#i only have a few of their personalities worked out entirely but like Ft Wayne is a firecracker | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

disasterman-snz · 2 years ago

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Okay I’m super nervous to post this, but I love reading yalls fics so much I wanted to try and contribute.

So have way too many fucking words of pre-steddie whump, ft. sick Eddie and kink Steve (not much happens with that, but it’s there if you pay attention)

I may continue this if there’s any interest so uhh,, yeah! Sorry if it sucks ass fdsfsd

______

Eddie scrubs a hand over his face in frustration before shoving it back under his armpit in an attempt to keep warm.

It's one of the first truly cold days of the year. It snowed lightly all morning, leaving a thin blanket of white around town. The wind is harsh and causes Eddie’s hair to whip around him as he stands in front of his van.

"Shit," he curses, not for the first time since he walked out into the parking lot only to find his tires slashed.

Really, he shouldn't be surprised. His van is pretty recognizable, and he's not exactly a beloved figure around Hawkins right now.

Having your name tied to a string of murders will do that, even if you get your name cleared by some shadowy government figures who make you sign about a thousand NDA agreements in exchange.

The overall population of Hawkins is still pretty dead set on him being a murderous demon with powers gifted to him by Satan or whatever people are saying about him now.

"Fuck, shit," he breathes, letting out a small strangled noise of frustration that quickly turns into a wet sounding cough.

Because of course this would happen when he was already getting sick.

He hadn't even wanted to come in to the Family Video today, but Steve and Robin worked their asses off to get him this job, and he can't afford to be calling out sick.

The shift had dragged on. It was slow at least, most people choosing to stay in to avoid the weather.

But sitting at the counter for the entire shift has left Eddie feeling achy and exhausted, and he just really wants to go home where he can disappear into a big pile of blankets until he feels like being a person again.

He feels his eyes start to burn with tears against his will as he looks at the van, but he pushes the emotions down.

This isn’t the time to be getting upset. He needs to look at this logically.

He has a few options.

He could trudge down to the auto shop and somehow lug 3 new tires back here in the snow. It's about a 20 minute walk there though... and then he'd actually have to change the tires out, which sounds pretty awful considering he's already starting to shiver and he's only been standing out here for a few minutes. His leather jacket feels pretty thin in the face of the biting cold.

He could also go back into the Family Video and see if Keith will let him use the phone, despite the fact that the man very clearly isn't his biggest fan. He tries to avoid any lengthy interactions with him if possible.

And then he's not even sure who he would call. There's his uncle, but he should have left for work about 20 minutes ago, and he refuses to bother the poor man at his job.

He knows Wayne would leave in a heartbeat to come get him, but Eddie doesn't want to burden him like that.

He thinks about the little radio the nerds insist on him carrying around now that he's a 'real party member,' which apparently is what they call being one of the small handful of random civilians that somehow always wind up tasked with literally preventing the apocalypse.

He considers radioing in for help on that, but then he remembers that he would be begging for help from literal children, and grimaces.

He guesses he could call for a tow truck, but shit that's expensive, and he really wants to go home and sleep.

He snuffles thickly and raises a numb hand up to wipe at his nose, which is freezing cold and starting to run.

There is one last person that he could call for help. Someone with one of the party radios who actually has the ability to drive over to come get him.

And, yeah, begging the ex-King of Hawkins High himself, Steve Harrington to come and get him doesn't exactly sound appealing, even if they have started to become friends since everything that went down last spring.

Especially because he's started to develop a slightly stupid... okay very stupid, unrealistic crush on the man.

But it's the best option he's got at this point.

So he throws open the door to his van, ignoring the way the hinges creak with the strain, and grabs the walkie talkie from where it sits in the passenger seat.

He only hesitates for a moment before he lets his numb fingers flip to the right frequency.

"Harrington, this is Eddie, do you copy?"

There's silence for a long moment, and resignation curls around him. It’s one of Steve’s days off so of course he’d be busy- probably out on a date, or hanging out with Robin or something.

Fuck, maybe he can just call a tow truck after all. He can't really afford it but he's not really sure what else to do.

"Munson, what's going on? Over."

Oh thank fuck.

He shakily holds the walkie talkie to his mouth, his numb fingers struggling to press down the talk button "Hey, snDff sorry, Someone uh- I snrff got a flat and I'm at work, is there any way you could give me a lift?"

His teeth chatter as he talks and he keeps sniffling, which is more than a little embarrassing.

"Oh shit man," Steve's voice crackles through the radio, and he can hear movement on the other end "Headed your way Munson. Don't like, freeze or anything, over."

Eddie snorts at Harrington saying 'over,' even as relief washes over him.

"Thanks man snrrf...uh, over."

He sets the walkie talkie to the side, curling in on himself as he sits in his cold van, sniffles punctuating the silence.

He’s never wished his van had a heater more than he does now, but at least help is on the way.

Still, between the stress and the cold, any hope he had of this being a minor cold has flown out the window. He can feel himself feeling worse and worse with every passing minute.

His nose is running non stop and all he can do is sniffle thickly every so often in a pathetic attempt to get it under control. His body is wracked with shivers, and everything aches fiercely. His head feels like it’s been stuffed full of cotton, and he reaches up to massage his temples every so often.

By the time he sees Steve's car pulling into the parking lot, Eddie's so cold he can barely feel his toes.

He stumbles out of the van quickly as Harrington pulls up next to him.

His window is rolled down and he's staring at the van.

"Jesus Munson," Steve frowns, a strange look in his eyes, "Someone slashed your tires.”

Eddie resists the urge to say something snarky about Steve stating the obvious.

He just snuffles and shrugs, "Yeah well, I’m a ‘murderer,’ remember," he puts air quotes around 'murderer.’

Steve gives him a sympathetic look that would've pissed him off coming from anyone else.

"Well… get your ass in here before you turn into an icicle man. We can figure that out tomorrow," he gestures at the van.

Eddie thanks whatever higher powers there may be that neither of them have work tomorrow, shakily climbing into Steve Harrington's car.

The heat hits him all at once. Steve must have turned it up just for him, because it’s toasty in here, and Eddie sinks into the seat with a small moan.

He puts his hands in front of the vent, letting the warmth wash over them and chase the chill from outside away.

“Thangks for this man,” Eddie breathes out, congestion thick in his voice.

His nose is running even more than it had been in the van, as the warmth loosens up the congestion.

He lifts up a sleeve and scrubs at it harshly, the leather from his jacket rough on his sensitive nose.

Steve rolls up the window and turns the heat up a little more.

"It's too fucking cold out there man, I'm sorry they did that to you."

Eddie shrugs, swiping at his nose again, "Thad was probably the point,” he frowns down at his lap, “It is what id is though.”

He turns to Steve and quickly adds, "But thangks for the ride, I snf appreciade it."

Steve smiles softly at him, “Don’t mention it Munson.”

They fall into a comfortable silence, sans Eddie's constant sniffling, as Steve pulls out of the parking lot.

“Do you kdow the way to the trailer park?”

Steve nods, “Yeah, of course man.”

Eddie just sniffles in response, scrubbing harshly at his nose with his sleeve again.

He misses the concerned look Steve shoots him as he does so.

“I think there might be some tissues in the glove compartment if you wanna dig around?”

The tips of Eddie’s ears flush, but he tries to brush off the embarrassment “I- Umbb… Sure thangks.”

He opens the glove compartment and awkwardly shifts a few things around, finding a travel pack of tissues easily. Trust Steve to be this prepared.

“You’re such a mom,” he teases as he tears the pack open.

Steve sputters, “I am not!”

Eddie raises a brow at him, and Steve flushes.

God he’s so cute when he gets all flustered.

Eddie shakes his head to clear those thoughts. Now is not the time to be pining for Steve Harrington.

He takes a tissue from the pack and turns towards the window, dabbing at his nose a bit. He’s not willing to blow in front of Steve, especially when he knows it’s probably going to be wet and gross if he does.

The soft touch of the tissue on his chapped nose feels nice though.

But it also irritates his nose, and his eyes widen as his nostrils flare a bit. His breath catches, and he grimaces.

When he’s sick he always gets stupidly sensitive. It drives him mad, and he can never catch a damn break once the sneezing starts. It hadn’t been too bad during his shift, but obviously this cold is really starting to ramp up now.

“Ehheh..” he pinches his nose through the tissue, “Hehh’NXXTshh.. Hh-hhXGTShhuh.. HeiHh-HeHh’nNDTXXShh- HeiSHhGGXXt… snnRRff…”

Eddie flushes all the way to his neck at how wet and desperate the sneezes sounded, “Sorry aboud thad, snFf,” he grabs another tissue from the pack and hurries to clean himself up.

He misses the way Steve has turned bright red at the fit.

“No need to apologize,” Steve finally says after a long moment, “but are you feeling okay?”

Eddie chews on his bottom lip. He really doesn’t want to admit to his crush that he’s all gross and sick, so he shrugs.

“I’m fine, it’s jusd from being out in the cold.”

Steve hums, pulling up to a red light. He turns to look at Eddie as the car stops, his expression disbelieving.

“If you’re sure…”

Eddie nods, “Yeah dude, don’t snddf worry.”

Steve frowns, and Eddie ignores the look on his face that screams ‘I don’t believe you.’

“Okay but… you can blow your nose if you need to. I’m not gonna get like, grossed out or anything.”

Eddie winces. God, leave it to him to be so disgusting in front of his stupidly hot, brave, badass crush that he’s literally asking him to blow his fucking nose. Steve is probably getting annoyed by the constant sniffling.

“Ah, yeah. I wasn’d worried,” he lies with a shrug, fiddling with the pack of tissues in his lap as the light turns green and Steve pulls away.

After a brief hesitation, Eddie does wind up bringing a tissue to his nose to blow softly.

Despite the fact that he’s attempting to make as little noise as possible, it still comes out thick and productive, and he makes a face as he adds to tissue to the growing pile in his lap.

He will admit, it did help clear up some of the congestion.

Steve doesn’t react at all aside from offering him a soft smile when he notices Eddie staring at him, which makes Eddie flush.

The rest of the drive is uneventful, and soon Steve is pulling up to Eddie’s trailer.

“Thanks again Steve,” Eddie says, resisting the urge to sniffle when he’s so close to being able to be as gross as his heart desires without worrying about looking like an idiot.

“It really wasn’t any trouble Eddie,” Steve assures softly, reaching out and putting a hand on his shoulder. Eddie feels like his entire body burns with the touch and he can feel his cheeks darkening.

“Let’s figure out what to do about the van when you’re feeling better, okay.”

Eddie flushes even darker, “I’m fine- but you don’t have to worry about that anyways Steve, you’ve already helped enough.”

Steve rolls his eyes, “Hey, get it through your thick skull, I want to help.”

Eddie feels like he could melt into the earth right now, “I… uh, okay,” he squeaks.

Steve nods, looking satisfied, and drops his hand from Eddie’s shoulder, “Call me if you need anything Munson.”

Eddie nods, mourning the loss of contact. He turns away and pushes open the door to Steve’s car, stepping back out into the cold biting air.

He shivers immediately, and turns back to Steve to give him a small wave before hurrying inside the trailer.

Once he’s inside he slumps in on himself, burying his head in his hands and sniffling soupily.

“Oh my god,” he groans to himself, rubbing at his nose as he drags himself over to the couch and all but collapses into it, “What a fucking day…”

He bundles himself up in all the blankets he can scavenge from around the trailer and settles in on the couch, putting on a star wars tape he bought ages ago for background noise.

He falls asleep pretty quickly after laying down on the couch, his body curled up in the nest of blankets.

_____

He wakes up to knocking at his front door, and he sits up blearily .

“The hell?” he mumbles to himself.

Whoever is at the door knocks again, and Eddie raises a hand to his temple. God his head is killing him.

“Mm cobing,” he calls, congestion thick in his voice.

Fuck, he needs to blow his nose again.

He stands up, grabbing one of the blankets from his little nest and wrapping it around himself as he makes his way to the door.

Shit, how does he somehow feel so much worse than he did when he fell asleep.

He glances at the clock on the wall and sees that only about an hour has passed since he got home. It wasn’t even that long of a nap, and yet he somehow feels so awful.

He forces himself to open the door, and his brows furrow.

“Steve?”

Steve waves awkwardly on his doorstep, “Hey Eddie,” he holds up a shopping bag, “I come bearing gifts.”

Eddie blinks, feeling behind. Did he miss something? His brain feels foggy, and he can’t help but stare in confusion.

Steve seems to pick up on this and smiles sheepishly, “I was just… well you didn’t sound too good in the car earlier. I know you said you weren’t sick, but you can’t really drive right now. So I went and got you a few things.”

Eddie softens, pulling the door open and gesturing for Steve to come in, which Steve does.

“You didn’t have to do thad Steve,” he protests, his face flushed. He’s not sure if it’s from embarrassment or the fever that he thinks must have settled in during his nap. It might be both.

“I wanted to,” Steve insists, “I hope I’m not overstepping or anything. I know we aren’t super close, I was just worried.”

Eddie shakes his head, “No, no, I appreciade id. You jusd didn’t need to go to the trouble for me.”

Tension Eddie hadn’t even realized was there seems to seep out of Steve. “Doing things for you isn’t trouble Eddie,” he insists as he sets the bag down on the coffee table in front of the couch.

Eddie sits back down, hesitantly gesturing for Steve to join him, which Steve does.

Their knees brush against one another as Steve settles into the couch, and Eddie flushes.

He reaches forward to see what’s in the bag as a distraction.

“God, you really are a mom,” Eddie laughs as he looks through everything.

There’s tissues, cold medicine, a can of soup, cough drops, painkillers, and a few snacks in the bag.

Steve flushes at that and grumbles under his breath that he isn’t, which just makes Eddie laugh even harder.

His laughter quickly turns into wet coughs, and he turns away from Steve as they wrack his body.

He feels a hand press against his back, stabilizing him, and he can’t help but be grateful for it even if he is humiliated at Steve seeing him like this.

“You okay?” Steve asks as the coughing tapers off.

“Mm, yeah. Sorry ‘bout that,” Eddie grimaces, “I’m… I guess you obviously put it together, but I thingk I’b a liddle sick righd now,” he admits, staring down at his lap “So I’b probably not godda be the best snnrrf company.”

Steve makes a small tutting sound, brushing Eddie’s hair from his face where it had fallen during the coughing fit, and gently turns his head to face him, “Hey, don’t say that.”

Steve gives him a warm look that leaves Eddie breathless, “I already figured you were sick, I came cause I was worried about you Eds, not because I need you to entertain me,” he smiles “Besides, you’re great company no matter what, so relax.”

Eddie wants to scream, and say it’s hard to relax when Steve is right next to him looking so perfect and kind and amazing and he’s all gross and pathetic looking.

He doesn’t of course, just nods and smiles hesitantly “If you’re sure.”

Steve nods, “I’m sure.”

Eddie slumps back into the couch at that.

Steve seems to take this as permission to enter full mother hen mode, and Eddie watches as he grabs the cold medicine and bustles around the kitchen, getting Eddie a glass of water.

“Steve, I could’ve done thad myself,” Eddie chuckles, “I’m not bedridded”

Steve rolls his eyes, pressing the medicine and water into his hands, “Just take it, Munson.”

“Sir yes sir,” he jokes, taking the pill, along with a few painkillers.

“What are you watching?” Steve asks as they both settle into the couch.

Eddie glances at the movie, which he’s pretty much entirely missed, “Star Wars,” he pauses, “Do you not know Star Wars?”

Steve flushes, “Dustin’s been trying to get me to watch those, but I never got around to it.”

Eddie shakes his head, “You work at a.. at… a video-hhh… hhHhh” a tickle blossoms in the back of his nose as he speaks, and he trails off.

He blinks a few times, his expression glazing over and his nose flaring.

He glances around, looking for the tissues Steve brought, but they’re still wrapped in the plastic and he knows there’s no way he’s going to be able to get it open in time.

“Shihht..” he mumbles, mostly to himself. He doesn’t want to sneeze openly in front of Steve, especially with this cold. It’ll be wet and disgusting no matter how hard he tries to tamp them down.

So with a grimace, he chooses the next best thing, raising the blanket he’s wrapped in to his nose.

It feels nice and soft, but the soft fuzz just irritates his nose more, making his breath hitch wildly.

“Hehh.. ehh.. Hohld ohnn,” he manages, turning away from Steve a bit as his shoulders shake with the impending sneeze.

“Hehh.. HH’MMPpHTShh- HH’NGXXtshh.. HEI’NGDDTSheww Hh.. ngh… god… HhEIMPSHHhh.. hh’ehHPTshh.. Hh… HHiShhhuhh..” the fit leaves him breathless, and he winces as he pulls away from his blanket to find a damp spot.

“God, Sorry, thad was gross,” he reaches forward and grabs the tissues, tearing the wrapping off and fishing the first one out of the box.

He spares a glance over at Steve, who looks frozen in place.

He frowns, hoping he didn’t gross him out too much… Steve did choose to come back knowing he was sick, but he looks completely shocked by the display.

It was pretty intense, but Eddie always gets like that when he’s sick.

It’s humiliating, but it’s how it is. He was kind of stupidly hoping Steve wouldn’t mind, since he chose to come back, but he looks properly disgusted now.

Steve seems to shake it off after a moment, shaking his head, “Bless you,” he swallows, “That sounded intense.”

Eddie shrugs, sniffling uselessly, “Yeah, I always get really sneezy whed I’b sick,” Steve stares at him, wide eyed, and Eddie sighs, “It’s really gross I know. I did ward you I wasn’d good company righd now.”

Steve blinks, seeming surprised, “No! No, it’s fine Eddie. It isn’t gross, you’re just sick.”

Eddie shrugs, grabbing a tissue and turning away from Steve and taking a deep breath, forcing himself to get over his embarrassment.

It’s not like it really matters. Steve isn’t going to be interested in him regardless, so he may as well.

He blows thickly, and then folds the tissue over to blow again. It feels like the mess just keeps coming, and he can barely make a dent in the absurd amounts of congestion that have taken root in his head.

“God, this sucks,” he grumbles, congestion still audible in his voice.

Steve gets a contemplative look on his face for a moment, before he suddenly jumps up.

Eddie turns to face him with wide eyes.

“You should try a steam bowl!” he exclaims.

Eddie blinks, “What?”

Steve stares at him, “You know- to clear up congestion? Where you put your face over steaming water. It’ll help you clear all that congestion up.”

Eddie’s never done anything like that. He mostly just powers through colds with pure spite, and prays they don’t turn into sinus infections. That happened once and it was not a fun time.

“Here, you keep watching your nerd movie, I’ll show you,” Steve hurries over to the kitchen, and Eddie turns blearily back to the movie.

The only reason he even kinda knows what’s going on is because he’s seen it a million times.

He must drift off into that state that’s somewhere between being awake and asleep at some point, because he can hear Steve bustling about his kitchen, but he’s definitely losing bits and pieces.

Suddenly Steve is at his side with a bowl full of steaming water.

“Your snoring is so cute Eds,” he grins as he passes the bowl over.

Eddie takes it gingerly, a dark flush overtaking his face, “I- I don’t usually!” he exclaims, though he isn’t sure why.

Steve just grins at him, and Eddie stares down at the bowl.

“So whad do I do?”

“You just hold your face over it and breathe in the steam.”

Eddie looks at it hesitantly, but he trusts Steve, so he holds the bowl up to his face and takes a deep breath.

He will admit, it does feel a lot easier to breathe with the warm steam wrapping around him.

He takes a deep breath in through his nose, and then another.

Suddenly his eyes shoot open wide.

“Fuhhck-hhh,” his nose flares, and he looks wildly at Steve, “Steve..hhh.. ‘M huhh… guhhna… HHh”

Steve seems to understand what he’s saying, because he reaches forward and takes the bowl from Eddie’s trembling grasp.

All Eddie can do is shoot him a grateful look before crumpling forward.

He has to catch the sneezes in his hands, pinching his nose in a desperate attempt to control the releases, “Hehh’NNXXt hhh-hehh.. HEh’NDTShhH.. IHHNkktSHH- hh!! HEI’TNXGSHh..” Eddie fumbles around, managing to grab a tissue from the box in the slight reprieve between sneezes.

He brings the tissue to his face, his breath already hitching as he builds up to another sneeze, “hh-HHMMPTSHH!! HeiHH’MPPttSHHuh hEiihh… ihh… IHHMPPTShh… TSHHUHh!!... hh… HEPTSHhuhh!!… snrRFf..snfSNF” Eddie bowls softly into the tissue, tossing it aside before looking at Steve, who is still holding the bowl.

“Sorry, it was working udtil id started botheri’g me...” he gives Steve a guilty look, feeling bad that he went to all the trouble of preparing the bowl from him only for him to start sneezing his head off.

Steve brushes him off, even though there’s a strange look in his eyes again, “It’s fine Eds, do you wanna try again?”

Eddie nods and takes the bowl again.

This time it helps clear up the congestion without any complications. He can finally speak without sounding fucking ridiculous again.

“That’s a neat trick Stevie,” he hums as Steve sets the cooling bowl off to the side.

Steve smiles softly at him, “I’m glad it helped some.”

Eddie nods, grabbing another blanket from his pile to burrow beneath now that the warmth from the bowl in his hands is gone.

Steve frowns, reaching forward to press his hand against Eddie’s forehead.

“Shit, you’re warm Munson.”

Eddie shrugs, “Yeah, I feel like I’ve got a fever,” he huffs, “Also pretty normal for me… My body kinda hates me.”

Steve snorts at that, “You’ve just got a nasty cold Eds.”

And there’s that- Steve keeps calling him ‘Eds’ so softly, and it makes his whole heart feel warm. He thinks maybe it’s just the fever making him overemotional, but it’s just so soft, and it makes him wish he could reach out and wrap himself around Steve.

He restrains himself, looking at the movie just in time for the credits to start rolling.

“Do you have any more tapes?” Steve asks.

Eddie goes to stand and get one, but Steve tsks at him and lightly pushes him back down.

“Sit your ass down Munson, I’ll put something on.”

Eddie points him to the cabinet where they keep all their VHS tapes.

“You got anything in particular you wanna watch?”

Eddie shakes his head, “You can pick Harrington. I can’t really focus much right now anyways,” he admits.

Steve shoots him a slightly worried look, but hums.

“Oh, The Breakfast Club!” he exclaims, and Eddie laughs, because of course Steve would love that movie.

“That works for me,” Eddie smiles, and Steve puts the tape in.

As Steve returns to the couch, he insists that Eddie should lay down and get comfortable.

“I don’t, snnf wanna kick you outta your spot Harrington. We don’t exactly have a snnrrf lot of seating here.”

Steve hums, looking contemplative for a moment, “Well.. uh,” he hesitates, looking a little nervous. Eddie wonders what could possibly make Steve Harrington look that flustered.

“Here how about,” he moves to sit on Eddie’s side of the couch, and Eddie sits up, confused.

Then Steve pats his lap, looking expectantly at Eddie, who stares at him, confused.

“You lay down,” Steve says, as if it’s obvious that he would want Eddie to lay down on his lap. As if the very idea doesn’t make Eddie’s insides twist up and butterflies flutter in his stomach because sure, Steve means it as platonic cuddling, but it’s more than he ever thought he’d get from the man.

“Oh, uh, sure,” Eddie nervously settles in. Steve is slumped comfortably against the side of the couch, and Eddie is laying his head on the bottom half of his torso.

It has no right to be this comfortable.

He wraps all the blankets around himself, trying to watch the movie through his feverish haze

At some point, Steve starts running a hand through his hair, and it feels so nice.

No one’s ever done that for Eddie before.

His body feels more relaxed than it has in months, and his eyes start to feel heavy after a while.

He closes them, but doesn’t quite fall asleep, savoring the feeling of Steve Harrington running his fingers through his hair.

He’s still half asleep when another itch sparks in the back of his nose.

Without thinking, he turns and rubs it against Steve’s chest.

“Nghh… hh” his breath hitches a bit, and he buries his nose into Steve’s shirt, still not really registering where he is, “hhh-hhHMppffSHH… HEhhHMmsHHh… HeiPPtSHhh…”

Eddie feels Steve tense underneath him, and blinks as awareness floods back to him, and he recoils in horror.

“Oh my god!” he stares at the damp spot he left in Steve’s sweater in shock, “Oh my god!” he repeats, running a hand through his hair in horror.

“Hey, hey Eddie, it’s okay,” Steve tries to reassure, but Eddie shakes his head.

“Chist, that’s so gross- oh my god,” he can tell Steve is uncomfortable- he’s all tense and his eyes are wide. Yet he’s still trying to be nice. Even though Eddie just fucking sneezed on him.

“I’m so sorry Steve! I should- you can go if you want- you probably should even. I can not believe I did that, shit…”

Tears are building behind his eyes, and he tries to blink them away because why is he crying- poor Steve is the one who just got sneezed on.

“Shh,” Steve hushes him, reaching out and pulling him in a tight hug, “Eddie it’s okay, I don’t mind.”

Eddie shakes his head against Steve’s shoulder, unable to say anything.

“That’s just the fever talking Eds, everythings okay,” Steve tries, but it doesn’t feel okay. It feels like he just ruined his chances of Steve even wanting to be his friend.

“C’mon, Eddie, look at me,” Steve tries, pulling back enough from the hug so he can try to meet Eddie’s eyes.

Eddie looks at him after a moment, and Steve looks so genuinely concerned that it hurts.

“See, I’m not mad or upset sweetheart,” he soothes, and Eddie’s eyes widen at the pet name.

Steve seems to notice, “Sorry- too far?”

Eddie shakes his head, not trusting himself to speak.

Steve relaxes, “Okay, are you calmed down now?”

Eddie nods after a moment, swallowing thickly, “I really am sorry Sdeve.”

Steve shushes him again, “None of that now, you don’t need to be sorry,” Steve presses him into another tight hug, running a hand through Eddie’s hair softly, “It was an accident, and I don’t mind at all.”

God, Steve really does seem too good to be true sometimes.

Steve drags Eddie back to the couch, and Eddie nervously lets Steve guide him to rest against his chest again.

“Get some rest Eddie, you need it,” Steve assures him, and Eddie nods against him, humming his agreement.

Steve resumes running his hand through Eddie’s hair, and the repetitive motion lulls him to sleep quickly.

#snz #snzblr #snz kink #my!writing

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flying-nightwing · 5 years ago

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The Incredible Coincidence of One High School Reunion

As promised, the awaited enemies to lovers x fake dating i’ve promised today! (ft. my love for super long titles)

Thank you to everyone supporting me!

PS: if your name is Monica I am truly sorry, please forgive me.

Masterlist

Pairing: Dick Grayson x reader

Word count: 4916

Warnings: none beside extreme cheesiness

Out of everyone you thought would show up to the Gotham Academy 10 years alumni reunion, Dick Grayson was definitely not one of them. He was the golden boy, the Wayne kid that probably had a long list of better things to do than entertain than his old cohort of high school graduates. Alas, there he was in all of his glory, and it pissed you off.

You and Dick had, to say the least, a difficult relation. You had been friends, for a little while after he started at the academy. You had a lot of classes together and more often than not ended up working together. You helped him get acclimated to the new school and environment, introduced him to all your friends and invited him to your extracurricular activities. But then, ever so slowly, everything became a competition. Who got the best grades, who got involved in most committees, and even who the teachers liked most. Naturally, he bested you in everything and made a point to shove it back in your face. He became your nemesis, and this adversity dealt one hell of a blow to your social standing. People liked Dick better, of course they did, so they stopped hanging out with you.

Good riddance, you told yourself. They outed themselves as fake friends anyway, so the loss hadn’t been catastrophic. Still, for a teenage girl, it had hurt. You had been doomed as the loner, all because you had befriended the wrong person in the first place. The saddest part was that you genuinely missed your friendship with Dick, but you just couldn’t go back to him. It would have made you look pathetic and desperate, and you were not about to stoop so low. Sure you had a few other acquaintances you ate lunch with and did teamwork, but it wasn’t the same.

He was mingling with the people, talking and laughing in his probably expensive suit. You rolled your eyes at the sight and downed your glass of champagne, then made your way back to the refreshment table. On the way you bumped into an old colleague from the recycling committee and entertained small talk, then you made it there without another obstacle. You stopped in front of the already filled glasses of wine and hesitated. The red wine smelled horrible, the white seemed watered down, but the rosé looked like a good choice. You reached for the last glass when your hand collided with another. you looked up to apologize, but as you caught a glimpse of the other person, your eyebrows furrowed in annoyance and retracted your hand like it touched fire.

“Grayson” You said through clipped lips.

“(Y/L/N)”

“Still trying to steal my only joy left, I see” You scoffed, nodding at the still unclaimed rosé glass.

“And you’re still baselessly accusing everyone but yourself for undermining you” He rolled his eyes. “Nothing has changed”

“What do you want?” You sighed, crossing your arms against your chest and glaring up at him. “Why can’t you just leave me alone?”

“Well, I was just trying to get a drink” He lifted his hands up in surrender, but in a sarcastic way that just irritated you, and he knew it all to well. “You were the one who got all pissy about it”

“Yeah whatever, I guess I should have bowed and offered you the glass on a silver platter” You huffed. “So his Highness wouldn’t have been inconvenienced”

“Are you kidding me?” His eyebrows raised. “Why are you like this? I’ve never--”

He stopped talking, his eyes fixated on something behind you for a second. Then, he made himself surprisingly small and glanced away. You frowned in confusion for a second, before you looked over your shoulder and blanched, understanding the reaction all too well. You shared a look of panic, simultaneously putting away the animosity between each other to brace yourself for the horror that was to come.

And that horror was named Monica.

She confidently walked toward you, graceful in her high heels and frustratingly stunning in her knee length dark blue dress. She was your ex supposed best friend, and the first one to ditch you for Dick when the rivalry began. She then proceeded to make a point of showing off her pinning for him, trying desperately to make her and him a “thing”. It never worked, but she kept going, so much it became borderline stalking. The whole school knew, it fueled everyone’s gossip.

Without missing a beat, she extended in arm in between you and Dick to grab the last glass of rosé, leaning not so subtly more in his space than she needed to. She sipped the alcohol almost seductively, gazing at Dick with practiced innocence. It was becoming uncomfortable real quick.

“Hi Richard” She gave him her best smile, then shot you a smug glance as if saying watch this. “How have you been?”

“I’ve been good” He replied without much interest, refusing to meet her eyes. “How about you?”

“Amazing! I’ve been working on totally rebranding my father’s hotel company” She chatted excitedly. You sighed inwardly and grabbed a glass of white wine, taking a long sip. “If you want to, I can show you the new rooms design. We could test the mattresses…”

You choked on your wine while Dick’s eyes considerably widened. Monica was waiting for an answer.

“I uh-- Actually I can’t…” He sputtered, trying to come up with an excuse to reject her. Oh, that would be interesting alright. He knew how persuasive she could be, so he had to find something solid. He looked around in a panic, then his eyes settled on you. “... Because (Y/N) and I are together”

His words didn’t quite register in your head as he threw an arm around your waist, pulling you closer to his side with a wide forced smile. His fingers giving a small pleading tug to your dress snapped you out of your stupor, and you plastered a matching grin on your lips. You hated the idea of bailing Dick out of an embarrassing situation, but the opportunity of taunting Monica was just too good to pass, so you decided to play along.

“What?” Monica blinked in confusion, then frowned. “I didn’t know that”

“That’s because we’ve been keeping it very private” He replied smoothly. “I wanted to keep her away from the paps, they’re such vultures sometimes”

“Oh” She simply said, before smiling sweetly. It was too sweet. You didn’t like it one bit. “So how did it happen?”

“Well, we bumped into each other again last year, totally by accident” You took over Dick’s hesitation. “And uh, we cleared things up and it kinda just… Happened”

You made a point of giving him heart eyes as you finally returned his awkward embrace. His muscles untensed a bit when he saw you wouldn’t sabotage him. Something shifted in Monica’s eyes, they became just a bit more somber without her losing the smile. It made her look just a bit insane.

“I see” Her tone turned hostile. “I guess you won’t mind if I share the good news, won’t you?”

“... Yeah, we don’t mind” He scratched the back of his neck while your stomach dropped. You hadn’t thought about this. The smugness returned as she turned around, flipping her hair in the process. You watched her walk away before sending a thundering glare at Dick, who had his lips pressed in a thin line.

“Really?”

“What was I supposed to do?” He quietly bit back.

“You owe me a solid one for this” You said through your teeth. “You better start thinking of something good, golden boy”

“As far as I’m concerned, you have as much interest as me to keep this charade up” He scoffed, grabbing a glass of red wine. “So don’t act like you’re doing this out of selflessness”

“Yeah whatever”

“Ooooohhhh mi gosh guuuuys”

You both flinched at the very high pitched voice coming to your right. You saw a girl in a violet dress almost running toward you with a wide grin on her face. You didn’t remember her name, but you knew she was a nice girl despite her tendency to get in everyone’s business.

“Why didn’t you say you were together?” She squealed as her boyfriend trailed along, an apologetic expression on his face. “This is so amaaaazing!”

“Ah, yes” You replied awkwardly. “We just wanted to keep it private, you know?”

“Yeah I understand totally” She nodded quickly, the point of your words soaring right over her head. “I’ve always known you guys were going to end up together. You’re so meant for each other”

You wanted to cringe. That surely wasn’t the discourse anyone was holding while you were still in high school, and she surely only said that because she thought you were actually together. What do they know, anyway.

“Uh, thanks” Dick smiled politely to hide his discomfort. “I guess it took some time, but we finally figured it out, haha”

“Oh, I forgot” She gasped, turning to her boyfriend. “Mike, this is Dick and (Y/N). They were like, THE rivals back in the days. We basically only talked about them for like, an entire school year. It’s so sad (Y/N) pushed everyone away though”

You looked away as she kept babbling to her boyfriend. You knew she didn’t mean it in a harsh or mocking way, but it still stung. You wanted to tell her it hadn’t been by choice, that people deserted you and forced you into a corner, but you found yourself unable to do so. Beside, you couldn’t just let them know how much it affected you or they would prey on it all the same than in actual high school. You were so busy tuning her out that you missed the concerned glance sent in your direction.

“Hey, it was nice to see you again” Dick shook hands with the couple, snapping you out of your head. You forced a smile and did the same. “I think we’ll go around a bit, but uh, see ya?”

“S-sure”

You gladly took this exit and walked away from the refreshment table with Dick. You could feel his questioning stare shifting on you every few seconds, but you refused to look in his direction. He didn’t have the right to be concerned, and you didn’t owe him any explanations. You lifted your head upright and followed him over to the next group of person. Naturally, by this point, everyone had gotten the word from Monica. People were either friendlier than ever with you, or gave you attitude about it, none of which you enjoyed. You mostly nodded and smiled, barely paying attention to the words that were being exchanged. It was more often than not anecdotes that concerned Dick, or happened after you broke things off with most of your friends.

“It so strange to see you together” Some guy you didn’t quite remember began with a cruel smirk. “I didn’t see you as the type to hang out with losers”

You bit your cheek so hard it almost bled. You were certain that this would be the last nail to your coffin, that you’d receive the humiliation of your life. However, your fake boyfriend had another idea.

“Still I hung out with you” The comeback came so fast it almost gave you a whiplash. Silence settled over the group, their baffled stares directed to a very self satisfied Dick Grayson. “Hey, remember when you hung upside down from the climbing ropes in gym class and threw up all over yourself from up there?”

Your hand involuntarily flew to your mouth to hide the drop of your jaw.

A wave of uncomfortable laughs made its way around the circle, as nobody had enough guts to confront Dick about it. And you had a feeling he knew that; he knew they would still try to suck up to him even ten years later and fully abused this privilege.

For you.

Without waiting any longer, you were gently dragged away from the group. You were still processing what had just happened and didn’t realize you were talked to. You shook your head slightly to get out of your daze and frowned.

“Uh?”

“I asked you if you were okay” He repeated softly.

“Y-yeah” You stuttered. “I guess I’m the one who owe you one now”

“Don’t mention it” He tried a small smile. “Those people need some reality checks sometimes”

“I don’t know why I even came to this stupid reunion” You mumbled, glancing back at where the group had stood earlier. Most of the people had gone away by now, only remaining the guy Dick had all but obliterated and some girl seemingly comforting him. “It was a bad idea”

He didn’t speak right away, he instead did a visual sweep of the room, then at the back door of the gymnasium and at the crown again. “Hey, have you ever gotten on the roof of the academy?”

“... No” Your eyes narrowed. “Why?”

“Come on” He hooked his arm through yours and pulled you with him to the back door. You ended up in a staircase you didn’t know existed and began climbing up. You didn’t know how, but Dick easily bypassed the lock without the key, opening the door to the roof. You stepped out a took a deep breath, glad you could escape the crowd of people you didn’t like downstairs. The sky was clouded and it smelled like rain was coming.

“So” You began as you turned to face him. “How did you out of all people found out about this secret passage? This isn’t very much golden-y of you”

“Oh, if only you knew” He chuckled, shoving his hands into his pockets. “I found the staircase by accident in senior year one time I was trying to hide away from Monica and her gang of demons”

You snorted.

“I don’t know how you did it” He hummed, looking up at the sky.

“Did what?”

“Kept yourself together while I was being, well, a total dick” He precised.

“Ah” You gave him a sad smile. “The first social rule you learn when you’re born rich, is that you rarely ever make real friends. You mostly only keep people around temporarily for your own gain, then they’re gone. It was hard, but I had expected it”

“Still, you handled it way better than I did” His eyes trailed down the roof and stopped on you. “I wasn’t prepared for everything that came with hanging with rich kids”

“It’s an art, isn’t it?” You teased. “Fake friends are hard to manage, especially the kind that comes here. If you’re not careful they’ll eat you alive”

“Yeah, I understood that pretty quickly” He sighed. You nodded slowly, warming up your arms with your hand. The night air was cold, and the wind didn’t make it better.

“If it could make you feel better” You paused, regretting your words as soon as they came but unable to stop them. “I think you’ve been my only true friend in high school, for the time it lasted”

You weren’t looking to astound him, but you surely did. His whole posture changed, and his expression shifted into something you couldn’t put your finger on. You had the time to reconsider your words and ask yourself if you should leave before he gave you any reaction.

“Sorry” You mumbled. “I shouldn’t have said that”

“N-no, wait” He scurried his thoughts. “You really meant that?”

You nodded.

“I truly screwed up didn’t I?” He muttered, flinching.

“No, I did” You sighed. “I should have just swallowed my pride and stopped caring so much about trying to be better than you”

“But I kept pushing you” His head hung low. “I was trying so hard to get attention and validation that lost the one person that might have made high school not so terrible”

“Didn’t you get enough validation from Monica?” You raised an eyebrow playfully. “She seemed so keen on praising your every move”

“Ha” He shook his head, a small smile dancing on the corner of his lips. “I think she was praising the name Wayne more than anything”

“High school was terrible” You said as you glanced up at a bird flying higher over your head. When you looked back down, Dick had his arm outstretched and was handing you his suit jacket. You mumbled a thanks and put it on, welcoming its warmth.

“Cheers to that”

“Oh yeah” You chuckled. “Cheers to people screwing up good things and explaining a decade later”

“(Y/N), I officially apologize for being an asshole” He declared, and you held back a grin. “Will you forgive me?”

“I officially forgive you, Dick Grayson” You replied. “Will you forgive me for being a stuck up bitch?”

“I officially forgive you, (Y/N)” He repeated with a mock solemn expression.

You held eye contact for a second before you burst with laughter. All of this anger and resentment you had carried for years was suddenly just gone. You had no idea it would be that easy to put it all behind you and find back your friend you had missed so much. You had forgotten how easy it was to laugh and kid around with him.

“Come here” He opened his arms for a hug. As you were about to walk into his embrace, raindrops began falling. You paused for a second, just enough for the sky to open up and pour water over you.

You yelped and ran for cover back inside. Dick slammed the door behind you and put back the lock on again, then with a mischievous glint in his eyes, grabbed your wrist and pulled you with him down the stairs.

“Slow down!” You squealed, trying not to fall over in your heals. “Where are we going?”

“Take a wild guess”

He pushed open the door of the first floor, giving out on the hallways you knew too well. Most senior classrooms were around here, and on the walls, the graduating classes hung in big, golden frames.

“The senior hall? Really?” You raised an eyebrow, but he wasn’t fazed.

“Come on, let’s find our year” He ignored your comment as he walked further down the corridor, checking the dates on every frame. You followed him until he finally stopped on the right one. “Aw, look at our baby faces!”

You squinted your eyes at the pictures to find him. “I’m sorry to tell you, you practically look the same”

He gasped in offense. “I believe I lost my baby cheeks since. I mean, look at my jaw”

You looked in between the picture and him a couple of times, pretending not to see it. Obviously, his face had gotten insanely handsome since you had last seen him, and that was just his face. You didn’t broach the topic of the broad shoulders and seemingly toned body. The rain had gotten through his white shirt a bit, and you prefered not to let your gaze linger there for too long,

“Mhhh” You shrugged teasingly. “I guess your hair has improved a bit”

“This is what you latched on? My hair?” He scoffed playfully before he snapped his head in your direction. “Wait, a bit?”

You laughed. “Alright alright, Grayson. I might be a bitch but I’m not a liar, you do score considerably higher overall on the looks now”

“Thank you” He smiled proudly. “You’re not too bad yourself”

“Oh, you don’t need to flatter me” You smirked as you stepped around him to go further down the hallway. “I’m fully secure in my glow up from then to now”

“Alright, no need to get cocky” He snorted, but it wasn't mean like it used to be. It felt like the friendship you were meant to have.

You stopped in front of the glass case displaying various achievement by seniors, the valedictorians of each years and the famous golden book, which contained the signature of every graduate of Gotham Academy since 1957. It laid open, showing the pages of the last class to leave. You felt nostalgic as you read the comments and signatures, suddenly wishing you were one of the kids who got to give and receive nice comments and share inside jokes only a select group of people would understand. Instead, you knew your name was forever scribbled in a corner ten pages back, perhaps overlapped by some bigger, flashier signature from the more popular crowd.

“Forever the... Salt water chugging gang?” Dick read from an entry, furrowing his brows together. “I wonder what events lead to that name”

“Yikes” You grimaced. “Were we that stupid?”

“More, I think” He grinned. “Let’s find out”

Before you could ask what he meant, he got to work to disable the student proof lock and opened the glass. He did it so easily, so flawlessly, you had trouble thinking of how he learned to do all that.

“How do you know so much about picking locks?” You asked as he carefully flipped back the pages to your year. First the door to the roof, now that?

“Stick around and maybe I’ll tell you” He winked, then returned his eyes on the book. They widened. “Oh what the hell”

“What?” You peeked from around him.

“Monica really… Really left me her-her” He choked with laughter, tears brimming his eyes. “Her my--myspace handle-”

You joined him in a quiet laughter, then it grew louder as his became hysteric. He barely finished his sentence, he couldn’t even say it, and you understood why. It was positively hilarious. She really did leave her myspace handle for Dick, under his name with a little heart and her signature.

Dick sighed, his hand on his chest as he tried to catch his breath back. He then wiped his tears and shook his head. “That was good”

“One for the books, for sure” You agreed. “If she could see that, the embarrassment”

“Come on, let’s add something for old time’s sake” He said as he pulled out a pen from his pockets. Before you could stop him, he leaned forward and began writing in a tiny free space. He then backed up, letting you read his little addition.

‘Let’s pretend I wrote that when we were seniors. To our lost and found friendship, sincerely, your favourite asshole’

Your smile widened at the message, a warm feeling sneaking up in your chest. You snatched the pen from his hand and scribbled another message in another blank space, the blue ink contrasting with the black of the markers on the page.

‘Because it took us a decade to find out we have more in common than different after all. To you with love, your stuck up bitch’

It was your turn to step back, satisfied, and let him read your message. He chuckled as you handed him back the pen, and quietly flipped back the pages to the last class.

“Thanks” You spoke up.

“For what?”

“For giving me the chance to write something nice that I meant in there” You explained, pushing back a loose strand of hair behind your ear. “Despite what I might say, it’s nice to leave a mark somewhere”

“In that case, you’re very welcome” He smiled warmly. You felt your heart skip a beat when you noticed how close from you he had gotten. From close on, you could see the different pigments in the blue of his eyes, or just how sharp his facial features actually were. It was definitive, Dick Grayson was a really handsome man.

You kind of understood now why Monica was so obsessed with him.

Suddenly, Dick perked up, his eyes set on the corner of the corridor. Quicker than you could register, he shut the glass display close and spun you against him, backing himself up into the wall. You were confused and flustered with your hands flat on his chest, but you realized soon enough the purpose of his actions. Seconds after, your old math teacher rounded up the corner. She paused at the sight of you, a frown on her face, until she recognized Dick. Her whole expression then changed.

“Mr. Grayson” She smiled politely, ignoring the position you were in. So, he had staged it up to seem like you were doing something else than vandalizing the golden book. “I believe the party is in the gymnasium”

“Sorry Ms Hess” He apologized sheepishly. “We wanted to take a little trip down memory lane”

She gave you a knowing look, but didn’t argue much. She only kept going her way like she didn't even see you. You were baffled for a second at exactly what extent people went to suck up to the Wayne name, then you remembered the position you were in. The heat crept back up in your neck, and it only became worse when Dick seemed to have no intention to move. You were too aware of his arms circling your waist and his casual leaning on the wall.

“Nice save” You breathed, your eyes going back to his. Bad idea. He had this innocent look that actually was anything but, and it made you nervous. He was the one against the wall, but it still felt like you were the one trapped. “I still have no idea how you managed that too”

“Let’s add it to the list of mysteries, shall we?”

You could have sworn his voice got deeper there. He slowly tilted his head to the side, his gaze flickering under hooded eyelids in between your eyes and your lips. He was nearly irresistible like that, practically inviting you to steal a taste, so you decided just not to resist. Tentatively, you leaned closer and slowly pressed your lips to his. They were soft and warm as they began gently moving against yours, making you feel all weird inside. On one hand, this was the man you disliked with worked passion no earlier than two hours before. But on the other hand, it felt so right.

You felt like a teenager all over again, but living the right experiences this time around.

He pulled away, ending the kiss but still staying close. You blinked hazily, trying to chase the daze away. You could feel his hot breath on your lips, and while you were sure your thoughts should be spinning a hundred miles per hour, your head was surprisingly clear and calm. All nervousness was gone and dissipated in thin air.

“I…” You trailed off, trying to find your tongue. “I don’t know what to say”

“Hmmm, how about...” He hummed as if he was thinking it through. “Wow Grayson, you’re so amazing and I can’t believe we did not make out sooner”

You rolled your eyes at the high pitched voice he used, then lightly slapped him on the chest. “Way to ruin the moment”

“That’s the good thing about moments though” He said, sliding a hand up your back and on your neck. “We can make more of ‘em”

He pulled you in for another kiss, which did not last as long, but definitely felt as good as the first. Perhaps that girl in the violet dress was onto something after all.

“Smooth, Grayson” A small smile stretched on your lips when you separated. “Very smooth”

“Smooth’s my middle name”

“Uh huh” You chuckled, your eyebrows raised. “Sure”

He shook his head, a playful grin on his lips. His hand trailed from your neck down your arm and his fingers laced with yours. You glanced down at your joint hands, then up to his face. His smile was still there, but it was somewhat more toned down, more fond than its previous playful.

“Are we doing this?” He asked in a whisper. “Or should we stop before I start thinking about it too much?”

You took a deep breath at his question, not expecting it just yet. Dick was someone passionate and emotional, so it shouldn��t surprise you he was already thinking of a potential romantic relation. Everything was moving so fast, but you didn’t want to lie to yourself and say you didn’t feel anything there. Something definitely happened in between the moment he awkwardly threw his arm around you to dodge Monica and the moment he spun you against his chest. And well, one thing you clearly learned tonight was that spontaneous and not thought through decisions could pay off in a way you couldn’t even imagine.

“I’m willing to try if you are” You finally spoke up. “I guess we’ve got nothing to lose in giving this a shot”

Relief swept across his eyes and his famous million dollars smile returned. He gave your fingers a little squeeze, seeming as happy as a child on christmas morning.

“This is gonna be great” He muttered excitedly. “I won’t let you down again, I swear”

“You better not” You teased.

“Ohhhhhh mi goooosh!”

Both of your attention snapped at the shrilling voice interrupting you. There was the same girl from earlier, with a crowd around her that obviously contained a very pissed off Monica. You and Dick shared yet another look of incomprehension and slight panic at what she would say this time. And well, it was well justified because nothing could prepare you for her next words.

“They’re getting engaaaaaaaaged!”

Ah hell, what did you both get into?

#dick grayson #dick grayson x reader #dick grayson imagine #dick grayson reader #dc #dcu #DC Universe #dc imagine #dcu imagine #dc universe imagine #fake dating #enemies to lovers #imagine #cute

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shefanispeculator · 5 years ago

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Muller's first taste of professional film came working as a third assistant on the 1984 horror/thriller Company of Wolves. She then went on to work for International Film and Video, honoring her for her editing, producing, and directing skills.

Muller's goal was to become a successful director in her own right, and her big break came through a chance meeting with John Stewart (brother of Eurythmics' Dave Stewart) and Billy Poveda of Oil Factory, an established film production company.

She has directed over two hundred music videos and has been a longtime collaborator with Sophie Ellis-Bextor, No Doubt, Shakespears Sister, Garbage, Blur, Annie Lennox and Eurythmics. Her work with Annie Lennox won her a Grammy for the Diva video album. She also picked up an MTV Video Music Award for Lennox's 1992 hit "Why", and was also Grammy nominated for the Eurythmics' 1987 Savage video album. In total, Muller has directed over twenty videos for Lennox and Eurythmics and has a long time collaboration with producer Rob Small.

The video for "Stay" by Shakespears Sister in which she directed was spoofed by many British comedians at the time including French & Saunders and Mr. Blobby as well as winning the BRIT Award for Best Video and also The Music Week Award for Best Video at both of the ceremonies' 1993 Awards.

She has directed eleven videos for Sophie Ellis-Bextor including "Take Me Home", "Murder on the Dancefloor", "Catch You", two versions of "Music Gets the Best of Me" and "Love Is a Camera".

Muller has also directed nine videos for No Doubt as well as nine solo videos for Gwen Stefani. When No Doubt's "Don't Speak" won the award for Best Group Video at the 1997 MTV Video Music Awards, Stefani thanked her extensively, saying "I'd like to say that Sophie Muller is a genius." Stefani has also stated,

Sophie Muller is one of my most talented friends. She can and will only do projects that she is inspired by. She is driven by creativity and the love for what she does and as a result she never compromises. I consider her a true artist. I was a fan of Sophie's work before I even imagined working with her. She has a very pronounced style and taste that drew me in. I think she has the gift of being able to bring out the artist's personality, emotion and style. After working with her for the first time on our "Don't Speak" video, we became close friends [...]. On the set her direction is humble and simple, but she knows what she wants and knows when she gets it. A woman in charge in the male-dominated world of filmmaking makes the whole experience that much more exciting. [...] She has a way of making every cut have a reason and meaning. The videos have a life of their own and become better each time you watch them. I am always in shock the first time I see them and then after a few more times I am actually amazed. She has taught me a lot and I feel very lucky to have worked with her.[1]

The artwork for The Jesus and Mary Chain's 1994 album, Stoned & Dethroned, and the singles accompanying it, is composed entirely of stills from the video to the group's song "Sometimes Always", which was directed by Muller. She also directed the video for "Come On", which also appears on the album.

Muller states that her only ambition is to continue directing to her own high standards and to never grow bored. In 2004, she directed the socially aware video for Sarah McLachlan's "World on Fire",[2] where all but $15 of the entire $150,000 video budget was donated to charities. Recently, she has directed videos for Shakira, Mika, Kings of Leon, Brandon Flowers, Tom Odell and the critically acclaimed video for the Dixie Chicks, "Not Ready to Make Nice".

]

2010

Sade – "Soldier of Love"

Sade – "Babyfather"

Armin van Buuren vs. Sophie Ellis-Bextor – "Not Giving Up on Love"

Cheryl Cole – "Promise This"

Cheryl Cole – "The Flood"

Brandon Flowers – "Only The Young"

Kings of Leon – "Radioactive"

2011

The Kills – "Satellite"

Ellie Goulding – "Lights"

Noah and the Whale – "L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N."

Birdy – "Skinny Love"

Sade – "Love Is Found"

2012

Alicia Keys – "Girl on Fire"

No Doubt – "Settle Down"

Beyoncé – "I Was Here"

No Doubt – "Push and Shove"

Labrinth feat Emeli Sandé – "Beneath Your Beautiful"

2013

Rihanna – "Stay"

Tom Odell – "Hold Me"

Garbage and Screaming Females – "Because the Night"

Lana Del Rey – "Young and Beautiful"[7]

Pink feat. Lily Rose Cooper – "True Love"

Birdy – "Wings"

Sophie Ellis-Bextor – "Wanderlust" (Álbum trailer)

Sophie Ellis-Bextor – "Young Blood"[8]

John Mayer featuring Katy Perry – "Who You Love"

Robin Thicke – "Feel Good"

Katy B – "Crying for No Reason"

2014

Sophie Ellis-Bextor – "Runaway Daydreamer"

Tim McGraw – "Lookin' for That Girl"[9]

Birdy – "Words As Weapons"

Katy B – "Still"

Garbage – "Girls Talk"

Sophie Ellis-Bextor – "Love Is a Camera"

OneRepublic – "Love Runs Out"

Gwen Stefani – "Baby Don't Lie"

Gwen Stefani – "Spark the Fire"

Labrinth – "Jealous"

Beck – "Heart Is a Drum"

Sam Smith – "Like I Can"

2015

Garbage – "The Chemicals"

Selena Gomez – "Good for You" (Version 1)

Selena Gomez featuring ASAP Rocky – "Good for You" (Version 2)

Misty Miller – "Happy"

One Direction – "Perfect"

Gwen Stefani – "Used to Love You"

2016

Gwen Stefani – "Make Me Like You"

The Kills – "Heart of a Dog"

Gwen Stefani – "Misery"

Sophie Ellis-Bextor – Familia album trailer

Sophie Ellis-Bextor – "Come With Us"

Sophie Ellis-Bextor – "Crystallise"

Gwen Stefani" – "Kuu Kuu Harajuku" (Theme Song Music Video)·

Noah Cyrus – "Make Me (Cry)"

2017

Wolf Alice – "Don't Delete the Kisses"

Sophie Ellis-Bextor – "Wild Forever"

London Grammar – "Big Picture"

The Kills – "Whirling Eye"

Tim McGraw and Faith Hill – "Speak to a Girl"

Sophie Ellis-Bextor – "Death of Love"

Morrissey – "Spent the Day in Bed"

Bebe Rexha feat. Florida Georgia Line – "Meant to Be"

2018

Kylie Minogue – "Dancing"

Julia Michaels – "Heaven"

Echosmith – "Over My Head"

Kylie Minogue featuring Gente de Zona – "Stop Me from Falling" (Remix)

Pete Yorn & Scarlett Johansson – "Bad Dreams"

Kylie Minogue – "Golden"

Bebe Rexha – "I'm a Mess"

Cheryl – "Love Made Me Do It"

Gwen Stefani feat. Blake Shelton – "You Make It Feel Like Christmas"

2019

Marina and the Diamonds – "Handmade Heaven"

Dido – "Give You Up"

Lil Pump ft. Lil Wayne – "Be Like Me"

Marina and the Diamonds – "Orange Trees"

Blake Shelton – "God’s Country"

Shakespears Sister – "All the Queen's Horses"

Tiësto, Jonas Blue & Rita Ora – "Ritual"

Easy Life – "Earth"

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memescomicswriting · 6 years ago

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Delicate ft. Damian

Older!Damian x Reader

Summary: I saw someone ask a writer for Damian x Reader focused on this song. They said no. I got inspired. You’re the daughter of a businessman who was incited on embezzlement charges. You have a crush on Damian and you’re afraid of how this will affect your relationship.

Y/F/N: Your Father’s Name, Y/F/C: Your Father’s Company, Y/N: Your Name

Your eyes were glued to the bold print the newspaper. Beaming back to you, front page "Businessman Y/F/N Indicted on Embezzlement Charges". In one of the side columns, there was a small expo on all of your recent 'adventures'. They dug up every photo and gossip collum they could find. They dated back from your eighteenth birthday till now. Even though you were in college and in no way involved with Y/F/C, the Gotham Gazette hadn't spared the story for your expense. You had to turn your phone off at 10:30. There were too many calls and texts flooding in. Some were meant for comfort. Others were pointed. You'd made many friends at Gotham University, and they were from different backgrounds. Y/F/C stock value plummeted when the news broke. A few of your friends had families that invested in the company or worked lower end jobs there. Cuts were already being made. The only thing you were guilty of was accepting money from your father now and then. You had no idea that the money was dirty, and if you did you would have never accepted it. Your head snuck into your hands. You didn't want to read anymore. You were just a young girl having fun like any other person your age, but because of your father's monstrous deeds, you were the suddenly the focus of all the scrutiny meant for Gotham's elite. Your mother wasn't any help either. Though your parents were long divorced, she had taken the first flight out of Gotham. You were left all alone.

Eventually, the reporters were tipped off about the location of your apartment. For an hour you tried to ignore the persistent knocking and questions being shouted through the door. You decided it would be best to leave for a while. You changed into a pair of stylishly ripped black jeans, a bohemian royal blue tunic, your black converse, and your black hoodie. You tucked your hair back, slipped the hood on, and snuck out the fire escape. You went to one of your favorite places, and conveniently, the only place the paparazzi didn't know about. You doubted anyone cared enough to photograph you here. Sitting at the bar, you decided to turn your phone back on. You doubted that after several hours of silence anyone would message you now. You were wrong. You hesitated but picked up your phone despite your fears.

It was a message from Damian Wayne. To be honest, Damian was the last person you expected to hear from. Wayne Industries had been in business with Y/F/C, and they would be losing money with the company's stalk falling. Damian was interesting. As friends go, you were the closest thing he had to a friend. You had a few classes together at Gotham Prep and he found you to be the least insufferable classmate. Damian was wicked smart and he didn't have time for any rich twits. After an hour of working as partners on a project, Damian quickly learned you were just as smart and had no problem giving attitude back to him. After that, he reigned in his disposition. Once you gained enough of his trust, he let you past his defensive wall of sass and bitterness and got a glance at the real Damian. Over your four years at Gotham Prep and on and off again classes at Gotham University, the two of you had developed a unique friendship. Everything with Damian was unique. He tried to take after his father and become a playboy, but he didn't have the tolerance to sit through countless evenings with less than competent woman. So he'd ask you to accompany him now and then. You were known to have fun and date around, so it fit the persona of the girls Damian tended to associate with. The difference was, partying and dating wasn't the sole purpose of your life. You used those activities to let off some steam. It was also rare for you to have a boyfriend. He didn't know why. You were attractive, smart, and funny. Yet you came up with a million excuses. You'd say you didn't have time, or you never could find the right guy, and sometimes you would say that no one you knew was worth the time. No one knew, but over the past year, you had developed feelings for Damian. Despite the rough exterior, he could be exceptionally sweet and caring. He could also make you laugh, but not like "ha, ha, ha" like his brother Dick could, but it was his wit that made you laugh. He knew what to say to get you to laugh so hard that you would snort. When he did, he would give a sideways glance and tell you to pull yourself together. You'd always thought he was attractive, but lately, you'd catch yourself staring and glancing to place you wouldn't have before. Maybe Damian liked you back. Sometimes his brothers would tease him when you were around, and about you, but they always teased him. Occasionally, you'd see a softer glance here and there. Once, you stayed over at the manor after a tiring Gala. You could have sworn he kissed your forehead when he moved you from the couch you passed out on, to a bed. Despite all that, Damian rarely allowed his true emotions show, which is why you were never sure. You looked at the lock screen of your phone. It showed the most recent message. Damian Wayne 1min Meet me in the back. You whipped your head around. The place was small, but not too small where the back was in plain sight. You grabbed your drink and left your hightop seat at the bar. You walked through pockets of people gathered around pool tables and different bar games. In the back of the bar, there were several dim lit booths. You noticed Damian's tall tan figure leaning against the table of the booth in the far right corner. Damn. Was he attractive. He looked so casual. He was usually tense, but tonight in his uncharacteristic dark jeans and Nikes he looked calm. Oh and that shirt. It was a light cerulean that lit up his skin and highlighted his bulging muscles. You nearly groaned at the thought of what fun things you could do with what was under that shirt. You had the biggest crush. -"Damian, what are you doing here? You shouldn't be seen with me. I mean my reputation-" He quickly outstretched his hand and used it to clasp yours. All the air in your lungs escaped. "I don't care what anyone says Y/N. You know I don't care how the tabloids paint me. I just wanted to check on you. I saw the news. I'm sorry." "Bu-but how did you know where to find me?" You stammered. Slowly he had begun intertwining your fingers together like it was natural. "You lose your phone all the time. Don't you think that by now I would have your 'find my iPhone' memorized? And I know you come here when you don't want to be recognized." A quick grin flashed. It was sly and smart. It passed as quick as it came and he became serious. "Like I said, I don't care about my reputation. I care about you." You couldn't make eye contact with him. You were beginning to blush. Your heart felt like it was going a mile a minute, and your thoughts were racing even faster. "Ha, you're the only one who's ever cared about me regardless of my father and money and all that." You were mumbling to yourself and for a moment you forgot he was there. "You like me for me.” Sudden panic took over. Your face was so pink you looked sick. You had just announced to Damian that he liked you, whether he did or not. Yet, there was some feeling beneath the anxiety that reassured you. He did like you. Your head shot up to search his expression for something. He had dropped your hand and was rubbing the back of his head in what appeared to be a nervous vigor. Your mouth opened and closed upon the realization that you were correct. Most of the anxiety left. Your redness calmed and it was Damian's turn to turn pink. You huffed. "You cool Damian? Cool that I said all that?" A feline grin took over your features and you gently bit your lip. "Cause you know..." You paused to take his hand back. His eyes stopped their aversion and landed on you. "You're always in my head...my thoughts...but it may be too soon to say that. I know everything is delicate." Without warning his head sunk in and your vision was blurred. He was kissing you and oh god, was he a good kisser. You hummed content into the kiss and stepped between his open legs. That night you couldn't get enough of each other. You had never seen Damian like this. He ferociously fought off the reporters at your door and that was nothing compared to the way he kissed you. He acted like a caged animal suddenly set free. Your apartment was on the West Side of Gotham. It was a decent section of the town. There were parks all around and the crime rate was lower here, but as nice as your place was, it was nothing compared to the Manor. The view alone! Even with your thoughts racing, Damian could real you back in with one simple touch to the waist or a kiss on your neck. You were gentle with him. You wondered if any of the 'ladies' he surrounded himself with did more than jump for the belt buckle. The entire night, Damian directed you with those thick, calloused hands. He particularly liked running them through your hair as he tired you out. Oh and the morning. You woke up to the sound of him around your apartment. His footprints echoed on the stairs. You knew the bed was empty and yet you looked around. You picked up your discarded panties and his shirt. It draped you like a dress and it smelled like him. You realized you couldn't share him with any other girl. Then again, this may not be for the best. Damian may care about you, want you, but what about Wayne Industries? You knew there couldn't be any promises. Hopefully, Damian would bring her back a drink. You needed it. Promises or not you didn't know if either of you could do this yet. You still wondered, did he ever dream of you? Like you dreamed of him You sat on the edge of the bed but didn't leave it. Damian walked in with a bottle of water and a box of cereal. He hadn't expected you to be up. Then he saw you in his shirt. He raised a brow questioning your choice. Seeing you in his shirt...it did something to him. "I wouldn't have bought this if I had known you would be up when I got back." He placed the water bottle and box on the nightstand and sat beside you. He began to smooth his hand across your back. "Are you alright beloved?" You took a double take. DId he just call you beloved? "I... I was just wondering if it was too soon to do this. I know what you said last night, but that was rash... and- and there's your father's company, and me around you..." You were babbling. You were nervous, more nervous than when you announced he liked you. "I know we can't make any promises." "Why not?" Damian interjected. "I've been dreaming of this Y/N. Since the moment you corrected my arrogant attitude freshman year of Gotham Prep, I've wanted for us to be together. Nothing has or will affect that." Damian was waiting for you to acknowledge his affirmation. A slow but sincere smile burned across your face. Damian was all you wanted, and in a bold move, you pinned him back to the bed. "This is all I want. Promise intended."

There will be a Jason version of this fic. I hope you enjoyed it!

#damian wayne #damian wayne fanfiction #damian wayne x reader #batman #batfamily #fanfiction

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thejonzone · 4 years ago

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Jon Writes a Year-End List

My favorite songs of 2020, alphabetically by artist

Bedouine (Margo Guryan cover)- The Hum

The original Guryan version is good but Bedouine’s take is cleaner, all the better to emphasize Guryan’s blissful songwriting. I could listen to the chords in the chorus forever.

Bob Dylan- I’ve Made Up My Mind to Give My Heart to You

It’s nice to hear Bob sing a yearning and clear-eyed love song. And the way he stretches out his words gives the whole thing a confidence that’s easy to get lost in.

Boldy James- Giant Slide

Boldy had a great year, and it’s The Price of Tea in China with Alchemist producing that stood out to me.

Empty Country- Becca

I don’t go to music festivals anymore, but listening to this album makes me dream of hearing it live, while being dehydrated, sweaty, feet hurting, holding in a p*op, a late afternoon sunburn loading. I want the whole thing!!

fawning, Rui Gabriel ft. Jack Riley- God

Toss it on the cloudy day walking playlist!

Frances Quinlan- Went to LA

Great cathartic yell in this one. Quinlan builds up a palpable tension here. It rocks.

Judy ft. Jack Dolan, jommis- Say What U Mean

You’ve got to imagine these fellas knew they had put a few catchy melodies down while trying to out-croon each other.

Kurt Vile ft. John Prine (John Prine cover)- How Lucky

A Prine acolyte with a feature from the man himself. RIP.

Lala Lala, Grapetooth- Valentine

Kind of like a slow-dance song at nightmare prom. I love the percussion and Frankel’s villainously-low voice.

Lil Durk- Street Affection

The range of emotions Durk can access and scroll through is impressive.

Miranda Winters- Little Baby Dead Bird

Scuzzy guitar and violin create a hypnotic effect in this evocative dirge. Miranda Winters is such a good singer. Check out her main band, Melkbelly-- they put out a great album this year!

Nap Eyes- Mark Zuckerberg

Two guitars: one is pointy, the other is chugging. That is the correct way to do two guitars.

Noname- Song 33

This song is 70 seconds. 70! Noname casually negates J. Cole and the song isn’t even about him. She’s so great.

Ratboys- I Go Out at Night

Julia Steiner is on her The Hours shit in this melancholic fantasy of leaving and not returning.

Rio da Yung OG, Lil Yachty- 1v1

I like how Yachty comes in on his verse! It’s been fun to see him back in action with his new Michigan friends. Rio is the star here, though. And Enrgy too.

Soccer Mommy- yellow is the color of her eyes

Sophia Allison’s delivery of “The tiny lie I told to myself is making me hollow” might be my line of the year.

Swamp Dogg- Memories

The whole of Sorry You Couldn’t Make It is great, but for Swamp Dogg, who has covered John Prine, to work with the man before he died is a special accomplishment, and we’re better off that it’s recorded.

Tall Juan- Irene

One of my favorite 2020 releases. And I’ll be a bit vulnerable here folks….when I am walking outside and this song comes on, I push my butt out a little bit and walk like I have rhythm and purpose.

Tierra Whack- Dora

I’m so excited to see what Tierra Whack does, from her beat selection to how she jumps between flow and cadence. She understands herself so well.

Non-2020-specific Music I Enjoyed, in Superlative Form

Group Vocal Performance Most Likely to Pierce Your Heartless Facade

Yesu Ka Mkwebaze

Best Song to Listen to if You are an 1850’s-era whaler in Your Feels

Mary Ann

Favorite Duet (Not Blood-Related)

Emmylou Harris and Herb Pedersen (but mostly Emmylou) create such an intricate and gorgeous melody on “If I Could Only Win Your Love”. Pedal steel heads and mandolin freaks, eat up.

Favorite Duet (Blood-related)

The Louvin Brothers- When I Stop Dreaming

Any longtime friends of the show know I’m a big fan of the singing duo The Louvin Brothers. They’ve got that golden country tone but it’s the blood harmony that turns these guys into something else entirely.

And here’s the kicker, folks. Emmylou covered When I Stop Dreaming! How coincidental for all of us reading this End of Year list…. The Louvins are my preferred version, but Emmylou, that you could help me make this connection is enough, dayenu!

Most Surprising Use of a Song in a Network TV Show

"Yama Yama" by the Yamasuki Singers, Fargo Season 2

When I was a dishwasher at St. James Cheese Co., late 2016ish, this CD was in our back of house music rotation. It is a magical album-- a Japanese children's choir with French pop production (think a bunch of bells and shit). I never learned the name of the album while working there and it fell out of my mind until years later when, after remembering how much I loved it, realized I had no idea how to find it. The pain of typing different spellings of “japanese children’s choir” into google for days on end.....I literally yelled when Fargo used this in its Season 2 big boy shootout. *chef’s kiss*

Best Album by a Spiritually Hungry Musical Genius, Lapping Her Contemporaries in Arrangement, Theme, and Songwriting, Gone Before Her Time

Judee Sill’s self-titled debut.

Best Use of a Second Keyboard in A Keyboard Solo

Fountains of Wayne’s Red Dragon Tattoo

Do I mean to say synthesizer? Not sure. RIP Adam Schlesinger and long live FoW. What a loss.

Best Vibes/ Song I’d Most Want to Show Ezra Koenig so That We’d Bond & Become Friends

Zibote

Best Lyrics Written by a Jew in 1920’s NYC Being Sung by Willie Nelson

Lonely rivers flow to the sea, to the sea / to the open arms of the sea

Favorite TV Shows

Ramy

-Second season shook its focus on the titular character and oh am I thankful. Not that Ramy himself isn’t great, he is, but the entire cast here deserves attention. The Uncle Naseem episode. The Uncle Naseem episode. Ahem. The Uncle Naseem episode.

Joe Pera Talks with You

Lovecraft Country

-Small gripes and complicated plotlines aside, this anthology connecting gothic horror, racism, and American history is phenomenal.

Small Axe

-The second installment in this series, Lovers Rock, which takes place at a party, is the vicarious shot in the arm you deserve, you little extroverted thing you.

I May Destroy You

Betty

The Last Dance

-The first Bulls game I ever went to was the first game *without* Michael Jordan, at the beginning of the ‘98-’99 season. Bad timing.

The Chi

Schitt’s Creek

-This show was never about the plot. Am I allowed to say that? I’ve never cared less for a plot and more for a cast. Catherine O’Hara is in her own league above us all.

Jon Writes a Year-End List

In 2019, my roommate June and I took a road trip through the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. I was out of a relationship, happily or unhappily I wasn’t sure yet, but along the way I downloaded Tinder hoping to meet a local who’d be excited to make out with me. There wasn’t much bite on my line, but by the time we reached Marquette, largely due to my good looks and charisma I’d orchestrated some type of group date with June, me, a girl from Tinder, and her friend.

We met at a dingy karaoke bar and drank for cheap. Nobody wanted to hear me sing, but I got on stage anyway and gave “Willin” by Little Feat a go. Some guy at the bar in a maroon work shirt looked at me, scoffed, and left to smoke outside. The four of us weren’t hitting it off, even with alcohol. I and the friend made a plan to sing “Mommas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow up to Be Cowboys'', but she quickly abandoned the duet after we had begun, citing a lack of vibes.

But we kept singing and drinking and hours later I was leaning against the bar, waiting to order, standing next to maroon-shirt guy who had so easily shrugged off my existence earlier. What caught my eye as I stood next to him was a Star of David tattoo on his forearm. And sure enough, the name tag stitched onto his shirt identified him as “Isaac”. Well I’ll goddamn be-- this guy was frickin Jewish! I was shocked-- I assumed he was goy in the same way I assumed everyone I ran into up there would be.

For just one unconscious assumption (I’m the only Jewish person in this Marquette karaoke bar) to be wrong felt great. My assumptions are really awful. I assumed maroon-shirt hated my guts. I assumed these two girls we were drinking with thought I was a loser too. I assume people don’t like me or respect me or have any interest in getting to know me. I tell awful stories about myself to myself, and my assumptions about the world are limiting and boring! With patience, “guy at bar who kinda scowled at me” had all of a sudden turned into “my new friend Isaac” who, after a few minutes of conversation, I “asked to bum a cigarette from.”

One of my favorite shows of 2020 was Joe Pera Talks With You. I still remember watching Joe Pera’s stand-up for the first time, and then rewatching and rewatching, savoring his cadence. He dressed and spoke like a grandpa, replete with pitch-perfect, kinda-gross mouth sounds, stutters, and low-but-driving energy. It’s a good bit, and Joe has morphed it into probably the funniest, sweetest, and least-pandering show of 2020. What I love about this show is its foundational belief that anyone can surprise you, you just need to give yourself time to notice.

I didn’t end up making out with anyone but I did wake up the next morning with the worst hangover of my life. Wake up, barf, whimper. As June drove us out of Marquette, I could barely keep my eyes open. I did notice, however, a massive, wooden structure jutting out into Lake Superior.

It is this same Lake Superior structure that Joe Pera Talks With You fixates on for its first shot of Season 2. Yes, this is an Adult Swim show that takes place in none other than Marquette, Michigan! Which is weird. Think about other movies, shows, or books that take place in the U.P. You can’t! Even zooming out to include the larger Upper-Great Lakes region leaves us with an almost-empty net: The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald by Gordon Lightfoot and titular Gatsby’s origin story on Lake Superior. These are stories of hard living and life and death on the dangerous Great Lakes. But neither of those are specific to the Upper Peninsula.

Regions are an easy if reductive lens with which to attempt to view and understand people. In 2020, broad and sweeping generalizations about large swaths of people continued to gain power. There was the movie adaptation of JD Vance’s ahistorical Hillbilly Elegy. Woolly-eyed liberals trotted out fake maps of a preferred America that holds only the “good” blue states, not at all engaging in the history of racism and voter suppression that got us here. Besides the fact that Georgia went blue. And Democratic strongholds like California, New York, and Chicago betray any notion of a “better” America. The sins of this nation are not cordoned off into one section or time zone, no region is monolithic, and most importantly, no person can be explained away with a quick sentence.

There is no regional monolith more widely misunderstood than the Midwestern gestalt. Fargo (the show) does a great job of serializing this one type of Midwestern character-- they say “oh sure, happy to help” and they’re murderers. So for Joe Pera to settle his show in the U.P. is a fun choice. Most Americans are probably hard-pressed to conjure an accurate mental picture of who the U.P. is, so Pera creates his own flavor of a seemingly-recognizable small Midwestern town.

In the first episode, Joe walks us through the bean arch he’s growing. Why grow snap beans? “Beans are straightforward.” Straightforwardness, or the appearance of, is central to Pera’s charm. Pera’s shtick is walking the audience through a basic task that can serve as a metaphor for a larger existential question. This conceit isn’t new to Pera, but it has been en vogue recently, with shows like Andy Daly’s Review and the new HBO show How To with John Wilson. These shows present a simple stated goal that obfuscates a larger, more complex grapple.

Joe Pera Talks With You is incredible and endearing because of the genuine tone Pera gives his tight-knit Marquette. We’re getting deranged lunatics like Conner O’Malley and Dan Licata to write jokes for 70-year old Michigan grandmas at a salon. The show trades in the perceived Midwestern folksiness for a punchline, yet doesn’t lose itself in irony or resentment.

Every character in the Joe Pera universe has the opportunity to be profound. Pera gives every character the patience they deserve; even O’Malley’s berserk Joe Rogan listening-caricature Mike Melsky gets incredible moments of vulnerability. It’s a rare comedy: self-aware but not self-obsessed, sweet but not gross, and uniquely funny.

Nowhere else on TV are you going to see such consistently great acting. Some of the best working comedians are in this season. Conner O’Malley has found a way to tap into his unsettling grotesque that is a pleasure to watch, playing characters at the ends of their ropes, shrieking. Jo Firestone is hilarious and essential as Joe’s doom-prepper girlfriend Sarah. We get guest stars like genius Carmen Christopher. Even one-line role players like Joe’s teacher-coworker, who says Joe and Sarah go together “like desk and chair,” knock it out of the park.

The questions at the heart of Talks With You feel more pronounced in a year of death and isolation. How do we connect with people? How can we really be there for our loved ones? How can we feel comfortable in our own skin? The show came out pre-pandemic but Pera’s touch and pacing is universal.

It’s difficult not to compare Talks With You to How to with John Wilson. The two shows have a lot in common. Both protagonists are soft-spoken, and speak at an arrhythmic clip. John Wilson’s voice is affected just like Pera’s; both vocal deliveries are meant to engender trust by signaling to us that they’re lacking some social confidence. But I don’t buy Wilson’s shtick as much as Pera’s.

John Wilson’s show is not straightforward in the same way Pera’s is, and the show suffers under the added weight of pretense. Wilson’s tangents lead us to places that barely fit under the established thematic umbrella and feel forced. On memory, Wilson’s adventure with the Mandela Effect turns from fascinating to boring as the truthers devolve into sketch characters, viewing simple spelling errors with magnifying glasses. “How to Cover Your Furniture” spends an upsettingly long amount of time with an anti-circumcision advocate as Wilson works through the question of how much we are allowed to change parts of other people. Meant to appear as if they effortlessly fell into place, these characters feel shoe-horned in.

Both characters and shows are performative authenticity, and Joe Pera and John Wilson’s whole deal is their status as observer. This year, many of us have become observers. I know I have: unemployed, unable to see people, watching death counts climb, sending money to various bail funds and rent relief to people and organizations near and far. There is a responsibility to being an observer. It is not some callous task. Being an effective observer means allowing your subject the space they need to be as they are and not foisting your own nonsense onto them.

In Joe Pera’s America, it’s understood that everyone is weird. By virtue of being human, we are all weird, off, we do confusing things, and say dumb stuff that doesn’t make sense. Even you’re a weird freak. John Wilson’s subjects seem like circus animals, squeezed in front of the camera for their fucked-up little flip. I can’t shake the feeling that John Wilson is making fun of the people he’s observing. Pera’s observations are rooted in the fairness that comes from seeing humanity in people-- every person has an equal chance of surprising you with how weird they are if you just make them comfortable and let them talk. We owe that to each other.

To be fair, these shows are also very different. Wilson’s found-footage, documentary style is ingenious, hilarious, and completely not the vibe that Pera and Co. are going for at all. And region here is everything. Wacky stuff happening in NYC? Eh, isn’t that par for the course over there? Wait, a show set in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula? Ok...now that I’ve never seen.

Obviously I was wrong about Isaac in Marquette, just as any broad assumption about a region and its people will be. I actually learned that Jews have a significant relationship to the U.P. And I found similarities between my own Jewish history, covering a similarly nebulous area of the Rust Belt/Midwest, and my U.P. cousins. Yes, home was closer than I thought, even across the length of Lake Michigan. Yes, people don’t just hate my guts. Yes, we can overcome lazy assumptions and we can even connect with people. We can make a better world. It just requires patience and listening.

Now, on to my thoughts regarding Fiona Apple’s landmark album Fetch the Bolt Cutters...

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autumnhobbit · 7 years ago

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Story Starters Meme

I got tagged by @tantalum-cobalt, so it’s time to dust off the lines you’ve already seen bc I haven’t written in forever.

Rules: List the first lines of your last 15 stories. See if there are any patterns. Then tag 10 of your favourite authors!

So here goes. And yes, these are the actual Google Docs names of my fic drafts.

de-ageing bc audrey gets what she wants fic:

“Alfred,” Bruce says, and Alfred can hear the odd sort of deadpan panic that only Master Bruce is capable of conveying. “Help.”

How exactly it came to pass that he said these words while standing in front of Alfred in the Cave, having just stepped out of the Batmobile veritably dripping in children---precisely six of them, as a matter of fact, with all of them going in various directions---was beyond Alfred’s mental capacity or willingness at this point.

So when Bruce opens his mouth and begins to say something---whether it be a scientific or practical explanation of how he came to be in this situation, Alfred simply raises a finger. “Don’t.” He says simply.

Bruce closes his mouth with a snap.

vaguely catholic jason death angst:

When he wakes up in his coffin, Jason isn't sure what to make of it.

Of course, at first there's very little thinking, and very much screaming and crying and clawing and thrashing and begging and pleading. He hasn't really prayed in years, drifted away from it when Bruce took him in and away from the cramped, trash-filled apartment he'd spent his childhood in. But that doesn't stop him from reciting every prayer he knows, slurring the words together in mindless terror as he digs.

looooong scarletdevil nonsense:

Saturday evenings were fast becoming Matt's favorite day of the week. Well, maybe not favorite--more like least miserable. The only day he avoided going out at night was Sunday, which, as Foggy had said during a particularly bad argument, was pretty dumb. "Sorry I beat up a bunch of criminals and/or cops today, Lord, but at least I'm breaking for the sabbath!"

another “jason meets damian” thing:

Damian ducks beneath a stroke his mother swings towards his neck, parries two more thrusts in rapid succession, and with a flick of his wrist sends her weapon skittering to the tile. The tip of his own blade rests at her throat.

Her grey eyes meet his, and he feels proud at the impression he can see dancing in her orbs. "I concede," Mother says, and he pulls the blade away from her, allowing it to tip towards the floor. His mother stands gracefully. "You are making good progress, Damian. I am very pleased with how well you've done with your new swordmaster."

"Tt. It is nothing, Mother," he says proudly. It seems like forever since she has personally sparred with him like this, and he revels in the opportunity to please her. "He says I am the best he's ever trained."

sucky draft of yj installment:

"Damian. Wake up."

Damian had learned very early in his life that if anything disturbed his slumber in the League of Assassins fortress, he should be ready to stab upwards without a moment's hesitation. But he recognizes his mother's voice, so he doesn't raise the wickedly sharp blade his fingers are curling around beneath his pillow.

jason outlaws feels + domestic unrest:

The Outlaws contact them at a quarter till midnight. Bruce takes the communication when it comes in at the Batcave--he's there to re-equip and head back out, and hears the alert from the locker room. "Batman, here. What's the situation?" He tries to squelch the instinctive fear that rears its ugly head--he doesn't know where Jason is, what he's doing, if he's safe, and the Outlaws would not contact him unless it were something important.

tbh i have no idea where i was going with this but gen timdami feels sooooo:

Tim was honestly just doing his best not to freak the hell out. It was hard--very hard. He and Damian had never gotten on like he'd hoped they would, back when he'd first found out that Bruce had a son. Time had made their hatred cool off a bit. They hadn't been brothers, or even friends. Tim had hated him, suspected the worst of him at all times, and he had no compulsions to deny that fact.

Until he'd been perfectly conscious less than fifty feet from Damian when the little brat's Mother had him skewered through the torso by his own clone. Less than fifty feet away and half-heartedly struggling while Damian choked on his own blood. Less than fifty feet away while he bled out all over the street in front of Wayne Enterprises. Less than fifty feet away when he stopped breathing and died, all alone. By the time he'd gotten free and rounded the obstacles between them, Damian was a tiny corpse in Bruce's arms, Dick was in shock.

And Tim? Well, as far as he was concerned, Tim was a monster.

very old cold fluff/angst/hurt/comfort thingy ft. the robins:

See, the thing is, the suits are pretty friggin badass. They're made to withstand heat, bullets, knives, fingernails, teeth, and basically whatever Gotham's underbelly has to throw at them. (They're even pretty spiffy, too.)

One thing they're not made to withstand, however, is cold. Which is fine, until Gotham hits a cold snap of 7 below zero. Which was also fine, to start out with, because even criminals usually had some semblance of a brain, and avoided going outside when the snot froze in your nose (ha, that rhymed), after two seconds. The downside was that Freeze seized the opportunity to break out of Arkham and roam the streets without his suit. And he'd apparently gotten a slew of henchmen, off of villain craigslist or whatever the hell the criminals in Gotham used to find help. Hence, Jason was wandering through the city at some ridiculous hour, shooting henchmen while everyone else huddled inside their nice, warm houses.

Well, almost everyone.

MORE attempt at plot/hurt!Jason and Bruce:

Bruce hit the water hard and plunged beneath the surface rapidly. He stifled a yelp of pain when he hit the bottom only milliseconds after submerging, his legs folding up to take the impact and something in his hip pinching suddenly and sharply. He forced himself to maneuver his feet beneath him and push against the bottom towards the surface. He broke the water with a gasp, shaking his head vigorously to try and dislodge some of the water filling the cowl. His hip was throbbing and he was panting, but he whipped his head from side to side, anyway, searching the tank frantically. All he could see was lapping green through his night-vision lenses. "Hood," he gasped out, his voice clogged with water and fear.

No response. The water continued to ripple against the walls. Bruce kicked his legs, ignoring the screaming pain that radiated up his spine as he did so. "Hood?" He grunted again, his voice lowered to some extent for fear of being overheard by their captors. But panic was quickly overriding that concern. "Jay?!" He called again, raising his voice just a bit, becoming taut with frustration and fear. "Jason, if you can hear me, answer." Still nothing. Bruce gulped. "Jay, please."

Silence except for the lapping, dripping water. Bruce's heart was hammering against his ribs, and he was having a hard time catching his breath. He glanced around again.

attempt at plot + hurt!Jason and Bruce bc what else:

Jason woke to his head pounding and intense, burning pain in his abdomen. He felt hot and dizzy and sick. He couldn't stifle a groan as he shifted.

"Hood?" A familiar growl--close and tense but surprisingly gentle--said, and Jason tensed. He had no idea where he was, but that voice...he knew it far too well. He tried to open his eyes, and after a few moments he managed to blink them open to slits. Sure enough, he could dimly see Bruce looming over him, his jaw tense with worry beneath the cowl.

"What?" Jason croaked, starting at how hoarse he sounded, how hard it felt to draw breath.

"Lie still," Bruce ordered, and Jason froze. It still ticked him off when Bruce ordered him around as if he were still Robin, but the concealed fear in Bruce's voice combined with the pain--and having no memory of how he wound up here--made him listen. His gaze flitted from Bruce to the metal surrounding them, enclosing them from all sides. His pulse sped up without his consent.

Unnamed Jason&Bruce angst:

"You know," Jason croaks hoarsely, his throat tight with pain and his chest burning from the effort of speaking, "in our line of work, no one expects to live forever." He pauses to gulp for air that burns as it goes down, and he clenches his eyes shut at the pain the effort causes him--and at how his headache is being exacerbated by Bruce banging against the bars of the cage they're locked in, roaring threats at their captors. He doesn't seem to be hearing anything Jason's saying--he just keeps slamming his hands against the metal frame surrounding them. Jason's not even sure if he's speaking English. His posture is wound tight, and anyone even half-sane who saw him this way would turn and run the other direction as quickly as possible. Jason's never been sane, though.

“Untitled” sequel:

The rest of the League thought of him as some superhuman, repressed ball of efficiency and brutality. He never failed, never wavered, never doubted or deviated from his mission. Bruce knew that was what they saw. He'd gotten used to it.

But every once in a while, he remembered just how much of a lie that was.

the "Jay is protective of the other Robins even when he acts like he's not" fic:

Tim wasn't entirely sure what day it was, anymore. It seemed like it had been forever since he'd seen the sun--or anything, for that matter--but the brain had a funny way of dealing with stressful situations, one of them being the general weird-ness of the sensation of time passing. He offhandedly wondered if it was morning as he worked at the bonds around his wrists for the thousandth time. Still no give. At first, his wrists had stung awfully, and later they became unbearably itchy, no doubt from dried blood. Now, his wrists were numb and his hands felt large and awkward. He supposed that tended to happen when they'd been supporting all his weight for several hours at least.

the JayKara thing:

"Sooooo."

Tim was preoccupied with peering over the edge of the rooftop, using his binoculars to scan the deal going on below. He'd been working for weeks to trace the shipment of drugs to these two gangs, and find enough evidence to lock them up, but tonight his work was finally going to pay off. It didn't bother him too much that Jason was rambling behind him; he did that a lot, and Tim had gotten good at tuning most of it out. He adjusted his binoculars again and focused on one of the head mercs, who was deep in heated conversation with another head. Aaaaaany minute now...

"--you and Spoiler are...like....a thing. Occasionally. I guess."

Tim slowly turned his head. "Hmmm?" He said, a bit dumbly.

The "hurt!Jason vs. the GCPD which was supposed to be funny and sad but just wound up mostly sad" fic:

By the time Commissioner Gordon arrives on the scene, it's swarming with the fifth precinct, EMTs, news cameras, and onlookers who are barely held back by the thin, yellow crime scene tape. He hops out of the car, barely sparing the thought to lock it behind him and hope that whatever poor kid was driving has the keys. He immediately spots Bullock standing in a knot of people, only about twenty feet from the door, which is currently leaking smoke and flames and sparks out into the air with continuous gusts. There's some sort of commotion going on inside---he can faintly hear gunshots and shouts even from this distance. He draws his pistol from its holster, just in case, and jogs over to join them. There's a definite yell as he reaches them, and another gunshot. No one seems to be dodging or taking cover. He has no idea what the hell's going on.

As usual I tag anyone who feels like it or any authors who haven’t been tagged yet who’d like to share some of their first lines.

#tag games #my fic #bruce wayne #alfred pennyworth #dick grayson #jason todd #tim drake #cassandra cain #stephanie brown #damian wayne #batfam #batfamily #dc #writing

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restrepoofficialblog-blog · 7 years ago

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Downloading Top Hip Hop Songs

Hip Hop music writers are discovering the music writing process becoming simpler than ever before with the increasing variety of tune writing instruments and software accessible on-line and available in the market. Traditionally track writing has all the time had the identical steps, lyrics, music, production; the path adopted varying from artist to artist.

Usually in hip hop, the beat comes first. The artist working on arranging the beats first and then getting on the lyrics. That is largely achieved as a result of it's easier to try to write lyrics to slot in with a pre-current beat, however it's comparatively troublesome to try to type a beat round lyrics which have already been writer and selected. The basis of the beat is the drum and other percussion instruments.

Drums are the idea of the music production and may be sampled or created on authentic kits. In sampling, the hip hop track writers use a part of an already present song, or track by one other artist. The essence of sampling is that a component, be it drum or vocals, from a track or recording belonging to every other artist is taken and used by the song writer as a part of their monitor.

Components of the track will be blended into the main track over and over to form a sample, which is called a loop. Loops not only add a distinct dimension to the tune, but in addition add layers, introducing the work of another artist into the mix, which could be considered as some form of collaboration on the hip hop music writers half. There are different ways to collaborate reminiscent of working on lyrics with one other artist or having them do guest vocals in your track observe.

In addition to the drums, bass lines are also an integral part of any hip hop track. Where the drums add a backing to the song, bass traces add a depth, a resonance. Typically synthesizers can be utilized to create bass traces. The arrangement of the drums, bass lines, sampling components and so on. is all depending on the hip hop track writers, how they want to style the song.

Serious about new hip hop tune releases? From underground rap superstars like Atmosphere or Aesop Rock to Soiled South rap artists like Lil Wayne, here's the most effective locations to new hip hop tune releases.

Radio Stations

True, radio stations have misplaced some of their influence due to the popularity of the Web, although new songs typically get quite a lot of airplay here. Beneath you'll discover classic hip hop stations and some online ones which have blown up not too long ago...

Power106. The authority with regards to new rap songs. Power 106 performs tracks from the most popular established rappers like Eminem, Lil Wayne and Kanye West, as nicely the up and comers like T.I and Flo Rida.

Hot97. Their tagline is "Hot97 Is Hip Hop and R&B" and with their observe file of providing the hottest new beats and interviews, no one is about to say in any other case.

Energy one hundred and five. Initially a gentle rock radio station, Power105 now focuses on offering new and classic rap tracks. In addition they supply the newest freestyles from prime artists to youthful MCs seeking to get observed.

IMEEM. With IMEEM, listeners could make their very own music playlists on the fly and incorporate a wide variety of musical types corresponding to underground rap outdated-faculty hip-hop and mainstream artists. Fans can save their playlists for later use and share it with other users on the positioning. For those who're searching for a brand new hip-hop track or freestyle that is the place to go.

Pandora. No doubt Pandora is considered one of my favourite sites what I am on the lookout for new music. All you have to do is sort within the title of your favourite rapper Pandora creates a streaming playlist that includes associated artists, primarily based upon musical styles and lyrical content.

It by no means ceases to amaze me how many rap artists I've come across using this site; it's like combating and also you hit rap track every five minutes.or another great feature with Pandora is your capability to float for every music as its play. Should you vote a track up, Pandora's more prone to embody that music once more and your ongoing playlist; voted down and it's possible you'll not see that same track for months to return, if at all.

Hip hop music has been around for 30 years now, and during this time there have been many artists to supply wonderful songs. However, a few of these songs have stuck in our minds and still make us rise up and dance and sing along once we hear them. We salute those that have given us musical expertise so exceptional to make us soften once we hear their song.

The highest eight hip hop songs ever are (in no explicit order):

1. 'It was a superb Day' -Ice Dice

From the beat to the lyrics this is that really feel good music that instantly relieves the entire stress of the day. We are able to all relate to the music, and irrespective of how many times it's performed it's nonetheless that sound you bob your head to.

2. 'Children's Story' -Slick Rick

You possibly can't talk about hip hop without speaking about Slick Rick, one of many greatest performers on this genre. This song has that flowing beat and lyrics that get caught in your mind every time. Anybody who knows hip hop knows this jam.

three. 'Juicy' -Biggie Smalls

This music started a new era in rap music as it's the music that made Massive Poppa what he nonetheless is to the world at the moment, even 10+ years after he was shot to loss of life. Juicy mentioned it was all a dream and this song provided inspiration and really feel good vibes to every single one that listened to it.

four. 'Straight Outta Compton' -NWA

Straight Outta Compton is one of the hottest rap songs of all occasions. It's also answerable for the West Coast gangster rap motion that modified the lives of numerous people. Straight Outta Compton details the life out on the streets of one of the state's most harmful cities with hardcore rapper Eazy-E on the vocals.

5. 'Rapper's Delight' - The Sugar Hill Gang

Hip hop, hippty hop... He is rapping to the beat simply making an attempt to move your ft. Most individuals know every single word to this traditional track. This was one of the world's first introductions to the musical style, and a powerful one which it was.

6. 'Push It' -Salt N- Pepa

Launched in 1986, Push It was a hit for the trio of rappers. This is a sassy joint that made it to bounce charts and still in the present day rocks the body and the occasion.

7. 'Hypnotize' -Biggie Smalls

The legendary rapper tops the highest 10 listing as soon as once more with this tune, reaching number one just one week after the rappers dying. This fast-witted, humorous track with the quirky beat feels good to take heed to. It also began an eruption of affection, tears and celebration of life at Biggie's funeral on his approach to be laid to relaxation on the streets of Brooklyn.

eight. 'Laborious Knock Life' -Jay Z

Jay-Z is a musical god, as he proved back in 1998 with Arduous Knock Life, a track sampling Annie within the refrain. Jay raps about dwelling that tough knock life, a real tune that almost all of us can really feel at some stage.

Rap music is part of us, a part of our soul. There are literally thousands of wonderful songs on the market in this genre, with musical talent from around the world. There may be nothing quite like hip hop music when the sounds hit you.

I can't stress sufficient the good thing about having your house recorded Hip Hop songs Mastered by an outside Mastering Engineer that makes a speciality of the Hip Hop genre. The end result will no doubt be better when performed by a educated ear with an acoustically tuned setting & Mastering specific gear. With that said, it's doable so that you can achieve usable outcomes in your house Hip Hop recording studio & the aim of this article is to help you obtain these results utilizing the recording gear/software program that you just already own.

If you are recording on Digidesign Protools software then you should utilize the plug ins that got here with this system. Most similar packages should have comparable processing plug ins so seek the advice of your person guide for those.

You'll start your mastering session with a two monitor stereo mix of your song ideally with the master stage peaking at about -3db never hitting the pink on the meter. This combine ought to already be sounding the way in which you need while needing a lift in quantity & possibly a couple EQ tweaks to make it translate well to various sound techniques/sources.

Beginning with the EQ make changes to the lows, mids, & highs, based mostly on any notes that you just taken after listening to your mix on several different types of sound sources equivalent to earbuds, a car system, a bookshelf stereo, a mono clock radio, laptop audio system and so on.

Your purpose is in your master to finish up sounding good on all of the different systems the place in fact on bigger programs with sub woofers you'll have extra bass & on laptop computer audio system & earbuds there shall be little or no sub bass. The secret's to have a grasp that still retains readability on every of these sources. Once you listen to your mix on these sources hear for frequency issues that tend to indicate up on multiple sound sources as these are the first things you should work on with the EQ.

You must strive trial & error to seek out the frequencies and keep in mind it's always higher to fix by cutting the offensive sounds then by boosting different frequencies to cover them.

Keep in mind that any EQ tweaks that you carry out on the stereo combine goes to affect the whole tune so ensure the changes are literally fixing the problem with out inflicting a bigger one in another space.

The next step in your house Hip Hop Mastering session after you might be proud of the EQ outcomes might be adding a Compressor to the monitor. This can be used to present the song a smooth level sound making the track level constant from begin Music video by RESTREPO to end. The Compressor may also aid in boosting the perceived quantity of the track. Beneath is a set of Compressor settings that I have come to make use of on Hip Hop tracks as a starting point when placing collectively a song Grasp.

You will want to do A/B listening comparisons between your working master & a commercially launched Hip Hop track that is comparable in type to your music. You want your master to be as loud because the commercially released tune and translate properly on all the different sound techniques/sources.

Simply as you will want to do with a mixture, after finishing your music master save it & depart it alone for a day or two then come back to it with contemporary ears and you could have a distinct perspective on it & finds issues to fix that may have been missed earlier. once you feel your music grasp is similar to the commercially launched track you're completed mastering your new song.

There are a lot of different specialty programs & software program plug ins which might be designed for Mastering nonetheless this article is geared toward those which might be trying to grasp their songs utilizing the options that are already present on their recording software program or workstation. Additionally needless to say Pro Mastering homes will furnish you with a grasp CD that can be verified to be error free as well as include particular encoding that will be the grasp you'll need to give to a CD replication/duplication plant to get mass produced CD's. This is a vital feature though it appears within the music business more & extra artists are bypassing the price of getting CD's made & as an alternative having obtain only releases.

The information in this article ought to give you a path to comply with when trying to master your Hip Hop songs in your individual residence studio. There aren't any guidelines set in stone though trial & error have helped to formulate the mastering process given above.

Brian G a.ok.a. BG has 15 years experience beginning out as a Deejay turned Producer/remixer turned recording engineer with an honor scholar diploma from AIA. Brian G has recorded over 50 Hip-Hop and R&B artists in his dwelling studios as well as recorded his own hip-hop songs.

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mercyishyne-blog · 7 years ago

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MERCY- ISHYNE FT SNS

The Top Rap and Hip Hop Songs

Hip Hop song authors are finding the song writing process getting easier than ever before with the rising quantity of song writing tools and software available online and at the industry. Normally song writing has ever had exactly the same measures, lyrics, songs, production; the path followed varying from artist to artist.

Generally in hip hop, the rhythm comes first. The artist working on organizing the beats first and then getting on the lyrics. This is mostly done since it is easier to try and write lyrics to match with a pre-existing rhythm, but it is comparatively difficult to try and form a rhythm around lyrics which have already been writer and determined. The foundation of the beat is the drum and other percussion instruments.

Drums are the basis of this song production and can be sampled or created on initial kits. In sampling, the hip hop song writers use a component of the already existing tune, or track by another artist. The essence of sampling is that part, make it wrapped or vocals, from a song or recording belonging to any other artist is taken and utilized by the tune writer as a part of their track.

Parts of the track can be combined into the main track over and over to form a pattern, which is referred to as a loop. Loops not just add a different dimension to the song, but add layers, presenting the work of another artist into the mix, which is considered as some kind of collaboration on the hip hop tune authors part. There are other approaches to cooperate such as working on lyrics with a different artist or with them do guest vocals in your song track.

Besides the drums, bass lines are also an integral component of any hip hop tune. Where the drums add a backing into the tune, bass lines add a depth, a resonance. Generally synthesizers can be used to create bass lines. The arrangement of the drums, bass lines, ticking components etc. is all dependent upon the hip hop tune writers, the way that they want to style the song.

Interested in brand new hip hop song releases? From underground rap superstars like Atmosphere or even Aesop Rock into Dirty South rap artists like Lil Wayne, here's the best spots to newest hip hop song releases.

Radio Stations

True, radio stations have dropped some of their influence thanks to the popularity of the web, though new songs typically get a lot of airplay here. Below you will discover classic hip hop stations and a few online ones which have blown up lately...

Power106. The authority in regards to new rap songs. Power 106 performs tracks in the hottest established rappers like Eminem, Lil Wayne and Kanye West, and the up and comers like T.I and Flo Rida.

Hot97. Their tagline is "Hot97 Is Hip Hop and R&B" and their track record of supplying the hottest new beats and interviews, no one is going to say otherwise.

Power 105. Originally a soft rock radio station, Power105 now focuses on providing new and classic rap tracks. They also offer the latest freestyles from leading musicians to aged MCs looking to get discovered.

IMEEM. Together with IMEEM, listeners can create their own music playlists on the fly and integrate a wide variety of musical styles like underground rap old-school hip-hop and mainstream artists. Fans can conserve their playlists for later use and share it with other users on the site. If you're trying to find a brand new hip song or freestyle this is the place to go.

Pandora. Without a doubt Pandora is one of my favorite websites what I am searching for new music. All you have to do is type in the title of your favorite rapper Pandora produces a streaming playlist featuring related musicians, predicated upon musical styles and lyrical content. It never stops to amaze me how many rap musicians I have come across using this website; it's just like fighting and you hit rap song each five minutes.or another great feature with Pandora is your ability to float for each song as its drama. If you vote a tune up, Pandora's more likely to include that song again along with your ongoing playlist; voted you down and you may not see that same monitor for months to come, in any way.

Hip hop music has been around for 30 years now, and in this time there have been lots of artists to produce amazing songs. But, some of those songs have stuck in our heads and still make us get up and dance as well as sing together when we listen to them. We salute those who have given us musical gift so remarkable to allow us to melt when we listen to their song.

The best 8 hip hop songs ever are (in no particular order):

1. 'It was a good Day' -Ice Cube

In the beat to the lyrics this is that feel great song that instantly relieves each of the strain of this day. We could all relate to the song, and no matter how many times it is played it's nevertheless that audio you bob your head to.

2. 'Children's Story' -Slick Rick

You can not talk about hip hop without speaking about Slick Rick, among the greatest performers in this particular genre. This song has that fluid rhythm and lyrics that get stuck in your mind each time. Anyone who knows hip hop understands this jam.

3. 'Juicy' -Biggie Smalls

This tune started a new era in rap music since it's the song that made Big Poppa what he still would be to the world these days, even 10+ years after he was shot to death. Juicy said it had been all a dream and this song provided inspiration and feel good vibes to every single individual who listened to it.

4. 'Straight Outta Compton' -NWA

Straight Outta Compton is one of the most popular rap songs of all times. It's also accountable for the West Coast gangster rap movement that changed the lives of countless individuals. Straight Outta Compton details the life out on the streets of one of the state's most dangerous cities with hardcore rapper Eazy-E about the vocals.

5. 'Rapper's Delight' - The Sugar Hill Gang

Hip hop, hippty hop... He's rapping to the beat only attempting to move your feet. Most people know each and every word to this classic tune. This was one of the world's first introductions to this musical genre, and an impressive one which it had been.

6. 'Push It' -Salt N- Pepa

Released in 1986, Push It was a hit for the trio of rappers. This really is a sassy joint which forced it to dance charts and still today rocks the body along with also the party.

7. 'Hypnotize' -Biggie Smalls

The legendary rapper shirts the best 10 list once more with this tune, hitting one only 1 week after the rappers death. This quick-witted, funny tune with all the quirky beat feels good to follow. In addition, it started an eruption of love, tears and celebration of life at Biggie's funeral in his way to be laid back to rest on the streets of Brooklyn.

8. 'Hard Knock Life' -Jay Z

Jay-Z is a musical god, since he revealed back in 1998 with Hard Knock Life, a tune sampling Annie in the chorus. Jay raps about living that hard knock life, a real tune that nearly all of us may feel at a certain level.

Rap music is a part of us, a part of our soul. There are hundreds and hundreds of amazing songs out there in this genre, with musical talent from round the world. There is nothing quite like hip hop hop music once the sounds hit on you.

A hip hop tune writer, like any other song Author, has to go through the same sorts of measures that cause a completed song. There are no stationary ways to receive a complete song, simply the measures are the same, the sequence in which one goes about them is a single preference. Mainly the first step is the Title, because in that one line the author is able to decide what exactly they want to talk about via the song. Once the title is done it is a simple matter of getting the lyrics down to describe what the name is all about.

This can be difficult for a hip hop song author, who's maybe not so confident in their in writing abilities and are uncertain of whether the lyrics they write are going to have the ability to properly describe to the audience what they want to say. In this circumstance, the author can choose to collaborate with another artist, one whose work they respect or perhaps one that they believe will have the ability to get their point across better than they have the ability to. Collaboration is a joint venture, in which the artists work together, bouncing ideas back and forth until they're satisfied with the end result. It's a purely organic process in which one artist can put forth 1 idea and they discuss it and move forward. Another approach go about the lyric writing process is to hire a ghost writer to write the lyrics to them.

When the lyrics are done, and it is often along and time consuming process because the artists has to be pleased with each and each and every word of the lyrics as this there means of putting themselves out there, for the entire world to view. This requires the hip hop tune author going over each and every word over and over again until they are completely happy. Once the lyrics are finished, the next step is to match them with the beats.

A normal hip hop song includes intros, hooks and verses. Generally the songs start with the intros, though sometimes the song may begin with a rap part. The verses follow the intro and they can be either 16 pub or 32 bar, it all depends on what the hip hop tune writer has in mind. Following the verse, comes the hook, which is what makes the tune stand and catchy out. The hook, or chorus because it's also known, is mostly repeated during the song, interspersed between the verses.

I shall start this article by saying it's a good idea to have an engineer that specializes in mixing Hip Hop songs be the one to handle the mixing of your house studio documented Hip Hop songs. There's great value in having another set of ears interpret the sounds & make a mix that sounds good in an environment designed for Hip hop songs mixing Hip Hop recordings by a person who deals with Hip Hop combinations on a regular basis. That said, the objective of this guide is to give the Home recording studio artist a few tips, insight, & an overview of putting together a Hip Hop song mix utilizing the software/gear they already have in their home studio.

During the monitoring phase of the recording procedure you are/should be concentrating on capturing the best recorded tracks on an individual basis, ensuring each recorded element is of good quality & listed at an optimized level with no clipping/distortion. The mixing phase is about making all those listed elements blend together & sound great with one another to provide a great sounding & intriguing song mix as a whole. At the mixing stage you need to focus on the way things sound together with each other over how a bit sounds by itself. In case you were to solo an Component & tweak the EQ, it may sound better when by itself but when positioned in the mix the adjustment may be clashing with a different component so always make adjustments in the mixture whilst paying attention to this mixture as a whole.

When setting up the mix a fantastic way to make panning choices is to picture your path split into every instrument being played by a live artist on stage with the main/lead vocal generally panned in the middle. Adjust the panning of every tool around the stereo field in the places that you imagine the digital artist standing while enjoying with the instrument sound. Utilize reverb effects at various decay/feedback settings to include distance & distance to components while maintaining some noises free of reverb to keep the mixture up close & personal. It's a fantastic idea to check your mixes on good quality headphones as this give you a good notion of how the different panning setting are working will tell you whether there are some sounds that aren't showing up too much on either side of the stereo field.

The bass drum and other bass components are generally served best in the center as bass tends to be perceived in a mono style so may also put it so. Lead vocals ought to be panned in the middle with over dubs & adlibs panned at changing places with marginally lower quantity than the lead & with delicate EQ gaps. You want your instrumental in being just like a form fitting foam mattress that your vocal is able to "lay" down into & be embraced by. You don't want your vocal to appear like it was only placed on top of a flat beat. You want your mix to get changes in dynamics, with ups & downs that will build expectation then release it & so on. Make certain to check your mixture on a mono playback device as well to be certain all components are still heard, should you have any exact wide instrument panning you might lose the noise when heard in mono so make alterations to sound great in mono & stereo. The level in your own stereo mixture should be Peaked at about -3db around the meter without hitting the red. This will provide the mastering engineer the headroom needed to maximize the sound of your tune & mastering will bring up the level to the max.

The last mixture of all components ought to be listened to on as many different types of sound sources as possible such as ear buds, laptop speakers a bookshelf system, or a vehicle stereo. The more different sources the better as this will permit you pinpoint any re-occurring issues that may then be fixed "in the mix" When you've got a completed mix that you have done A/B comparisons using commercial tracks and you believe your mixture is close enough, then you will be ready to input the mastering stage. If you're a beat maker which has no vocal tracks, then you can still mix your beat/instrumental with exactly the very same tips/techniques above while conserving the vocal mix tips for later.

The data in this guide has given you an overview of the Hip Hop tune mixing procedure in the home studio that I often follow, you might adjust your process to match your preferences as what I've intended was to give you a sort of blending roadmap to follow when you aren't sure how to proceed.

Brian G a.k.a. BG has 15 years experience starting out as a Deejay turned Producer/remixer turned recording engineer having an honor student diploma from AIA. Brian G has listed over 50 Hip-Hop and R&B designers in his home studios in addition to recorded his own songs that were fashionable.

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