brockton bay, meet glam

[mxglam]

It's the anniversary. Glam would very much not like to celebrate.

It’s their last day on Winslow High - they’re being transferred to Arcadia on Monday - and also their last day without a patrol schedule assigned.

And the PRT released a small announcement on its website about Glam joining the Wards. Now their wiki page doesn’t get erased, of course - they’re no longer speculative. They wonder what it’s got on them.

Comments

[mxglam]

"feel more comfortable like this to be honest."

[alicornucopia]

"That's fine," Al assures them. "Why don't you start at the first time you started interacting with the local Protectorate?"

[mxglam]

"Ran into them when they were trying to break up a gang fight. Helped. Lorica and Dauntless and Velocity were there."

Yates will kill them kill them kill them-

[alicornucopia]

Nod. "Did anything about your gender identity come up at the time?"

[mxglam]

"No. The first time it did was on another day when Lorica asked me if the androgynous look was on purpose. I said yes, and explained the pronouns. They, by the way."

[alicornucopia]

"Of course," says Al. "Does Lorica respect your pronouns?"

[mxglam]

"Yes. She's great about it. And lots of other things as well. She's great in general."

...can he tell someone's got a crush?

[alicornucopia]

"So the problems are all elsewhere in the department?"

[mxglam]

"Almost everyone was great about it. Or at least mostly okay about it. Branding was not."

[alicornucopia]

Al nods sympathetically. "That would be Phyllis Yates?"

[mxglam]

"I don't- look, she's just doing her job, I'm told she's pretty good at it, and she probably is-"

[alicornucopia]

"That doesn't make it okay for her to behave abusively towards minors in her care over their gender," Al says, leaning forward sympathetically.

[mxglam]

"I think 'abusively' might be too strong a word." Not that she couldn't be called that, but as far as Al knows not really, and at any rate they're pretty sure they were responsible for more than a bit of her reaction anyway. "And in any case I think it's a little bit okay? Even if she wanted to help, it's not like she'd have the power, especially if the fallout of it caused her to lose her job or something, which I definitely wouldn't want. I understand the apolitical stance thing being pretty important." Even if the market segmentation and relatability things are absolutely bullhockey in their opinion.

[alicornucopia]

"Your gender isn't and shouldn't be a political football," Al says.

[mxglam]

"Agreed, but in the end, if it's the system as a whole that's flawed with regards to that, I don't think she should personally pay or be held to blame for it. Even if there was more she could have done." Shrug. "To be honest I think if at some point the gender thing becomes less of a hot topic and slash or department policy changes with respect to that, from what I've interacted with her, she'll roll with it and adapt."

[alicornucopia]

"Well, we'll make sure she's got the chance to do that in time to be of some use to you, shall we?" says Al, smiling.

[mxglam]

"Hopefully. I'm kinda in their hands right now though so, uh."

[alicornucopia]

"The Protectorate listens to us," says Al. "Now, let's paint me a clearer picture -"

Al wants all the details. The dual identity, the behavior of Piggot and every other adult Glam has interacted with, as much as they can remember about Yates's exact arguments and words during the initial disastrous conversation.

[mxglam]

Listens. Right. They're afraid this is gonna be a mistake, but remembering the one moment on the forum, and trying to extrapolate that to at least another seven months-

They tell everything.

[alicornucopia]

Al thanks Glam quite warmly and says someone will be by the next day.





By the time Glam is up the next morning, the entire headquarters is in chaos.

[mxglam]

uM-

What kind of chaos, exactly...?

[alicornucopia]

There is a just-shy-of-shouting match of some kind in Director Piggot's office, as soon as Glam opens the door they can see Windflower is taking off down the hall like the hounds of Hell are chasing her, Yates can be seen through the window carrying a cardboard box full of office supplies out the front door, robots are buzzing everywhere including two that seem to be actively patrolling the door to Lorica's workshop, and -

- now Glam is being slammed into the wall! It's Boots! Hi, Boots!

[mxglam]

"...Ow. Good morning?"

[alicornucopia]

"Did you fucking bring the Youth Guard in? They're talking about trans-gender shit it has to be you what did you do you fucking moron?"

[mxglam]

"What?" Their sleep-addled brain catches up with what it's seen. "...has Yates been fired?!"