I want my IWTV

 

 

[fanart by Dany&Dany][does anyone have a better res version? Gimme!]

 

While there is no Right answer, since everyone’s headcanon may vary, I kinda felt like continuing this discussion bc I had other ideas, but there was a tumblr person who made great points and I wanted to share my responses :] 

Note: the tumblr person hasn't responded to my request to quote them with their name attached, so that's why I'm not crediting them.
 

Keep in mind that, IIRC, AR doesn’t really address sexuality between vampires until QOTD with the quote I used in the above link, so it’s possible that she hadn’t decided herself on this until later. I’m pretty sure that the only canon we get about it before QOTD is in IWTV when Claudia asks Louis about sex and he talks about it very much in the past tense, as if it doesn’t happen anymore (which it might, between him and Lestat, but he’s answering a person who really can’t do sex, and possibly doesn’t want to hurt her feels about it). 

 

Basically I think AR, blending the vampire origin mythology with the Isis/Osiris Egyptian mythology, also used the sexuality consequence of that story. Osiris lost his penis, so he couldn’t procreate or do sex. Hence, vampires couldn’t.

 

I think it’s also the idea that Ricean vampires are immortal, SO magical, so physically attractive, so Gifted with all these Dark Gifts, heightened senses, some of them can FLY, do telekinesis, do pyrokinesis, they have mind-reading and bewitching powers, etc. etc. Did I mention BEAUTIFUL even if they’re turned in old age?? (except for Magnus, he was an ugly douchebag bc he stole vampirism but whatevs), etc… 

 

^To have all that, for such feeling creatures, it’s an ultimate sacrifice to give up sex. Like monks or priests in some religions. It’s not fair to have all that power and beauty and ALSO get to enjoy sex. AR brings up the religious ideas of the denial of urges as being the Right thing to do, going against one’s natural desires in the hopes of pleasing a benevolent God. It’s been suggested that Louis’ struggle with killing people in IWTV was a metaphor for the denial of sex. It’s when he finally gives in that he finds peace, physically, but he’s still morally tormented for awhile. It’s when Claudia enters the picture that he seems to accept his nature and just kill people.