[OOC] ~~~The Harlequin's Shadow ~~~ A Supernatural Circus

[Trinais]

@Orior You are approved!

@shaitarn, Atomic is going to have his/her fire breather approved and posted soon. Please hold off until you can take a look and then we'll go from there!

Group, I'll have an opening post up late tomorrow!

[AtomicNut]

And done. Posted in character tab.

[Trinais]

And done. Posted in character tab.

@AtomicNut

Coolness.

I leave for work in about 20, so I'll have the IC started up late tonight or early tomorrow at worst. I primarily posy M-F during the day, FYI.

[RainbowReindeer]

ma charrie

Name: Aurélie Bellerose

Sex: Female

Description: While slim, Aurélie is lean and well-muscled. She stands around 5'10''. Her skin is lightly spotted with freckles and is slightly tan as well after hours toiling under the sun. Her body is a canvas of scars and burns that tells a story of hardship. Aurélie has an oval face with defined cheekbones, a slightly pointed chin, and a sturdy jaw line. Her lips are full and with a cupids bow. Her cloudy blue eyes are in a rounded almond shape that are emphasized by her double eye-lids. She keeps her chocolate-brown hair long and flowing when not performing and when performing it is kept into a back braid crown.

Date Inducted: 1900s

Role: Acrobat

Offensive Power:
- Enhanced agility/reflexes, strength, and endurance: Self-explanatory.
- Butterfly Galore: She can change any part of her body into butterflies.
- Man-Eating Butterflies: Flesh eating butterflies. They are completely black in color.
- Blade Mastery: Skilled with knives, swords, blades, and the like.

Biography: Aurélie is an orphan. She was abandoned in an alley-way in a small rural town. She was put up for adoption and has since then juggled around foster homes. She was a pretty quiet and sullen kid. After all, she thought no one loved her. Long story short, most of the households she lived in were abusive both verbally and physically. She still bears many mental and physical scars from those horrendous memories but Aurélie doesn't let it get to her. (Well, she tries.)

When she turned 10, she became part of a large circus family. All of the sudden, Aurélie had eleven siblings! This was probably the point where she began to develop her wings. That sad little child began to grow more out-going and friendly. Her parents eventually let her become and trained her as an acrobat. She became more prettier as the seasons passed, and all of the sudden, she was of marriageable age.

It was the norm for girls her age to marry but Aurélie didn't want to. She ran away from home and came across the Keeper. His offer was tempting and too good to be sure, but Aurélie accepted anyways.

Other:
- Nationality: French.
- Loves dancing.

Audition:

"Mother told me that everyone is like a butterfly. They start out ugly and awkward and then morph into beautiful graceful butterflies that everyone loves. But I don't think I'm like that at all..."

The lights flickered on and the audience's eyes were drawn to the lone figure poised on a tight rope. The lithe acrobat's lips pulled up into a charming smile as she waved to the crowds. She then cartwheeled a few times on the line with ease, eliciting a round of applause. The acrobat continued to perform a variety of tricks on the line that seemed impossible. At one point, she was balancing with only one hand! She would tease the crowd, purposefully falling only to regain her balance and such.

Of course, she wasn't the only one performing. There were other acrobats and assistants to help spice up the performance. An assistant threw up a blade, which Aurélie caught with ease. She skillfully swirled the weapon around, a skill she obtained when she first joined this circus. She threw it up in the air, twirling around before catching it again with her legs. The crowd's roars were deafening - some of the people had their eyes covered while others stared on in awe.

The blood in her veins sang in joy. Aurélie lived for this - the cheers and the thrill. But the show would have to eventually end. She went limp and fell, this time for real. Before she hit the ground, a horde of colorful butterflies magically appeared out of thin air before fluttering away. The crowds eyes searched the ground for a mangled body, only to find none! One could only reason that it was the work of a magician.

A little girl in the crowd stood on her tippy-toes, tears welling up when she realized that the pretty acrobat had disappeared. A butterfly landed on the girl's shoulder, soon joined by the others, and Aurélie appeared. "Mon chérie, why do you cry?" She whispered, patting the girl's head. The girl gasped, turning around only to be greeted by another flurry of butterflies. She would forever remember the soft-spoken acrobat, as graceful and short-lived as a butterfly.

[Trinais]

@RainbowReindeer is approved!

I'll have a "Ringmaster" CS set up in the morning and try to get the first post up not long after!

[shaitarn]

I've had what may be either a brainwave or an incredibly stupid idea: could I have a former tattooed lady who now works as a trick rider (as tattoos are passé and no longer shocking)?

[Trinais]

Not sure what a trick rider is, but by all means roll one up!

I've just gotten back from work so I'll try to get the Ringmaster written up and an intro post before I go to bed.

[shaitarn]

I'm probably using the wrong term; I'm thinking of the sort of woman in sequins you see performing stunts on horseback.

Apologies if I can't get this link thing to work; if I can, this is what you'd see while she's practising:

I have to go to bed, so I'll get her posted first thing tomorrow.

[Trinais]

Roger that@shaitarn! I was completely beat after work yesterday. Sorry guys!

[shaitarn]

Name: Cassandra ‘Cassie’ Bellefontaine – she never uses her full name.
Sex: Female
Description: Cassie stands about 5’5” tall and is slim but somewhat curvy. She has long black hair which she usually wears tied back unless performing, when she wears it loose and flowing. She has dark green eyes and a gracefully pretty face, looking genuinely beautifully when she smiles. Her entire body from her shoulders to her ankles is covered in colourful tattoos. Stars, hearts, birds, moons, suns and flowers can be seen among the colourful mix along with sailing ships, webs and roses with thorny vines. People who study them may notice that they seem to change position on her body, though no one ever sees them moving.
Date inducted: Late 1700s.
Role: Former tattooed lady/trick daredevil

Offensive Power:
Her horse riding act has left her limber and agile – while nowhere near as graceful as Aurelie, she can perform basic acrobatic moves quickly enough to get herself out of harm’s way.
Her tattoos function as both armour and weapon: when fighting shadows they wrap and flow around her like form-fitting armour, and two long streams of colour flow into her hands which she wields as whips of multi-coloured light against the darkness.

Biography: Born in a family with a name and title but precious little money, Cassandra (as her parents insisted on calling her) grew up in a world of genteel poverty. She was taught the arts that a young lady of the time should know, though her parents despaired of her spirited temper, and was raised to snare a rich husband. When she was 20 she as married off to a rich slave trader move than twice her age. Cassie tried to make the best of the match, but her new husband soon proved to be a cruel, vicious man who treated her much as he might one of his own slaves – something he’d bought and can use as he chose. Which included breaking her if he wished.
She endured marital rape and his emotional and physical abuse for the next eighteen months; she tried to flee to her parents but they refused to help her, claiming it would disgrace the family if she left him and forced her to return.
After enduring another beating, Cassie snapped. She dismissed the servants for the night, sending them off to see the circus that had arrived that day, stole a knife from the kitchen and while her husband slept that night she stabbed him. Repeatedly. The only thing she felt as his blood splashed against her skin was a tired relief that it was over – he couldn’t hurt her anymore. She set fire to the house as she left and released the horses from the stables, taking one to ride away to a safe distance and watch the house burn.
At this point the mysterious ringmaster offered her his deal – join him, and everyone would assume Cassandra Bellefontaine had died with her husband; no one would look for her in the circus. She accepted without hesitation, and when they shook hands the bruise and blood on her skin transformed into colourful tattoos, concealing the marks of the abuse she had suffered. She’s travelled with the circus ever since; as tattoos are no longer a sensational thing on a woman, she’s graduated as a daredevil horseback rider.

Other:
Nationality: English/British (obvious from her soft accent).
She professes to be bisexual, but seems to prefer other women as partners. Whether this is natural inclination or a reaction to the abuse she suffered is debateable.
She never talks about her past, but shows a marked empathy for others who show the signs of physical or mental abuse.
She has two horses – one pure white called Spirit, the other jet black named Sable. She knows they’re not original names, but so what?

Audition: “And now, a tradition that dates back to the first days of the circus – Cassie our daredevil rider!” The lights went up and wild gypsy music began to play as a pair of horses, one black, one white, galloped into the ring. The small girl watching the show clapped enthusiastically as a young woman rode on the white; her long black hair whipped out behind her as she raised her arms above her head.
The two horses galloped side by side around the ring. The girl watched spellbound as the young woman spun smoothly from one impossible pose to another, standing upright with both arms raised, swinging out of the saddle and re-mounting in a quick swirl of limbs so she faced backwards until she remounted again, her body lying sideways across the saddle, head downwards. The girl gave a gasp as the young woman performed a quick backwards roll on the horse before vaulting onto the black.
She rolled up into a headstand, and the crowd cheered as she performed the splits upside down, holding the pose for one full gallop around the ring.
The small girl gasped as the young woman swung out of the saddle, hanging almost upside down for a minute, one hand dangling to the ground before she swung back and up to her feet. She vaulted backwards, balancing on her hands before springing up into a somersault that left her standing with one foot on either horse. She raised one arm, acknowledging the cheers from the crowd. Streamers of colour seemed to flow from the limb.
The child applauded until her hands ached as the horses reared up in unison and then stretched out their front legs, lowering their bodies as they too took their bows.

[AtomicNut]

I am dropping rps. Real life stuff happened.

[Trinais]

@shaitarn, approved but please try to break up your paragraphs a bit. It's nitpicky I know, but I have trouble reading blocks of text.

@AtomicNut, understood completely. I go by RL first, RP second!

Which is the reason it took me so long to get the first post up. Sorry guys/gals, but now the curtain rises!!!!!

[Onarax]

I guess this means I need to hurry up and finish my profile.

[Trinais]

I guess this means I need to hurry up and finish my profile.

@Onarax

Whenever you get a chance :-)

[Fumari]

I'm excited for this to get rolling. So many birds.

[Trinais]

Indeed! Friendly note: I will not have a chance to post again tonight, as I have family plans.

[shaitarn]

@shaitarn, approved but please try to break up your paragraphs a bit. It's nitpicky I know, but I have trouble reading blocks of text.

@Trinais

No problem; I've spaced it up on the character sheet list.

[Orior]

I shall post after work this evening!

[AtomicNut]

Good news and bad news. I've managed to allocate some time to post in rps. Bad news is that I can't afford being in them all and I'm still giving preference to the ones I've been before joining this one. It was nice knowing you people and sorry about the incovenience.

[agentmanatee]

I'm finally gonna get my character up today!