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shewrites444 · 3 months

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unexpected - part 1 & 2 [ xavier thorpe x reader]

[ i’m alive! i haven’t posted in ages and i’m terribly sorry. i’ve had this in my drafts for awhile and finally finished it up. it's a part 1 and 2 that just made sense to put in the same post. ]

word count - 5.5k

[ summary - the reader and xavier have despised each other for years, but when she discovers his unexpected attraction to her after being a bit too nosy, their dynamic takes a complete turn. ]

[ warnings - enemies to lovers, angst/jealousy, swearing, dirty talk, oral (f), unprotected sex, bit of degrading. ]

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁part 1 . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁

i was never a big fan of school dances, especially the kind where wednesday addams stole the show for wearing all black, despite that being typical of her, so i didn't really understand what the surprise was for. i had always been fairly close to enid, but when wednesday transfered to nevermore, our friendship diminished in some ways, but i wasn't drastically devastated or anything - i needed to focus on my education anyway. despite my new and improved academic achievements, enid managed to convince me to come to the r'aven, which i did solo, contrary to the norms at nevermore to never attend such a large event alone.

"she looks gorgeous, don't you think?" enid said next to me, a bit of excitement and pride in her voice as she clutched tighter on her glass of punch, watching the black haired girl walk in with tyler, a blank expression on her face.

i shrugged lightly, taking a sip of my drink as i leaned against the empty chair in front of me. "i mean, she's okay." i said plainly. i didn't even mean it out of jealousy or spite, i really didn't view wednesday to be as unique as she was painted to be by people like.. him, yeah, xavier thorpe.

i thought of xavier because as enid spoke in return to my dry comment, i saw the boy staring at wednesday with a bit of disgust, probably at her date, and also with himself. i would hope that was for being so obsessed with someone who never even returned his way-too-obvious feelings, but who was i to mindread?

i laughed lightly, nudging enid to look in xavier's direction, bianca's expression dropping to clear aggravation and jealousy as she watched her date's face. "why do you think she came with him when she probably knew he was going to react like this?"

enid shook her head, frowning a bit. "i don't think she thought about it like that at all. maybe she thought they would get back together."

"yeah, right." i set my glass down on the white table. "xavier has been mentally dick-riding wednesday since she got here. he wants what he can't have like most guys."

"then why doesn't he want you?" enid asked, giggling as she nudged me. i rolled my eyes and pushed her with my own shoulder.

i grin, looking over to her. "because he hates me so much he can't physically imagine fucking me. remember, he said that during our game of truth or dare last semester."

"oh, believe me, i'll never forget that." she takes a large sip from her cup, laughing through it. "i can't believe he said that in front of half the grade."

"i can." i smirk, taking her empty cup and grabbing my own off the table. "i'll be back with some more punch."

she nods and mouths a small "thank you" as i walk off, lightly pushing myself through the crowd of students and round tables, until i reach the trash can and the punch table that was next to it. i began to fill enid and i's new cups before i feel a tall, lanky, and, oh, deathly aggravating, presence next to mine.

i sigh, turning my body towards his as i look up at xavier thorpe. "upset about your public rejection?"

he rolls his eyes, grabbing a cup and beginning to fill his own after i step away from the bowl. "at least i have a date. i think you're the only person here who doesn't."

"maybe i'm untouchable." i tease, sipping from my cup and looking down at him while he shoots me a grossed out look as he leaned down to grab bianca a glass. "perhaps i stand out more than wednesday, but you'd probably say that was impossible. delusion does something to a person, i suppose."

he scoffed, leaning up straight and looking down at me, as if i appeared to be lesser than him. "you're a real asshole, [y/n]. you know that, right?"

i shrug, clearly unbothered by his comment. "it's my best trait."

walking back to enid, i can hear xavier's annoyed groan as he heads to the opposite side of the room to meet a very pissed off bianca. i pitied her, but at the same time, she agreed to go with xavier thorpe, so there wasn't much i could validate from that decision.

i noticed enid flirting with her date, so i set her drink down on the table and walked back towards the entry door, slipping through it silently and down the dark hallway that led to the dorms. everyone was occupied, and i didn't mind being left alone for a few minutes anyway. i was never a big fan of loud music, or parties, so it didn't suit me much there - i was mainly more of an emotional support for enid than anything. i didn't mind it much at all, but she was with her date, and i would never complain about some alone time on campus.

i slowly creaked open an empty classroom door, walking into the room full of desks and lab equipment. i quietly turned on the lamp aside the teacher's desk before sitting down. i reached into my pocket to grab a small bottle of vodka before pouring it into my drink. as i lifted it up to my lips, i hear a loud knock on the open door, making my eyes widen and avert to the glass bottle in my hands, which i quickly tossed into the trashcan before looking to who was at the door.

i rolled my eyes as i saw xavier, taking a gulp of the drink, which i quickly realized i needed for this interaction that was about to occur.

"what brings you here? did you think of any insults that pertained to something relevant?" i asked, turning the rolling chair towards him as i cross my ankles. "if so, i'm happy to hear what you've come up with this time."

"shockingly, i've come to ask if you wanted to drink with me, but i see you've already started by yourself." he says, leaning against the door frame, putting his hands in his pockets as he references the trashcan.

i gasp with heavy sarcasm. "me? drink with xavier thorpe?" i grin, standing up. "did bianca say no since you publicly humilated her by drooling over wednesday addams?"

he pursed his lips together as a red tint collected onto his pale cheeks. "no, i didn't ask. she's been ignoring me anyway tonight."

"can't blame her, i must have rubbed off on her." i say, handing him my drink as he very quickly took a sip. i blink a bit in surprise. "are you trying to get fucked up?"

"why would i not?" he said with a bit of a frustrated tone. "i'm not going to act like i don't feel bad for screwing over bianca like this. she fucked me over by using her powers when we were together, but i didn't really plan on being a dick to her tonight, it just happened."

"it just happened." i say in a low voice. "you really need to think things through before you say or do them, xavier thorpe. can't ask someone to go to a dance with you just because your first date ditched you. especially your ex."

he shook his head, handing me back the half-full cup. "what am i even doing talking to you about this shit? whatever." he said, turning to face the door. he seemed embarrassed. "see you."

i stare blankly at his confusing but unsurprising response. it seemed him opening up to me and me not giving him a sympathetic reaction pissed him off, but i don't really know what he was expecting from me in the first place. we hadn’t gotten along for years. truthfully, i couldn’t even pinpoint when our mutual disliking started, but it had always been around.

“you know, i may not be quite fond of you, xavier, but i’m here if you need brutal honesty.” i raise my tone as he walks off, leaving me with no response. i sigh, now a bit embarrassed with myself for displaying a small portion of kindness to him.

i turn around, finishing my drink off and tossing it in the trash before i walk down the hallway, opposite of the dance, back to my dorm room.

as i approach my room, i glance down to see a dorm key on the floor. my brows raise and i lean down, grabbing the metal and reading the side of it. my eyes widen when i see who’s it is. obviously, no other than xavier thorpe's.

“oh, shit.” i mutter.

i wouldn’t act like i wasn’t a nosy person, especially towards my nemesis - of course i’d be going to snoop in his room.

his dorm was a few down from my own. i quietly unlocked the wooden door, sliding myself through the cracked frame and gently shutting it behind me. flipping the dim lights on, i scanned the messy, yet also oddly organized bedroom. given that xavier thorpe was a strange person, at least to me, i very quickly found something interesting. his sketchbook.

i walk towards his desk, picking up the red journal and flipping through it, seeing well drawn pictures of different animals, instruments, nothing interesting.. until, the last few pages, which were not photos, but writing.

as much as she made my blood boil, her fierce personality grew on me, far more than i expected it to as the years went on. the hate i once possessed so deeply was altered into a deep, truly intolerable lust, one that i could never showcase to her, only myself, surrounded by my own walls and left to think of her alone, touching myself to-

my eyes widened and i shut the book, setting it slowly and quietly on the desk, exactly into its original place. good god, who the fuck was xavier writing a-list fanfiction about?

i bit my bottom lip, shaking my head as i glanced back down at the sketchbook. no, i couldn’t keep reading it. as much as i loathed him, this was personal. i would be drastically upset if someone read information of mine so private. it was like my hand was unconsciously gravitating towards the book anyway.

“i’m such an asshole.” i muttered to myself, opening the pages again, and back to where i left off.

her dominant words, her demands for me to fuck her in such an intimate, yet so dirty way that it was almost unimaginable. my body on top of her own, her arms wrapped around my drenched skin as i pushed myself inside of her warm, tight walls, walls that held me inside and possessed me as her own. [y/n]-

“oh, fucking hell..” i whispered with shock, now slamming the book shut and setting it back in place immediately after reading my name in the following sentence.

it was partially horrifying, but also oddly compelling that xavier thorpe, the same person who would probably stomp on my grave, was writing detailed scenarios of us fucking in his spare time. genuinely, i couldn’t wrap my head around it, but i didn’t have much time to regardless, as i noticed on his alarm clock that it was reaching close to midnight, and the r’aven would be over soon.

i turn the lamp off, the room shading itself into darkness immediately, as i walk to the door. my hand reaches to open it, and it instead comes towards me as xavier walks in. my eyes widen in fear, and i freeze up, the key in my hand as xavier flips the lights on, and stares at me, shocked and more confused than anything.

“you.. you took my spare key?” he asked, shutting the door and leaning against it, crossing his arms.

i shake my head, handing it back to him. “no, i found it on the floor.”

“so, you came to my room, rather than give it to me when you found it.” he said, following my explanation. “trying to rob me of everything i’ve got?” he gestures to his closet. “about the most expensive thing i’ve got is a pair of nikes, so have at it.”

i roll my eyes, my face a heated pink, so much so that i could feel it burning on my cheeks. “no, that wasn’t the plan. more curiosity than anything. truthfully, i just wanted to snoop around.”

it seemed the idea of his sketchbook didn’t even cross his mind. “oh? to find what?”

“well, i found some written porn.” i say quite boldly, looking up at him. “on someone very unexpected, actually.”

i watched his expression drop, and he shook his head in what seemed to be more disbelief than anything. it quickly shaped itself into anger, and some embarrassment. “you read my fucking journal?”

“i didn’t mean to.” i cut him off before he could speak any further. “it’s not like i wanted to voluntarily read that.”

“f-fuck..!” he yells, covering his face in embarrassment, the key slipping out of his palm and onto the wooden floor. “oh, god, you’ve got to leave, [y/n]. please leave.”

“will do.” i sigh, awkwardly nodding, and noticing his shaken up stance. “but you are sort of blocking my exit.”

he moves out of the way as i speak, probably the fastest i’ve seen him move in his life. i walk towards the door, reaching to open it, before i stop. i glance up at him.

“can i ask you what provoked such writing about myself before i go? does my hateful nature turn you on? i didn’t mean it to be that way.”

he shook his head, sighing. he looked up, unable to meet our eyes. he bit the inside of his cheek as he thought. “no, i.. i..” he sighed heavily. “you’re unattainable. someone i can’t ever imagine doing such things with for so many different reasons.”

“well, you clearly can’t get with wednesday either but i didn’t see pages of sexual encounters written about her.”

he steps back, shaking his head once again at my comment. “you’re completely different people, [y/n]. it’s not the same.”

“what’s so different?” i ask, now a bit intrigued by the conversation. i lean against the doorframe. “i’m genuinely curious.”

he finally looked at me, his mouth hung open as he stared at me for a moment. “the difference is you’re the only person i’ve ever wanted to fuck but deeply despise at the same time. it confuses me, and i.. i know it’s so weird, but writing about it was the only way i could… uh, process it, i guess.”

oh, god. his words pierced my core. not in the violent, gorish way i’d prefer them to, but rather a more sexual fashion that created a massive disruption in me. the forming wetness between my legs unsettled me.

“you’re right, it’s time for me to go.” i nod, opening the door as i spoke. “goodnight.”

i walk down the hallway, staring at the floor the entire time until i get to my dorm. i could hear him hesitate before shutting his door after he registered the conversation was over.

i shut the door behind me, quickly taking off my dress and setting it on my desk before getting into my bed, bare aside from my underwear, which i was starting to slide off hastily and dropped to the floor. he wouldn’t know of this. he wouldn’t know i wanted it, too, as strange as that seemed to me. it was something i needed to now keep to myself, just as he did previously. this was it, no more than this. one time touching myself to that asshole. one time.

the sensation was so fresh, so hard to grasp that i felt a sense of euphoria wash over my heated body as i closed my eyes, running my fingers down my stomach and to the slit between my legs, sinking myself into the imaginative state i was in as i ran scenarios through my head, consisting of the most unexpected person they could withhold.

one time. i thought again. one time.

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁ part 2 . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁

as expected, xavier and i's feud was drastically dialed down after that night. the classes we did have together that we used to bicker in were now silent, which was a weird feeling, but not as weird as what happened last weekend. i tried to black it all out of my head, and i was correct about touching myself to xavier thorpe being a one time affair. at least i held myself accountable for my singular mistake, and didn't make it some sort of off-putting habit.

xavier, on the other hand, seems clearly disturbed by our now lessening exchange of words, even if it was a simple insult shot across biology being absent. i could visibly see it on his face when i walked into the room, his eyes darting down to his textbook, and his lips pursed together in what i would assume to still be fresh embarrassment. i felt bad for him in more ways than one, i would admit. it was his personal thoughts, and i did invade them, but also cut off any further explanation he was going to give me that night.

cutting me out of those overbearing thoughts was the bell for last period, the students at my table scrambling their books into their hands as they rushed out of english. i sighed, slowly standing up and beginning to pack my bookbag. i didn't have any classes for the rest of the day, so it was time for me to head back to my dorm and start working on the paper we just discussed for the past hour and a half that i blacked out of.

"can we talk?" i hear faintly from the side of my desk. i look up to lock eyes with xavier, and my face immediately reddens. i press my lips together and breath lightly out of my nose as i think of how to even respond to his sudden question and frankly, startling presence.

"i don't think you're a creep, if that's what you're wanting to talk to me about." i say honestly, slinging my backpack across my shoulder. "i do think this obviously has created much tension between the two of us that will probably never fade out because of how substantial the situation is, but i think it's for the best, regardless. the semester is almost over an-"

xavier sighs and shakes his head. "no, not that - i mean, i, i agree with that, but i just wanted to explain myself. i don't want the last conversation we ever have to be what we had last weekend."

"understandable." i return. "so, uhm, you can come to my dorm if you'd prefer? this doesn't seem like something appropriate to discuss in the commons. but try to walk a few feet behind me so no one sees us together. bad for our image of hate towards one another."

he sounded relieved that i agreed to talk to him, and let out a small chuckle at my demand. he follows me to my room, with distance as directed, and comes in shortly after i do. i set my room key on my desk before gesturing for him to sit on my bed, and i sit against the headboard, facing him while he awkwardly positioned himself at the end of the mattress.

he cleared his throat, resting his nervous hands on his thighs as he looked at the ground. "i just wanted to apologize. i know that made you uncomfortable, and believe me, it made me pretty uncomfortable writing what i did, but at the same time, it's just how i get my words out. i.. i am really sorry if i violated you in a way. i didn't mean for you to ever see that, and i obviously didn't show it to anyone else. i burned it all last weekend so that it's gone and no one will ever see it but me and you."

i blink in surprise at how adamant he was about getting rid of the evidence he probably spent a lot of time writing. i nod, leaning down as i sink into my propped up pillows. "it's okay, i don't feel that you did that to make me feel weird. you obviously never expected me to see it, and i'm sorry for violating your privacy in the first place. i appreciate you getting rid of it."

he gave me a soft, but still uncomfortable smile. "so.. so we're good?"

"sure." i shrug, sitting up as i felt the conversation beginning to wrap up. "back to mortal enemies? or would you prefer strangers?"

he looked caught off guard by my question, his eyebrow raising at my words. "is there an option that combines the two of them in some way?"

"eh." i cross my legs and lean forward as i speak. "perhaps."

i hear the rain begin to beat against my bedroom window, the sky diming to accompany the sudden thunderstorm, then look to xavier in response. "you better go if you want to make it back to your dorm without getting drenched."

"yeah, you're right." he nods, clearing his throat uncomfortably before standing up. he looks to me, watching as i stand up in return. "well, i'm glad everything is okay."

i nod silently, the two of us staring at each other, unable to process a proper way to say goodbye. i mean, how could we with the conversation we just had?

"uh, me too." i cross my arms and shake my head out of the eye contact, looking up to him. "i'll see you tomorrow in biology?"

"yeah." he nods, turning towards the door to walk himself out.

"oh, here." i walk in front of him to grab my key. "i need to unlock the-"

"can i kiss you [y/n]?"

my cheeks redden and i set the key down, turning to face him. i blink in disbelief. "kiss me?"

"i'm sorry, that was a heat of the moment thing, i didn't mean to make this weird ag-"

"no, it's fine." i walk towards him as i cut his stammering words off, leaning up to take his head into my hands and pull him down to my height, pressing his warm lips against my own. he hastily wrapped his arms around my waist, our bodies gravitating to my bed as i push my weight onto his thin, light build, climbing on top of him and moaning lightly into his mouth as i ran my fingers through his long strands of straight hair.

while there was no rush to this sudden circumstance, we were kissing like we were on a time crunch, hands running down each other's clothed bodies and very quickly taking them off. xavier begins to unbutton my school shirt, the nude colored bra that laid behind it exposed to his eyes, which were visibly glued to my chest as he undressed me. i unbuckled his belt in the process, looking down at him while he moved his head closer to my chest, trailing kisses down my heated flesh and lightly brushing my bra out of the way for a moment as his lips kissed my nipple, tongue circling the stimulated bud which only earned a moan from my lips, xavier's body twitching against my own while my pleasure transferred into his own.

i reach down between us to slide my hand into his pants, a bit slowly to make sure he was okay with it, which he very quickly signaled by lightly bucking his hips towards me in return. my hand was met with his erection, straining in his khakis as i jerked it off, moans escaping from his pink lips and vibrating onto my chest which was starting to cover in light hickies and salvia.

he breaks himself away, forcing my body onto the mattress and my hand out of his pants, his own build getting off of me and onto the floor, his knees against the hardwood while he pulled down my skirt, and my underwear, my face dark red as i was nearly naked before him, nothing but my lopsided bra and half buttoned shirt.

"you don't understand how long i've wanted to taste you." he says through a low, seductive yet needy tone of voice. "i've wanted you in my mouth for what feels like ages." he leans down, taking both my thighs into his hands and pulling my bottom up and towards the end of the bed to reach him.

i was speechless, sitting up and staring down at xavier while he began to trail wet kisses into my inner thighs, his mouth soon reaching my pussy and beginning to lick the outside with great tease. i gasped at just his most gentle touch, one hand holding my body propped up as the other reached down to cup the side of his left cheek. he looked up at me, watching as i gave him a small nod to go further.

his tongue attacked my clit, sucking on the bud and my wet skin while one of his hands snaked between my thighs, gently pushing two fingers into my slit, stimulating my body through more ways than i imagined he would so soon. i moaned, closing my eyes and immersing myself into the moment, finding it still hard to believe that his head was between my thighs now when i would've laughed at the thought of this a few days ago.

watching xavier eat me out was so attractive, i almost couldn't comprehend what him fucking me would feel like. he knew what he was doing, holding our eyes as he pushed his fingers inside me, his touch sucking against my clit and twirling around in circles to tease me further, sparks sending themselves to my hot core. it felt never-ending, in a good way, of course, the way he was able to make me feel. the way he made me want him after all this time hating each other was insane. it was rather impressive more than anything.

i leaned forward, watching him pull his lips away from my middle and to my lips, the taste of my own pleasure now against my mouth, his tongue pushing forward and clashing against my own. with his fingers still in me, he adjusted our position, now on his knees in the bed and hovering a bit above me, watching as my mouth hung open at his touch, the feeling of another finger slipping into my tight walls. i could feel myself wrapping around him, which he visibly took note of, as the expression on his face shaped into a smirk, almost like he was proud of himself for the way i reacted to his strengthening touch.

"i've got to stretch you out if you want me to be inside you." he remarks, leaning down to kiss me between the sinful noises that left my lips. "you want me to fuck you like i hate you?"

"shouldn't be a hard thing to do." i grin, pecking his lips, gasping as he curls his fingers inside me at my response.

xavier pulled his wet fingers out, slapping them against pussy as i arch my body in response to the intense touch, my eyes widening as i look at him in surprise. he could only chuckle, standing up and taking his pants and boxers off, his hard length pointing itself towards me as he steps closer again, knees on the mattress and cock aligned with me. he wasn't lying - he was quite long, as i could have imagined by his height and lanky build, but he was thick, too. he was much more than i imagined he was, but i wasn't complaining.

he leaned closer, helping adjust my body to where my feet were now resting on his bare shoulders, spread wide as he pushed inside me, my eyes shutting and mouth opening at the feeling of him slowly pushing inside my body. good god, he hurt, but at the same time, he felt so fucking good.

he held me by my ankles, his hair moving with his rhythm as he kept a slow, intimate pace, watching as my breasts moved with his thrusts, briefly, until he pulled out. i blinked, confused. "is everything okay?"

"you want me to fuck you like i hate you, right, [y/n]?" he asks flatly, his hand running down his cock, before nudging me to flip over.

my cheeks redden and i shake my head. "i would think you'd want to see my expression when doing so."

"who said i wasn't?" he grinned, grabbing me by the hips and tossing me over, pressing his hand on my stomach to arch back before pushing himself back inside.

i gasped, unable to react as he grabbed my face, guiding it towards him and leaning down to where we were able to meet eyes, my hair fallen in front of my face, which he adjusted to fit behind my ears. i could see it in his eyes that he wanted to watch my expression in every way while he pumped his cock inside me, stroke after stroke causing me to moan, my vision clouding with the harder he held my face, the harder he fucked me and made my legs nearly melt at his rough touch.

"you're so fucking beautiful," he coos, placing a rough, wet kiss against my lips. "so fucking beautiful when you take me inside you, i can feel you tightening against me, [y/n]. i didn't think you'd want me around you much longer, but look at you."

"shut the fuck up." i say through pitiful moans, my hands holding the bedsheets as he talked. "you're not always going to have the upper hand."

he scoffed, picking up his pace, pecking my cheek before leaning up, his hand moving to hold the back of my neck while his thrusts only grew strong from his new position.

"says the girl who's letting me fuck her from behind with her ass propped up for my bare cock." he smirked as he heard me groan in annoyance. "you can tell me you like it, no shame in it."

i roll my eyes, now trying to hold my tongue. i figured this wasn't the time or place to cuss out the same person who was actively pounding me with his cock. "just shut up, xavier."

he leaned down to kiss my cheek quickly, his lips leveling to my ear. "i think you know me well enough to know i'm not going to."

he lifted himself back up, holding my ass as he guided me back and forth, the sounds of our wet skin slapping together while i enveloped his cock inside me, the stimulation far too great to not earn us both a very quickly approaching orgasm.

i felt him moan lightly from behind me, our voices, and bodies, and noises, sync together while the room seemed to grow hotter and far too much for either of us to handle, until we both finished, xavier staying in me for a moment before slowly pulling out, his cum leaking lightly between my shaking, red legs as i laid down on my back.

he laid down aside me, reaching over to undo my top completely and help guide my bra off, leaving the two of us now completely naked, lathered in our own, and each other's, sweat. i felt him wrap his arms around me and i rolled my eyes, lightly trying to nudge him off me.

"you're sweaty." i say, watching him laugh at my remark. "what's so funny?"

he stopped me from my squirming, taking my hand into his own and wrapping his arm around my waist. "you'll never be quiet, will you, [y/n]?"

i shake my head, my expression lightening as i look up to him. "i'm not the one who was begging to taste the other. remind me who was on their knees earlier?"

"i hate you." he playfully nudges me, pulling me closer. he sighed, and look up at the wood ceiling, his tone dialing down as he pursed his lips together.

"you know, you physically feel good, but this felt good, too." he gestures to the two of us, which i only blushed in response at.

"xavier thorpe, are you admitting you've peaked an interest in me?" i tease, squeezing his hand in response.

he rolled his eyes, shrugging softly. "maybe so, but no worries, i'll still follow a few feet behind you in the hallway."

"look at you, already listening. guess i really do have the upper hand in this, don't i?" i sit up, watching as he followed my actions. i reach over to hold him by his face, kissing him once again.

he chuckled, holding me by the back of my head as he returned the kiss. he raised his eyebrow, a bit of reflection on his face from what just happened. “why the sudden change of heart towards me?”

“i don’t know.” i shrug, looking from his lips to his eyes. “i guess we’ll have to see how this unfolds over time.”

“i guess so.” he grinned, kissing me once again. “no worries, ill still make sure to embarrass you in some way on monday in biology.”

“you wouldn’t dare.” i smirk, lightly nudging him onto his back as i climb on top of him. “good luck, xavier thorpe.” i begin to trail kisses down his neck, his arms once again wrapping around my waist.

“words of good luck from the enemy? today’s full of surprises.” he teases before sliding his hand between us.

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hypnodrea · 4 months

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songs/artists i’d force TWST Housewardens to listen to

— Riddle Rosehearts aka Rizzle Smoulderheart

Mans would probably be like, making me study or some shit, hopefully helping me or just around me in general. And I just whip out the nasty ass phone Daddy Crowley gave me and boot up whatever version of Spotify there and bat my eyes at Riddle saying, “Oh, music helps me focus more when studying!” When we all know that is a full on lie.

So he would be around or something and I would just start blasting the most inappropriate music ever. Probably something like Man Areas or Squidwards Nose. One of those, y’know? Just cause I think it’d be funny seeing him get all red and angry, like a raspberry.

He’d prolly yell “Off with your head” at me but that would be useless because I’m magic-less

— Leona Kingscholar aka Mr. Worldwide

Me, personally, me, personally, I’d be rockin’ to take a nap with this homie. He’d prolly hate it, but I would! And y’see, I’d come up with some bullshit that like, music helps with dreams or some shit, just anything to convince him to let me play a playlist as he sleeps.

And it’d be full of Tyler the Creator. But specifically the genre of his songs like, See You Again, What a Day, Earfquake, BEST INTEREST, songs of his like those. Now I think Leona would probably like Tyler, idk, they both have them vibes and them two my favorite men.

But yeah, I’d make him listen to Tyler, he seems like he would like at least one or two songs of his, and I sure as hell know that I would be down on my knees just to hear him sing a song.

— Azul Ashengrotto aka ‘Baka Tako’

I would literally sell my soul to him just to make him listen to every single FNAF song. It has to be FNAF. I want to get at least two or three stuck in his head, so he feels cringe and ashamed to admit liking the songs.

It would be so worth it though, seeing Azul all dripped up for Board Game Club (azul + idia club card when—) and just him humming like, Join Us For A Bite, and Idia slow head turning to him as he experiences flashbacks.

I’d be soulless for the rest of my life just to hear Azul singing Five Nights At Freddys, but god, wouldn’t that be a sight to see.

— Kalim Al-Asim aka the most nicest boy ever

I could not do anything mean to this boy, I would introduce him to like, Kali Uchis or Laufey. This man deserves all the pretty women music. I’d also just give him genuine song recommendations for like, parties too.

Maybe some like, Odetari type of music for like movin’ & groovin’. Definitely some Pitbull, Daddy Yankee, y’know all the good body mover ones. Songs that just make ya wanna swing your hips and drop it down white boy style.

Kalim is such a precious boy I would make it my life’s goal to give him all the classic bangers and new shit. Also Peso Pluma. No words. Just Peso.

— Vil Schoenheit aka the IT Girl

He scares me. I don’t want him calling my music taste ugly 😭 I’d get like, Rook to get him to listen to any of my recommendations. Or literally any one else but me. I’m sensitive :(

Anyways onto the songs/artists, ahhhh, probably K-pop. I like a lot of songs but I also heard that the dances are pretty sick too. So he can like, have fun with that. Maybe specifically like, Red Velvet, or like the BTS members but only their solo songs because I like them better like that.

Also giving him like, serious recommendations because I don’t want him to curse me if I made him listen to like a fucking Lorax song.

— Idia Shroud aka the loser gamer boy

I’m making him listen to every single Tom Cardy song I know. If there is any one in the goddamn school that could appreciate him, it would be Idia. And I wouldn’t go for the obvious choice of making him listen to Hatsune Miku because he has his little Fates idol group thing, and also because it would be too predictable.

Tom Cardy on the other hand, he is extremely unpredictable and I love him for that. Specifically showing Idia all the more funny and mainstream songs of Tom Cardy like Red Flags, Mixed Messages, and Perception Check.

Making him hum Perception Check as he beats the hell out of Azul on online Uno as Azul screeches and everytime he gets a +2 or +4 making him say ‘Nat 20 let’s fucking go’

— Malleus Draconia aka …who?

I think my more modern music taste would kill him, so I’d just give him the entire Nutcracker ballet to listen to because it is such a banger ballet, dude.

Or just ballets in general, I think he’d enjoy them in the background as he does whatever he does in his little Gargoyle club thingy.

Me and him when that beat drops in the Knights Dance from the Romeo and Juliet ballet.

{This is not at all supposed to be close to canon, this is just for funsies. I’ll prolly do the first years next…}

#twst wonderland #twisted wonderland #twst riddle #riddle rosehearts #twst leona #leona kingscholar #twst azul #azul ashengrotto #twst kalim #kalim al asim #twst vil #vil schoenheit #twst idia #idia shroud #twst malleus #malleus draconia #twst imagines #?

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alrightbuckaroo · 2 months

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our love's a protective poison

Yet another cross post from ao3 that I have needed on this blog for months now. Can't believe it took me this long to move this one here! Anyways, hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it <3

Gwyneth Morgan loves her son; that is an uncontested fact.

Tyler Kennedy Stand is his father’s son; that is also, an uncontested fact.

Gwyn loves her son, even though he has a tendency to act just like his father. Gwyn loves her son, even when he has a tendency to act just like his father.

Owen Strand had always been a pusher, always found a way to push things down.

When he and Gwyn were married, he would start the day with 50 push-ups. He would stretch the limits of their trash can, pushing down the grime until no more space could be filled. He pushed down trauma, suppressed it. Owen Strand is still a pusher, but for a moment Owen Strand beams more of a fighter.

He fought fires, he fought demons. He fought, and fought, and fought, and fought.

Eventually, he started fighting with her.

Gwyneth Morgan had always been a pusher; always found a way to push through things.

When her job announced a company wide lay-off, she pushed through the bad days until the days were good again. When she realized that she and Owen might not make it, she pushed until she couldn’t push anymore.

When she found TK, strung out and barely lucid in that drug-den; she pushed the confides of her love as far as she could. Then she pushed herself even more.

TK was a little bit different.

TK Strand had always been a runner, always found a way to run.

He played little league, at the request of himself, but maybe also Owen too.

Gwyn remembers the first time he hit a home-run. Owen and Gwyn watched him run around the bases. He slid into first, though he didn’t really need to. Gwyn knew it was going to be a nightmare getting those dirt stains out; but when TK smiled up at her, she decided that it was worth it.

TK was in winter choir; always vying for a solo. Gwyn would hear him practice his runs, day in and day out. Gwyn won’t deny that listening to him singing all day every day became a bit grating. But, when TK got the solo and saw her sitting there in the audience, video camera pulled up. Well, the smile he smiled was worth it. Even if it was a little dimmed due to the empty seat next to her.

TK was a runner. He ran, and ran, and ran, and ran.

Until eventually, he ran from her.

Maybe Gwyn should of seen it coming. With both her and Owen being pushers, maybe it makes sense that he was more of a runner. He saw what pushing did to the both of them, straining them, even if it was in the best way.

Maybe running had always made more sense.

—

One day, Owen calls her, tells her that TK is in a coma. Again.

He tells her that it’s going to be okay.

Gwyn laughs in disbelief, the sound jagged. “How can you be so sure?”

“He’s pushed through before, and he’ll push through again.” Owen answers, simply. “You know, he gets it from you.”

Gwyn considers it, maybe TK is a pusher after all.

—

Gwyn watches on as Jonah, TK and Owen display family is never just blood. She watches, knowing that there’s a special type of love she felt for each of them at some point in her life. Gwyn watches TK; his eyes mirroring his father’s.

Carlos is standing next to her; the silence they’re both sitting in comfortable but leaving Gwyn wanting more.

“He gets it from his dad, you know?” Gwyn mutters to Carlos, taking a sip of her lemonade. “Pushing things away before they push him away.”

“Gwyn,” Carlos feels like his breath has been robbed from him. “You have to know, I would never,”

“No,” Gwyn reaches out, places her warm hand against Carlos’ arm to steady him. “I know. I just need you to know. He loves you, no matter how much he might try to push you away, he loves you and he knows that he does.”

Carlos watches TK. “How can you be so sure?”

Gwyn smiles, “He is his father’s child.” Gwyn shrugs, “And maybe his mother’s too.”

Gwyn continues to watch TK and Owen, “I don’t know, I just think sometimes he has so much love inside, he thinks he needs to push it down. Don’t worry, you’ll always be the one he’ll want to run back to.”

Carlos knows Gwyn is telling him this for TK’s sake; but maybe she knows Carlos needs to hear it too. “Thank you, Gwyn.” “Anytime, just,” Gwyn takes another sip of her lemonade. “Call me if you ever need anything? Okay?”

Carlos hears the unspoken offer. “Okay.”

—

Carlos is sitting in the dark, watching over TK as his chest moves up and down. How do you comfort someone who’s mother has just died.

Carlos softly walks into the living room, continuing to sit in the dark. He has his phone in his hand. He doesn’t know what to do or what to say, or how to help. He doesn’t know what to do during a time like this.

He unlocks his phone and calls the only person he can think of.

Carlos listens to the phone ring on the other line; knowing no one will pick up. Eventually, he’s greeted by the voicemail.

“Gwyn,” He releases her name with a shaky breath. “You said I could call you if I ever need anything and right now I need you more than ever.” He listens to the whine of the phone call; the silence uncomfortable. “I don’t know what to do.”

He knows he’ll never get an answer back; but maybe just saying the words out loud is what he needed. He doesn’t know what to do but he doesn’t need to feel weighed down by the unsaid truth of it all anymore. He hangs up the call.

He gently paces around the living room before he finds himself staring at a photo. He looks at Owen, Gwyn, TK, Jonah and himself.

“No it’s fine.” Carlos had argued when Owen asked him to jump in. “It’s a family photo.”

“Exactly.” Gwyn agreed. “So get in here.”

Carlos picks up the photo and smiles to himself. He remembers what Gwyn once told him, about how TK can be overflowing with love because Gwyn was always overflowing with love. Love for Owen, love for Jonah, and love for TK.

Maybe the best thing Carlos can do, is to keep that love flowing.

#i always forget that the episode that inspired this one is called “push” and i think that's just the most fun coincidence #anyways 3x04 my beloved <3 <3 #series: how to be a human being #series: this is what falling in love feels like #my writing #tk strand #gwyn morgan #owen strand #carlos reyes #911 lone star #911 lone star fic #tarlos fic #tarlos

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ofstoriesandstardust · 1 year

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what they’ll say about us (j.h.s.)

a/n: this is my new hockey AU! i danced and ice skated as a kid but was only ever able to do it recreationally and i know nothing about hockey so this has taken some research but there is still going to be inaccuracies. please bear with me! a lot of this will be explained as the story progresses but in order to understand this story, you need to know that the reader is Bradley Bradshaw’s little sister. Goose lives but Carole dies of cancer when Bradley was 8. Goose left the Navy to care for his kids, but Maverick and Ice stayed & are still in the Navy at the time of this story (me writing Icemav in again lol). also, Charlie had a promising ice skating career that she gave up for her contract work - she ends up re-locating in San Diego to work as a coach. Cyclone is ex-Navy and coaches a hockey team (because I said so). that should be everything; please enjoy!!

summary: (Re-)Meeting Jake Seresin and every moment after.

touch | main masterlist | top gun: maverick masterlist | house of gold masterlist

warnings: food mentions, mentions of depression, parent death, cheating, i did research but i still made shit up anyways

word count: 2,354

The cool bite of the air around the ice nips at your skin as you push away from the edge of the rink, calling out for your duo partner. He turns, offering you a grin. “Well, if it isn’t my favorite Bradshaw.”

You smirk, accepting his hug as you glide over to him.

Just three months younger than you, you and Tyler had skated in the rink together forever, it seems like. There wasn’t a day since you had started skating in the first place where the two of you hadn’t skated together, whether it was competitive or performative or just for fun.

Off the rink, the two of you had known each other since you were in diapers practically. Bradley befriending Natasha Trace on the first day of kindergarten had meant the Trace and Bradshaw families were fast friends.

Tyler had been an ever-present constant. His family had been there since your Mom’s cancer diagnosis, even though you were far too young to remember those years, and everything that came after. It was his family who had suggested you take your ballet training and put it towards something useful when you got diagnosed with depression at just 11. It had been you Tyler had come out to when you were 16.

As you had gotten older though, as your skills progressed, your coach, Charlotte Blackwood, had pulled you for more solo performances every year. She talked a big game, planting ideas of the Olympics and national titles into your head, much to your father’s dismay. She knew you had the most potential when you stepped out on the ice alone, commanding everyone’s attention to you and you alone.

Meaning that this year would be the first time in a few years that the two of you would skate a competitive piece together, along with a solo piece. When Charlie had told you the news, calling to schedule the practices, you had been thrilled.

You hadn’t seen Tyler as much as you would’ve liked over the last year, focusing more on your routine that would end up making you one of the highest-ranked skaters in the state of California than you did anything else, including your graduation from high school.

Charlie always told you to have your eye on the prize, to think long-term, and you knew exactly what long-term she was thinking of.

Charlie didn’t need to know just yet that somewhere eulogy the way your long-term had diverged from hers, a whole new goal on the horizon.

“How was New York?” You ask, pulling away from him.

He shrugs. “You know how it is.”

You laugh, reaching out to nudge his shoulder. “Actually, I don’t know how it is. Never been to New York, remember?”

He gives a half-shrug as he grins. “Well, maybe you will someday soon. You still thinking about Juilliard?”

You nod. “Yes, but shush about that in front of my brother. And Charlie. No one knows I’ve been talking to one of their scouts. It’s a surprise.”

He tilts his head. “Surprise or secret?”

“Secret.” You say, giving him a look. “And we aren’t discussing Juilliard anymore, so quit asking me about it.”

He sighs, nodding as he accepts your statement. “Speaking of your brother, I heard from Nat that the team’s getting a new co-captain.”

You raise an eyebrow.

The accomplishment your brother treasured most in this world was leading his team as their Captain for what would be the third year in a row. The team had done well under him, looking up to him and following his lead, even beating out the rival team for a spot at the regional tournament last year.

Having to give up that sole responsibility to share with someone else was not something he would take lightly.

“Brad’s not gonna be thrilled.” You pause, biting your lip as you think through his words again. “Wait, how does Nat even know about that?”

“Coach Simpson texted their group chat to warn them of their new arrival today. Bradley got the text while he was at my house.”

You furrow your eyebrows, a pit settling in your stomach at the look in his eyes. “Why do I get the feeling there’s more to this that I’m not gonna like?”

Tyler offers you a knowing grin, crossing his arms. “Word on the street is that it’s Jake Seresin.”

The sound of lockers opening and closing echoing through the locker room greets his ears. He takes a deep breath for the storm he’s about to walk into, shouldering the locker room doors open. Simpson’s already waiting for him, glancing up from his watch.

“Ah, Seresin, you’re right on time.”

“Hey Coach.” He says, taking a step forward into the locker room as the team takes notice of his presence. “Thanks for having me and letting me join.”

“Well, I’d be a fool not to take someone of your caliber, kid.” Simpson clears his throat, cutting off the muttered whispers echoing through the row of players. “As you all saw in my text to you earlier today, we are joined by a new co-captain this season. I expect you all to treat him as you would any other player. Bradshaw-” Simpson calls out, waiting for the brunette to meet his eye. “I expect you to behave in the way I demand from my captains. That means no fights on and off the ice. Do we understand?”

Bradley nods, even as the way his eyes narrow at Jake says otherwise. “Yes Coach.”

“Good. Any rivalry that the two of you might have had between one another is behind you, do you understand?”

“Yes Coach.” Both he and Bradley say, pulling themselves up to their full heights.

Simpson sighs, in a way that signals he probably knows trying to get Jake and Bradley to put their differences behind them is futile.

“Welcome to the team Jake.”

Your face dropped.

“No.”

Tyler smirks, nodding his head. “Yes. your favorite-” You make a noise of disgust in the back of your throat. “-rival captain has come to join the team this year.”

You groan, reaching up to rub your temple. “I don’t even know what to say to that.”

“I’m just not sure what’s going to be worse. The fact that he knew you personally and still kept Robinson’s cheating a secret or the absolute beating your brother is going to give him.”

“I never should’ve dated Brett.” You mumble.

He snorts. “Dating someone on the rival team was not one of your smartest decisions, I’ll give you that.”

“I’m not ever going to live it down, am I?”

He sighs, shaking his head. “’M afraid not.”

“Okay, you two.” Charlie voice echoes form across the ice. “Sorry I’m running behind, there was a bit of confusion as to who had the ice and for how long today.”

“’S okay.” Tyler calls out. “Baby Bradshaw and I were just getting caught up on the drama of the new hockey captain.”

You toss him a withering look while Charlie sighs. “Don’t even mention their new Captain, Trace. You know how I feel about the two of you hanging around Cyclone’s team.”

“I’m never dating another hockey player ever again, cross my heart hope to die.” You saw, raising a hand.

“Why would you, after the hell Robinson put you through?”

“That’s enough Ty. Have you guys warmed up yet? I want to start in on our choreography for the routine as soon as possible.”

“I warmed up before I got on the ice.”

“Same here.”

“Great. Take a couple laps you two, and then we’ll be getting into the skills.”

The two of you push off, skating away from her.

“Well, you excited to be back? Even with Juillard on the mind?”

“I said we weren’t talking about that anymore. As of this moment, forget I ever even told you about it. But yes, I’m excited to be back on the ice. Never stops feeling like home.”

He claps Javy on the shoulder as he walks past. “Good to see you Machado.”

The man squints at him as he walks past. “Saw you last night, Jake.”

He chuckles, shaking his head as he steps over the bench in between Javy and another player known by the nickname Fritz. “That you did Machado.”

Javy shrugs, standing up as he pulls his locker open. “That happens when you live together. You know, you see one another.”

He pushes the man’s shoulder as Javy laughs. He pulls the locker next to Javy open after Javy gives him an affirming nod from the questioning look Jake shoots him.

“Don’t worry, we’ll get you a plaque with your name on it soon enough. Then everyone will know exactly which locker belongs to the esteemed Jake ‘Hangman’-”

“Seresin.”

Both he and Javy turn, facing Bradshaw. Bradley’s drawn up to his full height, eyes dark, voice firm. Fritz mumbles something under his breath, earning him a nasty look from the brunette.

“Yes Bradshaw?” He says, forcing a sickly sweet smile. It’s polite, but it’s fake, and everyone in the locker room knows it. “How may I help you?”

“Don’t get too comfortable here, Seresin. You’ll be out of here before you can say boo.”

He cocks his head. “Is that a threat?”

“It’s a promise.”

“Ay, Charlie! You were supposed to be off the ice fifteen minutes ago!” Cyclone shouts as you skate past. You pause, slowing down as you turn to see the approaching hockey team.

She narrows her eyes, skating over to the edge of the rink. “We have it for another fifteen minutes. I checked.”

“That’s not possible.”

She tilts her head. “Can’t help it if you got your ice times mixed up Coach.”

“Bradley.” You hiss. Your brother turns his head away from the normal occurrence of the two coaches bickering to where you’re standing on the ice. “Are you still driving me home after practice?”

He nods. “Yes, because Dad’s having dinner with Ice and Slider tonight, remember?”

You nod. “Yeah, I vaguely remember him telling me that.”

He shakes his head. “Jesus, I think you need to pay attention more when Dad talks to you.”

“I don’t think it’s a matter of paying attention. Dad really only communicates with me via group chat.”

“You’re so dramatic, you know that right?”

“Baby Bradshaw.” A voice calls from behind your brothers shoulder, the boys moving to reveal Jake Seresin. Bradley half-turns, giving Jake a look that would put him six feet under. Jake doesn’t seem to care too much, his gaze burning you as he holds eye contact. “Good to see you again.” He says, offering you the charming smile he offers any girl he’s trying to woo.

You would recognize the mega-watt smile from anywhere, memories of him flashing it to girls who was trying to bed at after-game celebrations you shouldn’t have been at in the first place flashing through your mind.

“Funny Seresin, can’t say the same about you.”

His hand flies up to his heart. “Ooo, you wound me baby. Dost thou really hate me so much?”

“Hey!” Charlie calls, catching your attention. She snaps towards the ice where Tyler is practicing his triple quad jump. “Go.”

You sigh, skating away from the ice. Distantly, you hear Reuben chuckle.

“Man Seresin, if you’re gonna survive on this team, the first and foremost thing you need to know is to stay away from Bradley Bradshaw’s baby sister.”

You yawn, tucking your knees up to your chest as you realize your phone is about to die. A quick glance up to the rink tells you that they are deep into a play, and even if they got off the ice at that exact second, it’ll be at least another half hour before Bradley’s ready to leave.

You click the device off, slipping it into the side pocket of your bag as you curl further up into yourself. A dying phone was a problem that could not be solved without a phone charger and you were straight out of luck there, having left yours on the floor of your bedroom this morning.

You could probably sleep, the practice running into the late hours as you waited for your brother to finish up. You close your eyes, the sound soft of the whistles and hockey sticks a comforting noise, a familiar one you welcome as you begin to doze off.

“Hey.” A voice calls, and you yawn again as you blink, clearing the sleep from your eyes. You look up to see your coach pulling her car keys from her bag. “You’re not home yet?”

You shake your head, stretching out your legs. “No, not yet. Simpson kept them late. Again.”

“And your Dad?”

“He went to dinner with Uncle Ice and Sli. You know how it is.” She nods, frowning slightly as she glanced at the time on her watch.

“They’re still out at- 11:33?”

You shrug. “I didn’t think to ask. I’ve waited later for Brad.”

You would’ve asked had you not already known he wouldn’t have responded.

She sighs. “Well, I’ll drive you home, okay? It’s late and I know you have ballet early in the morning.”

You nod, grabbing the bag of gear from the bench it was resting on as you waved a hand to your brother. He caught the movement, raising a hand back, before he focused in on practice, zeroing in on the play.

“You haven’t had dinner yet, have you?”

You shake your head as Charlie holds the door of the rink open for you. “No. I think Brad and I were just gonna eat leftovers or something when we got back to the house.”

“Well, how about we stop at McDonald’s on the way to the house?”

You raise an eyebrow at your coach. “Oh, it’s a McDonald’s night, now is it?”

She offers you a soft smile. “Why not? It is the first practice of the season. Might as well reward yourself before the hard work begins.”

You don’t miss the fact that Jake’s eyes are on you the whole time.

#jake hangman seresin #jake seresin #jake seresin x reader #jake hangman seresin x reader #jake hangman seresin fic #jake seresin fic #top gun: maverick #top gun: maverick fic #house of gold

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coochiekrab · 2 months

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Hello I have a question. Is Aubrey a good musician? like how famous is he and is he respected by other non nepo baby musicians. Like it would be cool if he were really talented but I also think it would be really funny if he wasn't really that good. The type of artist that you roll your eyes when someone says they like them you know.

ok I asked Kelsey how they want me to answer this but theyre at work so im going to answer this with My interpretation so I can go to bed and if they feel differently I will reblog with their answer. but anyways.

Aubrey is a talented artist and mostly deserves his recognition but it think he would be kinda a dick to other artists nepo or not. I think he'd be very Solo about his work and performances and overly outspoken about his stances on Selling Out, ghostwriting etc. kinda a purist. and would get into too many twitter scuffles from name calling and stuff. I think he'd be a nightmare client for his manager bc he keeps trying to post his dick on the internet, won't work with Just Anybody, will just decide to drop everything and refuse to show up to things on a whim etc. a "Its Lonely At the Top" kind of guy. I think as far as recognition in pop culture goes I would compare him to like Tyler the creator.. not really an Ariana grande on the radio guy (or maybe he is I don't drive and when I do I don't listen to English radio lol) but like can headline his own shows and shit or whatever.

Kuri doesn't like his music and wouldn't have even known he was famous when they met

#iirc he got his real start at like 17 #like a slightly older Justin Berber kind of child star #but he would've been a child actor much younger #ok my keyboard is crying out to be charged goodnight

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sideburndanny · 8 months

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So, with the end of the current hiatus nowhere in sight, the creators of Epic Rap Battles of History have been releasing short videos in which they respond to people's matchup ideas and talk about whether or not they'd do them. What follows are my thoughts on each suggestion.

Dog the Bounty Hunter vs Chris Hansen: Terrible; Dog stopped being relevant years ago and Hansen has no real valid matchups

Jack Sparrow vs Bilbo Baggins: They might be able to pull it off, but the connection is tenuous at best

Malcolm X vs Nelson Mandela: Perfect. Do it immediately

Dexter vs Punisher: Could work, though I prefer Punisher vs Peacemaker

The Wiggles v-NO

Marco Polo vs Zheng Yi Sao: Awesome; the show's always great at spotlighting obscure historical figures, so this would be fun

Sheldon Cooper vs Rick Sanchez: I don't really get their reasoning for passing this one up. "I don't wanna use Rick because his creator is problematic," they say seconds before suggesting Roseanne instead and three years after using Harry Potter

HP Lovecraft vs Mary Shelley: Could work, but Lovecraft might be better suited for a more prolific author

Captain America vs Mussolini: Could work, but I prefer Cap vs Batman

Black Panther vs Catwoman: Unique idea; would be cool to see which versions of the characters they use

Ethan Hunt vs Angus MacGyver: Meh

John Wilkes Booth vs Lee Harvey Oswald: I'm glad they turned this one down; it just sounds very insubstantial. The fact that they each killed Presidents is the only thing either of them are known for

Robin Hood vs Ned Kelly: Sounds awesome; I can’t fathom what Lloyd was talking about when he said Robin Hood can't be made "cool." Has he never heard of any of the non-Disney movies he was in?

Steve Harvey vs Dr. Phil: Meh

The Three Stooges vs The Three Musketeers: IT'S ALL I WANT AND I'VE WAITED FOR SO LONG

Patrick Bateman vs Andrew Tate: Bateman is worthy of a rap battle, but there is no fucking way a disgusting sack of shit like Andrew Fucking Tate deserves to be immortalized in this or any series. Not only is he a monstrous asshole, but since I'd never heard of him before he got arrested, he just comes off as too second-string and his image too fleeting to be remembered after the battle's release anyway. It's like how Sarah Palin and Napoleon Dynamite appeared in season 1; what's the point? Bateman would be better off facing another fictional character like Tyler Durden or Tommy Shelby or Rorschach or Homelander or any other member of the "you're missing the point by idolizing them" club

Miles Morales vs Dick Grayson: A great idea for a battle, but it irks me how they seem to only think of Dick Grayson as Robin, and even then only how he was portrayed in the 60s TV show. Since Dick Grayson's graduation to the solo hero Nightwing and his leadership of the Titans have been the status quo in the comics for decades, and even his TV and movie appearances as Robin clearly show him to be more than the hyperactive goofball that Lloyd portrayed him as in season 2, their lack of research here is jarring — especially considering how diligent they are with their other characters (remember, Peter read every issue of the Dragon Ball manga and watched every episode of Breaking Bad in preparation for the later half of season 3).

Garfield and Jon vs Calvin and Hobbes: Eh, I don't see it. No disrespect to their creators or fans, but they just ain't rap battle material

Metallica and AC/DC vs Slayer and Guns n Roses: I agree with them that a team battle between unrelated heavy metal acts would be unwieldy, but any combination of those four could totally be awesome in a straight 1v1 battle

Richard Nixon vs King John: Could work, but I'd rather have Nixon in a Presidential royale

Barbie vs He-Man: Another "meh" idea, but I'm not fond of Peter's assertion that He-Man is only known for the bad '90s movie when he's appeared in multiple media before and since that have all gained a far more positive reception and a strong fanbase

#epic rap battles of history

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marveltrumpshate · 7 months

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October 2023 MTH fills

Waiting for us to finish tallying up the donations? Take a look at all the amazing fills that were posted in October.

The best way to see all the fills that have been shared with us is our monthly roundups tag or our #MTH-fills channel on our Discord, but you can also view them through the following methods:

Our Tumblr tags: 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022

Our AO3 collections: 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 (only has works posted to AO3)

Completed works tag list

To find specific content, use our completed works tag lists above which includes instructions on how to search for a particular character, gen or romantic relationship, universe, and fanwork type.

SOLO CHARACTERS

BUCKY BARNES

@tj-crochets - Bucky Bear plushie for @maia-saura

CLINT BARTON

@kimmycup/@kimmycupcreates - Black Hawkeye logo candle for @rubickk7 (MTH 2021) (posted in September)

LOKI

@kimmycup/@kimmycupcreates - Green Loki helmet necklace candle for @saganarojanaolt (MTH 2021) (posted in September)

@tj-crochets - Alligator Loki plushie for @maia-saura

SARAH ROGERS

BritBrit99 - Embroidered piece with an orange, a flower, and leaves that says "You always stand up" for @liloau (@alpineandbucky)

GEN/PLATONIC RELATIONSHIPS

BUCKY BARNES & SAM WILSON & HELMUT ZEMO

@scioscribe - "Nowhere" (MCU fic where Bucky and Sam rescue Zemo when they find out he's suspiciously missing from the Raft) for @eys93

JACK ROLLINS & BROCK RUMLOW

Dogsled - Art of Jack stitching up an injured Brock who finds it hard to sit still with Bucky in the background offering a hand in making Brock stay put for @kalika999

TONY STARK & ROSE TYLER

Aelfay/@alchemistdoctor - "Who the **** Funds Torchwood, Anyway?" (Doctor Who/MCU crossover where Tony meets Rose Tyler post-Doomsday) for @kerravonsen

TONY STARK & XU WENWU

@nostalgicatsea - "An Open Palm" (canon-divergent IM2 fic where Tony and Wenwu meet after Tony is captured by the Ten Rings) for @magicasen (MTH 2021)

SHIPS

BUCKY BARNES/STEVE ROGERS

@pennydrdful - Art of Steve watching Bucky do ballet from "Captain America Finds His Fella," by and for @trappingsofzed

@sing-the-beginning-of-moana - "The Outfit" (post-TWS Bucky/Steve fic where Bucky experiments with feminine looks) for Aelfay

Skarabrae_stone/@captaintoomanybattles - "Six Blade Knife: Part 1" (Steve/Bucky AU fic where the Avengers find Winter Soldiers Steve and Bucky and bring them home) for @zepysgirl (MTH 2021)

Skarabrae_stone/@captaintoomanybattles - "I Just Want You to Know Who I Am" (Steve/Bucky MCU AU fic where the serum makes Steve look like the Red Skull) for @bulkyphrase (MTH 2021)

BUCKY BARNES/CLINT BARTON

@spagbol99 - "Bro-mance" (MCU (but blended with Fraction!Clint) Clint/Bucky fic where the two get closer when Bucky keeps an eye on Clint after TWS) for effervescentaardvark

ERIK LEHNSHERR/CHARLES XAVIER

@sing-the-beginning-of-moana - "We Want The Same Thing" (X-Men: First Class Charles/Erik fic where the two are on a road trip and Charles picks up on Erik's thoughts about him) for @ashes0909

JACK ROLLINS/BROCK RUMLOW

@massivespacewren - Art of Brock stealing a bite of the batter that an unamused Jack is mixing for @kalika999

PETER PARKER/JOHNNY STORM

thelonebamf/@amazing-spiderling - Art of Peter Parker and Johnny Storm from the fic "Hot Off the Press," a comics-based soulmate AU fic for @missmoochy

STEVE ROGERS/SAM WILSON

@ruquas - "Bellum Invisible" (Sleepy Hollow-inspired Sam/Steve AU fic) for @bulkyphrase

STEVE ROGERS/TONY STARK

@areiton - "immutable as gravity" (Steve/Tony Top Gun AU fic) for @earliebirb, @iseult-1124, and @ralsbecket

clockways/@clockwaysarts - Art of medieval era Steve staring lovingly at Tony talking about his blacksmithing work for @sabrecmc

@wilmakins - "Someone's First Choice" (Steve/Tony enemies-to-lovers undercover mission marriage of convenience A/B/O AU fic) for Yenny2206 (MTH 2021)

STEVE ROGERS/VALKYRIE

@zenaidamacrouras1 - "Punched!" (Steve/Valkyrie modern politics AU fic featuring the two punching Nazis) for @tehroserose, @kerravonsen, @bugsandcoffee, @illogicalkat, @alwaysabrighterdarkness, and TheUltimateUndesirable

#monthly roundup #october 2023 #mth 2021 #mth 2022

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beautifulpersonpeach · 1 year

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Wishlist for PJM1

I don't know about about you, but my feeling listening to VIBE is that Jimin, and we as a people, can only go up from here. So I decided to list everything I'd love to happen in PJM1 - from the music, to the potential features/collaborators, to the styling.

The Styling

(I never moved on from this)

For PJM1, I've always hoped Jimin would channel Victor Nikiforov. For my readers who don't watch anime, please bear with me here. I'll explain.

Platinum grey or silver, waist-long hair. Solid neutral colours on form-fitting pants or anything that highlights Jimin's beautiful dance lines. Victor is a character from the anime Yuri on Ice (highly recommended). He's a world class figure skater, a good-natured and kind person who mentors the main character. And this man is all lean muscle, executing calculated and refined movements while he glides over ice, even when he performs intense and sometimes aggressive routines. He's beautiful and I can't not see Jimin in him.

With this sort of styling on Jimin, I can easily see him switching between elfin elegance and an almost cruel and quiet intensity, or even having both energies co-exist mid-performance. Like an assassin.

Speaking of which, the flipside we've already gotten a preview of:

Credit: @/glossnwild

I know Jimin is blonde right now, likely already filming for PJM1, but what I would give to see Jimin in this styling. His hair being almost waist-long is a firm requirement in my wishlist.

The Music

Who should I kill, fuck, or marry to have Jimin on a rock song? What will it take? Because I need the universe to gift us with the one track that will reset all life as we know it - Jimin utilizing his low and upper registers on a rock song. No other genre has the range and versatility to embody anger, joy, sensuality, pain, grief, humour, like rock music. Another wild card I've dreamed of for Jimin, is for him to include a song in the Afrobeats genre (and to collaborate with an actual African artist, not just lift their sound verbatim *cough* B.I.).

Jimin on a song like Vibration by Fireboy DML will solve the birth rate crisis in several countries. It would be club banger of the century.

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(Add in a reverse modulation for Jimin to come in with his lower register, a bridge, and an Adonis or two *%#@*! in the MV and it's a wrap)

Looking at the roster of producers Jimin is working with, PJM1 will likely lean more pop and R&B, but at least one song with symphonic metal, folk rock, alternative or psychedelic rock, would suit him perfectly and elevate his album over the current milieu of k-pop.

And this is probably an unpopular opinion, but I love rapper Jimin.

He'll need to work on his breath control, but he's got everything else. If Jimin has even just one song where he simply speaks over a beat, anyway he does it, I might lose it.

The Features / Collaborators

Anyone who has followed me for more than a few months has likely seen me gush about:

Taka from ONE OK ROCK,

Tyler from Twenty One Pilots,

Mitch from Pentatonix, and

Asa - a queen and in very loose sense, the French-Nigerian analog to Erykah Badu.

I don't know how to explain it, all I can say is I can hear their voices together in my head and it sounds like paradise. If Jimin has any of those four on PJM1, I'll ask for nothing else.

Fireboy DML whose song I linked above isn't my favourite collaborator to work with Jimin in terms of vocal contrasts, but I do like the music he makes and think Jimin would body any of his songs.

The next best thing, is of course either Yoongi or Jungkook collaborating with him on a track. As this is his first solo album, I wonder if he'll go the route of the rapline so far, in seeking out only voices outside BTS, or if he'll include any of the members on his first album. If he does, Yoonkook has to be the obvious choice because if Who was incredible and Tony Montana made me look twice at Jimin, having either or both members on a song with him is sure to create magic.

I've got a few more ideas but don't want to be nitpicky, plus this list is already outlandish enough. Lol.

Anyway, back to streaming Vibe. That song isn't half bad after several listens and two fingers of Laphroaig.

#jimin #park jimin #pjm1 #pjm1 is coming #jimin collab #bts in chapter 2 #one ok rock #taka

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isfjmel-phleg · 8 months

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I had questions about who made it to Grant Emerson's funeral and who didn't and why, and this is what I found.

(JSA All-Stars 2010 #7)

Most of the crowd are his JSA teammates and associates, including three of the heroes whose DNA he shares (Jay Garrick, Alan Scott, and Ted Grant), "siblings" from his many DNA connections (Jesse Chambers, Rick Tyler, and Tommy Bronson), his girlfriend Sonia Sato, and his father's godson Al Rothstein, who considers him a brother.

Four of his teammates from his second time with the Titans are there: Argent, Cyborg, Donna Troy, and Starfire. Dick and Wally were presumably otherwise occupied, Garth has recently died, and Roy...well, we'll get to that.

Also present are Arn Munro, who was once suspected of being Grant's real father (he wasn't) but became a fatherly figure to him anyway; and Gillian Wahrman (Wyldeheart), one of Grant's earliest superhero friends. She hasn't been seen since his solo, so it was a nice gesture to include her.

Martian Manhunter is surprisingly absent. He is one of Grant's DNA connections whom he has frequently interacted with; J'onn testified in Grant's defense at the trial after the Atlanta incident. And he's the reason Grant's a "latent telepath" (that ability got forgotten somewhere along the way!). But he died too in the recent event and then was brought back to life. Maybe he's recovering?

Grant's New Titans teammates Terra and Bart aren't there because the former is dead and the latter is...busy with the current Titans, I guess? Bart and Grant haven't spoken in years, but they were good friends once. Who even knows if Bart's aware that Grant died, though.

Roy Harper and his daughter Lian both formed important bonds with Grant when he was with the Titans, but Lian recently died and Roy is currently in rehab after relapsing into drug addiction after her death--presumably unaware that he's lost another kid too.

#comicsposting again #GE: what I do is who I am

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ufonaut · 1 year

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hi !! you said that u don’t rly believe in the entire conversation around superheroes + facism and i think i agree with u but i would love to hear more of ur thoughts abt that as someone who is more into older comics than anyone else i follow (afaik) and i think that brings a much needed perspective to the whole discussion. kind of an ironic ask cuz i am asking u to contribute to a conversation that both of us think is kind of pointless but i’m just interested in why u feel that way cuz i also feel that way !

hi!!!! no, this is a great, i think it's an interesting/much needed conversation to have and i've never gotten into it at length so forgive me if i'm less than articulate but basically my jumbled thoughts about this always come back to that alan moore interview that everybody & their mother loves quoting when discussing watchmen and related material

which is funny because i do, in some ways, agree with moore! it's just that what should be applied only to the monopoly marvel movies have on the current cinematic landscape & their status as glorified us military propaganda somehow ended up being applied to all comics & superhero media as a whole, which is ridiculous.

i feel like moore's primary issue is that in the years since watchmen he's lost his love of comics and basically became a rorschach level nihilist about the industry as a whole -- generally understandable as a result of that level of success but concerning when people without his specific circumstances echo these talking points. see, moore used to love comics, i mean he used to be out-of-his-mind-in-love with comics and you can tell that much from watchmen's text alone & the real (very much real!) comic book history found in the text pages and the in-universe pirate comic that could only come from a die hard fan of the medium. hell, you can't write a good deconstruction of the thing without knowing it inside and out but he's by no means the man he was then and his work has lost its appeal to me for this exact reason.

anyway, moving on from that, the general belief seems to be that superheroes are quasi-fascist to begin with -- cops, in effect -- and that their popularity is a sign of a downward slide into fascism and the worship of infantile stories that do not challenge your worldview and offer only comfort. like, this is what the superheroes & fascism conversation often comes down to and in keeping with the watchmen theme, i'll say that's also the most common & nonsensical complaint i've heard about doomsday clock (that and the fact that it doesn't revolve around one single subject ala the cold war in the og book, which is also nonsense). the thing is -- there's nuance here! it's completely nuts to say that an art medium created by jewish immigrants in the middle of wwii is a gateway to fascism, it's just nuts!

the golden age of comics did feature heroes that were idealized figures who respected the law, that's very much true, but there were also heroes who were believed to be criminals (like rex tyler, the 1940s hourman was a wanted man in his solo stories) and the justice society stood for things like hope & friendship but not an undying pledge to serve the us govt. above all, their politics were as explicitly anti-fascist as comics ever got because they were fighting literal nazis! i mean, my god, there was nothing childish about the stakes of that era of comics even if they were aimed at audiences of all ages!

and like, i suppose it's the silver age and not the golden one that most people are nostalgic for and it's the silver age that moore deconstructs in watchmen but that same nuance can be found there and by 1970 (a mere ten years into the silver age!) this exact discussion was being broadcast to the world by dc comics. hell, whatever can be said now about the bootlicker tendencies of the likes of hal jordan & similar characters, denny o'neil was already saying then:

(part of o'neil's 1983 introduction to the green lantern/green arrow volume collecting the infamous 1970s stories)

i guess what i'm getting at is that anybody who believes comic books cannot be challenging or liberating or political or sometimes downright revolutionary and anything in-between simply doesn't know comics! like film, like literature, like any art form, its values are up to its authors but the automatic connection between superheroes & fascism in the eyes of so many people is completely ridiculous and the public perception of the medium cannot be left up to mcu.

#SORRY THIS IS LIKE. RANDOM THOUGHTS. BUT I HOPE IT MAKES A TINY BIT AMOUNT OF SENSE AND YOU GET WHAT IM GETTING AT #AND ALSO TYSM FOR THIS #asks #manicpixiedreamkiller

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sevensistersofsussex · 9 months

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I was reblogging Throne of Blood as a fic rec last weekend, and decided to check it out...I've been bad at reading TVD/TO fic as I dont want it to accidently influence my own fic 🤪..anyway, I just wanted to say ITS SO GOOD! I LOVE how Elena centric it is, and love all the pairings. Lucy/Elena just gets me where I wish we had had more Lucy in TVD.

I'm so glad the wolf she encountered was Jackson! I thought it was going to be, but wasn't quite sure 😊

Also, I love how she's just like been finding/given all these otherworldly treasures, it's a treat to have her interact with creatures and characters she didn't get to in the show. Omg the siren connection made me wish it had been made canon in the show too.

I think I left off where the harvest was starting...I stayed up till 4am reading lol

I kinda don't know where I left off chapter wise, but was wondering if Tyler will be in the fic at some point?

Anyway JUST SO GOOD ❤️❤️❤️

Thank you so much!! And I totally feel you on that front. You want to keep a little separation at least.

Lucy should have stuck around in TVD or even shown up in TO. The writers were so messed up for introducing all these cool Bennett elements to the story and then doing nothing with with them but that is another post.

I loved Elena going on her solo adventures and just spiraling all while finding herself and sometimes I genuinely think that the Jackson/Elena relationship will break me cause he's so sweet. My type is either the worst man ever or the best man ever and honestly, sweet and kind and caring might prevail for me.

Tyler might be making an apperance as well as the rest of the MFG but that will be down the road.

Thank you again!! I am so touched that you stayed awake binging on it!

#finnismyoriginalsin #thronofblood

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dollarbin · 5 months

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Dollar Bin #29:

Stevie Nick's Bella Donna

Stevie Nicks got zero favors from the patriarchal press or culture in the late 80's and early 90's. Much like Yoko Ono, she was the butt of sexist jokes and unfair critique that their male peers were never subjected to.

Let's compare Nicks and Stephen Tyler: both came of age in the mid-seventies; both fronted huge rock bands and both almost always appeared on stage without an instrument (even though they were hugely successful songwriters); both had major drug problems and overcame them; both were good looking young people who, unlike me, aged (seriously, people speak of me, always in hushed tones: how does he stay so young, they ask. Who else carries their paunch and bald spot with such panache?). Both had a thing for waiving silks around on stage. We could go on all day...

But did they get equal treatment? Hell no. Tyler was a hero for surviving drugs; I grew up cackling about the legendary destruction of Nick's nose from coke. Tyler became even more of a sex symbol as he aged and he dominated MTV in the late 80s and early 90s; Nicks, like Linda Ronstadt, was judged by one and all the moment she no longer looked 22, and Nicks couldn't get on MTV after 86 until Beyonce borrowed her iconic riff from Edge of Seventeen and insisted she show up to take credit:

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(That's Nicks with the guitar in the opening moments of this ridiculous and joyful video, showing us that, of course, she can play instruments: how else could she have written a few of the most popular songs of all time?)

But let's stop comparing Nicks and Tyler and never bring up Aerosmith in this blog again: after all, Nicks is a transcendent song writer and singer while Stephen Tyler occupies the rarrified air of pure suckiness inhabited by all famous rock stars named Stephen.

And that brings us to Nicks's debut solo album, Bella Donna. First off, good luck finding this record in a dollar bin: much like her friend Tom Petty, Nicks is rightfully revered by her fans, many of whom were not around to buy her first records when they came out. Plus, my almost famous niece tells me that some dude drank some juice while on a skateboard a few years back with Nicks's Dreams as the soundtrack and, in doing so, destroyed the internet. That previous sentence tells me the internet and people are dumb. Don't go and google the guy on the skateboard; rather check out my niece!

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Sweet song huh? Why isn't it destroying the internet instead?

Anyway, apparently the guy on the skateboard, and junk like that, are why busted up copies of Rumors went from dollar bin cloggers to $25 a pop in the last few years. I hope Stevie enjoyed and benefited from the slight renaissance of interest in her work; and, if you don't already own a copy of Bella Donna, know that some teenager without a working record player probably beat you to it.

Which is all a bummer, because Bella Donna deserves your full respect and attention. It's a great, and I think still largely overlooked, testament to her singing, songwriting and entire vibe.

The record opens with the title track, a complex and extended slow piece of soulful searching which summons up the opening gesture pioneered by The Band a decade earlier with Tears of Rage. Nicks is famous for her pop singles, but that genre is really the business of her bandmate Christie McVie; Nicks is a composer of songs, not hits.

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You can also hear right off the bat in Bella Donna that Nicks has assembled the right band. Imagine being in position to borrow Benmont Tench from the Heartbreakers, Roy Bittan from Bruuuuce and Waddy Watchel from Linda Ronstadt and Warren Zevon. Tench had no real business joining in - TP and the Heartbreakers were at the height of their fame and were touring nonstop - but he somehow found the time to step right in and lead the whole band. The other two dudes were conveniently available, at least for the moment. Bruuuuuuce was forever firing the E Street Band and was gearing up to make Nebraska on his own, and Linda was starting to move away from pop music for the first of many times; soon she'd be singing light opera with a young Kevin Kline.

Bella Donna is held together, however, not by the men but by the women. Nicks created the whole record through 2+ years of work with Sharon Celani and her soon-to-be sister-in-law Lori Perry. Every song features all three of them shimmering and gliding about one another and Nicks has been singing with the two women - and putting their photos alongside her on her records - ever since. Here's the way Nicks described their work and relationship to "The Last DJ" himself, Jim Ladd, a guy I listened to a lot as a kid:

Sharon [Celani] and Lori [Perry-Nicks] and I have a special thing that we have ~ that we have perfected ~- and we have perfected it by sitting around the piano... I'm not going to go sing on-stage alone. I don't want to. I want to be able to walk away and let them take it. Because I ~ there is nothing in the world that I would rather hear than beautiful singing. And so I have worked to get a sound that is not like anybody else. That is really beautiful, that is strong and that is like dedicated and devoted.

Jim Ladd just passed away; I hope he had Petty's mediocre album about him playing at full blast as he faded. As an LA kid I tuned into Ladd every night in late middle school and early high school, beginning to give up on him only when I decided that Roger Waters, Jim's favorite artist by far, was the problem with all things Pink Floyd from Animals onward. I had a few pretty sharp ideas as a kid!

I remember vividly the very last time I listened to Ladd: I was at the mall for some reason, in the parking lot, and Ladd had his hands on an advanced copy of U2's Zooropa. Ladd played us all Daddy's Gonna Pay for Your Crashed Car, a song which he'd chosen by himself at random - the album was so new he hadn't had time to listen to it yet. Ladd thought the dull and overblown track was a triumph; he'd lose his head on occasion. I disagreed. And so we parted ways. Rest in peace Jim. But I digress!

Every song on Bella Donna shows careful polish and intention. A few tracks, like the instantly hummable, McVie inspired Think About It and the Waylon Jennings inspired Leather and Lace, are tracks Nicks had held onto all through Fleetwood's golden era; this was a record she'd built up to over years.

Indeed, Nicks could have easily turned Bella Donna into a defiant double album, an All-Things-Must-Pass-level declaration that the Mac held her back. Bella Donna contains zero filler and several of the songs left off the record are a big deal. Just take a listen to Gold and Braid, an outtake that other artists would have released as the first single; there's a studio take but it's a bit rough. Listen instead to the pulsating, hip swinging live greatness from the brief tour that followed the record:

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Jimmie Iovine, Nicks' producer and partner at the time, made a few key contributions to the record. And he seems to have gotten in the way a bit.

Yes, he connected Nicks to Tom Petty and hand delivered the album's substitute single in place of Gold and Braid, Petty's Stop Dragging My Heart Around. The song is great, sure, but it's the only song Nicks didn't write on the record and it stands apart sonically from everything else, all of which led to the troubling myth about Nicks from her Fleetwood work - that she was best as a karaoke/girl singer, good at showing up for nothing but the vocal polish long after the male musicians had done writing, playing and heavy lifting - following her into the birth of her solo career. The truth is far different: Nicks conceived all of Bella Donna on her own. Everything, that is, except the Petty track.

Iovine pushed Stop Dragging My Heart Around on Nicks specifically because he felt the album lacked a single. But take a fresh listen to the track alongside Gold and Braid, and consider my argument that the record would have been even bolder and better with Nick's track remaining in place instead of Petty's inclusion.

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Don't get me wrong, Iovine was right to bring Nicks into Stop Dragging My Heart Around. Stevie sings with TP better than any other human on the planet could have. But Dragging belongs, alongside Petty and Nick's incomparable Insider, on Hard Promises.

The craziest thing of all is that Iovine thought Bella Donna lacked a single to begin with. After all, Edge of Seventeen is on this record. The song is pretty ubiquitous: I feel like I've heard its riff and chorus at every sporting event I've ever been to. Obviously, I haven't, but it's one of those songs that its hard to imagine the world without.

And let's close this out with her live performance of that song from her far too brief tour in 82. Find me a more powerful and soulful performance by any white person. All of Nick's male peers, from Lindsey Buckingham to Van Morrison to Neil Young to Petty himself - would have fallen flat on their face had they tried to do anything this complicated, athletic and surging on stage at that point (make that ever). Stephen Stills would have somehow managed to fall on his face and ass simultaneously.

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OOO Baby. Oooo Baby. OOOOO.

And so, as this first partial year in the Dollar Bin rolls towards closure, may all praise raineth down upon Stevie.

My record melting/Neil Young questioning, big deal friend Greg points out that Nicks, Stephen Tyler and Stephen Stills have yet another thing in common: they all practically have the same first name!

And so let me amend my earlier, definitive statement regarding the suckiness of musicians with that moniker (and redeem the unintentionally slighted Stevie Wonder and Cat Stevens in the process) with a bumper sticker ready (so long as your car is WIDE LOAD width) pronouncement: The Dollar Bin hereby proclaims that all WHITE MALE musicians with FIRST names derived from Steve/Stephen, (except, most of the time time, Steve Earle..) suck.

Here's looking at you Steve Miller! My curses upon thee Steve Vai!

#Youtube #stevie nicks #tom petty #the heartbreakers #stephen stills still sucks #so does stephen tyler

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