May 1916
The scholarship letter came first; one that he couldn't even remember applying for.
SAINT PATRICK'S COLLEGE & BOARDING HOUSES
OFFICE OF ADMINISTRATIONS AND FINANCIAL AID
Dear Mr Theodore Hargreeves,
I am delighted to inform you, that you have been awarded a full W.J. Worth Foundation scholarship to Saint Patrick's College. This will include tuition, boarding and other such expenses paid in full.
Each year the W.J. Worth Foundation selects only a small collection of students, whom they choose with great care, for this endeavour. Each selection takes into account the consideration of both the candidate's academic achievements, as well as the individual's character and extracurricular strengths.
Naturally, the final decision to attend is yours, but we hope that you will join us at Saint Patrick's College.
Sincerely, Edward Stein
Dean of Admissions & Financial Aid
June 1916
Followed by the acceptance and attendance letter that had Eleanor proudly beaming for an entire week.
SAINT PATRICK'S COLLEGE & BOARDING HOUSES
OFFICE OF ADMINISTRATIONS AND FINANCIAL AID
Dear Mr Theodore Hargreeves,
We are pleased to inform you, that you have been accepted into Saint Patrick's College & Boarding Houses. Dormitories are opened from August 25th 1916 and term begins on September 1st 1916. We eagerly await your arrival.
Sincerely, Edward Stein
Dean of Administrations & Financial Aid
July 1916
And the letter of educational supplies that were required for him to attend and learn.
SAINT PATRICK'S COLLEGE & BOARDING HOUSES
OFFICE OF ADMINISTRATIONS AND FINANCIAL AID
Dear Mr Theodore Hargreeves,
Please find an enclosed list of all the necessary books and equipment.
Sincerely, Edward Stein
Dean of Administrations & Financial Aid
UNIFORM
All ninth grade students will require:
1) Three sets of shirts (Striped)
2) One set of detachable cuffs & collar (Striped)
3) One school blazer (Navy & red trim, with School Crest)
4) One plain cotton tie (Red)
5) Three pairs of school socks (Black, Knee-High)
6) One pair of Oxfords (Or similar)
7) One boater cap (Or similar)
8) One pair of bloomers (Cotton or similar)
All male students will require:
1) Twos sets of shorts (Grey, Knee-Length)
2) One plain vest (Navy)
All female students will require:
1) One pinafore, (Navy, Calf-Length)
2) One middy blouse (White, Long-sleeve)
Please note, that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags. We will not be held responsible for any misplaced or ruined items of clothing.
BOOKS
All students should have a copy of each of the following:
1) THE WANDERER BETWEEN TWO WORLDS, Walter Flex
2) JUST DAVID, Eleanor H. Porter
3) COURSE IN GENERAL LINGUISTICS, Ferdinand de Saussure
4) THE COMPLETE WORKS OF SHAKESPEARE, William Shakespeare
5) ARITHMETIC VOL 9, Robert Jaegar
6) CATECHISM OF HISTORICAL PRESERVATION, Max Dvorák
7) CANADA IN FLANDERS, Max Aitken OUR SOLDIERS: THEIR WORK FOR THE WAR, Hall Craine
8) ENGLAND'S EFFORT: SIX LETTERS TO AN AMERICAN FRIEND, Mrs Humphrey Ward
9) THE ART OF WAR, Sun Tzu
10) PLANE GEOMETRY BOOK ONE, Edgar Blanes
PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT STUDENTS ARE NOT ALLOWED TO BRING FIREARMS TO SCHOOL. STUDENTS WILL USE SCHOOL-ISSUED FIREARMS TO PRACTISE.
OTHER EQUIPMENT
1) One pencil box (Named)
2) One pack of pencils (Lead or slate)
3) One pack of crayons (Crayola or similar)
4) One eraser
5) One pencil sharpener
6) One compass
BOARDERS
1) Two sets of pyjamas
2) One set of Sunday
3) Best Mufti clothes for weekend outings
4) Any required medications
Boarders may also bring a comfort item from home, such as a blanket or a teddy bear. Further communication between families throughout the year, may be done through letters only. You will be contacted via telephone for/about any emergencies.
PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT STUDENTS ARE NOT ALLOWED TO KEEP PETS ON THE PREMISES.
September 1916
And then before he knew it, Theodore was being shipped off to Fort Worth for the foreseeable future. Mindless of any of his insecurities, the Gussmans had enrolled him into the boarding school and then, more or less, frog-marched him through the motions of the back-to-school fervour. Seemingly, they had had enough of his pitiful moping by the year's end and no sooner had September rolled around, had he found himself bundled up into the Gussman's car and shipped off to Fort Worth where the aforementioned boarding school awaited.
Saint Patrick's College & Boarding Houses was renowned for being a rather reputable remedial school, sat there between the two Texan cities. Boasting several highly-classed reformed students (many of whom now resided within the military or who had been wayward children of the upper class), the school seemed almost intimidating in its excellence and Theodore hadn't even seen it yet. Theodore wasn't entirely sure as to what to expect of the boarding houses, let alone the illustrious remedial school, but there was one thing that he knew for sure.
There was no way that it was going to be anything like Saint Gregory's Royal Academy (except, maybe the uniforms). For one, time was a factor in that equation, seeing as there was almost one hundred years difference between the two educational curriculums and for another, Theodore was transferring in to the school as a ninth grader (having missed a couple of grades during his mourning, but had still been able to pass the entrance/scholarship exam thanks to his previous schooling in the modern era).
It may have of seemed like such a strange thing, going to school when there was a world war raging around them; especially as children across the pond were shipped off to the country in the hopes of keeping them safely away from blitzed cities like London. But that just the thing, that was happening overseas and since it had yet to fully land on America's back doorstep, no seemed to think that hiding away in the furtherest reaches was a good idea. Though, they had started to implement military training for the boys at schools across the states; girls, meanwhile, were entrusted with medical trainings (to become nurses) or to take up the places left behind by the men in the workforce.
Saint Patrick's College, as it turned out, leant more towards the Catholic teachings that was popular of the era. Which may have of seemed like an odd place for a pair of Jewish guardians (even those who were as unorthodox as the Gussmans) to send their child to, but it was a revered school. It just meant that Theodore would be exposed to yet another sticky religion in his short time here; although adding Catholicism to the teachings of Loric and Jewish may as turn out to be the kind of hot pot that no one was expecting. Nevertheless, it was a good, reputable school and many jews of that era (even in America) had learnt to keep their heads down & to bite their tongues in these times of crisis because people had gone to war for less than the discrepancies in one's faith.
A full thirty-five minute drive later—one filled with tears, half-hearted buck-ups and gallows humour about what could be awaiting Theodore in Fort Worth—and then they pulled up to the curbside of Saint Patrick's College & Boarding Houses. Spread out across an impressive four acres, both the main school building and the surrounding boarding houses easily fit onto the green lot, plus a sizeable field that sprawled across the land separating the main campus from the boarding houses. The only thing to suggest that the college and the boarding houses were even remotely affiliated were the exteriors of each building; those were colonial in architecture, painted in terracotta and di-dyed in white moulding.
A bubbly feeling of anxiety and nervousness swirled within Theodore, giving him the fluttery feeling of butterflies as he hauled himself and his bags from the car. "Well, I guess this it" Theodore shuffled awkwardly in place, hands shoved into his pockets as he kicked idly at the sidewalk.
"Uh, yep" Elliot echoed, mirroring the teen's posture across from him. Beside him, Eleanor smiled fondly as Mr Pennycrumb pulled almost wantoningly at the leash in an attempt to get to the boy, to stay by his side.
Unfortunately, students weren't allowed to have pets (or bring their own firearms, for that matter) on campus, which was a little saddening to hear because both boy and dog had been glued to each other's side for the better half of two years. But it was something that just had to be done—"Don't worry, son, you'll make friends there!"—and the Gussmans had acted accordingly; just short of patting Theodore down to make sure that he hadn't smuggled the pug into one of his bags when they weren't looking.
Not that that would have of mattered if he had. Chimaera had always been devilishly intelligent creatures and had he wanted to, Theodore would have of been able to sneak the pug into his bags without the Gussmans knowledge because chimaeras were, first & foremost, shapeshifters. As it was, Mr Pennycrumb was instead chained to his leash and therefore unable to go anywhere (he could transform, of course, but that would cause more chaos & he still cared for the Gussmans, despite his hard & fast attachment to Theodore).
"Uh, here" Elliot huffed awkwardly as he handed over an old caramel tin filled with slightly burnt gelt cookies.
"…You made gelt cookies?" Theodore brightened, touched by the action. The little polka-dotted cookies had quickly become one of the boy's favourites, one which he had added to the growing list of vintage foods that were both weird and tasty.
"He made all on his own!" Eleanor crooned from her husband's side, happily drinking in the sight of the flushed cheeks tinged red with embarrassment.
"Ellie—!" Elliot hissed, embarrassed.
"Shush you"
"Thanks, Peto [Step-father]" Theodore smiled fondly, tears pricking at the corners of his eyes that he resolutely ignored. Over the years, these two had become more than just his caregivers; but they weren't his parents and they weren't extended family. They were…something else, entirely, something that was hard to put into words but still felt, all the same. "I'm surprised you even figured out how" Because the kitchen was Eleanor's domain and she guarded it just as fiercely as she did her recipes.
"Ted, please!" Elliot scoffed, hiding his sheepish smile as he crossed his arms in a put-upon huff. "After all that, I'm a gelt wiz, now!"
("AM I DOING THIS RIGHT?!" Elliot panicked, frantically stirring a bowl of cookie dough and absolutely SLATHERED in flour & sweat. "SHOULD I ADD MORE FLOUR?!"
"JUST ADD WATER!" Eleanor chortled gleefully from the kitchen table, a glass of merlot draped lecherously in her hands. "JUST ADD SOME WATER!"
"AAAAAAHHHH!" Elliot screeched, tears streaming down his face, as he stared helplessly at the little circles of dough baking in the oven. "I BURNT THEM! THEY'RE BURNING! WHAT DO I DO—?!")
"Really?" Theodore smiled, watching the two with a certain fondness.
"Uh, y'know, no—no problem at all" Elliot stammered, clearly telling a bald-faced lie.
"Thanks, it…it means a lot to me" Theodore sniffed, not-so-subtly wiping his eyes.
"No problem, bud" Elliot smiled as he clapped a reassuring hand on the boy's shoulder, "Don't let the world make you normal while you're gone, okay?"
"…Okay"
"We'll write you every week" Eleanor promised. "And I expect a reply"
"Deal. C'me 'ere, you big lug" Theodore readily agreed as he placed the tin of cookies atop his bags for a moment and knelt to scoop up Mr Pennycrumb. Bending close to his ear, the young Garde boy easily switched to Loric; whispering to the canine in soft tones that he hoped he would listen to. "Allez-vous setro? Allez-vous protégor örr? [Will you stay? Will you protect them?]"
"…Ruff!" Mr Pennycrumb acquiesced with huff, knocking Theodore back onto his haunches when he wriggled around in his grasp.
"Ack!" Theodore squawked in surprise as Mr Pennycrumb then proceeded to vigorously lap at his face.
Plastered with slobber, it took a few tries for Theodore to disentangle himself from both his satchel and the hyper pug in his lap, but eventually he was able to manage it. Staggering to his feet with limbs all a-flail, Theodore eventually righted himself, uncaring of the fact that he looked like he had been pulled backwards through a hedge. Following his awkward, but heartfelt goodbye with Elliot and his rather wet & slobbery farewell from Mr Pennycrumb, the boy then moved onto to Eleanor, who seemed almost expectant as he surged into her waiting arms.
"…Thanks for being the best Fena [Step-mother] in the world" Theodore mumbled into Eleanor's ruffled-blouse chest. He'd grown quite a bit over the two years he'd been with them (he wasn't Ent tall, but it looked like he would outgrow his parents, or his vera, at the very least) and at fifteen years old, he was easily able to tuck his chin over her shoulder; although in this moment in time, he simply crooked it beneath her chin.
"We love you, honey" Eleanor whispered into his crown, holding him close as she pressed a chaste kiss to his curly locks. PDA wasn't exactly common in the 10s (hence why they were getting several odd looks from those around them) but Theodore revelled in it and he refused to back down, just because of some lame social cues. Not that he had ever been one to easily pick up on those anyway. "Oh! And here, to remember us by"
"Thanks…" Theodore drawled as the two pulled back, only for his arms to be filled with another gift. This time, it was a medium-sized photo album painted in bright colours, Eleanor's elegant scrawl and Elliot's uneven printing from where he had transferred the film from roll to paper. "It's, uh, heavy"
"I know" She smiled fondly, hand on her heart.
"Ahem~!" Elliot awkwardly cleared his throat, pulling the attention back over to him, "Well, we wish we didn't have to go, but, uh, good luck with settling in—"
"—And make some friends!" Eleanor couldn't help but jump in, concerned for his lack relations (made outside of the Gussmans) in the past couple of years.
"Fena, c'me on, you guys are my friends" Theodore replied softly, as if admitting it aloud would make it any less true.
"Some real friends, Ted" Eleanor retorted, "Ones your own age"
"But I—"
"—Theodore"
"…Fine"
"C'me 'ere" Eleanor offered another hug, her arms opened wide which Theodore held no qualms about swooping into her embrace without hesitation.
"Uh…Fena?" Theodore squeaked as Eleanor encircled the boy in her arms, hugging him to the point of excess. "You're…hugging too…tight!"
"You love it" Eleanor brushed off, resolutely ignoring the tears in her eyes as Elliot and Mr Pennycrumb joined the huddled; one wrapping their arms around the two, whilst the other sat on their feet. "You love it"
"Purrrr…!" Theodore simply purred contentedly in response because, yes, he did love it. He loved this, this feeling of family.
A moment later, after having (reluctantly) extracted each other from one another's embrace, Theodore found himself dragging his bags up the shallow staircase to the front of the boarding house he had been assigned to (each one separated by gender, so as to avoid "fraternisation" between the students). Pausing at the top of the steps, he turned back to look at the curb where the Gussmans now idled in the car, waiting—watching—as he walked towards his future without them. With a final quiet wave at the two, Theodore heaved open the door and walked inside, letting the door thud shut behind him.