Louis Tomlinson FITFWT 2023, Columbia MD
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Louis and Claudia are not just identifiable as American by way of their speech (“American? Your French is ugly.”) and movement (“You could tell from his walk, he was an American.”), but are posited by the narrative to be symbolic representations of postwar America itself (“The American vampires appeared to be as dull and plain as their tourists and soldiers were.”, “Do American vampiresses all wear pastels?”, “And are all American vampires as alluring as you?”). The pair set themselves up in France as “moneyed Americans”, described by Armand as having a “velvet-heeled arrival” despite the pair coming to the city on the back of a truck. That Paris has been left by the war with deep physical and societal wounds is treated as an inconvenience that they have to impatiently endure. Santiago picks at these stitches during the performative execution of the pointedly foreign Annika, invoking the paranoia of occupation with his line “[...] the next time you're in the pew, you turn to your neighbour and say, ‘Peace be unto you.’ They'll give you up... in a wink!”. It is telling that the only explanation Armand gives for his choice of victims to the coven is that they are profiteering from the suffering of postwar France (“Whilst their countrymen clutch ration cards, they've made quite a killing manipulating the black markets.”), a statement which seems to deepen their appetite for the ensuing slaughter. These are not resentments and histories however shared by Claudia, who may revel in the massacre but has already knowingly associated with a woman branded as a collaborator, or Louis, whose attempts to engage with the world through photography only further positions him as an outsider. This detachment is what causes Louis and Claudia to be regarded as interlopers, suspected to believe themselves to be too important to heed traditions, manners (“It's custom and practice for traveling vampires to make themselves known”) or the welfare of their temporary home (“We were constantly cleaning up for them.”). Though American soldiers played a role in the later stages of the liberation of Paris, the increasing presence of Americans in the city is framed as another more insidious occupation (“[...] our Anglican friends now invading Paris postwar”, “My dear American friend [...] who has dominated my mind”). As Americans, Louis and Claudia are granted more privileges in society than other black ethnics groups (“But I wasn't an Algerian. I was an American”). It is not just that the French theatre troupe composed of multinational actors now has “five out of every seven” of their performances in English, but the coven has been instructed by Armand to remake itself as “an English company” and speak the language offstage too. Armand’s welcoming attitude to increasing American influence in the city, how it creates a “more receptive” and “optimistic” audience, is not a simple or universal one. There is a distinct bitterness belying the fanfare accompanying Louis and Claudia’s arrival, particularly from Santiago (“I ask you, Maitre, was it worth the wait?”), but it is also notably still present in Armand’s lighthearted teasing (“Seventy-seven years and it still feels like a slight.”, “Five months removed [...] the Americans were finally coming to Pigalle.”). At least during these early months, Louis and Claudia seem to view Paris more as a static backdrop against which they can discover themselves and heal their relationship. This is a mistake that they will likely only realise when it is already too late, for this fragile and volatile setting is entwined with the tragedy that awaits them.
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Here’s my amazing drawing for the new Jash song guys, yep
Don’t worry, he’s just taking a nap
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Anybody else thinking about how season 3 is going to be all about Lestat losing everything, getting his ass kicked by everything, Magnus, Nicki, Gabrielle, Armand's nonsense, being alone and unloved for decades, and when he finally gets to New Orleans and we see Louis from his perspective, we're going to finally see the whole picture?
We're not only going to see Louis at his most beautiful, we're also going to see from Lestat's point of view just how much Louis was in dire straits from the environment he was living in, to the people working against him, to just how much he was at the end of his rope after losing Paul.
We're going to get another take on the wedding, but instead of Lestat being this seductive domineering monster, we're going to see Lestat in an absolute panic trying to save Louis's life because he knows how close he is to the edge and he doesn't want him to go. We're going to see how lonely Louis really is and how he finally feels seen.
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www.instagram.com/officialnatalina
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The way Armand's eyes are closed, Louis holding his neck while gently rubbing it, as if all Armand can do in that moment is sit there and relish the sensation of Louis drinking from him, while he performs the service of giving Louis his ancient blood, filling him with power that would take Louis years to gain on his own. And Louis drinks from him far more deeply than he did from Damek. He drank from Damek for 28 seconds, but drank from Armand for at least a minute and thirty-nine seconds(the episode starts with him already drinking from Armand). We don't see Armand perform a lot of acts of service for Louis in Dubai, so I have to cherish this one.
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currently really enjoying how in every interview eric bogosian brings up his personal little headcanon of daniel and armand getting drunk together after louis leaves them which then somehow leads to daniel being turned
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