#reagan marigold

[tambriart]

"Okay plant. If I buy you, you have to promise me you won't die."

[dioles-writes]

"PARENT-TEACHER INTERVIEWS"

Masterlist | Credits go to @jiphenn | Characters: Felix (he/him), Reagan (she/her), Paisley (she/they/he), Haven (she/they), Gunther (he/him), Cora (she/her), Mr Prader (he/him)

“Are you ready, Felix?”

It was Reagan, calling to him from downstairs. Felix fixed his shirt, yelling that he’d be down in a second. He’d gone for a more casual look today: Black button-up, striped black slacks, and a striped black-and-white cropped jacket. This outfit was definitely a step down from his usual extravagant neon clothes.

He ran downstairs, joining Reagan and Paisley who were waiting patiently for him. He slipped into the best dress shoes he had and followed them out the door, heading towards the school for Parent-Teacher interviews and praying the night didn’t end with him getting grounded until his grades went up.

They started their walk to the school, Reagan and Paisley hand in hand. It was a nice night for the beginning of November, not too freezing yet, just a thin layer of snow on the ground. It had already began to grow dark, even though it was barely passed five pm now. Reagan turned to him with a smile. “I wonder what they’ll say about you, Felix.”

Felix thought about all the math classes he spent staring into space or texting Akali and Bliss, not doing any work. Fortunately he had January to cheat off of in Chemistry, but he was just barely getting by like that. He was pretty sure the only class he’d be passing would be Gym, and he was retaking that from last year. “All good things.” He lied, hoping his teachers took some mercy on him.

Reagan raised an eyebrow. “I hope it’s all good things.”

Felix was reminded then about the fights he had gotten into in all of his classes. That was definitely not going to help his case. “It will be.” He smiled at her.

“Mr. Prader, Ms. Veerity, Ms. Cora and Mr. Noy, right?” Reagan asked, listing off all his teachers. Felix nodded at her. “I think we’re seeing Mr. Prader first.” Paisley said, to which Reagan immediately looked nervous.

Mr. Prader obviously would’ve scared Reagan the most. A famous veteran that had killed hundreds of Dioles in the great War of Power. Felix decided not to mention the fact that he was also armed at all times. Mr. Prader wasn’t that bad anyway, seeing as January and Maddox had both publicly used their powers in their second gym class, to which no one batted an eye. Mr. Prader never suspected a thing. The only one Felix really had to worry about was Ms. Cora, his math teacher. Not only was she a student of Mr. Prader’s, but she also used to work in Diole camps. She was armed at all times, just like the gym teachers. Felix had seen her gun before, and it was safe to say he never wanted to have that thing pointing at him.

But he was sure nothing out of the ordinary was going to happen tonight. Mr. Prader didn’t know about Felix - or the Board Game Club. Reagan was always constantly stressed about everything, and he was sure that even without him she would have found something else to worry about. Plus, Felix didn’t have the best track record at school, which had to be contributing to her nerves. He headed down the sidewalk, feeling completely unconcerned.

Finally, they made it to the school, heading down to the main gym where the Parent-Teacher Interviews were being held.

The gym was packed with people, different teachers all seated at different desks. Mr. Prader was easy to spot from his massive size - both in muscle and height.

“Good evening, Rodriguez.” Mr. Prader said in greeting, turning to Reagan and Paisley. “It’s nice to meet you. I’m Mr. Prader.” He shook both of their hands before sitting back down.

“Felix is a wonderful student.” He was straight to the point. “Always changed, puts in effort, and gets along well with his peers.” Reagan’s smile was growing at each word. “He can be a little aggressive sometimes, but nothing that concerns me.” He continued, saying only good things about Felix. Reagan looked absolutely overjoyed to finally be hearing good news about Felix as a student.

Soon, Mr. Prader was standing up, shaking hands tightly with Reagan and Paisley, who both had smiles on their faces, and waving the next family over. The three of them left for his next teacher: Ms. Cora.

Reagan and Paisley sat down, looking pleased from how the first meeting had went. “I’m Cora, nice to meet you two.” Ms. Cora said with a smile. She seemed to be in a good mood, which Felix hoped meant she’d say only the good things.

She started off with the course outline, explaining what exactly they were doing, before moving onto Felix. “I love having Felix in my class.” Felix was immediately relieved. Ms. Cora only had nice things to say about him, which was to his slight shock, as he had cheated off of Nyssa several times on tests and almost never did his math homework. Reagan and Paisley looked glad at the news. He was surprised that the PT interviews seemed to be going this well.

“Okay, that’s about it. It was lovely meeting you guys.” Ms. Cora finished, eyes flickering to Paisley for a second too long. Paisley smiled, before quickly leaving behind Reagan.

Felix followed them, waving Ms. Cora goodbye, and heading to his third teacher, Ms. Veerity.

The interview didn’t go very well this time, and even though January usually texted Felix the answers to most of their assignments, Felix was absolutely flunking the class. He’d also skipped one too many times, which got a slight frown out of Reagan. Fortunately Paisley didn’t seem too worried, the good things from his first two teachers obviously outweighing the bad from Ms. Veerity. As long as Paisley wasn’t mad then he was sure he’d be fine, Reagan rarely did anything more than lecture him for his grades.

Lastly, Felix stood up and led them to Mr. Noy, his drama teacher, who still was busy with a family.

Reagan grinned at Felix. “They said such good things.” It was probably the first time ever that PT night that didn’t end up with either Reagan or Paisley looking severely disappointed in him. “I told you,” He smiled. “I’m an amazing student.”

“Oh look,” Reagan pointed over to someone standing a little while away. “Isn’t that your friend!”

It was Gunther, standing out in the crowd with his black-and-white mullet and Deftones t-Shirt. Beside him was who Felix presumed was his guardian. He waved him over with a smile.

That’s when Paisley’s eyes landed on his guardian. She instantly froze up as the two started to approach.

Gunther’s guardian looked towards Paisley, then to Reagan, then Felix. A look of complete shock was plastered on their face before it formed into a huge grin. “Marigold!”

Felix blinked in surprise. They were staring at Paisley like they somehow knew them - they’d called out to him as Marigold. Felix had never heard that name in his entire life. He had no clue who this person was.

“It’s been so long! This must be your family.” She looked towards Felix and Reagan. “Magnolia and Leonardo, right?”

Felix was absolutely flabbergasted. No one had ever called him by his middle name before. No one even knew his middle name, besides Reagan and Paisley. He’d definitely never heard anyone call Reagan by hers, either. He gave them a puzzled expression, too taken aback to say anything.

“Sorry, I should introduce myself.” She smiled. “I’m Haven.”

“Hi, I’m Felix.” Felix said, raising an eyebrow. This seemed to come as just much of a shock to Haven that it had to Felix when they knew his middle name. “Oh, Felix?” They asked. He nodded, feeling even more weirded out by this stranger.

“Oh sorry, I must have mixed you up with someone else.” They laughed lightly.

Paisley was standing stiffly, her usual calm and gentle aura gone. They were staring blankly at Haven, her expression completely unreadable. Felix glanced back to Haven, who was still smiling at the three of them. There was obviously some history between them, but Paisley seemed like he was horrified to be seeing them again.

“Oh, how do you know Paisley?” Reagan asked loudly, a fake smile plastered on her face. She grabbed Paisley’s hand again, giving it a squeeze, their matching promise rings flashing in Haven’s direction.

“Oh, we’re best friends.” Haven said back sweetly, but there was a hint of mischief in their voice. Reagan’s eyebrows furrowed slightly at their answer.

“Well, it looks like our appointment with the next teacher is coming up. Call me sometime, will you?” They said, giving a wave before walking off with Gunther.

Felix instantly turned to Paisley. “Marigold?”

Paisley didn’t look at him. “It’s a nickname.” She said quickly, turning away from Haven. There was something extremely suspicious about the whole thing, Felix thought. Paisley had never really talked about their past before, and Felix had never thought to ask. It was just something he had never spoken with her about. But there was something about the way he was acting… like she had something to hide. It put him on edge. He knew it wasn’t really any of his business, but the fact that this was also Gunther’s guardian just made him feel even more suspicious.

Were they a Diole too?

“Really?” He asked. Paisley still wouldn’t meet his eyes. He remembered Paisley vaguely saying that she’d never had really had any friends or family before she met Reagan. Reagan seemed to be thinking the same thing, watching Paisley nervously. “I thought you said you had no friends.”

“I haven’t talked to them in a while.” Paisley said dismissively, acting like he hadn’t froze up and gone completely silent at the sight of Haven. She kept eying Mr. Noy, not meeting either Felix or Reagan’s gaze. Reagan let go of their hand, looking confused and kind of hurt.

Finally the group that was with Mr. Noy left, and he waved over to the three of them, not allowing Felix to ask any more questions. He stared at Paisley long and hard once more, before taking a seat.

Mr. Noy started to go over the course outline, but Felix wasn’t really listening, too distracted by Haven. He’d never seen Paisley look so anxious at the sight of someone. Even after he’d lost control of his powers over and over, Paisley had always been the voice of reason, calming Reagan down and getting things ready for them to move again, reassuring him that everything would be fine. He wouldn’t have cared if Paisley had some old friend from high school or whatever, he’d probably have just zoned out while they caught up. But the whole thing had completely weirded him out. Calling him Leonardo, Reagan Magnolia, Paisley Marigold. The look on Paisley’s face when she noticed her.

Paisley didn’t seem to be paying attention either, zoning out and glancing back every few minutes. Felix played with his Board Game Club friendship bracelet anxiously, running his fingers along the bright yellow beads. He frowned, looking back to where Paisley was watching Haven.

Haven was happily chatting away with another teacher, Gunther leaned back comfortably in his chair by their side. They turned to look back at Felix, before smiling and waving.

Felix didn’t smile or wave back, instead narrowing his eyes at them.

Their eyes shimmered for a second… so quick Felix could have missed it. They turned their back to him, going to listen to Gunther’s teacher. Felix felt his jaw drop open. He was right.

They were a Diole.

“Right, Felix?” Mr. Noy asked, snapping him out of his trance. Reagan and Paisley turned to look at him expectantly.

“Right.” He said distractedly, not even hearing what Mr. Noy had to say. All he could think about was who Haven could possibly be… how they could have known Paisley. He wondered how many Dioles Gunther knew. He’d taken him to someone who had healed his snapped leg back in September, and now there was Haven with her shimmering eyes.

The entire gym turned to some commotion going down at Ms. Cora’s table, a few people gasping in fear. If Felix hadn’t been so preoccupied, he might’ve turned as well. But instead he looked back to Haven again, like if he stared at them long enough he might get some answers.

She was watching Ms. Cora in amusement. Gunther leaned over, whispering something in their ear, and they laughed.

Felix kept staring, finally catching their attention. They waved and smiled at him again, completely unbothered that he was glaring at them like a creep. Felix still didn’t wave back, keeping a straight face. Haven turned to whisper something in Gunther’s ear. Gunther whispered back.

Felix squinted at them, dying to know what they were talking about.

Haven laughed again, going back to listening to the teacher now that the fuss had died down. She stood up, shaking Gunther’s teachers hand. They smiled, and Gunther and her started heading towards the door.

Felix stood up abruptly. “I have to go to the bathroom.” He lied, the excuse coming out before he could think to stop himself. Paisley narrowed his eyes at him. Felix didn’t care, too set on talking to Haven again before they left. He chased after Gunther and Haven, rushing into the hall.

She was standing next to the bathroom, leaning against the wall. He ran right up to them, immediately blurting out, “Who are you?”

She didn’t look up, continuing to stare at her phone and text. “I thought I had already introduced myself.” She said with a smile.

“How do you know my middle name? And Paisley?” He demanded.

“Marigold told me.” She replied, ignoring his second question.

“Marigold? Why are you calling her Marigold? Paisley said he knew no one. Are you saying they lied?”

Haven didn’t look up from their phone, still smiling - like they knew something he didn’t. It infuriated Felix. “Is it wrong to call someone by their name?”

“But their name is Paisley.” Felix practically shouted.

“I guess times have changed.” Haven hummed. “How many years has it been now? Maybe nine.” They said to themself in thought.

“How did you meet Paisley?” Felix asked again, continuing to interrogate them. “If you’re supposedly best friends. Paisley said she doesn’t have any friends. That’s kind of suspicious, don’t you think?”

“Marigold’s a secretive person. Who knows how many things she hasn’t told you.” They finally looked up from their phone.

Felix scoffed. He couldn’t believe them. They stood here, acting like they knew Paisley. They had even said it themself: it had to be at least nine years since the two of them had last spoke. Yet they stood there, acting like they knew Paisley more than Felix, more than Reagan. Like Felix hadn’t known Paisley since he was seven years old. She’d raised him. Paisley wasn’t a liar - it was one of the things he liked best about her and Reagan. Knowing that he could always be himself, that they didn’t have to ever hide anything at home.

Haven didn’t know what she was talking about.

“Paisley isn’t like that.” He retorted with a huff. “You must not know him very well.”

Just then Gunther came out of the washroom, interrupting their conversation. “We going now?”

“Mhm.” Haven smiled and waved at Felix once more, walking away with Gunther. “It was nice meeting you, Leonardo.”

Felix eyed them, scowling. “It’s Felix.”

“Oh, and Felix,” They stopped to turn back to him for a final time. “Tell Paisley that they’re always welcomed back to Paradise.”

Felix gaped at them. “What does that mean?”

Haven did not answer, heading out the door after Gunther. Felix was left to wonder if he’d ever find out what Paradise even was. He was too shocked to even go after them again, so he just headed back to the gym, with nothing better to do.

Reagan and Paisley were just down the hall, finished with Mr. Noy.

“Why were you talking to her?” Paisley asked, not sounding very happy. Felix shrugged, coming up with the quickest lie he could muster: “I like her hair.” It was technically true, because Haven did have a cool hair cut - a blond buzz cut with black stars dyed in.

Paisley didn’t look impressed by that at all. “That’s why you went chasing after her?”

“They seem interesting. They said you’re welcomed back to Paradise, by the way.” Felix said, hoping Paisley would give him some inkling on what that exactly meant. Paisley nodded. “Well, let’s go home now.” She didn’t acknowledge the Paradise part.

The three of them made their way home, but this time the night air felt cooler. Reagan and Paisley weren’t holding hands anymore, weren’t talking anymore, or even looking at each other anymore. They walked in complete silence, staggered at different paces. Reagan fiddled with her ring, lost in thought. Paisley had their hands in his pockets, and she seemed to be in some sort of daze.

By the time they had made it into the house and headed up to their apartment, Reagan and Paisley were deep in a heated argument. Paisley banged dishes around, preparing supper, throwing back scathing remarks at Reagan. Felix couldn’t remember the last time they’d had a huge fight like this. He couldn’t place a time, at least not in front of him, and not this loud. Reagan sounded like she was crying.

Felix disappeared into his room, trying to block out the noise, his head buzzing with a million different thoughts. Reagan and Paisley were still yelling at each other in the kitchen, growing more angry by the minute.

He couldn’t get Haven out of his head. She had mentioned someplace called Paradise, someplace that made Paisley’s expression harden at the sound of its name. The whole thing gave him a horrible sinking feeling in his gut. He had never heard Paisley raise his voice before, had never seen Paisley so shaken up like they were now. He laid on his bed, Haven’s words repeating in his head, a hundred questions all going unanswered.

“That’s a personal secret.” Gunther had said, so many months ago, when Felix had interrogated him about the other possible Diole that fixed his leg. Gunther knew something he didn’t… Felix was sure, he knew what Haven was talking about.

Paradise.

He was left to wonder what else Gunther knew, what else he was hiding. Left to wonder if he’d ever find out.

Mr Prader, Cora, Gunther, and Haven all belong to @jiphenn

[thesimline]

Jackets to overlay that are in the accessory category?

I loooooove a good accessory jacket, they're so perfect for building outfits and adding a bit of detail that would otherwise be missing from an ensemble. I've tried to gather a variety of jackets that will work across time periods and styles. Hope you enjoy! CC links under the cut.

 → → → SUBMIT YOUR REQUEST HERE ← ← ←

1 - Sprig Jacket by Cloud Cat

2 - Accessory Cardigan by Dogsill

3 - Arket Oversized Leather Blazer by Charonlee Sims

4 - Katya Short Jacket by Simpliciaty

5 - Reagan Accessory Jacket by Adrien Pastel

6 - Tana Jacket by Match Made in Maxis

7 - Dina Accessory Blazer by Adrien Pastel

8 - Downtown Jacket Accessory by Green Llamas

9 - Duffy Accessory Coat by Dissia (TSR)

10 - Accessory Duster Coat by Happy Life Sims

11 - Tiana Accessory Coat by Dissia (TSR)

12 - Strangerville Fringe Jacket by Candy Cotton Chu

13 - Hazel Accessory Leather Jacket by Grafity Sims (Sims Finds)

14 - Heathens Accessory Jacket by Valhallan Sim

Original Mesh by Marigold

15 - Leather Blazer by Charonlee Sims

With thanks to some amazing creators: @dogsill @its-adrienpastel @simpliciaty-cc @matchmadeinmaxis @greenllamas @candycottonchu @valhallansim

[manyfandomocs]

Glee OC Masterlist (K-Z)

(A-J)

Name: Kaipo Steele

Fic: How Far I’ll Go

Love Interest: Jake Puckerman

FC: Auli'i Cravhalo

Name: Karina Jimenez

Fic: Walk In The Sun

Love Interest: Brittany Pierce

FC: Melissa Barrera

Name: Knox Berry

Fic: Berry Beautiful

Love Interest: Sugar Motta

FC: Noah Centineo

Name: Kyra Puckerman

Fic: A Rose By Any Other Name

Love Interest: Marley Rose

FC: Antonia Gentry

Name: Leonard Sparrow

Fic: Mirror In The Sky

Love Interest: Sebastian Smythe

FC: Logan Lerman

Name: Marceline Giles

Fic: Dancing Through Life

Love Interest: Mike Chang

FC: Sofia Carson

Name: Marigold Stinson

Fic: Walk Walk Fashion Baby

Love Interest: Sam Evans & Mercedes Jones

FC: Josie Totah

Name: Nico Nichols

Fic: Like A Prayer

Love Interest: Sam Evans & Mercedes Jones

FC: Michael Evans Behling

Name: Ramona Harris

Fic: Love Song

Love Interest: Rachel Berry & Quinn Fabray

FC: Victoria Justice

Name: Reagan Harlow

Fic: Show Stoppin’ Number

Love Interest: Santana Lopez, Noah Puckerman

FC: Sarah Jeffery

Name: Saoirse Flanagan

Fic: Luck of the Irish

Love Interest: Mike Chang, Ryder Lynn, Artie Abrams endgame

FC: Brenna D'Amico

Name: Scott Macmillan

Fic: Slapshot Romance

Love Interest: Brittany Pierce, Sugar Motta, Finn Hudson endgame

FC: Jack Falahee

Name: Sophia Hummel

Fic: The Tiniest Lifeboat

Love Interest: Mercedes Jones

FC: Mary Mouser

Name: Steve Schuester

Fic: Faithfully

Love Interest: Jesse St. James, Rachel Berry, Quinn Fabray

FC: Mitchell Hope

Name: Warren Anderson

Fic: Perfect Son

Love Interest: Sebastian Smythe or Hunter Clarington or an OC

FC: Dylan Sprayberry

Name: Xavier Carver

Fic: Still Frames In Your Mind

Love Interest: Quinn Fabray

FC: Charles Melton

Name: Zeke Beiste

Fic: Take Me On

Love Interest: Kitty Wilde, Marley Rose

FC: Booboo Stewart

[dandylion240]

OC Deep Dive Questionnaire Tag

A set of 20 questions to get to know your OC!

Thanks for the tag @bool-prop

I decided to do this for Josie O'Neil, a next gen sim and one of my favorites.

What uncommon/common fear do they have?

Her biggest fear is losing someone she loves. She knows death is a fact of life but she doesn't want it to be due to something she did or could have prevented.

Do they have any pet peeves?

People who never apologize even when they know they're wrong.

What are 3 items you can find in their bedroom?

Cell phone, Yellow Roses and a picture of her dragon. All three are on the nightstand beside her bed.

What do they notice first in a person?

If they're kind to other people. She takes special notice of someone who holds the door open for someone or offers to help when someone is in need.

On a scale of 1 to 10, how high is their pain tolerance?

Her personal pain tolerance is quite high, like around a 7 or 8. It's the pain of others she has a difficult time coping with. As an empath she tends to take on other's emotional pain as her own and it sometimes overwhelms her.

Do they go into fight or flight mode when under pressure?

It depends. She tends to flee from a fight if it's for herself but if it's for someone she's close to she's more apt to fight. She doesn't like to fight but she will if it means defending someone.

Do they come from a big family/are they a family person?

The Reagan family is a huge but her particular family unit isn't that big. Just her parents and adopted brother. So quite small by Reagan standards.

What animal represents them best?

Goldne Retriever - she's playful, affectionate and loyal.

What is a smell that they dislike?

She likes most flowers but she can't stand the scent of marigolds.

Have they broken any bones?

No broken bones but she has sprained her ankle a few times.

How would a stranger likely describe them?

They would probably say she's naive, selfless and an easy mark.

Are they a night owl or a morning bird?

She's a morning bird. She loves getting up early and working on her farm.

What is a flavor they hate and a flavor they love?

She loves citrus fruit, oranges, lemon, limes although she doesn't really like grapefruit. She doesn't like cabbages, especially cooked cabbage.

Do they have any hobbies?

Gardening, horseback riding, long strolls in the woods taking pictures of the world around her. She's a simple girl who likes the simple things in life.

Boom, surprise birthday party! How do they react to surprises?

She get's embarrassed. She doesn't like being the center of attention. She'd rather spend her birthday volunteering at the homeless shelter with her dad or hanging out at the animal shelter.

Do they like to wear jewelry?

Yes. She has her dragon earings her parents gave her one year for christmas even though they're more than ten years old. She has the necklace that Hayle gave her that wears all the time. And one day perhaps a ring a certain dragon gives her.

Do they have neat or messy handwriting?

It depends what it's for. If it's meant to be read by someone else than she makes sure it's neat and legible. If it's just for her than it tends to be messy and she often has to guess what some of the words are if it's been some time since she wrote it.

What are two emotions they feel the most?

Love and contentment - but it does take a while for her to get to this point.

Do they have a favorite fabric?

She has a favorite snuggly blanket but she doesn't know what it's made of. She just likes it because it's soft and perfect to snuggle on the sofa with a good book.

What kind of accent do they have?

None.

Tagging: @wannabecatwriter @mahvaladara @stargazer-sims @rebouks @lynzishell @anamoon63 @kimmiessimmies

[spriteinthedark]

Day 24: Memory

Fairy Lantern by TambriArt

Fairy Lantern is a beautiful webcomic, and the story has elements of G/T and mystery!! The plot has connections to the main character's memories, so I thought that it fit today's prompt! The art style is gorgeous, and I love the way that this artist draws fairies!! It is also pretty hilarious! The webcomic is still updating, and I'm excited to see the story unfold!! 😁

[starryskiesahead]

also last month i read a few webcomics

my two new favs are moonlight apparition and fairy lantern

love these. so much

bingeread them both in a day, honestly enjoyed them more than the other webtoon i bingeread in a day (tbh i think that one was further along though)

beautiful magical aesthetics...

[theshitpostcalligrapher]

#Oh kinda wanna get the Reagan one to hang in my bathroom#Tempted by the marigolds one too...#art#Merch

I did a quick search on how many of the reagan prints i've sold in the last 5-6 years of having it up in the shop and well

it fills me with joy that there are at LEAST 200 bathrooms in the world filled with a particular variety of spite

(also yes, the original post was by my friend newt they know about this)

ah shit its june hhhhh

i'm gonna go and set up a 20% off sale for all the queer prints in the shop hang on hang on

[congressarchives]

In 1965 Margo Cairns (“The Corn Tassel Lady,” according to her business card) submitted this leaflet to a U.S. House subcommittee trying to choose a national floral emblem. In a passionate speech before the committee, Cairns emphasized the corn tassel’s historical importance: “Courage and corn won the Revolutionary War.”  

For decades, the American people and Congress debated which flower should join the bald eagle and the Stars and Stripes as a national symbol. More than 70 congressional resolutions were introduced to designate a specific floral emblem.

Americans wrote to Congress to advocate for the carnation, daffodil, rose, dogwood, violet, poinsettia, goldenrod, mountain laurel, passion flower, orange blossom, shasta daisy, wheat plant, sweet potato vine, and paw-paw tree flower. Even poison ivy had its booster (“hardy and prolific…and makes a distinct impression upon many who truly make its acquaintance”).

The Corn Tassel Lady’s persistence was matched only by that of Senator Everett Dirksen, who waged a decade-long campaign for the marigold.

The eventual winner, however, was a longtime sentimental favorite. In September of 1985, the Senate passed a resolution in favor of the rose. The House followed suit a year later. The rose had enjoyed consistent popular support for many years and had the backing of numerous rose societies, garden clubs, and rose-producing states and localities.  

In accordance with the resolution, President Ronald Reagan formally proclaimed the rose the national floral emblem on November 20, 1986.

Proposals and Correspondence on Monuments and Emblems, Committee on House Administration, Subcommittee on Library and Memorials, 89th Congress, Records of the U.S. House of Representatives, Record Group 233

[cognitosclowns]

OKAY OKAY OKAY this is silly but you know that vid meme where the guy is like "LOOK WHAT YOUVE DONE TO MY PEONIES?!?!" that but inside job.

myc- LOOK WHAT YOUVE DONE TO MY PEONIES!!!!!!!

reagan- THEYRE MARIGOLDS!

andre, high as shit- good god i think shes right! they are marigolds!

myc, swooning dramatically- i may not know my flowers, but i know a BITCH when i see one!!!!!

this is so silly but im dying over the mental image of this so i had to share it with you

I HATE HOW CORRECT YOU ARE SMDNSMDNS THATS PERFECT

[tambriart]

New Thumbnail for Fairy Lantern!

*happy artist noises*

Read it for free on Webtoon and Tapas!

[dioles-writes]

"AMBUSHED"

Masterlist | Credits go to @jiphenn | Characters: Felix (he/him), Grandpa Racman (he/him), Maddox (he/him), January (he/him), Astley (he/they), Reagan (she/her)

Four rhythmic knocks sounded from the front door before the sound of keys jingling interrupted the Board Game Club’s silence. The door rattled as it was unlocked, swinging open.

In walked Maddox’s Grandpa Racman, carrying two boxes of fresh-smelling pizza. Maddox immediately jumped up, going to help him with the boxes. “Hope you kids are hungry.” He said with his usual smile, going back to lock the door and joining the group next to Maddox.

Felix had never been more grateful to see him in his life. The day had been passing slowly, with not much food to go around in the morning, so by the time Racman had shown up, he was starving.

January, Akali, Wilder, Winola, Kuali’i, Felix and Rory had all spent most of the day in the separate room, doing muscle exercises and physical therapy to regain their strength. Felix welcomed the distraction, as it took his mind off things, and it meant that he could avoid Reagan for most of the day. The rest of the club just laid around, staying in the other room in nothing but silence. At least when he was moving around Felix didn’t have to be alone with his thoughts, guilt and grief dragging him down. He didn’t have to think about Paisley, or Bliss, or Avil, too busy focusing on the pain in his legs, ribs, and his shoulder. It grounded him. He was pretty sure he would go crazy if he was Astley, with nothing to do all day, nothing to do at night, constantly just sitting and thinking, not even able to fall asleep and get away for a few hours. He had no clue how they hadn’t fallen apart yet. Felix knew he would have.

Racman opened the boxes, revealing two beautifully crafted pizzas. The smell was a relief from the usual blood and sweat stench, making Felix’s mouth instantly water. It looked like they were straight out of the oven, all gooey cheese and tomato sauce finished with a perfect golden crust.

“How are things outside, Grandpa?” Maddox asked, passing everyone a slice. Felix took his, too excited to be bummed out by the fact that they all could only eat one. He dug in, absolutely in heaven.

“Not good.” Racman said, looking troubled. “These attacks have been getting out of hand. There was another Diole attack recently at one of the GDEO warehouses. At least that means the vaccine release has been pushed even further.”

Felix listened in, glad for some news about the world. It was odd, not knowing anything that was going on, trapped in Chumps Jr. with no access to the outside. It had been almost two months now since he last left this place. Chumps Jr. was starting to grow suffocating, stuck with the ten other Board Game Club members and his sister every day. As sad as it was to admit, Racman’s visits were the only thing he had to look forward to. He regretted so many months ago, insulting the poor old man in January’s limo, acting like an entitled prick. Racman was the only person that had been genuinely nice to him since they were all exposed, harbouring eleven fugitives without any complaints, bringing them food and blankets when he could.

“How about some lollipops to make you kids feel better?” Racman reached into his jacket and pulled out a handful of candy, going around the room to give one to everyone. He handed them out, some people taking them more reluctantly than others.

January accepted his with a quiet thank you, Racman being the only other person besides Maddox that he had dared to even look at in the last two months.

It was the oddest sight.

Before the concert, January had been nothing but smiles and laughs, constantly in a good mood no matter what. He didn’t care how rude Felix was, January always just smiled and reassured him everything would be fine. He always had a positive attitude, always had a huge grin on his face. Felix didn’t realize how much he had grown to care about January, to care about the whole club. Didn’t realize how much Avil had held them all together. His heart ached at the thought of her, her absence becoming even more obvious. Every day it felt like something was missing, the room appearing even more empty and sad.

Felix couldn’t remember what his last conversation had been with her. What his last conversation had been with January. It was so insignificant at the time. Before, he had no doubts that he would be spending the winter break with all of the club, going ice skating and enjoying their vacation. It never would have occurred to him that he could lose Avil. He had been so naive, so blissfully ignorant back then.

Racman handed him a lollipop: orange flavour. He accepted it with a thanks and a small smile.

“You kids are looking so much better than the last time I saw you.”

Felix wanted to laugh. They definitely were not doing any better, if anything they were doing worse. January was a shell of a person, going through his days in a daze. His head was always bowed, hair falling in his eyes, slouching over like he was trying to curl into himself. It was nothing like how he had been before: tall, confident, radiating this pure joy as soon as he entered a room. Akali looked like he hadn’t slept in days, his eye bags now making his eyes appear sunken in. No one talked much. Felix and Reagan weren’t on speaking terms anymore, and the only time they actually communicated with each other was in their screaming matches, both of them getting in each others faces and yelling at the top of their lungs. Sometimes one of the Board Game Club members would intervene, usually Rory, Alzena, or Maddox, who Felix knew was getting fed up with their fights, but most of the time Reagan just stormed out, bawling. She cried a lot more now, to the point where it was almost constant.

“I think I could bring hot chocolate next time, it must be really cold sleeping in here.” Racman continued with a small laugh.

“Thank you Grandpa, we’d like that a lot.” Maddox said softly, twirling his lollipop through the air slowly. Racman gave him a sweet smile.

“Well, I’ll leave you kids alone now,” Racman said, shakily getting to his feet. “You probably don’t want a boring old man’s company.” Felix really wished he would stay, really wished he wouldn’t leave so quickly every time. He hated how lonely he was now, with not even his sister to talk to, or to sit with.

Maddox helped walk him to the door. “I’ll be back sometime next week with your hot chocolate.” He called out to the group with a smile, unlocking the door once again. Maddox nodded. “Be safe, Grandpa.”

Racman waved and headed out again, leaving the Board Game Club back in silence again. Maddox returned to the couch with January, his smile fading. The group went back to sulking, everyone sullen and quiet, pizza finished.

The week passed like usual. The injured Board Game Club members did physical therapy with Rory. Felix and Reagan fought, the latter crying loudly into the night. January sulked. The days were impossibly cold and windy, the only view from the windows was snow falling down on the gloomy street, the sky always dark.

But finally, there was a knock at the door. Racman walked in, a plastic grocery bag in hand. “Good afternoon, kids,” He gave his usual warm smile, locking the door. “I got hot chocolate like I promised.” He said, rattling the contents inside of the bag.

Everyone looked up, almost appearing excited for the first time in weeks. He placed it down near the couch. “Do one of you mind heating the kettle?” Maddox jumped up, heading into the kitchen and pulling it out of the cupboard.

“I also brought marshmallows if anyone wants them.” Racman produced two bags of mini marshmallows. Felix had never loved someone more.

Racman joined Maddox in the kitchen, grabbing some Chumps Jr. cups for everyone and filling them with a couple spoonfuls of chocolate powder.

He turned to Maddox with a smile, “Do you remember when we would have hot chocolate together, Maddox?”

Maddox hummed and nodded.

“Your mother made the best hot chocolate. Do you remember how she would draw things on top with whipped cream and cinnamon?”

Maddox nodded again, a gentle smile working its way across his features. “Her favourite to make would be flowers.” He reminisced.

“I haven’t heard from her recently, I wonder what she’s up to.” Grandpa murmured, as Maddox helped him fill up more cups with chocolate powder.

“I wish you could’ve stayed with me these past years, maybe things would have been better.”

Maddox hummed again, seeming to be lost in thought, too wrapped up in what could have been. “Me too, Grandpa.” He said softly.

The kettle clicked loudly, signalling it was done boiling. Maddox started to pour the water in the cups, condensation rising in the freezing air. “Come take a cup guys.”

Felix’s hot chocolate was nice and steamy, the cup warming up his hands. Everyone sat down, drinking their hot chocolate and relishing the sweet taste, Rory helping Wilder hold his own.

Sitting there, Felix could almost pretend that he was back home, warm and safe, no worries in the world. It was Sunday, which meant that he would’ve just been getting up right now, with no school to disturb his sleep. Paisley always made dumplings on Sundays. It was tradition by now; he would wake up to find her by the stove, frying up the dumplings into golden deliciousness as Reagan prepared eggs and hash browns, the two of them laughing and joking as he walked in. Then the three of them would all sit down, enjoying their hot and filling breakfast - which would be unlike what Felix’s actual breakfast had been, just a piece of stale half-frozen bread thinly spread with margarine.

He took another sip, wishing he was a few years younger, wishing he was with his family. Wishing he was home.

Reagan used to make hot chocolate for him when he was younger. Cold nights when the wind howled and snowflakes fell onto the ground, covering outside in inches of thick snow, transforming their whole street into white. She would stand by the stove, smiling at him as he sat at their kitchen table, swinging his feet impatiently. She would melt chocolate and heat up the milk, mixing it all together into sugary goodness. The two of them would curl up on the couch, drinking and watching movies until Felix eventually fell asleep. Sometimes Paisley would join them, baking brownies for the three of them to snack on, cuddling next to Reagan.

It made him sick thinking about it.

Felix had never thought that he could miss a person that was only feet away from him, but for the past three weeks he missed Reagan more than anyone else.

A part of him had always regretted joining the Board Game Club, even back in September, before he even met Gunther. Back when it was just the eight of them. He hated lying to her, hated how she was so worried all the time, so terrified. He hated the guilt it brought, as he pulled away from her more, talked to her less. She had been the one person he had always been honest to, always had by his side. She was the one person he could trust.

Reagan had always protected him, always kept him safe. And now she wouldn’t look at him, wouldn’t do anything other than scream and cry. He really wished he could hug her, have her tell him that it was going to be alright, that they were going to be okay.

She sat as far away from Felix as was possible in the small, cramped room, her back turned on him, expression closed-off and cold. Her cup was in her hands, but it was still full to the brim, Reagan just staring down at it numbly.

She hadn’t spoke to him in two days. They had another one of their fights, only this time it was so much worse. This time Reagan didn’t hold back, didn’t stop herself and storm out. She screamed at him, yelling things he would’ve never expected from his sister, the one person that he cared about more than anything. Reagan had been screaming in this raw, desperate way, so full of pent up resentment and bitterness, with these hot, angry tears streaming down her face.

“BECAUSE YOU MESS EVERYTHING UP, FELIX! YOU RUIN EVERYTHING. I HATE YOU.”

Her words resurfaced in his mind, still laced with pure hate that was alien coming from his big sisters mouth. For a moment, he hadn’t been able to react, not really believing what he heard was true. Reagan would have never said something like that to him, at least, not the Reagan he knew a few months ago. She wouldn’t have screamed at him like that a few months ago, so angry that it kind of scared him, this hidden side of her coming out. She would have protected him, would have hugged him and reassured him that it would be okay. A few months ago they never would have fought like this, and he would have never felt like he couldn’t talk to her. Though, he guessed he was different too. A few months ago he wouldn’t have hid something like the Board Game Club from her, wouldn’t have lied to her like he did. They both had changed. More than he wanted to admit.

Sitting there, so very alone, he wondered if it had been worth it.

He’d lost his family. Lost his best friend. He couldn’t consider the Board Game Club his friends anymore, they were simply nothing, a group of strangers stuck together in a shitty, disgusting restaurant, just trying to stay alive and survive, despite their circumstances. He no longer felt at home around them. No longer felt like himself around them. He’d lost practically everyone - everything - all in one night.

Yet, for a short time, he had been happy. He’d had friends for the first time in his life. Actual friends that he didn’t have to hide from, friends that were like him, that didn’t care that he was a Diole. It had been nice. He had learnt to control his powers, and had honestly believed that maybe, just maybe, things would be okay. He’d fallen into a routine these past couple months, going to Chemistry with January, Gym with him, Winola, Adelio, Maddox and Avil, Drama with Bliss. He went to club meetings every Monday and Friday, laughing and joking alongside Akali.

And then it was all ripped from him with one fatal act.

He glanced around the room, stared at his sister who wouldn’t even talk to him anymore. Who he was sure wouldn’t ever look at him the same ever again.

And then it dawned on him that it never would matter anyway. He couldn’t go back. He would never get the life he had, for those five short amazing months, back. He didn’t even know if he would ever leave these rotting four walls. If he would make it to next week. He had made his choice, all those months ago. And Gunther had made his. There was nothing he could do but accept it.

Felix took another sip of his drink, trying to forget about Gunther, about his guilt, and just enjoy his hot chocolate. He looked away from Reagan, who still hadn’t met his gaze, unable to stare at her any longer.

That’s when he noticed the ant on the ground.

It slowly made its way towards Felix, crawling across the cement, all on its lonesome. It was weird for an ant to be around during the middle of winter. Especially in a place like this. Felix eyed it for a moment, curious, before flicking it away.

The ant went flying, landing a few feet away in the other direction, before resuming to crawl around on the floor, circling around the different Board Game Club members.

Suddenly Astley looked up. “Shhhh.” He said, glancing around.

The door busted open. A bunch of heavily-armed men ran in, footsteps booming as they shoved the tables in the front room away and charged into the kitchen. “SECURE THE AREA. RELEASE THE GAS.”

Canisters were thrown and smoke instantly filled the room. Gunshots rang out, millions of bullets spraying the walls, the furniture, the floor.

Felix jumped up, glancing around wildly. Reagan.

She was his first thought, instantly, everything else forgotten. He didn’t care about their fights anymore, didn’t care that she hated him now, not when she was in danger. He wouldn’t let her get hurt. Not her too.

Fortunately Reagan wasn’t hard to find, from the way she was screaming his name. He was at her side in a second, his hand gripping hers as tightly as he could muster, trying to avoid the bullets zipping in all directions. He couldn’t see anything through the smoke, relying on pure instinct as he led Reagan through the room, trying to get to safety. He didn’t even know where they were supposed to go, didn’t have anywhere to go.

He searched blindly for Maddox, the only one here that would know what to do right now. The only one that he could really trust right now. If anyone could get them out of this, Maddox could.

He didn’t make it three feet before another loud blast went off, and his free arm was flung back. A bullet ripped through his bicep, warm blood immediately starting to gush down it, pain burning white hot. He choked, trying to bite down a scream, praying that Reagan hadn’t been hit too, picking up his pace despite the pain, even more desperate to find Maddox.

There was another loud bang, and Felix stumbled over, his leg almost giving in on itself. People were yelling, screaming. He couldn’t tell from what direction, couldn’t tell where the bullets were coming from. The only reassurance was Reagan’s hand in his, as she held on so tightly that he was starting to feel numb.

Maddox was still nowhere to be seen. Meanwhile Felix was bleeding out slowly, barely even able to hold himself up anymore, stumbling through Chumps Jr. disoriented, as even more bullets were fired towards him.

He felt dizzy. His vision had started to go fuzzy, his clothes soaked completely through with blood. Everything was a blur. He had no clue where he was supposed to even go anymore, what direction he was even running in.

He staggered into the corner of a wall, head bumping against the edge. The whole room was spinning now. He couldn’t see, couldn’t focus, couldn’t think. Felix could feel his hand start to slip from Reagan’s, felt his legs start to give out. Reagan screamed his name, reaching out to him desperately. He could vaguely feel her grabbing him, trying to pull him up, but it was too late.

Everything went dark.

Grandpa Racman, Maddox, January, and Astley all belong to @jiphenn

[sinceileftyoublog]

Kyle Forester Interview: A Place of Sanctuary

Photo by Michael Stasiak

BY JORDAN MAINZER

“Marigold, it was a miracle,” sings Kyle Forester on his upcoming second album Hearts in Gardens. The sentiment of the line is emblematic of Forester’s attitude these days. In between his 2016 self-titled debut and now, the former Crystal Stilts and Ladybug Transistor and now Woods member, like everyone else, saw his fair share of highs (the birth of his child, playing on Purple Mountains’ self-titled record, forming a band to play his solo material) and lows (the death of David Berman, the political world at large). So in general but especially on Hearts in Gardens, Forester chooses to focus on the little things, from the flowers in a garden to the sun-kissed psychedelia of his peers. 

Speaking to me over the phone last month while walking around and outside an arts supplies store in New York, Forester touched on the writing and recording process of Hearts in Gardens, as well as the books, movies, and albums that inspired or remind him of it. The album’s out February 21st, and he’s playing an opening gig Saturday at Alphaville in Brooklyn and a headlining show March 14th at The Sultan Room, The Turk’s Inn. Read our conversation, edited for length and clarity below.

Since I Left You: You had a lot of positive life changes leading up to this record. Is that what inspired you to make it?

Kyle Forester: Yeah, you know, it’s interesting, actually. The first one was definitely one of these things where Crystal Stilts had kind of wrapped up, and I had nothing major going on, besides all my normal stuff, so I started making music not knowing where it would lead. Then, I did get kind of busy, and my kid was born, and I ended up going back on tour with Woods. One really motivating thing was I had gotten a good band together, and it was really fun to play music again. To have that experience of playing with people I really enjoyed playing with. I didn’t really tour in 2014 or 2015, which was the first time in a while I had not been on tour at all. Then, when I did, that was weirdly inspiring--being out at shows. I really just wanted to give myself another shot at doing my own thing that felt true to the kind of music I like to hear and make. The first record was a little pieced together recording-wise. I had a bunch of it recorded and overdubbed the drums on top of what was there. This time, I really wanted to do a record with a band in a room in a good studio and microphones. 

In terms of the writing process, I’m never not writing a bit. I’m one of those people who has 50 scraps on voice memos. It’s more about deciding when it’s time to turn some of those into real songs. Once I decided I wanted to do that, I had lots of stuff to pick from and develop. There were one or two songs I just sat down and wrote. “Hearts and Gardens” was like that, “Know What You’re Doing” was like that. Old fashioned sitting down with your guitar and the song comes out for some reason. But a song like “Marigold”, the main guitar riff was something I started playing one day and recorded it, and I came back to it later and heard it and thought it was interesting, then I wrote another part of it. The thing that was different this time was I got together with my band, who took it to another place. That was cool.

SILY: So the couple tracks that were outliers are the lead single (“Know What You’re Doing”) and the (sort of) title track?

KF: That’s true. It’s funny. I read this lurid John Lennon biography a year ago called The Lives of John Lennon. It was controversial because it was one of the first big bios of Lennon after he died, and it was where the rumor that John Lennon had some kind of sexual relationship with Brian Epstein. Anyway, he had a lot of songs that he labored over, like “Strawberry Fields Forever”, where he had a bunch of versions, and then songs like “Across The Universe”, which is something where he sat down and the song unfurled. I don’t have that experience often. I’ve never considered myself in that sense a real songwriter songwriter. But I do occasionally! [laughs] And I think it’s natural that you feel a special fondness for those songs. They’re little gifts from the universe, whereas the others feel like something you labored over and you had to push out of yourself. “Hearts and Gardens”, we moved into this new apartment, and I set up my new studio and was looking out the window. It’s like that kind of song.

Me and my wife just watched the Lady Gaga A Star Is Born. [laughs] I love movie depictions of songwriting. They’re so funny. Did you see that movie?

SILY: I did.

KF: The idea that they’re hanging out in that parking lot and she sings a couple lines, and going off of that he does an arrangement and she comes on stage and sings it? It’s not a realistic depiction of how music making works, but it’s kind of cool! 

SILY: The biopics are even worse, the ones purporting to tell a true story. Did you see Bohemian Rapsody? The scene in the studio where someone stomps and claps and all of a sudden, “We Will Rock You” is born?

KF: Exactly. [laughs] That’s why that movie Walk Hard is so good as a joke.

SILY: It holds up so well!

KF: The part where he’s saying, “It’s a difficult stroll,” and [the title] is coming to him in real time. You can depict it in that way, but it rarely happens that way.

SILY: What specific aesthetic difference was there by having the full band in the studio?

KF: I don’t know how different the music came out. I don’t really listen to my own music much after I’m done making it. I haven’t listened to the two records to hear the difference. I think there are nice little moments of musicianship on this one, on a song like “Another Day”, which has a little bit of jamming. There wasn’t really much of that on the first record. The first song on the first record, called “Won’t Go Crazy”, that was one where I recorded 20 guitars, and there were two different drum tracks. A very inorganic experience, which I also enjoy. But here, you can tell there’s a band playing. You know that album John, The Wolf King of L.A.?

SILY: Yeah.

KF: The playing is so good on that, though I think John Philips might be controversial now. But you could just listen to that band play. Obviously, I don’t think we achieved anything like that. But for me, when I listen to it, I can enjoy those moments. It was fun for me to have Paul [Jenkins] play the bass. I played the bass on the first record. When it’s you, you know what you did, but when it’s someone else, you get to enjoy it more. You’re like, “Oh, that’s a nice thing he did I wouldn’t have done.” It’s a little looser. It’s more in common with some of those classic albums with a good band playing songs. But obviously we did a lot with them afterwards. It wasn’t super naturalistic.

SILY: The first couple tracks, the idea behind them is that you’re still finding beauty in an increasingly chaotic world. You’re finding ways to feel good. Is that increasingly almost a radical state of mind?

KF: I was talking to a friend the other night about how people talk about 80′s goth culture and certain parts of punk culture in the UK. The darkness was a reaction to the Reagan-Thatcher era of politics. A friend was saying that it seems like the Trump era almost seems to be creating this new age interest in spirituality and positivity. That’s a reaction. Trump specifically is so negative, that you can’t be any more negative than him. It is weird. Everything that’s happening with the planet, I feel like a little bit over the last couple years that anyone who cares to know, knows there was stuff that was going to happen. But now, there’s a real creeping sense that we might be living through something. That’s something I think about a lot. That we are or are going to be witness to a time of change in our world that we didn’t think we were going to be witness to. How do you respond to that as a person? You don’t have to do anything, but you certainly can start by getting yourself in order in the way you want to be, and then trying to go out and work from there. That’s not a very articulate way to put it. [laughs]

SILY: I get what you’re saying for sure. When he first got elected, people were saying, from a very privileged perspective, “Music’s gonna be so good!” as if that was their only concern. At the same time, I agree with you--maybe some people were envisioning some sort of 60′s idealism of standing up to injustice through angry music, but you’re also seeing people simply finding ways to cope. If that’s writing about the things in your life that make you feel happy or safe, that’s true and honest.

KF: What we’re going through as a country and society and species, it feels so much deeper and more spiritual than a political issue. It’s not the Vietnam War, where it’s, “We’ll all go out in the streets and stop the Vietnam War.” There’s a whole different way of living and living together that needs to happen if we’re gonna survive. That feels true in a way that maybe hasn’t ever before. It’s very psychedelic.

SILY: I want to ask you about a couple more specific tracks. What was the inspiration behind "[Interlude]”?

KF: I was excited to make my own record, partially because I played with a lot of bands but have never gotten to be in a position where I can do whatever I want. When I first started working on my music, I thought I might do a lot of little instrumental pieces. I sometimes think I’m better at that than writing songs. There are two quasi instrumentals on the first record. But in doing a record with a band, there were 3 or 4 things where I created a simple structure and played it with the drummer and the bass player. One of them is the last song on the record, “On the Way Down”. I literally said to the band, “This tempo, these three chords, go!” We hadn’t practiced it. We played for five minutes. Then, we went home and listened to it and sang over it and made it into a song. If you listen to that one, you can tell it’s the same three chords repeating. We edited the drums to make them have a little more shape. “[[Interlude]” was just one that didn’t get words on it. There were five minutes of us playing that riffing pattern. I kind of want to make an instrumental record. I love krautrock and weird synthesizer jamming kind of records. I like listening to albums, so I like thinking about an album in terms of the things you can do to break up the listening experience so you’re not just listening to a bunch of songs. An interlude makes you stop for a second and notice you’re listening to music.

SILY: When working on “On The Way Down”, did you know it was going to be the album closer?

KF: No, I didn’t. This album was particularly unsequenced. I didn’t really have a vision for it. I don’t know if I had anything else in mind for the closer, though. It’s not really a pun, but ending the album on a song called “On The Way Down” felt like a fade-out. I like the mood of that song. It’s maybe a little eerie, but it’s nice to listen to.

SILY: How did you end up deciding upon the sequencing of the record in general?

KF: I’ve been through that process a lot with bands. I remember the last Crystal Stilts record where we had a band meeting, and I brought construction paper where we wrote out all the different sequences and figured out which ones worked. Sequencing is super interesting. I tend to do it with vinyl listening in mind even if it’s not how most people are going to hear it. I think about what’s a good starter, side A end, side B starter, etc. I like “Turn of the Century” at the end of Side A. Side A of Abbey Road ends you with “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)”. “Another Day”, I wanted to start the second side with something exciting. And “On the Way Down” to end. I kind of do this thing where I listen to beginnings and endings a bunch of time to hear what sounds good. When I was 12 years old, I was really into reading Guitar World magazine. I was reading this interview with KISS, and Paul Stanley said something like, “The chorus should scratch an itch the verse creates.” I think about that all the time in songwriting and sequencing. You listen to a song, what kind of song does that put you in the mood to listen to? I don’t like KISS, by the way, for the record. [laughs]

SILY: What made you want to call the record Hearts in Gardens?

KF: That was actually suggested by the guy that made the album artwork. His name is Jay Pluck; he’s a cool dude. I was struggling with this. At one point, I was going to call it Marigold, but then I heard the band Pinehurst is putting out an album called Marigold. I think they just put it out.

SILY: Yeah, Pinegrove. 

KF: Pinegrove! I just called them Pinehurst. [laughs] But I was like, “Yeahhh...I’m not gonna share an album title with them.”

SILY: Probably a good move.

KF: Those kind of things are funny. Obviously, it wouldn’t have mattered. But I think Hearts in Gardens resonates with a lot of things. The idea that you’re finding good things in places. You have a garden, which is a closed space, and your heart is a place of sanctuary. It somehow resonated. It doesn’t really mean anything. But it means a lot of things, too.

Jay is an artist and a musician. I used to share a practice space with him. He makes really crazy show fliers. I’ve always been a fan of his work, and he works in a collage style. He’s an unbelievably creative guy. Pretty early when the record was done, I asked him about the artwork, and he listened to the record a bunch. He knew I was struggling with the album title. He did the cover of the first record, too, with a similar process: describe a few things to him, gave him a few images, and then he just made it. I really like what he did with this album. I’m tickled by it. It’s really hard. When you’re a musician and you collaborate with people, whether for the music video or art, it can be such a painful process. Art, like music, is fundamentally non-verbal. You can have a two-hour meeting to talk about what you have in mind, but until there’s something you’re both looking at, you don’t really know if you’re talking about the same thing. I’ve had that experience plenty of times, where you talk to someone about what you want, and then they make it, and it’s not what you were thinking. It hits home when it’s really great. Jay had this idea with the cliff and the water. I will cop to being a big fan of the band Genesis; the album Foxtrot has a really insane album cover that also involves a shore. I like anything in common with the artwork of that-era Genesis.

SILY: Are you playing these tracks live?

KF: We’ve played a few live. I’ve been taking a break from playing shows, but now we’re getting a new set ready. Do you know the band Modern Nature?

SILY: I just saw them the other night!

KF: Did you enjoy the show?

SILY: Yeah, it was awesome. I really like them. Olden Yolk played, too.

KF: Oh yeah, I like them.

SILY: And Tōth and Hannah Cohen. I love Sunwatchers, too.

KF: Totally. So I went to see Modern Nature in New York, and they started playing, and I realized they were just playing the album. I was like, “That’s cool, maybe I should do that.” We’re gonna play a couple shows in February and March, and maybe we’ll just play the album in homage to Modern Nature and lots of other bands who have done that [laughs] But there are some songs from the first record we never learned as a band because we never played them because that record wasn’t made that way. In this case, we can pretty much play all of them. A few of them have guitar tuning issues. I’m happy with how they all turned out, but a song like “Lily” could drift into a type of music I don’t like as much.

SILY: Why is that?

KF: A really weird experience when I’m playing music live, maybe you played it slower or faster, or maybe there are important elements from the record you don’t have live, but it feels different. It feels like a different type of song than how it feels to you when recorded. In the case of “Lily”, it could turn into a cliche classic rock song. And I wrote it in the Keith Richards guitar tuning. My mind goes towards “not good bar band.” It’s a weird thing to worry about.

SILY: Are you coming to Chicago?

KF: I would like to! Last time around, I didn’t get to touring much. I did some East Coast touring. But this time, I had someone write me asking whether I’d like to come to Columbus. And I’d like to come to Chicago just to go to Chicago because I have some friends there. So then I got thinking about going in that direction. I think that could be cool. I gotta try harder this time. Booking tours is hard. It’s hard until it’s easy, but one of the things I get hung up on is whether I should try to get a legit show, an opening slot, or do really small DIY-ish kind of shows. I never know which direction to turn. So the answer is maybe.

SILY: Is there anything you’ve been listening to, watching, or reading lately that’s caught your attention?

KF: I’m always listening to lots of things. I like that new Modern Nature record. In my house, we’re really into Alex Cameron. His new album Miami Memory is my feel-good record. I’ve been a lot to this label Unseen Worlds. He does a lot of reissues, weird, meandering piano stuff. I’ve been listening a lot to this Michael Vincent Waller record. I really like instrumental music you can just put on. The last couple days I’ve been listening a lot to this Irish record I came aware of through Cian Nugent. I think he produced it or co-produced it. It’s Aoife Nessa Frances’ [Land of No Junction]. The last four days I’ve been playing that every day and have been really enjoying. 

I don’t really watch things. Over the holidays, me and my wife got into watching blockbusters. We just watched Crazy Rich Asians and A Star Is Born. I just read a book I really liked, A Small Place by Jamaica Kincaid. I hacked my way through a Maria Montessori book...Do you know who Gary Valentine is? He was in the first lineup of Blondie. He now goes by his real name and writes books about very esoteric subjects. He wrote a book about Aleister Crowley. He wrote a book about the role dark arts played in the rise of Trump. He also wrote a biography of Rudolf Steiner I read, which I really like. [Steiner] founded Waldorf schools and invented biodynamic farming, so he’s having a movement with all these people drinking organic wine. He was a really far-out dude.

[manyfandomocs]

💜 + Parker Holloway? <3

Love them (in a world where they didn't have the same fc, Isadora Beck for sure)

Bianca Summers (Idk just get good vibes)

Carrie Ryan (Again Carrie is a Bitch but I think they'd be so fun)

Daphne Anderson (I think there'd be something there idk)

Josephine Fabray (I think Josephine would be so fun with them)

Jupiter Ellis (Jupiter would like them)

Karina Jimenez (Karina would love Parker and think they're so cool)

Knox Berry (Idk feels like a good couple)

Marigold Stinson (I love this idea sm idk)

Reagan Harlow (She'd think Parker is so fun)

Steve Schuester (I think Parker would have to be the one to come around tbh)

Xavier Carver (Vibes vibes)

Send me 💜 + one of my ocs and I’ll tell you one (or more) of your ocs that gives me romantic vibes with them

[buckychristwrites]

Pairing: Bucky x Reader

Summary: "Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall.” - F. Scott Fitzgerald

Word Count: 1.1k

Warnings: FLUFF

A/N: My entry for @officialfalcon‘s 1.5k Fall Celebration! All my love goes to Alli for holding this celebration. Let me know what you think! :)

Masterlist | Tags List Form

Year Zero

The feeling of something in your hair startled you. When you threw your hand up to brush it off, you were relieved to find a bright orange leaf fall to the ground.

The autumn air was cool, nipping at your cheeks as you strolled through the almost disturbingly quiet Central Park. The ground was still wet from the heavy rain that came overnight and the sky was still completely blanketed by clouds. But it was still beautiful to you. No heat or overbearing sun. There was a sense of calm in the air, and you loved every second of it. Along with the explosions of marigold and honey color leaves filled the trees and sidewalks of New York City, it was the perfect day for a walk.

It was about ten in the morning, the pathways not as dense as they normally were. The first cold day must’ve kept everyone inside. You watched the morning dew drip off the trees and onto the grass, as the slight gust of wind sent the stray leaves flying passed you. The only thing on your mind was whether you were going to stop at the little coffee shop near your apartment building to pick up a hot chocolate before heading home. Everything about that seemed like a good idea. As you passed through the gates of Central Park to leave, a shoulder bumped into yours, but you had grown so accustomed to it in your time in the City that you barely processed it. Pulling your jacket sleeves further over your hands, you made your way to the crosswalk and calmly pushed the button before pulling out your phone as you waited. On a normal day, you would just cross, but traffic was too heavy and you just weren’t willing to risk it.

So captured by your phone as you typed out a text to your best friend, you didn’t notice the car that was barrelling down the road, plowing through the large collection of water along the edge and completely drenching you. A gasp left your mouth as you opened your hands and let your phone fall and clatter to the ground. The shock from your sudden change in state left you frozen, staring at your phone that was now face down on the cement.

“Are you okay?”

The voice startled you out of your shock. When you turned, a handsome stranger was slowly making his way towards you. All you could do was stare as he bent down and picked up your phone, examining it for damage.

“Seems to be okay,” He mumbled before looking up at you, a soft smile on his face. He sported a leather jacket with a light blue shirt underneath and dark jeans, a black baseball cap on his head that contained his long hair that was peaking out in the back. The unkemptness of his attire plus the scruff on his face screamed bad news, but the gentle look in his eyes said something different. After a minute, you realized you still hadn’t responded and it was getting weird.

“Sorry,” You muttered sheepishly. “I’m fine, thank you.” Although it wasn’t necessarily the truth. The water had seeped through your clothing, and was now eating away at the warmth of your skin.

“The driver’s in this city are complete assholes,” He griped. “That dick saw that giant ass pool of water. He could’ve avoided it.” Your shoulders rose and fell quickly.

“Too late to be angry about it now,” You sighed. He pressed his lips together, before lifting the hand that wasn’t holding your phone.

“Bucky Barnes,” He said, making your nose crumple up as you tried to stifle a laugh. You introduced yourself to him, and he repeated your name back to you. The way it sounded when he said it made your heart skip a beat.

“Bucky isn’t your real name, is it?” You asked before you could stop yourself. “Because I don’t even wanna know what your parents named any siblings you have if it is.” He laughed loudly, and you couldn’t help but smile along with him.

“My full name is James Buchanan,” He told you, which made you laugh in return.

“Oh, now I trust them even less,” You said between fits of laughter. “Do you have a brother named Gerald Ford? A cousin named George Washington? A sister named Reagan?” It genuinely surprised you that he wasn’t offended, and you wondered how often he got jokes like this.

“My sister’s name is Rebecca,” He said, shaking his head. “Go figure.”

You tried to hide the fact that you were beginning to shake, but whoever this man was, he was no fool, because he immediately began to shake off his jacket.

“You don’t have to…” You began, but your words were lost when he threw it around your shoulders and zipped it up, as if you never spoke. As he adjusted it for you, you watched him. A perfect stranger, taking care of you as if you had known him for years. Satisfied, he stepped away from you with a smirk on his face.

“There,” He said proudly. “That should keep you until you get home.” A few seconds passed before your eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

“How will I return it to you?” You asked him. “It’s too nice of a jacket to just give to a stranger in the middle of the street.” There was something in his smile that you couldn’t quite place as he lifted up his hand that was holding your apparently still unlocked phone. He began to type away, before his phone went off in his pocket. It wasn’t until that moment that you realized it was triumph in his expression.

“There,” He said, handing you back your phone. “You have my number, I have yours. So we can meet up again for you to return it to me.” You narrowed your eyes at him suspiciously.

“I can’t believe you used a terrible moment in a person’s life to get their phone number,” You said to him playfully. “I feel so exploited.” His response came without missing a beat, which, if you weren’t attracted to him before, you certainly were now.

“Just wait until I tell you I planned the whole thing myself,” He told you. “My friend Steve is a great driver and has perfect aim.”

___________________

Tags

ALL THE THINGS

@pizzarollpatrol, @of-outerspace, @fallenaristocat, @gracefulish, @jamesbvck, @buckysbeech, @dontpanc, @lovinglokiforever, @kingsebstan, @kaaatniss, @meg-holland, @rvmanova, @fracturedmotivationwriting, @daringbanshee, @wantyoubackpeter, @parkerstan, @jnej, @bvckysmanbun, @starlightfound, @loislp, @connorshero, @fanadict-cumberbatch, @deadpoolbyrights, @humanexile, @slytherin-in-hufflepuff-robes, @the-panda-writes, @wintrsoldiers, @spideyspirit

BUCKY

@bucky-slut, @stanclub, @tirzahwrites, @whitewolfbabylon, @drunkonpinklemonade, @littlemissexistential-xxiv, @rnjolnirs, @crazyinspiration, @buckybarneshairpullingkink, @the-right-partner13, @rebelfleur22

[bibaybe]

World Building Wednesday for Carson Hunter, maybe?? 🖤🖤🖤

(Also, thank you so much for the ask about Penny! My poor baby has been very neglected, so it was nice to do something with her!!) 🥰🥰

B A S I C S

full name: carson rae hunter

gender: cis woman

sexuality: pansexual and polyamorous

pronouns: she/her

O T H E R S

family: her father, gabe, her three brothers, luke, reggie, and ben, and her sister, andy. luke is married to marigolde and they have two daughters, gracelynn and darla. and reggie has a boyfriend, kaiden, and probable soon to be stepdaughter, reagan. so basically, she has a bigass family

birthplace: richmond, virginia

job: assistant forensic scientist

phobias: the ocean and mice

guilty pleasures: reality tv - specifically, romance based ones. ziva and tony both make fun of her endlessly when they find out

M O R A L S

morality alignment?: i'm not sure?

sins - lust/greed/gluttony/sloth/pride/envy/wrath

virtues - chastity/charity/diligence/humility/kindness/patience/justice

T H I S - O R - T H A T

introvert/extrovert: extrovert

organized/disorganized: organized

close minded/open-minded: open-minded

calm/anxious: calm

disagreeable/agreeable: agreeable

cautious/reckless: reckless

patient/impatient: impatient

outspoken/reserved: outspoken

leader/follower: leader

empathetic/unemphatic: empathetic

optimistic/pessimistic: optamistic

traditional/modern: modern

hard-working/lazy: hard-working

R E L A T I O N S H I P S

otp: N/A

ot3: carson, tony, and ziva!

brotp: carson and abby, once abby finally accepts that she likes carson

notp: carson and gibbs would be horrifying - she would drive him insane