// How Dare You Try? \\ - Open

[Flame]

A young man, with blondish hair, and dark brown eyes could be found up in a tree. Literally. He was sitting high up his feet hanging down. He was alone, living the past, as he was wont to do. The memories ran thick in his head. Of his mom, and her butterscotch smell. And his dad, who was always strong, tall and his hero. Hunter had lost them. And now he felt he’d only return to Scotland when he was an adult. Maybe Scotland would want him in M-16… which is what he wanted, but dammit… He felt confused.

He missed his parents, but he couldn’t cry for them. It was as if he had no tear ducts. It was as if their death in the end didn’t matter, but he still felt the grief of loosing them. He was so utterly baffled, that he’d pulled away from everyone, and was currently ditching his classes, hiding from everything, watching the tree leaves around him, flutter in the slight breeze.

[Centrinity]

Okay, so he hadn't been paying much attention to his junior encryption class. It wasn't like they weren't working on an assignment anyway. Writing a code for hacking into a fake database he'd set up for them to practice on. It generated a different defense for every different loading of the page, so each student couldn't copy off the other, though they were welcome to peek over and help each other. It wasn't timed, after all. They either passed or failed, depending on if they hacked in or not. Next week would focus on avoiding detection while finding a specific piece of information. He'd work them up slowly, make things progressively more difficult, and then for the final they'd be timed. It worked, and made sense.

So, while they'd been working, he had been looking for his single missing student. Hunter. He'd been informed of the situation. It would be an understatement to say he was worried when he slipped into the mainframe and found the kind hadn't made it to any of his classes. So, he'd gone to the cameras and found the kid in a tree. Then, the bell had rung and class was dismissed and he was left with a spare period, where he had no class. So, he headed off, got lost a couple times, but the flatscreen computer, similar to an iPad but much more high-tech, guided him right again. Soon enough, he found the boy. He didn't dare trying to climb up, he'd never reach the first branch. Instead, he leaned against the trunk of the tree and looked up.

We missed you in class today.

There was no blame placed there, more worry, though it was kept vague enough. And he didn't speak past that, didn't smile, didn't crack a joke. Those were his defense mechanisms, but that didn't make them Hunter's. And so, he waited. And watched.

[Flame]

Hunter saw the mal coming, but didn’t care. He continued to watch the leaves. The man’s voice made him shrug. ”I’ll get the homework done tonight.” he said simply. Which was true, he would, and probably faster than any of his fellow students. Math was easy, writing, reading, science, they all were a breeze. He glanced down. It was the emotional things that he found difficult. Maybe that was his problem.
He didn’t want to open up, and so he kept his mouth shut, for once. Usually he blabs about whatever comes to mind, but he needed to calm down, and that meant keeping his mouth shut. He wanted his hair to be brown. He had a feeling that he was going to have to cut his hair. He didn’t like doing that, but he was tired of blond hair. Really really tired.

[Centrinity]

That wasn't the point.

He murmured softly, sliding down to sit in the leaves. It was damp, and a bit cold, but he didn't care much. He'd probably get a mud stain all across his butt too, but he could live with that. It was superficial, a material thing, nothing of true importance. He tipped hi head back to look up again, watching the kid, seeing himself way back when he was ten. He sighed and looked down, straight ahead of him.

You feel numb. There's so many emotions running through you that your body simply can't process them, at least, that's what my therapists always told me. So, as a result, you feel nothing, but everything at the same time. It's complicated and difficult, something no one should have to face, but something everyone faces at some point. Often more than once. It doesn't ever go away, not entirely. And I don't care what anyone says, there is nothing you can do to fix it. You just have to keep moving forward and eventually it lessens to the point its bearable. And then you move on, not entirely, but enough that you can live again. There will be moments when it will hurt again, and it'll feel just as bad as it does now, but they become fewer with more time in between them. And talking doesn't necessarily help. You'll find something that helps, but it won't necessarily be talking. Maybe it'll be a walk through the woods. Maybe it'll be screaming into a pillow. Maybe it'll be hacking into something in a desperate hope that you'll get punished and maybe feel something, something you can label and that you know is real. It doesn't matter what it is, though, just as long as it helps. And it will. Slowly, so slowly you won't even notice until it's too late to go back even if you want to.

Damn. His butt was seriously getting wet. He sighed, pushing himself up again, glancing up at Hunter, hands in his jean pockets, plaid button up shirt flapping at the ends in the wind.

And if you ever do want to talk, if you think that actually will help, or you just need someone to yell at about how unfair the world is, I've got sound proof walls. Room 121 in Sheridan. I'll be there.

[Flame]

Hunter shrugged. That’s what it sounded like, so he’d answered the thing that had been said. Of course the older man’s words made Hunter look down and watch him like a hawk. How the HELL did he know about how Hunter felt? But the description was pretty damned good. He pulled his legs up under him., crouching on the limb. He was numb. Sometimes he’d laugh, kid and be a normal teen, the other times like this one, he just couldn’t deal with learning. He never left the grounds, he just found a tree, or the horses and stayed there, but there had been to many kids in the stable. So he’d found the tree.

His words made hunter sigh. ”Thank you.” he called as the guy started to walk away. ”I don’t know why Wicker got a teacher who’s not much older then the oldest students, and acts like a freshman, but thank you.” he said simply, as he jumped down, crouching, and using his hand to balance himself. That he could do easily. He stood up.

[Centrinity]

Rory slid to a stop, looking down at the ground a moment as he heard the kid's feet thud against the ground. He didn't topple over like Rory would have, but he was hardly jealous.

Because the personality is my defense mechanism. It lets me feel, lets me pretend nothing bad has ever happened. But, even though it has, I was too good for them to let go.

The was a cold edge to the words, though it was harsh, it wasn't hate. Just a wish things could be different. He'd never been one to hate. Even the rogue agent who had held a gun to his head and then killed his parent hadn't earned his hatred. He sighed and turned back around, peering at the boy.

I lost my little brother when I was ten. I was supposed to watch him. Someone took him, killed him, and dumped him on the side of the road. I went numb. Then I found hacking. They caught me when I was seventeen, almost eighteen. Recruited me into the program. I failed, miserably, but they wouldn't let me go. Stuck me with one guy, once. A rogue agent, but they didn't know it. I found out and refused to do what he wanted me to do. He killed my parents. Yeah, I act like a kid, but that doesn't mean I don't understand the world. I may be young, but that doesn't make me stupid. I have a feeling you know exactly how that feels.

He offered Hunter a small smile at that point. He had no problem sharing. He probably should, but he didn't. He never had. Having a therapist from when you were ten to when you were thirteen did that. You just.... talked. It didn't necessarily mean anything, but it was talk, sharing, something they would label as progress. And he was used to it.

[Flame]

Hunter stood up easily and watched the teacher, guarded. He didn’t fully understand the first comment… but he figured it wans’t his place TO understand. He watched the man as he spoke. ”I do.” Not his fault he was brilliant. He was born that way. And he wans’t stupid. He knew when people were lieing to him, when they were trying to trick him. Which was often, and they couldn’t get away with it.

[Centrinity]

Rory nodded, acknowledging the reply. It was short, but it was all that was needed. He waited a moment more before he finally spoke again, softly, but understanding, and not about to push. Hunter didn't need to be pushed. He needed to be given space and time.

Next time you need to get away from it all, just let me know, alright? No one had seen you, and you have a single room. Worried you might have gone off the deep end.

[Flame]

Hunter nodded. ”I will. And I wasn’t likely to do that. Death is not something I scoff at.” he said simply, feeling embarrassed now. ”But I will tell you next time.” Lilly had asked the same of him, and of course he hadn’t told her. She knew he was probably on the grounds somewhere, so really it wasn’t much trouble.

[Centrinity]

Thank you. And I expect to see you in class tomorrow. We'll be doing something fun. A little unrelated to spy work, but still. Everyone needs a break once in a while.

His voice stayed soft, understanding, and then he turned and walked away, satisfied that, on some level, he had helped. Helped Hunter understand he didn't have to do it alone. That it would get better. That it was okay to feel the way he did. Sometimes, that was all someone really needed.

[Flame]

Hunter nodded. ”I will be.” he said simply watching the older man walk away, before glancing at the tree, and put a hand on it, patting it. "Thank you.” he whispered, before following the older man inside the school. It was at the end of the day so he’d missed all of his classes but oh well.