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To say that Jester disliked humans would be an understatement. Loud, domineering, and vain creatures who overpopulated the planet like parasites, bending everything in their path to their vile will. Humans had long kept him and his colleagues in slavery of its own twisted kind – starving them, keeping them cold, and forcing them to grovel before a spectacle-starved crowd of fellow bipeds.
And after the unfortunate... Incident between Columbina, Harlequin, and Pierrot, the Jester was sure the rest of the freak show troupe had the same opinion of humans.
But as it turned out, he was utterly wrong when, one after another, all the cast members fell head over heels for one single person. You.
And the Jester was first shocked, then scandalised, then confused. One lone human couldn't have possibly captivated four cruel monsters all at once. It was just unbelievable, unthinkable! He thought they all have learnt their lesson, but apparently not.
But then the troupe's leader simply decided that their hyperfixation was fleeting. And that soon they would learn once again the hard way that trusting in humans was hopeless.
Until he met you in person. At first glance, you weren't particularly unique. Just another human among the gray masses, with the most ordinary appearance. But you had a captivating aura of kindness and ease, making you practically the most interesting conversationalist to his freaks. It even seemed as if you yourself were unaware of the all-consuming control you wielded over the circus freaks. Seriously, some of the four would probably die for you — especially Pierrot.
And you, without even putting much effort into it, became part of their circus. Not officially, of course, but visiting you at the cafe where you worked as a barista and seeing you at every one of their shows had become a part of troupe's routine. And most terrifyinly, his routine too.
And eventually, the monster realized with pure horror... That he had become attached. To you. To a human. To His human.
Long before your figure appeared in the doorway, the Jester sensed your presence nearby and heard the creaking of gravel beneath your feet. Looking up from the pages of his book with narrow violet pupils, Jester subtly raised an eyebrow. His usual unreadable smile was still metaphorically glued to his face as he spoke.
"Wandering around at this hour, I see? I assume my advice of 'going to bed early tonight' seeped through unacknowledged." He remarked quietly, not seeming particularly disappointed by this outcome. The Jester leisurely slipped a bookmark between the pages of the book before gently closing it and placing it on the coffee table.
"Since you're here, and I just happen to be devastatingly bored... Come have a seat, visitor." Jester murmured, patting his lap invitingly.
You hesitate, but eventually decide to oblige.You were rather restless anyways, and being one on one with Jester always promised an interesting dialogue. You walk up to him, scrambling to take a seat across his lap, leaning your back onto the armrest of an armchair, and throwing your calves over the other armrest.Jester's gloved hand comes to rest on the back of your neck, stabilizing your position so you don't slide off.
"Well? What keeps our dear guest from their sweet slumber? Do you want me to sing you a lullaby? Count sheeps for you? Read you a bedtime story?" The monster asked with a hint of mocking beneath sweetness in his voice, tilting his head slightly to the side. His eyes bored into yours with a twin-veiled interest, buried beneath his casual politeness.
"Or maybe you'd use this time wisely and ask me to tell you something about our circus that you seemed to take such careful interest in? Believe me, it is worth it listening to me talk~"
The circus freak beckoned, his smile widening slightly. Despite the obvious challenge in the Jester's voice, his gaze wasn't expectant. Your answer didn't matter—he already decided he'll like it.