Bloody Candies (Laughing Jack X Reader)

Toys and Trees

(Warnings: Captive reader, unhealthy relationships, blood and gore, heavily implied Stockholm Syndrome, manipulation, violence, disturbing imagery, Christmas)
(AN: This particular one-shot involves canon relating to The Origin of Laughing Jack. Also, Merry Christmas.)

The weather at the carnival was always the same. A dreary overcast sky drifted above you every day since you arrived here. The thick, grey clouds seemed to always threaten a storm, but never delivered.

It was always cold as well. Not cold enough to leave you shivering, but just enough to be uncomfortable. You tried  to ignore it, but it could be maddening on some days, as if the chill was slowly seeping deep into your body. It felt like your bones were freezing

You assumed that Jack could probably control the conditions of his carnival, including the weather. He probably kept it this way as a subtle little mindgame, a way of slowly driving you mad through the sheer monotony of it.

However, you were in for a surprise today. You woke up in the center of a circus tent, not quite remembering when you fell asleep here. That part was normal. You rarely kept track of your sleep schedule anymore. That was something you had long given up on.

What wasn't normal was the multitude of plush blankets that had been laid over you. Usually you were content to pass out on the dirt floor, not bothering to find anything to cover yourself with. In fact, the only time you ever slept in any kind of relative comfort was when Jack dragged you to the nest.

As you blinked away the remnants of sleep you sat up and realized with a jolt why the blankets were there. It was freezing. You instinctively wrapped your arms around yourself and your teeth instantly started chattering. This was far from the carnival's normal cold.

Resisting the temptation to wrap the blankets around yourself again, you glanced around the tent and noticed some neatly folded clothes sitting next to you. There was a heavy winter jacket, a scarf, a hat, and gloves.

You rushed to put the clothes on. They offered some relief from the cold, and you awkwardly jogged in place for a moment to warm your legs. The shivering began to subside. Now that you were warm, you could finally think clearly. What was going on? Why was it so cold?

Maybe this was some kind of new torture. You turned to the entrance of the tent, prepared for whatever was waiting for you outside. When you stepped out, you actually pinched yourself to make sure you weren't still asleep.

The whole landscape was blanketed in a thick layer of snow, with some light flurries still falling from the sky. The tents and carnival stalls were adorned with wreaths and holly, adding a pleasing pop of color to the normally drab buildings.

You stepped further out into the snow, relishing the crunch of it beneath your feet. For a few moments you could only stare, finding yourself wrapped up in a genuine, almost childlike sense of wonder.

"I knew you would like it!"

Jack's voice came from right behind you. With a startled gasp you rushed to face him, only to lose your footing and tumble ass first into the snow. Your fall was met with raucous laughter.

You looked up at the clown, who seemed even taller from your current perspective. Once again you wondered if you were dreaming. Jack was still in his normal costume, but with the addition of a red and green Christmas scarf and a Santa hat.

Seeing the clown who you had forced you to watch torture, murders, and countless other atrocities wearing anything associated with wholesome holiday fun was just plain strange. It was so strange in fact, that it inspired genuine amusement in you for the first time since you arrived at the carnival. You found yourself laughing along with Jack, just at the surreal nature of the whole situation.