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vaguely-gestures-to-the-void · 3 years ago

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Hindsight: My thoughts on Loki (2021)

Welcome back folks. Read the innocence dying inside me as I accept that this show eats my expectations for lunch and leaves me like it's going to buy milk.

As a side note from what I said in my first review, here’s an interesting article. Apparently I was clowning because the Gobi desert scene was filmed (probably? idk) with the tech from the Mandalorian. I think the studios were the same. Oh well. https://www.atlasofwonders.com/2021/06/loki-filming-locations.html

Episode 4: THE NEXUS EVENT

Pre-title scene

The new perspective of Asgard is incredible.

Oh baby Sylvie, what did they do to you. Also, RAVONNA??

The TVA through a child’s eyes is heartbreaking. The mixed use of shots that were familiar (the feet walking into the TVA) and new (the TVA logo on the floor) convey how though routine, this is an alien experience for Sylvie.

She too wants to help the man being dragged in. Maybe Sylvie was a better person than Loki, the TVA taking her away was what changed it.

We don’t see Casey, but iIt’s the same ‘sign here’ guy. The changing perspective and music really alters the mood created, contrasting the whimsical procedure we followed in episode one.

She hadn’t even said much in her life. They knew how to influence the audience’s emotions, that's for sure. Props to the actress, I felt genuine concern for her before I remembered that she’s acting.

TVA

Ravonna probably underestimated Sylvie as a Loki, a mistake that cost her greatly.

The golden doors.

Ravonna looks tense and a bit fearful.

Scattered throughout the episode are eyes watching. George Orwell’s 1984, anyone?

Big Brother is watching.

Mobius! He’s a good friend to Ravonna, but there’s a power imbalance.

Ravonna is shaken. Her past failure is haunting her.

Someone edit the “What? How?” into “Wow.” It’ll be a service.

Lamentis - 1

Loki’s apology and Sylvie reflecting on her childhood are the conclusion to the previous episode. Faced with death, Loki realises that her goals were hindered by his actions. His apology is the first time he acknowledges he had something to do with it. Sylvie’s offering her emotional vulnerability in the form of memories. Her mind and experiences are her most prized possession because they’re all she has of the person who she was as Loki, her childhood and what she was supposed to be. Her glorious purpose, what really makes a Loki a ‘Loki’ was her life.

THEY TRUST EACH OTHER. THIS WAS WHAT CAUSED THE NEXUS EVENT.

C H A R A C T E R D E V E L O P M E N T.

Ravonna pointed out that Loki will always be a “lying scourge” but they went against this. In any timeline, this could cause a nexus event. They found a middle ground.

“That should be setting off alarms if someone steps on the wrong leaf.” I had a whole idea about entropy and the timeline being an isolated system but I struggled to define an isolated system, and thus I couldn’t use the whole irreversible process causing entropy to grow causing a br- if you have a clue of what I’m going on about, or want to know more, I’ll explain my thoughts. I can understand why this isn’t scientifically accurate and I’m no physicist.

The unbranched timeline means all the things that were speculated - Wanda’s kids, what happened on Saakar, all of it - is gone.

“Any news on C - 20?”I called it! B-15 is having doubts! Her subtle unease building up throughout the ep is perfect!

Most settlements have a street design that can be from space. Sharru doesn’t.

“No. We may lose... ...you’re amazing!” Damn it literally took the end of a world for Loki to change as a person.

“Their smiles. If that isn’t people accepting their deaths I don’t know what is. Man, I just want both of them to be happy.

Please don’t let that be the love theme, it’s so pretty.

The music fading into the TVA theme as they get separated is so sad.

Time Theater 25

Back to square one in terms of trust with these two, but now they have history and hurt feelings too!

Oh Mobius.

Cycles are a part of who Loki is within Norse mythology (from what I know, correct me if I’m wrong). This scene is conflict.

Loki needs both Mobius and Sylvie to incite change. One can empathise whilst the other believes in him.

Mobius believes in Loki like no one else in the TVA. He treats him like an individual, they developed a bond in episode 2, so his disappointment and anger were genuine. This is reflected in their dialogue.

Even when Loki was going through all the Feels in ep 1, he didn’t shout at Mobius. It makes it more heartbreaking when Mobius laughs and dismisses him after the “TVA is lying to you” thing. His laugh was so bitter, it’s like his belief that Loki would be the variant to prove that variants were individuals had been shattered. What Mobius doesn’t realise is that Loki was genuinely trying to warn him. The trust between them was fragile but Mobius needed to come to his own conclusions before he could see that Loki had broken out of the mold the Time Keepers set for him.

“Just kind of an asshole and a bad friend.” Y’all, Mobius doesn’t rise to Loki’s baits. He’s so hurt.

I can’t be the only one that thought Loki was going to be brainwashed when they saw the red door. Turns out it’s just a time cell.

I love Mobius but he makes me feel so conflicted. Oh shit, he’s my problematic fave.

Watching Loki get his ass handed to him by Lady Sif shouldn’t be this funny.

This particular memory reflects what Mobius will talk about later, Loki being abandon by the people around him.

Putting Loki through a memory that was physically and emotionally painful was nasty. If you hear something horrible, over and over especially from a friend it would take a toll on your self-perception. Mobius was hurt by Loki leaving him, he’s getting revenge whilst doing his job and getting into Loki’s head.

Ravonna’s office

Ravonna has hang ups from failing with Sylvie. Who she is and what she knows is going to be interesting.

Heck I just realised are Mobius’ lapels not real? They look fake.

I wonder whether the “mastermind” thing was foreshadowing the next ep.

Am I the only one who thinks this isn’t the first Loki Mobius has dealt with? Could that mean there’s a reunion next ep?!

“Variant pet.” There’s a culture of dehumanising variants within the TVA.

The cuts showing both B-15 and Mobius’ faces reminds me of ep 1, but now there’s a new angle to things. B-15 certainly sees things differently.

Time Theatre 25

Lady Sif would kill with short hair. Or long hair. It’s Lady Sif, she’s a badass.

Loki’s exhale reminds me of how he tenses before a fight.

Notable things about this scene:

Heavy use of metaphors to trade jabs.

The lights are shifting in a consistent pattern, scanning the room almost.

Shots are constantly moving and cutting.

Loki’s speech pattern changes when he’s lying. Nice touch there.

When they start arguing in earnest, the shots are close ups of their faces, not circling around each other.

Loki was at first willing to talk to Mobius if he was treated with respect, the way they engaged in episode 2. He also wants to trust that Mobius won’t kill him. Mobius dismisses him (rightly so, his trust is gone) and Loki’s pride about ‘not working for anyone’ gets in the way rather than listening to each other. Loki’s behaviour is cyclic and his lying about Sylvie affirms Mobius’s understanding that Loki won’t (or maybe can’t) change. I wouldn’t be too surprised if Mobius is a Loki, the man’s uncannily good at reading him. He deduces that Loki and Sylvie have a bond and unsettles Loki to get answers out of him, because he knows that’s the only way he can force Loki to reveal his cards. He definitely wasn’t expecting Loki’s earlier admission to be the truth. What Mobius did was not right, but it sure was effective.

“No. Not partners.” I believe this. They had an understanding, but their goals differ. Maybe just give Sylvie her own show.

“Guess you don’t do partners.” MOBIUS WHY ARE YOU SO BUTT-HURT? Probably to make Loki feel bad ik, but it’s still funny to think Lightning McQueen is salty.

That memory really hurt Loki. He stuttered.

Loki fixates on Sylvie rather than his own freedom. This was the cue to Mobius to start interrogating.

Bruh, the feeling they were experiencing better be friendship.

This made me uncomfortable because I was so sure we weren’t gonna get a romantic subplot that I related the characters to my actual family relationships. Marvel. Why?

The music combined with Mobius’ subtle shift in demeanor from irritated to mockery was very unsettling to me. I never realised how good an actor Owen Wilson was.

“Our interests are aligned.” Once Mobius tells him the truth, Loki does the same. I really hope this is the extent of their relationship. Just let them recognise one another as equals. Please Marvel.

Mobius’ hands twitching, the slight swallow. Yeesh, he certainly doesn’t think Loki’s lying, but he’s not about to accept it.

Loki’s head shake is sad. He knows he can’t convince Mobius.

“That I can respect. I mean the lies you tell yourself.” This was the best writing imo. Loki doesn’t make any final attempts to connive his way out of the situation because telling the truth to someone he’d trusted had failed. He willingly walks into the Time Cell.

Time Theater 47

B-15 being unable to support herself, having to rely on the structures around her to stay upright. This woman deserves so much y’all.

WE NEED HER NAME MARVEL.

You better appreciate her beyond shipping her with Sylvie or istg.

The music is so mournful. It just emphasises how much everything changing is going to hurt not only the main characters. Lives change because of the TVA and the events of this episode, it’s not overlooked by the writing or music.

The poster and the 1984 parallels. Exquisite!

Sylvie not sitting straight made me snort.

Ravonna Renslayer’s office

More Theremin music! This time I’m pretty sure it’s Carnival of the Animals, XIII. Le Cygne (the Swan) : Le carnaval des animaux: No. 12, Le cygne (arr. For theremin and piano) by Clara Rockmore.

Fun fact! Clara Rockmore influenced theremin music and the instrument and was a virtuoso of the instrument. Give her a google, it’s worth it. Also look up Leon Theremin, he was (among other things) a Soviet spy. There’s a great Wiki spiral for anyone there.

Mobius was probably being lined up for a high position in the TVA. Damn.

TemPads are personal, or have different levels of clearance.

Mobius didn’t stop interrogating Ravonna throughout that scene. He knew that she wasn’t telling him the whole truth.

Sleight of hand wasn’t shown how Loki and Sylvie do it, they didn’t use misdirection.

Ravonna knows something is up with Mobius. Maybe he hasn’t been around for long if this is his ‘career case’.

The pacing becomes really fast like in the end of episode 2 as conflicts get resolved. Buckle up comrades.

2050 Roxxcart Disaster

I don’t have much to add, it’s a powerful scene.

They use close ups whenever a truth bombshell is dropped.

The music varies considerably between these scenes, each one has a different tone.

“We’re the same.” With what she knows of B-15, Sylvie knew not to be smug when delivering the news about B-15’s life.

B-15 crying in the rain hurts.

“I looked happy.”

TVA archives, Time Cell, Time Theater 25

The floor opposite Mobius is FE3, above it is 3FG.

Oh Mobius.

C-20 deserved better, I'd love to see her later in the series.

The music goes from mournful to harsh and we’re left in silence when it cuts to the Time Cell.

“You told me to shut up.” Loki can be salty sometimes.

“Do you really think you deserve to be alone?” Mobius is rattled, he wants to unsettle Loki.

The music starts to build somewhere between “...your connection... “ and Loki saying “‘WE?’”

The faint tinkling reminds me of the Avatar (blue people) score.

“How about the word of a friend?” This is Loki’s olive branch. When he admits Loki was right, their trust is tentatively reinstated.

The music is finally back to that chaotic theme we know. I think it’s the TVA’s theme.

“You can be whoever, whatever you wanna be, even someone good. I mean just in case anyone ever told you different.” Mobius corrects what he says in the first ep.

They are friends y’all I’m so sad.

Mobius can lie through his teeth like it’s nobody’s business.

Pruning hurts, Mobius’ face is in agony.

Loki’s tears. GIVE THEM ALL JETSKIS.

Ravonna takes a moment to compose herself.

Time Keepers (the final smackdown)

Why are the last 10 minutes always so insane?

Loki’s eyes only show hurt. I’ll leave.

Ravonna’s so sharp, she instantly catches Sylvie’s wet hair.

All of our expectations from the trailers always get yeeted out of a window because the scenes are never really what we think they are. I get that that should be expected but it’s refreshing that the writing is never what we think it is.

Did anyone else notice the egg timer/infinity sign murals on one of the hallways to the left of Sylvie?

Ravonna is so cold (and yet I’d simp for her).

The M.C. Escher staircases I see you set designers/CGI folks.

B-15 just gets knocked out. They better not kill her for no reason or I riot.

I’m pretty sure that Sylvie ripped off one of Ravonna’s TVA badges (or buttons) when she fought her.

Sylvie’s the better fighter, she’s had to use it more often though.

The elevator doors stay open.

It would be so funny if we get an elevator scene where Sylvie is just dragging Ravonna somewhere.

They really led us on with the Time Keepers, particularly the middle one. I was somewhat convinced there’d be something more to it. I’m interested to see where it goes.

Ep 4 review

I really don’t have much to add with these last two episodes. I’ve definitely come to appreciate that no matter whether you liked the writing of the show or not, it’s never what you expect. Is that a good thing? I guess that that remains to be seen. Nonetheless, I appreciate how much effort went into this series. It’s been a fun romp, I’ll be back with my reviews of the final episodes. I’ll also stop posting Loki content to my blog because the Gods know that my followers don’t read this lol.

I’m just going to survive until the season is over and then hopefully keep my sanity together until the next Marvel content or at least Dr. Strange.

Here's the link to my episode 3 review.

Thank you all for being here, you're wonderful my loves.

#loki #loki series #loki review #loki (2021)#loki spoilers #spoilers #man how is this fandom gonna cope? By fixating on other TV shows? Good luck lads.#I'm gonna go buy milk at this point #they better not mess with B-15 or istg #B-15 deserves none of this #give mobius a jetski #and give loki therapy #and Sylvie too pls my babies need rest.#boy if Mobius is a Loki variant I'm going to grab my popcorn because the circus that this fandom will turn into will be legendary

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isthisthingeven0n · 5 years ago

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a day in the life : d.d

brief summary: carly and erin follow you for one of their videos, living a day in your life as a hollywood actress who has recently been involved in the mcu. they see what your days are like, and how they compare to your downtime with david.

word count: 2.2k requested: yes, by an anon - i really love this idea so thank you doll! warnings: literally none

* masterlistin’

“Hey guys, so we’re currently on our way to start filming for today’s video.” Carly starts off, reaching for her Starbucks as Erin drives. “It’s actually nearly 6am and I am dying inside, but to be truthful to her day we gotta do this.”

Erin pulls up to a stoplight, glancing over to the camera with a dead look in her eyes. “If you haven’t read the title, we’re following around our good friend and brilliant actress Y/n today.” Erin claps before she begins to drive again, heading down the lane toward your house hidden away. “We can’t show you anything else yet until we’re in her house, cause privacy and all.” Erin explains and Carly lowers the camera.

As they arrive at your house, the pair walk in to be greeted by your dogs. “Babies!” Carly happily laughs as she sits down amongst your dogs, letting them climb all over her as you run down the stairs, camera in hand.

“Hey, guys.” You call out as you bring them into hugs. “I can see Dexter is happy.” You chuckle as Erin continues to film.

“And as you can see, Y/n is all ready for the gym, at 6am.” Erin heavily sighs, watching as you roll your eyes and step forward.

“It kills me inside too, guys.” You tell them as you whisper to the camera before wandering toward your kitchen. “Do you want a drink before we go?” You ask them as you sit in your kitchen, picking up a bottle of water.

“How about vodka?” Erin jokes, and you chuckle.

“Bottom drawer.” You motion before picking up your keys. “But if you’re driving, stick to water girl.” You say with a smile as you walk with a skip in your step, having looked forward to this day for weeks since it was arranged.

Reaching the gym, you walk up to your personal trainer and give him a high five. “So, this is Pablo, he is the one to thank for these.” You motion to the muscles across your stomach and you flex your arms, unable to take yourself seriously. “But, he is also to blame for my bad moods.”

Pablo nods, “It’s true, I take all the blame if it means she is in the best physical shape she can be for filming.”

Resting your hands on your heart, you sigh contently. “He’s just too good to me.” You give him a side hug, only for him to squeeze you tightly before you make a start. “So, what’ve we got today?” You ask, resting your hands on your hips as you glance to Carly and Erin who already look exhausted.

“Okay, we’ll start with a ten minute warm-up, do some cardio and work toward the ropes. Finish up with some boxing and then thirty minutes on the treadmill.” Pablo explains and you fight back the groan, knowing it’s for your own good.

“What the fuck?” Erin gasps, turning the camera on herself as she struggles to hold her jaw together. “You do this, every day?” She asks and watches as you shrug it off.

“Part of the job.” You tell her, laughing lightly as you pat her shoulder. “If you can’t keep up, I won’t blame you. Just do what you can, Pablo is a nice guy to those who don’t pay him.” You kid and Pablo nods along with you.

As your work out goes on, Carly and Erin collapse down on the gym floor. “I don’t think I can hold the camera up much longer.” Carly groans loudly, both of them are dripping with sweat and panting heavily. “Look, Y/n is still going.” She turns the camera around to watch you, you're still giving it your all despite Pablo pushing you to work harder.

“I don’t get how she does it, but I am in awe of her strength.” Erin comments as she struggles to sit upright. “After this, we’re getting breakfast, and then heading to set for a few hours.”

“Grind never stops!” You call out to them both, letting out a heavy sigh as Pablo tells you to carry on squatting.

“That ass ain’t building itself!” He reminds you. “You wanna fit in that costume, you gotta fill your ass out girl.” He encourages you, helping you laugh through the pain that spreads as your muscles are being worked.

Walking out of the gym, you slip your sunglasses on and walk with ease whilst Carly and Erin stumble behind you. “How she is walking as if she’s just done a quick jog beats me. I am walking like I’ve been fucked like a ragdoll.” Erin groans as she follows you to your car where you wait for them both.

“Dave wants to meet with us, that chill?” You ask them and they simply nod. “He’s got a bit of time between meetings to hang out.” They watch as your smile grows at the thought of having downtime with your boyfriend.

“So, Y/n. Why don’t you tell us how you met David then?” Carly questions as she slips into the backseat whilst Erin sets her camera up on the dashboard as you drive away from the gym, nearing your favourite coffee shop.

You smile to yourself, thinking back to the first time you actually met him. “Well, for those who’re new ‘round here, hi.” You tell the camera with a bright smile. “David and I met when I was doing press for Infinity War. I had a few interviews planned in the same building as he did and we naturally clicked.”

“Not to mention, David freaked the fuck out when he told us you met,” Carly adds, leaning over from the seat behind you. “he couldn’t believe you were actually in his presence or would spare five minutes to talk to him.”

A laugh escapes your lips as you think how different it all seems now. “Gotta say I’m glad he did, I couldn’t imagine things without him in my life.” You think aloud, not realising how sentimental the statement is until you hear them both make a sound of awe.

“Y/n, that’s so sweet.” Erin tells you genuinely and you tuck your hair behind your ear, looking for a distraction.

“Well, he’s my sanity amongst the madness of Hollywood.”

Sitting down for breakfast, Erin lets the camera just run as you curl up next to David and rest your head on his shoulder. Your relationship was pretty lowkey considering you were both pretty big in your professions. When you went official, you knew you didn’t want everyone to obsess over your relationship, that you would remain two separate individuals. But in moments like this, it gave insight to fans how much you clearly adored one another.

The way you would smile up at David and how he’d squeeze you gently, making you laugh. It was evident you were in love, and that you brought out the best in one another as you sat together.

“You got time to visit my trailer?” You lift your head up to look at David as he pulls his cap off, ruffling his hand through his hair before he sighs.

You pull away, knowing that sigh all too well. “I don’t think I can today, babe.” He tells you quietly, leaning down and kissing you softly. “I gotta head back.”

Watching closely, you wave him goodbye as you turn back around, trying to hide your disappointment. “And that is part of the struggle.” You tell both girls truthfully, knowing this is supposed to be an accurate day in your life, not a version that is sugar-coated.

Carly reaches over, taking your hand in hers as she squeezes it lightly as tears briefly pass over your eyes. “Anyway,” You clear your throat as you pick up your coffee and head out of the cafe. “I better get to set. I’m due to film a few action sequences then I’ll just read my lines ‘til it’s dark.” You list everything off that’s still to happen today, and the girls nod along.

“Is every day like this?” Carly questions as they return to your car.

You shrug your shoulders. “Only when I’m filming.” You tell her with a smile. “Endgame is definitely easier than Infinity War was. I guess I can’t say much,” You laugh nervously.

“Oh don’t worry, we’ll make sure this is out once Endgame is.” Erin reassures you and you let out a sigh of relief. “It’ll probably take us that long to edit so it’s fine.”

“Well, I still can’t say much but, what I am in is intense.” You simply state before sealing your lips and throw away the key.

“I mean, I have no idea but okay.” Carly states causing you to chuckle as you pull away and head toward the studio.

“Welcome to my trailer bitches.” You pose in front of it over dramatically. “This is where I crash out, rehearse lines and often end up watching TV with Chris.” You explain, giving them a brief tour.

“Chris as in Evans?” Carly states and you nod nonchalantly.

“Yeah.” You reply with a small smile before collapsing down on your sofa. “I think I’m due in hair and makeup in about five minutes, but make yourselves at home.” You tell them as you rise to your feet. “Unfortunately, this is one part you guys can’t see.”

“Oh come on.” Erin whines and you shake your head.

“Can’t guys, the Russo’s would have my head.” You joke, but secretly you know it’s true. “I’ll be back in about an hour, just chill.”

Walking out of the trailer you head to hair and makeup, leaving Carly and Erin to their own devices. “I still can’t believe this is her life.” Erin says quietly, and Carly nods in agreement as her eyes widen. “This is insane.” She laughs lightly, only to be interrupted by a knock on the trailer door.

“Y/n, someone left you flowers.” They hear a voice call out, and slowly Carly walks to the door and pushes it open. “Oh,” The man stutters, looking to Carly who swallows her tongue back into her mouth.

“Hi.” She speaks softly, “I’m a friend of Y/n’s,” She’s trying to not stare, but it’s bordering impossible not to.

“Chris, I think I’ve heard Y/n talk about you guys.” He says with a smile. “Anyhow, can you give her these when she’s back?” He asks and Carly nervously nods. “Thanks.” He pats her arm before walking off, and Carly looks down at her arm before turning to Erin in a state of shock.

“I think I just met Chris Evans and he gave me flowers. I officially win.”

With a loud yawn, you walk back to your trailer. “Hey guys,” You call out as you close the door behind you, kicking your shoes off as you remain in your costume. “I am exhausted.” You laugh lightly, collapsing down between them as they share a look. “What’d I miss?”

“Well,” Carly sits upright. “Chris Evans brought me flowers. I mean, he brought you flowers that someone left for you.” Carly motions to the bunch of flowers resting on your window ledge.

Uneasily, you rise to your feet and walk over. Buried in the sunflowers is a small letter. Instantly, you recognise the handwriting and smile to yourself.

‘I’m sorry I can’t always be ‘round to keep you going. but I promise there’s more to come. D x’

You hold the note to your chest before slipping it back underneath the flowers. “From anyone we know?” Erin raises an eyebrow to you, watching as you shrug a shoulder, trying to hide your smile.

“Possibly.” You reply coyly before sitting down and shutting your eyes for a while.

“Well guys, we’re going to call it a day as it’s nearly eleven pm and Y/n is still filming.” Erin yawns as they walk out of the filming lot. “I actually had no idea what to expect, but all I can say is wow.” She huffs and Carly nods.

“Yeah, Y/n is a badass and I had no clue this is how much she does on a daily basis when filming.” Carly takes hold of the camera as they reach their Uber. “But I can honestly say my respect for actors has shot up, trying to do their routine is insane.”

“And maintaining relationships outside of the job too.” Erin adds. “I mean, I know you guys don’t see everything we do, but all I can say is that David and Y/n make each other extremely happy.”

“Exactly. Anyway, we’ll get going as we have not stopped since Y/n started.” Carly states as she yawns. “I need to go sleep for three days. But we’ll see you on Tuesday.”

“And that’s a wrap for tonight!” You hear a voice shout and you hold your hands up and dance to yourself alongside Pratt.

“We did it!” He high fives you as you weakly walk out with a few of your cast members, talking about how it went.

“See you tomorrow, Y/n!” You wave a few of them off as you walk up to your trailer and shut the door behind you, only to see someone sat down.

Turning your head, you smile softly as David sits there, holding a bunch of red roses. “Told you I had more coming.” He says with a smile as he stands up and moves toward you, wrapping his arms around your waist and bringing you close into his chest. “This okay?” He questions as you nod into the crook of his neck.

“This is perfect.”

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slashingdisneypasta · 5 years ago

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Freddy Krueger x Reader || Oneshot

Title: Mr Krueger.

Note: EverythingsFine!AU. Freddy isn’t a pedophile or a killer or a demon. But he is divorced and you’re legal(24, to be safe).

Plot: Basically, you had a crush on your best friends father when you were 17, and 7 years later you’re over it… but will it come back with a passion when he develops certain feelings for the new, adult you?

A mix of humour, creepiness and scandal.

Warnings: Some course and suggestive language. But nothing too bad, haha.

~~~

“Honey, I’m home!~” I call, unlocking the front door to Kathy’s apartment, have trouble opening the old, slightly jammed door, and take off my scarf and jacket for the hallways coat stand to hold onto once I’ve infiltrated the best friends campus residence. “And guess what?”

“Sweetheart, you’re home! What? Quickly, I’m in the middle of a caffeinated psychotherapy paper rush.”

“Oh, well then I’ll just tell you later no worries.” I giggle, walking down the short hallway and following her voice to the kitchen. She’s been procrastinating this paper since she was issued it as homework so who am I to ruin her burst? We can talk about the wonderful thing later. I have a couple hours, anyway.

When I reach the kitchen a second later, I’m both shocked and a teensy bit feeling the obligatory murderous glare I send to Kathy. Sitting beside her is her father eating a bowl of my fruit loops, and I had no idea he was here! You’re a wonderful friend, Kath, really. Jeez.

Mr Krueger- Freddy? Fred? Rick? What’s the protocol for when you have to address your childhood friends’ father once you’re an adult? I’m going to stick to Mr Krueger. Anyway, he grins and waives. “Welcome home ‘sweetheart’~”

After sending Kathy the short glare and getting a quick, embarrassed and surprised apologetic look back like she completely forgot he was there in the first place, before she faces her laptop again, I flash him a grin back, settling into a more formal, ‘Talking to the friend’s parent’ mode. Which he weirdly doesn’t seem to have tapped into him himself. “Hi, Mr Krueger. What’s up?”

“I just came to visit my precious heir, but she’s not paying any attention to me.”

“Busy!” Kathy waives a dismissive hand at her father for half a second, really focused on her work. Mr Krueger holds a hand to his chest, making a mockery of pain and sending me a ‘secret’ conspirator look at the end, before I open the fridge and turn away from them both, silently laughing. I have always liked her Dad, as he was the cool parent, out of all of the Springwood high parental community, but its still awkward having him here. Seeing as the wierdo, 17-year-old me had a creepy crush on the bloke.

Luckily now, I guess, I’m a grown woman and have grown out of such things and can act less like a retard around him. I guess. He is still a parent, which means I have to try and be a stand-up role model for her daughter.

Pfft.

“So, what’s the news??” I nearly lose my grip on the bottle of orange juice I’m pulling out of the fridge door when he pipes up about what I said to Kathy when I first got in. Ohhh, he heard that? Right… When I turn around and get to the bench with the orange juice and a cup, I have the humility to look a little guilty in response. Obviously, Mr Krueger catches on to my hesitation and tilts his head, looking awfully mischievous. “Was I not supposed to hear that?”

Oh, gee, let me think…

“No, it’s okay… “I laugh nervously and, in my mind, send another evil glare at Kathy. Outwardly though I just poor juice. Just pour juice. “I just, um… “Thinking, frantically, I try to come up with something roll model-ish to say… but come up with nil. I sigh. “I was excited, because… Mr Krueger, I… Uh… have a date tonight… “I’m bright red! I wants even bright red when I asked the boy out today! What’s wrong with me, I’m a grown ass adult and I can tell Mr Krueger something this simple! I can say whatever I like to him, actually! I could tell him to fuck himself if I wanted! Not that I do, but I have a point!

Among all this confused inner dialogue, I nearly miss the confused slash surprisedly unhappy look on Mr Krueger’s features. He opens his mouth to say something negative, then closes it back up. Thinks for a moment, then opens it again. This time sounds come out. “… you can call me Freddy now.”

Oh… not what I expected.

I guess he’s confused about the new dynamic, too. “Oh… alright then.” Awkwardly, we’re all in silence for a moment. I have the excuse of drinking juice, ‘Freddy’ looks deep in thought, and Kathy is of course silent because she’s furiously typing on her laptop. Honestly, getting lost watching her, there should be smoke coming from her fingers. Then I come back to the present and hold up the orange juice bottle just as he picks up the fruit loops box.

“Orange juice?

“Want some?”

Another silence, as we both turn and instead look wide eyed at our own stupidity to the floor. Kathy sighs, shoulders dropping out of exasperation. She talks, but she’s still looking at her laptop. Is she… editing while talking?? Her intelligence scares me. “You’re both awkward as hell. What’s wrong with you?”

Honestly, I have no idea. “There’s no awkwardness! None at all, right Freddy?” God, that sounded weird. Even worse than ‘Mr Krueger’.

“Exactly, Y/N and I are old friends. I’ve just had a long day, need to take a nap.” He bullshits, smiling brightly at his daughter. She seems to by it… and turns her accusatory gaze from her computer to me. Oh, dear.

“Okay, well. Y/N, if this is about your old crush then get over it. You don’t have it anymore so stop freaking out. Now, I’ve gotta fact check this so I’m headed to the library. See you later, have fun at your date. Bye Dad.”

My jaw drops, gaping wide and I’m sure humorously, watching as she shuts off her laptop and gets off the bar stool at the bench and Freddy grins even brighter and opens his arms wide for a hug from her. She just gives him a quick peck on the cheek and leaves for her room.

“I will have fun but you’re a terrible friend!!” I call after her. “I hope you know that!”

“Acknowledged!” She calls back, infuriatingly.

“Well that’s it, she’s not getting any juice.” I mutter, twisting the cap onto the bottle and simultaneously avoiding looking at Mr Krueger. Which, I’ve decided, he’ll stay as. He shall always be ‘Mr Krueger’, to me.

Not even a moment passes before he moves from his stool to the one Kathy was just in, right in front of me and in my view. Quickly I look up at his face- less embarrassing then his chest I guess.

“Don’t be embarrassed sweetheart, I’m a spectacular specimen. I don’t blame you.” He grins wide, 2 parts cheeky and 3 parts narcissistic. A set him with an unsettled, borderline amused look for a moment…

Then roll my eyes and turn to put the orange juice away. “Uhuh.” Once I’m done with that, I decide that I’ve been embarrassed enough for this particular conversation and bid him goodbye, going for my room to get ready for my date later.

Minutes later, the sound of the door opening, shutting and locking signals both their exits and I’m left to calm down and relax in my room for an hour. I shan’t go on my date all stressed out.

Then I shower and get dressed. It’s still another hour before Toby will come and pick me up here, so I decide to leave the confines of my room and watch some TV.

This is the point in which I nearly have a stroke. When you’re an attractive, unarmed young woman and see an unnamed man on the couch, that is what may happen! Who the hell is in my apartment?!?! Toby shouldn’t be here until 7 and he wouldn’t just let himself in!! He couldn’t!!! The door is locked!! What the fuck!!!

Just as I’m turning in my place, wondering if I can get to the kitchen island and get a knife without alerting the strange man of my presence, I do a double take and then realise who it is. And verbalise my shock. “What the fuck Mr Krueger?! I thought you left!”

Mr Krueger, who’s sprawled on the couch like he lives here, a cup on tea on the coffee table-no coaster,- and a book from the shelf under the TV over his face, as I guess he was dozing, picks up the book a peaks over the top of it. “Evidently, you were wrong.”

“NO.” I draw it out, sarcastically. No, I was wrong?? Really?? Here I was thinking you were an illusion.

“Unless this happens often, you seeing me here on the couch when your all alone… “I Still can’t see most of his face due to the paperback copy of Dorian Gray over his face but is that a twinkle if mischief in his eyes???

I set him with a deadpanned look and walk around him on the couch to the armchair. “Very funny, sir, but I’m not ashamed of myself. I was 17, and it was better then falling for Bundy like everyone else. Now get your shoes off my couch, that’s a good couch.” I pick up the remote off the coffee table and curl up on the couch as he chuckles and does as he’s told, sitting up. “So, are you waiting around for Kathy?? She’ll be a while, you know her. She’s your kid.”

“Yeah, I do know that.” Some more chuckles escape him, something clearly amusing to him but when I look at him he isn’t looking at me anymore, rather the TV that has flickered to life, showing Tom and Jerry. “But, she isn’t a kid anymore for the record. Neither are you.”

I don’t really respond to that, just settle in to enjoy Tom and Jerry’s adventures. Thinking, did he answer my question??

An episode ends, and we’ve started a steady conversation. Its nice. He’s always been funny, kind of a wordsmith. The way he strings words together is pretty creative, and makes me want to talk more interestingly, too. He does have a tendency that of course I never noticed before due to being a kid though, of overusing the word ‘bitch’. His humour also tends to extend mostly to overused dad jokes and R-rated things… not that I’m minorly freaking out at all. No. Not at all, I’m just surprised!

And slightly in awe.

And a little crushing.

But its okay to revisit old crushes a little, right? Not like anything will come of it, I’m still quite anxiously awaiting my hot date with Toby White. He’s so pretty, with his messy died blue hair, and equally as sexy blue eyes.

Mr Krueger has blue eyes too, doesn’t he?

No! Nooo, revisiting is one thing. But just remove this from your real life -the one where you enjoy your date and hopefully have Toby become your college boyfriend, - and just minorly enjoy this before moving on forever.

Before you know it, many more episodes have passed, and you were just enjoying yourself way too much to notice. Mr Krueger’s grin is in equal parts mischievous infectious. “Ah! Toby will be here in 10 minutes!” I exclaim, glancing at the clock on the wall and casually pulling your hair up into a messy ponytail with your hands, before letting it all back down onto your shoulders and down your back. Honestly, I’m less excited then I thought I’d be. Its nice talking to Freddy!

“Ten minutes? Come on, you’re not giving him any room to be fashionably late?” Woah, what was that?? That rumbly thing he’s done with his voice? That was… uh… surprisingly pleasant. I look wide eyed at him for a moment, lips glued shut, and surprised at my traitorous reaction to it more then anything. That’s new. I’ve never heard that before! His smirk grows- because that’s what it is, now. Not a grin, not a smile. A dirty, meaningful, devilish smirk. And it hits home. All the feelings from 7 years ago come back in a hot flush.

Cautiously, I start. Start what? I don’t know. Tell him to stop it? I’m self-aware enough to know I don’t want him to do that, absolutely not, but are you willing to risk everything you would be risking, to act on acknowledging that?? “Sir… “

“Ah, good, good! You’re on the right path. Now can you say ‘Daddy’?”

At that, I gape. How bold can he be?!! There’s no interpreting that as anything other then a come on. As he gets up, and the seconds tick away to when Toby would arrive I inwardly panic. What is he doing??! Why is he coming here?? What do I do?? Tell him to stop!

I’m, and all my senses are swallowed up by his dark eyes when he reaches his destination-my armchair, - and puts his hands on either arm, leaning down to be comfortably close to my face. “Now, see here, you have a choice. Do you want to go and eat dinner with your husband material coming up the stairs now, or you can stay and be a whore with me.”

That ‘me’ carries some serious wait, here. Some serious, scale tipping weight.

My hands move on their own and fit themselves to the spans of his shoulders. This dark, dirty, taboo crush has never been so tangible.

He tilts his head. “Tick tock.”

Knock! Knock! Knock!

Without hesitation, I sit up closer to him and hold a finger in front of my mouth.

“Don’t let him hear.”

#Oneshot #Freddy Krueger x Reader #Freddy Krueger #Kathrine Krueger

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ventrue-rosary · 5 years ago

Text

Monster Layer

I couldn’t resist the pun title! Some werewolf smut featuring my blood hunter Amaranthe Darcelle. Edited to be extra hot and horny by my bf @bigdadsheps

Like my work? Buy me a Ko-Fi!

As a junior member of the blood hunter order, Amaranthe was used to drawing the short straw and being left to deal with their common contracts: Killing the werewolves that always settle in the forests surrounding the capital.

She has no idea how they replenish their numbers so quickly. There are rumours throughout the barracks they kidnap local villagers and use them as breeding tools, but thats all they are: rumours, fuelled by the high hormones for all these post adolescents in desperate need of a lay. Though she is a hypocrite to make such judgements. She's ashamed to think of all the times she has passed the night with a hand in her underwear with the wild imaginings of sleeping with one manner of beast or another. But what young woman wouldn't be curious about the sexual rituals of these creatures, so foreign but familiar to them?

‘I heard its mating season,’ jeers Zia with a smug smirk. ‘Have fun out there, just not too much fun.’

Amaranthe merely rolls her eyes at the comment. To think, Zia is her superior both in terms of rank and age but yet she had the same mental maturity as a prepubescent boy. But Amaranthe refuses to take the bait, gliding past her without so much as acknowledging her presence. Zia makes a disgruntled noise but doesn't bother pushing her further for which she is glad for.

Still, what a terrible start to her day. She wonders how it would proceed to go even worse as she takes to the road.

Nightfall approaches as she reaches the parts of the woods that witnesses claim to have seen lycans. Night time is both the best and worst time to hunt--they are at full strength, particularly during a full moon. But, well, it is impossible to discern man from monster during day, when they revert to their humanoid form. Plus, it is easier to compartmentalise the act of murder if they don't look like a person.

Amaranthe kneels downs, and spies several sets of inhuman tracks leading away to the north. She follows the tracks that eventually lead her to a cave. Night has fully fallen. She is in the most danger, but she can't back down now. She has come so far…

Amaranthe steps into the gaping maw, her half-elven eyes quickly adjusting to the gloom. One long cavernous passageway dripping with stalactites ends in shadows. From within the dark, she hears several voices speaking in guttural snarls. Her grip on her battleaxe tightens as she steps further in.

The passageway eventually slopes downwards into a large chamber that ends in a large pool of water a waterfall feeds into. She sees three lycans, all bathing in the water.

Amaranthe cocks her head at this curious display. Since when have they cared about such things as hygiene?

She watches closely as she navigates downward as quietly as possible. If she maintains her stealth, she might be able to drop one before the others realise.

The werewolves turn and mutter something in an animalistic tone to one another. She can't understand the words but it seems civil, at least.

One werewolf approaches another with surprising grace given its stature. He gets up close to him, oddly close, then circle to the back of him, placing his hands on his hips and….oh…

Amaranthe's foot catches on loose stones at that point. She feels her feet slip out from under her, and rolls and bounces to the bottom of the decline with a loud and sore crash.

She lets out a pained groan as she lays there, paralysed by the ache coursing across her body.

A first, second and then third werewolf head appears above her, glaring down at her with snarling, slavering snouts and red eyes reduced to angry slits.

One loops a single claw through her cloak fastening and pulls her torso up off the ground so they are eye-to-eye.

‘What is this?’ He speaks in an unnaturally deep and thick voice. ‘A little huntress has stepped into our lair.’

‘What a helpless, fragile little thing.’ It drags a claw down her cheek, drawing blood. ‘Are you here alone?’

She thinks back to the conversation she had earlier that day, and with flushed cheeks she cries “I-I can be more useful in other ways.”

The lycans do not miss her implication.

With one loud tearing sound one of the lycans renders her shirtless, ripping off both cloak and shirt. She lets out a cry of surprise as the cold air hits her now bare chest, breasts swaying slightly from their sudden release from the restraining garments.

The bloodlust in their eyes morphs into a different sort of lust as they behold her breasts heaving with each laboured breath she takes, as her own feelings of fear are caving in place of desire.

They silently regard each other for a moment before she is divested of the rest of her clothes, leaving her naked and exposed for them.

With a freak growl a claw-tipped hand grabs her by the hips and flips her so she is on all fours. Her thighs tremble as she feels the tip of a very thick, hot cock flirt with the entrance of her pussy, embarrassed at her own wetness and desire. She bites her lip in anticipation as the tip of the enormous cock begins forcing its way inside her tight cunt, slowly, stretching to accommodate his overwhelming size. She feels as though she is going to be split in two as the knot pushes up against her opening, pressing firmly against her clit.

She opens her mouth to let out a gasp only for it to be filled by a second huge cock. She doesn’t even try to fight it, relaxing her throat to take it all the way in until her lips settle at the knot at the base of its dick. She can feel the warm throbbing of it as it gags her, the smell is intoxicating as it fills her nose, the thick musty scent of lycan pheromones and precum, now she is overcome by lusty desire, almost against her will she allows her tongue to massage the base of where his knot ends at her mouth. Getting a pump of sweet precum as a reward. She swallows it, greedily daring to suck as best she can with the oversized member pinning her against the knot of the other lycan, she feels truly like being split down the middle, as if their tips would touch inside her at this rate. But the show wasn’t over yet.

An unnaturally long tongue pushes into her ass, massaging the walls of her anus until they are slick with spit. The tongue retracts only to be replaced by the tip of the third huge cock. The pain wants to make her squirm away, but two strong hard cocks keep her stiffly in place. She gasps and groans around the cock stuffed in her mouth as all three of her holes are savagely and mercilessly ravaged. The third cock forces its way inside her tight ass. She tries to let out a moan or a scream but before either can come forth she only gives the lycan in front of her the ability to cram more of his cock into her mouth and more of his knot against her lips. Waves of pleasure and pain course through her body from every orifice. Each swift hard thrust pushes her closer and closer to the edge. If it wasn't for the fact her mouth is otherwise preoccupied she would likely be screaming loud enough for all of Evermeet to hear.

The only free limbs she has are her legs and arms, her legs limply sway as they retract together, giving her a small chance to breathe in the scent of sex all around her, saliva and precum making a mess of her mouth as her mascara runs down her face. Then they thrust, and her mind breaks, all she wants is this forever. They cram every inch of themselves into her body, using her like a toy. Without thinking, she begins wrapping her hands behind the lycan in front, pulling his cock deeper into herself with every thrust as she grabs that tight muscular ass. He responds by more vigorously abusing her throat. The moans come unbidden now.

Their paces pick up as they all approach the the climax, as one by one they push their full cock followed by their knots intos enter her, at the same time she feels her pussy and ass contract to embrace their full size. Ecstasy overwhelms her senses, as they compress her between their muscles, all she can see, hear and feel is them, in every inch of her and all around her. as she finally hits that euphoric high, quickly chased by all three of her holes being filled with hot, delicious cum. As she orgasms again and again, their cum travels down her throat filling her belly from one end as the cocks in the rear fill the rest of her insides. The cum keeps pulsing into her and soon she feels her stomach bulging with their warm juices. She loves the taste and swallows it all willingly.

She feels herself going numb as the waves of her orgasm begin to recede, and the afterglow begins.

They slowly withdraw their knots, each one coming out with a messy pop and leaving a mess of all her entrances.

Amaranthe collapses to the floor, cum slowly oozing out of her and coating the inside of her mouth and her lips. A sodden sticky mess but she can't bring herself to care as she lies in the afterglow, thoroughly satisfied but exhausted.

One of the lycans walks up to her, she can guess how she had pleasured him by the lipstick that encircles the base of his knot.

‘I think we should keep her,’ a voice croons as they tilt her head upwards with one talon. ‘How about it little huntress?’

Her heart thrums with excitement as she sees his dick hardening again. God she wants to take the knot again already. She licks her lips.

Amaranthe props herself up on her knees, looking up at him through her lashes. ‘I’ll be a good, loyal pet to you.’

He smirks. ‘Good,’ he growls as he easily picks her up and begins lowering her down onto his already erect cock.

#Amaranthe Darcelle #my writing #dnd writing #smut #werwolf

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izupie · 6 years ago

Text

100 Relatable Writer Things

(Courtesy of the creative writers from the Kacchako Discord server. We suffer together fam.)

doesn't write for 84 years

starts a billion things, no time to finish or update

daydreaming about writing

thinks about writing in shower, has no writing utensils

about to fall asleep, sudden motivation and inspiration

stuck at dayjob, pure, unadulterated motivation and inspiration

arrives home too tired to write

sits down at computer to write, spends two hours on the internet doing everything except writing

listening to music and it slows your writing to a snail's pace.

accidentally write the lyrics instad of dialogue

ignore typos

your Internet sucks and you can't connect to Google docs for a day.

trying to write angst only to slowly turn it into fluff

you remember you have pets and wanna cuddle them over writing

you have a carefully written plan, that all of your characters are ignoring and start going in directions you are unprepared for

your characters do what they want, fuck u

you realize you wrote a plot point too early and then mash the delete button.

you bingewatch a sitcom and plan all of these everyday aus and don't write any of them and demolish ice cream in the dark instead

you stare at your screen after doing nothing for an hour and the whole time you are internally screaming.

you open your story document and suddenly realise the bookshelf in your room needs alphabetising

you look back at the manga for reference but end up just rereading the manga

you fantasize about your characters and blush because they're so attractive

you realise you've been making weird expressions at your screen while you've been typing

the people around you have also noticed.

people wonder if you are okay in public settings writing angst

you brainstorm amazing ideas for your fic as you sleep but when you wake up you don't remember shit

having idea bouncing buddies to help with your au and end up creating a separate au

getting aus mixed

finding somewhere to write smut where nobody will accidentally look over your shoulder

you write smut in public but you're so tired that you don't care who sees anymore

doing dumb shit like "bakugou looked at bakugou" and publishing it

you finish writing a chapter and look over your outline only to learn you skipped doing a scene.

try to quickly edit things, end up combing through chapter again

lots of picture refs for characters

forgetting your time scale while writing. how much time has passed? idk man

writing a one shot that becomes a 20k multichap

hitting 4k a chapter and crying it's not enough

hitting 19k a chapter and thinking, "maybe I can do more."

wondering if word count its too short/long

just crying. in general.

intending to write an epic slow burn and dropping it two chapters in for another idea

having a fully written arc expecting 10 chapts but with editing it becomes 7 chapts somehow

wanting to write a slow burn but getting so excited to get to the big part you just say fuck it

having so much of an au build up that you are excited for that it unintentionally becomes slowburn

intending to write a serious fic but you don't want to put the characters in any more pain than they canonically are so you turn them all into major goofballs

OR character didn't get enough pain canonically and it was supposed to be funny story

writing angst and pain because you're a masochist

love watching readers cry

taking pleasure in watching them cry

blasting meme music in your ears as your readers scream at you about breaking their hearts

hoping for fanart

teasing spoilers bc you want validation

running from rabid readers

sometimes you write for an hour and have done 500 words. Other times you blink and 3k words are suddenly there.

having a decent steady schedule or becoming spastic update qween, there is no in between. Bonus points if you do separate fics like this

watching a movie, inserting characters for yet another au

taking polls what to update next

never listening to the polls you create

making a schedule and sticking to it. Your fans think your organized but it's more like controlled chaos.

motivated to do something but what?

literally buying a journal with goals and a tentative update schedule so you can keep your ass in check

not using said journal bc lazy

having monthly updates but writing more than half of it in the last week.

WHAT THE FUCK DO I TITLE IT

what's editing

can someone edit my stuff pls

writing the title of the chapter and then nothing else that day.

write, no edits, only write. Cry

69...

setting a day to respond to comments. forget

stare at comments with awe and fear

wordvomit, keyboard smash

comments are life

kudos are resurrected life

holy shit a bookmark???????

holy shit someone recced me

wanting to share but don't want to be annoying

wanna collab?

surfing tumblr for writing refs bc your english sucks

i love dialogue~

i hate dialogue

does this sOUND NATURAL THO

is this too descriptive or not enough?

how do i describe this place i've never been to

have i used [blank word] too much?

more pic refs

said is too plain, but they're not doing anything but sitting and talking

does this smell description sound too fanficcy?

having a color bible

is this ooc?

how would you describe a <____> hitting the <___> floor?

how do i describe violence accurately

how many followers/readers will i lose to this

what does <___> pain feel like?

compare yourself to other popular writers

what are you writing has several word docs open

googling stuff that makes you sound like a murderer for rESEARCH

staring at your phone praying someone reviews it soon

how do i write texts or IMs

having that one follower who always comments

BONUS: Is it truly finished or am I just sick of writing it

#writer problems #relatable writing stuff #writing mood #writing #writers #writing shitpopst #writing memes #writing problems #fanfiction #fanfiction problems #fanfiction moods #writer stuff #omg I nearly accidentally refreshed the page while I did this #BONUS BONUS: remember to save your writing folks

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words-are-my-existence · 6 years ago

Text

Tea and Coffee

Introduction Part I: Picturesque

Note: Contains fluff, comedy, and angst. May have course language and mature themes but mainly softness.

*The title image was taken from Pinterest and edited with Pic Collage

The red string of fate has ways of tying many souls together but sometimes it to can become tangled and make it unclear to who exactly, ones heart is destined to be with.

“No, I’m not putting bubble tea on the menu,” Eliza firmly stated in answer to the suggestion her friend had put forward. It was a quiet afternoon, the two young adults trying to brainstorm new items to serve at the cafe they both ran, The Curious Cat. It was opened a year ago, the twenty-two year old Eliza managing it with help from her friend Jai who was a few years older. Originally Eliza started the store up to help her save up money to continue travelling around the world, though the cafe had begun to make a place in her heart within the year of running it. It was a quiet but simple place, she made various teas while Jai worked on the coffees. They sold some sweets like cookies and muffins but mostly it was a well brewed cup of English Breakfast that brought customers into their small abode. It was beautiful and peaceful home away from home,

“Come on, they taste so good though! I’m sure maybe we could figure out how to make them?” Jai pushed, bringing Eliza back to the present moment of the pair inside the cafe debating over what to add to menu. Jai was seated by the counter opposite to the chocolate haired Eliza, who was in the process of wiping up cups that had been used earlier in the day,

“Jai we can’t. It’s expensive as well as complicates things further, there being so much to making bubble tea. I think as well our customers are happy with the beverages we already have. We need to think up food, not drinks,” Eliza explained to the blue eyed girl, who in turn scratched her head in thought,

“I mean, if we were licensed we could add alcohol to the tea, but then that would bring about more issues needing security in case anyone were to become intoxicated,”

“Jai, foooood,” Eliza sighed grabbing a choc chip cookie that was on display, the older girl’s face lighting up upon seeing the delicious treat,

“Ooh thanks!” She smiled gratefully, taking the cookie and joyfully nibbling on it straight away,

“Seriously how can you be the older one when you act so much younger,” Eliza laughed lightly at her friends’ antics. The two adults had become quick friends after meeting at a music festival, still keeping in contact when Jai went away for a few years doing school in Canada. She was a unique person, standing at 6’1” inches tall and having long brown almost red hair. She was the kind of person that many would think is gentle and sweet though if you wronged her she would literally kick your ass, as Eliza had witnessed many times when someone rubbed Jai the wrong way.

As Jai was snacking away at her cookie a jingle of bells rang out as the door to the cafe was opened, a tall man with dark black hair walking in with a small smile. He held a large professional camera in his hands, his coffee coloured eyes focused on the screen of the device and analysing the images in it,

“Afternoons Johnny,” Jai piped up between bites of her cookie, giving a wave before quickly finishing the biscuit off and leaving her chair to go back to her work station,

“Jai don’t eat with your mouth full ges,” Eliza scolded her before turning to their customer, ”Hi Johnny, looking to have the house blend?”

“Hey guys, and yes please,” Johnny greeted back, taking Jai’s previous seat by the counter and placing his camera down to watch the two go about preparing the coffee,”Oh Liz I got a few good photos today of the river, I was wondering if you wanted to have a look through them and tell me your opinion on them?”

“Of course, still trying to get that perfect shot?” She asked while frothing some milk, Jai already onto tampering the ground coffee beans,

“Heh yeah, can’t blame me when there’s always such beautiful scenery before me,” Johnny replied with a small chuckle, glancing at Eliza momentarily as he spoke.

Johnny was one of their casual regulars who always tried to come in when he could between his adventures of film and photography. He enjoyed the art of capturing sights and scenes through a lens, his photos always breathtaking. But to him there was something that he lacked in each image, so he kept taking practicing, trying to find that ‘perfect shot’ as Eliza and Jai had conned it. He was a gentle and humorous man, seeming to not even hurt a fly. Though some days he had came into cafe covered in scratches and bruises, one evening before closing he once stumbled in with a black eye making both girls worry and fuss over him like mother hens as he would call it. Though he did appreciated the free coffee and biscuits they gave him after bandaging him up, he refused to give up the details to what had happened besides saying,

“Just a small disagreement I had, that’s all,”

Still it gave them a fright and even though he plays it off as mere accidents Eliza and Jai can’t help but worry,

“One house blend sir, hope you enjoy!” Jai cheerfully served Johnny his coffee after Eliza had poured the milk into it and finished it off with some chocolate dusting,

“Thank you very much, hey how is the spicy coffee coming along?” Johnny asked as he rested his camera on the counter and started sipping his drink,

“Still a work in progress, one day maybe we’ll get the recipe right. Or Jai will just keep drinking the duds,” Eliza explained with a laugh, Jai poking

her,

“Hey cinnamon is good to use. There’s no way we’re going to use the spice you added the last time we tested the tea,” She added in with a shake of her head, Johnny looking up at them curiously,

“What kind of ingredient are you talking about?” He inquired, Jai scrunching her face up as Eliza giggled lightly,

“I thought chili would be a fun thing to add. And I didn’t really tell Jai till after she drunk the tea and well, you can guess she didn’t have a great time,” She tried to hide a smile as Jai massaged her forehead with a painful expression,

“Never have I ever experienced such a horrifying moment where my mouth was numb and burning at the same time,” The brunette shivered at the memory before continuing to clean the coffee machine,”Anyways it’s all trial and error, we’ll get something good eventually, oh,” Jai pauses for a moment and turns away,”Give me a minute, I think I heard my phone go off,” She explains before moving away to the staff room,

“Ever the eccentric one isn’t she,” Johnny commented as he sipped at his coffee, Eliza nodding with a smile,

“She is, with a big heart at that to. Oh yeah do you want me to have a look at those photos now?” She remembered and asked, Johnny grinning as he passed his camera to her,

“Yeah, if you have time of course. I know the cafe has been getting more popular recently. There’s a part of me that just wishes it was quiet like it used to be so I could spend more time with yo-“ A buzzing sound cut Johnny off, the normally calm man sighing in frustration as he took his phone out of his pocket,”Dammit seriously, I thought that was taken care of already. I’m sorry Liz, tell Jai I said thanks for the coffee,” He apologised and placed the money for the drink on the counter, standing up and exiting the cafe before Eliza could say bye,

“That was...sudden, hopefully it’s nothing too serious,” Eliza thought out loud to herself before realising she was still holding Johnny’s camera,”Oh crap! Johnny wait!” She rushed around the counter and to the door, opening it and looking around outside only to see no sign of the tall photographer, just the bustling streets of Seoul,

“Well, I’ll have to keep this in a safe place until he comes back for it,” Eliza noted as she headed back inside, almost walking into Jai who was making a dash for the door,

“Sorry Lizzy, I just got a message from our supplier about the blue mountain beans being back in stock as well as a few other new additions, so I just wanted to go and pick them up before they run out again,” Jai explained, already with her bag on and ready to go,

“We’re pretty quiet right now so it should be alright if you head out while you can, if there is any new teas try to get those to please,” Eliza reminded, Jai nodding with a thumbs up,

“No problemo, I’ll be back before you know it,” She replied as she walked out, picking her pace up to get to their supplier as quickly as possible,

“Hopefully she doesn’t get distracted,” Eliza thought out loud, returning to behind the counter and picking up from where Jai left off on cleaning the coffee machine.

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yasbxxgie · 4 years ago

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Where Are Our Black Boys on Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy Novel Covers?

Why are there no boys like me on these covers?

My seventeen-year-old brother who lives in Lagos, Nigeria, raised this question to me recently. Not in these exact words, but sufficiently close. I’d been feeding him a steady drip of young adult (YA) science fiction and fantasy (SFF) novels from as diverse a list as I could, featuring titles like Nnedi Okorafor’s Binti, Martha Wells’ Murderbot series, Roshani Chokshi’s The Star-Touched Queen and Cory Doctorow’s Little Brother. The question, at first seemed like a throwaway one, but as my head-scratching went on, I realised I did not have a clear-cut answer for it.

His question wasn’t why there were no black boys like him in the stories, because there definitely were. I guess he wanted to know, like I now do, why those boys were good enough to grace the pages inside but were somehow not good enough for the covers. And because I felt bad about the half-assed response I offered, I decided to see if I could find a better one.

So, I put out a twitter call for recommendations.

Can anyone point me to science fiction & fantasy novels with black teenage boys on the cover? Asking for my teenage brother. I know there's Tristan Strong, & books from Victor LaValle & Colson Whitehead, but I need more. Most YA I see with black boys are contemporary lit.

— Suyi on hiatus. (@IAmSuyiDavies) May 6, 2020

The responses came thick and fast, revealing a lot. I’m not sure I left with a satisfactory answer, but I sure left with a better understanding of the situation. Before I can explain that, though, we must first understand the what of the question, and why we need to be asking it in the first place.

Unpacking the Specifics

My intent is to engage with one question: How come there are few black boys on young adult science fiction and fantasy novel covers? This question has specific parameters:

black: of Black African descent to whatever degree and racially presented as such;

boys: specifically male-presenting (because this is an image afterall), separate from female-presenting folks, and separate from folks presenting as non-binary, all regardless of cisgender or transgender status;

are displayed prominently on covers: not silhouetted, not hinted at, not “they could be black if you turned the book sideways,” but undeniably front-of-cover blackity-black;

YA: books specifically written for young adults (readers aged 12-18), separate from middle-grade (readers 8-12) and adult (readers 18+);

SFF: science fiction and fantasy, but really shorthand for all speculative fiction and everything that falls under it, from horror to fabulism to alternative history;

novels: specifically one-story, book-length, words-only literature, separate from collections/anthologies or illustrated/graphic works (a novella may qualify, for instance)

I’m sure if we altered any of these criteria, we might find some respite. Contemporary YA and literary fiction with teenage protagonists, for instance, are littered with a relatively decent number of black boys on the covers (though many revolve around violence, pain and trauma). Young women across the people-of-colour spectrum are beginning to appear more often on SFF covers too (just take a look at this Goodreads list of Speculative Fiction by Authors of Color). Black boys also pop up on covers of graphic novels here and there (Miles Morales is a good example). But if we insist on these parameters, we discover something: a hole.

It is this gaping black hole (pardon the pun) that I hope to fill with some answers.

The Case for Need

Think about shopping at a bookstore. Your eyes run over a bunch of titles, and something draws you in to pick one–cover design, title, author, blurb. You’d agree that one of the biggest draws, especially for teens to whom YA SFF novels are aimed, is the character representation on the cover (if there’s one). Scholastic’s 7th Edition Kids & Family Reading Report notes that 76% of kids and teens report they’d like characters who are “similar to me,” and 95% of parents agree that these characters can help “foster the qualities they value for their children.” If the cover imagery, which is the first point of contact for this deduction, is not representative of the self, there’s an argument to be made that reader confidence in the characters’ ability to represent their interests would be significantly reduced.

The why of the question is therefore simple: when a group already underrepresented in literature and readership (read: black boys, since it’s still believed that black boys don’t read) are also visually underrepresented within their age group and preferred genre (read: YA SFF), it inadvertently sends a message to any black boy who loves to read SFF: you don’t fit here.

This is not to say that YA is not making strides to increase representation within its ranks. Publisher’s Weekly’s most recent study of the YA market notes various progressive strides, touching base with senior publishing professionals at teen imprints in major houses, who say today’s YA books “reflect a more realistic range of experiences.” Many of them credit the work of We Need Diverse Books, #DVPit, #OwnVoices and other organizations and movements as pacesetters for this growing trend.

In the same breath, though, these soundbites are cautiously optimistic, noting that the industry must look inward for underlying reasons why easy defaults remain commonplace. Lee&Low’s recent Diversity in Publishing 2019 study’s answer to why unquestioned go-tos still reign supreme is that the industry remains, sadly, 76% Caucasian. For a genre-readership with such exponential success, that makes the hole a massive one. Of the Top 10 Best Selling Books of the 21st Century, four are YA SFF franchises by Rowling, Collins, Meyer, and Roth, the most among all listed genres. In 2018’s first half, YA SFF vastly outsold every other genre, amassing over a quarter of an $80-million sales total. This doesn’t even include TV and film rights.

I once was a black boy (in some ways, I still am). If such a ubiquitous, desired, popular (and don’t forget, profitable) genre-readership somehow concluded a face like mine on its covers was a no-go, I’d want to know why too.

Navigating the Labyrinth

Most of the responses I received fell into three categories: hits & misses, rationale, and outlook. Hits & misses were those who attempted to recommend books that met the criteria. If I had to put a number to it, I’d say there were around 10+ misses to one hit. I received many recommendations that didn’t fit: middle-grade novels, graphic novels, covers where the blackness of the boy was up for debate, novels featuring black boys who were not present on the cover, etc.

The hits were really great to see, though. Opposite of Always by Justin A. Reynolds was the crowd favourite of the recent recommended titles. The Coyote Kings of the Space-Age Bachelor Pad by Minister Faust was the oldest recommended title (2004). One non-English title on offer was Babel Corp, Tome 01: Genesis 11 by Scott Reintgen (translated to French by Guillaume Fournier, published in the US as Nyxia). Non-print titles also showed up, like Wally Roux, Quantum Mechanic by Nick Carr (audio only). Lastly, some crossover titles like Miles Morales: Spider-Man by Jason Reynolds (MG/YA) and Temper by Nicky Drayden (YA/Adult) were present. You’ll find a full list of all recommendations at the end of this article.

Many of the hits were worrisome for other reasons, though. For instance, a good number are published under smaller presses, or self-published. Most are of limited availability. Put simply: a high percentage of all books recommended have severely limited wider industry coverage, which twanged a sour note in this orchestra.

The rationale group attempted to approach the matter from a factual angle. Points were made, for instance, that fewer men and nonbinary folks are published in YA SFF than women, and fewer black men even so, therefore representing black boys on covers may increase with more black male authors of YA SFF. While a noble thought, I do argue that various YA authors, regardless of race or gender, have written black boys as protagonists, yet those didn’t make the covers anyway. Would more black male authors suddenly change that?

Another rationale pointed toward YA marketing, which many stated mostly targets teenage girls because they are the biggest audience. I’m not sure how accurate this is, but I know sales often tell a different story from marketing (case in point: 2018 market estimates show that nearly 70% of all YA titles are purchased by adults aged 18-64, not teenage girls). If the sales tell a different story, yet marketing strategies insist upon a one-note approach, then it’s not really about the sales, is it?

Lastly, the outlook responses came mostly from readers, authors and publishing professionals who are long-time advocates of increased inclusion in publishing. The overwhelming consensus was that, while there is no complete absence of black boys on YA SFF covers, the real problem is the difficulty in pointing them out. It was agreed that it speaks volumes that we have to do this deep-dive just to find an okay amount of recommendations. Many left with a feel-good note, though, since more authors and professionals dedicated to inclusion and visibility are finally getting their feet into the doors at Big Publishing. Thanks to advocates like People of Color in Publishing and We Need Diverse Books, the future looks exciting.

So, I’ll end this on another feel-good note by offering an ongoing list of recommendations that fit the bill. You’ll find that most are absolutely worth a look-see. This list is also open for public updates, so feel free to add your own recommendations. And here’s looking to the decision-makers at Big Publishing to make this list even bigger.

+Black Boys on YA SFF Novel Covers: A List of Recommendations

#books #black literature #black lit #black children's books #children's books #black children #black boys #people of color in publishing #we need diverse books #tor #ya #sff #representation #publishing

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skarsbill-blog · 7 years ago

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Forbidden - Chapter II

Chapter II! A little more character development but for the most part, it’s a long one and we’re getting in to the story now, and getting to the bottom of what exactly went down between Bill and Vida, and where their feeling are at now. Please let me know what you think so far! I would really appreciate hearing from anyone who reads so I know to do more. If you’re looking for the first chapter, I will be posting all parts to this under the ‘Stories’ link on my blog.

Happy reading!

It’s been a week since my move and I feel as though things are finally falling in to place, I’m feeling a little more at home. My apartment was completely unpacked and seeing it clean and free of cardboard boxes made my heart swell with gratitude at how grateful I was to be able to have such nice things in my life. My new apartment was gorgeous, beyond anything I ever thought I would ever be able to call my own. A four-bedroom dream home that featured dark brown, matte floor boards that covered every floor in the house, apart from my bathrooms where marble tiles took over from the floor to the ceiling. All of my walls were true white, my kitchen all white with marble bench tops and all of my furnishing either grey, white, silver or marble as well. My environment is important to me, this felt pristine and pure, crisp and perfect for me, perfect for my fresh start.

Today was my first day in my new office, and weirdly enough I wasn’t nervous. I think having gained experience with the company and the role already, this was just a matter of a change of scenery and people, which I could handle. I got up, put on my face, dressed myself in a loose black soft cotton t-shirt that I tucked in to a high waisted, ¾ length black skirt and accessorised with some black around-the-ankle strap on Lou B’s, a gold chain and a gold watch. Going to work I liked to keep it simple, and although my whole environment was a true reflection of how much my soul appreciated light, I truly loved wearing black. I grabbed my bag, my keys and headed straight to my car, knowing very well I had to allow PLENTY of time to get to where I was going in this city.

I parked in my designated spot and made my way in to the elevator, up to the top floor of the building. The office space was beautiful, luxurious, like they always were. I spent the day mostly introducing myself and building relationships with my new colleagues before attending all of my afternoon publicity appointments. While writing for Vogue as an expert in mostly styling, fashion, makeup and trends, I was always allocated a role in supervising photo shoots as someone with an eye for what will look good amongst the pages of our magazine. This also meant that I had the opportunity to meet a lot of amazing people, from models, actors all the way to people who did amazing things for the community.

Today’s shoot involved a male for our Hottest Man of the Year issue, I had no clue who it was but the title of the issue they were chosen for says a lot about the kind of person they would be. I entered the studio, introduced myself to the team and began discussing plans with the artists and stylists on set, trying my best to get a feel for the vision so that I could make accurate judgements on what needs to be done to achieve it.

“This all looks awesome, I’m loving it so far. So who is our model today, because truthfully I have no clue.” I laughed with one of the photographers and he rolled his eyes at me playfully.

“This year the lucky gentleman is none other than Alexander Skarsgard. Gorgeous if I do say so myself, very tall.. kind of weirdly tall.” He trailed off and I laughed, before completely coming to terms with name that came out of his mouth.

“Alex Skarsg.. fuck.” “What?” “Nothing! Nothing, I’m just going to check on everyone and make sure we’re all on the same level with what we’re after today, good luck with your shots.”

Alex fucking Skarsgard, why is my luck literally maybe the worst of anyone’s ever? A week in to my move and an encounter with a Skarsgard is the last thing I need. I began trying to figure out how I was going to make my way through this without being seen, the only people who knew I was back were my parents and my brother, and that’s the way I’d prefer it to stay while I’m finding my feet. I never even completely wrapped my head around what happened between his brother and I, and to be honest I don’t want to. It’s too painful to think about, and I know very well how seeing Alex will make me feel.

I manage to lurk in the shadows during the whole shoot, giving my opinion only when needed and staying quiet every other time, daring not risk him noticing me. The shoot finished and I snuck out and back to my floor before being seen, relieved as soon as I made it inside the glass walls of my office, in disbelief of the bullet I dodged, and what a large bullet it was. I got straight back to work, answering any remaining emails from the day, sending off final editions to articles and making sure everyone had what they needed before making my way home. Engrossed in my inbox, I heard my door open and assumed it was one of the girls bringing me the final copy of their piece, instructing them to leave it on my desk and to have a nice night.

“Thanks, but that’s not why I’m here.” I froze immediately, my neck going hot at the sound of the voice in front of me, afraid to look up.

“Alex.. wow it’s so nice to see you, what are you doing here?” I looked up at him, puzzled, cursing at myself for obviously not being discreet enough.

“You really thought you could get away before I noticed you, I noticed you five minutes in to the shoot Vida, I know that face anywhere.” He smiled down at me, and I stood from my desk, giving in and smiling straight back.

“It’s so nice to see you Alex, truly” I breathed, walking around to give him a big hug, “I’ve uh.. I’ve moved back.” I looked at him, waiting for his reaction.

He grinned, moving over to sit on the lounge in the corner of my office as I followed, “You have? That’s awesome, Bill will be happy with that.”

I swallowed audibly at his words, shaking my head and looking down, “I’m not so sure about that Alex.” I laughed nervously, playing with my necklace and thinking back to everything that went wrong as soon as I left, thinking back to my relationship with my best friend completely falling apart.

He smiled and took my hand, holding it and offering me a reassuring look, “It was so good to see you Vida, congratulations on all of this incredible success, if anyone deserves it it’s you.”

“Thanks Alex, and same to you of course, you big movie star.” I laughed as I stood up, walking him to the door and farewelling him with one last hug.

What weird afternoon, I thought to myself as I fell on to my couch in a heap. While I can’t deny that seeing Alex had me shaken, I also can’t deny how nice it was to be in his presence, someone I grew so close to, being almost like a family member to the lot of them after knowing Bill so very well. Everyone knew the whole Skarsgard clan was full of lovely people, and there were never truer words spoken, I just wish things didn’t have to be snuffed out the way they were. On my way to run myself a rather large, extra bubbly bath with my extra full glass of wine, I heard my phone ring. Deciding almost instantly to ignore it, I continued on and spent the next hour thinking of every aspect of my life, making realisations and deciding what to have for dinner before hauling my ass out of the bath and in to the fluffiest bath robe I could find.

Knowing I couldn’t avoid checking my phone any longer after hearing my message tone three more times while bathing, I put the kettle on and walking straight over to it.

What I saw on the screen made my heart drop, I literally questioned whether or not I was hallucinating. A missed call and three text messages from none other than Bill himself. I stared at my phone like it was an alien, forgetting how to use it completely and unsure of how to make my brain start working again. I sat down slowly on the couch, first listening to the voicemail.

“Vida, it’s Bill.. in case you don’t have my number anymore. Alex told me you’ve moved home? I was so happy to hear, I was wondering if we could maybe catch up, I have so much to tell you and I’ve missed you s-“ he was cut off by the end of the message. I sighed, knowing this would happen and resenting the fact that it did. I had nothing to say to Bill, all of this makes me sound so angry but I’m not, I was done being angry a long time ago, now I’m just sad, hollow, disappointed and over it.

His messages were all similar, asking to see me and begging me not to avoid him because he knows I’ll try. I sighed, deciding to ignore the messages for now, needing time to think about how I need to answer these, well enough the first time for him to understand that I don’t want to go through this again.

The next day was thankfully Saturday, and I completely intended on doing nothing but sitting on my couch in my comfiest clothes, and doing absolutely nothing. I ended up mustering the courage to reply to Bill, confirming with him that I had moved back and that I needed time adjust and just be with my family. I was honest when telling him that I wasn’t really ready to see him and that I was still hurt by everything that happened. I hadn’t heard back from him, and hoped that this meant he got the message and was going to give me the space I requested.

It was around 5pm when I heard a knock on my door, assuming it was the food I had ordered I naively opened it, hating myself for not asking who was there first. There stood Bill, in all his gorgeous glory, looking down at me smiling, waiting for me to invite him inside. “Bill.. what are you doing here? How did you know where I lived?” I asked him, frowning, bordering on completely creeped out.

“Your Mum told me,” he smiled, moving past me in to my home like it was no big deal, “I know you asked me for space, but I know you would try to avoid me forever and I won’t let that happen.” “Bill, why couldn’t you just understand-“ “I understand Vida, but I don’t accept what you said, because I missed you so much and I’ve hated myself every day since we stopped talking. We were supposed to be there for each other, and for all of that time we weren’t, we were like strangers..” he trailed off, visibly upset as was I.

Seeing him in the flesh, right in front of me, made it hard for me to control my emotions. I began tearing silently, letting a few escape as I thought of what to say.

“Bill, you have no idea what you put me through, you ignored me for months, you pretended I didn’t exist. Don’t you dare come to my home, and act like this wasn’t all you!” I sobbed, visibly upset, feeling my sadness slowly turning to anger faster than I could process.

“You were the one who stopped answering my calls and texts. You’re the one who told me it was best if we stopped talking, what the fuck made you do that? What happened?” His eyes glazed over with guilt and sadness, but before he had the chance to speak I stepped in again,

“You have some nerve, waltzing straight back in to my life just because I’m back and you know you were the one who did this to us. Well I won’t let you, I finally have my shit sorted out, you destroyed me once and I won’t let you do it again.” I was back to sobbing like an absolute mess, staring straight in to eyes that were once so familiar, now I didn’t recognise them at all. ‘Vida.. please, I’m sorry, I swear I had reasons. You have no idea what doing that did to me too, I thought of you every second of every day, I-“ “Leave, now. Leave my apartment right now.. and never come back” “V,” “Now Bill, I’m serious.” I stood planted firmly in place, throwing daggers at him, completely serious and ready to call building security.

“Just know that I did it all for a reason, and that I want to tell you everything, that I’m sorry and that I just want my relationship with you back. You’re my best friend..” He trailed off, finding no sympathy from me, my body language completely defensive and dangerous. He frowned and walked away, closing the door softly behind him.

As soon as I knew he would have been in the elevator, I fell in to a ball and cried all of my hurt out, or at least attempted to. In complete disbelief of what just happened and what I had done, I went straight to bed, knowing very well that dwelling won’t do me any good. I had been here before, and this time I wasn’t staying.

#bill skarsgard #bill skarsgård x reader #bill skarsgard imagine #skarsgard #hemlock grove #roman godfrey #pennywise #it 2017

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sssoto · 7 years ago

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Creator’s update #1

Hey guys! So I’ve decided to start actually blogging on this blog and tell a bit about the various things I’m working on, share WIPs, music I’ve been digging recently etc. I realise that I rarely post anything, so it seems like I’m super inactive - which is totally not true, I just have so much stuff going on and take a long time to finish things, and I’m also pretty picky about what I put up online lol! For the sake of keeping those of you interested in the loop, I’m gonna start this series of creator’s updates in which I’ll update y’all on the progress I’ve made on my various creative projects. The goal is to give an update a few times a month (hopefully lol)!

This past while I’ve been super inactive in the writing department, but very much productive in the art department, so my writing update will be mostly a summary of what I’ve been doing the past few years up until this point.

Mood: Feelin’ real good cuz my parents finally brought my comfy double bed over from my mum’s place this past weekend, which means no more sleeping on the couch yaaaaaas.

Music I’ve been digging recently:

Skye Sweetnam - Boyhunter So, the other day I randomly listened to this song on my way home from work, and I totally realised that Skye Sweetnam is the perfect voice for my character Caitlyn, and this song totally embodies what Caitlyn is all about lmaoooo. (The song isn’t very accurate to the time period Caitlyn lives in, but it’s super accurate to her character essence and personality, and I just find that so lit hahahah)

Fallulah - Out of It This song is basically my MC’s theme song?? It’s performed by a Danish artist and was super popular in Denmark a few years back as it was the theme tune to a Danish tv show (a show I loved!). The lyrics are just so Daniel, it’s not even funny. It mostly fits his mental state at the beginning of Renaissance.

Girl’s Day - Love Again Ugh I just love the tune of this song so much, I can’t really place my finger on it, the emotion is just so great. I love the guitar riff especially, and Girl’s Day is a four member girl group, so it’s one of those songs where I can imagine my main girls Annaliese, Caitlyn, Mary and Serena singing as each member lmao.

Nine Muses - Remember Another four member group now, this song is also one where I can imagine my main girls singing each member’s part lmao, and having that aspect to a song always makes it a little better for me! Forreal tho, this new release from Nine Muses slays, and we all know it. The music video haunts me.

Sistar - Lonely This song makes me sad and happy all at once, cuz I’m not ready to say goodbye to Sistar, but at the same time this ending is probably the best one any fan could’ve wished for because there was no drama or anger, just well wishes and hope for the future. I know these girls will go far, and this song just pulls at all my heart strings man. The melody of the bridge and chorus, Dasom and Soyu’s parts in particular, really works for me. And yeah, Sistar has four members too, and once again I can picture my main girls singing as each member lmao. It’s a thing I have, okay?

Moana OST - We Know The Way + Know Who You Are I recently watched this movie, and while I sorta felt like the plot was a bit rushed and tropey in many ways, I totally adored the visuals and the MUSIC OMG. These two songs are my favourite, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s vocals never miss, and Auli��i Cravalho’s high note is gorgeous! Also dat choir in the background tho, and in context with the movie scene that song just makes me irrationally emotional mkay. (That ending was the best twist ever, it definitely lifted the story up a notch for me!)

Writing

So I’m writing a book! You might have seen me mention it a few times already on here, but I’ve not really shared much insight into my process or what sort of book this actually is (other than talking about characters here and there), and as I’ve not been making huge progress lately (I’m in an art state of mind duuuh), I thought that I’d keep this section short and sweet, with a bit of an introduction into what my book project is all about.

I call it a book project because I don’t feel comfortable just calling it a book when I don’t have rights to publish. Technically my book is a fanfiction based on the horror video game Amnesia: The Dark Descent, and as such I don’t own copyright of the small percentage of my story that features the canon elements. However, I take this as seriously as anyone else would writing their own book, because I’ve poured my entire heart and soul into it, and the vast majority of the content (plot, characters and world) is my original creation. It’s my own little big project lol!

You might be familiar with the game, and even if you aren’t, that’s not a prerequisite for reading my book since everything is introduced and set up just as in any regular book. The protagonist is an Englishman named Daniel, and we know little of his past through the game. I won’t go into too much detail on what the game is about (if you really wanna know, you can look it up), but the point of my book is to explore the protagonist’s life from his childhood up to the events of the game and beyond, and afterwards connect his story to the game sequels featuring other protagonists within the same universe. It’s a bit complex and elaborate, which is just the way I like it!

As the games are set at various points during the Victorian era (game #1 is set in Prussia 1839, game #2 is set in France 1858, and game #3 is set in England 1899), you can probably guess that the entire thing will be pretty long. That’s why I’m making it a series! I have at least seven books planned so far (though there’ll definitely be more, since I’m not near the end of the timeline I need to cover yet), and I currently have the first book written and am writing the sequel - however, the first book will need a complete rewrite once I’m finished with book #2, because I’ve since developed and changed a lot of stuff, and I have many new interesting ideas for a more fleshed out version of the first book. Still, the fanfic version is available online, so if you’d like to read it, you can find it here. You’ll get a pretty good idea of the general story and the characters, but keep in mind that it’s super outdated and will be very different after my rewrite!

For reference, this is the list of books that I’ve planned (and titled) so far, so you can keep up with what book of my series I’m talking about at any given point:

I - Amnesia: Memoirs

II - Amnesia: Renaissance

III - Amnesia: Voyage

IV - Amnesia: Noir

V - Amnesia: Encore

VI - Amnesia: Rogue

So what I’m doing right now with this project is revisions. Uuuuggghhhhh. Yes, that’s right, I’m stuck in revision hell. I’ve not even finished the first draft of Renaissance yet (I know, sacrilege, writing blasphemy, don’t start your damn edits until you’ve finished your draft dumbass), but I had some pretty major changes to make, changes so big that it would be a waste of time and effort to go on drafting without implementing them first. Mainly the changes are surrounding 1) a change of ages of my main cast (I aged many characters up a few years), and 2) changing and figuring out the specifics of the illness which my MC’s sister, Hazel, is afflicted with. She’s not such a major character in Renaissance, but she plays a big role in Memoirs, and since I had all these new ideas for the rewrite of that, I wanted to implement the ripple effects in the second book so it wouldn’t be too much of a hassle to edit later when Renaissance is a finished 3-400k first draft lmao (I have a lot of words okay?). These changes mostly affect the early chapters of my book - chapters I wrote about three years ago, which means that these early chapters really need a face-lift. In addition to the age and illness change, I wanna revise the first five chapters by cutting the fluff and tightening up the beginning so we get to the action a tiny bit faster. Adding to the fact that these early chapters are three years old, the prose also needs an almost complete rewrite. So long story short, all of the edits are taking a long ass time, and I’m not having a good time lmao. Doesn’t help that I had to stop drafting right at one of the juiciest scenes in my book?!?!? (that’s a lie, it gets juicier, but I was just getting to the real good stuff yanno?)

(Side note: for someone who said that I’d keep this short, it sure turned out long lmao. I just have too many damn words.)

Chapters edited: 2/16 (working on 3 right now and it’s an effin’ pain)

Current total word count: 120,591

Current total chapter count: 17 (the number will go down to 16 once I finish the revisions, as I’m merging two chapters)

Look at all the dumb shit I still have to edit for chapter 3. Look at it.

Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy.

Art

Man, I’ve been doing a lot of artwork recently, and by a lot, I don’t mean that I’ve finished any.

I think I’ve been focused on developing my actual drawing skills rather than making finished illustrations, because I’ve been so overwhelmed with inspiration and I’ve wanted to try out drawing a bunch of different motives, so my mind is on a lot of different art projects at once, and I’m making baby steps of progress on each of them because I just wanna do everything lmao. I should probably take a step back and settle on one thing at a time, but at the same time, I feel like this is working for me because I’m so inspired and motivated and super excited for every single art piece; I don’t feel myself losing interest in any of them, in fact I just feel like my switching between different artworks keeps every piece fresh and interesting for me, yanno?

So here’s one thing that I’ve been slowly chipping away at for the past few months. I’m drawing a full body group picture of my main cast from Renaissance!

I’ve drawn the anatomy sketches of all the male characters (though I’m debating whether I should add some others), and now I’m adding the female characters one by one, so these are not all of the characters yet. But man, I just love seeing the characters side by side? The variety in their body language, body types and heights is just so interesting to look at, and it’ll be even better once I get around to actually adding their facial features, expressions, hair, attire, and then colouring them as well omg! I’m a sucker for this kind of thing, blame it on @juliajm15 and her amazing diverse character designs.

It’s gonna be a huge picture with a lot of characters, and I’m stoked for it!! This is a piece which I hope I’ll be able to show ya’ll the progress of bit by bit in every few updates. (also, if you feel somewhat familiar with some of my characters, you’re welcome to make guesses at who’s who (; )

Another project I’m working on is making official character portraits of my main cast (and possibly minor characters as well). I just think it’s nice to have official portraits as reference for anyone who’d like to see what the characters look like, and also for myself for whenever I need to refresh the specific features and expression of each character. It’s just a nice thing that satiates my very Type A personality lmao!

So the characters above are Owen Wright (to the left) , Daniel’s puppy bff with the fluffy hair, and then from left to right I’m colouring the portraits of the Armstrong siblings: Caleb, Caitlyn and Tristan. Their dad is a duke! n.n Caleb is the oldest, Caitlyn the youngest, and Tristan is the bland middle child. He’s a little brat LOL but I still love him.

Also, due to this glorious reference I found, I finally figured out how to draw Daniel. Bless this model, I never knew I wanted Daniel to have big puffy lips, but apparently I do.

He looks actually nice now? Which is nice? I’m amazed. Also his hair? I can never draw his hair, but this looks nice so yay? Also, I dunno why I never draw clothes on him, I guess I’m just lazy lol, but he’s gonna need to wear clothes for the official character portrait soooo... That’s a thing I’m gonna have to do.

Now that I’ve figured out his features, it’s gonna be fun to remodel all his family members accordingly. I sense that he’ll have gotten those cute puffy lips from his mum meheheheh.

I also did some Disney fanart of my two favourite Disney ladies; Esmeralda and Kida <3

I actually never really draw fanart any more, it’s been yeeeaaaars since I did, and when I used to do it, I was always very particular about staying as true to the original art style as possible. But now that I’ve spent the past couple years focusing on developing my own art style, I actually decided not to care about that so much and just draw the characters the way I’m used to drawing my own, and lo and behold - it looks pretty accurate to the Disney style?? I assumed that the characters would end up looking very different, but other than the eyes being smaller I feel like they look the exact same lmao. It’s interesting to me, because even when I used to do fanart, I usually did so of Japanese art and manga, not of Disney or any other western art. Also, I don’t consider my own style very Disney, but it pleases me a lot that the characters look so much like themselves even in my art style! The most important thing to me is to capture the essence of the character anyway, so any fan can recognise the character they love so much n.n

So that’s about it for this round! I’ve been working on other things as well, but I’d rather not disclose them to the public just yet - perhaps later, when I’ve made more progress, or (gasp!) actually finished something!! Bahahah, with the many things I’m working on, hell will freeze over before that day comes. *cries*

Youtube

I’m adding this Youtube section because, in addition to writing and doing artwork, I also like to record vocal covers (mainly of kpop songs, but I’ll do anything I’m in the mood for at any given point), aaaaand as of today I'm gonna be uploading speedpaints as well! Which is probably good since I don’t upload my covers nearly as often as I finish them lmao.

I’ve not uploaded any new covers recently (though I really should, I do have some covers lying around on my laptop mwerp), but I’m gonna list a couple of my favourite covers I have on my channel here so you can take a listen if you’d like!

youtube

And today I uploaded my very first speedpaint to my channel, so check that out if you’re interested in that sort of stuff! It’s the process of my Christmas portrait piece for Serena. I aim to be more consistent with uploads since I have a few unedited recordings lying around, so keep an eye out for that!

youtube

If you’ve read this far, thank you for sticking around and taking a look at my work, even if it’s only in WIP form. I wanted to start doing these updates because I’ve been watching my friends do them for a long time, and I always love reading their writing updates; they motivate me so much to get working on my own stuff, and I just wanna be able to perhaps do something similar for anyone else who’s watching me out there. So thank you sincerely to @coffeeandcalligraphy, @sarahkelsiwrites and @shaelinwrites for sharing your process with the world and being such an inspiration to me and many others, I love seeing you all make progress on your own projects <3

So that was all for this round, I hope you guys enjoyed a little sneak peek into what I’ve been working on! Until next time, folks!

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samanthasroberts · 6 years ago

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Here are the best books for your brand new Kindle

If you’ve been gifted a Kindle having something to read right off the bat will be your first order of business. That’s why we’ve assembled a list of the best selling Kindle books of 2017 – for every type of reader. So whether you’re into dystopian novels, memoirs, or poetry, there’s something on this list for you.

Plus if you’re an Amazon Prime member, you get access to the Kindle Lending Library. You can check out a book for free every month, and with new titles added each month you’ll never run out of options to choose from. But for big readers, Kindle Unlimited exists to help feed your hunger for new material. The standalone service costs $9.99 a month and allows you to download most eBooks for free. So go on and get reading! You can thank us later.

1) Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur

Amazon

From the publisher: The book is divided into four chapters, and each chapter serves a different purpose. Deals with a different pain. Heals a different heartache. Milk and Honey takes readers through a journey of the most bitter moments in life and finds sweetness in them because there is sweetness everywhere if you are just willing to look.

Price on Amazon: $4.99 (regularly $9.99)

Buy it here

2) The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

Amazon

From the publisher: The Handmaid’s Tale is a novel of such power that the reader will be unable to forget its images and its forecast. Set in the near future, it describes life in what was once the United States and is now called the Republic of Gilead, a monotheocracy that has reacted to social unrest and a sharply declining birthrate by reverting to, and going beyond, the repressive intolerance of the original Puritans. The regime takes the Book of Genesis absolutely at its word, with bizarre consequences for the women and men in its population.

Price on Amazon: $9.99 (regularly $15.95)

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3) Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling

Amazon

From the publisher: Harry Potter has never even heard of Hogwarts when the letters start dropping on the doormat at number four, Privet Drive. Addressed in green ink on yellowish parchment with a purple seal, they are swiftly confiscated by his grisly aunt and uncle. Then, on Harry’s eleventh birthday, a great beetle-eyed giant of a man called Rubeus Hagrid bursts in with some astonishing news: Harry Potter is a wizard, and he has a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. An incredible adventure is about to begin!

Price on Amazon: $8.99 (regularly $10.99)

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4) 1984 by George Orwell

Amazon

From the publisher: In 1984, London is a grim city in the totalitarian state of Oceania where Big Brother is always watching you and the Thought Police can practically read your mind. Winston Smith is a man in grave danger for the simple reason that his memory still functions. Drawn into a forbidden love affair, Winston finds the courage to join a secret revolutionary organization called The Brotherhood, dedicated to the destruction of the Party. Together with his beloved Julia, he hazards his life in a deadly match against the powers that be.

Price on Amazon: $9.99

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5) The Unremembered Girl: A Novel by Eliza Maxwell

Amazon

From the publisher: In the deep woods of East Texas, Henry supports his family by selling bootleg liquor. It’s all he can do to keep his compassionate but ailing mother and his stepfather—a fanatical grassroots minister with a bruising rhetoric—from ruin. But they have no idea they’ve become the obsession of the girl in the woods. Abandoned and nearly feral, Eve has been watching them, seduced by the notion of family—something she’s known only in the most brutal sense. Soon she can’t resist the temptation to get close. Where Henry’s mother sees a poor girl in need, his father sees only wickedness. When Henry forges an unexpected bond with Eve, he believes he might be able to save her. He doesn’t know how wrong he is. Eve is about to take charge of her own destiny—and that of Henry’s family. As both their worlds spin violently out of control, Henry must make an impossible choice: protect the broken woman who’s claimed a piece of his soul, or put everyone he loves at risk in order to do the right thing.

Price on Amazon: $4.99 (regularly $14.95)

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6) I Am Watching You by Teresa Driscoll

Amazon

From the publisher: When Ella Longfield overhears two attractive young men flirting with teenage girls on a train, she thinks nothing of it—until she realises they are fresh out of prison and her maternal instinct is put on high alert. But just as she’s decided to call for help, something stops her. The next day, she wakes up to the news that one of the girls—beautiful, green-eyed Anna Ballard—has disappeared. A year later, Anna is still missing. Ella is wracked with guilt over what she failed to do, and she’s not the only one who can’t forget. Someone is sending her threatening letters—letters that make her fear for her life. Then an anniversary appeal reveals that Anna’s friends and family might have something to hide. Anna’s best friend, Sarah, hasn’t been telling the whole truth about what really happened that night—and her parents have been keeping secrets of their own. Someone knows where Anna is—and they’re not telling. But they are watching Ella.

Price on Amazon: $4.99 (regularly $14.95)

Buy it here

7) The Letter by Kathryn Hughes

Amazon

From the publisher: Tina Craig longs to escape her violent husband. She works all the hours God sends to save up enough money to leave him, also volunteering in a charity shop to avoid her unhappy home. Whilst going through the pockets of a second-hand suit, she comes across an old letter, the envelope firmly sealed and unfranked. Tina opens the letter and reads it – a decision that will alter the course of her life forever. Billy Stirling knows he has been a fool, but hopes he can put things right. On 4th September 1939 he sits down to write the letter he hopes will change his future. It does – in more ways than he can ever imagine.

Price on Amazon: $1.99 (regularly $13.99)

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8) Dead Certain: A Novel by Adam Mitzner

Amazon

From the publisher: Ella Broden is living a double life. By day, Ella works as a buttoned-up attorney on some of the city’s most grueling cases. By night, she pursues her passion for singing in the darkest clubs of Manhattan. No one knows her secret, not even Charlotte, the younger sister she practically raised. But it seems she’s not the only one in the family with something to hide. When Charlotte announces she’s sold her first novel, Ella couldn’t be more thrilled…until she gets a call that her sister’s gone missing. Ella starts investigating with the help of Detective Gabriel Velasquez, an old flame in the NYPD, and what she finds is shocking. If art imitates life, then her sister’s novel may contain details of her real-life affairs. And any one of her lovers could be involved in her disappearance. Desperate to bring Charlotte home, Ella works through her list of suspects, matching fictitious characters with flesh-and-blood men. But will it be too late to save the sister she only thought she knew?

Price on Amazon: $4.99 (regularly $15.95)

But it here

9) Thug Kitchen: The Official Cookbook: Eat Like You Give a F*ck by Thug Kitchen

Amazon

From the publisher: Thug Kitchen started their wildly popular web site to inspire people to eat some Goddamn vegetables and adopt a healthier lifestyle. Beloved by Gwyneth Paltrow (“This might be my favorite thing ever”) and named Saveur‘s Best New Food blog of 2013–with half a million Facebook fans and counting–Thug Kitchen wants to show everyone how to take charge of their plates and cook up some real f*cking food. Yeah, plenty of blogs and cookbooks preach about how to eat more kale, why ginger fights inflammation, and how to cook with microgreens and nettles. But they are dull or pretentious as hell–and most people can’t afford the hype. Thug Kitchen lives in the real world. In their first cookbook, they’re throwing down more than 100 vegan recipes for their best-loved meals, snacks, and sides for beginning cooks to home chefs. (Roasted Beer and Lime Cauliflower Tacos? Pumpkin Chili? Grilled Peach Salsa? Believe that sh*t.) Plus they’re going to arm you with all the info and techniques you need to shop on a budget and go and kick a bunch of ass on your own. This book is an invitation to everyone who wants to do better to elevate their kitchen game. No more ketchup and pizza counting as vegetables. No more drive-thru lines. No more avoiding the produce corner of the supermarket. Sh*t is about to get real.

Price on Amazon: $9.99 (regularly $19.50)

Buy it here

10) The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

Amazon

From the publisher: In ancient times the Rings of Power were crafted by the Elven-smiths, and Sauron, the Dark Lord, forged the One Ring, filling it with his own power so that he could rule all others. But the One Ring was taken from him, and though he sought it throughout Middle-earth, it remained lost to him. After many ages it fell by chance into the hands of the hobbit Bilbo Baggins. From Sauron’s fastness in the Dark Tower of Mordor, his power spread far and wide. Sauron gathered all the Great Rings to him, but always he searched for the One Ring that would complete his dominion. When Bilbo reached his eleventy-first birthday he disappeared, bequeathing to his young cousin Frodo the Ruling Ring and a perilous quest: to journey across Middle-earth, deep into the shadow of the Dark Lord, and destroy the Ring by casting it into the Cracks of Doom. The Lord of the Rings tells of the great quest undertaken by Frodo and the Fellowship of the Ring: Gandalf the Wizard; the hobbits Merry, Pippin, and Sam; Gimli the Dwarf; Legolas the Elf; Boromir of Gondor; and a tall, mysterious stranger called Strider. This new edition includes the fiftieth-anniversary fully corrected text setting and, for the first time, an extensive new index.

Price on Amazon: $16.99 (regularly $20.00)

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11) Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney

Amazon

From the publisher: It’s a new school year, and Greg Heffley finds himself thrust into middle school, where undersized weaklings share the hallways with kids who are taller, meaner, and already shaving. The hazards of growing up before you’re ready are uniquely revealed through words and drawings as Greg records them in his diary. In book one of this debut series, Greg is happy to have Rowley, his sidekick, along for the ride. But when Rowley’s star starts to rise, Greg tries to use his best friend’s newfound popularity to his own advantage, kicking off a chain of events that will test their friendship in hilarious fashion.

Price on Amazon: $7.99 (regularly $12.56)

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12) Star Wars: Darth Vader Vol. 1 by Kieron Gillen

Amazon

From the publisher: The original Dark Lord of the Sith stars in his first ongoing series! Ever since Darth Vader’s first on-screen appearance, he has become one of pop-culture’s most popular villains. Now, follow Vader straight from the ending of A NEW HOPE (and the pages of the new STAR WARS comic book) into his own solo adventures — showing the Empire’s war with the Rebel Alliance from the other side! But when a Dark Lord needs help, who can he turn to? As Vader pursues a very personal vengeance against the Rebels and investigates the Emperor’s secret machinations, he clashes with weapons scavenger Aphra and deadly Battle Droids, and returns to Geonosis to build an army. But some very powerful people don’t want him to learn the truths he seeks! Guest-starring Jabba the Hutt, Boba Fett and more!

Price on Amazon: $2.99 (regularly $10.99)

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13) Coming Clean: A Memoir by Kimberly Rae Miller

Amazon

From the publisher: Kimberly Rae Miller is an immaculately put-together woman with a great career, a loving boyfriend, and a beautifully tidy apartment in Brooklyn. You would never guess that behind the closed doors of her family’s idyllic Long Island house hid teetering stacks of aging newspaper, broken computers, and boxes upon boxes of unused junk festering in every room—the product of her father’s painful and unending struggle with hoarding. In this dazzling memoir, Miller brings to life her experience growing up in a rat-infested home, hiding her father’s shameful secret from friends for years, and the emotional burden that ultimately led to her suicide attempt. In beautiful prose, Miller sheds light on her complicated yet loving relationship with her parents, which has thrived in spite of the odds. Coming Clean is a story about recognizing where you come from and understanding the relationships that define you. It is also a powerful story of recovery and redemption.

Price on Amazon: $5.99 (regularly $13.95)

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14) Two Kinds of Truth by Michael Connelly

Amazon

From the publisher: Harry Bosch is back as a volunteer working cold cases for the San Fernando Police Department and is called out to a local drug store where a young pharmacist has been murdered. Bosch and the town’s 3-person detective squad sift through the clues, which lead into the dangerous, big business world of pill mills and prescription drug abuse. Meanwhile, an old case from Bosch’s LAPD days comes back to haunt him when a long-imprisoned killer claims Harry framed him, and seems to have new evidence to prove it. Bosch left the LAPD on bad terms, so his former colleagues aren’t keen to protect his reputation. He must fend for himself in clearing his name and keeping a clever killer in prison. The two unrelated cases wind around each other like strands of barbed wire. Along the way Bosch discovers that there are two kinds of truth: the kind that sets you free and the kind that leaves you buried in darkness.

Price on Amazon: $14.99 (regularly $29.00)

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15) A River in Darkness: One Man’s Escape from North Korea by Masaji Ishikawa

Amazon

From the publisher: Half-Korean, half-Japanese, Masaji Ishikawa has spent his whole life feeling like a man without a country. This feeling only deepened when his family moved from Japan to North Korea when Ishikawa was just thirteen years old, and unwittingly became members of the lowest social caste. His father, himself a Korean national, was lured to the new Communist country by promises of abundant work, education for his children, and a higher station in society. But the reality of their new life was far from utopian. In this memoir translated from the original Japanese, Ishikawa candidly recounts his tumultuous upbringing and the brutal thirty-six years he spent living under a crushing totalitarian regime, as well as the challenges he faced repatriating to Japan after barely escaping North Korea with his life. A River in Darkness is not only a shocking portrait of life inside the country but a testament to the dignity—and indomitable nature—of the human spirit.

Price on Amazon: $1.99 (regularly $19.95)

Buy it here

Shop the full list of best-selling Kindle books here

MORE BAZAAR DEALS:

These brand new Harry Potter books are great additions to your collection

10 literary journalism classics that should be on your reading list

The Introvert Activity Book is perfect for those who find solace in alone time

The Daily Dot may receive a payment in connection with purchases of products or services featured in this article. Click here to learn more.

Source: http://allofbeer.com/here-are-the-best-books-for-your-brand-new-kindle/

from All of Beer https://allofbeer.wordpress.com/2018/12/30/here-are-the-best-books-for-your-brand-new-kindle/

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allofbeercom · 6 years ago

Text

Here are the best books for your brand new Kindle

1) Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur

Amazon

Price on Amazon: $4.99 (regularly $9.99)

Buy it here

2) The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

Amazon

Price on Amazon: $9.99 (regularly $15.95)

Buy it here

3) Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling

Amazon

Price on Amazon: $8.99 (regularly $10.99)

Buy it here

4) 1984 by George Orwell

Amazon

Price on Amazon: $9.99

Buy it here

5) The Unremembered Girl: A Novel by Eliza Maxwell

Amazon

Price on Amazon: $4.99 (regularly $14.95)

Buy it here

6) I Am Watching You by Teresa Driscoll

Amazon

Price on Amazon: $4.99 (regularly $14.95)

Buy it here

7) The Letter by Kathryn Hughes

Amazon

Price on Amazon: $1.99 (regularly $13.99)

Buy it here

8) Dead Certain: A Novel by Adam Mitzner

Amazon

Price on Amazon: $4.99 (regularly $15.95)

But it here

9) Thug Kitchen: The Official Cookbook: Eat Like You Give a F*ck by Thug Kitchen

Amazon

Price on Amazon: $9.99 (regularly $19.50)

Buy it here

10) The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

Amazon

Price on Amazon: $16.99 (regularly $20.00)

Buy it here

11) Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney

Amazon

Price on Amazon: $7.99 (regularly $12.56)

Buy it here

12) Star Wars: Darth Vader Vol. 1 by Kieron Gillen

Amazon

Price on Amazon: $2.99 (regularly $10.99)

Buy it here

13) Coming Clean: A Memoir by Kimberly Rae Miller

Amazon

Price on Amazon: $5.99 (regularly $13.95)

Buy it here

14) Two Kinds of Truth by Michael Connelly

Amazon

Price on Amazon: $14.99 (regularly $29.00)

Buy it here

15) A River in Darkness: One Man’s Escape from North Korea by Masaji Ishikawa

Amazon

Price on Amazon: $1.99 (regularly $19.95)

Buy it here

Shop the full list of best-selling Kindle books here

MORE BAZAAR DEALS:

These brand new Harry Potter books are great additions to your collection

10 literary journalism classics that should be on your reading list

The Introvert Activity Book is perfect for those who find solace in alone time

The Daily Dot may receive a payment in connection with purchases of products or services featured in this article. Click here to learn more.

from All Of Beer http://allofbeer.com/here-are-the-best-books-for-your-brand-new-kindle/

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only13yearslatetospn · 6 years ago

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Skin – 1.06

Loving the music, even if it is overlaid over someone getting tortured. This whole scene is actually ridiculously mesmerising… The lights of the SWAT team, the muffled screams, the hypnotic music… BEST.OPENING.EVER.

So here are my thoughts on Season 1, Episode 6:

Oh, Dean is in trouble!!! It’s at this point that I remember they don’t have any actual supernatural ability and they’ve managed to avoid incarceration up to this point only by picking locks, lying about their identities and living out of a car. Seriously? How?!

One week earlier? Holy crap I can’t wait for this episode!

“You still keep in touch with your college buddies?” I need to pause and ask… how long have they been hunting together? I didn’t think it had been that long. Dean, just because you don’t have any friends, doesn’t mean Sam has to get rid of his. Yeah, Dean is super antisocial.

“Maybe you know [him] as well as he knows you.” Low blow, Dean-o…

Has Dean memorised a map of the entirety of America? He just instantly knows where everywhere is in relation to them. I’m starting to think Dean has a photographic memory. Or, you know, plot convenience is probably more likely.

Sam, what are you getting you guys into? I know you care about your friend, but you’re NOT cops.

Boo, Dean. Let your brother have friends. He does not need to be as messed up as you.

Basic police protocol; someone mans the site at all times for “continuity of evidence” and then they get a clean-up crew in. A still-bloodied crime scene is never just left alone. And now I seem suspicious. Just an ex-law student like Sammy, FBI Agents!

Oh, another monster that doesn’t like happy people. Monsters are just bitter and lonely. Maybe if we gave them hugs, they wouldn’t kill so many people.

Oh, a shapeshifter I guess that’s why “skin” is the title. And how Dean got caught torturing someone. That’s sort of disappointing. I kinda wanted like a possessed Dean or something.

Haha. Why do people think Sam is the smart one? He thinks himself in circles and Dean cuts through and comes up with the straight solution. Like, Sam is kind of TOO smart. He never thinks of the obvious.

See? Telling the truth always ends badly.

Stop trying to make Sam like you, Dean. He doesn’t need to take the weight of the world on his shoulders. Getting to shoot people is a perk? Seriously?

Good thing it gave them a second to notice it instead of killing them instantly. Monsters are so thoughtful.

Split up while there’s a SHAPESHIFTER on the loose. REALLY??? That is a recipe for miscommunication. 10 seconds later: told you so.

So the shapeshifter can access memories? That makes it three times more dangerous.

How did he know??? That thing is good at pretending to be Dean. And Dean would totally just fight through a sore shoulder.

Getting hit by something that looks like your brother would be really hard to stomach.

Like it when the monster digs up brotherly issues. Dean being a freak and Sam being Mr. Likeable. Dean has so many abandonment issues. Mum left (sort of), Sam left, Dad left, no friends. Sam leaving probably hurt the worst, so Sam having friends probably makes Dean think he’s just waiting to leave again. I get it, but I still don’t like it. Friends stop you being co-dependent.

Come on, monster; Dean would bang anyone given the chance. Becky ain’t special.

Oh, so the monster has the same issues as Dean. Cool cool. Wow, the monster really is just bitter and lonely. Hug time for the monster?

I hope she learns that’s not the real Dean cos that’s gonna seriously affect her friendship with Sam if she thinks his brother is a sexual predator.

I wonder if actors like it when they get to do something different. Like, he gets to be a torturer this week. That’d be kinda cool if you were an actor.

The music for the second run through of the opening scene is awesome, too. Sound editing gets all the awards from me!

Werewolf transition. Why would you ever change shapes if it was that painful? Just go with something innocuous and live a normal human life?

Like Dean’s gonna do what he’s told..

They really don’t rely on shocking the audience. I dig that. They let us in on who the monster is and we have to watch Sam and Dean work it out.

Oh, the shapeshifter likes Dean’s body as much as the fans do. That’s fair.

You were four years older than him, Dean, of course you always kicked his ass.

Well, that’s one way to stop them hunting Dean. Give them a dead Dean. So Dean’s officially dead. Like, on public record dead. That will make their lives easier I reckon.

Taking back his jewellery. It is at this point I realise how much I like Dean’s jewellery.

Sam has a friend who knows what he does! That’s so sweet! I bet that will definitely come up regularly as an addition to his support system, and as a back-up if things go badly, and… she’s never gonna be mentioned again, is she? I see you, serial programming.

Wait, Zach? You still can’t clear Zach’s name. Oh, haha. Dean’s responsible for ALL the murders. That’s cool.

Aw, they’re freaks together. But they’re still allowed to have friends, ok? OK?!

I feel like you don’t want to go to your own funeral since it’s the funeral of a convicted murderer. Not gonna make you look good.

#newbie watches spn #classic spn #dean winchester #sam winchester #spn s01e06 #skin

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