[hider=Toby, Mistress of Fire]
[hr][hr][center][color=#63B8FF][h1]Toby[/h1][/color]
[img]https://i.lensdump.com/i/8fR3RA.jpg[/img]

[color=#63B8FF][i]There is a great fire that burns in Madame Toby's heart, a terrible, beautiful thing, that devours all it touches, and you would do well to stay away from her, my young friend.[/i][/color]
[color=darkgray][b]— Perigot[/b][/color][/center]
[hr][hr]

[color=#63B8FF][b][u]A True Name[/u][/b][/color]
[indent]Theresa Howell[/indent]
[color=#63B8FF][b][u]A Stage Name[/u][/b][/color]
[indent]The Brilliant Blue Blaze[/indent]
[color=#63B8FF][b][u]The Date One Joined the Circus[/u][/b][/color]
[indent]1837[/indent]
[color=#63B8FF][b][u]Act[/u][/b][/color]
[indent]Toby is an accomplished [color=#63B8FF]fire performer[/color] and regales the crowds that make their way to the circus with breathtaking displays involving the manipulation of fire. Chiefly, her acts center on object manipulation, using props designed to be lit on fire. She has also taken time to master the so-called 'fakir' skills; fire breathing, fire eating, and body burning.[/indent]

[color=#63B8FF][b][u]Mystical Power[/u][/b][/color]
[indent]As part of her contract with the Ringmaster, Toby has been gifted with the ability to create and control fire. An unexpected boon of this is that she is also impervious to fire, the same, however, cannot be said for her clothing.[/indent]

[color=#63B8FF][b][u]Compulsion[/u][/b][/color]
[indent]
[color=#63B8FF]"I'm afraid I can't do that, Raymond."[/color]

"Listen, girl, we don't have time for this."

[color=#63B8FF]"I know, I know, but I [b]can't[/b].[/color]

"What!? Why not!? Have some sense! If we stay here we are all going to die!"

[color=#63B8FF]"Raymond,"[/color] Toby said, anger heavy in her voice, [color=#63B8FF]"You know there is a price for our contracts. I won't say it again, [b]I can't and I won't leave innocent people to die[/b]."[/color]

Realization seemed to dawn on Raymond and he shrugged, "I see, well then...let's go Perigot."

"Ah, I think I shall stay, Monsieur Raymond. It would be a shame to miss the finale of what has been such an interesting act, no?"

"Look, Perigot, there's no sense throwing our lives away for some nameless villagers, we have more important battles to fight."

"All the same," Perigot replied drawing the sword hidden within his cane and grinning in Toby's direction, "I believe Madame Toby is correct in this matter."

Raymond cursed loudly, shaking his head, but drawing the heavy revolver he carried from within his greatcoat. He pointed an accusatory finger at the fire dancer, "You're going to get us killed, killed for absolutely nothing, I hope you know that, Toby."

[color=#63B8FF]"Better to go out in a blaze of glory, than live a long life as a coward, Raymond,"[/color] Toby retorted with a laugh as the flames began to envelope her hands. [color=#63B8FF]"Besides, what did you think, that we'd all get to retire one day?"[/color]
[/indent]

[color=#63B8FF][b][u]The Price of Power[/u][/b][/color]
[indent]"Didn't sleep, Madame Toby?" Perigot asked, eying the tired looking women that stumbled past him with a cup of tea in her hands and a thin blanket wrapped around her shoulders.

"No."

"The same dream?"

Toby smiled weakly, running a hand wearily through her long hair, [color=#63B8FF]"Yes."[/color] 

Pirgot nodded, frowning, and pausing to stroke his sizable but well-kept mustache, "Tell me about it, once more, if you don't mind that is."

Toby sighed, but sat down next to him, taking a sip from the cup of warm tea in her hands. [color=#63B8FF]"I dreamt of fire, a world full of fire...it was so beautiful Perigot...a brilliant blue...pure and untouched by the darkness."[/color] 

The frown on Perigot's face deepened and he turned to look at the young woman, who's eyes seemed lost on the horizon.

[color=#63B8FF]"I could hear it, Perigot, speaking to me...the fire...it was alive. It whispered secrets to me...it told me so many things... it begged... it pleaded with me to release it from the prison that held it. It offered me...it offered me..."[/color] 

The woman stopped speaking, alarming Perigot, but he touched her hand gently with his own and urged her to continue. "What did it offer you, Toby?

[color=#63B8FF]"Power," she replied, letting her shoulders sag, and staring into the cup of tea. "It offered me power, if only I would set it free, power to end this game once and for all."[/color] 

"Have you told the Ringmaster about your dreams?"

[color=#63B8FF]"No."[/color] 

"I see," Perigot replied once more running a hand over his mustache, there was no judgement in his voice, but for the first time in many years, he felt a pang of fear course through his body.

[/indent]

[color=#63B8FF][b][u]Why One Joined the Circus.[/u][/b][/color] 
[indent]"Why did you join this circus, Toby?" Chloe asked, shivering from the cold despite the thick winter jacket that she wore. 

[color=#63B8FF]"I was cold and I needed some warmth in my life,"[/color] Toby replied, summoning a small flame that danced in the palm of her hand before fading into the darkness of the night.

"Oh, come on, Toby, tell me...I promise, I won't tell the others. It'll be our secret!"

The laughter that followed filled Chloe with a sudden warmth and for a moment she almost forgot they were trudging through a forest in the middle of a blizzard. Not that one could tell by looking at the Toby, she still hadn't put on so much as a sweater, and her skirt was far too short for a cold winter night. 

[color=#63B8FF]"I suppose this once, I'll make an exception, just for you, Chloe,"[/color] Toby finally replied, with a mischievous wink.

"Yay! So how'd you end up here!?"

[color=#63B8FF]"I found him, the Ringmaster that is, I sought him out, he had something I needed."[/color]

"What? Money? Power? Beauty!?" the young girl asked, excitedly rattling off a long list of potential boons.

Toby laughed again, patting Chloe affectionately on the head, [color=#63B8FF]"No, nothing so vulgar or vain."[/color]

"Then what did he give you?"

[color=#63B8FF]"Answers, Chloe, he gave me answers."[/color][/indent]

[color=#63B8FF][b][u]A Biography[/u][/b][/color]
[indent]"What do you know about her, Perigot?"

"Why, my dear Allan, whomever do you mean?"

"Toby."

"Ah, Madame Toby, but of course. You've taken a liking to her haven't you, you rascal? I can see the fire in your eyes! Passion can a dangerous thing, Allan."

"N-no...I-I was just curious! Why do you always have to be so difficult Perigot? Just tell me what you know, please?"

"Not much more than you, my friend," Perigot replied with a small chuckle. "You know how she is. She cultivates an air of mystery about her person, as your Dickens would say. She tells a different story every time she is asked about her past."

"Yes, but surely you've heard something, Perigot...you've been here almost as long as she has, haven't you?"

"Oui, I have, but that only means I've heard more of her stories than you have, Allan."

"Sure, but-"

"Ah, Allan, brave, foolish Allan," Perigot began, wrapping an arm gently around the youth's shoulder. "A word of advice to you, my young friend, drop the matter before you are burned."[/indent]

[color=#63B8FF][b][u]A Connection[/u][/b][/color]
[indent][i]Will add as characters are added[/i][/indent]

[color=#63B8FF][b][u]The Audition[/u][/b][/color]
[indent]Monsieur Auguste Perigot was impressed, very impressed. Not for the same reason as the villagers that surrounded him, of course not, but nonetheless he was feeling positively inspired.
 
Indeed, he had taken the liberty of examining the props that the woman was using before the show had started and he had not detected the presence of any chemicals that could act as accelerating agents. 

He was curious as to how she had done it. Managing to light a bonfire without so much as a piece of tinder was no small feet. A slight of hand seemed the most likely explanation, but Perigot secretly hoped for a more fascinating explanation.

Caught in his thoughts, Perigot almost missed the young woman softly, almost lovingly, retrieving an ember from the heart of the burgeoning blaze. He marveled at her self-control, even with the proper protective salves, which he assumed she must have applied to her skin, it would have been a most painful action. She let the ember roll slowly over her arms and across her shoulders as she danced gracefully across the open space in the center of the circus ring. Finally, bending her neck and rolling her head slowly, she let the ember dance through her hair, before snuffing it out with a quick touch of her hand. 

With a playful bow, she turned to face the audience, approaching the fire in the center of the ring as if approaching a dance partner, bowing low, before jumping into the flame without so much as a moment of hesitation. 

Shouts of surprise and horror filled the circus tent as the woman vanished into the fearsome inferno that seemed to be reaching for the very ceiling.

"Ladies and gentleman! Fear not! All is going according to plan!" the ringmaster calmly said and it was only his powerful voice that that kept the panicking audience in their seats.

Minutes, long minutes passed before the woman emerged from the brilliant blaze. Unscathed and untouched by the fire, she was merely covered in a bit of ash. However, Perigot could not help but notice that she was distinctly unclothed. The elegant dress she had worn had fared far worse and appeared to be the sole victim of the fire.

Smiling broadly to the still shocked audience the woman bowed as a stagehand came dashing out with a cloak that he wrapped around her, restoring some sense of modesty to the performer. A gasp of collective wonder escaped from the crowd, followed by loud cheers, then applause, and even Perigot could not help but be amazed at what he had just witnessed.

Leaving his seat, Perigot idly wondered how he could convince the performer to tell him the nature of her act. 

He had to know... 
[/indent]
[/hider]
[hider=Monsieur Auguste Perigot, Strongman]
[hr][hr][center][color=burlywood][h1]Monsieur Auguste Perigot[/h1][/color]
[img]https://i.lensdump.com/i/8fRmxq.jpg[/img]

[color=burlywood][i]Yes, I know, Auguste is quite full of himself, but he's a good man, beneath all that pomp and circumstance that is...[/i][/color]
[color=darkgray][b]— Toby[/b][/color][/center]
[hr][hr]

[color=burlywood][b][u]A True Name[/u][/b][/color]
[indent]Auguste Perigot[/indent]
[color=burlywood][b][u]A Stage Name[/u][/b][/color]
[indent]Atlas, [i]the French Hercules[/i][/indent]
[color=burlywood][b][u]The Date One Joined the Circus[/u][/b][/color]
[indent]1840[/indent]
[color=burlywood][b][u]Act[/u][/b][/color]
[indent]Perigot is the resident strongman of the circus. He amazes visitors with great feats of strength and fortitude. Displaying an unbelievable level of strength and a remarkable talent for surviving physical blows that seem virtually guaranteed to kill any other human being.[/indent]

[color=burlywood][b][u]Mystical Power[/u][/b][/color]
[indent]As part of his contract with the Ringmaster, Perigot has been gifted with increased physical abilities, he is incredibly strong and resistant to physical damage.[/indent]

[color=burlywood][b][u]Compulsion[/u][/b][/color]
[indent]
[color=burlywood]"Compulsion, ah, you want to know what my particular compulsion is?"[/color]

"Yes."

[color=burlywood]"[b]I see, well, it's quite simple really, I can no longer read any books[/b]. A heavy price to pay for a man of learning, like me, but we must all sacrifice something for our gifts..."[/color]

"That's awful, Perigot!"

[color=burlywood]"It is a terrible curse indeed,"[/color] Perigot agreed, sniffling slightly and very sadly. [color=burlywood]"However, a true scholar does not give up when faced with what appears to be the most insurmountable of obstacles."[/color] 

"What do you mean?"

[color=burlywood]"I have found another way to study the ancient tomes. As it turns out, Madame Toby is a voracious reader and she serves as my eyes. In turn I have taught her much, she knows the the languages of the old masters almost as well as I do and with her generous help my work continues...albeit at a slightly slower pace."[/color]

[/indent]

[color=burlywood][b][u]Why One Joined the Circus.[/u][/b][/color] 
[indent]
"Perigot?" Toby began, putting down the half-empty flask of whiskey which she had been drinking onto the simple barrel which served as their table.

[color=burlywood]"Yes, Toby?"[/color]

"Why did you join the circus anyways? You've never told me that...we're friends right? Surely, you owe me at least a story?"

[color=burlywood]"Oui, oui, I suppose I do,"[/color] Perigot said smiling, slowly smoking from the pipe he held in his hand. "You see, Madame Toby, I may be an expert on all matters of the occult, the arcane, and the supernatural...but most importantly I am a man of science."

"What?"

[color=burlywood]"You are confused, I see, but let me explain, I came here for answers, not the answers which you sought, no, answers of a much larger scope, answers pertaining to the very nature of reality and the fabric that surrounds our world."[/color]

Toby could not help but laugh at her friend, he was always so ridiculous, "Of course, Monsieur August Perigot, the great scientist and thinker was looking for the truth of all existence! While, I, a simple peasant wench was asking questions far too vulgar for such an enlightened scholar."

[color=burlywood]"Precisely Toby, precisely,"[/color] Perigot added with an even louder laugh. [color=burlywood]"Fear not my old friend, one day, in the distant future, I am sure, some of my genius and ambition will rub off onto you."[/color]
[/indent]

[color=burlywood][b][u]A Biography[/u][/b][/color]
[indent]
"What do you wish to know?"

[color=burlywood]"Where are you from, Mr. Perigot? You have a funny accent,"[/color] one of the children asked, stifling a giggle with her small hands. 

[color=burlywood]"Paris, of course...France, do you need to see it on a map?"[/color] Perigot incredulously answered. [color=burlywood]"First arrondissement, a lovely district found in the heart of that ancient city. Although it was much different when I lived there, now, I am afraid, it has been surrendered to hordes of invaders..tourists I believe they are called?"[/color]

"What's with your clothing?" a young boy, Johnathan, interjected.

[color=burlywood]"Ah, well you see, my young charge, I am a member of the aristocracy, a man of great standing...or well I was, once, in a different time. A man of my status must be well-dressed at all times..."[/color]

"A-aristocracy, what does that mean?"

"It means he was born with money and grew up to be a spoiled brat," Toby said, interrupting Perigot with a mischievous look on her face, just as he was about to reply.

[color=burlywood]"Non, do not listen to her children, it means that I am man of great learning and culture."[/color]

"Does that mean you're a doctor?"

[color=burlywood]"No, not quite, I'm a scientist, you see, I have dabbled in many things in my time. Chemistry, alchemy, and magic chief among them."[/color]

"You're a wizard?"

"He prefers the term occultist, Elizabeth."

[color=burlywood]"Indeed, children, Madame Toby is correct. Wizard, warlock, magician, and witch are all terms that bring about so many unwarranted assumptions and so much unfortunate history,"[/color] Perigot replied, nodding gratefully in Toby's direction, having missed the sarcasm that was apparent in her voice.
[/indent]

[color=burlywood][b][u]A Connection[/u][/b][/color]
[indent]

"This is doesn't concern you, Perigot."

[color=burlywood]"I'm afraid it does, Monsieur Caldwell. You see, Toby is my friend, one of my most closet friends in fact. As such I must insist that-"[/color]

"Perigot! Look, that's nice but-" 

[color=burlywood]"Now, I must admit, I do not have many friends and I find it very troublesome to make new ones. As you well know, I can be a difficult man to get along with, but she has always tolerated my eccentricities and my obsessions. Therefore, I am afraid that I cannot in good conscience allow you to-"[/color]

"Enough, Perigot! I don't care! Step aside, this is between me and that damnable woman."

[color=burlywood]"Non, I will not Monsieur, if you wish to-"[/color]

"Perigot," Toby said with a loud cough, rising unsteadily to her feat, wiping the blood from her mouth, and placing a heavy hand on the shoulder of the Frenchman. "It's fine, I'll be fine, just step aside."

Perigot hands tightened around the sword cane he carried, his knuckles turning white as the wood screamed in protest from the pressure of his grip, [color=burlywood]"As you wish, Madame Toby."[/color]
[/indent]

[color=burlywood][b][u]The Audition[/u][/b][/color]
[indent]
"Ladies and gentleman!" The ringmaster shouted. "Next, for your great entertainment, I humbly present to you, the strongest man in the world! Our very own French Hercules, Atlas!"

Peaking out from behind the curtain, Toby scoffed loudly to herself, Perigot always had to be such a braggart. [i]Strongest man in the world, I wonder why he hasn't claimed the title of strongest man in the universe already?[/i]

Stepping into the center of the ring, wearing a simple leotard, adorned with blue and white stripes, Auguste was far smaller than most other strongmen of the day. It was true, Toby thought, that he was larger than most normal men, but he was nowhere near the giant that other men of his profession were.

Pausing in the center of the ring, Perigot offered a quick bow, and then waved for the stagehands. A loud murmur escaped the audience as a large horse tram or car, drawn by two horses was brought out. The car was full of performers, clowns, jugglers, and acrobats...the performers who had mere moments earlier entertained the audience.

"Silence, please!" The Ringmaster said, his voice no longer a shout, but still somehow carrying across the circus tent.

Smiling, Perigot, slapped his hands together, stretching his fingers as he walked towards the center of the horse tram. Bending his knees, he brought his large hands and arms beneath the metal carriage. Toby felt sure she could have heard a pin drop, so quiet was the audience.

With a loud roar, almost like that of a lion, Perigot pushed his arms skyward, raising the horse car above his head. Toby of course, knew that he was not done, she had seen his act enough times. Spinning slowly in a circle, he raised and lowered the tram effortlessly above his head, smiling the entire time.

"Behold! Atlas! The Incredible French Hercules!" The ringmaster finally shouted as Perigot gently lowered the tram full of his fellow circus performers to the ground. Raising his hands triumphantly above his head, Perigot gracefully accepted the roaring applause and loud cheers that followed with a simple nod of his head.
[/indent]
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