9th Tale: Losing Hope

[theboywiththebook]

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[A little over two months he's been dealing with this. The inability to read anything. While he's held onto the hope that he knew he'd get to read soon, he just had to see if he could do it on his own again. Maybe by some stroke of luck or miracle he could finally read the pages of his book.

But, instead of staying at home and reading, where Steve and Bucky are, he's in the village square. If Bucky and Steve saw him looking so upset while he read they'd only feel worse. They were there when he died and they blamed themselves for it. He doesn't need to give them that kind of stress or depression. They've dealt with that stuff enough. 

Sitting by the fountain he stares down at his story book with a very focused look. He can do his. Henry can read it. But, he sits there for hours by the fountain continuing to look at the one page he's stuck on. No matter how hard he tries none of these words are recognizable. They may as well be chicken scratch.

It gets to the point where Henry can't stand it any longer. Slamming his book shut, he hurls it as hard as he can.

Does it hit someone passing by or land at their feet? Either way Henry folds his arms and just kicks the ground in front of where he's sitting.

Later, when night starts to come, Henry's sitting by the lake. It reminded him of Storybrooke, Maine. They were always close to the water and when he had his castle he would always retreat to it whenever he was feeling like this. Angry, upset, all of it. Watching the waves helped leech all those bad feelings away, and watching this lake had a similar effect.

He loses track of time, 8 PM, 9 PM, 10 PM. The hours tick on by as he just sits there. But, it gets to the point where he realizes it's probably time to get back.

He now wanders back to the apartment in silence.]

Comments

[mountain_sage]

[Walking by the fountain, Saleh stops in his tracks as the book suddenly topples in front of him. His gaze turns in the direction from which the book had flown, and sees the boy sitting there. The book must belong to him, Saleh concludes.]

[He picks up the book and casually walks over to the boy, holding it out to him.]

...Was this yours?

[theboywiththebook]

[Henry doesn't even look up or take it when the older man holds it out to him. He's too upset with himself and his book to even look up.]

I don't want it anymore.

[mountain_sage]

...Really?

[He doesn't force it. Instead, he'll open it up and glance at the pages himself.]

[theboywiththebook]

[Henry doesn't try and take it back at the moment. Even if the guy is looking through it. To anyone it's just a book of fairy tales that aren't exactly the most traditional.]

I can't read it so what's the point?

[mountain_sage]

...You can’t read it?

[How strange. The boy looks about Ewan’s age, so he should have learned to read by now. Unless he just hasn’t had the educational privilege?]

Have you not learned how?

[theboywiththebook]

[He purses his lips a bit. Not wanting to lie about not knowing how to read and not wanting to divulge the truth to a total strange. But, of the two, Henry thinks lying would be the worst.

So after five minutes of silence he replies:]

It's a penalty.

[neversurrender]

[The book lands face down in front of Steve's feet. After he'd noticed Henry had been out for awhile, Steve had gone looking for him. The boy had been surprisingly easy to find, but he'd held back for a few minutes, watching him try to read his book. Of course Steve knows he couldn't really read it. Not with his penalty still active.

He bends down and picks the book up and then walks over to sit down next to Henry.]

I know it's hard, Henry. You just need to hang in there a little longer.

[theboywiththebook]

[He tries his best to pretend Steve's not there. It made it easier to remember why he went off to be by himself. In the end, It's hard to ignore your friend when they come down and sit beside you.]

What's the point? They'll probably do something else to make things worse here.

[neversurrender]

[He doesn't say anything at first. Words of encouragement run through his head but they all sound so empty.]

You're right. They probably will. But you're not the only target, Henry. Even though it may feel that way now. Everyone here is dealing with the same uncertainties.

They...find our weakness and use them against us. But the one thing we can do is endure. Show them that they can't break us.

[theboywiththebook]

I know that. Everyone here is getting hurt because of them.

[It was only that he was hurting a lot right now that he was even talking about it. He still understood others were being messed with and how angry that made him. How unjust it was.

Of course, how sometimes Henry was the voice of encouragement, right now he was having a weaker moment...]

Maybe...but maybe it's better to just give up. You can't mess with something as powerful as them without someone getting hurt.

[neversurrender]

[He shakes his head.]

Giving up isn't the answer. All that does is show them that we've surrendered. You really think they'll stop all of these experiments if we just give in?

[twinlionfists]

[Hinata had been walking towards the lake at the end of the day. She loved the way the sunset looked over the water and it reminded her of home for a bit. Not that Konoha had a beach or anything, but there was a pretty pond on the Hyuuga complex that she used to sit beside and watch the sun set until it was hidden by the trees that surrounded the village.

She was nearly at the water's edge when she spotted the young boy at the shoreline. She remembered meeting him out in the woods when she was being possessed by the earth spirit of this strange world. He had seemed like such a sweet boy, but she remembered also that he had difficulty reading.

Maybe he was struggling with it and trying to deal.

She could understand that. How often had she practiced to be better until she cried and made herself ill? Too many times. Watching him made her realize that they were kindred spirits of sorts. Perhaps he wouldn't mind some company then.

Carefully, she made her way over to him and sat down a little whiles away.]

The sunset over the water is very pretty, is it not?

[theboywiththebook]

[Henry hadn't been paying attention to the passage of time. He was just lost in his own thoughts as he stared out at the lake.

It's only at the arrival of another person does he realize that the sun is setting. That the sky is bleeding out into a pale orange and yellow.

Turning his head a bit to see who it was, he remembers this girl from the forest. The one with the big green wings. Hinata was her name.

Turning his head back towards the water, he gives a faint nod to her comment.]

I guess. It's still not like home.

[twinlionfists]

[She nodded sadly.]

Yes, this village seems rather peaceful, but it is not my home either. I would much rather be there right now.

[theboywiththebook]

For now it seems quiet...but just wait. The Malnosso will do something bad to everyone.

[It's not meant out of spite, only warning. They'd be sent to a draft sooner or later...and people would die, come back, and suffer for four months. But, to get his mind off that depressing topic:]

What's your village like?

[twinlionfists]

I am certain that something will happen with the Malnosso soon as well. [She understood now what happened during the drafts and she wasn't looking forward to her first. It was only a matter of time, however. She wasn't naive to think she could avoid it.]

Konoha? It sits in the middle of a large forest in the Fire Nation. It faces a mountain where the faces of the Hokage—the strongest shinobi of the village who run it—are carved. There have been five. The Yondaime—the Fourth—Hokage is here in Luceti with his wife and son, Naruto-kun.

I...I wish I could say it was peaceful, but I left in the middle of a war.

[welnares]

– ow!

[Clutching his head with one hand (it's a mild stinging sensation at best, but the fact remains that the corner of something nailed him on the temple), Oscar soon notices the book and bends down to scoop it up with his other hand.

Well, it could have been something worse. He isn't angry – just puzzled.

He straightens, inspects the thing, then glances around for the potential owner. When he sees the boy sitting there with his arms folded, and not many others he could stake his guess on, Oscar approaches to offer the book.]

Is this yours?

[theboywiththebook]

[Now that actually gets a reaction out of Henry. He looks up quickly at someone saying ow and-oh...oops. He didn't mean for that to hit anyone.

Henry shrinks back a bit as they approach, hoping for all hopes that this man doesn't yell him or something.

When the book is held out to him, he looks between it and the blond.]

Um, maybe.

[Because that answer couldn't offer any kind of anger, right?]

[welnares]

["Um, maybe" is most definitely a yes.

No anger on this end, no, though that doesn't stop Oscar from preaching as he continues to hold the book out. He means well, naturally, just like how the throw had meant no harm.]

You should be careful. I don't mind a book hitting me on the head, but others may not appreciate it so much. A book has other uses, hasn't it?

ugh sorry I didn't get back to this sooner.

[theboywiththebook]

[He knows that he shouldn't have thrown it, cause the stranger's right. He could've hit someone who would not have been happy about it.

The other uses for a book, that comment makes him frown a bit.]

If you can read it maybe.

[But, before he lets the boy shoot into a string of questions:]

Sorry though, I'll be careful next time.

No worries!

[welnares]

That's good.

[Oscar nods in approval, though he finally takes the book back and glances at the cover.

"If you can read it maybe." It makes him wonder.]

What's this book about?

[jamesbarnes]

[Bucky is waiting up when Henry lets himself in. He'd be out looking, but Steve had already found him earlier, and Bucky is willing to let him have his space when he goes out of his way to get some.

That doesn't mean he's totally off the hook though. Bucky stands, arms folded across his chest, and looks him over, noting no injuries at least. He inclines his head in the direction of the kitchen.]

Come on Henry, I think you and I are gonna need to have a talk.

[theboywiththebook]

[Uh oh, it's his pseudo-mom.

Henry frowns a little at Bucky's words, cause that's never good when someone says that.]

A talk about what?

[jamesbarnes]

You tell me. I know we didn't set a curfew for you, but it's not every day you come home at ten without calling. We were worried about you. What's going on with you, kiddo?

sorry for being late.

[theboywiththebook]

Nothing, I'll be fine.

[Of course his voice betrays that as he doesn't sound all to thrilled or happy. This penalty business was just getting to depressing.

To smooth things over he says this next:]

I'll be back before ten next time.