#the cover story that he saves louis in the end

[kindaorangey]

something i think is funny to do is to try and think of the differences between armand and lestat. zero emotional regulation? both of them have that. absolutely kill themselves in devotion to their companion? check check. fraught relationship with god? convinced they're going to hell so they refuse to let themselves die? lie and manipulate others and commit horrific acts of violence because they believe they know what's best for the other person? ding ding ding! genuinely the only thing i've come up with that's different between the two of them is that lestat acts with no filter whereas armand feels the need to launder his own emotions through his various façades and belief systems in order to express them at all. (until the gremlin comes out).

[nalyra-dreaming]

whether or not that loustat hug is the contested NOLA reunion, do you think it could happen in the present day instead? obviously in the iwtv book it’s a fleeting visit from louis. but in the show i just can’t imagine them going separate ways again after a reunion as it’s all heightened so much more. plus, i believe it’s been said that we have a modern day NOLA shot in the trailer. after watching s1 i just assumed that lestat would eventually pop up in the present day, but that was before reading the books!! how do you think us seeing him in the present day will go down? do you have any thoughts on where he even is? i’m feeling so clueless but curious about how they’ll introduce him and pave the way for his story to be told. sorry that this is so long🫶🏼

The hug can theoretically happen in Dubai time, but then... you know, back then, when Claudia's diaries showed up for the first time, I said that I sure hope their potential will not be wasted.

Because... Claudia's diary was a twist. A BIG twist, even for book readers. It shifted perceptions of characters yet again. "Merrick" was a blow to the stomach, especially knowing Anne had originally planned to let Louis die. (Btw, the first "Merrick" post I tagged as such was a reblog of @cbrownjc, in October 22, go figure :P)

The show has taken elements from Merrick, elements which would indeed be wasted if they do not go a certain route towards the end of season 2. Because they have been building up to it, and if they should not go there then they won't be able to return later on and then this twist will be wasted.

I just... cannot see them waste that twist, tbh, given its importance for all the arcs.

Which brings us back to NOLA (or not) and Lestat, and where he is, because if we are in Merrick territory... then Lestat is either asleep/in coma, or roaming. Because I agree! I don't see them separating again (not fully) after finding each other again. It wouldn't serve the show imho, the back and forth, and why would Lestat tell his story?

So I do not see the hug happen in NOLA. And if it is, then I bet that will be the contested meeting.

Now, I personally think Lestat is close by. I think he might be connected to "The Groan". I think it will literally all come crashing down when Dubai comes to a head.

I think Lestat might be in the "chapel" with "Those Who Must Be Kept", maybe. A chapel which serves both, and which explains the "I serve a god", too.

I think the moment when the books come down Lestat will wake up.

If they are mean, they'll go out with a cliffhanger of epic proportions^^ (aka Louis seemingly dead), but I can also see them go through with the resolution first... and then sit back, literally, proverbially, and Daniel going something like: "So you are the vampire Lestat." in that tone of his, while side-eyeing all vampires there :) I can hear it.^^

That said, there was once a comment about Lestat maybe telling his story through a different device, so maybe... maybe Daniel finds some old tapes :) Or maybe he even interviewed Lestat before! We don't know yet. He did seem to react to "Come to me".

Personally I want Louis there to listen to the story though. Because ultimately Lestat tells his story for Louis.

So. To come back to the hug and Dubai... Maybe what we saw was the end of the season.

Because... if they are not that mean (to us)... then maybe Louis does attempt suicide, Lestat wakes, he, Armand and Marius save Louis... and Louis wakes to see Lestat - dusty, hair tangled, and clad in a velvet jacket.

"Lestat had by this time brushed off the cumbersome covering of dust he wore, and taken from his own closet a new coat of dark- brown velvet, and fresh linen, so that he wore his usual thick and faintly discolored old lace. He had shaken out his hair and combed it, and put on new boots."

Dark brown velvet jacket, and shaken out and combed hair.

I mean, we can hope, right? :)

[lythiannatheultimate]

Here is some Punch-out headcannons for a story I made called Attack Of The Slaughter

By the way, this was based off Island of the slaughtered.

🇫🇷 Glass Joe❤

•Almost died

•A bunch of glass fell on him and now he has cuts all around his body

•Almost sacrificed himself for Von

•Him and von got rescued by Aran, Hondo, and Tiger.

•terrified for his life

🇩🇪 Von Kaiser🔩

•Almost died

•Got attacked by a giant bloodthirsty black eagle

•Tried to sacrifice himself for Joe

•Got rescued by Aran, Hondo, and Tiger

•Tried to be brave like the warrior he is

🇺🇸 Disco kid🎧

•Petrified

•Almost got crushed to death but managed to escape

•I swear this man scared everyone when he got mad

•protected Aran at all cost even though Aran told him not to

•Scariest experience in his life

🇦🇬 King Hippo🏝

•Sadly didn't make it

•His death was one of the saddest

•He tried to escape but the killer caught up to him and split his stomach open

•Mad clown got upset from this

•Cried when he died

🇯🇵 Piston Hondo/Honda🍣

•Survived

•Rescued a couple people

•Alive because Bear saved him

•has the most depression out of all of them

•Losing bear made him incredibly sad

🇨🇦 Bear Hugger🏔

•sadly did not make it

•the saddest death

•sacrificed himself for Hondo

•mauled by a bear

•luckily, Aran saved chip (His pet squirrel)

🇮🇳 Great Tiger🕌

•Survived

•helped people get to the boat

•saw Hondo with a wound and helped him

•Got upset when Aran started crying

•helped save people

🇪🇸Don flamenco🌹

• Went through the most

•Had an incredibly bad fight with Carmen and he lost it

•Carmen "died" after the fight because she got ran over

•Don hated himself for everything

•Will never forget her

🇮🇪 Aran Ryan🔪

•protected everyone with his life

•Actually started crying when he thought soda was going to die

•got horrified when Disco Kid screamed out of anger

•went through so much torture but managed to survive

•Helped save people

🇷🇺 Soda Popinski🍾

•almost died because his soda was poisoned

•Gave Aran a GIANT hug after they fled away from the island

•scared

•upset

•brung king hippos crown, and Bear hugger's overalls and squirrel

🇹🇷 Bald bull🏋

•Made it, but he really wishes he didn't

•upset that anyone would do this

•sad

•wants to die

•All he wanted was a happy life and look where this got him

🇺🇸 Super Macho Man🌊

•surprisingly alive

•Actually terrified from this

•saved Narcis, Heike, and Dragon Chan

•Upset about this situation

•Narcis tried to make him feel better, and it actually worked

🇺🇸 Mr.Sandman🏋

•Survived

•saved the ref (Tony)

•glad that Hondo is safe

•So thankful for Tony still being alive

•overall sad

🇳🇴 Alice🔧

•crying from fear

•she is only 11 which makes all of this worse for her

•everyone made sure to protect her at all cost

•terrified

•perfectly safe

🇨🇳 Dragon Chan🏯

•Saved by macho

• tried his hardest to fight back

•terrified but still fights anyway

•known to be a fighter

•now has schizophrenia

🇬🇧 Narcis Prince🎽

•terrified

•Macho saved him

•crying

•muscle forced Narcis to do very bad things(Muscle is the killer)

•covered with bite marks, bruises, and sweat.

🇧🇪 Nick bruiser🏋

•Was actually happy when Rick died

•helped save Hondo

•Incredibly protective of Alice

•Helped save Doc Louis

•was done with Rick's bullshit

🇺🇸 Little Mac🏆

•Survived because doc saved him

•Terrified

•Ended up actually talking

•Sad

•Cold and depressed

🇫🇷 gabby Jay💊

•sadly did not make it

•Got a concussion when he was running and got stabbed in the head

•dropped his pills

•told Joe to leave without him

•his death made Joe burst into tears

[singto-prachaya]

Ongoing saga of BL actors and singing

Yes I decided to make a post about this considering all the news going around for the last few days. Most prime example was Bright at the 4 Kingdom's concert.

I'm sure everyone at this point has seen a clip of his awful singing. There is no excuse for that. He has his own agency now so it's not like anyone is forcing him to sing. Not to mention that he had also forgotten parts of the lyrics to a song he was suppose to sing. This is a huge disrespect. This totally feels like a I'm using my privilege as a famous person to do what I want without putting any effort in it. While there are singers out there who can sing hoping to get famous someday. Like Daou Pittaya tried for years already before lazicon came around to become famous as a singer. But despite being an amazing singer already back then it didn't happen. He even sold his motorbike and computer back then to go and participate in a Chinese survival show. Which didn't end up happening because of covid.

Now yesterday Frank Thanatsaran who I follow posted about a new project coming. I clicked on the link in his insta story only to found out he's also planning on becoming a singer.

JEVEL MUSIC, a new era music label under the JOTI ENTERTAINMENT. Introducing the first artist of JEVEL MUSIC "FRANKT" or Frank Thanatsaran. Wait to follow Frank's first song soon.

Now since I follow him I have heard him sing live on livestreams and what even is he thinking? He also cannot sing to save his life. And here we are dealing with a free agent guy so again no company that forces their actors to sing.

Today this showed up. A cover from Namping, Nat, First, New, James, Por and TeeTee. And all I thought was:

WHO ASKED FOR THIS

4 out of the 7 DMD guys here can't sing (Only First, Por & New here can). But also since it's a Babymonster cover will they also dance? Because I don't need 2 offensive things. DMD has 3 dancers which is Aun, Por and Yim but we only got Por here.

And near the end of last month James announced he is forming a boyband with Noeul. Noeul had just released his first single which was a rap song and it was bad. The lyrics were also such a put off. Tryhard and cringy.

Group seems to consist out of 5 members. At first an IG account also mentioned TeeTee as part of this but that doesn't seem to be the case. The first guy not tagged is James Na. I have checked his IG and while he can dance his singing is so off key. On top of having a bad voice.

Listen! Becoming a good singer and or dancer takes years and lots of hard work. I used to be dancer on a high level but I didn't become that overnight and also not within a year. So if you do want to get into singing and or dancing get training first and work your butt off!

So who is all asking for this besides delusional fangirls who think their faves are amazing at everything?

I rather have singers getting into acting then actors getting into singing. And now I am sure besides me we aren't asking for Jeff, Daou or Son Ravisut's level of singing. If you are like Isbanky, Joong, Khaotung or Louis it's also good.

This madness needs to be stopped!

[cptn-m]

One Piece chapter 1132 review

What a weird month and a bit it's been. The double two-week breaks with a single chapter in the middle was weirdly discombobulating, making it feel like it's been longer than it really has since the last chapter. I feel bad for Oda, falling ill right after the research break, when he seemed like he was coming back with a second wind. But we're back now, and it's worth the wait for the proper introduction to Elbaph following the arc's fakeout prologue.

The main thrust of this chapter is the two groups of Strawhats resolving their previous plot threads and converging in one place to get the real story started, but that doesn't mean Oda doesn't find time to set up a few mysteries and build up the figures who will influence the story to come. The opening scene introduces Collun (can't believe the scanlations actually went with Colon for the name; Collun is better, but I would probably have used the classic Japanese L/R switcharoo to make him Coron or something similar) reinforces Shanks's presence and the weight he carries in this land. I'm glad to see Shanks was hyping up Luffy to Collun - easing some of the cynical theories about whether Shanks really cares about these kids he's inspiring around the world or if he's using them in some undefined way - and I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of interactions the two will have.

There's wonderful art and a fantastic sense of worldbuilding whimsy in some of the big moments this week, starting with the ride up the rainbow bridge. The sudden vertical turn makes me think back to the journey to Skypiea, and I can't wait to see what the full colour manga does with the glowing light of the bridge when it catches up to here in a few years. One Piece is beautiful in black and white, but this is a spread that feels made for colour.

As Luffy's group reunite, it's curious to see that Luffy's talk with Loki ended with a deal. When we last saw them, it seemed like the mention of Shanks had soured the conversation, but now they've come to some kind of accord. The fact that Oda is playing it off so secretively makes me think it's not going to be as simple as just getting the key to free him like he asked before. Loki may have offered an alternative, or Luffy may have changed the terms. Sticking in a pin in this one for later.

Rodo's unceremonious and unserious dispatch comes well deserved. Probably not the last we've seen of him - almost definitely not if the theme of the arc is going to be competing sun god candidates. I don't think Rodo has the raw charisma to be the Buggy of the Nika lineup though.

And the centerpiece - the thing that makes it all worth the wait - the "welcome to Elbaph" spread. The detail! The scale! The spirit of adventure is very, very much alive in this one. The one analytical angle I can think to take here is a comparison to Rodo's diorama. Bigstein Castle provides an obvious matching landmark, but nothing else quite matches. The style of the houses doesn't feel as reflective of the viking-style houses of the real giants, the trunk of Yggdrasil is placed different relative to the castle and the town in the real world, and the diorama has no indication of the gaps and waterfalls down to the underworld layer - save maybe for recreating the bridge. I'd be surprised if anything Nami learned studying the map of the diorama manages to be relevant to the real version here.

A Louis Arnot callback mixes nostalgia with what's new, as well as providing an ominous warning. How much of the arc are we going to have to get through before we find out why he'd say that? But the real treat here is the hint that the dude who was with Crocus in the cover story could finally be getting revealed! Man I've waited a long time for that. And yes, I got my hopes up and got burned once already at the start of Onigashima when the shadows on Izo's kimono looked like the stripes on the guy's cloak, but this time it feels a lot more certain. I'm ready to be hurt again.

As good as all this has been, I don't dare hope for this momentum to continue. There's at least one more chapter coming, which is great, but then a difficult regiment of Christmas/New Years' breaks to wade through before the series can settle back into any kind of a normal rhythm. Just bad timing, but we've survived it every other year up til now, and we'll do it again.

[sisionscreen]

Hi,

In my country, I haven't been able to watch season 4 of sisi 2021 yet. I really do want to know what's happening so could you give a summary(with spoilers) of what's happening during the season? Is there any infidelity or like is the storyline hinting at it?

Spoilers below.

I'll try to make this as short as possible while also ideally covering everything.

Sisi is traveling and has a riding accident which makes her fall into a coma for quite some time and she only barely escapes being paralized. Meanwhile her father Max suffers a heart attack and dies soon after.

Sisi misses her father's funeral because Franz decided not to tell her while she is recovering. It puts a strain on their relationship as Sisi couldn't say goodbye to her dad.

At Possenhofen, we learn that Max actually gambled away the castle to the jockey Georg Basselet whose family previously owned the estate. Sisi is determined to save her family home and demands a horse race. He eventually agrees. However, Franz has asked her not to ride again. He soon has to leave for Vienna while she decides to stay behind "to recover".

The horse keeper at Possenhofen is actually Sisi's half-sister Linda because surprise, surprise Max has had an affair since at least the beginning of his marriage to Ludovika. Linda is the only one who can handle the fastest horse in the stable but Ludovika actually fired her after Max's death. Sisi gets her back but then she accused of murdering her mother Adele. She didn't. It looks like Ludovika did it but she also didn't and instead Adele had commited suicide. Ludovika tried to hide this whole thing because she swapped babies with Adele, helped by Archduchess Sophie, after her Louis had died in childbed. She promised Adele to love Louis like her own child (she did) but after Max's death Adele's suicide note would have revealed the truth. It's all nicely cleaned up by pulling rank.

Sisi has a love-hate relationship with Georg Basselet. They have chemistry and they dance but he dislikes the nobility. Anyway they tease each other all the time. It's a bit will they, won't they. Surprisingly, they neither kiss nor fuck.

Franz eventually gets to know about Sisi lying to him and orders her back to Vienna. Ludovika told on Sisi because Sisi was snooping around and close to figuring out what her mother was hiding. Grünne is the one doing the dirty work here by investigating everything for Sisi. For the Grünne fan out there: No, he has no interaction with Franz. Their relationship remains broken.

Sisi eventually gets back to Bavaria. Does the race, wins while Franz secretly watches. He realized he can't cage her, she realized he is her home but she will never be able to stay long in Vienna because she hates court. Kiss and end.

The side plots are about Sisi's siblings Louis and Sophie Charlotte (they always call her by both names which gets annoying real fast). Louis is in love with actress Henriette Mendel and actually engaged, he just doesn't know how to tell his mother. They break up for a bit and then decide to be secret lovers because Louis is supposed to marry one of his cousin King Ludwig II's minister's daughter, so he himself can become justice secretary. He eventually realizes he loves Henriette more than his dream and gives it up to be with her. Louis basically mirrors his father's story but ultimately chooses love.

Sophie is basically Max's female clone. She is rebellious, quick-witted, entitled and bold. Ludovika wants her married. Her act of rebellion is choosing Ludwig. The family is horrified but eventually has not choice but to go along as Ludwig also shows interest in her and kisses her in public, only to then drop her like a hot potato. She confronts him. Yada yada yada. Eventually she agrees to meet some other dude and quite likes him. However, it is not the Duke the historical Sophie marries.

I think that's mostly it. It's kinda left open in a way that RTL could develop a spin-off focussing on Louis, Ludwig and Sophie Charlotte, if they wanted to. I don't think they are doing this but they absolutely could.

[goblins-riddles-or-frocks]

okay final amc interview with the vampire rewatch thoughts:

- I liked the pacing much better. the middle episodes felt like a slog to watch week by week but I think it’s much better suited to bingeing. there were still choices I didn’t love, but the plot was going at a consistent clip the entire time.

- sam reid and jacob anderson were both fantastic! galaxy brained takes on both characters. bailey bass.. her acting is good but I am too southern to be able to take that accent seriously 😭😭 it was painful

- lestat is still given more narrative dignity and power than I would like. he’s introduced having his own wealth and he is the one giving louis money as opposed to being the broke unwanted houseguest who invited himself. he doesn’t use claudia to babytrap louis, louis has to beg him to change her (hated this!). he is given a personal pawn in antoinette, and is allowed to see the murder attempt coming. I feel like sam reid brings the necessary vain, overeager desperation to the role to offset it, but the plot is still like that

- I’m still deeply unsatisfied with all of the choices they made with claudia. I think it’s a huge cop out to have louis save her from a fire that she 100% would not have survived otherwise. I missed the very key book element of it being louis who killed her and lestat who “saved” her by making her into a vampire. I also disliked how cleanly her relationship with lestat becomes one of hate after episode five. there’s zero mixed feelings and they’re both so on the same page about how much they hate each other. I get what they’re trying to do with “they’re too alike therefore they can’t stand each other” but that doesn’t preclude a more complicated dynamic

- I hated that all of claudia’s issues surrounding never growing up seemed to revolve around sex and romance. she’s given the sweet romance/almost romance that ends poorly and marks her slide into being more recklessly murderous and her dissatisfaction with vampirism. meanwhile there’s the OC vampire they invented to assault her… as a monkey’s paw curls situation I guess?? and to cement her vulnerability to other vampires. a lot of her arc feels so defined by men in a way that’s not really about her. it also doesn’t help that in casting an older teenage actress, it’s harder to buy that she would run into issues day to day with living on her own or passing as a young looking adult. idk she just felt particularly Written By A Man to me

- I’m also still unsure how I feel about the more literal domestic violence allegory. with daniel’s cynical quips about stockholm syndrome and abuse. or the way the big fight is framed when it looks like louis might leave lestat for claudia. I don’t mind them becoming violent with each other, it seems like that would be second nature to vampires who are killing every night. their relationship with violence would simply be different than a typical person’s. but then I think the fight’s framing was perhaps too typical to make sense for vampires? idk idk I like abuse narratives and I think interview as a story has always been in part about usurping an abuser so… seeing physical abuse… makes sense but this also felt too on the nose. so I am on the fence

- the pilot and the finale were the strongest episodes by far. I really appreciate this series’ dedication to style and atmosphere. it’s the first piece of contemporary vampire media in a while that feels like it actually wants to be about vampires

- I was shrieking at every single little hint at the larger vc lore, even when I knew full well it was coming. I’m honestly too attached to the first book so any loose show adaptation was destined to be prickly for me but I have zero reservations about the rest of the series. I’m so fucking excited to see it continue and cover more of the books!!! I will PASS OUT when we actually get to the theatre des vampires

- having the armand reveal confirmed makes the entire show so fucking insane???? I was watching this with maka and dolce who had NOT seen this before and it was such a struggle not to dissolve into hysterics every time he was in frame. like what deranged psychosexual nonsense???

- like louis describing being so desperately in love with lestat in excruciating detail while his current bf is literally always in the room?? the extent armand goes to to keep up the charade that he’s just an unassuming human ☺️ no reason to be suspicious at all ☺️☺️ it’s even funnier having the second season trailer out, knowing that he’s devised like an entire costume and sense of style for this rashid character purely to fuck with daniel 😭

[felixcloud6288]

Fullmetal Alchemist Chapter 7

In this chapter we get to see someone else show how they fight using Alchemy. On a scale of Roy Mustang (All Alchemy, useless without it) to Hawkeye (No Alchemy, no problem), Alex Louis Armstrong is right in the middle using a close-range boxing style that can instantly switch into mid-range alchemy on the fly.

Ed has primarily used Alchemy to give himself a weapon, for defense, and to turn the situation in his favor prior to engaging enemies. He hasn't really used Alchemy as a combat tool itself.

Also, gotta love how Arakawa conned us with Roy in that fight. We got to see a sample of what he can do in chapter 4, then we're about to see him in action only to find out he's useless in the rain.

I wonder what fans were speculating about Scar's ability back when this series first started. Last chapter, Scar failed to destroy Ed's automail the first try, because he tried destroying flesh instead. So he needs to have the same knowledge an alchemist needs to perform his destruction ability. Meanwhile, he isn't using any runes like Roy and Armstrong use to perform their alchemy nor does he need to make any gestures like Ed. And all his actions are with his right hand.

After the fight, Al makes it very clear to Ed: No self sacrifice allowed. I can think of one or two instances where they consider sacrificing themselves for the other, but they both understand very early that there's no value in losing each other. They are to live and get stronger and figure out how to get their bodies back and maybe even save little girls like Nina. They started this journey together. They will end it together.

More map!

Judging by the map, Ed and Al likely traveled from Youswell to New Optain between chapters 3 and 4 on their way to East City and that's how they got involved in the train hijacking. No indication of Reole. So no idea why they went to Youswell to begin.

We also get backstory on the Ishbalan Civil War which ties back to what Roy mentioned in chapter 5. This is the war he's using as a cover story for Ed's automail limbs. The use of State Alchemists for the war was 7 years ago, so Ed was 8 at the time.

We also get an early glimpse at some future characters:

The discussion at the end does bring up the question about how Al's soul can exist in his armor. So that's a question to look forward to seeing answered soon.

SHUT UP COLONEL! YOU ARE NOT ONE TO TALK!!!

Nina Trauma Count: 2

back

[critter-in-skyrim]

About the "30 Questions about my Dragonborn oc" thingy: I'm curious about 1, 17, 28 and 30! :D

Thank you for sending an ask!!!

1. What is their background and backstory, summarised into a paragraph

Louis was kidnapped at a young age by a Nord named Peter, who proceeded to torture him for a chunk of his life. Eventually Peter dies and Louis is able to escape and start his new life. However, the trauma of his past has left some permanent scars (both figuratively and literally). Louis has commitment issues and struggles getting close to people. In spite of this, he has developed a kind of "saving people" thing. He was adventuring around Skyrim, helping anyone he can, and sleeping with anyone who is willing, when he found himself in Helgen...

Ezra was born to loving and supportive parents in Hammerfell. However, his brother convinced him to get involved in a cult of Hircine, which resulted in the both of them becoming werewolves and their parents being used as sacrifices. For years, Ezra worked as a blacksmith for the cult, before he was finally able to escape to Skyrim. However, he is caught trying to cross the border...

Damien was an orphan in the Grey Quarter of Windhelm, when he was found by a Priest of Talos named Ezekiel. Ezekiel, however, was not who he seemed, as he was secretly a vampire who also worshipped Molag Bal. He enthralled Damien for decades, before eventually turning him into a vampire himself. Damien's vampire powers were unique, though - and uniquely powerful. He destroyed Ezekiel and finally became his own master. However, with his newfound powers came consequences - primarily, severe chronic pain, if he did not use his powers. Thus, he began abusing Skooma to cope. It was while high on Skooma that he accepts Aventus Aretino's plea for him to kill Grelod, thus getting him involved in the Dark Brotherhood. It is while completing one of his contracts, that he ends up in Helgen...

Kitschicritter, or Critter for short, was born to Reachman parents. For one reason or another, they ended up put up for adoption, wherein they were adopted by a Noble couple from Cyrodil. While they wanted for nothing, their parents put immense pressure on them and were not supportive of their gender or sexuality. Desperate to escape the monotony of their life, they made a plea to Sheogorath, who proceeded to "kiss them on the head". While their newfound "powers" made them stronger, more creative, more passionate, it also made them more intense, more unstable, more detached from reality. They eventually began self medicating with herbs to deal with the intensity of their own mind. Once they feel stable enough, they decide to track down their long lost brother who they believe is still in Skyrim. It was while searching for his brother, that Critter ends up at Helgen...

Sevierra was an Alik'r Warrior sent to Skyrim to help track down Saadia. However, after hearing her side of the story, she decides to turn her back on the Alik'r and help Saadia. Word ends up getting around Whiterun about how Sevierra saved Saadia, and Sevierra is approached by Aela, who tells her she thinks she would make a good fit. She ends up joining the Companions, becoming a werewolf (she loves it). It is while she is out adventuring that she happens upon Helgen...

17. What’s their style- do they tend to wear armour and if so, what sort? Otherwise what’s their average day-to-day clothing?

Louis usually wears a full set of leather scout armor at all times. It makes him feel safe and also keeps his scars from being visible. While at the College of Winterhold, he did switch to wearing robes though. He felt safe there, though.

Ezra actually prefers women's clothing, like dresses and such. He usually only wears dresses in private, though, for fear of peoples' ridicule. Generally, he wears robes. He also always, ALWAYS wears a head covering (for religious reasons).

Damien is an ebony armor sort of dude. Specifically Boethia's Ebony Mail armor.

Kitschicritter would love to wear Forsworn armor at all times, but they recognize that makes people around them uncomfortable. Generally they opt for Steel Soldier Armor.

Sevierra continues to wear her Hammerfell garb to this day.

28. What are their greatest assets, both in terms of in-game skills and otherwise? What gave them the upper hand that allowed them to defeat Alduin?

Louis's greatest asset is his determination. Without his determination to help people and to save the world, he never would have been able to stop Alduin.

Damien's greatest asset is his powers. He is a powerful dude, and without his special vampiric abilities, he wouldn't have been able to defeat Alduin.

Critter's greatest asset is their unpredictability. Not even talking about just their weapon choices (Bipolar Blade, Wabbajack), but they can be unpredictable themselves while in battle. Without that, they wouldn't have been able to defeat Alduin.

30. Are they proud of themselves? Do they see themselves as a hero?

Louis is getting there. He has a lot of mental healing he's done, but he still has a long way to go. He's starting to be proud of himself, to see himself as a hero.

Damien absolutely does not see himself as a hero. Unlike Louis though, a lot of his wounds are fresh, he has a lot of self-hatred going on. It doesn't help that he's a vampire and apart of the Dark Brotherhood.

Sevierra struggles a little bit at first, but eventually, she fully embraces the fact that she is The Dragonborn. She is proud of herself and proud to call herself a hero.

[cbrownjc]

That post about Lestat turning Daniel... I also think it's going to be this way but I have the craziest theory about this: the groan in the penthouse is actually Lestat. He's living there as a hostage. one day, Daniel decides to follow the groan and discovers the prisoner. Lestat somehow convinces Daniel to help him out but Lestat is super hungry and feeds himself from Daniel and escape. Armand decides to turn Daniel to avoid his death.

Hi Anon!

I'm 100% with you on "the groan" being Lestat. However, I don't think Lestat is currently conscious or awake. I think he's asleep/in a coma and creating "the groan" unconsciously. Kind of a spin on him/his body protecting itself when he was in his post-Memnoch the Devil coma.

And yes, I, too, can see Lestat attacking Daniel at the end of S2 after he wakes up, in a kind of shout-out to the end of the 1994 movie.

However, I think Daniel will get saved or something without needing to be turned by Armand, Louis, or even Lestat. Simply because I don't think the show is going to make Daniel a vampire that soon, i.e., at the end of S2.

Daniel has just begun to fulfill his story role as the ordinary human among these fantastical, supernatural characters. Even outside of what's been adapted so far, Daniel has yet to be changed enough over the course of the story of the show to be fully brought into that world just yet.

Plus, audiences who haven't read the books have no idea about Daniel's deeper - i.e., Devil's Minion - connection to all of this, just like Daniel doesn't at the moment. And there isn't time to tell that whole story in just 7-8 eps in S2, not with everything else S2 also has to cover.

The dramatic stakes are significantly lowered if Daniel is turned before he learns everything that took place regarding these things if he is turned before he learns it.

Also, I don't think Daniel would help Lestat out if he was in trouble. Like, not at all. Even if Daniel remembers having maybe met Lestat before in the 80s or something, he still barely knows the guy now, except for what he's heard and been told about by Louis. And what Louis has told him hasn't been all that good, to say the least.

That is partly why I strongly feel Daniel - while still human - will be the one interviewing Lestat in S3 when the show adapts The Vampire Lestat.

First, we already know the show's name isn't going to change in S3, Rolin Jones already said so in an interview. The show will still be called Interview with the Vampire in S3. And you've already got Daniel right there, you don't need to try and introduce another different character and set them up to do the interview for Lestat's life story, that's just wasting time. Also, Lestat just telling the story to himself as he writes it down, or something, is just boring visually. No way are they going to do it that way. The dynamics of a back-and-forth interview, as we've seen in just S1, are much more engaging.

And secondly, I'm pretty sure Daniel will have a low opinion of Lestat and his actions going into such an interview at the start, just like I bet many in the audience will (particularly, again, those who haven't read the books). But, the journalist that Daniel is, he'll still be curious to hear Lestat's side of everything and, therefore, will do the interview.

Daniel will push and ask questions that many watching, especially those who don't know the story, would want to ask. And I expect Daniel's opinions of Lestat will change over the course of the interview with him and learning what he does of Lestat's story and side of things, probably for the better in some significant regards.

But right now? Naw. Daniel wouldn't help Lestat, even if he somehow found him awake and in chains or something. That said, I do kinda think Daniel will either discover or be taken by Armand, Louis, or both and be shown the source of the "the groan" which will be a coma-sleeping Lestat.

As for who finally does turn Daniel, which I think will happen a few seasons from now (like S5 or so)? I could be wrong, and it really could still be Armand. I really do think Armand has Dr. Fareed doing something wrt the levodopa Daniel was given. My mom had Parkinson's, and the only time she was given an IV drip of levodopa was when she was in the hospital. Otherwise, she took her levodopa in pill form. So I think Armand has Dr. Fareed doing something to try and stay Daniel's Parkinson's. Because while I still think Armand is dead set against ever turning someone himself, I don't think he wants Daniel to die, and is looking for other ways to preserve his life.

That's why, IMO, Armand gave Louis that look when Louis offered to turn Daniel in EP6. Armand might have asked Louis to turn Daniel in the past, during the show's version of The Devil's Minion, and Louis refused. (And unlike with Madeline in the books, and possibly what will also happen on the show, Armand didn't try to mentally manipulate Louis into doing so this time.)

In the end, though, as in the books, Armand's hand might finally be forced to realize there is no way to stop Daniel from dying a natural death, and he's just going to have to make a choice to offer to turn him.

The real question is, though, would Daniel accept the offer? And, at the moment, I'm just feeling "no." Because Daniel is in a different place than he was almost 50 years ago. He basically alluded to it himself in EP6.

Unlike when he was in his 20s, being immortal now would now mean watching his daughters grow old and die.

So if Daniel continues to refuse the offer of the Dark Gift, even knowing he's dying (and I think he will), then the only way he's getting turned is if someone turns him against his will. And I just don't know if Armand would ever do that. I, personally, don't think he would.

However, I think Lestat would. And so would Marius.

Marius would do it because he's a controlling ass, and would do it for the same reason he turned Sybelle and Benji in the books IMO.

Lestat, OTOH, I think, would do it for the same reason he forcibly turned David Talbot. Which is that he just wanted to. (And, he didn't want to lose David, which he felt he had when David got his new body, along with a host of other things Lestat thinks about himself at that point, but that's a whole other thing I don't want to go into right now.) Anyway, as far as the show goes, I think Daniel and Lestat might end up having the same kind of friendship and love that book-Lestat and David had.

I know I'm not alone in thinking David Talbot's character has been cut from the show. (I feel more sure of it since Aaron Lightner was cut from The Mayfair Witches series too.) And I think one of the new things that will result in that is that Lestat and Daniel will grow to have an affectionate relationship between them like the one Lestat had with David in the books.

Whether Daniel gets David's body-swapping plot remains to be seen (and could open up a whole other can-of-worms, which I'll refrain from going into here.) Needless to say, I've said elsewhere that the four main characters of the show are Louis, Lestat, Armand, and Daniel, all of whom will have complicated relationships with each other; and I think the way they are going to go into building something between Lestat and Daniel is to pull from the relationship Lestat has with human-David in the books. An older man, who has a long life experience under him, and finds Lestat fascinating while not interested in being turned either, so the relationship develops rather equally.

And ends up with Lestat eventually turning him. And I can fully see the same happening with Daniel.

Damn, can I ever answer an ask without writing an essay in response? I guess not, when I have so many thoughts about this show in my head . . .

[childofaura]

I know you don’t want to talk about Engage anymore and this would be a different from the typical asks you get but if you’re one of the writers for Engage how would you improve the main Lords (Alfred, Diamant, Ivy and Timerra), Céline and Alear in terms of character writing and if possible design as well?

Oh I have no issues actually talking about Engage; I’m actually happy to talk about it. I just don’t want to play it again, hahaaa… ._. I feel like I’d have enjoyed the game more if the gameplay changes were upfront.

Ok so this one’s a good question because I thought about what I would really do to modify the characters to maybe be a little MORE than what we got. Not that they were bad but more that they were lost potential. BUT I will be honest: I did miss a lot of supports between characters, so if I say something should be changed to a different thing and it DID happen in Engage, don’t be afraid to call me out on it, peeps!

Right off the bat though: I wouldn’t change anyone’s physical design except for Alear and some minor details on Ivy. Everyone was pretty much properly designed to the aesthetics of their kingdom. The only thing I’d change for Ivy is that black cover in front of her face that has a specific name I can’t recall. It was a very neat touch to show how she hides her emotions, but it made cutscenes SO DAMN ANNOYING because her face was so obscured. I’d simply give her one of those mourning veils to only go over her eyes, with adornments on the sides. That way it’s not super distracting for cutscenes but you can still hid her face. I’m pretty sure one of the mage classes in Fodlan has those. I’ll get to Alear at the end because she needs a complete overhaul.

Now in terms of character writing, I’m putting a read more because this could get lengthy.

Writing.

-Alfred and Celine

For Alfred, I actually don’t think his personality needs to be re-written, but more that his timing in the story needs to be switched and his personality traits need to be enhanced. So I feel like in Lythos Castle, instead of Alfred, Etie, and Boucheron, it should have actually been Celine, Chloe, and Louis. And have the reason for them being there that Celine needs Alear’s help because of the rise of the Corrupted making a march towards Firene Castle or something. Then once you arrive there, you’d find Alfred trying to fend off Corrupted to protect his mother, but quickly becoming winded and gasping from exhaustion (because it bugs me that Alfred seems to magically not feel the effects of his sickness until his literal shortened life-span caused by it); thus begins the level of trying to save Alfred with Celine. You hit two birds with one stone because Celine seeking out Alear shows a more protective side of taking action, and you see Alfred being hindered by his sickness. Celine as a character is fine… but if they just emphasized that she’s the one looking out for her brother more, it would have been better.

-Diamant

I do like Diamant the most out of all the main lords, but there’s still issues I would want to change when it comes to his character. I think Diamant’s problem is that he’s too perfect and well-rounded as a character, without any kind of real growth or conflict. Sure, he has a fear of magic, but it very rarely shows itself in a clear manner. It would have been cool to see Diamant rushing to save Morion from Hyacinth, only for Ivy to come in with magic and see Diamant frozen with fear. But mainly, I think Diamant should have maybe had some kind of conflict with Morion. Diamant’s shown to be much more compassionate with his relationships to the other nations, and having him maybe clash with Morion over his invasion attempts with Elusia could make Morion’s capture that much more painful for him, thinking about how his last conversation with Morion was an argument, and how maybe he was wrong about being diplomatic with Elusia. And then it would create some conflict with Ivy when Alear spares her, and then as he sees Hyacinth die to Sombron he regains some of his sympathy again.

I ended up doing a lot of comparison to previous princes like Xander, Ryoma, and Dimitri. I think if Diamant had some kind of personality flaw or some growth to overcome, he could have filled out his potential.

-Ivy

Not much to say about her, just that if they simply removed that creepy obsessive line she has with Alear when you first battle her, she’d have been better. Maybe make her more bitter about the Divine Dragon siding with the nation that keeps invading Elusia.

-Timerra

I sadly and honestly can’t say much about her. I dropped her the moment I recruited her and gave Ike’s emblem ring to Zelkov. But I’m sure she’s fine.

I think for Alear, I’m gonna tackle her character change when I make my post about Veyle. I had a huge story revision I wanted to see involving both her and Alear, while keeping their basic story points. But that’s pretty much what I had in mind for character changes.

[danlous]

I assume you're primarily a DM fan so I wonder.. do you think the show cramming both DM and Loumand into s2 would kind of diminish both? Its only 8 episodes to resolve everything with Claudia's death, the trial, Loustat, where Lestat has been for the last decades, and they have to show us Loumand's entire relationship from beginning to end as well as give some background on Armand vs. Lestat's history/beef. You throw in Daniel and his history is gonna be like an afterthought to all the crazy revelations they have to do this season.

Loumand is already getting shafted just in fandom speculation (for lots of reasons some more cynical than others) but jumping directly to DM without even giving any proper Loumand screentime kind of signals to the audience to not care or get invested in it. You wondered why no one writes Loumand fic but fandoms that already don't like ships without white people are going to extra not care if the show constantly puts the character's white love interests above them. Like you're not even giving the 2nd half of iwtv the book which is exclusively devoted to Loumand's arc its own space to breathe.

Short answer is that i don't know! I had some minor issues with s1 but overall loved it and i have a really high trust in writers and their grasp of the characters, pacing and treatment of race. Sidelining loumand is more of a fandom issue and i don't think the show would at least intentionally shaft them in favor of daniel/armandaniel, considering they've chosen to portray loumand as a couple still in the present day i feel the importance of their relationship is being expanded compared to the books if anything. That said i fully understand your worries. I think with how short the seasons are there is a risk it could end up feeling rushed and overstuffed no matter how good the writing may be. Iirc the 1st season was originally meant cover the entire Interview with the Vampire book (can't even image how they could've squuezed all that in!) and then later the episode number was reduced from 8 to 7. I think having just one episode less than planned hurt the pacing a little bit and made some things feel slightly rushed, mainly Louis, Lestat and Claudia as a family and the deterioration of that family. I don't need IWTV to be like 20+ episodes a season show, but i think 10 eps a season rather than 7-8 would've been ideal and give the story more space to breathe.

I think Rolin said something like the two man play of season 1 is going to become a three man play in season 2. I think that probably reveals their approach, i.e., what happens with loumand, armandaniel and loudan aren't separate storylines and dynamics but they're deeply intertwined. Meanwhile the flashbacks i'm predicting to focus heavily on loumand and Claudia in Europe and their dynamics. Lestat is going to appear obviously but i don't think they're going to reveal much about what happened to him or his and Armand's past yet and save it for a later season when TVL is covered. I don't think much anything of Daniel or armandaniel's past will be shown either and definitely not adapting Devil's Minion yet this season. My prediction is that Daniel won't remember until the end of the season that he and Armand were lovers, and over the season Daniel is slowly going to realize he's a part of the story and not just an outsider observer, rather than immediately take a huge role in the story. I think if they just understand to keep the focus on the core storyline and only plant the seeds for other storylines and relationships it can work. I'm an eternal optimist!

[voidingintotheshout]

Mini Movie Review

You Hurt My Feelings (2023).

Grade C plus.

A movie starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus as an aging writer married to a mediocre therapist, with an underachieving twentysomething son. Okay, so the first thing I will say is that even though all of the characters in the movie seem to be canonically agnostic or Christian, it has a very Jewish New York feel to it. Like all of the characters, even the ones who go to church and volunteer at their local church, seem to have a very Woody Allen feel to them. That’s not a knock, it’s just confusing. If you wanna have stereotypically Jewish characters, it’s weird to have a character that talks and acts like Woody Allen, but who goes to church constantly and volunteers daily at their local church charity shop. It was purposeful enough that it almost feels like they were deliberately trying to not make the characters Jewish, which seemed ever so slightly problematic. It had a very Home for Purim feel to it, in reference to the movie within Christopher Guest’s 2006 movie For Your Consideration where an independent movie about a Jewish family reconnecting during Purim ends up being whitewashed until eventually it’s a group of Christians getting together for Thanksgiving. In any event, You Hurt My Feelings is basically just about nebbishy people whose problems come about because they are not assertive enough at establishing boundaries with others. As soon as they start doing that near the end of the movie, all of their problems start to go away. All of the characters kind of seemed a little bit whiny and in their own head, so the happy ending is that they finally get out of their own way. I didn’t really like the movie, but I did acknowledge that it told a story well to an extent, but it just feels like this is movie about middle-aged burnout that we’ve seen before. It didn’t really seem to be covering ground that the movie American Beauty didn’t cover back in the 90s. The characters were in a rut and then they got out of the rut. It serves to bring truth to that old axiom by Roger Ebert, that the difference between a good movie and a bad movie is half an hour. This movie was saved by the fact that it was only 90 minutes long.

Oh, I almost forgot! The reason why I liked this movie was because of the underachieving son, calling out his parents for constantly pushing this “potential” on him. Him complaining that he always felt like a failure, because they always hyped him up and implied that he could be amazing when he was really just mediocre. There is something toxic about being “supportive“ in this gaslighting way, where you’re brightsiding the person and not acknowledging reality. I really appreciated him calling out his parents for the fact that his life as an adult felt like it wasn’t good enough because the expectations was always on him being the best, and not just simply being happy and productive.

[hlficlibrary]

HL FIC LIBRARY 📚 AUTHOR REC

AO3:  disgruntledkittenface

Tumblr: @disgruntledkittenface

STATS:

📚 Number of fics: 49

📚 Posting Since: 2017

TOP 5 FICS:

📚 you came into my life (M, 57k)

They stand around talking for a minute and then Jonathan starts to ramble, “Has there ever been, like, an unrequited gay love story in here? Like a Brokeback Mountain moment where, like, someone just fell in love and they didn’t mean to?”

Louis feels bile rise in his throat as Jonathan’s eyes sparkle, pleading for a yes. He manages to look around and see thoughtful looks on his coworkers’ faces before their heads shake no.

“Not here,” Liam says finally.

When the Queer Eye cast and crew sweep into Louis’ small town and fire station to make over his best friend and coworker Liam, Louis’ carefully constructed walls start to fall down and he has to face his fears – and the only guy he’s ever been able to see a future with.

📚 caught up in your love affair (NR, 8k)

“And the corgis took to you straightaway,” Harry remarks.

“That’s true,” Louis chuckles.

  “I’ve spent the last 29 years being barked at,” Harry deadpans, jerking his hand toward Louis, “this one walks in, absolutely nothing.”

 Louis outright giggles at that, saying, “They were just lying on my feet during tea.”

 “Wagging tails,” Harry says, shaking his head.

 “It’s because they don’t understand flirting,” Louis tells him, “you can’t charm them the way you do everyone else.”

Royal AU. Prince Harry announces his engagement to Louis Tomlinson in an interview with longtime friend and BBC host Nick Grimshaw. Inspired by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

📚 an honest mistake (NR, 2k)

“You look different when you’re not covered in come,” he blurts out, immediately regretting each and every life choice that has led to this exact moment. Elevator Guy is going to hate him.

Louis has ridden the elevator with his neighbor all week. The first time they speak, there’s a misunderstanding. Based on this prompt.

📚 tell me what you need (G, 2k)

“And a fresh cherry?” he asks, pinching his bottom lip between his fingers. He waits as Louis stares him down, his brow furrowing. “No? What the fuck,” Louis rasps, looking bewildered.

coffeeshop AU based on this iconic prompt:

harry: can i please get a semi-iced half caramel half vanilla decaf latte with no foam using fresh almond milk with a small swirl of whipped cream covered in a pinch of cinnamon and a fresh cherry? louis: ...no? what the fuck

📚 baby, you're the end of june (E, 13k)

“Up for it, Harold? We can go over the rundown when we get back. If you’re not busy then.”

“Yeah, sounds good,” Harry says, closing his laptop and setting it on Louis’ desk. “It’s just Harry, though.”

“You look like a Harold,” Louis says, standing up and brushing some brownie crumbs off his t-shirt. Harry briefly wonders how he’s still hungry for lunch after demolishing half the plate of brownies as he stands and moves into the hallway. “It’s the cardigan, I think.”

“You guys can flirt on the way,” Niall says over his shoulder, beckoning for them to follow him as he strides down the row of cubicles. “Come on, I’m starving.”

Harry looks at Louis, but he just laughs as they follow Niall. Oh. He thought he’d been picking up a vibe while they hung out, but apparently not. Well, it’s better to know how Louis feels now, so he can nip his growing crush in the bud. Louis is a great guy, at least they can be friends as well as coworkers.

In which Harry courts Louis. Entirely by accident.

HIDDEN GEM:

📚 i must admit i thought i'd like to make you mine (M, 50k)

Louis fell apart when her ex broke up with her and moved across the country. Just as she’s starting to move on, Zayn comes back to town for their mutual friends’ wedding – with a new girlfriend as her plus one.

Blindsided and scrambling to save face, Louis lets herself get talked into a fake relationship with her new friend Harry. Their arrangement makes Louis feel pathetic and embarrassed, but it’s only going to last a few weeks. She just has to get through the wedding – what could happen?

[allwaswell16]

This is a fic rec of One Direction fics where the characters go to a posh school as requested in this ask. If you enjoy the fics, please leave kudos and comments for the writers! You can find all my other fic recs here. Happy reading!

-Larry-

🏫 Baby Heaven's in your Eyes by @theboyfriendstagram

(E, 120k, rich Louis, bad boy Harry, private school, innocent Louis, drugs, alcohol, smut)

a sixth form!AU where Harry is the fucked up bad boy with too many problems, Louis is the perfect rich boy with too much money and their schools are right across from each other.

🏫 Born on Third Base by kiddle / @bluejeanlouis

(NR, 115k, boarding school, rich Louis, roommates, pining, humor, friends to lovers, sneaking out, pranks, coming of age, slow burn, angst, smut)

What was not part of his plan was getting accepted for a scholarship to the most elite private boarding school in the country.

🏫 Strawberries & Cigarettes by dimpled_halo / @comebackassholes

(E, 76k, a/b/o, alpha Harry, omega Louis, private school, nerd Harry, punk Louis, secret relationship, young love, daddy issues, break up, time jump, getting back together, angst with a happy ending, smut)

Two stories, eleven years, and the two boys that never stopped loving each other.

🏫 And I'll judge the cover by the book by harrystylesandstuff

(M, 73k, uni au, enemies to friends to lovers, closeted character, coming out, falling in love, angst, fluff, smut)

a Private University AU where Harry is a queer posh prince, Louis is a closeted troublemaker, and neither expect to understand each other the way they will

🏫 Whispers in the Trees by hazzayoudoing / @ohdontletitbreak

(E, 51k, murder mystery au, boarding school, secret crush, friends to lovers, sexual tension, minor character death, fluff, smut)

an AU in which Louis and Harry witness a murder on the pristine campus of Wellington Academy, their posh boarding school.

🏫 A Million One, A Million Two (a Hundred More Will Never Do) by LittleLostPieces

(E, 42k, Young Americans au, inspired by Gotta Be You video, boarding school, rich Harry, townie Louis, smut)

An AU loosely inspired by the short-lived WB drama, Young Americans, and the Gotta Be You music video.

🏫 (i didn't mean to) fall in love tonight by zouisclimax

(M, 35k, boarding school, mpreg Harry, angst, fluff, smut)

the American boarding school AU where Harry's infatuated with Louis and one night flips his whole world upside-down

🏫 Prestigious by IxJustxLaugh

(E, 16k, prep school, older Harry, inexperienced Louis, loss of virginity, smut)

Louis Tomlinson felt his stomach get caught clean up in his throat when he saw the lanky, toffee-nosed upperclassmen, Harry Styles. 

🏫 take my breath away (you know i'm bound to choke) by jeepies

(T, 3k, pwp, private school, older Harry, punk Harry, public sex, smut)

Private School!AU were Harry always seems to get Louis and himself into trouble.

🏫 Sounds Like Hallelujah (For The First Time) by Grand Buzz 

(T, 2k, boarding school au, singer Louis, concert, first meeting, fluff, first kiss)

Harry hasn't had a lot of opportunities to see live bands, so when The Rogue comes to play at his school he jumps at the chance to go see them.

-Rare Pairs-

🏫 Every Little Secret by scottmcniceass

(E, 51k, Zayn/Liam, boarding school au, injuries, mentions of abuse, smut)

the one where all the boys are in boarding school except Liam, Zayn sort of hates the world, and he wants nothing more than to save Liam from it

🏫 Candlelight and Roses by StormDancer

(E, 20k, Zayn/Harry, boarding school au, five times fic, first time, oblivious Harry, smut)

Five people Zayn didn't sleep with, and one he did.

[foryoureyes-o-n-l-y]

I have read @bananaheathen 's fics before, almost all of them multiple times over, but I hadn't dared to start Of Mates and Men as a WIP. I know , I knowwww it was constructed in a way that it was equally enjoyable as a WIP, but knowing how much I loved their other fics , I knew I would be obsessing over the wait time too much to properly enjoy it

ANYHOO , All this to say that I had been saving it as a sort of treat to myself during the winter holidays because the hype around it within the Fandom made me feel like it was an indulgence I would enjoy the most tucked under blankets with a hot beverage , that that, is the kind of treatment it deserved. Now I have been told I'm too particular and dramatic about the way I consume media, so much so, that in trying to consume every piece of media to make sure I enjoy it the maximum amount, I've ended up not consuming them at all. But, hear me out. You all were NOT KIDDING ABOUT IT BEING AN INDULGENCE, A PROPER TREAT, A REMARKABLE EXPERIENCE IN MY LIFE THIS YEAR AND ALSO QUITE LIFE CHANGING. After having curled under covers with hot beverages ( and also using every other ounce of free time I get to read it because I am addicted?! ) and having given it the treatment I assumed it deserves, I have some thoughts ( yes, more, actual thoughts, this was just the introduction )

1. I didn't think you could learn THIS much from a fic, to put it plainly. And I've read tons of fics before this which were absolutely beauuutiful, fics that've made me cry(out of happiness and/or pain), fics that I took time to recover after just because they were so moving, so SO nice, I couldn't quite believe it was real. I've read so many fics which had one huge moment or several scattered pieces which really made me stop and introspect and take a deep breath and have touched me in more ways than one. I've read fics before that I considered instrumental in some way, in making me a better person. But friends when I tell you This Fic surpassed it all, i mean, THIS

FIC

SURPASSED

IT

*ALL*

!

Look I was ready for a good fic, I really was, i read great banter by the author before, and I loved Louis going bonkers over Harry in very dramatic ways in their other fics as well so I genuinely knew I was in for a good time. But I could never, ever ever prepare myself for the personal impact of the fic on me. I hadn't ANY idea, a fanfiction could teach you this much about life, about myself, about - IDK I'm already out of words this is not going great 😭

Fanfiction usually teaches you a few life lessons there's no denying that. But I genuinely didn't expect to learn so much about myself, to actually feel such a personal connection to any story. Idk I just, feel like a better person, and my relationship with myself has changed even if by a little bit and I just observed that I'm being a little kinder to myself, in my head. It's never , EVER happened before and I'm not sure how it did now. It was the life lessons that came dressed as beautiful life lesson-y sentences that hit you HARD (idk if you know what I mean ) but it was also the overall journey, the consistent little things, the changing relationship between Louis and himself, the persistence of people who love him in his life and the love he has for them, and the way the love shapes him as a person - It was all of that and more, or less Idk,

I feel good in my heart, when I read this, a warmth I cannot explain, a safety that's...I'm not even sure how that could happen, a love for my people that's 10 times fiercer than what I consciously felt before and a very new, fresh friendships with myself that was definitely not their before.

Is this actually therapy in the form of a fic? No absolutely not. I would never say that. Therapy is important, it's irreplaceable like that really.

But does it heal you in a way ONLY art can? Absolutely yes. Does it just touch you so very intimately that you feel better just by that? Absolutely. Is it the literal example of how art just existing, makes us so much better as humans just by making us FEEL? 100%

I've learnt so much from this fic about love and friendship and grief and sorrow and Happiness and love and friendship, but I cannot emphasize this enough, no fic has ever impacted the relationship I have with myself, the unfairness of it , the cruelty of it, and somehow this has. And if it was not clear from this terribly wrong rant, I'm so eternally grateful to you @bananaheathen for doing this. You don't know how many lives you've touched and changed Just by providing this very enjoyable, very beautiful work of art. .

(I'm not done

Can you imagine 🥲)

2. The JOKESSSSSS. The inside jokes, the jokes within the inside jokes, the Fandom jokes, the wordplay The WORDPLAY, the niche wordplay that's just there for the fandom to find like little treats within a large treat for being a part of this chaotic space. One thing about me is I love canon references in AUs because they are so creatively done and it's just so fun when you realise that a canon moment is happening and you know, You knowww it's one of those momentsTM and you know what's gonna happen next and it's just a special thing between the author and the fandom and yeah. One of my favourite things.

But again, I was not ready for the way this fic includes Canon references( I don't think anyone can be ready for that actually). Because it's SO FRESH, SO UNIQUE??!?!!!!?! like I would have never imagined the Restaurants being named like that?!?! Sarah and Pillow Person?!???! Diana?!?! Perrie's?!!! ( I'm trying to make this spoiler free hence the ambiguous exclamations but also I have no words to explain the genius behind this so I'm not even trying )

They just keep coming 😭😭🤯🤯 they just keep blowing your mind and then they are just followed by more. If you thought you were floored by Tea Swift, welp you didn't think fast enough and now you're floored by Pillow Person and then soms other niche reference that only the fandom will get IT'S SO LOVELY GUYS HOW IS IT SO LOVELY I GENUINELY CANNOT BELIEVE HOW GOOD THIS IS LIKE I'M ACTUALLY HIT BY A TRUCKLOAD OF FEELINGS OF ADMIRATION AND REVERENCE WHILE I WRITE THIS

3. The banterrrr The banter, THE BANTER !

The OT5 Banter, The boyfriend banter, the best friends banter, the consistently enjoyable and somehow so accurately characteristic banter that pervades this fic is probably the mosttttt enjoyable part for me. Makes me want to reread it while reading it. For the first time.

4. OT5 feels. So. Much. Of. It.

The friendship makes you laugh and cry the most I think. It's just. It's beautifully done, a work of art to just narrate the evolution and the persistence of the friendship in that way. Something that is so purely done in the story I would Never be able to praise in enough words.

5. Look I cannot see an end to this post if I keep taking up one thing at a time that I loved about this, maybe I'll write a post as big as the fic ( no that's too much, it's quite a big fic , But I might, it is possible). The relationship is beautifully done, the Individual character arcs and their growth, beautifully done, the relationship develops very very very beautifully and is a whole other thing of beauty in itself i don't know how else to define it.

I have several more thoughts but I would never finish them I think , because I keep getting new ones as I write this and whenever I find myself thinking about this fic. So to summarise my rant about how miraculously good this is, I just want to say,

My feelings towards this fic are similar to Louis' feelings for Harry in it, and to anyone who's read the fic, the seriousness of that statement is not lost, i know.

Thank you so so much for this @bananaheathen Ironically, I don't have words to properly thank you for what you've created. But it is a highlight of my year.