#important to me to see tvl at long last

[talesfromthecrypts]

Sam Reid as Lestat de Lioncourt in "No Pain"

[prouvaireafterdark]

Hi! As someone just coming into reading the books but who's been with the show since day 1, I'm curious about why people take Lestat's narrative in TVL with 100% sincerity when the premise of the show seems to be interrogating the dissonance that everybody's versions create. Obviously there's some big things that are definitely going to be true, but I'd personally be disappointed if we got a straight adaptation of unfiltered Lestat perspective on events, haha!

I think you're conflating sincerity with some idea of omniscient, objective accuracy, which, as you note, is a useless thing to search for in a show where memory is continually shown to be an unreliable monster.

Lestat's version of events in TVL is sincere, though. He's speaking from the heart and he's trying to give the story of his life, mostly by sharing his truth about what his life before meeting Louis was like, and in part by filling in the gaps Louis leaves us with about what happened at Rue Royale. His recollection may turn out to be as faulty and biased as Louis' or Armand's has been shown to be in the show, but that doesn't make it any less sincere.

And I'm not implying that Louis is lying or anything. I'm talking about him not mentioning or glossing over the happy memories that meant a lot to Lestat and made up, for him, a big part of what it was to share a home with Louis and Claudia for so long. Giving Lestat the space to talk about his love for Louis and Claudia doesn't erase the abuse he inflicted on them in those moments of instability and rage. I don't get why people are so resistant to seeing that. It's not like it makes everything better. If anything, it makes it worse that he loved them so much.

What's important to note, too, is that at no point does Lestat in his retelling excuse himself for anything he did to Louis and Claudia and I doubt very much we would see him do that in future seasons of the show. Lestat even says it himself that he deserved what Claudia did to him. The way things worked out between the three of them is his greatest, deepest regret and it will haunt him for the rest of his immortal life.

Also, not for nothing, what we've gotten this season and last season are the unfiltered perspectives of Louis, Claudia, and Armand. That's not to say they're lying or intentionally obfuscating (okay, well, Armand totally is), but that is what we got---a narrative that was really challenged only by Daniel and not by anyone who was actually there who remembers it differently. I don't see why we shouldn't also get Lestat's unfiltered version, especially considered he is the main protagonist of the Vampire Chronicles series going forward.

For me and many others, it's not about excusing anything. It's all about contextualizing his decisions. Like, Lestat didn't just wake up one day and decide it would be fun to destroy his family. I want him to tell me in his own words (which, as a reminder, he has yet to do at any point in this series so far) what drove him to do the horrible things he did and how he really feels about it. When we do hopefully get that, I expect the fandom to interrogate his accounts as vigorously as they did Louis' and Armand's and Claudia's.

And to answer your question regarding the books specifically, we have Anne herself to blame for that. She wrote IWTV when she was battling some of the most intense grief and despair a person can feel. She had just lost her child. Writing the book was an outlet for that and you can feel it as you read Louis' perspective. When she decided to continue the series, though, she changed her mind about a lot of things---mainly who Lestat was as a character and how she had come to hate the "weakness" in Louis (which was really because she came to hate the "weakness" she saw in herself as she came out on the other side of her grief and identified with him less and Lestat more). There is a very real dissonance between who Lestat is in IWTV and who he is in TVL and beyond. The way she accounted for that in her own writing was that Louis was misconstruing certain events by leaving things out or straight up making things up like their reunion in NOLA at the end of IWTV, which Lestat claims never happened. The reason people take Lestat's words at face value sometimes isn't usually because they hate Louis or think he lied about Lestat's abuse. It's because Anne, as the writer of the story, wanted the reader to doubt Louis' version in favor of Lestat's because she had changed her mind about the direction of the story and the characters she created.

It's also worth noting that, in the actual text of the show, that version of events taken from the book, the content of the original interview, is described by Louis himself as an admitted performance. I think it's a perfectly legitimate reading to consider IWTV (the book) in the context of Louis trying to get Lestat's attention with something he knew would upset him, like Armand suggests was Louis' fantasy, because he wanted or needed to see him again.

This got long and rambley so I'll just leave you with the wise, wise words of Samothy Reid when asked to give one truth and one lie in the show: Everybody lies. Everybody lies.

I don't think that will change if we finally get Lestat's POV so imo people should just relax and enjoy the ride.

[nalyra-dreaming]

It's probably going to be answered soon by the show itself (at least partly), but the whole behind the scenes that happened with the coven won't let me sleep at night. What do you think was happening? What were the choices they presented Armand with? There should be such a huge line of events with Lestat, because I feel it's all very complicated. And what is worse they'll probably leave it for TVL.

Did the coven find Lestat? Did Armand held him hostage or they did? My mind is spinning as I write and...what if they didn't know Armand had Lestat until they went to the attorney and then Armand had exchanged him for something? Make it make sense, please, I believe you might have solid theories :)

Okay.

So in the last moments we see the coven giving the "10 minutes" call to Lestat. Who is staring into the mirror, literally emulating "smoke and mirrors".

Which means, if we can trust what we saw, that the coven knew of Lestat. And that Lestat is part of the scripted performance. Then.

Now, he is not bound or anything, but he wouldn't need to be. What they have against him is not a threat to his own life after all, but the threat of hurting Claudia and Louis.

Of course they will make it seem as if Lestat is after revenge. But... given that Armand obviously knew about the plotting (here is a nice post on that)... and that we know that episode 5 supposedly is very important for what is to come... it is highly debatable. (Totally apart from later book canon.)

I do not think the coven found Lestat. I think they went to Roget's to confirm their suspicions. But there is a time gap, right there. Because Louis sent Claudia and Madeleine out of town after the turning... and by the time they return (and the coven naps them) - they have prepared the trial with Lestat.

So. Louis inviting Armand to the turning, Armand ... not coming. Well. Not in time. Which, given his powers, was very much intentional.

And, looking back... that must have been the final straw, Louis turning Madeleine. A direct blow against rule #1. Against Armand himself. That is when Armand must have revealed Lestat to the coven, that is when they must have set up the trial. Because he comes by Louis' apartment after, with the cuttings of the Magnolia tree prepared. Saying that the coven gave him a choice. And that he... chose. (Of course we are led to believe he chose Louis... when it later becomes clear he did... not.)

Armand is a stickler for the rules. Not even really by choice, but that's what a few hundreds of years of indoctrination do, I cannot even really blame him. A direct and announced breaking of rule #1 is something that would raise his hackles, to put it mildly.

I think he pretended that final few weeks? months? then that he had broken with the coven. Given that it is book canon that he influenced Louis to turn Claudia... I could see it that he influenced Louis to make Claudia and Madeleine return by longing for her. I am not sure if that is the case, but it would fit with book canon, imho.

The choices he was presented with was likely full mutiny... or becoming the coven master again - IF the coven actually made him choose. Because I can easily see this being Armand's own choice as well. Him making up his mind... for better or for worse.

And so he revealed Lestat then to the coven, imho.

As we have already seen in that one teaser that Lestat seems to be in some kind of cell at some point I do think he is in some kind of dungeon. IF it is Magnus' tower? Then there is no way in hell that he would stay there without force, or without subjugation. The same goes for other dungeons, like, we are talking about Lestat here. I know that the show only audience does not know him so well yet, but... for Lestat to stay locked up for months and then show up at a trial to take part in it??? He was locked up. Meaning he did go to Armand... and Armand locked him up. Because Lestat would have gone and confronted Louis and Claudia otherwise, if he had known where they are. But he can only feel them. And other than the weak Claudia and Louis... Armand would have known Lestat was there immediately. And Lestat knew that, too. And so he went to Armand.

And the tragedy unfolds.

I think the trial will go as in IWTV. Mock trial, Lestat will accuse. Louis will sense things are off. There will be things off the script, the line "you cannot script a hurricane" will come into play for the "scripted last play".

I hope my thoughts make sense? :)

[showmey0urfangs]

A reframing of 𝕃𝕠𝕦𝕞𝕒𝕟𝕕

I know, I know — Loustat is endgame, Lestat is Louis's OTP etc. BUT hear me out; I hate that Loumand shippers often get laughed at and ridiculed for even considering it when imo it is a great ship and Louis wasn't lying when he said Armand is the love of his life. Here's why;

If we take the book canon out of the equation for a second and solely look at the timeline of the show, Loustat started dating in the fall of 1910, got married in May 1911 and Lestat died in February of 1940. Their entire relationship lasted about 30 years on and off.

If we contrast this with 𝕃𝕠𝕦𝕞𝕒𝕟𝕕, we can assume Louis meets Armand in 1945, and they are still together in present-day 2022. That's 77 years and counting.

Now, I know the duration of a relationship should not be the only consideration here, but also the quality of said relationship. So again if we contrast the two — Loustat was 30 years of misery, cheating, and emotional and physical abuse that was intercut with brief periods of happiness and ended with Louis slitting Lestat's throat to save himself and his daughter from the tyranny that they were living under.

Loumand on the other hand seems to be a more peaceful, albeit boring, relationship. Armand takes care of Louis and is very protective of him.

Yes, there is a possessive edge to it, but from what we have seen so far, it is nowhere near as unhinged as it was with Lestat. It also seems to be consensual, like Louis willingly cedes over control to Armand and defers to him to make decisions.

They have better communication, are more respectful to each other, and even consult each other before sleeping with other people as evidenced by the 70s flashback with Daniel Molloy. That's a complete departure from Lestat's decades-long cheating and lying.

Loumand may arguably lack the heated passion that Loustat had, but Armand seems to be a genuinely loving and devoted partner (again, I am solely going off of what we see on the show and not taking into account later book canon).

It's also important to note that in 2022, Louis is probably operating under the belief that Lestat is either dead or gone forever depending on whose narrative you believe, TVL or IWTV. They are not just on a 6-year break like they were after the fight — as far as Louis knows, they are done, over, finito!

From present-day Louis's perspective, Lestat is the toxic ex he had more than 70 years ago, and who he still has mixed feelings about. Armand is his current partner, he is the person who loved him enough to stay through thick and thin, and who “cares for Louis more than he cares for himself ”

So yes, Armand is the love of his life! until Lestat shows up again.

[thelioncourts]

Do you think the series will really have 8 seasons? I heard some horrible stories about TVC' latter books and I'm just wondering how long they can go before going too far,you know like ''they should had stopped earlier ''.

I think they should focus on more episodes by season than too many seasons.

And I don't really want to wait 5-6 more seasons before Louis and Lestat get back together.

I think 7/8 seasons it probable for this series, and it does seem daunting but I think there's enough good in the books + there's what is original for the show itself so I think that will get them far. clarifying that I don't actually know anything and am merely guessing, but:

S1 - IwtV

S2 - IwtV

S3 - TVL

S4 - QotD

S5 - Some mix of TotBT/Memnoch/an array of things that show unrest in the vampire world

S6 - PL

S7/S8 - PL/PLatRoA/BC

this is a simplification of it because, obviously, the show is much more of an ensemble cast than the books and so we're going to be exploring Daniel, Armand, Louis, perhaps Gabrielle depending on how much they want to include her, etc. and this isn't me getting into vague 'what I think those seasons might look like' but these are the books/broadest storylines I think they might explore.

IwtV had to be two season for a lot of reasons: 1) 7 episodes for the one book would have been a travesty 2) fleshing out of Louis as a character to include him more 3) the establishment of the Family (Lestat, Louis, Claudia) and how that is the driving force of the entire series/the reconciliation of Loustat, etc. 4) the 2022 Dubai storyline being entirely uncharted territory/establishing Daniel as a prominent character 5) the way other characters get a lot more exploration than they do in the books (Armand, Daniel, Madeleine, Claudia even, Lestat, Louis, etc.) because that is how you get people invested. and probably more things, but these are the important ones.

I have no proof, I'm just guessing, but I think we may start getting 10 episodes a season (I think this because of ratings and because of the fanbase, again, no proof of this, I'm throwing out gut feelings here)

the later books definitely are a mess (so are the earlier ones in a lot of ways, there's good but just! a lot), in a lot of ways, but there are some good things and there's a really great writing team that can take it and make it amazing, I think. and, again, there's going to be originality taking place because Louis and Daniel and even Armand are fairly absent in a lot of the books as it becomes the Lestat-story.

so I do have faith that 7/8 seasons will be just fine for this show, but I would start to get nervous if it went beyond that (and, again, it could be totally fine, but I also think they're focused on quality and would stop when they have told their story as they wanted to - and because, I think, they have a lot more they could do with the vampires in the new talamasca series or even in other spinoffs (night island, my beloved, etc.).

AS FOR LOUSTAT, listen. it's not going to take 8 seasons for them to get back together. I know Rolin joked about it but that man is sarcastic as hell and jokes a lot, I wish it would have been a video interview so we could have heard it.

my genuine Loustat theory - from the bottom of my heart I feel this - is that we will see them get back together in s3. I think it will be in the last 2/3 episodes of the season, and their feelings that have been brewing and spilling over all season will come to a head and they'll get back together and we'll get 2/3 episodes of happiness, where it's like 'wow, this is what they needed, this is what it was always supposed to be' only for Akasha to snatch Lestat from Louis at as the final scene of s3. and they'll be apart for most of s4 as the vampires band together to stop Akasha and get Lestat back.

then, by s5, they'll be together fully and we'll be able to explore a lot of other things while still seeing Loustat be a couple that has things to work on without their issues being the only major conflict as that would get boring given that their issues are driving factors of the conflict in s1-s2, and, no doubt, s3.

anyway, idk if this makes sense, and - once again - I am just putting thoughts out there.

[faerywhimsy]

Hello, I would like to linger on the topic of Armand and love in (primarily) the setting of TVL.

"What do we have now! Answer me! Nothing but the love of each other and what can that mean to creatures like us!"

Working backwards for a hot minute, this is the last appearance we have from Armand in The Vampire Lestat. It comes immediately before Armand tosses Lestat out of the very tower Lestat so graciously gifted to him.

Symbolism? Oh my heart, I lived for this sort of stuff during my English degree.

Anyone who's read a single page of TVC knows that love is pretty much prized above all things in the world of these vampires. It's... pretty much the only thing all of them by some unspoken agreement seem to hold dear. Even Rhoshamandes (one of many scions of Akasha) from the Prince Lestat at least appears to gain something from the affection between him and his fledgling Benedict. But I'm definitely getting ahead of myself.

Sorry guys, strap in if you wanna. This is gonna be another long meta post.

To go from the end right back to the beginning, something about Lestat does seem to bring Armand back to 'life'. And, in response, just the sight of him makes Lestat gasp. Armand is "perfect", "dazzling", "incarnate beauty". His voice is "teasing", his eyes are "fathomless". I've read bodice rippers with prose less purple than this.

Okay, fine, it turns out a lot of this is all a mind fuck from Armand to Lestat but I've already written a longer interpretation of that over here (and thank god because it just wouldn't have fit here). Just because we're seeing Armand's use of the mind gift does not necessarily invalidate some feelings behind it. Armand is one tightly wound, fucked up ball of crazy at this point in the eighteen century, and everything of him this early kinda has to be read through that lens.

All night you've been searching for me, he said, and here I am, waiting for you. I have been waiting for you all along. Dear God, this is love. This is desire. And all my past amours have been but the shadow of this.

Ultimately, Lestat's rejection of Armand after this is pretty brutal. He (correctly) manages to ascertain how much of a threat Armand poses to him, despite their both being of the blood. Later he even marvels at how he was able to overcome Armand in the brutal beating that followed. (My personal head canon is simple: Armand let him).

Yet still, Armand asks to be loved by Lestat and, thereafter, begs Lestat to be allowed to travel with he and Gabrielle. So when you read the disavow of love Armand makes—after Lestat has left him and returned to him, only to promise to leave him once more—it feels pretty clear Lestat went and fucked Armand all up and down. (I also wanna mention that meta post I think about often and is basically my head canon, on Armand's PoV in The Vampire Armand that shows him again rebounding hard in the wake of being rejected yet again. Let's face it, this is realistically an immutable part of Armand's character.)

How much of an impact did Lestat's rejection of Armand have? Allow me to put it this way: It takes him almost two hundred years for Armand to find his heart again after Lestat, but no more than forty years after Daniel before he finds some solace and makes house with Louis in Trinity Gate (kinda important to me to make this point given the consensus in fanon is Daniel is Armand's great love story).

Finally, there's a part of me that can't help but wonder how things might have gone differently, had Lestat not brashly come back with impossible demands of Armand. Would Armand have been capable of forgiving Lestat if he hadn't come talking about how little he actually needed Armand after he used Armand for a draught of his healing blood?

When Lestat first sees him again, he uses such words as "brilliant light burning in him", "thinly veiled excitement", "caressingly", "soft and compassionately" to describe Armand's attention. This is moments before Lestat goes off at the mouth.

And... just... damn, man. Maybe it would have been best to face Marius and his measly "condemnation" is all I'm saying. At least Marius wasn't in love and the worst he (probably??) would have done was turn his back on Lestat. No wonder, honestly. These are all immortal blood drinkers we're talking about, not a high end wine tasting.

[diopetgal]

City High: Life is Here

“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” -Mahatma Gandhi

Kidapawan City National High School, also known as City High is located in the City of Fruits and Highland Springs, Kidapawan City.  Founded in 1970, KCNHS is celebrating its 50 years in delivering quality education for all. The School offers Science, Technology and Engineering Curriculum (STE), Enhanced Basic Education Program (EBEP), Special Program in Arts (SPA), Special Program in Sports (SPS), and Special Program in Journalism (SPJ), a variety of programs you can choose when you enter Junior High School. In Senior High School, you can choose from Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Strand (STEM), Accountancy, Business and Management Strand (ABM), Humanities and Social Sciences Strand (HUMSS), and Technical-Vocational-Livelihood Track (TVL).

I can say that my roller coaster life in High School started when a representative from Kidapawan City National High School visited my school when I was about to graduate Elementary School, batch 2014. I do not remember her name anymore but she came there to tell as why we should choose City High as our next home. She talked about the school and what I remember the most is that the entrance examination for Grade 7 is fast approaching and she encouraged us to take participation in the said entrance examination.

The first thing you will see upon entering City High before

The day of the examination came and I asked my mom if she could accompany me to the city but she is very busy that time so my brother, who is in college that time, came with me. The moment I enter the school campus of Kidapawan City National High School I was in awe, experiencing City High first hand. I was captivated of its beauty. Unfortunately, the entrance examination is already done but I did not stop there, because I was not able to take the entrance examination I have to rely on my grades to study in City High. 

During enrollment, I was really undecided which program to choose. At first, I wanted Special Program in Arts because I love arts and I have been joining on the spot painting or poster making contest while I was in Elementary School. At the back of my mind, I wanted to choose Special Program in Sports because I am a keen Badminton player and I grew up in a family who play and love sport. I can’t enter Science, Technology and Engineering Curriculum simply because I was not able to take the entrance examination which is intended for that program. Finally, I decided to choose Enhanced Basic Education Program because my grades are good and I really wanted to focus on my studies in preparation for Senior High School.

Our very first class picture, the first people to welcome me

I came from a nearby Municipality so everything was new to me and I can’t handle the stressors around me just like how my classmates handle them smoothly because they were used to it. It is like I needed to start all over again. It is very different from how I was taught. Everyday there is a role playing, creative reporting, on the spot oral recitation, a lot of assignments, and other activities. Whenever I make mistakes, they laugh at me but I know that it is a friendly laugh only to motivate me to do better the next time. I still remember that I nearly gave up, while I was crying I told my mom that I can’t  take it anymore but she told me, “You will get used to it and probably even more.”

My role as Chi-Fu in the Musical Play - Mulan

Before, I don’t really like acting because I am shy, I don’t know how to act, and it is not my forte. I did get used to it through the years and be confident enough to show other people the character I am portraying to the fullest of my ability.

I also got the role of Kapitan Heneral in a play in the novel Noli Me Tangere written by Jose Rizal. And I directed a play entitled Biag ni Lam-ang, an epic poem of the Ilocano people from the Ilocos Region of the Philippines. Both of these plays happened when I was in Junior High School. The role I got in Mulan took place when I was in Senior High School.

Buwan ng Wika Celebration with our coach in Diwang Sagisag

This would probably be my most memorable celebration of Buwan ng Wika because I went to school wearing Barong Tagalog hoping to enjoy the day. I forgot that I have to have my review together with my coach ma’am Christel May Paguican and teammates for the upcoming 5th Regional Diwang Sagisag Competition to be held in General Santos City. So I ended up reviewing wearing Barong Tagalog while it’s very loud and vibrant outside.

Ma’am Christel Paguican is not only a teacher, she is a friend, and she is a sister to me. She was my very first classroom adviser in Kidapawan City National High School. I still remember when she scolded me during our oral recitation in her subject. She reads the question first before picking a name to answer it. And me being so talkative, I did not listen to the question because I was talking to my seatmate when suddenly my name was called. I asked ask her what was the question but she said she only reads it once so I had no choice but to tell her I did not know the answer. She then told me that she expected a lot from me and I am very sorry for that. I did not took it against her, instead I made it a lesson that I had to learn and inspiration to do my best. She is one of my mentors that I dearly love and respect.

Dinner after a long day of review

At first I was hesitant to accept the invitation to join the competition because I have a lot of responsibilities as a student in school but ma’am Christel May Paguican is very good at convincing people and I also like history, tradition and culture so I accepted it.

The moment we stepped out of the room after a review, I do not see myself in a competition. I see myself with a family having a good time together sharing a meal.

Division Eco-Scilympics 2017 - Create, Show and Tell

This competition started as a classroom project. Then we competed with other sections in our program. Next to that we competed representing our program. After that is the school level competition. Until we reached the Division level competition.

We started with 4 members. We went through a lot of challenges before coming into this competition. It was decided that the group will be cut into two so the work was doubled. In two hours we needed to create a diorama based on the topic given to us. After that we showed and presented it to the judges and answer all their questions.  

Speech Choir - The Congo

The competition was between different programs or curriculum. The three sections in Enhance Basic Education Program was known to be rivals of each other. I was the leader assigned coming from our section. It was at this time that we started socializing with each other and became friends. From then on we have established good relationship with the other sections.

Folk Dance - Class Presentation

If you try to look closely, you can’t see me in the picture. I was not around during this presentation for a very important reason. In order for me to have my grades, I was tasked by our subject teacher to compile all the videos and create a music video about it. This only shows that my High School life is not perfect and this is just one of those times.

Power Dance Competition -  My classmates for 2 years in Senior High School

This was my last competition as a student of Kidapawan City National in Senior High School under Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. It was hard considering that the school was affected by the destructive earthquake that hit Mindanao. We had limited time to practice and we needed to secure a good place to practice which can be accessed by everyone. Amidst the hardship we still managed to give our best during the competition proper and was hailed as the champion.

Kidapawan City Sports Complex - Badminton Court

All throughout my Junior High School years, I have spent my intramurals in this court and I considered it as my playground. Although I was not enrolled in Special Program in Sports I made a way so that I could still play Badminton. Even though I am not very good at it, it is an honor playing with the Palarong Pambansa players coming from the different programs of the school.

Team Makilala- Old Terminal, Kidapawan to Makilala

My friends for almost 9 years. We are all classmates way back Elementary School. We went to Kidapawan City National High Scholl but chose our own programs. For 4 years, they are the people who accompany me every day going home. When we graduated Junior High School, they transferred to other schools and I was left in City High. I miss those moments when we argue about who gets out of their room last because everyone is waiting outside and is eager to go home especially when we have night classes. Sometimes I feel lonely because I was used to riding the jeep with them by my side but since we started to take different paths those seats are occupied by strangers. That is the reason why I sleep in the jeep to my way home aside from I am so tired.

The Panget Squad - smiling despite adversity

I became friends with these people throughout my Junior High School days. They are one of the people who know and understand me. We share a lot of commonalities in education, arts, music, and personality. We took different strands in Senior High School but we make time for each other as much as possible. The group is not complete in the absence of one member.

WHTP Squad - after Hataw Presentation

When I enter Senior High School, I opened myself for the possibility to meet new friends. That’s where I got to meet them. Some are coming from other programs in Junior High School and others are transferees. We did not instantly had connection with each other but time made it possible.

My classmates for 4 years in Junior High School

I consider all my friends my family. We don’t just celebrate happy moments. We are also there to accompany each other at our lows. When I am with them, my problems become small. They will always have a special place in my life.

Moving-Up Ceremony

I spent 6 years of my life in Kidapawan City National High School. It gave me a sense of protection and an assurance of preparation from the outside world and what lies ahead. I am very happy I chose City High as my second home. It was the best decision I made and I did not regret anything about it. I was able to discover the best of my abilities and be able to share it to other people. Truly, Kidapawan City National High School is home to committed and passionate stakeholders which molds a well-educated and well-rounded individuals.

When I was about to give up, my mom was there to cheer me up. She was right when she told me I will get used to the things that is giving me stress in my first year of being part of the City High family and I had fun dealing with it. I was able to balance all my subjects together with my extra-curricular activities. I graduated Junior and Senior High School with High Honors. These achievements are not mine alone, thanks to my friends who made the journey worthwhile, my classmates for sharing their ideas with me, my teachers who taught me life lessons, my family who supported me big time, and most especially to the Father Almighty for giving me strength to endure everything.

Now, I am off to the next chapter of my life. I’m not going to ask for an easy journey but a strong will to finish what I have started.

[breanne-says-boo]

Anne Rice Facebook livestream breakdown

Today, Anne Rice had two livestreams on Facebook, the first as a general Q&A and the second specifically related to the Vampire Chronicles television show. Part way through the second livestream, the video glitched and I missed a minute or two, but overall this is what I had.

I’ve divided the information into 3 sections and highlighted the most important or interesting things she mentioned in my opinion):

Anne Herself

Anne wants to assure fans she is the ONLY one who answers and sees emails sent by fans. She tries hard to view all of them

She also reassures that shes been trying to read as many comments given on Facebook as possible and to consider them

In her writing process, she can’t do all-nighters anymore; her books about Christ were the last time she really did this

She loves how people in New Orleans love life and celebrate it. She misses New Orleans terribly. She notes, “Lifestyles [down there] are inherited and have a beauty”

She reads more non-fiction than fiction and constantly takes notes from them, especially about archeology (which she loves: “It’s like eating ice cream for me! I love it so much”)

She says she no longer identifies as a Christian, but still has a love for Jesus and what he has done for her, such as helping her solve problems and beyond that

She has some new announcement coming soon not concerning the vampires

She feels this is the age of the nerd where readers’ opinions are most important. Says she has always taken us the readers seriously and wants us to feel appreciated. She appreciates our power and what we have done for the series.

The Books and The Characters

*spoiler* There is NO certainty Mona and Quinn are dead. This is just what Lestat believes.

She went through the pronunciations of characters’ names

Marius is pronounced like Marius in Les Miserables

Mekare is May-care-ee, but thinks other pronunciations are beautiful too

(And I think as a fandom we’ve come to agreements on everyone else’s names. She went by the names fast!)

Anne says she sums up the story of the chronicles as “how badly Lestat wants to be the hero of his own life”

She appreciates fans pointing out mistakes in her writing since she wants to be as accurate as possible, especially when it comes to history/time periods

When asked about the taste of blood/how it functions, Anne says blood is like every kind of drug- it’s sex, alcohol, drugs, everything

She writes a TON of notes since she occasionally forgets when/how certain things are mentioned, such as how the Savage Garden was introduced in the novel (which she no knows as something that occurred during Our Conversation with Nicolas and Lestat)

The name “Talamasca” came from a book on old witchcraft she found

Lestat’s name was a “blunder” rather than a “eureka” moment. His name was NOT based on her husband Stan intentionally. She was trying to look up old french names.

The transformation process of human to vampire (after getting the Dark Gift) is a little slower than how the IWTV film portrayed, but close in Anne’s mind (she truly appreciated how the film went above to stay close to her own visions and her work)

During his time with Louis and Claudia, Lestat attempted to give answers that would “keep them alive” rather than actual answers, knowing that he couldn’t reveal what he knew due to what Marius had told him (essentially, not just answers that he thought would satisfy them but that he thought would carry them on by themselves...which worked in my opinion)

There were several questions about Gabrielle and Becket commented about how Gabrielle is a fan favorite before he introduced the questions:

Anne says Gabrielle is cold, but admits that she loves Lestat yet at the same time doesn’t need him.

She does not see Gabrielle as autistic (she laughed at this question which really irked me :/ )

She will not write about a memoir from Gabrielle’s point of view since she wants Lestat to stay the focus of “the tribe” and she’s done with writing those sort of side books.

Lestat’s main concern right now is “keeping the tribe together”

She wants to continue with exploring some of the newer characters, Fareed and Seth were mentioned as a part of this.

Anne has an “ambivalence” towards Louis and she loves him since he represents an old part of her, but this is also the same reason she has trouble going back and writing for him, because she feels she is now a different person

She appreciates that there is no “real” consensus on what is the best/worst of her books amongst the fans (though Memnoch was her first example for worse soooo 😏)

In some ways, how Amel speaks to Lestat is a metaphor for how Lestat speaks to Anne.

The Television Show

(Casting)

Armand will NOT be played by someone around 14, because of the long filming process and how it will age the actor. She acknowledges fans want someone young for Armand but feels it will be too difficult to use (um, hello Anne, CGI??)

She thinks Cate Blanchett would be a wonderful pick for Gabrielle.

Says the looks are most important for Lestat, Louis just has to be beautiful (lol)

She really cares about the appearances of the cast and their availability to do about 5-6 years of filming

(Chronology and Production)

She thinks she will not go through network tv, so the home to the show would be Amazon, Hulu or Netflix.

She feels the show won’t be as violent as Game of Thrones but wants that integrity and style, and that “authenticity” to the books that Game of Thrones has (So for the rating, I’m guessing she feels around M?)

Anne wants to be true to the books and what the fans want to see (in regards to characters and plot points)

She appreciated the commitment of the team for the IWTV film and wants to keep up to that standard. She does not want unreasonable changes and compromises

Chronologically, she wants to begin with TVL with Lestat as a young man.

Feels around the 2nd/3rd season is where IWTV would start

The books are long, so it will not be a one season / one book situation.

It will begin chronologically, so it won’t be Lestat reading IWTV and THEN starting with his story as a response, it will start in France as the events happen (I was hoping it would be the former...)

No Mayfair witches in the show

Characters who are introduced later, but existed chronologically earlier like Benedick and Magnus, will be put earlier in the show

The Talamasca will be heavily involved “eventually” in the series, possibly earlier on. Related to this, she wants to tell the history of her vampires and those entities.

She wants to definitely (so badly) cover the scene where Lestat is being turned “stage by stage…” meaning him being in the tower and having realizations about his strength after drinking the blood. Also, how he turns Gabrielle (possibly wants to have a young actress to play Gabrielle and have her human age appear through makeup so the transformation will be more dramatic)

Louis’ story WILL be told, but the show will be mostly from Lestat’s POV

Anne hopes the show will go into production before the end of this year. Around 2018 is when it would come out

Anne and Chris have had a lot of interested companies already looking into developing the project (but she doesn't want to reveal who is talking to them since it “wouldn't be fair”)

She isn’t sure if the show will break the 4th wall. She acknowledges that Lestat does it in the books, but she feels she would have to stick with it for the entirety of the show and that would be difficult (so it sounds like mostly a “no” but she’s considering it)

Christopher and her are currently outlining around 5 seasons (estimated) for the TV series. They are also writing drafts for the first 4 episodes

[claudiavantilburg]

Guitarists Troy Van Leeuwen and Dean Fertita Feel Most at Home in Their Modern Stone Age Family

There are few bands in rock music whose individual members have résumés as long and as impressive as those in Queens of the Stone Age.

Guitarist Troy Van Leeuwen has graced albums by A Perfect Circle, Puscifer, Eagles of Death Metal and Gone Is Gone, a new alt-metal supergroup featuring Mastodon’s Troy Sanders. Guitarist/keyboardist Dean Fertita has moonlighted with the Raconteurs, the Dead Weather and, most recently, Iggy Pop with QOTSA frontman Josh Homme.

While few bands would tolerate such infidelities, these Queens seem to thrive on it.

“I’ve been in this band for almost a decade and it just feels like home,” says Fertita. “It’s been a luxury to be in such a great group and still have the freedom to play with so many different people over the years. The idea is we’ll all grow as musicians and bring it back to the band.”

Van Leeuwen concurs. “It’s a very healthy creative environment. When we circle back to making a Queens record, we’re all recharged and psyched to play together again.”

Playing in a band with three guitarists no doubt demands an ability to work well with others, but it’s almost shocking to hear the enthusiasm the trio has for adding their piece of the puzzle.

Was there a guitar game plan going into this album? DEAN FERTITA Conceptually, we knew we wanted this record to be very upfront. That immediately suggested looking for smaller, layered sounds that wouldn’t take up a ton of space. It was fun. We had to get creative on how we were going to do that, and not just go to some default settings that we’ve used over the years.

There are a lot of guitar cooks in the kitchen in the Queens of the Stone Age. How do the arrangements get sorted out? FERTITA Like any other band, we basically get into a room and react to each other. Having three guitar players can be challenging. There’s no room for redundancy, and we won’t play something if it doesn’t it. We arranged these songs with the intention of tracking them as live as possible, and keeping overdubs to a minimum. We figured if we can’t play a part in the live scenario, it probably doesn’t need to be there. That saved us from getting carried away in the studio.

TROY VAN LEEUWEN Another rule of thumb was, the cleaner the tone, the better. When Jimmy Page overdubs multiple guitars, like on “In the Light” by Led Zeppelin, you’ll notice each guitar is very clean. If there’s fuzz, like on “The Way You Used to Do,” you need to work a little harder to find just the right frequencies, but that can also be fun. It’s very subtle, but I’m actually playing a 12-string on that song, which helped make the blend.

FERTITA I really wasn’t sure how “The Way You Used to Do” was going to shake out for me personally. It felt like a two-part guitar song, and it didn’t really feel like it needed keys. I thought I was going to sit that one out. But then as we got into it a little bit more, we realized, Oh, there are a couple moments here where three guitars could be really effective. That main riff. , for instance. All three guys are playing different voicings in that, to make up the sum-total of how that riff. sounds. Our tones are all just different enough that they find their own space.

Did you guys have a basic guitar setup for the album? VAN LEEUWEN I used a Jazzmaster on many of the tracks. Not a lot of rock guitarists use it, but the Jazzmaster has a huge range. It can go from shrill and wiry to super warm with a flick of a switch, and the floating tremolo comes in handy for a lot of what I do. It’s also got a longer scale, so it takes lower tunings well for us. I tune it to C for all the older stuff, because we lived in C tuning for a long time.

Josh, Dean and I also used a variety of custom Echopark guitars. We have this amazing relationship with the owner, Gabe Currie, who worked with Leo Fender when Leo was at G&L. Gabe is the real deal American handmade guitar maker. So much so, he says that each guitar he makes, even though he sells it, is still partly his. He’ll make something and just show up at the studio and go, “I thought about you and this is what I came up with.” And he’s usually right on.

How about pedals? VAN LEEUWEN One pedal that keeps coming back into our fold is the Eventide H9. It’s outstanding for lush and clean reverbs. The last couple albums we used tons of spring reverbs and dirty effects, but we wanted to keep that to a minimum on Villains. I also used the Way Huge Saffron Squeeze Compressor when I wanted sustain without the dirt. For fuzz, I collaborated with a company called Dr. No on something called the TVL Octavia. It’s got a great voice, and direct, it is pretty un-fuck-with-able.

FERTITA I used this Son of Kong EQ/Gain pedal by Spontaneous Audio for my direct out, and for amps I used small Gibsons and things like that. I don’t think I went larger than a 2x12 at any point. I tried a few bigger amps, but it just didn’t seem to fit.

Do you see yourself as having a specific guitar role in the band? VAN LEEUWEN A lot of what we do stems from Josh and what he brings in. He created the band and gives it his signature. The way I see it, I’ll either support his part harmonically or juxtapose with the rhythm. But when it comes to live performance, there’s a bit more wiggle room. If there’s any chance to improvise, Dean and I are all over it.

FERTITA I always just think, if I was writing the song, what would I think would be an important element to add to it. I try to approach my parts from a songwriting point of view.

Do you have a personal favorite moment on the album? VAN LEEUWEN I think the one that sticks out in my head is the whole intro to “Feet Don’t Fail Me Now.” The way the record starts. That whole exchange was all done live, and none of us really appreciated how great it was sounding while we were tracking it. It wasn’t until playback that we had our “a-ha” moment.

We’re always thinking about the mix when it comes to guitars, because it’s the most complicated part of what we do.

[nalyra-dreaming]

Hi! I've only read IWTV and TVL and I've seen a youtuber saying that the VC were not intended as LGBTQ+ representation cause sexuality was not that important for vampires and people just read too much into it. I'm at a bit of a loss here, what do you think?

Hey nonny!

Well...

how about we let the characters speak here (a bit)? 🙃 (And this is in no way meant as condescending towards you, I just... really don't understand that youtuber? *laughs*)

Lestat embraced his companion Louis, and they kissed on the mouth, as the mortal musicians put their arms around both of them.

I clasped Louis's arm, gave him a lingering kiss[...]

[...]the lover who had never protected Louis from himself or others

He loves you so much more than he lets on. And others know that Louis loves you, and they see his love, and they’re glad he’s finally here.

"Do you love me now?" I asked. He smiled; oh, it was excruciating to see his face soften and brighten simultaneously when he smiled. "Yes," he said.

And, last but not least maybe...

I begged Lestat to let me stay in the closet, but he laughed, astonished. ‘Don’t you know what you are?’ he asked.

These are only a few quotes. That last one you probably remember, it's right at the beginning of IWTV. And quite the statement, too, quite the play on the known saying, right :))

Anne Rice's vampires always heavily employed (sub)text. Plausible deniability, for a long while.

But as Sam Reid has said so plainly in that one interview... "it's in the book". In the books.

In IWTV we have two men, living together for decades, and adopting a daughter together... yes they may be vampires, but this is still hardly subtle? Lestat has fallen "fatally" in love with Louis, after Nicolas, with whom he had ran away to Paris, together, living together, sharing bed and kissing:

I was still sitting there, too unsure of myself to say anything, when Nicolas kissed me. "Let's go to bed, " he said softly.

There is nothing subtle here. It's quite plain, imho.

Anne set up her vampires with the sex part redirected to the feeding, yes, but then ... LGBTQ+ representation is nothing that should be reduced to that? Imho? Why is it important if the book characters have intercourse with each other? Not that I don't think they'd not enjoy it (and there's something Anne brought into the later books, that... well. Let's just say she made it canonically possible, lol), but why limit representation to this aspect only?

The Vampire Chronicles are in big parts about the longing, and devastation in regards to wanting, needing to be loved. About messily loving, too. About being different. They tackle big philosophical and moral questions, too. Louis and Lestat call each other lovers, how can that not be valid representation? It should not be necessary imho to rip their private bedroom past times open - though that said, I'm very glad and happy with how much NOT subtext they made it in the show, if simply for clarity. But reducing people's identity, love, and sheer lives to sex as the only factor? Naww.

Let's... finish this with a quote from the end of the last book, Blood Communion:

But not before holding Louis for a moment, and then kissing him and telling him low in French that I loved him and always had.

That kiss... is after they dance in a huge ballroom.

The show... took that up already. And I think that's beautiful.