Michael pays of Debbie's mortgage?

[yunho.livejournal.com]

Hi everyone, I've searched for this fic in every applicable tag I can think of, but I had no luck. The fic I'm looking for is long I remember. I think it begins with Brian deciding to do an experiment: see how long he can go without tricking or something to that effect. He doesn't tell anyone about it, I know that much, and I think he might have been keeping some kind of diary about it.

Anyway, various things occur in the fic, but the one thing that really stands out is that Michael was using the money from the comics to pay for Debbie's mortgage. I think Justin and Brian were struggling financially and Justin finds out about what Michael was doing when Justin asks him if he could get some of the money he's owed. That's about all I remember, any help is very appreciated.

FOUND! Link in comments. Thanks guys! :)

Comments

[highd.livejournal.com]

That would be The Experiment

http://www.mags-nificent.com/MSW/WF/EX.htm

One of the greats of our fandom. Bring some tissues :)

[edom56.livejournal.com]

It's the fic we are currently reading over at qaffictalk. You are more than welcome to come join in the discussion once you are done reading.

[highd.livejournal.com]

I am such a bad pimper :)

[edom56.livejournal.com]

LOL. Just thought it was such an obvious opportunity ;)

[bidyke73.livejournal.com]

That just cracked me up. You know what "pimpern" means in German?

[highd.livejournal.com]

I can assure you I am not a bad Pimpern :)

[ladymirth.livejournal.com]

I'd like to read it, but is it a Michael-bashing or Lindsay-bashing fic? I steer clear of those.

[highd.livejournal.com]

Lindsay not really, Mikey yes. But it totally makes sense in this fic. It's more anti Michael, then a pure bashing of him.

After doing a season 1-3 re-watch I understand upset at Michael. He is the only one on the show that did stuff that was horrible, mean and spiteful and NEVER had to accountable for it.

It does tend to make you a bit angry at watching a 30 year old lie about who he was at the work place, when he could have just sold some of his toys from his collection to help Deb with the mortgage and Vic's credit cards. ( on the show I mean not in this fic)

[vlredreign.livejournal.com]

Hmmm, we must have watched different shows. He was held accountable quite often when he did something questionable, or did we forget him getting decked in 301?

And lots of people lie or keep quiet about who they are at work. DADT ring a bell?

[highd.livejournal.com]

DADT is a requirement to keep your job in the military, so if this was a drug test or some sort of requirement that Michael couldn't pass or commit to then sure DADT would apply.

Michael's being out at work was a social situation that that wasn't a requirement for the job.He stayed in the closet based on how he felt others would treat him if they knew, it wasn't a knowing thing it was a feeling thing that was false. Tracy was really frank about how she felt and told Michael that she would have been his friend, and wouldn't have said anything if Michael would have trusted her. How does he know that the others wouldn't have been just as accepting. In truth Michael never gave them a chance to know him.

Brian punching Michael wasn't really accountability, we never find out if the others know just how deeply Michael hated Justin at this point. And the whole thing was cleared up and the end of an episode. There wasn't even an arc over it. For me a lot of times Michael was treated too much like a child and was given leniency over and over again because most of his problems where heaped up on Brian, including the fact that Michael wasn't able to let go and be with David.

Michael is a weird kind of character, he brings out a lot of emotions in people.

[vlredreign.livejournal.com]

I was in the military, I know what DADT is. And technically, it's lying. By necessity, yes, but still lying.

Considering what we saw in S1 of the workers at the Big Q, Michael had good reason to fear being out. Just because Tracy didn't mind didn't mean the others wouldn't. The two guys they showed called the Pride Parade "the freak show." Yeah, that's accepting.

I find it strange that people think Michael hated Justin. He didn't. He was jealous of Justin for a long time, but he didn't hate him. He said hateful things, but he didn't hate him. Michael is a person whose brain and mouth are quite often detached. He speaks from the heart without engaging the brain. Anytime you think he hates Justin, go back and watch 121. That told me everything I ever needed to know about how Michael really felt about Justin.

anti-Michael

[drone123.livejournal.com]

I admit that I only watched Season 1 to 3 of QAF but from the very first episode, I already didn't like Michael. I remember how Michael got uneasy when the trick that followed him home from Babylon turned out to have a fake butt and crotch - so when Brian called to tell him that the baby is coming, Michael quickly asked Brian to pick him up even though, upon realising that Michael had someone with him, Brian offered to let Michael carry on with his 'date'. And after Michael returned home from the hospital, he grumbled to Emmett that it was all Brian's fault that he missed the opportunity to get laid and Emmett gave him some porn to watch instead. I find Michael is always making Brian look bad, whereas he is the 'saintly' friend who has to bear the burden. And even when Brian punched Michael for wishing Brian had left Justin to die... no one else knew the truth of that punch and everyone just assumed, once again, that Brian is bad and Michael is innocent of any wrong-doing.
I have to admit, I like reading anti-Michael fics.

Re: anti-Michael

[vlredreign.livejournal.com]

Lost of people like anti-Michael fics. I've read quite a few myself. A lot of people also don't like Michael, but I find that oftentimes, they also are Brian apologists. True, Brian manipulated the hell out of his friendship with Michael, but for every time that Michael was a pain, Brian was a bigger one, because he KNEW what he was doing. Michael didn't.

Re: anti-Michael

[drone123.livejournal.com]

And there you have it - the pro-Michael defence is always that he didn't know what he was doing and therefore can't be blamed.

Maybe I've worked with people like that, getting away with shit because everyone thinks they're 'innocent' - ha, ha, but before you think I'm psycho for bringing that up, let's just say I know there will always be personal likes and dislikes so I guess to each their own. Everyone watching a show will always have their favourite character and the one they love to hate.

Anyway, sorry, if I'm airing my views at the wrong site - I don't usually write comments - but I guess I'm more 'involved' in the QAF characters than I thought - AGAIN, not psycho!

Re: anti-Michael

[vlredreign.livejournal.com]

I don't think you're psycho!

And don't get me wrong, I'm not apologizing for Michael. When I say that Michael didn't know what he was doing, I was referring to Brian. For as much as Michael talks about being Brian's best friend, the list of things he doesn't know about Brian is way longer than the list of those he does.

Michael could be an absolute shit half the time. But then, Michael isn't the sharpest knife in the drawer, either. My opinion of Michael shifted several times during the series. To get a real sense of him, though, you've have had to have seen all five seasons. Leaving off at S3 gives a very incomplete picture of who he is.

I don't mind debating characters here, because it did stem from a fic search, so...not so off-topic. I usually do my debating at What's Up QAF and on IJ at QAF Coffee Club.

Re: anti-Michael

[chamilet]

Hmmmm, I love all the characters on the show including David, Michael, Lindsay and Melanie. Does that make me weird?

Re: anti-Michael

[so-unbearable.livejournal.com]

I'm afraid if you'd watched seasons 4 and 5 your dislike for Michael would've increased tenfold :) 'cause while Mikey wasn't my favorite character from the very beginning, I was usually able to find excuses for his behavior not the least of which was Brian himself, but in late season 4, or maybe it was season 5 beginning he's like gone around the bend, I was so mad at him...

Though personally I don't like anti-anyone fics, have yet to read the reasonable one =)