armand wasn't Latino anyway he was Slavic

Hi!

Yeah, exactly! I don’t even really expect it to come up, I just saw some people on twitter who were saying armand should be played by a latino actor again, and while I’m all for more latino actors getting unique roles, there’s just parts of the character that gave me pause about it, that’s all!

The writers have said that they are sticking close to the second half of the book this season, which is why I don't see the trepidation that you see in the final Loumand scene. Because if any part of Louis feels like he has to sleep with Armand to keep Claudia safe, then what is the point of the missing diary pages? What is the point of Claudia yelling at him for picking another man over her? Why does Louis look 100% turned on in the preview we got of his sex scene with Armand?

The fatal flaw of the Louis/Claudia relationship in the book is that Louis is so blinded by his love for Armand that he can't fathom that he would be a threat to Claudia. This doesn't work in the show if Louis knows from the beginning that Armand is a threat. I know Jacob said that Dreamstat is Louis' inner voice, but he also said that he's his guilty conscience. Let's face it; Dreamstat singing "Come to me you little whore" isn't Louis' subconscious telling him that Armand is evil. It's Louis' guilty conscience trying to prevent him from moving on. Louis could have fallen for literally anybody in Paris and he would still have Dreamstat insulting his love interest and telling him not to go for it.

And before you accuse me of having Loumand shipper lenses on, let me just say that the only ship I'm invested in is ArmanDaniel. I enjoy Loustat and Loumand and Armandstat, but I'm not attached to any of these romances. So this isn't bias talking

Okay. All of that plays into all of this as well, of course.

However, book canonically Armand also put spells on Louis to make him do things, literally influence his actions. Makes him turn Madeleine, for example.

It is no wonder Armand comments on Louis as he does in his own book.

"Louis, my companion, dried up of his own free will, rather like a beautiful rose skillfully dehydrated in sand so that it retains its proportions, nay, even its fragrance and even its tint. For all the blood he drank, he himself became dry, heartless, a stranger to himself and tome."

I mean... the show has been very clear wrt to the "golden cage" Louis is in. It has been said so as well by Hannah.

Of course it's a complicated beast. Of course there was attraction. I'm not denying that.

But the show has also made clear that they would go the gaslighting route since the SDCC posters. Like, they never even promoted Loumand.

Given that Jacob said it would go darker from hereon... ????

DreamStat is more than a guilty conscience though, "he" says what Louis will not say out loud. I think that will come across more directly in the upcoming episodes, since we've seen some of it in the trailers already.

And, you know, sex can be fun even if you entered a relationship under difficult circumstances.

Lust was never the problem, lol.

The thing about Marius de Romanus is that I understand he’s an absolute asshole, there’s not a strong enough word for how much of a jerk he is, if he was a real human man I would stay as far the fuck away from him as possible because hell no, but because he’s not a real human man and instead is stuck safely inside the pages of books where he cannot hurt me . . . I love him. In a way, I understand all those people who loathe him with a burning passion, but also, I don’t understand how you could not enjoy his character! To those who hate Marius, I have two rebuttals: 1) A lot of the traits you probably don’t like in him also show up in Lestat and, to a lesser extent, even Louis sometimes, so why the double standard? All of these characters are bad people why do we have it out for Marius in particular? And 2) Have you considered that he may be awful but at least he’s interesting about it?

Marius such a fascinating character to think about, analyse, pick apart, what makes him tick, why does do what he does, how much of it his his culture, how much of it is childhood issues, how much of it is his traumatic and entirely nonconsensual entrance into the world of vampires, etc., the ways that he sucks, the ways that he’s also kind of a dork on top of it, and also - the way he plays off of the other figures in his narrative are all so fascinating! Akasha, Avicus, Mael, Pandora, Bianca, Armand, Eudoxia and Zenobia, Thorne, Daniel, Lestat, hell, even Raymond Gallant and Botticelli! These random guys everyone forgets about (or they don’t know about because they refuse to read Marius’s book just because it’s Marius’s)! It’s cool! The dynamics he has with all of these other characters are so rich, so full of interesting things to talk about - why would you discount that just because he’s kind of a jerk?

Do you think Louis in Dubai already knows about Armand's role in what happens to Claudia? It would explain why he doesn't correct Armand when he says he never harmed him. I've seen so many contradictory theories about that but I believe their relationship is real, it's just not fully honest.

Hi Anon! That's the million dollar question, isn't it? We don't really have a definitive answer but for my part, I think Louis already knows. I'd much prefer if the show stuck to that bit of book canon.

IMO it makes for more interesting storytelling than to have some cheap dramatic reveal at the end where *gasp, [cue young & the restless music ♫] Louis ✨uncovers a treacherous betrayal✨ after living with the ♥︎love of his life™ for nearly 80 years. Shock and horror!!! What will Louis do next? Tune in on Sunday to find out...

I know Armand is one of, if not the, most powerful mind gift wielder but even he couldn't possibly maintain such a massive lie for that long. Especially not when he and Louis regularly exchange blood.

And as I've said so many times before, Interview With The Vampire is Louis' story and it's about him trying to come to terms with his own mistakes and how they contribute to the tragedies he suffers. Like almost all the books in the chronicles, It's more about internal conflict than about some external evil that the 'hero' must defeat to save the day and get the girl. Jacob sums it up perfectly in his recent Newsweek interview where he says;

❝ I think this season is quite a confronting at what happens when you really dig into your own culpability to things that that you felt you were the victim in or ways that you felt were wronged. And how much did you play a part in both fronts and responsibility you're really willing to take for your own actions and the way that you manifested your thoughts and feelings?Louis is way more powerful than he would ever admit, he is way more responsible for the tragedy of his own life than he would ever admit. ❞ 

I've seen some hints here and there about the angle the show might approach it from. For example, Armand and Santiago's official character bios which I find very interesting;

This suggests they will initially paint Santiago as the sole villain and Armand as a helpless spectator (I could not prevent it and all that)

But ultimately, I think it's crucial to the story that Louis knows the truth AND chooses to stay with Armand anyway. In the same way he says yes to Lestat's marriage proposal in the church, after witnessing him go on a murder rampage. In the same way he invites Lestat back into their home after Lestat beats him to a pulp and nearly kills him in episode 5, and then tells Claudia to "do better" when she's less than thrilled about it. In the same way, he can't bring himself to burn Lestat in episode 7, even while knowing it puts Claudia in potential future danger if Lestat were to come after them—which btw, he does and his testimony is ultimately what seals her fate.

I could go on and on but the point is that Louis is a complex and flawed character, whose desires and self-imposed morality are completely at odds. I think this season will be all about revealing just how flawed Louis is and I for one cannot wait to see all of it.

And no, unlike 'some people', it's not because I need Louis to be revealed as an evil liar because then it 'puts him on an equal level with Lestat and so Lestat's not so bad. 🤡 It's because just like Jacob says, I believe we need to allow space for black and brown characters to also be complex, flawed and even problematic at times. Let's be monsters and enjoy it! That's what makes for good representation and that's what makes for interesting storytelling. And don't worry Jacob, I'll still love Louis at the end no matter what he does! ♥︎

While I admit I am biased because I love Loustat and Daniel/Armand first and foremost, I am trying not to be negative towards Loumand (which I don't like very much in the books) and appreciate its role in the story, but the Loumand shippers (the ones that have popped up since S1 anyway) are making it difficult and I find them exhausting. I feel like so much of the extreme Lestat hate and takes like Daniel is too old to be a love interest or become a vampire seem to be coming from that corner along with other things. I also can't believe they actually like book Armand considering the way they feel about Lestat. I can't believe they would like any of the characters to be honest.

Hi anon . First of all I need to say I'm not a TVC expert I watched the show first & then read some of the books selectively 😅so I hope what I answer makes sense . 💜

Okay so all of the book readers already know that all of the vampires are horrible in their own ways & that's because most of them have a horrible past both as a human & vampire . That of course doesn't justify what they later but that clarifies why they're acting the way they do .

And I think from Ep 5 it is right to hate Lestat but I don't understand the hate towards old Daniel he literally didn't do anything to Louis or Rashid / Armand except to get something true out of their stories like a real journalist . And I need to mention here that I myself am a Armandaniel & loustat shipper first & in heart just like you . 🥰 The hate on Old Daniel is not justifiable for the show viewers bc I myself can't find a reason to hate him YET😐

And as for people should hate Armand or Loumand as much as they hated Lestat & loustat , I think that can't be decided by the show viewers only 🤷🏻‍♀️ cause they haven't seen any bad side of Armand towards Louis , they haven't seen their relationship in Paris or after Paris . And they hope Louis & Claudia are finally free of their abuser. So I give them the right to want that because they have no idea & it's a journey for them & new discoveries for them . And not just about Loumand about loustat too because Louis canonly considered loving Lestat more in the second half of the book so if the show runners know what they're doing & consider to take a darker path as JACOB said in an interview then we will definitely see Loumand to the extent & also loustat to the extent. 😊

And for those people who know about Loumand & Armand of the books & still love & adore them together I think that is also fine BUT AS LONG AS THEY DON'T HATE LOUSTAT FOR THE SAME REASONS 🙄 . If they hate Lestat for the manipulation & lies & withholding information then they must hate Armand or Loumand for the same reasons . 😉 Or even Claudia Otherwise their reasons for hating Lestat & loustat isn't justifiable to me . 🤷🏻‍♀️

And I want to add I don't hate Armand I didn't like Loumand though . I love Armand & Daniel their relationship makes more sense to me than Loumand . Although I have to add Loumand as great friends in later books makes so much more sense. I think Louis & Armand can calmly talk together & talk sh*t behind Lestat's back all they want .😂 I think they need each other simply because the way we all need someone in our life when we're tired of our relationship & our family & sometimes ourselves . Armand is probably Louis's escape from anything intense & Louis is probably Armand's scale of what he does as much as Lestat hates that Armand accepts that from Louis I guess . 🙂

Over all I think we should respect each other's favorite ships without judgement towards the person who ships other ships . And I think Loumand was & is the necessity of the story individually or as I myself think Loumand is a means to loustat . So if you're worried about how S2 might not be your favorite season because of Loumand then I can offer you to just enjoy the ride because you'll find something else interesting to like about season 2 . But as a respect for the actors & to the hard work they did I will definitely support S2 because they all worked really hard & I think that wouldn't be really nice to them to stop watching S2 because I don't like Loumand in the book . Who knows I might come to like it on the show . 🤩

Let the tale seduce you . 😉❤️

I'm not going to be enjoying season two because AMC would rather purposely create back to back shitty episodes of our characters lying badly to make a season finale reveal bigger. The reveal of unreliable narration seems to be all this show has going for it.

Have they never watched a whodunnit mystery? There is a way to make misdirection from several characters interesting to watch. I'm not even feeling loumand anymore, other than instant physical attraction, I don't sense a bit of the passion that I expected, Lestat being present constantly does beat you over the head that this is a rebound. Instead of making us fall in love with loumand for real, they just show you all their cards. Stop telling us it is fake, and let us find out naturally.

I'm starting to crave the needless melodrama of season one, because now I'm pissed off and bored. But what kind of business model is this? To book fans we're wasting time on sloppy lies, to only-show fans these episodes must be dull and uneventful at best. All this build up to reveal in 8-10 episodes that Lestat's alive and Armand was kinda evil.

"We don't do anything without our maitre's say so." Yeah it kinda tracks that he did it. You know I read interview with the vampire several times, for years, before I was like "hey I think Armand may have let this happen, but it's kind of ambiguous, like he's really powerful he certainly could have stopped it," and every time I talked myself out of it saying, "damn but Louis wouldn't stay with the guy who killed Claudia for years, he does stop loving him after paris almost instantly, maybe he knew," subtlety? Ambiguity? AMC doesn't know or respect these concepts.

sorry if this seems random but a little rant in response to what u reblogged about the new tv show.

TBH IT MAKES ME SO MAD THAT THEY ADDED *FORCED* RACISM (and by that I mean Louis taking lestat calling him his fledgling as "slave" like stop thats not what vc is about at ALL?????) AND HAD TO MAKE ANTOINE INTO ANTOINETTE TO SHOW HES BI 💀 I feel like the writers missed a lot of important points about the book and WHY Louis stuck with Lestat and was infatuated with him but hated him at the same time. they really changed character dynamics in it tbh. dont get me wrong, its a decent show, but I just can't see it as the same Louis and Lestat compared to the 1994 movie which I think did a good job in recreating what Anne wrote.

anyway hi 😍🥰😇...

I'm not really sure what forced racism means in the context of the iwtv show ngl. I mean I've really only seen the show through one and a half times but I do know that even Louis himself in the books labels himself as a slave to Lestat's whim (Claudia does as well; she also calls him a slave to Armand) (Lestat also does this in respects to Himself so even he agrees hrejgh) so even in the context of the books I don't really think it's forced or ooc for this connection to be made. Obviously the intention is different considering Louis' blackness in the show, but since this is a theme the show goes with (meaning the racism that Louis experiences in his time period) I don't really have a problem with that wording. I'm not black myself so this is just my opinion by the way, but I've always been pretty interested in the way they decided to change show Louis' race and backstory. It's probably the most interesting change they made imo.

Um yeah the Antoinette thing still sucks, I really don't know why they decided to go with that ?? Idk i always forget abt her so I guess I'm a hater. Agree 👍. We never needed to prove Lestat was bi esp in the first book so wharever? go off showrunners i Guess?? idk bout all that

Loustat's dynamic is completely different in the show and it's one I've rlly never been interested in. I know a lot of people enjoy it and I don't wanna take away from that, so no hate there idk do what you love. I'm just not an enjoyer of the abuser/abusee thing they kinda have going on. Um and the cheating stuff it's all just really exhausting to me. I just really like Louis' reaction to Lestat's actions in the book ! They aren't canon BECAUSE Lestat is abusive and controlling and manipulative and they don't even kiss until book 2, let alone express emotional/physical affection. Show Louis goes back to Lestat even after everything that goes on in ep 5 and. As a self proclaimed Louis self insert I just can't ever see him doing that in the books, at least not with Claudia still in the picture. IDK!

I'm really not a hater of the show, and I want all the Louis fans out there to really think about the way they react to the changes in his character from book to show. There are personality changes that I don't agree with either, but this is a different story and the original one has already been told. I don't have to like the show to respect it and its fans, and the whole pick a side thing between book and show is exhausting to me :/ there r things I like and things i don't like about both versions !

Sorry I know this goes really off topic HGFSHg.. love love

Again, this blog is going to be about my experience reading QOTD, but wanted to just list out some of my thoughts on the first couple books! (No real analysis just writing how I felt about them). My previous post was about IWTV, and now here are some of my thoughts on The Vampire Lestat!!

Spoilers ahead. (Tw: mentions of incest and grooming)

The Vampire Lestat (1985)

Big change of tone, lol. I enjoyed Lestat's narration, even if it was a bit ridiculous at first and so different from IWTV. But he's funny! Like when he talks about how much he likes the 80s:

LOL.

And of course it was rock music that rose him from his slumber. So camp.

I really enjoyed getting some Lestat lore, and vampire lore in general. Loved getting to see mortal Lestat. His relationship with his mother is definitely something. Gabrielle is described as someone who doesn’t talk just to talk, and everything she says is definitely interesting. I like how she so succinctly describes Lestat's personality/character:

"You're such a fighter, my son. You never accept."

And then when she tells Lestat "You are the man in me." Wow. Feel like that describes exactly what her relationship to Lestat is as well as her relationship with gender etc, idk. Just liked that line. And then of course the relationship later becomes romantic, although it did feel like it was building up to it as opposed to like the horrific realization that I got in IWTV of Louis and Claudia. This one I saw coming but it was just very tragic.

Everything about Nicki was devastating he really was going through it. The lines where Lestat is describing him/their moments together were very romantic though. When Lestat tells him "(...) light and beauty come together in you in a thousand different patterns." And later, after Lestat is turned, "You are light itself, and what am I now? Eternal as I am, I curl like a cinder in that blaze." So cheesy I know but it really got me.

Ugh, when they are having "their conversation", and Lestat is going on about how what they do (acting, playing violin) feels good and makes others feel good, so it must be good, and Nicki responds with "Lestat, sin always feels good.” Shoot me now. Anyway, RIP Nicki you will be missed.

We got some Armand lore! I finally understand the Armand/Lestat beef that is always mentioned online lol. And also, fuck Marius, seriously. Like from the bottom of my heart. I feel like we’re supposed to read Marius’s actions as having saved Armand, when really he could have busted him out of the cell he was in and killed his enslavers and have just been his mentor. Instead, Marius paid the slavers money to buy Armand and then groomed him. Not only is he horrible, he is also very boring which is actually the worst thing you could be as a fictional character. Like the second I got to Marius's Story I checked how much I had left of his lore and I gasped at how much there still was like why was he talking for so long? Also of course you get some of Anne's racist rhetoric seeping through via Marius. It’s stuff like this that makes it so hard to read or take seriously when the immortals start philosophizing about good and evil like you just went on a rant about how people in the East are actually bottom of the barrel evil while the Westerners were more civilized or whatever idk man. Again have no clue why Marius spoke for as long as he did.

Cute vampire reunion in the end. Got treated to a vampire concert which was nice although I feel like Lestat could have gotten a little more creative with the lyrics lol. Overall I enjoyed it, I think Lestat is a fun narrator and loved all the lore and character backstories.

These were some of my unorganized thoughts of TVL, my next post will be about QOTD! I’m almost done reading the first part and from then on will probably post chapter by chapter. Feel free to follow if you wanna read along with me!

Bonus quote:

ijbol

What social media do you think Louis,Lestat, Armand, and Daniel would have?

(I've only read the first two books so far so idk if they really have social media in the last 3 books)

Lestat can't even keep his email accounts straight, so unless you count Anne answering questions on Facebook as him then no, they never really mention social media lol

Lestat: Someone (and I can't remember who) brought up the thought that Lestat would have an instagram that is nothing but pics of dogs that he's met on his travels and that's just stuck with me forever. And maybe he'd go through a phase of posting pictures of himself, especially if he were to get the band back together for a reunion tour, but the day his phone does a hard reset and he gets logged out? That's the end of that, he can't be bothered to figure out the password.

Louis: secret forum lurker. He has a goodreads account where he posts book reviews (something scathing), a reddit account where he argues with randos over literature and history, and an ancestry.com account he keeps because he enjoys organizing the pointe du lac family records. He's text based only, minus the pinterest account he keeps to try and keep Lestat's home renovations on track.

Armand: has dabbled in everything. Livejournal, myspace, snapchat, instagram, he's tried it all out of curiosity. But most of it is a passing phase, a thing to fixate on and a way to connect with random mortals about whatever he's interested in at the time, and then he moves on. Tiktok is his latest fixation, not to post videos but to endlessly scroll and see weird shit. Also a pinterest king for home decor.

Daniel: I was talking to @monstersinthecosmos about him and she was like, he's the type to have a bunch of burner facebook accounts to lurk and catfish his extended family members and god that just strikes me as correct. Like techinically his siblings could still be alive! His parents, even! And he can't communicate with them as Daniel so pretending to be his own distant relative or just straight up stealing someone else's pics and lying about who he is to keep in touch would be up his alley. He's the guy the rest of them go to if they wanna hunt down a descendant on social media. Also had a twitter for a while to keep up with fellow fans of podcasts he likes, but Elon has fucked that so, like the rest of us he's trying to figure out what to get into next.

So I was Thinking some Thoughts while in the shower and absolutely losing my mind but decided that I was too busy to sit down and make a post.

Until I checked Tumblr and saw the conversation that @monstersinthecosmos started which is related to the Thoughts I was having and well, here we are now.

I've been going through TVL, TVA, and B&G because of the Marius meta I'm currently working on so of course I was thinking about how he basically just abandoned Armand.

And of course this ties into how Armand didn't technically lie to Louis when he said he was the oldest surviving vampire known to him. He thought that shit was true.

And I was thinking about that scene in TVL when he starts spilling his guts to Lestat and how we all hate the fact that he did that, damn him, how could he when him not telling Amadeo about The Parents put him in jeopardy, etc.

But I would argue that it makes emotional sense that he disclosed to Lestat. Hell, it even makes some logical sense.

And I think it all ties back to this line in B&G:

"I think I have come to enjoy loneliness. I think when I was mortal I loved it. I was the wanderer." (p. 178)

He's speaking to Eudoxia here, toward the end of his time with Mael and Avicus. But let's put a pin in that to briefly discus mortal Marius, since he brings it up in the above quote.

I'm not going to go too deep into this as I already explore the topic thoroughly in the meta I'm working on but mortal Marius was a fucking weirdo. Full stop. He was bookish and pretentious and only really seemed to be interested in writing his histories. He speaks himself about what he's recorded, the things he's seen and it's implied that he was there to do just that--record, not participate.

We can extrapolate a few facts about mortal Marius from this:

He was obsessed with documenting the political and social goings-on of his time because perhaps

He didn't fully understand or relate to the more social aspects of his age (which is why he leaned so heavily on the political shit, where the rules were blatantly laid out unlike in interpersonal relationships) but

He perhaps actually craved the company of other people but not knowing how to achieve that like a normal person, he used documentation as his excuse to be close to any social gathering.

When you stop to think about it, it seems less like Marius actually enjoys being alone and more like he just doesn't know how to relate to people. Which obviously gets worse with vampirism, as The Blood just seems to take innate traits in people and crank them up to 11.

When comparing what little we know of mortal Marius to what we know of him in the rest of the books, a pattern starts to emerge: periods of attempting to reach out and relate punctuated by longer bouts of self imposed isolation.

It's my belief that Marius isolates himself as an unhealthy coping mechanism (relatable king). This of course was also worsened by how he was brought into The Blood, where he had to go into hiding and keep people at arm's length because of the Parents. It becomes the perfect excuse to keep this same unhealthy cycle going.

Roughly 15 years into being a vampire, his hand is forced into making Pandora and they went on to fight for 200(??) years. Mostly about Akasha. Which would have taught him (at least subconsciously) not to share The Parents with any potential future fledglings. It just causes too much drama.

Not to mention the fact that even if the burnt ones survived the attack on the parents for those 220+ years, they now how to contend with the new vampire cultists that started to crop up.

So there was a lot of practical reasons to try to keep the Parents secret. Even though he was apparently terrible at cloaking his thoughts about them. That one is on him. Bad job, Marius.

By the time Lestat gets to him, I think it's purely because he's in the middle of the "tired of being lonely" phase of his cycle. That's why he finally goes to Lestat and allows him to Know Things.

Well, scratch that. I think that's why he agreed to go to Lestat and talk to him. I think there's a good chance he was never planning on disclosing the secret to Lestat until the moment he did it.

As he said to Thorn on p. 48 of B&G:

"I brought him to me; I talked with him as I'm talking to you now. But something curious happened with him which caught me quite off guard. I felt a sudden surge of pure devotion to him and this combined with an extraordinary trust.

"He was young but he wasn't innocent. And when I talked, he listened perfectly. When I played the teacher, there came no argument. I wanted to tell him my earliest secrets. I wanted to reveal the secret of our King and Queen.

"It had been a long, long time since I'd revealed that secret. I'd been alone for a century among mortals. And Lestat, so absolute in his devotion to me, seemed completely worthy of my trust."

So he's tired of being lonely. He's approached by a new vampire who is too foolhardy to mask his awe at being near Marius (who has an ego, let us not forget), who defers to him without question, and who reminds Marius of himself:

"You have come into being at the end of an era, at a time when the world faces changes undreamed of. And it was the same with me. I was born and grew to manhood in a time when the ancient world, as we call it now, was coming to a close. Old faiths were worn out. A new god was about to rise." (TVL, p. 381-382)

And:

"Precisely," he said. "So you and I have that in common. We did not grow to manhood expecting very much of others. And the burden of conscience was private, terrible though it might be." (TVL, p. 382-382)

The time seemed right to disclose. I think it was Marius's perspective that Lestat should be his protege because he was sick of being lonely and he finally (thought) he found someone who was perfect to take under his wing. Until the whole violin debacle happened, of course.

So why did Marius not reach out to Armand, knowing that he was still alive?

This ties into the conversation from the other day (yesterday? I don't remember) that @monstersinthecosmos also started about passing on trauma through the Blood.

Armand says to Lestat in TVL (p. 249):

They never satisfy you, the ones you make. In silence the estrangement and the resentment only grow.

An interesting sentiment being expressed by someone who has never been Maker and only been fledgling.

In B&G (p. 363), Marius says of making Armand:

And as he drank from me, I gave him my lessons, my secrets. I told him of the gifts that might one night come to him. I told him of my long ago love for Pandora. I told him of Zenobia, of Avicus, of Mael. I told him all but that final secret. That I kept from him.

Marius spent perhaps hours pouring all his love and pain into this boy until he eventually came away with an impression: that fledglings grow to resent their Makers. The way Marius resents Teskhamen. The way Pandora resents Marius. He knows this beginning his life as a vampire and even when it becomes obvious that Marius is not dead, he believes this is the way it goes. As does Marius. Marius also believes this because it's also his only experience with Maker/fledgling relationships.

This is also why he refers to making Armand being his worst mistake. He truly believes that Armand should hate him for stealing so much of his youth from him. Should hate him for raising him for the Blood. Should hate him for not allowing him to die. Should hate him for being that selfish. He believes Armand should hate him for all of that because perhaps Marius hates himself for having done all that.

Which I think Armand understands to some extent. It's perhaps why he accepted Marius with open arms at Maharet's compound:

Through his tears he saw no recrimination for the grand experiment that had gone wrong. He saw the face that he had painted, now darkened slightly with the thing we naively call wisdom; and he saw the same love he had counted upon so totally in those lost nights. (QotD, p. 274)

It's because Armand, having just turned Daniel, better understand the ways in which Makers can fail themselves and their fledglings when love gets involved.

Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk. I gotta go cry now.

I was just re-listening to Jacob and sam’s podcast interview that someone kindly reposted on YouTube https://youtu.be/832dDXfmU0M

And like 28:30 mins into it when discussing armand, Sam let’s out this little offended laugh scoff of disbelief (lol) when Naomi says lestat would never have been willing to pretend to play butler for Louis like armand etc, and he jumps in to ‘defend’ lestat and responds ‘you haven’t met armand yet’ hahaha

I need Assad and Sam to have a joint podcast episode next season, I think they’d be so funny together while sticking up for their characters

Do you think the show might set up Armand’s darker side (as opposed to simply Louis’ modern companion and support) during promotion or will his character be treated as more of a twist? Because a lot of non-book readers (and those podcast hosts) seem to have developed a ‘he’s healthy and soft as opposed to lestat toxicity and abuse’ mentality. Is it because we are kinda conditioned by most of media to assume love interests serve as these moral examples of black and white, happily ever after, kind of representations? Either way I hope people are open minded so next season we can enjoy the nuance and darkness all the vampires have to offer.

Well, with a bit of luck we'll get that joint podcast episode :))) Fingers crossed!

And... honestly, I... cannot really see them pulling another twist, now that the proverbial and literal(!) gloves have come off. (Like, that dropping of the gloves was so no coincidence?! And I LOVED that)^^

Noooo, we have Armand now. Reality will happen, and fast *laughs*

It is no coincidence either that Rolin put the little talk I shared as gifset a while back into the episode insider for the last episode.

THIS is where the season left us.

Even non-book watchers should have perked up at that comment. Or at least blinked twice.

ARMAND, the coven leader, the one to rouse Lestat to hunt other vampires, the one always cleaning up wherever he is, the one stalking and hunting Daniel for years, the one throwing rats into a microwave and mixing stuff in a blender for color, etc, etc.... the one who killed Claudia, is there now.

And... honestly... most people -I- know are GIDDILY looking forward to it.

Who knows, first teasers or even the trailer might play with the infatuation phase. That could be.

But... that is NOT what the next season will be about^^.

Season 1 was heavily focused on the relationship.

We're entering vampire territory now, baby :))))

Happy Birthday!! I hope it's been a great day!

What's your favorite VC birthday headcanon?

Thank you!!! It was quite a good day, the whole country threw a massive surprise party, with big parades of horses, and lots of street parties, just a shame about the weather. Even the king and queen showed up apparantly, which was very thoughtful of them. A few too many union jack decorations for my liking, which is weird because I didn't think I was known for being much of a nationalist, but it's the thought that counts :)

Terrible, awful jokes aside, have some birthday headcanons!

During the Night Island era, Armand went big on Daniel's birthdays. I'm talking huge, beautifully catered meals tailored to Daniel's tastes, themed parties across the island, firework displays for them to watch from the villa or from a private yacht out in the ocean, performers etc. And this is to say nothing of the absolute mountain of expensive gifts he gets Daniel. It's a multi-day affair, and Daniel honestly finds it kind of overwhelming but it makes Armand so happy to be able to shower this much attention and love onto him, and he's just grinning ear to ear watching Daniel take it all in, so Daniel lets it happen.

Later, after their reunion, they prefer to use Daniel's birthday as an excuse to get away, just the two of them, on a trip somewhere. They try and choose places that neither of them are that familiar with, or that have changed a lot since they've last been. They spend the time exploring, and trying new things, being a bit silly, and just having fun together. It's the closest either of them feel to their early years together.

Armand is still planning to throw the party to end all parties on Daniel's 100th birthday though.

Armand also still gets to plan and throw parties/celebrations for his loved ones, specifically for Sybelle and Benji. Each year he uses one of their birthdays to throw a huge party and invite everyone they know, and to bring as many people as possible to Trinity Gate. There are performers, and a lot of spectacle and it's all very showy and impressive. But he alternates this with a more personal celebration for one of them each year, with just their close family/friends, based around the interests of whoever the event is for.

Louis has promised to set Trinity Gate on fire if Armand ever plans a huge party like that for him, he has enough problems with Lestat trying to do things like that at court.

Armand makes sure he can always spend Louis birthday with him, whether that means just staying in and relaxing with him, or whether he manages to coax him out to go and see or do something they'll enjoy.

Armand also puts a lot of effort into Louis gifts, hunting down rare editions of his favourite books for example, or having custom pieces of furniture made for the library.

Oops, this ended up all being headcanons about how Armand celebrates his loved ones birthdays, but I think given how he shows his affection through acts of service and gift giving, I think he takes birthdays as the opportunity they are to lavish the people he cares about with love and affection. He also likes playing host and planning events in my mind, so it's a good opportunity for that.

Here are some thoughts on Lestat’s band! Playlist/song recs at the end.

TL/DR: Lestat could’ve been an early ‘70s glam rock star, and most of the music associated with him has connections to that era.

Descriptions of the band from the books:

“I could hear their whining electric guitars, their frantic singing. It was as good as the radio and stereo songs I heard, and it was more melodic than most. There was a romance to it in spite of its pounding drums. The electric piano sounded like a harpsichord.”

The Vampire Lestat, page 5

“Then came the piercing, twanging fury of the electrical guitar. The drums boomed into a marching cadence, and the grinding locomotive sound of the synthesizer crested, then broke into a bubbling caldron of noise in time with the march. It was time to begin the chant in the minor key, its puerile lyrics leaping over the accompaniment…”

The Vampire Lestat, page 537

I remember reading that Anne saw an Iron Maiden concert as research for writing The Vampire Lestat. She also cited Bon Jovi and the Doors as inspiration. I think in one of the @thecoveninarticulate podcasts, someone even talked about how TVL has a keyboardist but no bass player, which was a reference to the Doors. Also, the description of the keyboard sounding like a harpsichord is reminiscent of the Doors’s sound, which includes a lot of electric organ. So we’re not working with less commercial ‘80s goth music (which I like to think Armand and Daniel were into). TVL probably wouldn’t reach the insane level of commercial success that they do as an ‘80s goth band, as goth was very much confined to subcultural status at this time. The same goes for heavier/more underground metal subgenres. Over-the-top ‘80s rock and classic ‘60s rock are what we’re working with, based on the books.

The Doors are an interesting reference for TVL, since they’re out of the ‘80s time period. They experimented with lyrical and sonic darkness, and Jim Morrison is noted for the boundaries he pushed as a performer. They’re aesthetically associated with the underbelly of ‘60s L. A. Think Once Upon A Time…In Hollywood. Thus, Lestat’s music is meant to cut deeper than his ‘80s hair metal contemporaries, whose music was mostly just good fun.

I personally think it might have been appropriate for Lestat to emerge in the early-mid ‘70s as a sort of dark glam rock star, instead of in the ‘80s during the hair metal/goth era. Lestat’s experimentation with persona is VERY similar to what David Bowie did with Ziggy Stardust. Additionally, the band and singer sharing a name seems like a call back to o. g. Alice Cooper (no clue if Anne intended that or not, but it’s what I immediately thought of). This connects back to the Doors as well; Jim Morrison’s performance style formed the rock star archetype of the tragic figure battling internal demons, which glam rock dramatizes. The sound that woke Lestat up from his vampire nap (abrasive yet melodic and of course hard-rocking) had been developing for a long time before 1984. Plus, ‘70s glam rock was all about pushing the envelope on male gender presentation and sexuality. Marc Bolan (of T. Rex) and David Bowie both came out as bisexual during this time period, and male rock stars dressed more and more androgynously. It’s all very Lestat-core. I really have trouble believing he would have slept through Bowie, Bolan, Iggy, and Alice.

Whatever else we might have to say about AMC’s adaptation, I did enjoy that they played T. Rex during the scene where young Daniel and Louis (plus Armand) meet in the bar. It was perfect for a queer scene set in the ‘70s.

The Queen of the Damned movie from 2002 makes The Vampire Lestat into a nu-metal band. I’ve only seen clips of that movie on Youtube, and I felt like I got a good enough idea of what it’s like…but I have looked at the soundtrack. Its songs were written by Jonathan Davis of Korn and sung by the who’s-who of nu-metal, and ‘90s-2000s alt rock generally. Davis’s dark, sludgy sound seems a bit far from what the books describe and what Lestat’s own tastes probably would have been. Also, it’s important to note that some artists on the soundtrack have turned out to be egregiously horrible people, even by the standards of the very fucked up rock music world. We don’t need to give them attention by incorporating them into our worldbuilding.

That being said, there are a few elements of the overall Lestat nu metal vibe that I think work. Nu metal was a more commercialized version of goth and metal that was recognized more widely, which corresponds with TVL’s level of success in the books. I can also get behind the mall-goth aesthetic for band and their fans. Vampire kitsch, combined with real vampirism. It’s textbook camp. Also, songs about Lestat’s life are going to inevitably have disturbing lyrical content. Nu-metal explores this kind of subject matter more explicitly than many other subgenres.

A lot of the nu metal bands on the soundtrack took inspiration from the early ‘70s, evident in their androgyny, blurring of the line between persona and reality, and campiness. So, even in that intensely 2000s movie, the ‘70s influence remains.

Speaking of 2000s alt rock, I was of course excited to see Gerard Way dressed as Bela Lugosi on MCR’s most recent tour. Lestat also dressed as a stereotypical vampire, cape and all, for his (singular) show. Glam rock is an influence for MCR as well—Gerard Way talks about Bowie in interviews, etc. It’s awesome. That got me thinking—Lestat would have totally written intense and dramatic MCR-esque love songs for Louis.

I think it’s also worth mentioning the final scene of the 1994 adaptation. Lestat jumps into Daniel’s convertible with a leather jacket over his ruffled shirt, which is a look a LOT of androgynous rock stars wore. It’s giving Jimmy Page in a major way. Lestat switches the radio station to play “Sympathy for the Devil,” covered by Guns and Roses. The Stones were precursors to glam rock in their way. Guns and Roses came later but took a lot from early ‘70s glam as well. It’s safe to infer that Lestat’s already going into his rock star era at this point in the movie. This gives us an idea of his music taste and general attitude at this point in the narrative. He’s interested in the dark and glamorous aesthetic of rock music, as well as how its contemplations of evil intertwine with his.

We don’t know what AMC is going to do with Lestat’s rock star era yet. I’m interested to see what route they take.

Here are a few songs that fit with how I imagine TVL, based on all these considerations. It’s a bit of a strange combination because Lestat has been associated with different styles of music, but they all connect with glam rock one way or another. I’d love y’all’s thoughts as well, ofc!

Songs:

More—Sisters of Mercy

Andrew Eldritch, goth icon who denies his own gothness, decided to try being a straight-up rock star with the album Vision Thing, leaving behind the melancholic sound of the Sisters’ earlier work. This song has violin on it—perfect for Lestat. The lyrics are also in character for him: “I don’t know why you gotta be so undemanding/one thing I know/I want MORE,” “I need all the love that I can’t get to.”

Riders on the Storm—the Doors

Imagine it done by an ‘80s band. It works.

Ziggy Stardust—David Bowie

This is Bowie telling the story of his character Ziggy, like how Lestat talks about himself in his songs. Plus it’s very Lestat to describe yourself as having a “god-given ass.” Am I wrong? I’m not wrong.

Ballrooms of Mars—T. Rex

This is one of the best songs Marc Bolan ever wrote, in my opinion. Unlike most of his work, which is whimsical and nonsensical in the best way, the lyrics and descending chord progression create a more ominous and mournful atmosphere. The lyrics can easily be read as vampiric.

Runnin’ With the Devil—Van Halen

Tough Cookie would probably have an Eddie Van Halen-esque guitar tone, as TVL would want to sound very modern for their time period. Themes of, well, runnin’ with the devil. Confessing your own evilness to a rock audience.

Change in the House of Flies—Deftones

The one QOTD movie song I’m including. I think TVL’s songs would have a bit more dynamic variation than the Deftones, but the love/horror combo this song is about plays a big part in VC and in Lestat’s life. Plus, I can imagine it would be a good song to perform live, and, being glam-adjacent, that would be important for TVL.

Sympathy for the Devil—Guns and Roses

Good job, 1994 adaptation.

SHIPPING INFO / answer the following for your muse so people know how shipping works on your blog !

WHAT IS YOUR OTP FOR YOUR CHARACTER.

Lestat & Louis, specifically. They're end game in every sense of the word. I happen to love the dynamic , the drama & the passion that comes with Louis & Lestat's relationship. Despite the fact that they are, in fact, both complete drama queens. I absolutely can not get enough of Lestart & Armand either -- as they are my second favorite dynamic for the prince's character, & to add a little bit of spice let's just throw in Daniel in there too. Maybe even a little bit of David & Rowan.

HOW LARGE DOES THE AGE GAP HAVE TO BE TO MAKE IT UNCOMFORTABLE.

Age gaps are part of something that comes with being with a vampire. Obviously I will not tolerate Lestat shipping with a minor who is under 18 years. Physical or otherwise too. Ah ah ! Don't even mention the book canon because I don't want to hear it. I know, okay? EVERYBODY knows. As long as there is mutual respect, consent & everyone is comfortable, dive right in.

HOW FAR DO STEAMY MOMENTS HAVE TO GO BEFORE THEY ARE CONSIDERED NSFW.

I think with Les, it's easy for things to do a complete 180. So anytime he starts sucking on your muse's neck, you'll know. If he start's biting your muse's thighs, YOU'LL KNOW ! Just a head's up, though -- if you are ever uncomfortable with anything as a writing partner, let me know & we can fade to black or figure something else out !

ARE YOU SELECTIVE WHEN SHIPPING.

I think Lestat can handle anyone but not everyone can handle Lestat. He's not perfect, he's A LOT to deal with. As anyone & everyone who has had a chance to lay in the same bed with him, they know that. He's also not too faithful or loyal & thinks he deserves a little variety. --- because of that, I am not too selective of who I ship with, just as long as we have talked about it before hand ( or the indication is there ) & both parties are okay with overstepping that boundary. Lestat may be okay with jumping on anyone but I am not.

WHO ARE OTHER CHARACTERS YOU SHIP YOUR CHARACTER WITH.

I think I will take this time to thank @godpyre right now, because I have began to write Armand first as I have done so in the past when tumblr was not as well known as it it right now. I made that blog a few months ago & I don't recall who sought who out but we began messaging each other. Talked about Lestat & Armand for such a long time that I made this blog our of whim. Tugged Cowboy & Sab ( @burningsky ) back along with me from their hiatus. Enjoyed my time getting to know Cowboy & befriending him. I am completely in awe that someone so kind, patient & so talented wanted to write with me! I have enjoyed developing Lestat lately. Studying his character & appreciating him --- understanding why he is hard to love & fun to hate. If it wasn't for Cowboy my boy, I wouldn't have even given Lestat a second thought. I have always loved the dynamic & love that Lestat & Armand have for one another. The hatred & drama that comes with their relationship, but the hard respect they have for each other has always captured my heart. I think they both have been such an important person in each other's life. I always said that Lestat & Armand are almost the same person but in different fonts. There is such history there that I am going to have fun bringing in a modern setting. Lestat & Daniel also seem to be peeking some interest in me as of late. They haven't really had any kind of development passed what we know, so Sab --- my friend, you have some treats coming your way, I hope you are as excited as I am ! Gives a subtle shout out to @vampyrebond & @sanguilt for occasionally feeding me with my love. Louis. I love getting spoonful's of delicious vanilla ice cream sometimes & I appreciate seeing them when they're around. So much so that I kick my feet in excitement because I need them in my life. @goldenngore can also can go here, something about Lestat having a knight & shining armor amuses me greatly. I enjoy our late night conversations & our current plots. Loras is so beautifully written & Frankensteins's writing takes my breath away. I don't want to forget the ladies I am developing plots with @executiioner & @astremourante, both complete sweethearts. Both have captured Lestat's attention almost immediately. Fandom wise, including the ones I just mentioned -- Rowan, David, Akasha, Nicki, Jesse, Antoine, Antoinette, The Devil for god's sake. In a deep PLATONIC sense: Claudia, Sybelle & Benji, Gabrielle & Viktor.

DOES ONE HAVE TO ASK TO SHIP WITH YOU.

No, not at all . . . but I will likely be the first to ask you ! Just to be sure that you're comfortable. However, I may forget & if there is indication that the ship is already sailing, I have no idea how to sail a ship so you're out of luck & the boat is already being swallowed by the sea. Most of the ships are toxic because Lestat is a toxic being & I do hope ya'll know that before pressing his buttons.

ARE YOU SHIP OBSESSED OR SHIP MORE-OR-LESS.

I personally love it. I never really wrote an open sexual creature like Lestat before. He's so proud to be who he is & confident & loud. Meanwhile, I am kind of quiet & an anxious ball of slime. So throw me your muse & let's watch them dance.

ARE YOU MULTISHIP.

POLYCULE FOREVER !

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE SHIP IN YOUR CURRENT FANDOM.

Loustat & Lesmand but one kind of overpowers the other. Uhh, you're gunna have to guess which one.

FINALLY, HOW DOES ONE SHIP WITH YOU.

Throws back covers & pats on the bed beside me. Come on in, it's warm. ! If I am being real for a second, just flirt with Les & or let's switch discords to plot something. I go with the flow, mostly, so we can just wing it. I am always up for AU's or any kind of troupes. Even already plotted stories that I can easily nestle in the canon somewhere. This is OUR world baby, if someone doesn't like it then they don't have to interact.

oh armand is a master of the customer service act. he is also continuously improving it and trying new things by observing and imitating his coworkers. aside from the fun appliances and routine i think a big draw would be getting to observe people and learn about them that way. i don't know if he'd be killing everyone who pisses him off though, i just don't see him caring that much when it's coming from humans? i could see him doing something pretty like put something gross in their drink tho. i see him as the type to hold loooong grudges. and i think he'd be interested to figure out what makes a person act the way they do like why is this guy being so rude for seemingly no reason? interesting... like from what i've read in the books so far his kills tend to be very intimate and almost tender unless he has a secondary purpose to it like uhh. an experiment. or getting rid of someone inconvenient. or driving someone to madness for some purpose. like he doesn't have much of a reaction to gruesome violence and no qualms about committing it but he doesn't crave it or draw a lot of pleasure from it in itself from what i can tell? like he simply doesn't care unless it's someone he loves. but this is just my impression so far, i'm not even halfway through the book series yet lol.

the point about him giving people what he wants instead of what they ordered is sooooo funny he'd be like i don't think they really want strawberry in this they seem much more like a raspberry guy. and when the customer is like this isnt what i ordered hes like you will enjoy it. and it's like half a command half a neutral statement of fact about the universe and customer is like uhhh. i guess i will then???

thank youuu!!! omg i sometimes want to read them just to like get him? but then im like nah they’ll get to it in the show…so thank you for helping me answer that with in character armand. im glad my favorite bit lives on!!!! him giving people what he wants and not what they order makes me laugh. it just does. i love that!

you’re reading the mayfair books?? are they any good? i’ve been thinking of reading them after i finish the vampire chronicles

They’re definitely interesting! I’m overall glad I’m reading them, but I suspect they’re not for everyone, even Vampire Chronicles fans. A few things to consider when you’re deciding if you want to try then out, based off of my experience so far

They are LONG. They do get progressively shorter, but the first book, The Witching Hour is over 1000 pages long. For reference, it’s only slightly shorter than Les Miserables by Victor Hugo. I chose to engage with it as an audiobook, which to me made it easier to get through, so if you’re intimidated by the size that might be a good option for you.

In particular, if The Talamasca is interesting to you, these books may be a great choicef. With the caveat that I have not finished The Vampire Chronicles yet so this could change, these books seem to involve the Talamasca more directly. They also take place after David’s direct involvement with the Talamasca has ended, so if you’re not a David fan, he’s only been briefly mentioned so far.

They are predominately in third person, and the point of view jumps around a LOT. The closest comparison in the Vampire Chronicles is probably Queen of the Damned. If you found that you didn’t like the shifting perspectives in that book, the Mayfair Witches books might not be for you. Also in typical Anne style some of the chapters are ABSURDLY long, so if you’re not feeling one particular POV you might be stuck there for a bit. I love the pace and feel of the shorter chapters, though. Personally, I typically am not a huge fan of first person narratives (with some notable outliers, such as the Vampire Chronicles), so I kind of enjoy getting the story told mostly in third person.

I really like a lot of the characters. I feel like character development is one area where Anne tended to really shine. So if her characters are what drew you to The Vampire Chronicles, you might like getting to experience more of them!

In my opinion, these books deal with even darker and more taboo subject matter than the Vampire Chronicles do. They handle these topics in a way that, to me, feels more detailed and explicit. I really cannot overemphasize that there is content that may be extremely triggering in these books, including but definitely not limited to content that is sexual in nature. If you want to read them but think they might be triggering to you, I definitely recommend checking out trigger warnings first so you can make the best decision for yourself. The Vampire Chronicles is definitely erotic, but in many (but not all) cases, blood drinking stands in for actual sex. That isn’t the case here. So if you’re not prepared to read some of the most genuinely weird and unhinged porn you can imagine, these may not be for you. Another thing to consider is that these characters are predominately human. If the idea of humans committing atrocities feels worse to you than vampires committing atrocities, this may not be the series for you. On the other hand, if that stuff isn’t a deterrent to you, it might be perfect! Frankly, I’ve grit my teeth through a lot of it, but I do think there’s value for me personally in sometimes engaging with media that gets me out of my comfort zone. Not everyone feels that way which is fine, too.

I paused after The Vampire Armand to read these books before moving onto Merrick, so if you’re looking for info on how necessary the Mayfair Witches books are in order to understand the crossover books, I’m not the person to ask, at least not yet. It’s my understanding that they aren’t necessary for following the storyline, my preferred way of consuming media just happens to be devouring it all.

There are a lot of very heavy, very loaded topics discussed in these books. Do not expect to come out of them with any sort of comprehensible understanding of how Anne, personally, felt about any of them. She was, first and foremost, inscrutable.

Overall, I’m enjoying the books. There are parts that have been difficult for me to get through, either content-wise or because I just haven’t found them that interesting. But ultimately, that’s personal preference. If you’re curious, I would say it’s worth giving them a shot.

Fair warning, though: the phrase “juicy crevice” is used. Yes, it’s in a sex scene. No, it’s not referring to what you think it’s referring to. I promise.