#i think Louis was trying to mediate

[ghouldump]

hiii, i just wanted to say i LOVE your iwtv fic, the characterization is just perfect *🤌*

If your requests are open I would like to request a loustat x fem!reader + claudia

reader is a vampire slightly older vampire than louis, turned in the 1860s by a 700 year old vampire, she was his first and only fledgling, they did not know eachother before he turned her (his wasing bleeding to death after being robbed in an alley), they had a close friendly/platonic relationship like siblings, and she met loustat in 1925, and joined their relationship, she like the odd one out as she's the calm/sensible one and a mediator between them. She acts like Claudia's fun aunt.

Sorry if it's long 😅, the rest is totally up you, just something where they get jealous/possessive over her please!!

Forever Young | Lestat x Reader x Louis

ෆ you meet someone who reminds you of your maker, and naturally gravitate to them, but your family isn’t as welcoming to the idea of the man.

it’s definitely not too long, it’s perfect, i love it 🩷

“Aleron, brother, please, open this door,” you beat on the door, no matter how much force you put in your hands, the door wouldn’t budge.

You could see the sun rising, from under the door, his painful screams, following. The blood poured from your eyes, as you pleaded with him. You could still save him, you could nurse him back to life.

Finally, you could open the door, crying out as the sun graced your face. As you began to burn, you noticed the pile of ashes. You were too late, he was gone. Grabbing his coat, you backed into the house, shutting the door, before dropping to your knees, weeping loudly.

“Aleron-

“Y/n, are you alright?” your eyes opened, staring into Claudia’s worried eyes. Sitting up, the familiar faces surrounded your coffin, Louis wiped your face with a soft handkerchief.

“It was only a dream,” you smiled at them.

“Are you sure, you had us worried,” Claudia said, pulling you into a hug.

“I’m fine, really, we should get dressed,” you told her, watching as she nodded, getting up, and going to her room.

Lestat hadn't said a word, watching you, trying to see what it was that you weren't sharing. Turning to face him, you shook your head, climbing out of the coffin.

“I’m okay”

“What was your dream?” he asked you.

“It was a silly-

“That left you crying,” he said, sternly.

“Don't push her to tell you”

“It's okay, Louis, I know he just wants to help,” you smiled.

“If I have another, you'll be the first one to know, come on, get dressed,” you reassured him.

“Do we all have to go?” Claudia whined as you all got into the car.

“It will only be for a little while,” Louis said, as Lestat started to drive.

Louis couldn't seem to fully let go of his family, randomly showing up with gifts. They already had their assumptions about him, yet he wouldn't stop trying. Lestat found it pointless, but you understood that he loved them still. Even when they blamed him for the passing of his brother, he still loved them all greatly.

“You can sit in the car with me if you want,” you told her, smiling as she nodded in agreement.

While Lestat tried to be cordial with the family, you never made an effort. They'd stare at you, as you sat in the car, but you never looked their way. Yes, you thought Louis’ love for them was admirable, it didn't change what they thought of you all. They found your relationship weird and concerning, they questioned why none of you were ever seen during the day if you were seeing both Lestat and Louis. Their questioning was nevertheless exacerbating, so you kept a distance from them.

Your mind began to drift off, thinking back to your dream, to him. Aleron, your maker, your teacher, your companion, your brother, your father, your friend. It had been nearly 40 years since his departure, and yet when you thought of him, the wounds felt fresh.

He was your everything, the reason you were the way you were today. He exuded remarkable beauty, turned at only 14 years of age, by a follower of Akasha. With the queen of vampires' blood running through his veins, he quickly discovered the power and strength he possessed, compared to others. For centuries, he lived, killing hundreds upon hundreds of humans in his lifetime, and then he met you.

He had been hunting, when he came across the men, who, after robbing you, conceived the plan, their minds filled with corruption, sought to kill you as well. Taking turns they beat you, before stabbing you, taking all of your possessions, and that was very few things.

He could see into your thoughts, an orphan, who had recently come of age, trying to make it in a world that wasn't built for women to strive without the help of a man. You were alone, like him, and having compassion, he killed them, brutally for your name's sake. Turning you in that very dark alley.

Taking you in, he taught you companionship, the history of vampires, and advice on how to live, after being on earth for over 700 years. He loved you and you loved him, and there wasn't a love as strong, that either of you had ever witnessed.

Then it happened, somewhere within his teachings he regained his humanity. He didn't want to kill anymore, didn't want to be a child of the night, to be trapped in this forever youthful body. And so, 30 years into your life of vampirism, he used his power to keep the doors shut. He longed to die, accepting his fate while he stepped into the sun, becoming nothing more than dust.

“We’ll be right back,” Louis said, as the car stopped.

“Ok,” you nodded.

After over three lonely decades of wandering, your heart ached at the thought of Aleron’s centuries on earth. He was but a child, when he was turned, making it impossible to build any nonplatonic relationships. Perhaps that is what made you love Claudia, Lestat, and Louis so much. In a way, you could see fragments of you and your maker in them.

“Why do you think Daddy Lou keeps coming here, even though he’s not welcome”

“Because they were once his family, it's hard to just stop loving someone who was once important to you, but it looks like they are coming back,” you pointed, seeing Louis and Lestat walking out of the house, visibly aggravated.

“You and that white devil stay away from this house,” his sister’s husband yelled.

“I own this house,” Louis reminded him. As they approached the car, he looked back at them once more.

“And he ain't white, he's French,” he corrected them.

Looking over at Claudia, you both covered your mouths, holding back the laughter.

“It's alright, they can't say you didn't try to be there for them,” you told him, leaning up, kissing his cheek.

Sighing, he nodded in agreement, before he and Lestat began to talk about business ventures. You were relieved when the car finally parked, stretching, you smiled, seeing Claudia clap in excitement. She enjoyed hunting, surprisingly with Lestat, he wasn't as restrictive as Louis.

“We’ll meet back here, in twenty minutes?” Lestat announced, everyone nodded, before going their separate ways.

You didn't have much of an appetite tonight, after your dream. How real it felt, how vivid the memory was, it ruined any hunger that could've been there. Walking down the French Quarter, you stopped seeing the large nutria rat. You hadn't been introduced to drinking from rodents, until Louis and Lestat. No, it wasn't nearly as good as a person, but it managed to get the job done.

Quickly killing and draining the rat, you wiped your mouth, as you tossed it into the garbage. Walking along the sidewalk, you looked at the different stores, a few new ones, some closing down, others busy as always. As you passed by a shop, your eyes widened, before you backed up to stare at the cashier.

You couldn't believe your eyes, going into the fragrance store, he spoke, before looking at you. It couldn't be him, but here he was, looking the very same, only older.

“Welcome to Aromaessence, let me know if you need any…thing,” he paused a little, as he stared at you. Nodding, you walked around the store, looking around, picking up random sprays, occasionally glancing at him.

Grabbing a floral bottle, you walked to the counter, slowly sitting it in front of him.

“Is that all for you, Miss?” he asked.

“Yes,” you smiled, softly.

“Ah, Lavender, this one smells so good,” he said, you could feel your eyes tingling.

“What are you doing?” you asked, watching Aleron pick the flowers from his neighbor's garden. She would lose her mind if she caught you both here, but he couldn't help himself.

“Getting some lavender, put some in your bathwater, or just rub it on your skin, it smells wonderful,” he beamed, while you quietly laughed.

“It does,” you agreed, your eyes traveling to his name tag. Aaron.

“Are you the new shop owner? I haven’t seen the other man in a while,” you asked.

“No, it's my cousin's store, his wife just had their first child and he asked me to come down and help out a bit, I'm from Chicago,” he explained.

“Well that was very kind of you,” you told him.

“Uh, 30 cents is the total,” he said, chewing his bottom lip.

Handing him the coins, your eyes widened as his fingers brushed against your hand, as he accepted the money. You felt a spark.

“Would you like this in a bag, miss?”

“Yes please,” you nodded, watching as he placed it into a small bag for you.

Walking behind you, you noticed as he closed both of the windows.

“Closing?” you asked him.

“Ah, yes ma'am, you were the last customer of the night,” he nodded.

“I see, well, goodnight,” you told him, turning to leave.

“Wait, I-um, have we met before? You look so familiar,” he said.

“I don't think so, goodnight Aaron,” you said.

“May I have your name?”

“Y/n”

“Goodnight, Y/n, I hope to see you again,” he told you, before shutting the door.

You couldn't contain the smile on your lips, as you walked away. However, your eyebrows quickly furrowed, seeing the troubled expressions on Lestat and Louis’ face.

“What's wrong-

“You know the boy at the fragrance store?” Louis started.

“And what could he have possibly said for you to keep smiling and laughing, I'm sure he wasn't that funny,” Lestat said with an attitude.

“You were gone for more than twenty minutes, so we went to look for you,” Claudia told you. You couldn't believe they were acting jealous, riding in silence until he parked in front of the house.

“I don't know him, I was only being nice, he's practically a tourist,” you finally spoke up.

“Seemed like you thought he was cute,” Louis said.

“He is cute, like when you look at kittens and puppies, you wouldn't get jealous if I was giving my attention to an animal,” you told them.

“Actually-

“I’m yours and yours and yours, I don't have any room in my heart for any others,” you said, pulling Claudia into a hug, swirling her around, before placing her on the ground.

As she ran into the house, Louis and Lestat still stood outside, both of them pouted like a wounded animal.

“I just bought some perfume, no need to be jealous,” you spoke to Louis, as you pecked his lips.

“Either of you,” you said, as Lestat circled you, before accepting your kiss.

“You two have to try to keep quiet tonight,” you moaned, as Louis kissed along your neck.

“No promises, ma chérie,” Lestat groaned. Holding each of their hands, pulling into the house.

“Claudia, where’s Y/n,” Louis asked, as he came down the stairs.

“No idea, she left a note,” she said, pointing at the small note on the counter.

“I'll be back before sunrise, love you - Y/n”

“And she expects us to believe nothing happened,” Lestat said, as he came down the stairs.

“Why would she lie about that?”

“I can feel when I am being lied to, she's keeping something to herself,” Lestat said, as he went to sit on the sofa.

“Maybe she knows him, but didn't want to say anything,” Louis said.

“She said she doesn't know him, and he wasn't a vampire, I would've known”

“He probably doesn't know that she's a vampire, he could be a distant relative or an old friend-

“Or an old boyfriend, she said he was cute,” Claudia laughed but quickly stopped when the two stared at her with glances of horror.

“I’m going find her,” Lestat stood up.

“I was only messing around-

“You do realize this affects you too, your aunt, mommy, sister Y/n, riding off into the sun with some mortal, or how about this, she turns him, he becomes her companion, and we wake to all of her belongings gone, so tell me, does any of this seem like a laughing matter?” he asked her, clarity washed over her face as she shook her head, realizing how serious the situation actually was.

Standing outside of the shop, you nervously played with your fingers. Unsure what you were even doing, or why you were doing this. He wasn't Aleron, yet he looked like him, could it be reincarnation, perhaps Aaron happened to be a part of the same bloodline somehow. You didn't know, but being around him, seeing him, in your heart you felt like he was still alive.

“Miss Y/n, did you want to buy another perfume, I could open back up?” Aaron said, as he stepped outside.

“Oh no, I'm sorry, I was passing by and I changed my mind,” you said.

“Then perhaps, you'd like to go for a drive? I can't seem to get you out of my head, we could chat a bit, and become familiar with each other,” he offered, hesitantly.

“Sure,” you agreed, following him to his car, getting in as he opened the door for you. Controlling his mind, with the spell gift, you sat quietly, while he spoke, during the ride, driving to the outskirts of Chalmette.

“Y/n, where are you?” you could hear Claudia, but didn't say anything.

“You need to come home, or at least tell us where you're at,” Louis followed.

“If you're with him, I'll tear off his fucking he-

You blocked them out completely, even in his thoughts, Lestat managed to scream. They wouldn't understand, they had their maker, and Lestat seemed fine without Magnus. You never talked about Aleron, not sure where to even start, without a proper goodbye, part of you was left uncertain about so many things.

As he parked amid trees and darkness, you pulled the locket from your pocket.

“Sorry, I figured we could use some privacy,” he said, leaning towards you when you pushed his face.

“I don't want to kiss you, Aaron, I have something for you,” you laughed.

“I-oh my god, this is so embarrassing”

“Don't go yet, we don't know what they're doing, and we don't want to lose her trust,” Louis said, trying to be rational, despite struggling. It was usually you, who was being rational, the mediator, giving them the benefit of the doubt, and he was trying to do the same for you.

“Trust went out of the window when she got into the car with another man,” Lestat was seething, his eyes already red. He was sure that he would be in tears in a few minutes.

“Maybe she's feeding on him,” Claudia said hopeful, a worried expression on her face. Lestat’s words left her sad and anxious. You were a part of the family, a part of all of their lives individually, she wasn't sure how things would be if you decided to leave.

“I hope so”

“Does this look familiar to you?” you asked, holding up the locket.

“I don't know, I feel like I've seen it somewhere,” he furrowed his eyebrows. As he looked into your eyes, you began to glamour him.

“It's yours, you dropped it, but you promised you would pass it down to any future children you had,” you said, handing it over to him.

“I did?”

“Yes, try not to lose it,” you told him.

“I will, thank you for returning it,” he smiled.

“It was my pleasure,” you said, reaching to touch his face, a bloody tear slipping from your eye.

“I wish you didn't leave me, I was so lonely,” you cried, as you held his face, keeping eye contact.

“I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you,” he spoke.

“It’s okay, you have to go, after closing the shop, you went to get some food, and now you're going home, you didn't talk to or see anyone”

“I didn't talk to anyone”

“And tell your cousin you can't stay anymore you had to get back to Chicago”

“You're right,” he nodded.

“I love you”

“I love you, Y/n,” he repeated.

Moving in an instant, he snapped out of the hypothesis, furrowing his eyebrows, as he looked around the car. Shoving the locket into his pocket, he started the car and drove off. High in the sky, you looked down at him, the tears pouring down, a smile on your face.

Flying towards the city, you shook your head, lowering to the ground, stopping in front of the car.

“Y/n,” Claudia gasped, getting out of the car, wrapping her arms around you.

“Why did you all follow me?” you questioned, surprised to see they were so close.

“Why did you lie to us? You said you didn't know him, he wasn't this, he wasn't that, he's like a puppy, we don't have to worry,” Lestat began to swear up a storm in French. Smashing your lips into his, you grinned at him.

“You're too cute when you're jealous, I told you, I only have room for three vamps in my life, and I don't intend to make room for more”

“You had us worried, we tried contacting you-” you interrupted Louis kissing his lips.

“I could hear you, trying to be reasonable, I'm so proud of you,” you told him.

“So what was it? Why did you bring him out here, just to not kill him?” Claudia asked.

“He looks like my maker, we were companions, he was a brother, and when he died, I felt lost. I know it seems dumb, but I glamoured him, so I could say a proper goodbye, I didn't mean to make you all worry and be jealous,” you said, kicking the dirt.

“That's all? how could I stay mad at that?” Louis asked, picking you up, and spinning you around. As he placed you down, Lestat slowly approached, pulling you closer.

“No more secrets,” he said, you could see past his calm demeanor, how stressed he was at the idea of you leaving.

“No more secrets,” you nodded, before grabbing Claudia’s hand, and climbing into the backseat.

During the drive back, you looked up at the sky, as Claudia’s lustrous nails lightly dragged against your hand.

“Why are you giving this to me,” you asked, as Aleron stood behind you, placing the necklace on your neck.

“This was a family heirloom, my father gave it to me, to pass down our bloodline, you are the closest thing I have to a child,” he explained.

“But aren't heirlooms passed down, once the person dies”

“One day, I will die,” he told you, but you shook your head.

“Stop talking like that, you said you have to want to die for you to be able to, do you want to die?” you asked him, worried.

“No, my child, but if I did, you could find love, a companion, or even a coven”

“But then who would be there, with you”

“I've been alone a long time, Y/n, I think I could manage,” he laughed.

“As long as you're alive, I won't leave your side,” you smiled.

“Sounds like I am holding you back”

“I didn't say that”

“If I did, maybe I'd be reincarnated-

“Do you really believe in that, or have you been reading a lot lately”

“A little bit of both, could you imagine that I came back, and we met again”

“I guess it sounds cool in theory, but I wouldn't know how to feel if I saw you all old and wrinkled,” you laughed.

“Then I'll make sure every time we meet I am still young, maybe older than this body, but forever young, in your eyes,” he said.

“You wouldn't want to be a vampire again?”

“I don't think so, eternal life but no family, no children, no physical aging, no sun. When I was a child, I'd play in the sun for hours,” he thought back fondly.

“You have me, I am your family,” you told him.

“That, you are, and I am grateful to say that in my final moments, I have been loved, and I will always find my way back to you, my precious fledgling, until we meet again,” he said, his hand brushing against your cheek before he stood up.

“What?” you frowned, standing up.

“Sit, you must prepare for rest,” he commanded, using his powers to make you sit down.

You tried fighting, tried standing, but couldn't move, only able to watch him walk towards the door. Blood was already trickling down your face, realizing his plan. It wasn't until he was outside, that you were able to stand, rushing to the door, that wouldn't open.

"Aleron, brother, please, open this door," you beat on the door, no matter how much force you put in your hands, the door wouldn't budge.

You could see the sun rising, from under the door, his painful screams, following. The blood poured from your eyes, as you pleaded with him. You could still save him, you could nurse him back to life.

Finally, you could open the door, crying out as the sun graced your face. As you began to burn, you noticed the pile of ashes. You were too late, he was gone.

Grabbing his coat, you backed into the house, shutting the door, before dropping to your knees, weeping loudly.

"Aleron, oh god,” you screamed, clutching the coat.

Driving past a small gas station, you could Aaron, leaning against his car, as the worker pumped the gas.

“Goodbye, Aleron,” you spoke to his mind, smiling as he looked around, his hand going to the locket that he had put around his neck already.

“Until we meet again, my beloved, maker”

“So I know we're all made up, but could you three wait until I'm out hunting for the makeup sex, I don't think I can take another night of Uncle Les being all loud and whatnot,” Claudia said, making you and Louis both laugh, while Lestat groaned loudly at her already back getting on his nerves.

Maybe he was right, losing him, who, at the time was your everything, made a way for you to have what he never got to experience, your own little family.

[luxthestrange]

Beastars Incorrect Quotes#45 Human Kink

Once again the Herbivores and Carnivores were having a fight, and you being the human mediator were trying to calm things down...and so to have you on their side the bill said Els ate your favorite snack...and everyone in the herbivore knew and didn't tell you

Ellen: Bill said he thinks about you sometimes when he’s making love to himself!?

Y/n*Double take from being mad at Els for eating their snack to Bill*...What?

Bill: One time-

Y/n:  What?!

Bill: I thought about bangs and your face just appeared beneath them!- Okay, by the way, like I’m the only one in this club!?, Aoba told me it happened to him, like, like, a bunch of times

Aoba*Feathers puff up in a fluster seeing your shocked face directed onto him, panics* tem, you told me the first week you returned from winter break, you had a sex dream about them, and they had raccoon hands!

Tem: Dreams do not count!

Y/n*Closing eyes and feeling a migraine looking at the beastfolk* You’ve all thought about me while self-completing?!

Juno: Look Y/n it’s not that big deal*Sensing their anger….also since she little guilty of self-completing to them too*

Drama club *All looking embarrassed and not being able to look you straight* It’s a sincere form of flattery ...

Y/n*Takes a deep breath and shakes head*-We’re going back to keeping secrets…when I walk through the door …this never happens *Walked out of the drama club room* -OH MY STARS!?!

Louis & Legoshi*Who were outside the club room and heard...everything*...

... It's like reverse monster kink...everyone in the club thought things of their human club member-

[platoapproved]

How do you think Armand genuinely felt about his coven?

GOSH! An interesting question. In the finale he tells Daniel that he had complicated feelings and I don't necessarily think that was a lie...

But especially in terms of the performance, he seems so fucking sick of them.

This is the face of a man who has been trapped in close quarters with the same 12 theatre kids and their bullshit interpersonal drama for centuries, while also working a management position and thus having to mediate all their squabbles, assign tasks, and who knows how many other exhausting things.

I think he allows Louis to kill the coven mostly out of the same passivity that had him going along with the trial - it was already in motion, and some part of his brain had decided it was already inevitable. The one moment he ACTUALLY went against the coven was pulling Louis from the wall - in my opinion because Louis starving made him think too much about how he got wrapped up in the coven in the first place.

I don't think he mourned them even a bit. Because of the nature of his position - installed right away as the coven master in a precarious position of authority over those who might try to take power from him and do violence to him - it was never really community for him. They weren't his friends. There might have been some small similarity to a family (derogatory).

Basically my read is - he was accustomed to them. He didn't respect them, he didn't enjoy them, and he certainly didn't miss them when they were gone.

[michealsleepdeprived]

The one thing that continues to astound me is how much Louis ends up in these relationships and fulfills the role of the wife in a lot of ways.

It's present and obvious with Lestat especially how much Louis mirrors his mother's disdain when angry or upset. Especially when it's given to us like a slap to the face when Claudia says "The Housewife and the Mistake" to describe Lestat's thinking. Louis is the wife being cheated on. Louis is the one who cleans. Takes care of the house. The child. Mediates the tension in the house.

When Louis goes into another marriage. He's the one courted (just as he was with Lestat), chased after. Armand gives him flowers. Louis takes care of the house, pictures to hide the cracks. He loses his daughter but permanently now. He stays with Armand and tries to have some control but it's clear who has the power here and it's not Louis.

We see this in Dubai. Armand's distaste in the interview and how there's a subtext of how he "let" Louis do it. The books in the air. The way Armand is in control over where what goes. The fact Louis has to ask for a lot of important things. (The pictures, the books). Louis has gone from Housewife to trophy-wife. Louis decorates the house, a task that's not important at all and even then some things he has to discuss with Armand first (the paintings). The way Armand disregards Louis' emotions. ("Louis' opinion", Louis' dislike of the play and Armand's flippant attitude when discussed how much Louis disliked them.) Louis keeping the rocks in his feet and Armand saying "he could take them out at any time" not understanding his feelings, thinking them as nonsensical.

It just boggles my mind. Louis is really his mother's son. And I don't mean to assign Louis as the woman in these relationships because these are men in relationships. But it shows in the show that Louis is the wife. I'm not trying to take away Louis' manhood but rather saying his role in these relationships shows how he thinks of them somewhat, of himself. Which makes sense to me since Louis does think family in a traditional way which is to be expected.

[starlostlix]

LOUIS AND FRED IN THE FINAL PROBLEM ARC - SINGLE CHARACTER ANALYSIS AND THEIR ALLIANCE

A very long post

[This post sort of acts as both an analysis and a timeline/overview of the characters and their dynamic in this arc and their roles in it too. I made this inspired by @swellovk and their post on the baskerville arc (which i'd previously reblogged) because I don't think people talk enough about Fred and Louis especially not as a duo.]

So up until The Final Problem (referred to from here on as TFP) arc Louis and Fred seemingly have not interacted much outside of a group setting, at least in my memory. But they end up being strong allies throughout TFP arc in their attempts to save William from his planned demise.

BASKERVILLE ARC - the groundwork:

The Baskerville arc is one of the few arcs where we get to see these two characters interact and we get some insight into each of their characters. We get the context that many people see Fred as the one closest in character to William due to his kindness, determination and passion. We also get to see how Louis has been partially sheltered from William's actions in William's effort to not 'taint his soul' (which does foreshadow how William already wants to be the only one to sacrifice himself), and Louis asks to be more directly involved to not only be closer to his brother but to help progress the plan - his dedication isn't just to the Lord of Crime but to William directly much like any brother would.

The main interaction to focus on in this arc is Louis and Fred's argument. It's a small argument but it shows a lot about them both. Louis is worried for William's safety (even though he knows he's very capable) and therefore wants to stick to the main mission of killing the evil nobles rather than deviating to save the children. Fred however wants to try and save as many of the children as they possibly can as he feels it to be his duty (I like to think that this relates to something in his backstory but we can't be sure yet). Moran acts as a mediator, reminding Louis of William's capabilities and tells Fred that whilst his ideas are unreasonable and naive, it's okay because that's what makes him stand out and a major part of himself. Whilst they seemingly disagree on what to do, their actions are motivated by a similar idea - compassion for others close to them (for Louis it's for William and for Fred it's the children, which again could link to his potential backstory). And it is that compassion and how they both think highly of William that leads to their eventual alliance, since they both want the same thing - to save William. It also sets up that Fred was worried William would not agree to help the children and this may set up the idea that he'd be willing to go against William's orders to save them instead (which may foreshadow Fred's eventual disobedience in TFP).

From early on in the TFP arc we see some interactions that act as a basis for their eventual alliance, and lay the groundwork for the reasons why they both decide that betraying William is the only way to save him.

First, in the first part of the arc we see this small interaction whilst William is explaining the details of the plan and Fred appears zoned out.

To me it feels like a deliberate choice to place Fred next to Louis and frame this panel like this. Louis notices how Fred is uncomfortable, likely due to his disagreement with the idea that William must die, and he agrees but cannot say in this instance.

Then the two have separate instances where they are thinking about their disagreement with William's death. I wanted to go over both separately.

LOUIS - "The world may think of him as a devil, but to me he's my older brother." (TFP part 1):

Louis sees William's humanity and kindness as his older brother before he sees the Lord of Crime. He'd always pushed away the ideas of William's eventual death until it physically no longer could be. He says that he understands why William feels he must give his life for the cause, but he hates the fact it had to be William in particular. That's because to him, William is not a devil, or a leader, or a lord of crime, but just his older brother who took care of him all these years. But he feels it's impossible to change what's been put into motion.

FRED - "But William... you aren't like them!" (TFP part 2):

Fred's motivations are explored in his own conversation with William, rather than in his own thoughts like Louis'. On one of his outings to murder an aristocrat, William and Fred have a conversation where Fred practically begs William to reconsider the idea of him needing to die. Fred emphasises that William is not like the 'devils' he kills, because he is the "arbiter of justice" and he is simply "doing the dirty work" to make a better world. He even says that William's pursuit of justice, even through his dubious means, is why Fred has followed him in his plans. He sees William as a hero in that way, but he also sees the goodness in William - the good intentions in a shell of the bloodshed. He emphasises that because of these noble intentions that William is not a 'devil' like the ones he targets, and that William needing to die is 'not fair' because he's done so much to improve society in the long run - that is isn't necessary or fair for him to die at all.

But William does not think that way and makes that clear to Fred - he never thought his actions were just and because of the blood on his hands, he wants to die as punishment for his sins. Fred doesn't accept the idea that William should die even with this explanation, comparing his idea with an executioner taking responsibility for the criminals they execute - which is meant to sound far-fetched and unreasonable but with the given French Revolution context it doesn't seem too unrealistic. Fred's true intentions really shine in one line though - "I want to see the start of the new world together with you." All this emphasis on the unfairness and morality of the situation (which he may full well believe or not) feels like it is to distract from the fact that Fred simply doesn't want his friend to die, as many of the others in the group do - and he and Louis are the only ones who actively try to do something about it.

THE ALLIANCE FORMS (TFP part 2-3):

[Continued under the fold since this is quite a long post]

So it's been established that they both feel very strongly that William should not die as a part of the plan and they both see William and a friend/brother over a mastermind/'devil', with deep respect for him but not in a way that they believe every choice he makes is the right one. They accept that he can make the wrong choices because they see him as a fellow human rather than a symbol or figurehead. Clear alliance material is being established.

It all comes to a a head when Fred attempts to write a letter to Sherlock to convince him to help William, and Louis catches him doing so. Despite Fred's fear that he would remove him from the plan, Louis reveals that he actually agrees with Fred's idea of contacting Sherlock and thought that Fred out of everyone would be able to sympathise with him (which shows that they're more similar than they originally think). Louis even says Fred has managed to have "saved me the effort of trying to convince you", which implies that Louis was already devising an idea to go against his brother before Fred did.

And it's interesting that they are each other's first idea of an ally, because they have similar roles in the group. Even with Louis as a member of the Lord of Crime's persona directly he isn't one to necessarily make much of a move by himself, and even when he does some of the 'dirty work' it's only with William by his side. At the end of the day, Louis' loyalty is to his brothers, and out of the three he is the one that feels the most sidelined and unable to reach his full potential until post-time skip. Fred often acts as a messenger, agent of disguise or other small roles which may be important but are often outshined by the other member's feats and he can feel sidelined. So these two characters, both in some elements sidelined, share the same compassion to be the ones who need to act to save William, since many of the others have accepted the inevitability that William will die (no matter how much it may hurt.) It's because of their strong compassion directly to William and their desire to save people that they can't stand by.

But why Sherlock Holmes? Louis has hated that man ever since he stepped foot near William on the train in the Two Detectives arc, and Fred seemingly has limited connections to him before this. Well, Louis says that since "neither of us are capable of saving William without ruining the plan entirely", they have to rely on Holmes. Fred and Louis are overall small players in the finale of the plan and don't have the power to talk William out of it (which Fred has already tried) or forcefully stop him. Sherlock, however, does have this power - the only one who matches his intellect and the only one that can truly understand him. They directly acknowledge this, as many characters do, but the main reason Louis even agrees to do this is because if there's even a slim chance of saving William (which Sherlock represents in this case, despite Louis' own hatred of him), he's willing to betray William to make it happen.

In part 3 we get more insight into the reason they both have for wanting to save William, including Louis expressing some elements of survivor's guilt. Louis wonders why it had to be William and that maybe William wouldn't have to had to suffer like this if he was the one who got born with the intellect instead. It's interesting because his guilt is preemptive, as if he believes William was always destined to meet this fate and only now does he feel like he can change it. He emphasises both his own selfish desires to save William and William's kindness leads him to take on this guilt (which is simply the way he is, similar phrasing to how Moran talked about Fred's kindness).

Fred continues to acknowledge that William's sacrifice is considered unfair, which links greatly to Moran's description of his kindness being idealistic and naive - and it's his own kindness that clashes with William's own kindness leading to his guilt. But when they speak to Moran, he ponders "whose selfish ego will come out on top - his or yours" and this implies that he views Fred and Louis' desires through Louis' lens of selfishness. But also it shows that he acknowledges an element of selfishness in William's ideas - whether it be death as an escape rather than a punishment, or him leaving the rest of the group to struggle to move on after his death. Bonde however, sees it in a similar way to both Louis and Fred's ideas - he agrees with Moran but also believes Fred's concept of trying to save William via Sherlock is a good idea (from their personal experience). This tracks the duo's last appearance in Volume 13.

CONTACTING SHERLOCK (TFP part 5):

[Im writing this part like over a week or so later because I was busy lmaooo, if there's inconsistencies i'm sorry.]

The only time Fred and Louis appear together in volume 14 is where they finally contact Sherlock and cement their plan of 'betrayal' in order to save William.

I find it interesting that they use a coded message and meet in the carriage as an effort to make this a super top-secret thing, either fearing the consequences for disobeying William or in order to make sure William can't deduce their involvement and create his own defence to Sherlock's advances of atonement. This strategy/knowledge of secret meetings also sets up pretty well for their future in MI6.

Whilst they both (especially Fred) are nervous to ask this of Sherlock, Sherlock has pretty much already deduced what he should do. Louis still finds Holmes annoying and shouts at him to stop rambling, as William's plan to die is clearly a sensitive topic for him (as he's still worried Holmes won't agree and so he is therefore likely ready to defend his brother's plan.) But Louis is surprised when Sherlock says that William is his friend - and this is where his opinion on Sherlock begins to change, from seeing Sherlock as nothing but a hindrance to William's plan to someone with genuine care for his brother. He throws in a "no matter what" when asking to save William almost as a test to see how deep Sherlock's commitment to saving William truly is. Fred is relatively quiet throughout this exchange - confrontation has never been seen to be his strong point (at least outside of disguise) and so he relies on Louis, the one with the strongest connection to William, a bit perhaps in an effort for more legitimacy.

To focus on a Sherlock quote here - "I'm glad to know there is a scrap of humanity left in your organisation." Despite their cruel methods, we know the Moriarty plan ultimately hinges on the betterment of society as an element of humanity. But it's Louis and Fred's willingness to possibly go against this plan to save someone they care deeply about that is the human thing Sherlock focuses on. Watson has taught Sherlock to put close bonds in high regard, and so seeing Louis and Fred do so even at risk of disrupting William's wishes (without also putting themselves at too much risk, as Sherlock himself used to) is to him the most human thing he's seen any of the members of the Moriarty group do.

This is the last point we see them as a duo, but there is still much to talk about for Louis in particular (which is applicable to this post/analysis as decided by me).

LOUIS - "To me, living alone is a far greater torture than death." (TFP part 8):

Watching the Tower Bridge confrontation we get more insight into Louis' thoughts and feelings.

Louis had already resigned himself to an early death, whether it be from his heart condition or the end of the plan. He always dedicated his (what he thought would be short) life to chasing William's dream, never placing his own desires above that of the plan (until his recent actions trying to save William, that is). He recalls the distance he felt from William in the Baskerville arc as he comes to the realisation that William never wanted Louis to sacrifice his life for the cause. His fear of living on alone stems from the fact that William was the only one to validate his existence and life as a whole. Louis' own fixation on helping William meant that he didn't focus on the ways William helped him realise the value to this thing we call living (I couldn't not throw that BSD reference in). And now Louis will cherish that life William has given him in the new world he helped create. William did this not only for the whole of society, but also to create a better world for his brother to live in (sounds kind of like the Whiteley brothers but on a whole new scale). He also points out the importance of having a person validate your existence, with William being his and thinking that, possibly, Sherlock could be that person for William (whatever his feelings about Sherlock may be - he puts them aside for the benefit of William, just like he did for the mission but also like William did for him).

LOUIS - "... I will watch over this new world he made and make sure it stays as beautiful as he left it ." (TFP part 9):

In the 3 months after the confrontation, Louis is in a strange spot. With one of his older brothers possibly dead, and the other in prison, it could be easy to lose sight of a goal. But Louis has found a new cause to put his life to - atonement. His brother paid steep prices for theirs, and so Louis has decided to saddle his share of the burden alone too. It is Mycroft's decision to place him as head of MI6 that helps him realise his goals, but without having to necessarily share the burden completely alone - he can atone for his sins by protecting the new world that his brother left for him. Being head of MI6 allows him to lead in a way he has never done before. He was the Moriarty brother with possibly the least involvement in orchestrating the plan, and this leadership position allows him to realise goals and skills he never knew he had. He's a natural leader, much like his brother.

I'm drawn to the similarities between the roles of Louis and Mycroft in MI6. They both shoulder the burden for their families' wrongdoings by making active decisions in MI6 to protect or better their world after their family name had been used to create large scale unrest. It is their job to live on for their brothers and protect what they created - both for William, and Sherlock.

[This post took forever and is so so long so if you made it to the end well done. It may be a lot, but I wanted to appreciate these underrated characters in an arc that is really important to their development. Thanks for reading!!!]

[rapha-reads]

IWTV rewatch

Season 1 episode 6 [Like Angels Put In Hell By God] - part 2/2

- [Louis] "It was an awkward time, but I loved Claudia with all my heart, and I loved Lestat with a wounded one." - better a broken heart than no heart at all, as my Doctor would say.

- Hey, looook, estranged Father and estranged Daughter finally agreeing on something! All for the sake of Daddy, yeah, but still.

- Okay, but if Antoinette is dead, that means no Antoine during Prince Lestat… Unless Lestat is lying again. Which would make things Awkward if they do adapt Prince Lestat and follow that plotline.

- Love Louis playing mediator between his husband and his daughter. Honestly seeing myself trying to mediate between my violently divorced parents and my siblings who have each chosen their side. Fun times all around.

- Love that they sleep in the same coffin, though. Healing!!

- Aaaaw, a Nicki mention! Love Claudia's proxy jealousy, all for the game and the hatred.

[Lestat] "Nicki passed on after he and I parted ways. Took me a century to try again." - you know what, I am now firmly in support of the timeline change. Love the fact that it took a century for Lestat to love again, instead of a decade like in the book. That's my kind of star-crossed doomed romance jam.

- Ah, yep, there it is, not very dead Antoinette. Good job, Lestat. That's definitely not going to come back and bite you in the neck. "There's no place for me other than New Orleans." - 'Stat, chéri, explain to me how you think this is all going to work out in your mind.

- [Louis] "What difference would it make?" - resignation is not a good look on you, Lou baby.

- [Louis] "The numbness remained, hardened somehow into a dissociative shell, a vessel of acceptance, tortured rationalisation." - and here comes the depression with the steel chair…

- Claudia my queen, you deserve so much better.

- [Louis] "Hey sis! You don't need me. You think you do, but you don't. You're smarter now. You see trouble coming a mile away." - excuse me while I sob my heart out. Yes I know how it goes, but please give me that one moment of hope and love before turning it back to hatred and despair.

- [Louis] "But it was 1939, and the only Negro allowed in first class was the porter, and the Negro passenger rode the rear. The Negro vampire made do with what was left, which was fine with her." - oh, hello social commentary. We haven't had much of that in the past couple of episodes. Which is a shame, the 30s are such a rich and ripe decade… But I guess vampire emotional drama takes precedence over sociology.

- [Louis] "'This is the part of my story, back in San Francisco, where you said, and I paraphrase, 'Give it to me. Make me a vampire now'.' [Daniel] 'In the eyes of a 20-year-old, you were wasting the gift.' [Louis] 'You're in your 20s, Rashid. What do you think?'"

More like 520s, but potatoes, tomatoes, I guess. Their little roleplay continues to entertain me when things become too heavy.

Also I just love the serenity of this scene. The sun shining through one window, the others veiled, and the muezzin's call in the background, that's the afternoon prayer, I think, given the slant of the sun rays , the last one before night. It's a such a perfect moment. And Daniel's feeling his meds kicking up, he's starting to go under, but still bitchy and sassy.

- [Daniel] "'And divorce. And die. Save it for the rent boy.' [Rashid/Armand] 'May I be excused, Mr du Lac?'" - I wonder what made Armand react like that; to be called a rent boy, or to be reminded of Daniel's fragility and the fact that he keeps rejecting the gift, maybe in an echo of their affair in the 70s and 80s? I will die on this hill, Devil's Minion did take place between the San Fran and the Dubai interviews, and Armand ran away because he got scared of losing Daniel and both didn't want to go through the giving of the gift. But anyway, look at his face there, he's gutted. In that very subtle Armand way.

- [Louis] "If I was to join Dante's wood of the Self-Murdered, it would be another night." - it's killing me that I have to say this, but Lou sweetie, maybe put down the books for a moment and seek some help. (Me at myself: oh, like you're doing, maybe? Shush, we're talking about Louis, not me)

- [Lestat] "Germany's invaded Poland"- and history inviting herself back in the narrative through the big door.

[Louis] "'Since when do you care about humanity?' [Lestat] 'Well, I don't. But to think our sister, impulsive tot that she is, was on her way to holiday in Europe. I'm so glad she decided the better of it.'"

Sometimes this show reminds you with a big slap to the face that one of its main genre is indeed horror, including psychological horror. Ooof, that shrill music as the camera pans to the rest of the living room and Claudia sitting there panicked and then Louis's terrified face… Chilling. Oh, and Lestat making his way in the train, some more horror for us. Fantastic. I love it so much. And the music here…

- You know what is one of the worst part? Lestat is not wrong. Claudia leaving would lead to Louis walking into the sun, and Lestat absolutely cannot have that.

- And here begins the murder planning… And hello, social commentary. The fact that Claudia's argument is that she and Louis are Lestat's "slaves", given their race and history… Oh, this is going deep. Very, very deep. Claudia's playing three dimensional chess while Lestat is still parading around.

- The way she corners him in that chess game. While she's having an absolutely mind blowing mental conversation with Louis… Brilliant. Chilling. Claudia my queen you deserve everything good in the universe and your parents don't deserve you at all. And Lestat losing his mind as she refuses to finish the game, because now he's finally understanding that he's about to lose it all…

- [Louis] "We were going to kill Lestat. We were going to kill Lestat." - love how Louis repeats that, as if it's the first time he's saying it out loud for what it is.

- Oooh, hello and welcome to the 70s! Just the music choice has me vibrating out of my skin.

Louis's hairdo in '73 is glorious. And also his game at picking up boys.

[Louis] "I have an accent?", says the King of languages and accents.

[Louis] "I have what you're looking for. High quality. Befitting a man of my tastes." - the fact that he could equally be talking about drugs, sex or a story… Lou babe, you've become dangerous.

[Daniel] "'Are you a narc?' [Louis] 'I'm a vampire.' [Daniel] 'I want to interview you.'"

And thus came into being the grand vampire revolution. At least in the books. Pretty sure if Louis had known what he was setting in motion with his picking up a reporter boy in a gay bar in San Fran, he'd have run all the way over to South America instead of going to that room in Divisadero.

- Man, Danny took one look at that gorgeous black guy saying he's a vampire and said "I wanna tap that in every way possible".

Oh hello there Rashid. Lmao. Love the fact that Armand still wears his brown contacts in Daniel's dream memory, because memory is a monster and Daniel doesn't even know what he's remembering.

- Sam Reid's voice is exquisite, I cannot wait to see what Daniel Hart is going to do with Rockstar Lestat…

episode 1 | episode 2 | episode 3 | episode 4 | episode 5 | part 1 | episode 7

[lemonlyman-dotcom]

Thank you for the tags @honeybee-taskforce @heartstringsduet @im-overstimulated-and-im-sad @strandnreyes @vineofroses @chicgeekgirl89 @ladytessa74 + jumping on your open tag Rachel @sznofthesticks 💕

Eid Mubarak!!! 🌙 The fifth and final chapter of Eid Fic, aka love in a series of bursts & inches, went up this morning!!! Here’s one last little sneak peek! Marjan’s mom is definitely plotting a way to sneak TK out in her pocket!

“Is it traditional? Definitely not. Is it the life we pictured for you? Maybe not,” her mother continues, pointing towards the kitchen where TK and Paul are bickering. Paul’s waving a hand between two dishes on the counter, becoming increasingly more and more animated in whatever point he’s trying to make until TK slaps his hand away from the cheesecake while Carlos stands behind them trying to play mediator. He looks up and winks at Marjan when he sees her looking back.

“Look at those boys. They love you so much. That one,” she gestures to Paul, “picked us up from the airport and stocked our Airbnb with tea and coffee and knefeh from the Greek bakery clear across town for us to break our fast with this morning.”

A slightly unhinged laugh breaks free from Marjan’s chest. “That’s only because TK tried to make it and ended up with a cheese explosion all over the kitchen.”

“Of course he did,” her mom says with a wry smile. “That one,” she points to Carlos next, “opened up his home and cooked us more food than I think we’ve ever had for Eid. And that one,” she points to TK, her smile going softer, “is one of the best friends you’ve ever had, habibi. Did he make a mess out of my kitchen? Well, yes. I’m still scraping red sauce off the walls. But he also flew you home to me and held my hand while we waited for your father’s initial test results. He sends me his mother-in-law’s recipes and pictures of every single cat he meets.” She sighs. “He’s a good boy. Oh, and that face. Such a good face. Are we sure he’s not Muslim?”

“Oh my gosh, Mom!”

Tagging @carlos-in-glasses @janto4ev @fitzherbertssmolder @thisbuildinghasfeelings @whatsintheboxmh @bonheur-cafe @fallout-mars @your-catfish-friend @kiwichaeng @cold-blooded-jelly-doughnut @paperstorm @iboatedhere @liminalmemories21 @alrightbuckaroo @inkweedandlizards @carlos-tk @literateowl @freneticfloetry @orchidscript @guardian-angle22 @my-little-tilly @tinyluminaryzombie @basilsunrise @louis-ii-reyes-strand @herefortarlos @filet-o-feelings @rmd-writes @theghostofashton @thebumblecee @welcometololaland @reyesstrand @itsrandomnobody7 @iinryer @lightningboltreader @never-blooms @ambiguouspenny @nancygillianmvp @noxsoulmate @detective-giggles @decafdino @hoko-onchi-writes @certifiedflower and OPEN TAG 🏷️

[nesiacha]

Propaganda mediatic around Tallien and french revolution

I fully understand that certain figures of the French Revolution are preferred over others who are less liked. It's a matter of preference. I myself have a very cultured friend who is a fan of certain royalists from this period like Olympe de Gouges, although I also admire the character in a certain way and deplore the sexism of that era which excluded her (such as the fact that she totally defends Louis XVI), but I've always enjoyed debating with this person, who is so respectful of others' opinions, very knowledgeable, and well-versed in the subject. Of course, the difficulty lies in not trying to defend the golden legend or the black legend.

It's another thing entirely to invent completely grotesque or even false facts to glorify one figure of the French Revolution and destroy another. In the grotesque episode of "Les Femmes de la Révolution Française" from "Secret d'Histoire," which was actually sexist (I" love" the fact that in this show, which claims to want to glorify women, they talked about the term "demi-mondaine" for women, when will there be an equivalent term for men, or the way paternalistic that someone call Olympe de Gouges the "little" Gouges ), there were also very serious errors or lies, take your pick.

To insinuate that Marat was a dictator when he was simply a deputy who was elected by universal suffrage, a journalist whose recommendations were not heeded, and who was arrested and brought before the Revolutionary Tribunal though acquitted according to the rules, what a funny dictator, I've never seen anything like that from a dictator before.

Furthermore, under what conditions would he have pulled off his coup d'état? The story continues in the next episode, I suppose, even though so far no historian has found any trace of Marat's coup d'état. I imagine the show will clarify that (or not). Under these conditions, I will address Tallien. They try to present him as heroic in the face of Thermidor when in reality everything was prepared for the theater of Thermidor, which was actually more anti-democratic than they let on and not out of the courage of this individual. They say it was Theresia's letter that motivated him to enact Thermidor when in reality it's because Fouché and his gang, of which he was a part, committed the worst atrocities during the French Revolution, and he wanted to escape the punishment that would rightly fall upon him and his friends and try to regain political "purity" by pinning everything on those who were to be executed (he later demanded the head of Billaud Varennes to further absolve himself). There are other motives regarding Thermidor that have nothing to do with the Convention wanting to get rid of a tyrant (Robespierre has faults but not those of a dictator or tyrant) or that they were fed up with the guillotine (the guillotine continued to function after Thermidor and the Convention had voted overwhelmingly for the creation of the Revolutionary Tribunal, arrests, the Law of Suspects). One day I'll write a more detailed piece on what I think because it's very complex, but you can watch "Robespierre: la Terreur et la Vertu" with English subtitles, it gives a better understanding of these events.

Tallien engaged in lucrative business, arresting the richest in Bordeaux so they would hand over all their money to him for personal use. Clearly not an upright man, but very serious. His lucrative business leads me to see two possibilities. Either he plundered honest people in difficult times under the pretext that they were rich and risked ending up with nothing for his personal profit, all while abusing his position, which is generalized extortion. Or he knowingly let suspicious individuals escape in exchange for money (should we recall that some suspicious Frenchmen betrayed France by handing it over to Toulon or Dumouriez), and imposed dechristianization not out of anger like Momoro, for example, but for his political career and to flatter himself, which is worse (sorry for comparing a man like Momoro to an individual like Tallien, they are truly incomparable). Later, he joined the muscadins, among other merry groups.

In any case, it's very serious, and whatever one might say about Robespierre, he had every right to be angry. Tallien is a political turncoat and bloody as Barras (I hate Ridley Scott's Napoleon for destroying the French Revolution and glorifying Barras, among others). The difference between Tallien, Barras, and Fouché is that Tallien completely failed, and an unpopular opinion perhaps, but I'm glad to see he suffered so much; it's well-deserved karma for all the wrong he did.

P.S: I love that the show "Secret d'Histoire" shows Thermidor as a great day for prisoners, as if they don't care about arbitrary arrests after this event (including the arrests of Albertine Marat, Simone Evard, Thuillier found mysteriously hanged, the fact that some political prisoners had to wait a few months after Thermidor to be released).

[juno-box]

If you could pick ONE person to make it to the Final Season with Clem, outside of the obvious choices (Lee, Kenny, Luke, etc.) who would it be?

Optional: How do you think they'd affect the course of season 4?

If I could pick one person? Duck. Surviving with Clem from S1 to the finish line, I feel like there's some things he can change.

If he woke up in the room with Clem, he'd could probably be a bit of a mediator between the two, he'd probably take charge a bit and not let her size Tenn up.

In terms of people he'd get along with, Willy, Brody and Mitch come to mind. Once that slightly laid back personality starts coming out, I feel like Aasim would try to lump him in Louis. Duck would probably respect a lot of Louis' outlooks on post-apocalypse life.

During the card game at dinner, I bet answering questions would be hilarious.

C: "What's the grossest thing you've ever eaten?" V: "Oh that's easy, uh, horse eyeballs." M: "Slugs." L: "Cantaloupe." C: "I ate a guy's leg once?" D: "No you didn't!" C: "Oh, right, that's was you." D: "Y-... Hey!" V: "..." M: "..." L: "..." D&C: "We're kidding!" L: "... Are you?"

I imagine, the night they find out Marlon & Brody's secret, I feel like he would either go with Clem or she'd ask him to stay with AJ.

If Duck was there, would he see AJ and stop him? More than likely not on time, the moment he saw him (because literally nobody saw him, but Duck has good hearing and a good eye as we see in S1). Duck would see AJ the second he's about to pull the trigger and it's too late.

It's morning, AJ asks if he's a murderer. Duck would instantly tell him no, but try to explain what he did was considered murder. Naturally, confusing AJ. So Clem would take over.

Tenn comes and gets them for funeral, they come back and wait for the vote. They have to leave.

I feel like on the walk, Duck would quietly ask Clem if it's possible they can try Richmond, but Clem would say it's still too risky.

I mean just imagining Duck running into Lilly again and all I can hear is:

"Kenny's kid...?" "Lilly...?" "Great. I don't suppose your dad's around here, is he?" "Lucky for you, he's not." "Hmph. So he's dead then." "Well, duh...?" "???"

I think he'd be a sharpshooter from the windows. So when Lilly grabs Tenn, he'd shoot her in the arm. I think Tenn would get him to move, and I don't think Mitch would charge then. So... Mitch spared?!

Would he be captured? Yeah, I think so. I think he'd sacrifice himself for either Vi or Lou.

Would Duck be maimed on the boat? Oooh, I dunno. I think since he's more survival toughened, he wouldn't talk more than the Delta found permissible unlike Louis, even though Louis was trying to help Aasim and Omar.

But, when the bomb goes off, hearing in one of his ears is damaged. It's a bit more muffled.

He'd probably be strong enough to fricking yeet Tennessee on the other side of the bridge the minute he pulls that stunt with Minerva.

Which may or may not lead to him being bit. He doesn't get devoured, but Tenn does get him bit. Which pisses AJ off. So Duck missing one of his arms? Ye?

I think he'd get Clem up before she's bit herself, but that doesn't mean we might not have to ditch her leg because of what Minnie did to it on the bridge.

Sorry, it's all over the place but these just came to mind as I was typing, lol!

[desertfangs]

2, 15, 23 - aunteat <3

Fandom Ask Meme!

2. OT3?

I've feel like I've had tons of OT3s in this fandom because let's face it, you put any of three of these vampires together and it's going to be a good time. They all just have such good dynamics and then you add another person and bam! It gets weirder in the best way.

My top 2 are Armand/Lestat/Daniel and Marius/Armand/Daniel. Apparently I just really love Daniel being a mediator/peacemaker between two guys who love each other but also love to set each other off like gasoline and matches. Which is extra fun because Armand and Daniel also have a tendency to set each other off, so things can get dramatic.

I can't choose. I wrote a lot of Armand/Lestat/Daniel last year (In City Never Sleeps the "Armand" is silent but actually a massive part of it and I wrote the threesome in some follow up fics). I've been more obsessed with Marius/Armand/Daniel lately, and I just wrote a 5-part plot-based fic with them that I am trying to convince myself to post.

15. Have you noticed your style change over time?

Oh, 100%. I've always been very dialogue heavy and character-driven as a writer, but I think I've gotten better at descriptions and balancing the elements of a story better. I also used to RP a lot so a lot of fan writing was for that, rather than contained stories like I write now, and it's really fun to really dig into the motivations and feelings of everyone in the scene.

23. Has your favourite character/ship changed over time?

Oh yes. When I first read the books, Louis was my favorite hands down. I did not like Armand very much. I held a grudge over what he'd done to Claudia/Louis, and Louis/Lestat were my ship. I read the books out of order so I read TotBT before QotD, and when I read that, I feel in love with Daniel - who doesn't love an intrepid reporter chasing after a vampire? (and Jesse! ILU girl!) and learned to appreciate Armand. I became a big DM shipper just in time for Daniel to vanish from the books for years. 😭 And I still love the dynamics of the four of them hanging out doing shenanigans, sometimes with Marius and others.

So Daniel became my favorite special guy second and I still love and empathize with Louis a whole lot.

Thank you so much for the ask!!!

[statementlou]

Hi, how was your show!!!??

Thank you for asking! It was great, OBVIOUSLY. I saw Louis play a short set in late 2019, but was not able to go to Walls tour, so this was my first time at a proper tour show (in Berkeley last night) and it was brilliant! I have been trying to figure out what to say besides that though cause tbh there are two posts I want to make. So… both? First for my recap- it was so loud, like the music was just normal concert loud but I had to plug my ears against the screaming between songs cause it was way louder- I just figured it was the in person experience difference but no, Louis confirmed, “you guys have been so fucking loud in here tonight, it's actually been hard for me to hear” so GO US! The chokingly thick haze of weed smoke (“I already feel the energy, I already feel the love, I can already smell the weed,” he was not fucking kidding) to usher in HIC in California (and all the other songs lol) didn’t diminish the energy a bit! Truly, there is nothing like the energy of shared live music, and meeting eyes of other fans (through the trees) and sharing that excitement. And seeing actual physical unmediated Louis, just existing in space being a real live human, yeah. Something.

I was like I'm not gonna bother to take pictures or anything, I just want to dance and hear and look, everyone else's pics will be better anyway but then the TECH, you guys know how much I love the fucking aesthetic of this tour and the screens were SO PRETTY in real life!! So in fact I KEPT getting my phone out for that so like... good one tech crew, you got me. Look for many low quality aesthetic posts of the screens incoming, sorry not sorry. Common People was SO PRETTY, his voice was so clear and lovely and I'm so glad that's been added in. WDBHG went HARD live, holy shit, SO FUN (tho tbh me as Louis thinking I know all the words to that song but it turns out there are a lot? And I do not? At least I was in the best possible company fumbling and mumbling through parts.) Heartbroken I didn’t get Saturdays live (honestly the one song I think might have been my exception to the next thing I’m gonna say) but so thankful for BTM🖤

But part two of this post is to say that watching the livestreams with you all is also brilliant and special and also lets me experience the beauty of Louis’ voice and presence and connection and the feeling of experiencing something together. I wasn’t able to go last year, and I know some of you (many many thousands worldwide!) won’t be able to go this year either or maybe ever, and I know you are seeing the posts telling you there is nothing like being there and you can't really know or appreciate Louis/ Louis’ voice/ the experience unless you are there in person and it feels sad and I want to tell you that I have done the research now and I don’t think that is true. Most people who go to the show won’t have a Y/N moment and be Perceived by Louis or be at barricade, and I don’t think the experience we are having online together is less real or profound than the live experience. His voice sounded fucking gorgeous and soaring and I loved it, but even if you are there it is mediated by all kinds of tech; I imagine getting to be present for an acoustic performance really would be something that couldn’t be replicated but I think a really good live through a clear speaker or a nice quality show video is in fact just fine. Some of the songs did hit me harder in person and get my blood pumping in a different way, yes- but others I actually think I get a fuller experience of in a chiller more focused environment when everything isn’t flying by as quickly. Like I don’t think the megamix would impact the way it does (UGH I LOVE IT SO MUCH) if I just saw it live once and done, for example. Anyway I’m just saying if you can’t make your own (go to the show) store bought is fine (hang with us at stream time! or just whatever online content). While I never intend to watch every stream in fact I am usually right here and love to chat and squee with people, come hang out, or just watch some videos and enjoy the magic.

[askaniritual]

jordannn i don't know if you've spoke on this before but on the whole what is your opinion on the differences between the book v the amc tv series re: iwtv?

oooo inchresting question! obviously the show and the books are so different as to almost defy comparison like the broad strokes of the story are the same but pretty much every character is characterized differently than their book counterpart

to me louis stands out as the character whose changes are most load-bearing specifically because the show is very deliberately concerned with his status as protagonist whereas in the books louis from his inception exists more as a shadow of and companion to lestat

louis in the books is repeatedly described as melancholy, eternally grieving and beautiful in his grief, weak, and most importantly unusually human in his mannerisms and outlook. the louis of the books exists mostly to follow lestat around telling him that his joyful exuberance and disregard for the rules is going to get him in trouble (which tbf is true) and he is described as somebody perpetually kind of out of step with the world. book louis will happily sit at home in the dark, wearing ratty old clothes and reading book after book in the light of a single candle

i think a lot of the ways his character has been changed for the show are very deliberate and ties into what the show is trying to say about race and sexuality but i also think very simply a character like book louis does not make for a very interesting tv show protagonist lol. i think it makes a lot of sense to have show louis be somebody plagued by melancholy but still willing to engage with the world, but it is also funny to see louis in the show describe his years of drugged debauchery and then smash cut to book louis who lives in a shack with no electricity because he doesn’t believe he deserves the comfort

i think a lot of the changes to lestat's character are in response to show louis having significantly more agency (atlhough of course the way he looks for people who will tell him how to live his life is an important aspect of his character) and i am excited for the new season to see more of the differences between book and show lestat now that they’re not going to be exclusively filtered through louis’ recollection. lestat in the books is definitely anne rice’s poor little meow meow who can do no wrong (although he is of course so tortured by his fundamentally evil nature no matter how many beautiful men he gathers around himself to tell him that he’s actually really a good person) and i think the show is interested in complicating that narrative. i do want to save my full evaluation of that until we can see rockstar lestat though and also get a better sense of what the framing device of the show is going to be because the books after iwtv are very specifically concerned with lestat telling his own story, without mediating it through the lens of daniel's writing

i think overall for meeeeeee (for me!) the tv show is a more compelling story although one that literally needs the vampire chronicles books to exist, not just because like, it’s based on them lol but because the show is so deliberately engaging with the concept of narrative and adaptation. like of course the show is interesting in its own right but i think what is soooo delicious to me is what it says about the original text of the books, and the way that differences between the show and the book feel deliberate both in how they cause the viewer to question the story being told and in how they are clearly making a statement about race and sexuality and the stories we tell about both of those topics, both of which are topics that i would say that the books um. struggle with

idk if this is at all coherent lol because honestly there’s too many differences to catalog one by one but my overall thought is most of the changes are for the good even though there are characters whose book counterparts i find compelling in their own way (especially armand and daniel)

[urban-unease]

Interview with the Vampire Thoughts!

Spoilers Abound!

After a second, drunker viewing of the pilot, here be my drunk thoughts. More sober thoughts may or may not come. IDK:

When I first saw the shots of Lestat at dinner with Louis' family a few days ago I immediately thought about all the ways smart writers could convey this scene. My favorite idea was if the writers conveyed Louis' family as almost immune to Lestat's charms. It would make so much sense! As a black person, I can say that groups of black folks are not easily won over by white people no matter how supernaturally charming lol. The bar is high for us to let our guard down particularly when a white person you dont know is in your personal space. I love that ultimately even Lestat could recognize that Louis' family was not having it and was not the least bit amused by him.

It's amusing and concerning to me how many people don't know/understand that the "French White" thing is not a IWTV specific thing. I mean this EXACT joke was in a Wanda Sykes special a few years ago.

Lestat is a "I'd vote for Obama a third time" kind of white and this very appropriate for his character.

I've seen complaints about the show talking about Louis' blackness too much and I'm just ?????? I mean, he's telling the story of his life and what it was like to live at that time, so yeah he's gonna talk about the hardships of being black at that particular time. It's the only the first episode and their setting the stage. and lestat is a tactless bitch so of course he's bring up Louis' race in the most grating way possible lol. It's a dog whistle y'all. don't fall for it.

I'll be honest - I never understood what was so special about Book!Louis that Lestat was so obsessed with him. But here I totally get it! Show! Louis is a gay black man out of place, in the margins, struggling to make a life for himself. He has these hidden depths that he cant share with anyone, like his gay identity and his love of the opera. An Jacob Anderson is so captivating. It makes sense to me that Lestat would want him as a companion.

Along these lines - the main reason why Book!Lestat is so attracted to Louis is because he reminds him of his ex. So does this mean show!Nicki is going to be Black? That could be interesting, but also fetishistic and weird on Lestat's part if it's not handled well.

On the note of tact - I dont expect to show to be some thoughtful and deep mediation on race. They're trying....but you know....white people....At the end of the day this a trashy show about vampires and I'm fine about that.

The levitating "sex" scene was vey silly and not as a erotic as I thought it was gonna be (though it was very fun). It was just a gay naked cuddle in the air. To call it a sex scene is hella reaching. But I appreciate the show getting weird.

that being said I want a proper sex scene because it would be an incredible waste of the chemistry between these very hot actors not to have them bone.

Daniel's personality feels on point to me. This feels like the same sassy guy that called Armand an immortal idiot. IDK

Louis' modern apartment feels accurate to his personality. He's one of the view vamps that doesn't care that much about aesthetics and I think the show did a good job of designing a home for him that combines luxury with austerity (I know that doesnt make sense but I cant think of the word right now). Its a cold gray cinder block with gray and wood furnishing. there are pops of red and gold here or there but ultimately it feels like a largely empty space only filled with the most necessary furnishings and space decor.

Grace is wonderful and adorable

rip to Lily. a real one.

I dont think Lestat pushed Paul to suicide. I think Lestat is just classless lol

The show does not do a good job of setting the stage for New Orleans culture for an audience that might be unfamiliar. IDT that Louis' thinking that Lestat's powers are just tricks is that weird when you consider that New Orleans has long been a hot bed of voodoo, witchcraft, and supernatural happenings. New orleans is a place where someone like Marie Laveau could make a name for herself in society as a Voodoo practitioner. It wasn't uncommon for folks of all classes to turn to magic for help with illness, love, and other life matters.

A big mainstream show that dresses and lights black people well - what a concept!

I have more thoughts but my hands are tired 🙃

[heartfeltstory]

Who am I?

My name: Mayacita or Maya Writes (pen name)

How I describe myself: I am a millennial and and ex-programmer turn into a religious sister with the heart of a philosopher who ponders about Life, Truth, God, and Heaven. A missionary and a contemplative by heart.

Goal(s) in life: To die straight to heaven, without purgatory, seeing Jesus, my beloved spouse, face to face, to hug, hold, and have Him for eternity, to be able to be close to Him as possible. To become a Saint God wants me to be. To give souls to God as much as possible

What I wanted to do or became before I went on to become a religious: just having a normal life with a normal job and be happy about what I do or what I have. I used to think that I will live in The US forever. I just want to be successful and happy in life. Satisfied with my work and enjoying life and in what I do. I used to think that I would live in Northern California, a place where I dream of. If I ever become an entrepreneur I would open a: Massage Place, A Chicken Rice Store or Restaurant or Catering, a skincare or cosmetic brand.

If I ever re-live again my college years and just become a lay person, I would have chosen a major that let me work in The Beauty Industry. Be it Pharmacy or Chemistry or Chemical Engineering.

If I knew that I would become a religious in the future I would have chosen a Theology, Spirituality or Psychology major.

College Major: Computer Science & Engineering, B.Sc

High School Major: Science Studies

Places I have lived: Riau-ID, Jakarta-ID, Texas-USA, Ohio-USA, San Diego-USA, Madiun-East Java, Wudu-Flores, Palangka Raya-Central Borneo

My MBTI: INFP (Introvert, Intuitive, Feeling, Perceiving) / The Mediator, A peacemaker

My Temperament: A True Melancholic.

My character: A thinker, very analytical, quiet at times, serious, perfectionist, artistic, flexible, fun & silly at times when feeling comfortable, humorous, religious, work well alone, like finding truths, principles, and concepts, bad at managing people, simple & practical

Talent: Many! (As people say). I am good at acting, language learning, good at logic & analyzing but bad at many other stuffs

Language(s): English, Indonesian, Javanese (a little), Spanish (a little)

Hobbies: Studying, Reading, Reflecting, Praying, Meditating, Contemplating, Writing, Making Stories, Singing, Playing Organ, Drawing, Dancing for fun, Trying new Chicken Recipe

Favorite Saint(s): St. Therese of Lisieux and Mother Mary

The Book That Changed My Life: The Story of A Soul by St. Therese of Lisieux

The Prayer That Changed My Life: 33 Days Consecration to Jesus through Mary by St. Louis de Montfort

Favorite Webtoon of All Time: I Love Yoo by Quimchee

Favorite Comic Character: Yeong-Gi from I Love Yoo by Quimchee

The Comic Character That Resembles Me The Most: Shin-Ae from I Love Yoo by Quimchee

Favorite Webtoon Artist: Quimchee

Favorite Manga(s): Death Note, Eyeshield 21

Favorite Mangaka Art Style: Takeshi Obata of Death Note and Watase Yuu of Alice 19th

Favorite Countries: Israel, Italy and The US

Countries That I want to visit: Italy and other European Countries

Favorite Place To Stay: San Diego, California, USA

Favorite Singer: Taylor Swift

Favorite Korean Singer: G-Dragon

Favorite Group Band: Maroon 5

Favorite Korean Group Band: Big Bang

Favorite Album of All Time: 1989 by Taylor Swift, currently I am starstruck with Folklore & Midnights by Taylor Swift

Favorite Songwriters: Taylor Swift, Max Martin & G-Dragon

Favorite Music: All kinds of music that sounds good in my ear, mostly I listen to pop music and instrumental

Favorite Movie of All Time: The Lord of The Rings Trilogy

Favorite Actor: Leonardo DiCaprio

Most beautiful actor: Leonardo DiCaprio in His 20s

Celebrity That Resembles My Character The Most: Raditya Dika

Favorite Game Console: Harvest Moon and Suikoden II

Favorite Food: All foods but chicken wings are the best. For Sweets: Macarons are the best and Brownies (don't forget dem brownies, they're so good)

Favorite Chicken Wings Flavor: Original & Spicy Chicken Wings from Pizza Hut, Original & Garlic Parmesan Chicken Wings from Buffalo Wild Wings

Favorite Drinks & Sweets: All Green Tea Flavors be it Green Tea Cake, Green Tea Kit Kat, Green Tea Bars, Green Tea Coffee, Green Tea Latte, Original Green Tea, Green Tea Bread, Green Tea Poki, Green Tea Bubble Tea & Taro Bubble Tea & Thai Tea, Pistachio & Green Tea Macaron, Hot Chocolate Drinks

Favorite Taste: Sweet & Spicy, Spicy, Taro, Pistachio, Garlic Parmesan, Green Tea

Sweet or Salty: Salty

Least favorite food: chocolate bars because they stick in the teeth, but I love hot chocolate drinks, I just don't like chewing it.

Favorite Color: All shades of Red, I love the combination of Crimson Red and Shining Majestic Gold because it looks very 'Majestic', Turquoise or Mint Green because it looks very calming (my shower towel is in that color whenever I see it, it always gives me a calm feeling), and I love sunflower yellow because it gives me a happy vibe.

Favorite TV Show: How I Met Your Mother

Favorite TV Show Character: Barney from How I Met Your Mother

Favorite Pet Animal: The Red Lory Bird (Burung Nuri)

My Latest IQ Score : 110 (High Average)

My 13 abilities in order based on my own reflections:

Spiritual

Teaching

Logical

Intrapersonal

Linguistic

Interpersonal

Digital

and my not so talented abilties almost have a 0 or minus talent in these areas (in oder that I know of):

Leadership / Managerial, I prefer to work alone

Musical, although I can play The Organ

Movement /Kinesthetic, not good at any sport

Visual, I cannot imagine any image or do visualization

Mechanical, never done anything that have to do with mechanics

Natural, no attraction toward natural things, although I love all kind of flowers

Talents that I wish I had but I don't have: artistic skills like musical skill to be able to play and write music or drawing skill to be able to draw and color beautifully. Currently I have only limited skill in those areas. I wanted to be really good at one specific of art and really enjoy doing it.

[a-dowryofblood]

I think I've developed a good theory about who pushed Liam against the wall. Listen listen, I think I even know when it potential happened.

[licncourt]

Do you like David? I always thought he was boring but it was funny when AR would try to subtly push him and Lestat as an ‘otp’ onto the fans and get annoyed over the majority being like ‘no thanks’ lol

*Drake and Josh Megan meme* DAVID

I hate David and everything he represents. David Talbot is everything wrong with post-trilogy VC perfectly encapsulated in one Fuckin Guy. I'm so angry I need bullet points

QotD David: a perfectly sufficient character

Totally fine, mildly enjoyable even. I thought maybe he was going to be a good mentor/father figure and mediating influence for Lestat. He seemed capable and stable if a little dry, but nbd.

Body Thief David: REEE HISS. Very bad in many ways

First of all, given the history we learn later about David (pin in that) the fact that he only expresses sexual interest in Lestat once he's been swapped into a young, brown body reads as VERY gross. Ew.

Honestly, the fact that he gets involved with Lestat at all is gross and shitty. Lestat is much older in years, but he's operating with the brain of a traumatized, mentally ill twenty year old who clearly sees David as a trusted authority figure (whether he admits it or not). Lestat strikes me as the type who feels he needs to "earn" love with sexual or romantic behavior or that it's all he's good for, so honestly I just feel sad for him here as this idea gets reinforced by David

Secondly, I can't even begin to explain how wildly offensive his body swap is. AR had an old white British dude literally steal (COLONIZE) an Indian man's body. If I didn't know better, I'd say it was an allegorical critique of Britain's imperialist exploitation of Southeast Asia, but it's framed as a good thing. A sexy upgrade for David, who has no problem with this.

Merrick: Peak Form David (derogatory)

Surprise! David Talbot is a pedophile and admits this without hesitation. Not only has he clearly groomed Merrick from a very young age, but I believe it's in this book that we find out about his involvement with underage boys in South America. With Merrick as a biracial WOC plus the Latino boys, David only becoming interested in Lestat once he's in a brown body feels extra fetishistic

We also find out that he was almost expelled from the Talamasca for his involvement with a young member (not explicitly underage, but MUCH younger and far below him in authority/rank). More predatory bullshit

All of that aside, he's also just a fuckin jerk. Unlike the rest of the characters like Lestat, Louis, or Armand, he doesn't seem to think he's done/is doing anything wrong. Like, ever. He trots around like he's a galaxy brain genius and a moral authority when he's...very much not.

It doesn't help that he's AR's mouthpiece for shitty mental health opinions and his narration of Merrick (the book) is full of jabs at Louis for his mental illness and painting him as some pathetic loser for being suicidal. I'll find it if anyone wants, but there's literally a bit where he talks about how he wishes Louis would just kill himself already.

Even so though, when David can't have Merrick he directs that desire at Louis and pounces on him as soon as they're alone. (Fortunately, this leads to an extremely funny scene where Louis friendzones the absolute fuck out of him and is clearly done with his shit. 10/10)

I truly do not understand why AR was so enamored with this guy. He has the personality of wet sawdust and not nearly enough complexity to even make his flaws interesting. Merrick should have been a Louis book, narrated by him and exploring his mental health issues, but AR is incapable of not shoehorning David into absolutely everything. Even Loustat separately and together.

Clearly she wanted to him to be a replacement for Louis once she decided she hates him for no reason, but smart + introspective + character flaws =/= Louis. She tried to make it a formula and failed to capture any of what draws readers to Louis or makes us want to see him with Lestat. The dynamic she wrote for them in Interview was masterful and emotional and compelling.

Louis is the quiet horror of grief and mental illness personified and David is just Some Guy but shitty. He can barely stand on his own as a character, let alone carry the role of primary love interest, especially when he's trying to fill Louis' shoes. It was never, ever going to work and it's absurd she tried for so long. Literal decades.

David, like I said, represents everything wrong with what VC became. The racism, the abuse of power/privilege, the pedophilia, a lack of empathy for mental illness, and even just the smug, tone deaf certainty that AR self-sabatoged with. He's almost meta in how he well he encapsulates what's wrong with AR as a person and an author. She thought Lestat was her self-insert, but it's really David.

-

@sweetazathioprine has some great thoughts about David (and Marius) and what they represent as far as power and privilege in VC, but I couldn't find the post about it. (Sencha, hopefully you wouldn't mind adding that on or linking the post? I don't want to put words in your mouth but I don't remember exactly what you said!)