Twenty-Fifth PSI

[a_gentle_boy]

[Here's another stranger around town, Mayfield.  Ten years later, the blue-eyed, blonde-haired boy is a twenty-four year old man of stature nearly rivaling the Netherlands.  Those who are familiar with Lucas will easily recognize his shy smile and bright eyes.

1.  Immediately after his appearance in Mayfield, the man is simply meandering, lost in thought with hands stuck into the pockets of his slacks.  He'll be a bit shy to strike up conversation with the people he comes across, although he'll readily do so if he meets anyone he remembers

2.  An odd sight you might come across in the park is a fully-grown man attempting yo-yo tricks.  The vast majority of his attempts are abysmal; he's rusty and hasn't had the opportunity to try this in years, so maybe he'll hit you by accident as you walk by.  After a while, though, he might pull off an amazing trick every now and then, instead.  Regardless of the outcome, he'll be smiling and shaking his head to himself.

3.  For someone like Lucas, the clothing he's got on is really way too fashionable.  Why does he look so spiffy?  The answer might come to those who enter the school's music wing.  Seated at the piano is a grown man, and he plays it beautifully.  This is his occupation on the side, after all, and he may have been interrupted in the middle of a performance.]

((This is the only icon of adult!Lucas I have, so pretend the rest of the icons match.  He's wearing the same outfit as in the icon.  He is not anywhere near as good at yo-yo-ing as the guy in the video; that guy is just amazing and I felt like linking it.))

Comments

[a-gentle-boy.livejournal.com]

I never got the details, but it's a weapon that messes around with the time stream. We'll be switched back before the day is over.

. . .

How are you, Porky?

[godisachild.livejournal.com]

So are you actually a future you? With memories of the years that've passed, or what?

...You know the guy who has the gun?

....I'm fine, I guess.

[He doesn't seem to be able to manage eye contact at this point though.]

[a-gentle-boy.livejournal.com]

Right. This seems to be a version of history where I spent the last ten years at home instead of here. I didn't remember Mayfield at all until I came back here.

And I'm not sure whose it is.

. . . That's . . . good to hear.

[ . . . Who could blame him? Lucas is hesitant to speak as well. Even with the rebirth of the world . . . Porky had spent the last ten years inside his little cage, as far as he knew.]

[godisachild.livejournal.com]

Well....that's....nice

[He opens his mouth as if about to ask something, then stops. In the end, he simply shrugs and starts to leave.]

Seeya around, I guess.

[a-gentle-boy.livejournal.com]

[Lucas, too, opens and closes his mouth a few times as if he isn't sure what to say. But before Porky can leave . . . ]

Wait. Porky.

Pokey Minch. It might not mean anything to you, but . . . I forgave you. And . . . I'm sorry.

1/2

[godisachild.livejournal.com]

[Well, that just stops him dead. And he spins on his heels, just...staring. What is he supposed to say to that? I mean, he never thought he was guilty of anything anyway, not at all well okay maybe a little but that isn't important. So he'll just stare, speechless for a moment.]

[godisachild.livejournal.com]

...You're sorry for what?

I mean, what could you possibly have to even be sorry for?

[a-gentle-boy.livejournal.com]

Hating you. Wishing you were dead. When it happened . . . that was what I wanted, at the start.

[godisachild.livejournal.com]

[Just raises his eyebrows.]

Oh wow, you hated the guy that "destroyed" your world. What a huge friggin' shocker. Do you want me to weep little tears now that I knew you did and that you don't now?

[But it's....odd. Having that confirmation that he was genuinely hated. And being told by someone they were sorry that they did. And he doesn't really have any way to react to it beyond his usual behavior.]

[a-gentle-boy.livejournal.com]

No. It's just something I needed to say.

Porky . . .

[In the future, you will be trapped for all eternity in a little ball the size of a closet.
In the future, you will exist forever and ever beyond the end of the universe.
In the future, you will finally achieve what you want -- to be the only person left in the world.

Please stop.]

[godisachild.livejournal.com]

....What? Got something else to say?

[What else could there be to say? He doesn't even understand why he's giving you the time he is right now, Lucas. And he doesn't know why seeing people who'd otherwise been near his age or younger growing up, or at least showing back up older, is bothering him so much at this point. It never did before. At least, he didn't think it did.

Why now?]

[a-gentle-boy.livejournal.com]

. . .

When I leave again. Tell Lucas that I would like it very much if he could be your friend.

[godisachild.livejournal.com]

[Just that...blank stare again, for a moment, before his face twists several different ways. Trying to find out how he's supposed to respond to that. Eventually, he just settles on the stare.]

...You may want to leave him a note or something yourself. I don't think he'll really be listening to anything I say.

[a-gentle-boy.livejournal.com]

[He nods, a slow motion. The experience is as surreal for him as it is for Porky. Was there a chance to change what had happened? Maybe. Did it still matter? . . . No. No, the past was thirteen years gone now, and to change it for himself would be meaningless.

But to change it for a boy who had no future . . . ]

I'll do that.

[godisachild.livejournal.com]

[He just nods. That's it. He can't think of anything else to do now. What else could he really say? Hell, he couldn't even say "see ya", since it was unlikely he would. He just thinks for a minute, deciding he'll just say the first thing that comes to mind.]

It's nice you had something to go back to.

[And then he'll turn to leave again.]

[a-gentle-boy.livejournal.com]

[He lets the boy go this time, simply nodding in response. That he had something to go back to at all was a miracle. That Porky would say that was an even bigger miracle.]