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esther-dot · 4 months

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In line with the anti-jonsa arguments, the only one I believe had some impact on me (this isn’t even in universe, it’s just in general) was that incest is inherently oppressive towards women. The one person who is not supposed to think of you like that, look at you like that - does. There is no safety for you to fall back on because even your family is not acting like family. I don’t know how this will translate with Jon and Sansa, because Sansa will expect protection as a sister and then them falling in love with each while knowing the other is their half-sibling is tilted towards Jon having more power in that dynamic as a man. Then comes in the question of Sansa’s claim to Winterfell and Jon being the heir to Robb’s will. It’s muddled up and the solution (join together in marriage) doesn’t look as appealing to considering incest here will still hurt Sansa, because of society being inherently systemically oppressive, and not save her or her claim. (This is one of the reasons why I didn’t like show KiTN Jon because whatever the fuck happened to “Winterfell belongs to my sister Sansa”. I mean there’s a lot wrong with the show after that but it particularly pissed me off lol because in canon jon would NEVER do that and is the true air raid siren canary in the coal mine for Jon’s character butching (jonerys 🙄)) Anyway, lost track there, but yeah. And on top of all of that, how is GRRM going to paint a better picture of something he’s been criticising for almost 30 years now? Still a Jonsa though, because I am a clown 🤡

(about this ask)

It’s really hard to tell which resolution Martin is working towards! On the one hand, it could be about creating a scenario in which politics / love align and resolving the Northern succession crisis gives Sansa and Jon everything they ever wanted. I love tidy storytelling, so that is very appealing to me. However, I do agree with you that that resolution isn’t without certain concerning aspects.

The other possibility is, it’s a test for Jon, just as he has continual been tempted throughout the series, only, this is the greatest one yet. His brother, friend, the heir, the KitN himself chose Jon. As a Jon fan, I love what that will mean to him. The show didn’t have the benefit of Robb’s Will, so it felt more ooc for Jon than it could be written in the books. After all, Sansa is still married to Tyrion. Also, with different factions in the books possibly supporting different Starks, it’s possible Sansa sees the greater good (she doesn’t consider her claim much after all/isn’t attached to it) and works to get everyone to support Jon as he is older, male, has Robb’s endorsement, and might play a key role in winning back Winterfell so he could be a peace candidate / the one everyone can coalesce around. I mean, that’s a little hard for me to imagine with the prejudice against bastards and what his rep will be post rez, but Martin could write it in a way that doesn’t feel like Jon taking advantage of the situation and rather, Jon doing something he feels guilty about out of necessity, with the blessing of Robb and more importantly Sansa. However, if it is a test, Jon would have to instead defend Sansa’s claim. If Jon refuses everything and then parentage reveal comes out, they could marry at a later date when the relationship can be of Sansa’s choosing, removing the disturbing implications of the political benefits for Jon/the power imbalance.

I’ve moved towards the secret wedding idea (here are posts about that 1, 2). Sansa would probably have to suggest the idea herself and persuade him giving her a lot of agency in her own fate, and it’s potentially a callback to Jace/Sara and Rhaegar/Lyanna. That could happen secretly purely because she’s already married and she wants to be married before he goes to war, or because they don’t have support for it (maybe the North does think it’s icky or is very anti Targ with the disaster of Dany’s invasion happening), or it might happen before Jon is exiled simply because Sansa wants it. I’ve said before, perhaps the best way to answer Sansa’s fears are for Jon to marry her when he can’t have Winterfell, so she knows it is her, not her claim, that he wants. In that scenario, there is nothing for Jon to gain, it is love, only love that motivates him. It’s the most romantic of the options, even if it isn’t the happiest.

Whatever the endpoint, I think there are enough variables that Martin could make any of a number of different paths work and keep them in-character for Jon as well as avoiding backtracking his criticisms simply because we will know Jon’s motivations.

#dot chat #jonsa #secret wedding #asoiaf parallels

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dissonantdreamer · 2 years

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🦚 or 🍀 ?

🦚 - Are there any queer books/shows/etc. that you would suggest?

Sense8 is easily the best queer show out there in terms of actual queer (not watered down) rep. despite everyone being unreasonably attractive and the story itself being fantasy/scifi, it is still the only show i've watched where i felt represented. i will forever be mad that the show had to end before it was ready because netflix is netflix. the final episode does it's best with what it was given.

Becky Chambers "A Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet" and "To Be Taught If Fortunate" are two of my favorite queer books. they're not in your face, simple slice of life stories happening in space during a time when the universe is open to explore. everything young me wanted for the future.

Queer Music: Anything Laura Jane Grace is a part of, Plasma Canvas, Amythyst Kiah, Worriers, Courtney Barnett, Dog Park Dissidents

🍀 - What thoughts or emotions that didn’t make sense to your past self make sense now that you know you’re queer?

the anger and confusion over "how things have to be". the lack of respect for certain institutions. why i got the shit kicked out of me for actively questioning and challenging people for why they were afraid of being called gay back. why my aunt who sometimes had to be my uncle made more sense and how now, despite how the world treats her she is unapologetic for existing after decades of shame. the world was different and a lot of people shed the past in favor for trying to fit in and took for granted the fact that we're not going to be accepted the way we hoped an that there will always be a fight to exist, the best we can do now is exist as loudly as possible and make everyone uncomfortable, because taming yourself never worked anyway. i never questioned my feelings as a kid, just the world around me and why the fuck people had such a problem with what other people were doing. hiding who i was to survive my circumstance was innate. i think that's made the most sense now a days that i'm more informed of queerness in the world, not necessarily aware queerness in myself

what a ramble :/ anywaaaays

thanks for the ask, bud. hope you're well :)

#elliesjournals #ask meme stuff

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saturnity · 3 years

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Telling Tenya Iida to take care of himself. Tenya Iida x Gender Neutral, Best Friend Reader.

(authors note: this is my first full length fic in...a while. motivation hit me like a brick and I decided I'd churn something out! this fic is dedicated to a few special friends: @classreptenyaiida, for the interactions I've had with him, @yarozu for being such a great fan and supporter!! @lostcoves for being my first friend on this platform and for being so so kind to me, @uwu-iwanttodie because god I know you're a sucker for tenya just like i am, and @tryingmyves for sticking around and being a wonderful person!! there's also one more special person this fic is dedicated to but I don't know their tumblr url and if they wish to be named LOL // but yes anyway, enjoy! i hope you like this, feel free to send me any feedback, rts and follows appreciated!!!)

warnings: none! all fluff. good for everyone.

Tenya Iida and (f/n l/n). The both of you were inseparable, friends since childhood, in the same class throughout elementary and middle school. You were overjoyed to hear that you’d be in the same class with him again in UA, brimming with excitement to be able to stick by his side for longer. Of course, you had a crush on him ever since you could remember...but you were really too scared, terrified, really, to confess to him- in fear of ruining your 15 years of friendship.

Out of all people, you were the person who knew how determined Tenya was to not only reach, but exceed his goals and aspirations. You knew how much he wanted to satisfy the people around him and meet their expectations. You didn’t exactly understand why he did it, but you knew how driven he was, and how he’d do anything within the law and the rules to get there. And he rarely failed. Tenya was a great inspiration in your life, encouraging you to do better, while growing together. In a way, he influenced you to work hard, train harder and to do your hardest. The both of you became a force to be reckoned with; your parents and Tenya’s parents realised this, and hoped you’d do great things as heroes in the future, allowing you to spend weekends and holidays together.

Throughout your first term, Tenya enthusiastically took up the role as representative of Class 1-A with pride. He’d come to you for feedback for his ideas, always asking your opinion before proceeding, and you’d be his biggest cheerleader. You improved ideas he delivered, making sure small details were tweaked, and ensured logistics ran smoothly. Whenever Tenya needed help, you were the first he’d go to. Tenya presumed the role of a figure of strength within Class 1-A, readily assisting people in need, hosting study groups after school, and going the extra mile to make sure everyone was...more or less, in line. His work towards being a ‘good hero’ started here, and it wouldn’t stop until his last breath. As an Iida, he worked daily to strengthen his reputation as a helpful, strong figure...no, a reputation as a hero.

But inside, you knew Tenya was tired. He was slowly burning himself out. He didn’t need a savior, but he needed someone to shake him awake. There were days where you’d find Tenya a little less awake than usual, even though he seemed to have the same amount of energy as every other day. You’d catch him zoning out after school days ended, maybe he’d drop from his chopsticks once more than normal at lunch, and sometimes he’d even forget to bring certain things to school. Your best friend definitely wasn’t sleeping or resting enough.

You did your best to make sure Tenya was taking care of himself. Sometimes, you would gently remind him to drink more water, or to get more sleep. Other times, you’d deliberately book ‘study sessions’ with him, only to do the exact opposite- taking him to a cafe for a ‘change of environment’, introducing him to several new drinks and cakes, much to his dismay. Or maybe you’d eat lunch on one of the school rooftops, and allow him to take a nap afterwards on your shoulder while you ran your fingers through his coarse, navy hair. Perhaps you’d relax at your house, a movie would be playing on the TV, and while he’d feverishly insist on studying or doing something more ‘productive’, you’d gently but stubbornly insist that he rest. As the days passed, Tenya placed his focus on his ambitions, and your opportunities to ensure his leisure decreased.

One night, you wondered why Tenya pushed himself so hard. Was it because he was a people pleaser? There were definitely times where he would be almost too eager to help others. Or was it because he decided to shoulder his world of responsibility alone? Maybe it was because he was constantly surrounded by good examples of what a hero should be, that he held the burden of his family name, that he was expected to be the next best thing for the hero community...or maybe it was all of the above. Tenya had been working tirelessly for this; yet he didn’t know when or how to take care of himself and to forget to be selfless. He was always running to help others, always thinking in the position of others, or whatever would be better for the future. You didn’t remember the last time he did something for himself. Regardless, you decided that you’d definitely work a little harder to make sure your best friend would care for himself. After all, everyone needed someone else to lean on, right?

You shook your head. “No. I’m serious. You need to rest. Or at least take it easy this weekend.”

Finally, one Friday afternoon, you saw Tenya yawn in class for the first time. He looked close to falling asleep, in fact, you could say he was positively exhausted. His eyelids fluttered downward, their weight becoming heavier and heavier with each blink. Inside, he was praying he wouldn’t get picked on to answer a question- he just wasn’t really following the class material anymore. Or worse, he hoped Mr. Aizawa wouldn’t assign group work- it’d mean he would have to actively interact with other people, which he didn’t have the energy for. Thankfully, the bell rang, and the gray, bleary-eyed teacher dismissed his class, unfurling his sleeping bag and escaping the room to get a nap himself. You walked up to Tenya’s desk and playfully smacked his arm, shocking him a little more awake. He adjusted his glasses and looked up to you.

“Heeey. Someone’s looking tired.”

“I suppose I didn’t sleep quite enough last night, (y/n).” Tenya grinned. To the normal eye, it would seem like one of the class rep’s normal, signature smiles, but to you, there was a fatigued weakness shielded behind its sunny exterior.

You arched an eyebrow. “You’ve said that every day for the last month and a half.”

“I know, I know. There’s so much work I need to get to, in fact, I should return to my dorm soon to st-” Tenya had finished gathering his things and prepared to leave the classroom, until your hand reached out onto one of his broad shoulders and pressed him back down onto his seat.

“No you fucking don’t.” You folded your arms, a frown plastered to your face.

Tenya scowled. “Please, (y/n), can we joke around later? I have to get th-”

“Look, if you’re aiming to be a successful hero in the future, you might as well take your own advice that you give so often to others and rest. You always tell us to make sure we get enough sleep, and you’re not even doing it yourself. If you’re tired or sick, you won’t be able to perform as well as you want to, right? And you always want to be at your best, don’t you, Ten?”

“But-” Tenya protested. He had so much work to do, so much to get to.

“Tenya Iida. In our 15 years of friendship, I’ve never seen you this fucking tired. We’re only in our first year. Are you going to keep doing this throughout school? Or what, the rest of your life? For the love of god, cut yourself some slack.” You almost yelled out in protest, in disgust of seeing your best friend suffer in silence.

Tenya stared at you in shock. You’ve never spoken to him like this before, or at least, it was rare. Usually you played more of a supportive role by his side, and when you were more assertive, you were never this pushy. In fact, he couldn’t remember the last time he heard you shout. The remaining members of Class 1-A who hadn’t yet left the room stared at the both of you in a similar amount of surprise as your bespectacled classmate did. After sighing, you decided to use reason that Tenya would buy into, desperately hoping he would do as you said.

“Then it’s settled. We’re gonna take it easy this weekend, okay? And don’t apologise for making me worry. It’s my job to look out for you, you know. And we haven’t napped together in a while too. I kinda miss that.” You brought Tenya into a hug.

Tenya sighed. You were right. He couldn’t hide that he was tired. And honestly, it was exhausting having to troop through each class with the meager 4-5 hours of shut-eye he was getting. It was a battle that he knew he was losing. He surrendered to your suggestion.

“I...uh...suppose you’re right. Sorry for making you worry.” Right after Tenya had finished that sentence, he yawned. There was really no hiding his tiredness now.

“Hey...(y/n)? Thank you. I appreciate you doing this.” Tenya smiled, as he reciprocated your warmth.

#🪐 — [ saturn writes ]#🪐 — [ my hero academia ]#my hero academia #mha fanfiction #tenya iida #iida tenya #iida tenya x reader #tenya iida x reader #bnha fanfiction #mha fluff #bnha fluff #tenya x reader #iida x reader #gender neutral reader

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prettyboy-asmo · 3 years

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Obey me! boys with trans masc MC

Some headcanons about the brothers + Solomon and Diavolo with Trans Masc MC. it’s pretty self-indulgent. Obviously not everyone shares the same experiences with their identity. I took from my own experiences and feelings about things to write these.

TW: Mentions of transphobia (not detailed and not from any of the main characters)

Lucifer

It doesn’t actually come up for some time, not until you realize that you two are definitely getting closer to being intimate.

One night things start to get steamy and when you realize you have to force yourself to not run away. You’re still up and halfway across the room faster than Lucifer thought a human could move. Your heart is beating wildly in your chest, and you have to make yourself look Lucifer in the eyes.

He’s quick to apologize, thinking he made you uncomfortable- he’s honestly worried he’d hurt you or crossed your boundaries. You assure him that it’s nothing like that. You just need to explain something before things go further.

If you are nervous about telling him, he’ll wait patiently for you to say what you need to say. Reassures you that it changes nothing about how he feels about you. He only cares that you’re happy and comfortable.

“I’m glad you feel comfortable telling me. I know humans can hold some troubling views on the subject.” He’s never really understood a lot of the human hang ups on things like this, but he knows it’s a big deal for some to share the knowledge with others, it takes trust.

What he doesn’t say is how happy he is that you trust him that much (how proud he is,)

Will ask if there’s anything specific you need him to do/not do or anything that you might not have that you want or need. (ie: new binder if you haven’t had top surgery, do you want top surgery? He can make it happen.)

If you’re having a particularly bad time with dysphoria, he’ll straight up ask if there’s anything he can do to help.

He’ll also be sure to call you by your name, or specifically masculine terms

Someone misgenders you on purpose? He doesn’t hesitate to set them straight. No one’s foolish enough to do it again.

Mammon:

He finds out on accident. You’re changing when he barges in your room, saying something about being late for breakfast in his usual loud manner.

He freezes when he finally looks at you, Sees your binder or your scars but honestly it doesn’t really register bc holy shit his human is half dressed and standing in front of him and-poor boy is blushing so hard and is silent because he’s certain he’ll make a fool of himself.

It hadn’t occurred to you until he went quiet that he didn’t know already.

You finish getting dressed and his silence is worrying you at this point. You quietly ask him if he’d like for you to stop hanging around him

That manages to snap him out of his daze and he looks utterly confused. “Why would ya think that?” You try to explain that you’ve had people that have stopped speaking to you because you’re trans, or have even tried to tell you it’s wrong.

“They obviously don’t know anything,” He says, “You’re stuck with the Great Mammon, ya hear? I’m your first guy and you’re my man!” It’s not the first time he’s referred to you as his, but it’s the first time he’s used man instead of human. After that though, he starts doing it more and each time it makes you smile.

“That’s right, That’s my man!” “What took ya so long, man?”

If you’re having bad dysphoria he’s very vocal about calling you his man, reassuring you, and asking what you want in that moment. Stay in and just lay around? Sure. find a distraction? He can think of plenty.

He offers you some of his shirts and jackets. “They suit ya,” he insists, even if they’re big on you, “Gotta make sure my man is staying stylish!” (He won’t admit how happy it makes him to see you wearing his clothes, but you can tell anyways.)

Someone misgenders you to upset you? “What’d you just say to my man?” He’s angry and he’s not about to be quiet about it.

Leviathan:

You mention it off-handedly while discussing your favorite anime and manga.

You’d started talking about one that actually had pretty decent Trans rep, lamenting that it wasn’t more popular because of how much it meant to see someone like you-

Levi catches it immediately, but he doesn’t say anything about- It doesn’t change anything he feels anyway.

He does, however, take time to look for movies, tv shows, games, or anything you might both enjoy that has good Representation.

When you realize what he’s doing you can’t help but hug him tightly and kiss his cheek, and it makes him blush.”I’m glad you’re happy.”

Bad Dysphoria? He’ll drag you to his room to binge anime, play games, and watch movies. He knows the distraction helps.

You’re his Henry, and he’s gonna go the extra mile to make sure you’re comfortable, however he can.

If you use a binder and find you need a new one, he’s on top of it- He’ll offer to make one for you so he knows it’ll be the right size and it will be good quality.

Someone misgenders you after being corrected? He checks on you first and asks if you want him to do something about it. If he finds out they did it Maliciously? He’s going to do something about that- reminding everyone in the process that he’s the third eldest (and third most powerful) for a reason.

Satan:

It comes up when you start spending more time with him- studying or getting book recommendations to pass your free time, You can tell when your interactions shift to something more.

He nods when you tell him, “And your pronouns are He/him, correct?”

Asks if there’s anything he should avoid doing, anything you don’t like to be called, He wants to know your boundaries then and there so he doesn’t overstep them.

He spends some time researching. He wants to make sure he understands as much as he can about you, including this- he doesn’t want to ask you directly what your experience in the human realm was, in case it brings up any unpleasant memories.

You notice the change in his reading list eventually and it makes you feel warm knowing that he’s doing it for you. You tell him if he does have any questions he can ask you.

He does ask you if you use a binder and if you’re binding safely.

He also asks if Dysphoria is something you struggle with. If you tell him it is, his line of questioning shifts to things he can possibly do to help you deal with it.

If it’s a really rough day and you admit you don’t want to really do anything, he’ll pick a book to read to you, just so you know he’s there for anything you need, even if it’s just quiet company.

He also becomes a little more vocal, calls you things like dashing or handsome.

If someone misgenders you with ill intent? He’s going to deal with it, and it’s not going to be pretty.

Asmodeus:

He invites you to his room to show you the new outfits he bought. He does it pretty much every time he goes shopping.

This time the first outfit he walks out includes a skirt. You already know Asmo doesn’t believe in gendered clothing, or adhering to any sort of ‘norm’ but it’s the first time you’ve seen it so obviously in person when it comes to his clothes.

“I wish I could wear something like that,” the words are out your mouth before you register them, and you flush even while Asmo giggles. He offers his closet to you and tells you to try something on.

Your hesitance must show, because he frowns a little, looking concerned. “I used to,” you admit, “But people kept telling me that I didn’t need to transition if I liked all that stuff anyways.”

He’s next to you in a second, hand tilting your chin to look at him, “Fuck those people,” he says seriously, “It’s a shame for a man to hide such a delightful body. It’s even worse for him to deny himself things he likes because of ignorant commentary.”

He ends up making suggestions on what to try on, starting with a simple skirt and shirt combo.

You stare at the mirror for a long time, turning occasionally to watch the way the skirt flares up slightly when you do. You catch Asmo smiling behind you in the reflection.

“Do you like it?” You catch his eyes in the reflection, nodding, “I missed the feeling. Thank you, Asmo.”

“Anything for someone as handsome as you,”

If you’re feeling really dysphoric he’ll try to pamper you- want him to brush your hair? Face masks? A relaxing bath? An entire spa day? New clothes? He wants you to feel good about yourself and he knows self care is the first step.

He loves to pick out clothes for you to wear, but he always explicitly asks what style you want, because he wants you to feel as good as you look in anything he picks for you.

If someone misgenders you maliciously or more than once, he’ll have plenty of words with them.

In fact, as it turns out many of his fans will also have words if they catch wind- Asmo loves posting pics with you on Devilgram and taking you to the Fall, so you’ve also become part of many of his fans' lives too.

Beelzebub:

You feel a little self-conscious surrounded by attractive demons- But Beel is a whole other level. He’s tall and solid muscle, and you're envious of it.

You know you could never keep up with his workouts, but you ask if you could join him anyways, and if he could give you some pointers on good workouts for specific goals. He agrees right away, more than happy to help.

It becomes a routine and you look forward to your shared workouts, even if it’s just you both doing your own thing, or Beel giving you pointers on your form or him asking you to record him so he can see how his own form looks.

You’re so comfortable around Beel, that during one of your afternoon workouts you pull your shirt over your head as you stop to take a break and even out your breathing.

“It’s not good to wear a binder while exercising for so long.” Beel’s concerned comment takes you off guard for a moment and you flush, unsure of what to say because he sounds so casual about it, and you aren’t really used to it.

You settle for “Sorry,” and quickly go to tug your shirt back on, but he shakes his head. “You don’t have to. Just rest while I finish up.”

“You’re doing this for you, right? No matter what, You’re a great guy, so don’t push yourself because other people expect it.” You’re surprised when he joins you after he’s done and it’s the first thing he says. You tell him it does help you feel better about yourself and you enjoy spending the time with him, doing something you both enjoy. And the smile he gives you is blinding.

If you’re having a bad time with Dysphoria he’ll ask what you want to do. Workout? Movie and Snacks? Do you need a distraction or do you want to just...be?

He’s well aware of the toxic masculinity that can be present in places like gyms and such. He’s never tolerated it, but there’s a new edge to him if he hears anyone saying something disrespectful or hateful.

If someone misgenders you, he makes his displeasure known but he focuses on making sure you aren’t upset. (Not many would dare risk making him angry anyways, as quiet as he is he’s still intimidating when he needs to be.)

Belphegor:

You don’t actually tell him. with how often you end up napping with him he just knows. He doesn’t even say anything about it- he doesn’t see the need to and neither do you.

He does say something the one time he catches you falling asleep in a binder. “You can’t sleep in that!” he wakes you up and makes you change- he tells you it’s important to have proper sleepwear, a lecture that might even rival one Lucifer's, as he himself begins to doze off.

After that he makes a point to check to make sure you aren’t wearing a binder before he cuddles up for a nap or for the night (Not that he admits it to you)

He likes to tease you, but he’s always hyper aware of his words. The last thing he wants to do is accidentally say something that might actually hurt you

He doesn’t tend to use overly gendered language with you in the first place, “You’re my nap buddy,” “You make a really nice pillow,” “I like it when you look flustered like that,”

But if he notices/ you tell him you’re struggling with dysphoria more than usual he’ll make the effort to use specifically masculine terms

He’s not the greatest with being open about his feelings but he’ll reassure you if that’s what you need

He doesn’t like seeing you struggling so he asks the best ways to help you feel better, even if he still teases you he’s doing his best to cheer you up or make you more comfortable.

If someone misgenders you on purpose he’s making sure you’re okay. He’ll be even more clingy than usual, glare at anyone he thinks looks at you wrong or he’ll simply drag you back home to laze around and cuddle (He tells you he’s tired and just wants to nap, but he really just wants to keep an eye on you in case it upset you more than you showed.)

He’ll have a discussion with whoever upset you later, anyways.

Solomon:

When you realize he’s way older than he looks you’re concerned that he’s gonna have some very archaic views about things.

Even as you grow closer to him, the thought nags at the back of your mind and it keeps you stuck at a distance despite his obvious flirting.

He notices, of course. “Am I making you uncomfortable? I can stop if you’d like,” It's a stark contrast to his usual teasing and mystic demeanor, and the serious expression on his face draws some courage from you.

You manage to tell him without stuttering, and then you flush when you tell him you weren’t sure he’d be okay with that. Saying it out loud makes you feel a little silly- all things considered.

He hums and tells you he understands, but that he doesn’t care in the sense that if you’re happy and true to yourself that’s what matters most. (It sounds suspiciously like something Asmo would say, but there’s sincerity in his voice and eyes.)

His flirting continues- when he passes you at RAD, when he invites you to study with him, even his messages, simple compliments like “You look rather handsome today,” or teasing “I’m so lucky to sit with the cutest boy in class,” but now that you aren’t worrying about other things, you can finally return his teasing.

If you’re having a hard time with dysphoria, he’ll ask if he can help. He’ll show up with snacks, movies, books, anything you want to do. He’ll even offer to ask Asmo for the needed supplies for a spa day, if he thinks that might help.

If someone misgenders you on purpose he’s gonna set them straight. He’s the most powerful sorcerer and he’s not going to let someone disrespect you like that

Diavolo:

When you arrive in the Devildom, you actually laugh. A few of the people (demons!) standing around you look concerned.

“I mean, plenty of people told me I’d go to hell but I don’t think this is what they meant.” There’s some surprised looks but no one mentions it past that, really.

But it does come up in one of your regular meetings with Diavolo, what had started out as short meetings to discuss how things were progressing during your stay had suddenly turned into hours of visiting over tea and Barbatos cooking.

He asks you what you meant when you’d said that. It wasn’t the first ‘personal’ question he asked you, and you didn’t see a reason not to explain. So you tell him all about your run ins with the wannabe preachers and ‘concerned’ Sunday school moms and the like and how you managed to offend them.

He looks curious and you tell him to feel free to ask you if he has a question. He has a few, mostly about if there’s anything making you uncomfortable he might not be aware of, or if there’s anything you need that you can’t get in the Devildom.

He’s genuinely concerned about not having thought about things like this when it comes to the exchange students, and asks if you’d help him make sure the program was improved and friendly towards all.

It warms your heart to see him so passionate and ready to learn in order to make others comfortable, so you agree without hesitation

Your visits with Diavolo grow in number after that though some of them remain just friendly visits, some are focused on the exchange program and some of them are far more intimate.

If you tell him you’re having a rough time with feeling dysphoric, he’ll Invite you over to visit and make sure you’re alright- and if you don’t feel like going out? He’ll come to you, a box of sweets from Barbatos and determined to find out if there’s anything he can do to help.

He’s all about reassurance, “You’re perfect, and I don’t lie, remember?”

Someone misgenders you intentionally or is just being transphobic in general? He’s quick to shut that down. He makes it known that he won’t tolerate any sort of hate speech or such behavior, and especially not towards you. No one is going to test Lord Diavolo on that, either.

#swd obey me #obey me #Trans masc MC #trans mc #om lucifer #om mammon #om leviathan #om satan #om asmodeus #om beelzebub #om belphegor #om solomon #om diavolo #Tw mention of transphobia #Obey me trans masc MC #obey me hc #headcanon #kinda self indulgent im just starving for content i can relate to

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niccolahiromithomas · 3 years

Text

Anonymous Asks: How did a nice guy like you wind up with the Loose Cannon? I know opposites attract but that seems a bit...extreme!

Ask Us Anything...

Nikolai could understand to a point why this question turned up from time to time. Looking from the outside, in, it really did look like the Irishman had nothing remotely in common with the man who had a rep for having a hair trigger and a potty mouth. He, on the other hand, was told that he had a warm, almost shy aura that was homey and comforting. 'Too wholesome for the world' had been mentioned a few times. Ah, if only they knew...

Brian and Nikolai were two halves of an unique whole that was fulfilling in ways most people spent lifetimes looking for. That and, truly, no one was the same in public as they were behind closed doors. In fact, those private moments is when the true self came out that only a rare few got to see. Brian took a chance on showing the young Irish lad that true face and Nikolai made a promise to never allow him to regret that decision. Their love affair all began because he had used a book in a clever way that impressed the violent wrestler, silencing an asshole that had even plucked the Cannon's nerves. A favor done before Nikolai even knew it needed doing.

While he seemed like a crazed dog in public, in private Brian was thoughtful to the point of almost extreme worry. He tended to every need and desire of Nikolai's as if certain death would happen if he didn't adhere. Back massaged. Food delivered. Drink refilled wordlessly. Conversations about philosophy and science endless as they enjoyed each other's space were what made the Cannon the happiest. Even when lust clouded his mind, the older man was possessive but never heavy handed. Marks left but only the most pleasurable pain delivered. Nothing to scar but lasting long enough to show everyone that the Irishman was taken in the best of ways. Body devoured as if Nikolai was Ambrosia. Words whispered that spoke of how only a God to be worshipped could have such gorgeous eyes.

Never did he have to question how Brian felt about him. And, due to such nurturing love, Nikolai worked hard to ensure the older man received everything he needed and all the things he wanted. He became the God that the Cannon needed to keep the storm controlled. Dominating when he needed to be a brat. Nurturing when his broken spirit needed mending. Loyal to a fault when anyone questioned the bright eyed man's intentions. While Brian was a WILD man, a BAD man was he not. Some did not know the difference and the young lad knew that weighed heavy on the Cannon even though he didn't show it.

The anchor in Brian's life was what Nikolai was happy to be. There was no greater duty to him.

"He's wonderful," the raven haired man answered simply. "I know most of you could never phantom how great he is but he is. And I'm forever grateful for that! After all, if you did, I might not have been given this opportunity to bask in his presence all to myself. So. I suggest you watch how you speak in the meantime. I might bust your lip for degrading my love in front of me next time. Any more questions?"

#Acid x Base #hollywoodcannon

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jmnsthetic · 4 years

Text

FINALLY MINE

~words:3000+

~tags: M/M, oral, taekook, jock Jungkook, nerd Taehyung, sub/dom, blowjob..

~Tae and Jungkook are the same age here, bare with me pls^^

*Jeon Jungkook’s POV*

Kim Taehyung…

That kid is picked on more than most people in this school. Mostly because he’s small, meek, and looks more like a girl than most of the girls in this school. I wouldn’t say he’s skinny because he’s got the widest hips I’ve ever seen, but his upper body is the stereotypical nerd torso.

His ass though… Damn, he’s got an ass most girls would be jealous of. Most of the time I can’t stop thinking of what it would feel like to have my dick 9 inches deep in that ass. Or his pink luscious lips wrapped around it.

Unfortunately, being the starting wide receiver for Santa Barbara, I’ve got a certain rep to uphold. And it wouldn’t look good if I was seen rooting for the wrong team. Especially a geek like Taehyung who’s the target of many bullies. Everyone takes a shot at that kid.

But still… it’s very tempting. What I would do to get him under me, taking my dick like a good little boy.

---

Sitting in math class is a rather bore. Fortunately, Taehyung’s in my class. Today he’s wearing those skin-tight jeans and a white t-shirt that clings to his skin.

The worst or best part of school is I’m stuck with this eye candy all day long. He’s in every single one of my classes. He is smart, there’s no doubt about that. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not the typical stupid ass jock. My parents made sure of it. My dad is a successful entrepreneur. He demands excellence from me, both on the field and in the classroom.

As we pile out of class after the bell rings, I trail that booty to our next class. A few people give me high fives and tell me what a great game I had last Friday. Some of my teammates hit me up, but I keep my eyes on that fat ass of his.

“Move it, fucking nerd,” Kyle says as he wacks Taehyungs books out of his hands, scattering all over the hall. Kyle’s a punk, but he’s my teammate. Great linebacker and starting power forward on the basketball team. We’re not friends by any means, just teammates.

“You don’t have to be an ass, Kyle,” I say as I kneel down to help the guy out. He looks up at me with those brown eyes. I can see he’s on the verge of crying and all I can think about is how hot it’d be to shove my tounge down that throat of his.

I just want to grab his messy brown hair and fuck his face with my tounge.

“Why are you being nice to me?” he asks.

“Not all jocks are assholes,” I tell him as I hand him his books. “Why do you haul all these books around?”

“My locker is on the other side of the school,” he says, brushing his hair out of his face and adjusting his glasses.

“That sucks,” I say, while I get a good glimpse of that ass as he bends over and grabs the last of his books. I just want to yank his pants down, spread them cheeks and taste him. “By the way, I noticed we’re in the same math class.”

“We’re in all the same classes,” he says as we continue on to our English class.

“Right… You know, I could use a study buddy like you,” I admit. Not that I need someone to help me with math. Math comes easily to me. I just want an excuse to get him over to my house... Alone.

“Like me? You mean, you want someone who’ll do your homework for you?” he asks.

“Do I look like I need someone to do my homework? I’m not the stupid jock you might think I am,” I tell him. “I just want someone who takes their class work as serious as I do.”

His face turns bright red as he tears his eyes away from mine. “I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to assume.”

“It’s all good, I’m just messing with ya. So what do you say? Study buddy?” I ask. His eyes go wide as he looks back up at me.

“Uh… sure! Okay, yeah!”

“Great! Why don’t you come over to my house after practice and we’ll finish up the math homework and study for the upcoming test,” I suggest.

“Yeah… except, I don’t have a car…” he says.

“No problem… If you want, you can wait up here and I’ll give you ride after practice,” I tell him. “Hell, you can even watch us practice if you want.”

“Really!?” he asks. “What about Kyle?”

“Don’t worry about Kyle,” I tell him. “I’ll make sure no one picks on you.”

“Really?” He looks up at me with those eyes… Eyes as blue as the ocean. His face just has that natural innocence about it. It makes my dick hard.

“Yeah… stick with me and no one will touch you.” Nobody but me.

---

As we make our way out to the practice field I see Taehyung off in the corner with his books. I can’t believe he came. He’s a gazelle in the lion's den. He looks up at us as we start stretching. “Oh my god, wow… What’s that nerd sitting on our field for?” Kyle asks.

“Hey, leave him alone, he’s mine ,” I tell Kyle.

“What!? Did you jump to the other side?” he asks.

“What if I did? I mean, you can’t tell me you wouldn’t what his lips wrapped around your cock? ”

“Wow, you are a fag! And NO!”

“If getting your dick sucked is gay then I’m gay for him.”

“He’s kinda got a point,” Adam says. “Ain’t nothing gay about getting your dick suck. Besides, nerdboy over there looks more like a girl than half the sluts you’ve slept with, Kyle.”

“Whatever…”

Coach blows the whistle and we get practice started.

After doing some sprints and drills, we ran some plays. Out of the 8 passes that were thrown to me, I didn’t drop a single one.

When practice finally ended, I was quick to tear my pads off and leave. I find Taehyung waiting for me outside. Fuck, if he grew hair out a little longer, I wouldn’t be able to tell if he was a guy. Especially with that ass. Perfect bubble butt. And his lips, definitely dick sucking lips.

Gear in one hand, I sling my other arm around his shoulder. “Let’s head over to my house.”

Leading him over to my convertible Audi, I toss my shit in the back and hop in the driver's seat. He meagerly climbs in and we’re off.

It doesn’t take long before we roll up at my house. His eyes light up as we pull in the drive. I don’t think he’s ever seen a house this big. “This is where you live?” he asks.

“Yeah, where did you think I lived, some fucking ghetto? ”

He tenses up.

“Relax, I’m just messing with you.” Fuck calm down.

We get out and head in. I put my hand on the small of his back and lead him through the large glass door.

I toss my shit down and lead him up the giant white staircase to my room. Once in my bedroom, I gesture him to sit down on the bed and start tearing off my clothes. “I’m going to take a quick shower and wash the stink off if that’s alright with you.”

As soon as I pull my trunks down, his eyes go straight to my cock. “Uhh… Yeah… sure.”

“You act like you’ve never seen a dick before.”

Immediately his face burns bright red as he looks up at me. “I… I…”

“Want to touch it?”

His eyes go wide. “What!?”

“Do you want to touch it,” I make sure to emphasize every word.

“I… uh… I’m not gay.” He stutters and his ears flush bright red. Liar.

“I highly doubt that. Come on, no straight boy would stare at a cock like that.” I try to encurage him.

The way he bites down on his bottom lip makes my dick twitch. I don’t know how much more of this I can take. I just want to dominate this little nerd boy and make him mine.

I start stroking my cock as I slowly walk up to him. My dick is literally only a couple of inches from his handsome face. He can’t take those capturing eyes off it. Slowly, I run my fingers through his soft brown hair, grabbing a handful and pulling him closer to my cock.

His luscious lips touch the tip of my dick. His reluctance shatters as he parts them, letting the head of my cock slip in.

“Mmm.. ” He moans and that almost sends me over.

His eyes look into mine as I pull his head down on my cock, shoving more of it into his mouth. He gags as my dick reaches the entrance to his throat. Both of my hands have fists full of his hair and I start slowly rocking my hips.

His dainty little hands run up my thighs my cock pushes against his throat once more. Tears well down his eyes as he spits and coughs on my dick. He tries to push off, but I held him there. “Swallow it, baby.”

Those brown big eyes close shut. My dick plunges down his throat as he opens up, swallowing it whole. His nose bumps into my pubes as I hilt my dick balls deep inside his mouth. I can see his neck bulge out as my dick clogs his throat.

I let go of him and my dick pops off his mouth as he coughs and gags. “Take your clothes off.”

He looks up at me all wide-eyed like a doe in the headlights. “You want that huh?” And smirks.

That brat! “I want to see that beautiful body of yours.” I pull him off the bed and take my seat on it, all the while stroking my dick. “Don’t be shy, let me see all of you.”

He stands and crosses his arms. I guess I’m going to have to give him a hand. I swallow my pride and pull him closer as my fingers find the bottom of his shirt. I slowly pull it up and over his head. His skin is pretty flawless. Not chubby, but not too skinny either. He’s got a flat stomach and chest. My fingers rub up against his nipple and slowly make their way down his stomach, such soft skin. I unsnap his pants and slowly drag them down. No way! He’s got on Gucci underwear. They hug his fat ass perfectly. Almost like panties.

This boy was made to be fucked.

He holds onto my shoulders as I lift one leg after the other and drag his pants off. I see the tiny bulge in his underwear, rubbing my hands over it, he is as hard as a rock. I give him the turn around sign with my fingers and he hesitantly shows that ass to me.

Sinking my fingers beneath the hem of his underwear, inch by inch, I pull them down revealing the sexiest ass I’ve ever seen. Not a single hair below his head.

I give his ass a hard slap, making him groan out. He looks back at me. “Why are you doing this?”

I pull him down in my lap. “Because I want to make you mine. Here’s the deal, Taehyung… You become my slut and no one… not even Kyle will ever bully you.”

“Wha… What’s that entail?”

“Obviously that means not only are you going to be mine , but I’m going to fuck that tight ass of yours whenever I want.”

His eyes go wide. “I don’t know… Won’t that hurt?”

“For the first time, yeah, it’ll hurt. But I promise, once that ass gets stretched out, you’re gonna love it. You’ll crave my dick.”

My hand slides down his back causing him to tense up. I grab his ass as my fingers zip down the crack of his butt finding his tight little rosebud.

“How badly do you want to be popular?” I ask him. “I can make that happen. As long as you submit this ass of yours to me and become mine.”

Before he can even say anything, I grab his hair and pull him in for a kiss. My tongue batters it’s way into his mouth as my finger sinks into his tight asshole. He squirms as my digit sinks to the first knuckle.

“Oh fuck Jungkook!”

“Now, if you want my protection from Kyle, get on your knees and start sucking my dick.”

He bites his lower lip as he looks into my eyes with those brown orbs. As the last bit of his resistance diminishes, he sinks to his knees and slips my cock between his lips. “That’s it, baby. Suck my big dick.”

I grab a handful of hair and start bobbing his head up and down on my cock. “Urrghh, fuck… Wrap those dick sucking lips tightly around my cock and suck.”

His cheeks collapse as he inhales my dick like a popsicle. “That’s it, now swirl the tongue around the tip of it.”

He obeys, giving the head of my cock a girl swirly. “You’re a natural cock sucker, you know that?”

Those eyes look up at me as his cheeks turn a rosy shade of pink. “Don’t be embarrassed, it’s a compliment.”

I slam his head all the way down, popping my dick inside his throat. His nose once again meets my pubes. He coughs and starts choking on my dick. I pull his head up off my dick. As my cock falls from his lips, he coughs and gags up spit. With my other hand, I grab my cock and start smacking those beautiful lips. Then I plunge my cock back between his lips.

With one swift move, I flip him on his back, resting his head on the bed as I stand over him, sinking my cock down his throat. I start fucking his face hard. My balls slap his chin as my cock slams down his throat. Tears fall from his eyes as I continue to hump his face. The sound of him gurgling on chock on my dick fill the room.

I slide my hand through his hair and grip a handful as I use his mouth as a fuckhole. He just takes it. To be honest, degrading him like a whore isn’t what I truly want, but I can’t help myself. Whenever I’m around this beautiful girly boy, I lose control. Primal instincts take over and all I can think about is breeding him like a bitch.

As long as I’m being truthful to myself, I actually like him. Not just as a fucktoy or because he stirs some deeply filled lust within me, but I honestly have a crush on him. I actually like all the geeky things he’s into. I’ll never admit it to my teammates or parents, but deep down I’m kind of a nerd too.

And while I’m being honest, as I sink my dick down his throat. I want to make him my boyfriend. Yes, I mean it. I think he’d look amazing in a dress with some makeup on. Some soft lace panties, maybe one of them training bras. I’d take him on dates. We’d see one of those Marvel movies. Then we’d spend all night with my dick up that tight ass of his. I’d fill his thick bum up with load after load of my seed.

Speaking of cum, I’m about to blow a load down his throat. “Fuck!”

A riptide of pleasure crashes through me as my cock explodes down his throat, shooting a thick load of cum straight into his stomach. He coughs and sputters as I pull my dick out, leaving the tip still inside his mouth. I drop another load, filling up his mouth, a little bit of cum drools out between his lips. Like a good little boy, he swallows it all. And you know I’ve got to mark my territory.

So I pull my dick from his lips and paint his face with one last load of cum. Damn, he looks so hot with my seed all over his girly face.

“Now it’s official, you’re mine Taehyung.”

He goes to wipe his face off. “Unless you’re going to swallow all that cum, leave it.”

He looks up at me with those eyes. The look on his face is one of fear, shame, and humiliation. Part of me wants to pull him into my arms and kiss him. Tell him everything's going to be alright. The rest of me wants to fuck him like a slut and continue to degrade him.

I take my finger and swipe up a load of cum just below his eye and feed it to him. He licks it up without hesitation.

“I’m going to take a shower, feel free to lick the rest of it up.”

It doesn’t take long to clean myself up. I walk back in my room to find him fully clothed and the cum off his face is mostly gone. I shed my towel and his eyes fall down to my cock. “Don’t worry, baby. You’ll get more of this dick.”

“Please… Please don’t tell anyone about this. I don't want to be just someones whore.”

“Ha… who gives a shit what other people think. I want the entire school to know you’re mine.” Wrapping my arm around his waist, I pull him close to me and press my lips against his. I stroke his cheek with my thumb as I wrap my hand around his delicate face. He melts in my arms as my tongue explores the inside of his mouth. My other hand sinks down and grabs his ass.

Finally, I let go of him and break away.

He bites his lip as he looks up at me with those eyes. “Aren’t you afraid people will find out you’re gay?”

“If the reason is you, then I don't mind If the president declares it. The trouth is Tae, I've wanted you for the longest time. I'm sorry If I was too straight forward. ”

He looks up at me with the brightest smile ever and nods.

I grab his hand and lock my fingers between his. “Now come on, I’ll take you home.”

“But… If people finf out, they’re going to humiliate me,” he says as I lead him downstairs.

“Trust, me... No one’s going to lay a finger on you or say a word.”

“What!? But… How?”

I stop as we reach the bottom of the stairs and lift his chin up to me. “I’m going to make damn sure everyone knows you’re mine. If anyone even so much as says a word to you, I’ll kick their ass. Didn’t I tell you I’d protect you?”

He nods his head. “Now let’s get you home. Tomorrow’s your first day as my boyfriend.”

“And you as mine.” He smiles.

The look on his face melts my heart. “Don’t worry, we’ll take it slow, but eventually, I want you to start wearing panties, a dress, and some makeup.”

“No, I can’t do that! What am I going to tell my family?”

“Why not tell them the truth? You're gay and you’re finally embracing it.”

“Please, don’t make me do it.”

“Hush, baby. Don’t worry. As I said, we’ll take it slow.”

It doesn’t take us long before we’re at his house. I sink my hand in his soft hair and pull him in for one last kiss before he quickly gets out. I can’t take my eyes off that ass of his as he hustles inside, giving me one last glance before disappearing behind his front door.

I can’t wait for tomorrow!

***

Thanks for reading!

#bts taehyung #bts fic #bts jungkook #bts smut #bts #bts imagines #alternate universe #friends to lovers #gay love

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spaceshipkat · 6 years

Note

How do you know when agent is for you? You've probably already answered that, so feel free to defer me to an old post. Also how many agents should I contact at a time? Ten? (Fear not -- I am not sending this bad boy to anyone until it reaches a marginally acceptable word-count lol)

you sent this a couple days ago, but it was actually the perfect time bc i had a call with my agent today and i can explain how i know he’s the right agent for me, vs my first agent.

but first, to answer your second question now bc the first answer became a novel, i always started with a round of 10 - 20 queries, and i’d typically choose faster agents to see if my query is working to hook anyone in. if i got a rejection, i sent out a new query to another agent, just so i could feel like i was still working toward my goal. and my opinion on it is you should query absolutely anyone you want so long as they represent your genre and category. (an agent who only reps nonfiction won’t want fiction, for example, no matter how cool it sounds.) don’t be afraid that one agent is any bigger than any other and thus choose not to query them at all. if i’d done that, my agent and i wouldn’t be working together (i had a referral as he was and still is closed to queries).

now for your first question: my current agent has stuck with me for two years (i signed the contract in late july/we went on sub early august of 2016), long after many people told me he’d drop me. i still don’t really understand why he’s stuck with me, but i always know that he believes in me and my books bc he gives them the time they deserve and he’s vocal in what he likes and doesn’t like.

his client list is full and i’m one of the very few who hasn’t sold (my phoenix WIP will be book 5 with him, though we didn’t sub book 4) this far into my career pursuits. for example, he signed a client a few months after me and went on sub in december. two weeks later, she had a major deal with one of the Big 5. thus, naturally, for the first year we worked together i was concerned he’d drop me after book 1 didn’t sell and book 2 didn’t sell, but then by book 3 i had a feeling he’d stay loyal and he has.

but all of that? i didn’t know all of that when i signed with him. i had some references from writers (past and current clients, as well as those who just knew of him bc he’s a pretty big ya agent) and my experience with him during my R&R, and some hope that we’d work well together. but i also knew from clients that he’s an aggressive agent (in that he is a go-getter when it comes to subbing books, isn’t afraid to breathe down editors’ necks if they’re being slow or not communicating well, that sort of thing) and he’s also a fast reader for clients. (well, typically, depending on the time of year, but that’s true of any agent.) so all of that appealed to me bc that’s the kind of person i am.

so, to compare that to my first agent: after book 1 didn’t sell, i worked on book 2 and gave it to her and six months later she’d read no more than 150 pages of it. she kept giving me excuses, saying she was busy with this, that, and the other thing, without ever proving to me that she valued me as a client. the last straw for me was the week after the date she’d told me she’d have my book read (this was the fourth time she’d given me a date) and she just replied that she was busy with another contract and would get to me eventually. and when i fired her, she didn’t even fight to keep me. (it should be known that this book 2 with her is the one that got me my current agent.)

for some, a slow agent works well for them, especially if they’re a slower writer. i’m not. my typical first draft is done in a couple months, depending on how busy i am. so when i sent the book to her after my CPs read it and she was taking six months to read 150 pages? there was a serious problem there for me. it was too slow, too passive. but when i signed with her, i wouldn’t have known that.

and that’s the kicker. you will never know how an agent’s philosophy will work with yours until you sign with them. you can get as many references as possible and still never truly know, bc everyone’s experience with their agent is different. just look at the above with my current agent and how many people warned me against him. here we are book 5, and we just had a chat about my phoenix WIP to untangle any plot knots or tie up any loose ends.

he’s active in my career pursuits, which is how i know he’s loyal to me (and it will never stop surprising me). remember, agents only get paid if they sell your book. so long as you’re producing new material, your job is done. after that, it’s up to the agent to fulfill their job and sell it. (i’m still teaching myself this nearly six years into being an agented writer.) like i said a while ago, you don’t want to send your agent a thousand emails in a thousand threads about a thousand topics, y’know? but you also never want to feel like a burden. i still feel that way sometimes (for no other reason than i’m a worry wart, bc my agent has never made me feel that way) and i often have to get my friends to give me a kick in the pants to just bite the bullet and send the email. (this is one reason you need a support system of people who know what it’s like to be a writer pursuing traditional publishing.) so, if your agent is making you believe that you’re a burden to them? time to 1) have a chat and/or 2) fire them. both of those can be done over email, as mine were with my first agent.

another way to tell they’re the one for you is that they want to know about your life. not in explicit details, ofc, but enough that they can get a picture of who you are. like today, my agent and i were talking about college bc my little sister is starting freshman year and his eldest daughter is touring for schools. our last phone call we were talking about a concert he went to see where one singer was so hot he came onto the stage in a nude bodysuit. i’ve mentioned my surgery to him, my brother dying, and graduating college, and he’s told me about his daughter’s surgery, where he’s hoping to travel next summer, and how his daughter went on a study abroad thing for a few weeks in the spring. none of it’s deep, but it’s enough that if you two are sitting at a table over dinner at some conference, you’re not going to be sitting there in silence. you won’t feel like strangers to each other.

and everyone, of course, has different philosophies on that. it works well for me bc the more i know him, the better i feel about emailing him or explaining why i included one subplot. i have a friend who doesn’t really ever talk to her agent now that she’s sold a book bc that’s just not how it works for her. another friend talks to her agent more than i talk to my own, and she and he have met up a few times for dinners and whatnot when she’s in NYC. many writers will go to NYC to meet with their agent and editor after they’ve sold a book. (a lot of publishing is about who you know because that can really get your foot in the door. for example, a lot of editors now know me by name and ask for my work. when i query my adult book, i’ll be querying some former editors, now agents who read my books when my agent sent them out on sub.)

and lastly bc holy shit this is a novel, you want to make sure you know where you stand in terms of control over sub. some agents don’t want their clients to suggest editors, while others are willing to look at some you suggest. i’ve given my agent several referrals from friends to sub to their editors and he’s always happy to take them up on it (well, within reason, bc if he’s heard some iffy stuff about editors he won’t send them, no matter what). in the end, i always leave it up to him, since he’s the professional who makes lasting relationships with any editors, scouts, foreign rights agents, film producers, etc etc.

to end this, lemme do a TL;DR: to know if an agent is for you, you need to trust and have faith in your agent with your books and your career, you need to feel comfortable with them (it doesn’t always come right away, believe me, bc you are virtually strangers), you need to have an idea of what kind of working relationship you have in mind and see if your agent shares the same philosophy, and you need to make sure your agent doesn’t make you feel like a burden. when you get off the phone with your agent, you need to feel energized to start working (as i do rn, as it happens) and not dreading the edits in a certain way: everyone dreads edits, especially if they’re intense. that’s not what i mean. i mean that if you dread the edits bc you don’t agree with them, feel it would change a huge portion of your book, or veer it far away from your vision, you need to consider whether to argue with your agent on this matter or part ways.

i think, overall, working with agents seems more daunting than it really is for no other reason than how hush-hush everyone is told to be–and with good reason. publishing is a small industry and people talk (i’m the head of the department of redundancy department, in case you didn’t know bc I say that so often 😂), so you don’t want to start publicly complaining about any specific person, naming names and pointing fingers and whatnot. you also don’t want to tweet that you just got an offer of rep bc any other agents looking at your feed (as they often do when considering you as a client) will probably decide you’ve tipped your hat already and dont want to compete. celebrate in private, basically. so agented writers are often silent on any given matter for no other reason than protecting their careers/reputation, but most writers are happy to talk in private if a potential client emails them to ask how this agent works and how happy they are with that agent.

and i really need to shut up. i hope some of my ramblings make sense and have some feeble sense of direction, but if not, ask away! (as you can see, i like to ramble 😂).

#ask #a-thousand-times-goodnight #kat rambles #writeblr #querying #literary agents #writing advice #query tips #publishing

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putthison · 6 years

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Talking to Jason Jules about John Simons, Patron Saint of English Ivy

In an age where everyone buys almost everything off the internet, sometimes from far-flung warehouses located in other countries, it’s easy to forget the important role certain brick-and-mortars played in shaping regional taste. These retailers, who were often small and independent haberdasheries, were the original tastemakers. Fred Seagal, for example, was once thought of as the gateway into the Los Angeles fashion market; Louis Boston introduced many to the comfort of Italian tailoring. In fact, Luciano Barbera got his start in marketing tailored clothing because of a suggestion from Murray Pearlstein, Louis Boston’s late proprietor. The two worked together to develop a line of ready-to-wear Italian suits and sport coats, which was initially aimed at the New England market.

John Simons is considered by some to be the patron saint of English Ivy for the same reasons. For the last sixty years, he’s been a steadfast evangelist for the same kind of clothes -- J. Keydge natural-shouldered jackets, Florsheim Imperial brogues, Bass penny loafers, button-down shirts, and other things Ivy. He introduced the look to English shores in the 1950s and has stuck with it ever since, proving there’s such a thing as classic style.

More importantly, he’s played an important role in shaping British taste. For almost three generations, mods, suedeheads, and skinheads (a term for a section of working class youths before the name became associated with racists) have gone to John Simons to look street-smart and well-heeled. John Simons was also the one who gave Harrington jackets their name. Originally referred to as golf jackets, Simons remembers the time when he climbed into his shop window to write on the buff-colored card attached to a store display jacket: "The Rodney Harrington Style.” It was reference to how Rodney Harrington in Peyton Place wore the same model. Now the name is everywhere.

This Monday, Mono Media is releasing a film about John Simons by Jason Jules. Some readers may recognize Jason as the face of Drake’s, but he’s also a vet in the London arts scene, having worked as a club promoter, PR rep, and fashion industry consultant. His film, titled A Modernist, is about a shop he loves, the clothing inside, and the store’s connection to culture. We sat down with Jason to talk about his film, Ivy Style, and other topics.

How did this project start?

I’ve known John’s shop since I was a kid. When it comes to Ivy Style, jazz, and modernism, John was Wikipedia before Wikipedia. Discovering his shop was a real eye opener for me. I was already into beat poetry and jazz at the time, but his shop pulled everything together. It has authenticity; it’s a place I can trust. I know if I go there with my eyes closed, pick up something from a rail in my size, it’ll always be the right thing. There’s not a single questionable item in the store.

Later, when I started making short films, it occurred to me that I should do something on John Simons. I put it off for a while, and then I heard a rumor John passed away. Thankfully, that turned out to be untrue, but the rumor kicked me into gear. What was originally supposed to be a five-minute nod to important influences in my life eventually grew into this hour-long feature on the shop and its clothes, as well the cultural attendants that came with them.

You mentioned trust. When I was a kid, I remember certain stores having an incredible amount of influence. If something was carried there, it was considered good. Do you think that’s still possible with the internet? Stores are so untethered by geography nowadays, people are constantly comparison shopping online. Loyalty seems like it’s at an all-time low.

I do, partly because I think certain stores offer a curational experience. I can walk past an art gallery, for example, and look at the work through the window. But that’s not the same as going inside and walking through the gallery, talking with the curator, and learning more about the pieces. Stores that give you a similar experience are the ones that will flourish. Think of shops such as Supreme or John Simons. Even if you go in there and get nothing but a conversation, you’ll walk out with something. You’re being exposed to a set of inherent values and taste markers that are almost too nuanced to grasp if you purely shop online.

John Simons has also historically sat in the middle of some important cultural movements -- his influence on mods, skinheads, suedeheads, etc.

John has a deep understanding of clothing, and he loves sharing it with people, regardless of their background. That’s one reason why there was, and still is, such diversity among his customers. He sold to kids who were into reggae and ska, just as he sold to advertising executives. He treated everyone equally.

That wasn’t always true elsewhere. There were some stores in Mayfair or tailors on Savile Row where, if you didn’t fit a certain archetype, you may have been met with a level of resistance or snobbery. John never did that; he welcomed everyone. He was never a mod or skinhead himself, but his clothes appealed to all those people. And he had a knack for putting his store in forward facing areas. At one point, he had a shop in the Soho area of London, just as the place was becoming an advertising hub. There were film companies and advertising agencies up one way, then music venues down the other. Right in the middle was John Simons’ Squire shop, so you got business people and music fans coming into the same store, buying the same clothes.

What do you think drew mods and skinheads to these clothes?

I think the clothes meant different things to different people. I imagine skinheads and suedeheads were reacting against the hippie movement at the time. There was a sort of neatness about the look that appealed to their working class roots, but the clothes also embodied a certain aspirational element. It was looking a bit more accomplished than what your wage packet might suggest. The early mods, on the other hand, often had good jobs and they liked dressing a certain way. But the appeal was still essentially aspirational – looking a bit outward at the time, as opposed to the more insular mindset of the previous generation of kids just coming out of the war.

That kind of sounds like the story of the ‘Lo Heads.

There are some parallels. I think the thing that makes it different is that John’s shop somewhat tempered what people wore. For example, as a kid, if I went into Ralph Lauren or Harrod’s, I knew I would be followed. It was a given, regardless of what I wore. Whereas if I went to John’s shop, I knew I would be welcomed. So for me, and I’m sure a lot of people, going to alternative sources to buy something wasn’t an attractive option. John shop was always the primary source in that way. That meant you interacted with the shop as more than just a retail outlet.

I remember in the ‘80s, I went into John’s shop to buy two Baracuta jackets. I wanted them a size too big, because that was my “look” then, and John told me the fit wasn’t right. I didn’t listen to him at the time because I was young and still finding my way with clothes, but his advice still stuck with me. The service made for a different kind of experience.

Many luxury companies back then worried about working-class people -- often ethnic minorities – wearing their clothes because they feared the association devalued their name. What made John different?

It was just the kind of people who worked in the shop. It was always about the clothes and culture. If someone showed an interest in the clothes and culture, they were eager to share their knowledge. And in many ways, they were also “outsiders.” John is a working class Jewish kid from East London. He has an outsider perspective. Some brands are protectionist, but John is an ambassador. Burberry used to vilify people who wore their check head-to-toe, but now they style their clothes the same way on the runway.

Or look at what’s happened with Dapper Dan!

Dapper Dan was public enemy number one for Gucci at one point, and now he’s hailed as the patron saint. There’s a new generation of marketing people, creative directors, and designers inside brands such as Ralph Lauren, Burberry, and Gucci that recognize the value of those outsider perspectives. John, on the other hand, has always been aware of this, so his door was always open to everyone.

In his book Ametora, David Marx wrote about how Ivy Style became its own thing in Japan. People wore things because their cultural heroes in Japan were wearing them, not because they were trying to imitate students at Harvard or Yale. Do you feel that happened with Ivy Style in the UK?

I think that a lot of people were into it in a purely contextual and insular way. After the first wave of modernists, the style was increasingly adopted by kids who wanted to emulate a mod look, and not because they were trying to be Italians. They wore those clothes because their mates were doing it. It becomes very peer-centric, very self-referencing in that way.

For example, I was asked a few years ago how long I’ve been into Ivy. I hadn’t even realized I was into Ivy! I was into button-down shirts and loafers and flat-front trousers. I was into patch pockets and cord jackets. I was into The Graduate and Steve McQueen. I was into Blue Note Records and modern jazz. I liked a certain look that could be defined as Ivy, but for me, it had a different meaning as a kid growing up in London.

Is there still that connection between clothing and culture? The Guardian had an article about how, fifty years ago, you could tell if someone was a mod, punk, hippie, goth, or soulboy from the way they dressed, but that’s harder now since so many people follow the same trends. Are there still youth subcultures that can be identified by the way they dress?

I think there are, but things move so quickly now, it’s hard to recognize something as peripheral. Like, Palace Skateboards used to be super niche five or six years ago. It was just a group of kids making t-shirts and crazy skateboard videos. Now they’re all over the place, and it’s easy to forget they came out of an incredibly small subculture.

Or look at Tyler the Creator and his line, Golf Wang. That originally came out of a subculture and the mainstream didn’t mess with it because they considered the line too obscure, too wild, too odd. Now they’re embraced like latter-day rockstars. It’s just that this transition happens so quickly now, it feels like things can become mainstream almost overnight. But the people behind these things were part of a subculture at one point.

Another brand like this is Trapstar. They started as kids who liked A Bathing Ape, but wanted something more local. They were West London kids who threw parties in other people’s shops and made incredibly high-spec’d t-shirts. They’re very authentic to London streetwear culture, but now their product is being sold internationally and sported by mainstream stars such as Rihanna.

Do you think the internet has homogenized or diversified culture?

I think it’s done both. It’s allowed people to find their own voice and realize there’s a community somewhere that will respond to them without any filter. But there’s also a lot of people who want to be part of a homogenous, mainstream culture. The internet allows for both of those things. I also think we all have both these elements in us. I like pop music, but also weird jazz. I watch Netflix, but also obscure films. The internet allows us to explore both these sides of ourselves, so they can happily co-exist.

Heritage clothing was really big five or six years ago, and now it feels like things have moved on. Is it harder to market this type of film now?

There was a point in the heritage movement where people thought there was a genuine shift in consciousness, that people would always buy less, buy better. Heritage turned out to be a trend, but it was an important trend. I’m not sure what happened, but like you say there was a palpable move away from what was essentially a style of clothing built around nostalgia. What remains of the trend, however, is a heightened appreciation of quality and craft, as well as a new kind of language, which we can apply to everything.

If you look at people who are into sportswear right now, they still talk about how things are made – the weight of the fabric on a t-shirt, how the print is applied. It’s no longer weird to talk about how denim was woven. Even sales assistants in high-street stores want to tell you how a pair of jeans was made.

So, in some ways, it’s become easier to talk about a clothing style that’s been around for more than fifty years. Mainstream journalists don’t look at you funny anymore if you describe your clothes as “Ivy.” At the same time, the social network for this stuff is a little more diffuse, but the people who really appreciate classic clothing will always appreciate it.

Do you think Ivy is ever going to come back in the way it did ten years ago?

I don’t know, but it’s like when the heritage thing was in full swing. Someone asked if I was pissed because all these people were dressing like me. “You’re looking like a trendy!,” they said. I said it’s fine because their interest in Ivy and Americana is a passing thing, for the majority of them, while I’m stuck in this. There will always be enough of us to have a community. This film isn’t for everyone, just as John’s shop isn’t. They’re for people who get it. For me, Ivy never went.

When I look at John Simons’ shop, it strikes me how the same clothes can look different in the UK than they do in the US. You mentioned the diversity among John’s customers, his acceptance and even embracement of others. At the same time, here in the US, Ivy style has lost some of its charm.

Part of that is because some members of the alt-right have picked up Ivy. The other part is how it’s become harder to ignore the uglier associations with the style. My co-writer Pete put it well a few years ago when he said “prep implies privilege and inherited money; some of prep’s charm comes from the unquestioning self confidence bestowed only by independent wealth.” The 1950s boarding schools and universities that originally made Ivy appealing are also the same places that discriminated against minorities around the same period.

Yet, in the UK, these clothes don’t feel like they have that baggage -- at least in the way they’re presented at John Simons. They have a different feel, much more modern and even democratic.

I know what you mean. For me, wearing these clothes, I always felt like I was in the process of subverting something. Even if it was just what it means to be a black kid growing up in London, being the only kid in the classroom wearing a button-down shirt. It was about subverting something that’s not supposed to be for you. But in some places, the look has been recast as the uniform of a social and economic elite. It’s harder to ignore how some people are not just taking advantage of their privilege, but even flaunting it.

Sometimes I think the heritage movement is partly connected to where we are now. I remember looking at a really important blog during that period, and they had a list of American-made products, authentic American brands. There were fifty to a hundred brands on that list, everyone from Pendleton to Woolrich, but none of them were Native American. I remember thinking it was so strange. We’re buying into something inclusive and liberating, but there’s also something nebulous around the edges. When Trump won, my girlfriend said, “you know Jason, part of what you’re into is responsible for this.”

[Laughing] A reader once emailed me saying that! He said my writing on clothing was partly responsible for the rise of the alt-right.

I think in recent years, I’ve become more aware of how my interest in Ivy differs from others. I’m purely into a look, whereas some people are into what a look symbolizes -- a sort of sanitized version of 1950s America. When I connect the clothes to culture, I connect them to personal heroes, who were often jazz musicians. Or things happening today, so it’s very contemporary for me. I don’t use these clothes to be wistful about the past.

One of the things that appealed to me is how people such as Muhammad Ali, Sidney Poitier, and Miles Davis wore the style. They looked great in Ivy. Fundamentally the style has always had a racial and socio-economic element, but today -- just as how Ali, Poitier, and Davis wore it -- what’s most important is how you interpret the clothes and how you wear them.

Thanks for your time, Jason!

Readers can purchase DVD copies of A Modernist through Mono Media (the film’s official release is Monday, April 23rd, but pre-orders are available now). Jason is also working on a new book about sneakers, which is slated for release sometime next year. He tells us it’s about where sneaker culture is going, as well as how it impacts the rest of culture -- social media, identity, luxury, consumerism, etc. You can keep up with John Simons and Jason Jules through Instagram.

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#Jason Jules #A Modernist #John Simons #Ivy Style #Films

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the-real-xmonster · 6 years

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The Olympic Men’s Free Skate Queue

Yuzuru’s StSq

Hello Alice! I’m sure that Seimei have gotten a level 4 Step Sequence in another competition. What do you think might cause it to get only a level 3 in the Olympics?

Why did Yuzu's StSq get a lv3? And did you see TAT and Yuzu hugging?? Sooo cute!! Did Yuzu get coached by her? They seem close, like mother and son

I’m so relieved and happy for Yuzu... I’ve seen a bunch of people complain that he got a level 3 on the stsq, but is it just me or was he a bit out of time with the music for the whole thing? Wouldn’t that downgrade him?

TAT and Yuzu hugging and she showering him with kisses was so freaking cute I had to punch a stuffed animal and down a shot of espresso (because I don’t do alcohol) to restore my cold-hearted bitchiness after I saw them. I don’t think Yuzu has ever got coached by her officially but they are quite close. He respects her a lot and she absolutely adores him, thinks the world of him really!

For the anon who asked me who TAT is: Tatiana Tarasova is a prominent Russian figure skating coach and is currently the Russian national team’s adviser. She is a legendary coach and is a highly respected authority in the figure skating world. Incidentally, she was the person who suggested Yuzuru to skate to Notte Stellata :)

So, on to Yuzu’s Seimei StSq, it got a level 3 the other day because of this turn:

This was from his first combination of difficult turns. He was going for a rocker-counter-twizzle combo there, but you can see on the close up on the right: his counter was jumped, as in he didn’t keep his blade on the ice throughout the turn. This mistake cost him an entire level, because one of the features for a level 4 StSq is you must have two valid combinations of difficult turns done on different feet. It also happens that from the 2017-2018 season, the ISU rule has changed so that only the first combination attempted on each foot can be counted. So even though in this Seimei StSq, Yuzu had an additional combination on the left foot, that one was not counted either for level purpose.

Yuzuru’s Score

Hi... If Yuzu went Clean with his free program as he planned, how much his score could be? I’ve done a rough calculation and I found that he could broke his total score record with that... what do you think about it?? Thank you ☺️ P.s : I really love ur blog

The most material mistake Yuzu made in the FS was on the second 4T. When he failed to put that jump in combination, he lost at least 11 points. The intended combo was 4T+1Lo+3S, which, in the second half, is worth 16.72 in BV. With the 4T in REP, he lost 30% of that jump’s BV and got also negative GOE for the step out, earning only 5.87 on that element.

He also lost a couple points on the last 3Lz. So, yes, considering that his final total score of 317.85 is 12 points below his WR of 330.45, if he hadn’t made those two jump mistakes, he’d have broken that WR for sure.

Yuzuru’s Ankle

Aaaaand back at worrying about Yuzu's ankle. Why??? :((

Alice, he was wonderful. He was so wonderful. Yuzuru Hanyu is the greatest of all time. I hope he feels all the love like a warm and soothing hug. It sounds like his ankle has ways to go, so everything crossed that he takes the time to let it heal completely. What a champion. We are not worthy. Now for the ladies. *dies a little*

So happy that Yuzuru was able to overcome his ankle injury and do THAT at the Olympics! Do you know if he plans to attend Worlds now?

did he touch his ankle bc he was in awe that it allowed to perform like this or bc it hurt?? in so emo rn ajdhsjsj

His ankle is still a cause for concern, since it obviously is far from being fully healed. Yuzuru himself said that he skated throughout this week on painkillers and he’d need to get his injury examined again after the Games. The jumps in the second half of Seimei caused him visible trouble and pain so when he went down to touch his ankle after the skate, I’m pretty sure at least half of it was because it really hurt.

I can’t believe I am actually saying this, but I sincerely hope that he would withdraw from Worlds and allow his body all the time it needs to recuperate.

Yuzuru’s Plan

Hi, what a day! Do you think Yuzu will try to put the 4Lo back in the programs in next month's Worlds? I can't help but think that he loves SEIMEI too much to let it go without raising the difficulty one last time.

Its still hard to believe today. We all knew he was going to win yet we had our doubts. I am just wondering, if nathan continues to do 6 quads, how will yuzuru improve seimei to have a higher technical score?

Nobody knows yet whether Yuzu is planning to compete in Milan - I think even he himself cannot say that for certain right now. If he eventually decides to go to Worlds, I hope it is because he is fully fit, in which case, yes, I think he is going to bring back the 4Lo. I don’t think he needs to factor in Nathan’s 6 quads while deciding his layout. Nathan’s 6-quad free skate still ended up with a lower score than Seimei at NHK 2015, you know, the one with, like, 3 quads in it?

Nathan’s Free Skate

Thoughts on Nathan’s free skate?

It was a redemption and I am happy for him. Other than that... he landed 6 quads and that is the only thing I remember from his skate. There was hardly any connection between his jumps in transitional terms, or connection between his jumps and the music, or connection between him and the audience. To give that program anything more than 8 in any component score is utterly ridiculous. I can accept that he won the free skate, but it was by no means imaginable a 210+ program.

I hope I won't stir up anything by asking this, but had Nathan skated a clean SP, would he have won gold in your book? I'm just curious and your personal take is always refreshing to me. I hope this question isn't annoying. Also I love your blog. I legit check it every week. I learn so much from just reading your posts. Thank you for your time and patience. :)

Yes, theoretically speaking, Nathan could have won the competition if he had skated a clean SP. But, also, theoretically speaking, Yuzuru could have skated a clean free skate too. If we continue along that line, both of them could have bombed and Javier could have won, or Shoma, or Boyang, or Vincent, or Patrick, or anyone, really. That’s what a sporting competition is all about: any competitor has a chance to win, and the result is ultimately determined by what each and everyone of them delivers, not in theory, but in reality.

Javier and Shoma’s Placements

Why was Javier behind Shoma? Asking cause I know nothing about tech and to me Javier looked like he skated a cleaner and better set of programs

It was a matter of base value. Javi was scored higher than Shoma in PCS in both the SP and FS and I think the gap more or less adequately reflected the difference in their program components. The final base value of Javi’s FS is 19 points lower than Shoma’s (a gap widened by Javi’s mistake of popping the second 4S into a double, which lost him about 10 points) and that’s the main reason he lost.

On Shoma’s base value, though, there’s this:

Hi Alice! Sorry to bother you, but could you take a look on Shoma's quad loop (the one where he fell) in his free skate in Pyeongchang? I heard a lot of people saying that it's underrotated, and I thought that I'll ask you for an unbiased opinion. Thanks a lot!

Yes, his 4Lo was very much under-rotated:

There you can see how he landed at over 90 degrees short of rotation. From this angle it’s hard to say for sure, but I suspect that his blade touched the ice even earlier than that, around this point:

If the tech panel is strict, this level of miss in rotation can even result in a downgrade of the jump.

As it happened, his 4T in the combo was borderline, too:

So, all else being equal, and considering how close their total scores were, if the technical panel had made these UR calls on Shoma’s jumps, the Silver very well should have gone to Javi.

#replies #yuzuru hanyu #nathan chen #javier fernandez #shoma uno

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friendshipcampaign · 6 years

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Session Recap 6/9/18: Cross-Cultural Communication

Erwyn took the final watch of the night, having finished his trancing already, but it proved entirely uneventful. The next morning, a very tired-looking Bez offered them all breakfast. Kriv ate a truly impressive number of pancakes while Erwyn got quietly excited about the maple syrup.

Once the party was finished eating, Ditto asked Bez and Mella if they would join them so they could talk about what needed to happen next. She explained that she had been talking with Mynskay -- at which point Voski leaned across the table and interjected “Mynskay is a book” -- and that the Tome seemed to think the creature, called a botchling, would return that night. She proposed that, while dealing with it, everyone put some wax in their ears so as not to be stunned by its shriek. She then said that she’d been a bit flustered the night before and wanted to give everyone a better idea of what they were dealing with. Botchlings, she said, were babies who had been abandoned to die for one reason or another. They came back via spontaneous necromancy, meaning they weren’t under some necromancer’s control -- all their actions were a result of their own desire for love and acceptance into a family, but through very twisted means, because all they’d ever known was hurt.

Visibly upset, she proceeded to say that they probably would be able to fight it -- but that fighting might not be the better option. The Tome seemed to think, through anecdotal evidence, that botchlings could be transformed into far more benevolent spirits called lubberkins if caught and shown nurturing. Ditto was extremely opposed to killing the botchling when it could be saved instead. She implied that if no one else would attempt this method, she certainly would, though she seemed hesitant about taking on the responsibility.

The debate then turned to who might be capable of this task. Ditto wondered if maybe the family that had originally abandoned the child was local and could be persuaded to offer it the care it needed to transform into something more benevolent, but Erwyn expressed doubt that a family who’d written off a child would be particularly willing to take it back. Voski suggested teaching Ditto’s protective wards to a local to fend the botchling off until Mella’s baby could walk and the family might be a less appealing target--which surely could only take a few weeks. What went mostly unspoken was that she was referring to dragonborn babies. Erwyn, somewhat confused himself, mentioned that it had taken him closer to a decade. The entire time they were managing to confuse each other, Elberth could be heard giggling.

With everyone completely off track and no better ideas, Ditto offered to at least teach the family the wards against undead that she knew, so they could be safer if there wasn’t a good way to resolve the issue. Elberth told her he would be happy to learn them. There was silence for a moment as everyone contemplated if this was truly a solution at all, until Erwyn spoke up. He said he would be willing to try to calm the botchling, knowing full well that if no one tried, the creature would probably have to be killed. He said he couldn’t watch death be taken lightly, and if there was a chance to save the botchling from it, he had to try.

Kriv seemed nervous about the idea, pointing out that Erwyn was one of, if not the most vulnerable party member, and the draining attacks that undead were known for (and that the party had been experiencing firsthand) could pose a huge danger to him. Erwyn suggested he could use the lozenge from Auntie Eyren that protected against necrotic energy -- and then, softening his voice, he said he thought his skills could lend themselves to the task. He cited having experience with people who were hurting.

With it agreed that Erwyn would try to catch and soothe the botchling, plans were made to intercept it that night. Ditto took down the wards that might keep it away, but still explained to Elberth how they worked, given the large undead presence in the entire area. She then sat down with Erwyn and the Tome of Mynskay, so that he could learn everything she had about botchlings (and lubberkins) directly from the same source.

As the party sat at a table in and talked about their options -- and Bez kept gratefully and nervously offering them food -- Ditto called the two parents over to talk with them about what might need to be done. She mentioned to Mella that she might need to be in the room, since the botchling had been attracted by her in the first place. Mella was nervous about it, but agreed, also offering to get some beeswax for everyone when it was mentioned that they’d probably want to have a way to keep the botchling’s shriek from stunning them all the way it had the night before. This lead Erwyn to bring up how many of them could cast Message, in case they needed to communicate. At first he counted Voski, but she quickly said that she wasn’t going to participate in catching it. The only thing she offered was casting Tiny Hut to protect the family if they needed to stay in the room.

As the time they thought the botchling would appear again came close, Kriv made sure to hand Erwyn the necrotic lozenge. He also cast Aid on him, as well as Ditto and Amaranth. Bez offered the party one last round of food, telling them, “Thank you, you’re all very brave,” before they entered the bedroom, where Voski proceeded to cast her spell with Mella also inside the boundaries of the Hut. It was dark, so Kriv put on his blindsense scarf in order to see around the room.

They all waited there a few hours, hidden as best they could be in the corners of the room. Erwyn was up against the window frame, waiting nervously, and eventually, when the window did open, shot out and grabbed the botchling as it tumbled into the room. Amaranth shut the window behind it, and Mella, seeing it had been secured, waved nervously at the party and immediately dashed out of the room. The botchling started wailing, but its screeching cry was ineffective thanks to the beeswax in everyone’s ears (or earholes, as was true for certain part members).

As gently as he could and despite the botchling’s struggling, Erwyn tried to pull it into his lap, doing his best to ignore its punches that made contact and its several attempts to bite him. He murmured that it was safe, and he was only trying to help it, then began to rock the creature incredibly awkwardly due to not quite knowing what to do with babies. Then, as it wailed, he began to softly sing a tune -- the same lullaby of his mother’s that he had requested Voski use in his resurrection.

Slowly, the botchling began to cling to his shirt instead of attempting to attack him. Eventually, after one final tiny first tightly twisted into his clothing, the botchling faded into the Ethereal. As everyone began to remove the beeswax, Ditto rushed over to hug Erwyn, telling him that what he’d done was beautiful. He quietly said he’d just wanted to help it -- everyone deserved to belong somewhere.

Voski dismissed the Hut when they headed out to tell the family that everything had been resolved and they should now be safe. Kriv kept walking all the way outside, where he sat down and summoned Volfred with Find Steed. They were incredibly grateful to see each other, Volfred having heard nothing from Kriv long enough that he’d been starting to worry. Kriv just buried his face into the large goat and cried. He remained outside for the rest of the evening, even as he fell asleep.

Assuring Mella that it would be safe for her to sleep now, the party prepared to head to their own rooms. Elberth assured the two inkeepers that he could take care of everything in the morning and they were welcome to sleep in as long as they needed.

Later that night, Ditto had another one of her beholder dreams, waking up shouting without fully realizing what had happened. Though she was rooming alone, Erwyn, who had just finished his trancing, nonetheless heard her and worriedly crept down the hall to knock on her door and check in. They had a very brief awkward conversation, but she assured him she was alright. He returned to his own room to once again pick up the book on Celestial that he’d been studying, but it wasn’t long before the candle he was reading by flickered slightly, and he felt a tug on his cloak. Assuming it might be the now-lubberkin, he tried to communicate with it a bit, but it soon became clear that it still had only a very small child’s understanding, so instead he reached back to find the tiny fist that kept pulling on him and grabbed it gently. He held it for a while until it disappeared.

The next morning, Amaranth somewhat gleefully headed outside to wake Kriv up and inform him there were pancakes ready. They weren’t quite as good as Bez’s, but Elberth also made Ditto something traditionally Gnomish, which she seemed to appreciate. By the time they left the inn, it was drizzling slightly, prompting Voski to keep casting Dancing Lights in order to keep the shadows at bay. For a moment, another small light joined them, twirling around for a little before falling back in the group and circling consistently around Erwyn.

Ditto Messaged Amaranth to check in with her, asking if she was okay, given what had recently happened to her and seeing as they were headed back to Folly’s End, where Hayel was. The tiefling said she felt as okay as could be expected, given the circumstances. Ditto nonetheless offered to be a hand to hold should she need one.

Volfred, used to Erwyn being too exhausted to keep up with the group, asked Kriv if the elf needed a ride, but Kriv replied that he seemed to be doing alright today. Shortly after, Voski fell back from her position closer to the front and pressed a little package into Kriv’s hand, telling him that he should take some responsibility for his goat if he was going to be a constant presence. Inside the package were an assortment of combs and brushes meant for grooming. She launched into an explanation of the uses of each. Once she had finished, Kriv looked like he was about to say something else, but instead just thanked her. Volfred asked if he would thank her for him, too. She then replied, “At least one of you should look your best,” to which Kriv responded, “You always have to ruin it, don’t you!” She cheerily said, “One tries!” before heading back towards the front of the group.

Shadows lurked along the path, but none bothered them, so Folly’s End was reached without incident. At the sight of the wraith guarding the gate, the little spirit swirling around Erwyn fearfully darted behind him and vanished. Kriv just waved at the creature, which let them pass into the town.

The party headed straight to the inn, hoping to find Krys and the kobolds there. When they entered, Lacha’s two children were play-swordfighting on the floor. Karvel rushed over to them, saying, “You’ve come back!” and asked to pet Kriv’s goat again. On getting permission, he darted to the kitchen to grab some apples. He was carrying so many that he dropped one on the way out, prompting Voski to immediately say, “Amaranth, don’t eat that.”

Nika, the shyer younger girl, took a little longer to approach them, but when she did she stood in front of Kriv with her arms up, demanding to be held. When he picked her up, she started climbing all over him. Lacha came out from the family’s living quarters at about that point, and the party asked her if anything much had changed. She told them it hadn’t. It was then her turn to ask them if they’d learned anything, and while the party said they’d dealt with something that could be connected, they were mostly back to speak with Krys and find out what he’d learned. She told Kriv that Karvel had been talking non-stop about Volfred, and informed all of them that if they were to spend the night at the inn, the psoglav was still gone and living back in the tower.

Kriv took Nika outside for a little to introduce her to Volfred, and she was delighted when he nuzzled her hand. Even when he took the kid back into the inn, she continued to clamber all over him, poking his scales and pronouncing: “You’re shiny.” Lacha brought out food for everyone, and over the meal Voski asked her about the town’s leadership and who might be open to speak with them. She was told that there were four council members -- but one of them was Lakaphai, as her family had held the hereditary wizard position for multiple generations. Voski asked for the names and addresses of the other three all the same.

With Nika still climbing all over Kriv, the conversation turned to a more casual discussion as he was asked if he minded. He said that no, human children climbing all over him was much less painful than clawed baby dragonborn, to which Voski replied that surely baby humans had to have some kind of defense mechanism. When the party members with fingernails weighed in saying no, they really couldn’t hurt people that much, Kriv and Voski were baffled. Voski leaned in across the table towards Kriv and said, “Why are there so many humans then? They’re everywhere!” and the two dragonborn wondered at how they even stayed alive if they were so squishy. Other more vulnerable races were brought up as well, ultimately leading Kriv to say that tiny gnome babies were more like little squishy balls. Ditto didn’t seem to know how to respond to that. Erwyn again offhandedly mentioned that it had taken him around seven years to learn how to walk. Explaining that he was a little bit of a late bloomer did nothing to reduce the rest of the party’s incredulity.

Once they’d finished eating, the party asked Lacha if it would be alright for them to investigate the cellar, hoping to find the kobolds. As they headed down there, Nika gleefully clung to Kriv’s leg, giggling as he walked. Once downstairs, the party called out, asking if anyone was around. There was a scuffle, and one of the kobolds emerged from their hiding place. They told the party that Krys had, in fact, returned a couple of days ago, with two of his friends in tow. They told the party they were waiting within the kobold tunnels, with two possible ways to get to them. The first was a smaller passage, largely used for their prank war with the gnomes (at this, Ditto high-fived the kobold and mentioned that her aunt had lived in a place that had a similar situation, and Kriv said he wanted to hear more about this), but that would likely be difficult or impossible for the larger party members to fit through. The other entrance was set up inside an abandoned lake house nearby, under a trapdoor hidden with illusion magic. The kobold told the party they would disarm the traps around that entrance for them to pass through safely.

Nika detached from Kriv when it was made clear he would be leaving, but he informed her that Volfred probably wouldn’t like tunnels very much, and she would be welcome to hang out with him. This seemed to appease her. The party then set off for the lake house. Erwyn was able to find the trapdoor within fairly quickly, casting Detect Magic to pick up on the illusion, and everyone headed inside.

They found Krys in a larger main chamber, accompanied by a dwarf in practical, well-made clothing and an elf with dusky skin in clerical garb. The two newcomers introduced themselves to the party as Alembic Doomfist and Palava Natsendil. The elf added, jokingly, that they were a cleric and a heretic, which made Alembic groan. Voski asked Palava who exactly he was a follower of and he explained that he primarily served Fenmarel, but also dabbled in clerical duties for Eilistraeë due to his partial drow heritage.

Krys asked the party if they’d learned anything and they mentioned having closed off a breach to the Negative Energy Plane, something that could possibly be connected to goings-on on the Material. When asked how, they explained that it had been fairly specific to the individual scenario, but brought up that they’d been told the forest on the Material Plane from which all the trouble here seemed to be emanating could also have a corrupted center. Erwyn told the group that if he could get within at least a mile of the area Hayel had marked on their map, he could at least tell them if it was another planar breach. Curiously, the newcomers asked him about where he’d studied, but Erwyn nervously said that he was really just an amateur.

Conversation then turned to the fact that even if they did determine what was going on, careful consideration would have to go into any of their actions, given the souls at stake due to Hayel and the psoglav’s agreements. It was also pointed out that even though the townspeople had made the agreement, it was possible that other souls might be offered up as payment--such as those of the kobolds living under Folly’s End, or the party and researchers trying to fix things. Ultimately, it seemed wisest to try to learn a little more about what was going on by traveling into the woods, then seeing what could be done about the contract, all while moving as swiftly as possible to try to mitigate the damage. They discussed whether it would be safe to head out immediately, since nightfall would probably catch them on the way back. (Alembic, the dwarf, mentioned that he didn’t prefer traveling under direct sunlight, but deferred to the party’s preferences.) Eventually, a route was plotted that would minimize their time in the woods by taking them along the road to Dwimmerdell for a portion before they ventured in deeper. They agreed to head out immediately and take the risk of traveling at night, deciding that there wasn’t time to waste by waiting another day.

While everyone got ready to leave, Ditto worked on fashioning some little talismans with the ward against undead on them, which she passed out to everyone who would be headed into the woods -- herself and the rest of the party, and Palava and Alembic. Shortly before they set off, Erwyn received a Message in Alembic’s voice in his head, saying, “The unlocked door must be guarded.” He replied, “That’s not meant to be literal, is it?” before Alembic sent another saying, “No, lad. You’re really just an amateur?” Erwyn reiterated that he was, but Alembic nonetheless sent a final Message saying, “Well, I’m excited to see what you can do.”

#session recap

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mercurialsmile · 6 years

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Any tips on writing nonbinary characters? Like, any 'do's and 'don't's? I really wanna get it right, so I thought I'd ask someone who actually identifies as nonbinary :)

Any tips on writing nonbinary/trans characters?

I got two asks for this (maybe from the same person?) and it’s taken me some time to write an answer since this is such a broad... question.

Thing is, nonbinary is both a gender in and of itself but also kinda an umbrella term? Since you also have people who are agender, bigender, genderfluid, etc. who would also technically fall under the umbrella, but don’t call themselves nonbinary since that’s not the label they want, and since the latter labels are a lot more... specific.

Non-binary simply means that someone identifies as a gender outside the binary of man and woman and that’s it.

There’s also the fact that I’m pretty sure I have some opinions other nonbinary people wouldn’t agree with (for example, I dislike neopronouns. Xir/Xe and Zie/Zir are the only ones that’s pronounceable to me. And I straight up dislike nounself pronouns and actively avoid people who only use nounself pronouns since to me, they are. Too hard and complicated to use. I remember reading a really good post on why nounself pronouns are linguistically incorrect in English and how to properly format them to be correct, but I dunno where that post is now) which is also why I have been hesitant about this.

Also it’s a complex... hmm thing. So yeah.

I think the first thing to ALWAYS remember when writing a minority character is that their status as a minority is not their only trait. Don’t use cliches. Don’t make them one-dimensional and make an enby’s entire personality revolving around the fact they’re enby. It’s othering, at least to me, and just plain bad writing.

Another thing is, even tho I wish there were more books out there about being enby (are there any really out there at all?) for the most part I think cis authors should be careful and kinda tread around writing about an enby’s life and being enby. Unless you have done a shit ton of research, know exactly what you’re doing, and have talked to multiple different enbys (and not just over text either), I would merely have the character. Be there.

1) it’s a lot easier who wants to do all that research??

2) still counts as rep (as long as it’s positive)

So how do you write (possibly?) positive rep for a enby character? Let’s go back to pronouns. The most versatile and acceptable pronouns for enby people is they/them tbh. It’s completely gender-neutral. There are enby people who use gendered pronouns as well (She/her, he/him, maybe they use all three!) but writing-wise, it would be easiest to keep to one set of pronouns to make the writing easier to read. I dunno about anyone else, but I for sure would get tripped up and confused if a character’s pronouns change throughout a book. (Maybe it can be written well idk but I don’t think I’d like it personally sorry) so for the most part? I suggest just sticking with they/them. It’s the easiest to write.

Also, I suggest to never call your enby characters “it”. Yes, some irl enbys like “it” as a pronoun, but to most it’s dehumanizing, so it’s best to avoid it I think.

Interestingly enough, even tho they/them is the easiest to write with, it can also be a little tricky at times! Sometimes you’ll have to format sentences differently so readers can understand the difference between the singular and plural forms of they/them. Personally, it’s a fun writing exercise to me! So if anything, writing about an enby character can actually help stretch some different writing muscles so to speak.

And speaking of pronouns, never ever have the narration misgender the character. Never. Hell, usually, I don’t even have characters or even the VILLAINS of my books misgender characters. And my reasoning behind this is: I dislike using transphobia/enbyphobia as a tool to show a villain is evil--their actions alone in the novel should be enough. And two: if even the evilest of villains aren’t transphobic... that says a lot to me. It speaks VOLUMES and is a lot more powerful of an (unsaid) statement then having your villains be transphobes. (but that’s just my opinion ofc!!)

Now, to me, if you’re just writing about a enby side character, I would just have them. Be there. Not misgendered, everyone regarding them using the proper pronouns, and avoiding gendered language (which can be hard as it is hardwired into us without us even knowing, for instance!) so make sure you edit accordingly.

Also, and I think this should be OBVIOUS by now, but PLEASE do not write a “forced coming out” scene. Like, where the cis character walks in on an enby character changing clothes or whatever. Like. That is. So over with and done. Ik that terrible trope fits trans men/women characters better, but I think it’s still important to say here, esp if you’re writing an enby character who tries to pass as the opposite of their birth gender or binds/stuffs/packs/etc at all. It’s uncomfortable, possibly triggering, and honestly? Super cliche. It’s bad writing, my friend.

And whether or not you want to make the direct statement that they are an enby is kinda up to you? There’s arguments for and against it. If you can fit it into the story safely without making anything clunky, go for it! You can either have the character themselves tell someone how they identify, or maybe they’re being introduced and they ask the person they are introducing themselves to to use “they/them” since they are an enby. I’m sure there are other, more creative ways to do this, but yeah. This specific topic is super situational so I would have a sensitivity reader (or two!) to read over what you write to make sure it’s okay.

Okay the last thing I’m gonna talk about is character description. Ignoring the fact I personally am terrible at it, there’s a kinda huge divide here.

For one, a lot of authors and I think enby people in general don’t want others to know their birth gender, which is understandable. And with writing, there isn’t any visual clues besides what you write down. The world is your oyster, you can have your character look like anything, the reader won’t know the birth gender unless you use gendered language.

The tricky thing is this, tho: the stereotypical enby person/character is someone who is skinny white and vaguely masculine. I, personally, despise this stereotype with my whole being. Imo, enby people can dress and look however they want. Clothes are just fabrics we put onto our flesh bodies. If girls can enjoy pants and boys can like dresses and skirts, then enbys can dress however they want to as well. That’s a freedom I think everyone should have. Clothes don’t dictate gender. Enby people also can’t control what they look like. Some people.. just won’t ever be able to pass as androgynous (unless they Really Work at it, like me!!) and it’s unfair to them I think as well.

That being said, writing an enby with feminine clothing, for example, will probably have your reader think of them as DFAB, unfortunately, unless you are really careful.

Other things that can make your reader think of an enby’s birth gender: describing them having to wear a bra or having a period, describing if they have to shave their face or not or how much facial hair they grow, describing their genitalia AT ALL, describing them with certain face/body shapes, describing their hair length (possibly), if they wear a binder or stuff a bra or pack, describing if they wear makeup and the list can go on.

Some people would think you should avoid this completely, which is why vaguely masculine is what people go for. it’s the typical androgynous look (which isn’t bad pe se and I don’t wanna insult anyone who looks like that!) but imo what would be more normalizing and important is to have enby characters look how they want, choose if they wanna wear a binder or not, if they wear makeup, and etc.

Some people might thing the above is completely fine and that it’s important to show anyone can be enby and you’re still valid as an enby even if you might not “pass” for instance or don’t try your best to conceal certain secondary sex characteristics. Others might think you should make your enby characters as androgynous as possible, even in the stereotypical way.

Which view is right? Dammed if I know, and I don’t think one is or not. But it is something to think about. I think the stereotypical response to a cis author would be to go with the safest option and allow enby authors write about enby characters breaking gender roles, but honestly, it is your character. Whether you make your enby character vaguely masculine to avoid those pitfalls or go balls to the walls and do whatever you want because enbys can dress and look how they want fuck you all is up to you. Do what you think your character would do and design them to match their personality. I don’t think people should be boxed into what sort of characters they are allowed to make.

And don’t be afraid to make mistakes. It’s okay if you fuck something up by accident or are accidentally insensitive. And honestly? Groups of people aren’t a hivemind. No matter how good your representation is, there will be someone who disagrees with you and thinks you didn’t “write it correctly”

all I can say is: learn as much as you can, always strive to keep learning and listening, and do the best you can. You can’t succeed if you don’t try and you can’t learn without making a few mistakes along the way.

(And as for trans characters... I myself am not a trans man/woman so idk how to best say what not to do, but I think it follows the same as above for the most part? I’d ask the opinion of a trans man or woman first rather than an enby like me, as even I have fucked up writing about my trans woman character in the past. I’ve learned a lot since then, but I think I am still learning and would rather not educate someone on a topic such as that. Also this post is already long and I am Tired of writing about this topic lol)

I rambled a lot as usual and I am so so sorry. It’s late and this was SUCH a broad question I didn’t?? Really know how to answer so YEAH SORRY if this is no help at all!! I tried my best!!

#shutuplanx #writing #writing advice #nonbinary #enby #my writing advice #man i hope i dont get anyone nasty on this post LMFAO #if i do ill just ignore n block them i guess #Anonymous #lbanswers

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orbemnews · 3 years

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Cuomo's national star threatened by increased scrutiny over handling of nursing home deaths The upheaval follows months of simmering anger among Cuomo critics, who — while acknowledging the real public benefits of his early, hyper-engaged communication tactics — believe the governor sought to parlay his new popularity into a shield against legitimate questions over his actions. “It’s hard to battle that (earlier) narrative when you have a governor on television providing a cool, calm and collected persona,” Democratic State Sen. Alessandra Biaggi, a progressive, told CNN earlier this week. “But for some of us, we knew it was a persona.” A storm of outrage Cuomo’s recent troubles began in late January, when New York state Attorney General Tish James released a report that found the administration had undercounted Covid-related nursing home deaths by as much as 50%. Two weeks later, the governor’s top aide in a call with Democratic state lawmakers admitted that Cuomo’s team put off an August request for data from long-term care facilities over fears the information would be “used against us” as part of an inquiry launched by then-President Donald Trump’s Justice Department. The administration has defended that decision, arguing that with both the Justice Department and New York lawmakers asking questions, the federal inquiry became their priority. “The federal DOJ takes precedence over the state legislature,” Cuomo said on Friday. “That’s true. They find it offensive. I’m sorry, but that is true.” In a now public transcript of the virtual meeting that set off the firestorm, which was first reported on by the New York Post, Secretary to the Governor Melissa DeRosa accused Trump of turning the nursing home issue into “political football” and then directing “a political hack” at the Justice Department to begin an inquiry into New York and other Democratic-led states. “And basically, we froze,” DeRosa told Democrats on the call, “because then we were in a position where we weren’t sure if what we were going to give to the Department of Justice or what we give to you guys, what we start saying was going to be used against us while we weren’t sure if there was going to be an investigation.” DeRosa apologized for creating political headaches for the lawmakers, but a number came away either unsatisfied or furious, some of them taking their complaints to the press. Democratic Assemblyman Ron Kim, a Queens progressive who has emerged as an outspoken critic of the governor, was quoted in the original Post story. Cuomo subsequently called Kim to take issue with his comments and suggest that the lawmaker put out a statement clarifying his remarks. (Kim told CNN that the Post story did not misquote or misinterpret him, so there was no reason for him to do so.) “Gov. Cuomo called me directly on Thursday (of last week) to threaten my career if I did not cover up for Melissa (DeRosa) and what she said,” Kim told CNN. “He tried to pressure me to issue a statement, and it was a very traumatizing experience.” At a press briefing Wednesday, knowing that Kim’s account was about to become public, Cuomo opened with familiar talk about virus positivity rates and vaccine distribution news, before taking a sharp, unprompted turn into a scathing attack on the assemblyman. He said Kim was pursuing a vendetta against his office, then — calling back on a story from 2015 — suggested Kim had taken part in “unethical if not illegal” behavior. Rich Azzopardi, senior advisor to the governor, later put out a statement accusing Kim of “lying” about his conversation with Cuomo. Cuomo’s tirade sent shockwaves across the New York political world, which, though accustomed to his sharp-elbowed style, was taken aback by its ferocity. But the headlines over infighting would soon be upstaged by news, first reported by The Albany Times Union, of the federal inquiry. Past criticisms uncorked The fight that has consumed much of the week has been brewing for months, as concerns surrounding the state’s handling of Covid and nursing homes mostly flew below the national radar. On Monday, Cuomo insisted that his Health Department had always “fully” reported all Covid-19 deaths in nursing homes and hospitals. There is, he added, “nothing to investigate.” He offered an apology, of sorts, and conceded the unreleased data — which now shows that the number of nursing home deaths was nearly double the previously reported figure, at more than 15,000 — created a “void” of information. Cuomo nodded to the pain the mess inflicted on the families of those who perished, but stopped short of a mea culpa for the decisions that set it off. “The void allowed misinformation and conspiracy, and now people are left with the thought of, ‘Did my loved one have to die?’ And that is a brutal, brutal question to pose to a person,” he said. “And I want everyone to know everything was done. Everything was done by the best minds in the best interest.” Cuomo has kept up that line of defense and said on Friday that, pending legal approval, he “would have no problem” with releasing details of the state’s exchanges with the Justice Department. The governor also, by the end of the week, expressed a new kind of regret — saying he hadn’t been “aggressive enough” in combating political opponents. “I didn’t come back to you,” Cuomo told a reporter, “every time you retweeted some congressperson, who is my political opponent, some county executive who ran against me — I never went back to you guys and said, ‘Hey, you know, it’s all political backdrop here. I should’ve.” Once the source of so much celebration, recent Cuomo press conferences have been conducted in an atmosphere of high dudgeon. The foam “mountain,” a physical symbol unveiled in June to give life to a metaphor Cuomo employed during the worst of the pandemic, now seems a long way off. “It was a contorted way for someone to admit they’re wrong is what I took away from it,” state Sen. Michael Gianaris, a Queens Democrat, said on Monday in response to the governor’s initial public response. “We all know the transparency around the nursing home deaths was lacking.” Cuomo had previously faced criticism in New York over a directive in late March that barred nursing homes that met certain standards from refusing to take back Covid patients returning from hospitals. Over the coming weeks and months, Cuomo sparred with reporters over the controversial guidance and accusations that the official death toll at the facilities didn’t add up. (The overall totals did; the dispute was over how they were assigned.) By mid-May, Cuomo rescinded the directive, which he has repeatedly defended, saying it followed federal guidelines. Moving forward, residents would require a negative Covid test before reentering a facility. National acclaim sparks backlash But the back-and-forth over that policy and others, including a since scaled-back legal immunity provision for nursing homes that was folded into a massive budget package, hardly put a dent in Cuomo’s national ascent. In November, he was given an International Emmy Founders Award for his performance in the springtime press conferences. “The Governor’s 111 daily briefings worked so well because he effectively created television shows, with characters, plot lines, and stories of success and failure,” International Academy President and CEO Bruce L. Paisner said in a statement at the time. A group of New York Democratic lawmakers this week wrote an open letter asking the academy to rescind the award. The month before the Emmy announcement, Cuomo released a book, “American Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic,” which quickly appeared on the New York Times bestseller list. But efforts to promote the book coincided with a rise in new coronavirus cases around the country and in the state, roiling his critics and prompting a rebuke from Trump, who had previously latched on to the nursing home controversy. “Governor Cuomo has shown tremendously poor leadership skills in running N.Y.,” Trump tweeted on October 19. “Bad time for him to be writing and promoting a book, especially since he has done such a poor job with Covid and Crime. So many unnecessary deaths.” Trump’s spitballs, though, were a kind of blessing for Cuomo. They upstaged good faith criticism from lower profile figures, including many New York Democrats, and allowed the governor to largely dismiss questions over his decision-making as politically driven while avoiding more sustained scrutiny on the substance. “You don’t do a victory lap at halftime. But more importantly, the pandemic was still a problem and one would think there’d be more important things to focus on,” Gianaris said earlier this week. “So if he could write a book, he could give us the information we were asking over the course of six months.” A brewing power struggle Cuomo’s rivals in the increasingly progressive state legislature, which is now home to Democratic supermajorities in both chambers, have been emboldened by the growing sense of scandal. The next step, some state Democratic lawmakers have said, is a push to strip Cuomo of his emergency powers, which have allowed him to act decisively on a variety of issues, like business openings and closures. The debate has spread beyond the state capitol, with New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, who slammed Cuomo earlier in the week over reports of the governor’s intimidating phone calls, and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez coming out in support of their efforts. Ocasio-Cortez, in a statement, also backed “a full investigation of the Cuomo administration’s handling of nursing homes during COVID-19,” echoing State Sen. Jessica Ramos. “His emergency powers must be rescinded,” Ramos said last week, “he and his administration must be subpoenaed for all of the pertinent information, and a full investigation must result in justice for our grieving families.” But Democrats, including Cuomo’s rivals, have so far rejected the prospect of seeking the governor’s resignation or beginning an impeachment process called for by New York Republicans. A suddenly uncertain future Nearly a year after his press conferences made him into a national star, with some Democrats floating him as a presidential contender — never mind that then-candidate Joe Biden had already locked up the party’s nomination — Cuomo is now in what many New York politicos view as the most fraught position of his long political life. A poll released Tuesday by the Siena College Research Institute gave conflicting indications over Cuomo’s standing. The survey, which was conducted more than a week after the unveiling of the state attorney general report but before the details of DeRosa’s call were made public, found that Cuomo’s overall position was largely unchanged from a month ago. More than six in 10 New Yorkers approved of his handling of the Covid crisis and 67% said he was doing an “excellent or good job at communicating with the people of New York about the ongoing pandemic,” according to the Siena pollsters. A majority — 53% — said he should keep his emergency powers. On the flip side, Cuomo was well below water on the issue of transparency surrounding the state’s nursing home situation. Fifty-five percent of respondents said he done a fair or poor job on that front, with just 39% giving positive reviews. The latter figures were absent from a statement released on Tuesday morning by New York State Democratic Party Chairman Jay Jacobs, a Cuomo ally, who touted the friendlier findings. “Despite the best efforts of the far fringe, Governor Cuomo’s popularity remains unchanged; 11 months into global pandemic, 61% of voters approve of his response,” Jacobs said. He also included a warning — directed at Cuomo’s critics, but also a sign that the governor’s allies are prepared for a longer fight over his staying power and, eventually, his legacy. “Voters understand better than some of those looking to score political points that the Governor has done a great job staying focused on saving lives and ending this pandemic,” Jacobs said. “Those seeking to politicize the process should take heed.” Source link Orbem News #Cuomo'snationalstarthreatenedbyincreasedscrutinyoverhandlingofnursinghomedeaths-CNNPolitics #Cuomos #deaths #handling #home #Increased #National #nursing #Politics #Scrutiny #star #threatened

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dipulb3 · 3 years

Text

Cuomo's national star threatened by increased scrutiny over handling of nursing home deaths

New Post has been published on https://appradab.com/cuomos-national-star-threatened-by-increased-scrutiny-over-handling-of-nursing-home-deaths/

Cuomo's national star threatened by increased scrutiny over handling of nursing home deaths

The upheaval follows months of simmering anger among Cuomo critics, who — while acknowledging the real public benefits of his early, hyper-engaged communication tactics — believe the governor sought to parlay his new popularity into a shield against legitimate questions over his actions.

“It’s hard to battle that (earlier) narrative when you have a governor on television providing a cool, calm and collected persona,” Democratic State Sen. Alessandra Biaggi, a progressive, told Appradab earlier this week. “But for some of us, we knew it was a persona.”

A storm of outrage

Cuomo’s recent troubles began in late January, when New York state Attorney General Tish James released a report that found the administration had undercounted Covid-related nursing home deaths by as much as 50%. Two weeks later, the governor’s top aide in a call with Democratic state lawmakers admitted that Cuomo’s team put off an August request for data from long-term care facilities over fears the information would be “used against us” as part of an inquiry launched by then-President Donald Trump’s Justice Department.

The administration has defended that decision, arguing that with both the Justice Department and New York lawmakers asking questions, the federal inquiry became their priority.

“The federal DOJ takes precedence over the state legislature,” Cuomo said on Friday. “That’s true. They find it offensive. I’m sorry, but that is true.”

In a now public transcript of the virtual meeting that set off the firestorm, which was first reported on by the New York Post, Secretary to the Governor Melissa DeRosa accused Trump of turning the nursing home issue into “political football” and then directing “a political hack” at the Justice Department to begin an inquiry into New York and other Democratic-led states.

“And basically, we froze,” DeRosa told Democrats on the call, “because then we were in a position where we weren’t sure if what we were going to give to the Department of Justice or what we give to you guys, what we start saying was going to be used against us while we weren’t sure if there was going to be an investigation.”

DeRosa apologized for creating political headaches for the lawmakers, but a number came away either unsatisfied or furious, some of them taking their complaints to the press. Democratic Assemblyman Ron Kim, a Queens progressive who has emerged as an outspoken critic of the governor, was quoted in the original Post story.

Cuomo subsequently called Kim to take issue with his comments and suggest that the lawmaker put out a statement clarifying his remarks. (Kim told Appradab that the Post story did not misquote or misinterpret him, so there was no reason for him to do so.)

“Gov. Cuomo called me directly on Thursday (of last week) to threaten my career if I did not cover up for Melissa (DeRosa) and what she said,” Kim told Appradab. “He tried to pressure me to issue a statement, and it was a very traumatizing experience.”

At a press briefing Wednesday, knowing that Kim’s account was about to become public, Cuomo opened with familiar talk about virus positivity rates and vaccine distribution news, before taking a sharp, unprompted turn into a scathing attack on the assemblyman. He said Kim was pursuing a vendetta against his office, then — calling back on a story from 2015 — suggested Kim had taken part in “unethical if not illegal” behavior.

Rich Azzopardi, senior advisor to the governor, later put out a statement accusing Kim of “lying” about his conversation with Cuomo.

Cuomo’s tirade sent shockwaves across the New York political world, which, though accustomed to his sharp-elbowed style, was taken aback by its ferocity. But the headlines over infighting would soon be upstaged by news, first reported by The Albany Times Union, of the federal inquiry.

Past criticisms uncorked

The fight that has consumed much of the week has been brewing for months, as concerns surrounding the state’s handling of Covid and nursing homes mostly flew below the national radar.

On Monday, Cuomo insisted that his Health Department had always “fully” reported all Covid-19 deaths in nursing homes and hospitals. There is, he added, “nothing to investigate.” He offered an apology, of sorts, and conceded the unreleased data — which now shows that the number of nursing home deaths was nearly double the previously reported figure, at more than 15,000 — created a “void” of information.

Cuomo nodded to the pain the mess inflicted on the families of those who perished, but stopped short of a mea culpa for the decisions that set it off.

“The void allowed misinformation and conspiracy, and now people are left with the thought of, ‘Did my loved one have to die?’ And that is a brutal, brutal question to pose to a person,” he said. “And I want everyone to know everything was done. Everything was done by the best minds in the best interest.”

Cuomo has kept up that line of defense and said on Friday that, pending legal approval, he “would have no problem” with releasing details of the state’s exchanges with the Justice Department. The governor also, by the end of the week, expressed a new kind of regret — saying he hadn’t been “aggressive enough” in combating political opponents.

“I didn’t come back to you,” Cuomo told a reporter, “every time you retweeted some congressperson, who is my political opponent, some county executive who ran against me — I never went back to you guys and said, ‘Hey, you know, it’s all political backdrop here. I should’ve.”

Once the source of so much celebration, recent Cuomo press conferences have been conducted in an atmosphere of high dudgeon. The foam “mountain,” a physical symbol unveiled in June to give life to a metaphor Cuomo employed during the worst of the pandemic, now seems a long way off.

“It was a contorted way for someone to admit they’re wrong is what I took away from it,” state Sen. Michael Gianaris, a Queens Democrat, said on Monday in response to the governor’s initial public response. “We all know the transparency around the nursing home deaths was lacking.”

Cuomo had previously faced criticism in New York over a directive in late March that barred nursing homes that met certain standards from refusing to take back Covid patients returning from hospitals. Over the coming weeks and months, Cuomo sparred with reporters over the controversial guidance and accusations that the official death toll at the facilities didn’t add up. (The overall totals did; the dispute was over how they were assigned.)

By mid-May, Cuomo rescinded the directive, which he has repeatedly defended, saying it followed federal guidelines. Moving forward, residents would require a negative Covid test before reentering a facility.

National acclaim sparks backlash

But the back-and-forth over that policy and others, including a since scaled-back legal immunity provision for nursing homes that was folded into a massive budget package, hardly put a dent in Cuomo’s national ascent.

In November, he was given an International Emmy Founders Award for his performance in the springtime press conferences.

“The Governor’s 111 daily briefings worked so well because he effectively created television shows, with characters, plot lines, and stories of success and failure,” International Academy President and CEO Bruce L. Paisner said in a statement at the time. A group of New York Democratic lawmakers this week wrote an open letter asking the academy to rescind the award.

The month before the Emmy announcement, Cuomo released a book, “American Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic,” which quickly appeared on the New York Times bestseller list. But efforts to promote the book coincided with a rise in new coronavirus cases around the country and in the state, roiling his critics and prompting a rebuke from Trump, who had previously latched on to the nursing home controversy.

“Governor Cuomo has shown tremendously poor leadership skills in running N.Y.,” Trump tweeted on October 19. “Bad time for him to be writing and promoting a book, especially since he has done such a poor job with Covid and Crime. So many unnecessary deaths.”

Trump’s spitballs, though, were a kind of blessing for Cuomo. They upstaged good faith criticism from lower profile figures, including many New York Democrats, and allowed the governor to largely dismiss questions over his decision-making as politically driven while avoiding more sustained scrutiny on the substance.

“You don’t do a victory lap at halftime. But more importantly, the pandemic was still a problem and one would think there’d be more important things to focus on,” Gianaris said earlier this week. “So if he could write a book, he could give us the information we were asking over the course of six months.”

A brewing power struggle

Cuomo’s rivals in the increasingly progressive state legislature, which is now home to Democratic supermajorities in both chambers, have been emboldened by the growing sense of scandal.

The next step, some state Democratic lawmakers have said, is a push to strip Cuomo of his emergency powers, which have allowed him to act decisively on a variety of issues, like business openings and closures.

The debate has spread beyond the state capitol, with New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, who slammed Cuomo earlier in the week over reports of the governor’s intimidating phone calls, and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez coming out in support of their efforts.

Ocasio-Cortez, in a statement, also backed “a full investigation of the Cuomo administration’s handling of nursing homes during COVID-19,” echoing State Sen. Jessica Ramos.

“His emergency powers must be rescinded,” Ramos said last week, “he and his administration must be subpoenaed for all of the pertinent information, and a full investigation must result in justice for our grieving families.”

But Democrats, including Cuomo’s rivals, have so far rejected the prospect of seeking the governor’s resignation or beginning an impeachment process called for by New York Republicans.

A suddenly uncertain future

Nearly a year after his press conferences made him into a national star, with some Democrats floating him as a presidential contender — never mind that then-candidate Joe Biden had already locked up the party’s nomination — Cuomo is now in what many New York politicos view as the most fraught position of his long political life.

A poll released Tuesday by the Siena College Research Institute gave conflicting indications over Cuomo’s standing.

The survey, which was conducted more than a week after the unveiling of the state attorney general report but before the details of DeRosa’s call were made public, found that Cuomo’s overall position was largely unchanged from a month ago.

More than six in 10 New Yorkers approved of his handling of the Covid crisis and 67% said he was doing an “excellent or good job at communicating with the people of New York about the ongoing pandemic,” according to the Siena pollsters. A majority — 53% — said he should keep his emergency powers.

On the flip side, Cuomo was well below water on the issue of transparency surrounding the state’s nursing home situation. Fifty-five percent of respondents said he done a fair or poor job on that front, with just 39% giving positive reviews.

The latter figures were absent from a statement released on Tuesday morning by New York State Democratic Party Chairman Jay Jacobs, a Cuomo ally, who touted the friendlier findings.

“Despite the best efforts of the far fringe, Governor Cuomo’s popularity remains unchanged; 11 months into global pandemic, 61% of voters approve of his response,” Jacobs said.

He also included a warning — directed at Cuomo’s critics, but also a sign that the governor’s allies are prepared for a longer fight over his staying power and, eventually, his legacy.

“Voters understand better than some of those looking to score political points that the Governor has done a great job staying focused on saving lives and ending this pandemic,” Jacobs said. “Those seeking to politicize the process should take heed.”

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missgoalie75 · 6 years

Text

a gilmore christmas | fic: instead of cursing the darkness, light a candle

title: instead of cursing the darkness, light a candle word count: ~3,000 disclaimer: title is from ‘light a candle’ by neil young. summary: post-revival | in which paris invites jess over for hanukkah for reasons not limited to doyle screwing up his flight and paris cutting out everyone due to election day reactions. note: this was written for a gilmore christmas, so please make sure to check out all the works! thank you @alspancakeworld for hosting this again.

Jess only has Paris Geller's cell phone number because he babysat her two kids as a one-time thing: he happened to be in the city on the same night that her babysitter fell through and she had to go to a gala. It wasn't a bad night – he ordered pizza for the kids, they watched some animated movies that he missed when he was their age; he occasionally texted Paris, who checked in every hour. The kids were supposed to go to bed at eight, but he let them stay up and they tired themselves out by nine. Paris came home at one in the morning, tired and a little tipsy and she thanked him with a kiss on the cheek, which he doesn't think she would've ever done if she were sober. The next morning, he made breakfast for the family and then left.

That was about a month ago and he didn't expect to hear from her so soon, let alone a week before Christmas:

From Paris Geller: I’m assuming you’re not doing anything for the holidays this year because I’m told you rarely see your family during that time, so if that’s the case, you can come to my Hanukkah gathering on the 24th.

From Paris Geller: I’ve had to cut out 80% of my social circle due to the election and Doyle isn’t going to make it until Boxing Day because he’s a self-centered writer and screwed up booking a simple red eye.

From Paris Geller: And my kids actually like you, so please.

Jess stares at the series of texts, completely flabbergasted.

From Jess Mariano: I figured since you were in the medical field you would be in better company.

From Paris Geller: You’d think, but they’re either too wealthy and want to keep their $$$, they’re self-hating Jews, and/or they voted for Jill Stein.

From Jess Mariano: Yikes.

From Paris Geller: It’s been a rough 6 weeks.

He knows. After the gala, after she kissed his cheek in thanks, she proceeded to hiss about an asshole donor who loves his hunting rifles and money too much and how he's confident about the upcoming administration, tears of rage in her eyes. He couldn't judge her for that since Rory was incapacitated for days and can only imagine Paris just functioning for her kids' wellbeing.

(And he himself punched a hole in the wall at Truncheon at two in the morning on election night, drunker than he'd been in years, but nobody knows that.)

From Jess Mariano: Yep.

From Paris Geller: So, can you come? Incentives: you sleep in the guest room, you have access to my PRIVATE gym, state of the art kitchen, books.

From Jess Mariano: You think you have me all figured it out don’t you.

From Paris Geller: Private. Gym.

Jess sighs and rubs his eye before cupping his jaw in thought. It’s true, he hasn’t gone out of his way to come to Stars Hollow for the holidays for a variety of reasons, most of which revolve around bad memories with Liz, and recently he’s enjoyed spending the time either by himself or with a few other misfits watching Reservoir Dogs (his choice) and Die Hard (definitely not his choice).

From Paris Geller: AND I’m buying good rugelach. I’m going to Park Slope for them.

He does have an appreciation for good rugelach. Besides, with Chris attempting to mend his relationship with his brother and going out of town and Matthew going to his grandmother’s house, he thinks he can close up shop for a few days.

From Jess Mariano: Do I need to bring anything?

From Paris Geller: No, just respectable clothes.

From Jess Mariano: Do you still picture me like I’m seventeen wearing camo and baggy pants?

From Paris Geller: Obviously. I bet it shocks you every time to see my short hair.

From Jess Mariano: Fair point. I’ll come after lunch.

From Paris Geller: No, you come FOR lunch. You’re a guest. I will feed you.

From Jess Mariano: I have a hard time imagining your cooking…

From Paris Geller: I’m going to take you out to lunch in a damn restaurant. Unless you have made up important work to get done on Christmas Eve.

From Jess Mariano: Okay…I’ll come for lunch.

From Paris Geller: Great. See you then.

Jess reads over the exchange and shakes his head.

"So, what are you doing for Christmas this year? Staying at Truncheon?" Luke asks a few days before Christmas Eve.

"No, I'll be in New York," Jess answers as he's doing sit ups on his bedroom floor.

"Who's there?"

Jess sighs, does two more sit ups, and picks up the phone by his hip on the ground. "Are the Gilmores around?"

"What, why?"

"Because I don't want to deal with a reaction right now."

"Okay, weirdo, no, I'm in the storage room. Why is this a secret?"

Jess runs his teeth over his bottom lip. "Paris."

"What?"

"Paris Geller. I'm doing Hanukkah with her and her kids."

"…But why?"

"Because she asked and I figured why the hell not." He puts the phone back down and does another set of sit ups.

He does a few before Luke asks, "Is this about Rory?"

Jess clenches his jaw as he propels himself forward. "Not everything is about her."

"You know you're always welcome –"

"Thanks, Luke, but I'm good."

"Okay, if you say so…but Paris? Really?"

"You know, she's not terrible."

"She's terrifying."

She's a force of nature, but Jess just thinks at the end of the day, Paris Geller is someone who takes what she wants by sheer will and has always had a hard time finding – and keeping – people in her life who respect it. There's nothing terrifying about it. (Although the glint in her eyes when she talks about certain things like politics and women in television is a little bit concerning.)

"You know Rory and Lorelai are going to find out about it."

Obviously, but Jess doesn't want to have a conversation about it with Rory, who will probably be territorial about it. "Whatever, at least it's not right now."

"What are you doing?"

Jess finishes his last sit up. "Sit ups. Now pushups."

"You still have to tell me how the hell –"

"Bye, Luke, speak to you later." Jess hangs up on him, flips over, and begins his first rep of pushups.

(Look, Rory being pregnant is…whatever. None of his business.)

Even though Paris told Jess not to bring anything, he buys bagels because that's typically his go-to 'thank you for hosting me' gift since everyone loves a New York bagel. And he buys jelly doughnuts since he wasn't sure if she just bought rugelach and also, he was hungry on his way in and wanted a quick snack. And going by the way her collarbones are sticking out and her face appearing a little gaunter than the last time he saw her, he's glad he brought both.

Gabriela and Timothy hug him and make him promise to draw and play games and do other kid things that will end up exhausting him. But he likes them – they're surprisingly warm children, especially considering who gave birth to them.

"Alright, let's get moving, we have a reservation!" Paris says over their excited squeals. "Coats on! Hats too!"

"Where are we going, exactly?" Jess asks.

Paris rolls her eyes. "Don't worry, I picked American food."

"I wouldn't have minded diversity," he says with an amused smile. "I grew up with six different types of cuisine in the same block."

"There's Chinese tomorrow night."

"Wow, really? Something tells me you didn't adhere to that Jewish tradition growing up," he laughs.

Paris smiles. "Definitely not, but my mom ate a handful of almonds and coffee on a daily basis, so that was out of the question."

"You're going to have to buy a vat of lo mein," he warns her as he gets down on a knee to help Gabriela zip her coat.

"Don't worry, you won't starve," Paris scoffs, ushering her kids out the front door. "And, obviously," she adds, as if he were crazy to suggest not ordering enough lo mein to feed a family for a week.

"Just making sure," Jess sighs, shutting the door behind him.

Jess didn't know much about Hanukkah prior to living with Matthew. Before, his knowledge stemmed from "The Hanukkah Song" and living in some predominantly Jewish neighborhoods. Now, he has a better understanding – he even knows the blessings recited when lighting the menorah, but he butchers the pronunciation, according to Matthew, so he was never expected to do the honors.

"Who remembers the blessings of the first night?" Paris asks.

Jess raises his hand.

"Who out of the practicing Jews in the room remembers the blessing of the first night?" Paris clarifies dryly as her children giggle.

"Can't I be an honorary Jew?" he asks. "I bet if we put it to a vote, I'd win." He grins at her children, who beam back at him.

"Be quiet, James Taggart. Gabriela? Your Hebrew School teacher said you were doing well," Paris says, running her thumb over the apple of her daughter's cheek.

"Who's James?" Timothy asks.

"A character from a bad writer," Jess answers.

"You can't judge a writer by one book," Paris argues.

"Ayn Rand writes the same s…garbage every time. One is enough. Let Gabriela recite the blessings."

Paris scowls and shakes her head.

Jess technically only knows the first two blessings which are said every night of Hanukkah, so when Gabriela stumbles over a word, he whispers the correct one in her ear. He lights the middle candle with a Bic lighter from his pocket when Paris gives him a nod. Gabriela and Timothy both keep a hand on Jess' when he lights the rightmost candle after the third blessing is recited.

"You did beautifully," Paris says.

"Couldn't have done it better myself," Jess adds, putting the candle back in the menorah.

"Tomorrow, you can light the second candle," Paris tells Timothy, who nods.

"I'm going to be perfect," Timothy announces, very much an echo of his mother.

Jess will be very interested in how Timothy will grow up.

Jess got Timothy a stack of coloring books and a nice set of colored pencils since he seemed to have the bigger passion for art the last time he saw him. He gave Gabriela a large set of multicolored beads and different kinds of strings to make her own jewelry.

"What the fuck, Mariano, what is this gift giving genius?" Paris says quietly through her teeth.

"Nice alliteration. I thought about getting them the likes of The Phantom Tollbooth and Jacob Have I Loved but I figured you should do the honors in a couple of years."

She looks away innocently, eyes falling toward the closet where he's sure she's keeping her children's gifts. He feels such a strange sort of fondness for her.

After the kids are tucked in, Paris opens a fresh bottle of wine and Jess places a gift for her on the kitchen counter.

She stares at it blankly for a second. "Really?"

"You really have a horrible preconception of me," he jokes. "It's not much."

She finishes pouring the glasses and puts the wine back in the cooler before opening the box, which has an Amazon gift card and a nice, expensive pen.

She smiles – a soft, genuine one that probably hasn't been seen by many.

"Okay, I got you something too," she says, going over to the closet outside of the kitchen.

He opens the neatly wrapped gift and laughs, finding an Amazon gift card on top of a pile of different sized Moleskin journals, all black.

"I'm a cliché, aren't I?"

"Yeah, but it's fine. We all have our faults."

He snorts and sticks the card into the topmost journal. "Got any more latkes?"

So they're sitting on the couch with a plate of reheated latkes, a bowl of leftover blue and white jellybeans, and full glasses wine.

"This upcoming year is going to suck," Paris whines.

He nods in agreement.

"I swear to God, if I knew this was going to happen, I wouldn't have had kids. I'm devastated that my children will be exposed to this bullshit and will probably have to fix it their entire lives."

Jess frowns. "Not that I'm Mr. Optimistic, but I'm hoping we won't totally fuck ourselves over irreparably."

"Yeah, yeah."

"I have a hard time imagining this future fucked up administration will turn your kids into assholes. I'm sure you're instilling good feminist values."

"Honestly, Timothy I think will bully his peers into believing the right things. He reminds me of me so much, it's scary."

"He glowers like you, it's unnerving," he agrees.

"Gabriela has her moments when it's like I'm looking in a mirror, but she's definitely got Doyle's demeanor."

"How's that going?"

Paris sighs. "I can't imagine getting back with him. He's not the same. And neither am I in some respects, but –"

"You feel like you've pretty much stayed the same," he assumes.

She stares at him. "Is that bad?"

He shrugs. "I don't think so."

They drink and eat in silence for a few moments.

"I can't believe she's pregnant," Paris says flatly before bringing the glass to her mouth. She takes a long drink. "I know she was going through…I don't know. A rough patch. But…pregnant?"

He vividly recalls sitting across from a desk, sipping half-terrible whiskey as Rory talks about having no underwear. He doesn't bring that up, but he hums in agreement and drinks.

"Is it weird to be disappointed in a friend? Because I feel that way."

He shrugs. "Don't know. Probably not."

She stares at him over her glass. "You were a dark horse."

"What?"

"I mean, I never would've guessed this scenario happening in a million years."

"Is it the hair?" he jokes.

"The success, the lack of attitude, the rippling pectorals."

He just stops himself from laughing out loud. "Please don't ever say that again."

"Oh, come on, you're jacked, it's ridiculous, who are you." She finishes her wine. "What are you even doing with your abs, because I can't for the fucking life of me get rid of this pouch of fat right below my belly button."

"Are we going to work out together tomorrow morning?" he half-jests, but judging by the way her eyes flash with determination, he knows she takes the suggestion seriously.

"I'm up at seven and I think the kids will be in a food coma."

He shakes his head and finishes his wine.

As much as Jess enjoys doing plenty of things on his own, it's actually not bad exercising with Paris. They keep headphones in for most of the time and they somehow motivate each other, mostly by Paris staring holes into his face while either of them are completing sets.

While they're finishing up, both of her kids come in and exclaim "Happy Chrismukkah!" which Jess didn't realize was still a thing people outside of his friend group – still stuck in the mid-2000s – said to one another.

"Can you make pancakes again, Jess? Please?" Timothy asks.

"Yeah, please!" Gabriela echoes.

"Depends if your mother –" Jess starts.

"Oh, don't worry, I have everything you'll need, I was prepared for this request" Paris interrupts him.

Jess laughs. "Of course."

He makes chocolate chip pancakes for the kids and omelets for himself and Paris, even though they end up eating a pancake or two.

Paris gives her kids a few gifts to open in the spirit of Christmas, taking pictures and sending them to Doyle. They change into new winter-themed pajamas and watch holiday-themed movies.

At one point, Paris orders a disgusting amount of Chinese food to have delivered, but Jess offers to pick up.

On his walk, he calls Luke.

"He lives."

Jess rolls his eyes. "Merry Christmas to you, Uncle Luke."

"Merry Christmas. How's it going over there?"

"Very nice."

"Seriously?"

"If I didn't want to be here, I wouldn't be here. Have you seen Liz yet?"

"We're having dinner later. She didn't call you yet?"

"I'm sure it's coming."

"It's Jess, want to say hello?" Luke asks distractedly.

Jess bites back a sigh.

"Hi, Jess, Merry Christmas!" Lorelai says. "Remember, if you need help, just text the SOS emoji and we'll send a brigade."

"Pretty sure the brigade has the day off along with the post office – I think I'll survive in the meantime."

"Wish Paris and her kids a Happy Hanukkah."

"I will."

There a few seconds of silence until: "Merry Christmas, Jess."

He wets his bottom lip. "Merry Christmas, Rory."

"I have another chapter done – at this rate, maybe by spring, the first draft will be done."

"Your rate is definitely better than mine at the moment. I hope when you're done you'll consider submitting a draft to a smaller publishing company."

"Truncheon is number one on the list."

He smiles. He reaches the restaurant and comes to a stop. "I gotta go, but I'm sure I'll see you around."

"Bye, Jess."

He hangs up and for a moment, he considers the fact that next year, she'll have a few-months-old baby, and desperately wishes for a strong drink.

(There's a point when Liz calls and while the conversation is brief – he speaks at length with Doula of all the gifts she received and thanking him for his gifts that he sent in the mail – Paris at one point slides him a beer and they cheer to being better than their shitty mothers. When the kids go to sleep, they watch Reservoir Dogs and Miracle on 34th Street and eat more Chinese food. Jess considers making more of an effort to hang out with Paris and her kids with the new year.)

Doyle arrives early in the morning and there's a weird moment when he sizes Jess up, which Jess doesn't want to think about or consider.

But Jess leaves soon after, letting the Geller-McMaster family have their time alone. Paris sends Jess home with leftover latkes and Chinese food and a box of rugelach. He's not one for hugs still, but he's okay with hugging Gabriela and Timothy and Paris.

On his drive home, he sneaks a rugelach or two, considers where he's going to hang up the drawings Timothy gave him, his new beaded bracelets made by Gabriela rolling up and down his wrist.

(He's also very excited to hole himself in his room and read, but that's just because some things just won't change.)

#agilmorechristmas #gilmore girls #jess mariano #paris geller #gg fic #missgoalie writes things

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