the circus of truths

the carnival appears without warning....

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FOLLOW 06/03/25

Julian Baxter

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FOLLOW 04/17/25

Francis Hill

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Relative Joining of the Circus Timeline for All Characters:

1 FV:

Francis Hill, Alastor White, Lydia Price, Lord Quentin Clarke, Theodosia Moore, Jack Ellis

3 FV:

Leander Ward

Silver Cross Tavern Crew (Nicholas Gray, Victoria McQueen, Ernest Carter, Helena Phillips)

4 FV:

Henry Clemens

Julian Baxter

6 FV:

Molly and Alfred Baxter

Durie Siblings

(Reveal of Affair btwn Helena and Quentin happened this year)

7 FV:

Hawthorne Sisters

8 FV:

Cassandra Wright

10 FV:

In Media Res

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FOLLOW [4/15/25]

Lucian Durie

Violet Hawthorne

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FOLLOW [4/14/25]

Cassandra Wright

Morgan Durie

Victoria McQueen

Lydia Price

Ernest Carter

Theodosia Moore

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FOLLOW

Helena Phillips

Jack Ellis Daisy Hawthorne

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Helena Phillips - Opera Singer/Actress - thirty-five - Jessica Brown-Findlay [Harlots] Taken by Lizzy -Judgement (Upright: composure, decisiveness, homesickness, snap judgements, forgiveness | Reversed: self-doubt, gossipy, lack of self-awareness, unfair blame, false accusations ) Relationships: Quentin Clarke (interest/ex-paramour), Ernest Carter (flirtation), Lydia Price (ex-best friend), Cassandra Wright, Rose Hawthorne, Nicholas Gray (friends) *Some small part of Helena has never quite forgiven Ernest and Nicholas for getting into the fight that brought the trio to Festum Veritatas. *She had created quite the lucrative career for herself at the pleasure house that had employed the three of them and had, in no uncertain terms, told the boys that she could handle herself. *But of course, they could not help themselves from jumping to defend Helena’s honor and now they found themselves traipsing about all sorts of unsavory places. At least it was still a way for her to keep performing. *Helena had taken to Quentin Clarke as soon as she had signed her contract with Alastor White, after all, she could spot a lord in a crowd without batting an eye *Why he had been working at this circus of all places was beyond her ken, but it hardly mattered. Here was a ticket out of this life, into one of leisure and luxury. Of course, there had been the small problem of the lord’s wife, Lydia, but she had been easy enough to befriend, simple and sweet as she was. *Yet, Helena had not expected Quentin to drop her as well once their trysts had been discovered. (She had spent such a long time working on forging the letter telling Lydia to meet her husband before his show!) *So now she still is stuck performing for chump change under layers of grease paint for people who could not begin to appreciate her. But Helena has never been one to give up lightly. *She found a way out of the gutters once, she sure as hell can do it again. 

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Daisy Hawthorne - Trapeze Artist - twenty-five - Florence Pugh [Little Women] Taken by Kate -The Sun (Upright: Positivity, freedom, vitality, joy, openness, self-expression, the future | Reversed: Mania, sadness, pessimism, unrealistic expectations, ego, conceitedness ) Relationships: Rose Hawthorne, Violet Hawthorne (sisters), Morgan Durie, Tom Durie, Theodosia Moore (friends) Henry Clemens (friend/interest) *Adventure is always waiting over the next hill, away upon the horizon, or in just the next moment, as long as someone is willing to take it. This is the personal motto of one Daisy Hawthorne. *Living for the next moment also meant that it took very little convincing from Rose to get Daisy to agree to leave their old life behind and join up with the circus troupe of Festum Veritatis. It was a riot of sound and light and excitement that thrummed under her skin just like in her dreams. *Daisy took to trapeze quickly. She loved performing in the big top, as she had always wished she could be showered with praise from an audience, imprinted on the minds of hundreds, so perhaps she could live forever in the telling of their night out under her light. *Always with a scheme cooking behind her beautiful green eyes and a cheerful grin on her face, Daisy has never found it difficult to make friends. It was much the same here - with ease she found herself a part of a small group with two of the Durie siblings (the third, Lucian, was a lost cause anyway), Thea, and Henry Clemens. *The last of those intrigued her deeply. For such a cheerful man, he always had a dreary air about him that made it hard to see how his future would unfold. But for someone like Daisy, that only made him even more intriguing. 

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Violet Hawthorne - Aerialist (hoops) - twenty-seven - Emma Watson [Little Women] Reserve for Kate AA -The Moon (Upright: intuition, dreams, vagueness, misconception, insecurity | Reversed: releasing fear, secrets revealed, truth, composure, the present) Relationships: Rose Hawthorne, Daisy Hawthorne (sisters), Morgan Durie, Molly Baxter (friend) *Since her sisters always seemed to be looking either over her shoulder to the world behind or racing towards the horizon, Violet was left to be the one with her feet planted firmly on the ground. *Someone had to be practical, thinking of the current moment instead of stuck in the past or daydreaming of the future, after all. She knew that her sisters did not particularly like to hear the truths Violet told them, but if they would not think of what was best for all of them, well… What was an eldest sister for anyway? *It was not as if Violet was a curmudgeon through and through. Her first visit to Festum Veritatis had been a heady experience, for once it was a place where the young woman felt she could shed the carapace of responsibility and could live without concern. *When Rose had suggested staying and joining with the troupe, Violet resisted at first, but then remembered the family debts she had waved away from her sisters’ minds. Perhaps this would be an ideal way to make money, keep her sisters safe from the workhouses, and have a bit of respite from carrying them for a while. *Plus, there was a freedom in hanging in the air, steadying her breathing and placing herself in the world. Perhaps Violet could learn to love a life in the spotlight, maybe even thinking beyond the present for once. 

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Rose Hawthorne -Tightrope walker - twenty-six - Saorise Ronan [Little Women] Reserve for Lizzy -The Star (Upright: Hope, inspiration, renewal, serenity, healing, the past | Reversed: Hopelessness, despair, negativity, boredom, monotony) Relationships: Violet Hawthorne, Daisy Hawthorne (sisters), Morgan Durie, Helena Phillips (friend) *The past has always been fascinating to Rose Hawthorne. Ever since she was young, Rose loved to sit at her parents’ knee and hear stories of all that had passed to bring them to today. Hearing all the things that others had overcome gave her hope that all her own troubles could always be overcome. *So when she and her sisters visited Festum Veritatis, Rose could hardly believe all the stories that had woven themselves into the very fabric of each and every tent. *There were so many threads to follow, so many people to hear and learn from… Rose immediately knew she was home in a way she had never felt before. *Luckily her sisters felt much the same, which made it much easier for all of them to march into Francis Hill’s tent and demand to join up. It had been quite a laugh for the gentleman to grunt his agreement and shoo them away, but nevertheless, they had been quickly given quarters and talents to learn. *It had taken less training than Rose had expected to learn to walk the tightrope, and though she often became frustrated at the monotonous training required, the applause at the end of each show was more than enough in repayment. *Rose had become a part of a larger story, a memory and a part of Festum Veritatis’ ever woven past. Nothing could be more glorious. 

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Lucian Durie - Fire performer - thirty-four - Ben Barnes [Shadow and Bone] Reserved for Kate AA - The Tower (Upright: Chaos, destruction, unexpected change, disaster, loss, tragedy, revelations, confusion | Reversed: Resisting change, averting disaster, avoiding tragedy, delaying the inevitable, avoiding loss) Relationships: Tom Durie (brother), Morgan Durie (sister), Alastor White (mentor), Henry Clemens, Quentin Clarke (friends), Cassandra Wright (confusion) *Lucian never expected to be shoved into the role of caretaker for his siblings, especially at only nineteen years of age. *But when an inferno took over the Durie home in the middle of the night and claimed the lives of their parents, there was no one else left. *While Lucian found work wherever he could get it for the next five years to ensure his brother and sister led simple and easy lives, cleaning stables, tending bars, running messages, anything for a shilling, he eventually crossed paths with Alastor White *The man was impressed with Lucian’s drive and insisted that the young man join him on a new venture - his siblings could come along as well and join the circus’ family. *It was an offer that seemed too good to be true, but what else was there to be done? *Selling off what little possessions they had left and joining the caravan, Lucian first thought he would be assisting Lydia Price with the back of the house or Alastor with running the entrance *But Alastor insisted that what this circus needed was a bit of heat, and that Lucian would be a most excellent fire performer. After all, what better way to conquer a fear than to face it directly? *Lucian wasn’t certain this would prove the case, but he has been trying to make the best of it. He owes Alastor for this opportunity, for the safety it provides him and his family. A little terror is a small price to pay for that. *Outside of his siblings, Lucian is not very eager to make friends - they’re simply more people to worry about and he’s had enough of that for one lifetime - though some happy few have managed to bully him into affection anyway. *The latest to attempt this herculean feat has been Cassandra Wright, one of the newer additions to the Circus of Truths, who always seems to be popping up at the most inopportune times.

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Alastor White - Circus Barker/Co-Owner - “forty” - Leonardo DiCaprio [Django Unchained] Open Character - The Devil (Upright: Addiction, secrecy, obsession, cheating, materialism | Reversed: Detachment, independence, freedom, revelation, reasserting control) Relationships: Lydia Price (interest), Francis Hill (business partner/rival/friend), Jack Ellis, Lucian Durie (proteges), Quentin Clarke (friend) *Long ago, Alastor made a bet with his dearest friend, Francis, that the world was, in fact, run by the selfish desires of every living thing, and he could prove it. Thus the two created a microcosm of the world, the circus known as Festum Veritatis, the Circus of Truths. *Alastor, unlike his business partner, adores being out and about amongst his creation. He took on the role of barker himself, drawing in onlookers to see the wonders inside. *He does much the same within the confines of the circus, whispering in the ears of the performers and workers, nudging them further and further towards their darkest desires. *Francis finds this uncouth, but Alastor has always considered it like playing chess. How can you ever win if you do not wish to move the pieces? *Some of them are more valuable than others and therefore take most of his attention, such as Jack and Lucian. *While others show much more interest in what they could be, such as Lydia Price, the sweet, kind, patient, beautiful house mother that Francis denies is one of his little pets. *Here at the turning of the tides, Alastor is certain he will win this round of their eternal game, after all, the circus is becoming so temperamental…

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Lydia Price - Back of House Manager - forty - Caitriona Balfe [Outlander] Taken by Lauren - Temperance (Upright: Peace, patience, moderation, perspective, tranquillity | Reversed: self-indulgence, discord, antagonism, hastiness) Relationships:  Quentin Clarke (ex-husband), Helena Philips (ex-best friend), Alastor White (annoyance), Francis Hill, Ernest Carter, Theodosia Moore (friends), Nicholas Gray (friend/interest) *Lydia had joined Festum Veritatis when she was quite young, having responded to a posting by Francis Hill looking to hire someone with a stout character to help run a brand new type of travelling show. *She had worked at vaudeville halls for most of her life, so figured this could not be much different. People just needed a kind ear, a calm demeanor, and sometimes a firm hard to make sure performances went smoothly. *It had been such a great adventure for so long, watching Festum Veritatis grow from the very beginning to what it was now. Travelling all over, learning from both the living and the dead. Not to mention keeping off stage gossip and scuffles away from the spotlight. *It certainly had been laughable, then, that Lydia later became embroiled in gossip of her own. A philandering husband who took her once dearest friend as his mistress. It had perhaps hurt the most that neither of them had seemed very remorseful about any of it when she could no longer ignore what was happening before her. *She had turned her head for a year from the smell of Helena’s perfume in his hair, the wrong shade of lipstick staining his collars, the strange excuses from both her husband and her friend. *Lydia had taken off her wedding ring, left it on the closest table and walked out without another word. *Since then, she has not spoken much to either Quentin or Helena, but has managed to make new friends within the circus as their numbers grew. *Perhaps her heart has even thawed enough to have another catch her eye, but even Lydia knows that’s a mystery best left unsolved.

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Henry Clemens - Knife Juggler - twenty-nine - Dev Patel [David Copperfield] Open Character - Death (Upright: new beginnings, change, transition, sudden or unexpected upheaval | Reversed: Inability to move forward, fear of change, repeating negative patterns, dependency ) Relationships: Julian Baxter, Tom Durie, Lucian Durie, Daisy Hawthorne (friends), Morgan Durie (interest/friend) *It probably should have struck Henry Clemens as a little odd, he was sure, that so many of the circus troupe seemed to have some sort of brush with danger or death. *And none moreso than Henry himself, who, admittedly despite his cheerful nature, seemed to always have death trailing in his wake. *His father died in the Crimean War before he was born, and his mother died in childbirth, leaving Henry in the care of his invalid aunt who also passed when Henry was ten. *It did not end there, with Henry somehow managing to avoid harm at the workhouses, even as those on either side of him were maimed and crushed. *So when he wandered through the gates of Festum Veritatis one fateful night and nothing terrible happened to anyone in his vicinity, Henry knew he was home. *He had taken up knife juggling as a hobby to make a few more coins showing off at the pubs, so offered his services to the circus, to which Francis Hill readily agreed (mostly to get the man out of his tent.) *It’s been an exciting and thrilling ride ever since, and a breath of relief to see everyone remain hale and hearty around him. *With the exception of Morgan Durie, of course. Her melancholy disposition stubbornly sticks no matter Henry’s tricks, but there’s something in her that seems to resonate within him as well. *She knows heartbreak and death in the same way he does, he can tell, now if only he can get her to talk to him. 

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Julian Baxter - Aerialist (silks) - twenty-eight - Timothee Chalamet [Little Women] Reserved for Lizzy - The Hanged Man (Upright: New perspectives, sacrifice, release, letting go | Reversed: Discontent, stagnation, indecision, detachment) Relationships: Alfred Baxter (cousin), Molly Baxter (flirtation/cousin-in-law), Daisy Hawthorne (interest), Henry Clemens (friend) *Julian was always the black sheep of the Baxter family. He simply loved to have a good time, to let go and live a little. It terrified and embarrassed his high-society family, but what did they care about when they had Alfie to fawn over? *Unfortunately, living a little often meant running into quite a lot of trouble, even once becoming a near thing to having a noose hung ‘round his neck. *Luckily for Julian, one Alastor White attended his hearing and requested that the strapping young man provide a service for his community instead of wasting all his potential. *This was good enough for Julian. He was looking forward to some adventure. It was all he had wanted in the first place, and learning to fly above the air and tangle himself in the silks proved a skill Julian never knew he had. *So when he had read in the papers of his shining bright cousin Alfie shacking up with a commoner and all but ruining his life and reputation in the process, well… it seemed an opportune moment to become the greater of the two. *It pleased him that Alfie and his pretty young bride came to the Circus of Truths, she was great fun to flirt with - she clearly fawned over his every word, poor soul. *Yet, of the newest additions to the troupe, Julian cannot help but find Daisy Hawthorne catching his eye over and over again with how brilliantly she shines.

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Lord Quentin Clarke - Ringleader - forty - Rufus Sewell [Victoria/The Illusionist] Open Character - Justice (Upright: truth, honesty, integrity, cause and effect, life lessons | Reversed: dishonesty, corruption, lack of accountability, unfairness) Relationships: Lydia Price (Ex-wife/interest), Helena Philips (ex-Mistress), Alastor White, Lucian Durie, Jack Ellis (friends) *Quentin had been one of the first members of Festum Veritatis outside of Alastor and Francis, along with Lydia, Jack, and Theodosia. *After all it was his money that had helped furnish and advertise the blasted thing in the first place, why wouldn’t he be allowed a few moments in the spotlight? *He grew quite close with Lydia Price over the course of the running of the circus as they worked together to coordinate and organize both the front and back of house, eventually marrying. *While they often clashed about something or other, having loud fights that could last well beyond the first rays of the morning’s sun, they often could not stay angry for long. *At least not until Helena Phillips arrived, beautiful and charming as she was. *Quentin had managed to hide their affair for much longer than he would have expected - perhaps due to Lydia’s ability to remain calm in the face of most everything - but when his wife walked in on the two of them together backstage one night, the world came crashing down around his ears. Lydia left her ring on his dressing-room table and has not looked back since. *Now he has neither his wife, nor his mistress, though all three of them still orbit each other like the three rings of Quentin’s big top.

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Cassandra Wright - Fortune Teller - thirty - Billie Piper [Penny Dreadful] Taken by Lauren - Wheel of Fortune (Upright: fate, fortune, good luck, destiny, change | Reversed: Bad luck, upheaval, disorder/disruption, lack of control, set backs) Relationships: Morgan Durie, Helena Phillips (friends), Lucian Durie (interest) *A former workmate of Helena’s from years past, Cassandra is a recent addition to the circus, having responded to a desperate letter of boredom from Helena. *The circus lacked a fortune teller, she had been told, and Cassie always had a way of telling people exactly what they wanted to hear.*Even Helena did not know, though, that it was not all parlor tricks and cold reading of a mark, no. As long as she can remember, Cassandra had been able to conjure murky pictures of possible futures in her mind’s eye with nothing more than a touch. *In her time as a courtesan, Cassie had covered this ability by using tarot cards and brushing a gentleman’s hand when they asked for a reading. *Now at the Circus of Truths, the tents themselves provide enough to make those that come to her have just enough of doubt to keep from burning her at the stake. Though the added set decoration does tickle Cassie a little. *It’s a much more comfortable life here, with such interesting people. The Duries, specifically, have caught her eye. *Lucian, of course, because of his handsome face and clear desire to avoid everyone - not to mention a tugging feeling that his possible futures could be the most overwhelming yet. *But also the youngest, Morgan Durie - there’s a darkness in her that both terrifies and excites Cassandra in a way she simply cannot ignore.