Patches

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P A T C H E S t h e . c l o w n "How many clowns can you fit in a circus tent?" Patches asks. The audience is silent with anticipation for the punchline. "How many people are there today, ringmaster?" "Around 100, I'd say, Patches," shouts Cassiel from behind the curtains. "That's a lot of clowns inside this tent! Just kidding! There can be only one clown inside a tent at a time because otherwise we would try to out-clown the other and that can only end in disaster." Laughter (some more forced than others). (Most are forced). As if on cue, a pie is thrown across the stage, heading at maximum speed towards Patches. From the direction the projectile came from, stands a mysterious figure, shrouded in darkness. Slowly, the figure emerges from the shadows: another, edgier, clown. "You..." Patches proclaims, wiping pie away from his face. "Yes, it's me! Long time no see, Patchy. You haven't aged a day!" The other clown reaches the center of the stage, now standing eye to eye with Patches. The entire audience is at the edge of their seats, unsure what to make of this second clown stealing the spotlight. "Scissors, I thought you had been banished! Exiled, even!" "Foolish assumption, jingles," she hits one the the bells in the shorter clown's hat after the last word. "Now, we must settle our score, once and for all!" She exclaims, before throwing a comically winded punch towards the other clown's direction. A cloud of smoke surrounds them both as the fight escalates, limbs sometimes flying out very much akin to a cartoon. The strongest hits are accentuated with honks, squeaks of the squeaky toy variety, and plenty of ows and oofs. It is not long until Wren catches the crowd's attention from the other side of the stage with a mesmerizing flame performance, giving the clowns an unnoticed exit from the big top. "You actually got me with the first punch," a complain escapes Patches' mouth as he skips back to the clown alley. "Did I? I'll bake you some cookies to make up for that, how does that sound?"

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relationships ♦ scissors - clown rival/best friend extras ♦ one of five with this color combination & only one active (as of 24/apr/23)

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• nonbinary. man-adjacent but mostly clown
• never seen without makeup and Wacky clothes by people outside the circus
>> circus initiation tradition: to see patches without makeup is to be officially part of the circus family (honorarily or otherwise)
>>>> storm has tricked and cursed lazarus into being inducted into the circus family
• likes making people happy! will put himself and scissors in harm's way to entertain
• not afraid to put people back in their places
• illegally good with magic tricks (both slight of hand and actual, low-level magic)
• they jingle when they walk
• his wardrobe is filled with all the colors! except red and orange. pink is on thin ice
• has a journal which he named 'the gladiatorial art of clowning'. it's where he keeps his notes, jokes & other important information (like grocery list & delusional 5am ramblings) ((it's a diary))
• not to diagnose but there's something wrong with him he's built different
• kinda weird how this totally normal half-elf hasn't aged a day since he joined the circus a couple centuries ago innit
• also they sometimes have the urge to bite people but they're strictly forbidden for doing so for no reason at all