[After coming to an agreement with Daniel, Armand makes arrangements. He’s good at those. He informs Louis that Mr. Molloy needs to walk to clear his head. Louis, still emotionally exhausted from recent events, seems happy enough to agree.
In all honesty, Armand is feeling the strain himself. This interview isn’t going as smoothly as he would like, but he can’t really say he’s surprised. In any case, a break might do them all some good. And low intensity exercise like walking is supposed to be good for mortals. It says so on the internet.
It’s all done quickly and efficiently and Armand enters the room as Daniel is putting on his shoes.]
Everything is arranged. If there are any particular sites you would like to see, please don’t hesitate to let me know.
[In truth, Daniel is honestly surprised Armand agreed to this. Yes, it's going to be under his surveillance and probably monitored within an inch of its life, but it's still a step outside. He'd kind of assumed the closest thing he'd get was a nice sitting session next to the rock garden and maybe a potted plant or something.
There's still an awkwardness there, partly from Armand's hypervigilance and partly from that whole 'hey guess who's a vampire' stunner. Add in a side dose of 'he was there in the 70s', sprinkle on a little 'he can read minds', and it presumably meant Armand could hear Daniel's brain screaming 'WHAT THE FUCK' in rapid succession for a while there.
Still. Outside. Fresh air. He's in the middle of tying his shoelaces (without trembling, thank God) when he hears the other man walking in.]
All right. And what sort of arrangements are we talking here?
[The reply is easy and smooth as he taps away on his tablet, seemingly oblivious to any awkwardness, before turning his full attention to Daniel.]
I have advised Louis that you are in need of a break tonight and he has agreed. We can walk as far as you like, and I will have a driver on standby should you become fatigued and need a ride back.
[He knows it’s a possibility with Daniel’s age, illness and general stubbornness that he might tire himself out.]
Similarly, if there are any areas of interest you would like to explore, transportation can be provided.
[Daniel's stubbornness is 100% in full force at the mention of a driver. He lives in Brooklyn without a car, for god's sake, he can handle a walk or two. Never mind that Brooklyn wasn't exactly located in a desert, or that he was hopped up on levodopa.
Still, it's a half-hearted protest, all told, because he keeps reminding himself: he is getting what he asked for, for the most part.]
I just want to stretch my legs to start with. Just get outside and get a change of scenery.
[Off-hand, he didn't have anything specific in mind quite yet. He hadn't exactly put the normal level of prep work into this interview as he had with past articles. Normally location research would have been done way earlier than this, but the prompt to get on a plane right away had made prep work a rush job. The five-minute Google search he'd done had cheerfully let him know that Tom Cruise shot a Mission: Impossible here once, which hadn't been helpful.]
[He tilts his head slightly and the corner of his mouth turns up at Daniel’s protest. Almost like he was expecting it. Because he was.]
It’s only a precaution, Mr. Molloy.
[There is mild amusement in his tone, but he doesn’t say anything more than that. He supposes if Daniel really kicks up a fuss about it, Armand could dismiss the driver and just princess carry the old man if he gets tired.
He’s pretty sure Daniel would prefer the car, in the end.
He gestures to the door.]
As you wish. Lead the way.
Edited (Formatting and I misread part of your reply lol) 2022-12-14 03:51 (UTC)
[He bristles slightly at the amusement in Armand's voice, but lets it slide without comment. Even as he silently makes the determination that he will walk until his toes fall off before even considering the idea of a driver, or anything else that Armand might have concocted that would be just as much of a defeat. Even the princess carry!
He is also very, very aware that Armand can probably hear all of the thoughts running in his head, which just makes him bristle even more.
Still, he gets up and starts walking without fuss, trying not to think too deeply about exactly how surreal it is to be getting chaperoned. As he heads towards the penthouse entrance, he remembers taking his daughters to the mall when they were younger, and has the absurd mental image of Armand trying to drag him around a food court.]
How often do you two go outside, exactly? Seems like you both are pretty ensconced up here.
[If Daniel had asked Armand might have explained that telepathy, the Mind Gift, can be tricky. Especially when the gift is strong, ironically enough. Minds are noisy, people are thinking all the time. To those powerful enough to hear over great distances, it can be a constant din. Thousands of voices in the crowd. Tuning into just one mind takes focus and concentration.
He hasn’t been tuning into Daniel much. He’s been too focused on Louis. It’s why Armand was surprised when Louis read Daniel’s mental question about how he tasted. He hadn’t read it because he hadn’t been trying. But Louis had been.
Sometimes, though, when thoughts are particularly loud they can be heard over the rest of the noise. So Armand is aware of Daniel’s bristling and renewed determination. His frustration and irritation tend to be louder than anything else.
Then again maybe he wouldn’t have explained any of that. It would really depend entirely on his mood in the moment, which can be obnoxiously fickle.
As it stands he follows Daniel as he heads out of the penthouse, and focuses on answering what Daniel spoke aloud.]
Often enough to know some of the sites and attractions. But Louis feels more in control in a controlled environment.
[He's kind of surprised to hear that Armand has some idea of local attractions. It doesn't seem like casual day trips -- night trips? -- would be his bag. Then again, apart from one thirty-second memory from fifty years ago, he has difficulty picturing Armand anywhere except inside the penthouse. Presumably, said penthouse had not been around five hundred years ago or whenever it was that he'd first gone vampire.
Christ, he really does need to get outside, doesn't he? Cabin fever was scrambling his brain. He exits the penthouse front door and quickly realizes he hasn't even seen the elevator bank in over a week.
Didn't take you for much of the sightseeing type. Hard to arrange things entirely by tablet on the outside.
There's definitely still questions to be asked about what, exactly, the 'controlled environment' entailed and how much of that was Louis' design. But questions that might vex his undead chaperone could wait until he'd hit pavement.]
Maybe it didn't seem like much because it was all a facade.
[And he does, admittedly, have a thousand questions about exactly that. Like what the purpose of such a deception would be in the first place. And if there was a reason to begin with, why end it, and why tell him now.
It is also an odd sensation to be reconciling everything he's seen of Armand thus far and melding it to what he knows now. There's a question sitting in the back of his mind about which pieces were performance and which were simply misread without context. He doubts that asking outright would go far, and it'll simply be another inquiry in a long line of them that he'll have to work on throughout the interview.
And there's another question, buried under the rest, of why Armand would notice or care what Daniel thought of him to begin with. But that's something else not to say out loud while the elevator slides closer to ground level.]
Still seems pretty tech-heavy for someone older than the Taj Mahal.
[Armand inclines his head slightly, a sort of concession.]
That was the point.
[To appear unassuming. Insignificant. Beneath notice. What better way to blend in and keep an eye on things?
But actually, Armand is just as dramatic and bratty as Lestat, in his own way. Not being noticed was, as it turned out, deeply frustrating. Or at least in this case it was.]
Technology is fascinating, Mr. Molloy, especially now. I have lived for over 500 years and never before have I witnessed the sort of rapid advancement that has occurred in the last century.
[Not that he thinks Armand exactly regrets the reveal. It certainly did seem to betray a certain flair for the dramatic. Maybe all vampires are theatrical, or maybe it's just specifically the ones that Louis dates.
There is still the question of why do it in the first place, but he lets it shuffle aside for the moment.]
The Industrial Revolution and penicillin get beaten out by TikTok and the Blackberry? Good to know.
[The sarcasm is light. He's tech-savvy enough, but he's spent most of the Digital Revolution feeling old and out-of-step from whatever the hot new thing was. It's odd to hear it described so easily by someone who is seven times his age.
Not that that's where his focus is when the elevator hits the ground level and the doors slide open. When they walk out into the building lobby, it feels oddly like a breath of fresh air, like waking up from a very odd dream, even if Armand is still very much present.]
[Yes, but he didn’t like succeeding at that. Succeeding sucked. He lets the comment go, though, instead focusing on the talk of technology.
He steps out of the elevator and glances at Daniel, eyebrows raised.]
I have little use for penicillin, but it was first discovered in 1928, was it not? So within the last century. It is part of the advancement I spoke of.
[He meant the word century as the last 100 years, not specifically the 21st century. He doesn’t follow medicine as closely as other technology, but he knows a little. Humans have found a number of ways to extend their life spans.
He glances at the sky as they step outside.]
The Industrial Revolution is another matter. Fascinating at the time, perhaps, and a necessary stepping stone to what we have now. But the air was cleaner before it started.
[The 1800s wasn’t exactly Armand’s best century, though. But then again neither were the 1700s. Louis had helped bring him into the modern age and with his affection for the other vampire came an appreciation for modern advancements.]
Fair enough. Not exactly a great time for anyone who didn't want to exist inside a chimney.
[The words are a little distracted as they walk outside the building, the doors closed behind them by a polite concierge. Stepping outside feels like a relief. Even knowing full well that the world beyond the penthouse had been proceeding as normal, there's something to be said for actually seeing it. It felt good to emerge into an environment outside the apartment, to experience something less claustrophobic than the weight of a hundred years of Louis' memories locked in a confined space.
Even if he was still being accompanied by a very old, very real vampire, casually discussing his favorite centuries.]
What's around here? Any markets or parks or anything like that?
[Armand watches him in silence. That eerie kind of silence only vampires are capable of. He notes that Daniel seems relieved and less tense than he has been since he’d arrived. Mortals get stir crazy when cooped up for too long. Sometimes he forgets that.]
Well, if you were willing to take a car I would suggest Al Seef. It’s a lovely place to walk and the shops are open fairly late. But it is something of a trek from here.
[There's a mental calculation that's done in the stubborn piece of Daniels' brain, namely where he decides whether taking a car is a sign of defeat. On the one hand, he is still bristling at anything that even remotely resembles being coddled or treated as frail. On the other hand, it's not like they'd be taking it because he was tired, it'd be because it's far, that's all.
Whatever, fuck it. The weather is nice, he's breathing fresh air, his joints don't hurt. Even just getting to stand out on a sidewalk outside is nice, at least for the change of scenery and seeing faces passing by that are probably not on the Pointe du Lac payroll. He was actually maybe about to be in a good mood, or good enough, at any rate.]
[Armand's head tilts and he blinks once. Twice. Almost like he’s surprised.
Because he is, actually. Daniel has surprised him.
Could it be that they’ve been dealing with Daniel wrong this whole time? That humans don’t like to be reminded of their frailty and mortality? That it makes them grumpy and disagreeable?
Huh. Huh!
Something to keep in mind.
As it stands, Armand doesn’t comment on it. Instead he takes out his phone and texts his driver. As he places his phone back in his pocket he speaks.]
[There is something odd in noticing that he may have actually surprised Armand by being (relatively) agreeable. He doesn't comment on it, letting it pass by unaddressed, though there is a slight wry pull in the corner of his mouth, as if joking 'Don't get used to it'.
Still, he is in a relatively all right mood at the prospect of going somewhere, despite some of the more dramatic turns of the past few days. In the back of his mind, he idly thinks of those nature documentaries where they talk about keeping zoo animals happy with enrichment in their enclosures.]
"Often" would be an overstatement. We have been a handful of times since its opening.
[Daniel isn’t wrong that they don’t leave the penthouse often, but they don’t need to. Not when there are ways of sustaining themselves without hunting the old fashioned way, among mortal crowds. And the temptation to hunt is less strong when they are not surrounded by prey.
Not that Armand has the same moral qualms as Louis when it comes to such things, but he’s not as inclined to push Louis out of his comfort zone as Lestat had been. If anything, it’s part of the Pointe du Lac charm.]
[Weirdly, he hadn't even thought of the idea of Armand hunting in this spot. Not because he doesn't think Armand drinks human blood -- another question he's definitely planning to nudge at some point -- but because the idea of hunting out in a crowd feels far too messy for him. Too many variables that can't be controlled, for one.
Vampire talk might have to wait for whenever the car arrives, at any rate. Wouldn't exactly be great for some passing stranger to know English and overhear something that made them both look like serial killers. He's not sure what Armand does to handle that sort of thing, and he'd probably prefer not to know.]
Right. Fun little shopping dates, that kind of thing? I assumed you were more of an online shopping kind of guy.
Both types of shopping have their uses and their charms.
[When seeking out art, there is something to be said for visiting galleries and boutiques in person. But shopping online allows you to cast a broader net and search out specific things. When one is purchasing a stolen Rembrandt, for example, the dark web is extremely useful.
When the car pulls up, Armand steps forward to open the door.]
Right. And Amazon Prime shipping has got to be convenient for those not inclined to daylight.
[The words are said dryly, but there is probably an angle in there somewhere about the internet making things a hell of a lot more convenient for the undead. Another note to add to his laptop later.
Daniel gets in the car and very pointedly decides not to try to figure out how expensive a vehicle it is. He knows at this point that the vampire household he's been residing in certainly has resources, but he'll save the calculations for when he's in front of a spreadsheet and can boggle in private.]
[Armand slips into the car next to him and shuts the door. It is, indeed, quite an expensive car with all the bells and whistles.]
Amazon is hardly the only thing on the internet that has made things easier for us. It isn’t even my favorite retailer.
[He leans back in the seat as the car pulls out onto the street and makes a point of closing the divider between the backseat passengers and the driver.]
Yeah, I guess even Jeff Bezos isn't gonna be able to ship out original paintings by Basquiat.
[He'd done some Googling on the artworks in the penthouse. It was a lot. Honestly, he wasn't even much of an art guy and he was still going to be making damned sure not to spill anything in the general vicinity of the walls.
Daniel notices the divider slide up, glancing over at Armand.]
Big on privacy from the help?
[He does wonder, at times, who knows what about the whole 'vampire' situation.]
[It was one thing to want privacy, which did seem to be fairly well-accomplished at this point. But it did make him curious as to how exactly one hid basic facts of their existence when they seemed to have at least a dozen people in their employ at any given time. Including at least a few who were actively being snacked on -- thanks, Damick.]
Especially if they already know they're working for at least one bloodsucker. Unless there's some convenient alternate explanation given for Louis' meal service.
[His head is tilted, his expression curious. Daniel's still trying to decide what he thinks of Armand, an entirely separate task then when the man had been Rashid. There's a lot to piece together yet, but there is some shape coalescing, something that might at one point solidify.]
If nothing else, you run the penthouse and anyone who works in in it like a well-oiled machine.
[There's -- something, something he can't name, exactly, in his reaction to seeing Armand -- pleased? Flattered? He's not sure what. Daniel has always tried to be no-nonsense, and that meant being truthful about things that were complimentary and not just what was bullshit. Still, it's odd to see Armand smile sincerely all the same.]
So what makes you impractical, then? Besides the bookshelves on the ceiling and the flair for the dramatic.
[He raises his eyebrows, more amused than insulted.]
Is that not enough?
[When Daniel puts it bluntly like that, it seems like it should be enough. He could defend his choice of decor, but honestly he can understand why it might seem impractical to a human.
But Armand offers a shrug and glances out the window again.]
I once watched three seasons of the television show Friends in one sitting. I believe that to be impractical given the number of times Netflix asked if I was still watching.
[After the initial surprise of considering Armand, of all the beings in the universe, sitting down to watch Joey fucking Tribbiano, he starts doing math. There is a piece of his brain, one that has been honed by years of research and critical analysis, that immediately starts to calculate the exact time count in spite of himself.
Friends was a half-hour sitcom, twenty minutes without commercials, it ran on network TV in the 90s, so it presumably had 24-episode orders. Multiply it all together by three and you get...]
You watched Friends for twenty-four straight hours?
[Armand isn’t listening in to Daniel’s thoughts specifically, but he is aware of the gears turning in his head, the calculations he’s making. And when Daniel asks his question Armand sighs deeply, glancing at him with a slight quirk to his lips.]
Yes, something like that. Impractical, as I said, and not something I would recommend.
[Not that he thinks Daniel really needs this particular advice.]
[For some reason, this sticks to him more than a lot of other shit he's learned in the past few days. The human man named Rashid actually being a vampire named Armand? A wild twist, but, you know what, he was in vampire territory. The guy who owned original Francis Bacon paintings watching Jennifer Aniston have a will-they-won't-they with Ross? Somehow that was more surprising.]
I enjoyed the blonde woman. Phoebe. She was amusing. The rest…grew tedious.
[Which is why he never binge watched the rest of the seasons. Armand isn’t surprised that Daniel is surprised, though. Shocking him was, perhaps, the main reason he decided to share that bit of information. To see his reaction. Armand does enjoy getting reactions out of people.
But it’s also easier to talk to him now. As himself, rather than a facade.]
[Somehow, that eases him back. He's pretty sure he'd have been far more rattled if it turned out Armand was really, deeply invested in Ross Geller. It'd really set back the mystique on the whole 'vampire' thing.
Still, there's something oddly -- humanizing about the idea of the guy sitting down to watch a sitcom and deciding he didn't like it, even if 'human' was something he hadn't been for half a millennia. Daniel's not sure what to make of that.]
Does seem kind of low-brow compared to Rembrandt and Basquiat, but then again, I have no idea what kind of TV wouldn't be.
[Armand tilts his head thoughtfully and then glances out the car window to determine how much longer before they get to their destination. Perhaps 5 more minutes.]
That is not a fair comparison. It’s—what’s the saying?—apples to oranges? Painting is a different form of art than theater. Or acting.
[He's not really trying to defend Friends, exactly, but as someone who has both painted and acted, as well as a fan of television in general, he has opinions.]
In his day, Shakespeare was considered low-brow. Popular theater for the masses, full of bawdy humor. His work is art to people now because it has withstood the test of time.
[He turns his gaze back to Daniel.]
Besides, it is Louis who has the fondness for Basquiat. I fear I may be too old to fully appreciate him. Modern art is sometimes lost on me.
[It's odd -- this is maybe the most Armand has talked about himself since Daniel has met him. The words he says aren't really about him, granted, but he's explaining his tastes and point of view, and it's a contrast to the secrecy that's surrounded everything else about him since Daniel's arrival.
But Daniel's content to let him talk, to let him become less of a cipher. It's weird, but something about getting him outside of the penthouse seems to have made him less of an enigma. Maybe fresh air'll do that. Or just Joey Tribbiani. Hard to say.]
Mm, I don't disagree. I mean, I'm not someone with particularly fancy tastes, exactly. I guess I assumed your sense for aesthetic wasn't just limited to penthouse decor.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
For @didyoueatthebaby
[After coming to an agreement with Daniel, Armand makes arrangements. He’s good at those. He informs Louis that Mr. Molloy needs to walk to clear his head. Louis, still emotionally exhausted from recent events, seems happy enough to agree.
In all honesty, Armand is feeling the strain himself. This interview isn’t going as smoothly as he would like, but he can’t really say he’s surprised. In any case, a break might do them all some good. And low intensity exercise like walking is supposed to be good for mortals. It says so on the internet.
It’s all done quickly and efficiently and Armand enters the room as Daniel is putting on his shoes.]
Everything is arranged. If there are any particular sites you would like to see, please don’t hesitate to let me know.
no subject
There's still an awkwardness there, partly from Armand's hypervigilance and partly from that whole 'hey guess who's a vampire' stunner. Add in a side dose of 'he was there in the 70s', sprinkle on a little 'he can read minds', and it presumably meant Armand could hear Daniel's brain screaming 'WHAT THE FUCK' in rapid succession for a while there.
Still. Outside. Fresh air. He's in the middle of tying his shoelaces (without trembling, thank God) when he hears the other man walking in.]
All right. And what sort of arrangements are we talking here?
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[The reply is easy and smooth as he taps away on his tablet, seemingly oblivious to any awkwardness, before turning his full attention to Daniel.]
I have advised Louis that you are in need of a break tonight and he has agreed. We can walk as far as you like, and I will have a driver on standby should you become fatigued and need a ride back.
[He knows it’s a possibility with Daniel’s age, illness and general stubbornness that he might tire himself out.]
Similarly, if there are any areas of interest you would like to explore, transportation can be provided.
no subject
[Daniel's stubbornness is 100% in full force at the mention of a driver. He lives in Brooklyn without a car, for god's sake, he can handle a walk or two. Never mind that Brooklyn wasn't exactly located in a desert, or that he was hopped up on levodopa.
Still, it's a half-hearted protest, all told, because he keeps reminding himself: he is getting what he asked for, for the most part.]
I just want to stretch my legs to start with. Just get outside and get a change of scenery.
[Off-hand, he didn't have anything specific in mind quite yet. He hadn't exactly put the normal level of prep work into this interview as he had with past articles. Normally location research would have been done way earlier than this, but the prompt to get on a plane right away had made prep work a rush job. The five-minute Google search he'd done had cheerfully let him know that Tom Cruise shot a Mission: Impossible here once, which hadn't been helpful.]
no subject
It’s only a precaution, Mr. Molloy.
[There is mild amusement in his tone, but he doesn’t say anything more than that. He supposes if Daniel really kicks up a fuss about it, Armand could dismiss the driver and just princess carry the old man if he gets tired.
He’s pretty sure Daniel would prefer the car, in the end.
He gestures to the door.]
As you wish. Lead the way.
no subject
Even the princess carry!He is also very, very aware that Armand can probably hear all of the thoughts running in his head, which just makes him bristle even more.
Still, he gets up and starts walking without fuss, trying not to think too deeply about exactly how surreal it is to be getting chaperoned. As he heads towards the penthouse entrance, he remembers taking his daughters to the mall when they were younger, and has the absurd mental image of Armand trying to drag him around a food court.]
How often do you two go outside, exactly? Seems like you both are pretty ensconced up here.
no subject
He hasn’t been tuning into Daniel much. He’s been too focused on Louis. It’s why Armand was surprised when Louis read Daniel’s mental question about how he tasted. He hadn’t read it because he hadn’t been trying. But Louis had been.
Sometimes, though, when thoughts are particularly loud they can be heard over the rest of the noise. So Armand is aware of Daniel’s bristling and renewed determination. His frustration and irritation tend to be louder than anything else.
Then again maybe he wouldn’t have explained any of that. It would really depend entirely on his mood in the moment, which can be obnoxiously fickle.
As it stands he follows Daniel as he heads out of the penthouse, and focuses on answering what Daniel spoke aloud.]
Often enough to know some of the sites and attractions. But Louis feels more in control in a controlled environment.
no subject
Christ, he really does need to get outside, doesn't he? Cabin fever was scrambling his brain. He exits the penthouse front door and quickly realizes he hasn't even seen the elevator bank in over a week.
Didn't take you for much of the sightseeing type. Hard to arrange things entirely by tablet on the outside.
There's definitely still questions to be asked about what, exactly, the 'controlled environment' entailed and how much of that was Louis' design. But questions that might vex his undead chaperone could wait until he'd hit pavement.]
no subject
[At least nothing more than a servant or a "rent boy," the latter of which had stung, not that Daniel had any way of knowing why.
Armand offers a benign smile as he steps into the elevator with Daniel.]
It’s not as hard to arrange things on the outside as it once was. Cellular technology has come so far in the last decade or so.
no subject
[And he does, admittedly, have a thousand questions about exactly that. Like what the purpose of such a deception would be in the first place. And if there was a reason to begin with, why end it, and why tell him now.
It is also an odd sensation to be reconciling everything he's seen of Armand thus far and melding it to what he knows now. There's a question sitting in the back of his mind about which pieces were performance and which were simply misread without context. He doubts that asking outright would go far, and it'll simply be another inquiry in a long line of them that he'll have to work on throughout the interview.
And there's another question, buried under the rest, of why Armand would notice or care what Daniel thought of him to begin with. But that's something else not to say out loud while the elevator slides closer to ground level.]
Still seems pretty tech-heavy for someone older than the Taj Mahal.
no subject
That was the point.
[To appear unassuming. Insignificant. Beneath notice. What better way to blend in and keep an eye on things?
But actually, Armand is just as dramatic and bratty as Lestat, in his own way. Not being noticed was, as it turned out, deeply frustrating. Or at least in this case it was.]
Technology is fascinating, Mr. Molloy, especially now. I have lived for over 500 years and never before have I witnessed the sort of rapid advancement that has occurred in the last century.
[He's a vampire, yes, but also a nerd.]
no subject
[Not that he thinks Armand exactly regrets the reveal. It certainly did seem to betray a certain flair for the dramatic. Maybe all vampires are theatrical, or maybe it's just specifically the ones that Louis dates.
There is still the question of why do it in the first place, but he lets it shuffle aside for the moment.]
The Industrial Revolution and penicillin get beaten out by TikTok and the Blackberry? Good to know.
[The sarcasm is light. He's tech-savvy enough, but he's spent most of the Digital Revolution feeling old and out-of-step from whatever the hot new thing was. It's odd to hear it described so easily by someone who is seven times his age.
Not that that's where his focus is when the elevator hits the ground level and the doors slide open. When they walk out into the building lobby, it feels oddly like a breath of fresh air, like waking up from a very odd dream, even if Armand is still very much present.]
no subject
He steps out of the elevator and glances at Daniel, eyebrows raised.]
I have little use for penicillin, but it was first discovered in 1928, was it not? So within the last century. It is part of the advancement I spoke of.
[He meant the word century as the last 100 years, not specifically the 21st century. He doesn’t follow medicine as closely as other technology, but he knows a little. Humans have found a number of ways to extend their life spans.
He glances at the sky as they step outside.]
The Industrial Revolution is another matter. Fascinating at the time, perhaps, and a necessary stepping stone to what we have now. But the air was cleaner before it started.
[The 1800s wasn’t exactly Armand’s best century, though. But then again neither were the 1700s. Louis had helped bring him into the modern age and with his affection for the other vampire came an appreciation for modern advancements.]
no subject
[The words are a little distracted as they walk outside the building, the doors closed behind them by a polite concierge. Stepping outside feels like a relief. Even knowing full well that the world beyond the penthouse had been proceeding as normal, there's something to be said for actually seeing it. It felt good to emerge into an environment outside the apartment, to experience something less claustrophobic than the weight of a hundred years of Louis' memories locked in a confined space.
Even if he was still being accompanied by a very old, very real vampire, casually discussing his favorite centuries.]
What's around here? Any markets or parks or anything like that?
no subject
Well, if you were willing to take a car I would suggest Al Seef. It’s a lovely place to walk and the shops are open fairly late. But it is something of a trek from here.
no subject
Whatever, fuck it. The weather is nice, he's breathing fresh air, his joints don't hurt. Even just getting to stand out on a sidewalk outside is nice, at least for the change of scenery and seeing faces passing by that are probably not on the Pointe du Lac payroll. He was actually maybe about to be in a good mood, or good enough, at any rate.]
Sure. All right. You'd know better than I would.
no subject
Because he is, actually. Daniel has surprised him.
Could it be that they’ve been dealing with Daniel wrong this whole time? That humans don’t like to be reminded of their frailty and mortality? That it makes them grumpy and disagreeable?
Huh. Huh!
Something to keep in mind.
As it stands, Armand doesn’t comment on it. Instead he takes out his phone and texts his driver. As he places his phone back in his pocket he speaks.]
Very well. The car will be here in a moment.
no subject
Still, he is in a relatively all right mood at the prospect of going somewhere, despite some of the more dramatic turns of the past few days. In the back of his mind, he idly thinks of those nature documentaries where they talk about keeping zoo animals happy with enrichment in their enclosures.]
All right. You go to this place, often, then?
no subject
[Daniel isn’t wrong that they don’t leave the penthouse often, but they don’t need to. Not when there are ways of sustaining themselves without hunting the old fashioned way, among mortal crowds. And the temptation to hunt is less strong when they are not surrounded by prey.
Not that Armand has the same moral qualms as Louis when it comes to such things, but he’s not as inclined to push Louis out of his comfort zone as Lestat had been. If anything, it’s part of the Pointe du Lac charm.]
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Vampire talk might have to wait for whenever the car arrives, at any rate. Wouldn't exactly be great for some passing stranger to know English and overhear something that made them both look like serial killers. He's not sure what Armand does to handle that sort of thing, and he'd probably prefer not to know.]
Right. Fun little shopping dates, that kind of thing? I assumed you were more of an online shopping kind of guy.
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[When seeking out art, there is something to be said for visiting galleries and boutiques in person. But shopping online allows you to cast a broader net and search out specific things. When one is purchasing a stolen Rembrandt, for example, the dark web is extremely useful.
When the car pulls up, Armand steps forward to open the door.]
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[The words are said dryly, but there is probably an angle in there somewhere about the internet making things a hell of a lot more convenient for the undead. Another note to add to his laptop later.
Daniel gets in the car and very pointedly decides not to try to figure out how expensive a vehicle it is. He knows at this point that the vampire household he's been residing in certainly has resources, but he'll save the calculations for when he's in front of a spreadsheet and can boggle in private.]
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Amazon is hardly the only thing on the internet that has made things easier for us. It isn’t even my favorite retailer.
[He leans back in the seat as the car pulls out onto the street and makes a point of closing the divider between the backseat passengers and the driver.]
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[He'd done some Googling on the artworks in the penthouse. It was a lot. Honestly, he wasn't even much of an art guy and he was still going to be making damned sure not to spill anything in the general vicinity of the walls.
Daniel notices the divider slide up, glancing over at Armand.]
Big on privacy from the help?
[He does wonder, at times, who knows what about the whole 'vampire' situation.]
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Precisely.
[He offers a dismissive shrug at the question.]
I am big on privacy in general, Mr. Molloy.
[His tone suggests that maybe that should be fairly obvious at this point. What with the facade he puts up and all.]
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[It was one thing to want privacy, which did seem to be fairly well-accomplished at this point. But it did make him curious as to how exactly one hid basic facts of their existence when they seemed to have at least a dozen people in their employ at any given time. Including at least a few who were actively being snacked on -- thanks, Damick.]
Especially if they already know they're working for at least one bloodsucker. Unless there's some convenient alternate explanation given for Louis' meal service.
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When he turns to look at him, there’s a slight quirk to Armand’s lips.]
Did you have the impression that vampires are practical creatures, Mr. Molloy?
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You, though? Honestly, yeah.
[His head is tilted, his expression curious. Daniel's still trying to decide what he thinks of Armand, an entirely separate task then when the man had been Rashid. There's a lot to piece together yet, but there is some shape coalescing, something that might at one point solidify.]
If nothing else, you run the penthouse and anyone who works in in it like a well-oiled machine.
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I will take that as a compliment.
[Then he glances out the window, taking a mental note of how far they are from their destination.]
You could say I value efficiency. Enjoy it. I don’t know that it is the same as practicality.
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So what makes you impractical, then? Besides the bookshelves on the ceiling and the flair for the dramatic.
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Is that not enough?
[When Daniel puts it bluntly like that, it seems like it should be enough. He could defend his choice of decor, but honestly he can understand why it might seem impractical to a human.
But Armand offers a shrug and glances out the window again.]
I once watched three seasons of the television show Friends in one sitting. I believe that to be impractical given the number of times Netflix asked if I was still watching.
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[After the initial surprise of considering Armand, of all the beings in the universe, sitting down to watch Joey fucking Tribbiano, he starts doing math. There is a piece of his brain, one that has been honed by years of research and critical analysis, that immediately starts to calculate the exact time count in spite of himself.
Friends was a half-hour sitcom, twenty minutes without commercials, it ran on network TV in the 90s, so it presumably had 24-episode orders. Multiply it all together by three and you get...]
You watched Friends for twenty-four straight hours?
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Yes, something like that. Impractical, as I said, and not something I would recommend.
[Not that he thinks Daniel really needs this particular advice.]
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[For some reason, this sticks to him more than a lot of other shit he's learned in the past few days. The human man named Rashid actually being a vampire named Armand? A wild twist, but, you know what, he was in vampire territory. The guy who owned original Francis Bacon paintings watching Jennifer Aniston have a will-they-won't-they with Ross? Somehow that was more surprising.]
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[Which is why he never binge watched the rest of the seasons. Armand isn’t surprised that Daniel is surprised, though. Shocking him was, perhaps, the main reason he decided to share that bit of information. To see his reaction. Armand does enjoy getting reactions out of people.
But it’s also easier to talk to him now. As himself, rather than a facade.]
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Still, there's something oddly -- humanizing about the idea of the guy sitting down to watch a sitcom and deciding he didn't like it, even if 'human' was something he hadn't been for half a millennia. Daniel's not sure what to make of that.]
Does seem kind of low-brow compared to Rembrandt and Basquiat, but then again, I have no idea what kind of TV wouldn't be.
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That is not a fair comparison. It’s—what’s the saying?—apples to oranges? Painting is a different form of art than theater. Or acting.
[He's not really trying to defend Friends, exactly, but as someone who has both painted and acted, as well as a fan of television in general, he has opinions.]
In his day, Shakespeare was considered low-brow. Popular theater for the masses, full of bawdy humor. His work is art to people now because it has withstood the test of time.
[He turns his gaze back to Daniel.]
Besides, it is Louis who has the fondness for Basquiat. I fear I may be too old to fully appreciate him. Modern art is sometimes lost on me.
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But Daniel's content to let him talk, to let him become less of a cipher. It's weird, but something about getting him outside of the penthouse seems to have made him less of an enigma. Maybe fresh air'll do that. Or just Joey Tribbiani. Hard to say.]
Mm, I don't disagree. I mean, I'm not someone with particularly fancy tastes, exactly. I guess I assumed your sense for aesthetic wasn't just limited to penthouse decor.