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[adolphvs]

JACOB ANDERSON as Louis de Pointe du Lac

INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE (2022) 1.03 - Is My Very Nature That of a Devil

[adolphvs]

tea  shops  and  coffee  houses  were  not  the  usual  haunts  of  the  youngest  prince,  but  parched,  and  in  the  mood  for  something  sweet  (  though  really,  when  wasn't  he?  )  after  a  long  morning  walk,  they  suddenly  became  a  splendid  idea.  he  greeted  natalie  with  a  bow  of  his  head  and  a  bright  smile.  "that  is  very  kind  of  you,  your  grace.  as  long  as  you  are  certain  you  don't  mind."  taking  up  the  opposite  seat,  adolphus  slid  the  plate  of  sweets  and  pastries  he'd  procured  into  the  centre  of  the  table.  "please,  help  yourself.  i  hope  your  day has  been  pleasant  so  far?"

"Please, do join me. Whilst I was not expecting company I'd certainly not be against it this afternoon." Natalie was a frequent visitor to the various team rooms in town and as she looked up to see a shadow over her table she was eager to give the invitation out. Although not always social she improved after tea.

[adolphvs]

boisterous  laughter  bubbled  once  more,  before  lips  pursed  into  a  thin  line,  brown  eyes  squinting  in  suspicion.  "...  i  will  consider  accepting  it.  this  continued  flattery  will  work  very  well  in  your  favour,  though.  it  is  well  practiced  indeed."  adolphus  watched  gleefully  as  nicholas  propelled  the  theatrics  the  pair  had  sunk  so  easily  into,  leaning  forward  just  slightly  in  anticipation  of  helping  the  other  as  he  almost  lost  his  step.  satisfied  nicholas  had  righted  himself,  the  prince  returned  to  his  lounging  position.  "no,  me  neither,  i'd  sooner  face  a  million  musket  balls  than  entertain  a  joyless  marriage."  the  confession  surprised  adolphus  himself  ;  thoughts  he  would  never  dare  to  voice  spilled  with  ease  --  mirroring  nicholas'  own  disclosure.  he  had  never  been  more  grateful  to  be  alone  with  someone  --  and  far  from  a  party.  grateful  for  the  handsome  distraction,  attention  returned  easily  to  his  friend.  "oh,  please!  you  will  never  hear  of  me  denying  or  shying  away  from  admiration.  it  is  my  primary  reason  for  living." using  humour  to  cover  that  his  heart  had  nearly  skipped  a  beat  (  or  several,  it  felt  like  )  at  the  returned  compliment  seemed  a  good  approach.  or  so  adolphus  would  continue  telling  himself.

"Please, do accept my apology, the last thing I intended was to cast any doubt upon the brilliance of your exceptional royal mind." The prince's theatrics were met with Nicholas' own, bowing so low that he'd almost lost his balance. Luckily, he corrected himself with a step closer to the bench Adolphus was resting upon. With a sigh accompanying his friend's own, Nicholas leaned back against the railing, seemingly lost in thought. "...I don't think I could ever imagine marriage without true connection." He blurted out, albeit somewhat softly. However, as they were in a place secluded enough, even whispers could be heard between the two of them in that gazebo. He hardly ever felt passion for another without a strong emotional bond already formed. A feeling which he hadn't admitted to many beforehand, given the nature of the officers in his regiment. His smile seemed to grow wider and wider as Adolphus proceeded to inspect his attributes. "By all means, your grace, feel free to admire me to your heart's content. But only if I may do the same to you."

[adolphvs]

he  looked  from  asher  to  the  slowly  shrinking  crowd  and  back  again,  emitting  a  thoughtful  hum  in  response  to  the  other's  confession  of  interest.  "i  am  in  two  minds  about  it,  but  i  am  easily  persuaded."  came  the  prince's  own  revelation,  accompanied  by  laughter.  warm  smile  returned  to  features  in  a  flash  and  he  grasped  the  extended  hand  in  an  enthusiastic  but  brief  shake.  "and  you,  asher.  i  must  have  missed  you  at  the  ball.  but  no  mind,  we  have  been  presented  with  something  much  more  interesting  here.  i  suppose  we  should  follow  before  we  lose  sight  of  them,  hm?"

Asher, with an elegant flourish, adjusted his attire to perfection after the bustling throng had surged past, their frenetic energy almost sweeping him along in its tide. A soft, knowing chuckle escaped his lips, aware that he could have been unceremoniously jostled back with the crowd, his destination unbeknownst to all. "Temptation tugs at my curiosity, urging me to uncover the commotion's cause," he confessed, his voice a melodious blend of intrigue and candour. Extending a hand with practiced grace, he greeted his companion, "A pleasure to see you once more, Adolphus." he said, offering a slight bow out out of politeness.

[adolphvs]

the  push  had  come  on  suddenly  ;  giving  very  much  the  impression  that  the  crowd  had  been  posessed,  in  adolphus'  opinion  --  and  giving  him  only  a  few  seconds  to  step  hastily  out  of  the  way  to  avoid  being  trampled  underfoot.  for  once,  he  was  heeding  the  doctor's  orders  to  keep  his  shoulder  out  of  harm's  way.  on  the  tips  of  his  toes  in  an  attempt  to  peer  over  the  crowd,  the  prince  gave  a  bright  smile  and  a  wave  in  greeting  to  the  only  other  soul  not  swept  away  with  the  crowd.  "your  guess  is  as  good  as  mine,  my  friend  --  i  have  no  idea!"  ascertaining  that  the  stampede  was  over,  adolphus  made  his  way  over  to  asher.  "do  we  investigate...  or  will  we  too  be  swept  away if  we  dare?"

Asher, with the poise and demeanour befitting a Sharp, found himself amidst a deluge of humanity sweeping past him with alarming urgency. He faltered slightly, the sea of bodies pressing inexorably forward, all seemingly driven by some shared, inexplicable purpose. In the midst of this tumult, Asher’s keen eye caught sight of another solitary figure, equally perplexed by the chaos. With a brow arched in elegant curiosity, he addressed the fellow onlooker, his voice tinged with a blend of bewilderment, “Pray, have I overlooked some significant event, or is this simply an exercise in collective madness?”

[adolphvs]

Jacob Anderson as LOUIS DE POINTE DU LAC Interview with the Vampire | 1.02

[adolphvs]

"surprised?  certainly  not."  he  gasped  incredulously,  hand  over  his  heart.  "now  whose  brilliant  mind  has  come  into  question!  i  spend  far  too  much  time  mingling  amongst  the  members  of  this  ton  to  be  fooled  into  thinking  the  majority  also  prioritise  such  practices.  rather,  many  of  them  seem  entirely  opposed  to  the  concepts  of  love  and  appreciation  in  a  marriage,"  a  drag  of  his  cigarette  was  followed  by  a  heavy  sigh.  adolphus  was  fully  aware  he  was  a  hopeless  romantic  and  perhaps  had  his  hopes  far  too  high  for  someone  of  his  status,  but  he  cared  little.  if  he  was  to  live  in  delusion,  then  so  be  it.  "yes,  how  fortunate  for  the  both  of  us."  snapping  himself  from  the  melancholy  he  could  feel  slipping  into  place  as  he  bemoaned  the  state  of  romance  in  the  ton,  adolphus  lay  down  upon  the  bench.  gaze  flicked  away  and  then  returned  to  hold  nicholas'  as  he  considered  the  question  with  furrowed  brow.  "perhaps.  closely  enough."  a  brief  pause.  "no,  no, i  take  that  back  --  as  a  sickening  aesthete,  your  prettiness  is  far  easier  for  me  to  appreciate  than  your  brilliant  mind.  your  face  takes  the  day,  good  sir."

If simple boasting of what one deserved always brought out such wonderful sounds of laughter from his friend, Nicholas would've done it sooner. But then again, he wasn't exactly one to brag much. His own smile grew into a grin at that reaction, blaming his warm cheeks on the alcohol and nothing more. "You may be surprised to learn that most members of the ton, and indeed most people in general, do not share that perspective. It is rather regrettable to have to beg for such things when, in truth, they should be, as you said, an intrinsic part of the package. Thankfully we're both fortunate to have the same mindset." Nicholas only realized that he'd been holding his breath once Adolphus stepped back. Another cigarette was taken for himself, terribly aware of the prince's eyes on him. It was a shock even to Nicholas himself when he decided not to look away. "No?" The same candle's flame was used to light his own cigarette, inhaling deeply in hopes of the smoke calming whatever tightness there was in his chest. "Would you say the two are in perfect balance, then?"

[adolphvs]

he  makes  a  show  of  looking  around  for  the  illustrious  woman  in  question,  not  one  bit  surprised  by  amelia's  declaration.  "truthfully,  i  cannot  recall  the  last  time  she  was  impressed  full  stop,"  a  fleeting  thought  accidentally  voiced  and  which  he  dispatched  with  his  drink.  "are  we  absolutely  certain  they  are  not  physically  attached  in  some  way?  it  seems  they  are  impossible  to  extricate  one  from  the  other  these  days."  still,  lady  danbury  provides  an  excellent  distraction  from  hanover  children  shenanigans.  "much  like  i  will  soon  be  difficult  to  extricate  from  this  drink."  as  he  speaks,  another  glass  is  lifted  and  passed  to  bandaged  hand  to  free  the  other  up  to  take  two.  "to  where  should  we  escape,  do  you  think?"

FINGERS SEEK ANOTHER GLASS WITHOUT thought to the prying eyes around them , grinning easily , eyes alight with mischief . ❝ though i'm sure mummy would be far from impressed , i do know she's occupied with lady danbury at present and i'm sure we could smuggle as many as we can carry . ❞ amelia had never been one to deny herself the pleasures of luxury and getting away with mostly anything when the queens eye was turned !

[adolphvs]

though  they  were  quite  opposite  in  nature  (  not  in  all  things,  but  certainly  those  most  relating  to  the  social  season  ),  adolphus  was  deeply  fond  of  his  cousin.  "no  apology  needed,"  he  responded  warmly,  regarding  the  younger  prince  in  silence  for  a  moment.  "come,  everyone  is  heading  into  town.  if  we  head  up  the  road  we  will  be  free  of  the  crowds  in  no  time."  head  tilted  in  the  direction  he  was  referring  to.  "i  am  afraid,  though,  you  are  stuck  with  me  for  a  while."

→ @adolphvs → prince fredrich & prince adolphus

fredrich hated socializing with the aristocracy, it wasn't as if they were bad people, it was just they only cared to speak to him because he was a prince. she shouldn't complain, after all he did have a good and charmed life, but for once he wished someone would like him for who he was. ❝i am sorry i did not mean to be harsh but wish to be alone❞ he felt overwhelmed at the promenade, and wished for some time alone

[adolphvs]

' tenth child and seventh son ' had much less of a pleasing ring to it than the other quippy labels associated with the children of a royal family. thankfully, the pressure put upon a prince or princess seemed to lessen as the number of their issue grew -- or at least it did in adolphus' experience -- and for this, he was eternally grateful. of course he'd had his fair share of duties to shoulder, but they were usually significantly less burdensome than... say, ruling or learning to rule a country.

though there was much to be happy about, adolphus could never quite bring himself to think of the palace -- or indeed really any of the royal family's properties across england -- as his home. he reasoned it was most likely because he had been sent away for years to germany under the tutelage of distant relatives at only twelve and since then had undertaken military service, returning to england only sporadically. the one constant and the thing that had the power to make any place feel most like home was the presence of his siblings. adolphus so enjoyed being a brother, he could not conceptualise himself without that key identity.

much of his time at home, then, was spent seeking them out. usually the younger ones, his sisters, for whom he had always held particular affection. with the presence of their hungarian visitors, adolphus reckoned his siblings might consider themselves lucky there was a distraction about the palace, to keep him from bugging them. his goal for the day, finalised over lunch, was to seek out the ever-elusive prince. a helpful hint from a valet had led adolphus to the east wing's library and he had all but skipped to the room.

adolphus was starting to think he had been given bad intelligence when the door opened and promptly closed. "nonsense," he had to bite back a grin as he turned. "there is room enough for the two of us in here, is there not?... or is the thought of my company so off-putting?" warm smile settling into place, the prince gestured with his only free hand to nearby seating. "in truth, i have been looking for you."

closed starter - @adolphvs & anish

the, for lack of a better word, ' gaggle ' of royal children constantly roaming around the palace's seemingly never-ending hallways - always rounding the corner the second he thinks himself to have found a pleasantly quiet hiding spot - is most certainly something to get used to. with only two siblings in his own household the ever-present noise and chatter was ... unfamiliar to him, to put it lightly. not exactly unwelcome - simply ... unusual, especially as anish has spent his childhood days mostly undisturbed, quietly sneaking around unbothered as the accursed middle-child. with the line of succession generously passing the title of future monarch not to him but to his elder sister he had been spared the ruthless 'training' overseen by his father, instead prepared by his dear mama for is role in life. which, ultimately, would be that one day either his father or older sister would have enough of his dilly-dallying and choose a foreign princess for him to marry to strengthen diplomatic relations. a pawn in a most strategic game of chess. who ever said that 'second borns have all the fun' had surely left that part out of the equation.

despite the constant presence of others around him - which at first had overwhelmed him, seeing as those others were royalty, too, which meant he'd have to be on his best behaviour or risk the wrath of his mama - anish had settled into being comfortably overlooked relatively soon. there were many more exciting young royals in attendance, after all, many that were more approachable, too. in fact, anish hadn't been roped into a single conversation today, had spent the day in quiet contemplation, reading in whatever unoccupied room he happened to stumble across. in fact, he'd found quite a marvelous library in the east wing. small but stacked with all sorts of interesting classics and, from the looks thin layer of dust adorning the desk, not often frequented. and so, after a small lunch, anish had made his way over to his new secret place, already going through his next choice of book in his head - only to push the door open and, dreadfully, be met with the sight of another person. their back turned to him, anish held his breath, frozen on the spot for a moment - but promptly snapped back into reality by the noise of the door slamming shut. for heaven's sake. " my - apologies, i was under the assumption this room would be unoccupied. i apologize for the disturbance - i ... i'll take my leave. uh - good day. "

[adolphvs]

"oh  i  am  sure  you  could  find  some  fun  in  a  pursuit  other  than  this,"  or  at  least,  he  certainly  hopes  so.  even  if  the  dynamic  is  unendingly  amusing,  and  adolphus  is  simply  over  the  moon  just  to  be  back  in  the  arms  of  his  siblings.  he  picks  up  a  glass  of  his  own,  tipping  it  towards  hers  ever  so  slightly  in  acknowledgement  of  her  thanks  and  a  cheers,  then  waits  for  her  verdict.  at  such  a  glowing  review,  half  of  his  own  portion  is  downed  in  one  smooth  motion  and,  lowering  the  glass,  he  inspects  the  contents  with  astonishment.  "goodness.  that  is..."  before  he  can  formulate  a  full  thought,  present  glass  is  finished  off  and  another  procured.  "moreish,"  a  laugh.  "i  daresay  that  would  beat  your  strawberries  in  any  contest...  how  many  of  these  do  you  think  we  could  subtly  remove  to  our  rooms...  for  posterity?"

LIKE WHEN SHE WAS A CHILD , she trails alongside the elder , arm wrapped in elbow with the promise of sweets and treats . for the easiest way to keep the youngests attention was certainly sugar and molasses . ❝ i do so dare , because if i didn't where is the fun ? ❞ she grins easily but attention is caught on the flourish pinks of the liquid . ❝ kind of you , many thanks . ❞ she takes the brandished glass with ease , dark eyes peering over the rim watching as it almost sparkles with iridescence , before it meets painted lips . seconds pass before eyes fluttered shut are once more open and a grin , wicked in size spreads . ❝ it tastes like summer , you must try ! ❞

[adolphvs]

head  tipped  nonchalantly  to  one  side  as  he  watched  the  warmth  colour  nicholas'  cheeks,  adolphus'  own  smile  (  borderline  smug  )  grew  just  slightly  to  one  side.  "oh?"  the  smile  split  immediately  into  an  uncontrolled  grin  and  then  gleeful  laughter.  the  prince  would  have  clapped  had  he  access  to  both  hands,  but  instead  free  hand  came  to  rest  on  his  hip  and  both  brows  shot  up.  "i  see."  this  was  unquestionably  the  side  of  nicholas  he  liked  to  witness  most  --  and  how  lucky  he  was  to  be  granted  access.  "well  then,  my  lord,  that  is  just  a  terrible  shame...  for  it  suits  you  so  well."  expression  schooled  into  something  resembling  seriousness  as  he  awaited  the next  word.  "now,  now.  i  thought  the  latter  was  implied  within  the  former  --  or  perhaps  i  have  gravely  misunderstood.  in  my  definition,  at  least,  you  may  rest  assured  that  exaltation  is  an  intrinsic  part  of  the  package."  he  stepped  closer,  taking  a  cigarette  with  a  quiet  thank  you  and  then  stepped  back,  to  regard  nicholas  in  thoughtful  silence.  "mmh,  no.  not  overshadowed."  came  adolphus'  resolute  conclusion.  cigarette lit  by  a  nearby  candle,  he  draped  himself  lazily  across  one  of  the  gazebo's  benches and took a drag from it.

Once the two of them had safely made it out into fresh air and a lot less bodies upon bodies, Nicholas breathed in deeply, almost relieved to be free from all that noise. The compliment that was primly dressed up as a jest, as most were when they came from the prince, was greeted by a flustered scoff, as well as a soft red tint over his cheeks that were fortunately dimmed by the lack of lights outside. "I must warn you, your grace, I am not one to be kept. Around, or otherwise." Where that timid behavior of his disappeared to wasn't much of a mystery. He was, after all, a completely different person with someone he trusted completely. "I know I may not look like it, but I am one to be cherished... praised... exalted, even." Once they arrived to the gazebo, he pulled his cigarette holder out of his inner pocket, a gift he'd been given by his lieutenant years ago. "I thought my brilliant mind has long overshadowed my pretty face, but... better late than never." With the holder opened, he first offered it to Adolphus.

[adolphvs]

Jacob Anderson as LOUIS DE POINTE DU LAC Interview with the Vampire | 1.01

[adolphvs]

the  presentation  of  a  simple  cup  of  tea  has  never  been  so  well-received  in  all  of  history  ;  adolphus  is  absolutely  certain  of  that.  fine  china  is  cradled  close  to  his  chest  like  the  precious  cargo  it  is  and  because  he  is  aware  enough  that  being  both  one-handed  and  tipsy  could  become  a  dangerous  mix.  tired  eyes  blink  slowly  and  the  prince  flashes  a  ready,  warm  smile  as  he  waits  for  her  to  continue.  "it  was  lovely,  thank  you,  lady  bridgerton."  he  utters  lowly,  punctuating  his  response  with  a  sip  of  tea.  "mmh.  i  often  find  myself  dragged  away  by  one  sibling  or  another  at  events,  though  i  will  be  the  first  to  say  i  have  no  qualms  whatsoever  with  that."  no,  rather  it  was  the  highlight  of  his  season  having  spent  so  much  time  away  from  them.  "i  hope  you  too  had  a  pleasant  evening."

open   for   𝐂𝐎𝐑𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐏𝐎𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄   °   ♡   •    post   ball    ;    𝚋𝚛𝚒𝚍𝚐𝚎𝚛𝚝𝚘𝚗   𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚜𝚎    .

❛   pray   tell   ,   ❜   saccharine   tone   rivals   that   of   the   honey   stirred   into   tea   ;   the   silver   spoon   chiming   against   the   fine   bone   china   as   the   beverage   is   raised   to   lips   .   the   dowager   takes   an   appreciative   sip   before   continuing   ,   as   eager   as   she   is   to   hear   of   their   evening   ,   libations   take   priority   ;   it   was   ,   after   all   ,   a   long   night   and   her   youthful   days   of   boundless   energy   have   long   since   departed   her   .   ❛   how   was   your   evening   ?   i   feel   as   though   we   barely   saw   heads   nor   tails   of   one   another   –   i   trust   you   found   it   pleasant   ,   if   not   enjoyable   ?   ❜

[adolphvs]

"excellent.  i  will  surely  rest  easy  with  that  knowledge  in  mind,"  he  was  joking,  but  there  was  genuine  comfort  to  be  found  in  nicholas'  statement  ;  even  if  adolphus'  instinctual  reaction  to  the  barrier  formed  as  they  made  their  way  through  crowds  was  to  bristle  and  open  his  mouth  to  insist  he  would  be  just  fine,  thank  you  very  much.  clamping  his  own  mouth  shut  just  to  be  absolutely  certain  he  could  prevent  it,  the  prince  let  the  silence  settle  comfortably  between  friends.  "as  it  so  happens,  i  would  be.  you  know,  you  are  doing  a  truly  wonderful  job  of  reminding  me  why  it  is  i  keep  you  around  this  evening,  nicky.  first-rate  idea,  after  first-rate  idea.  not  just  a  pretty  face,  hm?"

"Indeed it would." Another laugh bubbled up at the theatrics of his friend, though one of his arms moved behind Adolphus, for safety reasons. Should he lose his balance, Nicholas would be there to catch him. "On the occasion of said stupor conquering your most spirited heart, I shall stand at the ready and carry you home safely." As they walked towards the exit Nicholas unconsciously placed himself between his friend's injured arm and the rest of the ton. Neither of his ideas for their next endeavor were acceptable for someone with limited movements and so, after a couple of quiet moments he spoke again. "I don't suppose you'd be up for a smoke in that lovely gazebo by the pond?"

[adolphvs]

emitting  a  quiet,  thoughtful  hum,  he  nodded  his  agreement.  "indeed.  i  think  it  is  the  very  least  we  owe  one  another,"  though  he  was  by  no  means  perfect,  adolphus  endeavoured  always  to  be  kind  to  those  he  interacted  with.  this  did  not  always  align  with  the  purpose  (  or  general  mood  )  of  the  season,  but  he  was  privileged  enough  to  be  able  not  to  care  a  jot.  "ah,  well.  i  would  say  that  balls  are  perhaps  the  focus  of  the  season.  they  can  be  a  hub  for  business  and  for  politics,  if  one  is  so  inclined...  but  really  the  primary  reason  for  every  event  --  public  or  private  --  is  the  marriage  mart.  i  am  sure  you  have  gathered  that  from  observation  alone  this  evening. mamas can be less than subtle."

" i have discovered that kindness is a very rare trait that more individuals should exhibit, " her words were soft and gentle, just the same as her smile. juliet simply believed that the world, especially the ton, would be a better place if everyone showed a trace of kindness. " thank you, kind sir, " she laughed gently, " i appreciate your kindness in offering guidance. i can not help but wonder what does a season in mayfair entail ? "

[adolphvs]

bad news guys i think i'm too romantic to live in this world