#But mostly motivation and love for Klaine

[forabeatofadrum]

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers (except me because obvs I have done it). Spread the self-love ❤

Hi Dre!

I'm switching it up, cause I think my fave fics that I've written are known to be my favourite (recap: yada yada my big five All the pretty things that we could be, Myosotis series, Mendacious, I’d cry a river just for you, Paradiso) but YOU KNOW WHAT DRE, I have written more stuff that makes me go "aye, that actually slapped" so self-love time to fics that don't make that list!

In no order, sorted by fandom:

Just Some Guy (Carry On, Snowbaz, sorta (and Matt/Leslie??))

THE MAN, THE MYTH, THE LEGEND HIMSELF. No, I'm not talking about Simon "Chosen One" Snow, but about our boi Matty Chris D. He is just some guy. It's Simon and Baz's canon 7.25 years at Watford from a perspective of an OC who couldn't care less about them, which led to some humourous situations. Dre, you actually motivated me to finish this story by giving me ideas for certain situations. I think this is one of the funniest ideas I've ever had and I'm glad with how it ended up.

Time After Time (Carry On, Snowbaz)

Time to go to the other MCD: Major Character Death. This idea had been in the back of my mind ever since Wayward Son got released and we didn't know whether Bazzy was immortal, so I played with it. Simon dies in the White Chapel and is Capital D Dead. No magic can bring him back kind of dead. He and Baz meet every 20 years when the Veil lifts. I think this fic was really challenging, because I had no idea how to end it, but I am glad that it kind of got 2 endings and it works. fatalfangirl on AO3 called this "upsettingly romantic" and I am inclined to agree. There's just this ache of looming heartbreak over the entire fic.

make a fire out of this flame (Carry On, Snowbaz)

Step aside MCD (Matt Christopher Davis), because I think this is the funniest thing I've written. It's a non-magickal textfic. I am a sucker for textfics/epistolary fics so it's wack I've never tried one myself. It's, uh, filled with Little Numbers references because I can. I just loved writing the gang (Penny, Shep, Niall, Dev) being batshit insane at times and I loved adding ridiculous memes and lines to this. Even coming up with groupchat names was a hoot. AND since it's a textfic, I didn't have to worry about typos! Formatting was hell, though, but it was so worth it. Also, Simon/Fish OTP.

All shall know the wonder (Check, Please!; Zimbits)

This is actually, probably, my favourite Zimbits fic that I've written. It's the oldest on this list. I published it in 2020, but I think I started on it in 2019. I had a huge interest in Deaf culture in the late 2010s (I hate writing it like that) and that led to this fic. Jack is Deaf, so never joined the SMH. He still likes to play, though, and he and Bitty, who is on the team, meet at Faber at 4am on a Sunday. I loved writing this fic and I am glad that other people who know more about Deaf culture and ASL (yes, Jack is Canadian, but it's explained why he also uses ASL) also liked it. Oh, and I am a bitch for Camilla Collins, so I am glad I was able to give her a role in this fic. Camilla/Shruti is probably my Check, Please! crack ship.

Ljubim te (Glee, Klaine)

I genuinely love this fic, which is why I am so bummed about the fact that the sequel isn't going as swimmingly. Kurt and Blaine meet in Ljubljana, since I used to live there for 6 months, so it's a great way for me to reminisce over my time there. The story is mostly about comphet and the idea of exploring comphet actually came from Simon/Agatha. In this fic, Blaine and Quinn totally believe they're straight and into each other, ignoring the signs that *narrator voice* they are, in fact, not straight. I loved writing Blaine/Quinn (AS FRIENDS!).

Thanks!

[backslashdelta]

Fic Writer 20 Questions

Thank you so much to @rockitmans for the tag!! I always love a good excuse to talk about my writing!

I'm going to go ahead and tag @esperantoauthor @spookyklaine and @thnxforknowingme if you haven't been tagged already :)

1. How many works do you have on ao3?

53 (44 on my main pseud and 9 on my podfic pseud)

2. What's your AO3 word count?

290,197

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Just Glee! A write for a variety of ships, usually involving Kurt, mostly Klaine and Kurtbastian but occasionally I dabble elsewhere.

4. Top 5 fics by kudos

It Was Only A Kiss (808 kudos)

Notes of an Old Mistake (171 kudos)

I Want The World To See You'll Be With Me (170 kudos)

You're A Little Less Alone (162 kudos)

Echoes of You (137 kudos)

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Always! I don't always respond right away, but I always respond eventually. I appreciate getting comments and I want people to know that I've read them and appreciated them. And it can be fun to have a little chat about the story I'm creating sometimes, too :)

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

He Forgets Me, He Forgets Me Not. It's a very sad one-shot that ends with major character death and a funeral, so, yeah.

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

I don't think I ever write happy endings? Just kidding, I probably have more happy endings than sad. Happiest is maybe Keep It Simple? Ends with a proposal and I think it's really understated and sweet and yeah.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Surprisingly not really... which is good because I'm Delicate and don't handle criticism of my creative endeavours well.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Bestie a better question is if I write anything other than smut. I have written... so much smut. Out of curiosity I checked the top tags on my explicit rated fics, and this is the list (17 fics total for reference):

Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot (10)

Anal Sex (7)

Smut (6)

Blow Jobs (6)

Anal Fingering (5)

Angst (4)

Established Relationship (4)

Gay Sex (4)

Hurt/Comfort (3)

Teasing (3)

I think that's a pretty good reflection. There's also often something that's just like, a little bit more risque, but usually nothing too out there. Not that I'm opposed to writing something very out there. I did post non-con tentacle porn once, so.

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've ever written?

I don't but it's really only because I've never written for a fandom other than Glee. I have a few ideas swirling in my head for Glee AUs based in another universe, but I'm not sure if that would count even if I did get around to writing them.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of!

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Not to my knowledge. I've considered trying to translate my own fics into French for the practice, but then I remembered I'm not even remotely good enough at French to do that.

13. Have you ever cowritten a fic before?

A couple times yes! Did You Hear That? and Kurtbastian 2020 Advent Calendar

14. Favourite all time ship?

Kurtbastian <3 there's just something about them you know? Maybe you don't. But that's okay, because I do, and that's what matters.

15. WIP you want to finish but doubt you will?

The Hazards of Love series... I had a whole thing planned out when I first started it, and I breezed through the first two parts, but then I got distracted with other things and it just feels way too hard to come back to now and I feel like I've changed a lot as a writer, too... and it's kind of niche and not something most people would want to read anyway, so I don't even have that as a motivator.

16. What are your writing strengths?

I think I'm good at dramatic scenarios/describing the feelings of a character who is Going Through It. I love a good internal monologue that involves freaking out about something or discovering something about themselves or denying something about themselves or whatever else. I also really love writing big blow-out arguments, and I think I'm pretty good at those, too.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Actually writing anything lol. But also I kind of struggle with writing group settings or anything where stuff is actually happening? I get so caught up in writing dialogue and internal thoughts that I don't really know what to do when there are actually Things Occurring.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in a fic?

I wouldn't do it beyond a word or two because I just don't know any other languages well enough to do that. I'm not opposed to it in theory if someone knows multiple languages or has help from someone who does, but ideally they'd also provide a translation so I don't need to take it to Google translate myself (and potentially lose some of the meaning)

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Glee and I'm still here babeyyyyyy

20. Favourite fic you've written?

Gotta be my baby, It Was Only A Kiss. She is my most successful fic by an absolutely absurd margin, but honestly I think she deserves it. I poured a lot of effort into that story and it wasn't always fun but it paid off really well. It's definitely the work that I'm most proud of, and I think has some of my best writing.

[heartsmadeofbooks]

I like to keep track of my daily wordcounts (I use the nanowrimo page to check my stats and keep myself motivated) and I’m kinda blown away by my final September wordcount.

62.629.

Like.

What.

[thnxforknowingme]

Miles To Go (8/12)

Written for the Klaine 3-2-1 Prompt Bang 2022, art by @datshitrandom

Pairing: Kurt Hummel/Blaine Anderson

Rating: Mature

Notes: More info about the fic here.

All Chapters | Read on AO3

Chapter 8: Las Vegas

The drive through Utah was surprisingly pleasant. Kurt had imagined the state would be mostly desolate and inhospitable, but the land around I-15 was very green and often beautiful to look at. The highway was dotted with small towns, and the occasional billboard advertising law offices or restaurants or insisting that Jesus was the only way to truth.

Just after sunset the freeway crested a subtle rise, and Las Vegas was spread out in front of him, a glittering jewel of lights and activity amid a stark desert landscape. Kurt followed the U-Haul into the city, off the highway, and to the motel that Blaine had booked earlier in the day.

They got out of their cars at the same time. “This is -” Blaine said, his eyes alight with wonder, “just…wow.”

“Yeah,” Kurt agreed. It was no New York, and it wasn’t even the biggest city he’d been to on his trip so far, but something about Las Vegas felt so metropolitan, alive and intense.

In Nevada, apparently even the cheap hotels were casinos, as there was a row of slot machines occupying one end of the lobby when they walked in. After checking in and dropping their luggage off in their room, they returned to the bar downstairs to relax and plan their next day. Blaine ordered two mojitos and they sat at a table, chatting and deciding what they wanted to see while they were in the city.

When their drinks were empty they started back towards the elevators, but Blaine paused as they passed the slot machines. They were all unoccupied, just colorful lights and staticky music trying to entice passersby. “We should gamble,” Blaine said.

Kurt scoffed. “All of those things are rigged to give the casino an advantage.”

“Yeah,” Blaine said, “but we’re in Vegas. It’s the thing to do! We should try at least once.”

Kurt narrowed his eyes. The pragmatist in him wanted to argue that they were throwing away their relatively limited money, but Blaine seemed so adorably excited at the idea. Maybe he could make it work in his favor, at least. “Okay…how about we make a game out of it?”

Blaine tilted his head quizzically. “A game?”

“Yeah,” Kurt said, walking over to examine the machine nearest to Blaine. It was a virtual blackjack game. “Look, if you beat the dealer, you win. But if the dealer beats you, then I get to ask you a question, and you have to tell the truth.”

Blaine raised an eyebrow. “And I assume I’ll get the chance to ask you questions, as well?”

“Fine,” Kurt acquiesced. “We can take turns.”

Blaine pulled out his wallet to feed a 20-dollar bill into the machine, and they began.

Blaine had a couple good rounds, but then he bust, losing his bet to the computer-simulated dealer. He looked up at Kurt warily, and Kurt said, “Tell me how you really feel about your brother.”

“I knew you had an ulterior motive,” Blaine said, smiling ruefully.

“That’s not an answer,” Kurt teased.

Blaine sighed. “Fine. Cooper is ten years older than me. He’s always been self-obsessed and critical of everything I do. We’re not close. I haven’t seen him more than once a year since I was nine.”

“So why are you visiting him now?” Kurt asked.

Blaine shook his head. “I’m afraid you can’t expect another truthful answer until I lose some more money to this machine. And it’s your turn, anyway.”

Kurt rolled his eyes, but reached forward to press the button for a new deal. He chose to stand at 18 and the dealer beat him, so Blaine smiled and said, “What’s your least favorite part of living in New York?”

It wasn’t a terribly probing question - although, Kurt supposed that with the Finn revelation yesterday, he’d already shown the cards closest to his heart. He thought for a moment about how to answer. “I don’t love being so far from home,” he admitted. “My dad…for a lot of my life it was just me and him. He’s had a few health scares, and it worries me sometimes that I’m not there if something goes wrong.” Kurt swallowed, staring at the garish lights of the blackjack machine. “Also, the MTA sucks.”

“MTA?” Blaine asked, kindly avoiding the more emotional parts of Kurt’s response.

“Metropolitan Transit Authority,” Kurt explained. “Just, the buses and subways.”

“Ahh,” Blaine said. “Okay, my turn.”

They took turns playing the game and asking each other questions, revealing embarrassing memories and mundane personal details. Kurt, in general, was better at blackjack (Blaine was more likely to be overeager and not just stick with a decent hand), but they had a pretty good balance between winning money and having to answer questions.

Finally, Kurt returned to the curiosity that had motivated him to start this game. “What would you be doing this summer if you weren’t driving to LA?”

Blaine blinked, glanced away. “Well, I had this internship offer,” he said. “So I’d be working in a lab back in Connecticut.”

Kurt stared at Blaine. “Did it pay?”

“A little,” Blaine answered.

“Why turn it down then?” Kurt asked.

Blaine ran a nail along a seam of the seat for the blackjack machine. Over at the bar, Kurt could hear a group of women speaking boisterously, their voices loud and erratic with alcohol. “It was for a study,” Blaine explained. “I would have been doing administrative work. Entering data and screening participants. It wasn’t - I mean, it still would have been good for my career, in the long run. But it’s not the kind of thing I want to do.”

Blaine’s voice was soft, but it also seemed - controlled, somehow. Kurt was suspicious that there was something Blaine was leaving out, some key detail that really explained why he’d given up a good job opportunity to traipse across the country with someone else’s furniture. He didn’t seem excited to see his brother, and if the internship was paid Kurt couldn’t imagine that this was the more financially viable choice. Plus, Kurt got the impression that Blaine’s parents were pretty well-off, and he assumed they’d support him if he needed more money than the internship offered.

It felt almost like a betrayal, to know that Blaine was holding out on him, after all they’d been through over the past week. On the other hand, maybe he shouldn’t demand complete transparency from Blaine - Kurt knew that for all he had shared with Blaine, he still wasn’t being entirely open about the depths of his grief, the way Finn’s death had impacted his life.

Kurt gestured to the screen, which showed that they were currently up two dollars from the amount that Blaine had fed in. “Maybe we should stop while we’re ahead,” he suggested.

Blaine laughed lightly. “Okay,” he said.

They didn’t talk much for the rest of the night, but as Kurt pressed against Blaine on the mattress, skin and sweat and heat, he tried to express in every touch and kiss that he cared about Blaine, that he could be trusted, that he could be a shelter from whatever Blaine was running away from.

*

The Las Vegas Strip was like Times Square on crack.

It was lights and noise and excess, every storefront competing for the attention of tourists. It was as though Las Vegas wanted to reassure visitors that if they came here, they need never go anywhere else. Within a few miles you could see a mish-mash of Egyptian landmarks at Luxor or the highlights of the French capital at Paris Las Vegas, you could be transported back to the Roman Empire at Caesar’s Palace or to a Disney-fied medieval castle at Excalibur. And of course there was New York New York, a casino that delighted in replicating smaller, faker versions of the the Big Apple’s most famous sights, all crammed together and sanitized. “Is this what it’s really like?” Blaine joked, looking up at the miniature Statue of Liberty, and Kurt smacked him on the arm.

They window-shopped in luxury malls, admired murals strewn throughout downtown, and popped in and out of museums to learn about the history of the mob, of burlesque performers, of nearby nuclear testing. By the time the sun was nearing the horizon, the city illuminating around them in neon and silver and gold, they were exhausted and overwhelmed.

They had dinner at an Italian restaurant, and it was extravagant in comparison to the affordable meals Kurt had been surviving on for weeks. They ordered wine with their dinner, leaning close over the table to talk and laugh and taste each other’s food.

They ended up in a bar on Fremont Street, crowded in among other patrons who were drinking, watching the baseball game, or playing the ever-present slot machines. Kurt started with a cosmo, and then he and Blaine took turns choosing new cocktails, trying out drinks they’d never had before and comparing their opinions. The room buzzed around them, seeming to become more colorful and chaotic the more they drank. It was delightful to see Blaine come undone like this, his eyes bright and face flushed with intoxication. He seemed to always be moving, fingers tapping or head bobbing or feet running up Kurt’s calves under the table. It reminded Kurt of the first night they spent together in The Bar - but this was different, and better. First of all, because he actually knew Blaine now, could better appreciate the flex of his arms and the curve of his lips and the way his eyelashes cast shadows over his skin. Second of all, because Las Vegas was a much more fun place to be than Burlington, Colorado. And third of all, because he was definitely drunker tonight.

After a trip to the bathroom where he almost lost his balance at the sink, Kurt stopped by the bar to get a glass of water before returning to their table. Blaine’s face lit up when he got back, even though they couldn’t have been apart for more than five minutes.

“I’m cutting myself off,” Kurt said as he set his water on the table. “I don’t wanna get too wasted and end up being married by an Elvis impersonator.”

“Okay, one,” Blaine said, holding up his index finger to punctuate his words, “same-sex marriage isn’t even legal in Nevada. And two, would it really be so terrible to marry me?” His voice turned pouty as he spoke, and he fixed Kurt with what could only be described as puppy-dog eyes.

Kurt sipped his water, feeling the condensation on the glass beneath his fingers, cool and slippery. “It’s nothing personal,” he told Blaine. “It’s just that I’ve been planning my wedding since I was - since I was like five, and it’s going to be fabulous. Fantastic. Amazing.” He swallowed, feeling like there was too much saliva in his mouth. “I’d rather die than have a tacky Vegas wedding.”

The words slipped out without him considering the phrasing, his mind liquid and unfocused with alcohol. As soon as he finished the sentence he wanted to cringe. You never realize how your vocabulary is littered with mentions of death until death is made suddenly and tragically real to you.

He flicked the end of a cocktail straw sticking out of an empty glass and pushed forward. “Is it really not legal here?” he asked. “Christ, they’re handing out marriages like goody bags for straight people, but yeah, it’s definitely the gays who would ruin the sanctity of marriage.”

“Right?!” Blaine exclaimed, louder than necessary but Kurt didn’t mind. His voice was so nice, Kurt could listen to it forever. “Like, if marriage is so sacred, why not outlaw divorce?”

“Yes!” Kurt agreed. “You’re so smart.”

“Okay, but if you won’t marry me,” Blaine said, “we should do something else.”

“Like what?” Kurt asked, wondering if something else involved going back to their hotel room and falling into bed together. He couldn’t remember where their hotel was anymore. Could they walk there? Could he walk anywhere, without stumbling over his unsteady feet?

“I mean, we’re in Las Vegas, right?” Blaine said, gesturing broadly around them.

“Right,” Kurt said. Blaine was so helpful, reminding him what city they were in.

“And when are we ever gonna be in Las Vegas again?”

“I dunno,” Kurt answered, creasing his eyebrows. “Probably, like, never.”

“Exactly,” Blaine said. “So while we’re here, shouldn’t we do something crazy?”

“Yes!” Kurt agreed. Blaine was so smart and making such good points. “But what?”

Blaine pursed his lips, gripping his jaw as he thought. “Something that…we would never do otherwise,” he said. “Something that shows that we were here, and we didn't worry about dumb things like common sense, or what people want us to do, or what we think we’re supposed to be. Because it’s all - you know, it’s bullshit, it’s like, I can do things. I can make my own choices, and be my own person, and not be perfect.”

“Yes, definitely,” Kurt answered, although he’d gotten a little lost in Blaine’s words. What were they talking about again? Not getting married, but doing something else.

“We need to - we need to make something happen,” Blaine insisted, reaching forward to grab Kurt’s hand. “Because it’s Vegas, and what happens in Vegas, right?”

Blaine’s face was determined and excited. “Yes,” Kurt breathed. He loved saying ‘yes’ to Blaine, yes yes yes.

Blaine sat up abruptly, slamming his free hand on the table. Their empty glasses rattled slightly with the force of it. “I’ve got it,” Blaine said. “Follow me.”

Kurt gulped down a few more sips of water and then got up. Blaine held his hand again to keep them attached as they moved through the crowd, and Kurt thought fleetingly that he’d follow Blaine anywhere.

*

Kurt awoke without opening his eyes, swimming in darkness, his body heavy and his head throbbing.

He had the feeling this wasn’t the first time he’d woken up this day, hazy memories and half-remembered dreams intertwining in his mind. Where was he?

With Herculean effort, he lifted his eyelids, revealing a dim room.

Right, he was in their hotel room. He recognized it from the previous night, with the brownish couch and round coffee table, the huge wooden entertainment center holding a TV across from the bed. Kurt laboriously turned his head to the right, but found he was alone in the bed. Where was Blaine? And why did the back of his shoulder hurt?

A glass of water was sitting on the bedside table. Kurt wondered if he had put it there, or if Blaine had left it for him. He propped himself up slightly to drink from it. He was wearing only a pair of boxers. When had they gone to bed last night? What had they been doing?

He was starting to retrace his memories from yesterday to determine where they’d ended the night when he heard the clunk of the room’s door unlocking. He watched as the door opened and Blaine stepped in, holding two very large Starbucks cups.

“Oh,” Blaine said softly when their eyes met. “You’re up.”

‘Up’ was a generous description for how Kurt was feeling. The idea of being any more vertical than he currently was sent his stomach roiling. “Is that coffee?” he asked.

“Yeah,” Blaine said, walking over to the bed and handing Kurt one of the paper cups. “The machine in here was broken.” Blaine took a careful sip from his cup, watching Kurt apprehensively. 

Kurt held the coffee up to his face, the warmth and smell of it extremely welcome. He drank a little bit, pausing to make sure it didn’t make his stomach feel any worse. After a moment, he sipped it again.

Blaine settled cautiously on the edge of the bed, near Kurt’s knees. He looked exceedingly nervous. Kurt watched him take a deep breath and then say, “I’m so sorry, Kurt. This was my fault.”

Kurt blinked at him. “What was?” he asked. Kurt was certain that however much he’d drank last night, it had been his own doing. Blaine wasn’t obligated to babysit him.

Blaine stared at him. “I mean, it was my idea in the first place. And then by the time I realized it was a terrible idea you had already started. Although I’m glad I didn’t go through with it, since that meant I was a little more capable of taking care of you.”

Kurt held his coffee tightly, growing increasingly worried about what he didn’t remember. “Take care of me…how?” he asked, his voice squeaking unpleasantly.

“Well, you threw up a few times,” Blaine said gently. “I’m not sure if it was from the alcohol or the pain. Or both, I guess.”

The pain. The pain on the back of Kurt’s shoulder. Shouldn’t we do something crazy?

“Oh my god,” Kurt breathed, because he remembered.

He set his coffee on the nightstand and then scrambled out of bed, placing a hand on Blaine’s knee to support himself before stumbling into the bathroom. He flicked the light on, the brightness stinging his eyes, and turned his back to the mirror. He looked over his shoulder to see, covered in a layer of plastic, a three-word message inked against his pale skin.

“I have a tattoo,” he said, feeling rather lightheaded.

Blaine appeared in the doorway. “I’ll pay to get it removed, if you want,” he insisted, his face creased with worry. “I’m so sorry, Kurt, I’m such an idiot -”

He stopped talking when Kurt began laughing. Kurt looked away from the mirror, leaned his weight against the counter, and laughed so hard he could barely breathe. Every giggle sent pain lacing through his head, but he couldn’t help himself.

It was just so absurd. He’d gotten ridiculously drunk in Las Vegas with a man who he’d barely known a week, while transporting his stepbrother’s ashes across the country, and gotten an inspirational phrase permanently stamped onto his body.

His hysterical laughter eventually transformed into hiccupping, and Blaine wordlessly retrieved the glass of water for him. Once Kurt had his breathing under control, he looked over at Blaine. “It’s okay,” he assured him. “I don’t blame you. It’s fine.”

Sure, if he’d been sober, he wouldn’t have done it. He glanced back over his shoulder to observe the tattoo again. The words were reflected backwards, and blurred slightly by the plastic over them, but he knew what it said. It gets better.

Now that his memory had been jogged, he could recall his thought process behind asking the tattoo artist for this particular message. It was something both personal and political, something to remind him of all the challenges he’d faced, and the fact that he’d overcome them all.

It was about being authentically himself in a world that frequently seemed not to want him - being a boy who liked boys, a guy who enjoyed fashion and musicals, a man whose voice could still hit the high notes this far past puberty. But it was more than that. The moment the idea hit him in the dark interior of the tattoo parlor, it had felt so viscerally right it was almost like divine intervention. He’d lost his mom as a kid. He’d been bullied and excluded and isolated. He’d had to contend with the possibility of his dad dying. But all those things, no matter how terrible, had gotten better eventually. Time had gone on, and Kurt had healed and moved forward.

Losing Finn would get better, too. It had to. And now he had a painful, lasting reminder of that written on him.

“Are you sure?” Blaine asked, eyes still shining with concern. Kurt had the urge to kiss him, but his mouth currently tasted disgusting, so he restrained.

“I’m sure,” Kurt told him. “Maybe not my finest moment of decision-making, but I don’t regret it.” 

“Okay,” Blaine whispered, seeming relieved.

Kurt scrubbed a hand over his face. He needed a shower, and some painkillers, and maybe another few hours of sleep. “Do we have to leave soon?”

Blaine glanced at his watch. “Checkout is in two hours,” he said. “But we don’t need to drive for too long today. We could just find a coffee shop or a park to hang out in until you’re feeling up for driving.”

“Thank you,” Kurt said. He was considering whether he should prioritize drinking coffee or personal hygiene first when he gasped. “Oh my god,” he said in horror. “Did you say I threw up? In front of you?”

Now it was Blaine’s turn to laugh, trying to reassure a mortified Kurt in between giggles, until Kurt pushed him out of the bathroom and locked the door, so he could shower and brush his teeth and try to regain some of the dignity he had so thoroughly lost the previous night.

[worldoflis]

GET TO KNOW ME BETTER

Thanks for the tag @cerriddwenluna and sorry it took so long, if I don't do these things immediately I forget :/

Answer the questions, then pass it on to three other people you want to know better

1. What is your favourite colour?

I would probably say red, though I've been going through a yellow period lately :D. Mostly as long as it's not pastel I'm happy :)

2. What is your current favourite song?

Honestly? I have no idea. I don't listen to the radio and I don't really follow any specific artists, so unless a song REALLY blows up and/or becomes a tumblr meme, I won't know it. Which means that when I do listen to music, it's the highlights of the stuff I heard in my 20s.

That being said, I just requested my wife to put on Yo dije ouff by Omar Rudberg cause it never fails to make me happy (and make me wanna dance).

3. How would you describe your taste in music?

Lol. Should've read this question before answering this :D. But basically 90s/00s pop? I love dancing, so anything with a proper beat usually works for me - though I feel I need to clarify that I've danced folk, bellydancing, jazz, lindy hop, tap, stage, and others, so obviously "danceable" covers a VERY broad range here :D.

4. Day or night?

Night. Nobrainer.

A sleeping schedule from 3/4am to noon for me would be ideal, but alas *gestures at society and my own life choices in having a family*. Cause at night, time doesn't seem to exist quite as... explicitely? It makes it easier to do things, somehow. I can send an email and rest easy for a few hours because I know they won't reply immediately, for example.

5. What fan fics are you currently reading?

I just read Time for Love by @lady-divine-writes for the Lima Bean bookclub, and I'm making my way through the other 3-2-1 Big Bang fics. And then I don't know. I wanna read some more Young Royals, catch up on the klaine/kurtbastian fics that passed me by these past years. But I'm a terrible reader - the short fics always leave me wanting more but I just can't seem to focus on the long fics so 🤷‍♀️.

6. What is an under used trope you would like to see more often?

Not really a trope, but I'm very fascinated with the unreliable narrator thing. Getting presented something as Truth by one character, and then finding out that being very much Not True and just messing a little with the reader like that.

7. What would your dream job be?

A job that doesn't start until the afternoon, allows me freedom to organize my work the way I want it to, with enough supervision to spur me on and keep me from procrastinating, with clear deadlines because that motivates me but also without any deadlines whatsoever cause they stress me out.

Also in cycling distance from my house, please.

Like I can't think of anything concrete of the top of my head but I'm sure there's SOMETHING that matches these very simple and not at all contradictory requests.

8. Make a wish ☆

I'm gonna be lame and copy Gwen's wish: that my kids grow up into happy and good people.

I'm tagging... @turmaliini, @magicalpaz, and @ipwarn. But only if you feel like it!

[chaos0pikachu]

thank you for continuously showing that you actually understand kinn and porsche as characters and therefore their motives and reasonings but also like. storytelling and conflict ilysm

Aw thanks Anon!

Look, I've been in fandoms since I was like, fucking 10 - which honestly, was way to young lmao - so I've seen a lot. Also my pro life deals specifically with storytelling so I hope I'm at least decent at it. I'm no expert, especially since this is an international show and I'll miss cultural context, but the show has been really good at showing Porsche and Kinn as two strong, well written individual characters.

There's conflict of course, but like, what makes it interesting conflict is neither is "right" or "wrong". Both have their reasoning for their reactions and choices. I get them both.

And mostly, I really don't wanna see fandom dissolve into the Klaine Civil War that I witnessed many years ago. I want fandom to continue to love and understand Kinn and Porsche because they're both really great characters lol

[todaydreambelieversfic]

Author Spotlight: Gleefuldarrencrissfan Day 1

Author: @gleefuldarrencrissfan

How did you get into Glee and Glee fandom?

I'm a huge music fan, and I started watching the show after it ended because I loved the music that I heard in the pilot.  I wasn't really paying attention to the plotlines, and honestly, I didn't really like many of the characters and storylines in season 1.  However, I made it to season 2 and fell in love with Blaine, Sam, and a much less manipulative Kurt.  After that, I was hooked.

In general, what drew you into writing (and/or creating)?

I've always loved writing, but I mostly wrote poetry and even lyrics and Dr. Seuss like rhymes.  I started writing when I was a teen, and honestly, I've never stopped.  You'll find poems, lyrics, and children's verse interspersed throughout my stories because I still love writing various forms of writing.  I'm actually writing several children's stories right now as well. 

What was it about Glee that made you decide to write fanfic for it?

Honestly, my frustration with the lack of Klaine and Blaine storylines drove me to write my first story, Courage, which was Blaine's season 1 story. I also wanted desperately to get feedback on writing.  So I started writing Courage and posted.  After that, I loved writing and interacting with other fans so much that I just kept going. 

Have you been a part of other fandoms before? Have you written fanfiction pre-glee?

Not really.  I had other shows that I loved but I wasn't really a hardcore fan of other shows except Cold Case, where I would analyze and discuss particular episodes on message boards.  I never wrote fanfiction until I started writing for glee. 

Is there a trope you’ve yet to try your hand at, but really want to?

Fake dating sounds fun, as does enemies to lovers.  I have ideas for both.  I also love best friends to lovers. 

Is there a trope you wouldn’t touch with a ten foot pole?

Quite a few.  I would not write BDSM, MPreg, dark fic, intense gore, and any troupe where the characters are extremely ooc (like prostitute or porn star Blaine or Kurt).  I like keeping my versions of Blaine and Kurt fairly close to their real characters, and I just don't feel like their characters would be into any of this.  Not to mention, I'm kind of a PG13 type of girl who doesn't really like watching or reading things that are dark or explicit, so writing it would be extremely ooc for me. 

How many fic ideas are you nurturing right now? Care to share one of them?

Oh man.  I have so many.  The main one that I keep coming back to is called Hummel's Haven of Hope, which will be an AU where Burt establishes a home for gay youth after Kurt attempts suicide (as explored in episode 2009 when he picks up a pamphlet about ending it all.) Kurt recovers and meets a young man after he was bashed and disowned.  That young man just happens to be Blaine Anderson.  The story will tell of their recoveries, their growth, and their inevitable love story.  I don't know when I'll start this.  I have so many irons in the fire. 

***

Check out Gleefuldarrencrissfan’s Fics

Rim Job -  Kurt tells Blaine he wants to give him a rim job. A rim job doesn't exactly mean what Kurt thought it did.

Zoom Mates -  Kurt Hummel is a once-respected illustrator that's being punished for one misfortunate mistake by being assigned to novice writers that either lack motivation or inspiration until his boss introduces him to a talented up and coming author and former teacher, Blaine Anderson. The catch. It's March 2020, and they are quarantined and they have to conduct their meetings over Zoom.

Love, Blaine -  Blaine Anderson is a typical teenager. Except he’s not because he’s hiding a huge secret. He’s gay. But after reading a confession on the informal Dalton blog, he discovers that he’s not the only closeted boy at Dalton. After a moment of courage, he emails him and ultimately starts up a friendship that will change life as he knows it. Loosely based on Love, Simon.

[kuiinncedes]

hi, i read your rant about kurtbastian and “lol klaine” people who ship it, and i am one of these people so i’d like to explain my pov. (this is too long lmao sorry”

first of all, my most surface level reason. i don’t think klaine has as much chemistry as kurtbastian. i’m a big fan of the enemies to lovers trope, i find grant and chris both attractive and according to my personal taste, kurtbastian fanfiction is more interesting.

second of all, blaine isn’t an innocent cinnamon roll who can’t do wrong. i don’t wanna get into all his faults, but to give the most obvious example:

the scandals parking lot scene. that isn’t cute or loving. that’s assault. even if it wasn’t, his motive of wanting to have sex that night was to be a better actor in west side story. rachel gets shit for doing the same thing, except she actually confessed. blaine never did, also being drunk is never an excuse. (on that note, kurt needed that role, blaine didn’t, yet he auditioned with a tony song)

another ones being cheating (obviously), giving kurt shit for texting when he did the same with sebastian (and knowing sebastian, those text were a lot less family friendly than chandlers), talking to burt about kurt needing sex-ed (?????), the very public proposal (c’mon now, some privacy), trying to get kurt to gain weight bc he felt insecure (yes, mental illness, not his fault he’s insecure but that doesn’t make him completely innocent), the gas pains incident (unstan), and honestly a lot more

in my opinion, blaine was never out of character in any of those things. he needs professional help. he said it himself, he sees kurt as a competition and a delicate little flower to take care of. (i guess they got therapy but i erased s6 from memory so no comment)

on the other hand, yes we prefer mostly fanon sebastian, mainly because he didn’t have a lot of screen time but i, and pretty much every kurtbastian shipper, think his character was interesting and worth exploring. he got snippets of redemption and honestly, fic writers do such a good job of making him in character but still not as awful. definitely not racist, none of us like that. (also me not liking blaine definitely has nothing to do with his race, i didn’t even know darren wasn’t white for a long time)

lastly, do you think that the version of klaine you all know and love is exactly canon compliant? is writing him as a “bad boy” or a total selfless sweetheart not fanon? isnt that what fanfics are all about? i don’t mind people shipping klaine, you do you. but that is not a perfect relationship and blaine isn’t a perfect man.

tbh i don’t really know how to respond bc i am obviously a klaine shipper and i respect your right to ship kurtbastian and say what you want about klaine, just preferably not directly in my inbox next time if you could (so i can have it hidden behind the necessary tags that i have filtered for a reason lol) :)

i know he’s not completely innocent, no one on this show hasn’t done questionable shit. other people have definitely put into words, better than i could, their defense for blaine and his actions that you’ve laid out here

and honestly i’m not sure if i should respond to what you’re saying. i’m absolutely going to defend blaine, i see the chemistry between klaine, i wholly believe he’s ultimately a good person, etc - but you and other people who don’t like him probably aren’t gonna change your views, just like i’m not gonna change mine, which is fine.

at the end of the day... this is my blog and i’m gonna continue to love blaine and ship klaine, and you can hate him and ship kurtbastian. i’m not gonna pretend to understand or like it... but yeah :P

[katyobsesses]

I've decided to do that fic ask thing that's been floating around even though I haven't been tagged <3

how many works do you have on AO3?

22... apparently? three of those are fic book covers though.

what’s your total AO3 word count?

139,883 words

how many fandoms have you written for and what are they?

On AO3? 3. In general? 4 or 5 i think? I currently write for Glee and Marvel on my AO3 (there's also one Yuri On Ice fic) and I've previously written (and published) for Harry Potter on FF.Net. I do also have a few outlines/ideas for Merlin fics floating around my google docs but I've never posted any, and I used to write Twilight fics back in the day.

what are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Ain't No Grave (Can Keep My Body Down) Book Cover with 222 kudos (Marvel published 2016) --A book cover for a popular Stucky fic

A Punch In The Face with 101 kudos (Marvel published 2014) --A Young Avengers drabble of sorts, Teddy/Billy meet cute

Express Your Love with 81 kudos (Marvel published 2014) --I cannot remember what this is, I think it's Stony? Something about Tony never saying 'I Love You' to steve but instead showing his love through actions?

In A Previous Life with 77 kudos (Marvel published 2014) --A drabble of sorts. Billy and Tommy talk to Wanda about their life with her before they were reincarnated.

Putting a Punching Bag in the Workshop was Tony's Best Idea Ever with 64 kudos (Marvel published 2014) --Basically what it says on the tin. Stony. Tony is distracted by Steve's arse as he boxes.

Annoyingly these are all fics I'm not that proud of, but they're older so the kudos amounts make sense i guess 🙄 the next most Kudos'd is one I am proud of though - “You took EVERYTHING from me.” with 58 Kudos (2019) - Basically a little oneshot of what I thought could have happened in the 5 years everyone was dusted and how I thought they might have introduced Billy and Tommy into the MCU, it was going to create a whole 'verse but then we got confirmation on things like Kate Bishop and Cassie Lang and Spiderman Far From Home came out and I dropped the ideas. But I still like this fic.

do you respond to comments, why or why not?

most of the time, yes, though sometimes I leave them sitting for too long and then feel awkward about replying to them and i don't (*cough* most of my comments on WTNY(ibwfy) *cough*)

what’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

probably In Paris With You which I'd forgotten about until scrolling through my fics! I wrote this, orginally, way back in like... 2011 based on a poem of the same name that got stuck in my head as i studied it for my English GCSE. but it's been updated and changed like 3 times since then.

Also my fic As long as I'm here as I am, so are you is rather angsty. Basically Kurt is listening to Ben Platt's album Sing to Me Instead and one song reminds him of Finn. (because it reminded me of them)

do you write crossovers? if so what is the craziest one you’ve written?

I've never written a crossover, though I think I once toyed around with some sort of Harry Potter crossover that never made the light of day, I can't remember what it was with though... maybe Merlin?

have you ever received hate on a fic?

not on AO3! But I did have someone call my OC in One More New Direction a Mary Sue on FF.net which wasn't nice, and someone else said they hated my characterisation of Mercedes in a chapter which was weird because Mercedes wasn't even in the chapter it was just my OC talking about her and her impression of her.

do you write smut? if so what kind?

I've tried, multiple times, in my 10+ years of fic writing, but i just can't do it. Maybe it's because I'm Asexual? it just always feels weird even after I've read smut as, like, revision. I feel like a lot of the characters are, like, ace by proxy because i don't know how to write characters being motivated by sex.

have you ever had a fic stolen?

Nope! Not that I know of anyway

have you ever had a fic translated?

Nope!

have you ever co-written a fic before?

not that I remember? I vaguely remember being a Beta for someone like 10 years ago though.

what’s your all time favourite ship?

I honestly don't know! I've definately written mostly Klaine, but I'm such a multishipper that I have no clue. I'm really loving writing Hevans rn mostly because we are lacking Hevans content which is criminal. actually, fun fact, my fic Welcome To New York (it's been waiting for you) was originally going to be Klaine, but as i was writing the outline I fell back into the Hevans hole and decided to switch it up. I'm glad i did because it would have gotten nowhere as a Klaine fic!

what’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

If i don't think I'll finish something I don't post it. I have a graveyard of fics half drafted.

what are your writing strengths?

I honestly don't know. I like writing dialogue and I know I'm good at portraying something with a small amount of words but you'll have to ask my readers 😊 (in fact, if you've read my stuff please let me know what you think my strengths are! I'm honestly curious!)

what are your writing weaknesses?

I'm terrible at stretching a scene into something bigger if it warrents it. Like i said I'm good at portraying something with few words but sometimes I feel like that throws the pacing off. I use a lot of paragraphs because of that, to make the reader pause and reflect until the next line or to show that the character is pausing and reflecting. idk man. I also hate writing dates, which is annoying because WYNY(ibwfy) is mostly dates. I've been on one in my life and it was shit so i have no idea how to write one lol.

what are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

I think that, unless you don't want the reader to know what is being said or the words used are obvious in context, that you should write it in english EG: --"Merci!" Kurt said.-- is fine but if you want to write something longer I would do something like --"hello my name is Kurt Hummel and I love scarfs" Kurt said in french-- or something, it depends on the context.

Actually, going back to In Paris With You. Kurt is french in that, and it's from Blaine's POV so when Kurt speaks french it's in french with Blaine translating what he can in the narration. He's not meant to be able to understand Kurt perfectly, so the audience doesn't either. But if I was writing, say, Kurt and Sebastian talking to each other in French from Kurt's POV I'd write it in english so that audience can also understand that Kurt understands.

(does that make sense?)

what was the first fandom you wrote for?

Harry Potter. definately Harry Potter! It was how i got into fanfiction, and how i got into glee <3 JKR is a horrible person, but her books - and especially the fandom surrounding them - mean a lot to me.

what’s your favourite fic you’ve written?

I have no idea. I'm really liking my Love and Friendship series right now, and I love One More New Direction because it got me through - is getting me through - this crazy couple of years. so probably them? I also really love (that makes you) The Scarlet Witch which is kind of like a character analysis of Wanda that I wrote after watching WandaVision.

[esperantoauthor]

Pandemic Mental Health Check-In

Thanks for starting this check-in, @snarkyhag. Thanks to @20xbetterthanu, @gleefulpoppet, and @gorgxoxus for tagging me 💕 

I actually started filling this out right when you all were tagging me but, uh, it was honestly getting me down so I put it aside. So, I know I post ranty things on here sometimes but I mostly try to keep this a happy and upbeat place, because that is how I like it! But this got kind of real when I was filling it out so I’m going to stick it under a cut in case you just want to keep the happy tumblr vibes going and scroll on past.

How is everyone holding up?  

On the one hand, I feel like I have adapted to the situation and found my “new normal.” On the other hand, I have become a complete hermit, my job is way less enjoyable, I have now postponed my wedding twice, and none of this has been good for my mental health. I’m trying to live one day at a time and when I focus on that, I do alright...when I take a step back and think about things big picture it can all start to seem pretty grim. 

At the beginning of the pandemic, I was much more concerned about protecting those around me than getting sick myself. After seeing a friend my age be sick for months (she has been sick since April and still has not recovered) and finally get classified with “long-haul covid” and reading the multitude of articles about young healthy people ending up with long-term health complications after recovering from covid including mild cognitive impairment (it sounds cuter when they just say “foggy brain” but that is what that means i take it very seriously) I am now genuinely afraid for myself as well as others.

Then we have the political situations in the U.S. right now which has just been one devastating news story after another.

What are you doing to keep healthy?

Other than following the pandemic precautions, honestly not much. My job switched from being one where I was on my feet all day to a desk job and the only structured exercise I had (Pilates at the gym twice a week with a friend) isn’t available. I lack the willpower/motivation/know-how to get an at-home exercise routine going. Living in an apartment without much open floorspace definitely doesn’t help; I don’t even really have room to exercise freely on a yoga mat let alone set-up a stationary bike or something. We live in the a big city so going for walks is unappealing because there are people everywhere which means being vigilant and general covid anxiety. I guess we eat healthy-ish...it's not amazing but we do okay. I’m more focused on my mental health than my physical health right now, I guess. I’m taking my meds, having virtual visits with my therapist, and using my strategies.

Are you working, not working, working from home?

I am working from home, thanks to my request for work accommodations being approved (thank you ADA!). Our school closed (originally for one week) in late March and then never reopened so I have been working from home since then with very little time off. I worked part-time in the summer mostly because I knew that with quarantine in place it would be bad for my mental health to have no built-in structure and just sit at home all day. I didn’t realize that applying for disability accommodations to work from home was something I would qualify for (I got the impression it was only if you had a medical condition that made you more susceptible to covid-19 not for mental health conditions that are exacerbated by covid-19). Thankfully, it turned out that it WAS an option and I got it approved before students started school. Figuring out how to do “parallel” instruction (teaching to in-person and remote students at the same time) has been a big learning curve and I haven’t had to do a formal evaluation over zoom yet, but I’m figuring things out. If I hadn’t been approved to work from home I honestly think I would have quit. 

Anyone caring for kids or elders?

Thankfully, no. It’s just me, my fiance (who is healthy), and my tortoise. Sometimes I help out my brother by keeping my nephew occupied on facetime so he can have a work meeting or something.

What was you best/worst day?

My worst day was the day after George Floyd’s murder. I was obviously very upset and sad about what happened, but it also became the trigger point for me finally processing all of my grief about the multitude of death cause by the pandemic as a whole. Work was basically me zooming with kids and then sobbing during my prep time. I cried pretty much the whole day. I think because I was so focused on figuring out how to do remote teaching and just the day-to-day challenges, I hadn’t really had a moment to just fully mourn how many people had been and were dying. And then this amongst all of that, when people were fighting for their lives on ventilators, we had this completely senseless and avoidable death and it kind of pushed me over the edge. 

What inspires you?

People inspire me. People with their big hearts and their big ideas. People saving lives in our hospitals and desperately searching for treatments in their labs. People taking to the streets and fighting for their rights. Anyone who is fighting for a better tomorrow inspires me.

Are you taking up hobbies?

I started a needlepoint of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. I should really finish that. Does making tumblr memes and oven charts count as a hobby?

What kind of content helps keep the joy on your dash?

Cute Klaine/Glee shit! Hilarious shitposting! People liveblogging my fic on tumblr ( 👀 @20xbetterthanu)! Watching @spookyklaine‘s reactions to my oven charts. @kurthummeldeservesbetter‘s lovely blog awards because they were just so positive!

Has life gone back to “normal” where you are

NOPE! Thankfully the Illinois governor takes the pandemic seriously so while things have started to open up a bit, it is definitely not normal. We are the level where some people are eating outdoors at restaurants. Me and my fiance are personally still in full quarantine mode where we do not leave the apartment except for essential items like groceries. We have done a handful of socially distanced hangouts where we sit six feet from our friends in their backyard and drink the stuff we brought with us. Also just today, I saw on the news that Chicago is getting additional covid-19 mitigations because the numbers are spiking again.

What are you doing for fun?

Well I made a tumblr, so that happened! Writing and reading fic, doing gleewatch, playing stardew valley, watching TV with my fiance. 

My big “fun” thing is that I started a weekly trivia game played over zoom with IRL friends that has been running since April or May. We started out with trivia videos a comedian I like made and now we make our own questions. I didn’t even really like trivia before this but it has become a very fun thing and my main social interaction that isn’t work or on the internet. We laugh a lot and it is a good time!

[poetzproblem]

What a promising ending for your latest installment! What will their friends think about their 'relationship' after that? Especially Klaine? I like the parallelism on this Quinn and your DB Quinn where she finds love anyway and yet Rachel remains the ultimate 'what if' for her. Also, Rachel finding Quinn alluring as years pass. There doesn't seem like a universe where these two don't fit well like puzzle poeces. Always a pleasure to read new material from you, Poetz!

They’re kind of the ultimate ‘what if’ for each other, and they obviously belong together -  even if it takes them a while to get there. 

Even though I’m convinced Quinn did, in fact, have a thing for Rachel in high school, I think she got over it once she left Lima and started living her best life at Yale. But that old crush makes it easy to imagine a future where the stars finally align in a way that makes it possible for Quinn and Rachel to develop real feelings as adults. 

I hinted that Santana already knows Quinn’s real motivation for moving to New York, and I imagine that she thinks it’s a very bad idea. Quinn is hot and successful and can have any woman she wants (who agrees to sign that NDA) and getting anymore mixed up with Rachel Berry and her drama is a disaster in the making. She’ll be very Santana about it - snarky and critical but ultimately whatever.  It’s Quinn’s life, after all. 

Brittany will be more supportive. 

Blaine will be mostly supportive, if a little wary of the whole thing because of Grace. 

Kurt will eventually come around, but in the beginning he’ll think it’s a very bad idea because Quinn’s life is becoming very high profile and she’s very much in the closet still and he thinks Rachel is setting herself up for more heartbreak. (He might also be kind of worried about the two of them somehow working in tandem to make things more confusing for his daughter when Rachel is already a little too invested all on her own. He’s been counting on Quinn to be on their side and help reel Rachel back in, but he’ll be afraid that a relationship with Rachel might make her less inclined to do that.)  

Both Kurt and Blaine are also very conscious of the fact that they asked so much of both of them with Grace and are maybe a little guilty that the surrogacy clearly contributed in some way to the problems they each had in their prior relationships, especially Rachel’s marriage, so even if they have doubts about the whole Faberry thing, they’re hesitant to interfere too much. 

As for everyone else, well, it will be a surprise to some (Mercedes, Artie, Tina) but no so much to others (Sam, Puck, Kitty.)

Jesse will not be happy at all and take every opportunity to insult them both collectively and individually in his very condescending, superior Jesse-way. 

[migleefulmoments]

I skim read that fic and honestly it sounds just like a klaine fic, there’s even use of the word “courage” in there. They really see no difference between the two.

That is so interesting because Abby LOVES the pic and Abby clearly written CC as if it was Klaine. She get their characteristics confused, they all use the Klaine gifs and pics as their Proof. 

This is going around again- an oldie but goodie by mleigh69

mleigh69 answered:

Once upon a time

There was a little boy named Darren Everett Criss - SanFrancisco born and mostly raised (few years in Hawaii)  

And

There was a little boy named Christopher Paul Colfer (Raised in Clovis California)

Both boys LOVED theatre and acting and singing

Both boys raised in completely different environments of acceptance

Darren in an open loving atmosphere - no judgments 

Chris bullied and mistreated by kids and teachers alike

Both boys chose different paths at 18

Darren went to college at University of Michigan (he will tell anyone this who will sit with him for 5 seconds and ask)

approx 3 years later (as they are not the same age - Darren was born in 1987/Chris in 1990) 

Chris was slated to begin college - but got an audition for a new pilot - he not only was cast in the show - a role was written FOR HIM

Darren consequently auditioned for that same pilot - but it was not the right time or role - so Darren completed his senior year of school in Michigan

Chris found himself on the Juggernaut that would become a worldwide phenomenon 

Darren would graduate and return to California with freinds from Michigan to began the pursuit of the dream - small roles here and there - even a regular role - singing in restaurants. Darren is one heck of a musician- he plays at least 7 instruments - the only one he was trained on (starting at 5years old) was the violin - the remainder he is self taught. 

Chris found much success with his character Kurt - reaching out to populations of kids that have needed and wanted such a character for a very long time

with the success of season one - and season two locked in - it was time to expand Kurts story (back then the writing was decent and Kurt got the attention that he deserved)

it was time for a romantic connection

Darren Criss was chosen to play “Blaine” who would start as the openly gay teen mentor for Kurt  - then they would evolve into the love of one anothers life

It was a sweet story for the ages - AND SO VERY NEEDED ON PRIME TIME - to show this loving gay couple

The thing is - NO ONE expected what was to occur on the first day (October 4, 2010) that Darren E. Criss & Christopher P. Coler were to meet.

They discovered that fate will not be thwarted when two people are destined to be together

Regardless of their upbringing, moving, dreams, motives and intentions

there was a connection that was undeniable

Their story has been far from perfect - mostly due to outside forces that they could not control or harness

but they have proven how very strong, committed and in love they are over and over and over again

This is CrissColfer

My tried and true till the end OTP

Clearly MLeigh69 can’t tell them apart since she rewrote Klaine’s story as Darren and Chris’s story.  

[themostrandomfandom]

Hey JJ, I was wondering what is your opinion on Klaine and the relationship between them and Brittana. Also I have a friend whose really obsessed with you and your blog and she reads it religiously so that must mean that your stuff is good ;) hope your day is going well :)))

Hey, @ruskinino​!

First off, thank you forthe sweet message. Sorry it has taken me so long to post a reply.

Second, in response to yourquestion:

While both TPTB at Glee and fanon might like toimagine a close and straightforwardly friendly bond between Brittana andKlaine, I think that, in reality, things are much more complicated, and,unfortunately, less positive. 

The two couples don’t hate each other, but thereis certainly a degree of caution in the way they interact, with both sides having been burned in the past.

We can break the issues down after the cut.

WARNING: I am writing this response as a fan of Brittany Pierceand Santana Lopez and a Brittana shipper. Though my intention isn’t to bashKurt Hummel, Blaine Anderson, or Klaine, there are elements of my analysis thatare critical of their behavior and which discuss some negative views which I believethat Brittany and Santana hold towards them. If you ship Klaine, proceedcautiously. What follows probably won’t be your cup of tea.   

___

Brittana, Klaine, and Glee’s Writing

First, let’s talk aboutBrittana and Klaine on a production level.

In terms of Glee marketing,Brittana and Klaine were very important. For a show that prided itself on itsdiversity and forward-thinkingness, having two same-sex teen couples at itsfront and center was a big deal. While a lot of the critical praise for Gleedied off before the first season had even ended, the show continued toaccumulate awards from GLAAD, the Trevor Project, and other LGBTQ organizationsthroughout its run thanks, in no small part, to Brittana and Klaine’sprominence.

For PR purposes, Brittanaand Klaine were often paired together in promotional materials and paralleledin episode structures. RIB loved putting them side by side because when they did,it got everyone’s attention. If having one same-sex couple getmarried on TV was a huge thing, then having two same-sex couples get married onTV at the same time was an even huger one. It was all about doubling up, and thepowers that be at Glee took the opportunity to put two and twotogether when they could.

That said, Brittana +Klaine was often better executed in idea than in practice.

The truth is that asidefrom being LGBTQ and participating in show choir, Brittana and Klaine were twovery different couples, and Brittany, Santana, Kurt, and Blaine were four verydifferent characters. While in theory there exists a fictional universe wherethey all (or at least most of them) could have been friends—a point which manyexcellent fanfics well prove—the canon Gleeverse wasn’t it, mostly because thewriters never put in the work to really establish those interpersonal dynamics.

Brittana and Klaineran in the same circles and frequently orbited around one another in terms oftheir storylines and character development, but the narration never truly allowedthem to get to know one another or to form stable bonds.

Despite various comingstogether, at the end of six seasons, shared wedding notwithstanding, one nevergot the sense that Brittana and Klaine were actually very good friends. Sure,they didn’t hate one another, but there was also no deep love between them.Klaine were still questioning Brittana’s motives. Brittana were still mockingKlaine’s clothing, mannerisms, and relationship status.

Glee had failed to provethat these kids actually liked and related to one another on any special level.It was just another instance in which Glee kept trying to tell us that thesecharacters were friends, but they never showed us that such was the case (see here).

For as much as fanon lovesto imagine what might have been, canon shows us a much more convoluted—and muchless pretty—picture, one in which, due to a history of bullying and hijinks,Klaine never got comfortable enough to drop their guards around Brittana, andso, after years of repeated rebuffs and rejections, Brittana eventually grewfrustrated with Klaine’s distrust of them and emotionally disengaged.

So now let’s talk aboutthese relationships “in universe.”   

Kurt and Brittany

The truth is that KurtHummel, like most of the characters on Glee, never really gets Brittany Pierce,and his view of her doesn’t change much between S1 and S6 (see here).

To Kurt, Brittany is simpleand strange—“a girl who thinks the square root of four is rainbows” and talks openlyand unironically about unicorns.

He tends to accept what hesees from her at face value, buying into the early stereotype she perpetuatesfor herself, namely that she is slutty and dumb, in some ways unaccountable forher own actions because she doesn’t understand what she is doing (see here).

Because Kurt’s initialimpression of Brittany is that there is not much to her, he never really thinksto look at what might be going on beneath her surface, and his opinion on hercharacter remains generally static. Consequently, he has trouble comprehendingher more nuanced behaviors, and he oftentimes patently misunderstands herbecause he is unaware of what her true motivations are and where her emotionalstakes lie.

Initially, the fact that Brittanyis one of the most popular girls in school is somewhat intimidating to Kurt, andespecially because she and the rest of the Unholy Trinity don’t mesh well withthe New Directions. For a long time, he doesn’t understand Brittany’smotivations for joining the glee club and so doesn’t entirely trust her. Whenshe is revealed as a spy in episode 1x13, he feels his distrust of her hasbeen validated (“You leaked the set list! You don’t want to behere. You were just Sue Sylvester’s little moles!”).It is well into S2 before he begins to trust that Brittany really wants to bepart of the glee club and that she isn’t just out for herself.

As time goes on andBrittany becomes more integrated into the group, Kurt tries to be nice to her inthe same way that people try to be nice to infants and pets, but oftentimes hispatience with her shenanigans wears thin, which is something that we see fromhim both when she serves as his beard in episode 1x18 and when she becomes his presidentialcampaign manager in episode 3x02.

When the things she saysbaffle him or when her behavior comes across to him as particularly nonsensical,Kurt has a tendency to snap at Brittany and drive her away. Lack ofunderstanding and patience for Brittany notwithstanding, Kurt does seem togenerally like her and is sometimes even protective of her. If asked, he wouldprobably say that he considers Brittany a friend, albeit not his closest one. Attimes, he even calls her by an affectionate short name, “Britt.”

Kurt and Santana

Kurt’s dynamic with Santanaover the years is similar to his dynamic with Brittany, in that it is alsopredicated on an initial poor first impression and the inability to advance thoseinitial views, even given an accumulation of new evidence.

To Kurt, Santana is thequintessential mean girl, motivated largely by malevolence and spite.

When she initially joinsglee club, he doubts her loyalties, just as he does Brittany’s. However,whereas the biggest fault he finds with Brittany is that, in his view, she isstupid and has a bad taste in friends, with Santana, he finds that she isvicious and even dangerous, particularly as she has a tendency to makehomophobic comments towards him (K: “Can we talk about the giant elephant inthe room?” S: “Your sexuality?”).

While there is some debateas to whether or not Kurt realizes that Santana is gay prior to her S3 outing, thefact is that, no matter what he knows or doesn’t know, he remains fairly alooffrom her throughout S1 and S2, and, in the few instances when they do interact,he is openly wary of her intentions.

In his mind, Santana isinherently selfish, so the idea that she would put herself on the line forsomeone else without expecting anything in return just doesn’t add up to him. Why does she protect him from Dave Karofsky? How come she goes out of her way to get him back to WMHS from Dalton? What gives with her suddenly using her prom queen campaign to protect him when for the lastseveral years she has taken every opportunity to bully him for being gay?

His cautious attitude towardsher continues into S3, when he doesn’t know exactly what to make of herattempts to be nice to him and behaves towards her as one might a cat that hadpreviously attacked him but is now purring. Though after her outing, he has abetter idea of why she does some of the things she does—such as going with him,Blaine, and Brittany to confront Sebastian Smythe after Dave Karofsky’s suicideattempt—much of her behavior still remains a mystery in his mind.

Why, for instance, does shenot appreciate his and Blaine’s attempts to serenade her during Lady MusicWeek?

In S4, when Santana becomeshis roommate in NYC, Kurt finds her behavior invasive and at times infuriating,though he generally gets along with her better than Rachel does.

In S5, he feels forced to choosebetween his loyalties to Santana and his loyalties to Rachel, and he inevitablychooses the latter.

In S6, he regards Santanaas a friend, though he still struggles to reconcile her behavior with what hethinks he knows about her basic motivations, which is why it so surprises himwhen she seemingly “out of the blue” decides to share her wedding day with himand Blaine.

As I discuss elsewhere,

Santana spends much of S1 and S2 making homophobic comments aboutKurt, so, to him, Santana is a mean girl, and he never really allows her togrow out of that role in his eyes. 

Though in later seasons she becomes his roommate and tries tobecome his friend, he always keeps her at arm’s length and will side withRachel over her in a heartbeat, even in situations where Rachel is in thewrong. 

At best, Santana is his fun, bitchy lesbian acquaintance. Atworst, she is his caustic, bitchy lesbian acquaintance. 

He seems convinced that she is an awful person who sometimesmasquerades as a sweetheart rather than a sweetheart who sometimes masqueradesas an awful person, and he treats her accordingly, for the most part—though, infairness, he seems somewhat more amiable toward Santana than is Rachel, on thewhole.

Kurtand Brittana

As stated above, Kurt’sopinions of both Brittany and Santana remain fairly static throughout theentire series. When he first gets to know Brittana, he observes that Brittanyis a ditz and Santana is a bully, and his views on them don’t much change overthe course of the next six years.

If he encounters behavior fromthem which deviates from what he thinks he knows about their characters, then hecounts that behavior as aberrant and doesn’t shift his schema to allow for thenew evidence.

In other words, if Brittanydoes something undeniably clever, then he is likely to suppose it was anaccident—an exception rather than the rule. Ditto for if Santana does somethingcertifiably nice. 

By S6, he knows enough torealize that, generally speaking, he and Brittana are on the same side.However, he continues to doubt their intentions, and, even up to the pointwhere they are graciously sharing their wedding day with him and Blaine, hestill questions their characters, failing to understand that they have grownand changed a lot since they were fifteen years old.

Overall, he does notunderstand Brittana’s dynamic. He either assumes that they function like he andBlaine do (see episode 6x03)—which they don’t—or else just plain fails to wraphis head around how they behave and what they feel for each other,underestimating the strength and depth of their bond. At his core, he can’t seewhat they see in each other. Why would someone like Brittany want to be withsomeone like Santana? Why would someone like Santana want to be with someonelike Brittany? What do they have in common? How do they make things work?

Brittana really are amystery to Kurt, but one he doesn’t spend too much time trying to unravel.

The fact that he soadamantly opposes their engagement even after six years of knowing them showsthat he doesn’t really get what they’re all about because, if he did, he wouldrealize that through all the ups and downs and changes with them throughout thetime that he has known them, they’ve always been each other’s only constant,and their bond with each other is strong, deep, and mature.

Brittany and Kurt

In S1, Brittany primarilyseems to pity Kurt Hummel—and especially because she very much understands hisunderlying motivations at that time.

Brittany is out long beforeKurt is, and she seemingly never wrestles with her own sense of identity in theway that Kurt does (see here).However, she does still feel for Kurt, and particularly as she recognizes thathe and Santana are essentially in the same boat. 

Though at this point in theshow, few people would see similarities between an unpopular, virginal gaychoir boy and a popular, slutty “straight” cheerleader, Brittany knowsthat Kurt and Santana actually share much in common, albeit below thesurface. 

Both Kurt and Santana carrya secret that that they’re desperately trying to suppress. Both Kurt andSantana worry that if they are honest about their identities, they will losethe love of their family members. Both Kurt and Santana perform socialgymnastics in order to maintain a sense of equilibrium in their lives, tryingdesperately to balance who they really are with who they think they need to bein order to survive.

Brittany is aware longbefore Santana says it out loud that Santana looks to Kurt as thequintessential canary down the mineshaft and that anything she sees happeningto him, she fears will also happen to her. Whenever Kurt faces homophobia orsuffers a setback as he negotiates his outness, Santana takes note, andBrittany, by extension, does, too.

In my view, that is why throughout S1 we see several instancesin which Brittany helps Kurt to interact with his father on his own terms, suchas in episode 1x04, when she and Tina convince Burt that Kurt is on thefootball team so that Kurt can save face (see here),and in episode 1x18, when she acts as Kurt’s beard so that Kurt can prove toBurt that he is “straight” (see here).

At this point in herdevelopment, Brittany is still very much in the business of helping Santana tomaintain the illusion of their straightness, and she essentially does the samething for Kurt. While she may not personally feel the need to hide her same-sexattractions, she knows that Kurt and Santana do, and she doesn’t hesitate toplay along in their schemes to convince the world that they are “outstandingheterosexuals,” no matter how overblown and ineffectual said schemes may be.

It is only as Brittanystarts to change how she relates to Santana during S2 that her relationshipwith Kurt also changes, and she becomes less about trying to help him obfuscate his true self and more about helping him to celebrate it.

Nowhere is this attitudefrom her more apparent than in episode 2x20, when she acknowledges how strongKurt has to be in order to be himself and encourages Santana to stand by him inhis time of trouble (“Go back out there and be there for Kurt. This is gonna bea lot harder for him than it is for you”).

While there is an element of self-service to Brittany’s actionsin this situation—Santana helping Kurt to feel comfortable with himself in turnhelps Santana to feel comfortable with herself, and a comfortable Santana isone who will be able to date Brittany—there is also some genuine pride andappreciation underlying them.

Brittany is glad that Kurt has gone from being someone who wouldlie to his father about having a girlfriend to being someone who can takeownership of a shitty situation by saying, “I’m proud to be who I am.” She seesthe progress he has made, and she applauds his real bravado.

Though she hasn’t said so out loud, to this point in the show,Brittany has considered herself to be in a position to “help Kurt up.” While hehas struggled to accept himself and later to forge his identity as an out gaykid at a conservative school, Brittany has already been there, and she has beenquietly watching him, lending him help when she can, and rooting for him fromthe sidelines.

Come S3, she feels that Kurt has finally peaked and that theyare now on equal footing in terms of being comfortable in their own skins.

That’s why she turns to him as an ally in her quest to make WMHSa safe place for other, potentially still-closeted LGBTQ kids, includingSantana—because she assumes that she and Kurt are both in a position to helpothers reach the point they’ve gotten to and that they’re on the same pageabout the importance of activism in their community (see here).

Her assumption is a mistake not because Kurt doesn’t care aboutLGBTQ causes but because he doesn’t understand her and her motivations.

For one thing, like most people at the school, Kurt doesn’t seemto think of Brittany as bisexual, her openness concerning her orientationnotwithstanding (see hereand here).Particularly given that Brittany and Santana are not yet openly dating at thetime when episode 3x02 takes place, Kurt doesn’t get that Brittany has theproverbial dog in this fight. In his mind, she is an ally at best, so it’s nother personal safety, comfort, and wellbeing that are going on the line in thiscampaign, just his. He is the out gay kid, so he’s the one that will have to facethe backlash, not Brittany, who, according to his understanding, is ostensiblystraight.

For another thing, because Kurt views Brittany as naïve, he believesthat she is wildly oversimplifying the matter at hand and that she doesn’tunderstand the grander implications of her own actions. He assumes that shethinks that running a campaign of this nature will be easy and that no one willpush back against it because her world is all rainbows, puppies, andbutterflies. He doesn’t realize that Brittany has been watching how peoplereact to him for as long as they’ve known each other. He also doesn’t get thatshe is smart enough to know what happens to anyone who dares to be toodifferent at their school.

While Kurt is finally to the place where he is comfortableclaiming his identity as a gay man and publicly being in a relationship withBlaine, he isn’t eager to become the face of the gay rights movement atWMHS—and especially not after being driven to Dalton the year before. The waypeople react to him is different than the way people react to Brittany andalways has been. While she may be comfortable associating herself with ProjectUnicorn, he isn’t, and so he and Brittany butt heads.

Whereas in the past when Kurt has snapped at Brittany (see episodes1x18 and 2x02), Brittany has typically backed off and done as Kurt says, in S3,Brittany actually stands up to Kurt, and the fact that she does so isreflective of her own personal growth during the Back Six of S2.

That said, it is also reflective of her changed view of Kurt nowthat he is out and more at ease in his own skin. In the past, Brittany viewedKurt as delicate, so she was all about being gentle with him and going alongwith things at his pace so as not to spook him. Now she knows that he isconfident in himself and that he can handle tough love. In her mind, that meansthat she can take the kiddie gloves off with him. So she does.

When Kurt says he doesn’t want her to run his campaign for thesenior class presidency, Brittany comes back swinging. Though she initiallyshows shock and disappointment about his decision, after a pep talk fromSantana, she tells Kurt that she is going to continue the campaign without him,becoming a candidate herself. While she isn’t mean about what she says, she isfirm, and she doesn’t back down.

This action represents a major shift in the way Brittany relatesto Kurt. No longer does she pity him or look at him as someone she has to baby.

—and that point is important, because going forward into S3,Brittany really seems to take off her rose-tinted glasses when it comes toKurt and how he treats her.

Brittany has always been aware that everyone aside from Santanathinks she’s stupid. Some people are meaner about it, like Finn, while somepeople are nicer about it, like Mercedes. It’s the difference between outrightdisdain and condescension versus “being too gentle” with her. Kurt was alwayson the nicer end of the continuum. Brittany knew he didn’t think of her as anintellectual equal, but she was willing to let it slide because at least mostof the time he was kind.

But as their political campaign heats up, Kurt starts to getannoyed with Brittany’s antics—and particularly as she gains over him in thepolls—and his interactions with her become noticeably harsher. Whereas beforehe always at least tried to hide the fact that he thought she was as dumb as abox of rocks, now he is much more open in his patronization, and Brittany isn’thaving it (see episode 3x03).

Between the disrespect he shows Brittany as a political rivaland his participation in Santana’s humiliating public outing experience (seeepisode 3x07), Brittany starts to get a bit passive aggressive towards Kurt. Ofcourse, it’s not that she outright hates the kid—she still likes him wellenough—it’s just that she is no longer giving him a free pass in how he treatsother people.    

That attitude is the one she carries into S4 and S5, as Kurtgraduates and moves to New York, where Santana eventually becomes his roommate.While Brittany doesn’t have much direct contact with Kurt during this time, shehears through the grapevine about how he is treating her girl, and, honestly,the reports leave her troubled.

That Rachel and Kurt would kick Santana out of first the Loftand later Pamela Lansbury when Santana wants nothing more than to be theirfriends doesn’t sit well with Brittany. That Santana always seems to have tobeg for Hummelberry’s acceptance and friendship even though she freely givesthose things to them hurts Brittany’s heart.

In episodes 5x12 and 5x13 especially, Brittany sees just howmuch of a toll it has taken on Santana to constantly have to be on her guardaround Hummelberry, and she feels frustrated because things didn’t have to bethat way.

If Kurt had just dropped his guard, Santana would have been hisfriend to the end. Couldn’t he see?

Again, Brittany doesn’t hate Kurt for his behavior, but she alsodoesn’t entirely excuse it. In her mind, Kurt can be a nice guy when doesn’thave his head up his ass. It’s just that Kurt does have his head up his ass alot, and particularly when he is caught up in the constant drama that seems tosurround Rachel and Blaine.

Honestly, Brittany is never a big fan of Blaine, a point whichwe’ll discuss in more detail later. 

Come S6 when Brittany starts interacting with Kurt on theregular again, her m.o. seems to be that she wants to remind him to be true tohimself and to heed his better impulses. She goes about doing so by behavingpassive-aggressively towards Kurt when he fails to toe the line (see episode6x02) and calling him out when he crosses it (see episode 6x03). Throughoutthis season, we see her use more tricksy troll!Brittany behavior on him thanshe ever has before, usually with the intent to take him down a peg or two whenshe believes he is getting too full of himself (see here).

At this point, Brittany knows that Kurt will probably neverfully get her and Santana and that their relationship will never be superclose, even given their shared history at WMHS. Still, she wants to be ondecent terms with him, and she wants him to show her and Santana basic respect,even if he doesn’t understand them or their dynamic at all.

As for Brittany’s push to share her wedding with Kurt andBlaine, suffice it to say that there’s a lot more to that story than meets theeye, and, despite what she professes, Brittany is no Klaine shipper (see here).Brittany has her eye on a prize in that situation, and Kurt is just in thedetails. She is on her way to a happy ending, and if she has to let him mooch herwedding venue to do so, then so be it.

Her attitude in that episode is indicative of her overall attitudetoward Kurt to end the show: She feels like she and Santana tried to connectwith him, but it never worked out. At first, she was hurt by the fact that Kurtnever came to understand her—and especially that he never came to understandSantana—but now she’s over it. She can be friends with him on a superficiallevel as long as he’s nice to them, but she’s not going to sit back and let himtreat her or Santana badly anymore. She knows they’re worth more than that,whether Kurt sees it or not. In the end, Kurttany has become a fairly neutralrelationship, and Brittany’s m.o. with it is to do no harm and take no shit.

Brittany and Blaine andKlaine’s Relationship

As I discuss elsewhere,

While Brittany doesn’t hate Blaine like she hates Rachel, she alsoisn’t his number one fan. In general, Brittany doesn’t take well to anyone whobelieves that they’re better than everyone else, so Blaine going after everysolo and role and class presidency with aplomb, regardless of whom he steps onto do so, doesn’t sit well with her. Brittany believes in being a team player,and, the way she sees it, Blaine isn’t one. He will always put himself in thepoint position, even if he isn’t the best person for the job.

—which brings us to his treatment of Kurt.

Historically, Brittany has been protective of Kurt, as she cansympathize with him (see here, here, and here).Brittany likes to see Kurt succeed because she likes the idea that someone whomarches to the beat of his own drummer can make it in a world that tries tomake everyone conform—hence why she helps Kurt with his campaign and why sheacts as his background singer for his NYADA audition and why she is generallynice to him, even though they’re not necessarily close friends. 

Of course, just because Brittany generally likes Kurt and wantshim to succeed doesn’t mean she always agrees with him and his choices or willrefrain from giving him a little bit of tough love should she feel the need todo so.

Enter her “advice” to Kurt in episode 6x02 “Homecoming.”

Brittany has watched Kurt’s relationship with Blaine from thestart, and, honestly? I don’t think she likes most of what she sees.

For Brittany, a real partnership is about two people supportingeach other and helping each other to fulfill their dreams, and from Brittany’sperspective, I don’t think she sees Blaine doing those things for Kurt, thoughKurt often does them for Blaine.

In her eyes, when Kurt and Blaine both want the same thing—i.e., asolo in glee club, a role in the school play, a prestige spot at NYADA, acertain rule to be honored in their relationship—Blaine almost inevitably endsup getting whatever the thing is, with Kurt stepping aside or bowing out inorder to allow him to have it.

Add on the fact that Brittany has undoubtedly heard all about the“Klaine can’t live together without fighting” fiasco from Santana, and,frankly, I think Brittany probably views Blaine as a negative factor in Kurt’slife rather than a positive one.

That said, Brittany is all about respecting the choices peoplemake for themselves, so for as passive-aggressive as she may be about and eventowards Blaine, she isn’t going to stand in Kurt’s way once he decides he wantsto be with Blaine forever.

If Kurt loves and wants to be with Blaine, then Kurt loves andwants to be with Blaine, and Brittany will accept that Blaine is Kurt’s person,even if she doesn’t understand the appeal (see episode 6x03 and 6x08).

Santana and Kurt

Santana’s relationship with Kurt follows a similar trajectory toBrittany’s.

However, while Brittany runs through the cycle of sympathizing withKurt, wanting to befriend him, realizing that a deep friendship with him is notpossible because he never makes an effort to understand her, and then gettingover it mostly over the course of S1-S3 (at least on her own account),Santana’s cycle runs over the course of the whole series, and it runs on higheroctane than Brittany’s does overall. 

Santana is the more emotionally reactive half of Brittana, so shetends to take things with Kurt harder than does Brittany on a whole, and especiallybecause her relationship with him is wrapped up in her own sense of identity asa gay person and in her dynamics with Brittany, Rachel, and her feelings abouther future, and it is marked by insecurity from start almost to finish.

As I say elsewhere,

Santana’s relationship with Kurt iscomplicated. 

On the one hand, she spent much of high school wishing she couldbe him: i.e., the out gay kid who persisted in being himself no matter whatopposition he faced. 

On the other hand, she spent much of high school terrified to behim: i.e., the out gay kid who got thrown into lockers and roughed up andtossed into dumpsters and hated on and threatened because he was gay (“I mean,you know what happened to Kurt at this school”). 

Kurt was simultaneously an object of both devotion and fear forSantana. In spite of herself, she identified with him very strongly. She sawhis successes as successes she could possibly have and his failures as failuresshe could potentially experience (see Santana intervening to save Klaine fromKarofsky’s wrath in 2x18 and Santana’s panic after Kurt becomes prom queen in2x20).

That’s part of why she worked so hard to make WMHS safe for Kurtin Season Two, long before she herself came out (see here).

During Season Two, Kurt was more of a symbol to Santana thansomeone with whom she had an actual relationship, but during Season Three, shemade her first overtures of real friendship to him, reaching out to him whenSebastian and the Warblers tried to hurt him and Blaine (“Today is your luckyday, because Auntie Snixx just arrived on the Bitch Town Express”).

In her mind, Santana had done Kurt several solids by thispoint—i.e., forming the Bully Whips on his behalf, bringing him back to WMHSfrom Dalton, singing to him at prom despite her own fears, taking downSebastian after Sebastian hurt Blaine, etc.—and the fact that she had done soplus her and Kurt’s shared experience of being out gay kids at WMHS should havebeen enough to make them friends.

We see Santana operate under the assumption that she andKurt are friends throughout Season Four, answering his summonsto stage an intervention for Rachel in 4x12 and bringing him Christmas presentsin 5x08 (the events of whichtake place during Season Four chronologically). Though Santana stillcalls Kurt names, she assumes he knows that she only does so because she likeshim.

That being the case, she fully expects him and Rachel to welcomeher into the Loft with open arms (and particularly as Rachel actually invitedher to live in the Loft during the events of 5x08).

Unfortunately, that’s not what happens.

From the very first time Santana does something nice forKurt—i.e., forming the Bully Whips in 2x18—Kurt questions her motivations in sodoing. Why is the girl who openly mocked him and attempted to sabotage the gleeclub during their sophomore year suddenly buddying up to him in their junioryear? Surely someone as selfish as Santana can’t have altruistic motives. Shemust have either lost her mind or stand to profit from helping Kurt somehow.

Even when he learns that Santana is gay come Season Three, Kurtstill views her largely as an outsider, and his distrust (andmisunderstanding) of her continues well into Season Four, when she moves intothe Loft.

To be fair, navigating the Hummelpezberry dynamic is trickybusiness, and particularly for Kurt, who often finds himself in theuncomfortable position of mediating between Rachel and Santana, both of whomget up to some pretty wild hijinks and who often butt heads with each other.

Kurt is a natural peacemaker, and he dislikes having contention inhis home, so he will try to counsel Rachel and Santana through their disputesas much as he is able.

That said, at the end of the day, Kurt is Rachel’s best friend, notSantana’s, so while he may try to maintain his neutrality concerning theirdisputes, when push comes to shove, he almost always sides with Rachel in theend, as per what we see during the Pezberry Funny Girl disputeof early Season Five.

As I say elsewhere:

While there is certainly no shortage of wittybanter and fun musical numbers between roomies Kurt, Santana, and Rachel, thereis a shortage of “relationship-building” scenes—or at least a shortage oflasting “relationship-building” scenes that the Glee writers don’t subsequentlyrescind, ignore, or negate.

For every one friendly gesture Hummelberry andSantana make towards one another—such as, for instance, when Santana helpsRachel through her pregnancy scare in episode 4x15 or when Rachel encouragesSantana not to give up on her dreams in the first scene of episode 5x09—thereare at least two or three scenes that then show how very unstable their dynamicactually is—such as when Hummelberry kick Santana out of the Loft in 4x16 andSantana and Rachel are at each other’s throats throughout most of 5x09 and5x10.

Just as it was always the case that the UnholyTrinity broke down into units of Brittana + Quinn, it is also the case thatHummelpezberry breaks down into units of Hummelberry + Santana, with Santana asthe odd one out.

Not only do Kurt and Rachel frequently form ranksto outvote Santana, but their bond as Hummelberry can exist independent of her,whereas her bonds as part of Pezberry and Kurtana are largely dependent onHummelberry’s bond with each other—i.e., Kurt serves as a necessary peacemakerbetween Pezberry, allowing their friendship to exist, while a common interestin and exasperation with Rachel and her antics is what keeps Kurtana united.

Santana’s bond with Kurt is more stable thanSantana’s bond with Rachel, which is to say that Santana and Kurt are lesslikely to fight than Santana and Rachel are. However, Santana’s bond with Kurtis also weaker than her bond with Rachel is, which is to say that Santana hasless in common with Kurt than she does with Rachel and also that Santana feelsthat Kurt needs her less than Rachel does.

Of course, both Santana’s bond with Kurt ANDSantana’s bond with Rachel are relatively weak compared with Kurt and Rachel’sbond to each other.

If it comes down to it, Hummelberry’s tendency isto have each other’s backs. Though they like Santana to a degree, she is extraneousto them.

And the thing is that Santana knows it. 

Santana knows the difference between a secureattachment and an insecure one, and she knows that while Hummelberry aresecurely attached to each other, they are, for the most part, insecurelyattached to her. Santana knows that Hummelberry will tolerate her as long asshe is on her best behavior, and she fears the implications of theirtoleration.

Frankly, Santana is terrified of stepping one toeout of line, lest Hummelberry kick her out of the Loft again—because for asmuch as Santana says that she needs her job at the diner, she needs her placeat the Loft equally as much.

So while Santana ultimately fights less with Kurt than she doeswith Rachel, her relationship with him is just as tenuous and one-sided as isPezberry’s.

She ultimately never achieves the kind of intimacy and secureattachment to Kurt that she craves.

So cut to Season Six, when Kurt objects to Santana’s proposal toBrittany (see here):

Santana is angry that she tried for years toprove to Kurt that she was his friend, and he responded by evicting her fromthe Loft, questioning her intentions in auditioning to play Rachel’sunderstudy, kicking her out of his band, making her feel like a stranger in herown home, being ungrateful when she saved him from his high school bully anddefended Blaine against Sebastian Warbler on his behalf and scored him a job atthe diner and brought her girlfriend into his band and participated (graciouslyand quietly) in his proposal to Blaine and spent time socializing with andgetting to know him, being kind to him in his down moments, giving him soundadvice in a way that no one else was honest enough to do, etc.

Santana is angry that despite her trying herdamnedest to show Kurt that she was not the same girl he knew in highschool—that she wasn’t wrathful anymore, that she was generous, that she waswilling to share her heart in friendship with anyone who would treat it withcare—he never believed her. He always thought the worst of her. He kept her onthe outside, when she so desperately craved (and worked hard to earn) histrust.

Santana is angry but mostly she is hurt.

Santana is hurt because she genuinely cares aboutwhat happens to Kurt, but he has just shown her that he doesn’t give a damnabout what’s most important to her in return.

She showed him her precious things, and hetreated them like they were garbage.

Kurt was supposed to be Santana’s friend, and itbreaks her heart that he isn’t.

So while Santana’s capacity to forgive is muchgreater than most people generally give her credit for—and often even greaterthan those who wrong her might deserve—she does inevitably reach a point whereshe just can’t take it anymore.

And so when Kurt fucks up something that isimportant to Santana, that is sacred to her, that’s supposed to be beautifuland happy and pure, by lecturing her about learning from his mistakes? Sheloses it.

To Santana, it’s just another example of howeverything about the Kurtana relationship has always been about Kurt.

It is no coincidence that Santana spends the months that herrelationship with Brittany is at its most tenuous chasing after Kurt’sapproval. Throughout S4 and early S5, she is desperate for a place to belongand something to hold onto, and she keeps hoping that Kurt will take pity onher. She has always envied the courage he has to be himself, and now that sheis scrambling to figure out who she is outside of high school, she seeks toally herself with him, thinking that maybe some of his self-determination willrub off on her and help her find her direction.

It takes until episode 6x03, when Kurt objects to her proposal toBrittany, for Santana to realize that she should stop killing herself to winKurt’s love and approval, as, in the end, she is probably never going to getit. Going forward, she doesn’t bear Kurt ill-will. She just isn’t as hung up onwhat he thinks of her, largely because she has found where she belongs and shehas a better sense of who she is, regardless of what anyone might think. Thesecurity she feels in her relationship with Brittany makes up for the insecurityshe feels in her relationship with Kurt (and also Rachel). She’ll be friendlywith them on a superficial level, but when they inevitably do something todisappoint her, she isn’t going to take it personally—not anymore.

This attitude towards Kurt is the one that Santana carries intoher wedding day, and it is what allows her to offer up her nuptials for Klaineto take part in as well. Everything that has happened between Santana and Kurtover the years is water under the bridge now, so if Brittany wants Klaine toget married at her and Santana’s wedding, then Santana is cool with it. She’sgame. She can be altruistic, and if Kurt notices, then awesome, but if not,that’s his deal. She doesn’t need his validation anymore. She is just going tobe herself.

Santanaand Blaine and Klaine’s Relationship

The central dynamic between Brittana and Klaine is always mostlybetween Brittana and Kurt, as neither Brittany nor Santana has much of apersonal relationship with Blaine beyond his being Kurt’s boyfriend/fiancé/husband. 

To this end, Santana and Blaine don’t often interact on a one-to-one basis, andmost of their exchanges center on and are filtered through Kurt.

On the few occasions when Santana does take notice of Blaine forreasons not directly related to Kurt, her interactions with him are notnecessarily positive.

In episode 2x12, Blainetana get off to a bad start when Blainesingles Santana out at BreadStix, singing to her that she may never find loveat all and compounding her already horrible, awful, no good, very badValentine’s Day by drawing attention to her loneliness and (inadvertently)playing on her fears.

Things get worse in S3 after Blaine transfers to WMHS from Daltonand immediately starts grabbing up solos left and right, exacerbating Santana’ssense that there is no place for her in an already crowded New Directions (seeepisode 3x04).

That said, though Santana does not have much love for Blaine on apersonal level, she is willing to tolerate him for Kurt’s sake.

In general, Santana follows the same rule as Brittany when itcomes to how she treats Blaine and his relationship with Kurt, which is to saythat, though she may not personally see Blaine’s appeal for Kurt or think that Blaineis a particularly good match for him, she acknowledges that if Blaine is Kurt’sman, then Blaine is Kurt’s man, and so treats him like a friend for Kurt’s sake.In her case, “treating Blaine like a friend for Kurt’s sake” translates to hersnarking at him as she does at Kurt but also protecting him like her own whenneeds be.

The place where this behavior from her is most apparent is inepisode 3x11, when she “goes to battle” against Sebastian Smythe after hethrows rock salt in Blaine’s eye, sending Blaine to the hospital. Her musicalduel against Sebastian and the reconnaissance work she does against him is allfor Blaine’s benefit, a way to prove that Sebastian is guilty and get him backgood for what he’s done.

To Santana, that’s just how one treats a friend’s significantother—and it’s what she would expect Kurt to do for Brittany were the situationreversed.

Note: Santana’s expectation that friends should respect theirfriends’ relationships even if they don’t necessarily like or “get” themunderlies her hurt when Kurt objects to her proposal to Brittany in S6. No matterhow she feels about Blaine, she would never undermine Kurt’s right to be withhim or place her objections over Kurt’s feelings.

Overall, Santana seems to view Blaine as conceited and feelannoyed with him for his grandstanding, but she still accepts that Kurt loveshim, and that’s good enough for her. The only time she ever truly “goes after”Kurt and Blaine’s relationship is in episode 6x03, after Kurt objects to herproposal to Brittany. In that case, she is lashing out to hurt Kurt because hehurt her first. In her mind, he broke the “your friend’s relationship is sacred”rule, so she’s punishing him for it, plain and simple. The fact that she laterforgives Kurt enough to let him and Blaine share in her wedding proves that herdiatribe was mostly a nervous reaction and that, underneath everything, shebears Klaine no real malice. Again, she is over it, and if Kurt wants to marryBlaine, then that’s his business, and she’ll respect his decision.

Blaineand Brittana

As stated above, Blaine doesn’t have many individual interactionswith either Brittany or Santana, as he knows them mostly through Kurt (and, inBrittany’s case, through Sam). 

That being the case, his views of the girls andtheir relationship seem mostly to fall in line with Kurt’s: He thinks Brittanyis dumb, Santana is mean, and Brittana is somewhat inexplicable. In general, heseems to be amused by the strangeness that is them, and he doesn’t really gettheir whole “thing,” but he plays it off because, well, why not?

On the few occasions when Brittana do nice things for him—such as when Santana protects him and Kurt from Karofsky in episode 2x17 or when Brittany invites him and Kurt to share in her and Santana’s weddding in 6x08—he is grateful, if befuddled, as he doesn’t really understand where the niceness is coming from.

Following Kurt’s lead, he never really pushes for a deeper or more intimate friendship with either Santana or Brittany or with Brittana as a couple. He seems mostly fine with the pleasant but superficial status quo and with Kurt being closer to the girls than he is. Whatever history is there, he’s not going to poke at. There is nothing that really personally compels him about Brittana, one way or the other.

Conclusion

Brittana and Klaine end the show as neither friends nor enemies.

Santana’s early bullying and Brittany’s seemingincomprehensibility put Kurt off on them early on, and Kurt’s inability tochange his opinions put them off on him later. Though over the years, they singplenty of songs together and show occasional care for one another, ultimately,they fail to achieve true understanding. To Kurt, Brittana are still asimpleton and a mean girl. He doesn’t recognize Brittany’s cleverness orSantana’s ooey-gooey center. To Brittana, Kurt is impossible. They feel theyhave tried to win his friendship to no avail, so now they’ve given up. Their relationshipstops just short of real intimacy. They have shared history, but they don’tbare their souls to one another.

In the end, Brittana and Klaine represent a failed experiment bothinside and outside of their fictional universe.

The writers tried to make “two same-sex couples as buddies” fetchhappen, but they never truly allowed the groups to overcome their rocky startswith each other. Their inability to scaffold and build up this friendshipcorrelates to a larger failure on their parts in the way that they wieldedSantana as a character—namely, that they never quite knew what to do with heronce they could no longer just straight up treat her as a villain following herdevelopment in S2.

They knew that Santana could be nice, but she made such aconvenient heavy that they were reluctant to label her a hero. Their attitudetoward her is reflected in Kurt’s treatment of her, and it accounts for many ofthe starts, stops, and stalls that she and Kurt experience over the years.

The same is also true to for Brittany and Kurt, as the writerswere never able to gracefully transition Brittany between what they had firstenvisioned her as in S1 and what they eventually made her into from S2 on, and,consequently, Kurt was never able to advance his views of her, either.

Since Kurt’s attitudes eventually became Blaine’s, the wholeBrittana and Klaine friendship stalled from the onset. For every one bondingmoment they experienced, there was always a fight or a misunderstanding or agrudge that prevented them from truly drawing close. Klaine keep their guards up. Brittana have hurt feelings and eventually move on.

Of course, none of this analysis is meant to discourage peoplefrom enjoying the idea of a Brittana and Klaine friendship in fic and fanon. It’sjust to say that, in canon, I think that the Glee writers choked in theirexecution and that the whole situation is a lot more complicated than itappears on the surface.

As for my own views on Klaine, I don’t personally ship them,though I respect those who do.

Sorry this answer turned into such a monster piece.

Thank you for the question!

[migleefulmoments]

Changing the subject, who is really McLeigh? I saw some posts with her but I wasn't on fandom when she was active. Is she an actress? Did she make a movie?

Michelle Leigh. She is a nurse who has a strong background in community theatre.  She wrote and produced a movie called More Than Only which was a very thinly veiled Klaine fanfiction.  She bowed out of the fandom-at least out of her active role- as she was drumming up financing for the movie right as Glee was ending.  Abby slide into her role as Tumblr tinhat leader.  Michelle loved to write long-winded posts about the Darren and Chris and weave in all sorts of nonsense about automatic nervous system reactions during Klaine scenes and conspiracy-theory based comparisons of the two. She wrote this answer where she blatantly steals Klaine’s backstory as Chris and Darren’s. 

Anonymous asked:

can you explain crisscolfer to me? i'm new to the fandom

mleigh69 answered:

Once upon a time

There was a little boy named Darren Everett Criss - SanFrancisco born and mostly raised (few years in Hawaii)  

And

There was a little boy named Christopher Paul Colfer (Raised in Clovis California).

Both boys LOVED theatre and acting and singing

Both boys raised in completely different environments of acceptance

Darren in an open loving atmosphere - no judgments 

Chris bullied and mistreated by kids and teachers alike

Both boys chose different paths at 18

Darren went to college at University of Michigan (he will tell anyone this who will sit with him for 5 seconds and ask)

approx 3 years later (as they are not the same age - Darren was born in 1987/Chris in 1990) 

Chris was slated to begin college - but got an audition for a new pilot - he not only was cast in the show - a role was written FOR HIM

Darren consequently auditioned for that same pilot - but it was not the right time or role - so Darren completed his senior year of school in Michigan

Chris found himself on the Juggernaut that would become a worldwide phenomenon 

Darren would graduate and return to California with freinds from Michigan to began the pursuit of the dream - small roles here and there - even a regular role - singing in restaurants. Darren is one heck of a musician- he plays at least 7 instruments - the only one he was trained on (starting at 5years old) was the violin - the remainder he is self taught. 

Chris found much success with his character Kurt - reaching out to populations of kids that have needed and wanted such a character for a very long time

with the success of season one - and season two locked in - it was time to expand Kurts story (back then the writing was decent and Kurt got the attention that he deserved)

it was time for a romantic connection

Darren Criss was chosen to play “Blaine” who would start as the openly gay teen mentor for Kurt  - then they would evolve into the love of one anothers life

It was a sweet story for the ages - AND SO VERY NEEDED ON PRIME TIME - to show this loving gay couple

The thing is - NO ONE expected what was to occur on the first day (October 4, 2010) that Darren E. Criss & Christopher P. Coler were to meet.

They discovered that fate will not be thwarted when two people are destined to be together

Regardless of their upbringing, moving, dreams, motives and intentions

there was a connection that was undeniable

Their story has been far from perfect - mostly due to outside forces that they could not control or harness

but they have proven how very strong, committed and in love they are over and over and over again

This is CrissColfer

More than Only is a story about two gay men and the love they found in one another.  She got the rights to Teenage Dream from Katy Perry and yes this is a scene from the movie. 

Anonymous asked:

If this is based off Crisscolfer, why did you use white actors? Whitewashing isn't fun for anyone ://

1. NO

when the story occurred to me it had NOTHING to do with either Chris or Darren

HOWEVER, if I ever write their story - and thank you for the idea I just might (but right now I am writing two other screenplays - yes both are LGBT - no they are not both about two men)

 I assure you the Crisscolfer story would bust open this entire charade they were forced to live for the past six years - it would be fun casting “Melinda” don’t you think?! (oh god and casting shurphy or Pricky) how in the hell would I even write the description of these characters for a post?!

2. I used the best two actors who came to my open audition call

3. White washing?  

first - you clearly have NO idea about the actors, their nationalities or origins - so ignoring that comment now as it is born out of ignorance - but again - their ethnicity had NOTHING to do with casting choices

4. When I placed the casting call - I stated “ANY ETHNICITY”

In fact - here is the ACTUAL audition notice

Hi! I'm new to your movie and things, but it seems cute! I'm curious how much is inspired by crisscolfer? Thanks for yor time

Chris and Darren inspired as much as getting me interested in LGBT rights

Darren said “you fall in love with a person not a gender” (which is on my page) which changed my entire perspective on so many things 

The story itself - was NEVER about either one of them - in any way

the use of Teenage dream was not something planned - it just happened when I was writing a medical scene and one character was asked “are you having pain” and the other replied “my heart stops when you look at me” - thus teenage dream was now in the movie - but each step it took to become a through line seemed natural and evolved into the three times it is used or mentioned.

The entire story was NOT planned - it really just happened scene by scene as I was writing - the progression always seemed like the next best step until it resolved itself

I have written Crisscolfer fanfiction - this could have easily fallen into that - but that isn’t where my drive to write the story was - this wasn’t about them

I had something to say about a subject matter that was personal and very real to many I knew - and Crisscolfer was NOT the way to say it

First line of the movie “My father only wanted two things; straight A’s and a straight son”

Final line of the movie: “My father only wanted two things - he could have had so much more”

Justin’s journey is going from being limited to the only things his father expects of him to realizing how much more he can be when not held down.

I never expected the film to get picked up - I never expected it to be made - I was excited that I wrote it - that readings were done - that the readings went as well as they did and it was well received.

the website has tons of info: WWW.MORETHANONLY.COM

thanks for the ask

Anonymous asked:

I've heard that the "you fall in love with the person" quote was actually from a fanfic and not from D himself :( though when I started tumblr it seemed common knowledge that he said it so I've been confused for ages.

Everything that I was able to find about the quote certainly seems to indicate that Darren himself said it

I found arguments about it- and I don’t know why anyone would argue if it was a fanfiction statement

If anyone knows - feel free to jump in with info.

MLeigh69- she stopped actively blogging March 2015ish.  

[migleefulmoments]

Interesting quote from one of the tinhats on Twitter: "Agree I hate the Herero douche too. So I’m choosing to see the article one as fake." I mean that's giving away the whole ballgame. They actually *hate* the real Darren. They only like the fantasy version in their heads. So they deliberately *choose* whatever fits their narrative and ignore everything else.

I have said for a long time that the biggest problem the CCers have is that they don’t like the real Darren. They LURVE their fantasy Darren- the one I call CC Darren. CC Darren is just season 2 Blaine without the attention-whore tendencies and Fanon homophobic dad. CC Darren is perfect in every way...he LOVES Kurt so much that he can’t stand to hear the audience sing Teenage Dream- a song he continues to sing not because the audience loves it, or as a thank you to the fans, or because that song catapulted his career or some combination of all 3... NO- he sings it simply because it means so much to him  because it is “their song”.  Blaine spends hours reminiscing with Kurt about the good old days on set where they spoke to each other with words that someone else wrote. While Blaine serenades Kurt on their piano, they talk about the child they will have one day born from the womb of their good friend Rachel Berry- after Rachel marries Zandy and finishes her run as Fanny Brice on Broadway. They spend their nights embraced while daydreaming about the schools their child will attend before he or she becomes a Michigan Wolverine.  

In all seriousness- ok some of that was serious because yesterday the CCers were literally in complete disbelief that Darren wasn’t interested in playing pretend about Blaine’s fake future. So all jokes aside, I have come to understand that one of the biggest motivators behind the CCers belief in CrissColfer is simply because in order to the world’s greatest queer allies, they need a queer couple who are harassed and kept apart by the homophobic  powers that be. They loved Klaine, fan fiction has provided a love story that goes far beyond what the show ever could have given us and they can’t operate fact from fiction. None of the CC Board of Directors seem to have a clear understands of what real-life love is like. Having read too many fan fiction and RPF stories- they have extrapolated those stories on to real-life Darren and Chris. They proclaim that Chris and Darren are a love of the ages and they hold up the fantasy relationship as #Relationshipgoals. CC is about wishing for their own fantasy love story, being important to Darren and Chris, taking down the establishment but mostly it is because Chris and Darren provide the gay couple they need in order to self-aggrandize about how they are such woke and important queer allies...period. They truly believe that they alone will support CC Darren when he is finally able to open the closet door and explode out wearing his Captain Queer Cape. They believe that they will be an important part of this process as they haven’t signed NDA’s. They will be there to cry as CC Darren and Kurt Chris stand hand-in-hand in Time’s Square and announce to the world that they have been partners and lovers for X number of years. This makes the CC Family far superior to the rest of us lowly peons who are homophobes at heart. The CCers never share personal stories of LGBTQ family or dear friends who motivate their deep concern- only Darren and Chris. Many of us in the general audience do actually have queer children, family and friends yet WE are called homophobes who will turn on Darren the second he even hints he is gay. Yesterday there was this post 

chrisdarebashfulsmiles

Why do you think he’s not taking responsibilities? He is living and facing every consequences of what it has been written… Even and most of all the reaction of part of the only fanbase that will accept no matter what his coming out.

There’s a power of attorney involved. Serious contractual shit. If you know the expiring date what will you do in his shoes: trying to patiently wait for the end taking the shit even from his fans or make a breach that could make the nightmare continuing for at least two years more.

No offence intended but sometimes you forget that we are not in a fanfiction but in a reality made of laws and contracts.

The CCers are like Trump- and all good narcissists- It doesn’t take a lot of sleuthing to understand what they believe- they put it out there for everyone to see. This is even more true when they are angry and ranting...they forget to pretend they are woke, feminists and LGBTQ allies. They forget to pretend tit isn’t all about them. 

[todaydreambelieversfic]

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: Fearlessly Day 1

Our first new look SPOTLIGHT. 

We’re spending the next five days spotlighting fearlessly , an author whose specialty is hitting the real feeling and romance of a good angst-fest. Find her @fearlesslygleefics

DAY 1: Meet the author

Why Klaine? 

I think first I need to answer: why Glee? … I remember being intrigued by the previews; it was a show about musicals, where people actually sang on every episode. I’ve always loved music and musical theatre, so naturally I started watching Glee when the pilot aired. The motley crew of characters were so unique, and at the same time so relatable in one way or another, that I became instantly hooked.

As season one continued, the character which spoke to me the most, not necessarily because I related to him exactly – but more so because of how strongly the actor was committed and invested in him, was Kurt. Chris’s portrayal of Kurt was outstanding and, from the moment I noticed him in the pilot, I couldn’t keep my eyes off of him. I liked him because he was snarky and funny and didn’t take any crap from anyone (“One day, you will all work for me.”). But, he was also soft, sensitive, compassionate, and he loved his dad so fiercely. It was hard not to love that character. I fell for him completely.

... Keep reading for how Fearlessly fell for Blaine, what to expect in her writing, how to keep an angsty story from leaving your readers heartbroken and what Fearlessly likes about her own writing (always the toughest question)

I wished the world for Kurt. Every week I watched with baited breath rooting him on. I wanted him to feel included, loved, worthy and entitled to everything everyone else was. I hoped he would find himself and come out to at least his dad. After he did (in such a beautifully heart-wrenching scene), I hoped he would find a boy who would accept him and love him for who he was. I wanted him to be able to hold hands with that boy, kiss him, and do everything else straight high-school couples do. I wanted all of this for Kurt before Blaine came into the picture.

When Never Been Kissed aired and I first laid eyes on that dapper, hazel-eyed boy (much like Kurt did), I wanted it all for Kurt even more. And I quickly realized that I wanted it all for Blaine too. In that moment, Klaine became end-game, and there was nothing anyone could say or do to make me believe otherwise. Darren’s excellent and subtle portrayal of Blaine (as the writers weren’t fully invested in the character at the time), made it easy for me to fall in love with not only the character, but the couple. Their dynamic, chemistry, and idiosyncrasies with each other hit me right in the heart and have remained there ever since.

I didn’t immediately start reading and writing fic. I enjoyed their story on TV (sometimes screaming and crying at the writers’ decisions for them) to the very end. It was only after the series ended that I entered the fanfic realm. It was a way to help me cope with losing something that had been very dear to me for six years. It may seem silly but, even though season six was a disaster, I grieved the loss of Glee. It had been like a friend who would always cheer me up on a bad day (and I still watch it when I need a boost). So, yes, I started writing to cope, and as a result, I fell in love with Klaine even more.

Why Klaine? How could it not be Klaine? These boys have my heart and it’s an honour to write them and bring them to life in whatever small way I can.

2. What’s in a typical fearlessly story?  

Angst, angst, and more angst - at least that’s what I’ve been told. I guess it’s true, I won’t deny it. I love writing (and reading) angst. The thing about it though is that I always take care of Kurt and Blaine in the end. That’s doesn’t mean that they ultimately have flowers and rainbows and glitter stickers. I often put them through the wringer, actually; but in the end they have resolution and happiness.

A typical fearlessly story shows Kurt and Blaine being equal partners. I know that in canon there were many times when they were not seen in that way, and in reality, couple dynamics aren’t always that way either, but it’s very important to me that Kurt and Blaine be equal in my stories. They may not always be perfect, but they will not always be perfect together.

Lastly, I am open to writing almost any trope / verse as long as it can be written in a way that keeps Kurt and Blaine on equal footing and I am able to ultimately take care of the characters. I’ve found though that I tend to lean towards: hurt / comfort, family, age difference, and dom/sub

3. What kind of stories do you write?

Recently I came up with my own genre: Romangst (maybe it already exists, but I’ve never seen it). I love mixing the two genres of romance and angst together. All of my stories, including my one-shots, have varying degrees of angst in them, spanning anything from self-doubt to death-bed type stuff. Usually the best way to balance the angst (so that we all don’t die of a heart attack) is to include comedy. I have quickly learned that I’m not the best at writing humour, so I balance mine with doses of romance and fluff.

Another way to balance out angst, and conveniently ties in with romance, is to include sex scenes, or smut, if you will. Many of my stories include smut, but not all of them. There is a time and a place for it in my writing. Some tropes are naturally more prone to include sex. My d/s series and my m-preg story, for examples, include quite a bit of sexy times for the boys.

If I had to label it, I would say that I write mostly AU and canon divergent. It’s rare for me to write canon compliant, although my series, One which is based off season one, is pretty much that. I guess it’s safe to say I like to challenge myself with my writing and the trope / genre I choose to write is only limited to my mood.

4. What do you like about your writing? 

This is a hard one for me to answer because, some days … many days, I don’t like anything about my writing. Sometimes, only my beta can convince me to not delete everything I’ve written. If you are a fan of my writing, you should thank her, because my list of published works would only be half as long if it weren’t for her. (Thank you @aj4668)

But there are days when I do like my writing and I’m trying hard to have more of those days. Receiving kudos and positive comments help, and I have been so lucky to have a readership that lets me know when they like a piece. I am grateful to every one of those people who have ever given my stories positive and/or constructive feedback. It is very motivating to read those.

 So, to answer the question, what I like about my writing (I’m stalling) … is that it comes from an authentic place. I stay true to the characters to the best of my ability, and I care what happens to them. I guess maybe my writing has integrity in that I won’t bend their characters to something unrecognizable – at least I hope that comes through in the writing.

 Another thing is that when I read fic, I love to read something that touches my heart. I love the brand of angst that gives me a physical pang to my chest, and the resolution that makes me cry. I have felt that angsty jolt and have cried while writing some of my own work, so I guess I like that my writing makes me … feel.

TOMORROW: Fearlessly recs her fic for your reading pleasure!