Chapter Text
“Something needs to be done about her. We cannot afford recklessness with our kills. Believe me, even the slightest slip can prove detrimental.” Lestat said from where he sat in front of the mirror, brushing out his hair. More so, he was gesturing frenziedly with a hairbrush in his hands; he carved into the wood with his pointed marble nails.
“I get it, and I agree! This sort of violent, ruthlessness isn’t good for her. It isn’t good for anyone.”
“Not quite what I meant but I’m glad you’re on board.” He placed the brush down and walked over to Louis. Both of his hands came up to the others head, which he caressed softly. “I say we take action now.”
“And what would you suggest we do?” Louis’ hand rested on top of Lestat’s. “For some reason I don’t there’s a parenting guide about what to do if your daughter’s a serial killer.”
“Lucky for you, I know what we should do. First we damage control. Lock in her room and deliver her food to her until she tells where she hid-“
“Fuck no!” He pushed Lestat’s hands off of him, a snarl splayed across his lips.
“I’m not gonna trap her. If anything, that will make her worse.”
“As touching as the sentiment is Louis, now is not the time for softness. More is on stake than Claudia’s feelings.”
“It’s not happening, Lestat.”
“Right, well, what is your suggestion then?”
“I’ll have a talk with her,” whispered Louis, his jadeite eyes not meeting Lestat’s and fogged up like a window. He was a million miles away.
“A talk? What good will that do? Do you think Jack the Ripper’s parents sat him down for a nice chat?” Lestat’s lips curled. “Oh hello sweetie, we’ve heard you’ve been killing people more than usual. Now we’re not mad, we’re just disappointed. We know this isn’t who you are,” he mocked.
“Better than trapping. She already feels ganged up on. Besides Claudia’s hardly Jack the Ripper.” Lestat raised an eyebrow. “Not that you can talk anyway. You’ve killed dozens more than her!”
“I have not been leaving bodies around the city for anyone to find! I have not recorded my food’s last words in a diary! She is risking our safety here!”
“Risking our safety, be serious, Lestat.”
“I’m being deadly serious. Louis, I know how this goes and when pitchforks and fire come to our doorstep, I’ll happily leave saying I told you so. But considering I quite like New Orleans I say we handle Claudia in a more immediate manner, which leads us back to my pla-“
“Because you handling her always goes so well?”
“Better than giving her a talking to.”
“I don’t want her to feel threatened, she’ll just lash out more.”
“What is more than this, Louis? She’s hiding bodies from us, just leaving them to rot somewhere else, she is spitting vitriol against us in that book of hers! Her room is trashed! This is beyond any lashing out she could do!”
“She learnt all them things from you and your tantrums so don’t tell me how to raise my daughter!” Louis yelled. He breathed in heavily for a few moments, feeling flushed and frustrated. The vein under his eye felt like it was bulging.
Lestat, on the other hand, was still, lips pursed and a scowl across his face that didn’t quite reach his eyes.
“Your daughter?” He spat.
“Yes, my daughter! And don’t try to tell me she’s not or that I don’t know how to be a parent-“
“What about me?”
“Huh?”
“Am I not her parent? Is she not my daughter too? Do I not get a say in how we raise her?” Louis was silent. Red pooled at Lestat’s waterlines, threatening to spill over like salt water down the Taylor Glacier. “Ah, of course. How foolish of me.” Lestat left the room and headed straight for the front door, wiping at his eyes viciously.
“Where the hell do you think you’re going? We gotta sort this out!”
“No, you have to sort this out,” Lestat laid his hand across Louis’ chest in a manner akin to a bag of Candy, artificially sweet. “She’s your daughter, you can fix her. Uncle Les,” he drawled, voice musical and sarcastic despite the way it wobbled, “is going to go have some fun and bring back some expensive gifts, like uncles are supposed to.”
“Lestat.”
“See you later, my dearest brother-in-law.”
The door slammed behind Lestat as he left.
“Shit.”