Sixteenth PSI

[a_gentle_boy]

[For most of the summer, torturous sounds have been coming from the music room of the school during the late afternoons.  After deciding the recorder was a bust, Lucas had moved on to the violin, the trumpet, and the flute, passing through each one and deciding in short order that he had better stop for the good of humanity.  It was only about about three weeks ago that he had decided to try his hand at the piano sitting dusty and forgotten in the corner.

He had seen something like it before, with the DCMC.  Duster had taught him a little about instruments while they'd been traveling -- He'd even been allowed to pluck a little at Duster's bass.  And, of course, there'd been that whole business with feeling the beat of the enemy's life force.  This didn't mean that he knew anything about playing instruments.  The futility of the summer had proved that.  Yet . . . when he'd begun to plonk away at the keys . . . something just clicked.  Sure, the torturous sounds continued.  But after a little while . . . they at least began to resolve themselves into something vaguely resembling a song.

It was a song he wouldn't forget soon.  The song that had played in that room . . . The song that meant . . .   And with his last meeting with Vince still fresh in his mind, Lucas somehow thought he knew what the song was trying to say.]

Do you hear me call to you?  Can you even hear my heart's cry?
Still I call out to the wind . . . Even as it flows on by, for
I believe our dreams can still come true.  I'll always keep my faith and trust in you

Even if I'm a fool, I'll always feel the same about you.  I believe in friends and laughter and the wonders love can do; I believe in second chances and that's why I still believe in you.

 . . . . . . i . . . believe in second chances . . . . . . .

[Later that night, he returns to the park and sings his song quietly with a good sense of pitch.  He is wearing his school clothes from last year.  They are too small for him.
Time moves on.]

((Feel free to comment while Lucas is practicing on the piano as well. He will sound pretty awful unless he's playing this song.))

Comments

[dodo-master.livejournal.com]

Well maybe not three hundred. Maybe more like two hundred. But a little more than that. But yes, quite a while!

[an-zero.livejournal.com]

Our destiny to be rendered obsolete and tossed into the scrap heap. Being labeled inferior citizens and retired by humans. Wondering if we are alive enough to considered life.

...I've met a lot of robots with a lot of difficult problems.

[a-gentle-boy.livejournal.com]

. . . I kind of meant 'how do robots die' but that's pretty depressing, too. People shouldn't make robots at all if they're going to treat them that way.

[a-gentle-boy.livejournal.com]

. . . Why is everyone I meet here immortal?

[a-gentle-boy.livejournal.com]

Mugi is fine since you like that. It's a nice name.

[a-gentle-boy.livejournal.com]

Oh.

. . . That's true. Unless you're immortal or live a really long time. There seems to be a lot of people like that here. But even so, that isn't really a bad thing.

[kimitoaruiteku.livejournal.com]

Sounds kind of like my home. I lived in the country and we had a small school though. A lot of the kids in the area would come. The town was very small too.

[an-zero.livejournal.com]

Heh. Those are how we die. Well, most have died in the wars, I guess.

[kurasuprincessu.livejournal.com]

Thank you. Lucas is a nice name as well.

[wolf-faerie.livejournal.com]

Even if you're immortal, things don't stay the same.

I've lived for a long time, but I will die someday.

[dodo-master.livejournal.com]

Immortal? [He laughs, amused.] No, I'm not immortal. At least I don't think so. It's all part of magic, you see! I'm just lucky, is all.

[snackaholictank.livejournal.com]

It sounded pretty. It didn't even hurt to listen to.

[a-gentle-boy.livejournal.com]

. . . When I say small, I mean really small. There was just me and my brother, Fuel, Nichol, and Richie.

[a-gentle-boy.livejournal.com]

People definitely shouldn't be making them if they're just to fight in wars.

[a-gentle-boy.livejournal.com]

Is there . . . any time that you think is best for this? I don't want to be too much of a trouble.

[a-gentle-boy.livejournal.com]

You just have to make the most with the time you have.

[a-gentle-boy.livejournal.com]

What do you mean? People can't live that long, lucky or not.

[a-gentle-boy.livejournal.com]

. . .

I think that's a compliment. Thanks.

[an-zero.livejournal.com]

That inevitably, for a time, became our sole purpose of existence.

[kurasuprincessu.livejournal.com]

Oh, any time! After school would be nice, I suppose. I don't have much else to do.

[a-gentle-boy.livejournal.com]

It's always the same way, huh . . . ? It's not, anymore, though? That's good . . .

[dodo-master.livejournal.com]

Magic, lad! I'm better at it than most people. Energy transfer, conservation and all that. Been able to keep myself healthy better than anyone! Bet they'd all live as long as I if they practiced better!

[a-gentle-boy.livejournal.com]

How about after school on Mondays?

[a-gentle-boy.livejournal.com]

Energy . . . transfer? So you live a long time by taking energy from other people?

[dodo-master.livejournal.com]

Energy has to come from somewhere. All magic works like that where I am from! Mostly, it comes from yourself. But I'm much more efficient, you see! Balance things properly, and you'll be as good as me.