His Colour Scheme Makes Me Giggle

his colour scheme makes me giggle

Hey my good friend in hidden-object-games love :D you'll always have a special place in my mutual list for reminding me of so many of my favorite hidden object games from my childhood.

So, on the topic of one of my more recent posts: obviously, since I can't program, I can't literally -make- my own original hidden object game, but what I -can- do is draw and write.

So on the side, I think I'm going to work on a fully original horror story via said art and writings. I'm mostly telling you this cause A: I figured you'd like to know, and B: I'd want somebody I think who'd enjoy it to be able to see it, and hopefully have other people of like-minds that follow both of us see it as well.

I can't help but feel a bit silly writing this, cause by making a hidden object game story in this style, I'm basically removing the two key points of the genre, IE 'hidden object' and 'game' XD. But there's no other way I can pull this off so *shrug*. This'll probably take a while to happen also, since as you've probably noticed I've been doing a lot of RP blogging lately, so I'm a tad busy, but now that I'm starting to get back into my hidden-object grove I wanna see if I can cook something up.

Hey!! If it helps, you can call me 'Rainbow'!

YES!! Honestly, horror and creepy-themed HOPAs are my guilty pleasure, and I seek those out the most when I'm trying to find new games. I can't wait to see a fan project like that come to life! I honestly think fan-made-ideas of HOPA games should be a Thing - I know one would never come to full fruition unless it was a full programed "game" with "hidden object" scenes, but the concept alone should be fun to work with, I think!

Would love to see this! Please send me any updates if you can!

!!!

Hidden Object Fangame Side Project

Google Docs

Peddlefoot Carnivale: Painted Cradle

Peddlefoot Carnivale: Painted Cradle Story (so far) Charlie Davis, better known by his stage name of Funfetti the clown, is a middle aged,

Here's what I got so far on my hidden object game fan project. It's just a brief plot summary and a doodle of the two main characters, but it's a start! I thought hidden object games could use more unique player characters (no offense to some of the best ones but I mean, come on lol) so the player character is our good friend here, Funfetti the Clown! And beside him is his pregnant girlfriend Zuzi. The rest is in the google doc - the doc's very basic right now but I'm sure it'll get more filled up as we go. I'll try to do more later but I just got back from a trip so a bit tired.

@hiddenobject-fanblog

His Soul (Chapter 15)

Restoration

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

--

The figurines found their way on the edge of your desk, facing you as you tackled your day-to-day work. It made a lovely decoration to your space, adding more color and giving you the proud opportunity to present yourself to your clients. If anyone asked, it was commissioned work you’d gotten from an artist, and if anyone implored about the tall clown next to it, you were willing to shrug it off and say that you found it somewhere online. 

…Sure, you’d be lying, but what else could you say? ‘My magical jester friend made it for me! You should meet him!’ …That was out of the question!

As you sat down and got to business, your eyes kept moving over to your newly-acquired gifts. At first, it was in awe, admiring the presents made for you and appreciating them as much as you did the night you’d gotten them. But after a week of staring at the statuettes, it was clear that Curioso’s small likeness was reminding you of a matter you’d been avoiding. 

It would be best if the both of you confronted it sooner rather than later. 

With a long breath, you stood from your desk and walked upstairs into your apartment, where you knew he would be sorting through folders of your pictures. You were going to arrange them in a better fashion, find any from your previous cases and move them into their proper dossiers. But that was something you were going to worry about later…what was on your mind now was much more important. 

You leaned in the doorway and watched as Curioso’s long fingers flipped through your carefully-laminated photographs. He was observing each of them, lingering on an individual picture before moving to the next. He must’ve been so absorbed in this process that he hadn’t noticed your arrival. You didn’t bother announcing yourself or even clearing your throat - the matter found its way out of your mouth before you could stop it. 

“We need to talk about something.” 

Your friend jumped a good foot in the air, whipping around to you in surprise. A weird feeling of satisfaction momentarily filled you, as you had never startled him like this. He was always the one stumbling upon you, producing himself out of thin air whenever he chose to teleport. He could be talkative when you got going in a conversation, but he was always so quiet about moving around your space. Usually, the tell-tale sign of him would be his bells, if he produced enough movement to stir them.

“About what?” He inquired, gently setting your folder down on the table. 

He sounded nervous. You felt so, too. You hadn’t rehearsed this conversation before having it. You felt worried you were going to say something stupid. How could you tread on such fragile ground without having any practice? 

“About…you.” Your shoulders slumped as you gestured to him. “Your, ah, situation.” At his confusion, you decided to be a bit more detailed. “I’m talking about your clothes. They’re a mess, and I want to change that.” 

He slowly rose to his feet, his gaze never leaving yours, even as you had to angle your head upwards when his taller stature towered over you. 

“And how do you intend on doing that ?” He asked curiously. You knew your cheeks were beet red right now. 

“Well…for starters, maybe I can wash that costume of yours. And, uh, Audrey can help me sew up any holes or…whatever else needs fixed with it.” 

“Why bother? I’m in control of what I look like. If I wanted a hole mended, I would do it myself. Without ever touching any of the fabric, mind you.” He was boasting, and something in you wanted to lower his ego. You couldn’t have him walking around in such a state and feeling fine with it. 

“Then why don’t you do it?” You challenged him. 

“Maybe because I don’t want to?” He cautiously took a step back from you. “Un-Unless you’ve suddenly come up with a strict dress code that I don’t know about..?” 

“No, but that would’ve been smart.” An airy chuckle left your throat. “I just don’t like it. You should be in better clothes; you don’t have to wear those anymore. Why haven’t you changed from them?”

“I-I can’t,” He responded weakly. You took a step forward. 

“Why not? Are they glued to you or something?” 

“No, but - well,” He huffed. He didn’t say anything, appearing to be at a loss for words, so you decided to head in a different direction with this conversation. 

“And those doll prosthetics you have…they’re damaged and dirty. The least I can do is clean them and find a way to patch them up. Nothing is really impossible-”

“Why are you giving me all this attention?” He was flustered and uncomfortable, shifting away from you until he was practically backed against the wall. “I don’t need anything..!” 

“Maybe you don’t. But I want to help you clean up.” 

“I’m sure my appearance doesn’t get in the way of what I do for you-” 

“Curioso, stop arguing and let me help you!” 

“And what if I don’t WANT your help?” 

“Why would you want to live with this damage? Do you really want to look like this for the rest of your days?” 

Your tone was exasperated and you certainly felt like it. This particular comment got the jester to sag on the wall and look away from you. He crossed his arms. 

“I’m nothing,” He reminded you. “Under these clothes are nothing. Do you know what it’s like to be an empty space? It’s not fulfilling. I like to know and feel that I am wearing something. It gives me a good sense of what and where I am. Without that, I…” He seemed to lose his voice for a moment. His mask turned back to you. “...I feel exposed.” 

Your eyes widened. “You don’t have an artificial torso or anything?” When he shook his head ‘no’, your eyes traveled over the rest of his form. “What’s under your pants?” 

“Detective..! You could treat me to dinner before asking such questions-” 

“--You can’t even eat!” 

“What a pity! I guess you’ll never see what’s there, then.”

Was he play-flirting with you right now? You had no time to think about what he meant by that. “That doesn’t answer my question on why you don’t just fix your clothes yourself? If you can manipulate what you look like-” 

“-It’s hard , alright!?” He exclaimed, alarming you with his raised tone. “When I am out of that box, I feel less like I’m in control. It’s incredibly easy to fix myself in there, but out here , I…I can hardly keep my top hat on, sometimes.” His posture deflated as he lowered his mask in defeat. “I don’t know what’s causing it. I used to be much better than this.” 

You moved closer and patted him on the shoulder. You were getting more comfortable with physically comforting him now. “Maybe your magic weakened after how much that enchantress took you out?” 

“That’s not a bad theory…” He seemed to think about it. “When I’m outside, I think of myself ‘as is’ . Because..it’s what I am. I’m broken and my costume is in shambles, no matter how hard I try to fix it.”

He raised his head and met your gaze. He was finally succumbing to your request. “If you helped me, and I had a better ‘as is’ , it might make things…easier…” You gestured for him to go on, and he finished his thought with a grumble. “...So, fine , you can do it if it doesn’t bother you.”

“Why would it bother me?”

“Would having a floating mask and a mouth of sharp teeth unsettle you?” His grin appeared sinister. 

“I mean. It is you .”

“And you wouldn’t be afraid? What if I touched you with no hand? Would you be scared, then?”

“I think anyone would if you did that without their permission!” You recoiled. “I want to give you something nice in return for what you do for me.”

“My kindness is not something to be repaid, but I will be grateful all the same.” 

You smiled at him appreciatively, hoping that this was a step in the right direction, and you could help restore him to how he once was.

Curioso was extremely tense when the time came for his cleaning. But as he stood there, looking so badly damaged and torn apart from head-to-toe, you knew this was the right thing to do. He handed you his top hat first, unclasped the small belt around his waist, and then hesitated when it came to do anything more. Your eyes had been studying the part of his mask that was usually hidden from you. You were snapped back to reality when he shifted on his feet uncomfortably. 

“I - If you don’t want to, uh, undress in front of me, you can…just use the bathroom..” You suggested timidly. 

“Can I stay in there until you’re done?” He implored. You nodded, the concern still finding its way on your face.

“You know, you’re free to be around while I’m doing this…You don’t have to hide away just because you’re not-” 

“-Come, now, Detective, I’m sure you wouldn’t want me to see you walking around your place naked..!” 

He practically sprinted to the bathroom and slammed the door behind him. You followed his path and waited outside, trying not to listen to the sounds from within, but recognizing the noises of fabric rustling and bells jingling. You attempted to picture what it looked like behind that door, if he was truly invisible or not, but you quickly shook those thoughts from your mind. You placed a hand over your mouth as you realized how improper that line of imagery had been. 

Sure, he might be invisible, but…that didn’t make it right. Maybe he had a point. He was maintaining his propriety by waiting in there until you were done. 

You knocked a knuckle against the door. “If it helps, you can wash up in there while I work on your clothes. Your arms and legs can wait, if that makes you comfortable.” 

“Great!” The door opened just a smidge and his costume was shoved in your hands. “Have fun!” 

It closed again and you heard the sound of the lock being set in place. You looked at the wood strangely before climbing downstairs and neatly unfolding the fabric in your hands. You’d cleared off your desk completely to make room for what you had to work on. On it was a borrowed sewing machine and a few supplies, needles, thread and the sort. Sitting in a chair was your friend Audrey, who smiled at you when you entered her sight. Her attention moved to what was in your hands and she cringed. 

“Oh, dear. How did they get that bad?”

“I imagine it’s had at least thirty or even forty years of wear,” You sucked in a breath through your teeth as you sat down. “But with a little love, anything is possible.” 

“I’ll say,” She mumbled as she inspected the top hat next. 

You weren’t sure what she thought of the costume, but you were glad she hadn’t made any comments yet. You were thrilled when she agreed to head over and help you with some mending today. She had more experience with repairs like this. Your sewing skills were pretty limited, having only taken a home economics class back in high school. She’d made some alterations to your coats and gloves before, so you had complete faith that she will do justice with Curioso’s ensemble. 

While she was patching the holes in the top hat, and you were practicing your sewing skills on his pants, your friend’s voice startled you and caused you to prick your finger with the end of the needle. Audrey was immediately apologetic - but she made sure to give you a proper scolding. 

“Detective! Do you think the thimbles are here for decoration?” 

“Yeah, yeah, I get it,” You rolled your eyes, sucking on the end of your finger to numb the pain. “What did you say?” 

“I was asking if these belonged to your…jester friend. What was his name again?” 

“Curioso.”

“It’s actually a pretty name,” Her eyes were focused on her work rather than you. “It’s so nice of you to want to do this for him. You’ve always been a selfless person. It’s why you do what you do, isn’t it?” 

“Of course. And I’m so happy you wanted to help me with this. I mean it, Audrey, I don’t know how to make it up to you.” 

“Just don’t forget your promise to visit me and tell me all about your cases. I’m afraid Curioso will take you away from me completely..!” 

“Come on, that’s not going to happen. He’s my best friend.” It was the first time you’d said it aloud and your eyes widened at the honesty. You worried it would’ve upset her, but Audrey said nothing to that. She looked to be nearly smiling. 

“You two must get along well if you spend so much time together.” 

“He’s - more like a roommate in that way, really…”

 “If you say so~,” she replied in a singsong way. You glared at her for her teasing, but her lips were stretched to her cheeks, relishing in your embarrassment. You had a feeling her words would be repeating in your mind in the near future. 

You didn’t want to read into anything right now - you had to focus on getting these clothes mended..! 

It took you a couple of hours, but soon, Curioso’s attire was patched and sewn back together. It looked much better than it did, and you felt proud of the work you two had accomplished. He was going to be so happy with it, you just knew it..! And you only had Audrey to thank for it all. You made your gratitude clear as you embraced her by the front door, squeezing your friend in a moment of excitement. 

“Make sure you remember to wash it,” She dutifully reminded you as you pulled back. “And for those other things…I grabbed you some special glue and some wax. Remember to soften the material so you can reshape those areas.” 

You blinked in surprise. “So you’ve done some research on this.”

“Of course. Anything for you.” She patted your arm affectionately. “Good luck.” 

“Get home safely. And save me a doughnut for tomorrow morning, will you? You make the best chocolate twists.” 

She gave you her promise and left your office. You spun around to gather the clothes from the desk and prepare them for washing. Your work wasn’t done yet - you needed these cleaned and dried before Curioso could wear them again. You wouldn’t have him looking at these again until they were pristine. You were determined to make that happen. 

You climbed upstairs and noticed the bathroom door was still closed. You knocked on it to check if Curioso was still in there, and the sound of water slightly sloshing caught your attention. 

“Decided to take a bath, have you?” You grinned coyly. 

“Your advice was good. I’ve cleaned myself up as best as I could.” Some more sounds came - he must be getting out of the tub. “Do you need my limbs now?” 

“If you don’t mind. Your clothes should be ready in an hour or so. Is that alright?” 

A dissatisfied groan met your ear through the wood. “I’d rather not be left like this for so long, but…whatever it takes.” 

“Couldn’t you just go back in the box for a bit? I’m sure your dolls won’t judge you for being naked.” 

“ Hilarious .” Curioso’s annoyed voice made you bite your lip. The door abruptly opened again and four appendages were handed to you. “Here. Try not to break them if you can.”

“You know…” You took them in your arms and held them delicately. It was a little weird, but that was fine. “...You could always just take some new ones off of those puppets you have. I don’t have to fix these up if you’d rather replace them.” 

“They’re my favorite. Not all dolls are made to be so flexible. If you wouldn’t mind…please be careful with them.” 

“Okay…do you want anything? Are you all good?” 

“I want this to be over with. Please hurry up.” 

“Fine, fine.” You waved him off as you trudged away. You’d make this quick, but you weren’t going to force your process. “I’ll be done before you know it.” 

If that meant you’d be wrapping up by dinner time, then you did a good job on being timely. You felt guilty, having cooped your friend up in the bathroom for so long, but at least you were proud of what you did. It wasn’t something quick and sloppy - you took your time and paid attention to every detail, just like he did making that figurine of you. If he took the utmost care of your gifts, then you’d do the same for him.

..Even if his nagging about how long it took was a little annoying. You hoped Curioso knew how much you were willing to do for him. 

He swiped the material from your hands the second the door was open. Then it was shut - and you idled patiently until he emerged from the bathroom. It was a wonderful sight…he looked nearly like he did in that box, except without all the fancy glitter and shimmering from the golden parts of his hat and bells. It wasn’t perfect, it looked much better under his own altering, but it was definitely an improvement from before. 

Your eyes lit up as you drank in the sight of him. “You look incredible!” 

“It’s nice not wearing something that’s been so badly abused,” He twirled on his heel for effect. “You did a great job, Detective. Thank you.” 

Your smile only grew wider as you observed him enjoying his fixed clothes. But when you faced his mask, your lips fell as it dawned on you. The one part you hadn’t fixed was his face. Parts of his mask were still torn and cut. How could you have forgotten the most vital part? Without warning, you stepped forward and reached for it. As your fingers grazed the cheeks of his visage, Curioso made a nose and stumbled backwards. 

You stiffened and automatically reached for him. “I-I’m sorry! Did I hurt you?” 

“No, no, it’s..” He looked to be catching a breath that he didn’t really need. “Why were you touching my mask?” 

“It’s still damaged. I forgot to ask for it. I should’ve fixed it, too, I’m sorry-” 

“-Don’t worry about it. Let’s, uh, leave that part alone for now, shall we?” 

You dropped your arm. “Are you sure? The mask is kind of important-” 

“Absolutely!” His tone sounded too stressed for your liking. “You’ve already done so much for me…let’s get some food in your belly and send you off to bed, hmm?” 

“Ah…alright. If you say so.” 

He had a skip to his step as he headed towards your kitchen. You followed after him with a slower pace, rubbing your fingertips together as you recalled the texture of his mask. The feeling it brought to your fingers - they were still buzzing from the contact. You’d never actually touched him there before, and the experience felt a bit more...intense. 

You wanted more of it.

a mask changes everything. you can have the most cringefail guy ever and people will listen to them when their face is covered by a cool enough mask

This is still the superior design of Erik I've come across tbh