#but i would like to see if he has a different viewpoint nowadays

[transwolvie]

warning ahead of time that this is a long meandering post abt transmisogyny in media and that I am not a trans woman, just relying on my own gender experiences and trans women I know personally

seeing posts abt transmisogyny in old queer cult classics does make me wonder about the takes abt Pink Flamingos vs RHPS, although somewhat in the sense that I never even really see takes about Pink Flamingos or Divine's general role in John Waters films

I think it'd be an interesting look into ideas of drag and transmisogyny since ultimately both RHPS and Pink Flamingos are made by tme ppl—one explicitly nonbinary but who has said hostile things about trans women from a point of view of being nonbinary, while the other hasn't said things quite so offensive but is ultimately still a cis gay man.

I think it's also very interesting to look at the fact that while RHPS can be argued to be very influenced by the creator's own gender (Frank N Furter leans more towards a nonbinary identity that is still somewhat grounded in identification as a man, much like the creator of RHPS himself, and this is explicitly hashed out within the film canon), it is very much a case of what I've seen plenty of trans women note on here, which is that "this gives me gender euphoria" for quite a lot of nonbinary people can very easily be read as a transmisogynist caricature. I feel like there's always going to be a bit of a friction here because as a nonbinary person, to a certain extent, I WANT to look like a man, or at least a masc person, in a dress or who is trying to be femme...... and while I'm aware that for many trans women the imagery of a man in a dress or a bearded lady can be painful, that doesn't change that it's the closest presentation I can get to my gender as well as the closest presentation I can manage that might actually get me gendered correctly—if I shave my beard or didn't get top surgery I would get gendered as a woman, and if I didn't dress feminine or wear makeup I would get gendered as a man. That doesn't change the fact that the only way I can exist in public in a way that projects that I am nonbinary is a presentation that often is punished or mocked when it's put forth by a "clocky" trans woman, and I don't want to say that the only way to settle this tension is to give up on the idea of passing since that's much too ignorant of the ways in which passing can be life or death for trans women in current societies.

Comparatively, Divine in Waters' films exists in two spaces at once. She is, inherently, a man in a dress—Divine is a drag queen who explicitly identified as a cis gay man out of drag, and this is a movie produced by a gay man who loves drag who is himself also cis—but at the same time, within the canon of the films, she is just a woman. It is not particularly relevant to the contents of any Waters film (be it Pink Flamingos or Hairspray) that Divine is a drag queen, as her characters are played pretty straightforward as women....but there is still a constant audience awareness, because it's Divine, for g-d's sake. However, part of me has to think that part of why Divine's gender is never interrogated in the films is because they're produced by a cis gay man, in a space where most drag is assumed to be by cis gay men, and thus doesn't need to be lampshaded. It's a given that Divine is a man in a dress, and it doesn't need to come up because it is a casting choice, not a story choice. Divine does not have explicitly nonbinary feelings that need to be extolled in song the way that Frank N Furter does. Genuinely as a nonbinary person I don't have as deep of a take on this because I don't want to make any assumptions about how trans women feel about drag since drag is so varied. Maybe that's part of why this bit of Pink Flamingos CAN go unexamined, because while drag is sometimes a man in a dress like Divine, it can also be a trans woman in a dress or a trans man in a dress or a trans man in a suit or a nonbinary person in an inflatable tube man outfit. While the MAINSTREAM drag community has had a habit of excluding trans women, it's very easy to clock that John Waters and Divine were running in the kind of drag scene that would've had trans women and drag kings and such. It is not the shiny pageantry of RPDR, but rather the kind of drag you see at a local club that makes you feel like maybe some day you could do that.

Ultimately both movies exclude trans women in the sense that they're not thought about even when exploring topics of gender. That said, I think the exclusion of trans women has, if anything, intensified in our current community. I think that part of this is a lack of willingness on the part of tme ppl to just sit and listen and internalize it when a trans woman says smth that makes her feel bad. Tbf my impression is also heavily built off my own personal life—I know a lot of older trans women (40s-50s) who work my local drag scene and love love loooove ANY queer cult classic and excuse to party, and thus adore RHPS.... but those women HAVE a community, so I think it makes much more sense for them to be comfortable enjoying something like RHPS, because they're aware that they are loved and respected in the community that is indulging in the movie and all sundry social activities that go along with it. It is something they can enjoy explicitly because they have people to enjoy it with who support them.

Nowadays, just in general, the lgbt community is very fractured and isolated—in part because being able to be online allows anyone who is lgbt to speak to and interact with the community regardless of if they are out of the closet or even have a local community. However, another huge part of it is that we have nowhere to go anymore. This is true in general of everyone—malls are dying, anti homeless architecture and anti loitering laws have made parks and public spaces uninhabitable—but the lgbt community was clearly already suffering, the pandemic was a huge hit, and now there's a few gay bars and clubs hanging on mainly in very lgbt+ heavy areas. It's easy to see why younger trans women have nowhere to go and thus feel even more abandoned by other lgbt+ people, considering they are facing some of the worse oppression and nowadays don't even get to really enjoy the other side of things where your community can rejuvenate you and fill you with joy. In the dwindling spaces we have, people who are struggling the most are the first ones pushed out, meaning that trans women nowadays probably feel especially alienated even from local lgbt+ groups, bars, and meetings..... of course it stings more to see people who haven't struggled the same laughing at something that, in your absence, absolutely looks like it's making fun of you. There's a huge difference from being in a room full of friends and having someone roast you a bit vs. hearing that people are telling jokes about you when you're not even there.

The ultimate moral is that we DO unfortunately gotta kill Richard O'Brien regardless of my fondness for RHPS or Shock Treatment

P.S. maybe we lay off commentary on Divine cuz she's dead also 🤔

[supersoakerfullofblood]

Point of View: the Biggest Thing You're Missing!

Point of view is one of the most important elements of narrative fiction, especially in our modern writing climate, but you rarely hear it seriously discussed unless you go to school for writing; rarely do help blogs or channels hit on it, and when they do, it's never as in-depth as it should be. This is my intro to POV: what you're probably missing out on right now and why it matters. There are three essential parts of POV that we'll discuss.

Person: This is the easiest part to understand and the part you probably know already. You can write in first person (I/me), second (You), and third person (He/she/they). You might hear people talk about how first person brings the reader closer to the central character, and third person keeps them further away, but this isn't true (and will be talked about in the third part of this post!) You can keep the reader at an intimate or alien distance to a character regardless of which person you write in. The only difference--and this is arguable--is that first person necessitates this intimacy where third person doesn't, but you still can create this intimacy in third person just as easily. In general, third person was the dominant (and really the only) tense until the late 19th century, and first person grew in popularity with the advent of modernism, and nowadays, many children's/YA/NA books are written in first person (though this of course doesn't mean you can't or shouldn't write those genres in the third person). Second person is the bastard child. Don't touch it, even if you think you're clever, for anything the length of a novel. Shorter experimental pieces can use it well, but for anything long, its sounds more like a gimmick than a genuine stylistic choice.

Viewpoint Character: This is a simple idea that's difficult in practice. Ask yourself who is telling your story. This is typically the main character, but it needn't be. Books like The Book Thief, The Great Gatsby, Rebecca, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and the Sherlock series are told from the perspective of a side character who isn't of chief importance to the narrative. Your viewpoint character is this side character, the character the reader is seeing the world through, so the main character has to be described through them. This isn't a super popular narrative choice because authors usually like to write from the perspective of their most interesting character, but if you think this choice could fit your story, go for it! You can also swap viewpoint characters throughout a story! A word of warning on that: only change your viewpoint character during a scene/chapter break. Switching mid-scene without alerting the reader (and even when you do alert the reader) will cause confusion. I guarantee it.

Means of Perception; or, the Camera: This part ties the first two together. If you've ever heard people talk about an omniscient, limited, etc. narrator, this is what they mean. This part also includes the level of intimacy the reader has with the viewpoint character: are we in their heads, reading their thoughts, or are we so far away that we can only see their actions? If your story is in a limited means of perception, you only have access to your character's head, eyes, and interpretations, where an omniscient narrator sees through all characters' heads at once. (This doesn't eliminate the viewpoint character--most of your writing will still be in that character's head, but you're allowed to reach into other characters' thoughts when needed. You could also be Virginia Woolf, who does fluidly move through everyone's perspectives without a solid viewpoint character, but I would advise against this unless you really are a master of the craft.) Older novels skew towards third person omniscient narration, where contemporary novels skew towards first person limited. You also have a spectrum of "distant" and "close." If omniscient and limited are a spectrum of where the camera can swivel to, distant and close is a spectrum of how much the camera can zoom in and out. Distant only has access to the physical realities of the world and can come off as cold, and close accesses your character's (or characters', if omniscient) thoughts. Notice how I said narration. Your means of perception dramatically effects how your story can be told! Here's a scene from one of my stories rewritten in third-person distant omniscient. The scene is a high school football game:

“Sometimes,” he said. “Not much anymore.” “It’s not better, then?” She shivered; the wind blew in. “A little.” His tone lifted. “I don’t know if it’ll ever be better, though.” She placed a hand on his arm, stuttered there, and slipped her arm around his waist. “Did it help to be on your own?” He raised an eyebrow. “You were there.” “Yes and no.” “And the guys, the leaders.” “Come on,” she heckled. “Okay, okay.” Carmen sighed. “Yeah, it helped. I don’t think—I don’t know—I’d be me if they’d fixed it all.” She grinned. “And who might you be?” “Oh, you know. Scared, lonely.” He fired them haphazardly, and a bout of laughter possessed him which Piper mirrored. “Impatient.” “And that’s a good thing?” “No.” He sat straight. “Gosh, no. But I don’t want to be like him, either.” He pointed to the field; Devon recovered a fumbled ball. “He’s never been hurt in his life.” She met his eyes, which he pulled away. “You don’t mean that," Piper said. “Maybe not. He’s too confident, though.” The cloth of Carmen's uniform caved and expanded under Piper's fingers.

With distant-omniscient, we only get the bare actions of the scene: the wind blows in, Piper shivers, the cloth rises and falls, Carmen points, etc. But you can tell there's some emotional and romantic tension in the scene, so let's highlight that with a first person limited close POV:

“Sometimes,” he said. “Not much anymore.” “It’s not better, then?” Frost spread up from her legs and filled her as if she were perforated rock, froze and expanded against herself so that any motion would disturb a world far greater than her, would drop needles through the mind’s fabric. A misplaced word would shatter her, shatter him. “A little.” His tone lifted. “I don’t know if it’ll ever be better, though.” She placed a hand on his arm, thought better, and slipped her arm around his waist. “Did it help to be on your own?” He raised an eyebrow. “You were there.” “Yes and no.” “And the guys, the leaders.” “Come on,” she heckled. “Okay, okay.” Carmen sighed. “Yeah, it helped. I don’t think—I don’t know—I’d be me if they’d fixed it all.” She grinned. “And who might you be?” “Oh, you know. Scared, lonely.” He fired them haphazardly, and a bout of laughter possessed him which Piper mirrored. “Impatient.” “And that’s a good thing?” “No.” He sat straight. “Gosh, no. But I don’t want to be like him, either.” He pointed to the field; Devon recovered a fumbled ball. “He’s never been hurt in his life.” “You don’t mean that.” She spoke like a jaded mother, spoke with some level of implied authority, and reminded herself again to stop. “Maybe not. He’s too confident, though.” Piper felt the cloth of his waist cave and expand under her fingers and thought: is this not confidence?

Here, we get into Piper's thoughts and physical sensations: how the frost rises up her, and how this sensation of cold is really her body expressing her nervous fears; how she "thought better" and put her arm around his waist; her thought "is this not confidence?"; and how she reminds herself not to talk like a mother. Since I was writing from the close, limited perspective of a nervous high schooler, I wrote like one. If I was writing from the same perspective but with a child or an older person, I would write like them. If you're writing from those perspectives in distant narration, however, you don't need to write with those tones but with the authorial tone of "the narrator."

This is a lot of info, so let's synthesize this into easy bullet points to remember.

Limited vs. Omniscient. Are you stuck to one character's perspective per scene or many?

Close vs. Distant. Can you read your characters' thoughts or only their external worlds? Remember: if you can read your character's thoughts, you also need to write like you are that character experiencing the story. If child, write like child; if teen, write like teen; etc.

Here's another way to look at it!

This is a confusing and complex topics, so if you have any questions, hit up my ask box, and I'll answer as best I can. The long and short of it is to understand which POV you're writing from and to ruthlessly stick to it. If you're writing in limited close, under no circumstances should you describe how a character other than your viewpoint character is feeling. Maintaining a solid POV is necessary to keeping the dream in the reader's head. Don't make them stumble by tripping up on POV!

[raiquen]

Book Review: The Father Thing, Philip K. Dick

My Review in a Tweet:

In retrospective, I felt like I read it more like a chore, trying to read all five volumes this year. It has some good stories that left me thinking about the implicancies, but it was mostly filled with basic or uninteresting science fiction stories.

Complete Commentary:

I'm back! I just finished the third volume of Philip K. Dick's short stories, "The Father-Thing". I have to say, from the get-go, that it was probably the weakest one so far, with lower lows and not so great highs.

The more frequent topics and themes on this anthology are:

Ideologies and their radical extremes: from absolute polarization of society to political opinions taken to their most extreme realization, the author critizices and explores different ideas of his time, some of them being direct comments on recent publications.

Humanity and evolution: what will it be of humans in the future? The fate Philip K Dick envisions for us is rather dark or depressive in most of his stories.

Technology and humanity as a trait: Our relationship with technology is an evergreen topic in science-fiction, but in this anthology, it has a withered quality.

Clash of civilizations and classes

I'll make a short commentary for every short story, already ranking them from the one I liked the most to the one I liked the least:

Upon the Dull Earth: I realized while ordering up the stories that this was the one I liked the most and not the next one on the list. It feels more like a fantasy short story, but the ending is closer to a (cosmic?) horror tale.

The Golden Man: fantastic pace, fantastic ending.

Shell Game: the absolute paranoia of this colony and the TWIST. Loved it.

Sales Pitch: PKD said many people didn't like this story's ending and that he agreed with them. I disagree with both, the ending is great, but maybe because we like more cynical stories nowadays.

The Hanging Stranger: I love the ending, more themes of paranoia.

The Last of the Masters: it's unusual to read about anarchy, but it was very interesting, specially on the efforts to preserve some kind of hierarchy and burocracy.

Foster, You're Dead!: amazing satire, still relevant today.

War Veteran: I would really like to see this story adapted in a movie or series, it has great potential as a political intrigue/thriller.

A World of Talent: I rank it this high because of how convoluted and complicated the mutants' powers were. The plot itself dragged a bit too much.

Strange Eden: I like the ethereal feel of the story and the kind of "cautious tale" of the ending.

To Serve the Master

Fair Game

Pay for the Printer: I feel like we are headed this way with automated production and the lack of appreciation for manual crafts.

The Turning Wheel

Tony and the Beetles: relevant in today's political landscape.

Exhibit Piece: I despise the nostalgic feeling present in science fiction stories that imagine such a disastrous future that anything is preferred than that present, even flawed pasts. Even then, it's well narrated.

Null-O.

The Chromium Fence: I liked this satire as a valid commentary on today's need to always "pick a side", how pointing out valid critics to either viewpoint is considered as expressing symphaty for the other one. I disliked the ending, it felt like an easy way out.

The Eyes Have It: I liked it because it was fun, but I put it lower on the list because it feels very out of place in this anthology.

The Father-Thing: I liked better the author's explanation of this story, not the story itself.

Psi-man Heal My Child!: after reading A World of Talent, it felt very repetitive and unnecessarily complicated.

The Crawlers: pretty uninteresting.

Overall, I would give this book a:

6/10.

My other 2023 readings.

[avesblues2]

do you have any advice as a married Christian woman for couples about cohabitation before marriage? did you ever worry about how things would be like living together with your husband? I hear it can make or break a relationship if you aren't actually compatible under the same roof and don't see how they live.

I am of the traditional stance that cohabitation is a no no. I'll link a couple of studies on it but even without the studies I believe it's pretty common sense as a christian to know why it's problematic. The laws of nature and nature's God. God's truths are woven into the fabric of our reality, whether one believes them or not. My husband and I moved in after marriage and our marriage is amazing, same with all the other christian marriages at our church.

Lust. It is almost impossible to live with your bf/gf and not end up having sex. You are living under the same household. You probably share a bed. You are with each other possibly all night. I mean, it's hard enough when the two of you are alone and not living together to abstain but living together? Yeah, surely you will fall into the sin of premarital sex.

Acting like your married when you aren't. Why would you test the waters before getting married is my question? What is "testing" the waters even? When you are married, it's for life. Your marriage will have ups and downs. You should know the character of your boyfriend/girlfriend before proposal. If you are equally yoked and God is in the center, the marriage has a rock for a foundation. That is all you need, despite what society may say nowadays. Speaking to women, if any man wants to "test" things out. He doesn't want to marry you plain and simple. He wants a live in girlfriend who will the wifely duties without the commitment.

There's a lot of non-spiritual issues as well. Who owns what? What happens if you break up? Who owns the place, who can leave? Who can take this or that? It's a mess.

Around 60-70% of couples are cohabiting before marriage. More people are comfortable being roommates with benefits essentially than husband and wife. Cohabitation doubled one’s chances of divorce. Ask yourself why that may be? Look at how God has written how relationships should be and you will find your answer there.

Just think about the difference in mentality of two people who are simply living together; instead of a lifetime commitment, cohabitation is meant as a trial. That's the viewpoint. Marriage is a vocation, but it is also a sacrament—a sacred bond and Christ dwells within that. I like this quote " His involvement gives us the grace we need to help sustain the marriage. Cohabitating couples do not have this grace to sustain them because they have not taken a vow."

Is the type of person you want to spend your life with a person who is trying you out? Testing the waters? Clearly doesn't want the commitment but wants you in some shape or form still?

This research study is funny because they hypothesize that people who are cohabitating are just already people prone to divorce regardless lol.

And here's a christian article on the matter

[fremedon]

Brickclub catchup, 2.3.6 - 2.3.9

Brickclub restarts today! I still haven’t written up the last three chapters because they’re almost all plot, and I have a much harder time finding things to say about plot than I do about the digressions.

These four chapters bring Valjean into the Thenardiers’ inn and out of it again, with Cosette. Once again, Valjean is not named, and we see him mostly from outside, though Hugo is exercising very fine control over the level of distance--his departure from Paris is seen not merely from outside, but through sources which are named--police reports, the speech of the king and his bodyguards.

(I feel like Valjean’s encounter with Louis XVIII’s carriage has be significant--it’s the king, after all--but I don’t have a handle on how. The bishop’s encounter with Napoleon stated one of the principal concerns of the book; Louis...well, he’s that big man who’s the government.

He keeps coming up over the next couple of chapters, though--Hugo specifies that the gold coin Valjean leaves in Cosette’s shoe is not a Napoleon but a newly-mined louis d’or of the Restoration; Mme. Thenardier says she’d rather marry Louis XVIII than keep Cosette in the house another day. (And Cosette’s reaction to the doll is like being told she’s the queen of France; and Mme. Thenardier says soon the stranger will be calling Cosette “Your Majesty” as if she were the Duchesse du Berry. Maybe it’s just that we’ve left Waterloo, and the narrative is embedding itself in the Restoration?

Actually--no, maybe it’s that Cosette is leaving The Sergeant of Waterloo, emerging from the keeping of the character identified with both Bonapartes.)

After Valjean leaves the stagecoach, we follow him at a camera’s eye viewpoint and see his encounter with Cosette again, this time from outside; then into the inn where we see him through the eyes of Mme. Thenardier and the other patrons; and then finally, as he takes the candle and finds Cosette, and places the louis d’or in her shoe, it zooms in quite close--not entirely getting into his head, but making his thoughts and feelings very clear.

And then we zoom out again and watch him through Thenardier’s eyes, but this time, Valjean has the upper hand. The decrease in narrative distance has been matched by an increase in Valjean’s confidence and ability to navigate human society--he’s gone from so feral and baffled that he throws himself into ditches to hide from passers-by to calm, collected, and in control. Cosette--seeing her, realizing what she needs from him--is the catalyst; but it also feels almost like the reader’s observation is helping him along. The closer we get to his own viewpoint, the more human he becomes.

Some scattered observations:

Les Deux Forçats is a real play, which premiered in 1822.

Cosette saying she never had a mother when the narrator told us flat out in her last chapter that Fantine’s spirit was there and watching is heartbreaking. (And h/t to whoever pointed out--Pilf, possibly?--that Fantine’s deathbed vision of Valjean coming for Cosette isn’t just wishful thinking: she’s seeing this scene; she’s seeing the future.)

Cosette “resorted to the tactic adopted by children in constant fear: she lied.” Once again, it is really striking just how blasé Hugo is about lying. He doesn’t judge it at all, except from a purely utilitarian standpoint. It’s really striking here, on the heels of several mentions about how Cosette has never been to church and knows nothing of religion--you would expect any other writer of the time to point to Cosette’s lies as evidence of the neglect of her moral education, and Hugo doesn’t.

Immediately following that--Valjean pretends to find Cosette’s lost coin, and even though the one he hands over is the wrong denomination, Mme. Thenardier is still partially taken in: “Anyway, it’s just as well he didn’t take it into his head to steal the money that was on the floor.” Cosette lying out of fear is followed by Valjean lying out of compassion for her, and it’s a notable moment in his progression back to functionality and humanity.

“But that a man wearing a hat like that should take the liberty of making any request, and that a man wearing a coat like that should take the liberty of expressing himself, was something that Madame Thenardier did not think she had to tolerate.” The way Mme. Thenardier and Javert reach the same sorts of judgments through entirely different thought processes is fascinating. They both judge sort people instantly into social categories and are personally offended when they don’t fit into them nicely, but for Javert the social order is itself good and necessary, while for Mme. Thenardier it’s all about her fear of anything threatening her own interests or those of her daughters.

Similarly, “no matter how much in her effort to imitate her husband in all his actions she had made a habit of dissimulation,” controlling her feelings about Cosette’s sudden elevation in the world is beyond her. She and Javert will both attempt to lie to satisfy authorities, but it doesn’t come naturally to them.

Cosette dresses up her lead sword as a doll because she is so desperate for something to love. In her earshot, Mme. Thenardier tells Valjean that Fantine was a bad mother who abandoned Cosette and is probably dead; Thenardier and the other customers sing bawdy songs about the Virgin Mary and the baby Jesus; and Cosette rocks her swaddled sword and croons “My mother is dead! My mother is dead.” That’s...a lot of motherhood all over the page, and all of it twisted somehow. But it sets up the stage very well for Valjean to step in. He’s not anyone’s idea of a mother--but if these are the other options, he’ll do.

Cosette stares at the magnificent doll “as if it might have been the sun approaching.” Little Cosette really is Grantaire and I’m still not sure what to do with that, because everything it suggests about Grantaire’s potential is just heartbreaking.

Santa Claus Valjean! Just in case the breaking and entering to leave alms hadn’t already clued us in. Saint Nicholas is the patron of repentant thieves, prostitutes, small boys, and young girls of marriageable age; I feel like Hugo looked at that list and said “Sounds like the three problems of the age.”

Thenardier stays up until 3 AM watching Valjean, and then is up again two hours before daybreak writing the bill. I know it’s three nights past the solstice and daybreak is pretty late, but wow he is taking no chances on Valjean’s slipping away unnoticed.

Fursona watch:

“Eponine and Azelma did not look at Cosette. For them she was like the dog.”

The scene where the girls dress up the cat is such a well-observed piece of pretend, but also--if little girls are cats nowadays, does that mean they will grow up to be lions?

(Also, I am hella impressed at just how many minutes of time must elapse in the story without Eponine losing her hold on that cat--even holding it one-handed while she tugs on her mother’s skirt!. Donougher specifies that the cat is not just dressed, but “swaddled,” so maybe the cat is burritoed? Still impressive.)

Mme. Thenardier says Cosette is “more like a bat than a lark.”

[songtoyou]

Mr. Evans and the Congresswoman - Part 2

Paring: Chris Evans x Politician Reader

Rating: PG

Word Count: 1,858

Warnings: Political topics such as Biden, Harris, our current White House occupant and the current administration. 

Description:  It is the week of the DNC and Chris is once again interviewing you for A Starting Point. 

A/N: The DNC inspired me to write a second part for this story.  This is pure fiction as I do not know what Chris believes when it comes to politics and policy issues. This is a complete work of fiction.

I do not permit my work to be to be posted on any other site without my permission.

Note: Updated for grammar and punctuation edits.

"Hi, Congresswoman Y/L/N?" Chris Evans asked with a smile.

He was once again interviewing you for ASP. This time it was during the week of the Democratic National Convention. Chris and Mark had already talked to other politicians such as Senator Cory Booker and Representatives Ro Khanna and Alma Adams. You were the last elected official he was slated to interview to wrap up the DNC week.

Truthfully, Chris was happy to get the chance to talk with you again. Your previous interview for ASP was such a hit that it garnered a lot of attention from fans and the media. However, it was not because you helped bring more legitimacy and attention for ASP, but instead, Chris found himself genuinely admiring you.

"Hi," you said to Chris, giving a small wave through the Zoom screen. "I told you to call me by my first name."

"I know, but I still want to show respect," Chris responded with a teasing smile. Was he mildly flirting with the congresswoman? Yes, but he had no shame in doing so. "How are you? You are looking well."

"I am doing well. Thank you. How about you?"

"Same. Just trying to stay sane through everything. I'm actually currently in London. Working on a project." Chris admitted.

"Uh oh. You better be staying safe and following the right procedures and protocols," you lightly reprimanded him.

"My fans ratted me out. They found where I was just by the hotel door. Can you believe that? That is some FBI-level investigating, right there. I'd be impressed if I weren't also terrified of the lengths some of these fans will go to scout my location," Chris ranted. He did not understand why he was sharing this with you, but a part of him felt comfortable doing so.

"That…is quite impressive, I must say. Creepy. Scary. But impressive. You need to learn how to put in a Zoom background. It would solve all of your problems," you suggested to him.

"I would, but I'm technology deficient. Maybe I should look up some Zoom tutorials on how to do it. Give it a try."

"There is no try…only do," you advised cheekily.

"Now you're quoting Yoda. A woman after my own heart," Chris replied. He knew he needed to refocus. "So, as you can tell, Mark won't be joining us for this interview. I'm going to hit record if that is okay?"

"Okay. I'm ready when you are," you said.

When the record notification appeared on screen, Chris introduced you and immediately went into the first question.

"How do you think the DNC is going so far, particularly how this year is more of a virtual setting rather than in-person due to COVID-19?"

"Despite not having the big in-person celebration/gathering, I think the virtual setting is working very well. Better than I expected, actually. It gives off a more inclusive and intimate vibe to the DNC that we haven't felt before. I like the whole documentary approach and feel to it," you replied honestly.

"Were you excited that Joe Biden chose Senator Kamala Harris as his running mate?" asked Chris.

"Oh my God! I was so happy that Vice President Biden chose Senator Harris as his running mate. Like, my staff and I were beyond ecstatic. There is no one better to be Biden's running mate than Harris. She is amazing. Such an inspiration. I'm not going to lie, but I'm really excited for the debate between her and Pence."

That made Chris laugh. "Yeah, me too. Senator Harris really knows how to pull all the punches. Her nomination as VP has been met with overall positive response. The Trump Administration and Republican pundits appear to have a hard time painting a negative image of Harris. Why do you think Trump and Fox News are struggling to provide a negative image for her?"

"That is an excellent question. The public's overwhelming response to Harris' nomination is because 1.) she is the first black and south Asian woman to be on a major presidential ticket, and 2.) she is likable and charming. She has this exuberant energy that attracts people to her. You know, black and brown women and girls finally have someone that looks like them running for the second-highest office in the land. That is huge!

"I also have to wonder if people have smartened up in the last four years and won't tolerate the…hypocrisy, sexism, and misogyny…in this case misogynoir that is thrown towards Senator Harris from the media, political pundits, social media bots, etc. So, what we are seeing with Trump and Fox News struggling to attack her is because…well…they just aren't smart. All we have seen from Trump in his attacks against her is that she was mean to Kavanaugh when questioning him during his nomination process. But none of what Trump says holds up because we all know that smart, confident women intimidate him," you finished off your point.

"There is also the left…or more of the progressive left who are unhappy with Biden choosing Harris," Chris spoke up and continued, "They say she is a cop and put people away for weed. That she took kids away from parents when the kid didn't show up for school. That Harris is too conservative. What do you say to that?"

"All of that is…you know…. Senator Harris one of the most policy progressive senators we have. Her voting record is more progressive than Bernie Sanders. All people have to do is research her time as a district attorney and Attorney General for California to find out what she actually did concerning policy. But as we both know, people nowadays don't know how to critically think, which scares me. Progressives need to look at the overall big picture. This election in November is crucial. We are in the fight for our democracy, for our country, and for our lives…literally."

"I talk with my brother, Scott, all the time about certain political issues," mentioned Chris. "He is a tad more progressive than I am. I can admit that I tend to be more centrist. The district you represent is a mix of blue and red areas; how do you balance opposing views from your constituents?" 

You took in a deep breath before you answered. That was a loaded question. Representing a district that was not solely red, or blue could be difficult from time to time. You wanted to be respectful of the different viewpoints from constituents, but maintaining a neutral balance was hard and frustrating at times. 

"The majority of Americans are centrist/moderates. You need a balance of both liberal and conservative policies. Bipartisanship is crucially important when developing and passing laws. We are currently seeing an overt of one-sidedness while sabotaging the other side, which is detrimental to our country's growth. It is important to reach across the aisle to talk with those who may have opposing views than you. At the end of the day, people just want to feel that their concerns are heard and valued. We all want to feel that way. So, as an elected official, I make sure to take the time to talk with those in rural areas, along with urban areas, about their issues and concerns," you shared.

"Do you ever get any pushback from Trump supporters in the red areas?" Chris inquired.

"Well, it is important to note that not all residents in rural areas are Trump supporters. They just tend to keep that to themselves. I have actually talked to Trump supporters in blue areas. We can never and should never assume that one area has this type of person and vice versa. I learned that the hard way when I was campaigning for city council early in my career," you revealed to Chris with a small chuckle. "But overall, my constituents will talk with me and have been respectful. Some of the concerns that have been shared with me do fall under the QAnon conspiracy theories, which do disturb me, I'll be honest. Um…when being confronted with someone who has that extreme of ideals, it is important to remain calm and not to come off combative. Meaning that I have to remind myself that I am not quite dealing with a rational person. The only thing that I can do is calmly talk to the person and respond back with facts. Either they listen or brush me off and call me a radical lefty."

"The majority of people are good, like you said," Chris reminded you.

"That's right. It's a good mantra to live by. I think the American people are tired and have been tired for the past four years with this Administration. We need a sense of normalcy and decency. Compassion and empathy, which were two of the big themes during the DNC. This week was a nice reminder that we, as a country, can have that again."

"I agree. Very well said. You always end on a positive. I appreciate that. Thank you, Congresswoman Y/L/N, for taking the time to talk with me. You always provide great insight into the world of politics and your experience as an elected official," said Chris and ended the recording. "That was really great, Y/N. I know Mark, and I really appreciate you taken the time to do these interviews for ASP," Chris added.

"Oh, it is no problem. Like I said before, I like what you both are doing with the site. Are you happy with how everything turned out?" you asked him.

"Yeah… it's…it took a while to just get the website up and running. I know there is still work that needs to be done. Some areas need to be fixed, but with a project like this, we can adjust. There is more room for improvement and growth," Chris communicated to you.

You nodded in agreement. "Politics is a whole different ballgame. Not many people are willing to venture into the field. It can cause a lot of annoyances and headaches. So, hats off to you, my friend," you said, giving Chris a salute.

"Thank you. Well, I better let you go. I know you must have a million things on your plate."

"Ah yes, I have to go and save the United States Postal Service from corruption. Talk to you later, Chris. Take care," you waved goodbye and signed off.

Chris had to admit, he was in awe of you. There was something about you that fascinated him. None of the elected officials he and Mark talked to for ASP had the liveliness you had. You were not jaded or defeated by the system, at least not yet, since you were still considered a junior member of congress. Chris hoped that the energy and enthusiasm you had for politics and helping people would not diminish. When his Uncle Mike was still a congressman, he shared with Chris that D.C. can cause a lot of strain on a person's values and beliefs. "I have seen too many of my colleagues succumb to the pressures of dirty politics," Uncle Mike once said.

Chris just hoped that you would not succumb to those pressures.

[thesuitelife547]

“I’m sorry to the fans of B1A4” CNU’s Last Interview Before Enlisting [ARTICLE TRANS]

This is a re-post from something I previously had on my tumblr. This is just the translation of the questions and answers. I don’t have the link to the original article yet with the pictures. I have obtained the original articles! Thanks to Shimybana04 on Twitter!

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

Thanks!

- Marisa

[t/n: I just combined the 3 parts of the questions. The introduction parts were all basically the same]

Last year, idol group B1A4 went through a big change. Members Jinyoung (28, Jung Jinyoung) and Baro (27, Cha Sunwoo) left WM Entertainment after their contracts expired leaving CNU (28, Shin Dongwoo), Sandeul (27, Lee Junghwan), and Gongchan (26, Gong Chanshik) to be arranged into a 3-membered group.

 Although it was a path chosen in order for them to develop themselves, but when seen from the viewpoint of the fans that have been cheering for them, there are many regrets. The members cannot ignore these types of feelings the fans have. And at their first fanmeeting as a 3-membered B1A4, held last month on the 5th, CNU stated, while crying, “I can’t repay what is owed to the heart even if I try to repay it for the rest of my life.” With a sorrowful heart, he was apologetic for being unable to keep B1A4 as 5 members as the oldest.

 After the fanmeeting, CNU is enlisted in the military last month on the 22nd. He is the first B1A4 member fulfilling his duty and was preparing for the second stage of his life. Before his enlistment, Star News met with CNU for a ‘Let’s Have A Meal’ interview. It would be his last for the fans before the enlistment. We met CNU at in Seoul at a Korean-style full course meal restaurant as he felt grateful and apologetic towards fans as he thought about having to leave for a little.

 How are you feeling right before you enlist in the army?

It feels surreal, a little complicated. There are times when I feel empty, uneasy, and even liberated. Of course I have to go, but as it gets closer, there are various types of overlapping emotions.

 Is it a bit burdensome since you’re going later? [t/n: as in age wise]

Haha. Going late isn’t something to be proud of. As an artist, I have activities and unavoidable situations therefore rather than being burdened, I’m worried about the members. My biggest worry is about leaving the younger ones behind.

 What kinds of things did you talk with the members about?

It’s more like we don’t really talk about the big thing. Haha. Still, they decided that they’d go with me the day that I do enlist.

 When you look at the other celebrities that went to the army, there’s always talk about how they really miss girl groups. CNU-ssi, what girl group do you think you’ll miss the most?

Um…I’ll go with being a fan of Oh My Girl. I should take care of our kids. Haha. They’re popular in military units. Nowadays they’re becoming more popular and they’re also my company juniors. It’d be nice if they could visit, if possible…haha. But since I think that could possibly put pressure on them, I want to tell them that I understand if they can’t come.

How do you spend your time?

I’ve been busy recently and I think I’ll continue to be up until the day before I enlist. It was eventful for us last year, too. I was in a drama and more recently we were preparing for our fanmeeting. There is a fanmeeting in Japan scheduled for February, but I can’t attend because I’ll be in the army. We were preparing for various things. Since there was a little bit of a change to B1A4, we were preparing a lot of things in order to show fans a good image of us. We were seriously planning a lot of things.

 Can you tell us about what you had planned?

There was the fanmeeting. I also thought that it’d be good if B1A4 were able to quickly put out an album. It’s been such a long time since we released an album. I’m really sorry to the fans for undergoing this change. I thought that quickly releasing an album would be a way to ask for a little forgiveness from the fans. I wanted to have an album, fanmeet, and even a concert.

A little while ago you held a fanmeeting as a 3-membered group. I figure that it would feel differently. You even shed a lot of tears…

Rather than it being anyone’s fault that B1A4 is in a situation where we have to continue as a 3-membered group, I think everyone shares responsibility. I think we should live while being apologetic to the fans. The 5 members are the ones directly in B1A4, but B1A4 isn’t just ours. There is the company that made us and also the fans. For someone out there, B1A4 being in their life could be everything to them and there could also be people who feel like we’re the ones who give them energy…I feel like we committed a great sin to those people. It’s not like I want to find out who did what, I’m just very sorry about this situation and I think I cried a lot.

 I think those feelings would be bigger since you’re the eldest.

That’s right. There’s a sense of regret to it, like ‘If I had done a better job, wouldn’t it have been a better situation?’ I feel sorry towards the fans and the members. The fans who had come to the fanmeeting told me a lot of things like, “It’s not your fault, don’t feel sorry,” but I think I’ll have this apologetic heart for the rest of my life. I think I should have it for the rest of my life. Because we made a crack in their memories of us, I think I should pay it back in the future.

Your first activity after your contract renewal with WM Entertainment was a drama. You challenged your first project, SBS drama Miss Ma: Goddess of Revenge. How was it? [t/n: they wrote more like how Miss Ma is his first like drama role. He was in a previous drama, but that was a daily drama and is considered to be in a different category]

Just acting on TV is such a great opportunity for me. It’s a project that I’m very thankful for. The fans have also seemed to have wanted me to be in a drama. I’m really happy that I was able to have an opportunity to try it out. I was able to work with mostly everyone besides the children actors, so I was able to really learn a lot. I think that this project was able to lay the foundation for future growth.

 In the past you’ve done a lot of musical activities before, is there a difference between that and acting?

There’s a difference either way. Some of the continuing habits that I have from musicals sometimes appeared when I was acting for TV. There were times when my seniors gave me advice on some of the technical stuff, like telling me to calm down my tone. And because Sung Jiru-sunbae and I were together a lot, he taught me a lot about the type of attitude that an actor should have and the type of skills while at the filming site. It’s a project where I really learned a lot.

How was your chemistry with your senior actors?

Kim Yoonjin-sunbae really looked upon me favorably. I’m really thankful. Because she hadn’t seen me as actor CNU before, I think she worried about how I would act. After the script reading, we went out for a company dinner and while we were there, she spoke to me first saying, “Your speaking and breathing are good, it’s clear that you’ve prepared a lot for this. I’m very grateful.”

 I was even more touched because such a big senior had said that to me. She also taught me a lot about acting while we were on site. She acknowledged and liked me as a singer and has also monitored and listened to the songs that I have written. It was such a big opportunity for me to be able to share those things with my senior. There could be a prejudice by other actors for being an idol turned actor, but I’ve been acknowledged as an actor and singer. I’m very thankful.

You had a love line with Go Sunghee.

There’s only a one-year age difference between Sunghee-noona and I, but I think dropping the age difference between us made the love line more comfortable. She treated me very well. I’m thankful. It is a love line but it’s a bit of a disappointment that we hadn’t held hands or hugged. Haha. We said that we should do another project together. It was fun acting together because she has such an easy-going personality.

 You and Bae Dohwan, who was also in drama, played a cop. Did you guys have any preparation beforehand?

One of my friends from high school is a real cop. As soon as I was casted I had called that friend and asked him detailed things like, “How do you salute?” or “Can you take off your hat when you’re in the station?” I think I was able to get information rather easily because of my real-life cop friend.

Together with Sandeul and Gongchan, after the contract renewal, I think that you guys would have become stronger together.

I think that it has. I have certainly become more concerned about things that I wasn’t concerned about before and as the eldest, I feel like there are more things I have to take responsibility for. We also see each other and contact each other more.

 I’m curious about your reasons for renewing your contract.

From the very beginning I had no desire to leave. Of course there’d be complaints and misunderstandings since we were in this company for so long; however, no matter how I saw it, they grew us and it was because of this company that I was able to debut, so my feelings about renewing my contract grew. Even though I can’t promise to stay with them for the rest of my life, at least for this time I had wanted to renew my contract and stay together.

 I don’t think the 5 of us thought the same thing. Although it’s something that the company knows now, at the time of our contract renewal, it wasn’t like I didn’t meet with other companies. There were good offers from many good companies, but in the end, I believe that it is with this company that I’m able to securely do the things that make my heart comfortable to my fullest extent. Sandeul and Gongchan also had that kind of mindset.

When you go to the army, who will you think about the most?

The fans is first place. I believe I’ll think about the fans the most. While I should also think about my family, friends, and members, of course, I think I’ll miss the fans the most. Even at our recent fanmeeting, seeing all of the fans gathered together and holding signs to cheer for us I thought, “There’s no greater blessing than this for me.” I don’t think I should ever forget about my gratitude for the fans.

 What are your plans after you get discharged?

I feel like my time spent in the military is the second part of my life, it feels like I’m starting the turning point. Thus far in order for B1A4’s activities to go further, I feel like we have gotten onto the footholds and once I’m discharged from the army, I think we’d be able to fly and run stronger. I’ll also run step by step towards the planned things that I wasn’t able to do before enlisting in the army. I have a lot of debt for the fans’ hearts, so I have to pay it back, even if it’s just a little.

 I want to release an album as soon as I’m discharged. So far there are about 8-9 songs that I have written. Sandeul also has written about 3-4. We have been worried about what direction our music should go in as we continue as a 3-membered B1A4. The songs that I have written while worrying about that is enough to fill a regular album. I think quickly finishing and releasing a B1A4 album after I’m discharged is my goal. I think with the first step being music, I’ll be able to let go of this apologetic feeling that I have towards the fans.

[forestwater87]

Tales of Fandom Past: Harry Potter and the Shipping Slaves

So, in my spare time I read a lot, lot . . . lot of fandom_wank. A lot. More than should be possible, considering it’s a dead website linking mostly to other dead websites, but I’m a woman addicted to drama who has the gift of long periods of quiet at work, so I’m working my way through almost 2 decades of fan history and it’s just fascinating.

Fandom, back in the ‘00s? Was so much more wild than it is now.

Plagiarism! Fake suicides! Fraud! Theft of real people’s actual money! Stalkers, both real and made up! Fanfic writers so popular they finagled it into mountains of free stuff and a book deal! Everyone was really gross and homophobic! 

There were no rules, and that made it a terrible and incredibly fun time to be part of a fandom.

And we’re not talking enough about it. I guess that’s where I come in.

I’m interested in telling these stories -- not in the incredible level of detail of the MsScribe Saga or the Cassie Claire Plagiarism Debacle, but enough for us to all have a moment to think: Hold on, what the fuck was fandom doing during the entirety of the Bush administration?

A lot, it turns out. Much of it totally wild.

Today’s topic: Shipping wars are as bad as slavery

Date: August 2005

Fandom: Harry Potter

Supposed topic(s): Shipping, canon

Content warning(s): Accidental and ironic diminishing of slavery, complaints about political correctness and free speech, racism in general, lots of hurt feelings and drama

"Now, I'm not black, but boy, do I feel for the black people. If I lived in the 1800's, I wouldn't keep slaves, and if someone has a difference of opinion than me now, that's fine, believe what you want."

Background

In August of 2005, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince had been out for a little less than a month, the film version of The Goblet of Fire wouldn’t come out until November, and the last Potter movie had been released over a year ago. In terms of shipping, fans had just discovered, to either their delight or horror, that Harry/Ginny and Ron/Hermione were canon; while some would continue to hold out hope that there would be a last-minute reversal of expectations, most of the fandom both on and off the internet was in agreement: 

The shipping wars were over, and the Harry/Hermione fans (a.k.a., H/Hr fen, or “Harmonians”) had decisively lost.

The Harmonians’ ire seemed to have been pretty evenly split between J.K. Rowling -- who they felt had let them down -- and the R/Hr and H/G shippers (a.k.a. “Herons” and “Chocolateers,” respectively, though I’m not sure anyone actually used those terms for themselves; they appear to have been given from without), who were taking a victory lap. Depending on one’s perspective, this was either a long-overdue celebration by two groups of shippers who’d faced the fandom’s ire for approximately 5 years and were now vindicated, or it was the tactless gloating of sore losers who were thrilled to get one over on their hated enemies. Either way, tensions were no lower just because canon had decided the victors, and the battleground seemed to shift from the books to the movies -- where shippers of all kinds were in debate over which romance would win out onscreen.

Enter Emerson Spartz, a teenager in charge of one of the most popular fansites at the time and king of creating controversy . . . who had very strong opinions about shipping, and Harmonians in particular.

The Inciting Incident

Emerson had already incited the ire of Harmonians by calling them “delusional” in an infamous interview with J.K. Rowling. The wound was still raw, having come shortly after the release of Half-Blood Prince, and in some circles Emerson was already Public Enemy #1.

Therefore, when Emerson was one of two “anti”-Harmonians interviewed in a San Francisco Chronicle article about the shipping wars, some fans cried foul.

More responses can be found in a summary of the incident here, but personal favorites include a letter sent to the author of the SF Chronicle piece:

The majority of Harry/Hermione shippers are not merely upset that we didn't get what we wanted in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. That makes us sound childish. While I'm forced to admit that there has been much bile and vitriol posted on various H/Hr shipping sites, the majority of us are reasonable people. What really hurt our feelings was the way the Mugglenet/TLC article made it seem as if J. K. Rowling herself felt we were really dense, missing her "anvil-sized clues." Emerson's subsequent "apology" for the harsh words directed at the Harry/Hermione 'shipper community was a non-apology, which you [the author of the SFC article] would have known if you had done more than just take his word that he apologized. He simply used the "apology" as an opportunity to issue another dig. I suppose not much better can be expected from a child of 18 who has suddenly become a bit of a celebrity. But I do expect better from a colleague; a professional writer. ...

You have assisted one side of the argument and failed to represent the other. Did you attempt to interview the webmasters of any Harry/Hermione shipping sites or did you merely cut and paste posts that were pointed out to you by Emerson and Melissa? Your article shows no evidence that you made any attempt to give the other side equal time, so to speak, and as a result, you have contributed to the perceprtion [sic] that ALL H/Hr 'shippers are irrational, bitter, spoiled brats. And that's quite unfair. (Hughes, 2005, paras. 13 & 18)

Or this comment in a Harmonian forum by a disappointed reader: 

History is written by the victorius [sic] (or something like that), isn't it how the saying goes?. I'm afraid we are witnessing it firsthand. Herons feel they are the winners on this war, and as such, they feel they have a right to treat us anyway they want to, and they think we have no weapons to defend ourselves since even J.K seems to have sided with them. Even if most of us are pretty reasonable people, at this point anything we say in regards of J.K's apparent disregard for our feelings (thoughts, opinions, whatever), will be gladly taken as the lashing out of sore losers. ::sigh:: I say, just ignore Emerson, he's just some lost kid desperate for attention. And how good can the guy who wrote this article be if he didn't bother to check the facts before he went slandering us?, not much me thinks. (Remolina, 2005, para. 21)

These responses, while perhaps silly or overblown, were not enough to make history. That honor belonged to a Harmonian going by the username Panther.

How, one might wonder?

The Blowout

Ya know, come to think of it, people like Emerson were probably the kinda people that started slavery. I mean, think about it, they thought the slaves were animals, just because they had different colored skin. Emerson thinks we're stupid and delusional for having different beliefs. Get the similarities here, people? Now, I'm not black, but boy, do I feel for the black people. If I lived in the 1800's, I wouldn't keep slaves, and if someone has a difference of opinion than me now, that's fine, believe what you want. (Panther, 2005, paras. 23-25)

The reaction was immediate and explosive from Panther’s fellow Harmonians. Some understood and empathized with Panther’s view; they saw it as a bit hyperbolic, but agreed with the underlying point being made.

I can see where they were going with this...a different analogy would probably have been better. Maybe the religious persecution during Mary Tudor's reign, or the Salem Witch Hunt/Trials, the religous [sic] crusades, the wars in Bosnia etc. We harmonians are being "persecuted" for our differening viewpoints/perspectives. (Anndee Granger, 2005, paras. 30-32)

The belief that H/Hr shippers were being persecuted for their beliefs was a pervasive one, and extended to fans, Emerson and other fandom “authorities,” and the author herself.

No, what we are experiencing is not at the same extreme level because of the world we now live in, but the base level is still the same. The base level taking us back to different beliefs and views without the ability to be heard in the correct manner, and yes it does feel like a form of persecution. (*Under your Skin, 2005, paras. 36-37)

While not on the same level as slavery, the intolerance of their ship did call to mind other examples of discrimination and bigotry:

Of course no one is dying because of this, but all in all we are being persecuted for our different beliefs. "Bloody" Mary Tudor, killed Protestants because she so hated their different views on Christ. This is an extreme indeed, but the mentality behind it, the vitrol [sic], is the same. (Andee Granger, 2005, para. 38)

This extreme point of view, while widespread, was not universal among the Harmonians. Many of them were . . . understandably appalled by the comment and those agreeing with it:

No wonder other people find it easy to portray us as reactionary and vicious. Some of you bloody well are. (jane99, 2005, para. 43)

I agree that it is very vicious and out in left field . . . Slavery was an oppressive movement for hundreds of years, resulting in the deaths of millions. I would hardly regard that with 'shipper treatment, nowadays. However, the schoolyard bully is a very appropriate analogy, in my opinion. Hopefully you understand the difference. (myrhlyn, 2005, para. 52)

The Response

NarcissaM brought the subject to the outside world by posting it in fandom_wank -- a defunct LiveJournal specializing in fandom drama, which now exists primarily in archives -- and the result was universally disbelief and amusement. The responses ranged from insightful, if crass, commentary . . .

Emerson did not kill your dog, tell you that Santa wasn't real, and touch you in your swimsuit areas. And the more I read the more I'm convinced that H/Hr fans aren't angry because what he said was insulting, they're angry because what he said was *accurate*. (iczer6)

I'm also wondering where keeping slaves was a matter of, y'know, people having different beliefs, and not the subjugation of an entire culture by another which had more money and more powerful weapons, and needed a lot of manual labor but didn't want to pay for it. (slackerbitch)

To good old-fashioned sarcasm and snark:

That's not the stupidest thing I've ever read, but it's in the top five. (Anonymous)

That's right. There is a conspiracy, Hermionians! The world is against you and want to take a shit on all your fan fiction! XD (Anonymous “Mary”)

QUICKLY! SOMEBODY CALL A WAAAAAHBULANCE! WE HAVE INTERNET PERSECUTION! (aerobot)

F_W, known for good and ill as a site that takes nothing seriously except the desire to laugh at themselves and especially others, took the slavery comment and ran with it:

So how much does a healthy H/Hr fan with good teeth go for these days? (xero-sky)

Which H/Hr's are in the big house and which ones are working in the fields? ... We didn't land on Plymouth rock, Plymouth rock landed on us! *throws up the fist* (prettyveela)

If we're going to start enslaving delusional people, I want to start with the scientologists. Who's with me? (ladybirdsleeps)

Big Daddy Heron:*hits the H/Hr fan with a whip* Your ship name is H/Hr, H/Hr! Say it! H/Hr shipper: H-Harmony (sewingmyfish)

Bully for the slaves! In fact they would have been sooo much better off if all we 21st century people could trade places with the whites that lived back then. Not only could we tell them to get a life, none of us would have kept slaves! (chief)

You know, just like slaves, they have to work out in the hot sun for no wages and be beaten and whipped and raped and sold like cattle deal with an author not writing the fictional pairing they wanted. (slackerbitch)

Mere hours after the controversy was reported to F_W, a user named ahiru created some icons to celebrate the controversy:

And with some more chuckles about the inherent ridiculousness of such a claim, the fandom and its onlookers dropped the subject.

For a few months.

The Aftermath

In November 2005, some users rediscovered the icons made by ahiru and found them insensitive and racist. This is immediately reported to F_W not once but twice, and the folks there were no longer entertained, responding with less amusement than outright hostility. A couple of F_Wankers understood to at least some extent why there might be people who didn’t love the icons, though they did generally come down on the side of parody and feel those upset were missing the point of the joke. A lot of F_Wankers were upset about political correctness and free speech, and were eager to point out the oppression faced by other groups of people.

Someone anonymous entered the fray with racist guns blazing, and was summarily eviscerated by gleeful F_Wankers.

After that, the dust settled, and all was quiet on the fandom front . . . at least, until the next inevitable disaster.

Further Reading

The Interview that sparked the Emerson outrage

An offshoot of Harmony that believes in Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson’s undeniable chemistry and romance

A collection of Harmonian controversies, 2006-2010

Other HP controversies

[skamamoroma]

Meg, always kinda wanted to ask....what’s your opinion on the actress who plays Sana in SkamIt not being Muslim?

This is the only post I’ll make on the issue ❤️

Skam is all about providing hope regardless of the issue or story. It is about giving the viewer an experience, giving them a close insight into a person person so that they can understand their story and provide hope.

Representation matters. A lot. It gives people a sense of belonging, of being seen and valued and appreciated and, above all, gives them a role model. It also teaches people who are not from that “minority” (for want of a better word) a new viewpoint and it can educate. It’s wonderful.

I am not a Muslim. I am not a POC. I have no religion at all. I will never understand what it is to be either. I have friends who are one or both so I have some knowledge of some issues my friends face from a closer perspective but I am absolutely never going to know what it is to experience life as a religious (and obviously religious) person or a person of colour.

My opinion matters here as much as anyone’s who is a non-Muslim non POC, aka only so far. The same way as I identify with the LGBT+ storylines, if someone none LGBT+ were to weigh in and say something about stuff they have no personal experience or knowledge of them that’s not at all helpful but if they have general comments about the storyline or the character or the behaviours then awesome! That’s a viewer 😊 that’s what you’re meant to do. But I am not going to devalue or overpower the opinion of someone who is a Muslim POC because their voice on these things deserves to be heard.

Having a Muslim person play a Muslim role is undoubtedly going to be a wonderful thing. Iman brought so much to her role. She gave understanding and depth and I believe even offered Julie tips and info. That’s special. That’s a community being represented by someone who gets it. She received a LOT of backlash for playing Sana from her own community and the guts that took. I imagine she realised the good a character like Sana could and was doing. Do you need to be a Muslim to play a Muslim role? The same way you don’t need to be gay to play the role of a gay teenager or you don’t have to have a mental illness to play someone with bipolar etc etc etc. There’s no requirement there but sometimes things more nuanced than that. Sometimes the need to further a cause is perhaps a bigger one and I absolutely see the value in a real, young Muslim girl playing that role and I can see how the impact can be felt as I’ve been in this fandom a long time.

Italy as a country needs Skam. Many countries need it but Italy’s political landscape is tricky and I have listened to Italian friends and lovely Italian folks on here who have expressed how needed an Italian s3 (Marti) and s4 (Bea) is. I have had Italian Muslims message me to tell me they’re thrilled Sana’s season is even a thing in their country. They have told me that they see that things are different there than in other countries who have Skam. They have commented that they themselves are a white Muslim and feel like Sana looks like they do in their country as they are hijab wearers too. This too can not be discounted. Political landscapes DO impact media and fiction because perhaps sometimes there is even more nuance at play. Perhaps sometimes there is stuff that people in other countries do not have to think about and perhaps to have a tv season shown and understood and accepted some things have to be a little different. These are things I have been told by Italian Muslims.

I am not a fan of how the issue has been handled. Besse is a tricky dude. He’s not subtle and he’s not someone who easily handles criticism even if it is constructive. He does handle it but he also makes snap reactions and it ain’t helpful. But he also cares a great deal. Julie Andem has said he’s the main producer to contact her and discuss, he has taken months to get to know and to understand Muslim youth in Italy, he cares about the show and characters on an immeasurable level, even going so far as to single handedly try to do the social media for s3 himself because they were having so many issues with Timvision. This is a man who gives a shit. He isn’t always right and sometimes goes about stuff in an less than ideal way but he gives a shit and I have respect for anyone who does.

This whole “no other Muslims came to casting”. I don’t know how true or untrue that is. I am sure there are many young talented Muslim or POC actresses in Italy but how am I to comment if that statement is true or not. I wasn’t there. Perhaps a little more insistence could have been had to find someone else?

Beatrice got the role. She’s a young actress, young lady and this is a huge acting gig. She is also perhaps lacking in education a little. Should she be ridiculed, put on the spot, forced to answer complex questions at the drop of a hat and expected to be a walking Wikipedia of social matters? Should she be ganged up on or singled out and made to feel less worthy? Should she be treated poorly and with contempt? Absolutely fucking not. She’s a human. She’s a young female in a complex industry that doesn’t tend to treat women all that well. She has emotions and feelings and a heart and is a person. Education and kindness and explanations are the way to handle stuff like this not sarcasm and vitriol and chastising. I get that anger is a thing people who are marginalised feel because I have felt it myself, I understand that those in the Muslim community understand a level of marginalisation that nobody who is outside if that community can possibly understand and I would never try to speak for the anger they should and shouldn’t be allowed to feel but I’m talking about a fellow human and a show that advocates hope and kindness and comfort and acceptance. Treating her like shit isn’t ok, it isn’t what Skam is about and it isn’t nice on a very basic human level.

The season is going ahead. Besse has done a lot of research and committed himself to making this season happen. He has spoken about how much he loves and respects the season’s issues and has made it clear how much he fought for it to be a thing in the first place. This isn’t a show runner who doesn’t care but it doesn’t mean he can’t be criticised still.

My view is that this would be a wonderful chance for a young Muslim POC to play a role that represents her. To embody a character that other young POC Muslims (or even not POC because white Muslims do exist) can look up to, to be a role model, to represent her community. That can only ever be a truly special thing and Iman did a magical job as have other actresses playing Sana. I wish that the casting directors and show runner had insisted on this.

But I do not want to discount the immense good that a Sana season could do in modern day Italy. I don’t want to suggest that I understand the decisions behind the scenes. I don’t want to speak for white Muslims living in Italy. I don’t want to speak against Muslim Italians who have commented how much Sana’s season will mean to them in their political landscape.

I love Skam Italia. I think it’s a wonderful show. I cherish so much of it. No show is perfect. No remake of Skam is perfect. No actor or actress is an immediate social justice warrior with all of the complex sensitive knowledge at their finger tips to spout forth in a speech to end social issues. I care about people giving a shit and I care about kindness and this cast do as do many of the other Skam casts. This show is precious and useful and unique and it also is made and shown in countries with their own political, social, historic landscapes that people from outside those countries do not understand and that should always be remembered too.

This is not an easy topic and I think anyone who is POC and or Muslim has a right to express opinion and those opinions should be listened to but the way with all of this is with kindness not hatred. I don’t tolerate poor treatment of people. We live in a modern time where being wrong is apparently nowadays a cause of bloody abuse and that’s insanity. Debate is important as is talking to understand. Sometimes there is a place for anger and righteousness and yes I’d absolutely agree that it can be used in a valuable way and especially minorities have no requirement to educate or spend their time being kind to people who are racist or homophobic or prejudice in any way... but where there is misunderstanding or perhaps debate to be had and where stuff concerns well meaning people who maybe need to understand another viewpoint etc etc etc, I’d advocate for kindness and education over anything.

So these are my feelings on the issue. I will watch Sana’s season and I’ll be absolutely willing to be constructively critical, as always. I will also listen to those who are Muslim and Italian about how they feel about the season. I am also watching significantly for other characters too. I love a lot of the general s4 storyline and loved Sana a great deal. By me watching the season, it does not mean I am not critical of some of the decisions made. I choose, in the circumstances we are in, to give it a chance and to appreciate the good it can still do.

I don’t want to have a mass debate on this topic. There are people better places to have that debate and I’m not one of them. Please be kind and respectful and listen, that would be my advice ❤️

[seoultraveller]

[A/N: I am kind of writing this for myself (ngl) but I thought it would be interesting to see how something like this plays out. A multi-part AU where the characters are attending university in South Korea. The main female character is black/African-American but that will later become more of a factor as the story goes on. Seonghwa and the MC exchange letters through a book in one of the libraries on campus and without know each other, grow a connection through that. Hongjoong is the classmate and group partner of the MC but has no idea that they are exchanging letters to each other until further on in the story. This part is just a quick introduction to the characters and their overall placements in the story.]

Her Secret Scribe, His Winter Dream (1)

Pairing: Seonghwa x Black Female MC & Hongjoong x Black Female MC

Genre: College!AU

Word Count: 2,885

October 29, 2020 ~4:50am

Waking up at around 4:50am, Seonghwa notices that his textbook, notes, highlighters, and pen are all still neatly placed on his desk. He placed it there with the intent to get some early morning studying in before his shower and a little bit after his shower, just before he left for his first class of the day. He wills himself up from his warm, soft, and comfortable bed to walk to the bathroom to freshen up. On his way to the bathroom, he passes by his roommates partially opened door and takes a peek to see if he made it in last night. Or more like, early this morning. Poking the top of his head through the door opening Seonghwa sees his roommate. There lies Hongjoong, fully clothed, face-first, bag still hanging off of his shoulder, lying on top of his bed, and in the starfish position. All Seonghwa can do is shake his head at his friend, knowing how bad his sleeping habits are and how much is is hardly at the apartment nowadays.

After checking on Hongjoong, Seonghwa goes to the bathroom to brush his teeth and wash his face. Then he strips himself of his pajamas and gets into the shower. Showers have always been a bit of a meditative practice to Seonghwa. His average time is forty minutes but there are occasions where he has spent up to 50 minutes or an hour in the shower. He prides himself on his cleanliness, both in how he physically presents himself and the spaces that he exists in (apartment, bed, desk, etc...).

Once his shower is done, he wraps his towel around his hips and then makes his way to the kitchen. There he takes out four eggs, a container of rice, and some steak that he grilled left over from the night before. Next, Seonghwa fills up a pot with water, sets it on one of the eyes of the stove and puts the fire on 8 (one of the highest settings). After dropping the four eggs in the water he rinses his hands off and proceeds to his bedroom to get changed.

Never one to make to much of a fuss of what he wears, Seonghwa puts on an undershirt, then throws on a grey long-sleeved thermal and a pair of black jeans. Long black socks to warm his feet, and he takes out a sweater and a jacket to keep himself warm on his way to class.

It’s around 6:00am by the time he is finished getting dressed and now, he tends to the food that is set out in the kitchen. Reheating the steak and rice, turning off the fire underneath the pot and taking out two of the hard boiled eggs for himself. He puts it all in a bowl that he takes back to his room, and eats at his desk, while going over his notes.

Seonghwa broke up his study time into two 45-minute sessions, which allows him time to prepare a bowl for Hongjoong for breakfast (if he eats it) and make it down to his bus before it pulls up at 8:30am.

Having followed his schedule to a ‘T’ this morning, he was proud of himself for making it to the library before the morning rush and acquiring a desk, with a view, on the third floor before they were all occupied. Instead of pushing himself to study a bit more, since today’s schedule was not Seonghwa’s usual schedule, he decided to write a letter on the off-chance that he can bring comfort to someone during mid-term season. Instead of writing on bathroom doors, or in the dark corner of a desk, Seonghwa decided to write a letter. Writing a letter and stashing it in a random book. It’s getting a bit chillier in South Korea, so although it was a long shot, perhaps he can create a pen-pal through this and maybe even get close and intimate during this period as well. However, that is a very, very, very long shot.

So with romantic thoughts of meeting someone who shares a like mind or sees life from a different perspective, he writes.

“Dear Student that is Enduring Mid-Terms and an Incoming Winter,

We are nearing the beginning of a new month which could mean a fresh new beginning for some. It could also mean nearing the end of something larger, like the semester. I know that it’s mid-term season but I am unsure if it has ended for you. I could only pray that you stay warm as the winter will be harsh as it usually is, but I am sure you knew that.

I honestly thought I would have more to say... but obviously not. I figured a formal letter would be better to connect with someone during this time, then short, informal, and weird messages written aimlessly. Now, I’m getting embarrassed... Sorry.

No one will probably read this so...

With Care,

The Secret Scribe”

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

October 29, 2020 ~10:52am

Waiting in a hallway right outside the classroom, she, scrolls through her student email account on her phone and sees an email from her linguistics class. Linguistic Acquisition through Different Ages - LIA 3006. Although she knew, that to pass this class she must complete a project, she totally forgot that it had to be completed with at least one or two other people. A group project... “how despicable” she thought. The email that the professor sent, laid out the regulations of the project and even placed the class in neat groups of two or three. She was lucky enough to get paired with “Mr. Fashionably-Late because Staying Up to Work on My Art is More Important”. As the time got closer and closer to 11:00am, Hongjoong is still nowhere to be seen. She’s just praying that he comes through at least ten minutes into class and not twenty minutes before it’s over. However, she could only pray for such a thing.

At 11:11am on the dot, Hongjoong comes through the door quietly. Chest heaving up and down because he was sprinting through the campus and hallways to make it to class... not too late. She notices him out of the corner of her eye and does a slow eye roll as he tip-toes his way in her direction.

“Was that a look of displeasure on your face? Or are you just containing your excitement to see me?”, he whispers into her ear while trying to quietly slither down into his seat, quickly, while the professor has her back turned.

“You are one minute late past our deal, Hongjoong.” She scolds.

“So you will not share your notes with me from today?”, he asks while giving her a pout.

“There is nothing to share. She is still reviewing the content we learned two days ago before starting a new lesson.” She retorts.

“Why did you roll your eyes then?” He questions again, as if his academics are the last thing he cares about.

“Hongjoong- “, she starts. “If there is something that you two would like to share with the class, please come up to the front.” The professor cuts in.

The look of two deer in the headlights is what can be seen from the professor’s viewpoint. With mouths agape and eyes wide, the two whispering chatterboxes were rendered speechless.

The professor continues on, “Please stop whispering behind my back. Also, I need to speak with the two of you after class.” The two of them shake their heads rapidly affirming their professor’s request.

Their class is currently on the topic of children acquiring their mother tongue and how the brain develops as the children learn how to speak or bring attention to their wants and needs as they grow. A topic such as this excites her all the more because it ties into her study abroad research topic. Learning how to speak amidst all of the culture that one’s language is tied to really fascinates her. Seeing as how her major of study in her home country is Linguistics and she took Korean because of the small intimate nature of the class, she has wanted to do and learn so much more.

As the lecture winds downs to a close for this session, Hongjoong becomes more and more anxious about what the professor wants to talk about before letting them go. Then, he hears the professor harp on,

“As for the email I sent earlier today-“, Hongjoong’s ears perk up. “You will see that for the group project you will have two different options to choose from. It can be turned in as a 10-page research paper, or completed as a presentation. Your groups have been chosen for you, by me. Please consult me if you have any questions on the project or the partners that you will be working with.” After the professor gives her parting words to the class, her eyes fall onto the two little songbirds that had her interrupt her lecture earlier.

With a knowing look, they make their way to the front of the class with a downcast gaze. As if they were to be physically reprimanded. “You know that you two are partners for this group project.” The professor starts. “Hongjoong you must be a reliable partner. I set you two up together because I’ve noticed a great partnership between you two throughout the semester. Your partner is also fairing better than you are this term. You can learn a great deal from her, in fact, you can learn quite a bit from each other. I want you to succeed Hongjoong, and I know you can.” The professor softens her gaze and turns to his partner. “She’ll do everything she can to help, won’t you?” She shakes her head ‘yes’ then looks down again. Then the professor continues to finish, “well, that was all I needed to say. Any questions?” The two students shake their head ‘no’ and bid their professor farewell before leaving the class.

“Buddies until the Christmas break?” Hongjoong says as he winks at her.

“Group partners, more like.” She says back to him.

“Wanna talk about the project over lunch?” He asks.

“Ah- that sounds like a really great idea since we’re both free at this time, but...” she trails off, but then picks up again. “Where are your eating? On campus, or off? Just asking because I figured I should check out a few language and culture books to get some foundation on our project. I’ll meet you wherever you are.

His eyebrows raise at her go-getter attitude. “Sure. Meet me at the small Vietnamese spot two blocks down.”

“Got it.” She winks at him as they break apart.

She has her mind filled with countless ways to approach the project, while his is filled with hunger and images of a big flavorful dish filled with meat and vibrantly colored vegetables.

Before aimlessly searching around the library for what she needed, she looked up the language, literature, and culture and linguistic sections of the library. Literature happens to be in the basement, while language, culture, and linguistics just happen to be on the third floor. So, she sets off for the third floor.

Although quiet, the third floor is warm and the ambiance is calm. Compared to the rest of the library, this is the floor that most people like to be on, and she could tell, because there was not a place to sit. However, her journey to this floor was not for studying but a quick search. So she set off. The part of the library she set off to was a little empty, and not as cramped as the other parts but she liked it that way. The first book she pulled from the shelf had to do with children’s speech patterns and babies recognizing sound. Noticing that there was a folded piece of paper sticking out from the top, she flipped to that spot in the book thinking there might be valuable information on that page right from the start. Nothing out of the ordinary was written on the page. No sticky notes, no annotations or drawings, just words. Next, she took to opening up the folded sheet of paper and to her surprise, it read as a simple greetings letter.

A random letter in a random book. What was the point? Was this fate, or was it meant for someone else? She thought it was cute; with the well wishes to stay warm during harsh Korean winters, and the impending embarrassment of the writer, as well as the writer giving themselves a name. She fell for it. She fell hard. Almost immediately she began having romantic notions of trading love letters to someone in a new environment. However, romantic thoughts quickly left her as she thought it could also be a woman, instead of a man. There is nothing indicating the gender of the writer and she honestly feels a little bad for passing such a judgement so quickly. Her train of thought comes to a halt as she feels the buzzing of her phone indicating a text messsage coming through.

🎧 HJ: should i order ahead for you too?

HER: sure, you’re there already?

🎧 HJ: yeah

what do you want?

HER: something mild. not too spicy.

🎧 HJ: got it

when are you coming down?

HER: actually on my way now. see you in a bit.

🎧 HJ: 😉 😉

She rolls her eyes at his latest text. She puts the letter back in the book, skim a few other book titles, take them off the shelves and makes her way over to the check-out counter.

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

Now, sitting and eating in the small restaurant they begin talking about why Hongjoong is late all the time, their interests outside of the classroom, and plans for the Christmas break after the project is done.

Hongjoong reaches for one of the books and questions to himself whether she’s started taking notes already because he sees a folded sheet of paper sticking out at the top. While she is busy eating and busying herself with her phone, she doesn’t notice Hongjoong going through the book. Him being as perceptive as he is, notices that it’s a small note signed by a “secret scribe”. Did she know this was here? He asks himself. In fact, taking a closer look at the writing, the tone feels oddly familiar and so does the handwriting. Or maybe he is just thinking too hard about this. Either way, he tucks the note back in its proper place and continues with skimming through the index and other parts of the book.

Hongjoong brings her attention to him by breaking the silence. “Since you have four books, how about I take two to read and you take two?”

“Sounds good.” She responds. After making her choice of books to take, they set up a time to meet, outside of class, to get started on the project.

She makes her way back to the library, while Hongjoong walks through another part of the campus to work on his music. After making it safely to the library, she struggles to find a spot. Settling for the floor in the basement, she sets off to write a letter to the “secret scribe”.

“Dear Secret Scribe (?),

I came upon your letter by chance for a project but for some reason I feel as if I am imposing. As if I was not supposed to read it and respond, but here I am writing to you anyway...

My writing may look odd and the sentence structure may be weird, but it’s because I am a foreign student.

The weather is not too bad so far, however, I am doing my best to stay warm. The change of seasons in South Korea is very beautiful to experience. Not only can you see it and smell it, but you can also sense it. Does that make sense? Anyway, my mid-terms are over, I only had two. Now, I am working towards finals. The final project that I am working on is for my Linguistics class. Actually, I am a Linguistics major. What are you majoring in? Also, are you a man or woman? I am a woman if you were curious.

I truly hope that you are managing to stay warm and stress free as the semester is coming towards an end.

You’ll Be In My Thoughts,

Your... Winter Student... A Winter Dream

P.S. I kind of need to take this book with me for research, but I’ll keep it here for you until we can agree on a place to drop off our letters... Only if you would like to continue this correspondence... Your Choice.”

With that, she leaves her letter in the book and goes up to the third floor and places it back on the shelf that she took it from. Her heart is racing, but she doesn’t know why. He probably will not respond too quickly, she thinks to herself. “You did your part, now let it go”, she tells herself as she makes her way back to her apartment for study and research.

[godofplumsandthunder]

Wicked (6/10) - One Short Day

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader

Summary: Bucky Barnes did many horrendous and evil things. He didn’t felt worthy of love and affection because after all, who could learn to love a monster.

Word Count: 1.5k

Previous Chapter    Series Masterlist

We'll call it home too and then, just like now we can say. We're just two friends, two good friends, two best friends. Sharing one wonderful, one short day.

Today was your date with Bucky, and you were freaking out. Your room looked like a tornado passed through it. There were dresses, pants, shirts, and shoes thrown everywhere. Because no matter what outfit you tried on, it wasn't the right one. You either looked like you were trying too hard or not trying hard enough. You finally decided on a nice sundress that was not only stylish but also comfortable. You were fussing over your dress, debating on changing again when someone knocks on your door. You open it to see Bucky, who is dressed in a black shirt, black leather jacket, dark jeans, and a pair of leather gloves, at your door.

"Wow, Y/N. You look good," Bucky quietly compliments you. His voice was just loud enough for you to hear.

"So do you, Mr. Super-Soldier. Are we ready to go?" You ask him in return.

"Yes, we are. After you," Bucky says while letting you lock up your apartment door.

Bucky leads you down to the garage of the complex, a part that you've haven't been to before. He points to an old and beaten truck, saying, "this is our ride for today. Sam let me borrow his truck. I didn't think you'd like to ride on my bike on the first day."

"Thank you for doing that. I'm not a big fan of motorcycles. Never had been," you confess to Bucky.

Bucky groans. "Don't be saying stuff like that, sweetheart. That just might be a deal-breaker," he jokes with you, as he opens the door for you. "This date might not be a total failure after all," you think to yourself as you get into the truck.

As you make your way closer to the city, you sit in uncomfortable silence. You could tell that both of you were nerves for this date. You, because you were on a date with the man that you tortured, unwilling, for over four years. Wanda, Bucky, and even a part of your mind told you not to worry about that. That he understands that you did what you had to do to survive. You were just as much a victim as he was. But the back of your brain, the louder part, told you not to get too comfortable. That you or Bucky were going to get hurt in this. Bucky was nervous too, but for different reasons. He was nervous because this was his first date, as himself, as Bucky, in over 8 decades. He was forced into a world with new norms and habits. Long gone were the traditions of his era. The era where you asked a father's hand for marriage and you saved yourself for marriage. Nowadays, people, and to his surprise, women, were openly flaunting their "hookups", as Peter described to him. He was also nervous because he was on a date with someone who made him feel things. Things that were different than the intoxicating combination of hormones. Maybe it was too early to think about it, but he thought he was in love with you. That's why he couldn't fuck this up. He's been given another chance at life, and even though he couldn't understand why you would be nice to a monster like him, he was determined to make things work.

You decided that you wanted to break the ice a little by asking Buck some questions. Like you would have done with any other first date.

"So when was the last time you were in the city, Bucky?"

"Uh, you're gonna make me think? The last time I was in the city as Bucky Barnes, was right before I was shipped out to the war. But I'm pretty sure that HYDRA sent me there for some missions, but I can't remember them all too well," He tells you. At the mention of his memory and HYDRA, you couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt.

"Ha, I guess that was my fault that you can't remember," You bitterly joke, trying not to look at Bucky.

Placing his hand on your thigh, Bucky tells you "Hey, you had a job to do, just like I did. But you did a good job. You kept all of my good memories up in my noggin. So I don't want you to feel bad, okay?" You couldn't help but blush. How he was able to not focus on the bad, but rather focus on the good still amazes you.

"So what do you have planned for us?" You ask Bucky, wanting to change the subject as quickly as possible.

"Just some of the tourist attractions. Gotta show you the staples. Then maybe treat you to a slice of New York-style pizza. There's nothing better than a slice of New York pizza," he tells you with a smile on his face. Seeing him genuinely excited for this date made your heart warm up. In all your time knowing Bucky Barnes, you've never seen him this excited.

Bucky wasn't lying when he said you were going to see all of the "staples" of New York. You went to the Met, Central Park, The Empire Building, and Times Square. Right now you were on a ferry heading to the Statue of Liberty. This was the attraction that you were most excited for. Growing up, you've always wanted to see her in person, and you couldn't believe you were going to finally do that. As you get closer and closer to Lady Liberty, your smile just gets bigger and bigger.

"You weren't lying when you said you couldn't wait to go to the Statue of Liberty. Why is she your favorite, if you don't mind me asking," Bucky asks you as you sit closer to him.

"I've always liked the design of the statue it's self. But as I got older, I fell in love with what the statue represents. How we should welcome everyone no matter there circumstances. That no matter your background or history, if you put in hard work you can make it here in America. That's always resonated with me," You respond excitedly as the ferry docks. You couldn't believe that you were here!

"I know that you're already wanting to check out the different parts of the island, but I have a surprise for you," Bucky says to you as he holds out the two tickets for the Statue. You were going to climb up to her crown.

You knew that there were a ton of steps to get to the top of the Statue. You knew that you'd be winded. But it didn't help that you had a smug super-soldier, who could probably run to the top and not get winded, by your side. When you finally got up to the top, you were left breathless. From your viewpoint, you had a perfect view of the city skyline.

"Isn't this view beautiful, Bucky?" You ask Bucky, speechless at how beautiful the city skyline was.

"It sure is, doll," He tells you. You turn to face him and see that he wasn't talking about the skyscrapers. You start to blush, knowing that he was talking about you. As you are about to say something, Bucky leans for a quick, and chaste, but passionate kiss. That short kiss had your body reeling. It caused you to feel things that you've never felt before, at least not because of a kiss. You were falling for Bucky, and you were falling fast.

The rest of your date went perfectly. And, you had to admit, Bucky was right about New York-style pizza. It was so good. You made it back to the compound, where you were walking hand in hand with Bucky. Sam made some smart ass comment about you two which Bucky quickly countered with his own joke. Wanda just gave you a smile and a knowing look as Bucky walked you back to your room.

"I had fun today, Y/N. Thank you for letting me do this for you," Bucky whispers, not wanting any uninvited ears to hear him.

"No Bucky, thank you. For my first time in the city, I had a great time," You whisper back to him as he pulls you into a hug.

"I guess I should say goodnight now," He tells you while hugging you.

"Not necessarily. Why don't you stay the night with me, Buck?" You intice him with a suggestive look.

"Are you sure, Y/N? Are you sure you want this?" Bucky asks, taken aback from your invitation.

"I wouldn't have asked if I wasn't sure," was all that you told him as you grab his hand and pull him into your room, locking the door behind you.  

[intrepid-fictioneer-7]

On Whether the Books of A Song of Ice and Fire Will Have the Same Ending As the TV Show Game of Thrones

No.

Or rather, maybe, maybe not.

Seriously, we have no actual way to tell. For years, even before Season 8, many loved to proclaim, especially smugly if said to book readers that came to dislike GoT, that the show will obviously have the real ending out before the books ever finish, because GRRM told the showrunners the details of everything and how it will end in case the show overtook the books. And so you, the one critical of the show, will have to resign yourself that you will only get to see the canonical ending through the show.

And then the post-Season 3 changes piled up way too much for the showverse looking much like the books, reassuring the readers that the show had clearly become its own thing. And then Season 7 and Season 8 rolled around, and book readers felt vindicated, while show viewers were disappointed, saddened, or angry at how yet another the most popular show on television ended so badly.

Nowadays, not many still hold the old belief, most hoping that GRRM do something different. But many others still believe the endings will be the same, if only not with joy but with resignation this time.

After all, say some, didn't Isaac Hempstead Wright just confirm King Bran was a future plot development that GRRM told D&D? Making it one of the 3 twists GRRM told D&D (“three holy sh— moments” to quote them) that will definitely make it into the books, the other being Shireen's burning and Hodor's origin? Meaning many if not most things from the show's final season and ending will end up in the books?

I personally don't think so. Of course, the exact same ending has always been an unbelievable hyperbole, but even thinking most major plot points will be the same has me in doubts. As said earlier, a lot of storylines have been completely changed to the point that they are unrecognizable. Sansa's for example is vastly different from her show counterpart's due to taking another character's role and removing the central elements of her Vale storyline (notably Harry the Heir). The plotline of Aegon and the Golden Company has been completely cut when it would necessarily affect many major and minor characters. Arianne was cut and the Dorne storylines were butchered beyond recognition. The show created the character of the Night King.

So much has changed between the two, stating that the endings will share similar beats would be the same as saying the MCU's Infinity War/Endgame duology/pseudo-finale is the same ending as the ending to the Marvel comics' Infinity Gauntlet storyline simply because in both the Snap is undone. Which is ridiculous: both worlds have changed far too much for one to simply be a copy-paste of the other anymore.

The show and the books have become two completely separate universes, a "Westeros 1" and a "Westeros 2", as Bryan Cogman put it.

But what also makes me doubt are the dubious statements on the ending. So I have compiled many quotes on the ending of the series, from GRRM and D&D, to show just how not so clear-cut it is.

It should be noted that, as far as I can see, only Benioff really implied the ending would be the same:

Luckily, we’ve been talking about this with George for a long time, ever since we saw this could happen, and we know where things are heading. And so we’ll eventually, basically, meet up at pretty much the same place where George is going; there might be a few deviations along the route, but we’re heading towards the same destination. I kind of wish that there were some things we didn’t have to spoil, but we’re kind of stuck between a rock and a hard place. The show must go on […] and that’s what we’re going to do. I think the thing that's kind of fun for George is the idea that he can still have surprises for people even once they've watched the show through to the conclusion. There are certain things that are going to happen in the books that are different in the show, and I think people who love the show and want more—want to know more about the characters, want to know more about the different characters who might not have made the cut for the show—will be able to turn to the books. So that's where we stand.

—David Benioff (x)

And even then there are caveats about there being differences.

There is even more circumspection about the two endings in other interviews:

You’re now at a point where you’ve caught up with the books. What does that mean for the future? Benioff: [...] We’ve had a lot of conversations with George, and he makes a lot of stuff up as he’s writing it. Even while we talk to him about the ending, it doesn’t mean that that ending that he has currently conceived is going to be the ending when he eventually writes it. Weiss: It’s like looking at a landscape and saying, “OK, there’s a mountain over there, and I know that I’m getting to that mountain.” There’s an event that’s going to happen, and I know that I’m moving in the general direction of that event, but what’s between where I’m standing now and that thing off on the horizon, I’m not totally sure. I’ll know when I get there, and then I’ll see what the terrain looks like around me and I’ll choose my path once I get closer to it. He figures a lot of this stuff as he goes. He always says he’s a gardener, not an architect.

(x)

Benioff and Weiss always knew this would happen. So they met with the novelist in 2013, between Seasons 2 and 3, to sketch out what Martin calls “the ultimate developments” after the books and show diverge. The upshot, they say, is that the two can coexist. “Certain things that we learned from George way back then are going to happen on the show, but certain things won’t,” says Benioff. “And there’s certain things where George didn’t know what was going to happen, so we’re going to find them out for the first time too.”

(x)

From George himself, I have only ever seen more nuanced and ambiguous statements about the books' ending vs. the show's:

Let me reiterate what I have said before. How many children did Scarlett O'Hara have? Three, in the novel. One, in the movie. None, in real life: she was a fictional character, she never existed. The show is the show, the books are the books; two different tellings of the same story. There have been differences between the novels and the television show since the first episode of season one. And for just as long, I have been talking about the butterfly effect. Small changes lead to larger changes lead to huge changes. HBO is more than forty hours into the impossible and demanding task of adapting my lengthy (extremely) and complex (exceedingly) novels, with their layers of plots and subplots, their twists and contradictions and unreliable narrators, viewpoint shifts and ambiguities, and a cast of characters in the hundreds. There has seldom been any TV series as faithful to its source material, by and large (if you doubt that, talk to the Harry Dresden fans, or readers of the Sookie Stackhouse novels, or the fans of the original WALKING DEAD comic books)... but the longer the show goes on, the bigger the butterflies become. And now we have reached the point where the beat of butterfly wings is stirring up storms, like the one presently engulfing my email. Prose and television have different strengths, different weaknesses, different requirements. David and Dan and Bryan and HBO are trying to make the best television series that they can. And over here I am trying to write the best novels that I can. And yes, more and more, they differ. Two roads diverging in the dark of the woods, I suppose... but all of us are still intending that at the end we will arrive at the same place. In the meantime, we hope that the readers and viewers both enjoy the journey. Or journeys, as the case may be. Sometimes butterflies grow into dragons.

—GRRM (x)

So when you ask me, "will the show spoil the books," all I can do is say, "yes and no," and mumble once again about the butterfly effect. Those pretty little butterflies have grown into mighty dragons. Some of the 'spoilers' you may encounter in season six may not be spoilers at all... because the show and the books have diverged, and will continue to do so. IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN ALL FIVE SEASONS AND READ ALL FIVE BOOKS, STOP HERE! Just consider. Mago, Irri, Rakharo, Xaro Xhoan Daxos, Pyat Pree, Pyp, Grenn, Ser Barristan Selmy, Queen Selyse, Princess Shireen, Princess Myrcella, Mance Rayder, and King Stannis are all dead in the show, alive in the books. Some of them will die in the books as well, yes... but not all of them, and some may die at different times in different ways. Balon Greyjoy, on the flip side, is dead in the books, alive on the show. His brothers Euron Crow's Eye and Victarion have not yet been introduced (will they appear? I ain't saying). Meanwhile Jhiqui, Aggo, Jhogo, Jeyne Poole, Dalla (and her child) and her sister Val, Princess Arianne Martell, Prince Quentyn Martell, Willas Tyrell, Ser Garlan the Gallant, Lord Wyman Manderly, the Shavepate, the Green Grace, Brown Ben Plumm, the Tattered Prince, Pretty Meris, Bloodbeard, Griff and Young Griff, and many more have never been part of the show, yet remain characters in the books. Several are viewpoint characters, and even those who are not may have significant roles in the story to come in THE WINDS OF WINTER and A DREAM OF SPRING.

GAME OF THRONES is the most popular television series in the world right now. The most pirated as well. It just won a record number of Emmy Awards, including the ultimate prize, for the best drama on television. It's an incredible production with an incredible cast and crew.

WINDS OF WINTER should be pretty good too, when it comes out. As good as I can make it, anyway. Which is a long way of saying, "How may children did Scarlett O'Hara have?" Enjoy the show. Enjoy the books. 

—GRRM (x)

WINDS will be different in some ways, but will parallel the show in others. At this point, there are probably a dozen characters who are dead on the show but alive in the books, so it would be impossible for the two to remain the same. (Also, of course, there are characters in the books who have never even existed on the show, like Victarion Greyjoy, Jon Connington, Penny, Arianne Martell... )

—GRRM (x)

The showrunners note that they’re not entirely sure of Martin’s future storylines anyway (“George discovers a lot of stuff while he’s writing,” Benioff says). But more surprising is that Martin is likewise somewhat in the dark on the show’s ending. “I haven’t read the [final-season] scripts and haven’t been able to visit the set because I’ve been working on Winds,” Martin reveals. “I know some of the things. But there’s a lot of minor-character [arcs] they’ll be coming up with on their own. And, of course, they passed me several years ago. There may be important discrepancies.”

(x)

Benioff and Weiss had to carve their own course for the past couple of seasons, after outpacing Martin’s writing. “I’ve been so slow with these books,” Martin says, with palpable pain. “The major points of the ending will be things I told them five or six years ago. But there may also be changes, and there’ll be a lot added.”

(x)

Anderson Cooper: When it clear they were catching up, you told them over-- a kind of an overarching future of where you saw the-- the last two books going in terms of plot? George R.R. Martin: Yes. And, you know, the major beats. I mean, obviously, we're talking here about a-- several days of story conferences taking place in my home in Santa Fe, New Mexico. But there's no way to get in all the detail, all the minor characters, all the secondary characters. The series has-- has-- been extremely faithful, compared to 97 percent of all television and movie adaptations of literary properties. But it's not completely faithful. And-- and it can't be. Otherwise, it would have to run another five seasons. Anderson Cooper: And in essence, what's-- by the time the series is finished and your other two books are finished, y-- essentially it's gonna be two se-- different-- George R.R. Martin: Yeah. Anderson Cooper: Two different versions. George R.R. Martin: But, you know, I think that's true of every adaptation. We got all these Spidermen. Is it Stan Lee's Spiderman from the comic books? They're-- they're similar, but they're also different. Things happen to one that never happen to the other. Things are resolved differently. The girlfriends are shuffled and reshuffled. The-- the primary beats are there, the character is there, but it's a question of-- what are the choices you make to tell the story, which are partially dictated by your-- your medium. Anderson Cooper: I mean, do you worry that some fans will have Dan and David's ending in-- in their mind's eye? Would that-- would that-- you know, would that be a disappointment to you? George R.R. Martin: I don't think Dan and Dave's ending is gonna be that different from my ending because of the conversations we-- we did have. But they may be on certain secondary characters, there may be big differences. And, yeah, some of the people will have that. There will be a debate, I'm sure. I think a lot of people, who-- say, "Oh, Dan and Dave's ending is better than the one George gave us. It's a good thing they changed it." And there will be a lot of people who say, "No. Dan and Dave got it wrong. George's ending is better." And they will all fight on the internet. And there will be debate. And-- that's fine. I mean, it-- you know, the worst thing for any work of art, be it a movie or a book is to be ignored. (LAUGH)

(x)

How will it all end? I hear people asking. The same ending as the show? Different? Well… yes. And no. And yes. And no. And yes. And no. And yes. I am working in a very different medium than David and Dan, never forget. They had six hours for this final season. I expect these last two books of mine will fill 3000 manuscript pages between them before I’m done… and if more pages and chapters and scenes are needed, I’ll add them. And of course the butterfly effect will be at work as well; those of you who follow this Not A Blog will know that I’ve been talking about that since season one. There are characters who never made it onto the screen at all, and others who died in the show but still live in the books… so if nothing else, the readers will learn what happened to Jeyne Poole, Lady Stoneheart, Penny and her pig, Skahaz Shavepate, Arianne Martell, Darkstar, Victarion Greyjoy, Ser Garlan the Gallant, Aegon VI, and a myriad of other characters both great and small that viewers of the show never had the chance to meet. And yes, there will be unicorns… of a sort… Book or show, which will be the “real” ending? It’s a silly question. How many children did Scarlett O’Hara have? How about this? I’ll write it. You read it. Then everyone can make up their own mind, and argue about it on the internet.

—GRRM (x)

There is a general sense that things may be subject to change and that the ending, besides certain points, is not set in stone. Definitely not the certain "same ending" some say it will be.

We will also recall that, as mentioned in some of the quotes above, in an interview with The Guardian in 2011, GRRM described himself as a "gardener" type of writer who works out the story as he goes, as opposed to an "architect," who plots out all the details ahead of time, a characteristic which may also play out in changes in the ending notes he gave D&D ("George discovers a lot of stuff while he’s writing"). We can see this in how, for example, he came up recently with a big twist about a non-show character while writing Winds.

So I hope, in having written all this, that I have given some hope to the most pessimistic about the series' end, because I have seen many, especially in light of how the show wrote Daenerys, decide to repudiate the book series and accuse GRRM of what D&D did. While I want to make clear that I don't think GRRM is flawless, I think he deserves the benefit of the doubt based on his strong writing throughout the books series, so that at the very least he be judged on his own merits and own faults whenever Winds (tentatively 2020?) and Dream come out. I urge people to not conflate GRRM and D&D.

And most importantly:

Q: "Early on, one critic described the TV series as bleak and embodying a nihilistic worldview, another bemoaned its “lack of moral signposts.” Have you ever worried that there’s some validity to that criticism?"

GRRM: "No. That particular criticism is completely invalid. Actually, I think it’s moronic. My worldview is anything but nihilistic."

(x)

The number one question people ask me about the series is whether I think everyone will lose—whether it will end in some horrible apocalypse. I know you can’t speak to that specifically, but as a revisionist of epic fantasy—
 GRRM: I haven’t written the ending yet, so I don’t know, but no. That’s certainly not my intent. I’ve said before that the tone of the ending that I’m going for is bittersweet. I mean, it’s no secret that Tolkien has been a huge influence on me, and I love the way he ended Lord of the Rings. It ends with victory, but it’s a bittersweet victory. Frodo is never whole again, and he goes away to the Undying Lands, and the other people live their lives. And the scouring of the Shire—brilliant piece of work, which I didn’t understand when I was 13 years old: “Why is this here? The story’s over?” But every time I read it I understand the brilliance of that segment more and more. All I can say is that’s the kind of tone I will be aiming for. Whether I achieve it or not, that will be up to people like you and my readers to judge.

[...]

I think you need to have some hope…we all yearn for happy endings in a sense. Myself, I’m attracted to the bittersweet ending. People ask me how Game of Thrones is gonna end, and I’m not gonna tell them … but I always say to expect something bittersweet in the end,” he said. “You can’t just fulfill a quest and then pretend life is perfect.

(x)

I urge my readers to have some hope. I know I will.

[gerapitico]

Make Yourselves Forget That The Plague Is A Bitch: Book Edition

I was tagged for a thing (it doesn’t happen much, and I’m excited about it!!!!) by @rocknghorss

What’s the most recent book that you’ve read and absolutely fell in love with?

Does fanfic count? No? Because I do tend to read, like a ton of fanfic instead of actual books nowadays. But if we are talking actual published stuff, I’m gonna have to go back to Christmas time probably. And give a little background story, because what would my life be if I didn’t make posts extra long.

So, for most of my life, my parents and I have spent the holidays in the mountains at the cabin. Yes, it is a cabin in the woods, no it isn’t creepy. And that cabin, while great for many reasons, has one great shortcoming: no internet. When I was younger, I extra hated this, though it did give me a lot of time to read. So so so much time to read. And though we spend all of the winter there for skiing (both teaching and enjoying), I read the most over the 4 or 5 days over Christmas that we stay. 

One year in high school, my dad, after deciding that I seemed to enjoy sci fi content as much as him (maybe after watching Firefly or Red Dwarf, or maybe it was just my whole deal), started sharing the Honor Harrington series of books with me. And every Christmas, I read the new one and maybe my favorites of the previous. This past year, he added 2 new authors on top of the 2 I was already reading with Tanya Huff and Eliabeth Moon (and maybe Glynn Stewart? 2020 has been long y’all).

But let’s get back to fall in love with. I’m going to go with Valor’s Choice by Tanya Huff, because of the world building, and also yet another female protag in scifi lit, with the advantage of being written by a woman. It also is more on the military side of things, which I like more than I ever expected to (though I slogged through David Weber, so I guess I shouldn’t be surprised!).

Anyways, if you want a bamf hero in a cool scifi setting, I would totally recommend it!

Do you keep track of how many books you’re reading every month?

No, and I never really have, even when I was little, and I had to for school, I wasn’t about the numbers game of it. Also, because I read so much stuff online, that makes it hard to count things.

What’s your stance on the debate as to whether or not we should dissociate the artist from their art (artist = writer in this case)?

I STRUGGLE with this question, because both sides make sense to me, but there are definitely pieces of media that I used to love that I can’t handle quite as much any more. The one that comes to mind is the Harry Potter series. JK Rowling has done some batshit crazy stuff in the post release of her work that has turned me off of it some, even though it was incredibly important to me when I was little, and I still care about it a lot.

And there are some cases where artists have been part of media I like, but I can’t justify supporting them (y’all the first pirates of the carribean goes hard, but also Johnny Deep). And there are chunks of media where I haven’t been able to figure out where I stand. 

This is a really hard question. The only answer I can stand behind is that cancel culture sucks, and people change, so I’m willing to give people a second chance. 

What do you do when you can’t focus on a book?

Change media types and then never return. I have in the last 5 years given myself permission to dip on things that don’t keep me engaged. I will occasionally come back to something, but if I don’t come back within about 48 hours, I will honestly forget I ever read the thing, so that happens.

Do you pay attention to the gender/ethnicity/race/sexuality of the authors you’re reading, aka do you actively try to read books written by diverse writers?

No, but I also don’t let author determine things for me with written media. Representation in characters, or in actual product itself is more important to me. Though, I will gladly read something from a new point of view, and support diverse viewpoints.

It’s just not really a thing that I consider that much. Which may be a problem, but I’m not a perfect person, and I’m not a perfect supporter of diverse populations. I can strive to be better in the future.

Paperback or hardcover?

Paperback if I’m reading it for the first time, but hardcover if I’m going to try and keep it at home in collection (though I also have a ton of paperbacks from when I was young, and I haven’t bought a non-textbook in at least 4 years.

Which language would you like to learn just to be able to read its untranslated literature?

So many languages!! Mandarin would be cool, as would basically any asian language, since they are culturally so different than me and I would love to get to read that stuff, and get to see that media in a new form.

Pick up the book that is closest to you. convince me to read it in less than 10 sentences.

I sit right in front of my bookshelf, so like 10 books are the closest ones for me. So I’ll take the one I most recently read, with Squire by Tamora Pierce, the 3rd of 4 in the Protector of the Small series. Here’s my pitch:

If you have ever read fantasy and thought to yourself that this would be much better if the lead was a girl who is coming into her own while still going against some of the hangups of a society that is adjusting to women as warriors. The universe is lush and deep, and connects to multiple series. The characters have faults but are for the most part black and white in their allegiances. Sometimes, it is nice to read something a bit more simple, and a little bit more gentle. Also, the whole multiple cultures plot is super fun too!

Basically, read any Tamora Pierce set in Tortall; there are like 5 different series and they are all great!

I’m tagging anyone who is interested in this! (IDK man, I sort of just float aroudn tumblr, stalking blogs from afar and not interacting, so even my mutuals are not people I would regularly tag in things . . . not because they aren’t amazing, they all are, but because I’m awkward about stuff)

[purplesurveys]

844

When's the last time you had fast food? Last week, finallyyyy. My dad surprised us by taking home food from Jollibee. It was an awesome reunion haha. What do you think of people with animal heads on their wall? I’m personally not a fan of it, especially if the head happens to be real and they were the one who killed it.

Do spinny chairs = greatness? They’re fun but they’re not all the way up there. How old is the youngest person you know? That would be my third cousin Jethro, who turned two a few weeks ago.  Do all bottled water brands taste the same? Nope, I definitely have my preferred brands.

Do your headphones break frequently? They didn’t, back when I still preferred headphones. When's the last time you walked backwards? This morning when I was messing with Cooper up on the rooftop. Do you think your parents have a favorite child? When we were kids it was obvious that my mom favored my brother since he was the youngest, had behavior issues, and needed more patience. In the present though I think I’ve turned into the favorite kid hahaha. Growing up, did you have an imaginary friend? Just for a few minutes before I got bored with pretending. When I got older, I realized that was the start of the complete lack of creativity on my end. Are you afraid of spiders? Not always but it’s so creepy when the small spiders jump from one point to another. They move so fast D: Do you like touch-screens? I mean that’s the norm nowadays, so I don’t really have a choice. They were fun when they were new, though. Last item stolen from you? My umbrella. Which person do you wish had more time to spend with you? All my college friends. Which extinct animal species would you like to bring back? All the ones that died due to human activity. Is the Irish drinking stereotype accurate? ...I’m Asian. What''s your favorite thing to snuggle? Just a pillow. Sometimes Cooper, when he’s not too active. Do you throw things when you get mad? No but I’ll sometimes smack things near me, like a table. Who do you wish you could live with? Myself, haha. Have you ever been afraid of being replaced? Yes, pretty often. Do you like magic tricks? I love when a kid’s party has a magician because it makes me feel like a kid again, but in any other situation I wouldn’t really enjoy magic tricks. Do you have any seemingly unrealistic goals in life? I guess, like how big I want my future house to be. Who supports them the most? I don’t really share my goals with other people. What is one way to win your trust? Idk I’m pretty trusting so my only thing with people is that they don’t act immaturely. I don’t like associating myself with people who still act childish; it’s the best way to let me know I can’t rely on them. Ever just stare at the moon? Not really. I like looking at the stars more, because they’re farther and thus more interesting to me. When's the next time you'll say 'I love you'? Probably when my dogs wake up from their naps. What is the last awkward question you were asked? Haven’t been asked one of those in a while, I think. When you like someone, is it obvious, or are you good at hiding it? I’m good at hiding. I wear my heart on my sleeve most days, but when it comes to this I can keep a wall up. Know anyone who's obsessed with themselves, or someone else? Little bit yeah. My mom always has to turn a topic about herself, or when someone’s talking about an achievement of theirs she always has to raise the time she did something similar and how she did it better. It’s impossible to talk to her without feeling stepped on, haha. If no one liked the person you wanted to date, would you still go for it? If no one likes them, I’d imagine that there’d have to be a very glaring reason why. It would depend on what that is before I can decide. Are you good at following advice? I appreciate advice from friends so I can understand different viewpoints, but when it comes down to it I don’t always follow them. Which painting do you wish you could enter? Any Monet. What do you think of cocky people? I honestly wouldn’t be able to last a few minutes with them. I can’t help but be transparent so I’m very sure I’ll let an eyeroll or 15 pass through my face. Is your closet messy or clean? Clean. Have you ever had braces? Yep, back in high school.  Who do you worry about a lot? My friends who are prone to having mental health issues. Do you wear make up for yourself, or for others? I don’t wear makeup, and it’s my own decision. If you HAD to choose, what would you want to be trapped in? A room filled with puppies. Hah, made this question not claustrophobic for me at all :) What's the last white lie you've told? My dad made adobo a few nights ago and it’s not really my favorite dish, but I made sure to thank him and tell him I liked it. What is the worst way to break up with someone? I dunno about what other people don’t like, but when Gab broke up with me the first time she wrote me a letter, never talked to me face-to-face, and even had someone else to hand over the letter to me. I thought that was very cowardly. Does your first love still talk to you? Yes, I’m still seeing her. Have you ever been rushed to the hospital? What for? I haven’t been ‘rushed’ in a sense that I had to be taken in an ambulance. But I’ve been to a hospital before; it was for a low platelet count. Was today better than yesterday? Yesterday was a little bit better because I got to share the first out of the two graduation photos I plan to post on Facebook for friends and family to see and the outpouring of love and congratulations warmed my heart. Are you optimistic? Sometimes. I pick which situations I’d be optimistic or pessimistic in.

[fallinwitstyle]

For All Time ~ A Good Omens Fanfiction

Title: For All Time

Rating: T

Word Count: 3,800

Pairing: Crowley x Aziraphale

Summary: Not long after the Armageddon that wasn't, Crowley and Aziraphale grow even closer and cross the line they've been toeing on for centuries. 

"You could stay with me, if you like."

 The offer was tempting, enormously so, more than it ever had been. More than he ever allowed it to be.

 He didn't end up staying with Crowley he did, after all, get his bookshop back.  

 He did, however, end up spending a lot more time with Crowley at his place and just about everywhere else.

 His reservations that held to for so long began to crumble after the Armageddon, after they were cast out, as it were, from their respective "sides".

 He was on humanity's side and so was Crowley and that earned a certain change on his viewpoint.

 He did not much care that he was an angel and Crowley was a demon. They simply existed as they were, different celestial beings but with a place in each other’s lives.

This often included lunches at the Ritz, it was becoming one of his favorite places, though Crowley, the wiley demon that he was, liked to shake things up and he followed because, well, he never could pass up a good lunch with Crowley.

 Not to mention, as much as he adored food, it was infinitely more satisfying when he had someone to share the experience with. He was shocked by how much Crowley had not tried,but also delighted that he was able to share his favorite foods with his favorite being.

 Crowley didn't always like everything he made him try but he was always willing to try it and if he didn't feel like eating, he would at least order a glass (or two) of wine and keep him company, which was more than enough to keep them both satisfied.

 Crowley also kept showing up at his bookshop more often and join him for tea and he started to visit Crowley at his flat.  

 He was fascinated by Crowley's plants and for some reason, the plants seemed to bask in his presence as well.

 They went for picnics, and to museums, art galleries and concerts and he was even able to convince Crowley to see an Opera and he found an almost relieving delight that none of it had to do with stopping the armageddon.

 Oh the War would be coming, the War between the Celestials and Humanity, and he could rely on that in the back of his mind, (yes that was the reason he continued to spend time with a demon) but for once in his six thousand years on Earth, he knew he was spending so much time with Crowley simply because he enjoyed Crowley's presence.

 One Friday he had arrived at Crowley's place and had been there all afternoon, taking in lunch and tea in the quiet of Crowley's inhabitance.

 At some point the demon had left, going on about something about Scotland and had invited Aziraphale to go with him but Aziraphale had already settled down with a mug of hot cocoa and one of the books he had started keeping at Crowley's flat.

 "It's not a bookshop, angel!" Crowley had protested originally once he started to notice the piles of books scattered around.

 "I don't intend to make it one." Aziraphale answered simply - the very notion of turning a flat, especially Crowley's, into a bookshop was ridiculous -   and Crowley groaned at him but said nothing more about it.

 It was one of his favorite books, one he had read and reread dozens of times. Yet he was still so enraptured by it's contents that he failed to notice that Crowley had returned until the demon tossed himself dramatically onto the couch beside him.

 Aziraphale looked up, brow raised and sniffed the air. There was a new and pungent smell that was different from Crowley's usual slightly smokey scent. He liked that scent and didn't like that it was covered up by this rather unflattering one. "What have you been up to?"

 The corners of Crowley's lips twitched in a smirk. "Did you know farmers don't particularly like to chase after their entire herd?"

 Aziraphale pressed his brow together and pursed his lips. Ah, a farm. Yes that explained it. "Minor mischief for you. I do hope you did not cause any harm to the animals."

 Crowley shrugged, crossing one leg over the other and spreading his arm across the back of the couch. "Nah, they just ran haphazardly around the very expansive field for a while. Gave them a little taste of freedom, they enjoyed it you know.”

 He hid a small smile as he looked back at his book. He noticed a pattern, that Crowley's method of being a demon included causing inconveniences and annoyance to humans but never did any actual physical harm to anyone.

 As far as demons went, it was positively good but he dare not call Crowley that anymore to his face. Though dare say, sometimes, sometimes, he was tempted to just to get him all riled up.

 "And you haven't moved at all since I left." Crowley observed. "Do you enjoy this, truly?" He waves his hand to his little set up with book and mug.

 Aziraphale looked back at him. "Truly, I do and I'll have you know I have indeed moved."

 Crowley raised a silent eyebrow and Aziraphale gave him a tiny smile as he reached for his angel mug. "I needed more cocoa."

 Crowley shook his head and sighed in exasperation. "I never should have introduced chocolate to you."

 Aziraphale's eyes widened slightly. "Perish the thought! It was perhaps the best thing you've ever done."

 "Six thousand years of knowing you and giving you chocolate was the best thing I've ever done?"

 Aziraphale lifted his brow as he took a quiet sip. He could think immediately of a few other things - saving his books from the church - coming into the church in the first place. Countless other times that Crowley showed up to save him when he found himself in trouble.  

 "It's quite delicious."

 He couldn't be certain because of his glasses but he was almost sure Crowley rolled his eyes.

 Crowley then leaned in, his brow rising. "The ultimate temptation then." He spoke slowly, annunciating his every syllable, his voice a low, sultry hiss.

 Crowley's mouth curled into a devilish grin, flashing his teeth

 Aziraphale felt that familiar tingling sensation whenever Crowley got a little too close. Not a new feeling but one he was only recently beginning to truly acknowledge.

 He could certainly understand why Adam and Eve had fallen for his temptation. He was very good at it.

 He cleared his throat and lowered his mug back to the table. "Quite."

 He couldn't see Crowley's eyes through the glasses but could picture them very clearly, staring at him and he stared back for a long few seconds.

 Then he quickly averted his gaze and once again dove into his book.

 Crowley let out a noise and he wasn't sure if it was a sigh or a laugh. Either way the demon sat back and he continued to read his book aloud as he liked to sometimes do.

 Crowley was used to this tendency of his and didn't seem too perturbed when he did it around him and if he was, he simply got up and left.

 Unlike him, Crowley was restless and he shifted and sighed a few times beside him before he eventually did get up, muttering something about his plants.

 Sooner, or was it later, he wasn't certain, but at some point Crowley had returned.

 Fully focused on his book, he was aware of Crowley's presence but tuned him out for a while.

 Out of the corner of his eye he watched Crowwley slowly shift closer and closer to him until he suddenly felt his head on his lap.

 "Crowley?" His voice lifted in surprise and he paused in his reading. "What are you doing?"

 "Well since you have decided to be utterly useless today..."

 He frowned at that. Reading was a very good use of his time he always thought.

 "...so have I. So I'm sleeping." Answered the demon.

 He lifted the book to peer down at Crowley inquisitively. He had removed his glasses and his eyes were indeed closed.

 "Demons don't sleep." He pointed out.

 "This one does."

 He opened his eyes a crack and he was met with the very rare sight of Crowley's golden eyes.

 He shouldn't have been startled by it. In fact he wasn't startled by them, he never had been. It was simply a part of Crowley and one he had known since the Garden. No, what he was startled by was how those golden eyes looked at him and how they continued to make him feel.

 He almost craved the moments Crowley allowed himself to go without his glasses, almost as much as he craved the indulgence of food.

 "Do you?" he murmured quietly. "Since when?"

 "Since always, angel. I slept through nearly an entire century once. It was...a pleasant experience. One I wish I could do more often."

 "Sleep through an entire century?" Aziraphale couldn't even think of that. No food? No books? No tea?  No Crowley…

 He shook off that thought immediately. He had spent centuries without Crowley before but that was before. He almost couldn't imagine so many years without Crowley around nowadays.

 To not watch him drive around like a lunatic, his small smirk of satisfaction whenever he did something he liked, the way he sipped on his wine and how he sputtered utter nonsense when he was drunk.

 The way he brushed off his small acts of kindness as if they were nothing, as if he didn't care, as if he weren't good.

 By God Almighty, he could not so much of think of going to sleep and leaving Crowley out of it.

 "Why don't you then?" Asked Aziraphale nonchalantly as if he hadn't just made the monumental discovery that his life going forward would be enormously empty without Crowley.

 The demon was quiet for a moment. "I've found perhaps life on Earth is not as bad as it once was."

 Their eyes met and they held one another's gaze.

 "I do suppose…" Aziraphale started, his voice quiet and uneasy, "with the ease of modern conveniences...and humanity has grown slightly less horrible to each other…"

 Crowley pressed his lips together and sighed. "Yes, angel, that's the reason." He muttered and closed his eyes again.

 He couldn't help but notice the slight bitter sarcasm in his voice.

 Crowley was annoyed with him and he was annoyed with himself.

 He wondered, with a small sigh of his own, why he kept pushing him away. They only had each other now. No rules to abide by, except their own.

 "Your company is also very enjoyable, Crowley." He said finally and his silly reservations about what they were and what they meant to one another were eased even more at the satisfied smirk that suddenly appeared on Crowley's mouth.

 "Read your book." Said the demon and Aziraphale obeyed, smiling as he lowered the book back down, enjoying the new weight of Crowley's head on his lap.

 "Why did you stop reading?" Crowley asked after a minute or so of silence.

 "You do want to sleep, yes? As I understand most people like to sleep in quiet. I did not want to disturb you."

 "I am not most people, if you haven’t noticed, and there are far worse sounds to listen to than your voice, angel."

 He wasn't certain whether that should classify as a compliment but given that it was Crowley, he decided it was.

 He smiled to himself and cleared his throat. "Very well."

 He began to read again and felt Crowley shift against him until he found a comfortable spot on his lap.

 He read until he reached the end of the chapter and then quietly, slowly, lifted the book to once again peer down at Crowley.

 He was struck by how peaceful he looked, if you could use peaceful to describe a demon, to describe Crowley.

 But he was, with his eyes closed, his face relaxed, his hands rested lazily on his chest.

 He had never seen Crowley like this before. He couldn't help but stare at him. Gaze in silent awe at a very rare, and beautiful sight.

 Crowley's mussed up ginger hair fell over his forehead, no doubt a result of his escapades at the farm.

 Without realizing what exactly he was doing he reached down with his free hand and gently brushed the strands away from his forehead.

 It was something he realized in that moment he had always wanted to do. Run his fingers through that fiery hair, but he never could muster up the courage to so much as touch Crowley for more than necessary, none the less such an intimate show of affection.  

 He couldn't resist the temptation any longer and slowly ran his fingers through his hair. It was much softer than he imagined a demon's hair to be, but Crowley always did keep himself better groomed than the other demons.

 "Aziraphale..."

 He froze, his eyes widening. Crowley's voice was low and deep, rumbling in his chest.

 He immediately removed his hand and Crowley's hair flopped back onto his forehead. He shifted and blushed.. He was usually the one to set boundaries, he should be aware of them as well.

 "My apologies."

 Crowley's lips pulled into a frown and for a moment, Aziraphale felt his heart drop and he feared that he ruined such a tender moment between them.

 "I didn't say you should stop." Crowley continued and Aziraphale realized, his heart lifting and with it a smile, that Crowley's deepened voice was only due to his sleep and not from any annoyance.  

 It was a human trait but he was inhabiting a human host and had such limitations.

 He slowly lowered his hand back down to the top of Crowley's head. The corners of Crowley's mouth twitched and he turned his head, until his forehead was pressed against his abdomen.

 "Your hair is lovely." Aziraphale murmured quietly as he one again started to run his fingers through it.  

 "Your hands are magic."

 He felt flushed all of a sudden and a smile grew on his lips.

 "Well, I do know a trick or two."

 "Not your silly little human tricks, Aziraphale. Real magic."

 "Real magic?"

 "Angel magic."

 "It's not magic, it's simply angelic and I assure you I am using no such magic on you."

 Crowley scoffed quietly. "I could argue against that."

 He frowned and his hand paused. "If you are suggesting that I would ever use my influence upon you…"

 He gasped quietly, only merely startled as suddenly Crowley shot up.

 Crowley got into his face very often, but usually he was at least somewhat prepared for it. He was well aware of what pushing some of Crowley's buttons would do.

 He wasn't aware this was one of them.

 "I am saying, angel," Crowley hissed and he could feel his hot breath against his mouth and there was a flash of something in his golden eyes. "That from day one you have had some kind of ridiculous hold on me."

 His brow pressed together. "Day one? The garden? I have never done anything to you. Certainly not intentionally." He couldn't deny the little stab he felt in his heart at Crowley’s use of the word ridiculous.

 Crowley groaned in the back of his throat. "I know with you it's never intentional."

 His frown deepened and he closed his book, setting it down on the arm of the couch. "What do you mean?"

 Crowley's nostrils flared, now he was annoyed.

 "Do we really need to keep playing these games, Aziraphale?"

 "I don't know what you're talking about." He insisted, knowing full well he knew exactly what he was talking about.

 Crowley's lips curled up in a frustrated snarl. "Oh you do! You're an Angel for Christsake! Your very reason for existing is to feel love."

 "It is, and I do, so what are you getting at?"

 "My point," Crowley hissed and his mouth got impossibly closer. His lips subconsciously parted as Crowley drew nearer and his eyes darted downwards.

 "You silly, stubborn, mischievous little angel…"

 "Mischievous?" His eyes darted back up. "I would hardly call myself-"

 Crowley quickly cut him off. "You gave away the flaming sword to the first humans who ever existed!"

 "They needed it, after what you did, I couldn't quite help myself-"

 "And all the centuries of you getting yourself into situations where I had to rescue you, mostly to do with food or your books mind you, both very human and un-angel like obsessions."

 "Obsessions? I wouldn't call them obsessions. Fascinations, indulgences, perhaps…"

 "And what am I, angel? To you?"

 "You're...Crowley." He didn't know how better to describe it than that. A friend, yes. But also so much more. He had never known another like he knew Crowley and never wanted to. Crowley was unique, Crowley was special.

 The corners of his lips twitched up. "I'm a demon, a being you weren't supposed to interact with, none the less befriend. Yet here we are, with six thousand years of history behind us. You want to know what hold you have on me, angel?"

 He was fairly certain but nodded all the same.

 "Love."

 He swallowed hard as the word came out of his mouth, more tender than he ever thought Crowley could be, and Crowley did have his sparse moments of tenderness.

 "I love you, you daft, stubborn angel."

 A warmth blossomed in his chest and with it a small smile.

 He cleared his throat lightly. "Six thousand years, my dear. You might have said something sooner-"

 He was suddenly cut off as Crowley growled and then closed the small remaining distance between them with a harsh kiss to his mouth.

 That time he knew precisely what he was doing to push all of Crowley's right buttons to get exactly what he wanted.

 His eyes closed and his hand returned to Crowley's head, his fingers curling in his hair.

 Crowley's mouth moved against his own, his body pressing against his and he knew he had most definitely found his new favorite indulgence.

 "If it wasn't entirely obvious…" Aziraphale started once Crowley pulled away, his voice a little strained. He brought his hand to the side of his face, the tips of his fingers running over the tattoo at his sideburns and he smiled. "I also happen to love you."

 "Obvious?" Crowley groaned with a dramatic roll of his eyes. "You couldn't have made it any less obvious! Sweet Moses, Aziraphale!"

 Crowley fell to the seat beside him but sat closer than he ever had before, their thighs pressed together and his arm strung behind him.

 A delightful tingling shot through his body as Crowley returned the favor and began to play with the hair at the nape of his neck.

 He turned a sheepish and apologetic smile to him and Crowley gazed at him in exasperation.

 "How many times have I asked you to run away with me? And how many times have you claimed to not even like me?"

 His brow twitched downward and he winced. "Ah, yes...many times I’m afraid but you always saw through that, didn’t you?”

 “That is besides the point and that point being you were anything but obvious and made it a point to be just the opposite!”

 “I do apologize.” Aziraphale said gently, turning his head into Crowley’s hand and hoped his affection would be able to make up for it now.

 Crowley let out a deep sigh and shook his head. He pursed his lips, hiding a smirk.

 “You are forgiven.” He said, echoing Aziraphale’s words from not so long ago and Aziraphale answered with a beaming smile.

 "Do you remember Moses?" Aziraphale asked suddenly after they had settled back down.

 "Yes," Crowley nodded with a small smirk, "and I recall he wasn't so sweet when he brought down those tablets."

 Aziraphale shot him a look. "That's because while I followed him up the mountain you tempted everyone with their false gods and idols."

 Crowley shrugged unapologetically. "Deserved it as far as I'm concerned after the whole Noah business."

 Aziraphale frowned and nodded in acknowledgement. "Hm, yes that was awfully dreadful."

 "I still cannot believe it came from your side."

 Aziraphale thought about the Angels and how they had treated him over the millennia. How Crowley said they had treated him at his "execution". And how they were actually prepared for and wanted war.

 He may still be an Angel in all physical sense of the word but he did not belong to their side and perhaps he never had.

 Aziraphale shook his head and gazed at Crowley with a tender smile. "You're my side now."

 Crowley raised his brow in pleasant surprise and a smug grin slowly crossed his lips. "Well, I'm glad to see you've finally come to your senses."

 "Only took six thousand years and the threat of the end of the world."

 "Six thousand years," Crowley echoed, "and you hadn't a bloody clue."

 Aziraphale turned a look on him. "That's not exactly true." He admitted.

 "Oh no?" Crowley turned his head and narrowed his eyes.

 "I was aware of what you wanted, to some extent at least but I couldn't…

 "Hold on, hold on…" Crowley leaned in towards him, his eyes were just a little fiery, "...are you telling me you have been teasing me all of this time on purpose?"

 "No!" He felt the lie as soon as he said it and the expression on Crowley's face indicated he didn't buy it either. "Not completely on purpose." He articulated slowly and offered a small sheepish smile. "Accidentally on purpose."

 "Accidentally on purpose?" Crowley exclaimed, his brow shooting up. "Do you know how ridiculous that sounds."

 Aziraphale let out a small huff. "I simply mean that of course I loved you and I wanted to but I couldn't."

 Crowley's scowl deepened. "Angel, please…"

 "I couldn't let myself." He corrected himself quickly, his voice soft and apologetic. "I couldn't untie myself completely from.." he turned his gaze upwards.

 "And now?" Crowley prompted.

 Aziraphale looked back at him and smiled with a small shrug. "Now I simply don't care anymore. Not about that, or them. Just you and this flawed but glorious little planet."

 The scowl on Crowley's face faded into a smirk and Aziraphale couldn't resist leaning in to give him another short little kiss.

 "It's only us now, my dear." He murmured, once again reaching out to touch his face.

 Crowley rested his head back onto his lap after a minute, settling back into comfort and Aziraphale immediately took to his hair again.

 "Angel?" Crowley lifted his hand and wrapped his fingers gently around Aziraphale’s wrist.

 "Yes?"

 "Stay with me."

 It wasn't a question this time and for Aziraphale there was no question in his mind anymore of what his answer was.

 "For all time, Crowley. For all time."

[7-wonders]

As Above, So Below Ch. 9

Summary: Your average, mundane life as a college student is flipped upside down when the man you thought you knew as your next-door neighbor turns out to be the God of the dead. When Michael lures you down to Hell, everything that you thought you knew about the world is proven wrong.

Word Count: 3183

A/N: This chapter’s extra long to make up for how shitty I’ve been with updating lately. Thanks for sticking around; feedback is always appreciated and my inbox is always open!

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9: Ballroom Blitz | Chapter 10 | Chapter 11 | Chapter 12

“I’m not wearing that.”

“You have to, it’s tradition!”

“Screw tradition, I’m not wearing it!”

You’re in a face-off with Madison, glaring fiercely at the woman while she clutches a corset in her hands. After Desa wasn’t able to convince you to wear it, she had gone to get Madison, which only agitated you more. You’re already nervous about seeing Michael tonight, as well as being in a room with a bunch of legendary gods and goddesses who are so much more worldly than you are. Your nerves are shot, and this is really not helping things right now.

Madison sighs deeply, pinching the bridge of her nose in frustration. “Why won’t you wear it?”

“Because it’s a sexist piece of clothing rooted in patriarchal values. They’re used specifically to make a woman ‘aesthetically pleasing,’ which is the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.” You explain your viewpoint.

“I...really hate that you’re right.” Madison concedes after a moment, causing you to smirk with pride. “Fine, don’t wear it. You’ll look great no matter what.”

Madison is already dressed, wearing a black strapless dress with sleeves that flow down to her elbows and a slit on the side of the fabric that shows off her long legs. Gold leaves accent the dress in just the right way, and the outfit is completed with a dainty diadem on her head. You can only imagine that every other woman who will be attending tonight will look just as ethereal as the woman in front of you.

“I’m not gonna be able to even stand next to you and all the other goddesses.” You chuckle, attempting to make light of your very real fear.

“Why not?”

“Look at you, and then look at me. There’s your answer.” Madison frowns, tossing the corset onto your bed and grabbing your shoulders to drag you towards the mirror.

“Why do you put yourself down so much? You do this whenever I dress you up.”

“I don’t know, it’s hard to not compare myself when I’m surrounded by all these perfect women. Plus, with social media you’ve got Instagram models and Facetune being shown to you everyday. It’s pretty much ingrained in our minds to compare ourselves and see how we can be ‘better.’” You cough, meeting Madison’s eyes through the mirror. “It’s just normal, I guess.”

“Beauty is very much a human concept. Even at the height of Greek civilization, mortals were fighting over what beauty truly was. Do you know what some of the greatest philosophers decided?” You shake your head, and she smiles. “They couldn’t come to a conclusion. Beauty’s subjective, and it’s often true that the most beautiful people carry their beauty within them.”

“Yeah, but-”

“Hush. You don’t know how beautiful you are, both on the outside and the inside. If the Greeks fought a war over Helen of Troy’s beauty, they’d fight ten wars over yours. You have the literal God of the Underworld head over heels for you, and not to mention all of the beings down here who are drawn to your inner beauty. I promise, you belong here. Besides, when you’ve been alive for as long as all of us have, judging people based on the symmetry of their face or how conventionally attractive their features are becomes very blasé and trivial.”

You attempt to desperately blink your tears away, not wanting to ruin the makeup Desa had so carefully helped you to apply earlier. First Michael’s declaration yesterday, and now Madison’s lecture/reminder today, and now you want to collapse into a puddle of tears and hug every person in sight. Madison senses this, and she rolls her eyes before sighing.

“Get over here and hug me.” She loses her balance slightly at the intensity of your hug, but quickly returns it.

“I knew you’d give into my hugs soon enough.” You mutter into her ear, feeling her shoulders shake with laughter.

“Don’t you dare tell anybody how much of a sap you’ve made me become.” She jokingly warns you.

“Your secret’s safe with me, I swear.”

“Alright, we’ve wasted enough time having a heart-to-heart chat, let’s get you dressed.” Madison snaps her fingers, and Desa appears with a dress in her hands.

Minutes later, you’re inspecting yourself in the mirror again, but this time with glee instead of criticism. The two women (your best friends here, if you’re being honest) picked out a dress made out of some flowy fabric--Organza? Chiffon? You wish you would have paid more attention to your grandmother’s attempts to teach you sewing--that falls down your body like water. The neckline is a deep V, almost reaching down to your waist. You’ve never been a fan of the color pink, but the pale pink color compliments you perfectly. Silver flowers wrap around your figure, which you’re sure is a deliberate choice on Madison’s part. Desa’s wrapped the same flowers throughout your hair. You look completely different while also looking the same as always, kind of like-

“A goddess.” Three sets of eyes go towards the door, where Michael now stands and watches you. You note with glee that fashion is, indeed, not lost on Greek gods. He’s wearing a velvet, blood-red jacket over a sharp black dress shirt, black slacks tucked into the red-bottom boots he’s fond of, and a red and black scarf tied around his neck. Red eyeshadow makes his cyan eyes pop even more than you thought was possible.

“Your hair!” You exclaim, choosing to focus on arguably the smallest detail. In your defense, his hair looks nothing like you’ve seen before; in the span of a day, his hair has grown down to his shoulders.

“You don’t like it?” He teases.

“No I do, I like it a lot, it’s just different. A good different, though.” You stutter out, blushing at how dumb you probably look right now.

“And you, my dear, look like a goddess.” Michael, ever the gentleman, kisses the back of your hand after he approaches you.

“See you out there.” Madison smirks, throwing a cheeky wink your way before sauntering out the door.

“Anything else, (Y/N)?” Desa asks.

“No, thank you Desa.” You smile at the handmaiden, who nods before disappearing. Suddenly it’s just you and Michael, which sends butterflies fluttering through your abdomen. Michael grins at you deviously before leaning in to kiss you.

“You should have started with that.” You giggle breathlessly as Michael places his large, ringed hands on your waist.

“I’ll keep that in mind for next time. Less compliments, more kissing.” He makes his point by kissing you again. “I meant what I said, though. You really do look like a goddess.”

“And I meant what I said, too. I really like the hair. You should consider keeping it like this.” You run a hand through his hair, relishing in the silky feeling.

“Hmm, I’ll consider it. For now, we really should be going. It’s not too good for the host and his lovely date to be late.”

“Wait!” You drag Michael to a stop, and he looks at you in confusion. “I forgot shoes.” You say sheepishly, letting go of his hand to grab the pair of (low) heels still sitting at the end of your bed. You shove them on as quickly as possible, holding Michael’s hands for balance so that you don’t fall.

“Are you ready now?” He asks, smiling fondly at you. With your nod, he lets you wrap your hand around his forearm again, leading you to the throne room.

He can sense how nervous you are as you stand in front of the closed doors, waiting for the butlers to open them and formally introduce Michael. Your grip on his arm keeps growing tighter, and you’re nervously shifting your weight back and forth between each foot.

“There’s no reason to be nervous, (Y/N). I’ve got you.” He reassures you.

“Just...don’t let go of me, okay?”

“Never.” You straighten up when you hear the faint voice of a man announcing “the arrival of his Majesty, King Hades, God of the Dead, Lord of the Underworld, accompanied by Lady (Y/N) (Y/L/N).” The doors swing open, and you stifle a gasp.

The throne room is beautifully decorated, looking every bit as rich and extravagant as you imagined a party thrown by Greek gods and goddesses would be. All eyes are on you and Michael as you descend down the grand staircase. You’re smiling, but on the inside you’re desperately repeating to yourself ‘don’t fall, don’t fall.’

“I’ve got you.” He repeats in your ear, hiding a smirk after hearing your terrified thoughts. At the bottom of the staircase, Michael commands all of the attention.

“Dear friends, thank you for joining us here in the Underworld tonight. Please, eat, drink, dance, and be merry.” You assume that this little speech is customary by the bored tone of his voice and the way everyone resumes their conversations the second Michael’s done talking.

“You did good.” You encourage, relaxing now that nobody’s looking at you.

“Funny.” He says dryly, smirking at you.

“I’m serious!” You bump shoulders with him playfully, enjoying the laugh you get from him. His smile quickly morphs into a frown, and you look around while trying to figure out what’s got him down.

“Here comes trouble.” He mutters before forcing a neutral look on his face. A small brunette with doe-eyes approaches, her gold dress trailing behind her. She smiles warmly, but you can see the hesitation in her eyes.

“Michael.” She greets warmly, hugging Michael quickly before pulling away.

“Sister.” He kisses both of her cheeks while you watch in bewilderment. Sister? “(Y/N), this is my sister, Hera.”

“I prefer to go by Violet nowadays.” She smiles at you, hugging you too. “It’s so nice to finally meet you (Y/N). After hearing my brother go on and on about you for months, I was beginning to think he’d never actually make a move.” You giggle as Michael grits his teeth.

“Violet.” He warns, but there’s no malice behind the ‘threat.’

“Ah, I was wondering where my darling wife had ran off too.” Violet stiffens, the atmosphere growing cold when a man with blonde curls (almost like Michael’s, you note) and dark eyes appears and places his hand on Violet’s shoulder. Your eyes widen when you realize that this must be the legendary Zeus.

“Tate.” Michael acknowledges Zeus’ presence with his modern name. Tate smiles coldly, dark eyes fixating on you.

“Is this the object of Michael’s affection?” Michael’s grip tightens protectively on your waist, pulling you closer to his side.

“This is (Y/N).” Tate holds out his arm, and you take his hand and let him kiss the back of it. It doesn’t feel nearly as nice as when Michael does it, and you take your hand back quickly from him.

“(Y/N). I’m Tate, Michael’s brother, brother-in-law, unwilling vessel used in his conception, you know.” You don’t know, but you nod anyways.

“It’s nice to meet you.” It’s a tense stare down between the two men, you and Violet looking at each other in worry.

“You’ll have to excuse us, Tate. As the host, I do have to greet the other guests.” Michael quips.

“Of course. Come, Violet.” Tate grabs Violet harshly, pulling her away as she waves ‘goodbye’ at you. When they’re far enough away, you let out a breath you didn’t know you were holding.

“That was…”

“Horrible? Vomit-inducing?” Michael fills in.

“Quite the experience.” You finish, not wanting to be as cruel as Michael. “I see why you got so mad at our first supper, when I called him your brother? You handle yourself extremely well around him, though.” You smile at him, watching as the rage leaves his eyes.

“You’re the only person who can manage to calm me down so easily, you know that?” You shrug bashfully.

“One of my special talents, I guess.” Michael cocks his head to the side, listening to the song the band plays.

“Care for a dance?”

“Oh, I don’t know how to dance.” You explain. Michael smirks at you, shaking his head.

“Don’t worry, just follow my lead and you’ll be fine.” Your hand intertwines with his, the other resting on his shoulder while he keeps his on your waist. You stumble a bit, apologizing profusely when you step on his toes, but soon he’s swinging you around the room, grinning as you laugh. You watch the other couples whirl around you, smiling nostalgically.

“What?” Michael questions.

“This just reminds me of a movie I used to watch when I was little. Labyrinth?” You’re not surprised when he shakes his head to let you know he doesn’t understand. “Ah, well, there was a scene where the main characters are at a masquerade ball, and they’re dancing just like this. Just reminded me of home, I guess.”

Michael looks down at you, obviously thinking about something. “I’m not sure of the extent of, or if there even will be, any consequences, but maybe we could go up Above for a visit soon?”

“You’d do that?” You ask joyfully.

“Of course I would, I-” A shriek cuts Michael off as he stops you both. The band’s playing comes to a halt, and the lights flicker as more shrieks fill the room. The doors have been blown wide open, both hanging haphazardly off of the hinges. Guests move towards the back of the throne room, trying desperately to get away from whatever threat has invaded Hell. Michael stands in front of you, so you crane your neck to get a view.

A tall figure stands at the bottom of the stairs, his head brushing against the cavernous ceilings that are at least 10 feet above you. His entire body is coal-black and moves as though it’s made of smoke, raised etchings decorating what must be considered his skin. His eyes are burning embers, and the horns that top his head shine when hit with light. Michael steps forward, shocking you. Your shock only increases when he bows his head.

“Father.” You gasp at his greeting, screams surrounding you. His father? Who is his father? You’ve never really entertained the idea of Michael’s parents. Is this Cronus, the father of the 12 main Olympians that you were taught about during (frequently-wrong) elementary school lessons? Or is this Satan himself? Zoe and Madison appear next to you, each grabbing an arm.

“Take (Y/N) to my chambers, and don’t let her out of your sight until I’m there.” They nod in agreement while you try to fight them off.

“Michael!” You protest.

“Do as I say.” He commands, looking at you with what you realize is fear. You nod, and Madison transmutates the three of you out of the throne room. You yell out in frustration after you’ve safely landed in Michael’s office, Zoe and Madison securing the premises.

“Who the fuck was that?” You question, trying to calm down before you really get angry.

“It’s...difficult to explain, but I’ll try. Basically, the so-called ‘religions’ all got some things right, and some things wrong. Even though Michael is Hades, he’s also Satan’s son. I know that it’s confusing, trust me, I’ve tried to figure this out for thousands of years but I still don’t have it all worked out.” Zoe says.

“So that was Satan?”

“Yep.”

“Is Michael going to be okay?”

“There’s no way to know for sure right now. Satan doesn’t usually show up to these sorts of events; he hasn’t even been seen for the last five centuries. The only thing to do now is wait.”

You’ve always been impatient, whether it be with test scores, appointments, or just being told to wait. You attempt to pass the time by pacing back and forth, but after twenty minutes you realize you can’t keep this up. Switching to perusing Michael’s bookshelves, another two hours pass with no sign of Michael. Zoe and Madison have remained seated on one of the couches, watching you the entire time. At some point in the early hours of the morning, you fall asleep on Michael’s bed, fully clothed and with tears of worry making tracks down your face.

The feeling of somebody touching your feet has you jolting up in a panic, ready for a fight. If there’s one thing you hate more than anything, it’s people touching your feet.

“Hey, it’s just me! Please don’t kick me!” Your eyes adjust to the dimmed lighting, finally seeing Michael crouched down in front of you.

“What the fuck were you doing?” Your half-asleep brain doesn’t even realize what’s going on right now, you’re just mad that someone woke you up.

“Your shoes were still on, I was just trying to take them off for you.” You look around the room, noticing Madison and Zoe are both gone. It takes another moment for you to realize why you fell asleep in Michael’s bedroom before you leap off the bed and into his arms.

“Michael, I was so worried! Are you okay? What happened?” You bombard him with questions. He lifts you up like you weigh nothing, laying down on the bed with you.

“I’m fine, everything’s fine. My father just picked the wrong time to stop by for a visit.”

“‘A visit?’ Madison told me he hadn’t even been seen in five hundred years.” You look at him with a frown. His hair is disheveled, and his outfit is ripped to shreds. There’s blood all over him, but the wounds have already healed. “Jesus, Michael. What did he do to you?” Your hand touches his forehead, stroking the three streaks of blood where he had obviously been scratched.

“We just had a disagreement. He’s trying to convince me to turn my back on Olympus, overthrow the system and basically unleash the apocalypse so that he can rule on Earth. It’s a fight we’ve had off and on for years.” Your mind quickly connects the dots, and you sigh.

“That’s why you needed me out of there.”

“He gave me two choices: send you back Above and ‘hope’ the prophecy works and the end of the world happens, or kill you and set it off that way.” Your blood runs cold at Satan’s ‘options’ that he’s given to his son.

“So, is-”

“I managed to banish him to Tartarus. It’s not much, and it will only hold him for a couple of weeks, but by then Madison should have found the prophecy and we can have a more concrete plan.”

“Is there anything I can do to help?”

“You can hold me?” It’s a rare moment of vulnerability, but thankfully it’s a request that you can easily handle.

“Do you want to get out of those clothes, get cleaned up or something?” He shakes his head.

“I’m just tired. We can worry about that in the morning.” The battle with his father has obviously shaken him, so you wrap your arms around him and decide to worry about the mess that’s left behind in the morning.

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