★ A game of Hide and Seek ★
Imagine playing an elaborate game of Hide and seek with them... But you're really determined not to loose
Not your fault that you're good at their game
A/n: an idea... Hehe enjoy
Oh btw, I think this will have a few endings... I'll post them separately but will try to link them once they're up. Hope you enjoy:)
Tw: mentions of reader being eaten, fear, some dark themes maybe, being chased, Harlequin being Harlequin, slight mentions of explicit things
Disclaimer: This is a work based on an 18+ visual novel, and even though there is not much explicit content here, it is not intended for those underage
"Looks like our little pet is getting agitated" Jester mused after yet again you tried to sneak out of the circus.
"You know, dear guest, this was unnecessary and out of line..."
"This is dumb. I'm allowed to leave the tents. I've left before"
"Not without informing us first" Ticket Taker says. What you hear is 'not without permission'.
"Darling, you know how easy it is to kidnap people," Jester's tone carries slight notes of mockery.
You sigh, "Seeing as I am practically kidnapped by all of you right now... Yeah, I do"
"We just worry for your safety, My Lady" Pierrot's head rests on your shoulder, so you have to turn to grab his face in your hands. A light blush coats his cheeks at your action.
"As much as I love you, Pierrot, and as much as I want to believe it, I'm afraid you're the only one who is actively concerned for my safety in this case. The others... just really like telling me 'no', for some reason"
That earns a chuckle from Jester.
The Doctor cocks his head to the side: "It is hardly our fault your reactions to refusal are so... intriguing. Ranging from bickering and giving a cold shoulder to outright disregarding whatever we say."
"Is that so? Maybe I should add rearranging your supplies to the range... Or running away from the circus and getting married in Vegas?" You cross your arms and pout, feeling even more outraged when Doctor takes out a notebook and jots something down.
"Perhaps your energy should be redirected elsewhere... How about a game, darling?"
"A game? What, like hide and seek?"
"You'll have an hour to hide... Anywhere, wherever you desire"
You bite your tongue tempted to ask if you could buy a plane ticket and leave the country in that one hour... If you timed it right and was very lucky you'd probably manage it.
"Once the time is up we begin our hunt"
"Weird word choice," you mumble
"Be assured dear, this word choice is intentional" Harlequin leans into your personal space, curling a loose strand of your hair around his finger. He's making it hard to focus.
"Alright... And once you capture me..."
"Once you're caught... You're at the complete mercy of your captor"
"What?" This sounds absurd, so it takes for Jester to reiterate it, for it to trully sink in.
"Once you are caught... We'll do as we please"
"Oh..." You stare at your feet for a few seconds
They all wait patiently for you to say something else.
"Did- did you have dinner tonight? You're... Not hungry are you?"
It takes them a moment to process your question, before they laugh.
"Your worried face is adorable"
"There are different types of hunger, dear... And I'm already starved for you" Harlequin runs his fingers down the side of your face and stops at your pulse point. He presses lightly to feel it beneath his fingers
"My Lady, don't take him seriously, we won't eat you"
"It would do you well to remember, darling, that Pierrot can only promise for himself... The night is long... Who knows how we'll feel about devouring you by the end of it..." The whole situation seems to be highly amusing to Jester.
Your eyes widened again at this.
He grins, "I merely jest"
Despite yourself you let out a giggle. It's rare to have Jester in such a good mood... He must be thoroughly enjoying the whole ordeal.
"Be assured, guest, your death would inconvenience us, we shall refrain from harming you, as long as you follow the orders"
"Leave it to Ticket Taker to validate your feelings and make you feel needed" Harlequin laughs.
You send Harlequin a small smile, before asking a question that has been bugging you for half of the conversation:
"And if you don't succeed in getting me?"
"I wouldn't worry your pretty head with that improbability. We have the entire night"
"I don't think this is very fair. You guys have a clear advantage. I mean, there's five of you... And I'm only one"
"Ah, but here's where you're mistaken, darling... We do not like to share." There was a dangerous glimmer in their eyes. You realised they would not be playing as a team... No... For this night they'd be enemies, all striving to win. And you're the prize.
They savour your expression for a moment, before Jester gives you a little shove.
"Now run along little mouse. Hide. Run. Do what you like... We already know how this ends"
His words are enough to send you sprinting out of the tent and into the night.
That was 40 minutes ago. Now you were wandering the streets. Still 20 minutes of protected time and you were keeping a steady pace, trying to put as much distance between yourself and them as you could.
You had to silence your phone 10 minutes into the game - it was going off incessantly with messages from Harlequin - brainstorming what he'd do to you once he caught you. Apparently waiting was taking a toll on him if he decided to bombard you with such very descriptive imagery.
At the 45 minute mark your phone rings. You automatically decline. Harlequin has tried calling you 10 times in the past 10 minutes. He really is getting impatient. Apparently just texting you his fantasies isn't enough anymore.
It buzzes with a text. With a sigh you take it out, fully intent on blocking Harlequin for the duration of the night. Will it make him more vengeful if he catches you? Definitely. But at this point you're willing to take your chances. Besides. Him catching you is only a 1 in 5 probability.
There are worse candidates to piss off. Like Jester.
The text is from Ticket Taker. Brief and to the point:
"It would do you well not to decline Jester's calls next time, doll. You wouldn't want to anger the one who could hold your fate in his claws by the end of the night..."
Ah... Guess you jinxed it.
You try dialing Jester again a few times. But apparently he's taking pleasure in declining your calls after you declined his. Great.
Instead, you call Ticket Taker. He picks up, bit it's Jester who speaks, "Darling, learn to pick up your phone. You have it for a reason"
"Sorry...I thought it was-"
"I'm aware. Which is why I'll let this one slide"
"No" there is laughter and mirth in his voice, "I'll consider it. The events of the night can sway my opinion," he muses, "speaking of...There is a slight change in rules"
"Yes. We'll start our hunt a bit early"
"What? But- that's not-" you sputter.
"Unfortunately your lack of engagement made Harlequin really impatient. He has already started. And we can't have him get an advantage, can we? Besides... Pierrot is not taking the wait well, especially now that Harlequin is out and about"
"Of fucking course it was Harlequin" you mutter.
"I wouldn't waste your breath on curses, darling, now, run along, don't make the chase end too soon... Make it interesting"
By the third hour you get an inkling that perhaps this was never meant to be a simple game. Perhaps they treated it as more of an elaborate foreplay than an actual competition. Perhaps you were meant to let them catch you. You debate searching for one of them. But quickly brush the idea aside. Then you debate calling Jester or Ticket Taker... Probably not Harlequin... To ask for clarifications... But you can easily imagine how that conversation would go:
"Hi, I'm a bit dense. Was this meant to be foreplay or something?"
No... You are not ready for that type of humiliation yet.
Besides. You've already made up your mind. You would really love to see their faces at dawn. After you have successfully evaded capture. You can practically taste the sweet flavour of victory... Oh that would be just marvelous... Simply exhilarating. The mere thought of beating those monsters at a game you were never meant to win fills you with adrenaline and it's all you need to keep going...
You always had a bit of a competitive streak. It made everything that much more fun...
Four hours in and you get a call from Pierrot. You contemplate letting it go to voicemail, but begrudgingly pick up. He tends to worry more than necessary. And while it's endearing... It's probably not great for his state.
Besides, he should not suffer just because Harlequin annoyed you into not picking up calls (that already happened with Jester and you had no interest in expanding the list of people you ghosted).
"My Lady? Are you alright?" His tone is laced with concern, making your heart swell.
"Of course I am, why? Should I... Not be... Alright?" You laugh nervously.
"We haven't caught you yet, I thought something happened to you."
"Oh Pierrot, I promise I'm alright. I'm just really good at running and hiding."
"You are, My Lady, but I'd prefer you didn't. At least not from me. I miss you already."
"I promise, once the game is over, I'll give you as many cuddles as you want, deal?"
"But My Lady, you could tell me where you are now... And we wouldn't have to wait," he sounds so convincing you're tempted to give in.
You chuckle, "But Pierrot, that's probably against the rules"
You can sense him pouting through the phone. You're about to say something more comforting, when you notice a looming presence out of the corner of your eye. Instead, you say:
"Pierrot? I gotta go, unless you want me caught by someone else"
You turn towards the figure, stuffing your phone back in your pocket. Tall, broad shoulders. Would be very very intimidating if you didn't know him as well as you do, and even now in the dark, illuminated by the moonlight, he still sends shivers down your spine.
"Hey," you try for a casual greeting. You did not expect to be caught so quickly.
He nods in acknowledgement, his soft steps resonate quietly on the ground as he approaches slowly.
"Your little escapade is about to be terminated"
"Interesting hypothesis, I'd love to disproove it"
"I'm afraid you don't have a chance, sweetie, I do not like leaving my patients unattended for a long time" he smiles and approaches you, there is soft fondness in his demeanour, which goes in dissonance with his menacing figure.
"Ah, but tonight I'm more of a riveting experiment, you must agree... And experiments are not to be interfered with"
"I've had enough impartial observations for tonight, dear, I would like to move on to a more hands-on approach"
"How did you track me down?" You try to prolong the conversation, giving yourself precious seconds to find a way out. You can't have this end so soon.
"You will be disappointed, sweetheart, pure chance... Or perhaps good intuition of what my patient likes"
You hum noncomitally, a plan already half-formed in your head. It's only fair you use any and every means of escape you have, you reason. Especially considering you're not caught, yet...
Jester told you to make it interesting... And you will...
You begin your motion, careful not to alert him. Though you're already certain he clocked in that you're up to something.
"You do know me pretty well..."
In fact, you have an inkling he even knows what you're about to do... In vague details... But is letting you proceed, curious to where it may lead...
"Well enough to know you do not intend to give in so easily... Tell me, why is that?"
"You must be mistaken, sweetheart, a patient does not have secrets from their Doctor... I am disappointed my favourite one would forget such an important rule"
"That's fair... I suppose I just enjoy the thrill and the taste of freedom.. or maybe I just want to win."
The lights right ahead signal the approaching bus, you pay it no mind, afraid even a flicker of eyes in that direction might betray your intentions. No, until the very last moment you will not look.
"You look mesmerising... When your heart pounds in your chest and adrenaline courses through your veins," he observes, "It is a good look on you"
"I'm sorry, Doctor, but I think I might have to reschedule my appointment," you say before making a mad dash for the already closing doors.
He watches the bus drive off with an almost fond smile. He was always one of the most lenient towards you, somehow.
"Of course, sweetheart, the Doctor always wants what's best for their patient. But I do hope to rendezvous with you tonight once more... Perhaps you won't run off the next time"
You grin. His response makes your heart beat just a bit faster. That and how he always manages to clock in your every mood and craving - much how right now you absolutely need to continue the game (and to win, of course)
You halt at the train station to catch your breath. The lit up sign says the next one out of town is in 10 minutes. Of course you weren't planning on leaving. That's not the point of the game. Which by the way, has really grown on you. But it was a very good opportunity to tease your favourite monsters.
You take a photo, posing where they could see the sign and the ticket purchasing machine.
And scramble to get some distance between yourself and the station before sending it to the group chat.
You: Jester told me to keep it interesting and the prices are low enough... Is that entertaining enough for you?
Jester: I didn't take you for such a fool as to give us a beacon of your location
Doctor: Such an unpredictable subject...
Ticket Taker: An inconvenience is more accurate. I told you she'd pull a stupid stunt like this
Harlequn's was the most concerning. It came a minute after the others and was a photo of the very station with a caption "Nowhere left to run... Since you can't escape anyway, you might as well review the texts I sent you while waiting"
Such a cocky text. It deserves an equally arrogant response:
You: dumbass. You'd think I'd send you a pic from my actual location? Try again:)
The forest was a stupid idea after all... You'd think that they all would stick to the city... The actual place you'd most likely to be at... But somehow, Harlequin and you had both ended up in the forest. In the exact same spot. Cool...
His eyes glimmer a menacing green in the dark, like two emeralds. You take a step back, contemplating whether running back was still on the table. Probably not anymore... His agility was something to be envious of.
"Looks like I win, and I'm here to claim my prize"
"Technically, you still didn't catch me." You state stubbornly.
"Really? You still insist on not loosing? Hah... Let's wrap this up quickly and get to the fun part, what do you say, hm? What would you count as me catching you?"
If you were going to loose, you might as well make the loss fun for yourself, "You'd probably have to pin me down or wrap your arms around me."
His grin widens, "Oh how I love when you get so bold, my dear," he takes a slow deliberate step towards you, savouring the moment, no doubt, "Let's not make a technicality halt us then."
Neither of you get a chance to get much further, as Harlequin gets struck in the shoulder by a dagger. You yelp in surprise and look around in alarm before spotting a grim looking Pierrot. And he has at least a few more daggers on hand.
"Pierrot... Right on cue to ruin the moment... If I felt more charitable I'd have suggested you join in, but I don't share"
Before you can so much as blink Pierrot is on Harlequin. They merge into a blur of taunts and fists and maybe knives.
You take a tentative step back. They don't notice - too engrossed.
"I'll uh... Leave you guys to it" you give the two fighting figures a thumbs up before running out of the forest.
Technicalities fucking matter
You halted only for a few minutes, to catch your breath, and on a rooftop, no less. How in hell did Ticket Taker manage to find you that quickly... You would never comprehend it.
He stood, hands behind his back, calmly surveying as you desperately intake the cold night air. Your whole body felt heavy and tired, so your rather less than graceful leaning on the railing could be excused. It took you embarrassingly longer than it should have to spot him. In fact, you only noticed his presence once he placed his jacket over your shoulders.
The sudden grounding heaviness of it startled you. Your legs almost gave out under you.
It was stupid to think you'd get even a few minutes of a reprieve. With shaking arms you pushed yourself from the railing, stumbling, but ready to run at a moment's notice, he nodded in acknowledgement.
"I wouldn't do that, dearest"
You frown, "Of course you wouldn't want me to start running. I'm easier to catch if I don't"
"You look too tired to even make it down the stairs. It would be advisable to rest"
You heart was still pounding in your chest - undecided whether from all the running, the jumpscare he gave you or from having his jacket over your shoulders, while he stood mere centimetres away from you.
He surveyed the night city, while you were still catching your breath. Now that the adrenaline and the constant anxious pounding in your skull over getting caught subsided, you were immensely grateful for his jacket. Only now did you notice how chilly the air was and how absolutely frozen you felt. You huddled the jacket tighter around your frame.
He glanced at his pocket watch, "Rest time is over. Now, we shall proceed with what I have planned for this eventuality" his lips stretched into a smile, as his gloved hand reached towards you.
Before he could touch you, you pushed off the railing, taking a few steps back.
"Tsk. Didn't I tell you that obedience looks better on you? I shall be disappointed if we waste precious time here because of you"
You were eyeing the exits, your mind running ten miles a second, coming up with escape plans and routes. But help and an opportunity of escape came from the least expected source.
"No need for such haste, Bil," a dark hand fell on Ticket Taker's shoulder. He seemed startled at it and at the silky words of the speaker.
You were already inching yourself towards the exit. Jester crossed the distance, halting your escape and blocking you from Ticket Taker with one arm.
"Jester? I thought we were above such petty squabbles, unlike certain other members of the troupe"
"Rest assured, dear friend, we are. Unfortunately, those very members of the troupe left quite a mess. It must be dealt with."
You take your chances where you can:
"Nice move, Jester, send him away to deal with the mess to have your way with me unobstructed"
Jester narrowed his eyes at you, but snapped his attention back to Ticket Taker:
"Really now, Jester? The girl was mine... And I do not appreciate my schedule being interfered with"
You leave them to discuss it alone. It'll buy you a minute tops - they really are above petty squabbles and can easily spot your attempts to sow discord... But you'll take what you can get... Besides, a busy street is right around here somewhere. Getting lost in the crowd is exactly what you need right now...
You feel two pairs of eyes burn into your back as you disappear amongst strangers and street lights.
The two figures on the rooftop sighed at your departure into the night. The taller one clad in dark purple turned to the other:
"I didnt expect her to be so stubborn in her escape. One could think she'd be smart enough to recognise this game for what it is."
"You don't think she truly believes we'd devour her? She should know by now that we have no such inclinations towards her"
"Hmm, our inclinations towards her are..." Jester gestured vaguely, searching for a word, before settling on: "Different. That is true..."
"Perhaps your attempt at humour earlier frightened her" Ticket Taker ponders, a quiet jab at his friend
"I think we have simply miscalculated."
"Miscalculated? You?" There is incredulity in his tone
"Our darling Y/n is a bit more clueless and has a far deeper competitive streak than I imagined... Still, makes the victory that much more sweeter."
You shivered as the sky slowly turned from midnight to a dark violet, soon to be rosy with sunrise. The jacket Ticket Taker so courteously lent you - what a gentleman - provided meager warmth as you huddled it tighter around you. You walked the empty streets, briefly wondering if the monsters have given up on finding you.
You shoot them a quick "given up yet?" text and see 5 typing bubbles. A few second later you receive your responses:
"Of course not, My Lady" - Pierrot, ever so sweet.
"No, but you should... If you let me get you now, I promise to be merciful~" - Harlequin, the flirt he is...
"Fascinating confidence for someone right within my reach" - Jester, his mysterious and thinly veiled threats that sent your heart racing just like his compliments and affection did. He truly had a way with words.
"No. I have quite a lot in mind I want to do which would require your assistance" - Doctor, ever so blunt, so forward with his intentions
"You have already taken more time out of our schedule than you ought to. Let's not prolong the inevitable, dearest. Now, be a good girl" - Ticket Taker, he can be so uptight... But just as charming when he wants to be
They were persistent. And you've had a lot of close run-ins throughout the night. They remained ever so determined to get you.
You smile softly at the memories. You are rather fond of them. Perhaps fondness is too weak of a word... With the cool night air and sky the colour of violets another word burrows it's way into your mind - Love. It startles you slightly... But settles in so naturally in your mind you can't refute it.
The game is coming to a closure. A shame. It was fun... It would be nice to maybe watch the sunset rise on some rooftop and then show up to the circus beaming with victory. Or maybe it would be more fun to... Let one of them catch you... After all, it's not a complete loss for you if you let them. And there just might be one who really deserves a win...
A/n: let me know what you think and I'll start on some of the endings... Soon... Yeah
