#I don't like this too much so I might make another Lee edit at some point</3

[blkkatsuki]

could i request rock lee for edits? i just think he’s neat

yea!!!!!! Here u go^_^

[ID: An edited manga panel of Rock Lee. He is edited to have darker skin and locs. Naruto is seen running off in the background. /End ID]

#ludo.png #I don't like this too much so I might make another Lee edit at some point</3 #anyways feel free to send more!!!^_^/ #id in alt text #rock lee #naruto

[tellthemeerkatsitsfine]

My journey through John Oliver's IMDB page that I've been doing in the last few days (summary: his old Cambridge doc got taken off YouTube, I got paranoid about how I'm glad I'd saved that but this is a reminder that nothing stays on the internet forever so you need to save the stuff you want to keep, this escalated too quickly into me buying a new external hard drive just to see how much of his IMDB page I can download and put in one place) has brought me through a documentary about Russell Howard from 2021. I previously knew that documentary existed, but I hadn't watched it because even before Russell doubled down on the Jordan Peterson thing enough for me to be done watching his stuff (I ignored the mild comments for months before he actually invited Peterson onto his show and made ignoring it impossible), I didn't need to see a documentary about how the pandemic made life difficult for an extremely rich and successful touring comedian.

However, I learned today that John Oliver had a credit in the documentary, so obviously I immediately downloaded it. To be honest I haven't watched the whole thing, I just skipped through it in search of the John Oliver bits. Because I have given up on Russell Howard, but his former connection to the Chocolate Milk Gang, and my hobby of cataloguing all Chocolate Milk Gang history, is the only thing that will make me temporarily suspend my closely held principles such as a hard line against all Jordan Peterson apologists. I did the same thing with his recent podcast, rolling my eyes when I first saw it announced because surely he doesn't need another platform and Britcom doesn't need another bland podcast, until I saw that there would be a John Oliver episode and obviously I listened to that one.

Anyway, the point is that there was some fun Chocolate Milk Gang history in the documentary, I've cut out the relevant clip:

The Chocolate Milk Gang goes by many names. Andrew Maxwell apparently called them "the guys with the bags". Stewart Lee has called them "The hanging around gang". In a discussion with Richard Herring they were labeled "the nerds of the circuit". But here we have a new one: the golden generation. A name coined by Russell Howard and then immediately and entirely justifiably ripped apart by John Oliver, what good stuff. I greatly enjoyed that. Someone should make a Chocolate Milk Gang documentary. I could probably cut together a Chocolate Milk Gang documentary from all the media files I've hoarded. See how many names they've been given over the years.

Based on the ten or so minutes I watched, I think I might genuinely be capable of putting together better videos than the person who made this Russell Howard documentary, the editing on it looks surprisingly amateur-ish for a film about such a huge mainstream star. However, it did provide me with very slightly (only very slightly, but still) higher quality versions of a couple of CMG-related images I had seen before, but had only seen in terrible quality, so it's nice to have those a little clearer:

And I hadn't seen this one before, I don't think Andy Zaltzman changed in appearance at all between 2003 and about 2017.

Oh and Steve Hall shows up at the end, which is fun. I like that guy. I like Steve Hall probably too much, given the fact that the main thing I've heard him do is be quite gross on several episodes Daniel Kitson's radio show in 2007-2008. But it was really funny. Those episodes made me laugh almost constantly and I recommend them to absolutely no one, no one should ever hear that. Though it's not the only thing I've heard him do. I have to be the only person in the world who watched the We Are Klang sitcom in 2023 just for one actor, but that actor was not Greg Davies. Oh and Steve Hall was in that Late 'n' Live recording from 2007, but that's not a lot better for making him respectable. He writes on The Russell Howard Hour and on some level I know he was probably involved in bringing in Jordan Peterson and probably if I asked Steve Hall to tell me all his political opinions I wouldn't be able to enjoy his old sitcom anymore, but luckily he doesn't have a big enough platform to tell us all his opinions so I'll just assume it's fine.

@lastweeksshirttonight, tagging you in case you don't happen to see this post because you'll really enjoy that video clip, it is relevant to your interests.

[binnieceo]

Live-Drawing Summary

On August 18th, Webtoon CANVAS did a creator summit where Webtoon authors could teach others and share their process. Sleepacross was one of the many artists who were invited, and they did a live-drawing session.

The Webtoon moderators said that the stream was recorded, but we have no idea as to when it will be published, so I thought it'd be nice to write down the questions and answers that were said in the stream!

This is very much paraphrased and spoken from memory, so some things might be a bit off (and I apologize). I marked the things I am not completely sure about with a "(?)"

If you were in the event too and want to correct me on something, just tell me and I'll edit the post!

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS:

Q: Which character changed the most and which character changed the least from how they were in the beginning?

A: Sayeon changed the most, Min changed the least.

Q: Who do you like to write more and who do you like to write the least?

A: Sleepacross likes to write Ryujin best, because they like angry women, but doesn't like to write Min as much, because it's hard to get across what Min is thinking.

Q: Who looks better in a suit?

A: [REDACTED]

Q: What are your sources of inspiration for Hand Jumper?

A: Videogames. They cited The Witcher and the author of Berserk as an inspiration. "Thank you to old men."

Q: What will you do after Hand Jumper is finished?

A: Not quite sure. Sleepacross is studying to be a Visdev for videogames. Maybe they will make another webtoon, as they have other ideas, but they are unsure.

Q: How many seasons will Hand Jumper have?

A: Probably 3. Hand Jumper can be a little longer or shorter depending on the pacing of the story.

Q: What character are you most excited to show more of?

A: Samin and Sara Lee.

Q: How did you come up with the magic system for Hand Jumper?

A: Sleepacross wanted to make something a little mystical but that also was a little grounded in reality. They also mentioned that there is soft magic in Hand Jumper. (but their stream froze while they were speaking, so I didn't catch the rest </3)

Q: How do you balance out college and Hand Jumper?

A: They don't.

Q: How did the pitching for Hand Jumper work?

A: Word vomited into a google docs for 2 days and apparently that was good enough for Webtoon, who greenlit the series.

Q: How many assistants do you have?

A: Two flat color assistants, one editor.

Q: Biggest challenge when creating Hand Jumper? (?)

A: Sleepacross wanted to do everything on their own at first, but it was tiring. Eventually they got assistants to help out, and said that we should look for assistants too, if we ever decide to make a comic.

A: Not too far.

Q: How far along was the original Hand Jumper when the originals version got released?

Q: How many episodes did you have ready when you began uploading the original Hand Jumper on Webtoon?

A: Just 2. Don't do that.

Q: Advice for others who are starting their webcomic?

A: Draw what you like, write for yourself, and do test panels to know how the webtoon will look like.

Q: Are there plans to have a physical copy of Hand Jumper?

A: Not yet, but the idea sounds nice. Either way they'd have to redraw the old chapters because they'd rather gauge their eyes out than have them be printed.

Q: What character would you personally simp for who isn't Samin?

A: Ryujin (? I think ?)

Q: Is Iseul actually nice or is he a psycopath?

A: Iseul is nice. They added by saying "Nice characters are nice in my Webcomic."

Q: How much time do you spend working on Hand Jumper?

A: No idea.

Q: What takes the most time to draw in Hand Jumper? (?)

A: Action scenes.

Q: What's most important when making a custom brush on CSP?

A: The pen pressure, so you can get a better feel of your tools.

Q: What brush do you use to lineart? (?)

A: A custom brush lovingly nicknamed "sleep2"

Q: About the songs in Hand Jumper...

A: Sleepacross will upload the songs on youtube eventually, and is working on a new song which they will feature in the first episode of season 2.

Q: When will season 2 come out?

A: No idea, but they are working on it.

Q: Can you make your college work Hand Jumper related?

A: Sadly no, their assignments don't have anything to do with Hand Jumper

Q: What characters do you like the most? (?)

A: Sayeon and Officer Han

#hand jumper #webtoon

[sonsband]

As Catiny’s main vocalist - who do you think has the spiciest vocals in kpop right meow?

How spicey do you mean?

(also if you like discussions of music I sometimes do those on my side blog changdyke and would love to talk about vocalists or music with people! okay shameless plug done)

Well, the spiciest vocals come from Changmin, who is a level 2 spicey boy at MOST. I mean, the 240105 Music Bank high note for "Down"? I don't know how half the boy groups didn't immediately vaporize as soon as he did That. I know it was probably just that he didn't hit the note at first, but he made it sound so good with that dissonance resolving into whistle register? (I would say something about Nissan Stadium Forever Love but until that's back up on YouTube I refuse to contemplate it so I don't burst into tears) But I'm a hater and don't like him so don't put him on the list.

EXID's Solji might not be active right meow, but she just did that musical so she counts!

Of course BTOB, Eunkwang and Minhyuk especially, I mean, "Boom" era was everything to me.

All of A.C.E, obviously, the world is a little brighter for their comeback. I can't wait for Donghun to absolutely devastate me again, but friendly reminder for your daily required viewing of their It's Live performance of "Goblin".

WayV's Xiaojun, I know Mujin Service is pitch corrected but the sheer emotion in "Ashes" is too much. He doesn't need to do as much as he does at all times, but thank god for it.

Does Forestella count as kpop? Because they've got the spice and the spicey vocals. All of them, but Woorim's wife was right to lock him down after that performance of "Bad Romance".

I might be ride or die for Seonghwa Main Vocal When, but back in like February 2021 I said San from Ateez strained a lot and he said "why would you say such a thing? btw hi lesbians" and just immediately went fuckin insane. I'm bummed it happened after they stopped actively promoting it but I will never shut up about how when he gets a mic for "Turbulence" he saves the whole song with that modulation to keep it from being a diminished fifth. I know he's a great dancer but he's vocal line for a reason. Watch "Breathe" btw.

SPEAKING OF "BREATHE"!!!! [edit: I got too excited to jump into IU that I forgot to finish this, sorry, I know it's a Lee Hi song] Lee Hi is that good good alto and the fact she had that voice at debut? We Love Altos.

IU!!!!! GIRL!!!!!!! No list of spiciest vocals would be complete without IU. "Love Poem" should be a UNESCO World Heritage piece of culture. I love her and I can't believe you're keeping her hostage and away from us, Addy.

Fun fact: DK is actually short for "DyKe rights" (editor's note: this is not true) and my sister will let me blast "Hot" in her car specifically so we can vocalize along with his chest voice there. He's got such a good ear.

The Boyz genuinely has some power vocals. Why do you think his name is SANGyeon? That video of him singing in a parking lot plays behind my eyes while I try to fall asleep.

Shownu simply does not get the credit he deserves as a vocalist. His voice is more subtle, so maybe not particularly spicey, but he's my husband and I will not let him go unappreciated on this list. What's the opposite of spicey? That's how I feel about I.M, except he's actually got interesting vocals, he's technically weaker but I think that makes him more interesting vocally. Plus he's the King of Vocal Fry (complimentary).

Another vocal fry master -- Taehyun from TXT. I feel so much about that kid. Most of it good.

For the hags, all of 2pm! (I'm not taking antipsychotics right now so I'm allowed to be delusional and they're active in my heart.) "Make It" was THE song of 2021, no notes at all. And "ADTOY" had no right to be that good. Also we love grown men being grown up spicey.

Woodz, don't talk to me about enlistment if I don't acknowledge it then it isn't happening. The live versions of "Chaser" and "Trigger" and "Accident" and and and and? I think his harmonizing gets overshadowed sometimes by his vocal power, especially since he has to harmonize with his backing track rather than another singer, but bro... bro... Also he was the closest to a Changmin "Mirotic" note, I will ignore any arguments to the contrary.

Red Velvet's Seulgi has really good vocals when she's given the chance to flex them, I really wish we could hear more from her. Underappreciated, tbh.

Highlight's Dongwoon, do we need to talk about that performance of "Fiction" again? Because I will talk about that performance of "Fiction" again. And I choose to believe his scene in "Good Luck" is part of the most watched section because of that little C# Major moment. Yeah his only other band mate Yeoseob is good but I gotta give the crown to Dongwoon. Also his outfits from last May's concerts were so spicey.

I'm so excited for Chungha's comeback. I know she's not really appreciated for her vocals since she's definitely a pop vocalist, but "Play"! I'm not even mad when she uses playback on music shows, she's in chest voice enough.

I can't believe I'm about to put a manlet on this list but Hui's got the spice. He's got the vocals. He deserves. That's all.

And how about Doyeon from Weki Meki. Siyeon from Dreamcatcher (omg that "Overdose" cover). Ailee, obviously. BB Girls Yujeong. Sistar just as a whole but especially Hyolyn, "Layin Low" changed me as a person and I swear it wasn't just the Nicole Kirkland choreo.

Okay I've just powered through so many Vocalists that my brain's been turned to mush. Tell me what else you think!

#you're welcome to yell at me to tell me who I forgot #Addy says they sent this ask here bc they forgot I do music stuff on changdyke but I think it's cause this blog is searchable #catiny #addy

[ylojgtr]

ive just been thinking about it so here are my initial thoughts

fucking marrok man. like wtf. i was legitimately excited for this guy, even though he kinda seemed like a one-note character, i was so excited to see what being an inquisitor was like after the empire was defeated, like it's almost a reversal of order 66 and now the hunters become the hunted. and if filoni has proven one thing, it's that making one-note characters more complex is kind of his specialty. but i GUESS NOT

the ahsoka-baylan duel...it was just not enjoyable for me. my interpretation is that they were trying for something similar to what obi-wan and maul did on tatooine in rebels, where they used lightsaber stances as non-verbal communication. in rebels it was obi-wan assuming his prequels/cw pose, then his original trilogy pose, then the pose that qui-gon used when maul killed him. maul thought he could use the same attack he did when he killed qui-gon, and his immediate defeat shows how obi-wan has thought about that day for years and years, and how he's always learning from his past, whereas maul only thinks about his past as a source of anger and motivation for revenge. in ahsoka they might have been using the stances to sort of gauge each other's knowledge of the jedi traditions, and i appreciate the different uses of this heavy reliance on star wars lore, but the payoff doesn't seem so satisfying. ahsoka dismisses talking about her past (and tbf, why wouldnt she, like this guy is trying to start another galaxy wide war) so we don't really get anything out of it all *SO FAR* i really hope the relationship between her and baylan evolves and this lightsaber thing becomes more important, but on the surface right now it just felt like another sorta boring lightsaber fight. but i would absolutely love to hear other people's thoughts on this and ill probably edit this once more people have seen it and posted about it

also where's zeb. we saw him in the mandalorian, we know he's there. where are you hiding him. we know he knows paul sun-hyung lee (i forgot his characters name). he would absolutely have come with hera. also morai

im usually a pretty conservative shipper, like i don't really care about ships (as long as they're ethical lmao) i just don't really engage with that part of fandom. i could get behind luke and ezra being together, there's some cool sun and moon imagery there and they sort of have contrasting stories, as @hashtagloveloses said once. zeb and kallus i don't mind either. but barrissoka is my everything. it is the one ship that i want to see SOOO BADLY FUCCCKK PLEASE DAVE YOU SAID YOU HAVE PLANS FOR BARRISS LIKE TEN YEARS AGO PLEASEE

but yeah shin and sabine would be pretty cool too, there's definitely a lot of tension there and even though we don't know much about her (i really want to learn more) it would be cool to see shin have someone truly care about her, not be her boss or anything, and have sabine learn to lean more into honesty expressing her affection, since she's always been really stoic and i think shin would need that sincerity in a relationship

and i already mentioned anakin in another post but fuck im so happy to see hayden chritsensen again man. even if his story is lackluster (which oh my god i hope it's not) im so happy to see him again ❤️

i also really hope anakin brings up some character development/exploration for ahsoka cause like. what has she been doing. this is probably the biggest problem i have with this show so far, or at least second biggest lmao. i like that they're taking time to explore different characters and relationships in the universe, but i really want to see ahsoka get more time to shine. when put in a leadership position, she's always been a little more serious (character development from that one time she led a while squad to their deaths cause she was careless), like when she was with the younglings when they got their kyber crystals, but that doesn't mean she's invincible/unfeeling. she has lots of feelings about anakin and obi-wan and ezra and sabine, and i really want to see them!! when she said it's better to destroy the map and lose ezra than let thrawn return and start a war, i want to see her struggle with that like sabine does because she misses ezra too! i get that she didn't want to talk about anakin with baylan but let her talk about him with someone else! hopefully her world between worlds experience will help with that. some of the most solid development we've seen with her so far is being upset by how much she's let people down, ie anakin, sabine. and baylan tries to play into that to make her feel bad. i feel like that certainly will be explored more but fuck. it's about time.

i also want to see her relationship with the jedi more fully explored. i had always assumed that, while she was deeply affected by order 66, she didn't regret her decision to leave the jedi order. i thought that barriss had shown her some of the problems with it, and that her supporting the siege of mandalore showed that she was able to pursue what she thought was important, not the jedi order who were being heavily controlled by the senate and the politics of the time. but she seems to feel guilty about the fact that she's not a jedi? that she somehow let them down by not confirming to a system she no longer believed in? idk if i just made that up in my head cause i like to think of it that way and that my hradcanon is interfering with my enjoyment of this show lmao, someone please tell me if it is

another big problem i have with the show so far is how much it relies on the audience being invested in these stories to supply dramatic weight. and i don't mean in the way that it doesn't explain who sabine, ahsoka, hera, jacen, etc. are, this is obviously a show specifically for cw and rebels fans and im all the way here for it. i mean theres very little substance here, it feels like mostly biding time until ezra and thrawn show up. like we're 4 episodes in and we've seen some relationship development for ahsoka and sabine, a bit of hinting at a backstory for baylan, and...a lot of good guy v bad guy race for the special map, which just isn't very enthralling cause we know someone's gonna get to thrawn and ezra, we all saw lars mikkelson in the trailer. what i really want to see developed is his response to him being seen as a sort of messiah that will bring the empire back. or why baylan is so certain thrawn will start another war, or still be loyal to the empire at all with their power, and therefore political value to the chiss, as well as palpatine, who was sort of keeping him in line, gone. i want something substantial out of these stories were invested in, not just fodder for "ooh who are we gonna see next?"

also how much you wanna bet that ahsoka uses the world between worlds to get to thrawn. like its lines and shit appear in the credits so it's probably important

but yeah that's about all im thinking about right now hopefully next episode is crazy, cause it sure is shaping up to be a doozy

#ahsoka #star wars #ahsoka spoilers #long post

[spookysushi]

So...I got tickled ☺️😅

And omg it was SO MUCH FUN 😍 If you're anything like I was before 2 days ago, the idea of actually having a session is maybe a little terrifying. But if you dream about tickling/being tickled by somebody IRL this is your sign to take that leap and go do it! It's so fulfilling and with the right person you will have such a good time ❤

I might do another post breaking down precisely where I'm ticklish/what tickles the most 🤭 (edit: linked here) but for now, here's some thoughts I have on the session, and tickling in general:

It makes such a difference to be fully comfortable and friendly with your session partner, BOTH AS A LEE AND A LER. I got pretty lucky in this regard, as I hadn't actually met my partner in person until that day, but he walked me back from the station and he was super kind and funny 😅 and really considerate, too, of not pushing me into anything I was uncomfortable with. Obviously I was still super nervous about being tickled but 5 seconds in and all those nerves were gone 😊 I didn't feel awkward making dumb noises and giggling like crazy in front of him, nor embarrassed to tickle him back or tease him about his sweet spots. If I ever have a session with somebody new to tickling, I hope I can make them as comfortable as he made me.

Following on from that...I didn't hate being tickled by a guy! Actually it was really fun, especially because of the above point, but I was really worried I'd find it awkward or just wouldn't enjoy it. But we both had a great time ☺️ I don't really feel like it influenced my sexuality, as we didn't exactly get very intimate (that'd be quite a lot for a first session) but 10/10 would tickle/get tickled by a guy again.

Getting tickled like that...made me feel quite a bit more positive about myself and my body 😅 I'm not exactly a 10, but watching a ler delight in tickling me until I was red-faced and giggling, feeling him trace my body and find the spots that make me go wide-eyed, was actually very securing. Similarly, tickling him right back made me feel a lot more comfortable about my reactions and laughter too. Might be cringe, but I left the session feeling pretty great 😁

Holy hell I am so much more of a ler now 😁 While I'd enjoyed the idea of tickling a lee before that day, it was more from an angle of giving pleasure to my lee, knowing how enjoyable being tickled half to death is. But this time? I felt good tickling my partner because I was actually loving it myself 😁 it's so much fun to have that power over somebody so ticklish, to gentle graze the sweet spots that make them scream, to explore every inch of soft, smooth skin and tease them about how giggly they're getting. Man I can't wait to get my hands on a willing lee again 😁

On the flipside...eeeek I'm so ticklish 😆 Thankfully there was never a time I had to safeword (that shouldn't be the aim of a session unless agreed imo) but it did NOT take much to turn me into a mess of giggles 🤭😅 I knew I was ticklish but scrolling through tumblr and seeing tickling posts is so much worse now I can imagine those sensations on my body. Apparently I was much more ticklish than my ler was expecting too AND IF THAT'S NOT FLUSTERING I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS

Tickling is a WORKOUT and a half 😆😅 at least if you're a squirmer like me, and probably even without it. After the session my tummy ached so much. It was a good ache and I had a huge smile on my face, but I was pretty drained. A good friend recommended I stretch beforehand and I'd highly recommend it.

#tickling #tickling community #it's been 2 days and I already wanna go backkkk #really hope I can organise a session with him again sometime #because I doubt everyone is that nice #but he seemed to have a really good time too #ughhhh I wanna tickle him and/or get tickled again #preferably both

[lee-hakhyun]

no prob :D (regarding sharing the star writer factoid) i can’t read korean and i’m not in a position where i can just pay to read willy-nilly, so i’m enjoying seeing you and others talk about it in the meantime

it does leave me to wonder though; using minor villain cheon inho, giving focus to a character that originally had a smaller role, reusing a character from a previous, discontinued work, on top of the world after the fall revisions bringing in another one of singsong’s older babies (jaehwan) into the forefront… it’s making me think of the whole situation with the outer gods being forgotten stories, and how kim dokja had sincerely wanted to see even them come to the forefront back in the n’gai and journey to the west chapters

the thing about that is that he tried to help them by first making the yogoes follow along in their revised ‘journey to the west’ followed by trying to become an outer god himself, but kim dokja by that point was too beloved - and despite what his past taught him to believe, his story has long since turned unforgettable. transformation halted by shin yoosung whose story is told through her survival which kim dokja ensured, and then by sun wukong who had witnessed kim dokja’s story from the very beginning and didn’t want it to fade away

but what about now? the curtain has fallen upon the saga of kim dokja and friends, beloved by readers all around the world and hailed as a masterpiece, but the tales that came before them still lay ‘forgotten’. but i imagine singnsong loves them still, wouldn’t they? past works that lay as the building blocks for their future successes… the same way kim dokja wanted to ‘repay his debt’ to the story that kept them alive, perhaps the authors want to pay it forward to the stories that helped them get this far.

perhaps the side story may be a story ABOUT the Reader, but it’s FOR the Authors singnsong and the Protagonists and other Characters they had loved but couldn’t bring to the forefront before; a side story because it’s not the main tale of ORV itself, but written upon its premise and loved all the same

and the Reader who loyally followed through 1863-1865 separate tales (worldlines) based on the same premise where no one else would, who mourned the stories that laid forgotten; perhaps he’s loyally reading this too? lovingly reading through its pages, no matter how flawed the words can be. and just like how the yogoe followed along in han sooyoung’s journey to the west, the premise of orv now acts as a stage to bring the characters of old into the fray in the side story. perhaps it won’t get as much attention as the original, but that’s okay; this story is for the authors and the protagonist whose story they couldn’t finish before.

and regardless of popularity, it ensures it receives love all the same. your lee hakhyun brainrot proves it, after all!

i got an inkling when you mentioned a character that didn’t get much screentime being fleshed out more in a previous post, but finding out about where lee hakhyun came from helps bring into perspective what singnsong might be doing right now

ok. ok wow. first of all, i haven't actually read TWAFT yet, so i can't really speak on jaehwan, though i do plan on reading it this is about to be all over the place, but i do agree with you!! you're right!! your comparison with the JTTW arc is lovely

with another disclaimer that i don't know korean and all my thoughts stem from my own edited mtl, adding on my thoughts ^^

i do believe at least some part of the side story is made for exploring other sides of orv, from scenarios, to characters, and forgotten stories as singshong said in the author's note for the prologue, it's a story for kim dokja, but not just that one kim dokja and even if this isn't solely kdj's story anymore, he's still everywhere in the side story, even if he's not physically there. in the thoughts of the readers, in lhh's dreams, literal kdj kkomas watching lhh. there are a lot of stories that can still be told, and new ones that never had a chance to blossom

but the tales that came before them still lay ‘forgotten’.

on characters that gain a new focus, i want to talk about bang cheolsoo again

bang cheolsoo, in every regression, was nothing more than a very minor villain, defeated in the early scenarios and always ending up as nothing more than a minor villain but lee hakhyun meets him early, and he's in a position where he can easily deal with bang cheolsoo and his group. but he doesn't, and with '☐☐' he gives bang cheolsoo a chance to change

and he does! he jumps at the opportunity, and follows lee hakhyun. instead of monopolizing geumho station, he protects the people there, distributes food, and gains the trust of everyone in geumho station and when yjh barges into the station and subdues cheolsoo assuming he'd be the previous regressions, and subsequently getting harassed by the people in geumho station defending him, peacefully leaving (41st yjh being different than what kdj described is a whole different topic) there are stories to be told for these characters who didn't originally have a chance, what would happen if they had gotten support early on? could more of them have survived? even yoo joonghyuk was surprised at the amount of survivors in geumho station when he arrived there.

lee hakhyun clearly has different views than kim dokja, with him trying to save everyone in the first scenario and giving out food instead of selling it to those in geumho station even after acknowledging that he could get more coins through it. neither way is better than the other, orv is in kdj's pov and you can understand why he did what he did.

and even the major characters of orv, they're changing too. with lee hakhyun writing a backstory for jung heewon, and her new attribute, it's obvious that things are going to be very different than kim dokja's round. with different characters, perhaps we can see other sides of these characters that wasn't shown in the main story kim namwoon is likely still alive in this round, i would especially love to see him.. poor guy died so early on

and on reusing previous works, i do remember the star writer novel being mentioned in chapter 549

he wrote his own story! and now he's starring in another one i do love how singshong are connecting all of their stories together as well, jaehwan meeting kdj in orv, yjh showing up in TWAFT's revision, and lee hakhyun getting his own side story in ORV,,

and regardless of popularity, it ensures it receives love all the same.

just like the main story, the side story is so full of love and even if it is less popular the characters will still get the love they deserve <3

#orv side story #orv #orv spoilers #I HOPE THIS MAKES SENSE. I JUMPED AROUND A *LOT* #ask

[ilistentogirlinred]

ramblings

because i watched too many kpop music videos and dance practices and now youtube thinks i want to know about lee know's cats

i think a lot more people would hate kpop less if the fans weren't generally a bit less insane.

a lot of the music is actually rather good, but if you want to watch the music videos then youtube will forcibly send you down a spiral of fan edits and other off putting frightening things. the music videos are good, though, and the dance practices.

people do tend to be put off by the fans because even the average fan is a LOT. quite a few of them treat being a [insert group] stan like it's a sport, but not in the sense that they're a highly invested LA lakers fan. being a kpop stan seems to be a sport in the sense that the stan is the player. streaming, voting, spamming hate comments, that is the sport, although i don't think you can actually win.

kpop stans are frighteningly dedicated, i feel like they could probably take down and reform an entire government if they felt like it. although there is a lot of infighting between fans of different groups. that being said if they teamed up they could do quite a bit. i stand by the fact that if they unified they could easily overthrow the australian government. not the USA government but definitely the australian government.

did you know the greater kpop fandom has a word for people who stan multiple groups? the fact that there are so many people who are aggressively fans of one group that they need a word for people who like multiple groups is astounding (and furthers my point that being a kpop stan is a sport). MULTISTANS. as in stans of multiple groups. aka people who listen to music like a normal person.

i do feel like another turn off for people who might like some of the music is the industry itself, which is deeply fucked up. the training is dreadful, the culture is cruel and the idol-fan stuff is just off putting. (oshi no ko does a great job at showing this and its so funny to me that all these kpop idols were doing dance challenges to the oshi no ko theme song is so funny cause like... that song was written from the perspective of an idol. like you. who gets fucking stabbed by a fan. which is a thing that has happened in real life.)

ooh you know what else might push people away? the SHIPPING. those are REAL PEOPLE. yeah they could be dating but you realise they're probably a) acting a fake/exaggerated dynamic BECAUSE the shipping draws views and b) probably only like that on camera. idols are pretty much acting when on camera or in public. they are playing a character that is palatable, likeable and appealing to the general public. some of them might be more like western celebrities and be more like themselves on camera (generally the idols who were born/raised/spent at least 5 years of their childhood in the USA/canada/australia/new zealand usually) but they're still acting. they've done a fair bit of media training. when they're on camera they aren't people. they're idols, celebrities, characters, personas. BUT THE SHIPPING. fuck i hate the shipping. sometimes the idols might have a good friendship and then they'll stop interacting because of the shipping. it makes them uncomfortable sometimes! probably generally, it makes them at least mildly uncomfortable. and the odds are, they probably aren't dating. there is like a 1 in 1000 chance that two idols from the same group are dating, in that 0.1%, there's a like 1 in 10000 chance that they'd ever go public with it. AND STOP THEORIZING ABOUT REAL PEOPLE'S SEXUALITIES! it's invasive, it's gross, it's rude and it does absolutely nothing good.

another thing that might turn people off music they could like is the generally poor vocals. there are very few kpop vocalists (not korean vocalists, just kpop idol vocalists) that are on par with western singers. solar (mamamoo), lily and haewon (nmixx), wendy (red velvet) and belle (kiss of life) are the few i consider to be as good as your average western vocalist. lots of idols generally mediocre vocals are overhyped because, usually, they have good control over their higher vocal range (cough cough han from stray kids). the thing is, lots of the idols in this category could easily be good vocalists with more formal training! THE IDOLS DON'T GET ENOUGH VOCAL TRAINING BECAUSE THE INDUSTRY VALUES LOOKS OVER SKILLS!

the industry is basically: looks > dance > personality > sense of rhythm > vocals > rap > actual skills pertaining to creating music and performance i.e writing, producing, composing, choreography, etc (don't yell at me ik there are self producing groups and those are usually my favourites but my point still stands)

if you read all of this, i do highly recommend watching some music videos and dance practices because they are honestly phenomenal. the editing in the MV's is top tier and the dances are usually just so fun to watch.

#ramblings #ummmmm idk like a very vague essayish thing about kpop and the kpop fandom maybe? #like one of those journals that people would write about their travels to ''distant foreign lands'' in #like the weird old ones where they talk about how strange they find everything #and it comes off as a bit offensive #thats the vibe of this but take out the offensive bit

[existslikepristin]

Impromptu Review

Thanks for editing this one goes to momirene and Worldsover, and for helpful beta reading feedback from them and one dork who wants to remain anonymous.

Tags: TheLounge, Red Velvet, SNSD (Girl's Generation), Joy, Sunny, loneliness, potential traumatization of cats, a hoard of hell-themed sex toys, a strap on, a butt plug with Jiu's face in it, and bisexual problems.

The front door of Sunny’s apartment swung open so fast that Joy felt a breeze from the vacuum it left behind.

“Joy! You’re here!”

Joy blinked. “Yeah, I said I would come over.”

“It’s been so long since we’ve met up! Come in, come in!”

“It’s only been like a month though.”

Sunny grabbed Joy’s hands and pulled her through the doorway. “It feels like so much longer than that!”

Joy smiled and took her shoes off in the entryway. “You seem more excited than usual.”

“What? How so?”

“Well for one,” Joy said, pointing at the kitchen, “It looks like you prepared for a whole party in here.”

The kitchen’s island was covered in plates of snacks and several variations of alcoholic beverages. Additionally, Sunny was noticeably sweaty, like she had just run around the house preparing for guests. Joy figured it would be best not to bring that up.

“What? No. That? That’s… yeah, that’s a lot of food, isn’t it?” Sunny’s posture drooped, as if she’d already expended all of her energy on her greeting.

Joy pulled her into a side hug. Her height served to straighten Sunny back up. “What’s going on, girl?”

Sunny sighed and leaned her head on Joy’s chest. “I dunno. I’m just excited. Haven’t had a good social night any time recently.”

“Aw! But what about these cutie kitties?”

Sogeum popped her head out from behind the wall and gave Joy her signature droopy, grim stare without so much as a meow. As soon as Joy shuffled in her direction though, she turned and went back into the living room.

“Well, you know. Can’t really have a real conversation with the cats.”

Joy hummed her agreement and stepped into the kitchen. “I’m always happy to talk to you Sunny. They don’t call SM a family for nothing.”

Sunny groaned, loudly.

“Um. Okay,” Joy said when Sunny didn’t elaborate. “Not a family? Just a bunch of really close friends?”

“Yeah, that’ll work better. Not a fan of the family motif.”

Joy picked up a cracker and chomped down. “Gonna… explain? Family is normally a positive thing, isn’t it?”

Sunny grabbed a bottle of wine and yanked the cork out. “Yeah, totally, for sure. Hey, do you like Chardonnay?”

“I…” Joy didn’t want to skirt around whatever issue Sunny was having, but was well-aware of her stubbornness. “I sure do.”

As fancy glasses of white wine were generously poured, Joy made note of Sunny’s slow, unsteady movements. She worried that perhaps Sunny had already started drinking, or wasn’t getting enough sleep.

* * *

“Can you believe that, Joy?”

“No way. It’s just inhuman.”

“Completely! It’s not like green onions are suddenly more expensive to dry out!”

The conversation had started with gossip and cheese snacking when the sun was high. As the sun set, the discussion shifted to the price of instant meals, and the snack plates were all but empty. Joy had to fight the constant urge to fall asleep, as the topics were never much more interesting than that. But she let Sunny lead the talking as much as possible.

Joy was simply relieved that Sunny called her over before diving into her liquor storage. “You should start a petition to regulate the price. I’d be the first to sign it.”

Sunny’s tipsy grin matched Joy’s. Though the alcohol consumption had been slow-going, they had been doing it for several hours. “Oh that would be great press. ‘Washed up idol upset with ramen manufacturers.’”

With an exaggerated roll of the eyes, Joy pointed at a set of boxes in the corner of the living room, currently being used as a lookout tower by Sogeum. “You’re not washed up yet. Look at all of those sponsor gifts. Those weren’t here last time I came over… Wait, they weren’t, were they?”

Sunny giggled. “No, they’re, uh… new.”

Their corporate sponsors weren’t something that Joy, Sunny, or any of the other SM idols discussed often. There were usually so many vying for their attention that it was pointless trying to keep track. But Joy reasoned, somewhat drunkenly, that talking about it might be therapeutic to someone so down on their social status. “Who are they from, anyway?”

A blush deepened the red of Sunny’s already tipsy-glowing cheeks. “Uh… Nobody. Just a regular sponsor, ya know?”

Joy grinned. “Oh, come on. You can tell me. What am I gonna do? Call a press conference to tell the tabloids who’s contributing to your paycheck?”

Sunny rolled her eyes. She shot off the couch, spilling a drop or two of her wine in the process. From Joy’s naturally higher perspective, Sunny didn’t seem that much taller. “Fine,” she said, wobbling, “but you better not make fun of me.”

“I’ll make fun of you for other reasons, like how much I love you, bitch!” Joy blinked at her own shouting. She didn’t know when the alcohol had hit her, but she was beginning to think that she was a little more intoxicated than she previously thought.

Thankfully, the joviality in her voice seemed to encourage Sunny to play along. She set her wine on the coffee table and picked one of the smaller boxes off of the pile. “Disclosure first! We haven’t agreed to any deals yet. They sent me this stuff to try to convince me to shill it. I didn’t reach out to them.”

Joy waved the disclosure off like a mosquito, but Sunny still tossed the box in her direction. The weight inside of it was awkwardly distributed. Joy attempted to catch it, but it wound up ricocheting off the tips of her fingers and nearly knocking over an open, mostly full bottle of soju.

“The fuck is in this thing?”

“I’ve got some ideas but I just know who it’s from. Open it and find out.”

Joy tore into the box with no regard for the care that went into the packaging, which itself was surprisingly discreet. A smirk cracked her lips when she thought about what sorts of deliveries required such discretion. But the smirk faded right away when she got a view of the inside and realized that the packager apparently had the same idea.

Inside was a pair of plastic sheets wrapped asymmetrically around a roughly water bottle sized blob of blood red silicone. A small bit of pink cardboard advertised it as a five-speed, rotation-simulating, self-cleaning, pattern-switching, USB-charging, automatically-lubricating, remote-controlled vibrator with a speaker at the bottom for replicating a set of desired moans and a specialized charging dock.

Joy cleared her throat and stared at the horrifically fancy dildo, and its label, “Dante’s Dive,” unsure if she should toss it back to Sunny, considering it was clearly a personal item.

Sunny reached into what was left of the box, procuring a pretty little decorated card. “Dear Ms. Lee, we at Second Ring Inc were very pleased to hear your impromptu review of our products on a recent episode of ‘Welp, I Guess We’re Talking About This Now’ and wished to send you some additional items to show our appreciation. These are in no way a request for further public review,” Sunny was briefly interrupted by Joy’s disapproving snort, “but should you be interested in a partnership, we have included a phone number at which I, the chief executive officer, Lee Youngjoon, may be reached. Optionally, my username--”

Joy missed a few words as she was shocked by the extreme sound emitted by the vibrator when she pushed a button on the remote control.

“--is ‘worldsover’. As you know, Second Ring specializes in sexual wellness products, of which we’ve sent you a wide variety. They can be enjoyed by couples, or can serve as a fantastic outlet for power singles like yourself…”

Sunny trailed off. Joy was afraid she knew what was coming. “Damn, Sunny. You say so much as three words on national television and they scramble to get right up on your ass, eh?”

It was too late. Sunny was already tipping up the bottom of the soju bottle. A few drops spluttered back out of her mouth as Joy pushed it back down. “Sunny! You’ve said it yourself! You don’t want to get married!”

“Doesn’t mean I’m not still lonely!”

Joy wrapped her arms around Sunny. “You’ve got me. And a million other friends!”

“Fans don’t count.” Sunny’s voice was partially muffled by Joy’s shoulder.

“Ouch. Time for me to delete my Sone club membership. But fine. A hundred other friends. It’s not just me. It’s my members. Your members. And plenty of others. All of NCT would be--Okay, nevermind. Aespa though! They love you too.”

“But I don't want to inconvenience you." Sunny ended so matter-of-factly that Joy had to pause to process the short conversation.

"You know how… You know how you take a road trip, and there's a road block, or really bad construction, and you have to take a detour?"

"Yeah. I'm a detour."

"Come on, Sunny. What you are is the scenic route!”

There was a long silence.

“Was that the end of the metaphor?” Sunny eventually asked.

“I am very drunk.”

“You’re not that drunk.”

“Drunk enough to be shit at metaphors.”

“It’s…” Sunny extricated herself from Joy’s hug. “It’s okay. I think I know what you’re getting at, and I appreciate it. It’s just that a few words don’t really fix a brain, you know?”

Joy nodded slowly, watching as Sogeum casually stalked across the room. “Yup. But believe me. I’m here for you, at least. So if you need a friend, or some company, I’m at the top of your list.”

The cat plopped herself on the floor, right up against Sunny’s leg. Joy giggled. “Fuck off, kitty. I just said I was the top.”

It seemed the topic of conversation was ready to change. Sunny smiled, and it was enough to indicate her understanding.

“So!” Joy moved things along. “A pile of free, top of the line sex toys in your living room. What’s a young woman to do about that?”

Sunny snorted. “Well I’m not going to masturbate while I have company over, that’s for sure.” She grabbed another box from the pile and handed it over, doing her best not to disturb Sogeum’s new resting place.

The new box took mere seconds to open, this time revealing a black silicone butt plug with a red gem in the base. The casing suggested that a picture could be inserted beneath the gem, and it appeared there was one already there as an example. Joy had to flip it around to a variety of angles before she could make out that it contained a headshot of Dreamcatcher’s Jiu making finger hearts on her cheeks. She cocked her head, wondering if the image had actually been authorized.

Another box swapped between the womens’ hands. It took Joy a little longer to open than the last, but it turned out to be that way for a good reason, given that it was gently holding some fragile cargo: A red-tinted glass bottle of lube, labeled as “Juice from the Fruit of The Tree.” The lengthy product title had a snake winding through the letters.

“Well now they’re just really doubling down on this theme, aren’t they?” Sunny asked as she worked out how to open the next package, using her bottle opener as a makeshift knife.

Joy laughed and picked up yet another, now eager to see what kind of wild object it would contain. “Yeah, they really are! No lie, they’re starting to give me some ideas. Talk about sinful.”

“‘Oh I know,’” Sunny mocked the company, as SM artists often did, fingers still struggling to find their way under the first cardboard flap. “‘Let’s send Sunny a whole pile of sex junk. Bet she’s sinful enough to use it all.’ Like, come on Love-eye, or whatever your name is. What’s a single woman gonna do with all this? Hold up a pillow fort?”

“Hey, maybe he doesn’t know you’re single. Maybe there’s some stuff in here that takes two to tangle with… Fuck. Choerry’s got me using alliterations.”

Sunny barely managed to get her fingers inside the box, but her knuckles were turning white from the tightness of it. It seemed that she had left a portion of the packing tape uncut. “I said I was single on the show, though. I don’t think there will be any couples’ toys in here.”

“Oooh, I’m gonna make it a bet now.” Joy smirked. Her next sentence bypassed her verbal filter through the holes left in it by the alcohol. “If you get that thing open and there’s a strap on inside, you have to fuck me with it!”

A jerk of her arms snapped the remainder of the packing tape. Sunny chuckled. “You’re on. There’s no way it is.”

Joy had to admit that Sunny had a point, considering how small the package was. Surely it couldn’t fit a series of leather straps, or a dildo any larger than a couple of inches in any direction. The little voice in the back of her mind that told her making such an offer was stupid quieted down somewhat.

There was a moment of quiet. Sogeum rolled away from Sunny and made her way to the kitchen. Joy picked up another box, confident that she hadn’t just placed herself in an awkward situation. Sunny shook her head, amused. And then…

“J-Joy?”

Joy looked back, but wasn’t quite sure what she was looking at. It was a sort of mass of black string with some silver discs hanging off of it. Another piece of pink paper fluttered to the floor, where Joy picked it up and read aloud.

“‘The Obol.’ As Charon ferried Dante across the Styx and into the hole that is Hell, so too shall this state-of-the-art magnetic harness ferry our exclusive Dante’s Dive dildo into your… partner’s hole…”

There was more to be read, but both women seemed to get the point. The only sound in the room came from Sogeum chomping through some hard cat food in the kitchen. Slowly, their eyes raised and met. They both spoke at the same moment.

“That was a bet’s a joke bet right?”

Their drunken minds needed a moment to detangle their words into distinct sentences. Sunny’s “That was a joke, right?” and Joy’s “A bet’s a bet.”

Sunny started again first. “You know, we don’t have to.”

“I will if you want to.”

Every sentence being exchanged was followed by a palpable stillness. Joy’s heart beat loudly in her own ears, and she swore she could hear Sunny’s too.

“Do you… want to fuck me with that, Sunny?”

Sunny answered instantly. “Yup.”

There was a flurry of action, though it was slowed here and there by a tipsy stumble or two. Sunny gathered up an armful of the items on her coffee table, both sex toys and the bottle of soju, and sprinted for the bedroom. Joy rushed after her, messily attempting and failing to remove some of her clothes on the way.

Sogeum was spooked by the sudden kerfuffle and fled out of sight.

The bedroom was no less hectic. Sunny dropped everything on the bed except the soju, which she took one more swig of directly from the bottle before setting it dangerously close to the edge of her desk. She wiggled out of her shirt and bra, which attracted Joy’s attention instantly.

Joy struck at Sunny’s cleavage, wrapping her fingers as far as they could go around the legendary orbs, and her lips around one of the budding tips. Their differences in height made it awkward, but they very soon found their way to a horizontal state that eased that tension. Unfortunately, it was not on the bed, but on the floor, but they weren’t about to let something like that stop them.

What clothes they were still wearing exploded off their bodies. Joy’s shorts and shirt, Sunny’s pants and socks. All of it ended up in different sections of the room, thrown under and over furniture.

Joy was no stranger to encounters like this, and neither was Sunny. They had shared countless stories with each other… and some spit. But neither had considered their prior make out sessions to be precursors to explicitly sexual action. For her part, however, Joy considered this one differently, and Sunny’s hands searching half-blindly for Joy’s ass confirmed to her that Sunny thought the same.

Backs arched. Legs ground against one another. Open mouths met, trading the alcoholic scents that the women no longer cared to distinguish. Their minds had devoted themselves entirely to the search for physical pleasure.

A lot of exploratory prodding led Sunny’s fingers to the entrance to Joy’s pussy, failing to notice the number of pokes that ended up at Joy's exit. She took some time familiarizing herself with the drenched outer folds.

Joy, however, noticed the poking at her ass. Her mind swam with serotonin, thoughts of other people, and alcoholic fumes that seemed to rearrange the letters of her thoughts into nonsense. Or possibly into inspiration.

Inspiration relevant to the happenings at the prior year's award shows, that is.

Joy tried to pull back the moment Sunny’s fingers dipped inside her. She had opened her mouth to speak but instead groaned and arched herself further into Sunny’s grip on her sanity. "S-Sunny. B-bed."

At least that message was received loud and clear. Sunny dragged her fingers against Joy’s G-spot as she, disappointingly, pulled them out, nearly causing Joy to scream. The same fingers plunged into Joy’s mouth and quieted her as she diligently sucked her own juices from them.

The action transferred to the bed. Fingers immediately found their places again, and Joy bounced on her back in time with Sunny’s brutal shoves. Packaging bounced all around them. It was like a desperate, distracted game of Vegetable Shinobi for Joy, swiping at the jumping dildo. Sunny’s fingers were divine, eye-wateringly so, but Joy wanted something unholy.

Sunny muttered Joy’s name, catching her attention again. She lifted her head to meet for yet another imprecise kiss. Their legs twisted around each other. Joy could hear the desperation in Sunny’s moans, vibrating all the way down her throat, burning like the alcohol. She snaked a hand between them and found Sunny’s clit.

The moans freed themselves as Sunny bucked backward, almost out of Joy’s longer reach. Joy noted the exceptional reaction, and flipped Sunny onto her back, following immediately and putting herself in the position of power Sunny had initiated.

“You’re gonna fuck me with the strap on… right, Sunny?”

Sunny’s eyes widened, and she grabbed the toys.

“No, not yet,” Joy stalled in her most seductive voice. She slid down, nearly falling off the bed, and wrenched Sunny’s legs wide open with her elbows.

Sunny clenched her fingers around the hell-themed dildo for dear life. Joy’s name poured through her lips over and over again as Joy’s lips poured over her pussy.

Joy had to fight Sunny’s strength to keep her spread thighs from clamping around her head. She wanted to keep hearing her senior beg, loud and clear. To that end, she dug in her tongue, unable to penetrate far, but far enough to open Sunny up and feel the wetness flow into her mouth.

“Please… Joy… I’m close… Joy, please! Joy, don’t stop!”

The thought flitted through Joy’s head, that perhaps denying Sunny her orgasm would be fun, but something about the way she said it made Joy wonder if Sunny’s neediness was rooted in her loneliness, more than in her desire to get off. She shifted herself to wrap her arms under Sunny’s legs and pulled. It wasn’t possible for them to be any physically closer than they were, but she wanted to make it feel like they could be.

Sunny’s voice cracked, choked, and broke into a scream. Joy winced as her tongue was squeezed uncomfortably, but she wasn’t about to stop. The back arches, hair grasping, and pained gasps that followed were worth it.

Joy kept it up until Sunny’s body fell back down and her muscles relaxed. Only then, she removed herself to ask, “Need a break before my turn?”

A smile crept up Sunny’s mouth. Her fingers tightened around the dildo she still had in her hand. “Get… back down here.”

If there was any benefit Joy appreciated most about idol training, it was recovery speed, and Sunny still had it. Joy picked up the strap, quickly figuring out how it was supposed to fit and sliding it up Sunny’s legs. The motion doubled as her approach for another make out.

Of course, Joy was still immensely horny. Her interest in making out with Sunny was overshadowed by her desire to get fucked savagely, but she had the wherewithal to hold out, to let it happen naturally. She was always good at letting others take the lead. Whether they led from the top or from the bottom didn’t especially matter to her.

The alcohol made her more impatient than usual though. She forced herself to wait for the five-speed pounding she’d get, but she ground herself against Sunny’s leg in the meantime. Thankfully she didn’t have to wait long. Sunny threw her to the side and attached the vibrator to the unusual strap with very little trouble. Joy fingered herself as she watched.

“Fuck, yes, Sunny. This is going to be so goo--”

Sunny practically tackled Joy. Their lips collided again, strap hovering somewhere between Joy’s legs, but not close enough for her to feel it.

The moment she did, though, Joy grabbed Sunny’s ass and pulled. The lack of accuracy was made up for by the inhuman amount of lubrication present; both Joy’s and the curious synthetic compound that the dildo exuded seemingly of its own volition.

It was almost too much for Joy. The dildo was certainly longer than any she had used before, and bottoming out at full speed meant it hit her rather painfully in the cervix. She hissed, but otherwise just readjusted her legs in Sunny’s way to prevent the same thing from happening so easily again.

The strap held the dildo in place on Sunny’s body well. Despite its genuinely small frame, it seemed to prevent all wiggling. Every one of Sunny’s movements, including the less delicate, more intoxicated ones, translated to sensations that felt to Joy like a biologically attached dick, albeit with a plethora of extra features.

"You're so pretty, Joy," Sunny said. Even though she was doing all the work now, she wasn't nearly as winded as before. Knowing she’d affected Sunny made Joy grin into another kiss.

“No you,” Joy said with a smirk. She knew this would be good, but she truly underestimated how great it would be to see Sunny’s famous tits jiggling with the effort of fucking her. The sheen of sweat covering them would ensure the night wouldn’t be forgotten, even if Joy had another drink or two.

Joy’s first orgasm struck quickly and unexpectedly. Her breath stopped and a shudder spiked through her body from her core to the tips of her toes and fingers and head. The ability to think normally left her for a brief moment. She only kept the fleeting question of whether or not Sunny was able to feel Joy’s climax. Stars popped in and out of existence, obscuring Joy’s view of Sunny’s fantastic body.

It all faded relatively soon after, but it wasn’t enough for Joy. As soon as her lungs refilled, she screamed, “More! Sunny! Fuck me! Fuck me! Oh god!” She was practically numb everywhere, except for every square inch of her that the dildo rubbed, slid, and vibrated against. Her arms and legs wrapped around Sunny on their own.

Joy, eyes half closed, barely registered when Sunny slowed down to grab and open the extra package. She did, however, notice the sudden prodding feeling at her asshole.

“Sun--”

She couldn’t even finish Sunny’s name before something slipped its way into her butt. Her vision cleared up enough to see that even while she continued thrusting, Sunny had one hand tucked between them, and it was the source of the extra intrusion.

A couple more thrusts though, and Joy was lost to the pleasure again. She started to pant instead of scream or moan, or perhaps she was whimpering, or speaking fluent Polish. Joy couldn’t have said one way or the other. Another orgasm hit. And another. And another. She knew some time was passing between each one, but whether it was seconds or days between no longer mattered. Her mind was fading out of existence.

Until, that is, it wasn’t.

With seemingly no provocation, Joy suddenly remembered Cheungae. She had been meaning to talk to Sunny about him before they had gotten drunk. Her mind wandered, far, far more than it normally would during such intense sex.

Cheungae had taken her out several times since their first, less-than-professional meeting at the MAMAs with Wheein. Even though Joy knew he was struggling financially, he always insisted on paying for coffee, but would give up if he saw the bill when Joy took him to some of the much higher end restaurants.

He was always so polite, genuine, and humble. He didn’t even question when Joy told him they couldn’t be in a relationship, but instead insisted that they could be friends. Joy wondered if it was fair to him that she was treating him as a boyfriend in every way but name while she was still having a grand old time fucking everyone else in the industry. Cheungae knew about it, but wasn’t part of it.

And yet, sex with Cheungae made Joy feel good. Great, even. She could recreate the sensations in her mind for days afterward. His slim, toned figure hovering over her, his face contorted beautifully in adorable agony, his admittedly mediocre cock managing to hit her just right with every move. She couldn’t stop picturing him.

Another orgasm smashed through Joy’s illusion. The mental image of perfectly human Cheungae was instantly replaced with the very physical image of god-like Sunny. As tended to happen, Joy held her breath as the climax coursed through her. Her muscles contracted until she was holding Sunny in a deathly grip.

“F-fuck. Sunn-ny. Slow… slow down.”

It seemed that the request was desperately needed by both lovers, because rather than simply slow down, Sunny fell over. Joy’s pussy immediately craved to be filled again, but she knew she needed to clear her head. And besides that, she still had an odd full sensation. When her muscles relaxed enough for her to move of her own volition, she reached beneath herself and recoiled again at the feeling of a drenched butt plug. Her fingertips carried a puddle of mixed cum and lube back up.

“I’m sorry… Joy… I think that’s all I have left in me,” Sunny said between gasps.

Joy made note of her own throat and how dry it was. Whatever sound she was making while she borderline hallucinated, she’d be regretting it for a while. “All good. I was losing my sanity. That was unbelievable.”

Sunny giggled. It sounded painful. “The vibrator… or the surprise plug?”

Joy giggled back. “The plug was definitely a surprise. Was that the one with Jiu's face in it?”

“Mhm.”

“Cool,” Joy sat up, her head swimming in the aftermath. “But I just think it was you using the stuff that made it so good.”

Sunny seemed invigorated by the compliments. She smiled and reached under the bed, making some noise and bringing up a bottle of water. The two of them swapped it back and forth until it was empty and then collapsed into one another, idly feeling each others' bodies up the whole time.

“Does that mean you’re up for another… night like this? Or day?” Sunny asked as she fondled Joy’s tits. It sounded like she had sobered up, at least most of the way. Joy was too afraid of what she would see to look at a clock.

“You fucking know it,” Joy responded while she brushed her fingers up and down Sunny’s inner thighs. It was a reflex for her to agree, but she cringed inwardly as soon as she did, realizing how much more sober she had become herself, and how she wished she wasn’t. She was thinking about Cheungae again.

There was a barrage of light kisses all over her face, neck, and chest. Sunny looked far too happy for Joy to feel okay about retracting her statement.

“Maybe not right now though,” Joy said, just in case Sunny was already getting ideas. “We should really get to bed.”

She didn’t hear any arguments. They simply got up, and only long enough to flip up the duvet, flinging all of the remaining sex toys off, and jumped underneath.

It took a minute for Joy to realize she needed to remove the surprise butt plug. It was easy enough, and she ended up tossing it to the floor without looking at it.

Joy wrapped herself around Sunny. She was usually the big spoon, not that it bothered her. Sunny’s bare back felt comfortably hot against her chest and stomach. Cheungae liked being the big spoon too. He’d swap with her all the time…

“Hey, Sunny?”

“Mmm?” Sunny was on the verge of sleep, it seemed.

Joy lowered her voice, barely above a whisper. “Have you ever thought about… Settling down, I guess? Just being with one person?”

She didn’t expect Sunny to have an immense store of wisdom, but she hoped for more than what she got: a snore.

“Good night to you too, Sunny.”

#red velvet smut #snsd smut #girls generation smut #joy #sunny

[andoqin]

Dramas I've watjched this year Pt 1

This is gonna be all the dramas I started and... have either paused or dropped for various reasons.

If I paused them I might go back to them at some point but if I dropped them that's it.

Mad for each other I like the main actors and I found the Netflix says I finished this... I have no memory of doing that, which should tell you a lot.

Doom at your Service - this one is on hold for now and I actually feel like finishing it because the premise and the actors are really for me and the mood the show brought to the table fits with my end of the year mood. I do think being able to binge this will be beneficial, because I think it wont actually hold up to much scrutiny especially in the latter half. (On Hold for now, 4 eps watched)

True Beauty - I knew this was going to be a hard sell for me and I was right. I always have trouble with high school shows, part of it is my age and part of it is the saccharine spin shows will often put on that. I dropped this fairly early on and I don't think i'm going to give this another chance. The main actress tries, but it's not enough and the cute lesbian romance my heart wanted was not going to happen :<. (Dropped, 4 eps watched).

Novoland: Pearl Eclipse - now granted I didn't technically watch an episode - 2021 had me too wary to start sth and I wanted to give it some time, but I followed along closely enough for the first 10-15 eps on my dash... and well considering how hyped for it I was and how much I *wanted* to watch it it deserves a spot on this list purely on account of the collossal waste of talent, time and audience patience this show is responsible for. (0 Eps watched but way too much time spent reading rants)

Awaken - This started in 2020, but I didnt watch (parts of) it until it was complete. I tried 3!!! times to finish this, with crime shows it's often a matter of me being in the right mood/the show hitting me in the right way until I'm invested because there's no romance (usually) to hook me emotionally. The reason I tried to watch this three times is purely Nam Goong Min and a little bit of the premise, but my god the editing is so bland, the show so averagely shot and the writing not good enough to carry it. (Idek how many eps I watched but I tried!!! 3 times!!!! damn you NGM!)

Inspector Koo - This one I'm DEFINITELY going to finish, now that it's all complete but currently I'm not in the mood for it at all. I can see it's strengths and I'm loving Lee Young Ae and Kim Hye Joon playing off of each other (and what a delightful dynamic that is!!) and the surrounding characters are all very interesting (need to find out what Santa's deal is!) but for some reason the thought of actually finishing it fills me with blah at the moment, which the show doesn't deserve. (6 eps watched - on hold for now)

The Sword and the brocade - TANG SONG YUN, WALLACE CHUNG!!! in a historical drama together, in pretty pretty costumes. It should have been great! But this drama suffers from its length, and even the beginning has some hilarious weird things about it (the fact that he saves her from drowning and its... nbd??? apparently????????) but I was willing to overlook that because they had a lovely understated sort of chemistry, and Tang Songyun really tried to get everything out of her role, but the writing just let down the show so hard I dropped it at the midway point and just never bothered to pick it back up and basically forgot about it. (20ish eps watched. Dropped)

Jun Jiu Ling - I was initially excited for this, I mean I didn't enjoy the source novel a whole lot, but it had Peng Xiao Ran! and Jin Han!!! maybe they can save it but lmao no, I watched 2 episodes and basically peaced out. PXR looked bored and lifeless and Jin Han is not a strong enough actor to really elevate a shoddy script. This isn't to say he's *bad* but if the writing doesn't favour his strength he's completely adrift. This, coupled with the blah production values makes this an instant miss. Only read @purplehanfu's hilarious recaps for this show! (2 eps watched. Dropped)

Jirisan - JOO JI HUN, Jun Ji Hyun!!! I'm just noticing a trend in the last three dramas. I get overly excited for the cast, because I think they largely pick dramas I like, but man the case of blah writing continues. This added to some eh directing had me watching parts of ep 1 and 2 with some skipping, 3 and 4 with more skipping and just not watching more. (Sort of 4 eps watched but not really, Dropped)

One the Woman - Lee Ha Nee is a delight and this show is one I might actually finish, since I do love this kind of premise and the acting of the supporting cast is helping a lot. I do think Lee Sang Yoon is not giving his best performance here, it's not bad but LHN outshines him so severely I honestly wish she was with anyone else. The problem is that I watched it to the halfway mark and I dread the second half which I can see will have a very bad Kdrama 2nd half downturn. Sigh. For LHN I still might though, thank god for the skip button. (On Hold, 8 eps watched.)

Rattan - This had some beautiful visuals a truly bonkers premise, but I think when I was watching the eng subs were sus at best and I kinda forgot about it. Watched about 4 eps?? No idea. Someone tell me how it ended up being as a complete drama please, I dont think my dashboard knows this drama exists haha. (Dropped, possibly might finish at some point)

Song of Youth - I started this for Bai Lu, but good lord her character was so unpleasant and they did sth so weird to the color grading/saturation for this drama I pretty much forgot it existed after 4 eps. (Dropped)

Bossam - Steal the Fate - Another one I was really into for the premise and the actors. Jung Il Woo seems to fare much better in historicals and him being a widow/bride abductor who accidentally abducts a princess was genius set up for me. Once again though the writing was not strong enough and while I did appreciate seeing JIW shirtless the writing left me bored witless. (Dropped)

Sisyphus: The Myth - AHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH AHAHHAH ha hahahahaliksdjsakjd. I have a wholeass fucking rant on this trash dumpfire of a drama. Well only episode one but jesus fucking christ. Do not watch this. People didn't listen to me and continued and wasted their fucking time. Turns out Cho Seugn Woo can pick trashfires after all, after his string of strong strong dramas and performances. It's like he forgot what acting properly was? I'll just avoid PSH dramas from now on. (I wasted 1 hour on this episode and then whatever time I needed to write down my rant, which is honestly more than this drama deserves).

Hometown - I have only 4 episodes left on this one but by god it was just getting stupider by the second. Manipulating/Hypnotising people via sound/speech? I know that the police in dramas can't be too good otherwise we wont have a mystery or a drama, but this is just getting ridiculous. And everyone seems to have swiss cheese for brains. The production value is pretty high, it looks cinematic, the directing is actually pretty good I think but the script is just... no thank you. (8 episodes watched. Dropped)

Happiness - I'm currently pausing this, but I will definitely finish since I'm on ep 8 and I love the way the show has dealt with its premise and its main characters. Plus PHS is really beefy now??? Good Stuff. (On Hold)

Vincenzo - The hilariously fake italian stuff and the general vibe just didnt work for me so I dropped this fairly early on. I do enjoy the gifs I see on my dash but that's it. (Dropped)

The Devil Judge - It is very homoerotic, so I will have to finish, I just gotta find the time and energy to overlook its nonsense premise, which kind of overstretched my suspension of disbelief. (On Hold)

Taxi Driver - I found the first case pretty interesting, and I liked the lady cop but the core premise was a bit eh and something in me seems to not like vigilante justice all that much because I didn't really like our main characters. (Dropped)

Racket Boys - This show is pure unadulteraded fluffy goodness, but it didnt hook me deeply and that's the only reason I like shows like that. If the vibe is for you though, check it out, the kids feel like actual friends/found family. (Dropped)

Mouse - LMAO lmao lmao lmao no. Once again a DYSMAL fucking first episode that told me that finishing this show would drive me batshit. Plus the whole eugenics angle???? Miss me with that shit please. Also the cops in this universe have single digit IQs I don't know how they survive. (DROPPED LMAO)

A Tale of thousand Stars - I loved LOVED LOVED the trailer for this one, but the premise should have rightly scared me off, transplant love stories are always iffy at best for me and I just couldnt connect with the main characters and didn't believe the actors when they tried to act like they were in love. (Dropped)

Yumi's Cells - I found this to be a surprising delight and I was even into the little emotion animations, but I made the mistake of watching it while it was still airing, catching up and then forgetting about it. I might still continue watching, but maybe once S2 comes out. I do like the way it handles relationships and the fact that for once it's not going for a "HEA" in the traditional sense. I also think making this not a full 16 ep show was a smart move. (On Hold)

22 Shows of which i dropped 16! and 6 are on hold...

#drama #this year in drama #doom at your service #true beauty #taxi driver #mouse #the devil judge #hometown #sisyphus: the myth #rattan #song of youth #jirisan #jun jiu ling #awaken #inspector koo #novoland: pearl eclipse #one the woman #bossam: steal the fate #the sword and the brocade #yumi's cells #a tale of thousand stars #vincenzo #happiness #cdrama #kdrama #thaidrama

[qyllenhaal]

God’s Face in the Fire || Part 2

Dark!Lee Bodecker x Dark!Reader

Summary: A wife who would do anything to give her husband the world, even if it means getting herself involved with his trouble.

Word Count: 10.3k

Chapter warnings: dark themes!!! contains mentions of murder, non-graphic death scenes, smut (loss of virginity in a flashback scene), manipulation, brief mention of sexual assaults, misogyny, uncomfortable situations. Please heed the warnings!!! 18+ only

A/N: It's been forever since I posted. The last two weeks have left me discombobulated that it was hard to find time to sit down to write and edit this, but I'm glad I got to it! The next part is going to be the last part but I have plans to do one-shots for this universe. I'm going to be posting a Senator!Chris fic tomorrow so stay tuned for that.

Enjoy!

"You remember when I took you out for milkshakes and you spilled yours all over me? You were wearing that exact same color," Lee said pointing at the dress she was pressing.

"All those years ago, and you still remember that?" Y/n wanted to drown in this tender moment she's having with her husband. Hearing him laugh, his stomach shifting, and his eyes wrinkling.

"How could I? Watching you get all flustered and cute really got me goin’. It's when I knew I was gonna marry ya."

The days have been incredibly warm and beautiful since Y/n had done what she did. It was cruel irony that she was enjoying another day while someone’s body was rotting. The softer moments of life were few and far between these days, but right now she’s offered her a wonderful distraction.

She had taken on more tasks than usual to distract herself from the intrusive thoughts she had. She even accepted a last minute invite to help put on an event at the local rental hall with some of the other mothers in town. It gave her an excuse to look nice and show herself off to anyone who had some doubts about Lee. Things were looking good for him, but there was always something to do to further rehabilitate his image. She always looked her best as the sheriff's wife. Keeping up the appearances exhausted her since they have become more frequent for her. However if she wanted the people to fawn over her lovely family, she had to show up. An arts and crafts event for the kids is also a good chance to get their daughter out of the house.

Teenage Y/n did not see herself becoming a housewife so young. It was unsavory to think about being a homemaker for one of the boys’ at school. She surmised that she would’ve stuck by her original plan if she had not been so lonely. All of Y/n's friends left within a year of graduating high school. She didn't have that many friends to begin with, but she thought that at least one would always be there for her. Rose went to college, and Barbara found a man to marry and moved to upstate New York. Only one stayed for some time, Judith, but she eventually left after having a shotgun wedding. It was selfish of her to think that someone would stay just because she got rejected from the only college she had applied to. Other people had lives and Y/n was just not at the center of them.

The absence of her friends made her pregnancy more lonely. Her baby shower consisted of her family, Lee’s sister, and his co-workers and their wives. None of the women seemed to be fond of Y/n. It always plagued her mind to know if they thought she was too young and stupid or if it was just something else

She found solace in some of the other mother's in town. When she began showing up around to volunteer at bake sales and food drives she expected them to look at her face and then down at her belly and reject her. She is younger than them and feared they'd find her naïve. She had kept to herself for so long that she thought they'd write her off as the sheriff's meek wife.

Y/n didn't get a chance to mingle with anyone prior to her marriage and Lee made it harder by insisting in little ways that she stay in the house. No one was at fault that Lee wanted to keep her to himself. It was possible he did it out of insecurity, but Y/n now speculates that it was because he didn’t want to hear or even see what he may have been doing.

One of the ladies who Y/n only knew by her dark hair and distinct, pointy nose joked that Lee had, "finally let Rapunzel out of the castle." When the other mothers joined into laughter, she felt small. It was only a harmless joke that was steeped in the truth. It took her persistence to no longer wanting to feel alone while being pregnant to get the women to warm up to her, and the did.

"I remember spilling the milkshake, but I was too embarrassed to remember anything else about that night," she admitted.

Lee remembers that night very well. He wishes that she didn't end the night so quickly because she ruined a pair of trousers that could easily be replaced. He had only bought them to impress her, but it didn't take much to get her to swoon over him. No other man was giving her the time of day.

"We should go out to that diner Friday night. Now that we have someone to watch the little one, we don't have to stop by your parents to drop her off anymore. I can just scoop you up and we can have a night together," Lee pressed himself into Y/n's backside. She giggled when his hands lightly danced against her ticklish sides.

Lee had also been aware of the slim moments of intimacy with his wife. He was serious about this race but he truly underestimated how much time and effort he'd have to put into this. But people really did love the old mayor. The only slight Lee had against him was his old age and how some believed that if he kept going then he might run into some health problems. The rumors about him becoming more and more forgetful were minute compared to the dark gossip swirling about Lee though. Some of the people in town would probably vote for a paper bag before Lee.

His biggest fear is that he loses the election and drives his wife away. He could lose the race, but if his wife somehow slipped away, taking their baby with her, he’d drink himself into a stupor. Lee tried his very best to hide his insecurities from her. When he worried, she worried too and it made it much harder for him to plan his way out of whatever hole he is in when he has a hysterical wife to deal with. That's why he'd rather not tell her anything.

Lee also wasn't the young man in his prime anymore, he believed that his good looks were fading, and he has gained a considerable amount of weight. The fear of Y/n just up and leaving him for someone younger than him and riding off to the city always plagued him. The birth of their daughter should've assuaged him, but his self-doubt always lingered like a cloud that made him stick to his vices.

"I've really missed ya honey...missed this body of yours."

Y/n flinched when his hands ran down the front of her body, over her stomach and then circling up back to her breast. Her body has changed considerably since giving birth and the hormonal imbalance left her feeling tired, sad, and alone. Her mother told her that all she had to do was look at her child and she'd feel better, but every time she looked at her little girl all she did was worry. Was she a good mom? Why was her daughter crying so much without much working? Was Lee staying at work for long hours to avoid the crying and her? Did he still find her attractive?

They’re both too busy thinking Lee's mayoral bid to realize they felt the exact same way as each other. If there was any other time that proved they were an extension of each other, it was now, but they were too blind to see it.

"Lee y-you're going to be late for work," her voice was weakened by his lips now nipping at her neck.

"Don't give a damn," he whispered against her skin, inhaling her familiar scent, "just wanna feel my wife."

Today, Y/n felt herself slipping back into her normal self and normal life. She melted into Lee, hoping that maybe they could have a moment to themselves, but they were interrupted by the phone ringing downstairs. Every early morning and late night phone call had her on edge. They never seemed to be about anything important but it hasn't failed yet to make her stomach churn.

Lee groaned and pulled away from her. She watched him disappear to go answer the phone.

It has been nearly two days and the only thing on her mind is what happened after she left that brothel. The anxiety made her feel sick. Hours later after it happened, around 2 a.m., she woke up and darted to the toilet. Lee kept asking her if she was pregnant as he held her hair back while her face was in the toilet. She dismissed his claims, knowing full and well that she was just sickened by her actions.

Lee had not mentioned a death or anything related to that brothel, so had he even been found? Was his death even reported? The girls who worked for him were probably too worried about their own arrest than the death of their abusive boss.

She wiped the look of worry off of her face when she heard his heavy footsteps coming back up the stairs.

"Who was it?"

"Your brother," his tone held disgust, "invited us to dinner on Sunday. He asked to speak to you but I told him you were still sleep."

"Lee!"

"I don't want to hear it," his voice boomed, much more dominant and rough than hers, "I ain't having dinner with him and I don't want to hear your mouth about it."

Y/n stayed silent and watched him grab the police hat resting on the dresser. She hated for him to leave on such a sour note, but she wouldn't dare say anything in fear she might make things worse.

He started towards the door of their bedroom before turning back to his wife, "Sandy supposed to stop by Saturday. I don't know why, so don't ask, but she claims she's comin'. Who knows if she'll stick to her word."

It’s like Lee did that on purpose, as some sort of sick payback for her brother calling. Y/n was not fond of Sandy and did not like to be around her for more than ten minutes. Sandy was a nice girl, a bit unsavory at times, but her husband Carl was a stain on her life. There was something about him that reminded her of the men her mother had warned her about when she was a young teenager; a man with a slick tongue and a creepy air around him. However, she found Carl much more sinister than that. The look in Carl's eyes when he looked at her and flashed her that unsettling smile was imprinted into her brain. They did not come around much, but when they did it was always a traumatic experience for Y/n.

Lee left the room before Y/n could respond. He knows how Y/n feels, but he can’t bring himself to care right now. She’s not going to protest against it because she knows better than that. He focused on the sound of soft babbling from his daughter as he walked into her room.

"Hey you," she looked up at him with her big eyes and her widening smile that made his heart swell, "you gonna be good for your mama? You've been on a mean streak lately and I'd hate to make good on my threat and put you in baby jail."

His daughter reached up and tried to grab at his face. Lee was clean-shaven now, but for the first few months of his daughter's life he had enough hair on his face for her to grab a hold of. It was funny to see how she still tried to grab at his non-existent hair, pinching his skin in the process.

"Miss the beard little lady? You're just like your mama," he kissed her forehead and felt a deep sense of guilt that he had to leave her to go to work. But everything he did was for her and if he believes that the long hours are going to pay off. All of his work is going to pay off when he wins that race.

-

The dress her daughter wore was blush to complement her mother's golden one. She looked around at every single building and person they passed as if it was her first time seeing it again. Her sense of wonder always made Y/n adore her even more. Y/n wondered what was going on in the little mind of her and what sense she made of the world.

She was never fussy when they were out, which was good for Y/n, but also good for the rehabilitation of Lee's image. He has such a good daughter and pretty wife, he must be doing something right. Every single person who stopped to say hi or coo at how cute her baby was, Y/n wondered if they have ever said something negative about Lee. Y/n never received weird stares or grimaces that would make her paranoid, but she still felt on edge. She always wanted to be on her best behavior, especially when Lee was not with her.

Y/n was forced to be her normal self; cheerful even though her mind was reeling over two nights ago, her sister-in-law, and what the conversation between Lee and her brother this morning may have sounded like. When one of the toddlers thrusted their drawing her face she feigned an excited smile. She hoped the mother's didn't notice her lackluster attitude.

"Y/n , can I speak with you?"

It was Sally's voice that called to her. She looked at the blonde woman with a bit of panic on her face. She thought that she was going to get chewed out by her, especially since she pulled her far away from the other children, and her daughter who was being held by one of the recently graduated girls.

"Is everything alright Sally?"

"I should be asking you that. Why am I hear things about Mrs. Blackwater sayin' she seen your Lee dumpin' bodies in the river behind her house?" At that moment Y/n could not hear her despite her lips still moving. Her blood ran cold at that last name being mentioned. It's been years, close to a decade, since she thought about that old woman, but the mere mention of her name brought Y/n back to a place she didn't want to be.

"I-I...I don't know what she's talking about-"

"My husband and I made a sizable donation to your husband's campaign, and it would be a shame to see him lose," the sugary voice and fake smile on Sally's face made Y/n's stomach ache. She didn't like how some of these women could be so fake because it always made her question if they really liked her or not. But Sally didn't care what Y/n would respond with, all she cared about was her and her husband's reputation, "you're not that much younger than me so you remember them days when that old bitch would be on her porch spewin’ whatever nonsense she could think if at any girl who walked on her sidewalk. No one likes Mrs. Blackwater, but don't think for a second they won't consider what she has to say about that husband of yours. I've heard too many whispers about him and I don't like it. I'll pull my endorsements if you don't fix this shit."

Was murdering one person not enough to save her husband from losing this race? The brothel owner was one person, someone who would not be missed by many people, but could she do something about Mrs. Blackwater?

'That's not right, that's not right.'

No matter how much she tried to shake that evil idea off, it kept creeping into her mind. Murder was the unlikely tool she had in her arsenal all along. It was morally wrong to kill someone, but her victim and the potential one had not been nice people. Mrs. Blackwater's stain on this Earth paled in comparison to Reed's, but that woman made her blood run much colder than the brothel owner.

It was so ironic that Mr. Blackwater was a beloved man in town because no one could stand his wife. They knew not to cross her path and that pies and home cooked meals would not abate her disdain for people. A man who was so kind and friendly was married to the most antisocial person Y/n has ever come across. But he never wasted a moment to sing her her praises. Y/n remembers one of her sons and he was mean just like his mother; a school yard bully that would beat up on anyone he saw as weak and alone. Y/n was lucky that he knew she had an older brother to protect because the Blackwater’s youngest boy never tried anything with her. However, she was not lucky enough to escape the wrath of Mrs. Blackwater. The irony was that she probably would've been better off being a victim of her son. That woman was nasty and wasn't afraid to show it.

"Don't you two get tired of dressing like whores?"

They had to pass the Blackwater house to get to Rose's house. Her house used to be at the end of the street before it got burned down, leaving the Blackwater house the last one on the street. It was nice, and had a big, big porch that Mrs. Blackwater always sat on for most of the day. She didn't stop at calling them just "whores'' and "wenches" either. Y/n never could understand why they always took the brunt of that woman's anger. Rose went home in tears every time she walked by that house. Maybe Y/n's anger is displaced, but she blames Mrs. Blackwater for why Rose was so eager to leave. There wasn't much here, but Rose always promised she'd stay. But ever since they encountered Mrs. Blackwater's misery, Rose had changed.

She could imagine that same venomous voice saying awful things about her husband, "Lee Bodecker put that body in the water. I saw it with my own two eyes!"

The thought of her husband killing someone shouldn't sound so crazy, especially after being able to do it herself. But her Lee can't be a cold-hearted man who slept with whores, murdered people, and ruined people lives. He was so sweet to her, he wasn't always was, but his touch was so soft against her skin, how could he hurt anyone?

Y/n had just turned 19 when she met Lee. He was a deputy, closer to being the sheriff than either of them knew at the time. Their age difference scared her somewhat; she only gave him a chance so she could distract herself from reminding herself that she should be finishing up the last year of being a college freshman. She had the grades and thought her test scores were satisfactory but she got rejected from Indiana University. Her father told her that there is always next year, but her mother told her she should just figure out a new plan.

It was the uncertainty and loneliness that made her get closer to Lee. He was close to his late 20s, unmarried, and he didn't exactly make his loneliness unknown.

He left a sour taste in her mouth in their very first encounter; pulling her over as an excuse to get her number. She gripped the steering wheel to stop them from shaking so much. She only had her license for a few weeks and made sure to be careful in fear of this exact situation happening. His slick talk didn't make her feel that much better either. She was too shaken up to even look at him in the eye or take in any of his features. She just remembered seeing his badge the words DEPUTY SHERIFF etched into it.

Lee let her off, saying she had a "pretty face" and that he hoped to see her around. She didn't think much about their interaction the days after he pulled her over, but she began to see him more than before. Y/n couldn't remember a time she had seen him prior to that one night and found it odd that his face kept reappearing. (He later told her that it was fate, but it was not. Lee purposefully put himself in her orbit. It was not hard to learn what her routine was and when she went out.)

She was weary about his advances, unsure how to react to them because the most experience she's had was with two boys, only one of whom she kissed. Their first date was not by choice either, he just decided to stick by her side while she was at the local dinner by herself.

And he has always stuck by since then, always hovering around her until she realized he was not going to go away and it’d be futile to ignore him. Lee never gave her the chance to make the decision for herself, but his girl was so sweet and she just needed a few cushy words for her to understand that this was where she belonged.

"Do your parents know you're out here meeting me?" It had only been a matter of time before she learned to be very obedient to him; always accepting his plans, even if it meant sneaking out of the house in the midnight hour. The smirk he wore on his face every time he watched her walk up to him left her feeling enchanted.

"Don't talk too loud. If my brother hears you he'll kill you and have my head."

She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her front to him. Lee groaned at the feel of her breast against his chest. She was so nervous to do anything with him that she only let him kiss her. It was fine for a while, but he had grown tired of waiting. Tired of being teased by her in those soft, pink dresses that would ride up whenever she had to bend over even just a little bit. He couldn't believe how naive she was to believe he was always dropping things like a pencil or his wallet on accident; he just wanted to see her bend over for him just for a chance to peak at what pretty panties she wore that day.

Getting her to come out with him at night was surprising, but the idea of riding in his patrol car was so alluring. The sparkle in her eyes gave him an overwhelming sense of machismo; enough for him to realize he just needs to take what she wants.

The full moon hung in the clear sky and they had a vast, open field in front of them. He took her just to the edge of the county that was secluded and was his favorite spot to go for some quiet (or getting his dick sucked). The moonlight and a few street lights that were actually working were the only light they had.

"You look so pretty today baby," his hand rested on her thigh the whole entire drive but only now did he actually move it to stroke her skin, "you always look so pretty for me. I'm the luckiest man in town."

Y/n giggled and her face felt like it was burning up. No one had taken the time to compliment her sweetly, and that was obvious to Lee. He cradled her face in the palm of his hand and watched her turn into putty. His hand inches closer to her heat causing her to jump like his hand was made of actual fire.

"Relax baby...just relax for me," Lee planted his face in her neck and nipped at it. His lips tickled the skin on her neck and she did her best to suppress her giggles but they spilled from her lips. Lee smirked against her skin, "there she is. There's my girl."

She let a laugh slip through, but she suppressed the moan that was stuck in her throat. It was so odd to feel him on her neck but it was an unfamiliar feeling that she liked. His hand never left her thigh, in fact he had sneakily moved it closer to her sex. She felt ashamed about the growing wetness that she could feel sticking to her.

Lee grabbed her hand and placed it right over the bulge straining in his pants. She let out a heavy sigh when she realized what it was. "That's how hard you make me. You making me so fucking hard girl," he growled in her ears. This was something only the senior girls from her high school could dream about when they talked about hooking up with their boyfriends. None of them were even half the man Lee was, and here he was: hard and ready just for her.

"L-Lee," her voice broke into bits, her body overheating from Lee taking control, "wait, can we slow down?"

"You taste so sweet baby," he continued kissing her, ignoring her until she was pulling away from his grasp. "What's wrong girl?" The furrowing of his brow made her worry that she pissed him off. Lee was all she had, he convinced her to put away her dream of going to college and stay here for him, if she ran him off then she'd have nothing else.

"I'm just nervous. I’ve never done this before Lee," she hoped her honesty went a long way and would make him take her home instead. But all it did was make him readjust himself in his seat and pull away from her rather coldly.

Lee was irritated with her, she got him all hard, but he did his best to temper his anger. She's lucky that he was on the job all day and didn't have a chance to drink yet or else she'd see the side of him that he purposely hid from her.

"Don't be nervous baby. You know I love you right?" She nodded her head with her wide eyes holding a sad look in them, "good girl. Let me show you something."

Lee patted his lap and Y/n looked at him with apprehension.

"C'mon now," he patted his lap once again, this time with a bit of impatience in his voice.

Y/n awkwardly shifted over the center console of his patrol car and found herself in his lap. His strong arms wrapped around her waist and he rested his chin on her shoulder. She tried to ignore how his bulge poked at her slit through her cotton panties.

"You ever been in a car this nice before?"

"Uh-uh," she shook her head, somewhat distracted by the beautiful interior and his cock poking at her. The only car she's ever drove was the shitty one that was passed down to her. Lee's patrol car doesn't look like it's more than five years old.

Seeing her look in wonder at the dash made him even harder. He began to rut against her, trying to feel as much friction as he could, but it wasn't enough to satiate a man who has been waiting a few months for this.

He sat back and started fumbling with his pants. Y/n heard the sound of the metal on his belt and unzipping of his pants but she froze on top of him instead of moving. She grabbed the steering wheel and held onto it as tight as she did the night he first laid eyes on her. Her alarm rose when Lee lifted her up a little to push her panties to the side.

"Lee what are you doing-"

"Shhh baby don't worry, I got you."

The sensation of his head poking at her slit and her sliding down him was unspeakable. She was uncomfortable with his splitting size, but he didn't move her at all, trying to give her some time to adjust but it was just so hard for him to restrain himself. She was so tight and warm, and definitely untouched by any man. "Fuck," he mumbled warmly in her ear. She felt him wrap his arm tighter around her, almost as if he was afraid she was going to somehow run away from him. Even if she wanted to, she wouldn't know her way back home and she'd be stuck out here. She was safe with Lee even though she found herself feeling more confusion than pleasure.

Those girls from her high school days had to been lying to her, sex didn’t feel all that magical; his patrol car was not a romantic place to lose her virginity. Lee rocked her on his cock slowly as she tried to find the same pleasure that he was experiencing. His heavy breath was on her ear as she stared straight up into the night sky.

"You feel so good. You feel so fucking good baby."

His pleasure is what made her want to stay on top of him like this. She cared for him so much and she just wanted Lee to be proud of her. The "good girl" that continuously spilled from his lips sounded like a hymn she wanted to memorize.

Y/n let Lee have his way with her body. He groped her breast through her dress and then let his hands graze her sides. She wondered what he was doing when his hand slipped into her panties, but the warmth that shot through her made her mind go blank. Lee rubbed at her sensitive bud and she constricted around him. Instead of whimpering, she was now fully moaning; the way it felt so good had put her discomfort into the back of her mind.

"Oh fuck -- move your hips girl. You feel so good."

He rubbed her harder as a reward for swirling her hips against him. She began to bounce on top of him and he no longer had to do the hard work, just lean back and feel her engulfing him in her warmth.

"Lee," she whimpered, unsure of herself, but then she called his name again, "Lee," as if to let him know that he was the one giving her pleasure.

Lee knew he wasn't going to last, not when she was as tight and wet as she was. He can't remember the last time he took someone's virginity, nor when he was this hard. It was clear to him that she had no idea what she was doing by the way she bounced on him without a rhythm. Sometimes she'd stall herself before moving fast again. It didn't irk him, he found it endearing that she was so inexperienced. He was going to have to show her a lot of things and get her to fuck him to his liking.

Y/n gasped when Lee pulled out of her and jerked himself until white liquid was splashing on the back of her panties. She'd have to wash them before her mother saw the stain.

"You did so good baby, taking my cock like a big girl," he placed a sloppy kiss on her cheek, still trying to catch his breath while she shifted on top of him. He put himself away and nudged her towards the empty passenger seat. She was silent the entire time he drove her home. A sense of pride filled her because she had made Lee feel good. The sex itself was too weird to describe as being good, but she liked how she felt inside when he told her she felt good and that she made him cum. That's all she wanted to do was please Lee.

-

Saturday morning proved to be another beautiful day. It seems as if Summer didn't want to leave just yet even though October was near. There wouldn't be many more opportunities for Lee to make his impressions and sway the last few voters not on his side.

The event had been boring at most, but Sally's words really shook her up. No one in town would deny that Mrs. Blackwater has always been a bitter women, but they also wouldn't necessarily turn the other cheek if she starts going around saying that Lee Bodecker is a murder. Y/n's new problem made her forget about the decaying brothel owner. She doesn't care how mean the whole town thought the old woman was, she wanted her gone.

"You slept in. Did I tire you out last night?" Lee had the same smug smirk on his face that has been imprinted on her brains since their early years together.

Y/n nodded even though it wasn't completely truthful. She slept so hard because she's mentally spent and it was finally catching up with her body. Lee had been too distracted to notice how distant she was last night and how she is still distant now. In his eyes, as long as she was eager to lay under him then everything was fine.

Most mornings started like this: Y/n waking up next to her still tired husband and waiting to hear her daughter crying for her. He trudged out of bed and she heard him beat a path down the hall to the bathroom. There was still no sound of her daughter needing her, giving her some time alone. It was nearly silent except for the faint sound of the shower going. She breathed deeply and found herself feeling serene. Just five minutes without the memory of Sally threatening to pull her and her husband's support taunting her.

"Y/n! Do you not hear her crying?" Lee held a stern look on face, he must have been standing there for a few minutes. His towel was wrapped around his waist, stomach hanging over the soft white cotton, "what's wrong with you girl?"

She shook her head, "nothing Lee. I'm just still a lil' tired."

His face softened at her explanation but he nodded his head towards the door so she could take care of their daughter. Y/n hurried not to upset him for the rest of the day.

Their baby was just fussy and hungry. Her little eyes weren’t that red so she hadn’t been crying for long. “You hungry?” Her daughter somewhat understood what her mother was saying because her eyes went wide. The nightgowns Lee had bought Y/n made it much easier for her to pull herself out of them to feed their girl. She could see her daughter calming down, eyes closing once again. Y/n thought about keeping her daughter with her but she needed to rest in her crib. She placed her down gently as not to disturb and wake her again. At least one person in this family deserves peace.

"Back to sleep?" Lee's voice startled her, but the hand on her hip soothed her. Y/n nodded, never taking her eyes away from her girl. "Precious isn't she? So sweet when she's not fussin' about."

"She only fusses because she's teething, and she misses her father."

"Honey, you know why I'm at work longer than usual. It's for her. It's for you. It's for us. Do you know how much better her life, your life, is going to be better after I win that race?"

"But what if you don't win?"

Y/n rarely questions Lee, not even over small things, so he was confused as to why she was questioning him now. Did his wife not believe in him? She worried a lot, but when he first ran for sheriff, she was not this doubtful.

"What are you trying to say?"

"Lee, I didn't say that. It's just that people been talkin' and -"

"And you believe them? So my own wife doesn't think I'm going to win because a few people can’t got some things wrong?”

Y/n flinched as his voice got louder. The brashness of his voice woke their girl up from her attempt to fall into a deep sleep. Instead of waking up and silently looking around, the first thing that came from her was a cry. It served as a way for Y/n to escape Lee's wrath. She pulled her crying daughter into her arms and held her close to her chest. One glance at Lee's face and she knew he was going to deal with her later. But for now he just sighed and walked out of the nursery.

"Aww don't cry honey. It was just your daddy, okay? He's not mad at you sweetheart. Don't cry...don't cry," Y/n's voice cracked and tears slipped down her face. Her pleas were more for herself than they were her daughter.

Lee's hesitance to address the obvious problems he faces in regards to the election made Y/n feel uneasy. All she wanted was for her husband to just outright say he never did those things, but he never did. And if Y/n has resulted to murder, then she knows deep down that he did some of those things that people allege. There were just things that were too loud to drown out. The business when it came to solving a string of murders that happened a few years ago and people talking about him didn't affect him when he was going for re-election. There was no one else that had a strong enough presence to go against him and the folks in town figured that Lee gets enough done as far as crime goes, even though he could do more.

Y/n should be tired of trying to clean up his mess when he was so short with her. However it is not entirely his fault; he does not know. Maybe one day he'll learn and be grateful for what she has done for him.

-

Lee just couldn't stop reminding her that Sandy and Carl were coming over. It's almost as if he knew it got under Y/n's skin and used it against her after she hurt his feelings this morning. He's a sensitive one, even though he hides it well from most people, but her moment of vulnerability wasn't meant to hurt him. Though if their conversation had progressed any further, she might have spilled what she did to the brothel owner. She may want to believe Lee would be proud of her, but she cannot be so sure. It's sickening to assume that someone would be proud of a murder. She quickly began to feel dirty after a few minutes with her own thoughts ever since Lee snapped at her.

"Can you clean up? We're going to be having guests soon."

There were just a few baby toys on the floor but it was best not to make things worse with Lee (even though those toys were going to end up in the same place anyway).

Lee stepped outside as Y/n put their daughter in her high chair. Ever since her birth Lee was mindful not to smoke in the house; it was one of the house rules Y/n proposed that he was surprisingly very accepting of. She had taken away most of the things that he used to destress: alcohol, cigarettes, and candies.

She heard the motor of a car and Lee's muffled voice. She knew it was them, but hoped they were just making a short trip over. It's not like Lee likes Carl, and he's constantly complaining about his trouble making sister. Y/n hates that Sandy uses their daughter as an excuse to come over. She wouldn't mind if Sandy came alone, but she hated Carl around her little girl and she's sure Lee feels the same way.

Y/n's mother had gotten their daughter such a stupid gift when she was born. A baby that's not even half a year old yet didn't need a toy that had a million little pieces they could easily choke on, but of course it was her favorite thing to place with. Lee never cleaned up the mess, it was always Y/n who was doing it. She tried her best to pick everything up before they stepped inside but she heard the front door open. She tensed up, but she only heard the heavy footsteps of one person, and god did she hope it was Lee.

"What you doin' down there?"

Her eyes trailed up and Carl was gazing down at her. Words got caught in her throat and she clutched her hand around one of the toy pieces, the edges of it painfully digging into her palm.

"Did I scare you?"

The smirk on her face made her want to shriek. She noted that he didn't call her "darlin'" like he used to. She can only guess what Lee did to him when he "took him out back" after calling her that for a few years.

"Where's my niece?"

Y/n shot up, not caring about the toys still on the floor. She'll be damned if Carl is alone with her daughter for even a second.

Sandy came in with Lee following behind her. He gave Y/n a look of understanding, he too hoped this was going to be a short visit. The sound of Sandy fawning over her niece overtook the room. Their daughter giggled and babbled at her aunt as if she could understand her.

"Y/n go make us some ice tea."

Usually Lee doesn't command her to do things, unless he was stressed or horny. She knew her was the former by the look on his face. He was aggravated and this visit wasn't going to make him feel any better. As Y/n left the room, Sandy sat down on their couch with their daughter in her arms. Carl sat next to them, making the alarm in Lee rise.

"I got you something honey," she pulled out a little doll from her purse. It looked tattered and Lee wondered where she got it from.

"You know she already has enough dollies," Lee joked. It didn't matter to his girl, it was a new toy, "got anything for your brother?"

Sandy eyes him before pulling out a small bag of candy. She tossed it to him and he caught it, "I knew you'd ask for somethin'"

He opened it and instantly popped a sweet cherry candy into his mouth.

"Y/n's not letting me drink since the girl is so young. This is the only thing I got, even though she's on my ass about that too," Lee knew that Sandy wasn't too interested in the ins-and-outs of his everyday life but he gets tired of complaining to his deputies.

"Yea, I bet," she kept a snide comment about her sister-in-law to herself. The box of cigarettes she had calling her name we're going to have to wait. "How's that mayor race going?"

"It's going."

"Heard that whore house owner croaked," Carl's voice carried to the kitchen and Y/n paused, "found in unusual circumstances...chairs pushed up against the door...poisoned. Reckon one of those girls got tired of him holdin' them down-"

"No smoking in the house," Lee interrupted when he noticed Carl reaching for the pack of cigarettes in his shirt pocket. Carl laughed as if he wanted to challenge Lee, but his hand went back to resting on the back of the couch.

"Wouldn't want this little darlin' smellin' like a bar."

Anytime Carl spoke at or about her daughter, Y/n wanted to vomit. Carl is not nice. She wonders how twisted Sandy might be to marry someone who is awful to women and has no filter.

There was a cloud of fear over her head when Carl was around. She wishes Lee was more apprehensive but Sandy's his little sister, and he cares for her no matter how much those two causes. Things would be different if Y/n had told Lee about that time Carl pressed himself against and put his hand up the skirt of her dress. His threat would forever bounce off her skull and it only got louder when he was near. "Shut you're fucking mouth or else your husbands gonna see his slut wife bending over for another man." She was five months pregnant and had no way to defend herself. He only groped her, but she always wondered if he would've gone further if Sandy hadn't come in looking for the cooking tongs Lee told her to fetch. Sandy knew something had happened, but she said nothing. Y/n's disdain for her only grew from that day on.

Lee redirected the conversation from what Carl had started to something a bit more asinine. He didn't want to talk about something work-related because he didn't need to be stressed out any further. Reed’s death wasn't another blow to his reputation like Lee thought it would. It was going to be another unsolved murder from the way it was looking though. The people assumed one of the girls did it. The place had been emptied out; it surely looked different from when Lee was last in there. Lee was lucky that Reed was extremely disliked, unlike that preacher Roy who died some years ago. More people said "he had it coming" instead of "why isn't the sheriff doing anything?"

He laughed about it though. When he was alone in the car after leaving the crime scene, he laughed. There was no more worrying about the rumor that Sheriff Lee Bodecker beat one of his girls. When Lee did go to that place, he was never forceful. Lee could be mean towards women at times, but he was never violent.

-

If Lee was called in on a Sunday morning, then it was very important. He woke Y/n up at 5 am and kissed her out of her confused state to say goodbye. She only slept for another hour after laying her head down back on the pillow.

This morning felt so different.

The morning she woke up knowing her task was to deal with Reed, she was distracted and jumpy. But she had grown so accustomed to her guilt that it's become a comfortable feeling. Mrs. Blackwater was a more personal score to settle. That woman was throwing dirt on Lee's name, but the turmoil she caused her teenage friend would never leave her mind. Y/n had learned how cruel someone could be without physically hurting you. The boys on school grounds were annoying brats, but that woman had a truly awful mouth.

The Petersons’ daughter was over right after church. She had a wide smile on her face, happy that Mrs. Bodecker was giving her another opportunity to make some money.

"She's been a fairly good mood lately," Y/n handed her daughter off to the shorter teenage girl, "she slept through the night for once, but she's still gonna need a nap. Once she starts fussin' put her in her crib. I should be back before Lee."

Y/n wished her well and the Petersons girl wished Y/n a good time running her errands. It was comical to think of this as an errand, even though today she was going to treat it like one.

She was in Lee's nice car again meaning she was going to have to temporarily get rid of it. Y/n put much more effort into this, her haphazard plan to take out Reed could've gone horribly wrong. She spent her time snooping around town when she was out with one of her mom friends. The plan had been simple: park the car at the crowded grocery just two blocks away from the Blackwater house. The house sat at the end of the street, a bit separated from the other row of houses because of the larger amount of land they owned. It wouldn't be a problem to walk to the house seeing as others in this neighborhood do the same thing.

When her mother had made that dress for her to wear to the Spring Formal, Y/n cried, saying she was going to look like a nurse instead of "the prettiest girl in town" like Jim, the guy who asked her to the dance said. A teenage grievance had somehow come in handy almost a decade later. It was under a long coat that was a bit abnormal for this warm day.

Y/n felt sickly confident. That only thing she worried about was Lee cruising through and seeing his car in the parking lot. But the grocery store offered a great cover. The sun was covered by a thick cloud as she walked away from the grocery store and to the old Blackwater house.

That porch still looked the same. It was old and rickety, squeaking as she stepped on it, she's surprised it didn't give it away some years ago. The rocking chair Mrs. Blackwater sat on while terrorizing people was no longer there. At least her days of scaring off the newer generation of kids were over.

Y/n knocked on the door and waited. She had to knock again, and by the third time she wondered if the old lady did the job for her!

"Who is it?" The voice was much more frail, but it was that voice.

"I'm here to help!" The upturn of her voice at the end made her statement sound more like a question.

The locks on the door began to click and Mrs. Blackwater peered at her.

"You're not the one they always send."

"Oh, she's sick today! I'm just filling in for her today!" After two weeks of watching, Y/n learned what days Mrs. Blackwater's nurse came and went. She came everyday but she was absent on Sundays. It's somewhat astounding that Mrs. Blackwater didn't ask about Y/n turning up on a Sunday.

"Ahh whatever," she dismissed, unlocking the screen door, and wheeling backwards in the wheelchair that she had been relegated to a few years ago.

Y/n didn't know what to expect when she stepped inside, but it wasn't too far off from how her parent's house looked; black and white photos littering the walls and stacks of paper that probably could've been thrown away a decade ago. What is different from her parent's home is that this place is an utter mess. The nurse that usually comes to take care of her could at least tidy it up a bit. With how much she hated everything, Y/n would've assumed she hated mess too, but her home says otherwise. This lady was an absolute hoarder.

"Don't bother me," Mrs. Blackwater sniped at her. She wheeled herself next to the couch and glued her eyes to the black and white television screen.

Y/n doesn't know how many hours Mrs. Blackwater spent sitting there and watching The Andy Griffin Show. She didn't laugh when something funny happened, she just sat there still, sometimes grumbling to herself in reaction to what was happening on screen.

The least Y/n could do was tidy up a bit. It would be a kind gesture to leave her to die in a presentable place.

Mrs. Blackwater is not going to die a violent death. She was awful, but she did not deserve the brutality like someone who has done physical harm did. (If she was just a little bit braver, she would've hacked him to death, but the sight of blood makes her ill). Mrs. Blackwater was up in age, nearing her 90s, and it would be time for her to go soon anyway. Y/n dusted around the TV, one of the last things this old woman may see. All the photos of people on the walls were staring at her as she moved about cleaning the dust from the frames. So many people, many dead but most probably alive. Mrs. Blackwater had children and probably grandchildren but no one came to visit her. Her tongue was sharp, but how could no one come and visit their aging mother?

"Stop moving so damn much. Sit down girl."

The venom was still in her voice. It would never go away, at least not until she dies. This woman didn't appreciate anything and enjoyed being miserable. Y/n listened to her like that scared little teenager she used to be. She sat on the couch, a few feet away from Mrs. Blackwater who had not taken her eyes off the TV or moved at all. Y/n was spending time with a woman who was going to die at her hands today. If she's going to die then at least she's going to die doing what she loves; watching her shows and bitching out the closest person in reach.

She had only moved to grab the newspaper from the table on the other side of her. It was Friday's addition, Y/n could tell from the photo on the cover. She couldn't help but eye the old woman as she read the paper. It has been probably three hours and she hasn't even asked for anything to eat.

"People droppin' like flies in this shit hole."

Y/n's ears perked up, but she didn't say anything, she just let the lady talk.

"Leroy should know better not to do that shit here...especially with that corrupt sheriff around...would've had an easier time gettin' away with it in the city. Everyone in the city already does all that illegal shit so it probably wouldn’t have mattered anyway. Now he’s dead."

Y/n had heard that name before. She remembers vividly Lee chewing someone out on the phone and saying their name with contempt. Leroy, Leroy, Leroy. The name "Bobo" also came up in the conversation a few times. Y/n wanted to be mad at Mrs. Blackwater for referring to her husband as "corrupt" but something nagged at her to keep the conversation going for her sake.

"W-what do you mean?" Her voice cracked but it was ignored by the old woman.

"You must not be from here. Everyone knows that if you get caught up with that fat bastard sheriff you must be doin’ some awful shit. The only reason why he keeps gettin' re-elected is because everyone is scared of him. It doesn't matter how many babies that man has, he's a killer...dragging that man's body and fucking up carnations..."

No one had ever talked to Mrs. Bodecker about her husband like this. Town gossipers had the decency to wait until she left the room to say something about him. But she's not Mrs. Bodecker right now. It does not matter anyway because the old lady doesn't know what she's talking about. She hasn't spent the hours with Lee, with him being sweet and so soft with his daughter. Y/n firmly believes that if Lee did indeed kill someone then it was for a good reason. She knows her husband involves himself in dirty things, but it had to be for a good reason. Lee did not show brutality for no reason; he didn't get his rocks off on hurting innocent people.

"People can change. I'm sure he's a different man now."

"Why!? Because he got a bitch and a bastard? You are too naïve...at least the other girl they send has some more sense in her head. No man is going to want to marry a dumb girl."

An awkward silence surrounded them but it was mostly felt by Y/n. She found herself frozen with a ball of rage and anxiety in her stomach. But she had no time to dwell for much longer though.

"I'm thirsty...go make me something."

Y/n noticed Mrs. Blackwater flinching when she grabbed the remote to turn the volume higher. She either had arthritis or just pain in her hands.

"Okay...do you need to take any pills at this time?"

"My husbands gone and my children don't visit me. You think I care about taking my pills?"

Maybe Mrs. Blackwater would be kind to her if she knew Y/n was going to take her out of her misery. Breaking open the capsules and dumping it in the tea she made for her is going to do the job. She might succumb to a heart attack, or pass peacefully. The only person Y/n felt bad for was the poor nurse who was going to find her dead tomorrow morning.

-

Lee was able to leave his shift earlier than expected. Sundays are very quiet, the only thing he got up to was paperwork at the station. He could go home early to his wife, play with the girl while Y/n makes dinner, and get a nice ride from his wife while their daughter sleeps. Y/n said something about needing him to pick up some chicken stock from the grocery store.

People filled in and out of the grocery store as the sun began to set. A few people spoke to him, never for too long knowing that he's not fond of small talk. But more people being friendly with him was a good sign. Even without his sweet wife next to him, no one shied away from saying hello to the man running for Mayor.

Two boxes of chicken stock should be enough even though his wife sent him for three. The brand she likes isn’t exactly cheap. Lee promptly made his way to the cashier who greeted him with a smile.

"Good evening sheriff!" her voice was sweet and she batted her eyes a few times. Lee offered her a smile, but a small laugh escaped. This girl couldn't be younger than 20 but she fawned over him like a young school girl. Her behavior reminded him of Y/n when she was that age. "Darlene said she saw your car in the parking lot but didn't get a chance to catch Mrs. Bodecker herself."

Lee stopped caring about the items (a few snuck in there for him) being rung up. His brows furrowed and the girl realized that she had said something maybe she shouldn't have.

"My wife was here?"

"That's what Darlene said. Her shift ended right as I was coming in so I wasn't there when it happened...do you still want the chicken stock?"

"Yea yea just ring it up."

Lee's mind was too preoccupied with the weird behavior his wife has been exhibiting for the last several weeks. She often hovered over him when he was on the phone like she was interested in what he was talking about. All the swearing and terms she didn't understand kept her from asking what his loud, and often abrasive, phone conversations were about. But now she was listening a little too hard for his liking.

The only time Y/n was supposed to drive their car is if Lee told her she could or if there was an emergency. A trip to the grocery store did not fall under either of those categories. But it was particularly weird to him that she would go to the store when she told him to go himself. If she had forgotten something, she would have not hesitated to call the station. Something was up with her.

Everything felt normal as he stepped into the house. The smell of what she was cooking hit his nose and the familiar noises of his daughter babbling louder than the Y/n moving around the kitchen. If he had no questions for his wife, then he'd feel all warm inside walking into his home in this current state.

Y/n was talking to their daughter as if she was holding a real conversation with her. Their daughter started squealing when she saw Lee appear in the doorway. He put his index finger to his lips to tell her to quiet herself, but she was only louder.

"I couldn't believe it either! They said the hairdresser purposefully dyed Marie's hair darker," she spoke, thinking her daughter was just squealing because she was talking to her and not because her husband was creeping up behind her.

Hands snaked around her waist and she nearly jumped. "Oh yea? Is that what the town is gossipin' about today?" Lee's familiar voice soothed her and she turned around in his arms. She deftly kissed him and looked up at him.

"Wanna know what else I heard?" He whispered to her. Y/n nodded, a smile spreading on her face as she rested her forehead against his, "heard the sheriff's wife been out and about and driving his nice car."

Y/n's smile fell from her face, but it only made Lee smile wider.

"You wanna tell me what you were doing out?"

"I needed something from the store."

"So my task to pick up the chicken stock after work was for nothing?"

"No...I went to my parents house...didn't want to go empty-handed. You know how my mother gets."

What a sweet little liar.

But she still had the smell of an old house lingering around her so maybe it wasn’t completely a lie. Still, he knew something was up with her.

“How was work?” She quickly tried to change the subject. Lee was not really in the mood to interrogate her, it was Sunday after all. He sat down in the chair next to his daughter's high chair. She started reaching for his hat but he was too far away, so Lee rested his head on the tray and let her have her fun. Y/n was probably going to be mad at him for putting his head where she eats and getting all of his “outside germs” all over it, but he didn’t care.

“I’m tired,” he confessed, a heavy sigh escaping him, “I’m really fucking tired.”

Y/n wishes she could lift more of her husband’s burdens. Killing people who were talking about him did not get rid of the core problem. Sometimes she wishes he never decided to run for mayor. Life was so much more comfortable when he would run unopposed for county sheriff. Instead her husband had a bigger dream. From the very beginning she felt like it was a long shot that this would be successful, but they had gotten so far in changing how most of the people viewed Lee. And even though they felt a way about him, they still respected the sheriff.

“It’s going to be over soon. I promise.”

He truly wanted to believe her, but the sinking feeling that the past was going to catch up with him was not going away.

#lee bodecker #lee bodecker x reader #lee bodecker x you #lee bodecker x y/n #lee bodecker smut #the devil all the time #dark fic #lee bodecker fic #sebastian stan fic

[midnight-writ3r]

Bad for you

Mark Lee x Genderneutral reader

Inspired by: https://www.instagram.com/p/B7B5kVHnfR_/?igshid=1549iye1jbaj3

Summary: Mark Lee, as some would argue, is the epitome of dangerous. You don't know anything about him, except this:

You have never felt so safe around anyone.

A/N: might turn into a series if I feel up to it, but for now it's just this one shot 😂idk I saw that edit and fell into a hard Stan moment 🤷🏻‍♀️ hope u enjoy 💕

Next part —>

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"Are you okay?"

You look over at Mark, his eyes fixated on the road ahead and a hand gripping the steering wheel. His free hand is warm and grounding on your knee, chaining you down to reality. Despite this, you can't fight the urge to curl into yourself. Make yourself as small as possible.

These guys... They had touched you and when you fought they wouldn't let you go. You had screamed and tried to get away. If it hadn't been for Mark... You eye the bloody scratches adorning his knuckles and the swollen cut on his lip, where one of them had landed a hit. Mark seemed unfazed with it, but you could tell that the anger was still simmering under his skin.

There's not much you know about him. Until today, you hadn't even heard him speak. All you could say is that he is friends with your best friend Donghyuck and that he only ever seems to cross your path at parties. There's something about him that you can't pinpoint though. Like there is a lot more underneath his skin than you'd be able to guess.

You hadn't noticed how much silence had passed, with you just looking at him. Thankfully, he doesn't mention it. Instead, he gives you a reassuring smile, before turning the car into another street.

"Donghyuck was so worried. He called me from the club, said he couldn't find you." he bites his lip. You want to stop him from ripping the cut there even more. "God, Y/N I'm so glad I found you."

You still don't have any words, but one of your hands reaches out to cover his on your knee. With a half-smile, he turns it over and intertwines your fingers. After another ten minutes of silent driving, Mark pulls into a parking lot, very familiar to you.

"Donghyuck sent me your address." he explains, seeing your surprised expression, "Come on, let's get you inside."

When he pulls his hand free from yours, you feel a little lost at the missing warmth. Still, you push yourself out of the car and follow him towards the door of your apartment complex. At the door, your hands shake too much to push the key inside, so Mark takes it from you and unlocks it instead.

Your hand lingers on his, when he hands the key back to you.

Even as you climb the stairs, all the way to the 8th floor, thanks to the broken elevator, Mark follows. He doesn't say anything, just watches you with careful eyes. You feel warm, under his protection; safe.

Right when you reach your door, you turn around. "thank you." you say, your voice still a little raspy from the tears.

"You speak!" he jokes and you find yourself smiling. His hand finds your arm and you lean into it, "Nothing to thank me for. Go get some sleep. Donghyuck said he'd come by tomorrow morning."

You nod, trying to look reassuring. There's a small smile on his face and, despite the cuts and bruises, and the tattoo on his collarbone, his eyes look like the ones of a boy.

"Good night, Y/N." he whispers, "Take care."

He turns away and as soon as his hand is gone from your arm, you know you don't want to be without it. Reaching out, your fingers find his again and tug him back. For a moment, Mark seems taken aback, but when you step up to him, he seems to understand right away.

He tastes sweet as you kiss him, like a cup of hot chocolate and you like the way he moves with you. Unsure of what is riding you, you tug him closer by the belt loops of his washed out jeans. Mark gives in easily, following your pull and eventually pushing, himself. Your back hits the door of your apartment and his arm cages you in, still so protective, so secure.

Daring, you open your mouth; a silent invitation. He takes it without hesitation and the feeling of his tongue against yours sends sparks through your core. His free hand wanders over your waist, to your hip, gripping with just the right amount of force and you melt.

His lips part from yours and you almost whine, until you feel the pleasure of them against your neck, sucking and kissing the skin there. You reach up, entangling your fingers in his hair and pull. The reaction is instant: Mark's hips, suddenly out of control, push against yours and you sigh.

"W-wait." you gasp out.

With a low sound of disapproval, Mark separates from you and watches you scramble for your keys. Your hands shake for entirely different reasons now. When you turn to unlock the door, his hands find your hips again, pulling you back against him. Teeth nibble on your earlobe and you can barely contain an embarrassing sound.

Finally the door clicks open. Mark seems surprised with your eagerness, but pleased all the same. With a sinister grin, he follows you into the apartment.

-*- FIN -*-

#neowritingsnet #nct fanfic #nct smut #nct scenarios #nct imagines #nct mark #nct x you #nct x reader #nct fluff #nct fiction #mark lee #mark imagines #mark x reader #mark lee x reader #mark lee x you #gender neutral #Kissing #making out

[chlodani]

This is the sequel to my first Zuko X F! Reader pairing smau.

Trigger Warning: Mentions of car accident. Revenge. Also mature. If you are sensitive to that kind of thing, you're warned ahead of time. Read at your own risk. . .

After the car accident and problems she had with her friends, Y/n, gets to experience what it's like to be a mother and have a family of her own. And finally live of life she's always wanted, but is it really all fun and games?

End Special Edition Part 9. . .

Part 10 coming soon. . .

Chloe's P.O.V.

I stood by the desert table with my friends and my new husband Zuko.

"Hey, Y/n/n, now that you're married, are you gonna use that as another excuse to ignore me? I mean you already moved away from home?"

My twelve year old little sister asked me as she walked over to me. I smiled softly.

"I'm sorry Fay, I'm not intentionally ignoring you, I'm just busy hon," I told her.

"I know, -"

She hugged me.

"I'm just teasing, -"

She leaned back from me.

"What are you guys talking about?" Fay asked curiously.

"Zuko, was just questioning our wedding cake," I answered.

Fay laughed.

"Why? It looks great," Fay stated.

"Thank you Fay, - At least someone appreciates it," Suki said annoyed.

"I like it Suki," I told her.

"Thank you," she said to me.

"Okay, I'm sorry Suki, I like the fact that you made the four layers the four different nations in honor of our friends. Fire: obviously me; Earth: Toph; Water: Y/n, Sapphire and Katara; and Air: Aang. You even added a small boomerang for Sokka, and a fan to represent you, - But what I dont get is, why you added a homemade candy that looks like Aang," Zuko told Suki.

"Aang, asked me to," Suki said to Zuko.

"But why?"

"Because we're best friends and I though you'd like to have a small symbol that shows how much I love you guys," Aang told Zuko.

"Thanks Aang,"

Zuko had a hint of sarcasm in his voice. I elbowed him slightly. I smiled as I looked at Aang.

"Its great Aang, thank you," I said to Aang.

"Well, instead of just standing here talking about, let's dig into this cake!" Sokka exclaimed excitedly.

"Wait, first I have to shove some into Zuko's face," I spoke with a smile.

All of us jumped slightly as a blue blast of fire was shot right at the desert table destroying everything, and blowing up the cake, making it go all over us.

"The icecream!!!" Shouted Aang horrified.

"The cake!!!!" Sokka shouted mortified.

"I guess Zuzu, forgot to invite me,"

I was horrified to hear that voice. We all turned to see Azula and Mai. Oh great! Zuko was enraged. He formed his hands into fists, creating fire getting ready to shoot her with fire.

"Fay, go find Dad, I dont want you to be a part of this!" I demanded.

"But Y/n I want to help," Fay complained.

"No! Go find dad!"

She grunted in frustration running to find dad. I know Azula's not after her. I just dont want her caught in the crossfire. Fay is a non-bender. And even though she works with Suki, Ty-Lee and Sokka on a daily basis, training to become a warrior shes not ready to fight in a battle yet. Especially against Azula.

"I didn't forget, you weren't invited! - And neither were you Mai!" Zuko told them in a soft stern voice.

"Ah come on Zuko, you know you still have feelings for me, - just admit it - you don't need her," Mai told Zuko.

"You're wrong - I love Y/n more than I ever did you, - That'll never change, - "

Mai looked beyond enraged. Azula just had a knowing smile sit on her face. Every single one of us got into a fighting stance.

"And you both might as well just walk away now, seeing as you're clearly outnumbered," Zuko told them.

"Oh that's where your wrong Zuko, - "

Suddenly we were surrounded by Dia Lee Agents. Ah sh*t!

"You remember my dear friends - The Dia Lee? - They've agreed to help me again, - So here's the way I see it Zuzu, you take Mai back as yours or we kill everyone here - including your new "wife" -"

"Never!"

Zuko shot a huge flame at Azula blasting her back. I guess that was the trigger for the Dia Lee to attack. Everyone around us started to fight even the non-benders. I'm just hoping my dad took Fay away from all this. I moved away from Zuko, to fight one of the Dia Lee agents. Luckily we're surrounded by water, so us waterbenders had plenty of amo. After blasting back one of the Dia Lee agents and freezing him to the ground, I turned around to see Mai behind me. She held her weapons.

"Mai, you're better than this - Why are you doing this?" I asked her.

"You know why - Zuko was mine long before he was yours and you took him away from me. It was your fault why he betrayed me," Mai said to me.

"The fault lies with you Mai - Zuko told me about wha my you did. - Trying to keep my accident away from him - Why is that I wonder? - You thought that if I'd died, it would get me out of the way - So you wouldn't have to worry about Zuko talking to me anymore?"

"It seemed like a good idea at the time,'

"Be careful Mai, I might think you had something to do with it,"

"Oh please, like could do something so stupid,"

"Right - Right -"

I smirked deviously.

"That was my bad entirely -"

I was holding my arms in a waterbending fighting stance.

"You're not gonna give this up are you?"

"I'm sorry - I can't - Zuko belongs to me,"

Mai glanced at someone behind me, motioning to them with her eyes. Confusion crossed me as I stood there. Just before I could do anything, my arms were quickly grabbed and my hands were cuffed my rock. I struggled against the Dia Lee's grip. I was hoping someone would come help me, but everyone around me was a little busy. Azula was distracting Zuko, and everyone else was dealing with the Dia Lee.

"Mai, please - Cant we find another way to settle this?"

"No, - I'm sorry Y/n, but Zuko's always belonged to me, - and I can't have anyone else in the way,"

Mai was suddenly blasted back by a huge flame of fire.

"Well, you're sh*t outta luck honey, because now we're in the way,"

I smiled as I saw her. I looked behind me as the Dia Lee agent was also blasted back. The other girl used Firebending to break the rock cuffs. I stood to my feet with a soft smile. They both hugged me.

"Sorry I took us this long to see you again, - You know how busy we can be,"

I smiled as I looked at Jami. Jami and Montana. Two of my best friends since we were kids. Though we got separated as we got older and lost contact.

"That was a close one Y/n/n," Montana said to me with a smile.

"Yes it was, - now before we get into any small talk, let's go help the rest of my friends - You guys go help Aang and them,"

"What are you gonna do?" Jami asked me.

"Me? I'm gonna go help Zuko kick Azula's a*s," I stated seeming like I was really going to enjoy this.

🔥 🔥 🔥

We managed to fight them all. Azula and Mai retreated with the Dia Lee. They didn't surrender, they just turned back for now. Azula wont give up that easily. We watched as they all disappeared into the distance. Zuko had his arm around me protectively. Jami and Montana stood with us. Zuko turned to them.

"I want to thank you guys for helping Y/n, back there with Mai," Zuko said to them.

They both smiled.

"Oh, no problem - Y/n's like our family, there's nothing we wouldn't do for her," Jami said to him.

"Me too," Zuko stated.

I looked at Zuko.

"Well, now we are family," I said to him softly as I wrapped my arms around him.

Zuko placed a soft kiss to my head. Iroh walked over to us.

"I am afraid the Fire Nation is no longer safe for Y/n and your baby, Zuko," Iroh said to him.

"But Iroh, this is our home we have no where else to go," I told him as I looked at him.

"That is where you're wrong, there is my apartment in Ba Sing Se. It is the safest place for you right now, - for both you," Iroh told us.

I sighed disappointed.

"I guess we dont have a choice," I stated.

Taglist:

@cece-lives-here

@sokkas--boomerang

@la-lay

@cuddlykoala101

@zukochi

@mochminnie

@theblueslytherin

@coldlilheart

@coconutsaiyan

@rosestyles69

@juniperwoodwell

@crazylokonugget

@fanficflaneuse

@dailytrashypanda

@pillowpandas5

If you want to be apart of the taglist message me or reply. I'd be happy to add you

#atla zuko #atla #atla katara #atla sokka #atla toph #avatar the last airbender #katara #sokka #suki #toph #avatar aang #alta aang #aang #atla azula #mai #atla mai #atla ty lee #uncle iroh #atla iroh #zuko #zuko smau #zuko x reader #prince zuko #zuko x you #zuko imagine #zuko x y/n

[lovemxnot]

How to kill a dragon | Lee Minho

Genre: how to train your dragon!au, Vikings!au, enemies to lovers!au

Pairings: Reader X Minho ft. Chan, Changbin, Jisung. (Maybe more)

Warnings: blood and gore, idk they're Vikings what would you expect.

Synopsis: It was your soul's mission to avoid Lee Minho at any cost, but life seemed to have other plans. A plan full of dragons, confusion, lots of tears, Minho, and newly found troubling feelings. 

A/N(edit): the fic is posted.

A while ago, I read this masterpiece by none other than @j-once, and it reminded me of my favorite movie (httyd).I don’t know if she wrote it based on this movie or not, but I thought it would be a fun concept.

Heres a sneak peek ( basically the first part of the story)

I’ve been working on this for some time now, give it some loven’ it’s lonely.

I.

Steam was still rising from your soup bowl, meaning you haven’t been sitting on the polished wooden bench here for that long. But time could not go any slower than a wagon pulled in mud whenever you were in the presence of the almighty Lee’s family.

All they did throughout the whole weekly-dinners you and your father had with them in the great hall was boast and brag about how powerful they are, how many dragons they’ve slain, how much dragon skin they have hung up on their walls as tapestry, and how many teethes they wore around their necks, one from each species they’ve killed, as a reminder to the townspeople of who they were.

They perceived themselves as royalty. No one actually liked them, but everyone bared with their bragging as they played a crucial role in keeping this land safe and in one piece.

Your spoon kept picking at the peas in your soup, glaring at them, hoping if you keep your head down and stare at your soup long enough, you might turn into one eventually and not have to sit through this agonizingly long Rendezvous.

You wished you could skip these dinners, but being the last and only descendant of the villages’ chief put you in a tight spot. The Lee’s were a compelling family, they kept the village safe for innumerable years, forming a long line of dragon slayers. So to refrain from rendering this town to ashes, your father made sure to always be on good terms with them; thus you having to sit next to your father on a weekly basis in the large hall placed up north the island, where the elite lived, and pretend you don't dream about having their heads on sticks.

Appetite nowhere in sight, you abandoned your soup in favor of playing with the mashed potato next to the rib meat dosed in a brown sauce, smashing it even more. The food looked delicious, props to the chef, but you lost your appetite whenever you were within a mile of their existence. Being their neighbor wasn’t that fun either. Not when you inevitably meet at least one of the Lee’s whenever you step a foot out of your house.

You were beginning to believe this dinner might actually end on a peaceful note this time, without food thrown at each other across the table. Until the pretty faced boy seated in front of you opened his mouth.

“Why so quiet, Y/N? Dragon got your tongue?” Lee Minho, the youngest and last of the Lee’s, teased.

Great, now any sign of you having a civil, quiet meal completely perished.

You glared at him, trying to keep composed and not fall into one of his tricks, you replied, “Having to stare at your face all evening makes me want to hurl.” Alright, so much for keeping your composure.

“Aw, I make you that nervous?” He grinned, mischievousness sparkling in his pretty brown eyes— you meant ugly, ugly mud brown eyes.

“Aw, you want me to shove my foot up your ass?” You taunted.

“If that's what you're into,” that made everyone on the table queasy. And made your cheeks burn.

“you're revolting.”

“Come on, princess, I know you like me.”

“ I’d much rather have myself hunted down by a night fury than fraternize with you .” It was infuriating how good looking he and his brothers were.

His oldest brother, the firstborn- Chan, was the only one with a cool-headed mind, he was notoriously known in the village for his strength but he never, not once bragged or acted out as the rest of his younger siblings.

You were even more agitated with the way your heartstrings tugged whenever you set eyes on Minho. But you never liked him. There was no reason behind that, no big fight over who got the last biscuit from the great hall buffets, or quarrels over who-said-what-about-who, and especially no arguments over who was the better Viking because you-along with the whole island- knew that both of you have never killed a dragon.

While 12-year-olds were out there with a dash in their slate, both you and Minho were known for being the most softhearted Vikings this town has seen in decades. It was no victorious title, especially not to Minho, the legacy of the Lee’s must continue on, and you understood how suffocating it must feel to have to bear the weight of the crown he was forced to wear since the day he took his first breath. And it’ll stay on his head till the day he takes his last.

You hated him because he was a stuck up prick that couldn’t stop himself from annoying the living daylights out of you. And as far as you know, he couldn’t stand you either, if the glares he always sent your way weren’t an indication of his hate than you don’t know what it is. But you had no idea why he hated you. You never did anything to him. His hostility originated from the pressure of being the black sheep of the house, but why he chose to take it out on you was a mystery.

“Be careful what you wish for.” Minho had the audacity to smirk, right where you had a steaming hot bowl of soup in your hands reach. Did he not learn from the last time he tried to test you? Was the slimy residue of the goat intestines that left his hair sticky and smelly for a week not enough of a warning of how hands-on you could get? He might need a reminder.

He was right though, Night furies were no joke. They are the most feared type of dragons. It only appears at night, never shows itself. It’s fast, stealthy, and never misses an aim. If it has its eyes on you, then you better pray to Odin to give you the stamina to outrun it to a shelter, because other than that your chances of encountering a night fury and coming out alive are nigh to none.

It’s sporadic to see a night fury, much less kill one. No one knows how it looks like, and no one has ever caught or killed one. The only sign that one has come to hunt you is their screech and their unmistakable blue plasma fireballs that could burn anything to ashes upon contact.

You could say night furies were the most sought after dragon in the Lee’s, they want them as a trophy. If they could get that under their belts, then this town would not hear the end of it with how high their heads would be in the asses, proudly wearing it as a tophat.

While you were busy thinking of your comeback, You heard his parents and your father joking as always, saying how you two bickered like a married couple, and how perfect both of you already played into your foreseeable future marriage.

This was another point that added fuel to your hatred. Your families always talked about how the both of you would eventually come around your little fights and marry each other.

With that said, you still would rather be eaten alive by a dragon than have to face the Lee’s for any second longer.

You opened your mouth to say exactly that, but the perusing pair of eyes that were set on you made you shut up. You turned your gaze from Minho's and caught his older brothers instead.

You’ve always admired Chan, he was calm and collected, unlike his baby brother. Fighting in front of him made you feel immature. You two don’t talk often, but you would have absolutely no problem if he were the one you would be betrothed to. He was a very sensible man.

You dropped your gaze back to your plate, letting go of the issue. Shame draped over your shoulders like a coat, you don't mean to pick fights with Minho, but his constant remarks always hit the nail on the head. He knew how to get on your nerves, and it annoyed you to no end that you give him the power to do so.

“So tomorrow is the big day, yeah?” Minho’s father cut into the pregnant air with his question, gathering everyone’s attention back to him, ignoring you twos previous bickering.

“Yes, the sea has cleared up enough for us to set sail.”

Seeing as it was getting hotter these days, sun heating up your armors, turning them into a portable fireplace, melting your skin. Seas turning back to their natural liquid state, your father and his soldiers were bound to go on to one of their semi-annual sea trips.

It completely slipped your mind. It was always around this time, where the adults of this town sailed out to explore the ambiguous sea, in hopes of finding where all these dragons were nesting, while the younglings stayed back for dragon training.

Dragon training.

You’ve managed to avoid joining training thus far, somehow explaining to your father how important it was for you to learn from the town's seamstress how to sew two pieces of leather skin together. But you had a feeling, not this time.

“ Is Commander Kim still the head trainer for this years dragon training ?” Your father nodded, then said, “ speaking of dragon training, Y/N will be joining this year.”

That was news to you. You knew it was bound to happen, but knowing that he signed you up behind your back without consulting you first still hurt.

“What?!” Your spoon clacked loudly against the plate, gathering everyone's attention.

“You heard me,” He said with finality. “ Minho will be there with you too. One of you might actually kill a dragon this time.” He added humorously, as if that would make either of you feel any better. You would rather jump into an active volcano than have to stand next to one of them.

You saw Minho scowl at the mention of his name while everyone else at the table cackled.

“ I bet Y/N will kill one first.” Changbin, the second oldest son and the older twin of the lee pair, made the frown on Minho's face deepen. You could see he was trying to not burst, his hands curled to a fist, knuckles turning white.

Sympathy washed your disdain away, You always felt sorry for Minho whenever his brothers made fun of him. You were an only child and were handled as a relic, meant to be seen and not touched, behind compacted glass. You've never lived a life of sibling rivalry, it wasn't that you envied people with siblings but the thought of having someone to throw the blame on when you tear one of your father's maps seemed pleasant. You always thought blood is thicker than water but witnessing firsthand the unfortunate bulling of lee Minho made you think otherwise.  

“ what’s she going to kill it with? Her crossbow?” The younger twin, Jisung, Snorted. You ignored him, both pairs of the twins were nutheads. Albeit good looking nutheads.

“But dad,” you tried to bring the conversation back onto you, letting Minho breath for a second, not that you cared about him, but because you would hate it if you were in his place “the seamstress finally managed to get velvet, she’s going to show me—“

“No more excuses!! this time you're going!” He slammed his fist into the table. He looked mad, you didn’t know the town folks shit-talking about his daughter being too weak to inherit this town bothered him that much. He must have reached his limit for him to slip and yell at his kin in front of other people. “ how can I pass this village down to you if you can’t even face a training dragon?!”

Ouch. That stung. It wasn’t like you wanted to become the next chief, you wanted to explore the world beyond your tiny island, study the plants and animals, experience life in general. But you were tied down by duties and responsibilities.

You were startled into tears, you’ve never felt this humiliated before. Getting yelled at in front of your archnemesis made tears threaten to fall from your eyes. Now you wished you had stared at your soup harder.

Picking up your crossbow from beside your leg, you stood up abruptly, your soup could not rival the heat that was pooling in your cheeks, eyes glassy, lips pressed to a tight line. “I'll take my leave.” you rushed outside, ignoring your father's calls. Missing the solicitous stare that followed your figure out, his fists unclenching.

Continue.

#i wanted to upload this as a oneshot #but its taking to damn long #i dont know what to do #should i write it all at once or release part by part? #writing it all at omce might take me anoth month #yikes im to impatient #stray kids #straykids #skz #stray kids imagine #skz imagines #credit to the owner of the pics #skzinc #forskz #Lee Minho #skz minho #skz blurbs #skzwriters #stray kids fanfic #Minho x reader #skz x reader #stray kids x reader #kpop scenarios #kpop imagines #bang chan #changbin #jisung #seo changbin #han jisung

[snarky-badger]

SO, I also have two requests, one for each of the marvel boys: for Ultron, I find his voice so soothing, so maybe have something about his voice being the only thing that can get his human to sleep at night? And as for the symbiote. I don't know how much you know about the Carnage symbiote, but I'd like to see Venom's reaction to his morsel hosting it considering how much he hates Carnage and his overt violence. You need more info on Carnage, poke me, I have a lot of ideas. Heck, I might write 1

Answered the first part over here

PG for Violence and mentions of Gore.

Okay, so Carnage. My knowledge goes from his ‘creation’ through ‘Maximum Carnage’ then bounces around a bit.

EDIT - This thing was like pulling teeth for some reason! I kinda merged Movie and Comic in this, writing as if Carnage was like Movie!Venom. Sorry. The characters, they don’t listen O.o

EDIT THE SECOND - I realized that this isn’t quite what you were asking for. I’m sorry. This is where the story took me. If you want me to try again, maybe not as a reader-insert but from Eddie/Venom’s POV I can try again. Lemme know.

Everything had gone batshit crazy so fast.

It had just been a date. A simple, go out, have dinner, ice cream for dessert date. Then some crazy red-headed guy had appeared, cackling about having finally found his ‘daddy’ and things had just gotten weirder from there.

Eddie had shoved you behind a parked car, Venom quickly taking over, an enraged roar leaving him as he’d thrown himself at… Gods, it was another symbiote. Red like blood where Venom was inky blackness. It shared the crazy man’s voice, only slightly deeper, a little more crazed.

You’d watched, from the dubious safety of the lee of a car, as the two fought. Venom was brute strength and otherworldly speed, the other symbiote ferocity and insanity rolled into one. It kept pausing in the fight to grab various bystanders and rip them apart, laughing manically all the while, making quips and jokes about murdering and ‘carnage’.

‘Carnage’. Oh. Oh no. You knew this crazy fucker. Had read about him, had been warned by Eddie and Venom that if he were to ever show up to just run. 

Yeah. Okay. Running. You could do that.

Knowing that Venom could take care of himself - it wasn’t as if you were anything but a hindrance in a fight - you started to dart from shadow to shadow, slinking away from the battle. Screams and the wail of police sirens sounded around you as you ducked into an alleyway in time to avoid a thrown car, covering your mouth with your hands to muffle a scream when the flying Mazda slammed into another parked car, the cries of fright from the occupant within rising above the chaos.

Okay, you couldn’t fight, but you could help.

Panting, trying to keep a hold of the panic rising in you, you darted over to the people trapped in their car, grabbing the handle, trying to convince warped metal to open. The woman inside was freaking out, and you knew that she wouldn’t be able to hear you over the sounds of the fight, the screams and the sirens, so you didn’t try to tell her what you were doing as you ran around to the passenger door.

It wasn’t as warped, and you managed to wrench it open, leaning in. Saw red out of the corner of your eye, and threw yourself into the car to avoid a grab from a clawed hand. Heard Venom roar, gunshots, and joined the woman in huddling in fear as Carnage was tackled off of the roof of the car.

The woman next to you was curled up, whimpering, and you fought with the seatbelt button before wrenching it loose, freeing her. “Run!” you screamed into her face, grabbing her arm and pulling her out the passenger door with you, steadying her and then shoving her towards an alleyway.

Beyond the car, the way you’d run from, was chaos. Blood spatter was everywhere, cars overturned, crushed, bits and pieces of buildings and dead bodies littered the street, stunned and terrified people stumbled around, trying to revive others who were mortally wounded.

Screaming from behind you had you moving on autopilot, running for a store and darting in through the open door. You dove behind a display, crouching low, hands over your head, shuddering, trying not to make any noise.

A body flew through the window, Venom crashing to the ground and sliding deeper into the store. Red spikes were jutting from his chest, pale eyes narrowed in pain, and you met his gaze for a moment, saw the horror on his face, before he hauled himself to his feet, pulling the spikes from his chest. They disintegrated as they fell to the floor, and you saw Venom take a deep breath before he lunged through the shattered window, throwing himself back into the fight.

Obviously staying where you were wasn’t an option.

Gulping, you risked a glance, then scrambled out into the street when the view was clear, turning to sprint towards a quartet of police cars nearby. One of the officers grabbed you as you ran by, spinning you into him as he threw the two of you to the ground, and you screamed as another flying car sailed over.

There was a dismayed “AW! I missed!” followed by maniacal laughter, and you shuddered. Crazy fucker.

“Lady, stay down.”

“The fuck do you think I’ve been doing?” You hissed at the cop. “You guys have been hunting Venom for weeks, where’s all the fancy sonic shit you’ve been using on him?”

“SWAT is five minutes out.”

“We don’t have five minutes!” you growled, ducking reflexively when another cop screamed out ‘incoming’. You flattened yourself to the pavement as a hailstorm of red spikes came flying. Most of them hit and sunk into the cars around you, three made it past to hit various policemen. One was dead before the hit the ground, another took a spike in the leg, the third in the shoulder.

Cursing, you whipped your belt off and crawled over to the cop that had a spike in his thigh, using the faux leather belt as a tourniquet to stop the bleeding. The cop bit his lip enough to draw blood at the pain, but nodded to you in thanks, and you tried to muster up a smile, failing miserably.

That failed smile turned into a shriek as red tendrils lashed around your torso, the ground falling away as you were plucked up.

“Hey, hey, HEY! Don’t undo all my work, lady! He’s supposed to be dead!”

Another shriek left you as Carnage sent a knife-edged tendril into the cop’s chest, plucking out his heart when it pulled back. The still beating organ made you want to puke, and you twisted in Carnage’s hold, trying to wriggle free of the symbiote mass that was curled around you.

“Aw. You don’t appreciate my work either, huh? Everyone’s a critic! Right, Pops?” The last was a laugh directed at Venom, who had frozen when he’d caught sight of you in Carnage’s grip. “Too softhearted, daddy! Always worrying about these meatbags. Though…”

You grimaced as Carnage leaned into you, pale eyes, different than Venom’s, more sharply defined, narrowing a little, as he actually sniffed at you. “HEY! Well, whaddya know? Dad went native!” Carnage laughed, high pitched, unhinged. “Thought you smelled familiar! So, toots, you’re the meatbag ol’ pop’s flustered about, huh? Got a name sweet cheeks?”

You glanced past him, at the SWAT truck that screeched into view, and the guns that they were carrying as a dozen heavily armed men piled out of the truck. Grinned a little. “Fuck you, asshole.”

Those pale eyes narrowed a little, a knife edged tendril rising in front of your eyes. “You’ve got some spunk, kid. I’ll give you that. Wonder if you’ll still be as lippy once I pop out one of those pretty eyes and make you watch me chew on it?”

“FIRE!”

The shriek that left Carnage as the sonic wave hit him rattled your brains. His hold on you vanished and you dropped to the ground, landing on your hands and knees before you shoved yourself up and ran for cover.

Sonics sounded little worse than a high-pitched, nails on a chalkboard, noise to you, but to symbiotes - evidenced by Carnage’s writhing, screaming form - it was agonizing and potentially deadly. Watched from behind a dumpster as the man bonded to the alien contorted, seizing, arms flailing as he screamed in pain. The symbiote bubbled around him, tendrils trying desperately to hang onto it’s host, but the sound drove it back, away. You knew when it finally left the man, because his body stopped convulsing.

The alien tried to flee the sound, and you rose and turned to run when it headed towards you. Got, maybe, fifteen feet before blood red tendrils lashed around your ankle, tripping you. You kicked out as you fell, trying to use your other foot to scrape the thing off of you as the red symbiote crawled up your body. Felt thoughts, alien, bloody, hungry, murderous, start to ooze into your mind, and you screamed as it seeped through your clothes, through your skin and into you.

Venom found you kneeling in the alleyway, your hands gripping your head, rocking back and forth as you keened, a high-pitched whine. Your mind felt like it was on fire, alien thoughts trying to take over, thoughts of killing of slaughtering, of breaking open bodies open one by one like cracking open crab legs making bile rise in the back of your throat.

“MORSEL?”

“Oh God, get away,” you whimpered, eyes clenched shut, tears streaming down your face. “It found me, it’s inside me, I can’t stop it, it just wants to kill everything, Jesus, it’s insane. Get it out, get it out, get it out!!”

A black taloned hand reached out to touch you, and you slapped it away, because the symbiote in you saw that Venom’s guard was down and it screamed at you to take advantage, to get close and kill and rip the other symbiote away from it’s host and sink your teeth into a vulnerable throat and–

“No!” You shoved yourself to your feet and stumbled away. If the Carnage symbiote hadn’t been as weak as it was from the sonics it would have taken over completely, the red talons that formed over your fingers twitching as you fought for control.

Hissing, you curled your hands into fists, the claws slicing into your palms. Bit your lower lip to stop the fangs from forming. God, you could feel it writhe inside you angrily as it tried to take control, your entire body trembling as you fought to keep it from winning.

Your back hit the wall a moment later, and the symbiote in you focused your gaze on Venom, who was snarling as he pinned you to the brick.

“GET OUT OF HER! SHE’S OURS!”

Your hands jerked up to sink your newly formed, blood red, talons into his face, but you barely managed to clench the muscles in your arms, those claws twitching away. “V-Venom, get it out of me, oh, God, please, it’s crazy, all it wants is to kill everyone and it’s getting stronger, Venom please–”

“…perfect host…” left you in a lecherous purr, your voice gaining a psychotic, gleeful, tone. “So perfect. Might stay a while. Like it here. Like the ones that fight…”

“Goddamn it, shut the fuck up!” you screamed, banging your head back against the brick hard enough that it made you see stars.

“YOU CAN’T HAVE HER!” Venom snarled, his hands on your shoulders pressing hard, eyes narrowed into furious slits. “MORSEL! FIGHT MORSEL. WE’LL BRING YOU TO THE MRI!”

“No time! It’s– fuck!” You kicked Venom away with more strength than you’d ever had before, sending him flying backwards in time to avoid the talons that you’d swiped at his face. The alien inside you railed, screaming, setting your teeth on edge, like if you’d been chewing on aluminum foil. Every nerve ending felt like something was tugging on it, like you were a puppet, and you banged your head back against the brick again, the brief, unfocused, flit of time allowing you to scream - “Sonic gun! Get a fucking sonic gun!”

“NO!”

You opened your mouth to scream “Shut the fuck up, you fucking play-doh body snatcher!” except nothing came out. Tried to yell, to scream, except it felt like a vise was squeezing your throat. And when the words finally came, they weren’t yours.

“Ours now! All ours!”

Like hell! It tried to have you lunge at Venom, and you gathered enough control to have your leg buckle, throwing you into a pile of garbage. You couldn’t get your body to work as a whole, but you could fuck up pieces at a time. Felt the symbiote’s anger, felt it’s unhinged rage, and sent it the mental equivalent of a middle finger.

It screamed in your head, and you screamed right back, feeling it sink daggers into your thoughts, tearing, rending, trying to silence you, to wipe out everything that made you you, and you fought with everything you had, until the next scream came from outside.

The sonics ripped through you, and this time, your cry was vocal. It felt like every nerve ending was on fire, like the symbiote had sunk millions of tiny hooks into your very cells, and now that it was being driven out, it was taking all of them with it.

Every muscle convulsed, every bone felt like it was breaking, the symbiote’s shrieks of pain echoing in your skull until you couldn’t tell who was screaming louder, you or it.

There finally came a feeling like a great exhale, and suddenly you could breathe without screaming. You slumped to the dirty ground, entire body feeling like it had been smashed under one of those rollers that smoothed fresh pavement  onto the ground.

People rushed around you, shouting words that should of made sense but didn’t. Your blurry gaze focused on a group of them that ran to shove the red symbiote into a container, until someone shone a light into your eyes that made you grunt.

“Sarge! She’s alive!”

“Get her loaded up on the– Jesus Christ! Get the sonics!”

“GET OUT OF OUR WAY!”

Something grabbed you. The world tilted, the ground rushing away. Felt gravity take hold and groaned again as things swung, wind ruffling your hair before a hard landing jostled you.

“MORSEL?! MORSEL!”

You groaned, weakly, rolled your head on your neck until you could get your eyes gaze to focus on a black and white face. “V’em? Wha–” Everything jumped back into clarity, and you jerked your head up, almost bashing Venom in the face as your hands rose to clutch at your chest. “Is it gone?! Venom, is it–?!”

He stopped your shriek of terror by hugging you, tight, and you trembled as you threw your own arms around his neck, clinging to him. “GONE. CARNAGE IS GONE. CONTAINED, FOR NOW.”

You were hyperventilating a little, hiccuping for breath. “It’s crazy. It’s fucking, certifiably, crazy. I had in my brain and I feel dirty and gross and oh, God, let go I have to throw up.” You barely managed to wriggle free, stumbling over to the edge of the rooftop you were on and puking over the edge. Your entire body just wanted to make sure that everything that wasn’t you was gone, apparently, because you kept dry-heaving long after your stomach was empty.

Finally, shaking, you slumped to your knees on the flat roof, arms wrapping tight around yourself. Venom moved to kneel next to you, one large hand rising to gently brush his thumb across your cheek, and you closed your eyes as you leaned into the touch.

“I wanna go home,” you whispered, meeting Venom’s worried gaze as his hands settled on your shoulders again. “Take me home? I want a shower and then I need you to hold me for a while.”

He was unnaturally quiet as he nodded, gently picking you up and cradling you to his chest. Sirens still sounded in the area, people shouting, the wail of ambulances loud, more yells rising when Venom walked to the edge of the roof before leaping into the air.

The entire webslinging trip home was done in silence, Venom’s grip on you tight, as if he was afraid something would rip you out of his grasp.

You’d never been more happy to see your apartment building before.

Once inside, you shucked out of your clothes on the way to the bathroom, not even caring where they landed. Took a moment to wash your mouth out with Listerine before going to spin the taps of the shower on, putting it as hot as you could stand before getting in. Venom had followed you, still silent, and now he stood awkwardly outside the shower enclosure, hands clenching and unclenching at his sides.

“You’re not coming in?” you asked as you started to scrub at yourself with a soaped up loofah, trying to get the feeling of being tainted by crazy off your skin.

He shifted a little. “STILL WANT US?”

“Still want–?” You frowned, then shot a hand out and grabbed his nearest wrist, tugging his unresisting form under the spray of the water. “You are not Carnage. Don’t you– Venom! How could you even think that?!”

He huffed, hands automatically resting on your hips as he pulled you close. “HE’S OUR OFFSPRING. CAME FROM US.”

“He got fucked up by a psycho, is what happened. If he’d bonded with a host like Eddie, he’d be like you. A protector, not a…”

“MONSTER?”

Your eyes narrowed a little. “Now you listen to me, and listen good. You are not responsible for the evils of another. Your… ‘offspring’ got it’s head twisted up by a psychopath. Kasady is fucked in the head, like, majorly. He’s the one that infected your ‘offspring’ with darkness, not you. I have had it inside my head. There’s nothing in there that’s even remotely like you.”

He sighed, a great heave of breath, then leaned down to press his forehead to yours, pale eyes closing to mere slits. “SCARED US.”

You slid your hands up his arms until your were hugging him around the neck, pressing yourself up against him. “Scared me too,” you admitted softly, closing your eyes when he ducked his head to nuzzle at your shoulder, tendrils hesitantly reaching out to curl around your arms and legs, wrapping around your waist and hips.

A sigh left you as you leaned into him, relaxing, the nightmarish memories in your brain calming when Venom rumbled, like a great cat, and hugged you close, lifting you off your feet as he straightened.

“I dunno if I can sleep, but… wanna go sprawl on the couch and watch a movie? Or one of those nature shows you like?” you murmured a few minutes later, mustering up a smile when he nodded, licking at a trail of water along the side of your neck before meeting your gaze.

“OURS,” Venom rumbled, raising a hand to your face, talons gentle against your skin. “RIGHT?”

“Damn straight.”

#snarky is writing #reader x venom #venom x reader #carnage #venom #filled prompt

[haru-sen]

Hi!! I hope you don't mind, but I really really want to pick your brain a little because I am absolutely IN LOVE with your writing style and they are #goals for me. In one of your replies, you mentioned that you got the "off camera" tip from reading Roger Zelazny and I was wondering if you meant like his books or like if he did an interview or something? Also, I was wondering if you have any stories/books you think of when you think of a great plot/great characterizations?

I don’t mind at all.  But what works for me doesn’t work for everyone else.  So in the 1987 edition of Unicorn Variations, Zelazny has a short essay called “The Parts That Are Only Glimpsed: Three Reflexes.”  (The only reason I mention the year is because his short story collections have been released numerous times and there are different editions with completely different contents. Off the top of my head “The Last Defender of Camelot” is one of them.)  Basically he writes a story or composes one in his head, but then destroys it/never writes it, but it is a part of the character’s back story and he’ll reference it, because the things you don’t see can be more powerful than things you do see.  I read that as a teenager and it stuck with me.  I’m too…hoarder to destroy my writing, even the bad stuff, and sometimes I’ll write that story and it’ll be worth polishing into its own arc, and sometimes it’s like “well, that happened, but I’m not happy with how I wrote it/it’s not that compelling as a stand alone piece.”  

Also, I love Zelazny, but he wrote the same character over and over again.  :P

Plot is my weakest trait.  I’ve been working really hard to make sure the storyline carries itself and doesn’t collapse and that’s another discussion in and of itself.  I really enjoyed Daniel O’Malley’s The Rook and the sequel Stiletto for the sheer “How the hell did we get here? This is fun.”  The characterization are OK, no one’s amazingly deep, but it’s always interesting and that’s what carries the books.  Rhys Ford reads like a goddamn K-drama in the best way.  She mostly writes murder mystery/romances, but I love her urban fantasy (Dim Sum Asylum and Kai Gracen are my favs) and I will admit, I’m not a huge m/m genre fan. I like them, but I don’t go out of my way to seek them out. 

Dissecting spy thrillers, like John LeCarre or clever mysteries (most anything by Agatha Christie) is how I’ve started to get a handle on plot.  

Characterization is a bit different.  I think that is one my stronger points. I really enjoy Jonathan Howard’s Johannes Cabal series, though it’s the clever writing that really carries the series.  I like Ilona Andrews’ books, though her main characters are almost all the same archetype (I still really enjoy them).  Dia Reeves did some great YA characters - a mentally ill black Finnish American girl whose dead father keeps trying to get her to kill herself, has moved to a town of monsters, trying to win the love of her very damaged mother (Bleeding Violet) and the bloodthirsty daughter of a serial killer who is trying very hard not to grow up and is starting to resent her sister for wanting just the opposite(Slice of Cherry is set in the same town as Bleeding Violet.) If you’re looking at sci-fi, I really liked Lois McMaster Bujold’s Vorkosigan Saga and Penric tales.  The Vorkosigans might be a little dated, since she’s been writing for decades, but the Cordelia stories are some of the most satisfying.  

I’d give a shout out to style too.  Richard Kadrey’s first two Sandman Slim books are great.  He drags when it gets to metaphysics, but his violent thug character has a way with words.  I love Yoon Ha Lee’s voice, it’s very poetic.  

Kids books also have a lot of good characterization.  (I used to run the kids department at the bookstore, so I know way too much about children’s books.)  Counting by Sevens, Wonder, and The Girl Who Drank the Moon all demonstrate that you can write a G/PG rated story and still be hardhitting/real. 

I like writing prompts. And before I started IAL I spent like two months making myself do the ones in The 3AM Epiphany.  I’ve gone chronologically into the 40s and intend to continue.  Not every exercise in the book produces something I’ve liked or can use, however that isn’t always the point.  There was one that had to be told from first person, but only using first person pronouns twice.  I wrote a piece, I’ll never use that exact piece, but it made me think about how I write and I have a few projects going, so most of the time I kept using existing worlds as settings so it both let me expand my world building/plotting and try new writing techniques.  And I didn’t follow them religiously (some of them wanted nonfiction and I didn’t feel like it).  But writing one or two a day, sometimes doing multiple versions of the ones I liked was a fun way to build up the writing habit.  (Not everyone likes prompts, but they often work for me.)  

Hope this was kind of helpful?

#writing #book recommendations