#Café Egoiste

[chigirisprincess]

　 ˚ ᡴꪫ You Could Be Mine Tonight; Interlude I

— Chigiri Hyōma

⊹ Details. 18+ minors dni, gn!afab!reader, chigiri puts the go in egoist, first meetings, author self insert, selfship lore heavy, reader is italian-american living in italy, set in verona, some italian dialogue, first meetings, ⊹ Run time. 1.4k ⊹ Note. Fawn is back again with yet another series of sorts. This is my selfship lore with mister Chigiri Hyōma and will be expanded upon whenever I am inspired so enjoy! <3

The fair city of Verona fed the romantic daydreamer that crawled into the deep recesses of your chest as a child. In spite of spending your last six months settling in, you couldn’t fathom ever tiring of waltzing through the old, cobbled streets and imagining the lives led by those living over five hundred years ago in the middle ages. Idling wonder if they too ran their fingertips across the smooth, rosy marbled walls. Or, if they gazed upon the stars while resting in the Piazza dei Signori as you did when your red wine tinged evenings drew to a close.

You supposed the reality of those living all those years ago were far more bleak than proposed by the Middle English romances you studied during your undergraduate. Still, it didn’t mean you couldn’t imagine a display of courtly love spilling over the aged edge of Juliet’s balcony; a gallant knight who was far more romantic than the whiny Romeo, and a demure lady who was more akin to a blossomed flower than a person. With the sky, a most remarkable shade of blue– far more dazzling than anything you’d seen back home– and the scent of sweet flowers carried on the breeze, it was difficult not to lose your thoughts within a fairytale-like dream.

A rich waft of freshly brewed espresso rouses you from your thoughts, bringing you back to the small café you’ve made into your home for the afternoon. Sparing a glance back to your laptop where your latest novel sits open, you sigh before snapping it shut. As romantic as Verona was, your fantasies failed to inspire an ending to the chapter you’ve spent the last month working on. You blamed the lack of direction on your recent move, halfway across the world from North America to Europe but in the droll truth you suspected your lack of romantic experience was beginning to impede upon your ability to write a romance novel. Shoving your things into your bag, you offered a wave to the barista before clearing out.

The next building over was calling your name.

It was a small, family owned bookstore that had been passed down at least six generations and resided between two restaurants. The current owner, Signor Fiorentino seemed perpetually miffed by the constant racket amassed by the staff when on break but was always amenable when offered fresh biscotti. Which was precisely why you picked up an extra one at the café in case you decided to head over.

The small bell above the door rings as it opens, announcing your presence, “Ciao signore!” You greet, shuffling through the cramped rows of shelving. 

A smile tugs at your lips as you reach the small checkout counter where he sits. Signor Fiorentino is perched upon a well worn stool, thumbing through a copy of today's newspaper.

“Buonasera Signorina,” he grins at the sight of you, his smile growing wider when he takes notice of the biscotti in your hand, “Is that for me?”

You hold your hand out in response, passing it over to him, “You know it is,” you say, resting your elbows on the counter, “So, have you gotten anything new in stock?”

Your hopeful tone dwindles when Fiorentino narrows his eyes at you.

“Buttering  me up with sweets are you?”

“What! No!” You frown, “But … I was wondering if you’d heard back about that custom bound copy of Romeo and Juliet?”

The expression he wears tells you he hasn’t. With a sigh, he shakes his head, “The seller says it's on their backlog and they’ll get back to me soon.”

You wear your emotions on your face as if it were your favourite sweater, never one to masterfully disguise the disappointment you felt. It was your greatest flaw that loved to rear its ugly head at the most inopportune moments. Like now. The corners of your mouth dipped into a petulant frown, your bottom lip jutting out. You became a mirror image to the kindergarteners you taught English to. They were cuter than you when they did it.

“Cara mia do not stress!”

Sometimes, he speaks to you as if he were your family. You allow him to far more often than you should. He reminded you of your nonno, you supposed that you reminded him of his children and grandchildren who had long since immigrated to North America. Reaching over the small counter, he rests a weathered, spotty hand onto your forearm.

“I’m not,” you mutter with a small sigh, “I’m just frustrated.”

He gives your arm a sympathetic squeeze.

“I know.”

Returning his smile, you turn to the dozens of book lined shelves in search of something to satiate the burn of disappointment you wished to mask. Your fingers graze against the lip of the dust covered shelves as you pass through them, floating around the shop as though you were a spectre rather than a customer. You settle in front of the stack of mediaeval literature. Pursing your lips, you tilt your head to get a better view of the title, Amorosa Visione. A long, narrative poem. It wasn’t exactly your first pick, you much preferred Middle English romances but you needed to branch out every once in a while. Pulling the book off the shelf, you took a step backwards as you skimmed the blurb printed on the back.

Another step backward causes you to bump into another person.

So engrossed in your reading, you hadn’t noticed they joined you in the aisle. Dipping your head down in apology, you offer them a smile.

They scoff, looking you up and down.

“I’m sorry,” you apologise, hoping they spoke English, “I didn’t see you there.”

His expression only worsens, “Yeah, right like I’m supposed to believe that,” he snips in English, flicking a strand of bright red hair from his eyes. 

He turns toward you, standing with their arms crossed over his chest. His sunglasses slip down his nose as he peers at you. You blink in shock, face warming at the sight of him. He was pretty, unfairly so. With long, pretty lashes that frame sharp magenta eyes which cut right through you with his glare. Shaking your head, you remind yourself that he was a jerk who was irrationally annoyed over you accidentally bumping into him.

“I … I don’t understand what you mean,” you frown, “It was an accident, I promise I wouldn’t bump into a stranger on purpose.”

“You don’t recognise me?” The man asks, pushing his sunglasses further up the bridge of his nose with his middle finger.

You shift uncomfortably under his gaze. He seems to pick you apart with his clipped words and harsh stare as if he were given hours to scrutinise each miniscule part of you rather than a few measly minutes.

“Am I supposed to?” You cock your head to the side, “Are you an influencer or something?”

You give him a once over, taking in his attire. He was dressed fairly casually but still looked rather put together. The accent that shrouded his words told you that he too wasn’t from Verona, but nothing in the way he carried himself struck any ounce of familiarity. The arrogance and accusation that lingered in his narrowed gaze seemed to align with your view of celebrities and micro influencers. 

Disgust flashes in his eyes,“No, I’m a professional soccer player,” he explains, “Manshine City, ever heard of it?”

“Okay …”

“I thought all Italians were huge soccer fans,” he says with a shrug of his shoulders.

You stifle an eye roll,“That’s a kinda a misconception like how not all Canadians are obsessed with hockey and say “aboot”” your comment doesn’t elicit a laugh like you hoped it would, instead he gives you a strange look, “Besides, even if it wasn’t we tend to be pretty nationalistic.” 

“Right.”

A lull passes between the two of you before he speaks again.

“I apologise,” he says, almost begrudgingly, “For assuming you were some desperate fan.”

Biting back a snarky remark, you laughed to yourself. Were all athletes this full of themselves? 

“No apology needed.”

He purses his lips before nodding his head.

“Just uh, don’t give the shop owner the same attitude unless you want to be chased out of here with a broom.”

The corners of his lips quirk up into the smallest of smiles, “I’ll try to keep that in mind.”

Tucking your book beneath your arm, you slink out of the aisle with a relieved sigh. You hoped, whatever other soccer players that may have been crawling about this fair city were certainly less egotistical than him.

© all content belongs to dearbraus. do not modify, repost, or redistribute.

networks; @houseofsolisoccasum @interstellar-inn

[sarisinema]

An Underrated Gem: Jean Eustache's The Mother and the Whore (1973), A Review of the Film and A Rant About the ''Man-child'' Trope in French Cinema

Blog Post #7

Youtube is a great place to watch old and long foreign films with subtitles, even if they are of the worst quality. In 2020, when we all had to stay at home, I was watching all the films I could find from La Nouvelle Vague, when all the films by Godard, Truffaut and Rohmer were finished, I came across a relatively unknown director whose name is Jean Eustache, best known for his film ''La Maman et la Putain''. The title of the film sounded wild to me, so I went for it, ignoring the quality and length. The film begins with a young man, Alexandre, who wakes up in a woman's bed and decides to declare his love to another woman. Alex is a dreamer, he likes to talk about politics, art and philosophy; he thinks he is a hopeless romantic and a naive man, maybe a bit lost in the modern world. But outwardly, Alex is an unemployed young man who is a burden to everyone he meets because he is open about his needs and is not ashamed to get a little 'help' from the women in his life. He lives with an older woman with whom he sometimes sleeps, and he is fine with the fact that this woman sometimes brings another man to have sex with, to the bed where Alexandre sleeps. Alex spends his life looking at girls on the streets of Paris or sitting in cafés chatting with his "enlightened" friend because he has nothing else to do. On the day he learns that his ex-lover, whom he wants to marry, is engaged, he meets Verinoka, an open-minded nurse, in a café. Alex is unfamiliar with Veronika's unconventional honesty, and she will shake the young man's views on sexuality and relationships.

Veronika and Alexandre, La Maman et La Putain

The film is about disappointed youth after the events of '68, about bohemian life, about people who try to be nihilistic, but when confronted with real emotions they mess everything up and seem "reckless". The director wrote long monologues for Alexandre's character. The two women and we listen to Alexandre's ideas over and over again. Alex is an egoist, someone who, thanks to his devil's feather, is able to get out of situations in which he is helpless. He has a blunt attitude to relationships and women, thinking he knows everything. Because of his relaxed attitude, women had to play the "cool, uncaring" girl in their relationships with him. Whenever Marie, the character he lives with at home, gets frustrated, she shuts up and looks at her own life because of Alex's nonchalance, but underneath there is an undercurrent of ugliness and defiance. In fact, the film shows that people who appear to be very open do not express their true feelings and thoughts just to keep their image intact. While the character of Veronika at the beginning of the film presents the image of an uncaring woman who sleeps with everyone, who is not afraid to tell Alexandre that she desires him, who expresses her sexual desires, we see that she does not reveal a side of herself.

Her "putain" side is a defence mechanism against the men around her, it is the easiest way for her to communicate with them and live her sexuality, but she expects love, honesty (not indiscretion under this bohemian guise) and understanding from a relationship. She even expresses that she wants to be a "maman". Although the director has chosen Alex as the childish protagonist, the character he really wants to draw our attention to is Veronika. He shows the overwhelming difference between the emotional and social capacities of young men and women, and how the term "sexual freedom" affects women and men differently and what this term means to them. It also shows how most men don't know shit about a woman's psyche, which has been given so many rights in a society that is still not sure how to adapt to the new order. The confusion caused by this "excessive" freedom and the state of women in the modern world, torn between being a "woman of the house", a "mother of their children" and having a career and being able to live their sexuality freely, is portrayed through the character of Veronika. At a time when women are so confused and overwhelmed by this dilemma, men like Alex, who is literally a man-child (which can be seen in almost every film of Godard's early career and in Rohmer's Six Moral Tales and Tales of Seasons), become the most insufferable character of all. Eustache doesn't "punish" or "change" his character Alex because of the women in his presence, but Rohmer and Godard certainly do.

I think Rohmer's whole career is about human interactions and relationships, he's one of the most successful directors when it comes to portraying women in the modern world and male characters who don't understand a thing about the psyche of the women around them, but pretend to be the expert on relationships and how to deal with a woman. Rohmer's films become satires on this man-child who thinks he knows everything about women, sex and life, meets a woman or several women, tries to manipulate his way out of every situation he encounters, and Rohmer destroys this man's ego throughout the film. His most famous films, Love in the Afternoon (1972), My Night at Maud's (1967), Claire's Knee (1970), La Collectionneuse (1967), are about a man who has very strong opinions about how a woman should look and behave, who starts to lust after the woman he seems to hate and criticise. In La Collectionneuse, the main character, Adrien, was forced to live in a villa with a woman, Haidee, who was a friend of a friend of his. He had a very low opinion of her because she had many sexual partners and was very open about it. At the end of the film, he was desperate to sleep with her, to "show her" that he was the best in bed among all the other men, but later the girl was indifferent to him and he was humiliated.

Adrien and Haidee, La Collectionneuse

For Godard, the most important of his films to have a male child protagonist is Masculin-Feminin - the main character, Paul the, is so preoccupied with himself and his surveys that he doesn't notice his girlfriend is having a lesbian affair. At the end of the film, Godard punishes his ''ignorance'' by having the girls push him out of a window.

Paul, Masculin Feminin

Although these man-child characters are at times insufferable, they are such fun to watch, and their ego's are silenced in the New Wave movies. It is a great trope to deal with the issue of modernity and so-called sexual freedom, which is still not so free for women, and the clash between the social-emotional capacity of a male and the modern woman's.

[juleshollow]

Jules Scarlet (she/her)

Keen eye / Book Smart

Likes: rain, books, videogames, The Beatles, cheese

Dislikes: crowds, confined spaces, herbal infusions, loud noises

Romance: no one

Living situation: she lives alone in a small studio. She loves to have her own place, but her job as a first year associate in a law firm doesn't really allow her much time to relax there. Jules doesn't like her job and she's contemplating her career choices.

About her:

Jules is a kind, private person. She's very polite, partly because good manners give her an easy way to maintain a conversation despite the initial nervousness of meeting someone. However, when she warms up she usually makes people laugh with her witty comments. Her sense of humour doesn't change how responsible she is - she will get serious when needed. Similarly, the fact that she's reserved doesn't stop her from standing up for herself and others. Great listener and very observant, spends a lot of time analyzing people.

All in all, she is very reliable but feels a bit distant. It takes a while to get to know her.

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

Jude Scarlet (he/him)

Street Smart / ???

Likes: dyeing his hair, sleeping, playing music, smoking, pickles

Dislikes: getting up early, being in a hurry, strong scents, expensive things

Romance: Avery maybe?

Living situation: he lives in a shitty apartment with ten roommates. It's what he can afford at the moment. Jude is studying psychology while working part-time jobs to get by (right now he works in a café during week days and in a music shop on weekends). He also gets gigs to play with local bands and loves the nightlife, so he does NOT get the sleep he needs.

About him:

Jude is pretty chill by nature and extremely tired by (bad) choice(s), so he gives off an aloof vibe. He will fall asleep anytime, anywhere (he always dozes off in the car with Tabitha). He's not really eating properly either, he just gobbles down on whatever when he gets the chance, and he stays thin despite eating like a monster. Very tall and slim, he's basically built like a Tim Burton character.

Jude is an eccentric guy with a weird sense of humor. He's not shy at all because he doesn't care much about what others think. Between that and his strong instinct for self-preservation, he seems somewhat egoistic.

Picrew: https://picrew.me/en/image_maker/1342558

[noemiemouna]

Je ne sais plus quoi faire de cette douleur. Il y a des jours où elle surgit , comme ça. Une chanson, une photo, un café froid, n’importe quoi qui m’y ramène. Ca me surprend, comme un malaise au fond de moi. Une vague d’impuissance.  Une plaie protégée, le pansement qui s’enlève, tandis que je balayais, chantais, regardais un film... Un geste de quotidien, qui rouvre la plaie. Soudain. Le coeur lourd, le ventre vide, ce trou noir qui me dévore soudain de l’intérieur... Et après quelques temps, je ne sais plus à qui la confier. A qui le dire. Sur l’épaule de qui pleurer.. Encore et encore, sans me sentir misérable ou inutile. Egoiste.  Alors je pleure,seule. Je craque, j’écris 2/3 lignes. Je me laisser aller dans les bras de cette douleur qui m’enlace, brutalement. Qui me berce et me ramène toutes mes chimères, mes pires cauchemars, les uns après les autres. Je m’y abandonne. Je soupire d’aise dans cet inconfort. Ces flashs qui me hantent et m’empoisonnent. Je nourris mes petits démons. Je les laisse me dévorer, quelques minutes, sans me battre.. Juste quelques minutes.   Jusqu’à ce que des “mamans” pleins d’inquiétudes et d’interrogations me ramène à moi même. Jusqu’à un appel. Un geste quelconque. Ma nouvelle vie, mon nouveau foyer.. Un rayon de lumière dans les ténèbres... Puis je reprend vie. Je change la chaîne de la radio. Je nettoie. J’embrasse fort le vivant et le coeur qui bat. Je sèche mes larmes.  Pour mieux étreindre mon soleil. 

[lgbtqmanga]

New Releases Feb. 20, 2024

All You Want, Whenever You Want (manga) by Omayu

Opposites attract in this risqué office romance! On the surface, handsome Sales Manager Tsubaki is all smiles and professional grace — but underneath, he's a workaholic who bears the brunt of a tyrannical boss and throws himself into work to avoid heartache. When his first encounter with the newest transfer to his division, Makino, results in a clash of personalities, Tsubaki assumes that they might be too different to get along… But the forthright and fearless Makino turns out to be just Tsubaki's type, and attraction sparks between them when they end up as next-door neighbors at the company dormitory! Tsubaki is determined to listen to his head over his heart and keep clear lines drawn between them, but there's no helping it; Makino's affections win him over despite his best efforts. Even though it might be a bad idea to mix business with pleasure, an impulsive hook-up turns into something more!

Assorted Entanglements (manga) vol. 4 by Mikanuji

She couldn’t care less about her teacher. But for some reason, she can’t leave her alone... When Kujo, a gym teacher whose thoughts on romance have been complicated by past disappointments, finally starts looking for a girlfriend again, she ends up enlisting one of her students as her wingwoman in exchange for not revealing that the girl, Sugimoto, works at a maid café. But it isn’t long before Kujo finds herself at the mercy of Sugimoto and her incessant advice. And yet, as the pair work towards their strangely shared goal, they find the tense distance between them giving way to feelings of affection...

I Cannot Reach You (manga) vol. 7 by Mika

Kakeru has finally realized how he feels about Yamato, and he wants nothing more than to be able to express it properly…but no matter how he tries, he just can’t quite pull it off. And when a misunderstanding arises between them, Kakeru ends up taking his jealousy out on Yamato…

I Think Our Son Is Gay (manga) vol. 5 by Okura

*Final volume*

Tomoko is no stranger to change. With two boys in high school and a husband who’s away on the job a lot, being able to adapt to new situations comes with the territory.

Now, Hiroki is throwing himself into his afterschool activities with bestie Daigo despite nursing a potential broken heart, and he’s even found a new hobby: Dancing!

Things also come to a head with Asumi, Hiroki’s childhood friend, who’s been crushing on Hiroki since probably forever!

And when dad Akiyoshi gets transferred back for work, the temporary family of three returns to being a family of four! How will Tomoko and the boys adjust to Akiyoshi’s presence?!

Everything happens under Tomoko’s watchful eye, as ever, but this time, Tomoko decides a little direct involvement on her part might not got amiss in the final volume of I Think Our Son Is Gay!

I'll Never Fall In Love With an Egoist (manga) by Emu Soutome

Aohara is a playboy; life is an everlasting summer and there’s no rest for the horny, especially for a top like him. Pursued relentlessly by a guy named Masaki, Aohara is frustrated when Masaki insists on being on top, and making Aohara the bottom. But Masaki is friendly and soft-spoken, making it hard for Aohara to fend off his advances…

Is This the Kind of Love I Want? (manga) vol. 1 by Kouki

When Uta comes out as gay and confesses he wants to sleep with another man for once, his friend Ryouma -- who's a virgin himself -- obliges. But Ryouma is straight. Or at least, he thinks he is. The two men live together as friends, living their own lives and dating their own partners. But they continue to be inextricably drawn back to one another…

A Kiss That Stains the Innocence (manga) by Emu Soutome

Ombra is a rough type who lives alone in the mountains. One day a man asks him for help; prince Sirius, the son of the king and his concubine. It's been ten years since the king razed Ombra's village to the ground, killing his parents and anyone he's ever loved. Now he's consumed by emotions, conflicted by his desire for revenge and perhaps something else. Meanwhile Sirius, who can’t remember his past, doesn’t recognize Ombra’s internal struggle, only aware of his growing feelings for the man…

[uta-no-fakku-sama]

i love accidentally finding my tumblr posts on twitter with happy fans :3

[hyunverse]

SURPRISE DATE 02, PASTRIES TASTING WITH GOJO SATORU.

requested by anon for the cupid’s choice event. 

gender neutral.

request; “ Hey hey! Your valentines prompt is so cute! Can I request a surprise date with Gojo from JJK? My pronouns are she/her and I‘m usually a cheerful, laid back person plus I’m a self proclaimed meme queen lol. My friends appreciate my caring side (and my love for baking 🍰) - I tend to give lots of love, even though I’m scared of getting hurt since I’ve been burned by people in the past so I sometimes need reassurance and can be needy. My love languages are physical touch and words of affirmation! I think our dynamic would be fun and never boring, even if we‘d be chilling at home and baking cookies or something haha! “

“are we lost, satoru?”

no reply. instead you could feel the car turn left, your surroundings suddenly dim. you look to your window to see you’re in a tunnel. the cold leather of the expensive car hits your skin when you lay back a little too roughly. gojo’s been driving for an eternity, and you were losing your patience.

at first he’d reply “almost there” or “just a little more” but by the fifth time you asked, he didn’t utter a word. perhaps he’s really lost now, but he’s too egoistic to admit it. a rumble sounds from your stomach, comes with it is an uncomfortable pain.

you forgot to eat breakfast this morning.

gojo turns to you for a brief second, chuckling, “you hungry, baby?”

no shit sherlock, you think. a pair of angry eyes shoots dagger towards the man’s way.

you’re about to fire back a response but gojo places a hand on your stomach, as though rubbing it would just chase your hunger away. a pout juts from your lips.

“we’re here, silly”, your partner announces.

when you look up you’re met with a café. the surrounding feels modern, but minimalistic at the same time. you could see neon signs from inside your car, the lights illuminating pastel colors. plants are everywhere in the café, you could already feel the fresh air emitting.

“last week you told me you were running out of ideas on what to bake”, gojo says, leaning forward to peck your lips, “so i brought you here. come on out darling, the pastries here are delicious”.

you don’t waste even a second more.

in the café gojo orders pastries after pastries, you’re sure you’ve seen a glimpse of paradise. the bakery goods there tastes immaculate, down from the glazed donuts to the sweet custard cream puffs. you’ve never realized how much satoru pays attention to your taste until he’s feeding you your favourite pastry with a grin on his face while saying “you’ll like this one!”

is saying you’re the luckiest person in the world even enough?

plate after plate you start to feel like you’re about to burst. satoru in the other hand, shows no signs of stopping. he acts like a little kid sometimes around you, only returning to his 28 year old self when he kisses you sensually or when he pushes your fucking buttons.

“seems like you’re enjoying yourself more”, you chuckle softly, looking up at the sorcerer as he takes a bite from a garlic toast. you put down your cup of tea on the table to link your arm with his and proceed to rest your head on his muscular arm.

gojo satoru hums in response, putting his head on yours;

“yeah. your baking’s still better though babe”.

[lecafedezola]

NOT OKAY

#IamNotOkay —this is the catchphrase of the stunning, fresh new Shephard Quinn satirical movie, starring an incredible Zoey Deutch, a Mia Isaac whose performance doesn’t feel like a performance, but a very real, raw feeling, like the breath-holding “spoken words'' speeches she delivers, and a Dylan O’Brien who mastered the laid-back prick, and who we love to see again and again. The trend of criticising and blaming social media for any and everything has been going on ever since social media have been going on, so it’s not that much of a surprise that the news of a new movie about this very subject announced it, with the exclusivity on the growing platform HuLu. Yet this is not your typical modern-day satirical fairy tale, with the “be yourself, don’t lie for attention, and live in the real, IRL, 3D life” morale-incorporated happy-ending, teens have been getting since 2010s. Here, we get real anti-heroes (Colin, who dumps girls after fucking them raw in the fancy restrooms of some private clubs, Danni, manipulative, unapolegetic, two-faced perpetual liar who we can’t quite pinpoint if she’s truly okay or #notokay) and Shephard excels at writing this truly detestable, cunning, narcissistic, egoistic yet irrationally universal weirdo who doesn’t have any friends, looks over real struggle and pain for attention, was born into wealth class and race privileges and is doing all of this for a guy. I insist on the “anti-hero” aspect of Danni as a female character, and would not describe her as a female villain —because it goes beyond that simple dichotomy, and that I genuinely believe that we need more unredeemable female characters without weaponizing them and villainizing them just because they’re women (just like we get anti-hero male characters and their masculinity/gender identity is never an argument of their villainification). It’s honestly such a fresh movie about minority voices whereas it’s queer and LGBTQAI+ characters, the importance of talking about survivors and their own struggle, and young Black girls, feminist values in a real world with real, flawed characters : Shephard allows her character to be flawed and unredeemable and this is feminism also because it’s not naive and her feminity is not weaponised. Though the ending left me wanting more —leaving me with the need for more of the monster, more of the ever-going cruelty of the character we hate loving and relating to of the watcher's guilty craving, I can honestly assure you that you’ll experience something you may not have experienced often. Not to mention the visual effort to make this work pretty to look at (whose movie poster, I find, feels off and as if unrelated to the overall artistically on-touch influencer-moodboard aesthetic and softly eccentric character of the movie and its main protagonist and her milieu). The mix of neatly designed costumes and props and settings and the time bomb-structure of the movie is an attractive combination : you’ll never really get this gut-wrenching, ‘when is it going down’ feeling out of you until the third half of the movie and you’ll never find yourself lost among the fast-paced narrative thanks to the sequenced and titled subparts.

the paris effect & the emily in paris satire

I could spend hours writing about the Paris effect (meaning, the high expectations and excitement foreigners have upon the prospect of going to Paris, seeing the Eiffel tower, going to Le Louvre, eating a baguette and simping a cup of espresso with a croissant at the terrace of a cute little café by the Seine, watching beautifully styled people —if this gave you an orgasm, you suffer from the Paris effect, but don’t worry as it also works on French people, romanticisation of places and cities can work wonders sometimes) and its evil twin, the Paris syndrome, or in Japanese パリ症候群 as it seems to be a Japanese people thing, which is the extreme sense of disappointment when visiting the city which will never be what you expected, and is in fact quite a dirty and overly priced place (to be fair to Japanese people, I think French people suffer from a Tokyo overhype, too). This duality of Paris in cultural products, because this romanticisation that is responsible for the, it appears, inevitable disappointment that the city offers is ultimately imagined, constructed and perpetuated by Hollywood movies like Midnight in Paris, Woody Allen movies or any movies with these parisian apartments that display the Eiffel tower on all its window, but also French movies like Le fabuleux destin d’Amélie Poulain, binge-watchable platform shows like Emily in Paris (the ultimate guide to the numb and dumb romanticisation of Paris, a common point with NOT OKAY is featuring influencers), aesthetic, unrealistic Pinterest moodboards and Instagram posts that must include haussamien buildings streets, baguettes, croissants and cup of coffees, glasses of rosé, gold, beige and soft pink tones, the Eiffel tower or le Sacré coeur melting in front of photoshopped sunsets, and these keywords : #paris #parisfashion #eiffeltower #parisvibes #parismonamour #parisianstyle #parisjetaime #montmartre #emiliyinparis. We understand that Quinn wanted to mock these products by showing ultra-American characters like Colin finally listening when it comes to Paris, Paris the ultimate glamorous city of love, art and all your life’s opportunities, and addressing the romanticisation of a city that already suffered from at least two terrorist attacks in the last 10 years. We won’t miss either the satire towards Emily in the “now, where is my baguette?” scene, a clear reference to the pain au chocolat scene.

All in all, NOT OKAY depicts in a very smart, yet not always subtle (but the point of this movie doesn’t seem to be to be subtle) way the glamorisation of the city of love, that is also the city of terrorist attacks and tourist disappointment, using Emily in Paris, and all that the Netflix show represents, as a widely-known, cultural reference point for its satire.

the ninth of august twenty twenty-two

[mrsbarnes99]

The meaning of age and time

Pairing: Modern!CEO!Bucky Barnes x Reader

Summary: You and Bucky are in a happy relationship but the comments of others about your agepap get to him and he starts wondering if you two are really suited for each other.

Warnings: Angst, big agegap (Reader is 23 and Bucky is 40)

Word Count: 1853 words

A/N: Here's a little one shot I came up with. I hope you like it. This is my first try at writing something and English is not my first language so please be kind.

You and Bucky had been together for almost a year and you‘ve never been happier in your life. He was the kind of boyfriend every girl hoped for: loving, charming, caring, funny and a bit dorky. But although you two were very in love and had been living together for a few months, there was one aspect that seemed to cause more and more problems. At first you never thought much about your agegap because you didn‘t deem it a problem in any way. But there had been situations in which you felt like Bucky was having some issues with the fact that you are significantly younger than him.

You first noticed it a couple of weeks ago when you two went out for some coffee in the afternoon.

Eversince the new cupcake shop down the street from your apartment had opened you wanted to try it out. So one Sunday you convinced Bucky - by convincing you mean giving your boyfriend a serious case of puppy dog eyes - to go there after taking a walk together. Bucky had always loved these little dates the two of you would go on practically all the time as Sam would say. This time though you noticed that Bucky was uncomfortable and kept glancing at everyone around you. Almost as if he was checking if they were looking at you two.

"Buck, if you don‘t want to stay we can take some cupcakes back home."

You were very surprised about the relief on Buckys face after telling him this but you figured that he was just exhausted and wanted to relax at home after a grueling week at work. Especially because everything seemed fine again once you had left the shop.

The second time that Bucky was all of a sudden in a bad mood was when Sam kept teasing Bucky with his "old age". Normally Bucky would just roll his eyes and start making jokes about Sam as well. Sometimes they would get so competitive that it almost seemed like a match. But this time Bucky just blew up.

"Y/N, grandpa here is really turning you into a homebody. When was the last time you went to a club with us?"

"I canceled one t-" "What is your problem Birdbrain!? Can‘t you just mind your own damn business for once?" You were shocked at how angry Bucky was and that he‘d just interrupt you like that.

"Cool it, Buckaroo or you might have a heart attack." Sam kept mocking. While glaring at him Bucky got up from his chair and then just stomped out of the café and back to his office. You and Sam just looked at each other confused. Neither of you understood why this would bring such a reaction out of him. After giving Bucky some time to calm down you went looking for him but he didn‘t go back to his office as you had presumed. So you went to his assistant and asked her where Bucky went to. "He left to see Mr. Rogers in his office to go over some contracts, Ms. Y/L/N."

You weren‘t sure if you should go up to Steve‘s office or not but decided to just knock and see if they were almost done. As you were standing infront of Steve‘s door you heard Bucky‘s voice "You don‘t understand Steve! I just don‘t know how to ignore it!" What was Bucky talking about? Ignore what? You were curious and kept on listening to their conversation.

"It was never a problem before. What changed?" "You just don‘t get it, Steve! Do you know how weird it is to feel how everyone around is watching you thinking what does he want with her? Can‘t he find someone his age? That poor girl he‘s probably just using her to feel young again. Why are they together they have nothing in common?" You felt a tear slide down your cheek. Why didn‘t Bucky tell you about his feelings concerning the agegap the two of you have? You decided it was better to go back to Bucky‘s office and wait there until he comes back to talk about everything. You didn‘t have to wait long. Bucky was back half an hour later and seemed to be in a better mood but once he saw your sad face he got concerned. "What happened, doll? Have you been crying?" "No. Actually, yes a bit." "Why?" Bucky sat down beside you and pulled you towards himself hugging you. "Ms. Romanoff told me you were with Steve so I went to his office and I overheard you guys talking. When were you going to tell me that my age bothered you so much?" You could see that Bucky was struggling thinking about how best to answer your question.

"Look, doll. I have always known that our relationship would raise some brows but that never bothered me until I heard some women talk about us." "When was that?" "That day at the cupcake shop." "So that‘s why you wanted to leave. But why does it bother you when someone you don‘t even know thinks it‘s ok to judge us?" "I didn‘t want it to bother me this much but I couldn‘t help but keep thinking about it. They did have some points..." "Such as?" You asked annoyed. "For example the fact that you‘re at an age where you like to go out an party on the weekends instead of chilling at home. Or that I‘m at an age where you settle down and start a family whereas that’s still in the far future for you. We‘re just in two very different places." "So do you feel this way too or have you just started thinking about this after hearing someone make these stupid remarks about us?" Bucky looked you deeply in the eyes, sighed and then kissed you on your forehead. "I‘m sorry, doll. I guess I just got too in my head with all this. I don‘t think that we‘re a bad match or not suited for each other just based on our age. I love you and I‘m very happy that you're my girl." "I love you too Buck. But promise me that you‘ll talk to me if something like this happens again ok?" "I promise, doll. What do you say to a movie and some Pizza tonight? So we can leave this all behind and spent some time together." You smiled at Bucky and gave him a kiss before grabbing your back and making your way back to the little clothing store you had started with Y/F/N a couple of years ago.

Now looking back at these two small incidents you wonder if you missed the signs which led to the big fallout you and Bucky had yesterday. When you came back to the apartment after work you were exhausted. Today just hadn‘t been your day. It started with an unfriendly customer and ended with a fashion magazine describing your stores latest clothes as boring and nothing new or exciting. You couldn‘t wait to just snuggle up to your boyfriend and forget about everything. But upon unlocking the door to your shared apartment it was like you entered an alternate dimension. There was a suitcase next to the door and you heard your boyfriend rummaging in the bedroom.

"Do you have to leave for a business meeting?" You asked confused, wondering if you forgot about something he mentioned. Bucky looked at you with an unreadable expression on his face. "Buck, what is going on? Did I forget about something?" You were starting to feel very agitated and uncomfortable like you already knew something bad was about to happen. "Look, Y/N, I think we‘ve been living in our own little world all this time but we just can‘t ignore the real world forever." "What do you mean?" You were shocked and heartbroken. Was Bucky really breaking up with you? And since when did he call you by your name? Normally he would refer to you by cute nicknames, mostly he would call you doll so much that his friends at first thought that that was your name. "It‘s just... you‘re too young for me. You're practically still a kid wanting to live their dream by trying to create a fashion brand with an itty bitty store. Whereas I‘m a cofounder of a well established firm who wants to start a family. We‘re in two different places in life and it‘s just not working. I mean your only 23 and I‘m in my forties. I need someone my age who I can marry and start a life with and you still have a lot to experience before you‘re able to settle down. You‘ll just resent me later on if I force you to grow up faster than you‘re supposed to." You were feeling numb. Too shocked to do or say anything. You only realized that you were crying once you saw the teardrops hitting your jacket that was folded over your arm.

"You can stay in the apartment as long as you need to find another place to stay. I‘m flying out to a conference and once I get back I‘ll move into my old condo." "So that‘s it. You suddenly decided to end it all over some comments other people you don‘t even know made? Don‘t I mean anything to you? I thought you loved me. How can you just throw it all away?" Bucky looked you in the eyes but you couldn‘t recognize the man you‘d fallen for anymore. His eyes were cold and detached like you were some nasty insect he wanted to get rid of. "Don‘t make this any harder on yourself. The faster you come to the realization that we never would have worked anyway the better. If you would be so nice as to let me leave now, I have a flight to catch that I can‘t miss because of your childish behavior. In the next couple of days someone is coming by to get the rest of my clothes. Oh and before I forget, here take this back it must have been expensive and you need the money more than I do." With that he gave you back the Rolex you had gifted him to his 40th birthday. You‘ve never felt so insulted „Really!? Is breaking my heart not enough for you? Do you have to insult me as well!? You can keep it. What should I do with it? I can‘t return it...remember it‘s engraved you egoistic, conceited asshole!" With that you shoved the watch back in his hand and ran off to the guestroom and looked it. A few minutes later you heard Bucky leaving the apartment and you.

Sitting on the floor you cried your eyes out. You‘ve never felt heartbreak like this before. Bucky had been everything you ever wanted but he just tossed you away like yesterday‘s trash. And the worst is that despite everything he just did and said to you, you‘re still not able to hate him. He still has your heart, sadly he doesn‘t want it no more.

[nicecarito]

❤️ What inspired you to make this OC? How long have you had them? How have they changed in the time you’ve been developing them? For Crema!

Well! This was her first design!

(SO UGLY SMFJGKGKGK) And my computer data said that she born

January- 16- 2018 (ignore how bad i name my archives xDDDD)

But I posted her here in tumbrl in 5- October-2018 like she was in my dusty archives for a while until I decided to show her to the world!

She borned as a secondary character from a Cuphead Au that maybe you know, where ALtte and Café are Mug and cup parents. she was supposed to be Latte’s big sis, A Sassy, egoistical big sis who was proud of being the center of attention with her singular voice (She born like a singer and she’s still one!) and was completely against to Latte’s desire of adventures. while Latte was able to heal others with auras, Crema always could heal people’s minds with her singing!

but then she started to be my favorite model for my fashion designs!

(Once my computer like died so I lost some of her picts :,P when I started to draw her more but I will add the one sthat I saved

Training Latte to be a Perfect Fair Lady! she was pretty strict in that Au!

but then she started to be my favorite model for my fashion designs! 

And I got an obsesion cuz like I was totally lesbian for her ahgsgdhf like my muse for my clothings!

AAAHSGDHGNGNHJHHJ LESBIAAN BEAM

AND I decided that she doens’t belong to cuphead universe, she needed her own space to develop as a character and that’s how she got in Rooibos City au! Where she’s still a popular singer but with a shady pass

But my main inspiration for Crema was Pgell from THE SPIRIT

A femme fatale always messing with the police officer but she uses her charms to avoid him.

Crema is my siren singer! I really love her dearly!

[heartbrokenct]

the summit - n.jm

pairing na jaemin x reader

genre a bit of fluff but also angst ig uh-

word count 1.7k

warnings uh this is not a happy one :,)

summary feelings are so hard. haing them not be returned is evben ahrder. when the perfect confession moment comes along for him to confes and all the buildup has led to this moment, there doesn't seem to be a way to fix the mess he created in your heart.

There is not a single feeling in the world that can compare to this moment. The feeling of finally holding a diploma after four years of grueling work, next to your close relations, your family, and your best friend, Na Jaemin.

  “Let’s all go out!” someone suggested, and everyone strongly agreed. After a bit of confusion, everyone was finally shoved into a car and the group that came to celebrate your graduation all huddled into a small korean café not too far from the venue. 

   “Yah, what are you getting?” You hear a soft voice ask, and your attention is drawn away from the menu and towards none other than Jaemin himself. The relationship between you two had always been a bit of a rollercoaster. When the two of you had met in your first year of University, you despised him. He seemed so energetic and somehow that gave you the impression that he was egoistic, and arrogant. Within a few months of his continuous badgering to be his friend, (and with many eye rolls on your part) you finally gave in. Slowly but surely you found yourself falling for his soft eyes, and his bright smile. The way his face lit up whenever he was laughing, and the way he just carried himself. You fell for the way his mood seemed to influence everyone around him, and how he could make everyone laugh with just a single gesture. Everything about him piqued your curiosity until he surprised you by bringing you to meet his new partner. The shock was so intense that you basically avoided him for the 3 months they dated, and continued to pine for him. After a few rounds of dating and breaking up with a slew of lovers, and the sadness that came with each one, it dawned on you that you and Jaemin would most likely never have any sort of romantic relationship. Begrudgingly, you managed to get over him. But now, as you looked at his smiling face you couldn’t help feeling a familiar tug in your heart. 

   “Hey, did you hear me? Why are you staring at me like that?” He questioned, a confused and slightly flustered look on his features. You shook your head with a start and took a deep breath. 

   “Uh- yeah, I might get the milk tea with boba.” 

   “Sounds good. I’ll probably get my usual.” 

   “Ah, yes. Na Jaemin and the famed 6 shot dark roast espresso.” 

He laughed, and looked at you with a look that seeked approval. You dismissed the look, hoping it had been your imagination and gave a laugh in return. 

   “Just don’t blame me when you can’t sleep again tonight. I won’t be up to keep you company like I usually make the mistake of doing. Ask Chenle or Jisung." You retorted, and he chuckled. 

   “Well, no one forces you to, it’s not my fault you’re obsessed with me” he jokes, pretending to flip his hair and you roll your eyes, scoffing.

   “You wish. More like you’re the one obsessed with me,” you said, and walked up to the counter smugly without even waiting for a response. What you missed was his panicked face watching you, as if you already knew his secret.

--

A few weeks had passed since your graduation, and you’d moved out of your dorm and into an apartment a few towns over from Jaemin and most of your friends. Job searching had become increasingly more stressful on top of the whole moving thing, and each prospect was less exciting than the one before, and you grudgingly applied to another place that might hire you on. A knock at your apartment door drew you from your wallowing, and you sighed, getting up to answer the door. You flung it open, and upon being greeted with Jaemin’s bright smile, you found yourself mirroring him.

  “What’s the occasion Jaems?” You said, letting him in. He held up two bags of takeout and raised his eyebrows. 

   “Well I was… in the neighborhood and I figured I’d stop by, we could have some food and catch up. You haven’t talked to me for weeks!” He complained, and elicited a laugh from you. 

   “I’m trying to be an adult and apply for jobs, not everyone has rich parents like you.” You counter, and wait as he unpacks what he brought. The delicious smells suddenly remind you how hungry you are, and you go rummaging in your drawers for some utensils. Jaemin studies you while you’re turned away, and wonders how exactly he should go about saying what he came here for. When you turn around, holding the utensils as if they were some sort of weapon he jumps, and laughs, snatching them out of your hand. 

  After the meal and hilarious company, you sit back in your chair with a hand on your stomach feeling full. A few moments later, Jamein also tosses down his utensils and mirrors your position. 

    “Thank you for lunch… and for thinking about me. It’s been a while since we’ve talked. I can’t believe I really missed that much! Did Haechan really end up getting that clean up job? I'm surprised he didn't take something in his field” You rambled, but with a genuine smile on your face.

 After some more back and forth, he stands to grab the dirty utensils and garbage, putting them in the sink and bin, respectively, before coming back to sit across from you. 

   “You know, I always think about you. Sometimes I want to call you, but I never know what you’re doing since you decided to move away…” He continues, but you frown slightly, still dwelling on ‘I always think about you’. You shake yourself. There is no way that you could possibly have feelings for him again. Not after the debacle of 3 years ago. Something draws you out of your reverie, and after a bit of blinking and clearing your throat you focus on Jaemin's curious look. 

  “Earth to y/n, are you there? Stop spacing out on me! I'm much more important than whatever it is."

  “Sorry Jaems! Just thinking… you know.”

  “Thinking, about what? I didn’t know you could do that.” At this, you scoff, and reach over the table to smack his arm. He tries to pull away, but to no avail, and ends up jabbing his elbow into the armrest of the chair. While he whines about hitting his funny bone, you’re overcome in a fit of laughter, “That’s karma for you Jaems, watch what you say!” 

   "Yah, y/n! How can you be so mean but right at the same time?" He whines once more, and you stifle your chuckles. You look down at your phone that just pinged with an email, and he studies you once more. The curve of your nose, and the soft angles of your jaw. Your lashes, which frame your eyes so beautifully, and those sparkling eyes that he always seems to get lost in.

 As you light up with joy at one of the many job interviews you went to, he stands and grabs his phone quickly. The pure joy and happiness on your face was something he had to capture, and he did just that. 

 You noticed, but chose to ignore, and instead focused on the words in the email. 

"Dear Y/N. We are pleased to announce that we have considered your resume and interview, and would love to have you join our team!" Another squeal left your lips and you stood, jumping around crazily. 

  "Jaems, Jaems! JAEMS, I GOT THE JOB!" You shrieked, and he stood, coming over with a huge smile plastered on his face. His arms enveloped you into a hug, and you returned the hug, unable to contain your excitement. He congratulated you, and promised to get you something nice to celebrate. 

 He knew he should be happy for you but the disappointment that the moment may have passed him by was evident on his face. He tried to brush it away, but stopped you and took your hands into his. 

   "Y/n look at me. I really don't know how to start this but I seriously need to tell you before I completely lose all confidence." He starts, and you try to control your breathing as you focus on his serious tone. 

   "It's been weighing on my heart for so long… and I know I'm not perfect, and definitely far from what you deserve… but I cannot keep ignoring how much I love you." He finished simply and you froze. Your eyes locked on his, unable to comprehend what his words meant. They replayed in your mind over and over as you stood there looking at one another, you confused and him holding his breath for an answer. 

  "Jaemin, I'll admit this is unexpected. Especially from you, my best friend. Jae I loved you. I did. Back in university I knew it and I was going to tell you but then suddenly you introduced me to dozens of people who you got romantically involved with and suddenly I realized maybe there wasn't anything between us. I realized that you and I were not meant to be more; that this wasn’t some fairy tale where two best friends slowly fall in love. But here you are three years later telling me you love me?" You say, and slide your hands out from between his. Taking a deep breath, and a few steps back, you frown. 

  "Y-You… in sophomore year?" He said, now being his turn to feel shocked and confused, "Well if I had known then…" 

   You cut him off, "Then what? Huh? What, you'd have dropped everyone and dated me?" 

   "I'd have thought about it… And yeah I probably would have run to you over all of those mistakes. It was always you, always people who reminded me of you. Always me trying to find someone to occupy my thoughts rather than you. Always me trying to stop loving you because I was scared it would break us apart. I didn't want to lose you, and I wasn't sure if confessing back then would have backfired." He says, and reaches out a hand towards you. You shake your head and look up at the ceiling, tears threatening to pool over. 

   "Well Jaemin, you're too late. Too many years of broken promises have led to this and I don't want to go through the process of… un-loving you again." You say, and the tears finally spill over onto your cheeks. Jaemin's heart lurches in his chest at the sight of your tears and he closes the gap between the both of you, gathering you into his arms. You don't even fight him, and just stay there, having finally overcome the summit. 

[i-am-gusu]

Uncle has been at the café today. It’s the second time I’ve ever seen him step foot here. Xichen came with him the first time. His presence made it easier to see him there. Uncle asked me to introduce him to the establishment, which I did. He wasn’t very interested in the bunnies, but Xichen took Bennett to put in Uncle’s arms and he kept petting him for all the duration of his stay. And then, he came back again, sitting at the exact same booth, the one where Mingjue sat last time, and read a book while petting Bennett. 

I… don’t know how to feel about that. 

He asked me about Wei Ying. If he’s doing well. I couldn’t lie to him, even if I wanted to. “We are learning together.” It seemed enough for him. He nodded and didn’t bring the subject up again. 

He only comes on Thursday afternoons so far. I think Xichen told him that’s when Wei Ying is not working. We both agreed he can take the afternoon off to get ready for his appointment. I take Wednesday afternoons. 

I… I don’t really want to see Uncle at the café. I’m aware that makes me sound egoistical, but this place is *my* place. It’s a place where I feel safe from the life I had before. Wei Ying thinks it’s good that he’s there. “Maybe he’s trying to make amends.” Xichen confirmed it. 

I’m… not so sure I want him to. I will talk about this next week with my therapist.

This week, I have been given the same homework as the previous one. Read through the posts Wei Ying wrote during the week we spent apart. Read them and write about them. How they make me feel now, after everything that happened. “We will talk about what still hurts and explore how to heal it,” my therapist said. 

I haven’t been able to do it. Not yet. I know Wei Ying wants to be there with me when I go through it, but I also know it’s going to hurt him too and… He has suffered enough. I don’t want to put him through this again… 

Even if I know that… Well, we are both healing. Slowly. Surely. We’re taking our time. It feels good. Even if it’s harder sometimes, on the days we remember. 

Tomorrow, perhaps, I will start exploring these older posts… I will ask Wei Ying if he wants us to go through them together. If he doesn’t want to, we won’t. I don’t want him to hurt himself for this. It’s important.

As for Ghosty… @quillwritten, I talked about it this week… I’m still… Well, I think it’s a very cute drawing that you made. I love all of them. I know Wei Ying loves me as both but… There is still some guilt… But thank you for the drawings. I printed them. They’re on the fridge now. I like seeing them whenever I’m about to cook something. They make me smile. And also… Seeing the ghost on a daily basis helps to associate the image with something more positive. So thank you. 

Tomorrow. I want to work on this tomorrow.

[ladyaj-13]

Five Faves

Rules: It’s time to love yourselves! Choose your 5 favourite works you created in the past year (fics, art, edits, etc) and link them below to reflect on the amazing things you’ve brought into the world. Tag as many writers/artists/etc as you want (fan or original) so we can spread the love and link each other to awesome works!

Thank you @ronniebox for the tag, and sorry for being (checks notifications) 8 days late responding 😮

I actually found this pretty hard? Maybe that’s a bit egoistic but I re-read my stories all the time - the first audience is me, after all, so I like all of them and picking favourites is like choosing between my (imaginary) children! I had to leave out a few that I reread often. But, I did manage it in the end...

1. Hot Water (Merlin, Gen/Pre-Slash, G, 3682 words)

In this, Arthur find out/works out about Merlin’s magic. It was the first fic I ever finished for Merlin (after many tries, despite being a fan since the beginning) and the reception to it has been kind of mind blowing, especially for something that isn’t really a Merlin/Arthur story (although you can totally read it with those goggles).

2. Three’s Company (Endeavour, Morse/Joan/Jakes, T, 8481 words)

How three became one 😂. This was influenced by all you lot on Tumblr - probably the first time I’ve written something and known people were waiting for it. I remember reading the comments coming through while sat in a café - it was Halloween and I had taken the day off - and just grinning my head off.  And, of course, first time launching a new ship! It spawned a whole series.

3. Across the Years (Life on Mars, Gene & Sam, Sam/Annie, G, 4617 words)

This spans decades, from just post-canon (ignoring Ashes) to after 2006. I didn’t plan to write it at all. I just sat down and it spilled out, and I kind of love it, even though it is a little sad. Probably one of the closest to canon-compliant things I’ve written. Like, the actual show writers might have gone this way.

4. Like Spinning Tops We Stop (Endeavour, Morse/Jakes, 6, 20899 words)

Such a soft spot for this. Written pre-S7, after a quick run through seasons 3-6, it picks up post-S6 with ‘Peter Jakes comes backs to Oxford’. It’s the longest complete work I’ve produced so far, and it’s just super soft fluffy kid fic with Postman!Peter and lots of domestic bliss, even if they take a little while to work out the romance side.

5. Out of Line (Endeavour, Morse/Sam Thursday, T, 14899 words)

The fic that was never meant to be. The pairing no one wanted, me included. But it ate my brain and somehow I dragged enough of you with me to make it worth writing. A future fic where Sam Thursday comes back from the army and - oh, is that Morse? Sam’s got the hots. Morse is resistant. (But also really not.)

This was super fun. I’m so late to the party I don’t know who’s been tagged? So lets try @not-easy-being-green124 @robinfai @trewloves @dragonslover98 @wherehefoundtheporcupine @psychotic-llamas16 @littlecello

[ducknotinarow]

Bailey frowned gently, unsure how to go about this. Richard had gotten him a lot of help with his own problems, and well, the Rooster should show the Eagle just as much support. Richard supported him, and Bailey was going to do the same. Bringing in a deep breath, he walked over, taking a hold of their hand,

“Richy...can we talk about something?” He asks, frowning.

Pulling them away from the Café crowd, and into the office, Bailey got them to sit down. He held their hand tightly, thumb stroking over their knuckles,

“Richard...you, you got me help when I needed it, and, and...” He sighs, for once, words failing himself, “You need help...I know you haven’t said much about Zane, and your parents, but, we both know what your parents did, how they treated you, well...well it fucked you up to put it lightly.” 

He moves closer, unsure how his words are making Richard feeling. He knows they’re stubborn, egoistical, and maybe he was doing this is the wrong way, but, Bailey didn’t know how else to do this,

“I think, that you, my dear...need to go to a professional for your issues...” Bailey interlaced his fingers, “Please Richard? Or at least look into it with me? I just...I just want you to address what your parents did.” 

Clattering of dishes, coffee pots brewing and machines were a buzz. Orders being shout out easily crafting up five drinks at a time and handing them off. Truly this was Richards element, when the café was hassling and bustling like this. Success was always grave importance to him after all. Turning to hand out the last set of drinks as things started to settle down. Wasn’t as fun when it wasn't as busy. Was a bit odd Bailey hadn’t been bugging him yet, course that thought was taken away when feeling their hands come and take hold of his own. Ready to greet them but stopping when seeing they were frowning.  

“Richy...can we talk about something?”

Richard just nodded in response as they lead the way to his office, no idea what they wanted to talk about, did they have a relapse? Sitting down on the couch as Bailey stroked over his knuckles honestly that helped his mind ease a bit from letting himself over think. Looking to Bailey as they tried to speak up about what was on their mind. Richard was about speak up help them feel safe to say what they needed to, but they found the words finally.

“You need help...I know you haven’t said much about Zane, and your parents, but, we both know what your parents did, how they treated you, well...well it fucked you up to put it lightly.” 

Bailey though he needed help? well that was not something he ever thought he would hear. It set him back a bit as well. So this was about his family then?  Granted that was a touchy subject for him, and sure Richard had to admit that effect him quite a bit but fucked him up? Richard let them go on though as they brought up maybe going for professional help. Well that was out of the question clearly. 

“Bailey I don’t” He stopped a moment, honestly he was feeling defensive over that suggestion making a small clicking sound with his tongue as he closed his eyes a moment. Not able to hide the irritation he was feeling in the least as his tail feathers lifted up a few times. 

“I mean yeah sure I don’t exactly come from a decent family, and yeah talking about that stuff...is hm difficult. But, I mean I wouldn’t go as far as they fucked me up” he finally says opening his eyes, gaze down casted however, free hand rubbing at the back of his neck. “I know I don’t talk about any of them much” rare that ever did mention anything about them in truth “but I don’t think there is a lot to say either.” 

Well maybe there was, they did impact why he was such a workaholic, and likely more about the eagle himself. “Look, I accepted your worry I do really and I know you wouldn’t say this all with out valid reason behind it. But needing help? just cause I had some crappy parents? Or lost a brother I cared a lot about? I’m just not a very emotional guy Bails thats all.” He didn’t want to discourage the rooster though “But, I mean I guess I could think about it in the least.”

[fist-and-fury-xiv]

Types of People: Dungeons & Dragons Classes

bold what applies to your character  italicize what somewhat applies to your character

BARBARIAN

toothy  grins,  stories  around  the  campfire,  clothes  covered  in  pet  hair, hot temper, old  jeans, heartbeat  in  head,  potatoes  and  steak,  beaded jewelry, bruises  like  galaxies,  mementos, backpack  stuffed  full,  craigslist furniture, spontaneous  road  trips, air  ripped  from  lungs

BARD

homemade  bread, white  lies, easily  excited,  trying  on  hats,  band  geek, pep  talks, no impulse control, sunsets, vintage  fashion,  long  showers, selfies, following  dreams, rosy cheeks, song mash-ups, pink  lemonade with tequila, loves easily, animated  storyteller,  full  of  comebacks

CLERIC

list  of  wishes,  biting  their  tongue, band-aids  and  neosporin, shoulder to cry  on,  morning  sun,  necklaces,  trial  and  error,  homemade  quilts, formal clothing,  astrology  fan,  messages  in  bottles,  pleated  braids, speaking  up for  friends, feathers, motivational  quotes, vivid  dreams

DRUID

bird  watching, shy  kid,  wind  chimes, trying  to  whistle,  summer  camp, apple orchards, lost  in  their  head, glow-in-the-dark  stars  on  the  ceiling, hoodies, thrift  shopping,  saving  worms  off  the  sidewalk, pig  latin, bare feet, thunderstorms, numb  fingers,  braided  hair,  naming  potted  plants

FIGHTER

goosebumps, leather  jackets, adventure, chewing  nails, cares  deeply  but can’t  show  it, bronze  locks, no  sleep,  taste  of  iron,  netflix  binges, never forgets, combat  boots, stories  behind  scars, table  for  one, official soundtracks, sore  calves, trusts  themselves  the  most

MONK

always  trying  to  be  better, wanderlust,  meditation,  sweatpants, old   photographs,  yoga, sleeping  in  hammocks, nostalgia, minimalist design, a breath  of  fresh  air, baby  animals,  volunteering,  perfectionist,  doesn’t care about  fashion,  healthy  snacks,  noticing  the  little  things

PALADIN

school  uniforms, thick  jackets, sleeping with the windows open, logical advice, scrapbooking,  compasses, i  fight  for  my  friends,  sculpture gardens, cold  morning  air, big  soul, likes  routine, secret  romantic, last  to get jokes, sunflowers, practical  presents,  misty  weather

RANGER

herbal tea, smell of rain, blinking away tears, camping trips, collecting bones, swiss  army  knives,  first  impressions,  anxious thoughts,  bobby pins, burnt marshmallows, too competitive, clotheslines, messenger bags, holding grudges, gets along  better with animals than people

ROGUE

flirtatious  sarcasm,  candid  photos, lost  phone chargers, adrenaline rush, picking  dirt  out  from  beneath  their  nails, social  chameleon, clashing clothes, self-deprecating  jokes, claw  machines, sits  in  chairs wrong, smudged eyeliner, has too many sunglasses, eats nothing or everything

SORCERER

infectious laugh,  family trees,  shivers  down  their  spine,  lipstick  and roses, mood swings, clumsy,  believing  in  destiny,  high expectations, sleeping in darkness, collection of nail polish, passionate, good grades but never studies, poetry  books,  blowing  kisses,  not  knowing  their  own strength

WARLOCK

knowing everyone’s secrets,  backpack  covered  in  pins,  envy,  being  in walmart  late  at  night, earl  grey,  selective memory,  conspiracy theories and cryptids, key smashing, need to know basis, can’t cook, bags under eyes, experimental  art,  flickering  bulbs,  black  clothing  all  year  long

WIZARD

piles  of  textbooks, cat  in  lap, keeping a diary, indecision, scented candles, studying  alone  in  a  café, lingering  touches, museum dates, unanswered questions, taking on too  much  responsibility, collections, chalk dust,  comfy robes, unnecessary apologies, coming home after a long day

Tagged by: @monkhsuns, @syerraffxiv, @mortuislupus

Tagging: @witchespromise, @egrine, @fair-fae​, @coeur-egoiste, @gatheredfates, @honoura, @autochthonousone, @berrodarmstrong, @themyriadmen, @snowbird-down​, and anyone else who wants to tackle this!

[uurkhilen]

𝒕𝒚𝒑𝒆𝒔  𝒐𝒇  𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 : 𝒅𝒖𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒐𝒏𝒔  𝒂𝒏𝒅  𝒅𝒓𝒂𝒈𝒐𝒏𝒔  𝒄𝒍𝒂𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒔

bold what definitely applies to your muse. italicize what somewhat applies to your muse.

𝙱𝙰𝚁𝙱𝙰𝚁𝙸𝙰𝙽   »   toothy  grins,  stories  around  the  campfire,  clothes  covered  in  pet  hair,  hot  temper,  old  jeans, heartbeat  in  head,  potatoes  and  steak,  beaded  jewelry, bruises  like  galaxies,  mementos, backpack  stuffed  full,  craigslist  furniture, spontaneous  road  trips, air  ripped  from  lungs

𝙱𝙰𝚁𝙳   »   homemade  bread, white  lies, easily  excited,  trying  on  hats,  band  geek, pep  talks,  no impulse  control,  sunsets,  vintage  fashion, long  showers,  selfies, following  dreams, rosy  cheeks,  song  mash-ups, pink  lemonade  with  tequila,  loves  easily, animated  storyteller,  full  of  comebacks

𝙲𝙻𝙴𝚁𝙸𝙲   »   list  of  wishes,  biting  their  tongue, band-aids  and  neosporin, shoulder  to  cry  on,  morning  sun,  necklaces,  trial  and  error,  homemade  quilts, formal  clothing,  astrology  fan, messages  in  bottles,  pleated  braids, speaking  up  for  friends,feathers, motivational  quotes, vivid  dreams

𝙳𝚁𝚄𝙸𝙳   »   bird  watching, shy  kid,  wind  chimes, trying  to  whistle,  summer  camp, apple  orchards, lost  in  their  head,  glow-in-the-dark  stars  on  the  ceiling,  hoodies, thrift  shopping,  saving  worms  off  the  sidewalk, pig  latin, bare  feet, thunderstorms, numb  fingers,  braided  hair,  naming  potted  plants

𝙵𝙸𝙶𝙷𝚃𝙴𝚁   »   goosebumps, leather  jackets,  adventure,  chewing  nails,  cares  deeply  but  can’t  show  it,  bronze  locks,  no  sleep,  taste  of  iron,  netflix  binges,  never  forgets, combat  boots,  stories  behind  scars,  table  for  one,  official  soundtracks,  sore  calves, trusts  themselves  the  most

𝙼𝙾𝙽𝙺   »   always  trying  to  be  better, wanderlust,  meditation, sweat  pants, old   photographs,  yoga, sleeping  in  hammocks, nostalgia, minimalist  design,  a breath  of  fresh  air, baby  animals,  volunteering,  perfectionist,  doesn’t  care  about  fashion,  healthy  snacks,  noticing  the  little  things

𝙿𝙰𝙻𝙰𝙳𝙸𝙽   »   school  uniforms, thick  jackets, sleeping  with  the  windows open, logical  advice,  scrapbooking,  compasses, i  fight  for  my  friends,  sculpture  gardens, cold  morning  air, big  soul, likes  routine, secret  romantic, last  to  get jokes, sunflowers,  practical  presents,  misty  weather

𝚁𝙰𝙽𝙶𝙴𝚁   »   herbal  tea, smell  of  rain,  blinking  away  tears,camping  trips, collecting  bones,  swiss  army  knives,  first  impressions,  anxious  thoughts,  bobby  pins,  burnt  marshmallows,  too  competitive,  clothes  lines,  messenger  bags, holding  grudges,  gets  along  better  with  animals  than  people

𝚁𝙾𝙶𝚄𝙴   »   flirtatious  sarcasm,  candid  photos, lost  phone chargers, adrenaline  rush, picking  dirt  out  from  beneath  their  nails, social  chameleon,  clashing  clothes,  self-deprecating  jokes,  claw  machines,  sits  in  chairs  wrong,  smudged  eyeliner,  has  too  many  sunglasses,  eats  nothing  or  everything

𝚂𝙾𝚁𝙲𝙴𝚁𝙴𝚁   »   infectious  laugh,  family  trees,  shivers  down  their  spine,  lipstick  and  roses,  mood  swings,  clumsy,  believing  in  destiny,  (very) high  expectations ,sleeping  in  darkness,  collection  of  nail  polish, passionate,  good  grades  but  never  studies,  poetry  books,  blowing  kisses, not  knowing  their  own  strength

𝚆𝙰𝚁𝙻𝙾𝙲𝙺   »   knowing  everyone’s  secrets,  backpack  covered  in  pins,  envy,  being  in  walmart  late  at  night,  earl  grey,  selective  memory,  conspiracy  theories  and  cryptids, key smashing, need  to  know  basis,  can’t  cook,  bags  under  eyes,  experimental  art,  flickering  bulbs,  black  clothing  all  year  long

𝚆𝙸𝚉𝙰𝚁𝙳   »   piles  of  textbooks,  cat  in  lap,  keeping  a  diary, indecision, scented  candles, studying  alone  in  a  café, lingering  touches,  museum  dates, unanswered  questions, taking  on  too  much  responsibility,  collections, chalk  dust,  comfy  robes,  unnecessary  apologies,  coming  home  after  a  long  day

Tagged by: @keeperofthegamble ! Thank you for this, I enjoyed these. Been on a real big d&d kick lately so it was a lot of fun imagining some of my characters with these in mind. ]]

Tagging: @lilac-memorials ; @coeur-egoiste; anyone who sees this and wants to give it a go!