#I loved both those scenes because they showed the vampire Louis will be able to grow into now that he can 'live authentically' as a vampire

[itwasanangryinch]

#yeahh every time i hear/see ppl saying this i kinda just scratch my head like?!?

#the scene where he says 'maybe i'm arrogant' that's literally him saying that to a racist who undermined just how talented louis is

#and was being like i said a racist ass about it...i don't think that's confirmation that he's actually arrogant

#but i have seen people take it as if it is and it's the same with the 'i suppose i can come across as haughty'

#my guy was just sharing something that he was proud of with claudia how does that make him haught

y#and must i mention the racist in the room in this scene who obviously felt some type of way about louis being a BLACK man like cmon now

#like i think there's a difference between being proud of yourself and your achievements and being arrogant or haughty about them

#anyways i'm talking specifically about show!louis...idk anything about book louis so 😕🤷🏽‍♀️

(via @ldpdluvr)

i fucking hate when characters call louis "arrogant" "pretentious" or "haughty", because hes actually none of those things. hes literally just passionate for once in his god damn miserable life and these people love to tear him down. no wonder hes lived a century of depression, everytime he gets happy or enthusiastic people give him shit for it

[nightcolorz]

thoughts on the presence of marius’ painting in dubai in the show? ive been thinking about this since episode 7 aired because louis threw a bowl of blood at a painting in one scene which wasn’t marius’, yet made me think it should have been. but its interesting that its there at all? of course they’re art collectors and dealers in 2022 but god. i feel like the painting might end up being a chekov’s gun. it cant be there for nothing, right?

(also the scene of “rashid” armand in s1 telling daniel about it keeps coming back. how did he FEEL about that especially if daniel is indeed someone he loves and has loved for years)

AHHH OMG!!! LOVE THIS QUESTION!! I’ve been thinking about this constantly since s1, which believe it or not spurned some theories about Armand’s relationship with Louis that ended up being surprisingly accurate 😭. I can’t tell u how many times I rewatched the Rashid-mand tells Daniel about marius’s painting scene before s2 aired (definitely more than any other scene in the first season 💀💀). Ughhh!! omg!! U r so right 😭😭 the painting Louis threw the blood at should have been Marius’s. The thematic implications!!! The impact!! The way Armand would feel!! It’s making me crazy thinking about it

I speculate that Armand is trying to seek out and reclaim as many of Marius’s painting as possible. I imagine that Armand acquired the painting in the dining room by searching intently for any paintings of Marius’s that survived the fire. Part of him likely feels entitled to them. Legally he’s just Marius’s slave, but the way he sees it it’s so much deeper than that. Marius is his father, his husband. He should be given his possessions, his works of art, after he’s died. And I think the fact that Armand, by both historical records, and by anyone he knows, will always be viewed as Marius’s slave, his victim, before he is Marius’s closest loved one, feels disempowering and invalidating. Technically, if they weren’t vampires and legal consideration was given to who Marius’s possessions should be given to after his death, as a slave Armand likely wouldn’t be considered. But, Armand believes that because of the role Marius had in his life, he is rightfully owed that inheritance. And the symbolic value of that fact is important to him.

I think sometimes the show fandom doesn��t realize how attached to Marius Armand actually is 😭. If they’re going by the books, Armand is longing for Marius and for Venice. Marius is the love of his life the same way Lestat is the love of Louis’s life (maybe even more so considering he’s not just his lover but his father 😭 Marius played every major role in Armand’s life, he was his father, his lover, his maker and his god). Armand is stuck on him, he is always longing for him, never able to move on. So I think for Armand owning paintings of Marius’s is partly an assertion and a reclamation of the way he perceives his relationship with him. By owning them and displaying them on his wall, not only is he allowing himself to live with a comforting reminder of Venice (which I’ll get to), but hes also asserting that Marius loved him, and he was important to Marius, and he deserves to and is entitled to owning his paintings after Marius has died because he is the person who these things should go to, he is displaying that he is the most important person to Marius, that he is the person who would be in his will.

on the Venice note, Armand is also indulging in a small little fantasy by putting Marius’s paintings on his wall. He lived with those paintings, his father likely painted them while he was in the room. He saw them in the halls in the palazzo, maybe even in his lavish old dining room. In the books Venice was and continues to be Armand’s perceived “best part of his life”. Venice was his childhood, the only time in his life he remembers being taken care of, well fed, spoiled, loved. And from our perspective it was horrible, he was being sexually abused and beaten regularly, literally pimped out and enslaved. But think about how Armand told his story to Louis, he was smiling wistfully, longing despite it all. And I think even in Dubai Armand misses Venice, feels comforted by the memory of it. So it makes sense that he would hang Marius’s painting on the wall, as a small comfort, so that maybe sometimes he can stare at it and picture he is back there, in his master’s studio, basking in the sunlight, loved.

The scene where Armand as Rashid shows the painting to Daniel is so so loaded. Daniel initiates the conversation, but Armand definitely indulges in it more than he needs to. That scene is the first time we rlly see Armand using his Rashid persona to tap into his past. He says, “I serve a God, it’s my honor to serve” which is fucking weird 😭 and no one but Armand would say that (real rashid wouldn’t💀 he definitely sees the vampires in a way that is more grounded and empathy based then god like). He’s clearly tapping into how he felt as Amadeo, a servant to Marius, rather than playing his part. It seems like Daniels interest in the painting and him talking about + bringing attention to it brought Armand back to that Venice mindset in a way. Even with this, he’s definitely pushing Daniel away, trying to change the topic as quickly as possible while remaining in character. Which makes me think that Armand wasn’t happy at the prospect of being so vulnerable with Daniel so soon. The impression I get (especially from season one) is that despite his past and current love for him, Armand sees a different person in old Daniel, and is very hesitant to open himself up to him. Considering how different (and mean) he is, and how painful and loaded their past was, it’s a very hard thing for Armand to approach, and it doesn’t seem currently on his agenda.

What I rlly am curious about is how Louis feels about Armand keeping Marius’s paintings in their home, displaying them on their wall. I imagine it would be uncomfortable for him, if not upsetting, in a similar way to how Armand feels about the presence of ghost Lestat, if not more complicated with the layer of how extremely abusive Marius was. But how can Louis judge? Who is he to give push back on smth like this when he is still actively hallucinating his dead, abusive ex husband 😭🙏there’s a lot going on there.

I rlly hope this painting thing gets explored in depth bcus omg I can not stop thinking about it either. Thank u SO MUCH for the ask I love this topic so much omg!!! Hope my response scratches the painting itch in ur brain<3

[whoreofabaddon]

I apologize somewhat insincerely for the pause in my regular posting, but I'm about to talk in depth about some of the power dynamics we see at play in IwtV.

Particularly, something that has been weighing on my mind is this post by @platoapproved in which we see Louis lightly stroking the bruises of Armand's trauma. Despite the fact the OP caught those hints so amazingly, the reblogs turn into an absolute cesspool in which there are many baffling accusations. So I wanted to touch on this from the perspective of someone who has both been in multiple D/s relationships (albeit as a lesbian and not a gay man) and is also a psychotherapist so trained in trauma responses.

The first thing I wanted to say is that we’re never given any reason to believe Louis is anything but a compassionate and skilled dominant partner. There are no moments portrayed between them where he oversteps any of Armand’s boundaries or where he uses their dynamic for manipulative purposes. We’re actually shown the opposite of that in the scenes where their power exchange come into play. He soothes Armand’s trepidation around setting boundaries and doesn’t force him to witness a new vampire being made. The one time we see Louis truly push Armand to accept a command is when he’s preventing him from killing Daniel, and even then, he validates that he’s hurt Armand enough to understand why he wants to. 

Similarly, we’re actually never shown Armand pushing Louis to take part in that dynamic when he doesn’t want to like so many keep claiming. I suspect that it was actually thrilling for Louis to meet a vampire older and more powerful than his maker, only to find that vampire would willingly allow him to have the control and authority between them. After having spent years in an abusive relationship, it must have seemed to be a gesture of great love to be shown such deference after Lestat had treated him so cruelly and disrespectfully. 

If anything it’s likely healing due to the change in the pattern. And that, I think, is also what is happening when we see Louis begin to draw from Armand’s history of trauma and introduce that into their dynamic. I fully believe he is playing with this dangerous subject because it is something Armand has never finished processing; he's such a trusted figure in Armand's life that it is safe for them to do this together. Armand's not been able to complete the loop of thoughts surrounding his abusive childhood, and so his mind is going to replay it over and over and seek out ways to ‘master’ it. That means his brain has to be convinced that he’s ‘solved’ the issue and the risk is abated. So he is going to keep returning to it or desperately avoiding it, and Armand’s patterns lean towards pursuing the subject matter over and over. The fact that it is Louis drawing on the memories means he knows he’s able to have the freedom of changing the ending; he goes ‘to coffin’ with his maitre at the end, he’s not truly given away for someone else’s sexual pleasure, and the fear and humiliation is touched on but ends before it can get worse. This time the offer is declined, this time he can reply snappily ("I wouldn't let you near my neck..."), and this time he doesn’t have the horrible emotional push-pull of ‘how dare you do as I tell you’ which Marius tended to use against him. (I also think Louis is referencing Armand’s blood being addictive to Daniel in the books, but that’s another layer to explore at a later time).

So I’ll say that, unlike some commenters, I don’t think it’s ‘ugly’ that Louis is mirroring aspects of Marius’ behaviors. Instead, I think the vulnerability and trust that it would require for them to successfully do this shows something very beautiful about the way they relate to each other.  

(Mandatory disclaimer that I am not suggesting that everyone ought to drop out of therapy and process their trauma using an untrained partner and kink. There is a high chance that you can trigger your partner. I am simply illustrating the psychology and perceived intentions at play and why this could feel satisfying to the characters).  And tagging @thequeenofsastiel for the promised meta.

[nalyra-dreaming]

Hi! Do you think Armand was like ''Lestat Lestat Lestart' because he can see Louis hallucinating Lestat by reading his mind. It would be really awkward. Do you also think Louis can read Armand 's mind? As an old vampire he can probably block his thoughts but if I was Louis it would be weird for me to have my companion hiding his thoughts,like, do you have something to hide from me even after 77 years??

Sooooo....

Armand can definitely read Louis' mind, though it is debatable if he always does it. However, we have seen in the scene from August (at the Murder Mansion) that he does indeed do so, because he comments on Louis withholding and Claudia being able to mask her thoughts (contrary to Louis).

The thing about Armand and Lestat is... I mean you've seen the trailer. There's history. Armand... loves Lestat. Wants him. Desires him. Lestat rejected him, for reasons. Good reasons, and actually valid reasons. But... that hurt, of course. It's a complicated relationship.

(In the book Lestat goes to Armand to beg for Louis' life, and tells him about Louis, which makes Armand even more interested in Louis. We'll see how they spin it here.)

So along comes Louis, Lestat's lover (/partner / (arguably) husband) (and fledgling). But lover is way more significant here, because of the history Armand has with Lestat. Louis, and Claudia, who dared to hurt Lestat. (And which is ultimately why Claudia will die. Louis only does not because Armand (luckily) actually falls in love with him.)

Armand... is canonically into kinky shit. Not kidding. Cuck chairs, spanking. I believe "The Vampire Armand" is generally still listed as erotica.

So. With that in mind...

Armand didn't mind Louis envisioning / hallucinating imho. At first. He probably found it funny, stimulating, interesting, fascinating, arousing. Depending on the situation.

(For example here. That is in the bar. The bar we know Lestat "shows up in" as well from the BTS photo.)

He probably ... let's say supported those visions, too, given his gift to spellbind. Conjure illusions.

It must have been very entertaining - for a while. Even while having sex. (Can I have a vision-Lestat/Loumand threesome? Pretty please?!^^)

Eventually though... it must have started to grate. (Understandably so.)

That shot of him doing that "Lestat, Lestat, Lestat, Lestat" rant - that is in that apartment the interview was in. So we KNOW that Louis was still going on about Lestat at that time.

(credit to @virginiaisforvampires, sorry couldn't find it in the search)

Now, in the book there is this speech by Armand, and I can see that happening in the show, too:

"I used to believe you would get over it—that when the pain of all of it left you, you would grow warm again and filled with love, and filled with that wild and insatiable curiosity with which you first came to me, that inveterate conscience, and that hunger for knowledge that brought you all the way to Paris to my cell. I thought it was a part of you that couldn’t die. And I thought that when the pain was gone you would forgive me for what part I played in her death. She never loved you, you know. Not in the way that I loved you, and the way that you loved us both. I knew this! I understood it! And I believed I would gather you to me and hold you. And time would open to us, and we would be the teachers of one another. All the things that gave you happiness would give me happiness; and I would be the protector of your pain. My power would be your power. My strength the same. But you’re dead inside to me, you’re cold and beyond my reach! It is as if I’m not here, beside you. And, not being here with you, I have the dreadful feeling that I don’t exist at all. And you are as cold and distant from me as those strange modern paintings of lines and hard forms that I cannot love or comprehend, as alien as those hard mechanical sculptures of this age which have no human form. I shudder when I’m near you. I look into your eyes and my reflection isn’t there...."

He actually thought Louis would... get over it.

Over Claudia's death. Over what happened with Lestat.

In the books, Louis and Armand part then. We'll see how they spin it here. Louis says they've been together for 77 years, but that might be hyperbole - Jacob said that Louis chose that relationship "again", and that would then fit with canon once more.

(I personally think this is one of the good-byes, if not "the".)

But either way... it probably wasn't awkward at first. But it was beyond annoying eventually.

As per Louis reading Armand's mind: yes, if and when Armand permits. Armand is a very, very powerful mind and spell gift user. Louis would not be able to do so against his will.

[lioncourtie]

hurricanes & sun-dented rooms: a symbolic analysis of relationships in interview with the vampire. 

˖⋆࿐໋

hello. i have decided to resurrect this blog to point out a symbolic element that caught my eye after my first watch of interview with the vampire’s eighth episode, the unholy finale of what was quite frankly one of the best seasons out there.

now, i know that maybe this wasn’t that intentional, even if the remarkably talented crew behind the show loves incorporating hidden, symbolic details in it , but the visible sunray during the loumand reunion (post burning the theatre des vampires, all hail the pointe du lac heir) was so flagrant to me. quite literally, i felt as thought it was denting the scene, keeping both characters apart, louis on one side, calmer, proud of his newly accomplished plan, yet still tormented by the trial, and armand, desperately trying to lie, to convince, to make louis stagger so that they'd once again end up on the same side.

different feelings, different states of mind, different motivations.

now, we all know how vampires die most of the time: sun exposure, right? and what was right in the middle of the room, as present as a third entity? the sun, keeping them apart, even if, for the seventy years that followed, louis had granted armand his forgiveness, however never whole, after the latter had lied to him about his implications in the trial, and therefore, in the death of his beloved daughter.

but alsoooooo. one thing that i keep hearing is armand being a seventy year rebound for louis, and while i do agree with that statement, i also feel like that postburningodowntheatredesvampires paris apartment scene showcases that very aspect of their relationship well. two people who will never be able to fully merge, to fully meet, to be one, because they'll forever be set apart by the sun, by death. the death of louis and lestat (the real soulmates, after all) after that scene in magnus’ lair. the death of claudia, as orchestrated by armand, even if unknown at the time, remains still in the midst of their closeness, their proximity clouded by that energy, those lies. louis flew toxicity only to make his home in a manipulator's, a liar's warm, welcoming, yearning arms, only to realize that the abuse had shape shifted. a relationship built on lies and fragments of memories can never last forever, after all. and while lestat isn't that much better, (and boy am i not getting into this conversation today!!!!), he is louis’s love. one and only real love, bound together by the unique maker creation red string of fate, by shared dreams, promises, tragedies, and a daughter. who (arguably) died at their hand, but first and foremost, in front of their eyes. anne rice's characters will always be toxic, part vile, part good, but always fucked, and everyone has their own interpretation of why these two or these two belong together: that was mine, heavily shortened.

now, if we take a peek (not too long or i’ll curl up in a ball and die), at the loustat reunion scene, yes, as in, those ten minutes of emotional torture, what do we hear? the almost ominous sound of windy weather. yeah, nature was having a breakdown too lmfao.

This Odette, said to be at least a three. Could be a four.

typical new orleans: a hurricane is on its way. and louis du pointe du lac has business to tend to. he's eternal. all is well. he sees the rat killing sketchy gangstpire, follows him, dives into whatever the hell remains of lestat’s lair, they talk, they bawl, they embrace each other like two star-crossed fucking lovers who haven't touched each other in a millenium… and the hurricane outside, odette’s introduction, grows stronger. the windowpanes rattle, clatter, sirens are heard from the streets, the wind only grows stronger, fiercer. and amidst all that chaos, that upcoming destruction, they stand as one, in the middle of it all, holding onto one another.

if loumand were to forever have that fossé, that gap between the two of them, loustat were the opposite. hurricanes bring death and havoc, but those two things were keeping them together. they saw death, gave death, offered death to strangers, to one another at a certain point, and that is what their love is about, in the end. lies and death kept louis and armand seemingly apart, but louis and lestat built their relationships on death, mourning their daughter’s demise and their love’s revival in the middle of a damn hurricane. loumand's relationship was always headed towards its death, its extinction, as if the bricks were meant to crack sooner or later, as if that sun ray would have lured them in and set the whole thing ablaze, then to dust. but loustat were always meant to find each other again, in my most humble opinion, fighting the chaos side by side.

know your soulmates, folks.

𓊆ྀི❤︎𓊇ྀི

[loustat-0]

Hello, hello it's me 👋🏽

Okay so, there's something you mentioned about Claudia on this post here:

(Sorry, for some reason it's actually not letting me add the post link. So maybe if you want you can add it in your "answer" post so others can check that out as well)

I can quote you though: "I also believe Claudia has the mind gift which effected the process" In reference to ep 5 -- we all know what scene.

I wanted to ask you, can you expand on what you meant in saying you think she has the "mind gift" AND how did it effect the process, or why do you think it did?

-- One of the reasons why I had such a strong reaction to that statement, is because while it's possible that I may be living under a rock about it. I have yet to see anyone else even mention it. And there's a very specific scene in the show that always stumps me, and I always considered something along those lines may be possible. But I just haven't seen literally anyone else talk about it. So I've just kept it to myself. So I'd love to know what your meta, or theory or analysis is on this --

Okay so first of all Claudia can block Louis out of her head and I think a young vampire fledgling who is 19 years old can't do that . Louis himself wasn't able to do that even though he was older than Claudia .

When Claudia goes out on a date with Charlie , charlie stated that he can't do it with Claudia because she looked so young but Claudia convinced him otherwise & it looked intense she wasn't being a cute girl on her first date she wanted charlie & she got him to do it with her . Either charlie was so attracted to her that didn't mind the age 😬 or Claudia used some mind gift on him . I think she didn't know if it's a power or not yet . At that point she just did it anyway.

But In Ep 5 when she came back to the house to take Louis I think she knew she had the power she didn't know what it was but she knew she could use it on Louis or even Lestat . I think if she wants to use it intentionally to get something she would do it very well . She came in & created a situation in which the argument started first between herself & Lestat & then she got Louis involved . She damn well knew Louis is Lestat's trigger point she damn well knew Louis wouldn't leave Lestat without seeing him actually hurt him or Claudia she damn well knew Lestat wouldn't let go of Louis easily . Go back & look at how Claudia is talking to Louis in his head in comparison to how she said some stuff louder , her eyes get bigger & more determined & angry while she's talking to Louis in his head . And when Lestat said read her Louis she changed the subject completely on Lestat's insecurities instead of her own . Which eventually blocked Louis to not be able to read her at that moment . And then she gave the last shot : let's be vampires with vampires worthy of your love . As if I'm the only one who is worthy of your love not Lestat . And Lestat couldn't do anything even when he yelled as if he was trying to take his mind out of control of Claudia's mind but he couldn't .

When Claudia went to the pharmacy she wanted a drug which was very dangerous & forbidden especially if you're a 14 year old kid . She wrote on a piece of paper & the pharmacist just gave it to her 😯

Both in the books & on the show She convinced Louis to do something he didn't like to do . She made him believe he wanted to kill Lestat while Louis didn't want that & if he did , he wanted to do it for Claudia . Louis hurts Lestat just to protect Claudia . After Louis killed Lestat on the show he became hateful of Claudia for awhile and Daniel called it out & we saw how Louis pushed Claudia to the wall & also in one of Jacob's recent interviews about S2 he mentioned that they're having problems . In the book when Louie took Lestat to the swamp he started to actually understand who he had killed it's the same on the show Louis realized what actually happened after Lestat was dead . As if he was under some kinda influence to that . In the book when Claudia was slitting Lestat's throat Louis wanted to jump in but Claudia yelled at him to stay away & do nothing so again some kinda mind gift I sense here & there .

Most importantly , in the recent trailer Armand who is the master of mind gift himself told Louis that she's good at shielding her thoughts & that's coming from Armand so he might have sensed something too . And I personally think even in the book Armand noticed that & besides wanting Louis to himself he killed her off Bc she would have been a threat to herself & Louis & himself & others .

[mischiefs-hawk]

IWTV Ramble/Theory

(Spoilers for The Vampire Lestat and Queen of the Damned books)

So eventually, if the show does get to Queen of the Damned (which I really hope they do) I kind of hope they include Enkil more.

Obviously, we know Akasha falls for Lestat and all the shit she does because of that. BUT what if the show changes it a bit so that Enkil has a similar experience with Louis?

Maybe they add in a scene at some point where Louis meets Marius - maybe Armand sends him to Marius after he realizes Louis is broken from the death of Claudia (yeah. she still dies sorry ) Marius introduces Louis to those who must be kept and like Lestat and Akasha earlier, Louis has some kind of experience with Enkil.

Flash forward however many years to Lestat re-emerging from his coffin in New Orleans (like we saw at the end of season 1). He does the whole music thing and it wakes Akasha and Enkil. Except this time, Akasha doesn't drain Enkil and the two decide to work together to get their respective prizes.

(Maybe Enkil isn't a misogynist or whatever and he and Akasha were actually in love/friends).

Things proceed like they do in the book, Louis and Lestat reunite with Armand not far behind (No I don't know how Daniel factors in) but instead of waiting- Enkil takes Louis immediately after the concert which sends Lestat on a rampage. Eventually Gabrielle is able to calm him down enough to sleep because dawn is coming and "You won't be able to help Louis if the sun burns you to ash."

Lestat gets kidnapped by Akasha and is, of course, immensely worried about Louis.

Akasha and Enkil have taken both of them to somewhere mediterranean with a huge beautiful castle filled with delusion human servants.

Akasha and Lestat interact like they do in queen of the damned more or less but on the otherside of the castle Louis and Enkil are literally just staring at each other.

Enkil is fascinated by Louis because of how his love and hate are so similar and how he uses fire- the only thing that can destroy them- so well. He's patronizing and possessive so Louis isn't very impressed because this just seems like a worse version of Lestat.

But the big thing would be Louis and Lestat constantly trying to elude their captors to find their way back to one another. Even if its just to steal a glimpse of the other's face. They don't trust that Akasha and Enkil are telling the truth and even if Louis tried to kill Lestat and Lestat is literally the worst they aren't going to let anyone come between them...at least not again.

[lululawrence]

lululawrence's May 2022 Fic List

Previous Fic Lists / Lulu’s List Podcast Masterpost

May is always wild and crazy, and this year it wasn't any different. Despite that I was able to read a decent amount, and there were some great fics in there, including some very long fics that won't be able to be included until June's list because I'm not quite finished with them hehe Because of that, this month's rec has several shorter fics on it, which are a favorite of mine as well, so I hope you're ready to indulge yourself in some short and fabulous fics!

The podcast for April's list just posted last night and May's is also now available! I hope you enjoy the double new episodes.

As always, be sure to show your love and appreciation for all of the hard work our fandom authors have put into their fics with kudos, nice comments, and (when applicable) reblogging their fic posts!

portrait of a vampire by Anonymous (7k, NR, Harry/Louis, vampire Louis, artist Harry, historical fic, kind of?, it's definitely it's own universe where vampires are accepted to an extent and such but it's hard to explain, anyway there's lilo friendship that is so lovely and Louis just wants to know what he looks like and, i just loved this fic so much okay?)

you fit me better by @hershelsue / docklands (4k, E, Harry/Louis, A/B/O dynamics, alpha Harry, omega Louis, laundry, it all revolves around laundry, in both meanings of the word if any of you were around long enough ago to understand that reference lolllll, scenting, strangers to lovers, smut, all the good stuff in a perfect little quick reading package!)

She's Never Been One to Stay At Home by @becomeawendybird / QuickedWeen (3k, G, Harry/Louis, girl direction, pirates, cross dressing, historical, based on Pirates of the Caribbean, or at least one scene from the first film lollll, arranged marriage, kidnapping, lady pirates, ohhhhhh listen if all of this hasn't been enough to win you over to this fic, then just take the leap anyway because this fic was *chef's kiss* perfection)

We’ll Call This What You Like by @tommokat / tommokat (9k, M, Harry/Louis, 1D Song Fest fic, girl direction, friends with benefits, pining, mutual pining, idiots to lovers, hahaha, friends to lovers, some really really excellent WLW smut for all y'all who need that out there lol, this fic just... whew, but at the same time was so fucking cute too haha it had it all and i loved it)

us two by @wadey-wilson / wadey_wilson (4k, G, Harry/Louis, bedtime stories, mythology, kid fic, the narrative style of this fic was so incredibly unique and interesting, and in a way it was like there was a story within a story, like there literally is a frame narrative, but it's done so differently from most frame narratives, it's hard to explain but it's glorious and incredibly effective and so beautiful, it made me cry it touched me so much, it's a really beautiful and wonderful story)

Cake Date? by @sadaveniren / SadaVeniren (3k, M, Harry/Louis, soccer coach Louis, baker Harry, flirting, fluff, hand jobs, and cake, hahahaha that's the fic and it is perfectly sweet and cute and fun, it is such a nice short happy read)

About Bloody Time by Missyoualwaysyou (2k, NR, Harry/Louis, canon compliant, pining, reading fic on ao3 about themselves, friends to lovers, smut, it's one of those fics that feels so perfectly nostalgic as you read it, and it encapsulates so much of the silly headcanon fun we used to have back when i first joined the fandom, down to the idea that maybe the boys not only read fic but wrote it too, it was a lot of fun and of course ended in some smut, such a fun fic to read)

The Only Pain in Pleasure is the Pleasure of the Pain by @laynefaire / Layne Faire (HisDarlin) (11k, E, Zayn/Liam, tattoo artist/shop owner Zayn, tattoo artist/shop owner Louis, rich Liam, lilo friendship, zouis friendship, matchmaker Louis, chaotic Louis, pining, mutual pining, pain kink, smut, semi-public smut, more like it's smut in a public place but it's closed so still private-ish?, hahaha anyway, it's HOT and such a great story, i love the way it's written, omg it's just yeah it's so good lol)

Only Hate The Road When You're Missing Home by @magicalrocketships / sunsetmog (49k, M, Liam/Louis, famous/non-famous, exes to lovers, kinda... it's complicated lol, uni student Louis, non-famous Louis, famous Liam, roommates Niall and Zayn, sad Louis, making up, healing, hurt/comfort, marriage, angst, like omg holy hell so much angst, i cried a lot reading this fic, but also a happy ending!, and the healing felt so real, like they didn't just fix one thing and have it be all better, or assume it would be alright, they really had to work for it and kept apologizing, and had to keep talking it out etc, it was so incredibly perfectly done, i loved it so very much)

The Glory Hole-idays series (parts 4 and 5) by @uhoh-but-yeah-alright / yeah_alright

Hallelujah! He is Jizzin' (3k, E, Harry/Louis, Zayn/Louis, Liam/Louis, Niall/Louis, established Harry/Louis, Louis works a glory hole, this is his Easter Special and omg I about died lmaooooo, I love this entire series so much you have no idea)

Rimadan (786, E, Zayn/Louis, references to Zayn/Harry/Louis, this is a private session to allow Zayn to continue his celebrations, basically just really really sexy zouis smut lollll)

subverting expectations by @disgruntledkittenface / disgruntledkittenface (3k, M, Harry/Louis, girl direction, famous/famous, actress Louis, model Harry, met gala, semi-public sex, it's just a lot of flirting and excellent sexy times for these ladies in the bathroom, followed by the hope for something more hehe, and I loved every moment lolllll)

[digital-dhampirs]

Vanitas no Carte Book 8 Cover: A Flowernalysis

A new cover is out and it’s just as beautiful as we could have dreamed. there’s a lot to analyze about this lovely cover so here we go!

The most interesting thing about this cover to me is Dominique’s expression and posture. She’s being pulled by thorns back into a mirror showing the one and only Louis. She isn’t resisting exactly, her expression is somehow both troubled and calm, but her sword is up and it looks like she’s about to shatter the mirror that’s pulling her in with it. *offers cocktail like R2D2* anyone remember that one scene with Break inside of Cheshire’s dimension? She’s planning an attack, but she hasn’t gone through with it. She’s almost submitting.

I’m also quite interested in what else is in the mirror besides Louis. The shadowed part of the mirror isn’t there because it’s Domi’s shadow— it looks like there’s a shadow next to Louis. My first thought was “maybe teacher”, but it looks a solid bit like Naenia.We know that Naenia likes to show people around her visions of their worst memories (Dante sees himself being ostracized for being a dham, Vani seems to see something from his past as well) or hallucinations of their darkest thoughts (Noé)— so it would make sense for Naenia to show Domi a vision of Louis.

Before we get into the interesting color scheme here, let’s take a quick look at the flowers on this cover (I haven’t done many of these analyses since book 4 since there actually haven’t been many covers with flowers on them— Astolfo’s has plants and pomegranates though, so look out for a book 6 cover analysis sometime).

Unlike the flowers on Vanitas’s mirror/ frame/ it’s mirror, right? the flowers surrounding Dominique’s mirror are absolutely roses (I think— they’re sharp and fold like roses would, and they have the serrated leaves like roses). Roses are the stereotypical flowers of love, and it would make sense for the love struck Dominique to be surrounded by them. Today, yellow roses specifically have a variety of different meanings, such as joy, friendship, and “welcome home”.... but in Victorian times, they had extremely negative meanings and were associated with jealousy, infidelity, and decrease in love. Domi is also surrounded by thorns, a symbol of suffering, sorrow, and hardship.

All in all, this combination of flowers seems to hint to some very non- fun times for mademoiselle Dominique. The presence of yellow roses seems to some trouble in her relationship with Noé— but they could also have something to do with Jeanne, and Domi’s sudden realization that Jeanne is nothing like her. Or they could symbolize something else entirely..!

And now, on to the color scheme..! There are only four colors used in the entire cover, but the most predominant two are yellow/gold and black. Interestingly yellow is frequently used to symbolize unrequited love— what better a choice for Dominique? Black, meanwhile, is often associated with mourning— which doesn’t seem too strange either. But what’s interesting about these colors is that Dominique’s hair and clothes, shown in black or grey, seem to be fading into yellow. Yellow is also a color associated with decay— could this be a sign of Dominique’s dark turn as a result of whatever the hell Misha’s been doing?

Another interesting thing about this color scheme is the way the yellow of the frame and the yellow Domi seems to be fading into is the exact same color. Mochijun has been branching out in the coloration of the mirrors/ frames on her book covers (books 5, 6, and 7 all have non- golden mirrors) but the first four books of the manga all feature golden mirrors. Mochijun seems to have avoided the color yellow in each of those covers, except as a feature in Jeanne’s image, and limited the yellow- gold color to just the frame.

However, all of a sudden for book 8 Mochijun brings back the golden frame. And unlike in all the previous covers, she uses the color yellow extensively. What could this suggest?

Personally, I think this use of the color suggests that Dominique isn’t just being held captive by the mirror’s thorns— she’s being trapped by herself.

So far in the manga covers, yellow as a color has been used for one thing and one thing only— the frames/ mirrors (also for Jeanne’s eyes but that’s besides the point). Dominique has a golden mirror, but her hair is also fading into that same gold— her hair becomes a frame around her. Dominique’s mirror is trapping her and pulling her in, but her hair shows that she isn’t being trapped unwillingly— she’s willing to be trapped. She could escape under her own power, but because of some internal issue of struggle, she is simultaneously unwilling and unable to do so. She’s trapped there by her own mind.

This is where it all comes full circle. The use of yellow in Dominique’s clothes and hair suggests that she is unwilling to leave the mirror, that the mirror trapping her is made up of her very being. Her posture, the way she’s holding her sword, shows that she’s able to attack, but hasn’t. It would be easy for her to smash the mirror, but she hasn’t. Dominique is here against her will, but she’s staying here willingly.

We don’t know what’s going on with Dominique. If she’s been killing vampires, what Misha did to her, why Misha’s holding her captive. But something very wrong is going on here. Whatever’s happening, it’s almost as if Domi is letting it happen.

[sexually-confused-goblin]

Episode 5:

Daniel "Right in front of my salad?!" Molloy

Daniel, your freak is showing👀

"Metrically challenged" lmao

Rashid/Armand's so done, he needs to blow up a village in Minecraft (I saw the interview where Assad mentioned he actually had games on that ipad and I just love it)

Oh no, reading Claudia's diaries behind her back really isn't it...

Well, what's written in there isn't meant for your eyes, so what did you expect?

That jumpscare was only missing a "bonjour"

I feel so bad for Claudia rn ... so what if she writes some hurtful things about Louis and Lestat into her diaries? It's probably a way for her to vent and get frustration out of her system so she won't actually blow up into both their faces (like they do at each other) ... invading her privacy like that ... I get they're worried about people finding the bodies, but still (sounds like that specific problem started quite some time ago) ...

Quite the collection she has (god forbid a woman has hobbies)

Is Claudia drunk?

That guy's still breathing?!

As someone who oftentimes gets mistaken for a minor because of her looks, Claudia talking about who'd want her hit a bit close to home

Lestat, read the room

Way to fuck up, Lestat

Huh, so what was that about not having secrets with each other, Lestat? I feel like I'm watching a divorce, wasn't the divorce supposed to happen during season 2?

"Once you put it out there, they decide what it is. It can get away from you." sad, but true with the way the internet works

That's a depression room if I've ever seen one

Bruce is giving me the creeps

Poor table

If he wants Claudia’s story to be told, it really should also include the tragic parts - even those he might feel responsible for for not being able to prevent them

Damn, Louis can be such an asshole when someone doesn't dance to his tune

Rashid/Armand to the rescue :D

That slap was deserved

Lestat, my guy, as if you hadn't fucked other people outside your relationship the whole time before now

Wait lol, Louis and I share the same birthday

Aw, emotional reunion scene :)

Lestat, of course...

Both Louis and Lestat are somewhat bad for each other in their own ways ... but yeah Lestat, if you treat people like that they're bound to leave at some point

European vampires are vicious and you're the best example rn, Lestat

Maybe I'm just not emotional enough to understand, but how can someone say they love(d) someone and then do this to them?!

I finally started "Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire", so here's my live commentary which absolutely nobody asked for :D (there'll definitely be spoilers, so I'll put it underneath the cut)

Episode 1:

I already like Daniel's snark lol

"Our boy" huh?

That's some great representation of a relationship between siblings lmao (annoying them until they feel like hitting/stabbing you and then complaining to mom about it)

Lestat starts speaking and all I hear in my head is "I'm a Barbie girl"

The way Lestat was staring at Louis' neck like I look at my food while waiting for it to cool down enough to be edible after forgetting to eat during the day

That was sensual, omg (as much as the floating took me out)

I get the feeling Paul's foreshadowing a lot here ... that usually tends to not go well for characters

Oh come on!

Poor Louis :(

Lestat's lost in the sauce

Does that count as Lestat love bombing Louis before turning him?

[nalyra-dreaming]

First off absolutely adore your opinions about the show and the books and I’m not sure if you have talked about this or not but I feel like you’re one of the best people to go to about this lol.

I recently did a rewatch of season 1 to find some more background connections regarding Daniel and Armand and I noticed some details that could possibly be connected?

Daniel talks about Alice with Louis during their dinner and recounts how she would dye her left eyebrow from blonde to brown and when you watch the season finale of part 1 when Armand reveals himself he’s seen only removing one contact from his left eye. And there’s no cut aways to suggest that we just didn’t see him remove two. He removes his gloves, removes the left contact, and levitates.

So, for me, not only does this add to the some of his Alice’s memories are of Armand it could also explain how Daniel is able to oscillate his eye color. I don’t know but it’s driving me insane lol

Glad you like!!! 💕

Mhhhh - I mean - possibly?

The eye color changing thing is... weird.

It is either a show only thing or a hint. Could be both, but I'm leaning towards the second option for now. However, wrt Armand the Alice seen definitely "masks" Armand in that scene, imho. It matches also later with Armand's remark about "saying no" and "not trusting their love". "Holding hands in Paris", too.

As said before I think that Armand likely took existing memories to alter them when he removed those memories, because I simply think it is much easier to alter than to create anew(*), and so some of those memories... are definitely him and Armand. Imho :))

If the vampires also can change eye color, then they have been very careful only to use that reveal there, so it means something. The contact lens could be a hint, yes, but I feel we might only not have seen him remove the other. Nonetheless, the eyebrow remark definitely stands I believe^^.

I am very much looking forward to see what they make of it :))) (and what WE make of it afterwards^^)

[louandhazaf]

ANNUAL WRITING SELF EVALUATION

1. List of works published this year:

Feeling it Out (Hazoff) : Harry lost the grip on his towel, and it fluttered to the ground. The other guy took a step forward, reached down to pick it up, and stepped closer to Harry to return it. Close enough for Harry to see the occasional grey hidden in his beard, the unruly pit hair, still wet and clumped together, the way his dark chest hair continued down, through the middle of his belly and directly to his—      Harry jerked his eyes up to see the the other guy's questioning look.

lost in my head (Larry) : Louis had been, until about a year prior, the love of Harry’s life.

battling on the regular (Louis/Sam Fender) : Sam rearranges all the thoughts in his head that had been bouncing around since Louis had said relationship shit. Gone are flouncy bottle blondes who are not so subtly taking advantage of him and instead there’s Calvin Harris, breaking his heart. As if Calvin Harris deserves someone kind and generous like Louis to begin with.

Campus Creatures (Larry) (cowrite with @kingsofeverything) : It’s senior year for werewolf Louis Tomlinson and vampire Harry Styles, and as presidents of their respective fraternities, they’re determined to do it right.     Though what that means is anybody’s guess.

Those Hometown Lights (Lilo) : Louis came back into the screen a few moments later. He was in the faded red lifeguard trunks that Liam had spent many an afternoon drooling over from afar, but now it was practically a second set of skin, cupping his dick obscenely and leaving absolutely nothing to Liam’s imagination.     “Sometimes I can’t tell if I look any different, but I guess those squats are paying off,” Louis says with a laugh. He does half of one, with his back towards Liam, his thighs tensing and the seams of the bathing suit pulling tight.

Nothing but Time on His Dirty Hands (Larry) : Harry enjoys his daydream about Louis Tomlinson.

A+ Patient (Larry) : Harry hated everything about the dentist—the antiseptic smell and the bright light in his face and the disappointment in himself and the suction thingy that kept his mouth too dry.      But the thing he hated the most was how in love with his dentist he was.

Tommo the Tease (Nouis) :  Seeing Tommo relaxed and shirtless in person was a whole lot different than seeing him gleaming and shirtless on a camboy video.

When We Hold On (To The Past) (Zouis) : “Not a story to tell while we’re fucking,” Louis said with half a laugh. Zayn could drop the subject and keep fucking him, keep the strings from getting attached, pretend that they weren’t getting closer than Louis was comfortable with. Or Zayn could choose the opposite path—which he did.

Golden (Larry) : Harry makes a costly wish.

2. Work you are most proud of (and why):

OOF. Well, I’d say either Feeling It Out -- because the Hazoff pairing was really hard to capture and the fact that I got through it and posted it means I should give myself a pat on the back -- or else When We Hold On (To The Past) because I had been wanting to write fallen angel Louis for literal years and I finally found a way to make it happen. 

3. Work you are least proud of (and why): 

Eh. I’ll go with Tommo the Tease because I forgot that I wrote it and then when compiling the list for #1 I put it as a Larry fic and then I just happened to catch the pairing and realized it was Nouis which means I wrote a Nouis fic this year and totally forgot about it???? So I must not love it. Which is fine! But therefore I’m not exactly proud of it.  

4. A favorite excerpt of your writing:

This feels like a bit of a copout since it’s also the summary, but I really adore this moment of When We Hold On (To The Past)

“Not a story to tell while we’re fucking,” he said with half a laugh. Zayn could drop the subject and keep fucking him, keep the strings from getting attached, pretend that they weren’t getting closer than Louis was comfortable with. Or Zayn could choose the opposite path—and he did—of pulling his fingers out and wiping them down and sitting comfortably, with his wide, intense eyes boring into Louis.

I just really love the idea of Louis trying so hard to keep a distance from Zayn, and then opening up for him (heh, while he was being opened up by him) by giving Zayn a choice, of either the physical or the emotional? I think this fic is a lot about living with the choices you’ve made, and this moment is sort of a corner where their relationship is going to change in major ways -- both because of Zayn’s choice to dig deeper emotionally and Louis’ choice to take another risk. 

5. Share or describe a favorite review you received:

All of them. Literally every nice comment, every kudos, every fic rec... each one brings joys to my life. 

6. A time when writing was really, really hard:

I mean.... motions vaguely to all of 2020. A quick summary of my year - I was laid off on 12/31 so I started the year jobless. Then we uprooted my family due to Covid19. I’ve been jobless all year. I decided to stay in the new location, so I’ve effectively moved... but my husband is still in the old location. I’ve come out as non-binary, I’ve done a lot of thinking about what I want my future to look like, I’ve been home schooling, and I’ve a year that is basically a total transition. So basically, all year writing was really, really hard. But since about end of summer, writing has been so hard that I haven’t done it at all. 

7. A scene or character you wrote that surprised you:

Looking back, I’m surprised I wrote so many pairings! Hazoff, Larry, Louis/Sam, Lilo, Nouis, & Zouis! 

8. How did you grow as a writer this year:

to be honest, I’m not sure I did, but more importantly, I managed to write 10 fics during a global pandemic, so I’m not going to beat myself up about it. 

9. How do you hope to grow next year:

ha. Well. At this point simply getting back into the habit of writing would be a huge win for me, so let’s go with that. 

10. Who was your greatest positive influence this year as a writer (could be another writer or beta or cheerleader or muse etc etc):

Literally everyone who was able to write during this year??? Like, I know how hard it’s been for me, and to still get to visit ao3 and have new works to read and to get to cheer my friends on, that has brought me so much happiness and stability and I can’t express enough how amazing it is to be part of such a great community

11. Anything from your real life show up in your writing this year:

Other than ongoing themes of learning to communicate, and the Lilo fic happening during the pandemic, nope. 

12. Any new wisdom you can share with other writers:

I am not in a headspace to be offering up wisdom, but I hope other writers know how valued they are! 

13. Any projects you’re looking forward to starting (or finishing) in the new year:

Yes. ha. There are some. I’m going to hold my cards close to my chest though. 

14. Tag three writers whose answers you’d like to read.

@kingsofeverything @disgruntledkittenface @lululawrence

*All answers should be about works published in 2020. Also, you can skip any questions you hate or don’t want to answer, but please leave them on the list so that others can do them if they want.

(also, here’re my responses from 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019)

[hlcreators]

AUTHOR REC:  creamcoffeelou / @2ofusmp4 

Be sure to show some love by leaving kudos and comments!

last blues for bloody knuckles (34k)

“Hi, love,” A too-familiar voice greeted him from the other side of the door. He had a cigarette dangling from his lips that he brought between two fingers as his eyes raked over Louis. All Louis could do was stare, wide-eyed at the alpha that he’d left behind so many years ago. “Harry?” His voice felt far away, like it wasn’t him that was speaking. On the other side of the door stood the one man he never thought he’d see again, and maybe the only man he never wanted to see again. A few steps behind him stood Liam and someone else he didn’t recognize, with guns tucked into their front pockets. “I need you to come with me.”

OR

Styles was a name everyone knew. It had evolved into something of a fairy tale, a far away problem that normal people didn’t have to deal with. Louis never thought he’d find himself falling in love with him. When he finds himself pregnant with Harry’s child, he knows he has to leave the life, and Harry, behind. For her sake.

He never expected Harry to show back up on his doorstep five years later.

A mob au.

Adore You (23k)

When they’d first come into this lifestyle, the being in their roles in their day to day lives, Louis had struggled with it. He’d found it hard to distinguish between what Harry was doing because he thought he had to, with Louis as his dominant, and what he wanted to do just because of them being partners.

Being ‘twenty-four-seven’ in the traditional sense wasn’t exactly realistic in their life, no matter how much they tried to make it work. They could do small things within their power dynamic, they could try their best to keep it going, but more or less, it wasn’t a constant thing. Harry called it submission with weekends and bank holidays, and it worked for them.

As different as it was from what he expected, no matter what, in the end, it worked for them – and that was all that mattered.

“Can I… take care of you?” Harry had asked, his eyes looking everywhere but at Louis. Louis had just turned twenty-three, they’d been exploring things, doing new things for years, and Harry still managed to surprise him. “Like… Just do things for you like you take such good care of me.”

OR: A canon-compliant fic where Harry wants nothing more than to take care of Louis.

Running In The Shadows (43k)

Harry had a plan for his life. Work his dream job, raise his family, and settle down one day. He thrived in the ordinary. But when tragedy strikes, he has to see exactly how far hes willing to go to help the person he cares for most. Louis was never a part of that plan.

technicolor (81k)

When the small town of Twin Lakes begins experiencing a string of serial murders, a team of detectives is called in to help. Louis is the head of the team and meets a hard-headed psychic who everyone else seems to believe is the one who will solve the case. Louis isn't so sure.

OR The slow-burn, hate-to-love, crime au where Harry is a psychic, Louis is a detective, and the world is against them.

Still Standing Still (44k)

Louis has long since been following the same schedule, the same program, the same everything. He works hard towards his goals and gives everything to those that mean the most to him. Harry was never a part of the plan, but Louis finds he loves unplanned changes.

Earned It (5.4k)

There’s something so uniquely captivating to being on stage - to being the center of attention. Louis has always craved it, always craved the feeling of being desired by all only to have his own pick at the end of the night. He knows people come to see him specifically - has been told time and time again - and maybe that’s why he’s so in love with what he does. He knows he’s wanted and he loves being able to manipulate the attention of the men and women sitting in the crowd around him. 

Break Me Dow, Build Me Up (16k)

America, as it’s been told, is the world of riches. Men and women alike can come to the land of the free and achieve the American dream, regardless of their background. He wanted nothing more than to create a better life for his sisters, for himself, and perhaps for his future. Harry Styles was never a part of the plan.

[or: Louis moves his family to America to try and find a better life. Harry finds him instead.]

Just A Whisper (11k)

Strange things have happened around the castle since Louis was young. No one has ever been able to explain them and they've long since gone ignored. As the hauntings become more frequent, Louis finally reaches his last straw and calls a professional to help him.

Ready To Run (11k)

After being left at the alter by his boyfriend of five years, Louis goes on a vacation to try and clear his head and fill the empty spaces in his heart. On the way, he meets a new group of life-long friends, and maybe a little more than that.

Just To Feel (4.1k)

Reason #17: Your car's already at their place and you're too lazy to move it.

When he wakes up, his back hurts, his head is pounding, and his mouth is extremely dry. There’s too much light around him and he doesn’t remember falling asleep at all the night before, let alone getting home. But as soon as he opens his eyes, he realizes very quickly that he’s not home.

He’s managed to fall asleep on the floor of Harry Style’s flat.

The Brightest Star Shines Through The Dark (16k)

Harry and Louis build their life together from the beginning - but even losing everything can't tear them apart.

What A Feeling (2.9k)

“You know I don’t kiss and tell.” Louis says with a slightly forced laugh. “Yeah, cause there’s nothin’ to tell!” Liam replies with a grin, getting a cackle from Niall, and making Louis’ face flame. He can feel Harry’s soft chuckle, just because their bodies are touching. “Like you have room to talk, mate.” He bites back, but all three of them are still laughing. He really needs to get laid.

Across The Lines (28k)

With a camera in hand, Louis sets off on the road trip of his life to explore the most famous haunted houses of the UK. Things don't exactly go to plan.

End Game (54k)

Harry styles is the most feared man in London, notorious for always getting everything he wants. All of that changes when Louis comes around and opens his eyes to a new, beautiful side of the world.

Beneath These Sparkling Lights (Forever you’re mine) (5.1k)

"After years of being called a couple teasingly by both our families and friends alike, I know it was nerve wracking for the both of us when it finally actually happened. But for our entire lives we’ve always been HarryandLouis, never apart, whether we called ourselves best friends or best friends and fiancés or now best friends and husbands.” Harry’s smile is so gorgeous that Louis feels a little shake in his knees, “Through everything, the good, the sometimes weird, and the bad, I’m so glad it was you at my side. I know life is ugly sometimes, but you’re the beauty in the fight that is life, for me. My rose to my dagger."

Last Day Alive (42k)

Harry Styles was born to the leader of the Following - the organization that keeps their world peaceful and just. Without the Following, the world would only return to the ways of the Old Times and all of them would come to an untimely end. Or, so he thought, until he meets Louis, the leader of the Rebellion.

Gentle Autumn Rain (57k)

Louis Tomlinson moved to London with a big heart and a big dream. Harry Styles moved to London, fresh out of the police academy, with the hopes of helping as many people as he could in his eyes. When a deranged alpha forces their paths to cross, their ideas of what is meant to be will never be the same.

Down the Field (9k)

Louis, a pro football player of Chelsea, is forced to retire after a severe injury to his foot. After he recovers and is told the news that he'll never play professionally again, he decides to go coach at his old secondary school. Harry, the health teacher, loves to let him know how big of a fan he is.

I Promise (3.5k)

Harry has a promise to keep and a pair of arms to go home to.

[Loosely based on the drowning scene from Dunkirk's trailer. ]

I Chose You (13k)

When he wakes up, the room is much brighter than when he’d fallen asleep. He has to blink the sleep from his eyes and eventually he just tosses an arm over his face to try and ignore the brightness, but then he realizes that the bed has a decent sized dent in it that forms perfectly to his body and he’s comfortable. It’s – weird. He can’t remember leaving the blinds open, and it wouldn’t have made much sense for Zayn to have opened them, either, but he doesn’t think about it. Maybe he just hadn’t realized that he’d had such a nice bed when he’d fallen asleep.

After a moment, he groans and takes his arm away from his eyes and – wait. This is – this is not his hotel room. This is a bedroom.

[Or: Louis wakes up in another life.]

As We Are (48k)

Louis doesn't think much when he's asked to meet up with the alpha of the pack two hours from his own - he figures it's business as usual. But Harry Styles is anything but usual.

Written In The Stars (71k)

It was so different - the complete opposite of everything Louis had ever expected about finally being placed into the real world. Zayn defied every single thing he'd ever been told about vampires, about how he was supposed to be treated. This was nothing like what he'd expected.

[or: Zayn's the third oldest vampire in the world and found himself searching out the company of a human, so he took Louis as his keep. His maker Harry doesn't approve.]

Running (28k)

Louis was never ashamed of who he was - never had been never would be. But he never really was himself.

In The Heat of The Moment (36k)

The first thing that came to Zayn’s mind when he read Liam Payne’s file was that he was certainly, definitely going to die before he was thirty. The word they used in The Office for such a case was reckless; reckless meant that, perhaps, the person wasn’t at fault, but the universe and said person’s energy didn’t happen to match. That made terrible things happen to that person.

Liam Payne was a classic case of recklessness.

[or: A modern times AU where Zayn is a guardian angel and he's been sent down to protect the most reckless human he's ever met.]

[femmefiction]

Ma Favori Chapter 1

“Estelle? Quite the name.”

“Uncommon but not unseen, yes. Madeleine is very lovely as well.”

“Thank you.” She bowed and sat among the furniture.

“Those are chairs for the play, miss.” Estelle objected as she studied Madeleine’s form.

“Oh, my apologies.” She stood, removing herself from the scene. “I’m very sorry, I shouldn’t have disturbed you.”

“No, no, I was curious about you, too.” Estelle swept towards Madeleine, her dress following her like a sea of ink-black jade. “You’re with the child, yes? Claudia? And her father Louis.” Estelle recited. “Though Armand has told me to keep away from Louis. I don’t mind, he’s not what I’m looking for.”

“Yes, but I know Louis a lot less. He didn’t seem interested in meeting others either.” Madeleine’s eyes swayed to the floor. “It concerns me, how he’s been acting, it sounds. If what Claudia says is true.”

“You shouldn’t worry yourself about him.” Estelle took Madeleine by the hand, gesturing that they should both leave the theater’s backroom. “If you don’t mind me asking,” Estelle began, “what curiosity brought you to me? You clearly sought me after we had that moment the other day. I thought my eyes were never going to leave yours, ma favori.”

“That may have been the first time you’d seen me, but it wasn’t the first time I’d seen you.”

“Pardon?” Estelle’s vampire heart stopped as she pondered over every man and woman she’d fed on, paranoid of a vengeful lover, or scorned—

“I saw one of your plays recently. That’s why I’m here, with you, as I was finally given a chance to wander around the theater, and I saw you behind the curtain. I’m sure you’ve heard about how you stand out, especially amongst the black robes and pale faces.”

It’s her! Estelle swallowed upon recalling her secret admirer startling her in the theater, how the, at the time, mortal Madeleine waited on Estelle to approach center stage following their show. “No more than Armand with his similarly red hair.” Estelle chuckled, distracting Madeleine so the other woman could daydream, recalling when she first laid her eyes on her. Her voice was as beautiful as Estelle could have hoped, able to taste her life experience in her tonalities. Languidly, she grinned while resting her head to the side.

“Well, I have a man in my life, or, had. And, I’d rather not fancy myself with another one. Besides, I like your features more. They’re so prominent, sharp, but beautiful; they drew me in, at least.”

“So it is that kind of proposal, yes? One to match this other man in your life?”

“Only if you’d be interested.”

“I am, I am.” Estelle nodded, studying Madeleine’s figure, or rather, her dress, as it left everything to her imagination. What little Estelle could find was the overflow of breast caused by the corset of her dress, but it was enough to get the vampiress’ rusted wheels turning. She’d not have a ronde vu since joining the theater and Armand’s coven. Not for the sake of strict rules, but because she’d been advised against it; that vampires were above such acts of mortal pleasures.

“Then you can guide me to a secluded room within the theater?”

“It’d be a pleasure.” Estelle grinned, holding Madeleine by the hand softly. They traversed a couple of rooms before going down their first corridor. The room wasn’t far, but the two of them had been talking through their entire walk, even walking a little bit slower so they’d have more time to converse as Madeleine took in the scenery. “I’ve never met someone who adored me for my acting.”

“Splendid, though I’m in no mood to discuss acting.” Madeleine fluttered her eyelashes. Her eyes glanced towards the walls and found on the right side of the hall a stone-sculpted bench. She couldn’t help but desire a rest after having stood on her feet for so long with her only break for her soles being her mistakenly sitting on the theater’s stage furniture. Though she didn’t know how much longer they had, and if she could stand it, perhaps they could start foreplay with a short foot rub.

“Don’t worry yourself, neither am I.” Estelle’s breath heaved in her chest as she gazed upon Madeleine’s flawless skin. Catching another glimpse of the woman was a mistake that Estelle hadn’t been convinced was an error on her end, until her sexual desires cut through her head like a bullet, leaving her as mindless as a man who’d gotten his brains blown out. When they strolled past the stone bench, Estelle had to take the advantage. “Your feet must be tired, Madeleine, dear, perhaps you should take a break and rest.”

“Oh, so you aren’t in any hurry. Fine by me.” Madeleine’s unawareness excited Estelle.

I can’t wait to hear her squeal. Estelle licked her lips and bit her lower, plumper half. “I find vampires hardly travel these halls, but one may come by. Though I doubt it.”

“Ah, privacy, sounds lovely.” Madeleine grinned; her foresight unreadable.

“It sounds perfect.” Estelle purred. “Your dress is folded at the lace, madame.” The older vampire knelt before the fledgling and stretched her petticoat like an accordion. She fluffed the fabric enough to engulf her head, her teeth darting to the skin of Madeleine’s calves, halfway between her knee and ankle.

“Ah! Hah!” Madeleine beamed and gasped. Her back pressed against the wall, sending her pelvis closer to Estelle.

“If you want me to stop—” Estelle whispered against Madeleine’s inner thigh.

Before she could finish, Madeleine grabbed her head. “Don’t stop.” Madeleine was whispering but aggressive. She held onto the woman’s scalp through her dress and Estelle’s hair. There wasn’t a moment for her to take control before Estelle had her face between Madeleine’s legs.

Estelle’s hands fumbled for a moment, preparing for undergarments, but Madeleine’s dress was so thick she opted not to for the day. I wonder if she knew, if she could feel it. Estelle pondered. She began by taking Madeleine’s thighs in her arms, spreading them apart enough that her chin could rest on the little bit of fat she had between her legs. Estelle’s lip puckered and pressed against Madeleine’s pussy lips; her tongue slid over her clit between the folds of her labia. She lowered her face until her chin was resting on the fabric that was soon pressed against the stone bench.

Madeleine moaned, belting her breath as Estelle sucked her clit, adding a slurping noise to help her tongue and lips vibrate against the other’s skin. “Fuck! Ah!” she screamed before whispering a prayer of: “Oh, forgive me lord.” Despite using her lord’s name, she didn’t allow it to distract her from the pleasure Estelle’s lips provided to her clit.

“Tense, darling?” Estelle chuckled before she dragged the length of her tongue along Madeleine’s slit and clitoris, sending a shiver up her spine.

“H-how loud am I allowed to be?” Madeleine’s voice struggled to remain steady.

“If you must know,” Estelle’s tongue and lips were becoming strained, “I would tell you when and if you were too loud.” Her lips smiling, she pressed them against Madeleine’s now blooming pussy.

“How?”

“It’s best if you save your questions for the walk to the room.” Estelle admitted. She took Madeleine’s dress in her hands to quickly make eye contact with her partner. “Do you wish to be caught?”

“No.”

“Do you wish to stop?”

Madeleine sighed. “No.”

“Then stay quiet and let me do what I need to do.” Estelle growled before returning to between Madeleine’s legs. Upon caressing Madeleine’s clit with her tongue, curiosity sprung within Estelle and she began to read Madeleine’s mind. As she kissed her, moving her tongue to slide into Madeleine’s pussy, the new vampire focused very little on the pleasure being delivered to her and feared more every moment a vampire had the chance to pass. Estelle read Madeleine’s anxiety connected to whispers she’d heard. It was about Armand’s plans for her and Claudia, how they wouldn’t make it out alive, and being on such thin ice disrupted her moment with a woman for the first time. “Darling, stop worrying, I will keep you safe.” Estelle massaged Madeleine’s legs, slithering her tongue into Madeleine as deep as she could manage. Still attached to her newest partner’s thoughts, Estelle heard a cry of surprise and pleasure that had no echo, as Madeleine had sealed her lips.

But even the strongest of lips couldn’t fully muffle Madeleine’s shriek, resulting in a powerful moan and her hand grabbing onto the arms of the bench, breaking apart the loser pieces of stone. Satisfied with her own performance, Estelle alternated between licking Madeleine’s insides and suckling on her clit, her tongue dragging across the nerves under the muscle.

The sensation would have crippled Madeleine if she’d been standing. She suspected that Estelle had continued to read her mind as she desired a sensual pain, but was indecisive of where and how, but Estelle delivered with a grab of Madeleine’s ass, her nails digging into the lightly-fatted flesh.

God, what am I to do now? Madeleine cried. Is this where my pride is torn from me? The thought of climaxing on a stone bench, my first as a vampire, is under a near stranger’s hand, how shameful! But if she is such a stranger, how does she know my body so well? Will I be able to deliver in return? Will she teach me? The stresses of my human life are—melting away, like mud from a dress. Is this how every encounter with a woman feels? God, I wish I had tried this sooner!

Though not as fun or thrilling as hearing Madeleine scream these words, Estelle was still satisfied to know she was enjoying herself. It’d been so long since Estelle heard the words of a young woman questioning her own sexuality. While she couldn’t sneak her hands under Madeleine’s corset, she was content with holding onto her thighs, massaging the sensitive skin.

“Estelle? Est—oh God.” Madeleine crooned.

Unable to say a word, Estelle’s hand slid from under Madeleine’s dress and grasped for the other woman’s; their fingers interlocking once their palms touched.

“Th-thank you.” Madeleine huffed before her groaning built to an orgasmic shrill.

Upon licking up the small burst stream of Madeleine’s juices, Estelle rose from her skirt, her hair more of a tangled mess than when she’d first come back to comfort Madeleine. “The glow looks gorgeous on you.” Estelle murmured.

“Can we continue?”

“To the room first.”

“Yes.” Madeleine’s throat shifted before she lazily lifted her hand to Estelle’s direction. “Help me, please.”

“Of course. I was the cause of your weakness.” Estelle grinned and took her by the hand, pulling her into a hug, Estelle’s hand circumnavigating Madeleine’s waist to hook the woman into an embrace, planting a quick and soft kiss on her neck. As gracefully as she had guided Madeleine to her arms and lips, both women left the corridor as though nothing happened.

[darkstar6782]

2.07: The Usual Suspects - My Rewatch Review

I love the way this episode was shot, with the flashbacks and the narrative-reality discontinuity and the outsider point-of-view elements, but I think the thing that has always impressed me the most within this episode is the revelation of just how truly in-sync Sam and Dean are when it comes to the work they do. With the exception of the flashbacks, the two of them do not spend any time with one another until the very last scene of the episode, and it is obvious from the way the story is told that Sam had no idea Dean had been arrested for Karen’s murder until after the police pick him up at the motel. And yet, he is able to tell the police the exact same lies about what he and Dean were doing there and what their connection to the murder victims was, he and Dean both figure out that ‘danashulps’ is a anagram, and Dean knows exactly what to say to Sam in his note to get him to run, and he knows exactly where Sam will go and what he will do when he does. Like the public defender does, it could be easy to brush some of their behavior off as just them being brothers, and the rest as just being well-prepared, but it really makes you wonder. We so rarely see them get in trouble with the law, but it is always a possibility, so do they come up with stories like that beforehand for every case? I can see John being the one that drilled a lot of these strategies, like code words and always having a place to meet up if they got separated, into them as kids, but how often do they really get used? And how good at covering their tracks must they be that, despite the fact that they are constantly disrupting crime scenes and discovering dead bodies, that there is little to no record of them in the system outside of the shifter incident in Saint Louis? For all that they sometimes seem in over their heads in this line of work, it is obvious from episodes like this that Sam and Dean are amazing hunters, and that they truly do carry a lifetime’s worth of experience with them into their work.

Another thing I love about this episode is the way that the twist in its narrative and the truth about the real cause of Anthony and Karen Giles’ deaths work to turn the underlying themes that have been running under a number of the episodes here in season 2 into a coherent narrative. Because it wasn’t until very recently that I realized that this episode is one of the ones in which the ‘monster’ was actually human. I think it gets overlooked in discussions about those types of episodes, because, unlike ‘The Benders’ and the season 4 episode ‘Family Remains’, a supernatural entity was still involved; it just didn’t do the killing. Even though Sam and Dean came to town because Giles’s murder sounded supernatural, the ghost they found was just a death omen, and it was the cop, a human, who was the killer, and he was killed by Diana, another human. And, incidentally, while contemplating this realization, it occurred to me that in ‘Bloodlust’, episode 3 of this season, the ‘monster’ is also a human: it is Gordon who does all of the killing in that episode, not the vampires. And those aren’t the only two examples of the ways in which the show is blurring the line between mortal and supernatural monsters all of a sudden—the theme of this season is ‘what makes a monster a monster’, after all. I noted back in my review of ‘Children Shouldn’t Play With Dead Things’ that the kid who raised the girl he had a crush on from the dead was not a good person, there was the case of Andy and Ansem in ‘Simon Said’ that showed the ways in which psychic powers could be used for good or evil, and the grey areas the boys will be delving into in later episodes when dealing with ghosts who don’t know they’re dead, werewolves who don’t know they’re killing people, and their own continued run-ins with LEOs who think the Winchesters are cold-blooded murderers when all they have been doing their whole lives is trying to save people... this show is many things, but subtle isn’t exactly one of them. However, I do have to give them props for choosing to delve so deep into these murky themes so early on in the show’s run; they could have easily played it safe and kept to the standard ghost stories and monster hunts for a whole lot longer, but it would not have been nearly as good a show if they had, and it is their choice to jump head-first into the question of what makes a monster a monster this season that makes season 2 one of the best of the series.

Incidentally, I find it interesting that all of the hallmarks of the Anthony Giles murder that make it seem supernatural, and draw Sam and Dean to it as a case in the first place, could also be explained by the murder being done by a cop who could cover his tracks—the door being locked, the lack of fingerprints, and the missing security tape footage. I wonder how often Sam and Dean run into cases where the evidence pointing to a supernatural cause could also be explained by something mundane but unusual, and they go investigate and then end up leaving it alone because it’s not their thing? We’d never see it, because the show is about them solving the supernatural cases, but it feels like something that could have happened more than once.

[bestnoncannonship]

Alright..I'mma get in on this VC fancasting debate.

As a director, I often have a LOT of opinions on people's casting decisions. A LOT. (Someday, I'll write a novella on Ken Brannaugh's casting.) So as I see a LOT of fancasts casts based on how people look and few based on whether or not the actor can likely handle the role, I'mma throw my hat in the ring. (Warning....the more I write the less technical and more shitposty this is gonna get!) So here you go! The Vampire Chronicles series if I got to cast and direct it!!

The Brat Prince:

Most importantly....we gotta get us a Lestat. And the choice is clear:

Evan Williams: this fabulous shitposting aesthetic trash is as close to the one and only Vampire Lestat as we are gonna get on this plane of existance. He is all charm and quite light in his loafers and a complete mess.......but most importantly, he has proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that he is able to play a character that does inexplicable and morally reprehensible things while still being read as highly sympathetic, likable, and even a hero. That's what I worry about most with Lestat. He really is a very terrible person who doesn't learn or face too many consequences. And he has to be very very very sympathetic. Not just "Oh I Stan that villain" likeable.....but a true hero. And it takes a very. Special. Actor. To pull that shit off. And this is it. This is the guy. He was hired to play an Iago-esque gay villain type in Versailles, STOLE THE SHOW OUT FROM UNDER GEORGE BLAGDEN (no mean feat as Blaggy was giving a hell of a performance) and made his character a beloved icon. Yeah....I trust him to lead a show. I trust him to be Lestat.

Nicholas L'enfant:

Okay not gonna lie I struggled with this one. There was someone else I wanted to see in this role....but I decided he was better employed elsewhere. And this is who I ended up with:

Yep. George Blagden. See...in the grand scheme of things Nikki is a very low-screentime role that has a LOT of impact on the story. And who better to trust with low screentime that the god of grantaires, who took a few small shots and lines and GAVE US A FULLY CHARACTERIZED GRANTAIRE in the Les Mis film. He is very sweet faced, and easy to like, can make being an on screen depressive fascinating instead of dull and has proven time and time again that he is the master of the complete mental breakdown, complete with horrifying but tragic crazy eyes. Also.....he bears a strong enough physical resembles to.....

Louis!!!!:

Our beautiful depressed dark angel with a vampire eating disorder who has no self esteem and is still in love with his abuser needs nuance. He needs soul. And he needs a sweet and delicate beauty. And so:

Alexaner Vlahos!!! The soulful eyes!! The delicate bone structure!!! The slight tones of simmering resentment!!! The ability to play a character that could have become VERY one note VERY quickly with goregeous amounts of nuance and sympathy!!! Vlavla has quite the varied resume. Mordred. Phillipe. Romeo. Captain Hook. To put it lightly he has a LOT of range and the one through line is he is NEVER boring. He plays a lot of roles that could very quickly become boring and one note (Romeo? Captian snooze right there!). But every second he's on screen or stage he is so completely alive in whatever he is feeling. I TRUST him to keep the entirety of Louis's brooding nuanced and fascinating for an audience and to physically and facially convey Louis's very important internal monologue that we will not be able to hear because this version is going to be from Lestat's point of veiw. I toggled with the idea of making him Nikki for a while....but ended up with Louis for 2 reasons. 1) he doesn't need the scripted plot drama Nikki has written in to make a compelling character and 2) he and Williams share such beautiful chemistry. Whenever they're together, even off screen, their focus shifts so that they orbit each other like bianary stars and any director can see that that's something that should be explored and exploited to add demension to the Louis/Lestat relationship and justify why they keep coming back to each other.

(And so ends the Men of Versailles segment of my fancast. So sue me. There's some incredible actors there.)

Let's return with

Gabrielle De Lioncourt:

The incomparable Alex Kingston, lately of River Song fame, though I met her as Elizabeth Corday, and Doctor Corday is driving this casting choice. I wanted an actor who was an appropriate age to play Williams's mother cause we don't fuck with that women are "old" at 30 shit in this house. And she can carry off the kind of "I will not hesitate to kill a man" BDE that Gabrielle requires without trying, but she's also proven herself comfortable and competent with the level of CAMP that VC requires. I can see her easily showing up on set for a few scattered episodes, slipping easily into the verse, and nailing the kind of woman who can put Lestat in his place then run back off to the jungle. Also....that De Lioncourt hair!!!!!

Marius "Daddy" Romanus:

Yep. This fuck. I can hear it now.... "Why isn't he lessssaaaat??? He's so blonde and prettttyyyyy????" Well....mainly because....I ain't sure this lil fuck can run a show as a very despicable but likeable hero yet. He's admirable. A good actor. A great villain. But not a hero and not heroically likeable. Personally, I'm of the opinion that in 10 or 15 years he will have grown into the ability to play something as complex as Lestat with likability....but for now.....DAMN is he a creepy imperial thing. He's got that "My house, my rules" vibe down. He's preditory. He's distinguished. He is Marius. And he's go the best Roman coin profile I've ever seen.

Armand:

N/A

Ok. Controversial decision....but I want to see a complete unknown as Armand. Send casting out to cast a wide net, scour the world for the Botticelli death machine. But definitely don't pull him from the pool of already famous younguns. Because your Armand needs to be deep. Skilled. And primarily UNSPOILED by the school of child acting that is forced upon child actors. (I was a commercial kid and child stage actor. It was terrible.) Go out and get some twinky fresh faced raw talent so you get depth.

Claudia:

N/A

Big old ditto on what I said above about child actors. A nice doe eyed unknown, preferably without a stage mom.

AKASHA:

Yikes. So many amazing choices!!! How do you follow Aliyah??

With literal human perfection Gina Torres of course!!! Again....I wanted to go with an older woman. Someone who would be seen as an authority to all vampires. Someone god damnned goregeous. And someone who I find intimidating. Also, since I'm skewing a little tall with this cast (at least as TV actors go) I wanted someone who comfortably stands among and above most of them! She's a seasond tested actor, and certified badass. And we know she can steal a scene. Besides if she can look regal as a queen in that weirdass dress they gave her in the serenity movie she can pull off whatever monstrosity costumes comes up with to follow the Aliyah getup.

Khayman:

Don't @ me but....I have a LOT of feelings about Khayman. I love his particularly breed of immortal insanity. I love the way immortality drove him mad into a childlike enjoyment and curiosity. And I knew exactly who has to be casted to play that combination of intimidating ancient and innocent curiosity:

This is Howard Charles. He is capable of playing both an intimidating giant and a sweet soulful cinnamon roll at the same time. I cannot sing this man's praises enough. Am I scared of him? Do I want to hug him? Both? He's also one of the best scene SHARERS I've seen on screen in a long time and that's very important in a supporting role.

Maharet:

Just because Anne Rice doesn't know shit about Mesopotamia doesn't mean we have to follow her in that. I wanted to pull from Middle Eastern or Indian populations for her to best reflect the look of the region in a time that's roughly in line with the pre-dynastic Egyptian mish-mosh associated with Akasha.

So I'm gunning for Indira Varma. When I say this woman has timeless beauty.....I mean timeless. She's as prehistorically hot as she is today. And she's such a strong actress, I want to give her a role that isn't 50% sex scenes. She's got both the warmth and the commanding strength to play Maharet. I would ideally like to get a dancer to play Mekare....someone who can handle the physical interp of the role. Probably an Indian dancer to match Indira Varma.

David Talbot:

In the newly declared tradition of Doctors playing Talbot:

This is the only current Gif I could find of Sylvester McCoy. Known to many as the Seventh Doctor. And to many as Ratagast the Brown. He embodies that sort of huffy aging britishness that David projects, but has the over the top personality that can give us those hints of the vitality of David's youth. Basically I can see this man telling stories about hunting tigers in India. Then when he gets the hot young Raglan James Body:

Luke Pasqualino. Swarthy young troublemaker. But for all the youthful good looks, he proved that he was able to play grace and gravitas as D'artagnion in the final season of the BBC Musketeers. I'd love to give him a chance to explore that deeper part. I also trust his ability to match the energy of a cast, which he did repeatedly on musketeers, and portray both the impulsive self aggrandizing Lestat in the Raglan James body and to play the DarkAU Musketeer type that is Raglan James himself.

That's literally all the Gifs I can put in a post. I know I skipped Daniel......but that's because I have surprisingly few opinions on Daniel.......he's very much a vanilla audience connecting character. I'd almost like to see an unknown in that role....just to see what we a new face could make.

And thus ends my casting of the Vampire Chronicles!!