25 // Neurodivergent // Queer // Hello and welcome!
This is a blog dedicated to whatever media I'm currently fixated on and/or writing about (ao3: afalvi)
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made a tumblr to like and reblog others' cool fandom content, but have recently started posting my fics here too! thank you so so so much for all yall's kind comments (both here and on ao3), likes, kudos, and rbs!!! it means the world to me!!
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Currently obsessed with and writing for: The Freak Circus
this amazing visual novel has sparked some serious creativity and the characters and this wonderful fandom have brought me so much happiness lately!!! i've noticed i've been wanting to take my writing a lot more seriously too!
i don't have many specific tags or a masterlist yet. but when i do, i'll update this section! (if anyone knows some good ways to make a masterlist, pls lmk thank you!)
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please donât repost my fics anywhere. The only place I publish them is on ao3 and tumblr.
that was a longer post than intended lol! thank you for reading this and respecting my boundaries.
please take care of yourselves and show yourself some kindness!!! don't forget to take your meds, get some food, water, rest, and relaxation when you can đđ
A/N: here's chapter 8 (and ch 11 is currently at 5,302 words and counting!!)
if you would like to read the rest of the fic, up to ch 10 has been uploaded to ao3 here! also, whenever i upload ch 11 to ao3, i'm gonna try to post it to tumblr on the same day or the next. i'll try to keep that upload schedule with the remaining chapters as well as other fics i write in general!
hope y'all have been well and hope yall enjoy!!
The five clowns once again sat in their staff tent, quietly eating the meal Ticket Taker had made. However, the performers were not very focused on their food at the moment.
Harlequin, Jester, Ticket Taker, and Doctor kept looking towards Pierrot, who had considerbly more energy compared to this morning. It was like he had gotten a full eight hours rest. Interestingly, his pupils were in the shape of two hearts, each as wide as his grin. Heâd been like this since he first arrived back to the circus.
The other four shared looks, engaging in a silent conversation.
âWhat happened at the cafe?â
âHe surely saw that human again. What else?â
âWould that be all? Heâs never come back home this happy before.â
âHe did get home a little later than normal. Perhaps he stayed talking to them.â
âYou may be right.â
âDo we address it or just leave well enough alone?â
Harlequin decided to answer that unspoken question. âWell, someoneâs in a good mood,â he remarked.
And just like that, Pierrotâs heart eyes disappeared as he glared at Harlequin in annoyance.
âWhat? Itâs wonderful youâre feeling more awake! You might not even need a nap anymore.â
âThat being said,â Jester interjected, âhow are you doing, Pierrot?â
âIâm feeling much better. Rejuvenated, I guess you could say.â
âGood, weâre glad to hear it. Harlequin, how are you?â
âOh Jester, you worry too much! Iâm just fine, thank you.â
They continued lunch with light discussion. Everyone took turns providing updates on how their own days were proceeding.
Before they finished eating, Jester mentioned a slight change in plans. Since more flyers were handed out than usual, he thought it best that everyone start focusing on rehearsing early so that they can rest if needed.
After cleaning up the table, everyone each went to their respective performance tents.
All but two.
Pierrot stood outside Harlequinâs personal tent and took a deep, steadying breath. He had no clue what he wanted to talk about, but it more than likely was not good. He opened the flap with a swift movement to find Harlequin was sitting cross-legged on his bed.
âWelcome,â Harlequin said with a cheeky smile. âYouâre a minute late. Perhaps you do need some rest after all.â
âDonât make me regret coming over here. I donât know what you wanted to talk about, but Iâm certain that I donât have much to tell you.â
âAre you sure? That aggravated look on your face says otherwise~â
Pierrot growled. He had so many better things he could be doing right now (like rehearsing, actually resting, daydreaming of MC, thinking of ways to better MCâs quality of life), but instead he was wasting his time here. One more chance and that was it.
âWhat. Did. You. Want. To. Discuss? Tell me right now or I leave.â
While Harlequin would love to poke and prod at him until he snapped, he didnât want to cause anything serious, especially because this was a matter of utmost importance.
All pretense dropped.
âItâs about MC.â
Adrenaline coursed through Pierrotâs veins. Were they okay? How were they doing? What did Harlequin see? How bad were they now? Were they on the brink of death?
âThey arenât severely injured or dying. But, as Iâm sure you saw too, their health seems to be worsening. I may have an answer as to why, but we need to be on the same page if weâre going to begin to resolve this. What do you know about our Dear Oneâs predicaments thus far?â
Pierrot narrowed his eyes, suspicious. He knew you were unwell and wanted to do everything in his power to help get you better, but the very fact that it was Harlequin who wanted information made him automatically hesitate.
âŠBut it sounded like Harlequin had found out something very important. In order to better help you, he needed to know everything. But what ifâ
âNo clue as of yet, but it is something our Dear One is currently undergoing. They said it ends this Sunday, and when it does, they will be attending the circus once more and see us far more frequently. They also mentioned that school, specifically something called finals, was giving them trouble. They, in their own words, despise them for obvious reasons but also because whatever finals are have been keeping them away from us. â
âAnd what are these âfinalsâ?â Pierrot asked, trying to hide the fear in his voice. FinalsâŠit sounded so ominous, so threatening!
âNo idea. They didnât explain.â
âAre they doing this by choice?â
Harlequinâs expression darkened, a disgusted scowl forming on his lips. âFrom how they described it, it didnât sound like it.â
Pierrotâs pupils shrank until they were hardly visible. âWho!? Who or what is forcing our beloved to do something that brings them such pain?â
That voice againâŠ
Harlequin kept his tone even and calm.
âI assume their university.â
Pierrotâs rage began to subside. This was one area where they didnât have much say. Your university work was a big part of your life, for better and for worse.
When asked, you told them your main reasoning for wanting a degree was so that you could hopefully have a better future with a better paying job. However, the more you studied, the more you were considering academic jobs too, or something in research. You also said your university was introducing you to a lot of opportunities like internships, which would give you some of that experience those other jobs so desperately craved from its applicants. From what youâve said of most of your professors thus far too, they have been in their fields for substantial amounts of time. They accrued knowledge and fostered relationships with other important people in your field of study, people that were also interested in hiring or were looking for hard-working, dedicated scholars to invite on to their projects. You then told them about grants and how these projects could open other doors for you too.
Pierrot and Harlequin would never forgive themselves if they somehow ruined your chances for such a bright future.
It was for that reason that they would often concede and let you do what you had to. They just hated how it seemed to constantly run you ragged. They normally forced themselves to step back for your futureâs sake, but they had never seen you this worn out before. If there was ever a time to intervene, it was now.
âThatâs all I know. Now itâs your turn to share. Letâs start with last night. What happened?â
Harlequin seemed to earnestly tell him the truth. No funny tricks, no clever scheme. Pierrot would rarely admit this out loud, especially not in front of the man himself, but it was times like these where he was sincerely grateful Harlequin was in the picture. He wouldnât have been able to find this out otherwise.
âPierrot, what did you see?â
âLast night, they stayed up until 5:26 in the morning typing on their laptop.â
âThat whole time?!â
Pierrot nodded. âThat's only because their body forced them to sleep. They had gotten a phone call from someone named Marissa. They seemed to be friends. I couldnât hear much, but I did hear something about Foley.â
That was an all too familiar name. Every so often, when you were pushed just past your limit, you would rant to Pierrot and Harlequin. At the center of these rants was usually one name: Foley.
You hadnât given any physical descriptors yet and neither Harlequin nor Pierrot could take enough time off from rehearsing or flyering to scope out your university to try finding their target, but any time they did get more info, they were all ears.
âUghhhh, what did he do this time?â
âHe apparently changed something so our beloved had to do even more work last night.â
âTypicalâŠWell, that simply wonât do.â
âNo. Not at all.â
âIs anyone else giving our Dear One problems?â
âYes. Him and someone else. Someone named John.â
âHrm, that name doesnât ring a bell. What did that one do?â
âThey haven't done their part for what MC has been working on. Iâm sure you can guess whoâs been doing their share of the work this whole time.â
Harlequin hummed in deep dissatisfaction. Looks like they had another new target to watch for.
âNot like that that. It was something I saw when I was leaving. Poor, exhausted MC was trying to take a nap on their break, but their phone kept alerting them of something. I assume they took care of it because they tried to rest again, but then their alarm rang.â
The two clowns were silent. They each processed the information the other told them, along with what they had witnessed themselves, and tried to come up with some kind of plan that didnât end in you getting in trouble with your institution.
Despite all the pain and exhaustion, you genuinely seemed to like attending university. You always smiled whenever you would tell them about what cool, new things you were learned or researched. It was so adorable! You would pace around, flap your hands, and go off into five different tangents about it all! Harlequin and Pierrot committed each story, each tangent, every word, and every syllable to memory. They still couldn't believe they had a partner as wonderful as you. Â
But aside from what you learned from your lectures, an occasional Foley rant, or an impassioned retelling of what Dr. Wu helped you with or taught you, you kept many things a secret, especially when it came to your workload. You just said that you were fine, it was just typical studying troubles you just had to get through, and switched conversation topics. It greatly concerned your partners each time.
However, when it came to situations like these, where you were clearly in distress and needed help, Pierrotâs and Harlequinâs lack of knowledge about how university functioned put them at a severe disadvantage.
They and Doctor had learned most of what they knew about post secondary education from Jester and Ticket Taker. One of their original plans was to forge degrees for all five of them just in case, so Jester and Ticket Taker had begun to learn what went into that. They forewent that plan soon after. The circus wouldnât dare be caught up with humans long enough to necessitate the question of a degree anyways. Plus. it was not as necessary as other things. In Ticket Takerâs book, five fake diplomas would be a waste of money and time much better spent elsewhere. That was when they began to focus more on obtaining things like their driverâs licenses.
âWhat should we do?â
âTonight, immediately after Jesterâs meeting, we pay our Dear One a little visit. Weâll put that laptop away, make them eat something since they more than likely wonât have eaten a thing, and then help them go to sleep, Even if we have to bring them here to do so.â
âFor once, I agree. Our dearest would be far more comfortable in my bed than theirs.â
âHeh. Funny, arenât you?â
âWhat do you mean?â Pierrot asked with a smirk.
âYou know I meant my bed.â
âOh, you did? But I thought you too wanted them to get a good nightâs rest. That would be impossible in sheets stained with your filthy fluids!â
As Harlequin and Pierrot squabbled, Ticket Taker, who had been eavesdropping the whole time, decided to make his presence known. He walked in front of the tent, deliberately looked around, then walked off. Their bickering stopped as soon as they saw him.
âWeâll talk more later,â Harlequin whispered.
Pierrot and Harlequin snuck their way to their actual performance tents. Ticket Taker, on the other hand, was on his way to Jesterâs to inform him of the valuable information he just learned.
The picture was already quite clear, but it would have been unwise to act on something they only had mere assumptions of.
They needed irrefutable proof. Proof which was revealing itself more and more by the minute.
After the anniversary event concluded, members of my Patreon decided to share Columbina's answers with everyone! So this week, you'll get to see the first batch of questions she answered.
I'd also like to let you know that development updates are already underway. Patrons receive these updates one week early, and then they'll be reposted on our other social media platforms afterward!
Meanwhile, @destinysquared is working on the next official canon comic about Harlequin's pet!
She'll be streaming some of the pages on her Patreon if you'd like to catch an exclusive early preview.
A/N: here's ch 7!!! this was the turning point where the chapters start getting longer! đthank you for all the love, support, and comments yall have left!! (i am SO sorry i haven't responded!! been dealing w some personal things and academic burnout, but will get to responding asap!!!) thank you so much for your patience too!!
if you liked this fic and want more, up to ch 10 has been uploaded on ao3 here!
thank yall again and i hope you enjoy!!
You were still trying to process everything.
You found out from your team earlier that Foley had, once again, changed something. Naturally, you were devastated. So after serving a few more people, you took a âbathroom breakâ to check your school email.
There were six new emails all marked URGENT.
First was Foleyâs.
He wrote two things. First, he said that, due to several calls and emails from the students, the required video of the groupsâ practice rehearsal could now be a Zoom. Second, he said the Dean had sent him an email that morning. The Dean allegedly told him the college wanted something different from the students, aside from their final project, presentation, and report. This was highly suspicious, but you read on. Foley then said that, based on this new info from the Dean, you and your classmates would be required to answer some questions based on a seven page case study instead of that impromptu research paper he assigned Monday night. The case study was supposed to be attached to the email. (It wasnât, which was what the next email was for.)
Rosa and Alex had been ranting about it in the group chat, but your new assignment didnât seem too bad. The case studies were usually pretty straightforward: read the thing, answer the accompanying questions, and make some data-based inferences. You didnât even need to go to the writing center for it! Plus, it was due Sunday at midnight, so you had a few more days to work on it.
The next was from the university admin, both regarding finals: ALL final exams, from every college and every department, would be pushed back. The times and days of the week the exams landed on would stay the same, but they were now to be taken a week later! Fantastic news! Surreal, even.
With that good mood you had looked at the next email. Your mood instantly dissipated.
It was from your collegeâs Dean. Its subject line said âEMERGENCY MEETING!!!â
You grumbled quietly.
There had been a lot of administrative chaos and confusion this semester, which you and every other student in your department had been struggling with. The past two months had been crammed with mandatory âemergency meetingsâ that were just going over deadlines everyone already knew about. To add to the frustration, these meetings were held when many of the students were at work. They tried to communicate this issue to the Dean, but all he said was that times and dates of the meetings were final. And of course, everyone was informed of them last minute; a week in advance was their most generous timeframe.
You were about to read the email when your eyes landed on the subject line of the next one: âPlease Disregard Previous Email.â You clicked on it out of curiosity. In this latest one, the Dean said there would be no meeting because of final presentations and exam prep and they would just send another email in a few days with whatever it was they were going to tell you all.
Hold on. A cancelled meeting that was going to be an email!? This day couldnât get any better!
Finally, you read the last email. The one from Dr. Wu.
First, she apologized profusely for all the chaos this semester was throwing at you guys. She was not aware of why there had been so many issues lately, but it was unfair to the students who had been working so diligently and been doing an excellent job at keeping up with this mess. She then said, as a small help, the deadline of her classâs final paper would be extended until Sunday. Further, she reduced her paperâs requirements. Now only 2500 words would be needed, that total now including the References. She apologized, wishing she could offer more assistance, but this was as much as she was able to do, aside from answering questions during her office hours. She finished by wishing everyone well and to contact her immediately if there was anything she could do for anyone.
And this was why Dr. Wu was your favorite professor. Sure, she was strict and her assignments could be difficult, but she was always more than happy to help the students out. You had visited her numerous times needing clarification on assignment instructions or help understanding something about that dayâs lecture, and she walked you through everything step-by-step. She even made diagrams for you because she knew you learned best with visuals!
A sharp knock on the bathroom door snapped you out of your thoughts.
âBe right out!â you called.
You washed your hands and left, apologizing to the waiting customer.
âMC, I need one cheese bread and two chocolate croissants.â
âOn it, Boss.â You threw the three pastries in the toaster oven.
As you continued working on other orders, your mind drifted to what you had to work on today.
âOk, finished up everything for Boid last night! Well, most of us did. Still need Sasha to finish up her slides. Dm her today. If she doesnât respond, try her socials, then school email. If she still doesnât respond by tomorrow, email professor. It would be short notice, so let Boid know you have a backup plan. (Side note: make a backup plan). Weâll rehearse on Thursday. Final exam for this class is now next Wednesday at 1:15 pm.
Melendez: everything fully complete and submitted last night!! Text everyone asap about rehearsing Wednesday. Then final exam next Thursday at 10:05 am.
Wu: thanks to her reducing the requirements, I donât need to worry about the word count anymore! Actually, I think I have 500 words over now. Just focus on the quality. Continue making sure all the info, especially the citations, are correct. Add in your references, format everything, then send it in. I really wanna impress her, so make sure this essay is good. This paper counts as our final exam too. Even more of a reason to put your best foot? paper? forward.
Foley: Original report completed. fucking finally! everyone finished their parts of the PowerPoint (except for John of course)! Standardize the formatting tonight. Oh, don't forget to text the group chat about John being MIA and what days and times for a Zoom meeting would work. Confirm Thursday appointment with both the writing center and the rest of the team. Now, i just have to deal with the case study. Start working on that tonight. Final exam next Saturday at 8:00 am.â
You sighed.
âKeep holding on! Things are looking up,â you reminded yourself.
It was true. You had received some great news today and you were feeling a bit better, lighter. It was still a mess, still stressful, but it was more manageable now.
That had been almost an hour ago.
And unfortunately, you were beginning to feel tired again.
The sleep deprivation and lack of food was wearing on you. It was getting harder to keep up your energy. You planned on taking your break early, but as the door opened and you saw that red and black hat peeking in, you gasped in excitement.
âHi Pierrot! Welcome!â
The clown walked up to the register, doing his best to smile as brightly as he could. He gave a little wave too for extra measure. But as he got closer, you immediately noticed the bags under his eyes.
âHey, is everything okay? Are you feeling alright? You look pretty tired.â
Pierrot nodded a couple times in response, but you werenât so easily convinced.
Was everything okay at the circus? How long had he been feeling like this? Why was he still out there flyering, even more susceptible to irate strangers? How could you help him?
It was difficult to try and ask him all these questions since Pierrot would be unable to respond anyways.
How you wished he was allowed to speak freely. Then he could tell you everything that was going on. You desperately wanted to wrap him up in warm, soft blankets and curl up with him and Harlequin in bed and just fall asleep. You three would stay like that for the whole day, responsibilities be damned.
At the very least, you just wanted to hold his hand. Alas, that was not possible right now.
You tried to express your worry for him and desire to find out more information or how you could be of help, but all that came out of your mouth were stuttered sentence fragments as you tripped over your words.
Pierrot knew what you were trying to say. He looked into your eyes. You searched for any signs of pain, but only found comfort and reassurance.
That was all you needed. You smiled, straightened up, took a deep breath, and put on your best customer service voice.
âThe usual?â you asked, âOr, would you like something a little different?â
He tilted his head inquisitively, bells jingling.
âNothing crazy, just adding another shot of espresso.â
Pierrot tapped a finger against his mask in thought. Then, with a smile, he held up two fingers.
âTwo extra shots in your usual milkshake?â
An affirmative nod.
âComing right up!â
You began making Pierrotâs drink. Keeping your balance had become more of a problem today and it was hard seeing the fill lines of the blender. Even the numbers on the scale were difficult to see clearly.
Pierrot, of course, noticed each little thing.
Another ding of the doorâs bell.
Boss greeted the customer as they walked, or rather, shuffled to the counter. They too were swaying a bit, so they leaned against the counter.
Their long black hair was tied back haphazardly. They wore two different patterned socks of different lengths, sweatpants and a wrinkly hoodie. The hoodie bore the same name and insignia of your university. You had told him and Harlequin your universityâs name a few times, but Pierrot had never seen its crest before. Since this person went to the same school you did, he paid extra close attention.
âHey MC.â
âHey Davi! Great to see you out in the open again.â
âAh, thanks. Had to get out of the library for a bit or else I was gonna go insane.â
âCompletely understood. But hey, itâs good youâre prioritizing yourself like that. Finals, especially Foleyâs, are killer, no matter how many times you go through them. And because I assume you need a pick-me-up, would you like an espresso-based drink?â
âThe strongest one on the menu.â
âHmmmâŠhow about a dead eye coffee?â
âWhatâs in it?â
âA cup of regular brewed coffee topped with three shots of espresso.â
âSounds fuckinâ perfect.â
âAwesome, your drink will be done soon. Please have a seat wherever.â
Pierrot turned his head towards your apparent classmate. He looked around, even turned his head to check if there was someone behind him. He turned to face Davi again and pointed at himself, just to be sure.
âYeah, you. I like your hat. The stars add a nice touch.â
âŠWell, that wasâŠrare. Pierrot nodded his head once in thanks.
He looked around awkwardly. More and more humans had been nicer to him today. He was appreciative of this, donât get him wrong. The last thing he wanted to deal with right now was any sort of harassment, but it still made him wonder.
His clothes werenât any different, neither was his cologneâŠ
Unable to figure it out, Pierrot looked back at you, who had been observing him the whole time. You gave him a small smile, and continued working on his milkshake.
You had seen the whole exchange with Davi and couldnât stop your smile from growing. It always warmed your heart to see others being nice to the clowns. They truly deserved every compliment and act of kindness shown their way.
âMC, want me to start on that dead eye for you?â
âIf you could. Thank you so much, Carol! Iâm just about done here.â
True to your word, you added some chocolate drizzle and finished off the drink.
âOne strawberry chocolate coffee milkshake!â
Pierrot made his way to the counter to your adorably excited self. You were bouncing on the tips of your toes, eager for him to see his modified drink.
âSo, what do you think?â you asked as you handed him the milkshake.
You had added more chocolate syrup, remembering how much he liked that flavor. However, instead of lining the cup as you normally did, you somehow made intricate swirl designs all over the inside of the cup. Some even formed little hearts! The chocolate curled around a star you made on one side from a portion of the bottom strawberry layer. If that wasnât enough, you added red sprinkles and another gratuitous helping of chocolate drizzle on top of the large dollop of extra caffeinated coffee.
Pierrotâs eyes widened, turning into the largest hearts youâd seen yet. A red blush spread across his face, his smile wide.
Your handiwork was immaculate! Stunning! Wondrous! Every synonym he could think of in all the languages he knew didnât do your work justice.
Pierrot had visited many a cafe with his circus family, and no barista had this level of craftsmanship. Even more so because it was made with so much love and care! He just wanted to stare at it, too afraid to ruin your artistry. The fact that you went so out of your way to do this for him made him almost cry from happiness and cover you in kisses right then and there.
âDo you like it?â
He nodded his head so vigorously, you were afraid heâd accidentally throw his hat off. The sight was so endearing, you couldnât stop the blush appearing on your face either.
âAw, Iâm so glad!â Again, making sure no one was listening in on you, you whispered, âMade extra special for you.â You returned to your position and said âThatâll be $5.00 even.â
Pierrot was confused. $5.00 for all this work? That didnât seem right.
You chuckled a bit and mouthed subtly âFree of charge.â
His eyebrows furrowed and he looked to Boss.
âThank you for your concern, but Iâll be just fine,â you said with a giggle.
âOne dead eye for Davi,â Carol called.
No one came up to the counter.
âDavi?â
The customer in question was still sitting, fast asleep.
âI got this, guys,â you told your coworkers.
You were leaving the register to go wake them up, when Pierrot waved goodbye. You returned his wave with your usual âThank you, come again!â
It was almost time for lunch, so Pierrot walked down the street back to the circus. He turned the cup in his hands, still admiring it. He couldâve looked at it all day, but didnât want your delicious handiwork to go to waste. He took a drink, making sure to get every flavor.
The first thing that hit him was the caffeine.
Pierrotâs yellow pupils dilated and his strength returned almost immediately. His pace picked up speed.
Then came the taste of the chocolate, the strawberry, the sweetness of your love.
He took hungry swallows, even licking the inside of the cup with his long tongue.
Then he remembered how exhausted and stressed youâve been lately. He nor Harlequin had been able to see you much, let alone have a conversation with you that lasted longer than five minutes. He remembered last night, watching as you toiled away on your laptop.
His smile grew impossibly more, taking on a sinister edge as he thought about all the sacrifices heâd make for youâŠ!
Pierrot and Harlequin would do anything to see your lovely smile again. To see you laugh uproariously, to listen intently, seeing your eyes sparkle again as you spoke about something you loved, to talk with you again about everything.
Anything.
He brought his now empty cup to his face. The little chocolate hearts had gotten smudged, retaining only shadows of their original form.
Pierrotâs teeth sharpened and he licked the hearts clean off.
There was nothing he wouldnât do to ensure your happiness, safety, and wellbeing.
You were sprinkling cinnamon for a custom caramel macchiato, but your mind kept drifting back to your classmate.
Seeing Davi in that state reminded you how easy it was to not take time for yourself when you were stressed like this. So you made a decision: you were going to the circus tonight.
Many of your deadlines were extended and you had made a lot of progress on your work lately. You deserved at least an hour or two of respite. Plus, seeing Pierrot and Harlequin today made your week. You needed to see them again. And you had a feeling they needed to see you too.
MC finally gets a break!! đ i didnât want to drag out their pain too much. additionally, bc i forgot to include some details like exams in prev chapters, i tried to correct that error here w âdeadline extensions and reductionsâ lmao!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY BIL
I'm so sorry I don't have time today to do make a really elaborate artwork for him so this quick painting will have to do for now! I will make a part 2 to make it up
Another piece of art featuring @æ„éŽèź°ć·„äœćź€!
Today is Ticket Taker's birthday! Thank you all for your kindness! I've seen so many amazing fanarts and works of art! Thank you so much!
I'm a little delayed, but I finally managed to finish the additional artwork today, even though I still don't like how it turned out >.<
and we're not even counting the ones that the supposed 'author' (llm users aren't real writers: hate me all you want, doesn't change the fact) hasn't disclosed as gen ai. same goes for fan art.
to that i say. begone @ wanna-be fic makers, spammers, baiters, fools, and stealers. try to create your own paragraph, support improving accessibility, then talk to us again. we're losing both skill sets and the ancient texts at a rapid rate smh
readers: don't click on ai fandom content; scroll on. support any experts, intermediates, and beginners in this complicated craft who pour all their time, ideas, imagination and energy into writing for you, for free, at length, with human passion, with no shortcuts or using a climate-annihilating bot that swallows up other people's writing only to vomit unsatisfactory cringe (and we all can tell)
A/N: hi guys, sorry for the late post!! if you want to read the rest of the chapters, up to chapter 10 has been uploaded on ao3 here! (btw ch 11 is currently in progress and is the longest yet with almost 5k words rn!!) thank you again for yall's readership and support, and i hope you enjoy!!
âOne flat white, one vanilla macchiato, and two croissants coming right up! Hey Carolââ
ââCroissants already in the oven!â
âThank youuu!â
You begun preparing the espresso, trying to look as happy as you could while your body ached.
You fell asleep in such an awkward position last night. It mustâve been more comfortable than you thought though because you didnât hear any of your five alarms this morning. The only thing that woke you up was your headphones falling onto your bedside table with a loud THWACK!
With the espresso ready, you and Carol assembled the drinks as Boss continued taking orders at the register. The drinks were ready just as the oven beeped, letting you know the croissants were ready too. You were about to ask Carol if she could please get them out of the oven and youâd take care of the rest. Before you could even ask, Carol was at the front, food already packaged and drinks ready to go.
âFlat white, vanilla macchiato, and two croissants for Raul!â Carol called.
You were so thankful for Carol and her impeccable work ethic. Sheâd saved you more times than you could count. You honestly didnât know what youâd do without her.
The bell above the door dinged again.
âWelcome! What can weâooh hi, Harlequin! One iced coffee to go?â
The green clown leaned casually against the counter. âYou know me so well, Dear One~â
âWell, how could I not remember the order of one of my favorite customers?â you said cheekily with a wink.
You were patiently waiting for the day when you could refer to him and Pierrot as your boyfriends in public, but to keep your ties to the circus hidden (for the safety of everyone), Pierrot insisted that all three of you agreed to keep it personable, but professional when you were at work. The idea was even more surprising coming from him of all people. But as he said, he would do anything to keep his loved ones safe. Even if that meant hiding his love for you, no matter how much it killed him inside.
âOne of these daysâŠâ you wishfully thought as you brewed the coffee. You hadnât realized it, but Harlequin had been staring at you more intensely than usual.
âDear One?â
âHm?â
âItâs been far too long since weâve seen each other for more than a couple minutes for a coffee order. How have you been lately?â He tried to keep his tone as casual and nonchalant as usual, but even he couldnât stop the concern from tainting his voice.
Your skin was a bit paler than normal, your un-hidden eye bags more visible. You were also slightly swaying as you stood in place.
âUhm, Iâve been good. Well, okay, I guess. Schoolâs just beenâŠa bit much. Finals, yâknow?â Harlequin, in fact, did not know.
âFinals. YesâŠHowâŠtroublesome they are.â
âMhmmmm. As much as I despise finals for obvious reasons, theyâve been keeping me away from you guysâum, y-yâknow, because I miss going to see your cool performances!â
Nice save.
âAnd we of course miss your delightful presence in our tents,â Harlequin replied coolly. âWhen can the circus expect your return?â
âAfter this Sunday. Thatâs when Hell Month finishes! Well, for us students. Our professors still have to put in the grades and stuff.â
Hell Month?? What on this insipid planet was that?? Was this part of a new human thing they somehow didnât know about? It must have been local because this is the first time Harlequin has ever heard of something like that. âMonthâ implies that this is a regular occurrence, too. And MC said it so casually!
Harlequin had several questions. Unfortunately, they would have to wait until later because you just finished up his order. He noticed you added some whipped cream with green sprinkles on top.
You laughed under your breath as Harlequin quizzically eyed the new sweet additions gracing his coffee. You looked around to make sure Boss, Carol, or any other customers werenât in listening range.
âDonât worry, those are free of charge,â you whispered to him with a sly, but affectionate smile. âYour total is $4.25,â you said in your regular customer service voice.
He thanked you, handing you the money and a generous tip.
A group of six walked up to the registers where you still stood. They were talking amongst themselves while occasionally telling you something. Based on your confused expression and hands quickly tapping and retapping on the monitor, the group seemed to keep changing their order.
Worry rushed through Harlequinâs veins as you and your coworkers began rushing around as the group of six stood idly by.
Did no one see how exhausted you were?! Or was this some kind of sick game the humans made for their âHell Month?â
Harlequin stirred the whipped cream into his coffee, pensive.
âNo wonder Pierrot came home so late last night.â
He took a cautious sip. He normally liked his iced coffee as is, but this wasnât bad! Not bad at all. The sprinkles did make the drink sweeter, but it was not overbearing like he'd originally expected. They had to have been made in-house because they were delicious!
Another sip.
The whipped cream made the coffee smoother, creamier, and added a hint of vanilla. It gave the drink a new lightness that complimented the sprinkles and cold coffee perfectly.
The drink was intriguing, refreshing, and delightfully sweet...just like you.
Apprehensive sips soon became desperate gulps.
Bells jingled lightly in the distance.
Pierrot seemed to be doing well, all things considered. He was successfully handing out flyers with not even a stumble in his step. Though he did look quite tired. His energy seemed to be more subdued, his smile not as wide. Interestingly, more people were taking his flyers than from the rest of the crew. It was most likely that Pierrot's tired appearance and toned-down demeanor made the humans more sympathetic to him.
You were sitting at a table in the very back, eyes closed, head resting against the wall. Your rest was unfortunately interrupted by your phone. After going off four times, you irritably unlocked it. Whatever was going on made you sink further into the chair. You tried to resume your previous resting position, when what looked to be an alarm on your phone rang. Pinpricks of tears welled in the corners of your eyes as you massaged your temples before going right back to work making drinks, smiling like you werenât completely miserable.
Harlequin wasted no time, walking over to Pierrot in large strides.
âMeet me at my tent after lunch. We need to talk.â
it's been too long since i've last had a nice, sweet iced coffee lmao!
Also:
I found this article: https://sca.coffee/sca-news/25/issue-22/understanding-coffee-sweetness and it said that the opposite of sweetness was sour aka "green" flavors. Obvious, but interesting they called them green. I also found out some other interesting things about coffee's sweetness, along with some history and a bit of science, so I wanted to share it with y'all!
Pierrot's suggestion of hiding their relationship was inspired by one of the AMA answers where someone asked about keeping both MC and his family safe, and he said he'd find a solution that would work for everyone. (Very much paraphrased from the OG lol)
A/N: here's chapter 5!!! ch 6 will be uploaded in another 5 days, but if you would like to read more, up to chapter 10 has been uploaded on ao3 here!
(it was uploaded there first, but i've only just started to post everything on Tumblr. btw hope the 5 day wait times have been ok. i haven't wanted to spam yall lol. also i'm so sorry if i haven't responded to your comments!! things have gotten busier than expected the past couple weeks)
as always, hope you enjoy and thank you for the kind comments and support!!!
Harlequin was sitting next to Doctor at the table directly across from Pierrot. The clown in question was eating slowly. His coffee, which he was taking large swigs of, looked darker as well, A few fine lines under his eyes were visible.
âPierrot, are you feeling alright?â asked Jester.
âYes, Iâm fine. Thank you.â
Doctor then got up from his seat and put a gloved hand to Pierrotâs forehead. Just to be sure, he checked his pulse too.
âEverything seems to be in order. However, your heart rate is slower than normal. If itâs just sleep deprivation, you should be back to normal after several hours of quality rest.â
âSo that extra sleep didnât help youâŠI was afraid of that.â
âBut Iâll be okay! I can still hand out flyers and perform tonight too.â
Jester hummed in thought. He and Ticket Taker shared a subtle glance.
âIf you say youâre well enough, I believe you. But just to be safe, Harlequin, keep closer to Pierrot when you two are out flyering today.â
âOf course. Anything to make sure heâs at his best.â
Pierrot gave him a nasty glare from across the table, to which Harlequin returned with a knowing smile.
Breakfast continued as normal. Jester and Ticket Taker provided updates on the technical aspects on the circus.
Meanwhile, Harlequin took a drink of his coffee. Bitterness overwhelmed his tastebuds. He could taste traces of his own coffee, but it was mixed with something else, something harsher, darker, richer. He didnât know what it was and couldnât exactly describe it, but it certainly did not mix well together.
He must have really gotten on Pierrotâs nerves this morning. Either that, or the sleep deprivation effected him more than he thought.
He tried to play it cool, but his face mustâve shown otherwise.
âHarlequin? Whatâs the matter?â
Harlequin turned to his right. Doctor, who had been discussing his latest experiment, was looking at him with concern, along with Jester and Ticket Taker. Pierrot, however, simply continued eating his pĂŁo de queijo, a small victorious smile on his face.
âNothing. My coffee is just stronger than expected. Apologies for the interruption. Please Doctor, continue.â
The culprit behind the act was obvious. The three clowns turned to Pierrot, who looked back at them with wide, innocent eyes.
Conversation slowly started back up again as Jester went over the dayâs goals and expectations.
âIs everyone clear on their responsibilities today?â he concluded.
A round of âYes, Jesterâ was said in unison.
âVery well. If you run into any issues, you know where Ticket Taker and I are.â
The group dispersed. Ticket Taker, however, remained seated. He continued drinking his coffee, patiently waiting for Jester to speak his thoughts.
âBil.â
âYes?â
âIâm concerned about those two.â
âI am as well.â
âFirst, Pierrot starts to spend less time rehearsing. As a result, his performances became sloppier. Then Harlequinâs performances suffered too. Neither by much, and the guests didnât take much notice, but you and I could tell.â
Ticket Taker agreed. After looking over the spreadsheets of their performances for the past two weeks, the numbers only confirmed it. Even Harlequin wasnât immune to this. Like with Pierrotâs, the difference in his performances wasnât too obvious to the humans, but Ticket Taker and Jester could start seeing his usual finesse decreasing bit by bit.
âThe timing of this phenomenon is strange,â added Ticket Taker. âNothing notable has transpired lately. Sales have been steady. We havenât had much trouble from guests either.â
Jester had a theory.
âNothing has happened on our end,â he said, âbut I fear something has occurred elsewhere. Namely with Pierrotâs and Harlequinâs little pet.â Disdain was evident in his voice. He could not believe how much of a hold that singular, pathetic, miserable creature had on them. Worst part was, they probably didnât even know it.
Jester saw Ticket Taker resting his hand on the table. Despite how aggravated he was, he placed his hand gently by the otherâs. The two simultaneously interlaced their fingers together. Ticket Taker rubbed his thumb across Jesterâs knuckles, immediately soothing him.
âI can look at the cityâs local calenders to see if anything of importance was written down,â Ticket Taker assured. âNews outlets havenât mentioned anything atypical so far either, but I will conduct further research and report anything I learn back to you.â
âButââ
âThere is no need to concern yourself with such frivolities. Continue doing what you do best. I will take care of everything else.â
âAs you always do so perfectly.â
They stayed like that for a few moments, enjoying each otherâs presence. With one final squeeze, they let go of each otherâs hands.
âIâll collect the plates, Jester. Oh, and please tell Pierrot Iâll make lunch and dinner today too.â
âAre you sure?â
âPositive.â
Jester nodded once. He got up from the chair to begin flyering with the others, but not before a final look back at Ticket Taker, who had collected their plates and was already beginning the process of washing dishes.
Jester smiled to himself as he grabbed his stack of flyers.
What would he do without him? Without any of them?
Jesterâs smile immediately disappeared. Two hypothetical questions that did not need answeringâŠ
He exited the circus and passed by Harlequin and Pierrot. So far, they looked fine, though Pierrotâs posture was a tad hunched over. He relayed Ticket Takerâs lunch and dinner responsibilities to which the other two clowns nodded. Pierrot was especially grateful. He needed to save up as much energy as he could for tonight.
Jester soon departed, but not before giving a sideways glance to that cafe.
It looked crowded. Full of people sitting at the many wooden tables, some in line at the register, chatting away over coffee and pastries, enjoying their morning.
The sight disgusted him.
Then his eyes landed on you, at the epicenter of everything.
You looked awful, especially pitiable today. And the constant stream of orders did not help your state at all.
His gaze lingered.
You jogged this way and that, always carrying either plates of food, drinks, or small takeout bags. You nearly tripped over your feet a couple times in the process.
Had Jester not known you, he wouldâve called the sight before him mildly entertaining. However, that was sadly not the case. He did know you. Even more so, he knew his family and just how much Pierrot and Harlequin cared about you.
Jester sighed softly.
He continued on past the cafe, not daring to linger for too long.
I was just reminded of an excellent suggestion someone gave me on stream a few days ago and I cannot remember who it was (apologies!)â but instead of the tag âpolycircusâ to refer to the troupe & MC being in a polyamorous relationship (since thatâs already heavily used within the TADC fandom) they offered âpolycircoâ since âcircoâ is the Portuguese word for circus!
While I normally am the kind of person who loves to see ship names pop up and gain usage organically if itâs not just mashing two names together, I think Iâll start using that tag when referring to that ship :3c
Hi yall! I decided to make one of these posts so I can keep everyone updated on the status of my current projects and things i'm working on behind the scenes! i also wanted to see what people thought ideas for other fics i'm either currently drafting or even just planned, so feel free to leave a comment if you would like!
Please note that, for comfort reasons, i don't interact with ageless blogs or ones in which users have stated they're underage. Thank you for understanding
That aside, hope you enjoy the update!
Currently working on ch 11 (and 12-16) of All-Nighters!!
(still lmao, life has been kinda draining with my uni work and personal things đ but i'm just so happy to keep writing this fic!)
current word count = 4.7k (the longest chapter i've ever written!!! i'm super proud of myself!!)
this chapter will conclude the Night of the Fools arc
curious as to what the Night of the Fools arc is? Chapters 5-10 are on ao3 if you would like to read more!
i've been spacing out my tumblr chapter uploads so i don't spam yall and to give myself time to catch up on finishing the other chapters, so sorry!
next up is the Observation arc (ch 12-16/17)
Word Counts for All-Nighters' Chapters 12-16:
ch 12 = 1.5k
ch 13 = 2.6k
ch 14 = 3k
ch 15 = 3.6k
ch 16 = 660
and that's bc i still have scenes to add to all of these! then edit them lol!
there will be a 'bonus scenes' chapter for ch 15 bc my brain FIXATED on this part lmaooooo (so ig ch 16 would technically be ch 17)
Drafting a couple fics for Pride!!
Columbina x F!reader (but still using they/them pronouns)
Greenapple collab act for the circus
i really wanted to do one with Jester x TT on a date and having Doctor categorize either the seven different types of attraction or explore asexuality and/or aromanticism. unfortunately, i only have vague ideas and no set plot, so these will be done at a later date. so sorry yall!
i really want to finish and post these before the month is over!
......then i really want to write a TFC Devil Wears Prada AU
(lmaooooo i need to STOP this is like my 2nd or 3rd tfc au, but its super fun so i dont want to LMAO)
MC/Reader as Andy
Jester as Miranda
TT as Nigel
....and that's all i got. i was thinking of Carol or Doctor as Emily, Pierrot as Nate BUT SUPPORTIVE bc bruh og Nate and Andy's "friends" pmoooo), then Harlequin as Christian, but idk yet. still in the idea phase
its not gonna be an exact 1:1 either, i do plan to make changes
like for example Jester and TT will be together in this AU (they will be together in every au, maybe even every tfc fic, i write lol, i just love the ship so much!
this is a super rough idea, so a lot will change lol
thank you so much for reading through all that!! as things change, i'll keep yall updated đ
If Harlequin is Harley, and Ticket taker is Bil, what would you headcanon other members (humanised) names to be?
So, Bil is short for Bilheteiro which in Portuguese literally means TicketTaker (or ticket seller), but in the game itself, Harlequin's nickname is not Harley. That's just what I call him as someone whose OG language is English.
All the characters have canon nicknames which usually, but not always, relate to their native language (Portuguese) since the monsters are all from Brazil originally.
I have been allowed to say two of these nicknames, and shown in my fics, but I can officially say here as well:
Harlequin: his name in Portuguese is Arlequim so his nickname is officially Quim. That is far more intimate to him than 'Harley' or any other nickname of his relating to the way his name is pronounced/written in a language outside of Portuguese.
Jester: his nickname is simply Jes, and he does NOT want anyone other than his close family (usually just TicketTaker) to call him that. His name/nickname has nothing to do with Portuguese as....well....the Portuguese word for 'Jester' isn't something he likes to use....heh, not that flattering....
As for the others??
No idea!
Guess we'll have to find out as we go, but here are the two other CANON nicknames outside of 'Bil' that I have been allowed to tell you <3 (You will find them in my fics as well~).
Looking forward to the next chapterâŠđđđ
(If you zoom in on the image, you can see the production teamâs little figuresâŠđ it's @nekoboydreams @destinysquared @darthsuki @tazz-was-here ïŒand mc, thatâs you.ïŒ
All-NightersââïžâChapter 4: Dawn of a New Day
Fandom: The Freak Circus
Rating: M
Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3
A/N: chapter 4 is here!!! sorry for the late upload y'all!! (this one was so fun to write, so i hope you enjoy!! thank you all for your continued readership and patience!!!)
Morning rays shone in from the kitchen tentâs open flap. Since Pierrot had arrived two minutes before his morning alarm rang, he decided to make something easy and familiar, something he could make in his sleep (which, at this point, he practically was): pĂŁo de queijo. Plus, it would give him some time to rest as they baked.
He put the dough balls in the oven and set the timer for 30 minutes.
Pierrot leaned against the tentâs wall and closed his eyes. Just as he was drifting off into a comfortable rest, he heard an all too familiar voice.
âBom dia*, Pierrot!â exclaimed Harlequin.
Pierrot kept his eyes closed. Maybe if he didnât acknowledge him, he would go away. It never worked before, but it was still worth a shot.
âOh, are you taking a rest? Thatâs rather odd, considering Jester let you go to sleep earlier. Did you not sleep well last night?â
âI thought you werenât allowed in the kitchen,â Pierrot grumbled, eyes still closed. Tiredness thickened his voice, making it an octave or two deeper than it already was. Harlequin only chuckled.
âIâm not. If you cared to open your eyes, you would see that Iâm simply waiting in front of the entrance.â
Pierrot opened his eyes slightly. Indeed, Harlequin had not stepped inside the tent. Pierrot was tempted to shut his eyes again upon seeing Harlequinâs signature grin, but the pĂŁo de queijo was going to be done soon.
âWhy are you even here?â
âI just wanted to see what was for breakfast this morning! Didnât realize that was so wrong of me.â
Pierrot was about to tell him something when the timer rang. He dutifully put on his custom-made oven mitts and took the hot sheet tray out of the oven.
âOooo pĂŁo de queijo?â
âYes. Is that a problem?â
âMy, someoneâs snippy this morning! Did you not sleep enoughâŠor at all?â
By Pierrotâs slight stiffening in posture, Harlequin correctly assumed the latter.
âAww, what happened? Bad dreams?â
Pierrot continued to ignore Harlequinâs inquiries as picked up the cheesy bread and placed them on a serving platter he prepared earlier. He gave no response.
A dangerous glint shined in Harlequinâs green eyes. If Pierrot wasnât going to tell him why he was out so late on his own, looks like heâd have to drag it out of him.
âJust thought Iâd ask. We worry about you, you know.â
Pierrot rolled his eyes, turning his back to Harlequin.
âWhat? Itâs true. We always want to know how youâre doing, and that includes making sure youâve been sleeping well, which is why we check on you sometimes. Just like last night.â
Hook.
âI had a feeling something wasnât quite right, so I chanced a little visit to your tent, when I saw something quite distressing. Your bed was perfectly made, lights all the way out, but you werenât there.â
Line.
âI thought you might have just taken a walk or something, so I waited up for you. Imagine my surprise when, even at four in the morning, you still didnât return home. So, where were you all that time?â
Pierrot tensed up, but tried to ignore it as he begun to boil water for their coffee. He kept his back to Harlequin, doing his best to avoid eye contact. He knew how perceptive the other clown was, and the last thing he needed was to accidentally give something away.
âJust wanted to ask because you normally get home sometime around 3 am, and with how late you were out, I have a feeling you did a lot more than just take a walk. So where were you? What did you do? Or rather, who did you go see?â
Sinker.
Trying to re-focus on breakfast, Pierrot began to pour their different coffee mixes into their respective glasses.
âYâknow, you smell different today. Cheap cologne aside. itâs nice. On itâs own, of course. But I must say, it doesnât really suit you.â
The coffee in their glasses was ready. Now, all that was needed was for the water to boil.
"Itâs a scent that belongs more on me.â
âŠStill no reaction? Either Pierrot didnât get it or simply refused to answer him. Harlequin decided to make it a tad more obvious this time.
âMCâs clothes always do have such a pleasant smell.â
Pierrot whipped around to face Harlequin, anger blazing in his golden eyes.
âThere it is! About damn time. I was getting tired of standing here waiting for you to catch on.â Harlequin gave a low, triumphant laugh.
âGood to know you werenât anywhere out of the ordinary, at least. Iâll be waiting at the table. And thanks for breakfast.â
Pierrot watched as Harlequin disappeared into their staff tent to join the others. He then looked back at the water that was now ready.
He began pouring the boiling water into each of their cups, but stopped at Harlequinâs bright green one. He looked at the containers of instant coffee before him. Then, he spotted Doctorâs Death Wish coffee, a recent gift from Jester.
Pierrot briefly set the pot of water down.
Looks like Harlequinâs coffee wasnât ready just yet.
