question for no particular reason

[melannen]

Poll #17373 Dear my Les Mis people,

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 11

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So if you were writing a silly AU where all the Les Mis characters were American politicians, and you had to pick one of the below for the plot to work, which makes more sense?

View Answers

Gillenormand was a Democrat, Tholomyes was a Republican
1 (9.1%)

Gillenormand was a Republican, Tholomyes was a Democrat
5 (45.5%)

whyyyyyyy
5 (45.5%)

in other news, I found my missing USB drive, and now that I have the chapter back the Ridiculous WIP is chugging along again! Serves me right for being to discouraged to try rewriting it from where my backup left off. This is now officially the second longest thing I have ever written, and I've gotten to the point where the intrigue plot stars coming to the fore. (In chapter 8. The intrigue plot starts appearing in chapter 8. I am so good at this. If anybody was considering writing a novel-length WIP on a premise that they dislike about a pairing they don't particularly ship with no particular idea what happens next, I recommend it, it's wonderfully freeing.)

(Every other time I've done this I've ended up falling in love with it too hard and blocking myself trying to be perfect, but the politics AU seems to be immune from that so far. #$@^% politics.)

(Also found the glasses. They were out in the yard, having been snowed and rained on, and missing their nosepieces, but otherwise ok. I have been wearing them without and I think they're actually more comfortable this way. All things come to those who are too lazy to seek a replacement?)

Comments

[gehayi]

I don't remember those names. Who are they in Les Miz?

[melannen]

Gillenormand is Marius's grandfather, who coerced his dad into giving him up and then spent his childhood being a textbook abuser.

Tholomyes is Cosette's father, who seduced Fantine and then walked out on both her and the kid like it was a joke a soon as they were no longer convenient.

...they could both be Republican frontrunners this year, is what I'm saying, but the plot requires one of each. I think.

[gehayi]

Oh, thanks.

Gillenormand sounds like an evangelical Republican, doesn't he? Very rich and there's only one proper way of living and he's willing to disown his son for not obeying his strictures. And, of course, he coerces an adoption so that the child will be brought up "correctly."

Tholomyes reminds me of the Dems in the 1980s. There were a LOT of sex scandals then (not all Dems, but the majority).

[melannen]

Well, in my story-world, we are operating on the principle that all politicians get up to sex-related shenanigans, the only difference is how hypocritical you are and whether you get caught, so I'm not sure that's the differene. But yeah, in canon, politically, Gillenormand is probably more conservative. Tholomyes is also pretty bad though.

[lannamichaels]

I vote whyyyyy, but if I had to choose, if I had to choose, Gillenormand is an old school villager democrat, and Tholomyes is Rand Paul a rich boy libertarian.

[melannen]

That's kind of where I am,I think, yeah.

[genarti]

I could see arguments for both depending on the take you took on it, given their relative ages, so I just went with "whyyyyyyyy" which I feel is also the most appropriate reaction to either of them as a politician no matter how plausible it may be.

[melannen]

Oh, c'mon, "President Felix Tholomyes", doesn't that phrase just warm your heart?

[genarti]

Right, true. With his work ethic, serious dedication, and strong sense of ethics, he'd definitely be a credit to the position! Definitely.