21 tightropes walked - dream vortex
Jan. 14th, 2010 12:20 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
[Slums. A deserted alleyway, dingy and dirty, not much to be seen but piles of refuse left lying around. And a small group huddled under a blanket, children, too young to be left on their own but alone all the same.
At a closer look there's more wrong with them than the dirt and hungry faces and torn scraps of clothing. A boy with one empty sleeve, and a boy and a girl with the remains of a leg wrapped in strips of cloth. An even smaller child with a partly burnt face being held by a boy too large for his age.
A dog runs around them, barking - Tiger, for those who'd recognize him, even though in the strange way of dreams, Doll clearly doesn't know him. The children are too miserable to pay him any attention.
And standing for a while in that alley, one will be able to hear the strain of circus music filtering in, perhaps even the reflection of bright lights.]
((ooc: the way the dream goes depends on what visitors do. Anyone welcome!))
At a closer look there's more wrong with them than the dirt and hungry faces and torn scraps of clothing. A boy with one empty sleeve, and a boy and a girl with the remains of a leg wrapped in strips of cloth. An even smaller child with a partly burnt face being held by a boy too large for his age.
A dog runs around them, barking - Tiger, for those who'd recognize him, even though in the strange way of dreams, Doll clearly doesn't know him. The children are too miserable to pay him any attention.
And standing for a while in that alley, one will be able to hear the strain of circus music filtering in, perhaps even the reflection of bright lights.]
((ooc: the way the dream goes depends on what visitors do. Anyone welcome!))
sob I'm sorry
Date: 2010-01-13 11:33 pm (UTC)Girl.
XD no, it's fine!
Date: 2010-01-13 11:39 pm (UTC)...me, mister?
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Date: 2010-01-13 11:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-01-13 11:43 pm (UTC)((ooc: Doll isn't her real name and canon never revealed her name from back then so assume she told him her real name?))
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Date: 2010-01-13 11:46 pm (UTC)Are you going into that circus?
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Date: 2010-01-13 11:51 pm (UTC)[she turns her head towards the lights, seeming to see them for the first time now.]
Yeah, I...think we're supposed t'go there. [turning towards the other children for confirmation, and suddenly they're all on their feet, a few years older, still poorly dressed but better taken care of, two of them on crutches.]
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Date: 2010-01-14 12:00 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-01-14 12:05 am (UTC)But it seems there's no need to hurry, because they already are in the circus, looking around in awe at all the performers and colourful costumes.
Even though they're standing there as children, they're also there as their adult selves. Joker as the ringleader, juggling a multitude of balls with one real and one skeletal looking arm. Beast cracking her whip in the tigers' cage. And Doll herself, sitting on a barrel and tying the ribbon to one of her shoes in preparation for walking the tightrope, her parasol resting by her side.]
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Date: 2010-01-14 12:13 am (UTC)This I understand.
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Date: 2010-01-13 11:52 pm (UTC)Hello, Tiger.
[She looks over him to see the children huddled, the smallest one with a familiar, but younger face. She smiles at the group, and her friend.]
Hi, there.
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Date: 2010-01-13 11:58 pm (UTC)...'ello? [Doll finally ventures to speak, wary because usually people either ignored them, or noticed them for rather negative reasons.]
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Date: 2010-01-14 01:55 am (UTC)I'm Anna. It's nice to meet you.
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Date: 2010-01-14 11:23 am (UTC)...nice t'meet ya too?
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Date: 2010-01-14 04:43 pm (UTC)I'm new here - do you know a good place to get some food?
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Date: 2010-01-14 08:10 pm (UTC)[They all just look at each other and shrug. None of them have eaten in a while. The East End isn't exactly kind to orphans, and even less to those who are lacking the way they are.]
Sure yer s'posed t'be 'ere, miss?
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Date: 2010-01-14 08:36 pm (UTC)[And that was the saving grace - this was a dream, she was pretty sure she could do it if she wanted to.]
And, no, I'm not really supposed to be here. But... neither are you.
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Date: 2010-01-14 08:46 pm (UTC)[The alley looks strangely brighter, the sound of music growing closer.]
But nowhere else'll take us... [But that doesn't seem to be quite true, because they're standing now, looking older and slighter better taken care of, even if still very poor. The two missing a leg are getting by on crutches, and they're all looking rather dumbfounded at the circus entrance in front of them.]
Come on, miss, we've got to go an' try out or Father'll be mad. [Doll takes Anna's hand, tugging anxiously and looking at her from her one good eye.]
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Date: 2010-01-14 02:01 am (UTC)Hey there.
[She tries to make eye contact with Doll. The burn on her face looks painful.]
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Date: 2010-01-14 11:37 am (UTC)Doll is looking to the side, her head resting against Jumbo's chest, but she notices that she's being looked at after a while, returning the gaze.]
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Date: 2010-01-14 03:18 pm (UTC)It's okay. ...What're you guys doing here?
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Date: 2010-01-14 08:12 pm (UTC)[It's not usual for Doll to be answering for the others, but it is her dream after all. She looks quite seriously back at Penny when the woman smiles at her.]
...think we're meant t'be somewhere else though. [Struggling to get to her feet, it's as though the circus music is suddenly getting a lot louder now.]
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Date: 2010-01-14 10:36 pm (UTC)[Penny stands as well, looking for the source of the circus music. How can it be getting louder?]
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Date: 2010-01-14 11:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-01-14 11:57 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-01-15 12:16 am (UTC)(no subject)
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