Second Tale: The Red Room [Action/Video] (Spoilers for s2ep6 those not up to date)

[theboywiththebook]

[Henry has gotten settled in his room in the first community housing building on floor 2. But, the thing is he hasn't been sleeping well lately. Ever since he woke up from the sleeping curse he'd been put under he'd been having horrible nightmares.

Tonight was no exception.

He was in a red room. There were no windows or doors, so he was locked in. But there were these red curtains, on fire. The whole room was on fire in fact. All he could do was try and avoid the flames and from being burned. But when he looked off into a corner he saw a woman. Her back was faced away from him and all he could do was try and call out to her. Try and get her attention.

But, it was getting too frightening. He lunged awake quickly and let out a terrified yell. He knocked over his journal turning the feed on. Rubbing his face to try and get the pictures of that room from his mind, he turned only to see he'd knocked his journal open. Hopefully he didn't wake anyone. But just in case he'll apologize but sound a bit fearful as he does.]

Sorry, about that...

[After that, he can't get back to sleep. He's gone to the kitchen for his floor and has made some coffee. He wants to stay awake, to try and avoid going back to those horrible dreams.

Opening the journal again he'll try and occupy himself with talking to anyone that's awake.]

Is there anyone up right now...?

Comments

[Video]

[widows_kiss]

[It's late - or perhaps early? - when Natasha hears a frightened cry from her opened journal. It startles her, having come so unexpectedly, but when she tries to find the source, for a few moments, nothing happens. No reply. She frowns, hoping someone's not hurt somewhere and is still debating what to do when a familiar voice speaks.]

Henry? Are you alright?

Re: [Video]

[theboywiththebook]

I'm okay....I just had a nightmare.

Re: [Video]

[widows_kiss]

[Which explained the cry as well. Natasha leans on her arms, studying him a moment, an understanding expression on her face.]

Must have been a scary one.

[She hesitates, because this is a little out of her league - she doesn't have a lot of experience when it comes to dealing with children]

Do you want to talk about it?

Re: [Video]

[theboywiththebook]

[She'll get a "you tried" star for the effort though.]

It's just the same nightmare from ever since I woke up from the sleeping curse.

Re: [Video]

[widows_kiss]

[A puzzled look crosses her face.]

Sleeping curse?

[video]

[stillplaying]

[The nightmares have been harder to fight since Peeta left. Since she lost the arms that held her tight when she awoke screaming, tears streaming down her face as memories of lost children and oblivion haunted her into waking. She no longer has her kisses, no longer has anything but a pillow to clutch to and an ugly cat with ugly yellow eyes watching her in the dark.

It's not the same, not at all.

Like she's done almost every night she's awoken since, she reaches for the journal. Sometimes it helps, distracting her with the thoughts and worries of the others here in Luceti. But she doesn't expect to see a boy screaming, screaming like she remembers screaming moments ago. A boy younger than Prim had been before her death. A boy too young to be screaming like that.

She shouldn't reply. She should mind her own business. But something about his question, those screams, make her turn on the video. Make her smile softly, caring, as she once would were it her sister who woke up in the middle of the night.]

Couldn't sleep?

Re: [video]; Katnisssss

[theboywiththebook]

[He didn't expect to get a reply at all, he was almost kind of hoping that he didn't go and wake up the whole village. But it seems like he's been getting quite a handful of responses over the course of the night.

When he see's this teenage girl giving him a gentle smile, he nods slowly to her question. If this girl was willing to talk to him for a little while maybe he could try and go back to sleep. But that was very unlikely.]

Yeah...I had another nightmare.

[video]; :D! she seemed very fitting!

[stillplaying]

[Too young, she thinks. From the looks of him, possibly even too young to have been in the Hunger Games. A boy his age shouldn't have nightmares that wake you up screaming, gasping for breath, wanting to close your eyes and hide from the world and yet, at the same time, not daring for fear of lingering dreams. Rarely, she thinks positively of all the things she's done over the past two years. But in this case, as she momentarily loses herself in thoughts of all the future generations of Panem's children who will be spared nightmares because there are no more Hunger Games, she's pleased with herself.

But none of that will help that boy now. She doesn't even know what world he's from. But she can offer a listening ear, a soothing voice.]

Do you have nightmares often?

Re: [video]; She does seem fitting

[theboywiththebook]

[Well, it's no hunger games but his world isn't all sunshine and dandelions right now. Having to try and get Emma and Snow back to Storybrooke and dealing with horrible nightmares due to a cursed apple turnover, is not fun for a ten year old boy. ]

Not ever since I fell under a sleeping curse.

[video]; sorry I'm so slow - helping with Thanksgiving things.

[stillplaying]

[She shakes her head. Curses, let alone sleeping curses, aren't something that exist in Panem. Let alone something talked about. It's like magic, like the strange abilities some of the people she's met have. Things that ought to be impossible. But are not, not here.

Six months and, frustrating as it is, she's still coming across these unfamiliar words.]

What's a sleeping curse?

[spohkh]

Mister Mills. It is not common for one of your age to be up at this time. Was there a complication?

[theboywiththebook]

I just had a nightmare...I'll be okay.

[spohkh]

I have heard that it is beneficial to talk about one's dreams in order for them to cease. If you are amenable, I will listen.

[theboywiththebook]

[Henry takes a moment to think. Should he really tell this guy? But again it's not like Spock seemed like a bad person.]

I was in a red room. But there were no windows or doors, so I was trapped.

[As he begins retelling his dream he becomes visibly more disturbed by it.]

And there were these curtains that were on fire. I couldn't get out and the fire, it was just spreading. But in the corner there was this woman and she was staring at me.

[spohkh]

I see. Please find solace that you are no longer apart of that dream... and that it is not apart of reality. [That was a Vulcan...soothing a child.]
Do you have any inclination of who the woman might have been?

[Video]

[complicatedliar]

I am always awake.

Re: [Video] That face will join his nightmares in the fiery inferno

[theboywiththebook]

[Henry will look at the stranger remaining silent for a few moments. Well, he might as well ask?]

Is it okay if we talk for awhile?

[Video] Rude. It's a perfectly pretty face.

[complicatedliar]

Certainly.

[He sighs.] I wouldn't mind a bit of a diversion, myself.

Re: [Video] okay that icon isn't as frightening .

[theboywiththebook]

Is something wrong?

[Because Henry would like to get his mind off his own problems.]

[Video]

[complicatedliar]

Sleep and I have not been on good terms for quite a while. Nothing untoward, but the nights do drag. What troubles you?

[action]

[jamesbarnes]

[Bucky is awake at odd hours more often than not lately, and this is one of those nights that he doesn't think he'll be getting much more sleep. He gets dressed and grabs his bag, thinking maybe he'll spend some time at the Battledome.

When he comes into the kitchen to make coffee, someone's way ahead of him.]

Hey. [He nods in greeting and sets his bag down on the counter.] Haven't seen you around before. Little past your bedtime, isn't it, kid?

Re: [action]

[theboywiththebook]

[Henry is taking another sip from his coffee, when he hears someone come into the kitchen. He stays quiet though as he drinks before he hears the voice.

Wait...that sounded an awful like someone he knew. Turning his head he see's the man and his eyes widen a bit.]

Jefferson! I didn't know you were here!

Re: [action]

[jamesbarnes]

[Well, that's new.]

Jefferson? [Bucky raises his eyebrows.] I'm gonna take a wild guess here and say you're mistakin' me for someone else.

[And not even the person he's usually mistaken for.]

Re: [action]

[theboywiththebook]

But I can't be. You're Jeffers-

[Oh...oh right different time lines and stuff.]

Unless...do you remember the curse being broken or about the Enchanted Forest?

[He's going to keep going with this until someone corrects him]

Re: [action]

[jamesbarnes]

[Bucky goes to grab a mug and help himself to what's left of the pot. He's going to need to be properly awake for this.]

There's no curse or enchanted forest where I'm from. I'm sorry to have to break this to you kid, but you're lookin' for someone else. Maybe someone who looks a lot like me, from your world. It happens around here.

The name's James Barnes. You can just call me Bucky.