#louis was there bc i was there and he’s in love with me btw. so that’s why

[jam-packed]

ive made this post before but now that ive actually watched iwtv (2022) i can concretely say that louis and lestat are almost exactly like marc and vale, respectively. like insane amount of overlap.

[venusrobots]

zaaaaaayn ^_^

[casualavocados]

im gonna break down my last gifset: the second half of the ep12 intimacy scene, because nat and louis are such good actors ive been rendered slightly braindead more than once due to how well they SOLD this scene and SOLD ai di and chen yi's love for each other through their physicality.

WARNING: if you read this and then use the words top or bottom to describe anything going on here, i will deadass block you. ♥️ don't even think about it. ♥️

this is gonna be unhinged but the mix of horny and pure adoring each other is an ever-crisscrossing line that is simply underappreciated from what ive seen in previous posts of this particular part.

so they've been making out for a while with ai di in chen yi's lap and chen yi decides to push them over… i did not cut a single frame of this btw.

starting with the first two gifs:

i love the way ai di's hand comes to rest perfectly at the nape of chen yi's neck during the impact. then there's a brief "are we gonna kiss?" half of a second before chen yi goes for ai di's neck. and ai di responds appreciatively: with his head tilted back, his hand in chen yi's hair… you see in the second gif his fingers curling a little, to gently trail his nails down chen yi's neck, wordlessly telling chen yi to keep going. and he does, moving from ai di's neck to his chest.

and here we get a moment of ai di going oh. his mouth literally opens a little wider—

—and he lifts up his head as if to check that that's really chen yi doing this to him. all the while his hand has moved from chen yi's neck/hair to rubbing chen yi's shoulder. again in a reassuring "yes that's good" way, and also, i imagine, just for the sake of touching chen yi too.

he looks at chen yi and then full body relaxes into feeling it, while still rubbing chen yi's shoulder. i cant get over ai di's face here, i can't. the whole shot is art, with chen yi kissing just below his ribs.

bc chen yi is so focused on adoring him, on pouring all this love he has for ai di into these gentle kisses and the way he's touching him, too: sliding his hand up ai di's chest to grip his shoulder in return. (also notice ai di's sweatshirt from four years ago hanging up in the background. chen yi has been waiting so long for this too and needs to show it.)

and then— WELL. then ai di slides his hand back up into chen yi's hair…

and chen yi responds to the feeling of it immediately. it's almost like ai di is saying yes, that's good, now come here, and you see chen yi's eyes open and his body immediately follow that cue. perfect wordless communication. ai di's hand is literally pulling him closer (with barely any pressure) and chen yi instinctively responds to it by making his way back up with another soft kiss.

and ai di is watching him, waiting for him. chen yi's hand is sliding along ai di's chest again… you even see ai di's legs open a little at the end of the gif to make room for chen yi to take that space again.

and chen yi does. he really does:

and he does that on purpose. (it's like he's responding to ai di's satisfaction by saying, "let me make it feel even better". while also saying "i love you this much".)

and ai di responds by intentionally adjusting himself to feel more of it:

chen yi moves back from the neck kiss and ai di really said with his body: no, don't you dare take that pressure away.

there is so much going on in those two gifs. starting with the former: you can see ai di leaning back for the neck kiss, and then his hand moves down to chen yi's hip the instant he feels the pressure between his legs, in such a perfectly instinctive movement you can literally see his fingers tighten in chen yi's hair and his toes curl at the edge of the gif. he is completely 100% feeling it. he lifts his head to look.

—& i can't get over the way ai di is always trying to see, to watch chen yi doing this to him. it's chen yi. he has to make sure it's real. he has waited for and wanted this for so long and he isnt dreaming anymore.

and then in the latter: ai di tilts his head back again a little before his shift. his very intentional shifting of hips that physically lifts his back from the bed a little to align them more comfortably and to keep the friction. this movement stops chen yi from kissing ai di's neck again, bringing him to his mouth instead— but not until after ai di's hand on the back of chen yi's neck slides down to cup his cheek. (as if this whole gif says, not only "yes, that feels good, don't stop", but also, "i need you to know i love you".)

they kiss like that: pressed together, looking at each other, ai di cradling chen yi's face with one of his hands. you can see his thumb holding the base of chen yi's jaw in the next gif:

while chen yi in turn pulls his arm out from underneath ai di to prop (only) his chest up a bit higher for the express purpose of just looking at ai di. feeling ai di touching him like this, too. both of them gentle and needy, adoring and eager; all of that fully communicated through their body language.

there is not an inch of them that isnt feeling this moment and isnt completely tuned in to both themselves and the other. it's so intimate and vulnerable and so intentional. and the fact that they are taking their time, always looking at each other, is what makes it so loving and sweet and is also exactly what makes it so hot.

it's chen yi's turn now to check that this is real. to soak this all in and breathe. that's ai di beneath him. against him. loving him.

and it takes a full gif but ai di allows maybe 2 seconds more of looking at each other before reaching up and pulling chen yi into a deeper kiss. he's waited for this for so long—

although first you see ai di's eyes flick down and back up. and let me tell you— he's not looking at chen yi's lips.

chen yi's hand perfectly supports the back of ai di's head and neck as ai di surges up to wrap chen yi in his arms—cup the nape of chen yi's neck in his fingers—pulling himself up and chen yi closer in the same movement.

and this is when and why the camera pans away. because those kisses are getting deeper. they are locked in, they're attached, they are feeling all of it, everything is intentional and loving and very clear about where this scene will be going next.

i just— this is a lot, for me. because it is so intensely loving. and also so intensely horny. like, i've seen some good sex scenes, but it takes some really incredible acting to pull off seeming so fully, devotedly, in love, and be able to show that alongside and through attraction. personally? i haven't seen any bl actors do it better than nat and louis in this scene right here. please notice, as well, that all thirteen of these gifs are of one, continuous, shot.

simply put, it's a very. very. well done scene. AND I NEED TO CHEW DRYWALL.

(final note: a reminder of my warning at the start of this post bc i am serious. there are too many infinitesimal things happening in this scene for these characters to be reduced to stereotypes that, frankly, do not matter in real life. ♥️ no need to respond to this warning either… feel free to focus on what the post is saying instead.)

and that's why chen yi and ai di are better and more real than every other bl couple in existence. ok bye.

[swiftsalad]

This is a very sentimental piece that I recently drew of Armand, specifically from a couple chapters of the fanfic-in the deafening polar province called You. Please read it first if you don’t want to be spoiled bc I’m about to talk about spoilers.

Spoilers free TLDR: Armand’s trauma being this shapeless thing over his heart, that is fragmented due to his broken memories, is a well of pain that seems endless, and so all he can do is claw at his skin.

GOOOOOD I really love this fanfic. I feel that the author really understands Armand’s character and his relationship with Daniel and they expand these concepts in such a beautiful way. And the first couple chapters that summarize Armand’s POV of the 2 weeks in Dubai, are done so well where I can really feel how Armand is comfortable in his relationship with Louis but isn’t really happy and how in his mind he can’t really comprehend why he does what he does but really only knows how to act in the moment when his security is jeopardized. So of course he runs after Louis when the truth is revealed because Louis is his safety blanket, and without it Armand knows he’ll be alone again. That feeling is also what pushes him to tell Daniel about their past, stringing along enough information so Daniel keeps him around for a couple days once they’re back in New York. But then you have that chapter where Armand realizes that his relationship with Louis turned into comfortable complacency and that he never stopped loving Daniel and then a hint of subconscious, self sabotage because he really let Daniel reveal the truth without realizing it. AND THEN YOU GET THE FLASHBACKS. it’s my personal belief that we get the flashbacks as Armand himself is remembering/thinking about them since it’s his POV, like I think every flashback is done not only so its in sync with the plot beats but also because its Armand’s line of thinking.

Returning the memories to Daniel; heartbreaking, their last time having sex; heartbreaking, their first time having sex since; heartbreaking, “what we both want, we get”; heartbreaking, Daniel once again asking to be turned; heartbreaking, Armand trying to dissuade Daniel from vampirism by having him kill a guy and drink his blood via Armand straw; INSANE but heartbreaking, Daniel pinching and poking Armand until he agrees to turn Daniel; so funny and real but heartbreaking.

Then we get to the last 10 chapters and the whole time I felt as though there were a thorn in my heart and I was on the verge of tears the whole time. If these previous chapters were heartbreaking then these last chapters are DEVASTATING.

“I need you to keep it together”; DEVASTATING, “take it all and punish me for this”; DEVASTATING, Armand seeing Daniel’s gold eyes for the first time; DEVASTATING, Armand needing to be in pain for their first time as maker and fledgling; DEVASTATING,

And I quote:

“Five hundred years, Armand’s heart has beat the same lonely rhythm. Five hundred years, and every moment has been captive to the pounding, pulsing need. To the question that has forever gone unanswered. Do you love do you love me do you love me?”

“You can feel it now.” Daniel murmurs, irises nearly clear, pupils blown wide like two yawning holes Armand wants to fall into. “How much I love you.”

Daniel’s heart beats and beats and beats.

And yes, Armand can feel it. Daniel inside him, his heart and its steady I do I do I do, so certain that not even Armand’s own can find a way to doubt it.”

End quote.

So DEVASTATING that I’m crying, screaming, and throwing up. This chapter is one of the two that inspired me to draw something from the concepts and themes that arose with these characters. The other chapter that inspired the composition of the drawing is only a few chapters later in chapter 23, the moment is too long to quote fully but to put it simply, after Armand has a nightmare where he relives his trauma(btw as someone who has trauma dreams, this was written really well and realistic to how trauma works in dreams) Daniel wakes him up and he slowly realizes that in his sleep, he clawed at his chest, directly above his heart, subconsciously trying to rip it out. When I tell you, I had to look at the ceiling for many hours after chapter 23. And then I spent a week trying to draw it, I scrapped so many sketches because it was so important for me to get right. What’s crazy is that I felt as though the fanfic was not the same after chapter 23 either, like in the following chapters until the epilogue, there’s this weird melancholy in Armand’s narrative, and then in the chapter where they temporarily split, Armand directly calls it a “bomb” that hasn’t detonated yet. Like Daniel is simultaneously a reprieve from Armand’s self-loathing and now the source of it. Everything, everything, everything in this fic is exactly what I want from Devil’s Minion, past and current. The gentle violence, the violent intimacy, the bond before the blood bond, before the vampire bond, the constant draw to one another, the push and pull, the unspoken parallels; young Daniel being similar to Arun, old Daniel being similar to Amedeo, old Daniel with returned memories being something new but getting closer to being Armand’s equal, then vampire Daniel not only being Armand’s equal but being ONE with him, of course with the help of the vampire bond, where Daniel feels Armand’s feelings before Armand can even recognize them. And any time one of them puts their hand over the others heart it makes me just want to roll around on the floor or sink to the bottom of a pool, I really need that to be canon at some point.

THANK YOOOU @shineforthee for writing such a compelling fanfiction, I’m literally obsessed with everything you write it's not even funny!!!

[rawreeee]

i love that at the beginning of the tvl epilogue lestat is like

“I fell deeply in love with Louis. He was the most beautiful, kind, charming creature i’d ever set my eyes on, oh and like half the shit he wrote about me being horribly evil were like complete misunderstandings btw, But it’s okay idc because he’s my favorite vampire on earth ever 🥰”

this man is sooo down awful. louis was talking straight trash abt him throughout that whole book, making lestat seem like this horrible creature bc he was so swamped down in his own self-loathing to see lestats side of the picture, but lestat really could not give less of a fuck he just needs everyone to know that louis was the best husband ever

plus- as he says himself many times- he did feel like he deserved to suffer. he didn’t blame louis for anything except not realizing his own worth. and nothing louis painted him as wasn’t something he hadn’t already thought about himself.

[nalyra-dreaming]

Hi! What do you think Lestat and Daniels relationship is gonna look like in the show? On one hand I would think he’d be a little grateful for Daniel bc he helped Louis figure Armand’s bullshit out and then on the other we see him mind choking him out in the short interview lol. In a perfect world I’d like to see them not necessarily fully friends like Louis and Daniel kinda are but are more like grumpy sarcastic frienemies. I also saw that you think Daniel’s still human in the documentary, love that idea btw hope that’s true, it’d be really cool to see lestat have some kind of relationship with a human especially bc he’s so detached from them. Thanks!

Hey!

Wellllll I mean the scene in the teaser ... it didn't seem to me like they were overly familiar with each other yet?! You know?

But I think they could be, at the end of the documentary, for a lot of reasons.

For one Daniel has some experience with vampires already, and he does know how to cut through bullshit. He will probably ask a bit different questions now, after the new interview.

But also... Daniel knows that the tale was edited. The tale Louis gave him as an interview I mean. He has proof of some of those edits. And now he has the man to dig into it right there.

I bet Daniel will love that. And yes, Lestat will likely come to be (very) grateful Daniel helped Louis. And ultimately also that he can give his version of events (in the rough) and his own story (in the way he wants to).

In the books Lestat and Daniel get along quite well. I don't see any reason for that to be different here, tbh. Even if (still big if) Daniel should be a human still for the documentary - but they have a common ground for now, and a common "enemy", namely Armand. (Of course Armand won't stay "the enemy"^^).

I think they might bond over all the shit that happened and that Daniel knows - and does NOT know - about.

If Daniel is a vampire already then that would only intensify, I think. Because then... Daniel could empathize.

I am not sure I would call Lestat "detached" wrt humanity btw... but they are predators. They are other. Lestat loves humans. But he also eats them. It's... difficult^^.

Whatever it will be though, their relationship is one of the things I very much look forward to next season. I want them to get along like a house on fire, pretty please. 🤓

And... depending how they spin it, I want them to go at Armand together^^ - but that depends heavily on how the show will spin it^^

[tiredofthehumanlife]

Coryo and the tambourine player sitting in a tree

Barbie dolls: peacekeeper!Coriolanus Snow x gn!Covey!reader

Word: 5.4k

Summary: Before the Games Lucy Gray says Coriolanus would get along great with one of her cousins and he finds out exactly what she meant when he meets you

Warnings: two whole songs in here pal, the first one is Theatre by Etta Marcus second is All I Want is You by Barry Louis Polisar, and now no bullying on the song choices okay bc I said so, also you now play tambourine and guitar and can sing you're a triple threat, Coriolanus turnz simp, and I won't take it back I like it on him, him and Lucy Gray are just besties now btw, alluding to you having days where you can't do anything now is it mental illness or disability idk you tell me, you kiss and call him lover boy far too frequently, you eat southern slang up so fucking much they should get you a horse and herd of cows atp, yeah that's it

Maybe Peacekeeping wasn’t the best job but it did have its ups. For one he got to talk to Lucy Gray. He remembered back in the Capitol she mentioned how one of her cousins would love him. She went on about how they would work together ‘like flower and honey bee, tree and leaves, winter and snow, wink and nod, seed and pod-‘. Lucy Gray went on and on until Coriolanus lost track of all the words but he understood the message. Apparently, he and this mystery cousin of hers would get along great. 

Of course that was a while ago and he was sure he had changed since then. He wasn’t so positive if Lucy Gray still thought that. Coriolanus had already seen Lucy Gray and the rest of the Covey on stage. He met them backstage with Sejanus and was so glad to reconnect with another friend after the mess the Games were. Lucy Gray told him he had to come to the next show next Saturday. She said she had a surprise lined up for him. 

Obviously, he came. Firstly he would get to spend time with his friends again and he’d get to find out what this surprise was. He thought it was kind of silly because the show was going as it normally did. Maude Ivory stepped up on her wooden crate and started introducing everyone again. The crowd cheered as usual. As usual Tam Amber on mandolin, Clerk Carmine on fiddle, Barb Azure on bass, and Lucy Gray with her guitar. Coriolanus didn’t understand how on earth this was different from any other night until he noticed Maude Ivory hadn’t stepped down from her box. 

“And finally after a quick break, welcome back our very own tambourine player-“ Maude Ivory called out a name he hadn’t heard before, pointing her hand out at the curtain. A loud jingling came from behind the curtain and then as it was pushed back you were revealed.

If every student in the academy’s beauty was combined it couldn't shine a light on you. You had your hand held above your head and in it was a crescent-shaped instrument Coriolanus had never seen before. It had little silver circles inside of it. He liked the sound it made but it was definitely new to him. You waved to the crowd as you stood next to Barb Azure. The crowd seemed louder than it had been with the other band members, but he supposed that they didn’t see you last weekend. 

Coriolanus had decided to sit closer to the stage today, all because of Sejanus' complaints. Now he was grateful he did that because he wanted a closer look at you. You smacked your instrument against your hand and your thigh. He liked how it intermingled with the other sounds of the band. You were very pretty. You joked around with the rest of the band, laughing along at the jokes Lucy Gray made in the audience. Your smile was so captivating he wondered why you chose music instead of modeling. The Covey moved through lots of songs, all making the drunken crowd sing along. As the night was winding down, Lucy Gray stepped back from the mic and kicked Maude Ivory’s crate to the stand. Maude Ivory stepped up and spoke into the mic. 

“Okay, we’re a few songs out from the end of the night. Please be kind to our Somber Soul. They love sad songs so just settle down and listen with your heart.” Maude Ivory said, sticking her hand back at you again. You and Lucy Gray traded instruments. You slipped your head and arm through the strap of her guitar. Lucy Gray took your crescent instrument and headed behind the curtain. Maude Ivory dropped down from her crate and left the microphone stand open for you. You readjusted the strap on your shoulder, running your fingers on the flowers and Lucy Gray’s initials embroidered on it. You stepped up to the mic and greeted the crowd. 

“Hey, you miss me?” You asked. The crowd let out whines and screams of ‘yes’s. You snorted at them. “Yeah thought so.” You turned your head to the side and started plucking the string and fiddling with the pegs on top. 

“Yeah, last Saturday was one of my bad days.” You said. The crowd made a sad sound and you smiled at it. “But I’m here now, that’s all that matters right? Once somebody told me the best thing to do is just finish one task each day. Hm? Today my task is to make a memorable night for you.” You chuckled at the screams of excitement. 

“There is one thing I need to ask of you. Is that alright with you?” You asked. Coriolanus noticed he felt soothed by your voice. Something about it made his anxiety slip from his shoulders. The crowd all let out strings of agreement. 

“For this song, I’m going to need three of you resting on a bucket to let Tam Amber borrow them. You’ll get them once I’m done with the song, I promise.” You said. A woman stood up quickly, forking over her dirty plastic bucket. You reached down and thanked her with a bright smile. Coriolanus was glad he sat so close to the edge of the stage. He was on his feet and sticking his bucket out for you before his brain could catch up. Your eyes moved to him and your smile flickered away like a suffocated candle. 

“Hey, I know you. You were in the-“ A third bucket tapped against your arm, distracting you. Your smile came back as fast as it had left. You thanked the man and took both his and Coriolanus’ buckets. You handed the three of the buckets to Tam Amber and moved back to the microphone. The three who had handed off their chairs leaned against nearby walls. 

“Thank you all for the chairs.” Your eyes glanced over at Coriolanus against the wall. You looked back out into the center of the crowd. “Sorry to say this won’t be a cheerful song. I love you all, but as lovely Maude said, I’m a bit of a somber soul. Okay, ready?” You turned your head back, looking at your bandmates. Tam Amber, Clerk Carmine, Barb Azure, and Mauve Ivory all gave you a short nod. You turned back to the microphone stand. 

“Here we go.”  The crowd quieted, knowing your song was approaching. You started strumming a gentle tune. The Covey behind you started harmonizing with you. Maude Ivory added humming and ‘ooo’s as supporting sounds. Tam Amber started tapping against the buckets with sticks. You sucked in a breath before leaning for the microphone. 

I rehearse a work of theatre for you

Come alive 

I’ll play dead tonight, I’ll remember each line

Go again, I won’t mind you, I would fake it every time

I could stop pretending, quit dreaming and

Turn on the lights 

I am holding on to 

Every word I made up for you 

I’m not flesh, I’m not blood

I am plastic, you are God

Your words were slow and gentle. Coriolanus thought of a brisk breeze shuffling leaves above his head. Your singing was captivating and Maude Ivory’s backup vocals added to your appeal. You had a soft smile gracing your lips as you sang. You sounded like you were whispering messages from the clouds. Then the music around you started to pick up its pace. Tam Amber beat his buckets faster and your voice got louder. Your smile was gone. 

I wanna be loved, I wanna be loved

Like right out of a movie where I sweep you up

I wanna be loved, I wanna be loved

Like right out of a movie where I am the star

Yes, I’ll be the star

You moved more than Lucy Gray did when she sang. You jerked your body around like all the emotions you were singing about were pent up under your skin and the only way to get it out was to move with your words. Your voice was loud and hurt. Your words dripped with your yearning and Coriolanus felt like the crowd was as taken aback as he was. Just as fast as the loud had come it dispersed again. It was like the ocean receding and then washing back over him. You were back to lightly smiling and Tam Amber was back to his slow tapping. 

I’ll put on a show and watch it with you

Touch my thigh

You sank your body into itself to mimic neediness. You pinched your eyebrows and looked like if you weren’t singing you’d be whining away like a kicked puppy begging your pets. You straightened up and returned your face to neutral. 

I could blush, I’m so shy, rest your head on my side

You fluttered your eyelashes and paused your strumming for a split second to tip your hand under your chin, smiling pretty at the crowd. Your hand was back on the strings, flying away. 

We could stay in my mind, we could be what we like

With that line, the fast was back again and Tam Merry was beating away at his buckets. Your voice was powerful with its sadness and frustration. Your hands were fast as lightning on the guitar strings. Coriolanus wondered if you’d bleed. 

I wanna be loved, I wanna be loved 

Like right out of a movie where I sweep you up

I wanna be loved, I wanna be loved

The loud music continued and Coriolanus felt like he was being whisked away. 

Call me “Baby” 

Your voice and pain hung in the air, holding notes that made Coriolanus’ heart squeeze. 

When you forget my name, I’m just glad that you came

The pain in your voice seemed to triple as you dragged your voice through your line. Coriolanus jotted down in his mental notepad to commit your name to memory. He would not cause you to pour your heart out to a group of drunken strangers like this. For someone so pretty as you he hated whoever sparked these emotions under your skin. Your breaths are quick, sucking in deeply to have enough supply to hold your notes in your next words. 

Call me “Baby” 

Let me die on the stage, Let the orchestra play

Coriolanus wondered what made your pain was so strong you wanted to die in public. Maybe so you’d feel like you’d have mourners. He didn’t know who the orchestra was or if it was a metaphorical orchestra. Every instrument other than your voice dropped out of the background, falling into silence. 

Let the orchestra play

 

Your voice stood still in the air. You peeled your eyes open and looked around at the crowd. It was silent. Your chest heaved up and down as you caught your breath. You pulled your hands away from the guitar, searching the eyes of the drunks around you for a symbol of approval. The Covey members behind stayed still as statues as their song was met with silence. Coriolanus assumed this was the first time this happened to them. He was sure the crowd was just too drunk to process all of that was thrown at them. Coriolanus barely had a sip.

He pushed himself off the wall and started clapping. Your eyes shot to him and flickered up and down, sizing him up. He kept the smile that grew from listening to your voice on his face, raising an eyebrow at you. You set your shoulders back and lifted your chin, looking away from him. A clap on the other side of the room joined him and you looked toward that one instead.

Soon enough everyone in the crowd was clapping and cheering. The smile was back on your face and you moved back to the microphone. You thanked the crowd before slipping away backstage. You and Lucy Gray joined the stage a few minutes later with your original instruments. The Covey played through a few more songs before disappearing behind the curtain together. 

Coriolanus and Sejanus were able to slip away from the group without anyone noticing. Coriolanus felt anxiety stir in his stomach at the thought of finally meeting you. During the show, you didn’t seem to like him very much. You side-eyed him and looked like you wanted to stab him for most of the time you saw him. His anxiety settled a little when he heard the soothing noises that came with being around the Covey: chatter, laughter, and soft tunes.

He and Sejanus let themselves into the garage, taking in the group. The Covey was scattered around in different seats. You were sat in a tire like a circular pool floaty. Lucy Gray was next to you shaking a jar of water at you. Sejanus slipped off to play a game with Maude Ivory as Coriolanus headed towards you and Lucy Gray. 

“Just take it.” Lucy Gray demanded, shaking the jar at you again. 

“I will later, I’m trying not to think right now. I’m just not going to move for the next few minutes.” You said, dropping your head back in a position that did not look comfortable. Lucy Gray groaned and looked up. She smiled at Coriolanus. 

“Hey, How’d you like the show?” Lucy Gray asked. Coriolanus tilted his head from side to side. You peeked your eyes open and startled at a new person standing so close to you. You shot your hand up and smacked it against Lucy Gray’s stomach. She sighed and helped pull you off the floor, dusting off the back of your clothes when she noticed them covered in dust. You shooed her hands away and met Coriolanus’ eyes. He decided you were prettier in person than on stage. 

“I know you. You were in the Games.” You said. Lucy Gray nodded and started talking before Coriolanus could. 

“He was my mentor, he basically was the only reason I made it out of there.” Lucy Gray explained. You stared at Coriolanus for a moment. He felt judged and quite bare without his uniform. 

“Well, I didn’t do much. I just-“ Your arms flung around him before he could finish the sentence. Your hold was tight. His chin was pulled over your shoulder and he could see Lucy Gray behind you. Lucy Gray motioned for him to hug back. He gently patted your back awkwardly with the tips of his fingers. 

“Thank you. For saving her.” You whispered in his ear before pulling away completely and taking a step back. You straightened your clothes and looked around like you were the most nonchalant person on the planet. 

“Yeah well I’m sure there were plenty of other people who helped Lucy Gray in there, so it’s not really that big of a deal.” You said, clearing your throat and pretending tears hadn’t been clogging the back. Coriolanus chuckled and looked to Lucy Gray to find her enjoying your act as well. 

“You were great out there, by the way. Your song was-“ Coriolanus searched his mind for the words and felt like he had blanked. 

“Disappointing?” You tried to finish. 

“Moving,” Coriolanus said, raising an eyebrow at you like a teacher does at a student when they said an answer that is incredibly wrong. 

“Moving you to disappointment?” You asked, smiling through your words. It wasn’t even funny but something about you made him laugh. A lot. Whatever you said, if there was a smirk on your face, he was chuckling or snorting. And you seemed to smile a lot while you talked. Lucy Gray smiled and pointed between you and Coriolanus. 

“Told you.” She rang out in a sing-song voice. “I knew you two would get along.” Lucy Gray was beaming like her evil plan was coming to fruition. Coriolanus thought back to her talking about her mysterious cousin. 

“What did you say again? Like bees to flowers, a wink to a hug?” Coriolanus said, glancing between you and Lucy Gray. Lucy Gray shook her head at Coriolanus. 

“Like flower and honey bee, tree and leaves, winter and snow-“ Lucy Gray started. You gasped and your hand smacked her forearm. 

“Like the song?” You asked, eyes searching her face. Coriolanus felt lost and was certain the Covey must know a billion songs because he had no idea what you two were talking about. 

“Yes, like the song.” Lucy Gray answered like it was the most obvious thing in the world. You looked back to Coriolanus shaking your head in amazement apparently. 

“Love that song.” You muttered. Coriolanus shook his head. He was completely lost. He truly wished he knew all the songs the Covey did so he could join in on their amazement with such simple things. 

“Never heard it. Is it good?” Coriolanus asked. You dropped your jaw and sucked in a deep breath. 

“You’ve never heard it?” You asked, apparently so stunned you needed to pull your jaw off the floor. Coriolanus shook his head. 

”Nope Never.” he muttered, glancing at Lucy Gray for help. A new expression pulled over your face and Coriolanus felt his face warm. Something about the way your eyes moved over his face made him feel hot to the touch. 

“I guess I’ll have to play it for you sometime.” You whispered. He nodded. 

“Guess so.” Coriolanus hoped all his unspoken words about the way you were making him feel with just your eyes were in his tone when he responded. By the way your lips tipped up, he suspected the message was received. 

“Alright we need to start heading home, and you need to make it back to the base before curfew.” Lucy Gray said. Coriolanus nodded and started leaving with Sejanus. When they were a few paces away he heard your voice yelling after him. 

“See you later, Mr. Peacekeeper!” He snorted without even seeing your face, just knowing you were beaming made him laugh. Coriolanus glanced over his shoulder to see you waving goodbye. He raised a hand and gave you a small wave, nothing compared to your obnoxious swaying. He looked back at Sejanus to him smiling at Coriolanus knowingly. 

“What?” Coriolanus asked, already feeling defensive. Sejanus shrugged. 

“Oh, nothing just you know. ‘Guess so’.” Sejanus mocked Coriolanus’ voice and batted his eyelashes at him. Coriolanus shoved Sejanus away by his shoulder. “You just met. They sang more words than they said to you.” Sejanus pointed out. Coriolanus shrugged. 

“Well. Like flower and honey bee.” Coriolanus repeated Lucy Gray’s words without fully knowing what they meant but he was pretty sure he used it right. Sejanus rolled his eyes and leaned his weight against Coriolanus. Certainly, he had taken a few swings from a bottle of white liquor tonight. 

“Coryo and the tambourine player sitting in a tree,” Sejanus said in a sing-song voice, tilting his head this way and that. Coriolanus shook Sejanus off his shoulder. 

The more time Coriolanus spent with the Covey the more he understood what Lucy Gray meant. Somehow you and him moved in a magnetic way. He wouldn’t even think and he’d find himself standing next to you.

Conversation between you two was as easy as breathing was, for a non asthmatic. Coriolanus didn’t think about the best words or phrasing he just wanted to make you laugh.

You made him laugh so easily, that you even coaxed a strong laugh with his full chest from him when you retold a story about Shamus within the third day of talking to him. It took much longer for him to get a laugh from you. Towards the end of the fifth day, he was able to make you laugh so hard that you snorted like the happiest pig on the farm. You looked as shocked as him when it happened, slapping a hand over your mouth. Coriolanus started to laugh with you, rocking his body towards you. He held onto your shoulder as doubled over with laughter. His laugh spurred another snort from you and slapped a second hand over your mouth. 

Only a few more days after that, he was more than positive he knew what Lucy Gray meant. He could think of nothing but you and all he wanted to do was sit and speak with you.

While sitting on the bank of the lake, the rest of the Covey and Sejanus in the water splashing about, he asked for a kiss. He wasn't sure if he could imagine a bigger smile on your face.

You slipped your hand behind his neck and pulled him into a kiss. He wasn't sure if he ever wanted to do anything else again. Your lips were warm and made him sigh against you. Coriolanus leaned forward and tried to chase after your lips when you pulled back.

You heard a boo from the lake and you rolled your eyes at Barb Azure. You leaned back into Coriolanus, kissing him with more urgency to prove a point. And for the enjoyment of kissing him. Coriolanus slowly settled back into the dirt, letting you lean over him and kiss him silly. He let his hand push you closer to him by the back of your neck. You nipped at his bottom lip and he hummed. 

“Oh break it up, you two! There's kids here!” You heard Lucy Gray yell. You pulled away from Coriolanus, sitting back in your spot. Coriolanus stayed lying down, almost positive he was dead and in the afterlife. He kept his eyes shut and decided his home was now this patch of dirt. You’d come by once in a while and kiss him before disappearing again. He’d wait patiently for you to come back.

You reached over and lightly smacked his chest with the back of your hand. He startled and sat up on his elbows. 

“Alright?” You asked. He stared at you, taking it all in. Coriolanus kept his eyes on you, not wavering and not thinking of the friends and family playing a game in the lake a few feet away. 

“Kiss me again?” Coriolanus asked, his eyes wide and begging. You pressed your lips together and tilted your head to the side. 

“I suppose, but only if you come to our next show.” You said. Coriolanus shrugged. 

“I can manage that, though I am a busy man. I’d have to squeeze it into my very busy schedule-“ You cut him off by leaning forward and pressing your lips to his. Coriolanus would grin if his mouth wasn’t busy because his yammering worked in his favor. You pulled back far too soon for his liking but he accepted it. 

A few days later he was perched on a crate again, watching the Covey on stage. Towards the end Maude Ivory stepped up to the microphone, saying you had a song you wanted to share. You and Lucy Gray traded instruments again. Coriolanus got Deja vu as you took place at the microphone stand. You started plucking the strings again like you were learning where they were again. 

“A few weeks ago my cousin told me I needed to meet this guy. She said she knew we’d click real fast. Said our tickers were made in the same factory and all that.” The crowd awed and Coriolanus felt his heart skip a beat at the thought of you talking about him. Though he once again got lost in the strange words the Covey seemed to fancy. The fuck was a ticker and why was it made in a factory? The crowd understood it though, swaying into each other to touch their hearts. 

“And I thought she was off her rocker. And then I met him and I was like, well butter my ass and call me a biscuit. He was finer than a frog hair split four ways and he could make me cackle like a hyena. And lord what a fire he set on my skin with his gentle touches.” You kept a soft tune plucking in the background of you talking. Coriolanus wanted to write down all the phrases he didn’t know and ask you the meanings backstage but something told him he’d just want to kiss your face all over after the show. The crowd made coos and you nodded. 

“That’s what I said.” The crowd chuckled and you continued speaking. “He’s here tonight. That lover boy just needed a little sugar and there he came running for the Hob. Give our Lover boy a round of applause will you?” You raised your hand in the air like it was a great excitement to clap. The crowd apparently thought so because they burst into applause. He had to keep his anonymity so he clapped along. Up on the stage you glanced over at him and laughed at the loud crowd before rounding them back to slow chatter with your voice. 

“Alright, alright. Don’t spoil him too much, that’s my job.” Coriolanus snorted. It wasn’t funny but you said it so it might as well have been. 

If I were a flower growing wild and free 

“This song is dedicated to him tonight. Though sing along if you know the words.  So as Lovely Lucy Gray said ‘like flower and honey bee, tree and leaves, and so on and so forth’.” You shook your hand out in front of you to show the continuing list. 

All I'd want is for you to be my sweet honey bee

And if I was a tree growing tall and green

All I'd want is for you to shade me and be my leaves

Your voice stood alone, with no instruments behind it. When you finished saying leaves, your bandmates joined in. Lucy Gray was fine on the tambourine but had nothing on you. Coriolanus decided he loved this song. You dedicated it to him after all. 

If I were a flower growing wild and free

All I'd want is for you to be my sweet honey bee

And if I was a tree growing tall and green

All I'd want is for you to shade me and be my leaves

Coriolanus knew where part of Lucy Gray’s words came from. He did like this song. It screamed devotion and he wanted to scream it back at you. Maybe your tinkers were suited from the same cord, what was it? Tracker? Thinker? Tadpole. That’s it. Yeah tadpole.

All I want is you, will you be my bride

Take me by the hand and stand by my side?

All I want is you, will you stay with me

Hold me in your arms and sway me like the sea?

Coriolanus wanted you to look at him so he could smile so pretty at you, that you go blind. You swayed back and forth as you sang and the crowd started to pick up the movement. Coriolanus started swaying with you, wishing it was just you two so he could dance with you. 

If you were a river in the mountains tall

The rumble of your water would be my call

If you were the winter, I know I'd be the snow

Just as long as you were with me when the cold winds blow

All I want is you, will you be my bride

Take me by the hand and stand by my side?

All I want is you, will you stay with me

Hold me in your arms and sway me like the sea?

Coriolanus decided he was going to have the rest of the Covey teach him this song so he could sing it to you over and over and over and over until you were heading for the dirt in pretty boxes. You finally glanced over at him and your smile grew when you saw him swaying and grinning like a 13-year-old who just got their first allowance. The crowd started to sing. The voices of the Covey swaying together in the air with the drunk audience. It sounded like a mantra. 

If you were a wink, I'd be a nod

If you were a seed, well, I'd be a pod

If you were the floor, I'd wanna be the rug

And if you were a kiss, I know I'd be a hug

Coriolanus wanted to join in and feel the words vibrate in his chest. He knew nothing though, he had caught on to the tune so he started humming it. He would stumble sometimes but it still made him feel included.

All I want is you, will you be my bride

Take me by the hand and stand by my side?

All I want is you, will you stay with me

Hold me in your arms and sway me like the sea?

This was the easy part. He muttered a few of the words before going back to his humming when he fumbled too many times to feel confident. 

If you were the wood, I'd be the fire

If you were the love, I'd be the desire

If you were a castle, I'd be your moat

And if you were an ocean, I'd learn to float

Coriolanus held onto Sejanus’ shoulders, sure he was going to faint with an overflow of care for you. They swayed in time with the crowd and The Covey. You looked over at them and sent Coriolanus a wink. Right, that’s it then. He’s fainted for sure. Alas, your tune went off and his legs still held him up. 

All I want is you, will you be my bride

Take me by the hand and stand by my side?

All I want is you, will you stay with me

Hold me in your arms and sway me like the sea?

Coriolanus could die right there and be more than happy about it. You moved back to the stand waving your hands in the air to get the crowd to quiet down. Your smile was still bright on your face, your eyes crinkling. 

The tune kept playing without words for a while, the crowd humming along before it died out. You held your hands up as a signal for you being done and the crowd cheered. You stepped back from the mic to clap. Your eyes floated over to him.

  Coriolanus cheered his head off. He thought he might lose his voice tomorrow morning. Or maybe it’d look suspicious that he cared so much about the Covey’s love songs but in that moment he didn’t care. It was just your eyes on him and his cheers ringing in your ears. He wanted to scream for an encore but the band looked tuckered out and that would definitely raise eyebrows. You laughed. Hard.

A snort floated over the heads of the audience like a blown kiss. It was headed directly for its intended receiver and no one else. You clapped your hands over your mouth and nose, trying to cover the noise that had already left. 

“Right, you guys think he got the message?” You laughed at the loud cheers. You nodded in approval. “I think so too.” Lucy Gray stood next to you at the microphone. You gently slipped the guitar off your body and onto hers, taking your tambourine from her. You shook it out a little like you were regaining your talent. A few more songs, none of which caught his attention like the one you sang did. He and Sejanus slipped into the garage like they did for almost every show they went to nowadays. 

Coriolanus found you standing next to Maude Ivory playing hopscotch, messing about with your tambourine. You looked up when you saw him out of the corner of your eye. He didn’t bother with greeting words, just dipping his head down to kiss you gently. You tapped your tambourine against his stomach, making a tinking sound. He pulled back and your hand found his dogtags resting on his chest. You fiddled with them as you stared at him. 

“You like the song?” You asked. The grin on his face was evidence enough that you knew he loved it. He knew you wanted to hear it in words though. He nodded. 

“Oh loved it doesn’t even start to describe how I felt listening to that. It was…” Awe-inspiring? Beautiful? Did his heart stop? Gorgeous? ”Moving.” he decided. Coriolanus hoped you caught the joke. Your smile grew and you snorted. 

“Moving you say? Lover boy, was that not you screaming your lungs out for little ol’ me?” You teased, tilting your head to the side. Coriolanus shook his head. 

“I have no idea what you’re talking about. You know you sure do have some strange sayings, I don’t even know what a lung is.” Coriolanus said, shaking his head like you were out of your mind. You grinned. You leaned against him and pressed your lips to his again.

[claudiablogger]

lestat equivocates louis' position w nattering housewife his reading hobby w decayed desire his need for control w antiviolent weakness and primarily gives over to him the care of claudia while making him clean up any messes lestat causes whenever he dips his own fingers into her upbringing but no ! femme she/her lestat because he feminizes new orleans (a city that IS louis: only the city is not a city but a handsome man w a wonderful disposition. you're his destiny louis. he was in love w my city and wanted to know everything about it. I'm going to miss this place--every inch of this city was built from the wilderness surrounding it. tremendously alive and tremendously fragile) and specifically he states he considers new orleans home bc it was where he built a home w louis hence the feminization. bc louis. and yet when as a natural result of that he says I am she she is me (we are joined by a cord, a cord you cannot see, but it is real) suddenly she/her genderfuckery for lestat soooo real haha transfemme hcs anyone? transfemme hcs for the character who's violent and manipulative and hides his power until he uses it to inflict physical abuse on his partner? this is so progressive btw calling lestat a woman. not louis obviously that's heteronormative and stupid this is a gay show for gay people !!!!

[jullythevamp]

I think it’s bc Lestat was more emotional in those versions

Louis imagines him a bit more cool and tough.

In the final scene between Louis & Lestat (the “real scene” I guess you could say lol) he’s showing a ton of emotion on his face and in his voice. He’s definitely not as a cool as Louis made him out to be 😂😂😂

Armand’s version is obviously like “he loved me! We were lovers!” And his version of Lestat def has more emotion to it too. (But he does have that swagger - similar to Louis’s)

I don’t know if I’d say feminine but he’s less … traditional cool guy masculine 😂🤣

yess!! lestat is an insane cry baby loser and I was surprise that he wasn't that emotional in s1

the trial scene and the ending gave me everything i wanted from les omg sam reid was insane

armand loves lestat (even more than louis i may say) so he gave a more accurate version of lestat just to impress daniel like "yes i know him more than everyone btw we were lovers we had such a deep connection" (lestat beat the shit out of him)

[stylinsoncity]

I’m back lmao. Okay, so something else that has been on my mind (btw I read SEL live as you were updating it so I’m a stan, okay?) is… was it your intention from the beginning to not actively place lord tomlinson in the story until the very end? How did you come up with that? That scene in the hotel room gave me chills!!!!! I remember wondering when we’d get him in a scene (I even expected him in the rehearsal dinner scene) and then he appeared and I instantly regretted summoning him!!! That was perfect on your part. Brilliant really! He was scary! And what broke my heart was how Louis tried to keep Harry calm and how he called him darling right in front of his bigot of a father!!! Darling!!!! I imagine he could hear Harry’s heart beating erratically. I think about Louis’ POV during that entire part of the story. From proposing to Harry then asking him if it really happened then showering (probably picturing their future) and then finding his dad on the verge of unaliving the love of his life!!! His recently-made fiancé! Right when he probably felt the most secure in their relationship! I have so much love for SEL Louis. xo

Okay so yes and no!

I actually have a problem where i don't describe ppl physically in a story at all. like in sel, for example, i don't think i give explicit descriptions of amber, heather, iris or javan. i can see them in my head and somehow i just assume that readers can too. or i assume that at some point i mentioned what they look like and then i'll look back and realize there aren't physical descriptors at all really. so that definitely happened with lord tomlinson but it ended up working in my favor. i say yes and no, bc i don't think i meant to leave him out of the story for as long as i did. but as the story progressed, and as menacing as he was becoming, it felt like there was never a moment to actually bring him in in a way that felt big enough. there probably could've been a brief moment at the rehearsal dinner. but the way the scene played out, i just never found the time to like...pan the camera towards him in a sense.

by the time i realized that i hadn't really put him in the story, i was already like over halfway through the story and i had so much of the bigger, momentous scenes written that i just didn't see where to insert him and it would've meant rewriting certain moments probably or coming up with a big scene and finding somewhere to insert that, and so at that point, i made the decision to leave him until the very end. and because i hadn't ever described what he looks like, i was able to reveal him in the terrifying way i did.

so like to answer your question, it was kind of a happy accident. i like the way it worked out.

i looove the moment louis calls harry darling in the scene. like sparing a second for tenderness when he feels absolutely murderous?? i actually started writing parts of that scene in particular from louis' pov and i kind of wish i'd included it in 'always yours, louis'. the level of panic and anger and heartache louis is going through in that moment unfortunately doesn't get enough spotlight bc the story is told from. harry's pov.

[seasurfacefullofclouds1]

Really genuinely asking- I love Louis btw I just have been thinking about this. I feel like Louis relationship w Oli is a little… I’m not even sure. If I’m being completely honest I think there’s no way that’s a normal friendship. I can’t imagine making one of my childhood friends my PA, I get so confused when he calls Oli his best friend sometimes bc what kinda best friends have a friendship where one friend is basically serving the other and on their payroll. I’m not saying it’s bad of Louis or anything I think it’s nice of him to give him a job but I lowkey am so confused by what their dynamic is. I feel like if u present it on paper it’s just … odd. Like what motivation (other than a job) does Oli have to dedicate his life to Louis? I used to wonder if they were dating but then that weirded me out bc i just rly don’t like the thought of that bc now he’s his PA childhood best friend and … anyway. I’m just sooo confused by how and if they have any sort of normal relationship. And also HOW? I hope this makes sense

Like any longterm relationship, it’s an arrangement that both find satisfactory, at least for now.

Louis gets to have someone he trusts close to him at all times, someone that his family can contact knowing he will get messages to Louis and be reliable.

Oli gets to live the life of a rock star’s assistant but be treated like a friend, a colleague. He can travel the world and meet people, be given respect and status because of his friendship.

Imagine if Liam had a friend like Oli who is reliable, trustworthy, and discreet? Available at all hours? Keeps Louis real and grounded?

Oli isn’t independently wealthy, at least not on Louis’ level, which is a good thing. As many fans have noted, unlike most 1D “friendships,” Oli isn’t scheming to make money from his association with Louis.

I doubt that Oli is with Louis all the time when Louis isn’t on tour or vacation. At some point, Oli will likely leave to start his own family.

[mzannthropy]

The Count of Monte Cristo limited series Episode 8 thoughts

And so we come to the end. (Spoilers under the cut.)

The count visits Villefort in his office where they discuss the poisoning. The count tells Villefort his protege, Haydee saw Heloise take the vial of brucine.

Danglars visits Monte Cristo in his study and asks for the advance on his investment into railways. Our banker is starting to lose it! The count explains that he will sign on the investment as soon as Count Spada does, which should happen at their marriage signing contract ceremony. During their dialogue, a railway line between Manchester and Liverpool is name-dropped, which pleased me bc I live in Manchester.

Count Spada visits Eugenie (she and Louise are together playing cards) and gives her letters of recommendation that will enable her to become an opera singer in Rome. The letters are signed by the count of Monte Cristo. Eugenie wonders why Spada himself didn't sign them, since he's supposed to be an opera connoisseur, to which Spada responds that he doesn't actually like opera. He says, "see you when we have our marriage contract ceremony unless you've already left for Rome" and walks out the door calling the two of them gorgeous women. I think it's safe to say that Luigi Vampa is the captain the of Eugenie x Louise ship.

At his home, Villefort remarks to his wife that Valentine's inheritance from her grandmother would, once she gets convicted of the murder, go to Villefort and then to Edouard. It seems he is piecing the crime together in his mind and is not liking how it's going. Later he visits Valentine in prison. She says as she told him, she didn't do it. I wondered why she never said anything in her defence when it happened, but from this it looks like she did, maybe they cut it out.

Edmond and Mercedes meet at a cafe, she is wearing widow's weeds. She will be leaving Paris for Marseille, as that is her true home. He advises her to withdraw all her funds from Danglars's bank, bc Danglars will be finished by the tomorrow. Mercedes is angry at him for playing with people's lives. I don't know what the hell her problem is. I get she is upset about Fernand's downfall, bc he was her husband (she must have had some affection for him, even if she didn't love him) and Albert's father, even though she doesn't seem to care a bit about the Ali Pasha betrayal. But idk why she cares that Edmond wants to bring Danglars down. But then, this is a woman who knew about Danglars's insider trading and did nothing, so what do we expect from her. I mean, you might argue that the reason why Edmond wants to nail Danglars is not bc he cares about stock market transparency, but for his own personal reasons. But then, Danglars didn't frame Edmond bc of his loyalty to King Louis XVIII either. Nobody in here is acting in good faith, countess. At least, though, she is not such a painful martyr as she is in the book. Albert doesn't appear again and is not even given a mention. So I take it that in this version, he doesn't join the army and keeps using the de Morcerf name. For all I don't like her, I think the book is too harsh on Mercedes, I don't actually wish any misery on her. I am capable of not liking a character and wishing them well. And Albert deserves a chance at a good life. I like to think that Albert and Franz continued their friendship, as Franz just drops off the narrative after the Noirtier reveal, even in the book.

The next person Monte Cristo meets is Beauchamp at his newspaper. He provides him with the receipts of Danglars's machinations at the stock market. A copy of this paperwork will be given to the police.

At Casa Danglars, people are gathering for the signing of the marriage contract. Eugenie cuts her hair, dons man's clothes (she looks awesome, btw) and escapes with Louise through the window. When they come to look for her, the only thing they find is her hair on the carpet. Next thing, the police arrive to arrest Danglars, Hermine and Debray. Another one down. (Doesn't bite the dust though, lol). The count sends a letter to Danglars in prison, revealing he is Edmond Dantes. Out of the supporting cast, Blake Ritson gave the best performance. (Excepting Jeremy Irons who is in a different league.)

Sabrine, the midwife who attended Hermine's birth, testifies that Gaston is the son of Villefort and Madame Danglars. (She is speaking for the defence as they believe she can provide mitigating circumstances.) Villefort announces he is stepping away from the case and goes home. Here, he finds his wife and son dead on the floor. Monte Cristo arrives, but when he sees what happened, walks away without ever confronting Villefort.

There's a scene of Valentine and Maximilien falling into each others arms, I think, outside the court. It's all we see of them. The book's storyline is a touch fantastical (a substance that makes he appear dead?) and the count played with Max's feelings a bit too much, so this works better for me, for a TV show done in 2024 at least. It would have been good to see Edmond gifting them part of his fortune, but nothing indicates it could not have happened offscreen. This is one of the reasons why I previously said they should have gone for 10 episodes, not 8, there'd be more time to wrap things up more neatly.

Edmond pays off Jacopo and Ettore, with a bonus, and tells them he will keep sending them money yearly until he dies. "Don't die to soon," Jacopo jokes. Ettore wants to go on working for him, but the count says he is leaving France for good. All the furniture in his house at Champs Elysees is covered with white sheets.

The final scene takes place in Marseille, on the shore with a view of Chateau D'If. Edmond and Mercedes meet.

Sigh.

At least for this last scene they could have given her a better hairstyle (sorry for going on about this, but stupid haircuts can make or break a film/TV show for me), a mixture of young poor Mercedes and the middle aged countess, but no. He tells her the memory of her kept him alive for 15 years. Mercedes takes his hand and says that line "love can heal" and that is it. The last shot is of the two of them, from the distance, standing at on the beach. Closing credits. (For a minute I seriously panicked that there was a post-credit scene, living in a Marvel era lol, but no, there was nothing, it was just SVT suggesting what to watch next.)

As far as I'm concerned, this is open ended enough for one's own interpretation. It's possible the showrunners wanted to satisfy both E/M shippers and those who don't like the ship, but in that case I prefer the Pierre Niney film ending, which explicitly showed Edmond sailing away. What's mad about this is that episode 6 ending can be taken as their breakup, so to speak. Maybe they mean that Edmond healed a bit now he's concluded his revenge, or idk... Still I would have liked to see him on that boat. And I definitely don't like Mercedes having the last line. I think on future rewatches, I will press stop before it gets there.

Good job I have imagination.

So as you can probably guess, the line "wait and hope" does not appear in the series. Well, if they would have had to force it in, it's better if it's not there, rather then being there for the sake of it. wait and hope for me symbolises my wait and hope for this series, especially as a Sam Claflin fan (he has had a very long dry season and as of me writing this, there is still no news of when we see TCOMC in UK. I watched it only thanks to VPN.)

I was correct about episode 7 being the last showing for Caderousse and Haydee. I quite like Caderousse having a good ending. I hope Edmond visits him in New York. I think this series was a sort of "nice" adaptation. I once saw someone refer to the 2009 Wuthering Heights (the one with Tom Hardy) as a nice adaptation. I think I watched it, or some of it, and the characters did come across as nicer than in the book. So this can be taken the same way. This series Cadrousse's characterisation differs from the book anyway, he actually helps the count a lot, and seems quite competent, so I don't see why he can't come out of it happy. Maybe even in love, if his affair with de Morcerf maid Marie was a genuine relationship. I can picture them running the bar in NYC together.

As for Haydee, well, they were never going to go with the book's ending, we all knew it, didn't we, we all knew it, and YET. I hoped they would give them a found family or platonic relationship, if they were scared of a romantic one, but in this universe, she was only part of his household for a short time. She departed from the show without any explanation of what she would do next, how or where she would live, so much like with Max and Valentine, it can be assumed the count bestowed some fortune on her. Altogether, though, her storyline was handled well, I loved how gentle he was with her, and like I said, I have imagination. Who's to say he won't meet her again on his travels? Mercedes said "love can heal", she didn't say anything about whose love this was to be.

So that's it. The end. Thanks for reading.

[twopoppies]

Hi, Gina!

This might be more of a rant than a question, but I’d love to hear your thoughts on it.

Why is it that Louies are so much more tolerant of Larry Stylinson than Harries? (speaking from experience, not as a general rule)

Like, I understand that Harry’s reach has expanded rapidly and he’s amassed a following that weren’t 1D fans, but so has Louis. Maybe not to the same degree, but they both have “solo” fans (putting that in quotes bc it’s a weird concept for me to grasp)

Even still, “solo Louies” are more open to the idea of them being together (or apart of the lgbt community) than “solo Harries”. I cannot describe the foul things that I’ve seen “solo Harries” say about Louis for even being associated with Harry.

It makes no sense bc it’s obvious that Harry isn’t straight. Same for Louis, but Harry is more blatant about it (to the untrained eyes).

And if Louies were to believe in the closeting (like babygate), then why does it seem like Harries are so much more vapid about denying gay “rumors”?

It would make more sense for it to be the other way around (not saying it’s right, in any capacity, but I’m trying to make sense of it).

Maybe this is a personal experience situation and not a universal take in this fandom, so feel free to correct me if I’m projecting.

If I’m not, though, I would love to hear another opinion.

Btw, I love your page so much. It’s hard to sort through the BS, as a larrie, and I need someone to give it to me straight (no, gay)!

Love you!

:)

Hi, sugar. I think a lot of this just depends on your personal experience. I’ve seen plenty of louies be horrendous about Harry. Like, absolutely vile. And I’ve seen plenty of harries be disgusting about Louis.

My very general opinion is that the harries who hate on Louis are either desperate for Harry to like women, so they insist he’s not queer. Or they’re desperate for Larry not to be real because that would make Harry “taken” and their fantasies about him hooking up with everyone and their mother would come to a screeching halt. They also have this weird need for Harry to be the only member of 1D to be successful, so obviously he must think he’s superior to and hate all of his former band members. Oh, and Harry is perfect and Louis is not so of course Harry would never date him.

Louies who hate Harry, IME, tend to fall into the category of thinking Harry has sabotaged Louis’ career and only cares about money and fame and is therefore a terrible person. He also doesn’t care about any of his former bandmates because he doesn’t talk/post about them enough or in the way these louies deem appropriate. Everything he does is fake. He only has celebrity friends. And Louis is too down to earth and real and only cares about making music and giving back to his fans and therefore could never love someone like Harry.

It’s so so ridiculous and exhausting. Obviously there are solo harries and louies who don’t behave this way. But they’re usually normal and don’t spend their time screaming on the internet about things they hate, so we don’t tend to see them.

[singing-melliot-headcanons]

muyawoooooo :3 meeowwww riauuuu :33

does anyone like taopp warriors ? :p genq !!! dont wanna spam hehehe -w-

but!!!

rowan and maya relationship!!!!!! everyone wants to hear warrior cats ! astor siblings relationship righr (crickets)

sooooo - rowan isnt SUPPERRRR angsty and angry when maya is born. maya is a lot lighter tabby. shes also noticeably smaller than rowan (but he’s a pretty BIGGGG guy :p) instead of being vry dark and almost a black cat like rowan - shes more brownish gray where rowan is black and brown. she has white paws and tail tip !! but the same bright amber eyes as rowan !

btw forgot to say this. rowan has a snaggletooth. :p

rowan didnr want to be involved with mayas life at ALL until OH MY GOD ROWAN IS SUPPOSED TO BE THE YOUNGER SIBLING its okay rhis is an au it works better like this. anywayz :p he doesnt get involved until maya goes up to him like “HAIII :3 UR A RLLY BIG CAT WANNA PLAY :DD ??” and it makes him do a double take like wat ?!! she’s nice,,, and realizes shes pretty cool and starts to regularly play w her !! and yhats how they get their sibling relationship :p (bonus points king astor does NOT want rowan talking to maya but cant do anything about it)

due to their close relationship rowan actually is assigned maya as his apprentice! much to the DISMAY of king astor >:( he cant do nuthin about it tho sooo :pp but this makes them closer and during this time is when rowan tells maya they’re actually half siblings :3 !

when rowan tells maya abt his mom she doesnt rlly believe him… she thinks highly of her dad!!!! she questions him and he frames it as if it was necessary yk :/ “rogue invading territory bad!!! she wouldnt leave and clan comes first >:((“

^^ this creates a strain on their relationship !!

fast forward >> to uhmmmm rowans first murder attempt and maya is vry hurt abt it - and rowan seems… glad hes exiled??? like he doesnt care hes leaving her or any of his friends!!! and the rest of the clan HATES him. plus befriending maddox and falling in love w them she realizes how much driving maddox out of clan territory has affected their life . it makes her start to dislike him more and more. but she does miss him a good amount :<

when he joins another clan shes a little baffled - he joined another clan and is acting SOO arrogant and WHO is this guy?! >:( he joined the clans again and doesn’t really even glance at her at gatherings !!! much less ask about maddox who he made everyone DRIVE OUT !! the first time they actually get to talk is when louis arranges it - and it’s about talking about taking down the king… maya doesn’t really recognize this rowan who’s so obsessed w killing the king!!!!

WOWOOWWWWW im sayin a lot!!! let me say rowans side and ill wrap this ramble off hehe -w-

rowan on the other hand was spiteful when maya took their fathers words over his when he talked about his mom to her >:/ she seems to listen to king astor more and more each day and he HATESSS it. by the time shes a warrior their relationship is a lot more strained bc of him… her dating jason? his dads doing !! she does a LOT bc of her dad and rowan starts seeing her as some1 jst following his every word again. he doesn’t seem to think of her when planning to kill his dad

when he comes back to the clans he sees that she hasnt rlly changed :/ so he doesn’t bother w her. he doesn’t feel that attached to maya anymore , why should he care if she dies?? he seems shockingly fine w killing her as a precaution - he barely recognizes maya either, shes lying too much to listen to their father (he starts to more when she tells him she loves maddox instead of jason and is willing to fake her death to be with them…)

dont worry anon I love taopp warriors

[tangerinequeen19]

Thank you @noraincsl for tagging me in this Louis-centric ask game!

when did you become a louie?

Sometime in 2021…I only vaguely knew who he was when I clicked on a random suggested youtube video ab Larry (what a fever dream), which then led to a life-altering rabbithole of Louis videos and thereby oh-so-casually shifted the space/time continuum.

your earliest fandom memory?

Let’s see, I remember being so excited ab listening to all of his solo stuff and feeling very hit-over-the-head by both Two of Us and Only the Brave. I watched lives for the ltwt22 opening show in Dallas, never having experienced fandom culture before or that type of guerilla livestreaming 😂 and I was SO EMOTIONAL AND SWEATING vicariously for him I was so nervous lol and eventually it was such a delight to be able to scream ab it on tumblr even though I didn't know many of you lovely ppl yet.

your favourite song (one off walls, one off fitf)?

Walls: Defenceless, Too Young, Always You

FITF: All This Time, HOTH, Paradise

[making the executive decision to change one song to three btw]

your favourite music video?

Two of Us

favourite gig?

CUYAHOGA FALLS 2023, A DAY THAT SHALL LIVE IN INFAMY!!! THE SCREAMS I SCRUMPT! THE STEAM MY KEYBOARD STUMPT!

favourite louis hair?

I love his variety--what an icon when you look back at the eras, truly. Usually my fav style is however he currently has it, although I do tend to love a lil oomphy floofy to it.

favourite louis interview?

The ladbible ones or any ones where he can just offer commentary/reactions are gold bc he is so naturally hilarious and engaging.

suit louis or tank top louis?

Tank top! (*echoes in the distance* tank top, tank top...) Now if the blessed day shall come that we get a mesh tank top you will either never hear from me again or you will never hear me talk ab anything else.

favourite louis tattoo?

The card-suits bracelet

favourite louis bodypart? (c'mon we all have one!)

His expressive eyes in all their glory as well as the snuffleupagus lashes.

Tagging ANYONE WHO SEES THIS & WANTS TO DO IT—tag me as asking you if you do it! Also @getawayheaven @goldcrumble @statementlou @weareonejazzhand @moon-sun-thyme @alloutforking @piccolotiranno @shinylights @himynameiszayn @throughtherest @keepmyeyesonthehorizon @crownkinglouis @thelastattempt @ahurricanebehindthedoor @apdlpz @fortheloveof-louis @buttercuphoney91 if you’d like to 😊

[gracefullou]

I haven’t watched any clips yet. I effing hate most of the non-Louis songs and now that I know what the set list was, I’m not as likely to watch the videos. Was the gp reception to HIS music at least good?

Hi, anon! I started watching the live when he was singing face the music. Great! I enjoyed it very much and it's such a good song live. So energetic! And then waoyf came up and it was just so amazing. So sexy! Night changes came right after and i actually don't mind it. I think it's 1D's most popular song at the moment after wmyb, he has writing credits on it and i get that a 1D cover is a must on his set and i'm totally ok with that (My problem is that he has 3 of those 😵‍💫). After that, it's a bit of blur. I think it was walls (which i love but i think if he absolutely has to choose Saturdays would be a better option) and then seven 😖 and then he said he was going to perform wdbhg but it was actually ooms and then wdbhg and he finished his set with silver tongues. Larries and ot5s really hate his solo music bc how the hell do they not see it? Starting from face the music, i watched him perform 8 songs 3 of which were covers. Also, i don't really count silver tongues with the barricade and all. I feel like it's the perfect closure to his shows but it s not really a song performance, i don't know how to put it correctly but i hope you get the point. So, to me in that time, he performed 4 songs (3 fitf ones and one from walls) and 3 covers (and the covers are way longer than his own songs btw) which is so excessive and frankly stupid. I'm sorry but despite him sounding incredibly good today and the stage design looking better than the tour shows in my opinion, i couldn't enjoy his set nearly as much as his fitfwt shows. I think one of Louis' problems is that he thinks too highly of 1D and too little of his solo songs' potential. Not everyone is a 1D fan (and seeing the live today i get why it's hard for him to believe that bc everywhere he goes, 1 deaders rip their vocal chords off singing those lyrics but he needs to understand that they are only a fraction of that audience and that some people are just not his target audience 🤷‍♀️). And for those, it's a little hard to enjoy his set. And I don't get the seven thing. Literally no one was singing a single lyric. If you want to perform songs that people don't know, you might as well sing one of your own (not that i think no one knows his songs but apparently that's what he believes 💀). I could see the confidence leave his body when the crowd went dead for this one which uo but i think he needs to start working on not getting affected by whether or not the crowd knows the words he's singing especially at festivals so why Louis, why 😭. It's hard enough as it is to make people who don't know you/ your music to check it out after one set especially for someone who's had no real gp exposure for years, but Louis is not even really giving them anything to begin with. He's not giving faith in the future, his beloved album that he designed with the live show in mind (his words not mine) any exposure when he was presented with the opportunity. He needs to start believing in his songs especially fitf songs potential ASAP. Another uo, i do not think it's a good look on him to perform this many covers for people who know he has two solo albums out already. It might look a bit ambitionless and straight up lazy for someone who doesn't know him. I know i wouldn't be impressed 🤷‍♀️. As far as the gp reception, i really don't know. The camera was on him not on the crowd. They were singing along his songs ( but of course not as loudly as 1 dead songs) but i suspect those are his/ 1D fans that went there to watch him. He sounded really really good today, and he looked so hot so hopefully he stole some hearts. I think it's too early to gauge the gp reception, so let's just see how it goes but i do know that he's not using this festival run to its full potential with his setlist choices.