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¤Even as the car grinds to a halt, the wave of nostalgia emanates from Louis to occupy the space between them, a buffeting force thatās both familiar and foreign to the vampire, the conflicting excitable chill of experimental unease juxtaposed with a contented warmth of boyhood calling to the immortal. On any other occasion, it would be the former that would primarily interest Lestat, a lurid eye latching onto a spark of desire and its inevitable capacity to bloom into far more, to delveĀ deeper into a canvas of fluid motion in its excruciating indulgence - the desperation of grasping hands, heated flesh prickling from exploratory sensation, the capture of melding lips and stuttering breath, a roiling ecstasy that peaks in a manner thatās nigh tangible to him, an overwhelming intoxication of intimacyĀ to be known in its rawest of forms utterly engulfing the senses entirelyāĀ But itās the innocence of youth that provides an alternative intimacy in a welcoming guise, one that imbues unadulteratedĀ happiness, sunlight pooling over skin to set itĀ aglow upon glistening droplets, the chirruping din of cicadas providing a backdrop ofĀ never being entirely alone, the hushed whisper ofĀ shared secrets evolving into grand stories, the lines blurring between local folklore andĀ personal experience with formative judgment - Lestat canāt visualise the members of the family in this instant, theĀ joy that had derived from their time together thick like syrup, aĀ sweetness in this simplistic setting creating memories whose potency far rivals the salacious.
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¤The miasmic sentimentality brings about the surreptitious trace of a smile, an increasing distance forming between the pair as Louis traipses ahead in proud boldnessĀ (Ā il apprĆ©cie la faƧon dont cet homme affiche sa confiance en soi, comme un costume Ć©lĆ©gantĀ ),Ā Lestat gracefully pivoting out from the vehicle with violet eyes lowering to take in the sprawling unearthed roots, leisurely stepping around and atop them in nimble gait, prior thoughts to be mindful of the layers of mud having long been cast asideĀ (Ā il devra laver ces chaussures plus tardĀ ).Ā He doesnāt follow Louis as such, but rather gravitates towards the drifting remnants of the manās enticing thoughts, a subtle preternatural signature that the blond hones in on like a beguiled moth to a vibrant flame, a resonating warmth that rivals the cityās balmy air. It contrasts heavily with the biting chill of remembrance of the immortalās younger years, a landscape of lush greenery of such possibilities firmly overshadowed by the cold grey stone of the de Lioncourt estate, every salient memory within those walls filled with a desolation that only augmented with each passing mortal yearĀ (Ā silence isolant, paroles blessantes et coups brutaux, et puis aprĆØsāĀ ).Ā The vampire yearns for the opportunity to replace them, to create experiences to call his own within a new home, a disinclination to reside in the past rooting into the present and future, fingertips figuratively breaching the surface of a tentative succor.
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¤ā And if I wereĀ careless enough to fall behind. Is it your intension toĀ swim to your abode?Ā āĀ A toothy grin flashes in the darkness with the good humoured rebuttal, curious line of vision trailing in all directions about the vampireās periphery, the lofty branches shrouding their path gently swaying with a light breeze, the faintest of creaking present to his heightened hearing due to the sheer aged weight of the wood. Lestat finds it easy to fall into distractions in such surroundings, the litany of creatures lurking in the darkness inviting him to playfully probe, the smallest echoes of grunting from a snuffling maw buried in wild plantlife drawing his attention, steps slowing in the pairās approach - the immortal stands completely still for a moment with an observational cant of the head, the sound changing pitch into a squealĀ (Ā un avertissementĀ )Ā on account of his presence, yet another animal which wouldnāt be overly fond of Lestat given his unnatural stateāĀ And yet thereās a sudden rapidĀ ripple of leaves, line of vision darting upwards to the tree overhead, a thick black and white fur tail winding across a branch as small fingers grapple with the bark, large pointed ears twitching.Ā āĀ Mon Dieuā¦Ā āĀ The vampire has never seen anything like it before, the ringtail grasping his attention with such elevated appeal that Lestat has to remind himself that heās with company, lips parted into anĀ āĀ oĀ ā while fighting the impulse to follow it deeper into the woods.
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¤āĀ Cāest amusantā¦Ā āĀ Gradually dragging himself away from the fleeting spectacle, the blond meanders back towards Louis while sporadically glancing behind himself, subsequently peering up at the willow and the stories it holdsĀ (Ā ah, cāest donc son endroit prĆ©fĆ©ré  ),Ā this impressive beast having its own fragile means of immortality to look upon mortals who came and went over the years, theĀ conflict between either form of childhood memory palpable as the man rests against the bark.Ā ā ā¦you assume I come from a city.Ā āĀ Not divulging furtherĀ (Ā appĆ¢t jetĆ© de maniĆØre ludique Ć la surface de lāeauĀ ),Ā Lestat grins to himself in consideration of how differently he comported himself over the last century with varied individuals, once rougher around the edges during his youth which still managed to creep into view during moments of slipping resolve. Stepping nearer to rest beside the other, shoulders rearrange to comfortably lean back in acceptance of the unknowable invitation, peering at the soil with brow faintly creasing as the sorrowfulĀ call of a child rings in his temples, visualising a thumb lightly tracing the arc of a petite ear, unintentionally finding a cross section of understanding of what it all represented to the other, all while negating similar thoughts once entertained from his own past. A disconcerted trickle of laughter breaks a silent discomfort, a full bodied frisson that the elder experiences in isolation, swallowing thickly.
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¤āĀ Too much is subjective.Ā Mais, en revancheā¦Ā āĀ Still unnerved, Lestat glances at Louis in his quiet repose, iridescent eyes trailing over the otherās unintentionally piteous countenance, moonlight dappled with the contours of shifting shadows from the branches immediately above them, settling on the outline of lips pulled into an unspeakable ease.Ā ā ā¦in this instance, I am inclined to say you are correct.Ā āĀ The rhythm of a steady pulse echoes within the recesses of the vampireās ears, the majority of the his weight shifting to steadily lean upon a shoulder. Line of vision descending over the rounded chin with its faint stubble sprouting, the bulbous Adamās apple contends with collar and tie, respectable attire that contends with an underlying nature the other is unprepared to indulge, keeping something far worse at bay. Further silence is laced in sympathyĀ (Ā il nāaime pas quand cāest trop calme, que ce soit entre eux ou en gĆ©nĆ©ralĀ ),Ā a distancing owl hooting from above.Ā ā And is the air ofĀ the woods more beneficial in your recovery than that of yourĀ home?Ā ā