App for lostcarnival

[pipers_son]

PLAYER↴ Name: James Contact: trilies on plurk Other Characters: n/a CHARACTER↴ Character Name: Joker Age: 27 (25 at canon point) Species: Human Canon: Kuroshitsuji Canon Point: End of the Circus Arc Character Info: Tom, he was a piper's son... Personality: At a surface level, Joker seems like a showman down to his core. Flashy, friendly, boisterous, charismatic, social- all of these words have been used to describe him at a glance. However, perhaps to the surprise of some people who get to know him past the circus acts, none of these traits really go away. Behind all the glitz and glamour, he's very much the same. Alright, perhaps not exactly- he's a little less loud when he doesn't need to be shouting for the audience's attention or dressing up for a show. However, Joker is still what one could call a "social butterfly" and he'd wear the title proudly. He's always been glad to talk with people, even taking comfort when surrounded by a crowd at times. Perhaps that's simply what happens when you grow up in an orphanage, and surrounded by six other adopted siblings even before that: you learn to cope or you learn to actively enjoy it all. Not only does Joker like it, of course, but he's also become quite good at dealing with people. While his personality type isn't appealing to everyone, he's still generally pleasant enough to be around if one can forgive the bad jokes and his occasionally ridiculous ideas. To those he becomes familiar with, it also soon becomes apparent that Joker is quite the teasing troll as well. He doesn't have a malicious sense of humor, the kind that means leaving thumb tacks in people's shoes, but it is the kind that gets on people's nerves. For example, giving someone a contrary nickname and calling them nothing else or making people who clearly hate each other roommates. Annoying to deal with but ultimately not harmful, generally speaking. This is the Joker most people know. This is the Joker most people are allowed to know. Joker is a performer. In many ways, Joker was a performer even before Baron Kelvin ever placed him in charge of the Noah's Ark Circus. As a child of the streets, he acted like there wasn't a bitterness in his heart when he had to beg for change from all those above him in station (which was everyone). As the "big brother" of his united band of misfits, he had to smile so that they wouldn't worry and could believe in a future for themselves. As Baron Kelvin's personal butler, he had to act like he wasn't learning of horrible things and bloodying his own hands for his master's satisfaction. Joker's mask is a part of him, now, something that's grown with him since he was young. Part sincerity, part habit, all of it not completely true. Past the many layers of this mask, Joker has more than his share of darkness. It's not something he's welcomed, really, but it's been born of necessity. Because of his circumstances, Joker has developed a sort of "me and mine against the rest of the world" policy in his mind. His family and himself will always come first to Joker, a trait about him which has been abused before. In ways, it's heart warming: Joker would literally give one of his limbs for the people he considers family. Most of the time, however, it's dangerous, because Joker often pays the price to keep his family safe using other people. This is less an active choice and more one that he's been forced into, to the heavy extent that he now unfortunately thinks that's how the world can only work and there are no other alternatives. Sometimes to keep yourself alive, you have to throw other people onto the train tracks. This has never been something he's been happy about, and the weight of the things he's done is a heavy burden. Of course, not all of his flaws are things he is necessarily aware of or guilty about. For example, in contrast to his cheery disposition and the way he often attempts to cheer others up, Joker himself carries quite the defeatist attitude in regards to his own circumstances. The idea of attempting to flee Baron Kelvin with the circus is something that has been presented to him before, but which he rejected- not from a lack of desire, but a lack of faith. Joker has been on the bottom his whole life at the whims of people of higher societal clout. Combined with Baron Kelvin's emotional abuse that left Joker a shell of a man with every encounter, and he's almost incapable of outright rebellion. Oh, Joker will still try to make things work his way in the face of that kind of authority, whether that's turning up the charisma to 11 or outright pleading... But he finds it hard to rebel. This feeling of helplessness has in turn cultivated something else: a nasty bitterness. It doesn't come out often, and Joker often keeps it shackled down out of sight. However, it's still there lurking- mostly towards royalty or nobility, people who disparage the poor, targets which are quite justifiable considering what he's been through. However, now and then, glimpse of it can show through when Joker is run ragged or believes he has nothing to lose. Those are moments where he'll try to lash out with his words, twisting a metaphorical knife or aiming for a big glaring button. There's also the fact of his matter that while he often uses his acting abilities to keep a smile on his face, Joker can reverse it in any way he needs to. This even means putting on a blank and emotionless appearance, keeping his thoughts locked tightly away. This means that, for all his friendly nature, he's quite distant from many people. Abilities: Joker has had to be many things throughout his life, born of necessity and the need to survive in a twisted situation. As the butler of Baron Kelvin and his trusted "son", Joker has had to learn a considerable amount of domestic life in a Victorian era mansion. His skills there include: taking care of the sick and elderly, managing various lobotomized child servants people under him, familiarity with a variety of exquisite English (and some exotic) cooking, knowing the proper routine of dinner, managing the attendance of visitors, facts about wine, and knowing the duties of all servants in a typical Victorian Era English manor. He is also a fantastic cook and patient teacher, along with possessing some faint knowledge of the occult. As a criminal who had to kidnap children, his skills include: kidnapping, knowledge of era appropriate drugs (aka opium up the ass), how to murder, how to get away with murder, and lying in the face of authority. As a performer and ringleader, Joker's favorite skills lie in this area: keeping track of funds, hiring performers, training performers, managing a bunch of dreaming drama royalty, assigning tasks, advertising, keeping an audience's attention when introducing acts, arranging acts, getting people to practice, some acrobatics, decent balance for tight rope walking, and fancy (and practical) skills with blades. He also knows how to ride horses. And as a worker at this particular circus... He's started to adapt the skill of being used to some weird ass fae shit. CARNIVAL↴ Soul Colour: Deep purple Ideal Jobs: ~~Stage Manager~~, Acquisitioner Relevant Experience: In which Joker just straight up gestures to all of his talents collected over the years. However, as he was once a ringleader himself, he knows that such things must be worked for. He'd eagerly use every ounce of charisma in him to convince the Ringleader that he's fit for the job, demonstrate the knowledge he has of the particular area and absolutely promise to learn more if necessary for some of the more... arcane elements to this new job of his. Carnival History: Before the carnival, all Joker can remember is this: betrayed multiple times, missing both a portion of his real arm and a part of his fake, he had been left to bleed to death in a burning building. For a brief moment, the emotional toll of everything almost convinced him to stay there on the ground. However, all his life had been about survival from the streets of the East End to the service of Baron Kelvin. That instinct to keep living forced him up to his feet and to the rows of stone seats in the Kelvin basement, out the door... And into more fire. Just not the fire he was expecting. Joker arrived in the carnival during one of their first seasons of the year, during a trip to an elemental world. The appearance of someone not made of Actual Literal Fire or wisps of air drew the attention of the Ringleader. This is where Joker's memory gets a little fuzzy, probably because of all the blood loss. However, when he woke up, it was with a contract and a wooden forearm in place of the flesh-and-bone one which he had lost. That last part in particular was something of a surprise. The first thing he did, once he had his bearings and some food, was get rid of his prosthetic right arm. Too many bad memories and realizations. The second thing he did was go straight to the Ringleader and ask the question of just how many contracts could a man make...? And thus, Joker joined the carnival with more eagerness than maybe most. Then again, it didn't exactly help that he still on some level believed he was in limbo or strange death dreams. It took the edge off of such a jarring new (but not really) occupation, at the cost of making him a bit flighty with his workload. It wasn't that he was bad so much as he constantly seemed involved in everything. Things only snapped into place during the visit to the King's Court, where Joker was one of the workers who almost got beheaded. (Note for the future: do not wink flirtatiously at the princess.) This event made him realize two things: all of this was real and that he'd head stories of rather fair folk such as the Ringleader. From that point on, Joker notably switched gears. Instead of flitting around doing whatever needed an extra hand in the variety of areas he was skilled in, he began to stick to one area in particular with an eye for the future. While he'd always been friendly with the Ringleader, he upped his attempts to stay on her good side and show her his in turn. Through a combination of charisma, the proper skills, energy, and work ethic, he managed to put himself into a good position. When the supervisor of his particular area finally refused to renew their contract and went off to go fight an interstellar war with the Asgardians, Joker slipped right into action. Joker's first few months went smoothly. Whatever else could be said about him, after all, the man was good with his skills and eager to broaden them, especially since he wanted to show the Ringleader that he wasn't a mistake. His next contract was signed off just like he and the Ringleader had discussed when he'd first joined the circus, and things looked like they were going well. However, everything changed when the Fire Nation vampires attacked. Joker was one of those lucky enough to survive, fending off what he could. As a supervisor, he did what he could in the aftermath. Sometimes that meant actively helping with the repair efforts or whatever the Ringleader asked him. Other times that meant playing a more social role, helping others recover and doing his best to keep who he could from leaving. It's now a new year, and Joker has just recently signed his third year's contract. He has his fingers crossed that this year goes better than the last. Existing Contract: The saving of his life in exchange for his first year of service Details: Joker arrived close to death at the Carnival, attracting the attention of the Ringleader in his disastrous state. As he wasn't actually dead and still against all odds coherent, he made a deal (see: begged) her to save his life. Apparently that counts as a binding contract by fae standards, who knew? This included the growth/creation of his left wooden forearm, because apparently that's how you stop horrific bleeding. Existing Contract: The guaranteed safety of his circus family in exchange for his second year of service Details: Joker arrived in the Carnival with the knowledge that there was a heavy chance the orders he had left behind (on orders by Father/Baron Kelvin) would lead to the deaths of his loved ones. Thus he requested the safety of his adopted family: Beast, Doll, Wendy, Peter, Jumbo, Dagger, and Snake. (In canon, it's not established exactly if everyone dies at the same time if I recall correctly, but since that'd be unrealistic, we'll say there's still time to save them, especially because... time is weird in fae dimension-hopping land.) Existing Contract: The guaranteed and safe transfer of his family from his home universe to another safer and nicer universe in exchange for his third year of service Details: This is Joker's most recent contract and has in fact just been renewed. With the way his world is and the things they've done, there's no safety or happiness waiting for them back there. He wants his family (and maybe himself, one day) to start a new period in their lives in a happier and safer place. He is expecting to repeat this contract a few times, since it has to be repeated for each of his family members. (Again - Beast, Doll, Wendy, Peter, Jumbo, Dagger, and Snake) Current Changes: Year 1: - [rare] His left forearm is now made of wood - [uncommon] Unnaturally flexible body - [common] Abnormal eye color change (to vivid pink) - [common] Slit pupils Year 2: - [rare] Flight capable magpie wings - [uncommon] Wooden antlers - [uncommon] Shadow and reflection move independently - [common] Long pointed ears - [common] Bioluminescent spots along his wingpits SAMPLES↴ - In which Joker adopts a random child - In which Joker gets accosted by a tiny teenager because he deserves it