On Irwins [Newsflesh; Georgia; G]

[invoking_urania]

Title: On Irwins
Fandom: Newsflesh
Rating: G
Genre: Vingette
Words: 256
Notes/Warnings: Written for 31_days 09/01/13, 'Alienation produces eccentrics or revolutionaries.'
Summary: An article fragment where Georgia tries to explain her brother's urge to poke dead things with sticks.
Disclaimer: Newsflesh is copyright Mira Grant aka Seanan McGuire and this derivative work is written without permission.

Brief Thought on Irwins
bridgesupporters.net/imagesmaydisturb/private/drafts/irwins03.html

Why Irwins?

I'm sure my brother and most of his friends would tell you that poking dead things with sticks for the amusement of the folks at home is just fun, but I think it's deeper than that.

For my brother, it's because surviving in the face of far too many close calls, some he's never told me about, is his own little stand against Kellis-Amberlee -- a way of saying he's not afraid of it. That and Shaun's people skills get shot to hell when he's annoyed, and it's either go out with me or a small group of Irwin friends or talk me into going off the grid. And then I'd be the one stuck filtering all his mail instead of just handling the love letters he gets from fans.

For others it's similar. My friend Becks, who has talked about switching from Newsie to Irwin, her family had enough money they are one of the few people in America who can pretend the Rising never happened. She'd rather face reality though, even when reality wants to eat you.

It's something I admire, even if I lack Shaun's enthusiasm for taunting zombies and camping. After all, it's facing the truth of the world, even if it's then filtered back distorted (but not too much, since Shaun knows that I know where he sleeps) to the public.

And, all right, I suspect Irwins at least don't mind the attention, or they wouldn't film it.