Acrobat/Lore

—Anniversary Tales Collection Booklet

Minor:

* Bernard
* Sergei
* Arthur Russell

**Mike Morton**, also known as the **Acrobat**, is one of the **43** playable Survivors added to Identity V.

This page is a compilation of lore and story content for this character.

## Backstory

### Character Introduction

Mike Morton is the most popular guy in the traveling circus "Hullabaloo". He has curly blond hair and a lively temperament, and one will never see any sadness in his blue eyes. "Hullabaloo" is Mike's world, and there should not be other things in that world, such as killing. After surviving the disaster, Mike Morton's only goal is to find the real killer who destroyed his home.

### Character Relations Menu

Mike Morton was the most popular guy in the traveling circus "Hullabaloo." He had curly blond hair and a lively personality. You'd never find any sorrow in his blue eyes.

"Hullabaloo" was everything to Mike, it was his world, and that world should have been free from incidents like that tragedy. After surviving that tragedy, Mike Morton had a single goal in his mind, and it was to find the one who destroyed "Hullabaloo."

## Deduction Quests

*All completed Objectives reward the player with +335 Logic points for the Logic Path. After the character's deductions are completed, their Worn Clothes will be available.*

### Deduction Summaries

These are summaries found in the Character Relations menu, which can only be obtained by completing the corresponding Deduction Quests.

***Deduction 1: A New Face***

Mike's circus welcomed a couple—a red-haired young man and a beautiful blonde.

***Deduction 2: Downcast***

Mike lost a bottle of acid that was used for the juggling, and the circus leader suspected the Weeping Clown was disfigured with acid.

***Deduction 3: Reappearance***

Mike was out of town when the tragedy happened. After the incident, he discovered the couple might have survived, and he recognized the Dancer in disguise.

## Letters

This section contains the letters the player receives after completing Mike's Birthday Event on June 1st each year. Each is removed from the player's mailbox in a week, but can still be accessed from the deduction quest menu.

* 2020
* 2021
* 2022
* 2023

## Lore Connections

### Letter to Arthur Russell (2020)

Dear Mr. Arthur Russell:

The investigation report you've sent last time was of great assistance to me.

In regard to the animal tamer Natalie, also known as Margaretha Zelle, I wish to acquire further information on her upbringing as well as her life before the circus.

Starting next week, I will be out of town for a while, and your salary will be paid in the same payment method per usual. There is no need to send in your report this time. I will pick them up at your residence.

I look forward to your reply

Yours Truly,

Mike Morton

## Lore Connections

### Connected Location(s)

* Oletus Manor
* Hullabaloo

### Mentioned Playable Characters

* Joker
* Margaretha Zelle

### Mike Morton's Manor Diary (2021)

Page 4

That was an unexpected gathering! I never thought I'd see my "old friend" here!

Seeing the familiar limping these few days made my heart pound, but I still can't believe that person is alive! Then again, having those four stupid faces together was hilarious. I could barely contain myself when I saw them sitting on the same side of the dining table, hahahaha!

(There are other traces of writings on this page.)

Page 6

Huh, that woman hasn't changed one bit. It's infuriating how brazen she was at the dining table. She thought we were back in the "Hullabaloo," didn't she? I won't let her mess this place up with her little tricks!

Page 7

Dammit, his face was just the same as when we were in the "Hullabaloo." I can't let that woman get her way!

Page 9

Why were they all here? Something's wrong! Did someone make this happen? Who could it be?

The way they looked at me... That's it, I'm sure they were looking at me all night. Could it be that woman? No way, she's not that smart. All she had were her stupid beauty and little tricks.

Ugh, their deformed bodies used to bring people joy. Why are they so scary now? I don't want to think about it anymore!

Hmm, I must come up with something.

(a faint indentation caused by a pen at the bottom of the page.)

## Lore Connections

### Connected Location(s)

* Oletus Manor
* Hullabaloo

### Mentioned Playable Characters

* Margaretha Zelle
* Violetta
* Murro Morton
* Joker

### A Page from Mike Morton's Experiment File (2022)

Serial No. 8-?-2

Name: Mike Morton

[Test Indicators]

1. Naive Seeker of Vengeance

2. Family-oriented

3. Quick-Witted

[Inclination]

Lost "family" and inability to return to "Hullabaloo."

[Test Results]

1. Overall Evaluation:

As a part of Subject 8-1-4's control group and fellow survivor of the "Hullabaloo" circus, Subject 8-?-2 was not medicated.

Throughout the game, Subject 8-?-2 did not allow himself to relish in the reunion with old friends. He was the test subject who maintained the greatest clarity of mind.

2. Methodology

Subject 8-?-2 came to the manor to find out the truth and didn't expect to meet old friends from "Hullabaloo." From the moment Subject 8-0-1 was assaulted, Subject 8-?-2 had a vague answer to his questions, and the light was shone on the numerous dark events of the past. During the game, the "guest performance" Subject 8-?-2 and Subject 8-?-5 planned together crushed the alliance between Subject 8-0-3 and Subject 8-1-4. But when faced with Subject 8-0-3, who fell into a depression from losing Subject 8-1-4, Subject 8-?-2 chose to give up on revenge and remained on the stage he'd missed for so long.

3. Experiment Summary

One of the greatest uncertainties in this experiment was how the once optimistic Subject 8-?-2 would take revenge. Subject 8-?-2's final decision to give up on revenge was in-line with his character—his family in "Hullabaloo" circus was always the most important to him. Such attachment to family is childish and ignorant. When the darkness of "Hullabaloo" was exposed, Subject 8-?-2 realized that his stage of happiness only existed in that short peaceful memory (I can empathize with this.) Once his core value collapsed, Subject 8-?-2 couldn't face reality in a mature manner anymore. This once again proves that naivety and optimism cannot last in the game.

## Lore Connections

### Mentioned NPC's

* Sergei
* Bernard

### A Letter in the Circus' Prop Chest (2023)

Murro,

Did you watch that final performance? Hurry up and tell me, wasn't that the best makeup you've ever seen? I bet you didn't expect white and cinnabar to trick all of you. I can't wait to be amused by the dumbfounded looks on your faces when you see "Sergi" — "Let's give an applause to an old friend of the 'Hullabaloo' circus. He has always been with us, but we almost forgot him."

Call me stupid if you want. It took that incident to make me realize that this so-called family of ours is no better than a stinking sewer. Only after tearing apart the veil on it was I able to realize that it was infested with mediocrity, jealousy, and blood. Don't ask me why I'm doing this. As much as I am absolutely disappointed in that place, I still wish to seek the truth. It's more than an end to it for me — it's closure. I've even prepared a grand performance for it — an explosive performance! Bernard was always against it due to safety concerns, but he failed to realize that burning up in a sea of flames is the best ending "Hullabaloo" could ever have! Forgive me for not discussing this with you, but it's a performance that I must do myself. Just wait and see, you'll understand my decision.

My only regret is that I could not travel to the great outdoors with you. You'll have to enjoy the freedom and joys on your own. I've never touched the money you gave me, and I even added a little more to the pool. I hope you'll take it and move on.

Don't miss me.

Mike

### Letter Summaries

These summaries are found in the Character Relations menu after the letter has been received.

***Letter to Arthur Russell***

Through an investigation report, Mike confirmed that the circus' animal tamer, Natalie, had changed her name to Margaretha.

***Mike's Manor Diary***

Mike met many old friends from the circus in the manor, but he became wary of them too.

***A Page from an Experiment File***

The file recorded how Mike uncovered the truth behind the Moon River Tragedy during a game at the manor. Yet, he chose to give up vengeance.

### Rewards

Every letter comes with 30 Fragments, and depending on how many years the player has participated and completed the Birthday Event would determine which letter they receive and the extra reward.

* If this is the first time the player has completed the event, they would get a portrait for the character and the 2020 letter.
* If this is the second time the player has completed the event, they would get a portrait frame and the 2021 letter.
* If this is the third time the player has completed the event, they would get a dynamic graffti and the 2022 letter.
* If this is the fourth time the player has completed the event, they would get an emote and the 2023 letter.

2020 Portrait2021 Portrait Frame2022 Dynamic Graffiti2023 Emote
## Character Resources

The additional in-game and external documents for this character include:

* Character Relations
* Quotes & Media
* Diaries
* Event Appearances
* Mentions

The Character Relations menu shows how certain characters are connected and how they feel about each other. It also contains other personal information on characters that cannot be found anywhere else. It can be found in the Notebook, under the "Clues" tab. Although the web of relations for Acrobat has not been released, we know a few of the characters that would be on it, which have been included below.

### Birthday Questions

*Only the questions and answers relating to his backstory were included here. The other questions not listed relate to gameplay.*

* 2022 Birthday questions:
	+ Question 4: *"What did Acrobat lose on the day Joker's face was injured?"* Answer: *"A bottle of acid"*
	+ Question 5: *"Who was the woman mentioned in the invitation that the Acrobat received from the manor?"* Answer: *"Natalie"*
* 2023 Birthday questions:
	+ Question 4: *"What did Mike use to improve his performance on stage?"* Answer: *"Ammonium Nitrate"*
	+ Question 5: *"What was Mike's previous occupation"* Answer: *"Minstrel"*

### Quotations

* Deduction Star 2020 quotes:
	+ *"I won't let go of the person that destroyed 'Hullabaloo'."*
	+ *"Come and see my show!"*
	+ *"Don't think I'll trust you so easily, you cute little thing."*
* Deduction Star 2021 quotes:
	+ *"It's my honor to make you laugh."*
	+ *"Come and look at the acrobatic ball I just made... Bang! I got you, didn't I?"*
	+ *"Do you want to sneak out for some fun? Shh, come with me."*
* Valentine's Day 2023 Cards:
	+ *"Do you like me? Awesome! I like you too! I hope I can perform just for you, and I'll prepare lots of soda and popcorn that the kids love!"*
	+ *"Your card reminds me of my time in the circus. Every holiday, balloons fill the air while no empty seat is in sight... I wish I could go back to those days. You're my best holiday guest ever!"*
* 5th Anniversary Congratulatory Video quote:
	+ *"Hi, Detectives! We set sooo many performance for this amazing birthday party. Don't miss it! Happy 5th anniversary!"*

### Japanese Twitter Replies

Please press "Expand" to see in-character replies from the official Japanese Twitter.

Mike Morton's diaries have not yet been released.

* See a transcript of his (incomplete) Diaries here for events that occurred during the Manor game.

**Acrobat** has been mentioned in the following documents for other characters:

### Letters

* Female Dancer's Letters (2021, 2022 & 2023)
* Smiley Face & Weeping Clown's Letters (2020, 2022 & 2023)
* Wildling's Letters (2020, 2021, 2022 & 2023)

## Canon Manor Game

We can gather who was in a canon Manor Game together by information in Letters and Diaries, and very occasionally from character quotes during events.

Edits to this table can be made here.

## Compiled Overview

The following section contains an overview based on canon information.Please note that some information may be missing as it may not have been provided from official sources. See the given references for further information.
### Background

Based on his deductions, Mike was a part of the Hullabaloo circus run by the ringmaster Bernard, who he looked up to and wanted to impress. However, after Joker had his face burned, Bernard suspected Mike of being the perpetrator. Mike denied that he burned Joker's face, but knew a bottle of his own acid was missing. To replace the missing bottle, he left the circus to run some errands, and while he was gone everyone in the circus was killed. While investigating the murders, Mike found everyone's bodies except for the new couple that were supposed to be part of the finale. Seeking revenge on the carnival killer, Mike dedicated himself to tracking down the ones he suspected of having committed the crime.

Unable to uncover any useful clues, he was finally sent an invitation from Oletus Manor, along with a photo of Natalie (one of the 2 bodies Mike found were missing).

### Events at the Manor

Mike joined the manor to seek for the truth behind the Hullabaloo Circus massacre. Besides Mike, there were four other participants at the game at Oletus Manor he participated in, and he recognized all of them from his time in the Hullabaloo circus. He suspected that they had all been purposefully gathered at the manor, and that the others were plotting against him.

After the death of Violetta, Mike realized that the Hullabaloo family was no longer the family he used to know but a family filled with mediocrity, jealousy, and hatred. Mike and Murro set up a plan to put the end to Joker. Mike helped Murro to escape the manor and bid farewell, and decided to stay in the manor put on his last performance using explosives and fire. The performance ended with Margareta dead with the depressed Joker mourning for her death. Mike refused to get his revenge on the Hullabaloo killer, instead he remained on stage and engulfed himself in the flames.

### Alternate Theories and Conclusions

The below article or section(s) contains speculation, analysis, or theories which may include unconfirmed information.When adding content, use references to link or explain **legitimate/official** supportive evidence for specific theories, otherwise it may be removed.
* From Murro's 2021 letter, it seems Mike was the mysterious benefactor who helped Murro escape the circus.
* Mike had no particular vendetta against Joker, and he has a particular dislike for violence, so it is unlikely he was the one who burned Joker's face.
	+ Most likely, Sergei stole the bottle of acid from Mike's unlocked cabinet in order to retaliate against Joker who had scolded him for abusing Natalie, and to keep evidence from pointing to himself by framing Mike. This is supported by Joker's deductions, which has the conclusion where Joker decides to confront Sergei, immediately followed by the news that he had his face burned.
* He and the Wildling are family through adoption.
	+ Mike was adopted by Bernard, who, beforehand, raised Murro (his nephew) when he was young.
	+ Murro's 2022 Letter revealed that they both have the last name Morton.

## References

1. ↑ In the official Japanese Reference Book his class is stated to be "Wandering Entertainer".
2. ↑ According to the Character Relations menu and the official Japanese Reference Book.
3. ↑ Backstory from the official Identity V website - https://idv.163.com/character/index.html
4. ↑ Ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3) is a common component in explosives.
5. ↑ Translation by @IdentityV\_\_Sub.
6. ↑ Translations by @fc\_idv.
7. ↑ See his 2021 letter. "...having those four stupid faces together was hilarious. I could barely contain myself when I saw them sitting on the same side of the dining table." as well as many mentions such as "she thought we were back in the Hullabaloo" or "the same as Hullabaloo."
8. ↑ In Murro's 2021 letter, it specifically mentions his cabinet ("I noticed that your cabinet wasn't locked. Watch out for thieves.") and how much Bernard cares for him, both of which are specifically noted in Mike's deductions.
9. ↑ See Joker's deductions quests #7 and 8, "Her 'Warden'" and "Cost of Love"

### Translation Notes

1. ↑ The Chinese version states Mike's previous occupation as "流浪艺人" which translates to a "wandering performer."

### Manor Game Table References

1. ↑ Note that it is assumed this Manor Game occurred at Moonlit River Park, as this is the location that all participants are connected to.
2. ↑ Based on Soul Weaver's 2022 Letter, it appears that Violetta started out as and was intended to be a survivor before becoming a hunter.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 See Wildling's 2022 letter, which states *"The experiment in this group concluded with a destructive ending, and Subject 8-?-5 became the only survivor."*
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 See Smiley Face's 2022 letter.
5. ↑  See Acrobat's 2023 letter which states "*I've even prepared a grand performance for it — an explosive performance! Bernard was always against it due to safety concerns, but he failed to realize that burning up in a sea of flames is the best ending "Hullabaloo" could ever have!*".