[Open] I'm sure there's a logical explanation for this

[long_live_the_queen]

WHO: Lucy and you!
WHERE: Birch Hills apartment, Freshens, Chata in general, choose your own adventure
WHEN: 6/7
WHAT: Mostly unconscious telekinesis, nbd.
WARNINGS: Lucy (language, cranky behavior)



[It kept happening.

The first day Lucy woke up with a headache she didn't pay it much mind. That's what aspirin was for; take one, go to work, forget about it. It helped soothe the ache in her ankle, too.

A few more days, and she needed two.

And things started being misplaced. Small things like pens or the remote, things she was absolutely sure she picked up, but couldn't recall exactly when. It was rather irritating.

But it wasn't going to stop Lucy from getting to work, or getting some more aspirin. And not talk to anyone about it.]

A. Freshens

[She was serious about that aspirin. But Lucy also stopped to grab a box of cereal on the way to the pharmacy, because she's an adult (by a few months) who wanted some goddamn Cheerios.

While reaching for a box slightly out of reach, a sound from down the aisle distracted her. The box she was reaching for lifted away from the shelf on its own, hovering in the air, held up by nothing—except the faintest glimpse of something translucent on the edge of the box.

Distraction gone, the box dropped into Lucy's actual hand and she put it away in her basket without looking at it.

Nothing to see here.]

B. Chata streets

[Lucy tended to pointedly not get out of the way of people walking at her (particularly if she didn't like them), but usually she didn't actually touch them except on really crowded streets. Get uncomfortably close like she was daring them to move first in an unasked for game of chicken, sure.

Actually blundering into them was not part of the plan—she was aware enough of where she was in space that shouldn't have been an issue. Except right now.

Hopefully they weren't holding anything when Lucy (actually unintentionally) shoulder checked them.]

C. Birch Hills

[Finally, she was home. Picking up aspirin after work should not have been this much of an adventure. The cat immediately trotted up to the door as soon as he heard keys rattling at it, and Lucy had an added feline obstacle to deal with while taking her shoes off. This one, though, she didn't mind.

The grandfather clock abruptly rang as Lucy passed by—just once, but thunderously loud. It made her jump, and startled Fang further into the apartment.]

Ugh.

[Lucy was back, in case there was any doubt.]

Comments

B

[true_noir]

Ooof, excuse moi?

[The exclamation sounded a little irritated, but not that much. Thankfully they hadn't been holding anything at the time, so nothing dropped, but someone had definitely muscled just out of the way and looked at her with a momentary irritation, followed by recognition and mild amusement.]

Oh, Lucy... you are up and about again! How is the ankle. [Oblivious to anything being wrong.]

[long_live_the_queen]

...hi.

[Oh. Chloe. Someone she should probably not rudely shove instead of talking.]

It's fine.

[It wasn't a lie this time! Well. A much smaller lie. It still twinged, but with the painkillers and the brace on she barely noticed it now.]

[true_noir]

[She wasn't going to press. It'd been a couple weeks since they'd seen each other physically, so Chloe hoped she'd kept off of it enough for now. So, instead, she smiled at her and put her hands up and over her head.]

Did I catch you in a hurry, bustling from one place to other? I always wonder where you go in such a hurry. [She might be teasing, just a little.]

[long_live_the_queen]

I'm not a bee.

[A huff.]

I was just getting aspirin.

[Though her headache was starting to come back already. How long ago had she taken the last caplet? Lucy's hand twitched a little, but she resisted rubbing her temple. It didn't really seem to help, anyway.]

[true_noir]

So you aren't, though I do believe you can sting.

[She winked at her and fished around in her hand-bag, pulling out a little bottle. It was one of those travel bottles. If someone was buying aspirin now, then they almost certainly hadn't taken enough today. She offered it with a grin.]

I have some tylenol if you want. I just got off work, though, if you'd like company to the pharmacy. [Nope, she had a chance for Lucy time, and was hoping to take it.]

[long_live_the_queen]

[Lucy hesitated instead of immediately grabbing the bottle, though it was tempting.]

Aren't you not supposed to mix those?

[true_noir]

Aspirin and non-aspirin aspirin? [She considered that for a moment. Hmmm, what did she know about medicines? She vaguely recalled it was ok to mix ibuprofen and acetaminophen, but not with any regularity. No, you know what? She had a point.]

If you are taking Bayer, or something like it, then let us not mix that up. [She palmed the bottle.] To the pharmacy?

[long_live_the_queen]

[Lucy blinked, and rolled her shoulders in a shrug. That sounded sort of medically plausible, but she wasn't a doctor by any stretch of the imagination.]

Fine.

[She didn't mind Chloe tagging along, though it was supposed to be a short visit. She started walking, this time without much visible limping.]

[true_noir]

[Short visits were still nice chances to catch up, and besides that Chloe was the sort to take any excuse to hang around Lucy, for no other reason than to get her used to putting up with her antics. She smiled as she followed right beside her.]

How have you been, other than the leg? [No mention of their last conversation. She was doing better in the last week and change, but she also didn't want to make the girl uncomfortable.]

[long_live_the_queen]

[If Chloe wasn't going to bring it up, Lucy certainly wasn't. There were other things crowding her mind.]

Fine. Just with—this, now.

[Lucy swept her arm forwards, gesturing at the grey sky.

Odd. Even that movement felt like she was overextending herself. Like her reach extended past her fingertips.

...she was tired from work, that was all. She hadn't slept well, and she'd probably get dizzy if she stretched too much. Best to keep her movements small.]

[true_noir]

Oh yes... that. I'm trying to ignore it. It suits my mood, and I'm focusing on the everyday needs, on other things. It's been... easier than I would like, even if I know it's all wrong.

[She sighed, rubbing her forehead.] It's a bit of a strain on the eyes when I look too long though.

[long_live_the_queen]

[Lucy mumbled as she walked, shoulders huddling up a little and relaxing again after a few steps.]

Sometimes it doesn't even feel like I woke up at all.

[true_noir]

Eh? Oh, do you mean like life feels a bit like some warped and surreal dream? I don't quite think I understand.

[She cocked her eyebrow. Admittedly, all of this was definitely surreal. So, she could kind of understand a reaction like that, but she wanted to be sure she understood.]

[long_live_the_queen]

Yes, like a dream.

[One...dramatically less upsetting than her actual dreams of late, though.]

It'd make more sense than waking up to this every day.

[Where one day they were insignificantly small, color was blotted out from the sky, the world split and let stars and blackness out of fissures in the sidewalk.]

[true_noir]

[She chuckled.] I can't really fault you for thinking that at times. It is like we are walking through a painter's demented nightmare right now, and it seems insanity follows us wherever we go. It is hard not to feel that the world has become a bit of a dream...

save that we're sharing it together, yes?

[long_live_the_queen]

[Lucy glanced back at her with a little snort.]

'We're all dreaming it together' sounds like it should be in a horror film, Chloe.

[She seemed slightly less despondent now, though. Small victories?]

[true_noir]

[She duplicated that snort and looked right back at Lucy.]

You say that as if this wasn't a horror film? Now we shall just have to make sure we catch the axe wielder first, shall we not?

[long_live_the_queen]

Or just trip everyone else first.

[You don't have to outrun the Jason, you just have to outrun the person next to you!

Isn't Lucy a pleasant person.]

[true_noir]

[She laughed a little, looking over at Lucy with the most bemused expression.]

Do not trip me, Lucy. I wish to be at the end of the movie with you, to get scared by the last second surprise.

[long_live_the_queen]

I'll consider it.

[They were at a crosswalk now; the light was solidly on "Don't walk," but there weren't any cars coming.

Jaywalk y/n]

[true_noir]

[Y. She wasn't that much of a stickler for the rules after all.

She motioned for her to come along and took off at a little jog. Ok, so it was jaywalking, but she wasn't going to linger too long.]

One of these days, if there is this thing I have heard of called a zombie apocalypse, you are going to abandon me and leave me to my fate, are you not?

[long_live_the_queen]

[Lucy glanced in the direction of traffic first before following after Chloe; she didn't care for rules much either, but she didn't feel like noisy vehicular death today either.]

I might. I might not. It depends on how I feel.

[She's probably not...serious? Maybe?]

[true_noir]

[Chloe hurried across and waited for her, looking both ways to make sure nothing was screeching out to meet them. Once they were across, she leaned against a light pose and winked at Lucy.]

I sometimes wonder how serious you are. Well, I'll just have to make sure you like me first before the zombies come for our brains, yes?

[long_live_the_queen]

I suppose you will.

[People shove that friendship thing at her a lot. It's weird.

The pharmacy wasn't very far now, just a building or so away.]

[true_noir]

Fortunate they aren't here right now, then.

[Well, at least this time she was saying she had to earn her friendship. Not that she was about to stop saying they were. It was starting to get to be fun to throw that word at Lucy a bit.]

Ah, look what we have here. Not too far now. We'll get you that aspirin soon enough. Say... what do you do for fun, Lucy?