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

[alicornucopia]

"I didn't fucking get a chance to complain before you decided to be their poster child for fags who need our support and validation for their fucking gender identities," snarls Boots, but he flings Glam to the floor in disgust and lets go.

[mxglam]

"I'm sorry!" they call from the floor, before floating up. "Are there any of them here?"

[alicornucopia]

"Not yet."

[mxglam]

"I'll- I'll fix this. Somehow."

New Glam appears. "Go after Yates. Apologize. Tell her- tell her not to leave yet, tell her I'll fix this." They didn't need to give out the orders explicitly, that was for Boots' sake.

They grab their phone and look for Al's business card- there it is.

[alicornucopia]

Yates is not particularly interested in talking to a Glam who chases her out the door.

[mxglam]

The Glam who chases her out of the door calls, "I'm gonna fix it! I told them you were okay, just, wait a bit!"

The Glam who stayed calls Al.

[alicornucopia]

Yates puts her office supplies in her car.

"Contini," says Al's voice.

[mxglam]

"Get Yates back and stop this fuckery or I'm publicly denying everything you say about me."

Copy is instantly aware of this. "I'm on the phone with the Youth Guard guy, I'll fix it!"

[alicornucopia]

"I don't think I understand," says Al, politely nonplussed.

"If you have ever fixed anything in your life," Yates says, softly, venomously, "then I'm very surprised."

[mxglam]

"Yates got fired, they're saying this is the dept's second strike, it is not a strike if there weren't any rules about it before!"

Copy can't feel hurt about it, but it can act in a way Glam would expect it to act, which is a wince and a nod. "I deserve that. I'm sorry. I told them not to- it wasn't your fault, you're not supposed to take the fall for it, it's not fair."

[alicornucopia]

"Ms. Yates hasn't been fired," says Al, sounding surprised. "From what I heard she resigned."

"And yet here we are," says Yates. "I'm sure someone will call me if a miracle occurs." And she gets into the driver's seat.

[mxglam]

Copy and original blink in confusion simultaneously.

"That doesn't sound likely, and it also doesn't address the whole 'second strike' vibe going on."

"Why did Contini say you resigned? Did you? Did they make you do it?"

[alicornucopia]

Ms Yates starts her car.

"I think she probably felt very ashamed of how she treated you once it was brought to her attention how serious it was, and she decided not to exacerbate the situation by leaving," says Al. "There wasn't a particular rule in place about treating transgendered people well before, but there are and have always been rules about how people can talk to and about minors they're taking charge of."

[mxglam]

"Wait! I'm talking to him!"

"Okay, that is completely impossible, I think I'm standing by what I said, this is going to be fixed or I'm denying it."

[alicornucopia]

"I can't make Ms. Yates un-tender her resignation," Al points out.

[mxglam]

"No, but you can make the situation that made her resign in the first place go away, like the second strike which is definitely unwarranted."

[alicornucopia]

"It's very admirable that you feel for Ms. Yates, but I'd recommend you just stand back and let us do what we do," Al says.

[mxglam]

"It's not just Ms. Yates, it's everyone here. I don't think they mistreated me or mishandled me in a way that justifies this, and this will cause much more trouble than it's worth anyway, I'm graduating in less than a year! And yeah sure you'll mention all the other trans kids, point, but why would you need a strike? Why not just change the rules in the background?"

[alicornucopia]

"The 'strike' system wasn't my idea and it lacks a certain finesse, but the Protectorate proved a little unwilling to treat Wards decently without us carrying a big stick," says Al.

[mxglam]

"Yes, but the big stick shouldn't be your go-to weapon, it should be a last resort!"

Copy floats in, looking dejected. Original looks at them, and they shrug.

[alicornucopia]

"Trust me, in a little while it'll all blow over, Wards departments nationwide will have a sensible policy in place about transgendered heroes like you, and it'll all work out."

[mxglam]

"I'm still waiting to be convinced by a sensible argument that expects me to be capable of reasoning instead of treating me as a tool exactly like the Protectorate did."

[alicornucopia]

"Glam, you came to us. We're trying to help you. But even if you don't see that now, we can't withdraw after finding out about abuse in the system."

[mxglam]

"One, no, you came to me. Two, still waiting for the argument. There was no abuse, there was a lack of appropriate rules, and if you really are trying to help me, is it that hard to explain to me why this is literally the best option you had and how there were absolutely no good third alternatives and how you spent way more than an afternoon trying to brainstorm them?"

[alicornucopia]

"We sent the first message, but you were the one who decided to meet," Al says. "I'm sorry if it's not clear right now. It'll all make sense when you're older."