Romeo

All crit goes here

So whoever you were, some hero, some villain, just some cool guy who got on with his life or an angst filled remorseful magic dude. You are now Romeo, you are tiny, squishy and have no powers at all.

None. You can climb. You are good at climbing and are stronger then you look but that's not really saying anything.

What Romeo lacks in size and ability he makes up for with HOPE AND ENTHUSIASM. He never gives up, he never stops helping people and he has absolutely no concept of self preservation.

Romeo grew up with his mum and step father in Ticino (An Italian speaking Swiss canton) in the 1830's/40's. A normal peasent family they struggled through life. When he was eleven Bad Stuff happened, his family fell into abject poverty, his dad got sick and they couldn't afford a doctor. So Romeo sold himself into contractual slavery to pay for a doctor.

Really that one act explains most of what you need to know about Romeo. He is not exactly selfless (he is an eleven year old kid after all) he just cannot fathom not putting others before himself.

So tiny squishy and incapable of self preservation. He goes to Milano as a chimney sweep. Adults suck, he becomes best friends with an older kid (Alfredo) who is on the run, they make a secret brotherhood of chimney sweeps. The family who bought him are generally horrid, apart from their little girl who is very ill and can't leave her room. She makes friends with Romeo.

There are another group of kids called the Wolf Pack, they are from Milano and don't like the chimney sweep kids, they bully them and the Black Brothers fight back. Later Romeo talks them into a peace treaty because he's good at that.

She ends up going to Paris to see a doctor, Alfredo's sister (Biance) turns up, they break into the kings palace to take down their evil uncle (Romeo helps) and Alfredo is cleared of the crimes he was accused of (setting his home on fire and killing his parents).

Then Alfredo dies because he has tuberculosis and World Masterpiece Theatre lives to crush your heart. He gives Romeo three tasks; to look after Bianca, to continue his dreams- to make a world where all children are free, and to keep going, keep living.

Romeo is crushed and wants to give up but eventually (after lots of drama and being punched in the face and strange metephorical knighting ceremonies) becomes the leader of the Black Brothers, managing to raise enough money to burry Alfredo. He secures the peace treaty with the Wolf Pack and gets them to protect any new chimney sweeps from now on.

Then he goes home. Except he doesn't because he woke up in the tower instead.

But that's cannon, Romeo is a optimistic, hope filled kid who will help his friends no matter once. He is no stranger to hardship, has a healthy fear of adults and prefers peace over war.

Over his year and a bit in the tower Romeo has changed, he's older now (12- which is totally grown up). He is learning to fight, he trusts adults and see's many of them as friends though he will always be very polite to them. He recently learned how to hate - though only Jason has ever been the target of that hate. He still wants to help people, desperately.

I don't think that has been made clear enough HE WANTS TO HELP PEOPLE, he will get very angry if people try and stop him. This happens a lot due to the aforementioned being tiny, squishy and having no powers. During his time in the tower he has been in most of the events, and witnessed the others, he has been turned into a deer, a moose and a rocking horse. He has seen his friends die and been killed by his friends.

Somehow he is still chearful and happy, though sometimes that is a front. He gets scared, he gets sad, he gets angry but the way he deals with it is by keeping his spirits up (punching the air, apparently is the correct way to do that).

As well as Romeo you will get, a bunch of clothes that mostly don't fit (yay for growing...), a puppet theatre, assorted homemade puppets, a picture book, Moby Dick and a white Weasel (his name is Piccolo, look after him.)

Sponsorship:

Day One

Proper meals for John Perry, Ken Ichijouji, Ronald Knox, Chidori Yoshino and Russia.

Day Two

Proper meal for Karkat Vantas, Spain and Psiioniic. Powers for Psiioniic and Vriska.

Day Three

Proper meal for Shinji, Link (cantstopme) and Donald Duck. Powers for Link (cantstopme), warning of an approaching character for Yori.

Day Four

Proper meal for Gamzee Makara, Lina Inverse and Psiioniic. Powers for Lina Inverse and healing for Kanji Tatsumi

Day Five

Proper meal for Psiioniic, Minami Arisato, Russia and Yori. Healing for Gamzee Makara.

Day Six

Proper meal for Ken Ichijouji, Gamzee Makara, Yori, Chidori Yoshino and Vriska Serket.

Day Seven

Proper meal for Vriska Serket and Karkat Vantas. Powers for Lina Inverse, Psiioniic and Vriska Serket.

Day Eight

Proper meal and healing for Ganondorf and Kanji Tatsumi. Warning of incoming character for Equius.

Placeholders for nightmares for when I finally get round to writing them.

1st of May

Vivid nightmares of friends from home being tormented in the tower.

2nd of May

Vivid nightmares of friends from home being tormented in the tower.

3rd of May

Vivid nightmares of friends from home being tormented in the tower.

4th of May

Vivid nightmares of friends from home being tormented in the tower.

5th of May

Vivid nightmares of friends from home being tormented in the tower.

6th of May

Vivid nightmares of his friends being mutilated.

7th of May

Vivid nightmares of his friends being mutilated.

8th of May

Vivid nightmares of his friends being mutilated.

9th of May

When he sleeps he will experiance finding his friends from home nailed to the walls of the tower dorm walls.

10th of May

When he sleeps he will experience finding his friends from home nailed to the walls of the tower dorm walls.

11th of May

Vivid nightmares of his world being sucked into the tower because of something he did.

12th of May

Vivid nightmares of his world being sucked into the tower because of something he did.

13th of May

Vivid nightmares of his world being sucked into the tower because of something he did.

14th of May

When he sleeps he will experience being surrounded by friends from home all demanding to know why he brought them to the tower while the flesh melts from their bones.

15th of May

Vivid nightmares of his world being ruined and desolate.

16th of May

When he sleeps he will experience bring his friends from home to the tower intentionally and torturing them of his own free will.

17th of May

When he sleeps he will experience bring his friends from home to the tower intentionally and torturing them of his own free will.

18th of May

Vivid nightmares of going home and almost getting away before being dragged back to the tower.

19th of May

Vivid nightmares of going home and almost getting away before being dragged back to the tower.

20th of May

Vivid nightmares of going home and almost getting away before being dragged back to the tower.

21st of May

When he sleeps he will experience being forced to murder his friends.

22nd of May

Vivid nightmares of being forced to watch his friends die via the end of the world - there is a bright flash of light and then everyone's insides are trying to escape from any opening they can get to.

23rd of May

Vivid nightmares of being forced to watch his friends die via the end of the world - there is a bright flash of light and then everyone's insides are trying to escape from any opening they can get to.

24th of May

Vivid nightmares of being forced to watch his friends die via the end of the world - there is a bright flash of light and then everyone's insides are trying to escape from any opening they can get to.

25th of May

Vivid nightmares of being forced to watch his friends die via the end of the world - there is a bright flash of light and then everyone's insides are trying to escape from any opening they can get to.

26th of May

Vivid nightmares of being responsible for his worlds destruction and having to answer for this.

27th of May

Vivid nightmares of being responsible for his worlds destruction and having to answer for this.

28th of May

Vivid nightmares of being responsible for his worlds destruction and having to answer for this.

29th of May

Vivid nightmares of being responsible for his worlds destruction and having to answer for this.

30th of May

Vivid nightmares of being responsible for his worlds destruction and having to answer for this.

Mun
Name/Nickname: Katy
Age: 23
Dreamwidth Username: adala_albahar
Contact: AIM: Jipaltara Plurk: damua
Current Characters in Game: N/A
Do You Need A Invite Code?: N/A

Character

Character Name: Romeo
Canon: Romeo's Blue Skies
Age: 11
Appearance: Romeo
Canon Point: Final episode after making the peace pact with the Wolf Gang, on his way out of Milano.
History: There isn't really much information at all on the wiki, here, so I have written a history myself.

Romeo is a young boy who lives with his family in Sonogno, a small village in the alps. His family are poor but happy until a slave trader called Luini, or the God of Death comes into town. He has his sights on Romeo but his parents refuse to sell him. It is high summer and there are worries about the fact that it has not rained in so long, the harvest is going to be bad. It is the day of the annual pole climbing competition and Romeo is finally old enough to compete, he wins the competition even though he is smaller than the other boys but when he gets to the top he sees his family’s field burning.

He and his father manage to rescue some animals but the field is ruined, the family face starvation and yet still refuse to sell Romeo. Luini is the one who set the field on fire and he waits patiently for the family to crack. Romeo wants to help and instead of doing his chores he goes off to fish to see if he can catch some food for dinner, leaving his little twin brothers to do his chores. His father is angry and calls him a selfish baby, Romeo runs off. While hiding with his friend in a barn he hears some adults talking about how they are surprised that Roberto (Romeo’s father) didn’t just sell him since he wasn’t his real son, and he had to provide for his two real children.

Romeo is devastated and doesn’t believe them, his mum finds him and tells him that it is true. Romeo was two years old when she met and married Roberto but he has always thought of Romeo as his son, in fact when Romeo was very little he had a fever and everyone thought he would die. Roberto tried everything to save him and eventually entered a church for the first time and prayed. Romeo’s fever broke that night and Roberto decided it was an act of God and bought the church a stained glass window with money he saved up over two years.

Romeo and his mother go back home and the family decide that they are strong together and they will just need to be strong to make it through winter, but then Roberto collapses, his head wound from fighting the fire has made him ill. They cannot afford a doctor. Luini tries once again to persuade Romeo’s mother to sell Romeo. She refuses.

Romeo finds his little brothers in the church praying and they tell him they have gathered some money to pay for a doctor, it turns out to be one coin and a mish mash of buttons, but his brothers say they will work hard to try and raise money.

Romeo realises there is very little hope of anyone earning 30 franks to pay for the doctor and his father is going to die. So he approaches Luini. Luini tells him he will be sold in Milano as a chimney sweep and will work there for six months before being allowed to go home. Romeo signs the contract. Later his friend over hears a woman explaining to her son that no children who go off to the city ever return. Romeo is scared but just tells her not to tell his parents.

A doctor cures his father and his parents are upset with what he has done, but understand why and are thankful. Romeo leaves with the God of Death. They make there way to a town, but Luini drops Romeo off in the road telling him to be at a certain inn in the city by sunset the next day. While taking shelter in a cave Romeo realises he has a stowaway, his Weasel Piccolo.

He arrives in a village and a trader accuses him of stealing apples, a blonde boy who uses logic to explain why Romeo could not be the thief rescues him, the man apologises and gives Romeo two apples. Romeo runs after the boy to thank him and peruses him until the boy accepts one of the apples. He follows him to the town and learns that the boy is Alfredo and is also going to Milano as a chimney sweep. They spend the day in town before going to the inn.

There they find a cellar full of frightened children who want to escape, Romeo and Alfredo try and persuade them not to- since they all agreed to this after all but they try anyways, they get caught and are put on a boat to travel across the river in a storm. The boat tips and Romeo and Alfredo manage to cling onto some driftwood. Romeo spots the God of Death and rescues him. They spend the night in a cave, Alfredo tells Romeo that he and his sister have ran away from bad people and Alfredo sold himself as a chimney sweep to keep Bianca safe. The next morning Alfredo tells the God of death that Romeo rescued him. Luini gets a carriage and takes the two boys to Milano, assuming the others have drowned.

They arrive at an inn in the city where they are left in a corner but talk to Nikita, a boisterous young girl who thinks they are idiots but explains to them what is happening. Chimney sweep bosses turn up and argue since there are only two boys to chose from. A man named Rossi buys Romeo for 85 lire and a creepy man called Citron buys Alfredo.

The men drink and the two boys talk, they decide to make an oath of eternal friendship to be friends always even when fate keeps them apart. However Citron drags Alfredo away before they are finished the oath. Romeo runs after them, with Rossi chasing him believing that he is running away. They finish their oath and Romeo goes with Rossi to his new home.

Rossi’s mouth is furious with how much Romeo cost and he is left in the darkness while the family eats, when he asks for food she gets angry and Rossi takes him to his room, which is more like a cage. There is a mysterious room in the house, one that he is not allowed into but which he hears beautiful music coming from. The next morning Romeo starts to learn his job, he falls out of his second chimney and is knocked unconscious but still tries again. At the top he finds himself on the roof looking over the beautiful blue skies of Milano. Rossi is happy and goes to the bar drinking away all their earnings. His wife Edda is furious especially after Anzelmo their son explains how he heard that Romeo passed out earlier in the day and Romeo is again given no food.

Locked once again in his cage room Romeo tries to keep his spirits up but finds it difficult. Piccolo finds a box and inside it Romeo is shocked to find bread and cheese he hears the music again and decides there must be an angel in the room, who has given him this food.

The next morning Piccolo is chased by a cat but rescued by the angel, who turns out to be a little pale girl with dark hair. Romeo and Rossi clean the chimney of a doctor named Doctor Casella and when they are done the doctor gives Romeo a book as a thank you gift. Romeo explains that he can’t read and the doctor teaches him how to write “What is your name? My name is Romeo”, the book is a picture book and doctor Casella tells him he can visit again to learn more.

Back in his room he finds another present from the angel; more food and a note. He cannot read the note but by comparing the note with the words the doctor wrote in his book he realises that the last line is “what is your name?”

He manages to write his reply on a scrap of paper and breaks out of his cage and slips the note under her door. He gets another note that he can’t read in return but the next day manages to find the doctor and get him to read it to him. It tells him that when everyone is asleep she will signal him with her music box and he should go quietly to meet her in her room.

He does so that night and learns that the girl is Angeletta, she is very sick and so cannot leave her room but watches the world through her window and sketches it. She has drawn many pictures of Romeo and as he tells her about the Blue Skies over Milano she wishes very much to see them. Romeo attempts to bring her the blue skies. He cannot draw but he keeps trying and finally brings her a symbol that lets her imagine the vast blue sky.

Anzelmo is attempting to learn Romeo’s secret, he is a member of the Wolf Pack a group of bullies who go around beating up chimney sweeps and other kids. Nikkita is also a member of the Wolf Pack. They knock Angeletta’s drawings off a roof and steal Romeo’s letters. But this backfires when Angeletta accidentally hands Romeo a page of her diary instead of a note and in it she is writing about how Anzelmo is lying to the wolf pack. Anzelmo gets beaten up and Romeo goes to avenge them (believing that he and Anzelmo have made a pact because it makes Angeletta upset that they don’t get on)

However Anzelmo hates Romeo and while he is fighting the Wolf Pack Anzelmo frames him for theft, hiding coins in his room. Angeletta sees but works herself into a fever and so cannot tell her parents. When Romeo gets home he is locked up and told the police are coming. He is scared and so escapes onto the roof. He gets into another fight with the Wolf Pack but gets rescued by a strange masked kid who turns out to be Dante, one of the children believed drowned in the river. With Dante’s help he gets onto a cart he believes is going to Venice but Nikita tells Dante that its actually going to the prison. Too late though and Romeo ends up in the prison. The cart he got onto belonged to criminals who fill the prison with gunpowder and free one of the prisoners. They lock Romeo up but he manages to escape. However Rossi has gone inside the police station and Romeo knows it is going to blow up so he runs into warn everyone.

The prison blows up and Romeo is injured, Dante and Nikkita tell the police about the criminals and they are caught. The truth comes out and they learn that Anzelmo framed Romeo. Rossi talks to Romeo and tells him that even though he still works for him he is free, he will take the bars off his room and he may be friends with Angeletta.

With his newfound freedom Romeo meets some other chimney sweep kids, learning that all the children off the boat survived and were brought later to Milano by the God of Death. He also finds the whereabouts of Alfredo and goes to find him. He finds him in Saint Babilo church and the two are happy to see each other again. They talk about the wolf pack and how they need to band together in order to be safe from them. They decide to make an alliance of chimney sweeps. They decide to meet on Friday night and tell all the chimney sweeps they know to sneak out and meet them.

They meet outside the church and go into a secret base used by resistance fighters against Napoleon. They decide that Alfredo is their leader and they make an oath. They call themselves the Black Brothers because they get black from soot and it is proof of their hard work. They light candles as they swear the oaths by the flames of courage to help each other out and pool their strength, to obey their leader and to not reveal their hideout to anyone.

The next day they plan their attack on the Wolf Pack, they decide to lure them into an ambush and teach them once and for all not to mess with them. Romeo is childish because he wants to lead the battle but listens to Alfredo. After the meeting he realises he has forgotten his bag and Piccolo at the hideout so goes back. He apologises to Alfredo for being stubborn and admires the fact that Alfredo can read a whole book. The book is falling apart and it is the only one Alfredo has. Romeo takes him to visit Doctor Casella who lends him a book, the doctors maid remarks to Romeo how grown up and mature Alfredo seems and Romeo decides to try and be just like him. He decides to read a book.

He starts to read the picture book he was given, a book about a donkey. He finds it very hard, at the same time Alfredo is reading Voltaire. The other boys tease Romeo about reading. He reads all day and all night and the next day and the next night but finally finishes. Alfredo’s boss gets angry and throws the book Alfredo is reading onto the fire, Alfredo rescues it but a couple of pages are burnt. He rewrites them from memory and doctor Casella is impressed by his ability.

The day of the fight comes and the Black Brothers beat the Wolf Pack. They learn Nikita is a girl and she and Alfredo argue. She then tells the Wolf Pack that the only way to get the Black Brothers back is if they are without their leader as he is the mastermind, they make plans to kidnap Alfredo. They capture they youngest Black Brother Michaelo and leave a note saying that Alfredo is to give himself in. He and Romeo go to do the exchange, Alfredo forbids Romeo from fighting them and he is taken by the Wolf Pack. Romeo and Michaelo try and persuade the others to help rescue him. At first they are too scared and Romeo says he will fight them alone. But when dawn comes they join him to rescue their leader. Angeletta gives Romeo a cross necklace to protect him.

The fight is brutal and Alfredo shouts for it to stop, he and Giovanni, the leader of the Wolf Pack agree to a one on one fight between Tachioni, the biggest of the Wolf Pack and Romeo. The fight is fierce and then Tachioni pulls a knife. However the sun comes out and the light reflects from the cross and blinds the bigger boy. Romeo wins and Alfredo is free. Romeo is a hero and they all sing their song ‘Pure Heart’.

On Angeletta’s birthday Romeo sneaks a few of his friends into the house and they give her an apple and sing their song for her. Rossi catches them but is not angry. Angeletta becomes an honorary Black Brother. However the boys learn that Angeletta is not Rossi’s daughter, but the child of a lord who died. Her grandma Isabel pays Rossi and Edda to look after her. Angeletta’s dream is to meet her grandma.

Romeo follows Rossi to Lady Isabella’s house; she believes that Angeletta just wants her money, to be allowed to inherit and so refuses to see her. Romeo is angry and reveals himself arguing that Angeletta is pure and would never do anything like that. Isabel asks what he is prepared to swear this on; when Romeo answers his life she pulls out a gun. Even in face of this Romeo does not back down and tells her she can shoot him as long as she believes him and sees Isabel. She doesn’t shoot him but refuses to see Angeletta.

Angeletta’s condition is worsening and it becomes her last wish to see her grandma, the Black Brothers decide to take her. They find a cart and sneak into Isabella’s mansion with Angeletta, even when faced with her granddaughter Isabella is cold and tells her to go away. Angeletta gives her music box to her. Her and Romeo go to the church to pray and Angeletta gets very ill. Edda is angry and Romeo goes to find doctor Casella.

There is nothing he can do, Angeletta needs treatment and needs to go to Paris for it. They don’t have enough money though Rossi goes to ask Isabella again to see Angeletta she refuses. By now the Black Brothers have taken matters into their own hands and blocked up all the chimneys in the house. They sit outside, on strike and tell her what a bad grandmother she is. Romeo turns up and tells them to stop because Angeletta loves Isabella and wouldn’t want them to do this. He also tells them that Isabella is lonely but Angeletta loves her. Isabella finally changes her mind. She visits Angeletta and decides to take her to Paris to find a cure.

A few days later nobles begin to come into the city because the grand duke is getting married. Romeo goes to meet Alfredo to give him a book from doctor Casella and they make another oath, this one to grow up and realise their dreams together; to create a world where all children can be free and learn. Later while cleaning a chimney in a hotel Romeo finds a girl escaping, it is Bianca Alfredo’s sister. She escapes into the city and is perused. Romeo finds Alfredo and Alfredo tells him their story.

They are children of nobles but their evil aunt and uncle burnt down their house, killed their parents and now is after Alfredo as he has the family seal. Alfredo had left Bianca with a farmer’s family but their aunt and uncle must have found her. The Black Brothers make a plan to rescue her. It fails at first and the uncle finds out where Alfredo is hiding. He goes to get the seal but Alfredo manages to escape. The Black brothers manage to save Bianca and the two are reunited. But Alfredo collapses and is taken to doctor Casella’s. He wakes up, the doctor tells him he will be all right but Alfredo makes him tell the truth and asks him to look after his friends when he is gone. Doctor Casella tells him that Bianca can live with him from now on.

Alfredo decides to go back to his Padrone as his contract hasn’t finished yet and leaves a note for doctor Casella asking him not to tell his friends about his illness. Alfredo and Bianca go to the secret hideout where their friends are waiting anxiously. Alfredo tells them about the seal and his aunt and uncles plans and they make a plan to sneak into the palace and tell the king the truth. Bianca becomes another honorary member of the Black Brothers.

They stake out the palace and make clothes for Bianca and Alfredo to wear. Bianca gets jealous of Alfredo and Romeo’s friendship and Alfredo explains to her why Romeo means so much to him and how he hopes they will be friends.

Giovanni tries to fight Alfredo, but learns that he is ill and they agree to fight when Alfredo is better, Alfredo and Nikita meet and Alfredo tells Nikita she will look pretty with a flower in her hair, she gets angry at him again but Alfredo coughs blood and she realises how sick he is. The Wolf Pack not realising why Giovanni is so angry decide to capture Alfredo for him telling him that Bianca is in trouble.

Romeo goes to rescue him and Nikita and Giovanni learn what their friends have done and are angry. The Wolf Pack catch up to Romeo and Alfredo and Romeo helps Alfredo escape, staying to fight the Wolf Pack alone. They beat him up and Giovanni demands to know why Romeo defends Alfredo so much. He tells them that it is because Alfredo makes everyone around him feel bigger and braver; whereas Giovanni makes his friends obey him through force. Nikita stands up for him and tells them that Alfredo has the same illness that killed Giovanni’s father. Romeo is angry and upset but he makes a deal with Giovanni that they finish the fight the next night, because he has to be at the palace to protect Alfredo no matter what. Giovanni suggests a truce and they decide to team up, Wolf Pack and Black Brothers together to help Alfredo.

Meanwhile Alfredo meets up with Bianca and the Black Brothers and they begin their plan. They begin to sneak in and are stopped by one of Alfredo’s uncle’s bodyguards. Giovanni saves them. The Wolf Pack and Romeo turn up and tell the Black Brothers about their truce. They fight more bodyguards with rocks and soot bombs. Nikita, Romeo, Alfredo and Bianca make their way into the palace while the others keep guards away.

They are almost at the feast when their uncle catches them, he tells them he doesn’t need the medal any more because he has a replica but that he is going to kill Alfredo. Romeo jumps in front of Alfredo and Nikkita knocks the uncle off balance, but Alfredo and Romeo fall off the balcony. Satisfied that at least one of them died the uncle goes to meet the king.

Bianca and Nikkita find Romeo and Alfredo and they rush off to meet the king. They get caught by some of Alfredo’s uncle’s guards but Lady Isabella rescues them. She explains to everyone who Bianca and Alfredo are, Michealo had found her and explained everything and pledges to help them.

They go into the receiving room as the aunt and uncle are talking to the king and explain that the medal is a fake. They are proven right because the kings father had made scratches in the back of the medal as a benediction in thanks that Alfredo’s father saved his life, the aunt and uncle didn’t know about this and so Alfredo was proven to be right.

The Black Brothers, Giovanni and Nikkita wait vigil in the snow wondering if their friends will come back once they are accepted once again as nobles. They go back to the hideout Romeo tells the Black Brothers that if Alfredo goes home with Bianca that’s fine because he deserves happiness. Alfredo returns to them, because this is his home and they are his friends. They all go back to their houses and Bianca after a little bit of complaining goes to doctor Casella.

Alfredo and Romeo go to the church to thank God for the nights successes, Alfredo is weak and he realises he is close to dying, he and Romeo talk and he tells Romeo he is going to be reunited with his parents. He dies in Romeo’s arms telling him to keep going, to fulfil the dreams that Alfredo could not and to look after Bianca.

Romeo is devastated, his mind fogged with grief he cannot even bring himself to get out of bed the next morning, he walks around in a daze and slowly the Black Brothers, as well as the Wolf Pack learn about Alfredo’s death. Bianca is taken to see her brother’s body and as she cries she remembers his words about trusting Romeo. Dante finds Romeo and asks him to be the leader of the Black Brothers but Romeo refuses, he is too sad and too tired. He doesn’t want to accept Alfredo is dead, he doesn’t want to give him a funeral and he doesn’t want to take his place. Dante gets angry and hits Romeo; he doesn’t fight back and just repeats that he can’t do it before running away.

The next day Dante is angry and he meets Nikkita. They talk about how Alfredo never gave up, how he fought for his life. Nikita jumps into the icy cold river shouting to fight, Dante realises what she is doing and jumps in as well. They go to the hideout and tell the Black Brothers that they have to get up stop crying and fight because Alfredo would never accept them like this. Nikita helps them write a letter to Romeo telling him that they challenged him to a fight. If he won he would be their new leader, if he lost they would cast him out of the Black Brothers.

When he arrives Dante hits him and tells him if he doesn’t stand up to them they don’t accept him as a friend of Alfredo’s. They tell him they need him and tell him to stand up. Bianca turns up and adds her voices to the Brothers; Alfredo always spoke about how brave he was; now he had to prove it. Romeo remembers Alfredo’s words before he died, and the words of their vow of eternal friendship. He gets up realising that Alfredo will always be with him. Dante tells him to hit him, so that he can get back up too. He becomes the leader of the Black Brothers and they set about raising money to pay for Alfredo’s funeral.

On a day where the sky was as blue and clear as crystal they hold the funeral, with each child and friend of Alfredo giving him something precious, Romeo gives him his hat and starts to sing Pure Heart, the others join in.

Romeo is leader of the Black Brothers for the remaining few months that he is a chimney sweep, in this time he learns more about leading, and being a great friend. Just before Christmas he falls of a roof and breaks his leg, doctor Casella takes him in while he can’t work and while Romeo is there he begins to learn a great deal of things. He reads Mobey Dick and his love of learning becomes stronger. Romeo and Bianca decide to express their gratitude through a puppet show and Bianca announces that she wants to stay with doctor Casella instead of returning to her relatives and to be a doctor when she grows up and doctor Casella agrees to help her, Romeo announces that he wishes to be a teacher, and help children so they can grow up and learn and be free.

Finally the end of the six months has come and the Black Brothers are free to go home. Before them no child has survived their stint of being a chimney sweep, out of all of them only Alfredo will not leave the city alive. It is a bitter sweet time when Romeo and his friends say good bye and Romeo realises how much he has grown and how he will miss the city, the rooftops, and even Rossi who has become like a father to him. He even offers a peace present to Anzelmo.

As they are leaving they see Luini, herding a new group of boys into the inn and they feel sadness that others have to go what they went through, and hope that they boys are as lucky in their friendship as they where. They go to visit Alfredo’s grave for a last time and find Nikkita, with a flower in her hair. Giovanni and the Wolf Pack come to say goodbye and Romeo asks for one last favour. He asks that the Wolf Pack and Black Brothers join forces for good and to live in peace with the new chimney sweeps that are brought to the city. They swear a peace pact on Alfredo’s name in front of his grave another step to creating Alfredo’s world where children learn and live in freedom.

Doctor Casella drives them part of the way home they take a final look over Milano and the boys finally return to their villages. Romeo is reunited with his family. Romeo works while going to school and realises his dream of being a teacher becoming a light to help the poor and weak. He marries Bianca and they have a son, naming him Alfredo. Romeo keeps working and keeps striving towards the day where all children will run free under the Blue Skies.
AU History: N/A

Personality: "A truly strong person will neither strike nor begrudge another. A truly strong person is someone who always has the strength to be kind to others." These are the words of Romeo’s father and it is a ideology that Romeo believes in. Romeo always does the right thing, even when it would make his life easier to do the wrong thing or to simply do nothing at all.

This is an eleven year old boy who sold himself into slavery to save his sick father, who almost drowned saving a slaver, who ran into a building that he knew was about to explode to warn the police men and his master, a man who had let him be starved, hurt, locked in a cage and arrested for a crime he knows he did not commit.

Romeo always tries to protect his friends; he is prepared to give his life to any of them and most of all to Alfredo. He often forgets that he can be hurt, or simply doesn’t care. This leads to him doing reckless things in order to help his friends, jumping in front of heights, in front of bullets, into rivers. He is prepared to die to prove that Angeletta is a pure hearted person. Most of the time he doesn't even realise that what he does is reckless and stupid. Indeed when asked about it he is confused, as if he cannot even think of putting his life before others.

His friends are the most important people to him, he will do anything to help them and this is intensified after he becomes the leader of the Black brothers. Since then he is used to others looking to him for help and advice and when put with a group of others of his age he would come out as a natural leader but he keeps his opinions to himself when around adults.

He can be very dramatic, the Black Brothers is a secret society of children with passwords, flames of courage and vows. Vows are incredibly important to Romeo, he vows eternal friendship with Alfredo, later vows to help fulfill their dreams together, vows with the black brothers. A vow of friendship with Romeo is important, sacred. If he promises to look after you or protect you he will happily die for you.

Most likely will die for you; Romeo is not physically strong, he gets stronger in his time as a chimney sweep, and becomes good a climbing. However his method of protection is to stand between his friends and those that try to hurt them and hope his friends manage to escape before the threat is finished beating Romeo to the ground. He even fights those who are much bigger and stronger than him, but that said he is not a violent method. He will fight to protect his friends, and he will fight to teach bullies a lesson but knows that peace is always better and finally manages to secure a everlasting peace pact between the Wolf Pack and the Black Brothers.

Romeo is a farmers child, he knows animals, planting and how to fish. He is used to hard work even before he goes to work in Milano. However there Romeo discovers a love of learning, arriving in Milano he could not even read but when he left he was harbouring dreams of becoming a teacher. His dreams are very important to him because they are also Alfredo’s dreams, which were passed onto him when Alfredo died. His biggest dream is to help create a world where all children run free under the Blue Skies.

Romeo is full of enthusiasm for life. He continues smiling through anything and indeed when he stops smiling; after Alfredo dies, people are shocked. They can't believe that even something so awful would effect him like this. The reason though is because Romeo does feel things strongly. He gets scared, sad, he has moments of complete despair when the whole world is against him. Yet he never dwells on it, he pushes it aside and keeps his spirits up. This is done through punching the air (because that is, according to Alfredo, how you keep your spirits up) and keeps going.

He believes others around him should keep their spirits up also. He tries to make sure they are happy, though he does try and help solve their problems. Even so this most likely comes across as annoying most of the time. Whatever he does and wherever he is he knows that Alfredo is always with him and that gives him the strength to carry on, “You are hope itself to me,” he announces to Alfredo’s grave.

Romeo's maturity seems to fluctuate. At times he seems so much older than his eleven years, with all he sacrifices he is able to put others first in ways that most people years older cannot manage. At other times he seems very young. After Alfredo dies for example his grief makes him act the way we would expect a child his age to act. He even refuses, at first, to organise the funeral because "If we bury him he can't come back." For the most part Romeo is a young child thrown into a world where he has to act much older than he is.

It is a traditional coming of age tale, with him growing from a child reliant on his family (his father at one point calls him a selfish baby- a little harsh seeing as two days later Romeo sells himself to save his fathers life) to an adult (if a very small one) protecting others and standing up for what is right. He stands up for the truth and hates to be accused of things he did not do. He often has trouble understanding why others are hateful or want to hurt others even while being hurt himself.

For the most part Romeo’s worldview is very clear-cut. Good people are kind and help those around them; bad people hurt and are nasty to others. People who are outside of this binary of good and bad, or who are mixtures of both confuse him, as it is not something he has come across before. He is wary of adults; though this is learned behavior from his time in Milano where for the most part adults either did not care or hurt him. He tends to believe people are on the good side of his good/bad split until they prove themselves otherwise. It is also worth mentioning that as a child from 1800s Italy he is Christian, because all those around him are also christian. For the most part it is just another aspect of his life, until it comes to the idea of death and afterlife. He has a strong belief in heaven and will be upset to have it challenged because he believes that is where Alfredo is and he wants to believe that Alfredo is happy and with his parents.

Abilities: N/A

Payment to Yubaba

Memory:
1) Why he became a chimney sweep (the fields burning, his fathers illness, selling himself)
2) The feel and smell of Piccolo's fur
3) How much he was sold for
4) The words of the oath of eternal friendship he made with Alfredo
5) The second chimney he ever climbed, how hot it was and how he fell and knocked himself out.
6) Angeletta's smile
7) How to read and write
8) How Nikita looked with a flower in her hair.
9) Which animal he rescued from the fire in his families field.
10) How he earned the money for the circus

New Name: Mero

Samples

First Person: Here

Third Person: "It will be okay, you just got to keep your spirits up!" Mero punched the air. Keeping his spirits up was becoming really important as the days went on. He gritted his teeth and picked up the two buckets of water. They were heavy but really it was no harder than climbing a chimney, and he was given food and not locked up. He couldn't leave the bathhouse though because of all the water! Still he had met some nice people.

Not that nasty Yubaba, she had been mean and made Mero give her his name. He had been on his way home, after six months working in Milano and now he was here. Not at home at all but a scary place with spirits where they were forced to sleep in the day time and work all night. There was no beautiful blue sky here, or if there was Mero never saw it.

But he couldn't give up, because there had to be a way back home eventually. He was sure of it, if he worked hard enough and did as he was told Yubaba would let him go back home. For real this time! "She's even more mean than Luini was Alfredo! You wouldn't like her at all!" He glanced at the sky, even here in this strange world that wasn't his own Alfredo was with him.

Talking to Alfredo always made him feel happier, because Alfredo would never ever leave him. He couldn't really remember why, lots of things seemed to be missing from his head, but he knew one thing for certain. Alfredo would always be there.

He poured the buckets of water into the trough, at least the animals were nice! He climbed up onto the rail and reached out to pet a cow on the nose and smiled. He didn't mind his job too much really, because he was it was outside and not in the bathhouse with the spirits. Inside was crowded and there were so many adults it was a little bit scary. Even if Mero knew that Yubaba had stolen all their names as well and was making them work too.

"I bet you don't like her either," he told the cow who didn't even bother with a moo in response. Mero smiled and jumped down from the railing to go and get the food for the animals.

Character Information

Character Name: Romeo

Character Series: Romeo’s Blue Skies

Character Age: 11 12

History:

Romeo is a young boy who lives with his family in Sonogno, a small village in the alps. His family are poor but happy until a slave trader called Luini, or the God of Death comes into town. He has his sights on Romeo but his parents refuse to sell him. It is high summer and there are worries about the fact that it has not rained in so long, the harvest is going to be bad. It is the day of the annual pole climbing competition and Romeo is finally old enough to compete, he wins the competition even though he is smaller than the other boys but when he gets to the top he sees his family’s field burning.

He and his father manage to rescue some animals but the field is ruined, the family face starvation and yet still refuse to sell Romeo. Luini is the one who set the field on fire and he waits patiently for the family to crack. Romeo wants to help and instead of doing his chores he goes off to fish to see if he can catch some food for dinner, leaving his little twin brothers to do his chores. His father is angry and calls him a selfish baby, Romeo runs off. While hiding with his friend in a barn he hears some adults talking about how they are surprised that Roberto (Romeo’s father) didn’t just sell him since he wasn’t his real son, and he had to provide for his two real children.

Romeo is devastated and doesn’t believe them, his mum finds him and tells him that it is true. Romeo was two years old when she met and married Roberto but he has always thought of Romeo as his son, in fact when Romeo was very little he had a fever and everyone thought he would die. Roberto tried everything to save him and eventually entered a church for the first time and prayed. Romeo’s fever broke that night and Roberto decided it was an act of God and bought the church a stained glass window with money he saved up over two years.

Romeo and his mother go back home and the family decide that they are strong together and they will just need to be strong to make it through winter, but then Roberto collapses, his head wound from fighting the fire has made him ill. They cannot afford a doctor. Luini tries once again to persuade Romeo’s mother to sell Romeo. She refuses.

Romeo finds his little brothers in the church praying and they tell him they have gathered some money to pay for a doctor, it turns out to be one coin and a mish mash of buttons, but his brothers say they will work hard to try and raise money.

Romeo realises there is very little hope of anyone earning 30 franks to pay for the doctor and his father is going to die. So he approaches Luini. Luini tells him he will be sold in Milano as a chimney sweep and will work there for six months before being allowed to go home. Romeo signs the contract. Later his friend over hears a woman explaining to her son that no children who go off to the city ever return. Romeo is scared but just tells her not to tell his parents.

A doctor cures his father and his parents are upset with what he has done, but understand why and are thankful. Romeo leaves with the God of Death. They make there way to a town, but Luini drops Romeo off in the road telling him to be at a certain inn in the city by sunset the next day. While taking shelter in a cave Romeo realises he has a stowaway, his Weasel Piccolo.

He arrives in a village and a trader accuses him of stealing apples, a blonde boy who uses logic to explain why Romeo could not be the thief rescues him, the man apologises and gives Romeo two apples. Romeo runs after the boy to thank him and peruses him until the boy accepts one of the apples. He follows him to the town and learns that the boy is Alfredo and is also going to Milano as a chimney sweep. They spend the day in town before going to the inn.

There they find a cellar full of frightened children who want to escape, Romeo and Alfredo try and persuade them not to- since they all agreed to this after all but they try anyways, they get caught and are put on a boat to travel across the river in a storm. The boat tips and Romeo and Alfredo manage to cling onto some driftwood. Romeo spots the God of Death and rescues him. They spend the night in a cave, Alfredo tells Romeo that he and his sister have ran away from bad people and Alfredo sold himself as a chimney sweep to keep Bianca safe. The next morning Alfredo tells the God of death that Romeo rescued him. Luini gets a carriage and takes the two boys to Milano, assuming the others have drowned.

They arrive at an inn in the city where they are left in a corner but talk to Nikita, a boisterous young girl who thinks they are idiots but explains to them what is happening. Chimney sweep bosses turn up and argue since there are only two boys to chose from. A man named Rossi buys Romeo for 85 lire and a creepy man called Citron buys Alfredo.

The men drink and the two boys talk, they decide to make an oath of eternal friendship to be friends always even when fate keeps them apart. However Citron drags Alfredo away before they are finished the oath. Romeo runs after them, with Rossi chasing him believing that he is running away. They finish their oath and Romeo goes with Rossi to his new home.

Rossi’s mouth is furious with how much Romeo cost and he is left in the darkness while the family eats, when he asks for food she gets angry and Rossi takes him to his room, which is more like a cage. There is a mysterious room in the house, one that he is not allowed into but which he hears beautiful music coming from. The next morning Romeo starts to learn his job, he falls out of his second chimney and is knocked unconscious but still tries again. At the top he finds himself on the roof looking over the beautiful blue skies of Milano. Rossi is happy and goes to the bar drinking away all their earnings. His wife Edda is furious especially after Anzelmo their son explains how he heard that Romeo passed out earlier in the day and Romeo is again given no food.

Locked once again in his cage room Romeo tries to keep his spirits up but finds it difficult. Piccolo finds a box and inside it Romeo is shocked to find bread and cheese he hears the music again and decides there must be an angel in the room, who has given him this food.

The next morning Piccolo is chased by a cat but rescued by the angel, who turns out to be a little pale girl with dark hair. Romeo and Rossi clean the chimney of a doctor named Doctor Casella and when they are done the doctor gives Romeo a book as a thank you gift. Romeo explains that he can’t read and the doctor teaches him how to write “What is your name? My name is Romeo”, the book is a picture book and doctor Casella tells him he can visit again to learn more.

Back in his room he finds another present from the angel; more food and a note. He cannot read the note but by comparing the note with the words the doctor wrote in his book he realises that the last line is “what is your name?”

He manages to write his reply on a scrap of paper and breaks out of his cage and slips the note under her door. He gets another note that he can’t read in return but the next day manages to find the doctor and get him to read it to him. It tells him that when everyone is asleep she will signal him with her music box and he should go quietly to meet her in her room.

He does so that night and learns that the girl is Angeletta, she is very sick and so cannot leave her room but watches the world through her window and sketches it. She has drawn many pictures of Romeo and as he tells her about the Blue Skies over Milano she wishes very much to see them. Romeo attempts to bring her the blue skies. He cannot draw but he keeps trying and finally brings her a symbol that lets her imagine the vast blue sky.

Anzelmo is attempting to learn Romeo’s secret, he is a member of the Wolf Pack a group of bullies who go around beating up chimney sweeps and other kids. Nikkita is also a member of the Wolf Pack. They knock Angeletta’s drawings off a roof and steal Romeo’s letters. But this backfires when Angeletta accidentally hands Romeo a page of her diary instead of a note and in it she is writing about how Anzelmo is lying to the wolf pack. Anzelmo gets beaten up and Romeo goes to avenge them (believing that he and Anzelmo have made a pact because it makes Angeletta upset that they don’t get on)

However Anzelmo hates Romeo and while he is fighting the Wolf Pack Anzelmo frames him for theft, hiding coins in his room. Angeletta sees but works herself into a fever and so cannot tell her parents. When Romeo gets home he is locked up and told the police are coming. He is scared and so escapes onto the roof. He gets into another fight with the Wolf Pack but gets rescued by a strange masked kid who turns out to be Dante, one of the children believed drowned in the river. With Dante’s help he gets onto a cart he believes is going to Venice but Nikita tells Dante that its actually going to the prison. Too late though and Romeo ends up in the prison. The cart he got onto belonged to criminals who fill the prison with gunpowder and free one of the prisoners. They lock Romeo up but he manages to escape. However Rossi has gone inside the police station and Romeo knows it is going to blow up so he runs into warn everyone.

The prison blows up and Romeo is injured, Dante and Nikkita tell the police about the criminals and they are caught. The truth comes out and they learn that Anzelmo framed Romeo. Rossi talks to Romeo and tells him that even though he still works for him he is free, he will take the bars off his room and he may be friends with Angeletta.

With his newfound freedom Romeo meets some other chimney sweep kids, learning that all the children off the boat survived and were brought later to Milano by the God of Death. He also finds the whereabouts of Alfredo and goes to find him. He finds him in Saint Babilo church and the two are happy to see each other again. They talk about the wolf pack and how they need to band together in order to be safe from them. They decide to make an alliance of chimney sweeps. They decide to meet on Friday night and tell all the chimney sweeps they know to sneak out and meet them.

They meet outside the church and go into a secret base used by resistance fighters against Napoleon. They decide that Alfredo is their leader and they make an oath. They call themselves the Black Brothers because they get black from soot and it is proof of their hard work. They light candles as they swear the oaths by the flames of courage to help each other out and pool their strength, to obey their leader and to not reveal their hideout to anyone.

The next day they plan their attack on the Wolf Pack, they decide to lure them into an ambush and teach them once and for all not to mess with them. Romeo is childish because he wants to lead the battle but listens to Alfredo. After the meeting he realises he has forgotten his bag and Piccolo at the hideout so goes back. He apologises to Alfredo for being stubborn and admires the fact that Alfredo can read a whole book. The book is falling apart and it is the only one Alfredo has. Romeo takes him to visit Doctor Casella who lends him a book, the doctors maid remarks to Romeo how grown up and mature Alfredo seems and Romeo decides to try and be just like him. He decides to read a book.

He starts to read the picture book he was given, a book about a donkey. He finds it very hard, at the same time Alfredo is reading Voltaire. The other boys tease Romeo about reading. He reads all day and all night and the next day and the next night but finally finishes. Alfredo’s boss gets angry and throws the book Alfredo rescues onto the fire, Alfredo rescues it but a couple of pages are burnt. He rewrites them from memory and doctor Casella is impressed by his ability.

The day of the fight comes and the Black Brothers beat the Wolf Pack. They learn Nikita is a girl and she and Alfredo argue. She then tells the Wolf Pack that the only way to get the Black Brothers back is if they are without their leader as he is the mastermind, they make plans to kidnap Alfredo. They capture they youngest Black Brother Michaelo and leave a note saying that Alfredo is to give himself in. He and Romeo go to do the exchange, Alfredo forbids Romeo from fighting them and he is taken by the Wolf Pack. Romeo and Michaelo try and persuade the others to help rescue him. At first they are too scared and Romeo says he will fight them alone. But when dawn comes they join him to rescue their leader. Angeletta gives Romeo a cross necklace to protect him.

The fight is brutal and Alfredo shouts for it to stop, he and Giovanni, the leader of the Wolf Pack agree to a one on one fight between Tachioni, the biggest of the Wolf Pack and Romeo. The fight is fierce and then Tachioni pulls a knife. However the sun comes out and the light reflects from the cross and blinds the bigger boy. Romeo wins and Alfredo is free. Romeo is a hero and they all sing their song ‘Pure Heart’.

On Angeletta’s birthday Romeo sneaks a few of his friends into the house and they give her an apple and sing their song for her. Rossi catches them but is not angry. Angeletta becomes an honorary Black Brother. However the boys learn that Angeletta is not Rossi’s daughter, but the child of a lord who died. Her grandma Isabel pays Rossi and Edda to look after her. Angeletta’s dream is to meet her grandma.

Romeo follows Rossi to Lady Isabella’s house; she believes that Angeletta just wants her money, to be allowed to inherit and so refuses to see her. Romeo is angry and reveals himself arguing that Angeletta is pure and would never do anything like that. Isabel asks what he is prepared to swear this on; when Romeo answers his life she pulls out a gun. Even in face of this Romeo does not back down and tells her she can shoot him as long as she believes him and sees Isabel. She doesn’t shoot him but refuses to see Angeletta.

Angeletta’s condition is worsening and it becomes her last wish to see her grandma, the Black Brothers decide to take her. They find a cart and sneak into Isabella’s mansion with Angeletta, even when faced with her granddaughter Isabella is cold and tells her to go away. Angeletta gives her music box to her. Her and Romeo go to the church to pray and Angeletta gets very ill. Edda is angry and Romeo goes to find doctor Casella.

There is nothing he can do, Angeletta needs treatment and needs to go to Paris for it. They don’t have enough money though Rossi goes to ask Isabella again to see Angeletta she refuses. By now the Black Brothers have taken matters into their own hands and blocked up all the chimneys in the house. They sit outside, on strike and tell her what a bad grandmother she is. Romeo turns up and tells them to stop because Angeletta loves Isabella and wouldn’t want them to do this. He also tells them that Isabella is lonely but Angeletta loves her. Isabella finally changes her mind. She visits Angeletta and decides to take her to Paris to find a cure.

A few days later nobles begin to come into the city because the grand duke is getting married. Romeo goes to meet Alfredo to give him a book from doctor Casella and they make another oath, this one to grow up and realise their dreams together; to create a world where all children can be free and learn. Later while cleaning a chimney in a hotel Romeo finds a girl escaping, it is Bianca Alfredo’s sister. She escapes into the city and is perused. Romeo finds Alfredo and Alfredo tells him their story.

They are children of nobles but their evil aunt and uncle burnt down their house, killed their parents and now is after Alfredo as he has the family seal. Alfredo had left Bianca with a farmer’s family but their aunt and uncle must have found her. The Black Brothers make a plan to rescue her. It fails at first and the uncle finds out where Alfredo is hiding. He goes to get the seal but Alfredo manages to escape. The Black brothers manage to save Bianca and the two are reunited. But Alfredo collapses and is taken to doctor Casella’s. He wakes up, the doctor tells him he will be all right but Alfredo makes him tell the truth and asks him to look after his friends when he is gone. Doctor Casella tells him that Bianca can live with him from now on.

Alfredo decides to go back to his Padrone as his contract hasn’t finished yet and leaves a note for doctor Casella asking him not to tell his friends about his illness. Alfredo and Bianca go to the secret hideout where their friends are waiting anxiously. Alfredo tells them about the seal and his aunt and uncles plans and they make a plan to sneak into the palace and tell the king the truth. Bianca becomes another honorary member of the Black Brothers.

They stake out the palace and make clothes for Bianca and Alfredo to wear. Bianca gets jealous of Alfredo and Romeo’s friendship and Alfredo explains to her why Romeo means so much to him and how he hopes they will be friends.

Giovanni tries to fight Alfredo, but learns that he is ill and they agree to fight when Alfredo is better, Alfredo and Nikita meet and Alfredo tells Nikita she will look pretty with a flower in her hair, she gets angry at him again but Alfredo coughs blood and she realises how sick he is. The Wolf Pack not realising why Giovanni is so angry decide to capture Alfredo for him telling him that Bianca is in trouble.

Romeo goes to rescue him and Nikita and Giovanni learn what their friends have done and are angry. The Wolf Pack catch up to Romeo and Alfredo and Romeo helps Alfredo escape, staying to fight the Wolf Pack alone. They beat him up and Giovanni demands to know why Romeo defends Alfredo so much. He tells them that it is because Alfredo makes everyone around him feel bigger and braver; whereas Giovanni makes his friends obey him through force. Nikita stands up for him and tells them that Alfredo has the same illness that killed Giovanni’s father. Romeo is angry and upset but he makes a deal with Giovanni that they finish the fight the next night, because he has to be at the palace to protect Alfredo no matter what. Giovanni suggests a truce and they decide to team up, Wolf Pack and Black Brothers together to help Alfredo.

Meanwhile Alfredo meets up with Bianca and the Black Brothers and they begin their plan. They begin to sneak in and are stopped by one of Alfredo’s uncle’s bodyguards. Giovanni saves them. The Wolf Pack and Romeo turn up and tell the Black Brothers about their truce. They fight more bodyguards with rocks and soot bombs. Nikita, Romeo, Alfredo and Bianca make their way into the palace while the others keep guards away.

They are almost at the feast when their uncle catches them, he tells them he doesn’t need the medal any more because he has a replica but that he is going to kill Alfredo. Romeo jumps in front of Alfredo and Nikkita knocks the uncle off balance, but Alfredo and Romeo fall off the balcony. Satisfied that at least one of them died the uncle goes to meet the king.

Bianca and Nikkita find Romeo and Alfredo and they rush off to meet the king. They get caught by some of Alfredo’s uncle’s guards but Lady Isabella rescues them. She explains to everyone who Bianca and Alfredo are, Michealo had found her and explained everything and pledges to help them.

They go into the receiving room as the aunt and uncle are talking to the king and explain that the medal is a fake. They are proven right because the kings father had made scratches in the back of the medal as a benediction in thanks that Alfredo’s father saved his life, the aunt and uncle didn’t know about this and so Alfredo was proven to be right.

The Black Brother, Giovanni and Nikkita wait vigil in the snow wondering if their friends will come back once they are accepted once again as nobles. They go back to the hideout Romeo tells the Black Brothers that if Alfredo goes home with Bianca that’s fine because he deserves happiness. Alfredo returns to them, because this is his home and they are his friends. They all go back to their houses and Bianca after a little bit of complaining goes to doctor Casella.

Alfredo and Romeo go to the church to thank God for the nights successes, Alfredo is weak and he realises he is close to dying, he and Romeo talk and he tells Romeo he is going to be reunited with his parents. He dies in Romeo’s arms telling him to keep going, to fulfil the dreams that Alfredo could not and to look after Bianca.

Romeo is devastated, his mind fogged with grief he cannot even bring himself to get out of bed the next morning, he walks around in a daze and slowly the Black Brothers, as well as the Wolf Pack learn about Alfredo’s death. Bianca is taken to see her brother’s body and as she cries she remembers his words about trusting Romeo. Dante finds Romeo and asks him to be the leader of the Black Brothers but Romeo refuses, he is too sad and too tired. He doesn’t want to accept Alfredo is dead, he doesn’t want to give him a funeral and he doesn’t want to take his place. Dante gets angry and hits Romeo; he doesn’t fight back and just repeats that he can’t do it before running away.

The next day Dante is angry and he meets Nikkita. They talk about how Alfredo never gave up, how he fought for his life. Nikita jumps into the icy cold river shouting to fight, Dante realises what she is doing and jumps in as well. They go to the hideout and tell the Black Brothers that they have to get up stop crying and fight because Alfredo would never accept them like this. Nikita helps them write a letter to Romeo telling him that they challenged him to a fight. If he won he would be their new leader, if he lost they would cast him out of the Black Brothers.

When he arrives Dante hits him and tells him if he doesn’t stand up to them they don’t accept him as a friend of Alfredo’s. They tell him they need him and tell him to stand up. Bianca turns up and adds her voices to the Brothers; Alfredo always spoke about how brave he was; now he had to prove it. Romeo remembers Alfredo’s words before he died, and the words of their vow of eternal friendship. He gets up realising that Alfredo will always be with him. Dante tells him to hit him, so that he can get back up too. He becomes the leader of the Black Brothers and they set about raising money to pay for Alfredo’s funeral.

On a day where the sky was as blue and clear as crystal they hold the funeral, with each child and friend of Alfredo giving him something precious, Romeo gives him his hat and starts to sing Pure Heart, the others join in.

Romeo is leader of the Black Brothers for the remaining few months that he is a chimney sweep, in this time he learns more about leading, and being a great friend. Just before Christmas he falls of a roof and breaks his leg, doctor Casella takes him in while he can’t work and while Romeo is there he begins to learn a great deal of things. He reads Mobey Dick and his love of learning becomes stronger. Romeo and Bianca decide to express their gratitude through a puppet show and Bianca announces that she wants to stay with doctor Casella instead of returning to her relatives and to be a doctor when she grows up and doctor Casella agrees to help her, Romeo announces that he wishes to be a teacher, and help children so they can grow up and learn and be free.

Finally the end of the six months has come and the Black Brothers are free to go home. Before them no child has survived their stint of being a chimney sweep, out of all of them only Alfredo will not leave the city alive. It is a bitter sweet time when Romeo and his friends say good bye and Romeo realises how much he has grown and how he will miss the city, the rooftops, and even Rossi who has become like a father to him. He even offers a peace present to Anzelmo.

As they are leaving they see Luini, herding a new group of boys into the inn and they feel sadness that others have to go what they went through, and hope that they boys are as lucky in their friendship as they where. They go to visit Alfredo’s grave for a last time and find Nikkita, with a flower in her hair. Giovanni and the Wolf Pack come to say goodbye and Romeo asks for one last favour. He asks that the Wolf Pack and Black Brothers join forces for good and to live in peace with the new chimney sweeps that are brought to the city. They swear a peace pact on Alfredo’s name in front of his grave another step to creating Alfredo’s world where children learn and live in freedom.

Doctor Casella drives them part of the way home they take a final look over Milano and the boys finally return to their villages. Romeo is reunited with his family. Romeo works while going to school and realises his dream of being a teacher becoming a light to help the poor and weak. He marries Bianca and they have a son, naming him Alfredo. Romeo keeps working and keeps striving towards the day where all children will run free under the Blue Skies.

Personality:

"A truly strong person will neither strike nor begrudge another. A truly strong person is someone who always has the strength to be kind to others." These are the words of Romeo’s father and it is a ideology that Romeo believes in. Romeo always does the right thing, even when it would make his life easier to do the wrong thing or to simply do nothing at all.

This is an eleven year old boy who sold himself into slavery to save his sick father, who almost drowned saving a slaver, who ran into a building that he knew was about to explode to warn the police men and his master, a man who had let him be starved, hurt, locked in a cage and arrested for a crime he knows he did not commit.

Romeo always tries to protect his friends; he is prepared to give his life to any of them and most of all to Alfredo. He often forgets that he can be hurt, or simply doesn’t care. This leads to him doing reckless things in order to help his friends, jumping in front of heights, in front of bullets, into rivers. He is prepared to die to prove that Angeletta is a pure hearted person.

However Romeo is not physically strong, he gets stronger in his time as a chimney sweep, and becomes good a climbing. However his method of protection is to stand between his friends and those that try to hurt them and hope his friends manage to escape before the threat is finished beating Romeo to the ground. He even fights those who are much bigger and stronger than him, but he also knows that peace is better and finally manages to secure a everlasting peace pact between the Wolf Pack and the Black Brothers.

Romeo has a love of learning, before going to Milano he could not read but when he left he was harbouring dreams of becoming a teacher. His dreams are very important to him because they are also Alfredo’s dreams, which were past on to him when Alfredo died. His biggest dream is to help create a world where all children run free under the Blue Skies.

It is difficult for Romeo to trust adults as he has come to expect cruelty from them, but he is well behaved and obedient and when you have won his trust you have it forever. He is a loyal friend and despite all the hardships he endures he always keeps his spirits up and helps others around him do the same.

Since becoming the leader of the Black Brothers Romeo is used to others looking to him for help and advice and when put with a group of others of his age he would come out as a natural leader but he keeps his opinions to himself when around adults.

He is full of enthusiasm for life and whatever he does he knows that Alfredo is always with him and that gives him the strength to carry on, “You are hope itself to me,” he announces to Alfredo’s grave. He stands up for the truth and hates to be accused of things he did not do. He often has trouble understanding why others are hateful or want to hurt others.

For the most part Romeo’s worldview is very clear-cut. Good people are kind and help those around them; bad people hurt and are nasty to others. People who are outside of this binary of good and bad, or who are mixtures of both confuse him, as it is not something he has come across before. He is Christian, because he is a pea sent child from early 1800’s Italy, his religion is just another aspect of his life because all those around him are also Christian. He has a strong belief in heaven though because he believes that is where Alfredo is.

Ok so everyone in utopia and how/if Romeo knows them! (this is mainly for my own reference but if you see anything that is wrong/missed out let me know!)

Dahlia Hawthorne

Not met yet, this should change!

Edgar Roni Figaro

He has never met Edgar, this makes Romeo sad.

Edward Elric

They haven't met (though he probably heard that he was in the fight where Russel hurt Fletcher and therefore thinks he might be mean) and he is sure he has niceness in him somewhere!

Elizabeθ Buckley

They met on day 4 round 4 when Suzaku lost Theta to Zoro. Theta was very angry and scared and stormed off but Romeo went after her, because it was better that she was their friend. He somehow won her over with his adorableness and acceptance and is bringing her back to Zoro. He thinks that she definitly is a nice person inside, but she's frightened and she was very rude to Suzaku. He also believes that she is a noble woman so will be watching her step around her. He was also happy when she came to see her when he was hurt and he is glad that she has made friends with Sherlock.

Enki

He gave Enki an apple when he was handing them out and then gave him direction to peach trees! He likes Enki (mainly because he thinks Enki is twelve). He is going to go visit Enki in hospital because he is sad that he is in a coma.

Fletcher Tringham

Romeo has decided Fletcher is his friend! This involves vows and arm clasping! He bought him a memory charm and gives him apples on a daily basis. He's decided his brother hurts him but believes theres nothing he can do because Russel's an adult, and so tries to be as kind a friendly as possible to Fletcher as possible. He was very upset when the memory he bought turned out to be sad. He has also given him the light element ring that he picked up from Rapunzel's disapearance.

Gaara

They climbed a tower together! And Gaara thanked him for helping people. Romeo likes Gaara

Gino Weinberg

He met Gino and learnt about cameras. Gino is a giant! But a friendly one.

Grenn Atair

Grenn is like the anchor who stops Romeo's crazy schemes from getting out of hand (he needed a Grenn in canon so badly!) He gets confused sometimes around her, and doesn't get her unenthusiastic attitude to life. Not to mention that they started off on the wrong foot when he believed her to be a witch!

He happily follows her around, confuses her, asks her rediculous questions and helps her learn the secrets of the world (he has recently bought her a legend fragment.) She is one of the recipitents of his never ending suply of apples. On the restday of round 4 they explored the newly open tower together and on day 4 she was lost in battle to Zoro who was Romeo's player.

Hikaru Sulu

And another who he hasn't met yet!

Huashi Sun

Romeo met her and taught her Rapunzel's song! She was very nice and friendly!

Kanaya Maryam

He's just bumped into her, so watch this space...

Kevin Smith

Another person Romeo has yet to meet.

Koharu Izaki

Romeo thinks Koharou is amazing! Mainly because she makes him food! But also because she is kind, she is Sora's friend and Romeo wants to help all of Sora's friends.

Lelouch vi Britannia

Another one. However this will be hilarious, they need to meet! /goes to find Lance and demand this

Lloyd Asplund

The witch! The technology witch! Even though Romeo knows witches don't exist now and that technology isn't magic he still isn't impressed with Lloyd. Because he can't work out if he's a goody or a bady and he says strange things!

Locke Cole

They need to meet! (Why is there still so many people Romeo doesn't know!)

Lyra Silvertongue

She set up the league of children and Romeo likes her, she is a very nice person because she reminded him about why he should always think of the best in people and not give up that people have niceness inside them, even Russel and Tougyu.

Mai Tokiha

Romeo has never met Mai, this should probably be rectified!

Mei Chang

Mei is another of Romeo's friends! They climbed a tower together! From now on she will probably get apples!

Mizuno You

And another person Romeo has never met, Romeo needs to go give out more apples or something!

Montblanc

Haven't met :( Need to

Nunnally vi Britannia

He has never met Nunnally either, they need to meet!

Rafiel

Likewise, they need to meet!

Roronoa Zoro

/Grin. If Sora is Alfredo II then Zoro is a mixture between Alfredo, doctor Casella and mister Rossi. Romeo spends half his time terrified of him and half his time wanting to be him, wanting to prove himself to him and wanting to help him. Zoro has been teaching Romeo the sword and Romeo has a very shaky grasp on it now. He finds it hard but knows that it will take a lot to help all his friends and Zoro is helping him become stronger

He wants to help Zoro as much as he can in return for the teaching and he is so happy when Zoro agrees to let him become his weapon in round 4. /points out that she squees whenever zoro answers a post because it is always adorable.

Romeo has also recently discovered Zoro is a pirate, this means that he could be a bad person but that makes Romeo sad because Zoro is his friend. And so he is hoping that Zoro is really good inside! When Romeo was hurt by the game Zoro was at his side in an instant it was the most adorable thing ever and Romeo has came to trust Zoro even more.

Russel Tringham

One of the few people who Romeo is not keen on, because he believes that he mistreats Fletcher. Still he is polite and friendly to him (born partly out a fear that Russel will stop him talking to Fletcher.) However after Russel got the riddle wrong in round 3 he looked so upset that Romeo decided he needed help too and gave him an apple! So there is hope yet :P

Saber

Haven't met yet!

Scott Pilgrim

Romeo has never met Scott, but he should!

Sherlock Holmes

At the moment Sherlock is Romeo's faverite person because he solved the riddles and earned them tokens! This made Romeo so happy! He bought Sherlock a memory charm, and then with Sherlock's tokens bought him two more. Two of them were happy and one was "important but neither happy nor sad". Romeo discovered Sherlock's sleep problem and has vowed to help him by putting Sherlock in empty rooms and guarding the door while he sleeps. They are so cute together, I squee whenever they interact!

He tried to become Sherlock's weapon (as well as Zoro's) in round 4 and feels bad that Sherlock got punished as well as him for it. He found out from Zoro that Sherlock and the witch had used a machine to win Theta from them, seeing that as cheating Romeo is planning on giving Sherlock a lecture.

Shiro Tougyu

He is creapy, he reminds Romeo of Alfredo's boss. Alfredo sits closer than is strictly necessary to Sora when he is in the room and will not stay in the dorm if it is only him and Tougyu. However Sora has told him that he needs help too! So he will be nice to him even if he is frightened.

Shōryū

They fought three times in round three, Romeo was beaten each time but earned a token each time. He is a little scared of him but he seemed friendly and kind. They are both now owned by Zoro in round 4.

Suzaku Kururugi

Who is this Suzaku person you speak of? Romeo does not know him, will never know him, his eyes glaze over when they are in the same space. Also Zoro beat him in a battle! Because Zoro is awesome and Suzaku is... who is Suzaku again? Also he hurt Enki so must be a bad person, but Romeo can't quite remember what he looks like so...

Takuto Tsunashi

Romeo met him when he arrived and showed him to his dorm. He seemed friendly.

Vriska Serket

Haven't met yet

Xing-ke Li

Another person to meet they need to have a conversation on the evils of terbercilosis

Yuka Osada

They haven't met yet!

Dropped characters who he knew

Haruka Kuchinawa

The first person who vowed with Romeo to take him as a weapon. Romeo was scared when he left.

Molly Hayes

They played in the lake together, it was a fun afternoon. Romeo was sad when he learnt she had gone!

Rapunzel

Romeo was friendly with Rapunzel and thought her hair was cool, he was sad when he found out she was gone and he has her dropped memory, it is her song and he will teach it to anyone who seems interested so that they can remember Rapunzel.

Reiko Date

Romeo jumped in front of Reiko to save her from the tiger in round 0.

Road Kamelot

They never actually met but he saw the disapearance and was scared and shocked.

Shoujou

Romeo tried to protect Sora from him on his first day.

Tsuki Aoi

Romeo knows her because she is Sora's princess, she died in his dream. He is a little wary of her sterness but she is Sora's friend and so must be nice! He will be sad to know she has gone

Yuki Yagizawa

Sora's princess, Romeo was sad because Sora was so sad when she disapeared.

Kotarou

Kotarou is sweet (and one of the few people younger than Romeo), Romeo is friendly to him even when Kotarou is rude back because he figures Kotarou's probably scared and is a really nice person inside. If he sees him he gives him apples, not sure if Kotarou accepts them! He will be sad to learn that he has been eaten by the tiger, and he will do his best to help Kotarou's friends.

Sora Himoto

Sora is like Alfredo II to Romeo. He has made a vow with her to help everyone, he follows her every word and wants to be just like her! He often forgets she's an adult because she acts like his own age. They met on Romeo's first day when he 'protected' her from Shoujou. When he finds out that she was eaten by the tiger he is going to be incredibly sad. Having lost his protector and friend. He will do his best to continue her dream and save everybody! He has her memory and dropped ability of dual wielding and all the girls she saved.

Utena Tenjou

And then there was two Sora's and Romeo was corrupted by naivity and justice forever er I mean, yeah he knows Utena. She sheltered with them during the storm and she took Romeo to breakfast and he visited her when she passed out in class. He likes her except she ruffled his hair and it scared him And so it was that all Romeo's knightly protectors became food for the tiger. Romeo will remember Utena forever!

Tomoko Oashi

Romeo tried to teach Tomoko to tie shoelaces, but since it was a taken memory of hers he didn't get very far! He likes Tomoko, she is one of Sora's princesses and is probably on the list of people to give apples to! Then one day she wasn't there and Romeo learnt that another of his friends had been killed by the tiger.

Sugata Shindo

He checked to make sure he was alright after Romeo first met Zoro. Romeo thinks he is a very kind person! He will also be remembered and avenged!