#hes obsessed with the puzzle piece emoji

[lesbiancarat]

[230729] junhui_moon Instagram Update

일상 조각 🧩

[footballerimaginess]

Fluff Alphabet | Eric Dier

Eric Dier fluff alphabet! This is my first time doing this, enjoy x  My birthday present to you guys! Please let me know what you think because trust me I have so many more I wish too write for x  Word Count: 1,187  ARMS - His huge arms, constantly wrapped around you. Whenever you felt down Eric was always cuddling you. His huge arms being your comfort blanket and one of the safest places you can be in. 

BABY - Finding out you were pregnant was one of the happiest moments of you and Eric’s life. You were so in love. You were always questioning whether you wanted children. But when you read the test, you were elated. He was obsessed with your baby bump, couldn’t keep his hands off of it.  CUDDLES - His cuddles were just perfect. When you had a long day at work and he was there greeting you with his big arms. The cuddles from behind while in the kitchen and leaning his head on your shoulders. Whatever type of cuddles he was giving you were always the best.  DATE NIGHT - You loved planning date nights, as Eric had so many games as often. You had to set out when you were having date nights. Sometimes you went out to restaurant and sometimes you would change it up. You had fun date nights going out playing golf and having cocktails some evening date nights.  EXCITEMENT - When Eric wasn’t here you just loved having the buzz of whenever he was going to get home. Every day when you saw him always gave you the biggest butterflies and you loved it so much.  FLOWERS - The random flower surprises when you came in from work or when he picked you up from work was always the cutest. Even on the most random of occasions, he would be so cute and bringing you just because he could. It was so sweet of him because receiving flowers for no reason was always the best.  GARDENING - Eric absolutely loved his allotment and sometimes spent more time outside with his vegetables more than he spent with you. But that was his pride and joy, you were so happy with how much he done on it. You loved seeing his little face when he shows you how much he has picked from it. 

HOLIDAY - Going on holiday’s in the summer was always your favourite. There was so many places to go to. Eric would always make it so special because he would plan on where you were going to the finest details.  ICELAND - One of your favourite holiday was going to Iceland and visiting the Northern lights. That was a memory you would always remember because it was just so special. It was something just so incredible to be able to witness.  JIGSAW PUZZLE - While in lockdown, Eric being Eric had so many puzzles for you both to do. He absolutely loved jigsaw puzzles, he was so obsessed with them. He tried to say he wasn’t competitive, but unfortunately he had to make sure that he completed it in a certain time frame.  KISSES - His smothering you in kisses. He hated when you kissed him when you had a lipgloss on which was sticky, he just hated it. He always had lip marks on him when you had been kissing him all over his face. He always moaned, but none the less he never ever refused you kissing him.  LAUGHS - Whenever you were with each other you were constantly laughing. You were always cracking jokes with him. He found himself way funnier than you usually found him. But it’s the thought of the jokes that counted.  MAKEUP - Eric was always fascinated by seeing you do your makeup. “Does that hurt?” he often asked when you curled your eyelashes. “No babe, why would it? Shall I do it to you?” you teased him as you curled his lashes. “Shit, stop it” Eric threw his hands.  NAMES - Baby names list was something you had on your phone for years. You had so many written down, you were shocked at how many you planned. Eric was amazed as to what you were planning on calling your baby. The ones you hated because you went to school with people of that name, you weren’t happy to call them that.  OCTUPOUS (way harder than expected) - The long limbed boy, he was just like an octopus. Always reaching for things, grabbing your waist as often as he wanted or liked in his case.  PROPOSAL - The proposal was so cute, Eric had planned a dinner at the beach. You had no idea what was going on until he got down on one knee. Even then you were still in complete shock that he was even going to propose. The best day of your life.  QUIZZES - In lockdown, Eric made sure that he was the quiz master. Every other day, he would be making quizzes for the boys to all get together. He was obsessed, obviously ultra competitive too.  RAIN - One evening you and him were so bored, all you wanted to do was go and run in the rain. Just to release some energy, that helped massively.  Despite getting absolutely drenched, it was well worth it.  SWIMMING - You hated swimming, Eric was always so good at it. Probably not many things he isn’t good at. But you sat on the side, admiring him. TOTTENHAM - Being able to watch him at games do what he does best is something you loved doing. You absolutely love going to games and supporting him. You were always his biggest fan, always was and always will be. With his shirt on at all times, going to home and away games. Going and travelling round Europe, seeing him making his debut for his country. You were always there with him.  UNDERWEAR - You had treated yourself to a new underwear set, you were admiring yourself in the mirror when Eric came in. “Woah, you look insane” you blushed as you kept looking at yourself. “Thanks, I am obsessed with this set I got” you commented.  VOICE -  His husky voice was something that you loved. His sleepy voice, the one that barely come out when he woke up.  WEDDING - The wedding day and night was the best night of your life, everything you had dreamed off. Seeing Eric getting emotional when you walked down the aisle was a sight to behold. It was so magical, everything about the whole day was amazing. You could happily relive the whole day if you could.  Xxx - The boys would rip him to pieces when he text you because he would either give you no emojis, no kisses or all in between. He would send a thousand to you.  YOU - He put you first at all times, he would be looking out for you whenever he needed. He was your protector and he cared so much. Despite being married, it was all about you.  Zzzz - Sleep was what you both needed, he was always the big spoon. But you secretly you knew he loved being the little spoon. The extra warmth at night was always needed when he was beside you. Despite ignoring how loud he snored most nights. 

TAGLIST: @footballffbarbiex @lawsandother @evie-pr @emwritesfootball @sanchos-dream @meteora-fc @kingkepaff​ @kkim120​ @glam-khal​ @bichotaa​ @eatsleepbreathefutbol​ @footballxixstars​ 

[btsxmalereaders]

Love is nothing stronger

Male reader x Kim Namjoon.

In which you're kind of jealous of the relationship that Namjoon and Halsey have.

Genre: fluff ❄️

Word Count: 3k

No warnings apply.

You're totally fine. For real. Just tired after a long day at uni. It had been a nightmare; you are on exams period and have a few projects that its deadline is really soon, so you probably will not have free time for a long time. When you arrive home, Namjoon isn't there yet, so you decide to take a shower and then start to prepare the dinner. 

You think about all the homework you have to do and the fact that maybe you'll have to decline Joon's offer about you being on set for BTS' new music video. You really wanted to be there to show your support and love for them, but perhaps that won't happen this time. 

As you prepare the dinner, you hear the front door being opened and RapMon barking at Joon. An smile appears on your face without even noticing it. Namjoon puts his coat on the coat rack and takes off his shoes. 

“I'm home, (Y/N)” 

“Here.” you responded, still smiling, focusing on not burning up the meat. Namjoon gets closer, putting his arms around your waist and kissing your head. “How are you? Was your day nice?”

“It was, actually. We have everything ready for tomorrow! It'll be so great, I'm anxious already.” He answers, still embracing you, resting his chin on your shoulder. “Now how was your day?” 

You sigh for the twentieth time on the day. “Not so good. Still have lots of things to do this weekend.” 

“Oh? You should rest tonight, don't even dare to open up your books.” 

“But, Joonie, I have to—”

“Give yourself a little break, 'kay?” This time he kisses your neck. “Come tomorrow with me, it'll be fun! The guys miss you. They ask about you all the time.” 

You turn around to face him and give him a warm smile. He smiles back, of course, showing his dimples and trying to convince you with his sparkling eyes. “Dunno. How many days will the shooting last?” 

“Three days, if everything goes according to the plan”

“Mmh, perhaps the second day I'll join you guys.”

“If that's fine to you, then it's fine to me.” He assured. “You should let me finish this. Go get some sleep”

“You probably are tired too. Don't baby me, I can do this!”

“But, (Y/N)! I wanna help you too. Last night you prepared the dinner as well.”

“Why don't you set the table and help me with the sauce?” 

Namjoon pouts but agrees. The night is a bit cold but relaxing. You both spend it sat on the sofa, drinking cold water (because Namjoon shouldn't drink alcohol before filmings) and enjoying the meat you prepared. As that episode of friends is finished, you both stand up to clean and head to your room.

“Are you sure you don't wanna come tomorrow?” Namjoon asks, picking some comfortable clothes and a Koya's towel. 

“Already told you. I wanna be there but I have to finish my projects. Probably I'll finish tomorrow, and then I am all yours.” you wink and put yourself comfortable between sheets. You already have the pajama Namjoon gave you as a birthday present last year, it was Koya pajamas, of course. He had a pair for himself to match. The boys found that cute, and teased Namjoon for a long time.

“Sounds like a plan” He smirks and heads to the bathroom to take a short shower before sleep. Meanwhile, you set the alarm on your phone and send a few text messages to your teammates. After that, you scroll down on your twitter timeline. You have a a lot of followers since everyone thinks you're Namjoon's best friend. Well, they're not wrong after all, but they are still not getting it, yet.

It was something crazy to think about, really. No one suspected about you two even though you were together for years; according to numerous fans, you were just friends since childhood, and mostly because that's what the company has said in a press conference. Namjoon really wanted to show you off but they decided that it was not the best time to make it public. You both have been waiting but, still, you are happy like this. 

You post a selca with the caption "sleepy". The pic is cute, and it shows the pajamas you're wearing. Army may find that adorable, and perhaps they'll finally reunite the pieces of the puzzle. 

You get some mentions telling you how handsome you are and some others asking you to tell Namjoon they love him. You smile at that. A few minutes later, you can't help but search "(y/n) namjoon" cause it drives you insane. Some fans have posted an update of you wearing koya's pajamas, and some others are just freaking out because you both are such a "supportive best friends". 

Namjoon enters the room, his hair wet and wearing his matching pajamas. He looks so soft and cute that you just wanna cuddle with him forever. 

“Do I have something on my face?” He laughs and looks for the hair dryer. 

“Shut up” You say, making some space on bed for him, “come with me. I wanna cuddle tonight.”

“You always wanna cuddle.” Namjoon laughs and connects the dryer. “Hold on, love. I'll be back with you in a few minutes”

You stare at the ceiling, breathing deeply, still worrying about tomorrow's duties. You hear the dryer and Namjoon humming «boy with luv ». When he finishes, he puts the dryer on its place and joins you in bed, covering up with the sheets. 

You take your phone to take a selca. You both look so cozy wearing matching pajamas, warm and safe. You took another one of Namjoon kissing your temple and another one making silly faces. Of course you are going to keep those for yourself. 

“Let's sleep. Tomorrow's gonna be rough for us” He says, sleepy, pulling his arms around you. You rest your head on his chest and hum in response, kissing his lips shortly.

“Night, Joonie.”

“Goodnight, (y/n)”

•••

The next morning, when you wake up by your alarm, Namjoon is not there. You feel a bit sad but when you see the little note on the nightstand, your heart rushes and you smile wide. 

«I couldn't wake you up, you looked so tired and yet so beautiful.  I hope you have a great day, don't stress yourself, you got this!  Call me if you need it. Fighting!!!   Love you»

You stand up, stretching your body to release the accumulated tension from the night. Don't feel like changing your clothes cause you are comfortable like that and you have no plans to go outside. You wash your face and teeth before walking down and start to do homework.

Monie barks when he sees you and you immediately go to pet him. You make sure he has enough food and water before opening the backyard door for him to go outside and play. You are hungry but honestly, you are way to lazy to make some breakfast. When you take your backpack, a sticky note falls to the floor, and you pick it up a bit confused, «please have a breakfast. There are some fruits on the refrigerator, yogurt and granola. Don't start your day without the most important meal!! xx»

Sometimes it scares you when you think about how good Joon knows you. Like the palm of his hand. You smile and roll your eyes, and even though you still don't wanna have breakfast, you can already hear Namjoon scolding you for it, so you decide to take the things he said and mix it on a bowl. 

As you take your notebooks and textbooks, you receive a Skype message request. Your heart races, thinking is Namjoon, but your smile fades when you see is your teammates asking you to join the video call. You sit down, putting the spoon on the salad of fruits and accept the call. 

“Hi, good morning (y/n)! How are you today?” WheeIn greets you with a smile. She looks so fresh and suddenly you are conscious about your eye bags, feeling a bit ashamed. The rest is just staring at you, smiling too.

“Morning, fellas” You answer, trying to not sound so throaty. “I've been better, to be honest.”

Everyone laughs at that, but after a few minutes of joking around, everyone starts to work on the project. It's tiring, but important for your final grades. Every single one of you try your best to make a great job, and in orders to not make things boring, you all often make jokes and take little breaks.

“Hey (y/n), I just noticed you still on your pajamas" Jackson says, and everyone rolls their eyes, including you. “You look nice, still obsessed with that BTS group?”

“I mean, yes? I just feel comfortable on my pajamas when I'm home, who doesn't, though?”

“Still obsessed with that Namjoon guy?” This time Byul speaks up. 

“A lot. I'm pretty sure I love him more than I loved him yesterday.” You joke and Byul sighs. 

“You know, guys, the level of obsession this man has for Namjoon that he even adopted a dog similar to his pet and named him the same, and not to mention the pajamas of that koala just because he created it” 

OK, it was funny. No one of your friends knew about it for the simple reason that you weren't ready to tell them. It was a bit unfair, and they'll probably kill you for not telling them before, but you still feel so insecure about it. Although, you knew for sure they were going to support you unconditionally.

“Yeah, stop it. I know we're meant to be.” You laugh when everyone just remains in silence, not sure about what you just said.

“If you say so...” Kai mentions, going back to the project. 

•••

The rest of the day passes by really fast, you successfully finished your project and now you just have to finish some summaries and a class that you'll give to your classmates in two weeks. 

You still have no messages from Namjoon, and you want to call him but maybe he's busy. So you decide to start to do the rest of the homework and think about something to eat. You're really concentrated on your lecture when a message pops up on the phone. You take it as fast as you can to see it's a message from Hobi, and for a moment you feel scared but your muscles relaxes when you see it's a video with some emojis of laughing and thumbs ups.

You open it very anxious to see Namjoon and Halsey face to face, with their arms and hands extended to make a funny handshake. You can also notice Jimin and a girl (probably from staff) and Taehyung and Jungkook carrying Yeontan in the back, but then your attention is again on Halsey and your boyfriend. 

They seem to have fun, and it looks like a great time, but suddenly you can't help but feel a bit jealous? It was stupid and nonsense, but you still feel so insecure, constantly over thinking and wondering why'd Namjoon be with you, anyways. It is a constant problem, of you always feeling nothing special, not enough for Namjoon, and he'd always remind you how handsome, intelligent and awesome you are but you still feel worthless.

It was also stupid to be jealous because, even though Namjoon was bisexual, he'd never cheat on you. Just because Halsey is pretty and a good friend of him didn't mean he likes her... Right? But you knew it wasn't only that; it was how jealous you felt two years ago when he told you he met her at the BBMAs, how happy he was about it, making it a big deal (because, let's face it, it was a big deal), and then him talking about her all the time, saying he wanted to collaborate with her in a song, then messaging her everyday; it made you feel so scared and insecure. You felt so bad and tried to hide it but it all ended up in horrible discussions. 

You quickly shake the thought and reply to Hoseok with heart-eyes emojis and some other hearts too. In an impulse, you send Namjoon a message. «Hope you're having fun! Love you.» It obviously didn't sound jealousy, did it?

•••

 An hour later you're done with the summaries. You decide to take a small break and order some food. It's 6 pm and you feel tired, a bit dizzy too, but you don't care at all. You can't stop thinking about that video, and even watch it all over again, feeling saddened by your thoughts and insecurity. Then finally you receive a text message from Namjoon, announcing he'll be home really soon. You sigh and clean the table, putting your backpack on the floor and books inside. 

Your food arrives fast and you thank all gods above for it. When Namjoon opens the door, Monie barks, as expected and enters the house to greet Joonie. You half smile and see Joon so handsome and tall, he seems tired but still gets closer to you with a big smile and kisses your lips softly before sitting in front of you and steal you some sushi. 

“How was your day?” You ask, sleepy, your eyes avoiding Namjoon and concentrating on the food.

“It was amazing, a bit tiring, but so cool. We had so much fun and it was great to see Halsey again” He answers simply, eating as fast as he can. He was really hungry. 

“Good.” You say, fake smiling, and stand up. Before Namjoon could say something else, you speak again. “I'll take a shower, I'm tired too.”

He sees you heading to the second floor but doesn't say anything. You prepare your pajamas (just a green pair, a pair jungkook gave to you since you loved pajamas so much) and a towel. You decide to use the bathtub this time to relax your body and clear your head. 

You were being unfair, yes, but it's hard to think about something else. You didn't want to have the same discussion again, you didn't want to cry, you didn't want Namjoon to worry about it, you just needed to work on your trust issues all by yourself.

When you finish cleaning yourself and putting on your pajamas, you head to the room, where Namjoon is already, packing some clothes for tomorrow. You ignore him and put yourself comfortable in bed, wrapping up in the sheets and breathing heavily. Namjoon puts the suitcase down, and looks at you. 

“What's wrong, jagi?” He asks, a bit worried. You feel like you're going to cry, but hold back the tears and just deny with your head. 

“Nothing, 'm just tired, that's all.” 

“You're lying to me, you're not looking me in the eyes.” 

You roll on your back to face him and pout a bit. “I'm sorry”

“Don't be. Tell me how are you feeling. What happened?”

 You deny with your head again and sit. “It's stupid, really-”

“It is not stupid if it makes you feel like this.” He interrupts you, sitting next to you and putting his hand on your waist to put you closer. You can feel his warmth, his smell of fresh air and lavender. He feels like home. “Trust me, please.” 

“It's just...” You doubt, but his embrace gets tighter to let you know you can rely on him, always. “Hobi sent me a video of you and Halsey, you know... ” 

He doesn't let you go, but hums in response, waiting for you to continue. 

“And, I dunno, just, I kinda got jealous” This time you whisper, ashamed. He did listen and you expected him to laugh and assure you that it was ridiculous, but he didn't do that. 

Instead he holds you tighter and kisses your head. “Ah, (y/n), I understand but, baby, please...” He puts his free hand on your jaw for you to look at him, directly to his sparkling eyes. “Trust me when I say that I only love you.” He bops your nose and you laugh a bit.

“Joonie…”

“Listen to me, please.” He asks, still holding you like his life depends on it. “I know you have trust issues, and we argued a lot for it, but I really want you to be aware of this: You're the love of my life; and I'll tell you this everyday for the rest of our lives, you are the most incredible man I've ever known, you are my best friend, my boyfriend and I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”

“Joonie…” You repeat, with tears on your eyes. Your heart beating so fast and your cheeks red. 

“I would be making a huge mistake if I ever leave you, or if I ever hurt you. You are my everything, okay? I don't wanna see you like this again. Please, please, trust me. We can work on this.”

You nod and a couple of tears roll down your cheeks. Namjoon wipes it away with his thumbs and kisses you. 

“Actually, tomorrow you are coming with me, aren't you?" 

“Yes, I did finish my homeworks, so...”

He smiles, taking off his shoes and jeans, just leaving the underwear and the T-shirt on. He climbs into bed, cuddling with you. “The boys asked a lot about you and were wondering when would you see them again. I didn't tell them you would be with us tomorrow cause, you know, didn't want to ruin the surprise”

You laugh. “I miss them too so much. Haven't seen them in a while, though”

“We all were talking about you.” He says, softly. “Halsey asked about you because of that.”

You raise your eyebrow. “What?”

“Yes, jagi. We were on a break, and then Jin-hyung asked about you, so all the boys started to ask me too, making some jokes, and then Halsey just said «who are you talking about?»” He laughs a bit, but continues. “So I say, «oh, (y/n)! He is my boyfriend!» And then I think she kinda got excited about it, cause she couldn't stop asking about us for the rest of the break” 

You blush, feeling completely stupid.

“She asked for how long we've been together, how do you look like, and then I showed her a few pics of us. She found us adorable and said she wants to meet you”

“Oh” You say, dizzy. “Now I feel like a dumbass”

Namjoon laughs at that. “Yeah, but you're my dumbass.”

You punch his shoulder and he just holds you in his arms, resting his head on your chest and breathing heavily. “I love you, baby.”

You smile again, feeling better, feeling determined and loved. “I love you more, Joonie. Thanks for everything.” 

Rules.

[comradeclown]

OK, so in honour of my top posts now being me saying at various degrees of length that Arthur is gay (hashtag mylegacy, lmao…), I thought I should just go for it and actually dive in a bit a lot into why I read the character as gay. Now, usually all the justification I need to read a character as gay is “wouldn’t it be cool if this character I like/relate to/etc were gay like me?” and “it’s OK, officer, I do what I want”, and I’m well aware that 99% of the time it’s me using my own creativity to do a resistant reading + the film/book/whatever bumbling into subtext entirely by accident. And while I definitely don’t think there’s ever any more justification needed for any kind of LGBT reading, lol, as it comes to Arthur, obviously feel free to disagree with me, but I honestly think my read of him as a gay man is entirely textually supported, however unwitting and accidental that might have been on the part of the filmmakers (mind you, I don’t think it was Todd Phillips’ conscious intent, but I’m like… 85% sure Joaquin Phoenix knew exactly what he was doing).

(ETA that this is extremely long, so I’ve put it all under a cut.)

First of all, there’s of course… pretty much the entirety of Joaquin Phoenix’s performance (a very, very small sample can be found in my he gay son tag and just generally in my arthur fleck tag, ha), from his mannerisms to his physicality to the way he interacts with other characters. I know part of it is a function of wanting to go back to the character’s campy roots (which are themselves… you know…), and I know I’m relying on stereotypes to some extent, but first of all, you can’t divorce either camp or gender non-conformity from LGBT history and existence, and secondly this is literally how characters have been coded as gay throughout the entire history of cinema. What I’m saying here is that you can’t have a character who acts like Arthur does, literal limp wrist and all, or says “come on, Muuuurrrayyy, do I look like the kind of girl clown who could start a movement” the way he does, to pick one of many, many examples, and not evoke the long history of cinematic wink emojis at People Like Me.

That in itself would�� honestly be plenty, lol, but it could be chalked up to, idk, Joaquin Phoenix doing his own thing, were it not for the fact that it’s completely reinforced at every turn by the filmmaking language, even down to his wardrobe choices, and it’s worth noting at this point that the framing is always one of empathy — albeit with nuance — and affording the character subjectivity, rather than being “ew, look at this gross [homophobic slur]”. Like, the very first time we see Arthur, literally our first impression of the character, he’s at a mirror, putting on make-up and then ruining it by crying, and while the make-up is of course part of his job, this is just not how the inner crises of straight male characters are expressed in the language of cinema. Of note too is the fact that he’s clearly visually separated from his co-workers in all the scenes at Ha-Ha’s, indicating his alienation from them, and while this could be chalked up purely to his disabilities, I don’t buy that that’s the only reason, given that Gary gets shit due to his dwarfism, sure, but at the end of the day he’s clearly “one of the boys” in a way Arthur (can’t be) isn’t.

There are honestly so many examples of the framing working to separate Arthur from conventional masculinity and heterosexuality that I’m just going to pick some highlights, such as: obviously, the way he expresses himself emotionally through dancing (to the point that one of his coworkers explicitly ribs him about it, “if your dancing doesn’t do the trick”), which again is not something that straight male characters do in the language of cinema. The fact that all the media we see him consume is musicals, classic comedies and a talk show he’s obsessively fannish about and watches with his mother — and we know he’s a fan of the show as a whole, not just Murray, hence him saying “I love Dr Sally” (and the way he says it…). Or, speaking of his media habits, when he’s dancing with the gun while watching Shall We Dance, this could have so, so easily been about him ~regaining his lost masculinity~ through, say, fantasies of revenge or badassery, but instead it’s about him being acknowledged as a great dancer and punishing bad dancers, and it all ends in slapstick anyway.

Also, while I’m on this topic, I want to address the nature of Arthur’s dissociative fantasies about Sophie. Honestly, I don’t read them as indicative of genuine romantic/sexual interest at all, because the film frames them as identical to Arthur’s more deliberate daydreams about Murray. I mean, not that I’m adverse to gay readings of that if that’s what you want to do, lmao, but to me they’re both very clearly post-traumatic fantasies of having another person look after you for once, of having someone value and cherish you and take care of you emotionally (which obviously has massive appeal if you’ve been dealing with the after-effects of catastrophic trauma all your life but nobody has given a shit about your suffering and you’ve had to be the one to look after other people to boot). Note that after the get-together with Sophie — which is clearly patterned after all those old comedies and musicals Arthur watches — the Sophie fantasies are incredibly platonic and involve things like having another person be there for you in a crisis, telling you something supportive, getting you a hot drink (in contrast with the reality of the hospital scene, in which Arthur is alone and he’s the one trying to comfort someone else, i.e., holding Penny’s hand), essentially no different from fantasy!Murray hugging Arthur and knowing exactly what to say to make him feel good about himself. Also note that both fantasies involve being the object of someone else’s affection, Murray picks Arthur out of the audience and Sophie comes to him, it’s a pillow princess Cinderella fantasy, more than someone loving you it’s about being loved. (And, once more, this could easily have all been v. v. different, the Murray fantasy could have been the much more conventionally masculine fantasy of being a famous comedian and being invited on Murray’s show, the Sophie fantasies could have had an undeniable sexual component, etc.)

Anyway, to get back to the general point of cinematic framing, again if the movie didn’t want me to read Artie as gay, it shouldn’t have had a pivotal moment in his character arc be him sitting at his mother’s vanity table, doing a new make-up look which involves using her lipstick, and then having a Moment while he’s literally holding a quasi-glamour shot of her.

And the thing is, all these reams of stuff aren’t even the key piece of the puzzle for me, which is the way in which the film as a whole can be read as a gay narrative. I’ve posted before about how part of the emotional catharsis of the film is about Arthur finally shamelessly embracing and even revelling in all his freakishness and socially-despised traits, a big one of which being what is arguably his effeminacy and… honestly I don’t need to explain how that’s a classic gay (and more generally LGBT) narrative, do I? Like, there’s a reason why a pivotal scene is Arthur having his hair-dyeing underwear rave in a flat that’s suddenly incredibly bright and sunny for the first time, it’s about reclaiming the pain and ugliness of your life and your circumstances into a space of potential liberation, which is honestly why this movie is always going to be incredibly personally meaningful to me for so many reasons, but definitely meaningful to me as a gay woman. (Again, this could so, so easily have been about him becoming some stone-cold badass or whatever, but instead the film has him dye his hair, put on a super garish new outfit and new make-up look, dance shamelessly in the street, and be incredibly campy on national television.)

More generally, there’s other aspects of the narrative arc that tie into this general theme and which also serve to continually distance Arthur from the conventional cinematic narratives of heterosexual manhood: for instance, once he starts fully embracing the Joker persona — which is… just Arthur, the crucial difference is in how others perceive him and how he perceives himself — any attraction to women, feigned or real, goes completely out the window and the only genuinely affectionate interaction he has with another human being is with Gary (I know we all love to joke about his first kiss being with Dr Sally, but it’s obviously Comedy Jokes and he doesn’t even kiss her for real, his make-up is completely intact; Arthur’s only real kiss in the movie is when he kisses Gary). Or, when Arthur’s personal narrative finally intersects completely with the larger social narrative — which is itself about upheaval, reclamation and potential liberation — the big triumphant moment is him once again dancing, this time for a cheering crowd, and using blood like lipstick to redraw his smile.

Or even, to a lesser extent, his whole sub-plot with his mother, before I watched the film I was worried that this was going to be the usual narrative about the henpecked guy who finally puts the bitch in her place as part of becoming a Real Man, and it’s not at all, quite the opposite, Arthur is not henpecked and is clearly in charge of the household, he genuinely loves Penny — and is confident she loves him back — and enjoys doing at least some things with her (them watching the Murray Franklin Show together), and up until the reveal any issues he has with her are largely the product of having to look after an ill person with zero social support and while working a physically and emotionally demanding job and dealing with his own disabilities. When he kills her, it’s a deeply sad and self-destructive scene and it’s the result of his profound anguish and sense of betrayal and he frames it as the bitter, trauma-haunted dark half of self-actualisation and self-acceptance (“that’s the real me”, “I haven’t been happy one minute of my entire fucking life”, “now I realise… it’s a fucking comedy”).

Or, at a more meta-textual level, the way the film is unabashedly both a pulpy thriller and a melodrama, just shamelessly embracing all its emotions, its pain and catharsis, without a trace of irony. Like, yeah, part of this is the immense sincerity and compassion Joaquin Phoenix brings to his performance, but it really is the movie’s approach as a whole, and when there is humour — and I do think there’s quite a lot of humour in the movie — it’s not the distancing, let’s-not-feel-anything-too-deeply-bro humour of your typical MCU movie, it’s the camp sensibility of laughing with and at your own tragedy. (Myriad examples down to the use of certain songs in the soundtrack.)

On a final note, you guys know how much I don’t care about authorial intent, but I feel compelled to point out that in his director’s commentary, Todd Phillips says, while discussing Arthur’s journey into becoming Joker, that he reads the larger pop-cultural character of the Joker as someone who doesn’t want women, and like… Again, it’s not like I think that he was deliberately making a gay narrative in any way, it’s just that if you’re creating this journey of a man who eventually becomes a character who’s not interested in women in that sense, you’ve also just ended up stumbling into a gay narrative accidentally on purpose, lmao, what’s the real difference between “at the end of the story, Arthur doesn’t want women because he’s ~da Joker now, baby, he doesn’t want anything~” and “at the end of the story, Arthur doesn’t want women because he’s gay and he’s no longer deeply repressed and closeted��?

Anyway, like I said, feel free to disagree, he’s a fictional character, lol, but this is where I’m coming from, and the reason why if everyone involved in the movie decided to make a statement tomorrow about how much Arthur Fleck wants to bone women I’d just say “shit, idc, I’m afraid you made a gay movie about Arthur Fleck, a gay man, it’s a little too late to retcon this bitch now ¯\_(ツ)_/¯”. Also this is over 2,000 words long what the fuck I am so sorry

[mariephillipswriter]

Square Eyes

Do they still say that if you watch too much television you'll get square eyes? Or is that an expression that went out of fashion when kids started spending all their time in front of the internet? Putting aside the obvious riposte (televisions aren't square, they're rectangular) I can report that I have been doing extensive research in this area and have come to the scientific conclusion: no, you won't. I have been watching so much television. SO MUCH TELEVISION. I never believed that I could watch such an immense quantity of television. On the whole I don't watch it during the day except for sometimes when I am having my breakfast and also when having my lunch, but in the evenings, when I have finished pretending to work, I might start watching television at about 6pm, or 5pm, or 4pm on a bad day, and keep going until, say, 11pm or midnight. HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE. HOW CAN A PERSON LIVE THIS WAY. Well it's easy enough, it turns out, if you're under lockdown in London in December and it's dark from 4pm and raining most of the time and you have the emotional resources of a gnat and reading is too demanding and talking on the phone is too exhausting and the light in the living room is not good enough for doing a puzzle in evening hours and you quit social media a month or so ago because it was driving you out of your mind with anxiety. I don't watch six or seven or eight hours of television every night. Don't be ridiculous. Some nights I only watch about three hours of television because I have a Zoom call or I'm cooking dinner or I've got stuck into a good cryptic crossword, maybe the Saturday Times Jumbo one because the Guardian ones are too gimmicky, or at last I've found a book gripping yet easy enough that I can't put it down (thank you Robert Galbraith, thank you Marian Keyes), but I would say that three hours is the minimum and my god that is a LOT. EVERY DAY. THREE HOURS. MINIMUM. But you don't need to me to explain that to you because you are all watching three four five six seven hours of television every day and when you are not watching television you are phoning your friends and first of all talking about the specific way that your own personal lockdown is terrible but then eventually saying 'what are you watching on television' because what else is there even to talk about? At the start of lockdown there was quite a small pool of television that everyone was watching (that thing about the Tiger King, which I didn't watch because by the time I got back from my early lockdown in Costa Rica you'd all seen it, and Normal People which I didn't watch because I was too embarassed to sit through all the sex scenes with my flatmates, and I May Destroy You, which I didn't watch because about five minutes of it was enough to send me into a massive panic spiral, but I hear was very good), but once we had all (other than me) got through that and Covid dragged on for months, our conversations began taking on the tenor of Vikings crowding around one another as a boat returns from a foray, WHAT IS OUT THERE, WHAT DID YOU FIND OUT THERE, IS THERE SOMETHING OUT THERE THAT I MIGHT DESIRE? And the Viking says yes, there is this thing called Schitts Creek but you really have to push on through the first season because I promise you it gets better and better and you will start to love that obnoxious family. And then we all watched Schitts Creek. (Including me, it's wonderful, you have to push on through the first series you will start to love that obnoxious family, Dan Levy is a divinity in human form and if you want more of him you could do worse than checking out the lesbian Christmas-themed romcom Happiest Season, which you can rent from Amazon Prime.) And now we are beyond even that and all our lives resonate with the screeching sound of a televisual barrel being scraped and now this is when things get really interesting (or put another way, VERY VERY BORING) because everyone has fractured and we are all watching different kinds of random stuff found in the dusty corners and unloved algorithms of our streaming services. There's the friend who has got into watching obscure French crime series on Netflix (The Chalet! La Mante!) and the friend who is watching every episode of Poirot on Britbox (thirteen series, 70 episodes) (though that pales in comparison with the friend who did a total rewatch of Friends from beginning to end (236 episodes) and finished it ages ago and is starving for more) and the friend who calls me up seemingly every week with a new old show nobody else has ever heard of (such as the early 1990s Nigel Havers and Warren Clarke comedy spy drama Sleepers, which he is watching old-school-style on DVD, and which apparently is like The Americans only with Nigel Havers and funny, and also, you should watch The Americans.) When I look back on the amount of television I have watched this year it defies comprehension. There were the things I would have watched anyway like the whole of Strictly Come Dancing and His Dark Materials, and the things that took me by surprise, like the stealthily hilarious Danny Dyer gameshow The Wall that was on straight after Strictly and drove me into a total obsession with the way that Danny Dyer says "Drop 'Em" (he's talking about the balls that are dropped down the wall, it's hard to explain, you can find it on iPlayer, but meanwhile if you only click on one link in this whole newsletter PLEASE click on that one), there were the things that were created especially to get me through lockdown (the wonderful David Tennant and Michael Sheen Zoom comedy Staged, which is not only extremely funny but allows you to see inside David Tennant's house which I'm not sure I am technically allowed to watch because of the restraining order? Anyway, new series coming on Monday, fellow DT fans) and the familiar things I watched to soothe me when it all got too much (Doctor Who, starting before Tennant even gets in on the action, right at the begining of the New Who seasons with Christopher Eccleston, because armchair space travel is the only kind of travel we are going to be getting for a while) and the exciting things I watched when I could no longer bear the tedious repetition of every identical day (Line of Duty, in which the famous-for-the-far-inferior Bodyguard writer Jed Mercurio delivers ludicrously compelling twisty-turny stories about police corruption that cannot be predicted for even a nanosecond) and the things that I watched just because I loved them (Fosse/Verdon, the Bob Fosse and Gwen Verdon bio-series starring the breathtakingly charismatic Sam Rockwell and Michelle Williams, which is one of the best-made pieces of television I've ever seen, Love Life, the Anna Kendrick romantic comedy series which was surprisingly touching and truthful about the relationships that make up a life and which didn't make me want to open a vein as a single person the way that many looking-for-love shows do, and Better Things, a sort-of-comedy sort-of-drama written, directed by and starring Pamela Adlon, which began as a collaboration with Louis CK and initially reflected the sensibility of his show Louie, but became far more experimental and interesting once, after CK's disgrace, Adlon took over completely - the fourth series is maybe the closest thing I've seen on TV to a representation of the rhythms of real life, with long scenes of Adlon just cooking a meal on her own, or contemplating the rain, of having arguments with her children that explode from nowhere and end just as suddenly with tears or laughter or nothing at all.) And this entire paragraph is just things that I have watched on the BBC. Not even everything that I have watched on the BBC. The BBC is INCREDIBLE and my license fee has been serious value for money, before you even count all that time spent watching the news [Munch Scream emoji]. But overall, it doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of television that I have watched this year. Though while we're here, have you noticed that sometimes it's more relaxing to watch something bad than something good? Have you noticed that a vapid, cliched show like Virgin River (heartbroken city nurse with a secret moves to small town and falls in love with battle-wounded bartender with a secret), a show that makes This Is Us look like Succession, has the same effect on your brain that taking off your work shoes and putting on your slippers has for your feet? You can rest now, it says, there is nothing more for you to do. Have you noticed how easy it is to chug down, say, four episodes in a row of Designated Survivor - a show designed by a committee charged with taking elements of The West Wing, Homeland and 24, and making something similar but, crucially, much more ridiculous - without your mind even noticing that anything has happened at all? And if you're really ready for something utterly idiotic, might I suggest The Bold Type, in which three twentysomething girls in bonkers designer outfits "work" at an aspirationally "feminist" glossy magazine, and by "work" I mean constantly leave the office in the middle of the day to take care of personal business, and by "feminist" I mean "empowering women by for example having them post selfies of themselves looking perfect but without makeup on social media", a feminism so very feminist that they called the magazine's parent company Steinem in the first series and then had to change it to Safford, I can only presume because Gloria Steinem threatened to sue them. A couple of episodes of that is the televisual equivalent of having a nice relaxing full frontal lobotomy. Don't get me wrong: I love these shows. I owe them more gratitude than I can say. I would be unable to survive without them. I've managed to watch five hours of television just since starting this post24 hours ago (three episodes of Doctor Who, half a really cheap and very bad Sky Arts documentary about the musical Hamilton, and a travelogue in which Torvill and Dean go in search of a frozen lake in Alaska on which to dance Bolero but can't find one for almost the entire show because of global warming, which made me simultaneously and conflictingly want to give up air travel, fly to Alaska immediately, become obsessed with Torvill and Dean AND wonder how they managed to skate together all these decades without killing each other especially Torvill but also especially Dean). Five hours of TV, sounds like a lot, but with eight hours of sleep, that still left me eleven hours to fill in this boring boring boring boring BORING BORING BORING boring boring BORING boring BORING BORING lockdown. I think I am being incredibly restrained, all things considered. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some time to kill, having finished writing this post, and with at least five hours to fill before bed. I wonder what's on TV?

***

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[florbexter]

Trending War

Title: Trending War  Chapter: oneshot Pairing: TinCan Summary: 

5 times Can tried to trend #TinCan and one time he didn’t have to

Prelude

Can stared at Tin’s head and wondered how he ever had found that stupid stupidhead attractive. He was ugly… maybe not in the common sense ugly, because he had this stupid face, which was stupidly handsome but he was ugly. Because…

“Why are you staring at me?” Tin asked but didn’t look up from his laptop.

Can thought about throwing his phone at Tin’s face, but he really liked that phone.

But he also kinda hated that phone because it had shown him the TinPete hashtag and how it was trending, because Tin and his stupid face had learned on a bench outside of the IC building instead of inside like any normal person.

Can frowned at the picture his sister had attached to one of her tweets. Pete was looking over Tin’s shoulder to see the display of Tin’s laptop. It was an innocent picture. They didn’t even really touch. They were just close.

Can hated it.

‘They would make such cute boyfriends’ one of Lay’s friends had commented under her tweet and he wanted to shout at her that HE was the cute boyfriend… which he was not come to think of it.

They dated. And kissed. And Tin’s hand had been on places of Can’s body only his own hand ever had been. Which Can liked a lot. Tin had nice hands, they were big and warm and…

Stop thinking about his hands!, he scolded himself. He was mad! He was mad because some dumb girls thought Tin was the perfect match for Pete! Pete!

He should sent screenshots to Ae.

“You are still staring.”

“Am I not allowed to look at…” at my boyfriend he wanted to say… but they were not. Not officially.

How would one make the change from dating each other to being official boyfriends? Should he just ask? Or did they just transition naturally to a point where they start to call each other boyfriends? He could google it right?

“What happened?”

Can startled because Tin flopped down next to him on the couch without announcing himself. He hid his phone instinctively.

Tin looked at him and Can knew that he was going to snap that phone from his hands, so he twisted sideways to prevent Tin from doing so.

“Can,” Tin said while looming over him, “what is on your damn phone?”

“Nothing!”

“You stare at it, then you stare at me and those are not nice stares.”

“How would you know? Maybe I am being seductive?”

“I know your seductive face, it is very similar to your feed me face.”

“Hey!”

He had to twist away again because Tin was so damn tall and why had he never realized that his arms were also freakishly long? Can turned around to lay on his belly hiding his phone between his body and the couch.

He felt Tin’s sigh against his neck and tried to suppress a shiver.

“Can,” he said in an exasperated tone but Can shook his head.

“Not showing you.”

“Can,” he said again, but softer this time, just a whisper against his skin. Can turned around and stared at Tin who frowned in light of Can’s serious face.

“What happened?”, he asked, ready to conquer all of Can’s enemies. It was funny that he was always ready to fight those non-existing threats but wouldn’t let Can punch his brother.

“Be my boyfriend,” he said, because he wanted to. He wanted to be Tin’s boyfriend. He wanted to change his facebook status, and he wanted to comment on those stupid tweets that Tin already had an adorable boyfriend, thank you very much (and no offense Pete).

And he wanted to see that look on Tin’s face every time he said boyfriend.

Can took hold of Tin’s face to caress the skin around his mouth and eyes and marvel in the soft and astonished look in his eyes.

“Be my boyfriend,” he repeated himself and smiled at Tin’s huff because he used his hold on Tin’s face to make him nod.

“This is a binding nod,” he said.

“My boyfriend is very cute, but also an idiot,” Tin said and Can had to grin.

1)

“What about a sex tape?”

“I am sorry?”

Can looked up from his phone to Tin’s confused face.

“I am thinking aloud,” he explained.

“You mentioned the word sex-tape, what are you thinking about?”

“The hashtag TinPete is trending again because you walked Ai Pete to his car yesterday.”

“I didn’t walk him to his car, we both walked to our cars.”

“Why is there no TinCan hashtag?”

“The more important question is who are those people stalking me?”, Tin said. He was puzzled over the fact that he didn’t realize some girls made photos of him.

“They’re short and ready for anything,” Can murmured.

“We’re not doing a sex tape… wait… we could do a sex-tape but we’ll not show it to anyone.”

“Then what is the point?” “I’ll be able to watch it?” “You can watch my face anytime,” Can said and tried to remember what face he made during sex.

“If you think that is your sex-face… you’re sadly mistaken.” Can put his elbow to good use and enjoyed Tin’s painful grunt.

“Don’t move,” he demanded. He laid against Tin in his giant bed and had been waiting for him to end whatever he had been doing on his Pad when he saw the hashtag on Twitter. He didn’t tell Tin that he made a fake account just to follow his sister and her crazy friends.

He hadn’t told Ley about them being boyfriends because he wanted Tin for himself for a little while. His ma already invited Tin for dinner three times a week and Ley would always hog Tin’s attention like he was her personal entertainer. He didn’t like it, but he also didn’t like her spreading the rumour that Tin and Pete were a pair. He loved his sister but maybe he should tell Ae about... wait... no, he would just drag Pete away and nobody would see them for a week.

“I have a solution,” Tin said out of the blue and raised his Pad to make a selfie of them. “How would… oh.”

It was a nice photo Can admitted. Tin was shirtless and the way his hand laid on Can’s waist was visible. Can wore Tin’s shirt so the hickey on his collarbone was there for the world to see. They looked good together, cosy and warm.

“Post this on your fake account.” “I will… hey! How do you know!”

Tin just kissed his pouting lips and tapped on the Pad to indicate Can should hurry up.

The caption under the picture was a heart emoji and Can was definitely satisfied the moment he typed TinCan behind the hashtag.

His satisfaction didn’t last long though. He woke up to notes on his picture complaining about how fake it looked. He should take photoshop lessons they wrote. His own sister posted a laughing emoji under the thread.

“I don’t understand a word you say,” Tin said and Can pulled the toothbrush out of his mouth. He had stomped into the bedroom after he saw the comments under their picture and had tried to explain to Tin why he was outraged. Tin understood him when he spoke with his mouth full but had trouble when his mouth was full of foam.

Can run back in the bathroom to rinse. “This is unacceptable,” he yelled over the running water.

“At least I have a new background photo,” Tin murmured while Can typed furiously on his phone.

2)

“New plan,” Can announced. He got into Tin’s car and shoved his phone in his face. Tin blinked and tried to see something on the display. “You’re no longer allowed to do any group projects together with Ai Pete.”

Tin had wanted to start the engine but changed his mind. Concentrating on driving and making sense of Can simultaneously was a bit tricky. He needed more time to master that kind of sorcery.  

“Why?” “Apparently, the way you show him something on your laptop is an indication ‘that you’re only soft for him and want to protect him as any good top would do’.”

Can looked at him as if Tin had any idea what he should say to that. “Didn’t you post the picture Ai Pete made of us at the football field?” Can crunched up his nose. “They commented that you were there because Ai Pete was there and that us standing next to each other means nothing because P’Type was also standing there.”

They should have waited until we were behind the bleachers, Tin thought. Why was it that those girls only appeared when he was with Pete? And why didn’t he notice them?

“I should ask Ai Pete to like #TinCan posts,” Can murmured, “and you’re not allowed to do future projects together.” “You think I’ve that kind of power?” “You don’t?”

Tin sighed.

“Put your hands on the steering wheel.” “Why?” “I’ll make a picture and write ‘personal driver’ under it.” “Maybe your personal driver thinks that instead of taking pictures for some idiotic girls on twitter you should say hello to your personal driver, because your personal driver is your boyfriend and you haven’t kissed him hello yet.” “You’re calling my sister idiotic?”

I’m going to drive the car against a tree, Tin thought and took the phone from Can’s fingers and swallowed his protest with a kiss. He threw the phone on the backseat and was only satisfied when Can buried his fingers in his hair and was about to climb on his lap.

3)

“Just so you know, your relationship with Ai Pete has to weather its first big argument.” “Good to know,” Tin murmured. He rolled his eyes, but his eyes were closed so the effect was lost on Can. “It’s about Ai Ae.” “Of course…” Tin turned around and squinted at Can. He sat against the headboard and frowned at the display of his phone. Tin wanted to stomp on that piece of technology. Was he rich enough to buy Twitter and delete it?

It was ridiculous that Can was so obsessed with the time Tin spend with Pete while they were at the university, when he literally was with Can for the rest of the time. It was the third night in a row that Can slept over at his place, he already had a toothbrush in the bathroom and a chair, where he laid his clothes on. “Why are Pete and I arguing?” He put one arm around Can’s lap and pressed his face against his side. Maybe, if he sneaked his hand under Can’s shirt he could distract him from the TinPete hashtag.

“Some saw them at the library and they seemed to be cozy.” “Good for them,” Tin murmured and inhaled Can’s scent. He loved how he smelled. Earthy, and warm. “They theorize that you will either have a word with Ae, which could lead to a fist-fight, or you will drag Ai Pete behind some cars to have your way with him. These girls are very bloodthirsty, most of them write squeal under the option of you fighting Ae…”

Can stopped, frowned and looked down. He had anticipated an irritated huff from Tin or a comment on how he could win against Ae (Can doubted that) but instead Can felt him breathe softly against his side and oh… look at that he slept without a shirt. Can had been in the middle of a heated argument with a girl who didn’t believe that Tin and Can even knew each other. But this was better. He slid down and arranged Tin so they were laying face to face. “Tin,” he whispered, “are you asleep?” “Mhm…” Can grinned. Tin had the habit to react when somebody spoke to him while he slept. It made for some funny conversations in the middle of the night. Can moved forward to rub his nose against Tin’s and waited for him to open his eyes. He liked Tin a lot like this. Sleepy and warm and ready to let Can move him how he wanted him. Can kissed him softly, little kisses against his mouth and cheek until he felt Tin’s smile.

4)

“About that sex-tape…” “No.” “You didn’t even listen!”

“Your sister would see it!” “I will forbade her to watch it, of course!”

“Can!” Tin pushed Can down and loomed over him. “I will not make a sex-tape because you’re angry at some little girls who don’t believe we’re in a relationship.”

Can was silent for a moment. “But they make little collages with Ai Pete and you… see.” Can had no idea about how long it took to make that kind of collage, but it looked like someone had sit hours in front of a computer.

“They don’t even consider that we could be boyfriends Tin! Why does none of them think we could be a possibility?” “Your sister wrote a six page essay why we’re only friends. Her strongest argument is that she knows us. You can’t be angry when you haven’t told her about us. She uses the knowledge she has. The truth you told her.” Can looked at him with big eyes, gnawing on his lower lip. “Please stop caring about what strange girls write about us. And if it bothers you so much, then tell Lemon about us.” Can stared up at him.

“I don’t want to share you yet,” he confessed, “you should be mine only, for a couple more months. I just…” He sighed and broke eye contact. Tin brushed some hair behind his ears and kissed him.

“Just what?” “They think it’s laughable that we could be a pair.” “They’re the only ones.”

5)

“This is unacceptable!”

“They blocked you, too?”

Tin looked up to where Can and Ley were sitting and shook his head. Both of them had the same expression on their face. Disbelief and outrage. He should have told Can to wait. No one was allowed to know about them, he should have said. But Can had confessed to his sister and now they had a shared agenda. “How can they trend a TinPete picture from weeks ago when I posted a TinCan from yesterday?”, Ley asked. Can looked like he was ready to stab his phone. “Crazy,” Tin murmured. He laid on the couch, Gucci to his feet and was a bit bored. “Tin, would you…” “No.” “But.” “No.”

The picture Ley had posted was the product of a photoshoot she had put them through. Tin had thought that if he looked at Can the adoration was plain to see, but Ley hadn’t been amused. Tin was afraid of her now. Also, his neck hurt. Gazing adoringly at his boyfriend while he had hovered above him and hadn’t been allowed to kiss him had resulted in a stiff neck for him. Before, he had been on the verge of saying yes to any kind of video which would have put an end to this TinPete nonsense but now he was cranky. That was why he took his phone from the couch table and made a photo of Can and Ley. They sat at the dining table and frowned at their phones. Being ignored at my boyfriends place - he wrote under the Instagram post and even though he didn’t want to he smiled when he put the TinCan hashtag behind the caption.

+1

“You’re a bad boyfriend,” Can murmured and looped his arms around Tin’s neck. He stood on his tiptoes and Tin liked that. He liked that a lot because it meant that Can’s whole body was pressed against his and he could feel his warmth and strength. His lips were red because he had kissed Tin in the middle of campus as if he would starve without him. They swayed and Tin couldn’t suppress his smile.

“You happy?”, he asked and didn’t wait for an answer because he had to kiss Can again.

“Who cares about stupid hashtags,” Can mumbled against his lips and Tin pinched him in one of his buttocks. He heard someone squeal in the background.

“Why didn’t you say you have an Instagram account?” Can asked and pouted. Tin had to kiss him again. “I thought you didn’t care?” “TinCan could have trended weeks ago.” “I thought you didn’t care?” Can bit his lower lip and Tin was on the verge of a deep moan. “You have 10 000 followers!” “I have? I don’t post much.” Another bite, soft this time and Can’s tongue rearranging all the thoughts in his head.

“You’re going to update your relationship status on facebook as soon as possible,” Can commanded and Tin just nodded.

Can buried his fingers in Tin’s hair because he needed to kiss his infatuating boyfriend more deeply and didn’t care about the whispers around them ore the phones recording them.

Thanks so much to the lovely anons for the prompts and @mahealinskis for the inspiration to make this into a oneshot. 

I hope you all enjoyed reading ^-^

[multiimuse]

★☆✪❉✯⍟♌ ♒🌷ꕥ🍀 - bsd muses~

★ what kind of phone do they have?

Chuuya - A high-end smartphone that’s technically a few years out of date but still functional. He could upgrade it but doesn’t see much point; cell phones are the type of tech he’s invested in pouring money into. 

Alcott - An older-model, flat flip phone. It does its job, and she has a cute flower charm attached to it. She could afford something newer by now, probably, but this one was a gift shortly after joining the Guild, and she doesn’t want to part with it. 

Ranpo - A smartphone that he doesn’t use much, despite the number of games he has saved on it. He tried to use its GPS navigator once and ended up getting lost for the better part of a day. (But hey, he found a really good ramen place out of it.)

☆ what is their phone’s background?

Chuuya - His background is a bottle of wine being poured into a glass. His lock screen is a picture of his motorcycle. (They used to be different, once upon a time, and he still has the photos he used back then saved on the phone.)

Alcott - Her phone is so old that its background is a simple color: a soft teal.

Ranpo - His background is a picture of Karl! ... Really. It’s Karl. Poe’s just in it. Because he’s holding Karl up to the screen. His lock screen is someone’s hands as they’re writing something furiously. The edge of the sleeve that can be seen looks a little familiar... 

✪ their standard ringtone?

Chuuya - The chorus of a rock song he’s liked for years. Once upon a time it’d get changed every so often to things he hated, but that hasn’t happened in so long he’s almost forgotten it would ever happen.

Alcott - A little piano melody that’s loud enough to hear but soft enough not to startle her. 

Ranpo - One of those obnoxious ‘ringtones’ that’s just a voice telling you to ANSWER THE PHONE. Sometimes he’ll switch it up for an obnoxiously-catchy pop song that’s popular right now.

❉ do they have any pictures on their phone?

Chuuya - He has some recent pictures from outings with the other members of the mafia that he’s reasonably close to,but most of the photos on his phone are old ones that he can’t bring himself to get rid of but doesn’t want to look at so he pretends they’re not there.

Alcott - A very old, very grainy picture of her family, taken with the phone’s poor-quality camera. It’s the only one she has on it, but it’s enough.

Ranpo - Quite a few! He likes taking pictures of sweets he’s going to eat that are as visually appealing as they are tasty, so that he can keep them forever and still eat them. He even did a photo diary of his snacks for a month and never bothered deleting those pictures. There’s also a few candids of his coworkers taken when he was bored, a cool bird he saw out the window, one of Kenji’s plants on top of a computer, and more than a few candids of Poe.

✯ what do their texts look like? do they use emojis often? what kind?

Chuuya - [to: mackerel] stop texting me when i’m in the middle of a job. i know you know i am i fucking saw you waving at me. 

Alcott - [to: Mother] Is everything alright at home? I haven’t heard from you in some time, so... I was worried.

Ranpo - [to: ed] hey ed r u busy if ur not i have something 4 u so lets meet up ok ^u^

⍟ any games on their phone? what kind? how often do they play?

Chuuya - ...He has Neko Atsume and he has spent significant amounts of real money on spoiling his pixel cat visitors. Tell no-one. He has a few card and puzzle games, too. 

Alcott - Herr phone is too old for any good games, but it does have centipede and a difficult-to-control pinball game.

Ranpo - His phone is 95% games. Card games and puzzle games, mostly, things that are distracting and colorful and fun. It’s useful to fidget with, and he’ll try just about anything once if it’s recommended to him, but he’s pretty quick to forget them if they can’t hold his interest.

♌ how do they drink their coffee/tea?

Chuuya - For his coffee, he drinks it black and gulps it down. It’s something he drinks for energy rather than for pleasure, so he doesn’t care too much about the taste. With tea, he’ll add sugar, but only if he thinks no-one’s watching. It’d be embarrassing to be caught adding sugar to it.

Alcott - She doesn’t drink coffee, and when it comes to tea she puts honey in it to sweeten it.

Ranpo - He can’t drink either one plain; with coffee he will only drink it if it’s flavored and full of cream and sugar, so much so that it can barely be called coffee any more. Tea needs milk and a lot of sugar, as well --- really, they’re more like sugar with a little coffee or tea added to them. 

♒ their cleaning routine - laundry/dishes/cleaning the rooms

Chuuya - He keeps his home pretty meticulous; his suite at HQ is cleaned by the same people who handle other higher-ups’ quarters, but at his house he’s the only one who keeps it clean, and he makes sure to do the dishes at least once a day and drop his clothes by dry-cleaning once a week as necessary. (Less delicate clothing he’ll handle every few days.) General cleaning he’ll do after work whenever he has the energy. It’s relaxing.

Alcott - She tries to keep a routine, but she isn’t obsessive about it. Laundry once or twice a week, dishes every day or two, and she’ll go over and do basic cleaning every two weeks or so.

Ranpo - Things like laundry and dishes don’t really cross his mind --- they happen around him, generally, unless he’s bribed into doing them, and as for regular cleaning, he... isn’t a slob, but he does tend to get distracted and will leave things lying around without bothering to put them up. It’s not like he’ll forget where he put them, so it’s not a big deal.

🌷 what do they have in their wallet?

Chuuya - Cash (over 25,000 yen / 250 USD, on average, sometimes upwards of 50,000 yen / 500 USD), credit/debit cards and his license. He doesn’t need to keep more in it than that, and he’s not particularly worried about it getting stolen (by anyone but Dazai at least.), so what does he care about a few raised eyebrows about walking around with a lot of cash money on hand?

Alcott - A picture of her sister Elizabeth, about 1500-2500 yen / 15-25 USD, her ID and a membership card for her favorite chain bookstore. 

Ranpo - His cash candy fund of about 3000-5000 yen / 30-50 USD, an old photo of his parents, his address, and a folded-up map. There may or may not be a few old crushed M&Ms and melted candy in one pocket.

ꕥ what’s usually in their trouser/jacket pockets or purse?

Chuuya - His keys, his phone, his wallet, a lockpicking kit, and a packet of cigarettes.

Alcott - Lip balm, extra pens, her phone, her wallet, some loose spare change, and a tin of mints.

Ranpo - At least two packages of candy or snacks, though it varies between things like kit-kats and lollipops or boxes of pocky or gummies, etc. His wallet. A magnifying glass (that he doesn’t use but he just... he just wants it, leave him be), and of course, his glasses.

🍀 what kind of jewellery are they wearing? what’s their favourite peace?

Chuuya - He has his choker, but other than that doesn’t really wear much jewelry. There are other ways to look fashionable than that --- though he will sometimes wear it on his rare off days, if it’s something that’s needed to complete the look he’s going for.

Alcott - She has a necklace that she wears under her shirt. It has a pendant on it that’s shaped like a bird in flight. That’s her only real jewelry piece, but she’s very attached to it.

Ranpo - He doesn’t wear jewelry --- it’s not comfortable and it’s more to bother with ---, but he does keep his parents’ wedding rings in a box at home.

[mdwatchestv]

The Magicians 3x10 + 3x11: What Even Are the Rules

Hi, I know, I know I missed a week. It was too late to watch ten, and then eleven was out, and then we just entered total despair free fall. Now here I am Tuesday trying to pick up all the pieces and figure out how I'm going to fit two plot-busting episodes into one reasonably lengthed missive. But I will take up this quest with all the misguided dedication of Beast!Quentin. These episodes were very different in style but Julia's storyline took center stage in both of them, which means maybe I was right to group them together and everything's going to be okay.

We go into 3x10 with only TWO keys left to find and four episodes to find them in, sounds pretty achievable! Q and his current sidekicks, Alice and Josh, learn the next key is in the throne room at Fillory, hey we know where that is! But this retrieval task is made more complicated by the recent overthrow of Eliot and Margo. Our royal pair have taken up residence on their new friend the Muntjac, who can now take to the skies! Also the Muntjac must have a fabulous wardrobe because that Margo's magenta corset and Eliot's sparkly muumuu (?) were to die (Wed morning edit: these outfits were in 3x11 but I was really excited to talk about them) . Q and co somehow hike through Fillory, get all the goss, and then board the ship in the sky. This all happens off screen so I guess we’re not supposed to worry about it. They conveniently deliver the plot point that Fillory is at war with Loria and the Stone Kingdom, due to the violent incompetency of Tick Dick Pickwick. Eliot and Margo springing into action to figure out how to save their kingdom was a nice character moment for them, and marked how far the two have come. While the rest of the Children of Earth are technically also Kings and Queens, they have mostly been vanity titles. Margo and Eliot meanwhile have taken responsibility for something bigger than themselves (for the first time really), and now are showing a selfless devotion to it, which is a pleasing arc for their characters. Anyway they are still Margo and Eliot so they defend Fillory the only ways they know how: with lies, threats and sex. God bless them.

While Josh, Quentin and Alice solve a Zelda puzzle in the Fillory throne room, Quentin finally confronts Alice on why she's suddenly so invested in their quest. Alice reveals she is working for the Library, who also has a vested interest in seeing magic restored. This makes sense because as we learned previously the Library's magic is being fueled by ground up fairy bones! A grim and non-renewable resource. However the Library is also shady af so Q is right to be suspish of Alice (who is shady in general). Anyway the key isn't there, and the quest is a bust.

Meanwhile in the real world, Julia is still on her mission to save the enslaved fairies, and Fen has just discovered emojis. Julia entreats the Fairy Queen to come with her and help free her kinfolk, but it’s Fen's passionate plea that finally sways the Queen into coming. We learn that fairies used to live freely on Earth until Magicians killed them all for their delicious bones. Typical. Julia's plan is to present the Fairy Queen as a slave (complete with Death Necklace), in order to get her to her people and free them. However this plan is complicated by the fact there is no way to remove the necklaces except via beheading. And since the Jaime Ray Newman family has received a large order for fairy bone (likely from The Library that just lost much of their supply), heads are gonna ROLL. Our heroines discover the fairies are held captive by a fairy deal brokered by Dust, who long ago made the ultimate sacrifice in order to allow the OG Fairy Queen (our FQ's mama) to escape Earth. Our current Queen decides to break this deal,  freeing her people, and brutally slaughtering the Newman's (except for Jaime Ray who escapes).

The Fairy Queen laments to Julia that now the fairy's deals will mean nothing since one was broken, but I was a bit confused by this as how is anyone going to know? Like yeah they broke one deal, but pretty much all the humans aware of that are dead, and unless Jaime Ray is writing a breaking news story for The Fillorian Times, I don't really see the ish. Queenie also tells Julia that the fairies have a Quest Key, but it's sort of being used to prop up the whole Fairy World so no one can have it. I feel like our crafty Magicians are going to find a way to get it though, probably by integrating fairies back onto Earth or Fillory-at-large. What's for sure is that this side quest has muddied the morality waters when it comes to the fairy species. Rather than being cut-and-dry baddies, they are victims of greedy humans and they just want to find a home of their own. I foresee a tentative truce with the reinstated rulers of Fillory in our future. Also many Margo scowls. 

Gah so much happened in this episode (as in all episodes) but there was one more important thing! Penny has been sulkily shelving away down in the Underworld library (I guess Kady has gone to look for him tho? She was conspicuously absent from these two eps) and attempting to find a way out. He does con a dead guy into giving him his Metro Card to the pig that takes you out of the Underworld and presumably to Heaven or Hell (what even IS The Magicians), but before he can use it he is pulled aside for a come to Jesus talk by Hades! Hades is the second Greek/Roman inspired god we have met this season (the first being Bacchus), and he is here to keep it real with Penny. He essentially tells Penny that if Penny stays in the Underworld, he will have a much more glorious destiny than if he returns to his sucky friends on the surface. Penny seems to take this advice to heart as he joins the local Library book club, and dessert-fancier group. As the season has gone on, and Julia's powers have ramped up, the mention of gods, the god-touched, and the appearance of gods themselves has been steadily increasing. I feel like in the quest for magic, Hades will not be the last mythological face we see.

OKAY NEXT EPISODE. IF YOU WERE SKIPPING 3x10 HERE BEGINNITH 3x11.

A lot of wild stuff went down in 3x10, but 3x11 was another helping of full on Magicians crazy-time. Once again Julia and Josh (of all people) are the central characters, which is refreshing seeing as how they haven't received a lot of lead story time ESPECIALLY not as a couple (Julia/Josh, pick your shipper name). This episode these two new best friends take a journey into the wild unknown, aka the 23rd Magicians timeline! In season one it was established that there are (at least) 40 timelines in the world of the show (due to a time loop created by...too boring, you remember). This is both insane and totally genius as it is a built in way for the show to bounce into a completely new world, with alternate storylines, whenever it wants. Characters can die, hook-up, become werewolves, anything is possible!  As is the case here when 23 Josh (aka Dick Josh) pulls regular Josh and Julia into their timeline. Here, 23's Beast is essentially immortal and powered by a KEY. The J's decide to pull their weight for once and go after the 7th key on their own, consequences be damned!

As we learned from Season 2 when 23 Alice was summoned into timeline 40, 23 is a pretty f'd up universe. Mostly all of our beloved character's have been brutally killed, and the Beast rules unchallenged. However there is one thing that 23 has that’s worth all of these tragedies and that is KACEY ROHL!!!! My beautiful hedge witch queen lives on in timeline 23! She is just as goth, brash, bitchy, and perfect as I remember. Sure she is missing her signature power pony, but I will survive. She has teamed up with Dick Josh (who has Lasik, a cool jacket, and also werewolf herpes) in a last ditch effort to take out the Beast. Julia and Josh also run into in-love-with-Julia Penny, and GHOST MARGO AND ELIOT. Although one of the strengths of the Magicians is the unexpected fun and character building that comes from different pairings (Josh/Julia, Julia/Fen, Quentin/Penny, etc) there is one couple that should and shall never be parted. Even in bloody horrible death this gruesome twosome shall not be struck from each other's side. I loved the ultimate horror of Eliot being responsible for Margo's hideous death, truly scary! Also half-a-face Margo is still absolutely sickening. Cocks indeed.

However the biggest twist in this world is that their Beast is no longer Martin Chatwin, but Quentin! And to be honest, a much, much hotter Quentin. No one else thirsty for soulless Beast!Q? Honestly seeing him cut down Alice mid-whine was...extremely satisfying. But how did this happen? Well in Season 2 after 23 Alice was brought briefly to talk with 40 Q, she became obsessed with seeing her Q again. She even sold her soul in order to bring him back to life, albeit shadeless. Yes shadeless Beast Quentin is a ruthless, violent, killer, but goshdarnit he's a pretty fun time. Julia cleverly defeats him by lending him her shade, and once Q is back in possession of the full gamut of his shame, guilt, anxiety, and depression, it is but a matter of moments before he kills himself. Cheery. Anyway Julia takes the key and uses it to return her and Josh to their own timeline. But on top of their return 23 Penny and Marina ALSO go through to timeline 40. Historically in fiction timeline mixing is almost always a terrible idea, but Kacey Rohl back in our lives is worth the risk. Also we are entering a sort of Midsummer Night's Dream world here where there are two Penny's, one who is alive and loves Julia, and one who is dead-ish and loves Kady. Cray!

Misc thoughts from the episode:

I am really not getting the Dean Fogg storyline, it kind of feels like they don't know what to do with this character anymore. He's not even a comic relief as his addiction storylines feel more sad than wry. If there is nothing else to be done with this character, I think time to let him loose.

Also what is the 'Quickening'? 23 Josh had become a dick and isolated himself because he was in fear of the 'Quickening' which would kill all those around him. I assumed he was referring to turning into a werewolf (via the herpes), but it seems like this is something that could happen to regular Josh too? I kept up with a LOT this episode, but this aspect escaped me. If you have a clearer understanding, holla at cha girl.

Only two more episodes and ONE more unattainable fairy key to go!

In Kacey Rohl we trust, MD

[rcsettastone]

INTRODUCTION I.

D R .  E L É N A  P A V I A (  r o s e t t a  s t o n e  )

a gold snake curled around orange fruit. cat-eye sunglasses and a large hat that obscures one eye. the shadows of trees. your hair pulled back in a neat bun. low tide. black dresses with expensive earrings. old books with scribbles in the margins. a collection of sea shells. empty wine bottles and only one glass. raising your argument, not your voice. handwritten letters. an unknown silhouette behind a curtain. white silk nightgowns. standing in the sea to look at the moon. red wine and messy hair. twirling a pendant in your fingers. dancing on a beach. calls from unlisted numbers. hushed conversations. knowing what it is to have something taken from you.

age: thirty-one

sexuality: heterosexual (?)*

gender: cisgender female

allegiance & role: cambra historian & translator

a brief history: eléna is born to late-stage parents in southern spain on an andalusian horse ranch. while she loves both her parents, her father in particular - a large man with loud charisma - is her hero. at a wedding held on their ranch, a then-child eléna meets the man that would eventually become her Benefactor after she takes a cryptex from his room to play with. he in turn takes an interest in her due to her intellect and curiousity, and over the years checks in on her and the pavia family with increasing frequency. he sends her various puzzles, mental games, and monetary or material gains to her parents. simultaneously, eléna becomes increasingly aware of her father’s problems with alcoholism & gambling.

as she grows older, she aids her father in hiding some of the severity of his debts from her mother -- but as a result, their relationship begins to decay. at age 15, eléna is told by her benefactor that if she can achieve the exemplary marks he sets out of her, he will fund her attending university - transportation & accommodation included. after matching and exceeding what he wanted from her, eléna chooses to attend university in barcelona away from the family/life she has grown disenchanted with (read: her father). during this time, she sends back money given to her as an allowance by her benefactor to pay for her father’s continuing (albeit lesser) debts. she throws herself into schooling to the point of reckless obsession. with no friends or allies around her aside from the benefactor, she foregoes her health or any semblance of a personal life in order to please him and prove her worth. for a time, this single-minded recklessness proves effective, but is similarly efficient in draining her of energy and ability. with time, she begins to buckle under the weight of what she has pursued, developing insomnia and risking failure in at least one class. while it is never confirmed to her if the subsequent opportunity was brought to her by the benefactor, she cheats on a final exam after a classmate approaches her with concerns - and eventually the key to the examination. after graduation, she is given opportunities unsuited for someone as young and inexperienced as her due singularly to her connection to the benefactor. she has her daughter at (age undecided) -- the father is not in the picture, and does not play a role in their lives. nonetheless, due to the increasing financial aid of her sponsor to facilitate a proper home and childcare for her daughter, her career flourishes. with the birth of clio and an increasingly strained relationship, her father swears off drinking and gambling, and eléna ceases sending money back home.

having been sent to a dig in cairo, eléna at one point leaves her daughter with her parents in andalusia. upon coming home, she finds her father fallen victim to his old vices. but this time the ensuing argument reveals far deeper sins. in his inebriation and remorse, her father expresses her late birth was due to the full life he had lived prior to becoming a father and moving to the countryside -- - he was once a criminal and renowned thief. the only reason he had left this life behind was at the behest of her mother, and so they had purchased land far away from cities and temptation. the things he taught her and the childish games she had once played - learning to pick a pocket, the extensive treasure hunts, how to cheat at cards and never get caught - all made sense. 

she walks while her father begs forgiveness on his knees. he pleads for her to forget what he’s said, feign ignorance, go back to secrets. instead, she leaves with her daughter tucked into her arm, swearing he will never see her or his granddaughter ever again. 

eléna currently still receives money every month from her benefactor, which has increased substantially since her university days -- an unspoken seal to keep her quiet. it is enough to allow her to outright buy a large apartment in barcelona and far more luxuries than her cambra salary should allow. while she protests when he asks when he asks for another thievery, she has yet to not bring back what he requires. while he has never touched her inappropriately, eléna fears that and much more from him, should she fully refuse to participate in his charade any longer. she has been mulling over stealing a piece from ialis to sell illegally herself - only to finally accrue enough money and opportunity to remove herself from the control of her benefactor forever.  

fun facts:

putting this in the fact section as i’m unsure if i’ll make it canon yet, but my current thought (and the next big blow eléna couldn’t see coming) is that her father knew her ‘benefactor’ before they even met. something along the lines of he and his crew once stole art from the benefactor’s black market team/gang, and he’s been somewhat complicit - albeit full of anguish - in her being used by her sponsor.

her daughter clio is named after the grecian muse of history. haven’t fully decided on her age, but i’m thinking most likely 4 or 5. loves her more than anything, but does not talk about her with colleagues.

she loves to dance, and is exceptionally good -- but her adoration and skills only improve when she’s drunk. consider her the real life woman dancing in red dress emoji.

she has ABSIT OMEN tattooed on her outer right thumb/palm. it’s a latin phrase meaning “let an omen be absent.”

if that last fact didn’t clue you in, she’s surprisingly superstitious. she got her tattoo in that specific location as if it might prevent harm from the archaic, arcane things she touches.

lapsed roman catholic; spiritual. 

she smokes, but only when on location for a dig. she refuses to pick up a cigarette back in spain, lest she carry some of the fumes around her daughter.

film photography is a big hobby of eléna’s. she has two cameras with her on ialis.

catch her doing yoga and/or meditation every morning, because she believes in the link between physical and spiritual/mental wellness.

like the history nerd she is, she has a cat named artemisia, affectionately known as mishy.

she has the uncannily quick hands - aka part of the reason she’s been able to successfully steal and smuggle out the various artifacts and objects over the years

your resident card queen - any game you’ve got, she’s the reigning champ

plots / connections under the cut !

JEWEL OF THE NILE. ( open to : cambra ) a coworker that has become what might be the only deep friendship eléna has with someone from cambra! to the level that they’ve actually met or at least know of her daughter uwu. basically gimme someone 

ROMANCING THE STONE. ( open to : taha & local guides ) a previous fling that was had while on location on another dig. they definitely did not imagine they would run into each other again -- bonus points if they don’t even know they’re both archaeologists/involved in the same field. how they are now is completely up for discussion!

THE MUMMY. ( open to : big bois ) i mean, look. i’m not gonna lie to you here. do i want the rick to eléna’s evelyn? absolutely. that’s pretty much all i gotta say about this.

RETURN OF THE MUMMY. ( open to : silly bois ) did you think i wasn’t gonna mention the jonathan to her evie? incomprehensible. give me the looser, more-fun potentially brother-like figure

SCORPION KING. ( open to : all ) eléna is complex, particularly when you start looking at her extracurricular thievery, but she is still a soft, quiet woman. you see a figure standing in the shallows at night looking at the moon? that’s her. this muse sees these sides of her and for one reason or another grows rather protective over miss moon-gazer

NATIONAL TREASURE. ( open to : preferably younger ) she is Cambra’s Official Mom, but this individual is someone she particularly looks after or checks up on -- could definitely be in taha too!

RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK. ( open to : all ) okay so this is kind of dependent on plot drops/how the game develops, but please give me someone to... break rules with her. cambra or taha, when eléna starts noticing something Else is going on on ialis island, her interest is going to extend far beyond 

TEMPLE OF DOOM. ( open to : all ) angsty exes, in short. this might work better with cambra, but could also work with someone else with the right plotting. we could go any direction with this, but my guess would be eléna ended the relationship due to her inability to become emotionally vulnerable/getting Scared of her Feelings

THE LAST CRUSADE. ( open to : all ) the current flirtation. walking to town together, or coincidentally bumping into one another at the main square and smiling from across the way. sitting too close. unnecessary compliments. wondering how long the tension is going to last.

SKULL ISLAND. ( open to : cambra ) a longtime coworker that is curious/suspicious/concerned over how the good dr. pavia always seems to keep herself at arm’s length from everyone... and nobody seems to know all that much about her

JOURNEY TO THE CENTRE OF THE EARTH ( open to : all ) someone as superstitious as eléna that can bond with her when the Strange Happenings start to occur on the island

* you may note there is a question mark next to eléna’s sexuality..... WELL. while her muse gives me tragically hetero vibes, every time i try and play that out it.... never works out the few times i try and do it. so. honestly don’t consider the door fully shut for any plots just bc your muse is nb or female, i just may need to think it over more!!!

wanted threads: drunk dancing by the fire, eventual skinny-dipping, getting trapped somewhere like the caves or a spontaneously collapsed pit, ur muse is getting in a fight with a local over a misunderstanding borne by the language disconnect and eléna comes in and smooths things over, stealing a book or notes from the taha camp

[burnt-violets-blog]

Welcome to ‘Reviews’, the segment where I review stories I’ve read recently with varying degrees of detail and inanity. Read on to see what I’ve been enjoying and upon which writer the most illustrious and highly coveted 🏆 emoji for ‘The Best Damn Thing I Damn Did Read’ has been bestowed.

The Broken Earth Trilogy by N K Jemisin – 4 STARS

The Fifth Season (2015)

The Obelisk Gate (2016)

The Stone Sky (2017)

When the end of the world happens, which Essun plays a far greater role in than she could’ve ever anticipated, she is is a mother-of-two whose young son has just been brutally killed by her partner Jija. Essun’s son was an oregene—someone who can harness the Earth’s elemental energy, and has the ability to do things such as causing earthquakes—and with the world now literally falling apart around her, Essun can no longer be an oregene in hiding. Jija has fled with their daughter and Essun leaves her community to find her and get her revenge. That story is just one piece of a ornate puzzle. Essun’s story is joined by Damaya, who is a young girl taken from her home to receive training as an oregene, and by Syenite, a young oregene woman who has received instructions from her superiors that will have very a unexpected and transformative impact on her life and everyone else’s.

There is a lot to love about this series. This is high fantasy that makes me excited as someone who greatly appreciates the genre both as a reader and writer. The Fifth Season features very detailed, vivid, geology-based world-building that is a delight to get accustomed to. The cast of characters here live in a tough and collapsing world, and are themselves an intriguing lot damaged by an array of traumas and who over the course of the series make unpredictable decisions by grief. Without spoiling the series, there’s a few narrative tricks at play here such as the second person narration and the structure of the first book in particular that were fun. My only criticism is that especially through using second person Jemisin tells you everything about how her characters operate which can be far too much and leaves very little to the imagination. At points in the first book especially the language/dialogue also grows quite melodramatic (far too many italics and ellipsis’s) but this became less of an issue as I got more invested.

Be reassured, however, because those are small complaints. In all, there’s a slow ongoing reveal about what is going on and how everything is connected that takes place in these three books that is greatly satisfying. Once you’re under its thrall The Broken Earth trilogy is absorbing as fuck. This is for the people who love high fantasy and want a glimpse as to what the future of the genre may look like. This is also for those who want to read a high fantasy that isn’t Eurocentric. This series is enjoyable to read and features some really excellent moments to look forward to.

They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera – 3 STARS

The premise is simple but engaging: a company called DeathCast exists and they give you a notification on the day you’re about to die. Because of this company we now live in a society with the blessing and curse that is having advanced warning. When you have advanced warning of your impending death, you can ensure that your last day alive is spent living life to its fullest. We follow two teenage boys marked for death, Matteo and Rufus, as they spend a whirlwind last twenty four hours together.

If a review could hurt me it would be this one. I love Adam Silvera and what his books, featuring LGBT characters of colour, represent for YA. We need him. He is for me the most interesting new YA contemporary/speculative fiction writer of the last few years. Having said that this book didn’t hit the right notes. Emotionally impacting the reader is of importance for a romance set over twenty four hours featuring two teenagers trying to live their best lives before their inevitable death by the day’s end. And to that end They Both Die at the End is underwhelming. Silvera writes simply and really inhabits the voice of his characters so his books are easy to fly through. But overall this book read a bit too juvenile and (surprisingly for a book on dying and living your best life) did not achieve the depth I was looking for. Including a twenty-four hour romance and the subsequent whistle-stop (and often cheesy) nature of all of the couple’s conversations and interactions that follow have something to do with that. You can read more about my thoughts on my review here but the short of it is that this wasn’t it for me. Silvera has promise, though, and I love that he’s achieving success with LGBT characters of colour. Make money, king.

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng – 3 STARS

Another one that I was excited to read because there was lot of good things said about Celeste Ng’s debut, Everything I Never Told You. That one came out in 2014 and I still hadn’t gotten around to reading it. Then, in the weeks leading up to release, a succession of positive reviews for Little Fires Everywhere peppered my social media.

Dear reader, I was excited. I harboured no premonitions as I started with book in hand, with green tea besides. I wanted to like this.

The majority of Little Fires Everywhere is pedestrian and underwhelming. The novel is told through the perspective of white middle-class characters and I could absolutely feel it, each page had weight. I just did not care for their perspective around this novel’s interesting central issue, about a Chinese woman and her attempt to regain custody over her child where that child has been taken in by a white family. There is also so much ‘telling’ used to convey what are supposed to be close and dynamic relationships between the characters. Significant parts of chapters in this novel read like Wikipedia summaries of relationships between characters. The novel does end well and so I am glad ultimately to have stuck with it. Unfortunately, as a purported drama between two families that meet and become obsessed with each other at a devastating cost, I was bored and uninterested in the lives of the majority of the run–of-the-mill, bland characters populating this book.

Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward – 4 STARS, and 🏆.

The less you know about this one the better. You must simply know that Sing, Unburied, Sing is fantastically written and deals finely with an assorted bunch of issues that culminate toward an incredible piece of work. This is a story about poverty, the aftershocks of intergenerational trauma, the effects of bad(/borderline abusive?) parenting on children, and drug addiction. All set in the South and with added ghosts. It feels sweaty, grimy, and claustrophobic. Sing, Unburied Sing is what an engaging family drama (and what literary fiction, generally) should be and I didn’t even know it could be until I read it with my own eyes. You can stick a 🏆 in that pipe and smoke it.

  And that’s all from me, dear reader. Congratulations to Jesmyn Ward. I know what with the autumn months there are so many amazing books being released but you definitely want to make time for Sing, Unburied, Sing.

Until next time this is your friendly neighbourhood peruser of the written word, signing out!

      Reviews, II Welcome to ‘Reviews’, the segment where I review stories I’ve read recently with varying degrees of detail and inanity.

[kyliealejandra]

Apple iOS 11 Beta: First Impression

Over the last year at SevenTablets, I’ve learned a lot more about what it takes to make our pocket supercomputers work than I did in my undergraduate app development class. Every mobile app in existence has its own, dedicated team of developers, determined to keep up with iOS, Android and hardware changes at a moment’s notice. Due to how quickly technology evolves, those changes can be massive. And, in the freshly announced iOS 11, they are.

Ever since 2007, I’ve dedicated my technology budget to Apple (and Adobe). Apple is a company I dote on at every opportunity, just like a fanatical grandmother at her grandson’s tee ball game. By default, I’m a daily Mac OS and iOS user. Unlike the majority of the SevenTablets crew, I cringe every time I’m forced to lay eyes on an Android or PC. But, I’m also a graphic designer and harsh critic of user interfaces, so I jumped at the opportunity to test drive the iOS 11 Public Beta.

Here’s what I learned about the platform in the first 24 hours.

iOS 11 Beta Installation

Installing the beta version of this update was a bit more intimidating than I anticipated. Apple recommends backing up your device to iTunes (something I haven’t done in years thanks to iCloud) and archiving said backup to ensure nothing happens to it. Extreme, but I forged on.

First Impressions

When ‘flat’ design started taking over a couple years ago, I was on the fence. Windows 10 was released on July 29th, 2015, and I thought the rectangle-riddled design was heinous. Apple picked up the flat-look, too, but without the puzzle-piece styling. Eventually, I got used to it. I even came to prefer smooth web gradients over embossed icons. But, with the release of iOS 11, Apple took the trend one step further by creating a Tetris-inspired Control Center. I grit my teeth every time I look at it. Stacked styling doesn’t bode well for my obsession with symmetry, but I do enjoy the ultra-wide ‘brightness’ and ‘volume’ sliders.

Based on the new Control Center styling, it feels as though you should be able to move the icons to the places you prefer, just like actual apps, but that doesn’t appear to be an option. Perhaps that kind of customizability would be swaying to Android. You can, however, add, remove and rearrange Control Center shortcuts on the bottom row (where the calculator, flashlight and camera are) by going to Settings, then ‘Control Center.’

Aside from the Control Center, the redesigned locked screen and bolder fonts were the only significant changes I noticed right away.

You Get What You Sign Up For

With beta software, there are always bugs. That’s actually the point… So, I expected to encounter a few hiccups. The first one I noticed happened when I entered my Apple ID password. The keyboard skipped, skipped, skipped a beat before letting me proceed.

After half an hour, my iPhone started to feel warm. At 3:32 pm, Facebook took a nosedive. Attempting to send photos to my mom through the Messages app? Not gonna happen! Jumping into the actual camera roll bypassed this issue, so still no major roadblocks.

Notable Changes in iOS 11

Obviously, iOS 11 is a big update for Apple. While most of it feels familiar (like iOS 10), there are some fantastic improvements. Here are a few of my favorites so far…

Screenshot Enhancements

After taking a screenshot of the new iOS, I noticed something incredible. With iOS 11, you can draw on your screenshots before sending or saving them (this is not a new concept for Android phones). Naturally, I wrote ‘I’m cooler than you.’ and sent the image to my equally Apple-obsessed friend. He responded with the eye-roll emoji then proceeded to inform me that he could download the beta if he wanted to.

Right. (Note: The beta is open to anyone who wants it, though some people have had issues downloading the latest release. You can join the Beta Program here.)

One-handed Keyboard

I’ve heard countless people complain about the size of the iPhone Plus, simply because it’s too hard to type on the over-sized keyboard. With iOS 11, you can activate a smaller keyboard for both left handed and right handed users. To do so, visit the keyboard and hold down the globe (aka the emoji) key. This pulls up a menu with the left, right and normal keyboard options.

Upon selecting the left or the right keyboard icons, the keyboard will shrink and shift toward the selected side. The altered keyboard size is more similar to that of the iPhone 5, making it much easier to reach when typing with one hand. To return to the normal keyboard, simply select the white arrow to the side of the keys.

New and Improved Siri

Siri has been with us since 2011, but she hasn’t changed much since her release. With iOS 11, Siri becomes the virtual assistant she should be. Her voice sounds significantly more human and conversational, and she seems to respond to inquiries much better. When I complimented her updated voice, she replied with “Well, Lacey, over time, we intelligent agents mature and our voices change. It’s perfectly natural.” Before you know it she’ll be behaving like Sonny, for better or worse.

Files App

For the last few years, I’ve struggled with viewing and attaching files from iCloud on my iPhone. The resolution to this issue has finally been resolved. iOS 11’s new ‘files’ app contains all the folders that live on my iCloud. It’s like a piece of the Mac OS has been added to the iPhone–and it’s a dream come true. Within the files app, you can view and markup documents (just like screenshots), share files with AirDrop, send them through messages and email, open them in notes and Twitter, copy them to Instagram and so much more.

The App Drawer for Messages

Apple unveiled apps within messages during the last big software release. I really didn’t use it, or find it very valuable. The new iteration is much more functional, as it provides easier access to Giphy and stickers, and allows you to share music from iTunes, restaurant recommendations from Yelp, and pay your friends through Apple Pay and Venmo. You can also customize your drawer by removing the apps you don’t use and adding more from the Apple App Store for iMessage.

Do Not Disturb for Driving

Shortly after downloading iOS 11, I was asked if I wanted to set up ‘Do Not Disturb’ for driving. I opted in. While driving, the iPhone automatically mutes notifications from text messages, emails, calls and apps. If you do need to check for notifications (best done if you’re the passenger), you simply unlock your phone and select ‘I’m Not Driving’ to view anything that may be waiting for you. Ultimately, this setting is not prohibitive, but it does help you forget about your iPhone while you’re going down the road.

iOS 11 Isn’t Perfect

Though iOS 11 offers several great enhancements, it also features some things I don’t like. The new, bolder fonts feel bulky. The folder app is highly functional, but it doesn’t look like it belongs on a mobile device. Personally, I think iOS 11’s aesthetics took a hit, but I’m hoping, once the bugs are worked out, its outstanding functionality will make up for its lackluster looks.

The Future of iOS 11

iOS 11 is set to be released in the fall, so there’s still plenty of time for Apple’s developers to fix bugs and enhance its design. I’m excited to explore new features, like the peer-to-peer payments mentioned before, the memories feature in Photos and Siri’s translation function.

Overall, I would consider the first 24 hours with iOS 11 a positive experience. Now I just need to experience its more expansive features on my iPad Pro!

Are You Prepared for iOS 11?

Large software updates always present a challenge for existing mobile apps and the developers who maintain them. If your company has an app that needs to be updated to suit iOS 11, you need a mobile developer you can trust. The team at SevenTablets has the experience needed to keep your mobile app working flawlessly on both Android and Apple devices. Conveniently headquartered in Dallas, Texas, SevenTablets provides mobile development in Dallas, Austin, Houston, San Antonio, Chicago and the great United States. Get in touch with the SevenTablets team today.

The post Apple iOS 11 Beta: First Impression appeared first on SevenTablets.

from SevenTablets http://seventablets.com/blog/ios-11/ from Seven Tablets,Inc https://seventabletsinc.tumblr.com/post/162636801568

[seventabletsinc]

Apple iOS 11 Beta: First Impression

Over the last year at SevenTablets, I’ve learned a lot more about what it takes to make our pocket supercomputers work than I did in my undergraduate app development class. Every mobile app in existence has its own, dedicated team of developers, determined to keep up with iOS, Android and hardware changes at a moment’s notice. Due to how quickly technology evolves, those changes can be massive. And, in the freshly announced iOS 11, they are.

Ever since 2007, I’ve dedicated my technology budget to Apple (and Adobe). Apple is a company I dote on at every opportunity, just like a fanatical grandmother at her grandson’s tee ball game. By default, I’m a daily Mac OS and iOS user. Unlike the majority of the SevenTablets crew, I cringe every time I’m forced to lay eyes on an Android or PC. But, I’m also a graphic designer and harsh critic of user interfaces, so I jumped at the opportunity to test drive the iOS 11 Public Beta.

Here’s what I learned about the platform in the first 24 hours.

iOS 11 Beta Installation

Installing the beta version of this update was a bit more intimidating than I anticipated. Apple recommends backing up your device to iTunes (something I haven’t done in years thanks to iCloud) and archiving said backup to ensure nothing happens to it. Extreme, but I forged on.

First Impressions

When ‘flat’ design started taking over a couple years ago, I was on the fence. Windows 10 was released on July 29th, 2015, and I thought the rectangle-riddled design was heinous. Apple picked up the flat-look, too, but without the puzzle-piece styling. Eventually, I got used to it. I even came to prefer smooth web gradients over embossed icons. But, with the release of iOS 11, Apple took the trend one step further by creating a Tetris-inspired Control Center. I grit my teeth every time I look at it. Stacked styling doesn’t bode well for my obsession with symmetry, but I do enjoy the ultra-wide ‘brightness’ and ‘volume’ sliders.

Based on the new Control Center styling, it feels as though you should be able to move the icons to the places you prefer, just like actual apps, but that doesn’t appear to be an option. Perhaps that kind of customizability would be swaying to Android. You can, however, add, remove and rearrange Control Center shortcuts on the bottom row (where the calculator, flashlight and camera are) by going to Settings, then ‘Control Center.’

Aside from the Control Center, the redesigned locked screen and bolder fonts were the only significant changes I noticed right away.

You Get What You Sign Up For

With beta software, there are always bugs. That’s actually the point… So, I expected to encounter a few hiccups. The first one I noticed happened when I entered my Apple ID password. The keyboard skipped, skipped, skipped a beat before letting me proceed.

After half an hour, my iPhone started to feel warm. At 3:32 pm, Facebook took a nosedive. Attempting to send photos to my mom through the Messages app? Not gonna happen! Jumping into the actual camera roll bypassed this issue, so still no major roadblocks.

Notable Changes in iOS 11

Obviously, iOS 11 is a big update for Apple. While most of it feels familiar (like iOS 10), there are some fantastic improvements. Here are a few of my favorites so far…

Screenshot Enhancements

After taking a screenshot of the new iOS, I noticed something incredible. With iOS 11, you can draw on your screenshots before sending or saving them (this is not a new concept for Android phones). Naturally, I wrote ‘I’m cooler than you.’ and sent the image to my equally Apple-obsessed friend. He responded with the eye-roll emoji then proceeded to inform me that he could download the beta if he wanted to.

Right. (Note: The beta is open to anyone who wants it, though some people have had issues downloading the latest release. You can join the Beta Program here.)

One-handed Keyboard

I’ve heard countless people complain about the size of the iPhone Plus, simply because it’s too hard to type on the over-sized keyboard. With iOS 11, you can activate a smaller keyboard for both left handed and right handed users. To do so, visit the keyboard and hold down the globe (aka the emoji) key. This pulls up a menu with the left, right and normal keyboard options.

Upon selecting the left or the right keyboard icons, the keyboard will shrink and shift toward the selected side. The altered keyboard size is more similar to that of the iPhone 5, making it much easier to reach when typing with one hand. To return to the normal keyboard, simply select the white arrow to the side of the keys.

New and Improved Siri

Siri has been with us since 2011, but she hasn’t changed much since her release. With iOS 11, Siri becomes the virtual assistant she should be. Her voice sounds significantly more human and conversational, and she seems to respond to inquiries much better. When I complimented her updated voice, she replied with “Well, Lacey, over time, we intelligent agents mature and our voices change. It’s perfectly natural.” Before you know it she’ll be behaving like Sonny, for better or worse.

Files App

For the last few years, I’ve struggled with viewing and attaching files from iCloud on my iPhone. The resolution to this issue has finally been resolved. iOS 11’s new ‘files’ app contains all the folders that live on my iCloud. It’s like a piece of the Mac OS has been added to the iPhone–and it’s a dream come true. Within the files app, you can view and markup documents (just like screenshots), share files with AirDrop, send them through messages and email, open them in notes and Twitter, copy them to Instagram and so much more.

The App Drawer for Messages

Apple unveiled apps within messages during the last big software release. I really didn’t use it, or find it very valuable. The new iteration is much more functional, as it provides easier access to Giphy and stickers, and allows you to share music from iTunes, restaurant recommendations from Yelp, and pay your friends through Apple Pay and Venmo. You can also customize your drawer by removing the apps you don’t use and adding more from the Apple App Store for iMessage.

Do Not Disturb for Driving

Shortly after downloading iOS 11, I was asked if I wanted to set up ‘Do Not Disturb’ for driving. I opted in. While driving, the iPhone automatically mutes notifications from text messages, emails, calls and apps. If you do need to check for notifications (best done if you’re the passenger), you simply unlock your phone and select ‘I’m Not Driving’ to view anything that may be waiting for you. Ultimately, this setting is not prohibitive, but it does help you forget about your iPhone while you’re going down the road.

iOS 11 Isn’t Perfect

Though iOS 11 offers several great enhancements, it also features some things I don’t like. The new, bolder fonts feel bulky. The folder app is highly functional, but it doesn’t look like it belongs on a mobile device. Personally, I think iOS 11’s aesthetics took a hit, but I’m hoping, once the bugs are worked out, its outstanding functionality will make up for its lackluster looks.

The Future of iOS 11

iOS 11 is set to be released in the fall, so there’s still plenty of time for Apple’s developers to fix bugs and enhance its design. I’m excited to explore new features, like the peer-to-peer payments mentioned before, the memories feature in Photos and Siri’s translation function.

Overall, I would consider the first 24 hours with iOS 11 a positive experience. Now I just need to experience its more expansive features on my iPad Pro!

Are You Prepared for iOS 11?

Large software updates always present a challenge for existing mobile apps and the developers who maintain them. If your company has an app that needs to be updated to suit iOS 11, you need a mobile developer you can trust. The team at SevenTablets has the experience needed to keep your mobile app working flawlessly on both Android and Apple devices. Conveniently headquartered in Dallas, Texas, SevenTablets provides mobile development in Dallas, Austin, Houston, San Antonio, Chicago and the great United States. Get in touch with the SevenTablets team today.

The post Apple iOS 11 Beta: First Impression appeared first on SevenTablets.

from SevenTablets http://seventablets.com/blog/ios-11/