His Soul (Chapter 11)

His Soul (Chapter 11)

Passing Time

Summary: After saving the abducted collectors, you were trusted with Curioso's box. What seems like a dangerous possession slowly turns into an opportunity to learn more about this creature and his curse. Can you earn his trust, and possibly, his affection?

Pairings: Curioso/Reader, Curioso/The Detective

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Having a dangerous magical jester around you wasn’t the worst thing in the world. Actually, the more you brought Curioso out of his box and allowed him to linger, the more his presence grew on you. Your paranoia and distrust gradually simmered into slight wariness, as you were no longer focusing on his every move and worrying about the possibilities of what could happen. You trusted him to follow your rules. So far, he hadn’t done anything that was a cause for concern. 

…Well, that wasn’t entirely true. There was one instance you weren’t all too happy with. 

Your friendly neighbor, Audrey, had stopped by one morning to drop you off some sweets and breakfast. She wanted to catch up with you due to your prolonged absence from her shop. You usually frequented it to get some of your groceries and the morning paper - something you’ve been neglecting to do ever since your jester friend had captured most of your attention. You’d been meaning to visit her again, but time kept slipping out of your hands… 

You’d let out Curioso an hour prior and had been in the shower when she stopped by. After you dried yourself off, your apartment sounded eerily quiet. It didn’t assure you when you found the creature completely missing from your home, which meant there was only one other place he could be. 

…He had scared the living daylights out of Audrey by greeting her at the door. His tall frame and sharp teeth evoked an immediate scream from her - it wasn't helped when he insisted on getting closer to her. He backed off when you came rushing down the stairs screaming out his name. You trapped him back in the box again and it was mutually understood as to why.

You recall how silent he had been after putting him back, seating down Audrey and placing a damp rag on her forehead. She was clutching at your arm tightly, fear laced in her brown eyes when she turned to you.

“Detective, what - was - that?” She breathed deeply, flickering her gaze repeatedly to the box sitting across the room. 

“My…new friend,” You sat down beside her and patted her shoulder. “I’m sorry you two had to meet like that.” 

She sounded distraught. “What is he!?” 

You felt worse knowing you couldn’t give her a good answer. What was Curioso, really? You focused on getting your friend to calm down instead and offered her some tea. It was a long conversation you two had that day - catching her up on your situation while also trying not to disclose too much. You made it clear that he couldn’t escape from the box, which was her biggest worry as she was constantly watching it behind you. 

It took some time, but she finally came to terms with what you were saying. With your assurances that he meant her no harm, she was able to relax and have a proper chat with you. You caught up on what she’d been up to and made a firm promise to go back to visiting her again. 

After she left, you gave Curioso a good scolding for scaring her, but he didn’t respond to you. You were positive he heard it, though, and put him in a “time-out” that day.

Otherwise, you were fine with regularly letting him out to venture around your office and home. He was curious and seemed to enjoy the freedom, despite how limited it all must feel. Neither of these places were as spacious as Andrew’s home. You always felt some guilt about having to cage him in here. 

But his encounter with Audrey reminded you why this was necessary. 

You walked up the stairs back into your apartment and shut the door behind you. The tall jester caught sight of what you were carrying and followed after as you headed to the kitchen. You dropped the box onto the table with a flourish and grinned.

“Pizza!”

He clapped his hands. “Finally ! You’re eating something not healthy!” 

You snickered as you threw open the top. His trademark expression seemed to have fallen when he got a good look at the fruit on your dinner. His disgust was evident as he clambered onto the counters and pointed at it like it offended him. 

“ Pineapple!? You’re mad!” 

“What?” You defended with a shrug, sitting down and chuckling at his reaction. “This place has the best ingredients. I tell you, nothing’s better than fresh pineapple on pizza.” 

He crossed his arms and refused to be any closer, choosing to watch you eat from the counter. You got a kick out of his behavior and made a show of enjoying your food, causing him to dramatically turn away. When you grabbed a second slice, he dangled his long legs from the edge and glanced in your direction. 

“Pizza is what I most miss eating,” He confessed sadly. “I liked mine with anchovies.” 

You made a face. “-And you think pineapple is bad?” 

He jumped off and sat with you, reaching over to ruffle your hair. You didn’t necessarily hate it whenver he did that, but it made you feel like a kid again and you were getting picked on by your parents. You shot him a glare when he sat back and attempted to flatten down your hair. 

“Fine. I guess we both like something pretty abnormal.” 

You shook your head and finished your serving for the night, closing the box to store in the fridge in the meantime. You really wanted to make a plate to give to him, so Curioso could try your favorite topping and confess that it wasn’t THAT bad. But you couldn’t. It wasn't possible to have that exchange.

It bugged you more than usual.

He must’ve noticed the change in your demeanor. You were still staring at the inside of your refrigerator, clenching a fist at your side. He curiously called out, “Detective?” 

“I’m fine,” You insisted sternly, moving to take your seat again. When he tilted his mask at you, you sighed. “I just wish you could try it. You’d probably like it.” 

“I wouldn’t. But the thought means so much to me.” His grin grew wider. You smiled back and fidgeted with your sleeve. 

“...By the way, I’ll be getting that book back next week. She called me while I was out today and told me she’s nearly done translating it.” 

His posture fell. “I see.” 

“...It’s a book full of instructions for your box.” You stated, seeking out eyes that he did not have. You wished you could have that contact right now. “..Do you care to tell me about it? Before I get it?” 

“My words won’t change anything. You’re going to get that book and you’ll be able to read it. What is it you want from me?” 

“Your input. Your feelings. They do mean something to me, you know.” 

He studied you for a while. After this long pause, he told you, “Then you’d be the first.” 

You blinked. “You mean the first to…care about how you feel?” He nodded and your lips fell. “Curioso…will you tell me now? About your past?” Your eyes flitted around his mask nervously. “Am I ready for that yet?” 

“I"d rather wait for that conversation,” He bowed his mask. “But I promise I will reveal everything.”

You nodded in understanding, appreciative that he was willing to tell you. He certainly didn’t have to - he could keep everything about himself a secret if he wanted to. You were grateful he was choosing to open up to you, but you felt that the presence of this book was warranting that somehow. 

“I’ll be patient,” You promised. Curioso leaned forward and booped the end of your nose, making you squirm in your seat and bat his hand away. 

“You have no choice!” He exclaimed cheerily. 

Really, it wasn’t that bad. You didn’t normally have company around your house. You once thought of taking in a pet of your own - a cat or a bird, maybe. But you decided it wasn’t worth the hassle of having to take care of it while also juggling your job. Sometimes you were out of town for cases and had to spend nights elsewhere. You hated the thought of leaving a companion of yours frequently like that. 

Curioso was more or less your guest. Except he had no use for any of your amenities - he didn’t drink water and he couldn’t eat food. He didn’t even wash himself in your bathroom, though you had a feeling his limbs and clothes could use a good cleaning. He mentioned something about not being able to take them off, and you weren’t sure if asking him to undress was a conversation you were comfortable with having right now.

All he did around your apartment was watch television, read your books, play board games, and join you while you ate. He did sometimes look out of the window for a long time. You assumed he was enjoying what part of the outside he could see. There were times you debated offering to take him on a walk, or a quick trip to the park, but you weren’t sure if those experiences would be the same if he had to be in his box the entire time.

While you were washing dishes, you decided to be curt about your curiosites. He was right - he had nowhere to go and couldn’t possibly evade whatever you chose to ask. Sure, he was stubborn about some things and refused to give you an answer, but you still had the opportunity to pry. 

“Can you sleep?” You asked, raising your voice so he could hear you over the faucet. 

He was currently fiddling around with a small puzzle box he found in one of your drawers. He seemed to love puzzles as much as you did. “I can and I can’t.” 

You arched an eyebrow. “Meaning..?” 

“In the box I can.” Something clicked and you smiled hearing his small victory. “But when I’m out, there’s no need. I can be awake for weeks..!” 

“Another reason to keep you in at night, then.” 

“I can pretend to sleep if that’ll make you happy...” 

You scrunched up your nose at the thought. “I’d rather not keep you up for eight hours. Wouldn’t it get boring?” 

“It’s not any worse than inside that box.” 

You grabbed a towel to dry the dishes and turned around. He had disassembled the puzzle box so he could try again. You knew he was attempting to get a personal record, a habit of yours as well. 

“What do you do in there?” You crooked your head to the side. “I remember there being a lot of puppets and mannequins, a little theater stage and a room…do you use those?” 

“Perform without an audience? I can’t think of anything worse,” He scoffed. “To answer your question, Detective, I draw and make things. Sometimes I write little plays and act them out…hoping that, someday, I can show somebody.” 

“Now why didn’t you do that instead of kidnapping all those collectors?” 

“It was a fun game..! You played along and enjoyed it, didn’t you? You got to see some of those acts yourself. Remember when you uncovered the mystery of Nancy?” 

You shook your head and turned back to the sink. “I wouldn’t call that ‘fun’.” 

“Agree to disagree.” 

He redirected his focus back to that little puzzle box. You liked seeing him enjoying himself…you had to get more things for him to play with. You would hate for him to have nothing to do around here if there wasn't anything to distract him with. 

He might cause mayhem again, and you didn't want that.

A few days passed and you spent your time with Curioso. You had the free time to spare while you waited for your next big case. You were glad for the distraction. The way you passed the time before was through picking up a new book or getting invested in a TV show. But having your eyes continually glued to something all day wasn’t healthy. You did try to get out more, jogging to the park and back…but you were only ever able to keep it up for a week before you’d be dragged into your next job. It was a ruthless cycle. 

You were playing Operation with Curioso. Something to pass the time with before you’d have to go to bed. You made it a goal of yours to engage in something with him every night. It was the last fun you two would have before he’d return to his box and you would turn in for the evening.

Your fingers slipped and the tongs came into contact with the metal edge, sending a strong vibration to your hand and causing the printed man’s nose to light up brightly, announcing your failure to retrieve his Adam’s apple. 

“Ugh!” You scowled, passing the miniature instrument over into Curioso's artificial hand. You watched as he smoothly grabbed his next piece and dropped it aside.

“Don’t worry, you’re not as bad as I was at this,” He assured you. “When I was little, I couldn’t grab anything for the life of me.” 

“I bet it’s easier with those hands,” You gestured over to his flexing digits. He smiled at you. 

“It is! I have no nerves to give me jitters anymore. I bet you’re jealous.” 

“Oh, terribly.” You rolled your eyes. You were finished with this game so you collected your cards to tally the total. The end result wasn’t surprising at all. “You win, I guess.” 

“Don’t be a sore loser. You did wonderfully..!” 

You eyed all the plastic pieces he had on his side and snorted. “No wonder you beat me at Jenga.” 

“That was fun..! It was hilarious when you knocked the pieces over yourself!"

You cleaned up the game and returned it to its box. These were old ones you’d found at a yard sale years ago and kept around in storage. You only recently surfaced them while trying to find things to do with Curioso. A deck of cards could only play so many games, and you had the faintest feeling he was cheating in them, sometimes. 

“Well, time to hit the hay. Tomorrow we’ll play Monopoly. Probably.” 

He stood to his feet and watched as you returned the game to its cabinet. When you came back, he grasped onto your shoulder tightly and looked you straight in the eyes. At least, you believed he was doing that, with how close his ‘face’ had suddenly gotten to yours. 

“Detective,” He breathed, his voice quiet. “I believe it is time.” 

“-For bed?” 

He shook his head. “To tell you everything.” It clicked in your head and your eyes widened in surprise. “You get that book tomorrow, don’t you? It’s best if you know all of this beforehand.” 

“Are-Are you sure? It’s getting late-” 

“-Please.” He implored. “I’ve been holding off all day. If I procrastinate any longer I may never tell you."

He sounded desperate and anxious. It made your chest swell in anticipation. What was he going to tell you? And why did you need to know all of it? He leaned even closer to you so his set of teeth was only a few inches away. You gulped at the close proximity. 

Two small blue flames lit the sockets of his mask. “Would you like to see inside my soul?”

At one point Frogwares used to have a studio focused on more casual adventure titles including a few hidden object games. One of these is Sherlock Holmes and the Hound of the Baskervilles, the basic premise inspired by the homonymous title: Sir Henry Baskerville arrives in London to consult Sherlock about the murder of his uncle. It is said that a curse haunts his bloodline, a demonic hound causes the premature death of many heirs and he worries to be the next to fall victim to it. And that is as far as this game sticks to the original novel.

Once arriving the location is in a rather ghastly state; the servants left and most of the areas are locked, moreover, the hall of portraits looks abnormal: every single painting have changed and displays a cursed form of its subjects. It doesn’t take long until supernatural happenings start to take place and different mechanics are introduced while the three characters explore the secrets of the state.

The game follows a comfortable loop that can be even more predictable than most hidden object titles: you enter a room and find pieces of the crest that will be used to purify the portrait, clear a HOS and a puzzle , scavenge for objects until you find both eyes to insert in the sockets of a hound statue that transports the player to the past soon after the death of the room’s owner. Some more HOS and puzzles take place until all the pieces of the crest are pieced together and will grant the player a new skill accessed in the medallion in the lower right corner of the screen. The skill will allow to revisit previous rooms for extra clues, like the ability to break vases or to pay closer attention to darker areas. Once the entire estate is fully explored it will be the time for the preparations of the final showdown with the beast.

The puzzles themselves are the usual fare of the genre, some can be good brain teasers and require some thinking and not brute-force a solution. The hidden objects scenes can be a mixed bag, some can have bad contrast and make it harder to locate what you are looking for. Still, the game has a beautiful design and the soundtrack stands out for its high quality.

The Hound of the Baskervilles has no ties with the Frogwares’ titles at large, only cursory mentions of other cases like Holmes’ encounter with the Ripper and they use the background of the apartment for the scenes in Baker Street. Sadly, the standard version on steam leaves a lot of questions unanswered and the Collectors’ Edition is unavailable to purchase. It can be an enjoyable hidden object game with a unique mechanic and familiar characters, but If you expect it to stay close to the source material you might want to look elsewhere.

🧍‍♂️

his teleporting is so cool

drawme.share-on.me

Draw for Arsene ~ Secret Drawing Box

Secret Drawing Box is a web game that allows you to get drawings from your friends but you will never know who sent you the drawings

! been seeing this circulating lately !!

Brink of Consciousness: Dorian Gray Syndrome - Unknown Oscar