#also not for nothing but it is so painfully in character of lestat too | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

clowndensation · 1 year

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i'm literally constantly thinking about sam reid's "when does he change? how does he change? how does his character develop? progressively, as the episodes were coming in, i was realizing that lestat wasn't changing at all. he keeps going back to his same patterns" comment btw. because it's true. a cornerstone to lestat's character this season is that he is utterly, painfully static. which is fascinating, because that ironically makes him one of the most stable, reliable characters in the show, in spite of outwardly acting as one of the most impulsive, volatile ones. it's also the cornerstone to what makes him such a tragic character.

because lestat is aware, to a certain extent, that there's something about himself that leads to him being abandoned. he's alluring enough to captivate, sure, but fundamentally deficit in some undefinable area that will grant him genuine, committed love. he has a way about him, but he's a lot. he's not perfect. and his own imperfections terrify him, because whatever it is, he's sure that it's at the core of himself, that it's something he can't change. and so he chases after love by throwing the worst of himself at it - because if he can find someone who sees his ugliness and loves him anyway, he'll finally have a love that he can keep. and once he finds that love, he devotes himself to it. it can not disappear again, it can't slip through his fingers. it's his, and he won't allow it to be taken from him.

and it works - for a time. preternaturally charming, occasionally thoughtful, he is so incredibly easy to fall in love with. and then something changes. and it has to be an outside force, because he hasn't done anything. he's stayed exactly the same, he's been that same person who louis fell in love with, he's committed to this love with all of himself. he is seen and he is loved and he is wanted, and he won't let anyone or anything take this acceptance away from him. so he clings, and he lashes out.

and it all, ultimately, leads back to abandonment. he's so busy keeping louis in his life, he's so busy making sure nothing changes, that he can never allow himself to grow. because change is rejection. change is the acknowledgement that he'll never be enough, that there really is some part of himself so unacceptable, he'll never be able to be loved in his entirety. and it's not until those last moments of the show, when he finally acknowledges claudia as a person unto herself, with a will and autonomy of her own - when he sees louis agonizing over what has to be done, that he begins to understand his own role in their lives. there's a sort of acceptance that he's pushed them too far, that maybe it's not outside forces, or their own inability to accept him, that's at fault for where they've ended up. that maybe he has some responsibility in how all of this played out. it's the first time in the entire show where we really see that lestat could potentially accept that he's not the victim of things beyond his control forever barring him from love, but that he has some responsibility in how others see him. which could, eventually, lead to change.

#every day EVERY DAY i think about louis and lestat and their respective issues #and how the things that initially drew them together are the same issues that inevitably pull them apart #self recognition through the other #but the self you're recognizing is one that's deeply unhappy #and fundamentally ill equipped to create a relationship that will do anything but hurt you and everyone around you in the future #like my loves i AM rooting for you but good god. you have a lot of work ahead of you.#and you're both so prone to denial when confronted with your own shortcomings that i fear we're going to need more than just one century #to get this figured out #it's okay though <3 take your time. the collateral damage will be worth it in the end. love you both.#iwtv

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licncourt · 2 years

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not sure if youve answered this before, but have you read all the vc books — & which ones do u think are the best/most worth reading?

The answer is unfortunately yes, though I would say I...experienced Memnoch, Blackwood Farm, and Blood Canticle more than read them. I certainly stared at the pages, but I think my brain prevented me from absorbing it as a defense mechanism.

Truly and from the bottom of my heart, I can only reccomend the first three. Interview with the Vampire is my favorite (modern) novel and one that I go back to over and over. I always find something new to enjoy and it reminds me why I fell in love with the characters and the world they live in. I'm impressed every time I read it.

The Vampire Lestat is also a fantastic book, but as others have said, it's excellent popular fiction, not a modern classic that redefined what an entire genre could be. I do love it though and I absolutely reccomend it wholeheartedly. Lestat at this point in canon is still incredibly charming and it's such a fun contrasting counterpart to Interview with a great emotional payoff. There are small things I'd change but not much. It makes what AR does with Lestat later all the more disappointing.

Queen of the Damned is...good. I personally prefer the very intimate, character-driven storytelling of IWTV and TVL over big stakes or plot-heavy reads, so it's my least favorite of the original trilogy BUT there's a lot of good stuff in there (The Devil's Minion is some of the best character development she ever did). Unfortunately, the cracks in AR's writing start to show in QotD. Bad pacing, the introduction of way too many new characters, David, excessive lore dumping, the total sidelining of characters like Louis and Gabrielle etc.

There is no reason to read anything from Tale of the Body Thief through Blood Canticle. It's honestly irrelevant and nothing good happens plot-wise or in terms of character development. If you like Lestat, you will watch his character be systematically butchered. If you like Louis, he's barely there. If you're a big fan of Armand, The Vampire Armand has good things about it, but it's painfully uncomfortable to read. Blood and Gold is...fine, but nothing exciting. There's not enough new material to justify hearing Marius' backstory a third time.

I have mixed feelings about the Prince Lestat trilogy. Objectively they suck, but if you care about Loustat at all, it's worth at least reading the highlights to get some closure. There's no reason to actually read them through though. If you want Loustat content, glean it through osmosis on Tumblr or download PDFs and ctrl + F "Louis" through the books. If you don't care about Loustat, there's no reason to read these last three. Have someone tell you how it ends and move on with your life.

If you're a fan of Louis, read the PL epilogue for sure because it's as close as we're ever going to get to a finished arc for him. You may be tempted, like I was, to read Merrick for him. Don't do it. Learn from my mistakes. You will regret it. PL epilogue only.

So there you go, that is my brief review of the series! I hope it was at least a little bit helpful!

#answered #vc

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kc-anathema · 7 years

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The Allowances for Eternity

Disclaimers: Do not own vamps, Anne Rice does. I make no money off of this.

Warnings: Implied slash. A naughty Louis.

Spoilers: TotBT

David's body was hard, nearly as hard as his maker's. The skin was smooth, yes, but it didn't give as well as normal skin. Touching David was much like touching an elder vampire. You didn't lay your hand on his body as much as you feeling up a marble statue. Lestat's David was a harsher one than Michelangelo's. At least the statue didn't try to hug its admirers.

Lestat sighed and rolled to the side of the bed. He'd thought it'd be exotic and exciting, or at the very least interesting, but he was left feeling vaguely disappointed. A wild, meaningless one-night fling with his British fledgling had seemed like such a wonderful idea. The promise of bondage, whips and rough sex had been a powerful lure and a refreshing break from the steady vanilla relationship he had with Louis, except...something was wrong.

There's something missing, Lestat thought, glancing over his shoulder at David. His fledgling was fast asleep, still wearing the titanium handcuffs. He seemed to enjoy all of it. So what's wrong with me?

The room was unbearably quiet. The only noise was David's steady breathing and the constant ticking of the clock that was slowly but undeniably driving Lestat insane. Hot. It was so painfully hot inside. David's body was nice enough, but he was also almost horrendously warm. The heat of his body kept the bed sheets from getting cool, making the bed feel like a cloud a bat might have ridden out of hell.

Lestat tossed to his left side, turning his back to David. He rose up on one arm, trying to escape his hot pillow. Why had he made his fledgling so strong? His skin gave off nearly as much heat as some of the oldest vampires. A handy trick, when trying to pass as mortal, and usually other vampires loved the illusion of living flesh beside their own. Lestat sat up, trying to breathe in cool air, but the warmth was everywhere.

That's it, I'm going home, Lestat decided. He slid out of the bed, careful not to wake his fledgling, and grabbed his clothes from the floor. His shirt was torn to shreds so he tossed that in the wastebasket, but his pants were still in one piece. He pulled those on and jerked his sneakers on, not bothering to undo the laces, then quietly escaped through the window, forgetting that he had the keys to the handcuffs in his pocket.

Moisture hung in the air, making it difficult to breathe. Lestat did not have to breathe, of course, but he still enjoyed the feel of air rushing through his mouth into his lungs. Right now, however, he felt as if he was drinking instead of breathing. And even the nighttime breeze did not diminish the intolerable heat. It radiated in waves up from the sidewalk and pavement, invisibly warping the background in the distance.

A tear slipped down his cheek, and he wiped it away absent-mindedly. It had been a long time since he had felt depressed, but he still recognized the feeling after so many years. An icy well formed in his chest and stomach, as if there were gigantic moths fluttering around in his body and ramming into his sides. What's wrong with me? Why am I feeling this way? He sighed again and looked down at the sidewalk as he went along, not knowing why he was still crying or why he hadn't enjoyed the time with David.

Hours of walking usually gave him the answer, but this time the lonesome stroll did nothing to clear his thoughts. It was too humid. He had been raised in a cooler climate, and despite years of living down here in Louisiana, he still missed real snow and cold rain. But Louis would freeze in that kind of environment.

Lestat smiled to himself. Louis. Just thinking about him lifted his spirits. Cool, green eyes that sparkled in the starlight, creamy white skin purer than milk, not the mottled mess of mortal flesh. There was not one blemish on Louis' skin, and despite the lack of attention paid to his hair, a strand was never found out of place. Sometimes Lestat wondered if Louis was more of an ethereal spirit than an immortal wanderer of the night.

By the time he came up the steps to his front door, he was feeling much better than when he had left David's temporary apartment. Lestat closed his eyes for a moment before entering, imagining Louis upstairs reading in bed, some dreary boring novel. He would be stretched out entirely nude again, draped over the blankets instead of under them, like an enticing banquet. Of course the book would have to be dragged out of his hands, but once his attention was where it should be, on his lover...Lestat grinned as he pictured it. Still wearing his usual cocky grin, he turned the knot and went into the darkened living room.

He crept through the pitch black room, doing his best not to hit anything and make any noise. He wanted to surprise Louis in bed and steal a few kisses first.

It was much later that Lestat lay next to Louis, cuddled up close between the bedsheets. The old manuscript of some author Lestat didn't care about, and honestly hadn't heard about, had fallen beneath the bed, joining many other forgotten books, taken from Louis' mind in a fit of surprised rapture. Lestat smiled, looking kindly down on his fledgling. Louis' head rest on his shoulder, his dark hair spilling out over his arm and partially hiding his face. Lestat brushed the stray strands aside and gave him a tiny kiss. He knew Louis loved being "surprised" in bed, why else would he stay there without any clothing on, with only a candle to light the room, sometimes with the sheets provocatively dropped down one thigh, barely covering what the rest of the coven believed was a perfect model of the Victorian gentleman.

Nothing like David, Lestat said to himself. But what had been different this time? They had not played with any sexual toys, not bound each other up like prized slaves, not played master and servant...Louis wore no handcuffs. Lestat had no wicked designs of inflicting pain. Their love-making was honest, sensual, full of trust despite their complicated history--

Love-making...Lestat thought, catching himself before he lost that idea. We make love. I screw David, but Louis makes love with me. Content with that simple explanation, he snuggled closer to Louis, enjoying the way his soft body gave slightly to his touch. The way his skin was cooler, so Lestat did not feel as if hot air was suffocating him. The way his steady breathing was a comfort in the darkness. The way that, if Lestat happened to move a certain way, Louis was groan and nestle closer, trying to keep him still even in his sleep. Louis woke up if Lestat tried to leave. Louis wanted him there. Lestat's smile turned into a grin and he closed his eyes, falling fast asleep.

Louis' eyes opened just a tiny bit, so he could stare at Lestat's flawless face. Of course love made him see Lestat differently than other people. Where someone might see tangled hair or eyes that sparkled naughtily, Louis could only see golden hair and eyes like jewels. He'd never seen him in a truly clear light. Lestat had been a winged angel, a beautiful tyrant, a grieving Narcissus, a stone saint on a dusty floor, and it was only recently that Louis could see some of his faults as character traits, not something to be repaired or white-washed over, but little crosses in his personality, evidences of past hardships. It only made him love Lestat more.

So what if Lestat had a small tryst with David? He'd come home right after, obviously depressed, and only Louis could improve his feelings. Not David, who had called earlier for the keys to the handcuffs, using the excuse to call and make Louis jealous. Not David, who was a pretty plaything Lestat toyed with once in awhile. After all, eternity is a long time, and immortal lovers should be allowed a change of pace now and then.

Still...Louis glanced at Lestat's pants, draped over the back of a chair. The keys hung precariously on the pocket's hem.

I'll mail the keys to him, he nodded to himself. In a few nights. After all, I do not need to be bound to love Lestat. And when Louis fell back asleep, his smile was as broad as Lestat's, and if they'd been open, his eyes would have sparkled naughtily.

But of course, Lestat never saw that naughtiness in his fledgling. He would have seen it as Louis' rare playful side.

The End

#vc

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