Welcome to the big top: character skeletons

This is a thread for the character skeletons for " Welcome to the Big Top."

My name is Ainsley. I don't have a last name.


I am twenty-six years old - that's my estimation, anyway. I don't know exactly when I was born, so I count for as far away as I can remember.


I am a female. However, I wasn't raised in the typical female role, and my grandfather, who raised me, taught me to manage my own life and property.


I'm in the Freakshow because my father was old Tobias, the previous ring master. After spending my whole life traveling with my grandfather, we arrived in New York. Not the city, the state. Conveniently, my father had just been killed and I arrived just in time to take over his role as ring master.


I like to wear very extravagant clothing: sparkly bodysuits, coloured tights, and tutus, mostly. I often wear ties and top hats as well.


I'm of average size, with blue eyes and medium-length, curly red hair.


I am outgoing and funny, but it's very, very hard for me to take anything seriously or to trust people.


I am working for the good of the troupe. I try to take care of everyone's shenanigans, and maintain the peace so that we can actually do shows.


I was raised as a gypsy by my grandfather, who took me away from my birth parents when I was young so that I wouldn't be forced into the Freakshow. I'm cunning and tricky, and I read people very well. I'm loud and have to be the centre of attention. I make it my business to know everything about everyone.

The voice in my head is called... X

My name is Jocasta Powell.

I am nineteen years old.

I am female.

I am in the freak show because... I am a seeress. A fortune teller.

I like to wear bright, embroidered clothing. I tend to quilt it, and hide metal plates in the spaces between the two layers. Overdoing it? Maybe, but it never hurts to be prepared.

No one but me knows my true hair colour, and I like to keep it that way. My locks are almost always hidden within vivid hair wraps in every colour on earth, and a few dozen more. If I see a charm or bead that I like, It will likely end up in among the various strands on my head. I am 5’6”, but don’t ask where I got that height from (my mother was well over six feet tall). I’m slim enough to be healthy, but I don’t make a point of exercising frequently or eating just salads. My eyes are the palest grey, with no colour at all. I have a row of black dots tattooed under each eye.

I have been described as: outgoing and bubbly, but occasionally I can become as introspective or secretive, if only for a moment. My favourite food is meatloaf. I’ve never been able to choose a particular colour, but anything on the grey scale is just too bland. Phones make me nervous, and I love being the centre of attention.

Alignment: Chaotic Good

If you really want to know: when I’m not busy being adored by the general public , I tend to read whatever book happens to be at hand, and feed stray cats. I have my own cat, a fat old tom named Mendel. He’s fair useless, and people often ask me why I bother keeping him. He’s a good sport about being cuddled , though, so I consider it an investment. I also collect embroidery floss for hair wraps.

The voice in my head is called... Serabee

Character Sketch:

name: Alma Finley, age 18

gender: I am a woman. Not a lady or a girl, or Lord forbid a mother; I am a warm-blooded woman.

how they joined/job in the freakshow: I came to be here ‘cause Toby met my mama n’ me when we was stayin’ with Mama’s mama Granma. He was travellin’, not sure for what, and he ain’t never tell me what for neither, and what with his passin’ I s’pose I’ll never know now, and stopped by askin’ if we would be so generous as to let him spend the night, wash-up, and maybe spare a meal. Granma always told me I talked to much, so I won’t bore y’all with the details, but Mama made me sing for him while he was eatin’, an’ he said people would pay money to hear my voice an’ that one day he would come back for me. Few years later, I turn 16 an’ th’rest’s history.

clothes style: I got me a lovely pair of legs, just you ask anyone an’ they’ll tell you so, so dresses an’ shoes that show ‘em off suit me just fine.

appearance: My hair’s not much; Mama had princess hair, golden an’ curled, but I got my Daddy’s hair, I guess, a brown colour that looks like dirt depending on what kinda dirt you’re used to. But it goes nice with my eyes, they’re real big an’ dark an’ Granma used to say was a sure sign my Daddy had injun in ‘im, if he wasn’t ou’right.

manners/alignment: Plenty a fellas’ll tell you I got a voice like honey an’ manners to match. Some other women’re jealous, but we can’t all be born with talents, now can we? I s’pose its not their fault they wasn’t born with more than jus’ average looks, which now day’s ain’t enough to go on, but it really ain’t no reason to gossip ‘bout someone the way I’ve been getting my whole life.

anything else: I met a run away when I first left Mama an’ joined Toby. He was real nice, an’ the first person to address me as a woman, an’ I ain’t looked back nor accepted any lesser treatment since. He taught me a few things, believe you me, and while I leave a trail of broken hearts an’ swollen lips wherever we go, my favourite lessons were the ones where he used his knives.

The voice in my head is a root vegetable... not sure what that means.

My name is Elias McCarthy, well met. I assure you, this will be brief.

I am a boy, guy, man (I prefer gentleman), whatever.

I'm in the Freak-show because I have a tail. It's nothing special, really. Just a tail. Like a monkey. They make me do acrobatics and activities of that ilk. A real crowd pleaser – if there were, in fact, crowds to be pleased.

I like to wear... Clothing, mostly. What kind of question is this?

And I look like... a monkey, basically. My face is hairy, I have a beard. No, not a beard a la Gandalf the gray. It’s a short, stubbly beard. My hair is brownish red, with flecks of black. Olive skin – blah blah blah.

I like to think of myself as a gentleman of sorts. Less gentle, more manly. I wear the vests and ties, dressy pants and the like.

Alignment-wise, I’m a bad ass mother flipper with a taste for blood. Sarcasm. Really I’m a sweet, mild mannered monkey man. Also sarcasm. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see, now won’t we?

Well, if you really want to know...Well, I grew up in a small town just off the coast of mind your own flipping business!

The voice in my head - you know, the one with the mild superiority complex - yeah, his name is Y. Some super cool, chic futuristic name, I dont know. Frankly, I find him to be more than a little bit irritating.

My name is Varekai. It’s meaning is ‘wherever’ in the Romani language if you want to know. As for last names, I’ve been called many names so my true name became lost. However, Varekai is the name I’ve adopted for my own self. You may address me so or by Varey, Kai, Vare or whatever else you desire, just let me know. M’kay?

I am twenty-one years old or nineteen, if I remember correctly. Sorry, I don’t really look my age. Ehehe... That may seem confusing when you meet me face-to-face. Don’t expect me to be a mature adult or a childish kid ‘cause you may get them both.

I am a female, of course. Yet if you’re thinking I’m one of those girly girls, you are sorely mistaken. I’ve always worn guy clothing or whatever I like because this is my life and I get to choose how I live it, and who I own my loyalty to, and who I’ll put my trust in to follow.

I’m in the Freakshow because I like to play with fire.

I like to wear guy clothes and whatever looks cool, comfy, or cute. It largely depends on my overall mood really. Usually you’ll find me in my favourite dark-coloured hoodie jacket—I got navy blue and black, what can I say?—with either a white, grey or black t-shirt underneath, torn-up jeans and my travel boots. Oh and you can also see me wearing a dark blue and white keffiyeh around my neck whenever I have my hoodie unzipped. My keffiyeh’s pattern changes abruptly near my neck, from stripes to a very organized checkerboard pattern. The tip of it is frayed slightly after being one of my faithful travelling companions for most of my life. Easy now, I’m not crazy or anything, I just really treasure my keffiyeh a lot! Why? It's still a secret for now! [winks]

I’m really short to be honest. Just cracked five feet tall and easily mistaken for a fourth, fifth or sixth grader or was it seventh grader? I can’t really remember because it varies from person to person, always changing on me. Um, I also have blue-grey eyes that people often describe them often changing like the ocean or the stormy sky. And my hair is...well, a dark green. Yes, you didn’t read or hear me wrong. It’s dark teal green. G-R-E-E-N. To be honest, if I had a natural hair colour it most likely would have been blonde but I don’t know anymore since my hair has been green for as long as anyone can remember even me! Also I tend to do odd hairstyles with it, and it’s pretty short too, not reaching beyond my neck. Beneath my eyes are two tattoo-like dark blue upside-down teardrop facial marks, a celebration gift to myself after managing to join The Big Top.

I have been often described as the oddball or outsider of every group. Not that it is a bad thing. More like, I’m able to flow freely into groups and leave just as easily like a breeze. I’m told I’m fairly mischievous and always overflowing with confidence. But to tell you the truth, I’m not always like that—sometimes I’m told to be a bit of an enigma. I tend to favour dark colours, but I love bright colours too. On my travels I’ve met many odd and interesting people, perhaps you’ll like to hear one sometime? I just absolutely love a good story!

Alignment-wise, I’m pretty much neutral but depending on the situation or event I may tip into either downright nasty (when you deserve it) or polite (I like to keep my manners, thank-you very much). But you can count on me to be nice and pleasant most of the time unless you ruin my fun. And well if you really want to know...I really don’t want to talk about my past. Maybe someday but not just now—we’ve only just met!! However if you want to know more about me, I can tell you this: I can do any odd job ranging from juggling to singing to playing an instrument to dancing or even plainly acrobatics—I can do them all. You never know with me—heck even I don’t know myself well enough sometimes. Hahaha!! I even know multiple languages, so try me in French, English, Japanese, Spanish, Chinese, the list goes on and on folks!

Join me and I may just tell you more of my tale and such. See you at The Town Square everyone!!

Also, I have this voice in my head... She calls herself personae. I find it ironic that the voice in my head would be calle personae, but whatever!

My name is Lex Talionis. Although most people just call me Lex. I had another name once, but it's not important anymore.

I am eighteen years old. Young, you may say. Naive, innocent, are adjectives that might follow. But I will give you a fair warning; many have regretted underestimating me.

I am a five-foot-three Eurasian female. Weighing 118 lbs. Of muscle, I’d be terrible offended if you were to believe otherwise.

I’m in the Freakshow because… I am a fire dancer and a knife thrower, known for my explosiveness (both with fire and knives).

Depending on who you are, you might say I’m pretty. I don’t really care, to be honest. I rarely show my face. For all intents and purposes, my masquerade mask has become my visage. It’s a crimson red with white gold trimming. It covers most of the upper part of my face. On the left side there are ribbons of creamy white silk that fall to my shoulders, which gleams brightly against my wavy raven locks in the firelight. I have a rather extensive wardrobe – it varies from jet black studded leather garments, to an assortment of red and white silk dresses. Depends on my moods. I have two belts of throwing knives which I wear across both shoulders and my back, like bullet belts – I am never seen without these.

I have tendencies to be obsessive compulsive, narcissistic, histrionic. I am wildly unpredictable, and not quite sane (highly perceptive and intelligent however). I oscillate between periods of extreme calm and nastiness. I have quite a few weaknesses, however most people never discover them because they tend to keep their distance.

The voice in my head is a dark secret... Or is that her name? Does it matter? No. Point is, I have a voice in my head, and that is not normal.

Ethan: My name is Ethan.
Eileen: And i'm Eileen!
Ethan: But if she put her hair up, you probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference-
Eileen: We're twins, you see!
Ethan: We're 10 years old,
Eileen: I'm a girl and he's a boy, obviously!
Ethan: We joined the freakshow because-
Eileen: We're acrobats!
Ethan: No, contortionists!
Eileen: Acrobats!
Ethan:Contortionists!
Eileen: Whatever. We're flexible and we do lots of tricks. But don't leave your wallet near either of us-
Ethan: It's likely you'll never see it again.
Eileen: We like to wear a lot of the same clothes-
Ethan: Each of us has the same outfits as the other-
Eileen: That way, no one will ever be able to tell us apart!
Ethan: Sometimes, she pretends to be a boy,
Eileen: And he pretends to be a girl!
Ethan: I hate wearing dresses...
Eileen: So do I! But that's aside from the point. I've got brown hair and green eyes.
Ethan: So do I!
Eileen: So say it, then!
Ethan: I've got brown hair and green eyes-
Eileen: Stop copying me!
Ethan: No, you're copying me!
Eileen: No I'm not!
Ethan: Well i was born first!
Eileen: That's such a boy thing to say. Boys always have to win. Win win win.
Ethan: You're just jealous 'cause i can steal better than you can.
Eileen: Well i can dance better than you can.
Ethan: That's cause you're a girl!
Eileen: Whatever. We've traveled all round Europe, you know.
Ethan: Probably more than most adults.
Eileen: That's cause we're orphans.
Ethan: Our parents went and dropped dead when we was just two years old!
Eileen: Ethan, « dropped dead » is an improper term. You have to say « passed away ».
Ethan: Bullocks to that! Anyway, we spent most of our life in London, beggin' for money and performin' on the streets-
Eileen: That probably explains our accents to you funny Americans-
Ethan: Until finally we got adopted by this travelin' french puppeting man!
Eileen: I KNOW! Sounds looney, doesn't it?
Ethan: He took us to Notre Dame where we'd get him customers
Eileen: And then play tricks on them!
Ethan: we got right rich, that way!
Eileen:Until the police had us deported for our shenanigans.
Ethan: Oh yeah, that was scary. They made us be sailors or somethin' on this ship that was going to America-
Eileen: Real awful in there. We barely got any food.
Ethan: And once we got there, we couldn't find our way back to London!
Eileen: So we stole from people on the streets,
Ethan: until finally we joined the circus, just last month.
Eileen: That was a long time to be doing all that training stuff.
Ethan: Who cares, it was fun!
Eileen: I never said it wasn't fun!
Ethan: Well you implied it!
Eileen: Do you even know what that means?
Ethan: Who cares what it means?
Eileen: Whatever. Still. Anyway. On the stage, they call me Artemis,
Ethan: and me, Apollo!
Eileen: You know, after those greek gods of sun and moon-
Ethan: Cause she's REAL dark and scary!
Eileen: Oh, shutup!
Ethan: The funny part about being twins, you know-
Eileen: Is that we both have the same voice in our head!
Ethan: Her name is Agent McFly, and she's even more annoying than Eileen.
Eileen: RUBBISH!
Ethan: So you admit it, you are annoying?
Eileen: This is just never going to stop, is it?