#gabe is jonathan definitely

[sasanka-27]

“Relax Cas, I’m the map.”

Quote and inspiration taken from movie the Mummy (1999)

[vickyvicarious]

jonathan would find gabriel as the model lawyer, so cool and unphased yet lovable, i wanna be him, and gabe would be thinking protect your innocence boy, change professions. he believes the white hair is that law school has become more brital.

I'm imagining that Mr. Hawkins knew Utterson professionally. Younger Jonathan shows up with some documents or is tagging along somewhere and gets introduced to him/sees him in action, and he's so impressed. Goes home and talks to Mina about Utterson's quiet confidence and mild nature but that he obviously listens attentively and is so calm and unflappable and he seems so professional. Of course he looks up to Mr. Hawkins, he has this kind of affable way of getting along with people and an excellent cataloguing system and all that, but that Mr. Utterson really seemed like a lawyer, you know? And sure, he didn't have the same way with words or the ability to break the ice with a good joke like Mr. Hawkins, but there was just something really likeable about him somehow anyway...

Mina nods along super fond and points out that Jonathan has a certain quiet dignity himself, and she's always loved how he remembers everything she says to him, and Jonathan's temper is disposed to a rather calm natural state, and she's certainly always found him very likeable... So honestly, if those qualities are what make this Utterson so impressive then she's even more confident in the great career awaiting him. Essentially just a lot of (fluffy flirty Jonmina) support and Jonathan looks up to Mr. Utterson from then on.

On Gabriel's side of this he's met Harker once or twice, never alone or for long, but he seems like a nice enough young man. He's obviously got a great big heart and Gabriel's kind of thinking to himself, well, it's obvious Hawkins dotes on him (Mr. Hawkins in true dad form brags about Jonathan being just an excellent protege from time to time), but, oof. The day is definitely going to come when the often-cruel reality of human nature is revealed to him if he sticks around in this profession. A lot of the most idealistic and eager people get their spirits broken by such things, in his experience; certainly, many of his friends who succumb to a bad influence go slower if they weren't so innocent when it was first introduced to them. (In a word: Dorian Gray. That certainly happened quick enough.) They certainly seem to find more pleasure in the fall when it's gradual, and it's often more of a gentle slope to a more realistic outlook as opposed to a plunge off a cliff. (Not that he judges, either way.) He's a tad invested due purely to exposure; even if they haven't met in person very often, Mr. Hawkins talks about Jonathan enough that Gabe's gotten a bit fond by proxy.

The next time he has business with the Hawkins law firm, it's become Hawkins & Harker, except actually the only one left is Harker. He's very different in some ways - his hair shock-white now; the way he stands like he's poised to act, a certain set to his shoulders, his hand falling to his hip; a certain look in his eyes that is at times impressive, at times unsettling, and at times concerning - but it seems that whatever experience he's lived through (and it's definitely been an experience, that much is clear) has not broken his spirit. Far from it. He's just as soft-hearted as ever, but there's something steely-edged underneath it. A kind of fire evident in him, and a love for his wife that he feels and expresses so unabashedly that Gabriel feels a little envious of the vigor in it. Harker seems mild at first, but he has a kind of intensity to him, a willingness to ignore everything else, that Gabriel hasn't often seen in decent people. It's endearing.

Whenever their paths cross, they work well together, and so perhaps their paths cross more often than they otherwise would. Maybe one day Jonathan invites him to go to the theatre and see a play together after something comes up and Mina is unable to make it, and Utterson winds up breaking a long-kept self-restraint on that count. They see Hamlet and enjoy themselves a lot, though Jonathan gets that certain look in his eye extra hard during some scenes.

[bowie-byers]

Discord Thread History / Murray's Flop Era

Jonathan Byers x Murray Bauman (@waldenwritess) x Nancy Wheeler (@soemotional)

Thread: Murray's a rlly hot cupid

Murray:

The whole endeavor had started off innocently. Really, it had! With Nancy joining The Weekly Watcher, Murray had wanted to make things official by including headshots on the last page of the paper. It helped build rapport with the audience, he thought. So he'd set out to find a local photographer who could deliver good quality for reasonable rates, and... well, as it turned out, he knew a guy. Murray and Jonathan had kept in touch, of course, though mostly through family dinners at Joyce's place. Murray had seen Jonathan around town a few times, too, with a new girl on his arm. Holly-- a reporter at The Post, as much as he could tell. Murray couldn't penalize the boy for having a type, but he could put two people together in an investigation of sorts. With Gabe's express permission, Murray had tacked up a white sheet to their living room wall to create a makeshift studio for the shots. Now, he was milling about the house, preparing waters (vodka on standby, in case) for his guests. He'd told Nancy to come fifteen minutes before Jonathan, to ensure they didn't run into each other outside and assume Murray was trying to pull a fast one over on them. When he heard a knock, Murray bounded to the door and opened it wide, grinning at his coworker. "Nancy, welcome. There's water in the kitchen, or something stronger if you prefer." Though it was a Sunday, he couldn't resist the urge to talk shop-- just for a minute. "You find anything on that couple in Montana? I know you're writing it up, but... humor me," he flashed a toothy smile. With his family expanding, Murray couldn't travel as much as he was used to-- which was why it was nothing short of serendipitous that Nancy had agreed to come on board when she had. It was a plus that she wasn't tied down, too, though Murray didn't hate the idea of changing that, either.

Nancy:

nancy wheeler was nothing if not punctual! so what if she swerved a little bit through traffic applying her lipstick! she wasn't going to keep everyone waiting. she wouldn't have taken so long though, if she didn't get so caught up in how she was going to look and if she should pin her hair up or let it fall down. it wasn't like the watcher was any big shot paper, but it was rewarding work. still, first impressions were everything, especially as a woman. so, when that first impression was a photograph she wanted to fit the image. eventually, she pieced together something that she labelled as cute and respectable and hauled ass to murray's! she met murray with a quick hug, then shuffled inside, not taking him up on his offer of water or something stronger. instead, she immediately immersed herself into talking about that couple, "well, her husband definitely wasn't replaced by a robot, but there was something...off...from the moment i met him. turns out, he had history working with the state government as some kind of low-down lackey on base of a military facility so i went--" nancy took a breath, then smiled coyly and pointed at murray, "i'll let you read the rest." she eyed her watch, then the door, "so, when's the photographer supposed to get here?" she wasn't in a rush or anything, but, nancy liked to keep up appearences, "it won't take long you don't think? i have a...thing in about an hour."

Jonathan:

Jonathan rolled up to Murray’s place and took a final & rushed drag of his cigarette, squeezing it into ashtray built into his car. It took him a few minutes to organize the mess of equipment in his trunk. Holly had (reluctantly) hauled him to the office a little past 3pm to wrap up a project for immediate press on Monday. Truthfully, he didn’t do much professional photography outside of his work with The Post - besides a couple weddings for Holly's friends over the last year. This was his first friends & family gig other than being passed the camera at household events. He generally liked to keep it that way but saying no to Murray wasn't an option and, honestly, he was happy to help. The buffer in his bank account was also welcome at this time of year, as much as he initially refused to talk about his rates. Dimming the financial impact of his last few road-trips along the coast to visit Holly's family was a nice bonus in his eyes. He trotted up the driveway and opted for the doorbell, adjusting his shoulder bag as he waited for the door to swing open. Murray seemed to be in a chipper mood - great. This was a good start. "Sorry I’m late, I got caught up at The Post and had to pack up my gear.” Jonathan wasn’t the most punctual person, as much as he tried. Murray would know based on the number of times he’d shown up late for his mom’s Sunday dinners. “I have a tripod and reflector in my bag – I can set up wherever you want, really. Have you thought about backgrounds for the shots? I wasn't sure so I brought a few neutral sheets." If not punctual, at least he showed up prepared. For all he knew The Weekly Watcher was orchestrated primarily by Murray himself. This would be an easy gig. Hopefully.

Murray:

Murray's face gave way to a sort of teasing frown, and he tsked his lips. "No killer robots yet... maybe by the twenty-fist century, huh?" he commented, then quieted himself to listen. Murray was hanging on Nancy's every word, a smug satisfaction filling his chest at the mention of government involvement-- wasn't there always? "I suppose it's only fair," he said, though his tone betrayed his desire to hear more. "It's always the military, isn't it? Someone should abolish that shit." Murray busied himself around the living room, moving his knick-knacks and Alondra's toys out of the way as much as possible. "Shouldn't take long at all! Just a few snaps. And the photographer's a real professional," he commented, mischievous gleam in his eye. Just then, the doorbell rang. "Ah! Hold that thought, Nancy." He hurried over to the door and opened it with a smile, waving away Jonathan's apology for his lateness. He'd expected it, after all. "Sure! I've cleared this spot in the living room and went ahead and put up a sheet. You can take it down if you'd rather-- but I thought the light was best here. Mi casa es tu casa," he offered with outstretched arms as they walked into the living room. Moment of truth. "Jonathan, Nancy, Nancy, Jonathan," he motioned between them jokingly. "Nancy's been working on the Watcher for.... six months now?" he asked Nancy. "She's been a great asset, always had the nose for this kind of stuff. Never could've expanded like it has without her." Murray retrieved the water pitcher and glasses from the kitchen and returned, offering it to both of them before pouring a few glasses. "And Jonathan's been working at The Post again, isn't that right? Small world, small town." He hid his pleased smile behind his glass.

[hodgebakers-girlfriend]

Hello~ I recently downloaded Lovelink and I was wondering if there were any profiles you'd suggest to play. Emerson Grey and Gabe Scott are now offline for gawd knows whenever 😅 and I was curious about other characters to chat with.

Thank ya~

Hi! Welcome to Lovelink ^^

ooh okay okay here are some of my fav matches, i try not to spoil too much 😅😂

1. Jonathan Hayes, his counterpart is Albert Bishop.

If you are into that military love, he is the perfect one; the longing, the yearning, the sincere love. It's mix of angst and fluff ;)

2. Skylar Quinn, his counterpart is Jaden Bower

Man, i absolutely love Skylar. His route is fascinating, full of adrenaline and love. He is irresistible <3

3. Seth Evans/Jamie Grant/Julia Greene - Hacker love story

4. Austin Russo, his counterpart is David Jones.

Ahh, i love this man! His story is prison love. He is wrongly accused and framed for murder he did not commit.

5 Dr. Vile

Ngl, he is the reason i stuck around lovelink.

i don't buy many diamond options and spend diamonds on pictures but i bought every single one of them for him 😌😂

He is the 'bad guy' everyone loves. Ahh, i miss him *dreamy sigh*

6. Blake Bailey

Tattoo artist love story. I absolutely enjoyed his story so far

7. Nicholas Adley

Time traveler love story.

He is an absolutely sweetheart and a nerdy dork <3

8. Ryan Byrne

My lastest match and absolute favourite. If you are into scientist-zombie apocalypse, i would definitely suggest his route

[gvbejvmesmichaels]

Pop-Up Task: Gabe’s Dream Family

Because Gabe is a child of the 70s and 80s, his dream family comes from the characters of that era. 

Jason Seaver (from Growing Pains) would be his dream father, mostly due to the fact that he’s the opposite of Gabe’s own father. This man gave up a hospital career to be a stay-at-home dad and run his practice out of the house. The idea of a caring (although not perfect) father is appealing to Gabe, and they would be close. And you know there would be a very special coming out episode. Carol Brady (from The Brady Bunch) would be his mother, if only because she’s the most supportive mother in the history of mothers. She would give him a gentle speech about how disappointed she was with him when he would make mistakes. When he came out as gay, she would be the type of mom to throw a gigantic coming out party. She would be supportive to the point of annoying and embarrassing the fuck out of him. So you know, that would follow the very special coming out episode.

Henry Blake (from M*A*S*H) would be his grandfather. While the character is a serial adulterer, there is something about the way he talked to his staff and got involved into shenanigans himself, that appeals to Gabe. He would definitely be the fun grandpa, and Gabe wouldn’t spend too much time with him out of fear that he wouldn’t accept his sexuality. This would lead to an episode of pure chaos where Henry would be convinced Gabe knocked a girl up. He would be relieved to find out: “Oh, you’re only gay. I thought it was something terrible.” Daisy “Granny” Moses (from Beverly Hillbillies) would be his grandmother. Now, he doesn’t have a real reason for this. He just thinks she’d be a hilarious grandma, and she’d be the one to watch Gabe after school. She would rope him into crazy shenanigans and there would be an episode where she tries to treat his chicken pox without calling a doctor and leads to her dying his skin a weird color.

Jonathan Higgins (from Magnum P.I.) would be his other grandfather. While Higgins is also rather traditional, he’s also willing to bend the truth for the greater good. Gabe would spend summers at the house Higgins ran in order to learn how to be a proper gentleman. He would be annoyed as hell with his grandfather’s need for Gabe to be a proper gentleman. For Higgins, there would be an episode where Gabe is convinced Thomas Magnum was his grandfather’s much younger lover. He’d spent the episode trying to catch them in the act. It would end with a very telling wink at the end. Sophia Petrillo (from Golden Girls) would be his other grandmother. Gabe would be one of the few people who wouldn’t get annoyed by her stories about Sicily. She would be the first person he would come out to, and she would have some story about something back in Sicily that reminded her of his situation. There would be an episode about Gabe bailing his grandma out of some sort of shenanigan -- like stirring up trouble at a gay rights rally.

Punky Brewster (from Punky Brewster) would be his sister, and his best friend in the world. Georgie loved watching this show when they were kids, so this is obviously the ideal substitute for his sister. They would be attached at the hip, and every episode would be the two of them getting into trouble. Jo Polniaczek (from Facts of Life) would be his cousin -- the one he was never allowed to hang out with because of her personality. She would constantly egg Gabe on, and he’d egg her on right back. There would be an episode were they get picked up by the cops, and have a very serious talk with Gabe’s parents.

Alex P. Keaton (from Family Ties) would be his other cousin, and they would not get along at all. They would be polar opposites and would argue and banter the entire time they’re together. For all their bickering, they’re still family and there’d be an episode where Gabe threatens to break someone’s knees with his baseball bat because they’re being rude to his cousin.

[ao3feed-buckybarnes]

What if Clint Fell

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/3GsLEBb

by ArtaxLivs

“Specialist Clint Barton.” Peggy supplied while the two privates left the tent. “His unit was just lost.  Barton was their sniper so he was at a safe enough distance to....not get hit with any blast.  He made it through a lot of enemy territory to get to us.”  She was hard to impress but here she was, impressed to spite herself.  Steve could hear it in her voice and see it on her face.  He didn’t think the kid understood what that meant.

“Kid -” he started.

“None of us are kids anymore, Cap.  And I’m not your son either so please don’t call me that.  I’m not anyone’s son.” He had a faraway look in his eyes when he said it but then he met Steve’s eyes and gave him an assessing glance from head to toe and followed it up with a smirk, “besides, you can’t be more’n a few years older than me - definitely not old enough for me to call you Daddy.” Then he blinked in mock innocence.

Words: 3339, Chapters: 1/4, Language: English

Fandoms: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Hawkeye (Comics)

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: M/M

Characters: Howling Commandos, James "Bucky" Barnes, Peggy Carter, Clint Barton, Steve Rogers, Jonathan "Junior" Juniper, Timothy "Dum Dum" Dugan, Jacques Dernier, Gabe Jones, Jim Morita

Relationships: Clint Barton/Steve Rogers, James "Bucky" Barnes/Peggy Carter

Additional Tags: World War II, Not Canon Compliant, Historical, Eventual Sex, Anal Sex, Safe Sane and Consensual, Virgin Steve Rogers, Awesome Howling Commandos, Clint Barton's Bow & Arrows, Snarky Clint Barton, Gay Steve Rogers, Bisexual Clint Barton, Clint Barton's Arms, Fluff and Angst

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/3GsLEBb

[tothemaxxx]

My Favorite Films and Performances of 2020

“I wish I could’ve seen it on the big screen.”

It was a strange year, and even stranger year of movie watching. In 2020 I saw only one of my top films in a theater, which is crazy (like much else over these past months). But the experience of keeping up with the movies this year was a reminder that great filmmaking can transcend the specifics of the viewing experience. In your living room, in bed, projected onto the side of a garage, streaming on Twitch, broken up into multiple sittings, maybe even on your phone (desperate times)… if doesn’t matter as long as it connects with you. A great film has the power to soothe and transport, to alter your perspective, to re-wire your brain. So while I didn’t get on a single airplane last year, I definitely went places. And I’m grateful for these changes of scenery. For the time-travel as well; last year in my house, we found great comfort in revisiting a bunch of old favorites. It was also an opportunity to finally watch a number of those older films that had someone evaded us… a year of catching up, now or never. We were members of a weekly movie club for some months — that was cool. Another pleasant silver lining was the emergence of virtual film festivals, which have been a fantastic opportunity. I hope that they can continue in some form when this pandemic is in the rearview. Because, you know, getting to Park City is a real schlep. All this to say: like you, I’ll always remember 2020. In this truly crummy year, the movies really helped.

I’m including some of the film festival stuff that’s coming out a little later, because the boundaries between 2020 films and 2021 films feels blurry to me without proper theatrical releases.

TOP 5, loosely ranked. I love these deeply.

1. LOVERS ROCK, Steve McQueen

2. NOMADLAND, Chloe Zhao

3. ANOTHER ROUND, Thomas Vinterberg

4. TIME, Garrett Bradley

5. MARTIN EDEN, Pietro Marcello

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

The rest of the Top 25, in alphabetical order. I loved these.

À L’ABORDAGE, Guillaume Brac

BACURAU, Kleber Mendonça Filho

COLOR OUT OF SPACE, Richard Stanley

THE FATHER, Florian Zeller

FIRST COW, Kelly Reichardt

I’M THINKING OF ENDING THINGS, Charlie Kaufman

JASPER MALL, Bradford Thomason and Brett Whitcomb

LUXOR, Zeina Durra

ALEX WHEATLE / EDUCATION / MANGROVE / RED, WHITE AND BLUE, Steve McQueen

THE NEST, Sean Durkin

NEVER RARELY SOMETIMES ALWAYS, Eliza Hittman

NEW ORDER, Michel Franco

THE PAINTER & THE THIEF, Benjamin Ree

THE PERSONAL HISTORY OF DAVID COPPERFIELD, Armando Iannucci

POSSESSOR, Brandon Cronenberg

PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN, Emerald Fennell

RELIC, Natalie Erika James

SAINT FRANCES, Alex Thompson

SOUND OF METAL, Darius Marder

THE TRUTH, Hirokazu Koreeda

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

I also enjoyed (some more than others):

Apples, The Assistant, Babyteeth, Bad Education, Black Bear, Blow the Man Down, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, Butt Boy, The Climb, Da 5 Bloods, Deerskin, Emma, The Father (Bulgaria), Greed, His House, The Hunt, I Used to Go Here, I'm No Longer Here, Impetigore, The Intruder, The Invisible Man, Kajillionaire, La Llorona, Let Them All Talk, Lost Girls, The Man Who Sold His Skin, Mank, Never Gonna Snow Again, News of the World, One Night in Miami, Palm Springs, Preparations to Be Together for an Unknown Period of Time, Rebecca, She Dies Tomorrow, Shirley, Slow Machine, Sorry We Missed You, Soul, Spree, Straight Up, A Sun, Swallow, Tenet, Tesla, Tommaso, The Traitor, The Trip to Greece, True History of the Kelly Gang, Uncle Frank, Under the Open Sky, The Vast of Night, Vitalina Varela, Wendy, The Whistlers, Wildland, Young Ahmed

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

And these documentaries!

American Murder: The Family Next Door, The American Sector, Assassins, Beastie Boys Story, The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart, Bloody Nose Empty Pockets, Boys State, Brainiac: Transmissions After Zero, Circus of Books, Class Action Park, Collective, Crip Camp, David Byrne's American Utopia, Dick Johnson is Dead, Fireball: Visitors From Darker Worlds, The Go-Go's, Gunda, Miss Americana, MLK/FBI, The Mole Agent, Mucho Mucho Amor: The Legend of Walter Mercado, My Psychedelic Love Story, Mystify: Michael Hutchence, Narrowsburg, On the Record, Other Music, Sisters with Transistors, Spaceship Earth, The Way I See It, Whirlybird

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

And these shorts:

Bye Bye Body (which I edited), Fit Model, Friday Night Pizza for Daddy, Hard Cracked the Wind, The Human Voice, John Was Trying to Contact Aliens, Michael's Preference West, What Did Jack Do?, World of Tomorrow Episode Three: The Absent Destinations of David Prime

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

My favorite performance of the year:

Frances McDormand as Fern in Nomadland

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

Favorite ensembles:

À l’abordage, Another Round, Bad Education, Babyteeth, Bloody Nose Empty Pockets, Blow the Man Down, Emma, First Cow, Kajillionaire, Let Them All Talk, Lovers Rock, Mangrove, Mank, One Night in Miami, The Personal History of David Copperfield, Promising Young Woman, True History of the Kelly Gang

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

More memorable (and in some cases under-discussed) performances:

Christopher Abbott as Colin Tate in Possessor and as Gabe in Black Bear

Idir Ben Addi as Ahmed in Young Ahmed

Riz Ahmed as Ruben Stone in Sound of Metal

Daniel Algrant as Kelvin Kranz in Let Them All Talk

Maria Bakalova as Tutar Sagdiyev in Borat Subsequent Moviefilm

Haley Bennett as Hunter Conrad in Swallow

John Boyega as Leroy Logan in Red, White and Blue

Rob Brydon as Rob Brydon in The Trip to Greece

Jessie Buckley as Young Woman in I’m Thinking of Ending Things

Nicolas Cage as Nathan Gardner in Color Out of Space

Salif Cissé as Chérif in À L’abordage

Sheyi Cole as Alex Wheatle in Alex Wheatle

Cleopatra Coleman as Trina in The Argument

Carrie Coon as Allison O’Hara in The Nest

Michael Angelo Covino as Mike in The Climb

Willem Dafoe as Tommaso in Tommaso

Charles Dance as William Randolph Hearst in Mank

Catherine Deneuve as Fabienne Dangeville in The Truth

Katie Findlay as Rory in Straight Up

Sidney Flanigan as Autumn in Never Rarely Sometimes Always

Johnny Flynn as George Knightley in Emma

Julia Garner as Jane in The Assistant

Robbie Gee as Simeon in Alex Wheatle

Chris Giarmo as himself in David Byrne’s American Utopia

Betty Gilpin as Crystal Creasey in The Hunt

Ethan Hawke as Hank in The Truth

Kris Hitchen as Ricky Turner in Sorry We Missed You

Anthony Hopkins as Anthony in The Father

Jonathan Jules as Dennis Isaacs in Alex Wheatle

Sandra Guldberg Kampp as Ida in Wildland

Joe Keery as Kurt Knuckle in Spree

Udo Kier as Michael in Bacurau

Orion Lee as King Lu in First Cow

Delroy Lindo as Paul in Da 5 Bloods

Peter Macdissi as Walid "Wally" Nadeem in Uncle Frank

Matthew Macfadyen as Wilcock in The Assistant

George MacKay as Ned Kelly in True History of the Kelly Gang

Yahya Mahayni as Sam Ali in The Man Who Sold His Skin

Luca Marinelli as Martin Eden in Martin Eden

Tuppence Middleton as Sara Mankiewicz in Mank

Mads Mikkelsen as Martin in Another Round

Wunmi Mosaku as Rial in His House

Elisabeth Moss as Cecilia Kass in The Invisible Man

Kelly O'Sullivan as Bridget in Saint Frances

Shaun Parkes as Frank Crichlow in Mangrove

Robert Pattinson as Neil in Tenet

Paul Raci as Joe in Sound of Metal

Kadeem Ramsay as Samson in Lovers Rock

Gayle Rankin as Marissa in The Climb

Tanya Reynolds as Mrs Augusta Elton in Emma

Tyler Rice as Detective Russell Fox in Butt Boy

Andrea Riseborough as Hana in Luxor

Cecilia Roth as Marta in The Intruder

William Sadler as the Grim Reaper in Bill & Ted Face the Music

Kenyah Sandy as Kingsley Smith in Education

Amarah-Jae St. Aubyn as Martha Trenton in Lovers Rock

David Strathairn as David in Nomadland

Michael Stuhlbarg as Stanley Edgar Hyman in Shirley

Swankie as Swankie in Nomadland

Tilda Swinton as Woman in The Human Voice

Kristin Scott Thomas as Mrs. Danvers in Rebecca

Steve Toussaint as Ken Logan in Red, White and Blue

Alec Utgoff as Zhenia in Never Gonna Snow Again

Jairaj Varsani as young David Copperfield in The Personal History of David Copperfield

Ben Whishaw as Uriah Heep in The Personal History of David Copperfield

Sharlene Whyte as Agnes Smith in Education

Letitia Wright as Altheia Jones-LeCointe in Mangrove

Ramona Edith Williams as Frances in Saint Frances

Kôji Yakusho as Masao Mikami in Under the Open Sky

Youn Yuh-jung as Soon-ja in Minari

Helena Zengel as Johanna Leonberger in News of the World

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

Favorite pre-2020 films I saw for the first time in 2020:

Blood on the Moon, But I’m A Cheerleader, Crooklyn, Cure, Daughters of the Dust, The Death of Dick Long, Deep Cover, The Draughtsman's Contract, Eyes of Laura Mars, Give Me Liberty, Greener Grass, Hardcore, High Hopes, The Last Party, Long Day's Journey into Night, Maiden, One Day Pina Asked, Persona, Right Now Wrong Then, Right On!, The Seventh Victim, Slightly French, Synonyms, Tammy and the T-Rex, Variety, The Watermelon Woman... and a tip of the hat to Coppola's new The Godfather Part III recut, The Godfather, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone

[frostbeees]

Fic Rec Tuesday - part 2

I decided that I wanted to round up some of my faves that I’ve read over the past week or so to share (and also so I can keep track 🤷‍♀️) So here we go:

Lifted, shifted (higher than the ceiling) by @bitter-leaf Cale Makar/Nathan MacKinnon (Explicit, 17k) - a very hot and steamy but also tender ABO where Nate is pretty much clueless and Gary Bettman’s Bubble ruins Cale’s summer break planned heat

you've got my devotion by @kanertazer Patrick Kane/Jonathan Toews (Explicit, 7k) - I mean this one is exactly what the tags says it is: kinda just porn with a lot of plot. I respect anyone who can write a fic with flashbacks that flow as well as this one does)

been a forest burning by oflights Gabe Landeskog/Tyson Barrie (Explicit, 54k) - Not Your Average ABO™️, an arranged marriage of sorts between Gabe and Tyson. I really liked the characterization of Tys in this one, like a lot. I do think this one is important to read the tags and the notes just as an FYI before you start

the shape of your mouth at rest by @notthequiettype Elias Pettersson/Brock Boeser (Explicit, 7k) - Okay so we already know this is one of my fave authors so there’s that. This Boes/Petey is extremely soft but also extremely hot. You get a real look at the ease of the relationship and how it’s like slotting the last piece of a puzzle into its spot. Idk i just loved this a lot. (Bonus: “So are you planning to kiss me at any point on this trip?” - i literally gasped)

You Can Hear It in the Silence by @linskywords Dylan Strome/Alex DeBrincat (Explicit, 17k) - so you may be thinking “Jess, based on your blog TK/Patty is your main squeeze” but my friends you would be oh so terribly wrong. Nothing makes me softer than some StromeCat love. This one is basically angst free, which is like nearly unheard of in this pairing but it’s still so good. (Bonus: “I don’t know why everyone doesn’t marry their best friend” bc that’s a whole ass mood

when the night falls by anonymous Travis Konecny/Nolan Patrick (Explicit, 16k) - classic coffee shop AU to soothe your soul that’s probably still a little bit wounded from that game Saturday night. I don’t really have much to offer on this one except that it was very sweet and just what i needed

From Pittsburgh to Philly With Love by @crooked-silence Travis Konecny/Sidney Crosby (Teen/Explicit depending on the work, series total 55k) I remember when the first work in this series went up and i was like “uhh TK/Sid... weird” but honestly they just work together in this ABO universe. You have TK who is not your average alpha and Sid who is not your average Omega. This was a re-read so that I could talk about this with a group of friends over the weekend and i forgot just how much i loved this series. My favorite work in the series is definitely the one with the family skate bc Geno is just A+ perfect. I love all the side characters in this as they’re just so perfectly written and not just there as filler

[churchofrileytanev]

my nhl hot takes with analysis: central division

a conclusion to a series probably no one wanted 

jonathan toews - woke king who hikes in a tank top of his dog and gets into instagram battles over racism in his little hut in the middle of bum-fuck ontario, definitely could be the hockey GT Dave in another life, vegan and uses only sustainable brands, i would simp for him

blake wheeler - another socially aware legend (let him and JToews align their auras, get them on a team i dare you), super cool how he was one of the first to support the protests and donated/posted about allyship, an honorary canadian 

gabe landeskog - another honorary canadian, such a beautiful man and you literally couldn't tell he is swedish, his daughter is seriously adorable 

connor hellebuyck - (i am a closet jets fan) one of (if not) my favourite goalie, an absolute beast but a super chill dude, his dog is the cutest ever, GIVE HIM THE VEZINA RASK ALREADY HAS LIKE NINE

jt brown - love his family and how he is really committed to social justice, nose ring king

nathan mackinnon - his tims ads with sidney are hilarious (my mom watched compilations of those ads for two hours), one of the best in the game rn

pekka rinne - all i have to say: GOALIE GOALLLLLLLLLLLLL

cale makar - good to see someone from calgary do well, if he gets the calder over quinny i won’t be THAT mad

colton parayko - literally don’t know much about him except from all the videos with laila (?) and those were heartwarming, is he a himbo?

tyler seguin - didn’t really like him but really respect him for going to protests and better educating himself, mans can’t cook tho

ryan o’rielly - thought he was pretty scary at first but he seems super down to earth and genuine

patrik laine - he stresses me out, how does he play so much fucking fortnite???? like you have a job sir, why did you have 3000+ hours during the season

jaime benn - he gives me weird vibes idk change my mind

jordan binnington - no sir you should not have deserved to win the calder, you’re like 89 years old you fucking boomer, also no one thinks your horrible attitude and racist tweets are cute 

[gvbejvmes]

Drabble: The Present

Title: Fridays with CeCe Rating: PG-13 Characters: Gabriel James-Michaels, Bella James-Michaels, Constance James, Miss Alison, Andrew James, Maxxie Turner, Jonathan James-Michaels (mentioned), Velvet Starr (mentioned), Tommy “Kid” Kidderro (mentioned) Relationship: Implied Gabriel James-Michaels/Jonathan James-Michaels, Andrew James/Maxxie Turner, past Andrew James/Velvet Starr Warnings: Implied drug use and child endangerment, mentions of canon murder and incorrect medical diagnoses  Summary: Twice a month Bella had a playdate at social services.

Twice a month Bella had a playdate at social services. She called it her ‘CeCe Day.’ He or Jay would take her down there, and she would bounce excitedly in their arms as she told them about all the things she wanted to do while she was there. It was always on a Friday, and it was always four hours in the morning. When they picked her up, she would either chatter on and on at 100mph about what she and her CeCe had done or she would be mopey because her CeCe showed up late or forgot about their playdate. Mostly she loved Playdate Days. Gabe, on the other hand, despised them.

While he and Johnny called them ‘Playdate Days,’ they’d never actually explained to Bella what they were. They would when she was older, but for now, she was too young to understand. All she knew was that her Mommy’s name was CeCe (well, Constance, but she chose to call her CeCe), and she had a standing playdate with her every other Friday. She never asked why it was always in the same room. And she never asked why Miss Alison, their caseworker, was always there. She only knew that she only got to see CeCe in a certain place at a certain time - the specifics didn’t bother her yet. Bella was three months old when Gabe got the call from social services asking if he could take custody of his granddaughter; she didn’t know any other life than this one.

Like most ‘Playdate Days,’ Gabe arrived a half hour early to pick Bella up. He didn’t know why he did it. Sometimes it was because he was already in the area and didn’t want to stray too far away. Other times it was because he had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. Today it was a combination of the two. He still needed to go to the art store to pick up a couple of brushes he had custom ordered, but something in his gut had told him to stop by the social services building first.

Instead of going in right away and sitting in the waiting room, he went around to the back of the building to the designated smoking area first - and that was when he saw her. 

Constance James was skinny in a way that didn’t look natural. She had definition around her collarbone and chest that reminded Gabe of bird bones. It was like her body didn’t know how to retain fat or muscle tissue on that part of her body. She almost looked concave, but Gabe wouldn’t go quite that far. Her skin didn’t sit quite right on her bones - like she’d lost weight too quickly and her skin tried to conform to her body, but failed. It didn’t hang, but it didn’t look entirely normal either.

Her long blonde hair was streaked with black dye and was pulled back into a severe ponytail at the crown of her head. A cigarette was dangling from her lips as she texted rapidly on her phone. Her nails were short, and the cuticles looked picked at. Chipped nail polish caught the sunlight as her fingers moved across the screen. 

She must have seen him approach because she suddenly groaned and put her phone away. “Did they call you?” She asked as she pulled the cigarette out of her mouth. Her foot was pressed against the side of the building, which made Gabe think of a flamingo for some reason.

“Should they have called me, Connie?” He asked his daughter as he pulled out his own cigarette and lit up. He leaned against the wall near her, knowing better by now than to try to have direct eye contact with his estranged daughter.

She shrugged and took a long drag of her cigarette. She looked better than the last time he had seen her. A lot of the time she ducked out before Gabe could get a good look at her. Today she was wearing jeans that actually fit without falling off her hips, and a thick gray sweater that fell off her shoulder, but that looked like it was the style and not the size. She looked healthier than the last time he’d seen her. Of all the things to have inherited, she inherited her mother’s terrible parenting and her grandfather’s temper and addiction.

“I dunno. They always seem to call you when I fuck up.” She admitted. “Ari kicked me out of the room.”

That was going to be a fun conversation with the case worker. He nodded and took a drag, using the time to think about what to say to that. “She prefers being called Bella.” He finally settled on.

Connie finished her cigarette and dropped the butt onto the ground before pushing off the wall. “No, you prefer Bella. She’s three. She’ll answer to any name I call her.” And with that his daughter started walking back towards the street. “I’ll see you when I see you.”

He watched his daughter walk away before finishing his cigarette and sanitizing his hands. There were so many things he wanted to say to her, but they both knew she wouldn’t listen.  Pushing all thoughts of his daughter away, he went inside to pick up Bella. And sure enough, as soon as he walked into the waiting room, the receptionist led him into a conference room to wait for the caseworker.

“Mr. James-Michaels.” Miss Alison greeted him.  And it was Miss Alison. He’d tried just calling her Alison once and she nearly bit his head off. His husband said it was a Child Services/Social Worker thing and to just roll with it. 

“Miss Alison.” He greeted in return, watching as she sat down at the table across from him. “I ran into Connie outside.”

The younger woman’s face paled. “Did she tell you what happened?” She pulled out her tablet and Gabe knew from experience that she was pulling up their file.

“Just that Bella threw her out of the room. And that she’s trying to make ‘Ari’ happen.”

Miss Alison sighed. “I put in a call to the judge. We may have to terminate her visitation for a couple of weeks.” It looked like she was looking for the best way to explain to Gabe what happened. Technically there was video footage, but Gabe hated watching it and Miss Alison knew that. 

“Miss James has once again refused to follow the rules of visitation. She was thirty minutes late, she insisted on referring to Bella as Ari, even after both myself and Bella asked her to refrain, and she once again told Bella she was going to buy a house and take her away from you. It was at that point that Bella screamed and asked her to go away. We escorted Miss James out immediately. It’s become very clear that the current arrangement is not conducive to Bella’s wellbeing. You and your husband will likely get a summons within the next week or so with a court date to meet with Judge Murphy again.”

Before Gabe could respond, there was a knock on the door, and one of the assistants popped their head into the room. “Sorry, Bella kept asking me to call you. When I let her know you were already here, she demanded to see you because and I quote ‘the connatution says so.’” And he looked like he was trying so hard not to laugh.

Gabe rolled his eyes. “That she definitely got from my husband.” He dug around in his satchel and pulled out a package of freeze dried apple slices and tossed them at the assistant before pulling off his beanie and tossing that to him as well. “Those should tide her over until I’m done in here.” He promised. “I have to go over my and my husband’s availability for the next couple of weeks with Miss Alison.” 

By the time Gabe finished his conversation and went to the other room to collect Bella, she was standing by the door, coat on and his beanie shoved down over her wild hair. “Took you long enough, GG.” She complained as he signed her out and carried her out of the building. “You dunno what I had to deal with today.”

His granddaughter was definitely three going on forty-seven.

After going to pick up his custom brushes, they headed over to the Collective so they could drop them off in his studio and because there were some orders he apparently needed to authorize. As soon as they walked inside, Bella told him she wanted to watch ‘the spinning’. He had no idea what she was talking about, until they walked to the classroom and he saw Maxxie running his beginning pottery class. Bella scampered off to sit near Maxxie and watch him move his clay around. Somehow he had a feeling she was going to wind up covered in clay - again. Shaking his head, he walked out of the classroom to find Andrew James sitting at the reception desk.

His son was twenty-six years old and all dark hair and tan skin. There was something about his hair that reminded Gabe of how his hair had been when he was his age. It was long and hung in his eyes - all the damn time. He was broad-shouldered, but was constantly hunching in on himself. It was like he was trying to make himself smaller everywhere he went. If he had to describe his son in one word, it would be skittish. 

He spent years on medication he didn’t need after he claimed that he saw aliens take his aunt away. It wasn’t until he was older that he finally saw a therapist who saw his story for what it was: a way for his brain to comprehend a horrible thing he’d witnessed. Unfortunately by that time, he’d already spent years on medication he never needed and the side effects were irreversible. Thankfully the worst of it was memory loss and shaky hands.

“What are you doing working today?” He asked curiously as he gestured for his son to let him onto the computer. His son had been working at the Collective since he moved to New York. He’d made it clear he didn’t want any handouts, but he’d connected so well with the others at the Collective that it was strange to think about him working anywhere else. “I thought you refused to work on days Maxxie and Velvet were working.” 

He’d dated both Velvet and Maxxie and now tried to avoid both of them whenever he could. His relationship with Velvet hadn’t been all that serious. As soon as he found out Velvet slept in a coffin, he was out. Maxxie, on the other hand, had been very serious. They’d dated for six months, which was the longest he’d ever seen his friend in a relationship. It had ended badly, to say the very least. He wasn’t entirely sure what happened between them, but fire had been involved somehow. 

Drew made a face as he perched on the desk, shoulders hunched over and ankles crossed. “That’s not true.” He lied. “I traded shifts with Kid. He had his first GED prep class today.”

Gabe smiled at that. It had taken Tommy long enough. He pulled up the order he needed to review. There were still things he needed to do up in his office, but knowing that his son was working made him want to stay downstairs with him for as long as he could get away with it. 

“CJ texted me.” Drew said after a long moment. “She wanted me to talk some ‘sense’ into you.” 

He rolled his eyes. “And how’s that going for you?” While Connie didn’t talk to him, she still talked to her brother, but mostly only when she needed something. Drew, for his part, didn’t take sides. He loved his sister despite her faults, but he also knew how she was and what was best for his niece.

Before Drew could respond, Maxxie’s voice came from the classroom. “Pookie! Can you come get your little sister?! She’s throwing clay on the ground.” And nothing about that surprised him except for…

“Pookie?” He mouthed at his son, eyebrow raised. Maybe there was more to Drew working today than just taking Tommy’s shift.

His son blushed as he hopped off the desk. “That’s the part you’re focusing on? Not the fact that he keeps calling my niece my sister?” He grumbled out. “I’ll watch Bella; just go work.” He waved a hand in his dad’s direction. 

As his son disappeared into the classroom and he could hear Bella squealing in delight, he couldn’t help but to mouth out again: “Pookie?”

[themosleyreview]

The Mosley Review: The Peanut Butter Falcon

Indie and/or Art films are a dime a dozen and many of them have the same message about the human condition or life struggle and it gets dull. Every once in a while there is a film that takes a risk in telling a story that nobody nowadays would touch or do properly without stripping it of its core values. This film took the risk and made something that I haven't truly seen before in a long time. It delves into the spirit of a classic style cross country adventure with two guys that are both on the run in their own way and their friendship is one of the most natural and delightful sights to witness. The film has a sweetness to it that I haven't felt in a while and it is full of heart. There are so many moments in this film that I felt I wasn't watching a movie and more like I was watching a documentary on the human spirit. This story definitely felt like a modern version of Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. 

Zack Gottsagen as Zak was truly outstanding. In older times, films that portrayed a character with down syndrome had an actor portray the character Zak and they wouldn't actually risk casting someone with down syndrome. I was so happy the filmmakers chose him and he was funny, charming and he genuinely steals your heart throughout the film. Shia Labeouf is often forgotten for his acting chops and in this film as Tyler, he reminds you how great of an actor he is. The chemistry between him and Zak was perfection and by the end I felt I had watched two brothers on an adventure. There were just so many heartfelt and genuinely beautiful scenes with them that if there weren't anybody else in the film, I wouldn't care. Dakota Johnson is always great in everything she does and as Eleanor she was radiant and fun. I loved her moments with Zak and Tyler as she starts to understands the journey they're on. Thomas Hayden Church was great in the film as Clint/The Salt Water Redneck. He does something in this film for Zak that you will never forget and I loved his character for it. Bruce Dern was hilarious and great in the film Carl. John Hawkes is one of my favorite actors and he was great as Duncan.

The score by Zachary Dawes, Noam Pikelny, Jonathan Sadoff and Gabe Witcher was fantastic and reminded me kind of a modern version of "O Borther Where Art Thou?". I truly loved this film and it has a bright heart of gold. This will be one of the sweetest film you'll see all year and I highly recommend it.

[thethirdamell]

I'm this close to selling my soul for more AO, but I would settle for more music that inspired it. Pretty please. No pressure, tho.

This is definitely not all of it but I spent a couple hours trying to sort out my playlists so here’s … some. None of them are hyperlinked because. I don’t have anything neat because half is on YouTube, half is on Spotify and none of it is neatly organized. I just really hope the read more works. Make Ready.

Fan Playlists

Amell / OghrenAfterlife - Ingrid MichaelsonCups - Anna KendrickI Will Follow You Into the Dark - Death Cab For CutieToast to Tomorrow - Blackmore’s NightFollow - Crystal FightsOne Last Drink - Enter the HaggisHeroes - AlessoOne Bourbon One Scotch One Beer - George Thorogood

Amell / Zevran (Amell’s Perspective)Ship To Wreck - Florence + The MachineDarkside - Alan WalkerAmellControl - HalseySticks and Stones - The PiercesIcarus - Bastille / Icarus - ChristonAll The King’s Horses - KarminaWhite Flag - Rose CousinsWarrior - Paradise FearsPlay With Fire - Sam TinneszBlack Magic - Digital DaggersShort Change Hero - The HeavyFar Too Young to Die - Panic! At the DiscoJokes About EyesEyes - Kaskade Look at Those Eyes - Alexz JohnsonOpen Your Eyes - Snow PatrolHawkeHey Brother - AviciiLuck - American AuthorsI’m So Sorry - Imagine DragonsGame - Smash MouthGuilty Filthy Soul - AwolnationRed Eyes - The War on DrugsAre You Ready - Distant CousinsWarrior - Paradise FearsSinners - Barns CourtneyFire - Barns CourtneyHome - American AuthorsChampion - Fall Out BoyLosing My Religion - R.E.M.Bartholomew - Silent ComedyBeliever - American AuthorsDavid - Noah GundersenAmen - HalestormSail Away Sweet Sister - QueenBusy Earning - JungleHero - Family of the YearThe Other Side - SireniaAndersLocking Up the Sun - Poets of the FallStill Frame - TraptRun Boy Run - WoodkidBattle Cry - Claire GuerresoAll on Fire - Cut OneMy Demons - StarsetBurn the House Down - AJRHopeless Opus - Imagine DragonsMelanie Martinez - SoapBe Okay - Ingrid Michaelson Whistle (While You Work It) - Katy Tiz Blackout - Breathe Carolina Make Them Hear You - NineFight Song - Rachel PlattenSentimental Scar - IrisJusticeGlitter and Gold - Barns CourtneyAnders / KarlNot Gonna Get Us - t.A.T.u.Yours Truly - Paradise FearsAnders / Amell (From Anders’ Perspective)Apple - Joe BrooksHold On - Chord OverstreetRun - Snow PatrolDreaming Wide Awake - Poets of the FallSay You’ll Haunt Me - Stone SourFlesh - Simon CurtisTrust You - Rob ThomasWorld Spins Madly On - The WeepiesCan’t Feel My Face - The WeekndDo I Wanna Know? - Artic MonkeysWon’t Let Go - InMeSay You’ll Haunt Me - Stone SourPlease Don’t Say You Love Me - Gabrielle AplinAnders / Amell (From Amell’s Perspective)Bad Romance - Jay SmithYellow - ColdplayYou Owe Me Nothing in Return - Alanis MorissetteFor Your Entertainment - Adam LambertCut Your Teeth - Kyla La GrangeDesire - Meg MyersAnders / Amell (Either Perspective / In General)Spectrum - ZedMagic - Mystery SkullsIrresistible - TemposharkBruises & Bitemarks - Good With Gernandes American Beauty / American Psycho - The Whole Album - Fallout BoySuper Psycho Love - Simon CurtisAnders / Hawke (From Anders’ Perspective)Sweet Nothing - Calvin HarrisHeavy In Your Arms - Florence + The MachineThe Peasant’s Promise - Blackmore’s NightBetween Wind and Water - HaelSave Me - GotyeWhen You Say Nothing At All - Ronan KeatingAddicted To You - AviciiAppetite - IrisRoses - Poets of the FallAnders / Hawke (From Hawke’s Perspective)Love You Madly - CakeHuman - Gabrielle AplinMy Obsession - Cinema BizarrePainkiller - Three Days GraceSpit It Out - IAMXDevil’s Backbone - The Civil WarsWith You - Dan Gautreau & Wolfgang BlackOn Your Side - Gabe DixonLast of the Real Ones - Fall Out BoyLift - Poets of the FallAnders / Hawke  (Either Perspective)How Do You Feel Today - Gabrielle AplinBattleships - DaughtryA Lot Like Love - The VoyagersIris - Goo Goo DollsHow Deep Is Your Love - Calvin Harrris Beautiful Now - ZeddAnders / Justice (In General)Phantom & Justice - Old Man CanyonI Will Possess Your Heart - Death Cab For Cutie War - Poets of the FallDark Doo Wop - MS MRJekyll and Hyde - Jonathan Thulin, Rapture RuckusHearts a Mess - GotyeKryptonite - 3 Doors DownTrip the Darkness - Lacuna CoilSuit - Boom! Bap! Pow! Sad Song - We the KingsEverlong - Foo FightersThree Wishes - The PiercesEmpire - Of Monsters and MenForever and Ever - Royal WoodBattle Scars - Paradise FearsRenegades - X AmbassadorsThe Wardens - AwakeningHeaven Knows - The Pretty RecklessThis Is Gonna Hurt - Sixx: A.M.DOA - Foo FightersWicked Ones - DorothyCitizen / Soldier - 3 Doors DownThe Other Side - PendulumCompassion / Anders (From Compassion’s Perspective)Count on Me - Bruno MarsVelanna / Nathaniel Sarcasm - Get ScaredObsessed - BoAFire and the Flood - Vance JoyOghrenProblematic - Get ScaredSigrunAlone Together - Fall Out BoyQuentinBones - MS MRMeredith / LeonieYou Should See Me in a Crown - Billie EilishKingdom Fall - Claire WyndhamLead on Losing Control - Corb Lund

[coronavirusremediationservices]

With no end to the pandemic in sight, coronavirus fatigue grips America

Gabe Rice began sheltering in his suburban Phoenix home with his wife and three youngest children in March. They worked remotely, learned remotely and put social events on hold to hunker down alongside much of the country.

It was challenging and frustrating, but, Rice initially assumed, temporary. It seemed like a plausible plan to help the nation get the pandemic under control within a couple of months.

But Arizona’s economic reopening in May, urged by Gov. Doug Ducey (R), was soon followed by a spike in coronavirus infections in June, which became a terrible surge in hospitalizations and deaths by July.

Then came August, and the devastating realization for many Americans that the pandemic, which has killed at least 159,000 people across the country and sickened more than five million, is far from over.

“It’s difficult when you think you have a light at the other end of the tunnel to look forward to, and then all of a sudden you realize it’s a train,” said Rice, 44, a program coordinator at Arizona State University.

An exhausted, exasperated nation is suffering from the effects of a pandemic that has upended society on a scale and duration without parallel in living memory.

The Rice family and millions of other Americans are wrestling with difficult questions about how to juggle school, pay their bills and look after their mental and physical health.

Parents lie awake, their minds racing with thoughts of how to balance work with their newfound role as home-schoolers. Frontline health workers are bone tired, their nerves frayed by endless shifts and constant encounters with the virus and its victims. Senior citizens have grown weary of isolation. Unemployed workers fret over jobs lost, benefits that are running out, rent payments that are overdue. Minority communities continue to shoulder the disproportionate burden of the contagion’s impact, which in recent weeks has killed an average of about 1,000 people a day.

Buck Horton reopened his club, Wo-de’s Chill Spot, in Harvey, La., only to be forced into a second closure —  by the fire marshal’s office, which cited violations of Louisiana’s coronavirus restrictions. Buck Horton reopened his club, Wo-de’s Chill Spot, in Harvey, La., only to be forced into a second closure — by the fire marshal’s office, which cited violations of Louisiana’s coronavirus restrictions. (Emily Kask for The Washington Post) The metaphor of a marathon doesn’t capture the wearisome, confounding, terrifying and yet somehow dull and drab nature of this ordeal for many Americans, who have watched leaders fumble the pandemic response from the start. Marathons have a defined conclusion, but 2020 feels like an endless slog — uphill, in mud.

Recent opinion polls hint at the deepening despair. A Gallup survey in mid-July showed 73 percent of adults viewed the pandemic as growing worse — the highest level of pessimism recorded since Gallup began tracking that assessment in early April. Another Gallup Poll, published Aug. 4, found only 13 percent of adults are satisfied with the way things are going overall in the country, the lowest in nine years.

A July Kaiser Family Foundation poll echoed that, finding that a majority of adults think the worst is yet to come. Fifty-three percent said the crisis has harmed their mental health.

In a podcast released Thursday, former first lady Michelle Obama directly addressed the mental toll, saying she has struggled with the quarantines, the government’s response to the pandemic and the persistent reminders of systemic racism that have led to nationwide protests.

“I know that I am dealing with some form of low-grade depression,” she said.

Historians say that not even the 1918 flu pandemic, which killed an estimated 675,000 people in the United States, had the same kind of all-encompassing economic, social and cultural impact.

“One of the biggest differences between this virus and [the 1918] influenza is the duration,” said John Barry, author of “The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History.”

With coronavirus, he said, the incubation period is longer, patients with symptoms tend to be sick longer, and many take longer to recover. Barry said leaders did not make sufficiently clear early on the simple epidemiological truth that this would be a painfully drawn-out event.

“Part of the frustration and disappointment and depression, frankly, is because of the expectation that we’d be through this by now,” he said.

President Trump repeatedly promised a quick resolution. He conjured the image of church pews packed by Easter. The White House recommended 15 days of restrictions. That was then extended by 30 days, to the end of April. On Thursday, Trump said a vaccine could be ready by Election Day, Nov. 3 — a date well in advance of what his administration’s own experts think is likely.

But the virus has repeatedly shown that it has its own timetable. The first wave of shutdowns helped reverse the frightening trend lines of March and early April but came nowhere close to crushing the opportunistic pathogen. And now the season of the pandemic is indisputably the year of the pandemic.

“This will be a long, long haul unless virtually everybody — or a very, very high percentage of the population, including the young people — take very seriously the kind of prevention principles that we’ve been talking about,” Anthony S. Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said in an interview.

“It is within our power and within our will to really get it down to a level that’s low enough that we can do many of the things that would get our economy going again,” he added. “There will be a long slog if everybody doesn’t pitch in.”

Not everyone is experiencing the same level of stress, and everyone’s pandemic struggles differ. Any “essential” worker exposed to high-risk conditions day after day has more urgent concerns than someone merely stuck at home and missing out on summer barbecues.

In Cadiz, Ky., Stephanie Grant has endured one of the most trying years of her life. The 42-year-old lost her job at the end of April. For more than two months, as she waited for unemployment benefits to kick in, she fell behind on her car payment, utilities, insurance and rent for the apartment she shares with her two teenage daughters.

She drained most of her savings trying to remain afloat. She applied for jobs at gas stations and dollar stores. She pursued becoming a coronavirus contract tracer, but that also didn’t come through.

“I could not get a job anywhere,” she said. “I want to get back out there and work.”

As her stress and her bills mounted, Grant turned to a Kentucky nonprofit focused on housing and homelessness. The group helped her catch up on her rent, and the arrival of her unemployment payments in late July have allowed her to catch her breath. For now.

“Right now, I’m wary. It seems like we are falling apart. The stress, the tensions, everything that’s going on. … People are scared,” she said.

And many people are bored, eager to socialize. In Harvey, La., Marlon “Buck” Horton operates a popular bar, Wo-de’s Chill Spot. But Horton’s bar permit was suspended in late July after complaints about what the state fire marshal described as “a large, non-socially distanced crowd.”

Horton, 39, denied the fire marshal’s report that he served alcohol indoors. He said people simply eager to grab a beer crowded outside, and a passerby posted a video of the gathering on Facebook, leading to the crackdown.

“We’re stuck. We don’t have assistance, and we still have landlords,” Horton said last week. At a hearing soon after, the suspension was lifted when he agreed to pay a fine and abide by the state’s coronavirus rules.

Although some states battered by the virus have made progress against it in recent weeks, it has infiltrated small towns with little previous exposure.

In Mississippi, George County is among eight counties that have been told to delay school reopenings for grades seven to 12 until Aug. 17 because of high rates of virus transmission. Superintendent of Education Wade Whitney realized how serious the pandemic had become locally when a co-worker in an adjacent office became severely ill and was hospitalized for five days.

“When that person catches it, it kind of hits you right between the eyes,” Whitney said. “Small-town George County is not immune.”

That co-worker was Matt Caldwell, the director of operations for the school district and the former head football coach at the high school. Caldwell, a big man who played offensive line for the Mississippi State Bulldogs in the early 1990s, had assumed it would be no big deal if he was infected.

“Boy, was I wrong,” he said. “I definitely underestimated it. I tell everybody I talk to it’s a real thing. Those people who think its just a hoax and all that — I know this, I wouldn’t wish what I went through on anybody.”

Jennifer Nuzzo, an epidemiologist at Johns Hopkins University, has become an oft-quoted expert during the coronavirus pandemic. But she’s also a mother who is dismayed that her son Miles, 7, who should be entering second grade in a Maryland public school, will start the year with online-only instruction.

“I’m absolutely devastated. It’s not learning,” Nuzzo said.

The Washington Nationals host the New York Mets on Aug. 4 in an otherwise empty Nationals Park. The Washington Nationals host the New York Mets on Aug. 4 in an otherwise empty Nationals Park. (Jonathan Newton/The Washington Post) This is not just back-to-school season, it’s also the time when many counties and states hold their annual fairs. Those are being canceled right and left. Professional sports is now back on air, but in most cases without fans in the stadiums and arenas. Major League Baseball is trying to keep its revived season intact after several outbreaks of infection.

And there are the ordinary cancellations so many people have endured — birthdays not celebrated, weddings and funerals carried out over Zoom, trips not taken, loved ones not visited.

Joseph and Kelli Crawford of Gilbert, Ariz., had planned to travel to London in April for their 10th anniversary and for her sister’s 30th birthday. Everything was booked: Flights, lodging, tickets to concerts and plays.

They rescheduled for March 2021. But now they worry that even that might be optimistic.

“I’m crossing my fingers. But I’m also not going to be packing my bags,” said Kelli, 33.

A flight attendant, she also agreed to an 18-month voluntary separation from her work. She’ll keep her health insurance and part of her salary.

But she won’t be bored. All four of the Crawfords’ children, ages 4, 5, 10 and 13, are home. The three oldest have begun remote classes. Their 4-year-old daughter has been aching to start preschool since she saw her older brother do so last year. But there is no virtual preschool, so that plan is on hold.

“It’s one thing for the adults to be lonely,” Kelli said. “But these poor kids, I get so heartbroken about the loneliness they’re experiencing.”

There are glimmers of hope for those staggered by this dire moment: The vaccine development for the novel coronavirus appears to be moving at unprecedented speed. There are promising therapeutics that may lower the mortality rate of those who become severely ill.

The pandemic will someday come to an end, experts promise, because all pandemics have. And though SARS-CoV-2 is a slippery and unpredictable virus, it has not proved as deadly as the 1918 influenza virus that swept across much of the planet.

“In 1918, practically every city in the country ran out of coffins,” Barry said. Victims commonly died at home. “All these things led to much greater fear, which meant that people were also more willing to put up with anything that might help.”

Howard Markel, a medical historian at the University of Michigan, said that though similarities exist between today’s outbreak and the influenza pandemic a century ago, American society was different at that time.

Americans had experienced epidemics of cholera, diphtheria and other diseases in the not-so-distant past. They were accustomed to children dying of smallpox, whooping cough and other diseases.

Rep. T.S. McMillan, a Democrat from Charleston, S.C., with two flappers, dances the Charleston in Washington in the 1920s. Rep. T.S. McMillan, a Democrat from Charleston, S.C., with two flappers, dances the Charleston in Washington in the 1920s. (Library of Congress) Unlike today, most Americans also had little confidence that a magic bullet would end the suffering and exasperation. “Another expectation of our era is the expectation that science will come up with a fix quickly,” Markel said. “None of us have the patience for lengthy processes. We live in an instant society.”

Still, Markel said, despite the seemingly endless nature of the current situation, history offers reasons for optimism. When the pandemic of 1918-1919 was over, for instance, people rebounded quickly.

“They went out and started dancing the Charleston, buying raccoon coats and buying stocks and bonds,” he said. “It went from zero to 60 in no time flat.”

This crisis, too, will pass.

“No question, epidemic fatigue or pandemic fatigue is real. We are experiencing it,” Markel said. “But throughout human history, there have been terrible pandemics and contagious threats. Every civilization, every nation, has come through to the other side. And we will, too.”

[cyanidas]

Pls get into Penny Arcade Adventures: a summary

I killed the creators it's my city now

here's the setting;

1920s lovecraftian horror comedy-to-tragedy with Sherlock Holmes undertones and gay subtext that for the purpose of my rendition I'm making explicit

Plot synopsis;

You play as Yourself. You live in a nice suburb, nice home, on Desperation Street, in New Arcadia - a fucked up city with a power imbalance. A giant robot just crushed your house and 2 weird guys are chasing after it, so you pick up your rake and start swinging at tinier robots, which also just suddenly appeared. You crave vengeance. You also team up with the guys to take down a few gods and it all goes downhill from there.

Game one: d--k jokes galore + f-ck mimes

Game two: comedic torture + f-ck ableists and rich people

Game three: the world ends + we meet some badasses, Gabe gets a cape

Game four: HELL WE'RE UNDER HELL also you're playing pokemon the whole game too

Characters;

You! You're blunt, snarky, and rightfully pissed that you're now homeless because of a stupid robot. You stop at nothing and you are so, so tired.

Tycho Brahe. A respectable guy who no one respects, majored in Apocalyptics, always on his toes, has a very leaderly aura. He's smart, kinda dorky, but probably cares about a well-read book more than a human life. He uses guns.

Jonathan Gabriel. I only draw him as kinda burly so that's all you're gonna get. The dumbass who gets pegged and probably thinks gender is a myth (he's right). He's silly, imo he's autistic-coded and I for one identify with that, and he's always down for a good brawl.

Anne-Claire. A sweet little girl in a pretty pink dress who is a mechanical genius, has shitty parents, and loves scientists and getting her hands on tech. She's Tycho's niece and helps you beef up your weapons.

Jim! He's a skull in a jar of green goo, and talks too much.

Moira. Tycho's ex fiancé? Wife? Girlfriend? Shrugs. She's a detective who also wields guns, hates Tycho so much, but sticks around because the world's is falling apart. She's pretty cool but only shows up in the 2nd half.

There's many more. That's only a chip off the gold block.

Pros;

Watching the descent from comedy into tragedy is one hell of a ride you will not wanna miss. It makes you go thru fridge horror thinking of all the implications when comparing 1 and 2, to 3 and 4.

The plot twist still gets me and I've been a fan for years. Don't trust the Narrator. That's all i wanna say.

The creators had little to say for the 3rd and 4th games, so in comparison they're better written and the difference is noticeable.

You get to beat up rich people

If you make fanart or fanfic, it will be noticed by the whole fandom

The games have f-ck all to do with the comics, god bless

Cons;

The fandom is 3 people big 😔

Fuck the creators

The plot of 2 is a little over the line of offensive, taking place in an asylum. It's overlooked if you consider that the enemies are all brainwashed, but if it's still bothersome then it's easily ignored.

If you don't like homeless jokes?? I guess avoid this

Grinding sucks d--k and 3 and 4 drag on forever because of this. The songs will get so annoying. I will kill Fish Force with my bare hands.

The games cost money :(

In conclusion;

Please play the games we're begging you. Pirate them or something idc

If not then me and @diredevilrulz are working on a cut-down letsplay of all the games. Still trucking along tho.

If you enjoy Flux Buddies, especially S4, or Ao Oni - then you'll definitely love this series. It's a trip. It really is.

[nordalanche]

5 10 and 17 please?

I'm assuming this is about the hockey asks lol?

Anyway:

5. unpopular hockey opinion?

IDK if this is unpopular or not but I am of the opinion that we should strive to create a women's league that is sustainable and pays a livable wage rather than try to integrate women into the NHL. (I am a female athlete btw for context)

Also, hitting and fighting are integral parts of the NHL/hockey and should stay in the league. I understand the safety concerns. I don't think hockey should ever be played like it was in the 80s and 90s, but I do think hitting is one of my fav elements of the sport and I would hate to see it go.

On that note, women should be allowed to hit more.

Sorry if u hate me for this.

10. favorite captains?

Why Gabe Landeskog, of course. I got to touch a signed stick of his this season, too. He's just all-around a fantastic captain: he's a good leader, a hard worker, he sticks up for his players, a girl dad, and helps the rookies. He's fun, he's hot, and he's interesting. He's the IT girl.

Also: Brady Tkachuk.

I used to like Jonathan Toews a lot but that's a controversial opinion that's changed. He's definitely no longer a fav.

17. do you plan on attending any games this season?

So far plans:

1-2 Avs games while I'm home over Christmas. Probably the Leafs on New Year's Eve and something else with my brother or grandpa or close friend. Usually, my mom buys me tickets to a game as my Christmas present.

February Rangers game vs the Winnipeg Jets (I get discounted tickets to this game through my college)

February NJ Devils game vs the Kraken or March game vs the Senators (NJ Devils tickets are mad cheap)

I'm the least sure about this one but I might go to Montreal for the March 13th game against the Avalanche during my spring break as a girl's trip. I go to school in NYC so the flight isn't too long and I can drink in Canada so we can party over spring break.

If the Avs make the playoffs, I can buy tickets to go to some of those games through my cousin who has season tickets but I'll cross that bridge later in the season.

[seasonofthegeek]

Pride Month: Closet

Today’s drabble was commissioned by the wonderful @gabriel-fucking-agreste for the lovely Agrestone. I decided to keep it in the Buzz and Paon AU because why not. :D

Parts 1, 2, 3, 4:

“I’m beginning to believe that we aren’t all that skilled at this superhero thing,” Paon said dryly before letting his transformation drop. He offered Duusu a cracker from his pocket and she took it happily.

“Ah, see, and I’m beginning to believe that the pretty kitty out there has a thing for you.” Jagged tried to stretch his arms up but his wrists knocked against the top shelf of the small closet. Pollen vibrated in agitation in his jacket pocket. “Two months ago, Black Cat tried to claw your chest open and now she just traps us in a closet? Something’s going on.”

Gabriel shifted uneasily against the group of coats hanging at his back. “Perhaps she’s decided not to be as violent as she was before.”

“I beg to differ, mate,” Jagged grimaced, gingerly touching his side and finding blood on his fingertips. “Of bloody course.”

Gabriel tried the doorknob once more but it turned fruitlessly, the avalanche of debris from their enemy’s use of Cataclym trapping them inside until someone was able to dig through and help them out. “Do you think the cuts are deep?”

“They sting pretty bad. Not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing at this point.” Jagged pushed back against the coats on his side and sagged against them, the hangers groaning in protest under his weight. “I’m not saying I want her to hurt you because I definitely don’t, but she was very pointedly only attacking me tonight.”

“Ah, well, I may know why.”

“Why?”

“I should’ve told you sooner but she approached me a few nights ago when I was out trying to clear my head.”

Jagged swore. “You’re okay though.”

Gabriel nodded stiffly. “Yes, mostly. She...well, she offered for me to join her.”

“Join her,” he echoed.

“Yes.”

“And?”

Gabriel shot him an offended look. “I’m here with you. What do you think?”

“I think maybe she’s hoping you’ll change your mind.” Jagged shifted again, grimacing with pain. “And I don’t guess I could blame you.”

“You think I would leave you?”

Jagged tried to ignore the increase in his heart rate. “I think that you’re someone who does what he needs to in order to take care of himself, mate. That’s not a bad thing, but it’s who you are.” 

Gabriel stiffened. “So you think after everything we’ve been through together, I would decide to switch sides because it might be easier.” His eyes narrowed. “You think after all the trouble I’ve gone to in making myself comfortable in your presence when I’m rarely comfortable around anyone, that I would just throw that away because a pretty girl wants my attention.” He scoffed and tilted his chin up defiantly. “I knew you were an idiot, Jonathan, but I didn’t realize you were actually stupid.”

“Don’t call me Jonathan,” Jagged muttered darkly. “And why would I have any reason to think differently, Gabriel?” He winced but straightened. “Please tell me what signs I’ve missed that would lead me to believe you want me around. Is it how annoyed you act when I hang out? Or should I not have picked up on the way you judge how I live my life? I must’ve completely missed the flowers and box of chocolates, mate, because for the life of me, I can’t--”

The rest of Jagged’s words were cut off by Gabriel’s mouth on his. He collapsed back against the coats and the wire hangers finally gave, causing the men to topple with them. Jagged cried out as one of the hangers jabbed into his injured side and Gabriel hovered over him uselessly, face red in the darkened closet.

“What the hell, Gabe?!”

“I...I’m sorry. I don’t know why I...I shouldn’t have...” Gabriel’s voice was strained as he tried to move backwards in the small space.

“Not about the kiss, you dummy, but give a bloke some warning next time. I’m pretty sure I’m bleeding like a stuck pig all over these fancy coats.” Jagged pulled himself up with a groan and reached a hand out. “Come here.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you worse. I--”

“Hush now,” Jagged soothed, pressing one long index finger against Gabriel’s lips. “I’ve been waiting for that damn kiss since the first day I saw you and I hardly got to enjoy it. Let’s try again.”

“No.”

“Don’t be like that.”

Gabriel exhaled loudly. “I’m not...”

“Gay?”

He frowned. “I don’t know what I am.”

Jagged shrugged. “Sometimes finding out is part of the fun. You don’t always have to label everything.”

“Yes, you do.”

“Ah, maybe you do,” he conceded with a grin. “Then perhaps you don’t have to label anything yet. How about that?”

“I’m not sure that I can give you anything traditional in terms of a relationship,” Gabriel warned. “I’ve been warring with myself over my feelings for you for months and I don’t...I’m not...”

“It’s okay,” Jagged interjected. “This is honestly more than I thought I’d ever get.” He laughed then. “We just had a closet episode.”

“A what?”

“You know on a telly show where people get trapped somewhere and end up working things out because they’ve got nothing else to do but talk? That’s what happened to us.”

“If you say so.”

Jagged tugged on Gabriel’s arm, guiding him gently closer and keeping his wounded side protected. “We’ll just see how thing play out from here, yeah?”

“I suppose we could do that,” Gabriel replied carefully.

“Good. Now about that second kiss.” 

Pride Month Prompt List

Buy me a cherry coke?