Chapter Text
It had started off as a normal week. Well, as normal as it could be for someone like you. You had barely finished your meal of the month to keep you well normal.
Though you also needed to keep up appearances and head to buy actual groceries. You prefer to eat light things that won’t irritate your stomach as much, despite being a half ghoul.
As you walk to the grocery store, you catch the scent of other ghouls walking around who are also busy with their day. Though as you reach the entrance of the store, you catch the scent of something “wrong”. You discreetly look around and don’t seem to notice anything off, but quickly head into the store. As you browse through the aisles, you can’t help but think about the “others.” They appear every so often, but now it seems they are becoming a bit more active, especially with the scent you caught earlier.
This can’t be good, you think as you briskly walk home.
That was three days ago, and now the “others” scent is stronger, with some of them walking in the crowds of people. Most of the ghouls in the town agreed to leave them be and try to continue on with their day-to-day routines, even if they get glanced at by the “others”. You are on the fence about them, while you’ve never met one, you feel like they should have as much right to live as you and others of your species, even if it’s not a good idea, since they can and have killed ghouls in the area.
Today felt chilly as you headed to work. Your head is hurting from the scents of both ghouls and “others”. Not only that, but the smell came the strongest from the circus that had stopped in your city. I just need to keep my head down. You have seen two performers in the past two days, one in green and another in red, on your route to work, but from a distance. As you were walking, you suddenly heard someone yelling. Turning your head, along with others, you saw one of the performers on the ground, his flyers littered around him, as he shrank in on himself. Not wanting to get involved, you tried to pass by when you heard why the man had struck him.
“Ever since your circus showed up, more people have been disappearing! I’ll call the ghoul investigators to make sure they get you!” Now that was a problem; you could see other ghouls in the crowd also shifting nervously. The part of the city where you lived, while relatively safe from ghoul attacks, did have the occasional disappearance, whether the ghouls or the “others” were responsible had yet to be seen. You could understand why the man had reacted the way he did, but you remembered that the news had reported that the missing person had eloped.
Whether that was true remains a mystery.
You could see the performer reaching out to pick up some of his flyers. This angered the man, as he made a move to strike him again, “Don’t ignore me, you freak! Get out of here!” Reacting on instinct, you run to stand in front of him, lifting your bag and blocking the hit. The man seemed surprised at your appearance. Facing him, “What are you doing! Attacking people on the streets! Especially when he’s just doing his job! I’m going to call the police for assaulting someone!”
This seemed to make the man lose some of his bravado, as the crowd that had gathered started to whisper.
“She’s right…”
“Attacking others in broad daylight…”
“If he really was a ghoul…”
“Are you all blind!” He yelled, pointing at the man, “Look at his mask! He could be a ghoul for all you know!” This caused some people to also murmur in agreement. Not backing down, you looked him in the eye.
“Then prove it. Prove that he’s a ghoul and that they’re the reason for all the disappearances. You know that these things happen. Even then, the CCG would send investigators, not regular people. Do you think a ghoul could be taken down by you just punching them?” You explain the unfortunate reality of becoming food to ghouls, even you, due to being a hybrid, and the fact that the Doves might come crawling about.
The crowd murmured in agreement as the man began to turn purple as he walked away angrily, “Damn it all! I hope you get eaten!” You sighed, relieved that the situation had de-escalated, as the crowd began to disperse, you could sense some of them staring at you.
Turning around, you turned to the man, who had been staring at you. You smiled gently and offered a hand, “Are you okay? Here I’ll help you up.” He looked at your hand for a moment before taking it, his bells jingling, and pulling him up, you blinked. Damn, he’s tall. He towered over you, head turned towards you. Another thing you noticed was his eyes, now knowing why the man called him a ghoul. Through the eye holes of his mask, his sclera was black, but instead of the familiar red of ghoul eyes, they seemed to be golden colored. Huh, do they wear contacts, or is it part of the mask?
“Don’t take it to heart. People tend to get scared about things they don’t understand. Especially in ghoul territory.” You explained, as he gave you a small nod, seeing a bruise start to form on his face? Mask? You're not sure, so you offer him a spare bandage, not that you really need them, you just liked the cute pattern they came in. He walks a bit closer, not talking, and stares a bit, when a small breeze passes by, and you pick up his scent. While pleasant, smelling of something sweet, like pastries, you could smell that familiar iron scent, and the distinct smell that “others” had. Just my luck, hopefully, he would take the bandage and leave it at that.
Though a part of you felt nervous, due to your hybrid nature, you knew that your scent came off differently to other ghouls. Some smelled a full human, while others smelled a full ghoul, and a small few smelled your sweet smell of a hybrid. You’ve never encountered an “other” to know what they thought about your scent and how they perceived you.
He took the bandage as a small flush appeared on his face, feeling a bit worried, “Are you okay? You turned a bit red, if it gets worse, you go see a doctor.” You’re sure that some of his species specialized in treating wounds. He nods and still stares at you, silent.
“Well, I hope you feel better. I have to head to work. I hope you have a nice day.” Walking away from him, you feel his gaze watching you. Turning a corner, you took in a deep breath and stared at the sky. Am I dumb? You knew that other ghouls wouldn't like the fact that you helped an “other”, while other ghouls would be indifferent as long as the Doves didn’t come.
Deciding not to worry about it, you head to work.
Today was not turning out to be a good day. When you arrived, your Boss had informed you that Carol hadn’t shown up to work. So now you had to take care of her load of work as well, while on one hand you felt upset at the prospect of more work, you were worried, it wasn’t like Carol to not tell either of you if she wasn’t feeling well. Especially, with the disappearances happening around the city. You hoped that she hadn’t ended up as someone's dinner. The thing about the part of the city you lived in was more peaceful than other parts. Ghouls in this sector decided to share kills between each other to keep the Doves from coming in droves. Of course, this led to other ghouls trying to take over, and causing bloodshed, though this was mostly stopped by the “others” who had started to take ghouls as well.
You sighed as you picked up the circus flyers. Why they made so many, you’ll never know. Hearing the door jingle, you call out a “Welcome!” As the person made their way to a table. Making your way to them, you take out your notepad.
“What can I get you?”
“I’d like a strong, hot coffee.” Taking his order down, you head to the work area and serve it in a cup, and head over to him. You take in the scent of the coffee, a nice, strong blend, perfect for people and ghouls. Serving it to him, you take in his appearance, a man in a light blue suit, his hair slicked back. Then you caught his scent, the familiar smell of an “other.” You couldn’t help but stare a bit; you knew they looked different, and they had their difference from ghouls, mainly the claws and that they wore masks to hide their appearances. He looked too human, thinking that maybe he was a hybrid like you.
You snapped out of it when he coughed. Apologizing, you asked if he needed anything else, and he cut you off, asking about the flyers you had placed behind the counter. A bit flustered, you had explained that your boss wanted it cleaned up, and he offered to take care of them for you. Surprised, you said that he didn’t need to do that and offered again, explaining that he had to recycle other things anyway. You agreed and asked if he needed anything again, though he interrupted you again to ask if you liked the circus.
Confused, you reply that you’ve never been to a circus. He blinks and says that the circus in town might be interesting, and a bit curious. You ask if he had gone, and he says that he had, and it was very interesting and had a creepy feel to it. Not sure where the conversation was heading, he reached into his breast pocket and took out a bright pink ticket.
Not sure how to react, and frankly wanting the conversation to end, you thank him, but explain that you couldn’t accept it due to the ghouls that appeared late at night. Still, he offered it to you, and after considering it, you took it. After all, if one of his kind went to the circus and came out okay, it couldn’t be all that bad, could it? You saw his eyes light up before smoothing his expression out.
Thanking him, he laughed a bit before letting you return to your work. He finished his coffee a small while later. The rest of your shift passed by, other ghouls coming in for coffee, and the occasional rude customer; other than that, the day went by rather fine.
Near the end of your shift, your Boss had explained that he wanted you to close up early, due to an appointment that he had to attend and the fact that he didn’t want you walking out so late by yourself with everything happening. You agreed, and as soon as the last customer left, you flipped the “OPEN” to “CLOSED” and began to clean up around the cafe.
As you cleaned, you heard a jingle, confused you turned to the door and saw that it was closed. Suddenly, the room went dark, now you feel a bit on edge, Could it be a ghoul? You knew that some ghouls would take advantage of the confusion around the city to hunt people, but you didn’t feel the presence or scent of a ghoul, though you did smell blood; it carried that “off” quality to it. Heading to the back, you try to turn on the lights, cursing under your breath, and head to the breaker as the lights turn on.
Relieved, you sigh, even though you had eaten earlier in the month, you would still be weak to fight off any attackers unless you took a bite from them. The door jingles, and you jump, telling whoever it was that you were closed and trailed off when you realize that it's the red-clad performer from earlier. Though you note, with alarm, the blood sliding down his face.
“Oh my God! Are you okay?” Even though he might not be human, it was still dangerous to be walking around with blood on your person. A scared person might think he’s a ghoul and could cause the Doves to arrive. You head to him, but pause when he presents a flower to you. You look at it, not really expecting him to do that. You note that it’s a really well-made paper flower, and you catch the scent on it, blood, more specifically, his.
“Oh, uh, thank you. For the bandage?” The words tumble from your mouth a bit weirded out, and he nods as you hesitantly take it. Spinning it a couple of times in your hand, you look back at him and see his mask smiling, and your bandage on his cheek, and the blood dripping from his head. He looks really sketchy, especially since he hasn’t spoken to you since he entered, so you decide to help him with his wound. Mentally, you hope that you don’t regret your actions.
“Um… Can you sit on the counter? I’ll help you with that.” You point to his wound, and he sits at the counter. You place the flower next to him on the counter and head to the back as you take out the first aid kit and bring it to the counter next to him. He watches as you open it and take out a gauze, alcohol, and a thicker bandage. Taking a piece of gauze, you dab it with alcohol.
“Sorry, this is going to hurt. If it’s too much, push my hand away.” He nods, and you press against his wound, making sure to get the blood. You can hear him take in a sharp breath and pull back slightly, asking him if he’s okay. He nods, face slightly flushed, and you continue, and you can’t help but think that he’s wearing a strange mask or if he’s wearing a ton of makeup because nothing white seems to be coming off as you clean. Another thing you notice is that despite the amount of blood, the wound seems small. Maybe they have regenerative cells like ghouls? Pulling the gauze away, you throw it away as you slightly turn his face, feeling him start to tremble a bit, and grab one of the thicker bandages and put it on the wound.
“That should do it. Though if it keeps bleeding, you should head to the doctor or get professional help.” He nods as you put some of the stuff back into the kit. He seems to be kicking his feet underneath the counter, and a pleased smile is on his face.
Feeling a bit awkward, you ask, “So do you talk or is it part of the act?” Cringing at the insensitive question, he stands from the counter, looking as if someone could be watching before leaning down towards you.
“I can’t be seen talking.” A pleasant voice greets you, gentle, slightly deep, and a bit hoarse with disuse.
“Oh, so it’s part of your act?” You question him, thinking back to silent clowns, and mainly a mime pops up in your head, but his costume doesn’t match that.
“Yes, my lady. I sincerely appreciate your help. I’m The Pierrot, it’s a pleasure to meet you!” Then again, he doesn’t look like a Pierrot clown, and your limited knowledge of theater. You return the sentiment and give him your name. Due to your ghoul abilities, you could hear him whisper that he knows. Feeling a bit confused, and then you feel dumb, remembering that your nametag, had your name. God, I’m so dumb.
Instead of asking him that and wanting to not feel embarrassed by your line of thinking, you instead ask about him being a Pierrot, since he didn’t look like a typical Pierrot with their long white clothing and black pom poms, instead sporting bright red and orange. He smiles a bit bigger and explains that they had modernized his costume, but that he still follows the role of a Pierrot.
You tell him if he and the other members are okay due to the rough treatment of the people in the city, and he explains that their appearance is a bit “uncanny” and that tends to scare people a bit. You can’t help but mentally agree, since people accuse them of being ghouls, and the masks and tallness don’t help. You ask if the other Pierrots on the street perform, thinking back on the pink costumes, passing out flyers. He explains that the main cast members are few, and that they also pass out flyers as well as perform. Though the ones in pink are mostly those who work behind the scenes.
“Although I am the only Pierrot, my lady. The others are jesters and Harlequins…” As he’s saying this, a dark look crosses over his face at the mention of a harlequin, and you see him roll his eyes, thinking of whoever holds that role. Huh, I guess it’s not all sunshine and rainbows at the circus.
Feeling a bit curious, “Are the other performers silent like you?” His face returns back to a smile as he answers in a playful tone, “Though, I do make an exception when it’s just the two of us.”
Chuckling, you respond that his secret is safe with you, ending with a small wink. He blinks as his face turns red, and you can see the pink cat bandage you offered him earlier starting to peel. You tell him and reach a hand to take it off, and he leans closer for you to do that. He thanks you, face still red.
“I’ve brought you another small token of appreciation.” You look up from throwing the bandage into the trash as he pulls out a red ticket. “Oh, I’m sorry. I already have a ticket.”
He pauses, his smile getting a little smaller, “You obtained a ticket? May I see it?” Seeing nothing wrong, you pull it out of your pocket and present it to him. You see his smile become a bit more strained as a dark look passes over your face. He takes the ticket from your hand, and with a quick change, the color changes from pink to red. Impressed, you ask him about it as he passes you the red ticket, flipping it over and seeing a printed picture of Pierrot on the back.
He explains that the ticket you had was incorrect and that wouldn’t have been allowed into the circus, and you ask if it’s a counterfeit. He agrees and says that you shouldn’t accept tickets from strangers, and that he wouldn’t want you to have trouble at the entrance. Oof, that would have been embarrassing, though you can’t help but wonder why that man had given you a ticket, probably saw that I’ve never been to one, and wanted to trick me.
“The thing is that I’m not really sure if I should go. You know, because of the ghouls and the fact that it'll be late.” You say to him absentmindedly as you examine the ticket, trying to see what made it so different from the pink one, not noticing that his smile drops for a moment.
“I assure you that we take great care of the safety of our guests. I promise that you’ll be safe on the way to the circus. I’ll make sure to make you smile during my performance.” He reassures you as you look back at him. You tell him that you’ll think about it, and you look at the clock behind him, realizing you lost track of time. Apologizing, you tell him that you had to close up and that you’d both have to leave. He reassures you that it’s fine, that he wanted to thank you for helping earlier, but didn’t want to bother you while you were working. You tell him that it’s fine, knowing that he wouldn’t have been able to talk to you like this. He turned red again, agreeing with you as he bid you good night, and you did too as he walked out. You saw his silhouette out the window as he walked out of view, quickly finishing what you had to do, and you began your walk home.
You had arrived at your apartment without encountering any trouble. You saw some ghouls roaming around, but for the most part, they had left you alone. Unlocking the door, you enter your apartment and leave your things at the table. Feeling a bit more tired than usual, you decide to take a bath.
In the shower, you go over the events of the day. You had stopped a person from attacking an “other.” From what you’ve heard around the grapevine, they were wary of ghouls and humans and attacked if provoked. You knew that a majority of ghouls didn’t like them for the fact that they ate people as well, a valued resource amongst both of your species. Since, from your understanding, humanity didn’t know they existed, and it’s not like ghouls could tell people, since this would cause people to get suspicious of how someone would know about that. Though Pierrot, while an “other”, was kind and a bit weird, was a nice person, and honestly, you feel that he has the same right as people, ghouls, and half-ghouls like you to live. You also wonder if the other circus members he had mentioned are like him. Also, it would be nice to experience things like a normal person, who knows, maybe it might be fun.
Stepping out of the shower, you head into your room and shiver from the cold. That’s strange, you’re sure you hadn’t left it open. Either way, you close it and begin to change into your PJs and let out a yawn. Drying your hair, you lie on your bed as you turn on the TV and flip through the channels. Feeling sleepy, you decide that sleeping with wet hair is fine, and snuggle under the covers as the sound of the TV drifts you off to sleep.