🎶 He's the left hand of God on the stage 🎶

[likethelight]

Who: Allen and you!
When: Day 28 and onward
Where: Getting lost in the forest first, then reluctantly Around
What: The unluckiest hobo Exorcist clown-acrobat of an endearingly stupid shounen protagonist is here!



[ Once there was a boy with no home who joined the circus.

Actually, there was a boy who no home who joined the circus twice. Both times kind of against his will.

This was a very unlucky boy.

This was also a very very dubious boy who tiptoed around the carnival without announcing his presence the moment he was set loose on the grounds. Who eyed the trailer he was supposedly assigned to and....... decided to give it a rather wide berth and continue exploring while remaining unseen as he could. Funny, he acts more like a fugitive than some semi-well-dressed Victorian kid.. that's kind of a weird... tattoo he has on his face, too? Scar? But it looks like there's a pentagram..

Which is to say he lasted about an hour before he attempted to hightail it into the woods and escape. He has promises he made!! Screw this, he can't stay in any place for a year, let alone this one!! HE'S PROBABLY NOT EVEN GOING TO BE ALIVE IN A YEAR SO ALL OF YOU CAN SOD OFF

Which is also to say it takes him even less time to get woefully lost. And then a bit longer still before he finally admits it and finds some slightly less mossy rock to flop down on.

He rakes a hand through his somewhat overgrown hair. There are definitely some twigs there. ]

Haah.. even Timcanpy.

[ Does he sound a little sour? He sounds a little sour. He'd been shouting "Tim???! TIM!" for the last half hour after all. This is the worst. ]



[ Alternatively, after he comes sulkily back you may also find him:

1) In the cookhouse, surrounded by stacks of empty bowls piled far higher than he is tall and doubled over with gusto into demolishing his current one. No, seriously... it looks like this kid has just eaten thrice his weight in literally every dish that was being served. Including the ones he'd never heard of. There's a questionable-looking carcass on the table next to him...
2) In the medical tent after it's dark and he thinks he's alone, trying to very surreptitiously snag some gauze and unbuttoning his shirt to... look incredibly confused at not finding a wound on his stomach? And starts poking at it?? What?? Excuse him??
3) Sitting towards the edge of the grounds after dark, his back to a tree and looking up at the lights of the Ferris wheel in a way that's quiet thoughtful as much as it's... morose? No, it's just a faraway sort of expression that's as bittersweet as it is uneasy. Looking up at the Ferris wheel like it's been a very, very long sort of time as he sucks on his now very-polished spoon. Ah. Dinner had been smaller than he would have liked.

He'd also seem to have a plump sort of golden... ball? with wings? accompanying him now and seeming to mimic and compliment him as a small golden shadow might. He would appear to like sitting on heads.

Wildcard if you want, he'll be poking around everywhere! And tag in whatever format you are most comfortable in! I vastly prefer brackets for my personal writing; if they drive you nuts drop me a line and I can make adjustments. ]

Comments

[exaomori]

[Being guarded isn't a bad idea in a place like this, even if he was hollering about Timtam or whatever a moment ago. She'll listen to him, hand on her hip.]

Nappin', restin' your eyes, all the same.

[Shura herself hasn't quite adjusted to the change in her eyes. Being spooky with her eyes is her--and his--last concern when the kid says that he can't find his way out of the woods.]

Sounds rough. Y'do something stupid while you were here or somethin'? Might be stuck with the rest of us.

[Considerng that she's among the idiots who weren't careful and got stuck, she really should watch what she's saying...]

[likethelight]

[ Because how else is he supposed to find Timcanpy! He's the only thing that keeps Allen from getting lost half the time. ... Most of the time. ]

I didn't do anything stupid! [ Defensive? Only a little. But.. also only a little because that does give him a sinking sort of realization. He didn't miss the "stuck with the rest us", after all. Was she with that same weird carnival them?

That didn't bode well. ]

I just lost a game of cards..

[ Which might be the worst hit on his pride of all, tbh. ]

[exaomori]

A game of cards? [She echoes, bringing her hand to her chin as she considers.]

Yeah, you did somethin' stupid. Sorry, kid, there ain't a way out for you.

[What, did he consider himself some kind of poker pro? Shura drops her hands with a shrug. That's what he gets for gambling. She assumes that he maybe should know better with that mark on his face. This couldn't be his first experience with the supernatural.]

If it makes you feel better, it's not the worst story I've heard.

[likethelight]

...

[ Lips pressed thin, the uneasy silence is his only answer to that. Shit, that was the gut sense he got too. Something was unnatural about this forest. It was like the Rewinding Town; even if maybe his sense of direction isn't the best it isn't so bad he'd go in circles for hours.

Ergh, he feels ill. ]

Then.. everyone else, the carnival— [ Somehow it hadn't dawned on him before, some of the people (odd looking people, not entirely human) he'd seen when he'd been trying to stay hidden.. ]

Is everyone here because of something like that?

[ They were all like him? ]

[exaomori]

[Kid wasn't a complete idiot. Hopefully he kept himself out of trouble during his stay here.]

Something like that, yeah. Some people get tricked, others make a deal with that Ringmaster to stick around.

[To put in simply; Shura isn't interested in explaining everything to a kid. Then again, she wasn't usually interested in explaining in general.]

If you got questions, then you gotta go to her to get an answer. She'll give you a room assignment so you ain't havin' to hang out out in the woods like this.

[likethelight]

[ He's shounen. If he isn't actively seeking trouble it'll find him.... ]

She already gave me one. [ Which, given how he presses his lips together and looks even more uneasy about that — pretty safe bet that he didn't care to check that out. The whole premise skeeved him out too much first. ]

How long have you been here then, miss...? [ She seems like an old hand at this. A jaded one. ]

[exaomori]

[no we don't need more shounen exorcists attracting trouble there are plenty here already thank you very much]

'Fraid of gettin' stuck with a crazy or somethin'? If you're not boardin' with one, you're gonna be workin' with a bunch of 'em, so you're in trouble either way~

[And there she goes with a leer, raising her arms up and crossing them behind her head. Maybe messing with a kid who was brand new was a little rude, but teasing serious kids was fun??]

Mmm, how long? A few weeks. Ain't been that long. [He's probably asking for her name. She's going to see if she can dodge giving it to him.]

[likethelight]

[ Too late, they'll join forces and become one giant trouble magnet. Their combined good intentions will end up flattening the camp rip

His nose wrinkles slightly though. Only a few weeks? She acted like she's been here years!! ]

It's fine, working in a carnival isn't something I'm unused to. [ Is it a little flat? It might be a little flat. He might be rather used to being teased.

But that's just fine by him, she can keep her name since he's trying to avoid letting his get out much too.

[exaomori]

[A flat reaction is still a reaction. Anything but successfully throwing it back at her will be enough to encourage her to keep on doing it, and even then that's not a guarantee she'll let up.

But it isn't as if this place is really any weirder than home. Suffering the whims of a supernatural creature seemed to be just as vexing in this world as it was back home. This place was just a different flavor of annoying.]

Not your first rodeo, huh? [Weren't all carnivals filled with tricksters and connivers? So how did he end up doing something stupid enough to end up with a contract? Kid...] Then you shouldn't have a problem adjusting ♥. Just don't go around yellin' like that. Next time, I might have to actually do something!

[Like... shove a sock in his mouth. Or be forced somehow to help him find his timtams, whatever he was looking for.]

[likethelight]

[ Look... it was a perfectly reasonable that he got taken in like he did. He knew better than to try his hand at any of the carnival games. Poker was different! Because he never loses at cards.

Which just added insult to injury that he did. What's a rodeo though.. ]

I'll be sure to keep that in mind. [ This is so less than helpful!! Which is why he's going to turn to go.

Just.. not in the direction of the carnival.

Totally the opposite way tbh. ]

[exaomori]

[ Shura's specialty is being helpful to teenage boys. This is why when he stalks off in the completely wrong direction she does absolutely nothing to correct him. It wasn't like he asked for directions back! He'd figure it out sooner or later. ]

Be careful~

[likethelight]

[ HUFFING SLIGHTLY ]

I am!

[ He may or may not be about to walk with incredible confidence right off a ravine though.

This is why he normally has Timcanpy guide him 💔 ]

[exaomori]

[On the one hand, maybe this would be a learning experience and experience was the best teacher. On the other hand, Shura knows what lies in that direction and that kid doesn't look like he's taking any care at all as he tromps off in a dangerous direction. If he fell and broke his neck, then she'd have to deal with his whining. If he got himself killed somehow by falling, she'd probably have to drag his body out and take care of anything that came up from his accidental death. Ugggh, what a pain.]

Ah, you sure you wanna go that way, though? Gettin' hurt might get your outta work for a bit, but it ain't gonna break your contract, you know!

[FINE she'll help, but she doesn't have to be nice!!]

[likethelight]

'Hurt'..? [ What's she talking abou—




oh. ]

WAH — ! [ Thanks Shura. This was real A+ parenting advice. He's totally going to remember it before he goes and gets himself killed.

After he finishes sliding WITH RAPID AND VERY ALARMING SPEED down this ravine unless she decides to collar him before he does so. Because he sure has just strode Boldly Forward over the Thin Air Below. ]

[exaomori]

[ why are teenage boys so dumb??

But fine. Even though he's declined to heed Shura's most excellent advice and isn't stopping to look where he's going, Shura will step in. Good thing she's quick, since snagging him by the back of his collar and yanking him back seems to be the best option. She's stronger than she looks, and she's not going to be polite when she pulls him back.]

Do ya wanna die or somethin~?

[Shura is a horribly irresponsible adult, but she does have that terrifying angry parental voice down pat. ]