[DON'T LOOK AT HIM WITH THOSE BIG OL' EYES, TEUCER even if you are fake, he has press down a sigh. HE'S SUCH A SUCKER... terrible.]
First, I have to make sure you're somewhere safe. Remember what I told you? We shouldn't charge into unknown dangers. [And he'll stick to that, keeping hold of Teucer's hand and starting to walk away. There's probably a safe building somewhere around, right? It would be very funny if he and Vlad ended up running back into each other with one (1) newly acquired child each.] But if you promise to stay put when we find somewhere safe, then I'll come see what I can do, alright?
[Danny just! scowls at Vlad! And can't resist one parting remark.]
Your image won't last forever, you know. And then what are you gonna do?
[Anyway. The girl will point at a building. It may or may not conveniently be the building that Childe is looking at.]
We got separated over there...!
[Though if they head on over there, a ghost skeleton shambles on over and tries to stab the girl. I couldn't think of a non-blunt way to say that but there you go.
Teucer follows along and nods with all the sincerity of a small child. Which is to say, he might mean it right now, but no guarantees about how he's feeling five minutes later.]
Money, my boy. It walks, it talks, it rehabilitates.
[ And with that last smug retort, Vlad sets off for the building she's pointing at. Ah, look at that--it's his fellow horny man, how convenient.
Then the skeleton comes shambling over and--Vlad barely has to think before he's whipping out his free arm to punch the thing directly in the chest, with all the strength his newly-empowered body has in it.
He hopes it falls apart in a pile of bones and dust. ]
[Yeah unfortunately this is after Teucer becomes a stowaway on a ship to come see him so Childe IS NOT BUYING IT, even though he sounds fond as he speaks. Does he see Vlad? Who knows, because he's not acknowledging him. Wow.]
I mean it, Teucer! You make a pinkie promise, you keep it all your life...
[For those of you reading along at home, the rest of that cute little rhyme is: "You break a pinkie promise, I throw you on the ice. The cold will kill the pinkie that once betrayed your friend, the frost will freeze your tongue off so you never lie again."
[The skeleton does fall apart! Good job, Vlad. The girl clings to Vlad. Her hero! Does he deserve that praise? Debatable.
But when the little girl sees Childe, she gasps and points.]
That looks like the man Papa left Mama for! [WHAT.] Maybe he knows where he is!
[At least Teucer faithfully repeats the rhyme after Childe, why is Russia/fantasy Russia like this. Now go and actually do a decent deed out there, sir.]
[ Vlad is, if nothing else, passively curious about whatever weird connections are being made here in fake Amity Park. He approaches Childe and once he's done reciting nursery rhymes with his brother, Vlad clears his throat loudly enough to catch his attention. ]
This child says you know her father. Does that ring any bells?
[There are more screams coming from outside. Please, people are dying out there. Teucer is just like, wow! Are those toys really that awful?
The girl nods.]
I knew it! I saw Papa talking with you, and then one day he left our home! But I found him, and he said it was because of you that he had to leave, and we couldn't tell Mama!
[That wasn't the question, but it's fine. She tugs on Childe's pants.]
He's out there! You love him, right? Please save him!
[Maybe Rex Lapis shouldn't have fucked off, then!!!
Also, unfortunately, Childe has spent time around Gu Yun, and is thus well-versed in ignoring obnoxious mansluts. Therefore Vlad gets no acknowledgment whatsoever.
The little girl, on the other hand, gets an "ahhh!" sound, since, yeah, that didn't answer his question at all? But he's just rolling with it.
Childe, expert at lying to children:]
Of course, now I remember! It seems there's been a bit of a misunderstanding--it's just part of a big, big project we've been working on for you and your mother. Ah, it was supposed to be a surprise... but I suppose it's alright if your papa tells you about it now.
[He taps his chin with his free hand, pretending to think it over.]
How about this--if you stay here with my brother, we'll go find your father, and when he comes back, we'll tell you all about the surprise. [Turning back to his fake brother:] What do you think, Teucer? Do you want to help protect her? It's a big job, you know.
[Away they go! People are being attacked by ghost skeletons! A woman runs by not far from them, tripping in her desperation, as a skeleton comes chasing her.]
[ Vlad does absolutely nothing, other than to take a few steps to give the woman and skeleton a wider berth so he doesn't get caught in the crossfire. Sounds like a you problem, lady, they've got some adulterer to find. ]
Childe doesn't particularly care about these civilians either, but what he does enjoy is fighting, and he's got some shiny new powers to test out! So thanks, convenient ghost skeleton, for stopping by to be a guinea pig--it only takes a moment to make short work of it, and he hums, flexing his fingers.]
[ Yeah yeah, stare at him all you like. Don't you all have better things to be doing, like running away from skeletons? Even if Vlad wanted to save you all, there's more of them than he can handle.
Vlad rolls his eyes. ]
Are you done?
[ he's already taken out a skeleton in a single punch, been there done that!!! get with the program, childe. ]
[The woman just gets a wave of his hand, though it isn't particularly cold or dismissive. Just very "yes yes whatever".]
I don't require your thanks anyway. [He seems perfectly unfazed by this treatment, though--he's used to it.] But I would suggest getting to safety while you can.
[And that's all she gets before he's launching himself over to another skeleton, tearing it apart within seconds. Hm... too easy... maybe if he can group them up or something--
--oh, Vlad's still here. He raises an eyebrow.]
I don't recall asking you to stand around and watch.
[He told fake Teucer he'd help people, and that's what he's doing!! They'll find Random Dad Man eventually, he's sure. But he never said anything about not playing with his new powers on the way!!]
[Well, they can go around beating up skeletons, or at least Childe can. Is Vlad just chilling? I'm crying. In the distance, he might see Maddie and Jack Fenton helping to fend people from the skeletons, aka what he is apparently not doing!!
Along the way, though, he'll find the pieces of a Mr. Cyclops action figure on the ground.]
Vlad ignores it. But if Childe's gonna be beating skeleton ass and refuses to make progress when he's the one with the important info, Vlad certainly won't be left out, especially not when it's so trivial to take care of them. ]
[Vlad thinking Childe has important info is hysterical when Childe was literally just spinning tales out of nothingness because he's never seen that girl in his life and had no idea what she was talking about.
HOWEVER, he does recognize that Mr. Cyclops action figure, mostly because it's the only one in the world and he's the one who had it made? Hm. He pauses in kicking skeleton ass once he catches sight of it, a hint of a frown on his face as he crouches down, reaching out to pick it up. I hope it's a surprise bomb.]
[It's not a bomb, but you all probably would deserve it, yeah.
Instead... that woman shows up again? Why? I have given up on having anything make sense "jan you stopped when a little girl accused Childe of being a manslut" listen,,,
Anyway, she stops a short distance from them, watching Childe. Sorry, Vlad, you're just getting ignored now.]
... You put on the kind act for your brother, but one day, he'll realize. What will you do then, when he discovers that all of his love and admiration for you was built on lies—a fake you?
[She won't stick around to hear Childe's response, however, before she disappears.
But you know who is here? The two of them might hear footsteps, and if they turn around, they'll see Teucer and the little girl. Yeah, Teucer already broke his promise, sorry.
As the little girl holds onto him, he's staring at Childe with wide, uncertain eyes, though.
Meanwhile! In the distance, Vlad will see Danny regrouping with his parents. His sister is there too! On the downside, a large horde of skeletons is approaching them...]
As soon as Vlad lays eyes on the Fentons in peril, Childe and the woman and everyone else nearby might as well have vanished into thin air. All Vlad cares about at this point is the Fentons in the distance.
And his gut fills with dread at the sight of the skeletons approaching them. If only it were just Jack alone who could perish at their bony hands. But...surely Danny will notice, save them as he always does with that debilitating hero complex of his?
No. He can't see them. He doesn't hear them. And before Vlad can even think about it, he's darting into action, forcing every ounce of his newfound strength into his legs to make sure he can take out the first wave of skeletons before they harm the Fentons. ]
But then there's the footsteps, and--ah, yes. He was waiting for this.
And even knowing it's all fake, specifically designed to rattle him, it takes him a moment, a slow breath, before he gets to his feet and turns around, meeting the illusion's eyes. He smiles, though it's small and tired, and tosses the doll at the childrens' feet.]
Whoever created this scenario needs to work on making better illusions, don't you think, Teucer? The real you would never treat Mr. Cyclops so carelessly.
[It's not like Childe hasn't run through this exact scenario a thousand times in his head. He could've given them a better script. Or twenty.
Because it's an inevitability, as far as he's concerned. When the time comes, he'll have gone over it so much in his head that it won't hurt anymore. It's flawed logic, but--Childe's never not known the consequences of his actions.]
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First, I have to make sure you're somewhere safe. Remember what I told you? We shouldn't charge into unknown dangers. [And he'll stick to that, keeping hold of Teucer's hand and starting to walk away. There's probably a safe building somewhere around, right? It would be very funny if he and Vlad ended up running back into each other with one (1) newly acquired child each.] But if you promise to stay put when we find somewhere safe, then I'll come see what I can do, alright?
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Your image won't last forever, you know. And then what are you gonna do?
[Anyway. The girl will point at a building. It may or may not conveniently be the building that Childe is looking at.]
We got separated over there...!
[Though if they head on over there, a ghost skeleton shambles on over and tries to stab the girl. I couldn't think of a non-blunt way to say that but there you go.
Teucer follows along and nods with all the sincerity of a small child. Which is to say, he might mean it right now, but no guarantees about how he's feeling five minutes later.]
Yeah, I promise!
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[ And with that last smug retort, Vlad sets off for the building she's pointing at. Ah, look at that--it's his fellow horny man, how convenient.
Then the skeleton comes shambling over and--Vlad barely has to think before he's whipping out his free arm to punch the thing directly in the chest, with all the strength his newly-empowered body has in it.
He hopes it falls apart in a pile of bones and dust. ]
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I mean it, Teucer! You make a pinkie promise, you keep it all your life...
[For those of you reading along at home, the rest of that cute little rhyme is: "You break a pinkie promise, I throw you on the ice. The cold will kill the pinkie that once betrayed your friend, the frost will freeze your tongue off so you never lie again."
FUN SNEZHNAYAN CULTURE FACTS.]
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But when the little girl sees Childe, she gasps and points.]
That looks like the man Papa left Mama for! [WHAT.] Maybe he knows where he is!
[At least Teucer faithfully repeats the rhyme after Childe, why is Russia/fantasy Russia like this. Now go and actually do a decent deed out there, sir.]
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[ Vlad is, if nothing else, passively curious about whatever weird connections are being made here in fake Amity Park. He approaches Childe and once he's done reciting nursery rhymes with his brother, Vlad clears his throat loudly enough to catch his attention. ]
This child says you know her father. Does that ring any bells?
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Also Childe is genuinely good with and fond of kids, so! He'll stop and smile at the girl, shaking his head.]
Hello, young miss. Hmm, I don't think so... can you describe him?
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The girl nods.]
I knew it! I saw Papa talking with you, and then one day he left our home! But I found him, and he said it was because of you that he had to leave, and we couldn't tell Mama!
[That wasn't the question, but it's fine. She tugs on Childe's pants.]
He's out there! You love him, right? Please save him!
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[ He looks up at Childe with a raised eyebrow and an ever-so-slightly-smug grin. ]
Well? Surely you know where your lover would run off to.
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Also, unfortunately, Childe has spent time around Gu Yun, and is thus well-versed in ignoring obnoxious mansluts. Therefore Vlad gets no acknowledgment whatsoever.
The little girl, on the other hand, gets an "ahhh!" sound, since, yeah, that didn't answer his question at all? But he's just rolling with it.
Childe, expert at lying to children:]
Of course, now I remember! It seems there's been a bit of a misunderstanding--it's just part of a big, big project we've been working on for you and your mother. Ah, it was supposed to be a surprise... but I suppose it's alright if your papa tells you about it now.
[He taps his chin with his free hand, pretending to think it over.]
How about this--if you stay here with my brother, we'll go find your father, and when he comes back, we'll tell you all about the surprise. [Turning back to his fake brother:] What do you think, Teucer? Do you want to help protect her? It's a big job, you know.
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Okay, big brother! Leave it to me!
[While the girl looks to Vlad.]
Mister, please help him!
[Vlad is not getting out of not doing any work. Unless, you know, he tries to say no.]
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Very well, then.
[ he gestures for Childe to go first. ]
Take the lead, since you know so much more about the father than I do.
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But it's fine, because they're agreeing, which is what's important.]
Alright then. Both of you stay put, alright? We'll be back soon.
[AWAY THEY GO]
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Childe doesn't particularly care about these civilians either, but what he does enjoy is fighting, and he's got some shiny new powers to test out! So thanks, convenient ghost skeleton, for stopping by to be a guinea pig--it only takes a moment to make short work of it, and he hums, flexing his fingers.]
Hm, not bad.
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The skeleton gets destroyed rather quickly, yes. The woman pauses, and maybe this is incredibly ungrateful of her, but—]
... I'd thank you, but I don't think you did it for me.
[And Vlad just doesn't deserve any thanks, period. He just stood there??? A few nearby people might be giving him Looks.]
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Vlad rolls his eyes. ]
Are you done?
[ he's already taken out a skeleton in a single punch, been there done that!!! get with the program, childe. ]
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I don't require your thanks anyway. [He seems perfectly unfazed by this treatment, though--he's used to it.] But I would suggest getting to safety while you can.
[And that's all she gets before he's launching himself over to another skeleton, tearing it apart within seconds. Hm... too easy... maybe if he can group them up or something--
--oh, Vlad's still here. He raises an eyebrow.]
I don't recall asking you to stand around and watch.
[He told fake Teucer he'd help people, and that's what he's doing!! They'll find Random Dad Man eventually, he's sure. But he never said anything about not playing with his new powers on the way!!]
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Along the way, though, he'll find the pieces of a Mr. Cyclops action figure on the ground.]
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Vlad ignores it. But if Childe's gonna be beating skeleton ass and refuses to make progress when he's the one with the important info, Vlad certainly won't be left out, especially not when it's so trivial to take care of them. ]
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HOWEVER, he does recognize that Mr. Cyclops action figure, mostly because it's the only one in the world and he's the one who had it made? Hm. He pauses in kicking skeleton ass once he catches sight of it, a hint of a frown on his face as he crouches down, reaching out to pick it up. I hope it's a surprise bomb.]
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Instead... that woman shows up again? Why? I have given up on having anything make sense "jan you stopped when a little girl accused Childe of being a manslut" listen,,,
Anyway, she stops a short distance from them, watching Childe. Sorry, Vlad, you're just getting ignored now.]
... You put on the kind act for your brother, but one day, he'll realize. What will you do then, when he discovers that all of his love and admiration for you was built on lies—a fake you?
[She won't stick around to hear Childe's response, however, before she disappears.
But you know who is here? The two of them might hear footsteps, and if they turn around, they'll see Teucer and the little girl. Yeah, Teucer already broke his promise, sorry.
As the little girl holds onto him, he's staring at Childe with wide, uncertain eyes, though.
Meanwhile! In the distance, Vlad will see Danny regrouping with his parents. His sister is there too! On the downside, a large horde of skeletons is approaching them...]
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As soon as Vlad lays eyes on the Fentons in peril, Childe and the woman and everyone else nearby might as well have vanished into thin air. All Vlad cares about at this point is the Fentons in the distance.
And his gut fills with dread at the sight of the skeletons approaching them. If only it were just Jack alone who could perish at their bony hands. But...surely Danny will notice, save them as he always does with that debilitating hero complex of his?
No. He can't see them. He doesn't hear them. And before Vlad can even think about it, he's darting into action, forcing every ounce of his newfound strength into his legs to make sure he can take out the first wave of skeletons before they harm the Fentons. ]
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But then there's the footsteps, and--ah, yes. He was waiting for this.
And even knowing it's all fake, specifically designed to rattle him, it takes him a moment, a slow breath, before he gets to his feet and turns around, meeting the illusion's eyes. He smiles, though it's small and tired, and tosses the doll at the childrens' feet.]
Whoever created this scenario needs to work on making better illusions, don't you think, Teucer? The real you would never treat Mr. Cyclops so carelessly.
[It's not like Childe hasn't run through this exact scenario a thousand times in his head. He could've given them a better script. Or twenty.
Because it's an inevitability, as far as he's concerned. When the time comes, he'll have gone over it so much in his head that it won't hurt anymore. It's flawed logic, but--Childe's never not known the consequences of his actions.]
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