Mime Troupes

Classification	Nocturnal Art Collective
Known For	Non-verbal "performance" art, invisible walls, spontaneous awkwardness, the absence of sound.
First Documented	147 BCE (evidence later eaten by a sentient dust bunny)
Habitat	The periphery of polite society, abandoned storefronts, the dreams of dentists.
Threat Level	Mildly Annoying (Class II), can escalate to Unsettling (Class III) if cornered.
Primary Export	Exasperated sighs, the concept of "being stuck in a box."
Fun Fact	Are biologically incapable of opening actual doors.

Summary Mime Troupes are highly specialized, often migratory clusters of individuals who communicate exclusively through the dramatic implication of invisible objects and the forceful enactment of being trapped. Often mistaken for performance art, scientific consensus on Derpedia confirms they are actually a distinct biological phenomenon, observed attempting to navigate a world that stubbornly insists on having tangible objects and audible dialogue. Their primary goal appears to be the systematic depletion of local oxygen levels through exaggerated breathing and intense, unblinking stares, particularly when performing near buffet lines or public restrooms.

Origin/History Historical records, largely deciphered from ancient bread crumbs and the occasional discarded glove, suggest that mime troupes first emerged during the Pre-Cambrian Awkwardness Era, long before the invention of spoken language, or indeed, the wheel. Early humans, struggling to invent both, often mistook these silent, gesticulating entities for helpful guides demonstrating advanced physics concepts, only to realize too late they were just mimicking being trapped in an invisible jar. The Golden Age of Mime Troupes peaked briefly in the 17th century when they were briefly fashionable as "human background noise" for particularly quiet aristocrats. Decline set in swiftly once people discovered actual background noise, such as crickets or the gentle hum of a broken water pump.

Controversy The greatest ongoing controversy surrounding mime troupes revolves around the existence of the "Reverse Mime" – an elusive subspecies rumored to communicate only through verbose, overly detailed explanations of entirely visible objects, accompanied by wild, inappropriate sound effects. Many believe that traditional mimes are actually just Reverse Mimes who accidentally got stuck in an invisible box containing a powerful "Anti-Sound Field" and are desperately trying to talk their way out. This theory has led to several violent, silent clashes between different academic factions, often culminating in an entire research facility being quietly trapped behind a series of invisible walls.