Established October 2015   ​All Rights Reserved 

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Chapter Eleven: A WHS Carol

Pep Talk
When they first arrived at the Children's Hospital, the Crumpets were in good spirits, singing and simultaneously playing the “Of course” game. However, once the bus stopped, everyone but Tinsley became quiet and serious and looked a bit nervous. Tinsley looked around at the group and then hopped up to give a Tabitha styled pep talk…at least she meant for it to be Tabby-esque, but Tinsley is Tinsley and it came out, well, not very Tabby-esque. 

She began, “People, people, people, sure, this is a hospital and these children are very sick, but we are here to cheer them up. I mean, we are here mainly for little Yena, and we are going to leave after only about fifteen minutes, but we are gonna give them all Hareys, and even though he is a bit disheveled and looks like he has seen some pretty hard times, the kids with probably love him anyway.” 

While Tinsley felt that her speech had been epic, the group was still silent. 

“Uh, was that the whole thing?” Kari asked. 

“Yes, I-I mean no,” Tinsley sputtered. “I am trying to tell you that while we don’t need to be — and we shouldn’t be — beagles in there, we should be cheerful and such.” Holding her arms in the air while striking a rather ridiculous pose, she exclaimed, “Smiles, everyone, smiles!”

The group took a collective deep breath and put on their game faces. Tinsley looked them over one by one and gave them a nod of approval — everyone except Sarah, that is. “Sarah Ssi, your smile seems over-acted, and frankly, it is a bit creepy,” she told her. 

“I am sorry, it's just that I am scared; I know that those kids are going to look so sad and that I am going to cry,” she replied. 

“Yes, we are all going to cry, but not right now. Little Yena needs us,” Tinsley told her with confident resolve, adding, “This is going to be like when we visit Analey’s grandfather at the senior center; we will go in and cheer everyone up, and then when we get home, despite feeling happy about having spread some love, we will cry like Pa on Little House on the Prairie.” 

“You are right! I am gonna cry…later. Let’s do this!” Sarah exclaimed. 

Tinsley led the group in reciting their IMGT and then shouted, “Crumpets Hwaiting!” With that they debussed, unloaded Harey, and headed into meet Yena while Skeeter stayed behind to direct the unloading of the Hareys by the hospital's service department. 

Little Yena
Inside, the hospital was a much cheerier place than the girls had feared, and their path to Yena’s room purposely didn’t take them past any of the other children (this was to avoid having them feel left out). So they exited the service elevator and arrived at Yena’s room dry-eyed and upbeat. A nurse preceded them, and announced their arrival, whereupon Tinsley peeked her head around the corner. She was a bit nervous but when her eyes met Yena’s she was instantly at ease. “Hello, Yena, it's me, Buttercup. May I come in?” she said in a soft voice. 

“Oh, yes, pease do,” Yena squeaked. 

Tinsley went in, gave Yena’s mom a quick hug, and then hugged Yena. 

Although shy, Yena had prepared something to say. With her best diction, she said, “Tinsey Ssi, you are the best illitrator and perpormer in the world.” 

Tinsley blushed and said, “Thank you, and you, Yena Ssi, are the best Familiar and Bow-Catcher in the world, and those are good qualities for a future illustrator and performer to have.” 

Yena was wowed by Tinsley’s compliment and couldn’t help but giggle and hide her face. “Don’t hide your face, Yena Ssi,” Tinsley told her in a sweet voice. “If you do, you can't’ see your other visitors.” 

Yena peeked through her fingers as the rest of the Crumpets filed into her room, causing her to squeal and squirm with delight. Each of her beloved Crumpets gave her a hug and then they recited their IMGT. Yena was thrilled and recited it back, even doing the hand gestures.

After their introductions, they presented Yena with a special bow from Tinsley's collection that they had all autographed. Yena was overwhelmed and exclaimed, “It looks just like the one from your daeboo. Tinsey Ssi!” 

“It should,” Tinsley told her. “Because it is. I figured that the best bow catcher in the world should have the best bow ever.” 

Everyone was quite surprised that of all of her bows, Tinsley had given Yena her debut bow. But for Tinsley it being in Yena’s tiny hands made her bow all the more special. 

Yena’s mom, who was a bit choked up, asked if they could take a picture with Yena, the Crumpets, and the bow. Tinsley replied, “Of course. However, we do have one more item that probably should be in the picture as well.” 

With that, they wheeled Harey’s case in and pulled him out. The room was already crowded and now with Harey out of his box, they were positively stuffed (pun intended). 

“Yena Ssi, I am guessing that you know who this is?” Tinsley asked her. 

“It’s Harey!” Yena exclaimed. 

“Yes, and I was wondering if you would be willing to take care of him until the Snowflake Ball? If you agree, we will need you to bring him to us at the Ball, and you will need to stay for the show to make sure he does his job. What do you think? Would you do that for us?” Tinsley queried. 

Yena looked at her mom, who told her that she would need to work hard at getting better if it was going to be possible. 

Yena asserted, “Oh, I will! I will! I will take all my meditation and sleep and do my expercises — !” 

Her mom stopped her and said, “Okay, okay, if your doctors agree, then we can go.” 

To avoid putting too much pressure on little Yena, they told her that if she couldn’t make it to the Ball, they would come to her for a special visit. Regardless, Yena was determined that she would be up for accompanying Harey to the Ball.

With Yena having agreed to babysit Harey, the group took several photos. Before they left, they made one more request of her. In a pre-scripted act, just as they were saying goodbye, Analey said, “Oh dear, what are we going to do with all of those Hareys?” 

“That’s right, we have boxes of them,” Yulia added. 

Sarah pulled out a Harey that Enid had slipped to her and said, “You mean a Harey like this one?” 

“Maybe the children here at the hospital could give them homes,” Tabitha commented. 

“What do you think, Yena? Would the children here be willing to care for a bunch of orphaned Hareys?” Kari asked her. 

“Oh, yes! We can take good care of them,” Yena answered with a delighted sparkle.

Each Crumpet briefly held the little Harey — symbolically making him a gift from all of them — before passing him down the line to Tinsley, who handed him to Yena and said, “Here, Yena, you should have the first one. Now there are a lot of children here, and a lot of Hareys. Are you sure that you are up to overseeing their distribution?” 

“Oh, yes, I will make sure they are disbributed to all the kids,” Yena assured her.

After saying their final goodbye, which had been made a bit easier by their Harey distraction, the Crumpets slipped out of the hospital, boarded their now empty bus and headed out for the Z-Idol show. As for Yena, once her project had been cleared by the hospital, she walked, and was occasionally wheeled around the hospital, as orderlies and her mom helped her pass out the Hareys. Because the job was much too big for one day, her delivery work was divided up over several days, and in the end she had overseen the delivery of three hundred and fifteen plushies. As you might expect, not only did the children love the quirky stuffed bunnies, they also took a shine to Yena, who became something of an Idol in her own right.

The Flake
After having killed it at Z-Idol and a couple of other shows, the girls were done — for awhile — with their promotions, and could focus one hundred percent on preparing for the Flake. While Halloween in Zeitgeist is essentially one big, two-week event, the WHS is an archipelago of smaller celebrations, with the Snowflake Ball being not only the biggest of the WHS events, but also the single biggest of all the events in the metro area. So one hundred percent focus is rather important. It is probably worth a reminder that the Crumpets were not only still in their rookie year, but they were also more Halloween-oriented, so putting together a show that would not only fit well at the Flake, but that would meet the lofty standards of both the Crumpets and the Snowflake Ball organizers, was a bit of a daunting task. Fortunately the girls had been thinking about the Flake for a long time, so that by the time they were confirmed as a major act, they already had a lot of good ideas for what they could do.

Once their act was approved by the Snowflake Ball Organizing Committee (or SBOC), the Crumpets practiced every bit as much as they had for their Halloween shows. But that is where the similarities ended. Between having a very different music set and wearing elegant ball gowns rather than their usual gothy outfits, the girls felt like they were in a completely different group. Adding to the much different feeling was how different the Iron Lady looked between Halloween and the Flake. Changes in lighting, sets, and the addition of things like faux icicles hanging from the riveted metal trusses of the ceiling gave the auditorium a storybook winter wonderland feeling. Over the years, the girls had all performed at the Flake, but this year they were the Gothy Crumpets, and it just felt a bit odd. Regardless, they were in top form and very well-prepared.

On the afternoon of the show, the girls arrived at the Iron Lady extra early, not only to make sure that everything was in order, but also to meet with Yena. Because Yena didn’t have much stamina, she would be seated in one of the VIP booths that are a part of the control room and tree house area, where she would have not only a great view of the show, but also enough privacy to take catnaps as needed. 

Yena arrived, dressed in a green velvet dress, with her precious autographed bow proudly perched on top of her head. The Crumpets were completely overwhelmed by how cute she looked. Fortunately there was plenty of time for E-Wamm. After getting hugs from her idols, Yena’s next order of business was to get Harey out and show them that she had taken very good care of the group's mascot. At her directive, one of the stagehands wheeled the case over to them, opened it, and pulled the scruffy old rabbit out. Harey was, of course, squished, but opening a valve under his butt caused his internal inflatable core to fill with air, so he quickly plumped up. 

Yena curtseyed and said, “Tank you,” to the stagehand, who replied, “No problem,” as he casually slipped away. 

As the stagehand headed back to do other work, Kari elbowed Analey and nodded in his direction, saying, “I think that Yena got to him.” 

As they watched, they could see him wiping his eyes and trying to avoid being seen by any of his cohorts. “That’s sweet,” Analey said. “I hope he doesn't get the business from his friends over it.” 

AnKa turned their attention back to the group when Tinsley asked Yena to officially put a Santa hat on Harey. Just as she was picking Yena up to do the honors, Jimmy and Amber arrived and joined the circle. Yena placed the hat on Harey’s head and Tabitha started singing TaeTiSeo’s "Merry Christmas," which quickly became a sing-along. As they sang, the Beets and the rest of Interrogative joined them, and everyone held hands. When "Merry Christmas" ended, they rolled onto the Who’s "Fah Who Foraze, Welcome Christmas" song. 

After their impromptu sing-along ended, Tinsley, who was still holding Yena, said to her, “Yena, we were feeling a bit odd and out of place. But now I think that everything feels just right. Thank you for taking such good care of Harey for us." Tinsley kissed her cheek and everyone gave Yena three cheers, which, of course, caused her to giggle and bury her face in her hands. 

The Snowflake Ball was a magical evening. Instead of bats falling from the rafters, it was snow, both real (from snow-makers, that is) and virtual. The ballroom floors at the satellite locations were filled with elegant dancers, many of whom were trained by May, who was, of course, at the Iron Lady with her Raspberries. Instead of being dressed as little witches, the Raspberries were now elves and fairies who performed not just with the Crumpets, but also with virtually all of the groups (they were divided into many little teams to avoid exhaustion). The Crumpets themselves had a great set that included singing everything from fun holiday songs, to a solo performance by Tabitha of "O Holy Night" that melted everyone's hearts, including one lost soul watching the live broadcast in a seedy bar at the edge of town.

By the end of the night, it was snowing lightly and the air was still. Yena was drained, but euphoric, and the Crumpets said goodbye to her, promising regular visits — hopefully one day not at the hospital — a promise that they would keep without exception. Exhausted themselves, the girls returned to the campus where they Dogpiled in the TV room. All around the Campus, and in Zeitgeist in general, things became quiet and calm and bedroom lights gradually turned off throughout the city. Snug in their beds, or in the Crumpets’ case, on the floor, most of Zeitgeist fell into a deep sleep. 

Curmudgeon Up a Tree
The peaceful slumber of the Lookzens was short-lived, as chaos suddenly erupted when loud alarms started going off and Mimzy announced, “Lockdown! Lockdown!” 


Following their safety training, all of the students and faculty began securing their areas. At the school's security office, Gracie Ann, who had just arrived for her shift, raced out with two off-duty police officers to the North catwalk tower, where sensors had detected an attempted break-in. The security officer at the school’s command center fed Gracie information that a hooded person in dark clothing had attempted to pick the lock on the tower gate and then ran North into Hermit Park when the alarm went off.

While Gracie may be accident prone, she was not someone you wanted pursuing you as she, like the Crumpets, could not turn it off and would not stop until she secured her target. Hermit Park is a pretty big place, and Gracie was darting from tree to tree so quickly that the other officers fell behind. In the dimly-lit forest, as the red and blue lights of arriving police cars began to flicker through the branches, Gracie spotted someone trying to climb up one of the trees. Like a cat chasing a bird, she leapt up, grabbed whoever it was, and pulled them down. Not wanting to hurt them, she padded their fall by pulling them down on top of herself, and in the process, re-broke her ribs. Despite being in great pain, she held tightly to her target until other officers arrived to take over.

As the chaos settled, Gracie was taken to the hospital, and the perpetrator was identified as Eugene, who was drunk and sobbing uncontrollably. Because Eugene was such a mess and had been missing for such a long time, he was also taken to the hospital. When Dean Eobseo was informed of what was going on, he recalled the lockdown, but requested that more off-duty officers be brought in to patrol the campus until it was certain that there weren't any other threats. With the campus situation under control, the Dean went to the hospital to check on Gracie. (The students, who inevitably would have gone to the hospital as well, were told to stay put until morning.) The Dean also used his hospital visit to learn more about what Eugene had been up to.

The Sun Still Rises
Even though Gracie was released and taken home after only a few hours, Dean Eobseo spent a sleepless night at the hospital waiting to confront Eugene. When dawn came and Eugene had slept off his drunkenness, the hospital staff asked him if he would be willing to meet with the Dean. Despite having a bad hangover, he agreed. 

Dean Eobseo went into his room and Eugene sheepishly said hello. Despite being only a few years younger than the Dean, he looked much older from his years of drinking. 

“I am told that you have no injuries from last night's episode,” Dean Eobseo said to him. 

“No, I am just sore and hungover. A man my age shouldn’t try climbing trees,” Eugene replied. 

With a stern but compassionate tone Dean Eobseo said, “I am glad that you are okay and that you have finally been found. Now, while I am very worried about you, my students must come first and I need to know what you were trying to do last night.” 

“I am so sorry,” Eugene said as he tried to explain. “I honestly have no idea what I was trying to do. I only remember that I was at a bar watching the Snowflake Ball on the telly. The next thing that I remember was being arrested and brought here.”

Dean Eobseo and Eugene were silent for a bit and then the Dean said, “I will drop the trespassing charges if you agree to go directly to the Bay City drug rehabilitation and psychiatric hospital. I don’t want you to be in Zeitgeist until you have been sober for awhile.” 

“I understand,” Eugene replied. “Would you be okay with me visiting Mom and Dad’s grave on Christmas?” 

“Of course. I will send a car to get you on Christmas Eve. You can stay at Ravenhurst for a few days,” the Dean told him, adding, “In the meantime I will continue to take care of your house and business affairs until you are back on your feet.” 

With that the brothers silently parted ways and Dean Eobseo returned to the LGC.

Message in the Snow
Dean Eobseo made it back to the campus just in time to start the first breakfast of winter, a tradition at the LCG that takes place the morning after the Flake. Looking and feeling tired, the Dean addressed the Lookzens gathered at Thornbury Hall. 

“Good morning. I am sure that you are wondering what all the commotion was last night,” he began. “Firstly, though injured in the line of duty, Gracie Anne is going to be okay, and thanks to her we no longer need to speculate about where Eugene is or what he is doing.” 

While he continued telling the story, one of the school’s security officers discretely interrupted him. The Dean excused himself for a moment and the officer handed him a card that security had found in the snow very near the north catwalk tower. Though it was wet and the ink was running, it was still legible. The Dean read it at first to himself and then, holding back his tears, he decided to read it to the group:

Dear Brother,
It has been many years since we went separate ways. Our estrangement is, I believe, mostly my fault and I am very sorry for how I have acted over these long decades. I am afraid that much of my behavior is born from jealousy and has been made worse by addiction. In recent months I have slipped further into self-destructive behaviour and have, as you know, been trying to drag others down with me. 

I am watching the Snowflake Ball on television in a bar and I feel very bad about who I have become. The Looking-Glass Academy is a wonderful school. The students and the Gothy Crumpets, to whom I have been very unfair, are exceptionally talented. Tabitha’s solo brought me to tears and made me realize what an ass I have been. I don’t know if you can forgive me but even if you can’t, could you please apologize to your students on my behalf? If and when I am allowed to do so I will publish a retraction of my ugly reviews.
Respectfully,
Eugene

The Lookzens were stunned, not only that Eugene was apologizing but, and probably most shocking, that he was Dean Eobseo's brother. 

“It would seem that my brother was trying, in a drunken stupor, to break into the campus to deliver an apology letter,” the Dean said as he grappled with what to do. He then announced, “Everyone, there is something I need to attend to. Please enjoy your breakfast.” With that he slipped out. 

“How the heck did Eugene write that letter when he was drunk?” Yulia questioned out loud. 

Tinsley, who was heading for the bungeoppang, casually said as she passed by, “He was always drinking when he wrote.” 

“I guess the Dean did say that they had found lots of booze in his office,” Yulia muttered, adding, “but how does a guy his age climb a tree?” 

Tinsley, now returning with her bungeoppang, said as she passed, “He was a circus performer for a long time.” 

“Right, that would explain... wait. A circus performer?!” Yulia exclaimed. She jumped up to follow Tinsley, calling out, “Tinsley Ann, are you giving me the business? Tinsley? I know you can hear me! Where are you going?! Tinsley!...”

A Glimmer of Hope
Dean Eobseo arrived back at the hospital just in time to catch Eugene before he was taken to his house to get his things and then on to Bay City. Eugene was in the waiting area, sitting by himself and pretending to read a magazine. 

Victor sat down next to him and handed him the card found in the snow, saying, “You said that you don’t remember what you were trying to do last night. Maybe this will help you recall.” 

Eugene looked at the card and felt a wave of deja-vu. As he silently read the words he had written less than a day earlier, tears ran down his face. “What have I become?” he sobbed. “Do you think that they can fix me?” 

Victor patted his brother on the back and said, “No, but with their help, you can fix yourself.” 

Eugene gave him a half-hearted smile and said, “I am scared. I know that I am weak, which is why I became such a wreck.” 

“It is good that you are scared; it shows that you realize how far you need to go,” Victor replied. “But you are not alone. I wasn’t good at being there for you in the past, but I promise that I will change that.” 

The two brothers stood up and bowed, vowing to find their way back to being, at the very least, civil to each other. When Eugene’s driver arrived, he started to leave, but turned back at the door and said, “Gamsahamnida hyung (loosely, ‘thank you, older brother’).” 

Victor nodded in reply and watched him go out to the car. While he was staring out the window, someone came up next to him and said, “Do you think he will change?” 

Badly startled, the Dean jumped and turned to see that it was Bess. Laughing, Bess said, “It is probably good that we are in the hospital in case your heart doesn’t restart.” 

“I’m not that old! ” Dean Eobseo exclaimed. 

“Yes you are, but that’s okay. Now, are you ready for the party?” she asked. 

The Dean laughed, “I guess I have to be.” 

Bess looped her arm through his and said, “That’s right. It isn’t an option. When we get back I’ll buy you a can of Z-Edge.” 

“But caffeine makes jumpy,” the Dean replied as they started their walk back to the campus. 

“Er,” Bess batted back, “you are already jumpy, so you will be jumpier.” 

“Indeed. And as for Eugene, I know that he can change, but I don’t know if he will,” Dean Eobseo said as he reflected on his brother's struggles.

Banana Uyu
When Bess and the Dean arrived back at Thornbury, the students were singing songs and playing games while they waited for the Dean to make a traditional toast called the BaUHu, which stands for Banana Uyu (milk) Hurrah. The BaUHu, which is a bit like a State of the Union Address, is considered by many Lookzens to be a critical part of the WHS, and as such, it is live-streamed throughout the campus and later posted on the school's website. If you are wondering what the deal is with banana uyu, it is a bit complicated, so for now I will just say that it goes back to some mischief that Kari, Amber, and Jimmy got into way back when. 

At any rate, after splashing some water on his face and taking a couple of swallows of Z-Edge, Dean Eobseo stepped up to the podium. The group quickly gave him their attention as they held their cups of banana uyu. Dean Eobseo cleared his throat and began:

“We citizens of the Looking-Glass Academy share the dream of making the world a better place through creativity, and we are so very fortunate that we have the resources to make those dreams reality. During the WHS, we have the honor of celebrating some of the world's great holiday traditions, while making new ones as we do. This is a time to take stock of how privileged we are, and to reflect on how rare our position is.

“In the Glass, a person's biology or ideological upbringing is only as important as they choose it to be. Here we support that which is positive and reject only that which is negative. We have found that hate serves no purpose and only propagates darkness, that the light which pushes back the empty void must be created and nurtured. We are but a handful of stars in the night sky, but we are stars that burn as bright and clear as can be. Stars that encourage all of the lights around us to shine fervently. Together we will glow ever brighter and we will make the world a better place.

“During the past year, we had our largest graduating classes with 675 high school, 309 college, and 132 postgraduates. We celebrated the first year of the LGC and the tenth year of the Glass itself. Throughout our history, we have always had far more qualified applicants than we can accept. This holds true for Consortium as well, so we will be expanding our partnership with them and opening satellite campuses in several cities around the country and internationally. The Gothy Crumpets debuted and have been exceeding expectations on every level. In fact, the success of the Crumpets in promoting not only themselves, but also the school, has resulted in the fast-tracking of two new groups that will be announced in the spring.” 

The Dean went on to mention many more accomplishments by the LG students, but most everyone, including those who were the recipients of a shout-out from the Dean, were stuck back at his comment about the two new groups. Regardless, once he was done, everyone raised their banana uyu and cheered, “Looking-Glass Fighting!” Whereupon they took a big drink.

Naturally there was a lot of curiosity and excitement about the new groups, but Dean Eobseo wasn't saying anything more. He probably hadn’t really meant to spill the beans during the BaUHu. So even the future members of those groups would just have to wait to know their status. Now, if you are wondering if the Crumpets were worried about having competition, they weren’t. After all, their job was to promote the school, its students, and its projects. The Crumpets also knew that the new groups would be “graduating unit groups,” meaning that after two to four years, they would “graduate” and become independent to make room for other fledgling groups. The Gothy Crumpets would remain the school’s only permanent group. 

Christmas
While the entire WHS is a time of reflection and healing, Christmas — one of the last WHS holidays celebrated before the Gregorian New Year — is, throughout Zeitgeist, considered to be something of a crossover point where the solemn undertones of the season begin to give way to expectations and excitement for the coming year. As such, and despite only being the beginning of winter, the WHS was in its final stretch and the general tenor of things began to change.

Dean Eobseo and Eugene, who had lost their parents when they were quite young, had every year since visited their graves on Christmas Day. It had been decades since the two brothers had stood together in the graveyard, instead paying their respects separately with little more than a nod as they passed each other between the headstones. This year there was a cautious truce between them and they made their pilgrimage together. 

Standing side-by-side in the chilly winter air, after a long moment of silence, Dean Eobseo said to his little brother, “I know it has only been a few days, but I am proud of you for apologizing and for being willing to to enter rehab.” 

Eugene smiled a little and quietly said, “Yeolshimhi ilhagetsubnida” (“I will work hard”).

Back at Crumpet Hall, Harey sat alone on his spot on the dance floor as the girls and their managers were off doing family things. Analey and Sarah were with Analey’s grandfather at the senior living center, where he ran them ragged as he excitedly showed them off to all his new friends (many of whom had already met the girls, but he was one proud grandpa). Bess, Kari, and Yulia were with Jimmy at his parents’ house, playing games and being adored by Jimmy’s little sister, who aspired to one day be an idol herself. Finally, Tabitha, Enid, and Tinsley had flown to Capitol City to see Tinsley’s parents. (Actually, the Crumpets all had other destinations that day; these were just the places they were that morning.) 
Despite only having been separated in any fashion for, at most, a day or two, on Christmas, the girls had a VidCon that, at one point, included Yena, Gracie Ann, Ava, and somehow, even NZ (he tends to pop up at odd times). While their VidCon included lots of general chatting, it was, as is tradition, really about watching The Nightmare Before Christmas together. In fact, in the early days before the formation of the Gothy Crumpets or even before video calling was a thing, the girls would hold a conference call from their various locations, and watch Nightmare whilst talking about it in great detail. When all was said and done, they had a nice-but-hurried break, and a couple of days after Christmas, they were back on campus to get ready for a variety show appearance that very evening. Such are the lives of idols.

Established October 2015   ​All Rights Reserved