(Def)inition: Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions about (Def)inition
Some of these questions have been answered before, on LJ/Tumblr/e-mail, but I'm collecting them here with some other questions I've gathered (you guys have asked some seriously great questions, so thank you so much)! If you have a question that isn't answered here, feel free to leave a comment here or in my ask. I may not have an answer for you, especially if the question is about a future event that may or may not happen in the story, but you are always welcome to ask.
1. What is Def? What is (Def)inition? Can I get a link to the fic?
(Def)intion is a Glee AU that is written by me, Hedgerose. You can read it on livejournal or on Ao3; I also post about my updates/random side-notes on my Tumblr. It's currently a work in progress, but I have every intention of finishing it.
(Def)inition is about Blaine A., marked at age 15 by his parents as Defective when they find out that he's gay. When he's 26, his contract is purchased by Kurt Hummel, a twenty-something fashion designer who lives in New York with Quinn F., his first Def, and her daughter Beth Hummel. But Kurt may have gotten in over his head with Blaine, who is far more damaged by his years as a Def than Kurt expects-- he's certainly not the competent, professional personal assistant that Kurt thought he had hired. Can Blaine reclaim himself and gain a place in the world, or is he too broken to fix?
Please read and heed the warnings on each chapter-- I am happy to give more detailed warnings to anyone who wants them, but I don't feel that they spoil anything, and this fic contains some material that may be seriously triggering.
2. Is this fic based off something else aside from Glee? What are your influences?
The world in this fic is mine; however, I have been greatly influenced by writers like poisontaster and nilchance, who both write really amazing slave!fic in poisontaster's Kept Boy ‘verse, which is primarily CWRPS (CW Real Person Slash). I read a lot of dystopian fiction when I was growing up, so this fic is also influenced by books like 1984, The Giver, and Brave New World. The original concept was something that I tossed around with penguinutopia, but she decided that the premise was too angsty for her and left it all to me.
3. The story's title obviously places emphasis on the "def," but why is the title "definition" rather than "defective" or some other variant?
To me, this story is more about Blaine figuring out who he is outside of being a Def-- so instead of focusing on what he does (Defective), it focuses on what he is re-discovering and developing about himself (Definition).
4. What is a Def? How do people get marked?
A Def (or Defective) is a person who hasn't measured up to some standard in this universe. They are government property; they either work for the Department of Labor (which covers everything from farming to laboratory work to government filing) or they can be contracted out to private citizens to do "one-on-one" work, which can be anything from manual labor to sexual slavery. Defs under age sixteen are not permitted to do one-on-one work.
There are essentially four ways to be marked and become a Def:
1. Minor children can be marked one of two ways:
a. parents with more than one child must pay the contract price for any child after their first if they wish to keep them. Consequently, parents who cannot afford that price must surrender their children to the Department of Labor.
b. Minor children can also be marked for three different reasons: medical, rebellion, and noncompliance.
1. Medical reasons are pretty much (unfortunately) what you'd expect-- children with birth defects, learning disabilities, etc.
2. Children marked for rebellion are those who defy their parents in some way-- runaways, "juvenile delinquents," teens who get pregnant.
3. Children marked for noncompliance (which I think I actually have as nonconforming in-fic) are those who fail to measure up to some standard, especially those who are LGBT*.
c. When a minor child is marked for one of those three reasons (medical, rebellion, or noncompliance), both parents must agree for a child to be marked; if the parents are divorced and one parent has full custody, he or she may mark the child without the consent of the other parent.
2. Debt: Adults can be marked if they default on significant debt and are judged unable to repay, period. Adults who are marked for debt are given a term of service, and at the end of that period, they are released from the system and go back to "normal" society.
3. Legal: Adults guilty of minor crimes/misdemeanors can be marked instead of sent to prison. They are given a term of service, and at the end of that period, they are released from the system and go back to "normal" society.
5. If each family is only allowed to have one kid, then the system isn't really self-sustaining, is it?
Uh, nope. Which I didn't actually notice until someone pointed it out to me (thank you!). So I have three explanations for this:
Generally speaking, yes-- when parents decide to mark their current child, the state decides if they are fit for another child or not, and pretty much the only thing that would prevent them from saying that a family may have another child is either excessive evidence of child abuse (assuming the abuse is discovered post-marking) or massive birth defects.
7. Is there a way for Defs to get out of the system?
Adults marked for debt or legal reasons have a set term of service, at the end of which they are released. Minor children are stuck permanently in the system, although there is legislation in the works that would change that-- but on the other hand, there has been "legislation in the works that would change that" many, many times, and it's never passed. The sole exception is second or third children who are otherwise healthy-- depending on race, gender, and family history, they may be placed up for adoption for a limited time period. If adopted, these children have the same legal rights as free children.
8. Are there things you've posted aside from the main story?
Yes! I've posted Dalton Men, a short side-story about the Warblers; Beth Hummel Reads Books, which is a rec-list of books that Beth reads or has read in-fic, and Blaine's file, which you can see a preview of here or download here. There are a few more side-stories in the works.
9. How did the Def system start? I'm interested in how you see the fictional Defective program intersecting (or not) with the real history of slavery in the U.S. You've built this whole system of legalized slavery, and people become Defs for a bunch of reasons -- non-compliance, debt, parental rejection. And that really contrasts with the history of slavery in the U.S., where the system was primarily racialized (though I suppose indentured servitude for debt was pretty common). I'm wondering if that kind of history exists in the Def-verse, and if so, if the legacy of slavery intersects with Def-ness (like, are there a preponderance of Defs of color?). Or, given that the system of Defs is legalized slavery, how is that justified if historical-U.S.-slavery was abolished? Or is there just an alternate history for the U.S.? What percent of the population are defs?
The Def system was the compromise after the American Civil War-- it was a way to appease the southern states and make the system seem more "equal" to the northerners, because slavery was no longer limited to skin color. That said, in the modern world, the majority of Defs are people of color or members of another minority group-- Quinn is unusual for being white and from an upper-middle class background; her contract would fetch a high price if she were "on the market." (Please keep in mind that this is one of the areas in which I have not done ALL OF THE RESEARCH, so, um, sorry if you know more about American history than I do and it doesn't actually make any sense. If anyone wants to throw more expertise than I have at this, GO AHEAD!)
About one percent of the population of the United States are Defs-- which is about three million people (about the same number of people that are incarcerated in the United States in our world). The percentage was higher until around World War II, when male Defs of the right age in good health were given the option to enlist in exchange for freedom; most of them did not survive the war.
10. Does Kurt still sing/play music?
Yes, but infrequently-- most of his energy goes toward his company.
11. How does Quinn's long-term contract work? Is there a way to set it up to pass the contract to somebody else in the event of the owners death or do they automatically go back in the system? Is Emma Quinn's Foster, too? Legally, how secure is Quinn's placement with Kurt? I would like to know how Quinn was able to end up with Kurt, if kids immediately become ‘one of thousands in the system' (eg Dalton Men fic)?
Kurt essentially holds a permanent contract with Quinn. For the first few years, they had short-term contracts (about six months at a time) until they were sure that it would work, but once they moved to New York, Kurt and Burt set up a permanent contract. One of Quinn's rights under contract is the right to re-negotiate, so she could get out of the contract if she wanted to-- but she'd go back to the DoL unless she had another contract waiting.
Legally, they have a few things set up-- for example, if Kurt were to die suddenly, all of Kurt's possessions and money, including his contract for Quinn, would pass to Beth, although they would be held in trust by Burt and Carole.
Quinn was marked in the middle of the school year, and Finn was a witness to at least part of it. Members of the glee club were able to get in contact with Emma, her Foster, who was sympathetic, and kept Quinn "in trust" for them until they could get the money together to purchase her contract. Blaine, on the other hand, had been marked for two weeks before anyone aside from his family knew he was gone, and had a Foster with a vested interest in keeping him away from people from his old life.
12. Is Beth a Def? What about other Glee characters?
No, Beth is not a Def-- the children of Defs are free, but many of them have no support systems and do end up Defs themselves. Beth is incredibly lucky to have Kurt and his family, as well.
In terms of other Glee characters, the only canon character (aside from Quinn and Blaine) who is a Def is Jean, Sue's sister. Season 3 Mike comes close when his father disowns him, but his mother does not consent. Sam's parents are also nearly marked in season 2, but they do manage to make their finances work out. In this fic, Santana is not a Def, but her canon age (which I am unsure of) and the events of the next few episodes might make that different, were I to re-write this-- it all depends on her parents and her age.
13. I read on your LJ that you're changing bits of Blaine's back story to match your new head canon... can I ask just what, exactly, you're changing? Certain things (e.g. Blaine having been sexually assaulted more than once) have definitely affected how I view his interactions with Kurt, and I can't help but wonder what you'd be changing in his back story that wouldn't affect the continuity of the plot and/or your characterization.
I'm not changing that much, really. I'm changing little tiny things like dates and the e-mail address I gave him a few chapters ago. It's more about figuring out exactly how the world works and deciding on things like what boxes Blaine's Foster would have to check on a form. I am going to go back through the entire fic once it's done and fix the timeline, as well-- nothing huge, and nothing that should really affect characterization.
14. What does a standard "personal companionship" look like if the Kyle's contract is wrong/incomplete? What are some important rights that Defs DO have?
Generally speaking, there are rights that the Def is given in terms of things like "adequate nutrition" and the like. It isn't unusual for a Def to be assured things like adequate food, shelter, clothing, no permanent damage, etc., and all of that is missing from the Kyles' contract.
Defs are legally US citizens, but they cannot vote or run for office. They have the right to an education to the middle-school level; Defs who show aptitude for an area of study that is useful to the DoL may be given further education. Defs have the right to choose whether or not they do one-on-one work, although they may be pressured or coerced by their Fosters. They have the right to physical safety and access to food and clean water, as well as appropriate shelter.
15. How does the rest of the world react to the slavery system in the US? Does "slavery" exist world-wide or just in the US? How do other countries react?
The Def system is US-only. It's not generally well-regarded in the rest of the world; as a result, the US is rather more isolationist than they are in our world. There are several very old international treaties that preserve the rights of US citizens to travel with their Defs outside the US; however, it's not unheard of for Defs to claim and be granted asylum when traveling outside the US, so generally only Defs who have "drunk the Kool-Aid" or are incredibly loyal travel outside the United States. The US government does not press for Defs who claim asylum overseas to be returned to their owners.
16. Is there an underground railroad for kids who haven't been taken to the DOL yet? I can see Burt and Carole being involved, or at least knowing people who are...
It's a really interesting idea, but not something I've incorporated into the fic-- I'd say that yes, there probably is. I don't actually think that Burt and Carole would be involved until after Kurt and Finn were old enough to fend for themselves, should something go wrong.
17. What does Seconds and Thirds refer to? It's mentioned that parents may "try" for another child after a def. Is population control enforced?
A Second (or Third, etc.) is a second child. In this verse, each couple is allowed to have one child, and if they have children beyond that, they must either pay for the contracts of those children or turn them over to the Department of Labor to be Defs.
Part of the aim of the Def system is population control, and it does succeed in that goal-- the US does not really suffer from overpopulation.
As a side note, another "positive" aspect of the Def system is that unwanted children are given food, shelter, clothing, and basic education. Monetarily, the Def system is self-sustaining, and can support both educational/care-taking for young Defs, as well as "retirement homes" for older Defs who can no longer work (they just tend not to have the best access to health care.)
18. What are the requirements for a person to get a Def? Like, is it only about having tons of money? Sounded to me like a social status thing too...
In order to become a Holder, you must have significant financial resources and be able to pass a background check. Long-term contracts are very much linked with status (hence Quinn's suggestion that Kurt purchase a second Def in the first chapter), but it's also fairly common for upper-middle or middle-class people to hire Defs for short-term contracts for manual labor/events/etc.
19. Prior to being marked, what did Blaine think about the system? Did he have a good relationship with Thomas? How was Thomas treated by Blaine's parents? Did his experience having a Def in the family whilst growing up affect his behaviour on first entering the system/going into one-on-one work?
Thomas was a household servant and Mrs. Anderson's personal assistant, and his duties began and ended there. He took care of the house and its inhabitants, and helped Mrs. Anderson manage her business. Blaine's parents were very fair in their treatment of him; he was neither sexually nor physically abused. He'd been with Blaine's parents since just before Blaine was born, and they end it about eight years after Blaine becomes a Def-- so all together, he's with them for over twenty years.
If anything, having Thomas made Blaine less prepared to do one-on-one work-- he was expecting or hoping for something more along the lines of what Thomas did for his parents, and instead he got the Kyles.
20. Is Blaine ever going to see any of the Warblers again? Are you going to write about the holidays? Are you going to write about other-future-event-x? When are Kurt and Blaine going to have sex? Is there going to be smut in this story?
I am very hesitant to give out story spoilers for this fic, as I've changed direction on it quite a few times. I will say that I am incapable of writing unhappy endings.
In terms of the questions about relationships/sex: at this point in the story, it would be incredibly unhealthy for Kurt and Blaine to have a romantic relationship, especially one that involved sex or sexual contact. It would break a huge amount of trust. This is not a healing cock story, and having sex with Kurt would not "fix" Blaine. It would, in fact, make the situation worse on a huge, huge scale. That does not rule out the two of them having a relationship in the future (the fic is labeled "Kurt/Blaine," after all), but Blaine's background would make it difficult, to say the least.
As I said before, feel free to ask more questions! I have the feeling that some of these responses may raise more questions than they answer.
Some of these questions have been answered before, on LJ/Tumblr/e-mail, but I'm collecting them here with some other questions I've gathered (you guys have asked some seriously great questions, so thank you so much)! If you have a question that isn't answered here, feel free to leave a comment here or in my ask. I may not have an answer for you, especially if the question is about a future event that may or may not happen in the story, but you are always welcome to ask.
1. What is Def? What is (Def)inition? Can I get a link to the fic?
(Def)intion is a Glee AU that is written by me, Hedgerose. You can read it on livejournal or on Ao3; I also post about my updates/random side-notes on my Tumblr. It's currently a work in progress, but I have every intention of finishing it.
(Def)inition is about Blaine A., marked at age 15 by his parents as Defective when they find out that he's gay. When he's 26, his contract is purchased by Kurt Hummel, a twenty-something fashion designer who lives in New York with Quinn F., his first Def, and her daughter Beth Hummel. But Kurt may have gotten in over his head with Blaine, who is far more damaged by his years as a Def than Kurt expects-- he's certainly not the competent, professional personal assistant that Kurt thought he had hired. Can Blaine reclaim himself and gain a place in the world, or is he too broken to fix?
Please read and heed the warnings on each chapter-- I am happy to give more detailed warnings to anyone who wants them, but I don't feel that they spoil anything, and this fic contains some material that may be seriously triggering.
2. Is this fic based off something else aside from Glee? What are your influences?
The world in this fic is mine; however, I have been greatly influenced by writers like poisontaster and nilchance, who both write really amazing slave!fic in poisontaster's Kept Boy ‘verse, which is primarily CWRPS (CW Real Person Slash). I read a lot of dystopian fiction when I was growing up, so this fic is also influenced by books like 1984, The Giver, and Brave New World. The original concept was something that I tossed around with penguinutopia, but she decided that the premise was too angsty for her and left it all to me.
3. The story's title obviously places emphasis on the "def," but why is the title "definition" rather than "defective" or some other variant?
To me, this story is more about Blaine figuring out who he is outside of being a Def-- so instead of focusing on what he does (Defective), it focuses on what he is re-discovering and developing about himself (Definition).
4. What is a Def? How do people get marked?
A Def (or Defective) is a person who hasn't measured up to some standard in this universe. They are government property; they either work for the Department of Labor (which covers everything from farming to laboratory work to government filing) or they can be contracted out to private citizens to do "one-on-one" work, which can be anything from manual labor to sexual slavery. Defs under age sixteen are not permitted to do one-on-one work.
There are essentially four ways to be marked and become a Def:
1. Minor children can be marked one of two ways:
a. parents with more than one child must pay the contract price for any child after their first if they wish to keep them. Consequently, parents who cannot afford that price must surrender their children to the Department of Labor.
b. Minor children can also be marked for three different reasons: medical, rebellion, and noncompliance.
1. Medical reasons are pretty much (unfortunately) what you'd expect-- children with birth defects, learning disabilities, etc.
2. Children marked for rebellion are those who defy their parents in some way-- runaways, "juvenile delinquents," teens who get pregnant.
3. Children marked for noncompliance (which I think I actually have as nonconforming in-fic) are those who fail to measure up to some standard, especially those who are LGBT*.
c. When a minor child is marked for one of those three reasons (medical, rebellion, or noncompliance), both parents must agree for a child to be marked; if the parents are divorced and one parent has full custody, he or she may mark the child without the consent of the other parent.
2. Debt: Adults can be marked if they default on significant debt and are judged unable to repay, period. Adults who are marked for debt are given a term of service, and at the end of that period, they are released from the system and go back to "normal" society.
3. Legal: Adults guilty of minor crimes/misdemeanors can be marked instead of sent to prison. They are given a term of service, and at the end of that period, they are released from the system and go back to "normal" society.
5. If each family is only allowed to have one kid, then the system isn't really self-sustaining, is it?
Uh, nope. Which I didn't actually notice until someone pointed it out to me (thank you!). So I have three explanations for this:
- Up in the Northern states, there are a lot of people with dual Canadian-US citizenship; the same is true for Mexican-US in the south, because women can go over the border to give birth and then bring the child back. Consequently, there are a lot of Catholics in those areas, as well as members of other religions with an edict on going forth and multiplying.
- Families are allowed one child, and a second if they can afford it ...and a third, fourth, etc., if they can afford them, as well. It happens, but not hugely often, so Seconds and Thirds are unusual. Parents purchase the contract of their younger children at or soon after birth for a one-time fee, and provided that the child is not sent back to the Department of Labor for any of the reasons listed in (4), they have all the legal rights of a free child, and are removed entirely from the system at age 16.
- Defs are allowed to have children, and the children of Defs are free. Not all of them end up Defs themselves, but many of them do.
Generally speaking, yes-- when parents decide to mark their current child, the state decides if they are fit for another child or not, and pretty much the only thing that would prevent them from saying that a family may have another child is either excessive evidence of child abuse (assuming the abuse is discovered post-marking) or massive birth defects.
7. Is there a way for Defs to get out of the system?
Adults marked for debt or legal reasons have a set term of service, at the end of which they are released. Minor children are stuck permanently in the system, although there is legislation in the works that would change that-- but on the other hand, there has been "legislation in the works that would change that" many, many times, and it's never passed. The sole exception is second or third children who are otherwise healthy-- depending on race, gender, and family history, they may be placed up for adoption for a limited time period. If adopted, these children have the same legal rights as free children.
8. Are there things you've posted aside from the main story?
Yes! I've posted Dalton Men, a short side-story about the Warblers; Beth Hummel Reads Books, which is a rec-list of books that Beth reads or has read in-fic, and Blaine's file, which you can see a preview of here or download here. There are a few more side-stories in the works.
9. How did the Def system start? I'm interested in how you see the fictional Defective program intersecting (or not) with the real history of slavery in the U.S. You've built this whole system of legalized slavery, and people become Defs for a bunch of reasons -- non-compliance, debt, parental rejection. And that really contrasts with the history of slavery in the U.S., where the system was primarily racialized (though I suppose indentured servitude for debt was pretty common). I'm wondering if that kind of history exists in the Def-verse, and if so, if the legacy of slavery intersects with Def-ness (like, are there a preponderance of Defs of color?). Or, given that the system of Defs is legalized slavery, how is that justified if historical-U.S.-slavery was abolished? Or is there just an alternate history for the U.S.? What percent of the population are defs?
The Def system was the compromise after the American Civil War-- it was a way to appease the southern states and make the system seem more "equal" to the northerners, because slavery was no longer limited to skin color. That said, in the modern world, the majority of Defs are people of color or members of another minority group-- Quinn is unusual for being white and from an upper-middle class background; her contract would fetch a high price if she were "on the market." (Please keep in mind that this is one of the areas in which I have not done ALL OF THE RESEARCH, so, um, sorry if you know more about American history than I do and it doesn't actually make any sense. If anyone wants to throw more expertise than I have at this, GO AHEAD!)
About one percent of the population of the United States are Defs-- which is about three million people (about the same number of people that are incarcerated in the United States in our world). The percentage was higher until around World War II, when male Defs of the right age in good health were given the option to enlist in exchange for freedom; most of them did not survive the war.
10. Does Kurt still sing/play music?
Yes, but infrequently-- most of his energy goes toward his company.
11. How does Quinn's long-term contract work? Is there a way to set it up to pass the contract to somebody else in the event of the owners death or do they automatically go back in the system? Is Emma Quinn's Foster, too? Legally, how secure is Quinn's placement with Kurt? I would like to know how Quinn was able to end up with Kurt, if kids immediately become ‘one of thousands in the system' (eg Dalton Men fic)?
Kurt essentially holds a permanent contract with Quinn. For the first few years, they had short-term contracts (about six months at a time) until they were sure that it would work, but once they moved to New York, Kurt and Burt set up a permanent contract. One of Quinn's rights under contract is the right to re-negotiate, so she could get out of the contract if she wanted to-- but she'd go back to the DoL unless she had another contract waiting.
Legally, they have a few things set up-- for example, if Kurt were to die suddenly, all of Kurt's possessions and money, including his contract for Quinn, would pass to Beth, although they would be held in trust by Burt and Carole.
Quinn was marked in the middle of the school year, and Finn was a witness to at least part of it. Members of the glee club were able to get in contact with Emma, her Foster, who was sympathetic, and kept Quinn "in trust" for them until they could get the money together to purchase her contract. Blaine, on the other hand, had been marked for two weeks before anyone aside from his family knew he was gone, and had a Foster with a vested interest in keeping him away from people from his old life.
12. Is Beth a Def? What about other Glee characters?
No, Beth is not a Def-- the children of Defs are free, but many of them have no support systems and do end up Defs themselves. Beth is incredibly lucky to have Kurt and his family, as well.
In terms of other Glee characters, the only canon character (aside from Quinn and Blaine) who is a Def is Jean, Sue's sister. Season 3 Mike comes close when his father disowns him, but his mother does not consent. Sam's parents are also nearly marked in season 2, but they do manage to make their finances work out. In this fic, Santana is not a Def, but her canon age (which I am unsure of) and the events of the next few episodes might make that different, were I to re-write this-- it all depends on her parents and her age.
13. I read on your LJ that you're changing bits of Blaine's back story to match your new head canon... can I ask just what, exactly, you're changing? Certain things (e.g. Blaine having been sexually assaulted more than once) have definitely affected how I view his interactions with Kurt, and I can't help but wonder what you'd be changing in his back story that wouldn't affect the continuity of the plot and/or your characterization.
I'm not changing that much, really. I'm changing little tiny things like dates and the e-mail address I gave him a few chapters ago. It's more about figuring out exactly how the world works and deciding on things like what boxes Blaine's Foster would have to check on a form. I am going to go back through the entire fic once it's done and fix the timeline, as well-- nothing huge, and nothing that should really affect characterization.
14. What does a standard "personal companionship" look like if the Kyle's contract is wrong/incomplete? What are some important rights that Defs DO have?
Generally speaking, there are rights that the Def is given in terms of things like "adequate nutrition" and the like. It isn't unusual for a Def to be assured things like adequate food, shelter, clothing, no permanent damage, etc., and all of that is missing from the Kyles' contract.
Defs are legally US citizens, but they cannot vote or run for office. They have the right to an education to the middle-school level; Defs who show aptitude for an area of study that is useful to the DoL may be given further education. Defs have the right to choose whether or not they do one-on-one work, although they may be pressured or coerced by their Fosters. They have the right to physical safety and access to food and clean water, as well as appropriate shelter.
15. How does the rest of the world react to the slavery system in the US? Does "slavery" exist world-wide or just in the US? How do other countries react?
The Def system is US-only. It's not generally well-regarded in the rest of the world; as a result, the US is rather more isolationist than they are in our world. There are several very old international treaties that preserve the rights of US citizens to travel with their Defs outside the US; however, it's not unheard of for Defs to claim and be granted asylum when traveling outside the US, so generally only Defs who have "drunk the Kool-Aid" or are incredibly loyal travel outside the United States. The US government does not press for Defs who claim asylum overseas to be returned to their owners.
16. Is there an underground railroad for kids who haven't been taken to the DOL yet? I can see Burt and Carole being involved, or at least knowing people who are...
It's a really interesting idea, but not something I've incorporated into the fic-- I'd say that yes, there probably is. I don't actually think that Burt and Carole would be involved until after Kurt and Finn were old enough to fend for themselves, should something go wrong.
17. What does Seconds and Thirds refer to? It's mentioned that parents may "try" for another child after a def. Is population control enforced?
A Second (or Third, etc.) is a second child. In this verse, each couple is allowed to have one child, and if they have children beyond that, they must either pay for the contracts of those children or turn them over to the Department of Labor to be Defs.
Part of the aim of the Def system is population control, and it does succeed in that goal-- the US does not really suffer from overpopulation.
As a side note, another "positive" aspect of the Def system is that unwanted children are given food, shelter, clothing, and basic education. Monetarily, the Def system is self-sustaining, and can support both educational/care-taking for young Defs, as well as "retirement homes" for older Defs who can no longer work (they just tend not to have the best access to health care.)
18. What are the requirements for a person to get a Def? Like, is it only about having tons of money? Sounded to me like a social status thing too...
In order to become a Holder, you must have significant financial resources and be able to pass a background check. Long-term contracts are very much linked with status (hence Quinn's suggestion that Kurt purchase a second Def in the first chapter), but it's also fairly common for upper-middle or middle-class people to hire Defs for short-term contracts for manual labor/events/etc.
19. Prior to being marked, what did Blaine think about the system? Did he have a good relationship with Thomas? How was Thomas treated by Blaine's parents? Did his experience having a Def in the family whilst growing up affect his behaviour on first entering the system/going into one-on-one work?
Thomas was a household servant and Mrs. Anderson's personal assistant, and his duties began and ended there. He took care of the house and its inhabitants, and helped Mrs. Anderson manage her business. Blaine's parents were very fair in their treatment of him; he was neither sexually nor physically abused. He'd been with Blaine's parents since just before Blaine was born, and they end it about eight years after Blaine becomes a Def-- so all together, he's with them for over twenty years.
If anything, having Thomas made Blaine less prepared to do one-on-one work-- he was expecting or hoping for something more along the lines of what Thomas did for his parents, and instead he got the Kyles.
20. Is Blaine ever going to see any of the Warblers again? Are you going to write about the holidays? Are you going to write about other-future-event-x? When are Kurt and Blaine going to have sex? Is there going to be smut in this story?
I am very hesitant to give out story spoilers for this fic, as I've changed direction on it quite a few times. I will say that I am incapable of writing unhappy endings.
In terms of the questions about relationships/sex: at this point in the story, it would be incredibly unhealthy for Kurt and Blaine to have a romantic relationship, especially one that involved sex or sexual contact. It would break a huge amount of trust. This is not a healing cock story, and having sex with Kurt would not "fix" Blaine. It would, in fact, make the situation worse on a huge, huge scale. That does not rule out the two of them having a relationship in the future (the fic is labeled "Kurt/Blaine," after all), but Blaine's background would make it difficult, to say the least.
As I said before, feel free to ask more questions! I have the feeling that some of these responses may raise more questions than they answer.