(no subject)

[pullsneedles]

It is too hot everywhere.

Lucas should be grateful. Better to get a PSI fever now than when summer is in full swing. He didn't appreciate, however, getting it while outside.

The miserable kid sits at the lake shore, soaking his feet and splashing water on his face. All the while, he's wondering what he's going to learn this time. He doesn't know what other healing or defensive techniques he can pick up. Or what if this is the Dark Dragon's doing?

He'll just have to wait and see.

Comments

[death_gone_mad]

There is a familiar face out on the lake in a canoe, trying to sink an armada of empty canoes with earth and fire spells.

An occasional big wave will hit the shore as Sarah, in order to make things more challenging for herself, will fire off a water spell into the lake to make the waters more choppy for a bit.

[pullsneedles]

Lucas is all for this, watching the battle and enjoying the waves.

"Hey Sarah," he and the Dark Dragon greet together, the boy waving as cheerfully as he can.

[death_gone_mad]

Dark Dragon receives a little nip before Amascut recognizes who's talking.

"Oops, sorry about that, bad habit! I think," she calls out toward the boy at the shore. "Hello you two!" She begins to paddle her canoe toward the shore.

[pullsneedles]

What's a little nip between acquaintances anyway?

"What's the word on the battlefront?" Lucas asks, wiping his brow with the back of his hand.

[death_gone_mad]

"Oh, that. I read some books in the library about women who were pirates and I thought it might be fun to practice magic in a canoe instead of on solid ground."

She lets the canoe beach itself and hops out to set next to him.

"When I get older, I think I will go to one of the southern port towns and become a pirate. Or maybe a merchant sailor, if I'm lucky and somehow become rich before then. Knowing how to cast spells even when the seas are rough will be useful in either case." Right from the beginning, she'd be a valuable crew member and a replacement cannon! She might even pass as a lucky sea witch.

[pullsneedles]

"Yeah? I guess money is what people go after. I guess it's all right."

He likes having money since it means surviving, but that's about it. Actually, what does that mean now that he lives here? What money he has from his world, does it still have any value? Is it more valuable now that there isn't any more?

"I've never been on a ship b'fore. Little boats like your canoe, but nothin' big. Thinkin' about it now, it seems kinda odd since I lived on an island."

[death_gone_mad]

"One day I am going to own a big ship," she states with a grin. "Was it a big island that you lived on?" she asks.

She has noticed symptoms of fever... but, well, she is still deciding whether or not to address it.

[pullsneedles]

"Pretty big, yeah," he answers before splashing some more water on his face. "But I only knew a little part of it well. There were a lot of mountains an' stuff, but we lived in the flat part near the ocean."

[death_gone_mad]

"Hmm. No ports or harbors? But then people on an island would only ever need big ships if they want to import or export things," she thinks. "Or if they want to catch lots of fish or hunt sea monsters.

There are still plenty of things she can learn from Lucas and the Dragon. Might be worth it do what she can to keep him alive. Watching people waste away from disease isn't pleasant, either. "Are you feeling hot?"

[pullsneedles]

"What're import and export?" he asks.

The trade of goods with other places, the Dark Dragon supplies for Lucas's benefit. Export is when you send things to other places, import is receiving things from other places.

"Oh. Guess we wouldn't have that."

Not unless they wanted to trade things with Tanetane Island. He couldn't see why anyone would want to do that.

"Yeah," he says to the next question. "It's a PSI fever. It should go away soon."

PSI works better for humans at higher body temperatures. A PSI fever, as Lucas has named them, often occurs right before he realizes a new or stronger technique. They are usually short-term and not very serious.

[death_gone_mad]

It must have been a very self sufficient island. It's not surprising; with geography big and varied enough to have mountains and a flat slope or plane and enough cleverness, who would need to trade?

"Techniques? What is PSI, beside the thing that brought you two together?" she asks, curious.

[pullsneedles]

They had no choice about it. It was self sufficient or nothing.

"It's like magic. I've always had it, but I didn't know about it 'til I was 13. I can do stuff like talk to animals an' heal things. I only have one kinda attack, but that don't bother me."

Had.

"Had?"

The attack technique was tied to your ability to pull the Needles keeping me asleep. Now that I am awake, the technique is no longer needed.

[death_gone_mad]

"But those abilities aren't something you have to practice to learn? You just have a fever and then you can do something new?" Interesting!

[a1enzo]

"Lucas?" He doesn't look well. Great. Another friend to worry about.

[pullsneedles]

"Hey Enzo," both Lucas and Dragon greet. "What's up?" Lucas continues by himself.

[a1enzo]

"Too much stuff," Enzo decides. "Are you okay? You look overclocked."

[pullsneedles]

"Oh, it's just a PSI fever. I hadn't had one in a while. I'll be fine soon."

[a1enzo]

"What does that mean?"

[pullsneedles]

"It means I'm about to learn somethin' new."

PSI works better with humans at higher body temperatures, the Dark Dragon fills in. As Lucas says, this phenomenon he calls a PSI fever is usually a precursor to realizing a new psychic technique.

[a1enzo]

"Huh." It actually does sound like a sort of parallel to overclocking. "Any idea what?"

[pullsneedles]

"Nah. Like, whatever it is, it's probably not gonna be a stronger version of something I already know."

[a1enzo]

"Sprites would call that an upgrade. You're installing a new add-on."

[pullsneedles]

"Hah! I kinda like that.

"Do you get any symptoms like that for upgrades?"

[a1enzo]

"Not usually. It kinda tingles. Mostly it's just having to get used to it afterward."

[pullsneedles]

"I guess it's kinda weird for me. Not that I mind."

PSI fevers are just no fun is all.

Fortunately, they're over pretty quick, and Lucas makes a sudden, sneeze-like shudder.