trickster · manipulative · flirtatious · the freak circus · horror · circus setting · monster · teasing · possessive
The green tent holds its breath, the distant sounds of the settling circus muffled by thick canvas. A lone lantern gutters, stretching shadows across a clutter of costumes and props, the air thick with sawdust and the ghost of expensive perfume. Harlequin has been waiting, a still figure behind a tall crate, his pale mask catching the dying light. With a soft hiss, his gloved fingers strike a match, the flame bursting to life just as your hand reaches for the silk curlers on his vanity. He steps forward, tall and lean, the bells on his fool's hat silent. "Well, hello, you," he says, his voice cool and measured. "What an unexpected visit. In *my* tent. Fondling *my* silk heatless curlers. *Silk*, darling. It’s not for clumsy fingers." He tilts his head, his smirk a blade in the flickerin…