#love your longbois

[sunbeaarr]

I heard you’re taking warrior requests! Would you mind drawing my favorite longboi? (Longtail)

(love your art btw ❤️)

here he is, long as ever

[mayhasopinions]

Okay okay okay so I don't often talk about Warrior Cats but I just had an AU idea centred around LongFire that i'm just gonna infordump here

The Prophecies Begin starts the same, where Longtail attacks Rusty and is initially hostile toward him. He saves him from the river as usual but instead of their dynamic being ignored they start having a mutual respect for one another after Tigerclaw is exiled, and Fireheart actually sees that Longtail is loyal to the clan instead of Tigerclaw.

Swiftpaw dies, and Fireheart comforts Longtail, something we don't really see onscreen in the books. It's then that they actually start being friends, and Longtail's predjudice against kittypets gets resolved, and Firestar even takes him to visit Princess at one point, and Longtail becomes friendly with Cloudtail. So it's not like a "oh he still is a kittypet xenophobe but Firestar is his only exception" kinda thing.

Then the battle with Scourge happens, Whitestorm dies, and instead of Graystripe being deputy (i still don't think he deserved it >:/) Firestar makes Longtail deputy; I think this would have worked narritavely really well in the books, as it shows development in Longtail's character and because Warriors isn't big on redemptions (they only said on Longtail 'oh he was good all along just misunderstood lolsies') so I want Longboi to become a good person D:

Then Longtail gets blinded by the rabbit as normal, but he still remains deputy and finds a way to live blind like Jayfeather did, because fuck abelism in these books and the fact that Longtail had to retire early because of his disability!!

Then this is up for your interpretation, but I like to think Firestar and Longtail fall for each other in the end,, idk i love me a good well written rivals to lovers :D and Sandstorm is the surrogate mother and Squilf and Leaf happen (i just think in this timeline it would be cute for Longfire to happen, but in the current timeline when they were still kinda on ehhh terms? yeah, not cute!)

And Longtail doesn't get crushed by a tree, he lives until the Great Battle when Firestar dies, and he becomes Longstar with Squirrelflight as deputy! :D which tbh, he would make a much better leader than Brambleshit will ever be

don't flame me for this idea, it's just one of my favorite AU's completely built off of canon complaint and missed potential for Longtail's character and his relationship with Firestar

[the-kipsabian]

IMPORTANT POLL TIME!!

vote on this based on whatever merits you wish, but make sure its based on the garment and not rest of him or the outfit, the era, the character, etc. the images are just a very basic examples as hes had multiples of each variation, i will provide more if necessary

im just asking out of my own pure curiosity, personally loving the longboys he has now but also the shorts make me feel so im just wondering which preference others have

youre more than free to reblog this (and let it escape my bubble) for bigger sample size and tags are open for discussion. i think. keep it civil, please

[luvwich]

hmmMMMmm perchance would anyone be interested in "beta reading" for me...?

never done this before 🥺 but i'd love some feedback on the final chapter of my longboi WIP (crescent & redwood). the chapter is still in the works but it'll be around 7,000—8,000 words, which i know is rather a lot! i'd be happy to beta something of yours in exchange, now or later.

(also, i'm generally very down to beta for any of y'all whenever i have time, just hit me up~)

[spearxwind]

I always have a hard time judging scale of creatures. have you seen the size comparison video Metalball studios made of different Sea Monsters? Where would you say your long-bois fall in that scale?

I hadn't seen this before, but wow this video fucking rules ljksdfskdj I love the ending so much

Uhhhh my biggest longboy is Talas and he's around ghost leviathan sized on this scale, roughly. Perhaps a little longer? I have some images of him compared to other leviathan ocs and humans and I also have him compared to a blue whale:

[imatekuani]

I love my new plushie. I always wanted a dragon pkushie when I was small and didn't get it (also a wolf, but that's another story/childhood issue that includes how some people think huskies are wolves and child-me was annoyed by it).

@thingsbydiana your design is beautiful and I love my longboi.

Now I just have to decide what to name them (I'm open to suggestions xD)

[demetriandelibinaryboyfriends]

God is a woman, but she's not mine Smooth like satin Patience ages like wine An accidental kiss intertwines us In the middle of the night In the middle of the night

And now she's something and I'm Too close to crushing and I'm Too close for comfort, I'm rushing But I smile and she's blushing Her girlfriend's out of town And I come over When the sun goes down

Her lip's a cherry bomb And I'm getting lost in The boom, boom, boom This is how it is now Getting lost in The boom, boom, boom I can't take my eyes off you

Rose-colored glasses mask Her rose-colored cheeks As we exchange lies in the spotlight On an unfamiliar street She stares at the sky And I stare at my feet

And I could slam the brakes and break her But I love the chaos that we're in I ask how she's so mellow And she tells me her shades are in yellow

Her lip's a cherry bomb And I'm getting lost in The boom, boom, boom This is how it is now Getting lost in The boom, boom, boom I can't take my eyes off you

Lips on my forehead I lose focus, I lose focus I want her out of your head I lose focus, I lose focus

Lips on my forehead I lose focus, I lose focus I want her out of your head I lose focus, I lose focus

Your lips are a cherry bomb And I'm getting lost in you This is how it is now Getting lost in you I can't take my eyes off you

Her lip's a cherry bomb And I'm getting lost in The boom, boom, boom This is how it is now Getting lost in The boom, boom, boom I can't take my eyes off you

***

@karatecaulfield back to writing the girls!!! A longboi of a ficlet this time XD

(btw this is all going off the theory I have that Yasmine and Moon had a secret fwb thing going on during S1, but Yasmine was way too concerned about her rep to tell anyone or come out as liking girls to anyone except Moon)

So the song Cherry Bomb by Julianna Joy popped up on my spotify one day, and I couldn't stop thinking about it in the context of Yasmine and Moon reconnecting at the end of S2/beginning of S3...but Yasmine has to contend with the fact that the girl she never had the courage to openly be with is in a happy relationship with another girl now. One who proudly shows Moon off and doesn't keep her a secret backseat hookup, no less!

Tbh I am just. Enamored with the idea of Piney Yasmine, and the frustration that comes with knowing how utterly she lost her chance. Moon and Piper are far from hiding their relationship, too, not caring in the least who knows they're together and holding hands everywhere they go. Just. Seeing that, and every time it's this painful reminder that you never had the courage to tell that beautiful girl you loved her when you had the opportunity??? While she hopefully, desperately, and unconditionally loved you, and wanted so badly to be more than your dirty secret???? OUGHHHH I am DEVOURING that angst :O The pain of realizing someone was perfect for you just a little too late, and the only one responsible for tanking your chances was you.

Anyways, I got uh. A bit carried away I wrote a whole ficlet thing to go with this ^^; Go read it under the cut!!!

***

I'm just imagining in the couple of weeks before school starts up again (pre S2 disaster party), Piper goes on a family trip. Yasmine gets back from France, having done a lot of self-reflection and re-evaluated her relationship with Moon.

All things considered...as betrayed as she felt when Moon sided with the losers and the freaks, Yasmine knows deep down that she can't lose her. She'd rather get another wedgie than admit it, of course, but Moon was--and still is--the best person in her life.

Her parents would reject the real Yasmine out of hand. If they knew she wasn't the perfect beautiful socialite they thought she was--at least not anymore--they wouldn't want anything to do with her.

Kyler and Brucks already don't, with her popularity gone. The other girls at the "rich girl" table won't answer her texts. And Sam, well...

She always preferred fucking Aisha's company, anyways. Come fall, she'll be back at the nerds' table.

So when Yasmine gets a text from Moon offering to let the beach party be water under the bridge--offering to be friends again--she isn't about to say no.

Hey Yas. I know we haven't talked in a while, but...I'm really sorry about how we left things. Can we hang out?

And so they do. They meet up at a cafe--an old favorite brunch place they used to always cut class to go to.

Yasmine learns Moon isn't with that blue-haired freak from the botched birthday party anymore. He turned out to be a douchebag.

She could've told Moon that from the jump, but whatever.

Moon is dating someone new now--a girl. Piper. Absolutely gorgeous, brazen and shameless in a way Yasmine can relate to.

Moon sure does seem to have a type.

They're tanning by the poolside, sipping cherry lemonade on the tail end of a surprisingly relaxed conversation, when Yasmine finds her eyes glued. Trailing over every smooth bronze curve of Moon's body. It's bringing back memories of her hands brushing over that skin, her fingers weaving through the brown hair splayed on the deck chair.

Moon is a beautiful tableau of serenity, watching clouds roll by through red-tinted, heart-shaped glasses.

Rose-colored. Literally.

It seems fitting, given the beaming, optimistic way Moon navigates life. The way she navigates Yasmine. For her, whatever remote possibility that tomorrow could be good negates any concerns of tomorrow being an utter shitshow. And even if it is...

Well. The misery doesn't seem to stick around.

She watched her best friend walk out of her life and her boyfriend become an unrepentant jerk who beat up her other friends over dojo Yelp reviews (which Yasmine had to agree was very stupid) and half the Valley get mixed up in some asinine, violent karate feud and still she came out of it all with the unapologetic hope that people would see sense and choose kindness. That she could help fix what was broken, both in her own relationships and others'.

It was unduly idealistic. Unquestionably naive. And yet...

There was something almost inspiring about it all. About how there was not one person Moon was willing to give up on and not one bridge that Moon believed was too burned to rebuild.

A comfortable silence has fallen (another oddity--Yasmine expected there to be enough tension between them to fill that entire swimming pool) when Yasmine finally speaks up.

"I don't know how you do it."

Moon turns, peering at her through those rosy glasses. Yasmine knows her well enough to know that there's a nearly-identical rosy sheen just under the bottom rims, coloring Moon's cheeks.

They bought the blush together. It seems like a lifetime ago now.

"How I do what?"

"Be so cheerful all the time." Yasmine looks away, studying the pool. "Be so, like...blithe about all this. We were pissed when we last saw each other, and you're just whatever about the whole thing now. Is it really that easy to let it all go?"

Moon pauses.

"Well...didn't you? You're here talking to me, and I don't think you're still mad."

"I was for a long while. I guess being away for the summer just...gave me some time to think." Yasmine sighs. "But you were stuck here, right in the middle of all this stupid karate drama, and you still want to be friends again, even after I..."

Even after I treated you like an accessory?

Yasmine can't bring herself to say it.

Either way, she doesn't seem like a person Moon would want back if she's trying to minimize the drama in her life.

"I don't know." Yasmine keeps her eyes on the rippling pool water. "I didn't think you'd come back. I didn't think you'd want me back, after like...you know. How I was."

Moon only laughs good-naturedly.

"We were best friends, Yas. We did everything together. Told each other everything. You think I don't know by now that there's more to you than that?"

Yasmine still can't meet her eyes.

"I hurt you, though. All you did was stick by me, and I left you behind the one time you wanted something for yourself."

Even if it was a stupid blue-haired prick.

It's still the most genuine she's been in a while. For weeks, Yasmine fought tooth and nail not to admit to herself that perhaps, in some theoretical manner of speaking, she'd been in the wrong.

That she'd wronged the only person she'd managed to give one tenth of a metric shit about in a long, long time.

"How do you just brush it all off like...like it doesn't matter anymore? How are you so certain that I'm...that I'm any different now?"

"You ordered my favorite at the cafe."

Yasmine freezes.

"You remembered I love almost croissants, and you bought me half a plate of them. And, well...don't take this the wrong way, but you did not used to be that considerate."

Yasmine's cheeks heat up.

"Sheesh. Can't a girl do nice shit for her friends sometimes?"

"Of course she can! But you used to be embarrassed to be openly kind like that. Now you're just..."

Moon seems to struggle to find the words.

"You're just nicer," she says finally.

Yasmine scoffs.

"I'm not nice. I'm a vapid bitch people tolerate sometimes because they can eye-fuck me when I'm not looking. And that's all I'm ever going to be. I've kinda made my peace with that."

Moon sighs in an almost pitying way. Not enough for Yasmine to snap at her, but enough to make the blonde bristle.

"People aren't static, Yas. Anyone can get better. Growing as a person...that's the whole nature of the human experience, right?"

Despite herself, Yasmine laughs.

"Okay, Gandhi."

"You want to know my real secret, though?"

She finally looks at Moon. The other girl's wearing a rare smirk, mischief glinting in those brown eyes.

Yasmine smirks back.

"Duh, Houdini. Like I wouldn't turn down an opportunity to be one of the privileged few a magician reveals their secret to."

Moon plucks off her sunglasses and reaches into her bag. What she pulls out glints golden in the bright afternoon.

She swaps out one pair of heart-shaped lenses for another, and Yasmine laughs.

"Of course. Mellow yellow."

"When everything looks like sunshine, it's hard to be too sad about anything," she says brightly.

Yasmine wishes it were that easy.

***

The afternoon rolls by, and they slip back into old patterns. Manicures, shopping, some Pretty Little Liars bingeing back at Moon's place. They're lounging on the couch just past dusk when Moon perks up that they should go for a night walk.

"I know a great park," she says. "It's up on a hill so you can see the city, but you can also kind of see the stars."

Yasmine scoffs. "What, are you crazy?! Do you want to get murdered?"

Moon only laughs.

"You're so dramatic, Yas. We live in Encino. It's like...the safest neighborhood there is."

And that's somehow all it takes for Yasmine to give in. There's a kind of allure to it, the idea of a stroll in the moonlight with a beautiful girl.

Maybe she can finally formulate the thoughts that have been tormenting her all afternoon.

It's a couple minutes away from Moon's house that Yasmine says sorry. Or, well...she does her best to.

The kisses of freshman and sophomore year started out accidental. They were both crossfaded the first time, sloppily dancing into Yasmine's guestroom in their attempts to "practice" before the Halloween dance. Before they knew it they were on the bed, tongues in each others' mouths.

That night could have been a moment of weakness. It could have stayed a moment of weakness. The problem is that they both liked it a little too much.

And so on it went, just out of sight of disapproving parents and peers until it escalated to more than make-out sessions.

Yasmine knows it was shitty, using her best friend as a secret hookup for almost 2 years and then turning around and publicly scoffing at the idea that she could ever like girls. Treating Moon like a minion in public and roaming every curve of her body as soon as they were away from prying eyes.

Now, breathing in cool night air and just on the cusp of a second chance, Yasmine's trying frantically to articulate anything of substance.

Moon's always looked soft, but in passing porch lamps and flashing car headlights, her pretty features seem even more delicate. She watches Yasmine with far more patience than Yasmine deserves, listening attentively to her fumbling explanation about why she acted like such a raging bitch for the better part of their friendship.

"It's all right." Moon squeezes Yasmine's hand, and heat tingles through her skin. "I remember how scared you were. You were trying to figure yourself out, and you were terrified that people would see the real Yasmine, and...hate her as much as you hated you."

That's a generous way of putting it.

That was one thing about Moon that didn't change. All this time, and she still gave you the benefit of the doubt. Even when you didn't deserve it.

Especially when you didn't.

It feels even nicer now, given the massive shithole that Yasmine's been slowly digging herself into since high school started. Whether she's the queen of the school or less than nothing, Moon treats her with the same unconditional kindness.

And it's a rare thing. She's always wondered if people were only really nice to her because of her social status, and now, with her social circle in shambles after one humiliation, she knows it's true.

But despite all that, Moon looked at what Yasmine had to offer and decided that underneath it all, there was still something worth her time. Yasmine can't fathom it.

The truth was that Yasmine loved the thrill of having control. Of being in charge. Even if that meant being cruel and backhanded and an utter liar.

It kept her on top, and it kept her from ridicule. It certainly kept the rest of the school from suspecting its two queen bees were screwing each other. It absolutely kept her parents from thinking their beautiful daughter, with her promising future in modeling or acting or what the fuck ever, had no interest whatsoever in the type of ab-laden, burly men her "type" of girl was supposed to be so besotted with.

But when she lost it all--and she lost Moon--she found the control isn't what she missed.

The night glides by, and Moon gets started chattering about some new sustainable, recycled brand of eyeshadow where half the profits went toward helping endangered duikers or Iraq war refugees or something like that. The more she talks, the more Yasmine finds she can't look away.

Moon's always been beautiful, but right now, bathed in the soft, golden glow of streetlights, she looks nothing short of divine.

Her cherry lipgloss is gleaming, luminescence just catching the sparkles in it. 2 years, and she's still wearing the same brand.

Yasmine remembers what it tastes like.

It tastes like summertime and pure, unfiltered elation and the thrill of refusing to play by the rules.

It tastes explosive, like fireworks.

And she misses it so badly that it feels like she's dissolving from the inside out.

But this is how it is now. All she can do is admire Moon from a respectful distance, thinking about what she used to have while Moon gives tastes of that cherry lipgloss to someone else.

Someone probably much better for her than Yasmine ever was. Someone who didn't fuck up her chances beyond repair.

It shouldn't eat at her as much as it does.

They end up lying on a narrow patch of grass under one of the park streetlights. It's a part of Moon's neighborhood Yasmine's never been to before, but something about the unfamiliarity makes it enticing.

Everything about that grass strip is still fresh and new--their own private world, not yet soiled by pain and drama and cruelty. A pocket universe where Yasmine hasn't made her shitty-ass bed yet. A place where she can get a fresh start. Treat Moon like she deserves.

Moon talks about astrology. Which planets are rising, which are falling, which are in retrograde, all that. The further into it she gets, the less Yasmine can follow.

Her gaze drifts down to her feet as Moon's finger flicks all over the sky, chattering so fast that the circuits of Yasmine's mind are already starting to exhaust themselves trying to keep up.

Yasmine doesn't stop her. Moon's voice pours over her like a lotion, sinking into her skin and cleansing every pore and leaving her fortified and rejuvenated like nothing else can.

It's one of the few things in the world that can still relax Yasmine completely.

Yasmine wonders sometimes if star signs are all a load of bogus. Nothing but personality traits assigned to people at random so they could feel special about something completely arbitrary.

But the way Moon's entire being shines when she rambles about it, the way she speaks with the kind of heart and certainty and conviction that Yasmine rarely has about anything...

She can almost buy it.

"Look, there's Gemini!" Moon pipes up after a while. "That's you!"

She laughs, shaking her head. How Moon is managing to find any stars in the hazy, smog-filled LA night, let alone an entire constellation, is beyond her.

Still, it feels strangely fitting that Moon should stumble on her star sign tonight. The night they really started to mend things.

Like destiny, in a way. Something that tied them together on a cosmic level. Something indicating they were meant to be here tonight, together, lying in a puddle of light and imagining the infinity of a boundless sky.

And Yasmine has to admit. She's strangely touched that Moon still remembers where Gemini is.

But she doesn't say any of that sappy shit. She only scoffs.

"Yeah, checks out I'd be the two-faced one."

Moon pauses.

"You know...I was pretty two-faced, too. But that doesn't mean we have to stay that way, right?"

That's a lie. Moon was nowhere near as bad as her, nastiness paling in comparison to the queen bee's.

Because Moon was a follower. She did as Yasmine said and didn't question it. Well...until she did.

But it wasn't fair to hold her accountable when she was only trying to be a good friend. The best friend Yasmine could want.

The best screw Yasmine could want.

"You didn't do anything wrong. You didn't fuck over Sam like I did."

She supposes that's also a lie. Being complacent might be just as bad, standing back and letting Yasmine shoot to kill with poisonous words.

"That wasn't all our fault. We didn't know Kyler was lying to us."

Perhaps they should have suspected. Kyler wasn't exactly the paragon of virtue.

Yasmine had known that from the jump. Moon probably had, too.

"No, yeah, you're right. We couldn't have known we were being manipulated."

Yasmine may as well keep the chain of self-vindicating lies going. Maybe what they need to feel better about the people they were is a little sugarcoating and a lot of bullshitting.

Or maybe Yasmine should tell the truth for once in her fucking life.

"I don't know, I just...I feel like I'm genuinely kind of a crap person. I get drunk off this power and I act like a bitch and I somehow hurt the only people I actually give a shit about. And people hit the road as soon as I start being more than hot eye candy. Because...that's all they care about. And maybe that's the only part of me that...that doesn't kind of suck. Maybe people are right about me."

"Yas."

Yasmine turns. Moon is lying on her side now, gazing at her with those big brown doe eyes with everything in them so alarmingly exposed and so alarmingly vulnerable.

All of Moon's fondness and adoration and utter devotion, laid completely bare.

And it occurs to her that Moon is at her mercy again. The walls she finally managed to put up at the beach party are crumbling away, leaving behind the same Moon who was gone as fuck for Yasmine for 2 years.

She could shred her, Yasmine realizes. She could take the trust they've been piecing back together all day and throw it to the wolves, shattering Moon just like she did on that phone call after that ghastly failed birthday party. Moon is offering herself up to Yasmine again, and Yasmine could shank that offer right down the middle. Mock her ex best friend for believing even for a moment that she could forgive Moon for telling her off and siding with the freaks who ruined her in front of the entire school.

She could smash Moon's heart all over again. Start a cycle of her destroying the other girl over and over, waiting for Moon to come crawling back before rinsing and repeating. If she wanted.

It might make her feel strong. Invincible. In control. Fill her with the satisfaction of having someone so impossibly obsessed with her that they can never truly leave, no matter how much they try.

But all of that just seems...old hat. Lifeless. Mind-numbingly boring.

Of course Yasmine could play out the exact same story the same way with the same person. But repeating couldn't sound more dull when there's something so gripping about unpredictability.

And that's where she and Moon have found themselves--a strange kind of mania where they truly don't know what's coming next, but they do know they've been drawn back together. For better or for worse.

Things can't be like they once were. Not really. Moon's heart belongs to someone else now, and is protected somewhere Yasmine can't jerk it around. She's not the same person Yasmine spent her weekends getting high with last year.

She's grown, and Yasmine has no idea how many of Moon's buttons she can still press. How much she can still glow with blinding radiance in the eyes of this brand new person.

But from the way Moon still looks at her...

The doting isn't gone. It's just different now.

Yasmine doesn't know what will come of it. What will come of the embers that still burn in her own chest.

And that's why whatever's happening tonight is not something Yasmine tries to stop. Their new story is exhilarating in a way that keeps her along for the ride, strapped in tight.

"You're a good person, Yas. I know you are." Moon scoots toward her. "I can feel it in my Ajna. You just...need to get in touch with your aura. Who you really want to be. That'll make everything better."

Ah. So they were back to lying.

Yasmine bites her lip. "You think?"

She's wrong.

She needed to stop making everything sound so simple when there was no possible way it could be.

"You've made a few mistakes, but...who hasn't?"

Moon shrugs. Their faces are inches apart now.

"We're still young," she says softly. "We're all still figuring out who we are. But we've got all the time in the world, and it's okay if there're some bumps along the way."

"But what if I keep looking at myself..." Yasmine swallows. "And I don't like what I find? What if no one else does, either?"

"Hey. You're a good person, Yasmine Pyne." Moon is close enough that she can probably hear Yasmine's heart hammering. "And I'll keep telling you until you believe me."

And then she feels sticky cherry lipgloss pressing against her forehead. Yasmine's head spins, sending her floating into some kind of indeterminable ether.

Nothing seems solid anymore. The world is ablaze with color and sound and explosions and sensations, but she's careening through space with wind rushing by her and there's nothing she can hold onto.

What a fool she was, thinking she could come out here and get Moon wrapped around her finger again without accounting for her fingers doing some wrapping of their own.

It's what Yasmine has always known, but would never say aloud. She has a weakness for the strange girl who always smells of wildflowers, incense, silk scarves, and cherry lipgloss.

Yasmine's hand slides around Moon's wrist, trying to steady herself. As she pulls herself from out from a tidal wave of emotions, her buzzing thoughts all converge into one.

Is she thinking about Piper right now?

And maybe it's selfish, but...

Yasmine has to wonder if there's some way of persuading Moon to think about her instead.

***

AUGH Y'ALL

I WAS GONNA POST THIS LIKE A WEEK AGO

I STAYED UP REALLY LATE AGAINST MY BETTER JUDGMENT AND FINISHED THE WHOLE THING AND IT SLAPPED AND THEN FUCKIN TUMBLR DELETED THE ENTIRE FUCKIN DRAFT FOR NO REASON AKAHIDOBSY

So I spent all this week trying my best to recreate it ;_____; In fairness, I think I ended up pretty close to the OG ficlet, so...that's something.

Truly angsty lesbian love triangles from a ridiculous karate show are something that can be so personal--

To be clear I do also ship MoonPiper but I also like to torture my poor blorbo Yasmine Nolastname. Don't worry, it's a sign of love!!! :D

In all the timelines I make she and Moon will be #endgame anyways because I'm a menace

Anyways making a red and yellow-themed moodboard for these two was actually super fun :O Like the color combination suits them so well??? Moon has this pleasant, sunny energy that pairs really well with yellow, and Yasmine has this kind of passionate, fiery, sassy, hyperfemme vibe (but in kind of a femme fatale way?) that is extremely red-coded. Which is ironic, because Yasmine tends to wear more yellow (especially in S1) and Moon wears a lot of reds and dark oranges. Her go-to nail polish color is actually bright red! So apparently they like wearing each other's theme colors <3 <3 <3 Now fellas is it GAY--

As always, pic credits available upon request!

[innytoes]

Back on my Willie + Furbies bullshit with a fic idea I will never write: Sunset Skater AU where the band makes it big and they have all this money that they can spend on frivolous things, which somehow ends in them each commissioning Long Furby Creator Willie. 

Some of them are well intended, like the first one. Reggie wants to make Bobby Junior, his and Bobby’s child. Obviously it needs to be red and black themed, and Willie has a blast discussing options. He even makes it a little birth certificate to go with it, and swaddles it before putting it in the box to ship.

Bobby is amused, and even more so when Alex recoils, because he thinks it is terrifying.

Obviously the next time Alex really annoys him, he contacts Willie to make the pinkest, gayest, most creepy furby on the planet. Can you get fur in the colour of his hoodie, please? Yes please can it have little creepy hands. Obviously it needs rainbow tufts at the ears. Can it have a little necklace that says ‘come play with me Alex’.

Bobby hides it in Alex’ room, and Willie gets a video, clearly taken from a closet, of Alex walking in, seeing the Furby on his desk chair holding his drumsticks, and shrieking. The video cuts off when Bobby can’t hold his laughter anymore and Alex chases him all over the house.

It’s only then that he realises this is like, Sunset Curve. That’s the drummer he’s had a crush on for the past six months. That means that Reggie and Bobby weren’t just a coincidence, he’s actually been in contact with Reggie Peters and Bobby Shaw!

He sends a little ‘Dear Alex, I’m so sorry I didn’t know this was a Spite Furby, he just wants to love you, let him into your heart’ message to the official Sunset Curve Instagram. He wakes up the next day to find four new private users follow him. When he follows them back, he realises it’s the guys Finstas, the private accounts they use to be normal people (or chaos gremlins).

Reggie’s account is filled with not only cute dogs, but also Bobby Junior having Adventures around their house. Bobby’s has at least two more videos of scaring Alex with the pink Furby. It takes a bit of courage (and some ribbing from his friends about being a coward), but he starts commenting on the Furby posts. And then other ones. And the guys always comment back and heart his comments. And somehow, everything gets kind of flirty? Willie has no idea what’s going on but he’s living for it.

Luke is next, because he’s kind of jealous he doesn’t have a Long Furby now. He’s annoying to Bobby plenty!

For his birthday Bobby and Reggie team up to get him one. It comes with a little orange beanie (with gaps for the ears to stick out). They didn’t ask for that, but Willie’s seen him wear it a lot when he stalks casually looks at the guys’ Instagrams. He gets many delighted comments back. The three Longbois have a tea party on Reggie’s account. They’re found in between the remnants of Luke’s birthday party, passed out and wasted, on Bobby’s page.

Willie delights in it all. On his business account, he posts his non-custom creations, taking inspiration from the guys’ shenanigans. He even brings one of two to Caleb’s house for his monthly ‘gotta have dinner with the Uncle who took me in while he casually grills me about if I’m dating yet but hey free food’ dinner. Caleb watches amused as he wraps the Furby along the banister of the fancy stairwell in the hall. And maybe even gets a ladder so Willie can put one in the chandelier.

When he announces he’s going to be at a convention in LA on his business account, he immediately gets four hearts. He spends a lot of time making new Longbois and other creations for his booth, sometimes working deep into the night with the Sunset Curve soundtrack on.

When he looks at his latest creation, black with a flannel plaid belly, and pretty sparkly eyes, and cute little deer horns and a little cowboy hat accessory, he thinks: oh no.

Because that Furby is clearly for Reggie.

He almost doesn’t take it with him, but well, he needs stuff to fill out his booth. He wraps the Reggie Furby along the bar that holds up his backdrop, hoping nobody will ask him if it’s for sale.

He’s doing alright, selling mostly his smaller pieces, artwork, and furby inspired jewelry, though someone dressed up as Miss Frizzle does purchase the galaxy inspired long Furby he made. She leaves with it draped over her shoulders, and he passes her some extra cards just in case.

And then it happens. What he’d been fearing, dreaming about. From up ahead, he heard a familiar voice say: “Oh my god there it is!”

Sunset Curve had come to the convention. Most of them were in costume, Han Solo and Luke Skywalker and Poe Dameron... and Alex, though his familiar pink hoodie was swapped out with a Baby Yoda t-shirt and jean jacket. Willie didn’t miss how he was using Reggie as a human shield, put between him and the furbies.

“Uh, hi!” he says, trying and failing to be casual. “It’s so nice to meet you in person.”

They talk, he shows off some of his wares. Alex even comes closer to look at some of the non-Furby art Willie is selling, when Reggie’s eyes wander up and he gasps.

“Guys,” he whispers, pointing. “It’s perfect.”

They look up and oh no, there it is. They’ve spotted the Reggie Furby. Willie feels his cheeks flame, but he can’t very well look away. “I ah... maybe made him with you in mind,” he admits. “Not that you have to buy him! I mean I just... I was listening to your album while working and it just happened and...”

A giant wad of cash is slammed on the table, Reggie making grabby hands until Willie unwraps the Furby from the stand and hands it over. He tries to argue that it wasn’t a custom job, so the price is actually lower, but Reggie doesn’t listen, cuddling the Furby close. 

“Well,” Bobby sighs dramatically. “If you feel that bad about it, maybe you should just take us out on a date to make up for it.”

[rachytales]

A couple bits'n'bobs from something I've been working on - it's still under WIP status cause it's a longboi.

LITG season 4, in-villa. Bruno gets the main character treatment.

I'm still tossing between doing chapter releases or waiting to drop it all in one go.

Sneaky peeky under the cut, thoughts are welcome!

“Mr Kaminski? Is this a bad time?”

***

Wait. Did they call to let you know they weren’t taking you? Surely not, there’d be hundreds of people they’d need to call. But that meant – focus, Bruno! The woman on the other end was still talking, what had she said?��

“Yes, I mean no, I mean. I’m sorry, I didn’t catch what you said.”

“I said we loved your application, are you still interested in appearing on the programme?”

Was he what???

“Are you pulling my leg right now? Did the lads put you up to this? You aren’t Steve’s brother’s girlfriend putting on a voice, are you?”

“No, no, and no.”

Well shit.

***

“We get all sorts of reactions to these calls, so don’t stress about it. We’ll be in touch with a contract and some other t’s and c’s in due course. Have a good day.”

Bruno stared dumbfounded at the screen. What the fuck had just happened?

***

Bruno felt sick with anticipation, he shouldn’t have watched this with his sisters, not if her outfit was anything like the other girls. And then, there she was. On the screen in front of him, shaking her hips to the beat, and wearing a full body banana costume. Wait, what? She was laughing, the boys were laughing, Nina and Zia had spilled the popcorn they were laughing so hard, and Bruno? Well, Bruno had only gone and fallen in love right then and there.

***

A thoughtful look on her face, she opted to slide in gracefully, positioning herself slightly further away from Bruno than he would have liked. He couldn’t tear his eyes away, she was even more captivating in real life. Trying to get out of his head, he gestured to the space between them with a smile.

“You can get closer, if you like. I don’t bite.”

“Oh?” She slid closer to him, smiling. “I do.”

Bruno gulped, audibly, and she laughed again. As Najuma and Youcef joined in, she gave his knee a quick squeeze under the water.

“Sorry, couldn’t help it. You left that wide open. I’m Evie.”

***

“So, Evie, you’re with Kobi, right? How’s that going?”

She shrugged. “Ah, he’s grand. To be honest, I only chose him because I wanted to get up Lexi’s nose a bit after she was being a cow, I don’t even fancy him really.” She looked awkward for a second. “Not that he’s bad looking! He’s aesthetically pleasing, I’ll give him that. He just doesn’t butter my toast, y’know?”

“He doesn’t…what?”

“We’re just mates.” Scrunching up her nose in annoyance, she added, “we don’t even cuddle.”

“Mon dieu.”

Bruno laughed. He couldn’t help it. This was the best possible answer she could have given! She’d made his day and didn’t even know it.

“Well, in that case, allow me to introduce myself – ”, he held out his hand towards her, “ – Bruno Kaminski, applying for the position of your boyfriend.”

[thepatchworkreview]

Debrief and Critique: Chlorine, Longboy, Bummer, Dude!, and Sells - 11/30/23 - Cafe Colonial, Sacramento

Critiques follow a two-part formula: Opinionated critique, and objective critique Objective critique will include a summary of the content and technical skill ONLY. aaaaaand...Opinionated critique includes discussion of the "show" aspect of the-.. well, the show. 

~Opinionated Critique~

Am I putting my opinion first? Yes. I am. Because all the unpleasant technical stuff should always be AFTER you compliment the shit out of someone. TO BE FAIR. Not everything I have to say about all these bands is pleasant. Gentle reminder—it's my opinion, and who gives a single shit about that?

- Chlorine: Best screams, hands down. The grungy look and sound of the band really evokes an older, Seattle grunge feel. The drums were NASTY, the rides and fills fucking rocked, and the pit moshed hard for a fucking reason. This band reeks with the look and feel of a band who are on the same page. Do I feel like the grungey Y2K thing is being overdone right now? A little, yeah—but these guys wear it well and commit really hard. As they progress and play more shows, I do expect to see tighter, crowd-work—and I mean more than just plugging the band Instagram. I also would like to see more dynamic showmanship from all members. 

- Longboy: Award for the band that had the most shit going on goes to... Longboy! These guys had a bunch of ideas and gags happening that really added to the show: samples that faded into songs; bringing up a friend to sing the first song of the set; a synth! Ecclectic outfits and a funny cover song that people were BOUND to know and sing along to, sung by a singer who sounded UNCANNILY like the original artist. It ruled! But what I will say is that the amount of stuff and genres that they delved into made the set a bit unruly and thematically whirl-windy. A lot of really good ideas! ...With a lack of followthrough. The playing was stellar! I want to see that amount of polish applied to the show you guys put on!

- Bummer, Dude!: THESEGUYS ARE PERFORMING AT THE WRONG VENUES! AND YES! I  DO MEAN THAT NICELEY! The sound is so Jeff Buckley, so Billy Idol—it's cruise ship ready! Bummer, Dude retains the harder sound with really passionate breakdowns and lush guitar riffs, but is slow enough to melt right into your sweetheart with. That being said, I did find that about halfway through their set I was looking for a little more energy—I felt like they slowed down the show nicely, but holy shit did it get slow. I would've loved them to end on a way more energetic note, something that the whole band just fucking rocks out to rather than the "hit," y'know?

- Sells: Okay. I have words for you guys that aren't great, but that's all in the other section of critique. The lead singer sang and performed like Sid Viscious on cracked cocaine. Did you play six songs and all of them used three or four chords maybe? Oh yeah. For sure. Did you still knock it out of the park with insane crowd-work, energy, bombast and style? YES. The juxtaposition—whether intentional or not of the lead singer and bassist, one being an insane performer—and the other stonefaced (accidental???) comedian was such an incredible, versatile component of the show. Not only that, but just- the sheer, raw, unmatched energy that the lead singer ALONE provided was fucking captivating. AND it acted as the lynchpin for a memorable end of the show as an entirety. All I want from you guys is to keep working on your music and the technicalities of it, you've got the showmanship part of it made (sans the shy [what I can only assume to be- new] person on both bass and drums. I do need less embarrassment and more vibes from them {sorry to drag you, girl.})

~ Objective Critique ~Content: This will hopefully be the only show I will ever have to say this for, but everyone is on an equal playing field as far as content within the bounds of the live show. The live audio was a clusterfuck of poor mixing and vocalists not knowing how dynamic mics (those little round microphones you see people like mariah carrey sing into) pick up sound. Now: what leads me to believe that the mic trouble was not just user error is that more obviously skilled members between the bands would still have moments of really muddled audio, even while performing about 3-5 inches from the damn things. Not only this, but the lead singer of Chlorine did actually notice that he could not hear himself, and did ask for this to be resloved (it was not). For a good 40-60% chunk of the performances, I could not 

clearly hear anything being sung. (I will include that I could pretty much hear all of "Bummer, Dude!'s vocals BECAUSE their surrounding instrumentals were so tame that they left room for it. When they picked things up—nada.  I also heard Sells vocals but I genuinely attribute that to the fact that the lead singer was fucking BELLOWING into the mic like real style.) (Again, I apologize, because this seems like such a cop out.)

Technical Skill:I kind of dread writing this part just because I'm an amateur artist myself, and really can't go shitting on people's head's about their performances—SO BEFORE YOU COME AFTER ME I dragged my sorry ass friend (the guy who went to the show with me!) (he actually knows stuff about music AND has done live shows before) into this journalistic mess, and will be paraphrasing statements he made to me, quite appropriately in a dark and empty band room. 

- Chlorine: Although fucked by the mixing, had some really great stability and themes. The playing (guitar) was a little muddy on it's own and could've 100% used some more definition or direction- but this could also just be a product of the genre they play. (shoegaze, eg.) The drummer was reliable and had good fills and rides, but would follow the lead singer's excitement—rushing and lagging to his singing. This isn't always a bad thing, and frankly isn't noticable to any "simple show-goer" (for lack of better term), but it was something that could be observed by a careful eye. As a young band, we only expect them to get better—and it's very obvious the time and effort they have put into practicing paid off. They sounded good and tune to eachother well. 

- Longboy: Longboy had alot going on, which was exciting! But this left us with few comments about the drummer, as we don't remember being able to hear much of them, quite unfortunately. (Again, I don't think this is Longboy's fault, the mixing was just trash.) The guitarist//bassist seemed dynamic and experienced. At the very begining of the set, a synthesizer was used to create a piano part that was not well-practiced. It sounded bad and janky among the softer singing and instrumental. Every other aspect of their performance though—just aside from that synth part—was very well done. 

- Bummer, Dude!: The tightest set for certain, for obvious reasons. The music was slow, and easy to keep tempo to (not a dig, again, just a product of the R&B//Shoegaze genre) and it was incredibly obvious that the band had not only practiced immensely, but also performed live for a while. (Note: we have agreed this drummer held tempo the best out of all the bands.) All moving parts of the band—guitar, bass, vocals, and drums—operated like a well oiled machine.

- Sells: Out of all bands, Sells did have the most issues with tempo consistency. A mechanic they played on throughout the show is that they would switch instruments, (i.e, the singer would play the drums, etc.), and while the singer played very fast and vigorously, could not keep... you guessed it: tempo consistency. Later, the bassist took over on drums and had simillar issues; the drums sounded unpracticed, even with simple beats. But! When on their "home" instruments, they played well together. (I would like to mention it's really hard to sing and play drums, so kudos regardless.) (Additional note: Tempo consistency is not as important in a live setting as others, but is an important measure of technical skill.)

  You can find all these guys on instagram- 

@fuckchlorine

@Longboy_CA

@Bummerdudes

@SellsBand

Overall, an energetic, diverse, fun, show- With so much opportunity hot on it's tail.

Many thanks for those of you who took the time to read! Let's pick this up again, some other time. 

 :)

- Patch

[sithwitch13]

Ring Of Honor: Final Battle

Starting off with Jazmin Allure vs Taya Valkyrie! WOMEN.

I kind of want Taya's coat.

Me to @weareallkosh :"Yes, there are still Von Erichs left."

THEY DID THE THING

BRYAN FUCKING KEITH!!!!

Jack Cartwheel is also fun but BRYAN KEITH!!!

Garcia back in the longboys

Yay Blake Christian! I'm still so amused by the difference between his RoH and GCW personas.

Bonus Eddie match!

Shit yes, starting off with Vikingo vs Black Taurus. This match is gonna look like something from a TTRPG in terms of both outfits and improbable coolness.

I've been screaming for this entire match, what the fuck

I wandered off to do dishes during Mogul Embassy vs TMDK

Let's go Ethan!

Ethan has won the First Blood of the Evening award

I do love the drama of an I Quit match. They're basically whump fanfics.

SCORPIO SKY RETURNS TO SAVE HIS FRIEND

ETHAN SAID THE FUCK WORD

NYLA FUCK YES

Bryan Keith or Dalton Castle need to win, otherwise I'm going to steal Tony Khan's lunch money and shove him in a locker

WATCH YOUR LUNCH MONEY YOU DORK

...okay, that was actually a really awesome ending and I guess Tony Khan can keep his lunch money for the moment.

Lawlor looked great.

Hook gonna have to punch Yuta for being a jerk

MEAT

Orange Cassidy vs Bryan Keith tomorrow, I'm gonna cry

This match is probably gonna make me emotional, huh

Mark like "LOOK HE WAS MY BROTHER SO I MAKE THE RULES AND WE'RE GONNA KEEP TRYING TO MURDER EACH OTHER" bless this man

This was already good and now it's forking good

I was dry eyed and then Mark pinned Danielson and now I'm weeping

Eddie time!

ATHENA VS BILLIE TIME FUCK YEAH

I'm so torn, I want Athena to win, but also how can you not root for Billie?

I will forever love Athena for being one if the reasons I got back into wrestling, but Billie was amazing. This story is so good. Her future is going to be amazing.

[laurachina-designresearch]

Creatives wanted, more alive than dead..

• What excites you in the design and creative communities you are investigating?

Learning the current design trends that are becoming successful, and discovering how to incorporate these ideas into my own work, to become successful in the future.

The use of bright colours, custom fonts, patterns and textures that relate personally to each designer, and the fact that a deeper cultural or social meaning can be held within a colour, shape, word, font, illustration. Learning what is behind every idea, what it means and is promoting, and why.

Nowadays, design can be anything, there is no right or wrong, and designers are embracing this acceptance, creating things so different or out there that they might not make a lot of sense (because they don't have to!) The idea that your own design can cause viewers to really stop and think, or even use their imagination to decide what it might mean, really fascinates me and pushes me to challenge my own design style and think about what I am next going to create.

• Who would you want to share a meal with?

Lucas Grassmay

When investigating NZ and international designers, I have discovered a wide range of design work that appeals to me. I may have seen a piece of their work on Pinterest, saved it to a board, but not investigated it further. Now I am able to put a face to some of these pieces and discover more of their work. An example of one of the designers whose work I had seen some of before, but only just put a name to, is Lucas Grassmay. The combination of photography, colours, texture, and type that he incorporates into his work, flows together really nicely to create something bold, colourful and inviting. The balance of vintage and modern style behind his work is really interesting, as well as his use of image/photography in type. The opportunity to talk with him and learn how he creates his work and what influences his ideas, would be really beneficial and interesting to my own design process in the future.

• Who would you want to work with?

Siyana Studios

I love their unique and modern design style. Based around rap and streetwear culture, which I am passionate about - their designs emulate this to create beautiful and eye catching posters. The big and bold use of font, combination of vibrant and neutral colours, photography, collage and texture/grain inspire me, and I would love the chance to work with them to inspire and improve my own design work.

I again love the balance they have created to give both a vintage and modern feel to their work, making it different to the current trends in design.

• Who would you want to mentor you?

Studio Akin (Tana Mitchell and Emma Kanuik)

They have partnered to create a are influential and successful NZ Design business (Studio AKIN).

AKIN is a strategic design studio focused on creating engaging, seductive and effective brand solutions that grab people’s attention and hearts.

They have also created designs for many brands/ products that I recognise or have purchased from, and found to be really appealing and inspiring creatively. (eg, North & South magazine, The Lula Inn, Longboys, Dirty Water, Clean collective, All Good, Rinse, New World, Eco Store, and Oob ice cream).

[its-ness-ness]

Hi! Just wanted to pop in and say I really enjoy your fics! It hits RIGHT in the feels. I especially love that Louis is always trans, means a lot to me being transmasc (Transmasc Louis my beloved 💔) Do you have more plans to write about Louis in the future?

THANK YOU FRIEND!

Honestly I feel Louis was always hardest to right BUT after the recent ~Rockstar AU Longboi~ I was super duper pleased with how he turned out, so....it's definitely a possibility! Thanks for the love and kindness, yo ❤

[cillyscribbles]

five fave fics

thank u for ur tags @meantforinfinitesadness and @ewanmcgregorismyhomeboy12 this is very sweet -W- here r five fics i'm probably most proud of in no particular order!

• |out of the darkness and into the light|

ya so this fic made me confront my own mortality at the age of 15 lmao. the note says ‘merry sadmas’ and it really is man. a fic about growing old and the changes that come over us and crowley’s death and a short bit in grief and halt dealing with it as he watches his apprentice take his friend’s place. really one of my faves this one  haha.

• |holo-hunting is a complicated profession|

ahhh LongBoi supreme and largely ocs, but i spent most of the quarantine writing here and both the process and the fic (which explores a happier ending to the clone wars from the perspective of four kids!) have a lot of nice memories for me. lmao also i love writing kids so

• |nothing quite like this|

ya this is pretty depressing. again ocs, big exploration of the tragedy of jedi and clones (mostly jedi in this fic) and big personal feelings on diaspora and disconnect with your people in the face of genocide. format i had a lot of fun with!

• |in repetition splintered, again, again, again|

possibly the weirdest codywan i’ve ever written, also possibly one of my favourites! i live for ‘died (?) and came back Fuckin’ Weird Dude’ trope and not gonna lie i think obi-wan deserves to be a terrifying little creature occasionally. also big sad for the clones and chips and family and such, but the ending is sort of hopeful so no sads too large here!

• |flames scathe only the unpurposeful|

haha dude if i’m proud of nothing else in life i’ll be proud of this fic. there are lot of things i’d change now if i were to rewrite it but! it’s still almost 100k (my longest fic!), i still haven’t read trr (and don’t plan to lol sorry) and it is STILL A BANGER. essentially it’s a “where are the BONES, flanagan? when people die in fires there are usually BONES” fic that revives both alyss and crowley and people overall have a horrid and then lovely time.

that’s all! no pressure tags to bewuved @inkformyblood @wanderingjedihistorian @redminibike1 @snowywinterevenings and @yellowisharo <3

[vldkeith]

Oh dear would you look at the time? It is Lance worshipping hours now! Please explain why he is perfect (ps I'm the furry anon I hope I'm not hurting your feelings)

okok. here are things i love about lance

his dumb sayings. they are cringe and awful and i get embarrassed every time i hear them but when he says “this castle is apples and bananas” i feel 😍❤️💘

his dumb face mask + hair towel from that one episode??? that shit was adorable. i bet his skin is so soft. i love him for it. kill that toxic masculinity king 

hes always trying to lighten the mood and saying things that’ll make people smile, even if they’re jokes at his expense and he knows it. he just cares a lot about other people & it’s something so good and kind that my heart beats so hard when he does it 🥺

when he gets serious, his voice goes lower and im like OKAY....❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ i will pick you up at 10 

he sticks his legs out and they are so long. i like that he can do the upside down running thing:

HES JUST. so cute. longboy

hes okay with touching people & hugging people and because he has such a warm, sunny presence about him i trust him with those characteristics. i think being hugged by lance mcclain would be simply....effervescent 

i like that he BLUSHES SO EASILY. whenever anyone flirts back with him or shows interest in him he immediately starts blushing and it’s so cute he’s so cute god. he’s adorable. 

hes a drama king and i love that for him. he’ll groan loudly at smth or fall to the ground and make these big hand gestures and it’s just so like...appealing? charming? idkidk but it’s cute to watch and i love it

he makes this face:

and i go insane. i dont know

his competitiveness is kind of endearing idk. maybe this is just my keith kin talking. but when lance says stuff like “gettin’ scaaaared?” and “i did something cool and you cant handle it” im like alright hotshot let’s go....on a date i love you so much 

i like that he calls people “my man” and “buddy”. it’s straight boy behavior but on him it’s cute 

he loves attention but he will not take it from somebody who needs/deserves it more than him. and when he does something commendable he is the first to be like “oh no, that was all of us, not just me!” even if it was just him. he’s show offy but not to the detriment of others and i rly appreciate that

he cared so much about blue and it was so cute. im so glad that they are still happily bffls and lance pilots her from time to time <3 

he genuinely has everybody’s best interest at heart but not in the annoying keith way where nothing else matters, but in a real human way where he still allows himself & others to feel things before getting back to business. like when he is homesick. he feels that so much but never once did he want to leave, even when it wouldve been so valid to. he’s complicated! i dont know! 

i like that he consistently calls keith out on his bullshit....we need more of that always </3 

HES JUST!!!!! such a good character. so interesting, so utterly easy to love. and i do! i love him so....so much. here is a sleepy lance w messy hair:

[regrettablewritings]

🎵 Erik destler 💖💖(how unpredictable I know)

*takes drag of Coconut Longboy I’m using like a cigarette*

You sick fiend, you literally gave me the hardest bastard of the bunch…Watch me butcher this bad boy 😎

Ha! Betcha weren’t expecting a show tune right off the bay, were ya?! But in all seriousness, I can see Erik listening to a song like this and trying not to cry. For context, it’s between John Adams and his wife, Abigail, discussing how they miss one another dearly in their times of respective stresses. But soon, they’ll be reunited.

Till then . . . I am, as I ever was and ever will be yours, yours, yours.

(Plus, if you listen to the film version, it extends on the moment with Abigail pointing out John’s criticisms of her, whereas he points out that he actually quite adores these traits of hers, which is something I can see Erik doing: He’s a perfectionist, after all)

It just suits him: A song reflecting death, the macabre arising from the cold earth to feel the burn of energy as they dance amongst the living… It just works.

Erik is…picky. He’s so picky when it comes to the arts, hardly anyone is good enough for him. That being said, the love for “The Rite of Spring” was not instantaneous, nor was it necessarily genuine: The show’s lack of traditional traits led way to a riot, after all. The jarring composition of the notes seemed more like a hostage situation, and the intentional barbaric choreography was uncanny when compared to the more airborne leaps and toe-pointed pirouettes Paris was used to presenting.

But in a way, he also came to enjoy it as a hipster enjoys things: By seeing himself as smarter than the common man, seeing the show’s groundbreaking potential before the curve. Stravinsky was really going out on a limb with this piece, and even if Erik couldn’t totally digest it, he recognized the effort. It wasn’t until he got older when he truly began to actually grasp that this wasn’t just some show attempting to knock some fun at the French stereotyping of Russians as barbarians: It was a story discussing ritual, life, death, and man’s relationship with nature as being one of chaos — even if said chaos was sometimes even provided by man himself.

More of a guilty pleasure song, really. I can’t see Erik enjoying Steven Universe, much less most of the music. Being the sort of music snob that he is, he’d find most of the songs uninspired and failing to achieve their true potential. That is . . . save for one.

I always thought I might be bad, now I’m sure that it’s true

‘Cause I think you’re so good and I’m nothing like you!

It hits him where he lives, and it frustrates him that he ever let such a song get him so hard.

It’s a simple piece, but he likes the eerie yet attractive music box-like sound that pierces through an ebbing wave of strings.

As a friend told me, Erik is into weird shit. It’s exampled by the fact that “Don Juan Triumphant” sounds like a bunch of instruments in competition with one another. But he particularly would likely enjoy piano rock of some kind, and would likely find Will Wood’s . . . interesting work appealing in some way.

That’s all I got, like I said, Erik is hard to pin 🥲 But thank you for participating and for your patience, darlin!