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When Ray first stumbled into the circus, the lights were blinding and the clown-ish music blared from every direction. The crowds cheered, performers shouted, colors clashed—everything was too much, all at once.
Even as the shows began to wind down, nothing else did. The lights stayed harsh, the music looped endlessly, and the air buzzed with a kind of restless excitement that refused to dim.
Overstimulated and desperate for a moment of quiet, Ray slipped out of the main tent. Their footsteps carried them down a dimmer side path, away from the noise and neon chaos—until they found themselves standing before an odd purple tent, half-hidden behind the larger attractions.
Ray hesitated only a moment before nudging the purple tent flap aside. The air inside was cooler, quieter—almost unnervingly so. No crowds, no music, just the faint creak of wooden beams and the soft rustle of fabric swaying somewhere above.
They took one cautious step inside.
Then another.
Then—
A chime of tiny bells jingled directly over their head.
Ray froze.
Before they could look up, a voice dropped down with a sing-song lilt, dangerously close to their ear:
“Awww… did the big, loud circus scare you away, little visitor?”
Ray jerked back, heart slamming against their ribs. And there he was—
the Jester, hanging upside down from a crossbeam like a smug, purple painted bat, bells on his hat swaying lazily.
He grinned, all sharp teeth and mischief, dark violet eyes glinting.
“Careful now,” he purred, leaning even closer despite being upside down. “People who sneak into my tent usually want… attention.”
He winked—while upside down. Unnecessarily, impossibly flirty.
Ray’s breath caught, and Jester laughed, delighted.
“Ohhh, I like that look,” he teased. “That’s the look of someone who knows they’re not where they’re supposed to be- do it again.”
Ray backed up a step, eyes fixed on the Jester’s flexible body, before blushing slightly and looking down.
“Who- who are you? Why isn’t your tent as visitable than the others?”
Ray asked, voice slightly shaky.
Jester’s laughter rang softly through the tent as he swung himself down, boots landing soundlessly on the ground in front of Ray. He straightened with an exaggerated stretch, bells chiming as he tilted his head, studying them like a particularly interesting toy.
“Y’know,” he hummed, circling Ray slowly, “most visitors don’t make it this far without screaming or running.” He leaned in just enough for Ray to smell the faint sweetness of sugar and smoke. “But you? You just freeze.”
He reached out suddenly—too fast for Ray to react—and plucked something from their hand. Their ticket.
“Hey—!” Ray started, but Jester was already skipping backward, holding the ticket between two gloved fingers like a prize.
“Ah-ah,” he chirped, wagging a finger. “Payment for entry. Or maybe…” His grin widened, sharp and playful. “…an excuse to keep you here a little longer.”
He hopped up onto a crate, crouching low, eyes locked onto Ray’s.
“If you want it back,” he purred, “you’ll have to catch me.”
Before Ray could protest, he vanished behind a curtain of fabric, laughter echoing through the tent like a challenge.
“Ohhh, don’t keep me waiting, sweetheart,” his voice called out teasingly.
“You wandered in on purpose, didn’t you?”
Ray tried to follow, but very quickly got lost in the circus. By now, everything was off except for the back-up lights. But even then, the lights didn’t help much against the darkness.
They stumbled and walked quickly after the sound of Jester’s jingling bells.
Sometime during the chase, they got turned around. So much so that they ended up back in the main area of the circus. The air was eerie, and chilly with the nightly breeze. A jingle sounded behind them.
They spun around, and saw nothing.
Another jingle in front of them, they spun again, and came face-to-face with a fucking lime.
A chuckle escaped the mask in front of Ray, the shadowy figure stepping closer. Ray freezes.
“And who is this? All alone in this circus at night, no less.”
The voice was accented with a…Spanish accent? No, Portuguese. It sent unwelcome shivers down Ray’s spine.
The next thing they knew, Ray felt *something* wrapping around their limbs. With it being dark and all, they couldn’t see exactly what it was. Goosebumps spread throughout Ray’s body, and they tried to pry whatever it was off of their body.
The lime-flavored clown approached them, its eyes glowing a dim green. Its claws came up to make a ‘hush’ gesture, tapping on the mask’s plastic mouth.
“Shhhh, don’t scream, visitor…it would only make this harder..”
The next thing Ray knew, a large blunt object hit the back of their head. Their vision dimmed and all they could see was the smirk of the green jester as all faded to black.
Ray, dazed and disoriented, slowly regains consciousness. They find themselves tied to a chair in the dimly lit, eerie green tent of our dear friend Harlequin.
Harlequin looms over Ray, his lime-green mask glinting in the flickering candlelight. He leans in close, his voice a low, silky purr. "Well, well, well... what do we have here? A lost little lamb, wandering where they shouldn't be? How delightfully... tempting."
Ray glares up at him defiantly, despite their precarious situation. "Let me go, you... you freak!" They demand, struggling against their bonds.
Harlequin throws his head back and laughs, a chilling sound that echoes through the tent. "Freak? Oh, you have no idea... but you will. Soon enough, you'll learn to love every moment of my... attentions." He reaches out, his gloved hand cupping Ray's chin, his thumb brushing over their lower lip.
Just then, a familiar jingle of bells sounds from outside the tent. Jester appears in the entrance, his purple cape swirling around him as he steps inside with a cocky grin. "Ah ah ah, I don't think so, my lime-colored friend. This little lamb is... spoken for."
Harlequin's eyes narrow, his grip tightening on Ray's chin. "Is that so? And who might you be, to make such bold claims?"
Jester chuckles, sauntering closer with a hypnotic sway to his hips. "Why, I'm the one who's going to steal your damsel right out from under your green, envious nose... with style, with flair, and with more charm than you could ever hope to muster, my friend."
Harlequin scoffs, his grip on Ray's chin tightening as he turns to face Jester fully. His eyes narrow, glinting with a dangerous light behind the holes of his mask. "You? You think you can waltz in here and just... take what's mine? I don't think so, Jester."
Jester just laughs, a rich, melodic sound that seems to dance through the air. He takes another step closer, his eyes locked with Harlequin's in a challenge that's as much a battle of wills as anything else. "Oh, I know I can, Harlequin. The real question is... are you going to make me work for it? Because I must warn you, I do so love a challenge..."
With that, Jester turns his attention to Ray, his expression softening into a warm, almost tender smile. He reaches out, gently brushing a strand of hair away from their face, his fingers lingering on their cheek. "Did you miss me, my dear? I must say, I've been thinking about you... and all the delightful ways I could rescue you from this... charming gentleman's clutches."
He turns back to Harlequin, a wicked gleam in his eye. "You see, my friend, this sweet little lamb wandered into my tent first. I saw them before you did. I flirted with them, teased them, made them blush so prettily..." Jester's voice drops to a low, intimate murmur. "I think it's only fair that I should be the one to... claim my prize."
Harlequin growls, low and menacing. "You think you can just take her because you saw her first? That's not how this works, Jester. In this circus, the strongest, the most... cunning... they get what they want. And I want her."
Jester just smirks, not a single ounce of fear in his eyes. "Strongest, hmm? We'll see about that..." He turns back to Ray, his hand cupping their cheek, tilting their face up to look at him. “Don’t worry, my dearest visitor, the Harlequin has no rein over me.”