Application
Application - Canon
PLAYER INFO
Name/Nickname: Tossino/Toss/Tossy/Tossit etc. (AKA knock yourselves out)
Age: 18
Journal: http://tossino.livejournal.com
AIM/MSN/IM: AIM: thetossedone / MSN: the_tossed_one@hotmail.com
Email: the_tossed_one@hotmail.com
CHARACTER INFO
Character Name: Cross Marian
Canon: D.Gray-Man
Point taken from canon: Right before his (supposed) death, about chapter 167 and 168. After the talk with Allen. And the, yay, hug!
Age: Aha, now this is the tricky one. Cross looks to be somewhere right over his thirties, but for all we know he could be really old - like, I don't know, ninety, hundred - and just not look it. That could be due to magic that he knows, or that he's not human, which is questionable. There are theories that he's a Skull, since he knows their magic, can disguise himself as one and... yeah, doesn't seem to actually age, and for all we know Skulls can rather disguise themselves as humans than the other way around. Too little is known about this.
Gender: Male
Preferred Village: N/A; Cross was never a person to have any preferred places, just places he hates.
Appearance: Cross is 195cm (6'4") tall and weighs 82kg (180 lbs) - like everyone from the DGM cast, it wouldn't hurt for him to gain some weight. He parades with a thick, red and unruly mane on top of his head, which he usually covers with a black hat that has two sort of ropes around the crown as decoration. He has a goatee and a strange mask that covers one of his reddish eyes, more exactly his right, and his hair normally covers this mask while some strands hang over his visible eye. It has yet to be revealed what his mask is for, though it seems to have something to do with him being able to disguise himself as a Skull. He has broad shoulders and a lean build, but doesn't lack muscles just because of that.
Cross thinks he only deserves the best, so he has the best clothes. He wears white shirts with lots of fancy frills and similar decorations along with a black coat with gold trimmings, black pants with a belt and boots. The pants and boots are also a part of his Exorcist uniform, which is another coat with gold trimmings and he, obviously, uses that when on the job. He always carries his gun in a holster strapped to his leg. He also wears a pendant with a cross on it and black gloves (to protect himself from dirt? Could be).
He's a handsome man, and he knows it. Women are very fond of him probably because of both that and his personality, which will of course be elaborated on in the right section.
Cross is a very confident, maybe overly so, man and carries himself as such, along with a bit of arrogance. He also moves with a bit of laziness and he's definitely not the tense kind. He combs his hair with his fingers every now and then, probably to make sure it looks as he wants it to look.
Reference picture 1
Reference picture 2
Background: It's always hard finding a good wiki or source, and especially for someone like Cross, but this one is alright: http://dgrayman.wikia.com/wiki/Cross_Marian#Synopsis
Very little is known about Cross before the start of the manga. Very little. What is known is that he used to be a Scientist, possibly in the Order, before he became an Exorcist, and that he knew the 14th and Mana somehow. He does in fact carry a part of the 14th's will. He apparently talked to Mana some time after the 14th's dead, so they probably maintained contact until Mana died too. He used to be Anita's mum's lover and therefore has known Anita for a while. It was because of him that Anita's mum became a supporter of the Order, actually.
When the 14th died, he asked Cross to watch over Mana until he one day returned. It can be assumed he also gave Cross Timcanpy, who originally belonged to the 14th, at this time. When Mana died, Cross picked up Allen and took care of him. In his own... Cross... way. Which isn't very nice. He threw Allen in the path of Akuma, dumped bets on him, and just simply threw lots of crap at him. But you can at least say that it toughened Allen up for the job he had in front of him. Allen once ate some of Cross's candy that had alcohol in them when he was hungry, and was punished badly for it. Since then the boy refuses to drink alcohol or just associate it with himself in any way.
While in India, Cross tells Allen that he's ready to become an official Exorcist. Saying he hates the Order, he uses a hammer he has apparently used on Allen before to knock him out and leaves him there, together with Timcanpy.
Personality: To put it simply, Cross is confident, rude, blunt, irresponsible, demanding, and straight-out an asshole. He thinks that he's above everyone else and pretty much treats everyone like crap. Most of the time he acts like he couldn't care less about anyone but himself. Actually, he acts as if he couldn't care less about anything at all in general aside from himself, his alcohol, his cigarettes and his women (and possibly gambling?). He always says what's on his mind, especially if it will insult people, and seems to rather enjoy doing so too.
A big part of Cross is debts. Debts for the drinks, for the gambling, for the clothes, possibly for women, either paying for having them or buying things for them. Debts for... everything. He wants the best of the best - his favourite wine, for example, is Romanée-Conti, which is... very expensive, considered the most expensive wine in the world - so he's hard to please, and everything he wants cost a lot of money, and no, he doesn't pay for it himself. Therefore, he's bathing in debts, and he doesn't give a shit. But then who does he dump it on? Well. That depends who's available. Usually it would be the Black Order, but during the time he was on the run he dumped it all on Allen. The poor boy is scarred for life because of this. And while he was continuously evading the enemy sent to kill him, the Noah Jasdebi (Jasdero and Debitto/David), he dumped it on them. Yes. He's that badass.
Oh, yes, he also runs from the debt collectors. He runs from a lot of things actually. The Order included.
He's hard to please. While he was staying in the Order he demanded practically the impossible and seemed to never be happy. It became so bad that the ones placed to guard him to make sure he didn't run away had to take money from their own pockets. After all, to make sure he really didn't run away, they wanted to make sure he was pleased. It's highly possible he was just fucking with them for his own amusement, though.
Cross may treat men like crap, but he thinks very highly of women. He really likes women. Really likes them. When interacting with only women, people could say he's a gentleman. Of course, just because he's around women it doesn't stop him from being an ass to other people (just maybe not quite as much), but most often the women seem not to care. It depends on the woman. Either way, women must see something in Cross, because they don't ditch him. (Or they just don't care and aren't too different from him. Whichever works. But even people like Anita, who surely isn't like that, stick around and that has to count for something.)
Women are also among the only ones he really listens to. Komui sent Lenalee with Allen's group with the sole purpose to ensure he didn't run off again.
That's putting it simply. But Cross isn't simple.
When the Exorcists met Anita, she talked very fondly of Cross. Allen obviously refuses to admit anyone like the lovely Anita can like Cross so much, because that would mean there's something not so rotten in Cross and we just can't have that, can we? Impossible! But she did. It seemed she even loved him, because she said that the thought of him being alive when he was considered dead was the only thing she could rely on for strength. Obviously, he's someone you can definitely love.
Cross really liked Anita too. He talks about her with Lenalee, and says that she was a great woman, and he is sad about her death
Cross is what you could call a puppet master (anime screenshot). He may be a relaxed person, but he's certainly not lazy-- okay, he is, but he does get work done. Eventually. He might even take on tasks for himself outside of what work the Order gives him. But he can barely work with anyone else, he would much rather work alone.
He's the kind of person who always has something planned, and he can even strut around under the Earl's nose without being noticed. The Earl personally says he could never understand that man, and seems to see him as a bit of a threat, compared to how he sees the rest of the Order.
But to get his plans through Cross sometimes has to use others, and this is when he's a puppet master. It becomes obvious when he appears that he has used Allen and company from the moment they began searching for him, maybe even from when he disappeared off the Order's radar. It was he who made sure they picked up Krory, he who led them to Anita, he who got them into the Ark, sort of. He was there all along, watching from the sidelines to make sure everything went as planned, either himself or with the help of his modified Akuma. Road asked Tyki, in the Ark, if he had changed the cigarette brand. It was Cross's cigarettes she smelled.
He seems to be caught off guard if it doesn't go as planned, though, or when someone's catching on something when he wasn't expecting it.
He knows how to get information. All the information that he needs. He has connections all over the world and knows where to look for everything. He has great skills when it comes to figuring things out, and deciding what to do and how to do it. He is obviously someone to fear, so the Earl is doing such with justice.
Cross thinks he's above everyone, and that applies to his superiors too. Sure, he follows orders, he's responsible in that way, but other than that he doesn't act as if they're his superiors. He outright disrespects them; pretending to sleep during a meeting with his feet on the table, avoiding questions, and so on and so on. But somehow he manages to do so subtly. It's not enough to get him punished or anything.
Allen may often be talking about how horrible his time with Cross was, but it wasn't as if Cross raised him to be an ordinary child, but to be an Exorcist, and being an Exorcist is rough. Cross didn't do it only to be an ass - just a little bit, probably - but because future Exorcists need to be toughened up before they can get onto the battlefield. Yes, he knew was he was doing, and it sure has done a few things. So it was definitely not only to be a bastard, but because that's how it needs to be and to keep Allen alive, for whatever reason. Probably mostly to keep Allen alive and make him strong.
Because, yes, Cross cares about Allen too. Even if he's not a woman!
When telling Allen the devastating news about the 14th, he did hug the boy after all. It was a loose and very strange hug, but a hug nonetheless. He probably thinks of Allen almost as a son of sorts, in a fucked up way, and Allen probably thinks of Cross as at least a father figure, this in a fucked up way too.
Cross seems to be trying to live his life to the fullest. Great wine, great clothes, great women. A big reason that he spends so much money on the best could be that he's simply a strong believer in the fact that life is short (but if he has lived for very long... maybe not) and that you better do what you can with it for as long as it lasts. And maybe, if he's not human, he could also be doing it because it makes him feel more human. He enjoys messing with people and testing their patience a lot as well, even when this might not be such a good idea. Whatever his reason is for living the way he does, he's entirely set on enjoying his life even while doing his duties, and that seems to have kept him remotely sane. He has full points in "mentality" in the stats of the fanbook for a reason.
Abilities/Strengths: Cross is special in every way. when it comes to fighting, compared to the rest of the Exorcists. Every Exorcist has one Innocence, one weapon. Well. Cross has two. He has his main Innocence that is actually his, which is his trustful gun Judgment, and then he has the corpse of a Parasitic Exorcist named Maria (who he probably has history with somehow) that he controls with magic. She listens to Cross, and Cross only.
Starting off with Judgment. There's generally nothing really all that special about Judgment. It's a gun, a big - HUGE - white gun, it fires bullets that make funny sounds when fired. So far so good. Well, these bullets don't ever miss their target. Deflected? They'll fly right back. Good luck avoiding these babies.
Judgment also has something called "Purging Level". It seems that this ability makes the bullets stronger somehow. Cross used Purging Level 3 to try and destroy the Egg in the HQ Invasion Arc. The third level is... very powerful. If there are higher levels, they really are ones to be feared.
Judgment also has a power called the "Arrow of Original Sin". This ability means that light spreads around Judgment in a bow shape, a pretty big and fairly detailed and generally strange bow, and is a stronger attack, though apparently not as strong as the third Purging Level. The bow most likely disappears as soon as an arrow is fired.
Maria (reference picture) is a Parasitic Exorcist and her power lies in her singing. She has two known abilities that Cross uses/can use.
The first is Magdala Curtain. This ability can hide any people from view in a sort of sphere. A pretty basic, but very useful, ability. The second is Carte Garde. With this ability, when Maria's song enters the victim's brain she, or in this case Cross, can control whatever this person is doing with them being well aware that they are being controlled. This can be used both when you want to stop allies from doing something incredibly stupid, something Allen is pretty keen on doing every now and then, or when you want to stop enemies from doing what they're supposed to do. Fight you, that is.
Cross has, like all Exorcists, developed somewhat inhuman strenght and speed, to be able to fight the Akuma properly. He normally doesn't move much when fighting, but he will if he has to. He doesn't underestimate enemies, but he knows what they can do and he knows what he can do and thus he normally takes fights rather casually. He doesn't use up more energy than he has to. After years and years of being an Exorcist, that sort of comes naturally.
Cross also knows magic from somewhere, magic similar to Skulls. He calls himself a Sorcerer. Fans' limited knowledge of his magic is that of whatever he uses on Maria, the ability to pause the Ark's destruction somehow, and destroying other magical barriers. He seems to be stronger than the professional Skulls.
Cross is generally mentally strong. He doesn't seem to be shocked easily and breaking his brain would be hard; just generally surprising him would be hard. He seems to go through most (maybe all) possibilities in his mind and doesn't deny any of them - most of the time, more of this on the weaknesses. He knows what he can expect from doing things and ending up in different situations, and prepares himself accordingly. Even if you do manage to shock him he calms down very quickly and deals with it while being seemingly relaxed, though he probably keeps his guard up regardless.
It's hard to make Cross budge from anything. He knows what he wants, and he'll stick to that. The only thing that could probably make him change his mind would be women... He won't allow anyone to just brainwash him or anything and he does things his own way, in his own pace. This can piss off Central sometimes, but they can't complain as long as he does what he's supposed to do, and he does do that, no matter how long it takes. Sometimes you can't rush it after all, and he knows this. Despite his laziness and dependence that sometimes just seems annoying he is probably among the strongest and best forces the Black Order has. He's not to be underestimated, definitely not.
Cross is a confident bastard, so confident that it's not a good thing all the time, but in a lot of ways it is too. You can't put him down easily. Even if you present him with things that makes doing this and that nearly impossible, he'll tell you to screw yourself and does it anyway because he believes that there's no way he'll fail. Yes, no matter what kind of crap happens to him, he'll keep trying. Maybe not to damage his very important pride as well.
When things need to be done, Cross does them. He doesn't let personal things get in the way; he takes his tasks very seriously. This could be seen as cold and uncaring, and it probably is in a way, but he's just being professional, and in a lot of cases that does mean seeming cold and uncaring. In reality he isn't cold and uncaring. He does his job, and possibly quite a few things to benefit himself as well. But he also seems to decide for himself when he's on duty and when he's not, even if Exorcists and particularly Generals are on duty 24/7, or maybe it's better put to say that Cross adds play into his work. But hey, he can't be serious all the time.
Cross just tries to relax. Even while doing his job, he enjoys himself with the life he has been given. The way he enjoys himself could be seen as sinful, it is really, but it keeps him relaxed and healthy so he doesn't overwork himself and can stay sharp and alert especially when he has to. He bends rules to enjoy himself, but that probably has a lot to do with him wanting to fuck with people for the hell of it, and he does enjoy doing so. At least he doesn't stress himself out over anything, he just allows himself to live. Some people could learn from this (Allen. And like everyone else in the Order).
Cross doesn't dance around topics. He goes straight to the point when there's something big he wants to talk about. At least if it has to do with business or if it has to do with being rude. He does keep a lot of secrets and he is vague about things that he thinks he should be vague about, but other than that he is very blunt. Even if things are tough for him to say - something you can never really tell - he says them.
Cross doesn't allow things to get to him too much. You might try to break him down, and it might work for a little while, but he will come back just as strong or even stronger. He's a fighter and doesn't give up on anything. He'll keep going through everything.
Weaknesses: Weaknesses? What weaknesses? This is motherfucking Marian Cross. Cross doesn't like to get dirty. He always stands from afar and fires at the enemies with Judgment so that he doesn't get dirt on him. Even during the level 4 fight he waited for the level 4 to be in a position benefitting himself. He does deal well with this, but it could definitely get in his way sometimes. He wouldn't want to fight up close, and there's only so much you can do with a ranged weapon, though he should be pretty used to it by now so it's probably hard to manage to take advantage of this. Got to be quick enough, because he is very quick himself.
The confidence could definitely get the better of Cross, mostly outside of the battlefield but probably in it too. He puts so much faith into his own abilities and his plans and just... himself, that when someone doesn't do as planned or figured things out that he wasn't expecting it takes him a moment to gather himself together. This moment is enough to see that you're heading somewhere when you do something he didn't expect, and this could easily be the end of him, like what happened during the meeting regarding his mission and Allen.
It's very hard to damage Cross's pride, but it could definitely be done somehow, and he has a lot of pride to damage. Who knows how big the damage would be if someone managed. Pretty big, probably.
Cross... really likes women. He seems to think of them as some sort of higher being, somehow. Goddesses, all of them? He really cares for them especially, and if you want to try and get at him, women are the way to go. They can make him do things, as long as it's somewhat reasonable at least because he's sure not stupid, so if you would want to manipulate him somehow, use women. Women are a great way to get at him somehow. But, as said, he isn't stupid, so as long as it's reasonable and not too suspicious it could work. Not that it means that he drops his guard just because it's women. He only seems to get a lot more confident around women as well... However that's possible is almost a wonder, but it is. If he's surrounded by women he gets smug alright.
Cross is a cigarette addict. Uhm... Yeah. He'll get jumpy and itchy and twitchy and generally tense with no smokes around. And they will run out. Oh whatever will he do when that happens?
Cross doesn't like to work with others, and people generally have a hard time working with him, which is understandable. His manipulative nature makes it better if he works alone, even if he manipulates people even then. But at least they're most often not aware of it? He would rather not be among others too often, if they're not women. The only ones he seem to work good with are the Generals, in the battlefield. But even when they fight together they seem to do it to themselves, so they don't get in each other's way, so that would explain why he doesn't mind working with them. Most people would get in his way.
But mostly Cross just doesn't get along well with people in general, so he does things best when doing it alone.
Responsibilities... Cross seems to have a clear view on what he thinks it's worth wasting time on and not in terms of responsibilities. He doesn't take responsibility for a lot of things that he does, but he does do what he's responsible to do in terms of orders and work. He likes to put problems on others and run from it all himself. It might be seen as cowardly but it's probably just laziness. Cross is lazy in a lot of ways even if he does his job. It might take a long while before things are done due to this laziness. He's probably a procrastinator too. If there are people around to dump things on, he will dump things on them.
Superiors too. Cross will dump things on his superiors if he can. He really lacks respect for everyone that isn't women. He might somewhat think that some people do deserve respect, and he might show such people some respect, but definitely not obviously so. Probably has to do with his pride. He doesn't like showing respect, simple as that. Maybe if you please him somehow he could treat you a bit better. Just give him lots of nice wine and cigarettes and don't ask for anything in return. This wouldn't really be respect though, probably. What reason does he have to respect someone who kisses anyone's ass? None at all.
Receiving Cross's respect would be easier if you stood up for yourself, probably. Sort of like Allen. Cross does seem to show some respect towards Allen. But it's surely not easy to get, and Cross will still treat you like crap, sorry.
Yeah, Cross is an asshole, simple as that.
Defining Quote(s): Thoughts are in italics.
Chapter 28 page 14 to 15 (flashback):
Allen: Why... are you always wearing that coat? Because it makes you stand out, that uniform. Having that cross hanging out in plain sight just exposes the fact that you're an Exorcist.
Cross: Idiot apprentice, it's supposed to show. We're different from you, moron. How're we going to get anything done if we hide ourselves from enemies we can't see? This is a target. By doing this, we can be suspicious of anyone that comes close.
Allen: You're waiting to be attacked...?
Cross: That's the reason for this uniform. You... have no worries like this, right? Allen.
Chapter 128 page 6: "I'll let beautiful people near me, but filthy people (except women) can stay the hell back..."
Chapter 136 page 11 to 13:
Leverrier: Just as you said, the Ark is an unknown vessel that belongs to the Earl. So why would Allen Walker be able to manipulate it, hmm, General Marian?
Tiedoll: *Points at Cross* He's asleep.
Leverrier: HEY!
Chapter 144 page 13:
[They need to destroy the Egg but Lulubell's using Miranda as a shield. They attack anyway with the reason that destroying the Egg is more important. Allen jumps in to stop it.]
Sokaro: You're a horrible master. Shooting full blast like that even though you knew he was coming.
Cross: Eh? I didn't hit him, though, did I? Hell, we're both criticals now.
[Allen saves Miranda, wooo.]
Allen: ...despicable...
Cross: Hey, I just trusted you to make it through... Idiot apprentice.
Chapter 155 page 7 to 8...:
[Cross has returned to save the day and destroy the level 4!]
"Nah... It's time for you to be destroyed. You want me to tell you why?" ...and skip to page 11: "Where was I? Ah, yes... The reason. Let's overlook everything you did to the members of the Order... I'm not that cruel a man after all. But then you went and messed up my clothes."
Chapter 157 page 2:
Cross: I'm just going to talk. It's not like you to be worried about me, Komui.
Komui: I'm not worried about you! I'm worried you might disappear on the way.
Cross: Hahaha!
Chapter 167 page 9 to 10: "Mana kind of lost it after the 14th died. Who knows whether he even remembered the past or not. At least I couldn't tell. ...It's ironic. I never thought it would be a kid like this." Here he pulls Allen's head into a strange hug. "He should have chosen some good-for-nothing as his host. In the end, do you always have to sacrifice something to protect something else? I can't laugh at Tiedoll anymore. Jeez..."
Chapter 168 page 13: "He's gotten so cheeky. I guess it hasn't been all that bad for him here..."
Chapter 173 page 2 to 3:
[A message Cross left for Allen with Timcanpy.]
"Hey, Allen...Come to think of it, I never asked you this before, but...do you like Tim? I asked you to keep hold of him for me but...To be honest, I was always planning on giving him to you. I've told Tim he can do as he likes from now on. You may not want to listen to me, knowing that I'm carrying on the 14's will..But in case you're thinking you're being made to walk a path me and the 14th chose for you...I just wanted to tell you you're wrong. A path is something you create as you walk it. The ground you've trodden hardens, and that's what forms your path. You're the only one that can create your own path. So stop wearing that mask of 'Mana'. Walk on your own. If you haven't given up yet, that is."
Other: As said, Cross probably has a history with Maria. It's not known and hasn't been stated, but it surely seems that way. Why else would he have her corpse with him? She was probably someone at least fairly close to him as well. A friend, a relative, a lover... It is very likely that she was a lover, because...this is Cross we're talking about.
He could be somewhat Christian (pendant with a cross, after all), but it could just be for show. And because his name is Cross. He could definitely do something like that. Speaking of crosses, the author of D.Gray-Man is very likely to have gotten his name from the actual Marian Cross (some info of said cross), as she is very fond of symbolism in... everything. The Marian Cross could have connection to the DGM story through for example the fact that a "Roman Catholic religious order" (Black Order is a catholic religious order) seems to have connections to it. The Marian Cross is also used in Ave Maria devotions. Both Cross and Maria's names were probably not a coincidence. Hoshino, the author that is, likes to do this. "A cross devoted to Mary, the Mother of Jesus." Who knows what plans Hoshino has for Jesus symbolisms. This could be of great importance in DGM.
He could possibly have picked up Allen with intent to watch over the 14th's vessel, and only for that reason. But then he ended up growing fond of that vessel, and who knows what side he's on in the end. Probably no side in particular, if he ever was on one.
His birthday is July 31.
Action Writing Sample: [So Cross isn't stupid. Had he taken the time to do so, he would have figured the Hitomi out, but he's sort of busy with other things. The Hitomi is lying on the ground in front of him now, and it begins to record. He is sitting on the ground with his legs crossed, with a strangely peaceful expression on his face. The reason? He's in Himoragi, yeah.
He's humming a little tune, smiling to himself, and yes that is very odd and very wrong, and he's very aware that it is very wrong and yet he just can't stop humming and smiling like some idiot. He's looking somewhere in front of himself, his gaze somewhat vacant.]
What damn place is this?
[His voice does have a hint of annoyance, but it is definitely more content and calm than it should be. Grrrr. What place is this, making him feel so happy when he's not really because, honestly, where the hell is--?
Ohhh, pretty flower~
He reaches for it and lifts it to his nose to inhale its sweet scent.]
Huh... Not so bad.
[Yep, something is definitely not right here.]
Third Person Writing Sample: Cross has been around to see lots of strange shit, from overly advanced technology, crazy Supervisors, a madman trying to take over the world with a wide and inhuman grin that just won't disappear off his ugly face, weapons moving on their own to take out someone that the owner of the weapon loves very much and living weapons whose most powerful form yet is that of a freaking baby. The list goes on and on. Cross has taken it all with his chin held high and with the promise that he would never ever let anything in this fucked up world shock him, because there are way too many things to be shocked about and he has more important things to do than that.
He has been through lots of shit and sure some of it has affected him, but he's always been fine in the end. But something he never ever expected was that when that pitiful form of Allen Walker was just sitting there, seemingly completely unsure of what to do with himself, he would feel this sudden heavy urge to comfort the poor boy. He had expected to feel pity, but not the urge to hold and comfort. But really, Allen had definitely looked like he needed something like that, so that's what Cross did; he hugged the poor kid. Sort of. That had been the closest to a hug he will ever get, anyway, when it comes to people who aren't women.
It had felt sort of shitty to have to leave Allen like that, with all of those horrible news ringing in his head, and Cross really would have liked to give him all that information in small portions, but maybe it's best this way. He's not entirely sure he has much time left, so this is probably how it should be. He would have liked to at least be able to stay there and... be there, but... Marian Cross doesn't do that. So despite that he could definitely ignore the time limit and just go back there, why the hell would he care, he doesn't. He has nothing more to say to Allen, because he's not sure he knows it all himself, and he's not sure he can answer all of those questions that kid must have. He knows a lot, but maybe not so much.
He leaves that depressing room with barriers in it and the confused and frustrated boy behind him and walks down the light and certainly much more cheerful hallway. Yep, very cheerful indeed. He fiddles with a cigarette in his pocket as he listens to the sound of his own footsteps, he wants to smoke but it would probably not be so appreciated in the hallway-- Then again, who was he to ever care about that? It's not as if there are any Central dogs around or the like. So he takes out the cigarette, lights it up, and puts it between his lips and takes a ni~ce lo~ng drag.
Now what?
There's work to do but fuck that. He doubts he'll be able to focus anyway. He scowls a little and absentmindedly drags his fingers across the decorated wall, then lifts the fingers in front of his face. Slightly dusty. " 'I won't let him have this', he said," he mumbles to himself and snorts as he rubs his fingers together to get the dust off. "Stupid brat."
That's the spirit.
PLAYER INFO
Name/Nickname: Tossino/Toss/Tossy/Tossit etc. (AKA knock yourselves out)
Age: 18
Journal: http://tossino.livejournal.com
AIM/MSN/IM: AIM: thetossedone / MSN: the_tossed_one@hotmail.com
Email: the_tossed_one@hotmail.com
CHARACTER INFO
Character Name: Cross Marian
Canon: D.Gray-Man
Point taken from canon: Right before his (supposed) death, about chapter 167 and 168. After the talk with Allen. And the, yay, hug!
Age: Aha, now this is the tricky one. Cross looks to be somewhere right over his thirties, but for all we know he could be really old - like, I don't know, ninety, hundred - and just not look it. That could be due to magic that he knows, or that he's not human, which is questionable. There are theories that he's a Skull, since he knows their magic, can disguise himself as one and... yeah, doesn't seem to actually age, and for all we know Skulls can rather disguise themselves as humans than the other way around. Too little is known about this.
Gender: Male
Preferred Village: N/A; Cross was never a person to have any preferred places, just places he hates.
Appearance: Cross is 195cm (6'4") tall and weighs 82kg (180 lbs) - like everyone from the DGM cast, it wouldn't hurt for him to gain some weight. He parades with a thick, red and unruly mane on top of his head, which he usually covers with a black hat that has two sort of ropes around the crown as decoration. He has a goatee and a strange mask that covers one of his reddish eyes, more exactly his right, and his hair normally covers this mask while some strands hang over his visible eye. It has yet to be revealed what his mask is for, though it seems to have something to do with him being able to disguise himself as a Skull. He has broad shoulders and a lean build, but doesn't lack muscles just because of that.
Cross thinks he only deserves the best, so he has the best clothes. He wears white shirts with lots of fancy frills and similar decorations along with a black coat with gold trimmings, black pants with a belt and boots. The pants and boots are also a part of his Exorcist uniform, which is another coat with gold trimmings and he, obviously, uses that when on the job. He always carries his gun in a holster strapped to his leg. He also wears a pendant with a cross on it and black gloves (to protect himself from dirt? Could be).
He's a handsome man, and he knows it. Women are very fond of him probably because of both that and his personality, which will of course be elaborated on in the right section.
Cross is a very confident, maybe overly so, man and carries himself as such, along with a bit of arrogance. He also moves with a bit of laziness and he's definitely not the tense kind. He combs his hair with his fingers every now and then, probably to make sure it looks as he wants it to look.
Reference picture 1
Reference picture 2
Background: It's always hard finding a good wiki or source, and especially for someone like Cross, but this one is alright: http://dgrayman.wikia.com/wiki/Cross_Marian#Synopsis
Very little is known about Cross before the start of the manga. Very little. What is known is that he used to be a Scientist, possibly in the Order, before he became an Exorcist, and that he knew the 14th and Mana somehow. He does in fact carry a part of the 14th's will. He apparently talked to Mana some time after the 14th's dead, so they probably maintained contact until Mana died too. He used to be Anita's mum's lover and therefore has known Anita for a while. It was because of him that Anita's mum became a supporter of the Order, actually.
When the 14th died, he asked Cross to watch over Mana until he one day returned. It can be assumed he also gave Cross Timcanpy, who originally belonged to the 14th, at this time. When Mana died, Cross picked up Allen and took care of him. In his own... Cross... way. Which isn't very nice. He threw Allen in the path of Akuma, dumped bets on him, and just simply threw lots of crap at him. But you can at least say that it toughened Allen up for the job he had in front of him. Allen once ate some of Cross's candy that had alcohol in them when he was hungry, and was punished badly for it. Since then the boy refuses to drink alcohol or just associate it with himself in any way.
While in India, Cross tells Allen that he's ready to become an official Exorcist. Saying he hates the Order, he uses a hammer he has apparently used on Allen before to knock him out and leaves him there, together with Timcanpy.
Personality: To put it simply, Cross is confident, rude, blunt, irresponsible, demanding, and straight-out an asshole. He thinks that he's above everyone else and pretty much treats everyone like crap. Most of the time he acts like he couldn't care less about anyone but himself. Actually, he acts as if he couldn't care less about anything at all in general aside from himself, his alcohol, his cigarettes and his women (and possibly gambling?). He always says what's on his mind, especially if it will insult people, and seems to rather enjoy doing so too.
A big part of Cross is debts. Debts for the drinks, for the gambling, for the clothes, possibly for women, either paying for having them or buying things for them. Debts for... everything. He wants the best of the best - his favourite wine, for example, is Romanée-Conti, which is... very expensive, considered the most expensive wine in the world - so he's hard to please, and everything he wants cost a lot of money, and no, he doesn't pay for it himself. Therefore, he's bathing in debts, and he doesn't give a shit. But then who does he dump it on? Well. That depends who's available. Usually it would be the Black Order, but during the time he was on the run he dumped it all on Allen. The poor boy is scarred for life because of this. And while he was continuously evading the enemy sent to kill him, the Noah Jasdebi (Jasdero and Debitto/David), he dumped it on them. Yes. He's that badass.
Oh, yes, he also runs from the debt collectors. He runs from a lot of things actually. The Order included.
He's hard to please. While he was staying in the Order he demanded practically the impossible and seemed to never be happy. It became so bad that the ones placed to guard him to make sure he didn't run away had to take money from their own pockets. After all, to make sure he really didn't run away, they wanted to make sure he was pleased. It's highly possible he was just fucking with them for his own amusement, though.
Cross may treat men like crap, but he thinks very highly of women. He really likes women. Really likes them. When interacting with only women, people could say he's a gentleman. Of course, just because he's around women it doesn't stop him from being an ass to other people (just maybe not quite as much), but most often the women seem not to care. It depends on the woman. Either way, women must see something in Cross, because they don't ditch him. (Or they just don't care and aren't too different from him. Whichever works. But even people like Anita, who surely isn't like that, stick around and that has to count for something.)
Women are also among the only ones he really listens to. Komui sent Lenalee with Allen's group with the sole purpose to ensure he didn't run off again.
That's putting it simply. But Cross isn't simple.
When the Exorcists met Anita, she talked very fondly of Cross. Allen obviously refuses to admit anyone like the lovely Anita can like Cross so much, because that would mean there's something not so rotten in Cross and we just can't have that, can we? Impossible! But she did. It seemed she even loved him, because she said that the thought of him being alive when he was considered dead was the only thing she could rely on for strength. Obviously, he's someone you can definitely love.
Cross really liked Anita too. He talks about her with Lenalee, and says that she was a great woman, and he is sad about her death
Cross is what you could call a puppet master (anime screenshot). He may be a relaxed person, but he's certainly not lazy-- okay, he is, but he does get work done. Eventually. He might even take on tasks for himself outside of what work the Order gives him. But he can barely work with anyone else, he would much rather work alone.
He's the kind of person who always has something planned, and he can even strut around under the Earl's nose without being noticed. The Earl personally says he could never understand that man, and seems to see him as a bit of a threat, compared to how he sees the rest of the Order.
But to get his plans through Cross sometimes has to use others, and this is when he's a puppet master. It becomes obvious when he appears that he has used Allen and company from the moment they began searching for him, maybe even from when he disappeared off the Order's radar. It was he who made sure they picked up Krory, he who led them to Anita, he who got them into the Ark, sort of. He was there all along, watching from the sidelines to make sure everything went as planned, either himself or with the help of his modified Akuma. Road asked Tyki, in the Ark, if he had changed the cigarette brand. It was Cross's cigarettes she smelled.
He seems to be caught off guard if it doesn't go as planned, though, or when someone's catching on something when he wasn't expecting it.
He knows how to get information. All the information that he needs. He has connections all over the world and knows where to look for everything. He has great skills when it comes to figuring things out, and deciding what to do and how to do it. He is obviously someone to fear, so the Earl is doing such with justice.
Cross thinks he's above everyone, and that applies to his superiors too. Sure, he follows orders, he's responsible in that way, but other than that he doesn't act as if they're his superiors. He outright disrespects them; pretending to sleep during a meeting with his feet on the table, avoiding questions, and so on and so on. But somehow he manages to do so subtly. It's not enough to get him punished or anything.
Allen may often be talking about how horrible his time with Cross was, but it wasn't as if Cross raised him to be an ordinary child, but to be an Exorcist, and being an Exorcist is rough. Cross didn't do it only to be an ass - just a little bit, probably - but because future Exorcists need to be toughened up before they can get onto the battlefield. Yes, he knew was he was doing, and it sure has done a few things. So it was definitely not only to be a bastard, but because that's how it needs to be and to keep Allen alive, for whatever reason. Probably mostly to keep Allen alive and make him strong.
Because, yes, Cross cares about Allen too. Even if he's not a woman!
When telling Allen the devastating news about the 14th, he did hug the boy after all. It was a loose and very strange hug, but a hug nonetheless. He probably thinks of Allen almost as a son of sorts, in a fucked up way, and Allen probably thinks of Cross as at least a father figure, this in a fucked up way too.
Cross seems to be trying to live his life to the fullest. Great wine, great clothes, great women. A big reason that he spends so much money on the best could be that he's simply a strong believer in the fact that life is short (but if he has lived for very long... maybe not) and that you better do what you can with it for as long as it lasts. And maybe, if he's not human, he could also be doing it because it makes him feel more human. He enjoys messing with people and testing their patience a lot as well, even when this might not be such a good idea. Whatever his reason is for living the way he does, he's entirely set on enjoying his life even while doing his duties, and that seems to have kept him remotely sane. He has full points in "mentality" in the stats of the fanbook for a reason.
Abilities/Strengths: Cross is special in every way. when it comes to fighting, compared to the rest of the Exorcists. Every Exorcist has one Innocence, one weapon. Well. Cross has two. He has his main Innocence that is actually his, which is his trustful gun Judgment, and then he has the corpse of a Parasitic Exorcist named Maria (who he probably has history with somehow) that he controls with magic. She listens to Cross, and Cross only.
Starting off with Judgment. There's generally nothing really all that special about Judgment. It's a gun, a big - HUGE - white gun, it fires bullets that make funny sounds when fired. So far so good. Well, these bullets don't ever miss their target. Deflected? They'll fly right back. Good luck avoiding these babies.
Judgment also has something called "Purging Level". It seems that this ability makes the bullets stronger somehow. Cross used Purging Level 3 to try and destroy the Egg in the HQ Invasion Arc. The third level is... very powerful. If there are higher levels, they really are ones to be feared.
Judgment also has a power called the "Arrow of Original Sin". This ability means that light spreads around Judgment in a bow shape, a pretty big and fairly detailed and generally strange bow, and is a stronger attack, though apparently not as strong as the third Purging Level. The bow most likely disappears as soon as an arrow is fired.
Maria (reference picture) is a Parasitic Exorcist and her power lies in her singing. She has two known abilities that Cross uses/can use.
The first is Magdala Curtain. This ability can hide any people from view in a sort of sphere. A pretty basic, but very useful, ability. The second is Carte Garde. With this ability, when Maria's song enters the victim's brain she, or in this case Cross, can control whatever this person is doing with them being well aware that they are being controlled. This can be used both when you want to stop allies from doing something incredibly stupid, something Allen is pretty keen on doing every now and then, or when you want to stop enemies from doing what they're supposed to do. Fight you, that is.
Cross has, like all Exorcists, developed somewhat inhuman strenght and speed, to be able to fight the Akuma properly. He normally doesn't move much when fighting, but he will if he has to. He doesn't underestimate enemies, but he knows what they can do and he knows what he can do and thus he normally takes fights rather casually. He doesn't use up more energy than he has to. After years and years of being an Exorcist, that sort of comes naturally.
Cross also knows magic from somewhere, magic similar to Skulls. He calls himself a Sorcerer. Fans' limited knowledge of his magic is that of whatever he uses on Maria, the ability to pause the Ark's destruction somehow, and destroying other magical barriers. He seems to be stronger than the professional Skulls.
Cross is generally mentally strong. He doesn't seem to be shocked easily and breaking his brain would be hard; just generally surprising him would be hard. He seems to go through most (maybe all) possibilities in his mind and doesn't deny any of them - most of the time, more of this on the weaknesses. He knows what he can expect from doing things and ending up in different situations, and prepares himself accordingly. Even if you do manage to shock him he calms down very quickly and deals with it while being seemingly relaxed, though he probably keeps his guard up regardless.
It's hard to make Cross budge from anything. He knows what he wants, and he'll stick to that. The only thing that could probably make him change his mind would be women... He won't allow anyone to just brainwash him or anything and he does things his own way, in his own pace. This can piss off Central sometimes, but they can't complain as long as he does what he's supposed to do, and he does do that, no matter how long it takes. Sometimes you can't rush it after all, and he knows this. Despite his laziness and dependence that sometimes just seems annoying he is probably among the strongest and best forces the Black Order has. He's not to be underestimated, definitely not.
Cross is a confident bastard, so confident that it's not a good thing all the time, but in a lot of ways it is too. You can't put him down easily. Even if you present him with things that makes doing this and that nearly impossible, he'll tell you to screw yourself and does it anyway because he believes that there's no way he'll fail. Yes, no matter what kind of crap happens to him, he'll keep trying. Maybe not to damage his very important pride as well.
When things need to be done, Cross does them. He doesn't let personal things get in the way; he takes his tasks very seriously. This could be seen as cold and uncaring, and it probably is in a way, but he's just being professional, and in a lot of cases that does mean seeming cold and uncaring. In reality he isn't cold and uncaring. He does his job, and possibly quite a few things to benefit himself as well. But he also seems to decide for himself when he's on duty and when he's not, even if Exorcists and particularly Generals are on duty 24/7, or maybe it's better put to say that Cross adds play into his work. But hey, he can't be serious all the time.
Cross just tries to relax. Even while doing his job, he enjoys himself with the life he has been given. The way he enjoys himself could be seen as sinful, it is really, but it keeps him relaxed and healthy so he doesn't overwork himself and can stay sharp and alert especially when he has to. He bends rules to enjoy himself, but that probably has a lot to do with him wanting to fuck with people for the hell of it, and he does enjoy doing so. At least he doesn't stress himself out over anything, he just allows himself to live. Some people could learn from this (Allen. And like everyone else in the Order).
Cross doesn't dance around topics. He goes straight to the point when there's something big he wants to talk about. At least if it has to do with business or if it has to do with being rude. He does keep a lot of secrets and he is vague about things that he thinks he should be vague about, but other than that he is very blunt. Even if things are tough for him to say - something you can never really tell - he says them.
Cross doesn't allow things to get to him too much. You might try to break him down, and it might work for a little while, but he will come back just as strong or even stronger. He's a fighter and doesn't give up on anything. He'll keep going through everything.
Weaknesses: Weaknesses? What weaknesses? This is motherfucking Marian Cross. Cross doesn't like to get dirty. He always stands from afar and fires at the enemies with Judgment so that he doesn't get dirt on him. Even during the level 4 fight he waited for the level 4 to be in a position benefitting himself. He does deal well with this, but it could definitely get in his way sometimes. He wouldn't want to fight up close, and there's only so much you can do with a ranged weapon, though he should be pretty used to it by now so it's probably hard to manage to take advantage of this. Got to be quick enough, because he is very quick himself.
The confidence could definitely get the better of Cross, mostly outside of the battlefield but probably in it too. He puts so much faith into his own abilities and his plans and just... himself, that when someone doesn't do as planned or figured things out that he wasn't expecting it takes him a moment to gather himself together. This moment is enough to see that you're heading somewhere when you do something he didn't expect, and this could easily be the end of him, like what happened during the meeting regarding his mission and Allen.
It's very hard to damage Cross's pride, but it could definitely be done somehow, and he has a lot of pride to damage. Who knows how big the damage would be if someone managed. Pretty big, probably.
Cross... really likes women. He seems to think of them as some sort of higher being, somehow. Goddesses, all of them? He really cares for them especially, and if you want to try and get at him, women are the way to go. They can make him do things, as long as it's somewhat reasonable at least because he's sure not stupid, so if you would want to manipulate him somehow, use women. Women are a great way to get at him somehow. But, as said, he isn't stupid, so as long as it's reasonable and not too suspicious it could work. Not that it means that he drops his guard just because it's women. He only seems to get a lot more confident around women as well... However that's possible is almost a wonder, but it is. If he's surrounded by women he gets smug alright.
Cross is a cigarette addict. Uhm... Yeah. He'll get jumpy and itchy and twitchy and generally tense with no smokes around. And they will run out. Oh whatever will he do when that happens?
Cross doesn't like to work with others, and people generally have a hard time working with him, which is understandable. His manipulative nature makes it better if he works alone, even if he manipulates people even then. But at least they're most often not aware of it? He would rather not be among others too often, if they're not women. The only ones he seem to work good with are the Generals, in the battlefield. But even when they fight together they seem to do it to themselves, so they don't get in each other's way, so that would explain why he doesn't mind working with them. Most people would get in his way.
But mostly Cross just doesn't get along well with people in general, so he does things best when doing it alone.
Responsibilities... Cross seems to have a clear view on what he thinks it's worth wasting time on and not in terms of responsibilities. He doesn't take responsibility for a lot of things that he does, but he does do what he's responsible to do in terms of orders and work. He likes to put problems on others and run from it all himself. It might be seen as cowardly but it's probably just laziness. Cross is lazy in a lot of ways even if he does his job. It might take a long while before things are done due to this laziness. He's probably a procrastinator too. If there are people around to dump things on, he will dump things on them.
Superiors too. Cross will dump things on his superiors if he can. He really lacks respect for everyone that isn't women. He might somewhat think that some people do deserve respect, and he might show such people some respect, but definitely not obviously so. Probably has to do with his pride. He doesn't like showing respect, simple as that. Maybe if you please him somehow he could treat you a bit better. Just give him lots of nice wine and cigarettes and don't ask for anything in return. This wouldn't really be respect though, probably. What reason does he have to respect someone who kisses anyone's ass? None at all.
Receiving Cross's respect would be easier if you stood up for yourself, probably. Sort of like Allen. Cross does seem to show some respect towards Allen. But it's surely not easy to get, and Cross will still treat you like crap, sorry.
Yeah, Cross is an asshole, simple as that.
Defining Quote(s): Thoughts are in italics.
Chapter 28 page 14 to 15 (flashback):
Allen: Why... are you always wearing that coat? Because it makes you stand out, that uniform. Having that cross hanging out in plain sight just exposes the fact that you're an Exorcist.
Cross: Idiot apprentice, it's supposed to show. We're different from you, moron. How're we going to get anything done if we hide ourselves from enemies we can't see? This is a target. By doing this, we can be suspicious of anyone that comes close.
Allen: You're waiting to be attacked...?
Cross: That's the reason for this uniform. You... have no worries like this, right? Allen.
Chapter 128 page 6: "I'll let beautiful people near me, but filthy people (except women) can stay the hell back..."
Chapter 136 page 11 to 13:
Leverrier: Just as you said, the Ark is an unknown vessel that belongs to the Earl. So why would Allen Walker be able to manipulate it, hmm, General Marian?
Tiedoll: *Points at Cross* He's asleep.
Leverrier: HEY!
Chapter 144 page 13:
[They need to destroy the Egg but Lulubell's using Miranda as a shield. They attack anyway with the reason that destroying the Egg is more important. Allen jumps in to stop it.]
Sokaro: You're a horrible master. Shooting full blast like that even though you knew he was coming.
Cross: Eh? I didn't hit him, though, did I? Hell, we're both criticals now.
[Allen saves Miranda, wooo.]
Allen: ...despicable...
Cross: Hey, I just trusted you to make it through... Idiot apprentice.
Chapter 155 page 7 to 8...:
[Cross has returned to save the day and destroy the level 4!]
"Nah... It's time for you to be destroyed. You want me to tell you why?" ...and skip to page 11: "Where was I? Ah, yes... The reason. Let's overlook everything you did to the members of the Order... I'm not that cruel a man after all. But then you went and messed up my clothes."
Chapter 157 page 2:
Cross: I'm just going to talk. It's not like you to be worried about me, Komui.
Komui: I'm not worried about you! I'm worried you might disappear on the way.
Cross: Hahaha!
Chapter 167 page 9 to 10: "Mana kind of lost it after the 14th died. Who knows whether he even remembered the past or not. At least I couldn't tell. ...It's ironic. I never thought it would be a kid like this." Here he pulls Allen's head into a strange hug. "He should have chosen some good-for-nothing as his host. In the end, do you always have to sacrifice something to protect something else? I can't laugh at Tiedoll anymore. Jeez..."
Chapter 168 page 13: "He's gotten so cheeky. I guess it hasn't been all that bad for him here..."
Chapter 173 page 2 to 3:
[A message Cross left for Allen with Timcanpy.]
"Hey, Allen...Come to think of it, I never asked you this before, but...do you like Tim? I asked you to keep hold of him for me but...To be honest, I was always planning on giving him to you. I've told Tim he can do as he likes from now on. You may not want to listen to me, knowing that I'm carrying on the 14's will..But in case you're thinking you're being made to walk a path me and the 14th chose for you...I just wanted to tell you you're wrong. A path is something you create as you walk it. The ground you've trodden hardens, and that's what forms your path. You're the only one that can create your own path. So stop wearing that mask of 'Mana'. Walk on your own. If you haven't given up yet, that is."
Other: As said, Cross probably has a history with Maria. It's not known and hasn't been stated, but it surely seems that way. Why else would he have her corpse with him? She was probably someone at least fairly close to him as well. A friend, a relative, a lover... It is very likely that she was a lover, because...this is Cross we're talking about.
He could be somewhat Christian (pendant with a cross, after all), but it could just be for show. And because his name is Cross. He could definitely do something like that. Speaking of crosses, the author of D.Gray-Man is very likely to have gotten his name from the actual Marian Cross (some info of said cross), as she is very fond of symbolism in... everything. The Marian Cross could have connection to the DGM story through for example the fact that a "Roman Catholic religious order" (Black Order is a catholic religious order) seems to have connections to it. The Marian Cross is also used in Ave Maria devotions. Both Cross and Maria's names were probably not a coincidence. Hoshino, the author that is, likes to do this. "A cross devoted to Mary, the Mother of Jesus." Who knows what plans Hoshino has for Jesus symbolisms. This could be of great importance in DGM.
He could possibly have picked up Allen with intent to watch over the 14th's vessel, and only for that reason. But then he ended up growing fond of that vessel, and who knows what side he's on in the end. Probably no side in particular, if he ever was on one.
His birthday is July 31.
Action Writing Sample: [So Cross isn't stupid. Had he taken the time to do so, he would have figured the Hitomi out, but he's sort of busy with other things. The Hitomi is lying on the ground in front of him now, and it begins to record. He is sitting on the ground with his legs crossed, with a strangely peaceful expression on his face. The reason? He's in Himoragi, yeah.
He's humming a little tune, smiling to himself, and yes that is very odd and very wrong, and he's very aware that it is very wrong and yet he just can't stop humming and smiling like some idiot. He's looking somewhere in front of himself, his gaze somewhat vacant.]
What damn place is this?
[His voice does have a hint of annoyance, but it is definitely more content and calm than it should be. Grrrr. What place is this, making him feel so happy when he's not really because, honestly, where the hell is--?
Ohhh, pretty flower~
He reaches for it and lifts it to his nose to inhale its sweet scent.]
Huh... Not so bad.
[Yep, something is definitely not right here.]
Third Person Writing Sample: Cross has been around to see lots of strange shit, from overly advanced technology, crazy Supervisors, a madman trying to take over the world with a wide and inhuman grin that just won't disappear off his ugly face, weapons moving on their own to take out someone that the owner of the weapon loves very much and living weapons whose most powerful form yet is that of a freaking baby. The list goes on and on. Cross has taken it all with his chin held high and with the promise that he would never ever let anything in this fucked up world shock him, because there are way too many things to be shocked about and he has more important things to do than that.
He has been through lots of shit and sure some of it has affected him, but he's always been fine in the end. But something he never ever expected was that when that pitiful form of Allen Walker was just sitting there, seemingly completely unsure of what to do with himself, he would feel this sudden heavy urge to comfort the poor boy. He had expected to feel pity, but not the urge to hold and comfort. But really, Allen had definitely looked like he needed something like that, so that's what Cross did; he hugged the poor kid. Sort of. That had been the closest to a hug he will ever get, anyway, when it comes to people who aren't women.
It had felt sort of shitty to have to leave Allen like that, with all of those horrible news ringing in his head, and Cross really would have liked to give him all that information in small portions, but maybe it's best this way. He's not entirely sure he has much time left, so this is probably how it should be. He would have liked to at least be able to stay there and... be there, but... Marian Cross doesn't do that. So despite that he could definitely ignore the time limit and just go back there, why the hell would he care, he doesn't. He has nothing more to say to Allen, because he's not sure he knows it all himself, and he's not sure he can answer all of those questions that kid must have. He knows a lot, but maybe not so much.
He leaves that depressing room with barriers in it and the confused and frustrated boy behind him and walks down the light and certainly much more cheerful hallway. Yep, very cheerful indeed. He fiddles with a cigarette in his pocket as he listens to the sound of his own footsteps, he wants to smoke but it would probably not be so appreciated in the hallway-- Then again, who was he to ever care about that? It's not as if there are any Central dogs around or the like. So he takes out the cigarette, lights it up, and puts it between his lips and takes a ni~ce lo~ng drag.
Now what?
There's work to do but fuck that. He doubts he'll be able to focus anyway. He scowls a little and absentmindedly drags his fingers across the decorated wall, then lifts the fingers in front of his face. Slightly dusty. " 'I won't let him have this', he said," he mumbles to himself and snorts as he rubs his fingers together to get the dust off. "Stupid brat."
That's the spirit.