#nola night 1

[fearlessandless]

I had sooo much fun screaming Our Song with everyone in the superdome tonight!

[pinkheart22]

Taylor Swift loves to explode our minds so much there is NO WAY she DOESN'T have a

THIS IS TAYLORS VERSION

shirt for the RED era on The Eras Tour

@taylorswift @taylornation

[wewerehappymp3]

✨🕯️✨manifesting✨🕯️✨

Claiming this energy for me and my mutuals

[alwaysakin]

The Vampire Diaries Universe Fic Recs

Once again putting my unhealthy amount of fanfic knowledge to good use. Here's my list (non-exhaustive) of the best vampire diaries & originals fanfics. Includes Klaroline, Bamon, Kolvina, and more.

Bamon Fics

Before I Take My Flesh Away by Orig1n - the fic where Bonnie and Damon are comically bonded, and she hops around in his timeline pre (and during) the series. Tragically unfinished, but completely incredible! Kudos for developing Stefan and Damon as brothers and making me not hate Lily Salvatore. Also love the Arthurian lore.

if you love me (don't let go) by sarcastic_fina - this is a heartbreaking deconstruction of Bonnie and her victim mentality, and shows the strength of not only her romantic relationship with Damon, but her friendships with Caroline, Matt, and Tyler. So sad, but so good!

Bloodstone by cactusfinch - Bonnie time travels to 1864 (with all the problems entailed). Her relationship with Damon is done well here, and her friendship (sort of!) with Katherine is fun as hell.

rest for the wicked (hope for the weary) by castelia - Damon and Bonnie go on a road trip together after the prison word. I am a sucker for mutual pining, and this fic does it so well!

Fifty-Five Years by turningofflights - written from Elena's perspective, after she reads Bonnie's diary entries and learns how Bonnie and Damon fell in love. A bittersweet, believable love story for Bonnie and Damon.

Other Bonnie Bennett Ship Fics

The Edge of Night by Szajnie - a crossover between season 3 of the Originals and season 7 of the Vampire Diaries, where Bonnie goes to New Orleans. She's absolutely in her element here as the most powerful New Orleans witch, takes the supernatural world by storm, and everyone has a happier ending because of it (including her!). Absolutely love her friendships with Davina, Vincent, and Freya, and shout-out for being the only fic to make me care about Cami! Truly, this is great. The NOLA gang is the family Bonnie deserves, and the Bonnie/Klaus is so believable.

Kai Parket Screwed Us (Until Bonnie Bennett Screwed Him) by hysteriaww - exactly what it sounds like. Bonnie shows up to help Josie and Lizzie deal with the prison world and her and Kai's insane relationship weirds everyone out. Deals with the Gemini Coven in a really interesting way. Hilarious, and with mild Damon and Alaric bashing. BonKai.

Season One, Epsidoes One-Three by BorgiaBabe - a rewrite of the first three episodes of TVD with Bonnie as a proper main character. Her love interest is a softer Kai, and it's great! Bonnie really deserves better.

the night light hits off, turning kisses to bites by donutworry - an insane, dark, twisted Bonnie and Kai romance, where they're the only ones in the prison world from the start. I absolutely love the Gemini Coven lore in this fic.

Klaroline Fics

Make them bow by for_darkness_shows_the_stars - Klaus appears in season 1 of the vampire diaries. it's Klaroline, but still super gen, and all the characters get their own compelling arcs in it. Especially love the way Elena and Stefan are written.

One of A Kind, Two of a Kind, or the Three Musketeers by Phandancee74 - Caroline is an ancient nymph who was erased from memory by Malivore. She still helps the Mystic Falls gang out (and her relationship with Bonnie is great)! The Klaus/Caroline is angsty and lovely.

Calling on a Friend by Phandancee74 - 5 year old Josie gets Klaus's number. Shenanigans ensue. Short and cute as hell.

Sanctuary in their Hearts by thatsanotherlovestory - Caroline leaves before the season 8 wedding, and heads to New Orleans with Klaus. A fun story, but still so sad Bonnie didn't get her happy ending in it. The twins are so cute in this.

Let's do the Time Loop again! by kcatdino - on the night of the sacrifice, both Klaus and Caroline get stuck in a time loop. It's so funny to watch them get more and more deranged.

sweet present of the present by VintageLilac - it's Caroline, not Rebekah, who raises Hope while New Orleans is at war. I absolutely love Katherine in this fic, and though Hayley gets the short end of the stick it's written quite well.

The Wolf by Yokan - a witch version of Caroline is the one pregnant with Klaus's baby in the originals. And while season 1 doesn't change a lot because of it, the later one's definitely do! I love the Klaus and Caroline relationship, and Caroline & Elijah friendship.

Elena Gilbert-Centric Fic

The stars were brightly shining by adlyb - a fic where Elena is pregnant with Klaus's baby. It's so hard to describe! A little twisted, a little sweet, and a thorough depiction of Elena's mental state.

The Forgotten by MissNMikaelson - Elena time travels and gets dropped in the middle of Klaus and Kol's war in New Orleans, circa 1914. The flashback scenes in the fic are great! Eventual Kol/Elena.

blame it on the stardust by allwritenow - the fic that looks into if Elena's doppelganger nature affected her more. And a truly beautiful Caroline, Bonnie, and Elena friendship.

Off by a Single Degree by Tarroko - when Elena's phone dies, Damon walks her home and never compels away her memories, and her parents never die. This softer, sweeter Elena is so believable, and I love the way canon immediately shifts. Amazing development of her parents, Anna, and Enzo. Delena.

Katherine Pierce Centric Fic

afflictions eclipsed by glory by passionesque - in 1864, right after the fire in Mystic Falls, Elijah finds Katherine. They team up together against Klaus. This deals with Katherine's trauma and cunning so well! A slow build to Elijah/Katherine, involving him acknowledging his faults.

General Mystic Falls Gang Fics

in another life (i would let you go) by sarcastic_fina - Elena wakes up in a world where she isn't the doppelganger and no one knows her. An interesting deconstruction of the affects she's had on her friends.. Manages to be both Elena-bashing and sympathetic at the same time. Minor Steroline and Bamon.

Originals Family Feels

It All Comes Crumbling Down by AlwaysAkin - can I do a self-rec? I'm doing a self-rec. Hope is born a century earlier, and grows up in New Orleans with the Mikaelsons. I'm particularly proud of my Hope-Marcel bond and young!Hope voice in this one.

A Twist Through Time by fandom_lover_101 - Hope is sent back in time to the Vampire Diaries season 3. She messes everything up. Absolutely love the slow Hope & Klaus relationship built here, and her friendship with Elena is cute too. Minor Klaroline, Delena, and Handon.

Always & Tomorrow by Viretta - another tragically unfinished fic. Set after Hope jumps into Malivore in Legacies, it involves the dead Mikaelsons being resurrected, and the kids from the Salvatore School travelling to New Orleans (with a newly activated tribrid Hope). This is a Mikaelson family story in the bloodiest, best way. Has Handon and Klaroline in addition to the canon originals couples.

if no one in the entire world cared about you (did you really exist at all?) by nevermore_evermore - Elijah is erased from the minds of everyone he loves. Kol is (eventually) there to help him through it. An interesting take on Elijah's place in the family.

A Million Mistakes by mon-amour-eternel - a fic where Caroline is also an original, and her and Klaus are Marcel's parents. Sadly unfinished, especially considering the rarity of Marcel-centric fic!

But Stand Brave, Life-Liver by crownjrose - A Hayley-centric fic! Her foster parents come to New Orleans and see the way her life turned out. Interesting closure for Hayley, and a sweet Klaus/Hayley relationship.

Kolvina Fic

(finally) you and me are the lucky ones by yorkes - a long one-shot where Kol and Davina are soulmates. It's cute as hell! And Kol and Davina really grow into each other in this one.

The Vixen and the Fox by BlueBooThalassophile - be warned, this read is long as hell. But it's also great. Davina time travels to the Vampire Diaries season 4, gets involved in the fight against Silas, and everything goes sideways immediately. Love Davina's friendship with Hayley and bond with Marcel in this one. Every character in both shows appears in this one.

[iwanthermidnightz]

taylor singing ‘our song’ for the first surprise song at eras tour nola night 1✨

[shesoutofhere]

Meet Me in the Corner pt.4

Peter Parker x Reader

Pt.1, Pt.2, Pt.3, Pt.4

Summary: Nolan's not that bad, Peter is still Peter and a certain masked man is a bit mean?

Ignore all typos or ill cry<3

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nolan has been talking your ear off for the past fifteen minutes. 

He’s managed to pass through about a dozen topics. You're 100% sure it's the coffee.

 You don’t really get to talk, not that you mind. He’s kept you fairly entertained.

“That night was insane, we got home at like 6:30 in the morning and had a stats final at 7:45.”

You chuckle, “You guys are insane.”

Nolan laughs with you, “what's more insane, is that Peter aced the exam. He only missed two questions.”

You roll your eyes, of course he did. 

Nolan catches you. “Woah, what's with the eye roll?”

“I did not roll my eyes.” 

“Uh yes you did, I  just saw you.” 

You sigh, “It’s nothing.”

“It's definitely something.” 

Okay so Peter and Nolan are both annoying. Makes for a great pair of buds. 

“It’s just annoying.”

Nolan leans back in his chair. “What's annoying?”

You shrug, “That Peter is academically inclined. Just makes him more annoying to me.” 

Nolan nods and hums. “I see there’s still some animosity there.” Funny, Peter said the same thing earlier. 

“Yeahh” you say, dragging the word. “A bit.”

Nolan places his coffee down and leans forwards. “I thought he was going to apologize.”

So Peter talked about this with Nolan. That is oddly endearing. 

“He did, or tried.”

“Oh god, what did he say?” 

You cross your arms. “He said a whole lot of nothing if I'm being honest.”

Nolan shakes his head, “Oh Parker.”

You expected that Nolan would be quick to defend him, but he doesn’t.

“Can I ask you something?” 

Nolan nods.

You fidget, “it may be a bit invasive.”

Nolan leans in closer. “I love invasive.”

This gives you the courage to ask your burning question. “What's with the friend group?”

Nolans eyes widened, clearly not expecting that question.

You immediately double down. “Actually nevermind, I take it back.”

Nolan shakes his head, “No, no, I get it.”

Nolan ponders for a second. “They were really nasty towards you and I'm sorry on their behalf.”

Oh wow, you did not expect that. 

Nolan continues. “They're all a bit protective of their clique, i'd say they're not always like that, or you caught them on a bad day but i'd be lying.” he sighs before continuing. “It’s just been our group for as long as I can remember and I know that's not an excuse but it's my explanation.” 

You look down at your coffee cup, “Okay, I guess I can understand that.” 

You can’t, you really can’t, but these people aren’t your friends and their choice of company isn’t your business.

“Can I tell you something?” This time it's Nolan asking the question.

You nod.

“I think Charlotte was so mean because she felt intimidated.”

Now that is a shocker.

“What? By who? By me?” 

Nolan chuckles at your confusion. 

“Yeah, you.”

You are beyond confused. “No way, why?” 

Nolan leans on the table with his chin resting on his hand. “Peter talks about you, you know.”

No, you didn’t know. 

“I think maybe she felt threatened. Peter never really talks about anyone outside of our friend group. He mingles sure but he’s never really brought someone up the way he did with you.”

You want to curl in a hole and die when you feel your cheeks start to heat up. If Nolan notices he doesn’t say anything. 

You snap your head up when you recall something. “Wait, but Peter was the one that told you guys about my oh so sad life and problems with Cal.”

Nolan winces, “yeah he did do that.”

Okay, well point lost for Peter.

“Look, Peter can be a dumbass sometimes. I don’t really know why he says some of the things he does but I can tell you he regrets it most of the time.”

He’s regretful? Half a point back to Peter. 

“He sounds like a big ol 'ball of complicated and I really don’t need that right now.”

Nolan sighs, “shame, I think you’d be really good for him.” 

You laugh at Nolans antics but quickly stop.

Wait. Why would he say that? Is this not a date? Who talks their boy up on date with a girl they like?

Nolan senses your confusion. “Whatcha thinking about?” 

You're quiet for a second. You begin to fidget with your coffee. “I’m just a bit confused I guess.” 

“About what?”

You tip your cup side to side. “It's just.” you pause, “I’ve never had a guy rout for his friend to be with someone he’s on a date with.”

Nolan looks beyond lost and now you really want to curl up into a ball and die. 

Is this not a date?

You’re quick to speak before Nolan can get a word out. “Sorry, its just that, Peter mentioned that you had a crush and that he wanted to help you out.”

Nolan nods slowly, really taking in what he just heard.

All of sudden, it's like something has clicked in his head. “Oh, like Peter said that early, at the library?” 

You nod.

Nolan nods with you, “Right, yes, this is true.” 

odd , this feels very odd. “Is that not true?”

Nolan shakes his head frantically. “NO, no it's true, I just can't believe Peter would say that. What a silly guy.” 

Nolan, who has been nothing but lax this entire time, starts to fidget with his coffee now.

Okay, you've made him uncomfortable and now you feel bad. 

“Hey, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything.”

Nolan whips his hand out to grab your arm across the table. “No, do not feel bad. You see, I just got out of a bad situationship.”

Oh no.

“Oh my gosh really?”

Nolan closes his eyes and nods dramatically. “Yes, the worse.” 

You put your hand on his. “Oh, I'm sorry.” 

Nolan frowns, “yeah and Peter, oh that Peter, has been throwing everyone he can at me.”

Okay, Point lost for Peter, again. 

You frown with Nolan. “What an ass.”

Nolan shakes his head. “No, he’s just trying to help. But like I said, a bit of a dumbass.”

Nolan continues, “Anyways, you’re fantastic but I just can't do a relationship right now.” 

You’ve never been so happy to be rejected, you let out a breath you didn’t know you were holding. 

Nolan seems to take offense to this. “Okay, you seem oddly okay with that.”

You shrug, “that's because I am. I've got too much going on. friend vibes only.”

Nolan pats your arm. “Okay ouch, but I’m totally okay with that.” 

Well, that went well. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You and Nolan ended up ordering something to eat and stayed in the cafe, chatting away.

You’re both in a heated argument about the Harry Potter movies when someone scuffs to a stop next to your table. You both look up and are surprised to see Peter. 

He looks like he ran here. He also smells like gas?

“Hey!” he says loudly. Interrupting the calm atmosphere. 

He doesn’t seem to care and pulls a chair from the table next to you guys. 

You and Nolan both stare at him while he immediately goes to pick at Nolans leftovers.

He winces when Nolan swats at his hands. 

“Get your hands out of my food. What are you doing here? I'm on a date, remember?” 

Nolan has a smug smile, while staring at Peter, who's now sitting up straight in his chair. 

“Oh yeah, I totally forgot about that. Was running some errands nearby and thought I’d get something to drink.”

This time you speak up, “really? That's so crazy, considering you sent us here.” 

Nolan smirk grows wider. “Yeah, super crazy.” 

Peter looks between the both of you, clearly not expecting the two of you to gain up on him.

Peter gives an awkward chuckle, “anyways, how is it going?” 

Nolan grins, “fantastic honestly.”

Peters got a surprised look on his face. “Wait, really?”

You offer a simple yeah.

Peter drums his fingers on the table, “great as in?”

Nolan sighs, “great as it can go after being rejected.”

You scoff, “I did not reject you, if anything you rejected me.”

“No” Nolan says, “It was honestly mutual. Shame really.”

You don’t notice but Peter seems to relax in his seat.

“Well, that’s unfortunate. At least you can say you tried.” Peter says as he picks at Nolans' leftovers again. 

“Hey man, never said I was done trying.” Nolan's got a smug look on his face.

You and Peter both shoot a look towards Nolan, who is completely unphased. 

“Well”, you being, “This was great but I really have to go now.”

You begin to gather your trash and Nolan gets up with you. “Where you headed? I’ll walk with you.”

Nolan snatches his leftovers from Peter and proceeds to follow behind you. Nolan’s been good company so you don’t deny him when he asks to join you.

You're both out the door when you hear Peter call after the two of you. “Wait, let me join you guys.”

You both continue walking but Peter catches up eventually. Nolan looks at Peter, “Thought you were gonna grab something to drink.”

Peter stumbles. “I-, I got full picking off your food, so im all good now.”

Nolan rolls his eyes. 

The three of you continue to walk down through campus when you see a crowd near the front of the library. 

You stop once you're close enough. “What the hell?” 

Nolan goes to tap on someone's shoulder to ask what's happened.

“There was a gas leak from the labs in the basement. Everyone had to evacuate. Luckily someone tipped the police and they got here in time.” the bystander says. 

You can't help but feel like you dodged a bullet. That could've been you in there. 

Wait. 

You shoot a look at Peter, who quickly looks away from you.

Peter warned you not to go in the library earlier, insisted on it even. 

Peter also smells like gas. 

Peter makes eye contact with you and looks away again.

Something tells you Peter had something to do with this. 

You shake your head. You've got to stop overthinking everything, why would Peter have anything to do with this?

You look Peter over again, who proceeds to rock back and forth on his feet doing everything except looking at you.

No, Peter definitely has something to do with this. 

Nolan interrupts your thoughts. “Well, glad we stayed outta there.”

“Yeah” you say wearily, “real glad.”

Peter, still refusing to look at you, starts to walk away. 

Nolan starts walking with him and you follow.

You guys continue until you a fork in your road.  

“Well” Nolan says, “Peter and I are this way.” 

“I'm this way.” you say pointing the other way. “It was great seeing you Nolan.” you give him a genuine smile. It drops when you look over to Peter. You give a nod, “Peter.” 

Before he can react you turn around and start walking away. 

You cant see them but you can hear them.

“Come here you little shit.” you hear Nolan's voice, followed by Peter. “Ow, don’t do that. I'll explain.”

You hear Nolan scoff, “yeah you better.” 

And after that, you're too far away to hear the rest.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You know better. You know better than to walk around New York at night. 

You’d been at your dorm for a while after leaving Peter and Nolan. You were dying to tell Mar about today, but she texted you that she’d be out late with her coworkers. Not wanting to bother her, you responded with a simple ‘have fun and be safe’. 

You’d made yourself a sandwich for dinner and were going to call it a night but had decided you’d watch a movie. The only problem is that you can’t watch a movie without snacks.

It should be fine, you think.

A walk down the block to the convenient store and back, plus there's got to be plenty of people still out and about. 

With one final boost of confidence and a strong desire for snacks, you put your shoes and coat on and head out. 

The walk there had been fine. You make it to the convenient store and shop to your heart's desire. 

You say thank you and goodnight to the old man who’s working the register. 

Snack in tow, you are on top of the world. You swing your bag back and forth as you walk back to your dorm. You don't even have time to react, when all the sudden, someone rips your bag from your hand. 

Next thing you know, they're taking off down the street. 

You aren't thinking when you start chasing the culprit down the street. You’re yelling all sorts of profanities as you try to catch up to the snack thief. You can only run so much before you start to get winded. The cold makes it harder to breathe. You're about to accept defeat when you hear something whoosh by your head. 

You're a bit puzzled when you see someone, whoosh by your head. 

Excuse me, what?

All you can do is look down the road when you see the thief get yanked back by something. You can't really see what else happens but you stand still in shock.

You think now might be the best time to book it back to your dorm. You don't want to find out what New York has in store for you tonight.

With one final glance, you take off and run as fast as you can back to your building. 

All is well, you think, until you hear the familiar whooshing. You scream and run faster. 

You don't dare to look behind, scared to see what's there. In a matter of seconds, you’re pulled to a stop. 

You’re dead. Mar will be so upset. You will forever be known as the girl who died because she wanted a late night snack. 

You'll be damned if you don't go down without a fight. You start swinging your arms in every direction and continue to scream, hoping to get anyones attention. 

“Ow, can you hold still?”

That voice sounds a lot less menacing than you imagined.

Against your better judgment, you listen. Slowly you start to calm down but you scream again once you realize who’s in front of you. 

“Spiderman!?”

“Yes, Hi, hello, have you calmed down now. You know, you got a good few hits in and I-” he stops, you think he’s staring at you but you can't really tell.

You know, mask and all. 

Spiderman clears his throat. “Yes, Spiderman, that is me, and this,” He holds out your bag of snacks, “is yours.”

You slowly take your bag back from him. “Thank you.” you say quietly. 

“No Problem.” 

You both stand in awkward silence. 

Spiderman breaks the silence. “How about I walk back to you’re building?” 

You don't really see why to deny it, you're now scared out of your mind, plus, it's spiderman. 

“Sure , why not.”

You both begin the walk back to your dorm. 

You pull one of the candy bars out of the back and go to open it.

“Are you serious?”

You look over at the masked man next to you.

“What?”

“Don't what me? This is why you came out late at night? For some snacks?”

Your brows furrow at his judgment. “Hey, that's not very friendly and neighborly of you.”

Spiderman scoffs. “And you chased the guy down, what would you have done if he had turned around and tried to fight you for those.” 

You’re a bit stunned. You hadn't thought about that. 

Spiderman puts a hand on his hip like an upset mother. “Yeah, maybe think about that next time you choose to risk your life for some candy bars and popcorn.”

Spiderman is mean. 

You both continue your walk. “Are you mean to everyone person you save?”

“No, just the really dumb ones.”

Okay, rude. “Is there an app where I can give you a bad review?”

Spiderman scoffs. “I just saved your life, maybe be a bit more grateful.” 

Okay, yeah, he’s got you there. 

Before you know it, you make it your dorm building. 

“Well Mr.Spiderman Sir, this is me. Thanks for saving my snacks I guess.”

He justs nods. 

You wave goodbye and he waves back. You wait for him to leave but he doesn't. 

“You can leave now.”

This time he shakes his head, “nope, gotta make sure you make it back inside.”

You find your key card and fiddle with the door handle. “You do this will everyone you just saved?”

He stands still, and you can’t help but giggle at his stiff stance. 

“Um, yes of course I do. Gotta ensure everyone's safety and all.” 

His delivery of the line makes you think he's lying, but you won’t call him out on it. 

“Well,” you say digging into your bag of snacks, you pull out a candy bar. You toss it over to him. He catches it without even looking. “Consider that thanks for saving my snacks and all that.”

He laughs, “and all that?” 

You wave a hand while you walk into your building “yeah, and all that.” 

The door shuts and you see him linger for a second. He extends his arm and you see him swing away.

You shoot Mar a text as you head up to your room. 

Just met our friendly neighborhood Spiderman.

You send a second text

By the way, kinda mean :( 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Poor us, we get mean Peter and mean Spiderman :(

Taglist:

@ifilwtmfc @lov3vivian @rkivesfilm @vdlikesunicorns @may-madness @im-nowhere-but-also-somewhere @greenapplesaucepi @icantcryicantstopcrying @starshine145

Let me know if I missed you or if you'd like to be tagged!

[she-wolf09231982]

Chapter 1-Black Penny

Summary: You grew up in the hustle and bustle of a city most of your life, so you packed your few belongings and headed straight to New Orleans. You hoped to live a simpler, quieter life on the Historic French Quarter. By day during the week, you helped manage Marie Laveau’s House of Voodoo Shop and by nightfall you tended bar at Black Penny on the weekends.

You were aware mutants existed, and believed them to be just as ordinary as you but only with extraordinary abilities. After living a few years in NOLA, you had a knack of picking them out in a crowd and treated them no differently than you’d treat anyone else. You had many run in’s with mutants on Bourbon Street, but none as impactful as the day you ran into Remy LeBeau.

A/N: Character Intro, She/Her Pronouns, GambitX!FemaleReader, GambitX!NonMutant, RemyLeBeauX!FemaleReader, Mutants, Post Deadpool and Wolverine, Post Void, New Orleans, Alcohol, Pining, Creole/French to English Translation

(c) - Creole

(f)- French

*I just want to disclose I am not a comic expert. Gambit/Remy LeBeau is very new to me and I’m doing my best to stay genuine to what I’ve researched online or from what I’ve seen in the D&W movie. I’m aware there was a HUGE controversy over his heavy accent/dialect and over his eye color in the movie, so I tried to incorporate both versions of each in my stories to satisfy everyone’s preferred Gambit/Remy style. (Personally, I loved Channing Tatum’s accent in the movie ☺️) I’m also cognizant that Gambit and Rogue are an item in the comics, but for sanity sake, Rogue will be a pastime only mentioned in passing if absolutely necessary so I don’t have to study in depth another character I’m unfamiliar with. (I need some brain space for real life stuff, too 😅) Anyway, I’m doing my maximum effort over here writing for Gambit/Remy, so when I do post my developing Gambit story, please, if you have comments or criticisms that don’t benefit anyone else’s appreciation of these fanfics, keep them to yourself and let the rest of us enjoy it. Thanks so much*

♠️♥️♣️♦️

It was a particularly busy night at Black Penny. As live bounce music and jazz blared from the stage, patrons dance and socialize carelessly with each other while you hotfoot from one end of the bar to the other serving up shots and beers.

You approach a man waiting patiently, his face downward hovering over a stack of playing cards.

“What can I getchya?” You ask him.

He began twirling an ace of spades between his fingers.

“(c) Kisa mwen ka jwenn pou ou?” You repeat.

The man lifted his gaze to meet yours with a mischievous grin stretching across his face. An eerie magenta glow softly radiated from his irises causing your jaw to drop. Your stunned reaction spurred him, causing his smile to widen and his eyes to glow brighter as the whites of his eyes began to blacken.

“….woah.” You say under your breath.

The man chuckled, “(c) Ou dwe padone Gambit, cheri (You must pardon Gambit). When his eyes see somethin’ so (f)dulcet (beautiful), it be hard to hide it.”

You shook your head to refocus, “No need to apologize. This is a safe space for everyone. Just caught me off guard is all.”

You flash him a smile and a wink as he returned one to you, the whites of his eyes returning to ‘human’ version of normal and his irises became a shade of icy green.

“Nobody be lookin’ at me like dat wit’out runnin’ off. You weren’t scared?”

“Of course not. Takes a lot more than a pair of flashy eyes on a handsome face to scare me away.” You state.

He laughed as he adjusted in his seat.

“Dats good, dats good.” He said as he leaned forward on the surface of the bar.

“What are you drinking, Gambit?” You ask again.

“Sazerac. (c) Mèsi, cheri. (Thank you, darling).”

You bring the gentleman a rocks glass fixed neat with the amber-red reserve bourbon. He gingerly raised the glass to his nose, inhaling the oak wood barrel scent with hints of cherry, caramel, apples, and tobacco.

He hummed with satisfaction, “(c) Manyifik (Magnificent).”

You nod, then turn to walk away.

“Remy.” You hear him call to you.

“Pardon?” You say as you turn back to him.

“The name’s Remy LaBeau.” He reiterated cooly after taking a sip from his glass.

He averted his eyes to you, awaiting your name. You grin back.

“Y/F/N.”

“(c) Kontan rankontre ou, Y/F/N (Pleased to meet you).”

You feel your face go red as you laugh nervously.

“Same.” You managed to say before scurrying to the other end of the bar to wait on other customers.

♠️♥️♣️♦️

Remy sat quietly in his spot at the bar the entire evening, only ever looking up from his deck of Mavericks to catch a glance of you as you pass him. The crowd started to thin out as last call was announced.

“One for the road, Remy?”

He beamed at you, “Oui, cheri. If you join me for one.”

You smile coyly, “I gotta close up, chief. How about this; I’ll bring you another Sazerac on the house, and I’ll take a rain check?”

You see the magenta glimmer in his eyes again.

“I like the soun’ of dat, cheri.”

You smile and nod then turn to the counter behind you to prepare his drink. You set it in front of him as he placed a $100 in front of you.

“You only had two. That’s too much.”

“(c) Pran li (Take it). For your generosity an’ da company.” Remy insisted.

You beam at him, “(c) Ou twò janti (You’re too kind).”

He stood up from his stool, and fixed his collar on his leather trench.

“Until next time, mon cher.” He said smiling while standing tall opposite you.

“Orevwa, Remy. I’ll see you around.” You reply sweetly as you feel your cheeks heat up again.

“(c) Mwen pwomèt ou pral (I promise you will).” He purred in his heavy honeyed Cajun accent.

He bowed, then turned on his heel to exit the bar. You released a deep exhale as if you hadn’t taken a breath since having met him that night.

♠️♥️♣️♦️

*I know this was a short one and I plan on a chapter 2. I’m just dipping my toe in the water here to see what feedback I get* 🥰

[nalyra-dreaming]

Louis said he killed ~7000 people,do you think that's a lot even for a vampire knowing he stopped around the year 2000?

I'm wondering if we will ever see why he stopped killing and if he will go back to his instinct after the Loumand divorce.

It's so funny because Lestat and Claudia were begging him to kill but he really started killing after her death and stops when he will probably go back with Lestat.

So both of them will never witness in his full glory the hunting-machine-killer-Louis

... Louis didn't kill 7000 people. He killed way more. He killed 7000 people THEN. In that time frame he refers to. In the time of NOLA and being in Romania.

Let's do the math.

Happy/good/mediocre years in NOLA: at least 1 per night, until Louis tries to feed on rats: roughly 3000-4000, would be my estimate.

The time laying low, feeding on rats, then feeding again after Claudia came back: Another 1000 at least.

Now as per Europe: They say the blood was bad, and not satisfying. They're cold, and malnourished. They probably had to kill more to sate the hunger. They were in Europe, traveling, for roughly 5 years. We are shown how they kill the soldiers at the street check - at least 5 soldiers, and the way they looked at each other makes me believe that wasn't a singular occurrence. They had to feed a lot when they could, too, so my guess would be at least 2 per night, so another 3000 at least.

That brings us to that 7000 (or more).

In Paris Louis tries to live of pigeons, until the trial is over. Then he goes on a killing spree. We hear he regularly goes off and "fucks and kills" from Armand later.

Between 1949 and 2000: 51 years. Even by keeping it low, keeping the killing sprees out of this, that's roughly 20000.

Young vampires (as Louis is still) need more blood, not less, so the number is likely way higher, even with him withholding and trying to control his hunger.

So the number we're looking at is likely more like 30000 to 40000, imho.

---

All this said^^: I do not think he will go back to killing just yet. He will though, book canonically. Because by accepting himself he accepts his vampiric self as well, and thereby accepts the hunger.

Lestat and Louis go hunting together in the books when they're back together. As this is where we're headed for, ultimately, I do expect Louis to hunt again, eventually.

And they will revel in it then, I bet.

[titsthedamnseason]

NOLA NIGHT 1!!!!! this is so exciting 🥳🥳🥳 i invite you all to join me in playing the surprise song game tonight! put your guesses in the tags or replies and i will give shoutouts to the winners (eventually! i promise! hopefully tomorrow!)

my guesses are stay stay stay x a place in this world x mine and cososom x maroon x renegade 💚💜💚💜 good luck everyone!

[afeelgoodblog]

The Best News of Last Week

TikToker raises $186,000 for woman, 81, to pay off her mortgage and finally retire. He saw her on break at Walmart and recorded her clearly having a bad day.

Devan Bonagura, 19, works for a third-party company that sells products to Walmart, and it’s at the retailer where he met 81-year-old Nola Carpenter.

One comment read: “GOFUNDME ASAP” — before going on to receive 130,000 likes. Devan would honor the request of his followers, and later set up a GoFundMe to help Nola retire. Needless to say, the response was overwhelming.

2. Grandma and man she accidentally texted for Thanksgiving to reunite for 7th year

An accidental text message has led to a Thanksgiving tradition that is now continuing into its seventh year.

On Tuesday, Jamal Hinton confirmed in an Instagram post that he will spend this Thanksgiving with Wanda Dench, who in 2016 thought she was texting her grandson to invite him to Thanksgiving when she actually texted Hinton.

3. Flossie, 26, officially crowned world's oldest living cat by Guinness World Records

British-born Flossie has set a new record as the world’s oldest living cat. Guinness World Records have officially awarded the title to the feline, who was born in 1995. The cat has had a number of owners during her lifetime, but currently resides in southeast London.

But she’s still got several years to go if she wants to beat the oldest cat ever recorded. That title goes to Creme Puff, who lived to an incredible 38 years and three days in Austin, Texas.

4. Nano-robot antibodies that fight cancer enter first human drug trial

Scientists in Israel have created the first nano-robot antibodies designed to fight cancer. The first human trial for the new nano-robots will start soon, and it will determine just how effective the antibodies are. What is special about these particular antibodies, too, is that they are programmed to decide whether cells surrounding tumors are “bad” or “good.”

The trial is currently underway in Australia and if it goes according to plan, the nano-robot antibodies will be able to fight cells around tumors that can help the tumor while also boosting the capability of the cells inhibiting the growth of the cancerous cells.

5. Nepal Fights Deforestation, and Wins

This transformation is visible across Nepal, thanks to a radical policy adopted by the government more than 40 years ago. Large swaths of national forest land were handed to local communities, and millions of volunteers were recruited to protect and renew their local forests, an effort that has earned praise from environmentalists around the world.

6. Amazing quote from Richard M. Fierro, the Club Q hero that probably saved dozens of lives

“These kids want to live that way, want to have a good time, have at it,” he said as he described the night. “I’m happy about it because that is what I fought for, so they can do whatever they hell they want.”

7. First Drug to Delay Type 1 Diabetes Approved by FDA

Last week, the Food and Drug Administration approved the first drug to delay the onset of Type 1 diabetes.

That’s it for this week. If you liked this post you can support this newsletter with a small kofi donation:

Buy me a coffee ❤️

Have a great week ahead :)

[fearlessandless]

Also some bonus Gracie Abrams memories:

- singing along to Risk as I walked down the stairs and tried to find my seat in the dark because I got back just barely in time for the set

- singing along to Us and hoping to be loud enough for Taylor to hear

- wishing I knew her songs better but the fast clever lyrics I love make it harder to learn them quickly

- I didn't know all the words but someone behind me did and I was So Glad

[luvly-writer]

“You are my sunshine”

Jason Todd x Latina! Reader

Social Media Au

Summary: Whilst fighting a magical being, a vision of a girl, to be precise Jason’s soulmate, is shown to the batfamily.

Profiles

Status: Finished

Part 1: Introductions

Part 2: Galas and bets

Part 3: Meetings

Part 4: Dinners and numbers

Part 5: Flowers

Part 6: Siblings are annoying

Part 7: Masquerade Gala

Part 8: And so we meet again.

Part 9: Dancing with recognition

Part 10: Deals and Intimacy

Part 11: LETS DISCUSS

Part 12: Two girls can be a handful

Part 13: Batfam POV Aftermath

Part 14: Day with Damian

Part 15: She lives in daydreams with me

Part 16: Feelings bouta get complicated

Part 17: The art of alcohol and yearning for love

Part 18: we were too drunk

Part 19: Save me from this sorrow

Part 20: Sweet like honey

Part 21: Jason’s lover boy era

Part 22: Girlies and Clingy

Part 23: Jason Todd is a whore and Steph is a menace

Part 24: Grounded and missing home

Part 25: Salsa?

Part 26: Red Hood stan?

Part 27: I know what the chaos brings

Part 28: It chaos, we love

Part 29: You are my safe heaven

Part 30: Darkness, violence, and all

Part 31: Wayne’s Night In

Part 32: She is the moment!

Part 33: We slowly heal

Part 34: Halloween

Part 35: We give thanks

Part 36: Thanks indeed

Part 37: Nola Took it Personally

Part 38: Hello Caribbean!

Part 39: Meeting the Family

Part 40: This love of ours

Part 41: Welcome Back!

Part 42: A year of Preparations

Part 43: The Wedding Article

Part 44: Dear lovebirds,

Part 45: Happily ever after!

__________

Extras:

Extra #1

[grainjew]

Nikaposting Pt 4: Sun God Tropes

This is the fourth of a series of posts about Nika & associated religious practice in the One Piece world. As I write and post the rest of the series, I’ll add links to this header.

Pt 1: Crypto-Religion | Pt 2: Symbology & Syncretism | Pt 3: Joyboy was Shandian

Enormous credit to @oriigami for being my discussion partner through all of this and having a substantial influence on the final product. Check out our ao3 series Joyful for a narrative rather than analytical take on the Nika tradition, and definitely go read her OP blog @kaizokuou-ni-naru for meta and translation fun facts.

-

#JustLittleSunGodThings

So Luffy’s a sun god, or the embodied power of the wishes for one, or whatever. But does he do mythological solar deity things?

Yes actually.

This post is the fourth and last (as of now) in this series, and it’s entirely for fun. I’ll almost certainly miss things as I go down the list here- if you can think of other solar or dawn deity things he gets up to, please add them in the replies!

With no further ado, here is a list of sun god things Luffy has been known to get up to, & which will no doubt inform the mythology developing around him in the One Piece world. (How many people were deifying this guy even before he awakened his devil fruit? Like it was definitely not zero is all I’m saying.)

Getting eaten by snakes

What started this whole list was me turning to @oriigami in the middle of the night after we’d been rewatching Little Garden and trying to make an accurate count of how many times Luffy’s been swallowed whole and going “you know what’s sun god shit? getting eaten by snakes.”

Sun gods are often doing this. Take Apep in Egyptian myth, who tries to devour the sun god Ra every day. Or Rahu, the Hindu shadow planet and serpent, who swallows the sun to cause solar eclipses.

Luffy is also often doing this. The most notable example is of course the Nola Incident in Skypiea arc, but if we expand the definition of snake to include generally snakeish sort of guys, he also gets briefly ate by Kaidou very shortly after awakening, and just now by Mister Sandworm in ch 1110. (And by Kaidou fish-fish fruit equivalency I’d argue we can also count the Little Garden goldfish and the crocodile that ate him as a kid here but obviously that’s more tenuous and mostly just funny.)

Slightly more tenuously as well, there’s Amaterasu of Shinto lore retreating into her cave (a cave is a kind of snake), as well as the Norse wolf that chases the sun Sköll (occasionally merged with Fenrir), the Javanese god (described as an ogre) Batara Kala who eats the sun and moon to cause eclipses, and the alchemical Green Lion that devours the sun.

Storm and sky gods are also often interacting with, killing, and being eaten by snakes, which is less relevant here except that Nami is storm god coded and she also got ate in the Nola Incident. So that’s fun!

Having a chariot that circumnavigates the world

Many sun gods, especially in the Indo-European sphere of traditions, have some sort of chariot or boat that they ride from east to west each day to carry the sun across the sky. Often they have attendants (sometimes dawn and dusk gods; or sometimes these gods have their own chariots or horses as well) to help them with this.

If you want a list of sun vehicles the wikipedia page for solar deities has a whole bunch of them. Have fun.

I think Thousand Sunny speaks for herself on this front: not only is Sunny a ship designed, destined, and dreamed up to herself circumnavigate the world with Luffy as her captain, but she also has the Sun on the front as her figurehead in a manner that does kinda remind me of some depictions I’ve seen of the sun being carried across the sky in such a chariot. Also, she can fly!

Association with royalty

Kings and emperors love to use sun gods to give divine legitimacy to their rule. This is in no way universal (there’s lots of storm gods out there who also do this, just off the top of my head) but take Amaterasu (Shinto), Inti (Incan), Amun-Ra (also Aten) (Egyptian), Sol Invictus (Roman), etc.

Obviously Luffy is going to be King, and is currently an Emperor. But also, he tends to go around and toppling kings and gods and tyrants and vaguely lending legitimacy to whoever is stepping up to the throne in their place. He’s got the Mandate of Heaven (this is a joke mostly but we HAVE all read Loguetown)! And also distributes it to people he likes. Thanks Luffy.

Solar discs, radiate crowns, and beetles

A solar disc is a flat circle, sometimes with rays, that symbolically represents the sun or the sun personified. If you have read pt 2 of this series, you will recognize the Nika symbol in this description.

In the same vein, when applied to a personified depiction of the sun, the solar disc has the habit of becoming a halo or a radiate crown (such as the one worn by the Statue of Liberty - the radiate crown used to be an emperors and sun gods thing and has since become associated with personifications of liberty. So That’s Fun). Obviously Luffy is not in the habit of having either of these representationally, except of course for. The hat that encircles his head in gold.

The final note on symbology I have here is that the Egyptian god of the morning sun, Khepri, is associated with scarabs/dung beetles. A fact that I think known beetle-lover Luffy would appreciate. Get this guy some scarab symbolism stat. Check these bugs out!!!

Bonus: descending into the underworld and eclipse stories

Katabasis, that is, a descent into the underworld, is in no way a sun god exclusive, although solar myths do often involve the sun god, having traveled across the sky by day, needing to find their way through the ocean, the underworld, or some other sort of nether realm to return, overnight, to their morning home in the east. And it’s very fun to look at in the context of Luffy, eclipse myths, and the Marineford saga.

So obviously the Impel Down arc is is a very literal katabasis. It’s Hell, it’s got all the Dante’s Inferno theming, and, like in so many katabases, Luffy descends to the depths in pursuit of some goal, eventually emerging miraculously alive but unsuccessful (see, for a very quick shortlist of katabases of this type, Orpheus & Eurydice, Inanna, and Izanagi & Izanami).

So that’s delightful. But I think it’s even more fun to think about the Marineford saga in general, eventually culminating in the timeskip, as a prototype for an eclipse story.

Solar eclipses, though predictable, are something like a rarer and more frightening form of night, and so their associated myths have a general tendency to involve a more dramatic and/or violent symbolic death of the sun- see, for example, the various devourers of the sun mentioned in the first bullet point of this post.

So, we have the timeskip. The fire goes out. The sun, having descended into the underworld and pushed himself past his own limits, is defeated, disappearing completely from the world for two years. Until- In a way that was, technically, predictable, if you had the correct sphere of knowledge, he returns, miraculously renewed.

I’d incorporate that into my belief system, is all I’m saying.

-

Thank you all for reading! This is all for the series so far, but not, I hope, forever. Many more thoughts to have and webs to weave!

Have a lovely week!

[vorbarrsultana]

the vampire lestat reread, pt. 1 (lestat and nickistat)

also known as "i decided to reread tvl after the season finale because some takes i've seen online give me the impression i read a completely different book two years ago". i've finished it two days ago, and turns out i have more than 5000 words of notes that significally exceed tumblr character limit. so, i had to split them into three parts.

here is part one, all about dramatic theater kids full of love, sad violinists of infinite beauty, and friends-to-lovers romances doomed by the narrative.

i love lestat.

i forgot how fun and likable tvl lestat is from page one. and how different he is from his fanon characterization!

lestatposting is fun, i get it, but i am starting to get annoyed at the amount of fanfics where lestat needs someone to help him adapt to modern times. he is doing fine on his own, thank you. it took him less than two weeks to start a rock band.

(and the whole iphone thing from "prince lestat" is more about him not seeing it as something useful since he has a mind-skype ability to talk to any vamp on planet earth, and they cannot decline the call.)

lestat is not stupid. impulsive? yes. stubborn? of course. but clever, resourseful, and cunning when he needs to be. all of this makes him a great hunter! also, really thoughtful when the mood strikes, and his quiet, existential moments have some of the best prose in that book.

i wish someone smarter than me wrote a good meta about lestat & social class because he really seems to buy into the idea of "noblesse oblige" i.e. the belief that aristocrats are obliged to take care of those less fortunate. it's present in the way he kills the wolf pack for the villagers (who live on his father's land), and later takes responsibility for the theatre troupe & remnants of armand's coven, even though he doesn't owe them anything.

also, characterization of lestat as someone socially cluesless is simply untrue. sure, he plays dumb on occasion (and hates it every time because early life illiteracy trauma), but he is also good at reading people. like, he got a pretty accurate read of armand behind the angelic facade during their first face-to-face meeting. the only people he has trouble reading are those closest to him because he heavily projects his abandonment issues on them.

lestat's struggle of being "too much" contrasts nicely with the struggle of never being enough which is so crucial to louis. hashtag made for each other.

and juxtaposition of lestat's desire to be loved for who he is and louis's struggle with identity is also delicious.

this time i also related so much to lestat's "malady of mortality" and his search for meaning in the world. which ultimately fails because he is forcibly turned into a monster, and now every ounce of happiness he might bring into the world (and lestat desperately wants to do good!) is outweighed by him killing to survive.

and marius later reinforced the belief that vampirism has no higher purpose, and no wonder that nola!lestat is a shell of his former self.

lestat's turning is the most classic horror moment of the vampire chronicles to me. the mina harker of it all. the creature of night shrouded in terror snatching an innocent victim from the arms of their love right before bleak november sunrise.

also, all the implications of what magnus has done to lestat were even more clear during this reread, and i wonder if that was the reason rolin "i-love-narrative-parallels" jones added bruce into claudia's story.

the book also explains perfectly why lestat is so well suited for vampirism. his curiosity, thirst for new experiences, and adventuring spirit are his eternal engine on the devil's road :)

however, the downside of that personality facet is that lestat steamrolls over his trauma telling himself "this is fine! look, satan, i am making the best of it", which in turn leads to the iwtv nola mess.

and i feel like this constant search for positives in vampirism (that unwilligly turned lestat & claudia share) is why they can't really relate to louis, who chose it for himself. if these two start to get too existential, the temptation to throw themselves into the fire might become unbearable.

lestat equating his loneliness with his evilness is interesting, but i have nothing to say about that for now other than equation being there.

lestat's explosive temper is also present in the book. there is a constant pattern of lestat doing things he regrets the most (like the theater performance fiasco or eating people at notre dame's steps) when he is angry or upset.

let's talk about nicki. i love him, despite half of fandom hating on him for some reason.

lestat has a type, which is "good catholic boy" with narrow view of good and evil. except louis is of a parent's favorite, conforming variety, and nicki is the rebellious one, driven to the utmost cynicism by religious dogmas.

however, despite being a self-proclaimed cynic, nicki practically drowns in catholic guilt, almost reveling in the fact that everything he does, from playing violin in the boulevard theater to having an affair with lestat, is wrong. there is no meaning in anything, and he is doomed to die a sinner's death.

he is doomed! by the narrative though.

lestat and nicki's philosophical difference seems to be that nicki (unlike lestat) does not believe in inherent goodness of the positive emotions. for him, "sin always feels good", therefore happiness they bring performing = sin.

but still, nickistat's love is so touching. after lestat ghosts nicki to protect him, he still trusts lestat's love for him and the troupe, thinks best of him, and shuts down all nasty rumours. in turn, lestat equates all the good that was in his mortal life, all his hopes and dreams with nicki. he is a symbol of everything magnus took from him.

AND THEY COMMUNICATE THROUGH MUSIC, AND IT'S THEM AT THEIR BEST, AND IT'S BEAUTIFUL.

nicki almost became lestat's charlie. when they meet face to face for the first time after lestat's transformation, he can barely contain his hunger magnified by attraction.

the most terribly sad thing about nicki is the unfairness of all that happened to him. he had seen lestat being shot right before him, then he disappeared with dying gabrielle, then the coven kidnapped and tortured him until he lost his mind.

and for nicki, the dark gift is a confirmation of everything he believes in being true. the meaninglessness of it all. evil being the only certain thing in the world. the way to fall into a deeper, darker abyss than the one that was before the mortal him. and it is a confirmation that lestat's inner light he loved so much will eventually burn out.

(his spark in the dark, if you will.)

(and lestat's dream before turning nicki hurts, because he dreams of growing up and growing old together, of maturing past magnus's eternal lelio with sunlight in his hair and summer sky in his eyes. oh, the lesdaughter of it all.)

there is certainly a parallel between nickistat's bitter "in darkness, we are equal now" vs loustat's comforting "in the quiet dark, we were equals".

[iwanthermidnightz]

nola night 3 surprise songs — in a midnight blue dress

on the 10 year anniversary of 1989 and 1 year anniversary of 1989 tv

afterglow x dress 🥹

is she serious it’s soo good

[rapha-reads]

IWTV rewatch

(previously in "Daniel versus messy dramatic vampires"... Rashid turned out to be Armand, Louis' dissociating and lying to himself, Lestat's dead, or not, who knows, Claudia's gone nuclear and everyone's insane. Onto season 2, welcome back to the trainwreck and the ramblings of a bookworm nerd. Spoilers for the whole show and the books.)

Season 2 episode 1 [What Can the Damned Really Say to the Damned] - part 1/4

- Before we even start the episode (oh boy this is going to get long), I have to share the passage from the book from which that quote comes because it's amazing:

"The Mediterranean was black, black off the coast of Italy, black off the coast of Greece, black always, black when in the small cold hours before dawn, as even Claudia slept, weary of her books and the meager fare that caution allowed her vampire hunger, I lowered a lantern down, down through the rising vapor until the fire blazed right over the lapping waters; and nothing came to light on that heaving surface but the light itself, the reflection of that beam traveling constant with me, a steady eye which seemed to fix on me from the depths and say, 'Louis, your quest is for darkness only. This sea is not your sea. The myths of men are not your myths. Men's treasures are not yours.'

But oh, how the quest for the Old World vampires filled me with bitterness in those moments, a bitterness I could all but taste, as if the very air had lost its freshness. For what secrets, what truths had those monstrous creatures of night to give us? What, of necessity, must be their terrible limits, if indeed we were to find them at all? What can the damned really say to the damned?"

- [Daniel] "Memory is a monster. We forget, it doesn't. "

We about to explore the concept even deeper...

- [Louis] "She writes it here, so, let's believe it."

[Daniel] "Let's."

Tells you everything already. Let's believe what we've been said, let's believe what's been written, let's not try to verify anything, let's not try to check our flawed memories against facts. And that'll be your undoing, Lou.

- Ayyy, the first "disregard"! Danny boy really does not want to hear from Armand at the beginning.

- Can I just say, maaaan, dirty grimy Louis looks absolutely beautiful, no, I will not take any criticism.

- [Louis] "Can you imagine, never dreaming? Would you look forward to sleep? Or would it terrify you when the day broke?"

[Armand] "Or is it the sleep of an infant? Tabula rasa?"

Makes me think of something my Doctor, Eleventh, said once:

"Clara sometimes asks me if I dream. 'Of course I dream', I tell her. 'Everybody dreams.' 'But what do you dream about?' she'll ask. 'The same thing everybody dreams about', I tell her. 'I dream about where I'm going.' She always laughs at that. 'But you're not going anywhere, you're just wandering around.' That's not true. Not anymore. I have a new destination. My journey is the same as yours, the same as anyone's. It's taken me so many years, so many lifetimes, but at last, I know where I'm going, where I've always been going: home, the long way 'round." (Eleventh Doctor at the end of The Day of The Doctor)

I think this quote can perfectly be applied to Louis. I mentioned in my rewatch of the very first episode that by accepting Lestat's offer, Louis loses access to an important part of his identity: his life amongst the Creole community of NOLA, with the church and the weddings, the dances and the games, the traditions and rites. And Louis says himself, what he wants is a family of his own, a home. Everything Louis ever wanted is to find the place and the people he belongs to, his home. It turned out not to be the NOLA of his youth, where he couldn't have a proud out gay man. Season 2 shows that it's not Paris of the after war either, nor is it with Armand; Paris is too isolated and too strict, and life with Armand, well, too dishonest and cold. Is it to be with Lestat? Could be. Or, like Louis says and shows in ep8, he's companion enough for himself and he'll paint his life with his own colors from now on.

- Abso-fucking-lutely adore the change in behaviour of Armand now that he's not playing Rashid. The white shirt casually open, the lounging, seductive pose, the langourous manner of talking... It's another mask, he's playing another role to push Daniel's buttons, but it's closer to how you'd imagine a 500-year-old vampire who looks as gorgeous as he does would act. And honestly Assad Zaman is gorgeous and talented and even if I'm not an Armand fan I am still mesmerised and nodding approvingly.

- Oh, hey, didn't notice the first time around, but the subtitles when Claudia talks German (or I think it's Ukrainian?) respect the little errors of syntax and tenses she makes. That makes my little multilingual heart very happy.

- [Louis] "This war. It's affecting the blood. Been drinking misery, hopelessness. It's in the blood, we're taking it in. Taking it on. I'm thinking it's why we can't get warm, warm up."

Yeah... *looks at 2024* I know what you mean.

Louis imitating Claudia and having a conversation all with himself is equal part funny and sad. They both need a hug. And a shower.

- [Louis] "The vampire hadn't been here for centuries. The few scraps of forensic proof we found made the case plain, but Claudia was unassailable. Like... like some deranged geologist waving a woolly mammoth tusk saying, 'Let's knock on the neighbor's door, there must be one inside.'"

Fascinated with the way Louis's been narrating this part of the European journey so far. There's life in his voice, rhythm, animation, in a way that was seldom there before. As if he's fondly remembering that part of his life, when it was just him and Claudia and no obligations, no responsibility, just the chaotic, bloody wilderness of WW2-torn Europe, and despite the grief, the loneliness, the cold, he's enjoying himself, because it's some sort of elipsis between the pain he left behind in NOLA and the pain he's about to encounter in Paris. As if those few years running around Europe in rags, hunting down phantoms, was much more peaceful and fulfilling than 30 years of (admittedly, partly) abusive marriage to Lestat, and definitely more than the Paris time or the after-Paris. And the way the light orchestral music hasn't stopped since the beginning of the episode highlights that feeling of fond remembrance. Yes, Claudia was angry and mostly silent, yes, he was grieving Lestat and hallucinating him all the time, yes, Europe was deep in WW2 and all the horrors that entails, and still, Louis is feeling more himself than he did in his own hometown with his suits and his respectability and his complicated family. Maybe Lestat was right after all, maybe Louis hid behind his masks for so long while all along his true nature was the wilderness hidden by the veneer of sociability, the way New Orleans's buildings barely veil the swamps... Or maybe I'm reading way too much into it all.

- [Louis] "I want to thank you... for the memories you helped restore the other night. I understand these diaries much better now."

Are you sure. Are you really sure of that, Louis. Though, it does give more weight to what I was saying just above. Louis feels like he's unlocked a part of himself he had lost or forgotten thanks to Daniel's unrelenting questions, and it makes him much more invested in his own narration and much more lenient towards Claudia's narration.

- [Daniel] "And tonight's two hours and counting on chasing old world vamps who never materialize. You ever read Moby Dick, Real Rashid?"

[Real Rashid] "I'm here to serve"

[Daniel] "Ah. Yeah, sure. I'm sorry, this is... this is so weird. Where did they send you when Shah Rukh Khan over here was playing you? Is there a panic room behind the Rembrandt?"

[Louis] "My love ran a theatre company for 150 years, Daniel."

[Daniel] "Your love was in a box pondering a premeditated neck wound, according to Claudia. She wrote it, let's choose to believe it."

[Armand] "Unworthy in San Francisco, Unworthy in Dubai. Disregard."

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA I AM DYING THIS EXCHANGE IS EVERYTHING

Haaa, let me catch my breath, I've been wheezing for the past 5 minutes relistening a couple of times to the whole thing to make sure I don't miss a part. Catty old bitching drama queens sniping at each other, this is the best. I want a poster with this entire conversation printed on a Rembrandt painting to put in my room.

The SRK mention, DYING!!

Real Rashid being all "begging you to please not involve me in whatever this is, I just want my paycheck".

Louis trying sooooo hard to sell his and Armand's relationship and Daniel immediately coming in with the steel chair and Claudia's diaries, and didn't I say "Let's believe it" would come back to bite him in the ass, I hadn't expected it so soon tho.

And then Armand being so vexed he lets loose his inner catty drama queen too, and yet I am sorry but have you seen how he looks at Daniel even when he's insulting him, Devil's Minion fans, how are we feeling, 'cause I'm having the time of my life.

And finally, to come back to that first line, Daniel alluding to Moby Dick as a parallel to Claudia's impossible hunt for the vamps... I love clever literary references.

Alright. I stopped laughing and I didn't wake up the house. Let's carry on. Dreamstat is about to make his first appearance...

season 1 masterpost

part 2 | part 3 | part 4

episode 2 | episode 3 | episode 4 | episode 5 | episode 6 | episode 7 | episode 8