Prompt: illiteracy


"Ventus, wait up a sec," Aqua called as she made her way over to him, though the boy had only been standing idly in the hall, staring somewhat absently at the floor. Slowly Ventus looked to her when she spoke. She knelt down upon reaching his side, smiling as she did so. "Could you give me your arm?" she asked gently as she held out her hand.

He said nothing, but silently did as requested. She took his wrist and lightly pulled it before her, while at the same time withdrawing the bracelet she had made earlier from within her pocket. She flashed him a smile as she leaned over his arm to tie it on. Ventus watched her curiously.

"There," she said as she leaned back, allowing him to see her handiwork.

His arm retreated as he began regarding the accessory she had given him. It was very simple: a thin cord fastened with a knot, adorned with beads of two different sizes alternating between white and green. The white ones had letters on them, but what they were Ventus couldn't decide. Aqua watched him for a moment before standing, looking for a reaction of any sort.

"See?" she asked softly as she once more took hold of his arm and lowered it for easy viewing. "It says Ventus," she explained as she ran her finger across the lettered beads. "Now all you have to do is look down and you can read your name," she finished in a gentle and encouraging tone.

Ventus once again lifted his arm to stare at her present. What he thought of it she couldn't tell, but he seemed to be trying to comprehend the pictures that made his name.

"Give it time," Aqua said as she placed her hand atop his head, pulling his attention back to her. "Soon enough, you won't need that bracelet anymore."

He watched her, as if thinking over her words, before nodding and resuming to stare at his new trinket.