eighteen [action]

[imatreenow]

[Friday afternoon finds Mithos dragging a granite statue through the streets of Luceti. It will look familiar to those who can claim Aselia as their home world, carved adoringly in the likeness of a young man wielding dual swords. The figure is planted atop a base that bears a plaque engraved with the simple honor, "The Hero Lloyd Irving." All together, it stands at about three and a half feet, scaled down from the original model.

For Mithos, it's a bitter reminder of things that could never have been. Its sudden appearance in his house had been an elbow nudging him sharply in the ribs, an obnoxious stage whisper prompting, "Hey, remember that time all your hopes and dreams were crushed?"

Yes, yes he remembers.

Which is why he had to get rid of it. The first day, he dragged the statue behind the house, let it topple into the river, and watched the determined stony face sink below the surface. The next morning, it found its way back to his living room. Each day, he drags it farther away, and each morning it proudly comes back.

His route today takes him up from the south end of the village through the north end and into the woods. The farther away, the better.]

Comments

[imatreenow]

I don't care.

[theboywiththebook]

[With that tone...Henry's getting sudden bad vibes.]

...There's something else about it isn't it?

[imatreenow]

What was your first clue? [Said with a burst of sarcastic exasperation. The muscles in his arms scream for rest, but he keeps pulling the statue along.]

[theboywiththebook]

Not sure.

[Guess who's using sarcasm right back?]

Why not ask for someone to help you with that?

[Because Henry would...maybe. But he's not sure he could push that thing.]

[imatreenow]

Because I don't need any help. [This statue definitely doesn't weigh twice as much as him, nope. Lugging it around inch by inch is totally a breeze.]

[theboywiththebook]

Well something says otherwise.

[Like the force of gravity and the mass.]

[imatreenow]

Then I don't want any help.

[theboywiththebook]

[Yeah, okay. Something's weird here.]

You don't like people do you?

[What was his first clue?]

[imatreenow]

[Finally, he'll pause in his onerous task, giving his sore muscles a break. This would be so much easier if he still had the godlike strength his Cruxis Crystal once granted him.] I gave up on people a long time ago.

[theboywiththebook]

[Gave up on people? What had happened to this kid to make him give up like that?]

What happened?

[imatreenow]

The same story that will keep repeating itself for as long as humans live. They fear and hate what is different. They care about only themselves and don't care who they trample in their selfish pursuits.

My inbox cried but Henry is here to fix that. Also what even?

[theboywiththebook]

....

[Henry's disturbed and a bit angered by that comment. Not all people were like that. Sure, some people were he's not going to lie. He's dealt with some before. But not every person was that way.]

That's not true. Not all humans are like that. Evil people are like that. But there's always good people in the world do care about others and aren't selfish.

I listen to too many musicals or something.

[imatreenow]

They are few and far between. [His thoughts go immediately to his sister, then drift to Sayo, to Kaori.] Any goodness in the world is overshadowed and crushed by the disease of hatred.

tis fine

[theboywiththebook]

I don't think that's true. While people may hate there's always people that will love too. Sometimes...we just don't notice it because it seems like the hate is bigger. But, love always wins out.

[imatreenow]

[This is Mithos scoffing at you.] In fairytales, maybe.

[theboywiththebook]

[Please, Mithos. Fairy tales are real.]

They don't happen in just fairy tales. I've seen it.

...lmao that was unintentional irony btw

[imatreenow]

How lucky for you, then.

XD it makes it better

[theboywiththebook]

Well, if it's happened for me I know it'll happen for you. You...you just can't give up hope.

indeed it does

[imatreenow]

[His cold glare idly slides to the statue beside him, then back to the boy. There are a number of things he could say to that, but it narrows down to one.] Hope only makes everything worse.

[theboywiththebook]

Why's that? If you lose hope you what do you have?

[imatreenow]

Because if you still have hope, you also have the risk of more disappointment.

[theboywiththebook]

But, than you wouldn't have anything if you gave it up just because there's a chance for disappointment.

[imatreenow]

Some would argue that having nothing is better than having only pain. [Even if...that's exactly what he has right now, and it's all he has.]

[theboywiththebook]

But, without pain you can't be a better person for it. Because without it you couldn't appreciate what you have now. If you got rid of it...you may be worse off with having nothing.

[His grandma did that...and then she became a woman with uncontrollable rage issues.]

[imatreenow]

[He already has nothing, and he doesn't want to get his hopes up that it will magically become better, because he doesn't know how it could. But he's done with this, and he'll pretend not to care.]

I don't know why I'm wasting my time talking to you. [He grips the statue again.]