Some 'screenshots' Of The Hidden Object Game I'm Working On Here And There. The First Picture Is Of Zuzi

Some 'screenshots' of the hidden object game I'm working on here and there. The first picture is of Zuzi and Funfetti at the very beginning of the game still in the train car, featuring Funfetti's journal and hint jack-in-the-box, and the second is the first hidden object section, where they're investigating the train conductor's area for clues as to where he went.

@hiddenobject-fanblog

I'm not banishing anybody when they're this hot

His Soul (Chapter 16)

Morals and Promises

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

--

“How did you get so good at magic?” 

The words inadvertently blurted out of your mouth while your eyes locked on the fire Curioso lit in your small fireplace. The rain that had been going on for a couple of days has gradually turned into a thunderstorm raging outside. Your town often dealt with this weather, so the harsh wind and hard drops on your roof wasn’t anything alarming - but it meant that your apartment was frigid. You weren’t comfortable running your heat all night, knowing your bill would skyrocket for the month. 

So, when you asked your jester assistant for help with starting a fire, you hadn’t expected one to magically catch on the wood you’d just placed behind the grate with a flick of Curioso’s wrist. 

He was lounging on your recliner with a book propped open in his lap. His attention was fully on you instead of the pages. “It’s the only thing I have to thank the Enchantress for. I used to steal her books and learn all I could from them. I had no clue I even had magic until I kept practicing my tricks for the show, and I learned I just naturally had the powers.” 

You stood from your crouching position and sat over on the couch, leaning over to pop open your bag of chips and throwing a couple in your mouth. The fire was lit seconds ago and it already made the room warm and comfortable. You assumed that was something purposefully done and not just a side effect of the magical embers. 

“You know, you have yet to tell me more about your ‘show’...”

This was when he returned his attention back to literature. “What is there to tell?” 

“I mean, what was it like? Did you have a lot of people there? What kind of tricks did you do?” You munched away on the junk food and pointed at him. “See? I have a lot of questions.” 

He shut the book with impatience and it disappeared into little blue and red particles. You were amazed each time he did something with his magic - it was fun having a magician around your home. Things constantly appeared and disappeared, and while sometimes you found it annoying, most of the time you were impressed and couldn’t help wondering where they went and came from. Having anything conjured up at your request wasn’t something you tried to make a habit of, but you couldn’t reject the convenience of it all. 

“It was a run-down carnival that barely cleaned the stage. The children there were always eating something that was sticky or buttery and some of them ALWAYS insisted on trying to touch me or the props.” You imagined him grimacing at the memory with the way he paused. “-But it was colorful. It was fun. And I made it one of the best side performances anyone could watch.” 

“Oh?” You crossed your legs and leaned forward, trying to imagine the pretty colors and music of a carnival, and Curioso’s voice in the midst of it all. It was a pretty captivating image. “How did your shows go?”

“Like I said, it was a puppet show. But because of me , it was so much more than that.” He mirrored your stance and bent his long legs, leaning forward to close the distance between you two. He sounded excited retelling this to you. “Sometimes, I was the puppeteer narrating the show, moving and bending the puppets to my will. Other times, I was among them - making the marionettes as real and big as the audience itself, with no strings attached..! That one was the most popular, I’ve been told.” 

“And you made them tell your jokes?” 

He spread his arms out theatrically. “I had a whole act full of jokes and tricks for them to see..! It was hard getting little children to sit through long performances, so I made many short ones that made them laugh and gasp in awe. My puppets would do the stunts all the professionals did - but I was able to do anything and everything. I conjured up my own fire, I broke the laws of physics, I did things my audience couldn’t fathom! When I was on stage, I was the life of the party.” 

“I could imagine,” Your smile was genuine, playing this out in your mind. He must’ve entertained many people, and delighted so many kids. If he put his powers to that use, you had no doubts he’d be an excellent performer and entertainer. 

He shrunk back on the cushion and suddenly looked away. “It was all great…except for when it wasn’t. I’d perform all night if I had the audience for it, but if any of my shows did badly, and I was taken in early... well .” 

Your eyes grew wide with worry. “Well… what? ” 

“She used the book, and I would have shackles and chains on me, to sit there and be gawked at by anyone passing by. It deterred my magic, so I couldn’t escape or do anything. It made my reputation hard to maintain, when kids would see me sitting there in time-out..! It was why my show was so good, and why I couldn’t be anything BUT the centerpiece of it all.” 

Your posture fell at this information. “Oh…I’m…I’m so sorry to hear that.” 

“It only happened a few times. I made sure of it.” His voice became determined and he soon shrugged. “Of course, I didn’t get a share of any of the money my shows made. She kept it all. She was always there, watching and making sure everything went well. Her deal with the circus must’ve been good because she had plenty of money after I started performing. Although I think she had a habit of gambling it all away, sometimes.” 

Your eyes lowered to the bag of chips and you gently put them aside. “You said the carnival business wasn’t great and you saw some things…might I ask about that?” 

Flames flashed in his eyes for a brief second. “A lot of the employees fixed their games and would steal from their customers. So many of them smoked and drank liquor, and I would watch them get carried away most nights and do.. deplorable things. Did you know there could be so much sex in a carnival?” 

Heat climbed to your face at the topic. “I - I mean-” 

“Disgusting, really. They never clean the floors and all the animals defecate everywhere…they must’ve gotten so many infections! Anyway,” He grinned at your embarrassment and you cleared your throat to regain your composure. “It wasn’t just her with a gambling problem. Many carnival lackeys did. People were always in debt to each other, and some weren’t as kind or patient with collecting their dues. My Enchantress was never in danger because of me, but I wish she could have been. If I had any choice, I would’ve seen to it that she was short on her payments.” 

“I’m sure you know that would’ve not been the right thing to do.”  

You weren’t defending her, but you knew how bad it would’ve been if that happened. Despite what she did to Curioso, you refused to feed his desires for chaos. The jester regarded you silently and shook his mask. 

“No, but It would’ve been fun to see. As you can imagine, I had a lot of bad things around me to observe. All I wanted was to see these people facing the harm their obsessions caused. I had such a fun view of the carnival when I was a little boy, but that quickly got ruined, and it hasn’t changed since.” 

“Huh, so I guess taking you to one isn’t an option…”

“I don’t want to step foot in another one ever again,” He confirmed. He seemed to think about something before asking, “Have you ever been to a carnival yourself, Detective?” 

“Yeah, when I was a kid. I used to get my face painted like a tiger.” You chuckled at the memory, recalling those colorful and sugary nights with your parents so many years ago. You couldn’t remember ever having a bad time at a carnival…but you could understand why Curioso had. “I mostly went to the fair, though. I was a bigger fan of rides than watching shows.” 

“Oh, what fun..! I’ve only ever been to an amusement park once in my life.” He jumped from the chair and into the seat beside you, getting close and comfortable beside you. “What was your favorite ride?” 

“Bumper cars.” You grinned. 

“A classic..! You can torment so many people in those..!” 

You had to agree with him. That was the point of it all, after all. You couldn’t get much enjoyment if you just rode around doing nothing. Bumping into others, cornering them, and laughing was what made it fun. And it made all the more sense why Curioso liked it as well. 

You realized you were smiling and allowed it to slowly fall. Despite his change of topic, you couldn’t stop thinking about what he just told you. Softly, you asked, “Did you ever like doing it, though? Performing for kids and for people, to see them laugh and smile during your show?”

“You’re asking if their enjoyment was worth the pain and imprisonment for when I failed them?” His tone was flat. You cursed yourself for asking such a stupid question. But then he shifted beside you to look into the fire from afar. “..Honestly, Detective, it was. If I couldn’t be happy as a child, then I had no problem fixing that problem for someone else.” 

The smile returned to your face. Without your permission, your hand landed on his knee, and Curioso’s mask whipped around to face you in surprise. You were only aware of it at the last second, but you didn’t retract your touch, and instead you squeezed it and leaned forward. 

“It’s good that you felt that way,” You affirmed. “I’m sure that happiness was far better than whatever vindication you got from torturing those poor collectors.”

He tsked and waved his finger at you. “Ah, but can’t two things be true at once? I have no reason to favor the fun that I have.” 

You grit your teeth. “You know what I mean.” 

“You’re trying to get me to be good.” 

It wasn’t even a question; he stated it like it was a fact. You withdrew your hand finally and returned it to your lap, looking away with a frown. He figured you out and it must’ve not been hard at all. It wasn’t like you’d been trying to hide it, but…to hear it stated aloud, and so emotionless from him...almost like it was a helpless cause? 

“I’m trying to get you to be better. To want better.” You sighed tiredly. “I wholly believe there’s good in you and you can use your powers for better things, rather than putting people on knife boards and trapping old women in burning photographs.” 

“When one is stripped of their humanity, it makes it easy to favor the madness you used to shy away from.” His tone turned to something wicked and it made your heart still in your chest. “Why would I want to live a boring life when I can have something so much better?” 

You quirked an eyebrow at him. “Then why choose a life where you’re a servant to a detective? My life isn’t that eventful.” 

Curioso sounded offended. “Don’t say that..! We found such delicious things on your last case together-” 

“-Finding dead bodies in a murderer’s home is not the fun I want!” You exclaimed. You tried to grasp words. “It’s part of my duty, to find and try those responsible for it. I don’t like seeing others suffer and I don’t think you do, either, after you suffered yourself. You should break the cycle rather than continuing it!” 

He was sitting back and looking at you like you were a different person. You supposed that outburst wasn’t much like you, and his reaction was sort of warranted. 

“What if I’m unchangeable?” He asked quietly, barely audible to your ears over the cracking of the fire.

“You aren’t. No one is. And I don’t care if you’re not human anymore - a magical jester giving me a figure of myself is still a gift, no matter how you want to look at it. And caring about someone else like that is always a sign of humanity.” 

Things were quiet for a long minute as you sat there dwelling on your thoughts. Then your tall friend huffed and sank in the pillow behind him, crossing his arms and muttering quietly. 

“You’re not very fun when you’re being preachy. Even when you have a point.” 

You smirked and flicked one of his bells, making it chime under your finger. He turned his mask to glare at you for such an action. 

“No matter how inhumane you were treated, you are still a person. You deserve to be respected, to be shown compassion, to be… loved. ” You hesitated with that last word, taking in a breath for far too long before letting it out. “Can you let me show these things to you?” 

He uncrossed his arms and laid there looking at you. The silence wasn’t uncomfortable but it made you squirm under his gaze. But it wasn’t like he was studying you. It felt like he was appreciating you. And that sort of attention made you feel… something . 

“If you are the only person in the world who would want to give me those things, then I suppose I can let you.” He whispered back. 

You were feeling vulnerable right now and decided to snap out of it. You sat up straight and held your chin high, placing a hand over your heart and holding up a flattened palm with the other. The smile couldn’t help finding its way on your lips as you did this. 

“Alright, then, I’m going to make you swear it.” 

He looked at you curiously. “Swear what?”

“That you’re only going to use your powers for good from now on.” 

“Haven’t I already been using them for good? Tell me when I’ve misbehaved, Detective.” 

“Hiding my keys and my wallet the other day when I needed to go to the grocery store wasn’t very kind of you.” 

“Oh, but it was so hilarious..! You were looking for nearly half an hour-”

“-Curioso, stop laughing and swear it! Rest one hand over your hear- your, ah , chest…and hold the other high, like this.”

“You look stupid.”

“Look stupid with me! Come on, then.” 

You had a feeling he’d be rolling his eyes right about now. He copied your stance and held his mechanical hands where you wanted them. You grinned at his compliance. None of this was really necessary, but having his word meant just as much to you as a promise. And you wanted him to take this seriously. 

“Repeat after me. I, Curioso, solemnly swear to use my powers for good and only good.” 

“You didn’t say ‘me’.” 

You lightly smacked his chest and he laughed again. At least he was feeling good. 

“I swear to use my powers for good.”

“...Good! That should, uh, do it, then.” 

“Do I get something for being such a good boy? Your car, perhaps?”

“No, but…” The excitement grew in your chest as you recalled something you’d been meaning to tell him. You must’ve gotten sidetracked with your questions about the carnival. What a turn this conversation had taken. “..I have some good news to tell you.” 

“You’re finally going to get a haircut? That’s wonderful, because I’ve been telling you-” 

“-No, it’s not that.”

You made him wait for a few seconds longer, snorting when he became visibly impatient and tapped the cushion with exaggeration. 

“...We’ve been put on a case.”

Quotev

His Soul

After saving the abducted collectors, you were trusted with Curioso's box. What seems like a dangerous possession slowly turns into an oppor

You can now find the story on Quotev!

Wattpad

His Soul - Curioso's Box

Read Curioso's Box from the story His Soul by rainbowthefox with 16 reads. whisperedsecretsmorbidobsession, xreader, r...

"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?"

--

If anyone is interested in following the story off this blog, I posted His Soul onto AO3 and Wattpad! I'll keep the story up-to-date on here and these sites as well.

Pointing pointing omg I also love Phantom of the Opera game i haven't played it in years but I should

I also have played True Fear Forsaken Souls and quite liked it ^-^

!!!! You really should replay it, I'm on a replay right now and it's so great!!

The True Fear games are soooo good! I can't wait for the next game coming out this October. Hope to catch some more horror-themed HOPAs too!

His Soul (Chapter 17)

Undercover

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

--

Curioso’s mask moved closer as you arranged a blanket over your lap, adding more to the cozy ambience of the room. You knew there were several questions he was waiting to ask, judging by the way his fingers clawed anxiously at his thighs. You decided not to beat around the bush with this news. It was something you’d both been waiting for in these idle weeks. He must be just as excited as you were.

“They reopened the case with Brianna,” You began to explain. “Not the business with her wife - but the investigation with the house. They all laughed at me back then, but they’ve been trying to follow leads on the culprits and haven’t gotten a break since. They put me back on the case since I’ve been the only one to make the most progress.” 

“The police have been mucking around for this long? They should’ve just kept you on to begin with. Why did they take you off the case?” 

“Because they didn’t believe in my ‘nonsense’ about ‘magic and spells’ .” You used air quotations mockingly. “But now I can say I told them so! I…can only hope those people haven’t taken any more victims since our discovery…” 

Curioso raised a thoughtful finger to his mouth. “So, what have they learned? If anything at all?” 

“They tracked down the location in what they believe to be their bolthole. But get this…when they arrived at the place, not a single building could be found.” 

“They’re hiding it again.” 

The grin stretched to both sides of your face. “-Exactly. And that’s where YOU come in. You help me reveal it, we get to the bottom of things, and arrest these people once and for all.” You swiped the TV remote off of the table, sitting up straight as the excitement flooded you. “I’d been hoping to solve the case myself. It’s finally going to happen..!”

“I should apologize for how things went last time. If I’d have cooperated with you, we would’ve solved it long ago…” He bowed his head in regret.

“No, that was my fault. I trapped you when I needed your help. That’s not going to be a mistake I make again.” 

He turned to you appreciatively and moved so he was laying beside you. He lifted his mask and looked into your ceiling, muttering quietly. “I remember someone was obsessed with experimenting on kidnapped persons…injecting them with something mysterious, seeing if they would survive it.” He clasped his hands together and added quietly, “With how many bodies we saw, it must not have been very many. They enjoyed hunting down their sick victims like they were animals.”  

The spark in you slowly blew out, remembering the horrific details of what you were dealing with exactly. “The house must have been a hideaway, since the police were able to find the source of their operation.” 

“I’m not surprised they did. There were plenty of clues that showed whoever was there was writing letters and reporting back to someone by the name of ‘Aydan’.” 

Your mouth fell open in surprise. “What!? Why didn’t you tell me?” 

“Oh, yes, I found documents of their call history and a collection of received letters. But you didn’t particularly want my help at the time.” 

You groaned. “Okay, you’ve got to catch me up with everything you found in that house. If we’re to tackle this investigation again, we need to be on the same page.” 

“I’ve no problem with that. I just hope you’ve gained some trust in me so we can work together this time.” 

“I believe I have,” You breathed, remembering how close his body was pressed against yours and the white hand merely inches away from your leg. “With how much you were able to do, you might just be able to solve this entire thing for me.” 

“Detective! I’m starting to think you’re only bringing me along because I have magic and can do most of the work for you.” 

“Believe me, it’s actually the last thing I want.” You pouted. He tilted his head teasingly at you.

“Is someone upset that I did really good at their job? You need not worry - I doubt they’ll hire me to replace you. I don’t believe I meet all their ‘human’ qualifications.” 

Your face was heating up and you pushed aside your blanket. It was getting hot in here. And it certainly wasn’t because you were getting worked up with the fact that Curioso just pointed out your obvious insecurities. The fire was just…roaring! 

“Just give me the breathing room to find things for myself, this time,” You muttered. “You can help me get through doors and all that, but I want to be as involved as you are.” 

“Of course.” 

You nodded to show him your gratitude, then picked up the remote to turn on the TV and scroll through the programs to find something good to watch. He settled in beside you, and you smirked feeling his warm arm pressed against yours. You didn’t notice it, but you shared your body heat with him when the two of you were this close. You wondered if he could even feel it and appreciate it.

You opened your mouth to ask him, but realized pointing out your proximity might cause him to move. And you didn’t want that. You liked his company, laying next to him and watching programs like this. You hoped he didn’t mind it, since he also did not openly address it. Or maybe it was just something you were overthinking and it wasn’t a big deal at all-

The movie began, and you forced yourself back to the present so you could enjoy it. 

You were standing in your bathroom brushing your teeth as you listened to Curioso’s singing in the other room. It was an incredibly rare sound, to hear him humming or singing, or doing anything but standing still and observing you. But it made sense, because today was the day you two were heading out and officially re-starting your investigation. You’d be following the address the authorities provided you and seeing if you could locate and search the area yourself. You were instructed to apprehend any suspects and take them in for questioning. Or at the very least, learn of their current whereabouts so they could do it. 

Your eyes wandered the mirror in front of you, observing your tired face and pajama-clad body. You still needed to complete your morning routine before you could go anywhere. You asked Curioso to brew you some coffee to save you some time, which is what you presumed he was doing in the other room while he sang. 

After you rinsed out your mouth and wiped your face, you jumped at the sudden sight of the tall jester standing in the bathroom’s doorway. He was holding out your favorite mug filled with coffee, which had such a delicious aroma that your lips craved to drink already. You took it from him with grateful hands and took a long sip, enjoying its taste and the way the caffeine took immediate effect.

You looked at him suspiciously. “You didn’t spike this, did you?”

He held his hands behind his back. His smile appeared wider. “If I did, I think you’ll be thanking me, for the big day we have ahead of us.” 

“Mm,” You nodded, licking the remnants off your lips. He was still standing there, looking at you, and you couldn’t help observing him. The imperfections of his mask still bothered you, but you weren’t going to pry about that now. Instead, your attention was directed to the sharp smile in front of you. “Do you brush your teeth?” 

He didn’t even react. “No.”

“Then how do they stay so white?” 

“Detective, I might blow your mind with this answer, but…” He wiggled his fingers in front of him. “- Magic .” 

“Hm. And your breath somehow stays nice and fresh, too?”

“I don’t breathe.” 

“...You’re an awfully boring conversationalist.” 

You nudged past him with a mischievous smile and he scoffed at your words, following right behind you on your tail. You set your coffee down and headed into your room to get dressed for the day. As the door closed behind you, your friend did not follow you in, respecting your privacy like you asked of him. But you knew he was waiting for you on the other side, because he always did. 

 “Are you excited?” His voice was muffled behind the wood. 

You slipped on your shirt and smiled to yourself. “Of course I am.” 

“Do you think we’ll manage to solve it in one day?” 

“Maybe. With your help, we probably will.” 

“...You hold me to such a high degree, but you’re forgetting that you’re the superior collector here. I gave you very little help when you solved the fate of those collectors.” 

“You’re just buttering me up.” You grew hot and bothered underneath your clothes. You always got like this whenever he complimented you or your detective skills. 

“My praise does not come so easily..! I have no doubts you’ll impress everybody today.” 

You twisted the knob and opened the door to find him seated just outside. He sprang to his feet and you pointed at him when he was up. 

“Same goes for you . Seriously, I wouldn’t be able to do this without your help. You were right, last time…I’d have been driving myself around in circles if it weren’t for you.” 

He appeared to be at a loss for words. You strolled around him and back into your kitchen, picking up your coffee and grabbing one of the oranges from your fruit bowl. You began peeling it as you sat at the table, which was littered with papers and notes. Curioso had already gone over all the details of the case with you yesterday, but now it appeared he was collecting and putting the evidence together. You arched an eyebrow at him when he came in and sat in the chair beside yours. 

“Did you keep these from the house?”

“Only some of them are real, I’m afraid the others are only what I can remember,” He picked up some of the papers and began to stack them. “Just in case you need to review what we know.”

“Great.” You blew a strand of hair from your face and sulked in the chair. “I rushed to get out of there and missed collecting a bunch of evidence.”

“Why did you leave so quickly?”

“I…” You looked away from him. “You and I weren’t talking anymore and it wasn’t great. It didn’t help when the police laughed at me when I tried to explain what we found.” 

“Our little dispute bothered you that much?” 

“Well…yeah.” Your eyes slowly met the sockets of his mask. “We’d been finally getting along and working together. It was nice talking to you so much. And then I screwed everything up and it was gone.”

He hummed and looked away. “I didn’t enjoy it, either. It hurt immensely when you trapped me again. I’d been only trying to help you. And then you threw my box in your car and everything was upside down.” 

You winced hearing this. “I hope I’ve made up for it. This time, things are going to go better; I’ll make sure of that.” 

You ate the slices of your orange while your partner went through all the papers for a second time. He used a paperclip to hold it all together and held out the stack to you when he was finished. You took it from him and slid it in your bag. You stood from the table and walked around your apartment to make sure you had everything ready for the day that stood ahead of you. 

He followed you downstairs as you entered your office. You took Curioso’s box from the memorabilia display and slid it in the last free space of your bag. He looked at you curiously and you tipped your hat at him with a wink. 

“Just in case.”

“In case you want to put me in there?” He asked. 

“In case you need to go in. Think of it as a last resort if anything goes…wrong.” 

He went quiet as you finished turning off the lights and locking up your office. You hesitated at the threshold separating your building from the city streets. When you looked back inside, Curioso was no longer standing across from you. You looked around briefly in confusion before you glanced down and found his small face displayed on the lapel of your coat. 

“Ready to go..!” He announced. You shook your head and finally shut the door. 

The drive took a few hours and you spent that time conversing with Curioso. He retreated to his box for the ride and had been speaking to you from the passenger seat. The two of you discussed more about the case and lended your theories and suspicions on what was going to happen at their main operating quarters. Who were these people, and what was their goal exactly? Were they trying to develop a medicine or test some poison on their victims? If they were kidnapping people for these experiments, then you had a feeling it wasn’t for a good reason. 

Then there was the matter of magic. Who had concealed that house? It was obvious they were hiding what they were doing, preventing anyone from finding the killed victims…but using magic was such a bizarre way of doing it. Not only did they have to find someone capable of it, but who was also okay with the reasoning for it. Because surely no one would hide a house for a bunch of people without questioning it? Or maybe they had enough money to spare and be hush-hush about it. 

You were going to find out soon. 

When you arrived at the area, you parked a little farther away so as to not be seen so quickly. You didn’t feel the strange sensation as you had last time…you had no issue pulling near the spot marked on your map. You were feeling completely at ease. It was almost off-putting, making you think you were at the wrong place or maybe the police had actually found a faulty lead. 

You leaned over and pressed one of the gems on Curioso’s box. You understood how he revealed the house last time. Reading that book has answered so many of your questions. Pressing a particular gem allowed him to extend his magic beyond the box. Therefore, he was able to dispel what was hidden. You turned your head and widened your eyes as a large estate came into view - filling the once-empty field that had been nothing but stray haystacks and junk lying around.

You pumped your first in the air. “Yes! Thank God!”

“Don’t do that ever again,” Curioso reprimanded you. You shrunk in your seat and shrugged sheepishly. “The concealing spell on this place is stronger than the last. I handled it just fine, but this definitely means it’s their home.” 

You leaned against the glass and observed your surroundings. The estate before you was a grand place with a courtyard in the back. It sat on a mountain overlooking the ocean below, whose waves thrashed wildly and unpredictably. The weather was cloudy and humid outside. You could taste the salt on your tongue as you rolled down the window. This was a desolate area in the countryside, the nearest human activity being several miles away in the city. It was an ideal spot to have a hidden base. 

Your eyes locked on some movement from the windows, spotting figures inside. There were quite a few people there despite the lack of cars and vehicles around you. You hadn’t expected a full house. You worried your bottom lip between your teeth, wondering how to go about apprehending and questioning these people. You were in their territory, now - and you’d be outnumbered if they wished to try anything. You didn’t fancy dying while handling this case. 

“I don’t know if I can sneak inside. There’s too many people here. How do we do this? Can you hide me ?” 

“Let’s say I could, but it wouldn’t last forever. You’d have to work quite fast. How’s that field & track training, Detective?”

You groaned and pressed your head on the steering wheel. “It’s been far too long.”

“How about just calling the police already? The house is here now. But there’s no telling how long until they notice their spell is broken. You need to act quickly.” 

He had a good point. You flipped open your cell phone and dialed 9-1-1…only for the call to never go through, dropping dead the instant it tried to connect. You had no reception out here and there had been no call boxes on the way. You swore audibly under your breath and scowled at the small screen. 

“ Shit! I should’ve called them before we ever came out here.” You grit your teeth together in frustration. 

“Then we need to act now…let’s try going undercover. Pretend to be one of them and say you were sent by Sophie. Ask to speak with the boss.” 

You rubbed your chin, impressed. “That’s not bad for some last-minute planning.” 

“I make a fine partner, if I say so myself..! You might want to change into something less…conspicuous.” 

You glanced down at your trench coat, hat, and gloves, the prime ensemble of a detective. You nodded in agreement and reached around to grab your extra set of clothes. You always kept an extra pair in your car for an emergency, or for this particular reason…As you were about to undergo this uncomfortable change in tight quarters, you glanced at the box and felt your face burn deeply. 

“Do you mind not looking, for a minute?”

“My eyes are closed..!”

“You don’t have any-” You decided not to bicker with him and pulled off your shirt. “Just keep an eye on the house for me, will you?” 

You managed to change into the clothes, turned away from the box while you tried not to make so much movement. Soon, you were in a change of a button-up shirt, pants, and regular shoes. You scrutinized your look for a minute, thinking deeply and turning to Curioso after a moment. 

“Do you think it’s fine? Or should you conjure me up some cultist clothes?”

“We’ll have to take the gamble. Just don’t act suspiciously.” 

You had a determined look as you opened the car door and shut it behind you. You were deliberately leaving the box behind, but made sure your bag was on your person. You glanced down to see the grinning face of Curioso attached on the outside. You sighed in relief and began climbing up, trying to keep your wits about you. You rehearsed what to say in your head several times, feeling a little unsure if you could pull this off… 

Soon, you were facing the tall front doors. You could hear the sound of chatter inside. You leaned forward and used one of the lion head knockers, wincing when the noise was incredibly pronounced on these sturdy doors. After a minute, someone opened the door, an older man with graying hair and a mustache. Immediately, he closed it behind him and stepped forward to advance on you. 

You hadn’t been expecting it and stepped back in surprise. This man’s green’s eyes were on yours in an instant, his suspicion evident.

“Who are you?” He implored. 

Despite having an imaginary script of this conversation in your head, your tongue failed to find words. “I - I am here for-”

“-For the initiation?” He asked skeptically, eying you up-and-down. You hoped your disguise was sufficient and you would not have to procure your badge and state your real business for being here. 

‘The initiation?’ You wanted to ask, but instead you nodded. “Yes, the initiation. Am I…late?” 

He visibly relaxed, but crossed his arms to show his resignation. “Forgive me - we are always suspicious of unexpected guests. Had you come here any other day, we would have killed you on the spot.”

Your face blanched. He chuckled at your reaction.

“I’m kidding! It’s nice to see a newbie come around here for once. Not many of you show up for our commencement parties. But we have been in need of new recruits ever since…one of our locations was discovered by the police.” 

His eyes appeared to peer through your soul. You gulped and tried to maintain your composure. “Yes, actually, it was Sophie who told me to come here and join you.” 

He looked at you quizzically. “The name doesn’t ring a bell, but she must have been working under Nathan. Come inside. You’ll speak with Aydan, and if you meet his qualifications, you’ll go into the courtyard to start your initiation.” 

You followed after him trying not to wring your hands together. The inside was darker than it was outside - the wallpaper a crimson red, and the carpets and furniture an ivory black. The lights were dim but they also weren’t - flickering to provide just enough light to each person who came around it. You turned your head to look at the different portraits and pictures hanging around, of various well-dressed people and animals. It looked like a wealthy scene, proving your suspicion that these people must have enough money for bribery. 

While you looked around, Curioso’s whisper came into your ear. “You are treading dangerously.” 

You whispered back as quietly as you could in the direction of your bag. “This is good. If I can get a direct look into who runs this place and what they do, it’ll make it easier to arrest who’s in charge and bring this whole operation down.” 

He didn’t say anything to that, and you followed this man as you two walked through different crowds of people. They were holding drinks and laughing, talking together as they made different gestures with their hands. You spotted one man who seemed to procure a champagne bottle out of nowhere and pour it into a lady’s awaiting glass. When your eyes glossed over to her, she pulled out a small piece of paper that had writing mysteriously appear on it without any mark of a pencil or pen. 

Are they using magic? 

Your thoughts were disrupted when he stopped in front of you and gestured to a door. “He’s right in here. Inform him you are here for the initiation, and he will begin the questioning.” 

You nodded your thanks and he dismissed himself. You attempted to watch him leave the hallway, but he stopped and turned to watch you before he could disappear out of his sight. You exchanged a polite smile before turning the knob and walking inside the room. You quickly shut it behind you and glanced forward, only for your eyes to lock with the orange ones of a stout man sitting behind a large desk. 

'Orange eyes?' You dwelled over the peculiarity for only a second before your attention flitted over to who was beside him. 

And your jaw dropped in shock.