#also my laptop may be dying but the draw cannot be stopped

[teal-tealwren]

set us free

[simpbur]

hello! i would like ur 40 song wiblur playlist

anon thank you so much for asking <333 while it would’ve been easier to just drop the link i have so many thoughts about everything so i explained why every single song has its spot on this list which was IMMENSELY fun for me

(also: if anyone does want the link i can provide both apple music and spotify but if u would like the apple music link i’d rather it be through dms or an ask off anon that i can make private!)

another also: i bolded all the songs for ease of perusing if you don’t want the director’s commentary and bolded + italicized the ones that i think fit Very Well

another another also: wrote the second bit of this on my laptop and the keyboard is p funky so if there are any typos or things that do not make sense i will try to fix them asap haha

saint bernard by lincoln: this is one of those like. Dream SMP Songs that i added because it fits into so many different relationships and plot lines and arcs but i think there’s some connection to c!wlbur somewhere out there. idk i asked my friend and he said to add it so this one goes out to him

amnesia was her name by lemon demon: ghostbur song ghostbur song! mostly comes from this lovely animatic

o valencia! by the decemberists: okay this is one of those songs that only really has one lyric that fits but is an absolutely banger so it’s here anyway. you’ll also notice a trend of quasi love songs that i relate to c!wilbur’s perception of l’manburg and i think this song shows this in a really cool way, esp with the chorus (‘and i swear to the stars i’ll burn this whole city down’ is The Line)

achilles come down by gang of youths: another one of those Dream SMP Songs. i think this fits better with c!tommy but i like it too much to remove it. this is a somewhat common trend with the earlier songs on this playlist (i’ve been building this thing since january, for reference)

brave as a noun by ajj: another Dream SMP Song. i think certain verses fit better than others when it comes to wilbur’s character but that ones that work really work

harness your hopes by pavement: a song that is one here for vibes alone. i have no idea what these lyrics mean. all i know is that i heard it, thought of c!wilbur, and put it on the playlist. thank you all for being here

evelyn evelyn by evelyn evelyn: sad-ist made this a tommy and tubbo song (as she should) so it’s validity on this playlist is questionable but folks used to compare it to wilbur and tommy’s relationship during the pogtopia arc and i think some points were made there

the execution of all things by rilo kiley: i’m so excited to get here because this was the first song i put on the playlist that i think really works and i thumb nailed an animatic for the last verse and november 16th so! i think it’s a good l’manburg song and the last verse has some good ghostbur lines (‘and lately you’re all alone with nothing left but sleep/but sleep never comes to you, it’s the guilt and forever wakefulness of the weak’)

i’m just your problem from adventure time: this ones a bit tricky since at is my favorite show of all time and i cannot detach this song from its in-show context very well but there is a very cool animatic with this song that landed it a spot on the playlist

man burning by josh ritter: almost became an animatic but the audio i wanted to use (which i recorded at a josh ritter concert and it’s just him and his guitar and there’s echo and it’s very haunting and pretty) has my stepbrother singing in the background and i could not edit it out so. that will probably not happen. but anyways the only hole i would pick in this song is that it’s mostly about self sabotage which isn’t really applicable but i think the imagery is cool

mamma mia by abba: here me out. here me out. this is another song that fits so well and i have spent so many hours thinking about this and somewhere there is a note on my phone explaining how every single line relates to c!wilbur’s entire arc from founding l’manburg to the resurrection (made when we thought gbur was going to get resurrected in january) and just. the metaphorical ‘you’ is l’manburg does this make any sense (another almost animatic except now that wilbur’s actually back it might become an actual animatic)

the other side of paradise by glass animals: no idea why this is here other than being a Dream SMP Song. it’s good tho

infinitesimal by mother mother: they saaaaay it stared with a big bang but they saaaaaaaay it came out of a small thing latelyyyyy i’ve been feeling like a big bang You Know

curses by the crane wives: had a thing drawn out for this song showing the comparisons between c!wilbur and c!niki because of the chorus and i think the last two lyrics of said chorus are the best thing about this one

lonely eyes by the front bottoms: gotta admit that i have no idea how this song got on here but i’ve come to associate it with ghostbur based on vibes alone. it’s a friendly song he’s a friendly ghost it works. the other tfb song coming up fits a bit better methinks

king of new orleans by better than ezra: not to put better than ezra on my c!wilbur playlist but like. something about the whole ‘tasing something up to let it fall’ motif makes me think

get me away from here, i’m dying by belle and sebastian: another almost animatic song (there’s a trend here). not only does the story told in this song work i like the lines ‘play me a song to set me free/nobody writes them like they used to so it may as well be me’ in relation to my l’manburg

montgomery forever by the front bottoms: certain bits and pieces of this song fit so well, specifically the chorus and those bits in the last two choruses Yeah (’montgomery forever and ever and ever and now they’re blowing it up/(x2)/as you started laughing and crying and trying to explain how all you want to do is leave’)

don’t look back in anger by oasis: out of all my almost animatic songs, this one got the furthest. the animatic, which I got pretty far in thumbnailing, was about wilbur and tommy and kind of drawing comparisons between their characters, also about the revolution in general. maybe i’ll finish that animatic one day idk 

snow by ricky montgomery: i wish i had a link for this so bad but!! saw art on twitter!! with the lyric ‘bury me six feet in snow’!! and went ahfsdjfk!!

burning pile by mother mother: a Dream SMP Song. also a jam there’s no real specific connection for this one but i think it could fit in a couple of ways

rounds by the oh hellos: in the same position as snow except it was on tumblr..... @ whoever made this comic i saw these lyrics in your brain is massive and your art is incredible

lovely by mt. eddy: on here for vibes alone. there’s something in the lyrical content too, but my thoughts in that regard are not very fleshed out

adventures in solitude by the new pornographers: ah yes..... the song that prompted this all...... this is a beautiful and incredibly well written song and if you’re going to listen to any song off of this playlist i’d encourage you to listen to this one. it’s place of here is mostly cause of the chorus but the imagery in the verses could all represent a part of c!wilbur and i’d love to explore that more

caught in the middle by paramore: obligatory paramore song. i think it got on here because limbo = ‘middle’ but i’m not quite sure. on the verge of being deleted if i can find a better pmore song

delicate by damien rice: one of the oddest songs on this list and i am well aware that it sticks out like a sore thumb. a song that’s on here pretty much because of one lyric, which is ‘and why’d you sing hallelujah/if it means nothing to you’ which i related to both eret’s betrayal and how my l’manburg is hallelujah yknow

bang! by ajr: almost animatic song. i think we all know what the bang is here

somewhere only we know by lily allen: ik i said don’t look back in anger has the most potential to get made into an animatic but this song might actually take it place. on par with adventures in solitude in terms of how pretty of a song it is, and probably even moreso. it’s kind of turned into a ghostbur song in my head, and makes me cry like an infant child every time i hear it

a pearl by mitski: i cannot defend this song’s place on here past the line ‘it’s just that i fell in love with a war and nobody told me it ended’

eight by sleeping at last: the official c!wilbur song needs a spot on here <3 if i can dig up the clip of cc!wilbur talking about this song in relation to his character i’ll add it but until then yeah <3

always by rilo kiley: no idea why this is on here but it fits well!! could not tell you why!! banger!!

celebration guns by stars: it’s a hauntingly beautiful song about war, and kind of one of those that necessarily isn’t about wilbur but moreso his place in the story? idk how to explain it but yes

passerine by the oh hellos: it’s. it’s from the . the fic. yeah h

oh, you are the roots that sleep beneath my feet and hold the earth in place by bright eyes: added this after the real resurrection and i think it’s because fo the imagery? also the last verse

we are beautiful, we are doomed by los campesinos!: all i have to say is ‘i cannot emphasize enough that my body/is a badly designed, poorly put together vessel/harboring these diminishing, so called vital organs/i hope my heart goes first, i hope my heart goes first!’ has always made me think of pogtopia era wilbur :(

dead weight by jack stauber: no real connection other than eret played this song during a break during the ghostbur’s january ‘resurrection’ and i heard it and went :0

point me at lost lands by tired pony: gives me season on l’manburg vibes..... i love how free and passionate it sounds and that's p much the only reason it’s on this list haha

ghosting by mother mother: added this five seconds ago because i could not BELIEVE it was not on here. ghostbur song. mans sang it on that one stream with the reverb and everything. the lyrics ‘i will be kind and i’ll be sweet/if you stop staring straight through me’ hit particularly hard back when everyone thought that ghostbur was actually wilbur in disguise 

[cinnamonboleyn]

The Perfect Moment

Proof that I cannot write a short fic. It’s physically impossible.

In all seriousness, I dreamt this up and fell in love with the idea. I think part of the reason why it’s so long is because I loved writing this version of the characters and did not want to stop.

(which is why I may continue on with this AU...)

This is also my first time writing a ship for this fandom, I’m not sure how I did but hopefully I did Parrlyn justice.

In summary: Katherine deserves to be loved, Anne is a chaotic older cousin with a heart of gold and Catherine is just trying to wrap her head around the situation while still being her supportive self.

Please enjoy :)

TW: Homophobia, implied past abuse, implied past conversion therapy. 

Word count: 9526

It came up one lazy Saturday morning while Catherine was cuddling in bed with her favourite person in the world.

Anne had one arm around Catherine, pulling her close. Her other hand was being used to lovingly stroke her girlfriend’s curly dark hair. It was soothing and comforting enough to almost lull Catherine back to sleep.

Before that could happen, Anne dropped her hair and tapped her a few times on the shoulder. Catherine obligingly flipped over.

“Mhm? What is it, babe?”

She pulled her fingers through her messy brunette bed head. She was all the beautiful just the same.

“I want you to meet someone important to me today.”

Catherine raised an eyebrow. “I’ve already met your parents. Do you have a secret sibling you haven’t told me about?”

“No..” She hummed, “Well, practically my sibling if you really think about it. Her name is Katherine too, only spelt with a K. Katherine Howard. She’s my cousin.”

“Oh?” The small girl dug herself into the pillows to meet Anne’s gaze, “So you two are close?”

Boleyn nodded her head. Her eyes were darting around the room nervously, which was a state Cathy rarely got to see from her.

“She’s eight years younger than us, and she’s had a rough go at it. I don’t feel it’s my place to talk about it… but she’s very sweet, and polite, and the most fun person in the world if she lets her true self show…”

“Anne.”

Catherine planted a reassuring kiss on her girlfriend’s forehead, causing Boleyn to stop her rant.

“She sounds amazing, I can’t wait to meet her.”

It was good to see Anne’s smile back on her face.

“It’s going to be a great day.” She promised.

It took them fifteen more minutes to actually get out of bed (it’s too comfy under the covers and in each other’s arms), but finally they’re up and manage to get ready.

Catherine is told to dress prepared for anything. Unphased by her girlfriend’s spontaneous way of planning things, she decides on a black cardigan under a deep blue tee tucked into black jean shorts.

Grabbing her laptop, she set herself up at the kitchen table in their flat and decided to get some work done on her book before the day ahead of them.

Typing up a storm, Cathy took occasional pauses from the clacking of the keyboard and could hear Anne talking from the other room. From the way her voice went up two octaves and how was wasn’t speaking with her usual slang, she figured the girl was on her phone.

She continued with her work. After a bit, a mug was placed down next to her laptop which made her look up.

“A splash of milk, no sugar?”

Anne grinned from above. Catherine looked from the cup of coffee to the girl now clad in a black crop top and a green skater skirt.

“I have the sweetest girlfriend in the world.” 

“Don’t mention it, Cathy.”

She continued with a smirk on her face.

“I’d make a cute waitress, wouldn’t I? Too bad I’m only on the menu for a select few.”

Anne winked. Catherine rolled her eyes, but the blush on her cheeks was apparent.

Continuing to type out her story, she was vaguely aware of her girlfriend shuffling through things in the cupboard and chopping things on a cutting board.

What she wasn’t expecting was when she finally tore herself away from her computer screen an hour later, was to find the entire kitchen counter was covered in food.

Bagels, muffins, eggs made in all of the ways you could possibly cook them.  Every single fruit in their pantry was sliced and diced just about every way imaginable.

Anne held out in apple slice that was cut into the shape of a heart.

“For you, my love.” She faked a very posh accent, drawing a laugh from Parr.

“Why thank you, dearest,” Catherine returned the silly voice, “And might I add that you’re the apple of my eye.”

Boleyn snorted, which just made Catherine laugh all the harder. Soon they were laughing continuously and as soon as someone would stop the other person would start again.

This is my life. I get to live with my amazing, wonderful girlfriend.

After they finally managed to stop bursting into laughter every three seconds, Catherine asked,

“Why did you make so much food, anyways? I thought only Katherine was coming over?”

Cathy knew her girlfriend well enough to know that if she was the one making breakfast, she perfectly content with pulling a frozen eggo from the freezer and eating it as it is. Ice and all.

This was the most effort she’d seen her put into a meal in ages.

Anne shrugged. “I want to make sure there’s something she’ll eat.”

“That’s really sweet of you, babe,” Catherine smiled, tucking a few stray locks back behind Anne’s ear. “I’m not complaining anyhow. I won’t have to make breakfast for a whole week.”

The writer went to put away her laptop. She carefully helped Anne place all of the prepared food onto the kitchen table.

“A breakfast fit for a queen.” Catherine took a step back to admire the feast in front of them.

Anne followed, lacing her hand in between her partner’s. “A breakfast fit for my queen.”

The two shared a soft kiss. Even though they’d kissed a million times before, it never lost it’s passion or warmth for either of the women.

It was the perfect moment.

They sat idly at the table, waiting for their guest to arrive. They chatted, sometimes teasing each other playfully. At one point there was a competition to see who could throw up the most grapes and catch them in their mouths (Anne won that. And she rubbed it in, of course).

Three careful knocks sounded at their flat door.

Without waiting for a moment more, Anne took her girlfriend’s hand and led her down the hall to the front of their apartment.  From the way she was holding her hand, Catherine could sense the nerves radiating from her.

To calm her, she started brushing a finger over Boleyn’s palm.

Arriving at the door, Anne took a deep breath before pulling it open.

Behind it stood two figures.

The first was a kindly looking woman with blonde hair cascading down her back in waves. She had a bright smile, one that was genuine as well as a sincere look in her brown eyes that gave Catherine an immediate sense of trust. 

The second was definitely Katherine. The girl was taller than the woman and slim, but despite this still appeared very young. From her conversation with Anne before Catherine deduced that Katherine was seventeen years old, but honestly she would’ve placed her at about fifteen if she hadn’t known any better.

Her hair was in a high ponytail, the ends having been dyed an electric pink colour. Her long face was stoic and gave away no emotion, contrasting with the other person beside her.

Really, there wasn’t much resemblance at all between Katherine and the blonde stranger. Catherine saw more of a resemblance between her and Anne, not that it was the strongest resemblance ever but it was still there.

“Kitty!”

Anne lit up like a christmas tree at the sight of her cousin. Katherine’s lips twitched upwards and her eyes crinkled slightly, but it quickly faded to be replaced by her blank stare.

“Come in, come in, both of you.” Anne opened the door wider, allowing the guests to step inside.

“It’s very nice to meet you, Katherine. My name’s Catherine too; Catherine Parr.”

The pink-haired teen gave a small wave but didn’t seem confident enough to look her. Instead, she became very interested in the wooden floor. 

“Lovely to meet you Catherine. I’m Jane Seymour.”

Always smiling, the blonde woman extended an arm to shake. Catherine accepted, and was further surprised when the handshake led into a sort of hug.

Jane did the same gesture with Anne.

“Thank you for reaching out to me, Jane.” Boleyn glanced down at her cousin, her words clearly sincere. 

“No problem at all. I’m happy to do whatever I can for Katherine.”

As warm and caring as Jane’s voice was in saying this, they only seemed to further put the girl on edge. Her posture stiffened and she bowed her head down.

There was a bit of a pause that would’ve been awkward if Jane hadn’t broken the silence.

“I’ll be on my way then,” the woman flashed a smile. Katherine’s reaction didn’t seem to faze her at all, she didn’t show a hint of contempt towards the younger girl.

“Have fun, alright? If you need anything at all, don’t hesitate to ring me.”

“Thank you, Jane.”

These were the first words uttered by Katherine since she walked through the door. Her voice was so small that you had to lean in closer to make out what she was saying. It was uneven and unsure, and in noticing this Catherine couldn’t stop the faintest of frowns from forming on her lips.

So polite… yet so nervous?

“Goodbye, Kat.”

Jane gave the girl’s hand a squeeze before waving to the other two women and heading out.

“How’s my favourite cousin doing? It’s been so long! I’m in love with your hair, you look like a piece of bubblegum. In a good way!”

Anne made no move to hug the girl, but was clearly excited to see her again. They all started towards to kitchen, and Catherine couldn’t help but notice the way Katherine was taking cautious and measured steps, almost like she was sneaking up on someone.

Or away from someone.

Still, the corners of her lips upturned the smallest bit. She unconsciously played with a bit of her pink hair.

“I… I missed you, Anne.”

There had never been a more adorable phrase uddered.

Well, maybe except when Anne called Catherine my entire world. That was pretty adorable.

Katherine’s small voice and shy nature just made Catherine’s heart burst.

However, if you looked at Katherine’s face when they arrived the the feast layed out in front of them you would’ve had the impression that she was looking at a crime scene.

Anne picked up on the discomfort real fast.

“You can have whatever you’d like.” She reassured, “How about I fix you a plate with a little bit of everything and you can see what you like best?”

Katherine nodded stiffly.

Soon, three plates were fixed. Anne had a skyscraper of pancakes on hers with half of the bottle of syrup poured on top. Catherine physically blocked the freezer to keep Anne from putting scoops of ice cream on top.

Catherine’s own plate was packed with bacon, eggs and half a bagel. The last plate contained a variety of foods, just as promised.

Katherine poked at a blueberry muffin, ripping off small crumbs and eating them slowly.

“I’ve heard so many lovely things Katherine,” Parr tried, wanting to make the girl feel welcome.

“I’m very happy to have the chance to get to know you.”

Katherine’s eyes bulged out of her head. 

Was it something I said?

“I’m so sorry, I haven’t even introduced myself!”

Katherine’s frantic apology concerned Parr, so she did her best to reassure the girl.

“No problem at all. I haven’t even introduced myself either, and you’re the guest. Besides,”

She smiled lightly to Katherine, who relaxed a bit in her chair.

“You’re Katherine Howard, no introduction needed. Isn’t that right, babe?”

“‘Ouw wight!” Boleyn piped up with a mouthful of pancakes. She swallowed before continuing. “Your awesomeness speaks for itself, Kitty.”

The girl lowered her head, her cheeks visibly heating up.

After a few more bites of food, Katherine regains the confidence to speak again.

“It’s nice to finally meet you too, Catherine.”

As shyly as she spoke, Catherine could tell how genuine she was being.

“I- I haven’t heard much about you, I really didn’t have the chance to be told… but I’m happy to be meeting you as well.”

Formal, sincere, yet also stilted and anxious all at once.

Sometimes, Cathy wished she wasn’t so observant. It felt wrong to be so aware of Katherine’s small behaviors, it wasn’t her intention to invade her privacy.

No amount of analysis would have made Catherine ready to hear the response to the next question asked.

For a while, Anne was comfortably chatting in her energetic way. Katherine didn’t seem to mind the fact that she could barely get a word in, in fact she seemed almost grateful for that.

After picking at everything on her plate, it seemed she’d taken a liking to the cut up fruit and dipped each piece into a bit of Nutella on her plate.

She even got up for seconds of the fruit. Anne beamed when that happened.

Katherine carefully sat back down, her posture perfect. Her elbows never even got close to touching the table.

But the big question came right after Kat popped a Nutella-dipped apple slice in her mouth:

“Kitty, how has your stay with Jane been so far?”

The girl took a second to think, although her facial expression gave no clues as to what was actually going through her head.

“She’s very nice… she hasn’t locked me in my room once yet! She keeps the pantry unlocked as well.”

Unluckily enough, Catherine ended up taking a sip of water at that exact moment and ended up choking on it. 

Katherine and Anne both looked over, Parr muttering an apology and something about it going down the wrong tube to play it off.

“You don’t know how happy I am to hear that,” Anne continued with the conversation, “You deserve to be safe.”

“... It’s only been two weeks…”

She sounded utterly defeated about what she was implying.

And Catherine wasn’t about to have that.

“I’ve just met you, Katherine. I don’t know your situation and I can’t even begin to imagine it. But what I know for sure is that you’re always welcome here and if anything happens in the future you will always have a place here.”

The pink-haired girl didn’t seem entirely convinced or reassured.

“... Thank you.”

Proving things like that will take some time.

It’s not going to happen all in one day. 

Still, Katherine deserves to hear it be said. 

It was clear to the writer at this point that Katherine was in foster care. Really, that didn’t make a difference at all because it’s not something that defines a person.

Catherine focused on the soft-spoken, mindful girl in front of her and couldn’t wait to get to know her for her.

Anne Boleyn was one of the best people at small talk in the world, which helped kick the upbeat chatter back into gear. Through the following conversation, she found out that Katherine was in Year 12. She enjoys music and singing, according to Anne she’s the next Brittany Spears.

“Do you have any pets this time around?” 

Kat shook her head in response to her cousin. 

“The fur isn’t great for Jane. But her neighbor has rescues and she lets me come over to give them treats and play with them! Her name is Anna, she’s a tattoo artist.”

Something else that Catherine noticed was that when Katherine got excited about something, her eyes lit up in pure joy. It was really nice to see.

She eagerly discussed the dog’s names and preferred chew toys as they finished the rest of their food.

Once everyone was finished eating, Anne took the plates and put them all in the sink.

“I’m about ready to head out,” She grinned, an air of playfulness about her. “Are you ready, Kitty?”

Looking up at her cousin curiously, she asks, “Where are we off too?”

“The fair’s in town!”

Anne jumped up from her chair and let out and excited giggle. Katherine joins in with a light laugh and a smile that Catherine never wanted to see go away.

The pair definitely looked related at that moment. Even if Katherine settled down from her excitement quickly (kind of like she was forcing it down or stifling it?), they basically had the same reaction.

Which Catherine thought was absolutely adorable.

“I can’t think of a better way to spend the afternoon.” Catherine piped up. Walking over to her girlfriend she wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

Anne leaned into the touch, resting her head on Cathy’s shoulder. The writer couldn’t help but press a kiss onto her partner’s forehead.

Catherine immediately regretted doing that when Kat flinched away.

It was as if the sight hurt her somehow.

“I’ll - wait in the car.”

Katherine scampered out of the room, moving quickly yet silently.

Anne watched her leave with a sigh. Catherine turned to her girlfriend with a questioning look.

“Is she alright? Did we do something wrong?”

“Kissing you could never be wrong,” Anne teased. Her girlfriend’s cheeks started involuntarily turning crimson.

“I know her reaction wasn’t, well, the warmest… it’s all just very complicated. Thank you for being so patient-“

“No need to thank me.” Catherine asserted, “It’s the least I could do. I’ll accommodate Katherine in any way she needs me to. And I meant what I said to her.”

Anne didn’t respond with words, by enveloped the smaller woman in a big hug and nothing else needed to be said.

They headed out to the car. Boleyn slipped into the driver’s seat, and Catherine was about to slide into the passenger seat but decided to sit next to Katherine in the back instead.

Kat seemed surprised by this, but didn’t tense up in anyway. Catherine even swore she saw a ghost of a smile on the girl’s lips as she buckled her seatbelt.

As the drove onto the road, the writer asked:

“How did you two get to know each other?”

“Oh, I’ve known Kitty since she was a baby. Suddenly I didn’t get any of the attention at our family gatherings.” Anne faked a pout.

“I remember following you around the yard when I was really little,” Kat recalled, “I remember once you pelted an acorn at Isaac’s car. The alarm went off and you blamed it on me.”

Catherine burst out laughing at that, Anne giving a sheepish grin.

“Leave it to Anne Boleyn to get you in trouble.”

Katherine cracked a small grin. 

“But there were fun times too. There was the time that I begged you to put pink flowers we’d found in the near the ditch in my hair, and you said you weren’t all that great at that sort of thing… but you did it, and I loved it and didn’t take the flowers out until I was made to. Stuff like that meant a lot to me, especially as we both got older…”

“It meant a lot to me too.” Anne replied, “And for the record, I still don’t think Isaac knows I was the one who scratched his car.”

Katherine lifted her head curiously towards Cathy.

“So, how did you and Anne meet?”

This question caught Catherine off guard, for some reason. Luckily, Anne jumped in right away.

“High school, of all places. Wish I could say it was somewhere actually worth the time of day,” Boleyn made a face of disgust.

“We were in Year 11 actually. How could you not fall for this one when she slanders the patriarchy by correcting the approach our education system takes to historical events?”

She winks for added effect.

Katherine just looks absolutely lost.

“I… have no idea what you just said.”

“Most of what Anne says flies right over my head. And I’m dating her.”

“You find it charming.” She quips back, sticking out her tongue.

The conversation comes to a close. The driver flicks the radio on to avoid spending the rest of the ride in silence.

Some pop station was playing, and the passengers had a blast singing along to the songs playing and attempting to harmonize (which sometimes failed horribly). Katherine even joined in during particular parts, but never sang louder than a soft whisper.

They eventually found parking just down the street from the fair.

“Let’s go!”

Anne latched onto the arms of her girlfriend and her cousin before taking off down the sidewalk. Katherine was laughing the whole way, and as for Catherine, she was used to these antics at this point.

The three of them paid for their bright purple wristbands for admission into the fair and their senses were immediately overwhelmed.

The sounds of a roller coaster clicking down its track and gleefully screaming children, the smell of funnel cake and churros wafting through the air, the sights of all of the people out with their families…

Catherine snuck a glance at the two girls beside her, who were taking everything in with a smile.

“Watchya wanna do first, Kitty?” Anne asked.

“Well…” Kat shuffled her feet on the gravel beneath her, refusing to look her cousin in the eyes.

“Maybe we could do some of the rides for a bit? While the lines are still down? Unless, you guys want to do something else…”

“That’s a great idea.” Catherine reassured.

After paying for another green fluorescent wristband for their left hand, they were equipped to do as many rides as they wanted.

Anne chose the first one, taking the group over to one called The Zipper. It was basically a rotating frame covered in flashing lights with a bunch of free-flipping compartments to hold riders. It was one of the most intense rides at the fair, which is of course why it was Anne’s favourite (even though the bumper carts were a close second).

They tried every single ride there. The girls all packed into a seat on the scrambler, making sure Katherine was in the middle because the people at the sides inevitably get squished.

They spent a while racing each other on the slides, Catherine high-fiving Kat every time she managed to beat her cousin.

They walked through the fun house, they spun as fast as they possibly could on the spinning teacups and Catherine was just happy that she hadn’t thrown up her brunch.

If she had to choose her favourite ride, she would’ve said the roller coaster. Not that it was the most thrilling experience, but she enjoyed watching the way Kat and Anne would cheer and scream at the drops and sharp turns.

She was just glad they were all having a great time together.

And really, Anne was right when she said her cousin was a very fun person given the chance. A lot of her worried behaviours melted away, no longer putting a mask over her emotions.

This became clear whenever Katherine took the other two on her favourite rides. She enjoyed the merry-go-round (which she looked slightly embarrassed by), but Anne was great at always requesting it and Katherine would agree with a nod.

Katherine’s favourite, as well as their combined favourite ride was without a doubt the Ferris wheel.

“I love how you can see everything from up here. It makes you feel less small.” She solemnly spoke the first time they rode it.

Anne assured her that even if that was the case, she would always be her baby cousin. 

On their fifth ride of the Ferris wheel, Katherine’s guard was almost completely gone. She snuggled into her cousin as they went up in the air, looking as if there was nowhere else she’d rather be.

Anne looked over at Cathy while this was happening. There was so much emotion in her eyes that the writer had trouble parsing them out, but it was clear that she reciprocated Katherine’s feelings.

After two and a half hours spent in the beating sun out on rides, they decided it was time for a break.

“Would you like to check out what’s going on at the main stage, Kitty?”

“That sounds like fun.” She agreed.

The three headed over to find a spot on the bleachers. It looked like there was a magician’s act happening on stage.

“I’m going to do something real quick,” Anne said once they found their place, “Would you like to come with me, Kat? Or do you want to stay here?”

Her eyes darted between the girl in blue next to her, the stage in front of her, and her chaotic cousin.

“I’ll - be good here.”

Anne skipped away, leaving the two girls alone.

A comfortable silence set in as they watched the magic tricks being performed.

“How are you enjoying the fair so far?” Parr questioned.

“I’m having a great time.” She looked at her with her sincere brown eyes.

“Thank you so much for this, Catherine.”

Katherine’s eyes wandered shyly. She still didn’t look completely comfortable, but that kind of thing takes time.

Catherine was happy to wait as long as the girl needed her to.

“I’m glad Anne suggested we do this today. I’m having fun spending time with you. Plus,” she paused, nodding her head in the direction that Boleyn beaded off,

“I guess having my goofball of a girlfriend around isn’t so bad either.”

Katherine giggled lightly at this comment.

“What’s so funny?”

Anne took back her seat at the end of the bleacher row, a bowl of something between her hands.

“Oh, nothing… what’ve you got there?” Cathy asked.

The woman smirked, tilting the bowl so the two other could see. Three spoons were sticking out of several colourful scoops of-

“Ice cream!”

Katherine smiles, eyeballing the pink scoop. “You remembered that this is my favourite.”

“Not like it was difficult. Anything pink is your favourite.” She pointed out, turning to address her girlfriend.

“You can try, but no one gets in between me and my ice cream.”

“I swear babe, you run on nothing but refined sugar.”

“Just the way I like it.”

She passed the ice cream over to Kat who was sitting in the middle of the three of them. They snacked as they watched an audience member vanish for inside a box. Catherine even gave in and had few bites, leaving the strawberry for the pink-haired girl.

“Hey, look who it is!”

Anne emphatically pointed to someone at the bottom of the bleachers.

Inspecting her from the back, the woman’s perfect posture and curly black locks were a dead giveaway as to who it was.

“How many Catherine’s can we have in the same area?” Cathy quipped playfully.

Anne started yelling for the woman in a shrill and singsongy voice. “CATALINA!”

She turned around to look for the source of the noise, and must’ve figured out who it was because she headed up the bleachers to where they were sitting.

“Anne Boleyn!” The curly hair woman asserted fiercely. “I thought we agreed you would never call me that in public again.”

The girl in green just shrugs. “Teasing you is too much fun for me to stop.”

Parr butted into their argument. “Hello, Catherine. Lovely to see you again.”

Catherine nodded cordially, somehow not bowing her head in the process.

“It’s nice to see you too. And who might this be?”

Before Cathy can process what is happening, Kat is curling into her side. Her eyes show the most fear Catherine had seen from anyone before.

It must’ve been an instinct, because she responded by placing a protective arm over the teen’s knees without a second thought.

“Catherine, this is my cousin, also Katherine.” Anne introduced slowly, probably sensing the shift in mood.

“Kitty, this is our friend Catherine Aragon.”

She said the friend very carefully and deliberately.

Katherine’s eyes dart to Aragon for a second, and spare managed to follow her gaze up to where she’d been zoning in on.

What seemed to bother her was Catherine’s necklace of all things.

Before that could be dwelled on too much Katherine was back to staring at her shoes without adding anything to the conversation.

“Three Catherines? Have we broken a record or something?” The standing woman sarcastically adds, but even she knows something’s off.

“I’m the special one!” Anne declares, quickly adding:

“But that’s always the case anyways. Right babe?”

Catherine looked at her girlfriend quizzically.

Um, maybe not the for one-liners?

“Yes…?” It came out more like a question, not that she didn’t think her girlfriend was the most special woman in the universe, but maybe when the teenager you’re responsible for is looking at your friend like she’s seen a ghost it isn’t the best time to point it out?

Just a thought?

Then Boleyn gave her a look, a bright-eyed slightly vulnerable look that told her everything she needed to know.

Trust me on this.

Anne grabbed both of her girlfriend’s hands, pulling her off of the bleachers. She was now standing in front of her.

Boleyn stood up, cupped Catherine’s face softly with her hands and pulled her into a kiss.

Naturally, Catherine was surprised by this but quickly relaxed into the kiss. They pulled away after a few seconds and she could practically feel the redness creeping up her face.

“I’m happy for you two, but I sincerely hope you haven't been snogging all day in front of the poor girl.”

Everyone turned to look at the mentioned teen, who looked… in complete shock.

Anne fluttered her eyelashes innocently.

“Only a little.” 

“Well, this has definitely been an experience… I better head back down, I was saving spots for the pageant. Deborah says it’s a tradition… a superficial one, but is she knows someone in it then it’s good to support them.”

Aragon spoke directly to Kat. “I’m happy to have met you. Hopefully I see you around.”

As the woman walked away, Catherine got one last good look at her necklace;

It was a dainty thing, it looked like pure gold. It was a simply cross on a small chain, the charm hanging only a few inches below her neck.

“How are you doing?”

Anne put a hand on her cousin's shoulder.

Kat blinked a few times, seemingly at a loss.

She whispered something after a while of silence. It was so quiet that the writer could barely hear, but from what she was able to put together she said:

“You’re so… comfortable.”

Anne apparently had no trouble hearing the girl and answered. “It gets much easier when you know it’s safe. Sometimes, it isn’t though, and it’s okay to be cautious. Smart, even.”

Catherine still couldn’t figure out the reason that Katherine was uncomfortable, not that it mattered.

“Let’s go check out more of the fair, yeah?”

Anne grinned adventurously, extending an arm to Katherine. It took her a bit to stand up, but eventually she did and the three headed off the bleachers and away from the main stage.

They found themselves in the market section. Stands were set up in small colourful tents, selling things from candles to jewelry to very tacky bedazzled purses.

It turned into a game of finding the most ridiculous thing for the other person to wear.

Boleyn found a hideous Hawaiian shirt for Catherine to try on, but she got her back with an awful looking cowboy hat.

Anne found some strange earrings that were basically felt flowers connectected together in a foot long strand.

“This is perfect for you, Kitty!”

The pink haired girl was facing a rack of dresses, but it was as if she could see through it.

She was completely zoned out.

“Kitty?”

Snapping back to reality, Katherine almost knocked over the rack she was standing in front of. Luckily, Catherine sprang forward to keep it from tipping over.

“What’s on your mind, Kat?”

“Nothing…” She fumbled with her hands, balancing slightly on her toes.

“It’s, it’s stupid….”

“Hey. If it matters to you, then no it isn’t.”

Parr really wanted Katherine to understand, so she tried looking her in the eyes.

She averted her gaze, but spoke up.

“C-Catherine, Catherine Aragon, she - mentioned another woman. Deborah. Do you know who that is?”

Wracking her brain to think if she knew anyone with that name, Catherine came up dry. Her girlfriend shook her head as well.

“Why do you ask?”

“... No reason.”

“You’re sure there’s nothing else?” Anne tries gently.

Kat shook her head, walking out of the vendor’s tent signalling the end of the conversation. The two adults give each other a glance of let’s keep our guard up before walking out to join her.

As they continue to check out the sights of the fair, Katherine’s gaze lingers on a sparkly unicorn plush hanging from a game booth.

… Which of course, means that Anne immediately circles back around and slaps money on the counter.

“Hit me with some bean bags!”

It was a traditional knock-em-down game, with metal bottles lines up on some shelves.

Anne lobbed the first few bean bags, managing to knock out half of the bottles.

Cathy throws a few as well, getting a few good shots in. Kat insisted that her aim was abysmal and she was going to waste all of their money but after some prodding, she joined in too.

When there was only one bottle left, Kat was the only one with a bean bag left to throw.

“I don’t know if I can do this… maybe one of you should take it.”

“You’ve got this Kitty. I know you do.” Anne firmly encouraged.

“Wind up as far as you can, and throw hard.” Catherine added. “You’ve already got a feel for it, so you have it in the bag.”

Reluctantly following the writer’s instructions, the teen carefully lined up the shot.

Taking a deep breath, she gripped the object in her hand tightly.

Then she sent it hurtling forward, crashing directly into the bottle, sending it tumbling to the ground.

“Yes!”

“You did it!” 

Katherine wrapped her arms around her cousin, jumping up and down excitedly. 

It was impossible for Catherine not to beam at the sight.

After the rush of excitement the teen made a shy gesture towards the plush she wanted. The game attended happily got it down.

Kat squeezes it close to her. “Her name is Bling Bling Sparkle Bling Bling,” She said more self-assured then Catherine would’ve been saying that name out loud, “But we’ll call her Sparkie for short.”

“Well, I think I’ve got the perfect place for Sparkie to check out with us…”

Boleyn lead the way (again), that is, until Katherine noticed the large barn coming into view and realized where they were headed.

“Letsgoletsgoletsgo!”

She latched onto the two adults hands and pulled them forward with more force then Anne had when they were first arriving at the carnival.

The excitement was even more clear when they got into the barn.

Katherine absolutely loved animals.

She was so gentle with each one, even the pigs and birds and the one chicken that tried pecking at her finger.

Her soft approach with each one was something to witness. It was a gift.

Anne seemed to think so too. “Kitty’s going to be a veterinarian when she’s older.”

“Come on, Anne..” The mentioned girl shook her head while petting a bunny’s fluffy white fur, “I’m not smart enough for that.”

“School does not dictate how smart you are. I almost failed out of my senior year, and the only reason I didn’t is because I had Cathy to help me through. You are plenty smart and then some, Katherine Howard.”

Kat furrowed her brows in disagreement, but said nothing and continued petting the rabbit.

They continued to look around for a while. At some point, a handler for the two horses popped in to give them some food and he let Katherine feed them some grain.

He was impressed with her skills, telling her that he wished he’d of been as calm the first time he’d ever fed a horse.

Truth be told they could’ve spent the rest of the day in there, but Anne suggested they go see if the rides were lit up now that it was getting later.

Even though the sun was still out, a few of the booths and displays were lit up in neon. That, combined with the quieter atmosphere of the later time made walking through the fair and taking everything in a great time all on its own.

Of course, the company helped.

Her girlfriend was by her side, as was a pink-haired girl who she loved to see happy more than anything.

Katherine was a lot calmer than earlier, her worries no longer apparent. Maybe it was the animals, maybe it was something else…

But she had her arm linked with her cousin and a big contagious smile on her face.

The mask was gone.

Maybe that wasn’t such a good thing.

Because as they passed by the food vendors, a certain Spanish woman noticed them passing by.

She pointed the group out to a woman standing next to her and the two stepped out of line to meet up with them.

Katherine stopped dead in her tracks. Unlinking arms with Anne, she planted her feet firmly on the ground.

“Katherine?” Parr called to the girl, concerned.

Sadly, Anne had stepped in front to greet Catherine and the stranger so was unaware of the scene happening behind her.

“Catalina! I’m surprised to see you haven’t run off in the opposite direction when you saw us coming up.”

“I’m surprised that they’ve been able to put up with you for this long.” Catherine shot back.

“Deborah, this is Anne Boleyn. I’m sure you may have to impression that we’re very civil from that exchange, but that’s really just how our friendship is.”

“Catalina absolutely adores me.” Anne drawled, then turned to the other woman. “Nice to meet you, Deborah.”

She nodded stiffly in reply. The woman had a similar posture to Aragon in that she held her head high, but unlike Aragon it was as if she was looking down on everyone else.

Her eyes darted away from Anne and to the pair in front of her.

“Katherine!?” 

The teen inched closer to Cathy. Her bottom lip was quivering, and she looked absolutely terrified.

This was something much more than just the nerves she had when being introduced to Aragon earlier.

Something’s wrong here.

Anne glanced back at the woman’s words, finally aware of her little cousin’s state.

“Is.. is something the matter?” Anne was completely lost, as was Aragon.

“I would hope not.” Deborah insisted.

She took a few steps closer to Katherine, who yelped and latched onto Parr’s arm as if her life depended on it. Curling in on the older woman, she was shaking slightly.

“It’s been ages, Katherine. I see you’ve ruined your hair while you’ve been away.”

Kat’s hold only tightened around Parr, whimpers falling from her lips.

“Deborah!” Aragon was clearly disturbed by her friend’s sudden behaviour.

“You can call me out of line all you want, but I’ve tried my best to save Katherine from the depths of hell.”

Deborah took another step closer. This time, Catherine stepped protectively in front of the teen.

“All your parents did was try and save you! And you repay them with prison time? You’re a devil child, Katherine Howard. You’re beyond rescue. The lord stands with me on this.”

Anne wasn’t dealing with any of this. “You better stop spouting your lies and leave and leave right now before I report you-”

The pressure on Cathy’s arm lifted suddenly.

Tears falling down her cheeks, Katherine bolted away without looking back.

“Katherine!” 

Three voices called after her.

But it was no use.

The Spanish woman was fuming.

“I can’t believe you! How dare you speak to anyone that way, let alone a sixteen year old! Have you no decency? And you bring the Lord’s name to your awful behaviour!”

Even Deborah cowered under Catherine’s angry gaze. She could be very threatening when she wanted to be, which served her well in a time like this.

“Catherine, I thought surely you of all people would understand where I’m coming from.”

“There’s no one who could possibly understand where you’re coming from, me least of all!”

Deborah wasn’t backing down. “She’s a deviant, Catherine! An abomination!”

“Leave. NOW.”

Catherine’s voice was scarily unmoving and calm.

Deborah couldn’t help but shoot one last look of disapproval at Anne and Cathy before stalking off.

As soon as the woman was gone, Aragon’s narrowed eyes and clenched jaw soften into a look of desperate remorse.

“I can’t believe she… I had no idea… I’m so sorry, you two.”

“It wasn’t you, Catherine. We know your true views and know that you would never associate yourself with anyone who thinks that way.”

The Spanish woman nodded the information away as Anne spoke up.

“We need to find Kat.”

They decided splitting up would be the best plan of attack. Catherine went off to the left where the stage was, Anne headed back towards the ride which meant Cathy was in charge of searching the south part of the fair.

Scanning everywhere she passed for the girl, her search came up dry.

Until a red barn came back into view and she knew exactly where she was headed.

“Katherine?”

Continuing to call her name, she passed through the barn before circulating the outside.

After rounding the corner of the barn she saw a familiar pink-haired teen crumpled into a ball on the ground clutching a violet plush to her chest.

“Katherine…”

Startled brown eyes peeked up for a second.

Catherine could feel her heart ripping apart at the sadness that they held.

Kat burrowed them back into her stuffed animal, continuing to cry her eyes out.

“Hey..” 

The writer took a seat next to the girl, placing a stable hand on her shoulder.

“It’s going to be alright. The woman is gone, and she won’t be coming anywhere near you. I won’t let that happen.”

Katherine slowly lifted lifted her head to look at Parr.

Her face was red and wet, but underneath it all, it was impossible to miss how vulnerable she was.

“I hope you know that none of what she said was true. You, Katherine Howard, are an amazing kid who deserves so much more than what she got. And you’ve got stellar hair.”

Kat let out a small huff which Catherine hoped was her trying to laugh. She played with the tips of her hair between her fingers.

The writer pulled the sleeve of her cardigan over her hand and wiped away some of the tears trailing down her face.

“I’m sorry… I was so scared… I had to get out of there…”

“Don’t ever apologize for being scared. It’s not something to be sorry for.”

Catherine gave a comforting smile.

“And I want you to know that you aren’t wrong for changing your look. Dye your hair pink, get a nose ring, heck you could even shave your eyebrows off, and you’re not wrong for doing it. Nobody should tell you how to express yourself.”

Katherine slowly leaned closer to Parr, resting her head on her shoulder. Giving her affection that she previously had only wanted from Anne.

Parr’s heart soared as they stayed like this for a while. She was happy to be a source of comfort.

“.... A lot of bad people, they wanted to make me feel bad about who I am.”

Catherine nodded her head to show the girl she was giving her her full attention. Kat fumbled with her left sleeve as she spoke.

“Some of them were doing it out of love. Out of wanting my soul to be saved. But that doesn’t excuse what they did to hurt me.”

Katherine tentatively pushed up her sweater sleeve and and flipped her arm over.

Right below her wrist, there was a medium sized tattoo of a pink, white, and red heart.

“Anna did this for me. After everything I’ve been through, it felt right. Even if I’m not ready to show it to everyone yet. I know it’s there. And now, you do too.”

Catherine took the younger girl’s hands in hers. “It makes me happy you shared this with me. Thank you for trusting me. The tattoo is beautiful.”

“I do trust you. Maybe it was silly of me to keep it this long because I know you and Anne are together-“

“It’s not silly at all. We all get ready in our own time. Can I tell you more of the story about how I got to know your cousin?”

Katherine nodded eagerly.

“Well, it was in Year 12 like Anne said. It was the first year we had classes together. I remember in History she sat diagonally from me, and I wouldn’t be able to focus because I was staring at her.”

Catherine quickly added, “Don’t tell her I said that. It will inflate her ego even more.”

The teen giggled lightheartedly.

“Eventually, our History teacher paired us together on a research paper and we got to talking. We started to get to know each other. I remember not being able to understand why she’d want to talk to me of all people…”

“Sometimes people would mutter hateful things under their breaths at us. But one day, it came to a head when an older guy came up while I was talking to Anne and pushed me to the ground. He was shouting derogatory words and spit in my face.”

“After that happened, I was terrified. I isolated myself from Anne, thought it would be better if I stopped these feelings from happening. But it wasn’t. I was sad, and confused, and all I wanted to do was get rid of who I really was…”

Katherine cut in. “I understand that. That’s how I felt, too.”

“Anne was so patient. We spent time hanging out outside of school, and little by little I got comfortable with being together in front of others. Holding hands in front of others. Anne mattered so much more than anyone else’s opinion did.”

Her mind wandered back to their first kiss.

Anne asked her to be her date to the end of school dance, and of course she said yes.

They had the best night ever, and during a slow dance Catherine knew in that moment she was ready.

She leaned in, softly kissing her girlfriend on the lips.

It was in front of the whole school, but Catherine didn’t even register that anyone else was there.

It was just her and Anne.

No one else mattered.

“I don’t know how they mistreated you, Katherine. You don’t ever have to tell me if you don’t want to. But you didn’t deserve any of it. Just know that it will get better. No matter how long it takes or how hard it is, you’re a fighter. And we’ll be by your side every step of the way.”

Kat pulled the woman next to her into a hug. This one wasn’t desperate or pleading or fearful: it was gentle and caring.

Her mask was gone.

It was really her.

Catherine cherished the hug for every moment it lasted, making sure she wasn’t the first to let go.

The teen pulled away, glancing down at the drawing on her arm again.

“Someday, I’ll be able to wear short sleeves and let everyone see this. But for now, I’m happy with you, Anna, and Anne knowing. I mean, Anne doesn’t know about the tattoo but I think you understand.”

“I hope you know the minute you show Anne this tattoo she’s gonna be jealous and want one too.”

Katherine laughed again. “You guys could get matching couples tattoos! That’d be really cool.”

Catherine ruffled the younger girl’s hair affectionately.

“Maybe someday, kid.”

She stood up, extending an arm to Kat.

“Let’s go find your cousin, how about that?”

Kat accepted and let Cathy help her off the ground. They walked through the rides section of the park, the lights now all activated and casting pretty purples and blues around the whole fair.

Katherine was right at her side, their arms brushing gently due to their close proximity.

It felt right.

“Kitty!”

A relieved Anne Boleyn ran up and scooped her little cousin into a hug. “Are you alright?”

Kat’s brown eyes met Cathy’s as she responded. “Yes, I am.”

Anne semi-pulled out of the hug, but only to pull her girlfriend in closer.

“I’ve got you two. And I’m never letting go.”

The embrace lasted for a while. Anne was holding on the tightest, which was much different than what usually happened when she gave out hugs. 

“Kitty… how did you know that woman?” Her tone was serious and strained.

“I don’t know her very well,” Katherine said quickly, almost like she was trying to reassure her cousin. “She started coming to our church when I started secondary school.”

Her voice started to hitch.

“She’s seen a few things happen… she supported what they were doing.”

That only made Anne let out a shaky breath and pull them both tighter.

Catherine didn’t know anything about what happened to Kat. She didn’t expect to be told, she didn’t feel she deserved to know in the slightest; it was Katherine’s story to tell, after all.

But with the flinching while watching her and Anne kiss, with the references Katherine made to being hurt for expressing herself, the way every move she was almost too perfect as if to try and please someone else and the religious overtones to it all…

Not to mention her parents were in jail.

It was hard to wrap her head around.

Katherine deserves the world. 

They stayed clumped together in that huddle group as they shuffled towards the exit of the carnival. After the tiring events of the day, the three of them were ready to cozy up at home.

Anne sent a text to Aragon before starting the car. Buckling herself in, Katherine asked, “Do you guys think we could do movie night at your place? I mean, if you have the time-”

“That’s a great idea Kat. Thank you for suggesting it.”

The ride went by much faster the way back then it did the way there. Once they arrived at home, Catherine and Kat got to work pulling all of the pillows and warm blankets they could find from all of the rooms in the house.

Katherine bundled herself up in a fluffy white blanket. Parr sat cross-legged on the couch next to her as they scrolled through movie options on Netflix. The second Matilda popped up in their suggestions, Kat perked up and requested it. Catherine had never seen it before but was excited to watch it. 

Anne had gone to the other room to make a phone call and explained in hushed whispers the events that transpired earlier. She joined the two others after hanging up.

“Jane’s on her way over. I thought it would be nice if she joined us for the movie.” Katherine nodded and smiled at her cousin’s explanation. 

“I wonder if Jane has seen Matilda. It’s Catherine’s first time, too.”

“You’ve never seen Matilda?!? How have we gone our whole relationship without watching it? This is a crime.”

Anne plopped down at her own spot on the couch. “Remember when we used to watch this, Kitty? We used to pretend we had telekinesis all of the time. This must’ve been our favourite thing to watch together.”

“I do.” Katherine recalled fondly. “And it still is. My favourite movie, I mean.”

Stealing a shy glance at her cousin, she added; “I don’t think that’s going to change.”

The three settled in as the movie began to play. Not even five minutes in, there was a knock at the door.

Anne got up to answer it, and returned with a slightly disheveled yet still kindly blonde.

“Kat!”

Katherine kicked the blanket off of herself and got up to initiate a hug with Jane. When they first walked in together at the beginning of the day  Catherine hadn’t pegged them as being very close, but this hug changed her perception quite a bit.

“I’m so happy you’re okay, love.”

“I had people there to help me. Besides, I won’t let that woman ruin what was a really amazing day otherwise.”

“I’m so proud of you. You’re a strong one, Katherine Howard.”

Katherine guided her foster mom over to the couch. Jane admitted to never seeing Matilda either, which earned her a very over-dramatic reaction from Anne.

“Did either of you have childhoods? I’m appalled.”

They continued to watch. Catherine had to admit it was the perfect way to cap off their day, Kat was right on with her suggestion. It was nice to be warm and cozy and together.

A half an hour in, there was a second knock at the door.

This time, the writer got up to answer it albeit albeit confused since they weren’t expecting anyone else. Kat insisted on pausing the movie so that she could “get the full experience”.

Pulling the door open, behind it was none other than Aragon.

The curly hair woman stood stiffly, an apologetic look in her eyes. A pristine white envelope was clutched tightly in her hands. 

“-Catherine.”

The mentioned Catherine put a hand on the older woman’s shoulder, trying to calm her down.

“Hey. We found Kat, she’s doing great and wanted to have a movie night. Is everything alright?”

Aragon shook her head.

“No, it’s not alright. I let myself associate with someone with those kinds of views, someone who is against everything that I stand for. I’m not sure what her history is with Katherine, but either way I noticed how uncomfortable she was around me and should’ve been more careful introducing her to others.”

She extended the letter towards Cathy. “I’m not sure she would be comfortable with seeing me face to face, so I wrote out an apology for her. I just want her to know that I’m sorry-”

“How about we let Katherine decide?”

Cathy went back in the house, and after a brief discussion the pink haired girl followed her back to where Aragon was standing.

“Hi.”

Kat waved shyly.

“Katherine… I wanted to apologize for what happened earlier.”

The teen’s eyebrows raised. “Why? You haven’t done anything wrong.”

“Not directly, but I could’ve done more to prevent that confrontation. When we first met you were uneasy, I should’ve taken that as cue to keep my distance… but instead, I put you in that situation. I’m so, so sorry Katherine. I would like you to know that I don’t share the same views as that woman at all, I don’t even know her very well…”

Catherine passed her letter the younger girl.

“I wrote you this.”

Katherine stepped forward and took the envelope. Tearing it open, her eyes scanned the paper inside.

As she continued reading, tears pricked her eyes and her breathing got heavier until she was weeping.

Aragon was horrified.

“I didn’t mean to make you cry-”

“No - no,” Katherine gave a watery smile, “It’s not like that.”

Pulling the letter close to her chest, she began to explain.

“Most adults don’t apologize… they think it’s beneath them to do that, especially if it’s to a kid. Even though you don’t have anything to be sorry about, it means a lot that you did this.”

The older woman shook her head, beginning to get teary herself.

“Of course, Katherine. I truly am sorry.”

She swatted at her tears with her palms and took a deep breath.

“I should be heading out so you can get back to your movie. Have a good night-”

“Catherine, wait.”

Kat shuffled forwards again, intertwining her hand with Aragon.

“Please stay. I want you here.”

She tilted her head towards Cathy. “If that’s alright with you two.”

The writer quickly nodded. “Catherine’s always welcome here. Maybe it’ll be her first time watching Matilda as well.”

“If you’re sure you want me to stay then… I’m happy to, Katherine. What did you say we were watching? Matilda?”

Katherine all but dragged her inside. “You’re going to love it!”

Catherine exchanges pleasantries with the rest of the woman inside. Jane introduces herself warmly as the movie continues to play.

The woman took a seat on a chair next to the sofa. Seeing as there wouldn’t be enough room for the four of them to sit on the couch, Parr happily sat down on the floor.

To her surprise, Katherine did the same. She took back her blanket and wrapped it around them both. 

The movie continued for a while. Anne and Katherine would sometimes interject to tell a story relating a scene to their childhood. Soon, Anne had slid off of the couch entirely and slung her arm around her cousin and her girlfriend.

Sat there, surrounded by her friends, sitting next to Anne and Katherine who were both grinning from ear to ear….

It was the perfect moment.

She was so thankful for that moment.

She was so thankful that Katherine was now in her life.

[stargazerdaisy]

11 Questions x 3

I was tagged by @kyliafanfiction, @trinitea-fics, and @skyeward-otp forever ago, but there’s no way I can come up with 33 questions.  So I’ll answer the 33 and come up with a new 11.  Theoretically.  We’ll see.

From Kylia:

1.) Favorite Trope To Subvert?

One of my favorites that I (think I) pulled off was in Please Don’t Make Me! , where Skye is all whispering in Ward’s ear about them sneaking off and finding a way to ~entertain~ themselves, and it certainly seems like sexy times are about to happen.  And then...it’s Mario Kart.  I love twisting people’s expectations for the sake of comedy and fun.

2.) Favorite Trope to ‘Play Straight’, as it were?

Bedsharing.  I am weeeeeeak for bedsharing.  GImme gimme gimme.  I want those  punks to wake up spooning and entwined and then the awkward to set in, but actually push them to deal with their feelings.  Yes please I need it now.  

3.) What is that one character that, no matter how much you might like to be open minded about other fans having their own opinions and whatnot, when you see people defending them, you just cannot stop rolling your eyes and being at the very least somewhat angry, if not raging?

Melinda May and Phil Coulson....

4.) Favorite Thing To Put Ketchup On?

The garbage can.

Haha, just kidding.  I’m not a huge ketchup fan.  I prefer bbq sauce or ranch for most things you’d use with ketchup.  But ketchup on a burger or hot dog works well (if bbq sauce isn’t an option).  

5.) Cake or Death?

Cake.  

6.) Is there a Spoon?

47 of them to be precise.

7.) What is the Average Airborne Velocity Of An Unladen Swallow?

African or European?

8.) Did you get the references in questions 5, 6, and 7 without having to look them up?

5 sounds familiar, but no.  6, not even in the slightest.  7, my answer should explain that one.

9.) Silliest name you’ve ever heard for a person/thing/group?

Oh, oh, oh, I know I have some doozies of nicknames, but I’m drawing a complete blank right now.

10.) What is a book series that is nominally completed that you’d like to see more installments of?

I’m a big fan of the Jack Ryan books by Tom Clancy, but well, Clancy died a few years ago, and none of the co-writers can match his original style and quality (honestly, neither can his own later books).  So while that verse could easily accommodate more stories, and I could love them, it’s not going to happen with the quality I want, so I wouldn’t want people to try and subsequently fail.

11.) Song you both hate but sometimes can’t stop listening too?

There was an *Nsync song back in the day that I hated.  But I listened to it enough times that I ended up learning all the lyrics and singing along with.  That’s happened with a few others too.  There are some One Direction songs that I like and it pisses me off that I like them.  

From Trini:

1. A song you are listening to on loop right now

Actually no, I’m not this week.  Which honestly is kinda rare.  Then again, I’ve been listening to a couple of playlists with The War on it and that song always gets to me, so it’s back in my mind again.

2. What is a popular show/book/movie/podcast could you not get into/have no interest in?

I’ve never gotten into Supernatural.  Just never had that much interest, despite having a big fondness for Jensen Ackles.  

3. What is the last movie you watched?

Thor: Ragnarok

4. Opinion of Valentine’s Day?

It’s nice to have a day where you make an extra effort to show your love for others.  It’s just as lovely to do so with family and friends as it is with a romantic partner.  And I definitely prefer, low-key, thoughtful gifts/activities.

5. A show, book or movie that you consider “Your childhood”

Inspector Gadget was one of my absolutely faves when I was a kid.  Also, totally loved Ghostwriter and wanted to start my own crime-solving group.  Alas, we did not have a ghost to aid us.  Magic School Bus was also watched a lot and I can still remember the ending bit with all the kids making phone calls.

6. Favourite Youtuber/what you do watch on Youtube?

I mostly listen to music on YouTube.  I don’t follow any particular person.  I’ve been enjoying mashup videos lately.  Imagine Dragons are great for mashups.  (There.  Happy Megan?)

7. What do you need to buy?

A new battery for my laptop.  It would be nice to use it when it wasn’t plugged in.  After all, that’s a big part of the whole laptop thing.

8. What merch are you close to impulse buying?

At this moment, nothing really.  But I had strongly considered buying Chloe Bennet’s Fight Like A Girl shirt.  If I had had the money at the time, I probably would have.

9. What’s the weather outside?

Right at this moment, overcast, grey, cool (low 40s), but happily, not raining.  Typical late March weather in this area.

10. A thing that you recently accomplished that you are proud of?

@mframe and I spent a good chunk of a day (or was it a couple days?) and built a form within the test environment of our database.  Built it from the ground up, adding groups, creating custom fields, making them calculated fields, setting up a bunch of codes in order to make them calculate correctly, etc.  And it works really well.  I really like it.  Now if only the assholes that I work with would shut the f*** up and get on board, we could actually use it.

11. Movie/book/Tv show/podcast coming out soon that you’re excited for

I NEED TO BUY MY TICKETS FOR INFINITY WAR.  Also, The Incredibles 2.

From Gilly:

1. If you won $1,000,000 dollars, what’s the first thing you’d do?

Pay off debt.  

2. A movie/tv show that you always go back to whenever you’re bored or don’t know what to watch?

Friends, Community, Brooklyn Nine Nine are all great standbys for when I can’t decide on what I’m in the mood for.

3. Most meaningful book you’ve ever read.

That’s an excellent question.  To Kill A Mockingbird is one of those books that’s always stuck with me.  I need to re-read it again, in fact.

4. Have you ever gotten anyone to get hooked on a tv show? How did they feel about it?

HAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAAH.  Yes.  I mean, nothing on the scale of Megan getting me hooked on AoS.  But I’ve convinced a couple friends to try Doctor Who, I got @evieoh to watch Community, and then she and I ganged up on @airaze-blog and made him watch all of Alias.  There was a lot of screaming.  We won’t talk about Orphan Black.

5. Has anyone ever gotten you hooked on a tv show? How did you feel about it?

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

Yes.

As referenced above, Megan was the one that really pushed me to try AoS again.  (I’d watched the first 3 or 4 episodes when it first aired, but lost interest and was always having to watch it later b/c of committments those nights.) There was another friend of ours at work, who pushed along with her, and my bff watched it as well and encouraged me.  I was kind of hesitant, didn’t care a whole lot, but I was getting into the MCU as a whole, so I decided to give it a shot again.

Amazingly enough, while I knew Hydra comes out of the shadows and about Jiaying’s evil turn, Double Agent Ward wasn’t spoiled for me.  I was SHOCKED at that.  And I’m so glad, because it was SUCH A GOOD TWIST.  

But yeah.....that may have just slightly, dramatically changed the trajectory of my life.  I wouldn’t have had an Aussie live on my couch for the last 6 months and that would have truly been tragic.

6. Where’s your dream vacation?

Croatia.  I’ve been dying to go there for years and it gets more intense every day.

7. Favorite social media app/site.

Tumblr.  I get the most interaction and the widest range here.  

8. Dream job.

Stay at home mom would be my preferred occupation.  For a profession, lactation consultant is my dream.  We’ll see if I ever get there.

9. Favorite genre to read/write.

Uhhh.....in terms of fanfic genres/tropes, I love enemies to friends to lovers (on any scale).  

10. Favorite genre to watch.

I love spy shows.  Gimmes spies anyday.  

11. Favorite quote at the moment.

CHICKENS!  (just for you, Evie)

My questions - sorry dudes, only doing 11.

What is your favorite season?

What are your feeling on A.I. (the concept, not the movie)?

What is the oldest piece of technology in your home?  Do you use it?  Do you know how?

Hummus.  Thoughts?

Tell me about a favorite birthday or holiday present.

What pair of shoes do you wear the most?  Are they your favorite or just the most functional or something else?

What’s your dream fanfic?

How easy is it for you to unplug?

What is a hobby/activity/something that you have an absurd amount of supplies/tools for?

What is your guilty pleasure snack food?

Are you more a dialogue or song lyrics referencer?

I tag: @evieoh, @mframe, @agenthaywood, @airaze-blog, @helloimthedoctor, @agentsofsunnydale, @queermageddon, @livesindaydreams, @orlissa, @vesperass-anuna, and @in-the-moving-castle

[stressedandhighlyfavored]

Louisa May Alcott

A/N: I wrote these opinions for an assignment. These are my interpretations of these specific pieces of American Literature. If you are easily offended, be cautious when reading these reading responses. Honestly, most of these responses are just me trying to meet a word requirement and they should and are meant to be taken lightheartedly. Also, I am editing some of these responses as I post them because my opinions changed, or I wanted to say something better than what was originally written. I will be happy to discuss these responses further, just please be nice :)

Warnings: This is a project we did, not a reading response! I completely nerded out for Louisa May Alcott and I have no apologies. Also, this was done with a partner so s/o to my girl Alyssa who rocked out while my laptop was broken! This originally had a Work Cited page, but I messed up when copying it here soooo... Sorry!

Louisa May Alcott

 Family Life:

           Louisa May Alcott was born in Philadelphia, on November 29, 1832, the second of four daughters belonging to Amos Bronson Alcott and Abigail May Alcott. The other three Alcott sisters included Anna Bronson Alcott (1831), Elizabeth Sewell Alcott (1835), and Abigail May Alcott (1840). The Alcott family mainly lived in Massachusetts, but they also lived in Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, and Louisa lived in Washington D.C. (Information and Articles 2018).

           While living in Massachusetts, the Alcott family became close friends with several great authors of the time. Amos Bronson Alcott, Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and several others made up a group that would later begin the transcendentalist movement. Amos Bronson Alcott was friends with both Thoreau and Emerson, and also Nathaniel Hawthorne and Margaret Fuller. All of these people have, at one point or another, lead Louisa May Alcott and her sisters in their schooling (Information and Articles 2018).

           When Louisa May Alcott was thirty, she became a nurse in Washington D.C. in a Union hospital. There, she contracted typhoid. Her doctors treated her with mercury, causing Alcott to suffer from hallucinations for the rest of her life. Her experience as a nurse in a Union hospital is most likely where the setting for “My Contraband” came from. Because she experienced a similar life as Miss Dane, Louisa May Alcott was able to tell some of her story through her writings (Information and Articles 2018).

Story Summarization:

           The short story in our textbook listed under Louisa May Alcott is “My Contraband,” which is about a Yankee nurse in the Civil War. The nurse, Miss Dane, is asked to care for a Rebel patient with typhoid before he dies. Miss Dane accepts a “contraband,” or a freed black person, to help her with her patient. Miss Dane is very polite to the contraband, something that the reader can gather he is not used to this kind of treatment from a white person (p. 1249-1250).

           Later in “My Contraband” Robert (the contraband) throws the patient’s medicine out the window, claiming he did so, “‘Kase I hate him!” Robert tells Miss Dane that the patient is his half brother, and that Lucy, the woman the patient mutters about, is his wife (p. 1255). Robert and the patient share a father, and the patient does not like Robert because Robert looks more like their father than the patient does (p. 1255-1256).

Robert believes that his brother had something to do with the disappearance of his wife and wants to kill him for it. Miss Dane, however, talks Robert out of the murder and reassures him that he will see Lucy again (p. 1258). Miss Dane later learns from Robert’s brother, Captain Fairfax, that Lucy is dead. Lucy committed suicide as Robert told her to when he was sold away (p. 1260).

Robert says towards the end of the story that he is happy he did not kill his brother, and he thanks Miss Dane for stopping him. He says “it’s better” he did not kill his brother. However, Robert still hates his brother just as much (p. 1263).

           In the last paragraphs, the audience learns that Robert had taken Miss Dane’s last name, and he is now dying. A patient in the bed next to Robert then tells Miss Dane about the fight between Robert and his brother that would lead to Robert’s death. Miss Dane watches as Robert dies, and she describes it as “in a drawing breath my contraband found wife and home, eternal liberty and God,” (p. 1261-1263).

Why “My Contraband” is important?

           “My Contraband” argues that there is no black or white in the end. When we die, we are all God’s creatures and we are all equal, regardless of our skin color (p. 1258). Louisa May Alcott states early on in “My Contraband” that Robert is partially white, and she discusses the white and black sides of him. However, Alcott still discusses Robert as a whole person. Both black and white coexist in Robert, so why can not both black and white coexist in the world (p. 1250)?

           This short story is important to American literature because it shows that both black and white people are human. Alcott’s argument here is that people cannot own their brothers, because it only leads to conflict and eventual death. Robert and the sick patient were brothers, but one owned the other as a slave because he was more white than the other. “My Contraband” argues that Robert and his brother are equals, and that it should not matter if one is black and the other is white. Alcott is calling racism inherently ridiculous, and she is calling for racism to end - something that America has not completely understood thus far. “My Contraband” is just as important to America today as it was in the 1860s, and we, as Americans, should not ignore it (p. 1249-1263).

The Impact of Louisa May Alcott:

           Louisa May was an icon of her time, for feminism and civil rights. She was a prominent abolitionist and suffragette. She was the first woman registered to vote in Concord, Massachusetts. She was a nurse during the Civil War, and more importantly, she wrote about controversial topics including: incest, suicide, drug addiction, supernatural, and sex. Topics such as those were not to be discussed by women, let alone written about and published. The push for practical reforms and women's rights leave us to know the lasting impact of Louisa May Alcott will forever be known. The intelligence, courage, and wit America has known will last as long as her works continue to be printed. Her work, “Little Women”, written in 1868, is her most popular novel to date (p. 1247-1248). “Little Women” in summary, was a semi-biographical novel of her and her three sisters, and their children’s journey from childhood to womanhood. Touching on gender restrictions of women, love, and domestication. She’s written “almost 300 literary works” which was themed with her progressive and idealistic thinking, her work reflected feminist ideals (“The Woman Behind “Little Women”” 2009). She was ahead of her time. Louisa May Alcott will forever open the doors of writing about the things women write about today (often private but topics which need to be brought to light). Her fight for suffrage opened doors for all women, her outstanding work as an abolitionists in the mid 19th century,  and opening ideals for progressive and democratic thinking in future readers and thinkers, just like Emerson and Thoreau were for her.

[nofomoartworld]

Hyperallergic: Feeling Anxiety and Relief at NADA New York

The view at New Art Dealers Alliance (NADA) New York 2017 at Skylight Clarkson North (all photos by the author for Hyperallergic)

We live in a time of high anxiety. If I were an art collector with a checkbook at the ready, I’d be in the market, ideally, for works that could momentarily soothe my mind. Some of the most memorable art offered at this year’s New Art Dealers Alliance (NADA) New York, though, deals with distress, evincing an array of ordeals both personal and relatable. Now in its sixth edition, the art fair moved from May to March to coincide for the first time with Armory Week — in a sense, its organizers and exhibitors, too, were anxious to attract a larger crowd at a time when the market is hot. (Though 50% of proceeds raised from ticket sales are also going to the American Civil Liberties Union.) Changing dates meant changing locations, and booths now take over a whitewashed open floor at Skylight Clarkson North in the West Village. There are 100 exhibitors from 14 different countries — 30 of which are first-timers — and 36 project spaces.

Not all that evokes anguish is, on its surface, dark and grim. The piece many fairgoers will likely find far too real is a comical and unearthly one: Jeremy Couillard’s “Alien Afterlife,” a kinetic sculpture at the booth of yours mine & ours that features an alien shackled to its desk, where it steadily types away on a laptop and stares without expression. Couillard’s message is painfully explicit: we’ve become alienated from the real world as we labor away in front of our screens. In this current political climate, the piece resounds even more, reminding us of how we can’t stop feeding our media diet even if it tends to drive us insane. A glimpse at the extraterrestrial’s screen reveals that it’s typing in a near-empty chat room that you can actually access in your own browser — so you, too, can shout into the void.

Jeremy Couillard, “Alien Afterlife” at yours mine & ours at NADA New York

A similarly immobile recluse presides over bitforms‘ booth. Surrounded by cement blocks cleverly shaped like skulls is “Surfer (With Head),” a stick figure made of steel that pokes at an iPad. The work of artist Siebren Versteeg, the installation evokes a post-apocalyptic wasteland with construction ruins that double as memento mori. It’s a lonely and depressing scene, envisioning an end in which we’re still endlessly scrolling.

Works by Siebren Versteeg at bitforms’ booth at NADA New York

Sculptures by Athena Papadopoulos at Shoot the Lobster’s booth at NADA New York

One notable and telling trend is how so many female artists here, in comparison, express anxiety through graphic images of the body, which they do not render in full but in fragments, often exposed and torn asunder. I got used to seeing flesh in a state of vulnerability and suspension, literally hanging in the air. Athena Papadopoulos’s eye-catching crimson sculptures at Shoot the Lobster’s booth are bright and plush, but they hang on butcher hooks and resemble animal parts. They’re in fact self-portraits, with photos of Papadopoulos incorporated into their surfaces, along with other artifacts, from jewelry to small animal bones. The red results from dying sessions with store-bought liquids such as nail polish, hair dye, lipstick, and red wine: all items that suggest self-love but are instead used to stain a body that cannot escape harm.

The same motif appears in Cristina Tufiño’s solo booth at Galeria Agustina Ferreyra, where a banner of a dangling drumstick hovers near pastel sculptures, a couple of which recall limbs — severed, but strangely serene. About 10 booths down, at Signal, Ivana Bašić has cast herself as a broken, incomplete body made of painted wax. “Stay inside or perish” (2016) is elegant yet rife with trauma: The headless figure looks like a fainted aerialist, arched backwards in the air and supported by bands; she has fragmented glass bottles in place of shins, and metal bars, like prosthetics, root her into the ground. The title ominously warns of the violence that’s visualized, suggesting anxieties about the outside world, with all its possible threats to the female body.

Works by Cristina Tufiño at Galería Agustina Ferreyra’s booth at NADA New York

Ivana Bašić, “Stay inside or perish” (2016) at Signal’s booth at NADA New York

Fairgoers will encounter more dangling bodies two doors down at the booth of 315 Gallery, although these seem at first like benign banners. Amy Brener‘s transparent, silicone bodies are thin and embedded with pieces of technology, their heads and breasts reassembled to form sterilized, synthetic designs. No longer human, the female figure is splayed like a motherboard, with her manufactured innards inviting us to scrutinize her as specimen. Behind these is a striking piece by Cecilia Salama that echoes a clothesline — but one weighed down by flesh-like sculptures that are roughly textured, folded, and limp to visualize violations of the female body.

Rubber is an especially evocative material to use to represent flesh, and another artist who harnesses it to accentuate violence against the body is Hannah Levy. At Galerie Parisa Kind‘s booth, she contributes two chairs constructed of pink latex stretched over curved steel. The glossy surfaces look like chewing gum stretched thin, or distorted tongues, or sinews pried apart, now offered up to us as seats.

Works by Amy Brener and Cecilia Salama at 315 Gallery’s booth at NADA New York

Works by Hannah Levy at Galerie Parisa Kind’s booth at NADA New York

Respite from these traumas does appear in numerous forms. Radamés “Juni” Figueroa at Proyectos Ultravioleta’s booth offers a kitschy, obvious way to self-medicate: his paintings take the form of enlarged objects that generally calm and comfort, from a bottle of Klonopin to a slice of pizza to a joint and freshly packed pipe. Weed as therapy appears a number of times, actually. Omari Douglin fills Mrs.’s booth with small paintings of very stoned, red-eyed characters caught in mid-puff — playful but necessary reminders that sometimes we just need to not give any fucks. Across the fair, Safe Gallery has a cheery installation with works awash in soothing colors, including glass bongs by Alex Eagleton that attempt to elevate pipes to the realm of art: they’re not usable, but they sure are aesthetically sexy.

Safe Gallery’s booth at NADA New York

These works may help you lighten up, but others offer more poetic means of momentary, THC-free escapism. Virtual reality is no longer a novelty at art fairs, and NADA has one piece at Moran Bondaroff’s booth by Jacolby Satterwhite that whisks you off to a dizzying, galactic realm. (A taste of his VR work is accessible on your phone as part of a New Museum exhibition that launched in January.) I also tried “The Mirrorbox” by Megan May Daalder at Five Car Garage, which is essentially a helmet for two people to wear for two minutes. Inside it, lights turn on and off to illuminate a two-way mirror from calculated angles, so that sometimes you see the other person’s face, but your visages will also meld together to form an eerie portrait. An exhibitor referred to it as an “empathy machine,” meant to create chance but prolonged encounters between strangers at an event that runs on high energy and fast transactions.

Exhibitors of Five Car Garage try on Megan May Daalder’s “The Mirrorbox” at NADA New York

The most transportive piece, however, is an operatic video by the collective AES+F, presented by Transfer in collaboration with Mobius Gallery. Incredibly crisp and polished, the 38-minute-long “INVERSO MUNDUS” draws you into an absurd, seemingly utopian world, where beautiful people cradle fantastic, enchanting animals (like birds with seals’ heads or hairless cats with bat wings); a pig mercilessly butchers a man; and powerful, impeccably styled women spin men strapped to hamster wheels. You feel like you’re on some kind of drug for most of the piece, and although the scenes don’t appear to follow any clear logic, they’re carefully constructed and wholly mesmerizing. Every time I walked by the booth, the viewing area was filled with fairgoers, frozen by the epic tableaux and lost in their cryptic grandeur.

Still from AES+F’s video “INVERSO MUNDUS,” presented by Transfer in collaboration with Mobius Gallery at NADA New York

In the end, I found my favorite coping mechanism at the booth of Los Angeles Nomadic Division, where stress balls designed by Bettina Hubby to look like breasts fit my very non-VIP collector’s budget. Hubby made them as part of a project she started after being diagnosed with breast cancer — to create with a sense of humor was her way to respond to physical trauma. Representative of both unease and release, the ensuing creations now offer us relief of our own.

Stress balls by Bettina Hubby at Los Angeles Nomadic Division’s booth at NADA New York

Paintings by Radamés “Juni” Figueroa at Proyectos Ultravioleta’s booth at NADA New York

Paintings by Omari Douglin at Mrs.’s booth at NADA New York

Works by Sara Murphy at Essex Flowers’ booth at NADA New York

Jacolby Satterwhite’s VR installation at Moran Bondaroff’s booth at NADA New York

Still from AES+F’s video “INVERSO MUNDUS,” presented by Transfer in collaboration with Mobius Gallery at NADA New York

Andrea Joyce Heimer at Nicelle Beauchene’s booth at NADA New York

Bad at Sports’ booth at NADA New York

NADA New York 2017 continues at Skylight Clarkson North (572 Washington St, West Village, Manhattan) through March 5.

The post Feeling Anxiety and Relief at NADA New York appeared first on Hyperallergic.

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