#lou is very popular this week

[moonfromearth]

Lou was passing through town, looking very serious as she and Neighsayer galloped through the streets, when she unknowingly caught the attention of someone who found her riding to be quite impressive.

[transcript under cut]

??: Woah. Not a bad rider.

Not bad at all...

[azaharinflames]

"but he still caters to them. And with the way he wrote the show, it truly felt like he was rewarding their toxic behavior"

I think that's the main point and problem. Tim did interviews saying he doesn't want to write for a subset of fans only, but he has been doing that all along, and still does. If he would realize that this subset of fans may be loud, but not the majority, he maybe would look at the show from a different angle and come up with better storylines.

I wish you all the best for 2025! Really love your blog.

Hi, Nonnie! First of all, thank you so so much! I wish you all the best for 2025, and for all that you wish for to become true!

Yeah, that's exactly it, isn't it? He can talk the talk, but doesn't walk the walk (was the idiom like that? Idk). He insists he doesn't want to write for a subset of fans only, but his actions also say otherwise. Yes, this season has an evident decline of Buddie scenes outside of work, but they still did things for them. The couch scene after the break-up scene and Eddie answering the door in his underwear? You won't be able to convince me that was not fan service, sorry.

You bring up a really good point, too. If he were to realise the subset isn't as big (just very loud and very annoying), maybe he would see the show differently, ad perhaps he could do better by it. Like, c'mon. We were given little and look how much has been done! Hell, 805 alone made the ship trend for almost a week - even the tiny scene we got in 801 made it trend for days.

And let me tell you, that is not something they'll be able to recreate with a new LI. We've been saying it, but we've been saying it for a reason. Tommy/Lou just is that bitch. And if Tim Minear were to realise this and be smart about it... oh, one can dream.

My inbox is open for ranting, venting, giving your opinion (unpopular or popular, I'm happy to receive and discuss both), and even confessions!

Take care <3

[daisyblog]

Surprise

Too Young Masterlist Summary: Louis, YN and Arthur surprise Lottie on her birthday.

Based on this request.

“Shall we surprise Auntie Lottie for her birthday?”. Louis asked Arthur as they took a walk across the beachfront, leaving YN back at the hotel room as the heat was a bit too much for the pregnant lady.

“What? Like go home early or something?”. Arthur asked, excitement in his voice at seeing his Tomlinson family.

Louis nodded as they both continued to walk across the sand. “Yeah…she doesn’t think we can made her birthday meal so I thought it would he nice to surprise her”.

“Yes!”. He ran across the sand his arms waving in the air as his feet melted into the grains. Quickly wanting to know more, Arthur ran back over to his dad. “Who’s gonna be there?”.

“Well everyone lad!”. Louis let out a laugh realising if he named everyone then he would be there a while. But the curious Arthur decided to make it his mission to list each person.

“Nan and Grandad?”.

“Yeah…Nan and Grandad”. Louis agreed.

“Lewis and Lucky?”.

“Yeah!”.

“What about Auntie Dai Auntie Phee?”. Arthur continued his list as he kicked the sand with his feet.

“Yeah…everyone Arth”. Louis laughed but was starting to lose patience.

“Olive too?”.

“I’m sure she’ll be there lad…shall we go and see if your mum is up for the surprise trip to Doncaster?”.

---

As much as YN loved being in Spain and supporting Louis at his festivals, at the mention of going back to a cooler England sounded like a dream for her 34 week pregnant body.

Being a popular singer-songwriter had its perks and one of them being that Louis was able to organise their trip back to England very quickly despite it being last minute.

As the little family waited in the airport to board their plane, YN was aware that they had been spotted by some fans who were getting excited at the sight of Louis.

“Lou?”. YN tried to call for his attention, as he checked the board for any delays.

“Yeah babe?”. Louis placed his arm around her shoulder, and left a peck to her head.

YN noticed that they were being videoed or taken photos of. “Some fans have spotted you and I’m worried they may spoil the surprise if they post anything”.

Before Louis could do or say anything, the groups of fans came to say hello.

“Hi Louis!”.

“Hey YN…how’s Harry?”.

“Arthur!”.

“Oi alright…what’s happening girls?”. Louis always tried to have positive interactions with his fans.

“We wanted to say hello and maybe have a photo if that’s alright please”. One of the fans asked.

“Yeah sure…but can I ask a big favour?”. The group all nodded, waiting eagerly to know what Louis was going to ask them. “We’re trying to surprise Lottie for her birthday…so can you not post anything until later or maybe tonight”.

The group shared their smiles at Louis wanting to surprise his sister on her birthday. “Oh that’s so nice…yes of course we won’t post anything…tell Lottie we said happy birthday”.

Louis stood in the middle of the group so YN snap the photo, smiling brightly back at his future wife.

“Wait!”. Arthur shouted, leaving YN’s side he ran over to his dad and joined the group in their photo. “Big smiles everyone!”.

---

After almost six hours of travelling from Spain to London, and then London to Doncaster, a very excited Arthur, a giggly Louis and an exhausted YN arrived at the restaurant where the Tomlinsons were celebrating Lottie’s 26th birthday.

With help from the restaurant staff, they were able to time their surprise right. The restaurant manager snuck the three through the back so they could enter through the kitchen.

Louis helped Arthur to carry the lit birthday cake, trying to be careful not to drop it. As they approached the full and large table, they began to sing. “Happy birthday to you…happy birthday to you…”.

Noticing who was walking towards her carrying her birthday cake, Lottie covered her face as she hid her tears. Phoebe and Daisy were equally shocked and surprised and happy to see their brother and nephew.

“Happy birthday dear Lottie…happy birthday to you!”.

“Happy birthday Auntie Lottie!”. Arthur was the first one to reach her and she gladly took him into his arms, squeezing him tight.

“Oh I’ve missed you my precious boy!”. Lottie hugged him close, still in shocked that they had managed to surprise her.

Letting Arthur go and see other family members, Lottie wrapped her arms around YN, both laughing when their baby bumps got in the way making it harder than usual. “Happy birthday babe…we’ve got some cards and presents in the car for you…we’ll give them to you back and Nan and Grandads”.

Lottie teared up a little more, the pregnancy hormones in full swing as she was surrounded by her nearest and dearest. “Thank you for surprising me…you’re the best…you must be exhausted after all the travelling?”.

“I am and my feet are like balloons…but anything for you Lotts!”. YN joked, earning a giggle from the younger Tomlinson.

“Oioi…c’mere birthday girl!”. Louis interrupted, pulling Lottie in for a brotherly cuddle. “I hope you liked the surprise…we couldn’t not come home for your birthday!”.

“Honestly…it’s been the best birthday and you’ve just made it the best day!”. Lottie held onto her brother a little bit longer, afraid that it was a dream.

“Ouie…Ouie!”. A sweet little voice caused the three to look, toddling towards them was two tiny feet with a head full of blonde locks.

“Lucky ma boy!”.

Taglist :@jillsvalentinex @itsmytimetoodream @peterholland04 @youcan-nolonger-run @chronicallybubbly @macy-tpwk @wh0s-nadii

[gullsumb]

It is so fascinating how at a table of five, the one white guy gets astronomically more attention from the fandom.

Hey. What’s with that? Something to think about yeah?

I know that to many, Evan is a scrungly blorbopilled scrimblo or whatever. I get it. And the recent episode did contain a lot of stuff for him specifically. I want to be clear though, that this isn’t about This Weeks Episode. It’s about how if you look up the characters of MisMag, there’s a very clear tier list of popularity in the numbers alone.

Evan

K

Jammer

Sam

Think about that for a second. That paints a pretty clear picture, doesn’t it? Don’t believe me, feel free to look it up yourself.

Sam, Jammer, and K are all incredible characters in their own right- and not just them. This fandom has a very clear issue with racism across multiple campaigns. I am going to focus more on Sam and Jammer, as the antiblackness is really jumping out with 3/5ths of the table being Black.

Sam and Jammer deserve to have recognition as wonderful characters, played by extremely skilled and funny comedians in the form of Danielle Radcliffe and Lou Wilson.

Sam is more than her relationships/shipping with Evan and K.

Jammer is more than his friendship/shipping with Evan.

Please do some self reflecting.

[tevantarlos]

Feel free to ignore but I just have to get this out. I know this sounds mean but I´m happy that

a) Tim and Oliver lurk in fandom like no other and are seeing what people say about them and

b) Oliver had months of reprieve from the deranged people that make his following because they were turning all their guns on Lou. In fact he gained popularity because they convinced themselves (with his help, I add) that he is their champion and actually wants Buddie to happen. What does he think will happen now, when in a couple of weeks Buddie still has not happend? There is no Tommy standing in the way anymore and we will go right back to accusations of baiting and of people calling him fat and bald and almost too ugly for Eddie (yes, that happend). And when this happens and he has another whiny outburst on SM I will laugh until I fall over.

They droped the ball with every other LI before because they were to chicken shit to even try putting a stop to the endless harrassment. I think Megan West was the most egregious example of just leaving someone hanging and even encouraging the shit that went on online. They had a chance here, for the first time, to try to get out of this toxic Buddie brew they are in. If nothing else the way the relationship with Tommy was received, the way it garnered press by outlets other than glorified fan blogs like "Fangirlish" and gained them a new audience and the move to ABC all presented an opportunity to combat the toxicity by simply taking the fandom monopoly away from the crazies. But they just did not have the balls and now look at their pathetic attempts to make Brad happen on their IG. Engagement is low and what it there is the usual idiots screaming for Buddie and nothing else.

I hope it was worth it. I don´t see the show getting a 10th season, maybe not even a 9th. The spin off will be cheaper to produce, Peter talked about quitting before and the ratings trend downwards since S6. Not to mention the writing is absolute shit since Tim is back.

Maybe Oliver hopes that Callum Blue is the kind of guy that can get him a job after 911 gets canceled and is worth sucking up to. Last time I checked he couldn´t even get cast on a Hallmark movie so why not try, right? Buddie fans will not follow him either way, I hope he knows that.

Hey, hon. Thanks for the ask. Sorry I haven't posted this or replied before now. I haven't logged into my computer in a few days, have just been doing everything on my phone, and I didn't want to try to reply to this on my phone, that would takes ages.

I've been in the 911 fandom since two months after the last episode of season 1 aired. Oliver and 911 shot themselves in the foot by not shooting this Bvddie bullshit down from the very beginning. They've spent years leading Bvddie fans on, purposely having scenes with Buck and Eddie that cause the lunatics to see things that aren't there, because it gives the show more engagement.

Oliver and 911 know that Bvddie fans will never stop watching the show because they're so sure that at some point, 911 and Oliver will give in and make Bvddie canon because 'it's what they deserve'. At least, that's the bullshit I've read a lot of on Twitter and other places. What Bvddie fans don't understand, is they aren't owed shit.

I learned this the hard way when I was in the 100 fandom. I, and many other Bellarke fans thought that since we were loyal fans of the show, we'd be rewarded by getting Bellarke eventually. But just like Bvddie is never going to happen, Bellarke never happened. The writers and show runners had no interest in going there. They just liked to bait fans. Just like 911 does, with Buck and Eddie.

I personally feel like Oliver was relieved that all the hate was getting thrown at Lou and not himself, and he got a break from those assholes for a few months. But now that Lou and Tommy are gone, they're just going to go back to harassing him because Bvddie isn't canon and never will be, and those dumbasses can't cope.

Oliver knows that if he ever truly tells the Bvddie fans that it's never going to happen, he'll lose a large majority of his fan base. So, he just doesn't say anything. He encourages their twisted thinking and doesn't put them in their place when they're being assholes. Neither does Tim, so it's a monster of their own making. (The Bvddie fandom)

I can't speak on anything to do with the actresses of the other LI's. For many years since I started watching the show, I didn't interact with other fans much. The only time I did, was when I wrote fanfiction when I was a Bvddie shipper for 2 years, but after I found out what a bunch of toxic assholes they were, I ditched that fandom and am so glad I did.

Yeah, I check out the 911 IG page every few days because that's all I can stand. I can't look at it daily. All the Bvddie bullshit on every post claiming 'Bvddie canon, season 8!' It makes me roll my eyes so hard it hurts. Also, the way those idiots talk, like Buck and Tommy weren't in a relationship, like Buck is Eddie's one true love, and the other father of Chris.. God, I can't help but tell them how stupid they are for believing that. Especially since Ryan said in an interview that Chis has only one dad, and Buck sure as fuck ain't it.

The show will be lucky if it gets a season 9. This season is just not good, and I mean that honestly. Putting aside the BuckTommy of it all, it's crap. They focused too much on that Brad character which was a fucking waste of screen time. They traumatized Henren and their kids, had a plot that ended like within 5 minutes with Ortiz, had a decent start for Gerrard being a bad guy and dropped him for BRAD! Who the fuck cares about fucking Brad? No one.

When it comes to the IG posts, the first few days and maybe weeks after the BT breakup, both fans and GA made their feelings about the out of the blue breakup known, but after fighting the stupid Bvddie fans in the comments for a few days, most people backed off. I've gotten messages from people on IG who are BT and GA fans, who said that just like a lot of my comments on the IG page, their comments were removed for supporting BT, and for dishing out some of the bs that the Bvddie's have been doing for years.

Which once again shows that the people who man the 911 IG page, are catering to the most toxic assholes in the fandom. Every fucking post on the 911 IG has bullshit about Bvddie going canon, but people who talk about BT, or who even dare to criticize, in a nice way even, who criticize the plots being cut off, making no sense, the characters doing things that are out of character, they get deleted. But yet the lunatic's comments remain on the posts.

IF the show gets renewed for season 9, I'm betting it will be the last. This season so far has just been a shitshow. In terms of the writing for the show, and in terms of the Bvddie fans taking being complete assholes, to the highest degree imaginable.

I don't give a shit about Brad the character or his actor. I hate the character, he fucking annoys me. I didn't find any of this plot funny, just irritating and I want him gone. The mains were pushed to the background this season for Brad, some dumbass that's not some great character, but some idiot.

Also, Oliver is like a child. He only cares about praise and ass kissers. He says what will cause him to look good. I remember there was one time a few years ago, where he had some contact with a Bvddie fan and when the fan said that he was a dick for leading people on about Bvddie if it's not going to happen, he snapped back and said that he was just an actor doing this job and to stop being so mean to him.

In my opinion, he's a fucking moron who did it to himself. Him and Tim. As I said above, they could've gotten the assholes under control or even gotten rid of them from the start by being honest and just saying their stupid Bvddie is never going to happen. But no, they're too worried about ratings dropping, so they throw in Bvddie scenes every now and then to keep baiting those fans and they eat it all up.

Every time Buck and Eddie share a scene, those idiot's are all, "It's happening! Bvddie canon, y'all!" And then nothing ever happens, and those assholes get mad at being baited once again. It's been 7 1/2 seasons. If Bvddie were ever going to go canon, it would've happened by now.

[deputyrook]

The Assistant - Lou Bloom x Reader. Horrror/Romance

This is an old fic re-upload. I'm just going to post all four parts in one. Anyway, this is one of the few old fics I'm still quite proud of, so please enjoy (or enjoy again!)

Lou Bloom (Nightcrawler) x female reader (she/her).

WORD COUNT: 11,258

Warnings: Stalking, voyeurism, gaslighting, coercion, emotional manipulation, creepy behaviour.

“This is a very exciting opportunity. One that you’re not going to want to pass up. Now, I don’t know that you’re ready to take on this role, but I believe that when you give someone responsibility, they have the opportunity to rise to the occasion and excel. I believe that you have that ability. Which is why I am taking a chance on you, and promoting you to the role of my personal assistant.”

Lou watches your expression with the intensity of a vulture watching its next meal. He wants to see how you react to the offer. You’ve only been his intern for two and a half weeks, but he knows that one way or another, you’ll agree to the change in position. 

He’ll make sure of it, because he has different plans for you now.

Your head tilts curiously, but you smile at him, close-lipped and cautious.

“It’s an honour,” you reply, and he can feel himself nodding in agreement with you.

You smell differently from Nina, but he likes it. Nina wears perfume, and sometimes a bit too much of it. Your scent is of clean skin and strawberry scented shampoo, light and natural. 

Nina still sleeps with Lou, but she doesn’t comply easily. She disobeys him, and rolls her eyes when he gives her instructions in bed. She is a beautiful woman- particularly in how sharp she is, how vicious in her work- but he can’t control her, and what they have isn’t a relationship, not really, not like it should be.

You’re different. You’re careful and quiet and you take notes when he speaks to you. You listen to him, and you follow orders well and without fuss. You don’t seem to mind doing what he instructs you to, even when he tells you to drive faster, or do things other interns might find... questionable.

And you’re young, and you’re pretty. 

When he realizes that he wants to have you, Lou does two things. First, he breaks up with Nina.

“Are you fucking with me?” Nina asks him, her eyes narrowing. They’re sitting at dinner, and it’s so similar a situation to when Lou first proposed a sexual relationship with her.

“The simple truth is that I have outgrown this relationship. In this world people’s needs change. I have more needs now, ones which you are not capable of meeting. As such, I am terminating our relationship immediately.” Lou takes a sip of his water.

Nina’s lips purse, as though she thinks it’s a trick. Lou can imagine the way the gears are turning in her mind.

“But you’ll continue to work with me on a professional basis... right?” She confirms apprehensively. “You’re our leading stringer, your work is-”

“Artistry. I’m aware,” She looks unsure, and Lou likes that. It will be a shame, not having her around when he wants her anymore, but he doubts he’ll ultimately miss it much. “As long as you continue to pay me at the rate you currently are. I know that KWLA 6 is now the most popular news network on morning television and I also know that the name of my business is starting to become known. Now, I’ll keep supplying you with the footage, but you should understand that I have no loyalty to your company, or to you personally.”

Nina’s expression settles into a frown. “You’re breaking off our- so that you don’t feel any guilt about just selling to the highest bidder?”

Sometimes, Lou thinks that maybe Nina comes close to understanding him. This is not one of those times.

“No,” He answers, with a chuckle to himself, “But I don’t need to sleep with you anymore, and I won’t have our arrangement limiting my or my company’s potential for growth.”

The second thing Lou does is install cameras in your apartment when he knows that you’re not home.

He has your address from the paperwork he made you and the other two interns fill out when you first started working for him, but he’s never been to your apartment before. A quick message sent to you asking you to pick up his dry cleaning, conveniently across the city from your place, and he has you out of the way.

Lou breaks into your home with ease. The main door to the building is unlocked, and with a twist of his lockpick and a satisfying click, so is the door to your apartment. Bag slung over his shoulder, he slips into the place, careful to shut the door quietly behind him. Turning on the light, he looks around the room with an intrusive interest.

The place is small, just as small as his old place had been, before he’d moved. It’s neatly decorated, and it smells like you, and Lou digs his nails into the palm of his hand as he scans the main room. You have a bookshelf- he quickly notes your favourite author- and several small plants, but the apartment is scarcely decorated and plain. No photos of a boyfriend, he notes. Good, that would just be another obstacle to remove. It’s tempting to leave you a message using your fridge magnets, but Lou resists the urge and continues in.

A cat trods out from the bedroom, meowing at Lou. For a moment he freezes, staring at the animal, standing still as it brushes happily against his shin with a purr. He hesitates. Reaching down, Lou slowly brushes his fingers against the cat’s head, before withdrawing his hand and stepping delicately around the pet.

As much as he’d like to stay and search through your belongings, he has a job to do.

He’s leaving the apartment when he gets a text from you letting him know that you’ve picked up his clothes, and want to know where to drop them off. Checking his watch, Lou sends you a reply with his address before he gets into his car and drives home.

Lou is creating a file in his mind and filling it with notes about you. She has a cat. She likes to read. She has quite a few DVDs, with many of them being horror movies. It all factors into the way he’ll achieve his goal of luring you in, and Lou intends to do it the right way.

---

“Hi there,” You say, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear. It’s past nine PM now, and even though it’s certainly after hours, Lou knew you wouldn’t complain. And here you are, standing on his doorstep, holding his dry cleaning in hand. You’re even wearing a bit of makeup, he notices.

You must be as lonely as he is. 

“Hello,” He replies, “I’m glad you’re taking this aspect of being my personal assistant in stride. In order to get ahead as a new employee, it’s important to go above and beyond the duties of the position.”

You nod, shifting from one foot to the other. Lou smiles.

“Would you like to come in?” He asks, and you hesitate. Lou waits, staring, until you acquiesce with another nod.

“Okay, maybe just for a few minutes. Then I should really get home.”

He takes the dry cleaning from you and leads you inside of his apartment, a nice one-bedroom he’d recently moved into where he has a larger television and marble countertops and more space for him to review footage. Besides the computer desk, and the place where his camcorder is hooked up, the apartment is filled with empty space. 

Not much makes Lou’s heart quicken, but his mouth goes dry at the sight of you, alone in his apartment. He controls this space, possesses it, and here you are, a part of it- just as it should be. Lou feels a pleasant stir in his stomach at the way you glance around the room with your eyes wide. 

He considers, for a moment, pushing you against the wall and pinning you there, to see how you’d react. He wonders idly if you’d scream, before he turns and hangs up the dry cleaning in the closet.

“Wow, this place is- it’s so like you,” You say, looking back to him. “It’s nice. No pets?”

“No,” He answers plainly, staring at you, “Not yet.”

It’s easy to imagine how you’ll slot into his life. He’s already picturing where in his apartment he’ll put your bookshelf.

“We should spend more time together,” He says to you, standing in his living room and facing you. “Outside of work. I’d like to see you here more often.”

“Oh,” you reply. Your eyes glance at him, and then the door, darting nervously. “You would?”

“I wouldn’t say it if it wasn’t true,” Lou answers, taking a step closer to you. “I have wine. Red and white, for if I have company over. But you prefer red, don’t you? I can get you a glass.” 

You shake your head then, making for the door. “Um, I... really should really be going. It’s getting late, and I drove here, so I can’t be drinking anyway.”

Lou pauses, looking at you for a very long moment. Then, he nods his head one, a knowing smile breaking across his face.

“Of course. Smart. It’s dangerous out there, you know. You’re a pretty young woman. And there are a lot of terrible men out there who might take advantage of that. You should get home.” He never takes his eyes off of you, not as he watches you smile softly, wave goodbye awkwardly, and scamper back out of the door.

The second you leave, Lou goes to his computer.

It takes about twenty minutes before the camera feed shows you enter your apartment. He set up two cameras, one in your living room, and one in your bedroom. He doesn’t need to spy on you in the bathroom or shower- that’s not the point of this invasion.

You throw your coat on the hanger and your purse on the counter, and you pick up your cat and spin him around in your arms- it’s adorable. Lou watches, rapt in attention as you set the cat down and roll your shoulders. He can see you sigh, even though the feed is silent, and you look tired.

He watches as you strip off your clothes, performing for no one as you root around for clean pajamas. Lou didn’t set up the cameras for sexual gratification- he wants to know exactly what you like, and see who you are when you think you’re alone- but it’s hard to deny that he feels pleasure knowing that he’s with you even when you don’t know it.

It’s hard to deny that there’s a thrill to the knowledge that he’s going to take everything that’s yours and make it his. Just like everything else, all it will take is some planning, a meticulous execution, and the will to make it happen.

And it would.

---

---

The first gift that Lou buys for you is a new coffee maker.

The one you have, he’s noticed, is horribly outdated and slow to brew. Through the cameras he’s watched you look longingly at new models on Amazon, always browsing, never purchasing. You’ve saved at least five to your wishlist, but you always exit out of the pages without placing an order. After studying the footage, Lou comes to the conclusion that you can’t decide which one to buy.

So he decides for you. Lou purchases an expensive model, a coffee maker even better than the ones you’ve been dreaming of, and has it express delivered to your door.

Lou is so glad when you don’t open the package outside, but instead carry it into your living room with a confused look on your face. Your mouth is twisted into a near pout, and your brow furrows as you turn over the box. When you grab a knife and open it up, Lou can’t help but smile at the shock that registers on your face at its contents. 

You pull apart the box like it’s Christmas, gingerly taking out the new coffee maker and setting it on the counter. You stare at it for a long moment, incredulous, before noticing the note, just a thin slip of paper at the bottom of the box.

He can’t read it from the camera feed streaming from your apartment, but Lou knows what it says. 

“Make the choices you want, and pursue them. LB.”

With Nina, everything he needed to know about her he could find online. With you, he needs to improvise, and pay attention. He’d googled you, of course, with few results besides an Instagram and Linkedin page. It’s only been a few days since he installed the cameras, but he’s already felt like he’s learned so much.

Things... hadn’t gone how he’d wanted with Nina. He’d wanted a relationship, someone to share a life with. He’d gotten little more than friends with benefits, and a reluctant one at that. Maybe this time, he would just have to be clearer with what he wanted from you, and be a little bit more patient.

You hold the paper up to your mouth, hiding, and he finds it difficult to read your expression. But maybe it’s just what he wants to see, but he thinks that you look pleased.

---

“Lou... I don’t know what to say about the coffee maker,” You tell him later that night. The two of you are sitting in the front of his car, parked on the side of the street. It’s been a slow night, and the police scanner crackles in the background, every so often announcing a DUI or petty theft. His other employee, Mikhael, sits in the back of the car on his laptop, editing footage, his headphones over his ears.

You’re sitting in the driver’s seat, leaning against the wheel.

“Say thank you,” He replies, smiling at you. You bite your lip, and grin at him. You’ve been using his name a lot more casually since you’ve been promoted, and Lou likes that.

“Fine. Thank you,” you answer. You seem to mull over your next words, the smile dropping from your face in contemplation before you speak. You seem apprehensive to broach the subject, but you continue. “But... how did you know I needed a new coffee maker?”

“You told me. Don’t you remember?” Lou says, feigning confusion and leaning in closer to you. “You told me that you couldn’t decide which one to get.”

Lou can almost see your thought process. He loves the way you consider his words, quietly to yourself, and he can tell that he’s convincing you, even when you know deep down that you never said a thing about it. You’re a clever girl, but so easily swayed.

“I... don’t remember,” You admit to him, so honest. “I was so surprised. You really didn’t have to do that.”

“You’re right, I didn’t. But I like you.” This is romantic, Lou thinks to himself, like a scene from a film. “And now, whenever you make coffee in the morning, you’ll think of me.” He smiles in a way he thinks is pleasant, and he sees you look him over, half-unsure, half-appreciative. 

“You know,” he continues, “I learned recently that people don’t really become addicted to caffeine. They develop a dependence on it, which isn’t the same thing. Caffeine is only actually slightly addictive as an actual substance. The symptoms of withdrawal are physically very mild, and drinking a lot of coffee rarely results in self-destructive behaviour. Instead, you become used to the presence of caffeine in your life. You come to take it by habit, and because you enjoy the positive benefits, including increased alertness and wakefulness. It’s the mental dependence on caffeine, the reliance on it being there to pick you up that creates the believe that caffeine is addictive.” 

You listen to him, nodding along with his words. He finishes, “The dependence is far more psychological than physical. But it’s interesting. How people develop dependence on things like coffee. How they feel like they need it to even function, day-to-day. How they feel like they can’t live without it.”

You should be leaning in to share his space right about now. Or telling him how you will think of him, every morning when you make coffee. When you bring the mug to your lips and close your eyes, breathing in the smell of it, when you take that first drink and yawn. You should be flushing at the thought of it, but instead, you’re looking at your hands, fidgeting.

“Yeah. That is interesting, I didn’t know that,” You comment, and the silence that follows is thick and awkward, the only sound in the car the dull chatter on the police scanner. In the back, Mikhael clears his throat, and when Lou turns back to address him, his eyes dart from you to Lou. 

“What is it?” Lou asks sharply. Mikhael points to the police scanner, one headphone on. 

“2-6-7, suspect is a white male, approximately 6’2”, may be armed,” The voice on the scanner says. “10-524. Proceed with caution.”

Lou nods to you, and he doesn’t have to say a word. You turn the key in the ignition and his car roars to life. With a shift of the gear and your foot on the gas, you tear off down the street, speeding toward the destination. Lou readies his camera while he calls your coworker, his third and final employee, to come with the production van and meet you at the scene with all of his equipment.

You drive steady, careful as you pull out onto the highway. Lou checks his watch.

“We need to go faster. I doubt we’ll arrive before the police but if there’s a chance, we want to take it. At the very least, I want to see a body tonight.”

You comply, pressing the pedal down and accelerating. Your focus on the task, and your complete willingness to trust him and follow him into a dangerous situation is nearly distracting for him. 

“Faster,” he tells you, even though you’re already going 10 miles over the speed limit. Part of him wants to make it to the location before the police arrive, or certainly earlier than any other news crew. But part of him wants to push you to drive faster, drive more dangerously, just to see if you will.

You barely spare him a glance as you accelerate even faster, switching lanes back and forth to pass cars in your way. In the back seat of the car, Mikhael curses under his breath as you fly past a car that honks loudly.

“We’re going to fast, we’re going to get pulled over-” He says anxiously.

“Not if all the cops are busy going to the same place we are. Left, make the next left,” Lou tells you, and you barely have time to put on your blinker before you’re sliding around the corner. From the back, Mikhael groans. Lou’s camera is ready with blank tape, and he passes the microphone to Mikhael in the back for him to carry out. It’s only another three miles before you reach your destination.

“Are we ready?” Lou asks the two of you. Mikhael nods, and you smile.

When you pull into the street where the home in question is located- a beautiful suburban house in the outskirts of the city- it’s before a cop car has arrived. As you throw the gear into park, you turn to him, beaming, breathless and proud, and he can tell you’re looking to hear you did well.

But now isn’t the time. Lou is already throwing open the door of the car and rushing to the scene, Mikhael close behind him.  You stay behind, to run interference on the cops, who are just rounding the corner of the street. 

He hopes you’ll be able to distract the cop for long enough that he can sneak around the back of the house. 

---

“We did well tonight,” Lou says, looking to each of his three employees in turn. The four of you are together in the small office space he rents, each with a drink in hand. It’s been less than two hours since you arrived at the scene of the assault, and only half an hour since he left victorious, footage of a screaming argument and a bloody stab wound saved safely on the memory card.

Sitting in a circle of cheap folding chairs, he feels pride in himself, in this company of professionals he’s built. You’re quickly rising to be the video company with the most-used footage in all of central LA, and it won’t be long before the names Video Production News and Louis Bloom become famous in the wider news industry. “The footage we got is going to garner us a top spot tomorrow on a prime news network.”

“Which one?” Eve, his equipment manager, asks with an enthused look on her face.

“Whichever one pays the highest,” Lou answers. He points to you. “The two of us will stay late to edit the footage, and submit proposals to the top five news networks with the highest viewer counts. It’s time we started branching out from KWLA-6 and considering other options.”

You nod to him, and he feels the satisfaction of a job well done wash over him. 

“I appreciate the dedication each one of you has to Video Production News. With your continued dedication and willingness to follow my business plan, we will continue to achieve success in the Los Angeles news industry.” 

He always hopes that everyone will stay longer than they do, when the team goes out for drinks. It would help everyone grow closer if they were to spend time together outside of work, but first Mikhael excuses himself, and then Eve follows, both citing pets they need to feed and partners they need to return to. This time, though, you can’t excuse yourself to go home to your cat- you’ve already agreed to stay late and help him.

And when Eve and Mikhael leave, the two of you are alone again, and that suits him fine.

“You look pretty tonight,” He tells you, even though your hair is messy and you’re sweating from the lack of air conditioning in the office. “But you shouldn’t wear bright colours any more. I prefer you in dark ones. They suit you more, and compliment you better.” Lou smiles to you, like he’s shared highly valuable information with you and you should be thankful.

“Oh,” You reply, clearly surprised. You look down at your dress, and when you look back up, he notices that you look a little self conscious.

“Can you try to do that for me?” He asks. You hesitate, and then nod.

“I-I guess I can, yeah,” You say, cheeks colouring. And there’s that blush he’s been hoping to see. Lou remembers, suddenly, the way you’d looked at him on arrival at the scene of the crime, eager for praise.

“You did well tonight. I like that you drive faster when I tell you to,” Lou stares hungrily at the way your cheeks flush deeper. He can’t tell if you’re embarrassed or ashamed or aroused. “That you follow my instructions is one of the reasons I promoted you to my assistant.” He looks at your glass, nearly empty now, and refills it with wine. You take a nervous gulp.

“I used to sleep with the morning news director at KWLA-6,” Lou says, deadpan, and you choke on your drink.

“You did?” You ask, apparently too curious or stunned to keep your thoughts to yourself, “Were you- did she, um-”

“She came often,” Lou lies. “I was led to believe it was very pleasurable for us both. She was very attracted to me.”

“That wasn’t going to be my question, Lou,” you reply, a light laugh in your tone, “I was going to ask if she ended things, or if you did.”

“Oh. I did,” He answers seriously, “I took some time to evaluate my wants and needs, as well as what would be best for my company. I know it was difficult for her, but it was necessary to do.” 

The air between the two of you is tense, heavy with a weight between you and you study him with interest as you ask, “Was it hard for you?”

Lou is thrown for a moment.

“I admired her, and I was looking for certain things when we started seeing each other.” Lou thinks about how honest he wants to be with you. He always finds it difficult to voice aloud his desire for company, or to address his loneliness. “What I’m looking for is someone who can be a partner to me, but also someone who listens to what I tell them. I want a relationship with someone that suits my needs. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

“I think so,” You answer, looking at your glass. You swirl the wine around in it. “I know what it’s like. To really want a relationship to be one thing, and have it end up as another.”

“It wasn’t hard for me. That’s the answer to your question. I want something else now,” He looks at you pointedly, just shy of telling you that he wants you. But he doesn’t have enough information about you yet- doesn’t feel as though he’s in an advantageous enough position to get what he wants.

Lou wants your back to be up against the wall before he makes his intentions abundantly clear. Figuratively, and perhaps literally. It’s difficult for him to avoid being direct with his desires, but being honest wouldn’t be the path to victory, not at this point.

No, he has to court you. Teach you to need him, too. Maybe this could even be considered your first date. 

You’re blushing again, and you look down and away from him, clearing your throat. You set aside your glass of wine, and point to the computer. “We should, ah. We should work on editing. We have a lot to get done tonight if we want to make the morning news.”

Lou checks his watch. It’s a quarter past twelve in the morning.

“You’re right,” He says, and the two of you get to work.

---

The story hits with as much of a splash as Lou expected, and not on KWLA. Channel 11 News breaks the story, airing his footage and mentioning the name Video Production News before they do, and they pay 30% more than KWLA had offered. 

Sitting in his apartment and feeling content, Lou watches your camera feed as he irons his clothes. You’re doing your hair and putting on your makeup in the bathroom, and you choose another light coloured dress to wear- though to be fair to you, you didn’t exactly know that he was watching.

He’s thinking about the effort you put into your appearance when he sees you step up to answer your front door. You look so put together and beautiful today. As though you’re preparing for a date with him, though you would wear black for that, not white. Lou can just imagine how easily he would pull the dress off of you, mess up that perfectly assembled look of yours, the way he’s grab a fistful of your hair and -

Wait. Wait. Who is that stepping in through the door?

A man, tall and fairly handsome, steps into your apartment, and he kisses you. Lou’s blood turns cold at the sight, and he stares, iron hot in his hand.

This is a problem.

---

---

So, here’s the thing.

The guy you’re seeing? He’s no good for you, Lou knows. 

He’s sitting on a park bench with his sunglasses on, watching the people pass by with a detached interest. Lou sips his soda with a straw, keeping an eye out for you and the man you’ll be passing by him with. The afternoon sun is beating down, but the bench he sits on it partially shaded by a tree, and he’s glad for it since he hasn’t moved in about forty-five minutes.

It’s given him time to think, and to plan out his next move. 

When he’d seen the man on the surveillance footage kissing you, Lou slowly set down his iron and unplugged it. He set aside his laundry, and pulled his hair up into a neat bun. Grabbing his laptop, one of his books and his keys, Lou left his apartment without another moment of hesitation or thought.

Lou drove to your neighbourhood, parking two blocks away and walking the rest of the distance to your apartment building. In the back parking lot, there were two cars parked in the visitor’s spots. Taking quick photos of the two license plates, Lou walked to a nearby coffee shop, and, making sure you and the stranger were not also there, set up his laptop to run the plates.

It didn’t take long before Lou was able to find out the name of your mysterious visitor. His name is Andrew Price, and he lives in a city about an hour and a half’s drive away from Los Angeles, which explains why Lou has never seen him before. His employment was listed as a freelance journalist, and scouring the internet for more information, Lou found a profile on a networking website where he listed his relationship status as single.

Not a boyfriend, then. Or he’s a cheater. Both give Lou a bit of hope.

When Lou checked the man’s instagram, he noticed Price had just posted a scenic photo several minutes prior, one that Lou could identify as being from a nearby park. There are no pictures of you on Price’s instagram either, he noticed.

Packing up his laptop, Lou went to sit by the entrance of the park. Now he’s waiting on the bench, a book that he isn’t reading in his hands, as he watches for you and this man to pass him.

A freelance journalist ? And not even a very successful one it looks like, at that. Why would you kiss a man like that? Someone who doesn’t even appreciate you enough to show you off as his to the world, who doesn’t even consider himself to be in a relationship with you? 

Surely, that’s not what you really want. Surely, this man isn’t fulfilling your needs. Lou settles on believing that your loneliness has driven you to this stranger, and that it’s only because no better options had presented themselves. 

But still, Lou doesn’t want to take any chances. He knows that the execution of a meticulous plan is the best path to success, and you’re too important for him to try a simple, straightforward approach. So much could go wrong, so easily.

He needs the upper hand, and he’s slowly starting to figure out how to get it.

In the news industry, framing is everything. It’s easy to make the audience believe whatever story that the network wants to push, or rework an angle to a narrative that sells better. It’s a manipulation, yes, and in some ways, a lie- but it’s a skill, and one Lou has been working on developing. It’s what the audience sees and the way that they see it that informs their views. And those views colour the way every story following is received. 

And it’ll be the same with you.

Lou is in such deep thought about how he’s going to get you into this arms that he doesn’t even notice you until you call out to him.

“Lou? Is that you?” His head shoots up, and he stares, roused from his thoughts and nearly startled, despite the fact that he had been waiting for you. You look at him quizzically, with Price standing at your side, confused.

“Oh. What a surprise,” Lou smiles, and feigns surprise. His smile is nearly real when he thinks about how you called out to him. Chuckling lightly, he continues, “Looks like even on our days off we just can’t stay away from each other.” 

Price’s eyebrows crinkle at Lou’s words, and you beckon him to follow as you approach. You seem genuinely happy to see him, and the sight of it knocks the wind out of Lou.

“Andrew, this is my boss, Louis Bloom. Lou, this is my, ah, friend, Andrew Price. He’s a journalist. You guys might have a lot to talk about.” You laugh gently, and Price sticks out a hand, stepping forward to shake. Lou looks at the outstretched hand, making no move to take it. After a moment of tension, Price retracts his hand, wiping it on his jeans.

“Must be a germ freak, huh?” He says, trying to keep the tone light. Price tilts his head to you. “She’s mentioned you. Says you’re a genius. I’d love to pick your brain some time, if you want to chat.”

A genius, Lou thinks, and he can feel his shoulders straighten at the praise.

“That would be interesting,” Lou deadpans, “Are you two on a date?”

Andrew laughs, and Lou catches a flash of something flicker across your face. Upset? Anger? Bitterness? Lou can’t quite place it, but it feels strangely familiar to him, like a reflection of the same darkness which lives inside of him, and it leaves him thrown. He wants to see more of it, whatever was. 

But just as soon as he catches a glimpse of it, it’s gone, and you roll your eyes. 

“Us? Date? We’d be terrible,” Price says, and you nod with his words, smiling half-heartedly.

“We should get going. Andrew’s only in town for a few more days,” You say. Something in you looks sad, and Lou is rocked by a violent, feral impulse to tear this man apart. He seems none the wiser.

Lou blinks, and forces away the impulse to smile. 

“I’ll see you, then,” he says, and you smile to him as you wave goodbye.

That night, you and Price have sex in the living room. On the couch, not in your bed, and Lou hates how this man pleasures you in a way that is clearly satisfying for you. But he can’t tear his eyes away from the screen, transfixed as you shed your clothes and help undress him. He watches, trying to memorize the way you react to what Price does, what seems to get the best reaction, so that when it’s him touching you, he can impress you with how good he’s able to make you feel.

He watches, chin in his hand, and then-

And then, you seem to look up, right at the camera as you come undone. 

Lou follows soon after. 

And afterward, he watches as you get up and go to the kitchen by yourself to make coffee, decaf. You stare at the coffee maker, tuck a strand of hair behind your ear, and then close your eyes, and Lou knows that you must be thinking of him.

---

Price is, as you had said, only in town for a few more days, so Lou’s window of opportunity is only open a hair’s width. With that said, he’s always felt like his best work has been done under pressure, and by Monday evening, he’s gotten everything in place. 

First, he calls Price, using the phone number so helpfully supplied on his networking profile.

“Hello. This is Louis Bloom, we met the other day. We have a mutual friend,” Lou says when Price picks up the phone.

“Who?” Price asks, and then he says your name. “You’re her boss, right? Why are you calling me?”

“It’s important for you to come to my office right now. I need to talk to you about her,” Lou says. “Do you know the address? I found something out, and it concerns you. I want to speak to you about it in person.”

There’s a long pause, and Lou thinks for a moment that Price may not take the bait. But then, his curiosity- whatever it is in him that drove him to be a journalist- wins out.  

“Yeah, alright. Can you give me the address? I’ll head over now.” Looking at the clock, Lou sees that it’s a quarter past six in the afternoon. Perfect. 

And then, one text, Lou sends to you. 

[Please pick up some new film for me and meet me at my office at 7pm. I look forward to seeing you tonight. Wear your navy blue dress - LB]

---

“Alright. You’ve got my attention. What is it that’s so important?”

Andrew Price walks into the small office space, shoulders straight and confident. He’s a fairly clean cut, attractive man, but he doesn’t love you, and Lou knows it. Hands shoved in his pockets, and a frown on his face, Price strides across the room to stand in front of Lou.

Lou sits at his desk, his cell phone in his hand.

“I know you’re sleeping with her,” Lou says calmly, “You don’t have to pretend you aren’t, I know that you are.”

 Price scoffs, and looks at him like he’s an idiot.

 “And what if I am? You’re not her boyfriend, man. Just because you have a creepy little crush and you’re her boss doesn’t mean you get to control her. She can sleep with whoever the fuck she wants.” Scowling, Price shakes his head. “I knew it. She defended you, but I knew you were into her.”

“You’re right. I am,” Lou answers easily. Then he smiles. “And you mean that I’m not her boyfriend yet.”

 Price leans across the desk, pushing himself into Lou’s personal space. He looks equally parts disgusted and unnerved, and Lou holds his thumb just over the call button on his phone, waiting for the perfect moment. He glances at the clock.

 “I thought I was going to get some information coming here, but you know what? I think I’m going to leave here with some information to give.” Price leans away. “Is that all?”

“No,” Lou answers, and he hits call. 

“9-1-1, what’s your emergency?” The voice on the other end asks as Price stares in bewilderment.

“There’s a man, he’s broken into my office- I- I think he wants to hurt me- this is Lou Bloom calling from 113 Main Street West, I’m very afraid for my safety-” Lou makes the panic in his voice real, waits for a second, and then starts to scream, deep and guttural from his chest. He shoves some heavy filming equipment off of his desk and then ends the call with a tap of his finger. 

A moment of silence stretches between the two men. Quietly, Lou gathers his will.

“What the fuck-” Price starts, but he’s cut off as Lou slams his own face into his desk.

His nose gives a sickening crunch, and blood splatters out from it across the desk. Lou gasps at the sharp pain blooming across his face, fairly certain he’s successfully broken his own nose- and he knows what a broken nose feels like. Price watches in horror, taking a step back as Lou slams his face back into the desk a second time, this time knocking his tooth through his upper lip.

Blood is gushing from his nose, more than Lou expected, and it’s staining down the front of his shirt as he straightens. Quickly and definitively, Lou grips the collar of his shirt and rips it open. He takes two steps toward Price, who backs away from him.

“You’re fucking insane,” Price says, holding his hand up as if to tell Lou to stop coming closer. As if it would stop him. Grabbing his wrist and yanking the man forward, Lou smears some of his own blood from under his nose across Price’s knuckles.

It’s almost too easy. Lou looks at Price, standing and watching in shock, and then at the clock. He takes two measured steps backward, kicks the desk chair over, and slumps down against one of his cabinets.

He sits there for nearly two minutes, panting and waiting for the blood to stop flowing. Price seems to not know if he should leave or stay, and stares wide-eyed at Lou, and then at his hand, and then around the room. 

He’s realizing just now, Lou thinks, what this will look like when the cops show up. But more importantly, how it will look when-

You enter through the door, wearing a navy blue dress, your bag slung over your shoulder. You freeze, and take in the scene, looking from Lou to Price. Your eyes are wide, horrified, and it seems that you can’t believe what you’re seeing. 

“Oh, god,” Lou moans, “You need to leave, please, he went crazy-”

At the same time, Andrew starts to talk, his hands held out in front of himself again as he equivocates and tries to explain and excuse what you’re seeing.

“This isn’t what it looks like- this guy, he’s insane, he- I didn’t-” Price’s voice breaks, and he’s at a complete loss for what to say or do as you drop your bag and rush to Lou’s side.

“Oh my god. Oh my god? Lou? Lou, fuck, you’re bleeding,” You say, real panic in your voice as you kneel beside him and gently touch his face. Lou meets your gaze, and you’re close, you’re so close to him, and you smell so wonderful, and you wore the blue dress.

“Get out of here,” He says quickly to you, looking you in the eye. “And wait for the police to arrive. You need to be safe.”

Andrew Price sputters from the corner, and laughs a manic, shocked peel of laughter. 

“You can’t honestly believe him, can you?” He asks, gesturing to Lou. 

But you don’t get a chance to answer, because that’s when the police burst through the doorway, yelling, guns drawn.

A news story is all about framing. How a story looks to its audience is the most important thing in how they will receive it. And once that first image, that initial impression has formed in the audience’s mind, it can be incredibly difficult to change.

There are no security cameras running in Lou’s office, or at least not any that were running that night. When the police see the blood smeared across Price’s knuckles, it doesn’t matter that they aren’t swollen or bruised from hitting him. They arrest him on the spot, and you never leave his side throughout the entire process, not once.

Lou never thought he himself would become a story featured on the morning news, but he’s an adaptable man.  Sitting upright in his hospital bed the next morning, his nose bandaged, his lip swollen, and one of his eye blackened, Lou watches the story play on the morning news.

Terrible camera work. Amateurs must have shot this, he thinks, as a shaky camera pans across his office, zooming in on his blood on the floor. There’s a shot of you at his side, escorting him to the back of the ambulance. He looks a mess: his hair is in his face, and his cheek already beginning to swell. But you’ve got your hand on his arm, and you look so concerned and scared for him that it makes his heart swell.

“Whoever filmed us didn’t do a very good job, did they?” You whisper, quietly latching the door behind you. In the second bed in the room, an elderly woman sleeps, and Lou notes your consideration as you lightly walk across the room to his bedside.

“No. If we had been filming, we would have gotten a much better shot of the office. If you film it through the window, you’d get a clear view of the camera and the blood on the ground,” Lou answers, annoyed. I couldn’t have set it up any better, he thinks, wincing as pain shoots through his face when he speaks.

Sitting beside him, Lou can see that you’ve changed clothes since last night, into a dark shirt and a pair of jeans- his blood must be all over the dress, Lou realizes. You lean in close to him, clearly still worried. For the first time in weeks, Lou wasn’t able to watch you go to bed. He wonders if you slept poorly.

“You okay?” You murmur, a hand touching his shoulder lightly. You look solemn and disturbed as you continue, “I can’t believe... I never would have thought Andrew would do something like that.”

Lou reaches up to brush the hair out of your face, tucking it behind your ear the way that you do when you’re nervous. “I was shocked too. He flew into a rage, talking about how he knew that I had feelings for you and saying that he wouldn’t let me near you.” Lou tells you this calmly, voice even and monotone as he recites the story he’s rehearsed in his head. “He knew that I wanted to be with you, and he attacked me. He broke my nose, and as you can see, did a good deal of damage otherwise.” Lou smiles to you, watching your eyes flick over your face.

“Do you?” You ask quietly, searching his expression.

“Do I what?” 

“Want to be with me?” You reach out and take his hand softly in yours, and Lou feels triumph burning in his chest. He won’t even have to make the first move. It’s perfect.

“Yes,” he answers readily, “I like many things about you. The way that you listen to me, the way you wear your hair, the way that you smell. I like how attentive you are. I like that you always sit close to me,” Lou takes a breath, and notes the strange, almost alien feeling of nerves. “I’ve thought about kissing you a lot.”

“Just kissing?” You reply cheekily. You’re leaning in even closer, squeezing his hand.

“No,” Lou breathes, “Much more than kissing.”

“But we can start there,” You finish, before you close the distance between the two of you and kiss him. 

You kiss so softly, so hesitatingly, and at first Lou matches your pace. He loves how unsure you seem to be, the way your lips press so lightly and chastely against his. He reciprocates, gently initially, but his patience quickly wanes and he deepens the kiss. Lou moves his lips more insistently against yours, kissing with more fervor. 

Reaching up, he cups your face in both of his hands to hold you in place, and he continues to kiss you hungrily. You gasp for air between the kisses, and he nearly feels dizzy from his own lack of oxygen as he continues to press small, quick kisses against your lips, ignoring the ache spreading across his face. Every time you go to pull away, he kisses you again, not wanting to let you leave his grasp.

He wants to keep kissing you. He thinks that he wants to keep kissing you forever.

---

---

---

When you finally walk out of the hospital room, your heart hammering. Your face is flushed, and you make it halfway down the hallway before a grin spreads slowly across your face.

That wonderful, magnificent bastard, You think to yourself. That terrible genius. Look at what he’s done to get me.

You hadn’t even had to break things off with Andrew yourself. 

Lou finally had you, but then again, you'd had him in your sights for a while. 

Game, set, match. 

---

You know about the cameras.

Of course you know about the cameras. 

You’d noticed one shortly after Lou had sent the coffee maker to your house, small and hidden in the corner of your bookshelf. You’d suspected that he had feelings for you as soon as you were promoted, but the gift had been what cemented his intentions in your mind, and had first triggered your suspicion that he was watching you. 

Searching through your apartment without making it look like you were looking for the cameras had been a bit tricky. You pretended to be cleaning, not wanting Lou to catch on that you suspected him. For a while, before you found the proof you were looking for, you had thought you were just becoming paranoid. Finally catching sight of the small black box with the pinhole-sized lenses had been equal parts a shock and a relief.

Lou is many things. He is vicious, he is ruthless, he is intent and will and a shameless drive toward achievement. But he is not exactly subtle.

You drum your fingers along the smooth wooden surface of Lou’s desk in the Video Production News office, and take a sip of your coffee. While Lou took several days off following his discharge from the hospital (a rarity for him) you had volunteered to put the office back in order. You’d successfully cleaned and rearranged the space, and now you were busy picking up the slack editing footage packages for the networks. 

This leaves you in the office with Mikhael, who sits across the room skimming through police reports on his laptop. Although your eyes are on your computer screen, your mind is elsewhere, mulling over Lou and what had happened between him and Andrew.

You weren’t sure exactly sure what had gone down, but you doubted Andrew had attacked Lou out of jealousy over you. The taste of bitterness wells in your mouth, as thick and bitter as bile as you remember how long you pined after Andrew, and how badly you’d wanted him to be more than a friend with benefits. He’d never been interested in you romantically, so the thought of him flying into a rage over you seemed unlikely. 

Not that you’d told the police that.

After all, Lou’s ruthlessness and willingness to do whatever it takes to succeed is part of what draws you to him, and what attracted you to him in the first place. You’ve never seen such ceaseless ambition and motivation in someone before, and certainly not directed toward you.

Maybe you should have been horrified instead of flattered when you noticed a small camera in your apartment, eye-level and stuck to the bottom of a shelf. Maybe you should be irate instead of thrilled when Lou tells you what to wear, or plainly tells you what he likes about you and what he wants you to change. 

But you aren’t. 

Lou is a predator, closing in on you with hunger in his eyes. But you’re no prey, and you’re just fine with getting backed up into a corner. You’re being maneuvered, but you’re right where you want to be.

Your phone buzzes in your pocket.

[Let’s go for dinner tonight. -LB]

You smile down at your phone, and wait a moment before you type out your reply.

[I’d like that. Is it a date?]

You wonder if you should tell him you know what happened with Andrew, or ask him how his injuries are. He answers your text almost immediately.

[Yes. -LB]

---

“Halibut are nocturnal animals. Did you know that? I was watching a documentary on nocturnal creatures earlier today. Animals that are nocturnal, rather than diurnal like most mammals, have a number of specific adaptations which allow them to better track and hunt and survive through the night, such as silent flight, heightened senses, and echolocation. Their circadian rhythms are also slightly shorter than diurnal animals.”

You take another bite of your fish, and nod to signify that you’re listening to Lou.

He smiles, and looks proud of himself, seemingly excited to share the information he’s learned. You really don’t care about the circadian rhythms of nocturnal animals, but he’s actually pretty cute like this- at least you think so, though you imagine other people might find his monotone, quickly-spoken monologues off-putting.

The restaurant you’re in in small but private, and the two of you sit in a booth toward the back of the room that provides ample seclusion from the other customers. Lou has a meal in front of him that he’s barely touched, instead choosing to focus his attention almost singularly on you. It makes you feel like you’re an ant under a magnifying glass. His stare burns you, in more ways than one.

His nose, though no longer bandaged, is still heavily bruised and broken, and his left eye shines black and purple. Even as battered as he is, Lou has clearly put effort into his appearance tonight. His hair is slicked back, and he wears a nicely pressed dress shirt and blazer. Across from him, you wear a dark red dress.

“We’re out a lot after dark. Do you sleep through most of the day after a night of work?” You ask him in between bites of your dinner.

“No. I sleep very little,” he replies, before he pauses, and then continues. “You strike me as the kind of person who falls asleep as soon as your head hits the pillow. And then, the kind who sleeps very deeply. Am I right?” 

You feign surprise, and your stomach flips pleasantly as you imagine him watching you in bed. “Yes. You’re exactly right, Lou. How’d you know?”

Lou surveys you seriously. You can never predict what he’s going to say next, and for a moment, you wonder if he’s about to admit to you that he broke into your apartment. Instead, he leans in close, and speaks in a low voice, like he’s sharing a secret.

“I know this because I pay attention to you. I’ve told you that there are a number of things that I like about you, and I know you don’t need me to repeat myself. I think you and I are a good fit, both professionally and personally. You’re my employee, so we keep the same work schedules. You spend a lot of time with me already. We both live alone currently, and our lifestyles suit each other. Neither of us go out partying much, or drink excessively, and we both like to read. Think about it. I can provide enough income to support both of us, and if we live together, we can save money by commuting together. Also, I enjoy your company, and am very sexually attracted to you. The fact that you kissed me the other day implies you feel the same way. Am I wrong?”

You take a moment to digest Lou’s words, cheeks colouring at his boldness. “No, you’re not.” You pause. “You’ve really thought all this out? That you want a relationship with me?”

“Of course,” Lou answers. “It’s clear you would compliment me very well.”

“Half a week ago you were attacked by my ex... er, ex-friend because he wanted to keep you away from me. Now you want to be my boyfriend. You move pretty fast,” You reply glibly, with a smile.

Lou doesn’t smile back. “Why shouldn’t I? We both know what we want. Do you have any questions, or do you agree?”

You think for a moment. Lou is pressing forward without quarter, leaving so little room for argument. He leans forward, head slightly tilted, gaze vicious.

 “A couple,” you say, “Are you allergic to cats?”

Lou leans back, shakes his head, and smiles. “No. And I like that you’re thinking ahead. Foresight is important in any relationship.”

You swirl your wine around your glass, and avoid Lou’s relentless eye contact. “About that. How serious are you about this?”

Lou looks confused. “How serious? I wouldn’t be proposing a relationship if I wasn’t serious about wanting it.”

It’s your turn to press. “You want it now, sure. But you’re not going to dump me in a few months if someone else who catches your eye comes along?”

Blinking once, deliberately, Lou shakes his head. “No. I’m rarely interested in people.” He pauses, and breaks the eye contact with you, and you sense a raw, blatant truthfulness in his words. “And it’s even rarer that I like them as much as I like you. I want... to relate to people. I want to have relationships and friendships. But most of the time I find it’s impossible. People end up being shallow, and petty, and wrong.” The bitterness in his words is clear. “They don’t listen to me, and they always inevitably make things... complicated.”

He seems lost, for a moment. You take his hands in yours gently, and smooth your thumb across his knuckles.

“I understand,” You murmur. “In a way. Relationships come easy to me. Getting people to like me, to trust me. But connecting on a deeper level... isn’t so easy.”

Lou’s attention snaps back to you, and he watches you like a vulture closing in on its dying prey.

“You’re going to be my girlfriend,” he implores, an unspoken threat lining his tone, the kind which you couldn’t even put words to if you tried. “Aren’t you?”

You nod. “I just have one question left.”

“Yes?”

“Are you going to take me home tonight, Louis Bloom?”

---

Louis does take you home. On the cab ride back to his apartment, his hand never once leaves the small of your back, as though he feels like if he stops touching you, you’ll vanish. He’s quiet for nearly the entire ride, as if he’s mapping out the night ahead in his mind, trying to anticipate how the evening will go so he has total control.

Silly Lou. If he wants total control, you’ll simply give it to him. He doesn’t need to work so hard for it.

Closing and locking the door behind you, Lou takes off his shoes and sets them aside, and throws his keys onto his counter. Now late in the evening, the lights from the city outside shine in from Lou’s uncovered window, and the room is silent, save for the sound of cars speeding by his apartment. Even with the room barely lit, you can see Lou watching you, and feel the way his focus sharpens and becomes carnivorous.

Your heart begins to hammer as alarm bells go off in your mind. Every instinct you have tells you that Lou is a threat, and it makes you feel absolutely wicked.

He walks across the room in slow, stiff strides, keeping his eyes on you. He stops in front of you.

“Take of your clothes.” He says, then walking past you, across the room. Lou picks up a camera from his computer desk, and turns back to you. “You can set them down on the couch. When you’re finished, follow me into the bedroom.” With those words, he disappears from your sight, heading into a room that you’ve never seen before, but you assume is the bedroom.

Quickly, you follow his instructions. You’re so nervous you feel nearly ill, and though you’d imagined many times how an evening with Lou would go, you didn’t expect this. Folding your clothes neatly as you disrobe, you feel bare and vulnerable in a way you hadn’t before. It was one thing to know Lou was watching you when you were naked through a camera. It was another to strip down in his home.

You walk lightly into the bedroom, stopping as you pass the threshold of the door. Lou stands at the end of the bed, his camera in his hands, watching. Moving swiftly, he snaps a photo of you as you stand there, feeling more than a little shy. You blink in surprise at the flash, and swallow your nerves.

“Good,” He says. His eyes rake over your body. “You’re perfect. Lay down on the bed.”

“Okay,” You reply breathlessly.

You’re pretty sure your entire body is blushing. Gingerly, you crawl up onto Lou’s bed, and lay back on top of his smooth, navy blue sheets. Propping yourself up on your elbows, you watch him raise the camera again.

“Spread your legs,” He orders, “I want to see you.”

Shivering, you let your legs fall open, glancing off to the side as he snaps his second photo. His stare is too intense- you’ve never felt more naked in your life. Looking back to him, you can tell how aroused he is at a glance, and it’s pleasing to know that he’s more affected by you than his expression would let on.

Lowering the camera, Lou walks around to the side of the bed. He takes your wrist carefully in his grasp, and moves your arm so that it is placed over your head. When he lets go, you keep it there, and Lou smiles wistfully at you, a pleasant hum of approval escaping his throat.

“You look worried,” He notes, “Are you afraid?”

“No,” You answer truthfully.

“Open your mouth slightly and look at the camera.” You do as he demands, and he snaps his third picture. With that, he lowers the camera and places it on the bedside table, seemingly satisfied. 

Hastily, Lou crawls over you, onto the bed. Hovering over you he looks down at you for a long minute, his hands on either side of your head, his body caging you against the bed. You are, in every manner of the word, trapped.

Lou moves his head down, and kisses you, fervent and victorious.

By the time Lou finally touches you, you’re more than ready for him. His touches and movements are clumsy, and not necessarily skilled, but your skin feels set alight by him. Every press of his fingers sends a jolt of pleasure through you, and every kiss pressed to your skin another wave of satisfaction. His eagerness and your attraction to him makes up for anything that he lacks in his technique, and your body responds to him gladly.

As he is with everything, Lou is ferocious and unyielding, and his claiming of you is nothing short of a conquest. Exactly as you'd wanted. Exactly as you'd planned. 

After, you lay beside him, shivering and sweating. Lou uses his hand to push his bangs out of his face, and looks from the ceiling, to you. For once, you find his gaze warm, his eyes half-closed in contentment.

A moment of silence passes. You and Lou pant and relax into the space, and he lays an arm affectionately across your waist. It’s such a peaceful moment that you think it must be just about time that you lay all of your cards on the table.

“You know, next time, we should just have sex in my apartment. That way, instead of taking pictures, you can just review the footage from the cameras you set up.”

You keep your tone nonchalant and easy, but you can feel Lou stiffen beside you. His arm, which had been relaxed, now grips you tightly, and he turns to stare at you fully, eyes wide and wild.

Your heart is in your throat as you watch Lou’s mouth twitch. You can almost feel him assessing whether or not you’re a threat to him, can see him trying to understand how this changes things. 

He may be wondering if he’s going to need to hurt me, you think.

“Excuse me?” He whispers, voice low, and you have to swallow a laugh at his incredulousness. If this situation wasn’t so tense, it would be funny.

Carefully, you reach over and cup his face in your hands. You admire him openly, smoothing your thumb across his bruised cheekbone and looking over his injured features. You absolutely delight in him, and make no attempt to hide it.

“Don’t worry, Lou. I’m on your team,” You whisper back, smile bordering manic. “I know about all of it. I've known. Okay?”

He continues to stare at you, silent, assessing.

“All of it?” He repeats hesitantly. You nod.

“We’re going to make a great couple, don’t you think?” You ask him, and his expression remains unchanged, still disbelieving and suspicious. 

And then, Lou surges forward and kisses you so suddenly and forcefully that you feel as though all of the air in your lungs has been knocked out of you. Pressing his mouth to yours, consuming, Lou wraps his arms around your body, and holds you to him as if you were his life line.

---

---

“He had you pose as a grief counsellor to speak with the victim’s family. No ethical news source is going to accept this.”

Nina Romina sits in front of you. It has been several weeks since you first went home with Lou, and you’re sitting across from Nina in her office, your hands folded in your lap. She holds a sample of your interview, typed out into a manuscript, which contains several juicy details about a double homicide that even the police hadn’t been able to gather.

“That’s why we’re bringing it to KWLA 6,” you reply smoothly. “Don’t tell me you haven’t missed Lou’s contributions.”

Nina’s mouth presses into a thin line, and she says nothing.

“You haven’t said no,” you add, and she glares at you.

“Print journalism is dead. And don’t think I haven’t noticed that he sent you instead of coming here himself. And don’t think that I don’t know exactly what is going on between you two.” Nina snorts, looking away. She’s irked. You shrug off her comments, knowing that her annoyance means she’s probably going to take the deal you’ve laid out for her.

She looks back down at the papers in her hands, and then to you. She seems to consider something, and her expression softens.

“You know, I really do feel for you. This is good work, and I know that Lou is using you. He has a way of... making people do what he wants them to. Blackmailing them, bullying them, whatever he can do to get what he wants, he does it. There’s something seriously wrong with him. I don’t know what he’s done to you. But... I could maybe pull some strings. Get you a job here, instead. Get you out of there” She looks at you expectantly.

You stand up, and smooth out the wrinkles of your dress. A wry smile spreads across your face.

“Ms. Romina. I think you’re confused about my relationship with Lou.” You can’t stop the way your smile widens, “I know what your relationship with him with him was like, so I can understand why you would be. But I assure you, Lou has never asked me to do anything I’m not comfortable doing, both during and outside of work.”

You pause, amused by the shock in her expression at your sudden change in tone. Just moments before, she had believed you were harmless, like most people do when meeting with you. You continue cheerily.

“Lou is my boss. And he’s my partner, among other things. A word of advice to you: don’t presume that you know anything about us. Now, on this interview we’ve presented you with today. You and I both know that you’d be posting it as an article online, so don’t give me this ‘print is dead’ bullshit. We also both know that your ratings have dipped ever since Lou started exploring other networking options. We’d be open to negotiating an exclusive contract with you... on our conditions, and our pricing. So... can Lou expect a call from you later today?”

A long, tense moment stretches between you, before warily, Nina says, “Yes, he can.”

“Excellent.” You reply, taking back your copy of the interview sample from her hand. As you turn to leave, you hear Nina speak from behind you.

“Jesus Christ,” Nina breathes, shaking her head. “Who the fuck are you?”

You pause at the doorway.

“I’m just the assistant.” You reply, leaving without sparing her a second glance.

[lover-of-mine]

OK I will Lady Whistledown you. Somehow, I ended up in a private BT space. Probably because it was earl, and I looked at somethin, and I have no presence so they probably don't even know I am there.

Basically, on main, you have the general realization of Oliver's expressions in regards to asking about BT vs. Buddie. I watched, and I will be honest, I don't think he was trying to be mean, but I do think it was a genuine reaction for him. But then you mix it with the fact the old interview from Lou came up again, and a lot of people are starting to worry.

But behind closed doors, it's definitely that Oliver didn't champion Tommy at all. Mixed with weeks of wondering why he won't follow him or the fact Oliver posted the basketball picture for 4 and not Tommy.

So as dramatic as I am making it sound. It really is simple you know how a fandom works with the "popular" posters and the general audience. But yes as we watch Oliver and if he continues to ignore it, they are blaming him basically.

And I think in their overzealousness to make Fetch a thing. They completely did forget how close Ryan and Oliver are. How much Oliver probably hates how they are treating his story but also Ryan. As if he would choose Lou over Ryan as childish as that sounds.

Obsessed with this format, it made me giggle, thank you soskpakspskslaks

But basically, Oliver did what he has been doing since the beginning? And they are freaking out because they finally realized Mr plot device doesn't have the support of the people that maybe could've make him stay longer? Fascinating. It's not like we've been hearing that in everything that's not a cameo. Imagine being forced to turn of the selective hearing because since the cameos were shut down, there's no one on their side.

That mentality is one I never understood tbh, why do they think attacking Ryan and Oliver is gonna accomplish anything other than pissing the people involved with show off? Like, Oliver clearly cares about Ryan, why would he just accept the situation and decide to become a bt defender when he's clearly annoyed that Buck being bi became a ship war. As if Oliver is gonna pick Lou. And like, Oliver has some power in the situation, because while he's not a writer, Buck is a fandom favorite, keeping Oliver happy while playing Buck is very important for their numbers. But again, I am asking for logical thinking from people who clearly have no idea what logic is.

[writtenbygracewilliams]

Ranking my fics from this year

This is for funsies and also my own rankings of my own fics. If you have a fave, I would love to hear what and why. Also thank you so so so much.

[This is only new works I’ve posted on ao3 this year, up until The People We’re Made Of which I only posted yesterday. All are complete. No tumblr drabbles are included, nor is my baby Obligated].

15. Last Night

Written in 48 hours of January 2020, I pulled this Calum Hood x Jake Peralta one shot from the vault. It’s not my best writing, but it’s fun. I’m loyal to my unhinged crossovers, but it was the only one I posted this year!

14. Beautiful Night

Also from the deep vault, this was a Mashton one shot written in late 2022. It’s a bit left field, and mashton are easily the least popular 5sos ship, but I do love soft and fluffy so this is that. Soft bois, as the series is titled.

13. you only wanna love me in the dark

This is very emo and angsty mcdanno, which is sometimes what we need, but it makes me sad :( it’s based off the PeachPRC song Secret, that I had on repeat for weeks after it came out and related to a bit too much.

12. Appropriate Workplace Behaviour

Mcdanno I’m sorry for another low ranking, especially because I do really love this one shot. This is where the ranking got harder. It’s silly goofy fun, and one of my go to feel good fics. Chin is an icon, Lou is as sassy as ever, and Joons and Tani are traumatised. Steve and Danny just love each other, that’s not a crime. (It might be.)

11. My Delicate Flower

A sequel to @sissytobitch10seconds fic! As a long time mpreg lover, I was deeply hooked on the idea of Anthony carrying Hyacinth and had soooo much fun expanding on this idea and universe. I have another follow up very slowly moving along in my drafts.

10. Never Been Kissed

The sequel to Strawberry Kisses, this is another silly goofy feel good short story. This is a bit crack, but honestly had such a fun time writing and creating this fic and thus spreading the Nikki Webster agenda. Also, farm life Kanthony???? Yes.

9. Laws of Attraction

This isn’t even my favourite suits fic that I’ve written (though it’s still the only one I’ve posted 😭) but I value not only it being my first suits post, but also the speed at which I wrote and posted it. I overthink things a lot and lock fics in my vault, so writing, editing and posting in under two weeks was liberating for me. It is peak stupid idiots to lovers marvey.

8. Alignment

There is such tight competition in the top ten I love all my darlings, so it’s a shame this is as high as mcdanno got. I actually wrote this mid 2023, a year before I posted it, but it holds a special place in my heart for lots of reasons. It’s the longest fic I’d written and finished in a while, helping get me back into the groove of multi chaps, and it’s also the first thing I’d done using my beloved world building from ease but in a completely new fandom and setting. Soulmates will always be my fave trope.

7. touch me ‘til I find myself

White Collar!!!! Neal Caffrey and David Siegel are in love, it’s true. I had lots of fun exploring their relationship, and how and why David is in many ways the only perfect person for Neal. I want to do it again.

6. Strawberry Kisses

Narrowly missing out a top 5 spot, Strawberry Kisses (and Never Been Kissed) were incredibly self indulgent and supported by the lovely @newtonsheffield. This fic reignited my childhood in a way that made me soft and gooey on the inside. Nikki Webster you will always be famous.

5. Ignorance Is Bliss

Maybe it’s recency bias, because I just reread this a couple days ago, but I truly love this fic. It’s written quite differently to most of my other stuff, which made it fun. One of my favourite things about writing is exploring techniques and styles, and this allowed and captured that. I’m also an ABO lover, and writing Kanthony ABO in a way that felt very authentic to canon was so enjoyable.

4. Bittersweet

The first Bridgerton fic I posted!!! And it’s lesbian!!! And I wrote and posted it within 24 hours!!! Of course it made the top five. I’m an Edwina lesbian truther, so Franwina felt like a natural experiment to do. Had fun, might revisit the ship in a less emo setting.

3. Ja Pense A Toi

TAFFREY. MY BABIES. Truly no one will ever understand what Neal Caffrey and Gordon Taylor mean to me, but I am trying to spread the agenda. I have two more WIP’s for them, but I digress. Writing their adventures in Paris felt very natural, and I like to think that the two versions of Neal I have (him with Siegel or Taylor) are the devil vs the angel in him.

2. The Compensation Explanation

Maybe a left field choice, as the only big bang theory fic I have posted and probably ever will post. It’s the first thing I posted in 2024, which is sentimental in itself, but this one shot is just special. It’s sad, a little angsty and soft around the edges. It’s a story of being comphet from a deeply religious upbringing and mother, even if she always has and always will love you deeply, and about both the mother and son grappling with relationships—her with god and her son, him with his mother and boyfriend. It feels like a hug in fic form, and it’s one of my own things I reread the most.

1. To Commandeer a Husband

It would be unfair to put anything except this baby as number one. It was my longest (completed) fic in years. The first Bridgerton fic I wrote, how I got my first mutual and beta on here (@tofanasmuse thank you ilysm) and fundamental in building so many parts of my community. Even if it was largely built out of my bottom Anthony agenda and powerful women kink; I love these characters, their dynamics and their relationships so much. Also, writing a Whistledown to start every chapter was so much fun. I promise I’m working on a benophie sequel lol.

Thank you to anyone who read anything I wrote this year, let alone this post that is mostly just for fun. I wanna turn this into a game??? Everyone please rate your fics from the year, I’m so curious and I think it’s fun. You can rank them using whatever metrics you want. You can rank WIPs, smaus, tumblr fics, whatever you like!

I’m tagging @newtonsheffield @hydriotaphia @tofanasmuse @harnitbee but please truly anyone can do this I promise the last thing I’m doing is gate keeping. Let’s all celebrate the year we’ve had, and art we’ve created!

–GW xo

[izzysbeans]

https://www.tumblr.com/izzysbeans/749315539449659392/ok-but-lets-be-for-real-why-do-they-keep-pushing

It’s called ship baiting. When they actively use a popular ship to promote episodes and gain viewers for specific things only to then not actually deliver on said ship content. And at this point, it’s starting to feel like the entire season has been one giant ship bait with how much Buddie has been used every week for everything. Meanwhile in show we get Buck and Tommy doing their thing and Lou confirming in a cameo while filming episode 9 that they are thriving. We’ve had Eddie and Marisol restart their relationship which gives them a chance to actually build her up as a character now. All while everyone was distracted looking at buddie.

I'm not sure how to replay to this tbh. This is very real and a frequent issue when it comes to queer ships and part of why i don't think people should be "we got bi buck it's done we won" about this. Again i am bisexual myself, bi buck is 100% a win in my book. But 1 eddie is just as queercoded and 2 a huge part of the queerbating fox did was about buddie, so them together. If this is really what they are doing it's actually trash but i don't really think so. Firstly as far as i know the actress who playes marisol is widely hated for various reasons and i was under the impression that abc wasnt planning on keeping her in fact i've heard she hasnt been working on the show tho i might be wrong idk. Secondly i think they're being way to on the nose about it with interviews as well when oliver said he used to step away from social media in fear of giving people false hope.

In conclusion: could you be right? Yes. Do i really hope you're not? Also yes

[verosvault]

🚨SPOILERS FOR FANTASY HIGH JUNIOR YEAR EPISODE 7🚨

Dimension20 "Fantasy High Junior Year"

Episode 7 "Stress Tested"

Timestamp: 00:36:06

Video Length: 4min. & 43sec.

Adaine gets a job at Basrar's! 😆😀

Brennan: "Who else knows what their DC 5, their first focus and priority's gonna be?"

Siobhan: "I'm gonna go job because up until now my academics are pretty good. So I can focus..."

Brennan: "You are not in danger of expulsion."

Siobhan: "Exactly. So, I can have one week where I dip a little bit."

Brennan: "Hell yeah."

Siobhan: "If I have to."

Brennan: "Let's see what the roll is."

Siobhan: "Omg, I thought that was a one. It's not. It's a seven. But plus four, which is an 11. Oy-yi-yi."

Brennan: "And what skill are you rolling for that?"

Siobhan: "Investigation."

Brennan: "Cool."

Murph: "You do have a bardic."

Ally: "The DC's five though, right? Didn't you totally pass 'cause you picked it for your first one?"

Brennan: "Yes, you did. So this-"

Siobhan: "I did, but I still, I need to get to 'well off' to not roll with disadvantage for my Academics. And 'well off' is a 25."

Lou: "What did you get?"

Siobhan: "11."

Murph: "Oh, okay. Yeah."

Siobhan: "I mean, I basically can only get a 25 if I crit because all of these skills, I don't have anything good in."

Brennan: "But you do have Bardic and if you want to re-roll." *tempts stress token and rattles the box* 😭✋

Emily: "Well, what about Divination rolls? I would think, especially with investigation."

Siobhan: "Well I- I rolled my Divination rolls."

Emily: "Oh, Okay."

Siobhan: "I used one. And the other one is also not very good."

Emily: "Okay."

Siobhan: "So, um..."

Ally: "Are you gonna re-roll or are you gonna add Bardic to that?"

Siobhan: "I mean, maybe I will use my Divination roll. So that brings me up to a 15. And then, I'll-"

Emily: "Can I also give you Bardic? So that your-"

Brennan: "I think we're gonna only allow one Bardic per."

Siobhan: "I'll use my Fabian bardic to see if I can-"

Lou: "It's a d8 now."

Siobhan: "Ooh!"

Siobhan: "Let's see if I can get it up to 20 at least."

Brennan: "Cool."

Siobhan: *rolls* "Nah."

Adaine to Fabian: "But thank you anyway. I appreciate your friendship."

Fabian: "Hey, you can always come by an get an espresso."

Adaine: "Thank you."

Ally: "You made a dollar."

Brennan: "Adaine, go ahead and roll two d10 and you get that many silver pieces."

Siobhan: "Okay."

Brennan: "As you do so, let me ask you. There are a couple different job opportunities. Part-time counseling at the student center. There's some other part-time work around. But you do see there's a job listing for a server at Basrar's."

Siobhan: "I mean, I'll do that. If I work at Basrar's can I get advantage on Popularity?"

Ally: "Ooooohhh."

Brennan: "We're actually gonna cut over and see this little scene. So, it's the first week of school. Like, I guess you head out. Basrar's is not too far from Mordred Manor. How do you like- what's going through Adaine's mind as you walk off to apply for a job at Basrar's?"

Siobhan: "I mean, I feel pretty good about it because me and Bastard already have a great relationship. I also have that thing of like, I really enjoy going to Basrar's. And so I'm like, 'So working there will also be great.'"

Brennan: "Yeah."

Siobhan: "So I think I'm going in very optimistic."

Brennan: "Basrar looks at you and says,"

Basrar: "Adaine, the Elven Oracle."

Adaine: "Hi!"

Basrar: "It is wonderful to see you."

Adaine: "Oh yeah, you don't have to- you can just call me Adaine. Actually I was wondering, I saw you had a part-time job available and I would really love to..."

Siobhan: "I just hand over my résumé, which is 'Elven Oracle' and then 'one week of working at Oodles of Strudel.'"

Basrar: "And do you have any references from Oodles of Strudel?"

Adaine: "Unfortunately, the entire mall was destroyed in a cosmic incident."

Basrar: "No email address or?"

Ally & Lou laughing 😂😂🤣🤣💀💀

Adaine: "No, unfortunately. No, and I actually- I was gonna say I could give you a reference for the Elven Oracle, but I actually don't know. I guess my sister. Yeah, I could- yeah, she's an elf."

Basrar: "Great. I'll give her a call right now." *waiting to hear the number*

Adaine: "Yeah. Great."

Basrar: "I don't have her phone number."

Adaine: "Oh. Yeah." *gives the number to Basrar*

Brennan: "He punches it in. You see him over in the corner."

Basrar: "Mmhmm. This is Basrar of Basrar's Soda Fountain calling for an application for a job for one Adaine Abernant. Just wanted to hear any reviews as her work of the Elven Oracle. Mmhmm." *continuous nodding*

Siobhan: "I start texting Aelwyn."

Adaine's text to Aelwyn: "What the **** are you talking about? What are you doing? Don't ruin this for me. I'm so broke."

Brennan: "You hit Send. A winky face comes back and he goes,"

Basrar: "Ha ha, a bit. Yes, very funny. Good. Yes, yes, yes."

Brennan: "You see he hangs up and says,"

Basrar: "Great, you can start working right away."

Adaine: "Oh, amazing. Thank you. Amazing."

Brennan: "All he has to do is summon ice cream. So it's an easy gig for him. It's just you carry it. He's like,"

Basrar: "Some of the ice creams have gotten very complicated and are hard to carry."

Brennan: "And there's like huge tureens and sundaes and boats of stuff."

Siobhan: "I'm so good at carrying things because I have a Mage Hand. So I'm doing a regular carry, but then my Mage Hand is also carrying three ice creams also."

Brennan: "Hell yeah."

[jdorian]

I hope this doesn't sound weird, I'm just genuinely curious what caused this shift.

In the beginning, when lou said buddie might still happen but why not let buck "work out the kinks" with tommy, everyone said buck needs to get ready and eddie can't be the first man he's with. I disagreed. I thought that was really weird because no you don't have to "get ready" to be with someone.

And now that lou says tommy is looking for love, the same people are saying yeah this isn't for buddie at all, buck doesn't have to be "broken in" for eddie? Is this just a thing in this fandom, not remembering what they said a week ago?

answered your own question right there.

if you go back just a little further, some of the same people were probably shaming others for being excited for Tommy coming back at all... but it's not just this fandom, it's every fandom.

a lot of people will either go with the popular opinions for the engagement or try to find the most abrasaive opinions that'll piss off the most people... for the engagement.

but to be a little more specific about the topic at hand... Lou saying 'working out the kinks' as in learning what Buck likes and having some experience, instead of fumbling around with someone who's also having their very first experience with a man is actually a positive thing, calling it 'breaking in' as in Buck needs to be trained and tested so he can be ready like an animal or a product to be with Eddie... yeah that doesn't quite sit right with me either, you know?

plus, it also lowkey plays into this idea that you aren't really bi unless you've been with someone of the same gender...

there's always nuance.

[randomvarious]

Today's compilation:

The Best of La Bamba 1988 Rock & Roll / Mexican Folk / Hard Rock

I'm not gonna lie to you, folks; this one nearly drove me to the brink of insanity. I like to think that I have a pretty high tolerance for a lot of things when it comes to music, but apparently being made to listen to ten different versions in a row of the centuries-old Mexican folk song of "La Bamba" is not one of them 😵‍💫. Here we have Rhino Records trying to cash in on a rekindled love of the tune in the late 80s, not long after the release of a Ritchie Valens biopic that'd starred Lou Diamond Phillips and a #1 hit cover of "La Bamba" by Los Lobos that'd been featured in the same movie too. And 1988 was also to mark the 30-year anniversary of the release of Valens' groundbreakingly electrifying rock & roll version as well, so with all of these stars appearing to align themselves, and with Rhino having done something similar to commemorate the 20-year anniversary of the release of The Kingsmen's landmark version of "Louie Louie" five years prior, it seemed to make sense for the label to try to take advantage of this song's suddenly resurgent American popularity too.

But while Rhino would like you to believe that they carefully listened to the many different versions of this song that've been recorded throughout history and then picked the best among them, what seems to've really been the case is that they only included songs that they could acquire the licenses for; because even though Valens' version is on here—which this album would've never been made without—Los Lobos' cover isn't. And given the immense popularity of that song when this album itself had come out, its omission feels pretty glaring.

And what's more is that a number of other versions of "La Bamba" aren't on here either: Harry Belafonte, The Tokens, Trini Lopez, Dusty Springfield, and Selena's take on it that'd made the Latin Billboard chart the year prior too, are all missing 🔍.

So while we still thankfully get a couple more authentic versions of "La Bamba" that came straight from Mexican folk bands on here, much of the rest of this album is filled out with versions of this song that are either not very interesting or haven't really stood the test of time. Like, with there being upwards of 150 renditions of this now-American standard in existence, was it really necessary for Rhino to include a version of it that was done by Rice University's marching band, of all options? Surely, there were better renditions of it out there than that 🤷‍♂️.

Anyway, join me later this week as I plan to tackle two separate Rhino-compiled volumes of "Louie Louie" renditions too! (gif unrelated) 😎

Highlights:

Ritchie Valens - "La Bamba" Mariachi Vargas - "La Bamba"

[midi4ri0love]

my next gen head-canons (potter edition)

Lily Luna Potter-Weasley

Lily => Lily Evans/Potter

Luna => Moony and the actual moon (glowing in the sky)

goes by Li-Lou, 'lil Luna (not voluntarily), Little Moons, Vase-Killer (flew into a vase once when she was little (like baby harry😭❤️))

into astrology and astronomy

crystal kinda girl

she adores Lavender (she survived), Lavender gives her fashion advice and is basically an aunt to her

Lily's eyes

Ginny's hair

Harry's nose (along with her siblings)

cute freckles

since she was old enough to walk, she was flying along with her family

she LOVES quidditch

(basically James but girly)

Gryffindor, very popular

enjoys occasional (harmless) pranks

if she isn't on her broom, she's roller skating

kinda reckless at times

bright and full of joy

probably bi

Fabian Regulus Fred Potter-Weasley (formerly Albus Severus Potter, Ginny didn't approve)

cursed child who? (not canon, illegal in fact)

likes playing with his siblings

actually enjoys studying

thinks pranks are funny but almost never plays pranks

really likes his "uncle" Neville

likes astronomy and astrology

likes flying around but thinks quidditch is too violent

BFF w/ Scorp obv

ally, probably straight, or maybe not?

his great-aunt's (Petunia) hair, a few shades darker

his moms (Ginny) and grandpas (James) eyes

pale just becoz

likes cute things

would take a girl to Madam Puddifoot's

listens to music 24/7

rlly social but can be shy

likes broom-racing

plays tennis

plays the violin

proud slytherin (PROUD ASF, needs to defend his house pride at least twice a week)

James Sirius Potter-Weasley

the reason it's Potter-Weasley and not Weasley-Potter (they said that if the firstborn is a boy, it'd be Potter-Weasley and vice-versa)

loves painting and art

carbon copy of his father, grandpa and great-grandpa (must be the Potter gene)

but with blue eyes (like some of the Weasleys and Evans)

looks like Percy Jackson and everybody points it out

also goes by Jay

and ppl call him Jackson too

piercings, paint, cross

average queer church teen

QUIDDITCH 4 LIFE

VERY sporty: quidditch, basketball, football, whatever

can't see w/o his glasses

bright eyes

everybody's crush

the boys be lucky

(very gay in fact, if you haven't noticed yet)

never met his namesake's but somehow still managed to steal their personality??

has gotten Minnie near tears several times, both bc of marauders nostalgia, frustration and happiness (he's a great quidditch player if u haven't noticed that yet)

proud gryffindor

proud brother

proud gay

(Picrew: Character maker, @/hunbloom)

[purplesurveys]

1914

Name something you keep on the nightstand. The microfiber cloth for my glasses so I can clean mine as soon as needed.

What does a man brag about the most? I uh...don't know. I never hang with groups of dudes lol, and the ones I know don't really do a lot of bragging around me.

What's the most you've tipped your waiter or waitress. The highest I give is ₱500 and that's whenever I host a big party (10-15 pax). I leave ₱200 if I was very impressed by the service; otherwise my standard practice is at ₱100.

As a child, what frightened you the most? Cockroaches, because we had flying ones at home. The fear has carried over to this day because I still hate seeing them.

I also didn't like seeing anyone drunk because the men in my family who did never knew how to take care of themselves. It was horrifying watching them stumble and slur their words; physical altercations were the worst thing I had to witness. Among family. So imagine how pissed I felt when I tried alcohol for the first time and learned that drinking has a lot to do with just knowing how to control yourself.

Name a dish you take to a potluck. The ideal option would be pizza but that's what everybody brings, so my go-to has evolved to be Mama Lou's truffle mac and cheese. They're not what anyone would think to be their first choice, and yet everyone goes crazy over them. As a people pleaser, I always want to make sure it's my tray that makes their way to plates the most haha.

What's a popular vacation location? For Filipinos, definitely any of these: Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore. I've been to Singapore but have no interest in the other two.

Name a complaint people have about their job. That they are not paid enough for the life they need to sustain.

Name something you put off doing until the weekend. Taking our pets to the vet. The queues are always unpredictable, and the last thing I'd want to happen is to be 5th in line during my lunch break and be stuck on the road three minutes before a 1 PM call. So say if they were due on a Wednesday, I'd just take them that same weekend.

What's a common remedy for a cold? I just let it pass if it's only a cough or cold. Fever is a different story – I'm rarely sick, so when it happens it crashes hard on me. When I get a fever, I usually find myself asking for soup since it's the only thing I'll have the appetite for.

My mom also has this honey ginger tea that she makes me drink 1-2 glasses of. It's nasty, but I do it for her so it doesn't go to waste.

How many scoops of ice cream do you put on an ice cream cone? 2 max and that's pushing it. I'm a slow eater, so it's sure to melt. It's also why I've always preferred having ice cream from a bowl/cup.

Name a type of nut. If I'm having the nut itself, pistachio. In terms of flavor, almond or peanut.

How long is the typical vacation? Anywhere between 2-5 days. Except for the time we were in Bali for 7 days, I've never been on a vacation for longer than a week.

Name a popular athlete. Simone Biles.

At what age should you have children? Whenever you're ready and financially capable. It's different for all.

During high school, what was your worst subject? Chemistry. I feel like my teacher only passed me out of guilt(??); my test scores ranged from 68-89. Never tasted a line of 9 from it lol.

Name a famous Jack. Jack Nicholson.

How many speeding tickets does an average motorist receive? I have no idea. Speeding's not that big of a problem here to begin with because the Philippines is the Traffic Hellhole of the World LOL

Name a profession a kid wants to be when they grow up. Teacher, doctor, princess.

Name a famous TV detective. Sherlock Holmes.

At what age did you get your first kiss? 16.

What month is popular for weddings? Ber months.

Name something people forget when they're in a hurry. Wallet.

[w2writesstuff]

What W2 Wrote in 2023

Considering that I'm prrrrrobably not going to manage to put out anything else this year, yeah, let's do a roundup now while I've got a moment. (Note: Only includes fun stuff; no professional shit here.)

January

I can't even remember January. Nothing happens in Januaries.

February

to the beat of your heart, ch. 3 (MDZS) The ongoing adventures of a self-indulgent happy-ending everybody-lives-and-also-bones WangXian canon-divergent AU; a joint project between my wife and me.

It’s Hard to Say “I Do” When You Don’t (@shousetsubangbang) Original story about a guy whose long-time crush asks him to pretend to be his boyfriend at a family wedding. Fake dating ensues.

March

Kintsukuroi (DMBJ) This heihua piece may be the best thing I've written all year? Look, I'm just very proud of how I made it exactly what I wanted it to be.

April

Head (@shousetsubangbang) This was a last-minute fill because the story I wanted to write failed to make itself writeable. Oh well! Still a funny and cute blowjob.

May

to the beat of your heart, ch. 4 (MDZS)

I want to be where all the stupid shit I say sounds so romantic and true (Guardian, WeiLan) Someday I will write a longer and more complicated series of Guardian sex pollen shenanigans, but until then, enjoy this one.

The Rightful Ruler (The Blood of Youth, Lei Wujie/Xiao Se) Still the only English-language story on AO3 for this pairing! Includes maybe the funniest line I wrote all year? You make the call!

The Doctor is In (Psych-Hunter) I know nobody watched Psych-Hunter, and with good reason, but I did, and I think Jiang Shuo should get to spy on the sexy gay doctor if he wants to.

June

A Single Explosion (DMBJ, Pangxi + Xiao Ge) For PingPang Week, with @pangzi in mind. Here's the missing part of Ultimate Note, where Pangzi takes care of Xiao Ge in the hospital.

Dog (The Disguiser, Ah Cheng/Ming Lou) This was actually written before I saw the post going around about how the sexiest thing one guy can be is another's dog. But it's true!

And I am green, and you are wood (DMBJ/Mystic Nine) Another exchange fic, where Liang Wan gets a chance to meet all of Zhang Rishan's old (boy)friends, especially Ba Ye.

Reverse Cowgirl (Not Gay as in Take Off Your Pants and Jacket, Queer as in Dude Ranch) (@shousetsubangbang) Is this the hottest thing I've ever written for SSBB? Might just be. Lesbian ranch hands recruit a city girl.

July

Stay (Beyond Evil, Oh Jihwa/Yu Jaeyi) Because you know what that show needed? Small town lesbians.

Little Spear (The Blood of Youth, Sikong Qianluo/Xiao Se) This show has some cute het, but how it would work in bed is another matter entirely; or, two gay people try to have straight sex.

动须相应 (live-action Hikaru no Go, Yu Liang/Shi Guang) It's hard to get much gayer than the actual show without adding explicit sex, so ... here you go! Post-series boyfriends.

One Quiet Night (Kingdom, Seobi + Lee Chang/Yeongshin) This is the other thing I'm really proud of, because it too came out pretty much exactly the way I envisioned it. A nurse, a prince, and a scrappy piece of shit more or less all fall in love.

August

Hooks in My Sides (Beyond Evil, JWDS) This certainly was the most popular thing I've written all year. It's unfortunately easy to write poor Juwon having a gay meltdown.

A World Made Up of Silver and Copper (@shousetsubangbang) A prince-and-pauper scenario, this time focusing on the prince's adventures in being mistaken for himself. (Hint: they are sexy.)

September

...Funny how the first months of each semester are usually a complete wash for me creatively, huh?

October

to the beat of your heart, ch. 5 (MDZS)

Over My Dead Body (@shousetsubangbang) Nothing like the romance of possessing a corpse only to find he's not actually dead. (Note to DMBJ fans: This should taste like heihua.)

November

A fair amount of November was spent writing something that I just couldn't finish for December's SSBB, once I realized how long it'd have to be and how little free time I had. Maybe next year!

December

Antivenin (@shousetsubangbang) A mean bisexual and an even meaner lesbian team up to distract their gay boss from his terrible crush.

-

And that's it! It always feels kind of weird to see it all gathered in one place, like ... wow, that's not nearly as much as I thought it was. But at the same time, it involves a couple of pieces I feel very good about, so overall I'm going to take the win.

The most fun I had was doing my Small Fandom Summer thing, where I wrote fic for fandoms that had <1000 English-language works on AO3. Maybe I'll do that again next year!

Anyway, if you do wind up reading something, especially the original stuff, thanks. A lot of this can be a very lonely process, especially when there's not much of a built-in audience. Saying you liked something makes me feel a little less like I'm screaming into the void.

Onward to 2024!

[simulation-machine]

Lou as a tween:

Still got braces but now they're rainbowy and hence way cuter

Is purple still her favorite color? Obvs. But now she also likes other colors! Also: unicorns and flowers and earrings are a thing she's into these days

After a looong discussion about hair maintenance with Esme and Eva, Lou's opted to grow her hair out, it's currently a little above her waist

Lou's best friends are still very much Esme and Nora, with whom she hangs out more than ever

New interests: Getting a cat, becoming a teenager, romantic comedies, young adult novels, learning dance moves from s-pop music videos, trying to convince her parents to let her have a Social Bunny account (and failing), and karaoke (thanks to her """boyfriend""")

Lou's very excited by the prospect of becoming a teen, she and Esme daydream a lot about joining the cheer team together, going to dances, and maybe being popular?

Ever since her dad grew out his hair she's been finding him a bit embarrassing for reasons she can't quite verbalize, especially after an age-appropriate version of The Sex Talk that left her completely mortified. Stormy came in later to smooth things over and give information on what to expect with puberty, but Lou refused to look her dad in the eyes for weeks after that

Her diary has never been more important to her than recently, and she now takes it with her everywhere