I use any pronouns but especially love She/Her/They/Them
I am under the Non-Binary umbrella, specifically Agender and Neurogender (a gender identity that is defined by the fact your gender is highly linked to your neurodivergent status).
I am also Pansexual/Panromantic and under the asexual spectrum as I am Aegosexual.
I am also Mexican-American through my father's side and white on my motherās side which makes me Biracial
I am in my 20s and I love being multiple different fandoms and want people to be respectful of other peoples opinions and also be able to separate the actors from the characters they play.
My favorite fandom show right now is the Interview With the Vampire/The Vampire Lestat show and My Favorite ships on from this show are Loustat and Devil's Minion with my favorite character being Armand (Yes I know all the horrible things he does in the books and what a monster he is but I still love his character like a REAL Armand fan would).
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Armand never wanted to be the head of the cult or the Maitre of a theatre. The only time he ever wanted it was for his survival and because someone he loved dearly was by his side for it. The second they werenāt, he let it rot and whatever happened happened.
So this whole āArmand Told The Truthā campaign is nothing but unwelcome worship. It doesnāt serve him any purpose and it only gives him unwanted attention. Heās not like Lestat who wants millions and billions of people to love him.
Iāve BEEN saying this. At certain points, it was almost like Louis and Lestat wanted everyone BUT each other. And letās not even get started on Claudia and how they treated her. All Armand ever wanted was ONE person. In the books, Armand made a far better parent than Louis and Lestat did. If Claudia was Armandās daughter, she never would have died because when it came to people he loves, Armand is fucking ON IT. Armand tried telling Louis Paris wasnāt safe. If the roles had been reversed, Armand would have had Claudia out of there. Louis lied when he told Claudia she was enough. All Armand has ever wanted was ONE. FUCKING. PERSON! And we learn in the books, that heās content with his children as well. Not only that, but Armand was MORE than satisfied with his children and didnāt try running after a lover while he was with them. When Marius turned them, he snapped at him. Please remember that Armand worshipped the ground this man walked on up until that point. Yet in that moment he did a complete 180. Louisā ass COULD NEVER. Lestat did all sorts of shit to him and Claudia(even if Louis was an unreliable narrator, I doubt that all of what Louis said is untrue, also remember that we have Claudiaās diaries)that Louis put up with. Notice how Armand is the only vampire who hasnāt cheated on their partner(Daniel being the exception if past DM happened, but I think itās safe to say his and Louisā relationship wasnāt the best during those years. This is different to Lestat and Louis, who cheated on their loyal partners. Lestat with Antoinette, and Louis with all those boys in the 70s). Armand has been taking care of other people CONSTANTLY, I donāt blame him for wanting someone to protect him after 500 years of being used and exploited
It is so clear that Daniel and Armand are PAINFULLY yearning for each other rn and there are so, SO many layers to it:
turning your first fledgling in 500 years of life and keeping yourself completely OUT of said fledgling's life out of fear for your influence on him, yet still wishing so desperately to be there for him and to be different than every other maker you've seen and not knowing how
entering vampirism being completely isolated from your community because of a book you wrote basically exposing it to the human world, all while the person who is supposed to be your mentor has COMPLETELY skipped town, and wishing that one person would come back and teach you about your existence and your powers
"Loneliness is the worst pain a vampire can experience" while Armand is the MOST lonely vamp in the whole show and wants nothing more than to be loved and not abandoned and the ONE person who still wanted him gave a speech telling him to fuck off and get out of his life
"Loneliness is the worst pain a vampire can experience" while Daniel doesn't mean a single WORD of his fuck off speech and all he wants is his maker back but he is so lost and rejected and hurt after being abandoned that it's all he can say to Armand
their bond being so UNIQUELY strong that other people literally disappear when they are close, and having to experience that without the comfort the other's presence WOULD bring. They're just alone.
your eyes being the same color as your maker's as a permanent reminder that you are his and both parties being in immense pain over that because they are not TOGETHER THEY ARE NEVER TOGETHER FOR YEARS THEY HAVE BEEN APART AND ALL THEY WANT IS TO BE WITH EACH OTHER
And this isn't even getting into the can of worms of being (presumably) each other's only true loves, of having a years long relationship that only one of them can remember, of constantly feeling either the aching gap that those lost memories leave or the splitting pain of not being able to love this person when they are right there for you because they don't even remember you DID love them... their whole lives are and have been revolving around each other and yet they've been OUT of each other's lives for so long and it's obvious that it's killing them
Armand does not remember his past! He doesnāt even remember if Arun is his actual real name!!!
If thereās any inconsistencies about his past is because he literally canāt remember!
Being fuzzy with details about long past traumas is normal. āØHeās 500 years oldāØ Give grandpa a break okay?
š£ļøThis does not mean he was not abused.š£ļø
Quite the opposite itās a clear indication that he had a really fucked up childhood and thatās why Armand is the way he is.
Armand is not a good guy, heās also a fictional character so PLEASE letās use common sense and not jump to unnecessary conclusions to the point we might harm REAL PEOPLE by spreading harmful rhetoric like ā Lestat told the truth about his abuse but Armand is lying because he has been inconsistent!ā
Victims of abuse are often not believed, we donāt need to be spreading harmful shit like this!
You donāt like the line where Daniel referred to Louis as a bucket of Louisiana fried chickenā¦ GOOD, youāre a decent human. Itās not supposed to make you feel good. Thatās the POINT. The older white man who has been extremely rude, and crass and slightly homophobic, and racially insensitive, and throws terms like ābattered wifeā and ārent boyā around got WORSE after vampirismā¦ surprise fucking surprise.
You donāt like when Lestat, Louis, and Daniel toss around Armandās sex slave traumaā¦GOOD, youāre a decent human. Itās not supposed to make you feel good. Thatās the point, to make you aware that your fave can be just as shitty as every other character. Youāre not supposed to put them on a pedestal, theyāre characters not ROLE MODELS.
Yāall want complex characters until they stop making you feel good. Until they challenge your sensibilities. Until they reflect reality too close for comfort.
You can feel however you want about the show, or writing, or characters (thatās your right and you were going to do it anyways). But to the viewers that are like āI hate it and I hate anyone that doesnāt share my very specific and very personal view points š«Øš”š«Øā, just stop watching š Stop torturing yourself and everyone else with your self prescribed masochism which is the show you claim to hate.
Thereās a difference between calling out racism in the fandom (of which there is plenty) but shooting shots wildly into the crowd because the show gave you too big emotions that you refuse to process without lashing out is tired.
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I think some fans of IwtV may have a better time interacting with the source material if they really embrace that love is always in the equation. Every equation. Every relationship. Even the ones you hate. All the time. That's the tragedy of it. It's a central theme to the makeup of the story and the relationships that push the plot forward. Both film and books.
Love is not a healing emotion in IwtV. It doesn't mend any harm, or fix their problems; it doesn't act as "proof" that they're meant to be together. It's the emotion that connects them, that draws them to each other, even as the harm pushes them apart. It is the excuse for every action, and the support for why they stay until the hurt is too much. This is not a fantasy fairy tale romance with a happily-ever-after. This is Gothic Horror about forever being an "other".
Of course Lestat loves Louis. That's the point. It also does not prevent him from harming Louis; from not being racist to him, or ignoring how racism is put upon him in the show, or depression in the books. Love makes Lestat feel connected to another on a deep level; for a man that knows how to desire many, the times when he loves are deep and important. He remembers his loves, and every single one is special, but especially Louis. He would stay, he would be happy, so of course he would expect Louis to feel this as well.
Of course Louis loves Lestat. That's the point. It didnāt prevent him from slitting his throat or feeling bitter about being turned into a vampire. It keeps Lestat in his mind, filling the gaps his absence leaves behind. He feels guilt, but he can't decide whether it's because he loves Lestat despite it all or because he let that love control him. It's why Louis can't drop his past, because how can his love not have been enough to save it? By denying he loves Lestat or Lestat ever loving him, Louis backed himself into the philosophical corner that makes him desire to understand his past.
Of course Armand loves Louis. That's the point. It didn't prevent him from feeling unvalued, and torn between his duty and his feelings. Love doesn't make Armand soft, it makes him possessive. It's a role he can cling to: "Armand belongs to Louis" "Amadeo belongs to Marius" and an identity he can claim. Probably the best way to understand this is that Armand is so fucked up, he only allows himself one identity at a time, which is why the bench scene is not an act of claim to Armand. He begged Louis to leave, and probably expected that if Louis loved him, he would take Armand with him. Louis told "Arun" to keep control of the coven by pretending to give up control of the coven, which separated his "claim" in a way he could not control. If he doesn't feel claimed, he'll act out, because he desperately seeks to be loved (possessed) in return.
Of course Louis loves Armand. That's the point. It's what makes Louis trust Armand and rely on him. In Paris, and in the decades after. In Louis' mind, spending so much time with Armand was such undeniable proof that he loved him, he didn't think he needed to say it. He never thinks he needs to say it. Half of the anger at the end is because his trust has been misused. But the love doesn't prevent him from digging in at Armand's weak spots in anger, or using their past as a bludgeoning weapon. And it doesn't make the spite in their relationship any less obvious.
Of course Lestat loves Claudia. It was in every expense he used to provide for her. Every teaching experience in order to guide her. It wasn't just duty, he loved her, even at her worst. It didn't prevent him from misplaced anger that she was distracting Louis. It didn't prevent him from doing her harm or dismissing her concerns, but the fact that she haunts him is proof enough that he loves her.
Of course Claudia loves Lestat. Yes she's so bitter at his controlling and secretive nature, but I think that's why she distances herself from him. "Uncle Les" gives enough distance so that her love doesn't hold her back from what she's convinced will solve her problem (Note she does the same distancing tactic with Louis). It's why it hits her so personally that Lestat doesn't trust her enough to let her leave, and that she's just used as a pawn to keep Louis happy. To her, it's the nail in the coffin to convince her he never loved her.
And of course Claudia and Louis love each other. It's why the betrayals hurt. It's why their absence is hard on each other. They love each other, and that didn't prevent them from putting each other in difficult situations. Louis's love for her wasn't enough to support her needs, and her love for Louis wasn't enough to stop her from finding every reason to prove he didn't love her enough.
Each relationship is more than the love. It's about how each pair's trauma rubs shoulders, how different people support different emotions. We joke they all need therapy, but it's true. None of their relationships are healthy because they think they're healing themselves by seeking love, but they just seek loving bandaids in each other. Honestly Louis' talk-therapy session in the guise of an Interview is the closest to actual healing he's ever had. (Louis/Daniel shippers I see you)
It's why the healthiest part of every relationship is when they're at their beginnings. The love is fresh, and it feels so convincingly healing to them. This is also why I'm not mentioning Claudia and Madeline, because they didn't get a chance to last. They were at the fresh love, but considering both of them had some intense trauma that wasn't just going to disappear, their chances at never harming each other is nonexistent.
I'm also not mentioning Daniel, because we don't have any show-based scenes that display his love-hurt dynamic. The Devils Minion chapter, however, is chock-full of examples of how toxic their relationship is. The most important part of that though, is it shows that Daniel is just as obsessive as Armand tends to be. It's why they match each other's freak so well.
I will also not mention Marius, but keep in mind that he is "like that" because he doesn't believe breaking points come from hurt, but from fragility. Stoic asshole.
Stop comparing levels of love. Stop comparing levels of hurt. It's all there. The couple you love is the couple you find most compelling, not the couple that is "the most" in love and "the least toxic." No couple is free from toxic attachment or abuse, it's why there's a breaking point in each one.
If I remember correctly, you recently alluded to the fact that the loustat reunion would represent a turning point for lestat irt accepting his trauma with gabriella. In that case, in your opinion, why does lestat show some signs of regression in the failures' recordings, like when he said that "between vampires it's different" at the end of episode 2? :(
Lestat accepting the trauma has never been the issue. He knows it's wrong. He knows what she does. He's ashamed of it. He's humiliated by it.
And I don't consider him regressed in The Failures either. If you listen to what he says in Episode 1, he explains that he's serving "the dirt in the sandwich" as it felt "then." And if you listen to the full context of him saying "it's different for vampires" in Episode 2, he is saying that within the full context of how he would try to justify it to himself i.e. trying to explain that incest is really in all families because we all descended from Noah and his family after the flood. (Which I found to be an interesting framing given Lestat's relationship with religion, but I digress.)
He also notes that the relationship with Gabriella is "common gossip now" and "the first thing one thinks about when my name comes up."
The concept of DM shippers being worried about what non-DM shippers think of Armand and Daniel if they do some evil shit together this season is kinda ridiculous. Like, no one will care if they commit some crimes as long as they do it together. They could burn the whole world down and be only them alive and it'd be romantic to us and who knows maybe we'd think it was warranted.
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Devilās Minion has been around for almost forty years. That is how long theyāve been canon.
In all that time in the bookās fanbase, theyāve existed in one single chapter and yet theyāve been one of the most popular pairings for that entire time. Rolin mentioned incessant questioning from fans back before theyād even made the show. Daniel and Armandās relationship, after they come back together in later books, are mentioned in a few throwaway lines and yet still the popularity of this pairing persists all these years later.
They have a few hundred less fics on ao3 than Loustat and they only officially started existing in the show last week (officially.) That is how popular they are.
I donāt say this to stir up competition because frankly, Iām an adult and none of these people are real. I canāt imagine something Iād care about doing less. Shipping wars are embarrassing but particularly when thereās no overlap between the two ships.
I say it because there is someone in this fandom who claims to be a screener who has effectively said that after episode 6, DMers would no longer feel welcome in the fanbase because of something that happens. That is almost a threat. It is, at beast, blatant and shameless fearmongering.
I need you all to think rationally. There is absolutely no world where that happens. Forty years and it stops now? After theyāre canon? After all the books where Armandās actions are much worse? This is where the line gets crossed?
During this season, antis have started threatening Assad for his takes on his own character. Yet heās still talking about Armand with enthusiasm. Everyone in the cast is still talking excitedly about DM. Armand is still one of the most popular characters in the series despite the fact that he killed Claudia. Tell me, after season 2, is there genuinely anything people could to make things more unpleasant for anyone who likes Armand? I donāt think so. And they only view Daniel as an extension of him. It is going to be fine. There are still Lestat fans after 1x5. Armandās show fanbase thrived after 2x8.
Itās a deeply pathetic thing to do and clearly wishful thinking on that personās part. Iām sure theyāre manifesting it as hard as possible. They wake up and overnight, the fandom has been purged of every DMer and they can go back to pretending Armand is unimportant. Embarrassing, childish behaviour. Please ignore them. Let them wildly misinterpret things and feel bad for them instead because what a fucking weird way to spend your time.
But there is no world in which that actually happens. Weāre hearing open conversations about the Night Island spin off which, though it wouldnāt star Armand and Daniel, only exists because of the DM chapter. The show is all in on this romance. Neither of them are going anywhere. Neither are the fans. You have nothing to worry about.
DMers no longer feeling welcome in the fandom after something that happens is also a wild thing to say when people like that have been trying to make us feel unwelcome for years.
I've also heard people saying we'll no longer like Armand after this season, which I think just speaks to a complete misunderstanding of why people like Armand in the first place. We know about the crimes he did and we still like him. He tortured Daniel for six days and we still ship them. We want him to gremlin out.
And I fully trust that the show will never make me hate him.
I also hope AMC sees their BS and makes sure these people never get screeners again because you're literally not allowed to yap about having them if you're not using your access to write reviews.
I think the whole "we'll no longer like Armand" is exactly what you said. If they whitewash their faves, we must do the same, right?
We love to joke that "Armand is so kind" or "Armand has always been good" (a quote for the ages, thank you Assad) or "Armand is so honest" or any other variation you think come up with, but I feel like they think we're serious?
It's partially a joke because he obviously isn't those things, but also light-hearted pushback against those who insist on characterising him as only evil and against interviewers who steamroll over Assadās thoughts on his character. Armand is very capable of kindness, goodness and honesty because he's a complex character. But any good traits he ever had have to be filtered through 500 years of intense cruelty being inflicted on him and the most warped worldview anyone has ever had. So heās a little off.
With Armand, his bad traits are much more obvious. Heās very rough around the edges and exposed because he doesnāt had the ability to pass as ānormalā easily as Louis and Lestat. Even as the suave Parisian coven master, it was so easy to see through the cracks in his persona (the fragility coming through in the photograph Louis took of him.) Itās harder to pretend he isnāt evil and because of that, I think he attracts people who are more easily able to accept it.
I also question them getting screener access to begin with too, assuming they actually did.
one of the screeners said that isn't eric's ass and she doesn't get why people think it is, and if that turns out to be true and it's a different guy then i'm even more obsessed with eric liking those comments about him being in the shower lol
like it's obviously funny if it is him and he likes the comments. but if it isn't him and he just appreciates the enthusiasm or maybe hopes he does get to get naked in the future? amazing
Girl I- the "screener" said it isn't Eric's ass??? lmaooo. Love this mystery alleged screener out here confirming whose ass it is or isn't šššš that's literally Eric's ass come on now stop playing!!!
Honestly you can tell Lestatās really at a low point strutting like that in front of Armand; yeah Armand is easy but that makes it more embarrassing for Lestat imo. Bc yeah ofc the shivering mass of desperation in a trench coat whoās been obsessed with you for 200+ years thinks youāre hot. And??? Nothing revelatory there. If Lestat is milking it itās because his self worth is THAT low atm that he needs the attention of Armand of all people as a little pick-me-up. Tried and true strategy for him ig. But kind of humiliating. Itās very revealing, I mean we can make fun of Armand all we want but Lestat is just as desperate to be seen and loved, just as broken inside and most importantly, just as pathetic.
And also itās definitely a fawn response but I doubt Lestat knows that
Devilās Minion has been around for almost forty years. That is how long theyāve been canon.
In all that time in the bookās fanbase, theyāve existed in one single chapter and yet theyāve been one of the most popular pairings for that entire time. Rolin mentioned incessant questioning from fans back before theyād even made the show. Daniel and Armandās relationship, after they come back together in later books, are mentioned in a few throwaway lines and yet still the popularity of this pairing persists all these years later.
They have a few hundred less fics on ao3 than Loustat and they only officially started existing in the show last week (officially.) That is how popular they are.
I donāt say this to stir up competition because frankly, Iām an adult and none of these people are real. I canāt imagine something Iād care about doing less. Shipping wars are embarrassing but particularly when thereās no overlap between the two ships.
I say it because there is someone in this fandom who claims to be a screener who has effectively said that after episode 6, DMers would no longer feel welcome in the fanbase because of something that happens. That is almost a threat. It is, at beast, blatant and shameless fearmongering.
I need you all to think rationally. There is absolutely no world where that happens. Forty years and it stops now? After theyāre canon? After all the books where Armandās actions are much worse? This is where the line gets crossed?
During this season, antis have started threatening Assad for his takes on his own character. Yet heās still talking about Armand with enthusiasm. Everyone in the cast is still talking excitedly about DM. Armand is still one of the most popular characters in the series despite the fact that he killed Claudia. Tell me, after season 2, is there genuinely anything people could to make things more unpleasant for anyone who likes Armand? I donāt think so. And they only view Daniel as an extension of him. It is going to be fine. There are still Lestat fans after 1x5. Armandās show fanbase thrived after 2x8.
Itās a deeply pathetic thing to do and clearly wishful thinking on that personās part. Iām sure theyāre manifesting it as hard as possible. They wake up and overnight, the fandom has been purged of every DMer and they can go back to pretending Armand is unimportant. Embarrassing, childish behaviour. Please ignore them. Let them wildly misinterpret things and feel bad for them instead because what a fucking weird way to spend your time.
But there is no world in which that actually happens. Weāre hearing open conversations about the Night Island spin off which, though it wouldnāt star Armand and Daniel, only exists because of the DM chapter. The show is all in on this romance. Neither of them are going anywhere. Neither are the fans. You have nothing to worry about.
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Not only is AMC all but confirming renewal, that little bit at the end seems to confirm MY BOY MOLLOY AIN'T DEAD Y'ALL, DANIEL LIVES TO SNARK ANOTHER DAY
honestly. watching assad be interviewed and asked about his interpretation of why certain writing choices were made and what he envisions going forward just for him to constantly deflect/reflect it with āi want to know what YOU think, i love YOUR theoriesāā¦
ā¦ is not a great sign, lmao. especially from someone who has proven to be a wonderful character actor. it sounds like he was given nothing substantial to actually bite into.
no? it just sounds like he isn't allowed to talk about it any more than he was a month ago. the season is still airing. he's been evasive for the last two years idk why we suddenly think he's gonna answer now.
Also there's the fact that every time he does try to talk about Armand in any meaningful way people online or even the interviewers themselves spew vitriol at him like he's the one personally responsible for Armand's actions (see Damien Holbrook at NYCC).
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