Unhitched chapter notes …
This Tumblr post is going to be another random info dump because my mind isn’t functioning in any logical order at the moment (writer’s block and cold meds). In fact, that was my personal challenge for this chapter: jump in time, scatter the order of events, and somehow keep it readable – present, near past, far past, present again, a fleeting memory, near past again, etc …
The Desease and Desist
Do you even remember that? It feels like a million years ago. Also, that was the stupidest joke I have ever written, and I refuse to apologize.
Question: Would Hopper know who Mapplethorpe was?
Answer: No. Mapplethorpe’s X portfolio wasn’t even produced until 1978. *gasp*
Mapplethorpe was a photographer in the 70s who took a lot of black and white photos of the underground New York City BDSM community. There is no reason for you to know this or for me to share this info. Hopper wouldn’t know anything about him, so my #headcanon (which I suppose is just #canon) is that Hopper got a blowjob from one of Mapplethorpe’s models at a gas station in Catonsville, MD. He was a transient with a few copies of his photos from the shoot. He had a thing for latex and mouth tubes. Let’s call him NYC Joe.
The names.
We left chapter 28 with Harvey Dent/Two-Face and a feather-covered Axe. By ch. 29 (and a month later) those names have morphed into the two-faced Greek god, Janus and Fledge.
Naturally, Butcher would take this opportunity to jab Hopper by calling him a wee bird (a fledgling) and Hopper’s attempted jab at calling Butcher a villain (Two-Face) was never going to stand. Butcher basically refuses Hopper’s new name for him and starts calling himself Janus, the two-faced god of transitions and doorways. No symbolism, bro.
The door carvings.
Let me attribute all those back-and-forth carved quotes for you:
Butcher: “He was not a prisoner of fate, but a prisoner of his own mind.”
—Franklin Delano Roosevelt
Hopper: “There is no heavier burden than a great potential.”
— Linus (Charles M. Schultz)
Butcher: “Love feels no burden.”
— Thomas a Kempis (Medieval priest and author)
Hopper: “When no one loves you, you have to pretend everyone loves you.”
— Sally (Charles M. Schultz)
Butcher: “Life’s greatest happiness is to be convinced we are loved.”
— Victor Hugo
Hopper: “Happiness is a warm puppy.”
— Lucy (Charles M. Schultz)
So, why all the Peanuts quotes? Because canon-Will made that stupid analogy comparing the, um, situation with Abigail to “Lucy and the football,” and for some reason that says more about Will’s personality to me than anything else he does for rest of the show. “Lucy and the football” was about as jarringly unpoetic as Hannibal’s “mic-drop”.
“Augh!” —Will Graham, being emotionally and physically gutted by the death of his surrogate daughter
Old Macdonald and his big ugly wife.
I have no commentary on this. I just wanted to type it again.
This chapter isn’t that deep. I only really wanted to share the door quotes. So that’ it.
I’ll be taking a break from Unhitched for a bit. It’s draining and I have a really strong urge to do a massive pick-apart and edit to the first 28 chapters.
Sorry to leave you all hanging at THIS particular spot. The next chapter is ludicrous.
I warmly welcome all comments on the fic. I’d be eternally grateful for any and all encouragement. It’s been a rough month (for Hopper too!) and I, like everyone, am not immune to blocks. They suck in the most discouraging way.
Thank you all so very much for reading. It means a lot to me. <3