TYL Event - after Nagi's return to his normal age

[have_your_lives]

[You know who has no respect for personal property? Or, apparently, bazookas? This guy. He literally tried to just grab the thing off of Lambo, because there is no possible way wrenching a bazooka out of someone's hands could end in anything other than candy and rainbows. Or whatever would be the evil equivalent as far as Schuldig is concerned - probably tears and kicked puppies.

It's been mentioned before that Schuldig has no inkling of common sense, and this should be an excellent reminder to everyone how crippling of a disability that is.

What actually happened was that the bazooka got dropped onto hard concrete and went off more or less in the telepath's face. And instead of being blown into the bloody, quarter-sized pieces he probably deserved, he got rocketed back into the past, while his twelve-year-old self has been jerked forward in time and dumped into Mayfield.

The upshot of this is that a small, skinny boy with scruffy orange hair is prowling around Mayfield. He's dressed in worn, nondescript grey clothing and looks kind of malnourished; there are many methods of discipline in Rosenkrüs, and denial of food is actually one of the pleasanter ones. Unlike others in this same situation, he seems less confused than wary and suspicious...but those who expect Schuldig's usual personality in a smaller package will be significantly surprised if they approach him. He's fairly easy to recognize with that hair, in any case.]

[OOC: I wish I had more icons for him as a kid, but this is pretty much the only one that even looks remotely close. :| You may see a lot of it.]

Comments

[have-your-lives.livejournal.com]

[Even at the tender age of twelve, Keane's worldview has been so twisted that he can't accept the fact of someone without a cruel, dirty secret - can't accept that anyone could be as nice as they might seem. Still, Ken was right; he does seem reassured.] So now what?

[have-your-lives.livejournal.com]

Oh. So this is sort of...payback? [The boy is tilting his head, clearly listening in on Nagi's thoughts.]

[weiss-tank.livejournal.com]

[He's still gonna be nice to you cause he wants to. Assassin or no.]

We ride this out I guess. You probably don't wanna go back to my place, but I can drop you off at Oracles or somethin'.

[Really, he doesn't know how well Crawford would take a chibi Schuldig, but he knows at least the offer should be made. He'd do what the kid wanted in this case.]

[have-your-lives.livejournal.com]

Oracle's? [Keane looks confused. He predates Schwarz, and thus also predates their codenames.]

[weiss-tank.livejournal.com]

Huh? Oh, maybe you don't know him. [Simply talking about Crawford brings the man to his head, and then the silly image of him crossed with a crayfish 'Crawfish']

His names Crawford, er, your older self works with him.

[bittermayfly.livejournal.com]

More like a small joke.

[And now Nagi is very curious about what happened in that hell to turn him into the Schuldig he's familiar with.]

[have-your-lives.livejournal.com]

[Now Keane looks even more stunned.] Brad? He's here?

[weiss-tank.livejournal.com]

Brad? Oh! Right, that is his name, isn't it. Uh. Yeah. He is. But...he's a little older then you might think right now. He's from the time period that I usually know you from.

[glowing-science.livejournal.com]

Still. Wouldn't it be better to try and get them out of their catatonic state instead?

[have-your-lives.livejournal.com]

[The expression on Keane's face is the most openly confused and distressed that Ken will have ever seen, on Schuldig or his younger version. He doesn't seem to know how to react to the news that the one person he trusts is part of this illusion, not to mention is so much older.] They're using him against me too...?

[weiss-tank.livejournal.com]

[Crap, he said the wrong thing didn't he.]

No they're not. I don't know who you think set this up, but his being here is coincidental. It's ok.

[have-your-lives.livejournal.com]

That isn't how it works.

[glowing-science.livejournal.com]

Why put you through this at all, then? If it's that dangerous... aren't there other ways to train a telepath than this?

[have-your-lives.livejournal.com]

No it's not! [Keane rakes a hand through his unruly hair.] Either they're messing with me, or he's trapped here, or I'm crazy!

[weiss-tank.livejournal.com]

He is trapped here, but for other reasons! And you're not crazy! [He's hoping these are the right things to say. Man, he should have kept his mouth shut.]

[clairvoyeur.livejournal.com]

Yes, you can. [] The future is an amorphous solid, like glass, if you will. Things at such a distance from reality are largely set into place, but... there's nuance to catch the slim variety of options. If you die here, what might have existed from here on out is gone.

[have-your-lives.livejournal.com]

[Keane seems confused by this question, as though it's something no one's ever asked or he's ever considered.] ...I don't know. Most telepaths get lost if they don't get any training...and some get lost anyway. [He clearly has no idea whether there is any feasible alternative to Rosenkrüs' training beyond no training at all.]

[glowing-science.livejournal.com]

[Ema frowns a little. It's about the answer she expected, but she's still not thrilled with it.]

I suppose it doesn't really make much difference to ask the question, since it doesn't change the fact that you're still their student.

Well, since you're convinced this is all an illusion, what do you plan to do with yourself?

[have-your-lives.livejournal.com]

[Keane is silent for a long time. He seems more thoughtful than frightened by this possibility - but then Rosenkrüs does include plenty of chances at death. To him, there isn't much obvious difference between dying there or dying here.] ...so this future means we make it out of Rosenkrüs. [His blue eyes seek out Crawford's.]

[withsparkles.livejournal.com]

[Well, this is a little island that is mostly made up of very active vulcanoes and a bit snow right now. You're allowed to be confused.]

Vulcano! [Giggles and clings to Schuldig's leg even harder.]

[clairvoyeur.livejournal.com]

[] This one, yes. I think... you'll be rather pleased with this one.

[have-your-lives.livejournal.com]

[This prompts a smile from Keane - an actual smile rather than a grin or a smirk, which is an expression that in Schuldig had gone almost extinct.] Yeah? Why's that? I've met a couple people already, and two of them seem to hate who I'm going to be. [Judging by the smile, however, their future dislike doesn't carry as much weight as Crawford's recommendation.]

/late as hell

[victimofgod.livejournal.com]

[Farfarello is out wandering, as he spends most of his time doing. He spots the orange hair first, but...so much lower to the ground... His eye widens when he realises what he's looking at.]

Schuldig.

[And he starts mentally conjugating verbs in Gaelic mentally, trying to keep Schuldig from reading his thoughts, though under the surface they are mostly centring on "WTF".]

[clairvoyeur.livejournal.com]

[]

You're something of an... acquired taste not everyone has learned to enjoy.

[have-your-lives.livejournal.com]

[By now, the boy has already had several people mistake him for this other man or his older self or whatever Schuldig is supposed to be, and he simply sighs.] My name's Keane.

[He studies Farfarello with an air of mild interest, along with some asperity.] I don't know what you're hiding from me, but it won't work. And if it's about Schuldig, I've met other people who knew him already.