#louis kill him even though he's said it's a lost cause that makes louis choose armand in the end.

[kindaorangey]

i've mentioned this before but louis and armand's relationship in paris after the trial is so hollow, and at the beginning of their story they had so much chemistry, so much respect for each other, they were having philosophical conversations and romantic walks, they had so much potential. and you can tell it's gone a bit wayward even before the trial, with how louis removes himself emotionally from their relationship, but the trial really yanks the rug out from under them and shows just how Nothing their bond has become.

and i think it's best exemplified by louis warning armand about his plans to burn the theatre and everyone in it. because i can't read that as anything other than, like, the internet joke about a school shooter warning the only person who was nice to him to stay home from school tomorrow. all that potential, all that loneliness, all that they tried at first to confide in each other and heal the heartbreak they both sustained from lestat, and by the end it's as if they're acquaintances, who only know each other just well enough for louis to refrain from killing armand alongside the rest of the coven.

[unmaskedagain]

Day and Night

Okay I got this prompt and as soon as I saw it, I knew I had to write. I’m a huge Tim Drake fan. Its how I got into reading Batfamily fanfiction. I love Marinette. So I thought I’d give it a shot.

           The café was small, empty, in a little nowhere town that had the unfortunate luck of being built in the middle of nowhere; somewhere in a part of England most people never heard of. The café, and the town, wasn’t the type of place you went searching for. Anyone who ended up there, that didn’t already live there, always happened upon it be accident. Usually because they were lost.

           The two sole customers in café were most definitely lost. A boy and a girl.

           The boy-The young man had dark hair, the iciest blue you could imagine, and a broken look on his handsome face. He sat near the window, on one side of the café, watching the rain poor down. He looked tired, forgotten, and lonely. His name was Tim.

           The girl- A teenage girl, still growing into herself, had blue-ish black hair and the deepest, brightest blue eyes imaginable. She said on the other side of the café. A solemn expression on her lovely face. Her eyes sad, and just a bit red. Exhaustion seemed to have set in her bones, and held herself in way soldier who just came home from war did. She was jumpy, scared, and above all looked absolutely heartbroken. Her name was Marinette.

           He was from Gotham. She was from Paris. And at that moment, there were no two more lost souls in the world.

           The café owner was a kind elderly woman who had taken her tea in back to account inventory; she hadn’t seen any harm in leaving the two kids by themselves for a bit.

           Tim had gotten to the café first, and had known the moment the girl had entered.

           Marinette noticed the boy sitting, alone, in the quiet café as soon as she walk inside.

           Neither had talked to each other. They hadn’t had the energy that day to feign niceties. However, as the rain came down harder, the lights flickered, and Billie Holiday’s Good Morning Heartache played its sweet melody… Something just came over the two.

“Running away,” Marinette asked loud enough so the boy across the café could hear her. He couldn’t have been much older than her, she noticed.

           Tim gave her a small bitter smile, “Is it really running away if you don’t have a home to run from? Or if no one cares or notices you’re gone.” He closed his eyes for a moment as wave of emotion hit him. “When does it stop being running away, and starts just being leaving? What about you?”

“I think I’m doing both,” Marinette answered honestly. Her throat dry, and tears burning in her eyes. “Running away from everything, and still doing the right thing by leaving a bad situation.”

           Tim nodded. He was in the same boat. “Where you coming from?” Though he figured France from her accent.

“Paris. And you?”

“Gotham.”

“No one waiting for you?” Marinette asked. He shook his head. “Me either. Aren’t we a pair?”

           It went quiet. Billie Holiday still filling the silence.

“I lost all my friends to a liar,” Marinette said. “My partner, uh, teammate was five seconds from having sexual harassment charges filed against him. He got… fired. Now I have to do everything by myself.” If Tim noticed her slip, he didn’t say anything. My parents don’t trust me.” She failed to stop Hawkmoth again and again. She failed to keep her friends from falling into Lila’s clutches. She failed her parents with all her lies and excuses of where she was going and where’s been to the point where they couldn’t deal with it. Too scared and weary of what the daughter they no longer recognized had become. They asked her to leave; move out. Then it was Official Marinette had no one. Marinette was lucky her grandma had apartment in the city she never used. Or she’d have been homeless.

           Tim did notice though. “I thought… I thought I belonged somewhere I didn’t. Thought I had found a family; a real family like I always wanted. Turned out I wasn’t wanted. I was a just a placeholder. Not a brother. Or a son.” He had nearly died several times, had lost his spine literally, broke through time, fought aliens and world conquerors, rescued batman from the time stream; dome more than humanly possible. But it hadn’t been enough. Or maybe it hadn’t meant anything to the Bats. A part of him had it all to prove he belonged, that he earned the cowl; that just because Batman hadn’t picked him like had his other Robins, but just let him stay, hadn’t meant anything. But it did. And Tim knew the truth the world had been trying to get him to see. He was just pretending; pretending to belong to and with the Batfamily, pretending he had been a good Robin, pretending they had wanted him.

“I’m a failure,” The bluenette said.

“I’m a pretender,” Tim shrugged. “Name’s Tim though.”

“Marinette.”

           She got up and walked across the café and sat in the seat across from Tim. “My friends tossed me aside from something shiny and new. I’m been thrown away.”

           Time gave her a nod “The people I thought were my family don’t care that I haven’t been to the manor in almost two years. Or didn’t realize. I’ve been forgotten.”

“Been there.”

           Tim leaned forward in his seat, “I make one mistake. And B acts like I tried to end the world. I was rash. I acted out. I made a mistake. I’m human. It doesn’t even matter that I fixed it. He just refused to let it go.” Captain Boomerang killed his father. Tim had wanted to make him pay. It’s not like pointed a gun at villain. He just set the bastard up in a way he couldn’t walk away from. “He never listens to me. I get it, though. I wasn’t what he wanted. He didn’t want another son. He didn’t choose me.” Tim blinked hard, his fist clenching. “No one ever chooses me.”

“Everything I do has to be perfect,” Marinette whispered. “I can’t mess up. I can’t make mistakes. I have to stay in control at all times. Not like everyone else. I don’t get to be human. I have to be more. I have to be better. I have to be an example,” She hissed the word. “The world’s burning but I still have to be perfect. I still have to be strong and righteous and good. I have to take the high road.” She closed her eyes. “When all I want to do is scream. I have defend the world when no one even bothers to defend me.”

           Ilene Woods’ So This Is Love started playing. They listened to the song play, a weight off their shoulders left. Not all of it but some. And at that moment the ridiculousness of their situation hit; they had left their countries, ended up god knows where, stuck in a café to avoid the rain, and were complaining to a perfect stranger about how horrible their lives had been as of late. And they laughed. And laughed until it hurt.

“Why we do put up with it?”  Marinette leaned back in her seat. “I mean, I know why. But really. Why?

           Tim shrugged, a smile still on his face. We know why. We’re doormats.”

           Marinette nodded, “They only want us when they want something. That’s the only time we matter.”’ She looked up, right into his eyes. “But that’s why we’re here, isn’t it? Because we can’t take it anymore.”

“And we know we shouldn’t,” He nodded firmly. “Because we shouldn’t and we’re not.”

“Never again,” Marinette swore. And then stood up. “Pardon, I must use the restroom.”

           Then she left. As soon as she was gone, Tim pulled out his phone and looking up any superhero activity happening in Paris. There was a lot. Mostly about a hero named Ladybug, who loved more than just a bit like his new friend.

           Marinette, on the other hand, left to Speak with Tikki and Plagg who had fighting to get her attention. As soon as she was alone in the bathroom, Plagg stated, “Him! I wanted him. He’s my new Kitty!”

“I like him too,” Marinette said softly.

           They convinced Marinette that Tim would be a good hero; and she needed help.

           When Marinette rejoined the table, neither said a word. They went back to telling each other a bit more about their sorrows and heartaches until a relative peace settled between the two. Feeling freer than they had in months.

           Marinette drank her, now, cold tea. She placed down the cup, “So Tim, any plans on going back to Gotham. Cause if not, I’d like to make you an offer?”

           Tim smirked, the thrill of a potential adventure hitting him, “Is Marinette asking me? Or is Ladybug? For the record, it’s a yes either way.”

           Marinette smiled, glad that her new partner was seemed to have high intelligence. “How do you feel about Paris?”

“Love it,” Tim stood up. “I get to design my own look though. Unlike you, I don’t look good in skintight anything.”

“Oh I don’t know about that…” She teased her blue eyes sparkling. “That might be something we’ll have to find out.”

           The young man held a hand out, “Care to dance?”

“Thought you’d never ask,” The young woman said as took his hand in hers.

           They swayed to the music, laughing and twirling around. An elderly woman watched as once again her café worked its magic like it did for every lost soul that wandered in.

           Louis Armstrong’s What a Wonderful World started to play in the background as icy-blue eyes met bright blue. The rain slowly stopped as two lost souls, alone in the world, found each other.

I see skies of blue and clouds of white

The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night

And I think to myself what a wonderful world…

[throwawaythinking]

ERYS

“People love to just talk about me by name and say, "Oh, Jaden Smith this, Jaden Smith that." It’s time for a new awakening and a new consciousness.” - Jaden on his album SYRE, Complex Magazine November 2017

Jaden Christopher Syre Smith was the boy born into the shadow of his father’s fame. However he took his birth into the public eye as an opportunity, not a blessing. Jaden uses music to make a name for himself, fighting to bring his own identity out of the shadows of his famous father. Smith’s second album, ERYS, details Erys emerging from the death of his opposingly naive and Icarus-like self, Syre. Jaden depicts the rise, fall, and conflict of his autobiographical character Erys in four tracks; ‘i-drip-or-is’, ‘Again’, ‘Got It’, and ‘Fire Dept’; these four songs are the centrefold of the entire album, where Erys becomes Syre and Syre becomes Erys. Through Erys’ aggressive and angry flaunting of his perceived power, Jaden explores the recklessness of an overinflated ego. Erys becomes a successful drug dealer for the drug ‘Vision’ in Los Angeles, however the money and power eat away at him as he overestimates his ability to control ‘Vision’. This is assisted by the internal conflict between Erys and Syre, as Syre’s gentle and lost voice wanders throughout the tracks urging Erys to understand that his reckless behaviour won’t fix their problems. The introduction of internal conflict within ERYS expresses the integrity of Jaden’s inner conflicts during the process of finding his true identity, how his polar opposite identities had to converge at a point to create a completed state of being. This conflict is also used to address the taboo of adolescence in relation to drug culture. Jaden’s “strict, hard rap album” is a force to be reckoned with; “every song, back to back, high tempo, a lot of bass like just crazy.”

Without context, Jaden’s music is the amalgamation of the typical hip-hop genre; autotune, models, drugs, cars, power, fame. By manipulating these features, Jaden uses hip-hop to his advantage in creating an egotistical Erys. ‘i-drip-or-is’ boasts;

“LV head to toe, MSFTS necklace on

They be stressin' 'cause I'm reckless and I'm flexin' hard

Flexin' super hard, she a superstar

With the stupid car, and it's supercharged

Rolex, he went to Luther, got my jeweler far”,

luxury brand names flying throughout the first verse, the picture is set. Interestingly, Erys has already acknowledged his tendency to be reckless in the second line, yet the context provides evidence that he believes this to be a good quality. Erys’ ego continues on in the next track, ‘Again’, where Erys talks about his fame, money and power;

“Now the gang got no shit to do, they just a chatterbox

Now I wear a muzzle to the bank, because I laugh a lot

Now I tell the paparazzi "Turn the fucking cameras off"”

gangs are out of the drug business as a result of Erys’ ‘Vision’ drug, he laughs so loud at the bank that they muzzle him, and he is being plastered all over the press. Thanks to Erys’ drug dealing business, he has achieved all facets considered for an individual to be successful. As a result, Erys believes he has solved his problem with his love interest as depicted in ‘Got It’;

“She want that brand new designer, that Louis bandana

I told her I got it

She want that wrist with the water and Virgil the wallet

I told her I got it

She said her ex n**** wildin' and giving her problems

I told her I got it.”

But this is not the end of the story. As Erys parties on top of the world, ‘Vision’ gets the better of him, and we see his collapse in the fastest song on the album, ‘Fire Dept’. Erys’ monotonous voice screams through the electric guitar and banging drums;

“Go fire department, call my mom

Said, "Your son dancin' on fire, it's all night long"

I think I just decided, need a ride home

95 percent, I go hard, still killing the vibe though”,

as he realises he needs urgent help. The last line pierces through the ears. Erys is acknowledging that he is losing energy coming down from 100 percent to 95, yet refusing to believe his power is dying, claiming to be “still killing the vibe”. Ego has trapped him in a state of denial. As the song progresses, Erys’ drug-induced screeches become more aggressive and the tempo increases, confessing “I think I lost my car/I can't see straight, I'm fucked” pokes out through the madness of his nonsensical rambling about his surroundings. Erys has lost control.

Erys’ rise to the top pushed him to his limits, and he has fallen as fast as he has risen. This short lived spark of incomprehensible power perfectly demonstrates the double edged sword of the human ego. Erys’ ego pushed him to reach incredible milestones of not only material success, but likely impossible spiritual experiences created by his drug ‘Vision’. However ego becomes an external force with no intention to cooperate with human ability, and pushes Erys to OD on ‘Vision’, resulting in his reckless regression. Jaden has become a master swordsmith with his storytelling genius, with ego being his deadliest double edged sword sticking out of ERYS as a forever-imminent threat. The concept of ego courses like blood through the body of four explosive tracks. Ego is a perilous feat of humanity, and Erys is being destroyed by his.

If one listened intently to the tracks, they would notice a solitary voice wafting through ‘Again’ and ‘Fire Dept’. This is Syre, trapped in the dark by the emergence of Erys. Audibly, Syre is juxtaposed against Erys by tenderly singing instead of belligerently rapping. Additionally, Erys’s voice has been manipulated by autotune of various degrees, which distinguishes Jaden’s natural voice for Syre. Syre’s presence in Erys’ rise is the most pertinent feat of ERYS because this is what makes Erys human. Syre may have died, however the true parts of his soul remain, his real thoughts and feelings. In ‘Again’, the music fades and echoes. Syre emerges singing of the girl he loves and how he has become adrift; “Girl, we can paint such a pretty life…I admit I'm lost, can I hitch a ride?/Something bout your voice, like a lullaby.” Yet Erys interrupts Syre’s digression with frustration;

“Who the fuck turned this shit on, n****

I told you don't play no motherfucking wack shit

Big drip only”.

It is tacit Erys is fighting to silence his inner self, believing that his new behaviour is the only way to overcome his hardship as it has worked on his external image. This also explains why Erys feels the need to always drop big luxury brands in his lyrics (particularly in ‘i-drip-or-is’ and ‘Again’), because the clothing he wears on his body is a conspicuous external composition of his ability to succeed. As Syre mentioned their love interest, Erys comes back with ‘Got It’, as described earlier, being an entire song about how he can now provide for the girl that they once couldn’t help. This feeds into the psyche of Erys believing that he is better off living the life that he has now, because on paper it all makes sense. Syre makes another appearance after Erys goes off the deep end at the end of ‘Fire Dept’ and continues his digression about his love interest;

“Think about

Your life

Too much

I'm losin' light

I'm cruising on

I think a lot

I think about

You a lot

Too much

Do too much

I should be movin' on

(For sure).”

This time, Erys cannot fight Syre’s appearance, and the song ends without interruption.

The conflict between Syre and Erys is a trademark of adolescent growth. Jaden uses this conflict to show how he had suppressed his true emotions by using drugs and money as a bandaid on his emotional and spiritual wounds. This is a common trend in adolescence, to believe that material wealth or a chemical alteration of the brain is the only solution to fixing hard problems. Syre and Erys’ conflict cries at our unforgiving society for help, for the aid that adolescents so desperately need to deal with their struggles. It seems that the youth do not have the resources they need to navigate a life that is expected of them, and thus they cope with what is available - drug culture. Just as Erys learnt to push ‘Vision’ across the city of Los Angeles, young people dealing with problems beyond their control resort to drug taking or dealing to handle their problems, and it destroys them just as Erys has been destroyed - even if they know deep down that drugs won’t fix their problems.

Syre and Erys also represent Jaden’s state of being. The conflict between the two characters is a metaphorical picture of Jaden’s internal fight against himself in his journey to finding his true identity. It is no question that Jaden Smith would’ve lived perfectly fine under the care of his father, yet he chooses to make his own name. This makes him a striking individual due to the immense care he takes in creating his true identity. By creating conflict between his two characters, Jaden immortalizes his story in his own words. He immortalizes the importance of finding one’s true identity, and inspires the youth of his generation to do the same. Syre and Erys eventually go on to merge into one person; Jaden. The existence of this resolution is an integral part of urging young people to become their real selves, because it shows that having a true identity is real, and achievable.

Jaden’s second album ERYS supersedes expectations of a boy born into fame and privilege. Following the completion of the SYRE and ERYS projects, Jaden is showing the world that he is more than his family name. Often teenagers want the world to understand they are their own person with their own dreams, feelings, desires and struggles. Jaden, in my opinion, expressed this best.

[dailytomlinson]

At the stroke of midnight on January 31st, 2020, the music industry was single-handedly saved by just a young lad from Doncaster. We can all agree, in confidence, that the majority of artists won’t top the charts with their first LP, especially with little to no promo. “Walls” however, debuted at #1 on the worldwide iTunes charts, a feat not many will come by. Judging by its success, we can rightfully assume this album could be rather magical. Just over a month into the decade, I can happily testify that this may be one of the greatest pieces of work we’ll see over the span of the next 10 years. The only record I may allow to top it, will be Tomlinson’s sophomore album, which is fair to speculate will have a little less fan service and show a little more of the grunge britpop rockstar that Louis is dying to showcase.

Oh, this guy’s from One Direction, too. It’s a fact that doesn’t need to be honed in on, but in case you aren’t familiar with his older work, the UK-based band is where he found his origin story. Though hopefully after giving these tracks a listen, we’ll all be able to start celebrating him as the solo artist he was destined to become.

Kill My Mind

You hate me and I want more.

Perhaps I wasn’t alive during majority of the Britpop Movement of the 90s, but I can wholeheartedly say that if you played this opening track for anyone familiar with the genre, they would tell you it would feel right at home as a feature on one of Oasis’ final LPs or as a single brought to us by Blur. However, that is not to say it lacks originality. In fact, far from it. His thick Yorkshire accent demands your attention right off the bat. This song is confident, it’s loud, it’s sexy, it’s everything his loyal fanbase has been patiently waiting to see arise from the musician. It’s a different Tomlinson than the general public may be accustomed to, but it’s a perfect example of an artist finding their authentic self. The electric opener, Kill My Mind gives us a little tease as to what’s to come.

Don’t Let It Break Your Heart

What hurts you is gonna pass and you’ll have learned from it when it comes back.

After careful consideration, this may be the album’s weakest link. It draws on a bit of the pop-influence his previous audiences may be more familiar with. Previously, Louis released a single-edit and a piano version. The one featured on the album, is by far the most well mixed. It’s filled with beautiful harmonies and the layered vocals have a lot of potential. The message of this song is uplifting, about overcoming hardships with grace and allowing yourself to grow from them — A theme not uncommon in Louis’ writing or general life philosophy. Always the lyricist, coming from him, this message works and it works beautifully into the melodies of the song. My main issue comes down to production. The background vocals are choppy and make the general feeling of the song a little cheesy. Ultimately, it all just sounds forced. I can say however, experiencing this song live is a different story. Some songs are meant to be played live, and this just happens to be one of them.

Two of Us

We’ll end just like we started, just you and me, and no one else.

The lead single was one Louis himself proclaimed needed to be written, or else his other art would suffer from being insincere. “I just feel like musically, I almost needed to get this song off my chest,” He recently told Rolling Stone, “People say writing is a part of therapy and in a way, I feel like I’d been avoiding writing this song because I knew I only had one chance to get it right.” For those who may be unaware, at the start of his solo career, Louis tragically lost his mother, the person he was closest with, to leukemia. Out of respect to him, I won’t dwell on this, and it does feel fairly inconsiderate to put the piece under review, per say. I will, however, assert that it is a stunningly orchestrated song. You can feel the authenticity and honesty radiate from the words he’s singing, especially in the big build up of the chorus in comparison to the heart wrenching and softly sung outro. It’s rare we find artists who are proud to wear their hearts on their sleeves and speak with true openness. Each song is an example of this, but Two of Us broadcasts this vulnerability loudly, as he gives us an anthem of accepting that you’re grieving and reminding listeners to always hold onto hope.

We Made It

Nothing in the world that I would change it for, singing something pop-y on the same four chords.

Yes, she’s corny, yes her lyrics might not be up to standard with the rest of his work, and yes, she is my favorite song on the album. We Made It, is filled to the rim with nostalgia and embracing that although the tunnel was dark, there was in the end, a light. For anyone who has grown up with Louis and supported him through all the twists and turns of his decade long career, this song could be a celebration of us and our relationship with our favorite musician. There were always struggles along the way, but we, as fans, never turned our back on him. We were there for him when he needed us to lean on. The sentiment remains when reversed. Ultimately, whatever we needed, he was able to provide. It’s easy to see how much of a team Louis and his followers are, and this song is honoring that. If you’re less familiar with the singer himself, then this track is just a fun little guitar-driven song that reminisces those nights of getting smashed and blazed out of your mind with your young love, and what’s wrong with that?

Too Young

Face to face at the kitchen table, this is everything I’ve waited for.

Every album needs a song to cry to, and for Walls, this is the one. There aren’t too many complexities here, as Louis has said he generally likes to stray away from metaphors when he can. The calm strumming of the acoustic guitar, lends itself beautifully to the track, and never overpowers Louis’ voice. Vocally, this a huge example of a myriad of Louis’ strengths. It contrasts some of the heavily belted pieces we hear later on in the album, and focuses on the softness he’s able to convey in his killer range of a chest voice. His raspy tone demonstrates a certain intimacy. When the song is listened to through headphones with your eyes closed, it almost feels as if Louis is right there on your bedside, gently playing a personal piece he had just written and trusts you enough to perform it for you first. There’s a certain amount of emotional intelligence demonstrated in this song, as he never pulls the victim card, but instead takes the mature approach of admitting to where he’s gone wrong. This notion is used a lot in his writing, and is a sure telling of his character. This catchy little ballad wouldn’t feel out of place on albums of most genres, musically lacking some originality, which is made up for with the candor and polish in his vocals.

Walls

Why is it that “thank-you” is so often bittersweet?

Objectively speaking, this is the most well crafted track on the album. Perhaps even more Oasis-y than some Oasis hits, it even earned itself a writing credit from Noel Gallagher himself. By now, we are more than well accustomed to embracing Louis’ themes of overcoming barriers (or walls). It’s something he writes about often, and why shouldn’t he? He knows what it’s like to stand above what’s been dragging you down more than anyone. The most titular lyric opens and closes the tune, proclaiming, “Nothing wakes you up, like waking up alone.” As soon as you’re hit with this, you know you’re listening to a song which dares the audience to take the musician earnestly. Louis has always been the funny one who has chosen to never take himself too seriously in life. With his music, he had a hard time at the start, choosing to put out records which defined Top 40, but never himself. Walls forces us to accept the artist he’s become. It proves to every listener, that Louis Tomlinson is a musician, a lyricist, a vocalist; a true craftsman. He is a serious artist and this salient track forces us, for once, to accept him as one.

Habit

Took some time cause I ran out of energy, of playing someone I’ve heard I’m supposed to be.

Back in February of 2018, Louis teased this lyric on his twitter, sending fans into a frenzy of when and where this sentiment might come into play. In September of last year, he finally played it for us live. This live version of the song was a complete bore. Again, Louis’ biggest asset in his music may come from his lyrics. He wrote more songs for One Direction than any of the other boys, often partnering with Liam Payne who would work on the melodies, while Louis focused on cutting deep with his words. This is more than evident here, meaning any initial fondness of this song was independently due to the verses he was singing. When the album finally hit stands and we were able to hear the studio version, I have to say, my opinion on this absolute banger changed drastically. It may be a little controversial to say, but this song might have some “Yeehaw” vibes. If you played someone the opening, before his vocals take the forefront, it would’ve been fair to assume it was a Maren Morris hit. Country/Britpop/Indie isn’t exactly something I would ever even consider diving into, but let me tell you, this certified bop has been on repeat. Here’s to hoping him and his band can put together a new live arrangement before the world tour kicks off in March.

Always You

Waiting to wrap your legs around me, and I know you hate to smoke without me.

To be blunt, this song was a fan service. If it wasn’t for Louis’ persistent stans, this track may have been ditched months ago. However, when he gave us a glimpse of the songs upbeat opening lyric three years ago, we latched onto it. For years we bombarded Louis, telling him this song needed to stay on the record, and thank God he listened. He did realize partway through the writing process that this isn’t the sort of music he would like to put out anymore, so it may not resonate with someone looking for the more grungy side of the artist. Always You is almost pure bubblegum and it sounds like it should be radiating loudly off festival speakers. The tune will be a crowd-pleaser, and will surely bring the most hype for live audiences. It’s the sort of song you want to scream out while drunk on a rooftop in the summer atop the ocean in New York City, which is exactly what myself and approximately 6800 more fans will be doing this June.

Fearless

Cash in your weekend treasures, for a suit and tie, a second wife.

God damn is Fearless sexy. The slow and pulsing beat of this song, with the organic guitar, subtle production, and his sultry voice are a recipe for a great and sensual tune. The song was written with the inspiration of feeling youthful, and teaches what to center your sense of self-worth around. There’s a certain level of maturity that comes with a song of these intentions, and in that, Louis is able to showcase his ever growing wisdom. “What I wanted to try and capture with the song is the idea of feeling youthful and how important that is,” He recently said in an interview with Apple Music, “I’m at this age where I’m on the cusp — I’m definitely not a teenager, I’m not a young lad anymore, nor am I old, but I sit in this space where I’m aware of my age now. I hear it as a playground or going back to real youth.”

Perfect Now

Don’t you wanna dance? Just a little dance?

On release day, Louis did a signing, where he bravely asked a few fans what their least favorite track on the album was. Everyone said Perfect Now, earning them a high five from the man himself as well as his genuine agreement. While many look at it as a cheesy romantic love song, masquerading as a rejected early One Direction track, mirroring Little Things or What Makes You Beautiful, I wholeheartedly disagree. It’s easy to chalk it down to being “cheesy” when you approach it as being romantic, but if you look at it as, simply, a love song, that changes the perspective. Louis sings over an appealing and charming little guitar melody, and you can almost hear his smile. It’s easy to picture him singing this to his younger sisters as a piece of brotherly encouragement, or to a good friend who needs cheering up after a hard day. This darling melody invites you to dance around your bedroom feeling loved. Perfect Now proves that not everything has to be deep and serious; allow yourself to be open to simply feeling happy over the little things like a lyric that makes you smile. When in the chorus he prompts, “Keep your head up, love,” listeners can’t help but feel a sense of personal support from the artist, which is exactly what makes this song so special.

Defenseless

We’re sleeping on our problems like we’ll solve them in our dreams.

It’s understandable why Louis likes to stray from metaphors in his writing, because generally speaking, they simply aren’t good. This is proven with lyrics such as, “I’m running to you like a moth into a flame”. As well as this, the rhyming of “defenseless” with “fences” and then “defenseless” again, doesn’t exactly sit well. The song does grow to be much better than anticipated after the first verse. The pre-chorus has a strong beat, which you’ll find yourself accidentally clapping along to in public. The bridge allows Louis to explore his falsetto, which is something we’ve never heard from him before. It’s strong and poignant, and it’s a real shame that his old band never gave him the opportunity to use his voice in all its capabilities. The control Louis has over his vocals throughout this song is astonishing, and almost unheard of in most modern music outside of musical theatre. This track alone, proves that he is one of the most vocally gifted artists not only to come out of One Direction, but to come out of the last decade at all.

Only the Brave

It’s a church of burnt romances and I’m too far gone to pray.

The lyrics to this song are borderline poetry. Each and every word draws you in and leaves you speechless. It’s a short song, ending at one minute and forty-four seconds, and that works well. It leaves us wanting more, even when we’ve reached the very end of the whole experience. The tune feels like a mantra; something to sing to yourself as you prepare for something you’re nervous about or to congratulate yourself on completing a task you never thought you could accomplish. There’s no proper structure and his voice has a retro filter over top, giving the whole thing a bit of a wartime vibe. The most powerful moment is undoubtedly when he sings, “It’s a solo song, and it’s only for the brave,” as a way of patting himself on the back for where he is now in life and in his career. It’s the perfect way to bring home the album. After 12 tracks demonstrating it, it is proven to us that he doesn’t need his ex-bandmates, he doesn’t need a big production, he doesn’t need Simon Cowell, he doesn’t need other songwriters dictating what direction to go, because he is Louis Tomlinson and he is brave.

[drpepperwithcream]

It’s Over...

Y’all wanted that depressing content, so I’m going to deal it out. Again, totally not a content dealer, but I’ll just leave this here. I accept tears as payment.

Warning: Character death.

Life happens in the blink of an eye. Louis has always experienced it in a negative light. When his parents shipped him off to boarding school, to when the world went to shit, to his best friend getting shot in the head… and now the one that he loved was lost… then lost again…

Louis walked down the steps of the rundown boarding school’s admin building. It was barely past sunset, but everyone at the school had turned in due to them all being in a depressed funk… Especially, three people… four if you count animals. He walked out the front doors and veered right towards the graveyard as he replayed the events leading up to the newest grave… Clementine.

Two days ago, she was fishing with Violet when walkers surrounded them. They fought off the best they could, but there were so many. Violet saw Clementine stab a walker in the head then another walker grabbed Clem’s arm and bit into it. Violet tried to run to her so she could help Clem get out of there, but because of Clem’s shouts the walkers all closed in on her. Clementine yelled at Violet to run… And she did.

Violet came back to the school almost in tears and quickly explained the situation to Louis, Ruby, and Assim before the four of them ran back to the stream to hopefully save Clem by cutting off her arm, but when they got there… they were too late. Clementine was dead. All the walkers tore her to shreds and what was left of her turned into one of them. They killed all the walkers aside from Clementine, but fuck, the damage the walkers have done to her was horrifying and left her barely mobile. The sight of her like that; bloody, torn apart, white eyes; it made them all sick, especially Louis.

The only gun they had was AJ’s and they didn’t want him to put Clementine down. They had arrows, though, and Louis stepped up to put her down… despite feeling so much pain. He aimed the arrow at her head before closing his eyes and turning away from Clementine, forcing tears to come out. He let go, and he heard her walker growls go silent.

Assim got the arrow out of Clem’s head while Ruby went into the shack to grab a sheet to wrap Clem up in so they could bring her back. Violet held Clem’s hand as she sobbed and Louis let the bow fall from his hand and sat with Vi.

Next thing Louis knew, he was carrying Clem’s wrapped body back to Ericson’s. He and Violet were the ones who broke the news to AJ and he blamed himself for not being there for Clem. Louis tried to assure him that it wasn’t his fault, and Louis did everything he could to not blame Violet. At least not until after Clem’s funeral when Louis said something. He blamed her for Clementine’s death. He knows that it’s unfair, hell, even Violet said so in their fight, but he didn’t care. She was dead, and he was mad and upset… It was like losing Marlon all over again, except he loved her.

Louis sighed as he looked down at Clementine’s grave. Rosie was laying on top of her grave. He found it odd that despite Clem’s initial fear of dogs, she got over it and Rosie looked up to her after Marlon died. Louis knelt down to pet the depressed dog. The poor girl lost two owners over the course of a year.

His eyes glanced up to the top of the bell tower where he could see Violet’s legs hanging off the edge with her laying down. She was the second of the four who was extremely distraught over Clem’s death. She hasn’t spoken a word to anyone and she’s been avoiding him ever since their fight. He was sorry about the words he said to her, about how everyone she loves dies. Clementine was her girlfriend and they’ve been together since the raiders attacked. Up there on the bell tower was their spot. Violet just wanted to relive some of their moments together.

Louis stood up and headed towards the dorms. All he could hear was silence, a sad kind of quiet. He walked down the hall towards Clem and AJ’s room. He saw their door was cracked open and he peaked in to see Tenn consoling AJ on Clementine’s bed. AJ was the third person. The poor kid lost the one person he looked up to. Clem was like a mother to him, she taught him everything he knows, but the poor kid is having a hard time accepting that there wasn’t anything he could have done to save her. Louis didn’t want to intrude on the boys.

He quietly backed away and headed to the only place where he felt safe, where he can let all his emotions out because he was the fourth person. Louis entered the piano room and sat down on the bench. Clementine was his friend, and having to kill her and carry her back took a toll on him. After he broke the news to AJ he had time before Clem’s funeral to go cry in the piano room alone. Because Clem wasn’t just a friend to him.

He loved her. Even after she began to date Violet, he still loved her. He was in love with her. The day of the raider attack when Clem admitted she liked someone, Louis was hoping it was him, but it wasn’t… It was Vi. He was happy for Violet, especially after losing Minnie, he was glad she found love again, but it just so happened to be with the girl he fell in love with.

Louis did everything for Clem. When she needed an extra hand, he was there to help. When she and Vi got in a fight, he was there for her. When she needed someone to watch over AJ, he was the number one babysitter. He always meant to tell her how he felt. Despite her being in love with Violet, he hated keeping his emotions from her. He loved her, and he couldn’t stop loving her.

He was glad he never got jealous in front of them, but it all surfaced when he and Vi fought. She had Clem’s heart, Clementine’s last moment was making sure the one she loved got out of there alive. And his jealousy mixed with the anger of not being able to be with her or tell her how he felt, and the sadness of having to kill, carry, and mourn over Clem just all manifested into the fight he had with Vi.

Louis pressed a key on the piano. He felt so much for her, even now that she’s gone, he just wished he could be with her. If only for five minutes, he’d tell her how he felt. Louis wouldn’t care if she didn’t feel the same way, he just didn’t want this weight to weigh on him anymore. He pressed another key and sighed. His heart ached, and when he felt down, when everything felt like it was over, he’d turn to music… It’s over…

God, he hadn’t played that song since everything started, but right now he related so much with it that he needed to let something out. And this song gave his feelings and emotions life.

Louis lifted his hands to the right keys and began playing.

“I was fine, with the men, Who would come into her life now and again, I was fine, ‘cause I knew, That they didn’t really matter until you,

I was fine, when you came, And we fought like it was all some silly game, Over her, who she’d choose, After all those years, I never thought I’d lose,

It’s over, isn’t it? Isn’t it? Isn’t it over?

It’s over, isn’t it? Isn’t it? Isn’t it over?

You won, and she chose you, And she loved you, And she’s gone, It’s over, isn’t it? Why can’t I move on?

War and glory, reinvention, Fusion, freedom, her attention, Out in daylight, my potential, Bold, precise, experimental,

Who am I now in this world without her? Petty and dull, with the nerve to doubt her, What does it matter? It’s already done, Now I’ve got to be there for her son,

It’s over, isn’t it? Isn’t it? Isn’t it over?

It’s over, isn’t it? Isn’t it? Isn’t it over?

You won, and she chose you, And she loved you, And she’s gone!”

Louis felt tears stream down his face.

“It’s over, isn’t it? Why can’t I move on?

It’s over, isn’t it? Why can’t I move on?”

He finished playing the last few notes then breathed. Louis lifted a hand to face to wipe his tears and he set his elbows on the piano and the instrument let out a bunch of long jumbled notes. After the notes stopped playing-

“Louis…”

He turned his head to see Violet standing in the doorway. They didn’t say anything for a while, then she spoke.

“I’m sorry.”

She understood why he was so pissed at her. Their fight made more sense because it was out of love. Louis lost the one he loved to his friend, then he lost her again to this fucked up world.

“Vi… Just…” Louis wanted to forgive her for Clem’s death. He was jealous of Vi because she got to hold her for all those months. He wished it was him. He wished he was there to protect her. But at the end of the day, Louis couldn’t fault Clem for falling in love with Violet, and he didn’t blame Violet for that, but she was there in Clem’s final moments. She left her to die. “I need time.”

He heard footsteps leave. He glanced at the doorway to see her gone. Once again he was alone.

It was over… wasn’t it?

You know when you find a song that fits SO perfectly? Song belongs to Steven Universe.

[the-walking-memelords]

Allegiances: Chapter 4

Prologue | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 5

Series is rated M

Word Count: 2178

The group tries to recover in the wake of the previous night's revelation and the early morning's meeting.

Read it on Ao3!

Read it on Wattpad!

The ten of them gathered in the library the next morning. Shelves of mold ridden books lined the room. The group gathered at the center table, tension filling the air as Violet started the meeting.

“Okay. We all know why we’re here.” Dark circles hung under the pale girl’s eyes. It was clear that no sleep came to her last night.

“Marlon is a lying bastard and a murderer. Even if he didn’t kill Minnie and Sophie himself, he sent them away to be as good as dead.”

“He has to go.”

“You can’t really mean that, Vi.” Louis pleaded.

“He’ll die out there!”

“I don’t give a shit.” She slammed her fist against the desk.

“Sending him out there on his own is more of a mercy than he showed the twins. You can’t actually say you still trust him after what he did.”

“It could have been me, Lou.”

“I-I know, Vi, I know.” Louis bit down on his bottom lip. Clementine tried to read what his decision would be. Though the way he scrunched his face told her he wasn’t sure himself.

“It’s not like he wanted to give them up! We were cornered! Those bastards could have taken us all if they wanted!” Brody pleaded with the blonde, who showed no mercy.

“Bold talk from someone who’s on thin fucking ice herself.” She spat.

“Pretty curious he didn’t give you up, too. Any reason for that? Why would he risk keeping someone who might -and did- tell on him?”

Brody dug her nails into her arms.

“Do you think he regrets it?”

“Back off, Vi. You had your say.” Mitch chewed the nail on his thumb.

“Let’s just calm down for a second, everyone.” Ruby stepped in.

“We all say our piece, then we vote.”

“You know where I stand.” Violet stepped back.

“Tennesee.” Ruby spoke softly.

“Your vote probably counts the most. So, what do you think.”

All eyes were on the nervous child.

“I…” He began.

“I think Marlon should stay.”

“Tenn.”

“No, Vi. You don’t get it.” He looked at her.

“He didn’t do it to hurt them. It was a problem with no right answer. Marlon thought that he was at least saving somebody.”

Violet looked at him in shock.

“The fact that he lied about it was bad, but… he thought he was protecting us.”

“Marlon should have given himself up.” Clementine spoke up, directing the attention to her.

“That’s what a real leader would have done. Sophie and Minerva had family here they needed to come home to. They were the ones who needed to be protected the most.”

Tennessee fell silent for a moment.

“He stays, that's my vote.”

“Alright, Tenn.” Ruby said

“I also think Marlon should stay.” Tenn smiled at her.

“We all know he ain’t a bad person at heart, just… maybe he shouldn’t be callin’ the shots anymore.”

“I agree.” Aasim sided with Ruby.

“I’m tired of this Safe Zone thing cutting into our food supply.”

“I think so too.” Omar agreed.

“It would be nice getting to cook an actual meal for you guys instead of the scraps the hunting grounds produce. He stays, but he ain’t in charge.”

Mitch was the next to speak up.

“He tried to kill Brody and Clem. I don’t think we can trust him anymore. He goes.”

“I’m with Mitch.” was all Willy had to say.

Brody continued to hold her arms tightly crossed.

“Marlon should stay. I’ve made up my mind.” The look in her eyes caused no one to challenge her.

“I guess you’re up next, Clem.”

Clementine was actually conflicted on whether or not she wanted Marlon gone. The vote could still go either way. If they voted to cut him loose, tracking him through the woods would be easy enough assuming he doesn’t get himself killed before nightfall.

Their leader would be a nice contribution before I can get the rest.

It was a bit of a risk, but this mission would likely end in a standoff. The last thing they needed was another opponent. Maybe handing him over early would buy her and AJ some time.

“Marlon leaves.” Her vote bringing the score to 4:5.

The attention was drawn to Louis. He hadn’t officially voted yet, though it would be no surprise what he would choose. If for some reason he chose to kick him out, the tied vote would cause more issues.

“I… I…” Louis’ eyes fell on Clem.

“I’m sorry, Clementine.”

Why is he apologizing to me?

“He… He’s my best friend. He has to stay.” His shoulders fell in defeat as if he had just fought a battle within himself.

Figured.

“I guess that settles it then.” Violet went along begrudgingly.

“Marlon stays.”

---

Even after given freedom, Marlon seemed to rather spend the day locked away in one of the empty dorm rooms. Now that Violet was deemed their new leader, she was busy looking over a map with Aasim, planning their next hunt with a new perimeter. The others tried to resume business as usual, but how could they when their community was just flipped on its head. People seemed to be keeping to themselves and their own emotions. A slight tension between opposing voters keeping everyone on their toes.

Clementine wandered the school aimlessly, mapping out the halls in the back of her mind as she tried not to get herself lost in the identical rows of classrooms. She felt like she had to be doing something, but no specific task could come to her. She supposed Violet would have something for her to do, but the emotional force that kept the others apart seemed to touch her as well. She walked for hours, exploring every graffiti-ridden room until the repetition bored her. Eventually, she managed to wander her way back to the music room.

The afternoon sun shone on the worn piano, left unattended to her mild disappointment. She wondered how Louis was handling this whole mess. His best friend was just revealed as a traitor, and now some of their friends were turning against him.

It’s not my problem.

Clem tried to convince herself, but she couldn't help thinking about it. She took a deep breath, giving in to her nervous habit again and scratching her fingers through her curls. She forced herself to back away from the room, entering the courtyard in search of a task to keep her mind away from things.

“Violet.” she spoke to the girl who seemed lost in thought, staring into the ashes of last night’s campfire.

“Vi?” The second time seemed to bring her back to earth.

“Uh, yeah. Sorry.” She stood from her seat.

“What’s up?”

“I wanted to know if there was anything you needed me to do.” She watched their frazzled newly-deemed leader scour over her map for any leftover tasks.

“Mitch and Aasim came back from their hunting trip a half hour ago. Ruby managed to convince Brody to go out and repair the fish traps with her, they’ve been back for a while… and you’re already scheduled for watch after dinner…” She shook the map in her hands as if the action might reveal something new.

“I guess there’s always perimeter but that's kinda dangerous and kinda pointless.”

“Are you alright?” The heavy fog that laid over the school seemed to cloud her head the most.

“Yeah. I… I’m okay.” She let out a heavy sigh.

“I just wanted to say thank you for this morning, for sticking by me.”

Violet drooped her head, her side-swept bangs concealing her eyes.

“To be honest I wasn’t sure if you were still here. No one’s seen you all day since the vote and with the decision… I was worried you might have taken off.” She folded the map back into her pocket.

The comment stung a little but she would never admit it.

“Sorry about that, I was just taking some time to think.” She kicked herself for being absent.

“I think we all just need time to think.” Violet let out a weak laugh.

“God, what’s happened here.”

Vi slumped back into her chair, Clementine taking a seat next to her.

“I can’t stop thinking about Marlon. What he did to Min and Soph. I don’t think I can ever forgive him.” An almost dazed smile crossed her face.

“But I keep imagining what it would have been like if they had come back that day, instead of him and Brody. They wouldn’t have lied about it. Minnie told me everything.”

Clementine listened in silence as Violet unburdened her heart to her.

“But then Louis’s best friend would be gone forever, not to mention Brody. God, I’ve been such a bitch to her.” Clementine could tell this was the overflow of a long time bottling up her troubles.

“Louis was there for me and Tennessee more than anyone else after they ‘died’. And I sat in that room, right in front of him, trying to convince the others that Marlon was better off dead than anywhere near here. Then, just, fuck. The shit I said to Brody. I can’t forgive her either but fuck, she didn’t deserve that.” Violet’s voice broke, her throat on the edge of a sob.

Clem opened her mouth but was unable to find any words.

“The king has fallen! Bow before your new queen!”

The words from that first card game the night she came here echoed in her head.

She wondered if they echoed in hers too.

“I’m sorry for laying that all on you. I just had to get it out, y’know?” She tried to shrug off her emotions.

“I’m good. I’m good.”

“It’s alright, we’re... friends, right?” The words fell easier off her tongue than she thought they would.

“Yeah, I guess we are.” She smiled

“Can you go see if Louis is okay? I don’t think we’re ready to talk to each other after this morning.”

“Where is he?” He wasn’t in the music room, nor was he anywhere in the school during her exploration.

“I think he’s still sitting outside of Marlon’s dorm.”

---

Faint whispering could be heard through the empty hall as Clementine turned the corner. Louis sat with his legs crossed and his back leaning against one of the door’s aligning the walls. He didn’t notice her. Through the dreadlocks that hung over his face, Clem could discern the slight movement of his lips. As she got closer she could make out the details of a baseball game he was retelling.

“Louis?” He jumped at hearing his name, so lost in his story he hadn't heard her approach.

“Are you okay?”

“So you are still around. Violet was worried.” He dodged her question.

“I talked to Violet already.” She looked at the locked door behind him.

“Has he said anything?”

“Nothing other than basically telling me to fuck off a few times, but when have I ever done what I’m told? Right, Marlon?” He elbowed the door, eliciting no response.

His smile was forced and dropped as quickly as it appeared. He leaned his head back with a thump, looking away from Clem.

“He just needs time. Everyone does. I can’t lie, things are never going to go back to the way they were but that doesn’t mean it won't get better.” God, she was starting to sound like Louis herself.

“A sudden optimist, I guess my stunning demeanour rubbed off on you.” She kicked his leg lightly at that comment.

“Don’t push your luck.” His smile was sad but real this time.

“I’m sorry.” Her apology surprised him.

“I guess I got a little carried away this morning.”

“No. You have the right to speak your mind around here.” His eyes fell to the purple mark on her face.

“How’s your eye?”

She leaned against the wall but stayed on her feet.

“Better, it only stings if I touch it.”

“I’m fine.” She said slightly louder, hoping her voice would fall on the ears of the boy inside the dorm.

“So what do we do now?” His voice fell into his serious tone. She seemed to be hearing it a lot more lately.

“We push on. We fight on. We look forward, never back.” She quoted the words of a man who lived at the McCarroll ranch. The words of Ol’ Richard often ran on repeat inside her mind when the talons of her horrid memories threatened to slice her to shreds.

“Wise words.” He chuckled.

“Indeed they are.”

“I’m not leaving until he talks to me so you might as well go on.” His head drooped once more, dreads hiding the emotions on his face.

“I’ll talk to you later then, Louis.” She decided to leave him be. Her words from before reverberated inside her skull as she made her way towards the light outside.

We push on. We fight on. We look forward, never back.

We push on. We fight on. We look forward, never back.

We push on. We fight on. We look forward, never back.

[larrysoulmates]

can you make a fic rec of some of your fav fics? any kind and any length? thank you x

7 Up

Chapters: 5/5Words: 51973

Very loosely based on the British TV show “The Up Series” and somewhat inspired by the song “Something I Need” by Onerepublic, we follow the lives of Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson in an interview setting every seven years. They fall apart and come together, their lives and emotions recorded. Harry calls it a time capsule. Louis calls it a pain in the arse.

Where Your Heart Is

Chapters: 13/13

Words: 154141 

Louis is ready for his brand new adventure. So what if he suffers from a genetic condition that prevents him from being touched? College is going to be awesome. It has to. Karma kind of owes him right now. Forget about his overprotective mother, or Liam– his entirely too chipper step brother– or his mess of a roommate. Forget about the gloves he has to wear at all times. He’s here to expand his knowledge, write and drown himself in books – No matter how distracting ‘Hallway Boy’ may be– The obnoxious, flirty frat wannabe determined to become the bane of Louis’ existence.

Or, a college AU set in San Francisco where two lost boys who seemingly have nothing in common find inspiration, each other, and themselves in the process.

Elysian

Chapters: 17/17Words: 81886    

“What could be it, Niall?” Harry asks gently with a sigh. He slouches down further into his chair, crossing his arms lazily across his chest. He is bored. He has been bored for five years straight, but even more so now that his one interest has shut himself out entirely. Harry had not even heard from Louis, not since last night, not since he had gotten on his nerves so much that he was torn between knocking him out and smiling in surrender to the slight awe he felt. Louis is opinionated like no one he’s ever seen, but his voice is honeyed; high-pitched and indignant. Harry is nothing short of entranced.

Or, Harry is running out of time to fall in love, but with Louis, it seems as if there’s all the time in the world.

Like Candy In My Veins

Chapters: 5/5Words: 31880

“Um…” Harry said slowly after a moment. “Okay. That’s… this is… Let me get this straight.” He lifted up a hand and swallowed. “You told your family that you have a boyfriend… and my name was the first one you thought of?”

“Harry Potter was on TV, alright? It wasn’t that much of a stretch.” Louis pinched the bridge of his nose. He couldn’t believe he was explaining himself to Harry fucking Styles. He couldn’t believe he was stooping this low. “Forget it. I’m sorry I even thought about bringing you into this.”

Harry snorted. “What? Did you want me to pretend to be your boyfriend or something?”(Basically the A/B/O, enemies to lovers, fake relationship, Christmas AU that nobody asked for.)

Perfect Storm

Chapters: 2/2Words: 80230

What do you do when your best friend asks you and your (now) ex to be the best men at his destination wedding? You can either tell him the truth, tell him you’re not together anymore, and deal with the consequences, or you can pretend you’re still together and roll with it, just pray you don’t spiral. Fake it ‘til you make it. You know, for the sake of the wedding.

Harry and Louis choose the latter.

Love’s On The Line, Is That Your Final Answer?

Chapters: 2/2Words:  53428

Harry can’t believe it when Louis, the boy he’s always had a tempestuous rivalry with, asks him to be his boyfriend. Well, pose as his boyfriend, that is—for a new television game show in which young couples are quizzed on how well they know each other for a jackpot of thirty grand.

Reluctantly, Harry agrees—because he’s got student loans to pay off, hasn’t he? What’s the harm? And he can totally deal with keeping his secret thing for Louis under wraps too. This is all just to win some money. It’s fine. No big deal. What could possibly go wrong?

Well, everything. Obviously.

See Clearly Now

Chapters: 1/1Words:  11852

“My eyes are up here.”

What? Was— was Louis flirting with him?

Harry looked up — much too slowly, probably — and saw Louis watching him, his mouth quirked up on one side, a grin threatening to steal the pretty curve of his mouth.

“What?” Harry squeaked.

Louis put his hands on his hips, almost challenging Harry to look again, “I said…my eyes are up here.”

Harry felt something electric pass between them. He felt the need to take a step forward, call Louis’ bluff, see if he was more bark than bite.

Biting sounded really fun right about now.

****OR a five-times fic where two guys, one college dorm room and a faulty door lead to a few embarrassing situations and finding out more about themselves and each other than they ever bargained for.

Play The Odds

Chapters: 1/1Words: 25963

Harry and Louis are best friends since childhood who, after a night of drinking, find themselves locked in a bet: first one to kiss the other a thousand times wins. Wins what? They don’t know. Glory, Harry supposes. Bragging rights, though those don’t do much in this economy. All Harry knows is that this is one bet he can finally win. What he doesn’t expect, though, is what happens when he starts kissing his best friend on a daily basis.

Namely, he doesn’t expect falling head over heels in love with his best friend.

Now all he has to do is make sure the bet never ends, so he never has to stop kissing Louis.

I’ll Make This Feel Like Home

Chapters: 1/1Words:  49491

Harry to groans himself and then takes a deep breath. “Okay, well. Here’s the thing. I peed on a stick.”

Louis isn’t able to get more than a shocked “What!” out before Harry’s steamrolling on.

“I peed on a stick and it says it’s positive, but you always prattle on about how it’s best to go to the doctor’s before you get excited, you know to confirm it because sometimes hormones are off or you have like a tumor or some shit and get false positives and what if I’m dying and-”

“You’re pregnant?!” Louis shouts out, stomach dropping as the words leave his mouth.

“Um, yeah… maybe.”

[the one where Louis’ hopelessly in love with his best mate… who just happens to be pregnant with another man’s baby.]

The Boy in The Pikachu Pants

Chapters: 1/1

Words: 19635

Louis stars as the bumbling idiot who’s only a bumbling idiot around Harry. Harry stars as the charming bastard who steals his heart completely. They meet in the middle of a hallway with Louis in a state of considerable undress, singing Destiny’s Child at the top of his lungs. Somehow that seals it for Harry. This is the boy he was always meant to fall in love with. Louis feels the same, only slightly more defeatist. It takes them a while to figure things out.

Skin New, Hands True, My Hands All Over You

Chapters: 1/1

Words: 44066

Summary: Harry designs wedding cakes, so of course meeting blissfully happy couples every day is part of his job description. Unfortunately, it’s caused Harry to perpetually hope each new day is the one he’ll find love, too. That is, until Harry realises everything he’s ever wanted is right under his nose in the shape of his best friend, Louis.

But predictably, Harry only comes to this epiphany when Louis starts seeing someone else. And this is not a John Hughes movie as far as Harry is aware. Everyone else is pretty sure, though.

Featuring a heavy dose of pining, copious amounts of alcohol, drunk dialing that results in a situation reminiscent of Rachel Green’s, a ginger cat that likes to interrupt intimate moments, and a Halloween party that changes everything.

There’s So Much Skin To See

Chapters: 1/1Words: 4684

Harry’s dorm is right next to Louis’. Harry is known for her legendary strap-on and bringing home girl after girl. Louis is tired of never getting any peace and quiet because of it. When she goes to confront Harry about it, things don’t go as planned.

To Kill The Mess We’ve Made

Chapters: 1/1Words: 42958

And when he’s finally standing, Liam fussing over him, rubbing his hand at the red mark blooming on Harry’s forehead, does Harry learn two things:

One, he wasn’t actually hit that hard, and Tommo–or Louis, rather–is just as pretty when Harry is staring at him head-on and,

Two, Louis is the Adidas model he’s going to be working with on today’s photo shoot.

(or: AU where Harry and Louis are both models, and they decide being friends-with-benefits is a great idea. It isn’t.)

To Hell With Romancing

Chapters: 1/1

Words: 8240

“Louis,” Harry says solemnly. “You don’t have to be ashamed of putting thing in your butt.” (A short AU wherein ex-girlfriends are nasty, Harry is confused, and Louis is apparently far more open to experimenting than Harry initially thought.)

With All My Surrendered Hearts

Chapters: 1/1Words: 4810

Louis beams, no, he fucking glows at that. He’s always been gone for this boy, ever since they met at ages fifteen and seventeen, back when they both worked at the Doncaster golf club, with grass-stained knees and evenings spent pushing each other into the ponds. It’s always been one of their quirks to add a bit of poetry. (“Because sometimes I feel like those three words aren’t enough,” Harry had explained.) Louis feels like he’s holding a flame inside of his ribcage.

Or, the one where they’re long distance boyfriends, and Louis rides Harry while wearing his snapback.

Tell Me What You Want

Chapters: 1/1Words: 10608

“Harry is looking for a new roommate after Liam moves in with his girlfriend. After a few bad dates he’s done with men for the moment and wants to concentrate on school. That’s why he’s looking for a female or a straight male roomie. When Niall tells Louis about the free room he leaves that little detail out. Louis, desperately looking for a room, pretends to be straight, thinking it would be easy, until he discovers that Harry likes to be naked at home. His best female friend posing as his girlfriend doesn’t work very well either.”

Deep in my Heart I Know There’s Only You

Chapters: 1/1Words: 23117

“Will you do it?” Harry whispers. Louis has to lean closer just to hear him. He furrows his brows and shakes his head, not knowing what Harry means. “Would you donate for me?”

Louis is dumbfounded. “I’m sorry, I thought you just asked if I’d donate my sperm. Can you repeat yourself?”

[harry and louis are best friends who engage in some platonic baby-making. very platonic.]

Autumn at my Window

Chapters: 3/3Words: 20400

A canon-compliant AU, in which Harry and Louis are both in the band and have been sharing flats and hotel rooms for nearly five years, but never made the leap past ‘friends who are too close for comfort’.

Featuring a lot of pining, Louis’ addiction to Harry’s scent, and a whole lot of sexual tension that might just snap loose when they decide to spend some time together all on their own.

Friendly Neighborhood Spideypool

Chapters: 1/1 

Words: 18705

“Don’t fuck with me, I’m not in the mood.” Louis’ got the urge to punch him in the face, but he knows deep down that if anything it’ll just add fuel to Harry’s innuendo fire. “You know I only fuck you, not with you. There’s a difference. It’s slight but still there.” He’s joking, but it’s sincere in a way that only Deadpool could make it. It gives Louis a strange mix of emotions, his body doesn’t know whether to fill with butterflies or to knee Deadpool in the balls again for insinuating them fucking. or, Harry is Deadpool and Louis is Spider-Man and they’ve got way too much history 

Come On Jump Out At Me

Chapters: 1/1Words: 28097“you know, i offered for you to fake out me, but, i don’t know anything about you other than you being my biggest celebrity crush probably since posh spice.”

louis almost chokes on his chicken, “jesus christ,” he sputters.

harry takes a swig of his beer with a smirk. “i was very disappointed when you didn’t say i was your celebrity crush after you came out.”

louis almost cries. “you know i did plan on it. then i ran into you narrating taking a piss and talking about my ass and i thought ‘wow this kid does talk some shit’ and decided against it.”

harry barks out a laugh, his ears tinged red. he takes a bite of his pizza. “i suppose i do have no filter while high.”

louis rolls his eyes, “bit of an understatement, mate.”

harry giggles, “whatever pal,” louis screams internally, “i expect the next time for you to say i’m your celebrity crush. since you’re going to have to be somewhat interested in me in order to sleep with me and take naked pictures of me.”

—-

Or, the one where actor louis tomlinson and one direction superstar harry styles try to fake a sex tape to help harry get out of the closet and they both get more than they bargained for.

Swim In The Smoke

Chapters: 3/3Words: 101778

“What about this, Captain?” Liam asks, nudging the boy kneeling between their feet with the toe of his boot. The boy hisses and swipes at him, slurring out something unintelligible around the makeshift gag Niall had to stuff in his mouth. He misses by a mile and tries again, just as ineffectively.

Harry looks down at him, at the way the sun streams over his face and shoulders, at the way the gag stretches his mouth, lips pink and chapped. He’s lithe and pretty, smudged all over with dirt. They had found him tied up below deck, mostly unconscious, next to a barrel full of gold. He’s clearly a prisoner, but there’s something familiar about him, something that niggles at Harry’s brain. Something he can’t quite put his finger on.

“Put him in my cabin,” Harry decides, turning back to deal with the rest of the loot. The boys screams out jumbled curse words at Harry’s back, muffled by the gag, and Harry can’t understand any of it.

Faking It

Chapters: 1/1Words: 46173

A uni AU in which Louis has been Harry’s best friend since he offered him cubed fruit on the playground, and they spend more time cuddling in their dorm beds than they do apart, but it’s not like that. Or is it?

Aka Harry pretends to date his best friend to escape unwanted attention from a too insistent classmate and hopes it won’t blow up in his face. Featuring embarrassing dildo accidents, awkward boners, longing, first times, late night conversations, emotional discoveries and Niall as the exasperated friend with bad advice.

Everything I Can Arrange, Every Part of Me You Change

Chapters: 1/1Words: 10019

“Don’t you try that shit with me,” Niall spits the second he reaches Louis, pulling off the hood with force. “What the hell is this?” He plops down next to Louis on the empty bleacher and unceremoniously pushes a sheet of crumpled paper in his face.

Netflix and Chill Buddy Application

It’s like no matter how hard Louis tries, he can’t seem to run away from this stupid fucking flyer. All the girls (and some of the boys) in every one of his classes have been talking about it all week. It’s on every wall of every building on campus. Louis went for a jog last night and he nearly tripped and died over a loose one on the football track.

[Harry needs a big spoon and Louis refuses to let anyone steal his position. Based on this post.]

[radne-le-roman-blog]

Is there such thing as a May onward resolution?

No clue. Not in the slightest. It now exists, because this probably should’ve been a New Year’s one, over on Randythewriter. But, I created this one because it’s a joke that @poppyredrose560 made (my name - Radne), so I could let some shit out without dude getting in the way, until I fucked up and reblogged something using this account. So now I need to think of a new username. (Cough, cough) Poppy, you come up with genius names and even Death ROW that I would’ve never gotten, make me a new nickname please. (cough cough).

Only joking, Pop. I’ma sorry I pissed you off last night, I won’t pretend I was in the right, I only thought you meant it be me included with ‘men, positions’, so I left because I identify as a male cyborg. I’m sorry. I just wanted to be a guard. And fight Ironforge.

Is there such thing as a male cyborg, or is it just a cyborg? I’m off topic.

Like I said seventy tribillion years ago or something, I don’t delete things like this and just type without editing, minus spelling mistakes.

So, hi.

Hi, if you don’t know me, you’re about to either click off, or scroll down to some depressing shit about Death Row, and myself, with the lil eld Riley O. Warren, n Oscar, n Belina, n Andrew all having some dark few moments. Riley and I especially.

And if you do know me, whether that be from years ago, or you don’t like me anymore, or anything, unless you’re Pop or another unnamed person, don’t knot your knickers - I do actually have friends, and don’t wear knickers, or really care anymore, you won’t know me. Probably.

I don’t know how long the onward part of this will be, maybe three weeks until I come back on Radne, maybe a few months, maybe six odd years, or never. But, Randythewriter is dead, and he ain’t coming back. I feel like, deactivating the account is disrespectful, so I just cut all things unrelated on Randy, and then left it. I’m not cutting things here.

So, Radne will join him, and Idk, Ra the Kettle Roman will join the world fresh and new. (shrug) Not happening.

I know it’d be easy to find me. But this isn’t for you, whoever reads this. It’s for me.

-The-random-writer- died months ago, and now my current tumblrs are too, and while I’m not giving up the site, or the internet, which to be honest, I probably should have considering everything - guess the word strong somewhat applies to me, I’m giving up the things known.

Writing, eh, maybe in June, Pop.

SV was nice while it lasted in my mind, and yeah, I guess I’m beginning to structure it for myself, I guess it all changes when there’s no mate for Kettle-Kurt to lean on. But no, Aaron won’t go. But a lot will.

PG, Toby, dude, you’re dead as fuck, go back to your grave and do not try this hologram shit. And do not kill me, when I have a piece of paper in my hand saying ‘traitor’, I’ll get that on my wrist at some point, give me a break, I’ll get tattoos for your and Aarurt later on.. at some point. (Gravestone: Randy Roman, ‘97-2047, never kept his promises on tattoos. Because. Asshole.).

But, I’m dropping this account, if it wasn’t obvious. Oh, wait. I want another.

Death Row, or DR if we go with the trends of others, you mark my new, Riley, my man, you stick in there, and Andrew (apparently my actual name could be Randy, Randy is short for Andrew, weird fact from Randy), you keep investigating, you utter nutter. And Belina, have a heart, here, take mine, it was kinda stabbed in the front though.

What am I doing? Jake, you corrupted my fucking soul.

I’ve only said fuck twice - three times now, I’m doing good.

This is what three day weekends do to me, thank you bank holidays.

Oscar, be there for Riley, he’s a mess, just like yerself, quit parrot teaching, quit the repartes that break both yer hearts, and cuddle, ffs.

I’m the creator and telling them what to do instead of fixing them... Right...

JD, die. You little shit, die.

That’s over now.

So, I thought I’d do that, because I haven’t used wattpad in over a month, and even then, all I did was chat with an old friend, with no notifications for months.

I’ll probably still occasionally drop in on it.

WoW, bitch, you’ve been with me for two years, I think, I cannot quit you, my level 64  bastard who gets stupid tasks~. Randyroman, you have such a creative name and I love you. You’re just on a dead server. And Louis hates me for that one.

To the point. I’m done with this account, and being battered from both sides, mine and yours for feelings. *cough* yes, fucking hypocritical, yes, no caring in the world right now. Your biggest fighting method is something that happened once or twice, that I actually do not really remember, nor care, because in my eyes, I’m fairly glad it was sent to you, even if I hate myself so much for everything I’ve done, at least I finally came out of the ‘toxic’ arms that everyone told me you have. And that may be so, but I’m uncaring for opinions.

I smiled. Today, I’ve smiled and laughed and had a lot of fun. I haven’t felt it that much, to be honest. Poppy is a great laugh, but I’ve not really done too much of it until today. And that’s what’s opened my eyes a lot. From scribbling lyrics with Jake, or swinging on swings with Ellisha sitting on me, Adam and Jake either side of me, and an empty seat she could easily fucking sit on, to just eating breakfast and cheering when we found out Jake has his entire GCSEs correct and will begin them in a month or so, I’ve laughed and smiled.

I was happy. Actually happy. Even with HU in the background, the occasional stab in the front, and then MatPat raging, Caitlin crying in delight (we got cat today, lil kitten kute, or as Poppy will get - yes we actually did this, because, for some reason, I was allowed to choose the name - Kore le Kute, I’m spending so much more time here just for lil Kore, every weekend I want to be here), to just taking a nap, and not dreaming about terror, death, or you. I was happy.

Recently, I’ve had some lyrics coming left right and centre, so, I thought, I’d add some in the end.

But, this is probably goodbye from me today. And maybe awhile. Maybe, I’ll come back in June. I don’t know. There will probably be a tag with ‘q’ if I find anything I want to post for after this. And when there’s not, I’m probably back, from Ra the kettle Roman.

So, I want to be dehumanized, yes, and I’m not consuming enough food, seeking the help I need, or doing things I should be, but I’m doing this. Because maybe I want this pain, but maybe I want independence.

So, take your Randy shit, and seize this opportunity to post anything. I’m not crying tonight. I haven’t been crying for awhile. But my May onward resolution, is to not cry from you. For as long as possible.

I have about twenty thousand songs, but let’s try this.

“ I don't believe in all your demons anymore

It's hard to see with any reason from before

I lie awake and face these shadows in the night

I see the truth through crimson eyes”

“ Got my cards lined up in a row

Up in flames and away we go

Lost my name but it's etched in stone

Take me home when the cold wind blows.

Ain't no grave gonna hold me down

Wide awake so don't make a sound

Ain't no way you can break me down

No one sings, no escaping now”

“ Let go, oh

Love isn't good enough

Let go, oh

Love isn't good enough

And the waves in the sea

They slip away just like me

So let go, oh

You weren't good enough”

“Dark hearts don’t break, they bruise.”

“Cause I, I think of you now and then, the memories never end, when gravity pulls you in”

“ I am a lion and I want to be free

Do you see the lion when you look inside of me

Outside the window just to watch you as you sleep

'Cause I am a lion born from things you can not be”

“ Beneath the covers while I hide behind the pain

After all only so much we can say

Words can lose their meaning once you walk away

Promise me that you'll love me, watch me as I fade

I'll give you all the things that these lions never gave

The hands on the clock and the things we cannot change

Tearin' out the pieces and take back what I made

If there's one thing I'd keep, it's you that I would save”

“ I don't know why I cut myself.

God give me a sign or help, I won't cry.

It'll be fine I'll take my last breath.

Push it out my chest till there's nothing left.”

“Have you ever met a living legend,

Just a real friend who planned his end?

And where do I begin?

You said it was pretend.

And when the bullet went through,

It took more than just you.

It took two, it was you,

It was me, and suddenly.

How can someone say they're helpless,

And then they act so selfish?

You put me through hell with this,

So fuck you let's just end this.

And what about our friendship?

What you did was senseless.

You thought you found an exit?

Like I said, let's end this!”

“ Someone left the door open

Who left me outside

I'm bent, I'm not broken

Come live in my life

All the words left unspoken

Are the pages I write

On my knees and I'm hoping

That someone holds me tonight

Hold me tonight”

“ 'Cause I

I think of you now and then

The memories never end when

Gravity pulls you in

(You in, you in, you in, you in)”

All HU, nice songs, these are some I thought you’d like. Take me home, let go, gravity, lion, circles, the loss, outside.

And then just the entirety of True Friends, which I quite enjoy.

So, goodbye.

( Now I can see your pain, I'm sorry!

GOODBYE!

I cry so hard.

Now I can see your pain, I'm sorry!

GOODBYE!

I cry tonight!) (Pain - HU)

Goodbye for now,

Hasta luego.

Good day.

And I love you.

And if you decide to delete some of our memories, that’s okay. Danny and Da kurlzz have a little something to say to you.

And so do I.

But, I’d prefer you not to, maybe you’d like to look back at times. I don’t care if there are any pending messages from me, but the ones that exist, once they get deleted, maybe they’re gone forever. And I know you’re petty enough to now go delete them and make a few more telling me to piss off.

Maybe one day you’d want to look back. Maybe if you delete them from you, it deletes from mine too. So delete them all, if you delete any. You can keep the one that says that you wouldn’t care about my status as a human, alive or dead, for all I care, that’s what begun my thoughts and nightmares of you killing me. And yet you’ve said before that… that you don’t want me to die. Shock, horror, even I was surprised to have that quoted. I won’t call bullshit, only the truth of my thoughts.

Delete the happy moments, Hunter, if that is what you wish, don’t do it out of petty spite. Delete the happy and the sad, until there is no trace of us, until there are ten posts on Randythewriter, where you cannot visit, where there is only the evil on Radne, the truth and what you did to me. If that’s what you wish.

I know you saw last nights thing. So, fly to Andromeda, and take your posts with you.

I.

Will.

Not.

Cry.

Over.

You.

I fucking loved you.

And finally,

I’m using the right word.

[makayla-angelic]

Happy Black History month!

This lovely lady is Josephine Baker. She was born Freda Josephine Mcdonald on June 3, 1906, in St. Louis Missouri. Her mother, Carrie Mcdonald was a washerwoman who loved to dance and the identity of her father is said to be unknown, although some people claim it was one of Carrie's boyfriends, Eddie Carson, but Josephine knew better. Josephine's grandmother, Elvira, was a slave when she was a little girl, and told stories of that life to Josephine when she was little. One year after Josephine was born, Carrie gave birth to Josephine's brother, Richard, but the man Carrie was with she did not marry, and Carrie did not change her errant ways. It was said that while growing up, Josephine felt that her mother hated her, because of her lighter skin and the look alike's of her father. Her brother, who was much darker, seemed to be the welcome one. Eight months after Richard was born, Carrie finally settled down and married a tall, burly man named Arthur Martin. They had two children together, Margaret on December 23, and Willie Mae on July 18, 1910. The family struggled to survive on Gatriot street, and all of the children slept on a bed-bug ridden mattress with their parents. Sometimes Josephine and her brother Richard would wake up at five in the morning and go down and pick up fallen fruits and vegetables and make money off of it. They would even climb on top of trains and throw bits of coal down, or knock on the doors of rich white people's houses to do household chores.

When Josephine turned seven, her mother sent her to work as a live in maid to a woman named Mrs. Kaiser. But Mrs. Kaiser was mean and cruel to Josephine, and one day burned Josephine's hands in boiling hot water after Josephine left it boiling too long on the stove. Even while growing up in these poor, hard times, Josephine still found fun dancing at Booker T. Theater and playing in the streets and dancing to music. She played hookey from school and stayed out late at night. When she was eleven she witnessed something she would never forget for the rest of her life. The race riots of St. Louis in 1917, caused fear, hurt, and death among people. Buildings were burned down, people were shot and killed, and Josephine saw it all happen with her own two eyes. Then, on December 22, 1919, when Josephine was only 13 years old, she got married to Willie Wells. But the marriage only lasted for a few months, and ended when the couple got into an argument and Josephine smashed Willie over the head with a beer bottle. Once the marriage was over, Josephine went out looking for work, and she continued dancing. Then in 1921, when she was 15, she got married for a second time, to a man named Willie Baker. Josephine took the last name Baker, and kept it for the rest of her life, even long after the marriage was over. A couple months after they married, Josephine found herself with a role in the famous black Broadway performance called "Shuffle Along" by Eubie Blake. She got her own comedy dance act, and made the audience laugh. The other girls were jealous of Josephine, claimed she was stealing the show, and looked down at her because she had darker skin than they were. A few years passed, after Shuffle Along, came the Dixie Steppers, and then The Chocolate Dandies.

In 1925, when she was 19, her life changed forever. A woman by the name of Caroline Reagan from France came to St. Louis looking for people to star in her all black revue called La Revue Negre. She liked Josephine and decided to choose her for the lead role. But Josephine was nervous about leaving the country, and decided against it. But after some reassuring, and the raising of her salary, Josephine caved in and decided to go. It would be a new and exciting experience. On September 22, 1925, Josephine, along with the other chosen cast of La Revue Negre arrived in Paris, France. There, they began to enjoy the life of being free and not worrying about segregation, for in France, everyone was equal, there was no such thing as segregation. Then they began to rehearse for the show. The revue was alright, but something was missing. They needed something erotic, something to appeal to a French audience, and one of the producers suggested that Josephine perform naked except for a few feathers around her waist. Josephine, shocked and appalled by the idea, said no and ran away crying. But as time passed, she got used to the idea. Did she really want to go back to America doing five shows a night every week, sleeping in small cramped, segregated hotels, and going back to the life of being a washerwoman? So Josephine pulled herself together and decided to go along with it. On October 2, 1925, La Revue Negre opened at 9PM. The La Danse de Sauvage was the highlight of the show, in which Josephine was carried out on the back of Joe Alex, both were half-naked except for a few feathers around the waist. When the erotic, sensual, dance was over, Josephine left the stage with a mixture of cheering and boo's surrounding her. For days after the performance, Josephine would not stop being the talk of the town! Her name and picture appeared in newspapers, and secret admirers brought her expensive clothes, jewelry, and even animals. She even bought a tiger named Chiquita, even though he was male, and he wore a diamond studded collar. For many months Josephine lived the life of a star, and basked in the glory of her fame and richness. She began to learn how to speak French. In 1926, she performed in the Folies Bergere. This time, she wore nothing but a simple skirt of fake banana's around her waist. This new and exotic banana dance boosted Josephine's popularity, and made her success spread worldwide. Josephine met an Italian count named Count Pepito Abatino, and helped Josephine become a "proper lady" so to say, and how to dance ballet, and to control and perfect her singing voice, and her French speaking.

Between 1926-1928, Josephine performed, sang, and trained. She signed a movie contract, and stared in her first movie, La Sirene Des Tropiques. Then she married Pepito and became a countess. In 1928, Josephine and Pepito left France to go on a tour to other countries. There, it was mixed reviews. Berlin, Germany, Romania, Moscow and so on. Riots broke out over Josephine, some called her the "black devil" and in Vienna she was declared a witch. After having a tour full of mixed reviews, Josephine and Pepito returned to France, where Josephine spent the next couple of years trying to transform her career. In 1935, she returned to America to star in the Zigfield Follies in New York. She was greeted by her family and friends, both black and white. But back in America, Josephine saw how badly things had gotten in America, segregation, and racial tension was worse than ever. For starters, the hotel Josephine and Pepito checked in, Josephine was not allowed to enter through the lobby, because it was segregated and people might get upset that their were blacks staying there. Josephine and Pepito could not eat together in the dining room, but Pepito by himself could use it. When Josephine performed the show on January 30th, it was a heartbreaking blow for her. People got up and walked out during the performance, reporters called her a "Negro bed wench" and saying "How did a washer woman's daughter become like this?" And even another performer saying "Her dancing is the pain of an artist, and her voice is just a squeak in the dark" Josephine took her anger out on Pepito, blaming him on all that happened, and the couple split up, Pepito going back to Paris, where he died of cancer. Josephine returned to Paris on in May of 1936, where she bought a mansion, and continued on her career as normal. In 1937, Josephine met Jean Lion, and in November, they married. But the marriage only lasted 14 months, and they split due to complications of the hectic life of Josephine's career. In 1939, when WW2 began, Josephine went to war, where she became a Harlem of the Resistance, a spy and helped carry information over to find out what the German's were planning. She fell ill with an infection in Saudi Arabia, and she was forced to have an emergency removal of her reproductive organs. There went her chances of ever having children. She spent the next year and a half recovering in the hospital, and having surgery to remove excess scar tissue. She returned to Paris after her recovery and continued her career. She received a medal of honor.

in 1947, she married a band leader named Jo Boullion and they bought a chateau in southern France. They continued their career, travelling across America and breaking the color bar down south. Physically and mentally, things seemed ok, but financially, it was hard. in the 1950's, Josephine began to adopt children of all races, 14 in total. She called them her "Rainbow Tribe" Josephine was determined to prove to the world that all races were equal. Years passed, and Josephine's career collapsed, Jo gave up his band to help Josephine take care of the children. But all of it became too much, and in 1957, they split up. Josephine was on her own with the children and Les Milandes, and she was struggling to keep that as well. Eventually, Josephine sent her children away to stay with her family that moved to France, so Josephine could stay behind and help clean up damage after she lost the house. In 1968, Josephine lost Les Milandes, and Princess Grace came to the rescue and gave Josephine and her children a mansion to stay in.  Throughout the rest of the 1960's and early 1970's Josephine lived a quiet life, doing little shows here and there. She wasn't as famous as she was anymore, and she was getting old. In 1974, she decided to come together with producers and make a play production of her life. It was a plan to make three million dollars. The production was a huge success, and for a while, it was the 1920's Josephine Baker all over again.

On April 12, 1975, Josephine Baker died at the age of 68. She had suffered a brain hemmorage. Her casket was open for all to see. She received full French military honors and her funeral was the occasion on a huge procession. Josephine was a woman who broke barriers, saved lives, and entertained. She had a heart full of gold, as well on her body. She paved a way for those who desire to reach the stars, black, white, Hispanic, etc. She was Josephine Baker.

If you want to read the full explicit story on the life of Josephine Baker, I suggest you buy and read Josephine: The Hungry Heart by Jean-Claude Baker, one of her adoptive children. Really juicy and shocking information in that book, and over 400 pages of it too!

[dawnscngs]

sage :   what is your muse’s legacy ? what do they want to be remembered for   &   what might they actually be remembered for ?

salvia :   is your muse possessive over people or things that matter a lot to them ? how do they express that possessiveness ,   or lack thereof ?

snapdragon :   is your muse merciful ? why or why not ?

for vel and william

BOTANICAL HEADCANONS — accepting ( @veritcs )

sage :   what is your muse’s legacy ? what do they want to be remembered for   &   what might they actually be remembered for ?

The idea of 'legacy' is complicated for Vel. He's never been the kind to seek any recognition or notoriety, he vastly prefers keeping his head down and working unnoticed. Less people bother him and he gets done what needs to be done, It's a win/win. In his main FFXIV verse, that approach is impossible, since there's not a person on the star who doesn't know at least the title that was dropped on him.

So, currently, he's had this legacy built up as some great hero without any desire or consent on his part. So anything he leaves behind at this point will be as the 'Warrior of Light', or even worse the 'Hero of Eorzea' (despite the fact that he is neither a hero, nor Eorzean jfhgsdjh)

If he had to choose a legacy for himself, something that people will remember long after he's gone, he'd like to be remembered as Khagan of the Azim Steppe, since in his heart, that's his biggest achievement— even among all the god-killing and war-fighting. The Steppe is his home and he is Xaela in all but blood. There is no greater honor.

salvia :   is your muse possessive over people or things that matter a lot to them ? how do they express that possessiveness ,   or lack thereof ?

I generally dislike the word 'possessive' when it comes to people. Vel is very...protective? Territorial. He doesn't consider the people he cares about to be his possessions, but he does get very confrontational towards anyone or anything that threatens them— physically or emotionally. Absolutely will fight anyone, anywhere, anytime over it. (This means the twins' dad is going DOWN.)

When it comes to his things, he's definitely a little possessive. There was a time where he didn't have anything of his own at all, and he likes to keep his things close so there's no possibility of them being lost or stolen. Just don't touch his stuff without asking, he really hates that. Thankfully, though, he doesn't have a lot of material stuff that he gets like that over. Pretty much just his weapons and food. He'll share food if you ask but don't just reach for his food that's how you get your hand bit.

snapdragon :   is your muse merciful ? why or why not ?

HM. Well, I wouldn't call him merciful, exactly? He doesn't hesitate to kill in battle unless specifically asked not to cause any deaths, he has no qualms about torture, if it's deemed necessary (though he doesn't like it, he will break some fingers to get a person talking if need be.), and if someone has done something heinous enough, by his standards, even if they aren't his current opponent, death is on its way.

That said, he isn't needlessly cruel? Not every opponent in battle is one he's going to decide to kill, and he dislikes the killing of the tempered just because there wasn't a way to cure them at the time. Especially since there's a way to do it now. Those affected by the sineaters in the first are a bit different. He doesn't like the idea of killing them either, but he understands better why it's done, since there's the whole transformation factor to it and everything that comes with that.

Vel has a very 'kill or be killed' mentality about a lot of things and it's basically what he falls back on when in situations that require a choice of mercy. If his opponent will kill him if he doesn't kill them, then he won't hesitate. If his opponent is incapacitated and shows no signs of continuing the fight, and if he doesn't hate them personally, then he'll feel no need to kill them.

(this is long already, so William's are under the cut)

sage :   what is your muse’s legacy ? what do they want to be remembered for   &   what might they actually be remembered for ?

William has a pretty established legacy at this point, it just depends on who you are and how you knew him before the fall. To the vast majority, he's remembered as a villain. An infamous threat to the country as a whole and a horrid, cold-blooded murderer. Indeed, this was his goal all along. He sought to make the demons of the world pay (including himself) and to become the common enemy that would bind all of England together, pushing the society smoothly towards equality.

There are others, however, who knew him— not as the Lord of Crime, but simply as William James Moriarty. A professor, a friend, family. Those people will be the ones who remember all of his forgotten pieces. His kindness and warmth, his idealism, his desire to protect and to help at any cost. Everything that made up his heart will be carried by the people who love and have faith in him, and really, what more could he ever ask for in a legacy?

salvia :   is your muse possessive over people or things that matter a lot to them ? how do they express that possessiveness ,   or lack thereof ?

William is an interesting case. He has certain tendencies that can be read that way (the "colonel moran is finally mine" line comes to mind), but the way I see it? He would never be genuinely possessive over a person. Everyone who he considers 'his' is not his in a possession sort of way, and he would never truly force a person to attach themselves to him.

He expresses these feelings through unconditional love and care. The others may have all been willing to sacrifice themselves just the same as William was, but William was never truly willing to sacrifice any of them.

He has a bit of an ego when it comes to protecting the people he really cares for. He doesn't tend to consider how they might see his attempts to take everything on his own shoulders and only considers that, were the positions reversed, he would want someone to do the same for him.

Which is funny, because when his loved ones do offer to support him and protect him in the same ways (moran offering to make a kill for him, louis requesting to join the rest of the moriarty family on jobs), William is either reluctant or outright refuses.

snapdragon :   is your muse merciful ? why or why not ?

He is, no matter what he thinks. He hates killing and violence, even when it's directed at those who most deserve it. The act of killing has broken him down bit by bit over the years and eaten him alive. Were it not for his ideals and circumstances, he could have lived a perfectly happy life and never raised a hand to another human being.

His killings themselves are usually as quick as he can make them, and he won't kill anyone innocent. He destroys himself, actively, all so that those who are never shown mercy or justice can have a world where they are.