Behind 3 names
"If Ajax is the boy he was, and Tartaglia is the monster he must be, Childe is the man he chooses to be."
Ajax
This is who he is when the world isnāt looking, when heās not on duty, when the Abyss doesnāt call. Ajax is the dutiful child who sends medicine back home to his sick father, the loyal knight of his beloved sister, Tonia, and Snezhnayaās greatest toy salesman. Ajax is first and foremost, and what he prioritizes above all else. In order to protect his siblings' innocence, he is willing to sacrifice his dignity, his status in front of the new recruits, and even his life in the face of preexisting injuries.
And yet, while he certainly wants to be Ajax when interacting with his family, is he still Ajax? One could even argue that Ajax died, losing his his former innocence and shyness, and becoming so unrecognizable to his presumably-loving parents that they saw no choice but to send him to become a child soldier of a nation at war. He was Ajax, but Ajax is gone, like the hope in his heart and the light in his eyes, and now āAjaxā is just as much a lie as his title as the best toy seller in Teyvat. He lost something irreplaceable when he fell into the Abyss, which is precisely why he so desperately keeps up the charade of being a toy seller in front of Teucer. After all, āchildhood dreams are all too easily shattered. Even if you just leave them be, they will fall to pieces all by themselves.ā He knows this all too well, and wants to protect Teucerās innocence for as long as possible. And even if some vestiges of Ajax remain, his position as a Harbinger is constantly tainting the last of his innocence, electronic danger and powerful bass burying the pure notes of the piano.
Childe
Childe is very in-touch with his emotions: anger, excitement, irritation, stress etc. He can be easily tempted by battle. Therefore, he enjoys activities he knows he can excel in. Typically this sense of security comes from a source of insecurity. When the light left his eyes, Childe became someone who considers pain as an everyday thing, having to come in contact with reality at a very young age. Itās almost sad, but not to him. He feels - well nothing. Heās just left guessing half the time. Adrenaline is his best friend though and thatās all he needs. He was lucky enough to use his āskillsā from a young age, and thatās where his sense of pride comes in. Itās one of the only reasons heās proud to be a harbinger.
Once things get out of control, Childe loses his cool. He is generous with his Mora, horrible with his chopsticks, and brutal with his weapons. Undoubtedly deadly and fearsome, but also light and playful. The two opposing identities of Ajax and Tartaglia bleed into each other, and Childe emerges at the centre. Ironically, this alias could be seen as the most accurate name he has, representing his true nature as a young man with a lot of power, but is not malicious so much as just looking to have fun. When he doesnāt need to pretend to be Ajax for his family, or put on the mask of Tartaglia for his Tsaritsa, he is simply Childe.
Tartaglia
This is a title bestowed to him by the Tsaritsa, the nexus of strife, the eye of the storm, the one who āalways appears in the vulnerable underbellies of Snezhnayaās enemy states, striking as a conflict is about to erupt.ā Tartaglia is done playing games. He fights to win. Perhaps Tartaglia is the most fitting name for this battle-crazed warrior who crawled out of the abyss wrong. His character stories paint a vivid picture, āa skilled slaughterer,ā āfrivolous and confident,ā who āacted as if this world revolved around him, and as if battle existed for his sake.ā He had an āinsatiable desire for conquest,ā and an āever-burgeoning ego.ā Was he tainted by the Abyss? Or did it just bring out these pre-existing aspects of his nature? Perhaps heās just gotten better at hiding it. After all, life is just a āNever-Ending Performance.ā
"Anyone you need knocked off
their perch today?"
