#lestat echoing magnus's words

[iwt-v]

🕸️ The Vampire Lestat & Queen of the Damned references/foreshadowing (season 2)

[sillyvampireboi]

Armand kidnapped my Siri! ao3

Summary: Even though he is the super mega famous vampire rockstar, Lestat de Lioncourt. Who loves messing up and getting involved in human lives and stealing hearts of millions, the innovations of technology are not an easy thing even for him to conquer. 

contents: not beta read, nothing series here I was just having fun, LouisxLestat, ArmandxDaniel, attempt at humor, modern era

a/n: A disclaimer here: I can’t speak French! Every French sentence or word that is in this text, is translated by google translate. I wanted to include that funny detail that whenever Lestat becomes too angry he switches to French. If you can speak French and they don’t make sense at all, please let me know and I’ll correct them<3 

Also idk on which floor Louis lives. It was just a wild guess. 

I love Armand and Daniel so much hihi 

This whole plot is thanks to @giosnape and me joking around~ 

~English is still not my first language ~ 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As the sun slowly disappeared behind the tall, modern buildings of the city, the desert-like heat subdued to a chilly, warm temperature. Deep below at the foot of the cold towers, mortal life continued to carry on. Tiny cars and even tiner figures continued their journey like small ants in a forest. However, high in the sky, their humming noise did not pierce through the dark air. An other, intimidating and furious noise echoed through the clouds. 

Somewhere around the 50th floor lived Louis de Point du Lac, who gave the mortal world the knowledge and rules of vampires with his eternal lover and companion, Lestat de Lioncourt. The screaming and growling came from the rockstar, who had a “disagreement” with his electronic device for the fourth time this evening. 

“Hey Siri, I said open Spotify.” 

“ I’m sorry. I did not catch that.” 

“I. Did. Not. Asked. You. To. Catch. Anything. Just open Spotify!” 

“I’m sorry. I don’t understand.” 

“Open it tu es stupide1— “ 

Ah yes, Spotify. Lestat’s favourite application on his iPad, thought Louis as he was watching him getting increasingly angrier by the minute. However, Louis didn’t understand why he kept insisting to use the free version of the application. He sat through mindless advertisements with the most pitiful expression on his face. Of course, Louis offered to buy the premium for him, but he refused, stating that he “deserved this hell”. Whatever it meant. 

They were in Louis’ spacious living room, with the windows opening towards other skyscrapers and providing a view to the busy below world. Both of them were sitting on the new, colorful sofa, in the middle of the room.

“Hey Siri, change your language to French.”

“I cannot.” 

“Do you insult my intelligence?!” Barked Lestat. At this point he was getting pinker and pinker in the head, all of his veins pumping the sweet blood he drank this evening into his face. 

“Espèce de morceau de brique ! Quand je te dis de me parler français, tu me parles français!” 2

Louis found all of that amusing, seeing his husband getting so unreasonably furious over such a minor thing was the reason he let that go on for so long. Although he broke 15 iPads this week and it was only Wednesday, so as enternating as it was, he thought it wiser to de-escalate the situation. 

“It’s not trying to insult you babe. It’s merely a simple technology, still growing in a child’s shoes.” - chuckled Louis. He couldn’t help but smile at his lover’s frustration. 

“Don’t tell me it’s simple technology mon cher!! It can speak, so tell him to speak French! It understands you.”

Two popular human expressions of this time appeared in Louis’ entertained mind: oh my god and ok boomer. He glanced at Lestat again. His golden curls framed his beautiful face, and his sharp yet soft profile was ruled by a burning rage. Here he was sitting, the Wolfkiller himself with Magnus’ and Akasha’s blood circulating in his dead, powerful body and arguing with an ai voice. Louis thought he saw everything during his endless life, but it turns out his companion is still full of surprises. 

“Lestat, I simply don’t have such a strong accent anymore. Don’t think much of it.” 

“But when YOU speak to him, he listens!” 

“It’s a programmed voice babe. It’s called technology, it doesn’t listen in the same sense as you or I listen.” 

“Programmed? By whom!?? Do you see? There is someone behind this and they do it on purpose! Je le savais!3” - Lestat rose with a strong animation in his long, elegant limbs, while his blue mirroring eyes burned with unrestrained hate.

“No Lestat, it’s not like tha—“

“I know you are listening! I hope you are having fun! Parce que ça ne durera pas longtemps.4” - He screamed into the poor screen of his sixteenth iPad, then he broke into a French cursing wave as he walked around the space, continuing to hiss at his iPad in his hands. 

“I will personally go to his lair and see that the gremlin is behind all of this!” 

“Gremlin? You mean Armand?”

“Oui! It must be him, no one else is capable of such evil doings.” — he snarled as he sprinted towards the open balcony, taking his iPad as “evidence”. 

“Lestat, listen to me. It’s not Armand. It’s the program.” — But in a blink of an eye, the rockstar’s all consuming air disappeared from the room, leaving Louis to his mirth. 

***

Armand and Daniel settled into a tiny but cozy flat outside the city center. Alright. It wasn’t any little apartment, it was Daniel’s on the other side of the globe. Armand insisted on it, saying he simply wanted to study the new environment. 

During this events filled evening, the couple was covered in a peaceful silence. Daniel, now being a vampire and not needing to rest, was working on his new book: The Vampire Lestat. The rhythmic tapping of his keyboard filled the apartment and the gentle evening breeze carried it towards Armand. The ancient one liked nights like this one. He found comfort in the domesticity of it. 

While Daniel was consumed with his work, Armand was occupied with his iPad, the same as in any other hour of the day. He was murdering the villagers in a new Minecraft server, now being bored of exchanging materials with them, when suddenly the window broke and something forcefully entered the flat. A gush of wind it felt at first, bringing a feeling of dread with it. 

A tall shadow loomed over Armand, as he was sitting on his favourite sofa, and spoke with a voice strained with emotion. 

“I hope you enjoyed your little play, Armand. But what is enough is enough!” — the towering gloom was Lestat in a state of total distress. His usually perfect locks were tingling around his neck and face like Medusa’s poisonous snakes. His eyes burned with rage, drinking in all the shades from the room. 

The boyish figure looked up at him with huge questioning eyes, way too slowly for the blond’s nerves. His usually unreadable face was conformed with confusion. In his beige pants and dark shirt, the same dark coloured as his angelic curls, he looked as beautiful as ever. This innocence fueled the burning flames inside Lestat’s veins further, threatening an upcoming explosion. 

As he glanced away from his eyes, he saw the iPad in his hand.

“Agh! You see? You have an iPad. I knew you were behind this whole appeal!” — he grabbed Armand by the neck and yanked him up. His soft lips were still sealed with silence, only his eyes and face showed more and more confusion. He let himself be dragged towards the blond haired figure, letting his body gracefully loose. 

“Tell me how you do it!” 

“Do, what exactly? I don’t understand any of this.” — a slight annoyance slipped into his quiet voice as he continued to stare at Lestat. 

“You manipulated him on my iPad, with your mind tricks!” 

“You are as deranged as ever. If you have a problem with modern technology, take a walk to the Apple Store.”

“Apple Store? I don’t want apples! I want justice!” — bellowed Lestat into the heavenly face. 

Armand grew annoyed by the behavior of his formal love, so he punched him in the chest, flying him into the wall. 

A rage filled dance began between the two. Daniel, who left his work to investigate the first sound of chattering, now stood in the kitchen, observing their fight. He wore his accustomed expression of half sarcasm and half gayness, as he felt the presence of Louis besides him. 

“So this what decades old anger issues look like in person, huh?” 

“… yeah.” 

The reporter and his interviewed remained in the kitchen, watching the fight unfold, then softening somewhat. 

“It’s your fault.” 

“How is it my fault?? Just touch the gear sign and change the rules of your iPad!” — stated Armand, with obvious impatience in his voice. — “And leave Siri alone.” 

“Now you want to get Siri too??!! Espèce de méchant gremlin!5  You want to take him from me as well and tricking him into not understanding French?! ONLY I HAVE SIRI, you KIDNAPPED him from me!”

“No, I have my own Siri! Leave him alone! My love, Daniel, he wants to take Siri and my iPad! Daniel! Tell him to stop!” — Lestat jumped at Armand, trying to forcefully take his iPad from him, while he continued cursing him out in French and Armand calling out for Daniel’s help. 

“He learns something new every goddamn week, Louis. What will be next, accusing Armand of leaving negative comments under his YouTube channel? — signed Daniel tiredly. They were still standing in the kitchen, not even attempting to help the two iPad kids in the living room. 

“But he does leave negative comments.” 

“Oh come on, you know what I mean. He thinks all of his modern problems come from Armand.” 

“I admit he is overreacting a bit. But give him some time Daniel.” 

Daniel didn’t answer, just looked back lazily at the two ancient vampires, who were quarreling over their iPad as little mortal kids. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Translations: 

1 you stupid—

2 You piece of brick! When I tell you to speak French to me, you speak French to me!

3 I knew it! 

4 Because it won’t last long. 

5 You evil gremlin! 

[camaelczarka]

I reread the end of TVL last night and pulled out some of Lestat’s account of the trial for anyone who hasn’t read the book. I tried to keep out any direct spoilers but obviously we don’t know how the show will adapt this part. Anyway I thought it was worth a refresh on what Lestat says happens leading up to the trial and the aftermath of it. This is kind of a long post but it’s interesting even if you don’t plan on reading TVL. Under the cut for length/spoilers-

Here he describes the period of time after his ‘death’. He needs blood from a strong vampire to recover but is alone now:

But without more of that healing blood, without a fresh infusion, I was left at the mercy of time to heal my wounds.

And what Louis could not describe in his story is what happened to me after, how for years I hunted on the edge of the human herd, a hideous and crippled monster, who could strike down only the very young or infirm. In constant danger from my victims…

The wounds I'd suffered affected my very spirit, my capacity to reason.

With no one else to turn to, he eventually goes to Armand for help. I’m curious about this in the show because the coven tries to contact him via his bank dude but it could be that Lestat is actually already nearby/came to Paris on his own. He may even be trying to find Louis and Claudia before the coven does.

When I had recovered sufficiently to make the long voyage to Europe, I turned to the only one that I could turn to: Armand. Armand who lived still on the land I'd given him, in the very tower where I'd been made by Magnus, Armand who still commanded the thriving coven of the Theater of the Vampires in the boulevard du Temple, which still belonged to me.

Armand plays innocent and gets Lestat to tell him what happened to him:

Once again his eyes moved over me caressingly.

And there was thinly veiled excitement in him, a fever that I could feel like the warmth of the nearby fire. I knew he was trying to read my thoughts.

"What's happened to you?" he asked.

My scars were puzzling him. They were too numerous, too intricate, scars of an attack that should have meant death.

Armand had told Lestat earlier in the book that his fledglings would always hate/resent him, echoed in that bit in the show where Louis is talking about turning Madeline.

But it was the story of Louis and Claudia that came rushing out, in stammering and half truths, sans one salient fact: that Claudia had been only... a child.

I told briefly of the years in Louisiana, of how they had finally risen against me just as he had predicted my children might. I conceded everything to him, without guile or pride, explaining that it was his blood I needed now. Pain and pain and pain, to lay it out for him, to feel him considering it. To say, yes, you were right. It isn't the whole story. But in the main, you were right.

This could be where Armand gets such a detailed account of their lives for the play. Between Lestat’s account, Armand maybe reading his and Louis’ mind and Claudia’s diaries, they have a pretty complete if biased picture to work off.

Was it sadness I saw in his face then? Surely it wasn't triumph. Unobtrusively, he watched my trembling hands as I gestured. He waited patiently when I faltered, couldn't find the right words.

A small infusion of his blood would hasten my healing, I whispered. A small infusion would clear my mind. I tried not to be lofty or righteous when I reminded him that I had given him this tower, and the gold he'd used to build his house, that I still owned the Theater of the Vampires, that surely he could do this little thing, this intimate thing, for me now. There was an ugly naiveté to the words I spoke to him, addled as I was, and weak and thirsting and afraid. The blaze of the fire made me anxious. The light on the dark grain of the woodwork of these stuffy rooms made imagined faces appear and disappear.

"I don't want to stay in Paris," I said. "I don't want to trouble you or the coven at the theater. I am asking this small thing. I am asking ..." It seemed my courage and the words had run out.

A long moment passed:

"Tell me again about this Louis," he said. (!!!)

The tears rose to my eyes disgracefully. I repeated some foolish phrases about Louis's indestructible humanity, his understanding of things that other immortals couldn't grasp.

Armand is likely already seeing Louis at this point, keep in mind.

I saw something in him quicken. A faint blush came to his cheeks.

"They have been seen here in Paris," he said softly. "And she is no woman, this creature. She is a vampire child."

I can't remember what followed. Maybe I tried to explain the blunder. Maybe I admitted there was no accounting for what I'd done. Maybe I brought us round again to the purpose of my visit, to what I needed, what I must have. I remember being utterly humiliated as he led me out of the house and into the waiting carriage, as he told me that I must go with him to the Theater of the Vampires.

"You don't understand," I said. "I can't go there. I will not be seen like this by the others. You must stop this carriage. You must do as I ask."

"No, you have it backwards," he said in the tenderest voice.

Armand then traps him under the theater and starves him until he is forced to drink dead blood. I’m imagining this or a similar version of events is going on while Armand is dating Louis and Claudia is an active coven member. Remember Louis asking Armand if all this was happening while they were together in his flat?

I scarcely remember being forced by him out of the carriage and stumbling along the broad pavements as he pushed me towards the theater doors.

…

And finally starvation as I lay on the floor of a brick-lined cell, unable even to shout curses at him-

Sometime in the dark, I discovered a mortal victim there. But the victim was dead. Cold blood, nauseating blood. The worst kind of feeding, lying on that clammy corpse, sucking up what was left.

Armand tells Lestat about this trial when he’s very ill:

And then Armand was there, standing motionless in the shadows, immaculate in his white linen and black wool. He spoke in an undertone about Louis and Claudia, that there would be some kind of trial. Down on his knees he came to sit beside me, forgetting for a moment to be human, the boy gentleman sitting in this filthy damp place. "You will declare it before the others, that she did it," he said.

Armand then gets him all dressed up for the trial so he looks fashionable and not like he’s being tortured-

"Get clothing for him," Armand said. His hand was resting on my shoulder. "He must look presentable, our lost lord," he told them. "That was always his way."

And then Armand makes him testify against Claudia- don’t know how this will work with this being a play that was rehearsed. But I feel it’s likely that Lestat was coerced more than we’ve seen.

—and Armand saying:

"You will say what I have told you to say." It was a mob tribunal of monsters, white-faced demons shouting accusations, Louis pleading desperately, Claudia staring at me mute, and my saying, yes, she was the one who did it, yes, and then cursing Armand as he shoved me back into the shadows, his innocent face radiant as ever.

"But you have done well, Lestat. You have done well."

Armand then brings him to Magnus’ tower:

And then we went up and up through the old tower to the roof.

I had Claudia's bloody yellow dress in my hands. I had seen her in a narrow wet place where she had been burnt by the sun. "Scatter the ashes!" I had said. Yet no one moved to do it. The torn bloody yellow dress lay on the cellar floor. Now I held it in my hands. "They will scatter the ashes, won't they?" I said. (Upsetting :/)

"Didn't you want justice?" Armand asked, his black wool cape close around him in the wind, his face dark with the power of the recent kill. (Lestat in fact, never said he wanted “justice”)

Armand then tries to convince Lestat that Louis is dead. I think they might be shifting this part to Louis’ 1973 suicide attempt.

Armand's eyes were red.

"Louis—where is he?" I asked. "They didn't kill him. I saw him. He went out into the rain ..."

"They have gone after him," he answered. "He is already destroyed."

Liar, with the face of a choirboy.

"Stop them, you have to! If there's still time..."

He shook his head.

"Why can't you stop them? Why did you do it, the trial, all of it, what do you care what they did to me?"

"It's finished."

…

This part here explains that Armand really would side with his coven, but also attempt to keep Louis:

"And you don't mean to help me, do you?" Despair.

He leaned forward, and his face transformed itself as it had done years and years ago, as if his rage were melting it from within.

"You, who destroyed all of us, you who took everything. Whatever made you think that I would help you!" He came closer, the face all but collapsed upon itself. "You who put us on the lurid posters in the boulevard du Temple, you who made us the subject of cheap stories and drawing room talk!"

…

"We had our Eden under that ancient cemetery," he hissed. "We had our faith and our purpose. And it was you who drove us out of it with a flaming sword. What do we have now! Answer me! Nothing but the love of each other and what can that mean to creatures like us!”

Then Armand pushes him out of the tower-

“You don't understand anything. You never did." But he wasn't listening to me. And it didn't matter whether or not he was listening. He was drawing closer, and in a dark flash his hand went out, and my head went back, and I saw the sky and the city of Paris upside down.

I was falling through the air.

And I went down and down past the windows of the tower, until the stone walkway rose up to catch me, and every bone in my body broke within its thin case of preternatural skin.

————————

Now 2x08 showed a very different version of the tower scene- for one, Louis was never supposed to be there- but I am not convinced whatsoever that it’s what actually happened. It feels way too much like an Armand version of events and since this portion is so importantly clarified by Lestat, I don’t think we’ll see what really happened until Lestat tells it. Obviously it will be different and Louis may still be present for it, but im curious to see how this part is handled by season 3. I think there will be some big changes to fit with the show canon, but I also think it’s still going to have elements of Lestat’s version. Especially because when Louis sees Lestat finally in 2022, Lestat is still not mentally recovered from this event after 80+ years.

[nalyra-dreaming]

Hello!

Thank you for answering all those questions! It's really enlightening and I love it very much!

I have a question but I'm sure you have already answered it. Unfortunately I can't find it 🙈 but if it's too bothersome please ignore everything.

It's about the fall. I know Armand had his little mind in it so it didn't happen exactly like this but Louis fell and it was at least partially Lestat's fault, wasn't it? I know your theory about his hair. There are many question marks in my brain and I hope they answer some of them in the future seasons 😊

Glad you like! 🥰

Ahhh, the "drop". They better give us more context next season, because there are still sooo many things off there, despite Lestat admitting to it at the trial.

So, if you know the "hair" theory you know about the lack of blood there, and ... well.

Even back then, when the episode 5 aired, many theorized that the "drop" (or fall) would be set up as a parallel with another fall - namely Armand throwing Lestat off the tower after the trial.

Now, they gave us the tower scene instead. The "psychological wound". Personally I don't buy that one, sorry. For one, there is a comment by Sam that he wanted to go "full ghoul" (but Rolin pulled him back because they show us that psychological wound), and also there was a comment ages ago that you cannot "set him on fire twice". And I do think that the skin on Lestat in the reunion scene looks still healing. And then the weird discussion there, and Lestat just "hanging out" to "find his origins in Magnus' dungeon? Where he was kept chained with the other bodies? Tortured? No. Don't buy it. Sorry not sorry.

In the books, Armand takes a tortured Lestat out to the tower after the trial, and lies to him that Louis is already dead. And Armand lays the blame of the destruction of his old coven to Lestat then, refusing to help him, even though he told him he would if he ever returned to Paris.

"And it was you who drove us out of it with a flaming sword. What do we have now! Answer me! Nothing but the love of each other and what can that mean to creatures like us!"

That last sentence is particularly interesting here.

What do we have - nothing but the love of each other and what can that mean to creatures like us!

Armand is extremely disillusioned with Lestat in Paris, when he throws him off the tower - because he had hoped Lestat would return to Paris - for him. He offered help to him after all! Told him that only them could love each other! But Lestat returned, to get help - and save Louis and Claudia. And in that context... the words that were spoken in the sky between Louis and Lestat are really interesting:

I have waited, Louis. I have patiently waited in vain for you to love me as I love you. Just say it. Say, "Lestat, I am never going to love you". It would help me a great deal to hear that from your lips your quivering hateful lips.

I would not be surprised if we would get a similar scene between Armand and Lestat in season 3, which would then at least echo what happened there, in the sky.

And I wouldn't be surprised if the part outside, and the part up in the sky were maybe still different than what we got to see.

The fall happened, I think that's clear now. But there's still details missing, imho. Details they hinted at only.

We will have to see what Lestat's version of events is. There is definitely a lot of context missing, a lot of reason (to the whole of the story). There are events which can only be told by Lestat or Armand... and well, I don't think Armand will be telling them in s3. And he was not willing to do so last season, obviously^^. S3 is The Vampire Lestat... it will be very interesting if they include that part of the book - and how.

[lamourt]

@operahouses said : "you're home. you're safe."

he's in the crypt, surrounded by those horrible, bloated faces. footsteps click towards him from behind, and a faint wash of dread goes over him. it's him, come back to feed again, come back to– but it registers, suddenly... there is too much sound. the cadence of those footfalls indicate a group, and– then they come into view. his father, his brothers. corentin grabs one wrist, suddenly unshackled, and his father the other. etienne's hand knots into his hair and pulls ferociously backwards. foolish, ungrateful child. the words ring in his ears, magnus's voice spilling from the lips of his kin in perfect echoing unison.

lestat is a child again, and thirty, and as he is now, centuries old. he watches in horror as fangs descend in his brothers' mouths, his father's. he writhes in each iron grip, something turning in his stomach as they dive forward all at once, then in seeming slow motion. his breath comes in fiery bursts, air seeming to scorch his lungs. but then the acrid stench of ancient, burning flesh fills his nose and he knows that he is burning. they all are. magnus, his father, even gabrielle's voice cries out in pain, the sound cutting through nerve-shredding fear.

and then he is somewhere else, someplace dark, dry, soft. something warm beside him– no, someone. someone talking to him, lifting the lid of the coffin– yes, they're in a coffin, a soft electric light spilling in. "lou– louis?"

[pynkhues]

I've been toying with an idea for a "Louis and Lestat talk about Magnus" fic for weeks now, and it would be my first fic, but yours is so beyond brilliant that even though I logically know that more than one writer can cover a topic in fic--and I want more people to write fics about this! As many as possible! I love fics about this, that's why I want to write one!--it's making it kind of intimidating to proceed lol. Partly because I already had a couple moments that now I'm worried will just seem like pale echoes of yours, and partly just because the overall quality of your writing is so high. But I've been interested in writing for a while now and I figure I just have to do it, and this is probably a good way to start. So...yes, there is no point to this post lol beyond just saying you're amazing.

Ah, anon! It’s so exciting that you want to start writing, and you shouldn’t let anything anyone else writes stop you from writing your own version! I’m a pretty firm believer that there are no original stories, but there are infinite original ways of telling them, so how you write it is absolutely going to be your voice and that’s something worth exploring.

And thank you for your lovely words too. I’m not really sure what to say, but just - - yes, haha. Don’t be intimidated, and I really hope you do write your own fic :-)

[symphonyofmalice]

Dear person I hate/Love //😉

((Leave dear __ in my askbox!))

((It is in Nicolas’ nature that these the person he most hates and loves are one and the same)) ((I could write a second one of this for armand if you’d like)) 

Dear Lestat, 

God I wish I could stop loving you. Is that my punishment? I avoided death, avoided the Hell I was meant for, so Hell rose up and claimed me while my limbs still moved. My eternal torment will be loving you still.

I imagine how things could have gone differently. Not if you hadn’t left, I already hated you then. But if you had come to me, after Magnus stole you away. Your terrified screams echoed in my every thought and you thought money would be enough! I knew you still. I played for you still. I only wanted you with me again, monstrous or otherwise. 

If you had drained me to the last drop I would not have resented you. It was because you pushed me away that I did. I read your words and I want to forgive you, want to sweep it all aside as foolishness and ignorance and misunderstanding. But I hurt, and no reason prevails against my mind, which twists every thought against myself, wether I will it or not.

God I wish I could stop hating you. 

[lamourt]

  blue  eyes  peer  up  at  his  lover,  glassy  with  adoration. ❛   quel  poète,   ❜  he  murmurs  softly,  lifting  a  finger  to  trail  across  his  lover's  cheek.  lestat  lets  out  a  slow  sigh  as  he  settles  into  louis’  embrace,  trying  to  drive  out  the  last  remnants  of  the  dream  with  the  knowledge  of  his  arms  wound  around  the  person  in  this  world  most  precious  to  him.  a  little  puff  of  laughter  makes  its  way  from  his  lips  at  louis’  gentle  teasing,  but  the  words  stick  in  his  mind:  this  is  peace.  he  knows  it’s  true.  still,  there  is  a  cruelty  to  that  peace  being  disturbed  when  it  has  been  so  hard-won.  even  so,  he  lets  himself  relax,  even  if  only  a  small  fraction  at  a  time.  his  hand  lays  splayed  against  the  silk  sleep  shirt,  a  deep  shade  of  green  this  night,  one  that  he  has  noticed  louis  favors.  lestat  is  all  too  familiar  with  feeling  unmoored–  there  are  few  sensations  that  have  the  opposite  effect.  this  is  one  of  them.

but  when  louis  asks  if  he  wants  to  talk  about  the  dream,  his  first  instinct  is  to  say  no.  if  he  only  rests,  he  won’t  have  to  think  about  it  anymore.  when  night  descends  and  a  new  day  begins  for  them,  it  will  be  over.  there  will  be  no  revisiting  the  tower,  the  horrid,  dank  smell.  no  echo  of  the  way  his  heart  tore  in  half  when  magnus  danced  into  the  fire,  of  the  twin  feelings–  of  hating  him  as  desperately  as  he,  almost  against  his  will,  loved  him.  there  will  be  no  need  to  dredge  up  the  memory  of  dinner  all  those  years  ago  in  new  orleans  when  lestat  had  poured  images  of  his  childhood  suffering  into  paul’s  mind,  let  his  anger  master  him,  made  a  fool  of  himself  before  the  du  lacs.  but  hadn’t  that  been  part  of  their  undoing?  both  of  them  hoarding  away  parts  of  themselves–  lestat,  his  past;  and  louis,  his  present?  haven’t  they  vowed  to  each  other  to  do  better  this  time  around?  and  worst  of  all  is  that  lestat does want  to  talk  about  it–  wants  to  let  everything  unspool  until  he  is  empty  of  it.  he  only  wishes  he  didn’t.  how  maudlin,  how  uselessly  tragic,  these  things  that  are  meant  to  be  left  behind.   ❛   i  dreamt  of  the  tower,   ❜  he  murmurs,  horrified  when  the  words  come  out  a  croak.  shame  is  a  rock  in  his  throat  but  he  swallows  it  down,  makes  himself  continue.   ❛   of  magnus,  but…   ❜   he  swallows  thickly.   ❛   also  of  my  brothers.  of  my  father.  of  things  that  never  happened,  but…   ❜   a  resigned  sigh.   ❛ even  so. ❜

( ♜ ) ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀❛  home,  that’s  right,  ❜ louis  echoes,  nodding  in  reassurance.  ❛  we  went  to  coffin  a  few  hours  ago,  when  the  sun  began  its  ascent  in  the  sky,  ❜  he  whispers,  fingers  carding  through  lestat’s  hair  over  and  over  again.  a  soft,  pleasant  hum  rumbles  in  his  chest  when  his  companion  burrows  closer  to  his  body.  louis’  hand  abandons  sleep-addled  tresses  for  lestat’s  waist,  tugging  him  closer,  impossibly  close.  his  heart  races  out  of  sync,  louis’  sluggish  beat  too  far  behind  from  lestat’s  now.  ❛  oh,  the  past,  ❜  louis  murmurs,  fond  and  sarcastic  in  equal  measure.  ❛  that’s  then,  baby.  this  is  now.  this  is  peace,  ❜  he  speaks,  mouth  moving  against  the  crown  of  lestat’s  head.

were  they  perfect?  far  from  it.  there  was  a  claudia-shaped  hole  in  both  of  their  hearts,  &* a  propensity  to  fall  back  on  old  habits  where  louis  bottles  his  feelings  and  lestat  lets  his  explode.  but  god,  they  were  better.  talking  about  the  things  that  matter  comes  easier  now —  easiest  in  the  close  confines  of  the  coffin,  in  the  shared  darkness  warmed  by  their  breath  and  body  heat.  ❛  do  you  want  to  talk  about  it?  ❜  louis  asks  quietly,  running  a  hand  along  the  knobs  of  lestat’s  spine,  nails  gently  scratching  his  back.  ❛  or  do  you  wanna  try  and  get  some  shut  eye,  hm?  ❜