bookpapers | AKI IS TUTORIAL AGAIN

[HI LAVI guess what... Lucas is standing in the middle of the stream today! Which is wild, considering that stream's filled with leeches and he probably has more leeches on him now. Good thing he's got so much fucking blood, my god.

In any case, his back is facing the shore most people would approach from, and he's standing stock-still, which is probably entirely normal. Bully him?? Push him into the water and let the leech king take him...]

[STOP HE'S NOT SCARAMOUCHE

Lavi does immediately head on over to see who is standing DRAMATICALLY in the stream and clearly ignoring the written message that says LEECHES on the soil -- but he draws up short once he realizes it's Lucas, because who else has beautiful leech-covered hair like that.

It's so incongruent with his impression of Lucas that Lavi's like ? HELLO? ARE YOU OKAY? he steps into the stream with his stupid knee high boots and sloshes his way towards this WEIRDO]

-- Lucas?

[MAYBE HE IS.........

In any case, wouldn't that be funny if this was one of those classic ghost stories and he turned to Lavi and didn't have a face or something. Horrifying. But no, he still has a face and it's still unfortunately as lovely as ever, though it is exceedingly pale at the moment and also covered in a thin sheen of sweat.

This is probably fine and normal, in the same way that it's fine and normal that he reacts to the sound of water splashing by practically jumping out of his skin.]

—My apologies, am I in your way? I'll move, just a moment--

[HE'S STANDING IN A STREAM.]

[OKAY.......

Lavi takes all of this in and notes that none of it is normal behavior? like, even for a weirdo it's not normal? and lucas is not a WEIRDO weirdo, just an interesting guy who isn't average, so this sure is something to notice about him. paler than usual face? sweating????]

Right. C'mon, let's get back to shore.

[and he'll WAIT to see if Lucas moves or starts disassociating in this stream again]

[NOT A WEIRDO WEIRDO, JUST AN AVERAGE WEIRDO.

In any case, it's clear Lucas is very out of it, considering he does in fact just kind of stand there disassociating and then takes a few steps but like, he's just going sideways in the stream. He is not moving toward the shore. There's something in his expression that's very faintly confused?? Then he turns around so he's facing the opposite direction but like, with Purpose, as if he expected something to be there.

Nothing's there!]

[STOP HE'S STILL A WEIRDO

yeah THIS IS WHY HE WAITED!!! Lavi watches Lucas, studying his back once again, and weighs his options. One of them is just waiting this out, until Lucas seems like -- himself again? And the other has to do with curses and spooky towns and side-effects from ritual summoning, which means that waiting could do absolutely nothing, and that Lucas could stand here until someone (karma) shoves him into the stream for laffs.

Lavi thinks about the way Lucas reacted earlier, to the sound of the water and Lavi's voice, but is still DISSOCIATING?? OR WHATEVER HE'S DOING? so maybe a stronger impetus would snap him out of it? (DOUBT) He moves until he's in front of Lucas again, then raises a hand to try and touch Lucas's shoulder.]

What are you looking for?

[SHOULD'VE JUST LEFT HIM TO HIS KARMA FATE!!!! That binch is after his life anyway damn.

That said, he can move in front of Lucas, who doesn't seem to be looking at anything in particular despite the Purpose with which he turned around. Up close enough to touch, he probably looks even worse! There's the paleness and sweating, and when Lavi reaches out to touch him, he'll probably feel that there's a faint tremor running through him, too. Wow! Wild...

Anyway fortunately he doesn't reflexively reach out and try to crush Lavi like a grape about this, though he does seem disoriented.]

Pardon? Looking? [The way he is still so polite even though he's as bewildered as someone who just woke up from a fat nap thinking a whole day had passed.] No, I'm not looking for... anything.

[STOP HE CAN'T HAVE TWO KARMAS AFTER HIM DAMN SAVE SOME FOR THE REST OF US

also crush him like a grape COWARD!!!! Lavi continues to see absolutely nothing that is comforting about this situation. He keeps his hand there -- keeps himself as still as possible really, but also alert just in case Lucas swoons like a delicate maiden into the stream....... except this is a really nice shoulder muscle actually damn, what the fck --

but that's not important? what's important is that Lavi peers at Lucas, then]

Do you recognize me?

[NO HE'S HOGGING!!!!!

He will not crush Lavi like a grape but he also won't swoon maidenly into the water, despite the fact that he does look very unwell. Maybe even subconsciously he doesn't want to end up with leeches in his hair...

That said, it takes a second or two, like Lucas is summoning focus from somewhere far away, or like it's taking great effort to keep his attention from scattering. But eventually, a nod!]

I do, yes. [And then he reaches up to very lightly touch the hand on his shoulder.] It seems I've troubled you... Shall we?

[GO TO SHORE. He'll glance over toward it - properly this time, like he's aware of what he's looking for and what he's seeing - and then start to delicately make his way over.]

[he doesn't have leeches in his hair.... but they're probably ON HIM!!! Lavi will nod and then release him, before following Lucas to shore like a red-headed duckling. Once they climb out, he'll just stoop over and grab a leech or two and fling them casually in the water.]

Let's head to the bonfire? You can warm up there.

[HIS LEECHES. Truly the way of telling he's out of it, he doesn't fucking lose his mind over the leeches that are stuck to him this time. He does, at least, mutter some words of thanks as Lavi goes chucking some back into the water. Goodbye, leeches. He's going to run out of blood.]

...If you wouldn't mind, the fire-- would be nice. Yes. Thank you.

[GET THAT BLOOD BACK INSIDE YOU

but yeah woah, Lucas not freaking out over leeches.... this binch definitely has tb...

Once they're there, Lavi will gesture for Lucas to sit closer to the fire, and then perch on the seat next to him. and for once in his life, he doesn't -- talk? woah. instead, he unwinds his bright red scarf, and drapes it around Lucas instead.]

[NOT HIS GOVERNMENT TB ASSIGNMENT.

He will accept the scarf, though! With a little bit of light and still somewhat distant surprise... The fire itself is good enough, nice and warm and grounding, even if the feeling of calm associated with it is probably concerning.

Reaching up, he gently touches the fabric.]

...Thank you.

[YEAH I WONDER WHAT HE'S THINKING ABOUT AS HE STARES AT THE FLAMES...

imagine i told you this is the dankiest scarf in the world... but no, the edges are worn and frayed, but the scarf itself is nice and cozy, even if the fabric's a little threadbare in some spots. Lavi looks from the flame to Lucas, checking the pallor of his skin,]

How are you feeling?

[MAYBE HE IS JUST HEAD EMPTY!!!!

Also honestly even if it was the dankiest scarf in the world Lucas would probably not notice at the moment. Jury's out on whether he'd even notice if it was covered in leeches.

He's still fuckin pale and also sweaty, but as he absentmindedly rubs at a little patch of the scarf that i keep typoing as scary, he seems to be grounding bit by bit.]

...Better, now. I'm-- I'll get myself a glass of water in a moment and after that I should be...

[FINE?? YEAH!]

[NOT THE WAY HE'S JUST TRAILING OFF...]

Take your time. I can get that glass for ya too, if you need it.

[he's seen a lot of shock and disassociation in his nineteen years of living, okay. even if he has no idea of who what how and why of it.]

Did you feet get wet at all? It looked like you were standing there for a while.

[HE WAS SO CLAMMY AND SWEATY]

[IT'S FINE. HE'S FINE!!!! Sometimes things just happen. At the question, he glances down toward his feeties, which are indeed probably soaked all through the shoes and socks.]

Only a bit. I'll leave everything out to dry later.

[Mechanically, he reaches down to pluck a last lingering leech off of his leg, pinching it with a little squish between his fingers. Goodnight.]

...If you would be so kind... the water would be appreciated.

[Lavi watches him squish the leech between his fingers.

This guy's definitely not okay....]

Okay, hang tight.

[and lavi will walk away..... and get a glass of water!!!! and speedily come back... you're about to tell me lucas isn't HERE

but if he is then he'll sit back down next to him and hold it out]

[DON'T JUST BOLD THINK THAT HE'S NOT OKAY LISTEN HERE yeah he's not okay but it's fine. Also please know i got your 2/2 tag 10 minutes after you sent it so i just assumed the whole time you'd left it at THIS GUY'S DEFINITELY NOT OKAY

He's still here, though! And he looks a bit better when Lavi returns. Less sweaty, less out of it. He reaches for the glass with a polite little nod.]

Thank you very much.

[DRINKS IT LIKE HE'S BEEN IN THE SAHARA FOR 5 DAYS.]

[LOOK AT HIM GO DAMN. Lavi sits and waits patiently as Lucas drinks the entire ocean out of this mary poppins glass of water. What did Lucas do to get so thirsty, besides sweating like a madman for however many hours.]

...How long were you standing in the water for?

[he has so many questions but he'll start with THIS]

[KILL ME YOU COWARD

Anyway good QUESTION. After he finishes the glass, he will primly hold it in his lap, brow drawing downward.]

...It wasn't more than five minutes. [He says, lying completely because he frankly doesn't remember the last however much time has gone by BUT HE DOESN'T WANT TO BE EVEN MORE WORRYING.] But I wasn't able to fetch water this morning.

[Lavi looks at him sidelong like why the fck u lyin.mp3 because if he were Lucas, an upright kind of guy who always worries about everyone’s wellbeing and apologizes to people even while disassociating then he’d also LIE!!! And if he’s telling the truth well he still deserves to be stared at in concern!!!!

Lavi doesn’t say any of this out loud, instead he frowns when Lucas says he couldn’t get water. Was that what was happening…]

What happened?

[DON'T LOOK AT HIM LIKE THAT IT'S FINE IT'S FINE EVERYTHING IS FINE and most especially of all he himself is fine!!!!

He glances down at the cup as this question is posed because it is also a question he has no answer to, but at least he won't lie about it. He shakes his head, brow furrowed.]

I'm not entirely certain... One moment, I was feeling fine, and the next I felt very near the verge of fainting.

[Lucas, your mysterious anime illness... At least Lavi doesn't sing the lyin.mp3 song in his head again... He still remains worried though, HELLO]

Has that happened to you before?

w0 mon

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