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writingismyhappytime · 7 years

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You’re Beautiful, Just the Way You Are

Jai Courtney x Reader

Warnings: Language, insecurities

“Jai!” You call, snuggled between the pillows on your sofa. You wait, but you don’t hear him respond. You sigh as you curl your legs beneath you, tightening the hold on the blanket draped across your lower half. You twist it between your fingers as you wait impatiently.

He’s taking a shower, although he should have been out ten minutes ago. He keeps saying he has an important meeting to get to tonight, but he’s certainly taking time to get ready --- sometimes he can be worse then you!

You purse your lips, then toss the blanket off you as you rise to your feet. You’re dressed comfortably in one of his too-big t shirts and some short yoga pants you like wearing. You’re a little chubby, you’re devastated you’ve outgrown your favorite jeans recently, although crying doesn’t really seem to help.

You’re trying to exercise a little more, but it’s hard to fit in time to do that when you’re also working and dating one of the most good looking men you’ve ever seen.

Also, you’re not giving up pizza.

“Jai? You’re going to be late,” you call as you start for the bathroom door. You pause only long enough to give a courteous knock before opening it. “You only have an hour to get --- oh.”

Jai quirks a brow at you where he stands in front of the white sink, a towel wrapped around his waist and nothing else. The bathroom is hot, steamy from his recent shower, but it’s not what makes your cheeks heat.

He’s just... perfect. Tan skin, abs that made you realize they really do exist, that slim waist and those shoulders --- you sigh as you lean against the doorway.

“You’re going to be late.”

“I have time,” he replies, trimming up his beard a little, his eyes flicking back to his reflection in the wall mirror before him. “I just have to get dressed.”

“I think you could go like that and still get whatever you want,” you chuckle, seeing him grin in his reflection. “

“You always know how to boost my confidence.”

“More likely your ego.”

Jai grins as he looks at you, lowering his razor. He takes a step to press a chaste kiss against your lips. You’re always supportive of him in whatever he wants to do, you boost him up instead of dragging him down. He’d made the best decision of his life when he’d asked you out --- although you had looked surprised that he would be interested in you.

“Are you coming with me tonight?” He asks, stepping out of the bathroom and heading for your bedroom where his clothes are laid across the bed. “I’d like to have you there when I talk to Mr. Rockley.”

Eh.

He wouldn’t want someone like you at his side --- you don’t exactly flatter him. Maybe when you lose some of your chub, you won’t mind going with him to more events and the like, but right now, you shouldn’t.

“Maybe next time,” you say after a moment, your voice soft as you watch him disappear into the other room. “You have this.”

“I know, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want you there,” he calls back through the open door, and you hear his towel hit the floor. “You make me feel better when you’re at my side.”

He always had a way with words.

“You’ll do much better on your own; one look at you and everyone will be won over.” You say teasingly, still leaning in the bathroom doorway.

Jai sighs, shirking his blue dress shirt over his shoulders. He knows you’re self-conscious, but you shouldn’t be. He only looks the way he does for movies, he has to be in shape and have the rigorous training to stay that way.

You’re beautiful.

He thought that the first moment he saw you. A friend introduced you at a dinner party she had; you were standing all awkward and of place, you didn’t know anyone but your friend, but you were still smiles and manners at everyone you spoke too.

You were full of positive words and encouragement, that’s what drew him to you immediately. He’d talked to you for most of the night, taken your number, and everything had progressed from there.

He doesn’t understand why you’re so self-conscious, why your appearance matters so much to you. You fill out your jeans in all the right ways, you have curves that he loves running his fingers down --- you’re the perfect woman in his eyes.

You’re perfect the way you are, and he doesn’t want you to change.

“Come with me, tonight,” he says, stepping to the door of the bedroom in determination. He doesn’t bother to button up his shirt, he has more important maters in his mind. You send him a look, crossing your arms over your chest.

“Jai ---.”

“No, I want you to come.” He steps forward, his warm, large hands slipping around your waist and drawing you against him. You hesitate, your fingers curling into his shirt sleeves. “I want to show you off.”

You shake your head, your teeth digging into your lower lip. You’re not sure that would gain him any points with the crowd he would be entertaining tonight.

“Why don’t you want to come, (Y/N)?” he frowns, leaning down to press his damp forehead against yours, his hair still drying in soft waves. His bright eyes catch yours, refusing to let you look away. “Why don’t you want to come?”

“I don’t... I don’t have anything nice to wear ---.” You try for a feeble excuse.

“Yes, you do. I’ve seen your outfits, you look amazing in all of them. Especially that black one we met in.” He reminds you. “With the buttons on the front? You really pull off the sophisticated look.”

You snort. “I don’t think I could even fit into it right now, Jai.”

“Have you tried?”

“... No.”

“Then you don’t know.” He kisses your nose, his beard tickling your skin. “You can come in those clothes and still outshine me.”

You press your lips together so you don’t smile, but continue to shake your head no. “That’s alright, I have some stuff t do around here.”

“I’m not going to let you sit here and let you feel bad about yourself all night.” He finally says, your eyes flicking up to his in surprise. “You’re beautiful, you know that? Every inch of you. Top to bottom.”

“I don’t ----.”

“I love you,” his hands rise, cupping your heated cheeks and interrupting your denial. “I love everything about you. I love your hips, your stomach, your cheeks when you’re embarrassed,” they redden more at the comment, “I love how you fight me when I steal the remote so I don’t have to watch your soap operas ---.”

“You like my soap opera’s.”

“... Maybe a little.” he chuckles, brushing your nose with his. “Point is, you’re perfect and I love you. I don’t want you to feel bad about yourself. I want you to see yourself the way I do.”

“And how’s that?” Your throat tightens a little, torn between being uncomfortable and slightly touched. He’s always so sweet to you, he never makes you feel bad about yourself, even when you’re dragging yourself down. You’re chubby, you could stand to lose a few pounds, but he’s never suggested it.

“Ridiculously amazing.” He kisses you lightly. “Beautiful. Tantalizing.” His hands slip down, curving around your hips once more. “Great at Wii Tennis.”

You giggle at the last part, your arms rising to curl around his neck; you always kick his butt at that game.

“I love your giggles,” he grins down at you.

“I love it when you compliment me,” you smile, pressing a kiss against his jaw. You might not believe everything he says, but it makes you feel better to hear it. He’s sincere in every word he says, that’s what makes all the difference for you; it’s one of the reasons you love him so much.

“Please come tonight,” he murmurs, holding you tighter against him.

You sigh, but you don’t have any other plans. “Alright, I’ll try to get ready.”

His entire face brightens. “Wear the black outfit we met in.”

“Jai ---.”

“Please?”

You hate it when he does that, how can you resist?

“Fine, if I can find it.” You say, his lips pressing against yours seconds after your answer. He’d honestly spend the rest of the night kissing you if he could, not even worry about going out.

Still.

Coming home, when he gets to help you out of that black number... he’s looking forward to that.

#jai courtney #jai courtney fan fiction #jai #jai courtney imagine #jai x y/n #jai courtney x reader

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oddsnendsfanfics · 4 years

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I have been curious lately and wanted to design a poll. Feel free to take it and let me know what you think. It would be greatly appreciated.

#henry cavill #vikings #the last kingdom #jai courtney #animal kingdom #peaky blinders #fanfic #fan fiction #fan fiction poll #ko-fi #writing challenges #tag list

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iammarylastar · 6 years

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6. Back to Life.

" Morning Cup" Angie smiles.

"Morning love" I smile back, rolling to my side so I face her, eliciting more mewls from the sleeping babies.

I brush lightly both of their curls, resettling Belle's head and Anna's feet against my chest, then cup their mother's cheek.

"You good?" She whispers, nuzzling into my touch.

"Yeah. Never get tired of that kind of wake up."

" Wanna cuddle with me?" I ask after a beautiful, everlasting stare, where we silently told ourselves all that words couldn't express. As much as I love having my babies with me, it's fair to say I really need... you know, her.

I lean forward to kiss her forehead before carefully gathering the twins, my flesh and bones and take them to the tiny bed they've been sharing since their births. Turning and snuggling, my cuties settle themselves half over each other, Anna covering her sister with her arm, Belle nuzzling in her neck.

Jesus this sigh only nearly has me in tears, I protectively cover them with the sheet and place their blue blankies under their arms.

Angie sewed them from my blue shirt, the one she made for me in our former life, the one I was wearing the night before I left for the rescue mission. The one who still smelled like me when the girls were born, Angie confessed me yesterday, despite all the tears she left on it, crying over and over again when she figured out I wouldn't come back.

A last kiss on their sleepy heads and I crawl back to bed with my love, the fucking love of my life, who I've been missing so deep, for so long.

We intertwin our limbs together and creep as close as we could, my hand sneaking under the shirt she's wearing, her hand on my bare chest.

Our bodies quickly find their place, like they used to, and we both sigh in contentment, unexpectedly followed by our babies hums. Like parents like twins, we just laugh at the sync.

" Nice shirt, fits you." I slowly stroke up and down her spine, making her shiver.

"Thank you. Notice, no coffee stain. I took good care of your shirts since they were the last things I got from you." She jokes.

I could have laugh at the coffee thing, but those last words cut me off. A huge wave of sadness crashes me down and I just succumb to desperation. My smirk vanishes as pain takes over me and I can't hold back the river of tears that uncontrollably burn my cheeks.

Burying my head and my shame in her neck, I let go all the unsustainable guilt that still floods in my veins.

"I'm sorry... Oh Angie I'm so sorry..." I manage to mutter between sobs, as warm tears wet her neck.

Shuddering, my voice unsteady and trembling, I keep the words flowing out.

" Angie, I swear I did everything I could to find you back. I've never stopped searching for you... but... I... I'm so sorry I left you. I'm so ashamed you got to go through this. It's my fault..."

I'm actually crying like a baby, shushed and lulled by my sweet love which has me cry harder.

"Shhh... It's OK. It's fine honey."

"Please forgive me Angie. It kills me it took me so long..."

" You're back to me. To us. Nothing else matters."

She pulls me on top of her and kisses my temples, then pushes me back so she can stare at me, forgiving all my weaknesses and failures.

"Thank you. For fighting for us."

"Oh God Angie, you don't know how much I love you."

"Show me." She mouthes, the ring of her lips calling mines.

And that's what I do. I make love to her, slowly, deeply, tenderly. There's nothing about having sex, nothing about seeking any kind of release, nothing like the hot and sexy prowesses we used to have. It was just about feeling complete again. Feeling alive again. Being home. Me and my love, finally united as one.

Resting on my elbows as I slowly thrust in and out of her, exploring the slightest piece of her, I don't stop staring at her, but to kiss her lips, her soul and some warm tears. Her hips move in sync with me, welcoming each of my move, our skins sweating all the love we have for each other, until we're both taken by a blissful orgasm that leaves us breathless and utterly satisfied.

Can't get tired of that kind of wake up, definitely. My love humming her last waves of pleasure under me, her hands on my lower back, keeping me from rolling to the side because "she loves my weight on her" as she told me on our first time together. For Heaven 's sake, make it happen every single day.

"Marry me Angie. Marry me. Today. Now. I can't wait any longer for you to be my wife."

She gives me the sweetest smile, stroking my jawline with the tip of her forefinger.

"Actually I already am." She mocks me.

"What?" Today was supposed to be quiet and uneventful. If you wanted to surprise me, please do it yesterday.

"How do you figure out I could be your widow if we weren't actually married?" She smiles.

"Did I miss something? Cause all I know is our wedding was a fucking disaster to which I even couldn't attend." I narrow my eyes.

"After Gessepp was impeached, Jessie and I were offered to go back to the US. Jess earned a spousal and child support from the court, but I was without resources, without you and with child. Debrah, remember Deb'?"

I nod. Oh yes tell me about her. She led me to you honey.

" She faked the date on the marriage license with the help of the pastor, so I was sure to draw a pension but, I didn't plan to stay your widow forever. I knew, I felt you were alive."

My wife is the best. A real badass. Debrah already told me about that but I haven't realized it meant we were married. It might have saved all the girls lives, but it feels as frustrating as it sounds.

" That was smart and nice of them. But I want a real wedding. One I actually attend. One where I can watch you walk down the aisle, one where I can marvel at you in a wedding dress. I want to see your face when I recit my vows, I want to hear your voice saying 'I do'. I want to take your hand and slide a ring on your finger. Oh and I want to kiss you before the pastor says I can." I add excitedly, which makes her laugh.

"That sounds nice. And romantic. Though I was expecting you to talk about the honeymoon." That beautiful hottie knows me so well.

Having sex with her just minutes ago has erased all the shyness and weirdness that has stuck to my skin since yesterday. I'm now back to my old self, kinky and funny, ready to tease her to death. It seems all my confidence is back, so does my arousal, I'm horny as fuck.

"Oh darling, I'm going to take you all the ways possible and after what I'm going to do to you, nobody could call you an angel anymore. I read the Kama Sutra and I'm ready to study each page with you."

"Kama what?" She lifts an eyebrow questioningly.

"It's a Hindi book, pretty popular in Asia."

That part of my Japanese education was pretty hard to handle... all by myself. I had Sensei giving me tips to maximize the efficiency of each position, to make the girl scream your name louder, I was struggling not to fall in love with Mikomi who waved her stunning beauty under my nose day after day, I haven't fucked anyone for months , even not my right hand despite all the erotic dreams that woke me up at the crack of dawn... Once he said I looked so miserable and offered me to visit Manek who surely would take care of my source of unease. Manek was the professional sex goddess of the village, known to be extremely talented. I immediately ran away to jump into the nearest pool, needing cold water and a look at those ugly coi carps to cool me down. I swear Sensei laughed so hard he fell on his back.

"Stop showing off by using words nobody can understand, smart ass. Is it something like the holy Bible or another scripture?" She cutely questions.

I can't help myself but laugh out loud. The Holy Bible! A devilish grin widens on my lips, I make my best to keep a straight face, enlightening her with my best baryton sultry voice.

"It's scripture yes, it talks about love and what a husband has to do to pleasure his wife. Pretty much detailed pictures of how a man and a woman can... nest together."

She bursts into uncontrollable and loud laugher, making the twins startle and has to cover her mouth with her hand and bite her lips not to wake up the whole house.

I love hearing my angel laugh out loud, her eyes sparkling with happiness. Happiness. That's something I'm gonna get used to from now on.

Once again my feelings overflow and my heart speaks for me:

"I want to raise our daughters with you. I want to make more babies with you. I want to touch your belly as they grow inside you. I want to be with you for the birth. I just want to be here, happy with you forever."

"Like I'm gonna let you go." She laughs. "And wait to spend just a week taking care of the girls before speaking of having other babies. Because between all the sex you promised me and raising baby twins, you'd be pretty exhausted, you big stud."

We both laugh, it feels so good to be close again.

"I'm gonna be the man you deserve. Here." I roll to my other side to dig out from the pocket of my trousers the precious ring I promised myself to give her in person, at any cost.

"This is the first thing I did when I arrived in America. It took me a whole month to earn the money but it helped me to keep going on."

"What if you didn't have found me?" She teases me, rising an eyebrow.

" So I would have asked the first chick named Angie to marry me. Look, our names are engraved in the inner ring." I make the ring roll between my fingers, so she can read the message "Angie I love thee Cup"

"Stop this." She chuckles and slaps my shoulder, before grabbing the ring and sliding it around her finger.

"What?" I ask. I know I'm terrible at proposing. Last time I did, I had no ring and Angie practically said the words for me. This time sucks as well, at least I have the ring but it seems it's not romantic as she expected.

"Stop being that cute. You, Softie..."

Softie... I don't feel like I'm that whiny baby anymore. I've cried enough for a lifetime, from now on I'm going to be the man Sensei taught me. Strong and unbreakable. Head of my family, caring father for my children, trustful husband for my wife.

"OK, so how do you want me to be, Ma'am?"

"You said something about nesting with me? I'm curious as to what you have in mind..." she says seductively.

"Ahmmm, sure the girls won't wake up?" I glance at the cot where our babies lie.

She nods. "No worry in that department, they sleep like rocks till 7. We got at least one hour, if it's long enough for you."

I smirk widely, then roll back so I hover over her.

"Let's have some fun then."

My lips work in tandem with my hand to arouse her whole body, stroking, licking and kissing languourously every piece of flesh I can, until I meet her glistening folds. Kneeling between her thighs, I grab her hips and jerk her waist on my lap, the head of my dick red and throbbing in anticipation. I bend down to kiss her belly while my cock thrusts into her core, eliciting the sexiest sound that has ever passed her lips. With the tip of her toes resting on the mattress, her knees each sides of my hip, she starts to move her waist up and down, swallowing me deeper and deeper. Fuck, it feels so fucking good I can't hold back a grunt, way much louder than expected.

From where I stand, I have the best view of my stunning beauty, waving around my cock, her breasts bouncing rapidly with each move she makes. Searching for some leverage to deepen my thrusts, I grab the back of her neck and let the pad of my thumb wandering along her lower lip. My goddess languidly sucks and nips it before trailing open wet kisses along my palm and on my tattoo.

I close my eyes, trying not to explode now. She asked me about the ink on my wrist last night, but I was not ready to dive in those bittersweet memories then.

One day I'll tell you the whole story my love, I'll tell you about Mikomi, I'm sure you'll understand. You're both strong and beautiful. You both saved my life, you both are my anchors.

Angie's mewls have me back from my thoughts, just to witness her pulling at my arms to sit up on my lap and straddle me. I growl deep in my chest and start eating her breasts and the flesh of her neck. Fuck, this woman is the Kama Sutra by herself. I have such a flame in my chest, she's totally consuming me. Cupping her face, I cover her mouth with mine and kiss her soul, until my lungs burn.

I don't really know how I manage to do that but I sit up to deepen my thrusts, bucking my hips to meet her owns as she pushes herself down on me. My angel looks more than a tigress, her eyes so hungry for me it could be scary. Marvelling at her sweet face as she's about to lose it, I myself feel that fire exploding in my lower belly. I can't help but panting heavily, failing miserably to stay quiet. Angie is not far behind and start to mewl louder and louder at each thrust. I could, I should shush her but the sounds she makes are so sexy and hot I don't want to miss the slightest note.

Our bodies glistening with sweat, my grip on her neck not safe anymore, I slam my hand on her butt, increasing the friction where our waists meet. Far over the edge, Angie screams out in pleasure, her O face finishes to kill me.

I follow within the second, spilling my seed deep inside her, the sound leaving my lungs as strong as my orgasm.

Panting madly, our foreheads touching, we both ride the waves of pleasure that keep shaking our world. Falling back on the mattress, Angie lets out a loud " God, fuck!" which almost shocked me.

It doesn't stay unnoticed by the other inhabitants of the house either, giggles and whispers coming from the other side of the bedroom's wall.

"First thing in the morning: I'm gonna kick out my sister and his silly hubby so we could have this on the regular." Angie states.

I look at her, puzzled and amused.

"Yeah, They totally can settle down in the barn." She laughs.

"Who's that mean person who would trade their family for sex?" I joke.

"Honey, let me tell you something. Last time I used my vagina was to push out two heads large like watermelons. I'm not sorry to finally enjoy a good fuck with you and I'm fed up with holding back my screams. I want to feel free to cry out your name as loud as needed and I expect the same from you. Jessica and Cole would rather become homeless than witness what happens between us."

I chuckle deeply, stroking her cheek. "Who are you? Who's my shy angel gone?" Though I like having my badass wife cursing like a sailor.

"She gave birth, raised two kids and has starved for her husband for about 20 months." She grabs my hand and runs her finger along my ink.

"Who's she?" She whispers, her eyes straight in mines.

"Who?"

"That woman you don't want to talk me about."

Shit. I didn't think this would come up so fast. What can I say? Where should I beginn?

" Cup, whatever happened, I won't mind. I don't want you to keep anything secret from me. I need you back, totally, don't let a piece of your heart behind, talk to me."

She pauses, her sweet gaze wandering from my sealed lips to my wrist.

"The ink was for her?"

" No. It was for you."

And I open my heart to my wife, telling her everything about Mikomi, how she gave me hope and strength, how she saved me, she nursed me, she made me a man again. I told her about her beauty, her grace, her kindness. I told her the fear, the nightmares, the feelings, the kiss.

I stop, waiting to see disappointment or sadness in her eyes. But all I see is pride and love. She's amazing.

"I owe her. I'm glad you had her by your sides."

"Daddy!" A little voice comes from behind me. Belle, my princess, is calling me. Not her ma, me.

I jump into my pants and walk up to their cot. Both of my babies are up on their fatty legs, holding out their chubby arms to me.

"Pick Daddy!" Anna begs me.

Kneeling down to level their tiny faces, I'm hugged and kissed by those little cutie pies, who I hug and kiss back.

"Hello gorgeous ladies. Slept well?" They both nod as I pick them up, each baby finding their places into my arms.

"So tell me, what are we up to? What's the first thing you do in the morning?"

"Cuddle!!!" They scream happily.

"Oh OK! Let's cuddle with your ma." I'm totally spending the rest of my life in bed with my girls.

Turning around, I'm stopped in my tracks by the view. Angie is showering us with that sweet gaze of hers, wearing nothing but the most beautiful smile, her cheeks still red from our early morning sex. I'm hard in my pants in the seconds as my stunning angel slowly wrapped her naked self with the sheets, but it's not the right time, I need my babies to distract me from all the images flashing in my head.

"Who's in for a tickling session?" I grinn at my wife while curling my fingers behind the babies fatty legs. I earn worms wiggles and mice giggles and walk us back to bed.

"A little bird told me your ma really likes this." I tease her, as she nods her head no.

I crawl to Angie, the devilish smirk on my lips ends up in a langourous kiss while my hands are creeping under the sheets, seeking her sensitive sides.

Scratching my 5 hours shadow on the extra soft skin of her jawline and neck, I finally find her most ticklish place, just next her belly button. She immediately burst into laugher, which has our daughters shrieking in delight.

Anna climbs up my back and clings at my neck, her tiny arms barely encircling it. Belle just claps her hands, jumping up and down on the bed. Both begging me either to stop and to go on.

Angie is helplessly fighting my grip, but there's no way I let her go.

I enjoy her offered neck and nip and kiss every piece I can. With all my girls laughing out loud around me, I feel... how could I put a word on it? I've already been sick with love for Angie, is it possible to be sick with happiness?

"Stop it, you know I always win at the games we play..." She smirks, obviously something in mind.

"Ah! Babe you've no idea what I went through to come back to you. Trust me, anything you could say will scare me." She won't win, not this time.

"Really?" She teases me with her eyebrow.

"I'm positive. I'm a tough, unbreakable man. Try anything you want, I'm in."

"Ok, remember you start this." She warns me.

"Go ahead love, I'm waiting." I shrug.

Facing the twins, she sings:

"Girls, who wants Daddy to change their diapers?"

Before I can object anything, my two little bunnies scream in unison.

"Meeeeeeee!"

Shit. I can't go back but how the hell can I manage to clean those tiny kitties with such big hands? Beside I've never done such a thing, I know any shit about babies.

She laughs at my defeated face. " Hey Mister "I'm a fucking good pilot, I can fly a bombardier with my eyes shut", are you scared of changing nappies?"

" Ahmmm, yes, you won. I think I'm going to need some help with that." I admit.

She leans to kiss my lips, then adds.

"Come on girls, let's teach this big guy to be a dad."

I sit up, one baby already hung on my neck and sigh. Let's go, the new life I've been dreaming of is waiting for me.

@captstefanbrandt @every-jai @sajess98 @kenzieam @writingismyhappytime @bookgirlthings @athe-krieger-der-elemente @nickysurfer28 @tigpooh67 @kiiiimberlyriiiicker1995 @pathybo @onceinamillionlifetimes @narfea @desicoulter @cajunpeach @lunaschild2016 @jojuarez26 @jaiboomer11 @cherry-blossom90 @emilybrooksrpworld @herlysmind

#jai courtney #hope #morning cup #angelina jolie #fan fiction

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khunsetare · 7 years

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ODIUM

Chapter Four

I feel my eyes slowly pry open; my head is in excruciating amount of pain, but besides the pulsing I don’t feel anything else. I bring my hands over to my face, rubbing the crust off my eyes, and slowly opening them to a dimly lit room. There are other beds, all aligned up next to me, and I search around to find no one. I look out towards the windows, and see it’s dark out. I look at my hands, and realize there’s cords all over them. I peel them all off, pushing myself up and off the bed.

Trying to focus on finding a nearby bathroom, I wander around the infirmary before finding one at the end of the hall. My hands glide up and down the wall till I feel a switch, and click it on. Jesus. My hair is frizzy, and my eyes are rimmed with mascara and black liner from training. I grab a small towel, and wet it with warm water making sure to clean my entire face clean of all makeup. I’m relieved when I find that my face is clean of any bruises or cuts, and the injury must have been from somewhere else. I run fingers through my hair and push one side behind my ear, wincing as my fingers run over a sore spot.

I turn my head sideways and see a medium length cut stitched up, running from the top of my ear to the end. I wonder why, and how but decided it was too much to think about right now. I grimace at the fact that I have no toiletries, and my face feels bare, and young. Maybe I can sneak into the living quarters.

I realize I’m wearing a pair of baggy sweats, and an oversized black sweatshirt. I attempt to roll them but they still end up resting low on my hips. I slip my feet into the slippers located at the end of the bed, and grab my jacket that rested on a nearby chair. I check the pockets to find my badge, phone, and keys were all still there. Thankfully. I peek out the door, and look down hallways hoping to find one that looks familiar. I hear loud footsteps but continue to walk wherever seems remotely familiar just to prevent getting caught sooner. I keep walking not really paying too much attention to my surroundings, and just taking in the scenery at night. Until I realize that I’m no longer in the tunnels, and I’m now outside the faction. I peek in both directions trying to find the nearest train track so I could navigate from there, but there didn’t seem to be any around me.

Maybe, if I just turn back I can find someone to help me. I agree that turning back was a better idea, and turn quickly to make it back inside before any factionless got a hold of me. I bump into a figure, and screech in fright. “You scared me!” I lock eyes with what seems like someone who’s factionless, but they don’t seem angry or menacing. He’s much older, with patches of white, and silver all over his hair. He seemed well groomed, and didn’t look factionless, but no one can be certain.

“I’m sorry sweetie, I just didn’t want you wandering too far, and getting yourself in a sticky situation. Pretty woman like you should always come prepared when adventuring this far out of the factions,” He says, smiling at me warmly.

“How far away from Dauntless am I ?” I question him.

“You’re about a mile away from the end of the tunnels. No one really comes back here that often, besides my,” He stops himself mid-sentence, and clears his throat. “ I didn’t expect to see anyone,” He replies.

“Are you factionless?”

“The faction life wasn’t for me. Too many obligations, too many rules, too many standards that one human cannot possibly meet. Not all factionless are the ones who set trash on fire, and try to harm others. There’s a whole community of us that live well, and don’t have to answer to anyone. Besides maybe some dauntless here, and there.” He tells me. His words seem genuine, and sincere.

“I should head back. Thank you for looking out for me,” I smile at him, pausing hoping he would answer back with his name.

“Noah,” He nods his head at me once.

“Ophelia,” I say back to him. “Thank you again,” As I pass him by I look back to wave goodbye, but he’s already turning down another street. I speed walk back in the direction I remember walking in, and sigh in relief when I see the door to the end of the tunnels. I turn into the pathway, and pace faster.

The metal door makes a sound, as if it’s going to be opened, and I stop, wondering if I should run back, and hide at the end of the street until they’re gone. It’s already too late. The metal door swings open with a swift force, and even under the moonlight I can spot Eric’s features. I freeze not sure what my best options are. If I had to bolt away from him I would. I hear him take in a deep inhale, and I feel my anxiety coming on.

The sound of his boots against the gravel make me back slowly. I continue to hold eye contact with him, and know not to be foolish enough to let him walk up to me. As I continue to take a step back every time he takes one towards me, I see him reach for his gun, and my body freezes. He pulls it out, and looks down at it when he cocks it with his free hand. He’s going to kill me. I surprisingly feel extremely calm, and wonder if it’s normal or just the pain meds still in my system. I feel metal on my skin, and turn my head sideways allowing him access to my temple. I close my eyes, taking a deep inhale.

A few moments pass by, and I realize he hasn’t pulled the trigger. My eyes dart to his from the corner of my eye; I hold his stare for only a few moments before I look down again waiting for the trigger to be pulled. “If you leave the compound like this again without telling me, I will find you, and shoot you myself.” He growls, and I nod while a shiver runs down my spine.

I walk back inside the faction compound, and continue the same path I took. “Make a left,” Eric barks from behind me. I comply, still precautious and not stupid enough to start talking back. I feel him reach from behind me to press the elevator button going up. I shiver again, and I’m not sure if it was from him or the fact that I was still scared that he might kill me. I hear the elevator ding when it arrives and slowly walk into it. As I stand beside him, I slowly glance up and to the side. His eyes are fixed onto the doors, and I avert my eyes. I’m not sure if he’s just normally this quiet or he’s secretly planning my murder. The elevator doors open, and I follow behind him as I recognize the floor as his. When we reach the end of the hall he punches in the code, and walks in swinging the door wide enough that I could still pass through. He proceeds to take off his jacket, revealing a short-sleeved plain black tee that gripped onto his thick arms. He throws the jacket on his kitchen counter, and grabs two water bottles out of the fridge. He slides one on the table in my direction, and I take it as an offer. I grab the bottle, and continue to eye him as I gulp it all down. He continues to keep the eye contact, and I can’t help but feel extremely bare in front of him. His eyes continue to burn into mine, and I find myself constantly looking away.

“When can I go back to the living quarters?” I ask.

“You’ll be staying with me from now on, just until initiation is over, and we see where you end up,” He replies.

“Why?”

“Safety, and the fact that we can’t risk having you end up dead yet,” He takes another big gulp of the water, maintaining eye contact.

“What happened?”

“You seemed to black out, and only zone in on the fight. A initiate hit you on the side of the head with a rock. It wasn’t something we could’ve prevented, it happened fairly quickly, and you lost a decent amount of blood. The initiate was dealt with, and will no longer be of any threat to you. However, the possibility of someone else trying is still high,” I nod at his words. “One of the initiates offered to bring your stuff over, they should be here soon,” He turns his head to me once more, before walking up the stairs.

I remove my shoes by the door, where his are placed, and sit on a nearby couch. I hear a faint knocking sound, and I turn towards the doors. I walk over, and peek through the hole to see Zephryine, and Em. A smile takes over, and I open the door excitedly.

“Hi!” I whisper excitedly.

“We were so worried about you. When we heard you weren’t in the infirmary, we thought the worse. How are you feeling?” Zephryine speaks for Em, but they both look worried.

“I’m feeling okay, a little naked without any makeup on, and kinda dirty,” I laugh. “But still okay,”

“There was so much blood, I was scared you were going to die. Staying with Eric won’t be fun, but it’s a lot safer than being with Wyatt, and his sexist goons,” Emily rolls her eyes, as she speaks.

“Wyatt? Who’s Wyatt?” I question them. “Wyatt Johns, the kid you knocked out cold in the ring,” Zephryine replies. “He thinks the entire world revolves around him. He speaks so low of women, but still is pretty high on the scoreboard. You’re the only one he hasn’t topped,” She admits.

“Where am I on the scoreboard? I’m not doing bad, am I?”

Zephryine giggles. “You’re at the top. We still have some gun, and knife training to do but I think you’ll be okay if they allow you to continue training,” I nod my head at the statement.

Their eyes seem to shift onto something behind me, and their faces pale a bit. “You should take this, we have to go.” They hand me a large duffle bag, and look at the ground as they scurry off.

“Bye?” Weird. I close the door shut with my hip, and lock the bottom with my free hand. My eyes look back into the kitchen, and I see Eric leaning his elbows back onto the island. I realize why they scurried so fast now.

“Do you like to terrify everyone?” I ask him. He smirks slightly at the statement.

“The bed is big enough to fit four,” He states dryly before he saunters back up the stairs. I look over at the couch wondering if sleeping there would be more worth it, but being able to sleep in a large bed, called me more. I slowly walked up the stairs, and I find Eric laying on the left side of the bed with his hands tucked behind his head. I place the bag near the edge of the bed, and zip it open to see what they brought me. My shampoo, conditioner, and soap were still in my shower bag; As well as a clean training outfit. There were loads of underwear, and socks stuffed into the sides, but no other clothes. I’ll have to re-wear this outfit if I take a shower…Gross. I pull the shower bag out, and look up at Eric who’s staring intently at me. He’s always staring at something.

“I’m going to take a shower,” I tell him, and he doesn’t respond. I take it as he’s letting me shower, and walk back towards the showers directly in front of his bed. I place the bottles and soap on the floor by the edge near the glass, and step into the shower. There’s a pair of steps before you can step in. Probably preventing the water from leaking into the rest of his room.

I nervously peek up to make sure he isn’t looking, and he is. He’s still rested in the same positon as he was before, but his eyes are fixed onto where I stood. I cursed at him in my head for not having a normal bathroom, and not something so wide open. I swallowed nervously, but figured that I would eventually have to take a shower anyway. He was just going to have to deal with it.

I pull the oversized sweater over my head, and place it on the ground beside me. I wore nothing underneath the sweater and sweats, so the process was fairly quick. I push the sweats over my hips, and let it fall on the ground. I step out, and step into the shower again making sure to be quick, and thorough. I turn one of the nozzles to where the red begins to fade into the blue, and let the water adjust to a warm temperature. I let the warm water flow freely onto my skin, and shiver at the wonderful sensation. I haven’t had a warm shower in forever. I grab the shampoo, and conditioner and finish off my hair first making sure to massage every last bit of it out. I grab the soap, and a washcloth and take my time cleaning every part of my body. As start to wash my intimate areas I turn away from the glass to prevent Eric from seeing any more than he should. I clean the area fully before turning the nozzle to the blue section, and rinsing with cold water as my end of shower ritual. The cold water felt invigorating, and sped my heart rate up as I quickly rinsed off as much of my body as I could. I search the wall with my hands to turn the nozzle off before I squeeze all the water off me.

I realize as I step out that there isn’t any towels nearby, and the foot mat was the only thing that was preventing me from soaking Eric’s floor. I look up to his bed, and he’s sat at the edge. His forearms are rested on his upper thigh, and there’s a thick black towel placed on the bed next to him. He keeps eye contact, and I realize that he wants me to walk to him. As opposed to him being a nice human, and bringing me the towel. My body is still dripping wet, and I realize that hiding myself would be useless if he already saw me showering through the glass.

I huff to myself before carefully stepping on the bare floor of his apartment. I take slow and cautious steps to not slip, and crack my neck in the process of walking to getting a towel. As I reach him, I grab it, and grimace at him. I pat my face dry, and shake my hair into the towel before wrapping it around myself.

“I didn’t know you had that many tattoo’s,” I look up at him surprised that he’s making a slight effort to talk to me.

“I need clothes to sleep in,” I avoid the remark, and continue as if he hadn’t said anything to begin with.

“Are they patched on?” He refers to my tattoo’s again.

“They’re all made traditionally,” I have a few pieces on my arm, and large hips pieces running down from mid waist to mid thigh. “I need clothes, Eric,” I complain again.

“I don’t sleep with any clothes on, not normally,” He responds.

“That’s good for you, but I do, and I have nothing,” I retort.

He pushes himself off the bed, and walks to a nearby clothing drawer. He rummages for a few moments before walking up behind me, and offering a big t shirt, and boxers. I glance at him briefly over my shoulder before taking it, and dropping the towel around me. I slip into it, and place the towel on a nearby rail to let it dry.

As I turn to walk back to bed I see him take his shirt off, and I stop. He pulls the material by his nape, and pulls it over his head. There are faint white scars on the top of his shoulders, and I squint to see it more clearly. Scars? His back otherwise, held a tense stature but was chiseled with defined muscles all throughout. Evident he took his physique seriously, and made sure to stay fit. I hear him unbuckle, and slip off his pants. I turn my head to side and walk past him to the opposite side of the bed. As I pull back the covers, I feel him eye me down. He’s still in his boxers, and I’m not quite sure if he’s actually debating on taking them off or not. I hope he leaves them on. I turn towards him to get more comfortable in bed, and he’s already slipping in. I see the peeks of his chiseled groin, and realize he did take them off after all. I try not to act too fidgety, and let sleep call me.

A few minutes pass by, and I feel myself getting sleepier. I peek an eye open, and see him sleeping peacefully. His features asleep could’ve easily fooled anyone into thinking he’s much nicer than he lets off. I stare at him a little longer, and eventually feel myself slip into a dark slumber.

. . . . . . .

I wake to faint scents of sandalwood, and what sounds like water running. I rub my eyes, and sit up slowly opening my eyes to my surroundings. When my eyes finally open I see Eric in the shower. The steam did little to conceal him behind the glass, and I could see him glisten through it. I try to think of things to take my mind off him showering in front of me as I step out from under the covers. Make the bed. I pull back the thick comforter, and pull up the sheets smoothing it out on both corners, and making sure the edges were tucked. After neatly laying the comforter back over the sheets along with matching pillows, I pull down the ends towards the bottom of the bed to straighten the entire bed out. Looks good to me, I sigh to myself placing my hands on my hips.

Behind me I hear the water turn off, and hear his wet footsteps on the floor. I turn as he walks by me, and my eyes widen at the sight of him drying himself off with the same towel I had laid out on the rail last night. He sees me staring at him, and proceeds to dry off his lower half. Prick. I look away, and rummage through my bag for my training clothes. Two can play that game, Eric. I smirk to myself as I pull off his shirt, and boxers. I pull a pair of clean undies, and slip them on making sure to take my time as I finish it off by slipping on my leggings. Em, and Zephryine never brought me a bra. Fuck. I lock eyes with Eric as I stick an arm in each sleeve slipping it over my head. I neatly pack the rest of my clothes in my duffle bag, and push it over to the side before walking past him, and down the stairs.

I notice my water bottle from last night still on the counter, and grab it along with my jacket. I double check to make sure I all my stuff in my pockets before pulling open the door, and leaving. I’m almost halfway towards the hall when I hear the door open hastily behind me.

“Where the fuck do you think you’re going?” I hear Eric voice boom, but don’t turn to look back at him.

“Training,” I shout back. My fingers are already on the elevator button, and the ding of the doors are quickly followed. I turn to my left and realize he’s storming the hall after me. Shit. I fumble with one of my pockets releasing the badge, and scanning it before clicking ground floor repeatedly. The doors shut just as he turns towards it, and I grin at him as our eyes meet. Ya snooze, ya lose.

The elevator doesn’t take too long, and dings when opening but I’m greeted with a very furious Eric standing in front of me. What the fuck. I glance up to make sure I’m at the ground floor, and not his. And I’m correct, he just seems to be much quicker on his feet than I anticipated. His breathing is loud, and his chest rises up and down quickly. My heart drops to my stomach as he walks in, and slams his hands on buttons. I feel his hands on my throat lifting me up, and slamming me against the metal interior of the elevator. My feet aren’t touching the ground but I manage to hold myself up with some strength by holding onto his forearms.

“You don’t walk away from me initiate. You will obey my rules, do you understand?” He seethes, and I scoff, smiling at him.

“You’ll never control me,” I laugh through small breaths. The elevator dings, and the doors open. I don’t expect anyone, but I’m surprised when I see Four. His eyes are furrowed, and angry. He swoops an arm over Eric’s shoulder, and pulls him back forcefully. I feel Eric’s grip loosen, and I drop to the floor. I land in a fit of coughs, trying to regain the oxygen I lost. Tris appears behind them, and is quick to pull me up and guide me out. Eric’s eyes are still locked on me as Four pulls him out, and pushes him back. Once I’m out of the elevator I can see Tris talking to me, but my main focus is on Four, and Eric.

“Man, what the fuck is going on with you,” He pushes him back farther as he’s still pushing forward, and trying to get to me. “She almost died last week, and you’re already trying to kill her again,” Four is shouting at Eric causing a commotion.

“Nothing would’ve happened if she would’ve obeyed my orders,” Eric spits out.

“Initiates aren’t slaves Eric,” Another dauntless member is holding Eric back, but he isn’t as aggressive as before.

Max appears out of nowhere, and motions for some dauntless to grab us both, and follow him. I’m being pulled by the elbow towards his office till we reach the doors, and I’m tossed in. I shoot a glare at the dauntless who threw me in, and straighten myself out.

“See yourself out,” Max speaks to the men behind me before inhaling and staring at us both.

. . . Whenever I upload via mobile it never puts in anything I italicize. I’m too lazy to go back in and fix everything, I’ll probably just upload via computer and not mobile from now on. (: I had a nice dream and it gave me some ideas for the future of Odium. However I must warn that it will progress to a mature/r rated theme and will contain a lot of parts that may contain triggering statements.

Hope you enjoy ! And thank you again for reading Odium xx.

. . . @kenzieam @jaihardy @pathybo @elaacreditava @tigpooh67 @beltz2016

Send me your thoughts and questions (:

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imgoldielikehawn · 7 years

Photo

Feeling horrible today man😑 SOOOOOO I wanted to start a thread where we actually get to see The faces of the writers behind all our favorite Fan Fics!!! So heres mine! Reblog with a photo of yourself🖤😍🖤😍🖤😍🖤

#zak bagans fanfiction #jai courtney fandom #joker fandom #eric coulter fanfiction #fan fiction #fan fic writing #fan fic problems #i wanna see you #thank you 🖤

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italright-blog1 · 7 years

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Changing Part 4

Hey guys, hope you like it!❤

“Jesus Four.” I say, pulling my shirt down and pushing Eric off of me. All Four does is stare, a questioning look on his face. Without speaking I try and let him know that I’ll tell him all about it later. He nods, understanding.

“Well?” Eric asks, making me break eye contact with Four. He clears his throat again.

“You’re needed in the control room. Factionless took down some of our cameras again and Max wanted to discuss a plan with you.” I hear Eric curse under his breath. I look at him, his usually neat hair is tussled, sticking up all over. He still doesn’t wear a shirt, but his pants are set low on his waist. I blush.

“I can’t.” He says standing up, walking to the kitchen to get his now cold coffee. “I have to take care of Sage, she can barely walk on her own.” He takes a sip from the mug and pours the rest down the drain.

“I can take care of her. You need to go.” Four says, his face cold, so different from how it usually is when I’m around him. I know it has to do with Eric, both of us have hated him since initiation.

“Fine.” He says after seemingly thinking it over for a minute. He walks out of the room, pulling a shirt over his head when he reenters. Its black, just like every other piece of clothing he owns. He walks towards me, my heart pounds, scared of what he’ll do. Before he reaches me he grabs his jacket. I sigh, relieved that Four won’t be seeing any other PDA for now. He’s about to walk out the door, when he turns around.

“Sorry, forgot something.” Eric hands me his points card.

“What’s this for?” I ask him, tilting my head.

“For clothes. While you wearing my T-shirt is sexy and all, I don’t think its all that great. Buy yourself some new clothes.” With that he leans down and lightly kisses my lips. A blush crosses my cheeks.

I slip the card in his back pocket, just as he is sitting up. Being around some con artists growing up has its advantages. He should know that I’d never take his money.

“Thank you.” I say, shifting on the couch. “Now leave, Coulter.”

“Alright, alright, fine.” He says and walks out the door. I’ve almost forgotten that Four was there until he sits next to me on the sofa.

“What the fuck was that?” he asks me, his voice is low and calm. I know he’s angry but he’d never admit it.

“I have no idea.” I reply and lean my head down to rest on his lap. He sighs, knowing that forcing me to talk won’t help any, and places his hand on my waist, pulling me into him more.

***

“Okay, I understand that much, but you guys didnt.. you know, you guys didnt..” Tobias says

“No, God no, me with Eric like that, no.” I reply

“Okay, I just wanted to make sure.” He shakes his head up and down, his hair bouncing slightly as he does so.

“I dont even like him, I dont think. I mean how could I, my entire relationship with him is based off of hate.” I say, its not wrong. I honestly, until now have ever felt anything towards Eric except hate and on occasion jealousy. Thats only because the bastard took a leadership job.

I sit up from Four’s lap, having been laying there for almost 2 hours. When I face him, he smiles. “What?” I ask

“Nothing,” he says “Its just that you still have the locket.” With this he moves his hand to touch my neck, grazing the gold chain. “Is the picture still okay?”

“Yeah, its fine.” To prove so I open the locket and show him the image of my mom. His smile fades the longer he looks at it.

“I’m sorry.” He says it low, almost a whisper so quiet even I didnt hear it.

“Dont be.” I grab his hand and hold it in mine. Sometimes I feel like Tobias is more concerned about my past life than I am. I remember the first time I told him the entire story of my upbringing, and how he told me his. Turns out shitty fathers are a common thing. Not so much shitty stepdads for him but, he still understood.

“Were you okay when Eric, initiated it? When he first started?” He asks, his eyes on our intertwined hands.

“Yeah,” my voice barely a whisper “It was so.. Different, it was okay. It didn’t remind me of him at all. Eric was gentle, he wasn’t. Besides its been a long time since it happened so its not as bad anymore.” Once again he nods, this time pulling me into a hug. I sigh into his chest. I dont know what I would do without the big softy. He about the only family I have and one of the only friends I care about.

“I love you, Sage.” He says and kisses the top of my head.

“I love you too.” I say, squeezing him tighter. “When do you have think Eric’s coming back?” He sighs into my hair.

“Soon. He will probably be back in half and hour but leave again after that. Max will most likely send him and a squad to repair the cameras and that’ll take all night. I dont see why they even need to send them out there anymore and risk the-” I cut him off, not wanting to hear another one of his long rants about the leaders acting weird.

“Can I stay at your place tonight?” I say, moving my body just far enough away from his to look him in the face.

“You know you can. Why even ask?” I shrug and lean into him again.

“Can you do me another favor?” I ask

“Depends.” I hit him lightly for his reply, smiling. “Okay, fine, what do you want this time?”

“I can’t walk, or I guess I shouldn’t, can you get my wheelchair?”

“Fuck no, what are you trying to do, runs way from me.” He teases. I lift up my index finger in protest.

“No. Not run away, just slowly roll.” I say, he laughs, moving his body quickly he grabs my sides, pinning me under him.

“Thats it.” he says, a huge smile across his face. He tickles my sides, making me spasm and laugh too loud. “Now say you won’t leave me!” He screams over my howling.

“N-ne-never!” I manage to get out. His eyes narrow when I says this and I know that I’m in for hell.

“You asked for this.” He say moving his hands from my sides to my neck. I scream even louder. At this point people probably think I’m being murdered behind this door. “Now say it!” He says again.

“Fin- okay. I won- wont. Leave you” I say, once I finish he let’s me go, relief flooding my body. I’m finally able to breath. I smile and so does he. “Asshole.” I say to him.

“That the last straw.” he says, making my eyes go wide. He grabs me and heaves me over his shoulder, my eyes now level with the hem of his shirt. I see the bottom of his tattoo, a sliver of the Amity tree showing. I scream again as he carries me down the hall, me hitting his back, him telling people we walk past ‘excuse me.’

#divergent #divergent fanfiction #divergent fandom #four #tobias eaton #eric coulter #changing #jai courtney #theo james #fanfic #fan fiction

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equalstrashflavoredtrash · 7 years

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The Mighty Pine - 2

PART 1 - PART 3

a/n: I hope everyone has as much fun reading this as i did writing it!

@beautifulramblingbrains @frecklefaceb @feminamortem @anditcametopass @dauntlessmetalmom @pathybo @mimigemrose @ag-delights @abfoster1s @sparklemichele @jojuarez26 @purple-puddin @audreyfulquard @sharknadoslut @societalfailure @insertamazingwords @megnificent07 @roslea @james-k-delaney @ombrophiliax @funkycloudplop [if you wanna be on the list hmu]

Warning: drinking and people getting frisky!

Captain Boomerang X OFC // Suicide Squad // Lumberjack AU

word count: 5,265

With a yawn you closed the door to the small bedroom behind you while you tugged at the waist of your skirt, adjusting so it rested comfortably on your hips. Wandering into the dingle, you followed the sound of your aunt singing to herself and crossed the wooden planks on the floor, stopping by the stove to hold out your hands to warm them by the cast iron as you hummed along.

"Look who decided to join us!" Rosemary teased, peering over her shoulder from the prep counter where she stood. "Go make yourself useful and show Digger how to peel potatoes. He can't do it without taking half the flesh with the skin." Looking to the other side of the room you noticed the man seated on a small, three legged stool, grumbling over the waste bin next to a basket full of spuds. After pulling on an apron, you grabbed another stool sitting down to join him him, taking a moment to watch what he was doing. It wasn't long before you began to spot his mistakes.

"Here, let me show you." Reaching forward you placed your hands over his. "You want to hold the knife like this with your fingers," you explained as you adjusted his grip. "Then when you cut, you want to curl your fingers in as you pull your wrist back, trying to just run the blade along the surface. You're peeling, not cutting." You couldn't help but notice how your hands seemed minuscule in comparison to his, just barely covering the back of his as you demonstrated the movements.

You were more than aware of how close you sat next to him, letting your arms overlap his as you corrected his technique. Without prompting, Digger leaned to the side, dropping his head so his lips you could make contact with your neck. You flushed as he unabashedly scattered kisses along your throat, taking full advantage of the fact that your aunt had her back turned.

"Stop," you hissed as his stubble continued to scratch your skin. He finally pulled back, smirking at your flushed cheeks before returning to peeling. The pair of you sat in silence as you worked. You didn't have to look to know he was watching you, you could almost feel his gaze as he studied the way you handled the spuds, quickly removing the skin and tossing it into the basket before reaching for a new one.

Digger moved at a slower pace, taking about twice as long compared to you. Between each one, as he reached for a new potato, Digger would lift his hand to his mouth, biting at his palm. You knew he had a habit of chewing his nails, but this was different.

"What's wrong with your hand?" you finally ask after he raised it for the fifth time.

"Nothing," he grumbled, dropping his fist as he held the knife, "Just a splinter. It'll find its way out soon enough."

"Come with me," you sighed rolling your eyes as you stood, grabbing his wrist so he'd follow. You crossed the dingle to your room, noting that your aunt was distracted. Once inside, you reached into the dresser pulling out a small woven basket filled with neatly arranged sewing supplies. Unearthing a sharp needle you turned to Digger with your hand out, "Let me see."

He eyed you and the needle between your fingers before questioning, "And what are yeh gon' do?"

"I'm going to pull the splinter out, it won't hurt. At least not as much as it will if it gets infected and they have to chop your hand off." You smiled coyly to yourself as the threat seemed to work. He hesitantly lifted his arm, resting his hand in yours, palm up.

You stepped closer to him and the light from the small window, examining the small dark line buried under the skin. The sliver of wood had found it's way into the softer part of his palm that wasn't covered in thick callouses. Gently poising the tip of the needle, you pushed it into the skin, keeping it shallow as you got under the splinter. Digger winced slightly as you pivoted the small piece of metal, pushing the foreign object halfway out from under the skin. Using your fingernails, you pinched the end of wood and easily removed it.

"There, all better," you stated with a smile, leaning forward and placing a quick kiss on the wound before spinning around to return the needle to the pin cushion. While your back was turned, Digger took the opportunity to step in, placing his hand on your hips and bringing you against his chest. You let out a surprised squeak as you looked up to find him with a sly grin hiding under his facial hair.

"Thanks for the care, doc. Any way I can return the favor?" He leaned in, stepping forward so you were pressed between him and the dresser. You could feel his thumbs drawing small circles on your back through your shirt as he brought his mouth closer to your ear, "Any aches I can relieve for yeh?"

You bit your lip, fighting back your reply because you knew it would not come out as coherent words. You wanted to tell him no, there was nothing he could do for you since you knew this is what you should say - what your Aunt Jo expected you to say. But what you really wanted was for him to hold you tighter. You wanted him to do whatever he wanted to do, even though you weren't sure exactly what that was. You wished beyond reason that you were back with him in the shadowy eaves of the grange hall balcony.

Thinking of the way he had pushed his thigh between your legs as his mouth moved across the skin of your neck still made your stomach flip. Shifting to stand on your toes, you closed the distance between your lips and his.

The edge of the dresser dug into your ribs as he pushed himself harder against you, parting his mouth to take your bottom lip between his. You could feel him groan, his hands gripping your waist tighter while you raised your arm and buried your fingers into his muttonchops.

"Lunch ready yet?" You heard your uncle yell in the dingle, the sound traveling through the door you'd left ajar. You gasped as you pulled back, looking at Digger wide eyed. It was obvious by now that both your aunt and uncle would have noticed the pair of you were not tending to the potatoes as expected. Pushing Digger away, you frantically straightened your blouse, panicking about how suspicious it would look when you two stepped out from your private room together.

"Sorry!" you called out as you left the room, Digger following behind you, "I was helping Digger get a splinter out."

You looked from your uncle to your aunt who stood at opposite ends of the common area. Phil quickly accepted the answer, nodding as he returned to stacking new logs by the stove. Rosemary had a much more skeptical look about her but said nothing on the matter, simply telling you two to finish up peeling the potatoes.

The pair of you worked in silence, running your knives along the edge of the vegetables, removing the skin as you stole glances at each other. After your uncle left with the pack of lunches for the men by the river you began with slicing the potatoes as your aunt instructed. Digger was sent off to tend to the horses in the stable. Once he left you felt like you could breathe easier, not continuously worried about him doing something inappropriate while your aunt's back was turned.

A little while later you heard the door slam. Glancing over your shoulder to the entrance while Rosemary stayed focus on dicing the meat, you watched Digger stomp into the dingle.

"Oi, Mignon," Digger barked as he crossed the room, pulling off his gloves and standing behind you. "Got another splinter, can you get this?"

You sighed, rolling your eyes before setting down the knife and wiping your hands on your apron, ignoring the way Rosemary laughed to herself. Once in your room you pulled out the sewing needle and held out your hand as you had before, asking, "Show me where it is."

He raised his arm, wrapping his finger around your wrist before drawing your hand down so your palm rested on his upper thigh. "Right about here," He smirked as he watched your eyes go wide in reaction. You quickly snapped your hand back to your chest after he let go, blushing at the fact that you had touched him in such a spot.

"Don't be rude!" you hissed at him as you moved to slap his chest. You had forgotten that you were holding the needle as you brought your hand forward. Digger yelped as the point pricked his skin through the layers of his shirts.

"That hurt!" Digger emoted as he pulled at the collar of his shirt, revealing more of his hairy chest to inspect the injury. There was a small drop of blood but nothing to worry about. You couldn't help but blush as he revealed more skin.

Glinting in the light, you noticed the chains he wore tucked under his shirts. You had always assumed they were for a religious pendant but now you could see there was two thick gold chains resting around his neck.

"Wow," you murmured as you reached forward, running your fingers along the cuban links. The most expensive jewelry you'd ever seen belonged to Josephine and you were forbidden from touching it, but still you could tell by looking that his necklaces were not cheap. "Where did you get these?" you asked looking up as you ran a finger along the smooth gilded metal.

"It doesn't mattah," Digger replied quickly, pulling his shirt collar up to hide the chains. Furrowing your brows, you wonder vaguely why he was so dismissive of the subject but ultimately figured it wise to not press him.

You followed him back to the main area to find Hank warming his hands by the stove. Even though he didn't have a delivery to make, he traveled all the way back to camp to give you a ride into town as he promised. Quickly you scurried off to gather your things, knowing he'd want to leave as soon as possible. The whole time you tried to ignore Digger's sour expression.

Arriving at your Aunt Josephine's house was always a relief. You felt like you could breathe easier when you were there. Walking through the front doors you shrugged off your jacket, hearing the sounds of Jo conversing with someone in the parlor. Quickly dusting and straightening your skirt, you stepped into the side room to say hello.

"We were just talking about you," your aunt commented with a smile as she sipped at her tea, "Of course you remember my good friend, Mrs. Pottings," she introduced with a nod as you smiled at the visitor. You had a vague idea of who she was but had no real connection to her.

"It's such a pleasure to see you," you replied giving a warm smile as you stood on the threshold with your hands clasped in front of you.

"Mildred was just telling me about her grandson, Jacob," Josephine mentioned as she set her teacup down, catching your attention.

"He really is such a sweet boy," Mrs Pottings added, "He's on track to be one of the best lawyers in Boston."

"Oh, is that so?" You you replied politely, trying to keep your expression even.

"He's currently looking for a wife..." Josephine stated, catching your eye. Pursing your lips, you tried your utmost to remain passive though you could easily see what your aunt was trying to do.

"Well, I wish him the best of luck in his search," you replied with a kind smile, "Now if you'll excuse me, I have some reading to get to." Before either of them could respond you turned on your heel and climbed the stairs.

That night at dinner your aunt had been vehement, "Jacob is exactly the type of boy you should be pursuing."

"Please, Auntie Jo, can we talk about anything else?" you begged as you pushed the food around your plate with your fork, suddenly losing your appetite.

"I've already arranged for him to visit and have dinner here next Saturday," she declared as you looked to her, wided eyed and letting your jaw drop. "I don't know why you're acting so surprised. You were making no efforts to find a spouse so I took matters into my own hands," she spoke casually as she cut apart her slice of meat into small bite-size pieces, not making eye contact as you sat next to her completely still.

"What if I like someone else?" you blurted out suddenly, finally catching her attention.

"What?" she asked incredulously, pausing to look up at you, "Who?"

"His name's Digger- I mean, George," The words fell out of your mouth before you could stop them, "I like him, and he likes me."

"And how did you meet this Digger?" Josephine asked, setting down her silverware to cup her hands in front of her.

"I met him up at camp," you explained, avoiding eye contact as you blushed, slightly ashamed of what you were admitting. "He likes me and I like him."

"Does he intend to marry you or is he like the other men in the camp who would prefer just a good night with you?" Your blood boiled at her insinuations. You didn't know what Digger wanted from you but the way she posed her questions made you feel worthless.

"He cares for me, and I care for him," you reiterated as you stared at your dinner plate, fighting back the angry tears that burned your eyes as they threatened to spill forward. Biting your lip, you struggled to keep your bitter remarks to yourself. Suddenly you stood, the legs of the chair scraping across the wood floor as you moved. "I am finished eating," you announced, before turning to leave the dining room. "Thank you for the meal." Dropping your napkin on the table you turned away, briskly exiting through the door and hurrying to your bedroom.

It was another restless night, though you were plagued by anxious thoughts rather than amorous ones. At some point in the early morning you managed to fall asleep, even if it was just for a few hours. When the sun rose you were still upset with your aunt and ignored her when she called your name from the kitchen while you fled out the front door. Truding through the quickly melting snow, you made your way into town. Turning the corner after the grocery store you climbed the back stairs to the apartment on the second floor and knocked on the door.

Addie had grown up next door to you and was the closest friend you'd ever had. When she lived with her family you two spent all of your time together but unfortunately since she married last spring and moved to town with her husband, the pair of you hadn't been able to see each other much.

Addie couldn't help but grin when she found it was you knocking at the door. She eagerly invited you into the small apartment. While you took a seat at the kitchen table, Addie put a kettle on the stove, requesting an update on your life. With a heavy sigh you began to recount the day before and your aunt's decisions about your future.

"Why not marry him?" Addie questioned as the kettle began to whistle. "If he's a lawyer in Boston he's probably well off. You'd be set."

"I realize that," you replied with another sigh, as she rose to get the hot water. "The thing is, I like someone else." Addie placed a cup in front of you. Keeping your eyes down you raised the spoon, swirling the water and herbs. "She'd never approve of him though, he works up at the camp."

"Does he like you?" Lifting the cup to her lips Addie took a drink as she watched, noticing the small smile that was dancing on your lips as you considered her question.

"Yes, I'm pretty sure he does," you mumbled, blushing before you continued. "Remember at the social when you came to get me from the attic?" Addie nodded, following what you were recalling. "I wasn't alone then, he was there with me." Now it was Addie's turn to grin.

"You were alone with him in the dark?" Biting your lip you gave a sheepish nodd. "And what were you doing with him?"

"Just kissing!" you squeaked, sitting up right and blushing as she gave you a sly look.

"Yes, but you know what kissing leads to..." she teased, lifting her cup to take a sip.

"That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about." You scratched the back of your neck nervously before asking, "What does kissing lead to?"

Addie nearly choked on her tea at your question. Sputtering, she lifted a hand to cover her mouth as she coughed. Pulling a handkerchief from the cuff of her sleeve she wiped at her lips once she had caught her breath.

"You've never fooled around with anyone?" she was incredulous when she asked, looking at you wide eyed. "What about Jonathan? Didn't you go out with him?"

"Yeah," you sighed, playing with the spoon in your hand. "We went out a few times and he tried to kiss me, but he stopped himself because he was too scared of Auntie Jo." You exhaled again before continuing, noticing the way Addie raised her brow in curiosity. "After the second time he took me on a date he walked me up the steps afterwards and while we stood on the porch saying good night, he leaned in to kiss me. That's when Jo snapped the door open, talking about how late it was. He took off pretty quick and never asked me out again."

"So, your Aunt chased off any boy that looked at you, but now she constantly nags you about getting married."

"That's pretty much the gist of it."

"Do you want to marry the guy up at camp?" You looked up at Addie, surprised by her query. It was something that you hadn't really considered.

"It would never happen, Josephine wouldn't have it and I don't think he's the type to settle down." You felt downtrodden by the sudden reality of the situation. Addie immediately felt bad for the situation you were stuck in and tried everything in her power to distract and cheer you up. Once she had run out of jokes and the pair of you'd finished folding the laundry, she decided to go out. The local pub was only a few blocks away and she was sure that a few glasses of wine would help your mood.

"We don't have to talk to anyone," she said while you made your way down the sidewalk, hopping over the puddles from the melted snow. "I like to just get a bottle of cheap red and a booth in the back and just watch everyone else. Sometimes when I'm with Eddie, we make up backstories for people, just guessing what they're like."

"Really?" you asked with a chuckle, walking alongside her.

"Yeah it's actually very fun," she insisted while reaching for the door to the bar and holding it open for you.

You couldn't help but admit that she was right. Going out and drinking with Addie had done wonders to lift your mood. The pair of you sat in a back booth laughing at the stories you dreamt up together as you watched everyone else in the room. The time flew by as you enjoyed yourself, regularly refilling your glass.

"Ok, ok," Addie began, trying to stifle her laughter, "You see the guy over to the left? Sitting alone with two glasses on the table?" You shifted in your seat, looking over your shoulder, following to where she pointed. "I bet he's a widower who buys a second drink every night, hoping someone will sit and join him but every girl sees the second glass and thinks he has a date so they never approach him." You couldn't help but grin as you spotted the man she was describing.

"Oh, I know for a fact you're wrong." Turning to face her you lifted your own wine glass and took a sip, "That's Jean-Claude." You weren't surprised she hadn't realized who he was, Addie had never spent time at the lumber camp, and most of the men there rarely traveled into town except for big socials or other get-togethers where they could find company for the night.

"That's Jean-Claude?" she repeated, surprised by the truth. "But he's handsome. You never told me he was young."

Only half paying attention to Addie, you looked back, wondering exactly why he would be in town. You almost got up to go talk to Jean-Claude when someone sat down to join him. Instantly your head snapped forward and you moved further into the booth.

"What's wrong?" Addie asked, shocked by your sudden reaction.

"Jean-Claude, that guy, look who just joined him!" you hissed, quickly throwing back the last remnants of wine in your glass. You could feel the heat in your face, burning in your cheeks, positive you looked like a tomato.

"Yeah, and?" Addie was obviously still confused as she looked between you and the two men sitting across the room.

"That's Digger," you added. "That's the guy from camp."

Addies eyes went wide as the realization washed over her, "The guy you were alone with in the dark?" You shook your head, nodding frantically as she smirked. "I'm going to go say 'hi'."

You nearly jumped out of your seat as your reached for Addie's wrist, stopping her in her tracks. With a roll of her eyes she relented and sat back down.

"Fine, I won't," she obliged with a sly smile you couldn't miss. "...But only because he noticed and is coming over."

"How'er you girls doin'?" Digger asked as he stopped next to your booth, leaning on the back of your seat. You didn't have to look at him to know he was staring at you.

"You must be Digger," Addie said as he held her hand out to him. "I'm Mignon's friend, she's told me all about you." You wanted to crawl under the table and hide as he shook her hand.

"Is that so?" he pressed as he pushed his way onto the bench seat, forcing you to move closer to the wall to make space for him. He set down his stein and reached for the bottle, filling both your's and Addie's glasses. "And what's she said then?"

"Oh no, that's between us," Addie baited as you lifted your glass taking a drink. "Don't worry it's nothing bad." Digger shifted in his seat, lifting an arm to rest along the back of the booth behind you as he took a sip.

"JC's just went out paying off some gambling debts." Digger shrugged as he finished his drink, his fingers hanging down so they just barely brushed along your shoulder. "That's why we're in town," he turned his head, looking directly at you, "We're heading back t'camp tonight, if yeh care to join us."

You flustered for a moment under his attention before you realized just what he was offering. Excited to get away from your Aunt Jo, you jumped at the opportunity. Addie rolled her eyes but eventually agreed to cover for you. Satisfied with your choice, Digger whistled for the waitress and ordered another bottle of wine.

The night progressed while the three of you joked and refilled your glasses regularly. You were enjoying yourself and barely noticed as Digger's arm slowly dropped, resting on your shoulders, drawing you closer to him. Addie saw what he was doing and couldn't help but giggle at the sight of you nearly sitting in his lap when Jean-Claude finally returned.

"Enchanté." The quebecois greeted, kissing the back of Addie's hands after being introduced. "I would love to get to know you, but I'm afraid we should leave," he explained, looking to Digger. "It is quite late already and it is a long ride back to camp."

Exiting the booth, Digger shifted to the side as he dropped his arm, slipping his hand into yours and lacing your fingers together. Following suit you scooted over until you could stand. You couldn't fight the smile on your lips as you looked back at your friend, who quickly jumped up from her seat.

"Next time you're kissing, try biting his earlobe," she whispered to you, "Then run your hand up his thigh and touch him. Trust me, that'll work." She pulled back giving you a wink as you followed Digger out the door, hurrying to move next to him and wrapping your free hand around his elbow.

"You two will ride in the back," Jean-Claude explained as he unhitched the horse and climbed onto the driver's seat, "There's not room for three up here."

Rounding the back of the carriage Digger turned to you, encircling your waist with his fingers before hoisting you up and into the cart. Giggling, you stumbled slightly before falling onto the hay. The bales were stacked so most of the weight was forward in the cart, creating a small wall between the pair of you and Jean-Claude. Knowing that he couldn't see you, Digger shouted once he was seated and cart jerked as it was pulled forward, bouncing with the steady rhythm of the horse's gait.

Digger smirked as he watched you, holding your gaze, causing goose bumps without even touching you. You bit your lip as you leaned forward tentatively, narrowing the gap between you and him. He slid his arm around your waist, bringing you nearer to him as the carriage bumped over a root.

You couldn't help but moan into the warm contact of his lips. One of his hands slid down your side before resting on your hip, tugging you forward and lifting your leg across his. You reeled in embarrassment, straddling his lap in such a provocative way, but as you moved your head away he took the opportunity to pepper your neck with kisses and you relented into his touch. Caught in a drunken haze you found yourself following his lead, rolling your hips into his while his hands squeezed your ass, pulling your center closer.

Remembering Addie's advice you leaned in, wrapping one hand around his neck as you kissed at the corner of his jawbone before taking the soft flesh of his earlobe between your lips. Tugging at his ear, you couldn't help but grin as you felt the rumble of a groan through his chest. Motivated by the success of Addie's first suggestion, you eagerly dropped a hand between your abdomen and his, sliding your palm south across his middle until your grasp rested on his crotch. Brazenly, and influenced by the wine, you flexed your hand and massaged his groin as you leaned back biting your lip.

It didn't take long for Digger to respond. Impatiently he undid the buttons to your blouse popping them open to reveal your breast, covered by only a thin camisole to the cold air. You couldn't help but moan as he kneaded your soft flesh, humming as he took one of your hardened nipples into his mouth through the soft cotton fabric.

"Digger," you hissed as you dug your nails into the back of his scalp while trying to remain quiet, still very aware of how close Jean-Claude was. Digger ran a hand along your thigh, pushing your skirt so it bunched against your waist as your arm tightened around his neck. His thumb rubbed along your leg, slowly moving closer to your apex while teasing at the skin just past the hem of your bloomers. Nervously you curled forward, responding to the electric feeling of his fingers against your sensitive skin. Bowing your head into the crook of his neck, you rolled your hips into his touch.

Gently he ran his thumb over your clit in a swift motion that caused your whole body to jerk in response. With a satisfied grin he began to kiss and pull at the skin between your shoulder and neck while he let his fingers drifted nearer to your center. You clung to him as he touched you in a way no one ever had before. It felt like your skin was on fire, unaffected by the cold breeze as it passed. You moved with the rhythm of the bouncing carriage, pushing your hips against Digger's fingertips as they slid past your clit, hovering around your entrance.

Digger paused for a second, drinking in the moment. He had wanted you since he first laid eyes on your form from across the dingle. He watched as you helped your aunt cook while he played cards, quickly asking Jean-Claude what your name was after. It had taken him sometime to catch your attention but he never relented and it seemed his efforts had paid off. He smiled inwardly at the sight of you sitting in his lap with your legs spread, quivering at his every touch.

Eagerly he slid a single finger inside of you, watching as you squirmed at the sensation. Digger smiled as he leaned forward, kissing your breastbone, enjoying the warmth of your wet walls before slowly drawing his finger back and pushing it in again, deeper than before. You couldn't help but gasp as his digit moved along your inner walls. Slowly beginning to savor the feeling, you unabashedly rolled your hips against his hand.

Without warning, Digger pushed a second finger into you. Biting your lip, you whined at the addition, suddenly feeling uncomfortably tight.

"Relax," his low voice whispered into your ear as he continued to move his hand. Balling his shirt in your fists, you leaned forward excitedly capturing his mouth with yours. There was a foreign feeling stirring within your core. A tension building somewhere behind your stomach that'd you never felt before. Digger's touch did nothing but stoke this fire.

He shifted his wrist, raising his thumb to press against your clit as his rocked his hand back and forth. You gasped into his mouth at the sudden stimulus while he took advantage of the opportunity, slipping his tongue past your lips. You found it hard to focus on anything as Digger played with your bud of nerves, the new feeling inside of you building to a breaking point.

With a small cry you crumpled into him as something released. Falling limp, you held onto his shoulders as your hips jerked and spasmed, your legs shaking pleasantly. Slowly Digger withdrew his fingers from between your thighs and wrapped his arms around your waist, holding you against him as you trembled, coming down from the high.

After a moment you came back to earth. Leaning back, you studied Digger's smug, content expression and his steely eyes. "What was that?" You asked in a airy voice, still a little overwhelmed from the event.

"I just made yeh cum, is all," he explained with a smirk. "I can do it again if yeh want."

PART 1 - PART 3

please tell me what you think! the more feedback i get the more motivated i am to write more

#Captain Boomerang #captain boomerang imagine #captain boomerang fanfiction #captain boomerang fanfic #captain boomerang fan fiction #digger harkness #digger harknes x oft #digger harkness x oc #Suicide Squad #suicide squad imagine #suicide squad fan fiction #skwad #jai courtney #lumberjacks

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lorem-text · 4 years

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Reader Request: Top 5 Literature Fails

O Literature, Literature, wherefore art thou Literature?

Whether you’re a bookworm, a once in a blue moon reader, or exclusively read fanfiction of your favourite fictional world on your phone, chances are you’ve read something -be it a line, a paragraph, or an entire story- that made a part of you churn up and die. Don’t worry; we’ve felt it too.

So, from fanfiction to science fiction to smutty literature, here are our Top 5 Literature Fails for your entertainment!

Number 5: The Social War (Simon Mohler Landis, 1872)

Starting off with an oldie but baddie, ’The Social War’ is described on Wikipedia as ‘a commercially unsuccessful utopian science fiction novel’. Jess Nevins described it in io9 as "reprehensible trash, the most objectionable utopia of the 19th century, and the worst science fiction novel of that period"

Now, this one was suggested by Maria, and I’ve not read it personally to accurately give you a first-person account of how horrid it is.

But before you judge me for my lack of professionalism and dedication to my work, I should share the reason I haven’t read it:

A week ago, I forgot my copy of the book at the office. When I came back the next day, fully intending to read it in one sitting, I only found its charred remains in the trashcan with Maria and John standing over it, both holding lighters.

As they say, ‘a picture is worth a thousand words’...

Number 4: Atlanta Nights (Travis Tea, 2005)

Unlike every other work on this list, "Atlanta Nights" was deliberately designed to be a bad book.

Published by several authors under the name Travis Tea, the book was designed to be as terrible as possible to test the publishing company PublishAmerica for vanity publishing, essentially publishing books without reviewing them.

They released this awful work of fiction and surprisingly, the company approved to publish the book. The story's plot is nonsensical with characters and events changing in every single chapter. "Atlanta Nights" is written incredibly badly, with some creative writing courses using the book as a guideline for how not to write.

Number 3: Katerina (James Frey, 2018)

If you’re in the market for bad (and not in a good way) smutty literature, you need not look further than the British magazine Literary Review. Each year since 1993, Literary Review has presented the annual Bad Sex in Fiction Award to the author it deems to have produced the worst description of a sex scene in a novel.

With exposition out of the way, today we’re looking at the winner of 2018′s Bad Sex Award; Katerina, by James Frey.

The story follows Jay, a young American would-be writer, as he drinks and bonks his way around Paris, particularly with a Norwegian model named Katerina.

The award’s judges at the Literary Review said they had been swayed by several sex scenes in the novel, which include encounters in a car park and in the back of a taxi, but were especially convinced by an extended scene in a Paris bathroom between Jay and Katerina that features eight references to ejaculate. According to the judges, “Frey prevailed against a strong all-male shortlist by virtue of the sheer number and length of dubious erotic passages in his book. The multiple scenes of sustained fantasy in Katerina could have won Frey the award many times over.”

Fortunately, Frey took to winning the award humorously and seems to bear no animosity towards the magazine as responding to his win, the author said: “I am deeply honoured and humbled to receive this prestigious award. Kudos to all my distinguished fellow finalists – you have all provided me with many hours of enjoyable reading over the last year.”

Number 2: My Immortal: A Harry Potter Fanfiction ( XXXbloodyrists666XXX, 2006-2007)

With a reputation as the worst piece of fanfiction on the internet and its very own Wikipedia page, no bad literature list is complete without My Immortal.

Known for its incomprehensible narrative and constant digressions, the story centres on the vampire witch "Ebony Dark'ness Dementia Raven Way" and her relationships with the characters of the Harry Potter series, particularly her romantic relationship with Draco Malfoy. Ultimately, she is prompted by visions to travel back in time to try to defeat the main antagonist of the series, Lord Voldemort.

Since the beginning of the work's publication, it has gained infamy for its awful writing, plot inconsistency and complete disregard for the original Harry Potter source material. Despite this, the series has also inspired multiple derivative works, including a YouTube web series, and is viewed with nostalgia for adolescent fan life.

I have started this story many times and read it to the end twice and let me tell you, it’s one hell of an experience.

The legitimacy of this work of fiction has been a subject of debate for many years now. However, regardless of whether it’s genuine or an attempt at satire, My Immortal is a great read for a fun night with your friends, if you can stomach it. Just remember not to take it seriously.

Number 1: Moon People (Dale M. Courtney, 2008)

Finally, we reach Number 1.

Moon People by Dale M. Courtney is by far the best book I have ever read. The entertainment provided by the innumerable mistakes, grammar clashes, story holes and demands for suspension of disbelief makes it one of the greatest published works of fiction. No one.... could intentionally write this. Except, apparently, Dale M. Courtney.

The book chronicles the journey of David Brayner, a science teacher-turned-astronaut, in his relatively sudden interplanetary adventure as 1st Science Officer of Lunar Base 1, and from the very first page, it’s a wild ride of spelling mistakes, questionable grammar, and multiple passages you’ll skip through in an attempt to spare your brain cells the excruciating pain of being deep-fried in space lava.

Notorious for its incoherent prose and irrelevant digressions, this book is so bad, Huffington Post did an article chronicling just how awful it actually is.

I...honestly can't say much more about this one; it's really so terrible that there's not one specific point to begin. In a twist of irony, the reviews for the book are delightfully sarcastic, highlighting the book's many shortcomings.

The best part? It’s the first book in a trilogy, so if your brain cells haven’t turned into deep-fried onion rings after the first book’s 61 pages, you have a total of 238 pages of rivetting action-packed space adventures left to go!

Eliot Wilde, journalist and writer for Night Owl and host of Night Owl FM

#vtm rp #article #(best part of this blog is learning things i didn't know)#(like the Moon People series. My life is complete now.)

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writingismyhappytime · 7 years

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Dauntless: Daddy Dearest (Part 6)

Eric x OC

Warnings: Language, Violence, Slight Seduction

A/N: Let me know what you think about the ending. Do you think Eric would sink that low?

"The hell do you think you're doing?" I hissed, grabbing one of the soldiers by his collar and jerking him around. "You think this is a fucking game!? I fucking told you to move those goddamn crates and I meant it!"

The soldier stared at me like I'd lost my mind, and I shoved him away from me, pissed. Mel had been letting everyone run around unsupervised until they felt they didn't have to follow orders!

Damned woman!

The soldier hastily moved away from me, heading for the crates he should have moved an hour ago. I watched broodingly, noticing all the hustle going on around me since I'd arrived last week.

I was already burnt out.

Mel had absolutely no control over anyone here. I'd let her give orders, just to see what was going on; she didn't try to instill any fear or respect into her troops, she just gave a flippant command and walked away.

You either gained the loyalty of the people following you, or you made them so fearful of you they knew they had no choice but to answer you.

I'd always been good at the latter.

I cut my eyes, turning to look behind me.

In two days I had that warehouse empty and the living factionless out of it. Perhaps the more naive Dauntless here thought everyone had been equipped with simulation darts, only making the faction less feel like they'd been injured, but not all of us had.

Still, more had survived then I'd want too, but that was my own fault.

I hesitated.

I'd been going to shoot that man, right between the eyes and put him out of his misery. He'd been scrambling like everyone else in those tattered clothes, and just as I'd started to squeeze I saw him lean down, pick up a wailing toddler from the floor and into his arms.

His son.

That shouldn't have stopped me, it never had before. I'd never let anyone get away from me, I'd never hesitated when it came to taking somebody out.

But I let him live. I let him run off with that kid and I'd turned the other way. I shouldn't have, but I did.

It bothered me.

I'd just --- I'd seen that kid, how it reached for the man in fright, and Kai crossed my mind.

He was making me weak already. I needed to separate my two lives again, the personal needed to stay at the compound, the soldier was what I needed now.

I needed to be the man who didn't let the thoughts of his kid stop him from taking a shot.

"Well, looks like you have this all under control," I heard Mel's dry voice behind me. "Don't see a reason I should stay."

"You're not going back to the compound." I said, not bothering to turn around to look at her. "I was ordered to come here and show you the ropes since you're incompetent."

"Ouch, right to the point as always." She sighed as she stepped to my side, her hands on her hips. She had her dreads drawn back against her nape, her shirt too low cut for the situation and not long enough either. She's supposed to command respect with how she dressed, not look like the white she liked to be.

"I had to come all the way out here go deal with your fuck up," I snapped, glaring down at her. I wasn't pleased I was here, and I was going to let everyone know it.

"You should have been here in the first place," she said lightly, cutting her black eyes up at me. "Not me."

I crowned. "Did you mess up just so I'd have to do this op?"

I wouldn't put something so stupid past her; Melanie had a way about her, she'd get something done the way she thought it should be in the strangest ways --- ones no one would notice. That's why Max liked having her around so much and tolerated her. When no one else could get it done, Mel could.

"Don't be stupid, Eric." She rolled her heavily painted eyes at me, the light glinting off the silver hoop dangling out of the center of her nose. "Why would I fuck my own self over to help someone like you?"

"I was asking myself the same question." I muttered, looking away from her and to the bustling men around me. I'd done the important part, gotten the factionless out of the way, so I would be heading back to the compound in another week or so regardless. Mel would still have it all to do, whether she wanted it or not.

"I just don't want you going soft on me, Eric." Mel finally said, keeping her voice low so only I could hear. "We have a reputation to keep, and doing what we do, we don't need that to go away."

I clenched my hands, staring ahead and not bothering to acknowledge her words.

"You know Max doesn't like wild cards, he's too paranoid." Mel continued, as if I was listening. "If you don't get your head in the game, he might think you're losing focus, that you're not putting his wants and needs first."

"Since when have I ever gave a fuck about those?" I muttered in irritation. "I don't even like him, he's a weak leader. We shouldn't have to gain the favor of another faction, we're strong in ourselves. The city wouldn't function without us."

"You might think so, Max doesn't view it that way. Just stop turning him down, Eric, before he decides he doesn't need you anymore." I didn't miss the tense edge to her voice that time, and I straightened, suddenly understanding.

Max was wanting rid of me.

I pressed my lips into a thin line, feeling anger start to make my blood boil. I'd been a loyal soldier, I'd murdered members of my own faction at his orders, never questioning whether they were guilty or not. I'd gone on countless missions no one knew about, traded weapons with those who shouldn't have them, tortured people just to get information out of them --- all because he wanted me too.

And now, now that I finally had my own small happiness that had nothing to do with Dauntless --- he thought he could take that away from me!? He ---.

"I'll rip his throat out if he so much as touches my family," I snarled, turning to look point blank at Mel and not giving a shit who heard me. "If he's so pissed, he better take it up with me. If something happens to my kid or my girlfriend, if one fucking hair is out of place, I'll kill him before the entire faction and anyone who tries to stop me." I spat the last words, making it clear whose side Mel better choose when the time came for power to change hands.

Her eyes widened, and she just stared at me, taken off guard. I shouldn't say that where so many could hear me, but I wanted to make that point clear; you touch my family, I'll destroy you.

Slowly.

~~~~~~

I sat in my room, my feet propped up on the table in front of me as I leaned back in my chair. It's dark, there's only a single lamp on, and I've been sitting there for a bit.

I was furious.

What had Max said to Mel that made her feel the need to warn me? Was he seriously considering getting rid of me, or was she overreacting?

He wasn't going to kill me.

He could try, he could send whoever he wanted after me and I'd take them down. I knew all the tricks, I'd made a few of them myself, and now I knew to be on guard.

Mel was good for something after all.

I ran a hand down my face, gritting my teeth. Shit was getting complicated much quicker then I expected.

Dauntless power shifting was a serious thing. The previous leader had to become unable to lead or fight, and had to either die or become factionless.

Most die.

Max would.

He was getting older, he's the only leader I could remember Dauntless having. He wouldn't stand up to me in a fight, he wouldn't even fight me, he'd put someone in their place. The only way to get rid of him permanently would be to finish him off.

However, it needed to be smooth.

If Max was to be overthrown, it would have to be unanimous. I would have to prove his incompetence, show he wasn't a valid leader anymore, and basically put myself on top of the totem pole.

Not as easy as it sounded.

I'd need support.

A lot.

That would take some time.

For the moment, I'd play his game. I'd make him think I was falling back in line, that he could control me again. I'd give him a few years, at least until Kai could walk.

Then I'd overthrow him and toss his useless corpse into the chasm like we had so many others.

I smirked, propping my chin on my hand as I gazed around the dark room I'd been provided with. It was basic, just somewhere to squat while the op was happening. Nothing fancy, and not something I was going to miss. A table, a cot shoved in the corner with a bathroom and small kitchen area.

Not fit for someone who'd be leading Dauntless in a few years.

I run a hand across my jaw with a scowl, realizing I was almost growing a full beard at this point. I didn't like facial hair on me, and Camille didn't either, so I always tried to keep it smooth.

Good a time as any to shave it.

~~~~~~~

"Move your asses!" I barked, glaring at the soldiers in front of me. "We gotta get this supplies to the building by noon! Let's go!"

"Oh, must you do all the shouting?" Mel groaned from above me, rubbing her temples as she hunched over. "I'm sure they hear you just fine."

I sent her an irritated look. She's sitting up in the passenger seat of the truck that's being loaded with the supplies to take down the warehouses. A couple drops of dynamite here and there would be sufficient enough to reduce the old buildings to rubble, and moving the debris shouldn't be too bad of a hassle.

Well, so long as everyone followed orders.

"You should be taking notes," I snapped at her, standing on the truck step as I looked around, making sure everything was going smoothly. "Not moping in there because you're hangover."

"Gotta have some fun," she muttered Crossly at me, leaning her head down into her hands. "Not all of us have turned into celibate bores."

I rolled my eyes, irritated. I wasn't celibate, and I wasn't sure what gave her that idea. I wanted to comment, but there wasn't the place.

So, I ignored her, barking some more orders to the men around me to get them moving. We were actually ahead of schedule, and I wanted to keep it that way.

I had someone to get back too.

"Alright, pack it up!" I called, seeing all the pallets and crates loaded. "Let's get going!"

"I hope you're driving," Mel muttered at me, her voice barely audible through the open window as truck engines started. "I can barely see right now."

Pathetic.

I dropped down from the truck step, striding around to the drivers seat and climbing in. I tugged the door shut behind me, glancing at Melanie as I started the vehicle.

I'd always thought her name was pretty, it reminded me of music, of something sweet. She was everything but that, of course, she was perhaps rougher then even Camille.

Mel had many men and women in her bed, but she'd never settled down with any of them. She might sleep with them over and over, but she wasn't partial to one over the other. We'd had our nights together, and admittedly I'd enjoyed myself, especially when she'd brought other women with her.

But I didn't love her. We had a friendship because of what we did together, she was the closest I had to a friend under the circumstances. She wasn't the type of person I'd invite to see my kid, or admit to Camille that I knew very well.

Camille didn't like her, but the feeling was mutual.

Camille might do some shady shit and follow orders, but she questioned, she wanted to make sure it was the right thing to do; that's what held her back in Dauntless.

Me? Didn't give a fuck if they were guilty or not, I'd shoot them.

Melanie was the same.

"You know," Mel said after a moment, slowly raising her head from her hands; her makeup was smeared around her eyes, probably from yesterday, and it looked like she did have a rough night. "I used to think we'd both end up like alone and drunk."

"Still might happen," I muttered, shifting gears. I turned the truck down the road after the first three, sighing.

"No." She shook her head after a moment, looking frazzled. "No, you have that kid now. He'll love you because you're his father. Camille will love you because she's a stupid bitch."

Well.

I grimaced, slowing the truck down a little as we hit cracked concrete, feeling the bumps and hearing Mel groan.

"Why are you so sentimental?" I asked after a moment, daring a glance at her. "Afraid you'll end up alone and die by yourself?"

"I might die by myself, by I won't be alone," she snorted, sounding a little more like herself. "I can have someone around any time I want."

"Having someone around to fuck isn't the same as having someone, Mel." I said after a moment; I'd never understood until I became serious with Camille that there was even a difference. "Companionship and all that."

"Oh what bullshit. Playing house has made you soft," Melanie scoffed, brushing her dreads behind her ear. "You never believed in that crap before."

"I know." I didn't think I'd ever have it either. I frowned. "Mel, look, I ---."

"No, Eric, I don't want to hear it." Mel cut me off before I could start. "I get it. You've changed, you're a family man, you give a shit now. That doesn't mean I have to or that I will. I'm fine with how my life is, I'm satisfied."

"If you're so satisfied why the fuck are you always on my ass?"

"Because I'm worried about you."

"What? Why?"

"I'm worried that you're gonna get all content and shit, and that your happy family thing is going to explode in your face." She finally said, massaging her temples. "Whether it's your own fault or not."

"That's life, Mel. Shit does that, you just keep going." I sighed. "It's not easy, but we survive."

"Yeah, well, I'd rather survive on my own then having people rely on me." She snorted, drawing her knees up to her chest, her arms wrapping loosely around them. "Nobody to worry about is easier."

With that, I did agree.

"Mel ---."

"Look out!"

I slammed on the brakes as the truck in front of us abruptly stopped, swerving sideways as something sent the earth exploding in front of it. Mel shrieked as our truck slid dangerously sideways, tilting up until I felt my stomach dropping.

My arm went out immediately, pressing against her chest to hold her against the seat as everything went in slow motion; my heart was so loud, it's all I could hear, my chest so tight I couldn't breathe.

I waited, knowing we were going to turn over, fall at any moment. Mel would crash into me, throw me against the door, all the supplies behind us would shift, the dynamite --- it didn't happen.

The truck slammed back onto four wheels so forcefully I was nearly thrown onto her side, a boom in the distance so heavy the entire truck shuddered.

I cut my eyes forward, seeing black flames rising into the air in front of us.

Shit!

"We gotta get out," Mel rasped, already reaching for the gun on her belt as she kicked the dented door open, brazenly climbing out. I cursed, glancing in the mirrors --- I couldn't move the truck, old hollowed buildings were on either side of us, the street was too narrow.

This wasn't how the day was supposed to go!

I cursed under my breath as I shoved my door open, my gun already in my hand. I didn't know if we were under attack or if there was just an accident, but I was going to be prepared!

Why was none of this going smoothly?

"You two, stay here and guard the truck, shoot anyone to tries to take it," I barked as I saw two soldiers stagger out of the smoke, covered in black soot. "Anyone who isn't Dauntless dies, got it?"

"Yes, sir," one wheezed, coughing into his hand.

I glanced forward uneasily, seeing the black smoke in front of us; fire wasn't good, not with all the dynamite we were hauling. I couldn't see anything in that smoke, all I could hear was shouting and the sound of my own heart.

I couldn't see Mel, I didn't know if she rushed into the smoke or not, but I had to know what was going on!

I started forward, clicking the safety off my gun as I headed into the smoke.

Fucking way to ruin my day!

I raised a sleeve against my nose asked mouth as I disappeared into the black, my eyes immediately beginning to burn and water. I held my breath the best I could, careful of my steps.

It was chaos, I could see people moving and running, but I couldn't tell who was who. I kept close to the truck that had been in front of us, heading for the doors to check it; we didn't need this shit stolen.

I held my eyes open, refusing to even blink --- all the water in my eyes was making it impossible to see and blinking only made it worse. I fumbled against the hot metal of the truck, finally finding the door and jerking it open. I scowled as a body tumbled out of it, Dauntless with a knife through his neck.

Figures.

Factionless shits just wouldn't stay down!

I leaned down, tugging the knife out of the guys neck; he wouldn't be needing it after all. I glanced around before slipping up into the truck seat, shutting the door and turning the key a few times. If I moved this thing, I could park it to the side, make the street open again. This thing being sideways wasn't helping!

Hope nobody was behind me.

I shifted gears, turning to look over my shoulder as I hit the gas, causing the truck to squeal tires for several seconds before gaining traction, jerking backward along the concrete. Even the cab was stuffy, hard to breathe in.

I hit the brakes the second I felt the bump of tires against the sidewalk, probably leaving black marks as I twisted the wheel sharply, edging one side up against a building.

I huffed, tightening my hold on my gun as I looked out the cracked windshield. Had someone surprised the guy driving this truck, jumped in the passenger seat and stabbed him? What made him stop, what's going on up ahead?

I wasn't going to put up with this!

I could sit there, I guessed, safely in the cab of the truck and just let chaos ensue around me. I could just watch it happen, not do anything, but that's not my thing.

I wanted to kill someone anyway, for putting me through all this shit. I was incredibly frustrated, all I wanted to do was beat my hands against the steering wheel and bellow at the top of my lungs!

I wanted to just get through this, get back to my girlfriend and my kid --- why does this gotta happen!? Why does everything have to be so fucked up and chaotic?

I just wanted some peace!

Dammit!

I turned, shoved the door of the truck open so hard I heard the hinges creak. Black smoke immediately billowed into the cab, and I grimaced as I hopped out. I held my gun to my side as I started back for my truck, my pace swift.

At this point I'd shoot anyone and ask questions later.

~~~~~~~

"Get down!" I grabbed the back of the factionless jacket as he hung off the back of the truck, jerking him so hard I sent him sailing across the concrete. The two Dauntless I'd ordered to watch the thing were nowhere to be found!

Useless!

The factionless couldn't get into any of the vehicles anyhow, the back doors were held shut with heavy chains and locks that only I had the key too.

I turned as I heard the factionless move, firing immediately and hitting him a couple times in the chest. He gargled a bit before falling, so that was good enough for me.

I strode to the doors of the truck, aiming my gun in front of me as I jerked the open. I was relieved to find they were empty, no one had thought to climb in yet.

"Eric!"

I glanced as I heard my name, lifting myself up onto the step of the truck just as I saw a flash of blonde dreads.

Ah, so she was still alive.

"The fuck is going on?" I demanded of Mel the second she was within earshot. She had some black soot on her face, but didn't look ruffled. "The hell is everyone?"

"Factionless took down the first truck, caused the engine to blow!" She gasped, her shoulder slamming into the truck. "It's blocking everything up there, we can't get past it. The threw some smoke bombs to cause more chaos, and everyone's running around like their head is cut off."

"So much for being well trained," I muttered sourly. Four must have been their trainer during their initiation, anyone Camille and I took care of wouldn't be so useless! "Get in. I'm ending this."

"Yeah? How's that?" Mel coughed, her voice raspy from all the smoke.

"I'm going to drive this truck to the front and shoot anyone I see," I grunted, climbing into the drivers seat and starting the engine. It rumbled smoothly to life. "You can come and help or run away like the rest of those bitches."

"You don't know how many factionless are up there, Eric!"

"Makes the game more fun." I muttered, glancing at her. "You coming or not?"

I wasn't going to wait.

I heard her curse, but she darted away, heading for the passenger side. I hit the lock for the doors, hearing them click as I hit the gas. Moving the other truck made it possible for me to drive half on the road and half on the sidewalk for a few feet, the truck adding more black smoke into the air as I floored it, sending both of us back into the seats.

No one fucked with my day.

I had people to get back too.

~~~~~~

"You did well today, Eric." Max actually complimented me as I looked at the computer screen in front of me, seeing him and his office. "We lost no cargo, and only a few dauntless. It would have gone much worse if not for you."

"Did Melanie tell you that?" I grunted, leaning my hands onto the table as I stared at him.

The day hadn't ended well. I'd run over a few faction less with that truck, felt the bumps as the wheels turned their bodies into mangled messes. They'd run off after that, leaving all the trucks behind when they realized they couldn't even get to the cargo.

The wounded had been carted off, everything was where it was supposed to be. I had a few bumps and bruises, but I was fine for the most part. Most of us were.

"No. I haven't spoken to her." Max shook his head. "You've lead this op admirably."

Why was he complimenting me so much? I didn't like it when he did this. He was up to something.

"I'm still leaving." I said after a moment, putting a little more weight on my hands. "When the week is up, I'm still out."

"You've already gotten the ball rolling, Melanie should be fine with the destruction of the buildings." Max didn't argue with me, which I found even more suspicious.

I frowned at him, wondering if I should be worried.

"When my kid is older, this won't be an issue in the future." I said after a moment. "He'll be in daycare soon and Camille won't pitch such fits."

"She'll also be busy with her recruits." Max added. "New initiates should be here in another month after the ceremony."

"Yeah." I rubbed the back of my neck.

That would be interesting.

"I'll have a car waiting for you at the end of the week, to bring you back to the compound."

"I'll get a ride myself," I shook my head immediately, distrustful. "Don't worry about it."

"Very well. See you then." Max ended the call abruptly, and I frowned at the screen in front of me.

It's hard to tell if someone is bullshitting or not through computer screens. I still wasn't sure if Max was out to get me.

I glanced over as there was a knock on the door of my small room, and I frowned as I straightened.

I didn't have time for visitors, I had too much shit to worry about. I ran a hand down my face, but the person merely knocked again, apparently not going away.

For fucks sake.

I huffed, shoving away from the table where the computer sat and making my way to the door. I jerked it open with a scowl, frowning when I recognized Mel.

She had a scratch across her forehead, but otherwise she looked fine.

"What are you doing here?"

"I brought a peace offering," the blonde woman lifted up a bucket of ice, bottles of alcohol chilling in it. "Plus I don't like relaxing by myself."

"All your current fuck buddies too freaked out after the day?"

"Something like that," she sighed, looking tired. "I can't believe it went the way it did."

"Yeah," I stepped back, holding the door open so she could walk in. I glanced at her curiously as I shut the door, seeing how tightly her black jeans clung to her hips.

Those were actually my favorite jeans on her, I recognized them by the scuff on the back pocket. I couldn't fathom how many times I'd jerked them down to her thighs and bent her over her kitchen table after a rough day for both of us.

I shook my head, immediately regretting the thought. Shit, I shouldn't even think of stuff like that anymore.

Mel dropped the bucket on the small table, tossing herself down into one of the chairs and crossing her legs. She reached for a bottle, popping the top off and quickly raising it to her lips.

She wasn't wasting time tonight.

I sat down in the chair opposite her with a sigh, grabbing one myself.

"Has Max called yet?" Mel asked after we'd sat a few moments in silence.

"Yeah. He's glad things went well and we didn't lose any cargo." I mumbled, enjoying the burn as the alcohol ran down my throat. After about six of these I'd have a nice buzz and could relax, they just tasted like shit.

"So he's not pissed?"

"He was suspiciously calm. He's up to something, isn't he?" I leaned my arms against the table, swishing around the liquid in my clear glass bottle.

"I don't know. He doesn't exactly tell me his devious secrets."

Huh.

I sighed, running a hand down my face. I didn't even enjoy this anymore, drinking and brooding. I just wanted to get back to the compound, sleep in my own bed and get woke up every fifteen minutes by my kid.

I never thought I'd miss hearing his screaming.

I slept decently here in the beginning, but not so much now.

I was eager to get home.

"Eric."

"What?" I reached for another bottle, hardly aware I'd had three already. I tended to drink this stuff pretty fast, but I couldn't really feel the affects yet.

"When was the last time you had sex?"

My fingers paused as I went to twist the lid off the bottle, eyes flicking to her.

"Mel..." My tone was warning, I didn't want to have this conversation again. Camille had been uncomfortably pregnant for the last nine months, so I'd say for the last four I hadn't been getting any.

It was frustrating, I wasn't used to going like this. I wanted the rough, wild fucking again, holding onto her as she gasped and came under me, yelping my name. I wanted to see her face as I made her cum, feel her lips around my cock.

Just the thought of Camille like that made me have to shift in my seat. I missed our sex life, but I wouldn't press for it; I got bitched at enough.

"That long, huh?" Melanie mused, gazing at me from across the table. "So you knocked her up and she cut you off? I would be pissed too but not that frigid."

"I thought I made it clear we weren't going to be having these sorts of conversations."I said flatly, but she merely shrugged her shoulders.

"Don't be so uptight, Eric. Since when do you not like talking about sex? You used to like telling me about all your conquests."

"That was the other way around, Mel." I rolled my eyes as I lifted my bottle to my lips, my mouth burning as the liquid splashed against my tongue. I drained it halfway, starting to feel that soothing numbness settle over my body.

"Eh, maybe. I'm guessing you don't want to hear about the guys I fucked last night?"

"No."

"Fair enough," she sighed, looking mopey as she leaned back in her chair. It grew quiet again, just the clicking of the clock on the wall as we both sat there.

What the hell was my life becoming?

I ran a hand down my face, feeling the cut on my cheek sting. I wasn't even sure how I got it, I hadn't noticed it until Mel had been smearing some healing ointment across it when everything had settled down.

To think, I used to enjoy the thrill of a life or death situation; now it just stressed me out. I had a lot more to lose now then I did before.

"Mel."

"Yeah?" She looked up from staring into her bottle, her black eyes flicking to mine. She shifted in her seat, as if growing uncomfortable.

"Do you think Max is a good leader?"

"He's decent, I guess. I can't remember the one before him, I was a kid when the power changed." She shrugged her shoulders. "But he's kept us good so far, right?"

"I guess." I took a long sip from my drink.

"Why?" Her voice was wary.

"No reason. Just think he's getting old after all these years."

She snorted, lifting her bottle up to clink against mine.

"May we all get that old, Eric." She chuckled before draining her drink and tossing the glass into a waste basket. She wiped at her lips with the back of her hand, sighing.

She pursed her lips before standing, a little wobbly on her feet.

"Where are you going?" I asked in amusement. "You're already at your limit."

"I am --- I don't know," Mel hiccuped, her hand rising to press against her lips. "I just needed to get up."

Ahuh.

I took a slow sip of my drink, numb to its burn now. I leaned back in my chair, my eyes flicking to the only window in the room. The city was dark, no one's supposed to be using a lot of electricity at night anyhow. The sky was cloudy, so it was just black outside, reminding me of all the distance between me and my family.

Was a person supposed to think about their family as much as I did? Was that normal? They crossed my mind pretty frequently, I couldn't help wondering what they were doing. I hadn't spoken to Camille in weeks, I was starting to miss even her smartass comments.

What was she doing? Did she miss me? Was she glad I was gone?

"Eric ---."

Shit!

I jerked in surprise as Melanie abruptly tossed herself across my lap, causing my drink to spill across the table. I grunted as her arms wrapped around my neck, grimacing.

"Mel ---."

"You know you miss fucking me," she sighed at me, and I pulled away from her with a frown. "Don't you? Don't you miss all those fun nights we had?" She shifted in my lap, and I tensed instantly.

"Get up." I snapped, gritting my teeth as she merely leaned into me, pressing her lips against the spot under my ear. My body went rigid as I felt her teeth nip at my flesh, immediately feeling a rush of heat against my skin.

Mel knew my body, she knew what I liked and what would turn me on. Not even Camille knew about that spot, and I shuddered as Mel worked her way down to my throat.

Shit.

I shouldn't be letting this happen, I should shove her off into the floor, I should --- it feels so good. Months going without any type of touch had really taken its toll on me, and now to suddenly have it... I didn't want to push Mel away.

She shuffled, slipping her thighs on either side of my hips so that she was straddling me, her hands rising to cup my cheeks as her black eyes gazed down into mine.

"Tell me to stop and I will," she murmured, grinding her hips down into mine. My hands rose, clamping around her waist, eyes drawing lower to the obvious swell of her breasts in front of me.

I didn't want her too.

I wanted this, I could already tell I was getting turned on. Mel knew how to use her body as a weapon, and especially as a lover. She knew tricks that surpassed even my knowledge, and she was currently using them on me. If this had been two years ago, I would have tossed her on the table and fucked her until she was screaming, but now ---.

"Come on, Eric," she cooed, her nails lightly raking against my jaw to grab my attention again. "You miss this, don't you? I can tell your body does." She chuckled, her lips on my throat once more, sucking and biting until my head was tilting back of its own accord, my hands slipping lower to curve around her hips.

Camille loved doing that, pressing on my shoulders when she was on top, taking the control away from me. She'd always giggle how easy it was, tease me that I let her have her way with me. I could already see her on top of me, her black hair framing her face as she gazed down at me with that mischevious glint in her eyes.

That's the thing.

Even if I fucked Mel tonight --- I would be thinking of Camille the entire time.

The thought made me sick.

Could I even do this?

Could I sleep with Mel, thinking about the woman who was waiting for me at home with our kid?

Tags: @rred87 @jcause. @elaacreditava. @riegan. @deathbyamonster @pathybo@buried-in-books @miss-evil-one @maquet-lambb. @jojuarez26. @ljvosscmt @beltz2016 @magellan-88 @kenzieam @tigpooh67

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trishbo · 7 years

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Masterlist

Hey my lovelies ! Here goes my masterlist updated !!!

Masterlist

#masterlist #pathybo #eric fanfic #jai courtney fan fiction

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darkparadiseweb · 7 years

Photo

Esfreguei meus cabelos tentando pensar e dei um passo em direção a figura frágil e assustada da menina. Mesmo sem ter pra onde recuar, ela queria se afastar de mim. Seus extintos estavam certos. Ela tinha visto tudo. Ela me reconheceria. Ela me entregaria. Ir para a prisão estava fora de cogitação. O que eu devia fazer com ela? Matá-la também? (Dark Paradise - Prólogo)

CLIQUE AQUI E LEIA ESSA HISTORIA

#dark paradise #fic #fiction #wattpad #web #original #web no tumblr #divulgação #web brasil #dark paradise web #Dakota Fanning #jai courtney #historia original

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emmysrandomthoughts · 5 years

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Question

Hey would you ever consider doing a a Jai Courtney fan fiction of Devin Roberts from that film, “Man Down”?

***********************

I have! I played around with a one-shot before, but never posted it. I’m married to a Marine in real life, so there are lots of scenarios I could use lol. I’m going to finish my other two WIPs before I do anything else, though 😁

#gotta pace myself #submission

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khunsetare · 7 years

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ODIUM

Chapter 3

“Stop calling me that,” I groan.

Eric’s response was a cold stare. “Why do I need access to your apartment?” I ask.

He stares at me a bit longer before inhaling and sitting back onto the bed. “Jeanine has no idea how to spot a divergent. She's just threatened by them; Our only job is to look over Erudite research until she feels we’re confident we could spot something that could further more research on the future of Divergents.” I shook my head, understanding the piece of information he shared with me.

“Does Erudite have any real evidence of Divergents, or their last whereabouts?”

“The last time there was any hard evidence was a little over twenty years ago. It’s the last Divergent rebellion to date,”

Silence quickly consumed the room. “I’m not staying here in the apartment with you, am I?” He looks at me, and scoffs. “You sleep in the living quarters till initiation is over. That is if,” He paused and cocked his head to me sideways. “You make it,”

My brows furrow in response, and he pushes himself off his bed. “Follow me,”. He trails trails down the stairs, and throws the dauntless badge at me. “It can also give you access to my door. If the access is blocked, I’m busy. Got it?” He raised a brow at me, and I nod my head. He fished in one of his pockets and held up a slim, reflective, black gadget with two fingers. “Alike the tablet, you keep it on you at all times. Preferably the phone only. You can access all files via mobile. Every file is coded, and can only be accessed by you,”

“Are mobile’s, and phone’s the same thing?” I reach up, and take it from him. He searched my face, and stared back at the gadget in my palm. “Did you not have technology growing up?” He questioned.

“Basic computers. Nothing more,” He nodded at my statement. “Keys,” He tossed over a pair. “Use them if you need me, and the door is locked,”

. . .

Dauntless compound seemed like a live-in hazard. Nestled somewhere underground; Tunnels scattered in different directions that all lead somewhere new. Besides most of the industrial building compounds, everything else Dauntless seemed to be underground. The walk to the living quarters was short, but confusing. I found myself admitting that I would probably get lost more than once before finally knowing my way around. We pass through a tunnel, and the sound of a crowd echo through the hallways. Eric stops at the edge, and glances back at me as I take in the mass of people all fighting, shouting, or doing something with a group of others. “The Pit,” He continues down into the pit, and turns down another tunnel that leads into a large room. There are beds all around the room, an open bathroom space in the far back with showers, and all things grooming related.

“Lauren will be here soon,” With that he left, and the anxiousness I felt seemed to wither away. My eyes searched the beds, and the one right next to the staircase that led outside the living quarters had my blue erudite bag on it. Flashbacks of the female dauntless member remind me that you were allowed grooming, and other accessories if your old faction family sent them. As I prepared to sit at the edge of the bed, sounds of the female dauntless member emerge from the top of the staircase. “This is where you’ll be staying for the next ten weeks,” She glances over at me, but doesn’t keep her eyes on me for too long. “Boys or Girls?” A candor transfer asks. I notice, alike all the rest, they still have their old factions clothes.

“Both,” She responded. A few gasps could be heard as I followed behind them. “If you like this, you are going to love the bathrooms,” She smirked, and realization hit me that I would have shower, and groom early or in front of everyone.

“Get changed,” She barked, before pushing past a few initiates, and walking up and out the door.

I watched as everyone laid their new clothes on their beds, and changed. “Where did you go?” I looked up to bed over to my right. Caleb pulled his dark orange shirt over his head by the back of his nape. I wondered, for a moment if lying would be easier. But I knew eventually someone would put two and two together. “Max wanted to see me,” Caleb nodded.

“Being a part of a new faction is going to be rough, but I think it’s worth it. We’ll be able to train and fight like true fighters,” His light blue eyes lit up at the thought of being a fighter.

“How do you two know each other?” The dark blonde in front of my bed spoke. Her green eyes seemed curious, watching both of us intently.

Caleb glanced over at me, but then back at the girl. She raises a brow, and continues to lace up her shoes on the edge of her bed. “I used to play in fields of Amity as a child,”

“That’s cool. I’m not really friends with any one of the Candor transfers, but it’s nice to see some familiar faces though. My names Emily, but you can call me Em,” She smiled, and it was bright and welcoming.

“Ophelia, but now that I’m in dauntless it’s Lia,” I smile back at her.

“Caleb,” He nods his head at her.

“Zephryine,” The girl besides Caleb spoke. “If we’re all introducing ourselves, I’d like to be included,” She grinned, her hazel eyes brightening up her smooth earthy tones. “I’d like to add that I think everyone’s going to the cafeteria after this,” She cocked her head to the side motioning for us to all join.

Entering the cafeteria, there were long tables all filled with older dauntless members. All the new initiates seemed to take up every seat but the few empty in the middle. A young woman with long chestnut hair sat beside the dauntless member who got my name wrong when I jumped. I sat down beside her, and everyone else followed.

“So, what was your old faction?” Zephryine asked while picking up a burger from one of the trays in the middle. I glanced up at her as I pressed my burger down. “I’ve only been with Erudite for a little over a month. I don’t have a true faction,” I replied, taking a big bite of the burger.

She laughed assuming I was joking, but her face became expressionless when I didn’t laugh back. “What do you mean? Do you not have a faction?” Nosy.

I chewed my burger slowly, keeping my eyes on her. “We’ve gotten a bit too personal with the questions now,” Her eye’s seemed weary, but she changed the subject. My attention wanders beside me, and I look over at the woman, and the dauntless member.

“What’s your name again, initiate?” His jaw tensed as the woman looked over at him, but he continued to stare at me.

“Ophelia, but everyone calls me Lia now,” His brows furrow, and he places his food back on his tray.

“Vidal?” He questions.

I nod in response, and he stares at his food once more. “My name’s Tris. Four,” She motioned to the man sitting beside her, and smiled. “Erudite, right?” I shake my head, and stare back at my plate again.

“Tove thought his sister had died outside the wall, but it seems you’re alive and well,” I choked a bit on the piece of burger I was chewing. Recovering, I straighten myself out, and look back at him.

“Tove has never met me. You must be mistaking me for my eldest sister, Tempest,” Four’s eyes dart straight to mine again. I take another big bite of my burger, and raise my brows. “I didn’t want to start off having everyone think that I’m some sort of alien, but you’ve seem to accomplish that for me already,” Four inhales deeply, and turn his attention back to the food.

I glance back at my fellow transfers, and they all are staring at me with wide eyes. “Well, I guess there’s no hiding that anymore,” They’re still silent, so I stab my fork into one of the cut potatoes in a tray, and stuff it in my mouth.

“Well, let’s not make this anymore awkward. Why did you leave Candor?” Caleb directs his attention to Emily who seems to still be recovering from the conversation Four and I had.

“U..Um, right. Uh. It just wasn’t me, it didn’t feel right. Plus my aptitude seemed to confirm my suspicions. I kind of knew all along I was never a true Candor,” She shook her head trying to convince everyone of how she felt, and everyone seemed to agree.

“That’s how I felt about Abnegation. I really wanted to experience things, and be who I felt I really was,” Zephryine grinned, and poked at her food again. “It’s still a big change from my old faction life,” Caleb laughed at her comment.

“I guess we can agree we all left, and joined for a reason,” Caleb smiled. Everyone nodded their heads in unison.

“Or we were just fucking tired of our old faction,” I retort, and laugh.

“You could say that again,” A male voice besides Zephryine spoke. His skin was nothing compared to Zephryine’s but also kept the same deep color but lighter. Closer to a deep caramel, than earthy tones, but equally as beautiful. His eyes were darker, and his smile seemed really genuine. “Artiste,” He smiled widely.

A transfer beside him went to speak but everyone around us started to slam their drinks on the metal table. They cheered, and turned their attention towards the upper railing. Max walks to the edge, and Eric follows behind him. His raises his hand to silence the Dauntless, and everyone seems to comply.

“Initiates, stand,” He gripped the edge of the rail viewing us all, as each of us stood up together. “You have chosen to join the warrior faction, tasked to defend this city, and all its inhabitants. We believe in ordinary acts of bravery, and the courage that drives one person to stand up for another. Respect that, do us proud,” With that he turned, and left. Other dauntless began to cheer loudly, clapping along with everyone else. A few turned to circle around initiates, and before I knew it we were all being tossed up, and crowd surfed. I laughed along with my new transfer friends, as they bounced us up and down with glee. My cheeks hurt from smiling too hard, but I enjoyed the welcoming act. It almost made me feel like I was home.

. . . . .

I awoke to a loud metal bangs. It took me a few minutes, and a whole lot of banging to finally wake up. My eyes still stiff, and half shut groaning at the source of the sound. Four was at the top of the stairs, waiting for all the initiates to awake. “Training is in forty –five minutes. Cafeteria opens in fifteen. Eat, or suffer the consequences during training. I expect to see everyone in the pit before then, ” He barked. Turning on his heel to leave, I could still hear initiates groaning at the fact that we were woken up so abruptly. My hands glide over my small bunk, and I search for the slim phone. I press the home button, and realize it’s only 4:15am. I inhale deeply, and grab my toiletry bag and head to the back bathroom. I strip myself of clothing quickly as the rest of the initiates still stretch in bed, and I take a brisk shower. Making sure to clean as thoroughly as possible in case I wouldn’t have the opportunity to do so later.

I sigh at my complexion and apply my normal makeup routine, but lighter. I gently brush a light kohl liner over the rim of upper lid, and apply a generous amount of mascara. Knowing full well that false lashes would be useless during training. I’m content with my appearance, and turn back towards my bunk to change into my training gear. A marbled stretchy crew neck, and another pair of stretchy pants. I changed into them, and zipped up the large jacket I took with me the day prior to keep me warm.

“Ready?” I look over at Em, and Zephryine. Both were still busy applying light concealer under their eyes.

“I don’t know how you got ready so quickly, it took me ten minutes to realize what was going on,” Em laughed, brushing a powder over her face. “Too little time for me to look presentable. Just enough to make sure I don’t look dead,” Em exclaimed.

We followed the other initiates to the middle of the pit where Four stood, and Eric sat on a nearby stone, simply glaring at the new initiates. As we approached closer, Four did too.

“Two stages of training; The first is physical. Pushes your bodies to the breaking point, and to master the methods of combat. The second is mental; Again, breaking point. Face your worst fears, and conquer them. Unless they get you first, you train separately than the dauntless born, but you’ll be ranked together. After initiation these rankings will determine what job you move into; Leadership, guarding the fence and, keeping the factions from killing each other.” Four paced back and forth making sure to keep eye contact.

“The rankings will also determine who gets cut,” Eric speaks, and his eyes land on me. I keep my cold stare, and continue to listen.

“Cut?” Em asks.

“For each stage of training the lowest ranking initiates will be leaving us,” Eric stands walking towards the huddle of initiates.

“To do what?” A random initiate speaks up,

“There’s no going home to your families, so you live factionless,” He smirked.

“Why didn’t we know that?” Artiste asks.

“It’s a new rule,” Eric’s smirk deepens. This sadistic prick, likes the new rules.

“A new rule, somebody should’ve told us that.” Em exclaims.

“Why? Would you have chosen differently? What, out of fear? I mean, if that’s the case you might as well get out now. If you’re really one of us, it won’t matter to you if you might fail. You chose us, and now we,” He paused. “Get to choose you,” His glances at me coldly, through the side of his eyes.

These ten weeks will be brutal.

. . . . .

The first week of training was running, and agility. We did simple weight training, and light kickboxing, but it was mainly focused on our running abilities, and how far we could push ourselves. Every time I ran, my lungs burned, my legs cramped, and I was sure eventually it would stimulate some asthma attack in the near future. I rarely saw any of the dauntless leaders, as they were either just barking orders or had another dauntless member fill in for them. I didn’t bother to question when I would be seeing Eric, as I genuinely didn’t want to see him. I knew the work would begin soon, but avoiding it seemed like the best option.

We were nearing the second to last week of physical training, and they started incorporating shooting, knife throwing, and one on one combat fighting. None of which I was excited about. I shifted my stance, and kept one foot behind the other. I swung at the large punching bag, and practiced my ducks, and jabs. Jab, Jab, Hook, Duck, Jab, Bob, Uppercut, Jab, Backhand, Jab. “Don’t lean in when you attack. You blocked your head nicely, but when you lean in you are more susceptible to having the opponent hit you unexpectedly,” Four walked by, watching me correct my form before walking away.

“First Jumper! In the ring,” I hear Eric’s voice boom from the end of the training room. “Last Jumper, time to fight!”

I turn my head to Eric, and he has a cold emotionless stare. I walk slowly towards the center, and wait for the last jumper to approach the ring. A tall, and lean boy approaches close to the center with me. He scoffed when making eye contact.

He glances at me once more, before turning to Eric. “How long do we fight for?” He asks.

“Till one of you can’t continue,” Eric replies.

“Or one of you concedes,” Four interrupts.

“According to the old rules. New rules, no one concedes,” Eric huffs out. I turn to my right as Four looks over at Eric. I’m still close enough to pick up on what they’re saying.

“You really wanna lose them on their first fight?” Four snarls.

“Brave man never surrenders,” Eric retorts.

“Lucky for you, those weren’t the rules when we fought,” Four’s jaw tenses as he looks over at me.

“You’ll be scored on this so fight hard,” Eric says, before distancing himself from Four, and walking towards the opposite side of the ring.

Big ol’ Eric, isn’t so great as he thinks he is. I think to myself.

I step onto the center of the ring, and my opponent is already in fighting position. I watch as he paces back, and forth. Adjusting his stance to show some sort of power, but I could see through his tactic. He wasn’t going to be fast enough, but his blows would be powerful. I would have to be extra careful.

“Go,” Eric motions his hand forward, and the dusty brown haired boy swings. I catch it in time, and dodge it. I ball my hands up and keep them in front of my face, making sure to protect my face as I circled him.

“Come on, don’t fight like the bitch you are,” His words angered me more, and I quickly ram into his lower chest tackling him onto the floor. I push his protesting hands to his sides with all my force, and slide my knees over them. Blocking him from trying to grab at me. I swing a hard punch at his mouth, and he spits at me. “You’re weak,” He laughs. I move my right knee back, and release one arm letting him try and swoop up.

I wrap my right arm around his neck, and hold it with the other enforcing the chokehold. “I’m weak, right?” I sneer into his right ear. I feel a sharp pain on the side of my head, but I think nothing of it, and concentrate on the chokehold. Flashes of my father teaching me the correct tactics to knock someone out correctly, replayed over in my mind, and I pulled his neck up more gripping harder onto the lower part of his neck. I squeeze harder, letting the blood rush to his face, cutting off circulation just enough to knock him out. “You bitch,” He mutters, and I squeeze harder feeling his body become limp on mine. I push myself away from him, and punch him in the face one last time before I feel a tight grip on my waist.

I look up, and see everyone wide eyed looking at me. As I’m picked up, and turned away from the center ring, I see Four in front of me with brows furrowed. He’s talking to me, but I can’t hear him. I keep staring at his mouth trying to understand what he’s saying to me, but none of it make sense. I look at everyone else, and realize that some of their wide eyed expressions weren’t only at him, but at me too. I feel warm sweat running down my neck, and swipe it away, wiping it on my shirt only to notice its coated in blood.

I look down at my shirt, and realize I’m covered in blood. I look back at the unconscious opponent on the mat, and he doesn’t seem to be bleeding but there is blood all over the mat.

“What’s going on?” I speak but there’s some ringing in my ears, and I still cannot make out what anyone is saying. I feel myself being placed on the ground, and I’m met with icy blue-green eyes. There’s not much emotion but he’s grabbing some cloth, and holding it to the side of my head. His lips are moving, and my brows furrow. Why can’t I fucking understand what they’re saying. “I can’t hear you, I don’t know what’s going on,” My eyes start to well up in fear, and I let tears fall down the side of my face. I keep staring at Eric for some sort of reassurance, but I’m met with none. He turns his head, and seems to bark out orders at someone. I see the veins in his neck bulge out, and realize that somethings wrong. “Am I dying?” I whisper out to myself, but Eric’s head whips to my face. Some of the ringing starts to subside, and his massive hand is still gripping onto the side of my head with the cloth.

I read his lips as they mouth no, and hear faint words. “Stay with me, you need to stay with me. Do not close your eyes,” I can hear Eric’s faint voice, and they don’t seem emotional. I can’t tell if situation is serious, and I avert my eyes to my left watching as Four runs over to me with a bunch of other Dauntless. There are two burly men running over, each have a long foldable stretcher. One stops at the center ring to tend to the boy, and one is running over to me. I feel my body being lifted up onto the stretcher, and a few pairs of eyes looking over me.

“We’re going to put you to sleep, you’re going to be okay,” I nod slowly, feeling the darkness overwhelm my senses.

HI ! I know this isn’t cutting straight into romance, and sexy Eric. I kinda wanted to play this all out as a normal book would, and not just kinda cut straight through to sex, and angst. I tried to put most of the same dialogue from the movie so it seemed more realistic, and you could kinda picture it clearer.

THANK YOU ALL FOR READING MY SHITTY WRITING IT MAKES ME HAPPY SOME OF YOU ENJOY IT.

Again, if you have any feedback feel free to let me know/leave your questions or concerns below or in my ask box !

@kenzieam @jaihardy @pathybo @elaacreditava @tigpooh67 @beltz2016

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grigori77 · 6 years

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2018 in Movies - My Top 30 Fave Movies (Part 1)

30. MANDY – easily the weirdest shit I saw in 2018, this 2-hour-plus fever dream fantasy horror is essentially an extended prog-rock video with added “plot” from Beyond the Black Rainbow director Panos Cosmatos. Saying that by the end of it I was left feeling exhausted, brain-fried and more than a little weirded-out might not seem like much of a recommendation, but this is, in fact, a truly transformative viewing experience, a film destined for MASSIVE future cult status. Playing like the twisted love-child of David Lynch and Don Coscarelli, it (sort of) tells the story of lumberjack Red Miller (Nicolas Cage) and his illustrator girlfriend Mandy Bloom (Andrea Riseborough), who have an idyllic life in the fantastically fictional Shadow Mountains circa 1983 … at least until Mandy catches the eye of Jeremiah Sand (Linus Roache), the thoroughly insane leader of twisted doomsday cult the Children of the New Dawn, who employs nefarious, supernatural means to acquire her. But Mandy spurns his advances, leading to a horrific retribution that spurs Red, a traumatised war veteran, to embark on a genuine roaring rampage of revenge. Largely abandoning plot and motivation for mood, emotion and some seriously trippy visuals, this is an elemental, transcendental film, a series of deeply weird encounters and nightmarish set-pieces that fuel a harrowing descent into a particularly alien, Lovecraftian kind of hell, Cosmatos shepherding in one breathtaking sequence after another with the aid of skilled cinematographer Benjamin Loeb, a deeply inventive design team (clearly drawing inspiration from the artwork of late-70s/early 80s heavy metal albums) and a thoroughly tricked-out epic tone-poem of a score from the late Jôhan Jôhannsson (Sicario, Arrival, Mother!), as well as one seriously game cast. Cage is definitely on crazy-mode here, initially playing things cool and internalised until the savage beast within is set loose by tragedy, chewing scenery to shreds like there’s no tomorrow, while Riseborough is sweet, gentle and inescapably DOOMED; Roach, meanwhile, is a thoroughly nasty piece of work, an entitled, delusional narcissist thoroughly convinced of his own massive cosmic importance, and there’s interesting support from a raft of talented character actors such as Richard Brake, Ned Dennehy and Bill Duke. This is some brave, ambitious filmmaking, and a stunning breakthrough for one of the weirdest and most unique talents I’ve stumbled across a good while. Cosmatos is definitely one to watch.

29. THE GIRL IN THE SPIDER’S WEB – back in 2011, David Fincher’s adaptation of Stieg Larsson’s runaway bestseller The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo became one of my very favourite screen thrillers EVER, a stone-cold masterpiece and, in my opinion, the superior version of the story even though a very impression Swedish version had broken out in a major way the year before. My love for the film was coloured, however, by frustration at its cinematic underperformance, which meant that Fincher’s planned continuation of the series with Millennium Trilogy sequels The Girl Who Played With Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest would likely never see the light of day. Even so, the fan in me held out hope, however fragile, that we might just get lucky. Seven years later, we have FINALLY been rewarded for our patience, but not exactly in the fashion we’ve been hoping for … Fincher’s out, Evil Dead-remake and Don’t Breathe writer-director Fede Alvarez is in, and instead of continuing the saga in the logical place the makers of this new film chose the baffling route of a “soft reboot” via adapting the FOURTH Millennium book, notable for being the one released AFTER Larsson’s death, penned by David Lagercrantz, which is set AFTER the original Trilogy. Thing is, the actually end result, contrary to many opinions, is actually pretty impressive – this is a leaner, more fast-paced affair than its predecessor, a breathless suspense thriller that rattles along at quite a clip as we’re drawn deeper into Larsson’s dark, dangerous and deeply duplicitous world and treating fans to some top-notch action sequences, from a knuckle-whitening tech-savvy car chase to a desperate, bone-crunching fight in a gas-filled room. Frustratingly, the “original” Lisbeth Salander, Rooney Mara, is absent (despite remaining VERY enthusiastic about returning to the role), but The Crown’s Claire Foy is almost as good – the spiky, acerbic and FIERCELY independent prodigious super-hacker remains as brooding, socially-awkward, emotionally complex and undeniably compelling as ever, the same queen of screen badasses I fell in love with nearly a decade ago. Her investigative journalist friend/occasional lover Mikael Blomkvist is, annoyingly, less well served – Borg Vs McEnroe star Sverrir Gudnasson is charismatic and certainly easy on the eyes, but he’s FAR too young for the role (seriously, he’s only a week older than I am) and at times winds up getting relegated to passive observer status when he’s not there simply to guide the plot forward; we’re better served by the supporting cast, from Lakeith Stanfield (Get Out, Sorry to Bother You) as a mysterious NSA security expert (I know!) to another surprisingly serious turn (after Logan) from The Office’s Stephen Merchant as the reclusive software designer who created the world-changing computer program that spearheads the film’s convoluted plot, and there’s a fantastically icy performance from Blade Runner 2049’s Sylvia Hoeks as Camilla Salander, Lisbeth’s estranged twin sister and psychopathic head of the Spiders, the powerful criminal network once controlled by their monstrous father (The Hobbit’s Mikael Persbrandt). The film is far from perfect – the plot kind runs away with the story at times, while several supposedly key characters are given frustratingly little development or screen-time – but Alvarez keeps things moving along with typical skill and precision and maintains a tense, unsettling atmosphere throughout, while there are frequently moments of pure genius on display in the script by Alvarez, his regular collaborator Jay Basu and acclaimed screenwriter Steven Knight (Dirty Pretty Things, Locke) – the original novel wasn’t really all that great, but by just taking the bare bones of the plot and crafting something new and original they’ve improved things considerably. The finished product thrills and rewards far more than it frustrates, and leaves the series in good shape for continuation. With a bit of luck this time it might do well enough that we’ll finally get those other two movies to plug the gap between this and Fincher’s “original” …

28. ISLE OF DOGS – I am a MASSIVE fan of the films of Wes Anderson. Three share placement in my all-time favourite screen comedies list – Grand Budapest Hotel, The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou and, of course, The Royal Tenebaums (which perches high up in my TOP TEN) – and it’s always a pleasure when a new one comes out. 2009’s singular stop-motion gem Fantastic Mr Fox showed just how much fun his uniquely quirky sense of humour and pleasingly skewed world-view could be when transferred into an animated family film setting, so it’s interesting that it took him nearly a decade to repeat the exercise, but the labour of love is writ large upon this dark and delicious fable of dystopian future Japanese city Megasaki, where an epidemic of “dog flu” prompts totalitarian Mayor Kobayashi (voiced by Kunichi Nomura) to issue an edict banishing all of the city’s canine residents to nearby Trash Island. Six months later, Kobayashi’s nephew Atari (newcomer Koyu Rankin) steals a ridiculously tiny plane and crash-lands on Trash Island, intent on rescuing his exiled bodyguard-dog Spots (Liev Schreiber); needless to say this is easier said than done, unforeseen circumstances leading a wounded Atari to enlist the help of a pack of badass “alpha dogs” voiced by Anderson regulars – Rex (Edward Norton), King (Bob Balaban), Boss (Bill Murray) and Duke (Jeff Goldblum) – and nominally led by crabby, unrepentantly bitey stray Chief (Bryan Cranston), to help him find his lost dog in the dangerous wilds of the island. Needless to say this is as brilliantly odd as we’ve come to expect from Anderson, a perfectly pitched, richly flavoured concoction of razor sharp wit, meticulously crafted characters and immersive beauty. The cast are, as always, excellent, from additional regulars such as Frances McDormand, Harvey Keitel and F. Murray Abraham to new voices like Greta Gerwig, Scarlett Johansson, Ken Watanabe and Courtney B. Vance, but the film’s true driving force is Cranston and Rankin, the reluctant but honest relationship that forms between Chief and Atari providing the story with a deep, resonant emotional core. The first rate animation really helps – the exemplary stop-motion makes the already impressive art of Mr Fox seem clunky and rudimentary (think the first Wallace & Gromit short A Grand Day Out compared to their movie Curse of the Were-Rabbit), each character rendered with such skill they seem to be breathing on their own, and Anderson’s characteristic visual flair is on full display, the Japanese setting lending a rich, exotic tang to the compositions, especially in the deeply inventive environs of Trash Island. Funny, evocative, heartfelt and fiendishly clever, this is one of those rare screen gems that deserves to be returned to again and again, and it’s definitely another masterpiece from one of the most unique filmmakers working today.

27. VENOM – when Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man saga came to a rather clunky end back in 2007, it felt like a case of too many villains spoiling the rumble, and it was pretty clear that the inclusion of bad-boy reporter Eddie Brock and his dark alter ego was the straw that broke that particular camel’s back. Venom didn’t even show up proper until almost three quarters of the way through the movie, by which time it was very much a case of too-little-too-late, and many fans (myself included) resented the decidedly Darth Maul-esque treatment of one of the most iconic members of Marvel’s rogues’ gallery. It’s taken more than a decade for Marvel to redress the balance, even longer than with Deadpool, and, like with the Merc With a Mouth, they decided the only way was a no-holds-barred, R-rated take that could really let the beast loose. Has it worked? Well … SORT OF. In truth, the finished article feels like a bit of a throwback, recalling the pre-MCU days when superhero movies were more about pure entertainment without making us think too much, just good old-fashioned popcorn fodder, but in this case that’s not a bad thing. It’s big, loud, dumb fun, hardly a masterpiece but it does its job admirably well, and it has one hell of a secret weapon at its disposal – Tom Hardy. PERFECTLY cast as morally ambiguous underdog investigative journalist Eddie Brock, he deploys the kind of endearingly sleazy, shit-eating charm that makes you root for him even when he acts like a monumental prick, while really letting rip with some seriously twitchy, sometimes downright FEROCIOUS unhinged craziness once he becomes the unwilling host for a sentient parasitic alien symbiote with a hunger for living flesh and a seriously bad attitude. This is EASILY one of the best performances Hardy’s ever delivered, and he entrances us in every scene, whether understated or explosive, making even the most outlandish moments of Brock’s unconventional relationship with Venom seem, if not perfectly acceptable, then at least believable. He’s ably supported by Michelle Williams as San Francisco district attorney Anne Weying, his increasingly exasperated ex-fiancée, Rogue One’s Riz Ahmed as Carlton Drake, the seemingly idealistic space-exploration-funding philanthropist whose darker ambitions have brought a lethal alien threat to Earth, and Parks & Recreation’s Jenny Slate as Drake’s conflicted head scientist Nora Skirth, while there’s a very fun cameo from a particularly famous face in the now ubiquitous mid-credits sting that promises great things in the future. Director Ruben Fleischer brought us Zombieland and 30 Minutes Or Less, so he certainly knows how to deliver plenty of blackly comic belly laughs, and he brings plenty of seriously dark humour to the fore, the rating meaning the comedy can get particularly edgy once Venom starts to tear up the town; it also fulfils the Marvel prerequisite of taking its action quota seriously, delivering a series of robust set-pieces (the standout being a spectacular bike chase through the streets of San Fran, made even more memorable by the symbiote’s handy powers). Best of all, the film isn’t afraid to get genuinely scary with some seriously nasty alien-induced moments of icky body horror, captured by some strangely beautiful effects works that brings Venom and his ilk to vivid, terrifying life. Flawed as it is, this is still HUGE fun, definitely one of the year’s biggest cinematic guilty pleasures, and I for one can’t wait to see more from the character in the near future, which, given what a massive success the film has already proven at the box office, seems an ironclad certainty.

26. SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY – the second of Disney’s new phase of Star Wars movies to feature in the non-trilogy-based spinoff series had a rough time after its release – despite easily recouping its production budget, it still lost the $100-million+ it spent on advertising, while it was met with extremely mixed reviews and shunned by many hardcore fans. I’ll admit that I too was initially disappointed with this second quasi prequel to A New Hope (after the MUCH more impressive Rogue One), but a second, more open-minded viewing after a few months to ruminate mellowed my experience considerably, the film significantly growing on me. An origin story for the Galaxy’s most lovable rogue was always going to be a hard sell – Han Solo is an enjoyable enigma in The Original Trilogy, someone who lives very much in the present, his origins best revealed in the little details we glean about him in passing – but while it’s a flawed creation, this interstellar heist adventure mostly pulls off what was intended. Like many fans of The Lego Movie, I remain deeply curious about what original director duo Phil Lord and Chris Miller could have achieved with the material, but I wholeheartedly approved Disney’s replacement choice when he was announced – Ron Howard is one of my favourite “hit-and-miss” directors, someone who’s made some clunkers in his time (The Da Vinci Code, we’re looking at you) but can, on a good day, be relied on to deliver something truly special (Willow is one of my VERY FAVOURITE movies from my childhood, one that’s stood up well to the test of time, and a strong comparison point for this; Apollo 13 and Rush, meanwhile, are undeniable MASTERPIECES), and in spite of its shortcomings I’m ultimately willing to consider this one of his successes. Another big step in the right direction was casting Hail, Caesar! star Alden Ehrenreich in the title role – Harrison Ford’s are seriously huge shoes to fill, but this talented young man has largely succeeded. He may not quite capture that wonderful growling drawl but he definitely got Han’s cocky go-getter swagger right, he’s particularly strong in the film’s more humorous moments, and he has charisma to burn, so he sure makes entertaining viewing. It also helps that the film has such a strong supporting cast – with original Chewbacca Peter Mayhew getting too old for all this derring-do nonsense, former pro basketball-player Joonas Suotamo gets a little more comfortable in his second gig (after The Last Jedi) in the “walking carpet” suit, while Woody Harrelson adds major star power as Tobias Beckett, Han’s likeably slippery mentor in all things criminal in the Star Wars Universe, and Game of Thrones’ Emilia Clarke is typically excellent as Han’s first love Qi’ra, a fellow Corellian street orphan who’s grown up into a sophisticated thief of MUCH higher calibre than her compatriots. The film is dominated, however, by two particularly potent scene-stealing turns which make you wonder if it’s really focused on the right rogue’s story – Community star Donald Glover exceeds all expectations as Han’s old “friend” Lando Calrissian, every bit the laconic smoothie he was when he was played by Billy Dee Williams back in the day, while his droid companion L3-37 (voiced with flawless comic skill by British stage and sitcom actress Phoebe Waller-Bridge) frequently walks away with the film entirely, a weirdly flirty and lovably militant campaigner for droid rights whose antics cause a whole heap of trouble. The main thing the film REALLY lacks is a decent villain – Paul Bettany’s oily kingpin Dryden Voss is distinctive enough to linger in the memory, but has criminally short screen-time and adds little real impact or threat to the main story, only emphasising the film’s gaping, Empire-shaped hole. Even so, it’s still a ripping yarn, a breathlessly exciting and frequently VERY funny space-hopping crime caper that relishes that wonderful gritty, battered old tech vibe we’ve come to love throughout the series as a whole and certainly delivers on the action stakes – the vertigo-inducing train heist sequence is easily the film’s standout set-piece, but the opening chase and the long-touted Kessel Run impress too – it only flags in the frustrating and surprisingly sombre final act. The end result still has the MAKINGS of a classic, and there’s no denying it’s also more enjoyable and deep-down SATISFYING than the first two films in George Lucas’ far more clunky Prequel Trilogy. Rogue One remains the best of the new Star Wars movies so far, but this is nothing like the disappointment it’s been made out to be.

25. AQUAMAN – the fortunes of the DC Extended Universe cinematic franchise continue to fluctuate – these films may be consistently successful at the box office, but they’re a decidedly mixed bag when it comes to their quality and critical opinion, and the misses still outweigh the hits. Still, you can’t deny that when they DO do things right, they do them VERY right – 2017’s acclaimed Wonder Woman was a long-overdue validation for the studio, and they’ve got another winner on their hands with this bold, brash, VERY ballsy solo vehicle for one of the things that genuinely WORKED in the so-so Justice League movie. Jason Momoa isn’t just muscular in the physical sense, once again proving seriously ripped in the performance capacity as he delivers rough, grizzled charm and earthy charisma as half-Atlantean Arthur Curry, called upon to try and win back the royal birthright he once gave up when his half-brother Prince Orm (Watchmen’s Patrick Wilson), ruler of Atlantis, embarks on a brutal quest to unite the seven underwater kingdoms under his command in order to wage war on the surface world. Aquaman has long been something of an embarrassment for DC Comics, an unintentional “gay joke” endlessly derided by geeks (particularly cuttingly in the likes of The Big Bang Theory), but in Momoa’s capable hands that opinion has already started to shift, and the transition should be complete after this – Arthur Curry is now a swarthy, hard-drinking alpha male tempered with a compellingly relatable edge of deep-seeded vulnerability derived from the inherent tragedy of his origins and separation from the source of his immense superhuman strength, and he’s the perfect flawed action hero for this most epic of superhero blockbusters. Amber Heard is frequently as domineering a presence as Atlantean princess Mera, a powerful warrior in her own right and fully capable of heading her own standalone adventure someday, and Wilson makes for a very solid and decidedly sympathetic villain whose own motivations can frequently be surprisingly seductive, even if his methods are a good deal more nefarious, while The Get Down’s Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is more down-and-dirty BAD as David Kane, aka the Black Manta, a lethally tech-savvy pirate who has a major score to settle with the Aquaman; there’s also strong support from the likes of Willem Dafoe as Curry’s sage-like mentor Vulko, Dolph Lundgren as Mera’s father, King Nereus, the ever-reliable Temuera Morrison as Arthur’s father Thomas, and Nicole Kidman as his ill-fated mother Atlanna. Director James Wan is best known for establishing horror franchises (Saw, Insidious, The Conjuring), but he showed he could do blockbuster action cinema with Fast & Furious 7, and he’s improved significantly with this, delivering one gigantic action sequence after another with consummate skill and flair as well as performing some magnificent and extremely elegant world-building, unveiling dazzling, opulent and exotic undersea civilizations that are the equal to the forests of Pandora in Avatar, but he also gets to let some of his darker impulses show here and there, particularly in a genuinely scary visit to the hellish world of the Trench and its monstrous denizens. It may not be QUITE as impressive as Wonder Woman, and it still suffers (albeit only a little bit) from the seemingly inherent flaws of the DCEU franchise as a whole (particularly in yet another overblown CGI-cluttered climax), but this is still another big step back in the right direction, one which, once again, we can only hope they’ll continue to repeat. I’ll admit that the next offering, Shazam, doesn’t fill me with much confidence, but you never know, it could surprise us. And there’s still Flashpoint, The Batman and Birds of Prey to come …

24. THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI – filmmaker brothers Martin and John Michael McDonagh have carved an impressive niche in cinematic comedy this past decade, from decidedly Irish breakout early works (In Bruges from Martin and The Guard and Calvary from John) to enjoyable outsider-looking-in American crim-coms (Martin’s Seven Psychopaths and John’s War On Everyone), and so far they’ve all had one thing in common – they’re all BRILLIANT. But Martin looks set to be the first brother to be truly accepted into Hollywood Proper, with his latest feature garnering universal acclaim, massive box office and heavyweight Awards recognition, snagging an impressive SEVEN Oscar nominations and taking home two, as well as landing a Golden Globe and BAFTA for Best Picture. It’s also the most thoroughly AMERICAN McDonagh film to date, and this is no bad thing, Martin shedding his decidedly Celtic flavours for an edgier Redneck charm that perfectly suits the material … but most important of all, from a purely critical point of view this could be the very BEST film either of the brothers has made to date. It’s as blackly comic and dark-of-soul as we’d expect from the creator of In Bruges, but there’s real heart and tenderness hidden amongst the expletive-riddled, barbed razor wit and mercilessly observed, frequently lamentable character beats. Frances McDormand thoroughly deserved her Oscar win for her magnificent performance as Mildred Hayes, a take-no-shit shopkeeper in the titular town whose unbridled grief over the brutal rape and murder of her daughter Angela (Kathryn Newton) has been exacerbated by the seeming inability of the local police force to solve the crime, leading her to hire the ongoing use of a trio of billboards laying the blame squarely at the feet of popular, long-standing local police Chief Bill Willoughby (Woody Harrelson). Needless to say this kicks up quite the shitstorm in the town, but Mildred stands resolute in the face of seemingly overwhelming odds, refusing to back down. McDormand has never been better – Mildred is a foul-mouthed, opinionated harpy who tells it like it is, no matter who she’s talking to, but there’s understandable pain driving her actions, and a surprisingly tender heart beating under all that thorniness; Harrelson, meanwhile, is by turns a gruff shit-kicker and a gentle, doting family man, silently suffering over his own helplessness with the dead end the case seems to have turned into. The film’s other Oscar-winner, Sam Rockwell, also delivers his finest performance to date as Officer Jason Dixon, a true disgrace of a cop whose permanent drunkenness has marred a career which, it turns out, began with some promise; he’s a thuggish force-of-nature, Mildred’s decidedly ineffectual nemesis whose own equally foul-mouthed honesty is set to dump him in trouble big time, but again there’s a deeply buried vein of well-meaning ambition under all the bigotry and pigheadedness we can’t help rooting for once it reveals itself. There’s strong support from some serious heavyweights, particularly John Hawkes, Caleb Landry Jones, Peter Dinklage, Abbie Cornish and Manchester By the Sea’s breakout star Lucas Hedges, while McDonagh deserves every lick of acclaim and recognition he’s received for his precision-engineered screenplay, peerless direction and crisp, biting dialogue, crafting a jet black comedy nonetheless packed with so much emotional heft that it’ll have you laughing your arse off but crying your eyes out just as hard. An honest, unapologetic winner, then.

23. RED SPARROW – just when you thought we’d seen the last of the powerhouse blockbuster team of director Francis Lawrence and star Jennifer Lawrence with the end of The Hunger Games, they reunite for this far more adult literary feature, bringing Jason Matthews’ labyrinthine spy novel to bloody life. Adapted by Revolutionary Road screenwriter Justin Haythe, it follows the journey of Russian star ballerina Dominika Egorova (Lawrence) into the shadowy world of post-Glasnost Russian Intelligence after an on-stage accident ruins her career. Trained to use her body and mind to seduce her targets, Dominika becomes a “Sparrow”, dispatched to Budapest to entrap disgraced CIA operative Nate Nash (Joel Edgerton) and discover the identity of the deep cover double agent in Moscow he was forced to burn his own cover to protect. But Dominika never wanted any of this, and she begins to plot her escape, no matter the risks … as we’ve come to expect, Jennifer Lawrence is magnificent, her glacial beauty concealing a fierce intelligence and deeply guarded desperation to get out, her innate sensuality rendered clinical by the raw, unflinching gratuity of her training and seduction scenes – this is a woman who uses ALL the weapons at her disposal to get what she needs, and it’s an icy professionalism that informs and somewhat forgives Lawrence’s relative lack of chemistry with Edgerton. Not that it’s his fault – Nate is nearly as compelling a protagonist as Dominika, a roguish chancer whose impulsiveness could prove his undoing, but also makes him likeable and charming enough for us to root for him too. Bullhead’s Matthias Schoenarts is on top form as the film’s nominal villain, Dominika’s uncle Ivan, the man who trapped her in this hell in the first place, Charlotte Rampling is beyond cold as the “Matron”, the cruel headmistress of the Sparrow School, Joely Richardson is probably the gentlest, purest ray of light in the film as Dominika’s ailing mother Nina, and Jeremy Irons radiates stately gravitas as high-ranking intelligence officer General Vladimir Andreievich Korchnoi. This is a tightly-paced, piano wire-taut thriller with a suitably twisty plot that constantly wrong-foots the viewer, Lawrence the director again showing consummate skill at weaving flawlessly effective narrative with scenes of such unbearable tension you’ll find yourself perched on the edge of your seat throughout. It’s a much less explosive film than we’re used to from him – most of the fireworks are of the acting variety – but there are moments when the tension snaps, always with bloody consequences, especially in the film’s standout sequence featuring a garrotte-driven interrogation that turns particularly messy. The end result is a dark thriller of almost unbearable potency that you can’t take your eyes off. Here’s hoping this isn’t the last time Lawrence & Lawrence work together …

22. WIDOWS – Steve McQueen is one of the most challenging writer-directors working in Hollywood today, having exploded onto the scene with hard-hitting IRA-prison-biopic Hunger and subsequently adding to his solid cache of acclaimed works with Shame and 12 Years a Slave, but there’s a strong argument to be made that THIS is his best film to date. Co-adapted from a cult TV-series from British thriller queen Lynda La Plante by Gone Girl and Sharp Objects-author Gillian Flynn, it follows a group of women forced to band together to plan and execute a robbery in order to pay off the perceived debt incurred by their late husbands, who died trying to steal $2 million from Jamal Manning (If Beale Street Could Talk’s Brian Tyree Henry), a Chicago crime boss with ambitions to go legit as alderman of the city’s South Side Precinct. Viola Davis dominates the film as Veronica Rawlings, the educated and fiercely independent wife of accomplished professional thief Harry (a small but potent turn from Liam Neeson), setting the screen alight with a barely restrained and searing portrayal of devastating grief and righteous anger, and is ably supported by a trio of equally overwhelming performances from Michelle Rodriguez as hard-pressed mother and small-businesswoman Linda Perelli, The Man From UNCLE’s Elizabeth Debicki as Alice Gunner, an abused widow struggling to find her place in the world now she’s been cut off from her only support-mechanism, and Bad Times At the El Royale’s Cynthia Eriyo as Belle, the tough, gutsy beautician/babysitter the trio enlist to help them once they realise they need a fourth member. Henry is a deceptively subtle, thoroughly threatening presence throughout the film as Manning, as is Get Out’s Daniel Kaluuya as his thuggish brother/lieutenant Jatemme, and Colin Farrell is seemingly decent but ultimately fatally flawed as his direct political rival, reigning alderman Jack Mulligan, while there are uniformly excellent supporting turns from the likes of Robert Duvall, Carrie Coon, Lukas Haas, Jon Bernthal and Kevin J. O’Connor. McQueen once again delivers an emotionally exhausting and effortlessly powerful tour-de-force, wringing out the maximum amount of feels from the loaded and deeply personal human interactions on display throughout, and once again proves just as effective at delivering on the emotional fireworks as he is in stirring our blood in some brutal set-pieces, while Flynn help to deliver another perfectly pitched, intricately crafted script packed with exquisite dialogue and shrewdly observed character work which is sure to net her some major wins come Awards season. Unflinching and devastating but thoroughly exhilarating, this is an extraordinary film (and if this was a purely critical list it would surely have placed A LOT higher), thoroughly deserving of every bit of praise, attention and success it has and will go on to garner. An absolute must-see.

21. JURASSIC WORLD: FALLEN KINGDOM – Colin Trevorrow’s long-awaited 2015 Jurassic Park sequel was a major shot in the arm for a killer blockbuster franchise that had been somewhat flagging since Steven Spielberg brought dinosaurs back to life for the second time, but (edgier tone aside) it was not quite the full-on game-changer some thought it would be. The fifth film, directed by J.A. Bayona (The Impossible, A Monster Calls) and written by Trevorrow and his regular script-partner Derek Connolly (Safety Not Guaranteed and JW, as well as Warner Bros’ recent “Monsterverse” landmark Kong: Skull Island), redresses the balance – while the first act of the film once again returns to the Costa Rican island of Isla Nublar, it’s become a very different environment from the one we’ve so far experienced, and a fiendish plot-twist means the film then takes a major swerve into MUCH darker territory than we’ve seen so far. Giving away anything more does a disservice to the series’ most interesting story to date, needless to say this is EASILY the franchise’s strongest feature since the first, and definitely the scariest. Hollywood’s most unusual everyman action hero, Chris Pratt, returns as raptor wrangler Owen Brady, enlisted to help rescue as many dinosaurs as possible from an impending, cataclysmic volcanic eruption, but in particular his deeply impressive trained raptor Blue, now the last of her kind; Bryce Dallas Howard is also back as former Jurassic World operations manager turned eco-campaigner Claire Dearing, and her His Girl Friday-style dynamic with Pratt’s Brady is brought to life with far greater success here, their chemistry far more convincing because Claire has become a much more well-rounded and believably tough lady, now pretty much his respective equal. There are also strong supporting turns from the likes of Rafe Spall, The Get Down’s Justice Smith, The Vampire Diaries/The Originals’ breakout star Daniella Pineda, the incomparable Ted Levine (particularly memorable as scummy mercenary Ken Wheatley) and genuine screen legend James Cromwell, but as usual the film’s true stars are the dinosaurs themselves – it’s a real pleasure seeing Blue return because the last velociraptor was an absolute treat in Jurassic World, but she’s clearly met her match in this film’s new Big Bad, the Indoraptor, a lethally monstrous hybrid cooked up in Ingen’s labs as a living weapon. Bayona cut his teeth on breakout feature The Orphanage, so he’s got major cred as an accomplished horror director, and he uses that impressive talent to great effect here, weaving an increasingly potent atmosphere of wire-taut dread and delivering some nerve-shredding set-pieces, particularly the intense and moody extended stalk-and-kill stretch that brings the final act to its knuckle-whitening climax. It’s not just scary, though – there’s still plenty of that good old fashioned wonder and savage beauty we’ve come to expect from the series, and another hefty dose of that characteristic Spielbergian humour (Pratt in particular shines in another goofy, self-deprecating turn, while Smith steals many of the film’s biggest laughs as twitchy, out-of-his-comfort-zone tech wizard Franklin). Throw in another stirring and epic John Williams-channelling score from Michael Giacchino and this is an all-round treat for the franchise faithful and blockbuster fans in general – EASILY the best shape the series has been in for some time, it shows HUGE promise for the future.

#mandy #the girl in the spider's web #isle of dogs #venom #solo a star wars story #aquaman #three billboards movie #red sparrow #widows #jurassic world fallen kingdom #2018 in movies

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aion-rsa · 3 years

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The Suicide Squad: Inside James Gunn’s DCEU Supervillain War Movie

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In November 2019, I found myself in the middle of a war zone. Well, the closest approximation of a war zone I’ve ever found myself in during my time visiting the sets of blockbuster movies. If I had been brought to this particular set in Atlanta on a sunny autumn afternoon without knowing what movie it was that I was supposed to be getting a peek at, the scene presented to a group of journalists probably would have convinced me that this was some new war movie or straight up action blockbuster, and not one that features a collection of DC villains and antiheroes at its core.

The set in question is called “Jotunheim” and it’s apparently an objective Task Force X needs to conquer in The Suicide Squad. But for all intents and purposes, this could be the kind of Nazi fortress that the gritty characters of movies like The Dirty Dozen or Where Eagles Dare need to conquer, whether or not they get out alive. That’s no accident, according to director James Gunn.

“A lot of the film is within the genre of war caper films,” Gunn tells reporters later that day, specifically referencing The Dirty Dozen, Kelly’s Heroes, and others. “It’s not really something that’s existed for a long time, but in the late 60s that was one of the most vibrant genres of the world. [We wanted to] kind of … add on to it with The Suicide Squad.”

There’s no sign of Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn, Idris Elba’s Bloodsport, or any of the other oddball DC characters at the center of Gunn’s newest movie as we stroll the Jotunheim set. Whatever wild action took place here seems to have been resolved long before our arrival. But the evidence is everywhere and it must have been one hell of a fight.

From the decrepit guard tower and busted fence at the perimeter to the entrance of Jotunheim (which has a massive hole blasted in it) is probably a distance of 100 meters or so. And virtually every inch of that shows the scope of whatever took place here: burnt out bunkers, overturned and semi-destroyed jeeps, sandbagged guard stations, and so much debris, a mixture of real rocks and carved foamcore and plywood “masonry.”

“It’s a giant construction project” producer Peter Safran jokes about the number and scale of practical sets that have been built for The Suicide Squad. “The idea is to do as much practically as we possibly could.”

That reliance on practical sets and effects wherever possible is a theme that keeps coming up throughout the day as we tour sets and look at production artwork, scale models, weapons, and more.

“We built literally three football fields of a set and that’s so unusual in this day and age,” production designer Beth Mickle says of Jotunheim. “You just never do that. We wanted to have real rubble behind them in the battle sequences, and we wanted to see the building that they’re attacking. For that scene to exist in a film today is just highly unusual. And we’ve done that set and then a dozen others of that scale, so it’s incredible.”

Both the war movie vibe and the love of practical effects are very much in evidence on another set, a convincing indoor recreation of a jungle with a guerilla camp nestled in the middle of it. There’s dirty laundry hanging, filthy pots strewn around, a crumpled pack of cigarettes, and a half empty bottle of watery beer…and what appear to be bloody chunks of skull and assorted viscera littering the grass. Like Jotunheim, something went down here, and whatever it was, it wasn’t pretty.

The Characters of The Suicide Squad: Meet Task Force X

It all stands in almost stark contrast to the wacky assortment of brightly-colored characters that make up the actual team. The concept art and costume tests for these characters were suitably colorful and wildly offbeat, and it’s almost hard to make this line up with the gritty, war movie vibes of the Jotunheim and jungle sets. But storyboards reveal a nighttime action sequence on a beach, with the Squad invading the fictional nation of Corto Maltese, and were it not for the colors and unique designs of the characters wreaking havoc, this too would be evocative of just about anything other than a superhero movie.

A production office is papered with life sized posters of Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), Captain Boomerang (Jai Courtney), Peacemaker (John Cena), King Shark (performed by Steve Agee and voiced by Sylvester Stallone…although we don’t know that at the time), Blackguard (Pete Davison), Savant (Michael Rooker), Mongal (Mayling Ng), Weasel (Sean Gunn), The Thinker (Peter Capaldi), Ratcatcher 2 (Daniela Melchior), Javelin (Flula Borg), Amanda Waller (Viola Davis), Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman), TDK (Nathan Fillion), and Bloodsport (Idris Elba).

Looming large is also Idris Elba’s ominous, armored character who we now all know as Bloodsport, but who the studio remained cagey about identifying during this set visit for some reason, leaving reporters to speculate on the identity of the badass in blue, black, and gold. Between the color scheme, the armor, and an impressively intimidating assortment of weapons left out on a table for reporters to ogle as it’s explained that each weapon transforms into or folds out of each other, speculation about Bloodsport ends up occupying a fair amount of the downtime between interviews.

So what exactly could possibly hold such a motley crew together?

“You have to remember that all either have been wrongfully accused or done horrible, morally wrong things,” John Cena says. ”You can see the good in people, you can also see the evil in people… All of these people have real bad personality problems. So I think when you get that type of group together, that’s what makes it fun. Everybody is kind of different. But I think criminals see criminals, they just size everybody up. I think every one of them is like, ‘how is this person going to stab me in the back?’ That’s the world they come from.”

Cena is playing the authoritarian Peacemaker, a character who sees himself very differently than many other members of the Squad do. But the actors behind two of the stranger characters in the film, offer some additional perspective on the team dynamic.

“There’s people in this story that really want friendships, and people that don’t want anybody near them, just like all of us,” says David Dastmalchian, who plays Polka-Dot Man. “I think all of us have felt at times like we are totally disposable to either our employers or society or you name it. So that’s been interesting, in the relationship [between the characters] with the dynamic that starts to build or break down.”

“These are all characters that for the most part, probably don’t even know the existence of the other ones,” Steve Agee says. “Some of them do, and it’s the story of The Suicide Squad. They are forced to be together, and do this task, this mission. So, part of the story is just watching these people adapt to being around each other.”

Flula Borg (who gave journalists a rambling, uproariously funny interview about his character which you’ll see more of on DoG soon enough) spoke about how his character relates to Viola Davis’ team leader, Amanda Waller.

“Judging from all the relationships that Javelin has I would say poor, non-existent, unhealthy, crosses lines, should consider not interacting with other humans,” Borg says. “Javelin doesn’t worry about how people treat him. He treats them … What’s the golden rule? He has the Javelin rule, which is like ‘suck it, I’m cool.’ I think that’s his rule.”

Even here with the characters, the commitment to practical effects is strong, especially in areas where you’d fully expect them to rely on CGI. For example, Daniela Melchior, who plays Ratcatcher 2, has a little helper rat named Sebastian. While the hordes of rats the character is capable of commanding will necessitate CGI, at least some of the rats are real.

“We have three female rats [that play Sebastian],” Daniela Melchior says about the um…practical rats that the movie is using. “It’s a little bit distracting sometimes because I have to act lazy and tired like I don’t give a shit about whatever is happening… and I’m just like, ‘come here.’ But she doesn’t want to come, she wants to find new places and go, so we’re like, ‘okay, we’ll try one time with the rats, we’ll see what happens.’”

And when one of the rats playing Sebastian doesn’t want to do as they’re told, only then does the movie revert to CGI to get the desired “performance” from the furry co-star.

“I don’t know if I can say this,” Melchior says conspiratorially. “But actually, [some of the cast] are a little bit afraid of rats…I’m always trying to say ‘look, she’s so sweet, she wouldn’t hurt you.’”

From Suicide Squad 2 to The Suicide Squad

Like the characters themselves, The Suicide Squad has something of a rough past. The first movie failed to become the surefire franchise-starter the studio hoped for in 2016, and while a Suicide Squad 2 was put into development almost immediately, it wasn’t until Gunn became available that the project finally solidified.

“There was no plan before James,” Safran says. “There were other writers that had worked on various Suicide Squad scripts over the years, but… this was starting from ground zero, starting from scratch. All the characters that he selected were just characters that he was a fan of and wanted to play with. I think, in typical fashion for James, he picks more obscure characters…he liked the idea of being able to take these characters and imbue them with whatever characters he really wanted, or characteristics that he really wanted to play with.”

One of the “characteristics” Gunn wanted was to truly tap into the spirit of DC’s long-running and beloved Suicide Squad comics of the 1980s, which were co-created and stewarded by Jon Ostrander.

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“I don’t think of it so much as an interpretation of what Ostrander wrote but I do think of it as a continuation of what he did,” Gunn says. “It’s very much in line with that. When he was first putting this team together, he was only able to get certain characters. For him, it was the fun of taking these characters that weren’t as well-known and developing them in a real way. And it’s one of the greatest superhero runs of any comic book series.”

(Gunn also notes that Ostrander has a cameo in the film.)

As for whether or not The Suicide Squad is a sequel to or a reboot of the previous film, all involved are both diplomatic and evasive. The official line is that any characters that were together in the previous film do already know each other, but as for the actual events of the 2016 movie, that’s where things get murky.

“We just don’t address it any tangible form,” Safran says. “Yes, they’re the characters and actors that played them in the first movie, but we really wanted to make sure that this stands on its own two feet. It’s not a sequel, but there are some characters that were in the first movie, so it’s not really a full reboot either. So we just call it James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad.”

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Inside Jotunheim

Later in the day, journalists are taken inside Jotunheim via soundstage, an indoor construction that appears almost as sprawling as the outdoor set. As we saw outside, the remnants of what was likely a furious battle are all around. A stuntman in full Peacemaker gear is hanging around as we see Robbie’s Harley, Dastmalchian’s Polka-Dot Man, and Agee as King Shark (“the studio is trying to play down the whole Polka-Dot Man/King Shark universe they’re building,” Dastmalchian jokes) make their way through the rubble. Elba’s Bloodsport isn’t visible, but we’re assured he’s part of the scene.

While it’s Sylvester Stallone voicing King Shark in the film, it’s Agee on set here, wearing a grey mo-cap suit with the kind of padding you see on MLB umpires and somewhat shark-shaped wire headgear. He also appears to be holding a skull.

Harley, however, is wearing the ornate red dress glimpsed in the trailer (although it’s somewhat the worse for wear at the moment). As she navigates the carnage in Jotunheim, Gunn calls out for Robbie to “hum a little tune.” She does just that, conjuring exactly the kind of aimless musical free-association you’d expect from a mind like Harley Quinn in the midst of battle.

“Harley’s been through some things as you can see by this point in the film,” Robbie says to reporters between takes. When it’s noted that Harley’s baseball bat, a fixture in the previous film, is nowhere to be found in this scene, she jokes “My baseball bat is back home in LA, next to my bed, in case anyone breaks in…I’ve got other weapons in this one.”

We don’t get to see these Squad members engaged in any combat during the shooting of this scene, and it’s not clear if this is the interior from the same “entrance” that had seemingly been blasted into the outdoor structure, or somewhere else inside the fortress. But the clues all point to one thing: like everything else in this movie, where The Suicide Squad goes, destruction and chaos follow.

The Suicide Squad opens in theaters and on HBO Max on Aug. 6. We’ll have more from our set visit in the coming days.

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