#got a new guitar. as a totally unrelated thing

[unknownadvisor]

hhi..g,sdf,gcan i request a connor dbjh the blorbo ever

YES.

when I tell you my sketchbook opened itself.

notes under the cut

he's a little crooked but thats okay,,, I hope you like him :)

its been so long since I've consumed any dbh related material ngl,,, also I was gonna color this but I decided against it because I started coloring and decided I did not like it

maybe when I get home ill color it properly??

I also usually forget his freckles so I just tacked them on pretty much last minute. I always debate the way I draw him too, it's tempting to draw him in civilian/deviant clothes and to give him like earrings or something but I dont think he'd be the type to wear flashy jewelry. like 2mm silver studs at most

this was quickly done to some extent and after staring at it some more I've decided ill probably redo it later

[gattnk]

Terence and Scarlett, the youngest Deans in this Golden School's history. What kind of future do you think they'll bring?

I'm back on track my lovelies! Or rather, I never really left the AF train: I just needed some time to plan things out. I've sketched out the rest of the school staff, but I'll give priority to finishing chapter 5. Not gonna lie, I only finished these two first because I fell so in love with their designs I couldn't resist sharing them sooner!

Back in the early days of my production bible, I established the Golden School would offer other courses unrelated to guardian angels/devils; both the comic and S2 of the show inspired this concept. I came up with five faculties in total, with a pair of canon teachers at the helm of each. This is how Terence and Scarlett became my Academic Deans of the Tech and Support faculty.

Tech and Support is an engineering faculty: they're the mechanics behind mascots, vehicles like auto-spheres and motor-spikes, and pretty much every piece of angel/devil infrastructure on Earth. I chose Terence and Scarlett specifically because they're the least established teachers we see in canon. Simply put, they were the only teachers with enough wiggle room to fit the bill.

I took a long, hard look at what Terence and Scarlett were supposed to be in the series: the young, hip, hot new teachers in town when they first show up in the movie, the kind that make their younger students swoon and maybe stir some love trouble indirectly with their presence. I could definitely work with that!

Terence's original design looked like the kind of guy who brings an acoustic guitar to a college party, which is a very... 2000s kind of "hot". He needed an upgrade, stat. So I went on a quest and found that hunks are in vogue now, which is fine by me! And so a hunky engineer he became, with a high-visibility coverall, work boots, tool-bags and a helmet. He got to keep some stubble and his long hair (tied up in a ponytail for safety reasons) as a recall to his original design.

Scarlett's original design screams femme fatale, which is great for eye candy but not very practical when handling machinery. So I decided to gear her properly: strong-material overalls and shirt, work boots, welding gloves and safety goggles, protective horn cuffs, short hair and no jewelry (seriously, avoid wearing dangly bits like loose hair or jewelry when you're in a workshop). Properly geared women in STEM are, or so I'm told, pretty hot :v So mission accomplished!

While Terence and Scarlett's role in my rewrite is no longer to act as a romantic wedge between Raf and Sulfus, I ended up giving them shared traits with my Raf and Sulfus redesigns. It has a narrative purpose I won't disclose for now, but if you were wondering why they feel like grown-up genderbent versions of the protagonists, now you know.

Their new colors are pretty much a mash-up of their canon palette and my usual colors for angels and devils. I wanted to subvert expectations a bit however, so I gave Terence a red halo and wings and Scarlett blue horns and wings. They're the same hue as each other's eyes for entirely aesthetic reasons.

Honestly, it's been real fun so far to work on the teachers! I love working on side characters, there's more room to explore in terms of design because there's less expectations surrounding them.

I'll Fly With You (rewrite fic) Art masterpost

[m1ssunderstanding]

4 FAB totally unrelated questions:

Can you make your favorite Beatle and solo song list ?

I really enjoy reading your Mclennon fic, are you planning to write more ( I hope so)

What is your favorite McLennon theory, thing they did or photograph?

I also really enjoyed your Get back / understanding Lennon-McCartney series, can you make more? Your captions and details are so good.

me when I read this

I abhor favorites, so here's some lists as of RIGHT NOW in this current moment. It will be very different in about three seconds. My toddler's is much easier. I Have to sing Maxwell to him before he goes to bed or he will cry.

Top 5 Solo(upbeat): 5. Crackerbox Palace 4. Just Like Starting Over 3. Getting Closer 2. Old Siam Sir 1. Monkberry Moon Delight

Top 5 Beatles(upbeat): 5. Baby You're a Rich Man 4. I Wanna Hold Your Hand 3. Rocky Raccoon 2. I've Just Seen a Face 1. Dont Let Me Down

Top 5 Solo (downbeat): 5. Vanity Fair 4. I Don't Know 3.Jealous Guy 2. Isn't it a Pity 1. Junk

Top 5 Beatles (downbeat): 5. Strawberry Fields Forever 4. Blackbird 3. You Never Give Me Your Money 2. Eleanor Rigby 1. While My Guitar Gently Weeps

2. Thank you so so much and yes! I post new chapters of my series every Monday. Right now they're in Hamburg and things are Very Messy. I do want to write more after this fic wraps, but I've got other things I want to do first, see question 4.

3. As far as my own actual mclennon theory I swing to both sides of the spectrum (they fucked on the regular the whole time just without any secret committed romantic relationship ---- they literally never did anything it was all just mutual pining and maybe Paul didn't even understand what he was feeling until it was too late) depending on what evidence I've read or watched recently. My favorite thing to think about right now is all the secretiveness of the seventies. Like why do we have so many conflicting accounts of when they last saw each other and the same thing about the amount of time they spent together during the lost weekend?

4. Thank you for saying that, you're too kind! Yeah I do want to do more of those. I want to do the fifth parts of ULM and I have thought about doing Two of Us and other Beatles movies, but here's my list of to-dos. 1. Finish my current fic 2. Answer two big deal asks that are sitting in my drafts 3. Write my claimed prompt for the summer of love 4. Do more reactions

I super appreciate this ask anon it was so much fun! As always I'd love to hear your thoughts too if you feel like sending them in asks or messages or whatever:)

[crucifixes-and-chrysanthemums]

I've decided, after Em mentioned her own journaling, that I should probably do it more. Once a week on Mondays at the least.

First off, three things I like about myself. One: I'm a good listener. Two: I am helpful to others. Three: I am good at understanding others' emotional perspectives.

That wasn't so hard, was it? Alright, maybe a little harder than it should be, but so be it. Blame it on the late time and I'm sorta tired. Anyway, it's almost Christmas! This Sunday, in fact. I know a few of my gifts, which is nice. Rice cooker, blanket, heated jacket. All stuff I can use. My secret Santa arrives tomorrow and it's something Lana Del Rey-related. It's Lana Del Rey-lated. Or at least, that's my guess. Mom and I got Pap a holster with a light for his 43X. I got dad a flashlight. I need to just get gift cards for the rest, I think. I don't really have any ideas, unfortunately. A few, but they're too cliche.

Em is breaking up with her boyfriend, and I support her. He gave her the clap and didn't tell her for a week. When he did it came out really shitty. Poor Em. I feel so bad for her. She just keeps getting kicked in the balls by life. Deserves much better. I might be going to visit her around March, for which I'm rather excited. It'll be nice to meet her in person. We've been talking a lot lately which is nice. It's nice to have company.

I'm thinking of going back to school. St. Bernard's school in the city has a bunch of classes I'm really interested in. They're not terribly expensive, financial aid is apparently easy to get, and their graduate certificates don't require an undergrad degree. Hopefully something to help for the future. Maybe, maybe not; still something I have to pray on a lot.

My prayer life has actually been decent lately! Still rather unorganized but pretty much every night I talk to God a little bit. So that's nice. Makes me feel like less of a shithead. Makes a real difference, honestly.

Man, there was something else I was gonna talk about but it totally slipped my mind. Unrelated, Campbell's Chunky Potato Ham Chowder? Bad. Really bad. Steak and potato? Absolutely cash money.

I've also come up with a new aesthetic/-core: Bog Wizard-core. Bog Wizard-core is the music and whatnot of a wizard living in a bog. Away from society, deep within a forest, where the light always seems to be shining, but the shadows are always a little long. Living in a giant boot, or perhaps a mushroom. Something made of nature but still shaped by man. Slow, ambient stuff. Mostly without lyrics. The type of music a Bog Wizard would listen to while brewing potions and observing wildlife and whatnot. Pianos, slow electric guitars, and woodwinds. Earth tones with flashes of bright blue and red here and there. Man, I wanna be a Bog Wizard. Note that Bog Wizard =/= Druid. Bog Wizards live in large footwear or huts augmented by, but not primarily made of nature. Druids live in nature augmented by huts, or right in a mushroom or something. I wanna just live in a bog and make potions and observe the wildlife and whatnot from my hut. Go on silly little walks through the bog with my magic torch to light my path.

That's about it, I suppose. Thanks for listening, diary. You always do.

12/20/22 - 12:26am.

[xnchxntmxnt]

HEY it's me here for the event <33

So fandoms is just Sk8 the infinity, and if you're doing yoi then that too but otherwise just the one is fine also I'd preferably like a dude

So that's the outift im SORRY it's all black but i wore it recently and i rlly liked it so it's the first thing that came to mind

Totally unrelated to the event but this is the pair of shoes I'm wearing in that outfit and I'm in Love with them probably my fav pair shoes

So uh yea these ^ shoes with black pants, a white tshirt with a printed tie tucked into the pants, and a black denim jacket over top. Also a black knitted belt. I always wear those bracelets and like, a normal watch.

Ah personailty. I'm that generally nice guy that noone rlly has any beef with but who's not like, one of the popular kids uk? Not very talkative but that's only around new people. In contrast, I'm probably the most talkative one within my friend group lol.

I LOVE reading I've loved it ever since i was a toddler. I don't have a fav genre, as a kid i would read literally anything, from encyclopdias to kids books to classics to even this one big book about herbal medicine that i read for some reason? I don't even remember what was in it but it was rlly cool.

I have a system where my tbr list doubles as my book ranking list. My highest ranked books tend to be those that make me cry a Lot. So books like The Song Of Achilles, aaddtsotu, No 6, Circe, A Thousand Boy Kisses.

I'm a hoe for animation, and I don't watch live action movies/series alot. When i was younger it was disney pixar etc and now I watch anime. I still love disney pixar movies tho, and im always down to watch a classic like Mulan or newer movies like Luca or Encanto (three of my favourite films of all time btw). I prefer animation to live action because it has this sense of wonder and fantasy and excitement that you can't replicate with live action, and that's what i rlly enjoy abt it.

I loove music, i play the uke guitar and piano, tho I'm not Amazing at any of them. My fav artist is Taylor Swift. I don't support Celebrity Stan culture and I don't follow her life too intensely, i just find out stuff by filtration from my mutuals/friends lol. That being said, i think Taylor is so incredibly talented and her music never ever fails to make me feel a whole slew of emotions.

I also have adhd and it messes w my life in some ways, makes it more interesting in other ways. I Cannot hold a topic I go on multiple tangents, i have the short term memory capacity of a spoon, i cannot sit still and am always fidgeting , I'm hypersensitive to sudden sounds, but im also unable to function in total silence. School was weird cuz I'd never be able to pay attention in class or while studying normally but sometimes I'd hyperfixate on my studies for hours on end and so I'd do fairly well anyway.

I'm bisexual grayro! I'm aromantic in the sense that I don't feel romantic attraction, but i still wanna be in a romantic relationship someday (btw I am taking this event date as romantic not platonic). I'm also into boys girls and anything else, although i have a preference for guys.

I love being alone and left to do my own thing, but i hate feeling lonely or isolated. Which is smn my friends understand, so we don't talk a whole lot, but whenever we do it's so refreshing and the love between us is so palpable uk?

I watch documentaries in my free time! I especially love ones about history, which is one of my favourite subjects. I'm not TOO interested in war history, although its important and just as significant. I'm more interested in the development of society through the ages and the small quiet revolutions that made the world what we know today.

UHHHH that got longer than i meant it to but yea!! This was so fun thank u :)) hope u had fun reading all that!

i just have to say i was gonna text u this but i just. i love listening to people ramble like this its so fun because i love when people just. talk. especially about themselves. all these cool little things i now know about you i just. yes. i love it i love all of this its such a cool thing to me

ramble over. thANK YOU FOR SINGING WITH ME AT THIS <333 i did not even have to think about this matchup i got about halfway through ur submission before i was like lol i have the perfect idea

𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡... 𝐑𝐄𝐊𝐈 𝐊𝐘𝐀𝐍

kjgbkjdbg suit for him <3

the tie disappears after about 5 minutes he HATES ties. anyway

little different than others: you guys didn't actually meet here

you two had kinda been seeing each other for a little while but nothing was super formal or official

but you wanted to bring him because 1) you found out his friend was gonna be there too 2) gave you a chance to vibe a while yknow?

so reki's your plus one going into this

dude was SO nervous he was calling langa in a panic trying to figure out how to style his hair and what he was supposed to be wearing and all this other stuff

poor dude

but hey, he showed up, he looks great, its awesome

you told him beforehand that you were going in early bc music setup n stuff

he decided to come around the time everyone else was supposed to be there & just come by himself

hung out w langa and his girlfriend until yours truly makes their entrance

oh boy this dude was AWESTRUCK when it was music time

i've got this idea in my brain that like. i od a song then we do a song? said song is lover

he was vibing w the music for a while yk and then you started singing

lets just say dude went as red as his hair

he gives me the vibes that he'd have a thing for musicians or just people that can sing well

so like every gay panic siren was going off in his head when he heard you sing

finally music stuff was done

time to eat

before you could even get to the table reki ZOOMS over to you and is geeking out

incomprehensible rambling

he's just !!!!!

but overall he's just like ,NGNMJBHDGJNH BLUE THAT WAS SO GOOD

expect to be almost trampled in a hug

he will hug you

<333

so anyway you go through dinner

congrats you officially met langa + his girlfriend koi (who also participated in this lol)

however

ur probably halfway through a conversation and reki hears a song that he likes and makes u dance w him

he's never been one for social standards anyway he doesn't care if it seems rude its only langa

and he wouldn't care

he knows he wouldn't

so now ur cute redhead is pulling you onto the dance floor

he cannot dance but its okay!! he's trying. just vibe with him and let him spin you and spin him and he'll be smiling and laughing at you all night

that's all I've got but he's whipped for u and know that either that night or soon after u two make it official he had so much fun w you that he probably asked you night-of or the day after

[cx-shhhh]

No, no, I am loving cellist Enj day.

Now, Enjolras totally has perfect pitch. He's that annoying kid in during music theory that gets the dictation on the first try.

Aw, they sitting together in the piano stool, until Enjolras accidentaly elbows R in the ribs

The Gavroche thing, I saw a mom on instagram play her daughter's cello like a violin, so I can imagine Enjolras giving up and start to play the arpegios like that

Back with perfect pitch, Enjolras was feeling like being a little shit, so after Grantaire made a certain sound (eyebrows wiggle) he just smiled and said, "that sounds like a D sharp"... R almost kicked him in the face

Combeferre wants to murder Enjolras because the same day they went to IKEA to buy the Marius stool, they bought a new carpet, and Enjolras' cello already ruined it

Listen, this comes from personal experience and I am most likely projecting, but he's scared af of changing/new strings

Marius asks E to play Pachebell's Canon (lol) at his wedding... it was not pretty

There's a small dent in the concert hall's floor that Enjolras takes great pride in. He was playing Dvorak

Grantaire has promised he's not gonna keep him from punching the next person that asks if he's cello is a big violin/ a guitar

He practices his fingering (the cello one for fuck's sake) in his arm, like cello's not here, so he just pretends his right arm is the fingerboard

Also totally unrelated, but Eponine plays the viola (again, not me projecting), Jehan the flute, Joly plays french horn and Musichetta plays double bass, pretty funny since she's tiny. Bossuet is not allowed near musical instruments ever since the incident with an oboe reed

I got a lot more asks, which I adore, thank you. I’ve been tagging them under cellist enj just to keep it organized lol.

And yes. I agree with every single item on this list. Éponine WOULD play the viola. But consider, Éponine as Enjolras’s stand partner.

Enjolras would take the gig because of Cosette and glare at Marius the entire time he plays those same eight notes 54 times.

Enjolras playing Dvorak. Enough said.

The perfect pitch thing, oh my God. It’s perfect haha. And then Enjolras kisses the scream right off his lips.

The changing strings thing: totally understandable. Anyone who likes doing that is not human.

Grantaire would just go ahead and punch the next person for him just to save time. He’s a supportive boyfriend like that.

Dictations, my sworn enemy. Okay, rhythm is fine bUT THE NOTES???

[drunken-drengr]

Thanks for the tag @noire-pandora! I'll go ahead and tag @dungeons-and-dragon-age in return for, first off, this personality quiz.

Of course, I did all of these for my beloved Karrie Cadash.

Yeah, this fits Karrie very well! The only things that don't quite fit her (and me neither) is being a total extrovert and being completely upfront. She's pretty upfront, but it depends to whom she is talking to. The dwarf likes to keep herself shrouded in a veil of mystery whenever she can, and being direct sometimes doesn't help her case.

Secondly, a picrew! I couldn't quiteee get Karrie's hair right, but oh well.

Still wild and fierce.

And lastly, this personality test.

I got INTP-A, though I feel Karrie would be more of an INFP, as she has poor control of her emotions. Still fits her, though some things such as objectiveness and dissatisfaction don't as much.

Analytical – Logicians analyze everything that they come across, from research data to the behavior of the people around them. This gives them a knack for spotting unexpected patterns and connections that other personality types might overlook.

Original – Thanks to their unrelenting imagination, Logicians can come up with creative, counterintuitive ideas that wouldn’t occur to most people. Not all of these ideas are feasible, of course, but Logicians’ willingness to think outside the box can produce remarkable innovations.

Open-Minded – Logicians are driven by curiosity and an intense desire to learn everything that they can. People with this personality type tend to be receptive to new ideas and ways of doing things – as long as those ideas are supported by sound reasoning.

Curious – These personalities are always casting about for new pursuits, hobbies, and areas of research. One week, they might be obsessed with geophysics, and the next, they might lose themselves in videos about guitar building. When inspiration strikes, Logicians go all in on their newfound interest, learning everything that they can.

Objective – Logicians care about the truth. Rather than taking comfort in ideology or received ideas, they want to understand what’s really going on beneath the surface of things. As a result, they can be relied upon to combat bias and misinformation, even when it isn’t easy to do so – and they expect other people to be honest with them in return.

Disconnected – Logicians can get lost in their own train of thought, even when they’re with other people. When these personalities finally resurface with something to say, they may find that the conversation has moved on without them. This can cause them to feel disconnected from other people, especially in large social gatherings.

Insensitive – People with this personality type see rationality as the key to a better, happier world. At times, they may underestimate the importance of such irrational values as emotion, compassion, etiquette, and tradition. As a result, they may inadvertently come across as insensitive or unkind, even though their intentions are generally good.

Dissatisfied – Logicians can’t help but imagine how things could be better than they already are. These personalities are constantly on the lookout for problems to solve, topics to learn, and new ways to approach things. Taken too far, this mindset can become overwhelming, with Logicians constantly trying to reinvent the wheel rather than reliably addressing their needs and responsibilities.

Impatient – Logicians take pride in their knowledge and in sharing their ideas. When it comes to explaining their rationale, however, they aren’t always patient. If their conversation partner doesn’t follow along or seem sufficiently interested, Logicians may give up with a dismissive “never mind.”

Perfectionistic – Logicians want to get things done, but their quest for perfection can get in the way. At times, these personalities may get so lost in analyzing various options that they never reach a decision. They may also give up on projects that don’t match the ideal vision in their mind.

[moons-and-stars-and-shit]

Heyo can I request a hq matchup thingy? I've been all over yer blog and its cute!

I'm 5'8 (on the verge of 5'9), sorta athletic build, lanky but not really slim and more on the curvy side, she/they, light redish brown skin tone, I have shoulder length coily dark brown hair with bangs, glasses, i wear beanies to hide my bedhead and I have a slash on my left eyebrow from when i scraped it on a desk at age nine it was very fun. Totally unrelated note but my friends say i smile like Squirtle and when I'm mad i just look like a really intimidating baby duck 😞

I'm a sagittarius, I have ADHD, a little tomboyish personality wise bc i wear a lot of skirts but im nowhere near girly, I'm a bit rowdy but I'd never do anything to make someone uncomfortable, i gots mommy issues and a little bit of a temper but I'm very approachable, I speak fluent sarcasm and can come off a little rude if ya don't know me that well but I'm very respectful but i kinda swear a lot....

Despite my 'sense of instability' i come from a family full of lawers and veterans (kept separate my parents broke up before i as born), growing up I didnt have the best childhood so i always have empathy and best believe i will fact check you if your out of line 🤬. I'm the one who's willing to cheer you on and support you through thick and thin as well as being at almost every game or event your preforming/ playing at :), I'm very generous and a bit of a care giver(more of a simp if ya squint): ya want water?? "here have mine", hungry? ''oh want McDonald's? i can pay if ya want'' cold?? "here my hoodie im pretty warm already"

My hobbies include singing, playing bass and acoustic guitar, both traditional + digital drawing, dancing and i play a lot of sports like volleyball (i spike and/or set), softball (pitch), boxing + track and field (are those two even a sport???). I've always wanted to be a really big artist and if it doesn't work out i can always try out voice acting bc even though my voice is pretty low i can make it really high pitch like shoujo anime girl high pitch or become a sports journalist ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I'm the memer of my friend group and i like to think my sense of humor and style are on point. I'm a big horror movie junkie... from 80s to late and early 2000s, every slashers, thrillers to sci-fi trust me I've watched it all >:), i loveeeee Pokémon i may or may mot have had a huge crush on Brock and James when i was 6 , and Sanrio, i stick kuromi stickers on everything i own 😅. I also have a really big Batman obsession (grew up around a lot of bois other than my brothers) but i prefer MARVEL...

Sorry this seems pretty long and totally disregard if yer busy but have a good day/night <3

@callmedirtbag

Romantic Matchup

Semi Eita

How Y’all Met

So you we’re new to Shiratorizawa

And you we’re just walking around campus when you found a gym

When you peeked inside you saw a empty gym

But what really intrigued you was the volleyball net and balls inside 👀

The gym looked pretty empty so you decided to mess around with the volleyballs for a bit

You got so into your practicing that you didn’t notice Semi walk in

Semi was a little confused on why there was just a random person in the gym

But he couldn’t deny that you had some skill 😗

However he saw that you were struggling with your sets

So he decided to help you 😃

Ngl you we’re very kinda embarrassed about getting caught practicing

But he assured you that he didn’t really care and that the rest of the team wasn’t coming for another 30 minutes or so

After hearing that you gladly accepted his offer to help you practice

You two actually got to know each other quite well during this time

So when the rest of the team started filing in to practice

You gave Semi your number and told him to text you if he ever wanted to hang out

You left just before Tendou started picking on Semi for blushing 👀

Anyways you guys became really good friends and would hang out A LOT

So nobody was too shocked when you both decided to start dating

But apparently Tendou and Shirabu had made a bet on it 😅

What They Love About You

He loves the fact that your kind

But will fuck someone up if needed 🙂

He knows he never has to worry about you

He loves that your a fellow musician

To him it’s just one more thing you two have in common

And it’s one more thing he gets to do with you

He loves how supportive you are

Even though you know that semi doesn’t get to play that much

You still show up to EVERY one of his games to cheer the team on

And oh god when he does get to play

I swear people from OUTSIDE the gym can hear you cheering for him

Honestly he doesn’t mind if your a simp 👀

There’s a teeny tiny 🤏 part of him that likes to be babied

Favorite Things To Do Together

Oml he loves for horror movie marathons

He absolutely loves them

Because A: he gets to watch almost EVERY single horror movie made

And B: he gets to watch them with you :D

Oh and he also loves to watch any and all marvel movies with you 👀

But other than movies

He loves to make music with you

Duh

It’s usually you both playing instruments together

But every now and then one of you will sing 🎶

Random Hc

You two write the CUTEST songs together

But you never ever sing them

Like wtf you two

One time semi offered to help you practice your spikes

And you accidentally hit him in the face 💀

Now he swears you have a better spike then ushijima 👀

Your friends mentioned your squirtle smile to him...

And now he can’t unsee it 🥲

Astrology

The security and flexibility they can give one another.

Once they open up to one another and to appreciate their different philosophies in love and in life, these two have potential for steamy relations, deep connections and heartfelt respect.

As long as they communicate and celebrate their differences, theirs will be a passionate relationship.

Both Scorpio and Sagittarius see each day as an adventure and as an endless opportunity to explore, to probe, to learn. Shared escapades bring them closer.

While Sagittarius may get fed up with Scorpio’s stubbornness and inflexibility, Scorpio could be thinking their Sagittarius mate is just a little too hotheaded.

They’ll enjoy learning together, and travel could be very beneficial for this pair.

Their relationship is always on the go!

Mars is the God of War, opening the door for Scorpio’s determined, courageous character.

Mars, when combined with Pluto, represents rebirth and renewal.

Jupiter focuses on philosophy, higher learning, expansion, optimism, luck and travel.

These planetary attributes — of growth, expansion and masculine energy — combine to create a sustainable relationship of mutual admiration.

Overall Aesthetic

90s

No Scrubs - TLC

Say My Name - Destiny’s Child

She’s So High - Tai Bachman

99 Red Balloons - Nena

[robinrunsfiction]

Hi i really love your page and your awesome writing skill :) also can i request a smut where the girl and frank iero go to the same college, frank being the famous college punk band member and the girl being a normal college girl. They've been seeing each other for a while and the girl is finally ready to lose her virginity to frank? But frank always makes sure he doesn't hurt her during her first time and being super sweet and careful? Thank you so much! Have a great day :)

Special

Pairing: Frank Iero x Female Reader Rating: Mature (Smut) Requested By: @whitegulliver Word Count: ~2,250 Author’s Note: College Pencey Prep era Frank smut anyone? Usually writing smut isn’t the easiest thing for me, but this one just flowed really well and I actually wrote that part before I wrote the rest of it! Hope everyone enjoys.

“Please come out with me tonight?” (YN)’s friend Eli begged.

“If Dan asked you to the party, what do you need me there for?” (YN) groaned.

“Because if the party is lame and he sucks then we can bail together. Besides, Pencey Prep is playing.”

“I haven’t heard of them,” (YN) replied, wondering if maybe she should have.

“They’re a local punk band, I thought you were into that kind of music.”

“I am, but I haven’t checked out the local scene here yet,” (YN) shrugged. “Ok, you’ve convinced me, I’ll go.”

A few hours later, the friends found themselves making their way into the cramped college house basement and (YN) immediately felt out of place not knowing anyone but Eli.

“Ok, I see Dan, I’ll catch you later,” Eli grinned before hurrying across the room.

“Eli, wait!” But (YN)’s calls went unheard as the band took the small stage in the back of the room. 

From the first note, her attention was immediately pulled to the band as she made her way closer to the front. She felt a bit awkward at how normally she was dressed compared to how sexy every other girl seemed to be, especially those at the front of the stage trying to get the band’s attention. That just wasn’t how she operated, so she just settled in and listened to the music. 

That’s when she noticed how cute the singer was. She tried not to stare directly at him, but she couldn’t help it. His look, his energy, his guitar skills, everything was attractive to her.

After the band finished their set, (YN) started looking around for Eli, but couldn’t spot her so she decided to post up by the stairs so she wouldn’t miss her if she left. She was still scanning the crowd when she heard someone clear their throat behind her.

"Hey.”

She turned around and she lost her breath for a moment, it was the singer from the band. 

"Hi," she smiled nervously before remembering she was standing in front of the stairs. "Sorry, am I in the way?"

He chuckled and ran his tongue over his lip ring and (YN) felt her soul leave her body. "No, I umm, wanted to say hi. I'm Frank."

"(YN)," she replied. "You guys were awesome up there by the way."

"Thanks. I don't think I've seen you at a show before."

(YN) shook her head. "My friend got invited to the party, but she didn't wanna come alone, so here I am."

"Well I hope you'll consider coming to more of them," he shrugged.

"I could be persuaded," she replied with a coy smile.

"Maybe in the meantime I could persuade you to go out with me?"

"Oh!"

"I mean, if you don't wanna, that's fine, I just thought-"

"Yes, sorry, yes, I was just surprised," she said, covering her face with her hands as she shook her head at her awkwardness. "Do you want my number?"

Frank nodded and pulled out his phone. She handed it back with a smile as her fingers brushed over his hand.

"I gotta go help put shit away, but I'll call you," Frank said with an excited smile.

"Sounds good," (YN) replied before watching him walk away. Moments later Eli returned by her side.

"Were you just talking to Frank Iero?" 

"Apparently I was," (YN) sighed dreamily.

"So what were you guys talking about?"

"Me and him going on a date," (YN) grinned.

"Seriously?!"

"Yep. We'll see if he actually calls."

~

(YN) was a little surprised, but really excited when Frank actually did call her the next day and they made plans to meet up at the student union for coffee. She arrived early and grabbed a table near the windows watching other students pass by.

Then she spotted Frank walking up to the building talking to a couple of other guys. He waved when they parted ways and came inside. (YN) was about to wave him over, but a couple other people grabbed his attention. He seemed to talk to them briefly, but his attention was clearly elsewhere as he kept looking across the room.

(YN) started to wonder if he would ever notice her, but she was trying to play it cool and not worry about it. She glanced up again and to her relief he was walking over to her.

“Hey, sorry, I know those guys from another band,” he said gesturing to the people by the door that he had just been talking to.

“No problem,” (YN) smiled. They ordered their coffees and settled into a comfortable conversation until a couple more people came up to talk to Frank. (YN) was prepared to wait patiently for Frank to finish his conversation, but he quickly pointed out that he was with her and that he’d catch up with them another time.

“Sorry,” he apologized again, wincing.

"Do you know everyone on campus?" (YN) laughed

Frank rubbed his hands over his face. "Seems like it, doesn’t it? I mean, I’ve gotten to know a lot of people being in Pencey but they’re apparently all here this afternoon.”

"If you're so famous, how the hell did I catch your attention then?" She laughed.

"Ugh this is gonna sound totally cliche," he said shaking his head, and looking down. When he looked back up a smile was playing at his lips. "But I saw you in the crowd and was like wow, I gotta go talk to her."

(YN) could feel herself blushing. "You probably say that to all the girls who come to your shows."

Frank shook his head. "Nah, most girls will try to throw themselves at us, which is kinda unappealing honestly. You looked like you were genuinely enjoying the music and having fun."

"I was! And yea, I've never been one to throw myself at anyone," (YN) laughed. "Probably why I'm still single."

"Well I'm not complaining about that," Frank smiled and (YN) tried not to melt into her chair. “Umm, (YN) I know I’ve kinda messed up this date, but I was wondering if you’d take a chance and go out with me again?”

“Yea, that would be great,” she nodded and Frank genuinely looked relieved.

~

It wasn’t long before (YN) and Frank were falling hard and fast for each other. Any lingering apprehension she had regarding his status as a total rock star on campus was alleviated when she watched him play. The girls trying to get his attention were clearly wasting their time because he only had eyes for her and after he finished, he always was by her side, arm wrapped around her proudly, letting everyone know they’re together.

When they weren’t at one of his shows, they were usually at his place since her roommate never seemed to leave. It was where they ate together, watched horror movies, studied, made out, and on a stormy night as they laid curled up together in his bed whispered ‘I love you’ for the first time.

It was another typical night, but a thought had been nagging at the back of (YN)’s mind for a while. They were making out on his bed when she decided she was ready to take things further than they had before as things started to get more heated.

"Frank," she gasped as his lips moved across her neck.

"Mmm?" He hummed, unrelenting.

"I wanna keep going, but I gotta tell you something first."

Frank pulled back, a puzzled expression on his face. "What’s wrong?"

"Nothing, I just, ugh please don't think I'm a loser, but I'm a virgin and I'm kinda nervous to…" she trailed off.

"Oh..., oh! Are you sure? We don't have to-"

"No, no, I want to," she cut him off.

"Shit I wish it were nicer in here, like I wanna make this special for you."

"You're all I need for it to be special," she smiled sweetly and Frank felt his heart leap.

"I love you so fucking much," he replied, before leaning back in to kiss her hard. "I promise I'll be so gentle, tell me to stop whenever you want."

(YN) nodded in agreement and they went back to making out. Soon Frank's rough fingers were slipping under the hem of her shirt, moving across her soft skin to her chest as his lips trailed kisses back down to her neck. Their legs intertwined as she ground her hips against his, but none of this was new territory for them.

"Can I?" He pulled back and asked tugging at the hem of her shirt.

"Yea," she replied, sitting up so he could peel it off, and discarded her bra as well.

"You're so beautiful, baby," he murmured before leaning in to pepper kisses down her body. When he got to the waistband of her jeans, he looked up at her again and she nodded him on. He popped the button and pulled her jeans down her legs, leaving kisses on the skin as it was revealed.

"Hey," she said and his attention was snapped back to her. "This isn't fair," she said motioning to his shirt.

"Right," he said, scrambling to pull off the band shirt and torn up jeans. He crawled back onto the bed and leaned in, kissing her deeply again, their hips grinding together. His hand found its way to her hip, and then back to her thigh, grazing over the soft skin of her inner thigh. “Is this ok?”

“Yea, you can touch me anywhere,” she breathed.

Frank grinned as his hand slid between her legs and (YN) let out a quiet moan.

“My roommates are gone, you can be as loud as you want baby.”

She moaned as he continued to touch her, then he cautiously slid his hand under the waistband of her panties and she jumped a little at the feeling of his calloused fingers on her.

“You okay?” He asked, pulling his hand back.

“Yea, it just kinda tickled, ya know. I’m okay!”

He nodded. “Can I just take these off?”

“Yea,” she nodded, her nerves bubbling up a little again, but not enough to want to stop.

He slid them down and dropped them off the edge of the bed with the rest of their discarded clothes. “You’re so perfect (YN), seriously.”

(YN)’s laugh quickly turned into another moan as Frank slipped a finger inside her. “Oh god.”

“You like that?”

“Yea,” she replied breathily.

As his digits slipped in and out, he started kissing down her stomach to her hips, then he was placing kisses gently on her bundle of nerves. He glanced up to gauge her reaction and the sight was almost enough to make him come undone right there. Her head was tossed back, eyes closed, moans escaping her lips. He then started to lick and kiss with more pressure and she moaned even louder.

“Are you ready (YN)?” He asked, pulling back.

“Yea, yea I am,” she nodded.

Frank nodded, suddenly feeling a little nervous himself that he would hurt her, or that this wouldn’t feel good for her. He found a condom in his bedside drawer and positioned himself between her legs. “Please tell me if this hurts at all or I need to slow down,” he said.

She nodded, closing her eyes as she bit her lip to brace herself as she felt him lining up against her, and then pressing in. It didn’t hurt as bad as she worried it would, instead it felt different from anything she’d felt before. She opened her eyes, and Frank was looking down on her adoringly.

“Are you ok? Tell me when to go,” he said, concern and affection clear in his voice.

“I think you can go, but go slow.”

He nodded and languidly began to pull back before slowly pushing in again. He kept this up until he could see her start to relax, then he started to move a little more quickly.

“Yea, I like that,” she moaned.

“Want me to go faster?”

“Yea, I’m ready for it,” she nodded.

He leaned in and kissed her deeply as he began to move his hips more quickly, swallowing the moans and gasps that escaped her lips.

“I’m close,” she gasped as their hips ground together. He nodded in understanding and continued doing what she was clearly enjoying.

“Frank, Frankie yes, oh my god,” she moaned as he felt her come around him. He wanted the way she moaned his name to be the only sound he ever heard for the rest of his life. It was sweeter than the best song he’d ever heard.

She opened her eyes just as he came and she tried her best to commit the expression to memory. His lips were kiss swollen, his lip ring glinting in the dim light of the lamp on his desk across the room. His cheeks were lightly flushed. His eyes, as he opened them to look at hers were soft and full of so much love, she could hardly stand it.

“Are you ok? Was it good?” He asked earnestly.

“Perfect. I love you so much,” she murmured.

“Sleepy now?” He asked, cleaning himself up.

She nodded as she slipped out of bed as well and grabbed her panties and his shirt off the floor. “Thank you again for making that so wonderful.”

“Anything for you love,” he smiled as they climbed back into bed. He wrapped his arms around her as she fell asleep on his chest.

[taramaclaywasaterf]

Hi, where are the quotes in your header and bio from? Just curious 😊

They’re all from the band Sloan! Aka the most underrated band to ever exist in the entire history of the world. They’re fucking *dope.* There’s four members that essentially each write/sing their own songs, so the band goes through so many different genres, and going to one of their gigs is like watching a game of musical chairs. It’s so fucking good, oh my god. I’ve been into them since I was like 11.

One of the members, Chris, even worked on Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. Yeah, *that* Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. He literally taught them all how to play instruments, and you’ll see his hands in some of the close ups of the guitars in the movie. It’s fucking awesome. The first time I met him, he and I sat in the back of a dive bar after all the other fans left and talked for like over an hour while the rest of the band/crew packed up, and he’s the coolest person I’ve ever met in my entire life. I want him to adopt me as my big brother. I think I’d die. Yeah, I’m a Chris Murphy fangirl. Sue me. I fucking love the guy.

Anywaysss so the “Who Taught You to Live Like That?” is from their song by the same name, which makes me think of the show Shameless (the US one) every time I listen to it. The “Coax Me, Cajole Me” is from their song, well, “Coax Me” which fucking slaps. The “don’t believe that no one cares(...)” quote is from the first song I ever heard by them, called “Everything You’ve Done Wrong.” I could go on a huge biblical length tangent right now about how I found the song (and therefore the band) in the first place, but this is already a super long post and I don’t want to turn it into a novel lol

Some songs for those looking to get into Sloan, because it is my life’s mission to make as many people fans of this goddamn band as I possibly can:

Grungey 90s rock:

•Losing California

•Underwhelmed

•Teachers in the Bleachers

•Coax Me

Songs to vibe to:

•Three sisters

•Beverly Terrace

•Cleopatra

•Waiting For Slow Songs

•Same Old Flame

•44 Teenagers

•Stood Up

•The Day Will Be Mine

•Witch’s Wand

•Learn How to Play Dead

•The Other Man

•Nothing Lasts Forever Anymore

Just straight up rock:

•She Says What She Means

•Iggy and Angus

•I’m Not a Kid Anymore

•Step On It, Jean

•Chester the Molester

•Who Taught You to Live Like That

•If It Feels Good, Do It

•Money City Maniacs

(Honestly, anything off the Navy Blues album lol)

If you wanna listen to the Beatles because you like the vibe but you don’t do it because you hate J*hn L*nnon:

•The Lines You Amend

•Everything You’ve Done Wrong

•Take Good Care of the Poor Boy

•Rest of My Life

Ahhhh ok thats just off the top of my head. I’m probably gonna kick myself at 2am this morning and be like “oh fuck I forgot (blank)!” but they’ve literally got like a million songs over the course of 20+ years and still putting out new shit so it’s hard to keep track of them all lol

...Oh, but if you were asking about the “this is a Parvati Shallow stan blog” thing, it’s totally unrelated to Sloan...it’s talking about our lord and savior Parvati Shallow from the reality show Survivor, who is a bisexual icon and goddess among us mere mortals. She’s one of the first (possibly *the* first) women I remember ever having a crush on as a kid, and I’m still in love with her to this day. I mean. Like. Look at her:

She’s easily one of the sexiest women I’ve ever seen in my life, and if you’ve ever watched her play Survivor: Micronesia, you’d understand just how goddamn incredible she is. She eats men alive then spits out their bones and laughs the whole time she does it. It’s amazing.

So yeah I’m sure you were not expecting a goddamn novel as a response but, like, this band has been my literal life since I was an actual tiny little child, so I can’t help but to ramble whenever talking about how much I love them lol

[deathberi]

17 Questions, 17 People

I think there aren’t 17 questions tho? Well anywayyy. Tagged by @ashandpikachu​ 🖤 thank you Ayushi (advanced happy birthday!) and just for a change here I’ll gladly ramble about stuff.

Nickname: My friends call me Eri. My family calls me by a shorter (yes shorter than 3 letters) name which is totally unrelated to Eri. Nickname as in some kind of title my high school friends call me is ‘Princess of Tennis’ (they gave me that after finding out I play tennis! But of course none of my tennis friends know about the nickname 😂)

Zodiac: Pisces. Let’s go fishes mermaids!

Last Googled thing: “service definition” (In our training a while ago, the facilitator was collecting definitions and calling out random people!! I wouldn’t have googled that if I was called right away)

Song stuck in my head: 90s Love by NCT and NEW ERA by SixTONES

Height: 5′2″? I’m not entirely sure. But yeah, that small.

Followers: No one has to know  😆

Amount of sleep: 4-8 hours, depends if I find something and fixate on it all night.

Lucky number: I don’t have one or at least I don’t think about it?

Favorite song: Among all the favorites listed in this post, this is the one I can never answer with just one! Therefore, I am listing songs I can listen to all day everyday.

For You by EXO-CBX (my music library says this one has the highest play count)

Sayonara no Junbi wa Mou Dekiteita by CRUDE PLAY

Me Without You (All I Ever Wanted) by All Time Low

What If Love by Wendy

Jersey by Mayday Parade

Yuzu songs should I list them all?

And of course, Kouji Wada songs. Digimon and non-Digimon. I have a soft spot for Kimi to Kisetsu to Hidamari to and Eien no Takaramono. I have long illegally downloaded his albums so I can have them on my phones through the years.

Favorite author: Unfortunately, I am not a huge reader. That’s why I’ve never thought about having a favorite author. I’ll explain that later.

Favorite instrument: Guitar!

Random: I’m fairly new at my current work and I feel like I’m missing out on getting to know my workmates. It just feels a tiny bit weird since it’s work from home ever since I started. It’s kinda fine now cos heyyy I can lay down on my bed while working and no one cares but I’m a bit anxious for when it’s time to get back to offices. I feel like my irl social skills have all went down the drain 😂

Favorite book: And again, I am not a huge reader! Before learning the English language, I’m already bilingual (both are local languages) and grew up in a rural town sooo we weren’t big on English. But for high school, I went on a scholarship on a *great* school in the country’s capital wherein everyone’s kinda big on English and kids were sporting thick novels LMAO I wasn’t enticed with books then so the only novels I read then were those required in the curriculum.

I got to reading though through fanfic. I think I might have hated imagining things then? Like I preferred fanfics cos they’re based on something I can look up. I eventually got to reading more books years later through one of my best friends, and I’d like to say that my favorite book is one of the books she lent me but I actually forgot the title of that book! All I know is it’s pretty thick with blue and orange colors on the cover! And a boat on the cover? It might have been a sea with a boat and like kinda sunset setting?

Favorite movie: Bokura ga Ita Live Action Part 1 and 2!!! Watch me sob and get puffy eyes even after rewatching it for who knows how many times already. I really think this is one of the best manga live action adaptations out there or am I just hyperfixated with it I don’t care. I also like Love, Rosie! It’s just fun and easy to follow like I never actually get tired with it.

I’m pretty sure as well that I don’t know 17 people to tag in here and the most often ones on my notifs are those who don’t usually post personal stuff 🥺🥺🥺 sooo idk, if you see this, and happen to read until this point, might as well do this too if you want!! There’s only a few of you who’ll see this you knoooowww hehe.

[xmxisxforxmaybe]

If it's okay to send requests, may I ask for Snafu x male reader smut? Something rough, because it's been awhile since Merriell had been with a guy and he's excited?

Gosh I hope you like this–I think it turned out a little softer than you requested, but it’s kinda pretty … just like Snaf 😍

* * * * *

Coming home to Louisiana had filled Merriell with a wild unease. He had been Snafu for so long, he worried he had forgotten how to be any other part of himself.

So when it came time to soften his edges and adjust to civilian life, because let’s face it, Merriell had slid into the skin of Snafu Shelton like that was always who he had been, Mer found himself struggling.

He returned home to his beloved grandmother’s house, which sat abandoned on the outskirts of Thibodaux, and all around him, soldiers were starting new lives.

When Merriell Shelton had gotten off that train in New Orleans, he knew he wanted to start a new life, too.

He threw himself into fixing up Ma-maw’s house, determined to renovate it into something that would’ve made her proud to say her grandson had done it. And since he was fixing up the house, that meant there was always something to be done. Mer quickly learned the less he tried to sleep, the easier it was to keep Snaf’s demons at bay.  

It was on one of those late nights that Merriell first saw you through the window. At first, Mer merely glanced and kept walking, not wanting to be intrusive. But the second night, when you appeared in the same spot at the same time, you had sat down and started plucking at a guitar.

You weren’t very good, but it was obvious that you once had been. Merriell wondered if you had played before the war and had forgotten a part of yourself that had once been a little softer, too. Then, Merriell wondered why the fuck he was wondering.

But as time passed, Merriell figured out he could sit in the dark with the window open, drinking his whiskey and smoking his cigarettes, and hear your playing as clearly as if it were coming from the radio in the kitchen.

And after a month had passed, you had begun to sing, humming at first, but the hum soon turned into words, and the words into song.

Every night he listened to you.

Every night he longed for the courage to close the distance between you.

Until one night, mother nature decided enough was enough.

The weather had been hot for days; the kind of hot that reminded Merriell of sickness, of a clammy heat that bathed a person’s body in sweat until it felt like they were going to become one with the sun.

When Merriell finally went inside, lightening was flickering in the distance, bold pink flashes that lit up the bulging thunderheads that promised rain. It had gotten dark much earlier than usual, so when Merriell shucked off his shirt and took his spot near the window, he was unsurprised to hear you already playing.

Mer settled in with his whiskey and cigarettes as the thunder threatened to drown out your song, when suddenly, he found himself in pitch black night. A batch of sweat unrelated to the heat beaded out on his forehead.

Ya not on dat fuckin’ island, he repeated over and over in his mind until he was able to get up and stumble through his house, stopping to clutch at things he knew could never be in a foxhole—a cushion on the sofa, a cold bottle of beer, the silverware in his cutlery drawer. With every object he touched as he looked for a flashlight, he told himself he wasn’t over there.

Mer stopped, mid paw through a drawer and looked toward what sounded like a soft knocking on his front door.

It came again, surely as it had moments ago, so Merriell knew it wasn’t just in his mind.

He stumbled through the dark, his hand trembling slightly as he turned the knob and opened the door.

There was a light shining on the feet of the person at the door and Merriell squinted to adjust his eyes.

“Sorry to bother ya,” came a soft voice, the same soft voice that had damn near sung him to sleep for the past few weeks. “I—I live next door and jus’ wondered if ya had any bat—”

The flashlight died and left both of you in the dark for only a moment; a bright flash of lightening struck almost simultaneously with a clap of thunder, and mother nature finally opened herself up, buckets of rain pouring from the sky.

Too soon, both of you were bathed in darkness again.

Merriell chuckled, “Guess I know what ya needed without ya finishin’ dat sentence.”

“Guess so,” you said, your voice soothing even in your obvious distress.

“Think I got some candles. I was jus’ stumblin’ ‘round in the dark when ya knocked.”

You reached out a hand and accidently brushed against Merriell’s naked torso.

“So-sorry,” you stammered.

Merriell tried his best to tamp down the heat he felt at that inadvertent contact. It had been a long, long time since anyone had touched him on purpose.

Once you were inside, Merriell shut the door and waited for the next flash of lighting. Before it could totally blacken the room again, he took off for the kitchen and dug around in one of his Ma-maw’s junk drawers. He almost whooped with delight when he finally felt the hard coolness of a hunk of wax.

Pulling a pack of matches from his pocket, he lit the tip of the candle and turned to smile at you as you still stood near the front door.

“Have a seat?” Merriell asked as he gestured toward the kitchen table.

“I thank ya,” you mumbled and crossed quickly to sit down in front of the flickering candle.

Merriell rattled around the kitchen but couldn’t find any batteries or even a flashlight. He knew he had one in his truck, but he wasn’t about to go out in the dark and start rooting through it—not when he had an opportunity to have some company for an evening.

Mer did find two more candles, both fat and quite round, so he set them out on the table and looked down at you.

“Care fo’ a drink? Beer will be gettin’ warm.”

“Beer sounds great,” you said with a nervous smile.

Pulling two bottles from the fridge, Mer reached for the bottle opener on the counter and popped the first one off, the gentle rush of air escaping from the bottle sounding like a Boeing landing in his living room.

You grinned nervously at each other in the dark as Merriell popped his bottle open and slid onto the open kitchen chair.

“New to the neighborhood?” Merriell asked.

“Yeah, kinda. Grandparents had a place at the other end of town.”

You both lifted your bottles and drank, your eyes trained on the way Mer’s adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed, your gaze something that didn’t go unnoticed.

“You’ve really fixed the place up,” you offered.

“Been a hell of a job,” Merriell returned.

“Not like ya sleep much anyway,” you said before clamping your mother shut and lowering your eyes.

Merriell took another long draught of beer, nearly finishing it.

“Guess even ya music ain’t enough to quiet all dis,” he said with a quick tap to his temple, furtively letting you know he watched you as much as you watched him.

“I know what ya mean,” you said as you reached out and touched Merriell’s fingers.

You had meant for the gesture to be short, sympathetic, but Merriell spread his fingers a little wider and slid them gently along your fingers until they were nearly locked together.

“I—I should go,” you said, not yet daring to move.

“Yeah. I reckon ya should,” Mer agreed.

You slid his fingers farther into Merriell’s so now they were locked together, and you sat for a moment, holding hands across the almost ancient checked tablecloth of Ma-maw’s kitchen.

“Or …”

“Or?” Merriell question.

“I could stay?”

“Or ya could stay,” Merriell said, bringing his beer to his mouth and draining the last drops, never once taking his eyes off you.

You both moved at the same time, standing first then lunging at each other. Merriell’s kiss was bruising, his plump lips working over yours with brutality.

But you didn’t mind. You made to clear you wanted Merriell Shelton to take whatever it was he needed to give.

Tentatively, you did what you had been wanting to do from the first moment you had ever seen Merriell; you slid your hand into those wild curls and pulled, just enough of a tug to get Mer to stop his assault on your mouth. Slowly, you pushed him toward the counter, pinning him with your hand in his hair and your other hand on his hip.

You tugged, exposing Merriell’s neck to the flickering light of the candles and his skin looked so golden and delicious, you knew you wanted to taste every inch of his lithe body.

Tracing your tongue up Merriell’s neck, savoring the salty sweat and the earthy taste of him, you worked you tongue up to Mer’s ear. As you pressed into him, you could feel how eager Merriell was and that excited you, too, to know that this man you had been admiring from afar wanted you just as much.

The second you pulled Merriell’s earlobe between your lips and sucked, it was like something unleashed inside of him. Before you knew it, you had been flung over Merriell’s shoulder and were ordered to grab the two candles off the table. You did as you were told, barely encircling them in your hands before Mer was stomping down the hallway with his prize.

Merriell set you back on your feet and took the candles from your hands, placing them on the dresser. With a shove, he pushed you onto the bed and began another assault on your mouth. His kiss was demanding and deeply sensuous as he worked his tongue along yours and as he nibbled and sucked on your lower lip.

Your hands were dragging down his back, pressing into the hardened muscle, kneading it as you ground your hard cock against Mer’s.

“Want you,” you panted when Merriell pulled his tongue out of your mouth.

“Good. Because ya gonna get me.”

With a shiver, you sat up and pulled off your shirt, tossing it onto the floor. Merriell stood back from the bed and unbuckled his pants, which was the sexiest sight you had ever seen. He hooked his fingers into his briefs, the bright white such a contrast to his tanned skin, and pulled them off.

Immediately, Merriell’s hand went to his cock, his eyes half-lidded as he smirked at you, knowing he was making you unmercifully hard.

“Undress,” he commanded in a way that barely made his lips move.

You unbuckled your trousers and kicked them off, reaching for the band of your shorts before hesitating.

“Need a hand?”

You nodded shyly and Merriell pounced, palming your hard dick through the fabric of your shorts. You groaned and bucked up into his touch.

Mer slid your shorts down and without warning, enveloped you in the heat of his mouth. He moaned around you and you fought not to come right then and there.

“Merriell,” you begged. “I won’t last.”

He let go of your cock with a little pop and looked up at you with a cheshire grin.

“Can’t have ya undone dat quick, now can we?”

You shook your head no and Merriell sat up to lean toward his nightstand. He pulled out a jar of Vaseline and coated his index and middle finger with the slick substance.

Mer moved back up your body and began to kiss you, this time much more gently. And just as you felt yourself getting lost in the kiss, you felt him at your entrance, circling slowly, not daring to press into you just yet.

He worked you over slowly, meticulously, and by the time he had two fingers inside of you, your body was covered in a light sheen of sweat. Your cock was leaking, aching and red, a trail of precum connecting its tip and your stomach.

“Please,” you finally begged. “I’m ready.”

Merriell didn’t need anymore from you than that. He swirled the remnants of the Vaseline over the tip of his cock and gave it a few pumps to make sure he was well coated.

“On ya knees,” he said in an even voice.

It didn’t surprise you that Merriell wasn’t ready for the intimacy of a missionary position, and hell, you weren’t all that ready either. What you were ready for was him; you were ready to let him fuck you like you had imagined night after night.

Merriell pulled you to the edge of the mattress as he stood. He aligned himself with your entrance and slid in quick enough to make you hiss.

He stilled, letting you adjust to his size.

“So tight,” Mer said, his voice much less steady than a moment ago.

Knowing you were the one making him lose control, you backed up and sheathed him entirely inside of you.

Both of you moaned out, shuddering at the sensation.

After that, Merriell couldn’t have held back even if he had wanted to. And you were glad to take it—the feeling of his cock sliding in and out of you had you wrapping your own hand around your cock and coming hard and fast onto the sheets beneath you.

“Fuck,” Merriell moaned as he felt you clench around him.

He gripped your ass and began to fuck you in earnest, your legs spread just enough and your ass clinging tightly around his cock, threatening to milk him dry.

“Come inside of me,” you hissed, your hands clenching the sheets. “I need it.”

Merriell moaned low in his throat, a moan that built into an animalistic growl as he pounded into your ass and when he let go, pumping his load inside of you, he was damn-near screaming.

You winced as he pulled out, your arms a little shaky as you collapsed onto the bed. Merriell returned from the bathroom with a damp towel and offered it to you.

“Thanks,” you said, swiping at some cum on your stomach and the cool puddle on the sheets.

Merriell walked around to the other side of the bed and slid in as you adjusted to lay on your side to look at him.

“Dat’s ma side,” he said with a crooked grin.

“Wanna switch?”

“Nah. Think I can make do ova’ here fo’ one night. Come here,” he said raising his arm so you could slide in underneath it.

Merriell pressed a kiss between your shoulder blades, and soon you were both fast asleep, the distant sound of thunder fading away while the rain persisted with its cooling renewal.  

[the-ice-sculpture]

A Summoning video analysis part 1

[part 2] [part 3] [part 4]

Okay so I’ve gone frame by frame through the whole video and collected a total of 55 screenshots so here we go for a shot by shot analysis of different references and symbols and potential hidden meanings. This is gonna get really long really quick so I’m splitting it into different parts and most of it’s gonna be hidden behind cuts.

Feel free to add to this/clarify stuff!

In order:

Pansy! Frank’s iconic guitar from the Revenge era

A photo of an MCR crowd at the top right (not sure where from yet but it feels really familiar. Is it from The Black Parade Is Dead?). Does the symbol of the coffin at the bottom left mean anything? My Chem being My Chem of course there are multiple links to coffins. I don’t know what the drawing of an eye means but it feels deliberate. Edit: The Light Behind Your Eyes?

The pentagram symbol that’s used in witchcraft. Each point’s supposed to represent spirit plus the four elements. I can’t think of a meaning for Ice Palace and the two little polaroid photos, they might be unrelated?

New Jersey! And coffee is a favourite of MCR’s but not sure if that’s an intentional link because coffee’s a pretty standard everyday thing. As for the photo of a person with a painted face on the fridge... Who’s that? It looks really familar but I can’t tell why. I know the make up style is similar to Kiss’s so that could be it but I’m not familiar enough with Kiss to know for sure. Also reminds me of the make up they wore for the Black Parade House of Blues show but I might be reading into this one way too much and I’m not sure if it’s supposed to mean anything or I’m just completely missing something

Hello Killjoy jackets!

This one in the foreground is a little different. Not sure if this is a Black Parade Jacket since I can’t see in enough detail to tell and I can’t see any markings either? It looks kind of similar to something Gerard wore for some of the Danger Days tour as well so that might be it?

Gas mask! Definite Black Parade imagery. Worn both by Mother War and the dancers in the video for Teenagers

I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love. And the other two albums shown look like Living With Ghosts and May Death Never Stop You

Bullets goes in the record player and Romance begins to play

There’s probably loads of stuff in this shot but I don’t know what most of it is. Sweet Pea? Franks dogs? I don’t know who the people in the photos are (family members of the band?) and I can’t quite make out the objects. The statue looks fairly catholic. Is this Our Lady Of Sorrows? Also more Black Parade imagery with the skeletons

Picture on the wall is some of the artwork Gerard did for Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge. You can find it on the inside of the casing underneath the CD. There’s also a shot that indicates there are two more framed pictures above this one but you don’t get to see the artwork

Hello, we’re summoning My Chemical Romance now. Starting from the far left going clockwise we have: May Death Never Stop You, Bullets, Revenge, Black Parade, therefore the album for the hidden star point must be Danger Days

We got a whole bunch of flickering symbols on the TV, all the hands plus a couple more I can’t screenshot because they’re going too fast. Other people have analysed these symbols better than I can so I don’t have much to add here

[thecursedhellblazer]

⛧ Wishlist ⛧

(( So, here are some general themes and ideas I’d like to explore. There are just a few for now, but I’ll update the list every time I come up with a new one! ))

(( Listed in “chronological” order, so no preference for one idea over the other unless specified. ))

John dealing with Lucifer and Maze. Can be pre-CoIE (the possible circumstances of that deal made me super curious), post-CoIE, something entirely unrelated. I’m just very intrigued by the kind of dynamics he could have with them. I’d also be curious to see how he could fit with other characters from that show (especially him and Chloe)

Younger John, right post the Newcastle mess (be it after he sectioned himself or before). I just want to play him while he’s in an extremely dark place. [Warning: Very dark themes will most likely be present.]

John with the Legends. I have a thing for good even if complicated friendships. Give me an adventure, some weird case or even just them having fun, or talking to each other about some personal crap. I just want some good bonding. Totally open to any member of the team, but I do have a soft spot for his relationships with the girls in particular (because we need more deep, platonic male/female relationships). Sara and John are my BrOTP and I love his interactions with Charlie, Ava (give me all the hellclone shenanigans) and Nora. Also Zari 1.0 would be interesting!

Do I sound too lame if I say ‘shipping’? Messy, unstable, more complicated than they should be, not completely healthy and dark. Slow burn would definitely be preferable (at least for the emotional part of it).

I’d love to do something with John finally ending up in Hell. Temporally or because he actually died/got himself killed at last. Be the ones to torture him or the ones who come to save his ass. I’m in for both. [Warning: Very dark themes will most likely be present.]

John being possessed or put under a spell that brings out the worst of him (or well, I could totally try my hand at demon!John too at some point, if you’re familiar with that character and all). In any case, a thread where all the scruples he has are taken away. I do love exploring the ways in which I can turn my characters into psychos, guilty as charge. [Warning: Very dark themes will most likely be present.]

Swamp Thing crossover. The new live adaptation they are making of the comics is amazing and I do love John & Swamp Thing original dynamic. It would be very interesting rebuilding it from a fresh start!

A thread where John is forced to talk about the darkest parts of his past with someone. I want him to have to tell the story of his childhood, of how things went down in Newcastle, Ravenscar, of all the most painful losses he has endured. He never really discusses those events and having him doing it would be interesting...and therapeutic too, in a way.

Karaoke night. It’s a silly idea, but it's been going around my mind for so long that I just had to add it to the list! (Plus, John was the singer of a punk band once upon a time...someone needs to ask him to pick a a mic and/or a guitar at some point!)

I need more interactions with kid/teen muses. Honestly, John can be both great and terrible with youngsters and I find it hilarious. Also because it’s always hard to tell who is babysitting and taking care of whom xD Also, just to throw it out there: accidentally magically de-aged John?

John & Astra fix-it thread. Whether it’s loosely based on the Legends canon (which I haven’t fully seen because I stopped at 5x11 and probably never will finish the season, mind you) or more faithful to the Hellblazer run...I need something that can give me a bit more closure than the canon did.

“Case”-centric thread? Something dark and gruesome would be preferable. I have a couple of ideas in that sense, but I’m totally happy to brainstorm for any sort of scenario.  [Warning: Very dark themes will most likely be present.]

Road/group trip threads. Setting and specific circumstances are open for discussion, but that’s the general idea!

(This is kinda silly but...crack happens, right?) John and someone else (friend, ally, heck even enemy) ending up, for some reason, discussing their “love” lives. Can be something bordering serious (with actual good stories/insights) or just something done for a laugh. Could be interesting to RP with someone who writes John too, tbh xD

Double dates shenanigans (yep that’s it)

(( More to be added! ))

(( Also, I have a general wishlist tag, if you want to check that one out too! ))

[goodbysunball]

Quarantine Rock

Been a minute. I’ve been driven back to the ‘net by the unfortunate situation the entire world is in. I’m trying hard to keep occupied and keep cool instead of binging news and Instagram, and music, as always, has been a salve. Most of the below titles are just new to me, though not necessarily new - but we’ve pretty much all got the time to reminisce or to go back and search for buried gems, so here goes.

Tori Kudo, The Last Song of My Life LP (An’archives) / Tori Kudo & Kayo Makino, Ein Traum Für Dich LP (Black Truffle)

Tori Kudo’s always been on the periphery of my listening, but aside from the Mu Ji Ge 7″, this is really my first time diving into his extensive body of work. His newest solo LP is The Last Song of My Life, where as bandleader Kudo leads a melancholy saunter meditating on one motif for its duration, occasionally pocked by noise, apparently “depending on their response to the film work that was being projected.” You don’t need the film to get to the emotive heart of this, and the motif will be stuck in your head for days. Strangely beautiful, and somewhat disarming, even if the errant elbow strikes you in the ribs now and then. My go-to reading soundtrack lately. Beautiful presentation by An’archives, as usual. This one flew off the shelves, so be sure to grab it if you see it in the wild.

Last year Kudo released a collaborative LP with Kayo Makino on Black Truffle, and if you’re daunted by The Last Song of My Life, this one goes even further down the rabbit hole. I prefer Ein Traum Für Dich though; Kudo’s on piano, playing Satie on the A-side and some meandering progression on the flip, and Makino digitally distorts and heightens Kudo’s playing, occasionally adding spoken word samples and processed noise. The A-side is interesting, both of them playing with the possibilities of this pairing, Makino layering and offsetting Kudo’s melody to nauseating effect. The B-side is the reason for tuning in, though: Makino’s static stretches and overwhelms Kudo at points, making for a hypnotic and immersive 20+ minute ride. It’s a trip, the whole album acting as an audial blackout curtain, or the mesmerizing escape we all could use. Grab the LP from Forced Exposure for 15% off now.

Hardijs Lediņš, Tiny Crabs of Deep Waters LP (Musiques Electroniques Actuelles)

Been digging into the NSRD collective’s work a bit lately, though I’m not gonna pretend like I’m some sort of expert - the Latvian Centre for Contemporary Art published a comprehensive book about the group a few years ago if ya wanna become one, though. I’m partway through the book; my takeaway so far is that the NSRD collective, led by Hardijs Lediņš and Juris Boiko, found ways to subvert oppressive Soviet rule through a freedom of expression and thought seldomly encountered. Part of that expression was of course music, and the Workshop For the Restoration of Unfelt Feelings compilation on Stroom is the best introduction (good luck finding the LP). The music was largely electronic, somewhat ahead of its time and also totally cracked given the relative isolation of Latvia during this time. Tiny Crabs of Deep Waters is another entryway to the group’s music, this time a reissue of an impossible-to-find CDr from Hardijs Lediņš. The synth-heavy, largely instrumental record should appeal to fans of the soundtrack work of Tangerine Dream or John Carpenter, but the whole thing carries this strange sense that something is a bit off. Cartoonish keyboard effects collide with rich bass tones in a conventional yet dizzying manner, if you lean in close. The LP’s been a great shot in the arm when the day gets too sleepy, especially when the beat kicks in on the 13-minute “La Danse Binoculaire De Paris.” Top notch reissue, released at the end of last year, and can still be had on Discogs.

Teitanblood, Death 2xLP (Norma Evangelium Diaboli/The Ajna Offensive)

Yeah, this one makes sense right now: absolutely blistering black metal from Spain, the 2014 follow-up to modern classic Seven Chalices that I didn’t check out for some reason until now. Teitanblood is smothering and chaotic, and hardly conventional, but an admittedly complicated method exists behind the screen. There’s hardly a more cathartic record available to me than Death, especially the duo of “Plagues of Forgiveness”/”Cadaver Synod” that takes up face B. The band released The Baneful Choir last year, and that one smokes, too. Grab both LPs from Hell’s Headbangers or direct from the Ajna Offensive and burn straight out of this reality.

Martina Lussi, Diffusion Is a Force LP (Latency)

A totally engrossing and absorbing sound world created by Switzerland’s Martina Lussi on Diffusion Is a Force. The samples used - wheezing breaths, dribbling basketballs, roaring crowds - introduce a human element to the rich, warm tapestries. No beats to ride on here, but a track like “Higher Energy” cuts to the core with a Loren Connors-esque guitar part, which is then slowly displaced by rumbling, punctuated bass. The album feels very light and warm, as if in a fog, and the careful sequencing shifts the mood imperceptibly from track to track. Obviously I am not well-versed in electronic music, and there’s probably a name for what Lussi does so well here, but whatever it is, Diffusion Is a Force hits me right in the chest while gettin’ the synapses firing. Find the LP on Discogs, or support 2 Bridges Music Arts during this time of small business strain.

Reek Minds, s/t 7″ (Edger) / Suck Lords, True Lords Music 7″ (Edger) / Pig DNA, Mob Shity MLP (La Vida Es Un Mus) / Pig DNA, Strong Throat 7″ (Square One Again)

It’s inevitable that some anger will boil over from time to time, from the ineptitude shown by governments worldwide to the jackass hoarding hand sanitizer right here in Tennessee. These four records will stomp the anger right outta ya so you can get back to staring at the ceiling and forcing yourself to breathe calmly. Reek Minds’ 7″ is new this year, and they blaze through 8 tracks, coming off like the late, great Sickoids while still sprinkling in some mosh-worthy bits (see “A.M.”). Matt K. at Yellow Green Red thinks Iron Lung will be calling for Reek Minds to join their ranks soon, and I agree. Apparently there are 2 copies of Reek Minds’ self-titled 7″ left at Bandcamp as of this writing. They share members with Suck Lords, who somehow play even faster, approaching powerviolence speeds, their drummer giving Jerry’s Kids’ Brian Betzger a run for his money. The Lords are a little more goofy than Reek Minds, though you wouldn’t know it if they hadn’t included a lyric sheet and a “Getting to Know the Lords” insert with last year’s True Lords Music record. Grab some Lords from Not For Everyone.

Pig DNA, for their part, drop an atomic bomb on the whole thing, their 2015 MLP Mob Shity sounding strangely prescient and utterly unforgiving. From the opening track “Foire,” Pig DNA throw down the gauntlet, every track seeming to possess more ludicrous levels of noise smothering the piledriving riffs than the previous one. There’s d-beat in there somewhere, but I’m not gonna stick my hand in the caustic stew to find it. “Scums (City Rockers)” is my pick, but the whole thing is an unrelenting assault and worthy successor to Kriegshög’s s/t LP. Hard to handle nuclear material, so it’s still available for as low as $6. The band followed up Mob Shity with Strong Throat, possibly the shortest 7″ record I own, that continues down the same path. It’s worth hunting down (here ya go) for the B-side, where the drums drop out and the band still gnashes and claws at the walls with all its got. Insane. May their message live on in these chaotic days ahead.

[selfcallednowhere]

March 2, 2018 Los Angeles, CA

They opened with "I Left My Body," and then came an amusing mix-up. The band was playing what was clearly the beginning of "Damn Good Times," and Flans started talking over it. "We're They Might Be Giants from Brooklyn, New York! We have a new album out and this is the single! It's called 'Why Does the Sun Shine?'!"

And then everyone stopped playing because of course "Why Does the Sun Shine?" wasn't the next song--y'know, as evidenced by the fact that they'd already started playing the next song and it was obviously not it. John said, "None of that was true. Not a single word of it. We are not They Might Be Giants." Flans: "Hi, we're Cheap Trick!"

So then they went back to playing what they were actually supposed to be playing. When I'm singing along at shows I normally always sing the lead part, but not on this one--I sing along with John's "Damn! Good times!" in the chorus because it's way more fun and also inevitably describes how I'm feeling right then.

"Why Does the Sun Shine?" actually was the next song up. John informed us that if the sun were hollow a million earths would fit inside "comfortably," and also that "Scientists have found that the sun is a huge atom-smashing machine. They're wrong. But that's what they've found." Also, the heat and light of the sun were caused by the nuclear reaction between "hydrogen, something else, that guy, and everything."

Afterwards, Flans said, "We're frozen in time, but this audience seems more bearded than ever." Then he said that these are complicated, shitty times, and that they were surprised when their management told them they have a new album out. But they thought that was cool, and when they listened to the copies they gave them they discovered that it was "so much better than it had to be." Then he explained that they'd be playing two sets and we should "treat us like you would any other opener--with total emotional distance."

Flans introduced "Mrs. Bluebeard" by saying it was "the part of the show I've all been waiting for." I was looking forward to it too, because at this point I'd just become deeply curious about if John was ever going to manage to get the lyrics right. The correct answer to this question turned out to be NOPE. He messed it up yet again, though he at least managed to do better than the previous night, when some of the things he was singing weren't even words.

After they played "Your Racist Friend," Flans said that during the song he'd been "rocking out stage left" and he'd seen a guy who had his camera out but then had immediately put it away "like he expected me to go all Axl Rose on him." Then he said a thing he'd been joking about other times about how they wanted to encourage flash photography (joke though it may have been, it would've been about the only way one could reliably get decent pictures with the terrible backlit lighting setup they were using), and also if we were recording a bootleg we should send them a copy. He also said that if we had any work emails to catch up on we should feel free to go ahead and do it now.

Next they played "The Statue Got Me High"--on keyboard again, siiiiiiiigh. Once again it was too difficult for me to push past how upset I was about this to properly enjoy one of my all-time fav songs.

After that, John put the contra-alto clarinet on. Flans said that they wanted to thank their corporate sponsor, Microsoft, and that this was Clippy, the mascot of Microsoft Word. John said that he should have just left it at Microsoft, and Flans said he was leaving it at that, that this was all he was allowed to say. Then John told us that it was the contra-alto clarinet. "It's not legal unless you say the whole name." Flans said it was "unrelated to other contra groups," and John said it was "equally controversial." Then Flans said it would be implanting a tracking device in us.

So then they played "All Time What." The more I see that song live, the more I like it.

Afterwards, Flans said that normally he would ask John how his day was, but this time he didn't need to ask because they'd actually spent the whole day together. He said that they'd discussed some documentary about Chicago and "whether the moral ambiguity of Three Billboards was ok or not." Then John said that they'd met four Uber drivers, all of whom enjoyed the job, which surprised him. Flans said they all seemed to have post-doc educations and were interrupting their conversations to correct them about stuff--he said it had happened when they were discussing controlling children and also when they were discussing drugs.

Then John asked Flans if he was staring at his setlist to see what the next song was, and Flans said he absolutely wouldn't slow the show down by doing that (as if knowing what the next song is wasn't the entire purpose of them having setlists in the first place). Then John said the next song was in the movie Mayor of the Sunset Strip, and Flans said the reference was "for people who are old enough to know that Laugh-In wasn't funny." John: "I Think there are people who are old enough to be operating under the delusion that Laugh-In was funny." The song was "Bangs."

Next was "Hearing Aid," and after Flans said that they were "testing the threshold of the PA."

JL: I think I feel the subwoofers under me. JF: I think subwoofers are very expensive, John. *takes microphone off stand* When I take the mic off like this, do you feel like you're about to get a TED Talk? Disrupters. Next slide. JL: You thought this, but no, that. JF: A new way of making deals. They do the work, you make the money. It'll cost you a little to get in on this opportunity. JL: All we need is the kajillions of dollars that you all have. JF: We just need one investor, who has nothing but his Jimi Hendrix replica guitars. We actually did a TED Talk, and we were part of the "what's wrong with this picture" brigade. The theme of the weekend was "genius," which seemed a little fulsome, as my mother would say. We played at like 9 AM, and I was joking that we'd never played that early except at a librarian convention. And afterwards a librarian came up to me and said, "Libraries don't open at 9 AM."

John introduced "The Mesopotamians" by saying it was from "a TV show that was on very early, before Laugh-In."

Before "When the Lights Come On," Flans said that he "forgot if they had an intro to this song," and John said, "That was it right there. You just found it." GOD this song is SO FUCKING GOOD live. I'm so happy that they're playing it so much.

Next came "Nothing's Gonna Change my Clothes" (two completely glorious songs in a row!). All the times I've seen this one live, John sings it in the cadence of the demo, which makes me really happy because I love that version.

After that John held up his coffee and said "Mazel tov." Flans said he didn't think he'd ever heard him say that before, and John said Danny said that he'd said it a couple of days ago. He said Flans said he didn't think he'd ever heard him say it before that time too, but then he said he didn't remember saying it at all. Flans said it was like a KISS concert, with one of them saying over and over that they'd never played a certain song before (which of course made me think of "P.S.O.K."). Then he said that the other day on Twitter some Trump administration official had used the phrase "mazel tov cocktail," and "I salute their scrambled brain." John said that they were talking about all this unrelated stuff and someone had just yelled "We love you!" and it was as if they were saying "Come back!"

After "This Microphone," Flans introduced Curt and said he'd come from Connecticut on a minibike. Then he asked Marty if he was playing a hollowed-out orange, and then asked if he bought it that way or if it came in a kit, then asked him if his sponsor was here. Then Marty said it was supposed to stay on the drumstick, but he hadn't been able to get it to, and Flans said "So you did a mod. It's like a life hack." Then he said that Marty was "putting percussionists out of business."

Next they played "Hey, Mr. DJ, I Thought You Said We Had a Deal," which remains one of the absolute show highlights for me with Curt there. Where we were standing there was a pole just to the right of John when he was at his keyboard, and I was bopping around so much during that song that I kept having the pole block my view of him. Being able to see him during shows is normally priority #1 for me, but I couldn't help it! That's just what that song + trumpet does to me!

They closed the first set with "Particle Man," and then returned for the Quiet Storm. They opened with "Older" as per usual. This time John was pointing at the crowd for parts of it as if he were Death himself (ala that one fantastic Mink Car promo picture).

After "I Like Fun," Flans said that they love the old songs, and they particularly love this one cos it's "so damn old." People were yelling things out, and Flans said "You can shout out all the names of what you think we're going to play and you'll be wrong." Then he said the song was full of "vitriol and unbridled hostility," which was very appealing to them.

So then they of course played "Tippecanoe and Tyler Too," and then did an introduction to "James K. Polk" that was pretty similar to the night before: John said they'd be going all the way from the 1840 of that song into the future of 1844, with "self-driving beards and electric buggy whips," and then that the song wasn't letting their true feelings about its subject come across, which are that "he was a dick." Flans: "It's value-neutral...about someone who was a dick." Then Flans said that he was the reason where we are right now in California is a part of America, but that isn't necessarily a good thing.

So next was "James K. Polk," of course. Right before the bridge, with Flans's solo, John did the silly thing he does sometimes where he says some variation of "John Flansburgh, explain!" Then, after Flans played the first half, he said, "I see, go on." There was also some quality spazziness during the last verse--he's often spazzy during that part, I'm not sure why but of course I love it.

Next they played "The Famous Polka."

JF: The only polka we know. People ask us how we sequence our songs--that was "Polk," and then "Polka." "Polk-a." JL: That was also a Radiohead album. JF: That was the good one. This next song is from the John Henry album. It's underrated. JL: I think it's overrated. JF: It's underrated by me. JL: It has a histogram like this. *holds hand up, then moves down, then across, then up again* There are super-haters, and super-lovers.

It made me sad to hear John call it overrated, since it's tied as my favorite album. I do think he's right about how polarizing it is within fandom though, but the "super-haters" are WRONG WRONG WRONG.

So then they played MY SONG. I swear to god, I could see that song at every single show I go to from here on out and it would never stop being an incredibly special experience for me. I just love the song so, so, so MUCH, and it's a really big deal for me to see them play it. I always cheer like crazy when it's over.

That was the last song of the Quiet Storm, followed by "Istanbul." Then Flans introduced "Bills, Bills, Bills" by fist talking about when they did "Tubthumping." He said that the list of songs the AV Club gave them was "notorious and vaguely dubious," and that they had to figure out "how to make it feel good" so they had the staff come in and sing it with them. Then he said that after that they the "opportunity" to come back a second time, and that there are "many reasons not to cover Destiny's Child," but that the song is so complicated that now that they've learned it they don't want to drop it from the set, like they did it in vaudeville. Then he explained that John will sing Beyonce's part and he'll sing Kelly's part, and that she's "my favorite child--I think they call them children--not that I'm an expert." Then he said that there was "the third one" whose name he couldn't remember, and John said "You have to love all your children the same." Then people were yelling that the third one's name is Michelle, and Flans said "Michelle! It's even in the song!" (I'm not sure what he meant by this.)

So then they played the song (I became a Flansgirl for the length of it as per usual), then "New York City," then "Birdhouse in Your Soul."

When John was getting his Kaoss Pad ready for "Wicked Little Critta," he said, "I pressed the button that makes the song happen." After that he was telling someone in front that he couldn't quite read what their homemade shirt said but that it was "freaking me out." I'm not sure what it said exactly, but then Flans said (apparently in response to it) "Two votes? But what about the midterms?" Then he said he needed one for his mom, and then I think the person must've been starting to take the shirt off, because Flans said, "No no no! My mom's in Florida! She can wait!"

After that Flans went back to his joke of the night before about Dan Miller being Tabitha on Bewitched, repeated almost word-for-word the same as the previous night (disillusioning!), but with the new addition this time that they'd added this "fact" to Wikipedia and no one had caught it yet.

After a run of a bunch of great songs that I don't have any special comments on ("Number Three," "Answer," "Twisting," and "Man, It's So Loud in Here"), they did band intros and then Flans thanked "all the lit majors in the audience" (which was random but did make this particular lit major feel pretty awesome!).

They closed the main set with "The Guitar," rockin' and fantastic as always. As bonuses it featured John (adorably) hopping and (adorably) waving during the "the lion waves good-bye" bit in the last verse.

When they came back for the first encore Flans made an announcement that was very exciting to me as a Pacific Northwesterner: that they'd be touring Canada later in the year. He said they're going to be "going to cities that are a mistake to go to." Then he talked about how they just got the I Like Fun vinyl, and that it resembles "a fireman's calendar from 2012."

Then:

JF: This next song is for everyone. JL: Well, almost everyone. *pause* I'm actually not sure what you mean by that. JF: I didn't want to say that it's for you. JL: Are we talking about the same song? JF: "Do They Know It's Christmas?"?

The next song was actually "Dead," so yes that was a mysterious comment to make! But anyway I was thrilled to see it again, and even more thrilled when they followed it up with "Don't Let's Start" again.

When they came back for the second encore Flans was taking a picture of the crowd with his phone, and John was goofily posing at the edge of the stage to be in it too. When I found the picture later that night it was as great as I hoped it would be.

Then John said that he'd just noticed Danny wasn't wearing red pants, and Flans said we should check out the pants that he was wearing, which were these blue ones with a grid pattern that were indeed pretty wild. Then Flans was saying that there's some festival in Boston that they've played a lot, and that they kept having bands that were opening for them right before they made it big (the example he gave was The Cardigans), but one time it was a band called Royal Clown Revue, and he told the promoters that they absolutely did not want a band with a name like that opening for them, but that they told him it was a typo and it was actually Royal Crown Revue, and they were a ska band. Then he told Danny that if he "wanted to make a lateral move into Mighty Mighty Bosstones," he definitely could with those pants.

Then John was thanking us and said "We love you, in an inappropriate way," which was...strange.

The final song was "Doctor Worm," which I think is a good closer--I like it when they end with something really high-energy like that, and everyone gets so into that one.

So it ended up being exactly the same setlist as in San Diego the night before, which surprised me--I've been to shows multiple nights in a row quite a few times, and I don't think I've ever seen them not switch out at least a couple of the songs from one night to the next. The setlist consisted of some really terrific stuff, don't get me wrong, all of which was really exciting to see, but I'd be lying if I said I weren't a bit disappointed about it being exactly the same. Still had an amazing time, of course!

The final all-important JL wardrobe report: he was wearing a black long-sleeved shirt, and I managed to be less upset about his dumb haircut than I was the night before.