A stubborn 11-year-old girl named Sophia is less than amused with the idea of her spending her summer at her grandparents' house; especially with that weirdo Darkslaw around just to annoy her. But then one fateful night, Sophia finds herself walking into Decembersville, a hidden city of freaks and monsters, with no hope of returning home!In order to survive the freaks-only world, she turns to a kind ax-handed boy named Zero, an anxious clock-like circus performer named Pendulum Tin, and a shiftily devious gangster werewolf, all trying to keep her safe from the vengeful vampire Count Merry-Go-Round, the evil overlords of Decembersville, the von Pyre Bros., and the terrifying ringmaster behind a dark scheme: the Meowsician.Throughout the journey, Sophia learns through the morals of courage, friendship and love to try to restore peace to the corrupted city.An online novel in the works which can be found on deviantART. Featuring a large cast and showing how humans just cannot get it through their heads that discrimination is bad. As of 5/20/11, Chapter 55 is out, and the story has been placed on a schedule consisting of one chapter every few weeks.The story was written over about a year and a half, so there is a large improvement in the storytelling and writing style.You can begin reading the story here: [1]
Adults Are Useless: Considering her human folks don't seem to do much and every other adult in the story is mad to a degree.
The Alcoholic: Chimabell drowns his sorrow in liquor whenever he's depressed. It may actually stem into Can't Hold His Liquor territory, since he grows paranoid and unpredictable pretty quickly, but we aren't told how much he drinks at one time.
Art Evolution: There is a noticable improvement between the earlier chapters and the later ones.
Author Appeal: Writer has a thing for misunderstood characters, monsters, romances, pretty Victorian cities, rather much everything the story is made of.
Badass Normal: One can probably expect Azgda Malakov to be this, whenever she makes it to Decembersville, given that she's commited so much genocide against Freaks without much trouble already.
Berserk Button: As the story progresses, the sheer mention of Sophia or how she could "help him" will send Chima into an almost-Unstoppable Rage. Also, Sophia herself will become enraged whenever she's belittled or given an insulting nickname.
Big Brother Instinct: Bella seems to be edging towards this in the later chapters.
Beware the Nice Ones: Of course, Darkchovi would never do an evil thing in his life! Oh wait...
Butterfly of Death and Rebirth: Butterflies are representative of happiness and purity in the story, and usually hang around those who are idealistic and good.
Chekhov's Gunman: Ivan and Malakov will probably mean big trouble later on, it's just a matter of when they actually GET to Decembersville. (And they will probably come at the worst of times.)
Clear My Name: Sophia again. She's being accused of murdering several freaks throughout the town.
Clock Tower: Decembersville has one, and will probably play a larger part deeper in the story.
Cowardly Lion: Pendulum Tin. So much so that if he gets anxious enough, he will start spewing gibberish, and someone will have to slap him in order to snap him out of it.
Creepy Crossdresser: Bella had to crossdress as part of losing a bet. The disturbing part was that he started to like it.
Dark Is Not Evil: The fact that the seemingly villainous have some light to them. Being stuck in a world where monsters are like normal people helps this trope as well.
Hidden Badass: Chimabell can transform into an oversized killer vulture. You have to admit, that's kind of awesome.
Humans Are Bastards: Many of the Freaks, good or bad, have been discriminated against or looked down upon them at one time or another. Guess who did it?
Grandparental Obliviousness: Averted. A section of one chapter is dedicated to Sophia's grandparents (along with Darkslaw's father) and the police searching for the missing children. Kind of there to make it clear that Sophia is no orphan, that's pretty much all.
Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Bella von Pyre seems to be swaying towards this, while his brother seems to be walking the opposite way. Also, Melloni Collie.
La Résistance: There is a small underground resistance that rebel against the von Pyres' rule, which believe Sophia to be the answer of compromise between humans and Freaks.
Large Ham: Most share a slice of the ham, but Merry-Go-Round takes the cold meat.
Leit Motif: An odd written example, but "Scarborough Fair" makes recurring appearances throughout the story.
Muscles Are Meaningless: Many of the smaller or thinner characters pack more punch than one would expect. Sometimes even the other characters are surprised. Justified in most of them being supernatural in some way.
Non-Action Guy: Sophia as a younger girl version, and quite possibly Zero.
Nice Hat: Plenty in Decembersville, Tin and Chimabell's for example
Our Vampires Are Different: Count Merry-Go-Round sways towards the more traditional version of vampires, and since Decembersville is without a sun, he doesn't have to worry about being burned. Also, it seems like he can super-heat his claws to melt metal, as he did when saving Zero and Sophia from the Runaway Train
Older than They Look: Chimabell is thirty-three, although he looks more in his late twenties—maybe. Also, many readers are surprised that Ivan is fifteen.
Punny Name: LOADS. You have the von Pyres, for one. Also, Meowsician is pretty straightforward in meaning. Then, there's Darkslaw and Darkchovi (which sound like coleslaw/anchovi), Melloni Collie sounds like "melancholy" along with his last name being a breed of dog. "Malakov" also sounds vaguely like "molotov." Finally, Merry-Go-Round and Kerasell.
Also, in music, "Andante" means a "moderately fast" tempo.
Runaway Train: A random, ghost train, which pretty much wanted to splatter Sophia, Zero, and Count Merry for... no reason?
Shout Out: In the first chapter, to Harry Potter, also constant, more obscure ones through the story.
Sir Swearsalot: Bella von Pyre, especially when he's first introduced.
Slasher Smile: Admit it, the first time you saw Andante, you thought he would jump up and start murdering people for no apparent reason, too. Though this could be considered an amped up Stepford Smile
Tank Goodness: Darkly subverted. The Winter Cult, coming from the last chapter they were featured in (and if this Troper's memory serves), they have a TANK. And the police officer who pointed them out didn't seem to care. Supposed to be humorous.
Theme Naming: Melloni and his stepbrother Emylli. There's also Darkchovi and Darkslaw (Dark + coleslaw; dark + anchovi). Also, Chimabell, Bella, and Campara ("Campara" being one letter away from "Campana," which is Spanish for "bell") are names pertaining to bells. Finally, there's Count Merry-Go-Round and Kerasell ("carousel"). You know you're destined for each other when your names are synonymous.
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