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jardin-des-anges · 3 years

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Muses + Short Mun Bio

My name is Lana, and I’m the mun of this blog. I’m a high school student who primarily writes horror and mystery stories, with emphasis on lying, manipulation, and physical and psychological torment, but I enjoy simpler, more slice-of-life stories, so long as there’s a good plot. My pronouns are she / they.

Muses are right below the cut!!

Adrian Michaels - A dancer performing alongside her sister all across America. She’s rather shy, but with her performances, she’s found herself becoming a bit more outgoing. She normally wears darker colors. Her resolve is stronger than it seems, and she’s normally the voice of reason in dire situations. 24 years old || Female || She / they || 5′ 7″ || African-American || Bisexual

Bella Michaels - A singer performing alongside her sister all across America. She’s outgoing and loves people, and wants to gain friends and fans all over the country. She wears brighter colors. She’s often rash and impulsive, but keeps herself from lashing out at others. Her entire life, she’s enjoyed sewing, and makes both her and her sister’s costumes. 24 years old || Female || She / her || 5′ 8″ || African-American || Heterosexual

Caden Contiman - A former college student who dropped out due to a variety of factors, mainly emotional stress. He lives with his parents and isn’t allowed to leave the house, but he sneaks out at night and stays out until dawn before heading home to sleep all day. He studied psychology in college, which has led to an almost intimate knowledge of the human mind and an ability to read almost any emotion and action. He’s somewhat cruel, and tends to play mean-spirited pranks on everyone who catches his eye. He doesn’t allow anyone to know anything personal about him, but always pries into others’ lives and minds. 19 years old || Male || He / him || 5′ 10″ || Welsh || Homosexual

Casey Allman - A strange writer who works himself near death. He’s believed to be the only living member of his family, and spent quite a bit of time in the limelight during the collapse of the Allman family, which was spread out over three years. He’s antisocial, and freezes up if confronted by another person. The only thing that seems to bring him any joy anymore is his writing. When describing things, he goes into way more detail than is necessary. He has several bizarre quirks that tend to freak out the people around him. 22 years old || Male || He / they || 5′ 11″ || Korean-American || Homosexual

Charlie Patten - An assassin who travels the world, learning about every place he goes on every mission. While on missions, he poses as a tourist, and when the job’s done, he doesn’t bother to stick around for much longer. He’s rather confident, bordering on cocky, and can rarely be swayed to do something if money isn’t involved. When he’s not on the job, he’s a pretty sweet and approachable guy, if always on-guard and somewhat suspicious of everyone. 24 years old || Male || He / him || 6′ 1″ || Canadian || Bisexual

Christopher Simon - A waiter living in a large city, having to work multiple jobs to support himself and his younger brother. He’s quite cynical, which is different from his more optimistic, sweet little brother. He only does things for money, even if it’s unethical or dangerous. His constant struggle to survive has spawned a distaste for frivolous things or luxuries, seeing them as a waste of money. Despite being so cynical (and, for the most part, tired), he completely changes when around his brother, washing away to show a happier, much less tense. He despises his appearance and avoids mirrors and other reflective surfaces. 25 years old || Male || He / him || 5′ 9″ || British || Homosexual

“Cian” - A mysterious chemist living on the edge of a small town in Ireland, calling himself an alchemist. He has a love of plants, wild animals, and nature in general, a love only heightened by the dense forest behind his home. He’s very quiet and somewhat secretive, but passionate about his work and loves to talk about it. He can be quite blunt or uncooperative at times, but he does enjoy company, especially when the discussion turns to chemicals. 25 years old || Male || He / him || 6′ 6″ || Irish || Homosexual

Ciara McCormack - A ruthless queen whose family has ruled a small part of southern Ireland for generations. Having been raised with a cutthroat mentality and trained to eliminate all competition, Ciara has grown up to have that exact approach to everything in her life, making her a fearsome opponent to say the least. She’s quick to cut out anything she doesn’t need, which includes banishing or even executing anyone who even shows any chance of being a danger to her reign. 27 years old || Female || She / her || 5′ 9″ || Irish || Heterosexual

Corianna Sutton - An assistant investigator to her older cousin Evian, despite not fully believing in ghosts. She has a bit of an obsession with fire, which is shown in the burn scars and bandages covering the right side of her body. She’s cynical but still friendly and approachable, although her demeanor can come off as bizarre. She drinks often, and keeps a flask painted with the lesbian flag hooked on her belt. 28 years old || Female || She / her || 5′ 6″ || German || Homosexual

Daniel Hirsch - A teenage street urchin and graffiti artist who is almost never seen without his sister. He’s annoying and troublemaking, but not without a kind heart. He doesn’t find it easy to make friends, but considers that unimportant, knowing that he’ll always have his twin by his side. He’s more verbally restrained than his sister, but just as irritating as she is. 14 years old || Male || He / him || 5′ 4″ || German || Bisexual

Evian Sutton - A paranormal investigator who explores all sorts of “haunted” places, recording them for her YouTube channel. She doesn’t always carry around all of her equipment, but she makes sure to keep a recorder on her at all times. She’s unapproachable and abrasive, and isn’t very friendly towards anyone other than her younger cousin Corianna. Normally, when she’s approached by someone else, she’ll simply brush them off with a few crass words. She’s normally very uninterested when it comes to most things, but the paranormal piques her interest and gets her truly passionate. 29 years old || Female || She / her || 5′ 9″ || German || Asexual

Grace Hirsch - A teenage street urchin and graffiti artist who is almost never seen without her brother. She’s a loudmouth with little control over what she says, and she often instigates fights, even without meaning to. She has a teddy bear she carries with her everywhere, with rips and patches all over it, that she considers the closest thing to her aside from her brother. Every possession she owns is stored inside of a large backpack she carries slung over one shoulder. 14 years old || Female || She / her || 5′ 4″ || German || Heterosexual

Kai “Shōakuma” Misaki - A high school student often accompanied outside of school by his loyal falcon Chieko. He’s social and charismatic, with an ability to capture almost anyone’s attention with his wild stories. He’s absolutely fascinated by history, especially religion, as well as the supernatural. Despite his eccentricities, he’s a good person, with a strong moral compass and a warm, kind heart. 17 years old || Male || He / him || 5′ 2″ || Japanese || Bisexual

Kunimasa Sakurai - A young man living with his family while attending the local college. He’s stuck to a strict fitness regimen for years, and has a passion for physical health, believing it links back to everything in one’s life. He holds family and friendship close to his heart, and would die to protect the people he loves. 20 years old || Male || He / they || 5′ 6″ || African-Japanese || Asexual

Landon Garrison - A bounty hunter residing on the deep web, hidden behind the pseudonym “Black Mask”. For a price, he can find anyone’s personal information and give it to his client. He doesn’t socialize much, preferring to hide indoors on his computer. When he is accompanied by someone else, he’s notably tense, and refuses to do anything that can make him seem vulnerable. 24 years old || Male || He / him || 5′ 11″ || British || Bisexual

Logan Garrison - A talented painter who has somehow lacked emotions since birth. He’s managed to learn how to adapt to any situation and show whatever emotions he needs to, comparing it to painting, and despite his inability to feel empathy, he’s able to sympathize with others, and knows right from wrong. He’s extremely protective of his brother, Landon, and fears for his safety, knowing the dark web can be dangerous. Most of his life is taken up by his art. 24 years old || Male || He / him || 6′ 1″ || British || Asexual

Lyrica Jansen - A wealthy heiress with a high net worth. Her older sister vanished mysteriously, causing her to become the sole heir to the family fortune. She looks dangerous and unkind, but despite her icy exterior, she’s kind and welcoming to others, but not without many threats towards those who disobey her. Her clothing and jewelry are elaborate and she’s quite tall, making her somewhat intimidating to be around. 19 years old || Female || She / her || 6′ 3″ || Dutch || Homosexual

Maysilee Patten - A former soldier on the search for the people who destroyed her home. She’s a sweet person, but her fuse is unbelievably short, and she’s easily sent into a rage. She’s skilled with nearly every kind of weapon, her preferred weapon being knives. Her loyalty is unmatched, but so is her ability to hold a grudge. 22 years old || Female || She / her || 5′ 10″ || Irish || Pansexual

Minka Himura - A sarcastic high school student working part-time at her family’s butcher shop, deli, and restaurant. She loves to play pranks on her family and classmates, some of which have dangerous consequences. Although she’s quite mean-spirited, she has a soft spot for her siblings, and is a hard worker. 16 years old || Female || She / they || 5′ 3″ || Polish-Japanese || Questioning

Myla Crimm - A doll-like teenager with a knack for collecting random items. They don’t speak much, and prefer to blend into the background. She resides in her childhood home, which is now decrepit after the death of her mother. Because they live alone, they have quite a bit of experience and can take care of themself just fine. He’s levelheaded, but curious, and is aware of how off-putting he can sometimes appear to others. 18 years old || Genderfluid || She / he / they || 5′ 4″ || American || Bisexual

Onacona Pierce - A high school student and the head of his school’s music club. He’s a jack-of-all-trades when it comes to instruments, playing most, if not all, with skill, but he prefers the guitar. He’s easygoing and fun to be around, with an unexpected love of horror movies and literature. They have an online presence where they perform music. Currently, he mostly performs covers, but he’s been starting to write more and more original work. 17 years old || Male || He / they || 5′ 11″ || Native American || Heterosexual

Reiko Wakabayashi - A hardworking surgeon traveling overseas to perform surgeries for the less fortunate. She was a child prodigy, and as such, had a lot of pressure put on her to succeed; pressure that has resulted in a constant need to do well and please everyone else. Although she’s quite quiet, she’s fine with large groups, and loves to have her ear talked off by someone who’s passionate about someone. She cares deeply for children, women, and weak or ill people. 27 years old || Female || She / her || 5′ 6″ || Japanese || Asexual

“Rusty” - A runaway fleeing the law and their past. He’s plagued by several problems with his health, including blindness, an extremely low weight, and a whole host of diseases. Because of these problems, he tries to remain in one place for as long as he can to restore his stamina, but he refuses to stay somewhere for longer than two weeks. He resembles a skeleton. They’re constantly paranoid, avoiding human contact as much as possible and relying only on their own intuition and four working senses to help them. 25 years old || Demiboy || He / they || 5′ 9″ || Korean-American || Pansexual

Sam Fields - A mechanic working at their family-owned autobody shop. They spend most of their time holed away in the garage, hard at work, smeared with oil and gasoline. Most of their skeleton is metal and most of their skin is covered in burn scars due to a past accident. They’re social and warm, and very physically affectionate. They can be reckless, even if they’re warned about dangers. 25 years old || Non-binary || They / them || 5′ 7″ || American || Bisexual

Shira Hadley - A pickpocket who’s normally only found darting through crowds, stealing trinkets and jewelry, and before someone can realize something’s gone, she’s already vanished. She had her vocal cords cut as a teenager, resulting in her being completely unable to communicate outside of noises, half-uttered syllables, and gestures. Due to her constant fear of getting caught, she tends to stick to shadows, and is extremely paranoid when encountered by anyone. 21 years old || Female || She / her || 5′ 7″ || Dutch || Grey-Asexual

Volya Orlov - A DJ who’s famous at several different clubs. He’s rebellious and tough, but mostly friendly towards people on his side. A bizarre incident has altered his body to the point where he emits sparks when he gets emotional, which is why many of his friends call him “Sparkplug” or “Sparky”. He’s often spotted alone, but doesn’t mind company. 21 years old || Male || He / him || 5′ 9″ || Russian || Heterosexual

William Simon - A child living with his older brother, who’s struggling to make ends meet. He recognizes the sacrifices his brother makes for him and wants to help, but is stopped and always told not to grow up too quickly. He often stays at his brother’s main workplace, a small cafe and diner, where he sits in the breakroom, coloring and talking with the other workers when they come in for their own breaks. He’s friendly, but cautious, having been taught to always be careful around others. 12 years old || Male || He / him || 5′ 2″ || British || Asexual

Zenjiro Himura - A peculiar man whose family has owned and operated a combination butcher shop, deli, and restaurant in the heart of Kotohira, Kagawa for generations. He’s the eldest of sixteen siblings, all living and working with their mother. He’s approachable and friendly, but has a knack for getting excited over extremely macabre and disturbing things. As the oldest brother, he has an instinct to protect and care for anyone younger or weaker than he is. 26 years old || Male || He / him || 5′ 9″ || Japanese || Pansexual

#muses #oc's #rp muses #oh god there are so many #a lot of them are bisexual #but in my defense i am also bisexual

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krismusings · 4 years

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𝐇𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐚.

TW: light mentions of child abuse - no details.

Mentions: @jayceelynd, @davieslandon, @aaronhart93, @malakhai-ozera, @galilxa, @ellicfm, @amchopraofficial, @rosalie-mae-d, @noahxgriffin, @nicolaeisms, @warmvlbes

The hospital room was cold when Ro finally let his eyes flutter open. Jay had gone home to rest a bit, leaving Ro alone with his thoughts, and the consequences of every single action that had lead up to this point. It wasn’t like he was sick, or had an accident. Roman was laying here because he did this to himself, and that was probably the hardest part. What had he been thinking??

Landon. Landon...a name that was always on his mind at some point throughout the day. They had been friends since they were five, right when Roman was adopted, and needed someone the most. Landon had been his first everything - friend, kiss, boyfriend, sex, roommate. In a way, the other male would always be his other half, because there was simply no one who could match the connection, the bond they had managed to form.

He could remember the day he decided to pack up, and leave home for Tokyo. Ro had taken care of Landon after his accident, which was...hard, and for more reasons than he cared to count. Still, he’d done his best to nurse him back to health, knowing that in Landon’s mind after waking up, Harry, his husband, was a stranger, and Ro had still been his boyfriend. He couldn’t lie, he had...seen it as an opportunity on a certain level. Would he have preferred Landon have been okay, and never suffered that wreck? Yes, of course, but having those blue eyes look at him again in that light again...it was hard not to sink back into what they had before. But, he’d known this couldn’t last forever. Eventually, Landon remembered his life, and the current role Roman was playing in it. He could’t go through all the stages of Landon going back to Harry, and moving on again. It was hard enough the first time - that had to stay in the past.

That was the day that Roman changed, for what he thought was the better, and maybe in a way, it was - but every decision he’d made after that had landed him in this bed - loved by many, and yet somehow he still managed to feel so...alone. Landon, Aaron, Jaycee, Khai...they all had a special place in his heart, but at what cost?

He knew how this looked, he knew what people said about him. His heart had been closed off for so many years while he tried to find himself, burying the flashbacks of his birth mother, and all the shit she’d exposed him to - things no child should ever, ever have to see or do, especially not facilitated by a parent. A caregiver. Who can you trust as a young child, if not your mother? And now that she was trying to reach out to him again, begging him to return her calls, texts, emails...he’d blocked her on everything except gmail, scared that it would be so final. There was a part of him that did want to talk to her, to see what she had to say after all this time. But he couldn’t bring himself to do that either.

He was stuck...lost, confused, and overwhelmed by all of the emotions he was finally opening himself up to after all this time. Ro couldn’t even remember wanting that, or allowing that to happen - it just did, like turning on your phone, and being flooded with messages. He cared about so many people, and it was a blessing, but also a curse. Having so many time love, meant having so much to lose - so many hearts to break, hearts of people who were genuinely the most amazing souls he’d ever come across in all of his travels. And yet, they were all so intricately different.

Jaycee was...how could he even begin to describe her? She was not only a stunning beauty on the outside, but had love, and compassion for so many. She was also deeply damaged from her mother, a hateful woman who could never be happy with anything she had, including the world’s most perfect daughter. Who did he know who had a heart like her? She had a passion for life that he had clung to so intensely, his eyes first falling on her from the outside of her studio. The way that she danced instantly hooked him, and pulled him in. He had wanted to know her instantly, and never looked back. She was the world’s most perfect woman, and certainly didn’t deserve to have to share anyone’s attention.

Khai...what could Ro even say about Khai? He had eyes like honey, and a jawline that could literally tear him apart in the best way. He was a tortured, fucked up soul, just like Roman had been. They could relate to eachother on so many ways, and share things that neither one of them really talked about to anyone else. He was the first person who had made Ro feel comfortable enough opening up, and talking about his past. Long nights had been spent just talking, whether it had been text, talking on the phone, or just laying in bed rambling about anything, and everything. They were honest with eachother, always, until they weren’t...and not knowing fully where they stood now was difficult.

Then there was Aaron. Ro hadn’t seen him coming, at all. He’d simply been trying to have his morning coffee at The Grind when a man with his daughter dropped coffee all over his favorite pair of lounge shoes, and instantly fell into an apologetic mess of promises for new shoes, which instead turned into drinks. He still never got those shoes, by the way. Aaron was so different from anyone he’d been associating with in Kingsboro. He was a businessman, rich, and probably the most dedicated, hard working person Ro had ever met. He knew how to make money, and he did it well, but underneath all that, there was a father who loved his daughter, and was still trying to just find himself, and what he liked. It was an honor to be a part of that, even though it caused so much pain in the end for them both.

Roman had always gone with the flow, stumbling through life, and trying to make the most of it. For the longest time, he’d though that making it to Broadway, writing, and directing his own shows would make him feel complete, like he’d finally made it. He’d never realized until now that there was so much more he’d been searching for. Jaycee, Khai, Landon, Aaron, Lea, Avery, Ellie, Rosie, Emily, Noah, Nicola -- Ro had more friends, and love than he could have ever hoped to have, or even deserved. Thinking about all of his friends brought tears to his eyes, eventually smirking because...despite everything that had happened, to have so many people that loved him, and that he loved right back, - he could have never, ever imagined that he would be so lucky.

There were rocks thrown into cogs of his wheels right now, but this was the time, and place in which he needed to decide either to linger on what he’d done wrong, or accept it, and move forward. He couldn’t change anything he’d done up to this point, but maybe he could change himself for the better in the future, and hope to heal what he had damaged.

#self para

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salvatoreschool · 4 years

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‘Legacies’ Succeeds by Letting Its Characters Make Smart Choices

It’s reductive to say that most TV shows don’t let their characters play to the height of their intelligence, but it’s true. Even with ostensibly smart characters, often drama is mined out ignoring clues, not making logical leaps the non-expert audience is easily making at home, or just being dumb dumbos who are dumb. The CW’s Legacies, however, is the opposite — and succeeds because everyone in the cast makes the smartest choices possible given their circumstances, often in direct opposition to what they want emotionally.

Spoilers for Legacies Season 2, Episode 6 “That’s Nothing I Had To Remember” past this point.

Take, for example, the insanely hard choice Josie Saltzman (Kaylee Bryant) needed to make in this week’s episode, “That’s Nothing I Had To Remember.” Last season, her fellow classmate and witch/wolf Hope Mikaelson (Danielle Rose Russell) tried to stop a villain named Malivore, and in the process erased herself from everyone’s memory. Only, it didn’t work — and by the time Hope returned, Josie had already struck up a relationship with Hope’s former boyfriend Landon Kirby (Aria Shahghasemi).

Though I’ve had my issues with the relationship — despite game efforts by the charming actors, it’s never felt like anything more than a plot contrivance — once Josie discovered that Landon wrote a love song for Hope before their memories were wiped, lesser shows would have dragged the secret out. They would have made Josie petty and mean, or obstinately not figure out what this “new” information meant. Instead, when we pick up she’s visiting Hope’s aunt Freya (Riley Voelkel) in New Orleans, in order to get a spell that can bring everyone’s memories back; even if she’s not sure she wants to use it yet.

This is the show letting Josie be driven by her intelligence and moral compass, instead of her emotion, and as an end result you get even more dramatically fruitful complications. Josie does return everyone’s memories of Hope, which immediately makes Landon furious at Hope and confused towards Josie, Josie heartbroken, and Landon’s friend Raf (Peyton Alex Smith) confess his own feelings for Hope as well as tell her he never wants to talk to her again.

There are other results of the memory-returning spell, but other than seeing all your faves crying, everything about this is great because it leaves Legacies in an emotionally fragile, dramatically strong place going forward. Knowing Josie and Landon were together to complicate things for Hope was fine; but seeing Josie sobbing on a pier asking Landon what’s next actually sells the connection the couple has better than anything that’s come before. Now, with all of their memories returned, they can make a real decision about whether they’re meant to be together, or not. For Josie, that path is unclear — she definitely thinks they’re going to break up. But for Landon, he’s furious at Hope for not immediately coming to see him, and still has feelings for Josie at the same time. Also, he’s a good guy and a big nerd with emotional intelligence who assuredly doesn’t want to break the already fragile Josie’s heart.

Does it hurt to watch? Hell yeah, it hurts, but that’s what smart writing and intelligent character choices lead to. If they were all settled and happy, the show would be boring. And that also plays into Josie’s dad Alaric’s (Matt Davis) storyline, where he confesses his feelings for the new chief of police, only to wipe her memory of the event immediately afterwards. He too wants love, and wants to be happy… But it’s better for the town if a cop who is going to try to shut down the Salvatore School for supernatural students doesn’t know anything about said school, or students. It’s debatable how good a dad Alaric is, really — he often chooses Hope’s interests over his daughters’ — but he is a smart character who knows what is best for the world at large. And again, what’s more interesting to watch: a happy Alaric canoodling with the chief of police? Or sad Alaric drinking at a bar and growing a beard, getting in some increasingly difficult situations? The latter, I think.

This intelligence also applies to small choices, like this week where Hope just grabs an amulet meant to destroy a monster, and rather than waiting for an explanation just goes for it. Or a few weeks back when Lizzie Saltzman (Jenny Boyd) did the same, noticing Landon was acting weird and immediately figuring out he was possessed and acted on it, rather than dragging out “boy he’s acting weird” over multiple commercial breaks.

Behind the scenes, the delicate balancing act the Legacies writing staff pulls off is that these choices hardly ever feel written; which is to say that other than the aforementioned Josie/Landon romance, the gears are hidden. It feels like Hope, Josie, Alaric, Lizzie and all the rest are making these choices, rather than acting as pawns moved around a chess board to propel the plot forward. If anything, the plot is churning all around them, and the main characters are easily catching up, pushing personal feelings to the side for the greater good.

And all the while, potential future plot-lines and complications are being seeded in, from the potential return of Josie’s ex-girlfriend Penelope Park, to Hope revealing rather casually that she had a crush on Josie when she was 14 (love octagon, anyone?), to the oncoming threat of Josie and Lizzie’s evil uncle Kai Parker (Chris Wood). Whatever comes next, the students at the Salvatore School will face these decisions and challenges the way they always do: with their smarts on their sleeves.

Legacies airs Thursdays at 9/8c on The CW.

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onestowatch · 4 years

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Boy Willows Drops Dreamy Music Video for "Fila" [Q&A]

Boy Willows, aka Landon Fleischman, makes music that offers a deep amalgamation of incandescent alt-pop, jubilant jazz, and psychedelic-tinged folk. Impeccably paired with sensory lyricism and passionate vocals, he delivers a hypnotic and singular resonance.

The LA-via-Maryland artist recently shared his new single "Fila" with Dylan Minnette of Wallows. On "Fila," Boy Willows stretches out to embrace relatable themes of vulnerability and healing both inwardly and outwardly without feeling overbearingly serious. "Fila" serves as a therapy session between two friends as they cope with being alone in different ways. Nestled in a warm and gentle soundscape, the sonic components are woven with nostalgia, charm, and a bit of whimsy. We caught up with Willows for a quick Q&A about the track and the equally nostalgic and whimsical music video directed by Boy Willows, shot by Seannie Bryan (Madeline Kenney, Skullcrusher) and edited by Jordan Pories.

Ones to Watch: This song, although short and sweet, seems to have a lot of complexity to it. It sounds like throughout the single, the main characters are grappling with feelings of loneliness and figuring out how to cope. What is this song about to you, and how did this song come to be?

Boy Willows: I think both verses deal with the thoughts that bubble up when you feel useless, small, or alone, but what I love about the song is there's a twinge of hope. My goal with Fila was to spur myself into believing that I could create my own reality of acceptance and momentum. I had been feeling isolated a while before the pandemic hit - on the perimeter looking in on other people's social circles or relationships or success. My hope was that by acknowledging these truths in a song, I could start to take up my own space, make my own club of acceptance per se.

What was the creative process like for the single? What made you want to go for this very ethereal sound, and were you inspired by anything in particular?

I worked on this super grand, minute-long glitchy harmony thing and pitched it down an octave (oooo). It was so soothing and slow and big, I started producing around it, and I felt like I was in a dream where I could say anything I wanted, no matter how heavy or light.

What are your thoughts on girls that wear Fila?

Haha, in short, they're cool. This song is truly a peek into all the thoughts that were swirling around my brain, making me feel alone - and one of those thoughts was about aging. I wish this wasn't the truth, but I was feeling fear about getting older. I wrote that line about Filas and didn't think much of it or even really understand why I wrote it until a couple nights ago. It's definitely a light-hearted observation about youth culture, but I think I wanted to poke fun at it cuz I felt like I wasn't a part of it for the first time - and that frightened me. It's insane that even that line was born out of the fear of being left out, but I'm pretty sure that's the true true.

I loved not only the sonic atmosphere you created, but also the story of you told through the lyrics. Do you have a favorite verse from this track or one that speaks to you? What is your approach when it comes to songwriting?

I just love how much the endings of each verse stick out - "I just feel like I don't deserve this life." It's a line you could interpret so many different ways, and each way would be true. When I'm working on a song, it starts with the music. I picture where it takes me, how fast I'm moving, if I feel cool or angry or defeated, and if I'm lucky, a phrase will fall out of my mouth that feels true, even if it doesn't make sense at first.

I think the music video does a great job of visualizing the lightheartedness of "Fila." What was the creative process like, and what was it like working with your team on the video?

There's this fucking incredible animated video called Satiemania from 1978 made by this Croatian animator, Zdenko Gašparović. In it, there's a delectable section where it's just different shoes walking in an impossibly groovy way. I wanted that tone of animation mixed with the camaraderie and fuckit-energy of The Pharcyde's "Drop" music video. I brought those ideas to my genius creative friend/ shaman, Jordan Pories, and we got to work, exploring the world of the song, trying to amplify and showcase everything in a dreamy, slow way. Seannie Bryan is a recent friend of mine and a killer DP. She captured the dreamy light perfectly. We rolled up to the spot at 6am. It was 90 degrees, and we knocked it out in an hour and a half, only stopping once because I was going to throw up from spinning.

Dylan Minette's voice perfectly compliments the laid back yet introspective vibe of the song, and it looked like y'all had a lot of fun doing the music video. What was working with him like, and how did he get involved with this single?

He and I go way back. We used to be in rival boy scout gangs. No, I do lighting for Wallows, and we met through that. One day on the tour bus, I was showing him some new tunes, one of which was "Fila." It was 35 seconds, and he said it needed to be longer, so I said, "hop on in." He added his verse, and we were OFF TO THE RACES. He's got a really strong creative compass and just knows what he likes. We finished the song in a couple days - fucking painless, dare I say, very enjoyable bordering on a lot of fun.

Tell me about Desert Mike. I feel like although rattlesnakes do deserve some love and I agree that the war between them and human beings is senseless, I'm not exactly in a rush to give them a pat on the head...Ok, but for real, tell me about this clip at the end. Is it an easter egg for a future single? In your last single, "i love it when you talk," you intercut the clips of you with film footage from the 80s and 90s. Is Desert Mike a Boy Willows creation or a relic from the past?

SHEESH, am I paying you?? because if not, then I SHOULD. The Boy Willows canon is a long, meandering labyrinth of characters that doesn't conform to traditional standards of "time" or "being funny" or "good. Desert Mike exists in all Boy Willows worlds, though, this much I can say. In the ILIWYT video, Desert Mike easily could have made a feature, and now I want to know who you've been talking to...your ability to connect the dots is...suspicious.

Has the pandemic effected you or inspired you as an artist? If so, how?

Really hot take comin at ya, I think the pandemic is not good. Bad even! I lost my job, so financially, I've been very inspired to survive haha. This isn't the sexiest answer, but the truth for me is, I put everything into my music but am also looking for a job - sometimes balancing those two things is really fucking hard. Instead of feeling inspired to write about my difficulties, I just want to solve them. So I'm really looking forward to landing a part-time gig as a call representative for Spirit Airlines, so I can get back to making my music.

Once the world comes to a state of a new normal, what's the first thing you want to do?

I'd love to travel somewhere new with my friends. A friend of mine is living in New Zealand working on an alpaca farm. You bet your ass I'm flying there at the first chance.

Alternate fun idea: Get a table at a restaurant, deep in the back, as far inside as possible. Order one appetizer every 30 minutes and stay there for a minimum of nine hours, just being so loungey and just snacking hard, mozzarella sticks flying every which way, napping in marinara sauce.

When shows and concerts are back, who do you want to see, and who do you want to tour or play with?

When touring comes back, I would LOVE to tour with Jadu Heart, Far Caspian, Sure Sure, to name a few. I just want to crowd surf for a month straight honestly. Give a ton of sweaty hugs. I want to see Toro y Moi, Thumpasaurus, Squirrel Flower.

Who have you been listening to throughout the pandemic? Are there any Ones To Watch?

A lot of Tribe Called Quest for long drives. I'll put "Check The Rhime" on repeat. I just discovered this dude named Shuttle his song "Boy" is fucking groooovy. I'm an OG KT Tunstall stan too - I've been bumping her 2013 album "Invisible Empire" like a mad man. Kevin Morby for the campy vibes, Rufus for the stank, Lomelda for the love, Van Morrison because if I get married, my first dance will be to "Crazy Love," and I like to daydream about that when I drive. Last but most important, The Prince of Egypt soundtrack.

Oh also, I've been listening to a lot of Anna Burch, Far Caspian, Bea1991, a compilation of geese wearing hats, Mei, Shuttle and this new artist you HAVE to listen to - he's a little out there but give him a try, Drake.

youtube

#Boy Willows #Fila #Dylan Minette

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impishelf · 5 years

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OTP in Five Songs

Tagged by @zeesqueere and honestly I almost forgot

Answering for Valadis and @lukacola‘s Serin

Probably not the best songs for them, not all of the songs anyway, but I tried

—

1. “Bloom” by The Paper Kites

In the morning when I wake And the sun is coming through, Oh, you fill my lungs with sweetness, And you fill my head with you

Shall I write it in a letter? Shall I try to get it down? Oh, you fill my head with pieces Of a song I can’t get out

2. “If My Heart Was a House” by Owl City

Circle me and the needle moves gracefully Back and forth, if my heart was a compass you’d be North Risk it all cause I’ll catch you if you fall Wherever you go, if my heart was a house you’d be home

3. “Falling in Love At A Coffee Shop” by Landon Pigg

I never knew just what it was about this old coffee shop I love so much All of the while I never knew

I think that possibly, maybe I’m falling for you Yes there’s a chance that I’ve fallen quite hard over you I’ve seen the waters that make your eyes shine Now I’m shining too

4. “Best Friend” by Weezer

There is no other one who can take your place I feel happy inside when I see your face I hope you believe me ‘Cause I speak sincerely and I mean it when I tell you that I need you

You’re my best friend and I love you, and I love you Yes I do

5. “If It Kills Me” by Jason Mraz

How long, can I go on like this, Wishing to kiss you, Before I rightly explode? This double life I lead isn't healthy for me In fact it makes me nervous If I get caught I could be risking it all Cause maybe there's a lot that I miss In case I'm wrong

—

Tagging anyone who wants to do it

#tagged #valadis lavellan #my oc #serin #not my oc #zeesqueere #lukacola #song meme #otp

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northcountryschool · 4 years

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October 9, 2020

Photo: 5th- and 6th-graders participate in WARP with English teacher, Isaac.

At North Country School, we believe that nurturing a child’s curiosity and wonder is a crucial part of the educational experience. When we were founded over eighty years ago, Walter and Leonora Clark knew that these aspects of learning and growing didn’t just occur in the academic classroom, but when children were given the space and the time to use their imaginations and to play. Today, North Country School continues to be that place to play, where students can be silly, can imagine new worlds, and can be creative together. This aspect of our philosophy is never more evident than during our annual WARP, or Wilderness Active Role Play, event.

Each year, WARP invites our entire school community to embark on fantastical quests, battle monsters in the name of good, and solve riddles together using shared knowledge. Though we have had to restructure WARP this year in order to keep our community healthy and safe—instead of one big, community-wide event it's now spread over 10 sessions with smaller groups—it is clear that none of the magic has been lost. Over the past few weeks we have loved watching our students adventuring through our campus woods, donning homemade costumes as they embarked on magical quests. We are grateful for the opportunity to preserve this part of childhood for the students in our care, and will continue to adapt to the new challenges that come our way, making sure to take that necessary time to simply play.

ACADEMICS

Top: Rob shows 4th grade how to make rope. Middle 1: Tiago makes rope. Middle 2: Melissa teaches English in the butterfly house. Middle 3: Grace writes poetry on the Mountain Bench. Bottom:Tyler writes poetry in a crabapple tree.

This week our students spent time in our outdoor classroom spaces learning new skills as well as delving deeper into their existing interests. As part of their unit learning about Indigenous groups in the Adirondack region, our 4th-grade social studies students began constructing a model of a Haudenosaunee longhouse. 7th-grade teacher Rob visited the class to talk about how early civilizations used natural materials to make cordage, and led the group in a cordage-making activity. Some of the cordage made will be incorporated into the larger structure as the class gets further into the longhouse construction process.

Melissa’s 8th-grade English students enjoyed the views from the Butterfly House this week for their Reading in the Zone: Finding "Just Right" Books conversation, where they discussed the value of reading books about a variety of subjects and with varying levels of difficulty. They also spent time working on their original poetry by the crabapple trees and on the Mountain Bench, which was built by graduating 9th graders several years ago and depicts a 360-view of the mountains surrounding the NCS campus.

Top: Garth’s geometry class has fun with their math activity. Middle: Eden corrects a geometry problem. Bottom: Correcting a geometry problem.

Garth’s 9th-grade geometry class had a great time with math this week as they reviewed what they’ve been learning in their constructions unit. By using a compass and straightedge to work through problems, the students acted as the teachers, grading a fake test with incorrect answers. After finding the errors present in each answer, the group shared their conclusions with their peers.

ARTS

Top: River and his coaster. Middle: Duncan sands his coaster. Bottom: Elie shows his students how to sand in the outdoor woodshop.

Over in the woodshop, our 5th- and 6th-graders continued to work on their coaster projects at our outdoor workshop stations. The projects, inspired by the Offerman Woodshop and woodworker Krys Shelley, allows students to practice some of their foundational woodworking skills including designing, measuring, hand-cutting, hand-sanding, and gluing. Many of our students plan to give the coasters–which are made from campus maple—as gifts to their friends and family members for the holiday season.

Top: Noni winds up campus yarn. Middle 1: Grace needle felts a Coraline doll. Middle 2: Needle felting a face. Middle 3: Josie needle felts a cat. Bottom: Colorful campus wool.

Arts students at North Country School are able to use the wool sheared from our sheep for many different types of fiber projects. Some of our wool is spun into yarn that is used for knitting projects and is woven into pillows and blankets on our looms, while some is kept unspun and used for needle felting. This week our 8th-grade artists began their creative needle-felting projects, and we were excited to see the vibrant wool take form as Josie’s cat, Maple, as Tyler’s sunset landscape, and as Grace’s recreation of the Coraline doll from the stop-motion film, Coraline.

OUTDOORS

Top: 5th- and 6th-graders participate in WARP. Middle 1: Sophie “Lord of the Rebels” in her WARP costume. Middle 2: Looking for WARP clues. Middle 3: 9th graders Ella and Teagan as magical characters in WARP. Bottom: A fork in the road.

At North Country School, our annual WARP, or Wilderness Active Role Play, event is a highly anticipated day of the year. In the past, WARP has taken place as an all-day, all-school event where students and teachers dress in homemade costumes, wield foam swords, and battle monsters throughout our campus woods. As with many things this year, we have had to change parts of WARP in order to keep our community safe and healthy, but we haven’t lost any of the spirit behind this fun event. 9th-grader Ella took on the restructuring of WARP as an independent study project, and has created different WARP out-times for each grade level that incorporate academic content into their different challenges. In order to succeed in their quests, students must use what they have learned in their classes, finding clues, and deciphering riddles alongside their in-character teachers. Though this year’s WARP may look a bit different, our students have still been having a blast working together while exploring campus, just as they always have during this whimsical and immersive event.

Top: A walk in the autumn woods. Middle 1: Rock climbing at the Climbing Crag. Middle 2: Building the campus treehouse. Middle 3: Trail work on the Skihill. Bottom: Steven in a leaf pile.

Our campus was the perfect autumnal playground this week, and students took full advantage of the beautiful weather while exploring the trails during out-times and on weekend trips. One group of students got in some quality time rock climbing at the Crag, while another spent the afternoon working on the campus treehouse, which is being rebuilt from the ground up as part of this fall’s Design and Build arts class. On Saturday, a group of our older students worked hard for the community while doing some trail maintenance on our Skihill, getting the terrain in top shape for what we hope will be a winter season full of skiing and snowboarding. Meanwhile, all across campus, we watched as our entire student body had a ball while participating in that timeless autumn activity–jumping in leaf piles.

FARM AND GARDEN

Top: Grace L. on a horse. Middle: Saturday trail ride. Bottom: Grace D. with the sheep.

The beautiful autumn backdrop also provided our students the perfect opportunity to spend time on horseback. This past week saw students riding horses during Wednesday homenight—an afternoon and evening set aside for students to spend time with their housemates and houseparents—as well as on weekend trips and during out-times. One Saturday trip took a trail ride around Dexter Pasture, before heading down to the barn to say hello to our flock of sheep and our goats, Dumbo and Bambi.

Top: Tess shows Zachary the seeder. Middle 1: Koga uses the seeder to plant spinach. Middle 2: Landon shells dried beans. Bottom: Dry beans waiting to be shelled.

In our 8th-grade Edible Schoolyard class, students have been learning about seeds, seed saving, and seed sovereignty—the right of growers to save and replant non-GMO seeds. This week students spent time in the greenhouses, working with Garden Manager Tess to sort through the Vermont cranberry beans they’d harvested the week before. After a lesson on winter greenhouse growing, each student took a turn seeding spinach using the Earthway seeder. The spinach planted will grow slowly in our unheated greenhouse throughout the cold winter months, and be ready to harvest as our first greens in the early spring. The colorful dried beans will be stored and used throughout the year in our campus dining room.

Check back next week to see what we’re up to on our mountain campus.

For more information about the #ThisWeekAtNCS blog, contact Becca Miller at [email protected].

For general school information, call 518-523-9329 or visit our website:

www.northcountryschool.org

#ThisWeekAtNCS

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jesstasticvoyage · 7 years

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Do you relate to any of your characters?

Yup! A lot of them actually. It’s actually a lot harder to say which one I don’t relate to. I put a piece of myself into each of my characters. Even Jeremy ( @chrisbcrgs I’m tagging you because you know that character better than anyone!}

The ones I feel the strongest connections are Chloe, Anya, James, Matt, Lorelei, Maxen, Landon Stevie, and Elijah. I know it’s a lot of them but they are the ones who I get the most protective over whenever I write as them. Chloe and Anya have a lot of similarities to me in a way, even if they are both very different from each other. Elijah and Stevie are very much a part of my heart. I’ve felt a lot of strong emotions whenever I write as then, which @evansrp knows all about.

Matt, Lorelei ,James, Landon, and Maxen are parts of my personalities that I tap into from time to time IRL but when I write as them I’m able to truly explore those sides, that I’m not able to on a daily basis. Matt with his charming, yet somewhat controlling nature. Lorelei has a very I don’t give a fuck attitude with everything, which I wish I can adopt with a lot of situations in my life. Landon is basically me if I were a guy. And very muscular. He’s the sexy goofball sort who has his life together and just wants to have a peaceful life. Which is something I want. Maxen is very closed off and only trusts a couple of people, who are very close to him. Which is me. I know I’m chatty and bubbly but in reality I don’t trust easily. I’ve been burned one too many times and he’s that part of me. The one that’s just done and wants to keep to himself for the most part. And Elijah…he’s my heart. He’s practically how I get when I care so much about people and what they’re going through but I’m unable to do anything about it. He’s the love that I want to give to people but who do not want it back. He’s basically my compassion, which I feel is too much for me to bear sometimes. Stevie is another part of the spectrum, where he cares a lot but it’s directed to those who he’s close to. Which is basically the other part of me where I’m just tired of being too emotional and open and just want to focus on those who have been there for me and continue to do so. He’s also very determined and can be quite stubborn. Which is me. When I’m not lazy. haha.

Soooooooo yeah. Guess you can say I relate to some of them. :P

#answered #Anonymous

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tshepiso-reads-books · 4 years

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Beautifully Mundane | Darius the Great Deserves Better by Adib Khorram

Started: August 27th, 2020

Finished: August 27th, 2020

Darius the Great Deserves Better solidified Adib Khorram as a new favourite YA contemporary author of mine. Khorram writes stories with such heart and compassion and I could read books about Darius Kellner for the rest of my life.

This sequel takes place a few months after the ending of Darius the Great Is Not Okay. Our favourite fractional Persian is having a good junior year. He’s on the soccer team, has a great boyfriend, and snagged an internship at his favourite tea shop. However, with his parents working later and later nights in an attempt to rebuild their savings, Darius’ home life is tense and stressful. As the months progress Darius finds himself overwhelmed by his new responsibilities at work and his relationship with Landon gets more complicated. In this book Darius learns to navigate new relationships and responsibilities all while attempting to figure out exactly what he wants from life.

This book is a quiet story with very few peaks and troughs, but Khorram captures the significance of the mundane incredibly well. This is because Darius is a compelling narrator. If you loved him in the first book I can’t imagine not being charmed by him in this one. The conflict he faces in this novel is slightly different, but Khorram still brings that same charming energy and wholesome uncertainty to Darius.

Darius is forced to confront the complicated dynamic of having different wants and need in a romantic relationship. As a natural people-pleaser, Darius has to learn how to set boundaries and communicate what he does and doesn’t want when it comes to intimacy. While I’ve seen similar conversations in YA this is the first I’ve seen it from a boy’s perspective and it was incredibly well handled. Landon and Darius’ relationship was sweet and wholesome while also being messy and complicated. Seeing Darius navigate the many facets of a relationship was amazing.

Darius also deals with a new and surprisingly overwhelming job. Darius has dreamed of an internship at the Rose Hill Tea Shop his whole life and throughout this book realizes that his passion for tea doesn’t directly translate to wanting it to be his job.

I loved seeing Darius make lasting friendships and find community in the varsity soccer team. Both his teammates and coach were consistent pillars of support, and given how isolated Darius was in the first book it was lovely to see him in such a wholesome environment. Coach Bentley worked to cultivate a non-toxic environment in the team and I loved seeing them support each other.

The way the book delved into Darius’ relationship with his paternal grandparents was unique and relatable. Darius’ grandmothers aren’t as openly affectionate as his Mamou and Babou so it was nice to see him warm to them as the story progressed. Darius’ yearning for connection with his grandmothers and his desire for some sort of queer community with them was so wholesome. It was also interesting how Khorram touched on how growing up in a family with mental health issues can negatively affect your relationship with them long term.

As well as falling in love with Darius in the first book I fell in love with the entire Kellner clan. Because of that seeing them go through such a stressful time financially was heartbreaking. Darius loves his family and you saw that in his anxiety over the stress they were under. Darius’ dad Stephen’s slide back into depression because of his loneliness and isolation shattered me. Because of that seeing the Kellners power through their hardships and make it past such a difficult time made for an incredible ending to the story.

Stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟½

Darius the Great Deserves Better was a balm to the soul. I adored these characters and everything Adib Khorram had to say through them. Khorram is a great writer and he makes everyday scenarios rich and compelling. If you liked its predecessor you will definitely love this book and I would highly recommend both to fans of quiet beautifully mundane coming of age novels.

#YA #YA Contemporary #Contemporary #Adib Khorram #Darius the Great #this book is the definition of wholesome #i would high key murder for Darius Kellner #Book Review

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bountyofbeads · 4 years

Text

The Project Behind a Front Page Full of Names https://nyti.ms/36o9z3w

THOSE WE’VE LOST

The U.S. is approaching a grim milestone of 100,000 deaths from the coronavirus.

Almost all of them occurred within a three-month span at an average of more than 1,100 deaths a day. The 1,000 names listed here reflect just one percent of the toll.

This poem "My Sister Is Not A Statistic" written by Dorothy Duffy in honor of her sister Rose Mitchell who lost her life to Covid-19 is dedicated to all the brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers, grandmothers, grandfathers, grandparents, children grandchildren, adopted children, foster children and friends we've lost to Covid-19. As Dorothy said of her sister Rose, she was a living, breathing human being full of life from being to end. As with those we've lost, there were births, marriages, anniversaries, celebrations of graduations from high school and college, class reunions, family vacations, family reunions, co-worker friendships, retirement parties, world wars, ends of wars, homecoming and peace time events.

They were veterans, military members, doctors, nurses, educators, teachers, policemen firemen, bus drivers, EMTS, Postal workers, government employees, civil rights and peace activists, lawyers, accountants, mathematicians, scientists, researchers, politicians, secretaries, social workers, sanitation workers, meat processors laborers, farmers, gardeners, restaurant workers, writers, storytellers, poets, historians, clergy, priests, nuns, scholars, academics, volunteers, grocery store workers, cashiers, delivery workers, warehouse workers, taxi drivers, Uber drivers, tech workers, choir members, musicians, songwriters, singers, band members, actors, producers, directors, on and on and on and on and on and on and on......

MY SISTER IS NOT A STATISTIC.

Her underlying conditions were love, kindness, belief in the essential goodness of mankind, uproarious laughter.

Forgiveness, compassion, a storyteller, a survivor, a comforter, a force of nature and so much more.

My sister is not a statistic.

She died without the soft touch of a loved one’s hand, the feathered kiss upon her forehead, the muted murmur of familiar family voices gathered round her bed

My sister is not a statistic.

And so she joins the mounting thousands.

They are not statistics on the deathometer of Covid, they are the wives, mothers, children, fathers, sisters, brothers, the layers of all our loved ones.

If she could, believe me when I say, she would hold every last one of your loved ones, croon to and comfort them and say ‘you were loved’.

Whilst we left behind mourn deep, keening the loss, the injustice, the rage, one day we will smile and laugh again.

We will remember with the joy that once we shared a life, we shared love, we knew joy and survived sadness.

You are my sister and I love you.

100,000.

As the U.S. approaches this grim milestone, we're remembering those who have died from the coronavirus.

"We put 1,000 names in the paper, 1 percent of those who have died. Online, we're emphasizing their stories."

"These brief descriptions only tell us a tiny bit about each of these people, but it's not hard to get to feel like you know them. They're drawn from the memories of the people who did — from obituaries and death notices in papers across the country." One Washington man "liked his bacon and hash browns crispy." A woman in New York was a "collector of dictionaries and lover of words." A man in Illinois was described as "endlessly curious, never really finished." I hope you'll spend some time with each of them.

Imagine a city of 100,000 residents that was here for New Year’s Day but has now been wiped from the map. https://t.co/KN2kVQIiFF

"One hundred thousand," writes @DanBarryNYT.

"The immensity of such a sudden toll taxes our ability to comprehend, to understand that each number adding up to 100,000 represents someone among us just yesterday." https://t.co/rMPXCclIYv

Memories, gathered from obituaries across America, help us reckon with what was lost. https://t.co/rMPXCclIYv

The losses suffered by our American family have been staggering — every story heartbreaking in its own way. As we near 100,000 lives lost, we pray for those who have passed, their loved ones and all who are working to save lives & protect our communities. Nancy Pelosi @SpeakerPelosi

Why local journalism matters, now more than ever. @nytimes was able to put together this deeply moving portrait of the lives lost in the outbreak only because of the crucial reporting on deaths by these local news organizations.

https://t.co/nBbZEFgrcZ

TIMES INSIDER

The Project Behind a Front Page Full of Names

A presentation of obituaries and death notices from newspapers around the country tries to frame incalculable loss.

By John Grippe | Published May 23, 2020 Updated May 24, 2020, 6:04 a.m. ET | New York Times | Posted May 24, 2020 |

Leer en español

Instead of the articles, photographs or graphics that normally appear on the front page of The New York Times, on Sunday, there is just a list: a long, solemn list of people whose lives were lost to the coronavirus pandemic.

As the death toll from Covid-19 in the United States approaches 100,000, a number expected to be reached in the coming days, editors at The Times have been planning how to mark the grim milestone.

Remembering the Nearly 100,000 Lives Lost to Coronavirus in America

As the U.S. approaches a grim milestone in the outbreak, The New York Times gathered names of the dead and memories of their lives from obituaries across the country.

Simone Landon, assistant editor of the Graphics desk, wanted to represent the number in a way that conveyed both the vastness and the variety of lives lost.

Departments across The Times have been robustly covering the coronavirus pandemic for months. But Ms. Landon and her colleagues realized that “both among ourselves and perhaps in the general reading public, there’s a little bit of a fatigue with the data.”

“We knew we were approaching this milestone,” she added. “We knew that there should be some way to try to reckon with that number.”

Putting 100,000 dots or stick figures on a page “doesn’t really tell you very much about who these people were, the lives that they lived, what it means for us as a country,” Ms. Landon said. So, she came up with the idea of compiling obituaries and death notices of Covid-19 victims from newspapers large and small across the country, and culling vivid passages from them.

Alain Delaquérière, a researcher, combed through various sources online for obituaries and death notices with Covid-19 written as the cause of death. He compiled a list of nearly a thousand names from hundreds of newspapers. A team of editors from across the newsroom, in addition to three graduate student journalists, read them and gleaned phrases that depicted the uniqueness of each life lost:

“Alan Lund, 81, Washington, conductor with ‘the most amazing ear’ … ”

“Theresa Elloie, 63, New Orleans, renowned for her business making detailed pins and corsages … ”

“Florencio Almazo Morán, 65, New York City, one-man army … ”

“Coby Adolph, 44, Chicago, entrepreneur and adventurer … ”

Ms. Landon compared the result to a “rich tapestry” that she could not have woven by herself. Clinton Cargill, assistant editor on the National desk, was Ms. Landon’s “editing co-pilot,” she said. Other key players in the project were Matt Ruby, deputy editor of Digital News Design; Annie Daniel, a software engineer; and the graphics editors Jonathan Huang, Richard Harris and Lazaro Gamio. Andrew Sondern, an art director, is behind the print design.

Marc Lacey, National editor, had warned Tom Bodkin, chief creative officer of The Times, that the milestone was coming. “I wanted something that people would look back on in 100 years to understand the toll of what we’re living through,” Mr. Lacey said in an email.

For the front page of the paper, two ideas stood out: either a grid of hundreds of pictures of those who had lost their lives to Covid-19, or an “all type” concept, Mr. Bodkin said. Whichever approach was chosen, he said, “we wanted to take over the entire page.”

The all-type concept came to the fore. Such a treatment “would be hugely dramatic,” he said.

The design references that of centuries-old newspapers, which Mr. Bodkin is keenly interested in. For many years after The Times started publishing in 1851, there were no headlines, in the modern sense.

“It was kind of running text with little subheads,” Mr. Bodkin said, describing newspapers in the mid-1800s.

Online, readers can scroll down for the names, descriptive phrases and an essay written by Dan Barry, a Times reporter and columnist. The number “one hundred thousand” tolls again and again.

Mr. Bodkin said he did not remember any front pages without images during his 40 years at The Times, “though there have been some pages with only graphics,” he said, adding, “This is certainly a first in modern times.”

Inside the paper, the list continues, threaded with an essay by Dan Barry, a Times reporter and columnist. But mostly there are names. More names, and more lives lost.

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samanthasroberts · 6 years

Text

Southern Charm Recap: Can They Get Any More White?

I have emerged from my two-day hangover solely to write this weeks recap. Guess killing brain cells is one of my hobbies now.

When we left off I wasnt sure if I was Team Kathryn or Team Whitney, and I dont think thats ever going to get resolved tbh. However, I did just notice Kathryns facial expression in the opening sequence more or less sums up her entire personality.

Thomas and JD, back at it again with the polo. Cause that ended really well the last time. Can they get any more white?

Whitney has some fruit salad and is making coffee and Larissas like, If that’s cooking, I’m about to be the next winner of.

Whitney trying to explain what going steady means to Larissa is pretty hilarious tho.

Kathryn andKody? Corey? Fuck, I forgetare getting a seaweed facial or some shit, AKA Bravo is pampering them so they can talk shit in style. Nice.

Kathryn is bummed that once she has her baby she has to go home alone with her two children.

Kathryn: Im a 24-year-old soon-to-be mother of two. If you dont think Im overwhelmed and nervous then you dont think.

Wow that was like, unnecessarily aggressive Kath.

Cooper? Cooper! Calls Thomas a 50-year-old playboy and is like,

Cooper: Instead of letting it frustrating you I just say let it strengthen you.

Cooper is the moral compass this show needs.

Meanwhile Thomas is sipping bourbon with JD on his porch because Kathryn really needs him.

JD: Hows the baby? Thomas: The doctor said fine… JD looks skeptical, because Im sure he knows better than a trained doctor.

JD: Kathryn moving up the due date seems awfully peculiarseems suspect.

JD is a regular Hardy Boy over here.

JD: I think women dont like being asked for paternity tests.

NO FUCKING SHIT.

JD is like, and Thomas is like, Its clear hes forgotten who hes about to have a kid with because Kathryn is NOT going to be down with Thomas basically accusing her of slutting it up and then trying to trap him into fatherhood. JUST SAYING.

Its date night with Craig and Naomie. Craig chooses going to L.A. over the biggest event for his company, because hes never been to L.A. before. And Craig wonders why hes not allowed to head a bourbon division. I don’t foresee this ending well AT ALL. Craig, youre a fucking idiot and for once Naomie is in the right to tell you youre fucking up.

Craig: Do you see how hard Im trying to justify this?

Yeah, because you KNOW YOURE IN THE WRONG. Thats literally what justification is.

Cameran and Landon meet up for a candle-making class and I am kind of jealous because that low-key sounds fun. Landons explaining her travel guide to Cam, so Im going to take a quick nap.

Cameran: I think its hard for Landon bc she was a typical Southern stereotype of the woman who got married young and was taken care of and she doesnt have that anymore.

Wait, how is this the first Im hearing of this failed first marriage? How has this NEVER come up before this season??

Cameran: So any man prospects? Landon: IDK not really its kind of sad and pathetic.

Landon is like Same tho. Cameran: Do you think the reason youre not meeting anyone is because you want something to work out with Shep? Landon:…Yeah

Cameran and I are both like, FINALLY!

*Cue a montage of them looking really couple-y* I’m rooting for you guys!

Landon brings up every middle schoolers dilemma which is that if she dates Shep, then shell lose him as a friend. Can we get like, a violin quartet to score some melodramatic music or something?

Craig and Shep make it to L.A. and Whitneys bachelor pad is sick. I guess this is what that Bravo money gets you. On an unrelated note, I have a very compelling idea for a new reality show, if you wanna get on board Bravo, Ill get you in at the ground level.

Craig: I wouldve had FOMO if I hadnt gotten to come out heresothanks.

Whitney: Meh whatevs

Whitney: #NewCraig has taken on this persona thats like, not chill dude.

Whitney basically lets it go with the caveat that he may never fully trust Craig again. Eh, Im sure theyll be fine.

Shep: You know when youre perfectly drunk and youre really good at pool? Is that like when Im really drunk and I think Im really good at dancing?

Classic Shmosby.

Larissa crashes the boys weekend which is not at all chill. Larissa is, I guess, the WGG of the group.

Shep: Should I change? I dont want to look all fratty and Southern.

Well that ship sailed like, approximately 36 years ago. Whitney makes a joke about waking up in the morning covered in blood and vomit. Was he secretly with me and my friends this weekend? Unclear. V. possible.

These two slutty-looking blondes show up and Shep is in fucking heaven. Craig low-key wants to kill himself.

Whitney: The goofy, disarming thing works in Charleston but not so much in L.A.

I’m sorry, Whitney, but who you callin goofy? You’re not exactly a chiseled Greek god over there. Whitney takes a casual shot at Craigs bourbon knowledge, or lack thereof, and now that hes gotten that off his chest this friendship is back on track.

The aftermath of Whitneys party looks a lot like the scene I dealt with Sunday morning. So, like, maybe they really were there.

Whitney: The marker of a good boys weekend is a pool of vomit with a partially digested meatball in the middle.

Whitney talks about how Shep didnt get any last night and Whitney said he had a meeting with Hand Solo which made me LOL.

Sheps like, and Im getting soooo mf sick of this trope. I am convinced Shep just acts this way because y’all expect him to be a fuckboy and nobody challenges him or holds him to a higher standard. Also, there’s just no way his dick games that good. THERE IS NO WAY.

JD is on the phone with Paula and SURPRISE, Craig basically didnt do shit for this festival yet still wants to be head of the bourbon division. The entitlement is strong with this one. Craigs phone is dead, party casualty, so JD is calling around to all Craigs friends like the angry dad he is. Did I mention this was dumb af, Craig?

Also, LMAO at how hungover they all look. Their hangovers are giving me life.

Craig: I just feel like Im being used to do all the bitchwork and its annoying. I lied, THIS is the whitest thing to happen on this show.

Shep: People take work too seriously. What happened to just drinking beer and laughing your balls off?

Yeah Shep, I think this may be why your restaurant is struggling to pay the rent.

Thomas and Kathryn are discussing the ins and outs of labor, which I will file away for future knowledge. Thomas calls Kathryn an expert at giving birth which is like, kind of rude lol. But I guess also accurate?

Kathryns opening up to Thomas about being alone this time around, looking up at him with big doe eyes, and Thomas is like,SHUT DOWN.

Thomas: The timing is really bad for me, could you just like, not give birth rn?

Kathryn: Thats why I like having you around, youre like a calming presence IDK why.

Kathryn, do you know what calming means? Im starting to think not.

Back at Whitneys, some massage therapist named Megan shows up, and Shep clearly has a boner.

Shep: So youre gonna give us all massages now?

Megan: Its like holding space to really connect more with yourself.

Shep is blatantly sexually harassing this poor girl. JFC. This is so creepy. Tone it the fuck down.

JD & Co. is launching his bourbon line at Charleston Cup, this horse race in Charleston. Craig is nowhere to be found, shockingly.

JD: Work isnt all roses and cherries. Sometimes its dirt and trenches.

Im putting that on a needlepoint for my office.

Sheps not going because his grandpa died. OK thats actually like, very sad. My condolences.

We will now resume with our regularly scheduled program of shit-talking.

Craig is taking forever to get readyCraig and Chad from are both the secret Betches interns.

Craig is hungover with an upset stomach and a sinus infection, which is literally what happens to me every time I drink. AKA right now. We’ll get through this, Craig. Emergen-c and green tea all mf day.

Cams like,

Craig apparently slept in and didnt do anything to help JD set up. Which, Im not surprised by, but again, is a really bad move for when youre trying to show initiative.

Cameran: #NewCraig is starting to run its course because at this point hes becoming #OldCraig

Dannis dropping some random whiskey fun facts and Craig is like, Fuck the bourbon division, Im not sure Craig is qualified to have any job at Gentry HQ, PERIOD. How the fuck is he going to be a lawyer if he never wants to do work? He’s gonna have a rude awakening if he ever makes it to first-year associate (I have heard).

Craig is there for all of two minutes and is already like, fuck this Im leaving.

Oh JK Craig didnt actually leave. JD gives a speech and what do you wanna bet Craig is gonna get shafted in this thank-you speech?

Wait for it..

BOOM. SHAFTED. I called it.

Cameran is so into this race its scary. How much money did she put down on that horse? Judging by her reaction to losing, Id say a lot.

Once again JD is dressed like a 1920s fat cat. Live your truth, JD.

JDs like, and Craig is like,

JD: Do you think you should have gone out of town? Craig: I mean Ive never had to give up a trip for a job so

Oh boy, Craig. I fear for you in the real world. I really do.

At Kathryns, she and Thomas are eating dinner. Kathryns going into labor tomorrow morning. I hope they dont actually film her birth. That would be kind of fucked.

Thomas: I want to have a traditional family, hear the shnookums running around, hear the house fill with laughter.

Lol, “shnookums” only makes me think of one thing:

Thomas: I still love Kathryn, I care about her but Im afraid a day of reckoning is forthcoming.

UH OH.

Kathryn asks Thomas how he feels and he says hes apprehensive and shes like, BRUH, FEEL APPREHENSIVE?!

Kathryn: If I say anything mean to you tomorrow just give me a free pass.

OK thats fair, she is giving birth and all.

Kathryn gets up and eats some generic brand Lucky Charms before giving birth. I take it all back, she really is struggling with money.

OK low blow. Sorry. Kind of.

Seeing the sheer amount of diapers in Kathryns house is enough to make me never forget to take my birth control.

Thomas: For some reason, maybe through divine intervention we were brought together. Steven Spielberg I believe said, Ive made a lot of movies, but my greatest creation of all was a child.

So I wonder at what point Thomas is gonna be like Who am I kidding, theyre gonna drag that out at least over the course of another epsiode.

OK enough shit-talking from me. That baby is cute. What did they name him?? How they gonna leave us hanging like that?

div.body_middle_part_right .bodypart:nth-child(n+2), a.prevBody{display: none;}

Source: http://allofbeer.com/southern-charm-recap-can-they-get-any-more-white/

from All of Beer https://allofbeer.wordpress.com/2018/03/16/southern-charm-recap-can-they-get-any-more-white/

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handonhaven · 3 years

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You know I see people come with any and all reasons to try to call Handon "toxic" but yet no one seems to be talking about toxic their "friends" actually are to them. I mean the way Lizzie treats, talks about/to Landon is almost like she believes he's beneath her. Or with Hope when they only go to her when they need or want something from her. Or not even really letting her grieve and getting mad at her the one time she picks herself. It honestly feels like the only good friend they might have right now is Cleo. You know minus the time she tried to get Hope to move on faster than she was ready to.

Yes! Seriously, my thoughts exactly! If there are any toxic relationships going on, it’s with Handon and their “friends.” The way they treat Hope and Landon is really not okay, yet no one talks about it. Yep, Lizzie does treat Landon as if he’s beneath her, which is something that’s bothered me for a long time. Honestly, she treats him like crap majority of the time, and the writers sugarcoat it with “humor” to make it seem okay when it’s not. I mean, when it first started, I thought some of the nicknames were kinda funny and I didn’t think too much of it. But it’s gone on for so long and is so constant whenever they have scenes together, I got sick of it a long time ago. Plus most of the time the insults involve his looks, which is no longer about just Landon, but also Aria, which is a whole other subject... But yeah, Lizzie doesn’t treat him like a friend at all. She’s had a few moments when she’s been nicer to him, but most of the time she’s very condescending towards him. And especially in the last few episodes, she’s treated both him and Hope badly. Basically, the only people I’d consider an actual friend to Landon at some point (besides Raf obviously, the only true friend to him who is gone now, ironically) would be Josie and Wade. But even then, Landon and Josie have barely spent any time together after they broke up, she didn’t seem to care at all when he was “dead,” and neither did Wade. He seems to mostly just want Landon around to play D&D with. None of these people seem to care much about Landon at all. Like, if Landon’s death wasn’t enough to get them to care about him, what would?? That alone is concerning and if I were Landon or Hope, I’d be running tbh...

And for Hope as well, she doesn’t seem that close with any of them. And like you said, they mostly just go to her when they need something. Yeah, they weren’t there for her at all when she was grieving, showed no compassion or support, expected her to help them, wouldn’t even let her grieve and wanted her to move on immediately. And yes, the one time she chooses her own happiness, they resent her for it, even though it was shown that some of them would have a similar mindset if it came down to taking risks to save someone they love. And they’re allowed to, but Hope is not. I just... how is this okay? And also, most of the time, Hope is the one making the effort. I thought that the first half of season 2 with Hope and Lizzie was good, I thought Lizzie was a very good friend to her, was supportive, and I have no idea what happened to that? It feels like they went backwards, but I’d say that was the only time any of them made a real effort to be there for Hope. But besides that, it’s usually her doing the work in her friendships. And she has been there for them constantly, and they’ve often seemed pretty ungrateful for it. They seem to expect everything from her while giving very little back. They expect her to always put herself and/or Landon at risk, drop everything she cares about and her own happiness and wellbeing for them. And if she doesn’t do that just one time, they get angry and don’t seem to care or understand how she feels.

And yet Hope and Landon are still friends to them and try to be there for them after everything. Landon still considers them his friends when they don’t even show concern for him or treat him right. Hope continues to feel like she has to be there for them all the time after they abandoned her while she was mourning and didn’t care about her. And the writers almost never let Hope or Landon stand up for themselves anymore or acknowledge when they’re not being treated right. Landon used to speak up for himself, like in 1x04 he was done putting up with how everyone was treating him, he called Hope out after how she had acted. Even in 1x11 when Josie welcomed him back he responded with, “didn’t you vote me out?” And they’ve all done a whole lot worse to him at this point, but now he just takes it. After what they all did when he was trapped in the prison world, instead of saying anything about it, he tries to get Hope to apologize and fix things. And both of them feel responsible for resolving things even though their friends contributed to what happened and did nothing to apologize. They both just put up with how everyone treats them, while also being expected to be perfect, and it’s so tiring to watch. And sorry to go off about this, and I hate to be so negative, but it’s disappointing. I really liked how the friendships were starting to develop in season 1 and into season 2, but everything has gotten so bad before they even developed into true friendships, and it’s kinda ruined it for me. I just don’t even feel like they’re their friends, it really just feels like they’re classmates pretending to be friends at this point because they’re all stuck at the school together. And it’s funny how they said this show was about friendship when practically none of the friendships feel genuine to me, they mostly feel obligatory, especially regarding Handon and the others.

And exactly, it seems like Cleo could be the only real friend they have at this point. And yeah, I have to ignore how she acted in 3x07 because that was just bizarre. It was clearly inserted by the writers because it didn’t even fit with her behavior from what we’ve seen in the other episodes. But besides that, she does seem like a good friend, so at least there’s that. And that shows that the writers are capable of writing good friendships and are just choosing not to with a lot of the characters. Even MG and Ethan seem closer friends after just a few episodes than a lot of the “squad” are after 3 seasons, so it’s pretty strange. But anyway, yeah, the way they treat Hope and Landon is toxic imo, and everyone ignores it. And after all this time and all that’s happened, I’m not sure what it would take for them to be good friends to Hope and Landon, so I feel like it will all most likely continue and go unaddressed, unfortunately. While Hope and Landon will surely continue to be criticized and problems that don’t even exist between them will keep being brought up.

#answered #dang that got long sorry

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jimdsmith34 · 6 years