#i quite literally wouldn't have this job if it weren't for immigrants

[thebendsbyradiohead]

the thing about racist liberals is that they genuinely believe in the "exceptional immigrant" myth. like if you are somehow skilled enough, proficient in a language, white enough, christian enough, meek enough, that that will save you from fascism. even if history shows time and time again that it won't.

"but that anti-immigrant rethoric is not about you! it's about the uneducated muslims on social welfare" okay and when they get rid of those, they will get rid of muslims that aren't on welfare, and when they're rid of them they will turn to the jews, and when they're rid of them they will turn to slavs/eastern europeans because lbr after all this time we're still subhuman to them, and they won't stop until everyone looks and behaves like them

like this rhetoric is not based on anything rational, so to assume you somehow get to be an exception is a fool's errand from the start. those racists against immigration aren't thinking of who's picking their tomatoes, packing their packages, and delivering their takeout. people without whom their society will quite literally collapse. they're thinking of everyone who is not "theirs", who looks and sounds different, and blaming them for taking their housing and jobs. jobs they don't even fucking want or they'd be doing them instead of having to ship in immigrants! there is absolutely no viewpoint from which this rhetoric is grounded in reality and yet i have to entertain it as if our collective humanity is not on the line

[lafiametta]

I have two long questions for you, I hope it's alright! 1) If it weren't a simulation, how do you think Olek and Ling Yi would face the judgment as an interracial couple in the US? Or even the racism/prejudice against their race/nationality? Would they'd get tired of the big city and try to move somewhere more secluded? Vermont or something? A farm, perhaps? 2) This one I admit I'm ignorant about, so I hope I won't come across as insensitive, but do you reckon Ling Yi sees sex negatively? Like, she holds some sort of trauma regarding it, because of growing up with a mom who had to prostitute herself, as well as having friends who had to do it, too? (it shocked me when I realised that her line "All you ever did was keep me in a box" was probably not an allegory, but literal; her mother hiding her for years in a box so men wouldn't covet Ling Yi). She decided to steal the job from Mei Mei, likely wanting freedom from being trapped in so many ways, thinking she could do what they did as well, but do you think that she really was ready for that life when she had Lucien walk into her room? Realising that it was just another trap for her? The resignation we saw in her after she came back after spending time with Olek made me think she accepted that the life she stole was only going to hurt her, but that was what she deserved, so I wonder what would happen to her if she really did it. I would like to ask the same about Tove as well, but I don't know if she's pregnant in 2099. If she isn't, was her assault just a sick test for her in 1899's Kerberos simulation? That's just cruel...

Those are some long questions, Anon, but I'll do my best! :)

1) You're totally right that Olek and Ling Yi would face significant prejudice and judgment by being part of an interracial couple. Anti-immigrant sentiment has always been present in the United States and Ling Yi, as a Chinese immigrant, would face even greater discrimination. 1887 saw the passage of the Chinese Exclusion Act (building on the earlier Page Act of 1875 that excluded Chinese women thought to be engaged in prostitution), and in the years following, anti-Chinese prejudice ran incredibly high. Because of discrimination, immigrant groups would naturally gravitate towards their own communities as safe (or safer) havens, places like Greenpoint in Brooklyn (where Olek's brother writes to him from) or Chinatown in lower Manhattan.

The problem for Olek and Ling Yi is that Ling Yi would stick out like a sore thumb in Greenpoint (and the same goes for Olek in Chinatown). If they stay in New York, the only solution would be for them to find a place to live that would be in between (or at least close enough to) both communities, one that would essentially bridge the gap. In the AU scenario I've imagined, that place would be in lower Manhattan, somewhere between Chinatown and the Lower East Side (where there would be enough immigrants from Eastern Europe for Olek to blend in a bit more). (This isn't to say that it still wouldn't be incredibly hard for them as an interracial couple; there really wasn't anywhere — besides on the Kerberos, I guess — where they would be entirely free from racist attitudes.) I do see your point about wanting to be more secluded, but it would mean tearing themselves away from those immigrant communities (where they share language, history, culture, etc.) and moving to a more rural and vulnerable environment. Moreover, in 1900, a majority of states in the United States had anti-miscegenation laws (forbidding the marriage of interracial couples, including between Whites and Asians), but New York never enacted one. Also, It's hard for me to see Ling Yi on a farm. Olek, maybe, but Ling Yi is a city girl and I can't quite see her wanting to wake up before dawn to feed the chickens!

2) In terms of how Ling Yi views sex, I would say that she probably sees it more practically than anything else. All of her life, it's been part of a transactional exchange, and not anything she would necessarily associate with love and romantic attachment. Both her mother and her friend are part of this work, even though she's not involved in it (at least not yet), and that perspective would really shape how she views it, that is, as something you do as part of a transaction. There might be some degradation or unpleasantness involved, but in the end, you get something, which is money. (And of course, this is all from the point of view of a girl who hasn't actually had sex yet [much less performed sex work!] and experienced the multitude of emotional reactions that come with it. So, essentially, like most teenagers, she thinks she knows much more about something than she actually does.)

The "All you ever did was keep me in a box" line was definitely not an metaphor; it's clear that Yuk Je hid Ling Yi away when she had clients on the boat, first (I suspect) to cover up the fact that she had a child (which might kill the mood, so to speak) and then, as you said, to keep men's interest away from her teenage daughter. (In a way, though, the line is so great, because just a few minutes later, she literally hides from her mother in a box — only to be rescued from it by Olek, which just hits the metaphorical nail right on the head!)

When Ling Yi does return to their stateroom, the whole scene is so heartbreaking. Something happened in between her time with Olek and that moment to turn her mood into one of lifeless resignation. Perhaps it's because she's attempting to steel herself for what she's going to have to do (give her body to a strange man, which contrasts with how she just shared her fears and vulnerabilities with Olek). Maybe she's starting to feel some shame with the idea of the act itself, or she feels like she deserves it as a punishment for what she did to Mei Mei. Suffice it to say, this is a different girl than the one who brashly questioned if prostituting herself was "such a big deal."

And, please, let's not talk about Tove. I mean, it doesn't look like she's pregnant in 2099 (although who can tell under that metal carapace?), and the idea that she went through that pain just for the sake of the simulation is really too god-awful to contemplate.

[wangxianbaybee]

I could go feral

Look, I had been trying to get a job for a while. A very specific job that I have a license for. It hasn't worked out yet. But I still needed a job b/c my scholarships didn't transfer schools. At some point I stopped looking. What was I thinking? Idk. But you know what motivated me to get a dang job? Bts. I stuck a sticky note on my wall that said "you need a job to go to a bts concert ♡" and I took this job my mom's friend told her about. That was my motivation. But they gave my a lower title than I applied for, disregarded the experience and licenses I have when considering my pay, started me at 9 with the expectation of a raise after the training period (never did get it), and overworked and verbally abused the Heck out of me bc they were understaffed and were stressed we weren't getting things done in their time frame. So I put my two weeks in several months later and what of my small savings? Straight to school. BITCH. I didn't even get paid enough at this dumb job to save enough to see BTS which was quite LITERALLY my one sole motivation to look for work. Now, you might be wondering where my priorities lie. Girl idk either but I could move mountains with the help of bts. And I don't even get to see them. Who the FUCK! thinks 9 forking dollars is an okay wage for anyone? And on top of that to treat them like trash? Are you an idiot? PLEASSSE reevaluate yourself if you think that's okay. I'm so sick of "pull yourself up by the bootstraps" people. Beloved these boots are stuck in really thick mud bc some people would rather grow their already existing wealth than help humanity! I'm absolutely losing my mind.

And on TOP of THAT. If you're an immigrant to this country, WHY do YOU have an issue with immigrants? Why wouldn't you vote to help them? Quite frankly if you're voting for money when you don't need it, I don't wanna have anything to do with you. That's selfish and has to be one of the largest motivators of cruelty in humanity.

And on TOP OF THAT! (this the last one really) most of these people are religious?????? Honey where in your religion :) When are you living the way your God wants :) Certainly not when it counts ♡ please get help

[thewritingamateur]

Sneak Peek: The Temptations for the Wallflower

So I wrote this story a year or two ago and I’ve been thinking to revamp it and post it on Ao3. This is a small snippet of the story I edited. Unlike my other stories though it is a bit more explicit in nature and pretty dark. 

~~~

In her move from New York to Ireland, Tabitha thought the hardest thing would be transferring her grades. It was quite easy, to her surprise, and she was thankful to see that it would be a smooth transition.  She was going to spend her last year there before she was to head off to college. There were many places in mind that she had thought of going to, Princeton, Harvard, NYU. They all did sound far-fetched for someone like her; a lower-class child to immigrant parents, but there was still some hope for her. 

She was always on the top of her class, having a near-perfect grade point average. Not only that, but she also put herself in several extra-curricular activities knowing that those colleges were also going to look into that. It was a lot to handle, especially during the obstacles of the previous year, but she refused to lose focus, there was too much at stake. Now, she was going to be in an all-girls Catholic school to finish up her time before college. Although she had to send in applications, this year was also important for the admissions offices of the colleges to watch so she had to juggle everything, which now included a job and taking care of two individuals who couldn't take care of themselves. 

Tabitha didn't want to go to a Catholic school at first, but her grandmother thought it would be best, saying that it wasn't too far from the house and she could get a scholarship which would be good to write in her college applications. Tabitha agreed, taking this compromise. Without a doubt, they would be going to Mass and have religious classes, so there would be conflict at least with the teachings. 

The only positive was the uniform, she wouldn't have to worry about what to wear as another task to add onto her plate. 

She headed out early that day, making sure she gave a good first impression. Classes would start at 7:45 am, she reached at 7 am. She left the formula and all the necessities that were needed for Issac at arms reach for her grandmother. Hopefully, she could come back to the house for a few moments until her shift started at Brennan's store.

She had gone to the office of the school, wondering if they'd have her information and her schedule. Tabitha did come the day before hoping it would be available like all the other students, but it wasn't the case. The secretary told her that the headmaster had it and she would have to come in early for it today. 

It made her wonder who the headmaster could be. She had always heard rumors back home that in Catholic schools the headmaster would be a priest or something, but Tabitha scoffed at the thought, there was no way that a priest would be the headmaster. Father Foley would be the headmaster then, but what qualifications did he have?  He had no degree in education so how can he be in charge in that way? Maybe she was thinking just too far ahead, she shouldn't be imagining things like that. 

Tabitha waited outside the headmaster's office, her foot shaking rapidly as she felt her nerves getting to her. The ticking of the clock on the ceiling was a reminder of how long she was waiting there. By 7:15, on the dot, the secretary told her that she could go into the office, that the headmaster would be there shortly. 

She had walked in, the room was lit dimly, the sun shining through the blinds as it was coming up from sunrise. The office was neat, files in place, and the crosses were appropriately placed on the right parts of the office. There was also a Bible, in front of the nameplate of whoever's office it was, how ironic. She would've moved it, but she was scared to, not needing to get yelled at first thing entering the school. Tabitha thought it would be best if she simply took a seat. 

Her hands ran through her straight black hair, which had grown nearly mid-back now. She had a bad habit of biting her lip when nervous, not in a sexy way like the movies showed, but literally pulling her bottom lip and biting it till it was all dried and chapped. It wasn't cute, but sometimes she couldn't help it. It felt like an eternity, but finally, she heard the door open. Although the person didn't speak, she sat up straight, crossing her legs appropriately, and had her hands on her lap. Her eyes were cast down, the reason wasn't known to her but she did it anyway. 

Tabitha saw the shoes of the person walk around her to the desk, she heard the person take a seat, and she heard the clearing of his throat. 

 "Good morning Tabitha" 

 Her fingers began to fidget recognizing exactly who it was. 

 Wasn't life funny?

 ~~~

 Stephen wasn't sure of how this would turn out, especially with how things were between him and the young girl. 

He wouldn't lie, he told Sonya to allow her granddaughter to come to his school. He wanted a reason to see Tabitha again and if it meant to confine her in these walls where he could watch her, then so be it. 

He had taken a look into her school records too, it was really good. He wouldn't deny that he never thought of her as being the smartest person, but it was due to his prejudices against her. She had the ability to go places, but would she? Seeing the life she was living it would be hard for her to juggle going to a good college and take care of her family. 

He always thought that family should be the most important priority for a woman, over herself at least. He watched her body seated in front of him, her eyes refusing to look up. Her defiance against him was gone, which he saw as a good thing.

 But as always, she had the upper hand by not answering him. 

 "Tabitha, when someone says good morning, you should respond."

 Her coffee eyes glanced at him briefly before mumbling a response, it was better than nothing.

 There was nothing but hate in her heart when looking at him, the pain still evident in the burning the felt with his gaze on her body. Her mother taught her that one should not hate, it wasn't Christian like. Deep down, she knew her mother was right, feelings such as hate could have dire consequences. Tabitha wasn't ready to forgive yet though, it was still all too fresh. 

 "Alright, well here is the timetable of your classes every day. I know you might be against it but you will have to attend Friday mass like everyone else, no questions asked. Also, wear your blazer, modesty is of importance here, something I know you don't know much of."

 She knew he said that just to get a rile out of her, but she wasn't going to give in. Twisting her mouth, she said thank you and got up to leave with her schedule at hand. 

 "I didn't dismiss you yet" 

 She froze, refusing to turn and see him. 

 "Don't forget, Tabitha, I call the shots here. My word is the law, so you will have to obey it too." She hoped the trembling in her fingers weren't showing too much, she wanted to cry so badly but knew she needed to stay strong. 

 She only wondered how things could turn so bad so quickly for her. As soon as she walked out into the hall, hands moved quickly wiping the tears that threaten to fall out.