Big Dicc Ringmaster
The Ringmaster, Aiden Magnus
Majoras End
Literally Hot
The Fire Performer, Theresa "Toby" Howell
Sightseer
Toby
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.
— Perigot
A True Name
Theresa Howell
A Stage Name
The Brilliant Blue Blaze
The Date One Joined the Circus
1837
Act
Toby is an accomplished fire performer 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.
Mystical Power
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.
Compulsion
"I'm afraid I can't do that, Raymond."
"Listen, girl, we don't have time for this."
"I know, I know, but I can't.
"What!? Why not!? Have some sense! If we stay here we are all going to die!"
"Raymond," Toby said, anger heavy in her voice, "You know there is a price for our contracts. I won't say it again, I can't and I won't leave innocent people to die."
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."
"Better to go out in a blaze of glory, than live a long life as a coward, Raymond," Toby retorted with a laugh as the flames began to envelope her hands. "Besides, what did you think, that we'd all get to retire one day?"
"Listen, girl, we don't have time for this."
"I know, I know, but I can't.
"What!? Why not!? Have some sense! If we stay here we are all going to die!"
"Raymond," Toby said, anger heavy in her voice, "You know there is a price for our contracts. I won't say it again, I can't and I won't leave innocent people to die."
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."
"Better to go out in a blaze of glory, than live a long life as a coward, Raymond," Toby retorted with a laugh as the flames began to envelope her hands. "Besides, what did you think, that we'd all get to retire one day?"
The Price of Power
"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, "Yes."
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. "I dreamt of fire, a world full of fire...it was so beautiful Perigot...a brilliant blue...pure and untouched by the darkness."
The frown on Perigot's face deepened and he turned to look at the young woman, who's eyes seemed lost on the horizon.
"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..."
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?
"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."
"Have you told the Ringmaster about your dreams?"
"No."
"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.
"No."
"The same dream?"
Toby smiled weakly, running a hand wearily through her long hair, "Yes."
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. "I dreamt of fire, a world full of fire...it was so beautiful Perigot...a brilliant blue...pure and untouched by the darkness."
The frown on Perigot's face deepened and he turned to look at the young woman, who's eyes seemed lost on the horizon.
"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..."
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?
"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."
"Have you told the Ringmaster about your dreams?"
"No."
"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.
Why One Joined the Circus.
"Why did you join this circus, Toby?" Chloe asked, shivering from the cold despite the thick winter jacket that she wore.
"I was cold and I needed some warmth in my life," 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.
"I suppose this once, I'll make an exception, just for you, Chloe," Toby finally replied, with a mischievous wink.
"Yay! So how'd you end up here!?"
"I found him, the Ringmaster that is, I sought him out, he had something I needed."
"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, "No, nothing so vulgar or vain."
"Then what did he give you?"
"Answers, Chloe, he gave me answers."
"I was cold and I needed some warmth in my life," 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.
"I suppose this once, I'll make an exception, just for you, Chloe," Toby finally replied, with a mischievous wink.
"Yay! So how'd you end up here!?"
"I found him, the Ringmaster that is, I sought him out, he had something I needed."
"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, "No, nothing so vulgar or vain."
"Then what did he give you?"
"Answers, Chloe, he gave me answers."
A Biography
"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."
"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."
A Connection
Will add as characters are added
The Audition
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...
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...
Thicc Boi
The Strongman, Auguste Perigot
Sightseer
Monsieur Auguste Perigot
Yes, I know, Auguste is quite full of himself, but he's a good man, beneath all that pomp and circumstance that is...
— Toby
A True Name
Auguste Perigot
A Stage Name
Atlas, the French Hercules
The Date One Joined the Circus
1840
Act
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.
Mystical Power
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.
Compulsion
"Compulsion, ah, you want to know what my particular compulsion is?"
"Yes."
"I see, well, it's quite simple really, I can no longer read any books. A heavy price to pay for a man of learning, like me, but we must all sacrifice something for our gifts..."
"That's awful, Perigot!"
"It is a terrible curse indeed," Perigot agreed, sniffling slightly and very sadly. "However, a true scholar does not give up when faced with what appears to be the most insurmountable of obstacles."
"What do you mean?"
"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."
"Yes."
"I see, well, it's quite simple really, I can no longer read any books. A heavy price to pay for a man of learning, like me, but we must all sacrifice something for our gifts..."
"That's awful, Perigot!"
"It is a terrible curse indeed," Perigot agreed, sniffling slightly and very sadly. "However, a true scholar does not give up when faced with what appears to be the most insurmountable of obstacles."
"What do you mean?"
"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."
Why One Joined the Circus.
"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.
"Yes, Toby?"
"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?"
"Oui, oui, I suppose I do," 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?"
"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."
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."
"Precisely Toby, precisely," Perigot added with an even louder laugh. "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."
"Yes, Toby?"
"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?"
"Oui, oui, I suppose I do," 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?"
"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."
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."
"Precisely Toby, precisely," Perigot added with an even louder laugh. "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."
A Biography
"What do you wish to know?"
"Where are you from, Mr. Perigot? You have a funny accent," one of the children asked, stifling a giggle with her small hands.
"Paris, of course...France, do you need to see it on a map?" Perigot incredulously answered. "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?"
"What's with your clothing?" a young boy, Johnathan, interjected.
"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..."
"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.
"Non, do not listen to her children, it means that I am man of great learning and culture."
"Does that mean you're a doctor?"
"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."
"You're a wizard?"
"He prefers the term occultist, Elizabeth."
"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," Perigot replied, nodding gratefully in Toby's direction, having missed the sarcasm that was apparent in her voice.
"Where are you from, Mr. Perigot? You have a funny accent," one of the children asked, stifling a giggle with her small hands.
"Paris, of course...France, do you need to see it on a map?" Perigot incredulously answered. "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?"
"What's with your clothing?" a young boy, Johnathan, interjected.
"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..."
"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.
"Non, do not listen to her children, it means that I am man of great learning and culture."
"Does that mean you're a doctor?"
"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."
"You're a wizard?"
"He prefers the term occultist, Elizabeth."
"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," Perigot replied, nodding gratefully in Toby's direction, having missed the sarcasm that was apparent in her voice.
A Connection
"This is doesn't concern you, Perigot."
"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-"
"Perigot! Look, that's nice but-"
"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-"
"Enough, Perigot! I don't care! Step aside, this is between me and that damnable woman."
"Non, I will not Monsieur, if you wish to-"
"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, "As you wish, Madame Toby."
"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-"
"Perigot! Look, that's nice but-"
"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-"
"Enough, Perigot! I don't care! Step aside, this is between me and that damnable woman."
"Non, I will not Monsieur, if you wish to-"
"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, "As you wish, Madame Toby."
The Audition
"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. Strongest man in the world, I wonder why he hasn't claimed the title of strongest man in the universe already?
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.
Peaking out from behind the curtain, Toby scoffed loudly to herself, Perigot always had to be such a braggart. Strongest man in the world, I wonder why he hasn't claimed the title of strongest man in the universe already?
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.
Weird Fish Demon
The Daredevil, Light
Archmage MC
Light Void
Shining Star of the Void
The Date they Joined the Circus: A few months before present time.
The Act they perform when not on the combat team - Daredevil
Power gained from the Contract: Bound to the world
Cost: Light can not lie at all to anyone, nor can she intentionally bring things into the Void unless the Ringmaster says so.
Why they Joined the Circus.
- Light joined the circus more for fun and the Ringmaster was her best choice to do what she was there to do. Sure, she is there to make sure the balance of the world is kept, but the Ringmaster was one of the more fun ways to do her job. Considering it was him, a shady necromancer, or a bunch of dark wizards following some weird cult, Light decided the circus would be way better. Besides, being part of the circus was better for her conscious, her downtime, and overall just nicer to be around.
Their Biography
- "Biogrophy huh? Well, I guess I can talk a little about myself. So, first things first. I'm a Void Demon, from the Void, if you couldn't tell by the whole title thing. But thats not why you asked me to talk about myself right? No one is interested in what the Void is or what goes on there I'm sure. So lets talk about this whole circus thing!
Well, you see, the Ringmaster was probably my best choice to do what I came to the world to do. What is that? Well, to put it simply, to keep the balance of this world. I'm surprised so many supernatural things want to disrupt that! Don't they know how utterly bad that can be? Apparently not, considering. And while the Ringmaster wasn't my only choice to help me along with that, he was easily the best. Preferably I would've liked to not be bound to a contract, but it couldn't be helped. I mean, you should've seen the atrocious bad luck I had when I popped into this world from a void rift. There was no way I could do much of anything with luck so bad it made a slapstick cartoon look like a peace rally! Also things felt... really weird. Its hard to describe. But thats in the past now.
And I'll be honest, this contract thing isn't all that big of a deal. Void creatures don't have souls, so all I have to do is follow some simple things, a few commands here and there, and participate in something I enjoy. This circus thing is really fun. Get to do all these weird things as long as they're dangerous and risky. And every day more and more things are thought up by these humans, so I'll never run out of material! It'd be nice if I didn't have to fight everything when I'm out doing that part of my job, but apparently very few supernatural or demon things actually wanna talk. Oh well, guess that can't be helped. Shame for most of them too, I'm sorta built for combat. Kinda have to be, considering most things who try to upset a world's balance tend to be violent or require violence to deal with.
But still, the circus is fun! And sometimes I can give out autographs! Guess people don't care too much about the teeth when they know you wont hurt them. And I don't touch them long enough for them to feel the entropy of the Void, so I don't have to worry about that little snag either!"
Their Connections
- Light is a relatively new person to the circus, only having been there for a few months. She tends to come off as an airhead due to her playful nature and her attempts to try to be friendly to everyone, plus her flirty nature doesn't help much either. Although sometimes she lets slip her actual intelligence, which tends to throw those who know her off guard. <Insert rest when cast is finalized>
Their Audition
- After watching such spectacular performances from many different acts, out came someone who looked like danger. The white and striped American looking outfit she wore was one thing, but it also looked like this performer wore some kind of mascot helmet or something. Well, thats what the onlooker thought before they saw her eyes and mouth were far too expressive for a mask. Whatever she was wearing, it was really impressive! Without saying much besides a bow, this lady moved over to what looked like a junk pile. Throwing a crate aside, she started to rip apart the scrap with her bare hands and use the scrap to make a makeshift, almost cartoony looking scrap cannon.
With a bow and a smile, this crazy lady jumped into something that looked like it could explode any minute! And explode it did, launching this person out and through the bigtop. Or, it looked like she would fly right through the tent, until the onlookers saw that she had vanished in a blur of absolute blackness. And not long after, the crate that had been set out before opened up, revealing the daredevil lady unharmed! With a short bow, she cleaned up the mess she made and made her way backstage, ushering in the next act.
Shining Star of the Void
The Date they Joined the Circus: A few months before present time.
The Act they perform when not on the combat team - Daredevil
Power gained from the Contract: Bound to the world
Cost: Light can not lie at all to anyone, nor can she intentionally bring things into the Void unless the Ringmaster says so.
Why they Joined the Circus.
- Light joined the circus more for fun and the Ringmaster was her best choice to do what she was there to do. Sure, she is there to make sure the balance of the world is kept, but the Ringmaster was one of the more fun ways to do her job. Considering it was him, a shady necromancer, or a bunch of dark wizards following some weird cult, Light decided the circus would be way better. Besides, being part of the circus was better for her conscious, her downtime, and overall just nicer to be around.
Their Biography
- "Biogrophy huh? Well, I guess I can talk a little about myself. So, first things first. I'm a Void Demon, from the Void, if you couldn't tell by the whole title thing. But thats not why you asked me to talk about myself right? No one is interested in what the Void is or what goes on there I'm sure. So lets talk about this whole circus thing!
Well, you see, the Ringmaster was probably my best choice to do what I came to the world to do. What is that? Well, to put it simply, to keep the balance of this world. I'm surprised so many supernatural things want to disrupt that! Don't they know how utterly bad that can be? Apparently not, considering. And while the Ringmaster wasn't my only choice to help me along with that, he was easily the best. Preferably I would've liked to not be bound to a contract, but it couldn't be helped. I mean, you should've seen the atrocious bad luck I had when I popped into this world from a void rift. There was no way I could do much of anything with luck so bad it made a slapstick cartoon look like a peace rally! Also things felt... really weird. Its hard to describe. But thats in the past now.
And I'll be honest, this contract thing isn't all that big of a deal. Void creatures don't have souls, so all I have to do is follow some simple things, a few commands here and there, and participate in something I enjoy. This circus thing is really fun. Get to do all these weird things as long as they're dangerous and risky. And every day more and more things are thought up by these humans, so I'll never run out of material! It'd be nice if I didn't have to fight everything when I'm out doing that part of my job, but apparently very few supernatural or demon things actually wanna talk. Oh well, guess that can't be helped. Shame for most of them too, I'm sorta built for combat. Kinda have to be, considering most things who try to upset a world's balance tend to be violent or require violence to deal with.
But still, the circus is fun! And sometimes I can give out autographs! Guess people don't care too much about the teeth when they know you wont hurt them. And I don't touch them long enough for them to feel the entropy of the Void, so I don't have to worry about that little snag either!"
Their Connections
- Light is a relatively new person to the circus, only having been there for a few months. She tends to come off as an airhead due to her playful nature and her attempts to try to be friendly to everyone, plus her flirty nature doesn't help much either. Although sometimes she lets slip her actual intelligence, which tends to throw those who know her off guard. <Insert rest when cast is finalized>
Their Audition
- After watching such spectacular performances from many different acts, out came someone who looked like danger. The white and striped American looking outfit she wore was one thing, but it also looked like this performer wore some kind of mascot helmet or something. Well, thats what the onlooker thought before they saw her eyes and mouth were far too expressive for a mask. Whatever she was wearing, it was really impressive! Without saying much besides a bow, this lady moved over to what looked like a junk pile. Throwing a crate aside, she started to rip apart the scrap with her bare hands and use the scrap to make a makeshift, almost cartoony looking scrap cannon.
With a bow and a smile, this crazy lady jumped into something that looked like it could explode any minute! And explode it did, launching this person out and through the bigtop. Or, it looked like she would fly right through the tent, until the onlookers saw that she had vanished in a blur of absolute blackness. And not long after, the crate that had been set out before opened up, revealing the daredevil lady unharmed! With a short bow, she cleaned up the mess she made and made her way backstage, ushering in the next act.
Void Energy: Being made of the Void, Light's life energy is Void energy. Void energy gives Light the feeling of 'being hollow' when touched, scanned, and even gives off a bit of a creepy feeling when even looking at her. Since Light's energy is 'non existent', she is unable to be sensed for and is invisible to omnipresence abilities, nor does she appear in any kind of 'future visions'. If anyone or anything attempts to steal her energy, she will instead steal theirs at their drain rate and they will be affected by a greater version of Reality Siphon. Void Energy also gives Light a resistance to light, shadow, and divine attacks, an immunity to reality warping and soul based attacks, and any enchantments or spells that don't directly target her don't affect her, both positive and negative. Since Light is from the void, any brainless hostile void constructions will see her as friendly, and wont attack her.
Regeneration: Light can regenerate herself from nearly any harmful state as long as she has enough energy, including mental ones. Energy gained by Reality Siphon and her own natural reserves are used to fuel her regeneration. Chemical afflictions and strong magical afflictions take longer for her to regenerate from. Light passively gets enhanced natural regeneration. Light can reattached severed limbs, and has free control over her body should her head be knocked off. Light doesn't bleed, and is slightly malleable.
Void Shade: Light can astral project a shade of herself that can't interact with the outside world besides her Void Energy and Reality Siphon abilities. Light can pass through solid objects, fly, and makes no noise while moving besides a low, creepy, ominous hum. While in this state, Light's body is comatose, although she can return to her body whenever she wishes.
Should Light be killed, or more accurately her body, a Void Shade will emerge from where it was. This Void Shade has a great weakness to banishing and binding magic, is much slower than the normal Void Shade, and moves very slowly through walls. Eventually, Light's body will reform on the shade, although she will inherent any magical aliments she gained while in her shade form, which she can't regenerate or break herself free of on her own and must rely on outside magic or break those spells in order to cure herself.
Void Wraith: Should Light gain a ton of energy from Reality Siphon, she can temporarily embrace the void and turn into a Void Wraith. This form is much the same as her Void Shade, except she can freely interact with the physical world, her Reality Siphon now affects anything near her instead of things she touches, and all her other abilities are enhanced.
Shade Shift: Light can dash forward with intense speed over a very short distance. While dashing, Light is immune to all attacks that aren't Chaos based. This ability has a noticeable cooldown between uses, which can be reduced by energy gathered by Reality Siphon.
Super Strength: Light has greatly enhanced strength that is modified by her emotions. A sad state will make her weak, but an energetic or angry state will make her very strong. Being bound by Iron or Silver will sap Light of her strength.
Adaptation:
Light adapts quickly to surrounding terrain if its harmful to her, and will keep these adaptations until she leaves that terrain.
Reality Siphon: Since Light is from the Void, she steals the life and reality of the physical world. Anything she touches will lose its reality and energy as long as they are in contact with Light. If something stops touching Light, they will regain their stolen attributes over time, but while they have lost these attributes, they can only gain energy from their own metabolism. Should something lose all of its energy, it'll die, and if it loses all of its reality, it'll fade into the Void itself, losing everything in the process. It takes some time for something to lose all of its energy or reality, so unless your touching her consistently for more than a few days she can't kill you with this ability. Beings can have varying degrees of resistance to her energy stealing portions of this ability, but only void beings or reality warpers have a resistance to losing reality. Divine beings lose their reality quickly and have to be careful around her. This power is always on.
Pocket Space: Light can store objects inside a space inside her dress she calls 'pocket space'. Light can only store non living things in her pocket space.
Void Slip: Light can punch small personal wormholes and use them to teleport to any place in her sights or an extremely familiar place such as a base, an exit hole appearing at the spot she wants to teleport to. Should this exit hole not be placed on a solid object, Light will have a notable delay before she comes out of it. Only Light, things she wears, and objects stored in her pocket space can travel through these holes. These holes stay open for only a brief time.
Gift of Tongues: Light can understand and speak any language. She can't read or write any written language though.
Natural Weapons: Light's fingers end at sharp points that let her slash things. She likewise has sharp teeth much like a shark or piranha and feet that come to very sharp points she can use. Since her feet are so sharp, she has to step delicately or leave little holes wherever she walks, and has a hard time maneuvering on non solid surfaces like snow, sand, mud, ext...
Regeneration: Light can regenerate herself from nearly any harmful state as long as she has enough energy, including mental ones. Energy gained by Reality Siphon and her own natural reserves are used to fuel her regeneration. Chemical afflictions and strong magical afflictions take longer for her to regenerate from. Light passively gets enhanced natural regeneration. Light can reattached severed limbs, and has free control over her body should her head be knocked off. Light doesn't bleed, and is slightly malleable.
Void Shade: Light can astral project a shade of herself that can't interact with the outside world besides her Void Energy and Reality Siphon abilities. Light can pass through solid objects, fly, and makes no noise while moving besides a low, creepy, ominous hum. While in this state, Light's body is comatose, although she can return to her body whenever she wishes.
Should Light be killed, or more accurately her body, a Void Shade will emerge from where it was. This Void Shade has a great weakness to banishing and binding magic, is much slower than the normal Void Shade, and moves very slowly through walls. Eventually, Light's body will reform on the shade, although she will inherent any magical aliments she gained while in her shade form, which she can't regenerate or break herself free of on her own and must rely on outside magic or break those spells in order to cure herself.
Void Wraith: Should Light gain a ton of energy from Reality Siphon, she can temporarily embrace the void and turn into a Void Wraith. This form is much the same as her Void Shade, except she can freely interact with the physical world, her Reality Siphon now affects anything near her instead of things she touches, and all her other abilities are enhanced.
Shade Shift: Light can dash forward with intense speed over a very short distance. While dashing, Light is immune to all attacks that aren't Chaos based. This ability has a noticeable cooldown between uses, which can be reduced by energy gathered by Reality Siphon.
Super Strength: Light has greatly enhanced strength that is modified by her emotions. A sad state will make her weak, but an energetic or angry state will make her very strong. Being bound by Iron or Silver will sap Light of her strength.
Adaptation:
Light adapts quickly to surrounding terrain if its harmful to her, and will keep these adaptations until she leaves that terrain.
Reality Siphon: Since Light is from the Void, she steals the life and reality of the physical world. Anything she touches will lose its reality and energy as long as they are in contact with Light. If something stops touching Light, they will regain their stolen attributes over time, but while they have lost these attributes, they can only gain energy from their own metabolism. Should something lose all of its energy, it'll die, and if it loses all of its reality, it'll fade into the Void itself, losing everything in the process. It takes some time for something to lose all of its energy or reality, so unless your touching her consistently for more than a few days she can't kill you with this ability. Beings can have varying degrees of resistance to her energy stealing portions of this ability, but only void beings or reality warpers have a resistance to losing reality. Divine beings lose their reality quickly and have to be careful around her. This power is always on.
Pocket Space: Light can store objects inside a space inside her dress she calls 'pocket space'. Light can only store non living things in her pocket space.
Void Slip: Light can punch small personal wormholes and use them to teleport to any place in her sights or an extremely familiar place such as a base, an exit hole appearing at the spot she wants to teleport to. Should this exit hole not be placed on a solid object, Light will have a notable delay before she comes out of it. Only Light, things she wears, and objects stored in her pocket space can travel through these holes. These holes stay open for only a brief time.
Gift of Tongues: Light can understand and speak any language. She can't read or write any written language though.
Natural Weapons: Light's fingers end at sharp points that let her slash things. She likewise has sharp teeth much like a shark or piranha and feet that come to very sharp points she can use. Since her feet are so sharp, she has to step delicately or leave little holes wherever she walks, and has a hard time maneuvering on non solid surfaces like snow, sand, mud, ext...
Thirsty AF
The Temptress, Fatima Fletcher
Irisity
The Temptress
Note: The audience is fooled into believing that her skin is painted and her horns are glued to her skull
True Name
Fatima Fletcher
The Date she Joined the Circus
November 17th, 1693
Her Act
The Temptress is a contortionist who is almost...inhumanly flexible.
Her Powers
The Temptress is quite skilled at capturing a demon's heart. As a part of her contract, Fatima was blessed cursed with sinful demonic beauty. A truly holy man will look upon her and find her hideous, but those privy to sin, human and demon alike, will view one of the most gorgeous creatures alive. And while not all demons have hearts, the ones that do can easily sway under her control. Once obtaining a demon's heart (via carving it out of the host's or demonic body's flesh), it can either be destroyed and sent back to hell or kept in some way or another. She has a locked chest full of pulsing, oozing hearts of every color and size, but one demon she transformed into a familiar of sorts.
She carries it's heart around her neck in a red pendant. It appears to be a large black dog to those unfamiliar with the supernatural. It's rather hostile to anybody that's not her, and sometimes she will even take it into battle. While it's real name is Xor'aan, she prefers to call it Fauxtail. Her beauty and allure come with a price, though. She may lay with no man or woman until her contract is over.
And regarding combat facing a heartless demon, Fatima is talented with angelic blades, although she must wear special enchanted gloves in order to wield them or else her demonic hide burns.
Why she Joined the Circus
Cold and hungry in a winter-struck London, the Ringmaster saw Fatima's mortal beauty and knew it must live on, at least in some form. He approached the young girl one night and gave her a belly full of food and a bed to rest in before proposing his offer to her. She would never starve again, never worry about where to stay again. Fatima gladly signed her contract in red ink.
Her Biography
Born in the colony of Salem, MA in 1674, Fatima grew up a sweet little Puritan girl. Her father was an Englishman and her mother a Spaniard, something her fellow colonists didn't like too much. They thought her mother had been sent by the Spanish in Florida to infiltrate English colonies. When the Salem witch trials occurred, the town found good reason to hang Fatima's mother and put their worry of the Spaniards to rest. Devastated after watching her own mom burn at the stake, Fatima's father took her away to his native London to avoid any further discrimination from their fellow colonists. Sadly, after only a few months of being there, in September 1693 Fatima's dad came down with illness and quickly passed away. Her living conditions went from bad to worse and she was thrown to the street with no known relatives or family friends around to help her. At 19, she was completely alone in one of the biggest and most dangerous cities in the world. Many men offered her coin for a chance to bed her, but she refused to lower herself that way, instead seeking out the Anglican Church for help. Unfortunately, they knew she was raised Puritan and ran her off before she could receive any of their charity. By early November 1693, she was homeless, living in the filth of the streets and wearing the same ratty clothes she wore on arrival to England. All hope seemed lost, and she almost sold herself to a brothel, when one night the carnival came to the outskirts of London. All the commoners and lowborn folk flocked to this arena of sin, as her mother use to call them. But Fatima heard food was cheap and the entertainment was spectacular, so deciding to enjoy at least one night in this cruel world, Fatima cast aside her Puritan morals and attended the circus.
She saw the most fantastic performances! Men dipped swords down their throats like honey, swallowed fire as if it were only gin, and women bent their bodies into knots. It was fantastic and sinful and so enjoyable. During her visit, the Ringmaster was quick to spot the beauty from the crowd and know her potential. He extended his generosity after watching Fatima become entranced with the contortionist. He found her calling before she even signed the contract. After a full belly and a night's rest, the Ringmaster presented his peculiar offer to the Puritan girl. At first she was conflicted, worried that it was a trick of the devil and she was selling her soul away to hell. But after starving for weeks and weeks, she realized she didn't care who the Ringmaster really was. Whether he was as saint, a sinner, a nobleman, or a peasant, as long as she would be well fed and clothed, she would work for this man. And has ever since, for the last 325 years.
Their Connections
As one of the earliest members to join the carnival, Fatima often mentors the younger recruits that have similar contracts to hers. Those with body altercations can freak out a bit at first in their new skin; Fatima wouldn't look in the mirror for weeks after her skin turned gray and horns grew around her head. The new ones like that need a guide so they don't go inside in their new bodies.
Their Audition
The Ringmaster stands at the center of the platform, a wide grin set on his lips and his arms spread wide. "Thank you for being so patient, ladies and gentlemen," he says. The lights around the tent turn low and the stage seems to become brighter. "Our next act is an exotic beauty of sorts, one who can manipulate her body in ways no man ever could." A figure stirs in the shadows behind the Ringmaster. "Please give a round of applause, my dear audience, to the great Temptress!" Those who have seen her act before go wild, hollering and banging their seats. The Temptress steps fully onto the platform and the tents gasps with awe and fear. She is beautiful beyond measure. A sheer red cloth covers her nose and mouth, but her eyes, her fiery eyes, they capture every man in the room. She wears a loose red unitard with small golden stars stitched onto it. Her hair looks silky and soft, like one's hands might just glide through it. Wives grow jealous and clutch their husbands' arms for fear the Temptress might lure them away with just a glance. She grins from behind her cover. She dips and turns and seems to almost dance as she rests her chest onto the platform before bending her back up into the air and folding her legs over her body. Even mere boys lick their lips as the Temptress' uniform seems to constrict and tighten around her body, leaving little to the imagination. Before the audience can even fully comprehend her first position, she unfolds to stand on her legs, her body somehow swooping under itself. Her head goes from between her ankles to back where it belongs. Her cover has somehow perfectly stayed in place.
The audience cheers with excitement. What strength does she have to pull herself back up like that? The woman smiles, her eyes ablaze. She surveys the audience as they all continue to applaud. "I need a volunteer," she announces demurely, her eyes now avoiding the crowd. Men prop up in their seats, waving their arms frantically to try and gain her attention. Slowly, the Temptress steps off the platform and makes her way around the audience as the spotlight follows her. The closer she gets, the louder they become. The people she passes sigh in despair, but are quite pleased at the view of her backside. Eventually, after torturing half the arena, the woman finds a volunteer. She takes his hand and guides him to the stage. He grins and shouts back at his buddies in excitement. He looks to be only 19 and he's this close to a woman this beautiful and mystic. "You're gorgeous," he murmurs to her as they step onto the stage. She gives him a look, a look that makes him go weak in the knees. A sly smile hides behind her cover, but her cheekbones give it away.
A circus helper quickly plops a wooden chair onto the stage before scurrying out of the spotlight. They know better than to try and upstage the Temptress, even if they could somehow manage to. The woman pushes the volunteer into the seat. He barely reacts, his attention absolutely captured by the Temptress. He will dream of her for the rest of his life. The crowd murmurs in excitement. What shall she do now?
The Temptress circles around her volunteer. She can see the hairs on the back of his neck stand in excitement and anticipation.
Placing both hands on the spine of the chair, the Temptress lifts herself up into a handstand with incredible strength, The crowd cheers and the volunteer just stares up in awe as the Temptress looks down at him from above. She winks before turning her handstand around, the front of her body now facing her volunteer. Her hair tickles his head and he manages to smother a chuckle.
The audience lets out some oohs and aahs as she folds her back over her torso. Her legs stretch out into the air and rest beside the volunteer's head. His cheeks flush. The Temptress whispers in his ear as her legs seem to move of their own accord, waving and bending. If it's possible, the young man's face somehow grows even more red. The Temptress is folded so close to her own self that her horns graze her lower back. Men watch with envy as her legs move over the volunteer's shoulders and collarbone. What they wouldn't do to be between her legs like that.
For her final bit, the Temptress removes one hand from the spine of the chair and balances almost perfectly. Her one arm shakes a little, but she keeps her balance before bending her body back, her feet resuming on the solid ground. The crowd cheers and hollers as she bows. The volunteer's eyes looked glazed over, his mind obviously somewhere else. She gives him a little peck on the cheek and thanks him for coming onto the stage.
Why So Serious?
The Harlequin, Connor Sullivan
CaptainSully
TRUE NAME ————————————————————————————
Connor Sullivan
DATE HE JOINED ————————————————————————————
Thursday 5th October 1643
HIS ACT ————————————————————————————
The Harlequin / The Fool / The Jester
HIS POWER ————————————————————————————
His power is tied to his compulsion and takes the form of the Harlequins Mask.
✦ The Laughter is an ability that is neither supernatural or magical in origin, simply being something that happens as a result of his will. It is the ability to make any being whether human or supernatural laugh at his own will. This could be a simple giggle to the extreme of making someone laugh until they die. The deaths result in grotesque corpses with permanent grins of laughter etched into their cold, dead faces. Only those with the strongest willpower are able to resist. Further to this he is able to throw his laugh to confuse and disorientate others.
✦ The Deception allows Connor to exist a moment in time before before all other beings. The split second gives him what is effectively a sense for incoming danger allowing for reaction times far superior to any mortal being. Where the deception comes in is the trickery of he can inflict upon those who gaze upon him. For someone shooting at him, he can dodge the incoming bullet but he can make them think he had been reduced to a bullet riddled corpse.
✦ Compulsions are a performers curse within this Circus. For Connor his is the requirement to keep his mask on when in the presence of others. For all his power and skill, he will only keep it as long as his face is kept hidden from the world.
WHY HE JOINED THE CIRCUS ————————————————————————————
A down on his luck street performer, Connor stood on the same street corner each and every day. No matter the abuse, no matter the threats, he would be there each and every day making the local children laugh and smile. This tenacity to practise his art no matter what stood in his way is what drew the Ringleader to Connor.
THEIR BIOGRAPHY ————————————————————————————
His history is one that he doesn't care to remember either and so he doesn't focus on it. He lives for the moment and the future, seeing history as something that does nothing but weigh a person down. If he truly took the time to reflect on his past he would drown within his own thoughts. Since joining The Circus he has found a home and family that he had lacked in his early life. As one of the earliest and longest serving members he is highly trusted and valued. Aside from his performances within the Circus itself, he has also proven to be a very capable hunter. His unique talents have tricked more demons that any one person would be able to keep count of.
When not performing and hunting he is far from the character he portrays on stage. He is very open, compassionate and makes times for others. Whether it is a new member or someone suffering emotionally, he will go out of his way to listen. The biggest problem he has is his longing for love. He loved once...a woman who joined not long after he did. His inability to remove his mask was no barrier for her and the pair shared a love that blossomed. The sad truth is that after thirty years together she was taken from him by a demon, her very soul torn from her body and feasted upon before his eys. It has taken centuries but he can feel a longing within his heart that eats away at him once more. He wants to feel whole again.
HIS CONNECTIONS ————————————————————————————
Connor is one of the longest serving members of the Circus and takes the time to make them feel at home and comfortable. He is also one of the go to people when more serious threats emerge.
HIS AUDITION ————————————————————————————
The lights dimmed on the empty stage allowing the darkness to blanket everything and everyone in the room. With an audible accompanyment of percussion a spotlight hit the stage to find a crumpled body on the floor. The crowd stared blankly at the motionless mass caught in the spotlight. Moments passed by and people began to whisper, confused as to what they were watching. Then without warning the body rose upright almost as if picked up by the scruff of the neck, leaving the performer known as the Harlequin stood like a puppet. His head hung in his chest with his arms swaying at his side as his shock movement caused gasps to escape from some of the more jumpy audience member.
A thunderous bass drum echoed throughout the tent as slow percussion accompanyment followed behind. The Harlequin moved with each beat, his movements rigid and giving the impression he was more puppet than man. Soon the beat picked up and his movements became much more fluid, much more human like. Then with the crack of the drums once more tha movement and noise ceased.
A soft applause followed as the Harlequin stood on the stage, his hands out to his side and head leant backwards. With a slow movement he lowered his head back to its natural position, his masks cheeky grin on show for crowd. As the applause grew louder he brought his hands together with an echoing clap, the lights turning off dead.
Silence befell the crowd once more as the darkness took over. It was soon broken by a quiet laugh at the back of the crowd, seconds later it was replaced by laughter at the opposite end. With each passing moment the same laugh came from different parts of the crowd, each time getting louder and louder. Then in a blazing lightshow multicoloured spotlights turned on and off on the stage. With each split second of light the figure of the Harlequin mockingly laughed at the crowd. He moved from point to point in what appeared to be an instant, no way would any man be able to perform such feats of speed. The laughter continued to get louder and louder with the lights flickering faster and faster. They flickered so fast it almost seemed like there were ten versions of the Harlequin on the stage. The laughters volume was almost menacing as the performance approached its finale. Then with one last hit on the bass drum the laughter stopped and the spotlights disappeared leaving one lone conical beam of light on the centre of the stage.
There was no sign of the Harlequin, disappearing from the stage in the blink of an eye. Slowly the spotlight rose up towards the top of the tent, illuminating the red and white fabric in the process. Adults and children alike knew what was coming but that didn't stop them watching with intent, mouths open. Then as anyone would predict, the Harlequin hung by his legs from the top of the tent. As the spotlight caught him in his entirety his laugh erupted around the arena once more, stretching his arms out to his side.
What happened next nobody in the crowd could forsee. The Harlequin loosened his grip with his legs and began to plummet to the floor below out of the spotlight. Screams and cries poured forth from the audience as they watched the artist fall to the floor below out of the spotlights gaze. As the light slowly lowered, with the gasps and screams still emanating from the crowd, it revealed the Harlequin stood once more. His laugh filled their ears one last time as he pointed at them almost mockingly. The lights faded on the Harlequin one final time, leaving his laugh to echo into nothingness. The darkness which was often a precursor for fear brought forth a rapturous applause.
HIS THEME ————————————————————————————
Crushing Dreams Since 1806
The Fortune Teller, Ada Bordon
eclecticwitch
Their True Name
Ada Bordon
Their Stage Name
Mistress Ada
The Date they Joined the Circus:
2/15/1806
The Act they perform when not on the combat team
She is the fortune teller. The seer of the future and the past. Using cards or the crystal ball she can find out your future happiness or if you will marry the love of your life. Ada is also prone to fits in which she will see the future. She does not go into combat but rather helps locate evil, helpful persons and/or artefacts.
The Compulsions
To look into the future, or even the past, the cost is a hefty one. There were many rules set upon her to receive her gift.
-Never deny those who wish to know their fortune.
-Never tell a person if they are to die.
-Always carry burning incense or have it lit in your presence.
-Always carry your deck of cards.
-When the universe must speak, you will listen. The future will come regardless of timing or place or your personal safety. Do not try to fight the future.
Why they Joined the Circus.
To not have her hands chopped off as a cheat, she joined the circus. The ringmaster was kind enough to offer that as an alternative.
Their Biography
She started life in Transylvania. Her parents poor farmers and extremely religious. She loathed her life and was a rather naughty girl. When a band of romani came through she ran away with them, never looking back. She soon found her way to France. The Romani people taught her all of the tricks of the trade. And what she was best at was conning.
She plied her trade of fortune telling, weaving lies and taking money. Unfortunately for her, she told a fortune to the wrong man. What she said never came to pass. She was arrested and her hand was to be removed for her crime. The ringmaster, in a sense, saved her. She has since worked at the circus and never looked back. Here Ada wants for nothing. Always clothed and always good food to eat. She does not think of going back to the human world.
Their Connections
- Ada is rather motherly to her fellow buskers. She gives advice and a friendly shoulder to cry upon. She soothes broken hearts and mends relationships. She pours water on fights and offers a place for one to hide away should they need respite for a bit. The circus people are her kin and she would do anything for them. Since she cannot join in the fight she has made it her mission to give them all she can otherwise.
Their Audition
- Excitement filled Carmen's gut as she walked toward the beautiful gypsy wagon. It was covered in stars, constellations, swirling magic, and herbs hung from the roof. Painted above the door were the words "Fortune Teller." Should she go in and ask? Wasn't it a bit stupid? It wasn't real, right? She sighed, heartened herself, and knocked on the door.
"Come in," said a soft, silky voice. It was deeper than she would have expected, raspy but in a pleasant way. Carmen pushed open the door and trails of smoke fell over her. The scent was divine and as she entered it helped bring her into this little world. The door shut behind her. Before her was a plush room of mismatched blankets and pillows. Gauzy cloths of varying muted colors hung around the sides of the wagon, letting in only a little light from the carnival outside. The only other lights were from lanterns which hung from the ceiling. Despite it being a mere wooden wagon, Carmen was surprised that no noise from the outside world penetrated this sacred space. Instead, she could only hear the soft trickle of water from a fountain that she could not see.
At the low table in the center of the room sat a woman. She had lightly tanned skin, wild black hair laced with threads, feathers, bells, and beads. Her eyes were mossy green and her thick lips hooker red. Carmen thought her lovely and exactly what she would have expected. "Greetings to you, little one," said the woman. Her voice held an accent similar to that of a person from Transylvania. "Please sit and tell me what it is your heart desires to know." The woman raised a ring-laden hand and gestured to the pillow on the floor across from her.
Carmen sat cross-legged, took a deep breath, and said, "I want to know if the guy I like and I will be together." Her words came out in a jumbled rush and she blushed darkly. The woman let out a soft laugh that reminded Carmen of velvet or perhaps fire warmed furs.
"A question of love, my darling. How wonderful. I shall look for you." The woman slid a deck of cards across the table. "Think of your question as you shuffle. And when you feel it is time to stop. Stop." Carmen thought about the boy she liked as she moved the cards around in her hands. She thought about a future together. She thought about- a card popped out of her hands and landed on the table.
"Ah. Stop. The universe tells us we are done." The woman lifted the card and flipped it over. The tower. "Most interesting," she breathed and took the rest of the cards from the girl. She then laid them out, reading each in turn. Carmen watched as the woman flipped cards but did not speak. She thought she saw a hint of concern cross the woman's face.
"What is it?" Carmen asked.
"Ah... My dear child. I'm afraid your love is to be short-lived. But, it will be a positive experience for you. Yes, lovely girl. You and your love shall be together, even if it is brief."
"Really!?" Carmen shot up, her heart fluttering with the possibility. "Thank you so much! How much do I owe you?"
"Nothing, nothing. Just the promise to live your life happy and to the fullest." Carmen sprinted from the wagon, pulling her phone from her pocket to send out a text. What she did not see was the sad expression on Ada's face as her fingers touched the death card which lay over the tower.
Bestiality and Yaoi
The Ringmaster's Pet, Jay Alvarez
Vocab
True Name: Take a look in the mirror, what do you see?
Jay Alvarez
Stage Name:
The Ringmaster's Pet
Appearance:
A short boy, of about five foot two, boasting odd, red eyes and short, blond hair, either natural or dyed. He sports a fair, if not pale, complexion, and a slim figure, though the validity of his appearance is up in the air. Thanks to the nature of his role in the Circus, he doesn't find himself needing to wear any specialised or specific outfits, and thus is typically seen running around wearing casual clothing of varying colours and styles, and a new pair of animal ears everyday. The times when his stall is running, though, are the only real times he dresses anywhere near properly, and thus is often seen in a shirt, tie, sweater and blazer, in an attempt to give himself a more formal look.
A world on fire, as plain as can be.
The Date they Joined the Circus:
Jay is something of a new addition, having only done so in the last fifty years. The official date his contract commenced was the 14th of April, 1972.
Act:
The nature of the Circus is one to appear one day and vanish the next. To deal with the workload that is moving such a large operation, Jay can almost be called indispensable - because what Circus is complete without animals? Despite being most uncommon in the modern era to utilise a variety of exotic creatures in shows, Jay makes it entirely possible, without the need to even have said creatures to begin with. Most shows involving animals of a large size will have him directly involved, effectively making him the "Beastmaster" of the Circus, although he prefers to think of himself as the Ringmaster's Pet. Not of all of the creatures in the Circus are imaginary, though - we're looking at you Snek Boi - but for the most part, their entire stock of animals is completely illusory. Do you like that sound, as the rain begins to patter?
Power:
A tried and true Illusionist, Jay's power as bestowed upon him by the contract is one to meddle with the mind. This ability allows him to alter the senses of those around him, enabling complete control over what they see, hear, taste, feel and smell, though he primarily utilises the former two. It is this ability that allows him to act as the Beastmaster of the Circus - he can conjure creatures within the minds of the audience, and even his fellow performers, to give them a fantastic show, without much effort on anyone's part, nor breaking any guidelines on the keeping of animals.
Compulsion:
Jay is under the compulsion of "You must follow your duty whatever the cost." While it sounds to be a simple command, it observes many criteria. His "Duty" may change at any time, and therefore he must constantly be aware of what it is, and follow it without hesitation. If his duty is to slay a Daemon, he must do so no matter what; if his duty is to survive a battle, he must do so - even if that means leaving behind one of his fellows; if his duty was to ensure the survival of the team, nothing could get in his way to do so. At its heart, it is a compulsion that any man should follow anyway, but the extents to which it may force him to go leave him as a potential liability, or even danger, in the field of combat.
Why they Joined the Circus:
A once lost boy. A once abandoned boy. A once abused boy. There are many ways to interpret the story of his arrival. Once upon a time, he was offered a position. The person he met that day was so wonderful. They had a radiance to them unmatched by anything he had seen in the short life he had lived up unto that point. He wanted to touch it, and take hold of it, and relish in that radiance. That person didn't need to offer him anything, and he merely took the powers as a formality of the contract. He could tell, from the word go, this was where he belonged, in the light of that man. A once abused boy. A once abandoned boy. A once lost boy. A once lonely boy, given new life.
Biography:
Sometimes, people get hurt. Pain is a natural thing in day to day life; one experiences it day in, day out, but nobody ever gets used to it. Through millions of years of evolution, it has been drilled into the brain to flee when pain becomes too much. When the body is in danger, it will attempt to retreat. Nobody wants to be in danger. Sometimes, people stand and face their pain, and the thing that puts them in danger. But that can put a person in even more danger than they were in before.
For a child, even running away from pain can be difficult. Especially when they have been educated not to. You mustn't run off, you mustn't leave our side. But he managed it. He escaped, but then where would he go? Without a home he had nowhere. There wasn't a single place that was safe, not if there was a chance that they could find him there. And so he did the next best thing, and took off in a direction, hoping at least to find somewhere where someone would be willing to help.
And find someone who could help he did, but not in the natural sense of the word. For he found him. That man, that beautiful man, full of radiance and light and wonder. From the moment he met him, the world began to feel right again. And then he offered him a contract, to join their troop and combat the world's evils, as a group. What possessed him to do so, he wasn't sure; maybe it was his appearance, or maybe he saw something inside of him. But he was willing to help him, to give him a place to belong. He couldn't say no. For when the storm comes, every mirror will shatter.
For a child, even running away from pain can be difficult. Especially when they have been educated not to. You mustn't run off, you mustn't leave our side. But he managed it. He escaped, but then where would he go? Without a home he had nowhere. There wasn't a single place that was safe, not if there was a chance that they could find him there. And so he did the next best thing, and took off in a direction, hoping at least to find somewhere where someone would be willing to help.
And find someone who could help he did, but not in the natural sense of the word. For he found him. That man, that beautiful man, full of radiance and light and wonder. From the moment he met him, the world began to feel right again. And then he offered him a contract, to join their troop and combat the world's evils, as a group. What possessed him to do so, he wasn't sure; maybe it was his appearance, or maybe he saw something inside of him. But he was willing to help him, to give him a place to belong. He couldn't say no. For when the storm comes, every mirror will shatter.
Connections:
Jay is often considered the "Wildcard" of the group, partly in thanks to his personality, and partly thanks to his Compulsion. He is lively, energetic, and has a hard time doing nothing at all. As a recent addition, he isn't the most familiar in combat yet, and thus can be seen as a liability to the group on combat excursions, although he never lets their opinions prevent his from joining in and having fun. His inability to take situations seriously can occasionally draw the ire of his fellows, and he is quite a handful regardless, but nobody can say that he isn't fun to be around.
His relationship with the Ringmaster would likely be the most notable, the first point of which being that he often refers to himself as their Pet. He looks up to them like some kind of God, or another variant important figure, and attempts to be by their side whenever he can be. While the reverence he holds them in may not be unfounded, it can come across as slightly odd considering the degree of the obsession.
His relationship with the Ringmaster would likely be the most notable, the first point of which being that he often refers to himself as their Pet. He looks up to them like some kind of God, or another variant important figure, and attempts to be by their side whenever he can be. While the reverence he holds them in may not be unfounded, it can come across as slightly odd considering the degree of the obsession.
Audition:
Deep in the heart of the Carnival, tucked off to the side of the bustle as though it were a secret, uncharted area of the festivities, resides a lone stall, a rarity even among the troupe itself. With much of his time spent dealing with the main show, to see his corner of paradise set up was an unexpected thing indeed. He wasn’t one to do isolated shows like the one that would be held inside.
Behind the curtained entrance and tent walls of the stand, isolated from the outside world, a single band of people stand, overlooking a small table, with a short boy, bearing bright blonde hair, smiling gaily towards them. His demeanour evidenced that his establishment received few customers; his joy towards the chance to entertain people was closer to a small child on Christmas morning that a worker of a Carnival. The group almost turned tail and left, in pursuit of better and more interesting attractions to partake in.
”Wait waitwaitwait! I wanna show you something cool!” His voice echoed out through the tent, causing the group to look back towards him. With their attention on him, he pulled a hat from beneath his table, and like any ordinary and commonplace magician, pulled from out within a dove. That was the final straw. Clearly, the little boy was merely given a place on the Carnival to entertain his fascinations and delusions of being a magician. Who knew, perhaps he was the child of one of the Carnivals owners? Whatever the reasons for his stalls existence, his act was nothing to be interested or impressed by. There would be more fascinating stalls just around the corner.
But that was the trap he had laid.
”It’s not nice just walk away from someone.” his voice echoed around the room, just as the man in front went to push aside the curtains. Except there were no curtains. His hand brushed against cold stone. Slowly, his audience turned back, to find the barrier that was the table between them had vanished. Instinctively, they each took a step back. And then he had them.
With a flourish, he reached into the air, and gripped it as though clutching a handle. Their eyes settled upon his fist intently, as he drew it across the air, as though removing a blade from its scabbard for combat. But that was impossible, right? First the handle began to appear, and then the guard, and then the blade, glinting from the candle light making up the tents illumination. Their eyes were ablaze with a kind of fear only observed within those trapped, and facing death. The kind of fear only humans could display, as their eyes flicked across the air to watch the blade be pulled from nowhere. He gave a practice swing, simply for emphasis, and carved The top from one of the candles - letting it slide down with the hot wax to land against the fabric of the tent.
”Run.” his speech was cold, closer to ice than true sound, and in their panic the group turned towards the curtain and attempted to push their way through, only to fall out onto dirt. Their eyes fell of the Carnival they had just left, mere moments ago, only to find it deserted - no people, no light. An empty, desolate, and ruined stretch of land, comprised of burned and tattered tents, and churned up soil, the stench of death permeating the skeletal ruins of "fun". Trees had been toppled onto varying structures, and the remnants of a fight still lingered in the long abandoned waste.
And then it vanished. The world they stood in, the things they had seen, it was all gone. The blonde haired boy sat smiling behind a table, just as a dove flew past their heads, and out the cloth curtains behind them into the night air. The sounds of a lively Carnival resonated within their eardrums. One by one they staggered out from the small tent, which sat in the heart of the Carnival yet off to the edge in a strange way; they didn’t bothering to ask the boy what had happened nor how it was done. They simply left, bewildered and afraid, with an experience in their hearts that they could never come to forget.
Behind the curtained entrance and tent walls of the stand, isolated from the outside world, a single band of people stand, overlooking a small table, with a short boy, bearing bright blonde hair, smiling gaily towards them. His demeanour evidenced that his establishment received few customers; his joy towards the chance to entertain people was closer to a small child on Christmas morning that a worker of a Carnival. The group almost turned tail and left, in pursuit of better and more interesting attractions to partake in.
”Wait waitwaitwait! I wanna show you something cool!” His voice echoed out through the tent, causing the group to look back towards him. With their attention on him, he pulled a hat from beneath his table, and like any ordinary and commonplace magician, pulled from out within a dove. That was the final straw. Clearly, the little boy was merely given a place on the Carnival to entertain his fascinations and delusions of being a magician. Who knew, perhaps he was the child of one of the Carnivals owners? Whatever the reasons for his stalls existence, his act was nothing to be interested or impressed by. There would be more fascinating stalls just around the corner.
But that was the trap he had laid.
”It’s not nice just walk away from someone.” his voice echoed around the room, just as the man in front went to push aside the curtains. Except there were no curtains. His hand brushed against cold stone. Slowly, his audience turned back, to find the barrier that was the table between them had vanished. Instinctively, they each took a step back. And then he had them.
With a flourish, he reached into the air, and gripped it as though clutching a handle. Their eyes settled upon his fist intently, as he drew it across the air, as though removing a blade from its scabbard for combat. But that was impossible, right? First the handle began to appear, and then the guard, and then the blade, glinting from the candle light making up the tents illumination. Their eyes were ablaze with a kind of fear only observed within those trapped, and facing death. The kind of fear only humans could display, as their eyes flicked across the air to watch the blade be pulled from nowhere. He gave a practice swing, simply for emphasis, and carved The top from one of the candles - letting it slide down with the hot wax to land against the fabric of the tent.
”Run.” his speech was cold, closer to ice than true sound, and in their panic the group turned towards the curtain and attempted to push their way through, only to fall out onto dirt. Their eyes fell of the Carnival they had just left, mere moments ago, only to find it deserted - no people, no light. An empty, desolate, and ruined stretch of land, comprised of burned and tattered tents, and churned up soil, the stench of death permeating the skeletal ruins of "fun". Trees had been toppled onto varying structures, and the remnants of a fight still lingered in the long abandoned waste.
And then it vanished. The world they stood in, the things they had seen, it was all gone. The blonde haired boy sat smiling behind a table, just as a dove flew past their heads, and out the cloth curtains behind them into the night air. The sounds of a lively Carnival resonated within their eardrums. One by one they staggered out from the small tent, which sat in the heart of the Carnival yet off to the edge in a strange way; they didn’t bothering to ask the boy what had happened nor how it was done. They simply left, bewildered and afraid, with an experience in their hearts that they could never come to forget.
Snek Boi
The Snake Charmer, Riley Marco
hagroden
"Hey, I'm Riley Marco, but around here they call me the Serpent Prince."
"Nice to meet you Riley, I'm Mr. Smith and I'll be conducting the interview, let's start with you Joined the Circus?"
"November 21st, 2017. It was my birthday actually."
"Alright, and What's your act?"
"I'm a Snake Charmer, if you couldn't guess by my... Everything."
"What abilities did you receive from the ringmaster?"
"Besides being scaly and having a really weird tongue and eyes? I can talk to snakes, sort of. We don't actually talk, but I can understand them, and they can understand me. He also made Nadia a lot stronger and faster, and she won't die of age or sickness or anything like that either, which is awesome."
"What's your compulsion?"
"I have to smoke a cigarette every time I talk to someone I find attractive, I'm essentially just a serpentine chimney at this point. There's no way the Ringmaster isn't just fucking with me. But since the ringmaster worked on Nadia as well, I've got two compulsions. One of us has to be withing eyesight of the other, we don't have to look at each other constantly, but I can't leave her field of vision, ever."
"Why did you join the Circus?"
"I was raised in it actually, not this circus, but the circus scene. I've always been a snake charmer too, Mr.Leader just upped my game a bit. I was doing my sideshow act and he saw it, liked it enough to invite me to join his circus. He uh, he promised that as long as I'm with them I'll never have to bury Nadia."
"Alright, well tell me about yourself, your history."
"Like I said, I was raised in the circus scene but I wasn't one of the Carny kids. I'm a drop-off."
"A drop off?"
"Yeah, a drop off. It's what we called the kids that got abandoned by their parents at the circus. You'd be surprised how common it is. I guess my teen mom couldn't handle my six month old ass, so when the circus came into town she thought she'd take advantage of the Snake cages for some post-birth abortion work. Obviously she didn't stick around to see how it went, but lucky for me I had a knack for handling the snakes. The Charmers that unofficially adopted me found me snuggling with the meanest Eastern Tiger Snake they had ever tried training, but around me Nadia was as peaceful as a Gardner snake."
"Does it bother you, being abandoned by your mother?"
"Just because she gave birth to me doesn't mean she's my mother. As far as I'm concerned Nadia is the only mother I've ever had, and she refuses to leave my side, so I'm not caught up on abandonment issues. And before you ask, yes, she does consider me her child as well."
"What else can you tell me about your background?"
"Plenty, but I'm not in the habit of reading my auto-biography to strangers, so that's all you need to know for now."
"Alright, How do you feel about your peers? Do you have good relationships with any of the other circus members?"
(Connections will be added after approval/discussion with other authors.)
"January 2nd, 2018. - Kathy Newman
I've always been terrified of Snakes, but now, I'm not so sure.
Dear Diary; Although I tried, I couldn't convince my parents to let me stay home instead of going to the circus. They think I've been isolating myself lately, and maybe they're right, but either way going to the circus was not my idea of a good time. I was thinking this would be one of those single-tent circuses or something like that, but this place was more like a carnival! Aside from the main tent, there were dozens of different booths and smaller tents with side acts and things like that. Some of it was pretty normal stuff you'd expect to see, jugglers, clowns, contortionists, but this one had a snake charmer, a real snake-charmer! He was really young for how talented he was, probably only 19 or 20, but the way he could dance with his snake was... Unreal.
Let's start over, I was kinda wandering around a bit when I saw him standing outside of a makeshift booth made up of dozens of snake cages, and each one had nearly half a dozen snakes! He wasn't doing much, aside from letting people take pictures with him and hold his snake, which was probably the biggest I've ever seen in real life. She had to have been at least seven or eight feet long, and she was the most beautiful cream-orange color. I was absolutely mesmerized by both of them, they had this sort of vibe around them, like the rush of adrenaline you get before cliff-diving or driving really really fast. I don't know what came over me, but I walked over, introduced myself AND ASKED IF I COULD HOLD HER. Me, The girl who'd scream if a Gardner was in my garden asked if I could hold a snake bigger than I was. I don't know what it was, but something about the two of them made me feel like I was invincible, anyways, he said I could and lit a cigarette. We talked a little bit, back and forth, and we might have flirted a bit. Even with all the makeup and fake scales he had on, it was easy to tell that he was pretty cute, plus he had a split tongue, and I don't have to explain why that's a plus.
While we talked a small crowd had begun to form around him and his snakes, everyone seemed pretty interested, and he said it was his time to shine, so he started his act. Now I've seen snake-charmers before and I know how it works, they'll play a flute or maybe use a bit of string, but they'll always use something to catch the snakes focus and move it around to make it look like the snake was dancing. But he didn't have any gimmicks, and with how charming he was I wouldn't be surprised if he had just sweet-talked those snakes into dancing with him.
But that was his act, he danced with the snakes. He actually danced with them, and they would move and flow over his body like water, as if he was telling them what to do. Each movement held so much grace and precise coordination that I was tempted to think his snakes were robots, it would be easier to believe than him training each of these snakes to perfection. What really got everyone was the finale! While he was dancing dozens of snakes began slithering their way to his feet and began crawling up him. By the time he bowed they looked like moving tribal tattoos! After he finished with his main act, he did some bar tricks and things like that. He'd have someone whisper to his snake, and he'd repeat it, Or they could show his snake a picture and he'd be able to tell you what it was a photo of. Nobody had a clue how he could do it, but it wouldn't be half as interesting if we knew, would it?
Well Diary, I don't think I'm going to put up near as much fight the next time my parents invite me to the Circus, but I know I'll be keeping an eye out for a certain Snake-Charmer if I do.
-Sincerely, Kathy."
"Nice to meet you Riley, I'm Mr. Smith and I'll be conducting the interview, let's start with you Joined the Circus?"
"November 21st, 2017. It was my birthday actually."
"Alright, and What's your act?"
"I'm a Snake Charmer, if you couldn't guess by my... Everything."
"What abilities did you receive from the ringmaster?"
"Besides being scaly and having a really weird tongue and eyes? I can talk to snakes, sort of. We don't actually talk, but I can understand them, and they can understand me. He also made Nadia a lot stronger and faster, and she won't die of age or sickness or anything like that either, which is awesome."
"What's your compulsion?"
"I have to smoke a cigarette every time I talk to someone I find attractive, I'm essentially just a serpentine chimney at this point. There's no way the Ringmaster isn't just fucking with me. But since the ringmaster worked on Nadia as well, I've got two compulsions. One of us has to be withing eyesight of the other, we don't have to look at each other constantly, but I can't leave her field of vision, ever."
"Why did you join the Circus?"
"I was raised in it actually, not this circus, but the circus scene. I've always been a snake charmer too, Mr.Leader just upped my game a bit. I was doing my sideshow act and he saw it, liked it enough to invite me to join his circus. He uh, he promised that as long as I'm with them I'll never have to bury Nadia."
"Alright, well tell me about yourself, your history."
"Like I said, I was raised in the circus scene but I wasn't one of the Carny kids. I'm a drop-off."
"A drop off?"
"Yeah, a drop off. It's what we called the kids that got abandoned by their parents at the circus. You'd be surprised how common it is. I guess my teen mom couldn't handle my six month old ass, so when the circus came into town she thought she'd take advantage of the Snake cages for some post-birth abortion work. Obviously she didn't stick around to see how it went, but lucky for me I had a knack for handling the snakes. The Charmers that unofficially adopted me found me snuggling with the meanest Eastern Tiger Snake they had ever tried training, but around me Nadia was as peaceful as a Gardner snake."
"Does it bother you, being abandoned by your mother?"
"Just because she gave birth to me doesn't mean she's my mother. As far as I'm concerned Nadia is the only mother I've ever had, and she refuses to leave my side, so I'm not caught up on abandonment issues. And before you ask, yes, she does consider me her child as well."
"What else can you tell me about your background?"
"Plenty, but I'm not in the habit of reading my auto-biography to strangers, so that's all you need to know for now."
"Alright, How do you feel about your peers? Do you have good relationships with any of the other circus members?"
(Connections will be added after approval/discussion with other authors.)
"January 2nd, 2018. - Kathy Newman
I've always been terrified of Snakes, but now, I'm not so sure.
Dear Diary; Although I tried, I couldn't convince my parents to let me stay home instead of going to the circus. They think I've been isolating myself lately, and maybe they're right, but either way going to the circus was not my idea of a good time. I was thinking this would be one of those single-tent circuses or something like that, but this place was more like a carnival! Aside from the main tent, there were dozens of different booths and smaller tents with side acts and things like that. Some of it was pretty normal stuff you'd expect to see, jugglers, clowns, contortionists, but this one had a snake charmer, a real snake-charmer! He was really young for how talented he was, probably only 19 or 20, but the way he could dance with his snake was... Unreal.
Let's start over, I was kinda wandering around a bit when I saw him standing outside of a makeshift booth made up of dozens of snake cages, and each one had nearly half a dozen snakes! He wasn't doing much, aside from letting people take pictures with him and hold his snake, which was probably the biggest I've ever seen in real life. She had to have been at least seven or eight feet long, and she was the most beautiful cream-orange color. I was absolutely mesmerized by both of them, they had this sort of vibe around them, like the rush of adrenaline you get before cliff-diving or driving really really fast. I don't know what came over me, but I walked over, introduced myself AND ASKED IF I COULD HOLD HER. Me, The girl who'd scream if a Gardner was in my garden asked if I could hold a snake bigger than I was. I don't know what it was, but something about the two of them made me feel like I was invincible, anyways, he said I could and lit a cigarette. We talked a little bit, back and forth, and we might have flirted a bit. Even with all the makeup and fake scales he had on, it was easy to tell that he was pretty cute, plus he had a split tongue, and I don't have to explain why that's a plus.
While we talked a small crowd had begun to form around him and his snakes, everyone seemed pretty interested, and he said it was his time to shine, so he started his act. Now I've seen snake-charmers before and I know how it works, they'll play a flute or maybe use a bit of string, but they'll always use something to catch the snakes focus and move it around to make it look like the snake was dancing. But he didn't have any gimmicks, and with how charming he was I wouldn't be surprised if he had just sweet-talked those snakes into dancing with him.
But that was his act, he danced with the snakes. He actually danced with them, and they would move and flow over his body like water, as if he was telling them what to do. Each movement held so much grace and precise coordination that I was tempted to think his snakes were robots, it would be easier to believe than him training each of these snakes to perfection. What really got everyone was the finale! While he was dancing dozens of snakes began slithering their way to his feet and began crawling up him. By the time he bowed they looked like moving tribal tattoos! After he finished with his main act, he did some bar tricks and things like that. He'd have someone whisper to his snake, and he'd repeat it, Or they could show his snake a picture and he'd be able to tell you what it was a photo of. Nobody had a clue how he could do it, but it wouldn't be half as interesting if we knew, would it?
Well Diary, I don't think I'm going to put up near as much fight the next time my parents invite me to the Circus, but I know I'll be keeping an eye out for a certain Snake-Charmer if I do.
-Sincerely, Kathy."
Communism for Kids
The Great Volshebnik, Kasimir Kuznetzov
hagroden
Kasimir Kuznetzov
The Great Volshebnik
Kasimir stands at a towering 6'6, although the slouch he commonly sports makes him seem an inch or two shorter, combined with his massive build and weight of nearly 275 pounds, he seems likelier to be the resident strongman than a children's magician. His hair and beard had grayed entirely years before he joined the circus, and both were worn long, but neat. His wardrobe tends to consists of neutral colors, and follows a theme similar to "Dress-Casual in August;" Often sporting his black jacket and a grey scarf over-top a sweater, paired with slacks and his boots. Although his attire is fairly modest, he uses it to hide away his prosthetic limbs. Due to his time with the circus and significant financial accumulation, he sports an incredibly advanced prosthetic right hand, and left leg. If you look closely enough, you might even notice the Tesla logo!
Kasimir Joined the Circus September 29th, 1637.
Act
The Great Volshebnik is a family friendly magician, using his contract to perform as in incredible illusionist.
Contract
Portals
Kasimir is capable of creating portals at will, which can lead to anywhere in the world he so chooses.
Compulsion
"I can never ask another to do what I myself can not."
Why they Joined the Circus.
"To be a father once more, to begin my family anew."
Their Biography
Like many in the Circus, Kasimir rarely discusses his life before his contract. However, four hundred years is a long time to keep a secret, and vague pieces of his past have been put together by the bits he has shared over the centuries.
Kasimir was born a peasant in the peak of Russian Tsardom, with Ivan the terrible just achieving tsardom in Kaimir's childhood. During the Oprichnina of Russia, Kasimir's parents were executed after his mother had denied the advances of one of Ivan's numerous agents. During the period of oprichnina and the following times of trouble, Kasimir labored as a serf along with his aunt's family. Little else is known of his earlier years, as they were likely uneventful. However, it is known that by the 1620's he had become a wealthy farmer, tending the fields of the Romanovs along with his sons. At some point between this time and the beginning of his contract with the ringmaster, his family was once again executed by men of the Tsar, causing him to abandon faith in his masters, leading him to the ringmaster's open arms.
Their Connections
Because of Kasimir's seniority over most other members of the circus, he will often lead or co-lead daemon hunts, his contract allowing him to hunt both offensively and defensively, depending on the situation. Additionally, his contract enables a circus of such a size to move on such short notice.
Their Audition
The crowd sat patiently in the incredibly well lit tent, men and women, boys and girls, people of all ages sat anxiously awaiting the nights entertainment. Suddenly, the lights seemed to explode with brightness, and as their eyes recovered from the blinding surge, there he stood.
"And now, The Great Volshebnik!" Came the ringmaster's bellowing voice, accompanied by the applause of the audience at his sudden appearance. The man was enormous, dressed in a fine brown suit, accompanied with a top-hat! His eyes seemed to glow with a warmth that would put the sun to shame, and the smile with it equally warm. He spread his arms and walked a circle around his stage, meeting eyes with each face for just a moment as his boisterous, accented voice spoke.
"Good evening ladies and gentlemen! Greetings to all, young and old! I must warn you, what you are about to see is neither the sleight of a hand of the trick of an eye! What you witness tonight is the accumulation of forbidden knowledge and ancient powers ages old, what you witness tonight is..." The man then paused, reaching up to the top of his hat and bringing it down to his chest, while simultaneously bowing before the audience. "Magic!"
At his words, an eruption of doves began spouting from his top hat, an entire flock of them pouring out of the merely seven inch head-piece displayed before the crowd! The birds flew in brilliant, interloping spirals for several moments before diving back into his top hat. Then, for good measure, he flipped his hat on it's side displaying to the entire crowd that it was simply a plain top hat.
The crowd erupted in applause, but The Great Volshebnik held up a finger, pausing them. Suddenly, another bird burst yet again from his hat! But he seemed prepared, and caught it the moment it had escaped. With a chuckle, and an apologetic nod to the crowd, he stuck the bird back into the hat. But, as he removed his hand, it had vanished! His hand had gone missing, along with the bird! The crowd gasped, and the Great Volshebnik mumbled loud enough for the crowd to hear.
"Agh! Not Again." With a frustrated sigh, he used his other hand to toss the hat to the side. This caused the audience to burst with laughter, especially from the children. Volshebnik grinned to the crowd mischievously, as a pair of doors were rolled onto the stage by two young men.
His act proceeded in a similar manner for the next hour or so, preforming great feats of magic for the crowd, but in a manner that was humorous and entertaining. He would walk through a door on one side of the stage, and come out the door on the opposite side and appear incredibly confused, etc.
However, after the end of his act, after he had bowed and turned to walk off stage, he accidentally stepped on his hat, plummeting up to his knee! He stood back up, and half his leg was missing! With a frustrated grunt, he smacked the hat away as the crowd roared with laughter. The Volshebnik simply gave a shrug as he stood, and began hopping backstage as the audience applauded and filed their way out.
Fuckin Nerd
The Rook, Elisabeth Adair Memoli
EchoicChamber
Their True Name
Elizabeth (Lib, Libby, Library) Adair Memoli
Their Stage Name
The Rook
Their Appearance
“Library” is a woman of slight build, at 5’3”, and the sort of pale skin that comes from limited time in the sunlight. Her hair is a mousy brown, tousled and left to the length of her chin, and her eyes are a pale blue- as if some of the color had been leached out of them. These same eyes tend to be her most expressive feature, often lighting up with curious hunger, or distant and almost empty when she’s unoccupied. Has a penchant for giving rather...odd smiles when she’s excited about something, and is heavily scarred along her body.
For the most part, Library dresses in a sort of business casual wear- long-sleeved shirts, jeans, and maybe a scarf or two when it gets chilly. Occasionally, she’ll be seen inexplicably wearing different sorts of hats, or perhaps multiple jackets stacked upon each other, but not entirely often. When working her stand, however, she dons a shirt with long, ruffled sleeves to emulate a bird’s wings, a hood, slacks, and long, high heeled boots that stretch all the way up to her mid-thigh. She comments from time to time about how difficult they are to move in.
A staple of all her outfits, however, are a pair of black silk gloves.
The Date they Joined the Circus
December 2nd, 1844
The Act
While Library had already possessed an eidetic memory before joining the circus, it was her contract with the Ringmaster that perfected it. She can recall events that happened centuries ago, and retains all knowledge that she stumbles upon down to the last detail. This, however, has resulted in her becoming a rather...strange figure, to say the least. Years of collecting and retaining information has left her mind addled. Much like a human Wikipedia, she can offer facts about nearly anything one might wish to know about, but will often go off on unrelated tangents mid conversation- bringing up the producers of the movie Lion King in an otherwise serious discussion, for instance.
Library also possesses a sort of telepathy. With prolonged skin-to-skin contact, she can see into the minds of others, feel their feelings, and dig up old memories. Even further contact allows her to venture deeper into one’s mind, and a sort of influence over it- however, doing so causes a severe backlash, and will often render her a gibbering wreck for some time.
These two powers, when combined, allow her to...run a boardwalk esque game booth. The Rook’s abilities aren’t the most impressive spectacle when put up against fire dancers and strongmen, and given her general lack of interest in performing, she opts to run her booth in a quiet section of the circus when made to entertain guests. If you manage to ask her a trivia question she doesn’t know the answer to, you win a prize.
Or, at least. That’s how it’s supposed to go.
Her primary purpose within the circus is more of an informational database for the other circus members, as well as the ringleader. She can offer an in-depth summary of the city they’ve been made to visit and how it’s changed throughout the years, provide an encyclopedic description of the various demons she knows of, and even recount intimate details of long-dead members of the circus.
Her compulsions are that she has to learn three new things per day, and that she can never read the mind of the ringleader himself.
While her compulsions may seem easy enough to fulfill, her longevity has forced her to seek out increasingly obscure facts throughout the years, chipping steadily away at her psyche.
Why they Joined the Circus.
A few reasons. Knowledge, primarily- the pursuit of knowledge had driven her long before her contract, and still drives her to this day. Secondarily, however, both she and her brother were looking for a sanctuary- a place to live that was far, far from their family’s clutches.
Their Biography
The Memolis were a family that flourished in the city of Lucca, Italy, long before Italy had even come to exist. The household was well-off, consisting of several children, and an apparently loving set of parents that, while showing favoritism to some sons and daughters over the others, were still loving nonetheless.
However, while they were loving, they were most certainly not the most...gentle towards their children.
Neither Elizabeth nor Aristide speak much about what their home life was like. If Library is asked, she’ll either shoot the question down, or rattle off completely irrelevant facts until the questioner gets bored. If Aristide is asked, he’ll immediately become temperamental and moody (at least, more so than usual) until the subject is dropped. One thing is for certain, however- the heavy scarring on Library’s body says quite a bit. The most they’ll confess is that they weren’t the favorites of the family, that they were often left to their own devices, and that the circus offered a far better environment than what their home once was.
Their Connections
Given that Library tends to serve as the primary database for the circus, it’s not uncommon for one to visit her for the sole purpose of getting information- or for her to study. She has a strong fascination with the various abilities and compulsions that spring up in new members of the circus, and she will often go out of her way to learn as much about newcomers as possible before leaving them to their own devices. As she’s rather analytical and...incredibly eccentric, she tends to be more reclusive than anything the rest of the time, hiding away in her tent until drawn out for whatever reason.
Those who manage to work past her bluntness, as well as her...tendency to invade personal space on a regular basis (among the many, many other things) often find themselves with a surprisingly easygoing companion. Much like some sort of cat, she’ll occasionally leave her tent to simply hang about the people she’s taken a liking to, and will be more willing to help out when needed.
The person that she’s closest to by far, however, is her brother- Aristide. Admittedly, even an outsider can see that their relationship together isn’t the most...consistently pleasant. Most of the time they’re in each other’s presence is spent making biting remarks and snide comments at one another. The other half of the time is spent by Aristide pestering Library into taking care of herself, or bringing meals and the like- given the fact that Library will often eat nothing but fruit salad if given the opportunity to do so. While a bit strained, it’s clear enough that they do care for one another in their own vitriolic way.
Their Audition
“You should do it.”
“Fuck, no way, man. You see how she’s looking at us? Looks like she’d stab us in the kidneys if we got too close.”
“You’re being a wuss.”
“If you’re so tough, then why don’t you go up?”
The woman at the stand watched the two bicker for a while between themselves, hands tucked beneath her chin, looking completely and utterly bored. Compared to the brightly colored toys surrounding her, as well as the cheerful canopy hung over her head, she stood out considerably. After a good while of arguing, the boys approached- both blond, but one noticeably shorter and scrawnier than the other. It was the smaller one that spoke first.
“So, uh. We ask you three things, and if you don’t know one, we get a prize?”
The woman looked slowly up at the pair. Blinked.
“Yeah, that’s pretty much it.” Even her voice seemed absolutely unimpressed by the situation- as if she had been chained to the table she sat at. “You can ask me any trivia question, but if you try asking me what your penis size is or something like that I'm banning you from my stall."
Scrawny snorted. “That happen a lot?”
“More than you’d think.”
It was then that Tall cut in. “Hey, wait. How do we know you won’t just be, like. Checking Wikipedia under the desk or something like that? Getting info fed in your ear.”
Another lazy, almost catlike blink. Then the woman stood, took a few decisive steps away from her stand, and flipped back her hood. The hair underneath was a complete mess, but she showed no sign of being concerned over it.
“Okay, here. Hit me.”
The questions didn’t come instantly. A careful, surprising amount of thought was put into each- what is the capital of Venezuela? (Caracas) Who invented bubble gum? (Walter Diemer) What’s the population of Michigan? (Roughly 9.962 million as of 2017.) The responses came practically instantaneously, and quick Google searches proved each one to be...strangely correct. Even after realizing they had just blown their questions, the two kept asking, and asking, and the woman kept patiently responding until they eventually grew bored.
And then gave them little rubber ducks. Thanking them for coming up to the booth.
The two wandered off, sailor and chef ducks in their respective palms, now possessing some very strange, obscure information. As for the woman, she promptly returned to her seat, and began to doze as she waited for any other patrons to come stumbling by.
Business was slow, and business was good.
Highschool Bully
The Invincible Man, Aristide Cosmismus Memoli
EchoicChamber
Their True Name
Aristide Cosismus Memoli
Their Stage Name
The Invincible Man
Their Appearance
Aristide stands at 5’10”, with a lithe, muscular build, sharp green eyes, and flowing dark hair grown out to his tailbone. His skin is light, brought to a healthy tone thanks to exposure to the sun, and oddly flawless despite his years working for the circus- something that he attributes to his power. He’s wildly expressive, face flitting between anger or content or satisfaction oftentimes within the hour, and leaving him very much an open book.
Even when not performing, Aristide has a flair for the flamboyant in his outfits. He weaves hairpins and bits and pieces of gold and metal into his hair, wears coats lined with fur, and silken gloves. He wears shirts left unbuttoned just so in a way to show off the peak of his chest, fine leather trousers, and, even without counting his hair accessories, wears a gaudy amount of jewelry. Rings, necklaces, bracelets- he even keeps a ruby earring stuck to his earlobe.
When on stage, however, it gets even worse. He tends to go completely shirtless, tight pants (to show that there are no tricks, or so he claims, even though it’s clear enough that he just enjoys showing off), and body paint depicting odd sorts of patterns across his chest.
The jewelry stays, though.
The Date they Joined the Circus
December 2nd, 1844
The Act
Oddly enough for Aristide’s...rather eccentric personality, he possesses the power of healing. This ability allows him to not only heal others, but himself as well, offering him an enhanced regenerative ability that’s kept him from meeting a shallow grave in the dirt more than once. Due to being the direct source of his own healing, Aristide’s regenerative abilities are stronger than his healing- allowing him to heal at an astonishing rate. That isn’t to say that his healing of others is anything to scoff at, however. If the body can heal it, Aristide can induce it, at the expense of his own energy. He can’t restore the nerves of a damaged spine, but he can heal gashes and broken bones with ease- although if the bone isn’t set, it will heal in a...less than pleasant way.
Aristide puts this power to use in his act often as “The Invincible Man”, repeatedly letting himself get shot, mauled, maimed, burned, and other various stunts- only to come out seemingly without a scratch. He tends to experiment often in his act, taking a certain pleasure in having so many eyes on him at once, watching his every move.
His compulsion is that he has to follow through with any and all promises that he makes.
Why they Joined the Circus.
To escape from the life he once had with his sister, to become a person who was allowed their own will, and to get his hands dirty and live it up until he was ash and bone.
Their Biography
The Memolis were a family that flourished in the city of Lucca, Italy, long before Italy had even come to exist. The household was well-off, consisting of several children, and an apparently loving set of parents that, while showing favoritism to some sons and daughters over the others, were still loving nonetheless.
However, while they were loving, they were most certainly not the most...gentle towards their children.
Neither Elizabeth nor Aristide speak much about what their home life was like. If Library is asked, she’ll either shoot the question down, or rattle off completely irrelevant facts until the questioner gets bored. If Aristide is asked, he’ll immediately become temperamental and moody (at least, more so than usual) until the subject is dropped. One thing is for certain, however- the heavy scarring on Library’s body says quite a bit. The most they’ll confess is that they weren’t the favorites of the family, that they were often left to their own devices, and that the circus offered a far better environment than what their home once was.
Their Connections
Aristide tends not to have many friends within the circus grounds- partly due to an inclination to keep people at a distance after so many have been lost, and partly due to the fact that he is, put quite bluntly, a bit of a prick. He’s loud, incredibly vain, and has a ruthless streak about a mile wide. Those who do manage to earn a soft spot in his eyes are often the targets of insults and jeers as much as most others, although he does tend to back off (albeit while huffing), if they end up visibly upset. He tends to prioritize these soft spots more than his other teammates.
Him and Library have a bit of an...odd relationship. They tend to throw barbs and insults at each other on a regular basis, and slow little to no affection to each other. However, Aristide can regularly be found nagging Library to eat or take care of herself, or bringing her meals in between complaints of how helpless she is.
Their Audition
“And we present to you today, the one, the only, The Invincible Man!”
Library couldn’t help but roll her eyes a little at that. She sat among the scores of the oblivious, dressed in her “civilian” clothes. It was her lunch break, and seeing that she rarely actually ate on a proper schedule, she had decided to duck out to watch a few of the acts while she was free. It had been a good few years since she had seen some of them, and it seemed like it could be interesting to see how the acts had changed as of late.
However, the act currently on wasn’t exactly to her interest.
She watched as Aristide sauntered forth, giving a particularly saucy wink towards a crowd of college girls in the front before bowing front and center. With a wave of his hand, a iron maiden was wheeled to the front, left to hang open in front of the gawking crowd.
“This, my dear, sweet audience,” he announced, “is an iron maiden. Fresh from the medieval era, and as sharp as the day it was made.” To emphasize his point, Aristide rested a finger upon one of the spikes, and then deftly yanked it downwards. With a smug smile, he turned, walking up to the front-seaters and parading the wound around for all to say. Coaxing them to confirm that the wound was, in fact, very much real. Once pleased with the feedback, Aristide lifted the digit to his mouth, ran his tongue leisurely across it, and then returned to the iron maiden.
“My assistants will be enclosing me inside this little death trap for a good...mmm. Let’s say a full minute. A full minute. And when I come out, I will be in perfect health. How does that sound?” His smirk only grew at the roars of the crowd.
With the confidence of someone who had done this many times before, Aristide stepped inside, turned around, and let the other carnies shut him in.
It didn’t take long before the maiden began to leak- a pool of blood spilling from its cracks, and growing wider with every moment.
There were screams.
Murmurs, worried murmurs, or skeptical ones.
And then the minute was up.
The iron maiden was opened, to reveal a...perfectly fine, if not particularly bloody, Aristide.
Stepping away from the mess, Aristide gave a full, elegant bow, his eyes lifting up to Library as he lowered himself. In a particularly, admittedly childish gesture, she proceeded to flip him off- something that she could see annoyed him, but something he didn’t let break his stride as he soaked up the praise of the audience.
He was just so humble.
