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Armand appreciated how the Minecraft Zombie acted within a predictable set of rules.
The zombie was a “mobile entity” within the computer game, referred to as a “mob” for short. As with other mobs, the behavior of a zombie was determined by a set of coding instructions that detailed all of its possible actions, each with a set priority.
The zombie will pick up an item if one is available.
It will approach players, villagers, iron golems, and even turtle eggs within a specified range and attack when near.
The zombie will burn when it comes into contact with sunlight.
The last point was of particular note, because Armand’s Drowned farm was suffering from a loss of efficiency caused by a hole in the roof that made the Zombies burn on occasion. (A Zombie submerged in water for 30 seconds transformed into a different mobile entity called a Drowned. Another clandestine rule of this game.)
Armand patched the hole in the roof with a marble slab. And thus, order was restored.
Humans, too, operated on a specific set of rules. They followed the comforts of food, shelter, and companionship. They begged for their lives at the first sight of danger, and the first draw of blood. Eventually, they welcomed the calm stillness of death.
Except meddling journalists who made it their business to dismantle 77 year long partnerships, it would seem. There’s no accounting for those.
Armand himself had always found a sense of security in rules. The orders of his Maker. The Great Laws enforced by him as leader of the Children of Darkness and of the Paris coven. Rules he had set for himself as an individual — his repulsion towards passing on the Dark Gift. The commands given to him by Louis.
“I need this one to live. As a testament to our companionship”
Louis operated by a set of rules as well. It may not seem so on the surface, as he was so often at odds with his morality. Burdened by his rules. That’s why Armand had to look out for him, rest , try again, reset the memories. Armand looked out for Louis’ happiness.
He let Louis believe a story - A story that contains the truth safely, in a cage of words. Not the naked truth that can burn over any distance.
(“Where I come from we call that lying, actually” says a voice in Armand’s head that sounds irritatingly like Daniel Molloy).
Louis will burn when he comes into contact with sunlight.
Redstone dust in the Minecraft computer game could be lain down in wires on the digital ground and used to create digital logic— gates, latches, clocks, multiplexers. It served as an accessible analog to the digital logic inside real human electronics, and the appeal was similar to taking apart a microwave or a children’s toy to observe how it worked. The logic in redstone was comfortably predictable. Armand was, however, mildly put off by the recent changes to the texture of the redstone torch.
And so he was left to endure uncertainty.
Time after time, Armand found his life thrown into abject upheaval by someone who behaved in a way he could not predict. Who he could not control no matter how hard he tried. Lestat, Louis, and now—
Armand looked up from his commendable redstone design work to observe the scattered debris of his living room, and the body of Daniel Molloy slumped haphazardly against the opposite wall.
Armand had broken two rules in the past hour.
The first had been Louis’ directive not to harm the boy — Armand had attacked him minutes later with full intent to kill. An egregious lack of control.
And then his own rule. For the first time, he had passed on the Dark Gift. Armand wasn’t even sure why he did it, and that was probably the worst part.
Just like that. A 500 year streak of perfect obedience and predictability shattered twice over within minutes.
Armand exited the game. He stood. He dusted himself off. He walked out of the room.
and the universe said you are not separate from every other thing.