milliways_bar | (no subject)

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(no subject)

[OOM: There's only one more Needle to go. And it's someplace lively and filthy.]

Somehow in the hustle and bustle of Milliways, Lucas returned to the Nowhere Islands and evened the score. It was strange, not even bothering to stop in Tazmily. Lucas barely noticed, however, finding the same comfort he would expect from his former home in Ionia's shell cottage.

He means to go back there, sometime after whatever awaits him in New Pork City. Out of all of the Magypsies, Ionia is the one who stayed with him the longest and he can feel the weight of knowing she's gone now pressing down on his very being.

And if all of that wasn't enough, he's still feverish.

But that makes opening the limousine door and finding Milliways instead of the promised luxuries within the car even better. So he's found himself taking up a bar stool, nursing an apple juice and looking over some literature about New Pork City.

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"Sure. Um. Okay."

He examines the pamphlet some more. As he's never been outside of Europe and any pictures shown of the Muggle side of cities are not going be accurate or up-to-date, he wouldn't know enough of what New York City is supposed to look like to draw a conclusion from.

On any Earth.

"Is that contagious?"

"Oh no. It's just somethin' that happens when I'm about t'learn some new PSI skill."

"Oh. Well. As long as you get better, that shouldn't be too bad, right?"

Rabastan has no idea what PSI abilities even are. But getting sick from them doesn't make them sound like a nice thing to have.

"Yeah, I'll be better soon. Better'n better."

And then, just a moment later, Lucas seizes as if he just sneezed.

"Okay, there we go."

Blink.

"Are you ... not sick any more?"

"Yep. Fever's gone."

He sits himself down on the stool again.

Good to know.

"How often does this happen, if you don't mind my asking."

Pause.

"Ice cream?"

"Pretty often nowadays. There're a lotta things happenin' at home an' I'm learning a ton of new skills t'keep up."

He smiles at the offer of ice cream.

"Sure, that'd be great."

He pats the top of the bar, and a second bowl appears.

"Oh? What kind of things? School?"

You look old enough to be in school, Lucas.

Lucas shakes his head.

"I've never been t'school."

"Never? At all?"

Pause.

"Are you not old enough for school?"

Makes sense to him. It's how education is set up in the Magical World.

Lucas shrugs.

"I'd be old enough if we had school but I've never been. I stayed with my parents an' helped take care'a the sheep with Dad."

:I

"Have... Have you learned things like how to read, at least?"

"Oh sure. Mom taught me. And I've picked up some things here, like how money works."

Right. So it's not formal, but the boy is learning things regardless.

"So who teaches you all the other things? The skills you need for whatever thing it is you need them for?

"Anything like your PSI abilities?"

Lucas tilts his head downward, the hand holding the spoon for his ice cream suddenly stilled.

Ionia's gone.

His hands go to cover his nose and mouth and he shakes his head a little.

" 'msorry," he says from behind his hands. "I just....someone like that just....."

"Oh. Oh... I'm sorry there. I didn't mean... I didn't know..."

Pause.

"Are you okay there... Er...

"You can call me Rabastan from now on."

He lowers his hands.

" 'sokay. It just happened. And it... I knew it was gonna happen. It-"

He shakes his head again. There's so much to explain.

"I...my name is Lucas."

"You knew?"

That cannot be good for anyone to know something as weighty as this.

"Doesn't make it easier, does it?"

Do you want another scoop of ice cream, Lucas? Sprinkles? Fudge?

"When they're someone special."

Lucas nods.

"She was a Magypsy. They're not like humans, Magypsies. They don't die, they just kinda fade away when they're done with their job. But Ionia, I knew her better'n any other Magypsy."

He presses his palm into one of his eyes.

"But I pulled the Needle she was protectin'. She wanted me to. But now that she doesn't gotta protect the Needle anymore, her job's done and she..."

He sucks in a breath through his nose.

"She's gone."

More ice cream then.

Comfort foods are good for you sometimes.

"Physically. But some part of her is with you. In your head. Your heart. I know that sounds a bit silly, but they are. They don't really go away.

"Sometimes I think my mama's still with me, when I'm by myself, or feeling low. Keeping an eye on me."

With his mother, it's more true than Rabastan realises.

Lucas takes his hand away from his eye.

"You lost your mom, too?"

"Yeah. But I was already grown when she died."

Pause. He asks for fudge on his own bowl.

"I miss her sometimes. But she's never far from my mind, and neither is your friend."

"Oh. But that- that don't make it easier."

He pokes at his ice cream with his spoon.

"It happened four years ago an' it still ain't much easier."

"No. It doesn't."

Knowing that he and his brother were largely to blame for her early demise doesn't make it easier to bear.

Lucas doesn't really need to know that right now.

"Whether it's four years or almost twenty."