Tag Archives: intelligence

Re: Tale of the Body Thief

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thelionscrimsonclaws:

Lestat, an anonymous person recently asked me:

“Oh man, I was disappointed in Lestat the first time I read the body thief also, but mostly bc he came across as a lot less intelligent than I had thought and that was a huge turnoff”

And I answered, basically, that there were a lot of extenuating circumstances, and pressure, you were under in that story… so I don’t really think it was a lack of intelligence on your part and I don’t think it’s your job to try to “turn-on” your readers/audiences with every story.

But how would you have handled that question?

It’s actually my favorite misadventure….mainly because it is really the first modern tale where it’s just myself telling the story. There is plenty of cast support, so to speak, but it’s all from my viewpoint.

I know I’ve expressed before, that every vampire is a frozen drop in an icy sea of time indefinite. I’m no exception to that rule. You bet, I love modern excess and read constantly but any self-proclaimed exclamation of genius is pure vanity.

I’m clever, that is to be certain….wily like a fox and I learn quickly but how best does anyone learn? Mistakes. I may have the body and visage of a god but like all deities in mythology, I’m fallible, baby!

I started out my life as an illiterate bumpkin! I was talented in four areas; hunting, fucking, drinking, and acting. Hardly the stuff of Hawking, Jobs, Tyson or any other modern mega-mind!

It took the Dark Gift to expand my capacity for thought and to retain knowledge. I’m a great mimic. Up until my time as a rock star, I couldn’t compose Chop Sticks if you paid me. I had no time for that, man! I was a bit busy….

Imagine now, that you take this demigod, frozen in time, suffering from post-traumatic stress due to the biggest let down of his life and set down before him, a large ‘Do Over’ button. It’s bright red and glowing in the center of the hole in his life and it says, “DO NOT PRESS THIS EVER!”

Who am I? What am I famed for? The neon signs came out, lit up like Christmas in Las Vegas telling me to do ANYTHING other than press that precise button!
So of course, I smashed my fist into that son-of-a-bitch because I wanted to know! I wanted to remember what it was like! I’d tried Death and she threw me back! So how about life?

And ahh I thought I knew and remembered what it was like! I thought everything I lifted from every meal I engorged myself with made me an expert in the human condition! I was so horribly naive.

And I described how dreadful it all was! The eating, the drinking, the shitting, the paltry sex, the illness, the fragility! I could barely see! I could barely move or think clearly enough to qualify as much more than some en vogue, hunky, runway model…..no brain, all body, probably a dreadful accent! Best ogled, not heard! What was I to do with all that? I was almost that country pauper again.

I needed help and I was grateful for Gretchen, for David! Without them, I would have died…in one of the most wretchedly, abysmally common mortal ways.

This mind of mine combined with the Blood and this body is a complete package that works! Raglan didn’t do so hot inside it, if you recall?

I could describe my many attributes again but to sum it all up, I’m smarter than the average bear and I love telling a good tale but don’t let the golden fleece fall over your eyes, darling! This was an extraordinary event that happened to an otherwise ordinary guy. 

*winks*

Afterword: If that disappointed you or broke your heart, then might I suggest developing a crush on my brainy squeeze, David! Or Louis? I surround myself with genius to put me in a brighter spotlight. Just don’t be in their beds when I want in. I have the jealousy of a bull in the midst of puberty.

#damn you and your perfect headcanon perfection #PERFECT JUST PERFECT #tldr  #tldr i know #but seriously plz read this it is #perfection

Also, look how generous he is about sharing his toys people! “Just don’t be in their beds when I want in.” <- NOTE TAKEN.

Which of the major VC character would you say are the most intelligent? I mean, for all the love I have for him, I’d place Lestat on the smart side of average at best. What do you think? What of the others? Your opinion is of paramount importance to me lol

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Well my opinion should be of paramount importance to you bc I am in fact highly intelligent. Like off-the-scale. SO SMART.

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There are different kinds of intelligence, tho. I couldn’t assign IQ numbers, bc those might fluctuate over time, and are not the only/best way to define the nebulous concept that is “intelligence.” So I can’t say which are the most intelligent, but I can describe their types of intelligence. I’ll do my faves first and the rest under a cut like noone is gonna read all this ffs!

Lestat- His experience as a hunter in life and as a vampire made him flexible, resourceful, and inventive/impulsive. His theatre experience gave him improvisational skills, which are useful in negotiation, courtship, and life-of-the-partyness. So I don’t think I can agree with you that that places him “on the smart side of average,” since I’m not considering his intelligence as a notch on a numerical scale. But I’m glad you still love him, even if you rate his intelligence that way! That’s totes fine.

Louis- His love of books is a love of learning and storytelling, a seeking of deeper meanings, an enjoyment of the imagination, so I would say his intelligence lies in his introspective nature. This helps with diplomacy, trying to talk sense into Lestat and others. He’s empathetic, can read people’s poker faces, and hence is an excellent risk-taker in gambling.

Claudia- A planner, she is the best at the old “Revenge is a dish best served cold.” She can plan moves ahead of time, even better than Louis can. She is emotionally manipulative, able to instigate fights between her parents with very little effort on her part.

Hit the jump for more.

David- As the Head of the Talamasca (I forget his exact title okay this is good enough), he must have risen through the ranks for a reason. His unflappability under pressure, his own Mind Gifts even before his turning, and the wisdom and sense of peace that life experience brings, these are all good reasons. He’s one of the only creatures Lestat really listens to, one of the only ones Lestat actually will modify his behavior around, with just a subtle directive. David has brought many talented people into the Order, and trained them for fieldwork. He’s generous to a fault. 

Armand- Part of why he disliked Claudia could be subconscious, in that he might have seen some of himself in her (and therefore found another reason for competition with her). He has all her skills and more, with his powerful Mind Gift, he can weave fantastic illusions in the minds of others. But it takes alot of energy to do so. He devours knowledge, seeking the keys to satisfaction, chasing a state of peace that he can never seem to maintain for very long by himself.

Daniel- Like Louis, he is a lover of the written word, making him empathetic to others. As an interviewer, he knew how to “ask the right questions” to get his subjects to open up and reveal more than they might have intended. He also has a great level of patience, which is an enormous virtue in arguments; he can generally keep his cool much longer than his opponent, able to focus on the debate and not resort to cheap personal attacks.

Marius- Obviously a skilled artist, and appreciator of art in humankind and in nature, it has led him to attain a state of peace for the most part. Art as a form of self-expression, he can relieve stress and anxiety by painting another mural or perusing a gallery. This peacefulness makes him a trustworthy mentor to many. In later canon this has faltered somewhat, we can see that he’s shaken by things, he is vulnerable, but like a cat, seems to always land on his feet!

Jesse- A lover of studying and a bold explorer, she had long ago cast aside societal ideals of settling down and making babies. She had a thirst for knowledge and adventure and she pursued both. She had balls in a time when women were congratulated for having them ;]

Gabrielle- Also a bold adventurer, someone with a strong sense of ethics, and decisive, able to hear an argument and cut through all the bullshit right to the heart of the matter. 

Nicolas- Mad? Maybe. But also fiercely devoted to the violin. Having that much commitment to the study of an instrument demonstrates a passionate soul. The fact that he was actually talented at it and could “bring the house down” meant that the tireless practicing paid off. He had found the thing that made him happy (as happy as he was capable of being) and found the person he was most happy with (Lestat) and that’s an enormous accomplishment, both are things that some people never achieve in life.

Akasha- Mad? YES. And yet, one could also say she was a hardcore SJW feminist, blind to anything other than the information that would support her own ideas and agenda. At least she did her homework. 

Maharet and Mekare- Were the most powerful witches of their time; they had to memorize spells, incantations, they had to learn diplomacy with spirits. Think of the volumes of material they must have had to keep in mind! After turning, Maharet kept records of their family tree, an enormous task, but it was well worth it in the interest of feeling like she still belonged to something larger than herself, which brought her peace. She helped her family when possible, financially or otherwise. Great empathy there.