#louis being in his own little world is like...a reoccuring thing for him. and that hes an asshole about being in his own world

[dreadfuldevotee]

Let Louis be arrogant, self-involved and not the most observant person in the room. This is the man who said he didn't know Lestat could fly even though they floated together in the pilot ep. The man who looked his daughter in the face and said she was wrong when she told him that his new boyfriend put his hands on her in a scene 10 minutes after the one where he told said boyfriend to stop being a dick to her. Louis Du Lac gave up on photography after a year when he received critique from someone other than his own machination of Lestat, even though he knew the photos would be a lot better if he exercised just a little patience. its fuuuun, it makes him interestiiiiiing

[breefarrow]

No bestie but who do you think fell first and who do you think fell harder based on the songs? I know ppl disagree w me but I think initially L fell harder and then H fell harder later(like his love grew maybe Idk) around the time sc and iicf were written. Does that make sense? Idk lol only the new albums will give me a good idea cus yk Harry has written more love songs in total post 1d. I mean he’s got two out so you’d except that 💃🏻🏃🏻‍♂️🏃🏻‍♀️

Hi anon nothing against you personally but I just hate hearing anything close to the line "person A fell first but person B feel harder" or "person A took longer to fall for person B" I hear varations of those a lot and that is just not true they both fell hard and fast. Since you mentioned Harry though and how you don't think he fall as hard or as fast as Louis I'm going to show you exactly why thats wrong. Harry very much fell just as hard and just as fast as Louis did. I'm talking heart eyes I want to spend the rest of my life with this damn human hard.

Quick side note about the song thing the first two albums they had little say in what went on with the songs they sang. It wasn't until Louis stepped up during the time they were going to start their third album where he convinced their label to let them write their own songs & due to that he felt it was up to him to write good songs for the album. Harry really started helping write songs by album four where you got the start of Harry's romance I love you songs but that doesn't mean he wasn't massively in love prior to that.

So here's the cute gif montage to prove my point.

Exhibit A: What the heck is so funny or cute about someone with a bitten cookie to their mouth? Harry always seemed to love when Louis did random dumb things that had everyone like 🤨. And you can see Harry is the only one who cares about Louis with the cookie no one else is looking at Louis just Harry.

Exhibit B: When asked about wanting kids and marriage even as young as they are he said yes & looked straight at Louis. He knew what he wanted & what they would become from day one.

Exhibit C: Harry putting all his attention on Louis. He isn't even trying to hide the fact that he's staring at Louis with all the love and adoration possible in his eyes. Side note these moments always felt so intimate like we were intruding on something.

Exhibit D: The after math of Harry doing one of his random dumb things to get Louis [his crush/lover] to notice him and being so happy once he he does.

Exhibit E: Always allowing Louis to fix his hair when Louis thought it was out of place.

Exhibit F: Harry caressing Louis cheek not paying attention to interviewer. Most of fetus/young larry was them living in their own little world not paying attention to anything around them.

Exhibit G: Harry was about to risk it all and kiss Louis here. This was a reoccurring occurrence that happened in fetus/young larry days were Harry was so close to kissing Louis.

Exhibit H: Harry being the happiest person ever when Louis kissed his cheek

Exhibit I: Whatever the fuck this moment was the interviewers face was all of us. Also love how Liams unfazed by it and continues talking like yeah this is a normal occurrence just ignore it.

Exhibit J: All the times Harry would whisper something in Louis ear on stage leaving Louis speechless. Again one of those are we intruding moments should we be seeing this or?

I could go on but I can only put 10 gifs in a given post but I think it gets the point across anon and this was only fetus/young larry they got even worse as the years went on. Moral of the post Harry was head over heals in love with Louis since day one.

[painted-starlight]

White Disney Princess Problem: How Discussion of Historical Sexism in Europe is Avoided When They Had Every Opportunity to Portray it

And Also Acceptance into European Royalty is the Path to True Liberation?

Warning: Loooong Post (seriously, I’m not kidding), Disney Criticism, anti-T*angled, swearing, dissecting Disney princess movies, discussing the implications of classism and sexism in white princess films. I will be noting historical incidents of sexism in Europe, and how these instances are mysteriously absent in white princess films despite sexism playing a major role in portraying princesses of color’s culture. 

Tl;dr/Summary: White Disney Princess Films have a reoccurring theme of showing how being part of white European royalty is the true path to liberation, even though historically this is a completely laughable concept. Sexism faced by princesses of color are portrayed as being ingrained in their culture and the films are explicit pointing their fingers.

Unlike their princess of color counterparts, the limited amount of sexism white princesses face is often whitewashed, downplayed, or even considered empowering.

This creates an implication that white European royalty and White European society is inherently more liberating for women, fairer than nonwhite cultures, and more humane. But in reality European royals were often notoriously sexist, and often violently so. Portraying white European royal culture as being inherently more freeing is historically inaccurate and irresponsible.

Also, I’m a picky little shit who delves into a lot of historical sexism that should be in the white princess films since Disney is soooo concerned about sexism enough to point it out in their princess of color films, but are mysteriously absent in their white European ones. 

Important Note: 

No, I don’t hate these films, I love many disney princess movies. 

And no, I don’t hate the fact that these girls have simple wishes. 

I don’t care if a character wants to go see the human world, or make a pretty dress, or paint or see lanterns or whatever. That’s FINE. 

What I hate is that they make a huge stink about how this or that nonwhite culture mistreats women, or how it’s unfair, but they never do the same for white Europeans. They always portray white europeans as nicer, kinder, etc. and find a convenient excuse to ignore/gloss over/whitewash the violent sexism present in european history. That is my ultimate problem. The double standard. 

The Double Standard 

I find it very interesting how in portraying Disney princesses of color, that the tend to portray sexism and social inequality as something that is naturally ingrained in their society. Mulan and Jasmine come into mind for this, as their social structures are considered unfair and undermine their character arcs. The sexism they face is something to overcome and to prove themselves.

But with white Disney princesses, despite coming from Europe (which is often violently patriarchal and demanding of compliance of social expectations of gender—think Henry the VIII’s infamous desire for a male heir, the influence of the Church, popular portrayals of the Madonna with the Virgin/Whore dichotomy) they all tend to either not face sexism or dismiss the notion outright in their films.

It’s important to note that earlier white Disney princesses (like Cinderella, Snow White, Aurora) tend to be portrayals of idealized femininity. They were designed to be what is considered appealing to patriarchal standards. Highly feminine, domestic, and at times passive.

Obviously, their stories wouldn’t tackle sexism. The sexism is what what was considered appealing for white men. It was their idealized femininity, and this trend actually still continues today. 

But these princesses legacy lives on. They affect white Renaissance Disney princesses and beyond. They have set the standards of what is considered “appropriate” for white princesses to be. 

This infection has spread a great deal to how they marketed especially. Sparkles, glitter, princess outfits at all times. But this post is about their movies, and how white princess films have often sidestepped the issue of sexism in European royal society.

Belle

Yes, there is sexism in this movie. Yes, it portrayed as being bad. But when we look at context of the film, there is a noticeable ahistorical approach to class and expectations of gender in royal society.

The lower class is filled with expectations for Belle. She needs to marry in order to fit in. The opening song is demonstrative of what she doesn’t want to be: a woman who is ogled by men and forced to have as many children as possible. The village, without a “proper” royal hierarchy, makes their own by “electing” Gaston, a boorish sexist pig. In a way, they are considered worse off without the influence of a King or Queen.

The village in question is isolated, and are not considered a representative of the outside world. It’s an individual case, and it’s upsetting but not considered the norm. 

The royals are what REAL freedom is, apparently. Where Belle has access to books, has a palace full of people who accept her for who she is, and has a connection to a prince who has been cursed. She is free to do as she pleases, with the Beast encouraging her love for reading.  

EDIT (08/12/19): 

Hm, I should really revise this wording, as it is a little vague. One of the key elements in understanding this movie’s themes is that Belle is initially Beasts’ prisoner. 

There is no freedom until AFTER she changes him and he has the maturity to let her go (Though I believe she is ignorant of the rose being a ticking clock). But once she gets it, she is apparently “free” to do as she pleases.  

Initially, it’s kind of like going from one prison (social expectations) to another (which is a literal one). But when regarding the narrative, it all places emphasis on individual choices. White European stories told by Disney tend to judge characters based on their choices and they never judge the culture itself, just choices people make. 

While placing emphasis on individual choices is fine in a vaccum, they never do this for nonwhite cultures, particularly Renaissance disney films with nonwhite leads. Those films tend to rely on racial stereotypes to fill the cast and not give them as much understanding as their white counterparts. 

The only reason the palace is in ruins is because the prince decided to judge people based on their looks. It turns not only himself, but his servants and the rest of the castle into twisted versions of themselves. The town fawns over Gaston and glorify his actions despite being an asshole, but it’s not something that is consistent with French culture. 

It’s important to note though, that once the monarchy is reinstated, things end happily ever after. But if people really want to claim historical accuracy, the expectations from Belle wouldn’t end there. 

(end note)

Sure, she would have access to books theoretically. But as a princess/queen, Belle would be expected to perform more feminine tasks and birth male heirs to inherit the throne. It’s in the culture of royals to do this. These expectations don’t go away.  

Most European royalty, especially France, have been notorious during this time period (assuming it’s Pre-Revolutionary France) for its nobility being separated from the general public at large. Royals had their own culture and etiquette. Royalty often had a culture that was exclusively for themselves. One historical account had King Louis XIV relocating their court and government to Versailles because they didn’t want to be near all the poor people in Paris. 

Which is probably where the creators of Beauty and the Beast (Disney film) based the idea of the village being separated from the palace came from.

Nobility also had strict ideas of what men and women’s roles are. In fact, you could argue that the idea that Belle would be “free” as a princess would be a laughable concept. Like it has been established earlier, European royalty had their own set of rules and restrictions based on gender and social expectations. 

Merida

It’s funny how the inherently sexist practices of royalty are suddenly something to be proud of and find power in it when it’s European, and hated when it’s from a nonwhite culture. 

In Brave, domesticity and performance of femininity are emphasized, much to Merida’s irritation, so it’s definitely truer to upper class customs than say, Beauty and the Beast.

Plausible Deniability aka “what sexism? I see no sexism!” 

However, this movie dances around the concept that sexism has anything to do with this by creating plausible deniability at every turn. It’s about Elanor and Merida, not the system that binds them. It doesn’t help that Eleanor is the one who enforces these rules on Merida, not to protect her from harm coming from the men in these social circles that would hurt her for not performing femininity, but because “it’s tradition.”

Merida laments that her brothers don’t have the same responsibilities as her, but of course they don’t. They’re like, five. She hates having to be a princess because it’s work, but of course? She’s a princess. 

It becomes a matter of her not wanting to do work and chalking it up to her being rebellious rather than a genuine effort to change anything about the social structure. It’s a generational difference that requires compromise, not upheaval. 

She doesn’t want to lose her freedom, but it’s portrayed as something she has to do to grow up. The obligations make her sad but she has to ultimately deal with it, reasserting the theme of “compromise” with her relationship with her mother and the clans. In the end, it’s about her and her mother, not about how this system treats women at all. She doesn’t put any responsibility for this system on her father (who would reinforce these rules because he is the KING) because she gets along with him more than her mother. 

That’s the problem with white princess films in general. They take problems that exist because of systemic and economic limitations and make it completely individualistic.  It’s important to note that Brave appears to be tackling sexism, but it never actually addresses it in a genuine way.

Lesson for Battling Systemic Sexism in Brave: Don’t Change the System, Change the Person!

Merida’s desire for change is based on her mother’s demands, and doesn’t tackle the social expectations themselves straight on. The men around Merida, who MADE and uphold these rules, aren’t considered a threat and are pretty much never held accountable. They are too bumbling, too endearing, and too funny to be called out on their expectations.  

The movies like, “oh yeah, this social structure is hindering and it’s sexist and whatever, blah, blah, blah but eVeryONE wants to follow their own path, not just Merida!!1” Her potential suitors don’t want to do this either. It’s totally not a sexism issue!!11

Even though historically, you’d have at least ONE suitor that didn’t care whether she wanted to or not, as it would be a power grab. But because they are so bumbling, they are almost all benign. The ending in itself is convenient as it allows Merida and Elanor to reconnect. But it doesn’t really change anything. Because it doesn’t want to. That wasn’t the point.

White Princesses: For Me, Myself, and I

Belle didn’t want to change how women were viewed, just her specific circumstances. Her plight is portrayed as systemic, but only in this one area that’s gone rogue. The world outside is more accepting, more free, and it’s in the confines of a royal castle. On a meta level, it’s kinda classist. I love the movie, don’t get me wrong, but on rewatch it seems to equate a lack of a monarchy ultimately leading into a mob mentality. Which, for France, makes sense. But when you have servants who just live to serve (no matter how vibrant their personality), I kind of get suspicious. 

Ariel didn’t want to change how mermaids interacted with humans, she just wanted to go up and see the human world. The benefits of her turning her into a human (freeing Ursula’s victims) is a happy accident that lines up with her ending.

Merida just wanted to be free to do whatever she wanted, which is considered selfish. She is a princess, and being a princess is hard work (when you want to make sure your character finds power in sexist practices). 

And to be honest, it’s fine to have a simple goal. Reconnect with your mother, make a pretty dress, see the lanterns, whatever. But the problem is the double standard when they go into films about people of color. They point out how sexist this non white culture is, how they mistreat women, but they never do the same for white princesses at all. These filmmakers always have some sort of excuse. 

Ariel

Ariel’s story is indivualistic and while there are hints of her being unsatisfied with her role as a princess (with her line “bright young women, sick of swimming”), it’s more about her personal journey to be human. She’s not dissatisfied because of her society because of sexist/prejudice expectations, but because she wants to explore. 

Once again, the world in which a white Disney princess goes into/winds up in a world of European royalty are considered a bastion of freedom. In the original tale, the prince is not idealized and she is miserable on the surface world when it turns out that all her sacrifice was for nothing. 

I’ve had people argue that Triton’s prejudice (which is often mislabeled as “racism,” which….no it’s not) is a social problem, it really doesn’t play much of a role rather than provide an opposition to overcome on the path to being human.

Even if Triton was fine with humans and let her explore the human world, it wouldn’t be enough. She’d still want to be human, just maybe not going to such extreme lengths. When Ursula is defeated, others are freed from her curse, but that’s an unintentional side effect of Ariel’s journey, not the goal. Sure, she’s disgusted, but she’s not out to right any wrongs. It’s just her. Like most white princesses, this is about herself. 

Elsa and Anna

Why is it that suddenly we have a powerful matriarchy when Europe has historically violently opposed the concept? You’d think that they would mention the sexism of royal European politics since she is the queen. 

I have looked it up, and the only way she could assess power is if she had a son to inherit the throne and then act as Queen regent until he inherited it (as was the case of Queen Margaret of Denmark in 1387, who ruled Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Though she outlived her son and her successor was a relative after her death. Considering that this story presumably takes place in the early 1800s, that is a huge time difference and the politics of European royalty would be drastically different). 

No Male Heirs?

In earlier storyboards, we have suitors for Elsa that she rejects. We also had a regent who took the throne for Elsa after her parents died before she was coronated. But that character was deleted. So it’s safe to assume that she is not only being coronated, but also has absolute power.

Elsa is pretty much universally loved by her people and doesn’t have any real serious opposition to her rule politically. The Duke of Weasleton is a joke, and he is more concerned about his trade being compromised rather than her being a woman. 

Please correct me if I’m wrong, but other than calling her a witch, his sexism isn’t as explicit as it should be and isn’t taken very seriously. His character is more defined by his dislike of magic, and is portrayed as suspicious, arrogant and cowardly. 

In the end, it all came down to trade and goods. If Arandelle’s goods were damaged or expired from the winter, it might cause their prices to go up.But in reality, it’d just be easier for the Duke to look for a male relative of Elsa to usurp her and form some sort of alliance with him. And more historically accurate.

Hans, Kristoff and the Marriage Situation

Anna has the freedom to marry a commoner (Kristoff), a prince she was not previously engaged to (Hans), and she has the power to grant Hans authority. The mere fact that she was even allowed to be alone with him is cause for concern, as many upper class women had to have a chaperone when courting before they could even go walking together. 

She isn’t pressured to marry Hans, she does it because she wants to. She just chooses him at a party. Surely she’d have an arranged marriage, or something? 

Rapunzel

Obviously, because Ra//punzel is not raised to be a princess she would probably not be held to the same standards until she returned home. And I’m not gonna touch the animated series because it’s so far removed from the movie it shouldn’t be considered canonical.

But still, Tangl//ed the movie continues the trend of how being part of European royalty is pathway to freedom. She is only free when she is away from Mother Gothel (who is poor) and with her birth parents (who are rich).

Sexist Insults from Mother Gothel, But No One Else

She doesn’t encounter any sort of sexism in her society. It’s really interesting to note that these feminine expectations and sexist insults are put on her more by Mother Gothel than the village she encounters. But that’s more because Mother Gothel is trying to destroy her sense of self worth (by calling her chubby, encouraging long hair to preserve her own youth, etc.).

Modern Notions of Femininity vs. Historical Reality

Rapunzel herself already engages in traditionally feminine activities (reading is very limited, baking, arts and crafts, etc.) for a modern audience. This is absolutely key because Mother Gothel wouldn’t be able to afford such a variety of paint for Rapunzel.

Painting for the longest time was considered a high art for men and male apprentices. Women weren’t encouraged to pursue it and it wasn’t seen as something traditionally feminine until recently.

Painting as a hobby (such as Rapunzel’s colorful and pastel palette) is more of a skill that is acceptable for girls now, since paint and brushes are in abundance and availability.

You can skip over this next part about the painting if you want. It’s basically me griping about how Rapunzel’s painting habits would be next to impossible in real life to do in the 1800s unless she had her own workshop with her own apprenticeship and income. 

Painting? Maybe... Painting on the Walls? No freaking Way

In reality, if this does take place in past Europe then she probably wouldn’t have access to paint as it was really expensive and you had to take things like climate, temperature, and color into account to transporting and making it.

Location was really important, as paint in Northern Europe wouldn’t be compatible with the temperature of Southern Europe (because it would melt). And in Rapunzel’s case, if you’re putting it on a wall, then it would have to last a long time without melting or chipping away over time.  That is why old frescos (or Byzantine Wall Paintings) were chipped and rotted when they were rediscovered. Also, don’t even try to get blue, that color was crazy expensive lol.

Mother Gothel doesn’t appear to have the material wealth to afford it, otherwise she’d be able to afford way more and just import what she needs without leaving the tower. How could she afford all that paint? It was crazy expensive (unless you mixed it yourself). And that doesn’t even count the materials (brushes, color palettes, etc) needed to spread the paint across the entire tower. 

According to BBC’s Life in Colour: The Surprising History of Paint:

By the end of the 19th Century almost any colour could be purchased for a relatively low price.

Throughout the 1800s, traditional methods of producing colours declined as cheaper, reliable, standardised chemical methods replaced them. Most artists and their apprentices no longer mixed their own paints but bought them ready-made from professional “colourmen”.

So yeah, either Rapunzel would have to make them herself or she got Mother Gothel to buy it premixed for her (this is assuming that this takes place in 1840). The pigments she made would have most likely been toxic to handle. This was over a century before the creation of non toxic paint. And since she, you know, put them on the walls and most likely inhaled them---that’s just a recipe for disaster. 

Then again, it depends on whether or not she used oil based paint or water based paint. Oil based takes longer to dry than water based paint (6 hours!) and water based paint chips faster. 

Now for what I think many of you will go for when attempting to refute these points:

Tiana. 

Tiana’s story may take place in America with a more positive portrayal of the black community (though let’s be honest the whole thing with Vodoo being a force of evil is...ugh..) it still has some issues regarding condemning white people for their role in systemic racism and sexism. 

Tiana, a Black Woman’s Struggles in the Jim Crow South

“B-But Tiana wants a resturaunt!!1 It’s a simple wish for herself! Take that11!!!” 

Yeah, so? 

Do people actually think her story has nothing to do with misogynoir???it takes place in the Jim Crow South. 

Tiana faces systemic racism and is denied her dream based on her being black woman. Her entire character is centered around her connection to her heritage, her socioeconomic situation, and her culture. She may have married Naveen, but she had all the resources to buy her restaurant herself. Her liberation is her embracing her father’s words and living by them. 

And even with all this, because it takes place in America the story bends over backwards to make white characters who are totally not racist. Like Renegade Cut’s Analysis of “Late Stage Disney,” we have a system of violence and suppression being purposefully created for the benefit of white people being portrayed as a case by case problem rather than a systemic one.

They try to tell the audience that those who greatly benefit from this system (like Charlotte and her father) are good and only evil meanies take advantage of it. No...wtf?? I love this movie but Charlotte “I’m here to steal the spotlight cause I’m white” La Bouff is honestly the worst part. 

White princesses are white, and they don’t face systemic issues like systemic racism at all. They also just aren’t as involved in their culture because whiteness is so homogenized. They will never face that type of discrimination and the only way I can see them doing that is, well, talking about sexsm. 

Which they don’t seem to be interested in exploring.  

Final Thoughts

You’re probably wondering why I’m nit picking at so many of these white princesses. Well, a lot of fans argue that they are whitewashed because it’s “Historically Accurate (tm),” but these movies conveniently leave out the sexism that permeates white european royal politics. 

You could argue that white princess films are based on modern sensibilties and don’t want to go too deep into sexism. The Little Mermaid is more in tune with modern attitudes toward (white) women, and it’s a fantasy for them. 

But the thing about this is that the Disney Renaissance was a new age and if they wanted to talk about trials of gender discrimination, they did. They had no problems going into heavier subjects like this when they focused on Aladdin and Mulan. Hell, Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin only came out within a year of one another, and the contrast between their portrayal of cultures and sexism is staggering. 

The only exception I can think of was the Hunchback of Notre Dame (which isn’t a princess movie, so it doesn’t really count in this discussion because marketing really changes the game). But we don’t see characters like Quasimodo being promoted on toys, backpacks, and merchandise in the same way like we do Anna, Elsa, and Rapunzel. Not to mention, the movie has it’s own problems, such as Esmarelda representing negative sexualized stereotypes of Rroma woman. 

While the Hunchback of Notre Dame has slightly more grace than it’s white disney princess counterparts, it still has problems that can effect the way that children view themselves and their cultures when through the lens of white people. 

Overall, the numbers of positive depictions of white europeans that omit historical sexism and violence in princess films far outweighs the ones that portray them more honestly. 

[monstersinthecosmos]

When vampires live together why are they considered to be lovers? Like Louis/Armand and Marius/Daniel. Are they feeding on each other intimately?Could they be just friends?

Hi!

So one of the things in VC is that these vampires are like sappy emotional goofballs and there’s a reoccurring theme of love transcending traditional boundaries. It’s also implied over and over that they experience love on a level that is unfathomable to us as MERE MORTALS because of their big magical vampire brains.

I do think their relationships in general can be looked at on an individual basis and their history dictates the sort of tone there—I think they’re all just super extra and will always refer to companions as lovers even when there are dramatic qualitative differences in their relationship dynamics—like for example Louis & Armand strike me as a more traditional couple model, vs. Marius & Daniel strike me more in a father/son way because Marius takes care of him. Though, it’s a little hard to speculate because we don’t see a lot of them together. But! In this world, with the love transcending boundaries blah blah, it doesn’t mean they aren’t lovers in this universe and this context, because you see the same with Louis & Claudia or Lestat & Gabrielle. And even though there are a lot of areas in the stories where sex is implied through symbolism and coding and whatever there isn’t literal sex, so when you take sex out of the equation it’s a little easier to apply these broader definitions of love to these pairs of characters. And you see it over and over again that they never just like someone, or have a crush on someone. They’re just constantly ~IN LOVE~ with each other and they’re all so obsessed with how beautiful everyone is lol.

But also re: blood/sex !!!

Something I noticed in VC fandom is that there’s sort of a spectrum of how literally people take the blood=sex thing, and when you also combine that with the spectrum of people’s sexuality and sex positivity I think we come up with some varying interpretations of these stories and characters. I’m not here to say that anyone else is wrong. This is a place where interpretation is key and it’s something so personal and that people feel so strongly about that I don’t think authorial intent often changes anyone’s minds. And having the freedom to interpret literature and art the way you want to is something that makes it enjoyable. 

Again, I think we have to take individual characters or ships into consideration with some of these questions. Like, were they feeding intimately? Until Louis v.2.0 showed up I don’t think he was. Marius and Daniel feed on each other but Marius is always very generous with his blood with his lovers because he wants them to be strong and safe. I don’t think the vampires can share blood WITHOUT it being intimate but it’s important to decide what you think “intimate” means. Because bloodsharing can be compared to sex, which is intimate in its own way, but i also see it being akin to breastfeeding, and that’s super intimate too. We have ways of knowing that these two things are different versions of intimacy and obviously the vampires would, too. But then, again, there’s the idea that the way they love each other is so much bigger than just being about sex, and their definition of intimacy is something much more infinite than we can comprehend. It’s also worth acknowledging that when they share blood they’re literally opening up a stream of their own thoughts and emotions, which is something that we IRL only experience on an implied or symbolic level when we have intimate moments with real people in our lives. So their version of intimacy is a lot more complex due to the literal mechanics of what happens to them and also that they’re canonically just super emotionally intuitive.

But like, for me? I’m happy to play along and suspend my disbelief when I read VC and accept that I have a tiny pathetic human brain and that they’re experiencing something too profound for me to understand. I accept that they love each other on a deep level where it doesn’t matter if their relationship resembles a traditional couple vs a parent and child. That Louis can consider Claudia his lover or that Lestat can consider Gabrielle his lover because of the intimacy they share is a symbol to me that they are above petty human labels, because they are not human.

Every now and then I see discussions where the blood is reduced to sex on such a literal level and it strikes me as being really crude, and to me it does a huge disservice to one of the things I love the most about this series. And that’s, yknow, like I said, something that can vary to a degree between different people. I’m a very sex-positive person, but I’m also asexual. I don’t like reducing intimacy to meaning sex. So “lovers” to me doesn’t necessarily mean sex partners and it also doesn’t necessarily mean blood sharers, either. Like we know that Louis wouldn’t take blood from the others, which tells me he didn’t try it with Lestat or Armand pre-2000. That doesn’t mean he and Armand weren’t lovers. I think it often just means “I love this person, therefore they are my lover.”

You could take the ~just dudes being bros~ attitude to them or to any set of vampires living together if you really wanted to but I really think they’re such sappy motherfuckers that they wouldn’t spend so much time around each other if they weren’t in love, with or without blood to complicate it. I also think the overuse of the word lover is an expansion on romance and not a reduction of it, so in any case where a romantic pairing is ambiguous because of the language I think it’s always better to err on the side of them being in love. 

Having said all that I will also say I’m super dying to know more about what goes on at Trinity Gate with Benji and Sybelle and we just DON’T HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION TO KNOW. I’m curious to see if the coven/family-like nature of the household diffuses the intensity between them, especially if Louis is around to keep Armand occupied. 

So! Anyway.

Kind of a hard question to answer because I think you have to take everyone on a case-by-case basis but I would definitely say that they all feel really big passionate feelings and don’t have casual crushes on each other. If they’re living together they’re probably in love with each other, in some ridiculous vampire way that doesn’t really make any sense to me.

Why the fuck do I talk so much when I answer asks idk but 

TLDR I think companion and lover are often used interchangeably in VC because these vampires are clingy dramatic saps and that they have a really liberal definition of “lover” and apply it in ways that we don’t as real people in the real world.

[penpursuiits]

☾   cute character questions   ☽

the basics.

NAME:  Sheila Violetta Campbell AGE:   26 ZODIAC SIGN:   Capricorn ONE GOOD TRAIT:   Her perseverance. Though Sheila spews a lot of positivity on the day to day, she’s aware that realistically things don’t always work out as planned. And sometimes, you can be born with the odds against you with your sex or race. But, Sheila always thinks ‘why not?’ It’s not like she’s trying to do something new, wild and inventive: she just wants to stand in a certain area. Be in a certain area. So naturally, Sheila thinks who says - what in life actually says that CAN’T be her who’s following in this other person’s set-trail? It’s not going to come easy but, she bounces up fairly easy. ONE BAD TRAIT:   Her ego. Yes, it’s great how she can say her name with a little something extra in her voice. Sheila knows who she is but, many times Sheila can get lost in the essence of herself. And, the overblown idea of self-importance. This especially comes out when becoming infuriated or, feeling ‘belittled’ due to those around her.

habits.

ONE BAD HABIT:   There are times in which Sheila works hard on something: re-reading, rephrasing, trying to have that perfect angle: her annoyance steadily climbs as two hours become three. The best way to describe Sheila in these cases are as being overheated. She needs to stop working, take a break, maybe finally eat dinner - but she wants to finish what’s at hand. Yet her work has become lackluster at this point: her mind is not relaxed as she’s just rushing herself. ONE GOOD HABIT:   Before leaving home for the day, Sheila makes sure everything is set for Hammy. Open blinds, a on television: it’s all done just so a home can still feel home-y for the cat. ONE HABIT THEY CAN’T BREAK:   Sheila is very much aware of how her personality can be. And there are a few negative traits of hers that she wishes she could erase as they’re, not good / lovable / admirable in her eyes. One of the behaviors that she wishes could end are how riled up she gets when told ‘No.’ Literally, the word no can have her feelings stirring, her thoughts infuriated. And that one calm part of her is like, ‘why? it’s JUST a word. Move on girl.’  ONE THEY’VE BROKEN:  Engaging in physical fights. Igniting physical fights was a unpleasant, reoccurring thing from her childhood. For these past few years, Sheila’s been good at not resorting to violence. WHAT THEY’RE AFRAID OF:   Being alone. Investing so much into her work that she cuts off meaningful relationships? Realizing that yeah she made it, she’s done everything she’s ever wanted to do, but where are her friends? This is a horrifying idea of a future to Sheila.  

family.

THEIR PARENTS NAMES:   Louis Childress & Dinah Campbell.  THEIR SIBLINGS NAMES:   Leroy Childress FAVORITE CHILDHOOD MEMORY:   It wasn’t uncommon for her father to get his friends together and play cards, and for whatever reason the circle of sitting men would always intrigue Sheila. Sensing this was fun and, important, she wanted to be apart of it - her father would shoo her away. Still, Sheila would remain in the room, looking into the playing hands of every man with the intentions of shouting what they had. Again, her father told her to leave. It took tears for her to be placed in his lap as he continued to play. Sheila didn’t pay attention to the rules he whispered to her, she just knew she wanted them to win. FAVORITE CHILDHOOD TOY:   A old stuffed cat named Meyow. Sheila left her behind on the RTA and never saw her again.  EMBARRASSING STORY:   Though her mother - and even step-father, tried to make Sheila fall in love with new stuffed animals: she refused to take to them. As December rolled around, young Sheila decided to write a letter to Santa pleading for her dearest toy’s return. Believing she knew who her stuffed cat now belonged to, Sheila outright wrote that if Santa could not help her she would take manners to the Lord and, ask him to bring wrath down upon the thief. There were full intentions to mail this off, but her mother read over it and had a ‘firm’ talk with her. Little Sheila was humiliated and angry -- the Sheila of today just blushes and laughs about it. FAVORITE FAMILY MEMBER:   Her grandmother. A STORY ABOUT THAT FAMILY MEMBER:   Her grandmother refused to leave the house she and her husband lived in. In many ways, her grandmother felt her husband was still alive so even in death, he held significant control over her. Sheila couldn’t stand the idea of her grandmother continuing to live in a old house that needed endless work done so, she began looking up retirement communities within her own spare time: determined to make her grandmother go through with something she would possibly never agree to -- Sheila wound up convincing her it was time to leave the old house. Her grandmother found the experience miserable in many ways whereas, Sheila thought it was character development for the elder. Her first step in essentially, liberating herself. 

what they prefer.

COFFEE OR TEA?   Coffee. SHOWERING IN THE DAY OR NIGHT?   Morning shower as she thinks it’ll add to her ‘freshness’ before work. TAKING BATHS OR TAKING SHOWERS?   While showers are done to actually clean her body; baths, are what Sheila likes to relax in after a long day. She’s a fan / proud owner of scented candles and bath pillows. TV OR MOVIES?   Hour Long Television Shows / Specials. WRITING OR READING?  Sheila can do both but in regards to fiction: she’d rather be reading it than writing it. PLATONIC OR ROMANTIC LOVE?   Platonic love doesn’t give her the creeps as much as romantic love does. Because unlike moments where she’s tempting to console friends to have her lover’s head on her shoulder or lap while they need reassurance is the same but - different. Sheila feels there’s a definite different layer there that feels especially fragile and precious. Yet a lover can provide more comfort, much more comfort, than a friend can for her, personally. Actually setting her mind at ease, having her feel really safe. And because of this - the answer is romantic love. ICED TEA OR LEMONADE?   Sweet Tea. ICE CREAM OR SMOOTHIES?   Smoothies. CUPCAKES OR CAKE?   Cupcakes. BEACH OR MOUNTAINS?  Both. But, Sheila has more beach experience than mountain experiences. However, snow-dusted mountains are one of her favorite sights. A area she’d love to be in.

favorites.

SONG:  Everybody Wants to Rule The World- Tears for Fears BAND:  Tears For Fears. Depeche Mode. Grace Jones. Janet Jackson. OUTFIT:  A red blazer paired over a white dress, black stripes at the bottom end. Accessorized with a fake black rose with a white center. PLACE:   New York. MEMORY:  Graduating college. PERSON:  Hammy. MOVIE:   Waiting to Exhale. Hidden Figures. SHOW:   How To Get Away With Murder. Criminal Minds. Deadly Women. Finding Your Roots. And a whole bunch of other stuff you’d find on the ID Channel. 

TAGGED BY:   @splatteredfingers TAGGING:    @littlelostbluejay. @lepuscor. @bengalisms. @bathedinsunrays.

[losinghome]

Can I just say that H and L’s lyrics fuck me up more than any video or picture proof? This year they have both made it a point to talk about the honesty in their writing. Louis said that the honesty of his lyrics helps fans see a side of him they don’t normally see. Then, Harry with his upcoming album release, has been stressing the fact that these upcoming songs are written about his own life and his experiences. They’ve both expressed and talked about the honesty in their songs, so it really makes you wonder what all these songs are about. The themes of freedom and forbidden love are so fucking redundant in the songs they’ve written on, it’s hard to be oblivious (but of course antis still manage) Starting with the most obvious two songs, Home and If I Could Fly: “So long I’ve been waiting to let go of myself and feel alive. So many nights I thought it over, told myself I kind of liked her, but there was something missing in her eyes.” One verse in and already hinting at a gay anthem. Louis had a girlfriend before x factor and before Harry. In my head, this verse is talking about when Louis was with her, unsure of himself and scared of what he was feeling, or rather, what he wasn’t feeling. There was a time when he was only just beginning to discover himself, a time of self inflicted hiding. I honestly think this song is about the path of self acceptance after so long of telling/forcing yourself to be something to fit everyone else’s standards. It’s him realizing, hey, maybe I’m not into the gender I was told I’m supposed to like. It gets more obvious when Louis sings, “I see the smile as it starts to creep in. It was there I saw it in your eyes.” FUck me up with that pronoun change. This song is a literal gay anthem. The fact that Louis sings that part, directly followed by Harry singing, “I was stumbling, looking through the dark, with an empty heart, but you say you feel the same. Could we ever be enough? Baby we could be enough.” This song is such a larrie? I suck at explaining, but just imagine you’ve spent 18 years of your life forcing yourself to be something you’re not, and then you meet this person and everything sort of clicks. This person makes you feel safe, but with all of the outside forces and circumstances, you wonder if its all worth it. “And it’s alright. Calling out for somebody to hold tonight. When you’re lost, I’ll find a way and I’ll be your light, you will never feel like you’re alone.” The chorus is lead by Harry and finished with Louis singing, “I’ll make this feel like home.” Honestly, the fact that Louis had to leak and promote this song himself says enough. Harry just had to make it more obvious by writing a response. “If I could fly, I’d be coming right back home to you. I think I might, give up everything just ask me to.” For someone who has never publicly been in love before (a huge contrast to Louis’ constant het image), he sure does write some heart-wrenching love songs. If his writing style is so terribly honest, where do all of these feelings come from? This song is so vulnerable its hurts to listen to. It’s reassuring and heartbreaking all in one. In the chorus he’s literally saying, if you start to lose yourself and feel like no one is there for you I will give you my love (makes me think of all the stunts and lying Louis has been put through and how he’s starting to forget himself), I am all yours, no one else will ever see how much I love you, you’re my other half, for your eyes only. Also, real quick, the heart thing, “I can feel your heart inside of mine, I feel it.” Always in my heart?? OKAY MAN. Then you have Louis’ solo, “I’ve got scars, even though they can’t always be seen, and pain gets hard, but now you’re here and I don’t feel a thing.” Harry is his safety, his sanity, his home. Through all the years of lying, closeting, harsh remarks, and rumors, Louis should have broken down long ago, but Harry has kept him grounded. Thinking of all that Louis has been though makes me tear up, and even when he has seemingly no one, he manages to keep himself standing and strong. “My hands, your hands, tied up like two ships. Drifting, weightless, waves tries to break it.” Here we go again with the forbidden love, standing together, and holding on. This theme is so constant in their lyrics, it’s almost laughable. The nautical references (Tattoos anyone?) and symbolism stands out clear and loud. Strong is literally just another gay anthem. My mom’s GSA at her school (she’s a teacher) are using this song on their Day of Silence playlist BECAUSE IT’S SO OBVIOUSLY GAY. The chorus just hits it all the way home, “I’m sorry if I say I need you, but I don’t care, I’m not scared of love. ‘Cause when I’m not with you I’m weaker. Is that so wrong? Is it so wrong? That you make me strong.” The amount of pride in this chorus make me so happy. I can just imagine Louis thinking, “Screw management, screw pr stunts, screw the media, screw homophobia, I love you and I’m not ashamed to say it.” Black and white, clear as day, Louis is deadass saying that he is not ashamed of himself and no amount of forced closeting or homophobic remarks will change that. “So baby hold on to my heart, oh need you to keep me from falling apart. I’ll always hold on, ‘cause you make me strong.” AND THERE IT IS, hold the fuck on bitch (if it all goes wrong, darling just hold on). and it’s not just the “hold on” thing that reoccurs. The words “strong” shows up a lot too and Jesus fuck “heart” must be their favorite word because it’s practically in every goddamn song (not surprisingly). The chorus of Through the Dark just takes the cake, “I will hold you closer, hope your heart is strong enough, when the night is coming down, we will find a way through the dark.” Anyone else get major Home vibes? What the actual fuck man? But can’t dwell on it too long, this is only the beginning my dear friend, because of course we’re back at it with the forbidden love. “But I can’t hold you too close now, through the wire, through the wire.” This keeps happening, doesn’t it? Singing about hiding your love and being torn apart (and yet elounor do anything but hide). The bridge (sung by Harry dearest), “Whatever chains are holding you back, holding you back, don’t let them tie you down…tell me you believe in that.” Do I even have to explain at this point? They’re so fucking obvious I wanna scream. Actually, at this point the themes are so redundant, I’m just gonna list some more lyrics and let them speak for themselves: “I think I’m gonna lose my mind, something deep inside me I can’t give up…I got a feeling deep inside, It’s taking all I got…’cause nobody knows you baby, the way I do (If I Could Fly vibes)…It’s been so long, we must be fireproof, ‘cause nobody saves me the way you do…I think I’m gonna win this time, riding on a wind and I won’t give up, I think I’m gonna win this time, I roll and I roll ‘till I change my luck.” Love wins, always. “Then there’s me, a sinking boat running out of time. Without you I’ll never make it out alive, but I know, yes I know, we’ll be alright…There’s no way you can change the rolling tide, but I know, yes I know, that I’ll be fine…I don’t want to get lost in the dark of the night…’cause I wanna be free, and I wanna be young, I’ll never look back now I’m ready to run.” “You say we’ll be together even you’re lost…Is it too much to ask for something great…The script was written and I could not change a thing. I want to rip it all to shreds and start again…You’re all I want, so much it’s hurting.” Okay but ouch :’( “Used to sing about being free, but now he’s changed his mind.” Do you get what I’m saying? Do you get why I call it redundant? Because these words and ideas take play in almost every fuckin song they write. Now, turning to songs Harry has written that aren’t for One Direction: I Love You and Just a Little Bit of Your Heart. “I fell in love in the morning sun while the hours slipped away. Sometimes when I hear your name, a smile creeps on my face.” Here we have Harry giving major Home vibes yet again. “And I know that it sounds so wrong and you’ve heard it all before. I didn’t come back and I wasn’t there, I wont trouble you no more…Every time I try to fight it everything just turns out wrong. Maybe if I got my timing right, I wouldn’t end up alone.” I honestly don’t know how to explain these lyrics. I just feel like they have a special meaning and I have to include them. Harry doesn’t say or write anything just for the sake of it. He’s raw and honest and emotional. “I fell in love with a beautiful boy and you still take my breath away. When you left it was the end of my world ‘cause I never got to say that I love you, more than you think I do.” Now for a song that brings tears to my eyes and makes my heart heavy: “I don’t ever ask you where you’ve been, and I don’t feel the need to know who you’re with. I can’t even think straight, but I can tell that you were just with her, and I’ll still be a fool, I’m a fool for you.” I don’t think this song is necessarily about cheating. It’s definitely about loving someone so much, you’re willing to share their heart. In a larrie perspective, this song gives major hints at how Harry feels about the stunting Lou does. He tries to hide the hurt from Louis because he knows its not under their control. Harry is a naturally jealous person presumably, and at one point in time he was incredibly insecure. It only makes sense that seeing Louis going out with beards and holding someone else’s hand would break him, even just a little. “I don’t ever tell you how I feel…and nothing’s ever easy, that’s what they say. I know I’m not your only, but I’ll still be a fool.” “I know I’m not your only, but at least I’m one. I heard a little love is better than none.” “Just a little bit of your heart is all I want…Just a little bit is all I’m asking for.” Fuck pr stunts. Free my babies :’( And okay, I know Ed wrote 18, but hear me out. “I have loved you since we were eighteen.” (or that one time on stage when Louis sang “I have loved him since we were eighteen.”). And then we have Steal My Girl, “She’s been my queen since we were sixteen.” I mean, Harry and Louis just happened to be sixteen and eighteen when they first met, but hey, that’s none of my business. Okay, I’m just going to finish this off with Perfect, because if I try and get into Just Hold On or Sign of the Times, I’ll never finish this post. Also, because they fucking wrote it together. “I might never be your night in shining armour, I might never be the one you take home to mother, and I might never be the one who brings you flowers.” I might not be able to love you publicly, I can’t treat you the way you want me to, I can’t hold you or show public signs of affection or show you to the world, but for now I can promise to love you. “When I first saw you from across the room.” My mind just keeps bringing up that picture from X factor of L and H looking at each other from across the room through the crowd. And the bloody chorus, just give me a moment because I’m tired of their asses and their need to reference forbidden love all the goddamn time, “But if you like causing trouble up in hotel rooms, and if you like having secret little rendezvous. If you like to do the things you know that we shouldn’t do, then baby I’m perfect, baby I’m perfect for you.” WHAT HIDDEN LOVE HAVE THESE TWO EXPERIENCED? Their public het love life is anything but hidden. “And if you like midnight driving with the windows down, and if you like going places we can’t even pronounce, if you like to do whatever you’ve been dreaming about, then baby you’re perfect.” Hiding in the comfort of night, running around, traveling the world together. This chorus is deadass the Just Hold On music video. Funny how the one song Harry and Louis wrote together happens to explain their love story perfectly. “I might never be the hands you put your heart in or the arms that hold you anytime you want them, but that don’t mean that we can’t live here in the moment, ‘cause I can be the one you love from time to time.” Once again, I can’t love you in public, but give me a chance to love you anyways, even if I wont always be there. The message stays standing throughout the song; I can’t promise perfection, but maybe we’re perfect for each other despite all this shit, so give me a chance, even if I can only give you so much. “And if you like cameras flashing every time we go out, and if you’re looking for someone to write your breakup songs about, baby I’m perfect, baby we’re perfect.” Of course, people turned these lyrics into a Haylor thing (genuinely laughable). I’m just gonna say it, I think there are definitely times where they’ve taken a break from each other. I’m not gonna say broken up, because I strongly believe they’re still together and giving up at this point is the last thing on their minds, but theoretically, they’ve written breakup songs about each other (Where Do Broken Hearts Go, Love You Goodbye, I Love You (sung by Alex and Sierra), Spaces). I mean, Harry and Louis were so adamant to make it known that they had written this song together, they clearly hold this song near and dear to their hearts. I dont know. This straight up became an essay. This is what happens when you’re a songwriter and a larrie, bye lmao. love wins. always. always you. always in my heart. yes, of course, always.