Midcontinuum Spearmint

This entry is from our system journal on 13 September 2025. Reanna has an idea for a thriller. (And by "we," she means "I.") We don't intend to watch Him. Ever.

We might be riding on the tailcoats of Him, but we have a story idea about a football player who gets caught up in a player trafficking ring. For me, the purpose would be to show how dehumanizing trading can seem. We thought of the idea last night, originally as a joke that it would be the sequel to Him. Then, F.M. told me that I could write it.

We already have a few things fleshed out. The trafficking ring involves professional football teams and is run by the General Managers. Players who request to be traded aren't trafficked. [We changed this detail.] Players who don't are. They're transported in cages and are abused. Players trafficked from a rival team are tortured until they conform or die (whichever comes first.) Teammates may be encouraged to join in the abuse because the rival player is "poisoned." I'm considering reading about programming techniques used by abusive cults. (It would specifically be used for rival players.) [I decided to focus on abuse instead.] Players trafficked from non-rival teams go through dangerous hazing rituals.

The main character learns about the trafficking ring when the police question him about a former teammate who died after being traded. When he asks the interviewer why he's being questioned for a death that happened out of state, she says the other investigators suspect the player was also a victim of a trafficking ring. [We decided to specify that it's happening across state lines.]

We also decided the main character would be the first openly asexual football player. He's a kicker because it's easy (for us, anyway. Simple job description.) And he's good at it, too.

The working title is Trade. The project is going to require a lot of knowledge on the business of football. If trading isn't as dehumanizing as I assume, then the story will be for pure entertainment. Details of the trafficking ring may change with the facts.

Reanna: I no longer think I'm riding on the tailcoats of Him, unless you define the tailcoats as "perverting football." (This story isn't even in the same genre!) It also wouldn't be the first thriller involving the sport. My sister made me aware of Black Sunday and Two Minute Warning.

This is an entry from our system journal on 27 March 2025. Headmate E.A. looks at transphobia through a feminist lens. We usually roll our eyes when she starts sounding like Jessie Spano, but this one made sense.

Transphobia is a tool the patriarchy uses to control cis women. He knows that accepting trans women will liberate them. So, he hurts trans people and calls it "protection." It's actually sexism and violation of privacy. Unfortunately, many cis women are fooled by this "protection."

End transphobia! Liberate yourselves from the patriarchy's control!

This is an entry from our system journal on 19 August 2024. It is Terrance's first entry. It's directed to us, which is why it's not in the second person.

Hi, my name is Terrance. I like that you guys are tying to treat me well, even though it feels weird to me. And Seth [SL], I want you to finish my story. It's an event in my life, even if some parts suck. I'll write about the tomorrow. I'm am very aware of my second person experience. Please don't get too weird about it.

Jackie: We won't.

Wait, if my thoughts are in the first person, then my second person won't translate. It's not like I'm narrating. What if I narrate to myself? I guess that's what I'm trying to say.

(And maybe everyone else. I want to draw too.)
Maybe that's Mike. Maybe drawing is addictive. [I drew a picture of my character Terrance the day before. It was the first time I drew something.]

[Under all those words, I drew a picture of me with my head on a table. Behind me, I drew the phalanx in a fog saying "blah, blah, blah." Pointing to me, I wrote "this is me." Pointing to the fog, I wrote "this is the blurry mess."]