#i STILL can't handle whole or sliced tomatoes because of it

[arachnerd-8-legs]

just saw an article saying how arfid is on the rise (it's good to raise awareness of it) but like

i feel like it's been there the whole time but people just called it being a picky/fussy eater and made it a thing of "it doesnt have to be your favorite" if not even force people to eat stuff that made them sick, instead of acknowledging that this could be a real thing.

kind of like with autism diagnoses where ppl say its 'on the rise' when people just bullied you for it in the past without thinking

[withacapitalp]

Because the girlies really loved my last post about Argyle (and I can't remember if I put this here or not) have some more unconditional jargyle love

“I got a job today,” 

All conversation halted as over a dozens pairs of eyes turned to stare at him. Argyle gave them all a half smile and shoving some more vegetables in his mouth. 

“A job?” Jonathan managed to sputter out, looking at Argyle like he was from another planet. He did that a lot, always had, so it didn't really bug him.

Argyle was fine with being weird.  

“Hawkins Pizza! Gino wants me to start on Thursday, earlier if I can. They reallllllly need the help,” Argyle said with a disappointed shake of his head, taking another bite of broccoli and telling them the whole story. 

He had gone in on an impulse while he was waiting to pick up Robin and Steve from work. He had just wanted a slice, maybe to pick some up for dinner tonight so Joyce didn’t have to cook, but he had walked into a waking nightmare. Half baked mushy dough, tomato sauce that tasted like it came right out of a jar, and a cheese blend that had zero stringiness. 

They didn’t even have pineapple. It was a complete travesty.

The owner hadn’t appreciated his observations at first, even threatened to kick him out, but he had managed to swing the man around by offering to make him a real pizza. 

Twenty five minutes later Argyle had a job offer and a super nice new boss. Turns out the dude was way chill, just overwhelmed by being one of three restaurants left standing after the earthquake. But good pizza made everyone feel better. It was one of the reasons Argyle had loved being at Surfer Boy so much. 

“Y’all won’t be able to handle the sick ass pies I’m about to be slinging,” He said with a lazy shaka and a chuckle. 

Everyone was still looking at him, but not with as much confusion. They all congratulated him,  lowly going back to the conversations they had been having before. 

Well everyone except Jonathan, but that guy was always zonked out. 

“You’re staying?” Jonathan finally asked. 

“As long as its still cool for me to crash on your couch, my guy,” Argyle answered. Shoot. He probably should have asked that first before taking the job, but he had just been excited to get to start making pizzas again. Being in Hawkins wasn’t anything like Cali, and he had jumped at the chance for something just a little bit familiar. 

“Of course it is. Stay as long as you want,” Jonathan answered automatically, not missing a beat, “I just- I-“

Jonathan cut himself off with an irritated sigh, turning to stare down at his plate. Argyle let him have the moment, bopping his head along to the music playing in his head and happily spacing out. 

Jonny needed things like this, moments where he could debate whatever was going on inside. His best friend was ‘cerebral’ as his abuela would put it- he needed time in his head to find the right thing to say. 

Or he needed time to find the courage to say he wanted to say without fear. Either way, Argyle didn’t mind waiting. 

“I guess I just didn’t expect you to want to stay,” Jonathan mumbled out, still keeping his eyes on his plate and not his best friend, “I mean given how insane everything is,” 

It was insane. It was all insane.

Two weeks ago they had been hitting golfballs into old cars and talking about how Jonathan needed to get his shit together, and now they were sitting in the living room of an abandoned cabin halfway across the country, surrounded by people who had only taken ten days to feel like family to him. 

It was insane that Jonathan’s little sister could move stuff with her mind, and there was apparently an alternate dimension full of hell beasts that were determined to break into their world and destroy everything. It was insane that he had known nothing about the guy he swore was his best friend, and it was insane that Argyle still managed to find a way to love him through all of it. 

But sometimes insane was a good thing.

“Where else would I wanna be?” Argyle said instead with an easy grin, slinging an arm around Jonathan’s shoulder and leaning into his best friend’s space. 

[kresnikcest]

So five thousand years ago (July 2022) I got the raws for the last three chapters of the Scenario Book short story from Yume and while I refuse to acknowledge Chapter 5, the last two chapters are still GREAT in a vacuum and @chuchushoot's comment reminded me that the scenario book actually does a really good job at demonstrating just how different ludger and julius become from their child selves

If you haven’t already, please read @yume-x-hanabi’s translation of the first four chapters here. I am skipping Chapter 5 for the time being but I will summarise.

Also friendly reminder of Ludger’s POV on the pasta thing here.

Machine translation as always, but thank you to @lastthroes for giving it a quick look over back in July <3

Chapter 5

15 y/o Prime Julius meets 25 y/o Fractured Julius, who basically runs down the whole future development thing to Prime Julius, and Fractured Julius is aware he’s the divergence catalyst. He’s able to reach a Level 3 Chromatus without using Ludger’s watch. Fractured Julius identifies Prime Julius' age because he doesn't have a scar on his eyebrow. They talk a little about Bisley and Rideaux, and Fractured Julius assures Prime Julius that Ludger will never recover his memories of Claudia. Prime Julius eventually does kill him.

Chapter 6

After completing his mission report to the Department of Dimensional Affairs, Julius was back out on the streets of Trigleph. The only differences between this dimension and the Fractured Dimension he had just destroyed was that the poster on the wall read the year 4292, and the tomato market had not been wrecked.

As he approached his home, a warm and gentle scent wafted over him. Quietly, he entered the apartment and found Ludger cooking alone. He was wearing an apron, his left hand covered by the glove, and stirring a boiling red sauce in a small pot.

"What are you doing?"

"Um..."

The stirring stuttered to a stop, and his seven-year-old little brother turned to face him.

"Julius... Welcome home."

"I thought I said that cooking was forbidden."

Ludger turned off the stove and covered the pot with the lid. Usually, he would wonder about Julius' expression, while immediately starting to tidy up, but not today. Today, instead of looking away, he stared directly at Julius.

"I’m sorry, I didn't listen to you…"

Julius noted a small change in his brother.

"But... But my teacher at school said..."

He watched his brother try to muster up the courage to explain himself.

"My teacher said, "When I'm tired, it makes me really happy to come home and see my family has made a warm dinner for me.""

"..."

"And you seemed really tired lately... and..."

"And?"

"And… You said that cooking is for people with free time who stay at home all day and don't work. And... I've always had free time."

Julius couldn't respond, and fell silent. Ludger carried on.

"So I bought a little pot using the money you gave me..."

Looking, Julius realised there was a new, small pot on the stove that he’d never seen before.

"I thought if I had something I could handle better, something like you getting burned wouldn't happen again..."

So that was why he wanted the money. Julius had jumped to conclusions, assuming that Ludger had had the same intentions as Julius himself when he was young and asking his father for money. The difference between that and his younger brother’s kindness made him feel something he hadn’t felt before. Then...

"And the knife?"

Ludger hadn't expected that response. He paused for a moment.

"Uh... I bought it. My teacher at school taught me how to use it. I practiced a little every day, and now I know how to properly cut vegetables with it."

"Is that so?"

"I can't cut things in the air like you can, but..."

On the cutting board, there were neatly sliced pieces of garlic and onion.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you about it."

Julius faced his brother once again.

"But... It's not store-bought, I made the tomato pasta myself. I want to eat it together with you. So please, let me finish making it."

For the first time since they started living together, Ludger showed his brother his strong will.

"Ludger, you..."

Julius’ eyes fell to Ludger's tightly clenched fist. Then he realised.

"Let me see that."

He grabbed Ludger's left hand suddenly.

"Ah--"

Ludger resisted, but soon Julius had removed the glove from his small hand.

On Ludger's fingertips were a number of cuts. The glove Ludger had supposedly purchased to mimic Julius' was, in reality, only used to hide that Ludger had injured himself while learning to use a knife.

"You--"

At a loss for words, Julius fixed his eyes on Ludger's. His face was reflected in his little brother's eyes, and he remembered he wasn't wearing his fake glasses at the moment.

Julius' expression mirrored the one on his brother’s face.

"... It's not bad."

For the first time, Julius felt that this little boy was his brother. From the bottom of his heart, he wanted to protect his only "family". Just like the version of him ten years in the future said...

"So how long until it's ready? I'm starving.”

Realising this was Julius giving his approval, Ludger burst into a smile.

"It's almost done!"

.

Ludger brought the tomato pasta he'd made for Julius for the first time to the dining table. His secret practice resulted in a well-presented pasta topped with beautiful red sauce and basil leaves.

"Thank you for the food," Julius said, then reached for the fork.

Ludger watched, heart pounding, as Julius silently took a bite of the hot pasta.

Despite noticing that Ludger had a keen eye on Julius' reaction, Julius said nothing. Eventually growing impatient, Ludger asked:

"How is it?"

Julius deliberately paused before answering.

"It's delicious."

"Really?"

"Yes. It seems you've inherited your mother's talent."

"Mom's... Hm, what did mom's pasta taste like?"

Julius took another bite to verify the taste.

"Your way of seasoning and cooking the sauce is very similar."

"Wow," Ludger said, happily.

"It's very similar, but... There is something different about it."

"What? Tell me, Julius."

At his little brother's shining eyes, Julius recalled an old memory and answered.

"I think the difference is… She used more tomatoes."

"More tomatoes?"

"Yes."

Ludger tilted his head to the side.

“Your pasta is going to go cold,” Julius said, before continuing to eat. 

Remembering his own plate, Ludger hurried to start eating.

"Um, Julius, where are your glasses?"

"...Does it look weird to see me without them?"

"No… It's just been a while since I've seen you without your glasses. I think you look good with or without glasses, Julius."

"Then I guess it looks good today."

Chapter 7

Thirteen years later, Julius was 28 years old, spending busy days as Spirius' Director of the Department of Dimensional Affairs.

It was the morning before he left for work. Having finished getting dressed, he stood in front of the mirror in his room. He always put on the fake glasses last. As he picked them up, a thought occurred to him. 

The calm eyes of his Fractured self, ten years in the future. Julius looked at his own eyes in the mirror, and suddenly realised something.

"When he'd said I hadn't been scarred yet, he was talking about..."

The scar on his left eyebrow. The memory of what had caused it almost resurfaced, paining his heart.*

"Julius, breakfast is ready!" Ludger called from the kitchen.

"Coming!"

Putting on the fake glasses, Julius stepped out of his room.

.

Ludger had set breakfast on the dining table, and the smell of freshly brewed coffee was in the air. Beside the table, Ludger was filling Rollo's food bowl with a conservative amount of Kitty Krisps.

Rollo waited, motionlessly, for the food.

"That's a pretty small breakfast," Julius remarked.

"Meow."

Rollo didn't seem very pleased either.

"He's on a diet," Ludger said.

"What?"

"Only because you keep feeding him canned food when it's not time for a meal. Don’t you think he’s gotten fat?"

Julius picked Rollo up and nuzzled their noses together.

"He's saying you're fat, but you look perfectly healthy to me, don't you, Rollo?"

"Meow!"

"Stop that, if a cat's fat it's because of the owner. Do you know how dangerous it is to a cat's health if they're overweight, Julius?"

Ludger's lecture continued on, but Julius found his scolding pleasant. He took a sip of coffee and murmured that it tasted good, then diligently listened to his brother’s lecturing.

Rollo gave a spoiled cry, and rubbed his face against Ludger's leg. Seeing the cuteness, Ludger's expression relaxed, and his rambling preaching stopped.

The typical morning scene made Julius happy. To protect himself, Ludger, Rollo... this irreplaceable little family, he would make any sacrifice. He finally understood the words of his Fractured self from ten years in the future.

"...No."

The present me is already three years older than he was. I’m the older one. That’s a strange feeling.

He sighed, then suddenly laughed.

“Hm?” Ludger tilted his head in curiosity.

"Nothing, nothing at all. Come here, Rollo."

"Meow!"

Rollo purred, attentive.

* = Reference to the second Official World Guidance story "His Scar", where 16 year old Julius enters a Fractured Dimension with Rideaux. 8 year old Fractured Ludger who never met Julius is the Divergence Catalyst, and either Fractured Ludger or Claudia inflict the scar on Julius in self-defence.