App.

[hellraiser]

CHARACTER INFO
Character Name: Lestat de Lioncourt
Canon: The Vampire Chronicles
Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Vampire_Chronicles
Appearance: From The Vampire Lestat: "I'm six feet tall, which was fairly impressive in the 1780s when I was a young mortal man. It's not bad now. I have thick blond hair, not quite shoulder length, and rather curly, which appears white under fluorescent light. My eyes are gray, but they absorb the colors blue or violet easily from surfaces around them. And I have a fairly short narrow nose, and a mouth that is well shaped but just a little too big for my face."

In addition, here is a page from the graphic novel with Lestat, Louis, and Claudia: http://i49.tinypic.com/n506sx.jpg

Character Info: The youngest son of a Marquis in the years leading up to the French Revolution, Lestat's early life consisted of hunting, pursuing an acting career, and running away from home to be a drunken vagabond in Paris. It's likely that Lestat's life would have continued in this predictable vein, save for one thing: in his twenty-fifth year, he was unfortunate enough to catch the eye of a vampire, who killed and then sired him. Although his life as a human is deeply important to what kind of individual Lestat is (in more ways than one; later on in his life as a vampire he was able to switch bodies with a human), the Vampire Lestat is much more the dominant character. Defiant, vain, impulsive, yet entirely compassionate, Lestat throws himself into situations that often lead to his own misery simply because he wants to see their outcome so deeply that it consumes his every thought. Although he prefers to come off as charismatic and dangerous, he's really more of a moody drama queen with a penchant for the flambouyant. At times he can be downright manic, completely disregarding the consequences of his actions simply because it's in his character to be a daredevil. If there is one thing Lestat loves more than himself, it's breaking the rules. Unfortunately, being a powerful immortal means that when he breaks the rules, everyone suffers the consequences.

Lestat's entire history consists of making bad decisions he never learns from. At his core, Lestat is a very lonely person, and periodically he's sought out company to ease his loneliness. However, every vampire he's ever sired, from his best friend to his own mother to a five-year-old child, has ended in disappointment and disaster. Although he manages to not make /all/ of the same mistakes over and over for four centuries, he still repeats most of them. And when I said he's moody, I'm really not kidding--after burying himself in the earth out of a deep depression, he abruptly rises forty years later, becomes an international rockstar just to see if he can do it, and writes not one but four best-selling auto-biographies, breaking about a dozen ancient vampire laws in the process. Lestat is absurd. He goes from being altruistic and generous to completely selfish and devious at the drop of a hat. He will actively reflect upon the morals of his actions, come to the conclusion that they are evil, keep doing them, and then lament how terrible and awful he is immediately after in a guilty fury. Lestat is the most melodramatic thing ever and no wonder everyone he ever loved left him in disgust or frustration. Or tried to kill him, that happened once or twice. His elders call him "the Brat Prince" as a derogatory nickname, which of course he wears proudly, and spends way too much time contemplating moral philosophy than should be allowed. There is a threshold for that kind of shit in vampire fiction and he has crossed it too many times.

Lestat has had some pretty spectacular encounters that changed his life, as well. Akasha, the Queen of Vampires, both physically and mentally altered him forever due to his ingestion of her blood which gave him godlike powers, and also emotionally tortured him. Raglan James, the Body Thief, also shook Lestat to his core by allowing him to experience mortal life again after centuries of immortality, which of course led to 200 pages of more bullshit philosophy. This also contributes to Lestat being completely bonkers sometimes, but every vampire in TVC is a little loopy just by virtue of their existence. However, Lestat gets special mention here for going above and beyond the call of crazy. The most important encounter, in his opinion, probably belongs to his fledgling Louis, who he has retained a complicated but deeply intimate connection with for a very long time, despite their miscommunications, fights, and decades of emotional manipulation. Lestat would call these "minor setbacks", which just goes to show.

As far as motivation is concerned, the concept of good and evil is something very important to Lestat; as long as he can believe in goodness of some kind, he is usually okay even as he's condemning himself for being the manifestation of evil. Deep in his heart, he wants to be good and he wants to be happy, but he is really really bad at ensuring either happen for very long, mostly because he is attracted to people and things that are bad for him. He's also bad with authority figures, preferring to either be the leader or work by himself--so much so that anytime someone threatens his power, he grows bitter and jealous and passive-aggressive and he's a total nightmare, honestly.

Memory Loss Considerations: Lestat's arc throughout the novels involves coming to terms with his (lack of) humanity, his role in the universe, how to live without knowing God or goodness is real, what being a vampire really means, and so on. What I want to do is give Lestat his memories of being a human first: both those when he was a young man in 18th-century France, and when he experiences mortality again in the 1990s. The vast differences experienced between the two time periods might be able to give him perspective on the consequences of his decisions and instill him with a sense of responsibility for once. He'll still be a self-absorbed brat, but if he gets to see just how much change he undergoes and how much of it he was responsible for, he might actually learn something. That, or he'll just think he's the most inept time-traveler ever.

Skills: Obviously the biggest skill Lestat possesses involves being a vampire. TVC vampires possess many classic vampire traits, in that they need blood to sustain themselves, are damaged by fire and sunlight, and must sleep in coffins. All of this applies to Lestat during his early years as a vampire; when he drinks the blood of the older vampiress, he gains not only freaky magic powers but survives most things that would kill a normal vampire. I would start Lestat in Aather as a human so he could gain his vampire skills back later (in tiers), but it would need to be addressed by him and his team at some point. The "godlike" part of his powers would be nerfed, but he might hit the powercap a few times just on accident.

What's really significant is the need to drink blood. As a vampire, Lestat physically cannot ingest normal food. His body won't process it at all. Human blood sustains him the most, and while he can drink from someone without killing them, not only does it require immense self-control to do so, it can leave a whole host of nasty effects in the victims, including illness, hallucinations, addiction, and in some extreme cases, they turn into ghouls. There's also the problem where Lestat genuinely enjoys killing people, so he would need to be persuaded not to leave dead bodies all over Aather. He also can't drink blood from corpses, as that is fatal to TVC vampires. While he can theoretically live on the blood of animals, it's considered the bare minimum of survival and is only used in extreme cases--but is technically an option.

Team Considerations: Lestat can be supportive and friendly and work well with others as long as he isn't taking orders. Deferring to others is something he continuously struggles with, and if forced into a situation where he must do so, he often reacts by becoming passive-aggressive or reclusive. He becomes deeply, sometimes painfully attached to his important people, often to the point of obsession. He needs people who can return or encourage his attachments, or else he'll just kind of wither and die. He gets particularly attached to genuinely good people, whom he finds fascinating and inspiring. Being part of a team could have a positive learning influence on him as well, because despite all his flaws he can and will listen to the advice of others... eventually. So people who can break him down/keep him in line/put up with his dramatics would also work out well, perhaps.

Team Placement Request: Ruby or Peridot, if possible. I would like to avoid Carnelian; however, Iolite would be acceptable.

WRITING SAMPLE
Option 2: Monologue

Hello. The Vampire Lestat here. I may as well be calling myself Alice, however, for I seem to have fallen down the rabbit hole again. We do have a lot in common, little Alice and I--both fed up with what is expected of us, far too curious for our own safety, and now finding ourselves in strange worlds with stranger, dangerous people who want to lop off our heads. Ah, but think how much more gruesome that tale would have been had the Queen of Hearts been a vampire who drank little Alice's blood! It would be perfectly macabre, a story told to frighten children at bedtime for fear of the monsters that run amok in their heads. Unlike the young heroine, however, I'm far beyond youth and innocence to ever learn a lesson from something like that, though you wouldn't know it from looking at me.

Perhaps instead I am the White Rabbit, in thrall of the eternity of time, leading others hopelessly astray in my quest for the consequential truth of the world. Well, that's stretching a bit, but we are both ruled by a Queen--his, the Queen of Hearts; mine, a Queen of my Heart--and that is enough to make the metaphor work. In truth, there are many characters I might play. I am as mad and as charming as the Hatter. By the light of the moon, my smile might shine as capriciously as the Cheshire Cat's. If brought to a temper, I might beget as much chaos as the Queen of Hearts herself, and if you ask some of my vampire elders, I already have! But if I am the Queen, then they are nothing more than playing cards. Oh, but I don't truly mean this; I am only playing the role I've been given, that of a cruel and merciless monarch--and I shall play it spectacularly. And if not a Queen, perhaps I'd best be a Prince. It suits me well, as my readers will surely agree.

But how my journey through Wonderland ends cannot be revealed by flipping to the last pages of the book this time, dear readers; I write this introduction not knowing where my destiny lies, and it is as bold and exciting as the first time one sinks one's teeth into mortal flesh. And like that first blood, this may lead to a new world of troubles both enticing and terrible in equal amounts, whose intensity will shake me to my core yet again. There is a voice in the back of my head that warns me to put this paper down and leave this place, return to the comforting arms of my beloved Louis, that I will again know comfort and safety.

It is good advice, and I really ought to take it. But that's just the trouble with me; I give myself very good advice, but I very seldom follow it.