His Soul

I Would Rather Be Your Prisoner

You woke up that next morning with your mind still buzzing from everything you learned last night. You'd thought about it endlessly, determining how this would change your relationship with Curioso. You had a few questions you wanted answered, so you let the jester out for the morning and told him you were going to have some breakfast. He was happy to watch you move about your apartment, perching himself on your counter like he always did. He didn't look to be affected at all with what he revealed to you. But how could he be, if this was the reality he had to live with for so long?

It probably wasn't as jarring to him as it was for you.

"Hey," You spoke up while pouring some orange juice. "I've been wondering a few things. You don't mind me asking some more questions, do you?"

"I don't really have a choice, do I?" He answered playfully.

"I mean, you do ...I don't want to overstep anything." You winced as you replaced the container in the fridge. You hoped that wouldn't be the case. "Did you ever see your family again? After what happened?"

You took a seat at the table and started eating, choosing to watch him out of your peripheral vision. You didn't want to make him uncomfortable by staring at him. Curioso shook his head.

"No. They saw me as a burden and wanted me gone. They were probably glad I went missing. I bet their lives got better when I wasn't there."

You whipped around defensively. "I'm sure that's not-"

"-You saw it yourself, Detective. Everything in that memory is what I had to live with every day. My brother and my mother hated me. My father wasn't in the picture, but if he was, I'm sure he'd despise me, too."

"But what if that wasn't the case? What if your absence made them change and realize who they were missing?" Your mouth moved faster than you could think. "What if we went out to find them again-"

"Not a chance in Hell! They're probably old now, anyway."

You chewed on your lip in thought. "..What about Emily? Have you ever seen her again?" When he shook his head 'no', you pressed some more. "..What about finding her someday?"

He hesitated. Something in your chest twisted anxiously in fear of his response. "I don't feel too kindly about her anymore. She revealed my identity that day and ruined my life. It's because of her I'm trapped in this curse. I don't love her anymore."

Well...you couldn't blame him for that. Your lips thinned into a line as you decided to stop your line of questioning. You finished your breakfast in silence while he watched you. You washed your plate in the sink and handed it to Curioso, who placed it on your drying rack. You smirked at the sight. At least he was being helpful.

"I've got that appointment to get the book in a bit...you want to watch something to kill some time?"

He nodded enthusiastically, following after you as you went to check the day's programs.

A few hours later, you were sitting in Audrey's shop, enjoying a cup of hot chocolate and reading from your newly-obtained folder spread out on the table. You held a small doughnut in your left hand, which you nibbled on while you read. After some time, you had to set it down to digest what you were reading. Your friend came by to check on you and even poured you a second cup of the treat. You thanked her with a kind smile, which dropped the moment Audrey was out of your sight.

The translator did an excellent job and you saw to it that she was tipped appropriately. Your first impression was that it would be something simple - a list of ways to open and close the box, the patterns one would have to enter for it...but it was much more elaborate than that.