Love it. You really build the tension with this. I loved this line, in particular, "We had to find other places to have a...conversation with them, about our level of unhappiness with the current state of affairs between us and them."
Mostly because it reminds me of the code phrasing used in the 18th century when one desired to have a duel. The phrase was "Personal Interview".
Great job. I look forward to more. Oh, and poor Octavia, she really blew it with the media. You never, ever, ever tick them off. They simply have the power to make or break a person. Tisk, tisk.
I hope Octavia sues the paparazzi for defamation and wins. The press is generally great but when they take something you say and spin it… it's unpleasant to say the least. I hope she and Thorne can spin it themselves somehow because "all press is good press" or use their own PR team to get an article out first.
The shadowy person outside the club is an ominous way to end.
I enjoyed the paparazzi characters. I think they could be interesting bad guys... either as minor irritants or major villains. Lots of cool potential there.
I love the conflict between Octavia and Thorne. They are clearly not your usual loving couple of soulmates and that makes me curious about how their relationship is going to develop.
Nancy is clearly a smart criminal... and I like the way you use that to establish the narrative tone of her villainy. She, and you, will not be bumping people off left and right (unlike certain other writers who will remain me) but that doesn't make her any less scary or dangerous. I love the wicked contempt she has for Malcolm and his father (and almost everyone else). It really establishes her as a villain for me. I can't help but wonder what may happen if she and Judith ever cross swords.
Finally, Mimi... yeah, I still love Mimi. She's the Hero character for me at that moment. Maybe the only one...
I love your characters in this, but so far I don't really like any of them, apart from Mimi, if you take my meaning. That's not a bad thing... just a thing.
Fate is a riddle and we choose our own answer.Wyrd Girls
@GalacticGal Thank you very much.❤️ Octavia did put herself in a bad spot by letting her temper get the better of her. But Madison and Darrin aren't entirely innocent. They want to sensationalize the story instead of telling it like it was. Let's not forget Thorne totally disregarding Octavia's wishes to keep the paparazzi off their property for his own selfish reasons, all right under her nose. That's why she went after him first.
Nancy is awful, but you could argue that in a way Malcolm is worse. He paid others to physically attack Mimi and his first thought was to murder his sibling after learning they back in town. He said he enjoyed seeing Mimi suffer physical pain and physiological trauma. To hate someone that much just because they follow their heart down the path they feel they need to walk and not the one forced on them by others is evil. That said we come back to him being a product of his mother. Nancy raised him so she made him that monster. There is some nuance to her evil. She's very calculating. Her only real issue with murder is it's bad for business and her business is definitely on the wrong side of the law. She has a warped moral compass.
He is ominous. I didn't think about it until just now but his lurking in the shadows plays off of Sheniqua's song choice, 'Break My Soul'. I did choose that song to close with ahead of the showdown with Nancy at the club that is coming in the next chapter. I have most of it written already, and as shrewd, sharp, and calculating as Nancy is, she's going into a battle of wits and tongues with Mimi unarmed.😈
@simgirl1010 Thank you.❤️ I very rarely encounter her character in any other save so I can't really say. The few times I have my sims usually don't have any real issues making friends with her. Like Judith though I wanted to exaggerate her personality a bit. Those two are clearly the villains, for different reasons.
In the short time I've spent with them, Octavia is far more invested in the relationship than Thorne. She's also more considerate of him than he is of her. Just like Nancy, I haven't played them very much, but from what I've seen this marriage is headed towards a very rocky shore. I won't have to do much if anything to influence it, Thorne has that handled all by himself.
Judith and Nancy...I wonder too because I never really planned for that to happen. Judith is a central character whereas Nancy's a shadow lurking on the edges until the story tells me it's time for her or Malcolm to step into the spotlight.
Mimi is the hero for sure, and was from the minute I created them/her. The fact that the character is so popular is their story but also Mimi was front and center in all the teaser shots from when I was getting things set up. Mimi has had great publicity. I understand what you meant about the connection to the other characters and it all goes back to the hype I gave Mimi. The others will start to shine in their own ways as they get more screen time.
X'D ...I thought I was used to words having sims spliced into them like "Al Simhara" and similar, but... simtch? The worst thing about that is that as weird as it looks written, it works when said... I can just feel how one would spit that word out like the worst curse ever. XDD It's amazing.
I see Malcolm is the reckless type of evil and suspect Nancy of being the methodical type. You know, she talks about risk and reward, but I wouldn't be surprised if she thought there are worse things one can do to a sim than kill them. I mean, she herself is very prideful, and probably had to face some danger herself, hard to avoid that in her line of work... yup, wouldn't be surprised at all if she would actually rather embarrass than "whack," especially in this case.
...And I'd say, you tell them Octavia! Even a celeb deserves some privacy. But then, I gotta wonder what is this gonna do to her public image. She had a really positive one, right? Oooh, well, I guess not anymore!
@_Gina It sounds like you really enjoyed this one.🙂 I can't take credit for creating the word 'simtch'. I learned it from a drama mod I installed last week. You have the Landgraabs pegged. Nancy learned the business from her father and Malcolm takes after him. Nancy saw the mistakes her father made and decided to do things differently. She will call for a hit if it's needed but she's way less trigger happy. She does believe she's the smartest person in any room and she is dismissive of everybody else. Her feelings that Mimi is tarnishing the Landgraab name is her way of saying Mimi tarnishing the name Nancy Landgraab. She could care less about Malcolm or Geoffrey's image unless it could affect her. I never thought to look at Octavia's reputation before or after she tossed the paparazzi out.😊 You are right it will definitely have gone down at least a little. Since it was just the four of them and not in front of a crowd in public the drop might be smaller.
There may very well be a major rewrite coming today. I know Nancy and Malcolm received some positive feedback for their segment, but the original plan for the story never called for Nancy to have a big role and it didn't even include Malcolm beyond a mention or two. The creative juices were flowing last night and this morning. I did some more work on Mimi and Nancy's verbal sparring match and I realize now I didn't need Nancy to confront Mimi in public to make the dialogue work. To establish a reason for that to happen I felt I had to set up the scene that I posted. In hindsight as I worked on their dialogue Mimi's apartment is a perfect environment for it. In addition I'm sitting here trying to figure out how to suddenly add in two more characters that I hadn't given any thought too, on top of all the other storylines I have.
The animosity Nancy has towards Mimi and their face to face confrontation was only meant to showcase Mimi's strength and determination to be their authentic self and to continue that journey to finding out who that is. It was never meant to make Nancy and Malcolm major characters.
@DaniRose2143, you do you. I'm sure it will be interesting however you choose to play it.
I decided to put it back in.🙂 I got so caught up in visualizing their meeting happening in the club that instead of thinking of ways to write it and having it happen in Mimi's apartment I forced the story down this path. Their confrontation has always been planned for the second chapter so I'll stick with that. What becomes of Nancy and Malcolm after that...I don't have a clue. I never thought that far ahead with them. I may end up having to put some of the minor characters like Holly and Bristol, Tianna and Harley on hold and figure out how to work them and the Landgraab's in.
It's a valuable lesson, I need to stop second guessing and looking for perfection and just embrace the mistake and see where it goes. And plan better.🤣
The joy of serialized storytelling. I've had a few misteps and things I would have done differently in retrospect. It's challenging.
I think even if Nancy and Malcolm never appear again, they'll have done their part and done it well... and if you ever decide you need them, they'll be out there.
Fate is a riddle and we choose our own answer.Wyrd Girls
Oh my Gosh! I thought I'd posted my response to this chapter days ago but it was just here sitting in drafts Here it is anyway!
I loved this chapter! I didn't read the accidental sneak-peek when it came out just because I wanted to wait for the full chapter to see how it all came together, and I'm glad that I did! Lots of hateful characters here right off the bat, and I'm very much enjoying the drama so far! I's great how different this is to Under the Tartosan Sun, because here I get the feeling that anything crazy could happen at any time, it's kind of thrilling - also it must be fun for you to be able to showcase this side of your writing, get to try out a different, more fast-paced and unpredictable style.
YIKES to all storylines here, Judith is definitely a tricky woman, and I don't envy those around her. She's completely self-obsessed and has ISSUES, and it makes me wonder what fame quirks she actually has in game - I'm thinking definitely that one that your sim has to look in the mirror every few hours, and the one where her emotions are explosive. Malcolm and Nancy... i don't even have the words. They're just deliciously evil. I can't believe they'd actually discuss the murder Mimi just for the crime of being herself and thriving, it shows the depth of their shame and discomfort - why can't they just let her be? Why must they publicly humiliate her?
I read the discussion about your intentions for them, and I get it. If you don't want them to be recurring characters in your story then whatever - leave them out. The writing process is a journey and we live and learn. Either way, I'm sure it was a fun exercise to write about their conversation and their intentions, even if you don't plan to take then much further than this.
As for Thorne and Octavia, he certainly seems like a handful.. imagine posing for the paps in your own home! Inviting them to invade your personal space without okaying it with your partner - Octavia was rightfully angry, but it sure is a shame that they caught her blowing up like that - that sure isn't going to do anything good for her reputation. I bet the tabloids will have a field day with this, smh.
@hellohannah2 It’s all good.❤️ I’ve done the same thing. At least it didn’t disappear and you have to write it all over again.😉 It couldn’t be more different. I’m really stepping outside of my comfort zone for this one and it’s fun. My two biggest concerns are that I’m making my villains a little too over the top, and writing Octavia’s dialogue where she switches and speaks in AAVE. I’m not African American but I want Octavia, Malaika, and Sheniqua to feel real. I want to be sure as I’m writing their parts that above all it’s done respectfully and as authentically as I can possibly make it.
Judith’s biggest problem is she’s never heard the word no. Her mother used Judith as a surrogate to realize her own failed dreams of fame and fortune. In the end she achieved that but she created a monster. Nancy and Malcolm are the dark heart of homophobia and transphobia. At the risk of giving away too much, Nancy will be the one walking away from their confrontation publicly humiliated. Mimi is already up there with Danielle and Londyn as favorites. Mimi has such a fascinating journey ahead. Thorne is all about Thorne. In his warped way he…I wouldn’t say he loves Octavia all that deeply, but he does care about her. He just can’t get over himself to truly love anybody. The two paps hatching their embellished story may not have quite the happy ending they’re expecting.😉
Thanks for sharing that insight into Judith, Nancy, and others.
In my previous comment, I focused on Nancy being awful instead of Malcolm because she's Malcolm and Mimi's mother. I feel that there's something particularly awful about being so cruel to your child and then not correcting your other child when he talks casually about killing them (or only being against their murder for self-interested reasons). The parent is not parenting. But I definitely think Malcolm is awful too. Poor Mimi.
With AAVE - I don't know AAVE, but I wonder about when Octavia is most likely to use it. To me and I'd be curious to hear your perspective on this because everyone has an interesting perspective, Octavia would be most likely to use it around other African-Americans as well as close friends and least likely to use it when she's flustered or made angry by people of other races. I feel like most African-American women who work their way up are extremely sensitive to the ramifications of losing their cool in public and wouldn't really use AAVE in those situations because of how likely it is to be used against them and have already experienced tons of racist microaggressions against them - there's that whole angry black woman stereotype and people generally are more likely to see them as uneducated and undeserving, etc. because they're not using the English taught in school. I feel like the media may play into this stereotype of African-American women going off on non-African Americans using AAVE but I don't think that reflects reality. idk. I think African-American women are also less likely to use it with non-African Americans simply because the people they're frustrated with and trying to make a point to might not understand them. I'm personally very interested in languages and cross-cultural stuff so I often think about what languages/words people are likely to use and when/why.
ETA: Regardless, I feel particularly sad for Octavia here because her anger is justified, but those around her seem to either ignore/dismiss/gaslight her which should make someone angry (Thorne) or are going to take advantage of her anger to be able to paint her as the bad guy (Madison and Darrin) when all she did was yell and make them leave her house.
This is why I'm so scared to tackle this. You have a much better feel for this than I do. It's very scary trying to do something like this, because it is so easy to get this wrong and I do not want to offend anyone. I have a growing feeling that I got it wrong with her. I was nervous about even trying it at all and I haven't been comfortable with how it came out in this chapter. It's a part of her character and the others that I'm really not sure I should continue. This next chapter is going to feature Mimi and some of the other characters so I have some time to get more feedback and to do a lot more learning and deliberating before I get back to Octavia, Malaika, and Sheniqua.
You haven't caused any harm at all, but I think mistakes should be expected when people write about experiences that aren't their own. Wouldn't it be nice to have a team of editors, sensitivity readers, etc. like some professional authors have to help out? Since we don't have teams behind us, covering experiences that aren't our own is just going to be an ongoing challenge. I don't think you should stop writing diverse characters. Your stories are great. But I also don't think you should feel pressured to use AAVE if it's stressful. It doesn't necessarily add or subtract from any of the characters' authenticity.
Thank you for the encouragement. This is something I want to do, but I have so much to learn. I will wait until I feel better prepared before I try it again though. Getting it right and doing it respectfully is the only thing that matters.
One thought I had, being from a big international city and now living in a small town, is that when you live in a big city you hear people talking differently from one another all the time. Everyone's got their own "accent" so to speak, whether it's the accent of their home country, or their home neighborhood, or the jargon of the people they hang out with. Racial differences are part of that but only part. You've created a big-city ensemble cast from many walks of life for your story. So if you think about the whole ensemble and the diversity of how they speak, you have a choice whether to show their individual accents by how words are spelled, or what slang they choose, etc. It does land a little oddly to have only Octavia's accent spelled out in that way.
“Ahh, this is going to be easy” Malcolm whispered to himself. “No bouncers, just a doorman. He’s a pushover like the others. We have nothing to worry about. We walk in, we scare Johnny off, and we walk out.”
Malcolm decided to lurk in the shadows for a bit longer to see if anyone else showed up to provide security. He was dying for a bite to eat though. He hadn’t been hungry when he left he home, but he could smell the food truck across the way that serves tacos al pastor that are out of this world. There was time for food later, business comes first even if it’s just family business he thought. The aroma just wouldn't let him alone. He checked his watch and realized it was approaching three in the morning. “The heck with this,” his stomach was growling now, “I’m outta here.” He still didn't understand his mother's motivation to take this route. Bump Johnny off or simply ignore him was his way of thinking. "Oh well, she has her way of doing things Malcolm, bizarre as her logic is" he thought to himself. "God help you if you dare to question her majesty" he said to no one at all. He chalked his grumpiness up to hunger and his proximity to those weirdos.
"Alright, time to get a bite to eat and call Nancy" he said to himself.
"Hey mom."
“Hmmphmm. Malcolm? What the…it’s 3am you fool!! What I’m the world is so important that you’re waking me up at this hour?”
“Umm…sorry. Uhh, I...er...cased the Orchid like you asked.”
“You woke me up to tell me that? Are you out of your mind?! I distinctly remember telling you to get someone in the organization that you trust to case it for us. You need to learn to follow orders.”
“Yeah, umm, I thought since this is family not business that I should do it myself” Malcolm said sheepishly.
“Alright since you woke me up”, Nancy said, unable to hide her exasperation, “what did you find?”
“There is little to no security. All I could see was some guy greeting people at the door. Maybe it was a girl, how can you tell with these weirdos.”
“You’re sure about that are you? Almost no security? Whatever, I just want this over and done with. You didn’t follow my instructions so if anything goes wrong it’s on you. Now let me go back to bed and we’ll handle this mess with your brother tomorrow night. Goodbye!!” Nancy hung up and tried to go back to sleep.
Sleep wouldn’t come so she got up and went out on the deck for some fresh air and to vent, even if it was only the desert nightlife and cactus that heard her. “What did I do to deserve these boys?” she asked the night. “I have one son who’s insane and he's convinced he’s a woman and another that isn’t much smarter than a houseplant half the time. Nancy stood there for a few seconds then looked up at the moon and said, “I’m a good person and a good mother, why me?"
The Orchid Club: The following night
The club was bouncing to the beat of the DJ's upstairs and the performers on the main stage. It was a riotous rainbow of people and sounds. People feeling free to be who they are without feeling the need to hide or apologize. It was the perfect atmosphere to forget the cares of the world.
Lady Mimi was at the mic and had the crowd in the palm of their hand. Nancy and Malcolm entered the club with Mimi's humiliation as the prize they came to claim. They slowly made their way towards the stage, clearly out of their element. Mimi had been expecting this once word got around that they were back in town. They spotted Malcom and Nancy but didn't show any change that the fans would notice. In a way Mimi had been looking forward to this, to clearing the air once and for all.
"Well look who's back in town" Malcolm said with a sneer in his voice to match the one on his face.
"Malcolm! Welcome to The Orchid Club dear" Mimi said then added, "What do have with you? You've taught a Shar Pei to walk on its hind legs and dressed it in a cheap knockoff Dior pantsuit. Sweetie you should come back on Monday night for the pet talent show! You’re sure to win!"
"Still pretending to be a girl I see. You're not doing a very good job of it either" Nancy said with as much contempt as she could manage.
"And you've taught it to talk too! Oh! My! God!" Mimi said then paused for effect before continuing. "Hello Nancy. I would say it's a pleasure seeing you but I'm the world's worst liar. What's a place like you doing in a girl like this?"
"I had hoped you would have grown up and stopped pretending to be something you're not and never will be, Johnny Landgraab."
"Mimi Eleganza"
"What the plumbob are you talking about?"
"You called me Johnny Landgraab. That's not my name. My name is Mimi Eleganza, and not just when I'm on stage."
"It's Johnny Landgraab!"
"Trust me Nancy, I am Mimi Eleganza."
"You are Johnny Landgraab!"
"Nancy, do I need to go backstage and grab my purse and show you my drivers license?" The crowd started howling with laughter.
"What!? Did you say 'my purse'?"
Seeing the opening that question provided to grab Nancy by the tail and give it a yank, Mimi took it and ran with it. "Yes. You say that like it's a surprise. It's a really nice comfortable cross-body number. Classic black so it goes with all of my outfits. I can get so much stuff into it. With all the makeup and things like sunglasses and everything else I carry around it's so hard to find a good purse with enough pockets."
"Shut up freak" Malcolm said as he took a step forward. "You make me sick prancing around acting like a girl. Why don..."
"Who said anything about acting Malcolm? I never said I was acting" Mimi said. "I'm entertaining, not acting."
There was movement at the back of the room, but Nancy and Malcolm were so focused on their confrontation with Mimi they failed to notice what was happening. Then a voice spoke over Malcolm's shoulder, a slightly androgynous voice...
"Do you want us to escort these two to the door, Mimi?"
It was then that Malcom and Nancy turned to see what was happening behind them. Malcolm was in for the shock of his life. His words caught in his throat as he was frozen in some strange combination of fear and incredulity. Nancy spoke out of the corner of her mouth. "I thought you said there was no security here you fool."
"Oh dear, I’m afraid I’ve been a terrible hostess. Nancy, Malcolm, allow me to introduce Daisy and Priscilla. Daisy, Priscilla these lovely folks are the Landgraabs, Nancy and Malcolm. It's okay Daisy, they can stay unless they try anything physical. You two," Mimi said to Nancy and Malcolm, "should have come after 11 pm. You could have met Buffy and Trixie too. It's probably for the best you didn't, poor Malcolm there looks like he's going to have an accident in his Chinos. See, Daisy and Priscilla are nicknames they chose for themselves. It adds to the fun for haters like you when you meet them."
“All of you in here are disgusting freaks. Look at yourselves!”
“Shame, Nancy, shame!” Some in the crowd began to chant. Others were chanting “Love not hate” or “Hate doesn’t live here.”
Mimi smiled as they locked eyes with Nancy. Mimi hushed the crowd after a few seconds. Then Nancy spoke again, undeterred in her rant.
“Do you idiots realize that is a man in a dress on that stage. Under that ridiculous wig and ludicrous makeup is my son.”
“Let’s break this down Nancy" Mimi raised a hand to admire the ultra long pink nails. "Firstly, this is a LGBTQIA club. Secondly this is a drag show, so the fact that there are men here in dresses is not exactly breaking news. And last but not least" Mimi said as their gaze went from those nails to Nancy, "who said I’m your son?
“Me! Your mother!”
“The last time I talked to you, before I left home, you said I was no son of yours. So now all of sudden I am?"
“Yes!…I mean no!…I mean...stop trying to mess with my head."
"I'm not messing with your head Nancy. I would never engage in a battle of wits with a woman who clearly came unarmed." The crowd lost it.
"I’m the one that brought you into this world I can call you whatever I like!”
“Nancy, I'm pretty sure that was a duet dear. You know that whole it takes two to tango thing.”
“You know what I mean Johnny” Nancy said through clenched teeth.
“You still don't get it, or you refuse to get it. Allow me to clarify things for you, again. My name is not Johnny Landgraab and while I am your child I am not your son.”
“Are you still clinging to this delusional belief that you’re a woman. You never were a woman, you aren’t one now, and you never will be!”
“See, there you go jumping to conclusions. I said my name is not Johnny Landgraab and I’m not your son, but you go straight to making my statement into something about gender. I didn’t say a word about gender, you did.”
"If you're not Johnny then who are you? You call yourself Mimi. That's a woman's name. So your declaring to the world you are a woman."
"It's a name. Names are just words, they don't define a person's gender though you seem to think they do. It's only unwritten rules, or so called 'norms' that say a man can't be called Mimi or Megan or Stefanie, or that a woman can't be called Steve or Bob or Gary."
“Oh is that so! I'm having a hard time believing that you weren't making this all about your messed up ideas of gender when my son is calling himself Mimi, and he's wearing an evening gown and a metric ton of makeup. You are a disgusting freak of nature.”
“Ooo, good one Nancy. The makeup joke, ooo darling you get a point for that one. This is not disgusting, I'm not disgusting. Your hatred is the only disgusting thing here.”
"You're running all over the place dressing up in women's clothes and trying to act like you're a woman. Like you somehow think if I claimed you that I'd call you daughter."
"I never said I was your daughter. I don't dress the way I do because I want you to call me your daughter. Nancy I think you're losing it. But, what if I did say I was your daughter? Would that be the end of the world as we know it? No it wouldn't. The sun would still come up tomorrow. The earth would still spin round and round through the cosmos. Life would go on."
“I was there when you were born, trust me you are male. Not that you act like one. When the doctor handed you to me he said ‘It’s a boy!’. Are you going tell me you know more than him?”
“I know me. I know that I've never really felt like the candy bar matched the wrapper. The world isn’t black and white, it's not either/or, like you want to pretend that it is or that you demand it to be. It’s not your right to define me or anybody else or tell us how we have to live and act. That’s for each individual to define themselves, for each individual to decide who they are. Look I don't know what the future holds for me. My journey may have reached its end. I may have found myself. Or I may decide to push on and finish the transition process. I don't know. I do know that I'm happy. I'm happier than I ever been. A heck of a lot happier than I ever was living under your roof. I'm comfortable in my own skin.”
“So you think you can just ignore facts?” Nancy said.
“I’m not ignoring facts. The fact is I never was Johnny Landgraab, the name never fit me. Yes I am your child, but I am not the person you tried to force me to be. I could never be that person because that is not who I am." Mimi had played this moment out in their head on more than one occasion and now it was time to go all in. The fact that Nancy was never going to accept Mimi was never really in doubt, but this evening sealed it. Since they were past the point of no return, Mimi planted her flag. And for this Mimi was coming off the stage to look Nancy straight in the eye. "This is who I am. Love me or hate me, you will never change me."
"It's so sad that you can't be happy for me. That you can't let me live my life in peace and in a way that makes me feel happy and whole. You call yourself my mother, and you are, but you've never been a good mom. A good mom would want their child to be happy and would be an ally, not an enemy. You never made any effort to listen to me when I tried again and again to tell you who I am. Trust me, I live with me, 24/7/365, I know who I am better than you do. Disown me if you can't accept me. I don't care. Because if you can't accept me and love me as I am," Mimi said and then they dialed up all the sass they could muster, "then honey I'm better off without you and the drama and negativity that follows you around."
Nancy erupted. "Fine! I don't ever want to see you or hear from you ever again! You are dead to me. As far as I'm concerned you don't exist and you never did. Malcolm has always been an only child."
"It's so sad that you would rather cling to hate instead of embracing love and acceptance. Your loss ma'am. I'm blessed with so many friends who love me and truly care about me, so goodbye."
With Mimi's last words Nancy and Malcolm turned to leave and the chants of 'shame' and 'love not hate' cascaded over them as they walked out into the night and out of Mimi's life. Mimi and the crowd inside the Orchid had let Nancy and Malcolm know exactly what they thought of them. There was someone else who had something to say and they were waiting outside...
Malaika was there in an instant to wrap Mimi in a huge hug. Not that Mimi was shedding any tears. They had been without love from Nancy for so long there was no loss left to mourn. "I am so proud of you" Malaika said as she held her embrace with Mimi. "I know I can never replace the bond you should have with your birth mother, but I'm here for you like she should be, anytime. You are more than just a drag daughter to me. All my girls are family. We have our disagreements but they are rarely anything that can't be patched up by talking it out. Especially over tubs of ice cream."
"Thank you hun...I mean mom. You always have felt like the mother I wish I could have had. Please don't worry about me, I'm fine. I really am. Better than fine, I'm free. I know it sounds horrible and like I'm in denial and trying to rationalize my lack of sadness and tears, but I can't remember the last time that woman ever said one kind word to me. I have so much to be thankful for, and so many people that fill me with love and joy, I can move on. Let's get this party going again. Would you care to join me on stage for 'Fighter' or 'Girl On Fire'? I'll let you choose the number."
"Can't go wrong with either, but Fighter is you baby. This is your time, work it gurl."
(The video and lyrics are under the spoiler tag. The lyrics aren't 100% about this topic, but the sentiment behind them absolutely is.)
Hmm, after all you put me through
You'd think I'd despise you
But in the end, I wanna thank you
'Cause you made me that much stronger
Well I, I thought I knew you
Thinkin' that you were true
Guess I, I couldn't trust
Called your bluff, time is up, 'cause I've had enough
You were there by my side, always down for the ride
But your joy ride just came down in flames
'Cause your greed sold me out in shame, mm-hmm
After all of the stealing and cheating
You probably think that I hold resentment for you
But uh-uh, oh no, yeah, you're wrong
'Cause if it wasn't for all that you tried to do
I wouldn't know just how capable
I am to pull through
So I wanna say thank you
'Cause it
Makes me that much stronger
Makes me work a little bit harder
It makes me that much wiser
So thanks for making me a fighter
Made me learn a little bit faster
Made my skin a little bit thicker
Makes me that much smarter
So thanks for making me a fighter
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh-oh-oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, oh
I never saw it coming
All of your backstabbing
Just so you could cash in on a good thing before I realized your game
I heard you're goin' 'round playin' the victim now
But don't even begin feeling I'm the one to blame
'Cause you dug your own grave
After all of the fights and the lies
Guess you're wanting to haunt me
But that won't work anymore
No more, uh-uh, it's over
'Cause if it wasn't for all of your torture
I wouldn't know how to be this way now and never back down
So I wanna say thank you
'Cause it
Makes me that much stronger
Makes me work a little bit harder
It makes me that much wiser
So thanks for making me a fighter
Made me learn a little bit faster
Made my skin a little bit thicker
Makes me that much smarter
So thanks for making me a fighter
How could this man I thought I knew
Turn out to be unjust, so cruel?
Could only see the good in you
Pretended not to see the truth
You tried to hide your lies, disguise yourself
Through living in denial
But in the end you'll see
You won't stop me
I am a fighter and I (I'm a fighter)
I ain't gon' stop (I ain't gon' stop)
There is no turning back
I've had enough
Makes me that much stronger
Makes me work a little bit harder (oh, ooh-yeah)
It makes me that much wiser (ooh yeah)
So thanks for making me a fighter
Made me learn a little bit faster (yeah, yeah, yeah)
Made my skin a little bit thicker
Makes me that much smarter
So thanks for making me a fighter (fighter)
Thought I would forget
Thought I, but I remembered (oh)
'Cause I remember (oh)
I remember
Thought I would forget (oh)
I remember (oh)
'Cause I remember (oh)
I remember
Makes me that much stronger (oh, oh, oh, oh)
Makes me work a little bit harder
It makes me that much wiser
So thanks for making me a fighter
Made me learn a little bit faster
Made my skin a little bit thicker
Makes me that much smarter
So thanks for making me a fighter
"This is who I am. Love me or hate me, you will never change me."
In a world full of people who try to define us, being who we are... sometimes even just recognizing who we are... can be one of the biggest challenges we face. To know it in your heart, to accept it for yourself and to have others embrace your true self... to simply live as who you are, is the truest victory.
"This is who I am. Love me or hate me, you will never change me."
Also, I think Mimi is Aadi's idol!
Fate is a riddle and we choose our own answer.Wyrd Girls
The bolt of lightning from the watcher originally hit Nancy in the opening when she said, "I'm a good person and a good mother." I thought, oh heck yes, that line deserves a bolt of lightning it was so blasphemous. Then by the time I got done writing the scene in the club I knew that deserved a bolt even more. And Malcolm earned one himself. I have loved Mimi from the minute I created the character, but now it's on another level. For me the it's that final act, when Mimi gets down off the stage and is level, eyeball to eyeball with her tormentor and makes the declaration 'This is who I am', The other moment comes right after that, the sassy look back of the shoulder at Nancy when Mimi says 'I'm better off without you and your drama and negativity'.
Aadi has good taste in idols. And Mimi is an idol that won't let them down.
From this point on you'll see some new facets of Mimi's personality and their/her journey. And some new looks. So far it's all been Lady Mimi on stage at the Orchid. Now you'll see Mimi off stage and away from the persona of Lady Mimi. Lady Mimi will have some different looks too. The one you've seen so far is her signature, but there will be different variations. Different wigs, or dresses, or makeup. This is the most dynamic and complex character I've created in either story.
Wow! For a boss-lady, Nancy doesn't really know how to read a room XD
That was a great Mimi chapter of course. As well as an intro of the Orchid. I have a feeling that place is kind of a character in its own right.
It's a little moment, but I loved the Darling Walsh cameo Darling's a great character imho and not a lot of people do much with her/them.
Comments
Mostly because it reminds me of the code phrasing used in the 18th century when one desired to have a duel. The phrase was "Personal Interview".
Great job. I look forward to more. Oh, and poor Octavia, she really blew it with the media. You never, ever, ever tick them off. They simply have the power to make or break a person. Tisk, tisk.
This is well-worth the wait.
http://www.getfreeebooks.com/star-trek-original-series-fan-fiction-trilogy/
I hope Octavia sues the paparazzi for defamation and wins. The press is generally great but when they take something you say and spin it… it's unpleasant to say the least. I hope she and Thorne can spin it themselves somehow because "all press is good press" or use their own PR team to get an article out first.
The shadowy person outside the club is an ominous way to end.
I love the conflict between Octavia and Thorne. They are clearly not your usual loving couple of soulmates and that makes me curious about how their relationship is going to develop.
Nancy is clearly a smart criminal... and I like the way you use that to establish the narrative tone of her villainy. She, and you, will not be bumping people off left and right (unlike certain other writers who will remain me) but that doesn't make her any less scary or dangerous. I love the wicked contempt she has for Malcolm and his father (and almost everyone else). It really establishes her as a villain for me. I can't help but wonder what may happen if she and Judith ever cross swords.
Finally, Mimi... yeah, I still love Mimi. She's the Hero character for me at that moment. Maybe the only one...
I love your characters in this, but so far I don't really like any of them, apart from Mimi, if you take my meaning. That's not a bad thing... just a thing.
@haneul Thank you as well.❤️
He is ominous. I didn't think about it until just now but his lurking in the shadows plays off of Sheniqua's song choice, 'Break My Soul'. I did choose that song to close with ahead of the showdown with Nancy at the club that is coming in the next chapter. I have most of it written already, and as shrewd, sharp, and calculating as Nancy is, she's going into a battle of wits and tongues with Mimi unarmed.😈
@luciusstorm Thank you too.❤️
Judith and Nancy...I wonder too because I never really planned for that to happen. Judith is a central character whereas Nancy's a shadow lurking on the edges until the story tells me it's time for her or Malcolm to step into the spotlight.
Mimi is the hero for sure, and was from the minute I created them/her. The fact that the character is so popular is their story but also Mimi was front and center in all the teaser shots from when I was getting things set up. Mimi has had great publicity. I understand what you meant about the connection to the other characters and it all goes back to the hype I gave Mimi. The others will start to shine in their own ways as they get more screen time.
X'D ...I thought I was used to words having sims spliced into them like "Al Simhara" and similar, but... simtch? The worst thing about that is that as weird as it looks written, it works when said... I can just feel how one would spit that word out like the worst curse ever. XDD It's amazing.
I see Malcolm is the reckless type of evil and suspect Nancy of being the methodical type. You know, she talks about risk and reward, but I wouldn't be surprised if she thought there are worse things one can do to a sim than kill them. I mean, she herself is very prideful, and probably had to face some danger herself, hard to avoid that in her line of work... yup, wouldn't be surprised at all if she would actually rather embarrass than "whack," especially in this case.
...And I'd say, you tell them Octavia! Even a celeb deserves some privacy. But then, I gotta wonder what is this gonna do to her public image. She had a really positive one, right? Oooh, well, I guess not anymore!
The animosity Nancy has towards Mimi and their face to face confrontation was only meant to showcase Mimi's strength and determination to be their authentic self and to continue that journey to finding out who that is. It was never meant to make Nancy and Malcolm major characters.
I decided to put it back in.🙂 I got so caught up in visualizing their meeting happening in the club that instead of thinking of ways to write it and having it happen in Mimi's apartment I forced the story down this path. Their confrontation has always been planned for the second chapter so I'll stick with that. What becomes of Nancy and Malcolm after that...I don't have a clue. I never thought that far ahead with them. I may end up having to put some of the minor characters like Holly and Bristol, Tianna and Harley on hold and figure out how to work them and the Landgraab's in.
It's a valuable lesson, I need to stop second guessing and looking for perfection and just embrace the mistake and see where it goes. And plan better.🤣
I think even if Nancy and Malcolm never appear again, they'll have done their part and done it well... and if you ever decide you need them, they'll be out there.
I loved this chapter! I didn't read the accidental sneak-peek when it came out just because I wanted to wait for the full chapter to see how it all came together, and I'm glad that I did! Lots of hateful characters here right off the bat, and I'm very much enjoying the drama so far! I's great how different this is to Under the Tartosan Sun, because here I get the feeling that anything crazy could happen at any time, it's kind of thrilling - also it must be fun for you to be able to showcase this side of your writing, get to try out a different, more fast-paced and unpredictable style.
I read the discussion about your intentions for them, and I get it. If you don't want them to be recurring characters in your story then whatever - leave them out. The writing process is a journey and we live and learn. Either way, I'm sure it was a fun exercise to write about their conversation and their intentions, even if you don't plan to take then much further than this.
As for Thorne and Octavia, he certainly seems like a handful.. imagine posing for the paps in your own home! Inviting them to invade your personal space without okaying it with your partner - Octavia was rightfully angry, but it sure is a shame that they caught her blowing up like that - that sure isn't going to do anything good for her reputation. I bet the tabloids will have a field day with this, smh.
In my previous comment, I focused on Nancy being awful instead of Malcolm because she's Malcolm and Mimi's mother. I feel that there's something particularly awful about being so cruel to your child and then not correcting your other child when he talks casually about killing them (or only being against their murder for self-interested reasons). The parent is not parenting. But I definitely think Malcolm is awful too. Poor Mimi.
With AAVE - I don't know AAVE, but I wonder about when Octavia is most likely to use it. To me and I'd be curious to hear your perspective on this because everyone has an interesting perspective, Octavia would be most likely to use it around other African-Americans as well as close friends and least likely to use it when she's flustered or made angry by people of other races. I feel like most African-American women who work their way up are extremely sensitive to the ramifications of losing their cool in public and wouldn't really use AAVE in those situations because of how likely it is to be used against them and have already experienced tons of racist microaggressions against them - there's that whole angry black woman stereotype and people generally are more likely to see them as uneducated and undeserving, etc. because they're not using the English taught in school. I feel like the media may play into this stereotype of African-American women going off on non-African Americans using AAVE but I don't think that reflects reality.
ETA: Regardless, I feel particularly sad for Octavia here because her anger is justified, but those around her seem to either ignore/dismiss/gaslight her which should make someone angry (Thorne) or are going to take advantage of her anger to be able to paint her as the bad guy (Madison and Darrin) when all she did was yell and make them leave her house.
About Octavia's dialogue,
One thought I had, being from a big international city and now living in a small town, is that when you live in a big city you hear people talking differently from one another all the time. Everyone's got their own "accent" so to speak, whether it's the accent of their home country, or their home neighborhood, or the jargon of the people they hang out with. Racial differences are part of that but only part. You've created a big-city ensemble cast from many walks of life for your story. So if you think about the whole ensemble and the diversity of how they speak, you have a choice whether to show their individual accents by how words are spelled, or what slang they choose, etc. It does land a little oddly to have only Octavia's accent spelled out in that way.
The watcher in the shadows
“Ahh, this is going to be easy” Malcolm whispered to himself. “No bouncers, just a doorman. He’s a pushover like the others. We have nothing to worry about. We walk in, we scare Johnny off, and we walk out.”
Malcolm decided to lurk in the shadows for a bit longer to see if anyone else showed up to provide security. He was dying for a bite to eat though. He hadn’t been hungry when he left he home, but he could smell the food truck across the way that serves tacos al pastor that are out of this world. There was time for food later, business comes first even if it’s just family business he thought. The aroma just wouldn't let him alone. He checked his watch and realized it was approaching three in the morning. “The heck with this,” his stomach was growling now, “I’m outta here.” He still didn't understand his mother's motivation to take this route. Bump Johnny off or simply ignore him was his way of thinking. "Oh well, she has her way of doing things Malcolm, bizarre as her logic is" he thought to himself. "God help you if you dare to question her majesty" he said to no one at all. He chalked his grumpiness up to hunger and his proximity to those weirdos.
"Alright, time to get a bite to eat and call Nancy" he said to himself.
“Hmmphmm. Malcolm? What the…it’s 3am you fool!! What I’m the world is so important that you’re waking me up at this hour?”
“Umm…sorry. Uhh, I...er...cased the Orchid like you asked.”
“You woke me up to tell me that? Are you out of your mind?! I distinctly remember telling you to get someone in the organization that you trust to case it for us. You need to learn to follow orders.”
“Yeah, umm, I thought since this is family not business that I should do it myself” Malcolm said sheepishly.
“Alright since you woke me up”, Nancy said, unable to hide her exasperation, “what did you find?”
“There is little to no security. All I could see was some guy greeting people at the door. Maybe it was a girl, how can you tell with these weirdos.”
“You’re sure about that are you? Almost no security? Whatever, I just want this over and done with. You didn’t follow my instructions so if anything goes wrong it’s on you. Now let me go back to bed and we’ll handle this mess with your brother tomorrow night. Goodbye!!” Nancy hung up and tried to go back to sleep.
Sleep wouldn’t come so she got up and went out on the deck for some fresh air and to vent, even if it was only the desert nightlife and cactus that heard her. “What did I do to deserve these boys?” she asked the night. “I have one son who’s insane and he's convinced he’s a woman and another that isn’t much smarter than a houseplant half the time. Nancy stood there for a few seconds then looked up at the moon and said, “I’m a good person and a good mother, why me?"
The Orchid Club: The following night
The club was bouncing to the beat of the DJ's upstairs and the performers on the main stage. It was a riotous rainbow of people and sounds. People feeling free to be who they are without feeling the need to hide or apologize. It was the perfect atmosphere to forget the cares of the world.
Lady Mimi was at the mic and had the crowd in the palm of their hand. Nancy and Malcolm entered the club with Mimi's humiliation as the prize they came to claim. They slowly made their way towards the stage, clearly out of their element. Mimi had been expecting this once word got around that they were back in town. They spotted Malcom and Nancy but didn't show any change that the fans would notice. In a way Mimi had been looking forward to this, to clearing the air once and for all.
"Malcolm! Welcome to The Orchid Club dear" Mimi said then added, "What do have with you? You've taught a Shar Pei to walk on its hind legs and dressed it in a cheap knockoff Dior pantsuit. Sweetie you should come back on Monday night for the pet talent show! You’re sure to win!"
"Still pretending to be a girl I see. You're not doing a very good job of it either" Nancy said with as much contempt as she could manage.
"And you've taught it to talk too! Oh! My! God!" Mimi said then paused for effect before continuing. "Hello Nancy. I would say it's a pleasure seeing you but I'm the world's worst liar. What's a place like you doing in a girl like this?"
"I had hoped you would have grown up and stopped pretending to be something you're not and never will be, Johnny Landgraab."
"Mimi Eleganza"
"What the plumbob are you talking about?"
"You called me Johnny Landgraab. That's not my name. My name is Mimi Eleganza, and not just when I'm on stage."
"It's Johnny Landgraab!"
"Trust me Nancy, I am Mimi Eleganza."
"You are Johnny Landgraab!"
"Nancy, do I need to go backstage and grab my purse and show you my drivers license?" The crowd started howling with laughter.
"What!? Did you say 'my purse'?"
Seeing the opening that question provided to grab Nancy by the tail and give it a yank, Mimi took it and ran with it. "Yes. You say that like it's a surprise. It's a really nice comfortable cross-body number. Classic black so it goes with all of my outfits. I can get so much stuff into it. With all the makeup and things like sunglasses and everything else I carry around it's so hard to find a good purse with enough pockets."
"Shut up freak" Malcolm said as he took a step forward. "You make me sick prancing around acting like a girl. Why don..."
"Who said anything about acting Malcolm? I never said I was acting" Mimi said. "I'm entertaining, not acting."
There was movement at the back of the room, but Nancy and Malcolm were so focused on their confrontation with Mimi they failed to notice what was happening. Then a voice spoke over Malcolm's shoulder, a slightly androgynous voice...
"Do you want us to escort these two to the door, Mimi?"
It was then that Malcom and Nancy turned to see what was happening behind them. Malcolm was in for the shock of his life. His words caught in his throat as he was frozen in some strange combination of fear and incredulity. Nancy spoke out of the corner of her mouth. "I thought you said there was no security here you fool."
"Oh dear, I’m afraid I’ve been a terrible hostess. Nancy, Malcolm, allow me to introduce Daisy and Priscilla. Daisy, Priscilla these lovely folks are the Landgraabs, Nancy and Malcolm. It's okay Daisy, they can stay unless they try anything physical. You two," Mimi said to Nancy and Malcolm, "should have come after 11 pm. You could have met Buffy and Trixie too. It's probably for the best you didn't, poor Malcolm there looks like he's going to have an accident in his Chinos. See, Daisy and Priscilla are nicknames they chose for themselves. It adds to the fun for haters like you when you meet them."
“All of you in here are disgusting freaks. Look at yourselves!”
“Shame, Nancy, shame!” Some in the crowd began to chant. Others were chanting “Love not hate” or “Hate doesn’t live here.”
Mimi smiled as they locked eyes with Nancy. Mimi hushed the crowd after a few seconds. Then Nancy spoke again, undeterred in her rant.
“Do you idiots realize that is a man in a dress on that stage. Under that ridiculous wig and ludicrous makeup is my son.”
“Let’s break this down Nancy" Mimi raised a hand to admire the ultra long pink nails. "Firstly, this is a LGBTQIA club. Secondly this is a drag show, so the fact that there are men here in dresses is not exactly breaking news. And last but not least" Mimi said as their gaze went from those nails to Nancy, "who said I’m your son?
“Me! Your mother!”
“The last time I talked to you, before I left home, you said I was no son of yours. So now all of sudden I am?"
“Yes!…I mean no!…I mean...stop trying to mess with my head."
"I'm not messing with your head Nancy. I would never engage in a battle of wits with a woman who clearly came unarmed." The crowd lost it.
"I’m the one that brought you into this world I can call you whatever I like!”
“Nancy, I'm pretty sure that was a duet dear. You know that whole it takes two to tango thing.”
“You know what I mean Johnny” Nancy said through clenched teeth.
“You still don't get it, or you refuse to get it. Allow me to clarify things for you, again. My name is not Johnny Landgraab and while I am your child I am not your son.”
“Are you still clinging to this delusional belief that you’re a woman. You never were a woman, you aren’t one now, and you never will be!”
“See, there you go jumping to conclusions. I said my name is not Johnny Landgraab and I’m not your son, but you go straight to making my statement into something about gender. I didn’t say a word about gender, you did.”
"If you're not Johnny then who are you? You call yourself Mimi. That's a woman's name. So your declaring to the world you are a woman."
"It's a name. Names are just words, they don't define a person's gender though you seem to think they do. It's only unwritten rules, or so called 'norms' that say a man can't be called Mimi or Megan or Stefanie, or that a woman can't be called Steve or Bob or Gary."
“Oh is that so! I'm having a hard time believing that you weren't making this all about your messed up ideas of gender when my son is calling himself Mimi, and he's wearing an evening gown and a metric ton of makeup. You are a disgusting freak of nature.”
“Ooo, good one Nancy. The makeup joke, ooo darling you get a point for that one. This is not disgusting, I'm not disgusting. Your hatred is the only disgusting thing here.”
"You're running all over the place dressing up in women's clothes and trying to act like you're a woman. Like you somehow think if I claimed you that I'd call you daughter."
"I never said I was your daughter. I don't dress the way I do because I want you to call me your daughter. Nancy I think you're losing it. But, what if I did say I was your daughter? Would that be the end of the world as we know it? No it wouldn't. The sun would still come up tomorrow. The earth would still spin round and round through the cosmos. Life would go on."
“I was there when you were born, trust me you are male. Not that you act like one. When the doctor handed you to me he said ‘It’s a boy!’. Are you going tell me you know more than him?”
“I know me. I know that I've never really felt like the candy bar matched the wrapper. The world isn’t black and white, it's not either/or, like you want to pretend that it is or that you demand it to be. It’s not your right to define me or anybody else or tell us how we have to live and act. That’s for each individual to define themselves, for each individual to decide who they are. Look I don't know what the future holds for me. My journey may have reached its end. I may have found myself. Or I may decide to push on and finish the transition process. I don't know. I do know that I'm happy. I'm happier than I ever been. A heck of a lot happier than I ever was living under your roof. I'm comfortable in my own skin.”
“So you think you can just ignore facts?” Nancy said.
“I’m not ignoring facts. The fact is I never was Johnny Landgraab, the name never fit me. Yes I am your child, but I am not the person you tried to force me to be. I could never be that person because that is not who I am." Mimi had played this moment out in their head on more than one occasion and now it was time to go all in. The fact that Nancy was never going to accept Mimi was never really in doubt, but this evening sealed it. Since they were past the point of no return, Mimi planted her flag. And for this Mimi was coming off the stage to look Nancy straight in the eye. "This is who I am. Love me or hate me, you will never change me."
"It's so sad that you can't be happy for me. That you can't let me live my life in peace and in a way that makes me feel happy and whole. You call yourself my mother, and you are, but you've never been a good mom. A good mom would want their child to be happy and would be an ally, not an enemy. You never made any effort to listen to me when I tried again and again to tell you who I am. Trust me, I live with me, 24/7/365, I know who I am better than you do. Disown me if you can't accept me. I don't care. Because if you can't accept me and love me as I am," Mimi said and then they dialed up all the sass they could muster, "then honey I'm better off without you and the drama and negativity that follows you around."
Nancy erupted. "Fine! I don't ever want to see you or hear from you ever again! You are dead to me. As far as I'm concerned you don't exist and you never did. Malcolm has always been an only child."
"It's so sad that you would rather cling to hate instead of embracing love and acceptance. Your loss ma'am. I'm blessed with so many friends who love me and truly care about me, so goodbye."
With Mimi's last words Nancy and Malcolm turned to leave and the chants of 'shame' and 'love not hate' cascaded over them as they walked out into the night and out of Mimi's life. Mimi and the crowd inside the Orchid had let Nancy and Malcolm know exactly what they thought of them. There was someone else who had something to say and they were waiting outside...
Malaika was there in an instant to wrap Mimi in a huge hug. Not that Mimi was shedding any tears. They had been without love from Nancy for so long there was no loss left to mourn. "I am so proud of you" Malaika said as she held her embrace with Mimi. "I know I can never replace the bond you should have with your birth mother, but I'm here for you like she should be, anytime. You are more than just a drag daughter to me. All my girls are family. We have our disagreements but they are rarely anything that can't be patched up by talking it out. Especially over tubs of ice cream."
"Thank you hun...I mean mom. You always have felt like the mother I wish I could have had. Please don't worry about me, I'm fine. I really am. Better than fine, I'm free. I know it sounds horrible and like I'm in denial and trying to rationalize my lack of sadness and tears, but I can't remember the last time that woman ever said one kind word to me. I have so much to be thankful for, and so many people that fill me with love and joy, I can move on. Let's get this party going again. Would you care to join me on stage for 'Fighter' or 'Girl On Fire'? I'll let you choose the number."
"Can't go wrong with either, but Fighter is you baby. This is your time, work it gurl."
(The video and lyrics are under the spoiler tag. The lyrics aren't 100% about this topic, but the sentiment behind them absolutely is.)
Hmm, after all you put me through
You'd think I'd despise you
But in the end, I wanna thank you
'Cause you made me that much stronger
Well I, I thought I knew you
Thinkin' that you were true
Guess I, I couldn't trust
Called your bluff, time is up, 'cause I've had enough
You were there by my side, always down for the ride
But your joy ride just came down in flames
'Cause your greed sold me out in shame, mm-hmm
After all of the stealing and cheating
You probably think that I hold resentment for you
But uh-uh, oh no, yeah, you're wrong
'Cause if it wasn't for all that you tried to do
I wouldn't know just how capable
I am to pull through
So I wanna say thank you
'Cause it
Makes me that much stronger
Makes me work a little bit harder
It makes me that much wiser
So thanks for making me a fighter
Made me learn a little bit faster
Made my skin a little bit thicker
Makes me that much smarter
So thanks for making me a fighter
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh-oh-oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, oh
I never saw it coming
All of your backstabbing
Just so you could cash in on a good thing before I realized your game
I heard you're goin' 'round playin' the victim now
But don't even begin feeling I'm the one to blame
'Cause you dug your own grave
After all of the fights and the lies
Guess you're wanting to haunt me
But that won't work anymore
No more, uh-uh, it's over
'Cause if it wasn't for all of your torture
I wouldn't know how to be this way now and never back down
So I wanna say thank you
'Cause it
Makes me that much stronger
Makes me work a little bit harder
It makes me that much wiser
So thanks for making me a fighter
Made me learn a little bit faster
Made my skin a little bit thicker
Makes me that much smarter
So thanks for making me a fighter
How could this man I thought I knew
Turn out to be unjust, so cruel?
Could only see the good in you
Pretended not to see the truth
You tried to hide your lies, disguise yourself
Through living in denial
But in the end you'll see
You won't stop me
I am a fighter and I (I'm a fighter)
I ain't gon' stop (I ain't gon' stop)
There is no turning back
I've had enough
Makes me that much stronger
Makes me work a little bit harder (oh, ooh-yeah)
It makes me that much wiser (ooh yeah)
So thanks for making me a fighter
Made me learn a little bit faster (yeah, yeah, yeah)
Made my skin a little bit thicker
Makes me that much smarter
So thanks for making me a fighter (fighter)
Thought I would forget
Thought I, but I remembered (oh)
'Cause I remember (oh)
I remember
Thought I would forget (oh)
I remember (oh)
'Cause I remember (oh)
I remember
Makes me that much stronger (oh, oh, oh, oh)
Makes me work a little bit harder
It makes me that much wiser
So thanks for making me a fighter
Made me learn a little bit faster
Made my skin a little bit thicker
Makes me that much smarter
So thanks for making me a fighter
"This is who I am. Love me or hate me, you will never change me."
In a world full of people who try to define us, being who we are... sometimes even just recognizing who we are... can be one of the biggest challenges we face. To know it in your heart, to accept it for yourself and to have others embrace your true self... to simply live as who you are, is the truest victory.
"This is who I am. Love me or hate me, you will never change me."
@luciusstorm Thank you as well!
From this point on you'll see some new facets of Mimi's personality and their/her journey. And some new looks. So far it's all been Lady Mimi on stage at the Orchid. Now you'll see Mimi off stage and away from the persona of Lady Mimi. Lady Mimi will have some different looks too. The one you've seen so far is her signature, but there will be different variations. Different wigs, or dresses, or makeup. This is the most dynamic and complex character I've created in either story.
That was a great Mimi chapter of course. As well as an intro of the Orchid. I have a feeling that place is kind of a character in its own right.
It's a little moment, but I loved the Darling Walsh cameo