#Louis: I just don't say it :) that's the only thing wrong here :)

[hoovesandfloorpaws]

❗️Edit: Post updated with tiny corrections & info on Jan 25, 2025

ohhhh, Gina *rubs happy little paws* i’m extra happy to help with this! ☺️ and yes, I saw that, too and have included that info in my soon-to-come masterpost of all companies Harry and Louis were and are a part of.

Okay, I will try to keep this as short as possible, but also make it easy to understand, haha.

First off, yes, according to the official Companies House (GOV.UK), the Accounts (Financial Statements) for HSA Publishing Ltd., Erskine Records Ltd., Pleased As Holdings Ltd., (and also Erskine Group Ltd., even though they weren't mentioned in the Twitter post) are currently overdue -- but it’s nothing to worry about right now. These are just 4 of his companies who happen to all have had their Accounts (FS) due by Dec 31, 2024, according to GOV.UK. His other companies have the due dates later this year. (❗️thank you to this anon for the info & nudge! 💖 - so, important side fact: the deadline to file the annual Accounts (FS) is 9 months after the end of the company's financial year, but GOV.UK lists them as 12 months in the Overview.

All of the 1D, Harry, & Louis companies usually file the Accounts (FS) later than those 9 months. Anon said: "But the penalties are pretty low, so I guess they must not care much?")

This has happened before, for example with Erskine Records Ltd.: The Financial Statement for up to March 2020 was filed 2 weeks even after the GOV.UK stated due date, on April 14, 2021. The Financial Statement for up to Dec 2021 was filed 6 days even after the GOV.UK stated due date, on Jan 6, 2023.

You may skip this part, but for further insight: the moment to worry would be only after a "first Gazette for compulsory strike-off" was filed and if then months later, there'd still be no Accounts (Financial Statement) filed. We are still far away from that. As far as I have researched, a compulsory strike-off from the Companies House doesn't happen fast in regards to Accounts (FS) filings; instead it can happen quicker if the annual Confirmation statement hasn't been filed in time. I have also seen a prior reblog and just as a heads up: a Confirmation Statement is not the same as Accounts (Financial Statement) in the filing history. A Confirmation statement is basically just a notice of "Hello, this company is still alive and we have filed all appropriate paperwork for the last financial year". ❗️The last Confirmation Statements were all already posted in 2024: Feb 28 (Erskine Records) May 13 (Pleased As Holdings) June 14 (Erskine Group) Dec 20 (HSA Publishing) Anon said "[...] Or those accounts are for some reason not shown publicly [...]". This has never happened with any of the 19 companies they are and were in, so just judging from my research, I don't think that's the case. There is a possibility, though, that the Accounts (FS) have been submitted, but are still being processed.

Harry (and also Louis or 1D) has never had a company get struck-off the register for failing to meet a filing deadline.

Sometimes things happen and stuff gets delayed. Let me go out on a limb here and say Harry might have to approve or at least look over everything -even though his co-director Emma signs off on the final Accounts (FS) nowadays- and he might not have had much of a mind for that since mid October, if you all catch my drift -- but I could be totally wrong.

It was just a personal thought I had, based on the fact that with every single one of his companies, until Emma Charlotte Spring joined as co-director, Harry had signed off all Accounts (FS) himself -- and I imagine he is quite familiar with the financial records of his companies and might want to keep at least one eye on them.

An example for this: with HSA Publishing (which was incorporated for him on Feb 25, 2014) Harry was the sole Secretary until July 2017 and until mid 2019, Harry signed all the filings himself, incl. the Accounts (Financial Statements). And those were not just all Abridged Accounts (FS) for a Small Company, oh no.

There’s a LOT of work that goes into keeping track of the books, then putting together the Accounts (FS), especially Full Accounts (opposed to a Micro-Accounts or Abridged Accounts). There's a boatload of receipts, invoices, etc. that other people have to gather or file or hand in first in order to even have the complete & correct data to work with for an accountant.

(When I post my research next week, I will include a link to look at all Accounts (Financial Statements) ever filed, combined into 1 PDF per company, for all companies that Harry and Louis were and are in, and everyone who is interested will be able to read up on just how extensive they can be - especially of course, the 1D ones.)

Erskine Records Ltd. and HSA Publishing Ltd. are 2 of Harry's longest running companies, and while Pleased As Holdings Ltd. and Erskine Group Ltd. are quite young companies of his, they still have a lot of business going through them.

A little example for the financial year of 2022: For all 4 companies the combined "income" (before taxes) alone was 15.4 million £. Erskine Records Ltd. and HSA Publishing Ltd. were also handling Current Asset investments of a combined 27.1 million £ -- [current assets: "short-term assets that are typically used up in less than one year. They are used in the day-to-day operations of a business to keep it running."] and that number doesn't even include the combined capital reserves of the companies. On top of this, Pleased As Holdings Ltd. and Erskine Group Ltd. were handling combined Fixed Asset investments of over 8 million £ -- [fixed assets: are long-term, physical assets, such as property, plant, and equipment"] Since Harry was touring in 2023 and had put out Harry's House only in May of the prior year, I fully expect to see the numbers of most of his companies having increased significantly in the new Accounts (FS). Speaking of numbers - now, that is next to the only thing we see on public record. We don't see what they are used for exactly, but for example, HSA Publishing Ltd. stated "The principal activity of the company is music publishing." and Harry's occupation is listed as Entertainer, so we can interpret what the company does. Since it was incorporated on Feb 25, 2014 already, I understand it was the first company for him "as an artist alone", much like 78 Productions Ltd. for Louis.

To conclude this: his co-director of all these 4 companies, Emma Spring, is definitely still instated and I wager that she will be the one signing all the Accounts (FS) again.

Let’s wait and see when they come, because I am sure they will very soon and I am definitely ready to update my post with all the data, hehe 😌 TL;DR: nothing worrisome is going on at the moment. 💖

Hi Gina,

Sorry to bother you, especially with pulling something over to you from Twitter, you know your favorite app, 🤪. But what does this mean are these his companies and he’s behind? I don’t understand it. I appreciate you

https://x.com/elliefranc/status/1882542529155158311?s=46&t=A01HZCEbU53AkYj6gktwUA

Hi, sweetheart. I don't actually know. It seems odd, but I don't understand this stuff. I know Paz has been doing some work on the business end of 1D, they might be able to shed some light. @hoovesandfloorpaws any ideas?

Anyone have some knowledge of this stuff?

[laiddownwiththedevil]

' if you love me, louis, you don't love me in a way i understand. ' + armamd

@tomedesvampires

"I do love you," Louis murmured, dropping his book on the bed next to him. Things were rough between them since the decision to bring Daniel back, but that wasn't the only catalyst. They were on a downward spiral even before Daniel returned. Louis was unable to get out of his own thoughts, growing more and more withdrawn as time went on. It was taking its toll on their relationship, even if they tried to keep the facade of a happy couple up around Daniel. "I don't always say it. I never have."

[allwaswell16]

A fic rec of One Direction fics where the main pairing has a one night stand or what they think will be a one night stand as requested in this ask. If you enjoy the fics, please leave kudos and comments for the writers! You can find my other fic recs here. Happy reading!

- Louis / Harry -

💜 You You You by @isthatyoularry

(M, 137k, famous/not famous) the one where Harry and Louis meet at a club and Louis takes Harry home, only for him to realize that the boy who just made him breakfast half naked is Harry Styles from One Direction.

💜 You Drive Me Round The Bend by TheCellarDoor / @donotdialnine

(M, 77k, hate to love) In which Louis is a spoilt rich kid who’s always on the phone while he drives and Harry is a struggling musician making his way down the mountain. It’s just a matter of time before they crash and burn.

💜 Know a Trick or Two by @sadaveniren

(E, 44k, Potter Direction) the one where Muggle Harry and Wizard Louis have a one night stand and get more than they bargained out of it.

💜 Baby, What a Big Surprise by kiwikero / @icanhazzalou

(E, 33k, high school) the one where shy, quiet Harry has no idea he's a carrier, and a one night stand with the most popular boy in school shows him just how wrong he was.

💜 You Wouldn't Believe the Dream I Just Had About You & Me by @larryatendoftheday

(E, 21k, friends to lovers) After a back-to-school bash and a few too many drinks, Harry finds himself pregnant from a one-night stand he doesn’t remember. His best friend Louis is the only one who knows about the baby. Together they try to find the father of Harry’s baby, but they keep looking in all the wrong places.

💜 Behind Smoke Stained Curtains by @jaerie

(E, 19k, omegaverse) The worlds align when Louis meets an alpha from the road with as many secrets as he holds himself.

💜 Souls; Plural, Parallel by LadyLondonderry / @londonfoginacup

(T, 19k, soulmates) It's unfortunate then, that Louis finds out the hard way that he met his soulmate in a club, and the guy never texted him back.

💜 I Still Find You Lovely by @angelichl

(M, 16k, pwp) In which Harry goes to a bar in search of a bloke with an air-conditioned flat.

💜 Up All Night for Good Fun by @berzerkshires

(E, 13k, boss/employee) The man leaves his place before Harry wakes up, which makes him sad since it was the best sex he's ever had. But when he goes to his new job on Monday, he realizes the man he slept with is the CEO.

💜 Caught My Attention by kassio

(E, 13k, famous/not famous) Louis had been around long enough to know when someone was checking him out. He hadn’t expected to see that look from Harry fucking Styles.

💜 Night Out by @helloamhere

(E, 9k, omegaverse) Symphony hall was the first place Louis had felt at home in this city, and he always had the box to himself. Until tonight.

💜 One Minute Old by crimsontheory / @ireallysawanangel

(E, 9k, mpreg) a one-night stand of Louis' that he never thought he'd see again shows up at his door six months later.

💜 I Think I’m Addicted to Your Light by supernope

(E, 9k, pwp) He indicates his legs with the hand clutching a pale pink phone, and Louis’ gaze drops. Speechless, Louis takes the phone, eyes locked on the guy’s legs. His gorgeous legs, clad only in a pair of black thigh-highs held up by a silky black garter belt.

💜 You don't have to say you're mine by @softfonds

(M, 7k, Roman Holiday au) Harry thought they'd always have Rome, until fate gave them another chance.

💜 Rode Hard and Put Away Wet by @kingsofeverything

(E, 6k, size difference) Louis heard the same rumours in London, New York, and L.A., and he put them all to rest, but in Texas?

💜 All Good Things by @fallinglikethis

(E, 5k, famous/not famous) After a good show, popstar Harry likes to go out with his crew to blow off some steam. It must be his lucky night when he finds a pretty boy that's willing to help him out with that.

💜 Missed Chances by @harryanthus-annuus

(E, 5k, omegaverse) they get drunk on some expensive wine. Things escalate from there.

💜 Go With It by embro

(NR, 4k, pwp) "You thought I was someone else and started making out with me in a club and you're really hot so I just kinda went with it and now we're heading back to your place and I don't know how to break it to you"

💜 If You Don't Have To Go, Don't by @taggiecb

(E, 3k, famous/not famous) Louis just wants to have fun, and dance, and forget about everything is wrong in the world. He does just that in a crowded club in the middle of London. That is until he catches the eye of a beautiful green eyed stranger, and suddenly all of Louis' dance moves are for him.

- Rare Pairs -

💜 set the pace by flimsy

(E, 34k, Louis/Nick Grimshaw) “Do you think,” Nick says, “that we can keep this between us?” He gestures between himself and Louis and gives Louis a crooked smile like this is all explanatory, and Louis’ stomach twists uncomfortably.

💜 One by @allwaswell16

(E, 4k, Louis/Tommy Shelby) When omega Louis Tomlinson becomes pregnant after an unexpected encounter, he decides his only option is to flee his pack. But Tommy Shelby, pack alpha of the Peaky Blinders, might not be willing to let him go so easily.

[the-crooked-library]

Okay I wanted to tell you that I'm literally drinking your posts about Nosferatu, thank you so much for sharing all your thoughts! You're helping me better shaping my own opinions.

And I have another thing that can't leave my mind so I thought to share: Ellen is in perfect control of Orlok, and it's never the other way round.

She is the one that summons him first, and after their first encounters (I got the feeling that they met more than once before her father discovered her and the encounters got unpleasant, but I might be wrong), when she rejects him out of fear and disgust, *he leaves her be*. Okay, he visits her in her dreams, but dreams are manageable, right? In fact Ellen moves on, she tries to build a reasonable life, she falls in love, and Orlok just leaves her be. It's only when she marries that he acts: because the vows of marriage can break the oath they took years ago.

And even if moved by jealousy and rage, even if he is so powerful that he can control animals, weather and human minds, even if he can bring the plague to a whole city, even if he kills and tortures everyone, he can't touch her unless she gives her permission, her consent. He barely even look at her without her permission.

And in the end he knows the dawn is approaching, he knows he's gonna die, he is more than satisfied, more than fulfilled, but she says "more" and so he stays. And he dies. Because she wanted for him to die.

I don't think Ellen is fully aware of her power and control over him since the beginning, because to admit to herself this much is too much for her. A part of her still wants and impossible normal life. But surely she knows. She places her hair in the lock...

And in the end she fully embraces this power, to the extent of her own death too.

I think this is what hit me the most in this movie. How big a role the girl plays in the action of the vampire.

hi - and thank you so so much! I am delighted to hear that you've been enjoying my posts about this film, because, quite frankly, I haven't been able to shut up about it at any point since I saw it.

Regarding Ellen's control of Orlok: this might be just my opinion, but I think it is strongly reminiscent of the dynamic between Sarah and Jareth in Labyrinth (1986)! Sarah's situation is, naturally, less traumatic than Ellen's - but she is the heroine of a coming-of-age fantasy film, rather than a gothic horror, so that comes with the territory. The point is, their stories share the same essential plot beats and deal with a similar subject matter, and Sarah's story is punctuated by her interactions with the Goblin King. Like Orlok, he is ancient and in some ways immortal; he is obsessive, dangerous, and magical in a way that does not fit in with the Normal World - which provides a point of endless fascination for Sarah, who also feels like an outsider in it. As such, the Goblin King both excites and terrifies her, he adores her and menaces her at the same time - and, crucially, he has no power over her. Here's how the story develops:

the loneliness, the frustration with her life

the summons, however accidental

friends/family in danger

at the same time - thrill, excitement, seduction, obsession

fairy tale time limit - 13 hours or 3 nights

confrontation/declaration of love, offer of eternity

the evil is defeated because he isn't actually in control.

The Goblin King begs Sarah to just fear him, love him, and vows to be her slave if she does; Orlok does much the same, insisting time and time again that Ellen isn't meant for the human world - that he would give her the companionship she wanted for all eternity; and the same pattern repeats in a plethora of other media as well, vampire, fairytale, and various derivations thereof.

Just to throw a few examples into the mix - Ellen Hutter, Christine Daaé, Sarah Williams, Will Graham, and Louis de Pointe du Lac all follow that specific dance. Each one of their respective monsters seduces, threatens, adores, coerces, rages - and eventually submits. Orlok is reverent as he stays with Ellen past the sunrise; Erik releases Christine in the finale; the Goblin Kingdom crumbles, Hannibal kneels in the snow and falls from the cliff, and Lestat allows Louis to slit his throat. For the pursued, this is, first and foremost, a story of self-actualization; and a fantasy of being loved so deeply that it supersedes all other possible concerns. None of these characters have ever felt loved by another human being - and so it's not surprising that the thing that wants them so much isn't human. It's really more of a reasonable assumption than a leap.

I absolutely agree that Ellen's actions are often very subtly questionable, in a way that almost feels like reaching; and I think that this is likely the intention - though that could be debated until the cows come home, given a contrary enough group of people. Still, in the film itself, she is indeed torn between Morality and Desire. Lines are inevitably blurred. The locket miniature for Thomas, the perfumed lock of hair for Orlok; a sacrifice for the city, a night of passion for her.

One proper, sane; the other invariably personal, close to the skin - clinging, like the scent of lilacs; and it could be said that this dilemma is best encapsulated by her description of a dream she had in the very beginning of the movie. In it, she is wedded to Death. None of the witnesses survive it. She is horrified, she has never been happier in her life, and it's rooted in the very core of her anguish. Because what sort of thing is she, if the only person that loves her wholly is a monster?..

[agentnoun]

Let's Talk about Metaphor: ReFantazio's Politics

I think, primarily, Metaphor: ReFantazio is about fantasy, escapism, and utopia more than it wants to be about politics. But it does feature a political message, and one that feels especially poignant here in late 2024.

Full game spoilers beneath the cut!

Poltiically, Metaphor is about two things: the politics of fear, and the weaknesses of democracy.

Louis stokes the flames of populist fear, whipping that fear into anger and riding it like a wave to prominence. Louis himself is not a fascist--his actual goals are far more esoteric than that and don't really map to real-world political ideologies at all--but his rise to power strongly resembles how fascism rises in the real world. He preys on the people's fear of the unknown and of what lies beyond their walls (represented by the game's "human" monsters), promising that he is the only one who can protect them. He is their strong man, their great leader, the one who will deliver them from this monolithic, omnipresent danger.

And democracy can't do shit about it.

That's just the thing, right? Democracy has very limited defenses against fascism. If the people are afraid, angry, feel abandoned or ignored, it is easy for a charismatic fascist to build a movement, taking those justified feelings and turning them towards a destructive aim.

And that's a lot easier to sell than what Will is selling. It's notable that Will and his party can only really offer some fairly vague assurances that they will "help everyone in need" and make sure nobody is left behind, but how? How can they possibly prove that? Any explanation is long, boring, feels wishy-washy, while Louis is right over there offering a simple solution. Strength. Power. That's what matters.

Metaphor highlights the glaring weakness of democracy as a political system: when things get bad enough, bad actors can subvert the whole thing. It doesn't matter if what those bad actors are selling is destructive, wrong, based on lies. How will you prove that? It feels right.

At the same time--Metaphor finds hope. It's not saying "democracy bad." Notably, Will wins the election. If you check your rank while you're in the Tyrant's Star final dungeon, you're rank 1. You've won.

But by that point, whether you win the election or not is secondary. The election is almost just for show at that point (barring the last-minute power-up with kingly magic, of course). Will and his friends are not going to beat Louis by beating him in an election. They have to fight him directly.

And that's just it: you're not going to beat fascism just by voting. That doesn't mean you shouldn't vote, but it does mean you also need to be ready to actually fight them. Because ultimately, when fascists gain enough power, that becomes the only way to take them down.

That, I think, is Metaphor's politics. We should not abandon democracy. But we also can't sit back and accept that the will of the people will always steer us right. Evil doesn't become right just because people voted for it. Sometimes, evil grabs the wheel, and someone--no, a lot of someones need to go and grab it back.

[joanquill]

Sebastian, Fred, Bonde, and Herder Taking Care of Sick S/O

How Sebastian, Fred, Bonde, and Herder would take care of their lover if they were sick.

Sebastian Moran, Fred Porlock, James Bonde, and Von Herder

A/N: Jack, Moneypenny, and Paterson will be added in part two-- I'M SO SORRY I DIDN'T REALIZE I READ THE ASK WRONG ASGHAJHG also, here is the Moriarty Brothers' version and Sherlock's version!

Sebastian Moran

Definitely has experience taking care of you when you have a hangover or body sores.

When he finds out you got sick, he'll most likely scold you (despite the high chance he's the reason why you got sick in the first place).

Unfortunately, your sore throat can't let you voice your complaints, and can just glare at him.

Sebastian probably acts the calmest while taking care of you.

But he keeps holding your hand while you're sleeping, rubbing his thumb against your wrist to check.

Also does not care if he gets sick because of you.

He probably welcomes it, saying he will have a reason to not do chores and he can stay in bed with you.

He probably camps in your room, hiding from Louis and Moneypenny and saying he's there to take care of you.

But when he does get caught, they literally have to drag him out of your room.

He checks in on you every now and then while doing chores, making sure you've eaten, taking medicine on time, and resting properly.

He'll most likely feed you, even if you have the energy to eat on your own.

You had to kick him out of your room so you could change by yourself despite him promising not to look.

He'll probably act exasperated while taking care of you, but still does it diligently.

He definitely stayed by your side while sleeping, making sure you were alright.

Even when you get better, he'll still check your temperature and make sure you don't push yourself, just in case.

Fred Porlock

When he tries to wake you up to start the day, his heart drops when he sees you sweating bullets and breathing heavily.

Ran to Louis for help, panicking while Louis checked up on you.

Fortunately, it was only a slight fever. But the headache you were feeling said otherwise.

Louis made you take a day off so you could recover and had the others cover for your tasks for the day.

You swear you could hear Sebastian complain, but it might just be the fever.

Louis and Moneypenny taught Fred how to take care of you, while also checking in on you when they could.

The poor boy was unsure what to do while you're stuck in bed.

You could tell he tried his best: carefully carrying your food and medicine to your room, blowing on your food when it's hot, feeding you, helping you take your medicine on time, and keeping you company.

But Moneypenny had to step in when you had to change your clothes.

Fred left the room even when you said it was fine and he could just turn around.

When he's done with chores and looking after the garden, he spends the rest of the day in your room.

Even when you're asleep, he watches you and keeps you company, sometimes even checking if your fever has gone down.

Back when he was an orphan and living in the streets, he had seen people dying from fever or a common cold and he didn't want the same thing to happen to you.

You try to reassure him, holding his hand while saying you will be fine the next morning with him looking after you.

But he still can't help but feel anxious, holding your hand through the night.

James Bonde

I wouldn't be surprised if you got sick when you got stuck in the rain with him.

Most likely from his idea of dancing together or kissing in the rain like in the novels.

However, what irks you is that James was perfectly healthy the next day, while you can't even leave the bed.

He charms his way out of your anger, though.

Still tries to cuddle with you while you're sick.

Constantly flirting and saying you still look adorable in his eyes despite being sick.

When you put on a mask to avoid him getting sick, he still kisses you, saying it'll be fine.

Likes feeding you the most, but also makes sure you take your medicine on time and rest.

While helping you change out of your clothes, he'll probably hug you from behind to get a reaction.

Other than his constant teasing and flirting, he takes proper care of you.

When you fall asleep, he kisses your cheek and goes do his remaining chores or tasks.

But if he had a mission that day, he'd come rushing to you when he got home and cuddles you.

He'll probably sneak into your bed and cuddle with you, sleeping next to you despite your constant warnings when you were awake.

When you get better, expect him not to leave your side and have him cling to you the whole day.

Or if he actually gets sick, expect him to still cling to you and ask you to look after him the whole day.

Von Herder

He probably warned you about taking care of your health when he caught you sneezing in the lab, but you most likely brushed it off as the dust in the air.

As it turns out, you did catch a cold.

When he found out, he probably teased you about being right but was worried about you, nonetheless.

He ensures everything you need is within reach, buying whatever you need and request.

Unfortunately, he still has work to do in the lab, so he usually just checks up on you once in a while.

Has invented walkie-talkies to keep you company (and let him talk to you about machines while you're bedridden).

If he hears you snoring and you don't respond, he lets you sleep and wishes you goodnight.

But he'll probably complain about you falling asleep while he was talking about his new invention.

Herder probably wears a mask and gloves while taking care of you, saying it'll be bad if he catches your cold while he's still working on projects.

I wouldn't be surprised if he wears a hazmat suit-

He makes you take your medicine on the dot, no questions asked.

I think he's a competent caretaker. He helps you change out of your clothes, feeds you, and makes you rest.

It's almost alarming how efficient he was in taking your clothes off and changing them, but you decided not to say anything.

When he's done with work, he visits your room to keep you company.

If you're asleep, he'll probably be on the side inventing something he thought of for you as quietly as possible.

He'll probably kick out Sebastian or Bonde if they try to go to your room while you're sleeping, saying they'll wake you up.

However, if he starts getting bored, he'll probably poke your cheeks to wake you up saying it's time to eat or take your medicine.

[dxxtruction]

"Louis acting like a pimp to Armand" And what is a pimp exactly? Quickly. And, oh so sexual trauma survivors can't engage in kink now without it being all about that? Pet names? They can't be submissive anymore? Consensually? Sexually healthy? Be serious. I'd hardly say there's much power difference between them during all this anyway, except that Louis is freer than Armand and it's been putting a strain on their relationship. Louis wants more from Armand, and less of this 'being his past' for them both, and so helping Armand with this could fix that. It's healthy to want to help your partners get out of a rough patch?

I mean, the whole exchange was very clearly set up as a "I want to help you" after such a great moment of vulnerability Louis feels just how much Armand is desperate for it. Louis called Armand so they could work out a plan together.

And the bit with the umbrella was Louis' way of asking 'are you willing to listen to me?' and Armand said yes by unfolding it. Louis goes on and explains, Armand is allowed to argue against it, but Louis makes his point. And then he gives Armand a way to make his own choice in it too. Armand's already decided 'I want you, more than anything else in the world', but Louis still asks after if he's sure of his choice, and with a name, Arun, that is the one of his fullest agency, running the point home. Honoring the situation Armand calls Louis Maitre - as a way of being like 'I'll do as you've said then'. To make this work he's going to have to give Louis some of the control, yes. But it's the first time such a role is ever established, and it was his choice to do it. So so what if they do it in a very suggestive way? They can't like doing that? I think it's them having fun.

I struggle to find how Louis is being overly domineering here when really he's giving and offering Armand the most agency he's ever had. Same with finding it manipulative. The manipulation was more earlier in the episode I think, when he was stringing him along, giving mixed signals. He's no longer toying with him like that. Louis might be pushing Armand, leading him on to make a decision, but he doesn't mean bad by it.

But back to this pimp thing. I find it frankly offensive that this is where people are going with this. I get it, but to run with it being the case is, on many levels, wrong.

Louis told us episode 1 this was the only sustainable line of work to support his family and keep their standing, at the time. It was never his choice to be doing this either but his blackness allowed no other options. He did what he did so his family could stay in that house and maintain all their same comforts. It gave him privileges most black men didn't have at the time that he wanted to maintain and even have more of. Anyway, it doesn't and had never defined him the way 'being good at running things' had. And in that case he just likes having that kind of control where he can get it, which makes sense.

The world is what placed that kind of role onto him of what he was allowed to be able to run, not himself. And on that he actually treated the sex workers he employed well and respected them enough to give them more opportunity.** He recognizes they don't have much in the way of options either.

Louis employed sex workers, yes, but he didn't subject them to abuse, (like how Armand was)*. He didn't oversee things in a way that would go against their consent (see; episode 1 again)**. Sometimes a job is just a job. And Sex work is work.

Armand's particular past with sexual abuses may strike a particular cord with Louis, given all that, but the very last thing either is thinking is that Louis' pimping Armand out here. This is merely their decision as companions, and had nothing to do with adding another line in a laundry list of selling Armands body out to people at the command of someone else. Armand rescinds some of his control to Louis' wishes, because he wants him, and he trusts him, that's all.

If you aren't allowing Armand that choice, and are doubtful it's fully his, you're putting him right back in the box of being defined by his abuses. Putting him back into that space where he isn't given any agency over what he does. (Which is exactly opposite of what the intent of this scene is for)*.

*: (edit) added for clarity.

**: (strike through) numerous people are saying I'm misremembering these points so disregard it. (Thought he was siding with Bricks, it was the other way around). (Technically one aspect of those opportunities were for getting around the law). I don't have a perfect memory, it happens. Let's not get mad about it. Doesn't change much of the point which is that Louis, now, Louis then, was always considering more about the running things and for stated purposes. So I guess I'd say he may only have respected the SWers enough sometimes for what allowed him to do that, and there are moments he certainly expressed remorse over the fact, but he has a great deal higher respect for Armand that is genuine. It's incomparable. Please read my added notes in the tags, it should address most other concerns.

[sherwees]

cw : obsession, manipulation, implications of domestic abuse and why does yangyang have a helicopter in his backyard?

side note : @ne0pearl and @teasteeper wanted me to drop this so here it is!!

side side note : yangyang beret?!

best friend yangyang that'll try to prove that he's better than your boyfriend by buying you all types of luxuries ranging from dolce&gabbana, louis vuitton and rolex. Something else that adorned your neck besides the 1200 dollar necklaces was the hickies that he would leave just so he could hear you struggle trying to explain that they were just bruises; your best lie was saying that it was an allergic reaction.

he'll spend hours on his free days, just scrolling through clothing catalogs (sometimes with his sidekick, hendery) just to pick out his gifts for you. hendery always found something that was perfect and he was a little too exact about your interests but it wasn't that much of a big deal.

when he would looked up at you with his arms around your waist, doe eyes and all in your new outfit in the dressing room. you giggle then grab at the price tag and let out an honestly dramatic gasp with your hand covering your mouth and all. “oh my gosh! 5,000 for a coat?!” you squealed but he immediately shushed you as he stood up with a smug look, eyebrow raised. “don't worry about it.. let your best friend treat you well~” his voice low, smooth like his hands lowering to your ass, giving it a light squeeze before twirling you around.

your boyfriend, winwin which happens to be one of his closest friends always questions him about his gifts makes the happiness crawl up his neck in tingles. his scrunched eyebrows, the hurt in his voice and the looks he gives him just riles him on. deeper into you, deeper into his craze.

yangyang that loves scaring the truth out of you. he loves being all dry in your texts after you maybe say the wrong thing or he catches you hanging out with your boyfriend. sometimes, he would corner you and bombard you with questions that barely have an answer, just like the first day you both started dating.

“do you really love me?” he randomly blurted one morning, you turn on your heel with a confused look at his more angered look. he only walked closer and your ass uncomfortably pressed against the counter but he didn't stop until he stood only a few inches away from you but repeated the question slower as if you didn't already get it. “yeah, as a friend..” you shrugged nonchalantly before attempt to turn back to your cereal but there was suddenly a resounding bang from the cabinet by your ear and you shrieked. “what the fuck!” you whined, covering your ear with hopes to lull the ringing. yangyang muttered, “naïve little whore” before turning you around with a swift tug at your shoulder,

“so all those times together meant nothing to you”

“but I have a boyfri–”

“if you truly loved sicheng, you would've took a sign and left the dressing room that day.” His words spewed like a firework explosion. You cupped your palm around his mouth with a gasp, shaking your head slowly with a quick “Nuh uh!”, you could tell that he was smiling behind your palm. He then licked it with a chuckle, your hand slamming against the counter in the process which elicited a hard grunt from you.

“You're so pretty when you're mad~” he said whilst circling his hand around your neck to grasp and squeeze your nape before heading in for a kiss.

he scared you though. sometimes, he would shove himself in the crane of your neck to whisper belitting words and lies about your relationship; that'll only make you overthink. his persuasion was so good to the point where he convinced you to make him your ‘first time’ because winwin was inexperienced and “wouldn't understand you like he did.”

sometimes, he would even refuse to apologize or convince you that a situation never happened. that day he snuck into your room in the middle of the night. never happened. when he grasped your neck and nearly suffocated you unconscious. was the past and he “changed”. he wanted your relationship to be perfect.

everytime you and winwin had a simple misunderstanding, he would be the first to run to you about what winwin said supposedly:

“He was like, ‘she's too whiny about everything and I just don't fucking understand her! I just wished she understood me more!’” He mocked winwin's emotional state then bellowed a laugh before continuing to blow on his noir nails. A slick, sick grin raised at the corners of his lips once he noticed that your lips was distorted in held back laughter, his dried hand grabbed your cheek caressing it with his tongue peaked from his plump lips.

“But you know I love you more right?”

but when it came up to you both having a misunderstanding, it was different. when he could roughly cradle your balled up figure on the couch, he attempted to coo at you but his tone was urgent,scratchy and whiny as his hands sporadically quaked, patting to find his phone throughout the many pockets of his baggy pants. the only thing that could make you stay at least what he thought would make you stay was buying you things; his bank account locked one day when he was in a raging fit and nearly spent 3 bands just for you to forgive him.

“Look!” he attempted to shove his phone in your face, the high brightness of his phone making your sensitive orbs strain more caused you to wince and shield your face. He mumbled a fast apology, turning down the brightness and scrolled through the pandora website with unsteady fingers.. “I'll buy you something– please forgive me? I didn't mean to hit you.. I'll never put my hands on you ever again..” he lied vowed with you, his voice shook as the tears caked at his waterline nearly overflowing.

“yangyang, just leave me–” you looked over to him with slight surprise when you saw his expression, he seemed unfamiliar because he was actually crying?

“NO!” he yelled, his voice rasp. His black nails digging into your back and left knee, his cries only become louder; you could tell his esophagus was giving out because he started to hiccup.

yangyang was like a child, a snotty three year old. if you didn't give him what he wanted, he would make a tantrum. when he would try to make it up to you, he would finally give you what you wanted. you stared up at the ceiling and to yangyang's bloodshot red eyes, his lips agape; sore and chapped as he grunted and moaned. his hand pressed against your shoulder, his free hand travels to your wrist and his breath was hot&gruff against the top of your limp hand until he laid a chaste kiss on it. “I'll always make it up to you, alright?” he opens your fingers with his thumb before rubbing your palm against his cheek, the warmth of him causing you to slightly smile. “there's my girl..” His toothy smile made it's appearance finally, his thrusts only quickened through your slick channel.

he threw his head back, his hands finding leverage from the bottom of his your shirt as the tandems of pleasure coursed through his veins rapidly. Your high was approaching, quick and heavy but to your luck, yangyang stilled inside of you already. His uncomfortably warm seed pumped into your hole at a steady rate, he manages to lower himself down to mark your jaw and any open area of tan skin he saw. I mean.. at least he was happy, right?

it's been a month since you and winwin uttered a word to each other. His contact was simply back to “Sicheng 🙂”, nothing further. yangyang insisted on removing the emoji or just blocking him, yangyang was like your parent now. he monitored your phone, always looking over your shoulder and got snappy when he was suspicious on your relationships with people.

through your moments of uncertainty, his friend sidekick hendery was always there for you. yangyang would always glare at your closeness or whenever you two thought you were alone. shame started to lay in yangyang's soul heavily, his mind was clouded with regret.

his members were practically scared of him now, xiaojun accidentally slipped that ten was talking to someone and xiaojun only huffed through his nose as ten walked off with his head low, when kun snapped at yangyang about how winwin started to stress himself out from the several opportunities he had in china; even some he volunteered for just so he could stay away from them.

I guess so.

his thumb mindlessly exited all the shopping websites that he had opened, he looked over to you and hendery in the kitchen; you laughing as he swiped off the whipped cream from your nose. is this how winwin felt? worthless, just sitting there as you just slipped through his fingers like jello until you melted into pieces.

[nightcolorz]

Going to vent to you because this seems like a safe space for Armand sympathizers lol…

LIKE obviously Armand is doing all the wrongs, he didn't have to agree to literally any of this, blah blah etc etc BUT GIRL. if the guy i had been casually dating for two years because he had great benefits one day revealed to me that he was a child sex slave, the thing i would not do is be like 'wow, i guess what you're secretly saying is you want me to turn our relationship into an unnegotiated 24/7 TPE huh'.

And then when he came to me in a panic to tell me his life is falling apart and his employees are plotting to kill him and his protection isn't going to last much longer and i should flee the country for my own safety because he's the most vulnerable he's ever been since the time he was abducted by the crazy torture cult, the thing i absolutely would not do at that moment is surprise him by introducing that dynamic into our relationship completely out of nowhere and then order him to stay right here because I've got a totally cool plan to outmanipulate his enemies and I'll be his master now :)

And then I orchestrate a series of hot public encounters where i blur the lines of being angry and disgusted with him right up against ignoring the boundaries he sets and telling him to do whatever i want wherever i want. and because i never bothered to ask him, i don't know if he's genuinely into it or if it's because i've weaponised his trauma when he's feeling unstable, but like, he's the one who manipulated me into doing this anyway by telling me his sad backstory, so actually i'm the victim here??

AND THEN when I tell him my awesome idea of turning a nazi collaborator into a human eating monster machine and I want him to do it even though he is clearly revulsed by this idea from every angle, I'll berate him endlessly for refusing and be annoyed with him because by saying no he's making me turn her and that's not cool bro, and when he begs me not to do it, or at least not to tell him because it's breaking the rules and he's vulnerable to the machinations of the coven rn, I'll shut him up with my dom routine, and then tell him to come watch because he'll realize he does actually want it after he does it.

and when he asks me whether this is a genuine invitation in this moment or if I'm ordering him to do it and will be upset if he doesn't, I'll be so hurt and angry with him because wow, I can't believe after months of using my nonconsensual game of acting like his childhood master to get him to do things for me, he's acting like I'd use my nonconsensual game of pretending to be his childhood master against him, fuck you for trying to manipulate me right now you worthless piece of shit </3.

like even daniel, the most neutral and ethical judge of whether it's okay to make someone a vampire, can tell the only reason he'd set his one boundary at murdering and cursing another human being for eternity is because it's not hot or convenient, and not because of 500 years of witnessing the most insane vampire maker shenanigans known to Europe.

and then the entire audience claps because honestly i'm just trying so hard and my boyfriend just keeps fucking it all up for me and taking away my choices. literally what else could i have done in this situation :(

AHHHH ANON U ATE THIS UP ‼️🙏 and Yes this is absolutely THE safe place for Armand sympathizers!! I am the Armand sympathizer king and u have just brought me an Armand sympathizer gift lined with gold and jewels and placed it in front of my thrown and I’m knighting u Armand sympathizer general as I bow before u

ur so right and it’s actually so crazy to me that this isn’t a more popular take. it’s insane to me bcus im remembering how seriously this fandom was taking Claudia’s s1 sexual assault and how sensitively it was being discussed and now these same ppl r insisting that it’s unfair to “demonize” Louis for preforming non consensual bdsm with a csa victim without any safe word or prior discussion specifically because he told him about his csa and Louis found a chance to leverage control in this relationship. I saw someone insisting that it’s ridiculous to interpret Louis as sexually exploitative for being a pimp because he was a nice pimp and he was self aware about how pimping was bad and like ??? 😭😭 how do I even argue with that, that is just so absurd I’m lost for words. No guys he was one of the good pimps because he “didnt take advantage of his position” (😭⁉️) and he knew that it was wrong to sexually exploit vulnerable women and just chose to do it anyway so see it wasn’t that bad. And because Louis knows sexual abuse is wrong and chooses to do it anyway despite this he clearly isn’t mirroring the sexual abuse Armand experienced in his non consensual power play dynamic with him because uh yeah he wouldn’t do that ig 😭. It’s not like Louis canonically is capable of using sexual exploitation to manipulate people’s vulnerabilities for his stability and gain. Like guys book Louis also felt guilty for being a slave owner and knew it was wrong 😭😭 am I gonna hear “it’s unfair to say Louis being a slave owner was indicative of his negative traits cuz he felt bad about it” come out of ur mouths 😭⁉️cuz oh my god I hope not 😭 “Louis was only a pimp because pimping was his way of keeping his family afloat and asserting the masculine identity he felt obligated to preform for his safety” and he is doing the same thing with Armand guys obviously??!! He is taking advantage of armand’s history of sexual abuse to keep himself safe from vulnerability with the coven and to assert his masculine identity as a shield like 😭 and that doesn’t stop what he’s doing from being wrong like no fucking shit. He’s a complex character and his actions come from a place of fear and not straight forward evil, but that doesn’t mean u have to defend literal sexual abuse to analyze that and to enjoy Louis as ur favorite character 😭 I keep saying this but louis is a great character and there’s nothing wrong with him being ur fav but it is pretty mf weird to insist that everything he does is ok when things that he do include like, non consent 😭

I feel ur annoyances so hard anon, it’s driving me a lil crazy rn cuz in s2 ep6’s wake i have barely seen anyone discuss the Louis fucking Armand in the coffin scene like it was pretty shitty and abusive and not like, non complexly hot and fun and nothing else. Like, Armand has been panicking for a while and insisting to Louis that he is loosing respect from the coven and therefore his control and he’s in danger because of it, and Louis decides to stroll into Armand’s office unannounced, demand he strip for him immediately, demand again without any room for argument when Armand says he can’t, and then fuck Armand in view and ear shot of the whole coven in a degrading power assertion that Louis knows will put Armand in even more of a vulnerable and compromising position, like ?? I get it read the pages to me while I fuck u was pretty hot but omg can we talk about this with some nuance 😭⁉️ this is possibly the most overt instance of Louis not asking, *demanding* that Armand sexually submit and preform for him specifically as a grab to assert dominance over the coven. And Armand of course won’t say no, he’s been quite literally trained to believe that he has services that people r entitled to take from him at any time because he’s a product to be used. He also believes that saying no is not an option because submitting to the master will keep him safe, and Louis I think knows this to an extent and knows that taking advantage of this will help him stay afloat. I believe that this scene was a significant contributor to Armand deciding to betray Louis, because Louis’s actions *do* put him in danger with the coven and cause him to loose his position of power (Santiago mocking him for getting fucked by Louis cough cough). And Armand at this point is realizing, I can choose to be in a relationship with Louis that is causing my sense of stability and safety to fall apart, or I can choose to regain my position of power by forgoing Louis and getting to retain my safety. When u think about it like that it makes perfect sense for him to do that 😭 and I’m tired of seeing takes treating Armand like he’s a sneaky little snake and not a cornered animal

on the subject of Daniel because u mentioned him at the end there, oh my god it has pissed me off since the beginning how a lot of people act like Daniel is the embodiment of the neutral, unbiased correct word of god figure who is just telling the audience how it really is. Like?? No??? 😭😭 Daniel is a shitty journalist and a shitty person, he’s borderline racist and ignorant, he is not looking to expand his perspective or approach his subjects with any empathy or nuance because he decided going in that he hates them and they r bad, which is like?? Defeats the entire purpose of the affective journalism that he is trying to preform 😭😭 He is NOT the guy u should be getting ur takes from, he is a character like any other, he is not a source for correct analysis or meta or unfiltered truth.

But anyways lol, not to be personal and vulnerable in the gay vampire sex tv show post but it’s rlly disheartening for me to witness this blatant excusing and downplaying of a sexually abusive dynamic as someone who has experienced a very similar type of “but was it technicallyyy non consensual though..?” Sexual abuse. Like guys pls 😭🙏 I thought that “bdsm dynamic that merges with actual, genuine grabs for control and blurs the line between fun sex and real demands or anger” was like considered unambiguously bad? 😭 There asses do NOT have a safe word. In conclusion anon u r everything to me and everyone else um USE UR BRAIN🔥🔥🔥🔥

thank u sm for the ask OMGG ur so well spoken and correct and I enjoyed reading ur ask so so much

[panelshowsource]

i’d love to know, what are some panel show moments you think about a lot?

omg like just off the top of my head?

just the whole episode of cats after jimmy's tax avoidance scandal

"good evening your majesty you tax-dodging bitch"

david mumbling "chancellor of the exchequer" in small font

when the horne section was doing macarena on catsdown and the rose was so limp WHY WAS IT SO LIMP

the greatest breath smeller game

"this makes me so angry because they wouldn't show the clip of me attacking my mother with a taser! i thought it was really funny!"

josh groban being an absolute wizard at singing intros followed by martin freeman being an absolute wizard at guessing them to the point production asked him to slow down giving the answer because he was too good

when stacey solomon said she likes teresa may and jimmy carr, gino d'acampo, and carol vorderman were absolutely speechless

alex’s reaction after joe says he has pineapple in his ass

when jimmy used the 30 seconds to wax his leg??

the way the queen’s pussy being haunted was like genuine headline news

mark sending greg 148 texts and getting 0 points ("what a terrible waste of time")

when that nude model came on for jimmy to (pretend) to live draw and lee mack was so gobsmacked at that man's penis he violently elbowed david o'doherty going "look at that!"

"you wouldn't do that during shakespeare, would you?"

on outsiders when joe wilkinson couldn't believe david mitchell is only 47 and literally said "do you live outside"

phil wang roasting ed gamble and saying "ed's girlfriend is such a dog i tried to eat her"

"you cannot imply that only gay people eat vegetables"

♪ but bin men get sad ♪

when those podcasters were reading joe wilkinson his own tweets and he was sweating so much and then just covered his eyes and went "what's wrong with me..."

"stephen fry wouldn't read 'pussy-friendly finger'"

when johnny vegas was literally eating a tin of fucking dog food and kathy burke was like "what's happening??" and jimmy so nonchalantly went "we're just eating dog food :)"

when noel ate some of alex's beard and greg said "you are aware that when we're at home alex is only allowed to move around like a snake?"

every joe & rachel hug ever here's a cute one :')

claudia completely bodying this lie and everyone's animals being so cute and funny and rob and lee complaining just the whole thing

on rhlstp when richard was Being Richard for the last hour and louis theroux was Over It and richard went "have you ever tried to suck your own cock?" and louis just died and then muttered "...do we have to..."

"i don't really eat potatoes it feels a bit irish :/"

johnny vegas pulling something out of rhod gilbert's pants, sniffing it, and then scandalising the entire room by saying "i've been told i smell better from behind than i do from the front, lovers have told me"

gosh my rotted brain is always rattling around panel show moments ..i wish to be cured

[emeryhiro]

My Thoughts on TBOC SDCC Panel & Interviews

First off, I felt like a kid again watching Melissa and Norman on an SDCC panel for the first time and was overwhelmed by so many positive emotions ♡

Regarding what was covered during the panel and what I'll be sharing my thoughts on, in this post, I'm going to try to keep it brief and only talk about things that are new to me compared to what I heard during the Tribeca panel and in my thoughts post on it [here].

~~~~~~

Zabel on his responsibility with the show:

Firstly, Zabel is actually pretty funny, and every time he speaks about the show I find myself trusting him more and more and feeling more confident that he knows what he's doing. I especially loved how he said, and I quote:

"There is a responsibility to live up to the standards of The Walking Dead, the standards that Norman and Melissa had as actors creating these characters. So that's the part where you wanna make sure that you don't let anybody down, you don't let the fans down, you don't let the actors down, you don't let the history of the show down. You have to at least try to maintain the same standard and hopefully maybe even push it forward."

Melissa, on her return to the show:

It was wonderful hearing her speak about how much she missed Carol and how excited she is about, and I quote:

"getting to go forward in France, where [Norman] set the roots, thank you very much. I had some things I had to do"

and how France will be a catalyst for all sorts of changes for Daryl and Carol.

I love how much she said she enjoyed the role of an EP, and I have no doubt she's brilliant in it. My main thought here is that I really hope that, like Lauren and Danai, she also has the chance to direct an episode in season 3, because whatever she touches will end up being Gold.

Norman on Daryl and Carol's bond:

I loved how he described their bond as cosmic and beyond tangible. Carol can sense that there's something wrong with Daryl even from across an ocean and vice versa, which is so true to their characters. They don't need to say a single word for the other to understand everything they're thinking and feeling.

Also, when he said:

"He's starting to lose that feeling cause he's been there so long,"

Melissa's face and reaction had me laughing out loud. What do you mean, Norman? Can you please elaborate on that for us?

If I had to guess what he means, I'd say it links to Daryl's self-esteem and his idea of self-worth. As I've mentioned before, it's obvious to me that the longer Daryl has been away from Carol, the more he's regressing into his old self and habits, and I think this feeds into that. I think he doesn't believe he's worth being loved, searching for, or crossing the Atlantic for. And that sense of security and confidence that he'd built with his family in America is slowly climbing away.

In comparison, Carol has always been one of, if not the strongest, characters on the show. Yes, she is struggling without Daryl, but the moment she's told his life is in danger, she has this overpowering sense of motivation and strength that she'll do anything to save him.

Norman on his favourite scene (The Reunion):

The words he used to describe the reunion scene and how he felt about it really had me in a puddle... especially the comparison he makes at the end, and I quote:

"When we meet, when that finally happens, there's a build to that that happens, and we worked really hard to make that scene what it was, and that kind of was fireworks going off inside me"

This is the sweetest description of the scene, and I don't know if my heart can handle it.

Additional moments I loved:

I love how both Melissa and Norman keep checking on Louis to make sure he's okay.

Norman calling Melissa his partner in crime, describing how excited he was for her to come back, watching her work, and Melissa's reactions to his words 😭❤️‍🩹

Overall, I just love how they appreciate, support, and genuinely love each other so much ♡♡♡

~~~~

Thank you for taking the time to read this. We're so close to having them back on our screens, and I'm so overwhelmed by the excitement for the new season!!

I'd love to read all of your thoughts on the trailer and panel, whether in response to this post or a post of your own; I can't wait to read it ♡♡♡

[pretty-weird-ideas]

This was literally the most harrowing piece of television I have watched in YEARS because it's just a lynching with no strings attached. And then I watched how white fans twisted themselves into knots to make the clear lynching seem like the evidence presented is actually punishable and entirely factual with no agenda attached.

The agenda is "How can we quickly lynch Claudia and Louis and make it a spectacle?", that's it, the information presented is all there to push the coven's agenda. If propaganda helicoptered itself on your face, you people still wouldn't get it.

"What they said about Louis is actually correct. He's unreliable as a narrator and we're finally getting his comeuppance." What about a lynch mob seems like a reliable source of information?

Quickly now! What about a clear metaphor for a lynching gives you the vibe of "unbiased information told to the audience that we should take to heart"? I'm genuinely scared of some of y'all because I'm getting the vibes that if someone told you a dude "whistled at a white woman" you would just go with it. Any bad-faith gum flapping about a black person would just be believed on the spot by some of you. The benefit of the doubt for Black people is nonexistent around here.

Question: Do you not take Fox News, Infowars, and alt-right media's depiction of POC seriously because you PERSONALLY can tell that it's racist and that the information is wrong? Or did society have to TELL you that it's racist and you know there's a social consequence to believing it? Do you hear racist language about real Black figures and you can tell that the source isn't trustworthy, or does someone have to come down from their ivory tower and regurgitate basic sense to you?

I'm starting to realize that this fandom doesn't understand racist agitprop... at all. They're only against racism when someone tells them it's racist and there are consequences to believing racist propaganda. Someone has to hold their hand and tell them that calling someone an "uppity violent Jezebel that should put out more" is racist. Someone has to tell them that racists who have an incentive to lie about Black people aren't reliable sources on Black people. And that is a level of incompetence that I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. Someone could literally list 30 antiblack stereotypes and someone would be like "What is wrong with calling a black person all of these at once?". People's cultural awareness is fucked.

And there's a learned incompetence as well here, a cycle. People refuse to understand that Black people are intentionally held under a harsher light and read in bad faith ways that consciously mimic stereotypes. "I only believe something is racist when others tell me that it's racist" and "I don't seek out people discussing racism so nobody is here to tell me what is racist" is a deadly fucking combo with this show.

Read literature, read about slavery, read about lynchings, read about Black Queer liberation, read about domestic violence, read about race and Monster theory. Like read SOMETHING. MY GOD.

The show is intentionally riffing off of historical and cultural subject matter, and white fans are purposefully not learning about it so that their lives aren't upended by the reality of current and past race relations and how it affects their own lives and fiction. You guys are lobotomizing yourselves so the show's basic principles aren't visible. Just because you do not understand racism or domestic violence doesn't mean that the show isn't talking about them and it's not just going over your head. Things going over the white audience's head does not mean it is not present.

Anyways... I keep saying that the people should collectively get my laptop taken away and it still hasn't happened so this post was penned. Take away my laptop or my posts will continue.

[allwaswell16]

This is part 2 of a fic rec of my favorite Louis/Liam fics as requested in this ask. You can find part 1 here. If you enjoy the fics, please leave kudos and comments for the writers! You can find my other fic recs here. Happy reading!

💗 Bloom by LadyAJ_13 / @ladyaj-13

(T, 28k, crime mystery) In early 1970s Oxford, Detective Sergeant Louis Tomlinson has to deal with the dual pressures of a case that hits too close to home, and the arrival of new colleague Liam Payne. 

💗 Heart Skips A Beat by harriet_vane

(T, 27k, uni) Harry always kisses everyone, until he starts something he can't finish. (A university AU in which no one goes to class. I am noticing a trend.)

💗 Eight Days by LadyAJ_13 / @ladyaj-13

(T, 22k, friends to lovers) Louis and Liam got hitched in Vegas, completely forgot about it for more than a decade, and it comes back to bite them. Sort of.

💗 the pawn to your king by blackwayfarers

(T, 18k, canon) "It's not a date," Liam says again, giving Louis a laughing shrug, kind of baffled. Their usual ladding about has never even been remotely date-like; dates don't often end with fines being paid to department stores by their management, or cellphone videos of them shooting nerf guns at paparazzi.

💗 One Step, Not Much by orphan_account

(G, 17k, friends to lovers) The lights out, the room dark, Liam still looked at Louis fast asleep where he laid, illuminated only slightly by moonlight casting in through the window, and he still knew he was in love. But they were friends, nothing more and nothing less.

💗 Smile Again by @mistresscurvy

(E, 16k, fireman Liam) Recently dumped Louis sets his kitchen on fire on Christmas Eve. Fireman Liam makes the mistake of inviting him home for Christmas. Chaos and feelings ensue.

💗 Like it was at the start by wordsnnotes / @quelsentiment

(T, 14k, friends) A platonic soulmates AU set in Lake Louise, Canada.

💗 It’s a Craving Not a Crush by LetTheMusicMoveYou / @letthemusicmoveyou28

(E, 9k, fake relationship) the one where Liam and Louis are best bros who end up getting married so that Liam has the insurance he needs to go to rehab. Now that he’s sober, they can get divorced. But do they want to?

💗 Bedroom Floor by @star55

(T, 7k, girl direction) Liam and Louis have been doing this dance ever since they broke up. The thing is, it’s slowly killing Liam and Louis doesn’t realise it.

💗 Blow Me Away by LadyAJ_13 / @ladyaj-13

(E, 6k, established relationship) Louis likes giving blow jobs. Which is why it's a bit frustrating that every time he does, Liam hauls him back up again.

💗 Come a Little Closer (On My Face If You'd Like): A Romance by sunsetmog / @magicalrocketships

(E, 5k, canon) Liam finds Louis' porn.

💗 Puppy Love by @neondiamond

(G, 5k, strangers to lovers) Louis is a dog trainer and Liam just got a puppy for the first time. Dogs are sometimes smarter than one might think.

💗 i'm never gonna fall (but i'm never hard to catch) by carissima

(M, 5k, fwb) TFLN: we were supposed to fuck one time, but ended up fucking for 2 years

💗 circling the truth by we_are_the_same / @so-why-let-your-voice-be-tamed

(T, 3k, soulmates) Liam Payne has met his soulmate. He knows he has, because he woke up with his power this morning.

💗 Couldn't miss this one this year by yourlionheartx / @djtommotomlinson

(G, 3k, meet cute) All year Louis has been chasing this gorgeous guy he met at a ski shop. It’s Christmas and he’s decided it’s just time to let it go. He's spending Christmas on his own this year.

💗 Ready Or Not by cherrylarry / @beelou

(G, 3k, canon) five times 1D play hide and seek over the years

💗 Not the Jealous Type by loudicrous / @overfireandwater

(T, 2k, canon) Harry and the others were wrong - Liam did not fancy Louis, and he did not want to kiss Louis, and he absolutely would not be jealous if anyone else were to kiss Louis... Unless...??

💗 Should Have Known by @allwaswell16

(NR, 2k, friends to lovers) Liam returns from his internship abroad ready to tell his best friend that he wants to be more than friends. But when Louis starts avoiding him, he's no longer sure the timing is right.

💗 Going Somewhere (Baby, Like You And I) by @reminiscingintherain

(G, 1k, Olympics) Louis Tomlinson, Team GB's brightest hope on the 10m platform, faces struggle after struggle in both his professional and personal life. But when Tokyo 2020 finally comes around, will the stars finally align?

💗 you've got a hold on my heart by hydrangeathursdays / @zou-i-am

(T, 1k, friends to lovers) Louis thought his feelings for Liam were unrequited, but are they? Library books can tell you a lot about a person.

[blacclotusss]

Don't Be Afraid, Just Start the Tape

Starting off strong, I want to discuss the argument between Louis and Armand. This, in my opinion, is where everything fell apart. It's just them going back and forth hitting each other in the jugular and it made me want to rip my hair out just hearing it. I, personally, have always hated when things like that get thrown up in arguments so that's my own personal bias. Just hearing Louis throw back the CSA in Armand's face and Armand throwing Paul's suicide, Grace leaving him, and his history with Lestat back up brought me to tears almost. It really sucks that these two felt that they had to resort to these things, but that's the tragedy of it all.

But, for some reason, I think Armand was more hurt that Louis called him dull and boring. My belief is that it hit harder because being boring and dull to Louis means he goes out to look for more exciting things and people, leaving Armand home all night. He doesn't want to lose Louis and the first ounce of real love that he's experienced, so he was taken aback by that. Louis walking out into the sun wasn't much of a surprise to me, but I think him doing it at that moment was. I would have expected a suicide attempt back in Paris, or even in Dubai, but not in San Francisco. I do understand now that the story has unfolded. 

I think Louis has just had enough of it all, talking about it with Daniel who kind of brushed it off in his intoxicated state and his argument with Armand only fuels that. He wants to be with Claudia, she's the one that he says is calling him, and if dying is how he's going to get to meet her again, then so be it. Now, the whole situation with Armand leaving Louis on that bed to suffer while he begs for relief definitely rubbed me the wrong way. Louis no longer has Claudia to nurse him back to health, as she did when he was dropped, so he has no choice but to rely on Armand and that sucks. Armand is in here torturing Daniel while he leaves Louis to holler and yell for him, that's so messed up. Even going as far as to contact Lestat and relay messages from him to Louis, and omitting some things. The psychological abuse at play here is crazy to think about.

I also want to talk about the power balance that has been discussed as well. Yes, Louis is able to express himself a bit more and in a different way in his relationship with Armand. They have an understanding of each other and what the other needs and their roles and positions switch based on what one needs at that moment. The whole Arun/Maitre thing is really working in Armand's favor more, in my personal opinion. He knows just how to push enough to get Louis to fall in line with that. You can see that towards the end when Armand calls Louis maitre after all he said. He's all of a sudden asking Louis to lead after everything that has happened, after Louis had to beg, and Louis will happily oblige in order to keep the peace between them. I wonder in what other instances has this happened before. We see Louis trying to keep Armand from falling off of the deep end while he, himself, is the one sitting in the coffin burned and charred begging for blood. So curious as to how this will all unfold in the coming episodes, I know Dubai will be a madhouse just as much as Paris. 

Aside from the analysis of relationships and arguments, this episode was amazing. The styling choices in both the filming and wardrobe were superb. I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that this was Jacob and Assad's first episode they shot. It had to be funny to go from this to all the sweet lovey dovey stuff in the earlier episodes. I want to hear them talk about this more. Also, the SFX makeup was amazing! Much love to everyone involved with that! And it was nice to finally see Luke! He played that part so well. This and episode two are my absolute favorites so far. I wonder what's to come next in Dubai... 

[littlefankingdom]

~ Green Arrow: Seeing Red

Really, another moment from Jason showing that his education stopped when he was 15.

The idea that Bruce and Oliver respecting life and refusing to kill is a result of their "pampered upbringing" is ridiculous. It's, firstly, pretty classicist, because portraying the elite has innocent and morally superior while the lower classes are violent and prone to murder, is classicism, even if the person saying that is from the second one.

Secondly, it's plain wrong. The elite, with it's "pampered upbringing", they don't give a fuck about hurting others and taking lives for their own gain. For THEIR greater good, they will do awful things. Open a history book, Jason, because killing less fortunate people by labelling them rapists or murderers is an extremely commun tactic used by the elite. The black folks in the USA, the Palestinians since WWII, the Parisians workers in June 1848... It was just used by the French gov to send the GIGN after a romani family, and if there is one thing European gov work hard for, it's painting Romani as violent and dangerous to justify using excessive violence. YOUR BROTHER IS ROMANI, JASON! Bruce and Oliver refusing to kill, seeing values in the most disgusting people, is them going AGAINST their upbringing. And if they did kill, as they both are very privileged white man in the US, it would be a huge abuse of power. They would be just like the others, members of the elite that kills for their own gain.

I need all of you to understand that Jason isn't speaking about fighting oppression, because that's what a lot of the fandom think he does, but he doesn't. He isn't speaking about the French killing Louis XVI, or black slaves murdering their white owner. He isn't talking about killing someone like Vladimir Putin or Bernard Arnault (one of the richest men on Earth, a French fascist that is destroying multiple countries with the power of his money). He isn't speaking about killing someone that has so much power and influence, they are untouchable, and the only solution we have rn seems to be their death. I would be fine with that, I would bring the champagne afterward. No. Jason is speaking about killing criminals that can be arrested and brought to justice. He is talking about everyday people that are also bad people. And that, that's not acceptable. Because just like I explained in the paragraph before, it's an abuse of power that has been used since forever. He acts like a cop.

"But, he is just talking about doing bad things to survive!" No, he is using that, a commun experience he and Mia went through, to open the discussion on killing people. And, sure, let's talk about doing bad thing to do good. Neither Bruce or Oliver are against that. They are both vigilante, WHICH IS ILLEGAL. I have not read much Green Arrow comics, but I know there is this important run with Hal Jordan where Oliver taught him how to fight for a better society, you have to be nasty sometimes. He is supposed to be an anarchist, and anarchists know you have to do bad thing for the greater good. They did terrorist attacks targetting presidents, for fuck's sake! (In France, one of our president was assassinated by an anarchist) And Bruce, well, he saw how corrupt his city was, especially the politicians and the cops, and he chose violence, which isn't legally good, and even immoral some would say. He took politicians out of their bed and tangled them from the highest building they own by their socks. And he had a plan to unite the crime family under his false identity Matches Malone, so to take over Gotham's underwold, which would have made THE crimelord of Gotham, just to protect the city and control crime.

In the end, what is happening here is that Jason is annoyed that his dad isn't okay with him killing people, so he decides to try to recruit another teenager by beating her up. Like, if every teenager kill with him, it makes it okay. And really, Jason, grow the fuck up. It's normal for a parent to not want their kid to be a murderer. No good parent would want their kid to kill people.

[nalyra-dreaming]

Something I never fully understood is if Daniel is bi in the show? I know in the books he apparently had something with Armand before he erased is memories and manipulated him but in the show this didn’t happen like that. I know a lot of people ship them and speculate if they might get together next season, is this off the books too? Cause maybe I just missed something in the show but I never really got the feeling they were into each other. I even thought Daniel dislikes Armand. Like don’t get me wrong I would be fully here for that couple and I have nothing against the ship and I love to read funny posts/jokes about them but I don’t really know where this comes from in the show.

Which leads me to another question. I often read about people saying Louis/Lestat/Armand etc. weren’t actually gay in the books and it was just subtext but at the same time i see others saying they all were bisexual and in relationships with other men and loved each other (I know the vampires in the books don’t feel sexual attraction like humans anymore).

Okay, so the vampires in the books did not have sex, their height of pleasure is the kill. Anne Rice nonetheless confirmed Lestat as bi, and also that "all her vampires transcend gender" (iirc).

The show added sex back into it, because it was subtext, yes - but very much understood subtext. Also, it definitely is not subtext in all books.... and, even if not full on sex most of the time, there is a lot of kissing, and it has never been "subtext" for me, tbh. I always read it just fine as them loving each other.

As per "Devil's Minion".

Armand does not erase Daniel's memories in the books, that is a show thing. Yes they very much have "something" going, something Daniel has forgotten, and something that will develop still.

Daniel is Armand's only fledgling - and Armand book canonically broke his own rule because he loved Daniel so much he could not let him die.

So yes, there is something between them :) - we will still get to see it on the show, where they obviously have spun it a bit differently.

"The Devil's Minion" is part of the title of the chapter in "Queen of the Damned" which details their relationship, btw :) Just as an info.

EDIT: Also, forgot - yes Daniel very much sleeps with men and women int he book, and I don't think that will be much different on the show.