Description

| Maroon 5 // Animals |

| Ed Sheeran / Bloodstream |

| P!ATD / New Perspective |

| Sick Puppies / Odd One |

"Maybe the wolf is in love with the moon, and each night it cries for a love it will never touch."

P E R S O N A L I T Y | Augustus can be a bit of an idiot, truth be told, but he is - and always has been - the loveable kind of idiot. There is rarely a moment when his usual facetiousness decreases and is replaced by a reasonable sense of maturity; he makes a joke out of everything, and makes every attempt in the world to lift the mood in a room when it has dropped too far, whether this is through his innate playfulness or by just being completely and utterly childish, random and weird. He hates negativity, and so he prides himself on being as far from a pessimist as is humanly possible, which - in turn - makes him seem eternally optimistic. Strange, for a guy who spent most of his life being shamed for his habits and beaten for speaking out against the bullies. It is through this that you could probably assume that his strength of will doesn't take a beating nowadays, not too often at least. He spent years building up a shield, and using it to deflect the harsh words, the fists, and everything else the norm has managed to throw his way. It's practically impenetrable now.

Augustus is very family-oriented, and he genuinely cares a lot about the people who fall into the category of close friends and family. There is nothing in the entire world that he would not do for them if he felt it was necessary, or if it made them happy. He'd sacrifice his own personal comfort for theirs in a heartbeat, without question. He is known to be polite when talking to them, and obedient towards the people who have managed to assert their dominance over him already - as much as he might hate doing so. He's all about giving respect to receive it and, as a result of this, will not give respect to those who have not earned it or have abused it in some way. However, to contrast his seemingly friendly qualities, he is highly untrusting and wary of the people to whom he is not close and/or does not already know. It is rare that he would speak to them, let alone attempt to make them feel happy or uncomfortable.

In addition to this, Augustus is highly territorial over things which he sees as his. If not discouraged immediately, Augustus begins to feel possessive over these things, whether they are objects, animals or even other humans. It is then, and only then, that you begin to see his more aggressive, primitive side. Of course, don't make the mistake of thinking that he'd attack and kill; it's not quite that bad just yet. However, he will attempt to intimidate the 'intruder' until they back off a sufficient amount and, only when he sees no alternative, he may - emphasis on may - lash out a little. Augustus prefers not to fight, truth be told, but he will do so if provoked enough, or if someone comes close to things that he owns and/or feels protective over. This is mainly focused around objects though, and so it is almost impossibly rare that he would focus this sort of attention on another person, unless of course they mutually decided that they liked him; then he'd feel a little less shameful about it.

On stage, however, Augustus is like an entirely different person. While he manages to retain some of his playful traits, there is a much more sinister quality to his smiles and chuckles. He acts like a freak, and he leads the audience into believing that he loves it, when - in actual fact - he dislikes being treated as different to anyone else in the world. He puts on quite a show to say the least. He is animalistic, cruel, mocking - an almost impossible contrast to his everyday self. While he dislikes this side of himself, he thinks it logical to act in this manner only when necessary, because such behaviour saves him a place within the circus, it gives him a roof over his heat and food in his belly.

L I K E S | Augustus has always been happiest when surrounded by the people he loves. To be able to chat and laugh and be a normal person, despite the fact that he is surrounded by freaks. In all honesty, such deformities and unusual skills are normal to him, and do not bother him in the slightest.

D I S L I K E S | It's kind of obvious, but Augustus despises fruit and vegetables, breads and pastries, canned products such as beans, soups, packets of food like noodles or pastas, sweet things, etc. Pretty much anything that isn't meat. However, he is able to stomach cooked meat more than any other type of food, but any and all food that basically isn't raw meat just tastes... off. And while it may not be particularly bad for his body on the whole, he cannot help but feel particularly sick when eating such things.

H A B I T S | One of Gus' most prominent habits is his attempt to take charge of any situation that crosses his path. He is always trying to be the Alpha male in the room, and this is quite evident through his general attitude towards things, his demeanour and a whole bunch of other aspects. He always feels as if he has something constructive to add, even when he really doesn't. He's not forceful about it unless he has to be, but it's just in his nature. Another prominent habit is snarling; this can happen at any time, when he feels threatened or if someone gets just that little bit too close to his personal possessions. Without warning, a guttural snarl erupts from his throat; he is unable to control it. This could be mistaken as an act of aggression, which is often not exactly what he has intended.

F E A R S | Augustus' main fear, above all the others, is himself. For someone who tries his best to respect other forms of life, the prospect of craving raw meat and flesh is highly disturbing and, unsurprisingly, brings in newfound levels of fear to his everyday life. If he goes a long while without eating, he begins to feel certain urges, and he is filled with the uncontrollable desire just to take a bit out of something... or someone. Whatever is closest to him at that time will fall victim to his ravenous hunger, truth be told. If something like this happens, he falls into a state of depression shortly afterwards, and will avoid others at all cost for fear of being shunned for his actions. This, quite obviously, is not an entirely pleasant experience for someone who thrives in large social circles, and so he tries his best to avoid this at all times whilst also trying not to turn cannibalism into something that is 'casually normal'.

B I O G R A P H Y | Augustus was born to a rather regular pair of parents, though he did live with his grandparent's on their farm for the larger majority of his life. His father, Demetrious, was a man of work; he worked in factories, moving from one to the next whenever he got laid off. As such, he kept having to go further and further away from their family home; eventually, it became too much of an effort to travel to and from work every night, so he stayed away. Augustus and his mother would've moved with him, but Augustus, by this point, was sitting out his school exams and so he couldn't afford to wreck his education over something so silly and distracting as moving houses. But, little did they know, Augustus had other things on his mind than passing exams. He went to school everyday, but rarely did he attend lessons; he stalked the corridors when no one was around, because he wasn't a popular boy; far from it, in fact. He faced taunts on a daily basis, and he was beaten bloody whenever he was backed into a corner. Of course, it hadn't always been that way.

At fifteen, Augustus had become quite good friends with a girl from his English class. They spent every moment of every day together and, while some may have joked, there was nothing romantic between them at all. At least, that's how she saw it. Augustus, on the other hand, viewed things quite differently. He was, in some ways, completely and utterly in love. And, as it was his nature, he became possessive and territorial over her. When anyone got close, he became arrogant and aggressive, he tried to scare people away, and she didn't like it. She began to push him away, fearing that one day he might actually snap and hurt someone, but more so that he might hurt her. However, this was a major mistake, as Augustus didn't take the rejection well. Far from it, actually. He became forceful and stalker-ish, watching her every movement, like a predator watching its prey. It was in his one moment of weakness that he snapped. She missed school for a couple of days to avoid being seen, avoided all of her friends, leaving them in a state of confusion; it wasn't until they actually saw her that they realised what was wrong. She was covered in bite marks, bruises, scratches. There was a period of about a month where she kept her mouth shut, but eventually she opened it, and that's when things turned bad.

He'd been hated ever since. Bullied, abused, for something he had no control over at the time. Or so he thought, at least. Either way, he became shunned by others. At first it started at the school, with his peers, but then they passed their views onto their parents, and their parents passed it on to their friends, and soon the vicious rumours began to spread like wildfire, until eventually there was nowhere Augustus could go without being glared at with utter disgust. Soon enough, he came to the realisation that he had no place in the town, and packed his bags. He snuck out as soon as was possible, and wandered so far for so long that it was any wonder he could even hold his own weight by the time he came upon the circus, situated in the fields beside another small town. It was the first sign of civilisation he'd come across for miles and miles and miles. He was tired, hungry, and near to collapsing where he stood on shaky legs.

At first he wasn't interested in joining, but he needed a place to stay, and there was something about him that caused Elsa to take an interest. Perhaps it was the fact that he'd insisted they not cook his meat upon his first meal with them, or the point-sharp teeth that he'd had since birth - which had never been too strange or unusual to him until they had been pointed out as 'unique'. As far as he was concerned, they'd been there since he could remember and, all things considered, they made it a hell of a lot easier to eat food. Despite himself, he somehow couldn't bring himself to leave. There was something intoxicatingly attractive about the circus and the so-called 'freaks' that dwelled within; truth be told, he felt more at home with them than he had ever felt at any other place. And so, when Elsa offered him a place in the show, he accepted without question, and began performing as soon as she would let him. Ever since then, he has developed a strong love for the freak show, so much so that he now refers to them - performers and workers alike - as family.

Q U I R K S | As was already mentioned in his personality, Augustus tends to mimic the general behaviour of a wolf. This is evident through several of his personal qualities as well as through his appearance. The most prevalent wolf-like qualities within his personality is his territorial nature and how he thrives in groups, being highly family-oriented. Wolves are much like this; they become protective over their land when others threaten to take over, for fear that their family will be hurt in the process, and become aggressive only when provoked. Within a pack, the general hierarchy is that there is an alpha male who leads with his mate, there are subordinate wolves, and then omegas. Augustus tends to put people into these categories depending on how they act in general and, while he is often seen to be dominating other people, his attempts to lead are removed upon the acknowledgment that he is not the alpha of the group. This is where obedience comes in. In addition, a pack is generally made up of family members; it is rare that a lone wolf would join this dynamic, but not impossible. And wolves are known to mourn their lost, in several ways. Augustus' strong sense of family love stems from this, as he considers the circus 'freaks' to be his family, despite the fact that he is not related to them by blood.

O D D I T I E S | Now for the more physical aspects of his wolf-like qualities. Upon meeting Augustus, these are the traits that grab your attention to mark him out as different from other people. The most evident of these is his eyes, which are amber in colour with flecks of hazel and gold through them, fading visibly into darker shades around the edge of the iris (not evident on FC). They are incredibly bright in colour, being somewhat brighter than most wolves' eyes. Regardless, they draw focus. Accompanying the oddities of his facial features are his teeth. Not every single tooth has been sharpened to a point; most of them are pretty average. However, his canine teeth, the last time he checked, were around 2cm in length. Despite what some people would think, they actually fit quite nicely into his mouth, with minimal rubbing or soreness. They are known to be incredibly sharp; relatively the same as a blade. One small prick from the sharp tip on his finger and he'd draw blood instantly. Another quality, and one which is oddly natural, is that his fingernails always grow into a point. He's tried filing them down, but whenever they grow back, they're pointed like a triangle at the tip of his fingers. These nails tend to be strengthened beyond normal human nails, it would seem, and much thicker, so it's harder to cut them but much easier to deal damage when attacking.

S K I L L S | Heightened senses would be the main focus of his skills; sight, sound, taste, touch and scent. Each one of them has been doubled beyond that of most other people. He is able to see things from greater distances as well as to hear conversations from the same distance, his taste buds have been enhanced to the point where not only food is more flavoursome but tastes in the air linger longer, same goes with smell, and he can recognise certain surfaces with a mere touch if he should need to. With this, in some sense, comes a heightened reflex. If you hear someone running up before they attack, it becomes much easier to turn and defend, or move to the side. If you smell someone's scent when they're in the area, you will always know their general location; how close or far they are away, how long or short their stay was if the scent is still strong or if it has faded. There are multiple uses for this skill. As well as heightened sense and reflex, Augustus' general jaw power has always been incredible. When he clamps his teeth around something, he can apply enough pressure so that it is nearly impossible to pry his jaw apart again, unless he does so himself. If he really wanted to, dealing damage or even possibly crushing a bone (depending on the strength of the bone and the size), could be possible. Agility has always been a skill of Gus' as well. The ability to jump, climb, and run for miles on end is something that has always come naturally to him and, although wolves down climb or jump many places, most of his skills are similar to a wolf's.

F L A W S | As well as being his main skill, heightened senses are also his main weakness. Because, everything has to have some balance, right? He can hear a long distance away, but that - in turn - means that he is particularly sensitive to sounds that are close to his ears. While he may be able to thrive in large groups, being in the middle of it all can be a little overwhelming, and loud events aren't something he finds pleasant. He is scared of many collective sounds, such as gunshots, screams, the scraping of metal on metal, etc. Anything that has a sharp, loud sound to it is what he tends to avoid. As well as this, it is incredibly easy to confuse his senses because they are so sensitive, or use certain things to overwhelm and completely shut them down. A prime example of this would be his sense of smell. Sure, he can smell a predator from a mile away, but that means that harsh scents as a replacement will overwhelm this sense and leave him without knowing if an unknown predator is in the area, therefore leaving him open to attack. If one sense is malfunctioning, you could say, then the others will also become confused and cease to work, so if his nose has been utterly confused, his focus would be drawn to it and so he wouldn't hear someone approaching from behind, if that makes sense.

O T H E R | It's not really a unique skill but for the fact that he sounds identical to a wolf, but Augustus has always been able to howl in a way that sends chills down a person's spine. This is something that ordinary people can do too, of course, but not at quite the same volume or for a similar amount of time. His howls can be heard from miles, and so he uses this often to signal certain things; approaching enemies and/or general danger.

A C T | Augustus is made to utilise a lot of his personal skills within his performance. The howling, the enhanced bite, the reflexes. All are put to good use in ways that, if he were to screw up, could be completely fatal to his health. This involves, quite often, being locked in a cage, allowing his primal urges to fill his mind and body. To be a wolf, to climb and growl and claw at the audience when they cheer for him, to be something entirely different to his true self for the sake of appealing to an audience.

So begins...

Augustus Tenebrae's Story

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Jupiter, Florida

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#2015-05-20 13:17:01, as written by Fable

Nocturnal as Augustus was - and had always been - it came as no surprise that by the time morning rolled around that day, he felt an almost unbearable force weighing upon his eyelids, dulling his senses and ridding him of his energy; fatigue was an interested thing, he reflected. Such a stark contrast to the previous night, when he had spent hours on end sat upon his own personal cart. His eyes had been drawn upwards, to the dark abyss that was the night sky, and the stars' pathetic attempts to bring forth light. Augustus was aware, it seemed, that it was not the darkness he loved the most about night, but the moon itself. More beautiful than the sun in many ways, and distinctly peaceful on the whole. Yes. It has to be the moon. He had sat there for longer than he could hope to keep track of, allowing the cacophony of sounds - that were as a direct result of the train trundling along at its usually slow pace - to fade into the buzz of the night, for it was silence that he hated the most. However, when the moon had begun to lower itself, and the sun threatened to rise behind him, he had thrown himself through the open window of his cart, grumbling quietly to himself. He never seemed to have enough time with his precious moon. The sun was always too greedy for his attention, which - of course - he was not willing to provide.

Augustus allowed his entire weight to fall onto the bed, fidgeting only to tangle himself in a mess of bed sheets. Thin as they were, they provided him with enough warmth that he might be able to drift into a peaceful slumber. This was made into a rather difficult task as the carts were being dragged over thickets of dry grass and bumpy terrain. There were a few moments where Augustus doubted he was even on his own bed, but instead an inch in the air; this became painfully evident as his face smashed into the equally bumpy mattress, and a revealed spring threatened to pierce his eyeball. Practically hissing at this, he sat himself up on his bed, deciding that he probably wouldn't be able to sleep as well until they arrived. Noticing that the sunlight had begun to spill through the open window, Augustus drew his knees up to his chest and wrapped his thick arms around them, burrowing his head into the darkness created by his arms. I hope we settle camp soon, he thought, an audible sigh working its way through the subtle gap between his lips. I need sleep.

It wasn't until Augustus became aware of a familiar voice shouting down to the carts that he finally dragged his heavily-fatigued gaze to the window once again. It was still bright out, but obedient was he in his devotion to Elsa, and so he peeled his eyelids back up and shifted his legs so that his feet were pressed firm against the dirty, wooden floor of his personal cart. "Euf," was the only sound that escaped him then, which was later accompanied by a grunt of effort as he applied pressure to his arms and lifted his behind off the bed. Blinking a few more times, he stretched out his long limbs, mouth parting wide as a drawn-out yawn filled the silence of his own cart, before he turned towards the case that held his clothes. Should probably get dressed, he mused, before snorting his amusement aloud. It wouldn't do to go outside practically naked. Shaking his head with in a few light, subtle movements, he forced his legs to carry his weight forward. His arms reached for the case, popping the hatch and allowing it to swing open. The outfit he chose consisted most notably of a red and grey checked shirt and plain black jeans; the shirt wasn't tucked in and his jeans dragged against the ground as he walked out of his cart, but it did well enough for him so he wasn't too fussed.

Augustus hesitated for a few moments as his eyes scanned the surrounding area, nose crinkling in dissatisfaction, before he turned back to his cart and jumped back inside only to grab the gear he needed for the setting up of his tent. He had it packed neatly within a duffel bag to the right of the entrance, on the opposite site to his clothes case, leaning up against the wall. Next to it sat a chest-like box, in which it held most of the equipment he might need. Mainly, this consisted of a cage (to be set up before the performance) and such. He began setting this up while the others began theirs, but his attention was drawn from his 'building' as the sounds of cars skidding up filled his sensitive ears. Wincing, he turned to face them as they pulled up near to Elsa. His expression changed within a matter of seconds, from relatively passive to wary. He tensed his musculature, but made no real move towards them. It was not his place to be involved in Elsa's affairs, he knew, but he was watching closely enough that he might be able to jump in if things went south. And, luckily for him, nothing did. The police left without much of a fuss, though they had been complaining about a murder or something of the like. Augustus needn't have worried; they'd only just arrived, after all.

He finished setting up his tent rather quickly after that, working his muscles to their absolute best as he hammered posts in to keep the tent in place, and then dragged his cases over to place them within. When he was done, he stepped out and grasped his own hands, flicking dirt away from them in the process, before he allowed himself the chance to look over their setup. Everyone had done a good job, he thought. Or, at least, nothing looked like it might fall and crush his skull as he walked past. That was good enough for him. However, now that all the work seemed to be done - on his end - there came the realisation that he had two options; socialise, or rehearse. The second would most likely earn him some goodie points with Miss Elsa, he reckoned, but the first seemed much more fun. And so, with a crooked grin settling upon his lips and revealing his two over-sized canines, he set off, hoping to find someone with whom he could have a relatively decent conversation. Although, the only two people he had seen wandering about so far were Matthaus and Hecate, and a rather odd looking clown he'd never seen before. Shrugging his shoulders, he continued his walk throughout the camp, allowing his gaze to analyse the structures around him, expression hinting at an almost gentle sense of curiosity.

It had been a long while before he came to a stop, having spotted Krista, or more commonly known as the human pincushion. It was interesting, he thought, that someone could go their entire life without feeling pain. He envied her, in some sense, but pitied her in others. Not having a sense of pain rids a person of their physical awareness, so that they don't know when to stop doing something. Augustus shook his head slightly. No. I don't envy her at all. Painting a smile upon his features, even though he knew it might not be well-received, he took it upon himself to approach her. He kept a reasonable distance away, due to her usually blunt nature. He didn't exactly want to be on the receiving end of a flurry of insults, truth be told. Regardless, he lifted his arm and gestured a hesitant wave. "Hey, Krista," he greeted. "Have a nice journey?" His voice was unusually gentle as he spoke.

Setting

Jupiter, Florida

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#2015-06-02 21:31:24, as written by blvkmvgic

Atop a bobbing and jumping trunk sat a girl. Surely from how she sat, she couldn’t be more than five feet tall. No older than sixteen. The apples of her cheeks were an innocent flush of pink. Her eyes were dark and circular, soulful with the evercoming curiosity and mystery of a doll’s. On this particular day, the right side of her ample tresses were Prussian blue, while the other side was as dark as her gaze. Coan silk fashioned into a lavender bow was pinned slightly to the left of her head. Her small feet kicked above the floorboards of a train car that progressed on large pin wheels, adorned in matching Coan slippers. Belted, a blouse and skirt accentuated what waist she did have. If not for the slight curve of a womanly figure, she could pass for thirteen easily. A small gap in her front teeth showed behind parted lips. Her expression was nothingness.

Dusky eyelashes batted as all gravity ceased to exist, the queue of luggage and vehicles halting. The tired sound of a poorly tuned accordion drew to a close. It didn’t take much for Aletea’s small frame to go flying from the trunk - it following, and nearly crushing her. She scrabbled for a moment to evade danger, pulling herself toward the extremity of the oversized handcart. When she landed on the dry earth, Jupiter’s dust rose from the ground and enveloped her feet. She could hear Elsa’s vernacular in the distance.

This site was truly a sight. Though the majority of its acres were dictated by dry sand and dirt, it was quite the setting. Elsa would have a field day with it. There was so much space - so much more room for isolated acts. Or would she go for that? Elsa had trouble giving anyone their own act entirely, or letting them run a tent or stand alone. Aletea glanced around. Off to one side there were woods. Cattails hemmed the edge of a sort of reservoir off to the other, whose water was miraculously blue and clear. Arums reached toward the small waves created by a gentle summery breeze. Aletea made a mental note of their location. Fancied making wild bouquets, sometimes sold them if Elsa suggested and endorsed it. After all, the cabinet could use all the revenue they could get. One way or the other.

The petite girl wasted no time after watching the performers disperse. In less than a half hour the big top was up, then Elsa’s regal and delicate tent. Soon the grand entrance was assembled and as daunting yet, inviting as ever. Aletea actually liked the idea of the entryway, masquerading as a giant devil’s head, a portal into an unknown world. She was four steps out and hanging a lantern jar when a brief siren blared, and officers of Jupiter’s quiet little town braked hard and erupted from their cars.

Instinctively Aletea backed away, elfin feet quavering. She hadn’t realized until Elsa barked somehow quietly, that she’d stumbled into the circus owner in a backward fashion. “Go back to the main grounds and press my costume, püppchen. Do whatever it is you need to, and for crying out loud, stay out of the way. Geh, jetzt!” Aletea learned a few of the German terms over time. 'Go, now. Little doll. Shut up. Get to work. This is terrible. You look terrible. Fix this. Hurry up.' The usual commands, for the most part. The girl scurried and jolted to attention, removing herself from the situation with elective haste.

But, she couldn’t help but pause on her way to Elsa’s tent when she saw a peculiar and sort of lonesome looking clown. His mouth was ragged red, perhaps painted with anxious hands. The harder she looked, the more apparent his disguise became. Though half of his face was painted, the other half was covered with a mask held by a bit of yarn. Kind of ramshackle. He wasn’t one of the performers of Elsa’s cabinet. When she was within a few yards, she realized how colossal he was in comparison to herself. Taken by curiosity the girl went a bit bowlegged. Stared her usual vacant stare, eyes gaping and full of questions her mouth would never solicit.

The wolf, seal, contortionist, pincushion and all the others bustled around. Still hard at work. It shook Aletea from her pondering. She pivoted a bit, circle skirt rising briefly as she turned to see a dwarf cross her path and snap, “What are you looking at?” Again, as almost a rehearsed reaction, Aletea stepped back. Not a friend in sight. She sighed heavily and drudged toward the queenly tent beside the big top.

A short distance away from Elsa’s territory was Paul’s. He appeared to be having some trouble with the stakes. Aletea watched him exhibit his independence as he hopped sort of rabbit-like on one of the tent struts. Briefly she spoke up, a Southern inkling in her soft voice, “Would you like a hand?” She of course wasn’t surprised when her offer was not taken happily, Matthaus coming onto the scene in his arch way. With such grace demonstrated in his walk, so soft for someone who was so strong and pliant like a rubber band. Aletea cleared her throat and tried to stifle her slight embarrassment, maybe to give the notion that when she asked if Paul needed her assistance, that she was really just, coughing, or something. Obviously she knew he didn't need her help. Or didn't prefer it.

Pressed and hangered, a grand striped getup was hung beside a massive Oak armoire. Aletea admired her work, looked up at it, ran her pygmy digits down the fabric to ensure there were no folds, no wrinkles. Perfect. She exited the tent, its coral and violet draperies falling behind her head. Squatted, a blond girl polished an apple keenly betwixt tents. Aletea had never seen this one before. But, given her most recent rejection, she wasn’t going to speak up or try to make friends with someone who more than likely saw her as Elsa’s pet, just like the rest.

In a forsaken sway she swept toward the biggest tent. It’s ‘doorway’ was pinned open, fresh painted wooden chairs lined symmetrically before the stage. Humming, Elsa’s doll padded down the center walkway, studying the props on stage and singing every now and again as she lifted them one by one. Hoops and ribbons for the contortionists. Collars and shackles for the wolf. A classic microphone for Elsa. Various magic boxes and cases. A ladder for anyone who wanted to stand at Lottie's height. A particularly concurrent doll costume...

She heard Hecate in the distance. The mystic. It reminded her, before she had a chance to illicitly slip into the doll costume, that she wanted to ask something. About fortunes, futures, and bad luck. The small girl sidled toward the fluorescent haired performer and peeped, "Hecate? Could I ask you something?"

Setting

Jupiter, Florida

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#2015-06-05 01:09:57, as written by blvkmvgic

Friday, May 12th, 1952.
Jupiter, FL.

Routinely busy pedways are barren in Jupiter, Florida. Not more than twenty hours ago, murders were confirmed in the placid pastel township. Businesses are dull, devoid of revenue and company. Managers idly kick rocks at the stoops of their establishments while a single cloud passes overhead. You wouldn’t think it was the beginning of a weekend. The air is stiff and muggy, whispers of homicide coating the silence with poisonous gossip. A word or two is spoken of the visiting Cabinet of Curiosities. The sun hoists itself up on an invisible string and cooks the world below as if it were putting the blame on Jupiter for its own tragedy.

“Did you hear about those freaks rolling in yesterday?”

“Police didn’t even think to check one of those tacky train cars for the missing children.”

“One of those weirdos could have eaten them!”

“I might buy a ticket, though.”

“God himself could not create creatures so monstrous.”

The police department finds nothing to go on, not even a hint as to whether the missing children are dead, kidnapped, or runaways. Their work is composed and tedious, even for a group of presumed hay-chewing imbeciles. Jupiter’s protective bubble disintegrates as citizens’ minds go amok with fear. Television screens flicker with washed out images and reports of no new found evidence. Ads aimed to put color into an otherwise drab world invite locals to a traveling freak show.

Two miles outside of town, the rented fairgrounds are aglow and engaged. Accordions, violins, and trumpets play a happy, upbeat tune. The hiss in between its melody gives a sinister warning to those who pay attention. Elsa Mars sways on a dirt path, smoke leaving her mouth while she gives pointers as her performers walk by. A woman that appears double her height passes. Fräulein glances up and croons, “Tonight I want you to hold my sweet Matthaus and Ramona on those strong shoulders. They will do the rest.” The amazonian beauty nods and continues toward her makeshift residence for last minute prep. In her wake comes a snarling dark haired boy, alpha aura rolling off of him like thick sweat. Elsa bats an eye at him, a carnal look of approval, but advisory on her tongue, “Keep the growling to a minimum, schönen jungen, unless you are in your cage. We cannot afford to frighten any customers away this time around. Rip your shirt off or something, the ladies will pay extra.”

While a tall, tattooed man combs his hair, a flaxen haired woman with lips as red as coral peeks around a corner. She has a pen and notepad on hand. She is quick to duck whenever Elsa looks her way. A dark haired girl walks past the wash troughs, a handful of clanking hooks held by pale fingers. An older man pushes a wheelbarrow full of other sharp, stainless steel behind her. He is quieter than the rest, with soot smearing his hands and neck. His eyes are flecked with era and knowledge, years worth of stories beyond them. He is a handyman. Behind him trots yet another part of the string of conveyance.

She is tiny and wide eyed, wrapped in periwinkle silk that matches her lipstick. Elsa snaps at her, “Don’t drag that fabric! Das ist schrecklich, Thalassa worked her hands to the bone ensuring that dress looked perfect!” Like a smaller twin or protégé, a girl with tow-colored hair and a round face cracks to attention and nods. She was the seamstress of which Elsa spoke. To avoid further madness, or upsetting Fräulein, a lithe young man scoops the periwinkle doll off her feet and carries her like precious cargo. He is careful in how he touches her, cautious not to let the adored fabric get caught on his scale-like skin. He doesn’t want to hear anymore complaining from Elsa about how careless her troupe can be. But he too, is quiet.

Customers line up an hour early, easily a hundred or more of them. They’re eager to throw their money into the ticket booth. Even women holding infants smile and keenly wait their turn. Others hold the hands of whining children. Hungry looking men stare after the glimpses of a tawny skinned woman carrying fire beyond the gates. She hums quietly and gives a brief word of encouragement to a girl with orange, sunshiney hair. The show is going to begin, in spite of it being much earlier than anticipated.

I have melted somehow back into one, lumpy piece. That’s the charm of the blazing southern sun, I suppose. I avoided being digested in a twist of fortune and find myself bonding to my other circus peanut colleagues. My wildest aspiration is to continue cohering until I form myself into the biggest circus peanut known to man. Then, I too, will have a spot in Fräulein’s Cabinet of Curiosities. My dreams are dashed for the time being, as my bag, my home, is handed off to a man and his family. He clenches the plastic so tightly I fear I may suffocate. We pass under striped fabric. I pray that I am alive long enough to finally see the show for myself. Elsa greets her audience in both German and English and the applause is tremendous as the music begins.

And I know, even if I am not long for this world, I can die happy, here in the presence of performers and exquisite curiosity.

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