#Also applys to alt girls | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

punkeropercyjackson · 2 months

Text

Alr i'm gonna assume the best of newer and younger Pjo fans spreading misinfo on punk!Percy and by extension irl punk history and culture by guessing you guys aren't doing it on purpose and were just lied to about us so here's a bunch of debunks and clear ups on punk and why Percy is which also works as a sort of list of tips on how to write punk characters,canon and headcanon and completely original

So the obvious one out of the way first:Percy is actually not canonically a skater boy!There have been exactly two lines of this context in the entire franchise and one was in Som when he mentioned skateboarding once and then never again and the second was in Moa when Piper said he and i quote 'looked like a skater'.Sorry to past cishet Pipes but that's not a thing and Avril Lavigne making a cisheteronormative lyric that's extremely underservingly stuck around for forever dosen't mean she was right that he is one,it means she had internalized homophobia and gender stereotypes and no actual knowledge on alt subcultures because again,'looking like a skater' isn't a thing,it's a sport and not an aesthetic

With that,here's what actually makes Percy a punk:He was a bully beater from a young age and it escalates into full blown direct action for the whole saga,hates authority figures not for the sake of it but because he knows from experience that they're almost universally awful,is anti-corruption including his own by fighting against his intrusive thoughts to turn evil,does activism by helping fix the greco-roman mythos world system whenever he gets the chance to no matter how small,advocates for the rights of less fortunate people both mythical and human,hates rich people,fits entierly out of the box conformity in all aspects simply from the way he is even disregarding his demigohood,respects all minorities and is extremely kind to kids to the point that he adopted Nico and Hazel as his younger siblings and pseudo-kids because they don't really have parents(Hades/Pluto is abusive + Maria and Marie are dead).He fills out every punk requirement to a T,including being part of a marginalized group since he's poor and mentally disabled(audhd with dyslexia,bpd and ptsd)

He was a hero and Luke was a villain because they both hated the gods for traumatizing them and had nonpretty trauma responses from it but Percy still tried his best to stay kind not for his own sake but for his mom and the innocents in the world he knew didn't deserve cruelty and he provided and still does a safe and loving space for children specifically because he was a troubled but good kid once too and wants to be the positive adult figure for them he didn't get to have except Sally.Luke choose nihilism and that grew into turning a serial child abuser with bigoted ideals(his biggest targets being women and poc and in Kelli's case both)and fascist tactics.They weren't 'two sides of the same coin' and they're not even the same currency-Percy's a punk,Luke's a pig

Romantic attraction to someone based off them being 'ideal' by society's standards goes against punk beliefs!Our whole thing is nonconformity and that changing your true self to fit in makes you a sellout so this is why Perachel was canon and honestly i'd go as far as to call the 'outcast punk dude x perfect prep girl' a myth made up by normies who don't wanna date us for our actual personalities and just think we look hot so they objectify us.Related,it's ooc for Percy to be written to use kinds of flirting and dating treatments purely because 'it's what guys are like' since it's canon they hate traditional masculinity and consider it a burden they only force on themselves as a defense mechanism from trauma of being mocked for being 'not normal'

Ascention to godhood or into a titan inherently disquilify being punk and is an insult to irl punks.You literally can't be punk AND in control of a corrupted system,it's our lifestyle to fight them,not perpetuate them.This also applies to him dating deities,being rich in any way or an abuser.Dark Percy is Bootlicker Percy

Sorry to y'all who still think Hot Topic is a funny joke in 2024 of all years but they sold out to capitalism and conformity a loooooong time ago so Percy wouldn't be caught undead near that place and couldn't afford anything anyway because they've upped everything to rich people prices.He'd be going to thrift stores,family bussiness and small shops.Knowing how much free time he has probably knows how to DIY things that don't even exist and he buys all his games/consoles and legos secondhand

No Taylor Swift for him,her music's too corny and fabricated for him to not hate it but there's also how she's a huge bigot,a major bully and a whole ass poluter so🤷🏽‍♀️His favorite band is definitely My Chemical Romance but All Time Low,The Cure and Ramones are up there too

Please draw him with an actual battle jacket and proper piercings-By which i mean give it patches and a hoard of pins and draw it like a BATTLE JACKET,not a LEATHER jacket and actually google kinds of piercings instead of just slapping metal wherever onto him

He is NOT masc or an 'i'm too cool and edgy to like cutesy and kiddy things' type.Every single trans woman i've met in the Pjo fandom have said Percy's an egg and super femme and she does too much actual punk shit instead of trying to look the part to be a poser to care about her image anymore.She loves Polly Pocket,Warrior Cats,Animal Crossing,Foster's Home For Imaginary Friends,Bluey,Blues Clues,MLP,makeup,glitter,yk2/90s/80s toys,cats,Lo-Fi Beats,Cookie Monster and her second favorite color is pink,she loves naturally acting like a momdad and her gender fuckery includes a neopronouns hoard

Would most definitely have radicalized Nico and Hazel into goth punk and pastel goth punk if Rick let them be a proper trio and speaking from experience,it's entierly possible she does it completely on accident by making them want to be like her because of how nice and protective she is to them and what cool things she does

Few last points:She's definitely a heavy energy drinks consumer,a socialist,does vandalism,did actually super heavy research to go full punk once she realized she is and would never be friends with Harry Potter and in fact would probably kill him if they met since ACAB

21 notes · View notes

kthyg · 1 year

Text

ghoul. — (rhapsodies)

[SPECIAL INSTALMENT: (CHRISTMAS) RHAPSODIES]

pairing: ot7 x reader

rating: 13+

genre: tokyo ghoul au, soulmate au, fluff

disclaimer: this story is a work of fiction. descriptions of the BTS members in this story does not reflect nor portray them in real life. everything in this story only fits in imagination and does not apply outside of imagination.

warning: nothing much, just; domestic yoongi, domestic jin, lots of soft kisses, hugging, an emotional and sentimental moment with yoongi and his first love, cannibalism joke (just once from tae). japanese terms of endearment are used in this by jin and tae.

word count:

lexicon & profiles | masterpost | masterlist | navigation

note from winter 💌:

this is my first christmas fic - yeayy!! also this is just my poor excuse to be extra emotional and sentimental idk idk i want to give a nice scene for my ghoul babies bcs ik they wont hv a nice scene for some time in normal ver ha ah ha ah…

this instalment is the softest I've ever written...

its been a long time since I write a story based on a song. the last time was winter flower by younha ft rm, a story about a girl healing from depression but reached a point where she couldn't handle it anymore, suddenly wanting to end everything. it was a open ending story tho :) anddd now rhapsodies joins as the second story that is based on a song.

also, just a friendly reminder that rhapsodies is not sharing the same timeline as the released chapters of ghoul. if possible, its a future story but whatever information (such as relationship, places, etc...) in this instalment is valid for the alt story and main story :D

ok so i don’t really celebrate christmas but i think i kind of know the feeling (not 100% because i would love to celebrate holiday season with snow ;-;) because i have gone through it with my maternal relatives - i joined them during 2019’s christmas! 🫶🏻

I HOPE IT ISNT TOO LATE FOR A CHRISTMAS GIFT 🥹 (be nice w me this is the first time i've ever written a full fluff)

💌 what is winter listening to? : first love by bts (suga) & piano ver by smyang piano, first love by hikaru utada, christmas tree by v, my dearest by amalee (original by supercell).

📝 if you want to know more about this au, you can refer to lexicon & profiles. any other questions you can refer to me !!

dedication: to my first love.

Snow has been falling for days now, piling into a thick layer of what looked like shaved ice on almost everything. It was a special evening today; your squad, the Q squad was preparing to celebrate Christmas. You and Yoongi had invited the others; Taehyung, Jungkook, Hoseok, Namjoon, Jimin – your and Yoongi's soulmates, - Rosé, Mingyu, Minghao and Sunoo.

You sat comfortably and warmly in the company of the fireplace and your members, Jisoo, and Lisa, as the three of you decorated the Christmas tree. The pine tree that stood mightily in front of you was a real deal, all thanks to Namjoon.

When you told him you have always celebrated with the artificial one with your loyal friend, Somi, during your days in the Jeon Quarter, he immediately told you he would buy the real one just for you. He had done the same thing for Jungkook back then because unlike you, Jungkook couldn't even celebrate the festive season during his childhood.

You could've disagreed and told him to get the artificial one, but all your soulmates agreed with Namjoon before you could even voice your opinion and defeatedly accepted his decision. You couldn't stop him from doing things his way – The strong-headed Kim Namjoon.

The crackling fire sound was soothing to your ears. The warmth of the fire was very inviting for you to jump to the couch and wrap yourself with a blanket and a mug of hot chocolate providing extra warmth in your palm.

Curling into a ball, basking in the heavenly warmth on this cold day; you could always do that any other time. As you and your friends decorated the tree in meaningful silence, the doorbell rang, disrupting the silence.

"Can someone go get the door?" Jin yelled out the request from the kitchen.

Jisoo immediately got on her feet as she volunteered with a cheery smile, "On it!" But her smile was quick to fade once she reached the door and opened it as she mumbled in a boring tone. "Oh, it's you…"

Greeting with an equally boring tone, "Save the disappointment for another day, 'lil sis," Taehyung rolled his eyes. "I'm here for my lovers anyways."

"Who's at the door, Soo-ya?" You asked, making your way towards the door. Once you've seen the invited guest, you beamed, "Oh–! Hi, V."

"Hi, hime," he opened his arms as an invitation for you to slot in and you did. He smooched the crown of your head lovingly as the lovely nickname spilt from his lips warmed your cheeks.

"Come in," you broke the hug and ushered him to step in. "Jin's in the kitchen preparing food for tonight, and Yoongi's in his room."

"(Y/N)!" Jin called for you. "Can you help me here?"

"Be there in a second!" You responded and turned back to your soulmate with a welcoming smile, you told him, "Make yourself at home, Tae."

Once you were completely out of their vision, the silence was loud, "Don't get too comfortable," Jisoo narrowed her eyes at her brother.

"Stop being so hostile," he sighed deeply. "It's Christmas, for God's sake."

"Hostility is subjective," she retorted.

"It will be objective today or I'll have your half-human flesh as dinner tonight."

"Obscene!" She gasped out loud as her hand reached out to slap Taehyung's shoulder, offended.

"Jisoo, the Christmas tree isn't going to decorate itself!" Lisa shouted from the living room.

"Of course it won't, Lisa!" She huffed but obliged either way as she turned towards to living room, continuing decorating the Christmas tree.

The kitchen was filled with the heavenly and divine smell of delicious meals being cooked. Jin multitasked his way through the kitchen since the afternoon. Yoongi has been helping him but he retreated to his room after some time now.

"Hey, kareshi," your arms snaked around his waist as you hugged him from the back, chin resting on his shoulder as you asked, "What do you need help with?"

"Hello, kanojo," his thumb brushed across the skin of your hand that was wrapped around his waist lovingly and softly. "Who was that?"

"It's Taehyung," you told him.

"He's early," he mused to himself. He turned around to face you as he rested his arms on your shoulders, lazily slinging them around you. "Can you help me with the chicken?"

"Of course," you smiled.

Jin lowered his face, killing the distance between your face and his as he placed a quick kiss on your lips. It was a short moment of two lips having contacted but the heat still flared up to your cheeks and your stomach filled with butterflies.

"It won't be long; you can check on Yoongi in his room after you're done."

You stifled a giggle with a frown, "I didn't even tell you I was going to check on him."

"Soulmate instinct," he winked at you and stole yet another kiss from you. This time he remained a bit longer. No tongues were involved as it was purely lips-to-lips interaction but were enough to be a very meaningful kiss.

A frown on his temple, fingers cupping his chin as Jungkook pondered. He and Namjoon were on their way to Yoongi's squad apartment but decided to stop by the 5th ward mall because Jungkook decided to buy a present for you. He knew you had told all of them to not buy you anything, but he was never the one to listen, so here he was.

"What should I give (Y/N) for Christmas?" Jungkook asked his companion as they walked into the mall. The mall was decorated with Christmas lights, trees, and all other related decorations. The branded stores also decorated up to the session and released brand new items to fit into the festive session.

"A lingerie?" Namjoon suggested mindlessly.

"What the fuck, hyung." Again, a deep frown found its place on Jungkook's forehead at his soulmate's idea.

"It's a suggestion." He shrugged.

"Well, what do I buy her lingerie for?" The younger cast cursory glances at the stores. Feet had their own mind as Jungkook walked to wherever his feet took him, and Namjoon followed suit.

Having a late realisation, Jungkook's eyes widened, "Are you hinting I should fuck her tonight? At Yoongi's apartment?"

Namjoon gave his soulmate a side glance, "Not a bad idea?" then he shrugged, "I would prefer calling it love making though, since it's Christmas."

Jungkook let silence be the language between them as they continued to stroll around the mall until there was nothing to be explored but as if the brain had relied on the conversation they just shared, their feet stopped in front of a lingerie store.

"Maybe it's not a bad idea after all."

"Told you." And Namjoon walked into the store with Jungkook trailing behind.

"Jimin put that down."

Hoseok's deep voice burst Jimin's little bubble of fantasy as he glared at the younger. "What? Hyung, no," he flashed his soulmate the white fluffy tail butt plug and a pair of white fur cat ears. "This is cute!"

The other only gave him a dirty look, "You're just kinky."

Jimin had heard that almost every time, he was shameless and immune to it. 'Kinky' has probably become a compliment for him now. He would be more than proud if someone called him so.

"You would like it if it's on (Y/N)," you would definitely look cute in this, no doubt.

The tail-like butt plug inserted in your arsehole, leaving your pussy dripping with wetness, and the cute cat ears to match the tail. You'd look so pliant and submissive, and with that costume, it would give an extra hardness, extra adrenaline rush, blood rush down to their cocks–

"Or unless you'd like it on you?"

Flabbergasted, heat rushed to Hoseok's face both from embarrassment (for thinking about you in a public setting and popping a boner) and humiliation (from Jimin's sexual innuendo), "Hah – whatthefuck, shut up Jimin!"

"That's what I thought," he has a smug grin tugging on his lips.

"Thank you for purchasing!"

What.

"Jimin!" No way he actually bought it.

Well, you'd look cute either way.

Yoongi wasn't in his room.

And when that happened, he could only be in one place. You stood in front of the door – the door to the space where he found solace at any time given.

You have been in there with him occasionally. The two of you would sit in silence, content with just the presence of each other as the bright stars in the dark sky became the only source of entertainment most of the time you and him were in the room.

On rare occasions, Yoongi would sit on the brown piano, you next to him and play you a piece that never told you the name of it even when you had asked about it. He would brush the question away with a kiss on your temple and the same word "Untitled".

And right before you, the sound of the 'Untitled' piece was playing. Your hand reached to knock on the door, "Yoongi?"

"Kitten," his voice was mellow as he answered you. "Come in."

Stepping in, you took in your surroundings. It was the same as when you last saw it. There wasn't much to keep a tab on the room except for the brown piano that settled on one side of the corner, the only furniture in this spacious room of nostalgia – as Yoongi would call it. "What are you doing here alone?"

"I'm not alone," he told you. He was sitting on the piano stool as his fingers rested in between the keys. "I'm with my first love." He looked at the piano fondly before he brought his gaze to you with equal, or if could, greater fondness.

"First love?" You asked as you approached him. The room was dark with no source of light except for the sun outside. The sun was slipping, creating a glorious conflagration that blazed fiery colours. They appeared silky, smooth combinations of red, yellow, and blue in the sky that illuminated the room, colouring it like the sky.

"The piano," his hand reached out to take yours in his, guiding you towards the seat next to him. "The first thing I learn to love."

Placing your fingers delicately on the piano keys, you pressed the keys of Yoongi's favourite piece, the one he named 'Untitled'. You didn't play it until the end although you did remember the whole piece just from listening to him playing it. Reaching the last note of the piece, your fingers retreated from the keys. "Do you want to tell me about your first love story?"

Your voice has always been so soft, delicate, and mellow. Who was Yoongi to reject your request? Maybe it was the time you knew the meaning behind the piece you had just played that you learned by heart from him. Chuckling, his fingers started to move around the keys as he silently answered your request.

"From the corner of my memory, in the corner of my childhood house," fingers leisurely hit the keys. "A piano was there."

"Hmm?" Your fingers joined his on the keys, as you played to harmonise with him. "What colour was it?"

"Brown," he breathed out. "A brown piano settled on one side."

He continued, "I remember that moment, where I was barely any taller than the brown piano. I looked up to it, because of my height but also because I was in awe. I yearned for it the moment I had touched it my little fingers."

"It felt nice, I told my mom." His fingers pressed on the last notes before changing to another key. "I was content. Just from looking at it. It felt so nice that I played, however, my fingers wanted and even then, I still didn't know its significance."

"It's nice that you know your first love even as a child."

"What's your first love, kitten?" He asked, fingers still on the keys.

Yours too, on the white jade-like keys, as you answered him, eyes closed. "Us."

You continued, "I didn't understand the concept of first love back then, but my parents could easily be my first love, but I know I love them from the moment I was brought to this world. I didn't learn to love them because by default, I have already loved them. They were my unconditional love."

Your fingers paused mid-air, "First love," resumed, "It can be interpreted in many ways,"

The first time you learn how to truly love,

The first time you love,

The first time you felt truly loved,

The first time you are loved,

The first time experiencing the true definition of love.

"But it will always have the same impact; unforgettable and irreplaceable."

"True," Yoongi agreed softly, the soulful melody still filling the room.

The mellow sound that came from the graceful movements of Yoongi's fingers on the piano continued to become honey to your ears. Your fingers were now placed on your lap as you let your lover play the black and whites on his own.

You turned to look at him, to take in his beautiful side profile. His skin was glowing. His eyes were closed as he focused on letting his digits work their wonders on the eighty-eight.

He looked stunning.

Sometimes, less was more, and you didn't need to elaborate more on Yoongi's majestic presence.

Ethereal.

"First love isn't always sunshine and rainbows," he told you once he finally opened his eyes, his fingers had stopped, leaving the last note he had pressed echoing around the room. "Back then during my elementary school days, I remember, I was finally taller than the piano."

"But dust was piling on top of the white jade-like keys. I neglected it when I yearned for it so much. I still failed to see its significance," his fingers were like a feather as he ghosted his fingertips on the keys.

Melancholy as he continued, "Until a day came that marked the last day of the piano."

"Don't feel sorry for not recognising the significance or recognising it late," you told him.

Your fingers raised in the air and were softly placed on the right keys as you pressed. Fingers had their own mind as they danced on the black and whites, continuing where he had left. "Don't worry even if I leave. You will do well on your own. Though it is an end to our relationship, greet me happily when we meet again, no matter in what form."

Yoongi looked at you with acute nostalgia. One hand of yours left the bar of whites and blacks as you reached for his hand, "Let's give a proper greeting to your first love."

The brown piano that stood mightily in front of you was the exact brand of piano Yoongi had back then. It might not be the original form of his first love, but in whatever form a piano could be, it will still be the first love of Yoongi.

"Let's finish this piece together."

Even though I was gone for a long time,

Without repulsion,

You accepted me.

His fingers picked up where they had left as he confessed, "You may not be my first love, but you and the others will always be my eternal love. The people I loved, love and will love for eternity."

Even when I pushed you away,

Even when I resented meeting you,

You were firmly by my side.

"I wish to love you the way of my first love, I want to love you every day."

So don't ever let go of my hand.

I won't let you go ever again either.

"If there comes a day where we have to end everything the eight of us share, I wish to continue loving you, every day until my days end."

The two of you hit the last keys, and as if feathers, fingers were lifted slowly and smoothly from the keys. The piece came to an end. It came to a meaningful end. An end that filled with so many emotions. Conflicted at first but harmonised in the end.

"I love you, (Y/N)."

"I love you too, with all of me."

The sun slipped completely away from the horizon as the light on the sky was then replaced with clouds of dust of bright, shining stars;

A kiss sealed the vow.

–

The food was almost done by the time you entered the kitchen with Yoongi. Jin was preparing the plates and utensils along with the dishes to be put on the table with the help of his younger sister and Lisa. You and Yoongi joined them to help but Jin shook his head and said that everything was almost done and asked the two of you to accompany Taehyung into the living room.

When your feet strode towards the living room, the doorbell suddenly rang again, making you halt in your steps along with Yoongi as you looked at him, "I think that's the remaining guests," you motioned him to sit with Taehyung as you walked towards the door. "Let me get the door."

Once you twisted the doorknob to open, you were greeted with two figures, both having muscular build and cute faces, carrying almost the same aura had you not known these guys like the back of your hand.

Namjoon was the first to greet you as he pulled you into a hug, "Merry Christmas, princess," he kissed your cheeks before going for your lips. You savoured the feeling of his plush lips on yours.

He pulled back and said, "Apologies for our delay."

Jungkook was quick to lock you into a tight hug and cradle your head in his arms. You returned his hug with equal enthusiasm before replying to Namjoon, "No, don't worry. You guys are not late at all," you broke the hug, much to Jungkook's displeasure as he whined at the loss of warm contact.

"Plus, Jinnie just finished cooking," you added.

The sound of a car's nearing the neighbourhood made Jungkook whip his head towards that direction. Recognising the car and the wild skill of driving (no value for both life and the car; Jimin), he said, "I think that's Jimin and Hoseok."

The three of you watched as Jimin safely and perfectly parallel-parked his car next to Taehyung's. Hoseok got out of the car and appeared to be nagging about something as his mouth danced at a fast pace with a frown etched on his forehead.

Probably nagging at Jimin, again, for his reckless driving.

When Hoseok neared the entrance where you, Namjoon, and Jungkook stood, his eyes shone with bright felicity as he waved enthusiastically in your direction. His lips could practically be seen as a lovely heart shape with perfectly aligned teeth to complement his charming look.

"My lady," He reached for your hand to kiss your knuckles. "Hello, lovely ladybug."

"Hello, Hobi," you gave his cheek a quick peck before he moved on to greet his other soulmates with the same gesture.

"Doll," Jimin was like a wind as one second, he was right behind Hoseok and the next second, he was already in front of you while his arms snaked around your waist, locking them to leave no room for space between you and him. His nose caressed yours before his pillowy lips lowered down to seal a kiss with your lips.

Pulling away at a small distance, breath mingled with his as you wished him, "Merry Christmas, prince charming," and he took your lips on his again. Your arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer.

After some moment, you pulled away – because you knew he wouldn't – to let him greet his other soulmates. Just like Hoseok, Jimin was a fair and equal person as he kissed the others as well. When you thought no one else was coming, a female figure was approaching, and it was a figure you knew so well.

"Rosie, my favourite flower!" You ran towards her with a gleeful smile. Arms opened as an invitation for her to intertwine and exchange body heat with you.

Finally reaching you, she wrapped you with her winter coat, "(Y/N), my favourite person!"

"You walked here?"

She nodded, "The distance between R squad house and Q's is not that far, you know that!"

Giggling, you broke the hug and walked her towards the door where all your soulmates have been watching your interaction with Jimin's younger sister. Once you reached them, Jimin snatched– pulled you to his side – to which Rosie rolled her eyes at her brother's unspoken possessive act.

"Ahem," a voice interrupted.

"Gyu!" A gasp escaped your throat once your eyes landed on the newcomer – or newcomers, plural because he wasn't alone. "I thought you wouldn't come."

Another figure approached your crowd, and you couldn't help but smile once you saw who it was. It has been so long since you've seen them because Gyu's squad was assigned to a mission in China. Minghao reached out to you for a greeting hug as jested on his soulmate, "He? Wouldn't come? He was literally so excited when you sent us the invitation."

"Of course, I would come, lotus," Mingyu rolled his eyes at him and come to join your hug with Minghao. "I'm your life-time partner."

"We are partners," Minghao italicised. He then directed his full attention on you as he nuzzled his face in your neck. "I miss you, dainty lotus." Although the hug didn't last long because you were pulled away by none other than Jimin. Minghao was bewildered at the sudden loss of warmth, but Rosie patted his shoulder with a shake of her head, "Don't mind it."

Another voice entered the scene with sassiness, "Are you guys done yet?"

Sunoo walked to the door of the house. He had arrived shortly after Taehyung and helped Jin in the kitchen. He crossed his arms as he said, "Close the door because it's so freaking cold outside."

"Jeez, Sunoo," Minghao slung his arms around the younger's shoulders. "Cut that sassiness, it's Christmas!"

Rosé jumped on the duo cheerfully, "Right? Chill a bit," she said with a light tone.

"I am chill," he slapped Minghao's chest playfully. "Just close the door and get it you guys. It's freezing outside."

You chuckled before urging them to get warm inside. Jimin was still by your side as all of them walked towards the living room until he saw Taehyung on the couch. All your soulmates that have just newly come immediately greeted him. Jimin hogged him and smothered him with kisses on the face and one deep kiss on the lips. You watched the duo fondly. The eight of you might have shared a deep bond but maybe Jimin and Taehyung shared an even deeper bond with each other, and you admired it.

You saw Yoongi already making his way towards you and with expectant arms, you welcomed him into your embrace as he slotted in perfectly by your side. It brought back old memories where you had always thought Yoongi was a person that hates physical touch, though it was true to an extent because he was only touchy with his soulmates and especially with you but loathed having skin contact even the slightest with other than listed.

"Merry Christmas, guys," Jin walked into the living space as he greeted them one by one including your friends. The apron that he has been stuck with has finally been removed from his body and his clothes have changed. "Let's eat before the food gets cold."

You let yourself be situated in between Namjoon and Hoseok at the dining table and enjoyed the food Jin had cooked with so much love – helped by your members and Sunoo as well – The room was filled with chatter and laughter as the food goes down into everyone's stomach. They went from KCCG matters, as you asked Mingyu and Minghao about their mission in China – you knew they wouldn't have a difficult time in China given that Minghao knew the way around the country – to some random topic to not let an awkward silence fill in the room.

Before Christmas, all of them including you had made an astounding achievement that you would like to consider this Christmas celebration as a celebration not just for the festive season but also for them. Rosé and Tae's squads joined hands in the 2nd Wipe Out Operation conducted by Namjoon, S2 Squad; you, Jimin, Jungkook, Jin and Yoongi, was successful during the Owl Suppression Operation that was led by Hoseok, and the latest; Mingyu and Minghao's mission in China.

It has been a tough, hectic weeks, but everything was successful and everyone was safe as they returned in one piece. You were glad your soulmates were willing to celebrate Christmas along with your friends – especially Mingyu and Minghao. You knew your soulmates would very much want to celebrate this festive season with the company of eight, and that was why you were glad they had agreed to celebrate it together.

Also given that it was the first Christmas you got to celebrate with your soulmates.

The first Christmas where you get to celebrate with your loved ones, your first love.

The first Christmas you get to create lots of memorable memories with your loved ones.

It was the very first true Christmas you celebrated after your parents' death.

145 notes · View notes

not-souleaterpost · 23 days

Text

20th century boys - scrapped reveals and plot twists?

Don't know if anybody cares about speculating something as hard to proof and irrelevant, but I had a few ideas while reading, which even if didnt come true, seemed to be getting hinted at and with how much was made on the spot I wonder if they were originally the plan...

So not really them mentionened besides random yt comments that may or may not be an alt account of me...

Spoilers of course.

Donkey was supposed to be friend?

Remember how Donkey was first introduced? As the weird kid others ostrociced and didnt really want to include, who actually was very smart and talanted all excentricitys aside.

And he was the first "friend" to die, as a classic misdirection - while having an obvious excuse introduced to fake his death "Oh all his siblings look just like him..." (Also the evil twin angel was really emphasised with the fat bully kids at the start, hmmm....)

Donkey was the one that had the skills and near supernatural abilities while being the classic story of a good kid cracking and turning - tieing the dark subversion if shonen magazine tropes.

His whole skepticism of things could tie into too with him cynically learning that "Oh people want to fall for superstitions for illusions, really friendship is fake as well, so why not start a cult, not like its hard for me to make some tricks..."

The symbol being sent by him would be than a cheeky hint, the intentional start of a goose chase, but no geese will ever outrun a donkey...Even all the showing of Donkey in the first half would not just be as motivation for the middle aged friend group, but a setup for this dark twist, while laying the seeds of the themes, maybe even having Dunkey in his twisted logic think he did it for their sake, to make them be the heroes they didnt become.

Oh and also the whole Aldrin Moon Nasa thing seems to work the best for him - with him being the stereotype of a "I fricking love science" kid (who if I dont misremeber is said to have actually wiaited till it happened and didnt fall asleep, but maybe Im misremebering that part) and also his familys lack of money stoping him from enjoying many activities with his "friends" (even having to watch tv with Kenji...)

Oh and for any "well how would he set it up, was the one injured guy lieing about what Donkey said before he threw him of??? Or was that all part of his plan??!"

And yeah its convoluted and kinda breaks the "trying to figure out a mystery without the author just lieing and pulling bullshit" part - but Urasawa does it anyways, with all the reveals obviously not being planned before getting changed again (as he admits)

Oh and also that applys to the "real" reveal (the first one) - we literally saw the friend guy have an emotional breakdown, say he knows who the real friend must be, remove the friends mask and say he isnt that and then fall to his death

So if the Dunkey twist goes against the story, so does the real one. "Ohnono, you just had to assume that he lied and hired actors for his family and then did a double misdirection plunge to the dead and-" Yeah ok Donkey could have done that too.

but for the other theory

Kiriko/the protags sister had a "virgin birth"

So remember when there was that random detail about "Godzilla being a girl and giving a birth without a father"? And how this godzilla thing getting a callback with the mom saying she is one cause her virus killed that many people?

Well isnt it weird that the actually weird part wasnt adressed? Especially when Kanna was mysterious from the start and that at the same time talks of a "Holy Mother" started, as did all the Christian imagery with saviors dieing, resurecting and the pope (with Catholics having the biggest connection with Mary...)

But then it didnt pay of - guess she really had a secret relationship with a random half-friend of her younger brother🤷‍♂️ Not saying that that is more fantastical than all the magic and conspiracys but still a weird detail, especially with the romance and relationship not being explored at all.

It even seems to be anti thetical, with the sister being very mature and selfless, while "friend" is childish and egoistical (well maybe a certain codependent weird thing makes sense now but ehh...)

Still what would make more sense in a dramatic story with supernatural elements - the model sister suddenly just having a kid and abandoning it without ever telling anyone about the father who she only found out was evil after having a consensual relationship which she didnt really have a reason to hide at the start

Or if she DOES have a miracle birth...

Like Kiriko was literally shown to be a perfect sister, doing everything for her brother, being responsible, taking everyones shit, even sacrificing her well being for her brother and others while having a stoic expression.

Maybe she actually did magically get a baby and that scared here enough to abandon it without explaining because who could believe it.

Or maybe something cause it, something she couldnt explain.

Like Friends "magic" or "science"(magic) - hence why Friend calls himself "the father" - he kinda is, in some way, indirectly, idk

Or, as a subtheory...

Kiriko was friend. Think about it, she would be "the father" if her research developed a way to create a child without a fathers DNA (I mean there is a magic anti-proton bomb, and the virus is also not really scientific), the "father" being the part of her that is the alter ego executing the plan, the magic and the tricks.

But more importantly, it would be the perfect obvious misdirection - they were so busy searching for a boy in their class, missing the obvious girl who was just a few years older, who may even in younger photos, if she could have had short hair as that other girl love interet with the dog as a kid had, may have looked as a standard early middle school boy.

And the thematic motivation would be perfect too - she allways just saw everything from the outskirts, she had to be the older and responsible one, not having a chance to ever play like her younger brother did, being resentful of not being able to have a secret base and alll, especially when the other girl could join later.

The scientific angel is there too, as the metaphor of "being in the space capsule while the others got all the fun and glory"

Also it would be a perfect hiding in a plain sight twist thing "Oh my sister disapeared and left a baby, I wonder who this mysterious masked individual is who seems to know me and my friend so much while even knowing the name of my sisters kid... Guess we'll never know🤷‍♂️" (bonus connection - the concert being "not real rock" could be the sis either trolling him on porpuse, or doing it as a intentional thing while also not understanding why it doesnt work, showing that there is this misunderstading between siblings that could get solves in the end)

#20th century boys #naoki urasawa #theory #scrapped concept #conspiracy #donkey #kiriko #yeah #sorry

7 notes · View notes

tobiasdrake · 29 days

Text

The Disappearance of Yuki Nagato, Episode 1.

I like how, back in Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya, I said they should just stop the movie halfway through and end it on everyone settling into the new reality and accepting this world as it is. But the movie disagreed with me.

But then they cancelled the show and when they brought it back they decided that they want to make a show in the new reality instead of going back to the original canon.

So I feel kinda vindicated by that.

Anyways, Yuki show on Crunchyroll with screenshots provided by shady piracy website, let's go!

I am so confused by the status quo of Yuki World. Specifically Kyon. But also specifically the continued existence of Yuki World post-Disappearance.

Melancholy was always pretty up-front with the fact that it does not operate on Multiverse Theory. There exists only one timeline, with time travelers moving back and forth between points on the single line - and, in fact, the presence of people from the future in the past is already baked into the present.

Kyon had to travel back in time to meet Kid Haruhi on Tanabata and give her the idea to go to North High because that's how the history goes. Kyon was always there on Tanabata giving Haruhi the idea to go to North High.

So I am already baffled about what this world is. Kyon is part of the Literature Club and has dinners with Yuki and Ryoko, which implies that he remembers the events of the movie. We don't know much about Alt Kyon but we do know that he and Yuki never spoke two words to one another.

So it could be, like, a What If scenario if Kyon chose to stay and not end Yuki's new reality. But this can't be Original Kyon because he's on good terms with Ryoko. Our Kyon was quite understandably freaked out by the girl who tried to stab him with a knife.

Are we in "Out-of-continuity Loosely Based On" territory? Because they're making references to the movie in the first two minutes so it feels like a direct spinoff. Even though it's metaphysically impossible to be a direct spinoff, because this reality doesn't exist anymore.

(Also Haruhi made her intentions pretty clear that she wanted to form an SOS Brigade on this side of the temporal fence so the fact that Yuki World still has a Literature Club is another mark against a direct spinoff.)

I dunno. My mind is spinning.

RUN YUKI

RUN LIKE HELL

"But she has no powers in this reality--" SHE'S STILL HARUHI

Wonder if Yuki still has Haruhi's powers in this reality? Huh.

Also, I like how Yuki Show begins where Disappearance was. This world was created in the days leading up to Christmas, so it figures that a Christmas Party would be the first thing we're doing. The chronology is consistent.

Which. Again. Makes it so baffling. Are we spinning canonically out of Disappearance or doing our own thing? Make up your mind!

That being said,

New Yuki is such an neurodivergent disaster girl. XD

Yuki: I want to be able to experience a full range of emotions and feelings. Monkey's Paw: I mean you're like 15 which is a pretty overwhelming time hormonally but sure. Here you go. Unlocking full range of emotions to process for the very first time ever in your life.

I wonder how much Ryoko knows? Her appearance at the end of Disappearance implied that she retains at least enough understanding of the situation to kill Kyon with a knife without even questioning why he was trying to shoot Yuki full of science gun.

I don't think she's still a Space Robot because if she had Space Robot powers that fight would have been much different. But she fully understood the situation when she showed up with knife in hand. And I think we can be pretty sure that she did that on her own; Yuki did not intend for her to kill Kyon.

But also, it's not clear how much of Disappearance actually applies to the reality of Yuki Show since Yuki doesn't remember meeting Haruhi and Haruhi hasn't formed this world's version of SOS Brigade.

One way or the other, at least she's still secretly vicious. I love her. Ryoko is making a compelling argument for Best Character and we're only six minutes in.

And then they put a knife in her hand hahahahaha.

Spinoff or alt continuity, they at least know exactly what they're doing with Ryoko.

I like how Ryoko is filling our Crazy Asshole quota but she's a very different flavor of Crazy Asshole from Haruhi. Haruhi was a gleeful crime person while Ryoko (who I think I recall being Class President?) is Lawful Menace. She'll stab you, sure, but she's not about to permit a hot pot on school premises. That would be inappropriate.

And she ships it.

Yeah. Okay. Ryoko is definitely Best Character. She isn't my character, of course; My character's Haruhi. But she is quickly making a name for herself as this show's MVP.

She ships it so hard that she's prepared flirtation cue cards. Everyone should have a bestie like Ryoko Asakura. She reels in the crushes and knifes anyone who looks at her bestie the wrong way.

Oh shit it's them.

I guess it was too much to hope that Mikuru and Tsuruya still hated Kyon's guts in this reality.

How does he even know these two? They're upperclassmen. He only ever met them in our timeline because Haruhi violently abducted Mikuru.

I would like to have a moment of silence for Mikuru.

Because Tsuruya just got her stabbed. She is so stabbed.

The "Yuki vs. Mikuru" fight is definitely going to end with Yuki, Kyon, and Mikuru going out for lunch while Ryoko and Tsuruya resort to street brawling each other.

They have the space heater!?

The one they got for performing in Haruhi's film? The absence of which from this reality was specifically one of the ways it deviated from the original?

...come to think of it, they don't have the computer. The presence of which was one of the ways it bizarrely did not deviate from the original.

This really is a continuity-free Loosely Based On, isn't it?

Lawful Menace. Ryoko found just the right hoops to jump through in order to obtain formal permission to violate the rules.

I love how she brings just enough Haruhi-esque attitude to the show while still being so distinctly separate from Haruhi in personality and behavior.

AWWWWWWWW They kept that! YIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Oh no, she is going to be part of the show.

Yuki. Yuki, run. You have no idea. You have no idea. RUN.

^_^ This show is so cute. I think I'm going to have a good time with it.

#the melancholy of haruhi suzumiya #drake watches haruhi suzumiya #the disappearance of yuki nagato

7 notes · View notes

rabidbatboy · 2 months

Text

on a long enough timeline,

the survival rate for everyone drops to zero

FAQ ;

Why does your post say ‘coined by me’? [Term] already exists.

‘Coined by me’ always refers to the flag and not the words, especially if it’s a twink, transsexual etc flag. Consider any flag made of a term/gender to be an alt flag, I don’t really believe in “recoining”

Why are you making flags for multiple different sexualities/identities?

This blog is system-ran, we just don’t individually sign off. Also, if I (Batsy) am personally coining a -boy, gay, transmasc flag, sometimes friends will request -girl, lesbian or transfem counterparts and I am more than happy to cater to that

Why isn’t my request posted yet?

I run this blog for fun and for free, either I didn’t want to do the request or it’s taking some time because I have a life off this app

You follow/reblogged [User]! Does this mean you agree with [Insert discourse here]??

Probably not. If I’ve reblogged a flag it just means I like the flag

Can I repost your terms to Pinterest (etc)?

I can’t really stop you so just make sure I’m clearly credited and preferably a link to the original post

Your ID pack has a closed name in it!

Probably! When using names from my id packs, I expect people to apply common sense and do research if they are unsure if they can use a name or not

Can I made a flag based on [my flag]? Can I make a flag in [my gender system]? Can I make a different/alt flag for [my term]?

You can do all of those things. I do appreciate being tagged in your posts but that’s mostly because I like to see what you make. I also appreciate being mentioned somewhere if the flag template/symbol was created by me, since I do put time and thought into my creations

#FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

11 notes · View notes

silver-stargazing · 6 months

Text

[Image ID in alt text]

Epilepticon Movie Marathon 2023

Degrassi Junior High (1987) (Stage Fright) dir. John Bertram

Summary: Coming back from vacation with a brand-new epilepsy diagnosis, Caitlin Ryan struggles to keep her seizures under control while trying out for the school play.

Representation: Caitlin is notable for being one of the first main characters of a tv show to have epilepsy. She isn't a one-off character who's only in a "very special episode" and then never mentioned again. She's part of the main cast and her epilepsy is brought up in later episodes.

Caitlin has several absence seizures throughout the episode. She also has a tonic clonic seizure while at a slumber party with her friends, right as they are holding a séance to summon spirits. We briefly see from her perspective what her vision is like before having a seizure, which is intense double-vision.

When she has the tonic clonic seizure, her friends, unaware she has epilepsy, briefly think she is joking before leaping into action to provide first aid. They quickly go over several aspects about seizure first aid such as not placing things in people's mouth and not holding the person when they have a seizure. One girl turns Caitlin to her side and places a pillow under her head while she is having a seizure, which is great first aid procedure.

The episode briefly addresses the myth that epilepsy is contagious, stating that it is in no way contagious to others.

Caitlin talks about how horrified she is that she might look "gross" to her friends because of her seizures and is shown to be worried about how her future may be negatively impacted by epilepsy.

[Image ID: Four screenshots from Degrassi Junior High Episode Stage Fright:

Image 1: Caitlin Ryan, a young teen girl with short dark hair, lies down while the wires for an EEG test are applied to her head.

Image 2: A yellow poster is on a glass window. The poster reads "Auditions for "Love's Fresh Face" Tonight!".

Image 3: Susie, a young teen girl, and Caitlin stand in front of blue and red school lockers. They are both looking off to the left.

Image 4: Caitlin has a big smile while looking off to her right.

/end ID]

#epilepticon #epilepticon 2023 #actually epileptic #epilepsy #caitlin ryan #degrassi junior high #stargazer rambles #epilepticon movie marathon

14 notes · View notes

six-costume-refs · 6 months

Note

I did the math (hopefully correctly, is Six math a thing like girl math yet??) that likely means nothing as Six is just insane, but assuming the Boleyn tour cover groupings stays the same in the future (big assumption, I know), if Wesley is A/B/S/P, it’ll mean both her and Cassie cover 2 roles each of the Boleyn tour alts while both also covering 2 roles each each for Ayla and Aubrey, while Cassie covers 1 of Kristina’s and 3 of Sierra’s roles and Wesley covers 3 of Kristina’s and 1 of Sierra’s (this feels the most complementary of all the options).

However if Wesley covers S/C/H/P, Cassie’s coverage for each alt stays the same obvs but Wesley would cover 2 roles each of every alt in both companies which long term could be beneficial depending on the length of Cassie’s contract vs Wesley’s.

Like I said, none of this probably applies as Six is just a ~wild~ beast of a show (and I still have a gut feeling Wesley will be A/S/H/P rendering all of this nonsense haha).

Okay hi I had to make a spreadsheet to visualize this. Including it for anyone else who might desire to see it.

I totally see what you're saying and that actually makes a ton of sense!! I don't know that it would happen just because I assume they don't feel like they need the covers to be that specific/technical (as in an additional four covers gives them a TON of extra room to move things around irregardless of what covers they are). And, frankly, Six hasn't always made the cover choices that make the most mathematical/logistical sense (hello, double covers). But it is a very smart thing to point out and I'd love to see them use that level of logistical/mathematical sense in the future.

I do agree that A/S/H/P is most likely. My technical reason for that is a little simpler: the obvious S/P, but then Boleyn Tour has double A/C and B/H so it would be better for Wesley to cover one of each which knocks out A/S/C/P or B/S/H/P. Of course that still leaves a few options, but I personally think A and H are the most likely so I'm going with A/S/H/P.

Also, what a year of manifestation with new covers. Courtney Mack having talked about most wanting to play Parr as principal to now being principal Parr, Abigail Sparrow saying she would most want to play Parr and joining Canada as S/H/P. And now we have Wesley, who said during Bliss 3.0 that she'd also want to play Howard/Parr and is now presumably covering at least one. Also said she'd want to wear the A/H/P costumes so it will be crazy if she actually gets A/S/H/P!

12 notes · View notes

brinkterminal · 8 months

Text

Moriah and Acryl are my ARMS OCs :3

image id in alt text

spring man, ninjara, ribbon girl, and min min are a team. moriah, acryl, mechanica, and springtron are also a team :)

thisi s hopefully part 1 of many but if its not what can i do right.

REBLOGS >>>> LIKES

slight lore under the cut

spring man: splatlands-raised octoling, literally just some guy. likes turf war and ranked but stays a little away from salmon run. The populace likes him. Light tetras main but likes zipcaster (Flying cackling freak)

ninjara: inkopolis-raised inkling. Current college student but not at inkblot (ninja squid college...). Likes ranked a lot more than turf and sometimes dabbles in slamon run. Cracked with the e-liter at this point he could just explode people with his mind. Sometimes goes with the bamboozler to tone it down but not any worse for it.

ribbon girl: inkopolis-raised inkling, ex-idol and better for it. does a lot of turf and has a lot of hobbies aside from that too. Applying to inkblot art academy (Still in high school). talks to the employees at the stores (gnarly eddy, harmony, etc) a lot. mains any deco weapon.

min min: splatlands-raised inkling, works at squintendo noodle house or some shit but turfs and does ranked on the side. not averse to salmon run. mains range blaster but generally likes the heavier weapons that she can get the hang of.

spring man and ninjara were a mini-team and so were ribbon girl and min min, they joined together after a few really good games.

mechanica: coconut octopus octoling raised in the splatlands. her mom was an ex-octarian soldier who defected for non-calamari inkantation reasons. her dad is a normal guy. She works at ammo knights part-time repairing weapons (her favorite pastime) and although she stays away from salmon run herself she is ITCHING to see how the grizzco weapons work

acryl (ARMS oc): inkblot art academy graduate, inkopolis-raised inkling. does turf and ranked and salmon run for money because comms aren't enough. the economy is in squambles :( also has a part-time at a flower shop with another oc of mine. lives with moriah. octobrush main forever and ever. flying cackling freak

moriah (ARMS oc): splatlands-born, inkopolis-raised inkling, also an inkblot art academy graduate. he's trying to make his own fashion brand, but for the moment he's a waiter at a restaurant and does ranked and salmon run on the side to pay rent. lives with acryl. hydra main :)

springtron: origins unknown, octoling. possibly sanitized but doesn't quite look it. de-sanitized? somehow? people don't know and people don't ask either because he's too intimidating. before joining mechanica/acryl/moriah's team he was cracked at ranked and everyone was freaked out by him. very competitive, does not often do turf, but gets very exhausted after battling, so he doesn't have many hobbies. Dark tetra dualies main, and Clash blaster when he's in a bad mood.

#arms nintendo #arms game #my art #nintendo arms #springtron #arms #mechanica #spring man #arms oc #min min #splatoon #ribbon girl #ninjara #acryl #moriah #id in alt text #inkling #octoling #arms au

16 notes · View notes

childofaura · 7 months

Note

What are your thoughts on ichikawa halu? They did Legendary Caeda, Resplendent Cecilia, Baby Ilyana, Summer Micaiah, Rearmed Ophelia, Halloween Rhea, Tatiana and Duo Ymir + Eir.

They’ve mostly drawn women so far but I would like to see them tackle an Owain/Odin alt or maybe even a Brady alt but I think that Lissa and/or Maribelle would’ve benefited from ichikawa’s artstyle.

I really enjoy their artwork, and I LOVE their work for Halloween Rhea.

So I'll break it down.

Firstly, I like their expressionwork. It's not crazy expressive like Argon or Nishiki Areku, but it's very expressive nonetheless (Where it applies, lol):

And side note, I love their effects during the crit portraits.

But also their original designs are pretty awesome; Rhea looks very pretty, Summer Ymir and Eir have well designed swimsuits (without looking too goofy), and then there's Re-Armed Ophelia and, despite my minor gripes, Resplendent Cecilia:

The designs are pretty neat, and Cecilia's is still very pretty and nice to look at.

I think it also goes without saying that their posework and their color/lighting/shading work is pretty on point. They have a very vibrant color style.

For some criticism, like you mentioned, they haven't really drawn any boys, but I have a feeling they'd easily be able to draw some boys in the child range. If we ever get Duo Kanas, I think they'd have no trouble tackling the other gender. That and I don't think their range for drawing girls is too huge, it's really just young and maybe SOME mature adults. But again, they have a type and IS keeps assigning them that type.

I think I'd put Ichikawa Halu at an 8.5/10. I'm usually pretty happy to see their artwork and that Summer Ymir and Eir they did recently was really fun.

#Fire Emblem Heroes #FEH #ask game #I feel like they could do a REALLY good Christmas alt for someone

9 notes · View notes

prairiesongserial · 1 month

Text

23.9

True to her word, Alte had found Val fresh bandages for his neck. He’d applied them and then collapsed into a threadbare armchair, legs still burning from the strain of climbing eight flights of stairs. He had to wonder how John was holding up–but John had also been the one to insist on staying with the princes, so he’d really sealed his own fate.

There were less than ten students on this level of the tower, all of them somewhere between eighteen and twenty, but they ate dinner at the volume of a class four times the size and half the age, sitting around a long table cluttered with books. They stole food from each others’ plates and debated loudly in a mix of languages including English and Yiddish, jabbing forks in each others’ directions, occasionally rifling through papers to find a quote or piece of evidence. It reminded Val a bit of how he and Valentine had sometimes snuck meals up into the convent’s bell tower to get drunk and argue theology.

“Val, you said you used to be a priest, right?” Alte called to him, breaking off in the middle of a conversation she was having with another girl.

Val blinked, surprised to be called on. “Uh–yes. I was.”

The attention of the eighth-years immediately transferred to him. The room went quiet as they all swiveled their heads. Val felt his face begin to grow hot, and looked up at the ceiling, bracing for the questions he knew were coming next.

“Why’d you quit?” The girl Alte had been talking to asked.

“I didn’t,” Val said. He’d expected talking about it to feel like prodding an infected tooth, but it felt a little easier than it had before. Maybe because he’d finally talked it over with Friday. “I was…told to stop being one. By the Mother Superior at the convent where I grew up.”

This excited the eighth-years, who all began talking over each other.

“One at a time, one at a time,” Alte demanded, waving her arms. “And in English.”

There was grumbling, but the others settled down. Val was learning, slowly, that Alte was the ringleader of this group–or, at least, she commanded enough respect that she could tell them what to do and actually be listened to.

“Why did she tell you to stop being a priest?” a student at the far end of the table wanted to know. “Were you bad at it?”

“I don’t think so,” Val said, refusing to give himself enough time to mull over the question. Friday had been angry at him when he’d brought that exact question up on the train; she’d no doubt still be angry if she found out he was still seriously considering it.

“She told me it wasn’t my calling,” he added, sensing another clamor for information about to begin. “That’s all.”

“Did she say why?” the same student asked.

Val frowned. “Not really, but–”

“Then what does it matter what she thinks?”

Val shut his mouth. It was the same thing Friday had told him, more or less. But it was also an easy conclusion to make when you hadn’t been raised from infancy by the Mother Superior and the other nuns of the convent. When you hadn’t spent your entire childhood and teenage years being brought up for a singular, specific purpose that apparently you were no longer suited to perform.

“You don’t get it,” he said. “It’s like–it’s like if you finished your studies here, and the rabbi at the top told you that he’d failed teaching you anything, and to just give up and do something else with your life.”

“He does do that,” Alte said, through a mouthful of chicken wing.

A murmur of affirmation went around the table.

“What?” Val asked.

“Most of us have failed the final exam once already,” Alte said. She gestured with her thumb at the other girl she’d been talking to. “Roza’s going on a third. You should see the notes he wrote on my thesis about murder in Shoftim.”

Val sat up a little straighter in his seat. “And you’re all still here?”

“Learning to disagree is part of why we’re here,” Alte said, a little wryly. “The old rabbis even used to say God was wrong, sometimes. Even when they were getting signs and wonders and the whole tsimmes. What’s the point in a teacher if you can’t debate with them?”

“Alte’s coming for the old man’s job,” a boy at her elbow muttered.

She elbowed him. “Well? Aren’t I right?”

“That’s not how I was taught,” Val said. He’d debated theology with Valentine and the novitiates, but he would never have questioned Mother Superior.

“I know,” Alte said, in the same tone of voice she’d used to call him Catholic earlier.

The conversation fell into a momentary lull. Roza, the girl next to Alte, looked like she was about to burst with whatever question she wanted to ask–she shifted in place for a moment, then blurted out, “Do you still believe in God?”

“Of course,” Val said, automatically. Were he and God on good terms? Well, that was another question entirely. One he didn’t really see the point in debating with a bunch of teenagers. Or in thinking about until he got to Rome, really.

“You can’t just ask a guest if he believes in God,” the student at the far end of the table said.

“Eli, you asked me this morning at breakfast if I thought God existed,” Roza snapped back at them, gesturing at them with her fork.

The student–Eli–shrugged. “There were no more challah rolls. I was feeling abandoned by a higher power.”

“You said you traveled with people who spoke Yiddish,” Alte said to Val. “Did you pick up anything?”

“A few words,” Val said, grateful for the attempt to redirect the conversation. “Uh, goyische I know. And schmuck, and tsimmes. And, uh, ketsele.”

Alte’s eyebrows shot up towards her hairline. The eighth-years broke into giggles.

“What?” Val asked.

“That’s just…” Alte trailed off, and swallowed her bite of food. “An interesting one.”

“I don’t know what it means,” Val said. Johannes had never told him, and he’d never been able to figure it out through context clues alone.

Alte cleared her throat, apparently unwilling to say.

“It means kitten,” Roza supplied, loudly. “Like a little cat?”

Val choked on air.

23.8 || 23.10

#story

3 notes · View notes