Just incase anyone gets "upset" about the time period I chose, I originally had this planned before the current events of May/June 2020. But I still feel like it is a good topic to talk about...

This is Me

from The Greatest Showman

One of the few times Tj actually left Valhalla just so happened to be around the time of the Civil Rights Movement. He heard a lot of the other einherjar talking about history being made in America, and he had to see what they were talking about. 

His first day out, he found himself in the midst of a protest for segregation. He actually started the protest accidentally. The entrance to Valhalla opened up right in front of a street of white owned businesses. He walked down the street, getting glares and angry gestures. This wasn't what he expected America to be like, especially after he had given his life fighting for the abolishment of slavery. He figured things would be peaceful between races, but turns out, things were almost just as bad as they were before.

An angry man spit at him in disgust. Tj frowned. "Is that the way you treat a former soldier?"

The man scowled at him, clearly ready to fight. A young black teenage girl ran up to him, grabbing his arm and pulling him behind her. She weaved around all of the angry people until they reached a poorer neighborhood a few blocks down. By that time, a mass a racists were marching towards them.

"Are you crazy?" You bellowed in his face. "What were you doing in that part of town?"

Tj's eyes locked with one of the vexed protesters. "I didn't know that would happen. I was just walking around."

You shook your head. "A single man protest is dangerous. You ever heard of safety in numbers?"

Tj's eyes made his way to the African American girl in front of him. You were stunning. Your (e/c) eyes, despite having a hint of annoyance in them, shone bright with bravery. Your (h/c) locks were resting beautifully in a (hair style). He had forgotten what you had asked him.

You rolled your eyes and guided him inside of a black owned barber shop. "You aren't from around here are you?" He shook his head 'no.' "Well, you have to be more careful. This may be the North, but that doesn't mean we're free to go wherever we want."

Tj plopped down in a slightly torn chair. "Why is everyone so angry? I figured after the Civil War things would be a lot better than this."

You furrowed your brows and suppressed a laugh. "Civil War? Were you in a coma for a hundred years or something? America isn't all roses and daisies. That's why we're protesting for a change."

"Is it that obvious I'm not from here?"

You smirk playfully. "That depends. Are we talking about your clothes, your accent, or your confusion about current events? Because all of those make you stick out like a sore thumb."

He grinned while rolling his eyes. "Tell me more about what you're doing to make a change."

Your eyes lit up excitedly. "Ooh I'm glad you asked, new kid. See, the small things grow into bigger things. We do a small sit-in, like the one we're planning for today, and, next thing you know, thousands of sit-ins are happening. We march, we protest, we boycott and eventually the government will have to respond to us. It may seem small now, but tomorrow it will change the world."

Tj sat forward in his seat as he listened to you talk. Clearly, you felt strongly about this whole movement. You were hopeful a change would come. 

Once you two became properly introduced, Tj decided to join you for the sit-in. To say the least, it was a life changing experience. For the next few weeks, he often visited you. He felt as though it was his duty to continue to fight for black people, since it was the reason he had died in the first place. His job wasn't done yet. However, he found himself falling for your beauty, valor, intelligence, and strength.

Until one day, he returned and you were nowhere to be found.

It hurt to know you just disappeared like that. There was no way to know what had happened to you. He could only hope that you moved away.

Two years later, he finally found you again. Except, this time, you were dead. You walked through the halls of Valhalla aimlessly. It seemed like the corridors were never ending. That's when Thomas Jefferson Jr. spotted you. He'd recognize that face from anywhere.

He ran up to you, surprised to see you in the Norse version of Heaven for heroes. He hugged you tightly before pulling away and holding onto your shoulders. "Please explain to me how you're here right now."

You shrugged. "Not really sure. Apparently, I'm a descendant of (Norse god/goddess). How are you here?"

"I, uh, was actually dead when I met you. I died fighting in the Civil War. My dad is Tyr, the god of justice. I was just visiting Midgard that day I met you."

You nodded with a smile. "Now that explains a lot. I knew you were different." You hooked your arm with his. "Your ancient military outfit from the day we first met screamed former soldier."

He led you down the halls. "So, y/n, I have an important question for you."

You hummed in response, still taking in the amazing scenery of your new home. He cracked a smile, a maroon blush dusting his cheeks. "Do you like a man in uniform?"

You shoved him playfully. "That depends. Is his name Thomas Jefferson Jr.? Because I'd date that nerd."

He nudged you with his elbow softly. When he couldn't come up with a response quickly enough, he allowed himself to laugh at your "insult." He wrapped his arms around your shoulders and pulled you into his side.

"I knew you had a thing for me."

You giggled and rolled your (e/c) eyes. "Oh please. You've been in love with me since I saved you from getting beaten up that day."

When you finally found your room, you invited him inside. You plopped down on the bed and sighed deeply. You brought your knees to your chest and hugged them tightly. "We did it, you know. America is desegregated. It's not perfect yet, but I think one day things will truly get better."

He motioned at the spot on your bed besides you, asking for permission to sit down. You nodded, immediately leaning you head into his chest. His arm wrapped around you again. He wanted to ask you how you died, but it seemed like a sensitive topic. He could understand that. Dying is the easy part. Letting go of your life and everyone you loved was the hard part. You still had to adjust to this new lifestyle.

You sighed deeply. "I still don't understand why they hated us so much. And it's not everyone, but there's still a lot of people."

"One day," he began, "the world will understand the beauty in dark skin complexions and curly, kinky hair. Our features will be accepted and loved. There will be more people, like us, who will keep fighting until we get the equality that we deserve."

He rested his chin on top of your head, holding you with two arms. He had hope for the future. Things would get better. Like you said when you first met, the small things will change the world.

__________________________________________

On a serious note, if you want to support the Black Lives Matter Movement and LGBTQ+ funds, here are some links to help:

George Floyd

~Petition: https://act.colorofchange.org/sign/justiceforfloyd_george_floyd_minneapolis

~GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/f/georgefloyd

Breonna Taylor

~Petition: https://www.change.org/p/andy-beshear-justice-for-breonna-taylor

~GoFundMe: gofundme.com/f/9v4q2-justice-for-breonna-taylor

Ahmaud Arbery

~Petition: http://chng.it/dZnJgRbCNK

~GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/f/i-run-with-maud

Other petitions/Funds

https://blacklivesmatter.com/petitions/

https://blacklivesmatter.com/defundthepolice/

https://bailproject.org

https://www.lgbtqfund.org/donate-1/

Elijah McClain

GoFundMe: gofundme.com/f/elijah-mcclain

Petition: Change.org/p/adams-county-district-attorney-justice-for-elijah-mcclain-2

I will update this when I find more information for people to use. Message me or comment if you have questions or more info. It is important that we are unified and fight the battles against racism, homophobia, transphobia, and Covid-19 together.