Fourteenth PSI

[a_gentle_boy]

[It is time to sum up what Lucas has been doing all summer.  This is the culmination of hours of hard work and dedication.  This is the pinnacle of success for the boy who has been deprived of a normal childhood.  It is also the first time the player has tried a post of this sort.

Four scenarios will be presented.  One is welcome to respond to as many of them as one wishes.  Numbering the initial comment may be helpful.]

First Scenario:
[It is a peaceful day in Mayfield.  But what is that horrific racket?  As the alarm rings insistently, smoke pours out an open window accompanied shortly after by its source, a flaming brick of some sort that unfortunately lands in a rosebush and immediately sets it on fire.  Closer inspection would reveal that this was once formerly a cakepan.  Closer inspection is, however, impossible due to the fact that a coughing, choking Lucas covered in soot has just run out the front door and is now blasting the burning bush with the hose.  He does not look pleased.]

Second Scenario:
[It is a peaceful day in Mayfield.  But what is that horrific racket?  Again?  In the park, birds, humans, and anything with ears quietly begin to edge away from the child ostensibly playing a recorder on a bench.  In actuality, he is managing to hit a note that has never been recorded before in the history of mankind.  This is a great achievement and is followed shortly after by the world record of 'most incorrect notes played simultaneously on one instrument'. 

After about twenty minutes of this, Lucas sighs and places the instrument on the bench beside him.  He does not look pleased.]

Third Scenario:
[It is a peaceful day in Mayfield.  It is difficult to make a horrific racket while drawing, so the town is spared, for now.  He is again in the park, but this time, stares intensely at anyone who happens by.  Those who come up from behind may notice that his artwork is . . . Well, actually, it's not terrible.  He doesn't seem too pleased with himself, though, and there is soon a large pile of crumpled paper around him.]

Fourth Scenario:
[It is not a very peaceful day in Mayfield.  There is a boy in the middle of his yard yelling, screaming, and performing the most bizarre form of martial arts ever invented.  It seems, somehow, to involve a lot of kicking and a lot of . . . yo-yo tricks.  Walk the Dog leaves a trail of burning grass, Around the World breaks off a tree branch with concussive force, and the Forward Pass is . . . actually headed straight at your face.  Whoops.]

Comments

[a-gentle-boy.livejournal.com]

[Courage is met with the same few moments of silent confusion as the others before Lucas seems to realize that he has just smacked a cute little dog in the face. A cute little pink dog, but a dog nonetheless. He drops the yo-yo immediately.]

O-Oh . . . I'm sorry, boy. Did I get you really hard?

[And because he doesn't think Courage is anything other than a normal dog, a wave of Lifeup Alpha comes its way.]

[thingsidoforluv.livejournal.com]

[Courage looks up at Lucas and shakes his head. He's OK. It just stung for a minute is all...

OK, or there is a wave of...something coming his way and not only does he stand up on two paws too get a closer look, he audibly gasps at it...before realizing that, hey, he feels a lot better.

So he grins and chuckles. That was really nice!]

[a-gentle-boy.livejournal.com]

Does that feel better? I'm sorry again.

[Lucas's hand is instinctively reaching to pet and scratch Courage, memories of Boney surfacing unbidden.]

I haven't seen you around before . . . But you look mostly like a normal dog. Except for the color.

[thingsidoforluv.livejournal.com]

[If Lucas can understand Courage he heard]

It's OK. How'd you do that with the yo-yo?

[Of course, if he can't then it just sounds like a lot of babbling. But he is pointing at the yo-yo, which might give you a clue.]

[a-gentle-boy.livejournal.com]

[Lucas does normally have the uncanny ability to interact with Save Frogs and Tutorioles, but he can't do anything but watch Courage's pointing movements.]

Did you want to play with it? It's a pretty cool toy, isn't it?

[Lucas manages a Walk the Dog from a sitting position. This one, however, merely hovers and bounces in place for a few moments.]

[thingsidoforluv.livejournal.com]

[Courage watches with rapt attention, making a noise that's as close to "wow!" as a dog can make.

It also makes him smile. That's really neat!]

[a-gentle-boy.livejournal.com]

[Lucas smiles, too. But he has decided at this point that it is perhaps overly generous to call a pink dog standing on its hind legs and capable of using its front legs to gesture a 'normal dog'. Boney was smart, but maybe not even this smart.]

. . . You're new here, aren't you? You're stuck just like the rest of us.

[thingsidoforluv.livejournal.com]

[Stuck?

...Right. Courage almost forgot for a second. He nods sadly, and his whole body droops, and he whines as he looks down at the ground.]

[a-gentle-boy.livejournal.com]

[Lucas doesn't think much about reaching forward and patting Courage on the head. Nor about trying to scoop the dog up into his arms.]

Don't worry. We'll get out of here sooner or later. You might see a bit of trouble if it's later, but I know we will in the end.

[thingsidoforluv.livejournal.com]

[Courage leans into the petting and lets Lucas pick him up with no resistance or struggling.

He smiles at Lucas and wag his tail. He...needed to hear that. And it's true. Of course it is. They can't be here forever, after all.]

[a-gentle-boy.livejournal.com]

So you can understand me, right? My name is Lucas. It's nice to meet you, Mr. Doggy.

[thingsidoforluv.livejournal.com]

[Mr Dog...Oh! Courage holds out the collar Mayfield has given him, which has his name right on it. It's clear that he's glad to meet you too, Lucas.]

[a-gentle-boy.livejournal.com]

Courage? . . . That's a good name, aha. It's nice to meet you, Courage.

Where do you live? Would you like me to walk you home?