[ooc] Posting App~
Mun alias: Ari
E-mail: arivess@gmail.com
Messenger name: AIM: LadyArivess / MSN: rachelani@hotmail.com
Previous RP experience (if any): Erm. A whole bunch. XD; Since I'm applying for Allen here, previous Allen journals include this (the first 5-10 posts aren't mine, though), and this.
Character's full name: Allen Walker
Series: D.Gray-Man
Gender: Male
Age: 15
Personality: *takes a deep breath*
Allen, on the surface, is the sweetest, cutest boy in the world. Except to Kanda, one of Allen's colleagues in canon, with whom he is constantly arguing. Underneath, Allen is... still the sweetest, cutest boy in the world. He is polite to everyone, especially to women; he's pretty much a perfect gentleman. Generally, he takes the initiative to be polite first. He's very forgiving, to a degree -- he tried to make friends with Kanda at the start, moments after Kanda tried to kill him and they discovered that it was a mistake. He also tried to save Tyki after exorcising his Noah self, even though Tyki definitely tried to kill him earlier.
At the same time, Allen is, however, competitive and grudge-holding to a childish degree, as after Kanda's initial rejection (something about not willing to shake hands with a cursed person (ie, Allen)), he became rather hostile, taking every opportunity they meet to start a fight with Kanda, insult matches that sometimes grew to drawing weapons.
Despite all the niceties and politeness, Allen is a liar and a cheater. He probably learned how to be a good one from his childhood, first doing tricks (he was a street kind, then a circus performer) and then playing poker to earn money, when Cross Marian, his master, demanded... well... the equivalent of thousands of dollars per day. He has a perfect poker face -- he certainly does smile all the time, and does it darn well cutely, too. And he cheats -- extremely well, at that -- so he wins every time anyway; he himself claims he has never lost once. And that's not the only thing, oh no. He lies to his friends quite a bit, too, especially about his own condition, generally claiming that he's fine even if he isn't. Or, heck, especially if he isn't. He even tried to keep the fact that Tyki's Tease (a kind of man-eating butterfly thing) ate a hole in his heart from his friends, and sulked when Tyki told them.
Again, contrary to his normal sweet, polite attitude, Allen is rather jealous and possessive. He sulks whenever Lavi flirts with a girl, which is... somewhat frequently. S'very amusing to watch.
Normally, Allen is really flaily and spazzy, especially when it comes to his curse, which, by the way, he gained when he tried to revive his adoptive father but turned him into an Akuma instead, a killing-machine powered with a soul -- he likes to state that he's a nice, normal human being, really, even if he's a little cursed. He's also very self-conscious of his white hair, again, a result of that same event; people often comment that it makes him look like an old geezer, so he's generally taken to wearing coats and such with hoods. In fact, his Exorcist uniform had a hood (and I don't believe anyone else's did); he claimed that it was for Timcanpy, but it was really to hide his hair. He's also spazzy when it comes to things with Cross. But, then again, that's to be expected, considering Cross's treatement of him. (Summary: Cross used him like a slave and, as mentioned earlier, forced him to hand over the equivalent of thousands of dollars each day.)
Allen acts very differently in battle than he does normally. When he's facing Akuma, he is, for the most part, serene and collected. He can get frustrated, he can get beaten, but he has this spirit that shines more brightly than anything else. He fights with almost a single-minded determination, including, in the most recent arc, using the Crowned Clown, his Innocence (weapon, of a sort; Allen's is different from everyone else's in that it's a full-body almost-armor, and his left arm detaches to become a buster sword), itself to move his own body after he reached his limit. To him, there is nothing more important than saving people.
...Of course, fighting Akuma isn't the only way Allen saves people. He tries to do so however he could, and often gets upset when he fails to accomplish the impossible. He risked his own life to try to save Suman, an Exorcist who betrayed their fellows and was in the process of being consumed by his Innocence, even though he barely knew the guy (in the anime, they had met once before; in the manga, never -- though I'm assuming the anime ep was probably from one of the DGM novels, so... they'd met once, briefly), and even though Suman betrayed them all. There was said to be no way to save a Fallen One except to wait until they burned themselves out, but Allen managed to do so, pretty much through sheer determination firstly to save the town that Suman was on the verge of destroying, and secondly so that Suman himself could live and go back to see his daughter. He thought, however, that he failed, when Tyki killed Suman; he only accepted everything later on when Lenalee told him that he did save Suman, in the only way that he could.
In a related matter, Allen understands and sympathizes with the Akuma far more than anyone else. To the other Exorcists, Akuma were monsters to be killed. For Allen, they were souls to be saved. He could see their pain and suffering, all the time, because of the curse on his eye. The one time that his newly-evolved eye subconsciously let Lavi see the Akuma Eliade's soul, Lavi confessed that he had felt sick afterwards, and that Allen lived with one foot set in hell.
As such, Allen is a very strong individual, both physically and emotionally. But mainly emotionally. Allen... does not break. And it's not the same as the "bending not breaking" kind of not break; he faces challenges head on, stubbornly, and he does not brea. There were only three cases in his whole life where he could be counted as "breaking": (1) when Mana died (including when he destroyed Mana's Akuma; also, keep in mind that he was 12, and Mana was the world to him), (2) when he almost failed to save Suman, and (3) when Lavi and Chaoji fell into the chasm on the Ark. The third was more anger than breakage, though; Allen attacked the far-stronger-than-him Earl of the Millennium and had to be stopped by Cross, or he probably would have died in the attempt.
In a way, despite everything I said, Allen is actually a very detached character. He loves everyone, really, but at the same time... he's almost... kind of apart from everyone. It's as if he sees his path and he keeps walking, not slowing or stopping for anyone or anything. He touches them in all their lives, but they don't seem to touch him nearly as deeply. Conversely, he would, of course, gladly risk or even give his life to save any of theirs. As time went on, though, he got closer and closer to his friends. Even though his demeanor didn't really change, his reactions did, to a degree. It was more as if he worked with them instead of for them, in a way. I guess another way to put it is that he trusted them more -- trusted in their abilities and their integrity, so to speak.
Also, Allen definitely knows a lot more than he lets on, about... er... less innocent matters. Having traveled for three years with Cross, known far and wide for his womanizing ways, I'd think Allen picked up a thing or two. >.>; However, I do believe that he would -- and does -- purposely act innocent and get embarrassed at the right times. Sometimes, it seems almost as if his life is an act. But, at the same time, it's an act indistinguishable from reality.
On a side note, Allen. Eats. A. Lot. He eats piles and piles and piles of food, and still has room for more. And not only does he eats a lot, he eats quickly, too. He can finish an entire banquet's worth of food in under ten minutes. Part of it is due to him having a parasitic Innocence, one within his body. But part of it, I think, is just due to him being Allen. He still ate just as much when his Innocence was scattered, and eats more than Krory, the other parasitic Innocence user we meet, and presumably Suman as well (also parasitic, though we don't really see him eat, so who knows). Also, his favourite food is mitarashi dango. He's willing to do almost anything if you feed him that.
Allen also gets lost very easily. He just... totally... doesn't have a sense of direction. But he generally ends up stumbling upon where he needs to be, due to Main Character Syndrome.
Fairy tale/myth/legend: The Gift of the Magi
Role: The husband
Kingdom territory of origin: Northern
Adaptation:
Alrighty, let me start with a summary of the fairy tale. It's pretty simple. A husband and wife live a happy, but poor life. It's Christmas, and neither has money, but both want to buy something special for the other. The wife has long, glorious hair, which she sells, and buys a chain for her husband's pocket watch, when he inherited from his father, who inherited it from his father. The watch is beautiful and valuable, but he only has a decaying leather strap.
Meanwhile, the husband, wanting to buy a fancy comb set that his wife has wanted for a long time (and from the sound of it, they're the decorative combs that you leave in your hair, not the kind you use to brush it out), sells his watch, the only thing of value he has. When they exchange their presents, they realize how foolish it must look, but they're happy, too, for the sacrifices each is willing to make for the other.
Eventually, the wife's hair grows long again, and the husband saves up enough to buy his watch back.
Aside from the... few hours the story spans, we know precious little about their background: we know that they're young, they used to be fairly well-to-do but are poor now, the husband has a watch that was passed down through his family, and the wife has long and beautiful hair.
So, backstory! (Note that the parts concerning Lenalee have been discussed with Lenalee-mun.)
Allen Walker was an orphan, abandoned because of a deformity in his left arm; it was red and the skin was rough, and seen as a bad omen. He wandered the streets until he was found and adopted by a traveling circus performer, and integrated into said circus, his main act being juggling.
One day, however, his adoptive father died, leaving him nothing but an old and beautiful pocket watch. Allen, in his grief, tried to use magic to bring back his father, but the spell rebounded, turning his hair white and forming a star-shaped scar over his left eye; the only good result was him hearing his father's voice, telling him that he loved him.
There were too many memories in the circus, memories of his father, and Allen decided to leave. He went on his last tour with them.
In one city that they stopped in, Allen met and fell in love with a girl named Lenalee, a maid who had been sold to a wealthy man from childhood. Using up what he had saved, he bought her freedom, and the two traveled a little longer with the circus before settling down in a town. Due to his arm, Allen found it difficult to find work, and they were barely scraping by, but both happy in each other's company.
And then, of course, comes the part that mirrors the fairy tale. As we've set it up to reach the same point as the story, it will, for the most part, proceed in the same way: Allen sells his watch to buy Lenalee a set of combs, only to find that she had cut her hair to buy him a watch chain. Eventually, he earns enough to buy the watch back, and Lenalee's hair grows out again, and the presents come into use.
Oh, also, because I adore Timcanpy, Allen's little golem-thingie (it vaguely resembles the Snitch from Harry Potter, though with a long tail): it was a magical creature that ended up in the circus and a part of Allen's act, and grew rather attached to him, so, when he left, it went with him. It'll serve mostly as a messenger. And to make sure Allen doesn't get too lost. Canonly, its functions, as far as we know, consisted of recording and playing back things, pinpointing Allen's master Cross (which we won't use here), displaying the "score" for the Ark (again, which we won't use here); and it seems to have some sort of intelligence (AI?) and sorta-emotions (at least it shows affection for Allen, even in canon). Also, he enjoys sandwiches.
Current area of residence: Currently traveling around in the North Kingdom Territory with his circus. Will later settle down in either Axis or Mundi.
Sample journal entry:
Ah, it looks like we're about to reach another town tomorrow!
I'm glad. It feels a little lonely by myself, ever since he died. Even though everyone is friend and kind, even though they don't treat me differently, everyone feels... so much more distant.
It's not the same, when he's not here to pat my head or tell me, "Good job."
I wonder how I'm going to tell everyone that I plan to leave. Enough of the other performers can juggle, and I really can't stay here any longer. Every time I turn around, I almost expect to see him here. I almost want to try to bring him back again, but I know it won't work. I have to... keep walking forward, no matter what.
Aah, but... until they find someone else, I can't leave. And I really don't know how I'm going to make money after this... I have enough saved, though. Maybe I'll tell them soon... After the show? Maybe?
I... ah... I'm hungry... I hope we can get more food in town.
Roleplay sample:
Allen smiled as he spun a set of rings, twirling and tossing them to the delighted claps of colleagues and curious passerbys alike. Their show wasn't going to start for another day, but they saw no harm in practicing or generating more interest. The circus might be exciting, but in a world of magic, they sometimes found themselves hard-pressed to compare.
Still, Allen valued their skills, illusions created by deft hands and nimble bodies. They gave him a life and a home, when nothing else did.
As he plucked the last rings out of the air, Allen gave a small bow, his cheeks flushed from excitement and flattery. Here, he belonged, whatever he may look like. So there was his left arm, red and deformed; so there was his white hair and that strange scar over his cheek; in a life of flashy costumes, it was hardly difficult to pretend they were all a part of his.
But the show did not start yet.
"Ah, I'm sorry, but that's all for now." Allen flashed his makeshift audience a smile, bowing as he retreated into his tent. He had long learned to ply this trade, to give tantalizing glances into his act, previews that left the people wanting more. "We will be performing under the big top tomorrow. I would love to see all of you there!"
And, of course, he could take a closer look, could memorize the few unfamiliar faces, gazing at him with rapt attention. And if he smiled at them tomorrow, if he acknowledged them, why, then, even more would come.
Finally tying down the tarp that served as a door, Allen sank into a seat and pulled a locked box, opening it almost reverently. Off came the cover, and off, too, a silk pouch, and he brought out a pocket watch, gold and gleaming in his hands. A strange smile brushed his lips as he traced over its etchings, letters in a lanugage that only he and his father knew.
Allen looked up when he felt a tap on his shoulder, a wider grin on his face at the sight of his "assistant", a tiny golem about the size of his fist, winged and with a trailing tail.
"Are you ready, Tim?" Allen didn't expect a reply, but Timcanpy always seemed to understand, though Allen couldn't see how. But he laughed as Tim fluttered around his head, tail curling around one of the rings he had been using to practice. It never got boring, not really, and for a moment, Allen pretended that this was truly the life ahead of him, that his father wasn't gone, that he wasn't planning to leave...
Tomorrow, they would bring a dream to their spectators. And tomorrow, he would dream for yet another day.
E-mail: arivess@gmail.com
Messenger name: AIM: LadyArivess / MSN: rachelani@hotmail.com
Previous RP experience (if any): Erm. A whole bunch. XD; Since I'm applying for Allen here, previous Allen journals include this (the first 5-10 posts aren't mine, though), and this.
Character's full name: Allen Walker
Series: D.Gray-Man
Gender: Male
Age: 15
Personality: *takes a deep breath*
Allen, on the surface, is the sweetest, cutest boy in the world. Except to Kanda, one of Allen's colleagues in canon, with whom he is constantly arguing. Underneath, Allen is... still the sweetest, cutest boy in the world. He is polite to everyone, especially to women; he's pretty much a perfect gentleman. Generally, he takes the initiative to be polite first. He's very forgiving, to a degree -- he tried to make friends with Kanda at the start, moments after Kanda tried to kill him and they discovered that it was a mistake. He also tried to save Tyki after exorcising his Noah self, even though Tyki definitely tried to kill him earlier.
At the same time, Allen is, however, competitive and grudge-holding to a childish degree, as after Kanda's initial rejection (something about not willing to shake hands with a cursed person (ie, Allen)), he became rather hostile, taking every opportunity they meet to start a fight with Kanda, insult matches that sometimes grew to drawing weapons.
Despite all the niceties and politeness, Allen is a liar and a cheater. He probably learned how to be a good one from his childhood, first doing tricks (he was a street kind, then a circus performer) and then playing poker to earn money, when Cross Marian, his master, demanded... well... the equivalent of thousands of dollars per day. He has a perfect poker face -- he certainly does smile all the time, and does it darn well cutely, too. And he cheats -- extremely well, at that -- so he wins every time anyway; he himself claims he has never lost once. And that's not the only thing, oh no. He lies to his friends quite a bit, too, especially about his own condition, generally claiming that he's fine even if he isn't. Or, heck, especially if he isn't. He even tried to keep the fact that Tyki's Tease (a kind of man-eating butterfly thing) ate a hole in his heart from his friends, and sulked when Tyki told them.
Again, contrary to his normal sweet, polite attitude, Allen is rather jealous and possessive. He sulks whenever Lavi flirts with a girl, which is... somewhat frequently. S'very amusing to watch.
Normally, Allen is really flaily and spazzy, especially when it comes to his curse, which, by the way, he gained when he tried to revive his adoptive father but turned him into an Akuma instead, a killing-machine powered with a soul -- he likes to state that he's a nice, normal human being, really, even if he's a little cursed. He's also very self-conscious of his white hair, again, a result of that same event; people often comment that it makes him look like an old geezer, so he's generally taken to wearing coats and such with hoods. In fact, his Exorcist uniform had a hood (and I don't believe anyone else's did); he claimed that it was for Timcanpy, but it was really to hide his hair. He's also spazzy when it comes to things with Cross. But, then again, that's to be expected, considering Cross's treatement of him. (Summary: Cross used him like a slave and, as mentioned earlier, forced him to hand over the equivalent of thousands of dollars each day.)
Allen acts very differently in battle than he does normally. When he's facing Akuma, he is, for the most part, serene and collected. He can get frustrated, he can get beaten, but he has this spirit that shines more brightly than anything else. He fights with almost a single-minded determination, including, in the most recent arc, using the Crowned Clown, his Innocence (weapon, of a sort; Allen's is different from everyone else's in that it's a full-body almost-armor, and his left arm detaches to become a buster sword), itself to move his own body after he reached his limit. To him, there is nothing more important than saving people.
...Of course, fighting Akuma isn't the only way Allen saves people. He tries to do so however he could, and often gets upset when he fails to accomplish the impossible. He risked his own life to try to save Suman, an Exorcist who betrayed their fellows and was in the process of being consumed by his Innocence, even though he barely knew the guy (in the anime, they had met once before; in the manga, never -- though I'm assuming the anime ep was probably from one of the DGM novels, so... they'd met once, briefly), and even though Suman betrayed them all. There was said to be no way to save a Fallen One except to wait until they burned themselves out, but Allen managed to do so, pretty much through sheer determination firstly to save the town that Suman was on the verge of destroying, and secondly so that Suman himself could live and go back to see his daughter. He thought, however, that he failed, when Tyki killed Suman; he only accepted everything later on when Lenalee told him that he did save Suman, in the only way that he could.
In a related matter, Allen understands and sympathizes with the Akuma far more than anyone else. To the other Exorcists, Akuma were monsters to be killed. For Allen, they were souls to be saved. He could see their pain and suffering, all the time, because of the curse on his eye. The one time that his newly-evolved eye subconsciously let Lavi see the Akuma Eliade's soul, Lavi confessed that he had felt sick afterwards, and that Allen lived with one foot set in hell.
As such, Allen is a very strong individual, both physically and emotionally. But mainly emotionally. Allen... does not break. And it's not the same as the "bending not breaking" kind of not break; he faces challenges head on, stubbornly, and he does not brea. There were only three cases in his whole life where he could be counted as "breaking": (1) when Mana died (including when he destroyed Mana's Akuma; also, keep in mind that he was 12, and Mana was the world to him), (2) when he almost failed to save Suman, and (3) when Lavi and Chaoji fell into the chasm on the Ark. The third was more anger than breakage, though; Allen attacked the far-stronger-than-him Earl of the Millennium and had to be stopped by Cross, or he probably would have died in the attempt.
In a way, despite everything I said, Allen is actually a very detached character. He loves everyone, really, but at the same time... he's almost... kind of apart from everyone. It's as if he sees his path and he keeps walking, not slowing or stopping for anyone or anything. He touches them in all their lives, but they don't seem to touch him nearly as deeply. Conversely, he would, of course, gladly risk or even give his life to save any of theirs. As time went on, though, he got closer and closer to his friends. Even though his demeanor didn't really change, his reactions did, to a degree. It was more as if he worked with them instead of for them, in a way. I guess another way to put it is that he trusted them more -- trusted in their abilities and their integrity, so to speak.
Also, Allen definitely knows a lot more than he lets on, about... er... less innocent matters. Having traveled for three years with Cross, known far and wide for his womanizing ways, I'd think Allen picked up a thing or two. >.>; However, I do believe that he would -- and does -- purposely act innocent and get embarrassed at the right times. Sometimes, it seems almost as if his life is an act. But, at the same time, it's an act indistinguishable from reality.
On a side note, Allen. Eats. A. Lot. He eats piles and piles and piles of food, and still has room for more. And not only does he eats a lot, he eats quickly, too. He can finish an entire banquet's worth of food in under ten minutes. Part of it is due to him having a parasitic Innocence, one within his body. But part of it, I think, is just due to him being Allen. He still ate just as much when his Innocence was scattered, and eats more than Krory, the other parasitic Innocence user we meet, and presumably Suman as well (also parasitic, though we don't really see him eat, so who knows). Also, his favourite food is mitarashi dango. He's willing to do almost anything if you feed him that.
Allen also gets lost very easily. He just... totally... doesn't have a sense of direction. But he generally ends up stumbling upon where he needs to be, due to Main Character Syndrome.
Fairy tale/myth/legend: The Gift of the Magi
Role: The husband
Kingdom territory of origin: Northern
Adaptation:
Alrighty, let me start with a summary of the fairy tale. It's pretty simple. A husband and wife live a happy, but poor life. It's Christmas, and neither has money, but both want to buy something special for the other. The wife has long, glorious hair, which she sells, and buys a chain for her husband's pocket watch, when he inherited from his father, who inherited it from his father. The watch is beautiful and valuable, but he only has a decaying leather strap.
Meanwhile, the husband, wanting to buy a fancy comb set that his wife has wanted for a long time (and from the sound of it, they're the decorative combs that you leave in your hair, not the kind you use to brush it out), sells his watch, the only thing of value he has. When they exchange their presents, they realize how foolish it must look, but they're happy, too, for the sacrifices each is willing to make for the other.
Eventually, the wife's hair grows long again, and the husband saves up enough to buy his watch back.
Aside from the... few hours the story spans, we know precious little about their background: we know that they're young, they used to be fairly well-to-do but are poor now, the husband has a watch that was passed down through his family, and the wife has long and beautiful hair.
So, backstory! (Note that the parts concerning Lenalee have been discussed with Lenalee-mun.)
Allen Walker was an orphan, abandoned because of a deformity in his left arm; it was red and the skin was rough, and seen as a bad omen. He wandered the streets until he was found and adopted by a traveling circus performer, and integrated into said circus, his main act being juggling.
One day, however, his adoptive father died, leaving him nothing but an old and beautiful pocket watch. Allen, in his grief, tried to use magic to bring back his father, but the spell rebounded, turning his hair white and forming a star-shaped scar over his left eye; the only good result was him hearing his father's voice, telling him that he loved him.
There were too many memories in the circus, memories of his father, and Allen decided to leave. He went on his last tour with them.
In one city that they stopped in, Allen met and fell in love with a girl named Lenalee, a maid who had been sold to a wealthy man from childhood. Using up what he had saved, he bought her freedom, and the two traveled a little longer with the circus before settling down in a town. Due to his arm, Allen found it difficult to find work, and they were barely scraping by, but both happy in each other's company.
And then, of course, comes the part that mirrors the fairy tale. As we've set it up to reach the same point as the story, it will, for the most part, proceed in the same way: Allen sells his watch to buy Lenalee a set of combs, only to find that she had cut her hair to buy him a watch chain. Eventually, he earns enough to buy the watch back, and Lenalee's hair grows out again, and the presents come into use.
Oh, also, because I adore Timcanpy, Allen's little golem-thingie (it vaguely resembles the Snitch from Harry Potter, though with a long tail): it was a magical creature that ended up in the circus and a part of Allen's act, and grew rather attached to him, so, when he left, it went with him. It'll serve mostly as a messenger. And to make sure Allen doesn't get too lost. Canonly, its functions, as far as we know, consisted of recording and playing back things, pinpointing Allen's master Cross (which we won't use here), displaying the "score" for the Ark (again, which we won't use here); and it seems to have some sort of intelligence (AI?) and sorta-emotions (at least it shows affection for Allen, even in canon). Also, he enjoys sandwiches.
Current area of residence: Currently traveling around in the North Kingdom Territory with his circus. Will later settle down in either Axis or Mundi.
Sample journal entry:
Ah, it looks like we're about to reach another town tomorrow!
I'm glad. It feels a little lonely by myself, ever since he died. Even though everyone is friend and kind, even though they don't treat me differently, everyone feels... so much more distant.
It's not the same, when he's not here to pat my head or tell me, "Good job."
I wonder how I'm going to tell everyone that I plan to leave. Enough of the other performers can juggle, and I really can't stay here any longer. Every time I turn around, I almost expect to see him here. I almost want to try to bring him back again, but I know it won't work. I have to... keep walking forward, no matter what.
Aah, but... until they find someone else, I can't leave. And I really don't know how I'm going to make money after this... I have enough saved, though. Maybe I'll tell them soon... After the show? Maybe?
I... ah... I'm hungry... I hope we can get more food in town.
Roleplay sample:
Allen smiled as he spun a set of rings, twirling and tossing them to the delighted claps of colleagues and curious passerbys alike. Their show wasn't going to start for another day, but they saw no harm in practicing or generating more interest. The circus might be exciting, but in a world of magic, they sometimes found themselves hard-pressed to compare.
Still, Allen valued their skills, illusions created by deft hands and nimble bodies. They gave him a life and a home, when nothing else did.
As he plucked the last rings out of the air, Allen gave a small bow, his cheeks flushed from excitement and flattery. Here, he belonged, whatever he may look like. So there was his left arm, red and deformed; so there was his white hair and that strange scar over his cheek; in a life of flashy costumes, it was hardly difficult to pretend they were all a part of his.
But the show did not start yet.
"Ah, I'm sorry, but that's all for now." Allen flashed his makeshift audience a smile, bowing as he retreated into his tent. He had long learned to ply this trade, to give tantalizing glances into his act, previews that left the people wanting more. "We will be performing under the big top tomorrow. I would love to see all of you there!"
And, of course, he could take a closer look, could memorize the few unfamiliar faces, gazing at him with rapt attention. And if he smiled at them tomorrow, if he acknowledged them, why, then, even more would come.
Finally tying down the tarp that served as a door, Allen sank into a seat and pulled a locked box, opening it almost reverently. Off came the cover, and off, too, a silk pouch, and he brought out a pocket watch, gold and gleaming in his hands. A strange smile brushed his lips as he traced over its etchings, letters in a lanugage that only he and his father knew.
Allen looked up when he felt a tap on his shoulder, a wider grin on his face at the sight of his "assistant", a tiny golem about the size of his fist, winged and with a trailing tail.
"Are you ready, Tim?" Allen didn't expect a reply, but Timcanpy always seemed to understand, though Allen couldn't see how. But he laughed as Tim fluttered around his head, tail curling around one of the rings he had been using to practice. It never got boring, not really, and for a moment, Allen pretended that this was truly the life ahead of him, that his father wasn't gone, that he wasn't planning to leave...
Tomorrow, they would bring a dream to their spectators. And tomorrow, he would dream for yet another day.