I've Been Torn

"How does it feel to re-discover your heart?"

He genuinely smiled at her question, and folded his arms behind his back, a thoughtful look on his face. "Well I'd have to say it's rather... pleasant?" he said, an eyebrow raised. He wondered if that was the right word. "Do you have anymore questions, Miss Plant-Lady-Interviewer?" Allen smirked jokingly at her, rather enjoying this whole thing.

"I solemly swear I will not die from fainting."

Allen rose an eyebrow at that. "A girl scout now, are we?" he questioned with a laugh. He was acting human for once... how shocking! "But I'm glad you won't die from fainting. It would be such a shame for the world to loose you." He mentally kicked himself again. He was being nice, saying nice things... it was so unlike himself!

"I guess my legs think otherwise..."

Eyes widened a bit in concern as she fell, and he shook his head when she said that. The immortal walked toward her, bending down slightly and offering her a hand so he could help her up. "Come on. Want me to carry you back to the school?" he asked. Now that was an odd thing for him to offer indeed...

“So, what brought upon this cardiac discovery?”

An eyebrow rose as he thought of a general statement for that question. He didn't want to say that it was her, since that would just be mushy and not entirely true. Besides, he didn't want her to get cocky in knowing that all the credit went to her... though it was rather unlikely that such a thing would happen to someone like her. "Coming to this island," Allen responded.

Even if he wasn't cold right now, he knew that it probably wouldn't last. He would end up meeting idiots, after all, and once again he would end up loosing his faith in the world. Oh, well, might as well enjoy happiness while it lasted!

“The world would fall apart before I’d die of fainting. Or becoming a girl scout!”

He stiffened somewhat when she leaned against him and tapped his shoulder. Physical contact was something that he hadn't quite gotten used to yet. "Let's hope so, Plant-Lady," he said in a tone that was kind of cold, yet kind of warm at the same time.

“Oh, and is that so? What would make you say that, hmmm?”

He leaned back slightly when she leaned forward. Smirking slightly at the question, he waited a few moments before answering. "You're a good kid. Maybe a bit insane at times, but a good kid," he responded. When he mentioned her insanity, he merely meant her dancing at the beach and saying the ocean could talk. Maybe he could try that... as long as no one was watching him. It would be rather out of character for him, after all, and it could end up being blackmail. "And you're not a cry baby like almost everyone else in the world, so I respect that."

"Do we have to go back to the school?"

Allen shrugged his shoulders, not really caring. The school had a medical facility, but then again, he wasn't sure if she needed so much care for just fainting. "Not if you don't want to," he told her, scooping her up into his arms to carry her bridal-style like before. As always, he wasn't used to physical contact, so he seemed to stiffen a bit. "Where do you want to go?"

"Well, then I'm glad you came to the island, then."

He smiled in an uncertain way, for he wasn't entirely sure if he agreed with that statement. This place was nice, but the people here were different than others he had met. Probably because they were, well, different from everyone else he had met. Everyone on this island had powers, after all, and no one in the outside world did. "I suppose..." Allen muttered, seeming a bit distant at the moment. "It's different here, though..." He paused for a moment, then shrugged. "I'll get used to it eventually." He was an immortal, so he had to get used to change — things never stayed the same. Plus, with all his travelling, change was something he really shouldn't be worrying about.

"Well thank you Tin Man, you aren't so bad yourself. Once you get past the mean critism, and metal suit, you aren't so bad at all."

A very small smile graced his lips at that point. "Heh, who would have even THOUGHT that there was more than a metal suit and mean criticism?" he thought aloud. It had been so long since he had used his heart that he had pretty much forgotten how to properly use it. Until now, at least. "But thank you, Plant-Lady. Most people don't bother to try and see this Tin Man's heart." That was partly his fault, though, what with his constant want to drive others away from him.

"There ain't no use in cryin' it'll only, only drive you mad."

With that said, an eyebrow rose a little bit and he simply stared at her. He was debating what to say, or if he should just stay silent and roll his eyes. The latter was something he probably would have done in the past, but for now, he supposed he could say something. "True indeed," Allen said. "Did you just make that up?" The former knight had never heard it before, so he figured that she had.

"I suppose the Academy will do."

Allen nodded and walked toward the school. He was still a little bit stiff, especially with her arms around his neck. It was rather uncomfortable for him, but he would live. "Ok, if you're sure," he said.

"To be honest, I really don't talk to a lot of people here. Most of them kinda scare me."

With that said, Allen laughed. "That's very true," he said. "A lot of the people here are scary." He hadn't been here long, but he knew what she was talking about. He figured he was one of the scary ones, after all, since he usually bit someone's head off if they spoke to him. Even so, meeting people who thought they were pirates and people who blew things up was rather odd. "Including myself." He smirked somewhat; he knew he was, and he knew some of the people here didn't like him.

"I believe everyone has some good in them somewhere. Even if it's buried reallllly deep!"

So naive and childish, but he wouldn't make a rude remark about her belief. It was strange... he was actually happy right now, and there was no music. Before this, music and playing guitars had been the only thing that really made him enjoy life. "Even the Disney villains?" Allen questioned with a playful smirk. "Do they have good in them deep down somewhere?"

"The ocean told me you were worth it."

The tin-man nearly froze when she leaned into him and said that right next to his ear. Allen blinked rapidly and his face went as red — if not redder — than a cherry. He almost dropped her, but he had managed to catch himself before he did so. Laughing nervously, he shook his head, trying to figure out how to respond to that. "D... don't be silly!" he said, blushing even more deeply because of the stutter. He had been going to tell her that the ocean didn't talk, but he then decided to say something different. "Did... did it really?" Allen looked at her, unsure if the ocean had really said that or if she was making it up. People didn't exactly say that he was worth something everyday, so it was nice to hear it.

"I remember hearing it on a radio once. But you know me, I'm lucky if I remember my name in the morning."

Allen laughed, his face only pink now instead of the bright red it had been a few moments ago. "Ha, yeah," he said. "That's happened to me." Mostly after a long sleep, though, like the one he had had in the 1900's and early 1800's. But, really, after sixty years of sleeping, who would remember their name as soon as they woke up?

"Maybe, but I guess I was just one of the lucky ones who fainted at the right time and got the best of you."

Allen grinned. "Well I couldn't just leave you there," he said, still sticking to his original story. He really could have left her there, but then he may have actually felt guilty. Amazing, so many emotions in one day! "But you can call that 'getting the best of me' if you please."

"Especially Disney Villians."

He rose an eyebrow. "Even the one who made that girl go to sleep with the spinning wheel?" he questioned with a smirk. He couldn't remember the name of the movie, or the villain, since he hadn't seen it in a long time. It had been on television once and he was bored, what could he say?

"yes, it did. And let me tell you, I wasn't very sure about you. But the ocean reassured me that you'd come around eventually. And it was right."

Brown eyes narrowed somewhat when she started laughing. "That's not very nice!" he commented. He doubted she would care much, though, since he hadn't exactly been nice before. Plus, he was only joking anyway. When she still spoke about the ocean telling her things, he bit his lip. "I hope you realize you're making me doubt myself," he told her.

"Thanks Tin Man."

Allen's face went red again when she leaned her head against him like that. The immortal looked at her and smiled softly when she thanked him. "Anytime, Plant-Lady," he responded quietly, noticing that she seemed tired.