001 [video]

[a_gentle_boy]

[The video flips on and a young boy with golden blonde hair and somber blue eyes blinks slowly into the camera for a few moments. His speech is hesitant and his manner apologetic.]

Hi.

I, um... I think this is working now. Can anyone hear me? ...I'm sorry if I'm not doing this right; I've never used anything like this before. But they said this was how I could communicate with everyone, so... hello.

[He shifts uneasily as he speaks, though he manages a small smile as he introduces himself; his gaze falls now on a point just slightly right of the camera. Technology was not something he was terribly familiar with using - or ever really wanted to be.]

My name is Lucas. And it's very nice to meet all of you. I guess I'm using this now, because I... I'm happy to be here and help, I am, but I don't think I really understand why I'm here. I mean, I do understand about the monsters and the 'demons' and all of that kind of thing, and... of course, I want to help, but what I mean is... I'm not sure I understand why me and why... now. I-I know it's a bit selfish, but I...

I'm very tired.

Do you think I can go home for a little bit before I start here? I promise I'll come back and help; it's just -- you see, the thing is, I sort of needed to see if there was a home to go back to, still, and then this happened, and I really should... check.

[He swallows, and his eyes flicker to his feet as his speech becomes ever more incoherent.]

Um. Sorry, that didn't come out right at all. It's not like that -- I mean, it is, a little bit, but not very; it all should be fine, I just -- Oh!

...I'm sorry. This wasn't how this was supposed to go.

[He blinks hard and brushes briefly at his eyes before reaching to fiddle with the COMP, trying to turn it off. It will take him some time to be successful.]

Comments

[greyerrant]

Then rest. There are others here who will fight in your place.

[a_gentle_boy]

[Lucas is still busy fiddling with the controls when the first response comes; he squints into the screen and decides that, perhaps, it would be best for now if he just swung it around the other way.

Garviel will get a nice view of Lucas's wall as he becomes the recipient of slightly mumbled responses.]

Oh...

I just don't know if I have the time for that... Not yet.

[greyerrant]

You can go home, I think. People have done it. Why are you concerned about time? Things move slowly here, for the most part.

[a_gentle_boy]

A-Ah...

[Time. Time to see his journey come into fruition. Time to rebuild his world. Time to show the Dragon what it truly meant to be human - goodness, kindness, and strength.]

Sorry, I thought you meant I should rest here. ...There's just a lot left to be done, still. I think.

How... can I go home, do you know?

[greyerrant]

I can't say. I have work yet to do here.

[a_gentle_boy]

There's always a lot of work left to do in any world, huh...?

[The sounds of quiet sniffling and quick, shallow breaths had been masked somewhat by the communicator facing in the wrong direction; Lucas turns it back around now with slightly reddened eyes and a soft smile.]

What is happening in this place, exactly...? I just know there are monsters.

[greyerrant]

It is a world at the edge of destruction, where we struggle for the soul of humanity. I think it is in what we'd have called japan, but it is... hard to tell.

Video

[terminally_clever]

[Fumi glossed over most of this except for the part about checking to see if he's still got a home left.]

Why wouldn't there be a home to go back to?

[a_gentle_boy]

Because --

[A soft sigh.]

Because... the Dragon woke up. The Dragon woke up, and there wasn't any other way.

It's kind of a long story.

[terminally_clever]

[Dragon? Now that is interesting.]

I've got time.

[a_gentle_boy]

Ah --

[He breaks off for a moment and lowers his head, his eyes still wet with tears.]

I'm sorry... I know it isn't fair to say things like that and then not explain, but... it's just happened. I'm not really even sure how to tell the story.

When the Dragon awakes, the world will be destroyed. That's what the Dragon is there for. E-Everything else is... Maybe I can explain... later.

[terminally_clever]

I've read a number of stories like that in traditional mythologies. Quite often, the destruction of a world is immediately followed by its rebirth, in a sort of universal karmic cycle.

[a_gentle_boy]

[Lucas's reaction is a slight jolt of surprise as he swings his head up to look her straight in the eyes.]

...W-What do you mean by that?

You're not saying... this kind of thing happens often?

[terminally_clever]

Well, they're just stories. But even myths tend to have a kernel of truth in them somewhere. They're created to explain natural occurrences, after all.

[voice]

[tipthescales]

I'd say you're doing it right! But I'd never used anything like it before coming here either, so that might not mean too much.

Maybe you should rest before deciding anything else, though? It's usually easier to think after a good night's sleep.

[a_gentle_boy]

I... just spent a night here. ['a good night's sleep' wasn't something he had gotten, though.] And I think I might have lost too much time already.

[voice]

[tipthescales]

I see. [the poor fellow sounds like he's in a serious situation.]If it helps, they say that time in our home worlds stops while we're here. So yours probably isn't in any more danger than it was when you left.

[a_gentle_boy]

Time stops?

[It is easier to express his emotions when there isn't another face looking out at him. Lucas's mouth opens in a half-O of surprise.]

How can something like that --

[No. Of course it was possible. ...Throughout all of time and space, that was where Porky had gone, wasn't it?]

So this place...

video

[hetried]

U-Um... are you OK, kid?

[Wow what kind of a question was that that was a stupid question.]

I mean, you can go home from here, I'm pretty sure. I've never actually tried it out myself. Are you sure you're OK though? If you're tired, you really need to rest, or you might over exhaust yourself. I don't think anyone would be angry, it'll be better in the long run...

[a_gentle_boy]

A-Ah -- I'll be OK.

[He manages a small smile, though his face is still turned away from the camera.]

I'm sorry to worry you - I didn't mean to make it sound so... dramatic. But, um. I think what I mean to say is just... I don't know how many more monsters I can fight.

[hetried]

If you're sure... [He's a little iffy, but he doesn't wanna touch any bad subjects or anything...]

Heh, I know how you feel... Uh, kind of. Maybe. [Just gonna try and play that off with a chuckle.] Honestly, I'm not big on the fighting either. But there are plenty of other ways to help, if you want. If not, you can just hang back and chill-- most of the time this place is a.. pretty normal city.

[Sorta.]

[a_gentle_boy]

...I know, a lot of the time, there's no choice - if you don't do it, something even worse will happen. But...

[He shakes his head.]

It still never feels right.

But, um.

I thought the reason they wanted people here was to fight monsters...

[hetried]

[Oh boy wasn't this starting to sound familiar.

He visibly drooped, but he was uh-- trying, not to let that show.]

Yeah. I know how it is..

I guess that's why we're here, but I think we're really-- just here to protect the city. And there's more than one way to do that...! There always is!

[a_gentle_boy]

I guess... in my experience, the only way to protect what you love is to fight. But, um. Maybe if there's something else I can do...

[hetried]

I used to think the same thing, but there's all sorts of stuff you can do to help! You can provide medical or technical support depending on the operation... some people just need stuff built and taken care of, you can plan things, or I bet even covert op missions or, something.

[...]

Probably not best for a kid to go on covert ops though. I think those are the hardcore operations.