His Soul (Chapter 7)

His Soul (Chapter 7)

A Taste of Freedom

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

----

Upon Curioso’s radio silence, you did the only thing you could do, which was to telephone the local police and inform them of what you’d found. There was still something itching you about this case, about the missing part of the story you hadn’t uncovered. Who put a concealing spell on the house? Was there someone in town capable of conjuring magic that you didn’t know about? And more importantly, were they still a threat ? 

You didn’t know what to do. You were missing several bits of information that Curioso learned in your place. Valuable intel that he was choosing not to disclose to you. For this reason, you informed the officers that there was someone still at large - but when you mentioned spells and magic, they laughed in your face and waved you off. You felt incredibly insulted as you stormed off to your car, tossing Curioso’s box haphazardly into the passenger seat in a fit of rage. 

You took a few deep breaths to calm yourself down. This wasn’t the first time you’d been ridiculed on the job. In fact, if it weren’t for your witnesses, your case of the missing collectors would’ve been a laughingstock at the police station. You turned your head and noticed the box was tipped over. Your anger gradually simmered into guilt, and you leaned over to right your mistake and buckle him carefully into the seat. 

You let out one last sigh and started up your car, heading on your route back to the agency. You had a lot of paperwork to file with this case and you wanted to get a head start on that. You also planned to make a call to Brianna tonight, hopefully before the authorities could inform her on her wife’s whereabouts…you didn’t look forward to anything that awaited you, come to think of it. 

Your eyes glanced over to the box as you drove, noticing it was still dark and Curioso had yet to say a single word. The guilt pooled in your stomach and made you feel terrible. You ruined things, didn’t you? It had all been so promising…he was helping you with this case and even gave you the last piece to the puzzle to solve it. 

You’d have to make it up to him. But how ? 

You pulled up to the building and parked your car around back, unbuckling the box and carrying it in your hands. Once you entered your office, you made sure the sign was still closed and locked up behind you. You didn’t plan on going anywhere else unless it was necessary. You’d had such a long day…and you needed to recover from the sights you’d seen. It was all terribly morbid. 

You took a seat at your desk and moved the box to the edge of your workspace, collecting your writing utensils and the paperwork you had to file. May as well get your duties out of the way before tackling anything else. 

…

…

It was dark outside by the time you finished. The lamp on your desk was the only source of light. You stood from your chair and stretched, heading to the wall so you could flick on the light switch. It engulfed the room in artificial illumination and you moved your attention back to Curioso. Still no red or blue lights…but he had to be in there, listening and seeing. 

You approached it and leaned on the edge of the wood tiredly. You doubted anything else could go wrong today. What would be the harm in testing something with him?

“Curioso,” You spoke up, clearing your throat after having not spoken for hours. “I’m going to let you out.” 

You didn’t get a response right away, and you were about to repeat yourself until the gems of the box flashed a gorgeous blue. Then the red accompanied it, and you knew he was present again. At least he wasn’t going to make this hard…why would he pass up the opportunity to get out? The thing he’d been begging from you since day one?

“..Are you sure?” His tone was skeptical. You couldn’t blame him after your actions today.

You crossed your arms and looked away. “You were right. I hold no trust for you. Even though it was completely warranted with what happened at Andrew Collins’ house…you did nothing wrong today. You hadn’t escaped and you helped me like you promised. I was the one who betrayed you, and I’m sorry for it.” 

The colors began to dim and you worried he was going away, but it must’ve reflected his emotions. His voice sounded softer as he replied to you.

“Thank you for admitting your mistake, Detective.”

You weren’t sure you appreciated his cocky words, but it was better than nothing. At least you two were communicating again. 

“I’ll let you out tonight, but you have to promise me you won’t leave this building and do anything… crazy . Just look around and get familiar here. I figure this is your home as long as I have you, so you may as well get to know the place.” 

He seemed to favor this suggestion, as a faint mist began to pool around his containment. “I won’t let you down. Not like you’ve done with me .”

“I get it. Just tell me how I can get you out.” 

You were still uncertain because you had little knowledge on how this thing worked. You’d pressed a couple of gems earlier and it altered your reality. You didn’t want to go pressing random things on it for that reason…You’d made a lucky guess earlier on how to trap Curioso back inside, but you had absolutely no idea how to get him back in . You had a feeling he wouldn’t be as willing to tell you that himself. 

“It’s simple. Press the pattern of these symbols as I show you.” 

Your eyes widened as strange markings magically presented themselves on top of the wood that protected its casing. Then, one of them lit up - holding its charge until it went dim again. You furrowed your eyebrows together as you hesitantly pressed on it with your forefinger, then heard a satisfying noise click within the box. 

Holy hell. Was it actually working? 

Another symbol lit up, but this was when you hesitated. Curioso noticed your long pause as the markings slowly faded away. He sounded confused and impatient. “Something the matter?” 

“I’ll let you out, but…” Your gaze hardened. “You also have to show me how to put you back in .” 

You could hear his dissatisfied groan. You crossed your arms, refusing to budge in this agreement. You wouldn’t be letting him out unless he showed you everything . 

“Must you worry about such trivial details? There’s no good reason for me to go back-” 

“-It’s not a punishment. I just want you in that box while I’m sleeping.” 

“I promise I won’t go through your things..! Well. Maybe I will a LITTLE, but-” 

“It’s not that I’m concerned about.”  

You were expressing your consistent worry about him escaping and leaving. He could teleport anywhere he wanted, but how far did that exactly go? He destroyed the box before, so there was no way you were letting him out without your supervision. Just…too many factors to worry about, and you still didn’t trust him completely. Even doing this was pushing your boundaries - you were way more comfortable with letting him sit in there, but…you had a feeling this would atone for the mistake you made today. 

“Ugh. Fine . To bring me back, you enter THIS pattern instead.” 

You watched as the symbols returned, a pattern flashing before your eyes. You rushed to grab a nearby notebook and pencil, demanding Curioso to repeat it so you could write them down. He seemed even more displeased with this action, but lit the markings in the correct order again. You gave him a satisfied nod and smile, still clutching the small pad in your hand so you could write down the other combination. 

“These better not be any fake or deceiving codes you’re giving me,” You warned. 

“I’m afraid there’s no way you could possibly know. You’ll just have to trust me.” 

Hmm. You’ll have to solve that predicament soon, then. You gave a reluctant nod and allowed him to show you the first pattern he was going to make, pressing it along with his instructions and writing it down afterwards. The moment the last entry was made, a bright flash came before you…much like it had in that house you were investigating several hours ago. It blinded you for a few seconds and you lifted your arm to cover your eyes while it happened. 

After a moment passed in silence, you lowered your appendage and looked forward with wide eyes. A tall jester stood before you, who was currently leaning down to properly look you in the eye. You were met with a familiar set of sharp teeth, ones that reminded you of a predator. You recalled how his mouth attempted to bite you when it replaced the handle on Andrew Collins’ door. You shivered at the memory, knowing you had barely gotten your fingers out of the way in time.

“Detective,” Curioso spoke. Despite his voice being pretty clear from the box, it had another layer of clarification to it - like you knew you were dealing with the real thing. “How kind of you to set me free .” 

You decided not to be intimidated by him. Hell, you imprisoned him twice and bested him in a game of collections. What did you have to fear? You fixed your posture and met him at your full height. You were still at least 3 heads shorter than him. He was taller than an average human, and it was almost offsetting…

“You are to look around and not touch anything,” You directed firmly. 

He tilted his invisible head at you - you could only tell by the movement of his mask and top hat. “What if there’s a really good book that I want to read?” 

“Run it by me first.” You rushed over to make sure the front door was locked. Not like that could really stop him…but still. “Try not to touch anything in the office, you can poke around upstairs in my apartment.” 

“Hmm,” Was all you heard. 

You turned around and found him looking around your office. He had his hands clasped behind his back, exaggerating it like a child would after you told them not to touch anything. You could almost imagine him whistling innocently to accompany the action, and you wondered if he could even do that . You really couldn’t tell where he was looking, either - he had no irises you could track, and you could only judge his direction by where his mask faced. It hadn’t really bothered you before when you met him, but now it made you uneasy. 

He reached the other end of the room and stopped moving. You couldn’t help following his tracks and found him staring at your previous cases hanging around the wall - your proud memorabilia that you’d once added him to. He hadn’t moved his attention from it for a long time, and when you were about to go elsewhere, he suddenly turned around to face you.

“Can I read these ?” He pointed a mechanical finger to one of the dossiers. 

You shook your head. “No. Maybe someday I’ll tell you about them, though.” 

His figure slouched, and you had a feeling he’d be rolling his eyes if he had any. “This is so lame. If I’d have known I couldn’t DO anything, I would’ve never asked you to take me out.” 

“Oh, well,” You couldn’t hide the smirk in your voice, walking back to your desk to turn the lamp off. “I guess you’ll have to get used to touching with your eyes.” You straightened your back as the implication dawned on you. “Ah, that’s not offensive to say, is it?” 

You froze when you realized he wasn’t standing there anymore. You’d just caught the strange sight of a flash when you turned around. It was clear that he just teleported somewhere, and there were really only two places he could be under your rules right now. That was, if he was choosing to follow them… 

“ Shit ,” You swore under your breath, rushing to lock up down here and hurry up the stairs. You were not okay with the idea of leaving him by himself in your living arrangements. 

You practically ran up the stairs and threw open the door to your small apartment above. You didn’t see the place in any disarray, but you also didn’t see Curioso, either. You stepped inside and locked up behind you, moving all your focus to finding the magical jester as soon as you could. You really should’ve told him to tell you before he teleported off anywhere - there was no way you knew where he was coming and going from otherwise. 

“Curioso?” You called into your apartment. It wasn’t that big of a place, you were bound to stumble on him somewhere -

“- Detective !” His voice joyfully called back to you. You followed it to see him in your bedroom looking at the pictures you had on the wall. “Was this you in high school? Look at the size of your braces!” 

You sighed in relief knowing he was still here. It didn’t take him long to start looking through your things…but you could understand that. There wasn’t much to look at up here, all your interesting things were in your office. He’d find nothing but relics from your past up here. That fact didn’t bother you all too much. 

“Can you PLEASE tell me before you go teleporting off somewhere?” Your words came out harsher than you intended. You were still worked up over that small panic you had. “I had no clue where you went.” 

“I didn’t know that was part of the rules,” He replied, sitting on your bed and feeling around the covers. “If it makes you happy, then I will.” 

A few beats passed before he stood from your bed and looked at you standing in the doorway. You assumed he meant to leave and walked back into the living room. Curioso followed you from behind, then went to poke his imaginative nose through your kitchen. You were more wary of him being in there…having not removed any of your knives or whatever else could be used as a weapon in there- 

“You have me thinking,” His voice caught your attention. You made your way to where he was and found him reading the notes you’d stuck to the fridge. The mask soon faced you. “Am I truly free if you are to cage me here, Detective?”

“I…” Your weight leaned against the door, filled with the strangest feeling of shame. 

He was right, but things had to be this way. It just wouldn’t work if he was granted unlimited freedom - people would be shocked at the sight of him on the streets. He would cause chaos. He could trap human souls within his grasp - for all you knew, Curioso could very well be a criminal. But that was a harsh label to assign to him, you thought. It was safer for everyone if he was kept out of sight. 

“It’s just the way it has to be.” You told him with a serious look in your eyes, leaving no room for questioning with this subject. 

“I see,” His voice went quiet and defeated. 

It almost drove a knife through your heart, but you held firm. It was the only choice and you both knew it. 

But something about it made you feel it wasn’t right.

This is so good!!!!! AHHHH more fanart for this game!! <3

In honor of finding another fan of Brink of Consciousness: Dorian Gray Syndrome, and the reminder of its name leading me to download it on Steam and play it for the first time in ages, I wanted to make some fan art. After some pondering of what it should be, I decided to make two custom victims!

On the left is The Dancer, a young girl that dreamed of nothing more than to join her dream dance academy and become famous around the world. That is until the day she was rejected from that very school, and found herself lost and wandering through life, pondering what the meaning of it even was anymore. Sadly for her, Oscar came to answer that question.

On the right is The Muse, my personal favorite. This young lad was not depicted in this opera-style finery due to wealth or high-class birth, for in fact in life, this young man was found much more often in a straight jacket than a tuxedo jacket, spending many of his years locked away in an asylum. When he, by some stroke of luck, managed to escape, he not only sought out Oscar, but -willingly- offered himself as art. For this, he has been eternally graced in attire befitting a nobleman, and a cheerful, unhinged smile greeting those beyond his tank.

Here's the original tweet that prompted my post, they don't name the game exactly but mention that the characters + models were definitely AI-made. I don't doubt this because AI can easily feed off the usual-realistic style most HOPAs are drawn in.

In browsing Twitter (because that's where all the AI Bros are), I've found several people in favor of AI-generated/made Hidden Object games and stumbled on a YouTube channel that's making AI-made Hidden Object scenes. Not an official *game*, but an interesting example of people already making things like this.

YouTube

Hidden in AI

Hiya Everyone, Welcome to My YouTube Channel "Hidden in AI". Here on this channel, I upload videos of Hidden Object Games of which the ima

If I do ever find a clearly-AI made HOPA, or a game using AI elements, I'll definitely post it here to make others aware not to buy/fund it.

Saw someone say that they bought a Hidden Object game, only to realize it was made using AI.

Just wanted to say that I would much rather have a bad CGI cutscene or 2D-drawn characters with lazily-moving mouths/bodies over a soulless AI-made creation ANY DAY!!!

OMG You like Brink of Consciousness: Dorian Gray Syndrome too?! I thought I was the only person who'd even -heard- of that! I love that game soooooo much, but I only really found it once, but I played it so much. Omg thank you for bringing back memories on that lol.

I remember liking your Crashbox art, had NO idea you would know + like Brink of Consciousness: Dorian Gray Syndrome! Finding fellow fans is sooooo hard! Every person I've talked to about this game ends up loving it + Oscar, but it's rare that I can find someone who already knows about it/played it.

I still play the game a lot, and I plan to play it more! It's my favorite Hidden Object game of all time!!!

always love seeing you in my notifs rainbow ^_^ each time you leave a like on a little thing of mine I am holding your hands and spinning you around in my head 💗💗💗 I appreciate it a lot!!!!! So very much!!!!

(@arsene-fixates)

AHHhh and I love seeing your art + content on my dash!! Big fan of your work of The Informant + your ship!! <3

His Soul (Chapter 8)

Your Guest

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

--

As much as you’d prefer monitoring Curioso the entire time he was out of the box, you still had a phone call to make. The hour was getting late and you didn’t want to intrude at a bad time. You told him you were making an important call down in the office and warned the jester not to not break anything in your absence. After giving you his promise, you excused yourself and dialed Brianna’s number.

…The call was not easy.

She was upset her wife was in custody and demanded to know what happened. You tried to spare the gruesome details of what you’d found, but even that wasn’t enough to prevent the sobbing you’d heard over the line. You could do nothing but offer your apologies. The conversation ended abruptly when Brianna couldn’t handle speaking anymore and hung up while you were mid-sentence. You weren’t really offended, just glad that it was over with. 

For now. 

You returned the phone to your desk and headed back upstairs. It was getting darker outside as the hours dragged on. You were surprised to hear the sound of your television on from your living room. When you went to investigate, you found Curioso sitting in front of the screen, his legs crossed and his attention completely entranced in the cartoon that was on.

‘A cartoon?’ You wondered with a chuckle. Your guest heard the noise and his attention snapped over to you. 

“Welcome back, Detective,” He dramatically tipped his top hat. “I trust the call went well?” 

You huffed and plopped down on the couch. “I think you can guess how it went.” 

The jester said nothing, moving his attention back to the screen. You watched him for a minute or two - noticing how still and quiet he was. His posture looked relaxed and he must’ve been thoroughly enjoying what he was watching, as you doubted he’d be sitting there otherwise. 

“You, uh, like cartoons?” You brought up awkwardly. Curioso bowed his head, and you rushed to defend yourself. “That’s not a bad thing! I still watch some of the classics myself from time-to-time. The Flintstones was my favorite when I was a kid.” 

He turned his mask just enough to see you in his peripheral vision. “Mine was the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.” 

A smile lit up your face. “Really? Who’s your favorite turtle?” 

“Michelangelo.” 

“Mine was Leonardo,” You got more comfortable as you began a small tale. “When I was little, I had this toy sword I played with, and I cut one of my shirts to make my own bandana so I could look like him. My friends and I would pretend to be the turtle; I got to be the leader each time.” 

Curioso fell silent. You expected him to share more with you - about why he liked the orange turtle or share some of his memories with the show. Instead, he turned the TV off with a click of the remote, then set it aside. He continued to sit there with his hands clasped in his lap. You felt awkward at the quietness that fell upon the room. As you opened your mouth to say something that was surely going to be stupid and unnecessary, your stomach growled loudly, reminding you of what you had yet to do. 

“That’s right.” You stood to your feet and hurried over to the kitchen. “Dinner.” 

You opened the fridge and looked around for any leftovers you could heat up. You must’ve finished them recently because there was nothing left. With a shrug, you gathered a few ingredients to whip yourself up a salad for tonight. You needed to use your lettuce before it went bad. Something healthy would make you feel better from today’s ordeal, you think. 

When you looked up, you saw Curioso perched on the counter across from you. You jumped at the sight - you hadn’t heard him enter the room or climb up on anything at all . You were about to scold him for scaring you until he tilted his head at the cutting board. 

“Salad? That’s a boring choice for a meal.”

“Oh, yeah?” You asked as you continued to cut the produce. “What would you have?” 

“Cotton candy.” 

You shook your head at him. “That’s not healthy at all. No nutrients in that.”

“But it’s delicious and fun!” He spread his hands out dramatically. “A salad? Nothing but greens!” 

“Something tells me you didn’t like your veggies as a kid.” 

He didn’t reply, but he kept watching you. You didn’t mind the extra company. You finished chopping up the salad and poured your dressing of choice over it, collecting a bowl and sitting at the small table. As you munched away, you glanced back at your tall friend, who was looking around your kitchen while you were occupied. 

“Can you eat?” It was a genuine question. You didn’t want to be rude and not offer him a serving if he could. 

“Not anymore. I find things go right through me nowadays.” He added that last part with a chuckle. 

“..What do you mean by that?” He could once eat? 

“I’d rather not talk about it, Detective.” 

His tone was serious, so you didn’t press. There were a lot of things you were holding back on tonight. So far, your conversations together felt cut short. You wished he would speak more like he did during the investigation earlier. You decided to keep the subject but change your questions, not wanting more tense silence to fill the room. You’d had enough of that tonight. 

“When you could eat…what was your favorite meal?” 

He seemed to think about it. Then in a quiet voice, he told you, “Dinosaur nuggets with mac and cheese.” 

You almost coughed up your food. He turned to you and you rushed to defend your reaction. 

“-I didn’t mean to offend, I was just surprised,” You took a drink of water and cleared your throat. “Most people would say something like pasta, or fish…” 

“Well, that's what I mostly had. I never got to eat much.” 

You were further confused by his words. What did that mean? He could once eat, but he didn’t have a lot? And when he did…it was dinosaur nuggets and macaroni and cheese? That sounded like a children’s meal! This made the gears in your mind start turning, and your eyes drifted off in thought. 

Curioso must’ve noticed your attention had gone away. He stood up from the counter and sat in the chair across from you. You were face-to-face with his teeth again, which made you flinch out of reaction. He didn’t comment on it. 

“Allow me to redirect the question - what is your favorite meal?” 

You relaxed and took another bite before shrugging. “Honestly? I’ver never been much of a picky eater.”

“But if you had to pick one ..?” 

“Hmm. I like lobster, but I can’t really afford it on my salary. I’d have to go with curry.” 

Curioso sounded intrigued. “I’ve never heard of that.” 

“My favorite is chicken curry, it’s in a seasoned sauce. I usually like mine with rice and vegetables.” 

“There you go talking healthy again…”

“-It’s really good! I’d make some for you if I could.” Something about it made you feel sad - eating was one of life’s greatest pleasures. You weren’t sure how you’d feel if it was taken from you one day. “But, uh…you know, homemade macaroni and cheese is pretty good, too. Have you had that?” 

“No, only the boxed stuff.” 

“Homemade is so much better. You can make your own sauce, add some breadcrumbs, maybe even a little bacon…” You leaned back in your seat, regretting that you were talking about this over a salad. “I like to cook some things when I have the time.” 

“I’m sorry to say I won’t be able to try your food, Detective.” 

“I guess that’s more for me, then.” 

You weren’t sure if that was cruel to say to him, but Curioso didn’t seem to be offended. He was studying you while you ate, and you started to grow uncomfortable. As you were about to say something, he stood from his seat and walked out of the room. You were about to chase after him until you heard the television turn back on. He was flipping through the channels…you supposed TV wasn’t that bad to trust him with for now. 

After you were finished, you rinsed off your dishes in the sink and strolled back to the living room. Your eyes were growing heavy as the fatigue took over your body. You weren’t as lively and young as you used to be. Working into the night like this exhausted you. You glanced over at Curioso, who was now watching what had to be an action movie. His grin seemed a little wider as he watched the fighting take place on-screen. 

You briefly wondered if you should be exposing this morally-questionable creature to more violence, but you shrugged it off for now. You didn’t want to seem * too * controlling after that comment he’d made earlier. As long as you laid out some more rules tomorrow, you were hoping there was nothing to worry about. 

“I’m going to get cleaned up so I can head to bed. After I’m done, I’m afraid you’ll have to go back in the box.”

This was when he tore his attention away, visibly cringing at this news. “-So soon?” 

You yawned again for emphasis. “I’m afraid I’m not that much of a night owl…sorry.” 

He was on his feet in an instant. You jumped when he descended on you. “-Detective, I implore you…just let me stay out for the night? I won’t get into anything of yours! I’ll even keep the volume low so you can sleep…” 

Your jaw hung open, surprised at how desperate he was to avoid going back in. His final comment made you wonder…could he even sleep? Did he need it like humans did? Or was Curioso going to stay up the entire night, watching God-knows-what on your television? That option sounded a little unsafe in your opinion. 

Curioso could tell you were conflicted. He backed away but continued to plead “You don’t understand how suffocating it is to be let out, then back in..! I’ve been good, haven’t I? I’ve done everything you’ve asked!” 

..He was right. So far, you haven’t had any major issue with him - but it hasn't been that long. You were sure he would take the opportunity to cause a ruckus if he was left unsupervised tonight. The jester noticed the change in your expression and his shoulders sagged seeing as you’d made up your mind. 

He sounded defeated again. The sad tone tugged at your heartstrings. “…If that is what you want.” He barely whispered. 

“Hold on-” You held your hand up, still at war with yourself. Why was this such a hard decision? Did you pity him? Maybe you did. But was that right to feel after what he did to those collectors? Ugh ! “-I’ll think about it in the shower, then I’ll let you know.” 

His signature grin grew a little more, you thought. You excused yourself into your restroom and turned the faucet on hot. You were going to need it with all the thinking and relaxing you had to do in there. 

-----

You were far too worn out for any type of argument by the time you were dressed for bed. You’d had a long imaginative conversation with yourself in the shower. You only made a decision by the time you were drying yourself. You dragged your feet into the room your guest currently resided in. The moment you made your appearance, Curioso’s head popped up from your couch he’d been lying on. 

“You can stay up, but you have to be back in the box in the morning, while I figure things out.” You told him sternly. 

His reaction was as joyful as you expected. He jumped from your furniture and landed in front of you like a spring would. “Thank you! You have no clue how much this means to me!” He exclaimed happily. 

You hushed him down. “Just promise me to keep it down and NOT leave this place or get into anything! If you break anything, I swear-” 

He held one mechanical hand up and crossed over his chest with the other. “I cross my heart and hope to die, Detective.” His grin was wide and expressive. 

You groaned. “I doubt either of those things are possible.” 

He retreated back to the couch, singing under his breath and swinging his long legs over the side of the armrest. You blinked at the noise - you’d never heard that before. His voice was pleasant and cheerful. Suddenly…the paranoia and distrust melted from you. You were just happy to see him happy. An odd feeling you were surely going to ponder tonight, but…one you didn’t mind feeling, at that moment. 

You had a smile as you tucked yourself into bed, setting your alarm and allowing all the difficulties to come tomorrow. For now, you just wanted to rest.