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lauralot89 · 4 months ago

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I read The Vampire Lord Ruthwen by Cyprien Bérard which purports itself to be a sequel to John William Polidori's "The Vampyre." This is one where there doesn't seem to be an English translation freely available, so I'll give a long summary of the plot but first.

Vampire powers: Lord Ruthwen drinks blood. He presumably has the powers to resurrect and to magically enforce people to keep promises as he did in the original story, but those powers never show up in this novel.

Also, much like how Polidori's story was wrongly attributed to Lord Byron, Bérard's story was wrongly attributed to Charles Nodier, who had nothing to do with it beyond writing an introduction which basically apologizes for the story's existence, as it's a work in the Romantic genre and Romantic works are stupid. Bérard apparently was not given much time to write this novel by his publisher, because much like Varney the Vampire, it is padded out with unrelated stories, two of which end on cliffhangers because they weren't ever finished.

This reads much better than Polidori's story, but I'm not sure how much of that is due to the efforts of the translator. The translator, incidentally, wrote an introduction to the book explaining that it is not a great work of literature and that he had to add paragraphs because in the original, Berard would just put literally thirty pieces of dialogue all in one paragraph and it was unreadable.

Anyway.

One day in Venice there's this girl named Bettina who's in love with a soldier named Léonti, though her father disapproves. One day, Bettina is being all melancholy about her love during a festival, when a mysterious stranger Who Is Definitely Not Lord Ruthwen appears and asks if she's all right. We will call this stranger Jord Bluthven just so there's no mistake here. As she's confiding in Jord, a fortune teller woman predicts that Bettina will be killed by a vampire, causing her to faint.

Léonti arrives and is horrified by this prediction. Jord tells him that fortune tellers just make shit up and not to worry about it. Then Jord goes to speak to Bettina's dad to put a good word in for the young lovers' relationship, and later they all have dinner together. Jord comments that he totally saw a vampire once, it straight up killed a child in front of him, and he did nothing to prevent it Because of Reasons. He believes that vampires are allowed to exist on earth to warn other people off of sinning.

The next day, Jord Bluthven tells Léonti that his best efforts to persuade Bettina's father failed, and Léonti is banned from the house forever. Jord comes up with the brilliant plan of having Léonti desert the Venetian army and take up a position in the Scottish army, where Jord is from, taking Bettina with him. He has a not at all Faustian contract with him for Léonti to sign, and advises that he'll have Bettina meet Léonti that night so they can run away together.

After sunset, Léonti is trying to get Bettina to flee with him when Jord shows up and advises that Bettina's dad is cool with Léonti now and wants to talk to him. Léonti leaves Bettina and Jord in the woods and returns to the estate, only to promptly be arrested for desertion of his military position. They have a signed contract proving his plans to flee. But before he can be taken off to jail, a gondolier arrives and says the fortune teller from earlier in the story has been drowned. Then Bettina shows up, drained of blood, and promptly dies.

In a shocking twist that no one could have predicted, Jord Bluthven was really Lord Ruthwen the entire time!

The army and Léonti try to hunt down Ruthwen, but he's vanished. Léonti briefly goes mad with grief and almost dies, but then devotes himself to tracking Ruthwen down. One day he's searching the woods when he comes across a crying Englishman. It's Aubrey from "The Vampyre"!

But Laura, you might be thinking, didn't Aubrey die at the end of "The Vampyre"? No, you fool. He was only mostly dead. Now he's fine and also hunting down Ruthwen. So they decide to hunt Ruthwen together. And spend a lot of time holding each other in their arms as they grieve their respective losses. Of course.

They travel for a bit and reach a town that's being terrorized by a vampire. Except the vampire is actually just some guy who escaped from the local asylum and went into a church where a body happened to be waiting for burial, and then he got into the coffin on top of the body and jumped out before it could be buried, causing everyone to think the guy had risen from the dead. Anyway, everyone has a good laugh about this and then the guy gets taken back to the asylum.

Next our duo go to Naples, where a guy Aubrey knows is scheduled to have a meeting with Ruthwen, but Ruthwen never shows up. Bettina does show up, resurrected from the dead, but disappears just as quickly. Aubrey and his Neapolitan friend think Léonti only thought he saw Bettina because he's crazy, and the Neapolitan proceeds to tell a story that has nothing to do with anything about the invisible apparition of a scorned, dead lady.

Then they go to Rome, where they meet a guy named Nadoor Ali, who joins their quest. He has some issue going on with a Roman duchess who's hot for him and this just serves to take up a whole chapter with no bearing on the rest of the plot. They then go to Modena, where Aubrey tells another story that has nothing to do with anything about a woman who realizes her love is actually her brother and goes crazy.

This story ends on a cliffhanger because it was unfinished and shoved in to pad out the length Bettina shows up to explain everything. She resurrected as a vampire, but then she went into a church and prayed and an angel appeared and told her that if she made sure Ruthwen died, she could be with Léonti. Ruthwen is currently serving as the prime minister of Modena, and Bettina is engaged in a plot with an army leader to defeat him. Having explained this, she tells them to wait for her signal and bounces.

(Side note: Ruthwen's name as the prime minister is Lord Seymour, and now I'm picturing him as Principal Skinner)

Nadoor tells us a story about how he fell in love with a Greek woman who hated men and read Sappho poems all day, but then she was kidnapped and enslaved. This also ends on a cliffhanger, because now it's time to kill Ruthwen.

So Ruthwen is engaged to be married to the Duke of Modena's daughter, Eleonora, and he's basically the evil vizier to the Duke and has convinced him that the army leader is not to be trusted. Ruthwen is celebrating his wedding at a big party at the castle, when our trio of vampire hunters crash the festivities with a literal musical number, and then accuse Ruthwen of killing Aubrey's sister, Léonti's lover, and Nadoor's enslaved Greek lady (Nadoor saying this here is the first we've heard of it).

They are all promptly arrested. Ruthwen goes to consummate his marriage and the next day his wife lies dying of blood loss. Bettina announces to the crowd of gathered mourners that yesterday, she had tried to warn Eleonora to run away from the marriage, but Ruthwen shot her with a poison dart. So now both she and Eleonora are dying because of Ruthwen, and must be avenged. Then Bettina has a seizure and dies. Because apparently vampires can die of poison, and I guess the angel who promised her a happy future with Léonti was just making things up.

A riot ensues and Ruthwen gets stabbed in the chest with a sword. However, the next day all the ladies of the court are dying of blood loss, so clearly the stabbing didn't take. Ruthwen then gets stabbed again in the heart and eyes, this time with hot metal spikes, and that does the trick. The army leader becomes the new prime minister and the vampire hunting trio all get government jobs and live happily ever after.

Oh, and then there's an afterward which states that Ruthwen wrote an account of his early life and the author of this book found it and was inspired to write this novel, but we don't get to read about Ruthwen's early life, because that would be too interesting I suppose.

This is the first instance outside of Thalaba the Destroyer of a female vampire, so that's cool. Too bad the narrative doesn't do much with her.

#Laura reads The Vampire Lord Ruthwen #long post

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burningvelvet · 2 years ago

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Some notes and excerpts sent to Lord Byron from his many admirers — AKA, the Regency era version of sliding into someone's DMs:

“Dear Lord — A person whom you know well, and whom you have deigned to look on with some regard, taken by your extraordinary attractions awaits you this evening at ten o'clock in the back room of the Café San Fantin near the Fenice theater: do not be absent, my adorable Lord, if you do not want to force me to commit some indiscretion. Do not fear any sinister event; love me, though anonymous, as much as I love you, and I will be happy enough. Yours forever — if you want me — just now from home.”

“Milord — Excuse, my dear, the liberty that I take in sending you this note, but seeing you last night at the theater of San Benedetto my heart was smitten by you. Having no possible means of being able to speak to you, I have boldly taken the chance of writing you this note. If you accept my inclination that I feel for you, l will await your answer and will remain with the hope of embracing you if you would favor me with a simple reply by the bearer of this.”

“Being up to date on everything that concerns you, I knew of your new loves — daily you are offered rendezvous— all run after you because I permit a mere fifteen days to go by without seeing you — understand me. No longer an admirer, in order not to suffer your tricks any longer — but believe of me what you will — P.S. Tomorrow evening at eight o'clock I shall have the luck of seeing you.”

“From Home 25 Oct. 1818. Most Esteemed Lord — I would not have come to the Theater this evening except for the pleasure of being able to see your worthy Person and to let you know that I would like to spend, if you do not mind, a few moments in your House this evening after the performance. Awaiting this favor, I have the honor of declaring myself at your esteemed commands — most affectionate Servant — Eleonora de Bezzi.”

“Most Esteemed Sir — Although women are not the first to write, this time I permit myself to take the liberty, in order to let you know that if you favor me by taking the trouble to come to this Friend this evening at nine o'clock I shall have the honor of your charming company for a moment; otherwise there is no way for us to speak. Meanwhile I have the honor of offering my feeble service. P. S. I beg you not to let anyone know that you are coming to visit this Friend of mine.”

“A poor wife bows before your Lordship to ask for some help knowing how generous your beautiful heart is. I know that I am too bold, but the good report that I have heard of you, Sir, gives me courage to come before you, Milord; if my face were sufficiently pleasing to you I would consider myself fortunate to enter into some part of your beautiful heart, but I know I am not worthy and so I ask for your charity. Meanwhile I kiss your hands and declare myself your Most Humble Servant Suzana.”

“Are you ill? but why do I feel worse than you? Sunday evening after eight eternal days will I be able to see you? Yes.”

“Excellency — I wish to know if on Thursday at the appointed hour you will be available. The wise change frequently.”

“Tuesday at the theater Signor Petretin was in a box with you — bravo — after what you promised me, to let yourself be seen with him? If I were not in a very bad humor I would make you laugh by telling you what happened to me with the servant Marietta. If you are not engaged tomorrow evening with Signora Cortessi, at whatever time you like I shall come to see you — addio.”

“Having returned from Padua, I learned that in Benzona's circle it was being said that you made sacrifices for me — I, who know that I never inconvenienced you in the slightest matter, am surprised indeed by this gossip, and I beg you to do me the justice that I merit on this subject — I am certain that you are not the source of such a lie, for I do not believe you are capable of wronging someone who does not deserve it — addio, pardon.”

“I know that you divert yourself in your Gondola; I know about your romance with the Girl of Dolo; I know about the frenzies of Madame Segati; I know everything: and knowing everything — I also know that I am a fool still to concern myself with you. Friday I shall leave for Padua; I would like to say goodbye to you first. If your amorous occupations permit, you may see me tomorrow evening at eight o'clock. Farewell most noble Englishman, believe me with our customary excessiveness — your admirer.”

“You will forgive me for taking the liberty of sending you this simply to learn the reason I have no longer had the honor of seeing you since that day, given our understanding to see each other on Sunday. Subsequently I was deprived of it. Having had the pleasure of seeing you again at the ridotto on Sunday evening, I take courage to send you this letter through my maid. I await your reply. Yours affectionately — Giuliella.”

“Lord — Let an unfortunate Girl enter into your heart if she is ever to remain among the living.”

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albireocountdown · 2 months ago

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grey dagger | trial 4.2 | [re: jules ; attn: fox]

It’s an offer they had wondered on whether it would be upheld.

The Taco Bell, of course. When Ven comes over, wrapped food in hand, they take it from her with a small smile, a soft whee-hee, and a slightly delayed thank you.

Even after all this time, human manners have not been truly ingrained into their psyche.

Maybe this is made all the more evident by the fact they immediately begin eating the crunchwrap, the crinkle of their wrapper intercutting the weight of the conversation, the room, their eyes still locked heavy on Jake but their sight looking everywhere but him.

(It is in poor manner to look without looking, Mother would say. Yet they know, they know, that such a sign of respect would not be extended to the group at this table. But now, even here, would she understand? Would she see why Lucky cannot look where their eyes would rather shift?)

(Likely not. That is her loss.)

Once they’ve finished their meal, crumbling the wrapper into a ball that they set right in front of them on the table, they finally move their gaze to Jules—as if to make sure he knows their words are him; as if they know this is how best to show him respect in spite of his frustrations.

“I think the first Wager was not spoken well. Maybe Sou says he wants us to not die on the boat. That is not a good Wager. That means we can die again and it will not break that promise. It is the monkey’s paw, yes? Now he dies and we live but he does not make sure it is for a long time. He does not understand the deal he is making.”

A little nod to Ruri, but they do not steer their gaze away.

“This Wager he has time to think. He understands how they work now. He is the Operator making the Wager now. He can know that his first Wager will not save us forever. He can make a new Wager that will be better. He has time for it to be better.”

Another little nod, perhaps to themself this time, before letting that be where their words end. They do not look away as others speak, but now their fingers find those purple beads, pinching and twisting and rolling them as they listen.

It’s almost passive, like an afterthought, like something to say just to say it, when they speak next.

“Sou is not only a doctor. Sou is like an older brother. No, that is not right. Sou is an older brother. He acts the way an older brother should act. He is trying to be kind.”

And the beads in their fingers, twisting and twisting.

“Byron said this, yes? We wanted to know if Sou was part of a Wager and if he was making us hunt each other. Byron says he does not think this could be true. Sou is an older brother. That is why he does not speak when he is hurting. That is why he does not say when things are hard. That is why he has something for all of us in his room. That is why he would die for us also. That is why he will keep dying for us. Sou is trying to be kind. That does not make him smart but he is kind. He is trying to be kind even if it will hurt. Sometimes things have to hurt to become better.”

And that thought, kindness versus survival—

And their eyes finally drift, as Ruri speaks, as her words dig in, to the place they have wanted to look again for some time now—a foot or so, give or take, to her left.

“This is what doctors understand, yes? Sometimes things have to hurt to become better. That does not make it easy. That means sometimes they have to put blood on their hands. That means they will cry on the sleeve of a man who has died many times now. It is not easy. Something does not have to be easy to be kind.”

And their eyes and their sight stay pinned there on Fox—because that’s the respectful thing to do.

#albireo countdown #ch4 #ch4 trial #Lucky

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how2fit · 4 months ago

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April is here. A month when spring goes into full bloom after the pretty common false starts of March. And a time of renewal and of brighter, more hopeful and optimistic days. In today’s post I’d like to share 90 of the most positive, beautiful, funny and inspirational April quotes. To help motivate you to go after your biggest goals and dreams this spring. To relieve a bit of your stress through laughter. And to help you to find joy in the simple moments of beauty in nature and life in the middle of this season. Inspirational April Quotes for a Great Spring Month “April is the sweetest month of the year, the mellow season of rebirth and renewal.” – Mary Sojourner “April is the kindest month. April gets you out of your head and out working in the garden.” – Marty Rubin “April, like a child, writes hieroglyphs on dust with flowers, wipes them away, and forgets.” – Rabindranath Tagore “The reappearance of the light is the same as the survival of the soul.” – Victor Hugo “April will not fail to turn out as it should be, and as it generally is, one of the sweetest, dearest, loveliest months of the year.” – Joseph Grimaldi “No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn. April is a promise that May is bound to keep, and we know it.” – Hal Borland “April is a reminder that life is a beautiful, ever-renewing cycle.” – E.E. Cummings “With the coming of spring, I am calm again.” – Gustav Mahler “April is a promise of what’s to come.” – Gladys Taber “April is a gentle reminder that life’s transformations are beautiful and inevitable.” – Ellen Lovell “Spring is when you feel like whistling even with a shoe full of slush.” – Doug Larson “April marks the real end of winter. Daffodils pop open and nod their yellow heads. Grass starts to recover from its frozen cover of snow.” – Sharon Leah “April distance brings May existence.” – English Country Saying “Our spring has come at last with the soft laughter of April suns and shadow of April showers.” – Byron Caldwell Smith “April prepares her green traffic light, and the world thinks, ‘Go!'” – Christopher Morley “You can cut all the flowers, but you cannot keep spring from coming.” – Pablo Neruda “The beautiful spring came, and when nature resumes her loveliness, the human soul is apt to revive also.” – Harriet Ann Jacobs Motivational April Quotes for Work and School “Spring is the time of plans and projects.” – Leo Tolstoy “Let April’s light guide you toward a season of hope and fulfillment.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson “Spring is April’s way of saying, ‘Let’s bloom.'” – Vita Sackville-West “If April showers should come your way, they bring the flowers that bloom in May.” – Buddy DeSylva “The coming of April heralds the time to plant seeds of magic and fill the heart and home with the joy of light and life.” – Lotuswulf Satyrhorn “April is the month of dreams come true.” – John Baillie “Spring won’t let me stay in this house any longer! I must get out and breathe the air deeply again.” – Gustav Mahler “Nothing in the universe can stop you from letting go and starting over.” – Guy Finley “Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.” – Robert Louis Stevenson “During the rainstorms of April, the oyster rises from the sea and opens its shell, rain enters it. When it sinks, the raindrops become the pearl.” – Anne Sexton “Plunge into the deep without fear, with the gladness of April in your heart.” – Rabindranath Tagore “Nothing is predestined. The obstacles of your past can become the gateways that lead to new beginnings.” – Ralph Blum “Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson “Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.” – Seneca “In April, God speaks to us in the seas whose rhythmic murmuring fills our ears from a long way off.” – Eugene Kennedy “Every moment is a fresh beginning.” – T.S. Eliot “All our dreams can come true – if we have the courage to pursue them.” – Walt Disney

“The flowers of late winter and early spring occupy places in our hearts well out of proportion to their size.” – Gertrude S. Wister Funny April Quotes to Help You Release Stress “The first of April is the day we remember what we are the other 364 days of the year.” – Mark Twain “Snow in April is abominable, like a slap in the face when you expected a kiss.” – Lucy Maud Montgomery “Here cometh April again, and as far as I can see, the world hath more fools in it than ever.” – Charles Lamb “Although I was born in April, I’m quite certain I was not fully awake until October.” – Peggy Toney Horton “It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.” – George Orwell “April comes like an idiot, babbling and strewing flowers.” – Edna St. Vincent Millay “But it is a sort of April-weather life that we lead in this world. A little sunshine is generally the prelude to a storm.” – William Cowper “In the spring, I have counted 136 different kinds of weather inside of 24 hours.” – Mark Twain “April weather, rain and sunshine both together.” – English Country Saying “It’s the hottest April in living and dead memory. So hot that the crows are flying with their tongues hanging out of their heads.” – Jess Kidd “Today has been a day dropped out of June into April.” – Lucy Maud Montgomery “The most beautiful springs are those that come after the most horrible winters!” – Mehmet Murat Ildan “April splinters like an ice palace.” – Ruth Stone “I shine in tears like the sun in April.” – Cyril Tourneur “Oh, the lovely fickleness of an April day!” – William Hamilton Gibson “The sweet small clumsy feet of April came into the ragged meadow of my soul.” – E.E. Cummings “The first day of spring is one thing, and the first spring day is another. The difference between them is sometimes as great as a month.” – Henry Van Dyke “Science has never drummed up quite as effective a tranquilizing agent as a sunny spring day.” – W. Earl Hall Beautiful Hello April Quotes to Welcome This Wonderful Month “April, all to welcome thee, spring sets free.” – Remy Belleau “Now the noisy winds are still; April’s coming up the hill!” – Mary Mapes Dodge “The sun was warm but the wind was chill. You know how it is with an April day when the sun is out and the wind is still.” – Robert Frost “April again! The willow wands are yellow, rose-red the brambles that the passing wind knows.” – Virna Sheard “April brings the primrose sweet, scatters daisies at our feet.” – Sara Coleridge “April was just beginning, and after the warm spring day, it turned cooler, slightly frosty, and a breath of spring could be felt in the soft, cold air.” – Anton Chekov “The April winds are magical and thrill our tuneful frames. The garden walks are passional to bachelors and dames.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson “A gush of bird song, a patter of dew. A cloud and a rainbow’s warning suddenly sunshine and perfect blue. An April day in the morning.” – Harriet Elizabeth Prescott Spofford “April in Paris, chestnuts in blossom, holiday tables under the trees.” – Yip Harburg “April this year, not otherwise than April of a year ago, is full of whispers, full of sighs, dazzling mud, and dingy snow.” – Edna St. Vincent Millay “They who meet on an April night are forever lost in love if there’s moonlight all about and there’s no moon above.” – Yip Harburg “Well-apparel’d April on the heel of limping winter treads.” – William Shakespeare “April, the angel of the months, the young love of the year.” – Vita Sackville-West “In April, the first soft, tender, delicate green of spring salutes the eye in every direction.” – Joseph Grimaldi “O sweet wild April came over the hills. He skipped with the winds, and he tripped with the rills.” – William Force Stead “Sweet April’s tears dead on the hem of May.” – Alexander Smith “The air soft as that of Seville in April, and so fragrant that it was delicious to breathe it.” – Christopher Columbus “Sweet April time, o cruel April time!”

– Dinah Craik Short Inspirational April Quotes “Sweet April showers do bring May flowers.” – Thomas Tusser “Oh, to be in England now that April’s there.” – Robert Browning “Spring is nature’s way of saying, ‘Let’s party!'” – Robin Williams “April whispers wake the flowers.” – Lewis Carroll “In April, all things renew.” – Christina Rossetti “April hath put a spirit of youth in everything.” – William Shakespeare “Spring is incomplete if it’s not in April.” – John Masefield “April’s rare capricious loveliness.” – Julia Caroline Dorr “Sweet love seemed that April morn.” – Robert Bridges “No rain, no flowers.” – Haruki Murakami “You are reborn with the roses, in every spring.” – Juan Ramón Jiménez “April’s gentle rains nurture the soul.” – Emily Dickinson “Spring unlocks the flowers to paint the laughing soil.” – Bishop Reginald Heber “The first blooms of spring always make my heart sing.” – S. Brown “April, come she will.” – Simon & Garfunkel “Where flowers bloom so does hope.” – Lady Bird Johnson “Sweet April’s tears breathe life.” – Percy Bysshe Shelley “You’re only here for a short visit. Don’t hurry. Don’t worry. And be sure to smell the flowers along the way.” – Walter Hagen Want more inspiration for this spring season? Then have a look at the positive spring quotes in this post, the March quotes here, this one filled with May quotes and also these deep and short quotes for motivation.

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bboyplankton · 6 months ago

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2024 Playlist

21 Savage feat. Burna Boy & Metro Boomin – Just Like Me

21 Savage feat. Summer Walker – Prove It

38 Spesh feat. Havoc & Lloyd Banks – Had It Coming

38 Spesh feat. Method Man & Ti-Lar Bee – Speshal Methods

4batz – act iv: fckin u (18+)

4batz – act vi: mad man

4Fargo feat. Honey Bxby – Ex For A Reason

Action Bronson feat. Meyhem Lauren – Hogan

Action Bronson feat. Larry June – Kompressor

Akeem Ali – Good Looking Adjectives

Amaria – Beggin’

Amaria – Finer Things

Amaria – Free Fallin’

Ambré – LMK

Ambré – Sideways

Andra Day – Empty

Andra Day – Heavy On My Mind

Andra Day – In The Meantime

Andra Day – Where Do We Go

Annie Tracy feat. Robin Thicke – Close to You

Ariana Grande – don’t wanna break up again

Ayra Starr – Lagos Love Story

BADBADNOTGOOD – Sétima Regra

BADBADNOTGOOD – Weird & Wonderful

Benny the Butcher feat. Kyle Banks – Everybody Can’t Go

Benny the Butcher – How to Rap

Benny the Butcher & 38 Spesh feat. Busta Rhymes – Jesus Arms

Big Sean feat. The Alchemist – Together Forever

BigXthaPlug feat. Yung Hood, Ro$ama, 600 Ent. – Meet the 6ixers

The Black Keys – I Forgot To Be Your Lover

The Black Keys – Only Love Matters

Blxst feat. Joyce Wrice – Better Off Friends

Blxst feat. Anderson .Paak – Dance With The Devil

Blxst – I Had To

Blxst – Private Show

Blxst – To The Moon

Boldy James & Harry Fraud feat. Tee Grizzley – Cecil Fielder

Boldy James & whodahelliscarlo – Hidden In Plain Sight

Bryson Tiller – Outside

Byron Juane feat. Kenyon Dixon – Timeless

Byron Juane – Who Got It

Capella Grey – 1st Last, Pt. 2

Capella Grey – Poison

Capella Grey feat. Jaquees – Wat U Want

Casey Veggies & Dylvinci feat. D. Smoke – Boss Talk

Charlotte Day Wilson feat. Snoh Aalegra – Forever

Charlotte Day Wilson – Money

Chenayder – Levels

Childish Gambino – Yoshinoya

Chlöe – Same Lingerie

Chris Brown feat. Lil Wayne, Joyner Lucas & Tee Grizzley – Freak

Chris Brown – Residuals

Chris Brown – Sex So Good

Chris Brown – Sweet Lullaby

Coi Leray feat. Mike WiLL Made-It – Wanna Come Thru

Common & Pete Rock feat. Posdnuos – When The Sun Shines Again

Conway the Machine – Dasani

Conway the Machine feat. Cool & Dre – Give & Give

Cordae – All Alone

Cordae – Nothings Promised

Dave East & Scram Jones – I Just Wanna

Dave East & Scram Jones – Rain

Denzel Curry feat. Ty Dolla $ign & Juicy J – Cole Pimp

Denzel Curry feat. Armani White – Wishlist

Destin Conrad feat. Alex Isley – Same Mistake

Devin Malik – Backstage

Devin Malik – Moonlight

Doechii – Boom Bap

Doechii – Denial Is A River

Dom Kennedy feat. Allyn – Attention

Dom Kennedy feat. Allyn – Independent

Don Toliver feat. Kodak Black – Black Stone

Don Toliver – Glock

Dot Cromwell & Tiara Imani – Under the Stars

DRAM – Screenshotted/ Nasty & Naughty

Durand Bernarr – Must Be Nice

Dylan Sinclair – IMY

EarthGang & Spillage Village feat. Snoop Dogg – Perfect Fantasy

Elcamino & Black Soprano Family – Gold Plated Benz Wagons

Elcamino, Real Bad Man, Black Soprano Family – Expensive Cloth

Elcamino, Real Bad Man, Black Soprano Family – New Levels

Elijah Blake – Magic Moments

Ella Mai – Little Things

Elmiene – Avalon

Elmiene – Ode to Win

Emanny – B.D.E.

Eminem feat. Sly Pyper – Lucifer

Eric Bellinger – Follow Her Lead

Eric Bellinger feat. Queen Naija – Mutual Agreement

Felix Ames – Bend, Don’t Break

Felix Ames – Don’t Be Alarmed

Finesse2tymes – Hard to Believe

Finesse2tymes – Pretty Ricky

Finesse2tymes feat. NLE Choppa – Very Demure

Fivio Foreign feat Meek Mill – Same 24

Fivio Foreign feat. Sheff G – Waiting

Flo – Bending My Rules

Flo – Shoulda Woulda Coulda

Flying Lotus feat. Sid Sriram – The Lost Girls

Forest Frank feat. Tori Kelly – Miracle Worker

Freddie Gibbs – It’s Your Anniversary

Freeway & Jake One – Freezer

Freeway & Jake One feat. Black Thought – Keep Winning

Freeway & Jake One feat. Jadakiss – Ringin

French Montana feat. Lil Baby - Okay

Future & Metro Boomin – All to Myself

Future & Metro Boomin – Beat It

Future & Metro Boomin feat. Rick Ross – Everyday Hustle

Future & Metro Boomin – Overload

Future & Metro Boomin feat. J. Cole – Red Leather

Gary Clark Jr. feat. Keyon Harold – Alone Together

GloRilla feat. T-Pain – I Luv Her

Grafh & 38 Spesh feat. Method Man – Fight For Love

Grafh & 38 Spesh feat. Freeway Peedi Crakk, & Memphis Bleek – Rocafella Chain

Grafh & 38 Spesh – Poetry

Gucci Mane – I Told Myself

Gucci Mane – One Thing About It

Gunna – today I did good

Hit-Boy & BlueBucksClan feat. 2 Chainz – Scroll

Honey Bxby – Poseidon

Honey Bxby – Touchin’

Ice Cube feat. Xzhibit – Break the Mirror

Ice Cube feat. Busta Rhymes & Killer Mike – Ego Maniacs

IDK feat. Gunna – TiFFANY (B)

Imagine Dragon – Take Me to the Beach

Isaiah Falls – Candy

Isaiah Falls – Mamas Luv

Jack Freeman – Got Me Sayin

Jack Freeman – Undress

Jade Novah – Butterfly

Jade Novah – Like That

Jade Novah – Trip

Jayla Darden – Never Settle

Jaz Karis feat. June Freedom – Chill On Me

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charlenasaxen · 7 months ago

Text

“Shall I curtsy when I address you from now on, cousin? I wouldn’t want to offend a princess.”

“So why was it that the first time he left, he’d chosen to come to Thorn Grove of all places?”

“I’m just going to listen. Speak loudly, cousin. Enunciate.”

“there were flowers everywhere. Giant arrangements of peonies and roses.”

“Everett was dressed from head to toe in mourning black, and he held his hat in his lap. His warm brown skin had gone ashy, and there were fine lines Signa had never noticed”

“Forgive me for once again arriving unannounced. I promise I will not make a habit of it.”

“going immediately to his side. Improper though it was, she took one of Everett’s hands in her own.”

“he sat, drawing her down beside him”

“They’re keeping him regardless of what I say. I just thought you should know that I never meant for this to happen.”

“But then she remembered the letter from Fate that signaled his intent to prove himself. Could Everett’s reversal be a gift from him?”

“you must take care of yourself. If there’s anything I can do for you, please let me know.”

“I must formally take my place as the Duke of Berness, and it would mean the world to me if you and your family attended the investiture.”

“She set the invitation in her lap and flashed Everett a smile. “We’ll be there.”

“Everett still meant every word. He was a kinder person than she was—than most people were, really. Deeply, wonderfully kind.”

“You are going to make a fine duke,” Byron told him. “Your father would be proud.”

Those five words alone were enough to steal Everett’s breath”

“snatch any remaining light from his eyes. Signa stared at the pale press of his lips”

“skimming down the elegant script until she saw the date. “The twentieth of April.”

“Less than a week. Not much time to plan.”

“Whether he did hope, however, was the question. And it was time that Signa finally got an answer.”

“Death’s voice in her head, telling her not to take this risk. That they would find another way.”

“Signa smiled and let her hand slide into his, savoring the moment. She’d journeyed down these halls with Sylas before, sleuthing for clues”

“He laughed, low and pleased, as he watched”

“if her hands really could bring life instead of death—then shouldn’t that be the power she craved?”

“Byron’s searching for him,” Signa whispered. Her guilt was acidic, burning”

“It seemed Byron had searched nearly half the country by now. Page by page his notes lost their elegance”

“stumbled backward. Death gripped her by the shoulders, steadying her.

“He knows.”

“He knows Percy is dead. He knows someone killed him. My name is on those papers. He must think it was me. He must know—”

“Outwardly, Byron was maintaining his composure. But inwardly…

“He loved Percy.”

“He loved him, and he’ll never see him again. He doesn’t even know what happened.”

“If that happened… she would lose the Hawthornes forever”

“If it wasn’t Percy they had to mourn, it would be Blythe—”

“They were to be little more than ghosts passing through, just as Sylas had told her all those seasons ago”

“stunning emerald stone set on a gold band”

“until she noticed the article about the fire that she dropped the news clippings, face turning bone white”

“unaware that Signa was beside her, watching”

“But Blythe would never forgive her. And why should she?”

“To apologize for everything she’d had to do to save Blythe’s life that night in the woods”

“Fate’s words rattled in her head, over and over again: What if those hands of yours could do more than kill? You’d want that, wouldn’t you?”

“she did. If it meant never again being the one responsible for the tears”

“It was like that night in the woods, back when Gundry had stood at her side and Signa had raised the dead garden”

“Death careened backward, hissing as he clawed at the vines that somehow ensnared his shadows”

“They didn’t stop once on their way back to Signa’s suite. Not to speak. Not to ask questions. Not for anything.”

“Usually, he did a fine job at playing human, but in that moment he’d forgotten to blink as he stared”

“it would do neither of them any good if she started sprouting things again”

“he shut his eyes. “You grew that, Signa.”

“You grew something.” There was a perilous calm to Death’s words”

“There is only one person in this world with the powers to do such a thing.”

“there was nothing to prepare her for the weight of what they meant as Death said, “Signa. You used Life’s powers.”

“Still, it seemed impossible. Because if she had Life’s powers… If she could give life…”

“All this time, her life never had to be this way.

“Did you know?” Death’s voice was a scythe”

“She held firmly to his hand, for in the back of her mind a voice warned her not to let go”

“But it is true, Signa. All this time I have been nothing but a fool.”

“Death stilled. “The same way I always do.”

“Through touching her, right?”

“I cannot be her. I don’t die when you touch me, Death. I am not her.”

“I will not willingly leave. But if we’re going to be together, then I want it to be by choice.”

“These powers were no soft thing. They were wildfire upon her skin”

“Whatever you decide, I will be here,” Death promised. “Until the moment you tell me to leave, I will be by your side.”

“You are still Signa Farrow, and I am not a good enough man to allow my brother to take you from me.”

“Signa had heard the song that she and Fate had danced to.

She had heard the song he’d asked her to remember.”

“she debated whether she should tell Signa what had happened”

“small foal curled beside him. The poor thing was quivering”

“All there is to do now is make him comfortable and pray for the best.”

“if anyone could tell her more about what happened that night in the woods, it was Charlotte”

“saw the ghost of her mother weaving through spindly branches, never letting them tear the hem of her white dress”

“Birds knocked their greetings upon the trunks of towering oaks or sang sweet spring pleasantries. Blythe heard her brother’s laughter within them.”

“nearly laughed at the memory; she’d be sure to tease Percy about it once they managed to find him”

“sitting on her favorite bench and reading a book that Blythe would later steal”

“But all that awaited her in the garden were ashes and the ghost of too-sweet memories”

“Everett Wakefield sat beside Charlotte, sporting a boyish grin. Charlotte was laughing, squeezing his hands in hers as they spoke in low, happy whispers.”

“Everett stole a kiss that Charlotte was all too happy to return”

“Charlotte shoved Everett away from her, the two of them whispering”

“She pretended to be looking elsewhere and entirely unaware of Everett as he scurried out of sight”

“Blythe had never seen anyone swallow a frog, but she imagined that if she had, they would look like Charlotte did”

“He seemed like everyone who runs out of Thorn Grove talking of ghosts.”

“most painfully, not to check on Blythe’s health and ensure she was still alive”

“I wasn’t the one who ran toward the fire that night.”

“What do you think she could have done to him? Run him out of town? Do you think she’s strong enough to have killed him?”

“when Charlotte sat tall and unflinching, it was Blythe who began to shrivel”

“I knew Signa when we were only children,” Charlotte insisted. “She was my closest friend because I liked that she was a little strange”

“I was glad to see her again, but ever since that night in the garden I can’t help but wonder… why did she run toward the fire?”

“Signa had saved her life. She had been there when no one else had. She was Blythe’s person”

“Why do you think he’s invited you all to the investiture? Surely, you can’t believe it’s because he still cares for her.”

“Even Miss Killinger seemed to quickly recognize her slipup, for her eyes went wide”

“it never crossed my mind that he did. When you go back to him, do tell him hello for me, would you?”

“Charlotte hurried inside while Blythe snapped the reins and set off”

“Charlotte’s competitiveness had her behaving no better than the others”

“Yet that wasn’t why, in that moment, Blythe hated Charlotte. Rather, it was because Charlotte had planted a seed.”

“There was no way that Signa would have ever harmed Percy. She loved him, just as she loved Blythe.…

… Didn’t she?”

“Byron likely suspected they were gossiping about men”

“even if all she could think of was his sheer devastation and the hollowness of his eyes”

“His eyes flashed toward the girls.

“Right yourselves at once,” he hissed. “It’s the prince.”

“not before tugging at Signa’s bodice. She tried her best to lower it until Signa swatted her hand away”

“He looked just as he did the last time Signa had seen him, which was to say that he was handsome by a majority vote”

“Fate bowed his head, his hands too full of more ridiculous flowers to properly shake Byron’s”

“It truly was astounding how nosy she was”

“Though Signa knew from the chill that Death was near, Fate didn’t betray where his brother stood with so much as a glance”

“They’re your favorites,” he corrected. “Or at least they were.”

“Finally, his eyes skimmed up and over her shoulder”

“Byron’s only response was a slow nod. Blythe remained staring down at the piano, repeatedly striking the same three chords in succession.”

“she threw a look toward where Death stood. “I can handle myself. Stay with Blythe, please.”

“his arm tensing beneath her grip. “Are the consequences worth it?”

“Fate’s laugh was not like Death’s. It was not midnight’s seductive call”

“She had never related more to a slug in her life”

“taking great care to lay each one just so. “Do you like it?” There was such hopefulness in his voice”

“Signa reached out to take hold of his hand, jolting at how still he went”

“she could think only of how sad it was. How sad and how broken he was.

“This is very nice,” she told Fate”

“You always used to love the spring,” Fate whispered”

“summer was your favorite. We would spend our days just like this, enjoying meals by the sea or exploring old cities”

“Fate shrinking in on himself, his frown severe”

“Delicate lavender petals floated atop it.

“Did you make all of this yourself?”

“the small smile he tried to hide was enough to confirm her suspicion that he had”

“she took a cautious sip to see whether it tasted half as good as it looked—it was even better”

“He seemed comfortable in a fitted white shirt he’d loosened at the collar and trousers cut at the ankles”

“I’ve wanted to try them ever since I crafted the fate of a woman who thought them up.”

“Fate’s laugh was proud and warm. “Of course. I know the finest cooks and artisans in the world, Miss Farrow.”

“so bright was his smile that Signa’s heart stuttered. “I could show you if you’d like?”

“single bead of blood shone gold”

“allowed his eyes to meet hers as he said coolly, “He will not be extended the same courtesy.”

“My foolish girl,” he whispered, drawing her into powerful arms”

“Come,” he whispered, and Signa wished she could disappear into that honeyed tone. “I’ll show you.”

“The palace was eerily silent—a resting dreamworld awaiting the return of its dreamer”

“heart falling when she found that all the beautiful amber paneling had vanished”

“now saw that the woman depicted was the loveliest she’d ever seen”

“That’s Life,” she whispered, somehow recognizing the woman. “Isn’t it?”

“Wisteria began to deteriorate the moment my brother lost her.”

“Life’s painting, Signa noticed, was the only thing in the palace that was still in full color”

“I do, however, fear you, Signa. I fear that someday you will break my heart.”

“So long as my brother believes that you and she are one and the same, he won’t leave you be. Having seen the two of them together, I can understand why.”

“I see my brother for what he is,” Death continued. “A desperate man who has spent hundreds of years unable to move on from the woman who laid claim to his heart.”

“He will not know peace until he finds her.”

“None of us would want to spend a single lifetime in such despair, let alone the eternity my brother will endure.”

“yet Signa felt drawn to Life in a manner that words could not describe”

“Fate was on the precipice of breaking beyond repair. She tried to swallow down the pity knotting her throat”

“But to Fate, a single thread is the difference between life and death. That is his power”

“Fate, too, was quiet for a long moment before Signa heard the stomp of Fate’s boots hurrying up the steps”

“The queen’s gaze softened only when Everett Wakefield entered the room”

“He’d been fitted into a handsome ensemble made of black silk”

“days since he’d nearly caught her and Death at Wisteria, and pity still made her throat thick”

“Fate expected her to be another woman entirely, one with powers that Signa would have once given the world for”

“Everett knelt before the queen, and Signa fixed her attention on him”

“look at Everett in his formal wear and see anything but the tears in his eyes as he’d held the hand of his father’s corpse only weeks before”

“her chest warming when he waved”

“There’s a heaviness in the air.”

Given that Signa’s experience with the dead was much more pronounced, she didn’t feel anything”

“Regardless, Eliza was worried for her cousin and asked me to stay with them”

“Everett was sick every time he ate—he couldn’t keep so much as bread down”

“They were as silver as starlight.

“Fix it.” Signa’s words were little more than an urgent breath. “Tear it out if you must, but make sure no one can see.”

“Have you lost your mind? I’m not going to rip out your hair!”

“Or maybe he has, and they’re biding their time until your family’s name is cleared.”

“Or perhaps you’ve been far too concerned with yourself to consider what everyone else is doing.”

“Fate turned at the last moment, headed not toward her but to Everett”

“You’ve been dreaming of Everett?” There was tension in Charlotte’s jaw”

“It seemed everyone was an actor, these days”

“Ha. Well-mannered, indeed.”

“It must be fate,” Signa mused, smile so wide”

“I couldn’t agree more. Fate is a very powerful thing.” It was the alleged prince himself who spoke as he and Everett approached.”

“Fate’s eyes, however, lifted to watch Signa from beneath long lashes”

“Still? Did you intend on leaving?” It was Everett who asked, setting a hand on Fate’s shoulder as though they were good friends.”

“I have every intention of remaining here until she agrees to accept my proposal.”

“She hated that he sounded so charming, and that there was a dimple in his cheek that made him look entirely too friendly”

“Everett looked so bashful as he adjusted his waistcoat”

“It seemed they might mill about each other all day if someone didn’t do something to rouse them”

“He tipped his head toward the garden. “How would you all fancy a game of croquet?”

“Signa found herself wishing that she could be one of those guests, soaking in the garden’s beauty while stuffing her face”

“she found herself continually looking at Everett, examining the smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes”

“Might he have had a motive to kill his father? Could his face be that of a killer?”

“Charlotte was at his side, speaking to him in low and happy tones”

“When Fate caught Signa stealing a look at him, he offered his arm”

“Though the question was teasing, it was easy to see the vulnerability he was masking”

“Fate took the jab in stride. “Would your answer change if I said we can consider it part of our courting?”

“Fate walked with strong, confident strides, yet somehow still managed to look elegant. Almost like he was floating”

“If playing dirty is what it takes to get you to remember all that you have lost, then I will be the filthiest bastard you’ve ever met, Signa Farrow.”

“What do you say, ladies? Up for a game?” There was a spark in Everett’s eyes”

“after all he had undergone these past few weeks, Signa’s foul mood eased at the welcomed sight”

“sung in our praise? A favor? Or maybe even a kiss from a lovely lady?”

“Oh, come now, Everett.” Fate laughed. “It’s only a kiss.”

“Fate’s laugh was far too genuine. “You’re not to my taste, love.”

“Fate’s grip tightened on his mallet, and Everett and Signa shared a look. At least there were two people here behaving appropriately”

“even if there was a second when Signa considered wringing Blythe’s neck”

“inspected her work with a satisfied little nod before strolling back to them. “I suppose that will do.”

“Everything Signa knew about croquet she had learned from watching Blythe approximately two minutes prior”

“she was surprised to find that Blythe’s smug expression had been wiped clean, her pale brows creased”

“I daresay we’ve been played, Your Highness,” Everett mused”

“Even so, the ball slid through the wicket.

“I do enjoy a nice, fair game.” Fate repositioned himself for his second strike, bending at the hips.”

“I do not make a habit of cheating, brother. But if you continue to, then so will I.”

“unable to figure out whether he’d want her apology or her head on a platter”

“Turn after turn both Everett and Signa tried their best”

“though Everett bounced several balls from the wickets, and Signa kept missing the ball altogether”

“the tension between them grew so thick that the other two gave them a wide berth”

“Fate was just as well practiced. As he ought to have been, Signa supposed, considering how long he’d been alive.”

“remained true to his word about avoiding it even as he kept up with Blythe”

“Signa had no doubt that if they were alone, she’d be celebrating her victory with nothing short of a battle cry”

“It’d been nice to play a game with him; to see him jest and smile and pretend that they were normal people with normal lives”

“though Signa’s entire body itched with the knowledge that something was horribly, desperately wrong, she followed her cousin inside”

“she couldn’t shake Charlotte’s warning. Why did she run toward the fire?”

“her eyes large and knowing. But when Signa had arrived at Thorn Grove, Blythe’s life had improved tenfold. It had been fun.”

“beyond that, she’d also met a wonderful friend. A sister, really.”

“gauzy, hazy glimpses of shadows that hovered behind Signa. Shadows that Signa had spoken to when she thought no one was listening”

“she was certain that Signa had seen those shadows, too; had spoken with them”

“she hated these thoughts. Hated that she could even be considering Signa in this way.”

“the rooms you walk into get cold, Signa. Your hair is losing its color, and there is a darkness that follows you even now.”

“To her credit promptly shut it once more.

Blythe knew then.”

“Her cousin was quiet, and Blythe instinctively wrapped her hand around the carriage’s handle in case she needed to throw herself out”

“Signa said, “There’s something I need to show you,” and Blythe felt her world shatter.”

“But one could not simply admit to being a reaper in love with Death”

“Signa would make no such marionettes. She didn’t want to live her life continuing to keep Blythe in the dark.”

“She looked behind her, ensuring that William was gone before she set her hand tenderly on the foal’s neck”

“Signa!” Blythe tried to smack them away from her. “What’s gotten into you? Spit those out!”

“Blythe fell back with wild eyes, looking like a startled deer”

“For a moment Signa swore that Blythe looked at him, or at least near him”

“Blythe stiffened. “Of course I can see you. Stop talking nonsense!”

“That shouldn’t be possible.” Death’s voice was breathless. “Not while she’s still alive.”

“She avoided dying three separate times. Perhaps there’s more of a price to that than we thought.”

“still she drew the foal’s head to her lap and stroked its neck”

“as the foal’s heartbeat stilled beneath her touch and Blythe covered her mouth with tears in her eyes”

“Blythe finally stared up at her. She clutched the foal close, arms wrapping around its thick neck.”

“when she’d left her aunt Magda’s house half a year ago, and it seemed everyone in the entire town had shown up to cross themselves as they watched her go”

#quotes #foxglove

0 notes

nityarawal · 1 year ago

Text

2/2/2024

Math= “Love Bomb You Anyways,” *2+2= 4

Morning Songs

“Of Course,” We Love You,”

Elon Drones

“Of Course I Love you,”

Drones

Of Course I Love

You

Anyways

Hashtags

Of Course We'll

Love

Love Bomb You

We Promised

“It's Hot!”

Eloning

Love More Than

Anyone Before

Anti-Harem

Choose To Love

A Gay Man

With All Our Hearts

Fearing Anti-Semetic

Smear

Big Love

Weaponizing

Symmetry

Motherhood

“Thunder From Down

Under,” Tragedies*

Surgeries

Anomalies

Hearts

Balls

Broken

Love With, ”All

Our Hearts,”*

“Love Eternal,”

Love Our Stars

Love You Starlights

Agape Valentines

Love You Mammas

Aunties

Even If You

Can't All Have

A Nitya Nanny

For Eternity

I'll Leave You

My Songs

I'll Share My Songs

You Can't Break Up

With Me

Because You Never

Triangulated Me

With Government

You Can't Break Up

With Me

Because You Never

Matchmaked Me

You Can't Divorce

Because You Never

Conned Me

You Can't Silence Me

Because You Never

“F'd” Me

Because Vegas

Never Got Me

Into Her Lair

Got Alot Of

Free PR

“Egypt Station”*

Gay Cabarets

No Tips

Just Condemnation

“Space X” *

Kidnappings

“Solar City”

Eric Budd

Crypto Cons

“Boring Company”

Obviously Not

Trillionaires

Tunnels

Gold Alot Of Doje

Lost

Was That With

Ambitious

Dojo Bernards

Or Joel’

Swingers

Oleg Vydra

Day Traders

Born Again Kyle Cleveland

Lost The Spiritual

Center

We Gave You Goddesses

Chandra

Made A Fountain

Of Me Bathing

Pouring Water

Over My Head

We Gave You

Goddesses

Vayya Died Of

Breast Cancer

We Gave You

Goddesses

Helen Lost

Her Uterus

After She Married

Our Principal

And All Her Female

Organs

Bad Choices

Augmented Breasts

Diabetes

We Gave You

Goddesses

Ayni Raimondi

Was My Angel

Botticelli

Rolling Out Of

Bed

Masons

Millionaires

Pilots Fought

Principal Daddy

And Buzzed Around Her

Head To Be

Her Forever Dad

AirBnb Feds

Raped Us With

PNC Pfizer Banks

Into BBVA AI

Rewind Scams

Close Rewind YouTube

Close [email protected]

Close The Silencing.org

Cohens’

Byron Katie Coaching

Centers For Cons

At Courts

With Abi Odam

John Hochman

Ivette Havasi Hochman M.U.M.

Hungarian Greencard

Spies

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On Football Crimes

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Probation Officers

Soldiers

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Her Pants

Cher’s Back

At Court

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#FreeBritney

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Gone

“Ganesh”

Remover Of

Obstacles

Dr. Wally

Daddy’s Pilot Mason

Airforce

Hooker

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Russia

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Was When

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Who-Who

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In “Basic Instinct,”

Rapunzel

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Until

She Lost

Custody

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Kids

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Room

Is Elon Crying

#Rockets Tears

Rape

Extorted

Son Transed

Vivian

Trying To Shake

The Lineage

Karma

By Airforce

Labs

Nazi Spies

Since Elon’s

Grandpa's Days

But Especially

Trying To Shirk

Errol Musk

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Accomplices

Ben Shaphiro

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Rap

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Woman

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With Neuralink

Robotics

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Genuine

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Eloning

Eternal Love

Forever

Moms

Peace,

Nitya Nella Davigo Azam Moezzi Huntley Rawal

*Inspired By “Settings By Mona,” XO

**”Thunder From Down Under,” Is Adam Steck's Famous “Vegas” Gay Cabaret.

*** “The Boyfriend,” Musical My Friends & I We're Trolled At Since M.S.A.E Maharishi School Of The Age Of Enlightenment.)

**** Elon & I are partners on Rewind- and I’m a silent investor on all projects he's involved in due to data crimes by our associates on various corporate/AI/Matchmaking/X/Twitter Cons. They obviously originated on Facebook with political hookers. I'd like to bow out of all US Corporate services and be sovereign when we rebuild for sincere Martians. We're done servicing court hookers- even our beloved BFFS that gingerly sold us and our children on black market.

0 notes

kammartinez · 2 years ago

Text

By Jonathan Taylor

Jet-lagged and exhausted, LeVar Burton rallied his youthful energy as he exited customs at New York’s JFK airport and climbed into a waiting limo. He had just traveled from the Zambezi River in Zambia, where he had filmed a segment for the April 4, 1982, episode of ABC’s “The American Sportsman.”

The car made its way from Queens to Manhattan, dropping him off at Central Park. He was there to shoot the pilot for a new public television show aimed at encouraging early learners to love books.

The show was to be called “Reading Rainbow.”

He was not entirely sure what the job was, and certainly not aware that it would become one of his signature roles. It didn’t matter. The son of a former teacher and a passionate believer in learning, reading, exploring and growing, Burton was all-in on this new adventure.

“Everything about it just made sense,” Burton says, more than 40 years later. “It was about literature and the written word, it was about kids, it was about having kids discover the power of literature through the medium of television and that was why ‘Reading Rainbow’ was such a radical departure from other shows of its era.”

From the moment he first met the “Reading Rainbow”crew, Burton demonstrated not one iota of star attitude.

“He showed up, got out of the limo, and I said, ‘Hey, how are you?’” Cecily Truett, co-creator, head writer and producer on the show for most of its run, recalls. “He said, ‘Well, I just got off the red-eye, so…’ I said, ‘Well, what can we do for you? How can we make you comfortable?’ He said, ‘You know, I’d love to have a glass of orange juice and a toothbrush.’ And that was it.

“He walked right on to the set, he ran through his lines and for the next 25 years he was on the set, on time, with his lines memorized....”

“For 155 shows,” her husband, Larry Lancit, another of the show’s creators, producers and directors, added.

Burton had to hurry back from Africa to New York because a skeleton crew was waiting to shoot the pilot episode, including anxious documentarians Truett and Lancit and fellow creator and executive producer Twila C. Liggett, a onetime elementary school teacher who had realized TV was the ideal medium to reach and influence young children. If “Reading Rainbow” delivered on its promise that a children’s show focused on the joy and value of reading could be set in the real America rather than on Sesame Street or in Mister Rogers’ neighborhood, it would get the blessing from PBS.

It did the trick. This month marks the 40th anniversary of the national premiere of one of the longest-running children’s shows in the history of public television.

That pilot episode centered around the children’s book “Gila Monsters Meet You at the Airport” by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat and Byron Barton. It is about a young New Yorker whose family is moving to Arizona, and who faces the fear felt by any kid torn from the community he or she has known and grown up with to resettle someplace distant, almost alien. (Spoiler alert: No desert animals meet the young man and his family upon arrival.)

As was the case in every episode that followed, Burton played host, trusted friend and calming presence. He was the face of the show and its most visible advocate, which was needed, since Liggett was forever searching for funding to pay for the show’s ambitious storytelling and wanderlust. Having the charismatic, passionate host on every episode and advocating on behalf of the show to Congress, parent groups and elsewhere made Liggett’s job much easier. Burton stayed with the show even when he got a much higher-profile job, as Geordi La Forge on the syndicated “Star Trek: The Next Generation.”

With the pilot shot — once the show got on the air, it actually was Episode 8 — all that was needed was the blessing, and partial funding, of the Corp. for Public Broadcasting (CPB), the private, nonprofit corporation charged by Congress to financially support PBS shows. Rev. Donald L. Marbury, at that time the vice president for programming at CPB, recalls the high-stakes meeting when Liggett presented the results of the pilot to him and his colleagues:

“In such meetings you couldn’t show too much enthusiasm or give too many positive signals because we were the Corporation, and we were bound by all kinds of processes and procedures. We did not have dollars to just say, ‘OK, we get it. Here, take the money.’ We had to go through panels, we had to go through outside groups and experts to come in and ratify what we thought were good ideas.”

And yet, because he remembered his own elementary school teacher decades before imbuing him with a love of books and reading, Marbury concedes, “When Twila comes in with this concept for ‘Reading Rainbow,’ you know I’m predisposed. I’m a kindred spirit. And so, she kind of had me from jump street, if you will. She had me at hello.”

Meanwhile, Lancit and Truett took a well-earned vacation to Puerto Rico, though their minds were elsewhere.

“Our whole future depended on whether we were going to do this thing or not because we were going to have to do 15 [episodes that first season],” Lancit remembers. “They wanted to show it in summer of ’83 and here it was January of ’82. So, we’re gonna have to really haul ass to get it all done.”

“We’re sitting on a balcony in Puerto Rico, overlooking the ocean and there was a tremendous rainstorm, when a big rainbow came across the sky and damned if the phone didn’t ring. It was Twila. She said they loved it at CPB and basically authorized the funds,” Lancit recalls. “So, it looks like we’re going to get started.”

Much of what became the template for “Reading Rainbow” — built around Liggett’s ideas that the show should encourage early readers to read to learn instead of simply learning to read — had already been decided earlier in the process, after the Lancits, Liggett and a few others had received the initial OK from CPB to develop the pilot.

“We knew what we wanted,” Lancit says. “If there was going to be a feature book and some sort of adaptation of that book, we decided that there really needed to be some sort of touchstone in real life that made the book come alive, by doing some sort of real-life experience that you can attach to the story that’s in the book. That was the genesis of what we called our field segment. And then we said, ‘Well, how do we introduce additional books?’ And we said, ‘Let’s do book reviews,’ and so we came up with the idea to have kids at the end of each show review books that were similar in scope, or message, or story.”

Aside from host LeVar Burton’s signature line before the young children would tout their favorite book — “But don’t take my word for it” — the show was different each time, which kept it fresh. A new feature book was showcased every episode, read by various known and unknown voices.

And unlike most other shows for kids, whether on PBS, commercial channels or, by the mid ’80s, cable, “Reading Rainbow”had no fixed set. Instead, it would travel — often to Southern California, in part to be close to LeVar Burton’s home — as well as across the country, around the world (when budgets allowed, which wasn’t often) or just across New York City, in pursuit of the right expert, the ideal setting, the most photogenic location to shoot a field piece. And, of course, there were boys and girls of all races and ethnicities to recommend additional reading options.

Among the notables who narrated the Feature Book that first season were actors Madeline Kahn (“Bea and Mrs. Jones”), James Earl Jones (“Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain”) and Lauren Tom (“Liang and the Magic Paintbrush”), and singer Lou Rawls (“Ty’s One-Man Band”).

One other book featured that first season was “Arthur’s Eyes,” read by a pre-controversy Bill Cosby), which author Marc Brown remembers as a key moment for him, “because that’s when Arthur started to gain traction with teachers, librarians, kids.”

In fact, it wasn’t long after that book was featured on “Rainbow”that Brown was approached by PBS about adapting his Arthur stories into an animated series. WGBH Boston producer Carol Greenwald emphasized that the aim of the series was to encourage kids to read.

That was different from some of the other offers he’d received to bring his popular aardvark character to TV. “I had had two other inquiries about Arthur on television, but it was a Saturday morning kind of thing. I would’ve had no control over what would happen to Arthur; they could put a gun in his backpack. And I didn’t want that to happen.”

Indeed, while PBS Kids, as it’s known now, was and remains a safe and welcoming destination for youngsters, it wasn’t the only place for kids to be entertained by TV. Shows aimed at young viewers aired on the big networks as well as on local stations, especially on Saturday mornings, but also in the afternoons, after school.

Until the passage of the Children’s Television Act in 1990, which wasn’t fully implemented until 1993, broadcast TV was largely unregulated — or, more accurately, was self-regulated.

That’s how a show like “He-Man and the Masters of the Universe,” which also began in 1983,got on the air. Based on the He-Man toys from Mattel, the series’ blend of product and programming spurred loud objections from parent groups, TV watchdogs and others before becoming a huge hit on commercial TV.

Sen. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) has waged a career-long crusade to hold broadcasters accountable for what they aired, particularly to children. He recalls, not at all fondly, his battles with President Ronald Reagan’s Federal Communications Commission, under the leadership of Chairman Mark C. Fowler, which followed the Reaganomics model and rescinded all of the regulations governing children’s TV.

So, when Markey, then a member of the House of Representatives, managed to pass a bill in 1984 that reinstated and even strengthened the rules that had formerly been in place, it was no surprise that the president vetoed it. Markey got it passed again during the first President Bush’s term, and he too refused to sign it, twice. It wasn’t until Democrat Bill Clinton became president and appointed his own FCC chairman, Reed Hundt, that the Children’s Television Act finally became law.

Even now, 30 years later, Markey remains bitter about the fights and compromises necessary to pass meaningful legislation regarding kids’ TV. Markey says the Reagan and Bush administrations “showed a deep-seated obeisance to the broadcast industry, almost genuflecting at their every whim, notwithstanding the harm that was being done to children across the country.”

It was in this environment that “Reading Rainbow”launched, a co-production of Nebraska Educational TV in Lincoln, where Liggett was based, and WNED in Buffalo, which was involved in the show from the beginning as well. Premiering any show is challenging, but it was logarithmically harder for this show, which had no fixed location, needed rights to multiple books for each episode, had to fight hard, particularly in the early seasons, to get placement on local PBS stations, and do all of it under tight budget constraints.

As far as figuring out which books to feature, Truett remembers coming up with basic standards, in collaboration with Liggett and some of the academic advisors the producers consulted regularly.

“Is it telegenic? Does it lead to an adventure that would excite the viewer? Is it kid-friendly? Is it about dinosaurs? (That’s a no-brainer.) Did it meet our diversity standards? Were there books that were reflective of children of all colors and cultures? … There were many, many standards for what got selected as a feature book.”

Then there was the matter of locking down the rights to spotlight the books, which was predictably agonizing, at least in the first season. The hard work of securing rights, and money, fell to Liggett. She chuckles now at the memory of dealing with skeptical publishers for rights to the book, since by the end of the first season, publishers couldn’t do enough to get their books on the show.

But in 1982, as the first season of shows was coming into focus, it was still an untested, unproven proposition when Liggett went to Simon & Schuster to get rights to adapt “Gila Monsters” for TV.

The Simon & Schuster executive couldn’t understand why her company would let a TV show have rights to the book; for publishing houses, the so-called “boob tube” was the enemy of reading.

“When we first started approaching book publishers to tell them about this and secure these rights, we were initially greeted with a lot of suspicion and questions like ‘What’s this all about?’” Marc Bailin, Truett and Lancit’s attorney who helped negotiate book rights, remembers. “Within a few years, the publishers were clamoring to have their book be a ‘Reading Rainbow’ book.”

That’s no surprise since, from the start, having a book featured on the show “increased the book sales of a lot of those titles markedly,” Bailin says.

By the time “Reading Rainbow” aired its final episode on Nov. 10, 2006, it had produced 155 in all, each with the same essential structure, each different in content from the other 154. It taught multiple generations of young children to love to read, to explore and keep their eyes open to new experiences, new people, new ideas.

Never the icon that its friendly rivals “Sesame Street” or “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” were, and drawing nowhere near the audience numbers of cable TV behemoth Nickelodeon’s hits, “Reading Rainbow”was still a show watched and beloved by early readers, their parents, teachers and others.

As Burton explains, “We recognized the impact on the audience and we leaned into it. It made sense, we were there creating content for children to enhance their minds, hearts and souls, right? And given that opportunity, we didn’t want to squander it.”

#tv #reading rainbow #history #levar burton #books #reading #education

0 notes

kamreadsandrecs · 2 years ago

Text

By Jonathan Taylor

The car made its way from Queens to Manhattan, dropping him off at Central Park. He was there to shoot the pilot for a new public television show aimed at encouraging early learners to love books.

The show was to be called “Reading Rainbow.”

From the moment he first met the “Reading Rainbow”crew, Burton demonstrated not one iota of star attitude.

“He showed up, got out of the limo, and I said, ‘Hey, how are you?’�� Cecily Truett, co-creator, head writer and producer on the show for most of its run, recalls. “He said, ‘Well, I just got off the red-eye, so…’ I said, ‘Well, what can we do for you? How can we make you comfortable?’ He said, ‘You know, I’d love to have a glass of orange juice and a toothbrush.’ And that was it.