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kittybellestark · 4 years

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Idk if u did that before but can u write something like tony getting drunk to down all his frustration and taking all of it on peter, like saying some mean/hurtful stuff to peter, and when Tony wakes up he remembers what he did and have to make up with Peter because Peter was trying to get out of his way? If u can’t it’s ok but I think you’ll be AMAZING! Anyways thank u!

Hi !! I haven’t written anything like this yet but I certainly can now !!

I’m sorry this took so long, I had a very difficult time writing the apology part but a week later I finally did it !

Hope you enjoy and this is what you were expecting :)

Side note: this physically hurt me to write

Tony needed a drink. More than a drink. He needed to drown in his sorrows and spend a week alone before re-emerging and pretending things are better than ever. And that should have been fine. Just a night. Or two. The weekend even.

He didn’t have any commitments, Pepper was pissed at him, sure, but that’s why he has all this free time now. To de-stress, or just to get out of Pepper’s hair.

Regardless, Tony finally got his drink.

And he may have consumed more than what he initially planned too. But he’s alone and it’s fine. He can get blackout drunk and dance to bad music in his living room while wishing for death and hating everything outside.

It should have been fine. It would have been fine.

The elevator doors open as Tony is looking out the windows.

“Fuck off Platypus, I told you I’m fine.” Tony spat.

“Oh, sorry, Mr Stark, is this a bad time?” Peter asked.

Tony rolled his eyes, well passed black out by now. It was clearly not a good time for Peter to be here and Tony felt himself getting more irritated with Peter being here while he was like this.

“Obviously, Peter, what the fuck are you even doing here?”

“Are you okay, Mr Stark? Let me get you some water.”

“I don’t want your fucking help. You’re a child, get out.”

Peter snorted as he dropped his bag, moving over to the bar and pouring Tony a glass of water. He brought it over to the adult with Advil in his other hand.

“Drink this, have some Advil, you’ll regret it otherwise.”

“What do you even want? Why are you here?”

Tony tried shoving the cup away, moving back to the bar and drinking more whiskey.

“Clearly, I’m here to make sure you don’t hurt yourself. Don’t drink that.”

“You’re such a child. Let me drink what I want. The stick up your ass isn’t going to get you anywhere.”

Peter grabbed the drink from Tony’s hand putting it back where it belongs and tried passing the water again.

“Yeah not like the alcohol you’re drinking. That’ll totally get you to an early grave.”

“Fuck you.”

“Fuck off.”

“You’re just using me. I’m taking you off my will. You want me dead so that you could have my money.”

“That’s not funny Mr. Stark. We’re not playing this game tonight.”

Tony snorted pushing himself away from the bar and away from Peter making it to his bedroom.

“You are trying to kill me. You want my money and you’re playing the long game. I’m not having it anymore. Get out.”

“You’re right, Tony, I just kill adult after adult so I can get my inheritance. I killed my parents, I sued Skip so badly he wish he were dead, I killed Ben. I’m killing May next then you. Clearly my life is money obsessed. I have no emotional connection to any of them. Clearly.”

“Better people have done worse.” Tony shrugged.

“I’m sure.” Peter laughed.

“Now that we established you’re a murderer.”

“I’m not a murderer.”

“You kiss ass.”

“Many people have complimented my ability to kiss ass. So maybe try harder if you want to insult me.”

“I don’t want you here.”

“You never do.”

Peter finally managed to lead To y out of the living room and into his own room, and onto the bed. As soon as Tony hit the mattress he was asleep and Peter left him alone.

A week later and Tony still didn’t remember what happened. No clue that Peter had even shown up while drinking. That night should have been fine and alone.

Tony was working in the lab when Peter finally arrived sitting down a little more forcefully than normal. He just tossed his backpack carelessly rather then dropping it into it’s place.

“Bad day at school?” Tony asked, smiling at the boy.

“Nope.” Peter huffed.

“So what crawled up your ass then?”

Peter’s whole body tensed, an angry creeping up his neck and painting his cheeks. Peter’s eyes grew glassy as he tried not to angry cry.

“I didn’t appreciate the way you spoke to me last week. It was mean and really hurt. I recognize that some of things I said were immature and wrong and I apologize for that, but I should not have been put into a position where I had to act as an adult.”

Tony tried recalling what Peter was talking about but had no memory of even seeing Peter the week previous.

“Peter, I genuinely don’t remember seeeing you last week-“

“You were drunk, Mr. Stark. If you don’t remember it’s fine, just forget I said anything.”

“No, Peter it isn’t fine. I’m sorry I don’t remember and that I hurt you. You don’t deserve it and I’m sorry that I was the one that hurt you.”

Peter shook his head and Tony felt his heart break. He couldn’t believe that he allowed himself to hurt Peter in such a way. Tony felt like such a failure.

“You can’t give a genuine apology for something you don’t even remember. It’s fine.”

By the next morning Tony had reviewed all of the footage of his drunken night and he felt like a failure. Tony had become his own father, he was everything he never wanted to be. Tony is Peter’s Howard. He hurt his kid in the way he always wanted to avoid. Tony felt like he was the abusive asshole Howard once was, but he didn’t want to be the coward he once was either.

When Peter had finally awoken and went to the kitchen, Tony had made all Peter’s favourite breakfast foods, French toast, waffles, pancake and cinnamon rolls, bacon and scrambled eggs, muffins and croissants, quiche and omelettes, there was tea and hot chocolate and apple juice and orange juice. Tony had also already ordered Peter’s favourite snacks and lunch foods and candied for later, among many, many other things to try to apologize.

Peter walked out of his room, shocked at all the food. With Tony standing in the middle of it all.

“Uh, Mr. Stark? What’s with all the food? Are you throwing a breakfast party? A brunch? because I can go get changed.”

“It’s not a party. It’s an apology. Or, well, apart of one. I’m an asshole and I know what I said to you and I’m sorry. I was in a bad spot and really insecure and that doesn’t excuse how I treated you. You are my kid and you don’t ever deserve to have anyone to treat you the way I did.”

Peter shifted uncomfortably, feeling weird being apologized too. He wasn’t quite sure how to proceed, and Peter could tell Tony wasn’t sure what to do either.

“You don’t have to forgive me, I was an asshole and I don’t expect it. I just want you to know I’m sorry.”

“Uh, it’s fine. We all are insecure sometimes, right? And sometimes we take it out on the people we care about. I can forgive you for this one, but you do it again and it’ll take a lot more than just this for forgiveness. Okay?”

Tony nodded, glad that he hadn’t ruined everything with Peter.

“We have to hug now, it’s the law, Mr. Stark.”

Tony laughed raising his arms, inviting Peter to a hug.

“Oh, geez, we can’t go breaking the law now, Roo.”

Peter moved over finally getting to hug Tony.

Taglist: dm or send an ask if you want to be added

@peterbeanie @jean-and-diet-coke @dead-inside-pt2 @they-were-cloudsinmycoffee

#peter parker #bi peter parker #irondad #spiderman #spiderson #avengers #bi peter #marvel #mcu #marvel cinematic universe #tonystark #peter and tony #irondad and spiderson #hurt to comfort #hurt peter parker #drunk tony

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brideofcthulhu10 · 4 years

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How would the Lost boys react to having a motherly type of s/o?

OH MY GOD I DIDN'T KNOW TUMBLR POSTED THIS UNFINISHED! UGH STUPID APP! Okay, redo!

Cuuute. The boys could certainly use a motherly touch around, even Max had said that when he wanted to turn Lucy. For this I am gonna be writing a female s/o, if you ever want otherwise always be sure to specify ahead of time otherwise DM me and I’ll be sure to correct it. I love the idea one behind the scenes with the boys, after the late night partying and wild blood orgies. I mean, let's be realistic here- those guys probably smell like cigarettes and ass. That cave is no doubt absolutely filthy as hell, and I don’t think they’ve cleaned up a day of their afterlife.

Lost Boys with a Motherly Fem!S/O

David

Now David isn’t exactly the type to be told what to do in almost any scenario. Well, almost. But even then he still prefers the majority of the control. It’s going to be a challenge to get anything done with him. Any sort of lectures or advice tend to fall on deaf ears simply because he and the boys have taken care of themselves for so long. Your best method of choice? STEALTH

I’m serious, you gotta be sneaky with this boy. He’ll wake up to you cleaning the hotel because you had assumed it was still daylight, or sweeping around when they go on hunts. Don’t fuck with the cobwebs, its an aesthetically pleasing decoration! Frankly, he’s just a brat who doesn’t like change. It’s gotten to the point however, where he can’t exactly stop you so he just decides to be a butt about it. Take-out trash litter the hotel lobby, he’ll even leave out half-full open containers and try to get some real maggots up in there. Not if you have anything to say about it! Sometimes he wonders how you can keep it as clean as you do.

You have no idea how absolutely rank a pack of teenage vampires can be. Especially with unwashed clothes. Seriously, David and Paul’s boots could make rats gag, the stank of unwashed vamp toes is gnarly. That can be a bit of a fight. Well someone has to get all those bloodstains out! What do you think they just vanished the next day? None of the boys want clean clothes, especially David. According to them you can't be badass vampires and have fresh pants. He’ll even hide his jacket from you on laundry day. How is he supposed to instill fear in the hearts of mortals when his jacket smells like FUCKING LAVENDER?

God help you if you try to make him bathe. The only way he’d concede is if you really went all out. Play to his ego, its the best way to get him to cooperate. After all, what man doesn’t want to be a king for a day. Especially one such as David. Once you finally, FINALLY get him in, then it's a fight to get him out. He’ll let off soft grunts when you massage shampoo through his scalp, leaning his head back with low, grumbling moans. Sometimes he’ll have you join him, even if you aren’t undressed. Yeah, he doesn’t care if you have your clothes on, time to get in. It's hotter when he sees your shirt tightly clinging to your bodice, although he'll huff that you had a bra underneath. If you try to peel off the soggy articles he won't let you. After all, if you got to strip him down, he gets to do the same to you. He'll take his time, and keep in mind the water isn't about to be clean for much longer.

Despite his protests, and he’d never admit it to the rest of the pack, but he really does love having someone caring for him. Being spoiled by his lover has some advantages, especially after a stressful day. Just laying back, having you rub his shoulders for a good minute, maybe suggesting he come over to your apartment and let you cook him a real meal for once. Sure you’ll be telling him how he needs to be more careful when he goes on hunts, but he can handle that much. You’re his precious doll, if it means a few lectures from you then he’ll put up with it.

Dwayne

Dwayne is kind of the silent brother bear of the group so it’s a relief when he has someone who wants to take care of him. It makes him chuckle when you fret over him. Honey, he can fly, he’s not going to fall off the roof. Even if he did, it wouldn’t kill him! He’s lost count how many times you subtly, or not so subtly, toss around the subject of a helmet when he rides around. You’ll even try using persuasive ideas such as having it custom painted, maybe adding some spikes- anything just wear a stupid helmet! Again, he reminds you the threat of cracking his head open wasn’t exactly that daunting

When you’re on a cleaning spree he tends to stay out of your way. Granted he tried to help once, but you immediately shooed him out. You got it, just go sit down and quit futzing with stuff. On laundry day he’s a bit stubborn, but as long as you don’t wash his leather jacket, he’ll be fine. Seriously, do not touch his jacket. He cannot stress enough how bad it is to try and use water and soap to clean a leather jacket. NO. No touchy! So he’ll just sit in his underwear (personally I think it’d be boxer briefs) on the couch clinging to his jacket while you go off to the laundromat a few blocks over. Eventually you bought him lounge pajama pants for when you do laundry trips. At first he didn’t want to but… well they have a badass puma on them. It’d be rude to not wear it if you went through all that trouble to get that for him.

Unlike the other three, Dwayne doesn’t need much bribery to get in the tub. DO you have ANY IDEA the last time he had a god damn shower? He misses it, he doesn’t exactly like smelling like parfum de cul (kudos to any of you who know what that means ;) ). Oh just watch him sink into the tub as you massage his luxurious mess of dark hair, you swear sometimes he audibly purrs when you do. Its one of the few times Dwayne will let himself be completely vulnerable. He won’t necessarily force you to join him, but he would certainly love it you have your cute butt nestled between his legs where he could lather you up. But, I mean, that’s entirely up to you to refuse your ripped, completely naked boyfriend eyeing you up.

When he gets injured or sick, which you never expected that he could, you immediately go into hyperdrive. While he’d rather be out riding with the guys, he can’t help but love being pampered by his princess who always treats him like a king. You’ll shove him into Star’s old bed and demand he stay put, wiping his forehead down with a cold cloth. One would assume that someone with no body heat left would get a fever. Actually, it makes it worse. He won’t DIE from any illness, but it sure does suck when he gets them. Usually a few feedings will heal him up within a day, so you’ve started smuggling bags from blood drives and keeping them in a little cooler for him. Granted you only get him A or B blood, but he still appreciates all the effort you go to just for him.

Paul

Paul loves it up until you make him do things he doesn’t want to. Typical guy. He DIED in a freaking bath tub, why the hell would you want to put him back in one?! It would take either a serious amount of strength or bribing to get him into one.

“It doesn't even have holy water Paul, just normal, plain, stupid water! You smell like a rat’s ass, will you please just get in?”

“I’d rather smell like ass!”

Yes, he may even try to bolt out of the room buck naked. Fuck you, try to catch him now! Did you hide his clothes?!

Your best bet is to play to his most vulnerable side: horny. Sure he refuses to get in the bath on his own, but add you naked covered in bubbles and it just became the best place to be. The blonde won’t even sulk when you’re sudsing up his hair because you’re too distracted to notice he’s about to cop a feel. He’ll just laugh like an idiot when you get mad, after all you put him in here in the first place. There will probably be tub sex, because dammit he deserves something for being such a good boy. Surprisingly he actually loves it when you use the hair dryer on him. It feels amazing, he doesn’t exactly get warm anymore so the sensation of heat rushing through freshly cleaned hair is just incredible

Paul is not a fan of laundry day, just like David. Again, you gotta chase him down. He’ll tease you the whole time though.

“Babe if you wanted to just rip my clothes off me all you had to do was ask.”

You only leave him in his underwear because he doesn’t have anything else to change into. You never realized how much of a pain in the ass white pants were until you met him. Why the hell did he even have white pants in the first place? They show every damn stain! Paul will probably come with you to the laundromat. Its three in the morning, who cares if someone sees him in his boxers? Big deal! He’d even offer to go nude. You managed to find a pair of pajama pants and a band t-shirt he could wear on laundry day because this ass refuses to buy any other clothes.

Paul thinks it’s absolutely adorable the way you dote on him. It’s a pain in the butt, but nothing is better than the tiny notes you leave for him when you go out. Or when you surprise the coven with a bunch of tupperware dishes full of real home cooked meals. Yeah being ragged on half the day is never fun but he knows that the only reason you do that is you care so much for him. You almost died when you thought he’d been killed, it was fair you got a bit over protective after. Besides, you were still his ride or die baby who did anything for him. Hell, last Valentine’s day you even went all around Santa Carla until you found someone who made him a mother fuckin Gene Simmons teddy bear, with the tongue out and everything. Paul loves you, nags and all

Marko

Probably one of the only boys to be a bit more cooperative when it comes to mothering him. After all, he’s the one being spoiled. It’s precious when you fret over him on a hunt out, warning him to avoid any hunters, fly safe, please don’t jump off any bridges. He’ll just hug you tight and assure you he’s gonna be fine. Yeah you’ll go one about how he should have a helmet when riding or raising concern when he tries something of questionable origin from the boardwalk vendors. But most of the time he just kind of tunes you out and smiles until you’re done.

He’s a sneaky boy, you oughta know that by now. You want him to take a bath? Only if you join him. You want to brush his hair out? Sure he’ll sit still… for ten kisses. Laundry day? Fine but he gets to come with. It’s hard not to laugh at him crouched up on the top of a dryer with his knees to his chest in only his underwear watching you throw in his pants and socks. He can’t help but grin when you throw him a side eye because of the stains all over his white shirt. Sheesh, him and Paul with the white clothes. Again, please please PLEASE don’t wash his jacket. You will ruin it. He doesn’t care if you bombard it with air freshener until his sorry ass smells like Hawaiian Breeze, but do not ever wash it

It’s adorable the lengths you’ll go to for him. Last year when he told you they were just gonna have some hot wings and beers for Thanksgiving you flipped. Next thing they know you had them come over to your apartment as soon as the sun went down to a full spread. Paul actually ended up hugging you too. It looked like something out of a catalog. Two fatass turkeys filled to the brim with homemade stuffing, easily four pounds of mashed potatoes, gravy, bread rolls, the whole fucking thing! And veggies. Nasty. Sure the corn on the cob was bitchin, but asparagus? NO. Yeah you made Marko put some on his plate and half the time he just kept pushing his peas around until Paul flung one at him. Then it was a silent veggie war. After that they pretty much came over for any holiday. He’d be all over you just gushing over how happy he is that you went through so much hard work for him, for them. Even Max did fuckall besides what he had to, the guy wanted to toot his own horn about dad of the year but sucked ass at it.

They start coming over so often that you bought black out curtains for every window in your house. Even during the day they could sleep in your guest room without fear of the sun. Well, the guys could. You had him tucked into your own room, still sleeping with his feet to the headboard for that upside down sense and his arms tightly pressed to his chest. He absolutely loves how much you care for him, especially after so many decades of being a filthy biker boy who feasted on the living. Even his vampirism didn’t send you away. You’d even keep a mini fridge in your room stocked with blood bags in case he craved a midday snack. Sometimes he’d awaken to you sleeping beside him and just savor those quiet moments with his baby. Maybe for Christmas this year he’d offer you the best gift he could think of. Who needs a wedding ring when you can offer an eternity with your angel instead?

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theprodigypenguin · 4 years

Text

Writing Commissions {open}

As most of my followers know already, my laptop very recently broke, and I haven't been able to write as frequently or in as much volume as I usually do.

At the same time I've been going through a rather hard time, and writing is one of my main coping mechanisms, how I leech myself of toxic emotions and relax, do something productive with my anxiety and depression.

Thanks to my broken laptop, I have not been able to cope productively or in any healthy way at all, which is not good for me, but it has taken a LOT longer than expected to save the money I need to replace my laptop.

So, I made the decision to open writing commissions. I imagine I'd get more luck if I was an artist, but alas, I am not, so here I go shooting my shot. If you're not interested, don't feel bad about ignoring this post. I'll add the information in a "read more", as it will likely be a long post.

Feel free to reblog this if you want, but you are under no obligation to do so.

~~~~~

You can call me Nico (formerly amelia vale). I've been writing regularly for about 10+ years with a small handful of local college writing courses under my belt (I actually won an award in my first creative writing course. It was a college course and I believe I was 13 or 14 at the time (my charter school allowed me to take college classes while still in highschool)). I've also won a few local essay contests in my town, which probably doesn't mean much, but that's my history.

In my time writing I've finished 11+ novels (some of which reached 50 chapters+, and some which are not posted anywhere online yeet), and over 30 one shots, drabbles, and novellas, with a handful of in-progress novels and shorter fanfictions. I've written both fanfiction and original novels of varying genres.

I am by no means an expert in my craft, and while I do dream of publishing professionally some day, I am nowhere near that goal. I'm certainly hyping myself up, but I just wanted to express the experience I have with writing in general to assure possible consumers that I at least 89% know what I'm doing 🙃 I've also already done a few writing commissions in the past, which can be found on my DeviantArt, but you can find more recent examples of my work on Wattpad and Ao3.

Fandoms I've written for: Harry Potter, The Cursed Child, Riordanverse (notably PJO, HoO, and Magnus Chase), OHSHC, Voltron: Legendary Defender, One Piece, Hetalia.

Note that my main focus currently is Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Jeddy and Jegulus mostly) but I have some experience writing in the fandoms above, though not all of those fics are posted online, and not all of them are incredibly recent.

I'm comfortable and have experience writing in an assortment of genres and themes, including smutty or sexual themes, incredibly graphic and triggering themes including r@pe, assault, abuse, neglect, torture, self harm, suicide (please note I wrote these themes as a form of therapy, not cuz I'm creepy), fluff, whump, dystopia, post apocalyptic, werewolf, vampire, etc (please ask if you want to know if I've written in a specific genre or theme not listed).

*important: just because an author may write something, does not mean they support that theme. I've written about graphic violence, r@pe, and racism, but I do not in any way support that crap.

Most Recent Examples of my Writing:

Chances || Venom || Broken Doll (rated E, very graphic)

Examples of Smut/Sexually Themed fics:

Say My Name || Chances || Rythmn of the Night (wattpad) || Encantador de Serpientes (wattpad)

Examples of Original Work:

Pigment || What Happens in Vienna || Love at First Crepe

Fanfic Examples:

The Hyacinth Prophecy(PJO) || Road to Ruin(PJO) || Serpentine Curse(PJO/Magnus Chase) || Make Peace(VLD) || Something Just Like This(VLD) || Stupid Deep(HP) || Recovery(HP)

So if you've gotten through all the above 👆👆👆👆 (it was actually lowkey stressful to write cuz I'm very bad at complimenting myself, A for effort) and still are curious or interested in commissioning, then below are prices, things I will and won't write, payment methods, etc:

Things I won't write:

incest, pedophilia, graphic depictions of r@pe or any form of sexual assault, marginalization of a race or group I have no personal affiliation with* (I won't write about a black woman enduring racism because I am not a black woman, etc), underage relationships (both characters must be over 19, unless it's a strictly familial fic).

*I will happily write a black character or any other race/minority, but I do not believe I have any right to add in their racial experiences as I have not experienced them for myself, and that would be wildly insensitive of me. I've written about marginalization from a second perspective before, but I had a lot of help from a POC reader while I was writing.

Things I will write:

fluff, smut (within reason plz), whump, romance, familial, Original work, OCs, fanfiction*, pretty much everything else that isn't in the "won't" list. I'm pretty flexible.

*Disclaimer: All characters in any of the fanfiction I write belong to their respective owners, and I claim no rights to them or to their individual stories. I do not own any of the properties, I am simply producing fan works based on or inspired by them.

Prices:

$15 - for fics under 3k

$20 - for anything over 3k words

$30 - $40 - for smut (smut is extra because I don't write it a whole lot, but I CAN write it, and normally smut fics end up much longer than general fics)

*MUST BE 17+ TO COMMISSION SMUT (if your age isn't already in your bio I have every right to decline the commission. I just don't feel comfortable writing smut for anyone under 17. I know youngins will read it anyway, but this is just a personal pet peeve of mine)

Payment Methods:

You can pay either through Ko-fi or PayPal, whichever you prefer.

Rules:

PLEASE be kind and respectful to me.

Stay in contact with me as MUCH as possible.

I prefer a lot of communication, especially during my writing process, as I want to be sure I get every detail of the fic right for you.

Full payment upfront (this may change later, but currently I would prefer it upfront)

I do not have a time limit on my writing, that kind of thing stresses me out and my writing quality suffers, which commissioners do not deserve. I can however guarantee that I WILL finish your fic.

Please do not increasingly pester or ask me if the fic is finished or how it's going, I promise I will give updates when they are necessary.

The more enthusiasm and details you give regarding the kind of fic you want, the faster I will finish, because I'll probably get just as excited as you. Basically hype me on the theme and I'll be dying to finish.

I need money because I need a new laptop but I still want this to be fun for me, and for whoever commissions me.

I have a right to refuse any commission request without explanation.

This is NOT first come first serve. I will choose the commissions I feel I can do my best on to ensure you get the best quality writing.

Due to the fact I have a fulltime job already, and I can't write that much on my phone or tablet, and the fact I'm saving up to buy a laptop, I will only be taking two commissions at a time, so as not to overload myself and so I can provide a piece of writing to the best of my abilities. When I finish those two commissions, I will reopen these again, until I've saved enough for a laptop. I figure between commissions and work, I could afford one… maybe February if I'm lucky.

After which I will likely shut down commissions (unless something super serious comes up again).

Slots:

#1:

#2:

CONTACT:

You can DM me on Tumblr or email me at [email protected]

If you do not want to commission me, or can't commission me because you are also broke (same bro) then feel free to reblog if you want (you have no obligation to).

If you still want to support me somehow but can't afford that much, you can donate to my Ko-fi. I actually don't drink coffee, I drink tea, so I'll have to change the caption from "buy me a coffee" to something else, but yeah.

Thank you greatly to the people who read this far, even if you don't commission. I appreciate all of my followers and whoever decides to help, as well as people who can't. I know commissions are a luxury, so if you can't afford it, don't feel bad, you don't need to apologize, cuz that makes me feel bad too. It's totally okay.

And for people going through a similar crisis, hang in there. It can only be shit for so long after all.

NOTE: COMMISSIONS DO NOT INCLUDE PROMPTS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN SENT TO ME, so if you have sent in prompts in the past, THEY ARE NOT COMMISSIONS. I asked for writing prompts/requests, so they are no included in this.

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benandcoblog · 6 years

Video

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Nashville's Next Sweet Country Belle w/ Melanie Meriney

Melanie Meriney is an up and coming urban pop country artist who is a hat tippin', boot wearin', word slingin', country singer-songwriter making big moves in Nashville, Tennessee. I was lucky to grab her before the end of the year to ask her a few questions before she receives her first Grammy for influential and inspiring music. During our interview she mentioned she needed some help with her independent companies branding, I offered to help define her art and production company logos. Nothing like collaborating with like minded individuals striving to make something through passion and dedication.

[Ben]: You were born in Pittsburgh, what were your first 15 years like as a youngster?

[Melanie]: I was actually born in Los Angeles, and we moved to Pittsburgh when I was just three. I had a pretty awesome childhood. My parents and siblings were always supportive of my music dream, and I spent a lot of my younger years singing in church choirs, local choruses, open mics, and talent shows. I played travel ice hockey as well as field hockey at school and tried to keep my grades up so I could come to Nashville for college!

[Ben]: When did you decide to move to Nashville? Were you inspired by someone or something?

[Melanie]: When I was in third grade, I went to a Shania Twain concert with my parents. I watched her from my dad's shoulders with binoculars and thought she had the coolest job in the world. The next day, I asked if I could take voice lessons and I've been pretty single-minded ever since. I picked up a guitar and began trying to write songs. I knew Nashville was my next step after high school, so I applied and got accepted to Belmont University.

[Ben]: Do you notice a difference in the communities between Pittsburgh and Nashville, such as midwestern hospitality? Or is everyone more or less the same?

[Melanie]: There are slight differences. I'm not sure Pittsburghers identify with the midwest so much as they do with the east coast. People in Pittsburgh are pretty straight-up, as in, they tell you what they think and don't try to dress it up, for better or worse. That's different from the south, where people can be sweet to your face while masking their actual feelings. Strangely, a lot of my closest friends in Nashville are from northern states—I think we just naturally gravitate towards people with similar attitudes.

Both cities give me a strong sense of community. I feel at home in Pittsburgh, and now Nashville is also home. I've been living here going on nine years, so I think I can pretty much call myself a local.

[Ben]: Parents have a significant influence on our lives… did yours push you to become a musician? Did they ever have a doubt you shouldn’t be in music and encourage you to pursue something else? Were they always supportive of your decisions?

[Melanie]: My parents were integral to my development of musical tastes and style—my dad would play all the '80s rock bands he loved, and my mom would always have country radio on in the house. Both have been my biggest supporters while keeping me grounded. I talk to them pretty much every day to let them know what's going on with music and get their advice. They're the best.

They (and I) want me to be independent and have the ability to get a job that supports my main career aspirations. So, I attended Belmont as a dual English and Songwriting major, and then went on to get my Masters in Education. I admire the whole all or nothing path that some of my peers have taken, but I don't ever want to be dependent upon someone financially if I can help it.

[Ben]: Was there ever a time in your life when you essentially almost hit rock bottom via money, job, emotions, and/or feelings? What happened, where were you in life, and how did you overcome it? (I ask because I’m currently at this stage, and on vacation for winter writing and interviewing awesome people!)

[Melanie]: Aw no! You'll climb out! I pretty much have a breakdown every other month, honestly. It's such a conundrum choosing a career in a volatile field like music and still needing some sense of stability and sanity. I occasionally get anxious and depressed when I feel like nothing I do is working or mattering, and I'm struggling to break even financially or can't afford career moves that I feel are important. It's easy to look at the highlight reel of other people's lives and think that everyone is doing it better than you. But I've found that life is more like a rollercoaster—when you're low, you have to know that you're going to go up again.

I try to surround myself with people who remind me of my worth. A good support system is my perpetual saving grace. Make a list of everything you are accomplishing (even if it doesn't feel like a lot to you at the moment) and then catch lunch with someone who cares about you and can keep you motivated, on the right path.

[Ben]: Can you share a song you've written that has a hidden meaning or one that is emotional to you and your future as a growing musician/artist?

[Melanie]: I love writing tongue-in-cheek songs because I'm pretty sarcastic. One song you may have heard is the title track of my last EP, “Up in Lights.” It talks about the pressures of the entertainment industry, like the way we dress, act, perform, network, interview, etc., and how easy it can be to lose your sense of self. The song says ridiculous things like, "Nobody got anywhere by being just who they are," and, "You're only as good as they're saying; you may not be you, but your name is up in lights." I hope that listeners pick up on the sarcasm and understand that song actually means the opposite! As an artist, your most important responsibility is hanging onto the values and the tenets that make you YOU.

[Melanie]: I don't doodle when writing, although I always loved drawing and art when I was younger. Sometimes, to de-stress, I'll put my phone down for two or three hours and paint with watercolors. I'll show you [Or here is] a bird I painted a few weeks ago when I was especially stressed!

[Ben]: There are many musicians out there wanting to break into the industry. Most start their careers through social sites such as Instagram or YouTube. How were you found? Do you have advice for others?

[Melanie]: A solid fan base will always be the most effective way for an artist to become relevant. Finding your fan base can be easier with social media, primarily if you have limited resources and can't fund an entire cross-country tour. I've made a lot of great connections through live streams, DMs, and have been working on building my YouTube presence. We are creatures with short attention spans, so content is huge—I try to post at least once a day (sometimes I'm better at it than others) to keep a constant stream of engaging content going, whether that be music, videos, live streams, or pictures. Socials are a great way to start!

[Ben]: The holidays came and went like crazy! It seems like just last month we had filled our bellies with Thanksgiving turkey, stuffing, gravy, and Grandma Barb’s famous strawberry rhubarb pie. What’s your favorite holiday? Do you believe in Santa? And since Christmas just flew by, can you tell us your favorite present so far from a friend, family, or someone else?

[Melanie]: I have a tie for my favorite holidays, which are Christmas and the Fourth of July! I love Christmas because it's cozy and you're surrounded by family; and the Fourth of July because it's right in the middle of summer, providing some of my best memories. I believe in Santa in the spiritual sense—someone who brings together the most important things in life!

My favorite gift ever was my childhood kitty, Kristey. I got her in second grade. My parents put her in a cute little box, and she was my best friend until college when she passed away.

[Ben]: I’m a stickler for creative puns and jokes, though when it comes to music, it isn’t my forte. Puns like mine could get me in treble, they also usually fall flat, and people get tired, so I might give this sentence a full rest. Maybe if I had some sheet music, I’d take a lot of notes. Can you give us your best one-liner?

[Melanie]: (Laughing) I love it! Um... I'm definitely not the funny one in my family—that'd be my brother... hm... is your fridge running? If so, you better go catch it! (Best I got, sorry everyone.)

[Ben]: What’s next? Do you have a 3- and 5-year goal?

[Melanie]: My goal for 2019 is to put out new music and fill my calendar with tour dates! You can find them on my website at melaniemeriney.com! Even though I'm a planner, I'm finding this career path difficult to schedule. In five years, I would love to have a record deal with some solid radio airplay! Ultimately, I want to be financially secure and able to work on my music full time.

[Ben]: You currently have a crowdfunding campaign; can you tell us more about it? Is it hard to fund new endeavors? Do crowd campaigns for an already established musician provide more exposure while your backers get something to take home?

[Melanie]: I do! The last day to donate was December 24th (Christmas Eve). Our goal is $10,000 for recording and marketing new music. It's definitely a grassroots endeavor and takes a lot of humility to ask for help. Luckily, I'm able to give back in the form of signed CDs, t-shirts, hand-written lyric sheets, Skype concerts, and backer-selected cover songs. Crowdfunding is a great way to find out who truly cares about your career, and it's not always who you expect! The support has been phenomenal.

[Ben]: This wraps my interview questions for you, would you like to add anything else for our readers? Any words of inspiration?

[Melanie]: You are where you are in your life for a reason—whether it's to learn something, meet someone, or hear a good story. Embrace where you are knowing that as long as you are doing what you love, you won't look back with regrets.

[Ben]: Thank you, Melanie. That's excellent advice that I can certainly take to heart, and I'm sure others will as well. I've been loving your music since I first heard you, and know our readers will be just as inspired as your music continues to evolve and delight.

We look forward to hearing and seeing what you've got in store for us in 2019.

Melanie Meriney is an up and coming pop-country artist from Pittsburgh, PA now living in Nashville. She has opened for popular acts such as Little Big Town, The Commodores, Restless Heart, and Steve Augeri of Journey, as well as having been nominated for a Nashville Independent Music Award for Best Female Solo Artist. Her single, "Lifeboat," rocketed to #2 on both the UK HotDisc chart and Music Row (with the corresponding video receiving GAC rotation placement). Melanie is a "2018 Artist to Watch" on AXS and has received multiple mentions in Billboard, Country Aircheck, and Music Row Magazine. She is currently promoting her newest single, "Flame," with a music video release this month.

Follow Melanie Meriney on Instagram @melaniemeriney, Twitter @melaniemeriney, Facebook @melaniemerineymusic, and YouTube at /user/melaniemerineymusic.

For tour dates, you can find Melanie’s most recent touring schedule on her website at melaniemeriney.com.

#musician #nashville #country #melaniemeriney

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