#ticket taker

Thank you for requesting him!! ♥ I used the nickname 'Bil' he has been given since 'Ticket taker' is such a handful to write and read!

There you were.

Fragility incarnate, your hands ghosting over the mirrors, never touching them completely and smearing the filth of the world that enveloped you with them. They were merely a guide for you to traverse a world so unfamiliar to you, but perfect for him.

Bil should have stayed away. Curiosity was for young, naive hunters, not predators of his age and wisdom. Just being alone with you in this tent was a play with fire, duty and logic holding him back from touching a flame that would burn him so bitterly. No matter how much he loved his 'family', a pet like you wasn't readily shared, and the red ticket in your pocket and green heart on your collar confirmed that.

And yet, having a taste of something so delicious dangled in front of him was much too tempting an offer to pass up on.

He called watching you 'observing'. Making sure that—despite his neutral stance on whether you were good enough to keep with the troop or not—you were good enough to know about his kind. The question lingered in his mind whenever he watched you walk on Pierrot's side or explore the circus much too freely for his liking.

If you saw everyone's true form—the one that made humans scream, curse, fight—would you still smile so warmly at him when he welcomed you to the circus? Would you still hum while traversing his mirror maze, not showing discomfort but quite the opposite? Would you be curious? Cheerful?

Would you survive seeing the real monster deep down inside him?

After years of being hunted, shunned, and seeing his own kind enslaved and killed, Bil couldn't help but wonder what you'd do. Few had been sympathetic, and even fewer were willing to associate with him or the circus after learning what they were doing behind closed curtains. It would not have surprised him if you'd be the same as them, perhaps not downright hostile, but apprehensive at least. However, it would have disappointed him, if he was quite honest with himself.

Bil would have been lying had he not admitted your charms a long time ago. They might have come naturally to you, a carefree lightness even when faced with unpleasantness. It didn't change how it made him feel about you, though. Even at your worst, you were still much more likable than most other humans. You still cared for others even when you were sick, and asked how his day was despite the two of you spending so little time together.

Usually, you were accompanied by either Pierrot or Harlequin. It was rare for you to be rid of either, and Bil didn't meddle when it was their turn to enjoy your company. It simply wasn't his place to, even if he couldn't deny searching for you in the crowd when he had a calm moment to himself. But what those two lacked in restraint, Bil had in abundance, never letting this twisted desire in his stomach direct how he acted.

Just here, in his seemingly endless halls of mirrors, did he have you all to himself. Only here did he get some time to walk with you, which was otherwise denied to him. Only here did he get to watch you be yourself, not Pierrot's dearest, nor Harlequin's darling. And although your fingers didn't touch the mirrors, when he pressed against the cold glass from the other side, it was almost like you were holding hands.

For a human, you were a sight to behold. It wasn't like him to leer, but the way your body moved was like a hypnotic dance. Every twist and turn of your skin and muscles drew him in like a starving lion to a willing prey. Bil reckoned it was more instinct than attraction, but if it had just been the movement of your body, it might have been the truth.

But it wasn't. He'd not stare at your lips for so long if he didn't want to ravage them. He would not have craved the touch of hands on his body so much if it was "just" instinct. And he most certainly would not have imagined himself in Pierrot's place if it wasn't for an unexplainable affection he felt for you.

Had you been any other fool that wandered through the circus, he wouldn't have given it a second thought. Order and diligent efforts were things he appreciated, but imagining covering your face with a mask and turning you into a lifeless puppet to fulfill the tasks he'd give you granted him no pleasure whatsoever.

Even the simple inquiry of your ticket and your willingness to show it to him was enough to fill his chest with pride. If you lost that genuine submission, Bil had a feeling he'd regret it bitterly. If he wanted you to follow orders, it was for different reasons. For safety and Jester's goodwill. Or, perhaps, for both of your pleasure, if it ever came to it.

Thinking of the look on your face you'd have on your knees before him, both afraid and comfortable, sent a raging jolt right through him. But despite the grin he couldn't seem to wipe off his face, there were more dire matters to attend to.

You had stopped, gracefully and enticingly, in the middle of the last row of mirrors, dim reflections shimmering beneath the surfaces of everyone who mattered in this circus. Your friend Pierrot and Harlequin, who were pressing against their glasses, fighting for your attention. Jester and Doctor who stood patiently, knowing their turns would come. And Bil who watched you from the shadow, knowing he wasn't a consideration of yours, even though it pained him.

Would you, too, one day have your mirror hear? A rare, hidden one that would celebrate the one human that wormed their way into each member's heart? A tremendous occasion and a bittersweet reminder, just like Columbina's.

An unusual tapping on the glass of Bil's mirror tore him out of his thoughts; the image of a beautiful, small mirror decorated with mementos and flowers befitting of you disappeared as he looked ahead, staring right into your beautiful face.

"Ticket taker?" you asked. "Are you not going to tell me a story this time?"

Once more, his chest was filled with a sense of pride as he remembered the first time you enjoyed his mirror maze. The way he had warned you of the dangers lurking, your eyes shimmering with excited curiosity he had never seen before. You had done as he told you, chuckled at the others' visions, and nodded seriously when needed. And at the last one, he had watched you wipe some stray tears from your eyes before walking to the exit, Pierrot hugging you a little longer than usual once you two reunited.

You had compassion, maybe a little too much. And you genuinely did things because you wanted, not because you had been forced to. It was so endearing to the hope he had long banished. There couldn't be a human who wanted this. Wanted him. Yet, at the same time, you were so foolish, walking into a lion's den, expecting to get out unharmed.

"Oh? What story would you like to hear?" he asked, stepping into the faint light reflected in the mirror. Your pupils blew wide, not out of fear, but rather because you tried to see him. Yet Bil stayed just out of your vision, his form merely ghosting by even though you tried to see him.

"How about..." you mumbled, humming as you thought. "A story about you?"

His heart skipped a beat at your request, a longing to soothe your curiosity spreading through his body. He wanted nothing more than to tell you whatever you wanted, the words collecting in his throat, ready to spill out like a river of confessions.

Yet, all he did was put on a gentle smile, finally stepping close enough for you to see.

"An interesting request. To think I'd pique your curiosity," Bil mused, restraint causing him to ball his fists behind his back. "But it's a curiosity I cannot quench, I'm afraid."

Your shoulders deflated in the adorable way you showed your disappointment. The smile on your face cracked as your feelings became clear, yet you forced it to remain steady so as not to worry him.

"That's okay, I figured as much," you whispered, looking down at the floor. "Sorry for asking something unreasonable."

"You figured?" Bil asked before he could stop himself. Saying things on a whim didn't suit him. Careful, thought-through words were more like him, after all.

"Yes, I mean..." Your eyes flitted back to the other mirrors, and you fidgeted with your hands as you faced him again. "I know you don't like me very much. I just thought we could get closer this way. Sorry for pushing this on you."

For once, Bil was too stunned to think of a quick reply.

He? Not liking you very much? How could you say that when you made his heart beat wildly just with your smile?

"Now, why the gloom?" he asked, reaching out, his hand passing through the mirror as if the barrier didn't exist. He shouldn't have revealed himself, shouldn't give away his prized abilities. But seeing you so disheartened... how could he not comfort you?

"I apologize if I made the impression of not wanting you here."

Lifting your chin, he looked right into your eyes. They were shining in the light, or perhaps those were unshed tears collecting. The sight of them made his stomach knot, not in hunger, yet not out of innocent intentions either. It only made him want to hold you more. Want to assure you nothing was wrong.

"I quite enjoy your... dedication to our establishment."

It wasn't a lie, but not the complete truth either. A professional response, although his heart screamed for more.

"Really?" you muttered. "Harlequin said you found me bothersome and a liability..."

Clicking his tongue, a wave of anger hit Bil harder than it had in years. That blabbermouth. A foolish fool. And it angered him even more that in the past, he had regarded you like this. Perhaps you still were a liability, but bothersome? Not to him, at least. Still, it wasn't Harlequin's place to use Bil's words against him, and he'd have to have a stern word with the younger clown.

"I assure you," Bil said pointedly, perhaps a little too sharp, his anger not directed at you. Seeing your eyes waver, he softened his tone instead, taking a deep breath before speaking. "He was joking."

Immediately, your face brightened. A genuine smile caught your lips, so kissable, so biteable. How would they taste? How would it be to drown in your kiss? Perhaps Bil needed to ask Pierrot about it next time, just to be informed, of course.

"I'm glad!" you exclaimed, tension fleeting as you took a painful step back from him, escaping his touch lingering on your chin. "Let's talk again soon, then!"

Waving your hand back at him as you turned towards the exit, you left Bil behind you like an afterthought. Only the big smile and energetic wave you did before disappearing in the light of the circus were signs of your kindheartedness. However, he couldn't help but harbor rotten feelings as you left him behind.

You were supposed to stay, and he was supposed to watch over you for every second. Yet, all he could do was savor the feeling of his touch on his fingertips, balling his hand into a fist as it started to disappear. You weren't his. But since no one had declared you theirs yet, you were no one's either. And if that was the case...

There was nothing stopping him from making you his.

Ticket Taker has 6 main sprites, all of which he has atleast one arm behind his back. You could say that it's simply because it's easier to draw, however, he does this everywhere except for three scenes, (not counting his human disguise in day 1. or the Columbina mirror) two of which are in the mirror tent, his performance. It's something he has full control over, and with him being the weakest in physical strength, it may grant him a feeling of safety aswell. In the scenes with his arms out, he's seemingly inside of the mirrors. Instance 1 being at the bidding, although just a shadow, it looks that his arms are actually infront of him. Instance 2, the sequence of his various 'forms' walking and 'merging' into the middle, instance 3 is when he is pushing through the blue mirror. Even when he's grabbing your wrist after bumping into Carol, if you hide the textbox, he has an arm behind his back.

There are 4 sprites (if you include the wrist grab, albeit, not one of his main sprites.) that show him with one arm behind and one out, 3 out of 4 he uses his right hand. It's been stated that he's right handed, so that isn't too out of the ordinary. Rolling back to his human disguise in day 1, while yes, his hands are not behind his back, he does have a booth seat behind him, so that'd be a bit of an awkward way to sit. His left hand is on the table, as for the other, I'd assume it's resting on his thigh. You should also note that this occurs in a public area, which also just so happens to be your work-place. If you were to get violent with a customer, you'd surely get fired or even sued if any severe harm were to be caused. In day 2, you briefly see the disguise again, his back is left fully vulnerable, one hand by his side, the other in a shushing position. With the lack of frames, it's a bit hard to truly tell, but it's safe to assume that the animation is displaying a brisk walk. I actually think under normal day-to-day circumstances, he'd walk with his arms crossed behind his back. It's possible that Ticket Taker has had experiences that've caused him to be paranoid about protecting his back around humans.

In the Columbina mirror + eating cutscenes, you can't really tell how he's positioned.

I used maned wolf roar/bark

Ticket Taker x reader

warning :: slight ooc (?) not entirely sure, not proofread

Ticket Taker couldn't believe he had a duty to babysit two grown adults to visit the cafe where the Red Ticket guest works. He could've been working on important documents or overseeing the circus, but no. He had a duty to watch over Perriot and Harlequin on the bothersome journey.

How did this all begin? Great question.

It happened earlier this morning when Perriot was begging on his hands and knees in front of mommy Jester to let him visit his precious lady on his day off. Ticket Taker had expected Jester to decline and demand the male to go back to work, however, the opposite and rare occasion happened instead.

This species is behind every shadow man/shadow figure/shadow person sighting and urban legend. But there are multiple subspecies all over the planet adapted to their specific location.

So TT's originates in Brazil. Maybe they take on the traits of the animal they eat the most OR the region's apex predator. (Maned wolf x Humans)

So a shadow feller from Arabic countries would be pretty different from TT's kind for example. But the base being shadow person is the same. Maybe in Africa they're more like lions for example

The ability to disguise as a human is something that depends on how many humans they eat. So the most common disguise is a shadow figure that looks human instead of the horned/frilled creature, their disguise is hiding their horns and more animalistic feature. Basically the classic shadow person. The less humans they've eaten the more monstrous they look, maybe their hands still have claws, or their fangs shine through, etc. Maybe a monster that's only ever eaten one human can just make themselves look shadowy but they very much still look like a monster.

Whereas someone like Ticket Taker, who eats humans regularly, is able to pull off a full human disguise.

Idk ideas I've been brewing for a while. Creature design is fun I like this

Also here's another illustration from my fic lmao

I restarted the game and I just noticed it! HE HAS HAIR!!! How could I not have noticed it before?