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[diverged_fate]

Okay so... I'm curious. I've heard a couple people mention it... What's this 'Valentines day' holiday about?

I can kinda remember back when I was a kid... [Creasing his forehead trying to do that.] Bringing stuff to school, and you had to hand 'em out to all your friends. Something like that. So is it another kid's holiday? Christmas definitely

Comments

[meinxxherz]

From, uhm, what I--I've read, Valentines day is named after a--a-a Christian martyr, Saint Valentines, who was sentenced to death for--f-for-for preforming marriages for soldiers when, uhm, w-well, after it had been outlawed. It's a celebration of, uhm, o-o-of romance and, uh, romantic relationships.

February 14 uh, was--was also the Roman celebration of Juno, the--the-the Goddess of marriage. That, and--and women. So it's...it makes sense both ways.

I dunno, when, uh, wh-when--when you're younger, it's more of a, y'know, a-a-a celebration of all types of relationships, not just...romantic love. That's uh, that--that's kinda how I still see it...

[Having only had all of one romantic relationship that lasted for, uh, two weeks.]

[diverged_fate]

[You've got his total attention. Now this explanation is detailed and interesting and...history. The Lordsmen altered a lot of holidays as they chose or left them out entirely.]

So it's a religious crossbreed, kinda. No wonder... For kids and adults, but a little different if you're an adult.

'Love', huh? [He manages to make the word sound foreign.]

[meinxxherz]

Yeah...

[He...doesn't know if he should touch on that...love thing. He doesn't really trust himself to do it any justice.]

A--a-a lot...well...

All of the Christian Holidays are kinda based off of, uhm, pagan festivals and celebrations. And--a-and practically all of the holidays celebrated in the west are Christian.

...uhm, e-except this one called the--the Fourth of July. And...well, I-I dunno if the holidays for parents have Christian roots.

[diverged_fate]

[Awkward conversation would probably end up getting really awkward if he did.]

That's... probably why we... [A pause. Did he just say 'we?' Oh hell no...] The people I grew up with. They don't celebrate most of them, and that's probably why.

The Fourth of July... that one I kinda remember too. Fireworks. Now THAT I miss. I guess I was big into them as a kid.

[meinxxherz]

[Herz really wants to know what happened to Earth in Keats' time...but he doesn't want to pressure him into an uncomfortable conversation and, let's face it, he's got quite the knack for making the uncomfortable more so.]

This--this one Fourth of July? My dad got bottle rockets and-a--and they shot right past my mom and me. Like. Right in between us.

I-It was really scary, but also really funny.

[diverged_fate]

[Unfortunately, the entire scope of Keats' personal life is somewhat uncomfortable for him. He'll talk about parts of it, but mostly if he's not directly talking about himself.]

Bottle rockets. Bottle rockets... okay, what'd those look like? I remember the giant cloud-type fireworks with the different colors.

...Wow, that sounds pretty funny. I think my parents took me somewhere in this city. This... something Square place. Then they'd have the fireworks...

[meinxxherz]

Bottle rockets are like lil' fire crackers tied to--to sticks. You light them and they shoot into the air. You're, uh, y-you're 'sposed to put them in a bottle and hold that when it shoots off, but--b-but my dad has apparently never done it that way.

I just remember screaming "Oh my god, did that really just happen" over and over again after the--the fact.

[diverged_fate]

Man. I can't really remember those... but they sound interesting. You think they've got 'em around here anywhere?

Well... could've been worse.

[meinxxherz]

I-I'd help you look, if you're curious.

I-I mean...fireworks don't need to be for--for special occasions.

[diverged_fate]

Hey... you wanna go find some and shoot them off? I'm not busy right now.

[meinxxherz]

[He's still nursing a hangover, but for you, Keats?]

Y-Yeah. Yeah, I'd--

I'm free, too.

[diverged_fate]

You sure? Okay... let me dig around for a jacket or something, and I'm good to go.

[He'd feel kind of bad if he knew that... then again, hangovers are fairly regular occurrences to him.]

[meinxxherz]

[He'll survive.]

You, uh, you--you in your room?

[He's already on his way.]

[diverged_fate]

Yeah... uh, you probably shouldn't come in. Haven't cleaned in awhile.

[Though it would be kind of funny watching Herz dodge around the piles of everything.]

I'll be right outside. [Which, once he dug up his leather jacket, was exactly where he headed. He just leaned up against the door and struck up a cigarette while he waited.]

[meinxxherz]

[Herz is there in a few minutes, shades on, trying to hide his excitement. He was starting to think he'd nothing to worry about when before, the last few weeks, he'd felt so anxious about their relationship. Well, their friendship. Still looking for fireworks with the other teen would be fun.]

Hey.

[He smiles at Keats warmly.]

[diverged_fate]

Hey...

[When Keats saw Herz coming, he took a last quick drag--he'd smoked almost to the filter-- and absently discarded the rest. He stood up straight and grinned. Damn, it was good to see him, surprisingly good. He'd kept to himself mostly for the past couple weeks. Not unusual for him... but then again, having a friend was unusual. Probably not worth feeling surprised over.]

Nice shades you got there. How've you been, anyway?