Jokesmith
From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe
Jacques Smith was born in Paris France in 1982. His parents had been unknown to him his whole life, as he was left at the doorsteps of a very old Orphanage, called Le Miséricordieux cadeau. The sisters of Le Miséricordieux cadeau had been around very long, and were quite old, but as they did to many other orphans, they took Jacques in with joy. Jacques had been happy living with them the first few years of his life. But as the years went by he started to fall into depression. The other kids would leave him out of the games they would play, most of the time avoiding him like he didn't belong. That's about the time that Jacques decided to run away.
Jacques was of age seven when he escaped from Le Miséricordieux cadeau. A rather cold, and rainy night in Paris. Jacques kept walking, until finally he found an old alley way, and curled up into a ball where he spent the rest of the harsh night. Many times after that night Jacques wanted to return to the warm doors of the Orphanage, but he vowed he would never lay eyes on that cathedral again. After that night, Jacques spent the next three years living in the streets of Paris, as an entertainer. He did all he could for money, be it to juggling, making funny and lewd faces, and acting life a fool to make the people of France laugh. This was all Jacques knew he could do so that he would not starve. And it wasn't long before his entertainment got him somewhere.
Jacques had been performing on the streets of Paris for quite awhile now, and by the time he was eleven years old, there were actually crowds starting to form around him. They called him, The Jokesmith. Jacques knew he was more than just a desperate orphan in need of food and money when he had a title. Somehow the title made him feel better. As if he could actually be doing this for the rest of his life. And for what that was worth, was more than Jacques could imagined. Possibly he could not just be a street performer, but even more! A theatre of some sort. To be on stage was a dream for Jacques, but he knew it couldn't happen like that. He would have to press his talents to the far beyond to earn that goal.
Jacques was now twelve. Still living on the streets as a street performer, dispite the fact of how many offers he got from childless parents offering him a warm home, and a family. Jacques kindly refused each time, even though to him, a warm house and a loving family seemed nice. But that got in the way of his dream. He simply had to win over his goal at all costs. It was now winter in France. A very cold, and snowy winter. Jacques didn't have much when it came for winter clothing, and blankets, and one night got cold enough to the point that Jacques lost conciousness.
A few days afterwards, Jacques awoke in a strange house, bundled up in blankets laying beside a fire place. Baffled and very confused Jacques called "Hello", a few times before finally an elderly man walked in the room, grinnig with relief that Jacques was alright. The elderly man explained all of what had happened to Jacques, and told him how he couldn't just watch him die out in the snow. He also told Jacques of a business of his in America. The Renaissance Festival, was what the old man owned. A place of midieval times, where people come dressed as olden time knights, and peasants. A very entertaining place as the old man put it. He had told Jacques that he had been looking for a Court Jester Performer for the festival while he was in france, and that he had been keeping an eye on Jacques for quite awhile.
Jacques was offered a job as a bigger performer. And in another part of the world. This idea filled Jacques with exitement, for this was close enough to being a stage performer. Jacques accepted, a price had to be paid though. Jacques had to learn english if he was going to live in america, and he would have to leave the beautiful home of Paris behind him.
After a few years of living with the old man, learning english, and practicing his accent, they set off to open The Renaissance Festival after it had been closed for a few years. Jacques was now of age nineteen. Able to speak english very well, and with a good accent. The Court Jester was his job. The Renaissance Clown, was a more well known title to him. Jacques enjoyed the next few years as a comical performer in the Renaissance Festival. But that became short lived over the next few years.
Things were going quite well at The Renaissance Fair. Jacques enjoyed his time as a Court Jester. Performance always ran through his blood. And the old man took Jacques under his wing as his legal guardian, and gave him a home. Still, as the months went by, nothing interfered with Jacques's perfect life. But it was soon to get even more perfect. One night, the old man called Jacques in early. Jacques was quite confused, for he had never called him in early unless it was an emergency. And the old man sounded rather cheerful.
Jacques arrived at the house, with a rather confused smile upon his face. Until he saw her. The most beautiful woman Jacques had ever laid eyes on. "Jacques, I would like you to meet my daughter Susan. She has returned to work here at the festival as she has been studying in Australia." "It's a p-pleasure..." were the only words Jacques could say. Jacques had never once felt this emotion. Love, instantly was upon the soul of Jacques. Every day, Susan would once walk by Jacques, giving a slight smile, and looking into his eyes, before she would turn and begone until the evening Jacques looked forward to the most. The evening he would see her yet again, he would dine with his very kind guardian-father, and his beautiful daughter.
A year went by. Jacques and Susan became more close to eachother, sharing thoughts, having laughs. And before Jacques knew it, they were both in love. They had of course kept it a secret from their father, for they thought he would gladly give Jacques his daughters hand in marriage, but they weren't quite positive. The old man was a rather mystery. And he had not ever shared a blink of his past to anyone. Which gave most people a suspicious eye.
A few months later, Susan and Jacques met once again on their walk across the fair, as they usually did each evening. Susan stopped on the bridge, holding Jacques hand she nervously said "J-jacques. I do love you so, which I-is why I n-need to tell you something very important." Jacques nodded with confusion in his eyes, and susan continued. "I am pregnant..." Jacques' eyes widened. "You are carrying our child, my sweet?" Susan nodded, looking down as if she thought Jacques were dissapointed. And then she turned back up to notice Jacques with a grin on his face, and joy in his eyes. Jacques gave susan a big hug, and told her "Well we mustn't wait! I have to ask your father for your hand in marriage!". They both agreed, that Susan, knowing her father the most would tell him about their child, and then Jacques would then ask for her hand.
Susan had left to go tell her father. And half an hour later, as Jacques was walking to the house with a smile on his face, he heard a scream. Rushing as fast as he could to the house, with a heart like a hammer beating at his chest, he slammed open the door. Susan with blood on her face, and crying tears of fear, Jacques looked up to see her father with fury, and rage on his face. He took Jacques and slammed his head against a window, shattering the glass and nearly causing Jacques to be unconcious, he looked up with blurry eyes to see his father holding a gun in his hand. It was aimed at Susan. His own daughter. And as things suddenly became very still and slow. Susan was gone from this world.
Jacques let out a yell of rage, and got up. Charging at the the old man, he was yet again hit on the head. This time making him unconious. Jacques woke up a few minutes later. He didn't know what was happening, but then he could see it. He was being dragged across the wet and soft grass, to what looked like a shed. Jacques tried to escape the hold his father had on his hair, but he didn't have enough strength to fight his way. Jacques could not fully open his eyes, and heard a very strange sound. Almost like a woodcutter. "Say goodbye to this life... You Jokesmith!". Everything was very slow, Jacques tried to fight against the old man pushing his head towards a woodchipper, and then suddenly there was a bang and the old man had a bullet through his chest. Police Officers were there to the rescue. As it turned out, one of the Renaissance workers saw everything that had happened in the house, and out of fear and justice called the police. But it was already too late. Jacques was being forced down by the weight of the old mans corpse. And his head fell into the woodchipper. Jacques knew now that he was dead. Leaving this cruel world. And everything was black...
A few days later Jacques awoke in a hospital bed. His head and face ached madly in pain. And then a doctor walked into the room. Carrying a chart, and an unhappy look on his face. "You were very lucky to have survived that accident. Most people don't live from fallin in woodchippers, but I think you were pulled out before anything fatal happened...". Jacques couldn't open his mouth, for he was far too weak. The doctor nodded and said "You need some rest.". Slowly walking out of the room, he gave Jacques a mirror. Jacques slowly held up the mirror to see himself. His hand was shaking, and then he saw it. The most hideous image he had every seen. Jacques yet out a yell of grief and anger.
Susan was gone from his life. And he could never let his face show again in public.
Jacques couldn't live with himself. He was a monster. Curled up like a ball in his apartment was all he would do. For harsh weeks he would not come outside of his apartment. Stealing food from his neighbors was his only source of rations. Jacques kept this up for quite awhile. And then he was caught. Thrown out of his apartment to live on the streets as he once did a child. Jacques wore a mask while he had to beg for alms. Most of the time the mask would frighten people, making him a point of avoidence.
Jacques couldn't live like this any longer. Suicide was the only thought in his mind. It had to be done. Nothing mattered anymore. Nothing could stop him. Walking up the stairs of a very tall building. Each step was like a second of his deathclock ticking. And finally. Jacques was at the roof of the building. Spreading out his arms on the edge. He felt happy for once after the traumatic accident. And then he lifted up one of his legs before he heard a yell from below. Jacques hesitated, for he knew someone was in trouble. His heart raced like a horse in fear of death... And then he took a step down. Rushing down the stairs again, following where the screaming was coming from, he busted open a door to find a woman holding her dead husband. Jacques looked at her, and without a word went after the killer.
Rushing down the stairs as fast as he could, he could hear the killer trying to make his escape. Jacques could hear the footsteps of the killer getting louder, closer. And then Jacques could see the killer, rushing out of the door of the building as he finally got through all those stairs. Jacques was far faster than him, and finally caught up. Tripping the killer down, Jacques grabbed his hair and again, and again slammed his face into the ground. People began to scream and run, for they thought that Jacques was the real killer. Jacques managed to run away without being chased by city officals. And for once, Jacques felt he did something heroic.
Jacques felt the need that he could be more than just a civvilian. Training for a few years, Jacques put on a mask, and wore his old Renaissance Jester costume. Calling himself, Jokesmith The Clown, Jacques fights the might of evil at all costs...
Jacques can be more of a rather serious clown at times, but Jokeful, and Violent would be the two words best described by him. Much like someone with a low temper, Jacques' traumatic accident changed him in more than a few ways. He's certaintly not the kind Jester he used to be, but more of a rather serious, and and mature man. Jacques never shows his face in public, for he fears people will avoid him, or scream, and even run. Such a twisted life Jacques has led, but now he finds his right place as a hero.
- 1."The Jester" -Sum41
- 2."Joker & The Thief" -Wolfmother
- 3."Teh Noob Song" -Teh-Pwnerer
- 4."Jester's Song" -Brave
