THE FREAK CIRCUS.
A TIMELINE MADE BY A FAN FOR FANS.
I've created this UNOFFICIAL timeline of "The Freak Circus" to make it easier to understand (both for myself and other fans). English isn't my first language, so I used a translator. I apologize in advance if there are things that aren't clear.
TFC OFFICIAL BLOG: https://freakcircusofhorrors.tumblr.com/
NEKO OFFICIAL ACCOUNT: https://www.tumblr.com/nekoboydreams?source=share
Clarifications:
This timeline was created by a fan for fans. THE TIMELINE IS NOT OFFICIAL. Neither Neko nor the moderators are behind this timeline, so it should not be taken seriously.
I will explain each event in detail. There is an image that shows only the timeline with the events without the explanation, in case you prefer a visual explanation or don't want to read.
There may be incorrect information, some events may no longer be canon, or some may be misplaced (such as the characters' childhoods).
Regarding the children, the order is from oldest to youngest, that is: Ticket taker, Doctor, Pierrot, Jester, Columbina and Harlequin (Columbina is only a few months older than Harlequin).
All information has been obtained from the game, the AMA's, the comics, and the answers and clues that Neko has given in the questions section.
I ask fans not to take the timeline too seriously. As I've already mentioned, it's NOT OFFICIAL and was only created to facilitate understanding of the story and aid in the creation of theories and speculations.
The timeline will be edited as soon as I have time.
Any errors in the timeline will be removed and corrected.
New information will be highlighted in PINK.
The text in YELLOW consists of assumptions/theories and should not be taken seriously.
The text in BLUE is CANON data that can help in the development of theories.
At the end of the post, you'll find the date the timeline was last updated.
What information does the timeline contain?
From the characters' childhoods (what little is known)
How they met and established their relationship
The deal they made with "The Ring Master"
The events that led to Columbina's death
The takeover of the circus
The new circus
The circus fire
Pierrot's costume and the rest of the members' costumes
Day 1 of the game (Pierrot's perspective)
Day 1-2 (I won't go into detail here, as it's a story we already know.
Timeline image NOT AVAILABLE!
Ticket Taker's Childhood Nothing is known about his childhood, except that he traveled a lot. He probably became separated from his family when he reached the appropriate age. He has an idea of where his parents might be, but he doesn't know if they are still alive.
Doctor's Childhood Nothing is known about his childhood. He also doesn't know what became of his family.
Pierrot's Childhood (AMAs) He had a peaceful childhood, living with many children (also monsters), but he and his parents traveled often when unfortunate events occurred (likely hordes of humans hunting monsters). Unfortunately, his mother died in an "accident," and his father also died a few months later, unable to cope with his wife's death.
Jester's Childhood (AMAs) His family didn't travel; they settled in certain places. Being monsters, staying in one place isn't a good idea. They were attacked and suffered losses, eventually ending up living in a "colony for their kind," but that didn't end well either, as he was left alone in the end.
Columbine's Childhood (AMA) At first, everyone was quite quiet, but little by little they warmed up. They hugged her, smiled at her, and she felt more cheerful. They spent a lot of time indoors, but she didn't mind because every day was pleasant. Her mother knew a lot about plants; she cultivated them or looked for useful ones, so they ended up drinking all kinds of teas. At mealtimes, they all gathered together. Her father always had funny stories and never failed to make them smile. She was sick and suffered from malnutrition until a kind stranger appeared. Columbine never knew who he was. He wore thick black clothes and kept his face hidden under a hood. Columbine's parents were afraid he was dangerous, but they were desperate for a miracle. She never saw that person again after that (Columbine says she would have liked to meet that stranger again).
The moment she felt the most fear was the day her house caught fire. She was terrified because she didn't know if she could escape. The house, her mother's plants, and her father's violet were gone, but at least her parents were resting in the garden. Some time later (it's unknown how long), she separated from her family. Her parents gave her a pocket mirror so she would always remember to be careful. It was difficult for her to adjust because she had never traveled alone before.
Harlequin's Childhood (AMAs and Ask Box) He had good parents, but they didn't really know how to be parents and didn't pay much attention to him; according to Harlequin, his parents respected his independence. He wandered for part of his childhood until he met Pierrot. In Harlequin's words, it was difficult to find food alone, but it was easy to hide.
Pierrot and Harlequin Meet (AMAs and Ask Box) Pierrot was "fishing" when he saw Harlequin. They stared at each other for a while until one of them spoke first. From that moment on, they were together. At first, they were afraid of each other; Pierrot mentions that Harlequin was very shy and distrustful. As time passed, their relationship changed. They invented games and improved their hunting methods, both doing their best to survive. On one occasion, while hunting at night, they encountered a terrifying creature that almost caught them. Harlequin was completely frightened, and his hands wouldn't stop trembling.
The first circus member the Doctor met (Ask box) It's unknown who this is (it could be Columbina or Jester), but the Doctor apparently found him in poor condition, so he approached him.
Jester and the Doctor meet (Ask box) It's unknown how, but at some point in their lives they met and began traveling together.
Previous encounters (Ask box) The circus members had already encountered each other on several occasions. Sometimes they became nervous or kept their distance with suspicion and ended up going their separate ways.
Ticket Taker and Columbina meet. Ticket Taker was traveling when he met Columbina by pure chance. He realized she wouldn't last long on her own. He gave her some advice, but after an incident, he took her somewhere else and left her to her fate. However, Columbina was very persistent and tried to cheer him up. Ticket Taker hardly spoke; he considered it a waste of time. He also tended to scold and be somewhat impatient with Columbina for not knowing things that everyone else knew. After teaching her little by little, Ticket Taker began to speak more and became calmer. They grew fond of each other and began to travel together.
The circus members meet and settle in temporarily. (Day 1 and AMA's) After a while, Pierrot and Harlequin meet the Jester and the Doctor. One cold night, Ticket Taker and Columbina arrived. Ticket Taker didn't trust them, but he didn't want Columbina's flame to go out.
The night they arrived. According to Columbina (AMAs): Columbina found the Doctor intimidating. Jester and Harlequin barely spoke, and Pierrot kept staring at her with his huge, curious eyes, insisting there was something strange about her.
First Impressions (AMAs): Harlequin was usually quite shy about certain things. When Columbina arrived, he clung to Pierrot's arm constantly. It took him several days to finally speak to Columbina. Jester didn't seem to like Columbina very much. He always appeared serious and distrustful of everyone. For some reason, he got angry with Columbina, but in the end, he calmed down, apologized, and gradually became friendlier to everyone.
Their Life Together (AMAs) Columbina taught them about plants. The Doctor considered all plants "weeds" until he learned they could be used as medicine, and he became very interested in them. The members called Columbina "Nina" or "Nana." They watched sunsets together. On one occasion, when they were still getting used to each other, Pierrot and Harlequin went hunting, but they didn't find any food and returned exhausted and hungry. When they arrived at the shelter, the others were already waiting for them with food.
Pierrot and Columbina (Day 2 AMAs) Pierrot fell in love with Columbina because of the sweetness with which she treated him. Columbina considered him a sweet soul who needed hugs and gentle head strokes. In the anniversary AMA, Columbina says that she and Pierrot were never together, implying that it's very likely she wasn't in love with Pierrot.
Harlequin and Columbine (Day 2, AMAs) According to the story Jester tells, Harlequin was envious of Pierrot and Columbine together, which is why he tried to seduce Columbine. It's unknown whether Columbine rejected him, because in the anniversary AMA, Columbine says she would like to apologize to Harlequin, as she never intended for things to turn out the way they did.
Bonus Fact: Columbine also mentions that she would like to apologize to Jester, as she regrets not having listened to him.
The Deal with the Ringmaster and the Arrival of More Humans (Day 1, AMAs) The members got along well and had fun (I suppose with the "love triangle" that had formed), until a human arrived at their encampment and offered them a deal: He would feed them in exchange for a "show."
The Mistreatment of the Monsters (Day 2, AMAs) The man began bringing in more humans (which started to make Harlequin anxious), gradually feeding the monsters less and less, weakening them, and making more money at the expense of their suffering.
The Man Tries to Touch Columbine (Day 2) A couple of men who worked at the circus mentioned that Columbine was beautiful and hinted that they wanted to do something to her. Pierrot defended her, but, because of his weakness, the men asked the Ringmaster to leave him injured. In the anniversary AMA, Columbine says she had never hated anyone, but there was one man so cruel that he ignited something inside her. She wanted to destroy him. The feeling terrified her; she didn't recognize herself at that moment. She was afraid. She doesn't know if what she felt was hate.
Columbine's Death (Days 1-2) That same night, Harlequin escaped from his cage and killed Columbine for being the weakest of them all. Apparently, the next to escape is the Jester, and finally Ticket Taker and the Doctor, who begin to devour her, forcing Pierrot, who was still wounded, to eat Columbine as well.
The Monsters Rebel and Devour the Ringmaster (Day 1) The morning after Columbine's death, the monsters rebel and devour the Ringmaster, "becoming human" and taking over the circus.
Days After Columbina's Death (AMAs) The first few days after the incident were silent, torturous, and devastating. Everyone dealt with the trauma in their own way, until Jester took the initiative.
The New Circus (Day 1, AMAs) Jester begins creating the new circus, making the costumes, masks, and tickets with the help of Ticket Taker. As a fun fact (I don't know if it's still canon), Pierrot would have been the last to change his monster appearance.
Pierrot's Costume / The Circus's First Performance. The New Costumes and Rules for the Members (Comic) At Pierrot's first performance, he gets nervous in front of the audience, fails at his act, and is booed, insulted, and beaten, causing him to lose control and end up committing a massacre. After this, Jester creates his current costumes and establishes the rule that he cannot speak in public. It is also mentioned that each member has a rule they must not break. (Jester has a rule to go out with Pierrot and Harlequin to hand out flyers.)
Human Hordes (AMAs) Jester and Pierrot have mentioned and hinted that they've had to leave some places very quickly due to "accidents." It's likely that some human hordes chased them.
Possible Fire (AMAs, Day 2) On Day 2, in the broken mirror inside TT's tent, the circus is seen in flames; this could be something that already happened. In an AMA, the doctor was asked if he had anatomical models of animals; he mentions that he did, but lost them in an accident. Jester also mentions that he's not interested in keeping things because: "They end up disappearing right away. Monsters appear. Places catch fire. Circumstances change." The circus may have been attacked by humans, who ended up burning it down and forcing the members to leave.
Pierrot's Hair (Comic) Pierrot was attacked by a human while handing out flyers on the street. This human ripped out a lock of his hair, leaving him with a scar (visible on Day 2). Jester suggested cutting his hair, but when Pierrot refused, they opted to hide it under his hat. Jester also told him that, from now on, he and Harlequin would go out together to hand out flyers.
Day 1. Pierrot's Perspective (Comic) While Pierrot is being beaten again by a human, lost in thought, he remembers Jester's words, who tells him that humans are cruel beings who enjoy the pain and blood of others. Pierrot would believe these words until MC appears to defend him. Pierrot instantly falls in love with the first person who defends him, who doesn't mock his pain and who, in his own words, looks at him with love.
Days 1-2. Protagonist's perspective.
