Plus, if that were true why did Vampire Lestat try to continue his relationship with mortal Nicki (as I believe the show is telling us to accept that part of Armand's tale as true)? He could have just stayed away, as in the book, for his protection (since there when he did actually see Nicki again he almost ate him 💀). And THAT choice made things worse for Nicki in other ways, AKA the gaslighting. (On that note I wonder what kind of explanation Lestat gave for why he was away all day and only came around at night, among other things.) We do see Nicki drinking in Armand's version of the tale, but I don't think Lestat seemed bored? As some people claim.

And at least in the book, Lestat wanted to turn Nicki.

"Or was it I now had the excuses I needed to bring him to me as I had wanted to do from the first moment? My Nicolas, my love. Eternity awaits. All the great and splendid pleasures of being dead."

Now, was this the case in the show? No idea.

"And the violin was talking, not merely singing, the violin was insisting. The violin was telling a tale." – TVL

[...] who dies and who stays alive...

SHEILA ATIM as Akasha