#thank you so much Hayley for posting more i was starting to tweak without new Paramore content

[alexluvsskittlez]

we got new Paramore and lp content today this is so fucking awesome

[vieuxnoyesrp]

Amber, thank you very much for reapplying. As for Hayley… 

            ⚜ ~ WELCOME BACK TO VIEUX NOYÉS!!! ~ ⚜

Wondering what to do next? Click here and let the good times roll!

⚜ Roleplayer: 

⤜ Name/alias: Amber ⤜ Pronouns: All female pronouns work just fine! ⤜ Age: 19 ⤜ Timezone: US CDT ⤜ Activity: 9/10  It’s safe to say I���ll be on every day for at least an hour or two a day. ⤜ Best form of contact: I’d say the ask or chat function of this blog. ⤜ Any Triggers? None available. ⤜ How did you find Vieux Noyés? I found the role play through the tags. I believe it was a post about the plot that actually brought me to this page. ⤜ What drew you to the RP? I was really interested in the plot at first, but it was the biographies that really made me want to be a part of this role play because I absolutely love them all. ⤜ What is one subplot/element from the Plot page that you are particularly looking forward to seeing in this roleplay? Is it bad that I’m interested in it all? I want to see drama unfold and battle lines be drawn, but I suppose I most want to see how the Salem witches come into play. It’s an interesting twist that may just affect everyone.

⚜ Desired Character: Hayley Marshall

⤜ Why do you want this character?  

The main reason I’d like to play Hayley is her personality and attitude. I adore her spunk and sass to no end. She is the kind of girl who takes no bullshit, and that is a quality I truly admire. I also like that Hayley hasn’t had everything come easily to her. She has had to struggle and claw her way through life, and she did so without anyone else. At the end of the day, I like knowing that she can rely on herself, if no one else. I also enjoy the way that Hayley has been set up within this role play. With just been freed from her wolf form and ending up with the title of alpha, there is so much to be done with her. It is obvious she will have to grow and learn how to become the person she needs to be to be successful and make a safe home for her family, and I want to be the one who takes her through that journey.

⤜ What are your future plans for this character?

There’s a lot I’d like to explore with Hayley’s character. The first would be developing her leadership and conversational skills. For as long as she can remember, she’s been alone. I want to display the tweaks in her character as she grows into her family as well into her leadership role. I plan to focus on the struggles that teach Hayley how to care for others and to think of them rather than rushing in head first.  

I’d also like to show who Hayley is at her core. I want to place her in situations that show her spitfire and her spunk. It’s a large part of who she is, and I want to maintain that aspect of her even as she transforms with time. I think it’s important for her to have some constant, and I plan to show that through her personality.

Along with this, I want to push her to develop relationships and explore pre existing ones. Hayley needs to decide what to do with her and Jackson’s conflicting ideas, and I plan to have her make that confrontation when she is sure that she has a plan that is worth going for.

The relationship with Elijah is also a tool I plan to use to develop Hayley’s character.  I want to show the conflict and the struggle that relationship is going to place on her when she tries to take the city head on. Much to her distaste, the wolf knows the pair will likely end up on different sides, and I want to show how the internal conflict of fighting one of the few she trusts openly will affect her.

⤜ Put yourself in your character’s shoes. Give us a few lines to describe a day in the life of your character… Where do they live? Where and how do they spend their time?

Hayley always begins her day with the sun. It is extremely rare for her to sleep in. The reasoning behind this is that the earlier she is awake, the more she can get done. After being trapped in wolf form for months and her newfound title of Alpha, the werewolf has a lot of her plate. Though, Hayley has never minded the morning. In fact, it’s almost a solstice for her. It gives her time to think without interruption as well as relax a little. Most of the time, she’ll pause to watch the sun rise.

Soon after she hears the awakenings of other pack members, the girl returns to the main part of their camp. Her mornings usually revolve around spending time with her pack. She enjoys learning more about their history and lineage from the elders, and Hayley loves watching the smaller children grow up and accomplish new things.

After she’s had lunch, most days, she’ll call up Tyler Lockwood to come spar and train with her. Hayley believes in keeping up her training, and she may as well help Tyler in the process. It’s a great method of blowing off steam, and Hayley loves the banter the pair engages in while they fight.

When they’ve grown tired, Hayley will say her goodbyes before heading into the city. Here, her day starts to vary with her mood. She may snoop around to see what there is to see, pay Elijah a visit if he is around, or pick up a few things for the younger pack members to play with.

Hayley tends to never be in the city for long, so it’s no surprise she’s home in the early evening once again. Though, during this time, Hayley is a little more reserved. She tends to tuck herself away in her cabin and run over strategy. The wolf is always going over what she wants to get done for the pack, and this is the time she allots to turn those thoughts into actions.

When dinner is ready, she abandons the strategy and meets up with Jack. Most nights, they’ll share dinner and discuss things the other may have missed throughout the day. This is likely Hayley’s favorite part of the day, with the exclusion of the nights they bicker over what needs to be done.

After dinner, Hayley finds her whiskey of choice and takes it over to the fire. She likes to end her day with reflecting over the things she’s done or the things to come. This period lasts around an hour, and then she returns to her home to finally get some sleep.

⤜ Give us three headcanons regarding your character of choice.

Hayley has taken up chess. The werewolf used to believe the game was a complete and utter waste of time, but after watching a few of her older pack members play, she has come to realize that it’s a method to practice strategy. Sometimes she’ll use the pieces to run through scenarios. In some way, the game play translates losses she may not see, but it also gives her an idea of what she could gain. This game is also a metaphor for how she and Jackson are portrayed in her mind. She relates with the queen. An important piece, sure, but she is not the vital piece needed to keep the game alive. For her, that’s Jackson. He’s the one the pack really needs, and the girl comes to realize that more each time she plays.

Hayley is very fond of whiskey. Everyone deserves a break, well, at least Hayley thinks so. Most nights, she’ll sit out by the fire and down a glass or two. The events of the day reflect what kind of purpose the drink serves. On a good day, it’s a celebration, but on a bad day, it’s a numbing agent. Other than the nights in the Bayou, it’s her drink of choice in bars as well. There’s something about the burn that satisfies her. After all, Hayley has always been a bit of a tom boy. It only makes sense that she would  drink the hard stuff.

Hayley has a reoccurring dream of her accident. The dream began a few months after the event occurred. While it does not occur every night, the dream flickers through her mind more often than she prefers. The werewolf regrets taking a life, but she has come to terms with the loss. It was an accident, and she knows this. It is because of this that she has issues with analyzing why the dream haunts her. It causes her to wonder if she has missed something or if there is a deeper meaning to be unraveled.

⤜ What are some plots you’d like to explore with your characater?

The first plot I’d like to start with is the ascension to Alpha for Hayley. I want to show how she grows into this role and begins to make decisions. Though, it is perhaps the relationships she already possesses are what I’d like to display as well. How will they change?   Will they change?

I’d also love to explore her relationship with Tyler. She has been to him what Jackson has been to her, and I want to build that relationship. Hayley is not a person who loves or trusts easily, and by her taking Tyler under her wing, it clearly shows she cares for him on some level.

I’d also like to write Hayley through her meetings with Kira. I think it could develop into an interesting relationship. Hayley was once an outsider herself, and I want to show how she interacts with someone who is now how she once was. There is also the possibility of Hayley discovering what Kira truly is. Once the wolf sets out to do something, it is fairly certain she’ll succeed, and she is dying to know why the girl’s scent is off.

⤜ Para sample:

(Retained for privacy)

⤜ Would you like to be considered for another character if not accepted as your primary choice? Katherine Pierce; another badass chick.

⤜ Have you read the rules?: I have (I also hope there wasn’t a code word because if so, I missed that completely)

⤜ Anything else? Even if I don’t get accepted, I want to wish you all luck because this seems to be an amazingly written role play.

[deadcactuswalking]

REVIEWING THE CHARTS: 24th February 2019

Top 10

After one week off the top, Ariana Grande’s “7 rings” replaces her own song as done to “7 rings” the week before, for its fourth week at #1, and Ariana’s fifth consecutive week at the top.

This means “break up with your girlfriend, i’m bored” by Ariana Grande is down a spot to number-two.

“Someone You Loved” by Lewis Capaldi hasn’t moved at number-three.

“Giant” by Calvin Harris and Rag ‘n’ Bone Man is up two spaces to number-four.

Mabel’s “Don’t Call Me Up” hasn’t moved at number-five – you know, it was a good idea to make one of the least busy weeks on the chart the week in which the BBC completely messes up the structure of their Top 40 online presentation, by making the single art so large for no reason, and making you not able to specify and filter by climbers, fallers and new entries, which I feel is somehow to make me do more work for these episodes. I’ve been slacking, I guess, and the BBC wants me to write notes.

“Dancing with a Stranger” by Sam Smith and Normani is down two spots to number-six.

Post Malone’s “Wow.” hasn’t moved at number-seven.

Up two spaces this week to number-eight is Billie Eilish with “bury a friend”.

Oh, and we have a new top 10 entry, not a new arrival, but the first ever top 10 entry for NSG and Tion Wayne, as their song “Options” is up three spaces to number-nine. Congratulations, the song’s actually pretty decent.

Oh, and “Sweet but Psycho” by Ava Max is up a spot to #10.

Climbers

There weren’t many climbers this week, but the ones we do have are pretty massive, with “Advice” by Cadet and Deno Driz continuing up 22 spaces to #14 off Cadet’s tragic passing in a car accident, “Just You and I” by Tom Walker bouncing up 11 spaces to #19 thanks to Walker’s album release, “i’m so tired...” by LAUV and Troye Sivan also up 11 spots to #22, and finally, the continued rise for “Thotiana” by Blueface, up 17 positions to #23 thanks to a remix featuring Cardi B, and more buzz surrounding Blueface’s name recently. Do you think any of his other songs will cross over? I doubt it.

Fallers

Now this is a different story. “Nothing Breaks Like a Heart” by Mark Ronson and Miley Cyrus is down eight spaces to #17, “Hello My Love” by Westlife is down five positions to #24 (I’m just surprised it’s lasted this long anyway), “MIDDLE CHILD” by J. Cole is down 11 spots to #28 (It’ll rebound next week due to the video), “Sunflower” by Post Malone and Swae Lee is down six to #29 (Likely at the end of its run), “Swan Song” by Dua Lipa is down eight to #32 (And is somehow still having more longevity in its success than the film it was made to promote), “Gun Lean” by Russ (splash) is down 13 to #33 (Let’s hope this goes away as quick as possible), “Psych Out!” by AJ Tracey is down 16 to #34 (Album hype wearing off), “Undecided” by Chris Brown is down 10 to #35, “Happier” by Marshmello and Bastille is down five to #36, “Without Me” by Halsey is down 11 to #39, and, sadly, “a lot” by 21 Savage featuring uncredited guest vocals from J. Cole is down 11 to #40.

Dropouts

“Who Do You Love?” by the Chainsmokers and 5 Seconds of Summer is out from #34 (Let’s hope this goes away forever, it’s pretty worthless), “Lost in the Fire” by Gesaffelstein and the Weeknd is out from #35 (Once again, this song is pretty trashy, let’s keep it out for as long as possible), “Nights Like This” by Kehlani and Ty Dolla $ign (Currently serving 15 years in prison for cocaine possession) is out from #38, and, finally, “Thursday” by Jess Glynne is out from #39.

Returning Entries

Now, we only have one returning entry, which is “Think About Us” by Little Mix, with a remix featuring Ty Dolla $ign, which returns to #26 thanks to a video, which I haven’t seen, but do you think Ty Dolla $ign is in it? I’m not sure if they would have pre-recorded it when Ty Dolla $ign wasn’t serving 15 years in prison for cocaine possession, or rushed it because they realised that the one hit from this album, “Woman Like Me”, isn’t coming back now and they have to quickly see if they can grab another hit off of this cycle. Anyways, for the first time in what feels like ages, we have a quick and easy new arrivals section, as there’s only three, so let’s get this done.

NEW ARRIVALS

#37 – “365” – Zedd and Katy Perry

The big comeback single for Katy Perry, with production from Zedd, is called “365”. No wonder this isn’t doing well in America, naming your song after random numbers is barely ever a good idea, even if it has thematic relation to the song’s lyrics. This is Katy Perry’s 26th UK Top 40 single (Which is really impressive) and Zedd’s tenth. Now, I’ve liked Zedd for a while, ever since that song “Stay the Night” with Hayley Williams – I still stand by how his first two albums are pretty great for their genre and that it’s some of the best electro- and dance-pop to come out of the 2010s – but ever since he got a resurgence in America with “Stay”, he’s really been sticking to that formula and it’s getting really tiring to keep up with him. I hated “Starving” and have thought everything he’s released since is pretty in “The Middle” but hopefully this collaboration with Katy Perry can be diff—nope.

It starts with a pretty ugly synth sound that acts as a pitched-up bass with some pathetic percussion building up Katy Perry’s breathy voice until we get to the drop, which is nonexistent. When we get to the second verse, it’s the same with some added tweaks that I actually kind of like, such as the multi-tracked vocal harmonies, but it quickly transitions into that painfully un-catchy chorus, and a post-chorus using “Hey!” backing group vocals because why not? Then that bloody clock ticking sound appears that’s been so typical of Zedd this past year or two under some autotuned Katy Perry vocal samples twisted to make some remnant of a melody, because Zedd really likes clocks. Even stuff like “The Middle” was articulated and had layers, while this just feels like a lazy attempt to get Katy Perry in the spotlight again, and so far, I’m not entirely sure if that’s worked.

#16 – “Kitchen Kings” – D-Block Europe

D-Block Europe is a British and European hip-hop collective hailing from South London and lead by Young Adz and Dirtbike LB (Some of the worst names in rap? More likely than you think!). They had a hit once before with “nASSty” a few months ago and that was awful, so I’m not exactly excited to see them back, although again, it’s a collective, it might be an entirely different set of artists for their recent song about “Kitchen Kings”, which I’ll admit is a somewhat clever and catchy way of saying you cook and sell drugs, but we shouldn’t care because we immediately recognise the nasal, childlike voice of who I believe is Young Adz and realise that even if they are selling drugs, they can’t convince us that they are because they’re not intimidating or at least make any attempt at sounding hard like Dave or Fredo. There are couple pretty synths covering Adz in the intro, specifically his hilariously awful “Skrrt” ad-libs that he just keeps on doing and elongating until the chorus, which has some pretty bad bass mixing and emotionless repetition of “Mm-hmm” to replace any attempt at wordplay. Adz’s verse is actually pretty funny, not on purpose mind you, due to once again the pitched-up ad-libs, including those skrrt-skrrts and a voice crack in his falsetto “Kitchen, girl” backing vocal. Oh, and the last line about how losing money that he would usually be covered by his drug-selling is “Flipping hell”, or something of that sort, is delivered awfully. The second guy’s verse is painful, and evidently he was so offbeat that they had to completely get rid of the beat for his verse, getting rid of the percussion and bass, or at least all of its punch, by filtering it and causing those empty pauses in his verses which are just autotuned vocal riffs feel so much more pointless. This is amateur, so I can’t exactly be that hard on it, but it still shouldn’t be charting in the top 20.

#12 – “Please Me” – Cardi B and Bruno Mars

And now we have the highest-charting new arrival here, which is already a top five hit in the US, by some of the biggest names in popular music, both of which were behind one of my favourite hits of the year, “Finesse” (The remix, of course). This is Bruno’s 18th top 40 hit in the UK and Cardi’s tenth to reach this height. Does this have nearly as much fun, bombast and charisma as their last hit together? Yes, in the vocal track, at least. Bruno Mars’ performance here is amazing, albeit mixed oddly with a bit too much reverb while we have these pretty 90s synths oddly being put against dated trap synths that sound straight out of a Tay Keith sample pack, as well as a stunted trap skitter that puts a halt to all of the fun that we could be having with the intricate synth work, Bruno Mars’ great multi-tracked vocals and Cardi B’s groovy verses with enough interesting lines and even ad-libs, but the pre-chorus is janky and Cardi isn’t exactly a great singer (Although she doesn’t sound awful here and I do like her hyping up of Bruno in the chorus). It takes a darker turn in the bridge which is a bit abrupt and unnecessary, and Bruno crooning “Twerk it on me slowly” isn’t exactly something I wanted to hear, so it’s safe to say this is disappointing right now, but it could grow on me. What’s sad is that this relatively mediocre R&B track is by far the best pick here.

Conclusion

Yeah, that means Cardi B and Bruno Mars get Best of the Week for “Please Me”, but I’m not sure how much that’s actually deserved yet. Worst of the Week goes to D-Block Europe for “Kitchen Kings” because, well, just listen to it. See you next week.