Thirty-First PSI

[a_gentle_boy]

[voice, private to Rin Kagamine, Shiraasan, Tavros, and Nanashi]
I  . . . I'm not sure what came over me.  I guess it must have been the town playing tricks again, but I was feeling really strange last week.  I'm really sorry.  Especially to you, Tavros.  We only just met and, um.  You're not even a girl I don't think.  I-I promise I don't actually like any of you, so please don't worry about that kind of thing. 

I mean! Wait!   I do like you, all of you, a lot!  Just  Not.  Um.   You know.  Ah.  Not like...... N-Not ............... I'm just going to apologize and hang up now.

[action]
1.  [It is early Saturday morning and Lucas is walking a dog down the street.  This is standard fare for Lucas's weekends, but Lucas appears significantly more animated than usual as he talks aloud, seemingly to himself.  But actually . . . It's pretty clear he seems to think he's holding a conversation with someone.  The dog is, of course, welcome to tag as well.]

2. [It is early Monday morning on the way to school and there are a few birds sitting on top of Lucas's head and shoulders, tweeting merrily away.  Once again, he appears engrossed in a conversation.]

3. [I'm just going to outright say it.  If you are an animal or own an animal, Lucas wants to talk to you/it.]

4. [In the Mayfield Library, Lucas has a table all to himself and is frowning a little as he concentrates on the task before him.  There are photographs and hand-drawn pictures of people scattered all across -- much more of the latter.  There are at least 30 different drawings, each of probably unfamiliar people.  A blond man with a scarf and a cigarette and a dark-haired young woman feature prominently among them.  ....What Lucas appears to be doing is fitting these pictures into an elegant notebook of some sort.]

Comments

[a-gentle-boy.livejournal.com]

Well, I ended up doing that to everyone I met that day, so . . . I'm not exactly sure.

[a-gentle-boy.livejournal.com]

I-I'm not really, but thanks . . . You can go ahead. You're right, though - I was seeing how well they fit into a notebook . . .

[The pictures are probably all of people Taiwan doesn't know. However, Taiwan herself is in a few.]

[a-gentle-boy.livejournal.com]

Oh!

[Lucas starts a little at the voice before turning red.]

S-Sorry. I wasn't really paying attention. Um . . .

[Only one bird remained, the rest of them having startled and flown off.]

[bullsit.livejournal.com]

Well, maybe there are trolls that are good people, and my friends are, when they try, even the ones that are really not nice at all can be good, sometimes, but that is actually pretty unusual, for a troll.

But, uh, most of us are not. At all. Killing and, uuum, other things, just because you are angry, or sad, or bored, or they have a lower blood color than you or the night is kind of cold, or you don't like the shape of someone's horns, or I guess a bunch of other reasons that I don't really understand, is extremely normal.

[a-gentle-boy.livejournal.com]

. . .

T-That's . . . the kind of people trolls are? That's the kind of world you come from? There's no kindness or compassion, no love? To believe something like that . . .

I'm sorry, Tavros.

But if that's true, then. You really are far from useless . . .

[sanctusdei.livejournal.com]

Yes, this house. He works at the bank, but he doesn't like it. He said he liked the library more.

[bullsit.livejournal.com]

Uh, we have those things, but they are not really supposed to be good, I guess.

. . . Oh, no, geez, I am not explaining this well, and now I am making you sad, oh no. If it, um, makes you feel any better, they are all gone now, except for us 12.

[naicha]

_{[ It's true, she doesn't know any of them at all. Actually, ]} I've seen some of these people before, but they were already...

_{[ She slowly flips through the pictures, going "ooh" and "aah" at each one. When she sees someone familiar, she stops. ]}

Wah! _{[ She points at one drawing of her and looks at Lucas. ]} Is this me?

[a-gentle-boy.livejournal.com]

Mages usually like to be near books, huh? Well, please tell him that I'm very glad to have met the two of you.

[a-gentle-boy.livejournal.com]

When you say 'gone', do you mean . . . ?

[a-gentle-boy.livejournal.com]

[Lucas nods a little at her first statement, then nods more emphatically at her question.]

It is!

[And he searches a little before taking another one out. This one is of three people.]

You, the Netherlands, and a girl named Mindy used to be a family. Mindy's still here . . .

[naicha]

_{[ She looks at the picture for a while, in thought. ]}

... Is she alone?

[a-gentle-boy.livejournal.com]

There was another girl, Saki. But she was so quiet and she kept to herself so much, I didn't even know she lived there until after both you and the Netherlands left . . . I think she's gone now, too.

Mindy has a new dad now, though. I go to see her still. I think she's doing alright.

[sanctusdei.livejournal.com]

We will! Please stop by sometime. I'm sure he'd be interested in the PSI thing.

[a-gentle-boy.livejournal.com]

I guess it's a little out of the ordinary from most magic.

Ah, but I'm sorry if I scared you. [This is to the shy one.] And I hope to talk to both of you again soon.

[sanctusdei.livejournal.com]

Don't mind him. I keep telling him that the people here are great, but he won't listen!

Same here. Stop by any time! We'll see you around town, I'm sure.

1/2

[naicha]

Saki's gone? ... _{[ Just when she was starting to get to know her, too. ]}

[naicha]

That's good. For Mindy, I mean. Having a new dad.

Haha, maybe her new dad doesn't frown as much!

[a-gentle-boy.livejournal.com]

I'm sure he'll change his mind once we talk more. And please talk to me anytime. Enjoy the rest of your day!

[a-gentle-boy.livejournal.com]

We haven't spoken, really, but he seems nice enough. Did the Netherlands frown a lot, really?

[He always smiled around Lucas . . . ]

[naicha]

Uh huh. I could count the number of times I've seen him smile on my hands. <sub>[ Shows him both hands!

... puts one down. ]</sub> Maybe just one.

Even Japan doesn't see him smile that much, you know!

[a-gentle-boy.livejournal.com]

In hundreds and hundreds of years, really? Gosh. ... Maybe being in Mayfield was good for him, somehow.

[naicha]

Somehow... But in the end, we all have to go home, don't we?

Was being in Mayfield good for you?

[a-gentle-boy.livejournal.com]

[He turns to Taiwan with a surprised expression on his face before shifting his gaze downwards to the table. After a little while, he shakes his head a half inch.]

I've loved so many people here. But . . . my world needs me at home right now. And it's been hard . . . I wouldn't trade my time with Mr. Netherlands or with Miss Margot or with you for anything, but. It's more bad than it's good.

[overrealm.livejournal.com]

<sub>[Eh, more or less. Things have been so-so.

... Oh, right, Lucas can't understand him, can he. So Sulpher gives a meow in response.]</sub>