Haly's Circus: New York City!

[daringyoungman]

 It's a quick stop between Metropolis and Gotham City. New York is what John Grayson calls a Red Pin town - big shows, and dangerous tricks, but it's smaller than Metropolis and is a warm up for the big shows in Gotham.

Dick waited until the punters were beginning to show up then grabbed a moment between rehearsals to run into the bar and collect his friends. So many people had said they hadn't been to a circus in too long, and that had to be fixed.

Also, he feels that if having access to a magic bar is going to do something, it might as well bring an audience to the circus.

Comments

[wild_colts]

"Why?" Almanzo asks again.

[daringyoungman]

"Because..."

Dick shrugs. "Your folks don't tell you about the dirty travelling folk?"

It seems like everyone else's parents do.

[wild_colts]

"I'm a farmer. Bit of dirt doesn't hurt." Almanzo says.

[daringyoungman]

"Then you'd be the first," Dick says.

He grins quickly. "Anyway, I ain't told them.They don't miss me when I'm gone."

[wild_colts]

"Don't you have to do chores?"

[daringyoungman]

"Like - rehearsal? Setting up camp, that kind of thing?"

He shrugs. "Sure, but time don't pass when I'm in bar, so I'm not missing any of those jobs. Why, are you missing chores when you're here?"

[wild_colts]

"...I hope not." Almanzo says. "Father would be very cross... he'd probably think I got eaten by a bear or something."

[daringyoungman]

Dick feels this validates his point.

"Exactly."

[wild_colts]

"Mother and Father and my brothers and sisters would soon notice if I was gone if time wasn't stuck." Almanzo says. "They'd probably think I was up to no good first..."

[daringyoungman]

"So you don't need to tell them that you're ever gone."

[wild_colts]

"I don't like lying." Almanzo says. "But if I don't lie about the bar Father thinks I'm lying."

[daringyoungman]

Dick shrugs.

"So don't tell him anything."

He doesn't see the problem.

[wild_colts]

"It'll be hard..." Almanzo says. "There's so many things I wanted to ask."

[daringyoungman]

"Ask someone else," he offers instead. "Ask me."

[wild_colts]

"I thought you were almost as new as I be?"

[daringyoungman]

"Well, I am," Dick says. "But if it's questions about the bar your Dad won't know the answers anyway."

[wild_colts]

"How old are you?" Almanzo says. "You seem really grown up because you're a star performer."

[daringyoungman]

"I'm eleven."

[wild_colts]

Almanzo feels rather pleased that someone a lot older than him wants to be friends.

"I'm nearly nine."

[daringyoungman]

Dick doesn't have many friends at all that are below eighteen.

And he considers this supports a point.

"When I was your age I wasn't allowed to do any tricks on my own. Now my quadruple flip is one of the highlights."

[wild_colts]

"I just want to stroke their noses." Almanzo says. "But Father says I'll teach them tricks that he has to take months to get out of them."

[daringyoungman]

"It's harder to unlearn bad form than it is to learn it right," Dick says. "Probably the same with horses."

[wild_colts]

"Yes, but I would be ever so good." Almanzo says.