Devin "Jestah" Quinn ●

[Devin Quinn]

Name: Devin "Jestah" Quinn Age: 25. Gender: Male. Sexuality: Heterosexual. Faction: Criminal. Occupation: Circus Ringleader/Owner. Playby: Kuroshitsuji, joker Traits Positive Devoted Cheerful Protective Dutiful Kind Laid-back Hardworking Negative Unscrupulous Many-sided Stubborn Extreme Zany Overprotective Martyr History “Ya know, they say “when life gives ya lemens, ya make lemenade”, or “look for tha silver linin’ ”... It ain’ about bein’ optimistic mate… It’s ‘bout you workin’ through tha mud no matter ‘ow bad it’s rainin’. It’s ‘bout makin’ yer own light in tha dark, ‘nstead of lookin’ for it.” Devin Quinn, son of Brigitte Quinn and gentleman unknown, had a very unpleasant upbringing in London. A good proof of this is the fact that he “swears by the rope around his neck that he can still remember the smell even from back when he was a baby”, his own words. His dearest mother, unfortunately, chose a very debatable occupation to gain monetary compensation, as I’m sure most would not argue that solicitation warrants no fascination. To put it bluntly, she was as good as a mother as she was at math and counting bills did not count as math. In her defense, she never did want a kid though, but her faith prevented her from doing anything about the little bundle of accident. It should’ve, instead, prevented her from having poor judgement. But regardless, Devin came to be and as much as at times Brigitte tried to actually be a mother, she just failed at it and went back to her old ways. The only thing that came out from these attempts at change that was actually good for the boy was the fact that he enrolled in an elementary school and was able to finish it, only to be driven out of it thanks to his mother, who had long since indulged in very unpleasant vices during her long runs through the night. Someone had to make sure she didn’t kick the bucket whenever she had too much of the substances she enjoyed, which crippled his life immensely, in more ways than one. Because of her, he had to grow up too fast, the start of his teenage years ridden with him doing everything she should be doing. From cleaning the house to cooking the food they ate, he was the one behind all of that, the only teacher he ever gotten in that subject being the television and what he had learned from school. It’s a miracle how he managed to handle all of that at such a young age, but someone had to do it. With his mother working all night and being out cold all day, it was left to him to handle that. An incident that would forever change his life would transpire in a particularly bad week, when his mother just had a little too much of the poison that she could handle. He had spent several nights awake taking care of her so during a run to the pharmacy, he just doesn’t know what happened, he bumped right into a pillar, hard, falling on the side of the street as a bus was passing by. The result was his right arm being crushed under the tire. The pain was immense and he remembers waking up from it to scream, only to go into shock. When he came to at long last, he found out to his horror that they had to amputate his right-arm due to complications from both the incident and the procedure to save him. He had never cried much in his life, not even when his mother hit him in a drunken haze, not when he had to leave school to take care of her and not even when he saw how his life could become if this continued… But that night? The dam finally broke. He spent all night crying and they even had to sedate him when his mother finally decided to drop by and see how he was doing. It was shocking really how she managed to get there on her own. But she was right on time to talk to social services at least. He could hear them talk from the hall when he woke up, making up two words from it: “foster home”. Things were going to get even worse… He could feel it in his bones. The farewells were… Awkward… His mother just stood there crying her eyes out like she actually cared… She should’ve cared sooner. He couldn’t feel anything really, he didn’t even feel bad for her since she’d most likely drop the night after he left with no one there to help her. He was young, he was a good kid, he did all he could, but he was punished with this? How was it fair? So young and already had lost an arm. he didn’t even serve in a war. What was he going to do with no higher education, no work experience and a disability of that kind? He was probably going to end up like his mother or something of the sort. The stupidity of the social worker was… Aggravating… Who would tell a kid that went through what he did that “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade”? He wanted to tell her he wanted life to shove those lemons up its unfair rear end, but he’d gain nothing from it. The new family was… Very… Odd… But not in a good way. Both parents seemed to be a tad too religious, too “goodie-goodie” and obsessed with struct nonsensical rules, while the kids were wolves in sheep’s clothing. They enjoyed looking down on him from day one, making fun of him for having lost a limb. The only reason why they didn’t get their behinds kicked was because he knew he’d get thrown into the arms of Social Service once more and would be sent to an even worse family. They were alright, for the most part. He had food, a decent enough bed, a shower and they had begun to homeschool him much like their kids. Unfortunately it was tainted with their own beliefs, which entirely made it a very painful process to get anything useful out of it. As time passed by, he found himself being driven mad. Between the others tormenting him and the parents’ damned insufferable restrictions, he found himself at the end of the cliff staring down at the jagged and pointy rocks below. He had to get out of there somehow… Someway… Sadly, there wasn’t one in sight. He had to wait until he was old enough to file for emancipation. or so he thought, as when he turned eighteen, he found out he wasn’t allowed to, considering his disability. He was outraged. He could take care of himself regardless of only having one arm, more than most could with both. It wasn’t fair. It was just another kick in the teeth that life so graciously delivered upon him. After the outburst of anger, came depression. And what was the parents’ brilliant idea to “turn that frown upside down”, besides asking whatever deity they worshipped? Why, a family trip to the circus. Grand, he could see the two other teenagers commenting on how he belonged there in the freakshow with them… And it was the first thing they said the minute they saw one of the performers. It was supposed to be one of the best circus in whole of Britain. “Cirque Sinestro”, was its name at the time. He couldn’t see what was so great about it… But frankly he couldn’t see what was so great about anything at that time. Among crowds of smiling faces, he actually stood out enough for one of the artists to pick him off when he was wandering around alone. He was pulled into the Seer’s tent by a female wearing a veil that obscured her face. It was… Actually quite unsettling how he was yanked inside. But when the woman removed the veil, he was actually surprised, expecting an elderly gypsy woman, instead being greeted by a rather beautiful enchantress. He assumed she was the seer, only for it to be revealed that she was just an apprentice to her, bored out of her mind and wanting to talk to someone that wasn’t a carny or was uninteresting or vulgar. He was confused, as it all seemed so random, questioning her why she’d ever pick him since she didn’t know him, to which she had replied that she had a feeling he was more than met the eye. He thought this was some con to try and have him pay to have his palm read, but after spending an hour or two there talking to her about themselves… He kind of began to enjoy having been brought there. She had even suggested, since he was so unhappy with his life, to join them, as they took in many people from all over the place if they didn’t have a home to go to. He thought it was preposterous, even telling her he’d be of no use to perform since he only had one arm, but the girl scolded him, claiming it didn’t matter, as long as he worked, he could get wherever he wanted there, even become a first-string member. He just had to believe in himself. She claimed she did, despite having just met him. He still believed that to be an idiotic idea, but she was convinced it was what he was going to do, claiming it she could see it written in the stars. It made him laugh at least and he hadn’t laugh in quite some time. She then gave him her necklace, stating that the Circus would leave the next week and if she wanted to come with them, he could. That was before he was pushed out by her, since the true Seer had finally come back. He had spent the whole week pondering on it, falling asleep gazing at the necklace he had been given. Could he actually join the circus? He guessed the unpleasant duo, would be right… He would belong to that “freakshow” then. Maybe he should? He didn’t have anything there besides a wretched life he was unhappy with. So why not? Why shouldn’t he gamble and see if he could have a life he would actually be happy with and proud of? The worst that could happen would be him coming back to that house or be picked off by Social Services and dropped in a new one. So might as well. In the middle of the night on the Sunday of that week, he sneaked out of that house with only a backpack with what he needed, only to head to the Circus site. Funny enough, the girl was actually waiting on him to show up, grinning and claiming she knew he would come. Serena was her name as he had finally asked while she brought him into the back of one of the trucks they used for transportation. When he asked playfully if the stars had told her, she just laughed and told him she just knew he would. Everyone was actually quite welcoming and though he had a hard time being a second-string member of the Circus, he was still treated as an equal. They didn’t care that he didn’t have an arm, they’d still push him to the limit like they did anyone else and frankly? He loved that. Even the most serious of them all, the ringleader and owner Mr. Sinestro, was nothing but courteous with him, even if he looked like a villain straight out of a comic book. Funny part was he was like that at all times, even when not performing. Regardless, they taught him the various arts of the circus like everyone else. Balance was certainly not his strong-suit, as he’d often fail at the highrope and such, but he showed promise at knife-throwing, firebreathing and, much to everyone’s surprise, juggling. Couple that with his growth in personality that seemed inclined for comedy, and you’d have one grand Pierrot. But he was still green, very green, even if he showed promise. So he was still mostly preparing meals and all that. Second-string stuff mostly. Social service, along with the police, did stop them while they were on their way to Europe to talk to them about the disappearance of the young man, but they found no trace of him among those present. No one from the Circus talked, so they just went on their way. He earned a short-lived nickname of “Peanuts”, because they had hidden him in a barrel full of them. All that mattered was they eluded the authorities and it wouldn’t be very likely that they would come looking for him in Paris now would it? A whole year passed and it was stunning how Devin made it up the ranks, actually becoming a first-string member and augmenting the others’ acts with his antics. Every circus needed a Pierott, a funny character to bring whimsy to all of the acts, serving as comic relief every so often and Devin filled that part perfectly under the performing name of “Jestah”. Even the clowns would laugh at the stunts he pulled and though some were actually quite dangerous, he’d risk it for the laughter and applause of the crowd. While the ringleader opened the whole show, he began to be the one to introduce the various acts, participating in them momentarily. He had long since earned his spot, especially when he got burnt, bitten, had fallen from great heights and all that nasty business. But it was worth it. Even more so when he got back and was taken care of by Serena. She was an angel and were it not for the fact that he tried to make a joke out of everything, she would’ve probably entered a relationship with him. They did try, every once in a while, but in the end they’d part as the bond of friendship they had meant more than mere fleeting emotions. That’s what they told themselves anyways. If he didn’t have the impulse to always try to make everything funny, he’d probably be able to go the distance, but he couldn’t bring himself to indulge in seriousness, not when he had spent most of his life being smothered by it. But while among the first-string members, he had learned something darker lurked beneath the laughter, something that had to be done to keep the Circus running. During the various parades, many members would sneak through the crowd, the most loyal of both the first and second-strings, relieving people of some of their belongings and money. While the Circus was booming, the expenses for everything were twice as much as what they earned, so they had to resort to unmentioned donations from the attendants. Once Devin decided to join them, there was no turning back, so he did what he was told, even taking part in tutoring pick-pocketing and such techniques. They would all have to do everything, to preserve the Circus and their family. Anything. A year later, a small group of ruffians in Italy attempted to extort the Circus. They weren’t “big cats”, but they certainly were big enough of a group to be a nuisance. Apparently they were aware of how much the Circus brought in, so they attempted to have them pay for protection, threatening with use of force and vandalism. The leader, arrogant and foul-mouthed as he was, even had the nerve to knock Mr. Sinestro off his feet to try and intimidate everyone. He paid dearly for it. That was the first time Devin had taken a life, doing so while protecting Serena when one of them had tried to use her as a hostage. The guy didn’t expect the young man to sneak from behind and land a throwing knife upon the back of his head. That was a very eventful last night in Italy, the cleaning up quite troublesome but manageable nonetheless. But the event had startled Serena quite a bit, who refused to even see any of them, including Devin, isolating herself from everyone but her teacher. She did thank him though and he figured as long as she was alright, he was fine with her taking some time for herself, understanding it couldn’t have been a pleasant experience. It certainly wasn’t for him, but the ringleader did what he could to try and ease the young man’s mind. He had also taken the time to congratulate his effort and how far he had gotten, thinking it was about time he was rewarded for it. He didn’t want to be though, it was enough of a blessing that he was accepted in the first place and was given a home, somewhere to belong, but he insisted. The old man saw much potential and loyalty to that family in him, so, due to his old age, he figured it was time to start thinking of retiring from his ringleader position, teaching the young lad all he needed to know and eventually putting him up to the crowds, no more as a simple entertainer, but as a presenter. He’d run the show now, he was the ringleader. He couldn’t even believe it, but everyone welcomed that with open arms. Sadly, Serena wasn’t as thrilled it seemed, having grown tired of that life. When they passed through Romania, she tried to sneak away in the middle of the night, being caught by Devin as he suspected she would do that. They talked, they argued, they shouted at each other. But in the end, she pleaded that if he felt that strongly about her, then he’d let her go and let her search for a new life, as was her wish. How could he argue against that?... He had no right to keep her there if it was against her will and he knew she wouldn’t expose the secrets of the Circus to anyone. So he let her go, telling her she would always be welcomed back if she wished to return to that family. Unfortunately, she wouldn’t be the only one departing as within a couple of months, the owner fell terribly ill and a trip to the hospital revealed he had been fighting a degenerative heart disease for quite some time. It was… Astonishing, how he managed to stay so strong that nearly no one from the Circus knew about it. That explained why he had past down the reins of the show to Devin and why he remained mostly in his quarters. Knowing he wouldn’t last long, the man decided to sign everything he had to Devin, making him swear upon his own life that he’d do whatever it took to keep the circus alive and everyone safe. He’d do it for the man who took him in, for the people that treated him like family, for the home he was given and for himself. it didn’t take him long to agree and swear upon everything that he would do it. So that week they took care of all the paperwork needed to pass on the Circus to him and everything in it, also the change in name, as the old man saw fit that the legacy of his Circus passed on with him and that a new one would rise from its ashes. And just like that, the tradition of the ringleader being the owner continued, Devin changing the name of the Circus to “Harlequinn Circus”. It felt… grand. If only the circumstances were happier. They performed shows around the country, leaving only when Mr. Sinestro left this world. To commemorate the start of that Circus and pay respects to the man that made it possible, Devin decided to put on their first show in Georgia, United States, where the man was born. All of the shows were dedicated to him and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. It seemed the circus still had the magic it always had, even with Devin at the lead entirely. They were going to continue their tour through the US, but a day before they got out of Georgia, the “Event” transpired. The three entities showed up and made their declarations, causing panic among everyone. It was… Strange… As if they were thrown into the twilight zone entirely. What was stranger, but a gift in a sense, was during it a voice whispered in Devin’s mind, asking him what was his wish. A wish? What was that about? He only remembers, from that strange encounter with this voice, a familiar voice responding that they wanted their arm back. When he came to, he was stunned at the sight of a skeletal limb that wasn’t there before, responding as if it was his very own. Fingers and all. Though it was perhaps… Unsettling… It was still an arm and he couldn’t be happier. But a question came to mind… What would he have to give up for that arm and apparently a strange new power?... Nothing ever came free and after life giving him a few good kicks in the teeth, he dreads to know the price he’ll have to pay. One thing is certain though, his Circus, his family, came first and he’d give his life to protect them. By any means necessary. Insignia Level 1 "CopyClown" - Level 1 - A peculiar insignia that bestows upon Jester the ability to create an intangible copy of an object that he is physically touching, has touched very recently and or even himself. When it comes to objects, the time needed to replicate it is proportional to both the size and detail of the object in question, only being shortened by constant creation and or examination. In regards to him, he can easily create a copy of himself, though it’ll consume more energy obviously than it would an object. He seems to also be able to project these images at a medium-distance from himself. As useful as this power might be, these copies last a short time as maintaining them would take a toll on him, gradually sapping him of his energy. Constant usage may cause him to be knocked out cold for quite some time while he regains his strength, not to mention that even if he manages to conjure an image, it won’t be as flawless as when he hasn’t abused this power. His insignia presents itself as a turquoise-colored tear drop that starts from above his eyebrow and crosses down the middle of his eyelid, being just an inch or two from his upper-lip. Passive - His familiar takes the form of a small chromatic Capuchin monkey that goes by the name of "Peanut". The small ape is highly mischievous and seems to be a bit of a kleptomaniac, as he can’t keep his hands to himself, adoring shiny things and always attempting to seize them, or rather, have Devin seize them for him. Extra Half-Polyglot: While he might not exactly be fluent in most european languages, he seems to be able to improvise himself through several of them. This is obviously due to his time performing in several countries. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang: His native language is spoken with an accent of Cockney origin. Serena’s Necklace: She left it back at her tent before she left the Circus, on purpose or not. He always wears it underneath his clothes and it’s silver, depicting a sun, moon and stars on it. Partial To Midnight Strolls: He enjoys taking long walks around the cities they stay in at night and explore them, regardless if it’s the coldest night of winter, or the hottest one of summer. He, usually stays clear of unpleasant “nightlife” locations though, as he isn’t a fan of debauchery or witnessing it. Excellent Judge Of Character: He’s one who easily finds the good and bad in people, going by his instincts on them and it’s rare for him to either be manipulated in that aspect, or get it wrong. Welcome One And All: Takes in anyone that wants to join the Circus and he sees they don’t have any ulterior motives. He generally doesn’t force them to stay, however, it all depends on how much they know about the inner-workings of that place. Piercings!: Has four thick hoop earrings in each of his ears. New Arm: He isn’t used to his new arm, neglecting it quite a few times and doing things out of habit with his left one. New Arm - Part Two: Even when detached from him, his arm seems to be able to be controlled to some extent by him, which is quite disturbing, but one would say it could be just as useful. OOC OOC Name: Chesh. How did you find us?: I live in the shadow of the cbox. Other Characters: A few >>.

[Neko]

Accepted!! Great job, put your profile link in your mini profile and put your claims in the Face Claims and the Directory!