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empathic-seer · 3 years

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About

Name: Sheridan Dwyer

Age: 18(TWEWY), 21(Neo-TWEWY/Post Neo)

Height: 4’9/144 cm

Gender: Female

Pronouns: She/Her

Sexuality: Questioning but identifies Bisexual

Occupation: Full-time College Student for Nursing, works part-time performing whatever jobs she can get for acting and voice acting. Keeping her eyes open for an opening at WildKat.

Biography:

I’d mostly prefer for the details to come out organically, but she lives in Shibuya to pursue Nursing school and has a tiny apartment all her own.

Her mother has suffered from chronic pain and other ailments since she was small but they’re super close, her biological father treats her like a child and tries to buy her love with money and video games and her mother’s now ex was severely emotionally and verbally abusive as well all the way until he was finally kicked out when she was 14.

Her mother has kept in some contact though she’s readying to cut him off completely and Sheridan still stiffens at the sound of his voice and can recognize him by his knock.

She’s always seen the UG, but she didn’t learn or see nearly as much as she does in Shibuya due to being from a smaller town in New York. It was mainly just Noise.

She was born at 1 pound 11 ounces and before the third trimester, leading to her nearly dying twice. According to her Mom, she had the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck, so she wasn’t getting any nutrients. After that scare, 3 days later her oxygen levels suddenly went down to single digits, to the point a priest was called in to give last rites. Once the cross was drawn on her forehead her oxygen levels shot up and haven’t come back down since.

Sheridan assumes this is why she can see the UG, though she has no idea why she was saved and it’s something she struggles with often.

Speaking of the Game; boy is she conflicted about it. She probably shouldn’t be, but she helps any Players she can if she catches them in a reaper decal store, warning them of approaching Noise and often putting herself at risk to help them find Partners to give them a fighting chance. She’s also known for interfering more directly by taking infective Noise onto herself. She can’t take seeing others in pain and would rather deal with the ensuing negativity than have another go through it.

So yeah. Oops. As far as her conflict with the Game itself, she loves the fact people get a second chance, and even understands entry fees and their purpose to help others grow. But the erasure part...that she struggles with. It takes a big emotional toll on her and she can’t grasp why it’s necessary as she doesn’t understand the inner-workings enough.

Thoughts on the Games:

The World Ends With You:

Speaking of the Game; boy is she conflicted about it. She probably shouldn’t be, but she helps any Players she can if she catches them in a reaper decal store, warning them of approaching Noise. She’s also known for interfering more directly by taking infective Noise onto herself. She can’t take seeing others in pain and would rather deal with the ensuing negativity than have another go through it. All the better if it helps out Players on the way.

She recognizes she has a lot to learn, especially being only a bystander who mainly watches from the sidelines.

At the end of the Game, nimbly avoids wearing an O pin after seeing the effects from the Game, she hides out in high Imagination areas like Udagawa, the River and WildKat to feel safer. The conformity scares her, she’s always felt different but being alone in a sea of people with the same goal...she never wants to feel so isolated again.

Neo:

As far as Shiba’s Game...she does not like the change.

The UG she’d come to expect was turned completely on its head and it’s even worse.

She understood most of Joshua’s Game. The checks and balances set in place, Reapers and Players, entry fees...all of it save the erasure.

But now the erasures have increased with one team winning nonstop and all she can do is watch in horror as it happens. So many people...Erased without a thought week after week. It’s emotional torture for her as an Empath honestly. The horror, the fear, and then just...nothing.

The shifting energy is much darker than the conformity at the end of the original and she can tell something dangerous is happening, though she can’t grasp what.

Worries over the Wicked Twisters and keeps tabs on their emotions throughout the Game since they’re so much smaller than the other groups.

To say she was shocked when both Neku and Beat were in again was an understatement. She thought they’d escaped. There’s so much she doesn’t know but she watches even more intently when she can from then on.

Feels Shoka’s struggle and wants to help the girl escape the toxic influences surrounding her and get in a better environment.

Just wants everyone to be safe and healthy and for the suffocating air to be breathable again.

Tidbits:

Has always felt drawn to Shibuya River, and WildKat Cafe. There’s a...quiet. A calmness she never gets anywhere else. Particularly in the river. It’s just herself and her own emotions for once but even they feel muted there. Darker thoughts even if present is quieter, and become white noise in the wake of the sound of the river flowing.

Tends to loiter quietly and shyly steal glances at Hanekoma and Joshua if either is in the cafe but too intimidated to actually approach. Something feels...otherworldly about them. Her intuition can tell something is powerful about them so she’s always kept her distance despite feeling a pull towards both.

That goes the same for Hazuki as well, of course.

All Higher Plane beings in her experience mute her Empathy, though she isn't sure why. It's part of why she's so on edge around them, both wanting to be near and torn on approaching.

The library is another place you’ll find her, sequestering in a lone corner far from others and likely reading some supernatural romance aloud or working on a story.

Chronic fatigue is a bad side effect that’s pretty noticeable if she’s been giving too much of herself to others and letting herself be drained. In high school, she’d come home and have to nap for an hour or 3 depending on the day just to recover from the constant negativity she took on from all her “friends”. She still finds herself in that state pretty often, though not as bad nowadays as she’s trying to learn healthy boundaries.

Personality:

Sheridan is very openhearted and kind. Often way too trusting and forgiving for her own good despite having very good intuition. She’s very quick to inquire how others are but brushes off when asked about herself and quickly redirects. She’s very comfortable when it comes to taking care of others since she had a sick mom to take care of all throughout childhood. It’s instinct for her to see if anyone needs anything and she’s ended up flustered many a time by accidentally asking “are you ok?” or “do you need anything?” since if she drifts off or gets bored it’ll pop out sometimes after living with her mom for so long.

She’s also an Empath, meaning she feels what others do and experiences their emotions as her own. She tends to have her guard up a little, she doesn't want to accidentally get too much of someone unless they're ready to give it, but she also doesn't want to leave someone in crisis. She...has a bad habit of attracting people who use her as an emotion dumping ground and letting them stay way too long.

Sheridan feels like her whole purpose is to help others. Like it's all she's good for. She's really struggling to learn that selfish isn't a dirty word and that she's allowed to want things too and to get upset and that what she says is worth listening to.

Easy to think about, but hard to put into practice. She's learned when people ignore her or especially talk over her to quiet down. 'Clearly they just really need to talk right? I didn't have anything important to add anyway." Or so her thought process typically goes.

She tends to be shy at first but if given positive reinforcement and encouragement she’ll slowly warm up. She does best in intimate, small groups.

Seems like she doesn’t have a sense of humor but is actually pretty funny now and then. She just has to feel comfortable enough to crack jokes in the first place.

People tend to look at her in shock if she curses since when she’s first meeting people and in the warming up phase, she seems very polite, kind, and innocent to a fault.

Easily flustered, especially by teasing. Any person she’s even a little bit attracted to she’ll likely be at least a little pink, fidgety and sheepish. It doesn’t take much either. Corner her, pin her, or even just direct eye contact could be enough to make her go red. She’s hopeless in that regard since she’s very inexperienced.

Severely touch starved but way too scared of rejection to initiate or confess as much so she just kinda suffers in silence.

An easy crier. Cries at the drop of a hat. Even when angry, she cries because no matter what she’s hurting to be angry at all given it’s typically very rare for her to begin with. Feeling what everyone around her does has led to her being a every emotional person in her own right.

Hobbies:

Enjoys acting and performing more than anything, even though she’s yet to be cast as a lead or anything major except in her theatre final, where she got to play Doris from Fame. One of her favorite roles. She loved participating in high school at her musical theatre program and did stage crew all the way up to 11th grade when she finally made it in and got to be in first the ensemble and then lead ensemble the following year. She often gets typecast as the “cute one” or child roles thanks to being 4’9 and being very accommodating and kind.

Somewhat hand in hand with acting and performing, but singing. Gets stage fright occasionally but is able to push through it.

Reading body language is something else she finds very fun, but she never voices it without explicit consent. She likes to people-watch in Shibuya and guess their lives inwardly to keep herself fresh.

Plays video games very often, especially RPGs as well as reading to escape her troubles. It’s a great way to combat loneliness and also not think for a while, to lose herself in another world.

Writes as well, to vent her negative thoughts. Typically through a fanfiction blog for x reader fandom and kpop content in 2nd person. A bit shy about voicing it though. Has original ideas and has started a book but trying to build her own world and the magic system has proven a bit difficult.

Reading supernatural romance novels. Her favorite genre since the worlds and characters are typically very immersive and serve as great escape potential. Loves to find a corner, make sure she's completely alone, and voice act the characters as she reads. Y'know, like a nerd.

Likes to bake, especially different types of cookies. It’s a great stress reliever. She has several video game recipes she wants to try to learn though. Particularly the butterscotch cinnamon pie from Undertale and sea-salt ice cream from Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days.

Binging guilty pleasure shows. Loves laughing at trashy reverse harems with friends like Diabolik Lovers to both appreciate the hotness of the designs and voice acting and also how awful the characters are as people. Doesn’t mind thirsting over toxic vampires, but obviously only in fiction.

Anxiety:

Mental Health: Not great, though most likely wouldn't guess so. She'd much rather help others, see what they need than have them focus on her. She's very much not used to that and doesn't know how to react.

(Important Note! Please do NOT feel pressured to include anything below in our rp and if you ever need a specific thing added as a trigger tag do let me know! My Trigger tag format is Trigger; ______ if you need to block any! I'm open to it of course, given I included them in my form I just want to make sure everyone I roleplay with has the tools to tailor the experience to them and feel secure.

If I want to start a thread or anything about the issues below I will likely message the Mun in advance first for permission first unless they've stated they're explicitly fine with such content and apologies in advance if I'm awkward when reaching out.)

She tends to have panic attacks thanks to severe arachnophobia and it can take her a solid hour to work up the courage to try and kill one, typically while she's crying and whimpering to herself to "breathe Sheridan, that's it breathe…"

She tends to get bouts of social anxiety. When she's acting it's fine because she's not her, and the same for if she's in an intimate group.

But especially if someone starts yelling at her? She'll likely freeze and then look to run away before the person sees her crying. She can't stop shaking and can barely breathe. It's awful and a huge trigger for her. Even if it's not directed at her she'll still panic.

Also suffers from driver’s anxiety. Still only has her permit since she hasn’t found anyone who can put her at ease enough and that she wouldn’t be embarrassed to break down with.

Asperger's Syndrome/Autism Spectrum Disorder:

High functioning but a big person to hyper-fixate and jump from one fixation to another especially when in a bad headspace. Can become obsessed and may need to be gently pulled back/ forced outside.

Stims, mainly physically. Squirms before sleep mainly because her brain won't shut off.

Soft/smooth stims are her favorite anxiety soothers.

Has a rainbow bear with purple eyes she's had since childhood that is a stim she uses to calm from panic.

Clutches her necklace; an Undertale plaque that reads in white text '*a determined soul' and has the rainbow SOUL hearts above it. Uses it as a source of strength.

Bounces her leg when she can but has mainly learned to force herself to stop.

Only does this one when not around her mom since both share the same stim and her Mom said it made her nauseous.

Depression:

Frequent intrusive negative thought spirals and suicidal ideation. Thoughts of self-harm, in a similar vein, though she’d never act on it.

Unfortunately, knowing they’re irrational doesn’t stop the thoughts from happening way too often for her liking.

Her becoming overwhelmed by her emotions and breaking down for 3 hours is commonplace, as is her ghosting for way too long. A bad habit because she doesn't want to burden anyone when she’s not even able to be there for them.

Basically, if she isn’t serving others she feels she shouldn’t exist at all but she’s trying to understand she has worth all on her own.

Eating Issues:

Body dysmorphia with her weight. She tends to not eat often and even if urged she hates that she has to force herself and typically puts herself down which can lead to a spiral if she’s not careful.

Sometimes she's fine. But even when "fine" she'll typically have something small like a muffin, and a 1/4 of dinner and that's all she'll eat.

She snacks because she doesn't have to think when she eats it if she's distracted. Things like popcorn, pocky, or pretzels are her go-to's.

Kind of wants someone to be able to care enough to notice inwardly and maybe text her to see when and what she's last eaten but doesn't ever want to emotionally dump like others do to her because she doesn't want to be a burden or pitied.

CPTSD:

She had her first emotion flashback recently having to do with her abuser and has been shaken ever since, trying to deal with it on her own. Yelling is a trigger for her, especially when paired with degradation.

Forced "civility" as well.

There was a period while her mother was unaware of the extent of the abuse given Sheridan was still trying to protect her. Over the course of 3 years nothing but good night and good morning, passive-aggressive and snide comments of "aren't you going to say hi/bye/thank you/your welcome?" anytime she was too crippled by anxiety/fear to look at him, let alone speak was the norm.

Relationships:

None yet! Just let me know if anyone wants to be added and I’ll happily do so! <3

#Headcanons; intuitive introspection #Ooc; navigating noise #Trigger; eating disorders #Trigger; verbal abuse #Trigger; emotional abuse #Trigger; depression #Trigger; anxiety #Trigger; arachnophobia #Trigger; cptsd

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jadenjace · 4 years

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𝑏𝑢𝑖𝑙𝑑 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝘩𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑡 𝑎 𝘩𝑜𝑚𝑒 .

⤿ ⋆ JADEN JACE LAPOINTE | TWENTY-EIGHT | MAINE ➜ ATLANTA | UNEMPLOYED

okay so a little rework / role-change . i should’ve done this a long time ago , but jaden is probably one of my most developed muses and he is so loved by me that it makes my heart hurt a little bit . he’s twenty-eight ( his birthday is soon so .. presents please ) , born and raised in alabama and freshly moved in from maine to settle into a new life with his lovely girlfriend @saintezrajean . jaden has recently been in hospital after losing part of his leg and is still healing enough to be fitted with a prosthetic so don’t be alarmed if he’s hobbling about on crutches for a while .

also , if you’ve been around for a while he’s kind of a gender-bent version of BJ ( who i’m considering re-writing and bringing back too perhaps ... ) i seriously want connections with everybody and will be reaching out to bother anyone who even sniffs around this intro post .

TW : car accident , mental illness , amputation , injury .. all that good stuff .

@atlanta-rpgstarters

character info –

Name: Jaden Lapointe Age: Twenty-Eight Pronouns: He/Him Hometown: La Fayette, Alabama Time lived in Atlanta: One month Occupation: Unemployed Character Quote: i've begun to heal in all the places your hands have been / there's a battle i must fight alone but it’s you I'm fighting for

biography –

1991 brought the birth of the greatest lapointe child , at least according to jaden himself. he was always a little rocket running excitedly from place to place , high-energy , much to the despair of his parents who were left with the task of keeping up . their lifestyle in the early years suited the little powerhouse – his mother and father loved the travelling life and before he was even old enough to speak they’d state-hopped and explored every hidden nook and crevice that the world had to offer . being that young he didn’t realise that it was due to his father’s native american roots – alabama wasn’t known for their open minds , especially twenty odd years ago , and the idea of his mother marrying a man anything other than white seemed unheard of . circumstances relaxed with the realisation that hilary was pregnant again and they settled in maine now things had calmed , the small closed off town that didn’t seem to have enough space for a boy desperate to see it all . thankfully , unlike his rather conservative and old-fashioned grandmother she heard so much about , hilary let jaden do pretty much whatever he wanted ( within reason , of course ) . it started off with semi-permanent hair chalks , washable markers on pale skin , an ear piercing when he was old enough to sign the forms , then another , an impulsive nature taking root and leaving him with some questionable scars and stick ‘n’ poked imagery .

during high school he never fit in , but unlike some of the ‘ loser ‘ kids he didn’t fit the mould for the simple reason that he didn’t fucking want to . he didn’t care if teachers told him to dye his hair a normal color , to take those ‘ foul pieces of metal ‘ out of his face , he was there to have fun and maybe learn along the way .. even if not much of it got through . one passion though was science class . it was the only textbook that wasn’t filled with doodles of galaxies and moons , of little aliens and crazy spaceships , simply because outer space didn’t seem so far away when he was learning the facts . if he had been more dedicated maybe he would’ve become an astrologer , an astronaut maybe ; the dream is still there somewhere at the back of that spacey mind of his , and one day he hopes she might actually touch the stars instead of just gaze up at them . alongside the nerdy part of his mind was his sporty nature , gravitating toward the basketball team ( which was the only crumb of street credibility he could get his hands on ) and frequenting the skateboard to try , and fail , complicated tricks until they were finally perfected .

meeting ezra was a turning point in the boy’s life . their relationship began with a fateful meeting , a few awkward encounters across the basketball court and in her previous job at the movie theatre . asking her on a date was something that would impact his future in more ways than one , both positively and detrimentally .. on the drive to the arcade for their first real moment as a couple their car flipped and , in a final moment of sacrifice , tipped over on the driver’s side and in turn crushed the lower half of his right leg . beyond repair , the male was forced to have it amputated merely a month ago . with his existence put into perspective the couple decided to uproot and move somewhere with more options , more opportunities to heal , grow and recover from a moment so traumatic it was difficult for the both of them to cope , using money gifted from the lapointe parents ( who had practically adopted ezra at this point ) and some stashed away from savings they managed to find a little apartment to rent between them . it’s now their sanctuary , and jaden spends most of his days cooped up playing video games or watching cult movies to distract himself from the ever present demons inside of his head .

personality –

if there was one word to describe him in the dictionary it would be a GOOFBALL – nothing is taken seriously , which is maybe a downfall when he comes anywhere close to a halfway serious conversation or figuring ‘adult’ things out for himself . everything is a joke , followed by a witty comment or obscure reference , a type of humour that would’ve been suited to a late-night television host if he had half the confidence to execute such a thing . jaden never takes anything seriously , before his accident and after it . jokes have been his coping mechanism and they’d continue to be for the near future at least , the only way he is able to forget about what happened to him and figure out a way to cope is through puns , quips and jokes at his own expense . unfortunately for the boy that attempts to be a ball of sunshine 99% percent of the time he is haunted in flashbacks by his accident , old film reels that play back in his mind at the most inconvenient of times . jaden doesn’t admit to many people that late nights are spent fighting tears or crying so hard his head pounds , hiding from the outside world beneath countless of sheets just for a hint of solace , a sanctuary among the fear .

#atgaintro #car accident tw #injury tw #amputation tw #mental illness tw

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melonoverlord · 6 years

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the 50 qs for the goofy drama zip zap boi

Their age?

Their sexuality/sexual preference?

Bisexual

Any siblings/Only child?

He has two siblings, one older sister (Judith) who he’d sell his soul to Satan for, and one younger brother (Reuben) who he’d sell to Satan. Jk, he loves Benny but sometimes he is too much to handle. They are all separably vying for “Most Extra Spiegelmann” Award

Their favourite season?

Winter. His goal every year is to make the tallest snowman with Ashi.

Who were/are their parents/guardians?

His parents were Henry and Antonia, and were pretty good parents to all of them and always encouraged him to be himself, but when Judith disappeared and it didn’t really seem like she had run away because Daniel told the police that she never had a problem at home, but like pre-teens did, sometimes have arguments with her mom and dad (mainly related that Judith wanted to go out and stay out with her friends), they were tried and arrested for child abduction and murder and now Daniel and Reuben officially live with their Great Aunt Theresa, but when Daniel’s boss entered the picture, he paid Daniel’s aunt to have unofficial custody over the boys as long as he paid college education and living expenses for them.

Their gender?

Male

Their date of birth?

September 15, 2002

What clothing style?

Usually gray jeans and t-shirts of either shows he’s been in or the stupid graphic tees you get at target. In his work, his boss has been trying to make sure he dresses better and is now starting to wear either sweaters or button ups with slacks. He doesn’t like that very much.

What is their favourite food after a break-up?

Butterscotch cookies from a bakery in Downtown Grand Rapids. They would know him by name.

Their favourite thing to do after a break-up?

Listen to every single musical or Disney love song and cry while eating chocolate chip ice cream. It hurts his tummy afterwards but it helps to focus on an upset tummy than a broken heart.

What happens in the ‘honeymoon phase’ for this character?

The kid will be broke because he’s always trying to buy gifts based on what you said you liked that one time. He’ll also always be with you and giving you cuddles and holding your hand and say “I found this flower, it reminded me of you.”

How many serious relationships have they been in?

None. He always had eyes for Ashi and didn’t know whether she liked him back.

What is their nationality?

American, though his family came from Poland in the 1930s.

What languages do they speak?

English, Hebrew, and Polish.

What is their profession/Education?

He was taught in Michigan for most of his life in both regular public school and then Hebrew school, and now he’s on a hiatus on school while he works, but still takes classes online at the local city college.

Their favourite comfort food?

Chocolate milkshakes. He’ll drink like five in an hour. Who cares if he’s lactose intolerant.

What’s a food they hate?

Tomatoes. They’re too squishy.

Their music taste?

Alternative rock or musical theatre. He’s honestly a fan of anything except country. Fuck country.

Is there a story behind their name/meaning?

Daniel’s a king in the bible, and Henry wanted to have a strong son that could make their family proud.

Something they do that seems childish to others?

When he gets overstimulated, whether happy or sad, he starts to cry. He once cried because he couldn’t finish an exam on time. He still got a B+ but he cried.

What is their all-time favourite TV show?

Mythbusters. They way they just *clenches fist* bust those myths. He also really likes anything with Gordon Ramsey because he’s funny.

What is their all-time favourite movie?

He’s a super big fan of the Indiana Jones movies, particularly The Last Crusade. His favorite part is where Indy and his dad set the room on fire.

How big is their family?

Originally it was him, Judith, Benny, and his parents, but now it’s him, Benny, techinically Great Aunt Theresa? And kinda his boss.

Are they close to anyone specific in the family?

He was extremely close to Judith when they were younger. He would say she was his best friend and she would come to his theatre performances when his parents had work. Now that she’s gone, he’s close(ish) to Benny, but they have a lot of tension from Benny just wanting his freedom and Daniel wanting to be a brother instead of a parent.

Have they got any allergies?

Bees and mosquitoes. He gets severe reactions from any bug bites that camping anywhere is kind of off the table.

Are they an emotional person?

Yes, but he tries to keep it under control and do whatever he’s being told to do. But the kid definitely feels the highs and lows

Do they get angry/lose their temper quickly?

He’s got a lot of reasons to be angry, but he knows he has to hold it together for Benny (and Ashi). So he just waits until he’s alone and then he cries.

What are some of their guilty pleasures?

Playing video games for hours on end, talking to his pet gerbil Madonna, and writing out letters to Ashi that he can’t send so he keeps under his mattress at home.

Do they have pets? Do they want pets?

He has his pet gerbil Madonna that he and Benny watch over.

Do they like kids? Do they want kids/have kids?

He’s alright with kids, but he couldn’t handle another right now since he’s kind of the sole caretaker of Reuben.

Who’s cuddle buddy are they?

It used to be Judith’s and Ashi’s, but now it’s just Benny, which Benny absolutely hates. He squirms out of every hug that Daniel tries to give him.

Do they have any tattoos?

Nope, baby’s afraid of needles.

Do they have any piercings?

No, for the same reasons.

What is their hair colour? Is it their natural colour?

Dark blonde. He dyed the ends of it to a blue when he was fourteen, and Benny and Ashi both immediately agreed they hated it, so he cut it off.

Do they like musicals?

He loves musicals. He’s been participating in community theatre since he was around seven or eight (he had his first starring role as Gavroche in Les Miserables) and listens to musicals to calm himself down from panic attacks.

Do they like marmite?

He doesn’t say it to anything, but he actually likes it on toast. He doesn’t eat it that often because nearly everyone on his team hates it, but he enjoys it on the downlow.

Do they like glitter?

He has a glitter folder that he puts his sheet music in. He likes anything flashy and shiny.

Do they believe in the supernatural?

Mothman is real and you can’t convince him otherwise.

Have they ever seen a dead body?

He’s been lucky enough not to, but he’s worried that one of these days in the line of work he’s doing, he’s going to either see a dead body or

the dead body

Have they ever had a near-death experience?

He’s had plenty of near death experiences, a lot of them by his own doing. He once was about 20 feet from splatting on the pavement because he teleported too late.

Have they ever broken a bone?

Despite his general disregard for safety, Daniel is lucky that he’s never broken a bone. He almost broke his tailbone when he fell off a tree when he was fourteen, but he just had the air knocked out of him.

What are they like when they’re drunk/what kind of drunk are they?

He’d be the flirty drunk who just says he loves you so much. He’s also the one that forgets that you’re dating, so when you say you’re taken he starts crying.

Have they ever drunk underage?

Nah, his faith is pretty strict about drinking for funsies.

What is the first thing they do when they wake up?

Go to water his plants in his room. He has a fern named Patricia.

Do they consider themselves popular?

He’s had friends here and there mostly through theatre, but in his mind having Ashi was enough. It didn’t really set in how much he was lonely until she left.

How do they like their tea/coffee?

With as much sugar dumped in. Think you added enough sugar? No, add more.

What do they smell like?

Apple cologne, hazelnut, and pinewood candles.

Are they a virgin?

Yes, he’s only had one kiss and that was a stage kiss for Rent. He played Roger.

Do they wear glasses/contacts?

He wears contacts because he doesn’t like anything crowding around his eyes. He likes his Flicker mask because it actually covers the whole face rather than just his eyes and he can focus on outside stuff.

Are they good at remembering significant dates? Anniversaries, birthdays etc?

He’s good when it comes to Benny and Ashi, but completely abysmal when it comes to himself or other people’s. He once forgot a staff meeting with his team until they were literally at his doorstep politely demanding to come in.

#imaturtlebug #my characters #Daniel Spiegelmann #Library of Alexandria campaign

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margaretrosegladney · 4 years

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Contribution from Rose Gladney via email:

“I was born April 17, 1945, in Shreveport, Louisiana, grew up in Homer, La., parish seat of Claiborne Parish, where my parents, grand parents, and great grandparents lived and had graduated from public school. I have 3 sisters(one older, 2 younger) and 3 younger brothers.

Social life in our town of fewer than 5,000 focused around church -worship services, choir practice, youth groups (primarily Baptist, Methodist, 1 Presbyterian, 1 Catholic, 1 Jehovah's Witness), racially segregated public schools (grades 1-12) , 2 movie theatres in 1950s, a small golf course and Country Club ( whites only), school football, basketball, baseball (boys only). In sports, girls played basketball only. Softball was only on school grounds during recess. At age 10, I liked softball and my dad took me to see the Homer Oilers play baseball one summer evening; but I found it very slow and boring. What I most enjoyed was horseback riding. One of my favorite childhood memories is of riding with my father in pastures on my paternal grandparents' farm. In my early teens I had my own horse and enjoyed trail riding through woods and on back roads. I was never afraid of riding alone, until one day my aunt, who was Clerk of Court, told me not to ride off a certain dirt road near the farm because the sheriff suspected bootleggers had a still in the woods there and I might get shot!

As the daughter and granddaughter of teachers and medical doctors, I was expected to do well in school and did; graduated from Homer High School 1963 with honors, was active in choral music, oratorical contest, academic rallies, organized Interfaith council to have prayer meetings before school, always expected and prepared to attend college. Attended church summer camp regularly and my in teens, I thought I would marry a doctor and he and I would be Presbyterian missionaries. Only later did I realize my sense of "calling" to be a missionary had more to do with a desire to see the world outside my home, and though I was often "homesick" when I left Homer to attend college in Memphis, and then U. of Michigan, and then U. of NM, I really wanted to change the world I called home.

When President Eisenhower ordered federal troops to enforce desegregation of Central High School, Little Rock, Arkansas, I was in 7th grade. On the playground at lunch, discussing with classmates, I said I didn't think my parents would object to Negro students coming to our school ( I was thinking of the daughter of our family's maid with whom I had played as a young child). That discussion continued in the classroom, and the teacher (football coach) said to me, "If that's what you think, why don't you go on over to Mayfield." ( the school for Blacks in Homer). I was embarrassed and in tears, and will always remember thinking, I would get up and walk out right now but I don't know where Mayfield School is! Actually, Mayfield School was not so very far away, only a few blocks from where my maternal grandparents lived; but I had never been to that part of town. That's what it meant to grow up white and female in a racially segregated town in the 1950s. Year later, talking with my brother who was 7 years younger than I and who was the last of my siblings to attend and graduate(1970) from Homer High School, I learned that he knew exactly where Mayfield was. He had played football with some of the first Black students to attend Homer High School, and as a white male, he could go anywhere. As a white female teenager I was not supposed to go alone to town (only 2 blocks from home)on Saturday afternoon because that was when Blacks came to shop. When the public schools were desegregated, my parents, aunts and uncle, helped build Claiborne Academy; my mother taught there, and my younger brothers and sister were graduated from there (1972, '74, '76).

By 1961 Louisiana law required all high school students to take a 6 weeks course in Communism. I had attended a school sponsored "Anti-Communism" crusade in Shreveport, but thought that Marx's Manifesto had some good ideas, and when I attended a Presbyterian Missionary conference in Montreat, NC and stood in line for supper next to African-American girl from Arkansas who asked, do you believe in integration? I did not know what to say. I wanted to say yes, but I had been taught that racial integration was part of Communist plot! So I answered, I don't know.

At Southwestern (now Rhodes College) in Memphis, I continued to be active in Presbyterian youth group, and was asked to teach a Sunday school class in than African-American Presbyterian church, but was afraid to do so because I thought my parents would not approve. Likewise, I knew that older white students were actively involved in challenging all white segregated Presbyterian churches in Memphis to welcome Black worshipers, but I was afraid to do so. By my senior year in fall of 1966 I was assigned to the racially desegregated Humes High School for 6 weeks practice teaching in tenth grade English. I was no longer ambivalent; despite my parents' beliefs and commitment to racially segregated schools, I believed in public school desegregation.

I'm not sure that all these details are necessary for your Wiki article, but when you ask how I got to sue the U. of AL for tenure, it's hard to leave out the connections between my growing awareness of what Lillian Smith called "sin, sex, and segregation" and what others now call social constructions of gender/class/race. So, I will carry on. Parts of what I've told you already, only came to me because someone else in Michigan or New Mexico asked me what was I taught about race, or sex, or gender roles, or class -- none of which I had really thought about until I began at first to challenge and then unravel these concepts and realities which are so rarely examined before they have been unconsciously absorbed.

YET....Here goes more. At the U. of Michigan, I was immediately made aware that I am a SOUTHERNER -- which to most non- Southerners means WHITE and Talks Funny. I was one of 4 resident advisers in Jordan Hall, a freshman all female dorm in 1967-68. The other 3 RA's - 2 white and 1 black - all midwesterners. Jennifer, African American whose parents had fled the South to live in Michigan, told me when she first learned that a white Southern girl was going to be an RA on third floor, she thought how could she get to 4th floor without being on the elevator with me. We all became good friends, and although Jennifer invited me to her wedding (a few years later), she told me she would never visit me when I moved back to Memphis. I said they all had "Easy Rider's Syndrome" i.e. all southerners are white racists. I learned about Black Power and read The Autobiography of Malcom X because Jennifer had his picture on her dorm room door. But after my parents came to visit me and sat with us at the RA's table in the dining hall, my father told me never to bring Jennifer home with me because it would upset his mother. I did not believe him, but I did not challenge him then. His real feelings came out again when after completing my M.A. in English at U. of Michigan, I applied for and accepted a position in Memphis. to teach tenth grade English at the all new Northside High School. Built to be the Memphis City public school model in terms of curriculum and racial composition (50/50 black and white; academic and vocational curriculum), by fall 1968 white flight had left Northside High 97% white student body with 70% white faculty. My father warned me not to invite any black students or faculty to my home, lest I be raped. When I replied "I could just as easily be raped by a white man", my father said, "Well I would prefer it."

Summer 1969

Recommended by Northside H.S. principal, attended seminar at Memphis State U. “Teachers of English to Culturally Deprived Children,” where I met some of the most experienced and highly qualified African American teachers in Memphis city schools. From them I learned also dissatisfaction with policies of Memphis City school board,( only one black member), failure to promote blacks in upper levels of administration. Became friends with Eloise Forrester, a teacher in Albuquerque, attending the seminar because she could leave her daughter with her mother in Alabama. Eloise was a lifesaver for me when I moved to Albuquerque for graduate work in AMS, 1970. I returned to Northside HS, ready to implement new ideas in my classroom; soon impatient with what I considered unnecessary record keeping, At first faculty meeting, sat with two colleagues, Bernice Burton and Frances Gandy, heard about organizing meeting of AFT. Attended, saw several of teachers I had met thru that summer seminar. Chosen to be one of organizers, so that it would not be seen as an all black union. From then on, to the white faculty I was on “outside” a person of suspicion , naiive, sure, didn’t really know what I was into, yes, but did know more about racism in school system and police brutality on the streets where our students lived in North Memphis. Marched and supported “Black Fridays” by wearing black when students boycotted schools to protest . Ultimately testified in court in support of reinstating students who had been expelled for protesting. The students were reinstated and I was informed I would not be rehired. I challenged that, knowing I could afford to do so because I had no family to support and didn’t have to stay in Memphis, as other activist teachers did. School board met, Southwestern college students protested in my favor outside while that school board meeting was going on. Board decided to reinstate me , dock me 2 weeks pay, and send me to one of the oldest black schools in Memphis, (Manassas) where principal was known to be very strict with teachers. That was my first law suit. I won, but chose to go to grad school rather than to Manassas High.

At UNM 1970-74. PHD in American Studies. Went there because I was interested in studying AF- AM lit. A professor had told me no such thing as African American lit, all protest lit., but if that’s what you want, look into American Studies. Went to NM, one of the oldest AMS PHD programs, and because got scholarship there, teaching freshman English. In 1970 Women’s Studies was just beginning. First WS course taught for credit at UNM was offered through the AMS Dept, spring 1972, Women in Literature. I audited it: first question, “Are you a feminist?” Sure, I believe in women, I’m a feminist. You are from the South, you must read Lillian Smith, Killers of the Dream. That’s how I was introduced to LS. Reading KOD, weeping, told my roommate, “This woman is writing my life.” Here was a white Southern woman who could have been a younger sister to my maternal grandmother, yet she was explaining and challenging everything I was trying to understand about racism, and sexism, and she had chosen to stay in the South and challenge all its taboos, and she had managed to live and write there.She showed me it is possible to live in place you love, with people whom you both love and whose beliefs and values you see as only destructive and dehumanizing. But, I could not write my dissertation on Lillian Smith… no, her life was too large. Also, felt I had to confront my own immediate struggle with my family’s commitment to maintaining racism through building segregated private schools to avoid public school desegregation and thereby destroying public school system. My dissertation, “I’ll Take My Stand: Southern Segregation Academy Movement” was an oral history of the development of white segregated academies in Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, and Virginia.

After graduating with PHD in AMS, May 1974, I began teaching at U. of AL summer 1974 with joint appointment in American Studies and the New College. Although I drew on my dissertation research in teaching, I always managed to use Lillian Smith’s work in my classes. I continued using and encouraging students to use oral history as a tool to examine our culture, and especially the lives, history, and contributions of women of all classes, ethnic, religious backgrounds. My first published work drew from an undergraduate’s oral history interview with Sallie Mae Hadnott, an African American leader in school desegregation movement in Prattville, AL. See, “If it was anything for Justice,” published in the Women in South issue of Southern Changes, 1977. In that same issue, historian Jo Ann Robinson published article on LS, containing a footnote referencing the need for oral history of Laurel Falls Campers. Unlike my dissertation, that was a project I thought I could really enjoy. With Robinson’s encouragement, I contacted Lillian Smith’s sister Esther Smith and Paula Snelling, with whom LS had developed Laurel Falls Camp and published the magazine, first called Pseudopodia, then North Georgia Review, and finally South Today. Thus began my scholarly work on Lillian Smith. (do you need a copy of my vitae for selected publications between 1977 and 2016? )

In 1978, my original joint appointment in New College and American Studies was changed to a full time appointment in American Studies in the college of Arts & Sciences specifically to allow additional time for research and publication. Although as required, I had published articles in reputable scholarly journals, I was denied tenure in May 1982. I will attempt to attach copies of the court’s decision and published coverage in local newspapers. You may have already read it as a published federal case.

Although the Judge ruled in my favor on basis of breach of contract, rather than on issues of sex discrimination, many women employees (faculty and staff whom I did not know personally) told me afterwards that they felt I had stood up for them.

After I was granted tenure, I began editing Smith’s letters, a project which took another 10 years, in part because Smith family members were offended by my naming her relationship with Paula Snelling as lesbian. I have expressed my feelings and thoughts about that process best in the published article, “Personalizing the Political/ Politicizing the Personal: Reflections on Editing the Letters of Lillian Smith.” Carryin’ On: an anthology of Southern Lesbian and Gay History, Ed. John Howard (NYU Press, 1997), 93-103. After the Letters were published, I was promoted to associate professor.

Throughout my teaching career at the U. of AL I was active in development of Women Studies and African American Studies programs. For 29 years I offered a course called Women in the South, emphasizing the history, experiences and works of women of all classes, races, sexual orientations. Through several African American women students in that class, I was introduced to the work of Alabama native, dramatist and poet Billie Jean Young, and subsequently wrote the Introduction to her Fear Not the Fall Fear Not the Fall, Poems and A Two-Act Drama, Fannie Lou Hamer: This Little Light published by New South Books, 2003.

All of my published work, and especially my writing about and editing the work of Lillian Smith is possible only because I have the love and support of Marcia Winter.

Please let me know whether you need any further documentation.”

Rose Gladney

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