Chapter Text
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Lifted off the ground, thrashing with her screams muffled beneath the large, clawed hand clamped over her mouth, you watched in horror as her jaw cracked under the pressure. Her pitiful screams were music to your ears, blood pouring from her nose while she desperately reached out to you. You who hadn’t gotten up from the cold asphalt in the middle of the dimly lit, empty street. Your cheek still stung where she had slapped you just moments ago, the taste of copper familiar on your tongue.
“My dear…”
His voice lacked its usual warmth. Low, angry. The rage burning deep within his golden eyes made you flinch and scooch away from his towering figure. Your body refused to listen when you tried to get up. Far too unsteady on your feet, your legs shaking uncontrollably as he tightened the arm he has wrapped around her torso. Her ribs were breaking one by one, snapping like twigs. Each break bounced off the back of the buildings that lined both sides of the alley. No windows, no cameras, only a single streetlight to illuminate this gruesome scene.
“Do you want me to stop?”
The question repeated hundreds of times in your mind in only a few seconds. Raced through your thoughts as painful memories flooded your vision. Every beating, every insult, every bit of mental anguish you’ve been forced to endure resurfaced from your buried recollection. The anger in his eyes reignited a faint spark of resentment within your broken heart, her panic rising tenfold.
“Tell me to, and I will.”
Hurried steps were quickly closing in from back near the circus, but his attention never strayed from you. Patient. Waiting for your permission to end your girlfriend's life.
Your busted lips parted slightly. The humid midnight air burned your lungs, sticking to your makeup covered arms and legs. All you have to do is say ‘no’ and he’ll stop. Things won’t ever be the same again, but… Oh who are you kidding? She won’t change. You’ll be locked back up in your cage and tortured worse than ever before all because you asked to see your favorite circus troupe in person. This was all your fault, and now you have to make the choice between a bad end and a worse end.
Let Pierrot kill her.
His claws dug into her skin, blood dripping off the long, slender digits. Crimson beads trickled down her chin and throat. It stained her shirt the same color as his—red. The color she painted your vision when she’d hit you. The same color you learned to love.
A faint nod was the only permission he needed to continue right as Harlequin rounded the corner. Blood sprayed to the side as he tore her jaw clean from her face with a sickening crack. Life drained quickly from her eyes, you being the last thing she saw as her light flickered out. Limb by limb, he continued butchering her. Devoured her with razor sharp teeth that easily tore flesh apart. Her bones shattered and crunched, painting his white face red.
“Oh, you’ve really gone and done it now, haven’t you, Pierrot?” Harlequin sighed, peering around him to get a clear look at you. “Hm… So it was you that stole this one’s attention this past month. How curious.” His wide grin faltered when Pierrot shot him a pointed look. “What? Scared I’ll do something to her, are you? Well, you should be—”
One second, Harlequin was gazing up at Pierrot with a mocking grin. The next, he was brutally slammed into the wall. The blood-soaked bricks under him broke and crumbled from the sheer force Pierrot used to pin him with no intention of letting up. He pushed harder, crushing Harlequin without remorse.
“Do not ever threaten her again,” he seethed. His attention then briefly flicked to you. “Go home. I promise nothing bad will happen to you.” Pierrot tried to offer you a smile, but it was shaky at best, more footsteps closing in from afar. “Trust in me, my dear. I’ll protect you.”
There wasn’t time to process everything that had just happened. Harlequin was dangerously close to breaking free, and if the others showed up, you were as good as dead—assuming you weren’t already. And so you shakily pushed yourself to your feet, unsteady, your frightened eyes darting between what remained of your girlfriend and the two performers.
“Go!”
You turned and took off as fast as you could. Each beat of your heart boomed in your ears, thudding harshly against your chest. The adrenaline coursing through your veins pushed you to run faster. You didn’t want to imagine what might happen if you slowed down for even a moment to catch your breath, leaving you no choice but to keep going. Don’t look back. Just keep running. Make it home, forget this night ever happened, and wake up with everything being the same as this morning.
This is all a dream.
Throwing knives flew past your face right as a glimpse of purple glinted in the fading light. Further down the street, the end of the road was already blocked by the Doctor’s imposing figure. Turn around, you’re dead. Go down a side street, Jester will catch you. And as for Ticket Taker—
A surprised scream caught in your throat when your feet were swept off the ground. “And up you go!” Harlequin sang with a laugh, pulling you into his arms with the use of slick green tentacles. His claws lightly scratched at your legs, a large hand gently holding your arm to keep you steady as he leapt high into the air. High above the rooftops, so high you could almost touch the stars.
The world began to spin. Adrenaline coalesced with fear, each breath more shallow than the last. Quickened, panicked. You couldn’t breathe.
He spared you a glance and his sickly grin widened, his feet landing atop a rooftops edge. “Scared, are you? Good. This will be a night you’ll never forget. My part in saving you least of all.~” lifting you higher, Harlequin leaned in close to whisper into your ear. “I’d tell you not to worry about this next part, but…” His forked tongue licked a long strip up your neck, curling around your ear, your heart rate spiking. “I like the taste of fear so come on, scream for me.”
The strong arms holding you disappeared. Wind howled as it whipped past, tearing at your hair and clothes, freezing your skin. You gazed up at the dark silhouette framed by the moon that quickly grew smaller the faster you fell. Away from the stars, from the life you knew. A shrill scream shattered the tranquility of the quiet night. Darkness quickly flooded your vision. The little wave Harlequin gave was the last thing you saw just before you blacked out.
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Days came and went. You cowered in your apartment with all of the curtains drawn, the windows locked, and every door bolted shut. But even with so many precautions taken, you couldn’t shake the feeling that there were thousands of eyes watching your every move.
None of this felt real. The arguments, the circus, the disappearances and the police interrogations—nothing was adding up! That night, it didn't really happen. Not like that. It couldn't have...
Curled up on the couch, buried under a mound of blankets, you once again restarted the last live stream your girlfriend had done. It started in her lavish uptown apartment, her giggles warm and light while she helped you pick out your matching outfits for the circus later that evening. Her smile looked so genuine, the love in her eyes when she looked at you only making everything feel that much more surreal.
Your apartment was the complete opposite of hers. Cold, dark, falling apart with your only company being the cockroaches the landlord refuses to help you deal with. A far cry from the cheerful duo looking back at you through the screen.
The offline chat hasn’t stopped buzzing with theories as to where you and your girlfriend have gone. During the live stream, cracks began to show. How your girlfriends smile would falter when you talked just a little too excitedly about going to see the circus. About the purple ticket Jester gave you when you were discovered taking pictures of the attractions from just outside the circus grounds, and how he thanked you for defending Pierrot when he was being harassed in the streets earlier that day. Her forced laugh when you’d feel the shift in the air and apologize for getting carried away right as you were about to talk about your chance encounter with Harlequin the night the circus first came to town. You flinched at the cold undertone her voice had taken on in the video. The telltale sign you overdid it, again…
From her apartment to the streets to burn some time before going to the circus, her mood only worsened while your excitement grew. You just couldn’t help yourself that day. This was the circus you had been following for years now. You fell in love with their macabre, sinister aesthetic. Their charming smiles betrayed the cruelty they openly flaunted. The terror they instilled in their audience’s hearts made your heart flutter. You felt alive watching clips of their performances, and now you were going to get to see them in person! Not to mention you still couldn’t believe you had run into not one, not two, but three of them out on the streets by chance. Of course you knew it was a possibility, but you were still in disbelief that it really happened.
Like a child going to their first fair, you were bubbly and starry eyed, practically bouncing right up to Ticket Taker while your girlfriend rolled her eyes and followed after you. Normally you’d be the one holding the camera, but not that stream. She had said she wanted you to be the highlight for once seeing as this circus was your thing, not hers.
Part of you had hoped that by her agreeing to come to the circus, maybe things were getting better. Back to how they used to be. But once it was time to start exploring the attractions and watching the performances, the illusion of your relationship possibly beginning to heal shattered. You should have known that night was destined to end terribly...
Your girlfriend spent the entire stream making fun of the circus, of you. Mocked the outfits the cast wore. Yawned during performances. Refused to play along to any of the shows. She even had the gal to spit out the piece of cake Pierrot himself had sweetly offered her, tossing it into the trash right in front of him and the growing crowd with such a disgusted look you'd think she had been given literal slop to eat.
The dream devolved into a nightmare the second the stream came to an abrupt end when you asked to buy a few pieces of merch on your early way out. Except the stream didn’t shut off properly.
The screen went dark, her phone being pocketed as she blew up, screaming at you right there in a quiet corner of the circus. Chat still couldn’t believe what they had heard. The insults you’d never dare repeat. The loud slap followed by your pained cry. How she ridiculed you for fawning over freaks who were only paying you any mind because they knew you’d spend money on their stupid little freak show. Her words cut deeper than any knife, nearly destroying one of the few joys you still held onto tight in this godforsaken world.
A moderator ended the stream soon after that. It’s been nearly a week since that stream and despite the original VOD being taken down, hundreds of re-uploads have flooded social media. Drama channels keep reaching out to you, your social media buzzing with everyone wanting answers and to know if you two are still together. How do you even begin to explain what came after you two left the circus?
Shutting your laptop, you tossed it aside on the couch to curl up into a cocoon. You could still hear her panicked shrieks when Pierrot first grabbed her. She had slapped you again and again until you had fallen to the street, blabbering a string of apologies with ugly tears pouring down your angry red cheeks. But right when she was about to kick you, he picked her up. Neither of you had noticed him watching from afar. You hadn’t even heard him approach until he already had your girlfriend trapped in his unforgiving embrace, his hand clamped over her mouth to shut her up.
All of the rumors about the circus being behind the mysterious disappearances of dozens of people from across the world suddenly didn’t feel so far-fetched. The coldness in his eyes that you’ve only ever seen shimmer with mirth and delight was that of a killer. He broke her body with no effort at all. Tore out her throat with his sharp teeth, ripped her apart limb by limb as though he had done this hundred of times before. And Harlequin wasn’t phased by the horrific scene almost as if this was entirely normal.
Knocks on your front door made you jump with a startled yelp. “It’s Detective Vellaro,” the woman on the other side said. “You in?”
A sigh fell from your lips. That was just a nightmare. It didn’t really happen, so, no need to get so worked up. She's never been one to abandon her followers for long. She'll come back. She has to...
Slowly untangling yourself from your safety pile of blankets, you quietly walked up to the door, passing the large dog cage placed in the middle of your drab living room on the way. You pressed your forehead against the cold metal. Just one more round of questioning for the missing persons report, and then you can be done with this. Hold out a little longer. You already bought the bus ticket, now all that’s left is to tie up the last of the loose ends, and leave.
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That night, you left your apartment behind for good with only a single small suitcase to call your own. You walked down bustling streets, being careful to stick to those you knew were well lit and had a thriving nightlife. It did little to rid yourself of the feeling of being watched.
You repeatedly stole glances over your shoulder. No one you passed paid you any mind. Just another random person leaving town for one reason or another. Nothing to concern themselves with. You were nobody without your partner. She was the light that drew people in. And you were her shadow supporting her from the sidelines. Never the star, always the afterthought.
Less people were wandering about the closer to the bus stop you drew. It was on the outskirts of the city so naturally this area saw little to no foot traffic after a certain hour. Only the occasional small cluster of homeless tents dotted the desolate streets. The few people who did spare you a glance regarded you with pity in their tired eyes. Life was unfair. To you, to them. A lonesome girl walking to the bus stop with only a suitcase to her name was a familiar sight. Just how many of them had saved up enough cash to catch the next bus to only god knows where all to escape this hell hole? Who could say..? But at least you were finally joining the group who left.
There wasn’t another soul there at the bus stop tonight. You sat alone on the rusted bench, nervously fidgeting with the bus ticket you printed out of fear your phone might die and lose the virtual one. Not a single part of this would be left up to chance. You want to leave, and you’re not allowing fate to play yet another cruel trick on you right now of all times. Not again. Not when you’re so close to finally being free of this nightmare.
A distant little jingle of a bell made you go deathly still. Your stomach made an uncomfortable flip, your heart skipping for all the wrong reasons. It’s alright. Stay calm. You’re just hearing things. Anyone would be nervous to be starting over someplace new.
Another jingle made your blood run cold. That…that one wasn’t your imagination. It was closer, louder. Too close for your liking. The circus’ final night was yesterday so they should have spent today packing up to leave, right? Right..?
Your hands trembled as you tightened your hold on your bus ticket, a second ticket peaking out from behind it. The bus should be here soon. But, you already know it won’t get here in time. The moment you set foot outside your apartment, your fate was sealed. The eyes that haven’t left, the glints of color in the corner of your vision, each one watching, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Why couldn’t you have just woken up from this nightmare?!
“It was such a shame that we happened to miss one another the other night.”
His voice was soft and melodic, velvet to your ears that overrode the alarm bells ringing in your mind. Calming even. The echo of your heartbeat softened until it faded once your heart had returned to its normal pace, the overworked muscle no longer threatening to burst from your chest. You could, for the first time since your night at the circus, take a full breath.
Footsteps neared you from behind. A large hand came to rest on your shoulder, slight pressure being applied with claws lightly poking at your skin through your shirt as the man in question bent down to peer around at your face. The four bells dangling on the ends of his hat jingled again while he tilted his head. Bright purple eyes met yours, his smile calmer than Pierrot’s and far more calculating than Harlequin’s.
“I was hoping to have a chat with you before I left town. Though,” his attention flicked to the ticket still clutched in your hands while he moved to stand in front of you, “it appears you’re also leaving tonight. Any particular destination in mind?”
“No,” you murmured.
Jester lifted a hand to his mouth, his smile widening a fraction more. “Hmm, your sudden need for a change of scenery wouldn’t have to do with how your night at the circus ended,” his voice went cold, “would it?”
You quickly shook your head, the ticket crinkling between your fingers. “No.”
“That’s good.” His eyes squinted some from how wide his smile became. “For a moment, I thought Pierrot might have frightened you into doing something as crazy as Harlequin faking your death to prevent us finding you.”
“I… I don’t know what you’re talking about.” You looked off to the side, unable to hold his scrutinizing gaze for a moment longer. “I got into an argument with my girlfriend, so we left the circus early and went our separate ways. But, she never answered my calls the next morning. I haven’t seen her since and even filed a missing persons report.” The false reality you had deluded yourself with tumbled from your lips, Jester listening with his smile gone. “There’s a record of abuse, so, she probably left to avoid facing charges for hitting me again since her stream caught it.”
“So,” he crossed his arms, “you never ran into Pierrot after you left the circus?”
“No.”
“And the police haven’t been made aware of what might have happened after your visit?”
“Nothing happened, so there’s nothing for them to know.”
There was a brief pause before Jester was chuckling. “Heh, I see. Still protecting the circus’ image even after all this time away from your cute little blog.” He grinned that much more when your wide eyes shot up to look at him. “What was it called again? Ah yes, ‘A Fool’s Diary’. Quite uninspired in my opinion, but catchy. And it’s still quite popular despite your lack of updates in recent months—something Ticket Taker has brought up more than a handful of times, actually.”
Your lips parted only to close, a response failing to form on your tongue.
He tapped his claw against his cheek, his gaze following the long stretch of empty road at the end of which you could just make out a faint glimmer of light. “Pierrot hasn’t stopped talking about you since you defended him,” Jester said, his voice taking on a more serious, contemplative tone. “He’s made it abundantly clear that after what didn’t happen, he needs to know that you’re alright. But I know him. He won’t simply forget the first person to show him selfless kindness. For his sake, I have no choice but to extend an invitation for you to join us.”
Your jaw dropped. “I-I’m sorry, what..?”
His eyes flicked to you without turning his head. “If you’d rather get on that bus, I won’t stop you. Pierrot has been watching this conversation from afar so his need to know that you’re alright will have been sated. His long-term well-being on the other hand is something the troupe will handle when it comes time for that. But if you were to come along, perhaps the decline won’t be so catastrophic.”
Your hold on your bus ticket relaxed some.
He gave you his back as he made a show to shrug his shoulders, shaking his head with a hand on his hips and the other outstretched to his side, the long tails of his jester hat jingling with every shake. “Besides, flyers and word of mouth, while effective, won’t help us grow as quickly as we would like. Bringing on someone adept at social media would help increase ticket sales and potentially earn us new fans. All of this to say,” he glanced back at you from over his shoulder, “if you’d like to join our circus, I won’t object if and when we bring this up to the others to vote on as well.”
The headlights in the distance were growing brighter. You stared at him, his own attention shifting back to the large vehicle. To say you hadn’t dreamed of joining the circus to travel with the very clowns you’ve been following for years now would be a lie. Of course you have, but… you also understood that the snippets of performances you’ve seen online are just that, performances. The Jester in front of you isn’t the same man you’ve seen on screen. Pierrot and Harlequin too… They’re everything and more you envisioned while simultaneously being nothing how you imagined, defying expectations and shattering ideals all in a single night.
Your eyes fell to your bus ticket. You were already prepared to leave this city behind. Abandon the nightmare your girlfriend had turned your dream into and start somewhere new. The circus is a new place with semi-familiar faces. The gruesome sight of flesh being torn from bone, blood splattering across the street, surely that wouldn’t be your fate. And even if it was, would you really mind? Trading one nightmare for another isn’t so bad if you’re the one choosing the nightmare. And besides, there’s always the chance this will have a good ending.
A hollow laugh escaped from between your lips, your head falling to your hands. “This is insane,” you mumbled into your palms.
Jester hummed. “The bus is nearly here. Make your choice.”
Get on the bus.
"A-As much as I wish to join you and the others, I, I..." You caved in on yourself that much more. "Now isn't a good time. I'd only be a burden t-to you. I'm sorry."
Silence fell between you and for a moment, you thought he had never been there at all. But a heavy hand landing on the back of your head, smoothing down your hair with sharp claws untangling knots with ease, only made you feel worse for wishing all of this to truly be some crazy dream.
"If that's your decision, then go." His hand disappeared as he took a step back, the bus pulling up.
Pressure built behind your eyes. You quickly wiped away at the stubborn tears. The maelstrom of emotions ravaging your heart made all of this far too much to handle. Fear, joy, excitement, dread, regret—all of it was making it hard to breathe again. Why are you getting so worked up to begin with? This is your choice. You've chosen to walk alone into whatever your future may hold. You have no right to cry.
Biting back your unshed tears, you grabbed the handle to your suitcase and stood up. Jester already moved to stand by the doors to the bus, his unnerving sharp toothed smile oddly calming.
You did your best to match his smile with a soft one of your own as you walked up to him. "About the ticket you gave me—"
"Keep it," he cut you off, taking your suitcase and placing it in the under storage as he has thousands of times before for the others. "I'm confident we'll cross paths again, so hold onto it. You're always welcome at the circus."
"I... thank you, Jester."
"There's nothing to thank me for." He pressed a featherlight hand to the small of your back, urging you to step onto the bus. "Safe travels."
You grabbed the railing and walked up the first three steps before looking back at him. "I'll keep cheering you on from my end. I wish you and the others even greater success in the years to come."
He chuckled. "Don't waste something so precious as a wish on us," he shook his head, turning to take his leave. "You humans are fragile and delicate. Save it for yourself."
Greeting the bus driver as they punched your ticket, you couldn't stop yourself from watching Jester walk further away from the bus stop. He never looked back at you. Instead, he reached out to stop Pierrot from running after the bus as it started to move. Your heart lurched in your chest, his eyes wide with tears. And to think he'd cry over a nobody like you, just as you'll cry over someone as lovely as him.
With a shaky smile, you waved as a single tear rolled down your bruised cheek.
Pierrot's hand trembled while he waved back, Harlequin joining the duo just in time to give you a small wave of his own.
You leaned back in the seat with a heavy sigh. Your heart felt unbelievably cold. It hurt... but this was for the best. No longer tied down to this city, you can travel wherever you want. Just as Jester said, you're bound to run into them again if you make the effort to loosely follow their route across the world. You'll meet them again. And when you do, you'll be a better version of yourself capable of adding to their delightfully dysfunctional family. Now all that's left is for you to heal.
Good End
Join the Circus of Horrors.
You lifted your head just enough to look at your ticket. A second purple ticket peaked out from underneath. Your treasured possession, and the very item that will set you down a new route. Taking in a deep breath, you straightened up, placing the bus ticket down on the empty bench beside you. “I’d like to redeem this,” you said, lifting your circus ticket up toward him.
Those sharp purple eyes darted down to the ticket. The devious grin he wore the next instance sealed your fate, your heart skipping as he offered you his hand. Placing your smaller hand in his, Jester’s claws wrapped around your wrist before he effortlessly pulled you to your feet and to his chest, your hand held up by his head, forcing you onto your tiptoes.
“Are you positive this is what you want?” he asked at nothing above a whisper, leaning down so all you could see were the bright purples of his abyssal eyes. “There’s no going back once you make this choice.”
Your sense of self was quickly fading the deeper you gazed into his eyes. Lost in their shifting purple hues. Mesmerized even. Yet despite your grip on reality slipping through your fingertips, that tiny spark of hope tucked safely away deep in the recesses of your heart shone through your tired speech.
“Make this me disappear…”
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Thumbing your way through the newspaper, you paused on the headline of your death.
[ PARTNER OF BELOVED STREAMER TOOK HER OWN LIFE! ]
You looked at the blurred images decorating the page with a hint of a smile. A stunning final performance to fool the masses. Your body lifeless, bloodied with limbs contorted in ways the human form should never be bent lying in front of the bus you intended to ride last night. Now the front of it had been painted red, the front bumper dented from the supposed force of the impact.
A giggle escaped you. To think that the world will now believe you’re really gone… How liberating!
“Hm?~ And what has you so happy this early in the morning?”
Jumping away from the vacant vendor stall you had been resting against, you whipped around to find Harlequin leaning over the counter with a smug grin curling his lips. “How long have you been there?” you asked, struggling to calm your racing heart.
His smile widened. “Long enough to see our little plan worked. Now come on, tell me,” he lifted a leg to begin crawling over the counter, “were your deaths as memorable as I had planned? Isn’t the dread that comes with your life so dangerously close to coming to an abrupt end absolutely exhilarating?”
You weren’t given the chance to respond before a throwing knife flew past your head, stabbing into the wood pole right beside Harlequin’s eye. His brow bone twitched as your feet were swept out from under you. Shrill laughs echoed across the quiet circus, Pierrot lifting you up with his arm hooked behind the crook of your knees while his other hand supported your waist, your arms instinctively wrapping around his neck before you went tumbling down. The newspaper you had been reading went flying into the air, carried away by the strong gust of wind.
“Is he bothering you, my lady?” Pierrot asked with the most adorable concerned expression you’ve ever seen only for him to flip a switch, glaring daggers at Harlequin who simply smirked at the amusing display. “You. Do not harass her or else the next knife I throw won’t miss its mark.”
“Oh no, how terrifying!” Harlequin mocked, chuckling as Pierrot’s hold on you tightened. “Don’t give me that face, Pierrot. Between you and I, I’m clearly the only option worth her time. Isn’t that right, dear one?”
With a shake of your head, you gave a playful roll of your eyes as you relaxed further in Pierrot’s strong arms. “Jokes on you, this fool knows better than to play favorites. Either all or none, but never just one.”
“Gasp! How greedy.~”
“Last I checked, it’s not a crime for a girl to dream.”
Pierrot quickly turned you away from Harlequin, redirecting your attention to be solely on him. “My dear, surely you could make an exception for me, can’t you?” His eyes widened that much more when you pretended to mull over your answer. “I, I’ll do whatever you ask to earn your gaze! So please, say you’ll choose me. I’ll become whatever you want me to be if only to forever be your first and only choice!”
Your heart fluttered, stomach flipping and filling with butterflies as you lightly cupped your hands along the sides of his neck. The tips of your fingers played with the short strands of his soft hair that managed to peek out from underneath the bottom of his hat. “I like you as you are now,” you murmured, a bright blush burning across his cheeks in seconds. “There’s no need to change.”
He tried to respond only for his words to utterly fail him, his face so hot he had no choice but to bury it in your chest.
Heavy steps rounded the nearby tent. “Sweetie, Jester asked me to give you a check-up before we get back on the road tonight.” Doctor raised a hand in mock surrender when Pierrot instantly took three steps away from him, holding onto you for dear life while he narrowed his eyes at the masked man. “It won’t take long. Then you can get back to whatever this is.”
Harlequin laid down across the stall counter, his hand falling dramatically above his head. “How cruel of you to take away our greatest source of entertainment yet! Do be quick, dear Doctor, for I don’t think I can survive without her for even an hour.”
“Promise it’ll be quick?” Pierrot asked lowly. “Why don’t I come with? She’ll be nervous being alone with you. So many needles and scary instruments, nothing that my lady should be exposed to without me there to reassure her.”
Doctor shook his head. “You know I use my small tent for proper medical exams.”
“But—”
“You can wait outside.”
With his cheeks puffed out, Pierrot reluctantly set you back on the ground. “Okay…”
The newspaper drifted from side to side through the air, around tents and towering attractions before being caught between two long, slender fingers. Purple eyes that hadn’t stopped watching followed as you left to go with Pierrot and Doctor, monitoring your every move.
“She’s fitting in quite well,” Ticket Taker spoke up, the two standing a ways away just out of sight of the others.
Jester flicked his attention to him. “Too well. It’s unnerving how quickly she’s adjusting.”
“An asset if she’s to help us deal with other humans and law enforcement.”
“Hardly worth the trouble if her mind completely shatters.”
Ticket Taker held his hands behind his back. “Doctor will give us his assessment of her soon. But given how closely she used to follow the circus for her blog, I believe her fondness for us can be used to our advantage and will far outweigh the potential cons.”
“Hm, perhaps.” Jester glanced down at the newspaper. “This is only a temporary development. She won’t be here long.” Crumpling the paper, he tossed it into the nearby trash bin. “Old friend, do me a favor and watch her.” He turned to head back inside his tent. “The moment she becomes a liability we can’t justify, dispose of her.”
Following a few steps behind him, Ticket Taker smiled. “Of course.”
Best End