#(its not harry. its morgan. feel free to judge me on that one because i am fully judging myself.)

[ghoul-haunted]

alright! that was the thebaid! it re wired my brain! thanks for tuning in, I’m going to be thinking about it for ten years, minimum

[am-imagines]

Legendary 3.5 Morgan!Reader

You wake up before anyone else. The sky is still dark, and the city is silent when you get up. Your phone says is barely past five, and you wonder when was the last time you slept for eight hours.

It’s hard to do so when every time you close your eyes, a nightmare emerges. It’s always about that day; how she wouldn’t pick up the phone just as a breaking news interrupted whatever you were watching on tv. You can’t remember a lot about that day, but you remember the pain.

There’s always a memory coming to the surface ready to break your heart all over again.

It’s been three years, but somehow the pain is still fresh. It clogs your throat while you rub the sleep away from your eyes. It doesn’t matter how many times you talk about it, or how many hours you’ve spent on therapy, you still wait for her to come home.

Hope is killing you.

Maybe you latch onto it because you’d only have anger otherwise. That bittersweet mix of heartache and pain has propelled you forward instead of driving you to self-destruction. You don’t know what letting go means or how to start that process.

No one can show you the way, so you are content staying as you are.

It’s not easy or pretty, but it’s better than giving up.

You leave the bed and change for the day. It’s one of those rare day offs to recover after a match, but you’re not sure what to do if it’s not soccer.

Being extra careful not to wake up Janice, you leave the room to wander aimlessly for the better part of an hour. You leave the hotel, and the city opens its mysteries for you.

You find a deserted playground that has had better times, and next to it stands a forgotten pitch. You can imagine the kids that once played there; full of energy and with the biggest dreams. You made what they dreamed of; be professional and play in a World Cup.

You enter the pitch along with your ball; a little worn out but still with the Orlando Pride colors shining through.  Taking a few shots is the way to go when you want to center your mind. It would have been easy to use the training facilities instead, but you aren’t a star or the daughter of a legend when you’re here. Right there you are just Y/n.

“I wondered where you’d end this morning.”

You turn around to find Janice by the fence; hands in the pockets of her hoodie.

She doesn’t judge, and you smile at her. She’s your best friend, and the reason your thoughts aren’t darker most of the time. O’Hara has been the source of your laughter thanks to her usually stupid, but endlessly edearing, personality.

“I have a phone, you know?”

You might enjoy being on your own, but that doesn’t mean you’re completely reckless. And you certainly don’t want to disappear without notice, much less in a foreign country.

“I like to think I know you well enough to find you without calling first.”

You’re not quite sure if that’s the case or you weren’t sneaky enough and she simply followed you. However, you don’t have enough evidence to call her out.

“And that you did. Do you need me for something?”

“I need my best friend to come surf with me.”

“Janice, I don’t…”

“We’re in Australia! Mom is waiting for us on the car, and I don’t accept no as an answer.”

You have half a mind to argue because surfing isn’t your strong suit. But it makes your best friend happy, and you’re willing to go back to the sea for her. To some degree, it’s another way to be closer to your mother.

At the end of the day, you feel lighter than you’ve done in years.

You sing along to the radio when Kelley takes you back to the hotel. She hugs you for a long moment. Kelley lost her sister, and there’s a day when she doesn’t think about Alex. Her daughter reminds her of Alex, and so do you.

In a way, you have each other, and that helps you to stay afloat.

The change you’ve experienced is noticeable; the entire team sees it. No one says a thing, but they make sure to stay close; enjoying this side of you.

You believe this team is meant to change the world in more ways than just soccer.

They’re changing you for the better, even if you can’t see that yet.

***

“Pick your captain,” Pinoe says putting a hand on your shoulder.

“Harris.”

This is something Sonnett and Rapinoe implemented. They allow the team to pick the captain on every match based on effort, leadership and partnership. There’s no hard feelings, no doubts, and what the team feels is crystal clear.

So far, Harris has been the usual choice. The team supports her, and she does the same for the team. It’s a well deserved badge, and one opportunity Krash doesn’t waste.

“O’Hara?”

“Harris.”

One by one, all of you pick your goalie as the captain. The golden badge finds its place on her arm before Pinoe goes over the strategy to face Brazil.

It isn’t too different from how you played against Germany, but it takes into account their speed. It’s one of their biggest strengths; one you’re ready for.

But you’re not ready for one of the most beautiful finishes you’ve ever seen.

The world stops and you see it happening; someone in a yellow jersey taking a shot within an inch of free space. You see it soar with crazy effect, and a moment later is already on the back of the net.

There’s a general sense of frustration while Brazil celebrates, but there’s nothing you could have done better. The defense was tight as it could have been. Harris stretched as much as she could, but it was one hell of a goal; finding its home in the top right corner.

           “Brazil scores first on this match, and the game is now uphill for the USA.             Can they come back? We shall see.”

USA trails by one and the atmosphere in the stadium changes completely.

People don’t believe in you or the team, that much is obvious when the cheering stops and people boo whenever you touch the ball. It’s infuriating, but the only way to shut them up is by playing better. The change you long to see starts on the field; starts with the ball on your feet.

It’s like they don’t see Brazil playing. They don’t see what they do right, and instead focus solely on what you do wrong. It’s a fair point of view, you guess, but then again, you couldn’t have done anything better in that play. People don’t care.

Winning this game won’t matter if you don’t win the next. And whatever you do in the group stage will be in vain if you don’t win the Cup. It seems unfair, but after so many years of nothing, the entire nation has lost faith in you.

In a way, this isn’t much different from the little soccer pitch forgotten in an alley.

It’s you and some friends going against the rest of the world. Brazil isn’t the enemy, not really. They’re just trying to achieve the same thing as you while wearing a different jersey. That’s the game, and more often than not, life.

The enemy is the phantom voice of the people pulling you down through the years. The people shutting your efforts down when the results aren’t exactly what you want. You’ll find the victory that no one sees coming, the victory after everyone has left the boat.

If they don’t want to believe, no one can force them. But you’ll win anyway.

You don’t react to the crowd or the words trying to break your focus. You only care about the team, and you cheer them on along Harris. The game plan hasn’t changed, so you push forward and close the lines so they can’t use their speed.

It’s another lucky shot that puts the score 2-0 in their favor just when the first half is about to end.

“Oh, come on!”

Soccer is a game of skill as much as it is of luck, and apparently, the Gods are on Brazil’s side. But you’re not one to go down without a fight. You can’t.

                 “Is this the beginning of the end for this team?”

The team seems defeated when they make their way to the locker room, and even Rapinoe struggles to find the right words.

               “I think it is. After what we saw versus Germany, I feel like they don’t                    know what to do now. Maybe they found an accidental victory last time,                but that won’t happen again. They won’t be able to top this poor                            performance.”

“We’ll win the next game,” Harris offers when it seems no one really knows what to say.

“No!” You intercede. “This isn’t over yet.”

“Y/n,” Press calls shaking her head.

“No! Come on, coach.” You look at Pinoe and then to Sonnett. “Don’t let them win. I’m not talking about Brazil; if we lose against them I know we’ll come back ten times stronger, but don’t let the crowd win. If we give up before this game is over, when how can we expect them to believe in us? They expect us to fail, and I expect more from us.”

                 “What about the talent on this team?”

Long is the first one to nod; trademark smirk back in place. Her silent support makes your confidence grow, and soon enough, you’re perched on a chair.

               “It’s moment to reconsider if it’s actually there of if it’s what we want to                 see. Everybody wants the dream team back, and with two members of                 the golden era leading them, it was easy to believe. But let me tell you                right now, this isn’t the dream team even with all those kids with big                      names on their backs. The USWNT won’t make it to the next round.                   They won’t be able to win tonight, and they won’t win against Australia.               It’s over.”

“This team was built from Titans and some of us watched them play. I know we’ve heard the story of the generation that changed women’s soccer forever. But the truth is: we aren’t less than them. We can change it all again. We can make people believe in what we do; in who we are. If Pinoe went against the most tasteless cheto to ever be president and came victorious, why can’t we go against the odds? Why can’t we go back out there and do what we do best?”

                “There you have it, folks. It’s time to go back to the action to see the                    end of this match.”

Your speech brings life back to their eyes and soon, the whole team is ready to face the challenge. Some people would call it reckless optimism, but you’ve seen what this team can do. There’s only one way to see if you have enough to win the tournament, and that’s by leaving everything but hope on the field.

Even if it kills you.

“Here’s what we’re going to do,” Sonnett says and hatches a new plan.

***

Brazil is almost impossibly fast but so is Press. She takes after Christeen; a player capable of zooming from 0 to 80 in two seconds. She’s your entrance point when she uses every bit of skill learned from Heath.

If you talk about fast, then you have to talk about Janice’s transition between defense and offense. She stops Brazil’s attack, and a second later, she joins you at the front; sharp as a knife and ready for the kill.

Long is precise as a surgeon. She follows your lead like no one else can. She’s practically reading your mind; knowing exactly what you want to do and how.

It takes the team around ten minutes to decipher Brazil’s defense before shattering it.

Janice moves with ease to pass the ball to Press. A bicycle and a nutmeg later, you have the ball. As soon as you get it, Long goes into the box, and with a flawless shoot, Harry Long scores.

              “Time is USA’s enemy right now. They’ve managed to shorten the                        distance, but the comeback against Brazil is too far away. An equalizer                could change the story, not just of this tournament, but the entire World               Cup.”

Next time you have the ball, la verde amarela is ready to hold Janice back, but they can’t stop her and Long too.

Harry returns the favor with a delightful assist, and you connect it just right with your forehead. That’s the equalizer, and with fifteen minutes left; it’s a new game.

One point makes you the group leader, but you won’t settle for anything less than the victory.

               “What a moment! Y/n Morgan makes honor to the great Alex Morgan                   with an equalizer. It’s 2-2  at the 75th. It looks like this team doesn’t                     give up. Whatever the coaches told them at halftime, it did the trick.”

You know what that goal means, for the team and for you personally. Your celebration is quite reserved, but you make sure to point to the sky. That’s enough for you. You’re there with her memory, but thanks to your hard work.

The team relaxes for a hot minute, but like always, they’re focused when the match resumes.

Brazil is tough on the last minutes; unwilling to go down.

The tactics you used against Germany are obsolete against them. WIth only two minutes of added time left on the clock, you don’t think there’s much left to do.

However, your dedication and effort pays off. With only a few seconds left, you earn a corner kick. It’s your last chance, and you’re ready.

A shared look with Long and PRess is more than enough to know the strategy.

Your mission is to make sure the ball makes it through. Your mark is tight, but you’re taller than your defender. A chance is all you need, and Janice grants it to you with her swerve. Long boxes out her mark, and you rise just enough to barely deflect the ball so it can reach Press.

She’s alone behind you, and the Brazilian goalie doesn’t have time to react.

The ball finds nothing but net. The whistle blows, and the match is over.

                “I can’t believe it! They pulled off one of the most epic comebacks I’ve                  ever seen! The USA wins! These girls don’t give up, and today they                      go back to sleep with an unbelievable result.”

You won. The USA gets three more points and it’s a step closer to the next round. If people believe or not, it’s unimportant.  The team showed them courage, pride, passion and determination. Those aren’t flashy words, but a proof of who you are and what you can do.

“Y/n, Y/n!” A reporter calls for your attention. “What do you have to say to the people thinking USA wouldn’t make it past the group stage?”

For a second, you consider how to answer that before opting for a nonchalant shrug.

“Nothing. Everyone that wants to support us is welcome. But the ones that don’t won’t affect us. We came here to play, and that’s what we’re going to do.”

You don’t wait for the next question or remark. It can be perceived as rude or even arrogant, but you want to spend time with those who believe in you rather than those who don’t. And who believes more in what you’re doing than the rest of the team?

There are no right questions about the team’s performance or if you’re following the steps of your mother. They want something juicy that sells well, but you won’t let them question what you’re doing right.

“Harris!” You call up to your captain. “Wait for me!”

“Hurry up, Morgan.”

You’re ready to fly, now the question is:

How high can you go?

[literarygoon]

So,

I’ve never met a more nonchalant shit-disturber.

Decked out in a Santa hat and Harry Potter spectacles, Chris Elston was on the streets of Victoria this week trying to raise awareness about the problematic nature of Bill C-6. It’s part of a larger campaign that saw him erect billboards all across North America earlier this year to express his support and solidarity for author J.K. Rowling, who has been mobbed relentlessly by activists for her stance on gender issues.

Literary Goon connected with Elston on the steps of the Legislature to chat about freedom of thought, conversion therapy and gender ideology in schools. Literary Goon: I understand you're a kindred fan of J.K. Rowling and the Harry Potter series, and you recently finished reading Goblet of Fire with your daughter for the first time. I still remember how I felt when I reached the end of that book, how energized I was by how the narrative was exploring progressively darker themes as Harry aged. What lessons and insights have you gained from J.K. Rowling's work, and how does it inform your current worldview? What does her work signify for you as a parent?

Chris Elston: The Harry Potter books don’t exactly inform my worldview, but they are full of wisdom and inspiration which is very helpful. I am also fortunate to have magical spectacles like I do, where Muggles think they are without lenses. What Muggles don’t realize is that my spectacles enable me to peer deep within the gendered soul, and when I gaze very deeply, I can always see that the gendered soul is a myth!

Sex is binary and always will be. People should be able to express themselves however they please, but to deny biological reality is folly.

I will say that J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series inspires good in people. J.K.’s genius, imagination, and strong moral fiber shine through in the books, as Harry undergoes injustice after injustice, and is forced to call upon courage he doesn’t know he has. He just carries on, fighting, as we all must do right now.

As Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts, said, “It is important to fight and fight again, and keep fighting, for only then can evil be kept at bay though never quite eradicated.”

L.G: Earlier this year you erected a billboard in Vancouver that was quickly and unceremoniously taken down by angry activists who characterized this declaration of love as hate speech. Since then, you've arranged for billboards all over North America, all with the same message: "I <3 J.K Rowling".

For your efforts, you've had your business and social media accounts mobbed, you were arrested while peacefully protesting, and you've drawn nationwide attention to your mission. What are you trying to accomplish?

C.E.: The billboard was taken down by Pattison Outdoor — one of the companies owned by billionaire Jimmy Pattison — after Vancouver City Councillor, Sarah Kirby-Yung, kicked and screamed and threw a hissy fit on social media, complaining that a declaration of love was HATE SPEECH.

Oh, the absurdity of it all. Love does not equal hate.

After that, with the help of two anonymous donors, several Canadians, and people worldwide via GoFundMe — before GoFundMe’s censorship and cancellation — a billboard went up in San Francisco, 15 billboards went up in Utah, 14 digital screens displayed our message throughout the underground Metro network in Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and Portland. And finally, Times Square in New York City.

What am I trying to accomplish? That is very simple. I am trying and succeeding in having one conversation at a time, and I encourage other people to have one conversation at a time. The more conversations, the better. People need to understand what is going on in society, especially with our children. Children cannot speak up for themselves; they have neither the knowledge or experience or appreciation of history to understand what is going on. They are being lied to in our schools by a trans ideology that was snuck into our school lesson plans without any consultation with parents.

If politicians refuse to listen, it is up to us as the citizenry to spread awareness ourselves, so that we can arm other parents and children with the truth. Once the truth is known, it acts as armour against any lies which try to insidiously seep in through our schools, and elsewhere in society.

L.G.: You successfully recorded politician Nicola Spurling lying on video during this most recent election campaign. She denied apologizing to J.K. Rowling after calling her a danger to children, then doubled down on that accusation -- despite the fact that this interaction is now a part of the public record. You've also tangled with well-known liar and vexatious litigant Jessica Yaniv, and the former NDP politician who defunded Vancouver's Rape Relief Centre, Morgane Oger. What would you like the public to know about these three individuals, and why do you judge them worthy of your opposition?

C.E: I don’t judge them worthy of my opposition. Or anyone else’s, for that matter. What they’re worthy of is being exposed as the vexatious, vindictive, troublemaking liars and bullies that they are. They find shelter for their incredibly nasty behaviour underneath the baby blue and pink of the trans flag, which people don’t dare to cross, because to do so brings unprecedented harassment.

Any extremist ideology that can’t stand on its merits and has to use lies and bullying to silence fair criticism is an ideology that needs to be exposed. These three hooligans are perfect spokespeople for the lying extremists who try to silence any concerned citizen into submission through intimidation.

L.G.: There aren't many men involved in the gender critical movement, partially because they don't feel welcome to contribute. You've now experienced blowback from potential allies such as feminist speaker Meghan Murphy, who have disavowed your actions and disassociated themselves from your campaign. Why do you think it's important for men to speak out on this issue, and why is there so much opposition to them doing so?

C.E.: Meghan Murphy literally said this is a women’s only movement. Okay, that sounds like a totally different movement from anything I’m involved in. I’m not sure what it is, but I hope it’s very successful.

It’s important for men to speak out because we are fathers and sons and husbands and brothers and because this affects children all across society. On the subject of women’s sex-based rights, it affects our wives and mothers and adult daughters. Everyone should be concerned about this. Who cares what their sex is? This is a tragedy and an emergency because 99.99% of us have been asleep, while activists have been busy planning and succeeding in getting our laws changed, effectively eliminating the sex binary.Who is anyone to say that a father of daughters should not be speaking out? And then to lie and lie in an effort to sabotage my efforts?

It’s stunning and would be quite fascinating, if not for the real damage all these lies have caused to the campaign. Lies that hurt a campaign like this might as well be direct efforts at harming children, as far as I’m concerned. Anyway, onwards and upwards. “A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on.” – Winston Churchill.

The truth has at least one leg of its pants on now. Social media can be a rather inhospitable place, but it plays an important role in bringing people together, and in sharing ideas. In the real world, support has grown day by day and continues to do so. No government, organization, or individual can stop free speech and compassionate conversation, and that is what I will continue to do.

L.G.: I was on the receiving end of a social media mobbing by trans activists while I was an editor at the Humber Literary Review, where activists campaigned behind the scenes to have me de-platformed for wrongthink. This is just one example of how TRAs are threatening people's livelihoods all over Canada and across the globe for expressing their beliefs. To me, the most egregious part of this whole conversation is the way diversity of thought is becoming villainized. What do you think these activists fail to understand about freedom of speech and expression?

C.E.: The transgender activists understand freedom of speech and expression perfectly well, which is why they always try to shut it down.Truth always wins. They know that. This is a craze. It will go on as long as it goes on, but that won’t be forever. It won’t end with a bang, but with a whimper.

As more and more of us get educated, more of us will be in position to speak out, act out, and vote out our politicians.

L.G.: Gender ideology in schools is particularly alarming to me, as the father of a new daughter. I want her to grow up without having regressive, sexist anti-science rhetoric in her classroom -- but that's exactly what SOGI 123 offers. What options do parents have who object to this curriculum, and how do you think we can bring common sense back to the conversation around gender identity?

C.E.: Common sense already exists in the vast majority of our population. Each school board has say over the materials that are used in the classroom, in order to accomplish the broad curriculum goals of the Ministry of Education. We need to speak with our school trustees, or vote them out and install better ones, if needed.But teachers also have autonomy over what and how they teach in their classrooms. Parents should have discussions with teachers.This is simply a case of creating broad awareness of what is potentially being taught to our children, so that parents can get actively engaged, and act accordingly.

Read the lesson plans at https://bc.sogieducation.org/sogi3.

The Literary Goon