idealists are the cruelest monsters of them all.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE MOST BELOVED sparky77! I am totally not late I already told her twice yesterday. Thank you to alethialia for my virtual car, I love cars! And virtual gifts! Also, romanticalgirl declared yesterday/today International Day (ish) of Fangirl Snuggles. So, to all my fangirls (and boys) especially the ones who keep this train on the tracks and not careening all over the countryside, from Porn Swat to all my Inception brainiacs, this one's for you ♥ Having said that though, you all have no idea how close I came to saying fuck it this week. I am over it like a motherfucker.


Art Recs

Tom in Ink by amazzyblaze -- IT'S PURPLE. And I don't even mean that in a "and you should call your doctor directly way." This is Tom-based piece of art and it's so lovely. And purple. And awesome. Enjoy.

South Park Does Inception by fyinceptionmen -- SOUTH PARK DID INCEPTION AND NOBODY TOLD ME?! /o\ I don't even watch South Park but I'd've watched it for that. What is wrong with you people? Why are you failing me? Don't I give it to you on the regular every week? Don't you love me anymore? Sadness and woe! Actually, I'm just bullshitting you cause weatherfront covered for all of you and hooked everybody up.


Guide Recs

Judaism: A (Very Very Very) Basic Guide by gyzym -- So, see the thing about writing about religion is that if you're going to write about it, maybe you should do some research. Basic stuff, you know, like that Hanukkah is not Christmas. Like Jewish boys have a bris/Brit Milah eight days after they're born (but Englishmen for the most part, NOT CIRCUMSIZED. That means foreskin). And Jews? Well, do not believe in Jesus (Unless it's Jews for Jesus, which is a whole other deal).

Johanirae's Guide to Architecture by johanirae -- One of the things I really love about Inception fandom is how knowledgeable everyone is. How there is always some new thing to learn, some new book to talk about, some place I have never heard of before, some technique that makes me go, what now? What I really appreciate is when people who have that knowledge don't run around shrieking U IZ DOIN' IT WRONG!, but instead say, "Um, hey, just you know a couple things to keep in mind."


Fic Recs

breath of God by veritas_nescio -- veritas_nescio like bauble, who I talk about below, is another sterling example of how you don't have to say a lot to have a lot going on in your story. This is a story about first kisses, but first kisses aren't always the way you'd think they are, or the way they should be. Doesn't make them any less valid or any less beautiful. Some times they're even more so for all their "out of the ordinary"ness.

Dog Days Are Over by foxxcub -- So foxxcub has been talking about this story for fucking ever. Like Leo hadn't even hit puberty when she started writing this. Just kidding. This is a story about being a teenager, again. I just -- no. There is no goddamn way. I don't give a shit what you promised me at the end of it I wouldn't do that again. Not that being an adult is any great shakes, but still, legal to drink. And various other things. I digress. I almost disowned foxxcub for the skinny jeans mention, but it all turned out beautifully and right and it's lovely and lyrical and when it was over I was like this ♥ ___ ♥. No, for real, that was my face.

The End of Science by jibrailis -- This week was so good for the Yusuf and Ariadne fic that I just want to roll around in it and slather myself in honey and stick the pages to me and run through the streets shrieking with glee. Yeah, I said it! It's awesome. It's jibrailis would you expect anything less? Exactly. Also, is next week going to be Robert/Saito week or Ariadne/Cobb with a side-dose of the kids, cause I'm down for either one of those, just saying.

The Escort by white_aster -- When I did the whole "what would you like me to write" thing earlier this week, someone mentioned Arthur doing a sort of Pretty Woman thing, but you know, cause he's working his way through school, but earlier in the day, I'd read this story, which is pretty much about that. I love when fandom creates shit before people can even ask for it!

ETA: hit the ground running by imogenedisease -- Arthur loves Eames. Eames loves Arthur. Arthur doesn't believe him. This story made me laugh so much my shoulders shook. The lengths people will go to in the name of a four-letter word that isn't 'fuck.' (That's a really good line, isn't it? I may have to use that for a story title.)

An Immovable Object by bauble -- I don't know how I found bauble's work, but she consistently writes strong, engaging stories without miring them down in unnecessary business. Every word means something, everything that happens, happens for a reason. And this story, oh god, this story tells you up front what's happening and you can see it coming, but you hope, maybe... maybe this time it'll be different. But... it's not. And that's really the beauty of it. Truthfully, this story is like getting punched in the face and if you've never been punched in the face. What the hell are y'all doin'? How much can you know about yourself if you've never been in a fight?

life long local foreigner, i by gyzym -- Okay, see the thing is, I worry about gyzym sometimes because I'm pretty sure nobody can write as much as she does in the space of time she does and still, you know, be alive. Frankly, she reminds me of Liv Tyler's character in Empire Records and for the record this is a compliment cause this is the only movie I've ever liked Liv Tyler in. Even though she wants to do Rex Manning. And there's that speed issue. That's not the point. The point is that gyzym's stories are just amazing and alive and so beautifully considered and realized and her talent is just so astounding. I just... I'm at a loss. Just read all her shit.

Peanut Butter & Fixed Term Five Year Plans by andrealyn -- Eames is a baker and Arthur is a CPA. It's just. It's so darling. And it really made me want peanut butter cookies. I fricking LOVE peanut butter cookies. You don't even know.

take the long way home (soft as the radio) by gyzym -- Despite how it may look I don't adore gyzym because she writes me awesome awesome awesome awesome stories. I adore her because she's brilliant and talented and uproariously funny. And cause she writes me awesome awesome awesome stories about Ariadne and Yusuf. And Eames and Arthur. Now, I'm going to say something here, which may pain people to hear -- but I'm gonna say cause you are grown-ups. And if you're not, please go away and do not come back until you are wherever you live. I got distracted -- I -- am not an Ariadne fan. At least not how she's done in the movie. I adore Ellen Page, could watch Juno and Whip It all day, but as Ariadne... it falls flat. But in the right writer's hands... in gyzym's hands I'm like, "This Ariadne is awesome. This is the bomb shit. I want to read about this Ariadne. Hook it up!" So, um, yeah, read it.

this is all there is, roll the dice by wanderlight -- It always amazes me when people say relationships are easy. That A meets B and A and B just decide to be together and that's just it and it works. There are never any problems, never any doubts, never any what the fuck is going on? I wonder where this land is. I'm not sure I want to go there, but maybe just a visit, because in my experience that's not how things go. In my experience people are mean and sometimes cruel, sometimes they're confused, sometimes they run and sometimes they come back, but they are always human, they are never perfect. This story is about that.

with a rifle or a gun by figletofvenice -- So, one time there was this guy and he got caught in a bear trap. I don't even know, it was pyrimidine and figletofvenice, you can't really leave them unsupervised or people end up in bear traps. And this story is kind of a continuation of that. Actually, this story is about Arthur's violent tendencies. Not like ripping heads off dolls, but like you know, the anger from being in L.A. traffic or dealing with potential in-laws, or stupid clients or being shot. Things everybody can relate to :D



Vid of the Week

I apologize in advance to everybody in a ten mile radius for the noises you're going to make when you watch orlisroses29 latest vid? clip? Tease? Whatever, it's awesome, you want it. Trust.

Inception
Eames/Arthur
PG


I'm the Same Boy I Used to Be


( Eames met an Arthur once. )

A few weeks back I declared a particular Friday the best Friday Recs set ever and kasumi_blue very helpfully pointed out that every week is the best week ever in Inception fandom, because we're all out here, working hard at whatever it is we're are doing, and she is right. Every week? Best Week Ever. So, this week? Best Week Ever. Let's get to it!


Art Recs

Art for Felis Catus by platina -- platina made this art for fermine' s Felis Catus where Arthur turns into a cat. IDEK. I am utterly besotted with the look on cat!Arthur's face in this art. Not even gonna lie. And also that sliver of Eames' stomach. Again, not gonna lie.

"God... I love when you wear skirt!" by nami86 -- See, the thing is... I don't ship Arthur/Ariadne. I ship Arthur/Eames. And Ariadne/Yusuf (which, really, there should be a metric fuck tonne of, and there is not). Ariadne/Cobb. And possibly Ariadne/Saito (I like when he buys her hospitals!) but I never let shipping stop me from enjoying an awesome piece of art, and y'all this is an awesome ass piece of art. The definition is amazing. The depth. The everything. Go, look, enjoy it,

Private Affairs 1 by fanlay -- fanlay continues in her quest to make me turn into an idiot every time her art pops up on my flist. But I am okay with that. Her penchant for film noir and the whole private eye spin just makes me warm and tingly... in my arty bits, god, y'all are filthy minded.

Saito Making it Rain by fyinception -- I think my informal title says it all. If you cannot appreciate this, please do not talk to me.


Fic Recs

Breathe Into It by rageprufrock -- Sometimes I try to write summaries of the stories I'm reccing and all that comes out is "See, what had happened was..." and that's a terrible sentence. The grammar makes my soul hurt, the way it sounds is just appalling to the ear, but saying it aloud is damn fun andt sometimes it's the only way to start a sentence. Like with this story, "See, what had happened was... Arthur teaches yoga, and Eames is a rather amorous ad executive who needs to be taken down a peg or two." For the record, Pru-Diddy? I love pigeon position, what!

Full Nelson by pyrimidine -- HS AU. Eames is a wrestler; Arthur writes for the school paper. LOVE! LOVE! I know sometimes it might seem like I just recommend pyrimidine cause I'm a big old fan girl. Not true! I recommend her shit, because I love her ability to tell a story and her writing style is awesome. And cause I'm a big old fangirl. Also with art from pearljamz! \o/

I bet Nureyev never had to deal with this shit by cobweb_diamond -- I don't know if you've heard people talking about this story, but really you should've, because over on the I_K somebody said, wouldn't it be awesome if somebody did a Ballet!AU and both cobweb_diamond and lilylines took up the gauntlet. cobweb_diamond has been working on this prompt for I don't even know how long, and the wait has been killing us. It's like having your drug dealer put you on a diet plan, but finally it is finished and yeah, everybody needs to go read it. NOW.

I_K Fill by handsomespeck -- Arthur is a lifeguard. Eames is a surfer. But, uh, the real hero of this piece is Yusuf. YES! Yusuf 4eva \o/. Why? Cause he punches in a shark in the ampullae. Like other stuff happens. There are jellyfish and riptides, but really? Yusuf.

Lay Your Siege by gyzym -- So, imagine you are reading The Iliad... Only Arthur is Achilles and Eames is Hector. And Mal is Helen and like other things happen. Awesome things. Like Hero School. And sensitive heels (heh). But, really, the hero of this entire story is Yusuf, I mean Odysseus. No, I mean Yusuf. Cause Zeus stole his woman. He leads such a hard life. You don't understand. And then he forgets the password. I sacrifice the last virgin in Texarkana on the altar of gyzym's brilliance. (NEEDS MORE YUSUF!)

東亞細亞 LOVE SONG TOUR by weatherfront -- My computer doesn't even recognize characters in Mandarin. Or Korean. Or Japanese. But trust me, you don't need to understand the characters to understand the sentiment. It comes with some very, very helpful translations. I wouldn't drink anything while I was reading this. And you know, this warning extends to jibrailis's story which is coming up a few stories down. But if you don't listen, it's not my fault. Just saying.

pressed against the pending physics of my passed down last name, by gyzym -- from gyzym's domesticity-verse. You all know I heart gyzym -- but sometimes she makes my life real hard. WHY ARE YOU HURTING EAMES! I am not okay with that. :( And yet, this is very well done. Stressful, but well done. Don't worry, the scalding!hot sex'll make up for the trauma.

Shake It, Arthur, Shake It by jibrailis -- I. See. What. Okay, what happens here is that Arthur has some sartorial issues. And I can't really tell you about them or it will ruin the surprise. But I will tell you that the color purple is involved. And also Wal-Mart. And one of my favorite cursewords ever: MOTHERFUCKER. Everybody say it now: MOTHERFUCKER. Just rolls off the tongue beautifully, doesn't it?

that's not how our song goes by anonymous -- I was directed to this story by bauble and the prompt was Five moments in lives Arthur and Eames never lived, and one that still could happen. and let me tell you, this story is so much more than that it's amazing. It's breath-taking and eloquent and it grabs you by the heart-strings and yanks until you want to climb through your monitor, steal the story, take it home and lock it away so that you can look at it from time and time and marvel at the beauty. Yeah, it's that good. Trust.

this time tomorrow (where will we be) by liketheroad -- liketheroad says up front that this story was inspired by and has some dialogue from The Darjeeling Limited . But the thing is? I don't like Wes Anderson (or Owen Wilson or Jason Schwartzman) I won't say I hate him, but let's just say if his films are on, I am not in the room, and so when liketheroad first posted the story I wasn't going to read it, but it was her, so then I skimmed it. Only when I got to the end I realized, you know "wait this is actually engaging me, let me go back and pay real attention to it." And then I did, and I realized, it's not just engaging, it's damn good. Real good. Read it. Tell her so.

A few weeks back somebody somewhere mentioned that one of the things they liked about my Friday Recs was that I introduced people to authors they'd never heard of before. That sometimes I got real enthusiastic and was all THIS PERSON! I LIKE THIS PERSON'S WORK! Well, I'm pretty sure I do that every week, but this week I discovered somebody who's new to me, so ladies and gents meet veritas_nescio. The first story I read by this author was diptych which is a story about what makes Eames a forger. What veritas_nescio thinks being a forger means... and I loved it. It's quiet and controlled and smart and beautifully written. So, I went to see what else she's written and I highly recommend both house of cards, which is a story about not making things difficult (cause I honestly don't think they need to be) and snake song, which is about, well, the things that you take out of your dreams with you.


Video of the Week

Decision, PART ONE by orlisroses29 -- I knew from orlisroses29's last vid Darling that I was in trouble, that this vidder was going to screw me up, but at no time did I expect this. There are not words in my lexicon to explain the amount of stress this video put me through, the way my chest got tight and I could feel my heart beat speeding up. I was afraid. Oh god, what have Arthur and Eames done to me? Thank Zeus there's a part 2 coming

As always, if you like the finished product, show the creator some love. The universe will know if you are being stingy with the love.

I haven't written anything in three weeks. I was starting to panic because a lorry jack-knifed all over the M25 that in my writing brain. Thankfully I had maurheti to ease me through it. Thank you, bb.


Inception
Arthur/Eames
PG


money can't buy you love (but it – and some verbal judo – can sure help things along)

( That's a fourteen-thousand-dollar teabag. )

On Tuesday I read a story by sorrynotsorry (which is recommended below) and in comments said that, "this is shaping up to be, in my opinion, my best fic reading week in Inception fandom ever." I wasn't speaking in hyperbole. This week, ladies and gentlemen, BEST FIC WEEK EVER. Authors, give yourselves pats on the back, everyone contributed to this. Artists, throw those paintbrushes in the air (every week is the best week ever for y'all). *claps hands* Let's get to it.


Art Recs

Robert and His Pinwheel by johanirae -- I have a serious soft spot for watercolors. Like a serious one (I won't even front) and the colors here are so very lovely.

Tumblr Photo of Joe by weheartjosephgordonlevitt -- It's a photo of Joe. I know -- what's so special about that? Well, he managed to hit my holy trinity without even trying a) rolled up sleeves, which display most impressive forearms b) LOOK AT THOSE HANDS c) he's got his glasses folded up in his shirt pocket d) he's wearing jeans e) he's dressed up nicely but without going overboard (I can even overlook the skinny tie). In conclusion: this is my Arthur in his off hours. I felt inclined to share. Aren't I generous like that?

Yusuf Art by darthneko -- Yusuf is awesome. Yusuf should be loved by all. When this does not occur it makes for a cranky hackthis. Also? TATTOO!


Guide Rec

chn_breathmint put together a multi-part How to Write About Guns in Inception fandom guide. It covers everything: handguns, wounds, bullets, how to properly talk about guns, stances, why Hollywood is full of shit. Read it, learn from it.


Fic Recs

At some point this week the lack of Yusuf love made me a bit rabid. Actually it's been making me rabid all along, but this week just pushed me over the edge. So I set myself a task. Round up all the Yusuf fic. Find the Saito fic. Get thee to Robert Fischer hence. The results of that quest can be found here -- thank you to everybody who went above and beyond in pulling together links, especially silverotter, vanitashaze and johanirae. I am still working my way through the links, but I strongly urge everybody to go over and have a look. Read the stories, love the authors and artists, because this fandom needs more Yusuf and more Saito and more Fischer, because there would be no movie without them. NONE. Remember that. And without further ado:

The Billionaire and The Cat -- I managed to find the art by johanirae for this concept, before I even knew about zoi_no_miko's A Squeak in the Night. And if this doesn't manage to warm the cockles of your heart you are dead inside and there is no hope for you.

count to three and by figletofvenice -- Eames is dead. Except he's not. Now if that traumatizes you, imagine what the does to Arthur. Yeah, exactly. Poignant and evocative and beautiful all at the same time. *sniff* ♥

Dearheart by bauble -- Co-habitating is not for the faint of heart. Especially when it comes to sharing the bed. Especially when the person you are with has the internal body temperature of Satan. Seriously, nobody likes that part where you wake up soaked in your own sweat because somebody wanted to spoon. *shudders*

Deja Fucking Deja Vu by weatherfront -- People (myself included) don't talk about Nash much. Or if we do, we blame him for everything from the wars to the carpeting. He's incompetent. He's sleazy. He's not up to the standards of everyone else. Which, frankly, is sloppy writing on our part, because there is always more than one side to a story. Hell, there are always at least three, and weatherfront reminded me of that with this story that everybody should read. NOW. Frankly though, I don't think we'd have quite so much distaste for Nash if Lucas Haas wasn't so goddamn greasy. Does that boy ever take a shower? I mean imagine if Chris had made Cillian Nash and Lucas Robert -- I bet everybody'd be singing a different song, wouldn't they? It's a thought.

Dreams In Color by cmonkatiekatie -- Arthur dreams in black and white. I tend to be a very visual person. I like a story that I can see unfolding in my mind's eye and this... oh this is so very beautiful. One of the things I appreciate about cmonkatiekatie's writing is how she just manages to perfectly set a scene without bogging it down with too much stuff. It's a very fine art and she's very good at it. And the closing scene in this story is just exquisite. LOVE IT.

glow glow melt and flow by foxxcub -- A while back I posited the theory that the story you write in two hours will be better received than the story you spend all your time and effort working on. On Monday I poked foxxcub about a story she'd teased me with a week back, she said, "Yeah, I put that one aside and wrote something else in three hours." I knew what was coming. And lo, she sent me this and I fucking swooned. You ever swooned during a beta? Makes it hard to get the job done, but this story totally calls for it. I don't think I'll ever get tired of the Arthur has insomnia and needs Eames to help him sleep trope. *ponders* No, never.

i could be the thing you reach for in the middle of the night and to tell you the truth i prefer the worst in you by gyzym -- gyzym continues in her quest to make the other children look bad by churning out stories faster than most politicians can turn out lies and scandals. These two stories are the most recent in a series she's writing about being happy and what that means and what that takes. (I may have extrapolated a bit). One of the things that I am really enjoying in Inception fandom is that for the most part people don't feel the need to make everything all angst and suffering and people being in pain just to make things have "deep meaning" and "artistic merit". Whatever the fuck that is. There is nothing wrong with with writing about people being happy and in love; it's not illegal. It's not wrong. Happy-fic is not a goddamn curse. At least not in my journal.

I Feel That The Therapy Is Coming Between Us by sorrynotsorry -- This is the story I mentioned in the beginning of the post. The story that let me know that this week was indeed going to be the best fic week ever. This story is indicative of everything I Iove about Inception fandom: the humor, the banter, the sense of "wait, did you really just write that." Fabulousity.

Immaculate Dream by franticsga -- Let me tell you my feelings on zombies: if it is not 28 Days Later with naked Cillian Murphy (the film where we first met all those years ago) I am not fucking interested. This has long been a source of upset to people who know me (issaro even sent me a guide on avoiding the Zombie apocalypse), but zombies and I... just. *makes face*. And then along comes franticsga and is like, "I know what you want, you want Arthur and Eames doing 28 Days Later" and she was fucking RIGHT ! This is aces like playing that last hand of poker with a marked deck. Read it. Everybody read it. Love it. Appreciate the talent of the author. (Randomly, anybody else starting to type "arthur" when they mean "author"?)

In Between The Day And The Night by parka_girl -- Robert Fischer has insomnia. He goes to Yusuf for help. This just broke my fucking heart. I can so see this and parts of it just made me feel so hopeful and joyous and then that bit was over and I was back to being depressed.

Mr and Mr. Eames by jibrailis -- At some point last month an artist made Mr. and Mr Eames art and I was so excited I asked for permission to write about, but now I don't have to, because jibrailis wrote it and it is so much better than anything I ever could have done. Oh my god, you guys don't even understand. Badassery and mail order wives and brass bands and Eames working for MI5. It's like happiness in written form. Two very enthusiastic thumbs up, fine holiday fun!

Not Just Any Tourist by white_aster -- Eames has some questions about Saito. This story, which is a month old, goes seamlessly with this art, which is about a week old. I don't believe that either one of these knows about the other but they should. I'm gonna go correct that right quick.

Pagina Uno by pyrimidine -- This week pyrimidine wrote/posted what I believe is my new favorite Inception story ever. This is not an easy slot to get and has been held for the last six weeks or so by weatherfront's The Greedyhearts, but Pagina Uno just... It's a story about books and libraries and Arthur and Eames and it's quiet and funny and utterly lovely and I cannot say enough awesome shit about it; it just makes me feel better.

Remember Your Training by mithrigil -- Oh my god, this story is so brilliant you all may never recover. lazlet decried to me the lack of gen fic, the lack of smart heist fic, I said, dude, if I find any I will let you know. And then I found this. SMART FIC IN THE HOUSE. God this story is so goddamn good... and it has, wait for it, Powerpoint. Oh just get thee hence.

Shit Arthur Says by gyzym -- Eames makes a twitter entitled "Shit Arthur Says." I don't even like twitter, unless your name is Kanye West. Or Cobra Commander. Or Shit My Dad Says -- but if Eames kept such a twitter in real life, I'd make a feed for it. For real.

Small Song by jibrailis -- A story about where Yusuf came from, about who he is and why he's more than just an adorable face and nice neutral clothes. jibrailis has a wonderful way with words and her Yusuf and Eames together just make me smile like a loon.

a town at the bottom of the ocean by liketheroad -- We have our first Desert Island fic! Seriously, you don't know how happy it made me to read this. maurheti and I had discussed sending Eames on holiday with Arthur, but my story idea wasn't very good and so I 86'd it and then this appears and all I can think is "SCORE!" There is an island and Arthur cooking very well (HA!) and knitting very badly and there are horses and goats and a helicopter. I won't lie, the helicopter pushed me over the edge into sheer bliss.


Video of the Week

And because this is such an awesome week and I am all about the motivation, I'd like to leave you this week with the scene that launched a million stories and caused a collective swoon from several thousand fangirl (and boy) hearts.

Remember: Like the art/vid/story, let the creators know. Everybody needs support. Everybody needs encouragement. Nobody likes an asshole. So, don't be one. Show some love.

a. Last night's Mad Men. Fuck me. Every episode just gets better and better. IDEK. This season has got to be the best one yet, which, like, never happens. TV does not tend to get progressively better. Normally that first season you're all hot damn! And then, much like a music artist, when people can't spend their entire lives working on writing a series/season or a next album, shit starts falling apart.

2. maurheti is on holiday. She took my ability to write with her. Although, maybe now that I'm talking smack about it, it'll come home.

3. Stephen Colbert > You. I know this is no real surprise.

d. amsuhl made art for TSE ATCAI AELA , which made me super excited. ( Isn't it lovely? )

e. foxxcub as soon as I rub the sleep out of my eyes I am all yours. Except I really need to go back to sleep. I am not sleeping well at all. HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA, BITCHES! I got to read the new foxxcub story! You don't even know, you will love this shit. *\o/*

This story contains character death and mildly-graphic violence. It's not like anything else I've written for Inception. You can consider this a warning. I never thought I'd be the sort of person to warn for that, but everybody has their buttons and I try to respect that.

Inception
Arthur/Eames, ensemble
3500 words



TSE ATCAI AELA


( The things you do will always come back to you. )

First of all, my woman is going to make a movie with my man. In layman's terms: Christina Hendricks has signed on to be in a movie with Ryan Gosling. Directed by Nicholas Winding Refn, i.e. the man who did Bronson. WHAT? WHAT? I can't hear you over the sound of all that awesome.

Second of all, apparently you lot are really digging Something That's Impossible to Ignore. Well, a couple hundred of you are. To celebrate that I'm offering you some music from another of my Baby Daddies (Guy Garvey). Elbow live at Abbey Road. This is just. Oh this is so goddamn stellar. The entire The Seldom Seen Kid album live.

And now. RECS TIMEZ!

Art Recs

I put Art Recs first this week just so I could link you all to this: Float Arthur Float. You will never leave your computer again. See that floating Arthur? See that little red die? Control the floating Arthur by moving the die with your mouse. Yes, seriously. This artist is clearly Einstein. Find this person. Shower them with gifts. Moar. We needs moar.

Stunning Arthur Art by emilyvictoriaartwork -- Okay, the bad news is that the photos here are small. It's depressing. Like I can't see it nearly as well as I'd like, but I can tell that this must be awesome. This is fucking AWESOME. With awesomesauce and rolled in more awesome. Also, bonus Gorillaz art in the author's tumblr. That she painted by her light socket on the wall. WANT. (Full sized art image available thanks to kadiel_krieger)

ETA: Inception My Little Ponies! by aredblush -- DOOD! DOOD! (Thank you wordsalone!)


Fic Recs

here's looking at you by raven_fic -- I have this thing about Casablanca. Actually I have this thing about old classic movies, full stop, and Casablanca is about as classic as it gets. Plus, it's kind of hard not to develop a thing for a movie after you see it in four different languages. I digress. This is Inception's version of Casablanca, but I want to stress here and with the Time Traveler's Wife and Battlestar Galactica fusions (you'll see what I'm talking about), just because you think you know what you're getting it doesn't mean that's what you're actually going to get. Give them all a chance. They are wonderful stories. You'll be the better for giving them a shot.

His Lordship Makes a Match by jibrailis -- While syllic was working on her opus about a knight and a stable boy, jibrailis was working on her opus about a knight and his valet. There was a lot of post checking going on on my part. Do not mistake one for the other. They are both miraculously awesome. And what I loved loved loved about jibrailis's take on this matter is that she had fun with it and you can tell she had fun with it. You can tell when an author loves what they're doing and that's so apparent here. Go on. Read it. Thank me the author after.

i'm not ready to see you this happy by imogenedisease -- I like imogenedisease. I think she's delightful, but we have a problem in our relationship. Her Inception fic is insanely depressing. We're talking "woe and sadness" type business. So I tend to poke at her about this. Where is the fun shit? You wrote Ray Person's Big Gay World, do not tell me you can't make it! So earlier this week she was all, I will show you. I will write something happy. We have to work on her definitions of "happy." Which I told her. And then she turned around and wrote this which is totally her sticking her tongue out at me. And it's utterly glorious. Give me the V-sign again! What's it about? Well, it starts when Arthur gets a boyfriend. And he's not Eames.

The Inescapable Charm of The Countdown by amazingly_me -- This is a fill for an I_K (much better than typing Inception_Kink every five words) prompt where Arthur is a prosecutor and Eames is a defense attorney. A rather amazing one obviously. What I really enjoyed about this is the way it was drawn out, the organic way in which it infused the movie into the prompt, the way that even if not much is going on, something's still going on. I like things like that. I don't need a lot of flash and bang (all the time), but I'm big on substance. Also, I'm big on Saito owning the world. Those two things always work for me.

Jamais Vu by thehoyden -- Oh, thehoyden. I don't feel like y'all need me to tell you how awesome thehoyden's Inception fic is... but I'm going to tell you anyway, because I've never met anybody who didn't want to hear about how awesome their work is. So, how awesome is this story? So awesome, that even if you've read it already, you need to go read it again. NOW. Yusuf is working on a new compound to lower inhibitions, but there's nobody that's more high strung than Arthur. So what happens when Eames goes under with Arthur to get him to relax. And no, it's not like that. It's better. It's everything you never knew you wanted.

Left and Leaving by pyrimidine -- You know what makes me go /o\? When I come up with an idea and I'm like "Oooh, this is awesome. I dunno how this is gonna work, but I want to try this. Eventually. Possibly. Not that I know how this will work." And then pyrimidine comes along and is all "I haz your idea in my head! I'm gonna write it! I wrote it! And it was so much more awesome than anything you could've dreamt up during last orders at the pub." Um, that's my opinion, not hers. Hers is more in line with the awesome "There's plenty for everybody!" Which is something I've always loved about fandom, the shared ideas. But, uh, this is truly better than anything I could've come up with. Inception does The Time Traveler's Wife (a book I love). Go forth and salivate. Offer adoration properly.

like i wanna live now by angelgazing -- So. There is this flannel shirt. And there are contingency plans. And wet Arthur. And sick Arthur. And Eames is just.... sigh. What I loved about this was the simple beauty of it. How happy it made me feel. Inception the movie had plenty of Sturm und Drang, I do not need to finish my stories and feel pissy or angry or cranky. I just don't. That's what RL is for.

London Bridge by sorrynotsorry -- Eames is a stripper. Yeah, no, that's all you need to know. Go on.

or the blood that rose into the silence by addandsubtract/figletofvenice -- Inception does Battlestar Galactica. Breathe. No, for real. Breathe. Inhale. Exhale. Check for Cylons. Move the mouse. Click the link. Off you go.

PASIV/ACTIV by jibrailis -- You know the "whole X story is more valid than Y story because it is (or isn't) angst/fluff/crack/humor" has always made me violently angry. If you do something and you enjoy it then that is beauty. And you should be proud of it. NEVER malign yourself or someone else because what they're writing isn't what you deem to be "high art." No one died and made you king. And I bring this up, because in her Author's Notes jibrailis said that this story made her concerned because it wasn't necessarily as "meaningful" as her other stories. I very much disagree. I loved this story. It made me laugh, it made me happy, why is it so wrong for a story to make people happy? To bring joy? It isn't. At least I don't think it is. I think every type of story should be appreciated and respected for its merits. Um, yeah. Sorry. Getting off the soapbox now. But before I go... Saito takes the PASIV and makes it more... user-friendly. I'd love one of these.

the pistol of a flower is its only protection against insects; by handsomespeck -- AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! SO MUCH LOVE FOR THIS STORY! Arthur is a hitman; Eames is his gardener. Trust me. You trust me right? Trust me.

Secrets that we keep by bauble -- On this story I would like to quote Guns N' Roses the alternative version of 'Don't Cry' I know the things you wanted, they're not what you have. With all the people talkin', it's driving you mad." *Aw, what, you didn't think I could get down like that? HA! You have no idea.

A Stranger I Know Well by snakevsladder -- High School AU. Arthur has a film class. He has to work on his assignment with Eames. They decide to make a film trailer. About a con man.

Three Weeks by bauble -- Eames and Arthur have been together for twenty-one days. Someone is getting itchy. I could just see this so clearly. I know this behaviour. Sometimes people just are this way.

Untitled Inception Daycare AU by amazingly_me -- It's an inception_kink fill which means it's dismayingly short, but oh my god, y'all, Go ask the author, maybe she'll write more. Yusuf has a day care center. Saito likes to buy pudding and sell graham crackers. Ariadne builds gravity defying Lego towers and Arthur and Eames... well. Go see for yourself. andrealyn this is relevant to our joint interest!



And. Before we go. A present. You know that video of Joe covering Bad Romance? (I feel like you know what I'm talking about.) Well, before there was Gaga...there was Madonna. Here is Joe covering one of my favorite Madonna songs ever back in 2007. Yes, you are welcome. Yes, I think you are fabulous too. Now off you go.

Appreciate the authors and artists. Appreciate the Joe. Show them love. They are more than worthy. ♥

Say thank you to kismeteve for the video.

I did an Inception poll when the film first came out. I'd like to see the difference between now and then. So.

[Poll #1615788]