Death Comes As the End

[a_gentle_boy]

[Thursday - Extra Fortified Poison]
[When his alarm goes off at 4:00 Thursday morning, Lucas immediately bolts out of bed.  He takes his blankets with him, settling down on the front porch with his head leaning back against the door, his eyes scanning the dark streets for any sign of a whistling madman.  His patience is rewarded soon enough.  He doesn't even take the deliveries in, simply uncapping a bottle and drinking it down right there, probably to the Milkman's great pleasure.

While nothing comes out, no spiders or razor blades or dinosaurs with rocket launchers... There is the sense, immediately, that something is wrong.  Poison.  A different sensation than the spider venom or snakebites he was more familiar with, but... He knew what this feeling was.  It was the same as he'd had last year, in Westport.  No matter.  He could heal it.  The boy concentrates and casts the appropriate PSI, and.... nothing.  He tries again.  Over and over, he casts Healing until he knows, in the pit of his stomach, that there won't be anything he can do to save himself this time around.

He'll try to stand up; to his great surprise, his muscles rebel.  He manages only to smash his head against the door feebly instead.  ...Lucas sinks back down to a sitting position, wraps his blankets around himself as much as he can, and tries to keep his breathing under control.

He's never been a very strong child.  In fifteen minutes, he is dead.]

[Saturday - Mood Swings]
[He's evenly matched with Silence today.  They race.  Lucas cheats with PK Flash.  Lucas wins.  When the milk goes down, he wipes his mouth off triumphantly with a cheerful shout.]

See, Mr. Silence?  Nothing even happened this time!  I can take care of myself.

[Following their conversation, Lucas will run out the front door, singing a sort of obnoxious song as loudly as he can.  This continues until he reaches the park, at which point he pauses, bursts into tears, and begins to attack an oak tree with a small stick he picks up.]

Comments

[mute-mystic.livejournal.com]

[Silence is startled by Lucas' sudden shift; the boy has been almost stubbornly self-contained recently, and - despite his growing suspicion that this was related to the milk - he had almost expected the boy to hide his misery once he realized he had company.

Regardless of what's causing it and why, Silence puts an arm around Lucas' shoulders, the other stroking his hair. The gestures are meant to be comforting, and only the very perceptive would be able to detect a faint undercurrent of bafflement in them.]

[a-gentle-boy.livejournal.com]

[Lucas continues to weep inconsolably for a while, mumbling indecipherably all the while. It seems, though, that he is upset about Silence having gone twice in a row...

After about two minutes of this, he suddenly stops and dries his eyes.]

Sorry. What were you saying?

[mute-mystic.livejournal.com]

[Silence quirks an eyebrow at this. He's rapidly coming to the conclusion that it would be best if Lucas came back home with him; he's not sure the boy running around in this volatile state can possibly lead to anything good.

He separates himself long enough to scribble a note.]

COME HOME? MILK MAY BE MAKING YOU...ERRATIC.

[a-gentle-boy.livejournal.com]

Erratic?

[Lucas considers this for a moment or two.]

But I feel fine. Really, I don't think there was anything wrong this time...

[mute-mystic.livejournal.com]

YOU MAY NOT REALIZE. OR MAY BE LATE ONSET. TRUST ME? [It's a fairly gentle request, although Silence isn't certain how likely Lucas will be to listen - or what he'll do if he isn't. Chaperone him from a distance, he supposes.]

[a-gentle-boy.livejournal.com]

[Lucas considers this for a moment and seems mildly confused.]

...I'm old enough to take care of myself, you know. I'm turning fifteen in a few weeks.

[mute-mystic.livejournal.com]

I KNOW. BUT THE MILK HAS BEEN - UNPREDICTABLE. JUST IN CASE. PLEASE?

[a-gentle-boy.livejournal.com]

...

No.

I don't want to be told what to do. Leave me alone.

[mute-mystic.livejournal.com]

[Silence's expression doesn't change at this sudden rebellion, beyond all expression closing off; his wings hang a bit heavier on his back, but that seems to be the extent of his reaction. He doesn't actually have much to do with teenagers much - he isn't sure if this objection to his fussing is a product of the milk or if he's actually being overbearing. (Though he suspects it's the milk, purely due to the fact that Lucas seems the sort to object in a more respectful manner than this.)

Either way, he was prepared for a refusal, and has already accepted that he can't actually make Lucas cooperate without going to lengths he isn't prepared to. His only response is a restrained bow as he takes a few steps backwards.

He fully intends to keep following Lucas, and watching over him, but apparently he'll have to do it from a distance.]

[a-gentle-boy.livejournal.com]

And don't follow me around all day, OK?! I'm fine!

[His voice has probably never been that loud before in the past year. Lucas picks up and throws a branch randomly into the distance before storming off, an expression of irritation on his face. He'll just be kicking at trees as he goes.]</small.

[mute-mystic.livejournal.com]

[Silence follows anyway, although he takes care to stay as far away and out of sight as due diligence allows. Fortunately, years of working with Fuse have done wonders in his not taking personally the ire of those he's fond of.]

[a-gentle-boy.livejournal.com]

[Lucas does nothing particularly exciting aside from storm through the park, blasting a tree every now and then with his PSI, apparently solely out of some type of bizarre anger.]