#LoveLink Oliver Black

[ilyom]

Real Heavy Talk - Something happened in LoveLink :(

So something serious and heavy happened in LoveLink.

I love this silly little game and I love ALL the characters, to different degrees, save for 2 now: the BDSM CEOs - Stefan Silver and Oliver Black.

I've never really been a fan of them but I know the (truly authentic, responsible and accountable) BDSM lifestyle and I was curious to see how LoveLink was going to handle it -- and, I had hoped, make it much better than 50 Shades from which it is inspired.

Before placing the cut below, I urge you to please continue reading and take action by the end of this post.

Trigger Warning: I will summarize what happened in Stefan/Oliver date and subsequent conversations (physical harm, abuse of trust and gaslighting), the various reactions to them and what harms this has done to a community of players who don’t only play to kill time but have also invested emotionally in those characters and stories.

Disclaimer: I haven’t played the date because I am still reeling from how Ludia went about it and I don’t want to put myself through this. Stefan is still in my chats and I left it hanging. However, players have extensively explained on Reddit’s LoveLink sub, so you can read more there:

- https://www.reddit.com/r/Lovelink/comments/qnc2tw/oliver_and_stefan_are_back_with_their_morally/

- https://www.reddit.com/r/Lovelink/comments/qndmjx/tw_phsyical_abuse_oliverstefan_update_11052021/

- https://www.reddit.com/r/Lovelink/comments/qnnr1m/oliver_and_stefan_fans_waiting_months_for_their/

The Date

Stefan/Oliver invite MC in their playroom again for a session and they remind MC again about the contract and the safewords (Yellow - slow down/be careful and Red - hard stop). Safewords are taken very seriously in BDSM lifestyle because they convey intent and consent. They are the only thing a submissive or bottom has in their control to keep them safe (assuming that the Dominant/Top are extremely considerate and trustworthy). They play with various toys, depending on the choices. However, safewords chosen by the players are ignored by Stefan/Oliver several times and they even cause MC to bleed by breaking skin while biting them. After these, MC is shaken (and traumatized by the breach and abuse of their trust) and they leave.

The Aftermath

In the conversation following this disastrous date and to what literally amounts to sexual assault, Stefan/Oliver “explain” (read: justify or excuse) their lapse of self control over stress caused by the death of their father, the public exposure of their relationship with MC and the handling of their businesses and shareholders. They question whether MC used the safewords and whether they are ready for this lifestyle. The dialogue options for MC are meek and they eventually reportedly forgive Stefan/Oliver. They go offline saying they need to think about what they want out of the relationship. 

Ludia’s Response

The only tangible and documented response from Ludia is to add a Content Warning notice at the beginning of the date following an immediate outcry and revising Stefan/Oliver’s few lines of dialogue right after the date to feature a more apologetic tone.

The Harm Caused

First and foremost, survivors of domestic and intimate violence and people who experienced other forms of violence who were not warned about this content relived past traumas and emotionally suffered from playing this date. Adding insult to injury, the follow-up conversation is textbook gaslighting of the survivor by the abuser. So survivors also have to relive a most damaging behavior of abusers that often prevented them to report or to leave the relationship.

Second, players who have grown attachment to these characters because of the care, consideration, trust and affection they bestowed on the MC were hurt by how their beloved characters transformed into abusive monsters.

Third, having Stefan/Oliver not acknowledging their fault and the abuse of trust they committed, having them “excusing” their behavior on stress, having them questioning the MC over their own “lack” of action and fitness to this lifestyle and relationship and having the MC not holding Stefan/Oliver accountable for their actions and worse.... FORGIVING THEM is NORMALIZING ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIPS.

And last, presenting BDSM lifestyle and practices without holding practitioners accountable for their grave mistakes is putting people who do not know what they are entitled to expect from responsible, genuinely caring Dominant and Tops in the lifestyle at risk of being abused by irresponsible people under the cover of BDSM.

What you can do

I urge you to let Ludia know that what they did with Stefan/Oliver’s latest update is normalizing sexually abusive and gaslighting behavior on their platform, even if it involves fictional, virtual characters, this is unacceptable. You can do this by sending them an email, rating their game with 1-star reviews and CLEARLY and ONLY writing that you are against normalization of sexually abusive relationship by Stefan Silver/Oliver Black.

If you write anything else, like you love the game but ... or that you're grateful they put a Content Warning notice, they will only read that and respond to the positive part.

They have to clearly, unequivocally understand that they are contributing to the normalization of abusive relationship and gaslighting behavior and that they have to take a stance against this.

Thank you for reading to the end!

And I hope you are safe and sound if you have played the date and completed the update.

#LoveLink #Ludia #Ludia Lovelink #Stefan Silver #Oliver Black #Lovelink Stefan Silver #LoveLink Oliver Black

[justtuesdays]

lightning & phantom: characters

#litg #lovelink #lovelink moodboard #litg moodboard #tuesdays: moodboard #oc: seven salazar #seven salazar #fic: lightning & phantom #lightning & phantom #litg ibrahim #litg bobby #litg chelsea #litg lucas #litg priya #lovelink oliver black #lovelink ryan byrne #lovelink mica onasis

[kokokabana]

I love this MC.

#he just said ‘wow’ #stefan silver #oliver black #lovelink mc #lovelink oliver #lovelink stefan #ludia lovelink #lovelink #kikkis.swiping #kikkis.stuff #HAAHAHHAAHHAHAA

[felicia-fatales]

oliver’s tired of our ass

#lovelink #oliver black

[corgibae]

Ceo of smacking my ass.

#lovelink #oliver black #corgidraws #this was in wip for sooo long

[kennyos]

Lovelink Match Counterparts: Part Two

Here we goooooooo!!

Emmalyn Roberts/Angel Reed (Animal Shelter Workers)

Stefan Silver/Oliver Black (50 Shades Enthusiasts....Also Invest Managers)

Jasmin Medina/Kayla Summers (Models)

Antoine Dawson/Noah Cruz (Veterinarians)

Vitoria Voznesensky/Sage Foster (Artists)

#lovelink #vitoria voznesensky #sage foster #antoine dawson #noah cruz #jasmin medina #kayla summers #stefan silver #oliver black #emmalyn roberts #angel reed

[thebenvoliobrit]

Hate to break it to you Ambassador but...

I'm in NO WAY dominant

#also GO AWAY #stop relying on this type of route #PLEASE #lovelink #lovelink oliver #oliver black

[reigning-passions]

we just gunna ignore that stefan asked us to dom him or

#lovelink #oliver black lovelink #i was straight up SCREAMING

[hell-chronicles]

Stefan Silver/Oliver Black from lovelink

Being kinky and rich is not a personality trait

#lovelink #stefan silver #oliver black #asks #roasting characters #i never played their routes and the only thing i knpw is that they're a Christian grey copy

[ellariouss]

#lovelink #oliver black #riverdale #jughead jones #trust me it pains me to tag that also

[ilyom]

Hi! Thank you for explaining the whole Oliver/Stefan situation. I saw people making posts about how upset they were but couldn’t find specifics (at least when I looked on tumblr). Honestly finding out about it has made me feel icky and I only ever matched with Oliver to farm gems but it’s quite gross how ludia did this with no warning…

You are welcome, anon!

Ludia did so well for some other routes (for instance Jonathan Hayes/Albert Bishop's PTSD attack episode -- although with hindsight this date should also bear a Trigger Warning for people who suffer similar PTSD) and there is absolutely no redeemable reasons as to why they decided to make Stefan/Oliver's story a story of abuse perpetrated by a Love Interest.

Please help with letting Ludia know that this route as it stands is normalizing abusive relationships and encourage others to do the same. Thank you!

#anon asks #ilyom replies #Lovelink #ludia #Stefan Silver #Oliver Black #Lovelink Stefan Silver #Lovelink Oliver Black

[kokokabana]

I don’t care how unfunny or cringe MC’s answers are to some people. I think they’re funny as hell. It’s so amusing to see how Stefan/Oliver reacts but this? This takes the cake. He’s so tired of our shit gkejfksnskpl

#MC can push the billionaire serila *iller as much as she want I think it’s funny. also they sometimes play along! #stefan silver #oliver black #lovelink stefan #lovelink oliver #kikkis.swiping #kikkis.stuff

[corgibae]

Nervous for his first real date.

#lovelink #oliver black #corgidraws

[bloom-agreste-cheng]

Lovelink

I have been playing and romancing for weeks now. And all of my favourite guys and second favourites are down for the count. Look at this

I literally just have Antoine left. I WANT MY MILITARY BOO BACK! As well as Blake, Austin, Rory, Oliver, Hugo, Cpt Muffin. I had the most chemistry with Jonathan, Blake, and Hugo. I want them back.

Also I wanna flirt with a bunch more people but I can’t. I really want to flirt with Gabe Scott. Has anyone gotten with him yet? Is there a specific zodiac sign you need to unlock him? I need him and bit more. Pls send help.

#Lovelink #jonathan hayes #Austin Russo #Blake Bailey #Hugo Hornsby #gabe Scott #rory o’brien #cpt muffin #Oliver black #antoine dawson #calum keys #Seth Evans

[thebenvoliobrit]

Here we go....AGAIN

#someone make it stop #enough is fucking enough #lovelink #lovelink oliver #oliver black

[megatraven]

since my phone updated i was able to finally download lovelink and i

i cant believe my first fucking date in this game is with the fucking christian grey ripoff LMAOOOO

#meg speaks #mr oliver black.......... ur lucky ur rich #lovelink