The Unmasked Man

[a_gentle_boy]

[Once upon a time, two little boys saw their mother killed by a monster before their very eyes.  Sacrificing herself so that they could live, the brave woman was later avenged to some degree by the efforts of her heartbroken husband... but not before another of the boys had lost their lives.

Resurrected and controlled as a weapon by the invading army due to his immense innate PSI power, this boy would go on to fight his twin over and over again in a battle for the fate of their world itself.  In the end, his mind restored to him, he would die again at his own hand such that his twin could make an effort to revive their dying world.

...But which twin had been which?]

[voice]
[Lucas's voice, slightly cold and detached as it usually is, sounds over the phone.]

...I'm tired of receiving things I've never actually owned.  There's a lot of junk clogging up my room.  I'm leaving it out in the yard in case anyone wants it.  Feel free to pay or not.

Not the Pork Bean; I can use that.  ...Though I don't know who gave it a makeover.  Not that I liked the original design very much, regardless.

[action, 846 Goldberg]
[As promised, the items sitting in Lucas's yard, among other things, include (1) one walking table, (1) one weird book filled with pictures of monsters, (1) one yo-yo, and a bunch of other toys that look unused.  He'll sit on his porch looking vaguely bored, swinging a baseball bat idly and occasionally stabbing at things with it as if it were a sword.]

[action, park]
[And whenever he's done with his yard sale, he can be found in the park smashing said bat against a tree.  He wonders how long it's going to take to get a sword and his wings back, but until then, he can at least practice fighting with a blunt weapon.  Lucas was already a formidable fighter before, but with the training he received with the Pigmask Army, he's much stronger.  His form is excellent; every step he takes seems to be smooth and coolly calculated.  It is a mark of his finesse that the tree only receives minor damage - he's practicing form here, not strength.]

Comments

Park

[hintcoinplz]

[Something doesn't quite feel right here. Luke hesitates before approaching, fighting off some conflicted memories, before walking up to him. Lucas was one of the few people he paid attention to in this worthless town.]

Hello Lucas.

[a_gentle_boy]

Luke.

[Lucas pauses briefly and rests the tip of the bat against the ground. He wouldn't call them good friends, exactly, but they at least spoke every now and then.]

...Enjoying the weather?

[hintcoinplz]

[Luke shrugs.]

It's the same weather we always have. Usually.

[a_gentle_boy]

True enough. There's something to be said for stability. ...If not monotony.

Park

[photonicfighter]

[The Park's a good a place as any to practice one's form, right? That's much of the reason that Dakki has shown up there. But before she could even bring out her saber from storage, she spots Lucas.

And she watches from a slight distance, arms crossed over her chest, frowning thoughtfully.

He had excellent form. He'd be an excellent recruit for the Illuminus. But she had always felt that way about him, hadn't she....? Yes. Of course.]

[a_gentle_boy]

[Lucas finishes his routine with a backwards flip that sounds a burst of PSI smashing into the tree. ...This one does unfortunately damage it quite a bit. He lands, completely at ease. And notices his spectator.]

...Dakki.

[photonicfighter]

[Those were some very nice moves. Dakki applauds. If a few polite claps can really be considered applause.]

Lucas. Very nice.

[She's... icy. Not at all the happy-cheerful-gushing thing that she normally is.]

You ought to have a proper saber, with skill like that. A shame they don't have them here.

Park

[hisnameisthecaptain]

[The man lands in costume, not far from where the boy practices.

Another try to help a townsmate avoid getting himself in more trouble than it's worth.]

Hey, kid.

You know, you can relax now and then, right?

[a_gentle_boy]

[He only glances up briefly before turning back to his task. The 'superhero' wasn't his favorite person in Mayfield by any means.]

Yes. That's why I'm here.

[hisnameisthecaptain]

Maybe you could use a tamer hobby, then.

[Infinitely more patient.

He just keeps his tone neutral for the kid. Can't save them all, Capt.]

phone

[legendaryvaliant]

Hmph, that's not a bad idea. Someone keeps sending me all these cutesy outfits instead of useful gear like my bazooka. Perverts. ♪

[nevermind that this Rin usually runs around in a bikini. It mysteriously has the best armor class, ok?!

She sighs.]

Whatever, I guess I'll have a look. ♪

[a_gentle_boy]

...Perhaps you should try wearing them before you disregard the possibility altogether.

Come by when you wish.

[legendaryvaliant]

Sure, sure. You're not going anywhere for a while, right?

And what possibility do you mean? ♪

Goldberg

[gezellig]

[Not being affected by whatever is wrong with Mayfield, Holland will stop on the sidewalk in front of Lucas' house.]

Hoi, Lucas.

[Things definitely seemed off.]

[a_gentle_boy]

[Lucas glances up from idly fiddling with his baseball bat.]

...Holland.

Are you interested in anything?

[gezellig]

I'm interested in a lot of things. . .

[He didn't hear the phone call. But, since all of Mayfield seems to have lost their minds somehow, he'll ask carefully.]

What are you doing with all your things, Lucas?

846 Goldberg

[bantorain]

-Howdy neighbor.-

Um... h-hi Lucas... Did you want some company?

[a_gentle_boy]

[Oh. His neighbor. ...It wasn't as if he had been programmed to treat people rudely on sight, but patience was something he struggled with. Lucas shrugs a little noncommittally.]

Do as you like.

[bantorain]

I um... I brought some cornbread to snack on...

[Park]

[ceasetoexist]

[Pokey is unsure if this is better or worse than all the other crazy crap everyone he knows has been doing recently. He's tempted to just awkwardly stand there and stare before going on but...this time he can't. Even though it's so easy to try and just leave whenever he sees Lucas, there's something so...odd. Wrong about it.]

....What are you doing?

[a_gentle_boy]

Master Porky.

[Lucas automatically half-rises at the sight of his commander. ...But no. Hadn't he been told not to do that in the past? Because... Because this Porky was different? Something like that. He shakes his head a little and slowly sits back down.]

I'm cleaning house. ...Do you prefer otherwise?

[ceasetoexist]

[Okay. Even with everything else that's been going on, that takes him back a little. He wasn't sure what he expected when he saw Lucas, but that wasn't it.

He grimaces a little. He won't lie: it's still pretty cool to be called "Master" even if he doesn't know the exact reasons why he's being referred to that. But at the same time it's really disconcerting.]

No. That's uh. That's fine.

Lucas?

[846 Goldberg]

[pkrincess]

[Kumatora is returning home from somewhere. She looks puzzled.]

Huh? Are we havin' a yard sale?

[a_gentle_boy]

[He glances at the older girl and suppresses a frown. He had held no ill will towards these people, but his training had dictated they be treated as enemies. Even after living with her for so long, it was hard to shake it off.]

I'm not charging. You can take whatever you'd like.

[pkrincess]

[She gives him a dubious look.]

That doesn't make any sense. Ya let me use most of this stuff whenever I want.

Are you feelin' alright? Why would ya just wanna suddenly give all of this stuff away?