44th PSI

[a_gentle_boy]

[phone]
Did everyone make it through alright...?  I wasn't able to find everyone I meant to during all of this.  If you've still got injuries that haven't healed, let me know, and I'll come by.  It looks like things settled down a little quicker than they usually do...  What happened, towards the end?

Oh, and if you were... zombified.  Please don't feel badly about whatever you might have done.  I'm sorry if I hurt anyone who was like that.

[action]
[Well, now that that mess is over with, it's time to move on towards the much bigger threat in Lucas's life: schoolwork.  ...That, and staying below 5'5'' forever, but that isn't really something he can do anything about.  ...Anyway.]

1:  In the library, surrounded by papers.  Lucas is staring at a textbook.  What is PEMDAS and why were there so many x's and y's and why did it seem vaguely familiar; perhaps this was a foreign language?  PEMDAS is Latin for 'geometrical flower arranging', right?  He's sure he's holding it upside down or maybe backwards, but no matter how far he leans back in his chair rotating his book around his head, it doesn't make any more sense.  ...Luckily, he doesn't have to worry about it too long; the chair topples backwards and he goes crashing to the ground in a flurry of papers.

2:  Two hours of practice every day in the music room is equivalent to two hours of torture for anyone in the vicinity of the music wing after school hours.  Lucas stares glumly at the piece of sheet music he had picked up somewhere (why was everything written in a foreign language?) and continues to create new scales that consist entirely of flat notes and half-step-offs.  Arpeggio is interpreted as 'with lacrimosity' and dolcissimo becomes suitable for funereal dirges.  The only time he manages something decent is when he plays the melody of the same song he's known for a year.

3:  In the malt shop, surrounded by more papers and a milkshake.  After reading enough poems to drive Shel Silverstein up a wall, Lucas is taking a stab at his assignment writing his own.  At some point, he'll read it out loud to see how it sounds.

'There once was a boy who liked art
Except he wasn't very good at the start
So he practiced a lot
And then he... um... fought
A lot of monsters... and that helped him improve his drawing skills.... somehow... Smart.  Kart.  Hearts!'

And similar nonsense.

4:  Hanging upside down from a tree in the park.  ...Well, alright, maybe he couldn't really do anything about growing taller, but he could at least try.  Lucas will probably fall and break his neck at some point.

Comments

[phone]

[nanocerancowboy.livejournal.com]

Well, I made it through alright, but—Dakki got bit, while we were tryin' to escort our "daughter" to th' Church.

[He sounds somewhat guilty about this.]

[a-gentle-boy.livejournal.com]

Miss Dakki? She didn't get her body back like you did?

[nanocerancowboy.livejournal.com]

Naw, she didn't. Town gave her back somethin' else.

Dakki was built for close-quarter combat back on Coral, so she was usin' what she knows. If'n things were switched we'd probably would've all made it alright.

[a-gentle-boy.livejournal.com]

I shouldn't have assumed... Ah, I should have asked! I could have done something.

Did she -- ...?

[nanocerancowboy.livejournal.com]

... Yeah.

Aurica warned us about it while we were en route. An' soon after that, one of 'em managed to get 'er. She ... had a breakdown an' took off runnin'.

I would've tried to stop her, but—I still had Aurica to worry about.

[Action 4]

[roadroller]

[The park used to be where Rin would practice her singing every day after school, but ever since regaining her electric guitar, she's gone home to do that - after all, it's better than lugging around the amp. Still, she's come back to the park to walk her dog - of course by the time she's found Lucas, it's off the leash and running around freely. She takes a moment away from watching it to notice him up there.]

Whoa, it's Tarzan. ♪

[a-gentle-boy.livejournal.com]

[Commence neck-breaking as Lucas wildly spins around to see who's talking to him. His shirt may fall over his face at some point.]

R-Rin? I didn't see you, sorry! ...What did you say?

[roadroller]

I said you look like Tarzan!!

But I think I have to take that back now I've seen your lack of jungle boy abs. ♪

[a-gentle-boy.livejournal.com]

I don't know what any of that means....

[Lucas's head bobs around a little dizzily before he finally gets up.]

But, uh. You weren't supposed to see that. ...Any of it.

2

[perfectvoice.livejournal.com]

[Music just so happens to be Miku's favorite subject. Then again, it's already rather obvious.

She strolls into the music wing, all patched up and ready to go, wearing a white dress (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxYlNZyRZHw&feature=related) and carrying an electric guitar. Yes, she's lugging the amp around, but hey, she doesn't quite care.

What she does care about is when she hears that awful, awful music. Who's doing that? Don't they know how to make music? Does she have to show them somehow?

Dragging her amp behind her, she pokes her head into the music room.]

Ah...hi?

[a-gentle-boy.livejournal.com]

Hi!

[Startled, Lucas jumps and half-shouts as he whirls about. ...Did she hear that? Of course she did, it was a piano. Shoot. He'll just stare with a sort of deer-in-the-headlights look.]

...Sorry. Did you want to use the room.

[perfectvoice.livejournal.com]

Ah...well, don't worry about it. [She waves her hand dismissively, then walks on over.]

I heard you outside. If you want some help, I could try.

[a-gentle-boy.livejournal.com]

Help practicing, you mean? Oh, I couldn't ask for your time like that...

1

[naicha]

_{[ Taiwan was absentmindedly running a finger across mundane titles on the shelves until she saw a boy in his seat fall over. That startled her! ]}

Wah! _{[ She rushes to help him up and pick up his papers. ]} You should be more careful, you know. And sit properly, too!

[a-gentle-boy.livejournal.com]

[Lucas peels his math textbook away from his face and blinks up.]

Oh! Hi, Miss Taiwan. ...Did everything go alright with you?

[naicha]

Hm? Alright with what? _{[ Beat. ]} Ohhhh, you mean the restaurant?

_{[ She offers a hand to pull him up. ]} Ehehe, I was going to set it all up, but I got droned, then there were zombies and stuff, and I forgot... _{[ Because... being a magical girl distracted her wow ]}

[a-gentle-boy.livejournal.com]

...I meant more the zombies, actually. But the restaurant, right. Don't worry about it; I'm sure people will understand.

[Lucas will take the hand and slowly pull himself up.]

But the last week was OK?

2

[klavierkavalier.livejournal.com]

[Austria more or less lives in the music wing. He has a life.

It's just.

It happens to be here. : |

He notices Lucas practising each day, and manages not to make comment. At least the lad is practising at all, which is more than he can say for the majority of his students.

However, there comes a time when one cannot simply stand by and listen to music get butchered, even if it is done in good faith. He waits by the door for Lucas to finish playing, then clears his throat.]

Excuse me. Might I offer some suggestions?

[a-gentle-boy.livejournal.com]

[This time, when Lucas whirls around with an expression of surprise, it doesn't leave his face. It instead mutates into one of complete shock as he rapidly thinks about which type of PSI could melt him through the floorboards without his music teacher noticing. ...Coming up with the answer of 'none', he'll simply mouth some unintelligible things for a while before responding.]

O-O-Of course, Mr. Austria... W-What did you, um. Want to suggest?

[klavierkavalier.livejournal.com]

I suggest beginning with the basics. Learning to crawl before you attempt to run, as it were. [He enters the room, pausing by the piano.] Not that your attempts were not... interesting.

Begin with a simple C Major scale, one octave only. [He only looks incredibly a little intimidating, hovering over Lucas.]

[a-gentle-boy.livejournal.com]

Right.

[Lucas will glance at the piano briefly before turning back to Austria. It appears he is waiting to be shown what a C Major scale is.]

[Phone]

[tapshoetomove.livejournal.com]

Were you all right, Lucas? You didn't get bit, did you?

[a-gentle-boy.livejournal.com]

No, I was alright. My table really saved the day for me on this one... What happened after I left you? Were you able to get home alright?

[tapshoetomove.livejournal.com]

...Yeah, I was able to get home. I'm just glad it's over now.

[a-gentle-boy.livejournal.com]

I'm going to start buying some garlic for when the vampire invasion comes, I think. This really was something else.