Reblogged
Reblogged
Good Morning Armand Nation!
Did you know?
In the show, Armand preserves a magnolia tree in the Dubai penthouse grown from a cutting he had taken from Paris when he left with Louis! Magnolias are ancient flowers that symbolise eternity, endurance and youth. White are especially tied to youth and innocence—and often in some cultures, magnolias are linked with feminine energy.
Anyways this was meant to be a study piece but I got carried away haha. Trying to learn greyscale + values! Meant to be a statue of Amadeo, then Armand. But for some reason I kept on thinking of Marius? Anyways, up to interpretation.
Reblogged
Take on Armand’s fawning response
“A room without walls and an infinite nothingness.” This quote constantly makes me think, and not just in relation to Daniel’s quote in 1973. (I may talk about that later) It really stands out because it highlights how much time can really affect a person. Armand who had his identity changed constantly and so quickly, not having a chance to grow up normally and instead was groomed and assaulted on occasion. Not to mention a lot of the time he plays it down, and convinces himself that his sexual assault ‘wasn’t that bad.’ His consistent devotion to Marius remains even all of these centuries later.
If Armand does not belong to something, then what is he? This is where his most used trauma response kicks in, fawning. Fawning which is linked to C-PTSD and Identity erosion (not knowing who you are without others’ needs guiding you) as well as depersonalisation or dissociation. Due to using this as a long term solution for himself it creates a cycle within himself that prevents his trust for others and himself. Due to this trauma infused behaviour, it eats away at his own sense of agency.
So why does Armand do what he does? I’m going to focus more on the television adaptation rather than the books for this one. Mostly because within the books Armand was turned at 17, which would make his logical reasoning a bit more skewed due to the frozen state of his brain at that development. Now, fawning for Armand can come across in different ways. Subtle and glaringly obvious. In his little ways, we can observe his body language and demeanour. Mostly explored through his decisions with Louis in Paris. He is contradicting, because he wants to please both the coven and his newfound love. This creates internal conflict, unsure what to cling to. In one of the bench scenes, Louis calls Armand by his original name, Arun. Armand pauses, he looks down and seems to deflate a little. He nods and submits to Louis, falling back into that oh so familiar role he is used to. Another important one is when Louis wants to turn Madeline into a vampire, in which he tries convincing Armand to do. ‘Are you asking or demanding?’ He is asking for reassurance, and a silent plea for Louis to actually understand what he is asking him to do.
Now, onto the big stuff! Why did Armand betray Louis in the end and why did he lie about it for almost a whole century? Like I mentioned earlier, he is conflicted with the coven and his lover. But who is he more loyal to? Blind by fear— and lingering thoughts of the sudden abandonment of his parents, Marius and Lestat, he does not want to possibly lose something his identity had been so deeply tied to. Hence in why he chooses the coven.
So yes, he directed the play and was not held against his will. That part was true. This is survival, not just in terms of his immortality but emotionally and fundamentally. And when things turn out the way that it did, of course once again, he lied. Fawning to keep that one relationship remaining and tied to him. Him and him only. If Louis left and returned to Lestat, who would he turn to!
He has utterly nobody.
TVL. Humiliated and rejected. Of course, it was his own doing… (but as an armand defender, I didn’t see anyone else going to rehab👀👀) Jokes aside, Armand went to AA mostly to indoctrinate himself to Alex. But surprisingly, went ahead with his written out apologies. He needs to reform, he needs to apologise and learn and be accepted once again— but expectedly, none of his apologies are taken to heart nor seriously.
Even as one last attempt to reach out to Lestat and better himself he gets publically humiliated in front of thousands and insulted by his own personal history and his experience with sexual assault.
Low blow! But what are vampires without pettiness? Such a labyrinthine it must be in Armand’s mind, I do not wish to even imagine every inch of it. Nothingness and an infinite, hungry, unfulfilled void. Chasing the dog’s tail around and around…
Don’t really know how to close this. Too long, people don’t read long stuff anymore and I just yap but hope you understand his character just a little better :3
I love to get to know our little gremlin
