#love it when we get those nuggest in canon of characters referencing the same thing but in totally different framing

[covenofthearticulate]

Been thinking a lot lately about how Akasha calls Louis "the most predatory of all the immortals" because he kills "without regard for age or sex or will to live." but then later in TVA, Armand describes him as this:

"Louis, an indiscriminate killer, because he cannot satisfy his thirst without killing, though he is too weak to risk the death of the victim in his arms, and because he has no pride or vanity which would lead him to a hierarchy of intended victims, and therefore takes those who cross his path, regardless of age, physical endowments, or blessings bestowed by nature or fate."

Like on the surface Akasha seems totally right, Louis doesn't hunt the evildoer, he preys on innocent victims despite his devotion to humanity and that is what makes him dangerous because he's a hypocrite.

But I'm so intrigued by Armand's re-framing because yeah it makes sense that Louis hunts the way that he does since he doesn't have the same tools to weed out the evildoers, like the Mind Gift. Only there's another factor on top of that— Louis also doesn't have the pride that it takes to pick and choose victims!!!!! Like, it absolutely takes some level of pride and righteousness (and dare I say narcissism) to kill based on your personal perception of evil. It takes work to hunt down a drug lord or a gang leader. Like Armand says, their victims exist in a hierarchical system and to get to the top of the food chain, it takes intention and pre-meditation and a level of conviction Louis just doesn't have.

And honestly I think looking at it from that perspective highlights such an important part of who Louis is as a character because vampirism, for Louis, has never been about power. He just has no interest in living above humans. That's not to say he's completely free of vanity or narcissism (don't get me started there lol) but like I do think Louis' lack of discrimination towards victims ultimately stems from a rejection of playing God, rather than whatever unhinged predatory instincts Akasha implied.

#this isn't very articulate rn but i'm having Big Brain thoughts about it okay #love it when we get those nuggest in canon of characters referencing the same thing but in totally different framing #i've always loved that everyone thinks of Louis as a freak because he doesn't hunt the same as they do LMAO #vampire meta