#she's so ayesha coded it's crazy

[thelavenderprince]

ayesha erotica walked so nicole could sell crack

[prongsmydeer]

Ayesha Liveblogs Heartstopper S1

I will not lie to you have put off watching this show for so long because I thought it might hurt my feelings but I think I'm finally ready to put myself through it

I didn't realize we'd be starting this show with Charlie already in a clandestine relationship. Alright, diving right in

Call me crazy, but I think this guy who is causing Charlie's brain to create gentle cartoon leaves might be the guy he falls in love with:

"Still don't tell anyone about this." Heartwarming words from Secondary Love Interest Ben

"Why are you talking to me? I don't even know who you are." Ben, love, I think you're overcorrecting

Tao saying "Bro Dude Friends" in an American accent tickles me

God I remember not being allowed to have a phone at even at lunch in school. Dark Times

"What about your friends, have you talked to them about it? "They wouldn't get it." HAHAHA the one realistic teacher who deflects dating questions back to the teens

Immediately I like Tori. "Was he a knob?" is exactly the right question to ask

Charlie's imagined romantic cutaways are very fun

"Aren't I bit... small and weak to be a rugby player?" "We're just a school team, you know. It's not that serious." "So you're saying I am small and weak?" "No!" [Both laugh] I love Charlie's teasing streak with Nick, it's fun

"I don't just fall for any guy who's nice to me," said Charlie, as if he had not immediately fallen for Nick on the basis of them just saying hi to each other and having one conversation about ink stains

Genuinely I hope this rugby endeavour ends with Charlie making a bunch of friends and discovering a love of sport

Update from 1 montage later: I think it has!

Also I am immediately invested in Tao and Elle's relationship. They miss each other so much, it's very sweet

This episode took a really harsh and unexpected turn with Ben's reappearance. Bring back the rugby montage

"You have nothing to be sorry about." "Sorry." "You say sorry a lot. Don't say it." Thank God for Nick

"It was normal," said Nick, in a very convincing statement that no parent would find troubling

Nick said: Move over Charlie, I can also have a cartoonish dream sequence. Welcome to My Instagram-Induced Homophobia Fever Dream

Immediately I'm relating to Nick. I too get stressed out by watching other people type and have to put away my phone. Also it is becoming clearer and clearer that he's going to be the one who is slower to come to terms with his own feelings

"Thank you for being my supportive straight friend." HAHAH bold of Charlie to assume. But I get that it opens the door to that conversation

"And bisexual people exist." THANK YOU CHARLIE

"You know, when I was a teenager and had a crush on a straight boy, I just repressed it and suffered." Mr. Gay Teacher speaking to the real Teenage Experience LMAO

I love Elle making friends at her new school 💗 Not to stereotype but I do think girls are more welcoming as a social group

Nick has touched Charlie's hair one too many times today to be convincingly straight hahahah

"You seem much more yourself around [Charlie]." "Do I?" Oh, you're in it now, Nick

"Nick likes a girl," said Tao confidently, as if the 'girl' Nick's friends had been teasing him for texting was not Charlie

"You've befriended the school lesbians." GOOD FOR ELLE

Nick thinking about holding Charlie's hand but stopping himself. Sweet boy

"I don't think he's straight," said Tori, after witnessing one of the gayest goodbyes I've ever seen

Nick staring at his team photo like he can rugby away gay thoughts

HAHAHAH doing the "Am I gay" quiz and getting 62%. I am so Nick-coded. He is so me. Someone stop these Repressed Queer Blond British Boys from being so relatable hahaha

"Do you want to go to Harry's party? With me?" This is SO different to him inviting Imogen, who asked if she could come

I love that Tao's mum loves Elle so much she hugs her twice

"We don't want to make a big announcement or anything, but... just maybe not hide so much." I'm not sure which part of this interaction I liked the most, 1) Nick and Tara immediately establishing they weren't into each other 2) Tara telling Nick she is a lesbian, modelling a chill coming out and 3) Tara immediately giving Nick a sly look as soon as he mentions His Best Friend Charlie

Both cold and cool for Nick to tell Harry off for being homophobic at his own birthday party

Tao making Elle promise nothing will affect their friendship because he is clearly in love with her already LOL

Nick being visibly comforted by seeing happy queer people around him. Once again, relatable:

Very funny of the show to only NOW warn me of strobing effects, which have been bothering me for quite some minutes as I tried to get a screenshot of that scene LOL

"I'm dying." "It's cause you're old." To friends literally months older than you is honestly one of my favourite jokes

"You're just going to assume they're [the person I have a crush on] a she?" "....Are they not a girl?" "Um!" Nick has talked himself into a corner on this one

"Would you.... kiss someone who wasn't a girl?" "I don't know." "Would you kiss me?" "Yeah." I loooove this dialogue. Nick is uncertain about his sexuality, but not uncertain about Charlie

Nick said: The quiz was right! I AM at least 62% gay

Charlie immediately realizing he's got himself into another situationship with a guy who is definitely not ready to come out

Charlie's dad probably thinks he was bullied at the party but in fact it was actually Charlie being retraumatized in a slightly different way

"It's not that I didn't want to, you know [whispers] kiss you... I was just so confused. I've just been so, so confused." The immediate juxtaposition between Ben, who did not give a damn about Charlie's feelings through his sexuality crisis, and Nick, who not only apologized right away, but also is actively trying to explain how he's feeling to Charlie 🥺💘

Charlie is also representing a real group of people who are The Only Out Kid At School Whom All Other People Figuring Out That They're Some Type of Gay May Inevitably Direct Their Feelings

"A lot of gay people are good at sports, Charlie," said the Rugby Coach, slightly offended on behalf of all gay athletes

LMAO @ IMOGEN'S "I'm an ally" scene, I've seen it before

Also she really does give me second-hand embarrassment. Read the room girl!!!

Tao is so hostile to Nick undeservedly ghggghhgh Nick wasn't the one who threw the rugby ball but he did get pelted with it by Tao after

LMAO @ Darcy immediately clocking Nick and Charlie as a couple

"Why are the other team literal adult men?" Ah, a classic sports dilemma

"You've got some mud on your face though," said Nick, like the rest of both of them including his own face was not also covered in mud

HAHAHAHA Isaac also immediately clocking that they are sitting way too close and gazing too much to be just homies

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO NICKKKKKKKKKK YOU ARE FALLING INTO THE SAME BEN TRAP. BE BETTER! YOU ARE SEEING SOMEONE!!!!!!!!

I know he's just trying to be a good friend to Charlie and I don't know if it's Tao's hair and face but he's reminding me of someone I know (who had a lot of emotional issues) and it's giving me a bit of the heebie jeebies hahahah

"Do you like this girl?" "Well, um, her dog died." HAHAH NICK, this poor people-pleasing boy

"Tao, no, it's his birthday," Tao is a rough mix of incredibly loyal, moderately possessive of his friends and lacking in any social graces whatsoever

Also if Tao understood what was going on, he'd be TWICE as mad. It's growing more deserved by the minute

"I was going to say I'd send him a strongly-worded DM, but murder's fine too." Hahahahah Tao

I've never seen a more uncomfortable exchange of the words, "You're a good friend." LOL:

Even if this whole Imogen thing is still pretty messy, I give a lot of credit to Nick for telling Charlie about it and explaining the context as well as clarifying he was going to put an end to it before it happened

"I wish I'd met you when I was younger," said Nick, like 16 isn't still pretty young

"I really like you." "You like me?" "Yes, wasn't that obvious?" HAHAHAHA they're so silly, I love them ❤️

I love that Charlie and Nick are so into each other they can't help but have a bit of PDA everywhere they go

Elle said: You're not the only ones capable of cutesy animations for the friend you're secretly in love with, Charlie and Nick

Do you think Isaac's like, 'Damn, this is an above average amount of romantic tension for a bowling outing'

Props to Nick for immediately following through on his pre-date break-up with Imogen

"Mamma Mia." "We've seen that four times this year already." Nick continues to be extremely me-coded, including looking up the best LGBT movies nghghgnjg

I said this MOMENTS before he googled being bisexual after watching Pirates of the Carribean. INCREDIBLE

Darcy is VERY good at clocking people's romantic vibes (Elle and Tao edition)

"Do you wanna kiss? Would that help?" [Sarcastically] "Wow." "Just a suggestion." Charlie said: Sorry about your sexuality crisis, my love language is giving u a leetle kees on the lips

AWWWWWWWWWW I loooooove Nick finally having someone to talk through his sexuality feelings with outside of his boyfriend

"Kissing you is actually one of the things that made me realize I don't like kissing guys." "Okay, happy to help?" Nick 💖

Personally I LOVE the triple date and Meddling Gays Groupchat

Charlie is so blindingly smiley every time Nick acknowledges to someone that they're together it is the sweetest:

In fairness to Tao being the last to know, he is 1) The only one who actively dislikes Nick and 2) The only cishet person at the table

Must be rough for Tara to go from everyone only ever talking about how fit she is to all the crap of people thinking they're gonna catch lesbianism

It would've been VERY funny if they all got locked in the closet

"They all probably think I'm this like, gay nerd." "Well, you kind of are a gay nerd." Nick said: You're MY gay nerd, Charlie

"Oi, just look at him behind him. Like a little girl." Harry's got so many issues. He's literally in the same proximity to Ben, what's his problem?

"Quick question. What's it like being gay?" Not that EVERY homophobic character is secretly gay, but it does seem more and more like Harry is 🤨

"I'm not even gay. I just felt really sorry for you." Since ep 1, I have strongly been suspecting that Ben will be the one to out Nick and Charlie and I feel it even more strongly now that he has eyewitnessed their handholding

Also it does NOT bode well that this ep is called Bully

"[Charlie] has a friend who won't leave me alone," said Harry, as if he has not been the one pelting Tao and calling him names to deal with what is probably a little gay crush repressed deep under thirteen layers of stupid and mean

"None of us are being homophobic." I feel like people are now growing up in this weird era where people ARE still homophobic but unwilling to admit it because it's less acceptable. It's fucked up to have someone do something bigoted to you and say it's not. At least when someone's horrible upfront you are facing an enemy that's showing its face

I don't blame Nick for finally losing his cool. Also wild of Harry to pick a fight with someone who is obviously bigger than him

"Some of the rugby boys are nice." "Even they just... stood there." There comes a certain point where being able to associate yourself with bigoted people must mean that you are at best indifferent to the people they harm

"I think I know why he hasn't [told me]. He thinks I'll accidentally say something stupid and out Nick to all of Nick's mates. And obviously he cares more about Nick's feelings than he does about mine." SEVERAL THINGS, TAO. 1) IT IS OBVIOUS why he hasn't told you, it's because you have shown numerous times you don't like Nick. 2) Why the hell is OUTING THEM even on your list? 3) In a situation where you COULD accidentally out Nick, his feelings are OBJECTIVELY more important than yours! And 4) This possessiveness towards your friends is part of the problem!!!

"This is all your fault," said Tao, as if Charlie had forced him to fight with Harry instead of literally intervening upon it

I get that Tao's a teen and he's hurt Charlie's priorities are different and he's short-sighted but GOD take some personal responsibility

"He said he doesn't wanna talk to you." If Charlie ends up being the only one to apologize for this I'm gonna be SO mad

All other things aside, I'm glad Tao and Nick are bonding

I love how consistently useful it is that Charlie can run fast

"You don't get to make me feel like crap anymore just because you hate yourself." YEAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH CHARLIE

DOUBLE APOLOGY, AS WAS WARRANTED FOR THESE TWO:

The butterflies appearing on Tao's side so we know the feeling is mutual with Elle ahhhhhhhhhh

If Nick is leaving the rugby match to kiss his boyfriend, that is the FUNNIEST possible thing he could do, surely it could wait til after the match rather than mid-mandatory-sports day

The update is that he was desperate for a conversation, which seems more reasonable LMAO

"My life is way better because I met you." NIIIIICK 😭❤️

Charlie is really coming into his own today. The most nonconfrontational boy crams three different emotional confrontations into one sports day

Bold move to make out in the school corridor mid-mandatory-sports day. In general, interesting how often people are macking around this school. But I understand, it was a very romantic conversation:

"I love liking you," said Nick, like that wasn't one of the most romantic things I've ever heard

"Does this mean we're boyfriends?" "Oh, yes. Was that not already established the last like, ten times we made out?" HAHAHA their DTR talks kill me a little

"Thank you for telling me. I'm so sorry if I ever made you feel like you couldn't tell me that." I was nervous for Nick for a moment, but I'm so glad for him now

"It's called bisexuality, if you've heard of that." LMAOOOOOOOOOOOO not Nick genzsplaining bisexuality to Mama Nelson aka Olivia Colman, of The Favourite fame

What a sweet and charming show

[getmemymicroscope]

There's fun bits, for sure. Sohail/Isha's story is, while (quite) a bit ridiculous, fun. Also, way too short - they're barely there. John/Vidya's story is sad, but there's interspersed comedy which is fun. Govinda's story has also got it's moments. Unfortunately, even with a near 4-hour run-time, there isn't enough time to really introduce many of our characters beyond simple trait or two (doesn't clean up after himself, but is truly in love; ass; ass; super ass; daft; horny; brainwashed by the patriarchy; clueless; unlucky enough to be in 2 big accidents).

The Priyanka/Salman story is probably a bit ridiculous, but is also very "showbiz". At least Tinu Anand's character isn't a complete ass. The Ayesha/Akshay story feels very similar to Shaadi Se Pehle, which released the year before this movie. And not in a good way (I did enjoy that movie, at least in parts) - he just seems like a hammy character who doesn't really deserve the happy ending he gets.

That the Juhi/Anil story ended the way it did, with her essentially ignoring everything for the sake of family, feels exactly like the ending we got from the Shilpa/Shiny/Kay Kay story from Life in a ... Metro (which, like Salaam-e-Ishq, also released in 2007) and is, quite honestly, frustrating/disappointing and, probably, very much Bollywood/cultural bowing down to "marriage" and "family." Like, I get it, but ... she deserves better. The idea that her entire happiness revolves entirely around his happiness and she just has to ignore everything (luckily for her, she wasn't there to watch that disaster of 'creepy clean-shaven Anil dances at a bar') is ridiculous. She should've left him.

Also, that plane thing - it's 2007! How the fuck is he running through the gateway into a boarded plane ... and they let him have a full on conversation with her? Like, that should be impossible - Bollywood romanticization of last-second airplane scenes or not. Catch the next flight, asshat. Hell, earlier, you even fucking lied to your kids. Also, don't they close the doors at the gate once the airplane is boarded? He would've needed one of their passes/codes to open that. Everyone at the airplane failed there, if we're being honest.

I think if we rated the stories in terms of just overall fun/best story, it'd be: 1) John/Vidya (for a touch of drama, without being overly crazy), 2) Govinda/Shannon Esra (I get why he didn't tell her, but also, like, tell her, you daft fool!), 3) Sohail/Isha (we needed more of them, but also, like, there's no story here at all; it entirely depends on you being able to laugh at his/their misery), 4) Priyanka/Salman (there is some emotion/humanity that they come close to hitting here, but the background just makes the whole thing kinda creepy), 5) Ayesha/Akshaye (Ayesha deserves better; Akshaye's a loser, but the other guy she was going to marry is somehow worse), and 6) Juhi/Anjana/Anil (yikes; no; yuck).

Speaking of Ayesha's suitors - how the fuck does she see this whole thing unfold with groom and Stephanie and then just be like "yeah, lets continue." And how does her father, or mother, or sister, or brother-in-law (the ass that Anil is, even he should know better) not just be like "wait, no, don't."? Not one person is willing to step up and be like "this is a mistake" - Ayesha's character needs to scrap everyone in her life and start over, now.

And then, mid-wedding, Priyanka and Salman decide "eh, let's just have a full heart-to-heart (and propose!), while everyone at the wedding is waiting for us to finish so they can finish their 7 pheres." What a disaster.

At least the songs are good - but honestly, while they do go on for a bit (and, early on, come in quick succession), for a nearly 4-hour movie, one could argue that there aren't enough songs. I do love them all though, especially the title song, Mera Dil, and Tenu Leke.

In terms of "massive cast/multistory" films in 2007, Honeymoon Travels was undoubtedly better (even with the random foray into the supernatural/superpowers), and apparently Just Married (which I haven't seen yet) was also better (I believe it). A big starcast is nice, but it can't save a movie where we have little plot and even less character building.

[willreadforbooze]

Hey everyone!!

Hope you guys had a great week! We are all convinced its still March. K? k.

Can y’all believe it’s May!? Work is about to be crazy busy for me these next few weeks, so we’ll see how much reading I get done.

I’m also your host over on the @willread4booze Twitter account this week 

What Minda is reading now:

The Jewel Thief by Jeannie Mobley – Slow-burn romance set in 17th C France centered around the missing Hope Diamond. The supposed jewel thief’s confession will mean her life or death—and maybe her heartbreak.

Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire – Second in the Wayward Children series with the twins, Jack & Jill, in the high logic, high wicked world. I think this might be a prequel? Listening on audio.

What Minda finished:

Red Hood by Elana K. Arnold – A twisted retelling of little red riding hood that does not shy away from the reality of womanhood, to say the least. It’s very pro-woman and I liked it, but I can see this as being controversial.

Sam’s Update

We’ve reached the point of quarantine where I can feel the breakdown about to happen. I need other humans… I did read a fair bit though…

What Sam Finished:

Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir: I thought this was a fantasy… i was wrong.. it’s a true sci-fi and fantasy. Basically Gideon is blackmailed into being the personal guard to her childhood tormentor and literal garbage person while she competes to become immortal. They are also literal necromancers. There are nine houses and people keep dying. Gideon is also hilarious. I can’t say too much more about my thoughts because this is the book club book for this month.

The Merciful Crow by Margaret Owen: This is a really weird story. The main character is being groomed to be chief of her Crow… clan? i guess? and basically they go to all the towns to collect people who’ve died from the plague. She makes this oath with the crown prince to take him to his allies in exchange for security for her people. This was… ok. I won’t be continuing with the series. Not worth it, really.

What Sam is Currently Reading:

Upon A Burning Throne by Ashok K. Banker: I’m reading this for Tome Topple. I am like 40 pages in but it’s gonna be great, I can tell.

Ember Queen by Laura Sebastian: This is the last and final book in the Ash Princess series. I can’t say too much about what this book is about because spoilers, but this was one of the only YA fantasy trilogies I actually enjoyed. It broke a bunch of the stereotypes that I was sure there was gonna be.

Ginny’s Update

I managed to get through a few books this week and it’s very strange to actually say that. Some of it is that I just buckled down and got some stuff read. But hey, who cares how it happened, the important thing is that it happened.

Finished:

Ayesha at Last by Uzma Jalaluddin: this book was a gosh darned delight. There were a few similarities with Pride and Prejudice (only towards the end) but I really enjoyed the push and pull between the main characters where religion and culture and values intersected. I found some of the characters frustrating at times (and I think one of the back plotlines could have been handled a little better) but every character flaw was there to allow for growth, which was a lot of fun.

Superman Smashes the Klan by Gene Luen Yang, Guirihiru: I apologize if I got the author name wrong. This is a graphic novel and we received an ARC, which means half of the art was unfinished. But this book kind of embodied the great things about Superman going back to it’s roots. This book focuses on a Superman who hasn’t come into his own completely, but still stands for what is right and the little guys. This book follows an Asian family who has just moved out of Chinatown, and deals with the racism at the time.

Love Lettering by Kate Clayborn: I’m probably going to end up writing a review for this. I had been looking forward to this book for a while so I was really excited to finally get it. A hand-letterer writes a code into a man’s wedding invite that the relationship is doomed to fail. He’s a (kind of on-theme) Mr. Darcy-esque character in that he just has trouble talking to people.

The Extraordinaries by TJ Klune: I may have already written the review for this one… This was an ARC from, I think, ALA. The book follows Nick and his friends who live in a world with superheroes. Nick is OBSESSED with one of the superheroes and ends up actually running into them during an attempted robbery (he was being mugged) which sets off A LOT of plot.

Currently Reading:

A Lady Awakened by Cecilia Grant: This book is a soap opera. Martha is recently widowed and only inherits from her husband if she has an heir. She doesn’t, but talks a rogue-ish neighbor into sleeping with her every day for a month to try to fake an heir. She’s also pretty darn prude. It’s fun.

Forbidden Promises by Synithia Williams: This is also a soap opera but more on person. The Robideux’s are a wealthy tobacco-empire family. The youngest daughter has spent years away after the guy she was in love with married (and then divorced) her sister. There’s still plenty of chemistry. I’m not certain how much I care yet, mostly because rich people having rich people problems partially because of a shitty patriarch forcing the family to conform might not be my fav. I’m still willing to give it a chance, but we’ll see how this one goes.

Minda’s Update

It’s Minda’s first Mother’s Day so she gets a break 😉 HAPPY MOTHERS DAY, MINDA!!!

Until next time, we main forever drunkenly yours,

Sam, Ginny, and Minda

Weekly Wrap-Up: May 4 – 10, 2020 Hey everyone!! Hope you guys had a great week! We are all convinced its still March. K?