#it shouldn't be this hot during fucking October

[debellatis]

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Tagged by @gabessquishytum <3 Thanks for remembering me

Tagging @samsalami66, @pluckyyoungdonna, @ghostboyjules, @babbleismysuperpower and @lost-and-cursed for this one ✌️😗

[triviareads]

ARC Review of The Beast Takes the Bride by Julie Anne Long

Rating: 4.5/5 Heat Level: 3.5/5 Publication Date: October 22nd

Premise:

Alexandra Bellamy bartered herself off in marriage to war hero Colonel Magnus Brightwell, only for Magnus to leave shortly after their wedding. Five years later, he's back and he asks her for permanent separation.

My review:

The is a tender, introspective, POIGNANT second-chance romance that's actually so erotic in that specific way only Julie Anne Long can accomplish.

Our characters meet five years prior to the start of the story; Alexandra is young, beautiful, and the family caretaker, while Magnus is older and self-made, a stoic soldier with an *icy heart*. It shouldn't work (and Magnus is painfully aware of this, very much a "I don't deserve to put my *enormous filthy paws* on her" situation) but Alexandra's family is in debt so Magnus asks her dad for her hand, knowing Alexandra wouldn't refuse him because she loves her family. And here's the thing: their first interactions are ELECTRIC; their chemistry is insane from the start (you thought untangling a gal's bonnet strings couldn't be hot? WELL YOU THOUGHT WRONG) and it feels like they could have a happy marriage.

But then Alexandra does something on their wedding night, and Magnus leaves the next morning. On its face, the situation seems minor and resolvable, but what I loved is how JAL wrote both of them are flawed individuals who don't necessarily act logically all the time, and it's clear that the hurt goes beyond the actual incident itself.

And that's what made reading their (slow) reconciliation so fulfilling. The majority of the plot takes place during Magnus and Alexandra's one-week stay at the Grand Palace on the Thames boardinghouse. The close proximity and final attempt to sell their relationship to the public because Magnus is on the cusp of being awarded an earldom do their part in bringing them back together, but they also have to reconcile with how their relationship began, and the lack of communication that brought it to a stand-still.

Of course, the zany Grand Palace cast returns, including former heroes/heroines, with a notable subplot involving super horny newlywed guests that somehow have everyone else getting super introspective about their own relationships (and banging. introspection and banging).

The sex:

Gorgeously erotic, also quite fraught initially just because they're trying to fuck without feelings, and in one scene I particularly loved, without any words at all. It's super hot and tense, and they do it believing they'll never see each other again after the week ends.

Also, what you see happening on the cover of this book? THAT HAPPENS. In public!

Overall:

This was such a beautifully-written second chance romance that, for me, hit upon why miscommunication as a trope works— because people are flawed, and from a romance novel perspective, it makes their reunion all the sweeter.

Thank you to Avon Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

[allbeendonebefore]

Its 29 degrees here in Ottawa on October 4th! And its been hot the rest of the year with heat waves, the Rideau Canal never opening and forest fires! Is Alberta also experiencing unusual heat?

It's 12 C today here which is I would say about normal for this time of year, usually a risk of frost overnight and even some snowfall in the mountain parks. That said, it is still dry af and the risk of fire is ever present. I had heard about similar heatwaves this week in the Montreal area as well, and it sounds absolutely awful. I remember September being that hot in Toronto when I was there too, which made me absolutely miserable even though I heard it hadn't been normal years ago.

We had our unusual heat much much earlier in the year, with comparable temperatures to what you are experiencing now in May. generally for us in Edmonton, May Long Weekend is generally is the end of our risk of frost so you can see how unseasonal an extra 30 degrees is :/

It really frustrates me that everyone's either quick to pass it off as a fluke or just accept that it's the new normal without doing anything about it. Western and Northern Canada have been experiencing these extremes for over a decade now, and it's frustrating that when Toronto had worse air quality than New York that their focus was STILL on "poor New York". Like, yeah, but poor all of us! My extended family had to evacuate twice this summer alone, towns and communities have burned to the ground in BC and Alberta and the capital city of NWT had to be evacuated and everyone's focus was on a goddamn baseball game? (and not to mention: out here they made the CFL play their classic labour day Battle of Alberta in 10+ air quality and then only afterwards thought "hmm maybe we shouldn't have done that...")

it's just so frustrating! and none of us have the infrastructure for this kind of weather! I had alerts for the possibilities of power grid blackouts here towards the end of August, which is normally when we actually start getting frost in the mornings. It's fucking insane and I hope that you're able to keep cool- none of my usual strategies worked in Toronto because I forgot humidity was a thing and completely changes how you experience heat because nothing evaporates, not to mention living in a dated apartment 30 floors up.

Even so (unsolicited advice time), if you have control over this: remember to keep your windows closed as much as possible during the day, as counterintuitive as it sounds. I don't have AC so I know how oppressive closed windows can be in that heat, and I remember that things tend not to cool off as much at night there, but honest to god sometimes it can be a 5 degree difference, and for me that's the difference between being able to concentrate and not murdering someone. There's just a point past 25 where you're only pushing hot air around, and with most buildings here being built to trap heat it's much worse. Also: avoid caffeine if you can - I drink cold barley tea when it's hot because it's got a nutty flavour that is similar to black tea or coffee so I can fight the craving. Hoping for fall temperatures for you soon ( ;~;)b

[theboysfromaustin]

ACL Day 3

October 4, 2009

“Thanks for carrying me, Ian, I’m afraid I’d lose my leg in this mud.” “I'm so glad we got the sling." "It's nice, you know, just to be carried around by you all day.” “You're heavy, but it's not too bad.  Where’s Gav, anyway?” “Went to the bathroom.” “Braver man than I.” “Yeah, I’d rather piss myself, those things are fucking nasty.  I saw shit on the ceiling of one once." "I have seen multiple used condoms." "I've been peeing on trees this whole weekend.” Ian adjusted his straps,  “Just don’t do it on me, I WILL drop you.” “I promise.” It was then that Gav slid by on his stomach through the mud,  “Ian!  Kazuo!  You gotta try this!” “I….er….” “Can’t gum up the leg.” “You don’t know what you’re missing!”

He jumped up, slipped, and fell on his back, spraying his boyfriends with mud. “You’re so lucky we're in love with you,” Ian grinned.  Gav grinned back, then looked down, “Where are your shoes?” “Out there…somewhere…” Ian gestured vaguely at the expanse of Zilker Park, before leaning down, offering his hand to Gav, who took it, getting unsteadily back on his feet.  Ian looked him up and down, “I don’t think we’re getting a cab back.  I think we’re gonna have to take the bus.” “And I think we’re gonna have to hose you down in the backyard.” “I think we’re all getting hosed down,” Ian said.  “Really gonna give the neighbors a show, huh?” Kazuo smirked.

"We're not getting totally naked!"

"Yup, just Ian the attorney on the back patio in Dragon Ball Z boxers, hosing down his man-harem."

Ian smirked.  Gav looked up at the sun, “What time is it even?” “Uh….Just after noon.” “Oh my god, Gav is gonna be a mud golem.” “MUD GOLEM!” “Well, uh….we should get some food and figure out what we can do with him.  "Love you, Ian, Kaz.” “And no kisses until you get the mud off your face.” “Fair enough,” he took his shirt off and wiped his face with the semi-clean back, before tying the shirt around his neck like a cape. “Let’s go to the beer tent.  I could use a beer.  Kaz?” “Yes.  Definitely. Beer is good.  What about Gav, though?  He can’t drink yet.” Gav circled around, jumping on Ian’s back,  “Ice cream tent’s thataway!” Ian grunted as he was jumped on,  “Oof!  Sometimes you two…” “You love us!” “Yeah, what would you be without us?”

"Unencumbered?“

"Well, tough.  You’re stuck with us.  Now mush!"  Ian grinned.  "Alright, alright!  Beer tent, then ice cream!” "Yeah!" Ian trudged forward, getting odd looks, but he knew damn well they weren't the weirdest people there.  "Hey, Ian, I want ice cream, too." "You can't hold two things." "Don't have to, gonna get ice cream in my beer." "Mmm, Budweiser and chocolate.  That sounds good, and it IS hot as hell out here…"

"What's beer taste like?"

"Depends.  Some tastes like shit, but it'll get you trashed." "I gotta go with Boddington's from back home." "Can I taste your beer-floats?" "What the hell, you'll be 21 in 3 months." Gav grinned, kissing Ian's neck. "Your 21st is gonna be wild, Gav," Kazuo smirked. "Why's that?" "We're taking you to dirty Sixth.  Dirty, filthy, disgusting Sixth.  Where I used to work."

"But I've been to Sixth." "During the day.  At night, it's a snakepit of depravity." "I've had my shoes vomited on four times, three of those on Sixth." "And the fourth was because you made me laugh while I was eating." "Shouldn't have been asking me to say dirty sentences, then." "Can't help it if hearing you say 'please gargle my balls' in your stately Mancunian accent is amazing."

"My god." "It's awesome." Ian approached the beer tent, "Eight dollar beer.  Damn festival prices." "Piss-water beer, no less." "Why do you guys drink it?" "Because listening to Flogging Molly in the rain while tipsy is peak festival." "Two Budweisers, good man," Kazuo paid, handing one off to Ian, "And let's go get some ice cream." 

They trudged through the muck and mire, Kazuo raising his beer with a cheer as people stopped to watch them, Gav clinging to Ian's back like a baby possum.  "Walking sideshow, that's us!" Kazuo yelled, "The acrobatic dog-boy, the tattooed and pierced half-man, and the world's only nice attorney!" Ian snorted, nearly dropping his overpriced beer.

"There she is, relief on a disgusting, humid, sweaty, muddy Texas day!" Gav dropped off Ian's back, taking his hand. Ian and Kazuo set their cups on the counter.  "Large Belgian chocolate, and a sweet cream. Gav?" "Large of white chocolate, M&Ms, Twix and Whoppers!" "Comin' right up!" Kazuo climbed out of the sling to help carry things, as their order was finished, slogging through the mud to a surprisingly clean table.

Ian and Kazuo dropped the ice cream in their beers, stirring gently while Gav attacked his with a spoon.  "Nice to sit down." "Yeah, couldn't really sit yesterday…or today…" Ian pushed his drink to Gav so he could taste it, the redhead taking a sip and making a face, "That's awful!" Kazuo laughed, slurping at his. "Why'd you get sweet cream instead of chocolate?" "I love sweet cream.  It tastes like you." "The part of me I think you're referring to?"

"Yup."

"Horndog."

"You knew it when we got together.  No refunds." "Remember when we were at the Phil's on Burnet and that lady started yelling that Ian's a child molester?" "What a bitch." "I like that she looked at me and thought I was a kid." "You got mistaken for a student when I sent you in to Anders' high school alone." "So did Gav!  He got sent to the principal's office for arguing." "First time in a school, too…" "I had to come and fetch you….that principal and I had a…history…." "How great is it we never have to see him again?"

"So amazing." "He threatened me with a week's detention…then almost pissed his pants when Ian stormed in." "All I had to do was start saying 'lawsuit' and he started whimpering like a kicked puppy." Gav leaned on the table, scanning the festival, spooning ice cream into his mouth.  It was his first music festival, and it was a bit poverwhelming - but also amazing.  

He leaned across the table, kissing both partners on the nose.  "Love you, baby." "Mmm, you're so cute." "Thank you both for taking me in - and for bringing me here." "Any time." They looked up at the cloudy, steel-grey sky, threatening to open up once more.  "Let's hope it holds…" "I can feel the mud hardening." "We should move around, then, maybe we can keep you mobile."  Gav grinned, standing and immediately fell backwards,

"Ground's slippy, boys."

"You're gonna be totally coated." "Gonna have to wheel him onto the bus standing up." And with that, the heavens opened, not a downpour, but a warm drizzle.  "That's unpleasant." "I hate rain." "It's so oppressive." "You guys wanna go lay in the sand pit for a bit?  Don't think we'll miss anything awesome." "Yeah, but first…" Gav dug into the pocket of his pants, "Look what I got!"

He triumphantly held up three enormous brownies.  "Are those…?" "I hope they are." "I figured we might as well enhance our experience." "We've taught him well." "Let's go to space." Gav unwrapped one and gave it to Kazuo, who crammed it in his mouth, "Oh my god, it's a peanut butter weed brownie." "Peanut butter makes everything better," Ian agreed, taking a bite, Gav grinning as he unwrapped his.

"We've gotta do something like this at home." "Cannabutter rice krispie treats?" "Shady attorney man." "Criminal scum, just like us." "C'mon, let's go trip balls and build sandcastles." "Yeah!" Kazuo punched the air, still chewing on brownie, and crawled into the sling.  Gav jumped on Ian's back, kissing his cheek, "Ready!" Ian grinned,

"Let's go!"

[lilithbasically]

PITA

Pt. 6

*MINORS DNI*

(BakugoxReader)

< Prev. | Pt. 6 | Next >

Warnings: tooth rotting fluff, cussing

__________________

Putting the finishing touches onto your outfit, you took a deep breath to steady your nerves. Bakugo would be at your door in less than five minutes to pick you up for your date. Your mind was still reeling at that aspect. Who the hell could've guessed things would turn this way?

Fuckin hell I'm nervous. It's just Bakugo...we've been alone before. I can handle this, yeah. Exactly. Bad bitch mode activate. Leggoooooooohhhh fuck okay what if he hates it? What if he regrets asking already? Shit. No. He knows how fuckin weird I am already. He wouldn't have asked unless he was interested in every part of me.

Three solid knocks at your door pulled you from your inner ramblings. Grabbing your wallet and keys, you take one more deep breath before opening the door, greeted by a smirking Bakugo.

Leaning an arm against the door frame, his gaze shifted to meet yours before giving you the rarest of small smiles, "You ready, PITA?"

Why is that so hot??

Returning his smile, you nod, step outside, and locked your door. Turning around, Bakugo was already waiting for you by the passenger door, holding it open for you. Whispering a small "thank you" to him, he looked at you with a quirked eyebrow before shutting the door and jogging to the driver's seat.

As he started to drive away from your house, his eyes slid over to you and lingered for a bit.

"Oi, why're you so quiet? I've never heard you shut up for more than like two seconds. Are you okay?"

Looking over at him, slightly surprised by his line of questioning, you let out a breath you hadn't realized you'd been holding. "I'm fine, Bakugo. Just...nervous? I guess? I don't know why. I shouldn't be. It's not like we haven't been alone together before."

"You sayin I make you nervous, PITA?" He asked, a smug grin growing on his face. "If it makes ya feel any better, I am too."

You looked over at him to see a steady blush growing over his cheeks. "Awww, you look cute when you blush, Bakugo," you teased.

"Dumbass, I'm not blushing. It's just hot in here."

"Mmhhmmm I definitely believe you. Not even a trace of a lie there," you giggled which just made him blush more.

________________________

The rest of the drive went by fairly quick. The two of you engaging in a very intense discussion on why Autumn was the best season. "Oh come on, Bakugo. Fucking Halloween is in October which makes Autumn reign supreme."

"You're delusional as hell. Summer is the best."

"You're only saying that because of your quirk. That's not enough for it to be considered the best. You're gonna have to give me more reasons than that."

"You're only reason for Autumn is because Halloween ya hypocrite. But fucking fine. Snow cones, amusement parks, camping, hiking, swimming, bonfires. Happy now? I expect you to follow your own rules, PITA."

Always on the move, huh? Good to know for when I plan our next date.

"Hang the fuck on. I just learned so much about you in like two sentences. Gimme a minute to log all of this in my brain's Bakugo file," you snort with laughter.

"Your what??"

"I call them the BakuFiles. Ya know so I make sure to remember important things you say," you explained with a shrug.

Too busy thinking about your list of reasons, you missed the way his blush crept from his neck all the way up to the tips of his ears. Fighting the biggest smile he's ever felt try to break out, he cleared his throat and gripped the steering wheel.

"Alright, you've had enough time. Gimme your reasons for Autumn," he grunted.

"Okay, okay. Crunchy leaves to stomp on, spiked apple cider, carving pumpkins, perfect weather for horror movies, haunted houses, dressing up, I get most of my home decor during Autumn, plaid flannel shirts open over tank tops, also bonfires. Oh but also, I do love snow cones and hiking. And amusement parks...and swimming...and camping. I'm calling it a tie."

"What?? How is it a tie? You like everything I like about Summer and I only like 4 of the things you listed about Autumn. If anything, I definitely win and Summer is the best season," Bakugo huffed.

"Oh my god, Bakugo...," you laughed, "you're so competitive, I love it. Nothing is ever boring with you."

Still lost in your fit of giggles, you didn't hear how his breath hitched at the nonchalant affection you threw his way.

_________________________

Pulling into a parking space, he looked over at you as you registered where he'd taken you. You looked over at him with wide eyes, a grin stretched across your face, "HOLY FUCK. Are you serious, Bakugo?? I love these places oh my god I might cry. It's been so fucking long since I've come to anything like this."

"I'm glad you like it, PITA," he smirked, "Let's go."

Oh boy...ohhhhh no...here it comes. I feel it. Yep. I'm definitely falling for him.

The two of you meandered through the gardens, admiring the flowers, shrubs, and trees when you stopped and let out a small squeal before running to a section y'all hadn't yet been to.

"Damn, PITA, I've never seen you move that fast," Bakugo teased.

"Bakugo!! These are my favorite flowers. They're red spider lilies and they're beautiful. They're also poisonous," you explained.

Bakugo shook his head and chuckled, "Of course your favorite flower would be poisonous." He nudged your arm and nodded in the direction of a snow cone stand, "You want one?"

Smiling, you took his hand and started dragging him over. Trying to guess his favorite flavor, you failed to notice the tiny popping noise coming from his other hand and his eyes that had grown wide from your touch.

__________________________

Bakugo led you to the back of the building to a set of double doors that opened to a large, glass, enclosed dome filled with butterflies.

Taking in your surroundings, seeing the abundance of beautiful fluttering wings around you, you felt tears start to well up.

Nana would've adored this. Oh god don't cry. Please don't cry he's gonna think you're crazy

You take a deep breath and fail to will your eyes to suck the tears back in. Bakugo reached out, cupping your face in his hands and wiped the fallen tears from your cheeks.

"You okay, PITA?"

Sniffling a little, you meet his eyes and smile, "Yeah I'm good. This is just an overwhelming reminder of my grandma. She would've fucking loved this."

"Deku told me a little about her. But, I'd like to hear it from you if you wanna tell me." He let his hands fall from your face and stuffed them in his pockets.

Feeling his gaze still on you, you nod your head in the direction of the path that flowed through the sanctuary.

"She was an amazing woman. Her and my grandfather basically raised me. We were always close, never fought, I called her mom for the longest time because I didn't know any better. But we had this tradition every year where we'd plant bushes and flowers to attract monarch butterflies during their migration. They would always swarm her yard, laid their eggs on the bushes and all that so we got to see them grow and then leave when it was time. It was just something we both loved. That and just gardening in general, honestly. She had the biggest garden, full of herbs and vegetables..."

"Sounds like a nice woman. I'm sorry she's not here anymore, Y/N."

Hearing the sincerity in his voice paired with the surprise of him using your name, you stopped to look at him. Finding that the perfect opportunity, a monarch butterfly landed on Bakugo's nose, making him cross his eyes to look at it.

Oh my god that's the cutest fucking thing I've ever seen holy shit my heart is gonna explode

Giggling, you quickly take out your phone and snap a picture making sure to catch his expression.

"Oi, you better delete that, PITA."

Sending him a smirk, you asked, "Whatcha gonna do about it if I don't?"

"You little brat, come here," he said, wrapping one arm around your waist to pull you to his chest and grabbing your phone with his free hand, holding it above you.

You looked up, noticing how close his face was to yours, you shivered and let out a shaky breath. Bakugo seemed to have the same realization because he slowly brought his arm down and slid his gaze over to meet yours. You both stood there for what felt like hours when he started to lean down.

Okay this is the shit that happens in romcoms. Am I in a fuckin romcom right now? This shit doesn't happen in real life oh my god I wanna kiss him so fucking bad holy shit okay this is happening fuuuuuuuck

And in true romcom fashion, his lips just a breath away, you both jump when his phone rings. Letting out a small "fuck" he pulled away and handed you your phone so he could answer his.

Oh my god that almost happened what the fuck. Stupid fucking phone. I hate whoever is on the other side of that call.

"Yeah? Are you serious? Fuck, alright. I'm on my way."

Bakugo turned toward you with the first scowl you've seen on his face all day and sighed, "I'm so sorry, PITA. I've gotta go help in town. Whole group of villains fuckin shit up and they need backup."

"Don't be sorry, Bakugo. It's your job, I understand. I'll call an Uber or something, no worries," you tried to reassure him with a smile.

"Like hell you will. Take my car back to your place when you're done here. I'll come get it from you later."

He walked toward you, handing you his keys, he dipped down and pressed a quick kiss on the corner of your mouth. Pulling away, he smirked, "We'll continue the real thing later. See ya."

Pulling yourself out of your surprised stupor, you yell after him, "Be careful, Bakugo!"

"Always, PITA."

________________________

@lordmypantsaresocool @suckerfor-fanfics @aomi04 @riot-race @fatbitchgeek-blog @sunflowers-rae

*Okay, so, the whole next part will be Bakugo's POV. I didn't expect this part to be this long but I don't really wanna take anything out, honestly. So Pt 7, Bakugo's POV will definitely be out later tonight.

Also, the angst and fluff will continue. How do we feel about introducing some smut to the story? All of the other things I write are basically pure smut but I'd like to hear y'all's opinions!*

[imasimpforstevengrant]

Why do we like this clown so much?

Change the "we" for "I" and you get an usual tag I use whenever I post my content in Tumblr. And it sounds funny at first but whenever you start diving into that phrase, the deeper it becomes. So, I finally have decided to share my thoughts about this strange but wholesome attraction to this deeply flawed character. It's not something I usually do since I don't know how to write down my feelings properly and also in english so please forgive any typos (I'm from Chile so don't be surprised lol).

So...Why do we like this clown so much?

Why was it that a character precisely designed to scare and to disgust the fuck out of us ended up unchaining a series of feelings that shouldn't have taken place in a beginning?

Let's take a look at the background: Joaquin Phoenix was cast as Arthur Fleck/Joker in 2018. The first image of him as the aforementioned character revealed a deeply disturbed man. We knew the plot. A man driven to insanity after a brutal history of abuse, creating concern in people if the upcoming film would inspire real life violence. Incel violence and mass shootings, more specifically.

(the image in question)

As 2019 arrives, the two trailers generated so much hype that media needed to fuel its concern about it. Since it wasn't your typical comic book film, media basically bombed our minds making us believe this film was going to be a total disaster, an excuse to cause harm to others among other nonsense, as if the film would justify everything Arthur would do in the film, eventually. As the release date is closer, the film receives thunderous applause and unanimous praise from critics. At this, fans rejoiced and expressed impatience to watch the film.

October 5th.

People left the theaters amazed, shocked and genuinely moved by the inhuman treatment Arthur received in the film. The fear media tried so desperately to infuse in us with all the incel bullshit and such turned out to awake one of the most positive, best feelings in humans:

E M P A T H Y

The word that so gloriously cleared away any dark thoughts or actions not only proves media was wrong but it turned out to ridicule it in way nobody will forget: Hundreds of people advocating for mental illness, calling out to the kindness that could change a person's bad day and questioning how politicians and rich people are indifferent to social problems proved how much as a society we have changed in comparison with the one shown in the film.

However, since we are on Tumblr, I'll get straight to the point and try to explain why the fuck does this clown has us dying out of love and compassion (and lust).

I. Background.

As nurturing as we women are for a biological matter, we see a man deprived of a good job, is on seven different medications, working like a slave to sustain his ill mother, putting aside his own health and well-being to look for her, struggling to make his dream of being a comedian despite everyone stepping on him, underpaid and treated like a freak for a disorder he did not ask to suffer, which makes it impossible to be indifferent to all the horrible ordeal that eventually will reach the limit of what he can tolerate without going insane. It is impossible to not say or think, at least, that someone (even if it's just one person) should stand for him just as it is impossible not to feel the need to throw ourselves at him to shield him from people who hurt him or simply offer him our shoulder whenever he has had a bad day, specially when he learns he was sexually assaulted by his step father.

This horrid behaviour terrifies newer generations because they get a taste of what being a social outcast was like more than thirty years ago in comparison with today, where there's more acceptance and treatment for mentally ill people like Arthur. We see in him someone who could have been saved with a proper education and emotional support instead of descending into madness as a criminal. Others simply saw themselves being treated like him at some point in their lives and couldn't help but put themselves in his shoes.

II. Personality.

TRUTH BE TOLD:

There's something called "attraction by proximity". It is the explanation to the eventual love you feel whenever someone doesn't catch your eye at first terms of physical attraction but his/her personality does attract you. This happens to be the base of this situation. His shyness, introverted nature, tenderness and innocent desire to make people laugh and put on a happy face awake some kind of tenderness we cannot resist. This combined with the gloomy background increases our understanding (but not justifying) of the bad decisions he'll eventually take during the course of the film. This traces a line of harsh, almost hurtful contrast of the violence he shows later on the film. Once again, it is not justified in any way but it is certainly understandable.

III. Appearance.

Arthur Fleck is unconventionally attractive.

This happens to be a plus for most women. He is out of the male beauty standards (no abs, not too muscly or particularly tall), which makes him even more unique. It is precisely the fact that he's not a model one of the reasons women love him. He could easily be your man next door or your colleague or the guy you always see but never dare to talk for fear to bother him Because it's about proximity. Arthur looks like your common neighbour. He's not meant to be your typical desirable male protagonist at all.

... And yet.

Jesus Christ, he's so fucking hot I can't even---

It's not about how beautiful his green eyes are, his long slender fingers, his hair or his smile only. It's the charm behind it.

Another "magnet point" is the way he dresses. I know he's impoverished and his wardrobe tend to be repetitive but it is so unpretentious, so simple that is hard to not fall for. The modesty of the shirts, ironed trousers reminds us of a mature man deeply withdrawn into himself, love starved and longing to be seen and loved by others, like a war veteran who still fights the most important war: with himself. Is someone who needs to be listened and understood.

AND OF COURSE WHAT'S NOT TO LIKE ABOUT IT?

He's also brought back the old gentleman outfit, white shirts, red/yellow vest, red suit and elegant dancing moves and the retro style of the film boosts this attractiveness.

People keep comparing him with the previous interpretation of Joker (Leto's) whose costume appealed to young women with a tattooed, gangster, mumble rapper crazy-guy wannabe which didn't connect with the audiences (young people in general). This supposedly was to match or even have a sexy, tormented and desirable villain like Marvel's Loki. We all know how that story ended but it's the link for the next point below.

IV. Transformation

This is a particularly strong point considering how much we loved to watch the process of this weak, powerless, forgotten caterpillar into a beautiful and visible butterfly that will gracefully stir its wings for everyone to see its colours.

When Arthur transitions to the Joker, it's so cathartic to see taking revenge on those who wronged him (even when we're not supposed to root for him) like seeing his shyness fading away into a vivid confidence when dancing half naked in the bathroom, or witnessing him making way to make his name known to people in Murray Franklin's Show:

Adding to this newly gained confidence, there's another turn on: the way he walks.

At the beginning, his pace is hunched and limping, displaying his submission to violence, which makes the viewer more satisfied to see his broken yet beautiful soul turning the past pain of his existence into art: he lets music guide his moves as a way to tell the world he's a new man by cutting most of the sick, evil roots that harmed him, that he's invincible, that no one can stop him. Watching this cathartic display of euphoria was the most iconic scene in the film, following his speech at the TV and the inevitable meltdown that caused Murray's death.

Going to further appreciation, even his clown make up is beautiful. Why? Simple. The combination of colours, shapes and the intimidating glare just embellishes even more the character.

The dark blue triangles in his expressive eyes makes the light green colour to highlight, specially in dark backgrounds, giving the impression he's piercing your soul whenever he stares directly at the camera. Same can be said about the red smile and emerald green hair. They boost an already intimidating look.

The cold and warm colours paint a picture of a man full of intense emotions, mirroring it in a simple yet masterful artistic way.

Another interesting point is the way Joker dresses. Usually we had almost every single live adaption of this character in purple coat, hat, etc. But this particular version is not following any comic, which gives more freedom to creativity and once again, out of the standards of what we could have expected.

Red is a colour related to passion, action, love, strength, motivation and excitement. As for yellow, it indicates freshness, happiness and enlightenment and finally, green. Green is renewal, growth and regeneration. Colours that represent a new stage in his life, a mirthful chapter at last. We finally get to see our battered, always humiliated protagonist (or hero) descending into madness, but finally free from his repressed man who held his soul captive like a bird to fly away, to never come back. An insanity that despite being his downfall, turned out to be his ticket to freedom as he walks to the light in Arkham Asylum dancing at the end.

Ladies and gentlemen: behold the film nobody asked... But the film we fucking deserved.

Thank you for coming to my TED talk

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