Fabulous Me

If we get a Loustat wedding…..

I hope these two are invited….

> This is a developed personal interpretation based on my fic "the shape of the mind" on AO3. It is a canon divergent and character study fic based on the prompt "what if Guy met Jasper before Talamasca and 752, when he was just a kid, and they keep meeting onwards"

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I mainly wrote this fic because I felt the TV show had so much potential, but wasn't properly handled. I'm a fervent fan of the Gasper agenda, but above all, I think those two have the most interesting dynamic in the whole season, which they clearly haven't taken advantage of (they could have made them platonic, I wouldn't even have minded as long as they made use of Guy and Jasper's dynamic).

(DISCLAIMER: by no means I am here to point fingers at anyone or claim that my take is better than others. This is NOT the point of this post at all. I simply wish to share my own view of the series! I am no analyst either and have watched the episodes only once, so it is a very loose and free interpretation.)

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First, let's talk about Guy.

I think that Guy could have been such an interesting and compelling character. He is a telepath, a mind reader, a 'thought snatcher'. He has probably lived his whole childhood struggling with his powers, or at least that is my take.

To me, he probably had a harsh childhood because when you can't control your powers (in this case, reading minds), you definitely will get influenced/tainted/shaped by the thoughts of others. It is one thing to fear how other people see you, but it is even worse when you know their thoughts from the source itself. Not only will it affect your ego and whole perception of yourself, but it will also affect the way you build your own identity. So I think Guy, at an early age, didn't have an identity himself due to struggling with putting barriers between him (Guy Anatole) and the world (the others).

And I think as soon as he understood what boundaries and privacy meant, he would have started to build mental walls to prevent accidentally catching flying thoughts without meaning to. BUT this would also cause him to realise that he is different, he is alone in this world.

Think about it: you have the powers to read anyone's mind, but if you're a decent human being, aside from an occasional peep, you would do your damn best not to sniff around every thought from every passerby. First, because you understand the privacy of the mind, but also for your own mental safety. But knowing that you can read anyway would immediately draw an invisible line between you and the others. We, as normal humans, have no idea, no conception or can't even imagine what it feels like to dab onto someone else's mind; we are made to be individuals. So for Guy, who could casually hop from one mind to another, it would feel absolutely and terrifyingly lonely.

We always seek acceptance and acknowledgement from others all the time. To feel like we belong somewhere and to feel seen, to be validated and noticed. So imagine Guy, who's human, but a telepath, who is aware of everything (to an extent) and is unable to relate to anyone. Of course he can make friends and have a normal life, but I am sure that deep down, if you were a mind reader, you would feel even lonelier than anyone in earth. You see the thoughts of others but what about you? Nobody sees you.

Either you are seen as a danger because you can unearth any deep-rooted and hidden secrets with a single glance. Or even if you empathise and befriend someone, you still have an advantage compared to your non-power friend, even if you don't use your mind-reading skill on them. You are on a different plane (no higher or lower) away from everyone else.

That's why I'm absolutely certain Guy would crave attention. Not only because of his mommy issue (which definitely didn't help with his loneliness), but also because deep inside, he wishes for a sort of connection of the mind. Something that tells him he isn't the only one on earth to see, but also be seen the way he sees others.

And this is something I deeply wished was more developed in the series. Yes he had a normal life before he went to Talamasca, and I'm sure this would have happened if true telepaths existed, but it is never developed in the following episodes. Ep1 sees Guy using his powers and be a bit cocky which yes, he would be. But then, the series focuses more on action and kicking Guy like a bouncing ball between America and London, Helen and Jasper, Keves and Doris, etc., almost without any consequences to his psyche or actions.

I just wish he had shown some more bitterness, some more loneliness, some more weakness about this specific (but important in my opinion) facet of Guy's personality. Especially when Jasper comes in (ep4 was my favourite lol, no surprise there).

Now, onto Jasper!

To me, he is also extremely lonely. Here, of course, I'm very freely interpreting since we don't have much information about his character (and I have to admit I haven't watched IWTV in a long time so I kinda forgot all the lore etc. about the Immortal Universe's vampires).

But, his coven had been massacred, his whole family murdered, and he seemed completely on his own in the whole season (even before, from what he told us). At best, he has an 'ally' in Olive and a deal with Owen that is based on his blood rather than on shared principles. Add to that the fact that he is a vampire; it can only widen the solitary and lonely aspect of his character.

Which is even more interesting when you consider Guy's involvement in the story.

I love to think that vampires would be absolutely fascinated by Guy, or any telepath, to be honest. They are human, but they have been granted the power to read minds. Yeah, all vampires wouldn't probably have a fascination for humans, and some would definitely consider them as just livestock/walking blood bags, but you know, we are narcissists, so of course there would be some sort of "something" in the way we think and act that makes others fascinated with our nature. Also, the fact that vampires used to be humans could be interesting to dig into that alley as well. Wouldn't be surprised if some very old vampires yearn for their lost humanity, or see their past and lost selves in the bodies of others.

Which is why a human with the mind gift would definitely pique their interest. You have someone who has the values and opinions of a mortal, but with the gifts of an immortal. It's been explicitly said in the series how Guy thinks there's good and bad in the world, and in the following episodes, he begins to understand there is a whole other palette of nuances. I'm sure people would love to mess with that.

And also, as a lot of people joked about, I love the idea of Guy being a sort of vampire bait/vampire catnip because his innocence, coupled with his brashness and 'humanity', would definitely attract a few immortal eyes.

Which is why I love the potential dynamic between Guy and Jasper. Guy would finally find someone closest to what he may feel in a vampire, in Jasper. And Jasper might see the despairing loneliness and the fascination of a human gifted with mind-reading skills in Guy.

What I wanted to play with in this story is how they bump into each other before Talamasca. To me, if they ever meet in the past, they would immediately connect/relate to the other without even realising it, and it'd slowly evolve with time.

To Guy, it's an instant connection (despite having his memories wiped clean) he doesn't understand but yearns for, and to Jasper, he's just interesting and then too bad for him, he becomes obsessed.

I also have an interpretation and fanon analysis about how they'd both react to Guy's potential vampire turning. The idea of it and how each would react to the idea, but I guess I'll have to keep it for a next potential chapter.

Jasper is so repulsed by the idea of putting his teeth into someone's neck after amsterdam, that he only drinks packaged blood.

The first time he tries anything else is licking blood off Guy's forearm.

As much as we like to joke about Jasper imprinting on Guy in like 20 seconds, he isn't actually delusional.

Jasper's very good at spotting bullshit, so when Guy comes to him with an "I'm standing up to Talamasca" story, Jasper is amused but disinclined to take him seriously at first. But he can sense that Guy's resentment towards the organization is sincere, so he agrees to work together. In their following conversations, Jasper correctly notices that Guy's compassion for his suffering and the shared desire for companionship are genuine too.

Obviously Guy doesn't fully trust him (cause he's a vampire who killed Guy's predecessor!), but this is the first person he meets who suffered at the hands of Talamasca but who's fighting back. Guy felt out of place while mourning Keves with the witches, but with another loner, he does have a sense of belonging, which Jasper again notices. Despite the warnings from Doris, he sticks by Jasper's plan and calls him for help when things go to shit.

Maybe it says more about me as a writer but I think I see it because I write that way lol. I write in scenes. I write in moments. I write in snippets of conversations. Then I have to tie them together, beginning to end, as a cohesive whole, and more often than not, I actually get to said scene, said dialogue, said moment, and it doesn't work anymore, and then I'd have to kill it. Kill your darlings, as the saying goes. Talamasca feels like fifteen darlings crammed into a trenchcoat, and it's probably why it's frustrating and endearing to me. I see Jasper's last season finale scene, in that room with the you-know-what, and it's a GREAT visual, very oh noes and OMG and very reaction provoking, but I can also hear a voice in the back of my head going, "somebody's REAL proud of thinking up that scene, huh" lol. I can just see somebody having that very provoking visual and just being like, we gotta get that in there, except how did we get there? why? Implications and methodology and adherence to overall show narrative and universe worldbuilding? Ehhhhhhh.

I mean, I could be proven wrong, of course, but you know what scene lives rent-free in my head? That absolutely pointless scene in episode 3 where Guy gets a call from one of the Cavitt associates who assures him that he still has a job. WHAT EVEN IS THAT SCENE? We never circle back to Cavitt after that; hell, we ALL forgot that Guy even IS a lawyer right up until the finale where he spouts some Latin except he actually allowed himself to be taken into custody in the first place, so IDEK. Anyway, my point being, unless you're telling me that Cavitt & Associates somehow figures huge in S2, which we don't even have an announcement for, there was absolutely NO reason for that scene to exist. It's like someone in production adores Jack Barton and loathed to cut his scene, or they paid for the location and they'll damn well keep those shots in. But the show is SIX EPISODES. Every second counts! It's bizarre to have kept that in and honestly characterizes the show as a whole.

Just look at him! He is the definition of a honeypot tailored for Jasper.

1. Big wet puppy eyes

2. Fucked over by Talamasca

3. Also really wants a family

4. Disastrously bisexual

5. Likes being pet on his head

6. Somehow is constantly disheveled

First, I advise you to read my posts on vampire suggestion and Jasper's fledglings for the full context.

Guy's bodily autonomy has been consistently disrespected/violated his whole life:

1. Uncontrolled Mind Gift that makes him hear other people's thoughts non-stop whether he wants it or not, ever since he was a child. Granted, he has gotten better at it, but the situation is nowhere near optimal requiring frequent self-overmedication.

2. His foster family being, well, his fake (unwilling) foster family additionally makes him feel unsafe. All of the things he though were his (home, academic achievements) were carefully planned and provided for him in advance.

3. His body is not his own. — he finds out that him having a Mind Gift was most likely very much intentional. Talamasca seeked him out as a child if not prior to his birth. They wouldn't be above selective breeding of Mind Gift carriers. (but that's my hc)

4. After the vampires-are-real-deal-with-it reveal, the first vampire he meets violates the boundaries of his mind pretty harshly through suggestion, making his body do things he didn't want to do whether he was consious (stepping off the ledge) or not (getting to the ledge).

5. He feels used by everyone in general. Even Jasper straight up admitting that they are using each other, while true, does not make the situation better.

The only vampire who would potentially make Guy one is Jasper (who is not big on fledglings, as discussed in the linked post). Whether out of spite (plot armor, would not happen) or his wish for companionship (we are in gasper delulu land, they will keep the show straight).

Being turned is an ultimate loss of autonomy.

Fully trusting another person with slowly killing you and then bringing you back

Leaving behind your identity, your humanity (whether slowly or quickly due to the people around you getting suspicious)

Some welcome it like Madeleine, because for her it was an escape from society she hated (that hated her back), as well as a promise of being with a woman she loves.

Some take it as a last ditch effort, an attractive promise of acceptance when their life is on fire (Louis).

Some are forced (Armand, Lestat and so so many more)

With Guy and how much he is clinging to the shreds of identity that are truly his, especially gathered through the time Talamasca's plot develops, he would never want to leave it behind.

If the parents, the hobbies. the friends, the hookups, the school, the clothes he wears, the food he eats — all he was made into by someone else, — is stripped, then what is left?

The human compassion, the need to do what is right, the fear of death. There is so little left, he would never consent to it. Even with Jasper.

Guy would rather spend time with him, slowly aging.

Maybe, one day he would say "Hey, now we look the same" with silver in his hair and prominent crow's feet from how much he smiles.

And when he dies Jasper would finally learn to let go, to grieve things through. To let die is to accept people love you will leave you one way or another.

And the human is the annoying bitch you almost managed to turn away the previous evening but now the vampire insists he’s somehow important and should just stay in your expensive apartment

Throughout the series we see that Jasper is capable of creating Special Edition Revenants (SER) via unknown means. He drinks their blood, does not give them his. Then the process starts.

In IWTV Claudia tries and fails making fledglings due to 1) not draining them 2) not feeding them her blood. In S2 she is also afraid to try in case her blood is too weak to make a fledgling.

So the question is: Does he not want a fledgling or is he unable to make one?

Talamsca has already changed some lore within IWTV universe (apparently we know have power levels choice pop up when creating a fledgling), so I do not expect any consistency within these two media. (I also have not read the books)

If he can't, I'm curious as to why. Is it physical? Was his blood cursed, was he turned as too old of a human?

If he can, but decides not to, his motivation is pretty clear. Jasper has already lost family to Talamsca once. Now, when he can finally protect himself with the Dark Gift (to an extent) he fights back, but still hesitates to create a new family. Even a companion.

To him it hurts too much. The loss never left him.

Jasper has been grieving for his family his whole life. I am very much on a train of "People stay forever the way they were turned." Louis was turned grieving so he never gets over it. He grieves his brother, his sister, himself, his daughter, his relationships.

Same for Jasper. He was turned when he was desperately looking for the Dark Gift to get revenge on Talamsca. He will never lose his anger.

This is why he (alledgedly) has never made a fledgling.

I don't think he would ever forgive himself if he made a companion and then this companion got hurt/killed by Talamsca. Or worse - taken hostage or recruited.

Preference to act alone despite longing for a family

Unorthodox behaviour for their respective character categories (vampire, Talamasca agent)

Disregard for any authority and for others’ opinions about them

Very high-risk decisions

Charisma and readiness to use it for manipulation

Emotional disregulation (Jasper’s raging, Guy’s crying, etc.)

They both give immense importance to honesty and trust

So, why did the situationship fail?

For Jasper, what he says goes, but Guy is too independent and mistrusting to genuinely submit to him

The imbalance of power coupled with Guy’s disregard for authority makes him view Jasper as yet another powerful person he needs to survive and escape

Guy isn’t sympathetic to vampires at all so he doesn’t consider Jasper a real candidate for any amicable relationship while for Jasper, humans are the candidates for future coven members

I wasn't planning on this lore talk to go as far as it has, but everybody has been so welcoming (thank you, everyone!). And I cannot let this part of the show go because this is what made me so intrigued and in love with Jasper that I will take it as a personal affront if they decide to cancel the second season. I need to know more about this dude. Like, come on!

Because Jasper is, for all intents and purposes, a badass motherfucker.

Dude gives me the chills.

If you haven't read my previous post, please read that first before continuing.

The Revenants, as Jasper said in the show are another "species" of vampires, simply because the show and the vampires as they stand still have no knowledge of Amel, barring the members of the Ancient coven, who know of Amel but have no understanding of him.

Revenants are basically "botched" vampires, or when a piece of Amel failed to merge with a mortal. There could be a lot of factors for a turning process to fail and create a Revenant.

• The human cannot survive the transformation, often because they are too sick, too old, or too weak.

• The vampire giving the blood is too weak themselves or lacks sufficient power.

• The transformation is interrupted or otherwise incomplete.

• The blood exchange is done improperly.

And the later books have referenced how dangerous an improper transformation can be.

Why do I love Jasper then? Dude is playing with metaphysical factors he DOES not understand and is calling it "science." Fuck I love him. No one in the entire history of the books has ever tried to make a revenant. I don't think Jasper even knows how he just has an "inkling" of how.

Even Lestat, canonically despises and is disgusted by the idea of accidentally making a revenant. And I love anyone who makes Lestat uncomfortable, because I hate and simultaneously love Lestat.

In canon, no one ever deliberately attempted to make a revenant - ever, and no one has ever treated it as a "skill" like Jasper had. This is huge, and I have never even thought about this until Jasper did it.

So, in my mind, how jaded and broken of a vampire do you have to be to try to be Frankenstein and decide one day you're going to make revenants? In conclusion, pretty fucking shattered.

So, I love Jasper. And I cannot wait to know more about him, because, unlike before, I cannot just pick up one of my books to know more about the world. I'll have to wait like everybody else.

love game