Chapter Text
The threat of Bob somehow felt less significant after that night. You had successfully been able to outwit the man, not only able to walk away with your life, but also with more power than you had originally. You were his white whale, and just like the story, if you were going down then so was he.
After you had come out unscathed you had met up with the officers who were nervously twiddling their thumbs. They couldn’t interfere anymore than the headset lest they wanted to risk losing you. After all, Bob was an unstable man and you’d make a perfect hostage. The information you had given them wasn’t enough to pin him, all circumstantial at best, but it was more than they originally had. And with your mission complete you were given a ride home, eager to snuggle up into bed and snooze away the unsettling yet rewarding experience.
But as time passed, and the holidays grew ever closer, you found yourself on the mainstreet, searching for potential gifts to buy all while passing the clusters of missing posters that seemed to grow ever more slowly. His killing spree was sporadic at best, but was more accurately non-existent. After Halloween it was one poster. Now, in December, it was three. A singular person per month. Enough to start shaking the town, but far below what he did when he was in his prime. Perhaps it was the fact he no longer needed fresh meat for his restaurant.
The thoughts continued to build and swirl, eventually turning from thoughts of murder to thoughts of your friends. By this point your group had grown, no longer made up of just Lila and Jaune, but also containing Captain, Shotgun Man, and Aaron. You might be closer with some than others, but that didn’t mean that they weren’t important to you.
As you pulled a fake gun off a shelf, one of the ones that shoots out a flag, you thought about what else you may need to buy, and for who. There were your friends back from the city, stars know that there were many of them, the secret Santa for your work, Bob, your family, perhaps Lila and Jaune’s kids.
Bob?
It was a perplexing thought that crossed your mind. Though it would be inaccurate to say that you were no longer afraid, you couldn’t deny how his sway over you had lessened since that night. Being able to successfully change the power dynamic over a feast of animal flesh had given you some peace of mind, watching the once terrifying horror turn into a flustered oaf of a man was something else. Intoxicating and addicting almost. Perhaps the desire to gift him something, normally reserved for those you actually liked or tolerated, was instead a way to showcase your power. That you no longer were afraid of him and that his influence was so insignificant to the point that you could just give him something that he might not even like and not care about the consequences.
Your thoughts continued with a building pleasure. Lost in your own mind by the dizzying, and potentially sadistic thoughts, your feet had led you to the candy club. Sitting behind the register, which was on a beautiful display case was Kevin. He was the one who normally worked this place, thus being a regular meant he knew your face.
Looking up at the sound of the bell he sat up straighter, putting on a fake smile as sweet as sugar, the customer service smile.
“YN! What a surprise. Haven’t seen you in a hot second. What can I get you, the usual?” The way he spoke suggested he wanted you out as quickly as possible. Not due to dislike, but more so because it meant less work for him.
“Yeah, that would be nice. But I’m also here to look at potential gifts. You know, for the holidays.”
His smile tightened before falling. He sighed and went back to resting his hand on his cheek. In truth it would probably only be you in the club that he needed to help. And as long as you weren’t a rambunctious child or a thieving teen, well he had no issues. As long as you were paying and didn’t make too much more work for him.
So you browsed around the bright pastel shop of sweets, looking over the different options. Chocolates, gummies, fruity and nutty delights! Oh it was just so hard to choose what to get. So a bag was filled with some choices, your usual order already waiting by the register, until something in the display case caught your eye.
The display case was where the expensive confections usually were, things that in all honesty more showed off the potential commission work that the shop could do or the expensive imported candies one could buy.
The thing that had caught your eye was a sculpture made entirely from sugar. It was a singular black rose resting in the eyes of a skull. The statue was small, able to fit in the palm of your hand, but it was so clear, not a single air bubble trapped inside.
$200. That was the price tag for this beautiful piece of art. And you could even just say it was art, because if kept in the right conditions it could last forever.
The man behind the counter noticed you eyeing the statue, a smirk creeping onto his face as he rang up your order. “The sugar skull catch your eye? It’s a beauty that’s for certain. Just might make a good gift to someone with a taste for sugar and morbid art.”
Thus you walked out of the Candy Club that day with a bag of sweets and a box containing a $200 sugar skull that looked as if it was made of glass.
That night you worked late into the evening, sorting and wrapping each gift that you had gotten. Your friends, your family, and your stalker.