Hiddenobject-fanblog - Hidden Object Fanblog

The way that he CARRIES this game

Things I can’t stand in games are a penalty for clicking in the wrong spot, mini games that are tedious on purpose, uncreative hidden object scenes like 150 runes over a starry background or something.

And one pet peeve that’s domini games exclusive: their background music doesn’t loop! I’ve played at least 5 of their games and they all have this basic programming mistake

👏👏👏‼️

I know the clicking penalty is supposed to help you take Hidden Object scenes seriously/strategically, but I wish it was optional depending on the game setting you have. Casual/easy players should be able to disable it if they want. I also hate it when the game can't detect me clicking on the right item, and I get penalized for it.

Also, non-looping background music is a SIN!!!

He reminds me of so many of my other blorbos I'm obsessed

@arsene-fixates

His Soul (Chapter 6)

Morbid Obsession

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

----

Panic flooded your entire being. Your heart was racing as you stood to your feet and climbed back up the steps, frantically looking around for any sight of the newly-freed jester. It was incredibly easy for Curioso to conceal himself if he so wished to - he could teleport anywhere he wanted and reduce himself down to his mask and mouth if desired. This was why you’d been so terrified of losing your grip on him…it would be like catching lightning in a bottle to get him in that box again. 

When he escaped Andrew Collins, he had broken the box and hidden the pieces. Your grip on the item tightened as you refused to return it back in the backpack - knowing it was your only tool for containing him again. It was a leverage you needed and couldn’t afford to lose. 

“Curioso! Where did you go?” You tried the locked doors in the hallway again and made an aggravated noise when they still wouldn’t open. “You made a promise ! You said you wouldn’t try escaping again–”

“Is it really escaping if *I* wasn’t the one who let myself out?” His voice sounded from above you. You looked at the ceiling but failed to find him. It sounded like he was everywhere all around you at once. Damn parlor tricks. “Don’t worry, Detective..! Now that I’m free, I can look around for you much easier.” 

Your stance faltered. How could you believe he was doing as he promised if he wasn’t in your sight? He could be doing anything anywhere at this second. At least you could still hear him…that meant he must still be somewhere in the house. Right?

“That wasn’t what we agreed to,” Your voice was weak. You realized how little power you had in this situation. Maybe he could bend to your word? “We made a promise that you would stay in this box!” 

“If I recall, all I declared was that I wouldn’t TRY to escape, and I would help you. You’ll let me fulfill my promise, won’t you?” 

You opened your mouth to argue, but had little to say to that. He was…technically right. You never made any explicit rule that he HAD to stay in the box, since you believed there was no way he could get out to begin with. You had to accept defeat in this circumstance. You could only hope for the best and that he wouldn’t somehow…teleport away and never come back. 

“Alright, if you want to help me, then open one of these doors.” You walked up to one and knocked on it gently with your knuckle. “I need to find that missing puzzle piece so we can reach the basement. If there’s a special lock on it like that, it’s probably important.” 

“One moment..!” 

You played his game and waited by the doorway, sighing as you realized your position now. Was this how the rest of the investigation would play out? Asking things of Curioso and just * hoping * that he would do them? It felt a lot less safe than having him on your back. You made a firm decision to have him back in that box the moment you could. 

The doorknob suddenly twisted and the door opened loudly on its hinges, scaring the living daylights out of you. You know you just asked Curioso to open it, but you didn’t really EXPECT that to happen. You had to stand there catching your breath before taking a step inside. It was the study of the house, with an attractive desk and display of guns on the wall behind it. There was a bookcase, a closet, and a red chaise inside. Your attention went to the closet first, searching for a safe or any clue of some kind. 

“You’re welcome~” Your jester partner teased. He sounded like he was right behind you this time, but when you whipped around, nobody was there. You were starting to get annoyed. He clearly knew he had the upper-hand and was flaunting it in your face.

“Where are you right now?” 

“Searching the house. Finding useful things.” This time his voice was clear. You looked up and found his face embedded on one of the coats. “I’m making speedy progress..!” 

“Are you, now?” You grunted, standing to your height and checking the rest of the room. You couldn’t exactly do much while he was just a face, so you weren’t going to pay him much mind. 

“Yes. Remember how I suspected Sophie is in a cult? This all seems to match the profile, don’t you think? A hidden house, with guns and trophies…degrees and expensive decor. I’m still wondering how they’ve managed to use magic to hide all of this.” 

“Are you an expert or something?” You asked while you searched the drawers of the desk. Nothing much useful – until you found a key in the top right compartment. You grinned in satisfaction. 

“I’m well-familiar with it.” 

You eagerly turned out of the room and started trying it in the other locks. You had no success until the last door you tried. It opened upon your command, and you were faced with a standard restroom. The hope drained from your eyes as your shoulders slumped. 

You quirked your eyebrow. “Seriously? Who locks a bathroom?” 

“Someone who has something to hide in it.” 

You weren’t sure you appreciated Curioso’s commentary, but it was comforting to hear at the same time, to know he was still with you. You opened the medicine cabinet and noted the amount of things inside - a surreptitious collection of non-prescribed medication, several painkillers and bandages. There was a god-awful amount of chloroform and other sleep-inducing agents, which added to your wariness. It was suspiciously too much for even a family to own. 

The bottles of bleach you found under the sink didn’t comfort you in the slightest. You decided to move on before you looked too much into it - having the faintest feeling that you wouldn’t like it if you did. You continued surveying the rest of the house, picking up small tools like a pocket knife and a screwdriver. You never knew when you’d need them, and since no one was home, you’re sure no one would miss them. 

You were in the middle of flipping through the pages of a book when Curioso’s voice interrupted you.

“Detective, you’re never going to believe what I found.” 

His tone was what caught your attention. He spoke quietly but urgently, like there was an important matter he had to speak with you. When you looked up, the jester himself had finally made his physical appearance - leaning down towards you so his head was above yours. It almost seemed like he was about to whisper a secret in your ear. 

Your instincts acted faster than your mind did, and you reached for the box you’d set aside for the time being. Curioso’s mouth extended like he was about to say something, but you were already pointing it in his direction. Biting your lip, hoping, praying , that he would be sucked inside and contained once again. 

..And in the second that nothing happened, it dawned on you. You’d never actually… captured him in the box by yourself. All you did was reassemble the thing, and he was the one who had reached out and grabbed you. He teleported to see you inside afterwards, giving you the impression that he still had his freedom at the time. You were only released after winning the fateful game for your soul, where his had finally been sealed inside.

Maybe it needed to be said aloud - like a verbal command, instead of a literal one. 

You exclaimed, “Curioso, since your soul is mine, I want you to get back in the box!” 

And to your utter amazement…that worked . 

The box sprang to life and opened itself, ever willing to receive its prisoner again. Curioso had no chance to object before he was reduced to a pink and blue mist before your eyes, which flew into the opening and was closed tightly once it was inside. The box felt heavier in your hands. You were confident you had him in your possession again. 

The sound of something falling onto the floor caught your attention. When you looked in front of you, you found what Curioso must’ve been holding before - which was the missing piece to the puzzle on the door of the basement. He must’ve been in the middle of handing it to you before you pulled the box on him. 

You paled. The silence was heavy as you stood there and your friend did not say a word. 

“You…found the missing piece?” You asked dumbly. After getting no response, you leaned down and grabbed the small square-shaped piece, confirming that it matched the rest of the puzzle. “Where did you find it?” 

“WHY did you do that!?”  

Curioso sounded extremely angry - which must’ve been an understatement to how he was actually feeling. You shivered hearing such a tone for the first time. He’d never been truly upset with you before…just disappointed in giving his soul away, knowing he was trapped again after having his freedom. 

You struggled for words. “I….um.” 

How could you explain what you did? He was going to give you what you needed, what you asked for and couldn’t obtain yourself in time. You had no good reason to trap him again so soon. And now that you did, he was no longer outside to help you like he had been doing. You felt incredibly ashamed but also a little defensive about it. It was never planned for him to be outside the box, so he must’ve known that you intended on returning him there. It was just…a little sooner than you both thought. 

“Thank you, for getting the piece.” You managed numbly, returning the box into your backpack. “You did a lot more than I thought you would.” 

Again, the jester said nothing. You were already feeling guilty, so you shook off the situation and moved forward - returning to the basement you’d been at before and putting the piece into its position. It was a pretty elaborate puzzle that was going to take some of your time, but you knew you would solve it with no issue. You’ve had plenty of practice with these. A part of you felt proud when you finished a few minutes after, and the door opened with a satisfying click ! 

“Before you go in there,” Curioso warned behind your ear, still not sounding quite pleased. “ You should know that someone here has a morbid obsession.”

“-Morbid obsession?” You repeated. 

“The worst I’ve seen.” 

You waited for him to elaborate, but he didn’t. Your eyes traveled the floor before continuing forward. Some part of you was hesitant after what he just said. A morbid obsession? Did he mean something like Raymond or Nancy’s fixation, or something worse than any of what you’ve seen at Andrew Collins’ house? 

You held your breath as you descended the stairs, preparing yourself for whatever was coming.

It was worse than you could’ve thought.

The sight had shaken you, and you were itching to leave already. The people who inhabited this house were either awfully grim or this really was a messed up cult like Curioso had been guessing. Either way, you were not pleased to see the unconscious bodies hidden down in that basement, nor to find where the other victims had actually been. It was hard to wrap your head around, thinking that the woman you tailed in your car a couple days ago took part in whatever practices were going on here. 

You brushed a stressed hand through your hair as you paced down the hallway. What were you supposed to tell Brianna? That her wife was mixed up in kidnapping people? 

You tried asking Curioso about what you saw, but he was playing the silent treatment again. You wished he would let go of his grudge and talk with you…you desperately needed his input right now. Just thinking about it yourself was driving you mad. 

“I can’t believe it,” You shook your head, sucking in a breath as you reluctantly turned back to the basement door. “Is this why they hid the house? So no one could find the bodies?” 

…

“Curioso,” You pleaded desperately. You couldn’t get him to stop talking before. “Please. Tell me about what you found.” 

A few moments passed before his voice returned. “I was going to share my observations with you, Detective. But you trapped me before I could.” 

“Look, I’m sorry about that,” You apologize meaningfully, taking the box out so you could look at him properly. “If I had known what you were about to give me, I would’ve never-”

“-And that’s the issue, isn’t it?” He spat out spitefully. You winced at the ferocity with which he spoke. “You told me I’m the one who needs to earn your trust, but clearly you have none for  me.”

You were tense, completely on edge with this argument. “I know. But you got out when you weren’t supposed to-”

“That wasn’t my fault. Everything that was down there released me. Someone’s obsession with collecting and experimenting on bodies…Detective, these people inject their victims with terrible things. And if they get sick, or if they are of no use to them, then they kill them.” 

Your eyes widened. “What?”

“The guns. The custom ‘hunting’ awards and trophies. The bullet holes in those victims…what else do you think was going on?”

You held your tongue. You were only at the point in your investigation of making your first theories. You hadn’t been making as much observation as Curioso - who was probably in many places at once doing and reading different things. It shocked you how quickly he had solved this entire case while you’d been fumbling around elsewhere. 

You felt embarrassed and, quite frankly, somewhat inferior. You swallowed down these insecurities. “We need to call the police. Have them run an investigation of their own…and apprehend these people.” A troubled expression grew on your face. “I just can’t believe Sophie was part of all of this. The way Brianna talked about her…she sounded so nice.” 

“She might’ve been deceiving her. Or maybe she’s under the control of somebody else - we still don’t know who was hiding this place.” 

“You’re right.” You scrunched your nose up in thought. “Should we look more into this to find out who it is?” 

“You can do whatever you want, Detective. My assistance is over with.”

“Curioso-”

The box turned dark, his voice and presence now long gone.

He reminds me of so many of my other blorbos I'm obsessed

@arsene-fixates