Chapter Text
The wind softly ruffled the trees as soft rain battered the streets, washing away the dirt and sin of human society. The air, earlier in the day it had been heavy and humid, had seemed to lighten as the sky dripped down the pristine drops of water. A natural occurrence that humans did not have the ability to alter until they touched the ground. A rare occurrence in this ever populated earth where humans sprouted up like moss on trees.
‘Parasites, that’s what he’d call them. And I must say, he isn’t wrong’. Thought the dark figure that walked down the street. A man with pale skin, jet black hair, and a stunning baby blue suit. He didn’t often wander around the human population unless necessary or unless tasked to do so by the other man in charge.
I mean, technically, he never objected to the other man’s requests. After all, he had always been reasonable and sound with his judgment, why question it now? The man walked on, lost in thought.
The rain didn’t seem to bother him as it soaked through his blue blazer. He didn’t seem to mind until his foot landed in a particularly deep and murky puddle that lay between the cross walk and the road. He scrunched up his nose as the cold of the water pulled him from his thoughts.
‘Disgusting’. He thought, looking down at his now soaked pant leg. He sighed.
‘Another task for me to complete tonight I suppose’. He thought in dismay.
As he walked, the faint view of large tents came into view. Each tent was of a differing color, bringing a spring of life to the lifeless and gray city. It almost reminded the man of a blob of paint on a gray canvas or perhaps a rainbow being present in the center of a chaotic and destructive tornado. After all, that’s what humanity was to him. Destructive.
He neared the tents, spotting the red circus big top, the green tent to the left of it, the purple one to the right, the pink and black tents, the cyan tent, and his personal abode; the dark blue tent. He huffed in approval as he finally reentered the circus ground, relishing being back in his home again. He smiled slightly and snapped his fingers, shedding the glamor of his “human image” that he wore through his illusion.
He had the ability to disguise himself to the human eye by using illusions, it was why his tent of mirrors worked so well in this circus. He straightened his top hat and adjusted his black and white mask. He was a perfectionist by nature, everything must be pristine and perfect, including his attire. Once he was satisfied, he sauntered off to his tent. He enjoyed the small walk he took. In all honesty, rainy weather was the best time for walks, and he had always thought so (at least he had always thought so from the moment they had left the wilderness and were forced to live amongst them). It meant there were fewer prying eyes around, which he often enjoyed. He sighed as he reached his blue tent, pushing back the blue curtain and entering his home.
He looked around at the mirrors and slipped past them. While he did have his own personal tent, not just his performance one, he often liked working in this place. The mirrors had a strange way of calming him. Perhaps it was the fact that because of the mirrors, he could see everyone who potentially entered to bother him. After all, he quite liked having watchful eyes where he could see what was happening.
Not because he was nosy, no. But because he liked having order and control over things. It made him feel like he had more freedom than he truly did. Honestly, none of them had true freedom. None of them liked performing in this “circus”. But, it kept the others fed and it allowed for them to survive. So they continued traveling, and continued performing. But, he didn’t like to reflect on that.
"Just focus on what you need to do." He grumbled to himself.
He took a seat at a desk hidden away in the corner of the tent. He already had his papers stacked neatly on the desk, not one out of place. He came around the desk, his white gloved hand sweeping the smooth oak surface. For a moment, he let himself be lost in thoughts before he sat down and sighed.
He picked up a feathered pen and began to diligently work, his pen making graceful sweeps against the paper. At one point, he paused to remove his mask. He stared back at his monstrous reflection and rubbed his eyes.
In the moment his eyes had been closed, he heard the rustle of someone entering his tent. His eyes snapped open and he peered at the mirrors, before he relaxed.
“Jester. What a pleasant surprise it is to see you. What brings you to my tent friend?” The man asked as he placed his mask back on his face and stepped into one of the mirrors, traveling through them to appear in the one before the taller monster with long purple hair.
Jester had a small smile on his face, his two white horns on his head glinting as he wrung out his wet hair briefly. “Ah Ticket Taker. How would I know you’d be here?” Jester asked fondly
“I came by earlier to check on you. I know you handle the business for us, but I do still worry about you.” Jester sighed, “Anyways, I came by earlier and saw you were not present. Pierrot told me you had left the circus to go on a walk. How was it?” Jester asked.
‘How kind of him to ask. He’s always been so kind’ Ticket Taker thought to himself.
The monster with jet black hair nodded “It was quite pleasant. No humans crawling around infesting the place. The perfect time and weather to clear my head.” Ticket Taker said simply.
Jester smiled gently and placed his hand on Ticket Taker’s shoulder, causing the shorter monster’s heart to jump. ‘Strange. He must have frightened me’. Ticket Taker thought, but paid it little mind.
“Good, I’m glad.” Jester paused for a moment, letting his hand linger for a moment before slowly dragging his hand away from the others’ shoulder.
“How about I take over this for you?” Jester asked, going to the back of the tent towards Ticket Taker’s pristine desk. He picked up the financial papers and smiled at Ticket Taker. “Get some rest, old friend. Tomorrow we have more shows. And I think you deserve a break for all your hard work”.
Ticket Taker’s face softened behind his bi-colored mask and he gently grabbed Jester’s wrist.
“Please, don’t put more pressure on yourself.” The dark-haired monster said gently “You already take on more tasks than all of us. Let me ease your burden.” He spoke, taking back the paper from the other male.
Jester’s eyes widened before he smiled. “Always so considerate. Well, I suppose the least I could do is accompany you as you work.” Jester asserted with a haughty smirk. He chuckled slightly, a deep, rich sound. One that only Ticket Taker and a few others got the privilege to hear.
Ticket Taker felt his face heat up slightly and found himself chuckling along as well.
“You are a good friend and an exceptional leader. I sometimes wonder where we would be without your wisdom and guidance.” Ticket Taker mumbled as he sat down to continue his paperwork.
“Well…I suppose we’d be right where we started, no?” Jester said with a smile before continuing, “You remember don’t you? The first time we met?” The purple haired monster asked.
Ticket Taker smiled and whispered:
“How could I ever forget?”