a_gentle_boy | Tenth PSI

[open call]
. . . Hello? Um. Is this . . . Is this the right number? This is Mayfield Elementary . . . ?

I'd, um. I'd like to call in sick. Lucas . . . Last name? Ushiromiya. . . . . . . . . There isn't any -- A-Ah. Lucas . . . Lucas Fawlin . . . Grade 7. No, I just haven't been feeling well . . . Ah. Mostly fever . . . . . . . . A hundred and um. Three or four. U-Up my . . . No. No. My mouth . . . A few days. No. I haven't seen the nurse . . . Um. Not yet . . . My parents . . . ? They're not home. And I . . . I don't want to bother them . . . I don't know. I . . . I really don't think I can. I don't . . . But I -- I know, but. It's just . . . I'm really not . . .

. . .

O-OK. OK. I'll try . . . I'm sorry for the trouble . . .

[Ten minutes after this call is made, an unsteady figure walks out the steps of 846 Goldberg, his face flushed and his eyes glossy. Twenty minutes after that, the boy slowly begins to kneel to the sidewalk somewhere on the route to school, but fails to make it all the way before collapsing forward. He does not get back up.]

((Feel free to make responses to the phone call or anytime that Lucas is spotted on the street, either after he faints or before.
EDIT: For continuity's sake, I'm going to refer to Margot as finding Lucas first if I make any reference to this simply because she had the first thread. I wasn't expecting so many replies; thanks everyone! He'll still remember everyone's kindness to him, though.))

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Lucas voices soft complaints, though he grabs on readily enough.]

We can't wait for the fever to break. There's no time. If we don't find Duster and the egg . . .

I-I'll find the egg or whatever, but you need to lie down.

[And she'll be heading off toward her house, unsure of where he lives.]

[It's pretty bumpy the whole way. Lucas nearly detaches several times and can't seem to find the strength to hold on. His murmurings stop after a little bit, though, which is probably a good sign. As they near her house . . . ]

. . . . .

Miss Margot?

[Once they're inside, she'll carefully (as she can) put him sitting on the couch.]

You don't have to call me miss. It's weird. Lemme go get you some water.

. . . Oh. I'm sorry for the trouble . . . It's usually not this bad.

It's not a trouble. [Water get!]

Drink this. Your body's going to need it.

[Lucas gratefully takes the glass of water and gulps it down quickly.]

. . . I'm so hot . . . Can I have more?

Yeah, just give me a sec.

[She'll refill the glass, this time bringing with her a pitcher and a damp washcloth.]

[Gulp gulp gulp gulp. Lucas sure is downing that water fast. And gosh, is it Margot's imagination or is he . . . smoking? Or glowing? Or, well. Something's off, anyway.]

[Okay, this is weird. She reaches to put a hand to his forehead gently, morbidly curious to see if that's affected his temperature.]

Lucas, what..?

. . . ! It's done!

[As Margot touches his forehead, the PSI is fully realized and bursts forth from his body in a massive wave of purplish energy. Refresh will probably leave her and everyone else in the house feeling . . . refreshed for the next few hours.]

[Her hand retracts quickly with a strangled noise of surprise, but that purple energy -- she hasn't felt this relaxed and just good in a long time.

Of course, that isn't going to stop her from staring wide-eyed at the kid next to her.]

Thanks, Margot.

[Lucas seems to have made an incredible recovery as he smiles and maneuvers to a sitting position on the couch. There is the faintest hint of an embarrassed smile on his face.]

I-I guess you'd like an explanation . . . ? And, well -- I have to ask you how you feel. I'm not exactly sure what I just did.

I feel great, which is weird. [Of course feeling refreshed is weird to her, the idiot.]

What did you do?!

W-Well . . . It has something to do with the way my psychic powers grow inside of me. I get sick and the fever lasts a few days, but it's never been so serious before. So I guess . . . this must be a very powerful new PSI.

[Lucas feels pretty great, too.]

It doesn't seem to be the same as Lifeup, I don't think, so I'll call it Refresh.

[This is something she can understand, if only a little bit.]

How often do you use your powers? I mean, if someone from my world doesn't use their magic, it builds up until they explode. Sometimes literally.

And, what -- that's just a new spell or something? You just got sick and made a new spell?

W-Wha -- That's terrible! Y-You practice regularly, right? . . . But it's not the same for me. The more I use it, the more it grows. It must've been because of everything that happened in Westport . . .

Um. That. I guess that's right. I'm sorry to worry you.

Well, yeah. And I mean, like, it's got to be a really long time. Months or something. That guy hadn't cast in a year, I don't know how he made it so long. [nonchalant shrug]

Look, I'm just glad you're okay, Lucas. You had me fucking worried for a second there.

I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have tried to go to school at all . . . If I'd just stayed in bed today, it would've all gone OK. And now I've made you late, too.

Oh, whatever. It's not like the school here matters. When am I ever going to need to know this shit? [Smiles shakily, relieved, then reaches to pull him into a tight hug.]

I-It could be useful if you have, um. Taxes where you come from. Maybe.

[Smile. Return hug. <3]

I want to make it up to you anyway. Do you, um. Like malts?

I won't have to worry about that for another year, assuming I'm back home by then.

[Awkward sort of hair ruffle.]

Er... Yeah. You really don't have to make it up to me, though.

It's OK. Mr. Netherlands said that's something that friends do here, so I want to do it for you.

...Alright, then. Like I'm going to pass up a malt. But later. I want you going home and lying down and resting for the rest of today.

B-But there isn't anything -- . . .

[He figured he'd worried Margot enough, though, after a few moments of silence.]

OK. I might get really bored, though.

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