A Circus of People

This was/is largely inspired by the real-world Cirque du Soleil and Darren Shan’s book series Cirque de Freak, influenced by CreepCast.

Essentially, it's a group of about 300 people, largely consisting of social rejects and outcasts, the homeless, the disabled, and the people society deems as "freaks" and "losers".

Every individual joins willingly, or is willingly participating in some capacity - it consists of many drifters, loners, and people simply looking for a job.

While infighting is not infrequent nor is it unlikely to happen, everyone in the group has the common goal of ensuring that The Circus is able to operate.

It is both underground and also known in the “world” The Circus inhabits.

The Circus: in an official capacity - is quite literally a circus; they will travel around the world while putting on shows consisting of members displaying their various talents and unique characteristics/skills, alongside raising money to feed, shelter, and keep their members as safe and happy as possible when they are able to.

A small part of their ticket percentage goes to donations towards in-house charities (specifically for certain members like Babe and Wolf, both of whom handle various types of charitable tasks, alongside other individuals who are either less notable, or people I have yet to come up with.)

In an unofficial capacity, The Circus is also a sort of traveling gang, as certain members rely on legally and illegally obtained substances due to physical deformities/injuries, and are either completely unable to obtain said substances, or rely on the frequent movement of The Circus to get what they require.

(For example, members that travel with the group that require substances of one kind or another are often recovering drug addicts, and most people that are drug addicts that join end up - at the very least - attempting to drop their habit, which is largely thanks to the tight-knit and caring community of The Circus.)

This is something important to note because not all members of The Circus directly interact with it, and some people interact with The Circus with little to no knowledge of it; for example, while some members are legally abiding citizens and break few to no laws, there are others that work outside of the law, or explicitly break the laws, or do not abide by the moral systems in which they reside at the time. 

Because of this, The Circus has a number of friends and connections to people in legal systems across the globe, but few actually travel with the group itself for one or more reasons.

The Circus can be thought of as two halves - a White Circus, and a Red Circus.

The White Circus is the public-facing half, and consists of most people. A majority of people that interact with it is in this capacity - it is intended to be for all people within the confines of the law, but travelling into different countries can result in The Red Circus being employed.

The Red Circus is where the more "criminal" elements combine - it serves several purposes;

1.) It is where legal issues are brought to light, and more serious crimes (murder, assault, abuse, neglect, etc.) will often be brought to authorities where deemed appropriate.

2.) It consists of a majority of where the more serious illegal activity takes place - drug and related firearm activities, tax evasion, alongside other crimes deemed "lesser" by The Circus. 

In an unofficial capacity, it is technically protected and considered part of The Circus where deemed appropriate, but depending on the circumstances, The Circus may or may not cooperate with legal authorities, as The Circus is recognized to be a kind of travelling state/wandering mob depending on who you talk to.

Half-Lung and His Metal Troupe: Half-Lung (actual name is Holland Reeds) is an incredibly intelligent and well-read mathematician, though is physically restrained in an iron lung. 

One of the few physically-stationary members of the Circus, but is surrounded by assistants and people to protect him. 

Extremely vulnerable to any kind of danger, and for this reason has little to no obvious ties to the Circus, nor any of the other members.

Bizarrely semi-existent but also a complete non-existent contradiction when it comes to the state thanks to a lengthy list of loopholes, legal ambiguities, poorly defined technicalities, and major issues that as of yet, have to be solved. 

Major asset to the Circus, even if he has little interaction with them. Never has any direct interaction with people outside of his circle of assistants for health reasons, and is not seen by anyone without permission of him or those of his confidants (who are referred to as “The Metal Troupe”). His “home” is specifically designed to accommodate him and his needs, alongside a wide swathe of assistants for him, all of whom either live on-site, or close nearby. The few assistants that do know of his work are highly protected, given a wide range of benefits, and are some of his closest friends (though it should be stated that these people are not technically Circus members, as defined by the legal team that protects him and his estate).

Randall the Blossom: 5 foot 5 inch tall male, typically wears bright/colorful clothing, more or less the spitting image of the gay stereotype. Owns a Thompson submachine gun and a Colt 1911 pistol in his living quarters.
Is one third of The Blacksmith Triplets, alongside his brothers, Randy and Roland.

Unlike his brothers, however, he chooses to travel abroad with The Circus, instead of staying home. Loves to travel, but wants to specialize in a profession similarly to his older brothers.

He is envious that he dislikes working with metal, as he hates the extreme temperatures that blacksmithing and metalworking requires. 

Randy the Blacksmith AKA “Blacksmith Jack” or "Jack": A tough and hardy man, one-third of The Blacksmith Triplets. 

Used to work in a massive cart given to him by Babe, who he adores and sees as a member of his family.

Eventually the cart broke down, much to Jack's dismay.

He went on to re-shape it into a small cart and gave it to Babe, who uses it as a make-shift hospital when on the road and/or not able to reach a stationary hospital.

Janet the Cradle AKA "Babe": Most commonly seen in and around her Golden Cart, she is straightforward and honest with people, but is extremely kind and gentle to her patients.

Many people who visit her report that she is one of the best doctors in the world, and she is frequently requested to attend nearby colleges for one-off lectures and speeches.

She is extremely private with her childhood, but has gone on record to say that she was sexually and emotionally abused throughout her teenage years, leading to her fleeing to and from different countries, all of which had given her a greater understanding of the human condition.

Aside from Half-Lung, she is one of the founding pillars of The Circus and is a pacifist, officially refusing to engage with any form of criminal activity.

Unofficially, however, she is one of the world's leading underground/"black-market" doctors, preferring to assist with substance abuse, emotional trauma, abortions/childcare, and various other treatments she finds necessary for human survival.

Pig the Mark AKA "Benny": A facially ugly man, about 5 foot 4 inches in height.

Is one of the best solo-working thieves working with the Circus.

Trained in his twenties to learn how to deceive and trick, is a a renowned wordsmith, and is capable of tricking even the smartest individuals.

Annoyed by Half-Lung, though he rarely ever sees or interacts with him directly.

Can be a troublemaker, but tends to keep his rabble-rousing to a minimum.

When he does commit theft, he is more often than not doing it in a "so-obvious-it's-not-a-scam" manner, and is extremely talented in this regard.

Hannah the Wolf or simply, "Wolf": One of the head “recruiters” for the Circus. 

A tall and stocky woman, she is very blunt, but very good at convincing people to do things they don't want to - both when it comes to outsmarting her target, and when it comes to physical torture. 

While she doesn't like any form of illegal activity (ESPECIALLY when it comes to crimes like supplying drugs and gun-running), she recognizes that the field is extremely profitable, and wants to be able to keep "her girls" as safe as possible. 

Has been in a semi-romantic and semi-sexual love/hate-relationship with Pig for many months now, though it is more often than not a rocky one thanks to Pig's thievery and general mischief, which she dislikes.

Wolf’s Women: A group typically ranging somewhere between 4 and 20 women. 

A few are on-and-off assistants to Half-Lung, hence why numbers are prone to change. 

All women are close with each other, and keep few secrets from the others, as they all rely on the others to keep each other alive and happy (mentally, emotionally, and physically).

Haley the Flush: One of the workers of Wolf's Women who has a hand in obtaining firearms - both legally and illegally. She loves learning about them (especially when it comes to using them), though she is rarely ever able to go "all out" when practicing with them.
Her chosen firearm is any Smith and Wesson she can get her hands on.
She is described by her friends and those who know her as being very bubbly and friendly, always looking out for the people around her and wanting to keep spirits high, especially when it comes to youths.
One of the most well-known attractions for The Circus, as she is one of the best sharpshooters in the group, and is always more than delighted to show off whenever there's a show, and is more outgoing and is very capable of not mishandling nor abusing the attention she receives from such a status.
Very skilled when it comes to any kinds of first aid, as she is always having to clean herself up after a show - moreso due to sprains, small cuts, and minor injuries than anything else.
Extremely well-versed in tailoring and sewing.
Her on-stage skills include (but are not limited to); juggling, fire-eating, sword-swallowing, contortion, escapology, hand balancing, acrobatics, balancing, and many other things.
Prefers to practice with Madeline the Mask either one-on-one, or in a large group.

Madeline the Mask, AKA “Mask” or "Maddy": Little is known about Madeline for a number of reasons, but one especially evident and obvious reason is that she doesn’t speak. (It's unknown if she refuses to speak, or is physically unable to.)

Rumors suggest she uses several versions of sign-language, though there are no recorded times she's used it.

Extremely flexible, likes to use throwing knives and CQC as her method of attack.

Will occasionally disappear for months at a time, but nobody in the Circus attempts to follow nor track her when she does, as she will react very aggressively if she believes she is in danger or at risk of harm.

A master of moving silently and swiftly. Rare to see her perform, but she is one of the most popular acts due to her extreme skill and incredibly wide range of talents, including but not limited to: Tight-rope/trapeze walking, acrobatics, knife-throwing and knife-juggling, fire-breathing, sword swallowing, aerial acts, illusory/magic tricks, escapology, ambre-mah, alongside a wide swathe of other talents that have yet to be recorded.

Prefers to practice one-on-one with Haley, but will not refuse to practice with the few people she trusts when they are available.

Technically not a part of Wolf's Women, but is often sighted hanging around and interacting with them.

Anderalahan AKA "Needle" or more commonly, "Pinocchio": A short, corpulent man, around 7 foot 9 inches and weighs about 120 pounds. 

Very little is known about him, but is constantly telling half-truths and playing tricks to get something that he refuses to describe. 

He is one of the less eccentric background characters supporting The Circus, but is majorly influential and a great help to those who request his assistance. 

Has few friends, but is extremely charming and witty, is known as a "jack-of-all-trades" type. 

He is often seen in the rafters when performances are happening, adjusting and perfecting everything that is to happen and will be happening during performances. 

Knows everyone in the cities he visits, but has no friends nor does he have any living family. Has never killed anyone. Possibly multiple people. 

Never seen around Madeline the Mask, nor Half-Lung. 

Will disappear for days to years at a time, but always has a different appearance afterwards, and his appearance will change more drastically depending on how long he's away for.

She also refuses to answer questions about it.

This style of fighting is a far newer fighting style than most, and combines various concepts and moves while also remaining relevant to modern developments in warfare and combat - with this said, it is a fighting style that appears to be at least partially influenced by philosophies and combat styles of both military reserve forces and standing armies, such as those that originate/have a background in places like India, Greece, China, Spain, Britain, and the United States.

More recently, there has also been talk among those more "in the know" that places like Ukraine, Egypt, Vietnam, Japan, Somalia, and Brazil are also being considered for their historical significance. 

The fighting style includes extensive training with especially knives and hand-to-hand combat, but also has a secondary focus on other topics, including but not limited to: makeshift/unreliable weapons, using various methods of deception (such as throwing one's voice), alongside non-combat tactics, such as de-escalation alongside other ways to avoid possibly dangerous or unsafe situations.

While not as common among most teachers (nor is it common among most students), teachings have cropped up around guerilla warfare, combat against drone technology, multiple opponents,  and opponents wielding firearms (which is especially common in the US).

A Scientist's Recollection of Events

Day 7:

I am writing this as a kind of "experiment".

In the old-times, back before we became these things, we could perform experiments with such absolute knowledge and certainty.

In the old days, we could collect things and ideas and we made towers to rival that of Babel and grew seeds from the dirt, our hands and bodies were of flesh and bone, our cities were made of wood and masonry, and our graves were made of stone and the absolute which kept us there when we were destroyed.

I have seen a great change in my time.

I have seen the extinction of flesh and observed what is now in it's place.

My body is covered in what appears to be a kind of plaster-like material, but I do not know how I could possibly be alive if that were the case.

I feel things unlike how I did before.

I believe that I might feel hunger, but I do not know if it truly is, or if it is something else.

The feelings and things I think are thrown into question and I am constantly forced to question my mind's eye.

The feelings I had once before are gone, and I now recognize that they were once there after everything has changed, and I feel that I am made less of a person for it.

I was somewhere when things became as they are now - I was somewhere I've now forgotten, some eastern country, some far-off place from my home.

I was far to the east when it happened. 

I blinked, and I found my body snapped into something else.

The feeling of choking grabbed me, and it has not left me since.

I cough, but I make such a terrible noise, grinding and groaning of something aged.

It frightens me, so I keep from coughing.

Every so often it builds in what feels as though might be my lungs, and I hear a pop and find myself somewhere else.

And it is not just me - almost everything, almost every surface and thing is covered in plaster - all of these places and things that once were are now white and grey.

Everything is white and grey.

I am afraid of if it is just me or if everything has been distilled down into shades of bright and dark.

The few people I have seen while forever wandering I cannot communicate with.

We all remain silent.

We are like ghosts, moving from place to place on the haunted earth.

I was once together with others, but the noises of others coughing have driven me from travelling with others.

I cannot stand the others when they are near.

I cannot stand even the possibility of hearing another cough.

It is always boiling inside of my body, from the day I became like this, if I open my mouth, I hear my own noise.

It gets louder the more time goes on.

I do not even know if time is something that keeps going.

I can identify points but sometimes I lose them, like papers from an open book on the wind.

There are so many things I want to express.

There are so many things left for me to write down.

This was not an explosion.

It was a near-instantaneous expansion of the air particles in the room, leaving a bizarrely egg-like dent in the floor and ceiling - not to mention in the surrounding area, it was as if an immense balloon had appeared and vanished.

Things like computers, desks, room dividers, and most horrifically of all - human beings - had been flattened along an invisible path, resulting in noticeable damage to the structure, and all inhabitants of the building were forced to evacuate.

Those that were not immediately killed in what is described as "The Incident" by onlookers - were given first-aid and rushed to the hospital, but unfortunately to how the elevator shafts were designed, emergency responders were unable to ascend and descend the immense Ochitari tower in time to save any of the 19 victims that were left alive.

The only people that were not instantly flattened were on the outside of this egg-shape.

With the assistance of mathematicians, engineers, and physicists, the event has been modeled to show how the