A humble bellringer

Quinten Toller II 20 years old II Church Bellringer II (Apart of whenthesmokeclears-rpg)

[bellringerquinten]

Look Out Below! II Quentin and Antonia

[wishihadwings]

"Quentin!" She grinned. "My full name’s Antonia, but everybody calls me Toni, like I said before. You can too, if you like." She looked slightly bemused when he took the wood from her, but a smile stretched across her cheeks as he moved on.

"You don’t know them?" Toni clarified, stepping up next to him and peering at his creations with great interest. "Any of them?" She recognized Granny and Ruby, Ms. Mills and Archie and many others. Her small hand reached to gently touch the figures, tracing the delicately carved face of a child. "They are so beautiful…" She whispered.

[bellringerquinten]

"A-Antonia? A-Antonia." He repeated to himself, as if trying to engrave it into his memory for future reference. "W-Whatever you p-prefer, honestly. I'll c-call you w-whatever you l-like." Quinten shrugged bashfully and ran by his bed to place the wood Antonia had given him in a chest where he kept all of his spare logs.

"N-Not a s-single one. Except f-for Claude of c-course.." Quinten wanted nothing more than to further know the people whom he carved and painted faces on. There were only so many conversations one could have with figurines. "T-They're okay I g-guess. It k-keeps me busy and I l-like it, s-so that's all t-that matters."

[bellringerquinten]

Rooftop Musings II OPEN

[seeking-violet]

"Hello Quinton, I’m Sophia." She took a step away from the wall moving closer to him holding out her hand. Sophia tilted her head to the side, not used to people in general what did that mean; she was sure she had never him around town before, perhaps he was like her introverted. "I didn’t mean to bother you." She crossed her arms and looked out at his view. "Wow you can see a lot from here can’t you, it’s really lovely. If you don’t mind me asking, what you are you doing up here?"

[bellringerquinten]

"N-Nice to m-meet you, S-Sophia." He greeted as cheerfully as he possibly could. It was time to make a change and start being more sociable to those who came across his path. It was only polite after all. "You w-weren't bothering m-me, really. I-I just d-don't expect people up h-here very often, y-you know? B-But, it's r-really nice up h-here, I g-gotta say.." He mumbled to himself, taking a moment to admire the view of the town's landscape and it's people from high above. It really was a treasure within itself. He considered himself lucky just to able to take it all in. "I-I come up h-here to w-watch the p-people." It was such a logical explanation in his mind.

[bellringerquinten]

Rooftop Musings II Quinten and Rosa

[rosashavethorns-deactivated2014]

Rosa laughed. “Okay, I’m coming up, then,” she told him and then pushed through the doors into the church. It wasn’t a place Rosa came too often, despite Bia’s pleas otherwise. She saw no point in praying to someone who had yet to do anything worth praising. That and she’d tried in the past and nothing about their life had changed.

She made her way slowly through the cool interior, looking around her curiously. While she wasn’t the biggest fan of the church, she couldn’t deny it was pretty. She found a set of stairs that she assumed led to the roof and stepped quickly up them. Eventually she found her way out to where Quinten was sitting. She took note of the gargoyle keeping him company and wondered if maybe that was who he’d been talking to. She didn’t hold it against him. Judging by the way he was acting, he didn’t get a lot of visitors.

"Hey," she greeted, plopping down next to him. Man, it was high up here.

[bellringerquinten]

"A-Alright, I'll s-see you up h-here, then.." Quinten murmured more to himself rather than to the other girl. As soon as he saw the figure disappear into the church, he launched up and fixed himself by straightening his shirt and his pants. He even went to the lengths of running to each individual gargoyle and dusting it off as if the stone structures being free of any lint and/or leaves would make such a noticeable difference.

As he could hear feet coming up the steps, he hurriedly went back to his sittnig position and waited for the other to sit by him before looking over at her and nodding his head. "H-Hey. Some v-view, huh?"

[bellringerquinten]

Rooftop Musings II Quinten & Beck

[dontflockwithbeck]

Beck had gone up to the highest spot the church allowed you to go without climbing. She loved the view of higher up buildings and often would sit on the roof of the office building at Flight ‘n’ Furry watching the birds over head while Marty slept under the tree in front of the building. She was watching a flock of pigeons that were resting on the roof of a building a short distance off. When she heard a voice she turned and looked up. She tilted her head, how did- oh! She rather easily spotted the way he climbed, up having climbed more trees than she can count over the years and buildings too. She caught the end of what he said and pulled herself up on the roof looking over at him. “Well, I’m not Laverne, but why wouldn’t anyone like you? And why do they matter?”

[bellringerquinten]

As Quinten let his legs dangle of the side of the ledge, he began wondering. If he wasn't allowed out on the town because of his sickness, why was he able to climb up on the roof with no problem several times with nothing to show for it in terms of his health. It was something that he thought about often considering it was something that made a lot of sense when the pieces were put together. But, in the end he knew that his caretaker wouldn't lie to him and would only want was best for him, so he usually left the subject alone in his mind. Waving it off, a voice emanated from next to him which caused him to jump and even let out a yelp. "Uh..b-because I'm sick and n-no one wants t-to be n-near someone with a s-stutter?" Quinten answered unsure.

[bellringerquinten]

Rooftop Musings II Quinten and Rosa

[rosashavethorns-deactivated2014]

Rosa raised an eyebrow back at the uncertain response. Either he was having some sort of mental break or he’d just completely blanked on an appropriate answer. She was willing to bet it was the latter. He seemed perfectly fine.

"Not particularly," she answered. Why was she even concerned about this guy? Clearly he could handle himself. Mostly. But she was bored and didn’t want to go home. "Can I come up there?" It was something to do, and it was by far the most interesting thing she’d done all day.

[bellringerquinten]

Why on Earth a girl would stop by the church for no specific reason was beyond him. Most of the time people would stop by for confession or something like that. This girl didn't look like that's what she was really in the mood for. He hoped that he wouldn't say anything even more stupid than what he just did.

"I-I..uh, w-well...I g-guess if y-you want to? I d-don't know why y-you'd wanna be up here w-with me, but s-sure." Quinten said with what sounded like an assured tone of voice. Perhaps he had not mucked things up after all.

[bellringerquinten]

Rooftop Musings II OPEN

[seeking-violet]

Sophia stayed where she was, fiddling with her fingers. Talking to people was something she craved but rarely did because her mother always reminded her that no one wanted to talk with a boring girl like her. However today she was avoiding going home, when she left her mother was in one of her moods and Sophia wanted to be away from that at all costs. Normally, she strayed into the woods or just walked up and down the town trying to keep busy but churches were always so lovely and it seemed like a good idea to go in. The boy didn’t turn and she still kept her feet firmly planted, on the roof, they seemed to be miles apart, for moment she was sort of lost for words. But in a quiet voice Sophia finally answered him. “I’m Sophia.  I didn’t think anyone was ‘round. I can go.” 

[bellringerquinten]

Quinten managed to muster up the courage to spin around to look at the girl who mustered up the courage to even speak. Someone who seemed just as quiet and demure as he was himself was standing on the roof not so far from where he sat and it was a strange feeling. Quinten always imagined the world and it's people to loud, happy, and most of all, bustling. She didn't seem anything like that. Again, it was a strange feeling, but perhaps talking to someone more like him would be a good idea. Taking to his feet shakily, he smiled shyly. "I-I'm Quinten. Y-You don't h-have to go i-if you don't w-want to." He offered quietly. "I'm n-not used t-to having people up h-here...or p-people in general."

[thealex29]

[bellringerquinten]

Rooftop Musings II Quinten and Rosa

[rosashavethorns-deactivated2014]

Rosa chuckled and stepped back a bit so she could stare up at him. She couldn’t remember having seen this young man around town before. Though few people knew Rosa, she knew all of them. It was easy to watch and learn everything about people when they were doing their best to do the opposite with you. 

"Are you hanging out up there all by yourself?" she asked curiously. She couldn’t imagine why anyone would willingly lurk about on the church roof. Actually, that wasn’t entirely true. She had never thought about it, but it could be a good place to hide if need be. No one would think to look for her there.

[bellringerquinten]

Quinten raised an eyebrow as the woman continued standing there. He figured that anyone would see talking to a young man on a roof practically talking to himself as a threat to one's own reputation, yet she stayed. It was strange, so he just went along with it, so he was worried about interacting with someone whilst his caretaker was away.

"Uh..I t-think?" Quinten didn't know how to properly answer the question because in his mind, he wasn't alone. But, proclaiming to have a gargoyle for a friend might not look so good. "I-Is there s-something I c-can help you w-with?" Quinten tried to be as helpful as possible, even though in his mind he was hiding in his metaphorical shell.

[bellringerquinten]

Rooftop Musings II OPEN

[rosashavethorns-deactivated2014]

Rosa was taking a walk through town after a particularly heated argument with Bia when she spotted the most peculiar sight: a pair of legs dangling off the edge of the church’s roof. She stopped and looked up, shielding her eyes from the sun’s glare with one hand. She could almost make out what sounded like someone, probably whoever belonged to the legs, talking. Whether to themselves or someone who was with them, Rosa had no clue.

"H-" she stopped and cleared her throat before trying her greeting again. God she sucked at socializing. Bia had gotten all the talent there. "Hey? Are you alright up there?" 

[bellringerquinten]

If Quinten could physically take his gargoyle friends to his room for chats with him, he would. It would certainly make him look ten times less shady sitting on the edge of the church roof talking to them like an insane person. How he desperately wished to be able to talk to real people who could respond to him and who could actually think and feel. Not an ancient stone figure of a horned creature for which he could not have a civilized conversation with, though he did dearly love all of his rooftop pals. It made being alone all of the time a lot less, well, lonely.

The young man's eyes widened as he crawled a bit back up onto the ledge and peered down at the person trying to make contact with him. Looking down at the woman, he looked around, wondering who on Earth she was addressing. "M-Me? Oh, y-yeah, I'm totally and c-completely fine." Quinten wasn't the very best at speaking with real people, though.

[bellringerquinten]

Rooftop Musings II Quinten & Serena

[dontflockwithbeck]

Serena had never been to the church before. Her parents hadn’t been religious and she’d always been more interested in the science side of things. But it aws a beautiful building and curiosity had gotten the better of her when she’d been walking past this afternoon and she’d opted to enter the building. Peeking around, finding no one she took stairs that led her up and out onto a balcony. She glanced up to try to see the details of the intricate carvings and noticed a pair of feet. Oh that was odd! She was only a short distance below him and heard his conversation. She backed up to see him looking at the gargoyle next to him. “Hey!” She called up with a little wave and a friendly smile. “How did you get up there?” Had she walked right past a set of stairs? “It looks like you’ve got the best view.” She laughed a bit, she was just curious what was up there. 

[bellringerquinten]

Quinten wondered why he didn't own a journal in which to document all that he observed about the town of Storybrooke from his limited points of view. It would have served as a great collection of memories he couldn't be apart if he were ever truly stuck inside of his room with nothing to occupy his time. Perhaps he would invest in one. "...Wait.." He murmured to himself. "Where will I buy the journal? I can't stroll into town or anything, can I?" He asked the gargoyle, which of course gave no response. "Aw, you're no help." Quinten cooed playfully to the stone being. A voice from below disrupted his conversation and caused him to jump where he sat, which practically sent him down the roof. "..I-I c-climbed." Quinten became too flustered and nervous around newcomers which was why he developed a stutter in normal, day to day conversation. "..I-It's nice I g-guess.."

[bellringerquinten]

Rooftop Musings II OPEN

[seeking-violet]

There was a curisoity that stirred in Sophia. With footsteps quiet as a mouse, soft as a shadow she moved through the church. She entered the church for peace, for quiet, another tatic to avoid going home. Lithe fingers ran along the wooden pews but her eyes caught a door and behind that door steps just barely peeking out. Looking around she found no one else in the church and that curiosity beckoned her to explored where those steps led. She climbed higher and higher until she reached another room and pushed past a door, feeling the cool breeze of outside brush past her. Ahhh the roof. Her very own sactuary was the attic was she invanding on some other’s? Green eyes scanned looking out, when she noticed a boy, tilting her head she stayed back, keeping quiet, he was talking to himself, or perhaps he was talking to the stone creature beside him, did it really matter. She heard his question, and without thinking answered outloud. “Don’t we all think that?” Sophia shrunk in on herself, realizing she spoke and looked to the ground trying to make herself invisible. 

[bellringerquinten]

Quinten stroked the back of the gargoyle's head with care. Other than his figurines, the stone structures were his only friends in the world. It wasn't a case of not wanting them, but rather his disease that was holding him back from being apart of the community. It could be a great burden at times. Why couldn't he be normal like all of the other townspeople? It just wasn't fair. There wasn't a day that passed that he didn't think about how drastically different his life would be if he wee courageous enough to burst from his shell and integrate himself with everyone else. Suddenly, an unexpected and unfamiliar voice threw him off guard and stopped his train of though in it's tracks. Freezing in fear, he gripped the gargoyle, as if it were a security blanket of sorts. Not even turning around, he took in a deep breath. "W-Who are y-you?" He asked with a breathy tone of voice, attached with fear.

[bellringerquinten]

Rooftop Musings II OPEN

Quinten dangled his legs over the side of the church. It was something that he rarely did, climbing up on the roof. But, it was something that made him feel free, to put it in words. All of the time he felt disconnected from the rest of the town because of being stuck inside of his room all of the time simply went away when he was brave enough to venture out onto the roof. He knew that his caretaker wouldn't approve, but what was one hour in the fresh air going to do to him? "What d-do you think, L-Laverne?" He asked to a gargoyle that was perched up on the side of the church. "..B-But, what if n-no one l-likes me?" Quniten asked in a concerned tone of voice. Of course, he knew the gargoyle wasn't really listening but it was nice to have someone to talk to for a change.

[bellringerquinten]

Look Out Below! II Quentin and Antonia

[wishihadwings]

Toni smiled brightly at him the second the door opened. He seemed so shy! "What’s your name?" she asked him, flouncing into his room with some mixture of bounciness and grace. "I’m Toni. And here’s your wood!" she untucked it from its place in her side bag and held it out to him, balancing it with her stump but holding it in her hand. 

But then she actually heard what he was saying, and turned her eyes toward the rest of the room. It was cluttered, but… gorgeous. There were carvings in various sizes and stages of completion all over and they looked so lifelike… it took made her gasp. “You… made these?” she whispered in awe. 

[bellringerquinten]

Quinten fiddled with his fingers nervously and looked over at the girl. "Oh, uh, m-my name is Quinten. Yeah, Q-Quinten." Quinten proclaimed in a somewhat proud attitude, as if feeling accomplished for remembering his own name. Trying not to pay too much mind to her stump, he smiled softly at her took the wood from her. "T-Thanks. Means a lot t-that you'd bring it u-up." Quinten knew everyone was different, so he in no way judged the other for her arm.

Smiling a bit more confidently, he stepped over and looked down at his model of the town and it's citizens. "Y-Yup! I made t-these all w-with these." He said holding up both his hands. "I-It's what k-keeps me busy and s-stuff. Plus, i-it makes me feel l-like I know more p-people, you k-know?"

[bellringerquinten]

Look Out Below! II Quinten and Elisa

[icecoldqueenofisolation-blo-blog]

"Oh- he’s not here is he?" She asked, glancing around the room. "Did I interrupt something?" She paused. "It was rude of me to invite myself up. I’m sorry. I just thought you might like a little company."

[bellringerquinten]

Quinten simply shook his head as he took a seat by his workbench. "Usually, h-he's out running errands or d-down in the church on Sundays. R-Right now I think he's out in t-town and won't be back f-for a while..you're a-alright, don't w-worry.." It was easier said than done.

[bellringerquinten]

Look Out Below! II Quentin and Antonia

[wishihadwings]

"Good!" she quipped, bouncing up on her toes and then back down before running into the building. He’d said there was a staircase… "Oh, there it is!" she said to herself, taking the stairs as fast as she could with her short legs and sidebag bouncing. It took her awhile (as she tired halfway through) but she eventually made it to the top, and came upon a door. 

She thought of chickening out- pretending that she had a phone call or that she was late home, because that is definitely what her big brother Harry would tell her to do. She could almost hear him. 'Toni, don't be like all of the girls who always die first in horror films. Walk away. It's not that hard!' And she might have…

But she passed this building every single day, and she knew that if she didn’t at least meet the boy who lived in it… she’d wonder forever what would have happened if she did. She didn’t want to wonder, and she was sick of hiding, so she raised her right hand, her only hand, and knocked three times. 

"Hello?"

[bellringerquinten]

As soon as the girl disappeared from view, Quinten went into a frenzy. What on Earth was he going to do? What if the girl insisted on staying a long time? What if he made a fool of himself? Or even worse, what if he got her sick in the same manner he was? Then, she would never be able to go outside again and he wouldn't want that fate cast upon anyone else. He already knew the suffering he had to do just to keep up with his daily routines. As much as he wanted to clean up and make sure his room was presentable enough for the girl, he heard three knocks at the door. Mentally cursing himself, he waddled to the door and opened it with a shy smile, welcoming her into his room.

"W-Welcome..I know it isn't m-much, but it's h-home.."

[bellringerquinten]

Look Out Below! II Quinten and Elisa

[icecoldqueenofisolation-blo-blog]

She glanced around. “If you don’t mind me asking why do you live up here… all alone?” 

[bellringerquinten]

Quinten bit down on his lip softly. "O-Oh..well, I don't live up here a-alone! W-Well, I do..but not really. I h-have Claude, my caretaker.."

[bellringerquinten]

Look Out Below! II Quentin and Antonia

[wishihadwings]

She’d just been moving to leave when he stopped her. A warm feeling spread in her chest, and she beamed up at him. “I’d like that.” she responded, flushing. Her stump extended to scratch her scalp. “I’ll be right up- promise not to kidnap me or something?”

She didn’t think he would- he was nice.

[bellringerquinten]

Quinten sighed in relief when the girl's smile came back. It's not that he was aiming to have her come up to his room, but he didn't want to hurt her feelings either. "I-I...yeah, I promise not to do any of that.." It was such an odd question and request to be making, but he supposed that she wanted to be safe, which was understandable. Turning away from the window, he went to cleaning his room for when she arrived.