Callahan Whittaker

Personality: Your generic old english gentleman, escept he's pretty young. Street-smart, Book-dumb. 

Brief Story: Callahan inherited his family's antique shop when his father retired and moved overseas. Working night shifts in a quiet shop now, he took notice of a lamplighter who went up his street every night. The lamplighter had a very interesting lamp that he always carried and Callahan was determined to see it up close. On a rainy night, he offered the lamplighter shelter and expressed his interest in the lamp, which had peculiar mechanisms and engravings. The boy, Vail, eventually allowed Callahan to examine it, but only when he was watching. Since then, Callahan and Vail worked together to unveil the mysteries of the lamp.

Story: Callahan inherited his antique shop from his father, a shop which had been in the family for several generations. It was a quaint and tastefully cramped store by a somewhat busy street, filled with all sorts of old trinkets and items. He knew he would be inheriting the shop, and he did have an immense interest in antiques, so he had no qualms about it. His family tried to send him to public school, but he didn't really care about the subjects besides Languages and the topic of money in Mathematics. He rushed home from school everyday because he prefered to be in the store. He didn't stay to play with the other children often. He learnt more from his own family about making deals and selling, as well as cultivating a discerning eye for antiques. Therefore, he was more street-smart than book-smart. His family was just happy enough with his willingness to take over the shop that they hardly worried. 

Callahan took over the store when his father retired, and did an excellent job. Ever since he started his job full-time in the store, he took notice of a Lamplighter who would always go up his street. At first, it was the lamp that the boy carried that caught his eye. Callahan had never seen a lamp like it before, It did not have a candle in it, yet it shone brightly, with an unusual hue and glow. The mechanisms of the lamp also piqued his interest, but he could never get a good enough view of it from inside the shop. Most curiously, the lamplighter never used the fuel in the lamp to light the streetlights. He did very much want to take a closer look at it, but he was worried about interacting with the lamplighter, considering he did not have much experience with conversation outside of talking to customers and teachers. (No-Friend Callahan).

Soon, his parents moved overseas to Norway, leaving him to his own devices. Callahan decided to make a move on that lamp (and lamplighter i guess). When the lamplighter came around that night, Callahan was standing outside, drinking tea. Standing. The lamplighter paid him no mind, lighting the streetlamps as per usual, carying his lamp with him as he walked.  Callahan was right to be curious about the lamp. He could see that what was inside the lamp was something resembling a rolled up scroll. The lamp also seemed to be operated with incredibly old yet complicated mechanisms, involving triggers and dial-locks. The engravings were also intricate. If anything, it looked more like a puzzle than a mere lamp. He tried to examine the engravings, and they were becoming clearer and brighter as he kept his eyes on them. He scanned them until he saw a pair of eyes. It was the lamplighter's eyes. Callahan nearly spewed out his tea. The lamplighter had brought his lamp next to his face and was staring straight at Callahan. 

Why have you been staring at me?
I-No, sorry i was just-not you- i- no-

The lamplighter's hard stare only made Callahan more nervous, unable to organise his thoughts before they came out of his mouth. Just then, rain began to drizzle down onto the street. The lamplighter tore his eyes away, focusing instead on a streetlamp he had not yet closed up. The rain was growing heavier fast, and an idea popped into Callahan's mind. He called out to the lamplighter.

Hey! The rain will start pouring soon!
Insightful!
No, i mean, come here! You can stay here until the shower lets up!

The lamplighter glanced up the street then towards Callahan's shop, and up at the sky. He picked up his lamp and trotted over to Callahan who ushered him into his shop. Callahan closed the door and shook some droplets off of himself, turning around to find the lamplighter wringing his cloak out and dripping all over his floor. Callahan was mortified.

STOP, stop, stop, stop, stop.

The lamplighter jumped and looked up to see Callahan rushing behind the counter (while still chanting "stop"). He heard drawers and the rattling of items. Callahan emerged from behind the counter with a few towels in hand. He laid one on the puddle the boy had made and told him to stand on the towel. Then he removed the boy's hat and cloak, to his surprise, and replacing it with another towel. Callahan told him to stay still while he went upstairs to wring out and hang the clothes he was carrying. Callahan came back down with a fresh set of clothes to find that the boy had actually stayed very still. The towel was still drapped around his shoulders. He looked at Callahan with concern, as if unsure of what to do. Callahan smiled at him bemusedly, and placed the pile of clothes on an old dresser. He strode over to the boy and dried his hair for him with the towel, then proceeded to wipe his face. At that point, the lamplighter protested, claiming he could do it himself. Callahan looked at the boy's indignant face. He realized that the boy was rather pretty, and squished his cheeks in. The boy bristled and fought his way out of Callahan's grasp, backing into a table.

What do you think you're doing?! Are you some kind of creep?
Ah, sorry...impulse...? (..creep?)
Impulse, my ass! Do you get the impulse to just stare at strangers, drinking a cup of tea while standing on the streets too?

Callahan snapped up, remembering the lamp. He looked around his store and found the lamp resting on the floor near the entrance. He explained to the lamplighter that he was not staring at him, but at the lamp instead. The lamplighter became on guard at the mention of the lamp and moved to stand between Callahan and his lamp. Callahan hastily explained that he did not intend to take it and that he was only intrigued by it. It did not do much to convince the boy, who had looked around the store enough to know Callahan was in the business of antique collection. Callahan sighed and promised that he would not touch the lamp without the lamplighter's permission. Attempting to change the subject (and run away from this awkward staredown), Callahan offered to make tea for them both while they waited the rain out. The lamplighter placed his lamp on the table in silence and pulled up a chair. 

Callahan placed a tray with two cups of tea and some biscuits on the table, giving one of the cups to the boy on a saucer. The boy stared at the tea and looked pointedly at Callahan. Callahan denied adding anything funny in the tea. The boy asked for Callahan's cup instead. Callahan rolled his eyes but did as requested, switching the cups. The lamplighter tasted his tea only after watching Callahan drink his own. A long silence passed between them, with only the shower of rain filling the quiet room. 

The lamplighter broke the silence. He asked why Callahan was interested in his lamp. Callahan perked up at that and proceeded to tell the boy everything. The boy seemed to listen, and sometimes looked mildly concerned, likely uncomfortable with how long Callahan had been watching him. 

When Callahan reached their current point in time in his story, the boy looked at his empty cup in thought. He told Callahan that the lamp was a mystery even to himself. His father died of illness when he was 14 years old and left him with the house and every penny he had managed to save for him. The old man had given the lamp to him before he died, telling him to keep it safe and that in turn, it would do the same for him.  He had no idea what his father meant; he still didn't, but it seemed important to his father that he kept the lamp by his side, so he did. He was not left with much choice after that but to take up his father's old job as the lamplighter. He's been getting by ever since. He had never thought to examine the lamp as much as Callahan did. Clearly, the other man was much more interested in its mysteries than he was. He proposed a deal. If Callahan could figure out how to open the lamp, or find out if the lamp had any kind of message, he could tinker with it under the lamplighter's watch. Before Callahan could express his joy, the lamplighter stood and grabbed the handle of the lamp. He fixed Callahan with a stern and serious look. He wanted to make a point that he would never part with the lamp. So if Callahan had intentions of trying to buy the lamp off him or trying to trade it for some other trinket, he would like to hear it right there and then so that he would be able to reject it and leave. Callahan solemnly swore that he needed nothing more than to be able to figure out how the lamp worked. The lamplighter held his stare for a few moment longer before dropping his gaze and lifting the lamp from the table. Callahan followed his gaze out through the large front window of the store, realizing that the rain was almost over. He asked the lamplighter to wait while he went upstairs to fetch his clothes for him. 

Callahan came back down with a satchel in hand, explaining that he had also packed some cookies and tea, as well as a set of his own old clothes that he hoped would fit the boy. The lamplighter had a weird look on his face. Offended? Neverheless, the lamplighter accepted the satchel and made sure to tell Callahan that it didn't gain him any favor. The lamplighter put on his hat as he opened the door. Callahan saw him out and watched him continue lighting the streetlamps for a while. He realized he hadn't asked his name.

Relations:

• Vail Wilkes - The lamplighter who carried a strange lamp that caught Callahan's interest. Soon, Callahan became interested in Vail himself.
• Dunham Whittaker - Father who he inherited the business from. Retired.
• Serena Joaquin Whittaker - Mother. Retired seamstress.
• Angel Woodrow Whittaker - Sister. Has the same tastes as Callahan. Journalist.
  

Trivia:

• He wishes he had paid more attention in class and pursued a higher education. He doesn't like people jabbing at him for that.
• Hopeless romantic.
• Enjoys cleaning, especially polishing.
• Itchy hands. He likes to fiddle with things, especially stuff that make nice mechanical sounds.
  

Personal Notes

• Knows about hidden paintings in the outer edges of old books
  
• Cryptex and locks and gears; puzzle boxes are his specialty