Around the late 1890s, Pearlie, a self-proclaimed fortune teller, traveled with a carnival from far seedy Linseed Bay to the vast Inkwell Isles, where dreams (and nightmares) came true, to make a quick buck. There, she met Bick Ballpoint, a shifty lucky charm salesman, returning from another failed sales pitch. They shared stories of their love for money and how they wanted to live the high life. So, they went into business together, she'd read people's fortunes and he'd sell 'em "charms" to make life easier, got married, and had a son.
But as the years grew, so did their lust for riches. The couple only saw their son as free labor, initially keeping him inside doing chores and spending all their money on themselves while he struggled. When their boy began to develop more as both a scammer and a dancer, they felt they had a star on their hands, one that could have them living the high-life for sure...but not if their boy (and his new um... friend) have anything to say about it....!
Now for some Headcanons!!!
Had Dice (then named Cubert) when she was 20. She wanted a girl with a pearl head like her. She took every opportunity to hold it over the poor kid ever since.
Dreamed of being an opera singer, but her family pushed her to join their tailoring business. So, she left home at age 16 to make it big. But sadly, for her, genetics caused her voice to change, forcing her to rely on scamming people with her "readings".
Was SUPER extra with her appearance. We're talking about polishing her pearl head until it gleamed, lavish-looking outfits, and only the finest jewelry and makeup she could afford. Cuz she always believed looking important is the same as being important.
Favorite colors are blue and violet.
Was incredibly sly, playing on the Inkwellians' fears and desires for fame and easy living (ironic huh?). She often gave phony fortunes to carnival goers, faked seances for grieving and wealthy families, and had her son perform a little prestidigitation to really sell it (ex. pretending to be a ghost or demon, card tricks, charming people, you name it). Despite how hard he worked, Pearlie never really paid him back that much, being more concerned with buying stuff for herself. This did not bode well when Dice began dreaming of becoming a big star.
Headcanon voice: Alana Bridgewater (y'know the original voice of King Dice)
A traveling salesman known for handing out useless junk. During his trip to Inkwell, he noticed its residents were very superstitious about demons and temptation. So, he decided to disguise his products as means to ward them off, from "potions" made from water and cheap cologne to 3-and-a-half leaf clovers to piano wire to trip "unholy ghosts".
His father left him at an early age. This left him depressed and his mother on edge. More often than not, his mother tried to "make a man out of him" by making him do all the chores in their house; if he refused, he would get a major spanking. This left a damper on Bick's confidence, and he ran away when he was 10.
Your typical carney disposition, always barking out to any potential suckers, using every shady scam he can think of to make a quick buck.
Was picked up by a traveling circus as an assistant once, explaining his carney tendencies.
Often had his son perform little dances or parlor tricks for customers. He always said it was "father-son bonding", but he just wanted a talented boy to make money off of.
Often use his money for gourmet meals, clean-pressed suits, and precious gems for his Pearlie.
Dice certainly inherited some showmanship from this guy but became MUCH more convincing with the Devil's help. He also inherited his skittishness. -_-
Like Dice, Bick also helped his wife in her scams, either handing out his nick-nacks or disguising himself as a demon or spirit. Though he and Pearlie were mostly interested in getting rich, Bick truly did see himself hitting the big time together with her, feeling he's found his soulmate.
Headcanon voice: John Delancey
