Jonathon plays on the Street Corner (Open)

It was a foggy afternoon on the busy American street. Many were out and about, rushing to and fro, whether it was to work, last minute shopping trips, or just going home for the night. Sadly, though, as everyone seemed so busy with their own lives, it looked as if few really cared about what was happening around them. It was during this hustle and bustle that a tall man walked out of the mist. He was handsome, yet unassuming enough that no one noticed him at first. He wore what looked to be an expensive tuxedo, with much purple and also seemingly quite well-made. On his head was a tall top hat, a hat one rarely sees in this modern age. In his hands, there was an extremely large suitcase. He walked forward to stand near the edge of the street corner. He carried the suitcase with surprising ease.

When the man got to a suitable spot, he set the suitcase down, and opened it. He took out a tall stand that has a bar jutting from its side. At that moment a bat flies out of the fog, one not native to the area. It moved towards the man, and alighted on the stand, which it then proceeded to hang upside-down on. After this matter had been taken care of, the man took a violin case out of the suitcase, which he opened. With loving care, the man took out an old, yet beautifully crafted, violin. After he made a few minute adjustments to it where needed, he then took the bow from the case, and he placed it gently on the strings.

Most that walked the streets that afternoon paused, as they heard beautiful music and started to look around. It was music unlike any they had ever heard. A song that was not from any composer they knew. It was not from Beethoven, nor Mozart, not even Bach or Tchaikovsky... none had heard this piece of music. This song they had never known brought to each of the listeners a flood of emotions. They felt longing and sorrow, joy and hope. Even fear could be felt from the music. It was a song that spoke of finding ones happiness, later having to watch this happiness pass through your fingers. It spoke of meeting ones fears, and having the hope needed to continue on. As a group started to gather before this man, and as they watched him, they saw the mists that surrounded the man start to move with the music, the mist twisted this way and that way, swirled around the man and his bat… It was a beautiful sight. They all watched in awe at the performance.

After the man finished this beautiful piece of music, he held the violin in place… and waited, as there was complete and utter silence. The crowd that stood before this man were shocked, amazed at what they had just heard, and what this man had played. After a moment, clapping finally started. Slowly at first, before it grow like a great wave, where it started to nearly deafen everyone nearby. After the group quieted, the man put down the bow, and bowed before his audience. He asked, as he looked up toward crowd, simply, “Does anyone have a request?”

In the man’s mind, he heard the soft, hushed words, ‘That was beautiful Jonathon,’ said his friend and familiar.

‘Yes it was Aesha,’ Jonathon said in his mind to his dear friend.

‘Were you surprised?’ he asked, a smile playing on his face.

‘Of course not,’ she answered him, mind to mind, heart to heart.

A young girl was among the crowd, her hair wavering out around her shoulders in the playful breeze. Though the music was beautiful and it touched her heart, it didn't seem to hypnotize her like most of the other people were. While they stood, shocked and awed, she frowned.

If one looked closely at her, they could see a bandage wrapped around her shoulder from a bullet wound. The girl turned and started walking away. I don't have time to get distracted. Though the song had reminded her of something...

While Jonathon looked around, and as he waited for a request, he noticed the young girl. Jonathon with a smile, called out to her, “Miss, yes you with the bandaged shoulder, would you like me to play a song for you.

‘What are you planning, Jonathon,’ Aesha asked him in his mind.

‘Not much, I had just noticed that this young girl did not seem to share everyone else’s reaction to my playing, so I’m going to see if she will be willing to request of me a song,’ Jonathon answered her.

‘That’s it,’ Aesha asked, annoyed.

‘Do I need any other reason’, he returned, as he laughed quietly so only Aesha could have heard.

Jonathon hears a sigh, and knows Aesha is not pleased.

ooc: Thanks for joining! Also, interesting way of describing Jonathon’s performance.

OOC: I've been here. >D And thanks.

The young girl froze and then turned, blinking, to look at the man. "N-No. I don't," she said, looking shyly at the ground. "I don't know any songs."

“Well if you do not know a song, then I will provide you with something a bit different,” Jonathon says to the girl with an encouraging smile. “This performance, not only will be a musical number, but also a story as well”, Jonathon says to the crowd.

‘Ready Aesha’ Jonathon said to his familiar.

‘What,’ she said in surprise in his mind. Jonathon puts down the violin.
A large cloth appears in Jonathon’s hands, he throws it over his bat familiar, and with a wave of his hands. The cloth comes off, and a beautiful dark skinned woman stands where the bat and stand once stood. “This,” Jonathon says to the crowd and to the girl in particular, “Is my lovely assistant Aesha, who will help me with the story as I also play.”

“Jonathon, I thought this was only going to be a musical performance only,” Aesha says for all to here, and in the mind ‘give me more of a warning next time.’

“Well then, they are in for a rare treat,” Jonathon answers, annoyance clear for many to see.

“So,” Jonathon turns to the young girl and asks, “What is your name and favorite story miss.”

The girl looked surprised. "Um, I'm Lennon." she said, looking over at both of them. What a strange pair... "I guess the story of..."

OOC:I lost muse... So just pretend she said some story you know and play it. XD Cause I couldn't think of any.

He ascended from his flight, his white wings spread to help him land lightly and neatly and perch onto the branch in the tree. He looked on at the crowd of people, clustered around someone he could not see. The feathers on his head lifted up to their triangle shape as he triad to see above them, but alas, he failed and put his head back down. He cried out from his black beak-irrok!-like a parrot in all its sense would. He wanted to see, desperately, what was happening in this cluster. He shuffled on the branch in his anxiety. Then, suddenly and quickly, the feathers of the bird wilted away, falling to the ground where they turned black, curling up into balls before completely crumbling into ash. With the same quickness the parrot was a blonde haired boy. He wore his gray school uniform, complete with the black shoes, the white shirt, everything, as if he'd just walked out. All he needed was a book bag.

With ease he climbed down from the tree and ran over to the crowd, the curiousity of a seven year old coming over him, as many things did. He pushed through the people and walked between the legs of others until he saw the man in the middle. He was holding a violin, and with him was a woman. He was talking to someone, but whoever it was, he didn't know.

“The Battle of the Birds,” Jonathon says with amusement, “A Celtic fairy tale, an interesting choice, very well…”

With a flash, the scene starts to be set. The buildings and area behind Jonathon becomes fertile wood land, rolling hills, and a farm house in the center. The city noises dim, the sounds of nature and calm replace them. The illusions currently finished, Jonathon continues, “My assistant will be the giant’s daughter. I will play the young prince. The other parts shall be played by my illusions,” Jonathon explains as he and his assistant disappears from the scene. The music starts playing…

“I will tell you a story about the wren. There was once a farmer who was seeking a servant and the wren met him and said, ‘What are you seeking?’,” the farmer and the wren are of such detail, and the voices are such that it is as if the farmer and wren were actually standing before the crowd.

“‘I am seeking a servant,’ said the farmer to the wren.

‘Will you take me?’ said the wren.

‘You, you poor creature, what good would you do?’

‘Try me,’ said the wren.” Jonathon voices as the narrative, the story continues. The farmer gives the wren the job of threshing in the barn. The wren threshed (what did he thresh with? Why a flail to be sure), and he knocked off one grain. A mouse came out and she eats that.

"I'll trouble you not to do that again," said the wren.

He struck again, and he struck off two grains. Out came the mouse and she eats them. So they arranged a contest to see who was strongest, and the wren brings his twelve birds and the mouse her tribe.

"You have your tribe with you," said the wren.

"As well as yourself," said the mouse, and she struck out her leg proudly. But the wren broke it with his flail, and there was a pitched battle on a set day.

When every creature and bird was gathering to battle, the son of the king of Tethertown said that he would go to see the battle, (the scene changes around the audience and moves as the story move, those there become so enthralled that they start to forget that this is not real for the time, the illusion are so complete) and that he would bring sure word home to his father the king of the animals that year. He arrived when the fight was almost over, but a snake and a raven still fought. He cut off the head of the snake. The raven, in gratitude, flew him to a castle where his sister lived, and the prince spent the night there. The raven then flew to another castle, where he also spent the night, but the next morning he met a handsome youth, who had been the enchanted raven. The youth gave him a bundle and warned him not to open it until he was in the place where he most wanted to be.

When he was nearing his father's house, he opened the bundle. A great castle sprang up, and an irate giant demanded to know why he had put it there.

It offered to put it back if the prince gave him his first son, when he reached seven years of age. Then the prince went out, and opened the bundle near his father's lands. He went into the castle, and found a pretty maid who was willing to be his wife. They had a son, and seven years later, they tried to put off the giant with the cook's son, and the butcher's son, but finally had to yield their own.

The giant raised him, (Jonathon comes on the scene, and the music stops as he plays his part. He plays the part of narrator and the young prince very well. The only time he moves his mouth for the speaking parts, is when the prince is speaking, otherwise his mouth does not move. The illusions speak instead). One day, he heard music and found the giant's daughter (Then Aesha comes in as well, playing her part beautifully). She told him the next day the giant would ask him to marry one of her two older sisters, but she wanted him to insist on her, because she did not like the bridegroom he wanted for her.

The prince asked, but the annoyed giant demanded that he clean out the byre, or he would not get his youngest but be killed. He started to clean. The daughter came by at noon, and the prince fell asleep, but the byre were clean when he woke. The giant knew he did not clean it, but set him to thatch it with birds' down. The prince tried to hunt the birds. At noon, the daughter put him to sleep again, and the roofs were thatched with feathers when he woke. The giant knew he had not done it, and set him to fetch down a bird's nest. He tried to climb it and got no more than half way. The daughter built him a ladder of her fingers, and when he got it down, she left her little finger in the tree.

She told him that the giant would ask him to pick her out from her sisters, and the only mark would be that she was missing her finger. The wedding was held and celebrated, and the prince picked out his bride from her sisters. The giant told them to go to rest. The daughter told her husband that they had to flee at once, and they took a gray filly. She left behind slices of apples that answered the giant. Only when the last one had spoken did he realize that they had fled. He gave chase. When the giant nearly caught them, the daughter had the prince take a twig from the filly's ear and throw it behind them: it became a forest. The giant got through it, and they threw a pebble that became a mountain. The giant got through it, and they threw a flask of water that became a wave and drowned him.

The daughter forbade him to let anyone or thing in his father's house kiss him, or he would forget her, but a greyhound leaped up to kiss him, and he forgot the daughter. She stayed in a tree by a well. A shoemaker's wife and daughter, going to fetch water, both thought her shadow was theirs, and thought themselves too beautiful to fetch water. The shoemaker went himself, saw her, and persuaded her to come down.

When she stayed his house, some young men tried to woo her, but she made them stick to the latch so they could not approach her. The shoemaker was making shoes for the king's son, who was to marry, and the daughter persuaded him to take her. She conjured up a silver and a gold pigeon, and grains. The silver pigeon ate them, and the golden pigeon taxed him with what the giant's daughter had done for the prince. At that the prince knew her, and married her a second time.”

The story finished, the illusions disappear, and the sounds of the city return…all but the young prince and the giant princess or in other words…Jonathon with his violin and his assistant, Aesha. Everyone is silent. Most feeling clapping would ruin the moment.

“So Lennon, what did you think,” Jonathon asks the young girl with a smile, after she answers he turns to the audience and says, “This was a performance courtesy of Jonathon Wilder, Entertainer Extraordinaire. I have mastered the arts of music, grand illusions, and of storytelling. I have gifted you with one of my masterpieces put together with these skills I have gained. Remember them well”, he then becomes quiet. He then turns and starts putting things away, and Aesha changes back to being a bat, the audience wonder if the lovely assistant turning into a bat is the last part of the performance, but most decide it is and leave it at that. At this time many leave, after Jonathon finishes packing what little he has taken out away, he looks up at the girl, and smiles.

ooc: That was only a summary of the ‘Battle of the Birds’. For all intents and purposes Jonathon told the whole story, which can be found here if you would like to read it, http://classiclit.about.com/library/bl-etexts/fairytale/bl-battbir.htm. Enjoy!!
Also your answer Lennon, will be two fold. Lennon has two places to talk, one when Jonathon asks what she thought of his performance and latter when he looks back up at her after he has packed everything away. General Pig, just what you will.

Lennon was speechless, blinking rapidly. "It was... Beautiful," she murmured in response to Jonathan's question. It was true, but still she felt her words had not done his illusion justice.

After he started packing, she noticed that he looked up at her. "Are you... A Prime?" she asked, so quietly that only he could hear.

Jonathon’s eyebrows raised, he was surprised that this young girl knew of this word. A sad smile came upon his face as he answered quietly, “That term has been given to me, but I’ve been around a long time Lennon. A long time indeed…” Jonathon looked off into the distance.

‘Jonathon,’ Aesha said, in his mind ‘What are you doing, this girl could be a villain.’

‘Perhaps, but I feel she is not. Anyway what harm could she case, even if she was a villain,’ Jonathon asked his friend. Aesha is quiet. She felt nothing more can be said.

Jonathon looked Lennon in the eyes and asked, “Would you be willing to walk with me for a moment.” Jonathon picks up his case, and waits for an answer.

Thomas stayed with at the his spot even after the crowd had dispersed. He stared at the man in the middle with his tools, and the bat girl on his shoulder. It was magical, the story, like a cartoon brought to life, or a storybook. He was amused by it, as any seven year old would be. The people, the images, the illusions as the man had called them, danced still in his mind, giving there performance over and over again, giving off the lines he remembered most, as the other, began to fade as all memories do. Could he do it again? And again? And again? He wasn't paying attention to the lady he was talking to, or his words, or his birds, he was fasinated by this man, and this man only, who was, somehow, able to make things so astounding. He was entranced in him, eager to see more, and see more of him. Oh what fun would it be? To hang out with this... Jonathon did he say? and prance with his awesome little gift. His practice.

He started to wonder, could he do that as well? Would he teach him? He didn't know, but he so wished he would! That way he could do it himself, and entertain himself and his friends. Oh, it would be wonderful! It truly would. It was a talent, that he was rightly sure was much better than his own, though his was purely inherited. His, at least what Thomas thought, was not, not at all. He was taught from someone, or he learned on his own. Either way, he could do it, and Thomas wanted to do it to.

"Wow!" He finally exclaimed after he gave himself to push through his trance. "How did you do that! Could you teach me too?" He said with wholesome excitement. A thing only had by children such as he.

Before Lennon could have answered, a young boy broke in. After Jonathon had heard the boy’s request, he turned and asked Lennon, “Lennon, could you please hold your answer for a minute?” After Lennon’s answer, Jonathon then turned to the boy considering the boy’s words and asked, “How is unimportant for now. Perhaps I could teach you, but let me first ask you a few questions. One, what is your name, two how old are you, three what would you use my arts for, and four how would I know you would use them responsibly. I will have a few more question, but this will do for now,” Jonathon gives the boy an encouraging answer.

Lennon nodded, about to walk after the man when a little boy interrupted her. She smiled at him and nodded again, signaling that she would wait.

OOC: OMG PEDO! *jk* XD


"My name's Thomas!" He answered enthusiastically, not too aware, at the moment, ont he whole don't-talk-to-strangers rules. "I'm seven," he answered to the second, putting up his fingers to show the man in the outfit his oh so impressive age, as well as the fact that he could count on his little fingers, "I would use it to entertain people like you do! Mainly my sister probably," he added, "And you'd know because uh-" he trailed off, not actually finding an answer to this question. How would he know? He didn't know. "You could use your bat?" He finally said after a few moments of thinking, pointing at his little helper. That would work, right? Birds told him stuff, so why not bats? Everyone had a bird or something who told them stuff too, right?

Jonathon pondered for a moment before he said slowly to Thomas, also gave a quick glance towards Lennon, “I do not feel you are one I could teach, and neither do I feel you are ready to learn what I know Thomas, but…. If I were to take another under my wing, so to speak, I would look for one with certain traits. Now I ask, are you hardworking and responsible? Do you have a great imagination? Do you have a love, or at least a liking, of books and for reading, as you would need to spend at least four hours a day for this? Do you like music and would you be willing to either learn to play an instrument or to learn to sing, as many of my magics are stronger when used with the musical arts? Are you trustworthy and able to keep your emotions under control? That last one is fairly important, as much of the more advanced magics that I have learned can be greatly affected by ones emotions at the time you use them. This means if you were to ever grow angry or upset for any reason, that it could have the magics used become uncontrollable, and even become dangerous for you and those around you. Now if you have these traits or even just most of them, I would consider teaching you what I know, otherwise I will not,” Jonathon’s voice may have been stern, but also soft. Jonathon smiled, yet it was clear he was completely serious.

Then Jonathon also remembered one last thing, “I almost forgot. You also would need to have the potential for magic, as not all do. So even if you had all the traits I named above, without a potential for magic, I can teach you nothing of my magics.”

Now just in case there might be any words of complaint or confusion over all the conditions, Jonathon said quickly, “Now you may say that this is too much to ask or that I am being unfair, but as said by Edger Allan Poe, ‘In criticism I will be bold, and as sternly, absolutely just with friend and foe. From this purpose nothing shall turn me.’ The magics I have learned are not a toy. Neither are they for the foolish or the irresponsible,” he hoped the boy would understand.

Wha...? Okay, he had to learn all of that? No, actually, all he had to do was have a liking for a lot of things, but he hadn't tried all of those things. He'd never played an instrument. His school didn't support it, his dad was too busy to teach him anything. He didn't know about his mother, maybe he should ask, but what instrument? He didn't know. What instruments where there? He didn't know. THe only one he was familiar with was the piano. Was he responsible? Well, he wanted to hel all of these people and stuff. He did he homework. His teachers said he was responsible! And so did his mom, so was that a yes? Well, yeah! It should be! Imagination? Hands down he had imagination. He used all his little mind creations whenever he decided to roam around his neighborhood, the little creations of his,and have his own little innocent fun, just, floating around.

Books or reading? He liked being read to. And he liked the lttle books they had at home. Can he control his emotions? Um... yeah, he thought so. He wasn't angry a lot, nor was he sad. Maybe it was because he lived in a fairly nice neighborhood with a fairly nice school, but he didn't put that into concideration. Well, he thought that was a yes, a perfect yes.

He nodded his head enthusiastically. "Myeah huh," he answered with earnest. "I can do it! I really can!" He was about to jump out of his clothes for this! He could do it! So why wait now?

Jonathon watched the boy closely, he shakes his head and says, “I am sorry, but I do not feel you are right for this responsibility. I feel you are too young and to inexperienced. You do not understand the dangers my magics can bring to those that cannot control them. Good bye,” Jonathon turns to go.

Jonathon asks Lennon, “Are you ready to go,” He offers a hand, as travel will be a bit ‘different’ then normal. A soft breeze picks up all around them, as a portal slowly opens about 6 feet above the ground in front of Jonathon and Lennon, illusionary steps appear before them.

Lennon smiled kindly at the boy before nodding and turning to Jonathan. Her eyes widened in amazement as the portal opened and she hesitantly stepped forwards. "Um," she muttered, looking over at him.

Jonathon gave Lennon an encouraging nod, and whispered in her ear, “Don’t worry, it set to take use to a nearby park about a mile from here.”

He holds out his hand, “Trust me”, he says with a smile.

‘Don’t worry, he’s harmless’ Lennon hears a warm friendly voice in her head, it was the voice of Aesha Jonathon’s assistant, who had been silent up to this point.

Lennon cringed away from the voice in her head at first and then hesitantly took Jonathan's hand.

OOC:My muse for Lennon died...

“Let’s go,” he said with his sad smile, as they walked up to the portal, each step below them disappeared as they did. They moved through the portal, it was like walking through a door, Lennon could even see the park through the portal…
Ooc: Post one more time here, and then look for “A Walk in the Park” tomorrow, okay. No time tonight.

Lennon passed through the portal, mystified. What was this? She knew it was magic, but this was odd. He must have been a prime.

A note flutter to the feet of the young boy, when he picks it up it will say,
‘I apologize for my harsh words. I will meet you in five years time at that this place. If you have matured like you should I will consider taking you under my wing, and teach you what I know.
Your friend, Jonathon Wilder; The Entertainer Extraordinaire
P.S. If you ever need a party your friends, and sister will love, just rip this paper into pieces. I will come…’