#hardcore just wanted to get this off my chest because it��s driving me insane

[bthenoise]

Q&A: Bert McCracken Details The Used’s Hard-Hitting Yet Poppy New Record ‘Heartwork’

Let’s face it: For nearly 20 years now, The Used has solidified themselves as one of the best bands of our generation. Since the release of their 2002 self-titled album, the SLC punks have strung together an unparalleled discography of angsty, thought-provoking music fueled by anger, growth and love. 

Gearing up to release their eighth studio album Heartwork on April 24th, Bert McCracken and Co. are as hungry and humble as ever as they prepare to usher in a new era of the band.       

“There's something about approaching 20 years as a band and approaching 40 as human beings [where] we're desperate to keep this place in music,” says McCracken. “We're humbled by the amount of years we've had so far and we couldn't feel more fortunate or blessed or however you look at it. But I feel like if we were to slow down even a second or if we were to take it for granted for even one second, we would deserve to have it taken from us.”

Putting that restored energy into their upcoming 16-track album produced by longtime collaborator John Feldmann, McCracken suggests this might just be the best Used album yet.

“I think this whole new record is going to be a surprise for a lot of people. I think it's the best of the best of The Used,” he says. “It has our heaviest stuff ever that we've ever released. There's even a song that's way heavier than ‘Blow Me�� featuring Caleb [Shomo] from Beartooth. And then there's the poppiest stuff that The Used has ever done. There's like some kind of disco tracks on the record and stuff. There's a lot of slap bass. It's crazy like it's all over the place. So yeah, we're really excited.”

To read more from our chat with McCracken as we helped cap off the band’s entirely sold old North American tour, be sure to see below. Afterward, make sure to pre-order Heartwork here.

We're on the last day of your small club underplay tour. What’s the experience been like for you getting to play these small, intimate shows again?

BERT MCCRACKEN: Incredible. A lot of the shows, we come into the venue in the late afternoon when I get out of bed and I recognize the club from 18-19 years ago. Yesterday, at Sunshine Theater in New Mexico, we played a show [there] on our very very first tour ever with Goldfinger, Reel Big Fish, Sugarcult and The Used opening up the show. So it's been incredible nostalgia. It's been exactly what I think rock and roll and punk rock music is all about -- right up close, in your face, sweaty. It's that feeling of togetherness that comes from a small club vibe that you kind of don't get anywhere else that's so special, especially with a band like The Used. We're a band about feelings and the bigger picture and we take music very seriously. It's been incredible. I can't believe it's already over. Time flies when you're having fun.

Do you miss that intimacy you get with these smaller shows?

Yeah, a lot of times you would if you're on a big festival run and you've been doing outside shows with the crowd, maybe 15-20 feet away for months. It's always different parts of it that are really cool. Playing to a gigantic crowd has its own pluses but this is definitely our favorite. This is where we started out. This is where it kind of becomes a competition with yourself. I'm not a young kid anymore, so I know what these clubs are going to be like. I know what the bathroom situations are going to be like [laughs] and I know what I expect of myself with a small crowd like this. I know what I would want to see if I came to see The Used. So it's about throwing it down really really furiously as hard as you can.

It's funny you say that considering you're playing some newer songs on this tour like “Blow Me” which is one of the heavier songs you guys have released. What’s it been like playing that song and getting to see the fans react a few feet away from you?

It's incredible, man. It's such a cool diverse mix of kids. To see girls moshing is always fun. When we take new songs out on the road sometimes, it takes quite a while to figure out the song live but “Blow Me” and “Paradise Lost A Poem by John Milton” both feel like we've been playing them for 10 years. It's magical and mysterious why it feels like that. But I think this whole new record is going to be a surprise for a lot of people. I think it's the best of the best of The Used. Like you said, it has our heaviest stuff ever that we've ever released. There's even a song that's way heavier than “Blow Me” featuring Caleb from Beartooth. And then there's the poppiest stuff that The Used has ever done. There's like some kind of disco tracks on the record and stuff. There's a lot of slap bass. It's crazy like it's all over the place. So yeah, we're really excited. We all love such different types of music so seeing the difference for us is important. And that live experience, whether it's heavy or completely melodic, is so fun. I think The Used is a live band first.

Do you find yourself still listening to much heavy music these days?

A hundred percent. I think my most listened to record last year was A Different Shade of Blue by Knocked Loose. One of the best heavy records that's come out in forever. It was so reminiscent of stuff that I loved in the late 90s. So yeah, I listen to a little bit of a lot of everything.

Do you think that helped inspire some of the heavier songs on this record?

Yeah, a hundred percent. I mean, I was a hardcore kid growing up. My favorite bands were Coalesce, Converge, and Ink & Dagger. If it wasn't that heavy, then I was kind of like a prick and a punk about it. I was one of those kids [laughs]. So yeah, my world and my background is soaked in heaviness but then again, some of the other guys like Jeph [Howard, bassist] are very very diverse. He loves heavy music. He loves like Mr. Bungle and stuff that's heavy like that but he loves crazy eccentric tribal stuff and cultural stuff so it's a really cool kind of flow. Dan [Whitesides, drummer] loves rock and roll music, like rock and roll, like butt rock almost. I think he would say, if he had to pick a band, Mötley Crüe is his favorite band. And Joey [Bradford, guitarist] is all over the place. Joey's the youngest guy in the band and he loved The Used growing up. He loved bands like that and he loved punk rock and it's a perfect fit. All those different elements kind of create something special.

Do you think having Joey on this record helped instill some energy in the band a little bit?

I think we were in that place maybe before Joey came around. I think The Used has been firing off insanely for the past couple years. There's something about approaching 20 years as a band and approaching 40 as human beings [where] we're desperate to keep this place in music. We're humbled by the amount of years we've had so far and we couldn't feel more fortunate or blessed or however you look at it. But I feel like if we were to slow down even a second or if we were to take it for granted for even one second, we would deserve to have it taken from us. So yeah, I think Joey is the perfect candidate to jump into this vibe because he's driven, he's passionate and you kind of get swept up in my ambition and my drive if you're not careful. I've never been more healthy or happy and that creates such a beautiful kind of cohesiveness with the band.

We know you've been focusing more on your fitness and health lately. Has that helped with your songwriting and maybe your energy on stage at all?

100%. It helps with everything. What I found that helps and why I became obsessed with the gym is the after-effects. The endorphins I feel when I leave, it's almost a perfect cure for depression if you take it seriously. Those dark thoughts that become even darker and the voice in your head that can slowly convince you that you're not good enough -- that guy doesn't come around when I'm keeping to my workout routine. That guy stays buried in the mountain of positivity I've built. Also, I got this insane type of focus. I like to read a lot. And whenever I read after I work out, I have this insane concentration, insane focus, I can just read for hours. So there are so many benefits from it.

Does it make you wish you got into it sooner in life?

Of course. But it's hard to look at life that way. I think a lot of the reasons why The Used is special is because people have followed the journey of the ups and downs. You know, there's a lot of dark times but I think that I wouldn't be me if it wasn't for those specific moments.

Talking about some of those ups and downs, 2017′s The Canyon was a very personal record for you. Do you think getting that record off your chest so to speak helped you come closer to this positivity for the new record?

I think so, yeah. A lot of the process from a record is just a snapshot of a moment in that band's life. And what was going on in my life [at the time] was very tragic. I just lost one of my best friends and had the opportunity to make a record that was like an art experiment in grieving and see how far I could take it and how personal I could get and how open and honest with myself and specific even. So it was painful and brutal. The other side of it was we did it all to tape, so it was like we had to really actually be in the moment playing it. So we learned a lot. We would never do it again. It's one of these like religious moments for our band. It was very spiritual with Ross Robinson, who was very out of this world. I learned that the way humans connect to music is on a personal, individual level. It's only as important as you make it in your own life. That’s why I think The Used fans are so special because it is live [or] die for most of us.

Going back to Heartwork, one thing we’re sure that helped bring a lot of positivity to the album was working with John Feldmann again. What was that process like?   

It was the most relaxed and excited and focused I've ever felt in the studio. He's come full-circle with who he used to be as well. We all changed quite a bit. The John Feldmann that's leftover is the John Feldmann that is the hardest working individual I've ever met. He is the most passionate, the most dedicated, but he also has this newfound relaxed ability to just chill out and have a great time. So some of the focus going into this record was like, let's just make songs that are fun. Let's have fun doing it. Let's not put any expectations on anything. Whatever happens, let's try to say yes to everything. Even the stuff we might not have said yes to in the past, let's say yes to all of it. So he was the perfect kind of facilitator for all of those things. He's driven and he trusts the band just like we trust him.

One of the things you said yes to was guest features from the likes of Blink-182, Beartooth and FEVER 333. All of them have worked with John Feldmann in the past. Was he the one that brought those to the table?

Yeah, Feldmann has like a working machine in his studio that's incredible. He has this flow to things, like a song-a-day-type situation. He's become really close with the Blink guys since he worked on their record and we have toured with Blink in the past. So the first impressions were already beautiful, like, we've already developed relationships with the guys individually. So that was definitely not one of the things where I was like, “I don't know...” It was some of the more -- you'll hear it in the record -- some of the more pop moments that could be the most modern moments on the record. Something that a hardcore kid would have a hard time saying yes to. But working with Travis [Barker] was insane. He's the most beautiful, humble guy. I think he has a reputation for being this hardass just because he's such a quiet and chilled-out dude. And Mark [Hoppus] as well, just one of the nicest people you could meet. So humble, I mean who hasn’t heard of Blink-182 in this world? They’re massive. So yeah, to be able to kind of pick his brain in the process, we had a blast. Caleb from Beartooth recently has worked with Feldmann as well. So yeah, all those connections were kind of serendipitous. Really, really awesome that it happened that way.

Looking at the tracklist for Heartwork, there's one song specifically we want to ask you about. It’s called “Wow, I Hate This Song.” Can you touch on that a little bit?

That is a song I have been kind of dreaming into existence for the past like 12 years. There are so many songs I hate in the world and I have a lot of fun hating things. Cynicism is such a blessed entertainment at times if you're not being totally serious. You can see things for what it is -- and not to take anything away from the importance of music because everything is special to someone for some reason. But when I turn on satellite radio or when I'm just like scrolling around on any streaming site, it's like, “Holy shit. How the fuck did we get here?” Like, “This is the worst garbage I've ever heard.” So [“Wow, I Hate This Song”], it's super heavy and there’s this riff in it that's brutally heavy but it's also this super catchy, almost pretty wonderful song. So yeah, it's been a thought in the making for quite a long time. Finally nailed it down, so excited.

Being in a band for about 20 years, you can probably point out pretty well when songs aren’t very authentic and written for other purposes. Does it bum you out when some of those songs get so much notoriety?

I think in a way it speaks for itself because you can kind of get the gist of something and then if it blows up, it's only a matter of time before it completely disappears. I think there are only a few things that can become huge and stay relevant. I think The Used has always had a really cool way to avoid that trap that gives you the one hit song where it's almost like a career-ender. But yeah, it's all a part of it. I've never been a fan of hugely popular music other than when I was a child. I loved Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston, pop music in the 80s. But since then, my favorite bands are bands that don't have a lot of listeners per month. It's not like 9 million, it's more like 130,000 people listening to Converge a month. So yeah, for me, I don't really pay too much attention. I like to listen to all of it because I appreciate great production and great melody no matter who wrote it. I think we're getting to a point in digitally recorded music where everybody has the same tools and the same plugins [where] it's kind of come back on the artists now. It's like you got to actually be able to do it again. Things like Dua Lipa and these pop songs... anybody could build those tracks in their room. So if the artists' personality is there and you can tell someone can really sing right away -- I think we're coming into a cool place again.

It seems like 2020 could be a whole new decade where the cream rises to the top and people start to recognize what's good and what's not.

I fully agree, man. It's an exciting time for music. There's a huge resurgence of music that's backed by emotions, about the bigger things in life, not so much about how much money you have and how many bitches. We had 10 years of that. I think everyone's just like, I just want to feel something.

Interestingly enough, a lot of bands like My Chemical Romance, Rage Against The Machine, The Receiving End Of Sirens, Armor For Sleep are all coming back. It's pretty cool.

Yeah, either they're bored of just whatever they've been up to or... [laughs]. It's tough once you're on stage, once you've done it, to walk away from it for good. There's something so special about the whole process, about the setup of the show, then you're waiting around to play and there's this nervous excitement. I fully understand why if you were in a band you'd want to come back and do it, especially right now. This time for music is so cool. And any little bit of hype around the type of music we play is only good for music fans, I think. It's awesome, cooler tours and more fun experiences live. Those are the memories you keep. I think we've been saying it a lot during the show: If we can close our eyes and capture this moment, when we're out there dealing with the real shit in the fucking Trump America and all that, the whole world of it, we can maybe revert back to these moments and take some positivity from it and take some value in our own lives and know “Yeah things are rough, but there's a place for me.”

[phenomenal-forearm]

Seth Rollins NSFW Alphabet

As you can see, this was requested by a lovely nonnie. It has to be said that the requests that I know I can complete the fastest will be done first. That doesn’t mean I won’t do my other requests; because ya boy got some smut in the works. Totally not a Roman one...

Anywho... I haven’t done one of these ever so you guys will have to let me know how you feel about it because I love to hear feedback. This will loosely be based off my headcanons for the guy so yeah.

This took me not as long as I expected, and I really enjoyed it. Don’t be afraid to request anything!

A - Aftercare: He’s pretty good at it, its probably shocking to some people to hear it too. He’ll clean you up after, pull the blankets over you, play with your hair and talk to you into you fall asleep. Usually he talks absolute nonsense to you, or just talk about his day, because you’ll probably be to tired to answer. Though he knows his voice helps lull you to sleep, so that’s why he does it.

B - Body Part: His favorite body part of yours are your lips. He knows how talented you are with your mouth, and it drives him insane when you bite your lip; more than he cares to admit. 

C - Cum: He just doesn’t care. He will cum wherever; on your chest, face, stomach, thighs, in you. Just as long as he gets to cum.

D - Dirty Secret: He hasn’t told you; and he doesn’t know if he will, but he’s always wanted you to dominate him one time. When you were both going at it; you on top, he didn’t expect you to pin his arms over his head, and he’s almost embarrassed to say that he almost moaned out loud at it. So he’d like to see if he likes it, but he has no clue on coming out with it.

E - Experience: You don’t just look like that and have no experience. That’s all i’m saying. I’d say he’s experienced, very. Probably was a grade A fuckboy. But he’d enjoy learning everything about your body, what makes you moan and write. In general; he is experienced. 

F - Favourite position: If he’s feeling particularly impatient, he’ll pin you up against a wall or counter.

If he’s being gentle then he’ll want to see your face and kiss you the whole time. So good ol’ missionary.

G - Goofy: He strikes me as the kind of guy who would tell you a really bad joke in the middle of sex. 

H - Hair: If you’ve seen the picture then you’ll know. There’s no guesses needed there.

I - Intimacy: If he’s in the right mood then he will be very intimate. He’s usually a very intimate guy anyway.

J - Jack Off: Now he’s with you, he doesn’t like to do it as much. But if it comes to it; like he’s away and you’re not there with him, then he will. But he usually gets off to the thought of you.

K - Kink: Hair pulling. He doesn’t know why but something about hair pulling while doing the dirty deeds will really get him off. There’s just something so aggressive and needy when you do it. 

L - Location: Anywhere. At. All.

M - Motivation: Your voice. Whether it’s you sassing him or just sounding all sexy when you’re trying to turn him on. He just loves how you sound. 

N - No: I don’t think he’d be into hurting you. So no extreme kinks like knife play, hardcore bdsm.

O - Oral: This is a tough one. Because he loves going down on you, to him it’s almost as good as the sex itself. But, what guy doesn’t enjoy receiving you know?

P - Pace: Can either be rough or gentle, depends on the mood you’re both in. If you were to have teased him for the whole day for example, you would be in for a fun night of hair pulling (from both of you), spanking, maybe choking and scratching. 

However, if you wanted it to be gentle. That’s a whole other story. He would lay you down on the bed, and cherish your whole body, whispering how much he loves you and appreciates everything you do. Lots of hand holding, smiles and long kisses.

Q - Quickie: He’s all for it. Whenever, wherever. Either one of you will drag the other into a random room/office. He prefers it when you do it to him when he’s at work, something about you being dominant gets him going. 

R - Risk: He doesn’t care where you do it, as long as you do it. The thrill of being caught does do something to him though, so you both will probably fuck in public places more than you care to admit. 

S - Stamina: I have already said it once and I will not hesitate to scream it from the rooftops. 3+ rounds, orgasm after orgasm people. He just doesn’t stop. Not until he knows you are both well and truly fucked. 

T - Toy: He will probably have a few bits and pieces. I’m not gonna call him an outright Christian Grey, but it doesn’t mean he has none. 

U - Unfair: SETH ROLLINS IS THE ULTIMATE TEASE PEOPLE THERE IS NO WAY AROUND IT SO JUST ACCEPT THE FACT OKAY.

V - Volume: He’s kinda loud. Mostly due to all the dirty talking he does, but he’ll moan and groan plenty too. Especially when you pull his hair.

W - Wild Card (random headcanon): One of the hottest things he’s ever seen was the morning after, he woke up, went to the kitchen and saw you there in his shirt singing and dancing to Blink-182. It’s also the moment he knew you were the one; he won’t tell you that yet because he’s afraid you’ll break up with him at some point.

X - X-Ray: If you’ve seen the picture then you already don’t need me to tell you.

Y - Yearning: His yearning is pretty high. I’m like 70% sure of that fact, and you should be too.

Z - ZZZ: I could imagine him falling to sleep as soon as it’s over, but at the same time I can imagine him just playing with your hair until you fall asleep, then he’d fall asleep.

[ifwearestrangers]

All the numbers xo

I kind of hate you but y’all obviously don’t know me if you think I won’t answer them all I LIKE CHALLENGES. 

1) Put your iTunes on shuffle. Give me the first 6 songs that pop up - Save Me - Gotye / Smooth Criminal - Glee Cast (no comment) / Undone - Phoria / West Coast - Lana Del Rey / Six Feet Under - Louis Aguilar

2) If you could meet anyone on this earth, who would it be? Ellen Degeneres

3) Grab the book nearest to you, turn to page 23, give me line 17. “Yeah,” he said. The light turned green green. I braced myself. Augustus slammed the gas. 

4) What do you think about most? How much of a failure I am :) and Clexa of course.

5) Ever had a poem or song written about you? Maybe? probably. 

6) Do you have any strange phobias? Spiders, heights, and opression, like being underwater or unable to breathe? 

7) What’s your religion? Gayness.

8) If you are outside, what are you most likely doing? Being with friends, 

9) Simple but extremely complex. Favorite band? Florence and the Machine, The Cure, Ben Howard, Tegan and Sara, The Killers, Coldplay. 

10) What was the last lie you told? I told my best friend’s girlfriend I didn’t know what was in his head when I know exactly what’s in his head. 

11) Do you believe in karma? I sure do. 

12) What does your URL mean? It means that we’re all strangers here but we ought not to be, which is what brought us all together i guess.

13) What is your greatest weakness; your greatest strength? weakness, I’d say my low-self esteem, strength, I’d say my kindness. 

14) Who is your celebrity crush? At the moment.. jeez I don’t know! How sad! I’d say Dianna Agron though because I’m always crushing on her. 

15) How do you vent your anger? Talking people’s ears off in general. 

16) Do you have a collection of anything? Playing cards, books, funko pops, tattoos, prints and drawings.

17) Are you happy with the person you’ve become? Not quite yet but I’m getting there, and isn’t being human always striving for improvement? 

18) What’s a sound you hate; sound you love? I hate the crissing of chalk on a chalboard, ya know? And I love the sound of the rain and really really loud thunder. 

19) What’s your biggest “what if”? What if I had made it work, what if I saw her, what if we were still together? What if I was enough.. 

20) Do you believe in ghosts? How about aliens? Yes I do believe in people’s soul being stuck between two reincarnations, and aliens? FOR SURE. 

21) Stick your right arm out; what do you touch first? Do the same with your left arm. Right : nothing. Left: my heater. 

22) Smell the air. What do you smell? Pastas because it’s almost diner time! 

23) What’s the worst place you have ever been to? Hm.. toughie. I honestly can’t remember right now. 

24) Most attractive singer/s of your opposite gender? Of the opposite gender.. I’d say Chris Martin? But because that’s the only one I can think about right now lmao.

25) To you, what is the meaning of life? Wow, I ain’t got time to lay out my opinion on that, I’ve got too much too say. Long story short, living. Life in itself is insignificant but it’s also the only thing we’ve got so make it count. 

26) Do you drive? If so, have you ever crashed? I do not, but I did crash. My sister was driving and it was the worst memory I have. 

27) What was the last movie you saw? Hm Thor I think? With my sister. 

28) What’s the worst injury you’ve ever had? I have a ernia in my neck from the car crash and honestly? It’s the worst. Chronic pain each time I paint or stand for too long. Absolute delight. 

29) Do you have any obsessions right now? Clexa, my life, my future, faberry, writing music, writing clexa, drawing clexa, painting, my career. 

30) Ever had a rumor spread about you? Yes, in middle school there was this whole rumor around school that I was gay… SPOILER ALERT. 

31) Do you tend to hold grudges against people who have done you wrong? No, I am an easy forgiver but also because I strive for affection and also because I just cannot stand to be in a fight with someone even if I’m right. I have hold a grudge once in my life against my best friend because she was against same sex marriage in my country but fortunately she came around and voted yes. 

32) What is your astrological sign? Scorpio, passion all around. 

33) What’s the last thing you purchased? A bracelet for my sister’s christmas gift. 

34) Love or lust? Both? Please? They go together. 

35) In a relationship? Painfully not. 

36) How many relationships have you had? Hm.. Serious ones 3. 

37) What is your secret weapon to get someone to like you? My firting and my cuteness that I will deny until my dying day. 

38) Where is your best friend? I have severa best friends, and they’re all around the world. Unlucky me. 

39) What were you doing last night at 12 AM? Working on that next clexa thing I’m making and let me tell you guys it’s awesome already. 

40) Are you the kind of friend you would want to have as a friend? Probably because I try to be the best of friends to people even if I’m far from perfect, but I’m always trying to be better. 

41) You are walking down the street on your way to work. There is a dog drowning in the canal on the side of the street. Your boss has told you if you are late one more time you get fired. What do you do? I SAVE THE FUCKING DOG WHAT THE FUCKING KIND OF QUESTION IS THAT SCREW THE JOB. 

42) You are at the doctor’s office and she has just informed you that you have approximately one month to live. a) Do you tell anyone/everyone you are going to die? b) What do you do with your remaining days? c) Would you be afraid? seriously though I HAVE ANXIETY PEOPLE DON’T DO THAT. but anyway, as an anxiety full person I’ve thought about this before lmao. a) I’d probably wouldn’t tell them until the very last moment because I know they would act different. b) I would make sure every one of the people I love get what they need, that they’re happy so I can go peacefully. Also I’d sneak in a trip to brazil to tell her goodbye, see my best friend before I go. c) Of course I’d be afraid that I wouldn’t have enough time to make sure everyone’s safe and happy, to say goodbye properly. Afraid I haven’t made the most of it. 

43) What’s a song that always makes you happy when you hear it? hm.. Just Like Heaven - The Cure. 

44) In your opinion, what makes a great relationship? Trust and communication. (good sex too but ya know, thats just a bonus) 

45) How can I win your heart? Show me any kind of attention and affection I guess? Also my weakness are powerful girls who challenge me, provoke me and flirt hardcore, play hard to get. (But not that hard you get me?) 

46) Can insanity bring on more creativity? I think yes but there’s a very difficult balance to find between the two. 

47) What is the single best decision you have made in your life so far? A year ago I would have told you without the shadow of a doubt that it was falling in love with a brazilian girl and crossing the world to be with her but looking back maybe it wasn’t. Then again, I would do it all over again. 

48) What would you want to be written on your tombstone? “Beloved sister, devoted friend, she saved the world a lot.”

49) Give me the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word “heart.” Right now, broken but also hopeful. 

50) Basic question; what’s your favorite color/colors? That kind of cerrulean blue that’s almost green, a little teal but not quite there yet. A soft, gentle cerrulean blue. 

51) What is your current desktop picture? A drawing fll of colors of a forest with wolves. 

52) If you could press a button and make anyone in the world instantaneously explode, who would it be? Donald Trump :) 

53) What would be a question you’d be afraid to tell the truth on? Am I worth it?

54) You accidentally eat some radioactive vegetables. They were good, and what’s even cooler is that they endow you with the super-power of your choice! What is that power? Flying. 

55) You can re-live any point of time in your life. The time-span can only be a half-hour, though. What half-hour of your past would you like to experience again? When I was up that hill in Brazil. Everything was uncertain but I was spent and on top of the world and for a minute there, I thought I could change it all. 

56) You can erase any horrible experience from your past. What will it be? The break-up. The depression that followed. The void in my chest ever since. That feeling of nothingness, of incomplete. Unfinished. The feeling that we are unfinished. 

57) You have the opportunity to sleep with the music-celebrity of your choice. Who would it be? MUSIC ONLY? DAMN. Hayley Kiyoko, then. 

58) You just got a free plane ticket to anywhere. You have to depart right now. Where are you gonna go? New York. 

59) Ever been on a plane? Yes and I love it. Also I’ve been on a plane at night, next to the window, and I saw the milkyway, and that was the most beautiful thing ever. I was seeing the sky underneath me and that’s a feeling I’ll never forget. 

60) Give me your top 5 hottest celebrities. Dianna Agron, Mila Kunis, Gal Gadot, Marie Avgeropoulos, Ruby Rose. 

[endgame-sterek]

Reading Sterek #17

Everything I read this “week”: February 19  - February 26

Not!Fics/Ficlets/AUs

❤Coffee? by @deleted-scenes 791 G❤

“Coffee?” Derek asks, holding the French press mid-pour. The dude has a fucking French press, Stiles thinks distantly, still trying to shake himself from his extremely-well-fucked stupor.

❤That’s My Shirt by @nogitsunelichen 887 G❤

“That’s my shirt. So is that…wait?”

D.C. by @haletostilinski 1,033 G

It’s been about a week of driving on the road, and Stiles gets to his place and drops his things off. The rest of his stuff will be delivered in about another week. 

AO3 Fics

❤Hug Delivery by @villainny 674 G❤

“Stiles Stilinski?” Stiles looks up, his mouth dropping open when he reaches the pinnacle of stubbled beauty that is the man’s face. “Oh wow,” he says, “wow, I would not have called the leather.” 

Like Aunt Millie’s Dogs by theauthor2010 1,107 E

Drabble. Sheriff Stilinski walks in on Derek and Stiles. Only Derek…can’t leave. 

Operation: Find Out if Stiles is a Virgin by day 1,238 NR

Stiles doesn't know why the pack thinks he's a virgin. He's really confused. “How many people have you slept with?” Allison, who has been trying to get Scott to breathe this entire time, asks.“Men or women?” Stiles asks and that's apparently not what they were expecting judging by the way they're all choking.

Bedtime Stories by frek / @frek, xKxDx 1,260 G

Derek hasn't been read to since he was young enough to sit on his father's lap.

The Idiot's Guide to Modern Tech by Chioces / @chioces 1,847 G

Five times Derek texts Stiles and the one time he calls.

I Got Mine by milkysterek / @milkysterek 1,940 E

His throat is thick, body tense as he rocks forward against the sink, trying to find some friction against the smooth underbelly of the basin. Nothing feels good, there’s no release and somehow through his lust clogged gullet he manages a whimper, “Please, Alpha.” 

Good Idea, Bad Idea by bleep0bleep / @bleep0bleep 1,942 E

“I need to keep my eyes on the road,” Derek says sternly. Stiles unbuckles his seatbelt. “So keep your eyes on the road, then.”

Boys are Dumb but Werewolves are Dumber by frek / @frek 2,234 G

Five times Stiles tries to tell Derek how he felt and the one time he didn’t have to.

❤Quoting Rhett Butler by haleofStilesheart / @hale-of-stiles-heart 2,445 T❤

Stiles has a bad habit of dating complete assholes. Good thing Derek's there to knock some sense into him.

❤Limbo by Inell / @inell 2,550 T❤

Stiles and his team are on an undercover stakeout that’s not going too well. Derek’s using his powers for good, but Stiles knows it’s not the right moment for their relationship to change.

"Poor Derek" by write_light / @write-light 2,968 E

For high-scoring, scholarships-and-a-bright-future Derek Hale, the worst thing that can happen is to stop thinking. Rule-breaking, trouble-on-two-legs Stilinski has exactly that effect on just about everyone.

Plot Twist: Derek's Still a Virgin by coffeeinallcaps / @coffeeinallcaps 3,096 E

“I’m a virgin. Do you need me to spell it out for you? I. Am. A. Virgin. I am a virgin. I, Derek Hale—” “Okay, I get it, I get it,” Stiles says. “I’m just gonna need some time to digest this information, that’s all.”

Ready by ashley_ingenious / @andrwjstn 3,117 E

Derek Hale’s not an idiot, okay. He knew becoming an Alpha wouldn’t prevent him from going into heat. He just thought… he just thought he had more time, because Alpha’s don’t go into heat unless they’re in the presence of their true mate. And that, well, Derek hadn’t been expecting that.

JailBait by TheGirlWhoDancesWithAlphas 3,270 T

Stiles hadn't really expected to wake up from a long night of shipping wars and hardcore pack cuddles to Derek Hale cooking him pancakes. But he also hadn't been under the impression he was stupid enough to forget his own 18th birthday. Or that his dad and Derek were apparently friendly. (also known as the weirdest birthday stiles has ever had)

Like A Virgin; But not. by TheGirlWhoDancesWithAlphas 3,601 T

Stiles totally fit the geeky, virgin until he was 30 stereotype. Except, that he didn't.

❤Fuzzy Logic by Sparseparsley 6,504 E❤

Derek and Stiles switch bodies because of wizard reasons and Stiles just wants to know what that awesome scent is.

Actual Virgin Stiles Stilinski by BriaLlama 7,241 

Virgin vir·gin noun 1. a person who has never had sexual intercourse. 2. an unmarried girl or woman. 3. Stiles Stilinski

❤It is so Quite New a Thing by sheafrotherdon 8,713 E❤

In the last, lazy moment before he opens his eyes, Derek realizes something is wrong.

❤Our Puddle is Deceptively Deep by calrissian18 / @wellhalesbells 10,009 E❤

They start out in a literal tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G.

❤Here's My Hand if You'll Take It (I Can Be That Part of You) by Vendelin / @ljummen 10,740 E❤

When Stiles is away at college, he realises that he’s in love with Derek. He also realises that he doesn’t exactly have the qualities an alpha needs in a mate. Boyfriend. Whatever. So he decides to change, with a little help from Martha Stewart. It’s just that Stiles isn’t all that great when it comes to tending to the betas, baking or cleaning. But maybe he doesn’t have to be.

❤Do You Wish We’d Fall in Love by @sterekwriters 11,028 E❤

“You’re in love with my brother!” Scott accuses - completely out of the blue if you ask Stiles. There is nothing whatsoever that could even explain why this question would cross his best friend’s mind. In the middle of them being Call of Duty no less.

❤Insane Chemistry (with Derek Hale) by theroguesgambit / @halekingsourwolf 13,488 M❤

Derek is the popular, varsity jock, prom king of the school, and Stiles is not going to be the cliche that ends up falling for him. (It’s not a cliche if no one else knows about it, right?)

❤Knot if You Don't Knock by jsea, marguerite_26 / @marguerite26  13,737 E❤

Stiles never expects to present as an omega -- that's something that happens to people like Greenberg, not him. He is so wrong.His life only gets stranger when Derek Hale mistakenly bursts through the door of his exam room during a doctor’s appointment. What happens next is a complicated series of events, including freshly baked cookies, book-carrying and surprise heats.

❤❤Patterns of Intention by drunktuesdays / @drunktuesdays 17,085 E❤❤

Derek looked like the stuff of his deepest fantasies. His shirt was rumpled where Stiles had his hands in it, and he was breathing hard as well, chest heaving. His eyes—his eyes were glazed over and he looked stunned, like he’d been—like Stiles had— “No,” Stiles said, blood draining from his face. The word was croaky and felt like it had to be wrenched out of his chest. “God, no.”

♚The Price by theroguesgambit / @halekingsourwolf 18,452 M♚

Stiles must surrender the most important thing in his life to protect the town… and no one can figure out what it was.

❤❤Drown Me with Kisses by LadySlytherin / @everything-a-wolf-could-want 19,428 E❤❤

When a rusalka in the preserve nearly kills Stiles with a kiss, Stiles is in grave danger any time he’s near a source of water - not just rivers, lakes, and oceans, but pools, bathtubs, the shower, a sink full of water - you put water in it, and it could probably kill Stiles now. Deaton’s advice? Break the rusalka’s magic with a kiss of opposite power - love to beat out death.

Other

Head in the Dark (comic) by @tokume and @cutewolfboys WIP T

The Shopping List by apocryphal / @the-apocrypha

Stiles' shopping list is stolen and modified. Repeatedly. (Very image heavy.)