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Description
Featuring Samuel Hunt 284

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Months have passed now. Samuel had been taking small moments when he could to practise this skill he had discovered. see future in these bones. He had even found more bones over the time to clean and add to his collection. He actually felt like he was starting to work through it all and actually get some vague, if actual readings. though of events so inconsequential he didn't really think he could do anything about them.

Though it was all still there, the weight that they held to him. The secret he was carrying and the anxiety that accompanied it. He was going to be found out one day, this was certain. Not an If, but a when. It's an anxiety that often kept the teenage awake at night, staring at the hanging wooden windchimes as they swayed but never collided.

He ran himself through many scenarios of what would happen when he was found out. None of them good. He was coming to terms with that. 'I need to go' Samuel told himself. He had been yearning to explore the would outside this settlement he has grown up in, but can he really?

...

"You're stiff again." the voice of his father comes suddenly, Samuel normally, was far more perceptive then this. It was rare indeed for anyone to sneak up on him, but here he was. Samuel makes a show if letting his shoulders drop as he leans forward into his knees.

"It's nothing" he says. Samuel can feel the footsteps of his father moving across the porch and soon the larger man was sitting next to him again. this time Samuel didn't have witling to distract him or pull his eyes away so he looked across the fields of the settlement to a corral. Where a Red Dun foal pranced alongside her mother, too restless to sleep it seemed.

Much like himself.

"Samuel. I don't want to force it out of you but you still don't seem like it is nothing. You have continued to be on edge even after coming out is there something more?" A hand rests on his shoulder. Strong, warm. Samuel can feel his shoulders drop even more. This was his father, someone who's always been there for him. He couldn't ask for a better support and he was lying to him.

He can't do this anymore. The normally stone faced kid just breaks. He can feel his eyes watering. He had been carrying this around for so long. Exactly how long he can't quite remember. Samuel starts to cry, its not big or dramatic, just a few tears as his gaze drifts from the foal to his hands, wringing in his lap and-

When had he started to chew his shirt?

"I-"

Words were never his strong suit. He always gave off the air of someone strong, smart, silent. But in reality he was just some kid who can't even fake his way through small talk, let alone discuss something as complex as his own emotions. He can feel it, his father's hand moves across and over his other shoulder. A side hug as he's pulled in, head leaning against the man's chest.

And they sit there a long few moments, as Samuel struggles to get himself in control enough to speak. Even once he seemed to calm he still finds words to he hard. Instead he just grabs the small bag he had been using to hold these bones. With shaking hands he dumps them onto the porch, looking away from them as if not even wanting to try to read them. He can feel his father beside him shift, but not speak. Patiently waiting for Samuel to explain.

The teen takes a deep breath.

"I-... a few months ago I discovered I could read bones." he says, voice still as flat as ever, but his posture betrayed his anxieties. "I don't- I am confused and scared but also want to understand this. I know if I'm found out ill be driven out of town or- or..." he can't finish the sentence.

There's another shift in his father, but he just hugs him again.

"Oh Samuel, I'm sorry you felt you needed to hide this from me" he says, tightening the hug, it was a bit uncomfortable. His father was always much stronger then he was. "I always knew there was a possibility this could happen."

"Wait- you did?" Samuel's eyes widen a bit and he wiggles free, finally looking the man in the face. He seemed sad, but not angry. Pained, perhaps.

"I did. Your mother- I know we don't talk much about her. she could do the same. And did, she was damn good at it."

"then why- you knew she did it?"

"I did yes. I loved her despite it, she wasn't a bad woman."

"So I-.. I inherited this from her?"

"It would seem so. And believe me, should someone think about coming for you they will have to go through me, Just do your best to keep it out of public eye unless your ready to deal with all that."

Now the loosening of his muscles was real. The sudden lifting of all that weight he had been carrying about for months. He was suddenly freed. Both hands go up to his face to wipe at it. It was so embarrassing to cry Infront of his father like that. He takes a few deep breaths, and smooths the area of his shirt he had been intermittedly chewing.

"Hey Dad?"

"Yes son?"

"If you talk so highly of mom, why isn't she here?"

His father, Adam finally shifts uncomfortably. The pain on his face now much more apparent.

"she knew what she was and what she did made her a target. We could handle that alone, then we found out you were coming along so we... she had you. She told me she's caught up in too much and can't fathom endangering her child by having him caught up in all that too. she handed you to me. told me to go. I tried to talk her out of it but she wouldn't hear it. I eventually left. I took you quite a ways away, eventually settling here with you. I can only hope I made a good choice, you've seemed to have a safe upbringing so far."

Samuel listens, then nods. "I am happy here all things considered! It's just-"

"You want to know?"

"Especially now. Answers about all this" he gestures to the bones, which he then starts to scoop back into the bag.

"I know. Someday soon you will have that choice. The ability to find yourself."

"I think I want too. When the Census official comes."

"Should be here in two years. Think about it okay kid? Remember, I am here and support you no matter what you decide." Samuel actually smiles a little, setting the bag back at his hip like it had been. Recently he had never been too far away from it.

"thanks dad I uh.. I'm sorry for lying to you."

"You're forgiven kid. Now, Think you can help me bring the linens in? That's originally why I came to find you." only now does Samuel realize it was well past the middle of the night.

"Oh shit- yeah I forgot." and with that, the teenager sprints inside to the backdoor, a new lightness to his movements, and a lot more to think about.

----

ull Body(+2), Colored(+2), Simple BG(+1), Word Count(1244 WC), Magic Prompt(+4)

Description
Featuring Samuel Hunt 284

----

Months have passed now. Samuel had been taking small moments when he could to practise this skill he had discovered. see future in these bones. He had even found more bones over the time to clean and add to his collection. He actually felt like he was starting to work through it all and actually get some vague, if actual readings. though of events so inconsequential he didn't really think he could do anything about them.

Though it was all still there, the weight that they held to him. The secret he was carrying and the anxiety that accompanied it. He was going to be found out one day, this was certain. Not an If, but a when. It's an anxiety that often kept the teenage awake at night, staring at the hanging wooden windchimes as they swayed but never collided.

He ran himself through many scenarios of what would happen when he was found out. None of them good. He was coming to terms with that. 'I need to go' Samuel told himself. He had been yearning to explore the would outside this settlement he has grown up in, but can he really?

...

"You're stiff again." the voice of his father comes suddenly, Samuel normally, was far more perceptive then this. It was rare indeed for anyone to sneak up on him, but here he was. Samuel makes a show if letting his shoulders drop as he leans forward into his knees.

"It's nothing" he says. Samuel can feel the footsteps of his father moving across the porch and soon the larger man was sitting next to him again. this time Samuel didn't have witling to distract him or pull his eyes away so he looked across the fields of the settlement to a corral. Where a Red Dun foal pranced alongside her mother, too restless to sleep it seemed.

Much like himself.

"Samuel. I don't want to force it out of you but you still don't seem like it is nothing. You have continued to be on edge even after coming out is there something more?" A hand rests on his shoulder. Strong, warm. Samuel can feel his shoulders drop even more. This was his father, someone who's always been there for him. He couldn't ask for a better support and he was lying to him.

He can't do this anymore. The normally stone faced kid just breaks. He can feel his eyes watering. He had been carrying this around for so long. Exactly how long he can't quite remember. Samuel starts to cry, its not big or dramatic, just a few tears as his gaze drifts from the foal to his hands, wringing in his lap and-

When had he started to chew his shirt?

"I-"

Words were never his strong suit. He always gave off the air of someone strong, smart, silent. But in reality he was just some kid who can't even fake his way through small talk, let alone discuss something as complex as his own emotions. He can feel it, his father's hand moves across and over his other shoulder. A side hug as he's pulled in, head leaning against the man's chest.

And they sit there a long few moments, as Samuel struggles to get himself in control enough to speak. Even once he seemed to calm he still finds words to he hard. Instead he just grabs the small bag he had been using to hold these bones. With shaking hands he dumps them onto the porch, looking away from them as if not even wanting to try to read them. He can feel his father beside him shift, but not speak. Patiently waiting for Samuel to explain.

The teen takes a deep breath.

"I-... a few months ago I discovered I could read bones." he says, voice still as flat as ever, but his posture betrayed his anxieties. "I don't- I am confused and scared but also want to understand this. I know if I'm found out ill be driven out of town or- or..." he can't finish the sentence.

There's another shift in his father, but he just hugs him again.

"Oh Samuel, I'm sorry you felt you needed to hide this from me" he says, tightening the hug, it was a bit uncomfortable. His father was always much stronger then he was. "I always knew there was a possibility this could happen."

"Wait- you did?" Samuel's eyes widen a bit and he wiggles free, finally looking the man in the face. He seemed sad, but not angry. Pained, perhaps.

"I did. Your mother- I know we don't talk much about her. she could do the same. And did, she was damn good at it."

"then why- you knew she did it?"

"I did yes. I loved her despite it, she wasn't a bad woman."

"So I-.. I inherited this from her?"

"It would seem so. And believe me, should someone think about coming for you they will have to go through me, Just do your best to keep it out of public eye unless your ready to deal with all that."

Now the loosening of his muscles was real. The sudden lifting of all that weight he had been carrying about for months. He was suddenly freed. Both hands go up to his face to wipe at it. It was so embarrassing to cry Infront of his father like that. He takes a few deep breaths, and smooths the area of his shirt he had been intermittedly chewing.

"Hey Dad?"

"Yes son?"

"If you talk so highly of mom, why isn't she here?"

His father, Adam finally shifts uncomfortably. The pain on his face now much more apparent.

"she knew what she was and what she did made her a target. We could handle that alone, then we found out you were coming along so we... she had you. She told me she's caught up in too much and can't fathom endangering her child by having him caught up in all that too. she handed you to me. told me to go. I tried to talk her out of it but she wouldn't hear it. I eventually left. I took you quite a ways away, eventually settling here with you. I can only hope I made a good choice, you've seemed to have a safe upbringing so far."

Samuel listens, then nods. "I am happy here all things considered! It's just-"

"You want to know?"

"Especially now. Answers about all this" he gestures to the bones, which he then starts to scoop back into the bag.

"I know. Someday soon you will have that choice. The ability to find yourself."

"I think I want too. When the Census official comes."

"Should be here in two years. Think about it okay kid? Remember, I am here and support you no matter what you decide." Samuel actually smiles a little, setting the bag back at his hip like it had been. Recently he had never been too far away from it.

"thanks dad I uh.. I'm sorry for lying to you."

"You're forgiven kid. Now, Think you can help me bring the linens in? That's originally why I came to find you." only now does Samuel realize it was well past the middle of the night.

"Oh shit- yeah I forgot." and with that, the teenager sprints inside to the backdoor, a new lightness to his movements, and a lot more to think about.

----

ull Body(+2), Colored(+2), Simple BG(+1), Word Count(1244 WC), Magic Prompt(+4)