Mistic Pets

Welcome to Issue 76
Created by The Mistic Pets Team

Character Spotlight: Bozo
Written By Gemajgall

Known to his friends and family as simply “Bozo,” Archibald the Second ran Mistica's circus for many years and was beloved by all wherever they traveled. His policy was to make sure every single customer left with a smile—and he was always successful; Bozo actually was a clown for his own circus, not the ringmaster. This surprised many legendaries, and the ringmaster was often stopped and called “Archibald.” But he and Bozo would laugh at these types of misunderstandings when the big top had closed for the night.

The ringmaster wasn't the only person who was more like a friend than an employee to Archibald. He was drinking buddies with the beast tamer, acrobat troupe, and fire breather—even though his rubber nose would get caught on the beer stein. 

Of course, the one he wound up closest too one day became his wife—Judith, who loved to cook and kept Bozo's Circus well supplied with funnel cakes and Eledon ears. Many former circus employees report the young couple flirting over the powdered sugar. 

Within a few years they were wed inside the big top, and two years after that Archibald Bozoni the Third was hatched. The family was blessed with laughter, and the circus prospered. But it was not to last. The constant travel wore on Judith bit by bit. Nonetheless, she put a brave smile on for Archibald. But when she collapsed before opening one night, Bozo knew something had to be done. Judith returned to her parents and lived with them while Bozo and Archie stayed with the circus. They visited her hometown every year though, and she was always given the best seat in the house. However, just before Archie's fifth birthday, she passed away.

The ring master and the rest of the staff thought that it would be the end of Bozo's Circus. How could Archibald continue to laugh and smile when the wife he cherished more than himself was no longer there? But after a week of solitary withdrawal, Bozo emerged from his private tent with his oversized shoes, squirting flower, face paint, and a big smile.

“I know Judith would be disappointed to see me sad—she'd never want me to quit now. So I'm going to make thousands of people laugh. For her sake.”

Everyone loudly applauded his efforts, and Bozo's Circus continued its trek across Mistica's continents. It was during this trek one year that Archibald found an orphaned, derelict jinx roaming, bewildered, through the tents. The young jinx was barely coherent and looked like he hadn't smiled in years.

The jinx trembled a few steps; not wanting to startle him, Bozo walked over and knelt down, smiling broadly behind his red nose. He greeted his small guest softly and warmly, and then began to use sleight-of-hand tricks to pull flowers and Peeces out of his sleeves. Within a few minutes, the jinx was laughing—it was an unbalanced laugh, but it was a laugh nonetheless.

Archibald escorted him to the food vendors' aisle and gave him a large Eledon ear. As they talked over fried dough, he learned the name of the child, Jasper, and his whole tragic story about the loss of his family and home. Bozo's large heart ached for the child. He scooped him up and set him on his shoulder.

“From now on, this will be your home. Come on, let's go meet your brother.”

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