have them when choosing a good piece. He's right, that work deserves to be saved.

* This article appears in the November 2020 issue of Esquire magazine

Source: esquire.com/es/actualidad/cine/a34434114/eddie-redmayne-juicio-7-chicago-netflix-entrevista/

[eksperimentgaj]

Day 6 - Have you ever been to a competition? If yes, describe a little your experience, if not, what competition would you like to attend?

So far I’ve been to Wisła (SGP 2017, SCoC 2019), Kranj (SCoC 2018), Oslo (SCoC 2018, WC 2019), Planica (WC 2019, was supposed to be there in 2020 as well, but corona happened  🙃), Szczyrk (ladies’ SCoC 2019) and Lahti (WC 2020).

Wisła in 2017 was the competition I chose to go quite spontaneously. It was only after half a season I was into ski jumping, didn’t really know anyone in the fandom. I managed to convince my brother and friend (who is not really into sports) to go with me. I hope they had a good time 😀

In Wisła we’ve met few people (with whom I sadly have no contact, I’m not good at this 😟) to fangirl with. Got to sing national anthem twice, as team Poland and Dawid Kubacki won the team and individual comps 😀 One thing I remember very clearly from after the quails, when I lost my group and was trying to locate them, saw two girls taking a photo together next to me. After a moment I realized they were not two girls, it was a girl and Anders Fannemel 😅 Well, I judged from height only 🙃

I’m glad it was not too hot, considering it was July.

old phone, sorry for shit quality

Kranj 2018 was the first time I was flying a plane ever and also my first time traveling abroad alone. Already in Slovenia I met two girls from tumblr sj fandom. I got to see the town, which is very charming and the hill (obviously first journey destination, when I had some time alone). The comps itself made me fell in love with CoC, such a nice atmosphere, ski jumpers walking among the crowd and easily accessible. Oh, and I’m visible on a transmission from that comp 😂 Before going to Slovenia, I had to buy a new phone, as in Wisła the old one trolled me with its battery and turned off in the middle of a qualis, when I was taking photos 🙃 Funny thing was that in between the rounds there was a little archery contest for chosen fans from the crowd watching competition. And, considering it was CoC, there were quite a lot of people. You can really tell that Slovenians enjoy sj.

Also. Locate Domen’s car 😂

 Going to CoC in Oslo in September of 2018 was possible thanks to the fact we were already visiting family’s friend who lives in Norway (yes, I suggested the date, luckily it was also this weekend the plane tickets were cheaper). Only saw one comp, on Saturday. Sadly we missed girls jumping, as we needed like 3 hours to get to Oslo and it was simply too early (instead I followed text transmission while on a train to Oslo). When we arrived to Midtstuen station, obviously we took wrong route to the hill and somehow, through the woods, got to the smaller hills 😂 Anyway, we found the right hill quickly. The comp was not attracting almost any interest at all. Apart from my brother and me, ski jumpers and their families, there were barely a few people. Sometimes bikers would stop and watch for a moment but as the water break start, they would go. The barriers were prepared but not used at all, you could just walk wherever and nobody seemed to care. Nice. The café did not sell all the coffee and waffles they had prepared, so this lady was walking between  people and offering them for free 😀 I cannot eat waffles and my brother didn’t want any (why?) so we politely declined.

It was the first comp of Andreas Stjernen after an injury break, he did nice finishing third. And also gave me a weird look when I was shouting something in Polish to my brother, as he passed me by 😂 I got to see flower ceremony standing right next to Joakim Aune 🤩 And by a coincidence, during the second round we stood behind Marius Lindvik’s… family, I guess? Daniel was there too, not jumping himself but cheering on the ones who did.

WC in Oslo in 2019 I described earlier. I can add that on Saturday there was a snowfall since morning, I’ve almost froze my fingers off (stupidly sensitive hands). Also – seeing a bunch of Norwegians traveling at 9 am to watch cross-country skiing, leaving metro station and already getting drunk, dancing to party music being blasted out of the nearby windows – quite something.

photo from Sunday, with metro station mentioned

Planica 2019 was my very first time seeing ski flying live! Again with Slovenian crew. But because I’m an idiot who did not book place to stay at early enough, had to travel to Kranjska Gora every day from Kranj (like an hour and a half with a bus if I remember correctly) 🙃 Missed evening attractions of Kranjska that way 😅 But back to sj, got to see some really nice flights, personal best results, Ryoyu’s record of Letalnica (holy shit, the excitement that went through the crowd!), last jump of Robert Kranjec’s career (one of childhood faves ❤️),  team Poland’s first ski flying win, Žiga Jelar playing with his band and much more 😀 From personal experience I don’t recommend forgetting sunscreen to Planica. Ended up with sunburn in a shape of sunglasses and a beanie 🙃 And I was really surprised how hot it was in full sun on the stands. It truly turned from snowy winter on Thursday to full spring on Sunday. Felt like spending two seasons there in just four days 😀

 CoCs in Szczyrk and Wisła in 2019 were basically joint events, same week in two nearby towns. First day I went to girls’ event alone, on the next Julia @lewanarta​ joined me. And what sort of sj trip would that be without a fuck up by me? This time, apart from not having courage to approach Virág, who jumped in Szczyrk twice to fifth place (pleasure to see), I could not watch last jumps of second comp and flower ceremony because at the time I was throwing up in the toilet of a bar by the hill 🙃 Took wrong backpack in which I had no painkillers and got surprised by period 🙃🙃🙃 But until that, watching jumpers from the so called ‘river tribune’ was a very pleasant experience.

Also hill in Szczyrk is the very first I was to (and at), in 2005, before it was rebuild to its current state.

Having in memory SGP in Wisła two years earlier, the chill CoC comp without crowds was a nice change. Obviously, it’s Poland, there were still people, but not as many. First day was rainy… But only between rounds and after a comp. And as always, my job was following the comp with text transmission on my phone, while Julia was asking for autographs and taking photos 😀 I’m always trying to follow results during watching live, but it’s almost impossible with all these distractions 😅 And how nice it is to finish day spent on watching ski jumping live with watching ski jumping on tv – Courchevel was the same day 😀

 And finally WC Lahti 2020, the last thing before everything went nuts because of corona. Again with Julia, we’ve planned for a while to go to Finland. First sj related experience we had still in Warsaw – it turned out we’re on the same flight as team Poland. Later, at Helsinki airport, we’ve waited for a bag together with Norwegian xcs and noco teams as well 😀 we’ve been at the Lahti Ski Games since very morning as I wanted to see noco sj part, so we’ve had plenty of time to see the place, small hills, tracks, big hills… Surprisingly, there was no snow, apart from the artificial one produced for the events. Local people seemed a little bit sad because it’s usually naturally snowy around the time of Lahti Ski Games. It also turned out that we were to the 1000th individual comp in World Cup’s history. We’ve met Finnish Tumblr crew and I had an unexpected encounter as among them was a girl that I’ve briefly met in Wisła in 2017! World is a small place, isn’t it? And at the end we’ve had photo together with God of Wind himself. Last occasion, couldn’t let it pass. Oh, and I got a bouquet from flower ceremony 😀 No idea whose, it was given to me by Austrian staff member after team comp 😅

Uf. That was a long one. Congrats and thanks if you’ve read it all ❤️ I’m physically unable to write ‘a little’ 😅

[iceprincelebrat]

It all started out rather small, the odd thing here or there that didn’t fit in with the decor. Then it slowly became an infestation of tiny, yellow, squishy, squeaky rubber…….duckies! Marius was losing his mind. He thought he was imagining the thimble sized ducks until Alessandra inquired about them and Barbara complained bitterly about how many her staff were finding al around the chateaux.

‘Every night we clean them out and the next night there’s double the amount scattered and hidden everywhere!!!’ Barbara said testily to the council and prince. ‘I don’t care how you resolve this but do it and fast!’

Marius felt far too old for this sort of nonsense when one night he awoke to find what appeared to be an army of vampire ducks. Crude fangs glued on and drips of blood painted on their faces and tiny black capes tied around their necks. These were hand sized as opposed to the previous thimble sized ducks.

The ducks were arranged in neat lines travelling down the grand staircase, and leading the troops a duck painted to match their prince Lestat, complete with a tuft of blond hair on its head under a golden crown and blue eyes.

‘Oh dear…..’ Marius sighed as he slowly gazed up the staircase; there must be thousands on the stairs alone he thought.

Marius, Lestat, Louis, Allesandra and David all followed the ducks up the staircase and around the corner through a passageway, up more stairs and finally into one of the apartments reserved for Lestat’s dearest friends. This one, Marius realized with a groan, belonged to his fledgling; Armand.

The door was open and they slowly followed the trail into the room towards the bathroom where the ducks began to get smaller and smaller as they got closer and closer to the bathtub, where it seemed the ducks were originating from the bathtub drain. Inside the bath were more Captain Ducks, as Louis jokingly called them, these ones made to look like Marius, Allesandra, and David.

‘Well. I guess Armand has finally lost the plot……’ David said uncertainly, breaking the tense silence.

‘This is ridiculous…It’s like a little army of vampire ducks….’ Allesandra said, looking amused but concerned.

‘Marius, why on earth is your spawn putting an army of vampire ducks all over the chateaux?’ Lestat asked looking irritated.

Marius grimaced and died a little inside. ‘I don’t know Lestat, but I’m sure we can get to the bottom of this.’

They left Armand’s rooms and went in search of the little red haired vampire. They found the other inhabitants of the household had discovered the army and were laughing and joking with each other about them. Lestat asked that the other vampires, whose numbers totalled around 600, to please collect all of the rubber ducks and dispose of them. The young vampires quickly did as their prince bade them and by morning there wasn’t a rubber duck in sight.

Despite their best efforts they didn’t find Armand that night, no one had seen him and they went down to the crypt for the day with no idea of what would happen the next night.

As it turned out the next night they saw no rubber ducks anywhere and breathed a huge sigh of relief until of course they went outside. The army of vampire rubber ducks were outside, and had surrounded the house. They had weapons now. Small twigs were glued to their sides in imitation of guns or swords.

The council stood on the porch and stared in horror at the millions of ducks that surrounded the chateaux. Louis suddenly burst out laughing, incapable of speech, he pointed to a group of ducks who were surrounding a new scene. A red haired vampire duck was standing over the Lestat Duck, the Lestat Duck was tied to a pyre. The surrounding ducks seemed to be celebrating his imminent demise, as they wore party hats.

Lestat’s jaw dropped and he stared in shock at the scene. ‘Is that a threat?!’

‘Oh it can’t be!’ Allesandra exclaimed. ‘Armand would never hurt the prince! Even if they had their rivalry, you’ve both outgrown those childish grudges.’

‘Apparently Armand didn’t get that memo…..’ David said nervously, eyeing Lestat as his maker appeared to be close to losing his temper.

‘Find Armand tonight!!!!’ Lestat roared at them, this time addressing the younger inhabitants of the coven house.

They didn’t find him that night; again the ducks were cleared out, this time being burned in a pyre. Marius watched to ensure every single one was gone. They went to their rest for the day, even more anxious of what the night would hold.

The scene they found when they woke up was in the middle of the ballroom. It was comprised of a multitude of ducks arranged in circles, vampire ducks with party hats on. Confetti was all over the room and in the middle of the circles was a raised platform with a white archway, a vampire priest duck and two ducks apparently getting married. One clearly made to look like Armand and the other to look like Louis. Below them a pyre where the remains of Lestat Duck sat charred and melted.

They slowly moved away from Lestat as his face went redder and redder. He hissed at them without turning around. ‘If you don’t find him tonight I will burn all of you on a pyre!!!!’

Louis sat down on the outside of the circle, plucked a party hat off of one of the ducks and put it on his index finger, then sat and smiled at the marrying ducks. Lestat stared at him, too shocked to be angry.

‘Louis…what are you doing?’ David said nervously.

Louis looked up in surprise. ‘It’s my wedding; I should get to enjoy it!’

Lestat turned on his heel and stalked out of the room, the rest of the council, except Louis, walking out behind him and throwing odd looks at the princes consort.

Daniel found them in the council chamber later that night and dragged his maker in behind him. ‘I found him; he was chilling in his duck infested bathtub this whole time.’

Armand looked at them and smiled happily. ‘Hi!’ He waved playfully.

Marius stood from the table where they’d been having their meeting and walked down to meet them. ‘Armand we need to have a little talk about the ducks.’

Armand blinked at his former master in confusion. ‘But master….I am five hundred years old, I know all about the ducks by now? Remember when I was mortal you sent me to the brothels-’

Marius shook his head in disdain. ‘No child, the rubber ducks.’

‘Aw Marius it’s so kind of you to worry about if I’m being safe or not!’ Armand gushed innocently.

Daniel rubbed his face tiredly. ‘The ducks are not a metaphor for the birds and bees Armand.’

‘Then what ducks could you possibly be talking about?!’ Armand looked and sounded genuinely confused.

‘The ducks that have been infesting the chateaux for the last two weeks!’ Lestat snapped finally, glaring at his adolescent rival. ‘The ones that originated from your bathtub drain!!!!’

Armand shrugged and looked at Marius. ‘Is he okay? I think he’s gone and lost another screw…we should keep an eye on that, mad princes and kings have never been great for kingdoms. Last I checked ducks don’t come from drains….’

Marius couldn’t do this anymore, he needed to retire, and soon. ‘Child of mine there were ducks arranged in an army formation coming out of your bathtub, following Lestat.’

‘There were rubber ducks following Lestat around the chateaux!?’ Armand looked horrified.

‘Not the real Lestat, a duck made to look like Lestat.’ Daniel groaned.

‘So what does that have to do with me?’ Armand continued to play dumb.

Lestat growled and stood up slowly, looking like he might deck the smaller vampire. ‘They came from your bathtub!!!’

‘Ohh those ducks!’ Armand said looking like he just understood.

‘Yes those ducks.’ Marius confirmed.

‘Really those ducks?’

‘Yes Armand! Really those ducks! Your ducks!’ Daniel put an end to the back and forth before it could get into swing.

Armand gave his fledgling a dirty look. ‘You’re a little grouchy aren’t you? You should celebrate more.’

Armand rummaged in his pocket and pulled out one of the tiny party hats, the same ones that the ducks had been wearing. He handed it to his fledgling and smiled like he’d just done an amazing feat.

‘That is the party hat the ducks were wearing.’ Allesandra said to Armand. ‘Why do you have one if you aren’t guilty?’

‘I went to a lovely party.’ Armand said with a shrug.

‘Where?’ David asked dubiously.

Armand scoffed. ‘At the hosts home. Duh.’

‘Where does the host live?’ David tried again.

‘In his home? Geez David keep up!’ Armand gave David a disparaging look.

David opened and closed his mouth like a fish before finally taking a seat at the table and covering his face with his hands.

Marius intervened before things could get uglier. ‘Armand, why are there ducks all over the chateaux?’

Armand gasped, scandalized. ‘There are ducks in the chateaux?! And none of you thought to share this knowledge with me?’

Marius groaned and tried again. ‘Armand they’re not real-’

‘You know I love ducks!!!’ Armand turned tearful and betrayed eyes to his maker. ‘How could you keep this from me?! I love to feed them and watch their chicks run in a row behind them!’

Marius tried to interject but Armand was quicker. ‘No! I don’t want to hear it! You just don’t want me to be happy do you?! I see how it is!’

Louis pitched in then and they all hoped for a rational word as Louis was well known for being the intellectual and reasonable one. Unfortunately they were let down. ‘I can’t believe you don’t want Armand to be happy Marius! You know he loves ducks!’ Louis came down from the table to hug the red haired vampire.

Marius held his head between his hands and stared at the two seemingly insane vampires. ‘Since when does he love ducks!? I have never known Armand to love ducks. I doubt he as even seen a duck in real life!’

Louis gasped, horrified. ‘Are you duck shaming him!?’

David’s head banged on the table as his last hopes were shattered. Daniel turned and walked out of the room looking traumatised. Allesandra clutched her handkerchief to her breast in dismay. They all looked to Marius for guidance as the oldest among them.

‘I have been kept in the duck for too long on this matter!’ Armand proclaimed.

‘Don’t you mean in the dark?’ David whimpered desperate for some kind of normality.

Armand glared at them all. ‘Now that I know your nefarious plan to make me miserable by keeping me from the ducks of the chateaux I can start to play with a full duck!’

‘A full deck…..’ David whispered to comfort himself. ‘The term is a full deck.’

Armand and Louis glowered at him. Louis took Armand by the hand. ‘We are going to travel feather away from this horrible place!’

Armand took one final shot at Lestat. ‘Mallard, we shall meet again of the field of battle consider this my ducktum!’

‘Dictum. You mean dictum!!’ David finally lost it.

Louis glared over his shoulder at David. 'That's a bad word.'

[the-marius-de-romanus]

Conversation with Anne Rice on Blood and Gold

Q: Blood & Gold is your eighteenth novel about the vampires. Do you find it difficult to work within the narrative framework established by earlier stories?

A: Actually, it's a challenge, a real dare. The Vampire Chronicles vary radically in form. Some are tales told to others. Some are written memoirs. Some involve vampires talking directly to us. I feel there is enough flexibility for me to do just about anything that I want. In Queen of the Damned, for example, I worked with whole chapters in the third person, claiming that the Vampire Lestat received the material telepathically from his soul mates and passed it on to us in that form. But for the most part I stick with the heat and intimacy of the first person voice because I love it, along with its obvious drawbacks, and I feel most at home with the puzzles it presents. How do you make a first person narrator handsome and lovable, for instance. I feel I meet that dare all the time.

Q: Do you view your novels as stand alone entities? Will new readers enjoy Blood & Gold even if they are not familiar with your backlist?

A: Absolutely. Each Vampire Chronicle is a stand-alone book. There is enough information in it to make any first-time reader comfortable immediately, and perhaps a little curious about the other books. Blood & Gold is no exception. If anything, Blood & Gold is a bit easier for the first-time reader than, say, The Vampire Armand because Marius is two thousand years old and he begins his memoir in the year 200 AD and follows his own lonely and stark path through the centuries. His great loves, his great losses, his great revelations are all described in rich detail, right up to the point where he becomes the mentor to the Vampire Lestat, sharing the secrets of Those Who Must Be Kept with Lestat, and eventually suffering when Lestat reveals those secrets to the world. But for the new reader it ought to flow easily. The focus is really on Marius himself and his approach to history as well as his existence as a blood drinker and a myth maker.

Q: Marius, Lestat's beloved mentor, appears in your novels The Vampire Lestat, The Vampire Armand, and The Queen of the Damned. What inspired you to write his story?

A: I was reading through The Queen of the Damned and I felt a new contact with Marius and with the anger he suffered when Akasha, the Queen of the Vampires, rose from her four thousand year slumber and more or less contemptuously deserted him. I felt it was time to go deep into Marius and tell his tale from the beginning?omehow explain the type of love he had felt for Akasha which was really warmer than worship. I knew it would be difficult to live up to the high standard I had set for Marius' character in the Chronicles and I was exhilarated by it. Marius is the noble Roman, the ethical man of reason, the diplomat, and the undying optimist. I had to get into all that. I felt ready for it. Also, I think I felt challenged by the fact that Warner's was making The Queen of the Damned into a movie. I wanted to tell Marius' story before they delivered their version of Marius to motion picture audiences. No matter how detached I try to be from motion pictures of my work, they ultimately affect me.

Q: Marius lives through many periods and in many countries. Which era of Marius' life did you find most seductive? Which did you most enjoy researching?

A: The Italian Renaissance was my favorite period of Marius' life, a time during which Marius became a person in the mortal world, a rich Venetian gentleman who paints the walls of his palazzo for his own pleasure, an enigma to those around him. I did a ton of research on the period to make everything as nearly correct as I could. I also enjoyed researching ancient Rome, the Rome of 200 to 50 AD, during which time Marius saw Christianity become the legal religion of the Empire, and also the barbarian sack of the Eternal City itself, a disaster that sent Marius into a long slumber in the shrine of Those Who Must Be Kept from which he didn't want to wake again to reality. There again, I consult volumes. I had so many books around me when I wrote that sometimes I couldn't escape from my computer. I had to climb over piles of books. I was stumbling. One day I called my research assistant, Scott, on the phone and begged him to come upstairs and help me find a book that was somewhere at my feet but which I couldn't find without an archaeological dig. Of course it was all wonderful fun. I want my vampires to move through real history, not some airy realm of half-truths and mistakes and vague generalities. I want the facts, the smells, the colors, the names, and the dates. When Marius meets Botticelli in Florence, I used Botticelli's correct street address in so as far as history records it.

Q: In Blood & Gold, Marius paints and repaints murals, and his companion Daniel, the interviewer from Interview with the Vampire, creates acres of model cities. What is the role of art in the lives of vampires?

A: Vampires are hyper-sensitive to art. They see color and form with the heightened vision of the perpetually stoned. Art can seduce them as the model cities have seduced the boy, Daniel, who doesn't know yet how to handle his obsessions. Art can also save them because it offers a continuity that life itself may not offer to a human being. As time passes, brutally deteriorating everything meaningful to a soul, art endures, and grows ever richer and more evocative with the passage of time, so that it comes to seem prophetic in retrospect, or at least timeless in the finest sense of the word. Throughout the Vampire Chronicles, art has been key. But Marius laments that though he has lived fourteen hundred years, he cannot create art to rival that of Botticelli. He falls in love with the man and must separate himself from the man lest he hurt Botticelli and thereby affect Botticelli's destiny. Maharet, the ancient one, weaving her red hair into a thread and that thread into chains, is in a sort of thrall as well, much like that of Daniel with his model cities. Weaving comforts Maharet. Marius at various stages in his long life is comforted by nothing.

Q: How does humor work in your narratives?

A: Humor is spontaneous with me. It just happens and I don't try to repress it. I have a wild sense of humor and sometimes I have to avoid the satirical side of what I am writing. I have to not sacrifice the finer feeling to the humor of the moment. But in general I let my humor come out with certain characters more than other. Lestat, for example, has a profound sense of humor and a blasphemous sense of humor. Marius is more serious, and more tragic.

Q: Marius believes that anger is weakness. Do you believe this?

A: Yes, I believe that anger is weakness. Marius is one of those characters who for the most part expresses ideas which are mine. I couldn't have an in-depth relationship with Marius if he didn't express my ideas, and I do feel that anger distorts, weakens, and warps. You have to reach beyond anger for a finer sense of a situation before you respond, or make a move. Marius has a terrible temper and so do I. Marius ruins two moments of his life with anger, and possibly even more. But I don't want to give away the plot.

Q: Memory is crucial for vampires, who are immortal. How is memory important for us mortals?

A: Memory is essential to the attaining of wisdom. There is no wisdom without memory, because there can be no perspective and no deep learning without memory. One has to profit by experience and observation in order to become wise, and memory is the keeper of all fine experiences and observations, memory is the index, the table of contents, the full library. Without memory, one runs the risk of being simplistic and flippant.

Q: Can you give us an update on the progress of film and television projects of your work?

A: For once, there is much to report. A mini-series based on The Feast of All Saints will appear on Showtime in November. After that it will appear on ABC. It will be four hours, and spread over two nights. I've seen it and I think it's lush and sensuous and very faithful to the book, and that readers will love it. It's top notch, and Showtime has spared no expense. I visited the set when they were shooting. I was rocked. John Wilder, the scriptwriter and executive producer, did a fantastic job of adapting the book to the four-hour format.

The Queen of the Damned, a feature film based on The Queen of the Damned and The Vampire Lestat, is scheduled for release by Warner Brothers on February 15, 2002. I have not seen it, but it does seem to be engendering considerable excitement. Stuart Townsend, the young Englishman who plays Lestat, is very appealing and a very fine actor. There are other impressive names in the cast.

We are presently in negotiations with regard to "Earth Angels," a new series that we are developing for television, about a group of big-city based angels who work undercover on earth to fight supernatural evil in all its forms. The series is based on an original concept created by me. I'm extremely excited about it.

We're also in negotiations with a producer and a network with regard to making a long miniseries out of The Witching Hour, Lasher, and Taltos. The present discussion involves a plan for 12 hours of TV time. I'm very excited here as well. I like everyone as well, and want for John Wilder to do the script. I feel that after what he did with The Feast of All Saints, he can do a bang-up job.

I'm also happy to report that Ramses the Damned (The Mummy) is also in development. It's owned by James Cameron, and a new screenwriter was recently hired. I've spoken with her and found her pleasant. Again, I've got high hopes.

[lightsburnbrite]

The Devil is in the Details: Part 12/Final

@i-want--to--believe

“I’m just surprised you didn’t get to keep the match ball. It was your first Champions League goal, after all.”

Leon took a swallow of his wine before giving a little smile. “It’s fine, Papa. Lewy scored four.”

“Well,” Leon’s father shrugged. “I guess that’s significant.”

He laughed fully this time. “Just a little bit.”

Karina sat silently next to Leon, pushing the food around her plate to make it seem as though she had actually eaten some of her meal. As soon as the topic of conversation turned to his recent on-pitch successes, she instantly smiled.

“Karina,” His mother started. “You are positively glowing. Is there something you haven’t told us?”

Upon hearing her name, Karina perked up a bit before she realized what was implied by the question. “Oh, um, no. Not at all, no. I’m just proud of Leon, that’s all.”

“Oh.” His mother did not bother to hide her disappointment. “Well, I suppose you do still have plenty of time for that. I must confess, I am a little spoiled with our current grandchildren.”

Leon cleared his throat. “Mama, we’ve decided that we don’t want to have kids.”

Karina offered a sheepish smile once the air seemed to be sucked out of the room and punctuated her response with a less than small sip of her wine.

“I guess I’m having a hard time understanding how you can make such a significant decision when you have your whole lives ahead of you.” It was easy to tell that his mother was keeping her response restrained.

Tilting his head to the side, Leon shrugged. “I can’t really explain it, but when we started talking about it, it was very clear that neither of us wants to be a parent.”

“Even if Karina is not particularly maternal-”

“Mama, please.” In an almost imperceivable shift, Leon’s tone became sterner. “This has nothing to do with Karina being maternal, which she is. It’s our decision and we’d like for you to respect that.”

The room fell silent after that but Karina put her hand on Leon’s knee and gave it a little squeeze.

“So,” His father decided to change the subject. “How long are you two going to be in town?”

“Unfortunately just for today.” Karina was happy to be able to speak about anything else. “We visited my parents first and then we’ll stop by and see Marius once we leave here. Leon has training tomorrow.”

Leon’s mother offered an insincere smile. “Well, how nice of you to fit us into your busy schedule.”

“Mama, please. Don’t be like this.” He rubbed his right temple with his first two fingers.

She exaggerated a frown. “How do you expect me to react when I’ve just been told that I won’t be having any grandchildren?”

“You already have grandchildren.” Leon laughed now. “Can we let it go now?”

With a sigh, she only shook her head.

“We are going to have a wedding this summer,” Karina started in now. “Nothing big, just the families. At the Ramsau Kirche.”

Her eyes brightened now. “Really? I thought you were against the idea.”

“When Leon asked me to marry him, there was no question that I wanted to be his wife. What I didn’t like was the idea of drawing that much attention to myself at that particular time.” Karina made sure to add a smile even though she knew perfectly well this had been explained to his mother before.

“That sounds lovely, Karina.” His mother smiled genuinely now. “I look forward to it.”

On their way home, Karina rested her head against Leon’s shoulder and sighed.

“So we’re having a wedding then?” Leon laced his fingers in between hers.

She let out a little laugh as she pulled his hand up to her lips and kissed the back of it. “It was your idea, right? I’m just saying yes.”

“You sure you’re ok with it?” Leon twisted in his seat so that he could meet Karina’s eyes with his own.

“As long as it’s just our families like you said.” She raised her eyebrows slightly. “It’s this thought of some giant affair getting out of hand that puts me off of weddings but if something small would make our families happy then I can put up with that.”

It was late by the time they made it home, but Karina could tell that she wasn’t going to be able to turn her mind off that easily.

Leon had started to turn down the bed while Karina stood in the doorway.

“Hey, babe?” Karina walked over to Leon and rested her hand on his chest as she kissed his cheek. “I think I’m going to get in the tub first.”

With a nod, Leon attempted to slip his arm around Karina’s waist but she moved away too quickly. As soon as she realized what he had wanted to do, she tucked herself back up against his side. “I see. Would you like some company?”

“I was hoping you would say that.” She kissed him again. “Just give me a few minutes to get it ready.”

After he finished turning down the bed, Leon walked into the bathroom to find Karina sitting on the edge of the tub and crumbling what looked like a bar of soap under the faucet. To his surprise, the bar produced a frothy cascade of bubbles that now filled the tub almost to its entirety. He tossed his shirt and pants into the hamper but waited to undress completely until Karina had done so. He stopped Karina before she stepped in, grazing his thumb over her nipple. “You put them back in.”

“Yeah.” Karina nodded as she stepped into the almost too warm water and sunk down. “I wasn’t sure how you felt about them a while ago so I thought I should try to be done with them. Turns out, I like wearing my nipple rings too much to let them go.”

“Good.” Leon placed his hands on her shoulders before sliding them down her arms. “I’m glad you kept them for you but I think you should also know that I find them to be incredibly sexy.”

Karina smiled as she leaned back against him. “Remind me to show you my necklace that is also a vibrator.”

Leon laughed at that but he knew something else was on Karina’s mind. “Ok, so what’s actually up?”

“What do you mean?” She rested her hands on his knees now, drawing lazy circles with her fingertips.

“This might as well be your thinking spot.” Nuzzling her neck, Leon kissed the name before he spoke again. “Any time you need to mull something over, you take a bath.”

Karina closed her eyes and sighed as she rested her head against his shoulder. “I go back to work tomorrow. This is the end of my time off from when I decided to be a runaway but I haven’t said anything to Nena about quitting yet. I don’t even know if I want to-”

“But you don’t want to stay if Daniel is still there.” Leon had closed his eyes as well. He had to admit that Karina was on to something with the idea of soaking in the tub when she was stressed.

She nodded slightly. “Ah, so you remember my predicament. Nena has an idea I’m not happy and she sent me a text about having a few different options.”

“Ok, well, that’s a start, right?” He felt himself sink farther down in the tub, any longer in the water’s warm embrace and he might have been lulled to sleep.

“I guess,” Karina shifted her body so that she was twisted across his lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck, resting her head on his chest now. “Things could always be worse, I suppose.”

Leon kissed the top of her head as he gave her a slight nudge. “I’m going to fall asleep soon. You ready for bed?”  

“Mmmm…” She let out a little sigh as she nestled against him. “It’s warm here. If I get out, it’ll be cold.”

Leon laughed. “The bed is warm too, you know. Here, I’ll get out first and get you your towel.”

Karina pouted as he shifted her away from him.

Once Leon had invited Karina to stand with him, he wrapped the towel around her shoulders. He took the excess and gently dried her off before guiding her to the bedroom. Karina quickly put on one of her silk slips before practically burrowing under the duvet. Leon joined her a few moments later and she instantly nestled in against him.

Taking his finger, Leon traced a line from Karina’s temple down to her lips. He gently took hold of her chin and kissed her before laying his head back down on the pillow. “I love you, Maus.”

“I know,” Karina’s eyes fluttered closed in complete contentment. “But I never get tired of hearing it. Sometimes that’s just what I need.”

Leon moved closer to Karina so that he could hold her against his chest. “That’s why I always make sure to tell you.”

Karina didn’t wake up until the sun hit her face, she hadn’t been setting her alarm recently and was relying on Elsa to wake her up. Sitting up and stretching her arms, over her head, Karina expected Elsa to be tap-dancing by her side of the bed, anxious for their morning walk and her breakfast. Instead, Elsa was sprawled out next to her in Leon’s spot, sound asleep.

Rubbing her eyes, Karina glanced at her phone and saw that not only was it way later than she anticipated, but she also had a message from Leon. Opening up, she could tell he took the video from his car, probably before he left the garage.

Good morning, Beautiful (Leon winked right into the camera and Karina felt her stomach do flip flops) I needed to leave early and didn’t want to wake you up. See you later tonight. I love you, Maus

Sitting back down on the bed, Karina smiled before she realized what time it was. If she didn’t start getting ready now, she was going to be late.

She rummaged through her closet and frowned. All she wanted to do was wear jeans and a hoodie but that wouldn’t be acceptable even working in the archives. Eventually, she settled on a pair of skin-tight sateen black pants that hit right at her ankle, a grey silk blouse, and a black blazer with black pointed flats. Nothing in the dress code said she needed to wear color.

Walking into the employee offices, Karina sat her bag in her desk chair and then went to her mailbox where a stack of papers was waiting for her. As she was about to dive in, she heard Nena call to her.

“Part of me was thinking you wouldn’t actually show up today.” Nena smiled but it was strained.

Karina shook her head. “I’d never leave you in a lurch like that.”

“Well?” Nena tilted her head in the direction of her office. “Why don’t we have a chat then?”

With a nod, Karina followed and closed the door behind them.

“Alright,” Nena started. “What is it then? Is it work-related? Problems at home?”

“I can’t work with Daniel.” Karina surprised herself with how quickly she blurted it out.

That seemed to catch Nena off guard as well. “Oh. You certainly hide it well. Do you mind me asking why?”

“Basically it comes down to he won’t leave me alone. He’s said he wants to be friends and hang out and I’ve said no so then it becomes ‘well why not’. It pisses me off that he asked to be paired with me so that he could spend time with me and not actually learn about archiving but I think the final piece was he called the police and told them Leon was abusing me.” As soon as Karina said this aloud, it felt like she could breathe again.

Nena’s mouth formed a small ‘o’ before she frowned. “I had no idea. I’m so sorry.”

“It’s, no, it’s really ok. I’ve never said anything until now.” Karina offered a small smile. “Leon at least got a kick out of it when Daniel introduced himself at the gallery opening and intimated that we were more than just coworkers and then he had to turn around and introduce himself as my husband.”  

Nena took on a pensive look. “I had been thinking about moving him to strictly tours. He’s friendly and can read and memorize a script but it’s obvious that curation was not going to be one of his strong points.”

“So if he’s just personnel-” Karina began but when Nena confirmed her thought.

“You would work in separate parts of the building.” Nena cleared her throat as she pulled up a file on her computer. “I may even be able to get you your own office.”

Closing her eyes, Karina let out a sigh of relief. “Thank you, Nena. I didn’t want to make it a him or me situation but I knew I wouldn’t be able to work with him.”

“No, I appreciate you coming to me. I don’t always communicate to you that I think you are invaluable to what I’m attempting to accomplish here. Why don’t you go ahead and get started for today and I’ll see what I can put in motion, ok?” Nena smiled warmly, continuing to put Karina at ease.

Instead of moving to the archives like she had wanted, Karina found that she had too much paperwork to correct, scan, and then file. She was about halfway through, thinking that this was why she didn’t like to take off when one of the collections assistants poked her head into the offices. “Karina? There’s someone here to see you. At the main desk.”

Karina smiled a nonverbal thank you but her mind immediately began to race. Double checking that she saved her work, she glanced at her reflection in the monitor and made her way towards the museum’s main entrance.

Leon had called ahead to make sure his timing was right and left just enough time to swing by one of the flower stalls. Bouquet of sunflowers in hand, he approached the museum’s main desk and asked the girl behind it if she could get Karina for him.

“What are you doing here?”

Leon turned to see Daniel passing through with a group of what appeared to be tourists.

“I stopped by to take my wife out to lunch.” Leon smiled, albeit somewhat smugly.

“Baby?”

Both turned to see Karina now approaching.

Karina quickened her pace before practically crashing into Leon, wrapping her arms around his neck. “What are you doing here?”

Kissing her forehead, Leon smiled. “I asked Nena when your lunch break was. Thought you might like to go out for something.”

By now Karina was beaming. “Yeah, of course. Sunflowers?”

“I brought you sunflowers-”

“When we first had dinner you brought me sunflowers.” Karina stepped forward to kiss Leon’s cheek as she took his hand and led him back towards the offices. “Only, I threw them out because I was so mad at you.”

Leon frowned as Karina searched through a cabinet for something to use as a vase. “You did? Why were you mad at me?”

“Because you had basically just asked me to go down on you and then told me you had a girlfriend.” Karina filled a large pitcher halfway full before taking the flowers from Leon and arranging them behind her computer. “I was already head over heels for you and you managed to take my heart and then break it in the span of an hour.”

With an apologetic smile, Leon placed his hand on the back of Karina’s neck and rested his forehead against hers before leaning in and giving Karina a feather-light kiss. “I am so glad that you gave me a second chance, Mausi.”