#elvella scribbles

[elrondsscribe]

huanli, didi edition

wwx: oh lan zongzhu? yeah he’s cool! lan zhan thinks the world of him. he’ll do!

jc: hmm. better then the peacock. plus his sect doesn’t suck as bad. could be worse.

lwj: *has commissioned a set of new white robes with purple lining and trim* respect jiang guniang or taste bichen 🗡️

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It’s very interesting to me that “cardboard cutout, good vs bad” is how most Americans seem to view the Revolutionary War. I mean, that just feels so foreign to me, but I’m black (and like, black with confirmed enslaved ancestry, I know SOME of their names) so my basic view of the Revolution was never simple or straightforward to begin with. The notion that the British offered to free rebellious colonists’ slaves was also never lost on me.

And maybe that, in part, was why TURN’s John Andre never quite made the impact for me that he seems to have made with basically the entire rest of the fandom. Maybe “likable British officer” was just never going to be a Big Revelation for me, because I didn’t start out from the same place as most of the other viewership did.

Now look. I don’t want any Andre fans to feel invalidated here, but I have to be honest — the dynamic between Andre and Abigail never EVER sat right with me. To me it was too much like the dynamic between Anna and Abigail: both dynamics felt (to me) like deeply unequal relationships in a in a narrative that didn’t want to fully acknowledge that inequality.

Like as a point of comparison, one of the things I really loved about the episode ‘Valley Forge’ was that it made no bones about George Washington’s cruelty toward Billy Lee. I don’t know if the difference makes any sense to a white fan, but I think if you’re going to write a close relationship between an enslaved person and their enslaver, it’ll make your black viewers feel MUCH more grossed out if you try to downplay the inherent unpleasantness of slavery.

(I guess this is as good a time as ever to mention that no, I don’t actually enjoy Simcoe. Theoretically, the idea of a fierce, even ruthless British officer who also is also the story’s only actual abolitionist is interesting, but in execution he hits way too many of my terror buttons. I do not enjoy having him on screen. There.)

And I do think there are problems with the way the narrative handles the faults and mistakes of the main protagonists: Ben doesn’t really get to learn and grow, Anna gets cheated out of some really good character development by the affair and the Mary Sue treatment, Abe barely ever gets to look competent and only lives as long as he does because plot armor, and Mary … I won’t go there.

I’m not saying I don’t love TURN, cuz I do. I just don’t think “these people were human beings all along!” was ever a particularly spicy take for me, so the other things the show didn’t do well (but especially slavery) just stick out to me more.

There’s a lot more I could say, especially with regard to Abigail, but this is more than long enough so I’m cutting it here.

i have to confess that when i first saw john andre in TURN, i immediately thought he was bad. i mean...british officer = bad. right?

i thought that when he helped abigail he had ulterior motives. i assumed he was like simcoe.

but the show subverted those expectations so beautifully. yes, perhaps andre is the antagonist to the culper ring, but he’s far from a villain. he’s even...a good man. i love how the show gives him a romance, a conflict, an antagonist of his own. i love how he’s not labeled evil because of his allegiance.

that’s what TURN does so masterfully. i don’t think americans fully understand the american revolution. we put the founding fathers on a pedestal. we see them as heroes. and yet, the truth is that neither side was entirely good or evil. the founding fathers were not perfect. the british were not evil.

even simcoe, whom we initially know as a villain is so much more complex than just that (and in actual history he wasn’t like how he was in the show, but i digress). hewlett, whom we saw use tombstones as barricades, isn’t evil. far from it.

i love that george washington isn’t flawless. i love that ben and caleb make mistakes, that abe and mary and anna aren’t always right, that robert townsend didn’t want to get involved at first.

i love TURN for the perspective it gives us: not only for the american revolution, but for history and life in general. the characters of TURN show us that good and evil are complex. that life isn’t made of superheroes and super villains. that, in the end, no matter what side we stand on, we’re all deeply flawed people fighting for what we believe in.

[elrondsscribe]

more huanli!!

that polite lan-zongzhu smile stops fooling jyl pretty fast. jyl’s specialty is seeing through her loved ones’ masks, so it’s not long before she’s clocking lxc’s actual irritation or anger or tiredness like “kay so there’s a very specific smile zongzhu wears when he has to talk to yao-zongzhu, he will require soup n snuggles tonight”

(yes she learned how to make vegetable soups for her new clan! what else did you expect, xianxian??)

lxc, who has never had anyone devote this kind of time and attention to making him comfortable, doesn’t quite know how to react to this

[elrondsscribe]

huanli #5!

there’s multiple ways the lxc-jyl association could’ve happened, but i have a soft spot for a scenario where jin zixuan fucks it up one too many times and lxc sees his chance to go “well hey :) :) :)”

because he’s observed jyl hard at work on the battlefield and her ability to navigate social situations (including weaponizing politeness to slap down idiots) and he’s like “👀 hmmm my elders have been on me to get married …”

so it’s after sunshot and everyone’s at the phoenix mountain hunt and the jin men just keep showing their whole entire ass, and jyl decides “hey maybe i actually don’t want to marry into this family after all” and starts casting around for available masters. and hey, she’s always had a high opinion of the young lan masters! 👀

[elrondsscribe]

Well, I don’t expect much from myself, but am I at least gonna try? Yes.

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huanli, parent/guardian edition!

so let’s say the lxc-jyl association happened in a world with no war, and jfm and yzy were alive to see it

jfm is pretty happy about it, because his daughter is happy! plus, considering all the Other sect leaders or heirs she could potentially marry, lan zongzhu is one of the likeliest to be Nice to her

yzy meanwhile is Conflicted. on the one hand: the highest ranked young master in the cultivation world? talk about marrying well! and a sect leader too!! on the other hand, he’s annoyingly un-patriarchal (just like jfm). why, she saw him stop and talk to a baby lan disciple about frogs the other day!!

lqr is … Stressed at first, given qhj’s marital situation. he’s secretly having war flashbacks when his nephew starts making doe eyes at a girl. the elders are running their mouths about weak cultivation and Improper Upbringing. well, at least she seems ladylike and proper, at least to his eye. then one day he observes jiang guniang with circles under her eyes because she stayed up to bake waybread to give lwj and a pack of disciples for a night hunt and he says “mn. she’ll do.”

[elrondsscribe]

huanli #3

so obvs lxc and jyl are both used to being the one attuned to pleasing/appeasing everyone around them while not being really perceived themselves. they’re also not rly used to their own happiness being prioritized.

so in the early stages they’re sometimes a little uncomfortable around each other because omg s/he can see right through me, wtf that’s terrifying!

[elrondsscribe]

they say be the change u wanna see in the world so i have to be the one to post huanli hcs :)

ok so. it’s v important to me that if lxc and jyl get married in canonverse he gives her the BEST medical care his sect has. and when she’s sick he’s always taking personal time away from his duties to care for her himself. in fact he brings HER soup!

(they’re vegetable soups at first until he gets comfortable cooking with meat. lwj is Scandalized by this development.)

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huanli hc #4

cloud recesses is super cold in winter and Jul is from yunmeng, so jyl’s first winter as lan furen sees lxc commissioning beautiful thick warm cloaks and blankets for her. he makes and activates warming talismans for her constantly (even as she protests that he save his energy). he brews so much tea.

jyl is all “oh zongzhu you cosset me” about it but she stops seriously protesting once he gives her a gentle smile and says “you are my furen, whom shall i cosset if not you?”

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i want to fanfic marry lan xichen

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Here’s the Deal. I wanna start sketching out my Middle-Earth/Vampire Chronicles crossover but I can’t decide if I wanna do show!canon or book!canon for TVC. Gahhh!

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Well, @foryourownbosom, I have done the thing (well, am doing the thing)! Threat has been carried out. Enjoy!

https://archiveofourown.org/works/30620180

[elrondsscribe]

New Omegaverse just dropped

*Tumblr teen shitposter voice* So like, y’all know how Omegaverse fic is inspired by that old “study” that divided different wolves into hierarchies and how that same study was later debunked by its own author? And you know how the actual “alphas” of a wolf pack are like,, the parents?

Well, what if we had an Omegaverse inspired by THAT?

Recycled Terms:

Alphas: ‘parents’ of a pack. A typical pack has two co-Alphas, but sometimes more/less.

Betas: ‘siblings’ within a given litter, all sharing the same Alpha/s.

Omegas: ‘children’ of a given Alpha or set of co-Alphas.

A/B/O ‘roles:’

Because these terms describe relationships as much as roles, they are relative; i.e., they are not fixed. In fact, people typically occupy all of these positions at once. Hamilton as an example (because I’m in AmRev fandom):

Hamilton is Washington’s Omega (alternately, Washington is Hamilton’s Alpha).

Hamilton, Laurens, Lafayette, and others are all Betas to one another, sharing an Alpha in Washington.

Hamilton is Alpha to Frances Laurens and Georges Washington de Lafayette (in addition to his bio-children).

A/B/O ties SOMETIMES (but do not always) overlap with blood ties. For example, Martha Washington’s children are her Omegas, but are also Washington’s. By contrast, James and Dolley Madison’s children are not their Omegas.

A/B/O ties:

Alpha, Beta, and Omega bonds consist of increased sensitivity to pack-mates’ emotional, mental, and physical states and the urge to physically comfort and care for them.

Alphas drives: initiate measures like feeding and nesting for their Omegas, show them affection, protect them from danger, and correct their behavior

Beta drives: toward intense, mutual fraternal/romantic/sexual bonds.

Omega drives: to receive caring and protective measures from Alphas (and provide responsive affection), and to accept correction from them

Note: while it’s more common that Betas share romantic/sexual bonds, it can happen between Alphas and Omegas.

Dangers:

Alphas, especially in strong pack bonds, have some influence over their Omegas’ behavior. If an Alpha really commands, their Omega is hard pressed to disobey.

Disharmony between Betas can cause significant stress for all the connected Betas. Quarrels that last too long or are resolved incompletely might fester into psychosomatic symptoms, especially if the quarreling Betas have developed an exceptionally close bond of their own.

Omegas, especially in strong pack bonds, can deeply wound their Alphas by rejecting their affectionate, protective, and corrective care.

All suffer from repression and denial. Alphas suffer when they refuse to claim or comfort their Omegas, Betas suffer when they don’t complete their bonds, and Omegas suffer when they are not connected to their Alphas.

A/B/O ties and culture:

Most cultures prioritize A/B/O ties as much as or over birth ties, but some denigrate them; this leads to differing peoples’ ideas of “family��� being incredibly diverse. By the 18th C, largely-Christian Europe runs the entire gamut concerning A/B/O ties, and the differences are largely regional.

In what becomes white Britain (and therefore the colonies), A/B/O bonds are considered secondary to birth ties (birth father, mother, siblings, etc), leaving intact the strong social preference for what will become the ‘nuclear family.’

A/B/O bonds are also not supposed to cross class or race lines; when they inevitably do, stigma follows those who openly claim their bonds.

Many of the more affectionate A/B/O behaviors are considered beneath the dignity of a gentleman or lady in any case.

A/B/O ties and religion:

Globally, world religions are all over the spectrum, from flatly denying the validity of any non-birth bonds at all to considering them the only bonds that matter. Larger world religions (e.g., Xty, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, etc.) have within themselves diverse ways of conceptualizing such bonds.

Within Christianity specifically, because of Jesus’ own 12 Omegas, A/B/O ties are originally highly prized; but later imperial Christianity is not as hot on them cuz Constantine wasn’t. Most popes tell ppl to worship God/Church Father first and blood fathers second, or “God (and by extension the Pope) is the only Alpha” theology.

However, Trinitarian Christianity also affirms God the Father (Alpha), the Holy Spirit (Beta), and the Son (Omega).

Just my initial ideas! I’ll be expanding this as time goes along. This was originally conceived in and for the AmRev fandom, but hey, if other fandoms wanna take it and run with it, that’d be awesome!

[elrondsscribe]

Drabble: Service

Um ... Happy International Women’s Day? *shrugs*

“I’m offering my services as washerwoman and seamstress, sir.”

General Washington looks her over. “I see. On whose behalf?”

Maggie draws herself up as tall as she can, and looks the man straight in the face. “I’m a free woman, sir,” she says, quietly but firmly. “I’m here on my own behalf.”

She must be one of a handful of people to ever see the great General Washington look flustered. He blinks, clears his throat, and looks down for a moment. “Very good then,” he stutters. “I will be pleased to accept your services.”

Maggie smiles sweetly. “Thank you, sir.”

~oo00oo~

Margaret Thomas is the woman that William ‘Billy’ Lee married! We don’t know much about her, but we do know that she was a free black woman from Philadelphia, that she at some point became a camp follower, that she took care of Washington’s clothes, and that she and William got married during the war. Washington was snide about their marriage in one letter and whined in another that he didn’t like Margaret, but he did apparently consent to let her follow her husband back to Mt. Vernon.

(I just think their romance is super cute: Billy, the most important slave in the entire army, and Maggie, a free black working woman. A southern country boy and a northern city girl. I’m likely to write a drabble or two about it!)

I’m aware that the nickname ‘Maggie’ is probably anachronistic, but all the white Margarets of the time appear to have been called ‘Peggy’ and I wanted to call this Margaret something different. Also, I have this treasured headcanon that the reason Washington didn’t like her was because he was some kind of a dick about her being a free woman and she was spicy about it, hence this drabble. I’m sure it isn’t historically grounded, but I like it anyway. Tee hee!

In case it wasn’t clear, by the way, that’s what Washington is asking her, ‘cause it wasn’t uncommon for less wealthy slaveowners to hire out their slaves for a little extra cash. Washington is assuming that Maggie’s labor is being hired out by somebody, and he has no idea how to react to the idea of a black woman working for herself (freE BlaCk WomAN? dOEs NoT cOmPUte).

I guess one could imagine this as a TURN fanfic, though it’s meant more as a historical fic. I really wish someone would write a historical fiction romance novel about them.

[elrondsscribe]

TURN drabble: Out of Options

Set during S2 Ep9 The Prodigal.

“I’m sorry, Sir,” Billy faces Major Tallmadge. “He won’t see you.”

Tallmadge turns from staring after Washington. “Does he still hold me in such contempt?” he says despondently. “He wouldn’t even meet my eye.” And he turns again to leave.

Billy feels he is running out of options. He trusts Lee even less after that boot-licking, horseshit apology. That the General not only seems to believe him, but has entrusted him with half the army … 

(He’s seemed so much better, after that horrible night … but how can Billy know … )

Billy makes a decision. “Wait!” he calls after Tallmadge.

~ooOOoo~

Obviously we’re firmly embedded in TURN canon at this point.

So as you can see, I was really struck by the moment in ‘The Prodigal’ where Billy Lee makes the decision to confide in Ben. I’m aware that the ‘real’ reason for this is Plot Convenience, so Tallmadge can Know Things, but I also like to believe that, in-universe, Billy is making a very dangerous choice here. Talking about his master’s affairs and mental health behind his back, to a subordinate officer? That would’ve taken desperation and a lot of guts. But we already knew TURN’s Billy Lee is brave AF, because we saw ‘Valley Forge.’ Go Billy!

I’m also struggling to find ANYTHING like a sample of the historical Billy Lee’s own voice. You know, letters he might have written and stuff like that. I keep waiting for someone to call me out for being disrespectful by writing fanfic about a fictionalized version of the man, but so far I’ve gotten away with it.

Yo, where do all these drabbles keep coming from??

EDIT: might as well tag @hmsannlett cuz I know you like my Billy Lee drabbles :)

[elrondsscribe]

TURN drabble: The Watch

Set at the very end of S2 Ep7 Valley Forge.

The General’s pocket watch — Lawrence Washington’s watch — is in Billy’s satchel.

The watch that is Lawrence’s final gift to his brother — and the fresh bruises around his throat prove how raw the General still is over Lawrence’s loss — is in Billy’s satchel.

(He sees again the crazed look in the General’s eyes as his great hands close around his throat, remembers that instant of knowing that he is going to die.)

(He hears again the General’s voice as he leaves the tent: “Thank you, William.”)

He clasps the watch between his hands, and the night seems a little less cold.

~oo00oo~

Happy International Fanworks Day!!

So this lil’ drabble is obviously a little more based in TURN canon than was my last one, though I do see this drabble as a followup. Like I’ve said, Valley Forge is my favorite episode of TURN, and one of my favorite things about it is how much characterization both Billy and Washington get (and can I just say that Billy Lee just might be the bravest male character in the cast of TURN?).

Now y’all are well within your rights to jump all over me for implying that Billy might feel some attachment or pity or even gratitude toward Washington, especially after Washington abused him like that. All I can say in my own defense is that I remain fascinated by both the fictionalized and RL versions of the Washington-Lee dynamic, and I write as the muse speaks. 

On another note, I’m actually putting out fanfic again! That post I reblogged earlier about fanfic writing, about how emotion is a plot unto itself, and that drabbles and brief oneshots can be a great way to get yourself going as a fanwriter -- it did the magic! Go me!!