#anyways . louis must love these pictures :-

[ishkabibblethings]

March 23rd

A fluffy Suits ficlet | Marvey (established) | Rated G "I had your secretary clear your afternoon. It's time we hit up that spa again, especially after the last few weeks." Harvey declares distractedly as he flips through their mail. Mike is still working on his breakfast at the kitchen counter and only mumbles an agreement. A real vacation is out of the question while they're so occupied at the firm, but an afternoon off together still sounds beautiful.

"I'll make us something nice tonight," Mike offers.

"Let's go all in, I'll find us a table somewhere good," Harvey replies and Mike can't find a reason to disagree. Mike secretly suspects that their time at the spa is more for Harvey than he'll admit but he's got no complaints.

"That sounds wonderful. It's been, what, like a year since we had a day like this? Good idea, dude." Mike moves around to the sink to drop off his dishes and pecks Harvey on the cheek as he passes by. "I'll just be a few minutes and we can head out."

"Don't call me dude, puppy," Harvey responds with a grin and watches Mike disappear into their bedroom.

Mike is in the bathroom wondering what it was that made Harvey plan another spa trip. Was his personal grooming slipping? They've been living together long enough but he's heard no complaints. He thinks back to their last trip, and the one before that, just when they'd started dating. It's a rare indulgence, and now that Mike thinks about it, it's always happened in the early spring.

Wait, now that he really considers it, picturing his work calendars, it has happened on this date each time. March 23rd. A knot starts to form in Mike's stomach. Fuck. Some sort of anniversary, it has to be something important for Harvey to move work around for it. Mike searches his brain, picturing every calendar he and Harvey kept, trying to remember similarities and differences, the reasoning behind the repeated treat day.

He must have taken longer than he realizes because Harvey comes to check and see if Mike's ready to go.

"You okay?"

"Uh yeah I'm good," Mike responds and checks the mirror again. He slips on his shoes and grabs his messenger bag.

In the car, Mike checks Harvey over for signs of emotions tucked away - disappointment, grief, frustration - notices nothing alarming and finds himself relaxing just a bit. Nothing he's done wrong, at least. Time to test his hypothesis.

"You know what, Harvey I forgot I've got a thing with Katrina this afternoon. Let's move the spa appointment to the weekend?"

"What thing with Katrina? Your secretary said she could move everything."

"I don't know if it ever made it in the books, she needs help with an in house thing for Louis." Mike bluffs.

"Well I'll encourage her to let you reschedule. It was hard to get these appointments today and you deserve a break." Harvey reaches for Mike's hand between them and laces their fingers together.

"Harvey, what's special about today?" Mike tries to keep his tone neutral.

"Aside from my stunning good looks and charm?" Harvey hams, and Mike actually scoffs.

"That's the same every day and you know it. Really Harvey, what's today?"

"I just want to give you a treat today, can't I do that as your loving boyfriend?"

Harvey's gone playful, so Mike knows he hasn't messed anything up. Harvey is also still avoiding the question so Mike knows he's on the right path.

"Of course you can. And I accept. But when my loving boyfriend happens to want to take me to a spa and dinner yearly on the same day without context, one is driven to wonder."

Harvey chuckles, knowing he's been caught.

"You really thought I wouldn't notice. Me, of all people? Twice is a coincidence, three is a pattern."

"Oh really, smart ass? Think back further." Harvey challenges.

"We weren't dating bef-"

"No we weren't together before that. Think back anyway."

Mike's eye focus on nothing in particular, and Harvey trusts he'll find it.

"The ties. You gifted me ties." Mike's head tilts a little in confusion and it's all Harvey can do to hold back a laugh.

"And lunch too," Harvey offers, feeling generous.

"I don't get it. Harvey, tell me. What's today? Why today?"

"So it started as a stupid joke, but you never caught on so I just kept going with it to see if you ever would." Harvey shrugs like he's almost embarrassed it's become a thing. Mike just watches him expectantly.

Harvey leans until his breath and lips are just close enough to make Mike's ear and neck tingle. Harvey's voice is private and Mike can hear his fond smile. "Happy National Puppy Day, Mike."

#marvey #suits usa #harvey specter #mike ross #ficlet #is this fluffy enough? #puppy mike ross #but not too heavy #insert bone/treat puns here #harvey takes mike to the groomer

[sunflowervoltwentyeight]

Hi! This is a fic rec of my favorite established relationship fics. These fics are organized by word count from longest to shortest. You can view my other fic recs here. Enjoy!

We Are Only Just the Beginning by afirecannotdie (129k)

In the dim light of a dorm kitchen, Harry Styles meets a boy who flips his life upside down. Three years later, he's a senior in college, ready to take on the world with the love of his life by his side. And then Louis Tomlinson admits he doesn't know what he wants to do after college after all, and Harry's world flips again, this time not so pleasantly. He can't imagine his life without Louis, but he's starting to worry he might have to.

A college AU featuring lots of domestic sappiness, waffles, tattoos, late nights and early mornings, and above all, Louis and Harry against the world.

Been Together Since Way Back When by alivingfire / @alivingfire (95k)

Louis Tomlinson is a law student with a simple but effective four step plan: 1. Finish law school. 2. Get hired somewhere awesome. 3. Marry his best friend and boyfriend of two years, Harry. 4. Live happily ever after.

Harry Styles doesn't know what he wants to do with his life, where he wants to go, who he wants to be, or if he even wants the college degree he's almost completed. All he does know is who he’ll be with forever, as long as Louis wants to keep him around.

Or: the painfully realistic college au where everyone's poor, lovesick, tired of school, terrified of the future, and still having the greatest times of their lives.

Such Good Luck by casuallyhl / @casuallyhl (66k)

Louis smiles at Harry’s words, leaning into his touch. “Tell me again.”

Smiling, Harry takes Louis into his arms. Pressing gentle kisses to his face, Harry murmurs, “In six months’ time, I will have my twenty-fifth birthday. On that day, my portion of the inheritance will become legally mine. And I plan that very day to announce to my family that I have found love.” Harry chuckles as he runs his lips lightly along Louis’ cheekbone. “That, in fact, I found love when I was twenty-one years old, and that I have loved and been loved every day since.”

Or, an Edwardian AU where Harry is a young aristocratic lord and Louis is a working class dairy farmer. Secrets are a necessary part of their relationship, but Louis has one that could topple their whole world.

The Dark and the Dentist by sunshiner (66k)

“I know this song,” Louis whispers, and Harry has to lean his ear toward him to pick up what he’s saying. “It was written for people to dance to it. We should be dancing.”

We can’t, Harry almost spits, but it’d be stupid of him. Louis knows they can’t. Even if he looks like any regular Parisian in their twenties, and Harry looks like any hipster Parisian in their twenties, they can’t anyway. To be fair, they probably wouldn’t do it even if they were out. But if they were two uni students, both in Paris for an exchange, meeting over fallen books at the library, or because of mutual friends, or watching Monet’s Water Lilies?

“How would we dance?” Harry murmurs, mouth almost pressed to Louis’ cheek, so close he can feel his warmth. What a picture they must make, two millionaires freezing in a park and dreaming of a different life.

An account of the events of November 2014. Canon-compliant.

Time Passed by coffinofachimera (66k)

Louis struggles with their relationship as Harry grows into his identity.

Hands Clasped Tight by afirethatcannotdie / @afirethatcannotdie (47k)

“What am I looking at here?” Harry asks.

“This, my friends, is a ‘proof’ Instagram account, run by your students,” Liam announces.

“It’s got all this stuff about how the two of you are together,” Niall adds.

“I heard about that,” says one of the math teachers. “Confiscated a kid’s phone today when they were looking at it. I have to say, the evidence that you’re dating is pretty damning.”

“Really,” Louis says dryly. “Do you think being married for three years might have something to do with it?”

Or the one where Harry and Louis are high school teachers and their students have been playing matchmaker for over a year. Little do they know, Harry and Louis are already married.

The Best Kind of Bad by wildestdreams / @thelavendrhaze (40k)

Nobody really understood Harry and Louis. Not even Louis. But for Louis, the world began and ended with Harry, and there were certain things he just wasn’t capable of explaining.

or Louis is the town troublemaker and everyone hates him except for Harry.

You Watched Me Sink by bananasandboots / @anylessreal (38k)

They’ve discussed it a few times - the boyfriend thing. It’s not like it’s some forbidden, horrific, abandon hope all ye who talk about furthering the relationship sort of subject. They’re mature adults. They’re in tune with their feelings, their hearts’ desires, the way those butterflies swoop in their bellies whenever they so much as hold each other’s hands. They like each other. A lot. It’s mutual, they know. But for now, they’re just content to enjoy the simplicity of what they have, and what they have is great.

When dating in secret stops being enough, then they’ll discuss that too.

Or, the one where Harry teaches Sex Ed and sneaks around with the drama teacher, and doesn’t realize how out of tune he is with his true feelings until everyone else figures it out for him.

Part 1 of You Watched Me Sink Verse

Swallow My Words by YesIsAWorld / @louandhazaf (32k)

Senior year is stressful. On top of balancing school work, family, and friends, Harry's lacrosse team is vying to win the state championship, he's not sure where he's going to college yet, and he has a secret boyfriend that no one can know about.

Part 1 of Swallow My Words

Loved By Your Mother by superglass / @gaymoustache (31k)

Harry stretches out like Venus with her lover, growing sleepy in the late afternoon light with a baby growing inside her. Perhaps not literally, not physically. Not exactly.

or

Harry struggles to come to terms with wanting to have children, and what that means for their relationship. Canon compliant, set a few years into the future.

True Love’s Gold by alivingfire / @alivingfire (27k)

Gemma starts responding to every single one of Harry’s texts—regardless of subject—with i don’t care, talk to louis. Liam lets Harry complain to him for hours on Skype, pretending he’s not doing other things while Harry whines about his problems. Niall thinks the whole thing is hilarious, texting Harry links to articles titled So, you want your man to propose? and 15 ways to get him ready for the aisle! and follows each of these up with page upon page of laughing emojis. Harry tries everything, literally everything he can think of short of grabbing Louis by tattooed forearm and yelling, “PROPOSE TO ME BEFORE I COMBUST.”

Or, it takes a village to arrange a proposal, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to go as planned.

If You Asked Me If I Love Him (I'd Lie) by allyasavedtheday (26k)

So Harry and Louis might have fucked up.

The day of their wedding was the single most perfect moment of Louis’ life and every single day since where he’s been able to call Harry his husband has been nothing short of bliss. There’s just one teeny, tiny problem…

Their families don’t know they’re married.

*

Or the one where Harry and Louis eloped but neglected to mention it to anyone. Meanwhile Lottie is getting married and the only way for them to not steal her thunder is by pretending they're just friends for the weekend. Featuring Harry and Louis as terrible liars who don't know the meaning of the word platonic and some Tomlinsons and Styles's who definitely don't believe them.

Part 2 of A Long Way From The Playground

Being of the Jealous Kind by zita17 / @louisandtheaquarian (24k)

A-list actor Louis Tomlinson and his partner fashion photographer Harry Styles weather the storm that is Louis’ fake relationship with his costar in the lead up to this year’s Academy Awards.

Featuring a fluffy teenage meet-cute, an angsty wine drunk Harry melting down over pap pics, Louis habitually overusing the word “baby,” and cameos by a vintage Umbro sweatshirt, the peace ring, and one hell of a Larry hug.

Or the justice for To Be So Lonely fic. Based on the lyrics to TBSL and a prompt where “Louis has to fake date some celebrity, while his boyfriend Harry sits at home.”

You Turn Me On, Make You Radiate by ballsdeepinjesus (15k)

When he presses inside for the first time in weeks, he’s pretty sure he sees stars behind his eyes at the staggering sensation of Harry’s body squeezing every inch of him. When he bottoms out, he stays buried inside for a minute just to catch his bearings, listening as Harry takes sharp breaths beneath him. When he finally feels like he’s under control, he presses his lips against Harry’s ear and whispers, “Are you ready husband?“

Harry throws his head back and groans. “Call me your spouse.”

[…or, a self-indulgent snapshot of hl’s sex lives over the course of 10+ years]

Garden of Edenby superglass / @gaymoustache (6k)

Another soft, grainy laugh. A puff from the joint. Green smoke towards the ceiling. Then hazy blue eyes back on his. “Said you wanted to tell me something. Was really important.”

“Oh,” Harry says. There was a reason he came back, an excuse he made up to find Louis and sucker him into letting him sit on his lap even though his weight often puts those thighs to sleep. “Can’t— um. Let me try to remember.”

or

a snapshot of being high and in love in Jamaica.

I'll Breathe Your Air Into My Lungs by blizzies (5k)

five phases of their relationship in a world where harry smokes a lot and skips school and hates everyone except his boyfriend and louis is in plays and is loved by everyone and they work even though nobody gets how.

Mon Petit, Little One by publunchesownmyass (5k)

They smoke, talk shit about everyone besides each other, and Harry wears his Mon Petit sweater.

Brown Skin and Lemon Over Ice by penceypansy / @penceypansy (2k)

A short one shot of a reunion in Italy, around the time Harry filmed the Golden video.

- He should know with more certainty which one is their bedroom but he’s only been here twice, only once since their things had moved in, and come to think of it, he’s not sure this is the room they slept in last time.

Regardless, he’s got clothes he knows are his hanging in the wardrobe, sees his old Stone Roses shirt crumpled and worn on the unmade side of the bed. He drops his bag, rummages through the drawers for a pair of trunks, goes into the bathroom to change. It doesn’t feel like enough of a home yet for him to be totally comfortable, but that should change soon enough. He can’t help a spray of the cologne sat by the sink, vanilla and wood and comfort.

#category fic rec #fic rec #larry fic rec #established relationship fic rec #hlcreators #read

[flimflamfandom]

Flimflamuniverse Character Breakdown!

Have you ever been reading one of my fics and asked something like-

"Whaddya MEAN Freckle has an accent?"

"Why do they end up in Hollywood?"

"Who's Rocky dating, anyway!?"

Well WONDER NO MORE! This post is the comprehensive list for all yer Flimflamfandom character quirk questions!

Essentially all of the changes are character based, but we will be talking about slight setting differences as well.

Let's dive in!

THE SETTING:

Most of the setting is exactly the same - late 20s St. Louis!

HOWEVER -

During later period stuff (anything from 1929 onward) several of the characters have taken up roots and gone to Hollywood! This has to do with various career moves that take place over the duration of the AU

Significant parts of Calvin's story now take place in Cork, Ireland - this will be explained more in depth later.

IT SHOULD BE NOTED that by the time my AU takes place, the Daisy has picked up significantly in business.

THE CHARACTERS:

It's important to note that NONE OF THE CHARACTERS' CRIMINAL ATTRIBUTES WERE REVEALED UNTIL AROUND THE MID 70S, and by then, the shock and horror of this sort of thing were replaced with fascination.

CALVIN MCMURRAY:

1909-1939

Calvin's childhood is the same, up until the nebulous "incident" that gets Rocky kicked out of home. Because of this, Nina gets a bit spooked, and sends Calvin to finish his basic schooling in County Cork, Ireland. He completes his schooling, and comes back home just in time for the "event" at the police academy.

During his time at the Daisy, Calvin becomes very interested in writing, and begins writing for the Times Dispatch about baseball games. He eventually begins writing screenplays when he moves with Ivy to California. He writes 3 novels, 2 short story collections, and 3 books of poems, on top of 4 screenplays. He's a busy guy!

Unfortunately, sometime around 1936, he develops a form of tail cancer. He dies in 1939, just 10 days shy of his 30th birthday.

QUIRKS: -Calvin has an accent! He's a cork boy. He sounds like a Cork boy. -By the time of his death, Calvin has a son, named Finn.

IVY PEPPER:

1909-1999

Ivy's childhood and such don't change much at all. 'Cept a secret that has to do with Mitzi, but shh! It's a secret!

Ivy is majoring in mathematics at college, and she's MAJORING majoring in it. her specialty seems to be advanced algebra - ring theory, nonlinear algebra, stuff like that. She slowly starts to see herself doing less and less in the field, but she always keeps an interest in it, attends conferences, etc.

The thing that REALLY interests Ivy, though, is her theater course. She takes one as an arts credit and LOVES it! She turns out to be kind of a prodigy on stage! She does some more acting here and there, and happens to meet a producer of films in 1929, after she's changed names to Ivy McMurray. She drags Calvin out to Hollywood with her, and stars in at least a dozen films, winning awards for quite a few of them!

By her retirement from acting in the 1960s, (her last picture netted her an award, by the way) she began to help get all of her old things from the Daisy together, and turn them into a museum, called the Daisy Club Museum. She helped run and fund the museum until her death in 1999, just 2 weeks into the age of 90.

QUIRKS: -Won 5 Oscars - 3 best supporting, 2 best actress. -Contributed her skills and research to at least 3 Algebra textbooks, -Never remarried after Calvin - she was quoted as saying "He'll love me when I get where he is, too."

ROCKY RICKABY:

1904-1989

Rocky's time at the Daisy is marred by his failed romances. He swears he must be the most unlovable person on earth! In the AU, I used to have an OC set aside for him, but nowadays I keep it vague and just say he has a wife and kids. ANYHOW, after the Daisy, Rocky manages to recover a tad from his head wound, and, get this - became a comedian. He even had a circuit of all the speakeasies.

Rocky did need a job after all of that though, and ended up, eventually, in broadcasting, which turned into being a comedian, which turned into his own radio show, which turned into a television show in the early days of TV. Rocky moved out to Hollywood and accidentally bought the house right next to Ivy and Calvin's.

A man with a good reputation, even AFTER it came out that he was a serious gangster, Rickaby died peacefully in 1989, at the age of 85.

QUIRKS: -Rocky was a staunch civil rights, woman's rights, and gay rights activist up until the very end. This would often get him in trouble with networks and producers. -Really liked the Beatles when they crossed over to the US -There is a very persistent rumor that he was in the OSS during World War 2 - in fact, he was not, but he did do work for the Signal Corps making mildly funny training films.

MITZI MAY:

?-1980

Little is known of her childhood, or her adolescence before the Daisy.

Plenty is known AFTER it though!

Mitzi, unlike the others, was not headed for entertainment afterwards. She, instead, lived with Sedgewick Sable, and indeed remarried, but never took his last name. As the pressure from the depression started to ease, she managed to turn all that Daisy property (and all of the hidden away stash money) into a hotel! Mitzi became an incredibly successful hotelier, owning and helping to operate no less than 5 luxury hotels by 1956.

By 1970, she had gotten in touch with Ivy Pepper again, and asked about the Daisy Club Museum - she was instrumental in getting it started, as she still sorta owned the caves down there. She had the diea of making it a living history museum, and she also had the idea of making it like a sort of themed resort.

She died in her sleep in 1980. No one was precisely sure of her age.

QUIRKS: -No one really knows her age -She has a secret about Ivy that she's never told a soul, and it went with her to her grave -Mitzi had one known child by Sedgewick Sable - Minerva, born in 1934. Minerva became a costumer.

SEDGEWICK SABLE:

1895-1985

After the depression hit, Sable was distraught and destitu-JUST KIDDING, that paranoid buffoon hid cash in the walls. The WALLS, I tell you! It wasn't a ton, though, and they coasted by until the New Deal came around.

Work projects need work materials, and Wick was able to help provide them. With a new purpose, new drive, and tons of resources, Wick managed to get the company going again, renaming it to Sable Construction Materials, later just SCM. He even had to buy 3 Lake Freighters - the company still operates lake freighters today!

At the age of 90, Wick passed away in his sleep.

QUIRKS: -While Wick and Calvin were never close, both were HUGE baseball fans - Wick was obsessed with the Red Sox. -Wick was a surprisingly involved boss - most employees knew him personally.

MORDECAI HELLER:

1899-1983

At some point, Mordecai returned to the Daisy, to work with Calvin McMurray as a 'fix it' man. Mordecai admired the work, and stayed put until the place stopped being illegal.

After bouncing from job to job, thinking he would end up back in organized crime, Mordecai settled down in New York after finding out the man who wanted him dead had been killed in a car accident. Mordecai became an accountant and theater manager on Broadway - not a STAGE manager, mind you, just the guy who runs the theater. He really quite liked the work!

Mordecai Heller died in 1983 at the age of 84, of lung cancer.

QUIRKS: -Mordecai was a homosexual, and was well known as such. -Mordecai, a seemingly ice hearted man, actually kinda liked musicals...well. Good ones, anyway. -His least favorite show up there was Seesaw. His favorite was Pacific Overtures

VIKTOR VASKO:

1886-1978

After the Daisy became a legal operation, Viktor just...kept working there. You still need someone to lift boxes and tend a bar when it's legal, too! Viktor was actually a loyal employee of Mitzi until 1943, when he left to run a construction firm in St. Louis. He did that, and had a fairly uneventful life, dying in 1978 at the age of 92.

QUIRKS: -Viktor never remarried - but he did reconnect with his wife and daughter sometime in 1935. -Viktor's daughter went on to become a famous operatic soprano, and even served at the Met for a time. -Viktor never outed any of his former associates, even when talks of the Daisy Museum were beginning. He refused, worrying that he'd sully people's reputations.

DORIAN ZIBOWSKI:

?-1954

After the depression, it became harder for clubs to keep full time musicians. Zib was still at the Daisy until about 1932. Fortunately for him, in 1933, his old...work acquaintance? Rocky was running a radio show out of Los Angeles and was asked to help find a band leader.

After a brief stint on this show, Zib began to lead bands at the cutting edge of Jazz music - he considered becomeing an academic, but he never found the time to think too hard about the option.

A lifetime of smoking and drinking caught up to him fiercely, and he died of Lung Cancer in 1954.

QUIRKS: -He's still made outta triangles! -Zib learned to play every saxophone, and every reed instrument he could get his hands on. -Zib's final record was a live recording at the Pershing Lounge in Chicago, Illinois, 4 years before Ahmad Jamal made it famous.

THE SAVOYS:

Nico: 1900-1978 Serafine: 1902-1983

Little is known of the Savoys after their return to Louisiana in 1931. Some say Nico got back into boxing, or that Serafine was responsible for a rash of killings.

The two died peacefully in their homes, and lived to perfectly normal old ages...and yet, it seemed so suspicious when Nico died. He was just...on his back porch. With a note that was written in code...

QUIRKS: -Nico did, in fact, go back into boxing, but left for professional wrestling - the fictional kind. Serafine was, for a time, a voodoo practitioner for hire, who was well regarded in her community -Neither married, but both had several relationships

THE ARBOGASTS:

Abelard: 1886-1987 Bobby: 1898-1975 Elsa: 1900-1975

The Arbogasts lead a quiet, mostly obscure life, save for Abelard, who becomes quite the lit up theologian. He starts a cult in the woods of Missouri, and is found dead after his 101st birthday. The cult, as many do after a leader dies, fell into disarray and eventually splintered.

Bobby and Elsa dropped the funeral routine and moved closer to the city - Bobby became a school teacher and Elsa became a nurse. The two died months apart in 1975.

QUIRKS: -Elsa and Bobby were just about as in love with each other as Calvin and Ivy. -Bobby had severe PTSD from the war, and would often have episodes. Elsa hated seeing him that way, but helped him. -Abelard's Cult, "the new Thinkers", was bizarrely peaceful as cults are concerned. They never ate Fish, though...

LACY HARDT:

1904-1994

Lacy was a loyal employee of Sedgewick Sable for the first year after the depression. Eventually, though, she married Arthur Keane (an OC you can read about here), a guitarist, and moved with him to his hometown of Virginia Beach. There, she lived with him as an assistant to many prominent locals.

Eventually, the two moved again, back to Peoria, to take care of Lacy's ailing mother. This was around 1934. After Lacy's mother passed in 35, she was distraught. So, she decided to find a new hobby - writing and illustrating children's books. She got onto the idea after a phone call with Ivy, who handed over Calvin's agent's information.

When she retired, Lacy moved back to Virginia Beach with Arthur, who died a year before she did. QUIRKS -Lacy won a Caldecott Medal, and displayed it in her home office until her death -Until after her death, it was kept a secret by the McMurray family that Lacy, who was close with them, had been writing Finn (Calvin's son) notes as Mrs. Claus, as well as little stories, which eventually became her 'Rudy Sees the World' books.

THAT'S ALL I'M WRITING FOR NOW!

Again, pretty much all the changes are to the characters - the setting is, for the most part, untouched! I will be writing more about the AU when I get the chance, though!

#lackadaisy #calvin mcmurray #flimflamuniverse #lackadaisy cats #ivy pepper #rocky rickaby #mitzi may #lacy hardt #mordecai heller #viktor vasko #sedgewick sable #nico savoy #serafine savoy #fanfiction #alternate universe #dorian zibowski #Abelard arbogast #elsa arbogast #Bobby Bastion #Arthur keane

[chicken-delight]

speech to text. God remember my speech to text erathat was fucking crazy. I need to start doing that again. Ever since I discovered Pamela des barres freshman year of high school, or actually really, it goes as far back to like being in the One Direction and being fascinated, by whoever it was the normal girl that Louis Tomlinson was dating that Eleanor girl. And like Louis was my guy but I wasn’t jealous of Eleanor. I was like fascinated with her because I guess a little bit of it was like wow she got my man, but I also was fascinated with how she dressed, and was really bummed out that like she didn’t have a strong social media presence. Anyways. But when I discovered Pamela des barres, it really cemented the fact that I love the presence of “the woman“ in my favorite forms of art. And this entire thought was queued by that picture that has a Jane in the background the picture of Richard and Robbie and is it Elliott? I can’t remember, even though I just looked at it. but I don’t know. The woman behind the man is always just been more fascinating and more alluring to me. Because it takes a lot to be in a relationship with a man in general, but it takes a lot to be in a relationship with a man who is a creative. Because OK I already know this isn’t gonna come out the way I want it to come out but I’m just hoping that you guys are understanding where I’m coming from. Because there is something about a creative man, and I’ve only really had experience with musicians and writers where they are like children who just got done eating a lot of candy and just have all that energy. Except the energy is creative energy. And they have so much of it that they don’t know what to do with it and a lot of the time it’s you know the tale is old this time that there is the number one love and everything comes after that. I think Anita Pallenberg has a quote about that. Is like you can be in a relationship with a musician, but you must always know that the music is going to come first. And it’s not the way it should be, but it is the way that it is. and there’s not a very clear line between if it’s just how creative people are in general or if it’s the person. But they have all this energy. They just need to focus on getting it out or else they’re gonna explode. So it takes a lot of patience. It really is like raising a child. Willy is my child. He is my father. It’s like your nurturing it but you’re also in awe and it moves you. One of my favorite things about Pamela des barres. is she can describe the feeling you get when you listen to something that really moves you and how that makes you wanna be connected with the people who make it and make you feel so good. And it’s beyond good it’s very spiritual. It’s like the closest thing to ecstasy that I can imagine. Is when you listen to a song that really speaks to you. so there’s a weird dynamic in between whoever is making it and their partner who loves them but must also love the art. it obviously doesn’t have to be a woman it’s whoever is on the receiving end of that. And it’s even cooler when we find out that the partners of these Rockstars are creatives themselves because then that makes the relationship i think a little bit different. It’s a mutual muse. Anyways, I’m just rambling. Don’t read this. But read it. So just makes me happy especially because the band is heavy on my mind to see pictures of Jane of Dominique and ricks wife. I forget what her name is. because the partner of any creative. And I don’t just mean art. Teachers are creative. Lawyers are creative journalist are creative being a stay at home parent is creative. But there’s a certain role of the partner that is very sacrificial. And in the most healthy of relationships understand that whatever their partner is doing whatever they are creating is bigger than them. The energy is so wild and so big that it is almost beyond them and when it’s bursting it’s bursting and it needs to get out. And I think what the band we’re doing out, Woodstock is the prime one of the prime examples of that that I know of where

[creoterative]

Uhm... I made another one.

Yeeesss, I know, my finals for this semester are coming up, but leave me some freetime xD

Anyway, my best friend sent me another bunch of funny things kids in kindergarten said and I made another TWDG kids template out of it.

So there.

Enjoy! Xd

PS: I had to rewrite some of them because she gave those to me in german and they wouldn't make sense in english, so... excuse the Florida comment xD

Minnie: "I have a unicorn at home! But I ripped out the horn, so it's a not-so-much-corn now."

Sophie: "I always read books at home, my favorite book is Justin Bieber!"

Louis: "My parents have a swing in their bedroom, it must be so much fun, but I'm never allowed to play with it." (...That was disturbing, send help to the poor boy.)

Duck: *talking about future jobs* "I wanna be a whale!"

Ruby: "Yes, I love Spargel! Oh, what's that?" (It was at this moment, that the little girl learned, Spaghetti and Spargel aren't the same. And for my english friends, Spargel is Asparagus.)

Clementine: "Mommy had a baby yesterday! But it is a little bit ugly."

Marlon: *to the new young woman working there* "My dad said everyone needs a job when they grow up. Why don't you have one?"

Mitch: "Remember when you said that I'm not allowed to play with the water in the sink anymore? *soaked from head to toe* "Because I don't."

Louis: "I don't like cucumbers that grow." ( what .)

Willy: "Did you know, that eggs break apart when you throw them? By the way, where is the cleaning set?"

Brody: "You can't play with us, you don't like coffee!" Violet: "But you never drank coffee either!" Brody: "But I like it, because momma likes it!"

Tenn: "You're my kokong." (He meant Cousin.)

Marlon: "I want my reflection to be alive as well, I want to play with it. That's so unfair!" (He didn't understand the concept of twins yet.)

Violet: "I'd eat that very gladly. I just don't want to."

Willy: *after being asked to help clean up the mess* "No thank you, I like it better this way."

Marlon: "Your pants are ugly." Mitch: "You're wearing the same." (And then Marlon threw a tantrum because he felt insulted.)

Aasim: "I have a bunny at home. But sometimes it changes colour." (Again, Aasim are you okay?)

Louis: "My goldfish went to Atlantis today!" (It died.)

Marlon: "My uncle has no eyes, so he got a dog with eyes. I don't want my eyes either, I want a puppy!"

Clementine: "How long does a strawberry tree grow?"

Mitch: "If bears gotta go for little boys, they pee in their fur."

Louis: "I'm there in a second. Geez, I hate it when people say that, what KIND of second, a long or a short one?!"

Violet: "Tastes ugly."

Ruby: "You need to go home, you have 124 meters fever!"

Sophie: "If you destroy my picture, I'll get world destruction!"

Aasim: "I have to computer now."

Louis: "My tummy feels yucky, can you call my mother in law?"

Marlon: "What do you have there?" Louis: "A cough drop!" Marlon: "Woah, I want a tough drop too!"

Ruby: "I lost my fuck in the sandbox, momma!" (She was talking about her toy truck.)

Minnie: "My mom has circus disturbance." (She meant circular disturbance.)

Omar: "Today I have fish sticks with potato pudding!"

Brody: "Look, I'm a mermaid! Now I only need a fork!"

Marlon: "Why is that man shaving the lawn?"

Louis: "But I already ate all my cousins!" (It's raisins, Louis.)

Ruby: "My grandma is in the animal shelter because she can't walk anymore." (Her grandma went into retirement.)

Willy: "My grandpa is magnetic too!" (His grandpa had a prosthetic leg.)

Duck: "My dad is special too, he's from Florida!"

Mitch: "I want more pregnant stamps." Ms. Martin: "...What?" Mitch: "I'm still hungry." Ms. Martin: "Ah, yes, you can have more ravioli."

Duck: "Can I have more weed?" (He meant arugola.)

Sophie: "I only got one motivation left for cleaning up, so I'll hurry."

Louis: "I got a bikini!" (It's a kiwi, Louis.)

Marlon: "Does the CD player google the songs first or why is it taking so long?"

Clementine: "My baba brought me today." Duck: "Huh? I thought you could only eat them?" (...He thought she meant a banana.)

#twdg marlon #twdg #twdg louis #the walking dead telltale games #twdg incorrect quotes #the walking dead #twdg violet #twdg brody #twdg clementine #twdg duck #twdg willy #twdg mitch #twdg minerva #twdg sophie #twdg omar #twdg aasim #twdg ruby #ericson kids #twdg aj #twdg tenn #twdg kenny

[bottomlouisficfest]

We hope you’ve enjoyed weeks seven and eight of the Bottom Louis Fic Fest 2022! Every two weeks, we’re compiling all of the fics from that period into one roundup post so they’re easy to find for anyone looking to catch up on fics they missed. Enjoy these amazing fics and give them the love they deserve!

—

Needles and Lyrics

A fic by Whoopsiedaisiesss on AO3 | @shining-louist on Tumblr

12k | Mature | Louis/Harry | Tumblr post | Twitter post

Louis Tomlinson blunders at the Los Angeles premiere of friends´ Liam movie, doesn´t know what designer he was wearing:

It shouldn´t come as a surprise to us that former boybander Louis Tomlinson could not recall who designed his outfit at the premiere of Liam Payne´s new movie The Overview. During several interviews on the red carpet last night, he was asked who he was wearing, and Tomlinson never answered correctly. At the beginning of the night he at least answered honestly that he had no idea who he was wearing, but tried to cover this up with some nice comments and sort of compliments on the suit.

Or the one where Louis is a famous singer who never forgets the name of the designer he is wearing, and his management comes up with the perfect colleab to cover up his blunder.

FOR: Prompt 72: Famous/famous AU where Louis is a famous singer and Harry is a fashion designer. They meet at an event for the first time even though they had heard each other’s names around. Harry starts making custom clothes for Louis. Author can write a scene where Harry measures Louis’ body and that can be the scene they notice that they are attracted to each other.

—

Stay Until Tomorrow

A fic by youreyesonlarry on AO3 | @youreyesonlarry on Tumblr | @youreyesonlarry on Twitter

37k | Explicit | Louis/Harry | Tumblr post | Twitter post

There’s a dull ache seeping through Louis’ body as he wakes up; a mild headache from last night’s alcohol intake, a cramp in his right arm from sleeping on it weird and a familiar soreness between his arse cheeks that Louis fully blames on his lousy one night stand.

--

Prompt 13: AU where Louis is known for always sleeping around. His friends always poke fun at him but he never lets it get to him. One day, Liam’s childhood friend Harry moves to town, becoming the newest friend in the group. Louis finds him attractive, but is very shy around him. Despite that Louis and Harry becomes friends, then become friends with benefits, and then become boyfriends. The only thing is that none of the other boys know about it. They just assume Louis is still sleeping around. One day Louis walks in to the four boys talking and laughing about how Louis sleeps around and just saying really horrible things about him and his sex life. Louis wouldn’t have really let it get to him if it weren’t for the fact that Harry, his BOYFRIEND, was sitting there not only laughing, but also saying some really horrible things.

—

fire, embers, ash and tinders

A fic by louisbopeep on AO3 | @minibopeep on Twitter

22k | Explicit | Louis/Harry | Tumblr post | Twitter post

“Can you take pics of Louis today?”

Harry blinks at the ceiling, thinks he must still be dreaming. “Good morning to you too?”

“Actually, it’s twelve in the afternoon,” Niall responds, somehow managing to sound both concerned and cheerful.

“Shit—”

“Anyways,” Niall continues undeterred, ignoring Harry’s panic. “Can you do it or not?”

Sitting up, Harry leans against his cushioned headboard, brows furrowing as he remembers Niall’s initial question. “Can I take pictures of Louis? Louis Tomlinson…who I’ve never held a full conversation with,” Harry asks.

“Well, you know his last name,” Niall quips. “That’s a good start.”

or

BLFF Prompt 126: Louis has a Tinder fling. He wants to take sexy pictures to send to this guy, so he asks Harry to help him. Harry proposes that he pretends to be the other body in the pictures so they are more natural. Horny desperate jealous Harry ensues, minx sexy Louis. Feminization would be great but not necessary!

—

crave for more of you

A fic by cuddlerlouis on AO3 | @cuddlerlouis on Tumblr | @burntromances on Twitter

35k | Explicit | Louis/Harry | Tumblr post | Twitter post

“Look, I’ll propose. I’ll do all the talking,” Harry says. “You’ll just have to look pretty and say yes at one point. That’s all. If that works, we get dinner for free, if it doesn’t work, we go for dinner on me.”  

“Where do you get a ring?”  

“You’re thinking about it, aren’t you?” Harry smirks.    

Fake proposing to your best friend to get free food at restaurants seems like a perfect game. What could possibly go wrong?    

—

You Step Where Words Are Written, Delicate Under Your Feet

A fic by daydreamlwts on AO3 | @daydreamlwts on Twitter

6k | Mature | Louis/Harry | Tumblr post | Twitter post

Prompt 513: A fic where Louis gives Harry a footjob over his pants while they're watching TV and Harry finds out he has a thing for Louis' feet.

—

Derail the Mind of Me

A fic by pleasinglouis on AO3 | @pleasing-louis on Tumblr | @pleasing_louis on Twitter

77k | Explicit | Louis/Harry | Tumblr post | Twitter post

Beside the photograph of a gaunt, pale face spattered with blood and lips torn into a Glasgow smile was a bloodied object, crumpled and stained almost to the point of unrecognition. Another photo showed the object shoved into the woman’s mouth. While Harry leaned forward to get a closer look, Louis scrunched up his nose and purposefully kept his gaze locked on his computer screen, refusing to so much as glance at the gruesome images the rest of the team examined.

“What is that?”

Zayn frowned. “Is that a tarot card?” . . The Behavioral Analysis Unit gets called in to help a small town police department find the killer leaving behind a string of victims with a particularly jarring signature. FBI profiler Harry Styles must work with his team to uncover the unsub responsible for a slew of gruesome murders and just might discover his own hidden feelings for BAU Technical Analyst Louis Tomlinson along the way.

Prompt #11 from the blff

—

a love like this won't last forever (and I don't mind at all)

A fic by orleelou on AO3 | @orleelou on Tumblr | @orleelou on Twitter

54k | Mature | Louis/Harry | Tumblr post | Twitter post

“I thought you’re a woman.”

“Excuse me?”

“Rumour has it that I’m about to have a new stepmother. Just didn’t expect it would be a man, though twink would give a much better description.”

“I’m not a twink.” Louis crossed his hands in front of his chest defensively.

The man looked at him from head to toe and gave him a sweet fake smile. “Yeah, you are.”

“I’m not— hold on,” Louis loosened his arms and now playing with his thumbs, “what do you mean stepmother?”

The man extended his hand and stupidly Louis reached for it. Once the bigger hand engulfed his own, the man shook it.

“Harry Styles, pleasure to meet you. What should I call you? Stepmother or the mistress?” Harry tightened his grip. “Or maybe a homewrecker?” He gave him the most cruel smile a man could offer.

—

Apparently by Chance, at Precisely the Right Moment

A fic by lousmoonshine on AO3 | @lousmoonshine on Tumblr | @lousmoonshine on Twitter

19k | Explicit | Louis/Harry | Tumblr post | Twitter post

Alpha Harry doesn’t believe in soulmates. Omega Louis has been looking for his soulmate all his life.

—

you go undercover (you cross your fingers)

A fic by forthetherapy on AO3 | @forthetherapyy on Tumblr | @forthetherapy on Twitter

26k | Explicit | Louis/Harry | Tumblr post | Twitter post

When they reach the top of the steps, Harry puts the buggy down gently.

“Thank you,” Louis says. “My hero.”

Harry laughs.

“You don’t need rescuing,” he says.

or

Louis Tomlinson didn’t think that motherhood would be easy, but he certainly wasn’t prepared for just how challenging it would be. He also wasn't prepared for a certain alpha called Harry appearing each time he needs help until accepting is no longer a difficult thing to do.

—

live in my dream state, relocate my fantasy

A fic by thepolourryexpress on AO3 | @thepolourryexpress on Tumblr | @exeszouis on Twitter

36k | Explicit | Louis/Harry | Tumblr post | Twitter post

Harry can't stay in one place, Louis' always been in one place. They find each other in the future.

—

...With Love, (Almost) No Plot.

A fic by thecheshirepussycat on AO3 | @the-cheshire-pussy-cat on Tumblr | @Bee_With_Mee on Twitter

10k | Explicit | Louis/Harry | Tumblr post | Twitter post

Harry is the star of a very popular porn website and Louis is the new amateur, and everybody is requesting for them do a scene together. Harry is so confused as to why his fans what him to do a scene with Louis since he always looks so shy and quiet in his scenes, but decides to give his fans what they want. And get a little something he didn't realize he even wanted in return.

—

once burnt, twice shy

A fic by pluckedcherries on AO3 | @camellia-lily on Tumblr | @cottagetay on Twitter

53k | Explicit | Louis/Harry | Tumblr post | Twitter post

Prompt 178: “I’m a firefighter and you started a fire in your kitchen but you’re still flirting with me even though you’re not wearing pants and I’m carrying you down a ladder as you compliment me on my muscles” AU.

Louis and Harry are polar opposites in every way. Where Louis is a bestselling author from the city, Harry is a small-town firefighter who's never left his home. Where Louis is spontaneous and spirited, Harry is introverted and calm, never straying from routine. When an ill-fated accident and an exceptionally intelligent tabby bring them together, they are forced to confront their pasts and forge a better beginning for themselves.

Will sparks fly, or will it all go up in flames?

—

Remember to give these fics kudos and comments, and spread their fic posts!

Week 1-2 Week 3-4 Week 5-6

[skepticalarrie]

Hey Allie, I love your blog. I’m a new Larrie and still sorting through old timelines, etc to get my facts straight. Your posts have been so helpful for tracking things down.

Anyway, I just rewatched the Cosmic Leeds timeline of 2015 and now with more context am really just floored by the timing of Louis’s party boy image, him signing with Syco individually, and then babygate. It is just mind blowing to see in retrospective. Did Louis get trapped in babygate as part of some “party boy” persona to appeal to an older audience (which it seems like they were aggressively marketing toward)?

Were you around then? Do we think that 1D went on hiatus to escape Syco? Based on some other stuff I read it looks like the boys were possibly in conversation with the Azoffs about switching management which wouldn’t make much sense if they knew they wanted a break. I’m just trying to wrap my head around what was really going on behind the scenes (not that we can know for sure).

I’m rambling, but the events of 2015 are truly just mindboggling to me.

Thanks again for your fabulous blog!

Hey, dear. Thank you for being so sweet! And kudos to you on trying to catch up with the timelines, I understand how messy it must feel to try to understand everything in retrospect.

It's interesting because there was obviously a lot of speculations and guessing at the time - the same way there is right now - but this is one of those situations where we only get a better picture when we step away from it after some time has passed. So, in general, some theories ended up not making sense after a while. I think babygate was a way to try to "fix" a lot of things, it served a lot of different purposes at the time. I do think 1D was trying to rebrand and trying to appeal to an older audience as they were older as well, so scandal like an oopsie baby could help with that, yeah... But I don't think it was one of the main reasons. As for Louis' "party boy" image, I think it was the opposite. That narrative happened so babygate could happen, not the other way around.

I don't think 1D went on hiatus to escape Syco, at least not "directly" like that. I think they were just very fucking sick of it and babygate was probably just the cherry on top. Harry and Louis were struggling with their closet and the others with their mental health... so honestly I think it became unsustainable and the hiatus was probably a way of trying to get some control back and get things on their terms. Which obviously didn't happen, so they never came back. I think they (mostly Louis) tried and considered a lot of things before finally deciding on a hiatus. And being in conversation with the Azoffs could have been one of those things, the feeling I get was that they couldn't find a good deal so the hiatus was the only option left. So, basically, my theory timeline-wise is that they were already very sick of it > so babygate was presented to them as something completely different and that would benefit them at some point > so they started to build a narrative towards that > everything turned into a mess > they ended up ever more cornered > the hiatus was the only option left.

#ask #babygate #big gay war

[sincerelymeridyth]

Darby Allin: The Last Three Years (Part 2)

Bet y’all thought I forgot. Nope I just needed time to think about Part 2. I hope y’all enjoy and again I am new to this so be kind. Also I use his ring name and real name interchangeably so sue me. 

Oh and heres Part One 

So admittedly you had no idea what to do next. Who in the hell would, it’s not just like you could just met the man who stomped you heart out for coffee and say “Surprise you have a son”. So after a few days and many MANY missed calls and text from Darby you agreed to have hime come to your place and talk. To most it seemed like a bad idea but this is where you felt the most comfortable and you knew no matter how awkward and hard this conversation may be he would never in a million years would Sam hurt you. So there you sat and waited until there was a quiet knock at your door. You slowly opened it to be met with you favorite pair of blue eyes, one of the things you were so thankful your son got from him. 

“Hi” Darby said shyly almost like he had never met you before. In a way that was true, you were a completely different person from three years ago. That thought almost gave you a little comfort. 

“Come in please” You muttered completely lost in your own thought you had forgotten to invite him in. 

He took one step inside and quietly started to look around. You offered to go get some water and be back shortly. When you returned you saw him staring at picture you had hung on the walls. Some from when you were pregnant, some from just after axel was born, his first birthday with cake covering his face, all the memories you wish Darby could have been there for. You set the cups down and walked to stand next to him. 

“He’s yours. I know thats not news considering his age and the fact he looks completely like you.” You finally said. There was no point in avoiding the elephant in the room anymore. Once you had finally said it out loud a weight had been lifted off you shoulders. Darby turned to you with a small smile and gestured for you to sit down . 

“Sam I-” He cut you off before you could start

“I wanted to be mad at you. I was so so mad at you the night I saw you at the show. I knew the moment I saw him and you he was mine and I couldn’t believe you of all people would keep that from me. Keep my son from me.” Darby started and as much as it hurt you knew he was right. At the end of the day no matter the fear and hurt he had caused you it was selfish to keep him from his son. 

“But” Darby continued. “After a day or so I started to understand why. I can’t imagine what it must have been like to do this, all of it, alone. How scared you must have been, how hurt you must have been. So am I mad, a little I mean I’ve missed so much, but I want you to know before we talk this through I am no mad at you. I understand and I forgive you.” 

You were too stunned to speak. How? How could he be so calm about this all. You kept the biggest secret in the world from him and he forgives you? After picking you jaw up off the floor you began to speak. 

“Thank you. Ive thought a lot about how this conversation could and would go. If I’m honest it was a lot more yelling. You don’t know what it means that you’re willing to give me that forgiveness.” You started “I wanted to call I did but I was so afraid you wouldn’t want him anyway. That I could tell you about him and you just wouldn’t care and I didn’t want that for him. He’s my whole world I would do anything to protect him and in my heart keeping him from the same pain I felt was easier. God I wanted you there though, his first Holidays, first steps, and even those awful blowout diapers you deserved to be there for all of it. I can’t make up for taking that away but I would love for you to be there for him now.” 

Darby smiled a true smile “Of course I want to be there. You know Y/N you still haven’t told me my little mans name.”

“Axel” You stated proudly “Axel Louis Ratsch” 

Darby laughed a proud laugh “Cool name glad I picked it. Is he here can I meet him?” 

“I actually asked my mom to take him to the park down the road. I didn’t want him to hear anything if this conversation went south. I’d be happy to take you you down there though.” 

“I’d like that a lot.” Darby got up to put his shoes on and you did the same. 

On your way to the park you started “I know this is the last conversation too have and its a little random. Hell I don’t even know my own feelings but I’m not ready for a relationship of any kind. It just doesn’t feel right for my life right now.” 

Darby smiled “Thank you for telling me. I feel the same, I just learned a lot of life changing things and over all my life is pretty crazy. I love you hell I always have and who knows where we will be in the next three years. For now though, I’m happy just being the best parents we can be” 

You hugged him a really tight genuine hug. On your walk you talked caught him up on all the likes and disliked of your little boy. You talked wrestling and before you knew it you had arrived a the park. Finding your mom and giving her a hug. She hugged Darby practically talking his ear off about how good he looked and all he missed. Soon though your little boy spotted you and he took off running admittedly faster than he could handle and he feel hard. One of those falls you knew thought would need a bandaid but you couldn’t help but laugh at his words as he got up. 

“Im okay momma” He said crashing into your legs 

“ I know buddy you always are.” You looked at Darby who looked almost impressed. Any other kid would have been a puddle of tears but not yours. You picked up your little boy checking the damage and turning him to meet Darbys gaze. 

“Axle. This is Sam, he’s your dad and he’s going to be around quite a lot” You said not quite sure how to put it in three year old language. You knew no matter what this was going to be a learning curve but this felt like a place to start. After a while you almost thought this was going to end poorly. Your son loved making new friends though so eventually Axle looked at Darby and smiled wide jumping out of your arms practically clinging onto his neck so he would hold him. 

“We’re gonna be best friends” Axle said pointedly 

Darby looked at him and smiled “Yeah buddy I think so too” 

#Darby allin #aew imagine #darby allin imagine

[oliwrightofficial]

I think you are a larrie but I like that you aren't weird and creepy about it, thanks for the balanced look at our man oli without getting shipper politics in it

um, like thanks but no thanks? tbh I'm not really here for the whole Not Like Other Girls vibe? god knows all sides of the fandom can be incredibly annoying but I mean ALL- solo louies spend just as much time as larrie louies cooing over made up receipts about Louis being spotted with men they speculate he is fucking and squinting at pictures of him for clues to his private life, hets following Eleanor or Sophie or Freddie's grandparents to scour for clues to Louis' wearabouts say THEY aren't PRYING like other fans but that sure isn't any less weird; everyone is just peering at the same publicly presented information and connecting the dots in the way that makes the most sense to them, it isn't purer or less invasive to have landed on a different conclusion. Celebrity culture is inherently weird and creepy... these are strangers we don't know and won't ever who's lives we're speculating and making up stories about, there is no fucking high horse. Just accept that our society is weird and we're all navigating it as best we can and it's not that big a deal and Louis might find some parts of it weird but not enough to decide to opt out, it's worth it for him and he loves us anyway like we're his idiot children. Imagine how laughable Oli must find the spectacle of some of the (crazy fucking dumbass clown) fans telling other (crazy dumbass clown) fans THEY are the problem... we are all in the fucking gutter together down here, may as well at least have some solidarity??

#apologies for using the word crazy let alone so many times #it was the spirit of oli possessing me like bless him but he doesn't really know about disability justice yet #does this belong on the oli blog? perhaps not but see how I have made an oli meme to keep on theme SEE?? #the proper answer truly to this ask however would simply have been: maam why would you ask me. a UA for a personal assistant. this question

[theirloveisgross]

For my part it all started here on tumblr. I had one where I used to reblog sporadically about my favorite tv shows, pictures of cats and nature and such. And then one day, around the beginning of 2021, a picture of Harry in that beautiful blue dress from the vogue photoshoot came up on my dash and I was like 'damn he's so fucking pretty, who is he??". Imagine my surprise when I realised he was harry from 1D, aka the boyband my little sister was a fan of when she was 13 (it was around 2012). We're 6 years apart and didn't get on that well at the time so she stayed away from my interests and me from hers. Imagine my surprise when discovering that the pretty boy in the blue dress was the same as the little curly boy I remember from my sister's bedroom posters. Anyway from here, I watched a lot of youtube videos starting from 1d mvs and then compils of 1D funny moments which made me fall in love with the boys and finishing with fimq's videos which made intensified my curiosity and growing love for louis and harry's bond. I still rewatch her larry crackvids sometimes, never fails to make me smile. At the same time after following a bunch of people and only lurking, reading masterposts on all blogs ect. for a few days, I finally started a new blog to join the fandom. Needless to say from then on I wasn't just "sporadically" on tumblr anymore lol Half my free time is split between tumblr and ao3 because of these two and I regret nothing. 😌 The sad thing is my sister was thrilled when she learned I'd 'finally' (to quote her) become a fan of 1d and even more of louis and harry but I quickly discovered that I couldn't rejoice that much myself? Like she loves the boys but she's a much more casual fan than I am. She doesn't do her own researsh so she easily believe stunts stuff if she comes across it on twitter (she's on twitter user and tumblr feels like an obscure concept to her while I'm the total opposite). She's like "louis and harry were/are really cute together" but that's all, they must be finished since they don't ever interact and we never see them together. Freddie is louis' son for her and 'look they are so cute'. I don't have the energy to argue with that and it's not my job to convince her otherwise anyway. Anyway it was a bit frustrating at first as I had hoped to be able to share my fandom experience with someone irl through her but I've made peace with it. On the positive side, I'll have company to see louis in october! She was the one to offer me tickets to see him for my 30th birthday~ And that's was for my origin story! Keep them coming people, I'm enjoying reading them!!

Hi!

Oh my, this is so soft! The fact that you found Harry in a dress first. 😭 Reminds me a bit of me watching the music video for Lights Up back in late 2019, because a friend showed it to me, and I knew Harry was in 1D, and I simply saw his queerness and gave him props and that was it. IF ONLY I had looked further then... *sigh*

The relationship with your sister sounds a lot like mine. Sadly, she was a fan of the Jonas Brothers and not 1D, so I barely knew about them. We get along better now and we're both queer af so that also helps, hahaha.

FIMQ's videos are forever! They're gold! I need to rewatch soon... it's been a few months.

I love that you found them on tumblr, so to say, and stayed here as well. It is my favorite community, for sure!

I'm so glad you're here! And yeah, I wish I had people that get it irl, and I went through the phase of wanting to tell everyone close to me, but it just gets tiring, the side eyes, the polite smiles, which is FINE, but I need you to get. it. Hahjasha. Because if you don't care, you won't get it. Like, you have to care so much to do that amount of research and stick with them. It's fine, there's always people here that get it, and when you finally meet some of them irl it's like... it's euphoric! I hope you get that soon!

Also, have the best time at Louis show! I'm so excited for you! This tour is INCREDIBLE! Like I always say, nothing will beat what LTWT means to me... but FITFWT is bigger, better and he's so much more relaxed, and happy and just... it's such a joy seeing him grow like this. Hoping to get a job soon and maybe I can be crazy and also see him in October.

Anyone who sees this and has joined the fandom in the last year or so, send me a message if you want. I’m so curious what was your starting point, what made you go “Larry?” and then “OMG LARRY!”, hajdhahs.

#larrie births

[benafee]

Hi benafee! Here’s a few qs for ✨variety✨

If you had to pick a side character in one of your fics to write an entire long fic about, who would you pick? What would that fic look like?

What is your writing process like? How much do you prep/outline beforehand? Who are your style inspirations?

In Remaking the World, how is Sarah doing? Is she spiraling as badly as David, and does she know how badly or why he’s having a bad time? Does she know that he’s in love with Jack? Also I JUST noticed that this last chapter doesn’t have a word in the title- am I reading too much into it, or is that because David has lost so much control and can’t pin anything down right now?

Oh these are good.

First though, I'm just going to quickly respond to your answer about the most memorable scenes thing here

the scene describing Jack’s mom from his picture. Idk why it stuck so much with me, but I think about it all the time. It’s an imagined person from an imagined picture and neither of them knew her, but not even close to imaginary at all at the same time. I feel like I haven’t read an “I love you” like that before

I mean thank you so much. This was one of the first scenes I'd planned out for this story and I'm very happy the emotional weight I attached to this moment came through to you.

However my gratitude is somewhat tempered by indignity at the fact that I now must admit that I have spent an inordinate amount of time planning out a Kloppman-centric pre-canon (and pre-remaking the world) fic. I am writing it almost entirely for the sake of one (1) scene but isn't that always the case? Anyways, here's the rough summary:

All things considered, Bram knows he ought to be content with his lot in life. 

But Sister Martha keeps “checking in” and Mrs. Oliver’s on the warpath and Otto wants to introduce Bram to his sister and Danny won’t tell him what’s wrong and Nick and Louis aren’t being careful and Charlie keeps asking hard questions and and Patrick has it out for the new kid and Race keeps scamming Albert in the dice games they shouldn’t be playing in the first place and Jack’s up to something.

Or: the longest six months of Bram Kloppman’s life. 

Should be fun!

My writing process is, in a word, involved. I do indeed work off a plan. Many plans. For long fics (all my fics) I like to develop a few outlines - one full outline of the work, separate outlines for each chapter which I will work into, a document for developing/tracking themes, recurring motifs, and other important elements in the story, a few documents about important background information and research, and then another document where I'll jot down lines, elements, and scenes that I'd like to include and have yet to find a place for. From there I'll either proceed to slowly write into the chapter outlines based on my whims or I'll let it percolate in the back of my head for months or even years, often feeling incredibly guilty about my lack of progress, only to have it come together when I least expect it. I'm learning to accept the latter as part of my process and trying to release the guilt aspect. Most of my fics are still largely a result of process rather than planning, and sometimes a not small amount of dumb luck - I'm still tickled that the Latin root words of one of my recurring motifs built into a full transitional section which included a reasonably good metaphor about David's complicated feelings towards his schooling. You can't plan that shit. Well you probably could but I sure didn't.

As far as inspiration... I'm not sure. I'd say my writing is pretty typical for fiction writing. It's likely that there are people that unconsciously influence my writing. I reread The History of Love by Nicole Krauss a while ago and noticed that she also has a habit of slipping deeply sad lines into the middle of her narration like they're innocuous sentences. I've also taken a lot of inspiration from poetry, but that's more contributed to an awareness of form and approach than any directly trackable path of influence.

As for Sarah... I mean she's already had two pretty major breakdowns during this fic so she's not doing great. As far as how much she knows... there's definitely more revealed over the course of the fic so I don't want to get too specific here. She definitely knows something is wrong and she definitely does not know the full story, and, combined, this will lead to problems.

And finally, you really should have more faith in your interpretive abilities ;)

#I didn't bother to include a cut here because there was no good place to put it #and I assume if you're bothered by long posts you just haven't disabled the new tumblr feature #thank you libby (which I have decided to call you as shorthand an in honour of a truly great app - pending your approval of course) #asks #writing asks games #benafee talks about writing

[the-rockstar-lestat]

American Girl Doll What???????

So glad you asked. I was GOING to tell you anyway, of course, but I LIKE to be asked. Like Dracula, I have to be invited in. (Does Dracula have to be invited in or is that a later addition to the lore? I fell off the Dracula Daily wagon.)

It's more likely I just like the attention.

Anyway, flowery introduction aside.

Louis, as we have mentioned, has made friends with our neighbor, a single mother with a young daughter. He occasionally cooks for them when she's busy and he gets the need to stress -cook food we can't eat, and doesn't want it going to waste. we were visiting at her apartment, and she mentioned she wanted to get an "American Girl Doll" for her daughter's birthday, but didn't know which one to get her.

"American girl doll?" I said, "I'm sure there are a lot of American girl dolls. But there's some very good dolls made in Europe as well."

She laughed at me, and explained that American Girl is a brand of dolls that premiered in the 1980s and is very popular to this day, of dolls set in different historical time periods. "I guess boys didn't grow up with them like little girls did!" She said. No. Boys who grew up in the 18th century did not have American Girl Dolls.

Louis and I were mildly interested, so she showed us a picture of the doll she had growing up, Molly, who has little braids and is set in World War Two.

"Charming." Louis said. I slept through World War Two.

But there were more! A pretty victorian girl with lovely furniture, a black girl who used to be a slave that made Louis slightly guilty, an immigrant from Sweden. If I was less enthused at first my mind changed immidiatly when she showed us Felicity, a colonial girl whose clothes and furniture reminded Louis and me of our own childhoods.

"Lestat, look, she has a tiny warming pan! And a bed with bed hangings! I forgot I missed those." Louis positively cooed at me.

We were lost in doll shaped euphoria, scrolling through pictures when I suddenly saw her.

A pretty little blonde doll, with curling hair and blue, blue eyes, dressed in an empire waisted pink gown and bonnet.

"who's that?" I asked.

"oh that? That's Caroline she's one of the newer dolls. She's set in 1812."

But I wasn't paying attention any more. All I could see, dear reader, was my sweet little Claudia, turned into the doll she had always hated being treated like, dressed in the clothes that she wore during her actual childhood, when she was Louis and my precious daughter.

Claudia had loved dolls. Well actually she had had mixed feelings about dolls. But even as she grew she collected them--sometimes to cuddle, sometimes to destroy in fits of rage. But at that moment all I could think of was "She finally became a doll. She's a literal doll. You made her and kept her a child and brushed her hair and dressed her up like a doll and look what happened. She's a doll. The transformation is complete." If I bought one of these dolls off the internet and took her home would she come to life, possessed by the soul of Claudia and speak to me once more? Tell me she loved me, hated me, didn't matter. Call me Father of Lies if I could just hear her voice again!

Louis must have noticed I had dropped out of the conversation about tiny wooden food replicas and was staring at the picture on this woman's phone, running my hands over her hair--or where her hair would be if it wasn't pixilated --wondering what it felt like and if Claudia would have liked a doll that looked like her. Or if she would have smashed it.

And then I saw a vision of the future--or a future that could never be. Dear, charming, beautiful, beloved Claudia, dressed in designer children's clothes, with a whole shelf full of American Girl Dolls. Laughing about their little clothes and furniture, pointing out the inaccuracies of eras she had lived through. Taking adorable photographs of her dolls and posting them on Instagram. Taunting the other vampires if they dares scoff at her collection. "Get your own Kirsten, Marius. "

I must have been dangerously close to weeping blood tears, because Louis took the phone away from me.

"I'm sorry," he said to our friend "Sometimes dolls make him a little emotional. Our daughter collected them." Louis had once told her we had a daughter who died. She was very sympathetic about it.

"yes, yes. " I added, helpfully. How could I explain to her that at that moment I wanted to GIVE Claudia the doll, but also thought she WAS the doll? Louis seems to intuit that, and quickly made our apologies to our friend and ushered me out.

"Her hair...." I mumbled nonsensically.

"I know." Louis said. He always knows.

We went back to our home, and Louis wrapped me in a blanket until I calmed down enough to speak.

"Dolls all have her face sometimes, don't they?" He said.

"That one didn't need my neurosis to have her face." I replied.

We sat in silence for a moment.

"Do you want to get the doll?" He asked.

I considered.

"It'll probably make me too sad."

"Oh look, something Lestat doesn't want to buy. That is novel."

I grinned. Louis can lighten my moods even when insulting me.

"But she would have...she would have loved it."

#my eternal companion #murder daughter #the vampire claudia #claudia de lioncourt #life can be so.... cozy #loustat

[project1939]

100+ Films of 1952

Film number 117: Invitation 

Release date: February 1st, 1952 

Studio: MGM 

Genre: melodrama 

Director: Gottfried Reinhardt 

Producer: Lawrence Weingarten 

Actors: Van Johnson, Dorothy McGuire, Ruth Roman, Louis Calhern 

Plot Summary: Ellen has suffered from a mysterious illness since childhood that prevents her from living a normal life. Over the past year, however, she’s been blissfully married to her loving husband Dan. One day an invitation arrives and destroys everything. What disease is she really suffering from? And how exactly did she and Dan end up together? 

My Rating (out of five stars): *** 

If you ever wondered what a Classical Hollywood melodrama is, here you go! This is about as Melodrama as you can get, with all the histrionics, lush musical scores, and tragic heroines that are hallmarks of the genre. It’s not a bad movie, mostly because of its main actors. Don’t expect something great, though. (Some spoilers)

The Good: 

Dorothy McGuire! Easily the best part of the movie was her performance as Ellen. I’ve known Maquire only as the mother in Old Yeller, The Swiss Family Robinson, and Friendly Persuasion, so seeing her play a romantic heroine was a great surprise. And she was good! She played a fragile and insecure woman who was extremely easy to empathize with. 

Van Johnson as Dan. He gave a really natural performance here, bringing his usual sensitivity to the role. 

Louis Calhern as Ellen’s doting father. He’s nearly perfect in everything he does, and this was no exception. A scene where he comforts his daughter, telling her she is not the plain unlovable woman she thinks she is, was especially moving. 

Protagonists in their 30s! It was nice to see a couple that got married a little later in life (for the time, anyway). 

The music. It really showed off MGM’s justifiably lauded orchestra. Yes, it could be a little over the top and maudlin at times, but for a melodrama, what else do you want? 

The portrayal of living with the stigma of illness in the 1950s. Ellen is sympathetic, rather than a sympathy case. Seeing how she is ostracized is difficult, especially against the backdrop of a time in America where conformity was more important than anything else. 

The Bad: 

Sometimes the melodrama was a little too intense and contrived. 

“Surgery ex machina?” Classical Hollywood movies were addicted to providing a magical surgery at the end to cure whatever ailment the protagonists were suffering from. Here it was an annoyingly easy way to a happy ending. 

Should Ellen have really just forgiven Dan? It was a complicated situation, yes, but what about all the lies he must have told her? Could she really trust him? The speed at which everything resolved was disconcerting. 

The laughable Hollywood idea of what a “plain” woman looks like. Dorothy McGuire is supposed to be unattractive?!? Come on.  

Again with the ridiculous poster! First of all, it misrepresents Dan and Maud’s (Roman’s) relationship, but the picture of McGuire as the blonde in the background is even more egregious. On what planet does that look like Dorothy McGuire?! Were they hoping to trick us into believing that Marilyn Monroe was in the film?

#project1952 #1952 #1952 movies #100 films of 1952 #dorothy mcguire #van johnson

[airedelalmena]

End of work day one.

She was meant to be here, to welcome me home and to celebrate with me. To hear all about the new people and personalities, while I painted a picture…to give back her own comments on it all, advice, love, humor.

A godsend — I didn’t spend tonight totally without (human) company. A fella from another place in the area came and offered us tickets to a comedy night. Being the youngest, I was the only one interested. I gave the others away to customers. And I went.

After work, I made some rapport with the elderly lady I’ll be replacing, Deb. I like her the best. Shame I will be the only female staff member a lot of days. Oh well.

Then I went.

The guy who invited us got my drink but not in a weird way. More like a thanks for showing up. I was openly gay which is okay here…finally. It got a feature in the last guy’s set after he joked with the couples in the house, starting hetero, then went to a gay male couple, then turned to me and the guy I had just met. Whoops, lol. Not together! The comic was a pervert about lesbians in his act, so I even declined a fistbump, but in a jokey way (“idk where that hand’s been bruh lol”)….

I don’t love the crassness and slight mean cynicism of the comedy scene, but that’s nothing new…. I just have a lot of softness to my personality, and old school, gentler humor has been outmoded. Physical comedy, or understated, chuckle stuff. (You are not Lenny Bruce or peak Eddie Murphy and you’re never going to be, so quit Louis CKing all over the place…it doesn’t flatter ya. But that’s the style they all want: it feels “cool” to be that guy.) Hopefully it gets a comeback — that someone does it.

Anyway, it was comforting and nice to hang around with people closer to my own age, or with a kind of young attitude/scene/vibe. And to just be there and welcomed. Funny how small town, get-to-know-each-other, yet city-feeling this place is. I mean it’s basically between the two, so the shoe fits. That’s my niche…I need the cultural city closeness but a small town place to live to feel cozy. I don’t think I’d want to live right in the city, like I thought when younger (trying to escape to it) — maybe “residential areas” i.e. apts in homes or one day a home itself — but yeah other than that, no.

Coming home is hard, emotionally.

Used self-discipline and got my teeth brushed, got changed, tea. No more late nights even as an accident. Double shift tomorrow.

All this after having had my ADD appt today. By video. I made it while she was still (physically) living…. :(

God.

Eating rice pudding, which she loved. I will get Nana’s recipes copied from my uncle and make hers as we all used to do together. Eventually.

The cat really appreciates our time together in the evenings more, now, as I’ve been more busy. Even pre job, I’ve spent all day in a chair and focusing on accomplishing so many things. He seeks out cuddles and is really loving. A comfort. He needs me as much as I need him right now. I must stop typing to pet him. Love.

#personal #grief #positivity #mixed bag of feelings #mm tag #cats are family #love

[latida-poofta]

An Open Letter to Vampire Romance Authors

Dear Vampire Romance Writers,

I have something that I need to get off my chest. I am utterly baffled by the sheer quantity of unrepentant Confederate vampires (specifically unrepentant about the owing human beings as chattel slaves), that are the main love interest. The presence of Confederate vampires does not bother me. It is easy and familiar to set your urban fantasy in the US, and the Civil War is a significant milestone in the history of the US. The US is still grappling with the legacy left by the Civil War. However, do these slave-owning pieces of human garbage NEED to be the love interest? Personally, I find that they would make FAR more interesting villains, especially, if the heroine is a POC. Think of the conflict caused by a villain who doesn't even see the protagonist as a full human. Imagine the terrible things they would do and not feel and ounce of remorse. You could make them an allegory about institutionalized racism in American society. But no, we have to have our Wonder-bread heroine kiss our Confederate vampire, because Jasper from Twilight was hot! I am not just here to bash on you vampire fantasies (not exclusively anyway). I would like to present a handful of alternative scenarios all from the 1800's. (I get it Victorians are sexy, or at least romantic.)

1. If the vampire love interest MUST be carrying a dark past, make him Victorian doctor. Worse (or better, if you like your dark past like you like your coffee (black)) make him doctor who "treats" (*cough* more like maltreats *cough*) the mentally ill. Bonus points if they are a doctor in the modern day. LOTS of angst!

2. Make the vampire love interest a former Union soldier. Was he a willing recruit? Was he conscripted? Did he ever care about the cause? All interesting things to explore with out him outright OWNING PEOPLE. 3. If the vampire love interest MUST be a Confederate garbage person, make him show remorse for his past deeds. Make it one of those secrets that pop up in the second half of the book that threatens to tear the couple apart. Make him actively use the butt-load of money that vampires ALWAYS have to help the people that they used to exploit.

These are just a handful alternatives. There is a more of a general theme that I believe needs to be explored more: shame.

As you lay down to sleep, does EVERY embarrassing thing you ever did as a kid come back to haunt you? Every dumb thing you said, every stupid thing you did to impress someone, haunting you and making wish to die of shame and embarrassment. Now imagine you have lived for a couple hundred years. Imagine all the stupid things people used to believe in then, compared to now.

"Here have some heroine for that nasty toothache!"

"Yep, you definitely have ghosts in your bones."

"That guy in New York DEFINITELY took a picture of a ghost."

Now imagine your doctor vampire love interest going to sleep, thinking to themselves: "I didn't know shit back then. I could have ACTUALLY HELPED PEOPLE. Instead I just got them addicted to heroine or just tortured them. I was just a nicely dress twit carrying a bottle of formaldehyde. Who in their right mind let me anywhere NEAR infirm? Ah, yes. Other nicely dressed twits with formaldehyde."

That is just the one for the doctor, I'll allow you think up other intrusive memories for your vampire love interest. I do apologize if this came off as mean. I say this because I love vampire fiction! I want it to be better than just ripping off Stephanie Myer or the TV version of the Vampire Diaries (THEY WERE ITALIAN!! Yes I WILL die mad about it!). One of my favorite vampires is Louis Point du' Lac, a slave-owner in the 1800's! The difference is that we see Louis grow after becoming a vampire seeing EVERYONE as potential blood sacks (we are still talking about blood-sucking creatures of the night, here), and that his racism was stupid and based on nothing but prejudice.

I hope that some of my suggestions were helpful or at least mildly interesting. Feel free to adapt or use them in your own works.

TL:DR: unrepentant Confederate vampires are lazy and writers need to add bedtime intrusive memories to vampire love interests.

Happy writing!

Sincerely,

Someone Who Wrote This Instead of Sleeping.

#vampires #paranormal romance #Yes I will elaborate #this is a threat

[pattywagon2go]

Transit Talk Thursday

Transit Talk Thursday: I've been noticing recently that a lot of Transit Talk Thursday tends to be train-focused, likely a byproduct of trains being pretty cool. But transit isn't just about trains, it encompasses so many other different things. So for this week, I figured it's a good time to give a spotlight to one of said things, being the good ol' trolleybus! Yeah, that's right, this post was a clever way to totally trolleybus you all. You must now reblog this to totally trolleybus your friends. You know you want to. You are already moving to reblog this post as you read this. You will then caption this post saying "Reblog this to trolleybus your friends or you will smell like ham." Do it. I know you wanna.

*shakes head*

Sorry, where was I?

Oh, right, transit.

So what's the deal with trolleybuses anyway?

Well, in essence, they're basically buses tied to overhead wires.

Pretty simple, huh?

Pretty much.

How trolleybuses work is they use electric motors to drive the wheels, but instead of using a big battery, two trolley poles are suspended above to contact a pair of trolley wires, which supply the electricity required to move the bus. Two poles are required because to close the circuit and allow electricity to flow, there must be a way for electricity to return to the wire, so you have a positive pole, and a negative pole.

By contrast trains do not need a second point of contact with a wire to close the circuit, as the rails themselves function as the second wire. This is the same for overhead wire and third rail power. The more you know.

So what's all the buzz with trolleybuses?

A great thing with trolleybuses is how cheap they are to produce. Lacking a diesel engine or a battery, trolleybuses don't really require that much material vs their combustion engine and battery powered brethren. In addition, the lack of an engine or battery makes trolleybuses less maintenance-heavy compared to battery electric buses. Trolleybuses also have an advantage of being able to navigate traffic better than a tram, and with the introduction of hybrid trolleybuses, trolleybuses can even go off the grid when necessary. No wires needed here!

Like most transit, the trolleybus isn't a very new concept. The origins of the trolleybus can be dated as far back as 1882, when Dr. Ernst Werner Siemens demonstrated the "Elektromote" in a suburb in Berlin, Germany (pictured above). Back then, this was more of a thought experiment and wasn't actually feasible for proper passenger work. The world wouldn't see that until 18 more years, at the 1900 Paris Exhibition. At the exhibition, Louis Lombard-Gérin, a French engineer, would debut the very first trolleybus line in the world. Once again, this was moreso a experiment rather than something a city would use for moving passengers from A to B. 11 more years later, however, the towns of Leeds and Bradford in the UK would be the very first towns to utilize trolleybuses for actual service. Interestingly enough, Bradford was the very last town in the UK to give up it's trolleybuses, in 1972. It wasn't just Europe getting in on trolleybuses, the United States following the first World War would embrace trolleybuses, examples being Boston, San Francisco, and Philadelphia, all towns which use trolleybuses today.

So trolleybuses are cool and all that, but are there any catches?

Well, with everything in life, yes.

Higher rolling resistance, less capacity vs a tram, harder level boarding, wires create obstructions, etc. But out of all of these, the biggest two from what I've seen are:

Higher capital cost

The wires are seen as ugly

The less important one is going to be the one about wires, as that's very much subjective preference. Me personally, I fucking love trolleybus wires. They look pretty damn cool to me. But a lot of people see them as unsightly, and unfortunately, that tends to be ammunition for NIMBYs who will bitch and complain about it driving down the prices of their homes. And speaking of price, a big issue with trolleybuses is that they usually cost more than battery buses or just regular buses. And unfortunately, not every town is going to foot the bill for them, no matter what benefits they can bring.

A big problem trolleybuses are facing is that because of their increased cost, many cities/towns don't want to foot the cost for them, or they do, but the populations don't. This either results in two things happening:

No transit gets built

Something worse is chosen

For the "something worse", it's usually battery-electrics. Unlike a trolleybus, battery-electrics use batteries to power the bus, which results in the bus now having a finite range, requiring wasteful recharging periods, and material-expensive batteries to operate. And unfortunately, more cities are taking the bait.

A good example is in Berlin this year, plans for a trolleybus line got squashed in favor of battery-electrics.

I won't say that trolleybuses are the be all and end all of transit, because they aren't. Far from it. But in a future where the resources we have today may not be there tomorrow, we have to begin moving to more efficient usage of our resources. Battery-electric buses are not the solution to this problem, rather, trolleybuses are a puzzle piece in the solution. And if you don't believe me, there's a very specific country that saw trolleybuses and went "Hey, those are perfect for me, let's overuse the HELL out of them!" /pos

Yep, the Soviet Union saw trolleybuses as a cheap and efficient method of getting cities public transportation, and said "Fuck it, have all the trolleybuses." Some still operate in former Soviet countries to this day, like the one in Kyiv, Ukraine, shown in the picture above.

So what's the point of all this?

The first is to show some transit that isn't always rail. That's obvious.

The second is to show a form of transit that deserves some more credit than you think. The trolleybus combines some of the best elements of trams and regular buses into something that's easy to make and maintain today and tomorrow. Solutions to problems cities are having won't always come from big new innovations, rather, they will usually come from technologies in the past that we used to embrace, but we just don't anymore. Things are getting better, but it will take time. In the meantime, however, get out there, and spread the good word of the trolleybus. Oh, and to also trolleybus your friends. Can't forget that.

#transit talk thursday #trolleybus