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

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

[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.]

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I promise, it's not going to disappear, and you can have more if you're still hungry afterwords. [He holds up his hands and laughs a little.]

And I would be grateful if you could at least pretend I'm real?

[Keane chews this proposition over, rather literally.] ...okay.

Your name's Ken?

Yeah, that's me. [Still weird, but he's used to Schu pulling things out of his head, so he figures the kid is doing the same thing.]

Ken Hidaka.

[For a moment, Keane seems to be at a bit of a loss. Social interaction - especially with normal people, those not fired in the forge of Rosenkrüs - has not been a large feature of his training.] ...hi. [Apparently, underneath that suspicion he was showing earlier, he's quiet and almost introverted.]

[He smiles gently. Best to take it slow with this little one he figures.]

Hi Keane. Do you want some catsup?

I guess. [Keane is studying him outright now, looking almost puzzled. Then he repeats a question from earlier.] Why're you being so nice? Can I not read your mind enough...?

[Ken hands him the red stuff and then pauses a bit at the question.]

Why shouldn't I be nice? I like being nice to people. Also, I don't think that's it. I'm kinda powerless against you in that respect.

[He doesn't like admitting this, but it is true. His only real defense is that he doesn't think about his actions, and that's not much of one.]

The instructors aren't nice. And nothing they make is nice, either.

...besides, people aren't nice no matter what. Even the ones that act nice - their thoughts are always different. [He says this while putting ketchup on his burger.] And you hate Schuldig and you think I'm him, but...you're still nice. It's weird.

I don't like Schuldig because of what he's done, both to me, my friends, and other people. But you aren't him. [Well, yet.] You aren't responsible for his actions, and shouldn't be judged by them.

Why should I be mean to you? I'm not one of your instructors.

Because people aren't nice, made up or not.

No...I'm not completely nice, sure, but I want to be. I like being nice, especially to kids who seem to need it.

[He's being honest with you there Keane, as he knows you'd catch him in a lie, and he doesn't want to lie anyways.]

I don't need it. [Keane seems annoyed by the thought of being pitied.] I can handle myself.

I know you can. I'll still be nice to you if it's all the same. [It actually isn't pity. Not really. It's just the way he is.]

[He pours some vinegar on his fries.]

[Keane doesn't seem to know what to say to this, and settles for finishing the rest of his meal. However, he's studying Ken all the time with those probing blue eyes, and Ken will feel his mind being examined minutely, looking for some kind of angle.]

[Ken winces a little, cause well hey, he's NEVER liked this, even when Schudig is bigger and has more finesse, but he doesn't complain about it. Why? Because he knows that people in Keane's position need to have security and reassurance and he figures this is how the kid will get it.

He likes kids, he genuinely likes people, even if he's seen the almost absolute ass end of them. He feels strongly that people should be treated fairly and that kids in particular need to be loved and protected. He just wants the world to be a better place and hurting itself.

Well, that and he's a very needy people person.]

[It takes awhile, but eventually Ken will see the confusion and uncertainty in Keane's eyes clear, and the boy relaxes.] You're an assassin. [It's hard to tell why this news seems to relieve him.]

[Ugh, why would the boy dig for that of all things. Well...maybe cause he doesn't have a rose coloured view of the world? Who knows.]

Yeah, you could call it that. Though it's been pointed out to me that it's more extreme vigilantism.

Still...kinda the same thing.

[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?

[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.]

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

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.

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

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.

[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...?

[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.

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