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 Posted: Fri Feb 25, 2011 2:12 pm
Zac had said six, and Ever could hardly say 'no' to a free dinner -- so he was ready and waiting when the time came. Instead of hanging out inside, he sat on the curb out front, huddled in his coat and hat, bag hanging off of his shoulder. Now that he couldn't leave it behind, at home, it went everywhere with him again.
Tucked under his arm were two books -- or, rather, two translations of the same book. One the classic King James, widely recognized as the only legitimate translation of the Bible, and Ever might have agreed at that. But, just to be safe, he brought the New King James as well.
He didn't think Zac would be exactly pleased, but at least neither were his personal copy...
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Posted: Fri Feb 25, 2011 2:33 pm
Zac's shoes skuffed the pavement, too tired to pick his feet up all the way anymore despite the indignity of shuffling. He blinked up at his 'to be companion and then glanced at the two books under his arm. There was a distinctive look to most bibles, these carried that look.
"...Is there any area of your life in which you are -not- so persistent?" He scowled up ward in curiosity at the taller youth with a wry stare on his face. If he -was- that persistent it could either end up useful... or that much worse if they took him in.
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Posted: Fri Feb 25, 2011 7:14 pm
Ever stood easily, blinking up at him -- and then down at him -- and then offering a bright flash of a smile. Back to himself, now, though it was...more...genuine. Amused. And pleased, maybe, that Zac wasn't bitching about it.
"Ah. I don't know. I'm bad with jobs." But he held out the two books for Zac to take, and shifted the bag into a more comfortable position. "...and relationships, I guess."
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Posted: Fri Feb 25, 2011 7:17 pm
"Join the club..their ridiculous anyways..." He said and took the books carefully. At least he'd respect that they were books even if he was leery of the contents. "So have you read these?... All of them not just like...bits and pieces so you can shove quotes at people on chat boards? That's pretty much all I found online..." He said and flipped open a cover just to look at the first few lines before closing it again.
"... I may not have put in the correct search criteria though..."
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Posted: Fri Feb 25, 2011 9:36 pm
"I've read the book itself." He raised an eyebrow at that, shaking his head just a little at the question. Of course Ever had read it; if he hadn't, it wouldn't matter to him so much, would it? But he shrugged away the question, because he didn't really want to get into the debate about all that.
"Several times. I can probably answer questions if you have them. Where, for dinner...?" More important things. Or at least, easier ones...
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Posted: Sat Feb 26, 2011 4:48 am
"There is a little italian family business... if you can get past that the 'head waitress' is married to the owner and that they call everyone some particular form of endearment I really like the food. If you don't well... that's where we're eating anyhow."
"Do you normally get people asking you questions about this?" He added as he turned and started leading the way towards the diner.
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Posted: Sun Feb 27, 2011 9:00 am
Right about now, Ever was hungry enough that he would have eaten just about anywhere, even that chinese place that had been closed down twice this year before reopening unchanged...he shook his head just a little and started after Zac, catching up easily.
"No, not really. Most people don't, um. Chat quite so much." Awkward. He paused, but tried to speak up before that had time to set in. "And then, people who go rummaging through my things, they usually snort and shrug it off and mock and never really give any kind of thoughtful comment."
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Posted: Sun Feb 27, 2011 4:45 pm
"oh..." he said blinking, rather surprised. "But... hmm" He said stopping and starting again. "This is a fundamental part of who you are and how you think... right?" He said tapping the book. "I mean it seems to be... no one has ever been curious enough about that ...to read it?"
The idea baffled him...why wouldn't you want to study how someone thought.
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Posted: Sun Feb 27, 2011 4:48 pm
"Well...well, I mean." That was such a weird question. Ever fidgeted, trying to figure out a proper answer. "I don't exactly live by it anymore..."
But he stopped at that, and went digging for something to something a little bit more useful than 'I don't really bring it up that much' and...well, that most of the people he talked to thought it was pretty stupid anyway. "I don't know. Most relationships are too short term."
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Posted: Sun Feb 27, 2011 5:36 pm
"But... living by it and thinking by it are two different things..." He said hesitantly. "You -believe- it...that's... rather fundamental isn't it?"
He paused watching Ever's face... "You're fidgety and you have a 'look.'" he informed Ever. "... it's not THAT weird to ask this...It's not. Besides it's not a DATE... therefor it's operating under a totally different rule set."
He'd have to introduce Dem and Ever one day he thought idly...
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Posted: Sun Feb 27, 2011 5:50 pm
"I've been with people who...who also believed it." To one degree or another. He shifted again, adjusting the strap of the bag up over his head, and pulling a little face as he blinked down at Zac. This was awkward for him. He didn't run away from answering, not really, he just...stumbled.
"But usually even they think I'm stupid for degree, or elements of it, or..." He licked his lips and huffed out a breath. Closed his eyes. This was too vague.
"Amo- the...um. He was raised presbyterian, and thought I was too extreme." He scraped fingers through his hair. "I had another ex who couldn't believe I'd given up on it entirely and tried to coax me that I could be good and gay at the same time. And then a Catholic-raised friend who had gone rabid atheist and couldn't even talk about it without about having an apoplexy..."
Ever spread his hands at that, shrugging it off. "It seems safer to not talk about it."
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Posted: Sun Feb 27, 2011 5:57 pm
"... sounds like the rest of life, but my notes get called sociopathic..." A pointed look. "You at least get called religious." He waved his hand. "People don't want to know what you think or what you do, not until you have something they want from you, and then it's you wondering what it is they -really- want from you, though not everyone does. Some people never think through motives at all... stupid really..."
He sighed and glanced down at the books again.
"So... I'm going to hell because I'm gay or only if I sleep with someone?"
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Posted: Sun Feb 27, 2011 6:01 pm
"Bit of both, worse if you follow though, though." He latched onto that like a life line, his expression relaxing some, that sly edge coming back. A smile. It was only a little bit forced as Ever raised his eyebrows at Zac.
"Why, you've never actually...?" Teasing. His hands loosened around the strap of his bag. "Well, you might be relatively safe so far if not..."
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Posted: Sun Feb 27, 2011 6:05 pm
"I didn't say that!" He said though it didn't help at all with the clarity on if he had or had not, "What about the whole forgiveness thing? Aren't you supposed to be absolved if you regret them or something? Or at least feel guilty about it? What about everyone who came before christianity? What about people who never heard of it...aborigines... is it damnation if no one ever told them abut it or are they supposed to spontaneously realize the existence of 'this' he said holding up the bible."
Back to a topic more comfortable for HIM...ha.
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Posted: Sun Feb 27, 2011 6:09 pm
"You can ask forgiveness, but you have to honestly believe it and mean it." Ever reached out to nab the book out of Zac's hands, but with a mild twitch of something exasperated slipping back in. He'd wanted to escape from this some.
"I can't regret much of what I've done, and...and I can't change how I feel..." But his words went halting. A test, and he'd failed it, basically, and that came out...weak. He offered the book back, already. "Just...read it first."
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