#I'm sure everyone here loves louis

[stop-breaking-my-heart-telltale]

if dorian didn't show up, do you think louis would have shot minnie?

I do. I know some people think either he wouldn't have or he would've missed so that's why the writers had him shoot Dorian instead, but mmmmmm no, I don't personally think so. I like to think that if he had taken the shot, his shaky hands would've caused him to shoot her fatally.

Mostly because I'm already so normal about the fact that of the Ericson crew, Marlon and Louis are the only ones with a body count. Well, that we know of, but shown to us in the game, at least. Plus, we know it's Louis' first kill.

Like yeah, Clementine and AJ become part of the crew and they have bigger body counts, and if we're counting indirect kills caused by actions, then Tenn has a count... and I guess everyone has blood on their hands for blowing up the boat... but I'm talking about killed directly with a weapon like....... I lied, I'm not normal about that at all, Louis and Marlon are the ones who have killed someone in Louis' route. I'm also not normal about the fact that Louis kills Dorian and then even as he's clearly in shock, he tries to go with Clementine to get AJ, and then later on when they talk about it, he says it feels like bile but not quite and he's glad he has it in him to do it.... listen, listen, listen... I'm obsessed with that.

Anyway, so if Louis shot Minerva, I think he would've accidentally killed her and can you imagine? He's already enough of a mess after killing the woman who pinned him down and tried to cut his finger off [or succeeded] but he knew Minerva, they were friends before the twins were taken. Even Violet couldn't kill her even though that would've been the smarter thing to do, and we know thanks to meta knowledge that killing her would've saved lives, but Violet couldn't, and I don't think Louis would intentionally either.

Speaking of Violet, if Louis killed Minerva, I hate to think about what that would've done to Vi. I think she might've actually left at that point, like what was planned before it got changed to her being burned. I don't think she would've attacked Louis over it, though, like yeah she attacked Clementine in the cell but Louis? I don't know, but I don't think so just because it's Louis and he'd be a mess about it anyway.

Though if he did kill her, it would be a neat parallel to draw... y'know, because Louis forgave AJ for killing Marlon even though he was pissed and heartbroken, and Violet was annoyed with him the entire time... but could she ever forgive Louis for killing Minerva? Y'know? We already have a similar parallel with AJ shooting Tenn, but still.

If Clementine killed Minerva in that moment, though, then I could see Violet attacking her since in her eyes, Clem proved her right.

So yeah, I get why they added the Dorian kill to his route. It adds another compelling element to Louis as a character, but we also need Minerva alive for episode 4; Louis can't kill her, he can't miss, and he's not going to stay with her because we need Violet to stay on the boat and him to be on shore for all routes.

[twopoppies]

hey love, i hope this arrives in one piece and nothing is cut off, as i am not sure anymore how much i can write in a tumblr ask. just to be sure, my message ends with a ":)"

i'm a larrie since 2013, but went on a work-related tumblr break in 2018 (i work in the music industry). i returned to tumblr last week, amidst deep shared grief 💔 to find solace in community. as i tried to cheer myself up by going through my favorite blogs (like yours, it's so wonderful) and trying to catch up -especially about Harry&Louis things that i missed in the last years-, i found the posts really feel like little nuggets of joy and i'm so grateful for that. so i decided i finally want to add to it, now that my industry commitments have downsized significantly. i haven't shared this in almost a decade (never online anyway) and it's not big news or anything, but whenever i remember it, it just makes my heart glow. so, one of my closest work-friends in the industry back in the days (and i'll use neutral pronouns to protect them) did two tours with them in 🦘 in 2013 and 2015. our shared work ethics and also contracts obviously forbade us both from sharing almost all of what was seen or heard (concerning the artists' personal business), but my friend knew i firmly believed Harry and Louis to be together, just closeted (and we both knew this sadly was very common in music or the film industry; meaning mgmt iron-closeting non-straight male artists was completely and automatically still considered The Norm back then, especially with male artists doing these kinds of numbers and having that large of a young fanbase). i never indulged in my reasons or theories, because i felt like i had a professional reputation to uphold and also with me being queer and in the closet as well, it felt too personal to discuss, back then. during the first tour in 2013, we didn't text much, they just said the band was all very friendly and crew was professional, they seemed "like family". the schedule was "brutal". and security constantly needed to be "tightened", due to invasive people trying to steal or replicate tour passes. i didn't ask my friend about Harry and Louis specifically --but admittedly we also weren't that close of friends at that point. during the second tour in 2015, we were though, and only a few days in, they out of the blue texted something that made me smile so wide, i honestly think my cheeks are hurting to this day. :D i quote: "hey so those two louis and h. can't tell you more but you weren't wrong!!!" i replied with ":DDDDDDD" (honestly felt like sending a million heart emojis instead) and about an hour later they sent "every here knows too!!!" and a correction: "everyone" and to this day, almost 10 years later, I keep these imessages saved, because it made me so happy. and i hope that sharing my time-capsuled precious memory will make someone else happy, too. their love is truly something so special. oh, and one of the two was really unlucky at the pokies (slot machines) and quite a sore loser, haha. I always guessed it was Louis, but I don't know. :)

🥹 Oh, we really needed some happiness around here. Bless you for sharing this.

Also, I tend to agree with you that it was Louis on the slot machines. LMAO!

[shitapril]

very often see posts about how the one direction fans grew up to be formula one fans, and the more I think of it, the more it makes sense. putting aside the fact that almost all my f1 friends were 1d fans (were ? are lol), it makes sense that a fandom who's fuel was hyperfixating on boys living out their dreams shifted from one form of it to another.

tha being said, it got me thinking - how do the girlies translate to f1 ? and by girlies i mean what your kpop fan would call a "bias". for example, if i was a niall girl - who's my favourite now ?

so here's a silly little non-sensical analysis and comparison that should not be taken seriously at all :

firstly, the zayn malik girlies are definitely lewis hamilton girlies. both zayn and lewis come from humble backgrounds, were subject to vile, inhumane racial discrimination and hate - all while being arguably the most talented in their respective fields (I mean, you've heard zayn's high note in you & I, and seen lewis' 7 world championships). they're hardworking, pet-loving, very fashionable men who stay out of unnecessary spotlight for the most part, and step out once in a while to remind the world they're drop-dead gorgeous. the zayn girls are safe with lewis.

next comes liam payne - and here on you'll have to hear me out with my comparison of every racer and bandmate. liam and george russell are both aggressively british, unapologetically goofy and true to themselves (and i'm talking about liam in 1d not the one on logan paul's podcast). they're both very talented, highly regarded in their boss' eyes (toto wolff and simon cowell - this post is going to be interesting wow) and still somehow not an immediate fan favourite. this comparison also goes wonderfully well with the whole ziam and britcedes parallels.

thirdly, louis tomlinson. easy peasy. max verstappen. both incredibly blunt, dry humour, pr nightmares, do not give two single hecks. people either love them, or hate them - no in between. both incredibly talented individuals (louis wrote majority of 1d's discography, max has 3 world championships under his belt) and yet are discredited ("louis is only famous cuz of his bandmates and the band itself" and "max just had a good car"). the zayn and louis fued also parallels abu dhabi 2021 quite well aye ? (i'm going insane)

harry styles, no debate. charles leclerc - regarded as the pretty boys (the prettiest, their fans would insist i'm sure) and the most popular, the well-liked. both extremely talented without a doubt, but a little bit overrated, and victimised to glorify and support fan narratives. i know i sound like a hater - forgive me, not my intention. i like them both as individuals - their fans on the other hand (and no, not all, i know) are so blind-sided, so insane and cause so much unpleasantness on the internet. almost ironic, how the most amicable ones have the least liked fans lol. that aside though, if you were a harry girl, chances are you went from one fan-favourite to the other. i also just realised - this supports the larry and lestappen narratives - am i genuinely, honestly onto something here ? (i absolutely am not)

lastly, niall horan. now this one i'm sure will divide you all, but here you go anyway. lando norris. both babied immensely by their fans and bandmates/teammates alike - churchboy persona. the moment they shed the insecurity, suddenly bam everyone hates them (niall's mofo t-shirts, lando's frat boy tendencies, and saying things that the internet will not find funny), promising at a young age, yet somehow grew up to be called overrated. their fans are stubbornly loyal to them, defending them through all their rights, and wrongs. it makes sense to me. one smiley boy to another.

this probably makes no sense - but feel free to add your own comparisons, theories, and notes ! there's 5 of them and 20 on the grid, obviosuly disparity for me to go on and on and on about (for example, I see a little zayn girls to carlos girls pipeline, louis to fernando - oldest boy syndrome and all that) so let me know ! let's yap :)

[lady-phasma]

I'm sure someone has probably already done this but it's nagging at me and I couldn't hear all the insults as they yelled at one another. (Bold are my emphasis because I am seated!) Specifically the parts about Paris and Marius. I'm not making any comments at the moment, just fact finding because this episode was brutal. Beautiful, but brutal.

Season 2 Episode 5

Louis: What? What?!

Armand: It's morning!

Louis: I lost time. Things got a little heated.

Armand: With a boy! Things got heated with a boy. I was at home picking lint off the sofa!

Louis: I said to join us!

Armand: The night's gone. The room's soiled and once again, I'm here with mop and mindlessness to clean it up.

Louis: So the room got dirty, so what? I'll clean it up.

Armand: No, I clean it up! You make the mess and I clean it up! Mark it on the calendar, align it with Ursa Major. Louis' tri-annual fսck off and find me with apologies to follow.

Louis: ( laughing ) I'm sorry.

Armand: Seek comfort in the arms of lowlifes and unfortunates, and broken children, fine.

Louis: Oh, fine! The fine that doesn't sound like…

But revealing our nature to a reporter you met in a bar ten hours ago? What if it was published?

Louis: I was having some fun!

Armand: You don't have enough to fear from Paris?

Louis: I was in the middle of ending things, when you…

Armand: You'd have been passed out on the floor next to him, Louis! Out on your feet from the drսg you stuffed him with!

Louis: Oh, this is boring! You're boring! You are so boring!

Armand: And here come the drսgs.

Louis: Colorless.

Armand: Up the fangs, down this road.

Louis: Flavorless. Dull! Dull! Dull!

Armand: Into the heart and off with the fingers, feet.

Louis: Dull nights, dull weeks!

Louis: And wallowing brain.

Louis: Dull months, dull as fսck! Suffocation by the world's softest, beige-est pillow! The ten hours I spent with that boy were more exciting, more fascinating, than decades with you! Oh, there it is! The half-blank, half-apocalyptic look! But what does it mean tonight, huh? Does he want to lick my boots or chop my hands off? Is it the gremlin or the good nurse tonight? Huh?

Armand: Okay. Okay, perhaps. But am I as boring as the blather committed onto the ferric tapes of your fascinating boy? "Oh, it's so, so hard to be me."

Louis: "Picking lint off the sofa?!"

Armand: "It's so hard to kill humans."

Armand: "I can feel their feelings as I drain them."

Louis: You sat on your hands and put your ear to the wind.

Armand: "Everyone I know wrongs me."

Louis: Okay. Okay, let's wake the boy up and let's try you. "I'm the vampire Armand and my daddy vampire groomed me into a little bitch."

Armand: "My brother, he tossed himself off a roof!"

Louis: "Vampires who murdered my daddy made me pretend I didn't have a dіck for 240 years."

Armand: "My sister, she buried me alive.” My daughter was my sister was my throw pillow. “Well, he wouldn't look at me kindly.” "Lestat. Lestat. Lestat. Lestat. Lestat. Lestat. Lestat."

Louis: I talked shit about him the whole time. So what?!

Armand: The name!! The name! Unuttered in our home for 23 years, said over and over again until it was pounding in my brain like a hammer.

Louis: Our problems aren't about him.

Armand: And you threw her name around just for cover, but it always circled back to him.

Louis: I loved her.

Armand: But she didn't love you. Not like he did, not like I have.

Louis: ( softly ) I know. I know! Yes! I know. ( softly ) Thank you for saying it. It's all creeping back. Paris and the, uh, what, what, what? But there's… all of it coming back. There's, uh, Paris. Paris. Can you hear that? Can you hear that, hm? Can you hear her? She's calling me.

Transcript (with some corrections) from TV Show Transcripts

[roosterforme]

Meet the (Other) Parents (Rooster x Reader)

Part of The What If Collection of blurbs for Roo and Baby Girl. Written for an ask. My masterlist. Banner by @mak-32

Warnings: just fluff

You were laying on Bradley's bed in Bradley's bedroom in Bradley's house. And you felt warm and flushed. Not only because of what you and he just finished doing, but also because you knew deep down inside that he bought the craftsman for you.

"Mmm," he hummed, kissing your neck as you felt the bed dip. "I'm going to finish cleaning up from lunch, and then we can head to the airport.

"Okay," you whispered. You were so nervous. His parents were on their connecting flight out of St. Louis right now. Sure, they were coming out to appraise the house that Bradley closed on three days ago, but they were really coming out to do the same to you. This would be your first time meeting them. 

When you eventually made your way into the beautiful kitchen, your boyfriend pulled you in for a hug. "They are going to love you, Baby Girl. My mom asks about you every day, plus you've already talked to them on the phone."

"I hope so." Your own parents were pretty crazy about Bradley after meeting him less than two weeks ago, and you wanted to be just as impressive for Carole and Goose. 

But there were little signs of your presence everywhere here, even after just a few days. You'd spent nearly every moment in the house with Bradley since he got the keys. Your toothbrush was in the bathroom, your overnight bag full of clothing was sitting inside his closet. Your uniform was hanging in the laundry room. 

"Should I clean my stuff up and like put it in the garage or something?" you asked cautiously. 

Bradley looked at you like you'd lost your mind. "Why?"

"So your parents don't see my stuff here?"

Bradley snorted as he started to put his shoes on. "Trust me, Sweetheart. Carole and Goose know I have every intention of trying to get you to move in here with me as soon as possible. Short of leaving your sexiest underwear on the bed, they are not going to care."

"Alright," you whispered, following him out to the Bronco. He opened the door and then buckled you in, and you couldn't help but grin at what had become a little symbol of his love. And with a quick kiss to your shoulder, he had the door closed and was walking around to the other side.

There was no traffic. There was nothing to delay you. And it was all too soon before you were standing in baggage claim in your favorite sundress with Bradley's arm draped casually around your shoulders. Your heart was pounding. And then Bradley squeezed your bicep gently. 

"There they are," he said with a bright smile, and you saw the Bradshaws hustling toward you. The tropical print shirt nearly identical to the one Bradley was wearing would have been a dead giveaway, if you hadn't already seen photos of them. And Carole was waving and calling her son's name, even though he clearly saw her, which had you smiling at her.

"Bradley!" she gushed when she was close, and she still looked beautiful, even with silver threaded through her blonde hair. Bradley leaned down to hug her, and then the petite woman was practically shoving him out of the way to get a better look at you. She gasped and took your hand in hers. "Aren't you just even more gorgeous in person? Oh, I can't tell you how happy this makes me."

And then you were being squeezed so tight by someone so small, you were left muttering, "It's so nice to meet you, Mrs. Bradshaw."

She kissed your cheek as she released you and said, "Call me Carole! And this is Nick. Or Goose. Either one."

You reached out to shake his hand, but he also pulled you into a much less life threatening hug and said, "Just call me Goose. Everyone else does." And when he released you a second later, his chocolate brown eyes which were identical to his son's darted between you and Bradley. Then he just nodded before he hugged his son as well. 

You insisted that Goose sit in the front of the Bronco on the ride back to the craftsman, and that left you in the back with Carole. She asked about the naval academy and what part of Maryland you were from. She asked about your parents and your roommate and your job and everything else under the sun. You were about to ask her to tell you more about what Bradley was like when he was younger, but then she leaned across the seat and sighed softly, her blue eyes glittering. 

"Sorry. I just want to know everything about you. You're one of a kind."

"I am?" you asked with a soft laugh.

She nodded vigorously and said, "Oh, yes." She was looking at you like you were unbelievable. Just too much to take in all at once, and you started to squirm. "We've never met a girlfriend before."

"Oh," you replied softly. You knew Bradley hadn't been in many relationships, but this made you feel warm inside. 

"And he so obviously loves you," she added. "Goose and I just can't wait to spend the whole weekend with the two of you."

Her words still had you feeling flushed as Bradley pulled up to the house and unlocked the front door. 

"It's beautiful!" Carole said as Bradley led his parents around to see every room. You trailed at a bit of a distance until they beckoned you forward. And they didn't say anything about your toothbrush or your glasses case or your uniform. 

But you did hear Goose quietly tell Bradley, "This looks like a house you could raise a family in. Don't drag your feet."

And you did hear Carole whisper to Bradley. "I just love her. She's so charming. Oh my god, Bradley, I don't know how you managed to pull this one off, but please please please don't mess it up."

You were far less nervous as the four of you had pizza and beers on the back patio on the rickety old table and chairs the previous owner left. And you were even less nervous later that night when Bradley suggested his parents sleep on the queen bed. Carol responded with, "Nonsense. The two of you can stay in your room. We'll be fine on the double bed that you bought."

So you got changed and curled up next to Bradley in bed and whispered, "Your parents are awesome."

"They think you're awesome, too."

And you fell asleep wrapped up with his long limbs.

------------------------

When you were about to leave to take Bradley's parents back to the airport a few days later, you climbed into the backseat with Carole once again. She told you about all of the cousins she couldn't wait to introduce you to in Virginia. "If you can come for Thanksgiving, of course."

"Wouldn't miss it," you promised, and her smile filled you with happiness. 

After a beat, she leaned a little closer to you and said, "You know he bought that house for you, right?"

You opened your mouth, but you weren't quite sure what to say. You thought you'd made a good impression on them. You didn't want them to feel like you were taking advantage of their son. You really liked them. You were starting to panic.

But she could read your face in that way only a mom could, and she reached across the seat to squeeze your hand. "Oh, I mean that in a good way, darling. A very good way. Means he wants you to stick around."

You were surprised to find that you had tears in your eyes as you said goodbye to them, and as you watched them walk through the security screen area, Bradley said, "I'm pretty sure we have to go there for Thanksgiving."

"That's okay," you replied right away. "I want to." But when you turned to head back to the Bronco, something had you glancing back toward his parents. They were too far away for you to be certain, but you were nearly positive that Carole was leaving San Diego without her engagement ring. 

[anchorandrope]

Hi I'm Brazilian and I saw your post about us joining and thank you 🫶🏻 I joined yesterday and I'm really lost. Could you recommend me blogs? hld exists here? Are any other updates accounts? other Brazilian larries or whatever, please I need people to follow I'm desperate 😭

hi bby!! welcome to this multiverse of madness, you will be gay here.

UAs: hldailyupdate, dailytomlinson, stylesnews - stylesarchive, hlupdate are inactive now, check them for archive purposes!

Fashion archives: fashionlouist - harryfashionarchive and louisfashionarchive are inactive now as well

Fics: this answer contains a lot

For creators: hljournal, hlcreators, hltracks

Pics & edits: tomlinsonedits, styles-edits - ltpics and hspics are also inactive rn

Gifs: stylinsongifs, lwt-gifs, hes-gifs, also inactive rn - but here are some fan blogs that make amazing gifs (remember to support their work by reblogging and not only liking! likes don't help to boost content here):

@2tiedships2 melanie is historically our gif maker, she has been doing lords work for a damn long time here, i think we all collectively thank her for her service 🫡

@bilouistomlinson logan changes his url a lot but his our purple buddy here so you will always recognise them by their icon 💜 he absolutely adores louis so if you wanna stand by your screen seeing gifs of louis being hot: their blog is a must on your list!

@delicatepointofview ingrid makes gifs with incredible quality, i sometimes find out louis appeared because i see one of her gif set before an UA, really. we appreciate the hard work 🩷

@miss-styles i think lei is not currently making gifs but her work is awesome and if you like harry you can spend ours on her tag 🕺🏻

@creulsummer lorna has plenty of gifs of different stuff, i adore her fall vibes 🍂 her aesthetic is always pleasant to see

okay now, (more) blog recommendations!! even though i may not talk to everyone here, i do love seeing them on my dash so here is a list of larries on my phone: @thechavier @robinniko @kiwikiwiandkiwi @quickpauseinconversations @larryisinlove @28cum @louisarmpits @zouisexo @wdbhgdotmp3 @louisgrayhairs @tommos @louispalooza @daisiesonafield-blog @skepticalarrie @killmymind @nunchailou @braverytattoos @thebirdtatts @handgf @fishandfrog @whatifai @itsnotreal @ishipmutualrespect @stylinsuns @harrylouis @whenyouvequitefinished @sunkissedlouis @farawaytattoo @hs1 @allmylouv @yourgoldenview @thewhitecitrus @bluewinnerangel - im sure im forgetting a lot of people, so in advance im extremely sorry my beloved moots. also feel free to tag your fave blogs in the comments or rb and i'll rb again so new accs can follow them <3

we are all kinda messy and gay, we also tend to vote for "nuanced answer/im bald/secret third option" in every poll so if you don't like that maybe consider moving to threads. its like twitter (instagram's version). the app looks like a social experiment and if the news are late to twitter, i can't imagine how late they are there so good luck

also, i cannot end this blog rec with our bestie <3 shout out to lthqofficial who made a blog here, checked us out for 3 days and left. they were like: nope! bye!! 👋🏻

anyway hope this has helped ❤️‍🩹

[oracle-of-dream]

Photo Finisher

Minors DNI

Summary: You've been tasked with capturing photos of AB6IX for their comeback, Salute. Within the four-member group, you find a gem that's hidden away. All you need is to give him some encouragement to shine.

Warnings: Male Reader, Blowjob, Handjob, nickname: Hyung, Creampie, Backscratching, Flexible Reader, Vocal sex, Unprotected Sex

Wordcount: 2.1k

Today's client was AB6IX, a four-member boy group from Brandnew Music. When you'd read that it was a four-member group in the documents, you smiled to yourself. Fewer members meant you could leave sooner, a complete win if you could be done with the shoot before too long.

You walked into the studio that had been prepared for you. It was a black and gold theme with leather furniture everywhere, and golden-orange set lights drenched the room in a sunset glow. The staff on set greeted you as you walked by, avoiding your eyes and speaking softly.

You wore a white satin shirt with flowing wine-red pants flared at the base of your legs.

Inside the dressing room, the four idols were getting their make-up done. You'd seen the photos that were sent to you, but lackluster photos taken by mediocre photographers couldn't tell you anything. The four men were distinct in features, standing out from one another. Good. As you entered, the men stood to introduce themselves to you.

They all stood beside each other and bowed, saying in unison, "Hello, we are AB6IX! Thank you for working with us today."

The staff greeted them back as you nodded in acknowledgment toward them. You looked them over keenly. Their outfits were more risque than you originally expected. Satin black shirts and pants with a golden trim design, reminiscent of Louis Vuitton's styling patterns. It didn't match their small physical forms and round faces, but the contrast would make for excellent shots. You needed to give a word to their designer for this one, it made your job ten times easier.

One in particular stuck out to you. Woong, if you remember his name right, kept stealing glances at you. You knew he had something special about him, he just needed to show it to you.

You stood straight and addressed the room, "Alright everyone, let's work quickly today. I'm sure we're all busy people." You left the room after giving your short words, letting the makeup team finish their touches as you checked in with the stage set-up team.

The stage had lovely black marble flooring that reflected the furniture beautifully. It looked so clean you could eat off it. While admiring your reflection, you see another one come behind you. It was him again.

Woong cleared his throat and said, "Hello, Mister y/n, I wanted to bring you this gift on behalf of our group." He presented a signed album, with a small thank you message from each member.

He was on the shorter side of the idols you normally worked with. And his clothes covered some serious muscle definition, you could use that... "Thank you, how kind," You said with a smile as you took the gift from him, letting your hand graze against his.

Woong's ears took a soft shade of pink at the contact. "I look forward to working with you–bye now." Woong took off quickly toward the dressing room where his members watched from the doorway.

He was someone you needed to keep an eye on.

Not long after the shoot took off in full swing–You always allowed your interns to take group photos, coaching them on operating a camera. When it was time for solo shots, you started from Donghyun to Daewhi, then Woojin, purposely leaving Woong for last.

You were decently surprised by this group. The shadows of the lights and their muscle tones were captured beautifully without you needing to do much work. Woojin and Donghyun opened their shirts more to get that extra allure in the shot.

As Woong approached the set, you watched him closely. His posture and confidence changed from the boy you'd seen before, he seemed more like a man here.

You took a few shots, then told your team to take a break, giving you the room alone with Woong.

He lay on the black reflective surface of the coffee table, his hands behind his head as he looked at you. He noticed everyone leave and spoke softly, "Did I do something wrong?"

"No, not at all. I just think we need something a little more intimate. If you'll let me?" You approached him, and sat on the table, your hand on his chest. "Do you think we can open this a little?"

He nodded shyly. And his pink ears turned red as you unbuttoned his shirt, from top to bottom, leaning closely down and using both hands to open his shirt. You purposely took deeper breaths, letting the air rake across his skin as you slowly exposed his torso to the cold room. Your skin rubbed against Woong's muscular body as you worked on the shirt, as you focused on the shirt you could feel Woong's eyes watching you. You stepped back to look at your work–Woong's face turned pink as he looked around the room. Anywhere other than looking at you.

"Is it too open?" You giggled.

He nodded wordlessly.

"Would you like me to fix it?" You close one button in the middle of the line, covering his chest but leaving his abs open for display. The way they protruded and showed so proudly, he must've worked out right before the shoot. As you finished, you stayed close with your head hovering over his stomach as you looked up at him. "Better?" You asked.

"Y-Yes," His voice shook.

You noticed the bulge in his pants, getting more prominent.

"Mr. Woong, are you okay? You look like you're having a hard time," You cooed.

"N-No, I'm alright, just sore."

You looked at how his stomach flexed. "Oh, is this position uncomfy?" You climbed on top of him, resting your ass right above his waistline, and you leaned on his chest as you slid your hands under his head. "Please try and relax. I can't afford you cramping up."

Woong's eyes were wide as he slowly let his hands down, resting his body as you held him close. "We're so c-close," He muttered.

"What's that?" You leaned down further, letting your head lay in the crook of his neck. "I'm sorry, I couldn't hear you, could you say that again?"

Woong's hands rose, awkwardly, unsure what to do. "I–We're so close. I don't–"

You shifted, pushing your clothes dick against his abs, and moaned in his ear. "Mr. Woong, your body is too sexy. I just can't help myself. Can you help?" You reached down to touch his hard cock, squeezing it, "Maybe we can help each other."

Woong hummed in your ear, "Mhm. I want to help you, however you want me to." His hands find a place at your hips as he guides you, pushing your crotches together and brushing against one another. You plant your lips on his neck, as you moan sinfully in his ear at the sensation. Woong slips your shirt past your shoulder and kisses it before sucking on it. "Call me hyung," He commands.

You moan in his ear, "Hyung~"

"Fuck–Moan more for me, I want to hear every pretty noise from you," He said as his hips started bucking into yours, desperate for more.

"Can I see it? Your cock," You nibble on his ear as you ask. Woong nods quickly as he groans from you playing with his ear. You slid off his lap and kneeled before him as he removed the gold-belted jewelry around his waist. Woong slid his pants and underwear down to unveil his cock, so pretty and shaved. He propped himself on his elbows to watch you as you wrapped your hands around his stiffness, staying at a slow and even pace as you stroked him. "Tell me how you want it, Hyung."

Woong groaned, "faster, like this." He took your hand and moved it at the pace he wanted, which made his whole body shake as you continued without his hand to guide you.

You study his face as you try different parts of his skin, squeezing and kissing on his shaft as you search for any sensitive spots. Every time you found a sensitive spot, Woong's groans would spike, peaking into a more high-pitched moan. You took him into your mouth, making his head roll back as his eyes lost focus.

"A little warning next time," He moaned as you flexed your tongue around him, sucking at the same time. "Holy–You're so good. Keep going," He pants as his hand lands on your head. His hand started pushing, questioningly at first, but with more strength when you allowed him to move you. As you take him deeper into your throat, Woong's hand tightens in your hair. "That's it. You're doing it so well, don't forget to look at me." You look at Woong, your eyes wet and some spit dripping onto his abs. That look must've been a trigger as Woong pulled you off him, breathing heavily as he tried to compose himself.

You stroke him, earning more moans from him. "Did I do something wrong, hyung?"

Woong grabbed your hand, stopping you from stroking him. "N-No, you were perfect. So good, I almost came."

"I want you to cum, Hyung." You tried to move your hand, but Woong's grip was too tight.

"And I want to cum in you," He said with a deep voice. You smiled at him and that seemed to break his concentration on you. "I-If you'd let me," He added shyly.

You slid off your pants. "You want me to ride you, hyung?"

"No, you're already working so hard. Let me reward you now." Woong let you over to the leather couch, laying you on your back as his cock throbbed in anticipation. He lifts a leg onto his shoulder and positions himself at your hole. "Try not to get too loud, but let me hear you, beautiful." Your hands wrapped around Woong's neck as he pushed into you, your eyes rolling back as he stretched you. He gave an experimental thrust, sinking deeper into you. "Did you prepare early?"

"So what if I did?"

"You were going to seduce me the whole time, weren't you?"

You nodded. "Your afterglow will be an amazing capture in my camera."

Woong smirked as he fucked into you, starting with a quick pace. He felt you clench around him as he watched your face change from the sensations. "Fuck–Kiss me," Woong commanded as he leaned down to kiss you, fucking you as he did. He bit at your bottom lip before breaking the kiss and attacking your neck. "You're too much for me, I can't kiss everywhere." Woong moved to your collarbone, forcing your raised leg to your head. You arched your back as the burn from him flexing your leg and the pleasure from him hitting your prostate, made you see white.

Your hands scratched at Woong's back as you moaned. "I'm– Can't–"

Woong felt the way you tightened more around him. "You're close? Please, cum for me. Cum for hyung!" He pushed extra hard, getting deeper than before, instantly finishing you off as you came on your white shirt. Woong's eyes were sealed shut as his thrusts were getting more frantic. You rubbed his cheek, which made him look into your eyes. "You're so beautiful... I'm cumming–I’ll fucking cum, all in you. I'll cum so deep in you. I'll cum all I can!" Woong fulfilled his promise as he came inside you, pushing as far as he could. Your moans synced with his in harmony as Woong collapsed on top of you, his cock still pumping cum out.

You lifted his head, getting a look at his face. It was sweaty, his hair stuck to his forehead, with a lovely pinkish glow. "You're so perfect, we gotta hurry!" You pushed him off you, forcing his cock out of you with a pop. Woong was still exhausted so you dressed him again, leaving the couch behind and returning to the table. You posed him again and started taking photos as cum threatened to leak out of you.

You finished capturing him and got a change of clothes from one of your set bags. Woong came up behind you as you finished sliding on a new pair of pants, hugging you. "So, will hyung see you again?"

"Call your company and tell them to book a solo photo shoot. Then maybe."

"Maybe when you're not working?"

You turned and pat Woong on the head. "I'm always working, Mr. Woong."

Woong stared at you, awestruck. "No, hyung?"

"Sorry, special requests are only during photoshoot time. Like I said, have your company book another appointment. Work out, you can get on the cover of men's health. I know they call me for photos all the time."

Woong nodded quickly. "I'll make it as their front cover, and demand you take my pictures, love."

"That's Mr. Y/n, to you." You winked as you pushed past Woong.

A few weeks later, your work was displayed in the teaser photos for the comeback...

[happy74827]

Prisoner of Love

[S6! Mike Ross x Female!Reader]

Synopsis: Making the effort to explain himself, Mike certainly has a lot on his plate, including breaks, not just from jail.

WC: 3205

Category: Slight Angst, Slight Fluff

This was an intrusive thought that I just wrote up last night… so, enjoy! (thanks for your wonderful feedback @yoursacredqueenmother)

『••✎••』

“Mike?”

You were in utter shock to see your friend Mike standing in front of you. Your best friend, the one person who always seemed to be there for you no matter what had turned out to be not only a complete fraud but also now a criminal. You were in such a state of disbelief that you hadn't realized you were standing there, looking at him, with your mouth agape and eyes wide.

After you said his name, you didn't know what else to say. Mike stood there with his hands on the door frame, not wanting to take one step forward and risk coming inside your apartment. He looked nervous, his head darting all over, trying to avoid eye contact with you. His breathing was quick and short as if he had just run a marathon, and his lips were pressed into a fine line, which meant that he was thinking of something to say.

Mike was arrested, he was in jail for two years because of a plea deal, and now here he was, standing in front of you only weeks later like it was any other day.

The silence was killing you. Mike still wouldn't make eye contact, and you were starting to feel the anger boil up inside of you. You felt betrayed. You had spent almost four years working at Pearson-Hardman with him and Rachel, and you considered yourself friends with him and his “on a break” girlfriend, so this came as a huge shock to you. You never saw him as a fraud, never would have suspected it in a million years, but here he was—a liar, a con artist, and now a fugitive.

Mike finally looked up at you, and the first thing he noticed was the tears forming in your eyes. Seeing you cry hurt him, but not as much as the words that came out of your mouth.

"Go away."

His eyes gave away the fact that he clearly was expecting this, but that didn't mean it hurt any less. The blue turned a dark gray, the way they always did when he was upset, and his eyes fell back down to the floor.

"Look, I— I’m not here to make excuses. I know that I just… Don’t you even care to know why I’m here? What happened to me?" He asked, finally finding the strength to keep eye contact.

"Could be more bullshit," you said, folding your arms across your chest and leaning against the door. You didn’t want to admit that you did want to know what happened to him. You were concerned; of course, you were. That was part of the reason you were so upset with him. Even after all that he put you through, the worry for him was still there.

"Can I at least explain myself?" Mike asked, and you rolled your eyes at his question.

"You already did, Mike. Well, everyone except me, apparently. You, Rachel, Harvey, Jessica, Louis. All of you knew about this, but I didn't. And why is that?"

"I told you I didn't want you to get involved," Mike replied. “You don’t deserve to go down for my mistakes. It was selfish of me to do that, I know that, but I thought I was protecting you."

"Yeah, well, you just stabbed me in the back instead," you said.

"Can I come inside? I only have so much time before—"

"Oh, so you’re protecting me again?" You asked, not waiting for an answer. "By breaking out of prison and coming to my place. I don't even want to think about what would happen to me if someone found out I'm hiding a fugitive!"

"I’m not—” Mike took a second to compose himself and start again. He couldn’t blame you for being so mad, not after everything he did. "I didn’t break out. I got released… sort of. It’s a bit messy, but to sum it up, I’ve got six hours with an ankle monitor."

"Then why are you here? Why not with Harvey?" You asked. "Or Rachel? I'm sure she’d be glad to see you, and she's better equipped to handle this."

"’Cause we need to talk. Now, can you let me inside, please? I’m feeling a little exposed out here," he said, his hand motioning towards the outside hallway.

Jokes. Of course, he would use jokes at a time like this.

“… Fine. You have an hour, tops. Then you have to leave," you said, taking a step back to let him inside.

Mike wasted no time stepping into your apartment, and as soon as you shut the door, his hands were on your shoulders, and he was pulling you into him. Your eyes went wide, and you had no idea what was going on. It was only when you felt his wet cheek against your own that you realized he was crying.

"I missed you," Mike said. “So so much."

It was like your brain went on autopilot, and suddenly, your arms were around him, and you were squeezing him tight. It was like nothing had changed. It was like no time had passed since you had last seen him, and it was so overwhelming that it had brought tears back to your eyes.

"I missed you too," you said, your voice quiet and barely above a whisper.

Mike pulled away from the hug but still had his hands on your shoulders. He was smiling at you, and his eyes were no longer that dark gray they were before but back to that bright blue.

"I’m sorry I never got to explain why I did what I did," Mike started, his voice a little shaky. "I wanted to tell you, I really did, but I couldn't. I didn’t want to put you in that position."

"But you were able to tell Rachel, Donna, and even Louis?" You asked.

"To be fair, Rachel figured it out on her own, and Donna knew from the moment I started working at Pearson-Hardman."

"What about Louis?"

"That was a whole different thing," Mike said, chuckling a bit. "He was a bit… theatrical, to say the least."

"But that still doesn't explain why you were able to tell them but not me."

At this, he looked away from you, his head turning and looking out the window. The night sky was beautiful, the way the full moon shone, and how the city lights made everything glow, including his face. The reflection of the moon against his skin made his eyes stand out, and the streetlights made him look like he was glowing.

"I knew you would understand," he finally said. "You would be the one person to listen to me and actually give me a chance, and I was afraid of that. If I had told you, I would've been afraid of what would've happened, and I would've probably ended up convincing myself to leave."

"Leave and do the right thing," you said.

"Maybe. But it doesn't matter. I'm here now, and we're talking," he said, the corners of his mouth turning up into a small smile. “I’m making up for it now."

"Yeah, yeah," you said, rolling your eyes. You couldn't help but smile as well.

"But, there's one other reason why I didn't tell you. And it's not because I didn't trust you, because I trust you more than anyone. It's just that I— I—" Mike stopped himself, taking a moment to figure out his words. His eyes were looking everywhere, but at you, and the more he avoided your gaze, the more concerned you became. "I just, I wanted to protect you. Because I—"

Before he could finish, a knock came from the door. Mike looked at the clock, and the time read 2:04 AM. Who would be visiting at this time? You didn't have to wonder long as Mike's watch started to beep, and the knock became a more forceful bang.

"Mike, let's go!" Someone yelled from the other side of the door. A very familiar voice, too.

"Who is that?" You asked.

Mike ignored your question, instead walking towards the door. His hand was on the knob, and he took a deep breath, preparing himself.

The door flew open as soon as he opened it, and a very angry Harvey Specter stood on the other side.

"Where the hell have you been?" He asked.

"Calm down, Harvey. I was with her," Mike said, motioning towards you. "We were catching up."

"Catching up? Mike, do you not care about getting out of this mess or not? I told you I had a plan, but if you go running off on your own, it's not gonna work."

"Oh, is this another one of your great plans? The ones I get left out of?" You asked, moving past Mike and standing between him and Harvey.

Mike practically face-palmed himself when he heard you speak up. This was definitely not the way he planned things to go. Just as he finally was on the path of making things right, things went downhill once again.

"I would be happy to explain the details of the plan to you if someone," he glanced over at Mike, who looked down at his feet, "cared to follow it. Now, can we get going? The car and Cahill are waiting."

"Five minutes, Harvey.”

"Mike,” Harvey said, his tone showing how frustrated he was becoming.

"Five. Minutes."

Another minute was wasted with the two men staring each other down, and the air was filled with tension. It was a stare-off, and neither seemed like they were going to back down. You stood there, watching and wondering whether you should make an escape or not, but were too intrigued to move.

Harvey broke the silence with a sigh, his head dropping.

"Fine. But if you aren’t downstairs in five minutes, I'm dragging your ass down whether you like it or not."

And with that, Harvey turned around and walked away with that sense of confidence he always seemed to have. You watched him until he turned the corner, and when you turned back, Mike was smiling.

"What are you smiling about? Your best friend is still mad at you," you said. It came out more sarcastically than you had hoped, but you didn't really care at this point.

“Are you? Still mad, I mean," he asked, ignoring your snarky remark. “It seems like you aren’t."

"I am. I still feel hurt, but I can't stay mad at you. You know how much I suck at staying mad at people," you said.

"It’s a problem, yeah."

"Hey!" You exclaimed, hitting him on the shoulder.

"Well, it is. You have a tendency to let people walk all over you and forgive them for the shitty things they do. Which, might I add, is not always the right thing to do."

"So, I shouldn’t forgive you? Logic isn’t really logicking, Michael," you said, raising an eyebrow and smirking.

"It is, and that’s not a real word," Mike laughed. “Besides, Michael? When did that start happening?”

"You’re the one with the photographic memory. Shouldn’t you know?"

Now you were both laughing. Like the good old days, the two of you would sit in his office or at his apartment, cracking jokes and laughing about the most ridiculous things: movies, TV shows, music, whatever.

You missed this. You missed him.

"I have to go," Mike said, the smile not leaving his face.

"Yeah," you said, the same sad smile on your lips. “Hey, is uh… is prison any fun?"

"Why, you wanna come visit?" Mike asked, chuckling a bit. You could tell he was faking his laugh, though. He was putting up a front, trying to seem like everything was okay when it clearly wasn’t.

"No, I mean… You’re okay, right? Harvey’s been talking about this Gallo guy, and it seems pretty bad," you said.

"I’m okay. I’ll be okay," Mike said, placing his hands on your shoulders. You couldn't help but notice how cold his hands were, and he couldn't help but notice the sadness in your eyes.

"Don’t look at me like that," he said.

"Like what?"

"Like that. The thing that you do when you know that something bad is going to happen," Mike said.

"You can't know that for sure," you said, your eyes not meeting his.

"But I do. Look at me."

You lifted your head, and his eyes bore into yours. It was almost as if he was trying to look straight into your soul.

"I will be fine. I promise. As long as you're not mad at me," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. “Can you do that for me?"

"Of course, Mike," you said, staring into his blue eyes. They were brighter than ever despite the situation.

Mike's hand reached up to cup your cheek, and at first, you thought he was just wiping away a tear, but he didn’t move. He just kept his hand there, and his gaze never left yours.

"Mike..."

He was staring at your lips, and his eyes had a look in them you had never seen before. It was almost like a hunger, a longing for something.

"Yeah?" He asked, his voice just as quiet.

"What are you doing?"

Mike moved his head closer to yours, and the distance between you was getting shorter.

"Mike," you said again, and he finally looked back into your eyes. The longing look was still there, but this time it was more prominent, and there was a slight fear. “What about Rachel?"

Mike's thumb stroked your cheek, and he let out a long breath, closing his eyes.

"She knows."

"Wha—"

But you couldn't finish because, in a split second, Mike's lips were on yours. His kiss was soft, and his hands were pulling you in closer. Your arms found their way around his neck, and one hand ran through his hair, which was much shorter than before. It didn’t take long for him to part his lips and allow your tongue to meet his.

Your heart was racing, and the butterflies in your stomach were going crazy. This wasn’t like any of the other kisses you had before, not like the quick, rushed kisses you shared with your ex or the ones that felt like dead weight against your lips.

This kiss was perfect. A well-crafted masterpiece that was made to make you feel loved. You didn’t realize just how badly you needed a kiss like this. You didn't know that was what was missing, but now that you had it, you realized how empty you were without it.

And when the two of you finally pulled apart, Mike was smiling. It was a big, genuine smile that lit up his face and made his eyes bright. It was a look that could light up a dark room.

"Rachel and I talked a lot while I was inside, and we decided that... that she deserved better. I couldn’t give her the life that she deserved. She was still stuck with me, even when I was away. We were both miserable, and it was time to put an end to it," he said, and a sad smile made its way onto his face.

"So…”

"She's okay. Really. She also knows about how much you mean to me, and she's okay with this."

"Really?" You asked, raising an eyebrow.

"She also told me a wonderful piece of information about how you apparently love me."

"You did not just—"

"I did, and now we have to talk about that."

"Nope," you said, popping the 'p.' "You have a prison to go to and a plan to complete. So, get going. You've already wasted enough time."

"Aw, but I love talking about how much you like me," he said, a teasing smile on his face.

"Out."

Mike's smile widened, and he gave you one last quick kiss.

"Okay. I'm going."

Mike took a few steps towards the door, but then turned back to look at you. He didn't say anything, but instead just stared. He didn't have that hungry look in his eyes anymore, but a more content look.

Like he was taking in the last few moments he would have with you. A picture in his mind to cherish, and to remember you by.

"Mike?"

He took a deep breath, and looked at the floor, preparing himself for the next few moments.

"I don’t regret anything. And, if I had a chance to go back and do things differently, I wouldn’t change a single thing. Except maybe not getting caught," Mike said, his laugh coming out dry. "But, besides that, I don't regret any of it. Everything that happened, the people I've met, and the things I've done. The only thing I regret is not telling you sooner… about my feelings. How much I care for you. But, I want you to know that, I would do everything a million times over. If I knew that, in the end, it would lead me here, to this moment, with you, I would do it.”

He paused, and took another breath. It was clear he was struggling with his words, and the way he was looking at the ground showed that he was trying his best not to cry.

"I just wanted to tell you all of this before I go because I don’t know what will happen next. When I see you next, you know? I'm I just— I needed you to know, and I hope that, wherever I end up, and whatever happens, I’m glad we worked things out. At least, a little bit.”

You just stared. You knew Mike could feel your eyes on him, and that he probably didn’t like the silence, but you couldn’t bring yourself to say anything. Instead, you just took in everything that was him.

He was standing in the doorway, his hands in his pockets. He looked so casual, despite the fact that he was about to go off to prison… well, not at that moment— but soon. It was like it was a normal day, and he was just hanging out with his friends.

His blue eyes were no longer on the floor, and instead were back on you. He gave you one last small, sad smile, before turning around and leaving the apartment.

You watched as he turned the corner and disappeared from your view. It was quiet, the only sounds were your own breathing and the sounds from the city below. You could hear the cars driving by, and the faint sound of sirens in the distance.

Everything was so different now. Everything was so strange.

Before, your world revolved around Mike. No matter what, he was always there. He was the thing that held you together and what tore you apart. And, for the past couple of months, everything had fallen apart. You were in a state of chaos, and nothing was right.

And yet, in just a matter of minutes, everything changed.

You weren’t sure if everything would work out, and you weren't sure what the future held. But, at least now, things were back to how they should be.

Or as close as they could be.

[paleprincessturtle]

hi! Hope you’re doing well! I was wondering if I could request a Harvey fic where Harvey gets jealous once reader gets some male attention. Harvey was always used to the reader falling at his feet, watching him with her doughy eyes, always finding an excuse to talk to him. But then he noticed her getting distant with him, almost not acknowledging his existence. Then he noticed flowers get delivered to her office, a guy coming by her office to take her out for lunch, etc. and poor little Harvey getting upset that she’s not at his mercy anymore lol & he confronts her about it :)

Happy New Year and I hope all of you people had a great holidays!

This one is for my friend @marjorie189! Thank you so much for the request and hopefully you like this.

Enjoy!!

Winner Takes It All

She walked briskly out of the elevator. Her bag was on her right shoulder while she tried to balance the two cups of coffee she carried and a few files she also carried at the crook of her arm. She made sure the one on her right hand was Harvey's coffee. Since Donna became COO, it wasn't unusual for her to see that Harvey had forgotten his coffee. Since then, she has made it her mission to bring Harvey his morning coffee. She was relieved to see the door to Harvey's office open. She invited herself in. "Hey, good morning," she said in a chirpy voice. "Morning," Harvey answered shortly. "I brought you coffee. Just how you like it," she hoped that Harvey would look up at her. But instead, his eyes were glued to the laptop in front of him. "Great, just put it here," Harvey signed with his head to the place around his desk. She shuffled around, trying to balance everything as she placed his coffee just beside his pen. "So, how was your morning?" She waited expectantly for Harvey to look up at her and probably finally realized the new dress she put on. Harvey finally looked up at her after a split second, but the expression on his face wasn't what she expected. There was annoyance in his face. "It was good and productive before you came in and decided that today would be a great day to just sit around and talk." She smiled curtly at his response. "Alright, I'll get back to work. Enjoy your coffee," she said as she waved at Harvey and walked out of his office.

She giggled to herself as she read the reports in the library. Harvey would like it, she thought. Scratch that; Harvey would love this. A huge help to his case. Even though she wasn't assigned to this case with him, she always secretly kept track of his cases. When she knew he was in trouble, she took extra time to help Harvey, aside from doing her own cases. She always ran to Harvey's office with her findings. "Harvey!" She barged into his office. Harvey's face was a mix of confusion and irritation. "I found this," she said, handing Harvey the papers she had photocopied earlier. "This is good," Harvey said, giving her a small smile as he nodded. She almost jumped in joy upon hearing that this would help Harvey. "Just good?" she teased. "I don't know, Harvey. I think this is brilliant!" Harvey sighed. "If you need praise and flowers, go to Louis. This is good, but get back to work. What are you doing anyway with my case?" Harvey questioned her. "I'm helping you, of course," she said as she giggled. "Thank you. Now, can you please go so I can call my client?" Harvey said as he picked up the telephone. "Bye, Harvey!" she said as she left his office, closing the door behind her.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was just like any other morning. Every partner had a meeting before the day started to touch base on everyone's cases. Harvey was assigning some new cases to every other partner. It wasn't long before the meeting finished. She stayed longer than everyone else, as she saw Harvey also stay longer. She looked like she was about to leave but stopped at the end of the table. Stopped exactly beside Harvey. "Do you need help with that?" Harvey, who was flipping some documents in front of him, stopped and looked up at the woman smiling down at him. "Actually, yes." She nodded excitedly. "Can you deliver this to the DA office?" She doesn't even ask questions. "Consider it done," she said, bowed, and left the room.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For the past few days, Harvey didn't realize anything different until one morning he saw his newest and youngest partner. She just walked by his office. He remembered how, in the past few weeks, she never stopped by his office to deliver him his morning coffee. He stood up, trying to catch a glimpse of her. She brought with her a cup of coffee. A cup, as in a singular cup. Harvey's brows knitted, but he just shrugged and got back to whatever he was doing before.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Hey," Harvey said, entering her office after knocking. "Hey, Harvey," she greeted him, eyes never leaving the paper in front of her. Harvey noticed the unnecessarily big flower arrangement on a credenza behind her. She caught him staring at her freshly delivered flowers. "Are you going to tell me why you're here, or are you just going to stare at my flowers?" Harvey straightened himself; he seemed caught red-handed. She watched him impatiently. "I was wondering if you could help me with the deposition tomorrow." She shook her head. "I'm taking the rest of the week off ," she informed the clueless Harvey. "In the middle of the week?" Harvey folded both his arms in front of him. "Yes, I've asked Donna since 1 week ago. I've taken care of everything." Harvey looked at her as if she had two heads. "Where are you going?" She laughed. Harvey smiled at the sound he hadn't heard in the past few weeks. "Why is it your business?" Harvey was about to answer when she interrupted him. "I'll get someone else to help you, okay? Don't worry. Now, if you excuse me, I think my client just entered the conference room." Harvey stood there, flabbergasted.

Harvey was talking with Donna as they waited for the elevator. Harvey heard a familiar laugh approaching, but the voice was accompanied by a deeper laugh. Harvey whipped his body around and tried to locate the laughter. There, she was laughing with a man Harvey had never seen before in his life. They approached closer, seemingly wanting to leave the building as well. "Hi!" she greeted Donna and Harvey. "Oh, where are you two going? A lunch date?" Donna teased them. "Maybe," the stranger answered as she smirked at Donna. Okay, Harvey thought. This person knew Donna. "We haven't had the pleasure of an introduction," Harvey straightened himself. "Jonathan Seymour," the man said, smiling and extending his hand for Harvey to shake. Harvey took a quick second to look at his hand and chose to ignore it. "Harvey Specter, but you must've seen my name before seeing me," Harvey signed to the wall behind them with the name of the firm etched. "I need to see you before you go home," Harvey pointed his eyes directly at her. Before everyone could say anything, Harvey stepped inside the full elevator, leaving the three of them.

"Harvey, I'm about to leave. You need to see me?" Harvey moved his head, and she got inside his office. "Since you will take the rest of the week off, I need your help with those files." Harvey pointed at some folders stacked upon one another. She wanted to say no, but she felt bad now that she was taking the rest of the week off. "Okay, sure," she smiled. "What should we do?" she asked as she took off the coat she just put on.

Harvey watched her work. The fact that this was just a little over midnight, the fact that now her hair was in a high bun, and the fact that she looked very beautiful as she pouted, concentrating on the task at hand. He missed this. He missed her presence. Her chirpy voice. Her smile. Her scent is one of amber and rose. "Are you going to tell me where you are going for the rest of the week?" Harvey started the conversation. "I'm going to accompany Jonathan. His cousin is getting married in Aspen. But he said he wanted to show me around," she smiled. "Are you happy?" Harvey asked abruptly. She was taken aback by his question. The man he had been trying to get close to for almost a year was now asking personal questions. "I'm happy, Harvey. Any reason why I shouldn't?" Instead of answering her question, he asked her another question. "So you can positively say that you are happy with this Jonathan?" She sighed. "Where is this going, Harvey?" She put her pen down, giving Harvey her full intention. Harvey was quiet for some time; she raised her eyebrows at him and demanded that he continue. As she saw Harvey struggle to find words, she picked her pen back up and got back to work. "I like you," he blurted after a full five minutes of silence enveloping the room. "You what?" she asked, her voice higher than usual. "I like you. I don't like seeing you with Jonathan. I like you, and I never realized it before." She looked at him, and confusion marked her face. "Don't go with Jonathan. Go with me. I want to show you how sorry I am for treating you badly for the past couple of months, and I want to show you how much you mean to me," Harvey said as he kneeled in front of her, hands intertwined. She looked down at their hands. "You have to win me over, Harvey." But everyone knew, Harvey always won.

MASTERLIST

[byooregard]

iwtv fanfic friday: random fics from my bookmarks with less than ~200 kudos

wanted to make sure the stuff i was linking wasn't stuff everyone's read so i tried to go for the less popular works in my bookmarks

filthy with a twisted tongue by @shineforthee. 4k

Reach out to touch a dead guy’s face one time and he takes off. It’s not like it’s thrusted Daniel into a bottomless pit of despair and psychosis or anything, so who cares? (Nobody, that’s who. Not a damn soul even knows he’s here.) The smell of stale sweat and hot sugar clings in the air. A stained piece of flannel covers the window but light trickles in through the threadbare fabric, so it must be daytime. He tries to remember if it was daytime last time he looked, but it wouldn’t do anything to give him a sense of how many days he’s been here anyway.

value form by leavethebees. 4k, M

"Hey, I'm a journalist," Daniel protests. "I follow the story, and you just tried to set a guy's head on fire. That's front-page news." "Chasing stories," Alice says in an unimpressed, withering tone. "You're a romantic, then. That's worse, you know."

relentless, unbearable by eggalbumin aka @pollyclonolly. 2k

Louis taps his arm. He looks lovely tonight, and his eyes are brilliant under the bar’s light. He’s as beautiful as he is in the memory that exists in Daniel’s head, of the first time they met at Mary’s. The glimmer in his eyes, the smoke curling in tendrils around his lips, the way he smiled as he said, I did a terrible thing, once. He smiles, and it’s lined with sweetness. “You bored?” “An unreasonable amount,” Armand says. He’s not, and he knows he’s not. Louis knows, too. He could spend every day for the rest of his never-ending life chasing the shape of Daniel’s shadow and it wouldn’t bore him. He drinks whatever is left in his glass and it tastes like chalk in his mouth. Sometimes, he thinks he’ll always be trying to chase down the taste of Daniel’s blood in his throat, with Louis and alcohol and prey, and it will still find a way to linger on his tongue for as long as he lives. “Weddings are long, dull affairs. I don’t see the appeal.” (It’s 1982. Daniel’s wedding is a pleasant, lively affair.)

isaiah 43:2 by quentsy. 2k

Paul de Pointe du Lac was dead, to begin with. This was to be distinctly understood.

the whole world was ready to return by exastris_scientia aka @keepoffthetardis . 2k

There he was. Standing just outside the halo of light given off by a streetlight. His face was shadowed, but even from the distance I was at, I could see how sunken his eyes were, how tired. And how blue they glowed. Like church windows, Grace had once said. Burning like two cold fires in the night. “Been a while,” was all Daniel said when he saw me. Louis and Daniel revisit the ethics of murder. In spite of it all, they also have a little fun with it.

rocket man by quentsy. 5k, M

It was a bad idea, but that was the story of his life, yeah? Bad decision after bad decision, the longest love affair of his life. If the first was racing, and the second was heroin, then here was the third: Armand and all the scraps he tossed Daniel’s way, just enough to keep the hunger at bay.

GOODREADS by riverrio. 1k

Interview with the Vampire Daniel Molloy 3.75 STARS 328473 RATINGS 5238 REVIEWS 285 pages, Hardcover First published September 15, 2022 FILTER REVIEWS SORT ORDER POPULAR REVIEWS ONE STAR

among the wildflowers by ipsilateral. 2k

"You're soft," Jonah whispers. He touches Louis's jaw. There he goes still smiling, like it's a revelation, like he oughta be in wonderment about it all. "You don't seem like it but you soft, Louis." Louis stares up at him. There's the anger, whipping at his heart and making it race like a horse on a track, but beyond that is something else, too. Something that makes him almost tremble under Jonah's open smile. For the briefest of moments, Louis allows himself to believe that softness is a pure good, through and through. -- a few of Louis's core memories

[eliasorchard]

ALWAYS THE FOOL WITH THE SLOWEST HEART — ALBERT J. MORIARTY

📼: angst, yearning, unrequited love, complicated feelings

📼: he loves you but you've fallen for his brother instead.

📼: okay ouch </3 ty for the request, anon :)

albert will never truly finish falling in love with you.

when you ran alongside him past the old, weathered houses lining the summer fields with the afternoon air in your hair, he knew he would never stop falling in love with you. or the time you two sat, cross-legged on the carpet in the drawing room, drawing doodles of each other with bright crayons on paper that had been torn from albert's workbook..

you were etched into his heart, into his soul — he was sure he would forget his own name before forgetting yours.

and when talks of you and albert becoming engaged were brought up between your parents and his, he felt happiness so overwhelming it almost overshadowed the suffocating, negative emotions he'd feel upon merely looking around at the state of his family, at the state of britain. you shared the same sentiment too, and he was happy to see that.

"what are you giggling about?" you'd ask one summer morning when the two of you were in your preteens, having a picnic on a hilltop, protected by the shade.

was it obvious — that giddiness on his face? "i'm not sure what you're talking about." he leaned back on his palms, trying to play it cool. but he knew he was doing anything but convincing you, especially when his fingers tightened around the plaid picnic blanket you two were sitting on.

he loved you dearly, and perhaps you loved him a little too.

seasons changed and time went on, while you were enjoying breakfast with your family one morning — your father broke the news of what happened to the moriarty manor, about the fire engulfed albert's family, how albert, his adoptive brother louis and 'william' were the survivors.

you rushed to him the very next day, worried about him.

"you're sure you're fine? no injuries whatsoever?"

it was the umpteenth time you'd ask him that question, and yet his answer always remained the same: "i'm fine, (name)." a few scratches meant nothing if you were here.

the topic of engagement was dismissed, but albert didn't mind one bit. he was just happy being around you. it seemed like things were finally becoming better for him.

he introduced you to youngest brother louis soon after, his new and found family, and you were very happy for him. he, too, seemed much happier than before — much at peace. louis was a bit distant yet respectful and william, well...

he was really nice, you thought when you initially met him. he was kind, polite, gentle. he was a really good person.

years passed, and all four of you grew up.

now albert watches from the kitchen window, absentmindedly staring at you and william walking side to side in the backyard without a destination in mind.

"can you pass me the salt?"

"..." albert tears his eyes away from the two, smiling at louis. he'd insisted on helping prepare dinner because he could not afford to be alone with his thoughts, neither could his heart handle being close to you two. "yes, here it is."

the way the two of you moved together, so in sync and enamored with each other made albert's chest tighten. he'd sneak in a few stolen glances every once and then, even though it hurt him to, he couldn't help it.

meanwhile, he remain on the sidelines, the perpetual third wheel, the one who could never quite find the courage to make his move. always the fool, always the one with the heart that seemed to beat a step behind everyone else's.

he watches as william places a kiss on your forehead and how your face visibly brightens at such a simple action. a part of him wishes he could be the one to make your eyes glitter like that, to hold you in his arms like william gets to. but he knows that is nothing more than a distant dream.

william is a good man, he's everything. he knows that your heart will be completely safe with his younger brother and yet, he doesn't know whether to feel pity at himself or be happy for the two of you, happy that you found each other.

and as if knowing the turmoil albert is feeling, louis gently pats his eldest brother's shoulder. "brother.."

"it's alright." albert let out a deep, heavy sigh, and when he turns his gaze back towards louis. the youngest brother saw tears forming in albert's eyes. he also noticed a slight tremble in the wry smile that albert fought hard to maintain.

at that, louis fell silent immediately.

the wedding preparations were complete and only a few days later, you would be somebody else's entirely.

for the sake of your happiness and that of his younger brother's, he is resolved to let you go. he knows that the depth of his feelings for you will only bring him ruin, and he knows that he will let it. yet, not a single speck of his sorrow will ever burden you: he will make sure of it. this act of release will be his final, ultimate expression of love for you.

and as softly as it started and as heartbreakingly it will end:

yes, it is true. he will never truly finish falling in love with you.

© 𝐀𝐋𝐊𝐀𝐈𝐒𝐄𝐍 ;; do not repost, translate or modify my works in any way or any platform. all rights reserved.

[yanderes-galore]

@an-ambiavalent prompts 12, 19, and 25 with Louis from Beastars, please?

Louis forces his Darling to join the Shishigumi as his partner and is forced to tag along with his plans and comments. It all leads to an argument where the Darling confesses that they hate the life he forced them into because of his selfishness. Louis however makes a point to explain to his Darling that he will always have the final say and that they belong to him, does he really have to remind them of that fact again?

Prompts Here

Sure, here you go! I hope you enjoy it :) I always have no idea if I got him OOC or not....

Yandere! Louis Prompts 12, 19, 25

"I’m only this desperate for you."

"Your happiness, your tears, your love, your hate – all of it belongs to me."

"You shouldn’t have tested my limits."

Pairing: Romantic

Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Obsession, Manipulation, Possessive behavior, Toxic relationship, Controlling behavior, Blood, Violence, Murder/Death, Trauma, Kidnapping, There's some physical scenes but he doesn't hit you, Forced relationship.

Two herbivores in a lion's den.

That's how you felt about joining the Shishigumi. You never liked the idea, being an herbivore roaming the black market.... Yet Louis, your boyfriend, insisted you be under his care.

You had begun dating Cherryton's star student months ago. You always found him charming, attractive... and the feeling was mutual. However...

You didn't expect him to drag you into a gang he commandeered....

Louis became much more... controlling after that. Around lions, carnivores, Louis felt he needed to show he was in charge to everyone. He needed to show he was strong and powerful. Which unfortunately led to you two having arguments.

For a while, because you loved Louis, you tolerated it. You put up with his orders and lived in the shadows because you cared. Even as an herbivore, you felt you could handle it because he could.

Then you saw the horrors in the black market.

Everything from herbivore meat to drugs made from carnivores... you've never seen so much blood. Even Ibuki, Louis' right hand lion, became concerned about your mental health. However... Ibuki was not in the position to tell Louis what to do with you.

Nowadays you feel Louis has changed since you two began dating. Ever since he joined the Shishigumi and soon dragged you into it... he wasn't the same animal. No... He can't be if he keeps ignoring you and your feelings.

Arguments grew more and more common between you and Louis. They often start due to the stress you're put through. Like when you have to watch people be shot... or see blood splatter on the floor....

This is not the life you deserve.

But once again... Louis doesn't seem to care.

Another argument occurs as you sit with Louis in his office. He's looking over something at his desk, looking oddly calm. It disturbs you... just like everything else here. From the lions to the meat and blood.

"Just let me leave." You plead suddenly, hoping to convince your fellow herbivore partner to be reasonable.

"No." Louis snarls. "You're meant to be here with me. You're under my protection here."

"Captivity." You correct, causing Louis' eye to twitch. "You're keeping me here. You dragged me here... and for what!?"

"I’m only this desperate for you!" Louis snaps, standing from his desk harshly. You jump back a bit but still glare. "Must we always have this conversation? Must I always remind you, sweetheart?"

"You're more than just desperate." You scoff, standing up. "You're selfish. This is not the deer I fell in love with. You've changed. Can't you see that? Can't you see it's wrong to keep me here?"

"Selfish?" Louis scoffs with a laugh. "Selfish, huh? You think I'm selfish...?"

Louis then comes closer, staring you down. Even now he's an herbivore obsessed with trying to be a predator. Trying to intimidate you into staying with him... much more than genuinely getting you to love him again.

"Maybe I am selfish..." Louis hums with an irritated grin. "Maybe it is selfish to make you love me... to force you beside me... to be in control... but I don't care anymore."

You yelp when he grabs your shirt. It's subtle but you can tell he doesn't want to harm you. He just wants you to focus on him... or he just wants to prevent you from running while he proves his point....

"Your happiness, your tears, your love, your hate – all of it belongs to me." Louis growls, watching as you squirm. "Call it selfish if you want... but I prefer to call it love. I love you... and this is my way of protecting you. I have power here... no matter the means...."

"Love?" You try to pull away, yet Louis doesn't relent. "Louis... I used to love you... but now? I just want to leave... I want to continue my life... I just want you to let me go...."

The deer then pauses, hesitating. It's enough time for you to pull away and back off. Louis looks... lost for a moment. His amber eyes staring at you as he slowly puts his hand down.

Then you see his teeth clench.

"Don't you dare walk out that damn door..." Louis warns, seeing you place a hand around the door knob.

"Don't act like you own me...." You growl, opening the door as Louis stares at you with irritation...

Yet you're then greeted by two lions.

Lions who were seemingly on stand by.

"Bring them back to me." Louis orders coldly, going back to sit on his desk as he watches his two subordinates drag you back and place you on the couch. Louis glances at your fearful expression before clicking his tongue. "Tie their hands and feet, too."

A brief look of pity is given to you by the two lions... but they listen anyways.

You scream and buck as the two lions listen to their leader, restraining you before Louis hums in approval. Louis then gives a wordless command to dismiss them. The lions nod, casting you a glance of concern before leaving the room. The moment the door locks, it's just you and Louis alone in the silence.

"You shouldn’t have tested my limits." Louis sighs, still reigning in his frustration. "Never say such things... You do love me."

"I don't." You remain defiant as Louis heaves a disappointed sigh.

"Fine... Maybe you just need to be reminded that you and I belong together..." Louis threatens, moving off his desk to stand in front of you.

"You aren't leaving this room..." Louis warns, glaring at you as he tilts your chin up to lock eyes with him.

"Not until you learn your place by my side... and we can stop having these irritating conversations."

[murfpersonalblog]

IWTV S2 Ep8 Musings - LDPDL: Burning Questions

I was reading this Variety article, and they mentioned something that made me think of fan critiques of Louis' opaque motivations in the finale, and the fun laughs we've shared over how he's so unbothered by vamp nonsense that he never seems to ask important questions.

I'm drafting a separate post specifically about "Vampire Grace," but I wanted to focus here on only one point in particular:

PAUL.

We always talk about whether Louis chose Lestat over Claudia; "you take him with you, in HERE!" But I haven't seen talk about how Louis chose Lestat over Paul, and how that factors into Lou's habit of not asking HELLA important questions that could've saved Loustat DECADES of resentment.

Paul's suicide "opened the series," setting this whole thing in motion. Florence blames Louis for his death, making Lou feel like a failure.

--the first time we see Louis outright say to someone's face "I love you," it's mere seconds b4 Paul jumps off a roof. (The only other person we see him say it to is Armand, right after saying they're not companions. 💀)

Paul's memory is wrapped up in Louis' love of Lestat, cuz until Les showed up, Paul had been Lou's one and only companion--the sole person he could TALK to. As a closeted gay man, Lou was desperate for MALE companionship: understanding, acceptance & love.

Sure, he had Grace & Lily (& later Claudia)--all WOMEN--but:

his daddy's dead, and who knows what their deal was, but it couldn't be worse than effing Florence. So there's a lingering want of a father-figure; someone older/wiser who could teach & guide Lou when he was feeling "lost...in a dark way" (*cough* Armand *cough*)

a father or brother is still not the companion Louis REALLY wants/needs, so ofc there's things Lou can't tell Paul, or have with him. Les's an upgraded Paul-- a HUSBAND, not a SIBLING (*cough* Claudia *cough*).

(deep down) Lou was jealous of how candid & honest Paul was; regardless that Paul's lack of a filter was a side effect of his mental illness & religious fanaticism (cuz vampirism's an allegory for sexuality--and even in gay mecca Paris & SanFran Lou was still tryna "find himself" as the Zodiac Killer *cough Daniel *cough*)

Paul's dying wish was for Loustat to never be together

and Lou felt he'd betrayed Paul; that he'd lied/hadn't kept his word

folding like a leaf rather than saying NO, or killing himself like he'd implied (suicide by vampire instead of cane-sword/alcohol poisoning)

(and Queen Claudia called Lestat the "Father of Lies" (aka The Devil), and she ain't never lie a day in her life, either)

So the Catholic guilt was extra strong, cuz Saint Paul was right about Les; but Lou chose Les anyway--in the church, on the altar--after Paul died trusting that Lou WOULDN'T take him back.

Instead, we get this boatload of excuses from Louis about the "vampire bond," when the only bond that matters is LOVE. But this is the crux of Louis' personality/problems, and why the interview took so long for him to attempt either the 1st or 2nd time around. Cuz Louis is a hypocritical coward stuffed to gills with self-loathing & GUILT. He runs away from the truth, he runs away from his issues, and he hides from himself and everyone around him.

So OF COURSE Louis doesn't ask important questions. It's not that he doesn't care--it's that HE'S SCARED of asking, and terrified of what the answer is. So it takes him forever to even BEGIN addressing the elephants in the room.

Louis ALWAYS suspected. But he was:

Scared of the answer/truth

Scared that Les would LIE

Scared he'd forgive Les regardless

Paul died in 1911. It had been 26 YEARS until Lou finally piped up in 1937 (the end of Les's Grovel Era). But this was the PERFECT chance to call Les' bluff & get some honest answers out of him for once, cuz:

If Les (unapologetically) caused Paul's death, he can just stay gone

It's in Les' best interest to tell the truth regardless, cuz he's been desperately tryna get back in Lou's (& Claudia's) good graces for 6 years, and being sincere will earn him more cookies (he'd also be banking on Lou forgiving him regardless, cuz he's been missing Les so bad, even after being beat into the next decade & dropped a billion miles in the air)

If Les IS lying, how would they even frikkin know if they can't read his mind? Lou just wants to see what Les will say

(In 2x6 he waited to ask Madeleine if she only saw Claudia as a replacement for her dead sister--a question he should've asked BEFORE he Turned her, but... 🤷 Moot.)

So in the finale, there's 2 painful truths Lou has to contend with:

WHY is he doing the 2nd interview?

WHO saved him during the Trial?

It takes Louis 77 YEARS to reclaim the "pieces of myself" he'd lost/forgotten. He ALWAYS knew things weren't adding up with Armand. He KNEW there were things missing. Even in SanFran, BEFORE the mind-wipe, he was already losing his mind/memories--PTSD from all the awful things he'd been through.

Even book!Louis knew about Claudia's diaries for a decade b4 he finally got the courage to ask the Talamasca if he could read them & speak to her ghost.

Although Lou's naive AF, he's not an idiot--he HAD A HUNCH that Armand knew more than he was letting on, which is precisely why he kept ignoring Armand every time he asked to stop the interview.

However, for once, Lou actually wastes VERY little time with this one:

As soon as he learns the truth about "Banishment," he divorces Armand, and runs back to NOLA to find Lestat. Memory is a monster Lou'd been running scared from all this time. He's tired of running away, wasting so much time, wasting the gift, when he could be actively tryna solve his problems to make life bearable/better. The hellish prison he'd lived in was by his own design--only he could chose to stand up, take control of his life; and finally ask the burning questions. "Truth and reconciliation."

Lou could finally make peace with the memory of the two people he'd been avoiding for so long; whom he felt he'd let down the most:

For once Lou chooses to be "companion enough for myself," and live with/for himself, not relying other people to save/fix/determine his life for him anymore. That's really the only way he'll be able to be with Les in a healthier, guilt-free relationship in the future.

[greenqueenhightower]

Hey.

I constantly argue back and forth with TB stans that Jace, Luke and Joffrey aren't legitimised just because Laenor, Corlys and Viserys go along with Rhaenyra’s lie about them being "trueborn". As I'm sure you're aware, in Westeros only a king can legitimise the illegitimate by first declaring their bastardy and then legitimising them afterwards. And TB stans. Just. Don't. Get. It. They also seem to think that the King's word is law in Westeros. They don't understand that this a feudal monarchy where the king and his vassals are reliant upon each other and both must respect the social contract in order for the Westerosi social structures e.g. monarchy to be maintained.

IMO, they fall for the narrative trap of the Targaryen characters. Just because Viserys and Rhaenyra say that the King's word is law doesn't actually make it law. It's only law as long as the king has the ability to enforce it. Therefore, if a king did something insane in the eyes of his noble polity, e.g., try to place his bastards in the line of succession, they'd rebel proving accurately that the King's word is in fact not actually law. Aerys's overthrowing is a great example of this. As is the reign of Daeron II: if his word was law and everyone had to obey him, no one would have joined Daemon Blackfyre's rebellion.

Anyway back to TB stans. I think alot of them don't actually realise how the world works. Even GRRM confirmed the bastardy of Rhaenyra’s 3 son's for goodness sake. Every time they try to deny it using the aforementioned argument it only confuses me. Are they insecure about Rhaenyra having illegitimate children? Is that how far they're para-social relationship with her goes?

They also have another stupid argument that Rhaenyra's kids having her blood means that they can inherit her throne. No no no no no no no no no. THAT'S NOT HOW IT WORKS TB. If it was Westerosi lords with bastard relatives, it would allow them to inherit. You have to be trueborn. It's unfair but these unfair laws are what keeps Westeros from constant civil war. That's the point of inheritance law in the Seven Kingdoms.

Anyway, sorry about the rant. It's just that sometimes when I argue with certain TB stans they don't seem to understand the laws of the world they're fans of. They will bend over backwards to excuse their faves, not understanding that you are allowed to criticise a character you like (& in their case love). I think Rhaenyra is an interesting character - moreso in the book TBH - I just don't get why so many TB stans willfully refuse to understand the way in which the laws of the world she inhabits work. Any thoughts?

Hi anon, it took me forever to get to your ask but you're right! 💚

Not all TB stans share the same views, and there are people in here with whom you can converse intelligently, but I have also seen the discourse you're referring to, and it is very annoying when the stans don't get it.

You put the Westerosi legitimization process very well. If we consider the greater Middle Ages-inspired world-building context that Westeros is based on, it makes sense why bastardy is a stigmatized social issue. Blood "purity," lineage, and legitimacy are important because they are the only way land and titles are bequeathed and inherited.

The King is the only one who can legitimize his own illegitimate children as heirs, but he can do so for other illegitimate children, regardless of whether these are related to him by blood. King Louis IV, for example, legitimized John II Duke of Brabant's son, Jan Cordeken, after a petition John wrote to him thus enabling him to inherit his father's fortune and found the House of Glymes. From Ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome to Enlightenment Europe, there are examples of Kings legitimizing not only their children but also the children of their officials, courtiers, and friends. It was seen as granting a favor to them, and when it came to personal matters, a King might choose to legitimize his children when he ran out of heirs, or in the case of Louis XIV, because he could and wanted to.

In other words, Viserys, who knew of but chose to ignore Rhaenyra's sons' (his grandsons') bastardy, had ample time and opportunity to legitimize them but chose to blind himself to the truth instead. What was that about Alicent calling Viserys "weak" in one of the deleted scenes of S1? Well, "weak" isn't the only word I would use to describe him... also irresponsible, foolish, and inadequate.

Nevertheless, the legitimization process in history was seldom favored by the court, the King's vassals, and the people, and caused quite a stir. As you say, the King's law didn't hold up that much ground compared to the law of tradition and at times the Church. The people didn't care if a King legitimized a child by naming them heir... the stigma of being born "illegitimate" wasn't washed off that easily, because bastards were seen as devilish, impure, half-breeds, unnatural hybrids, and so forth. So Viserys choosing to ignore the issue face front was bound to be catastrophic, because no matter how he tried to silence the tongues that wagged by threatening to cut them off, the issue of his grandsons' apparent bastardy remained, and THE REALM would not accept any of them on the Iron Throne, for the same reasons.

And Viserys did nothing about it. He could have confronted Rhaenyra when Jace was born and reminded her of the stark reality of the consequences of what she was doing. Not only did he name Rhaenyra (a woman) as his heir, which alone was controversial and unprecedented, but a woman with three illegitimate children, whose existence never even tried to correct or prevent. Viserys alone weakened Rhaenyra's claim with his lack of foresight and counsel.

If TB uphold the "Viserys loved his grandsons and he accepted them as they were" narrative, they are not only deluded but lack media literacy as well, because Viserys DIDN'T CARE if his grandsons were trueborn or not, or if that would plunge the realm to war, the same way he didn't care that he had named Rhaenyra as his successor when the realm, who was so used to having Kings for centuries, knew he had THREE legitimate sons of his own.

So my two cents on the discourse would basically be that those who don't understand the social and political repercussions of Rhaenyra having bastards, not being counseled as to why this is destructive, left on her own to raise them, and having to cope with the consequences of her actions as she realizes that the father she so loved and admired didn't protect or support her at all, are missing out on a much more interesting character in Rhaenyra and a more complex dynamic with her sons, who she now understands are exceptionally vulnerable and potentially threatening to her cause.

This is a far more intriguing reading than anything TB stans are getting at with their "no criticism" ban on Viserys and Rhaenyra.

[ofmdrecaps]

07/25-26/2024 Daily OFMD Recap

TLDR; David Jenkins; Rhys Darby; Taika Waititi; Vico Ortiz: Classes; OFMD BTS; Galaxy Con Raleigh: Con, Nathan, Vico, Kristian; Gypsy Taylor; Andrew Deyoung; Boris McGiver; Adopt Our Crew Highlights: Articles; Prompts; Gold Derby/TellTale TV Voting Reminders; Love Notes; Daily Darby/Today's Taika;

== David Jenkins ==

Chaos Dad, David Jenkins has been really active on Twitter and even poking his head into Instagram! I didn't share all of the ones he re-blogged today because I ran out of image space, but he's definitely keeping us all in mind. (I sure wish Kamala had really said that!)

Source: Djenkins Twitter

David also shared our lovely @cosmosart-s' recent Ed+Butterflies sketch on Instagram <3

Source: David Jenkins' Instagram

He also acknowledged what we've all been thinking and discussing in meta for a while now-- the differences in memory for the S1 "You Wear Fine Things Well" scene.

Source: David Jenkins' Instagram

== Rhys Darby ==

There's a new podcast available, this time with Rhys Darby visiting! Check out: Saving Sheep From a UFO w/ Rhys Darby!

Source: Looking Up Podcast

== Taika Waititi ==

Taika was out at the Louis Vuitton Foundation Party 2024 in Paris recently and boy is he looking suave.

Source: Rafhits Instagram / Icon France / VogueSpain / Anthonyghnassia /EmiliaPiaLuisaWickstead / VasJMorgan / etalkctv

More Time Bandits Interviews! Did you happen to watch Time Bandits yet on Apple TV?

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Consequence Daily (@consequencedaily)

Source: ConsquenceDaily

== Vico Ortiz ==

Vico has another acting class coming up September 1! Classes are Sundays 11a-4p September 1, 8, 22 & 29 * 9/8 will be taught by a SUBSTITUTE TBA You can enroll here!

Source: Vico Ortiz' Instagram

Vic has also been keeping up with our BTS needs by posting more on their Patreon! Here's some sneak peaks-- if you don't subscribe already and would like to see all the OFMD BTS as well as other works they do, you can visit Patreon.

Source: Vico Ortiz Patreon

== Galaxy Con Raleigh (Con, Nathan, Vico, Kristian) ==

Con, Nathan, Vico, and Kristian are all at Galaxy Con Raleigh this weekend! I'm combining their sections to make it a bit easier to keep track! They've all been kind enough to send us pre-convention photos!

Source: Nathan Foad's Instagram Stories / BigSamTompson's Instagram (Nathan's Tagged Photos)

Source: Kristian Nairn's Instagram

Source: Con O'Neill's Instagram

Source: Vico's Instagram

== Gypsy Taylor ==

Gypsy Taylor is working on a new show -- "All Her Fault" and it's going to be premiering on Peacock once it's ready! Keep an eye out for it!

Source: Gypsy Taylor's Instagram

== Andrew DeYoung ==

You may remember one of our lovely writers-- Andrew DeYoung, well he's written and directed a new movie, "FRIENDSHIP" a comedy that will premier in September at the Toronto International Film Festival!

Source: Andrew DeYoung's Instagram

== Boris Mcgiver ==

Our friend Boris Mcgiver, aka Father Bonnet has a new show "Teacup", a sci-fi horror thriller premiering on October 10th, on Peacock!

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A post shared by Ashley Edner - Tancharoen (@ashleyedner)

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== Adopt Our Crew Highlights ==

Our friends over at @adoptourcrew have been king everyone up to date with the latest articles on OFMD.

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They've also been keeping twitter engaged with some wonderful prompts! What's your favourite piece of OFMD Art? (Your own or someone else's!) @adoptourcrew would love to hear from you!

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== Gold Derby Reminders ==

Thank you @adoptourcrew for the reminder! July 30 is the last day to vote! Please get your votes in if you haven't and you plan to! https://www.goldderby.com/leagues/

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== Tell Tale TV Poll ==

We're neck and neck yall! The poll is open through the end of July and you can vote every day!

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== Love Notes ==

Miss you lovelies, sending so many good vibes your way.

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== Daily Darby / Today's Taika ==

It's been a minute since I've been blessed with this gif, so you too shall get to see Ed's heart eyes. Gif courtesy of the brilliant @captain-flint <3

[blouisparadise]

Upon request, today we have the fifth part to our college/university rec list. If you'd like to check out the first several parts, you can find part one here, part two here, part three here, and part four here. Please be sure to like and reblog this post to help spread the word. Happy reading!

1) I Can't Get You Off My Mind (I Still Crave It) | Mature | 4,531 words

"You're an idiot," It was Lya's time to interrupt. "Why would you want another guy when you already have yours? Don't you ever get tired of those silly games?" "It is different!," Louis defended himself again, mouth open. "How come it is different?," Lya asked again. "I love Harry," it was easy like breathing. "He's the love of my life, I'm going to marry him," Louis looked around, until his eyes looked with Harry's, glossy and vibrant. "That guy was just a hook."

2) Azaleas Where Your Face Should Be | Explicit | 5,626 words

Note: This fic is locked and can only be read by AO3 users.

Harry and Louis having some sexy time and some sappy time and sometimes both at the same time.

3) Spaces Between Us, Hold All Our Secrets | Not Rated | 6,441 words

The thing about Harry is, is that he is the most wonderful guy you´ll ever meet. He is kind, compliments you on things you are usually insecure about, which shows he truly pays attention to who you are as a person. And he befriends everyone. Except Louis.

4) Cut Me Up, Kiss Me Harder | Mature | 9,431 words

A group of friends, a slightly drunk alternate version of spin the bottle, and the universe having a wicked sense of humour may just be enough to bring one bratty omega and a tired-of-said-omega’s-bullshit alpha closer than they’ve ever been. In more ways than one.

5) Hook You Up (Charm You Down) | Explicit | 9,600 words

Swiftly, Harry raises his right hand to his head. Bringing two ringed fingers up, he touches the brown hat sitting on his head, tipping it with a raise of eyebrows in the direction of Peter Pan. He punctuates the whole action with his signature smirk. The reaction is almost immediate. Like Harry hoped it’d be. Though he expected the grin he received, he can’t say he directly expected the man to come forward his way. But he surely isn’t going to complain. “Captain! Fancy seeing you there,” Peter Pan says when he reaches Harry’s space. And wow. Seeing it from up close, Niall was right. Face of an angel, totally Harry’s type and all that. 

6) The One Who Stays And The One Leaving You | Mature | 10,315 words

Fuck. He had just slept with none other than Harry Styles.

7) Behind Closed Doors | Explicit | 10,332 words

“You should ask that whoever he’s currently fucking.” Liam’s eyes grow wide. “No.” His tone is unbelieving, just like Louis’ would’ve been if you had told him what turn today would take. “Yes.” “How do you know?” Louis’ room mate’s eyes barely leave him as he tries to untie his shoes without looking. “Went to his dorm earlier, found a sock on his door handle. He’s such an arsehole.”

8) Sunshine On My Mind | Explicit | 12,704 words

Seeing Harry as an actual professor will never get old to Louis as his eyes soak him in. The casual attire of a student-teacher is gone and now Harry’s got on a button up under a sweater vest that both have stripes on it because someone with a face like Harry’s can actually pull that off. His beige trousers ride up high on his waist, loose and wide around the legs like he’s been preferring lately. By the time Louis’ done taking all of him in, he’s got a smile stretched wide across his face, cheekbones feeling like they’re about to burst just from happiness alone. “Hello Professor Styles."

9) You Know It Ain’t Fiction, Just a Natural Fact | Not Rated | 13,312 words

Harry is the golden boy of the college football's team, Louis is their professors' golden student and they definitely don't have anything in common. Falling in love would be dumb.

10) Kiss Me Once, Kiss Me Twice | Mature | 13,487 words

“You’re a fucking brat, you know that,” Harry muttered through clenched teeth, bones already burning with the pure desire and hatred mixing in his body. It was an intoxicating rush of adrenaline and something else that probably came with fucking Louis Tomlinson. He squeezed his neck just a little tighter. “I can’t stand it.” Their lips were brushing against each other, just moving with the ragged movements of their mouths and harsh breathing. “You’re a lying piece of shit dickhead,” Louis muttered right back. That was all he did, challenge and nag. He loved to have the last word and Harry let him because he used all his energy to fuck him mindless.

11) Wake Me Up With It | Mature | 13,699 words

“Oh god, I sound like a rapist now.” Louis gave a soft, sympathetic giggle, shifting on top of him, and that was when he noticed he was hard, as well. “No, Haz. You fucking me while I'm still asleep and waking up to a dick in my arse? That sounds fucking hot.” “I’d, like, discuss it before. Like get consent for it before.” “Obviously,” Louis rolled his eyes, staring up at Harry with a sad expression. “I’d let you do that to me, Harry.” “What?” Harry blinked, sure the world was ending by those words he never thought he’d ever hear in his life. The words sounded muffled to him, like he was swimming.

12) I Couldn't Face A Life Without Your Lights | Mature | 15,549 words

Louis and Harry are college students who haven't been the same in the past two years.

13) Give My Heart A Holiday | Not Rated | 17,222 words

AU where Louis and someone else both like Harry but Harry obviously likes Louis and is oblivious to the other person with scenes like Harry’s sitting with his legs on the coffee table and the other person wants to walk across and Harry doesn’t see them, so they have to say excuse me, but when Louis wants to cross he doesn’t even have to say anything because Harry sits up, puts his feet down, and gives his undivided attention to Louis.

14) There’s A Hole In My Heart (And It’s Got Your Name On It) | Explicit | 19,508 words

The four scream from the stands as the team huddles together, pulling their helmets and gloves off and slapping each other's backs as they celebrate their win. Louis had stolen a pom-pom from Mal earlier and he shakes it vigorously. His breath hitches when Harry looks up and their eyes meet. The hockey player smirks at him but looks away quickly. “Did he just-” “No.” Louis quickly stops Jade from even finishing that sentence because he’s about to lose his damn mind

15) Kiss And Tell (Me A Lie) | Explicit | 19,827 words

It takes three friends, a video game, and an arse tattoo for Harry to realize the truth.

16) Lovin’ Online | Not Rated | 27,627 words

“Huh?” Harry asks, muffled by his forearm. He feels lips on his face and the tip of Louis’ nose against his ear when Louis repeats himself. Brain sluggish with sleep, it takes a moment for him to process the words, but his eyes snap open, and he’s met with darkness. He's got to be dreaming, there’s no way Louis just said what he thinks he said. “What did you say?” He can see the vague shrug from Louis before he turns around to toss the towel with the pile of their discarded clothes. “Did you say…” he starts slowly, automatically slinging his arm around Louis as he gets back into bed and throws the blankets over them. “That we should make a sex tape?” Louis asks rather nonchalantly for such a big proposition. He cuddles easily into the warm body and confirms, “Yes, I did.”

17) Science & Faith | Mature | 36,442 words

Louis Tomlinson is a science major who's dedicated his life to proving that love doesn't actually exist. Harry's the philosophy major determined to prove him wrong.

18) You Could Be The One That I Love | Explicit | 39,797 words

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Niall waved off. “Now, let’s talk man to man to man. You two have had a crush on each other since uni. Now’s your chance to finally get something going. I could see the sparks and connection and attraction back then and I can still see it now, God damn it! You’re just denying fate at this point.” He looked impassioned, his blue eyes wide and imploring. Louis shook his head again and chuckled. “You can’t just snap your finger and expect us to, like, get it on.” “I’m not,” he reasoned. “I’m merely telling you to do something about it.”

19) Sink Into Your Sunlight | Explicit | 79,562 words

Louis hadn’t forgotten about Harry as much as he tried. It wasn’t due to the strange nature of their meeting, more so the magnetic pull he somehow had on Louis. He couldn’t fathom why this complete stranger stayed in his mind as much as he tried to stop it. Any time his phone sounded his heart skipped a beat at the thought of it possibly being Harry. In all honesty, it made him feel sort of pathetic. Gay guy falls for straight guy, what a cliche he had become.

20) Nothing Quite Hits Like You | Explicit | 81,098 words

For many centuries, Inferis Lamia had been a college strictly for higher magic alphas, where most rulers of the Underworld had reached their Divine Enlightenment to become the alphas they were now. However, that year, for the first time since it was founded many centuries ago, the academy would welcome omegas from the Underworld, giving them the same opportunities alphas had, the same education.

Check out our other fic rec lists by category here and by title here.