#twstmcau

Just oneshots of scenarios of the MC from the Freak Circus being Yuu from Twisted Wonderland

Chapter 1 - Dream Part 1

It had started off as a normal day. You woke up and got ready for work. The sounds of your family, in the house, as they also got ready for the day. Your younger siblings are scrambling to catch the bus, bidding you goodbye as they pass you on the stairs, their voices bidding goodbye to your parents. Reaching the bottom, you greeted your father, and he greeted you back, taking a sip from his coffee as he watched the morning news. Your mother is preparing a plate of breakfast for you as you sit at the table watching the news with your father. Your mind drifts to the events that lead to stay at your family home.

You had agreed to stay for a year back in your original world. Before moving back to Twisted Wonderland to find a job. To be honest, you did not want to go through school again and have to work towards a GED. You had enough of school, even if it was at a magical institution. You have your degree from NRC and the experience from your internship, and you hoped to find a stable career or pursue higher education there instead. While sad, your family was understanding, and you promised them that you would visit, or if they liked, they could cross the mirror in your room to Ramshackle. 

Twisted Wonderland, a place where, in all honesty, someone like you never expected to be. Magic is real, and different species of magical creatures are real. Thinking back to Grim, you’re proud of him; he was able to carve a place in the world for himself. He still had the ambition of being the greatest mage; he still visited you at your home, or where the mirror led you, you mentally thank Idia, Ortho, and all the scientists at STYX. 

Your friends would occasionally visit, all of them busy with their own lives, but still, you’re happy for them and the dreams they pursued. Occasionally, Crowley would come and visit, to your parents' displeasure, to ask you to help him with small errands. You would comply, to your parents' confusion, you guessed that you're still used to running errands for him, when you were a student. 

Speaking of magic, when Hornton or Crowley had visited, they mentioned that you had told them there was no magic in your world. There were very faint traces of magic lingering in the air. That had made you wonder if the stories and myths of your world had any truth to them. This also made you feel bad, reminded of the war between the human and fae in Lilia’s memories, wondering if humanity had wiped out the majority of magic users or forced them into hiding.

You snapped out of it when a plate was placed in front of you, your mother patting you affectionately on your head as you started to eat. Your disappearance had aged your parents. When you returned, they looked older, tired, and defeated. It had been at least seven years since they last saw you, at age 15, and reappeared when you were 22. You knew that they wanted to coddle you for the lost time, and you let them, also wanting to feel the affection of your parents. Despite being surrounded by your friends in Twisted Wonderland and the familial feeling between you and Grim, you still felt lonely and sad.

You talked a bit with your father, asking if anything interesting was on the news. He answered that a traveling circus had arrived and they were starting to sell tickets for their shows tonight. You found it interesting, as your mind unconsciously went to Playful Land, despite Ernesto changing his ways, he still made you a bit weary. You suppose it was more legit than Playful Land. Finishing your plate, you kissed your father on the cheek, and put the plate in the sink, kissed your mother on the cheek, bidding them goodbye. Walking out of your house, you quickly walk to the bus stop in the residential area you live in. 

Heading to the bus stop, you wait along with other people, college students, mothers with babies, and businessmen as the bus pulls up. You walk in and pay your fee. The scenery changes as the bus leaves your neighborhood, heading deeper inside the town, as buildings get bigger and more cluttered. Well, more cluttered than usual, seeing people walking on the street and seeing clowns in pink walking around. Huh, you guess that the circus wasted no time in advertising itself. Thinking nothing of it, the bus stops near the cafe, and you get off. Immediately, a flyer is pressed to your face, a pink clown lady offering it to you, with a cheerful voice encouraging you to head to the circus.

You nervously thank her and take the flyer, walking away from her. As you walk to the cafe, you take note of the flyer, “The Freak Circus of Horrors”. You figured this would be up Ace’s alley if you told him. Though you blanch at the price of the admission ticket, the urge to go disappears. 

As you head into the cafe, you greet your Boss and your coworker Carol. Both of them greet you back as you get started on your work. Customers excitedly talk around you about the circus, and even Carol looks a bit interested. You figure that it’s due to the novelty of something like this showing up every once in a while. The day passes without incident, sure, one of the espresso machines stopped working for a while, but you and Carol quickly fixed it. You wave goodbye to Carol and your Boss as you step away from the cafe, heading towards the bus stop to catch the last bus. 

Now that the streets were quieter, you could hear the sound of carnival music in the distance, and see the tips and colors of the circus tents from where you’re sitting. It has piqued your interest; you could admit that. The bus arrives shortly after, and you head on, the streets changing back into residential areas and neighborhoods as you get off at your stop. 

You walk home, taking in the sounds of your neighborhood and the smells of families cooking. The quiet sounds of the streets, cars driving by, the occasional laughter of children, and the teens walking on the streets. All in all, very normal and mundane. You walk towards your house and unlock the door, the sounds of your siblings greeting you, their excited voices telling you about your day, as you’re led to the dinner table. Your father and mother are serving plates of dinner to you and your siblings. Their voices ask you about your adventures in Twisted Wonderland.

Of course, you left out key details, like the Overblots, Crowley’s involvement in your disappearance, and everything that could count as dangerous. So your family mainly just knew that you were taken to Twisted Wonderland and enjoyed a student life over there. Of course, you would tell them about the Halloweens you spent at Night Raven and the times you were taken off campus to join your friends on excursions. They were mainly fascinated with the merfolk, and that you could breathe underwater, with the help of potions.

After dinner, you helped clean up before heading upstairs to take a shower. Afterwards, you saw that Grim and the others had texted you in the group chat. You had stayed awake a little later that night, and all of you would regret it in the morning, for work or anything that had to be done early in the morning. Closing your eyes, you start to drift off to sleep, unaware that the mirror in your room started to glow.

You wake up in a grassy field. Sitting up, you see that you're in a clearing surrounded by flowers you had never seen before, not even ones in Twisted Wonderland. The scenery reminds you of your visits to Briar Valley. Trees as far as the eye could see, the sounds of the local fauna filling the air, as birds flew ahead. 

Honestly, it was beautiful and serene. Though the only thing you could think of was “C’mon, what now!” These dreams only showed up when something big was going to happen. Mainly, the events that led to your friends' Overblots and other important scenes that played out. You were sure that you hadn’t done anything. “Famous last words”, you think as you stand up. Pinching yourself and feeling pain, you sigh. Knowing that you had to be careful, in some dreams, the inhabitants could see and interact with you, while in others, you were like a ghost.

You weren’t keen on finding out what could see you here. Though you started to walk, deciding to go deeper into the woods. As you walk, you can’t help but admire the scenery. Great trees stretching their limbs to the sky, babbling brooks running through, and bushes filled with berries, it honestly reminded you of untouched parts of Briar Valley.

Then you hear it, the sounds of voices. You hope that it’s not the fae, despite your friendship with Hornton, Lilia, and Sebek; most fae weren’t fond of humans. Especially, if this was a dream, and how old things seemed, they would most definitely not be pleased to see a human in their midst.

You quietly approach a cliff ledge, the voices getting louder.

“████, Wait up!”

“You’re so slow ████!”

The voices say names that sound distorted, as if you weren’t permitted to hear them. Though the voices sounded off. Peaking your head over the edge, you soon found out why, they were fae, maybe you’re not sure. Two figures, male, were down below. The first had dark scaly skin, and many tendrils coming from his body, they seemed to twist to give him form, two horns sprouting from his head, green eyes gleaming mischievously, as he teased the other larger figure.

That figure had golden eyes, a bigger build, and seemed to have fur and features on his body, as a large tail came from his body, a long snout filled with razor-sharp teeth, and three impressive horns. They seemed to be good friends, though shoving each other, laughing as they did so. It reminded you of Ace and Deuce. Though they sniffed the air, picking up the scent of something, before running off at incredible speeds. 

You began to feel tired as everything started to fade away.

Chapter 9 - Strange Group of Visitors Part 2

Harlequin watched over the crowd, ready to begin his performance. When he saw you, the human who had caught Pierrot’s attention. You entered the tent with a tall young man; he sat at the back, and you tried to sit with him. A Fool stops you, before directing you to sit at the very front. Though something changed.

He could smell the scent of something inhuman in the tent, something else. Knowing that Jester would have choice words with him if he didn’t perform on time. He began his show, the scent at the front of his mind. You seemed to be clutching your head as you stared up in fear, flinching at certain parts of his performance. Curious, he thought. It wasn’t his most graphic performance, and here you were, acting as if you had seen something frightening. 

As he ended his performance, he saw you attempting to leave, though you were blocked by the audience leaving. He stopped you, seeing you flinch and holding a hand to your head. He expressed concern, genuinely curious as to what caused such a reaction. You told him it was nothing before directing the conversation elsewhere. As you both talked, he noticed his pin on your collar. 

He gave a wicked smirk as he stepped closer to you. Wanting to see how you would react to his attention. Hoping that Pierrot would walk in and see both of you in a compromising situation. Wondering what reaction the other would give. He pushed your buttons, seeing the way you attempted to flee. This made him excited; he always liked it when prey ran. You gaze at him with a fearful glance, wanting to run. 

“Running away?... Or secretl–” Harlequin stopped when a threatening growl came beside both you and him. He quickly turned his head, ready to say something to Pierrot. When he saw that it was someone else. A tall young man, growling threateningly at him. His scent wasn’t one of a human; it was similar to that of lycanthropy, but at the same time not. 

“Let her go!” He snarled, fangs glinting in the low light. He gave a curious glance back at you and saw the relief flooding your face.

“Jack!” You cried as you extracted yourself from him. Jack pushed you behind him, telling you to regroup with the others. You nodded and left the tent. They both stared at each other.

“My, my, what have we here? Are you lost visitor?” He leaned in closer, watching the way something moved underneath his hat. It seemed that you also had secrets. Delightful ones at that. 

“I don’t care what you are, but leave her out of it!” Jack snarled at him, leaving before Harlequin could say anything. Harlequin made his way to the entrance of his tent. He watched as Jack regrouped with you. A redhead and dark haired one were waving to your group as they quickly came from Ticket Taker’s tent. A purple-haired and light green-haired one walking from the food stands, walking over holding popcorn. Jack takes the food from their hands and throws it into the trash bins.

It seemed that your group was an interesting bunch. He watched as a short young man practically flew from the Doctor’s tent. Tears ran down his face as he crashed into you, wrapping his arms around your waist as he wailed. You comforted him, and in his panic, his hat had slipped from his head. He watched fascinated as two cat-like ears poked from his head. Tufts of blue flame coming from them, you quickly grabbed the hat and placed it on him. As you all hurriedly made way to Pierrot’s tent.

Chapter 15 - Visions Part 1

You walk around the circus grounds. Taking in the sights, the air filled with the scent of popcorn and something sweet. The sounds of people walking, talking, screams around the corners of the tents or from inside. You just passed a cyan tent with screaming coming from inside, and hurriedly walked away.

The tents are color coordinated for the circus performers. So the big red top must be where Pierrot would be performing. Though you see that the flaps of the tent are closed, you can see a small line of people outside. It seems that his performances haven’t started yet.

With a hum, you decide to see if there are any other attractions around. Sure, there are the typical games at circuses, and you can see people walking out of a purple tent. As you walk, you pass groups of people. Their voices loud and cheerful, talking about the performances they’ve already seen.

As you walk, you notice that you made your way to a green tent, and it’s most likely Harlequin's tent. Stepping up to it, a pink performer asks if you’re going to enter and, if so, to present your ticket. Taking it out, they inform you to sit at the very front. You thank them and step in.

It’s dimly lit inside, people murmuring, and pointing to the center of the tent. You quickly, but carefully, make your way to the front row. You see that the seats at the front are all empty, which you find strange, but you guess that the performers only hand out special tickets to draw more attention to their circus.

You decide to sit in the first seat of the front row. As you settle in, the lights go out in the tent, causing people to shriek, gasp, or start to shush others in the crowd. Before a spotlight comes this time, centered on the figure on the stage. His grin widens, seeing that he has the attention of the audience. Harlequin’s eyes crinkle when he sees you, before speaking.

“Good evening, my dear monsters. Enjoy my show!” His voice is loud enough to be heard throughout the tent, as he bows to the audience. Some people clap in the crowd before the sound dies quickly, seeing that the rest of the people didn’t. The lights go dark again, and you hear a dark chuckle fill the air.

Before they come back on again, this time focused on a set that appeared on the stage. Harlequin stands or kneels behind a miniature backdrop. It depicts what appear to be sparse trees, drawn in crayon. His hands are outstretched, in familiar positions used by a marionettist. Oh, so like a puppet play. That’s cool.

“Far from everything, where God’s eyes cannot reach, the monsters lived.” His voice begins to narrate as six puppets appear on stage. You can’t help but find the group of puppets very familiar. As if you had seen them somewhere before. On the left stand two puppets: one resembles a pink-eyed maiden, delicate and petite, while the other resembles a dragon, with golden eyes, a long snout, and three horns sprouting from its head. They appear to be holding hands. While in the middle stands a tall green-eyed puppet, he cuts a menacing figure with two horns. On his right are three puppets: a crouched purple-eyed one, a bird-like cyan-eyed one, and a shorter white-eyed puppet with a singular horn.

“Forgotten. Hungry. Silent.” He continues, pausing with each word.

“But they had each other, supporting each other in their times of need.” The puppets move around the stage, helping each other. You start to feel a headache forming, which is not that surprising, you hadn’t eaten today.

A white tent appears over the group, supported by thin sticks, as it reaches the sky.

“Until a man appeared. He raised a tent upon the dead earth and made a deal…” Another puppet appears, a human-like puppet, dressed in simple ringmaster-like clothing, wearing a smiling mask.

“Work for me, you hideous little creatures, and I will feed you.” You suck in a breath, feeling pain in your head, as Harlequin’s voice changes to a deeper man’s voice, and you feel as if you heard it in your head. As the puppet moves around the group, talking to the purple-eyed one before motioning to the rest.

“How wonderful!” Harlequin’s voice returns to normal. He makes the puppets weary forms perk up, looking at the man with gratitude.

“Thought the monsters. And so they obeyed.” The scene then changed to the group of puppets performing tasks, such as lifting crates, tending to horses, and doing other menial tasks. You can’t help but feel reminded of the work you did for the Headmaster to earn your keep.

The scene changed this time, the backdrop changing to a crowd of people, all wearing the same smiling masks, as the ringmaster. All smiling as they looked down at the group.

“But the man brought more men. And more…” The backdrop was now joined by puppets all dressed in different types of clothing, as the mask changed, no longer the happy smiling faces. The masks changed to serrated teeth as they whispered amongst each other, pointing at the group.

“They laughed at the monsters. They applauded their pain.” You could see that the group worked on their tasks, but struggled, most likely due to their hunger. You can’t help but feel sad at the story. You can hear people behind you whispering about the story.

Then the lights went out, as a single light focused on the ringmaster puppet.

“What if I charged others to watch?” Again, his voice changed, and you can’t help but wince this time.

“The crowd loved it.” Harlequin’s voice was back again, though this time it was tinged with a bit of anger.

“But the man wanted more, always more. So he began to feed them less.” His tone, despite being cheery, carried a resentful tone.

“This way they’ll be weak. Harmless.” Again, with the voice change. You could admit that he had a great range, changing his voice on command, but why did it hurt?

The ringmaster puppet disappeared into the dark as the group reappeared.

“He laughed, while the monsters rotted in their cages, swallowed by the dark. But then they thought…” You feel mad for the group of monsters. Despite the Headmaster’s demands, he had never denied you food or shelter. Yes, he would demand more from you over the years, heavier work, but he repaid you as you were due. More if he felt you had done a particularly good job. This was cruel.

“What if we became human?” His voice changed to a seemingly calm male voice, and for some reason, it felt like it came from the purple-eyed one.

“We could eat as much as we want.” Harlequin’s voice, but it sounded younger.

“No one would ever hurt us again.” Pierrot’s voice, this time, as it came from the golden-eyed one, though younger. This is getting weird.

The stage remained dark, the stage light getting dimmer as it focused on the group of monsters. The pink-eyed maiden was a little far from the group.

“And on a moonless night, when the sky seemed dead.” You held your breath, and the rest of the audience was quiet, also sensing that something important was going to happen. As a pain began to settle more in your head. Your breathing started to pick up. What’s going on?

“The monsters realized there was an angel among them!” Harlequin’s voice cheered as the pink-eyed maiden moved forward, wings attached to her back, giving her an angelic appearance.

T̵̬̞́̐̔h̸̢̼͕͖͇̓͐̏̑͝ë̶͈̭̥́ ̷̣̭́͝m̷̧̛͎͙̘͚̌́ó̷̭̟͍̥̬ņ̷̻̹̯͂̽͝s̸̹͒̇̌̐̂t̴̡͖̥̙̒̋̋͐͝e̴͈̫̺͂̾̔͘r̶̝̣͉̗̄́͝ŝ̴̩͔̝͔̦͋̈͊ ̵̗͕̯̯̝̒͋͒̕ŗ̶̡͈̣͚̀̂̒̀̉e̶̼͙̱̊̚ạ̸̲͕̦͙̇̆l̵̺̙̻̈́̅ḯ̸̦͎͇̇́͝z̷̢̠̤͊͛̑̀͠e̶̠̩͇̫͖͊̑̌͝d̷̖̉͛̔̃̏ ̷͙̈́͐̓͝͠ͅå̵̬̣̙̩͓͋͑̄̋ ̵̫͙̦̈́̏̎͌̔s̷͍̜͈̄̒́̍͂a̸̲̠̎̓c̷̛̦̎ȓ̶͚̦̒̇͘͝ḭ̵͚̔̎f̵͍̃͂̈́̓̔i̵͙̽̂̈́̇c̸̟̉͜è̵̤̤̖ ̴̯̌̿̀̊̍w̴̟͋̌o̴̗̺̊u̵͈͓̩̰̇͌l̵̨̨̡̝͈̔̀̾͌̃ḑ̸͚̈́̂͊̕͠ ̵͓̰̯̦͎͛̚b̷̠̉̾̆̀̕ȇ̶̬̎͑͝ ̷̩̉́̀̚̕ņ̷͓̮̗͌̎̋̈́͝e̴̢̦̲̕c̴̛̝͇̝̟̆͜ḛ̸̕ṡ̴̼̜̫s̶̹̩̝̿̄̌ą̶̊̓r̸̢̧̩̹͆͒̌̋̄y̶͕͖̿͒̌.̶̧̈͆̎̓̌

A sharp pain went through your head. Harlequin’s voice became distorted as the scene in front of you changed. Instead, of the delicate angelic figure walking towards her companions. Her puppet had tears, parts missing, her pink eyes were wide and scared, as she was held down by the green-eyed, purple-eyed, cyan-eyed, and white-eyed puppets. The golden-eyed one was watching from the side, separate from the group.

Just as quickly as it appeared, the scene changed back to the one before. What was that?

“I can feed you, grow strong, become human and build a home for us.” His voice changed to a delicate, feminine voice as she sweetly told her companions her plan for them to survive.

P̵̯̰͛L̷̥̾̌E̵̙̪̊̚A̸̦̐̆Ŝ̸̤Ê̶̗͍!̸͚̚͝ ̶̝̍̄Ṉ̷̽Ō̵͓̆!̵̘̼́͛ ̵̻͑W̴̱̞̄͠e̸͎͝ ̷̭́ḥ̴̍ȃ̶̳̊͜v̸̩͕̑̚e̸̝͗̿ ̷̮́̊n̶̝̔ỏ̸͚̾ ̴̘͚̉̊c̴̰̈́͝h̵̛̟̿o̷͉̮͛͗i̶̦̾c̸̯̃ͅe̷̩̘̋͠.̴̪͑̅ ̶̫̱̇ ̶̫̉̽S̷̭͖̿ḧ̵͖́̄e̷̟͂͌ ̸̱̏͊i̸̻̊s̸͙̦̓̂ ̷̜̈́̚t̷̰͒ḧ̵̗͇è̸̤͌ ̶͈̾w̶̦̩̋ḙ̵͑̓a̷̢̺̋̅ḵ̶̛͚̒è̸͍̐s̸̬̈͛t̶͙̦͝ ̶͕͎̀̚o̷͋͛͜f̷̢̔͒͜ ̷̧̺̉̽u̷̪̇s̵͈̙̾͘.̶̭̻̓͝ ̴̪̈́͠ ̴̳̤̓Y̸̲̙͂͠o̸̥͗û̵̼̆ ̵̗͂̅w̷̻̮̐i̴̫̐̈́l̸̙̾̓ͅḽ̶̄͑ ̸̮͊̈́g̷͘ͅi̵̢͈̅͐v̶͚͑e̵̪̳̿̾ ̷̗̪̍̅ù̷͖̟͝s̴̥̔̕ ̷͎̮̒̿t̸̖̹̐͗h̶̡̢͠e̵̯̓͝ ̴̞͒̒š̵̯͘t̴̫̮̏r̷̬̒͝e̶̝̱͒́ň̴̛͚͔g̸̠̏t̴͇̂͋h̵̛̫͌ ̷̛̖̬ț̸͋̂o̴̲̓ ̷̱͙̄͠g̴͈̽͛o̵̘̰͋ ̶̢̓ͅō̵̲ń̷͍͔.̷̛̤̮̐

Again, a sharp pain launched through your head as the feminine voice screamed. As the previous voices spoke, before being joined by another voice. You put your head in your hands as the pain builds, not letting up.

“The angel said.” Came Harlequin’s voice, before an image flashed in your mind. You’re no longer looking at the floor of the tent, but rather a crying female figure. She is naked, kneeling, chained, and you can see that she is painfully emaciated. Her ribs and bones are poking out. She has dark hair, and you can make out that he has small nubs peaking from her hair. She is sobbing, her thin frame shaking from the force. Her pink eyes are slitted as she looks up at you fearfully, fat hot tears dripping from her eyes. She opens her mouth, and you can see small fangs peeking from her teeth.

Before she seems to distort, the image flashing to her head is nearly ripped off. Blood is dripping down in waves, and she is missing a chunk of her neck. You can see that she’s missing her right arm as well. Her pink eyes bulge from her head as she notices you. She reaches for you, dragging her broken body, pleading as she screams in pain and terror. She manages to grab your leg, her nails digging into your leg.

P̴̤̠̃̀͗̄L̶͓̗͓̬͊͐̽̎E̸̲͒̑͛A̷̫̣̾̓͠S̸̛̞̜̻̈̇E̸͈̱͗̒͂ ̸͌ͅH̵̨̧̟͋̀̿̾ͅE̷̙̒̐͂̒L̷̪̣̤̲͌͌̋̑͜P̵̣̏̈́͝ ̷̨̯̩͉̝̿̂̈͑M̷̫̖̹̭̪̈́̀͝Ẽ̸̫̙͌̏̐!̶̲̠͈̒ ̷͍̦̻̥̠́͌̊́̕I̴̢̞̗͚̐ ̸̺͔̗̓Ḓ̶̓̌̿̐̕O̷̡̰̱̗̫͠Ń̴̯̖̥̞̘'̸̤̏͜͝Ț̵̜̥̩͗ͅ ̵̟̹̌̇̋͆W̶̪̩̑̓͝A̴̙̩̤̣͛̃Ṋ̵̗͚͔͐͠͝T̸̢̘̻́́̉͒͘ ̷̡̛̹̪̊Ţ̵̢͙̀̃̉̃Ö̸̹̇ ̴̧̛̹̭̮̓͐D̸̨͎̺̦̊͌̀Ĩ̸̡̝̼͔̙Ę̸̠̜͐͒͐!̵͕̠̼̹̠͌̒̇

Before she is pulled away by something in the dark. Her guttural screams cut off with a sickening crunch as something swallows.

“And then, as if she had never existed, she vanished with the wind.” The vision disappeared, and you’re staring at the floor again.

“Our little miracle…”

“s̷a̶c̴r̶i̵f̸i̵c̸e̷…” Harlequin’s voice overlaps at the end, their miracle, or their sacrifice. As the puppets seem to be crying at the disappearance of the female puppet.

“The next morning, the man returned to laugh.” The ringmaster puppet reappeared, his smiling face approaching the puppets before he stopped, and started to shake.

“But the monsters’ eyes had changed. They were free. They were hungry.” The puppet's eyes had narrowed as they towered over the ringmaster. Then all of a sudden, darkness filled the tent. You can’t help it. You let out a scream and jump in your seat. Not expecting it, and the horrifying vision you had seen, put you on edge. It seemed that your scream caused some reactions. Hearing people curse and shriek, and you could hear some people giggling in the dark.

“And that’s how the monsters became human!” Harlequin’s voice seemed delighted as he spoke. The stage lights turned back on, as the puppets reappeared, this time wearing the same masks as the ringmaster. All of them looked down at a bloodied mask at their feet.

“Oh, and what happens next, you ask? After that, the new humans took their home and began to travel together. Searching for a place to build it again and live happily, just as the angel wished. Thank you! Thank you, little monsters!" He said the last words condescendingly, as the lights went out on the stage. As the lights in the tent illuminated everything. You felt a little better at the fact that there was more light. Though you remained seated.

Your thoughts are going back to what you had seen and heard. It couldn’t have been part of his performance. If it was, you could admit it scared the living daylights out of you. But you knew that it wasn’t. After your dreams, you would sometimes have visions. Like when you knew that Vil would try to poison Neige, or when you felt that something would happen at Lilia’s party. But this wasn’t anything like that. They had never been this graphic or immersive. They were even related to the dreams. Though you remember the dreams, the group in the dead forest, the group being held in cages, being served only a bucket of food for all of them. It couldn’t be them, could it?

As you're thinking and coming to a horrifying realization. You jump when a voice speaks to you. It’s Harlequin, he’s standing in front of you. He tells you that he’s glad that you made it in time for his performance, that he was hoping he’d see you tonight. You shakily stand and greet him back.

“Oh! Ma’am, did you injure yourself? You did leap quite a bit during my show.” He seems amused, but he also sends a peculiar look down at your leg. Looking down, you note with horror at what seems to be fresh blood around your foot. It was where the woman had grabbed you.

“Ah! I-I don’t think so.” You swallow as you bring your gaze to his face, and cough, wanting to change the subject.

“Your story was really... something…” You're not sure what to say. If he's part of the group you saw in your dreams, you'd rather not rock the boat more than necessary.

He hums before answering you with a bit of history behind his tale. It is a tradition to tell that old story about the circus. Though his attention shifts to the pin on your neck. Dang it, you had forgotten you had it. Then the situation shifts dramatically, and he begins to get in your space, his grin turning into a lecherous one. As he implies, you wore it for him and are clearly finding pleasure in your discomfort. As he implies that you enjoy his attentions, this makes you blanch. Not really expecting it. Although he apologizes for making you uncomfortable and for scaring you to the point of injuring yourself. He pulls out a candy apple from who knows where.

“A candy apple?” You can hear your stomach agreeing with his suggestion. Though your mind protests at taking it.

“Yes, why don’t you take it, and I’ll lead you to our medical tent.” He makes a pointed look at your foot.

“Oh! I’m not injured. I just don’t know where it came from.” To prove it, you suck it up, and lift your leg, rolling up your pant leg, and while there is no injury to show blood. There is bruising in the shape of a hand around your ankle.

“Your circus haunted or something?” You try to joke as you both stare at the bruise. He’s quiet and seems to be sniffing the air. Before he slowly shifts his head to look at you. Before he can say anything. Something flies by your face, a slight breeze, and then the apple lies by his feet. You both jump, not really expecting it, and as you look closer, it’s a knife. Harlequin looks behind you before grimacing slightly, before a wide grin reappears on his face.

He makes an off-handed comment about someone being dramatic. Though you're more focused on the apple on the floor. He sees that you're looking at it intently, before stepping in front of it, forcing your vision to go forward. He still offers to take you to their medical tent to get the bruise checked out. You thank him and reassure him that you’re fine. In the end, you’re able to leave his tent without issues.

Stepping outside, you take a deep breath. Trying to ground yourself, from what you witnessed and the realization of the dreams. They weren’t any magical creatures you were aware of, and while it is exciting at the thought of meeting what could be considered the remnants of something magical in your world. It’s better to lie low and observe the situation fully.

With that in mind, you make your way to Pierrot’s tent. Unaware of what would happen next.

You are freaking out. You had run out of Pierrot’s performance after seeing his act. It felt too real, especially with the knowledge of the dreams you’d been having, and the vision you saw at Harlequin’s tent reinforced the idea that this was something much more than anticipated. While you didn’t experience any visions. Pierrot’s shadow had moved like Mr. S’s, which had been a pleasant surprise.

Though when the stage assistant was brought out, made the situation worse. You can deny it all you want, but you knew deep down that she was dead. In a way, it didn’t surprise you if Pierrot and his troupe weren’t humans, and the treatment they faced in the dream, and the similarities of Harlequin's play, were any indication. They weren’t fond of humans. Which is what you are, unfortunately.

Now staring at Pierrot’s pleading face, as he offered you a slice of cake. You felt bad at denying him the opportunity to meet again tomorrow, but it felt safer; you had no magic, and you don’t want to drag the others into this strange situation. You sigh and accept the slice, as he leads you to a bench near the food stalls. The cake's presentation is beautiful; it’s a three-layer cake, each layer had a bit of what appeared to be jam, chocolate, and caramel. With chocolate frosting and a little red heart as decoration. You could tell that he put a lot of effort into it.

Lifting it to your mouth, you take a bite and blink at the wonderful taste. Pierrot could give Trey and his family a run for their money. The cake wasn’t too dry or moist; it was perfectly balanced with all the flavors. You could see yourself enjoying more of the cake, paired with tea. Or maybe that’s the hunger talking, but you finish it quickly. Pierrot is silent as he watches you finish it, with a pleased look on his face.

You thank him and tell him that it was delicious, but that you had to head home. Then something strange happens, you feel nauseous, and extremely dizzy. Grabbing onto the table, you try to steady yourself. Pierrot gently holds you, seemingly steadying you. You can distantly hear him asking if you want something to drink. You try to say something, but you can’t; the words come out slurred. Then you feel things go dark, and you can distantly make out Pierrot saying rather disturbing things. That he would keep you, and give you another dose, that he loves you. Your head is too stuffy to think about that loaded word. The last thing you see is his face, giving you a disturbing smile, as he voices that you shouldn’t let him eat you.

Groaning, you open your eyes and are greeted by the yellow-orange shades of sunset. Clouds followed the sun as it began to set. Birds flying in the distance, turning your head, you see that you’re on the ground, the tall grass, blocking you from seeing things. 'I'm dreaming again.' Looking down at your hand, you see that you're in shades of gray. It seems that the inhabitants of this dream wouldn’t be able to see you.

Sitting up, you see that you’re in a flower meadow. The tall grass swayed with the breeze, and the flowers were in different shades of red or dark orange. They resemble the paper flower that Pierrot had given you. It’s peaceful and calm, you can see that it’s a small meadow, surrounded by tall trees. It seems that you’re in the same forest as before, but when it was still alive. You stand and turn to see a tree that seems to be in the middle of the meadow. You head up to it, and wonder why you’re dreaming this dream.

“████. This way.” Came Pierrot’s voice? He said a name, you couldn’t catch. Turning your head, you see the being from the first dream. His impression figure, walking into the meadow. He seems happy and younger, unlike how he presents himself at the circus. His impression horns and snout. He’s gently holding hands with someone.

“Okay ████. I trust you.” It’s the female being from before, from the previous dream and the vision. She seems healthier and is dressed rather plainly; she’s giggling as she holds one of her hands over her eyes. Her other hand is being gently held by Pierrot’s as he leads her to the… tree! The one you’re currently under, but you let out a sigh of relief when you remember they won’t be able to see your physical form.

They make their way under the tree, and you slightly move out of the way.

“Look, ████” You and the female figure look, and you see that he’s motioning to a root that looks like someone could sit on it. They both sit and watch the sunset.

“It’s beautiful…” She sighs at the sight, and you could admit it is. She lays her head on his shoulder, and he lays his on hers. Both of them hold hands. Deciding that you’re interrupting a rather intimate moment. No matter if this is what the dream intended you to see. You turn and leave. Walking straight ahead, you decide that you’re going to walk around for a bit and see if that wakes you up.

As you make your way to the edge of the meadow and the surrounding trees. You can see a figure shrouded in the darkness of the trees. You stop and see that it’s the second being from yesterday. His vibrant green eyes and scaly skin shine in the dying light. You can see that the golden-eyed figure is Pierrot and the pink-eyed one is ‘Angel’. Then this must be Harlequin.

His attention is focused ahead. Turning your head to look, you see that he’s watching Pierrot and the Angel. They’re talking to each other, and you hear him take a sharp breath, when they both lean in and kiss. He lets out a low growl at that. Turning to look back at Harlequin, he’s gripping onto the tree, his claws leaving marks. From his narrowed eyes and behavior, you can guess that he’s jealous of the sweet moment between the lovebirds.

“Should have been me…” He whispers bitterly, and you see tears at the edge of his eyes. Before turning around and leaving. Giving one last look at Harlequin’s rapidly fleeing figure, and giving one last look at the lovers.

“What is going on?” You ask and then nothing.

Chapter 14 - Trouble

You shakily walk home, rubbing your arms for comfort. Your mind is a mess, and you’re not sure how to feel about the situation. It had started as something you could brush off: the arrival of the circus, the dreams, the disappearances, and now this. You could admit that the circus was frightening, and last night you were wondering if you could get Ace to come. Now you hope he never comes over.

You walk along the streets, flinching when the pink performers try to offer you flyers. You once thought their voices seemed professional, but now they seem hollow. Remembering the blank look in Carol’s eyes. Her demeaner entirely different from how she usually acted. Were these people the same? Or were they treated like the rude woman from yesterday? Here and then gone in an instant. 

You slowly make your way to your apartment building. Your thoughts flash to the various events you had gone through in Twisted Wonderland. Carol’s blank look, the faint purple glow in the center of her pupils. It reminded you of Jamil’s Snake Whisper, remembering how Kalim looked and behaved very similarly to how Carol was acting. You also remember what it was like being under his spell. A voice sweetly suggesting you listen, and your mind going blank as you felt the resistance leaving your mind and body. You're sure you looked like Kalim for the brief moments Jamil had you under his spell.

Is she being controlled? By who? Whoever it was, was powerful, being able to control all of the pink performers and give them distinctive personalities. There had to be more than 30, at least. Even Jamil still had trouble keeping his unique magic for a specific amount of time. 

It wasn’t like Ruggie’s Laugh with Me, where he could control someone’s movements; no, Carol seemed not to be herself anymore. You sigh as you enter your apartment building, waving to the landlord, making their rounds around the complex. 

Your thoughts then go to Playful Land, where the similarities start to hit you all at once. You feel scared but also deeply embarrassed. Just the other day, Ace and others had teased you about accepting a ticket from a stranger, though they showed concern, when the situation became a little too real with the disappearances. 

You swore that you wouldn’t be like Ace, accepting a ticket from a stranger, which is why you didn’t take that pink ticket; you shudder at the thought of what would have happened to you if you did. That strange man was he also being controlled by whoever is in the circus? You enter the elevator and absentmindedly press the button for the second floor. Then Pierrot had introduced himself, made you feel safe, made you think that, oh, this guy is a little awkward, but felt more secure at the thought of a ticket coming from an actual performer seemed more legit. You let your guard down, and look where it led you: drugged, kidnapped, and then bitten. You let out a tired sigh at the memory, dropping your head into your hands, and let out a hysterical giggle. 

Then, finding out that the man, who had been beating up Pierrot on the street, had spoken the truth unknowingly. The elevator stopped at your floor, and you got out, staring at the hallway before slowly making your way to your door. This is so messed up. The situation is extremely complicated, with the dreams and the visions you saw at the circus during Harlequin’s performance, which made you want to disappear. You could, though, just pack a bag and leave a note, before stepping into the mirror, nobody would ever see you again. At least in this world.

You tiredly pat your pockets, hoping that you left your keys on your person, instead of your bag. My bag!. You think you’re going to cry, Pierrot most likely had it back at the circus. Luckily, you reach into your back pocket and feel your keys. Taking them out, you unlock the door and step inside. You slump against the door, feeling safer at being inside your apartment. Sliding down, you realize that in your bag are your phones. The one you use in this world, and the one modified to work in your world, but has all the functions from Twisted Wonderland. You need to get it back, pulling out Pierrot’s red ticket. You stare at it, flipping it over, staring at Pierrot’s printed picture, his wide smile seemingly mocking you for your foolishness.

As you think, your thoughts go to the circus, and the situation blends in with what you experienced in Playful Land. Of course, there were key differences, but the overall vibe felt the same. Accepting tickets from strangers, people going missing, Carol and other pink performers, turning into wooden dolls. It was, honestly, a frightening experience; the overblots were one thing, and the world-ending ones were also an experience in themselves. But being tricked and the knowledge that you would have been sold to the highest bidder. Oh, Carol–

You freeze when you hear a sound coming from your room. You feel your breathing picking up as you make your way to your room. Walking very slowly, you take a moment to pick up your TV remote in case you need to protect yourself. Your hand reaches the doorknob, and you fling it open, and take a hesitant step inside, seeing that your balcony door was slightly open. The curtains swaying in the breeze, you relax for a moment, taking a couple more steps inside. Wait, I left it closed before I left! Your pulse spikes when you hear the door close behind you. You whirl around, and with the speed you're going, you’re surprised you haven’t given yourself whiplash.

You suck in a panicked breath when you realize that it’s Pierrot. You raise an arm in front of you, in case you need to block him, and raise the other arm, holding the remote. Just yesterday, you thought that his height, combined with his awkwardness, made him charming. Now, seeing how he was as tall as your bedroom door made him all the more threatening. Though he seemed panicked, just like you, his eyes wide, and he raised his arms in front of him, trying to make himself seem less threatening. 

“M-my lady… please, I can explain everything.” He takes slow, measured steps towards you, and you try to steady yourself.

“Really! Then was all that! My friend's being mind-controlled! You guys are behind the kidnappings! You kidnapped me!” As you say this, you raise the arm holding the remote. He stays silent, and this is confirmation enough of his guilt.

You’re going to cry. You can feel the tears at the corners of your eyes; you haven’t felt this helpless since the night you were taken to Twisted Wonderland, that feeling of helplessness at not knowing what would happen to you. He takes a step forward, and this makes you take a step back. 

This seems to be a bad move. His expression changes to one of… excitement? You feel creeped out when he smiles as a blush reaches his face, but you also catch the other things. The way his body slightly leaned forward, the way his hands clench at his sides. The leather from his gloves makes a slight sound. His eyes are what made it worse, it reminded you of Grim or Cheka when they saw a bug or mouse and were getting ready to pounce. 

It was the gaze of an excited predator. Back with Grim or Cheka, it made you coo from the adorability; here, it brought a sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach.

“Please don’t run, my lady… I don’t think I can hold back from pulling you closer.” He takes in a shuddering breath, and you can hear him swallow underneath his mask.

“Please, let me explain!” His expression then changes to a very serious one. It’s almost uncanny how fast he switches his expressions. Though his question makes you think one thing.

Oh, hell no! 

It seems that he senses your shift in demeanor, and before you’re able to take a step in either direction. He's suddenly in front of you, his bells don’t even jingle, as he wrenches the remote from your hand, it lands with a crash, as he grabs you, your feet leaving the floor, as he throws you onto your bed. 

You’re dazed for a moment, not expecting the speed at which he did all these things. He apologizes as he climbs on top of you, which makes you freak out.

“No! Get off!” You flail as you try to kick and hit him. You can hear him try to calm you down, as he lays his weight on your legs, effectively trapping them. With one hand, he grabs your wrists and pins them firmly above your head. 

You can’t help but let out a scream, which he silences, placing his other hand on your mouth. You struggle against his grip. Your mind flashes to the horrors of Playful Land. The sensation of your body slowly turning into wood, the way your body slowly stopped doing what it was supposed to. When you were carted away with others, you saw the other people screaming and crying. To be let go, crying for their parents, as Ernesto banged on their cages to shut up. It scared you so badly that Lilia, before you knew he was Silver’s father, began to comfort you. In such a gentle way that it reminded you of your father.

As your group slowly increased, all your classmates were caught and caged, as the wood slowly spread to other parts of your body. It spread to your head, your thoughts becoming muddled, and you weren’t sure if it was because you were magicless, but you turned into a puppet faster than everyone. Grim’s cries were the last thing you heard, that is, until Ernesto let you guys all go. 

You start to cry, feeling the sobs wrack your body. You stop struggling, not sure if it's the stress that came from everything. In a panic, Pierrot lets your hands go and removes his hand from your mouth, sitting up and pulling you with him.

“D-don’t cry, please, anything but that.” He sounds distraught, like he was going to start crying. Maybe it’s sick and twisted, but you lie limply in his arms, as he rocks you gently back and forth, and slowly your breathing begins to calm, and your sobs stop. 

“My lady… are you calm now?” He sounds super worried, and for a moment, a flash of anger goes through you, but you’re too tired to act on it. You give a slow nod, and you hear him sigh in relief.

He slowly pulls his head out of your shoulder, and he gives you a worried look. 

“S-so what now?” Your voice cracks as you say it.

“It was never my intention to make you cry. I could feel your fear, and it felt like such a sweet flavor.” He starts a bit shyly.

“It does something to me…” he expression suddenly shifts, “It makes my body burn, throb, yet it terrifies me to think…” his tone shifts to one of dark pleasure, and he shudders before deflating, “... You might no longer be able to stand me.” Though he looks a bit crazed, as if he were thinking of that very situation. 

“It makes me want to hold on to you tighter, to break you with my heat.” He makes eye contact with you.

“Until you forget anything, everything, that isn’t me!” He snarls out the last part.

“Until I’m the only one you think about. The way I think about you.” He brings you closer to him, his words loud in your head.

“If you try to run again, I don’t think I’ll be able to stop…” Again, you feel him take in a shuddering breath as if the thought excited him.

“Just now, you surrendered to me… but I want you to stay… to choose me because you want to stay… Please, if you just gave me a chance!” You’re not sure how to feel about this. On one hand, you want to tell him to screw off; on the other hand, you have dealt with emotionally constipated people enough to know that there was more to Pierrot’s crazed rant than you would like to admit.

“Am I going to be mind-controlled, like Carol?” You ask him, seeing the way his eyes snap, to your face, as he shakes his head.

“Never! You… I wouldn’t…” It seems that he’s having a hard time finding words for that, and you turn your head to the side.

“I can’t tell you anything about her… but if you want her. I’ll bring her to you. Just not right now.” That catches your attention, and you snap your head to look back at him in confusion. He explains that he saw you looking at Carol too much. Your brain pops up the image on the ticket puncher, his threatening words, and his two-faced mask. You’re pretty sure they’re human trafficking or something along those lines. He nuzzles into your neck, commenting about your heartbeat.

Though his words about you returning to the circus and brings you back to speed. You know you need to get your stuff.

“My bag! Is it still at…” You trail off, and he confirms that he hid it at his tent and would give it back to you after your visit. You sigh in relief; you need it before you head back. Though one question is still on your mind.

“Pierrot… Why go through all this?” You ask him, genuinely confused about why he would do all this, exposing part of what they do at the circus. You’re an outsider, and you’re pretty sure the rest of the performers are in on it too. So you’re pretty sure that you’re going to be “taken care of” to prevent the cops from sniffing at their grounds.

He pulls back enough for you to see his face up close; he’s blushing heavily.

“Why?... Because I love you, my dear!! I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you so much it hurts, it burns!!” He bursts into a love-filled tangent. It spooks you, as he continues, and it mostly goes into one ear and out the other as you try to process what he’s saying. It also confuses you.

“W-wait! Love!” You pull back from his embrace. 

“We literally met like yesterday, dude! You can’t love me!” Maybe it’s the stressful situations from Twisted Wonderland that made you question things more thoroughly. The situation also makes you question the truthfulness of his words.

That seems to be the wrong thing to say as his expression shifts to one of desperation. His breathing picks up as he grips your arms to bring you closer.

“My lady! I love you! What I feel for you is true!” Sure, you know there’s the whole love at first sight, but you’re pretty sure that you didn’t do anything noteworthy. Not anything that would make someone confess like this to you.

“Pierrot, let’s think a little logically. We met yesterday, and it’s too soon to say stuff like that to someone you barely know.” You try to reason with him, trying to get him to see sense. Yes, you could admit that Pierrot is attractive, strangely and weirdly charming, but you also don’t know how to feel about him, considering the situation. There are more pressing matters at hand.

He wilts, and his golden eyes tremble. Now you feel bad, you can hear Ace making fun of you for making a guy cry. “My lady… Do you hate me?” His voice cracks, and you feel shocked. Where did that come from?

“W-what! I don’t hate you, Pierrot. It’s just that… It’s been a lot.” You explain to him, seeing as his expression brightens as he pulls you into a hug again, treating you as if you were a teddy bear. Though he’s gentle about it.

“My lady… Do you need space? I can leave if you need me to…” He trails off, and it’s obvious he doesn’t want to leave. Honestly, you do need to think, and it’s better if Pierrot weren’t around to confuse your thoughts. Curse my bleeding heart. If he leaves, you can go to the mirror and prep for the evening to come. Inform your friends who are most likely blowing up your phone.

“Yeah, I need to think…” You tell him with a sigh, feeling tired, knowing that he’ll leave for you to get ready. He sighs unhappily, squeezing you one last time, before letting go and getting off your bed.

“I’ll see you later, Pierrot.” You tell him, and he nods before thanking you. He bids you goodbye and heads towards your balcony window, before opening it and promptly jumping over the edge. You yelp and run to see, yelling that it was the second floor. You see his form run off towards the circus grounds.

You let out a frustrated groan before closing the door. At your desk, you had a mirror, turning to look, you let out a, yikes, at your appearance. You look rough, your eyes are puffy and red, and you look like you got run over. You should take a bath and get a new change of clothes before you head over to Twisted Wonderland, you’ll only worry them if you look like this.

As you get your clothes, your brain replays Pierrot’s confession to you. It’s strange, you’re sure you haven’t done anything to catch his attention. His and Harlequin’s, but you’re pretty sure that Harlequin is messing with you to piss Pierrot off. You cringe when the balcony door slides open as a familiar voice speaks up.

“Finally, I thought he’d never leave.” You sigh and turn around, and sure enough, there he is, leaning against the door, watching you, an arm behind his back, with those strangely familiar green eyes. Now that you think about Pierrot’s golden eyes are strangely familiar. Harlequin remarks in an almost offended tone that it was cruel of you not to ask about him.

“That brute made a young lady cry. How very cruel of him to leave bruises on your wrists, ma’am.” Now that he mentions it, you didn’t notice when Pierrot was around, but he had left marks on your skin. They were faint, but you knew they would get darker due to your struggling. You question him on what happened, and he explains that Pierrot had gone cataclysmic when you had run. You ask if he had gotten hurt in the confusion. He laughs and makes a vulgar joke that you don’t find funny.

“Don’t be like that, ma’am, especially when I went through the trouble of retrieving this.” He pulls out his arm, and there it is, your bag. You reach out to take it, but he pulls it back with a wicked smirk. 

“Thank you, Harlequin, for bringing me my stuff. Whatever would I do without you?” You tell him in a bland tone. This seems to amuse him, and you’re able to pull your bag from his grip. You reach inside, and sure enough, your phone has missed calls and texts from your friends. Asking where you were. You sigh, you’ll have to apologize for the inconvenience.

“What, no ‘Thank you’?”

“I already did. Besides, you just brought my stuff, so Pierrot would freak out.” You seem to hit the nail on the head, as his grin becomes wider and crueler. As he makes his way into your space, he remarks that both of you would make a wonderful duo. Playing pranks to mess with Pierrot. If there’s one thing you can’t stand, it's people finding joy at the expense of others. Seeing that it wouldn’t be a harmless prank or whatever Harlequin was cooking up. He can see your displeasure and tells you that you both were having fun at the tent, and you pull a face at the memory of the knife, his mask, and bite. You’ll have to get that checked out. 

He makes another vulgar comment, knowing that you’re thinking about what happened in the tent. While he’s right, it’s not going down whatever drain he’s going down. You tell him that, and once again, he leans in close to your face, questioning if you wanted to know more. While you’re curious, you’re sure that it would be less perilous if you asked Pierrot. He continues to say more things that make you uncomfortable, which makes him stop. He switches the conversation.

“I heard bits of your conversation earlier. He’s right, you shouldn’t show more than what you know. Your eyes, they tell me many things.” Your brain flashes to Carol and the situation at hand. Though he presses his luck again, making remarks about how what happened in the tent will seem innocent, to what he has planned for you. Should you choose to venture into his games? Ha! Yeah right! After that, he leaves, bidding you a good afternoon, and hopes you have a good time at the circus later.

Chapter 13 - Are you a…?

Pierrot had shown up at your apartment again. Just as he said he would last night. You watched from your couch as he hustled and bustled around your kitchen. He offered to make you something. Though he seemed a bit confused about the brands, he turned his back to you and tasted some of the ingredients. You would buy most of your groceries from Twisted Wonderland and bring them back. It tasted similar, but had a certain quality that made it different. 

You remember when he cornered you, on your bed, and you felt his horns. They felt similar to Hornton’s. Pierrot felt bulkier, as if there were more than two.

You can’t help but wonder if the rest of the circus troupe had horns. If so, what were they? Were they dragon fae, like Horton? Or were they dire beasts like Grim? Beastmen? They couldn’t be mermen unless they were also taking potions. The more you stared at Pierrot, the more curious you became. It seems that you do have a proclivity for trouble.

“My lady?” You snap out of it and give him a hum. You stand and make your way to the table. Sitting down, he places a bowl of stew in front of you. You thank him, and notice he doesn’t have a bowl in front of him.

“You’re not going to eat?” You ask him, wondering if he would take off the mask. Or if he would do that thing like Harlequin opening the mouth of it.

He seems embarrassed and shakes his head. You ask if it’s another rule that he follows at the circus. He nods in agreement. 

“You know, we’re not at the circus right now. You can eat, I don't mind.” You try to reassure him.

“I don’t want to scare you.” He tells you, and you feel bad, but you let him know.

“When you left me tied up, Harlequin came, and he opened up the mouth of his mask. I’m assuming you can do the same.” He seems conflicted as he grips the edge of the table, his expression shifting to anger, concern, and a bit of fear. You can tell that he is going to have some choice words when he gets back.

“By the way… yesterday when I pet your head. I felt something.” You awkwardly tell him, trying to make it fast, like ripping off a Band-Aid. You can see him tense as he still grips the table.

“You have horns, right?” You phrase it more like a statement than a question; you know what you felt. Hornton had let you touch his horns, and Pierrot’s had that similar firmness to it. 

“My lady… You are mistaken. It’s part of the uniform.” He tries to lie, and you give a deep sigh and roll your eyes at his attempts to deflect.

Wordlessly, you stand and begin to head to your room. You can hear him get and follow you. Turning around, you tell him to stay at the table, that you’re going to show him something. He looks like he’s going to argue, but reluctantly sits down. You normally have your photos on the wall, but put them away occasionally when cleaning or when visitors come to your apartment. 

Opening the door, you head to your desk, and due to the ghost camera, you have many pictures of your friends. You pull out a group photo of you, Grim, Silver, Sebek, Lilia, and Hornton. The five of you were dressed similarly, though Grim had a ribbon. Apparently, if the stories were to be believed, the Thorn Fairy had a mother and daughter relationship with a human peasant girl. In respect, the Draconia family had clothing designed similarly to hers that could only be worn by those close to the royal family. While Hornton was dressed to the nines in his regalia, it’s extremely beautiful; you make sure to place a finger over his head.

You walk out of your room and head to the kitchen area, and see that Pierrot is bouncing his leg and perks up when you stand a bit closer to him. “You promise not to freak out?” He nods, and you sigh before handing him the photo.

You can see how his face changes from curiosity to confusion as he takes in the subjects in the photo. “That’s me, Grim, and Silver.” You point to those you just said, though you didn’t tell him the names of Sebek, Lilia, or Malleus. You knew that names had power, and if Idia and Ortho’s theories were right, the stories of Fae in your world had more influence over them than in Twisted Wonderland.

“And them?” He asks as he stares at Horton, more specifically, his horns.

“That’s not my place to tell.” You tell him, and he seems confused, and you elaborate a bit more.

“They’re Fae. So it’s better and safer for everyone.” You tell him nervously, and he looks alarmed. 

“F-fae!? My lady, are you alright?” He puts the photo down and tries to get a grip on you, and you jump back slightly. 

“Hey, they’re my friends–” He interrupts you.

“Friends!? They’re tricksters and enjoy tormenting humans.” He tells you, and for a moment, it seems that he wants to grab you.

You knew that, due to the scientists at Styx and comments from Hornton and the Headmaster, your world, despite you telling them that there was no magic, found faint traces of it. It seems that whatever species Pierrot was knew of the Fae and how they worked.

“So you’re not a Fae?” This stops his tirade, and for a moment, he almost seems offended that you made that connection.

“No–” He seems to catch on and stops talking. 

“So, are you like Grim?” You ask and reach for the photo, flipping it over and pointing to him. 

“He’s a Direbeast, or depending on who you ask, a monster.” He freezes at the last word. 

“Look, I know that you’re hiding a lot from me. But you not being a human is one of the things that isn’t an issue.” You tell him, and it’s not, while a bit surprising, for the most part, you had gotten used to being around different species and how they perceived you as a human. Especially when you weren’t seen in a favorable light. As you say this, you don’t notice that he’s trembling. You’re surprised when you’re brought into a hug, his huge form enveloping you as his height causes you to be lifted off the floor. 

“You’re not scared?” His voice is soft and delicate, and if you weren’t careful, something might break.

“No, I’m not.” You tell him truthfully, well, the fact that he’s not human doesn’t scare you; you can deal with that, the whole Playful Land 2.0 situation going on, on the other hand, does.

Chapter 20 - C'mon Carol! It's Suspicious!

It had been a day since the traveling circus arrived in town.

You know it’s wrong to assume the worst of people. 

You should know.

But even you can’t deny that everything is suspiciously falling into place.

The dreams, the circus appearing, even the young woman who went missing the other day.

You can’t help but think of Playful Land. How Ernesto and Gino could make it quickly appear and disappear with the unfortunate. Even though they both turned a new leaf, with Ernesto becoming a school teacher and Gino attending school just as Ernesto wished.

Though you had bigger things to worry about, especially the scene in front of you.

Carol, your coworker, who you admired. She was serving a customer in a pristine light blue suit. Though he feels off to you. His eyes feel hollow and dead in a way almost as if they weren’t capable of reflecting light, his skin looks too rubbery, almost as if it's being pulled uncomfortably, his smile looks fake, and you’ve seen fake smiles over the years. This guy could give Jamil and Azul a run for their Madols.

Though you couldn’t help but curl in on yourself at his voice. It had a slight upbeat tone that, to someone inexperienced, sounded charming. Though you could tell that he was lying from his tone, carrying something sinister underneath. 

“Here you are, sir, one coffee.” Carol gave a bright smile towards him. Giving him a pleasant smile, showing her experience in this line of work.

“Thank you, my dear.” He took a sip, “This is a wonderful cup of coffee. Does this cafe have a secret form of brewing?”

You couldn’t help but let out a small groan. Man, this guy is laying on thick.

Carol let out a small chuckle, “None, sir. It’s just brewed the same way as any coffee. Though it could be thanks to Yuu.” She looks over her shoulder, giving you a teasing smile which you return, but freeze when the man switches his attention towards you.

You can’t help but look away, feeling a shiver run down your spine. You fiddle with the espresso machine, hoping that you appear busy, and hope that a customer needs something, preferably away from his line of sight.

“Give her my compliments, then.” He took another sip, and you hoped that was the end of it, and it seems that Carol thought so too.

“If there is anything you need, sir?” She gave a customary question.

He put his cup down and hummed. Almost too quick to notice, at least to Carol, you could see the way his eyes became a tad bit lifeless before a charming smile appeared on his face.

“Ah! That reminds me! Have you been to the circus?” 

“Uh… no, sir.” His question seemed to confuse Carol and you.

“It’s simply because I have some leftover tickets.” He reaches into the breast pocket of his suit, pulling out two bright pink tickets. 

“Oh no, sir. I can’t accept.” Carol waves her arms in front of her.

“It’s fine, my dear. I wanted to go with a friend, but they cancelled at the last minute. As luck would have it, I will be swamped with work and not able to attend. If you’d like, you can take someone with you.” You saw the way his eye flickered in your direction.

It felt like you were going to throw up. That familiar feeling of dread settled in your stomach as Carol seemed to consider her options. You saw the way her eyes flickered to the tickets, and feeling like you had to do something, you walked over the counter and headed their way.

“I’m sorry, sir. But store policy says that employees can’t accept any gifts from customers.” That seems to snap Carol out of it.

“She’s right, sir. Thank you, but I can’t accept.” She shakes her head, and for a moment, the man is silent, and you can see the way his jaw clenches before smoothing out.

“I see. That can’t be helped.” He calmly places the tickets away, and you relax a bit. 

“Hey, Yuu! Carol! Take these orders to their tables!” You swivel your head towards your boss and salute him.

“Yes, sir!” Before heading over, and in your peripheral vision, you see Carol walking away from the man. The rest of your shift passes without incident, well, other than the pink clowns distributing flyers inside the cafe.

Afterwards, you and Carol are cleaning the cafe, ready to close up shop.

“Hey, Yuu?” You hum.

“Why did you say that to the customer? That policy only really applies if it’s a conflict of interest.” She was right, your boss was a bit more lenient when it came to gifts, since, for the most part, everyone knew of someone in town.

You turn towards her, “Carol, he was giving me a bad feeling.” You cringe at the unimpressed look she gives you, before she sighs.

“You’re right, but you know he wasn’t really doing much.” It’s true, other than the feeling and the fact that he looked off. He was being a respectful customer, maybe a little forward with the tickets.

“I mean, yeah, but…” You trail off, clenching the broom in your hands.

“I know that the town is a little on edge right now. But don’t fall for the lies people are saying.” She tells you to wipe down some tables.

“Carol, you didn’t notice.” She looks at you, confused.

“He was off, but he also looked wrong.”

“Yuu…” She warned.

“Carol, he looked weird. Like, don’t tell me you didn’t notice how pale he was. His eyes, too they felt empty…” She sighed at your words.

“Then the tickets! It’s a good thing I stopped you from taking them.” You sighed in relief, and you noticed Carol furrowing her brow slightly.

“You didn’t take it right?” She didn’t say anything and continued cleaning.

“Carol! That’s not safe! You don’t know who he is–” 

“I met him before. So he’s safe.” She looked at you a bit angrily.

“Look, all I’m saying is that he’s sketchy, and even if you know him, it can be dangerous.” You backtrack, not wanting to anger her.

“Why do you care so much anyway?” Carol asks you, crossing her arms.

You sighed, “You promise you won’t freak out?”

“Depends…”

“Okay, you know my whole runaway saga, right?” You ask her a bit sheepishly.

“Yeah, you made quite the uproar when that happened.” She sighs and shakes her head.

“Well, I went to a boarding school and all that. But that’s not really important.”

“Well, one day my group of friends was in town after their basketball game, and they lost by the way. So we were just hanging around town, and then we were approached by two people. They offered us special tickets to their amusement park. Not only were the tickets free, we could also go on any ride we wanted, and we didn’t have to pay a dime for food and drink.” She looked a bit confused.

“Stay with me.”

“Even though we told them we had school and couldn’t go. One of the men was very insistent and said that we could come meet him in the early hours of the next day, like around 5 or 6, I forget, with anyone we wanted to bring.” That made a bit of an alarm show up on her face.

“That sounds…”

“Sketchy, right? Well, that’s what I told my friends, and they could forget about me going with them. Though word spread out, and two of my upperclassmen decided that I had to go, so they abducted me from my bed and took me with them. Since I make situations amusing and interesting.” She looked shocked.

“Well anyways thats the not the point. We get there, and we have a great time, honestly. We were dumb teenagers, and I forgot what I was worried about until the time came to leave.” You swallowed before continuing.

“We were walking around the park, and there were no people. Not only were all the employees gone too, but our phones weren’t working. They had no signal, and we couldn't contact anyone.”

“We were walking around when we heard crying and screaming,” You paused, “We s-saw people being carted away in cages, crying for their parents. Parents begging them to spare their children, and for someone to help them.” You watched as Carol’s face paled.

“Wait! So you mean–!”

“Yeah, it was all a trick. A human trafficking operation, and we were the unlucky souls.”

“I was captured with some of my friends, while the others ran to come up with a way to get out of the amusement park. Carol, they did something to me, and I started to lose feeling in my whole body, starting from my legs, and the feeling rose, until I couldn't even talk, and after that, I don’t remember.”

“Yuu!” She walked closer and hesitated, wanting to place a hand over your shoulder.

“Well, apparently, the men had a change of heart and let us go. After that, we didn’t see them for a few years. All I know is that they’re adjusting to normal lives.”

Carol was silent, processing, “That’s why that man was weird to me. He was offering free tickets. They cost almost a hundred dollars each. If they cost that much money, he could have tried selling them, since the circus is popular. Also, I went to buy some tickets for my friends, and the tickets are yellow. Not pink.” She widens your eyes and takes out a pink ticket from her pocket. It looked almost like the yellow ones you bought, but it seemed thicker.

“So maybe he’s a con-man. Maybe he’s part of human trafficking. Maybe it’s just a way to cause trouble for the circus. You’ve seen people harassing them on the street.”

“That’s why I’m telling you to be careful, Carol.” She stayed silent the whole time you were cleaning, and out of the corner of your eye, you saw her staring at the pink ticket before ripping it and throwing it in the trash.

After that, you both bid each other good night and went home. You can’t help but feel like you dodged a bullet with Carol.