Friday Recs (Yes, it's still Thursday)

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Yes, these are Friday recommendations. Yes, it's still Thursday. Yes, I am sure because I'm sober. Why am I doing them today? a) Because I fucking can b) Because it's been that kind of week and c) See a & b.

Before we get to the Inception Recs, however, there are three other things that I'd very much like to draw your attention to:

a. Flowers for a Girl by yahtzee63, which is season five Mad Man about Joan and Peggy and Don. This story fit so seamlessly between last week and this week that when it was over I was pretty sure I'd just seen a scene from the TV show. Sharp, visceral writing of which even Matt Weiner himself would be like "That's what I'm talking about."

b. Bloodbuzz by wearemany -- Southland fic. Oh Southland how I love you. How I miss you. How nobody ever seems to write you. Why is that? I suppose because it's so dense. So complete on its own. And yet, there's always a tiny thread that you can tug on. wearemany tugged on the Ben Sherman Sr. thread. And man did the rug unravel. Ben/John, NC-17. With suits.

c. You all know how I feel about film recs. You only get one a year and I spent that vote on Inception this year. However. If you feel like I steered you in the right direction with that one, if you feel like maybe I know what I'm talking about sometimes, then listen to me now when I tell you: Go see The Social Network. I detest Facebook. I couldn't give a shit about Aaron Sorkin. The last good thing David Fincher did was Fight Club. Every time this movie trailer came on I wanted to slit someone else's throat. The only reason I think I got suckered into going is because they used an a cappella version of Radiohead's Creep and Kayne's Power for the previews. But you know what? The movie was extraordinary clever. And smart. And human. And you will leave there amazed by the power of just wanting to belong. Two very very enthusiastic thumbs up. (And there's a special treat for LJ people. No, for real). Go. See. It. When you get back you can write me fic about you know who (or you will once you see it).

And now, to that other stuff.


Art Recs

Get The Fuck Out Of My Head_2 by tatarnikova -- The artist gave this a much more poetic title than I did. I think of it as, "OMG that drawing where Arthur's in the shower!"

Hard Candy#1 and Version #2 by Sofie Hallor -- If you suspect I'm a tad picky about my Arthur/Joe art, you have no idea how I am about the Eames/Tom art. When I looked at this, all I could think, apart from "That is how you use color, people!", was, "Oh, look, it's Tom." I should also point out that version #1 is the artist-preferred version, because she didn't like the way the eyes looked (but I do, which is why you also get version 2).

Mal & Eames by smilevintage -- The artist put this together as a push for Mal/Eames. I'm including it, not because I am interested in the pairing, but because this Mal? This is my Mal. Smiling and happy and mischievous and loved. There seems to be a segment that believes that Mal is some how manipulative and mean and harsh, that Dom was her victim or whatever, but I don't buy into that shit at all. I think Dom betrayed her love and her trust when he incepted her. I think she gave him everything and he turned out to be a selfish ass. If anybody's a manipulative prick it's Dom. My Mal is Arthur's Mal, and we both think, "she's lovely."



Fic Recs

Believe Me if You Can (The House at Pooh Corner) by gyzym -- See. This. What. I can't even. Tee. Eye. Double Guh. Err. That's what this story is about. You have been warned. Also, Rabbit's growing pot in his garden. In the last three weeks my childhood has been utterly besmirched by angelgazing, aredblush and gyzym I need to go cry somewhere.

Beni Asla Bırakma by atomicskull -- This is the Yusuf fic of my heart. No, that's not hyperbole, that's the truth. atomicskull knew what I needed and wrote it without me even needing to ask and I am eternally grateful. Yusuf is smart, and kind, and falls in love and his friendship with Eames is built on the firmest foundations. There is a life pre-Inception and there's one post-Inception.

Childish Thoughts, Adult Minds by sekkritbandlj -- You would think my Kryptonite would be wee!Eames. I thought my Kryptonite was wee!Eames. Turns out it's wee!Arthur. And Eames with wee!Arthur. On the slide. And at the ice cream parlor. And tiny Arthur. You don't understand. I was defenseless. I blame johanirae since she made the art for it that showed me its existence

Eames Character Study by temperance_k -- There are all kinds of Eames characterizations in this fandom. Everyone sees something different. Some people believe Eames comes from some sort of abusive home, that it's all rag-tag gutter living and that he's unspeakably dim. I don't see that. I don't buy it; you couldn't sell it to me on a naked man. Then again, there are people who don't believe that Eames planned the entire fucking Inception job. I can only assume that anti-monopolistic sentiments are being discussed on the back of a can of Carlsberg. Doesn't make it any less valid. Just means it doesn't work for me. My characterization tends to come from the idea of Eames being a public school boy, from money, from his clear military background and the fact that he uses an endearment once, ostensibly to get Arthur's head back in the game; lazlet insisted he was firmly middle class. She only capitulated to me when she found an interview where Tom and Chris admit that Eames is old money, but you know, it's like I said before. Everybody sees things differently. And this story. The one that temperance_k wrote. I buy this story. I believe this story. So will you.

A Piece of the Plate (Got Stuck In My Heart) by jibrailis -- IRON CHEF AU FTW! Run, scurry, flee, read it now!

Plate Tectonics by indysaur -- Arthur moves in with Eames when his ex-fiancee tries to kill him. Like you do. But this story isn't really about that. This story is about living together and making room in your life for somebody else. But really, this story is about the awesome that is Yusuf. \o/ I love the Yusuf in this story. I want to take him home and make tea for him and give him biscuits

Plus One by someidiothasice -- I found this story last week through foxxcub and I'd give her a pony as a thank you, but I already gave her a pony. I can't have her running around taking other people's ponies. This is a story about Arthur in his off hours, about what he potentially gets up. This is about what happens when Eames comes along. It's the kind of thing you'll want to smoke something after, whether that's incense or a cigarette is up to you.

Put Your Hands On Me by meiface -- Arthur likes to be touched more than he thinks he does. This is yet another one of those things that is just kind of bulletproof for me. I know everybody's shocked. But I love the way meiface explores it here. The way Arthur thinks it's all about Eames when it's really all about him.

And before I go...

Upon my most recent viewing of Inception I am firmly convinced of the fact that Arthur is not a cold fish, that he's anything but repressed. That he's sensitive and emotionally aware. If you look a) at the scene where Ariadne wakes up after being stabbed and Arthur immediate runs to her side, b) when he talks about Mal being lovely c) when Dom is yelling at him, and Arthur's upset -- yes, because he fucked up but also because Dom is furious with him and d) where he drops down to Eames' side in the hotel room, that conversation. They'll run you down. Go to sleep, Mr. Eames. That shared smile. It's all there.

Arthur is astute. He is emotionally aware. He picks up on other people's cues. Whatever he is. He is not a fucking robot. Whatever he is, he feels things and he feels them deeply. Do not discount that.

Also, while I'm on my soapbox I'd just like to say that, "I love Eames clothes." I think they show a lot of fucking character and personality. I don't think they're tacky or gauche. They may not be bespoke suits and whatever, but the man fucking has style and he owns it. It's easy to wear something that comes preassembled from the same cloth. It's easy to stack black with black. It's a lot harder to decide who you want to be and let your clothes say that. Whether you spend an hour getting dressed or two minutes it all makes a statement, what do you want your statement to be?

And on a final note: if Eames were an animal, he'd totally be an otter. Adorable, self-absorbed, quick on the paw and unable to be denied at all.


And with that, you'll have to excuse me, I have to go back to my life being utter shite.

Comments

[someidiothasice.livejournal.com]

Okay, so number one? THANK YOU for the rec, because. You're one of my favorite writers ever (and the fact that you shipped Chuck/Bryce back in the day still makes me swoon like an idiot and I want to ask you to beta my Bryce/Arthur backstory when it's finished, but am too scared to show it to the world) and it makes me fuzzy like champagne that you enjoyed my work. So a very big thank you for that.

Secondly, THIS: Then again, there are people who don't believe that Eames planned the entire fucking Inception job.

THIS THIS THIS. He basically lays out the entire job for everyone, tells them what they are going to do right there in the middle of the movie and still, somehow, there are people who DID NOT SEE IT. WHAT. I can't wrap my brain around it. He's a smart man who knows what he's doing, yet he does it in a way that involves enough humor and distraction that it doesn't pull the focus off of the 'hero' of the story, Cobb.

And I use the term 'hero' here very loosely, because I came out of the movie the first time going "Wow, Cobb was kind of a prick the whole time, wasn't he?" and every time after that I wound up liking him less and less. Yes, he wants to go home to his children, but was he really selfish enough to endanger the lives of everyone else for his cause? The fact that he was, and did, pisses me off more and more every time I see the movie.

And to finish; Eames and his clothing. I pretty much ate my hat when I saw the movie the second time and went "Oh God, the shirt lapels over his jacket. THE POCKET WATCH CHAIN. THOSE MOTHERFUCKING RED SOCKS." He is a man of color and taste and I have no idea where the 'garish shirts' in this fandom have come from. I will still happily embrace the idea, though, because the thought of Eames walking into a room with a serious face and a shirt with turkeys on it tickles me to no end.

It's like you said somewhere up there, 'they're these beautiful bright spots of color when everything else is so muted.' YES. That periwinkle striped shirt? Lovely. The yellow print? Eye catching. Not to mention the socks that I had a tiny orgasm over. While I was drooling over Arthur's and Saito's mouth watering suits, I was also smiling in delight at the use of color on Eames. He is, essentially, cast in the role of 'actor' in this movie and I think wardrobe did a brilliant thing by putting him in the clothing he wore.

Okay, I lied. I'm totally not finished. I wanted to boycott TSN on principle, because I HATE FB with the fiery intensity of a thousand burning suns. I wanted to claw my eyes out when I saw that first preview. Now I'm going to be roped into going because of all the awesome reviews and everyone on LJ pimping the hell out of it and I WILL POUT AND GLARE THE ENTIRE TIME. Except for how I know I'll come out of it shipping like crazy.

Goddamnit.

Anyhow, tl;dr - thank you for the rec, you rock my world, this comment is a love letter to Eames and TSN makes me D face

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

a) You are very welcome!

b) Word to everything about Eames being the brains. I mean obviously everyone brings different sorts of brilliance to the table, but uh, Eames does outline the entire job, for real. RESPECT!

c) As for Cobb, I am so besotted with everybody else in the movie that mostly when he's on screen I think, yes, so, who else in here that I can focus on and adore.

d) It's okay, you have found your people with the FB hatred, and yet, I really liked the movie, I have to say. Like a lot.