Welcome to Umberdine Carnival.
For six months a year, we stay in different cities to bring
a darker twist to our family friendly games and attractions.
The highlight of our carnival is the Umber Circus. Our performers
dazzle and wow the crowds with daring, exciting feats. We have
acrobats, clowns, fire-eaters, knife throwers, but not like you've seen before.
Our performers are willing to take risks others would cower from.
Plus many of them aren't your typical humans...

---

The Illusionist
Name: "Donovan, I...don't have a last name."
Also Known As: Mysterio
Appearance:

Height: 6'3"
Age: 18
Gender: Male
Race/Ethnicity: Wizard/Native American
Powers:
"I have the ability to create elaborate illusions, I can also move objects with my mind. Using my telekinetic gift too often can give me a severe migraine for several days. In that state it makes my inborn magic gift go out of control, I'm not able to manage the illusions so they come and go on their own."
Personality:
Donovan is definitely the strong, silent type. He's protective of the weaker or younger performers but doesn't stick around for their thanks. When not performing Donovan can be found alone practicing or wandering around the cities they're camped near. He carries himself with confidence which many of the young female performers find highly attractive. He avoids romantic entanglements for two big reasons he refuses to tell anyone. When speaking, he can be gruff and sometimes awkward. Many performers are afraid of him due to his stature and sturdy constitution. Truly they have no reason to unless they're horrible towards others.

The Fortune Teller
Name: "Essie Murphy, but don't call me Ms. Murphy. Only my mother gets that title."
Also Known As: Mademoiselle Toxique
Appearance:

Height: 5'7"
Age: 25
Gender: Female
Race/Ethnicity: Shapeshifter/Irish
Powers:
"My powers? I can change into a large barn owl at will. I can only maintain that form for an hour and a half at night, during the day I can only hold it for about ten minutes. At least for right now..."
Personality:
Essie is a spirited young woman with a dry, witty sense of humor. She goes against the grain often and enjoys it. That includes in her love life. Essie is secretly head over heels for a Vampire and knows if the other Shifters or Vampires find out, both their lives could be in danger. She's always been a risk taker and isn't afraid to stand up for what's in her heart. Even if it could kill her.

The Runaway
Name: “Violet Hellman, trust me, I’ve heard all the last name jokes”
Also Known As: Violet, or simply, V
Appearance:
Height: 5’10”
Age: 17
Gender: Female
Race/Ethnicity: Human/American father and European mother
Powers: x
Personality: Violet’s last name holds true to her in that she can be quite hellish. It’s not exactly her fault, her father, who was her only caregiver, was extremely strict, pressing religion on her, and it only seemed right for her to rebel, no matter how angry it made him. She’s sporadic and spontaneous and doesn’t think much of consequences despite her intelligence. She’s a closed book in terms of her family life, but otherwise she’s up for anything and everything. She’s good at using acting and flirtation to get what she wants, but she never really gets true feelings for anyone. Feelings were weakness to her father, and she refuses to be seen as weak.

The Manipulator
Name: “Mattheus , the h is silent, Lancaster, but please, do call me Matt”
Also Known As: Soul Case
Appearance:
Height: 6’1”
Age: Appears 26
Gender: Male
Race/Ethnicity: Vampire/English
Powers: “The ability to manipulate or compel animals and humans is one of my favorites, gives the feeling of power. I can also change the weather, but it’s nowhere near as fun. The usual vampire abilities, of course, super speed, strength, all that mumbo jumbo from your Dracula novels.”
Personality: Mattheus has all the social charm of an old English gentleman, as he technically is. He was changed in England right around the time of the Revolution, though he has learned to adapt quickly to changing times. He has a dark sense of humor and a sarcastic mindset, as he finds more amusing and aids in dealing with trouble. As of late he’s felt a spark for a pretty little shapeshifter, but he’s well aware that the elder vampires would have his head on a stick if they found out, quite literally. However, he’s never been one to play by the rules.

Forest underbrush crunched like volumes of tissue paper under Essie's black mary jane heels. The raven haired fortune teller froze in her tracks. She took a deep breath and clutched a small white envelope tightly in her elegant hands. It was only wishing luck to her fellow performer. That's all the note inside was about, yes...even though she had stupidly smudged some of her perfume on it.

This would be the last time Essie would use that scent. Last thing she needed was for either of their kind to track the envelope to her. Interrogation could literally result in torture. She took risks but this was a bit more extreme. Maybe she should turn back...Anxiety fought with waves of adrenaline flowing through her veins.

It was now or never. Besides, dressed in one of her myriad green dresses she had some basic camouflage. Worse come to worse she could always shift into an owl and fly away like lightning. She picked up the skirt of her dress a bit more so it didn't drag and add to the noise her shoes made.

His kind weren't awake yet or would be just waking up. If she made this quick and dashed back to the carnival grounds, no one would be the wiser. Finally she found his tent. Essie had never been inside nor would she try to gain invitation through her wiles. If he wanted to get to know her better, he'd only need to ask.

A smile grew on her sensual black lips. His cologne made her weak in the knees. No, she had to keep it together! Essie placed the note under a rock next to the tent's entrance then disappeared.Thank goodness the carnival sat right outside a small town near the pine barrens. They wouldn't want a scene so being near people was a safe bet...for now.

---------------

Donovan silently fiddled with his powers as he waited for performers to be called to the big top. He hadn't slept a wink. Dreams of a young redheaded girl kept haunting him. He would be standing in a safe, warm cave while winter ravaged the land outside it. Then she would appear, beckoning him out. Each time he would follow her only to get lost in a blizzard. He shuddered thinking about it. What it could mean he didn't know. Essie had disappeared before he had a chance to ask her. Perhaps it was just his mind playing tricks on him.

He donned his costume and sighed. Of all afternoons to be tired, this wasn't a good one. It was Umber Circus's opening day in this town and the ringmaster wanted everyone at their best. After all, they drew in most of the customers for the carnival. Hopefully Carrigus the Clown would keep his comedy centered on his routine instead of the new clown that just started touring with them.

The kid had graduated clown college and had a natural flair for slapstick comedy. He was a chubby cheeked little boy with bright eyes and big hopes for himself. Carrigus couldn't have been more jealous that his spotlight would have to be shared with a new bright-eyed sidekick. Constantly he'd play pranks on the boy and one time cut his hair while he slept. Donovan almost shook the shoes off the older clown. Since then, there weren't any problems but Donovan promised he'd have his eye on the kid just in case.

When he stepped out of his tent, there was a sight he hadn't expected. There she was. The redheaded girl...She wasn't calling to him but he made it a point to give her a wide breadth as he hurried off to the big top. Until he knew what she stood for, he'd not go near her. Last thing he needed was another reason to stay silent. Another reason to keep to himself.

Mattheus awoke from a deep slumber, stretching his long limbs in the makeshift traveling bed. It was a full sized mattress placed sheepishly on the floor, covered in black silk sheets and black comforter. The urban legends weren’t all true; vampires didn’t always sleep in coffins. Though it was a running joke of sorts that every few nights his bed would be removed and when he returned close to dawn there’d be a coffin in place. Sometimes it was enjoyable, they were oddly more comfortable than the banged up mattress he called his bed, and much more easy to shut out light.

He rose off of the bed; it was always an awkward stand from sleeping on a mattress so close to the ground. Most of the night dwellers of the carnival inhabited this tent. He knew one of the men was a werewolf and so preferred staying up at night and sleeping during the day, especially during full moons. He didn’t associate much with the other carnies, what a crude name, except for his secret favorite of course.

Matt, as he preferred to be called, walked outside of the tent entrance, making sure to avoid the direct light of the fading sun behind the trees. He was only in a pair of black sweatpants, but the freezing breeze rolling over his bare shoulders didn’t affect him. He was sure it must be cold for the humans though, with their terrible immune systems and need for hot Starbucks coffee. He half snickered at his own joke.

As he glanced around he thought he caught a flash of a long green dress disappearing far away from him and involuntarily smiled. His little rebel must have been sneaking around again. And by the looks of that moved rock, he could tell it had been shifted; there was a bare patch of dirt with no dead grass on top just visible by the corner of it. Plus, he could smell her perfume lingering. It was a mix of musk and flowers and it smelled delicious to his extraordinary senses.
Acting as if he was stretching to touch his toes, he leaned down and moved the rock away with barely a flick of the flinger. He swiped up the piece of paper and replaced the rock in its original place. He chuckled to himself at her bravery and his reddish brown eyes flickered over her elegantly scrawled words. When he was finished, a smile pulling at the corners of his lips, he slipped it into his pocket for safe keeping.

He returned to the tent and a few moments later reappeared in a dark blue long sleeve button up, top two buttons undone to reveal a smooth tan chest, not all vampires were tan, a black leather jacket, and a pair of black jeans, finished by simple black shoes.

He made his way through the trees to the main gathering area of the carnival, a center if you will. It was surrounded by the tents and exhibits of the act. A blonde haired acrobat winked at him and he smirked at her. She was pretty, but simple. Much too simple for him. Not like that beautiful raven haired girl he had received the letter from. Speaking of her, he thought he caught a glimpse of her on the outskirts of the camp, he was sure it was her, his sensitive eyes didn’t lie, and he puckered his lips, blowing a subtle kiss her way.

-x-

The banged up Jeep Grand Cherokee chugged along the dirt road of whatever small town hell hole Violet was passing through. She was nearly out of gas and had little cash left that she could actually use. She had to keep enough to eat and possibly pay for a motel room, or at least to get as far away as possible.
Her sapphire eyes darted over a dingy billboard advertising a carnival. With her luck, and habit of sneaking in and out of places, she could probably find an unused tent or spare bus to sleep in there. Just for a night, that’s all she needed.

Violet spared a glance at her cell phone in the passenger seat. It had been turned off since she had left, she didn’t need her father calling the police and them tracking her. She wondered did anyone miss her yet, but she didn’t much care. She was out of her house and that’s what was important. She had finally freed herself and she wasn’t chancing it now to check her text messages.

“Goddammit where the hell am I,” she mumbled to herself. The radio was turned off and so was her heater, though it only worked half the time, and she was freezing her ass off just to preserve gas. She hadn’t seen a welcome sign for wherever she was, but she knew it was somewhere northern due to the ice gathering on the edges of her windshield.

She had been driving since the day prior, almost for 24 hours straight. She flirted her way into getting a clerk at a motel to give her a free room for a four hour power nap and she had energized the rest of the trip with knock off brand coffee and energy drinks. The caffeine fueled pick me ups had tasted like piss, but she was still going.

She was close to being eighteen, well sort of. She was six months away, but it was hard to tell looking at her. She had a lean figure and just enough curves to get the men staring. She had long hair, a splash of freckles like the sun had kissed her one too many times, full lips, and blue eyes that were well practiced in the ways of seduction.

But, she wasn’t eighteen yet, and she couldn’t take it any longer. She had to leave. Violet could not stand another day in that totalitarian, abusive, almighty God loving bullshit filled house hold. She hadn’t thought through the consequences of getting caught or being found, but she didn’t plan on that.

The red haired girl followed the detour signs leading the way to the carnival, and she parked just on the outskirts. She hopped out of the car, shoving her folded up dollar bills into her bra for safe keeping, and slammed the door. In her back pocket was a pack of cigarettes and she pulled them out, plucking one from the slightly beaten up pack.

Before she could stick it to her lips and light, a long haired man stepped out of a tent some few hundred feet away. He stared at her intensely before turning away, and her brows furrowed in confusion.

Her pondering over whom he was and why he looked like he knew her was short lived when a tall man in a clown get up shoved her from the side. She had just lit her cigarette and it skittered out of her hand and hit the forearm crossed under her breasts. She winced at the burn, but it was just be one scar of many.

“Who do we have here,” the over made up clown leered at her as he grabbed a lock of her flame colored hair.

“Get off of me, you freaky fuck,” she spat as she pulled away. She had a bit of a dirty mouth and she hated being touched, who could blame her. But the clown pressed on, made even worse by the fact that they scared her anyways.

“Maybe I could swoon the lady with some flowers,” he asked and before she could reject his offer he slipped a bouquet of wilted roses out of his sleeve. She opened her mouth to respond and he clicked a button somewhere on the steps, sending a spray of water from the buds of the flowers directly across her upper chest. Her jaw dropped into a surprised gasp and the cold worsened.

“You jerk,” she yelled, knowing full well she didn’t have another sweater in her car. He cackled horrendously and she clenched her fists to keep from swinging.

He'd gotten it. Essie could just feel it...Ok, maybe that was an exaggeration but more than likely Mattheus had found her note. Time for the circus opening grew closer and unfortunately she wouldn't be under the big top. Even though Essie tried out for the position of acrobat years ago, another young woman with much more experience snagged it.

However the fortune teller at the time needed a protege and felt led to teach her. For three years, the plucky Irish girl learned everything her mentor had to offer before he strangely disappeared. No one ever found him. She chuckled, if only she could master that trick. It would be convenient for messing with the Vampires...except her favorite one, of course. He would be safe from any mischief whirling around in her thoughts.

On the way to the fortune telling booth, Essie's light grey eyes caught sight of none other than him. He smirked at one of the prettier girls but...did her vision turn into a daydream or was a kiss blown in her direction? How fun! She winked back and graced him with a coy smile. If there was an opportunity for her to watch his act, she would definitely take it.

-------------

Donovan stopped in his tracks when he heard a female's clearly displeased voice. The redheaded girl was being messed with. Even though she didn't belong with Umber Circus, Donovan felt compelled to step in. It was the right thing to do. No woman deserved to be treated badly, especially when there was something he could do about it. "Aquilo." The spell gave him a brief grace of enhanced speed, in three paces he'd covered enough ground to come up behind Carrigus like a cold wind.

He picked the clown up by his collar, Carrigus's legs looked comical kicking in the air but this was no laughing matter. Donovan was pissed. He threw the slightly older performer in the Big Top's direction. He landed a yard away. "You need a new shirt...and some aloe for your arm." For someone so young it startled many people to hear such a deep, smoky voice come from Donovan. At least, when they first met him.

His dark brown eyes looked the pretty redhead over. He couldn't leave her without something dry to wear in good conscience nor would he allow that burn to go untreated. "Follow me." The broad shouldered youth walked back towards his tent. His act wasn't on for a couple hours yet. Time was his to spend.

Mattheus was one of the first few acts and it made him internally groan. He woke up later than everyone and he had to start immediately, it was unfair, but it meant he had a little wiggle room for his escapades. Any time he did something unplanned he was sure to get lecture, unless, of course, he had his own excuse and felt like manipulating his bosses. Which he did today.

He glanced at the thick gold watch around his left wrist and sighed, glancing back up only to catch Essie's short smile. She was much too good for him, but that made her all the more appealing. He took a step and didn't control his speed this time, as he often had to do around the humans, gliding past them in a flash of a light. He slowed only behind Essie and, with a little extra energy, waved his fingers briefly to manipulate the others around them to not take notice. "See you at my show, my lady," he murmured into her ear, letting his lips hover just above her neck like he was about to kiss, or bite. He gave a small bow and was gone again in a blur.

He made it to the main tent and into his dressing room, at least it was his for the fifteen minutes left before his act. He preferred his style of dressing, a modern urban feel to it, than to what he was supposed to wear, which was old timely tuxes and cloaks like he had worn before he had been turned. He had enjoyed it then, but it was a painful memory now.

"Are you ready Matt," an assistant called timidly into the room. He sighed in reply, picking up a white styrofoam cup with a plastic lid and straw. The cup was filled with a dark red liquid, AB negative blood to be exact, the rarest and his favorite. He stepped into the ridiculous coffin he emerged from at the beginning of his act and shut the door, continuing to sip unhappily from his cup.

-x-

Violet was a little taken off guard at the long haired male's appearance. Hadn't he just shied away from her a long way aways? The question settled in the back of her mind but she let it be and instead watched him pick up the clown and throw him away like a used napkin. It almost made her chuckle.

The redhead was surprised at the man's deep voice. He didn't look much older than her but his voice did not fit his age. She actually liked it in all honesty. "My arm will be fine," she objected to the aloe. She preferred taking care of herself, she was used to it and it meant no questions about the bruises and scars littered across her body like the victim of a child with magic markers. But instead the boy just began walking away and she sighed, following along behind his tall figure.

"Thanks for taking care of that... guy," she offered from behind him after letting her eyes roam over his broad shoulders and cute butt. She had wanted to call the clown a disgusting perverted asshole but she had refrained for once. As they passed a few people, mouths opened to question her presence, but she smiled her rosy lips and batted her big blue eyes and all they could do was stutter back. After passing each she would roll her eyes.

"I'm Violet." So maybe it wasn't smart to give away her name, he could report her for being a runaway, but he didn't know that, and it was only her first name, so what harm was there?

"Something's going to happen to you if you keep messing with him, you know! He's a Vampire, Essie!" Essie snapped out of her dazed state. They'd been so close, so close. Whether he bit or kissed would have been fine with her. She looked longingly towards the big top where he'd gone to. He was what dreams were made of. But her friend Serena aka "Siren" brought her back to the now. "Is the voice of reason always so pessimistic?" The brunette asked with a playful smile as they walked over to her booth. The purplette gave an exasperated sigh. Essie shook her head, she loved the taller Shifter like a sister but Serena had sworn off of romance years ago. What would she know?

The fortune teller twirled happily around back and entered the door hidden behind a thick velvet curtain. One thing Essie liked about her booth was how the plush Victorian easy chair made her sit taller. A small bonus but one worth loving. As she shuffled her tarot cards, Serena continued to dissuade her from seeing Mattheus. "Girlfriend, this isn't Twilight. Vampires don't offer girls like us happily ever afters and they sure as hell don't pay child support. Ask my cousin Nina if you don't believe me on that one."

Essie placed her cards to the side and laughed. "Serena. Please. I'm not a two-dimensional teenager with no life and no brains. I know the danger, that's what makes it fun! Plus I'm not in lust. I'm in love." When her friend got that far away look in her eyes, Serena knew it was no use arguing. She threw her hands up in defeat. "Fine, look he's going to be on in about eight minutes. I can spot you for at least the first part of his act. Go and watch your little lovebug do his thing. It's what best friends are for. B-But don't say I didn't warn you!"

By the time the curtains opened for Mattheus's act, Essie had found a seat on the third row at the end. Thank goodness for best friends. This wasn't a prime spot but at least she would be able to see him. Not only was he incredibly charming and handsome, but talented as well. Essie and the circus patrons wouldn't be disappointed.

---------------------

"Carrigus is poison. He isn't very kind, especially to women. He uses them like tissues.Please be more careful...Violet..." Donovan replied bluntly but with an even, calm tone. He couldn't believe that she had come. Well, he could since much stranger things had happened. Finally they reached his tent, the young illusionist held back the flap for Violet to enter. There was more room inside than met the eye. It wasn't incredibly huge but it could comfortably fit three people and easily allowed for standing. Usually there would be two other male performers rooming with him but no one had volunteered.

Though it meant Donovan was alone, it also meant he had more space to work with. A card table in the far side of the tent held his small camping stove, a couple hand carved wooden bowls and plates,and a cast iron skillet that looked "well seasoned". Two large straw mats covered the tent floor and on the far left a pile of quilts served as Donovan's bed. Beside it stood a tall stack of books about art, flowers, and far away places.

Donovan stepped inside after his beautiful guest then went over to a large steamer chest in the corner. He got out a bottle of aloe vera and offered her a seat on the rug beside him. "There's more than Carrigus bothering you. I can see it in your eyes." He smiled slightly as he flipped open the cap. "I can see many things in them but that's for if we meet again. Show me your burn, please."