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August Seth Tender is an aspiring clown! They grew up watching Krusty on TV and, well, it just stuck. As a kid they got their hands on as much of his merch as they possibly could, and as soon as they were old enough to skirt past child labor laws they got a job at Krusty Burger. Unfortunately, when they first got hired they got into a real heap of trouble for their appearance--both their clowny makeup/accessories and their gender nonconformity were chastised for a lack of workplace professionalism. But August, determined to keep the job, took matters into their own hands and, at the mere age of 16, personally wrote to Krusty informing him of the situation and imploring him to give his blessing to their choice of individual expression. Lo and behold, a few weeks later they received a response offering just that! (Now, whether or not Krusty actually read this letter and put thought into his answer is another issue entirely. In all likelihood, he just scrawled something in a haze during a drunken late night at the office. Were it not for Miss Pennycandy, the letter may not have gotten to August at all. As far as they're concerned, though, it's just a win that Krusty knows they exist!) They have it framed as soon as they possibly can, but not before shoving it in their manager's face and exercising their right to show up to work looking like an absolute jester every day for the rest of time!
Once August actually starts working, it immediately becomes clear that they're ridiculously overqualified to work at a joint as half-baked as Krusty Burger. The thing is, though: they absolutely refuse to work anywhere else. Something about brand loyalty, or something. So years pass and they're climbing the fast food ladder with more diligence than this company could possibly deserve. And while they absolutely love it, they can't shake the feeling that they're after... something more.
(Notably, it's during this time that they meet Marge for the first time. Not in any capacity that either of them would remember, but years of Simpson family patronage to the good Krusty Burger name leaves both of them with this sort of "hey, haven't I seen you around before?" feeling that neither can shake.)
Their first step in filling this inexplicable void is getting their hands on a ticket to a taping of The Krusty the Clown Show! They've wanted to do this for years, obviously (what fan wouldn't?!) but could never find the time. And, wow, it's everything they could have hoped it would be! So of course they have to weasel their way backstage afterwards to talk to the man himself. "Mr. Krustofsky," they say,heart bubbling in their chest as they grin from ear to ear, "My name is August. Do you remember the letter you wrote to me four years ago? I'm sure you remember." He Absolutely Does Not Remember. They beg him to give them some mentorship on clowning; initially he's opposed to the idea, but a series of slapstick mishaps in his dressing room (August slips on a banana peel, because OF COURSE they do, and haha whoops oh no they land right on top of Krusty!!! What an unforeseen and completely not-cliché set of circumstances!!!!!) shows him their true comedic potential and he reluctantly agrees to show 'em the ropes. Who's to say where these two could possibly go from here!!
Random tidbits:
- the name August comes from the Auguste clown, the clown type they take visual influence from! notably this aesthetic leaning puts them at odds with Krusty, who takes his looks from the Whiteface clown. this contrast is also representative of a deeper truth to their dynamic, as the Auguste clown takes her craft less seriously and is known to be something of a screwup compared to the Whiteface
- August Seth Tender is a pun on "August September." Krusty's always forgetting their name and being like "hey, uhhhhh! kid! June July!" and at this point they'll take what they can get
- they have an IMMENSE appreciation for Lois Pennycandy. she works SO hard to keep Krusty afloat, and, gosh, where would August even be without Krusty's career having the impact it has???? they and Lois have probably kissed a couple times, but nothing ever came of it. apparently mutual love/exhaustion of the same greasy clown man makes for GREAT hookup material!
- uhhhhh. the Krusty Burger they work at is the one behind Skinner's house because i am an absolute fiend for old men
