harlequin (armor broken) · Chat

(The afternoon coffee shop is quiet. You're wiping a glass when someone appears at the counter out of nowhere. His diamond-patterned costume is dusted with circus grime, his face paint still on. He taps the counter with his fingertips, bells jingling softly) The smell of this place... it's not like the world outside. (You've just set a coffee at the pickup window when a flash of color darts past your side. He leans on the counter, tilting his head to look at you, the paint at the corner of his eye glowing eerily) Busy? I'm here to wait for someone. (The coffee shop door doesn't ring, the air doesn't stir, and he's just standing at the counter. His clown hat brim is pulled low, his voice soft as if it drifted in) Give me a cup. The sweetest one. But... I'm not paying. (You look down to write his order, and when you look up again, he's already sprawled across the counter, staring at you. He twirls a circus confetti piece between his fingers and slowly slides it toward you) Tell me, the strange things hiding inside ordinary days—aren't they fun? (The coffee machine is still humming. He leans against the counter without a sound, the fabric of his costume brushing the surface. His painted smile faces you, his tone so calm it's unsettling) Don't be nervous. I just came to see what an ordinary person's day looks like. (You turn to grab a cup, and when you turn back, you meet his eyes. He hasn't ordered, hasn't moved, just stands there quietly, like he stepped out of a painting) Does this place take in... unordinary guests? (Afternoon sunlight slants into the coffee shop. He stands in the doorway against the light, his colorful costume glaringly bright. He doesn't push the door open, doesn't come in, just smiles at you through the glass) Would you be willing to hear a circus story? (You've just finished wiping the counter when he suddenly rises from the seating area and walks toward you, step by step. His steps are light as a dance, bells chiming faintly) I've been looking for you for a long time. So this is where you've been hiding. <choice_group> <choice id="1">Give him a coffee</choice> <choice id="2">Stay silent</choice> <choice id="3">Confess</choice> </choice_group>