(un)changed

"That's what innocence is, you know. A blissful oblivion of what's coming, of what you'll lose and what you'll gain, and what kind of person you'll grow up to be." -Laura Wiess

[thetasigmaintraining]

“The frosting is the best part though…” He didn’t wait for Koschei to change his mind about the frosting. He already had a knife ready to remove the frosting, leaving as much of the cupcake as possible in tact. He only wanted the frosting after all. 

“I know it’s not much, but I promise I didn’t make it myself. A cake seemed a little much–” There was going to be a cake at the surprise party. He swelled with quiet pride at the thought. “You can’t say you don’t like sweet things though. When it comes to frosting, I mean. You like me after all.”

[anotherbeginning-blog]

Somehow it wasn’t surprising that Theta almost literally pulled a knife out to take the frosting off while midsentence trying to convince Koschei to eat it. He had to laugh when Theta assured him that he hadn’t made it, though. He knew exactly the thoughts going through Koschei’s head it seemed. 

“Where did you get it, then?” he asked, picking a bit of it off and popping it in his mouth. It was sweet, but not too sweet, he supposed.

“I don’t like most sweets,” Koschei hummed around another mouthful. He paused to wipe some crumbs away and leaned down, dropping a kiss into Theta’s hair. “You’re more dorky anyway.” 

[anotherbeginning-blog]

Koschei knew in the back of his mind that he probably wouldn’t get through today without some kind of extravagant display for his loomday. But as the day neared its end with no confetti, candles, or screeching Deca members in sight, he thought he might just get lucky this year. And then he opened his bedroom door, arms full of texts he’d need for upcoming classes.

At least it was a small affair. Koschei couldn’t say he was particularly upset at the thought of having an entire evening of Theta’s attention. Who was currently sprawled across his bed with some confection like - what was his name? - ah, Casanova.

Koschei swung the door shut with his shoulder and dumped the books onto a bookshelf before turning back to the room and Theta.

“We don’t even have birthdays, you know.”

[thetasigmaintraining]

“I know that,” Theta said not moving from the bed. 

He was still grinning, all too proud of himself. He knew Koschei wouldn’t have enjoyed a major party. Although the boy still had a proper Deca party planned for the next night. He would tell Koschei about that later. Much later. For now this version of a ‘loomday’ would, he hoped, be much better received by his boyfriend.

“They don’t exactly make Loomday banners anywhere though. Besides, since when has either one of us really enjoyed a Loomday. I think it’d be much better if we just scrapped that idea and adopted the human Birthday tradition.”

Not that Theta really understood what birthdays were all about either. 

Annoying your boyfriend with presents and drowning them in attention.

[anotherbeginning-blog]

Koschei settled onto the bed next to Theta, taking the cupcake from him. It was true that no one really celebrated loomdays, save for the eighth if the House planned on enrolling them in the Academy, but that sort of made the entire thing that much more odd, in Koschei's opinion. If he had a problem with odd, though, he probably wouldn't be quite as fond of Theta as he was.

"Take the frosting," he said simply, holding the cupcake back out to Theta. That was probably as close as the other man would get to agreement in something to do with adopting human traditions.

[thetasigmaintraining]

@anotherbeginning

When Koschei enters his room he will find the Christmas Tree has been… altered. Theta has adjusted the plant so it now takes up only the right corner of the room; still decorated with lights and decorations. A ‘Happy Birthday’ banner is attached to the tree and the opposing corner on the same wall. Beneath that banner is a small stack of presents, mostly Earth books that Theta thought the other young time lord would enjoy.

In the top box however is a new, engraved knife. The engraving contains one Gallifreyan symbol for each of their names without any obvious significance  to those not in the know.

Theta is sprawled across the bed looking all too proud of himself, holding a cupcake. 

[anotherbeginning-blog]

Koschei knew in the back of his mind that he probably wouldn't get through today without some kind of extravagant display for his loomday. But as the day neared its end with no confetti, candles, or screeching Deca members in sight, he thought he might just get lucky this year. And then he opened his bedroom door, arms full of texts he'd need for upcoming classes.

At least it was a small affair. Koschei couldn't say he was particularly upset at the thought of having an entire evening of Theta's attention. Who was currently sprawled across his bed with some confection like - what was his name? - ah, Casanova.

Koschei swung the door shut with his shoulder and dumped the books onto a bookshelf before turning back to the room and Theta.

"We don't even have birthdays, you know."

[wingsandtinkering]

“Competitive for seats.” As if that explained it entirely. Which–for Jude–it did. He grinned warmly as he finally remembered to step back some so that Koschei could come into the house. “Do any of you lot ever win wha’ver there ‘s to be won in all tha’?”

[anotherbeginning-blog]

Koschei still wasn’t sure they were the same, after all, it wasn’t like people had children just to get them into that one last spot at the best uni. “I don’t think there’s really anything to win, to be honest,” he replied with a sigh, following Jude’s backward steps into the house. There couldn’t be a baby here, right? You couldn’t cross your own timeline. 

[wintermae]

Mae’s eyes were still on Koschei. “Not in a way that made me lose sleep,” she answered finally. “I always figured it was somethin’ a bit more abstract rather than literal.”

[anotherbeginning-blog]

Koschei got the feeling that he was getting under her skin or that she was making fun of him. Not that that necessarily made him want to change the subject. “Theory in and of itself tends to abstract.”

[wingsandtinkering]

“Sounds a bit like uni admissions…Jus’ a bit more cut throat.” From what he’d looked up and been told that kind of comparison wasn’t that far off the mark. “Don’t like the gap to be minded, do they?”

[anotherbeginning-blog]

“How are they similar..?” They didn’t seem very similar at all to Koschei. Granted, he had a very limited knowledge of how Earth education worked from when Drax had camped out in some academy for a few months, but that had never stopped him from presuming things before. “The Houses are competitive with each other, so it looks bad if they have empty seats.”

[wintermae]

Her lips twitch up as she watches him survey the walls around them with a critical gaze. “That it ‘s. An’ not bad amounts of it at that.” She was quite content where she was. “Names don’t always have to make sense.”

[anotherbeginning-blog]

What was the point of a name if it didn’t describe something? That was kind of their purpose, wasn’t it? “I suppose,” Koschei replied simply, still looking around. “You never wondered why it was named that?”

[thetasigmaintraining]

“No, the Time Lords- Well the ones that run things around here keep stuff from all the places they send expeditions. It’s sort of like the Vaults, but less…” Theta hesitated knowing that place was not a happy discussion. “..Haunted. It’s where I got some of my first globes. Can you believe they were going to get rid of all of that? It’s not too far from the Academy though.”

[anotherbeginning-blog]

Koschei shrugged. As long as it wasn't going to be Theta bent over a bunch of ancient foreign flags for hours and hours on end, he could probably find something that caught his attention. Either way, it was worth it to get out of the Academy for a while. "Lead the way."

[wintermae]

“I don’t have a reason to lie about the name of the place that I work.” Again she shrugs. “Never really thought to ask. Just kind of accepted it an’ went with that.”

[anotherbeginning-blog]

Koschei took a moment to look around. There wasn't anything theoretical about the place at all. It was all standard technology for the time period and nothing was virtual or holographic. "I guess money is money," he replied off handedly. "Even if it makes no sense."

[wingsandtinkering]

“I know. The uh…Looms ‘s ‘ow the lot of you do tha’. Whenever you do.” Lucky for Jude he had looked up the hows and whys for them a long while ago. “Do they always stay full or do people cycle ou’ of them?”

[anotherbeginning-blog]

Koschei had to admit he was impressed that Jude knew what he was talking about. Of course, with Winter as a mother, that wasn't really that surprising. "Well, if someone dies, that spot becomes open. They usually try to fill it right away, though. Or if someone deserts or is exiled."

[xdutyofcare]

The Doctor rolled his eyes, mind already whirling with ides. “Who said I’m going to do any of those things? Maybe I’m going to start with questions. Questions are usually the best place to start, don’t you think…Koschei?”

Part of him wanted to run, not screaming; but run all the same. This feeling of dread crawling over his skin made him nearly shudder. This boy that would one day grow to hate him, if he didn’t already–the Doctor couldn’t tell; the timestream wasn’t clear enough. “You said this was a new face…what faces have you met?” 

[anotherbeginning-blog]

Questions sounded a lot like a way to say ha, I didn't do what you said I would do, which also sounded very much like Theta, but Koschei didn't remark on it. This one seemed to be doing better than the others, anyway. Most of them couldn't even look Koschei in the eye, let alone say his name. 

"Oh, uh. A few. A couple alternate versions of Theta - one who'd already left Gallifrey.. A broody one with a leather jacket, the bowtie one, one, uh, with the... celery." Koschei paused here, sort of grimacing at the Doctor as if to say please never try to accessorize with vegetables again. "Lots of the one who spent way too much time on his hair."

[anotherbeginning-blog]

“By the fucking stars.” 

Do all humans have so many children so close together? Why? That sounded awful to Koschei. Hopefully they weren’t around..

[wingsandtinkering]

Cue him raising an eyebrow and looking more than a little amused while not looking the least offended. “No more after tha’.”

[anotherbeginning-blog]

"We don't.. have children like that," he offered as an explanation and nodded gratefully in response. "Most of us don't have children at all. Most of our Houses are full."

[anotherbeginning-blog]

Koschei frowns slightly, taking a moment to be sure he understood her words. Because he sure didn’t get what they meant. “We’re what?” 

[wintermae]

“In Theory.” She pauses to motion to the building they were in. “’S called Theory. So…in Theory.”

[anotherbeginning-blog]

"...Really?" What were the chances that the place was called Theory? It was kind of an odd name, wasn't it? "Why?"

[anotherbeginning-blog]

“You know that’s not even slightly true,” he replied with a smirk of his own, rolling his eyes. “You have to be more subtle ~ “

[thetasigmaintraining]

“You never liked me for my subtly.” Theta was grinning as he grabbed Koschei hand, tugging them both to their feet. “I think I know a spot where they still stash the stuff that comes back from missions. They’re too clever for their own good.”

[anotherbeginning-blog]

"Yeah, because you don't have any." Koschei let himself be pulled up with a groan, dusting himself off where he had touched the floor. "Where did they go? Please don't say Earth."

[wingsandtinkering]

Jude offers up an encouraging smile that he couples with a small nod. “No’ too bad at all, ‘onestly.” He clears his throat before adding, “I ‘ave a younger brother an’ sister too.”

[anotherbeginning-blog]

“By the fucking stars.” 

Do all humans have so many children so close together? Why? That sounded awful to Koschei. Hopefully they weren’t around..

[wintermae]

A small fit of laughter bubbles over her lips. “’M sorry. It wasn’t about what you said so much as the irony of it since we’re in Theory.”

[anotherbeginning-blog]

Koschei frowns slightly, taking a moment to be sure he understood her words. Because he sure didn’t get what they meant. “We’re what?” 

[wintermae]

“That’s true. But to be fair you an’ I only really chatted about once.”

[anotherbeginning-blog]

Koschei hums in agreement, sipping at the steaming coffee before nodding. “It’ll get easier in theory.”