Tale as Old As Time [Finished]

[yamikuronue]

Lance remains still, watching the tape, bracing for painful memories.

[accalia]

Bitch walks over to Lance, her ears flattened in distress, and her tail tucked tightly between her hind legs. Bitch places her head on the arm of the armchair, staring sadly at Lance.

[yamikuronue]

Lance stares at Bitch for a moment, then, almost hesitantly, reaches out to pat the top of her head.

[CalamityJade]

Little Lance scowls up at the man. "I don't NEED a sitter. I'm big so I should be able to watch myself." The man chuckled a little. "Yer a bit short to be watching yourself, you know that?" The kid looked angry and took a swing at the man, who was obviously Obsidian from much longer ago, which was caught. "Alright, now what are you gonna do?"

[accalia]

Bitch's ears perk up when lance pats her on the head, but otherwise she remains motionless.

[yamikuronue]

Lance fondles Bitch's ears, absent-mindedly, staring at the screen.

"I remember her... I was a terror. I spent most of the night hiding places so I could jump out and scare her, or throwing things at her."

[CalamityJade]

O shrugged. "Never could figure out why you were so determined to mess with her."

Small Lance on the screen tries to kick him, but it's caught in the other hand and now he's being lifted by his limbs. "And see, now yer trapped. That's why you need a sitter. So no one can just run off with ya."

[yamikuronue]

"She didn't belong here. I didn't know her." He smiles, ruefully. "Eventually she bribed me with jello pudding."

[CalamityJade]

"Huh...I figured you didn't like there being other kids around." Obsidian chuckled.

[yamikuronue]

Lance makes a face. "That too. They were awful. Loud and bossy."

[CalamityJade]

"Says the kid that tried to deck me the first time we met?" O chuckled as he watched the tape. Eventually, he put the kid down and stood. "That's not gonna work on everything, kid. Eventually you'll have to try something else."

[yamikuronue]

Lance of today gives a rueful smile. "I'm not sure I really ever did learn how to try anything else."

[CalamityJade]

"Well, never too late to learn something."

Small Lance decides to try and run up behind his uncle and try to kick him, which was about the time the video cut off and was replaced with seeing the kitchen and Lance's mother seeming quite upset and Obsidian sitting at a kitchen table. "What were you thinking?" "Well, he was gonna keep trying to hit me. I figured getting knocked over would serve him right?" "And HOW does that equate to him bleeding on the floor?!" "Come on, I didn't think he'd hit his head on the end table."

O gave a bit of a sigh. "Though sometimes it can be a bit too early."

[yamikuronue]

Lance winces. "I didn't know you got in trouble for that. Sorry."

[CalamityJade]

"It's fine. Shouldn't have knocked you into the table in the first place...but that's not the point. Doesn't that kid remind you of anyone?"