Work Text:
A letter From Naomi Sandburg
by Dar Hutson Scally
To: Those Sentinel Fan People, Especially those Angsty Ones
From: Naomi Sandburg, Mother of Blair Sandburg
I know most of you don't think a whole lot of me. You think I was not a good mother. You think I didn't do a good job of taking care of and raising my son. Well, I want to tell you, I did. I mean, look how well he's turned out. He's a good man. He's kind and compassionate and tolerant. He's a very caring and devoted friend. And now, since that Sentinel fiasco, he's working at a job that (I now understand) gives him the opportunity to help people. I think you'll all agree that my Blair is a good man.
Well, I couldn't have done too bad of a job raising him, could I? Maybe I wasn't always as attentive as I could have been, but I was a single mother and I had a lot on my mind. I did have to earn a living, you know, and I wasn't exactly skilled at anything in particular, so we moved around a lot, from one job to the next. It allowed us both to see and do a lot more than most people.
All in all, I have to say I think Blair had a good childhood. He certainly met a lot of people along the way and tried a lot of things. If he hadn't been raised the way he was, I don't think he would have ever gotten interested in anthropology and the idea that Sentinels really exist, and then he never would have met Jim. And I think he was meant to meet Jim, so therefore he was meant to grow up on the move, always meeting new people, adapting to different cultures, learning that as varied as we all are on this planet, we are all human beings together.
So, anyway, let me get to the purpose of my letter. I have to let you know that I keep up with what you are all writing. If hundreds of people were writing stories about your son, wouldn't you read them? And, yes, I mean every one of them. This is where the problem lies, in the stories you all write about my son and his Sentinel.
First, I'll speak to you angst people. Some of you write stories that put my Blair in danger and he ends up getting hurt, sometimes really badly hurt. You have shot him, cut him, burned him, had him drugged, and even raped, not to mention that the poor boy has been hit in the head so many times it's amazing he still has a brain left in there. As if that weren't bad enough, you then decide he needs to be depressed and suicidal. Some of you have even had him actually try to kill himself. How could you do this? This is my son here. He is not some depressed punching bag for the world to beat on.
As for you slash'ers, you're a whole other story. You make my Blair become gay, which, don't get me wrong, I don't have a problem with. I mean, I've had a lot of gay friends throughout my life. Of course, that sort of means I shouldn't be expecting any grandkids any time soon, but I'm okay with that too, as long as my son is happy. And some of you do let him be happy, which is great with me.
But, some of you insist on making him into a doormat. Let him be a gay man. Okay, that's fine. But he is still a man, a strong man with a will of his own. He would never be submissive in a relationship. I don't care if the guy he's with is taller, stronger, more muscular and maybe bossier. That would not change my Blair into a wimpy little sissy. If I had a daughter, I wouldn't let her act as 'door-matty' as some of you have my son act in your stories.
So, anyway, there you have it. My request, as a mother, is that you stop hurting my precious son, and let him be happy and well adjusted for a while. Just give him a break. He needs a rest from being kidnapped and battered.
And if you want Jim and him to have a sexual relationship, let it be with mutual love and respect. That's all I'm asking for.
I trust you'll understand my point of view here. After all, some of you are mothers too. Surely, you also, would not be thrilled by the writers turning your son into a walking target, or as some of you like to call him, a trouble magnet.
So, keep writing your stories. That's just fine with me. But how about toning it down just a bit on the injuries. You can do that, can't you?
Appreciatively Yours,
Naomi Sandburg
Post Warning: or Plea: please do not take this as criticism from a fellow writer. it is a work of fiction, a fictional letter from a fictional character. As far as the content of the letter: it is what i think Naomi Sandburg would say if we gave her a voice. It does not translate into a real request for us to tone anything down: I am the angstiest, hurt/comfort lover among us......thanks.. dar
END