(semi-open)

[debtor]

Date & Time: January 15th, or whenever
Location: somewhere in the creepy castle/hotel/museum
Characters: Allen Walker, Howard Link, Rosette Christopher, Chrono, and anyone else in the castle who feels like dropping by at any point.
Summary: SOUL SHENANIGANS and whatever else your heart desires. Open to castle antics.
Warnings: ALLEN WALKER IS FINE

[Allen sure is super unconscious suddenly.

And gray. For some reason.]



[And you may have heard someone screaming "I'M FINE" repeatedly at themselves near the castle grounds a short while ago, strangely.]

Comments

[soul_sister]

It sounds like you had each other, at least.

[Though as the child trails off, she prompts him, gently.]

Mana's...?

[debtor]

[He crosses his arms.]

His partner. Mana an' his dog, they were the best act here.

[With that, the memory of the child fades away, and her surroundings shift -


she's back within the circus she started in, although a different location. The big-top isn't visible here, she's surrounded by smaller tents on all sides, each with an entrance.

A man stands between two of them. Without his makeup on, it's hard to recognize the clown from before. He's wearing old clothes and a battered top hat and he could use a shave, but his expression is warm and his smile is comforting this time. He watches her from a distance, but says nothing.]

[soul_sister]

[He'll have to wait just a moment. Because ... it's not that she's PROCESSING what she just heard.]

[soul_sister]

[It's just that it's REALLY hard to believe.]

WHO WOULD DO THAT?!

DONE

[soul_sister]

[OKAY. NO. SHE CAN DO THIS.]

Uh. HI!

[Are YOU the one who named him after a dog.]

[debtor]

[Yes indeed he is.

Well. No.

Sort of.




He's also not talking. Not even a 'hello.' He's just placidly pointing at one of the tents.]

[soul_sister]

[She stands up, her skirts swirling around her in time to no wind in memory.

Rosette looks the man up and down carefully, and simply nods. He seemed like someone Allen trusted...

She takes the time THIS TIME, to peek into the tent, rather than just step blindly into another lions cage.]

[debtor]

[Trusted enough to let him name him after a dog!!

And for whatever reason, this... is the bizarre scene that plays out in the tent he directed her to, in the world's worst playroom. At least there aren't any lions!

Allen here looks a little younger than the Allen she currently knows, but his hair is white and his face is scarred this time. His arm is also a massive clawed monstrosity, kind of nailed to the wall there. Lenalee is visible from this vantage point, apparently unconscious in a chair, as is Miranda Lotto, nailed to a clock. Nobody's having a good day here, either.

But the focus is on the little girl in the middle of it all, taking it upon herself to inform the boy about chosen ones and God and Noah, etc. Her skin gradually turns gray - a familiar shade - as she speaks.

There's also a talking pumpkin thing.]

[soul_sister]

[There is an oppressive sense of danger far beyond the lion cage or the angry doucheface, and the wreckage of some first stand, in blood and impalement only confirmed it in bright red stains. She hesitates, stepping into the tent flaps, and letting it close behind her.

The skin is very familiar. ... If this is what she's fighting. What ALLEN is fighting.

But Miranda... Lenalee... A lot about them suddenly made sense and her heart ached just watching this, reminding herself that this has already happened. They lived through this. Still... she can't quite help...]

Come on... you can't let it end here!

[debtor]

[Neither Miranda, nor Lenalee, seem to hear her. Allen, however, stares at Rosette, wan and wide-eyed, arm jerking under its restraints. And then he starts pulling against them, much harder.

But there's the little girl, too. She stops mid-speech, and slowly, wordlessly turns her gaze to Rosette, and the three grotesque monsters behind her do the same. The girl's too-wide toothy smile is fixed in place, but something about her eyes change - this memory is watching her, and it sees her quite clearly.

She'll suddenly find about a dozen very sharp, floating candles pointed in her direction.]

R-run!

[soul_sister]

[Her eyes widen as the monsters turn to her as well... It takes the boy's shout to galvanize her, though.

She dives, tucking her body into a tight roll to take some - ANY - cover behind the Victorian, checkered furniture. Listening for the whistle and thunk of a projectile, she pulls herself- her soul- up tight.

And picks up a wood bodied teddy bear... Better than NO weapon.]

[debtor]

[She'll hear it, a second later, as the candles all embed themselves in the wall she'd been standing in front of. Followed by the soft clack clack of hard-soled shoes on a wood floor, as the girl approaches.

Somewhere in the background, there's a screech of metal and a cracking of drywall, a choked-off scream, and finally a heavy thud.

The little girl stops in front of the piece of furniture, humming some tune to herself. A few more candles fly close, pointed in Rosette's general direction. The girl's voice is sing-song, mocking, "What are you doing?"]

[soul_sister]

[She can't see the girl, but the candles.... Hovering in bright colors around the edge of the chair. Those she could see.

She didn't know enough about this to pretend to be a part of this, she realized. The girl on the other side was aware in a way nothing else had been.. except Allen. That meant, whatever else was here... knew she was here too.]

I'm here to bring him back!

Allen! I know why you're hiding in these memories... But you can't stay here!

[debtor]

[The little girl peeks around the chair - except she's not a girl at all, this time. Nothing but a black shadow, with glowing white eyes and a bright bright grin. "You can't."

The candles fly -

but they won't hit her. There's suddenly a massive gray arm held over her like a shield, candles digging into it. Allen crouches on the other side, breath heavy and uneven, head hung low.]

Please, you shouldn't...

[soul_sister]

[Her eyes open wide, tears welling up in them at that sound. She looks up at Allen, sheltering her and holds out a hand to him.]

I SHOULD! We can do this together.

I already told you! I'm not leaving your side! ... That means you can't leave mine either!

[debtor]

[He shakes his head at her. No, no, why would she do this?]

Please! This isn't your fi-

[But the ground's already crumbling here, great chunks of it breaking away and falling into nothing beneath her, and soon she'll be going with it—

and landing back in the circus. A checkered tent in front of her, a smaller red one behind her, and a ticket booth tucked to the side. The wheat field's somehow gotten closer.

The man from before is sitting atop the ticket booth, still smiling.]

[soul_sister]

[She picks herself up, whirling this way and that... for any sign of them, any way back... She takes a deep breath and lets it out, shoving down frustration and a growing trepidation. Neither are useful right now.

She straightens, and looks up at the man, wiping the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand.]

Who are you?

[debtor]

[Doesn't say a word. He just doffs his hat at her with a slight bow, like a proper gentleman. There's a black pentagram, upside-down on his forehead.

He also doesn't offer any directions this time. Leaving it up to her, apparently...]

[soul_sister]

[The mark on his face... an unexpected third player. She turns towards the red tent, and then hesitates, looking back up at the man.]

Thank you.

[And pulls open the flap.]

[debtor]

[And she's greeted with the GIANT LOOMING FIGURE OF CROSS MARIAN

slapping Allen Walker's face.]

[soul_sister]

[THAT MAN AGAIN!!!!




NO REALLY. THAT MAN AGAIN!

Her hands clench on the tent flap. Allen is quite a bit older... so something must have been ........... slight.............ly................. better?]

[debtor]

[YES

no.

No, not really.

The memory continues, uninterrupted for as long as she remains quiet, as Allen's back is to her and Cross doesn't take note of her at all. Allen, crouched on the floor and reeling from the hit, asks,]

I was... implanted...

When...?

[Cross just shrugs. "Huh? Oh... Sorry, I have no idea." And then the bickering starts - at least it seems they give each other as good as they get, now...?]

[soul_sister]

[This one, she stays by the door, listening quietly. The part about erosion...

Just like the Mind Eater, but far... far more powerful. But if it's like that... then this isn't hopeless, not even a little. Still, she hesitates, to hear the conversation out.]

[debtor]

[It continues on, until Cross crouches down and pulls Allen into a hug. It's a tender, fatherly gestures, for the first time (and quite probably last.) Though he's also telling the kid he's going to be erased by some evil spirit and die, but. Points for trying.

It fades away, leaving nothing but an empty circus tent behind.

Although if she turns back around, she'll suddenly find herself in a forest, at night. Allen's standing a little ways away (looking much the same, although his hair's a little longer), and besides Timcanpy, there's no one else in sight.

There's also some flat, massive glowing-white geometric shape floating in front of him, without explanation. At least it's a handy source of light.]

[soul_sister]

[She gives off her own light in the forest, bathing the trees around her in a soft hue... though her dress and hair begin to shred and fray. Time has gone long.]

Allen.

[She walks forward, towards him, without hesitation.]