#the Community's doing a fine enough job of ostracizing me already

[questioningyourfate]

Timing Is Everything

Fate here to provide a lesson from my therapist’s mouth to yours on the power of adapting to adverse conditions. Or maybe that was the biologist who appealed to me for help after claiming I was the cause of him being ostracized from his church, his colleagues, and his community…who can keep ‘em straight, amirite?

Fate,

I was literally born with a skewed sense of timing. Had I been born one day earlier, I would have been the oldest of the students in the grade below me, but as it was, I wound up being the youngest of the students in the grade I was in. Research suggests that surely being that far behind the bulk of my classmates, even if it was by a matter of weeks to months, was the reason I struggled so much with classwork, homework, and team sports. 

I got chicken pox three months before the vaccine was available. I didn’t get symptoms until the very end of the last day of class fall semester, when my mom sent me to school because I faked sick so much she was sure I was doing it again, and then had to spend the entirety of Christmas break cooped up away from my family and friends with a fever and the constant itching, only to be just fine when school and all the struggles that came with it started up again.

The year I took the SATs was the year the College Board switched from the 1600 point system with no mandatory writing portion to the 2400 point system where essay writing, never my strongest subject, became a required part of the package. The local college I did manage to get into instituted strict caps on their financial aid packages that year. They also dropped the major I had wanted to get my degree in just as I was eligible to declare it (and had already gotten a good amount of the introductory classes out of the way). 

I busted my ass to graduate a year early in spite of all this and did so…just as the Great Recession was declared and employers stopped hiring. I probably would’ve been okay, because my parents had been planning to move away, rent out part of their old house/my childhood home, and let me due landlord/property management duties, but the rental market dried up and I was forced to move back in with them with no resume-padding opportunities (and also living with my parents again, le sigh). 

I’d gotten a degree in computer sciences, which should’ve led to all sorts of opportunities, but every tech firm or private development co. I joined would fold within months of me coming on board. I did manage to save up money which I’d invest, only to have whatever promising company I’d bought stock in collapse overnight due to being busted for fraudulent practices or whatnot.

I finally got a stable-sounding opportunity a couple years ago. I was set to start on March 16th, 2020. Two days before that, most of the US followed the example of most of the rest of the world and shut down in a mostly useless attempt to stop the COVID-19 pandemic in its tracks. My new company immediately switched to remote work for its existing employees, and for those like me who would have to be physically present in order to do our jobs (the role was in computer hardware rather than software), well, we were S.O.L. And speaking of the ‘rona, there’s another fun disease I caught just before the vaccine was made available. This time, I got it a week before I would have been eligible to get my first dose from the local pharmacy. For having an allegedly mild case, I sure do have an awful lot of trouble breathing when I walk across parking lots still, not to mention feeling slower and even shorter on attention than I used to be.

The big picture’s bad enough, but there’s also other, pettier stuff: trying to take Mom out to her favorite restaurant only to find that they’ve changed their schedule and we’re going there on the day they’re closed. Trying to take a date to see a movie only to find that the theater’s shut down to deal with an emergency flooding situation. Not having time to claim a Buy One, Get One Free coupon until the day after it expires. 

My grandmother always used to tell me that “God chooses his toughest warriors to fight his greatest crusades,” but Fate, can’t you (or Him, or whoever) cut me a break once in a while?

Your God may indeed want strong warriors, but I believe He (or I, or whoever) also needs test dummies to see how the status quo compares to the new idea in order to verify whether “new” also means “improved.” Sometimes, He/I/Whoever will let our guinea pigs - er, subjects - flip from the control to the experimental group, and as with all experiments, the outcome is uncertain until we let the test run its course. 

It’s not all the time that we have a favorite subject whose results provide constant amusement, of course.

#bad timing #fate's plaything #guinea pig #test dummies #fate #questioning fate #questioning your fate

[zoopzopp]

a list of some ~angsty~ izuku-centric fics

He Was Quirkless by PruneyWitch - Midoriya get's sick of discrimination against the quirkless and decides to do something about it. It leads to some interesting situations. A trilogy.

survival instinct by carolinaa - Izuku's always had the vague feeling that trusting people is more trouble than it's worth. A villain's quirk makes him realize how painful trust can be, too.

every memory is a drop in the ocean by wastefulreverie - Izuku's memory was heavy. It felt like he'd been asleep for a very long time even though he was fairly certain that he'd just met All Might on a rooftop. They said that he was a student at UA High School and that he'd been hit with a memory erasure quirk, but that couldn't be right? Izuku was quirkless. Even All Might said he'd never be a hero.

invitation by achievingelysium - He didn’t like birthdays. He didn’t like celebrating birthdays, because no one cared about Izuku’s birthday, about the stupid, Quirkless kid of Aldera— Izuku kicked at his desk. Stared at the edge of it blankly for a moment. Sixteen. He’d made it to sixteen. Izuku thinks he'll celebrate his birthday alone. His friends disagree. (this ones angsty but also sweet and fluffy)

(paid for it) with all of my blood by theshoutingslytherin - As it turns out, Midoriya has more in common with him than Hitoshi ever realized.

things my heart used to know by aloneintherain - The first time Izuku remembers meeting Shouto, he’s fourteen years old and immediately smitten. (AU where Izuku keeps getting killed during their first year at UA—so Shouto keeps travelling back in time to save him.)

absolution by Argentina - In which there are always two sides to the same story, and as Shouta delves further into Midoriya and Bakugou's middle school years, he discovers that they're both victims of a broken society.

hold your heart fast by achievingelysium - In the aftermath of a villain fight, Izuku can't understand why Eri seems so scared of him. Or Aizawa-sensei, one of the people he trusts most.

But Who Saves You? by poe_tate_toe - The room was silent. The only sound was Izuku’s cries, the boy still writhing around in his arms that made Shouta’s heart break and heartbreakshatter. “Get out.” Shouta demanded, eyes still trained on All Might, voice filled with hatred and contempt. “Now.”

a lesson you should heed (try, try again) by aloneintherain - Izuku doesn't know why the day keeps resetting. He doesn't know why he's trapped on campus, or why there's no phone reception, or why Aizawa and Shinsou keep losing their memories of the Saturdays they've already lived, while Izuku remains constantly, painfully aware. But he does know this: Aizawa and Shinsou keep dying, over and over again, in more brutal and creative ways. And it's his job to save them.

All Fun And Games Until I Actually Die by SpeedingCheetah - Izuku Midoriya would do nearly anything to reach the goals he had. He’d take risks and make bargains with those who he thought he would have never chosen to work with; He’d even die. He’d joke around and make himself feel better by resetting from the misery he experienced each night on patrol, each hour when his thoughts turned bitter and hateful. But such actions couldn’t be used forever. After all, it was only all fun and games until he actually died. And when Izuku told someone this, he wasn’t too sure as to what he was thinking.

Never understand ( and you can't ) by deliha__bells - " I was four when someone first used their quirk on me." Midoriya is sick and tried of his classmates bias and prejudice against the quirkless community and finally breaks

a penny for your thoughts by cassiopeia721 - While visiting Eri at the hospital following her rescue from the Shie Hassaikai, Izuku and Aizawa-sensei both run into a nurse with a telepathy based quirk, and Izuku finds himself in a telepathic bond with his teacher. This is... somewhat worrying, considering how many secrets Izuku needs to keep.

For the greater good by rabiddog (orphan_account) - "Somebody needs to stay behind." "Don't worry, Kacchan! I'll be fine. Just make sure everyone gets out safely, okay?"

Live For Everything, Die For Everyone by Eurybia773 - Midoriya Izuku is kidnapped and Class 1-A goes to hell and back to keep him safe

The World Without Me by BeyondTheClouds777 - When Izuku dies, he realizes he’s not as Quirkless as he thought. He does indeed have a Quirk, one called “Second Chance” that gives him another chance at life after death. But the Quirk comes with an odd side-effect: he gets to see what the rest of the world is like without him first.

Lives of Future Past by HeartQuirk - An alternative take on de-ageing/swap quirks: Veteran Pro Hero Deku gets swapped into his own past, while his teenage self must navigate an uncertain and mysterious future.

Forgive, Not Forget by orphan_account - He stared out into the night, watching cars pass and stars twinkle. I never told him that I was sorry. Shit. How the hell could he have never thought to apologize? Bakugou had ostracized Deku from their friends, bullied, and tormented him all the way through middle school, to the point where Deku would cringe and cower whenever Bakugou glanced his way. His skin crawled as he remembered. Had he really done all of that? He was so full of shit, and now Deku was somewhere, bleeding out on a hospital bed because of Bakugou’s stupidity and he would never know that Bakugou was so, so, infinitely sorry.

You Never Asked by jongdaethedinosaur - aka: Izuku's smart enough to give Nedzu a headache, the League of Villains aren't all that bad, and Aizawa is trying his best

Heights by Gabberwocky - Or: 5 Times Katsuki Found Izuku on Rooftops and 1 Time Izuku Found Katsuki.

Reverse To Go Forwards by Otaku6337 - A certain Problem Child gets caught up in a Quirk manifestation and collapses in class. But when he wakes up, things aren't quite adding up. And why is he so skittish of everything, Bakugou in particular?

P.S. If he asks, tell Kacchan it's not his fault by JessenoSabaku - When Kacchan tells Midoriya to go kill himself in primary school, he takes it seriously. Not enough to actually kill himself, but he does try his hand at writing a note. Years later, he finds the note again, and he keeps it. For some reason, reading it makes him feel better when nights on patrol get rough. And then, one night, Kacchan finds it by accident.

i cant think of anymore rn but!! I'll update this soon!!!!

#bnha #mha #midoriya izuku #izuku-centric #izuku #midoriya #deku #bnha fic recs

[overthinkingkdrama]

Exit Review: When The Camellia Blooms

Synopsis

Dong Baek is a single mother running a small bar called "Camellia" in the village of Ongsan. She is pretty, softhearted and smiles easily, but because of her status and her job she is ostracized and mistreated by the people who live there. Since she's had a string of rotten luck and misfortune since childhood, she considers this pretty much par for course. She's never known what it's like to be treasured, but lavishes all of her love on her son.

One day, simple-minded busybody cop, Hwang Yong Shik, moves back to his hometown of Ongsan from Seoul and falls precipitously in love with Dong Baek at first sight. He then proceeds to make a nuisance of himself around her bar, because all he wants to do is spend time with her and protect her from their nosy, judgmental neighbors. At first Dong Baek is confused and annoyed by all the attention Yong Shik's infatuation brings, but as she spends time with him she finds herself increasingly disarmed by this guileless, straightforward young man who seems to adore her without any reservation.

Complications ensue from all sides, but especially when Dong Baek's ex, Kang Jong Ryul --who since their break up has become a famous baseball player and reality star--shows up in town and begins to show an interest in their son's life.

Oh, and also there's a serial killer for some reason.

Review

Story: The plot of When the Camellia Blooms is unfocused at best, at worst it is completely all over the place. But it was clear from very early on that it had no intention of being a tightly plotted and paced narrative but rather a shotgun spray of character pieces about community, humanity and parenthood scattered across the village of Ongsan. As a ensemble piece I think this drama largely succeeds, although there was a good portion of the characters that I didn't care for or could have done with a lot less of. (Jong Ryul and Gyu Tae in particular come to mind.) However, because of the lack of focus at times the show seems to meander with no clear sense of direction.

I know I harp on tone issues in dramas frequently, and if any drama would at face value seem guilty of that sin WTCB seems like a flagrant offender. However, something about how up and down and everywhere the drama was worked for me in terms of tone. Putting the small town gossip circle right next to the violent serial killer plot almost struck me as a stoke of brilliance. At least I felt like we were on the very edge of an epiphany. Because, in many ways, that contrast may have--and I do emphasize may have--been the point. That petty, shallow, silly people with good intentions and maybe not a lot of brains, live right next door to twisted, evil, calculating people. That all of us are kind of in this together, and as Yong Shik rather brilliantly says "we out number you" you being the evil people. While the bad is always with us, there's a silver lining with it, and a certain humor and absurdity to life that we can laugh at together if we have the sense to see it.

Acting: I think it's really the veteran cast that carries this drama. Especially Lee Jung Eun (who plays Dong Baek's mother) manages to do a lot of the emotional heavy lifting for the drama in a way that I appreciated but didn't expect.

For me, the stand out performance in the main cast was Kang Ha Neul as Yong Shik, a character who, in the hands of a lesser actor, might have been too frustrating for me to watch, but he somehow turned into a really appealing and charming male lead even though he wasn't the smartest or smoothest guy around.

I thought Gong Hyo Jin was just fine as Dong Baek, but I couldn't shake the awareness throughout that I was watching Gong Hyo Jin and that on top of that I've seen other dramas in which I liked her better. Gong Hyo Jin isn't really one of those actresses who disappears into a role. Especially in dramas. She seems to essentially play variations on herself. There's nothing particularly wrong with that, but when that's the case then it's even more incumbent on the writing to give us something to hold on to and to love about the character. I felt like WTCB got a lot of mileage out of how likable Gong Hyo Jin is as a person, and didn't necessarily hold up its end writing-wise to earn her previously banked audience good will. But hell, this might just be me.

All this being said, many of the characters are quite cartoonish and over the top. The drama has a distinctly comedic bent, despite some of the heavy subject matter. This is not a collection of subtle, restrained performances.

Production: WTCB nails the small-town homeliness of Ongsan. I think all the sets look great. A little ugly and rundown, cluttered and lived in, but colorful and alive. From the marinated crab restaurants with their giant plaster crabs hanging outside, to the small town police station, to the baseball pitch, and especially in the shabby warehouse interior of Camellia that Dong Baek has done everything in her power to make feel inviting--with questionable success. This drama has a retro-feel without actually being a period piece. It’s something that I tend to really enjoy about dramas that are set outside of Seoul. I think the feel of the production earned the drama a lot of good will from me. 

I liked the way this drama looked and felt to watch overall. Although I could have done without some of the black and white “thriller” sequences that started and ended episodes in the beginning of the run. I thought they just made the tonal shifts between the humor and the crime elements feel even more jarring.

Feels: WTCB is a sentimental, feel-good show that overstays its welcome. I say this a lot, but this drama could have stood to be shorter. I think 16 episodes would have been more than enough to tell the story they were trying to tell and would have spared the audience some of the more repetitive and frustrating character arcs. (Initially I had sympathy for Jong Ryul’s character, for instance, but then he just wouldn’t go away. And every one of his scenes filled me with increasing irritation.) Some character arcs were artfully handled, but because the show frequently didn’t seem to know what kind of story it wanted to tell, the arcs that were weaker really stood out.

All that being said, WTCB handled a few choice emotional beats incredibly well. Without spoiling anything too much there is an episode later in the run that is structured around a certain character’s last interactions with a series of people before a calamity happens. The audience has already been let in on the secret at this point. We know what’s about to happen, and that lends a poignancy and pathos to this character that they didn’t previously have. Suddenly things that would otherwise be trivial seem significant. It’s a really fine example of television writing, and it’s almost worth watching all on its own. (Hopefully this isn’t too vague to be understood.)

At times Dong Baek’s downtrodden damsel shtick gets a little bit much, and it’s hard to tell if it’s being played for humor or if the writer isn’t actually in on the joke. But it’s satisfying when she stands up for herself and goes after what she wants. The handling of the central romance, surprisingly, worked for me even though I was skeptical of Yong Shik in the beginning. I was particularly impressed by the plot line involving Dong Baek’s relationship with her mother. That was the relationship that I think rang truest and that the drama got the most mileage out of. It was also the only one that nearly made me cry at points. WTCB also has a really exultant and life-affirming finale. It wrapped the whole drama up well and ended it on a high note, which lord knows is a hard enough thing to do in dramaland on its own.

Would I recommend When The Camellia Blooms? It would probably depend on the type of drama watcher I was talking to, but I think for the right kind of person WTCB would be just the thing. 7/10

#when the camellia blooms #when camellia blooms #kang ha neul #gong hyo jin #exit review #kdrama reviews

[spaceorphan18]

Glee’s Final Season [Part 3/4]

Dedicated to @ckerouac and everyone who gave me prompts.  This was getting long, so I decided to break it up into four parts - which I’ll post one every evening. :)

For context - This set of episodes takes place five years after the events of season six (effectively season 11??) and ends around the time that the real series finale ends.  It is mostly canon compliant – though I did take liberty with a few things, most notably, changing Sam and Mercedes’s story.  But for the most part, it should settle in nicely into regular canon – and its intent is that this is my own version of the final season of the show.

Also note: I’m not that great at picking out music for these episodes, so feel free to fill in those blanks yourselves ;)

Previously on Glee:

Part 1  Part 2

///

Episode 11.14: The One With All the Resolutions

Rachel, Santana, Sam, Kurt, Blaine, and Artie are all hanging around Rachel’s apartment during a snowstorm.  (Jesse’s stuck at work, Tina’s at her own home, and Brittany managed to get to her own home.)  They’re bored and cooped up and it’s starting to take its toll.  Artie says it reminds him of back when they were in college and they all once lived in one place.  He gets out his camera and says he’s now making a mini-documentary about people in their late twenties stuck with each other for what could be days.  

Santana suggests they play some sort of game to pass the time, but Rachel doesn’t want to.  The pregnancy is beginning to affect her, and all she wants to do is lounge around.  On top of that, Rachel states she’s already broken her New Year’s Resolution to stay on a strict diet that will help her not gain a lot of weight during the pregnancy, but was craving foods that keeps her off the diet.  Santana is annoyed that Rachel is always talking about how pregnant she is - and is really not looking forward to another six months of Rachel complaining.  She tells Rachel that her New Year’s resolution should be to stop talking about being pregnant.  

Blaine (who is sitting on Kurt’s lap) jumps in and tells Santana that she should just deal with being stuck there with them - and that maybe she could try being nice for her New Year’s resolution.  Santana jumps in and states that of course he’d take Rachel’s side – and really, the two of them should give each other space because it does feel like college again.  

Sam, who has been super mopey since Mercedes left for her tour, interrupts stating that he’s decided he’s giving up knitting and that he’s going to maybe try doing something more physical - like learning karate in his spare time – to which Santana snaps at him, stating that he needs to just pick a project and stop whining.  

Artie, delighted that this is all going getting on film has a proposition for all of them – he says for a limited New Year’s resolution - each of them has a challenge for the time they’re snowed in, and offers them fifty bucks each if they can adhere to it.  Rachel can’t talk about being pregnant, Santana has to not be mean, Kurt and Blaine can’t touch each other, and Sam has to stick with one project.  Thinking they’ll all be making easy money, they agree.  

The time goes relatively slow.  They try to play board games (Santana suggests Twister - which is automatically vetoed down by Kurt and Blaine.)  Rachel keeps going to the bathroom - but doesn’t way why, while Santana has to bite her tongue when she loses three board games in a row. Meanwhile, Sam is glued to the desktop - in an attempt to learn Italian.  Eventually the snow lets up and they respectively head home.  

They next day, they all demand that Artie give them their money, to which Artie replies that they’ve all failed the resolutions and he has proof.  He plays his video.  Sam is the first out – as Artie takes a second when Sam leaves the computer to show that Sam hasn’t been just learning how to speak Italian - but a dozen other things, such as how to put together a car, how to make your own raft, and basic martial arts.  Sam doesn’t even try to cover it up - stating that he has a hard time concentrating on one thing, and hands Artie over the money.   Santana’s next - as the video plays of her screaming into the phone about the pizza delivery guy not being able to deliver pizza in a blizzard.  Santana snarks that she didn’t realize she had to be nice to everyone, but still gives him the money.  Then Rachel is caught, alone in the bedroom, talking to the baby, and telling it how happy she is to be carrying a child, even if it’s for someone else.  Rachel says technically she wasn’t actually talking to anyone - but Artie asks her to hand over the money anyway.  

Last is Kurt and Blaine - as Artie brings in the camera to where the bathroom door is open a sliver, and you can hear moaning, and their bodies sliding together.  Kurt gets indignant and tells him to turn off the video, calling gross invasion of privacy - while Blaine asks for a copy of the tape.  They both give him the money.  

[Missing: Brittany, Tina, Mercedes]

Episode 11.15: PDA

Blaine and Brittany are riding the subway home one evening when they notice a couple of younger gay kids holding hands.  And older gentleman begins to make a stink about how the country is going downhill – insinuating that the gay kids are what the problem is.  Brittany gets upset by this and begins to yell at the older gentleman - to which Blaine thinks maybe she shouldn’t get involved.  Brittany tells Blaine that they should get involved so the kids feel safe - and because the older gentleman is an asshat.  

By the time they get home, Brittany say she’s tired that simple PDA is still getting them weird looks, and wants to do something more proactive.  She encourages Blaine to help her out - and the two of them set out to make a special video – seeking out willing members of the LGBT community to show that PDA can be simple and loving and that they shouldn’t be ostracized for doing the same thing all the straight people are doing.  The more they interview people, the more they learn about LGBT history, youth, and how much the community has grown since even they were in high school.  Both Blaine and Brittany are proud of the video - and have a special viewing part for when it’s uploaded with their spouse and LGBT friends.  

Wanting to show how much he love and misses her - Sam, with the help of Rachel, has his students put together a video of love songs that he can send her.  Mercedes is touched - and in her next show - she dedicates a special song to him.

Tina’s having a fun time with her costars on the set of Artie’s film.  She’s have a good enough time that she’s missed a couple of Skype dates with her long distance boyfriend, Jon.  When Jon finally gets a hold of her - he seems worried - but she tells him that she’s happy for the first time in a long time.  He wants her to be happy, too, but he still feels something’s off.  At the end - Jon shows up at her doorstep.  

Meanwhile, Santana helps Kurt babyproof his apartment.  Kurt takes it as an opportunity to ask Santana if she’s interested in helping publize the opening of the new theater – and that they’d pay her nicely for it.  Santana is flattered, and agrees to do so.  

Episode 11.16: Chivalry is Not Dead…but Someone Is

Tina’s thrilled to see that her long distance boyfriend, Jon show up on her doorstep.  At first things seem to be fine – Tina takes him to the set where she’s doing Artie’s film, and then takes him around New York – since he’s only ever been a few times.  But after a few days, Tina notices that he’s acting distant.  Fearing for the worst - Tina asks what’s going on.  Jon says that he cares for her deeply - but things might be changing.  He’s been offered a job in Japan - and wonders if she might go with him.  

Tina is intrigued by the idea - and talks it over with her friends.  Everyone is happy for whatever she chooses - except Artie.  Tina claims that he’s upset because if she moves away, she won’t be apart of his film, and they’ll have to recast.  Artie says it’s not that at all – but that he’ll genuinely miss having his best friend around – which causes Tina to reconsider.  Later, after Tina has had some time to think it over - she tells Jon that while she cares for him deeply, she’s not ready to move to another country with him.  And as much as it pains both of them to do so, they break up.  After he leaves, Tina goes to Artie, who comforts her as she breaks down.

Rachel is complaining to Jesse that the pregnancy is beginning to wear her out.  Jesse doesn’t believe it’s that bad since she’s cut down her activity to only things that are necessary to do.  Rachel cannot believe Jesse’s being so obtuse - and gets him to agree to wear a pregnancy pad to simulate what she’s going through.  If he can make it through a week - she’ll stop complaining.  Jesse only lasts three days when he vows never to doubt Rachel again.  

The closer the theater is to being done, the more Kurt and Blaine are snipping at each other.  It gets to the point where they have a blowout fight over the types of curtains they want the theater to have - when Blaine storms out.  Elliott - who’s been working with them the whole time, brings them back in so they can talk it out with each other.  Ultimately, they get to the heart of the issue - Blaine doesn’t understand why Kurt has to control every aspect of what goes into the theater, while Kurt feels like decisions keep getting made without his input.  Elliott tells them they’re both little control freaks - but reminds them they need to talk things out with each other instead of getting mad first.  

It’s a reasonable solution - but then Kurt worries about how they’ll be as parents if they can’t even get a theater up and running without arguing.  Elliott says he’s not worried about them being parents – since he’s noticed they’ve been talking a lot about it, and have been seemingly on the same page about their future parenting techniques.  The problem, as Elliott sees it, is that instead of thinking of the theater as something that’s both theirs - they’re thinking individually on it.  They both apologize to each other - Kurt stating that the theater is partially Blaine’s responsibility - and he did intend for the both of them to share duties on it, while Blaine says that he tried to get too involved when he knew this was ultimately Kurt’s pet project.  They both agree, with Elliott’s help, to do a little more listening and a little less flying off the handle.

Over Skype, Mercedes tells Sam that there’s a bartender in Nashville that looks just like him.  Sam gets increasingly jealous, as Mercedes (over the course of a few days) tells him that he owns the bar, and that he’s a good country singer as well.  Sam doesn’t believe she’s telling the truth - but then Mercedes takes a photo of her and him and sends it to him.  She jokes that she’ll have him go on tour with her - to which Sam says that that will definitely not happen.  Mercedes assures him she doesn’t have to worry about Bartender Sam - as she wouldn’t trade in original Sam for anything.

Episode 11.17: Apple

It’s Rachel’s last performance before she takes a leave to have the baby.  She’s feeling rather emotional about the whole thing – everyone goes out to see her last show.  Afterwards, Rachel decides not to go out to the afterparty, but takes a moment alone with Jesse.  She tells him that she know this isn’t her kid - and that she’s not even biologically related to it, but she’s grown attached to the child.  Jesse’s worried a little bit about her giving it up - but Rachel knows it’s not actually hers.  It’s just given her thoughts about wanting them to start their own family, and that she didn’t think her career would ever allow for it, but now she thinks it might.  Jesse reminds her that he’s on board for whatever she would like to do - whether it’s the two of them or man of them, he’s there for her.  She tells him she loves him.  

Tina is having a hard time since her break up with Jon.  She’s been frequenting a karaoke bar every night, singing incredibly depressing things.  They gang is worried about her, and each of them try to make her feel better in their own way.  But it’s not until Rachel visits her at the karaoke bar and sings Fiona Apple’s Paper Bag with her that she begins to feel better.  One by one, they each add a song, and sing with Tina, until they’re doing an energetic version of Walk the Moon’s Shut Up and Dance.  Afterwards - Tina says she’s still sad - but she’s glad she has all of her friends with her.  

Meanwhile, while on tour, Mercedes meets up with Marley Rose – and talks to Marley about her songwriting career.  Marley admits, it’s not going that far yet, but Mercedes takes one of her songs, and asks if she can do this at a concert.  Marley agrees - and afterwards, Mercedes asks if Marley would want to collaborate on her next album, to which Marley agrees.

[Note - I haven’t been keeping songs in mind for any of these - but for this episode, I do specifically have in mind Fiona Apple’s Paper Bag and Walk the Moon’s Shut Up and Dance]

Episode 11.18: The One Where No One’s Ready

It’s the night of the premiere of Blaine’s musical Trapped in an Elevator: A Love Story.  Everyone’s over at Kurt and Blaine’s, and there’s only forty minutes before they have to leave for the show.  Blaine’s been ready for an hour - and he’s freaking out because his friends (and family) don’t seem to be as in as much of a hurry as he is.  

Artie and Sam, who spent the night, are busy arguing about whose turn it is playing the video game they were playing.  The arguing gets out of control - and elevates to the point where, instead of getting ready, Sam has stripped down to his underwear.  

Santana and Brittany arrived on time - and both dressed alright, but the boys’ fighting gets intense, and food ends up on Brittany’s dress.  There isn’t time to go back and get a new one, so Brittany comes up with creative ways to cover the stain.  Meanwhile, Blaine asks Santana to call a cab, but she’s too preoccupied with yelling on the phone at a coworker - who’s trying to put out a PR fire, to listen to Blaine’s request.  

Tina and Rachel (and Jesse) arrive late.  Tina’s obsessing over a voice message she received from her ex-boyfriend Jon - unsure of whether it’s a new message or old message.  She keeps freaking out about it - and wanting advice on whether or not to call him.  She does call him, twice, and the second time a woman picks up - which freaks her out even more.  Meanwhile, Rachel is craving something to eat - and decides to cook something for herself, since everyone else is busy, and ends up starting a small grease fire in the kitchen.  

And then there’s Kurt – who is not only taking forever to figure out what he wants to wear – he ends up getting involved in everything that is going on around him.  

Blaine finally loses it - and yells at everyone, including Kurt - who does not take to it well.  Kurt says everyone else can go, but maybe it’ll be best if he stays home - But Blaine is clearly too stressed out at even the suggestion.  Kurt, then, takes charge - tells Artie and Sam to stop screwing around, takes away Santana and Tina’s phones, and tells them to help Rachel clean up her mess, and gives Brittany a nice shawl to wear over her dress.  

Ten minutes later, Kurt comes out of the bedroom looking fabulous - and Blaine just melts.  They head off to the show - which turns out to be a hit.  

Episode 11.19: There’s More Than One

There are flyers floating around stating that Punk Rachel is giving her last show.  Not wanting to miss the opportunity - the gang goes to the concert to see her because why not?  It’s completely awful, but they all enjoy it anyway, and afterwards Rachel goes to tell her that she enjoyed the show.  Punk Rachel doesn’t say more than ‘yeah whatever’ - and just like that, Punk Rachel leaves their lives forever.  Afterwards, they head out to the piano bar near them, and talk about all the doppelgangers they’ve met over the years.  – Recently, there’s been Punk Rachel, and Chef Sam, and Butch Santana, and Astronomer Brittany – but those haven’t been the only times…

Kurt recalls the time last year when he met his own doppelganger – Uncompromising Journalist Kurt.  It was right after they premiered the LGBT version of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf the previous year.  The show received rave reviews - and Kurt’s performance in particular was praised.  Except for one journalist, who wrote a scathing review of the show and of him.  Blaine had told Kurt not to even worry about it - and Kurt wouldn’t have, if the journalist hadn’t decided to come back another night with again to say less vicious things about the show, and more about him.  Kurt decided to find this guy and tell him off properly – and managed to get a location.  Kurt walks right in - intent to tell the guy off, but when he arrives, he finds that the journalist question looks exactly like him – only – smarmier.  Kurt’s so stunned by this that he can barely speak.  When the journalist sees who he is - he just rolls his eyes, not expecting Kurt to say anything.  Kurt leaves in shock, and decides not to question the ordeal any further.

Santana says she knows of Artie’s doppelganger.  Artie pleads with her not to tell the story, but she does anyway.  A few years earlier, as a joke, Santana bought Artie some porn for his birthday.  To their surprise they found 70’s-stache Pornstar Artie - which Artie claims is the most horrifying thing he’s ever seen.  Santana, clearly delighted by the whole thing, decided to see if Pornstar Artie had more films – and alas, he had a multitude.  Even better - you can see Pornstar Artie live at a local, gay strip joint – so Santana hijacks Artie for a trip.  They end up going to the strip joint three time before they see him – actual Pornstar Artie in the flesh.  And they end up staying longer because Santana is pretty impressed by his moves.  Artie says he never wants to speak of it again.

Tina recounts that they’ve all seen Mercedes’s doppelganger before - it was Barista Mercedes - and she worked at the coffee shop not far from the loft.  Tina says she remembers it pretty well - because Sam was super confused about it.  And that Barista Mercedes seemed to have a crush on Blaine - and would always be giving him extra cookies and stuff.  And that there was one time that Sam thought Blaine and Mercedes were having an affair - and it ended up blowing up at the coffee shop.  And then Mercedes arrived, and Sam became even more confused.  They all have a nice laugh over that one - and hope that Barista Mercedes is doing okay, since the coffee shop closed the next year.

That pretty much wraps it up - until Brittany brings up that Blaine doesn’t have a doppelganger.  Blaine says that’s okay - there doesn’t have to be a double of everyone.  Brittany says that’s not true - it’s the way of the universe, everyone has a mirror image somewhere.  Blaine gives a little shudder at that.  But they all head home without further mention of it.  

Blaine confides in Kurt that the first weekend he came to New York to see Kurt, he ran into his doppelganger.  He was getting a cab when this guy decided to jump in at the last second with him.  They were both headed to the airport, so they could both take the cab.  Startling Blaine, the guy looked just like him - except that his hair was less gelled, and he wore glasses.  As the cab pulled away from the curb, a dozen or so police cars and an ambulance flew by them in the other direction.  Blaine didn’t think anything of it until the cabby turned on the radio, and the stations were all playing the same bulletin about a brutal batch of murders that were discovered at a nearby hotel.  Blaine recognized the hotel name because he had just walked by it to get the cab.  When the announcer started giving details for the suspect - he got chills.  He noticed his doppelganger staring at him very creepily - with one finger placed over his lips.  That ended up being the longest cab ride he ever took - and he raced out of there to get lost in the crowd when he reached the airport.

Kurt says he doesn’t believe the story - to which Blaine retorts it’s true, though he could be lying, and he could be Murder Blaine himself - who decided to kill off both the real Blaine and the cab driver that day…  Kurt suddenly becomes a little unsure, then thinks about it.  He asks Blaine, if it was his first weekend in New York - what also happened that weekend.  Blaine gives him an odd look - then replies that that was the weekend they broke up, worst weekend of his life.  Kurt’s relieved, but still checks to see if Blaine’s birthmarks are correct as they head to bed that night.  

///

Part 4  AO3 - FULL

#s.o. writes things #glee's final season #there's a lot of fun stuff here!

[daphner20]

Sean Allen

Redemption

Prologue

“ Ladies and Gentlemen, please help me congratulate Mr. Sean Allen, on his appointment as Judge of our new Drug Court,” said Attorney General Kenneth Hall.

As they were clapping and applauding, Sean reflected, on his journey to date.

35 years ago, my mom, at the age of 21, was on her 4th pregnancy. She had 3 daughters already. She knew that my father loved his girls, but she saw the disappointment in his face, every time the doctor will say “it’s a girl.”

Also, she was tired, she has been pregnant for the last 4 years, and she wanted this to be her last pregnancy.

So she made a vow to God. If God will bless her with a son, she will give him back to God. His upbringing and education, will be founded on Christian principles. His life work will bring honor and glory to God. He will also be a blessing to his country. Also no wine or strong drink, will ever touch his lips.

And on the 7th of July, Sharon Allen, brought forth  a 8lb, baby boy, and he was named Sean Samuel Allen.

My parents we elated. Especially my mom. She never forgot her vow to God. She made sure, I didn’t forget either.

I went to Catholic primary school, and at 11, I was sent to a Jesuit Boarding School, in Florida. II also attended a Jesuit University, in New York, my mom, kept her vow. However, I didn’t want to be a priest, but a lawyer. She was fine with that, as long as I honored God and I was a blessing to the country.

I attended law school at home, in The Bahamas. At 24, I started working in the Attorney General Office,  as a Prosecutor, in various courts, but eventually specializing in drug cases.

And here I am at 35, one of the youngest judges, to be appointed in a specialized court in my country.

So, as they lift their glasses, with Champagne, my glass had ginger ale. I have never had a drop of alcohol in my entire life.

Chapter 1

Shortly after, with a substantial increase in drug convictions, I was asked to be apart of a Special Joint Task Force.

When the United States declared a war on drugs, it seek several Caribbean Countries to partner with them. The Bahamas was in a unique position for several reasons. Firstly, because we are an archipelago country, with over 700 islands, rocks and cays. We were considered a trans-shipment point. We are the closest Caribbean Country to the United States. We also had one of the largest  container port in The Caribbean. 

Our first Task force meeting was held, in Miami, Florida. All the relevant agencies were there. The DEA, DEU, CIA,  FBI,  judges and prosecutors from 18 Caribbean and South America Countries. I felt a since of honor, to be apart of a prestigious organization.

Later that evening, a cocktail reception was held and we were encourage to mingle with each other. 

“ Buenos noches,' said this beautiful woman, “ I am Carmen Reyes, Attorney General of El Paseo.”

“ Good Evening,” I am Sean Allen, from The Bahamas,” I said, smiling.

“ Oh don’t be modest Justice Allen, I know who your are, actually every one here knows who you are, “ she said graciously.

From that moment on, we were inseparable. On the last night of the meeting, seven days later. 

I asked Carmen four little words, “ Will you marry me?”

Chapter 2

“ Why the rush Sean,” asked Sam Allen, my father.

“ I am not in any rush, I know what I want, and I want Carmen,” I said.

“ What is wrong, with a Bahamian girl?” asked Sharon, my mom.

“ There is nothing wrong with Bahamian woman, I was raised by one, and I am related to three wonderful Bahamian women (sisters).” Sean said lovingly.

But his mom will not be deterred.

“ What do you know about her or her family?” asked Sharon.

“ I know enough, that I want to spend the rest of my life with her,” said Sean annoyingly.

“ Sean, you could be compromise! She is from a country that is known for drugs, and you preside over a drug court, isn’t that a conflict of interest?” ask Sharon .

“ What is the conflict? Carmen and I are on the same side, when it comes to the drug trade. She know it’s my life work, and she supports me!” exclaimed Sean. He was truly angry now. He had never been angry with his parents, ever. What’s going on here he thought.

3 months later, we were married in El Paseo, Texas, it was a beautiful day, except for the Father giver, Raul Reyes Mendoza, the Head of Mendoza Cartel. I was in shock, Carmen never revealed this to me.

As soon as the reception was over, I went home that night, to The Bahamas.

Over the next 6 months, every one of Carmen, country man, that enter my court their sentence was double. After awhile, I felt bad about the way I treated Carmen, so I decided to visit her, but I was told she had move back to Colombia. When I got there, her father told me with such relish, that Carmen had remarried.

He told me that I brought disgrace and dishonor to his house.  Can you believe it? This monster, who has wreck havoc on some many countries. Who has murdered thousands, he has made widows and orphans in the thousands. How dare he?

Chapter 3

So armed with righteous  indignation, Justice Sean Allen, became a one man army against The Mendoza Cartel. Everyone knew that, if you came to his court, your chances of getting off, was so slim.

He was also very active in the Task Force. Sometimes he participated in search and seizure missions. 

In the legal community, Sean Allen, was know as a champion for the people. In the underworld, he was a threat to their way of life, and he to be dealt with.

As time went on, Justice Allen, had numerous attempts on his life, and he prevailed each time. The Lord was with Sean.

Shortly, afterwards Sean was summoned to a special meeting with the Task Force.

“ Good morning Justice Allen, I will be brief, we have credible intelligence, that there is a million dollar bounty on your head. We would like to put you in protective custody,” said Special Agent James Smith.

“Thanks, but no thanks, but I will not be run of my job or country,” said Sean, “ the Lord will prevail.”

Several months later, while having dinner with some fellow judges, in Nassau, 

“We will like to thank the chef,” said Sean, to their waitress.

“ I am the executive chef and owner, I hope you enjoy your meal,” my name is Dedra Jones.

Sean was speechless, he loved her instantly.  It has been 5 years since Carmen, an at 40, it’s time to settle down. However, this time, he will do a thorough back ground check.

Chapter 4

Dedra Jones, was born in California, she attended UCLA, where she majored in Business Management, but her passion, had always been food. So she enroll in Culinary school, and the rest is history.

We were together, every chance, we got. She will cooked for me, food I had never tried in my life. Another first, she encourage me to drink. I resisted at first, but she was so persistent, that I gave in. She convinced me, that she cooked with wine, so me drinking it, was basically the same thing.

The changes in my life were not subtle. Firstly, I knew, my parents didn’t approve of Dedra, so I barely spoke to them. I quit the Task Force, because they were constantly telling me I was in danger. Then finally my job, there were no more passion or zeal.

I only wanted Dedra, I became obsessed. If I didn’t hear from her, I became jealous and paranoid. It was so out of character, I didn’t know what to do. Dedra encouraged me to try one of her sleeping pills, because I had developed insomnia. Over a period of time, I needed pills just to get through the day. I was drinking as well,, vodka was my liquor of choice.

Then one fateful night, while driving home I fell asleep at the wheel. Three days later, when I regained consciousness, it was on every news outlet, locally and internationally. “Bahamian Drug Judge is a Junkie.”

Chapter 5

When I taken to the hospital, they ran the routine toxicology test. I had every illicit drug in my system. The report was leaked to the media.

The first person I asked for was Dedra, only my family was there. She had left the country.

I was asked to step down as a judge (fired). Ostracized, by my colleagues, all of my convictions were being investigated. My drug court was disbanded I was ruined, the Lord had departed from me.

The Cartel, finally had succeeded in destroying me.  This time, the weapon they used was older than time itself, it was Dedra! She was consistently lacing my food and wine with drugs. Hence my paranoia and erratic mood swings. It had also affected my health.

Sean never practice law again. He was never disbarred. But the humiliation was too great, he was a prisoner in his mind. The only people he saw, were his family. He had let his country, his family, and God down.

Two years later, he had a special visitor, who came a calling.

“ We have put together a Special Covet Operation, and we want you to be a part of it,” said the now Director James Smith.

“ Are you the only person, who haven’t heard what I have done,” said Sean.

“ I know who you are and what you stood for, the Cartel is becoming stronger, and they need to be stopped, and you are the man for the job,” said James.

“ I don’t know James,” said Sean sadly.

“ Think it over, a just man falls seven times, but he gets back up,” said James as he left.

Sean, then prayed to the Lord saying, “O Lord God, remember me, I pray! Strengthen me, I pray, just this once,  O God, that I may with one blow take vengeance on the Cartel for destroying my life.”

This time, the Covet Operation, that Sean was a part of resulted in the conviction and the death of many members of the Cartel. Also every drug field, and lab was burnt to the ground. Millions of their assets were confiscated.

Justice Sean Samuel Allen died a few months later, he was given a state funeral.

The Bahamas had rest for 20 years.

The End

#bahamas #religous #religion #jesus christ #christianity #christian #bible #God