have_your_lives | 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.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

The only thing I can teach is soccer. [He has to laugh a little] I don't think 'ny of your instructors there can pull that off with any degree of skill.

You mean football? [Remember, Ken, he's European.] Probably not. I've never played it either. [Keane had a pretty atypical childhood even before Rosenkrüs; telepathy and having to figure out for himself how to manage it preoccupied most of his time. That and the occasional screaming breakdown when he couldn't manage it at all.]

Yeah, I'm so used to saying 'soccer' here for the Americans. Do you like it?

[This gets a noncommittal shrug.] My parents used to watch it. And a lot of people like it...I couldn't tell how I felt, though. [To anyone who isn't a telepath, this sounds baffling. But when you're picking up on dozens of different conflicting thoughts and emotions regarding a sport - up to and including contradictory thoughts from fans of opposing teams - it's not easy for a telepath to figure out what they personally think of it, or who they're rooting for, or which of their perceptions aren't being colored or even transferred wholesale from someone else's mind.]

[Ken isn't a telepath, but even he knows better then to push the issue about it.]

I used to play it a lot when I was younger. I ain't gonna say 'when I was your age' 'cause that'll just make me feel like I'm a million years old.

How old are you?

Me? [He looks surprised for a minute and then laughs, shaking his head.]

19. I turn 20 in December. What about you?

Twelve.

12 huh? That's a good age. I thought you were a bit older.

What's good about it?

Well, for most kids it's when they start bein' able to do more stuff and all that.

[12 was also a happy year for him, probably because he was just getting used to feeling normal and happy again]

I only just started my training two years ago. It'll be another four or five before I'm trusted enough to do anything.

Training...? Oh right...what you were accusing me of being part of.

[You'll have to forgive him Keane, he really isn't excited for you to go through that.]

Right. [He looks a bit uncertain again; he's still not sure how Ken fits into his perception of the situation he's in.]

[Ken would certainly be an anomaly, that's for sure. He honestly is not out to get you there.]

More ketchup?

No thanks. [Keane hasn't had much use for manners during his training, but Ken's treatment of him is calling back memories of times before that, and thus behaviors to match.] ...what now?

To be honest, I'm not sure. I don't know when whatever happened to you is gonna fix itself.

[He knows that it will. Nagi switched back after all]

...can I sleep? It's nicer here than at Rosenkrüs. [By which he means there are no sounds of crying or telepathic whispers of people being tortured or murdered or going insane.]

I don't see why not. Where do you wanna go? [He half expects Keane to demand to see Crawford.]

[Oh, he will later, but for now he wants to take advantage of this strange reprieve.] I don't know. Do you have someplace?

Well, if you'd like you can come crash at my house. We've got plenty of room and I doubt the kids'll bother you.

You have kids?

Well, sorta. [He makes a face. He knew Nagi would kill him, literally, if he ever heard Ken referring to him as 'his kid']

This place assigns us families and I got stuck in the dad slot. I don't really mind, I like kids. It's just weird when a town thinks your a dad of an 11 year old girl when you're only 19 yourself.

[Keane looks understandably baffled by this. But he also looks tired.] ...okay. [He's probably decided it's not worth trying to figure out.] Where do you live?