based on the theory of mine about Vlad's unknown backstory on tumblr: post/647901556714438656/too-late-ive-got-some-theory-like-ideas-i
Vlad sniffed from the cup, then continued tapping. He was so close, he knew that, and the lastly brewed portion of coffee more than a little helped to see the whole from a completely another perspective. This new idea had to work. Two weeks, he was working on this conception for two weeks. Bless, the ghost side, he needed less time to 'human needs' than a simple one-raced being. Balancing between a few hours of sleeping for such a long time did not make any side-effect – not until now at least, but at the present, slowly he was feeling to reach the edge of his limits too.
Mentally he cursed himself not realising the whole structure had been examined from the wrong side. He had just wasted three days with the unnecessary research work to take down a detailed biological reference, while he should have just used as a start point his own. After all, he still had the files from twenty years back when he first had started to run some tests on what this 'curse' meant. Sometimes the thought that at the beginning he had been in bias about his 'state', made a smile on his face. There were pros and cons. Looking back, how desperately lost he had been at the start, learning the new him… well, not that there wouldn't have been hard days, but now he was capable to turn every side-effect to his advantages, and the price he got by that, almost worth it – almost... And for once, maybe in fine, it would worth it in real. If this would work. And it had to.
To that thought, Vlad diverted his full attention back to the screen, seeking for any mistyped line or missing part that could later ruin the whole. It seemed fine, almost perfect, but he couldn't let himself satisfied with 'almost perfect'. It got a second, a third and a fourth check too if he accidentally managed somehow to overlook a later important detail. Even the slightest misplaced comma could alter the final outcome, and it had to be perfect, every microorganism had to be in the right place for the perfect result.
Vlad nodded and without questioning, if it was ready or it needed a seventh monitoring too, he pressed the enter. Just as he was nearing the limits of his comprehending, he couldn't let his tuckered-out brain make any mistake, and he was sure six checks were enough. At the seventh, he would start to hallucinate not existing faults, starting to get lost in the details again, and that would just turn out into an endless devil's circle. No, six checks were enough. After the blended into two weeks, it was time to run the test too and if that was working then, it implied the hardest part: implementing it into an actual psychical form, not just into some hopeful theory and a finely perfected algorithm – but of course, that would happen after a demanded normal length sleeping.
For a moment, as the blue stripe appeared at the screen, telling it began to process the programming part, fear took over him. What if he missed any part, what if he somehow not included a main part that he completely forgot about the entire time, what if- but he shook his head, only blaming the lack of sleeping behind the suddenly appeared shrieking doubts. No, he always made precise work, and this time… this time he was at least twice as attentive as he used to. If not thrice as much.
Now his mind was completely shut off, only perceiving the slowly moving forward line as it was getting close to the end, to then write out the structure from the smallest atom to the greatest picture it meant. For that millennial event, only a little needed. One second, maybe two. Vlad stiffened in his seat, unable to move, unable to breath. Come on, run, he rooted. And if it worked, the whole twenty years suffering would pay off, and worth the price, giving up everything else after that. And it had to. The blue line moved a little, a millimetre away from the destination, that equalled in this mindless focusing with a forever later. Vlad did not even dare to blink, fearing that he would miss any second from the final payoff, from the sweet revelation of these two eternal weeks, and from the closure of everything. But the urge was too strong.
It lasted only a second. He wasn't even touching anything, but as his vision returned to the screen, he just caught as it went black, without any warning signs, or- anything. It just- just like that, out of blue, entirely shut off. Vlad took aback, raising his hands if he accidentally managed to click on any button, forcing mentally the screen the come back to the previous state, attempting the meantime to find an explanation for this abrupt behaviour. It wasn't supposed to do that. Not at all. Or was it? No, he hadn't programmed a restart – right? But before he really would have got lost in that thought, recalling if he messed up any part that could end up with this, such close to get the result, just to mock his efforts… before he could have started to wonder about if his endeavours were in truth just pathetic, something softly touched his elbow. It left behind a tingly sensation, just then to feel the same a little bit upper on his arm. He needed a second to put together what it was, letting out a sigh in realisation, getting by the touch the explanation for the sudden shutting off too.
"Oh, Maddie." Vlad breathed out, grabbing gently the mischievous cat. "Off from the keyboard, dear, I am trying to work here." the pet let out a confused yowl, with a displeased snort as she recognised, she was placed on the floor, away from the so interesting constantly clicking sound source. "Stop this whining, Madeline. I'm not the one who was crying out for attention the whole dawn. At least let me work now. I didn't let you in to cause trouble. You can take in a few hours more without me. And it's not even dinner time, you impossible woman, so don't try to play that card, it wouldn't work." Vlad cleared to the white furball.
The cat huffily raised her head, not paying attention to the last note, as it would be an exaggeration saying such things like that – it really wasn't. She had the talent to make a reminder about the dinner, precisely an hour before the exact time. No matter how Vlad tried to serve her portions each day, she refused to eat if it was late even with the slightest minute. Women… even in cat form, on-time meant on-time. But at this moment, it wasn't about that.
"I know you are bored, Maddie, try to occupy yourself with something." Vlad tried, narrowing his eyes to the troublemaker if she was on to return to the crime scene. Unfortunately, she was standing his strict staring, with an exciting moving of her tail. Or she was just immune to that too, just as to everything else when he was on to raise up some rules about their co-existent in the house – all were a futile attempt, and ended up with a wordless bowing from his side. "No. Forget it. Somewhere else." Vlad shook his head, on to talk her off, to jump back to the desk. "Shouldn't you sleep?" he asked instead. A bright yellow pair of eyes gazed at him like that expression would have sounded alien to her. "No, you're right. I couldn't rest either if someone is awakened near to me." he admitted.
For a second Vlad was thinking, glancing at the blackened screen, he knew she wouldn't leave him alone. And indeed, she deserved to have her time too. He wasn't really paying attention to her in the last weeks. It was a miracle she still was bearing him beyond the ignorance and with the rather automatic serving towards her. And this time too. After all, he only closed her into the lab with him, to avoid the awful caterwauling from the other side of the door…
"Two hours?" Vlad took the question. The cat was staring ahead, with her back to him now. "All right. One hour then?" he offered; a furry ear slightly moved. "I really had to-" Vlad started, nodding towards the computer as an explanation, but the white mischief-maker got onto her legs, walking ahead and stopping a few feet away, spotting her new target. "No," tried to stop her a firm tone, already late. With a quick jump, the pet was on the working table. "It's metal. Do you have any idea how magnetic it is to your current moulting?" to that the cat shook herself, letting out a few white hairs to make a point. "This is a payback, I believe." Vlad recognised. The cat sat down, looking at him patiently. "An hour." got the one-sided discussion closed, then he modified it, pretending as if he was keeping under control this conversation from the beginning. "Or half… if you don't make any trouble, it's up to you only."
After the final word, Vlad turned back to the computer, searching for the particular key to switch back the screen. Then exhaled heavily, as he realised the slight touch by her paws not only made the whole shutting off but even deleted the lastly added lines, completely closing the whole program with it. But still, he couldn't blame her. Even the whole system returned to its basic state, showing the surveillance cameras and the constant reporting about the stock market, and of course the movements in the Ghost Zone – that one poorly needed an improvement, but as beta-testing, it worked smoothly. (He already added to his doing list to cure the bug, which told in the last few days there wasn't any moving through the Fenton's Portal. Knowing how many problems there were with the spectres, the examined lack of trespassing ghost activities had to be a fault in the detector.)
Vlad closed all currently not needed windows and moved the mouse to shut off the surveillance system too. It was rather automatic, knowing there supposedly weren't any intruders and luckily, she had visited him a month ago, so calculated by that he wouldn't expect her attendance for a few weeks at least. And since he had managed to handle the GiW the last time, there was hardly any reasonable chance to any fortuitous visitors. Poor guys, once they had realised, he had participated in an experiment regarding ghosts too, along with the Fentons, unfortunately, instead of finding someone potentially useful for their organisation, rather avoiding by their hazardous experiences the other two, they just had headed to home with a nasty headache.
Vlad smirked at the quite recent memory, recalling their confused faces, after the unpleasant overshadowing. He couldn't even tell when he had controlled someone – oh, he could, but he wasn't calculating overshadowing that idiot. Now, beyond those two latest occurrences, by the odds, having any unexpected guests now was very unlikely. He closed the windows of the cameras too, just to then to get petrified with a wrinkled forehead. Did he just- for a second, he lifted his hand up from the mouse, attempting to re-picture the just disappeared sight. It had to be only the shadows moving on the screen, but the possibility of the opposite couldn't let his racing mind rest. He grabbed again the mouse double-clicking on the icon and tapped impatiently on the desk, waiting for each small observed parts around the mansion to load in. Then he leaned back into the seat, as the certain one above his front door appeared again, revealing what he a moment ago just calculated as a mirage. It wasn't.
The two figures could be easily recognised, the children of Maddie and Jack Fenton, but the third… felt somehow startlingly familiar, but- Vlad double-clicked again, making it filling the whole screen. The trio was standing at his doorstep, by the muted moving of their mouths, slightly lost, debating the further actions. Even from this pantomimic scene, it became obvious, the most of the discussion was go and forth between Daniel and the tall one, while Jasmine was visibly trying to close out the two's bickering. The longer he was watching them, the more curious he became, making an effort to understand how it had a very strong impact he knew the third, yet unknown one. Maybe it was about- someone's son? Did he know the parents? Suddenly he couldn't recall any familiar somewhat friend or partner in business or anyone who could have a son. Partly, he was aware it was rather because he really wasn't catching up with such irrelevant things (beyond the Fentons how-abouts of course), but- right now, it really started to bother him, that the answer wasn't coming to him rightaway.
He reached out to unmute it, playing with the idea, if hearing the man's voice might give a clue or a start point from how to start the seeking for the missing memory. But then as it became audible, only the boy's crying out voice filled the lab. By the unmistakable tone, it was clear, the other was just as much as a thorn in the teenager's eyes as any other roaming around ghosts who was bewildering the teen's daily life.
"…ink I am the one who should knock, really?" Daniel raised his arms to the air, indignantly. Reading by the man's eyeroll, he started to be tired of the boy's behaviour. They surely were having this debate for a few minutes to reach the point that it was left behind now without any word and just telling the opinion with a grimacing.
"Then I am knocking!" Jasmine pushed away the two a bit, slipping between them to get closer to the front door, shaking her head unbelievably. "Seriously! You, two, act like brothers over the last piece of chips."
"We are nothing like brothers, Jazz!" came an instant, disgusted clarification by the titling. The stranger just cracked a smile at Daniel's wording. "Not even- not even if-"
"Then what kind of tale you want to tell to Vlad then, huh?" interrupted his sister the angered-up stuttering. She turned back, looking to the two as she was putting a hand on her hip, like a teacher, waiting for any solution to be drawn out. "Hm? Don't you think he'll-"
"I'll figure out something." the third said then, adding with an eased shrug. "Or gotta improvise a bit. I don't think it'd be either-" he started, but before he could have ended the sentence, he was cruelly disrupted.
"What? Important?"
The man groaned, massaging frustratedly the bridge of his nose. "All right. Let me get this straight. You want me to tell the truth to him then? Each damn detail?" averted his vision towards the boy. "Even if this would be about that - which, for the hundredth time, is not! - then I would be very tired of this whole charade by now, don't you think? And just to be real, could you imagine me, playing this act to then just simply cross you? Of course not! I'm not that masochistic." he waved in the air, annoyed by this whole. "That wouldn't be the wisest either to tell him everything, let alone who I am exactly, Danny." he summarized, letting out a sigh, continuing a bit calmer. "The alternative is… we are not telling him anything, just when it would be really needed otherwise."
There was a silent second, reading by Daniel's blinking and gaping, the words were sunk with the meaning behind those. Vlad curiously leaned closer to the screen, observing the scene, as if this stalking would spill the things they were on to hide from him then. Especially that the longer he was watching them - mainly the figure - the eerier it started to feel that somehow- somehow this stranger was indeed familiar. The resemblances weren't clear, mixed by something else, but undeniably mirrored the younger hybrid's attributes, along with- why it had a sensation too that it wasn't just about Daniel? Normally, it should have been assumed that maybe Jack had a secret older son, which sounded hilarious, just as Vlad was aware their only older kid was Jasmine, and about the boy… and either, it wasn't about the Fenton's genetics that was showing, no, it was- was this stranger Daniel's son? To that crazy thought, his eyebrows lifted up. It sounded blatantly ridiculous, but-
"So then, could you agree on what to tell to Vlad, who Dan is?" Jasmine asked after the short silence.
"Uh- third cousin once removed?" suggested the man without a beat – according to the off-handed note, called Dan –, coming up with an obviously transparent cover-up. While the younger teenager outraged at the absurd idea that such a thing could be believable, the expression brought back an old memory. And indeed, this unknown figure said it out as easily like he would have been aware of what it meant too: a used-to lie for a cover story if he wanted to be someone else for a day, and not the Masters' smartass boy if someone spotted the similarity. Unfortunately, in most cases, that had been just a naïve brainchild with no use. Words travelled faster, then he could get rid of his fame as being a disappointment, choosing science and books over learning a trade and be a useful member of the society. It took nearly ten years to once hear that appellation, 'smartass', as a compliment, not as a derogatory – and that millennial event had come from the kindest person on the Earth…
"Do you have any better idea then?" the man told the boy, grabbing Vlad out of reliving that sweet memory. "I welcome any other genius suggestions." he teased the younger, crossing his arms. "I don't think it would necessary anyway. He will know in a blink of an eye who I am. Or at least halfway." he gazed suddenly at the door, mesmerised, like that could free him from this current talking. "About the rest… he really shouldn't be enlightened. Yet at least… or aught." was he thinking, tapping absently on his elbow. "Maybe it wouldn't be relevant at all. I mean… telling who I am exactly. Which, I doubt, but- yeah, who knows…"
"How are you so sure about that?" Daniel questioned, clearly stepping over the rest of the other's self-brainstorming. "That, he'll know who you are?" the boy explained. With an eyeroll, the stranger held up his palm, like saying something evident.
"'cause we kinda look alike, Danny? And because he is not a complete idiot?" In that, Vlad had to agree with him silently. Though it felt it wasn't about something that he was assuming, more like- and on the other hand, that wee bit seemingly random suggestion begin to enlighten the comparisons with something he didn't dare to think about. And maybe that was just pure coincidence using the same expression for covering something with a made-up impromptu background story. And in truth, maybe he just started to connect unrelated bits due to the growing tiredness. It was time to experience the paranoia phase from the lack of sleeping. Maybe they weren't even here, and he just hallucinated about their presence at his doorstep. That could happen too, Vlad realised, because the alternative was- distressing.
By that running thought, Vlad missed the boy's reaction, only catching this Dan's moaning. "Oh, could you stop being a complaining little badger in fine?! I'm not saying-" was it started, but paused, noticing the younger's disgusted wrinkling of the nose. "What is it now?"
"Please tell me, you are only doing this to provoke me, and it doesn't come naturally." begged the boy. "Or the place that brings it out?"
However, it was quite clear and unmistakable, and it even made Vlad too raising a surprised eyebrow too, the taller's stunned face told he didn't realise it, even his voice reflected the truest perplexity. "I seriously have no idea what you are talking about..." was it stated with a truly baffled face. Though even it made the growing suspicion about the man, for the person it wasn't obvious, the puzzled look told as much.
"Really?!"
"Guys," slipped between them Jasmine again, stopping the renewed growing tension within the two "You can continue killing each other with Vlad in sight too, but at least could we go inside?" it sounded pointless, but somehow that sentences made the two wordless, looking at each other with a dead uncomfortability. From Daniel, it was a painful twitching, from the other in a form of cramped rubbing of the forehead, along with a murmuring.
"Jazz... not the best wording."
"What?" asked the girl, confused, but then the colour completely run out of her face, somehow putting together what it meant – what for Vlad was unknown, but surely it had to be something disturbing, reading by their reaction that proved it wasn't about a very pleasant memory "Uh- oh, right, sorry. I didn't mean like that." she apologized, but then before the awkwardness could turn into a tight direction, Daniel broke the sudden silence.
"Anyways," said the boy squarely, turning towards the other, visibly repressing the unsettling nuisance with a forced casual attitude "how can we know he is at home at all? I hope, you are not plotting to camp here until he arrives home. Being here gives enough creeps on me, especially with you."
"You still think I'm here because of that." the man described, but then after a thoughtful second, he let out a reluctant sigh. "All right, give me your phone." he showed out his palm, folding in and out his fingers repeatedly, seemingly annoyed by it, like he had to prove some things that were obvious for him, but for the others more the less… after a short hesitating Daniel reached out his phone, giving it to the other. Vlad bent nearer to the screen, curiously focusing on what this Dan intended to do. It was interesting, observing them like that, without their consent or slightest awareness, and sooth to say, they hardly could tell him everything (just as it was said too). Watching them was spilling more than he would have been informed later. And on the other hand, this monitoring started to give out enough details, slowly, figuring out who the third one was on his own.
The older dialled on the equipment, without any second thought, and not even a blink later, the message appeared on the corner of the screen, telling there was a missed call with an unknown cell number. Vlad's brows knitted, visibly this man had a hard cognition about him, or at least about his number, knowing it by heart – though that could be easily learned from any telephone book, he doubted that was it.
"I don't know how this helps. I didn't hear any ringing." commented the young teen, taking back his phone. The man stepped closer to the door, stopping as he gave out the explanation.
"When he is in the lab, the landline is connected to the computer, putting in on busy, but saving the caller's data for later." was it evolved. Vlad's eyes widened at the quite accurate description. Truly, he hated any distraction while he was working, but- how this Dan was conscious of it, was an undecipherable riddle. But before he could have sought for any reasonable explication, the trio disappeared from the screen, entirely, and then there was just thin air after them. Vlad blinked, stunned as if this whole was just a play of his imagination, but somehow, he felt, it wasn't. Just as he wasn't sure what their further aim could be. Invading into his lab? To that thought, he rather got up from the seat, shutting off every opened windows – which was, to his surprise only the surveillance system. For a second, he got confused but then shook his head, grabbing his cup and gulping the rest of his coffee. He really needed some resting, but much to his luck, right now, he had to handle some unexpected guests. At least the mystery of this visit, kept him on his consciousness until the further understanding of the situation, especially that Daniel was involved – twice actually, based on his growing, very much fitting suspicion.
Using the doors, and taking the stairs, instead of phasing in and out felt almost alien, but until he wasn't sure about the guest's intentions or knowledge about his ghost-state, it would have been a hazard revealing himself. And either way, if the man was a part ghost, as Daniel too, Jasmine supposedly wasn't cleared regarding secret identities – or, hopefully, not about his. And Vlad was not a bit sure, Daniel would delay his own reveal as far as he could, especially if there was a chance he wouldn't be accepted. And as for a young teen, that was beyond any doubt the essence of the boy's existence. So, pretending to be a one-hundred-percent human sounded the safest, yet felt the strangest, as he tried to search after the visitors.
At the corridor, he stopped, catching a blurred murmuring from the hall. For a thought, he suddenly halted. What if it wasn't about Daniel? What if it was about this Dan? What if- what if the kids were in danger, and this stranger just dragged them to him. And above all, that was his part in this? Daniel explicitly was showing a very strong disliking towards the other, but- the boy had to be aware of dangers – or at least, how to detect a hazardous situation based on the teenager's daily routine, running after any ghost appearances in Amity Park. But what if he wasn't? What if, Daniel, this time, wasn't conscious of they were walking straight into a trap? But- Vlad's eyes widened at the assumption. Could that mean he was the trap? To that, he fastened his steps, just to then, pausing at the doorframe, in the cover from the guests in the room, as he caught his name within a clear outburst – family name only, to be accurate, but that correction hardly could mean any difference.
"Really?! How could you – I – approve this?" yelled the audibly, traumatised boy, from a note, which's previous parts was unfortunately missed by him. But, by the freaking out, it had to be something invidious.
"Oh, shut up! You asked. It's not my problem it's not beloved for you. I've just given a straight answer for your damn question!" to the tone, Vlad froze. There was one thing not hearing it through static or the microphone, but this close- he didn't have much time to analyse it either, the discussion got continued, with a much lower tone. "And just to be clear, Danny, I don't give a shit about your opinion. I owe no explanation to anyone, let alone you."
"Still-"
"Still," the man broke off the boy. "I am not going to discuss it with you. Not right now." he stated, pressing the words meaningfully, remaining then in a short silence. By that, Vlad realised they must have heard him nearing or- right, Daniel had a sort of ghost sensation. They had to know he was here. "Quit the lurking, I know you are there." was it noted, affirming his presence by the obvious calling signal. Vlad tried to step over the demanding tone and joined the invaders. After all, who did this man think he was to just dictate what to do and expect a quite immediate reaction? But, to be honest, to learn the other's identity interested him more than snagging on this behaviour that he had to bow to some strangers in his own house.
"Jasmine," Vlad nodded towards the older teenager first, covering with the immediate welcoming like he wouldn't – just as the third had said – have been stalking on them the entire time. Which was true, but they didn't have to know that. And just as it was his home, he had every right to monitor the guests, especially if that included the other existing hybrid too. "Daniel", he turned towards the boy, and then- the opened mouth just stayed like that. It wasn't about that he didn't know – wasn't supposed to know, to be exact, without the stalking – the other's name, it was-
Vlad narrowed his eyes, giving a look at the teenager, then back to the adult, and back and forth, at least for fifth times, before he could say surely it wasn't about any random coincidence, especially not as the two was sitting on his couch so close to each other. Not even brother's or a parent-son pair could seem this look-alike. Maybe identical twins, but- about that, the age difference clearly ruled out that possibility. There was something beyond the unmistakable resemblance, that not a little was making a chilling sensation, but about that, Vlad couldn't tell yet what it was. Currently, it was more bothering, how Daniel could get implicated in such things, that involved the most annoying meddling ghost's doing – because hardly there could be anything else behind this. As he opened his mouth to ask about it, or restructure in his mind the question, unaware how much Jasmine knew about ghosts – or about him, knowing about these things – a snap pulled him out of the thinking.
"Could you stop staring at me like that?" till that note, Vlad didn't even realise he got lost in examining the other – mainly about attempting to decipher the small details that didn't belong to the young version's genetics. "Or at least, do it less obviously, god's sake!"
Vlad was on to retort to the quite nice accusation, but it was right, staring like that was rude, and he'd better be left unnoticed while he was eyeing someone. He pursued his lips, closing out the bitterness and directing rather the other vital question to the younger boy. "Where are your parents?" Even before an answer could be formed, there came a scoff.
"Are you serious?! That's your first question? Where is Maddie and if Jack is around?"
"Nice friend you have here, Daniel." Vlad commented on the accounting, turning back. "No. My first question would be, how is it possible you have a fifteen years older version of you. But I assumed, I wouldn't get an answer for that if I had asked." he clarified.
The reaction was nothing else but a merged mess, with startled stammering from Daniel, the man explaining to the boy that 'cause he was not an idiot, this 'Dan' claiming it wasn't fifteen, just ten, and it got followed by murmuring about that if the outlook told otherwise it was just his fault, and then a quite expected forming debate that the younger did not look like 'him'. At that point, even Jasmine joined with a disagreeing. The next note almost made young Daniel jumping up from the couch when the man questioned if his counterpart had ever seen a mirror. It gave a very strong impression this 'family discussion' would not stop soon, Vlad coughed louder than he supposed to, to get noticed. Luckily, he didn't have to come up with a second way to get their attention. It quite immediately ceased the debate, telling they weren't alone, within themselves only, to arrange those things within them.
"Still," Daniel stated, having the last word. "I'm nothing like you."
The figure opened his mouth but then left it uncommented. Vlad waited a bit if the two would continue their verbal contest, but then it seemed the silence stayed – fortunately. He didn't miss either hearing or being a part of any 'family talking'. That was one of the reasons he didn't mind living alone. Now he only had to argue with himself about issues. At the present, this slight debate was enough to strengthen his statement about wishing to be out of those occasions forever.
"So, to sum up your 'little chat'," Vlad lifted his finger, pointing to each member. "He is your future self. I reckon alternate future self, or else, he wouldn't be capable to be here. Ten years older than, not fifteen." to that, he got a thoughtful mumbling about 'not sure, though', but he rather ignored that note. "And evidently, you, Daniel, have a past with him, probably, not a nice one. Unless, this arguing is usual within you, which I doubt, so-" he looked to the man. "Presumably your outlook bothers your younger version the most. Jasmine, on the other hand, states between you two, knowing more than you are willing to hear about each other." Vlad ran his eyes on each guest, pausing. "Did I miss something?"
The young teenager agape was blinking, undoubtedly by the appropriate description. The red-haired girl gave a glance at first to her younger sibling than to the other one who visibly got lost in his mind, scratching the fabric on his thighs uncomfortably, running up and down his nails on it. Vlad knew that fidgeting, that was one of his unaware stress-reducing methods, or to come to a thought that needed much fortitude than he had. Even from twenty years back, he could recall the last time, when he had been doing the same movement. The day, when he had been collecting his courage to stand up from the desk, walking to the studying group and ask out the kindest person at the college, but the things- well, the things turned out differently.
Vlad gazed at the movement, almost disappearing into the memory, but then as it stopped abruptly, it grabbed him out of it too, right before he could start to wonder how things could turn out, if-
"All right." let out a breath the man. "It's unnecessary hiding behind lies, right? You could see through those, and well… you'd tell instantly if I am lying." he lifted slightly his head, forming a half-smirk. Then he rubbed the back of his neck and started. "Your deduction… that was almost proper," he said, taking a quick glimpse towards his younger version, biting his lips, then after a deep sigh, continued. "Okay… truth then. According to Danny's titling, I'm his 'evil future self'." was is quoted. "But that's debatable." to that, the boy tilted toward him. "Okay! Perspective then." was it redefined wryly. "God's sake. Just to be clear, I have every right, to disagree with your titling, Danny."
"Oh, yeah?! Then I have every right, disagreeing with your name, Dan." was Daniel flashing an eye towards the older.
For a second, it seemed, there wasn't any chance to back out from another arguing, but as a short stillness lasted, in dead quietness, only hearing the stressed cracking of the bones in the older's hand, repressing to snap back at Daniel's retort, it told, maybe this time it could stay like that. Vlad at least hoped so. Looking at the girl, she put the highest faith in that too.
As nothing happened for a minute, Dan released an eased breath. "Anyways… me and Danny, we have a past, which I won't elaborate," he said, rather addressing the note to the boy, not to Vlad. "In short, he knows my worst. But don't have any further insight, which is a fact, don't deny it!" he snapped suddenly his eyes to his counterpart.
On this particular occasion, it remained uncommented, only in a form of grunting was it reacted. The so-called 'evil future self' waited a bit if Daniel had liked to add anything else, but after that, the describing kept going.
"In other words, Danny hates my guts, for at least a hundred valid reason. Jazz is… she is still processing this whole, so at this point, I think it would be the best, for everyone, if you make them dinner, prepare a room, and we let them sleep this joyous day out." he ended his speech.
"What?" came the quite immediate crying out, not even letting the words sink. "We are not staying here for the night!"
"Oh, you think so?!" the man turned at once to his younger version, with a raised-up tone. "Could you think about others for a second? Were you the one who was driving and bearing both of us in the past four hours? Do you even have any idea how freaked out Jazz was on the morning, thinking I'd haunt you down during that stupid test? Or, that, how could be for her, learning about me, when you spilt the truth, just because you thought I'd hurt anyone, and you thought telling everything about me would be the best for her? No, of course not! Do you know at all how hard it could be for her, still, to perceive me, putting together that no matter what I am technically still you?! And that fact would never ever change? No, you don't." he waved in the air, fretfully.
"At least-" the figure restarted, now with a much lighter tone. "At least Jazz needs to sleep, you idiot. This day was damn long, and I am tired too, but that hardly counts to you, am I right? And against you, I still have things to do. So, at least, be grateful I am caring about you and not letting you driving back just like that." he finished, standing up abruptly, taking a few steps, but then stopped, squeezing his eyebrows together, seemingly realising something. "Thinking. I meant to say thinking." but then he raised up his arms in the air, giving up. "Whatever!"
Vlad watched as the so-called future version moved to take a step ahead, but then changed his mind, and his face turned into an annoyed frown instead. The man was just standing in front of him, gazing at the air, with a nearly lost look. To that, it became clear, for whatever reason they were here, it was about the man. And, for him, being here, meant him trouble. Vlad just couldn't put into words, how much the sudden realisation got to be well-founded as he pieces together the bits about his behaviour. So then, Vlad instead just patiently waited until the figure could form the words. It took a second, but then the adult spoke.
"Could you do that spaghetti thing for them?" well, admittedly, that was the least expected thing to ask.
"I beg your pardon?" the man for a quick glance looked at him, explaining.
"That spaghetti thing, you know. I can't recall how you named it." he circled his wrist in the air, visibly trying to catch a thought in his mind. "The one with the wine vinegar and the honey." he specified the ingredients. "You know what I am thinking. I really liked that. I mean… yeah. Or was he just hungry?" he wondered, shaking his head then quite immediately. "No, he definitely liked that. He was eating with three bowls in a row, that could count as-" the words suddenly trailed off, making him staring ahead, then pinching his nose, along with a frustrated, somewhat really exhausted groan.
Vlad lifted an eyebrow, not even attempting to perceive the meaning it or the shifting personal pronouns within the sentences. It was more disquieting anyway that the slight nuances were growing into a disturbing sensation, bit by bit, telling that-
"Just do that spaghetti thing-y." the man said then, closing the previous thought. Visibly, he managed to step over the mess in his mind, that had taken over him a moment ago, just to then demanding now something with a clear tone. "Do I have to repeat myself?" was it asked as a second had passed without any reaction.
"I feel I don't have any word then." Vlad realised.
"No, not really." confirmed the future boy, observing suddenly the door behind Vlad, but then he turned back to the siblings. "Jazz, can I get back my book?" the girl took in hand her backpack, and without searching much, reached out the named object. "Thanks. I'll be in the study. Tell me if you're done with the dinner. Then I need Masters, but you two, better go to rest." he said, on to leave the room, just like that.
"I am standing right here, if you-" Vlad voiced, telling to him that he was- but the man turned to him, interrupting to finish the sentence or even the thought.
"Figures, I'm aware, old man." the man snorted. "And you are standing in my way, so move away." to the lack of moving – or bowing, Vlad clarified the proper definition of the situation – the familiar bright gaze, for the first time stared at him, seriously. "We'll have a very long night, be thankful at least I am letting you eat before that. So, I am suggesting, start cooking. The faster you are done, the quicker we could start working, so- move away." he repeated, adding. "Or would you like me to make you?"
Vlad could hear an instant moving from the couch, without checking he knew it was Daniel. He didn't have to take the question, guessing whether the man would be capable to force him or not. Or maybe, he just didn't want to know that answer for that, so instead, he just stepped away, letting the enigma out, not even daring to wonder about how this person was walking straight where his secret personal study was placed in the house. But it seemed, such things like that were the least mysterious about the figure.
"And I thought, my boy," Vlad was thinking aloud, "the worse you are dealing with is…"
"Plasmius?" Daniel helped him out, nearly laughing at the assumption. "No, he is just in the second place, after him. Or on the third, after the Ghost King-case. But I guess, as far as that idiot cheesehead has a connection in each case, he might be on the first on the list after all."
Vlad was on to retort to the labelling, but a slight whisper stopped him. "Jasmine?" he turned his head towards the seemingly startled girl. Her confused and paled face told she got stuck on something.
"He said-" was she shaking her head unbelievably, trying to process something shocking. "Please, don't tell me, Vlad is that Plasmius ghost..."
Vlad's eyes widened, though he admired the teenager's sharp thinking, he still took a slow step back. It was clear the girl was aware of some things, regarding ghost issues, just as not really freaked out by her brother's future self's attendance, and it became clear too by the boy's lack of secrecy that she was aware of her sibling's secret identity, but-
"Jazz… they don't even look alike." said the boy, without any sign of hesitation. "Don't you think, Vlad would be at least be similar with the Wisconsin Ghost, if he is him?" Vlad's jaw dropped, did Daniel just-
"But- he used the same words describing… did he mean Plasmius, not Vlad? Wait, then- but- then how does he knows you are Phantom?" she directed the question to her brother.
For a second there was a long silence, uncomfortable, stunned and- however, it was- it almost felt unearned from the boy, protecting his secret, especially from his sister, when Jasmine clearly could see through the all, but- Vlad opened his mouth, but at the same moment as he was on to confess about it, the younger teenager averted him.
"Vlad saw me transform during the reunion." Daniel said suddenly. "Plasmius appeared and I was after him, and when I transformed, he saw me. I didn't have time to explain myself, then we-" he paused, uncertain how to continue the partly truth-like explanation.
"So, that's why you two are so sensitive about him." she realised, putting some sort of pieces together. Vlad raised a questioning eyebrow. Sensitive? You two? About Daniel it was obvious, it was about the cover-up disguise, but- according to Jasmine's observation… the boy's future self was sensitive about him too? Now, that was laughable, like he could be in any case Daniel's weakness when it was about rather on the contrary. If he'd liked to use any titling for that, between them, it was about being the young hybrid's arch-enemy. But he'd have abhorred such unrealistic and comic book-ish titling. It was more complicated, and certainly not that black and white. And surely, if that was, it wasn't about him, especially not about the man. It was about his future self – or alternate self.
"You couldn't tell Mom and Dad about being Phantom and-" Jasmine kept going the train of thoughts. "Vlad is helping you!" she concluded. "That's why- so that's why he ended up here! He was the only one who knew about your state and- it all makes sense now!" she cracked a smile, satisfied with the deduction she was building up in her mind. And then, Jasmine turned to him, with a grateful glittering in her eyes. Vlad blinked at the sudden form of emotion, as she was nodding towards him. "Thank you, for keeping my brother's secret safe. It means to him much." the girl said then, to that Vlad dumbfoundedly was opening and closing his lips, unaware how to react. "And I'm really glad, an adult is helping him too." To that, he closed his mouth, turning to the boy, to get a hand how to- or what to say. But then Vlad realised it wasn't the best time, getting stuck on the details, or why Daniel had lied.
"I- you're welcome." he breathed out then. "It's nothing." he added, suddenly realising it was hardly about protecting his secret. Maybe it was, but- maybe there was something behind this really unnecessary hiding. To that idea, Vlad shifted his eyes back to the boy, trying the decipher if the teenager's face was giving out some reason about that, but a pointing coughing grabbed him out before he could start reading from Daniel's mimics.
Vlad turned back towards the noise, not really getting surprised as the man was standing right behind him. "I know you love chatting, but, uh- could you pick it up a bit?" came the question, though it sounded as a claiming. "I'm sure, Danny wouldn't let me make the dinner, fearing I'd poison it, so- may I suggest a bit of hurrying up with it?" he asked and right after that, not even waiting for any reaction, he just disappeared, walking away, back towards the study.
By now, Vlad knew he really shouldn't have been surprised by the lack of manners, but this… "Is he always like that?" Vlad inquired, unable to keep his opinion about this behaviour. To that, Daniel just rolled his eyes.
"Worse. Way worse."
Adverting the older teen's gazing towards the corridor, Jasmine had a dissent about the future self. The girl bit her lips, and then jumped up, determined, not taking off her vision from where the man a moment ago had gone away. "I'll check on him," she stated. "Danny, you don't mind, helping Vlad, making that spaghetti, right?" she questioned, but only as a reassurance, leaving within a blink of an eye the room, and running after the man, without even expecting an answer.
A second passed, then another, then as an unpleasant grunt came, it became real. They didn't have any other choice. Vlad turned towards the boy, with an awkward smile, trying to keep the illusion they weren't in real, forced unintentionally into a situation, that needed a cooperating within them. "I guess, we are making spaghetti then." Vlad put into words their state, as ridiculous it sounded.
"It really seems like that." agreed the teenager, realising too the scenario they were perfectly ensnared in.
side note: I already cut into half this chapter, then I had to cut into an other half too, 'cause I have an idea about a discussion, and I'd be really sad shorten it, so, yeah- it could happen there would be two other chapters playing here, and I wouldn't mind that at all... I have so much to say, and I really love creating smart interactions within these dorks, and each of them needs to arrange some things regarding an other.