This Is The Greatest Show (P.T. Barnum x OC!LilyBennet)

The Best Idea

Time Skip (May remain Phineas' POV for a while or the whole story don't know yet)

I never really saw the spotted girl again. There are days when I tend to think about whether I'll ever see her again or not. She was so sweet to share her and her mother's food with me. I was really going through a hard time with my father dying and Charity being at boarding school. We haven't been as close as we were when she left. Sure we sent letters to each other, but they stopped all of a sudden.

I was in the workshop, sitting at my desk while calculating numbers for our trading station.
I went to write down the numbers when my pencil broke. I sighed and got up to sharpen it while looking outside. I looked at the building across from us then at the graveyard behind it. I heard my boss talking and looked to see him coming. "Sir, Phineas Taylor Barnum." I said and held my hand out as he ignored it and walked by.

I started talking to him about how we could make this company better. He stopped and looked at me, handing me a slip of paper. "Gentlemen, may I have your attention. You're all dismissed." He said as I looked at the paper. "Bankrupped. I thought the company had a dozen trading ships." I said as he looked down. "Yes, at the bottom of the South China Sea. Typhoon sank them all." He said and walked away. I walked back to my desk and started packing my things like everyone else.

Once I made it home, I opened the door and walked in. I set my top hat and jacket down then looked at a bucket catching drips from the ceiling. To calm down, I walked up to the roof where I sat down and looked at the slip of paper. I sighed softly then looked at the stars for a bit. They reminded me of something as I got into my briefcase. I clipped the candle and set it down then lit a match. I put the top on then closed my briefcase and spun the top with holes through it and watched the show.

Every night I lie in bed,
the brightest colors fill my head.
A million dreams are keeping me awake
I think of what the world could be,
a vision of the one I see
A million dreams is all it's gonna take

I hear a beautiful voice sing in the alleyway and walked over. I peeked over to see someone walking through with a cloak on as they seemed to be looking at the stars. I went into thought and watched the mystery figure. "A million dreams for the world we're gonna make." I sung quietly and had an idea.

Time Skip

I waited in the busy bank while everyone read their newspaper. I heard laughing and looked up, then to my side. I looked to see feet not even touching the floor as the door opened and a lady walked out. "Charles, we're leaving. This bank only lends you bank money for people with money." She said and grabbed his hand, helping him down as they walked by. 'Charles only seemed to be the size of a little child, yet is an adult. It was an odd yet wonderful sight to see.

"What are you looking at, flop doodle?" He asked, walking by. "Mr. Barnum." Someone called as I stood up and walked in. "This venture you propose is risky and somewhat bizarre." The owner said after I explained what I had in mind. "It's a good bet is what it is, sir. People don't want to admit it, but they're fascinated with the exotic and the macabre. It's why we stare at it." I said as he looked at me unimpressed. "The bank is going to need substantial collateral." He said as I thought for a moment. "Of course. I wouldn't suggest otherwise. The deed to my entire trading vessels." I saidand handed him the deed.

~~~~~^_^~~~~~

I walked up to the building I bought and smiled at the title. 'Barnum's American Museum of Curiosity' it said in golden letters. I walked in and watched a waxed lady in a guillotine as her head was cut off. "The place to be transported. The place where people can see when they've never seen before!" I said proudly to myself. After a while I got a picture in front of the building and went out to give paper on my museum. I walked over to the ticket booth as O'Mally seemed to be tired.

"How many tickets?" I asked him. "One." He said as I was confused. "One?" I asked as he hummed. I walked home that night and cleaned up the apartment a bit. I sat at my desk and thought for a while. 'I need something... sensational. Something alive.' I thought then looked at an apple sitting on my desk and picked it up. I thought of the young girl and her mother. The young girl was beautiful even if her skin was two different colors or her eyes didn't match. I had a new idea for my museum and smiled.

~~~~~^_^~~~~~

I walked up to a small house and knocked on the door as the woman from the bank opened it while I took my tap off. "You must me, Gortune Stratton. I'm looking for your son." I said with a smile. "I don't have a son." She said as I looked at a birth certificate. "The hospital records says you do. Charles Stratton, age 22?" I asked. She let my in and lead me to the living room where I accidently stepped on a toy. I picked it up and examined the look of a soldier in a red suit, holding a gun. "Charles! Charles!" She called out.

A jiggle of a hand was heard as it turned and the door opened to show Charles. He walked out looking down before stopping and looked up at me. "P.T. Barnum at your service." I said as we shook hands. "I am putting together a show and I need a star." I said with a smile and knelt down as he shook his head. "You want people to laugh at me." He said softly. "Well, they're laughing anyway, kid. So might as well get paid." I said with a bigger smile. He looked down then walked away and back into his room as my smile dropped a bit.

'Okay, maybe not the smartest thing to say.' I thought and walked over to his door. "I see a soldier-no... a general, riding across the stage with a sword and a gun and...and," I trailed as I looked at the toy and knelt in front of his door, "And the most beautiful uniform ever made!
People will come from all over the world and when they 'im, they won't laugh." I said as he opened the door again and looked at me. "They'll salute." I said with a smile as he gave me a smile. I went home that night and started making ideas for flyers.