Transit

Date/Timing: 31 December 2006
Setting: Sabine & co's flat; Berlin, Germany
Note: Final chapter title will /probably be "Transitions"
.
In the living room, the New Year's party bursts into off-key song.
Bastien, across the kitchen table and stifling a yawn, winces.
Hermann mostly ignores the noise as he slides Edan's latest letter from its envelope, leaving the packet of photographs inside—
«Can I see the pictures again?» Bastien holds out his hand.
Hermann passes them over.
«Thanks.»
«You're welcome.»
- Hermann dearest,
Happy Chanukah! Merry Christmas! Joyous Holidays!
I hope you enjoy the enclosed snaps, as they're your present this year! I /almost sent socks, but that just felt wrong.
Please (silently) pass my warmest wishes to your grandparents and hug your siblings for me!
I'll be posting this as I board the train for my Highland home and hope hope hope it gets to you before you set out on your trip to Hamelin.
No loitering about England for me this year, /straight onto the train after my final final. I'm feeling pretty confident about the results again this time. Fingers crossed my average creeps upward again. I /will get into your graduate school of choice, I swear.
It was a quiet last week in the house since Jade, Josh, and Rhys all finished their exams early and took off home. I barely needed the headphones.
Rhys is planning on a quiet family holiday. Iggy'll be running back and forth between her parents' and the labs keeping some sort of experiment alive. I dunno exactly what she's doing 'coz it sounded fairly disgusting.
OMG HERMANN VANESSA OWNS AN IRISH WOLFHOUND!
I l♥ve big d♥gs! They are so /brilli♥nt!
Her parents brought Possum with them when they came to pick her up. What a sweethe♥rt! He's apparently a big coward and hides under tables when he's startled, but he's so /cute! (See photo)
I may have to commit marriage fraud so I can get custody. -
Hermann snorts his way into a chuckle.
«What's so funny?»
«Edan's threatening to marry a woman to get closer to her dog.»
Bastien furrows his brow. «What's funny about that? It's a stupid way to get a dog.»
«He's not attracted to women.»
«Umm ....»
«He exclusively likes other men.»
«So ... not like you.»
Hermann blushes a little. «No, not like me.»
«Sofie and Anaïs like boys and Marko likes girls.»
Hermann acknowledges.
Bastien chews his lip.
Hermann bumps his shoulder.
«I'm, uh, not sure what I like.»
«Bunny, you're only eleven. You have plenty of time to figure yourself out. I was the same way at your age.» Smiles. «Even when you /think you know yourself, your understanding can change over time.»
Bastien exhales, tension bleeding from his posture. «That's cool. Thanks, Manny.»
«You're welcome.»
Bastien sorts the top picture behind its fellows.
«Here's a good example of someone whose understanding changed,» says Hermann. «This's Edan's friend Trinity.» Points. «It wasn't until she was sixteen that she fully recognized she was a woman.»
Bastien queries.
«See, ever since she was born, people told her she was a boy. It took a long time, but she eventually realized all those people were wrong.»
«But why would people think that? Women and men look /really different.»
«Because Trinity looked like a man.»
«Oh! You mean she's /transgender!»
Hermann blinks. «Where did you learn that word?»
«I found it in one of Sabine's textbooks.» Smiles, sheepish. «I was bored one day while you were writing and she and Dee were making dinner.»
«That's exactly the right word.»
Bastien preens, adds, «She's really pretty.»
«Yes, she is.»
«And this /has to be Edan's sister.» He points to the other face in the picture. «She looks just like him.»
«She certainly does.» Hermann breaks into a dopey smile. «She doesn't have his sparkle, though.»
«That's because you're not in /loooove with /her.»
Hermann grins wider. «Maybe so.»
«Of course so,» scoffs Bastien.
Category:Ficlet
Category:Hermann
Category:Hermann's POV
Category:Hermann (ficlet)
Category:Bastien
Category:Bastien (ficlet)
Category:Conversations via snail mail
Category:Edan
Category:Edan (ficlet)
Category:Dietrich (mention)
Category:Vanessa (mention)
Category:Possum (mention)
Category:Anais (mention)
Category:Trinity (mention)
Category:Fenella (mention)
Category:Ficlets with images
Category:Berlin (setting)
Category:Sabine (mention)
Category:Pages with comments
Category:Celestial Mechanics
2006 12 31
Category:Prompt