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robotslovedeath · 5 years

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“Where are your pants?” Bc Aaravos conformed has no pants on. We see them starry thighs And “Put me down” Tall Aavaros, Small Gren, what more is there to say I have returned from studying for a quick tdp break ;)

SO SORRY THIS TOOK LONG I STARTED BUT NEVER FINISHED :( SO HAVE A NEVER ENDING DRABBLE HHH IM SO SORRY, I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT TO WRITE NEXT

~~~

Viren had rushed to the dungeons, coming across the Commander once more. His jokes were getting worse by the second as Viren desperately seeked answers from the magic elf. It only took one more joke to trigger him.

"Lord Viren! Hello!"

The look on his face didn't look at all pleasant.

"What is it now? You're unusually happy today."

Gren had only had a small nap, until he was woken up by a strange voice coming from the room the Lord always locked himself in.

"Uhh, why are you always in there? It's not good to isolate yourself from the world, what if Soren and Claudia want-"

"QUIET! Do not ever pronounce their names. I'm warning you now, Commander."

He had walked away from Gren, his temper clearly lost and anger increasing by the second. Freeing Gren wasn't a bad idea- although Amaya would find out and start problems.

~~~

"Eurk! Where are your pants?"

The Startouch elf turned around, surprised but nothing out of the ordinary.

"Pants are for humans. I'm obviously not one."

It had been settled that his plan to find out more about Aaravos was today. And he wouldn't let anything get in the way. It was now or never. Viren wouldn't let that opportunity go to waste. Placing the worm back in its jar, the man silently walked away.

"Pleasure talking to you."

Viren left the room, door unlocked after being too lazy to do such a thing anymore and way too pissed at Gren to even do anything. He had to get him out before he lost his mind.

"Commander, you're free to go. Be grateful and tell nobody about this. You will pay the consequences if my wishes are ignored. Good day."

"You're.. really gonna let me go? But why?"

"Naive child."

"Understandable-"

Ow, did the chains leave a mark on his wrists. It wasn't useful for a 25* year old man to be chained down (up) for so long, not even useful if all the food/drink he got given was merely just hot brown morning potion. He couldn't complain though, it wasn't that bad.

A creak of a door and Gren found himself in the small room, a table with a strange looking green jar and some other unusual things for the Lord to be in possession of. With that, came a mirror. Now Gren couldn't help but reveal what was behind the cloth.

The most gorgeous elf he had ever seen.

"I- What.. who are you?" His voice came with a tremble as his knees were beginning to weaken. Nobody had ever made him feel such a way. Why him?

The elf didn't speak nor blink. Curiosity filled the man, unsure and hesitant towards the redhead. He couldn't be so shy now, but on the other hand, he couldn't be so trusty towards someone Viren could possibly be foes with. It didn't make sense.

"Aaravos." He mouthed. Never hinting that he needed the worm to communicate.

"Hm? I cannot hear you."

He flicked his ear, pointing at the jar next to him. So that was what it was for.

Although Gren was uncertain this was even possible, his hand had already made the move to grab it out the jar. The tingling sensation of the worm made Gren uncomfortable, pulling his face into quite the disgusted look. You could see Aaravos laughing quietly in the mirror.

"Speak, lil' red."

Gren was in shock, it wasn't everyday he could meet someone as beautiful as him. He turned around, to your surprise just like Viren and started doubting his whole decision of finding the truth. He also couldn't always talk to people. Knowing he was locked up for however days/months/years it's been. Who knows.

"Huh? Me? Commander Gren! I'm the Commander of my General. General Amaya to be precise.. haha."

"Relax, angel cake. You're in safe hands. I need to ask you a favor, dear. Do you believe that could be possible?"

A favor? Right this instant? He had just met him, for god's sake! What else could go wrong?

"I understand if your royal Commander isn't happy with this. Or if you're just scared to talk. It's okay, I don't bite, sweetheart."

"A-alright, go ahead.."

"I want you to get me out of this mirror. This place that I'm unaware of, it means nothing to me."

How could the Commander do such a thing? It wasn’t like him to fall for such a trick when be barely trusted anyone so easily. Specifically a good looking elf stuck in a mirror. Maybe something decent would actually come from freeing the elf, supposedly called Aaravos (Gren had figured it out after trying to decipher it, since he was both good at ASL and reading mouthed words).

“..How? I have no idea how to get you out, Aaravos!” Perhaps he spoke too soon?

“Huh.. Commander, you never told me how good you were at reading lips. Impressive.”

“I.. yes. Thank you.” Man, was he smooth with words.

This.. elf. How could he get Gren in his pocket so easily? Aaravos could manipulate him with just a simply favor, and.. looks.

~~~

It took a bit of time for Gren to get a hang of what Aaravos was doing. Some strange magic and spells were recited, the redhead not knowing what was actually happening. It also took awhile for the commander to realise the glass in between them disappeared. While Gren was uncertain this actually worked, he still placed his hand forward, wanting to help the elf out.

“You're a star, how may I serve you?” His face was covered with stars, which twinkled from time to time. Gren was amazed, he was also.. so tall. Being 6’1 was great but he could never imagine being as tall as Aaravos.

“I don't know..” Hesitation was his best friend. Nothing came to his mind; nothing at all.

I wasn't mentally prepared for this!! What could I possibly want from him??

“Hm. Let me show you something that humans have always seeked to witness.” Quite so, Aaravos had strengthened the grip of Gren’s hand, nearly throwing him in the air to simply just carrying him bridal style. It wasn't ideal, but Aaravos didn't complain.

“H-hey! Put me down!” He wasn't really one to shout, except.. this kinda felt nice? For some strange reason.

“This is what you wanted, no? Close your eyes for me.” Aaravos whispered, so close yet so far from the Commander’s face. He had to make this embarrassing, didn’t he? You could probably feel bad for the poor redhead’s heart. A fragile and sensitive one when he felt shy.

~~~

They had finally arrived, a silence from both of them during the journey which seemed to never last. Gren for once was.. satisfied with it. Eventually, the low, familiar voice spoke again.

“Open your eyes now, it won’t hurt, poppy seed.”

What was up with him and the nicknames? They were so out of the ordinary, and sounded like he was close with the commander, when they had just barely met.

He and the Commander were outside, cool breeze hitting Aaravos' exposed skin, and Gren's blushing face. As the night fell into complete darkness, the Startouched elf, also turning silent, unexpectedly started glowing. Little stars that shun in alignment with those above them, twinkling in the black emits of the endless twilight.

Gren stared in surprised, both amazed and confused as to why he had brung him here. Again, it wasn't everyday he met up with an elf. Let alone a Startouch elf, probably the first a human had seen for a while. Told and admired by thousands, Startouch elves were mentioned in books of ancient times, a history that both Gren and Aaravos himself had read.

"What do you think?" A low murmur had rung besides the Commander's ear, quiet enough for only, and only, Gren to hear. It was to be taken almost sensually, the redhead not used to it enough to be taken as a compliment.

"It's.. it's beautiful."

But not as beautiful as you.. What am I thinking? You just met him! A stranger! An elf! What's up with you, suddenly???

~~~

I ONLY WROTE THIS MUCH AND SJBDB HOPE U LIKE IT!!!

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hillyans · 5 years

Text

Characters: Pey’j

This post will be updated when new information comes out.

Species: Hybrid (pig/human)

Born: 2385 (age ?? in BGE2, age 50 in BGE1)

Gender: Male

Shares DNA with: Unnamed Pey’j clone, Player Character

Occupation: chief cook of the Gada in BGE2, handyman, inventor, and chief of the IRIS Network on Hillys in BGE1

Relationships: Jade (unknown in BGE2, adoptive niece in BGE1) Dakini (captain) Knox (fellow crew member) Shani (fellow crew member) Callum (fellow crew member) Uma (fellow crew member) Geneva (aunt; unseen character)

Status: Alive

In BGE2

Chief Cook and a familiar face to most of you Space Monkeys who know and love Pey’j from the original Beyond Good and Evil! In this prequel, he’s still the beloved-uncle type who believes in tough love and has a penchant for a certain Old-Earth alcohol, which is the not-so-secret ingredient in the dishes he cooks up for the crew. - Official Site, 9/27/18

BGE2 Development:

6/12/17 E3 2017 Trailer Breakdown:

Chris: Now, I know I'm not the only one who looked at this and heard:

[Zhou Yuzhu: "Peyjin."]

Chris: What he said just there, and thought of our beloved Uncle Pey'j from BGE.

Michel: Right! There is a direct connection, you know, so he's very clearly saying "Peyjin" which is kind of a divinity for this kind of hybrid. It's a way to add depth and to show how deep the world can be. And even though those hybrids are created by humans, they have their own religion. Because BGE2 is a prequel to BGE1, we want to add a lot of details about how the world is, those names, "Pey'j"... is it a common name, a divinity name, so... Sometimes you know, in some religions, you give the name of a divinity to a boy or a girl... So all these details are here to make people understand more about the world of BGE.

2/28/18 Instagram: Michel Ancel posts a picture of a bust that looks suspiciously a lot like Pey’j.

6/8/18 Instagram: Ancel teases artwork from E3 2018. “A good friend of mine is back in Beyond Good and Evil 2 . Get prepared for more surprises during the 2018 UbiSoft E3 conference !!!”

6/11/18 E3 2018: Pey’j is shown in the trailer. “And Pey'j is back as the the incorrigible Chief Cook of the Gada.”

6/11/18 E3 2018 Trailer Breakdown (video):

I think last year people sort of thought when they saw Zhou Yuzhu, the big hybrid from the criminal underworld, that perhaps that was Pey'j. So it's pretty cool this year that it actually is Pey'j. We were super excited about being able to reveal the fact that he's going to be in BGE2.

...

Pey'j, as you can see in this image, is carrying Knox, who was wounded. You can see how close these guys are. They've probably been flying in space for a very long time in this crew and they know each other very well and they're always helping each other.

6/11/18 Instagram: Ancel says that even though Jade has forgotten her past, Pey’j remembers.

9/28/2019 Inside Look of Beyond Good and Evil 2 with Ubisoft Montpellier - 2019 ZBRush Summit:

"So let's start with Pey'j. Pey'j is probably one of the most iconic characters in BGE. Originally, he is the best friend of Jade, who is the main character of this game, so you can imagine the importance of him. Our goal was to bring a new vision of him without destroying the old one. So how did we do that? First step: we start with some 2D artwork, just to figure out which emotion we want to give him, what narrative part that he will have, and at this stage, everything is possible. The only question which is important is "what makes Pey'j's identity?

Secondly, Pey'j has got a very long history. And I don't know if you've noticed, but in the original BGE which was more cartoony, Pey'j was based on a really round, primitave shape. And, well, it makes him much more easy to recognize. So while we decide to keep this philosophy, but we decide to pass from a round shape to a more hexagonal shape just to bring a more mature and tough feeling. So that's why I use a weight on the screen as a symbol of what emotion we want to give to Pey'j. This shape process I think is a very simple way to communicate with the character artist. That's all the process is based on. Collaboration between the concept artist and the character artist, we need those kinds of tools to speak together."

...

“We start with the most complicated part of this character, it's the head. So Sebastien gives me concept art of his head and asked: "try to match it". Okay, so I have made a rough, and as you can see, ugly model of Pey'j after some couple of hours. And then, Sebastien provided me with comprehensive feedback of the character he wants. At the beginning of the process, all the feedback is "macro feedback". And I make my ping-pong with him, and after that other feedback, going more in detail in the character. And that was done."

Pey’j in BGE1

Media

Profile (official website):

Age: 50

Occupation: Handyman

Personality: Grumpy, yet attentive and endearing, Pey’j is a fighter who’s seen and done it all. He’s often seen hanging out in the Akuda Bar with a stiff drink and a cigar, telling jokes and old stories of his life experiences.

Special Skills: A mechanical and electronic genius, Pey’j is renowned for his skills as a handyman and his ability to fix anything he gets his hands on. He keeps Jade’s equipment up and running, and is constantly inventing new gadgets and machines for Jade Reporting - or just for the fun of it...

Background: Pey’j is a hybrid being - half-man and half-hog. He’s Jade’s adoptive uncle and has brought her up since she was a child. Despite his reservations and fears, he’s been a great influence and tutor for Jade, and still tries to protect her and help her out with her missions whenever he can.

Current Residence: Pey’j lives on the small island in Hyllis with Jade in a cozy lighthouse that he built from scratch many years ago.

Vehicle: Pey’j doesn’t like to drive – Jade’s usually behind the wheel. He does take care of all the vehicles mechanically, though, and he has a special place in his heart for his famed Beluga Spaceship.

Prized Possession: His Jet Boots – a one-of-a-kind invention that allows Pey’j to blast himself or other objects high into the air.

What He’s Doing Now: Pey’j spends a lot of time with Jade - in fact, you will usually find him right by her side on her reporting missions. Otherwise, Pey’j spends most of his time in his workshop, although no one is really sure what he does down there!

Official Guide (Bradygames):

Characters: Meet Jade’s adoptive uncle and cantankerous right-hand pig. Pey’j is a mechanic and inventor-- indeed, a couple of his inventions play a large role in this adventure. Use his Super Action Jet Boots stomp to bounce certain opponents into the air so Jade can bat them into distant targets. His dogged (or perhaps we should say pigged) loyalty keeps him at Jade’s side despite his reservations about the evolving adventure.

Live Chat Interview with Michel Ancel 10/21/2003:

Question 6: (BircGuest-24085213): Hello - How much of a part will Jade's friend 'Pey’J' play in the game?

(Michel): Pey’J is very important in the story and for the gameplay. You'll spend about one third of the game with him but , for the other part, he will still have a very important role (but I can t say too much.... )

...

Question 12: (dreamdancer5): why is Pey’J styled like a pig? and not like a man or anything else?

(Michel): please, instead of snipe, read style in the "having their own...." sentence....I m sooooo tired.....need some holidays :).... (Michel): I like the spirit of self derision. Pey’J is very important; he's got a strong personality but looks like a beast. I believe that most of us have more inside that outside our appearance. If you finish the game, you’ll see what I mean.

Early Storyboard: (unused and revised in final game)

Age: 56

Race: Hybrid clone Sn-b5234

Name: Pey’j

In-game Dialogue & Cutscenes (SPOILERS)

“For Jade” Mdisk:

Jade, You inherited generosity and courage from your parents. You know, I think about them a lot. We were very close friends.

Twenty years ago we were forced to separate because we were all having some major problems with the authorities. Your parents put you under my care… to save your life…

We came to Hillys. Back then, it was a peaceful planet. I had hoped to raise you there safely. But the conflict spread. Now, you must know something… if I was able to get here, it was thanks to the "Beluga”, the spaceship that I designed and built with your father.

It still exists. But I haven’t exactly finished getting it back in top shape. You’ll find the check-up report on my desk.

The “Beluga” is at our place. You have to enter a code into each one of the consoles to open the secret hiding place. I can’t say any more on this Mdisk about it, but I hope this information will be useful to you, if, one day, you have to use the “Beluga”.

No matter what happens, good luck, Jade…

Uncle Pey'j

DomZ Priest (cutscene):

DOMZ PRIEST: Shauuuuuuuuniiiiii. You have finally come back to me… You have served your master well, Shauni. You alone have brought the Hillyans to me. They have followed you blindly.

HH: Miss Jade ?!

DOMZ PRIEST: DorthKaul Pahkahn! You are not who you think you are. The pig has hidden your origins from you…

PEY'J: Jade! NO!! Don’t listen to him! Hhh!… Aaaarrh!…

DOMZ PRIEST: You are the source of my powers the instrument of my strength. They took you away in the hope of destroying me. But I have survived, feeding me with only the most miserable of sacrifices. They made you human. But you are not like them. You are mine, Shauni, and I am going to kill the human part of you.

HH: Jade!!

DOMZ PRIEST: Shauni DomZ ThindraaaHHH!!

#characters #returning characters #pey'j

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aquarian-sunchild · 6 years

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Hello please look in this direction

I haven’t written in thirty-seven years so today I sat down and wrote about the world I build in my head when I’m bored...which is often haha.

I tried figuring out map-making programs and I am so bewildered by them. Instead I wrote this sort of historical timeline of the setting in the style of Bill Wurtz’s history videos.

It’s probably not entirely logical or whatever, but I’ve tried my best. Constructive criticism is always appreciated. I might post this on r/worldbuilding. I dunno.

Okay, so I’m focusing on four major countries/cultures in my world-building.

Imagine a map because I can’t figure out map generator sites to save my life. Taking up most of the space in the southeast quadrant of the map is the empire of Kaleem. Centuries ago, Kaleem didn’t exist. There wasn’t much on this particular continent save for some tightly-knit tribes of hunters and gatherers following their food across vast savannahs. Water was very hard to find. Enter Kaleem the First (who I promise will have a cooler name once I start figuring out conlangs for this world). He’s restless. And he has visions of water.

“Hey” says Kaleem to his tribe. “Anyone want to follow me to the flying water I see in my dreams?”

“Wow, no.” says most of his tribe. “That’s weird. You’re weird. Get lost.”

So that’s exactly what Kaleem did. He gathered up his wives, children and some curious hangers-on and immediately got lost in the savannah. But just as he’s down to his last wife and things are at the worst 🎶 OH MY GOD A GEYSER 🎶 . At least, modern science would say it was a geyser. Kaleem called it ‘the flying water I saw in my visions’...which thankfully became ‘Fountain of Kaleem’ for short. Kaleem and whoever is left settle around the fountain and a community begins to form (yeah there were probably some knotted-up family trees back then but this is very early human history for this world so people didn’t understand that yet so shhhh). The community becomes a settlement and becomes a city.

“Hey.” says the tribespeople who earlier called Kaleem a weirdo. “We’re kinda dying and you’re kinda not. Can we like, chill here?” “Okay” says Kaleem who is now king because he found the place and that’s how things work. The empire of Kaleem flourishes throughout the southern continent. They’re the most prosperous and advanced civilization on the map, and it’s rumored elsewhere that they eat gold.

Ilshe is an archipelago in the northeast corner of the map. Being an island nation, they’re kinda isolated and have their own traditions that others may consider WEIRD or BARBARIC or MILDLY CANNIBALISTIC but whatever half the world doesn’t know they exist so they can do whatever they want. This includes intimidating other Ilshe tribes into submission by eating their chiefs, which is exactly what Míras and his warriors did to centralize power around his particular island and tribe. Hey, it put an end to all the in-fighting for pretty much...forever. 📣Go big or go home.📣 Ilshe kinda looks like a cartoon character’s hand, with a giant island in the middle surrounded by four (maybe five I haven’t decided) smaller islands. NO ONE LIVES ON THE BIG ISLAND BECAUSE THAT IS THE ISLAND OF SOULS WHERE BODIES ARE DROPPED OFF AS OFFERINGS TO THE GUARDIANS OF THE AFTERWORLD WHO TAKE THE FORM OF HUGE CARRION BIRDS OM NOM NOM 🍖BONE ARMS AND TEETH🍖. Ever hear of a Tibetan sky burial? Go google it. It’s fascinating. And gross. It's "gross-cinating"! So now that power is centralized in Ilshe things are pretty chill and aside from butchering for food and animal sacrifices for sacred days things aren’t purposefully killed as often anymore. You could say it’s pretty peaceful, in a genuinely morbid sort of way.

Then there’s this asshole mainland nation to the East of Ilshe called Statsukar. “Hey, that empire-building thing down south looks like fun.” say the leaders of Statsukar. “Let’s try it. How about those island weirdos up there? They’re not even doing anything. This should be easy.” So they set sail for Ilshe with a few hundred warriors and attempt an invasion. It does not go well. One boat returns with a few dozen dazed soldiers and what’s left of the king of Statsukar’s remains tied to the prow. “Soooo...they ate our king. Can we like, leave them alone?”

“Holy fucking shit.” says Statsukar. And they leave Ilshe the hell alone. Because holy fucking shit.

But now there’s no king. And he’s left behind teenage twins, Roga and Annar. Now it’s time to play “Who Wants to Lead Statsukar?” so text those votes to--actually don’t text those votes anywhere because cell phones don’t exist here. Roga wants to strengthen Statsukar’s military after the humiliating defeat by Ilshe. Annar just...doesn’t. Ae just doesn’t and I just realized I haven’t mentioned the existence of a third gender with different pronouns in this universe yet but I guess now I have so wahey. Annar wants to use Kaleem as a model for Statsukar and focus on STUDY📖 and INCREASE OF CAPITAL📈 and 🏥GENERAL WELL-BEING OF THE PEOPLE OF- “No that’s stupid we need firearms and shit.” says Roga.

🎹🎶 IT’S TIME FOR A CIVIL WAR.🎶🎹

And the winner is....🥁🥁🥁 🎺 Nobody, nobody is the winner. Statsukar no longer exists; it’s now Rogakar and Annakar and you will never guess why. But the loser is clearly Annakar, as they lose their sea border that would connect them with Kaleem just as this cool new concept of INTERNATIONAL TRADE💰is catching on (even with the cannibal island Ilshe, who have now sort of chilled out on the brutal tribalism thing [or have they?] and are making a name for themselves as a hub of maritime trade). So now Annakar is essentially cut off from the developing world, their financial prospects are down the tubes and HEY is that a crop-destroying drought? It’s a crop-destroying drought! YAAAAY--Wait no that’s actually pretty bad.

This of course leads to famine and a refugee crisis and there’s more in my head that I could put down but I am le tired and just blinded myself with a stupid light therapy thing so BYE.

#world building #writing #my writing

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dippedanddripped · 7 years

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A chance encounter with a homeless woman sent apparel manufacturer Jodie Dolan on a path to connecting her 13-year-old manufacturing business with doing social good. Dolan is the president and founder of the Dolan Group, a company with several brands—including Dolan, 34°N118°W and Guest Editor—that sell atAnthropologie, Nordstrom, Shopbop and boutique retailers. Her latest project is The Laundry Truck LA, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit she founded this month.

The truck will be outfitted with washing machines and dryers as well as a supply of donated clothing and shoes. The Laundry Truck LA will work in tandem with another nonprofit, the Shower of Hope, a mobile shower truck that began operations earlier this year. “We realized we could directly serve people who are invisible yet exist in the very heart of the fashion community in LA,” Dolan said. “We will help bring some much-needed services to the community and help restore dignity to our neighbors.”

Dolan has begun raising funds for the nonprofit with the goal of purchasing a mobile laundry trailer and funding operations for one year.

The goal is to raise $150,000, which will include $75,000 for the laundry truck and $75,000 for operations for the first year. As part of their research, Dolan and her team have found several companies in the U.S. that can build the truck. They’re currently reviewing several proposals.

She plans to have the laundry truck running by early 2018. “My hope is we can encourage the fashion community as a whole to also jump in and get involved so we can all take better care of our community,” Dolan said.

When Dolan first approached attorney Jeffrey H. Kapor, a partner with the Los Angeles law firm Buchalter, with the idea, the longtime apparel attorney thought it was a unique idea with a direct connection to the apparel industry.

“The idea of putting together a truck that has washers and dryers on it that gives people the opportunity to clean their clothes is just a terrific idea,” he said. “And here this is in our backyard. It touches our community and the businesspeople [we] work with. It just seems like why didn’t anybody think of this before?”

Mimi Haddon leads a natural-dye class at Dolan headquarters.

Kapor’s firm is working pro bono to set up a nonprofit corporation and file all the paperwork with the California Secretary of State and the Internal Revenue Service. A board of directors has been named. The next step is to set up an advisory group and begin fund-raising.

“What a unique opportunity for people in the apparel industry to be able to give small dollar amounts to try to help the neighborhood,” Kapor said. “We’ll raise some money for the first truck. If the fund-raising goes well, perhaps we can get another truck. There are a lot of homeless people and there are a lot of clothes that need to be washed. Maybe this will become a model for other communities.” Dolan’s accounting firm, Cohn Handler, is also working pro bono on the effort.

“We’re facing a crisis right now,” said Mel Tillekeratne, founder of the Monday Night Mission and the Shower of Hope. “We have officially 58,000 in this county who are homeless. Unofficially, we think it’s upwards of 120,000 because there are so many people who are sleeping in their cars that are not counted in the homeless census. This is the crisis of our time. We can get involved now, when we can fix this. We have to make sure our generation is the one that doesn’t let it pass over to the next one.” Tillekeratne founded the Monday Night Mission nearly seven years ago and launched the Shower of Hope in March. Living without access to showers or clean clothing can be very isolating, he said.

“[If] I’m in the gym and I’ve got all my sweat on me, when I get into the elevator I’m very conscious of myself and I try not to talk to people. It’s embarrassing,” Tillekeratne said. “For a person that doesn’t have regular access to showers, this is their everyday life. And they isolate themselves because of not having access to cleanliness.” Shower of Hope currently operates a truck and shower trailer that makes stops in two locations in Southern California—All Saints’ Episcopal Church in Highland Park and Holy Family Churchin South Pasadena.

“We offer, on average, 30 to 40 showers on Saturday mornings,” Tillekeratne said. “It’s really important that people have access to showers, and it’s also equally important that once they have access to showers they have access to clean clothes so they don’t have to worry about the smell coming from those clothes.”

Craft and charity

To help raise money and awareness for The Laundry Truck LA, Dolan has launched Dolan Handmade, a monthly series of craft events at her 26,000-square-foot factory in Vernon, Calif. Dolan is working with Mimi Haddon, an M.F.A. candidate in fiber art at California State University, Long Beach who teaches textile art and natural dyeing classes at the Craft & Folk Art Museum in Los Angeles.

Two of Haddon’s fiber-art pieces were recently installed in the lunchroom at Dolan Group. The oversized macramé pieces, made from brightly colored knit fabric from Dolan’s surplus fabric inventory, are suspended from the ceiling.

Haddon, who was named Dolan Group’s artist in residence, has led classes in natural dyeing and macramé at the apparel factory. The next workshop, set for Sept. 28, will focus on marble dyeing on Turkish towels. Future events will include block printing, sashiko (Japanese embroidery) and eco-dyeing using pressed flowers on silk. Tickets for Dolan Handmade are $45, which includes supplies, and all proceeds benefit The Laundry Truck LA.

The Dolan Group will also donate a portion of sales from its direct-to-consumer website for the Dolan brand, shopdolan.com, which will launch on Oct. 1. A portion of sales from Dolan clothing sold at retailers will also fund The Laundry Truck.

Path to The Laundry Truck

In recent years, Dolan has been looking for ways to make her business more environmentally and socially responsible. She researched renewable alternatives to the ubiquitous poly bags used to ship garments to retailers. She looked into recycling resources for all the excess fabric scraps left over after cutting. Her daily commute took her through Skid Row in downtown Los Angeles, located right next door to LA’s Fashion District. She began listening to podcasts about homelessness, looking for ways that she could help. “But I didn’t know where to start,” she said.

Then Dolan stumbled—literally—across a homeless woman who had ducked into a mid-city business to get out of the cold. The woman ran off when Dolan screamed, but the apparel manufacturer went after her to try to give her money to apologize for frightening her.

Dolan said she knew simply giving one person money wasn’t the right response. A week or two later, she overheard someone talking about the Monday Night Mission and its group of volunteers who feed people on Skid Row every night of the week. Dolan began volunteering with the group, making sandwiches and handing them out in front of the Midnight Mission on South San Pedro Street in downtown Los Angeles. The first time, Dolan went alone. Soon she was going weekly and many coworkers were joining her.

“Jodie was walking out of the office one night and said, ‘I’m going down to Skid Row. Do you want to come?’” said Christine Moore, who works in product development for Dolan. “I’d never known anyone who would go to Skid Row. It was nothing at all what I envisioned. I thought it would be like a soup kitchen. It was an eyeopener.”

Before handing out food, volunteers are given frank advice about staying safe while volunteering on Skid Row.

“I almost turned around and left after the safety briefing. I thought, ‘What did I get myself into?’” Moore said. “But I trust Jodie. I’m so glad I stayed. This group is organized. It’s a well-ordered machine.”

Dolan and her employees have volunteered their time for other organizations as well. A group joined a march in support of Measure HHH, the Homelessness Reduction and Prevention Housing, and Facilities Bond Issue initiative that was approved by Los Angeles voters in November.

The entire Dolan team volunteered at the Downtown Women’s Center, working in the kitchen at the main campus on San Pedro Street and in the DWC’s retail store, MADE by DWC, on Los Angeles Street.

It took longer for Kate Anylan, Dolan’s brand director, to join the group at the Monday Night Mission.

“I’m happy to help people and contribute, but I was scared to go the first time,” Anylan said. “While we were making sandwiches I was thinking I’m not really sure what will happen next.” By the end of the night, Anylan’s impression had changed. “When I left I had so much energy and wanted to talk about it,” she said.

Recently, Anylan returned to the Monday Night Mission with 100 hard-boiled eggs, which turned out to be a big hit. Word got out on Skid Row, and more people began arriving, asking if there were more.

Dolan said the turnout for the Monday Night Mission ranges from about a dozen volunteers to upwards of 40. Many are college students. And most heard about the organization the way Dolan did—through word of mouth.

“It’s very cool how people hear about it,” Anylan said. “And they make sure to squeeze it into their schedule.”

Moore said there’s a feeling of commitment—not just among the regular volunteers but among the Skid Row residents.

“I feel like I have friends down there,” she said. “It warms the heart to see these people as people every week and know their names. You see past the problems. It makes it more meaningful.”

Dolan designer Greta Gunther was another early volunteer at the Monday Night Mission. The first time she went, she was asked to greet people as they arrived.

“My first experience was physical contact,” Gunther said. “I looked them in the eye and shook their hand and interacted with them. I wasn’t expecting the intensity. But Jodie made it so casual sounding. It’s amazing that our boss was involved.”

That direct contact with the people living on the streets is what keeps Dolan coming back.

“That’s why Skid Row is so powerful,” she said. “You’re handing someone a sandwich and shaking their hand and talking to them. You have a little picture of what’s going on. You see all of it. You’re getting out of your world.”

For more information about The Laundry Truck LA, fund-raising efforts and the Dolan Handmade workshops, visit shopdolan.com.

#los angeles #fashion blog

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