I'm Just Clowning Around...

What video game has the best lore?

Feed your dashboard by answering my question, blogger.

What was your first video game?

Feed your dashboard by answering my question, blogger.

Chapters: 3/20 Fandom: The Freak Circus (Visual Novel) Rating: Explicit Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Harlequin (The Freak Circus)/Reader, Harlequin/Main Character (The Freak Circus), Pierrot (The Freak Circus)/Reader, Pierrot (The Freak Circus)/Original Character(s), Jester (The Freak Circus)/Reader, Jester (The Freak Circus)/Original Character(s), Doctor (The Freak Circus)/Reader, Doctor (The Freak Circus)/You, Ticket Taker (The Freak Circus)/Reader, Ticket Taker (The Freak Circus)/Original Character(s) Characters: Pierrot (The Freak Circus), Harlequin (The Freak Circus), Ticket Taker (The Freak Circus), Doctor (The Freak Circus), Jester (The Freak Circus), Columbina (The Freak Circus), Original Characters Additional Tags: Smut, Fluff and Smut, Shameless Smut, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Mild Smut, Praise Kink, Breeding Kink, Blood Kink, Size Kink, Voice Kink, Degradation Kink, PWP without Porn, Yandere Pierrot (The Freak Circus), Harlequin, Top Jester (The Freak Circus), Yandere, Human/Monster Romance, Monsterfucking | Teratophilia, Shameless, Gay, Threesome - M/M/M, Threesome - F/M/M, Threesome - F/F/M, BDSM, Light BDSM, Heavy BDSM Summary:

Basically any and all ideas that come to me in regards to TFC smut. Jasmine is referencing sensual desire, and Hot Lips are associated with passion, which seemed to fit.

Okay, now, now that everyone else is hopefully gone.

Hi. I'm JustClowningAround, and I make books, fanfics, art, whatever makes me happy really.

And I like Pierrot, so here's the first chapter of my one shot smut series for TFC, called 'Jasmine and Hot Lips' on AO3. The chapter should be out once AO3 is back up.

But you can also read it here, on Tumblr, underneath this line.

Total words- 3.1K

_____

It was an average day. Nothing special, really.

You work up. It was…quiet.

Most days weren't, considering the whole circus was in town, and two certain members had taken a very clear interest in not just you, but fighting over you.

You couldn't lie and say it wasn't entertaining in most of its entirety, though.

Honestly, watching an angry Pierrot chase of the cackling Harlequin? It was like a bad sitcom that you couldn't stop watching out of sheer amusement at the tomfoolery of it all.

And you also couldn't say it wasn't fun to watch Harlequin toe the edge of teasing Pierrot.

However, you've been facing a…problem.

Nothing terrible, really!

But let's just say, you can't exactly go out and find a partner on the street like you usually would, when you were feeling…needy.

No, you knew Pierrot would do something. He'd hide it. He'd lie…. he'd say nothing happened. But the absence of said person would tell me otherwise.

And yes, such ‘accidents’ are easy to avoid with Pierrot. You just don't go out with people. But sadly? You also apparently can't get at all messy with Harlequin without Pierrot interrupting.

AND, anytime you tried anything with Pierrot, he'd get all flustered, anxious, and try to jump around the subject, as if he had something to hide.

So what were you supposed to do?

Well. You had to go to work, to start.

But after that?

Your collection of toys, especially sad as it was, wasn't enough.

You wanted whatever Pierrot was so set on concealing.

With an irritated sigh, you stood up, grabbing your keys and walking out the door. You made sure to lock it just in case.

Then, you were off to work.

As you got there, your boss greeted you with a smile, and you put your apron on while you began to serve the customers.

“One caramel macchiato, please. Make it large.” money was handed to me, and you began making the frozen drink.

The next customer you served wanted breakfast.

It was the same flow throughout most of the day. Drinks, food, friends, drinks, food—

And did you mention myself? The poor, starved slave to work.

Lucky for you, there was only about an hour of the day left.

Unlucky for you? Pierrot seemed to think this was a good time to pop in.

He came in, pointing to his usual milkshake.

You smiled shortly at him, feeling bad, but also feeling impatient with him.

The drink was made quickly, sliding it towards him and heading towards the back.

That's when a clawed hand came down on your shoulder, jolting you out of my surprise.

“Pierrot!”

You frowned, but then quickly scrambled to fix your face.

“Hey!” you waved slightly.

He pointed at his face, as if asking me what was wrong while he pointed back at mine.

You bit back a snide comment about how he was basically isolating you from any and all needs you had in bed, and settled for saying you were fine.

“I'm okay, Pierrot. Just an off day, that's all.” you smiled sweetly, taking off your apron. “It's time for me to go home now, though, so please, take your drink?” You asked him.

A tinge of guilt pulled at your heart at the look of slight sadness on his face.

You always made time for him at the end of the day, so why'd you chase him off this time? Of course, he'd respect your…dissatisfaction…but what had caused it to make you mad at him?

He didn't know if he could handle his dear being mad at him.

You, on the other hand, quickly made your way out of the shop and back home, where you immediately took your clothes off and rushed to the shower.

Not only were you needy for Pierrot, but you were angry at him, and you felt dirty after work. All of which was a terribly overwhelming combo.

You scrubbed at your hair, skin, face, and anywhere else that needed cleaning, and soon, you started to feel just a little better.

Well…it was better than nothing.

You looked down at yourself, feeling your stomach ache with a tense want for something.

Goddamn it Pierrot.

You grumbled to yourself, sitting down on the shower floor, briefly.

It wasn't much, and it really was sending you back to the old days, but it seemed like you had to settle for another night of old fashioned fingers, and no actual partner.

Fun.

You slid your hand down to your aching sex, slipping your fingers slowly into your wet opening, courtesy of the shower water spraying down on you.

With a slow, certain pace, you curl your fingers inside yourself, starting off slow as you work your way deeper.

Within minutes, however, you're thrusting your fingers inside, curling them deep and vigorously as your need intensifies.

You imagine yourself with Pierrot.

You imagine how he'd feel. He'd be much bigger than just your two fingers, certainly.

Just that thought alone was enough to make you buck your hips up out of a desperate neediness for something more. Anything more.

You thought about his hands, exploring your body slowly, touching each part of you feverishly, reverently.

And worse of all, you imagined his tongue, slipping deep inside you as you grinded against his face in needy desperation. You could only dream of having him so deep inside you that you saw flashes of the same stars that covered his clothes.

Your other hand reached up to trace a nipple, the gentle touch sending a shiver through you.

You were so close.

So close.

God.

Just imagining his tongue flicking over you, his hands running up your sides, holding you down…

‘Almost there’,

You thought.

And then you heard a knock. A knock on your bathroom door.

“My dear? Are you alright in there?”

It was Pierrot.

Fuck. Fuck!

Why now?

You were so close!

And you cursed quietly at him as you felt the adrenaline and anxiety of him startling you, chasing off what would have been your first good orgasm in almost two weeks.

You stood quickly, turning off the shower and pulling on a shirt and shorts.

Then you rushed out.

“I'm fine, Pierrot. Peachy, really.” You glared up at him.

“My dear! Why are you angry with me? What have I done? I promise, I can change, my love. I can.” His eyes dilated in what could only be described as panic, and desperation.

“Oh, Pierrot. You've been….” You sneered slightly, an irritated noise leaving you. “You have completely isolated me from everyone!”

He seemed briefly surprised, eyes widening at the outburst.

“Weeks, no partners, no one. No contact, just weeks of being stuck like this. And when I finally got my chance with Harlequin, you interrupted me the same way you did, just then. And so I try to engage with you! But no! Every time you seem to value hiding yourself more than me. But if that's the case? You can't isolate me! I have needs, Pierrot.” You stormed off to your bed, turning off your lamp on the way to pulling the covers over yourself.

“My dear, I've not meant to take away your…comfort. There are rules I must follow. And you do not understand the consequences of seeing me. You'll be disgusted.” He paused. “and I am not able to be seen by you, my dear. They'll hurt you.”

He seemed so…dejected now. It made me feel bad.

Almost.

“And? There are other ways! It's as if you never considered, oh, I don't know, having me turn around? Besides! You don't know if I'd be scared by you! Maybe I'd like it.” you said with a huff.

“Would that…would you really enjoy such a thing?” He seemed almost…surprised?

“Uh, yes?!” you sat up, staring at his glowing eyes in the dark. “You seem to be under the impression that I'm…inexperienced. I am not. I'm very open, Pierrot.” You heard footsteps approach your bed, and you tensed. You'd sworn he'd seemed irritated by your said experience, but maybe you were wrong.

What were you focused on though?

It was on whatever he was doing.

Suddenly, a weight made your bed creak in an effort to support the sudden shift.

“You truly mean that? All of it?” his voice sounded close, and his breath caressed your ears, making you shiver.

“I don't make a habit of lying.” I breathed.

Hands grabbed at me then, flipping me over, pressing me into my own bed.

“Pierr–”

“My dear? Is this alright?” He seemed to growl.

“y-yes.” You glanced back.

“Ah, ah. Keep your eyes ahead. No looking back, please. Tell me if I am…unsatisfactory. I am not nearly as versed as you, my love, are.”

You nodded slightly, my heart racing.

Was this is? Had you just needed to confront him? Yell at him a bit? To get him to understand how you wanted him?

Oh…oh.

His hands ran up your shirt, fondling my chest gently, pinching at your peaked nipples, and tugging in a way that made you let out a shaky breath at the slightly sharp stimulation.

One of his clawed, gloved hands reached down for your shorts, tugging slightly.

You raised my hips just barely, enough for him to pull them to your ankles. He seemed satisfied with his work, as you heard a contented huff come from above me. You turned, wanting to face him.

“My dear.” He pleaded.

“Pierrot….please? Blindfold me if you have too?” you suggested, not actually at all disappointed by that idea.

It seemed he wasn't either, as his breath hitched slightly at the thought.

Then, you heard a slight rip. Had he just torn your shorts?!

Well…you'd ask him later. For now, you submitted to the feeling of my head being lifted so he could tie the blindfold around your eyes.

Then, he turned you over on your back, legs spread, shirt hitched up high enough to give him access to anything he wanted to see.

What made you stop for a moment though, what made you tense,

Was the dip in the bed shifting lower.

“Pierrot?” you asked softly, curious and nervous.

“Trust me, my dear. You'll quite enjoy this. And I most certainly will as well.”

What did he mean by that? I suddenly realized just how vulnerable you felt, but…strangely, that only served to make you feel warmer, tinglier, and needier down below.

Then, you heard a slight crack. What was that?

You jolted as his hands pulled your legs up, bringing your hips level with his chest.

You let out a sharp yell at the sudden change in motion.

“Ah!” you moaned softly as you felt his breath feather against your sex.

And then you felt it.

A forked tongue lapping at you, sucking, working its way down to your clenching, desperate hole.

You gasped.

“I…oh.” you reached up to grip his hair in an attempt to gain some balance but you ended up not being able to reach. You had to clutch onto his thighs for support.

His tongue slowly rolled over your opening, teasing you, making you wetter than you thought you could possibly be.

He slowly sank his tongue inside you, curling it.

You felt yourself stiffen with an electric jolt as you felt his groan against me. As if the thought of tasting you was so sacred that the act felt unholy to him. He was moaning as if it was the last meal he'd requested on the death row.

You, of course, were having the time of your life.

Your hands clenched into his thighs, and the motion seemed to only spur him on more.

His tongue worked into your wet hole, swirling and curling it inside you. The sounds echoed in the dark room, a sloppy mess in the making.

He brought a hand up your thigh and to your heat, stroking you as he suckled and licked deep inside you.

With an arched back, you let out a needy whine, desperate for more. Anything, everything, whatever he'd give you.

He seemed to pick up on your desires, because he suddenly set you down.

You could feel a panting breath above your face, and his long tongue, the forks of it, grazed your mouth just enough for you to open your lips in invitation.

And how could he say no to such a sweet request from you?

He dipped low, reveling in how you let him play with you. Not a single part of him had ever thought you'd want him. A monster. But here you were, writhing under him like you were the same as him.

A beast in heat.

He kissed you deep, tongue reaching the back of your throat to curl against it, as he explored your teeth. He grinned slightly against the vibrations of muffled moans coming from your mouth, and he reached his hand down once more to fondle you with desire.

You seemed to let out a particularly louder moan at this.

Soon, you were tapping on his shoulder desperately, in need of air.

He seemed to catch the hint, and pulled back despite his frown at having to release you.

You gasped heavily, chest heaving in a fight to get air again.

Oh who knew Pierrot could kiss like that?

“My dear?” He asked lowly, voice raspier than usual.

“Ah…Pierrot?” You breathed out in question.

“May I countinue?” He requested, with a slight tinge of a whine to his voice.

You felt your lower half ache with want at the sheer turn on of his desire for you.

Being needed felt so good.

“Don't even think about stopping.” You chuckled breathlessly, rolling my hips gently. “I'm not done until I say I'm done, Pierrot.”

He seemed pleased with that response, because you heard him fiddling with cloth, and then, You heard it being thrown to the side.

He pulled your hips flush to his own, leaning down to rest his face in your neck.

His long tongue licked against it, teasing a shiver from you, as making you grip his shoulders with a breathy moan.

Then, you felt the graze of sharp teeth.

A hint of fear in your belly twisted, and it only served to arouse you further.

You rolled your hips into his, feeling a prominent bulge resting against your entrance.

The large veins of what you could only assume was his dick, rubbed against you torturously as he grazed your neck with his teeth again, a low growl escaping him.

“My dear…” his voice rasped, his arms holding onto your sides like a lifeline. “Please…”

“Yes, keep going Pierrot!” you arched your back slightly.

He immediately seemed to take this as permission to sink his teeth into your neck, and the act had you seeing stars from both pain and pleasure.

He pressed the tip of his large cock against your fluttering hole, rocking his hips to just barely push the top of himself inside of you.

You, in turn, let out a loud cry in pleasure.

He rocked back and forth, gently. It was like he was trying to prepare you for himself. But how much more could there be?

You rocked your hips and found yourself reaching down for his length, and you found yourself shocked.

“Oh…oh God…” you moaned, whimpering slightly at the sheer mass of what was inside you right now. Veins poked out, and a thick…knot? Sat at the base of it.

“Shall I stop?” He shuddered, as if the thought was repulsive to him. Luckily, it was the same for me.

“Don't you dare.” He pulled me closer, sinking himself inside just a bit more, deeper and deeper, bit by bit.

Soon, he was rocking back and forth into you, stroking your heated sex, and licking at your chest and neck.

He seemed lost in you, and it was feverish to feel.

His clawed hands grazed down your sides as he rested them on your hips. He anchored himself slightly, before pushing your legs back and up by your face.

He'd locked you in a…God. This was a fucking breeding press.

With his hands holding your legs back, he cracked his hips against yours suddenly, causing you to jolt in a wave of pleasure.

He continued the brutal pace, the bed creaking underneath the two of you as his massive dick pounded into you.

“Ah, fuck…Pierrot! Ahhh, oh!” You were left to string nothing but his name and various sounds as he thrusted into you.

He licked at your neck, nipping at you with what could almost be called a chirp in his throat. Low growls seemed to escape him with each thrust, and I began to vaguely wonder if that was a normal sound range for someone to make.

I couldn't think too hard about it, though, not as he stroked me, and thrust deep inside of me. Hitting bundles of nerves that caused my body to wrack itself into pleasure, trembling and shaking with need.

I arched my hips slightly, back raised, as the fast pace began dragging out what could only be described as heaven, out of my body.

My orgasm was fast approaching, and I found myself hoping he, too, was reaching the peak of pleasure.

As good as this was, you didn't know how long you could hold out through this pace.

With a desperate cry, you clawed at his back, feeling what may be described as spines, while you reached your peak. Clenching around him, you felt his dick jerk, thrusting in just a few more times before a rush of hot, thick liquid filled you.

You both sat there for a moment, panting.

Did you want to talk about the abnormal sounds? Spines?

Or did you just want to rest?

Before you could decide, Pierrot had seemed to make his decision for you, as he laid down on the now creaky bed, you sprawled on top of his massive body.

You could still feel his dick in you, and he didn't seem to have any intention of removing it.

You weren't complaining though.

With a final breath, you spoke.

“Thank you…Pierrot. That was…amazing.” You grinned, still blindfolded, but comfortable regardless.

“No. Thank you, my dear…thank you.” You could hear an almost breathless sound escape him, as if he couldn't believe he'd just done that with you

You buried your face in his neck, and you mutually seemed to agree that right now, silence and rest was going to be plenty for the two of you.

You felt yourself dozing slightly, as he rested his face in the crook of your bleeding neck.

The last thing you remembered before falling asleep, was a rough tongue grazing over the wounds, and a raspy voice whispering sweet nothings to you.

“You're mine.”

_______

And that's the end of this chapter. I hope you enjoy it! Feel free to follow if you want to see more like this. 💋

The next chapter of Jasmine and Hot Lips will PROBABLY be Harlequin orrrrrrr Jester. We'll see what mood I'm in.

Thank you for reading, and thanks for any and all comments or likes, they really keep me going.

Make sure to go follow me on AO3 to save these stories when you can. I'll be linking my account in my bio once the site is up again.

Base VS Art, Harlequin edition.

Oh how I love this green goblin of a guy. He's so lovely. So wonderful.

Drop a follow if you appreciate the art because there WILL be more, OH, AND it will pertain to my ao3 books. One of which is just straight smut but y'know. We all need a series like that. (It's called Jasmine and Hot Lips and the first chapter is out tonight.)

The day was temperate, bright rays of light peering through my window as I tossed and turned in my bed.

Not much longer.5 minutes. 5 minutes until the alarm, the one I'd already snoozed twice, went off. I grumbled to myself, not wanting to go to work in the slightest.

While I loved my job, I really did hate how mean people could be, and it totally drained me. I didn't get much of a chance to procrastinate though, not before my alarm reminded me that regardless of my feelings, I had to get money for which to feed myself with.

Well, to buy stuff to feed myself. Mostly fish, and crustaceans among other things. I dabbled in some other foods too, but I didn't digest them nearly as productively.

What sucks most right now, though, is that I can't snooze my alarm more. I always needed extra time in the morning to lotion my skin, chug water, and do anything I could to hydrate myself.

Especially since it was hot as balls out, and I couldn't wear anything too revealing, for fear I might…slip up and reveal myself. I wasn't willing to risk anybody discovering me. That was much too dangerous.

See, I'm a siren. An ocean dwelling siren. And you may be asking why I'm not in the ocean, and I get it.

A fish out of water, strange, isn't it?

We aren't confined to the barrier of the sea, and despite all the bad up here, I did like going around exploring, and I had to keep up with people so that I didn't look so much like a fish out of water when I NEEDED to leave the ocean.

There are more like me, I know of that. We don't tend to cohabitate though. The mers were the ones that did that. Sirens, on the other hand, were solitary, aside from the odd few that chose to dwell in pods.

I pulled myself out of bed with a sore groan. While I liked my time on land, for the most part, I really hated how dry I got. It made for a real unpleasant waking up experience.I went to my bathroom, grabbing the lotion and Vaseline, lathering myself in it, allowing my dry skin to soak it up.

I pulled on my clothes, a tight black body suit underneath my grey hoodie and black ripped jeans. I slid on my boots, grabbed any and all of my chosen jewelry for the day, did my makeup and hair, and then grabbed my keys, speeding off to work in a whirlwind of rush.I was kinda already almost late.

I walked quickly down the sidewalk street, noticing the loads of flyers decorating the streets. ‘The Circus of Horrors’ It said. I yanked a flyer and folded it in my pocket. I liked circus’ so I figured it was worth a shot to go later. Lucky for me, my job was only a few blocks away. As I got closer, though, I began to hear an unusual ruckus. Yelling, shouting, and as I got closer, I saw a guy, middle aged, angry, and red in the face.

“Hey! Get out of here weirdos!!” I heard him hiss out.

“Ever since you guys showed up, people have been disappearing! Go back to whatever hellhole you crawled out of!!” Ouch.

People have been treating them poorly, for what? Because some lovesick couple ran off to elope? That's certainly not their burden. And while I didn't pay enough attention to the news to get a full opinion, I did know this wasn't right.

“I'm talking to you, you freak! Get out of our town!” Now that's crossing another line. From what I was seeing, that man had no intention of stopping, and that clown had no intention of defending himself. Oh, boy.

I walked up to the guy quickly, stepping in front of the injured clown and confronting the man.

"That’s enough! There no need to get violent, he's just doing his job!” I yelled back at the man, glaring at him.

"Working for the devil maybe!” He responded harshly.

"I'm calling the police if you keep this up!” I waved my phone, threatening him with the emergency dial.

“Oh screw you! Open your eyes! I hope they take you too!” He said gruffly, before rushing away with clear irritation.

I turned back to the injured clown.

“Are you okay? I'll help you get up.” I offered him a hand, to which he gladly accepted, but didn't really use me to pull himself up at all.

…

Damn, he's tall.

My eyes came to just above his chest…

I winced at the injury on his face, rummaging through my pockets.I smiled triumphantly as I pulled out a bandage.

Slightly crinkled ,but better than nothing.

“Here, I've got a bandage, take it.” I held the small thing out to him. It probably really wouldn't do much, but it was the thought that counts.

“If it still feels bad, do go see a doctor.” He walked up close to me, gently grabbing the bandage, all the while not taking his eyes off of me. His head tilted slightly, and the ringing of the bells made me smile, just a bit. What a silent guy. Though, I suppose we all had our reasons.

“Well, I've gotta go, or I'll be late. Take care, alright?” I waved to him, before rushing to work. I was definitely already late.My boss greeted me at the door, seeming to know of my tardiness. He didn't seem to irate though.

“You're here just in time. We're busy today, what with the weather.”

“Weather?” I asked, before shaking my head.If he thought this was cold…well, props to him. I think people just wanted breakfast.

“Start as soon as you can, Carol's running late and I've been covering for her. The orders are already on the counter, please bring them to the tables.” He asked, before rushing off to continue puttering away at work, and taking orders as he waited for me.

I grabbed the first set of plates, setting it down and talking with the first set of ladies I'd met. They'd seemed really interested in the circus, and had even brought flyers with them.

The second order I brought was to another gentleman with a daughter. He was complaining that he couldn't get into the circus with his kid, and how unfair the rules were.Circus of Horrors didn't seem too kid friendly, but I figured I'd keep my mouth shut and just nod along for my job's sake.The last table was an elderly couple, likely out on a date of sorts.

I'd given them their pastries and coffee, before heading to the back counter to begin taking orders for the morning.

The bell ring as a well dressed man walked in. “One strong, hot coffee, thanks.” He ordered.

“I'll bring it right away, sir.”

I pressed the espresso beans, running the machine and waiting for the shots to come out before putting them in a cup with just a dash of cream. I brought the hot cup to the man, warning him of the heat.

“Here's your coffee, sir.” I set it down. Whew. I was already feeling dehydrated. I'd have to go chug some more water after this order for sure.

“Thanks, it's really cold outside.”Does everyone think that? Maybe I'm just the weird one. It's been known to happen.“What's with those flyers?” He asked me.

They're the ones I'd gathered, as per bosses orders. I explained this to him, and he seemed to listen intently.

“How rude to do this in a place of business, right?” He seemed to scoff, but it seemed almost mocking.

“Ah, yes, I suppose. It does only create more work for me. Though I can't blame them for flyering. I'm not that mad.” I shrugged. I really couldn't care less then I already do. I just wanted water.

“If you want, I can take them out for you. I'll toss them when I leave, no big deal.” He held out his hand. “I was gathering some paper for recycling anyways.”

“Well, in that case I'll hand them off to your well versed hands. Better to recycle than to trash them, I'd say.”

I gave him the papers.

“No problems dear.”I took a breath.“Do you need anythi–”“Do you like the circus?” He asked suddenly. “Hm? I may be a little old for that.” I chuckled.“Nonsense. The circus isn't for kids. They've got some pretty creepy stuff.” He explained.“So you've been to the circus?” I asked, ready to be done with this talk.

It was no fault of his, really, I was just starting to get a headache. “Are you even listening?” He asked, frowning. “Sorry?” I let out a breath.

“Haha. Thought so. Here, take this. ”He held out a bright pink ticket towards me.

“ Ah, I can't accept this!”

“Don't you worry, I already went. I was thinking of going once more, but I'll be leaving town soon.”He waved it once more, urging me to take it off his hands.“Keep it, or sell it if you want.” He shrugged slightly.

“Ah…I suppose I can take it then if you say so.” I paused. “I will try to go one day.”“I'll be glad someone put my ticket to use, dear. Thank you.” he looked at me again. “Thanks for your time, I'll let you get back to work.” He said, picking up his coffee and leaving, after having left money on the table.

The rest of the day went smoothly, especially after I’d chugged Lord water, albeit, some mean customers. My boss has to leave a bit early, though.

“As soon as the last customers leave, close everything up and clean the place. We're closing early today.” He said, right before leaving. Great.Only an hour or so more left, and then I was homeward bound.

Thank goodness.

I couldn't wait to get home and take a nice, warm bath. My boss told me to have a good night, and then he was off.I was NOT sad about shorter work hours, but I did find myself worried about Carol.

I hoped things were okay for her.

Now I just needed to clear and clean tables, and then I could go.

*Jingle Jingle!*

“Sorry, we're closed!” I said, looking up to find…no one. I heard the bell.

My skin prickled uneasily, my teeth digging sharply into my lip.I'm not imagining things. Someone could be in here.And then the power went out. I heard the click, the whir, and then the shutdown.

“Boss? Is that…you?”

I asked softly.No response.Right. Let's just…calm down. I'm overthinking this. I can just go turn them back on.

My heart raced, and my urge to bolt and run to water for safety was cooling in my chest. Ok. Ok. First I'll…grab a knife.

If I need to defend myself, I will.

Then…I look around, nervously.I check under counters, tables, in the back room, but no one. Now that I think about it, I heard the bell but I never heard the door open.

I run back to my safety behind the counter, fumbling with the lights. It didn't work, and thus, I was forced to mess with the breaker for a bit until it finally turned back on, the electricity humming as the place came back to life.

I still felt suspicious, and even more so upon realizing I hadn't locked the door.

*Jingle!*

I turned around quickly.

“Sorry, we're clos–” I paused. “You're the guy from earlier! And you're not bleeding again! Are you okay??” I briefly wondered if I should be worried about this guy.

He stares for a moment, at the small knife in my hands, and I awkwardly shuffle to put the blade away in its correct spot. I did not plan to explain why I was carrying a knife like a madman. I looked at his bleeding face with a sigh. I hope I don't regret this.

“Sit at the counter…” What a strange mask. Honestly, I'm not sure if it's a mask or just really good makeup.

I grab a napkin and gently wipe his face.“You don't talk much, do you.” I stated softly.

He seemed to look around before leaning into closer.

“I can't be seen talking.” He says, voice low and gravelly.

“So it's part of the act!” It made sense. I mean, what other reason would he have for not talking?

“Yes, My Lord. I sincerely appreciate the help.” He bowed his head lower, so he was easier to reach. “I'm the Pierrot, nice to meet you!”

“Nice to meet you. I'm Nightengale. But you can shorten it to whatever sounds right. Night, Nighten, Gale, Nightgale, and whatever else you might conjure up.”

“I know”

What?

No, it was late.

I'm just…hearing things.

“A Pierrot? Right? You don't really look like one, no offense.”

“You're absolutely right, My Lord. We were required to…modernize my attire. My role, however, remains unchanged.” He grinned a toothy smile. Or, maybe that was just the mask.

“People’ve been pretty rough with you guys…”He tilted his head a moment, thinking. “I suppose we may appear a touch uncanny at times. That tends to unsettle people.” I laughed quietly. Really, more of a chuckle.

“Let's be real, I can see why the whole get up is unsettling. It's the meanness that gets me though. There's no need for all that. People take things too far.” I shook my head, smiling softly, almost drowsy. I turned around, grabbing a glass of water and chugging.“So, do the Pierrots out on the streets perform as well?”

I looked at him intently.

“Indeed. The circus has but a small cast, so we both perform and hand out flyers, My Lord.” He seemed really stuck on the whole ‘Lord’ thing. I didn't feel like correcting him. Maybe he just didn't like my name. “Though, My Lord, I must say, I am the only Pierrot. The rest are Jesters and Harlequins.”

I could've sworn he rolled his eyes at the last name.

It seemed like not everyone in the circus got along all too well. That must be tough, what with such a small troupe.

“That's pretty cool! So, are the others silent like you?”

“I am the only one who remains silent.” He paused. “But for you, I can make an exception. At times.”

I smiled.

“Your secrets are safe with me.” I said with a wink.

I looked him over again.

“Hey, your bandages are coming off…let me get that for you.” I flipped it back, letting it stick to his skin? Mask? Whatever it was, again.

“Thank you, My Lord.” He lowered his head in a faint bow. “And I've brought you another token of my appreciation…”He held out a ticket to me. It was red.

“Don't worry, I have one.” I laughed. “I'll come see you, promise.”He seemed momentarily confused, which left me feeling confused.

“You…obtained a ticket? May I see it, My Lord?” He asked gently. I handed him the bright pink ticket from earlier, wondering why he seemed so weird or wigged out. Strange guy. He holds the ticket in front of me, passing his hand over it. Where a pink ticket once stood, a red one now appeared. “Whoa. Cool trick, but why?” I took the ticket curiously, looking it over front and back for any change.

“This ticket, My Lord, is incorrect. You'd not have been let in with it. Please, take mine.”

“You mean it was a fake?” I grumbled. “Well, it really is too much to expect kindness these days, huh.”

“Indeed, counterfeit. Do not accept tickets from strangers, My Lord. I wouldn't want you encountering trouble at the entrance upon your arrival.”

“Well…thanks!” I frowned. Why would the guy give me a fake one? How rude.

“I assure you, come and I'll make you smile during my performance, My Lord.” Is it just me or did the smoke on his mask get even wider? Maybe I was going crazy.

“Well, I can't wait to see it. Now, I feel bad saying this but…”

“I completely understand, My Lord. I had hoped to arrive earlier but I hadn't wished to cause you any distress.” He stood from where he'd been sitting, and again, I found myself noting just how tall the beast of a man was.

Honestly, I really could see why folks found this unsettling. I just happened to be used to strange looking folks.

“It's alright. At least we got to talk a bit. You'd not have been able to answer me in public.” I licked my lips with a sigh. I felt parched again.

“That's true.” He laughed in return. A raspy sound, but it was a good one nonetheless. “Have a good night, My Lord.”

“Good night!” I waved to him as he exited the building, the door jingling at his departure.

Well, time to go home and take a nice bath, huh? While I got home early, I did still feel just as tired as I normally was on an average day.

At least my shift starts later tomorrow. This was probably just a product of the breaker scare. Nothing I couldn't handle.

CHAPTER 1 OF MY AO3 FANFIC FOR FREAK CIRCUS. I'm going for a monster theme, but, like, the circus doesn't KNOW he's a monster... I'm figuring it out. There will be art posted with chapter one, on AO3 tonight...

Some art I did of Pierrot, for my fanfic...😘 Oh how I love him, he's so awesome sauce.

Rate the piece? 🙏

Y'all beg and pray for multifaceted, well developed, LAYERED characters, but you can't even handle this green clown without objectifying and irresponsibly representing him as some self absorbed, attention seeking, slutty type guy.

Like. I'll be real. SO MANY OF Y'ALL, some being adults, (BUT MANY BEING LITERAL 12 YEAR OLDS ON PINTEREST!!!)So many of y'all seem to have the need to put him down without even analyzing his behavior!

Take a local celebrity we're all pretty aware of. DestinySquared. They weren't a BIG harlequin fan for a decent amount of time, UNTIL THEY TOOK THE TIME TO ACTUALLY EXPERIENCE THE CHARACTER. He's not a bad character. He has trauma. He's got layers, and is he GOOD?

No! But he's not a bad CHARACTER. Person, maybe. But CHARACTER?

'oh no my steak is too juicy and my lobster is too buttery AHH ASS'

And what SUCKS, is that aside from the game being 18+ in content, partly due to themes that the general kid isn't emotionally mature enough to handle,But aside from THAT, there's almost a level of gatekeeping necessary to keep the game from developing a BAD fandom.

So many of these freaking 12 year olds talking about,'oh well the games not THAT graphic' 'i can play it'Yeah. I guess you can. It's technically accessible, sure. But a few things.

1- so many of these younger kids, and even those my age, ruin fandoms by not yet having the emotional understanding to actually grasp character depth!

So, so many of you hate when a character is morally kinda not great, but that's also LITERALLY WHAT A YANDERE GAME IS??? DON'T PLAY THE DAMN GAME IF YOU DON'T LIKE THE CONTENT?

and sure as hell don't come after Neko because YOU don't have the ability to understand a characte.

2- technically, YOU SHOULDNT be playing! The request to DNI aside, SO many of these kids are left unsupervised online, talking to anyone, anywhere, playing WHATEVER, and if you don't have a realistic grasp of HEALTHY relationships? Then children can EASILY be influenced! I was just LUCKY my own mother actually taught me to be SAFE online and didn't unleash me to the devil of the Internet without any tips and tricks. It's not safe? Don't engage! Just DON'T.

I know that sounds hypocritical, and it is. But genuinely. So many of you all are just SO WRONG ABOUT AN AMAZING, LAYERED STORY, AND I CAN'T JUST WATCH ANOTHER AMAZING ARTIST, STORYTELLER, AND FANDOM GET THROWN INTO THE DUMPS.