Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Tick tick tick tick

Jax groaned as he pulled his pillow over his ears, trying in vain to drown out the sound of the clock. He stared up at the ceiling of his room, his eyes aching as he could do nothing but lay in bed in a fruitless attempt to get any amount of sleep. With a sigh of defeat, he sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed. It's been three or four days now without him being able to get any sleep. The few times he did manage to nod off, he'd wake up a minute or two later, still feeling exhausted. He stood up and stretched his back, feeling a satisfying pop as he yawned. He glanced towards the clock, seeing it was only a minute until morning.

"Here we go." The rabbit mumbled, rubbing his eyes with his gloved hands. As if on cue, a rooster crowed in the distance as the moon dropped down and was replaced with the sun. The circus' lights flashed on, stinging Jax's eyes as cartoonish music began to ring out in the distance. He lazily pushed his door open and stepped out into the hallway, hearing the sound of the others shuffling around in their rooms as the supposedly got ready for the day. He smirked as he slowly walked up to Ragatha's door, leaning against the wall next to it as he patiently waited. After a few minutes, the sound of her footsteps approached the door. Jax held out his hand as the door swung open, catching it by the edge and throwing it back closed. It slammed into Ragatha and sent her tumbling back into her room.

"Dang it, Jax!" Ragatha scolded as she rubbed her plush head. "Did you really get up early just to do that?"

"Wow, you really think I would do something so childish?" Jax asked, peaking around the door with an impish grin. "Jeez Rags, I thought we were friends." Before she could respond, he walked away down the hall, stifling a yawn as Ragatha's angry grumbling grew distant. The amusement he felt quickly faded as he walked into the main area, walking up to the couch and lazily falling onto it face first and staring off into the distance with a frown. He watched as a Gloink hopped by, the bouncing sound it made stabbing into his brain. He pulled at his ears with a groan as he buried his face in the couch's cushions. "Stupid circus." He mumbled to himself. The sound of talking grew closer as the rest of the cast approached. Flipping over onto his back, Jax craned his neck up to see the group approach. Pomni and Ragatha were talking about something that they seemed to find funny, Zooble had a bored expression on their face, Kinger was quickly running towards his impenetrable fortress, and Gangle had her face buried in her sketchbook.

Just another day in the circus.

He laid his head back down on the couch and stared up at the ceiling, trying to tune out the conversations the others were having as they took seats in the small furnished area. "I'm telling you, Orbsman would definitely beat The Gloink Queen in a fight." Ragatha said to a rather skeptical looking Pomni.

"Really? Are we talking about the same Orbsman?" Pomni asked incredulously. "The same one that doesn't even speak a human language?"

"Hey, you understood him when he ordered, didn't you?" Ragatha shot back, earning a playful eye roll from the jester.

"Don't remind me about Spudsy's." Gangle said with a shiver, the pencil in her red ribbon hand gliding over the paper in her sketchbook. "That was easily my least favorite adventure in awhile."

"I quite enjoyed it, actually." Kinger said happily, poking his head out from his fortress.

"You weren't even there, Kinger." Zooble said, eyeing the chess piece in confusion.

Kinger placed a finger to his chin and hummed in thought, staying motionless for a few seconds before coming back to life with a scream. "Oh, sorry Zooble," He said with a laugh. "you startled me."

"They startle me too." Jax said as he sat up, a grin stretched across his face. "I mean, just look at them. What are you even supposed to be?" He mocked, earning a glare from the impressionistic character.

"$@&# you, Jax." They shot back, the circus' censor taking out much of the weight of the insult.

"Ooh, someone's testy." Jax snickered.

"Cut it out Jax." Ragatha interrupted, glaring at the purple rabbit, "It's too early for you to be doing this already."

Jax wanted to respond with something snarky or insulting, but nothing was coming to mind. The only thing he could think about was how tired he was and how badly he wanted to just go back to his room. "...Whatever." He mumbled, leaning his head on the back of the couch and staring off into space. Ragatha stared at him in confusion, unsure of why he decided to give up so easily this time around. It usually took Jax himself getting bored for him to stop bullying someone.

"Hello, my wonderful wombats!" A loud voice rang out, snapping everyone out of what they were doing as Caine appeared in a flash before them with Bubble in tow. "Are you ready for another exciting adventure?!"

"I'm out." Zooble said as they stood up, only for a large cartoon hand to appear and push them back into their seat.

"Sorry Zooble, but no one is skipping out on this adventure today!" Caine said, zipping down uncomfortably close to Zooble to look them in their eyes. "The audience wouldn't allow it." He whispered menacingly as he stared intently at nothing, before zipping back to the center of the floor with a laugh, leaving a confused and slightly horrified Zooble sat in their chair. "Now, why are you all laying about?! Come on, up to it!" He clapped his hands twice and looked over at Bubble, who smiled widely as he rushed around the room and scooped all the furniture into his mouth, letting the players to fall to the ground. "That's more like it!" Caine cheered as everyone stood up with a groan, looking up at the ringleader with varying degrees of annoyance.

As Caine rambled on about what today's adventure would consist of, Jax's eyes began to wander around the room, eventually settling on Gangle sitting on the ground as she doodled in her book. He slowly shuffled across the floor, making sure not to draw too much attention to himself as he pretended to listen to Caine's speech. Something about a murder mystery on a train and interrogating suspects. Jax couldn't care less about the details as he grew closer and closer to Gangle, the masked character too absorbed in their art to notice. "We'll be leaving soon, everyone!" Caine finished, snapping his fingers and making a box of deerstalker hats appear on the floor. "Now, get your detective caps on and get ready to go snooping through people's personal belongings with the excuse of looking for clues!" With that, he vanished into thin air, leaving Bubble alone as he slowly began to silently float up and out of sight.

"A mystery, huh?" Ragatha said, plucking a hat from the box and slipping it on her head, "That doesn't sound too bad, actually."

Pomni pulled one out and looked at it incredulously, before dropping it back into the box. "I'm good without a hat, actually." She chuckled awkwardly.

Gangle watched as the hats were discussed, making Jax's grin grow larger. In one quick motion, he bent down and snatched the sketchbook from Gangle's ribbon hands and pulled the comdey mask from her face, leaving a shocked and now crying Gangle scrambling to get her items back.

"Jax, give them back!" She whined, reaching up to try and steal them back from the rabbit's arms.

"What's wrong, Ribbons?" He mocked, tucking the mask into the pocket on the front of his overalls as he began to leaf through the book's pages. "I just wanted to see what you've been doodling is all." He held the sketchbook just barely out of Gangle's reach, raising it higher as she jumped up to grab it. He wasn't really paying attention to what she had drawn, just using it as another way to mess with her. "Wow, for someone who draws all the time, these are all pretty bad." As he said that, he ripped a page out of the book, crumpling it up and stuffing it into his front pocket.

Gangle's eyes widened in horror as he tore the page out, the tears in her eyes growing larger. "Jax, stop!" She screamed, beginning to smack him with her ribbon hands to no avail. Jax's fun was cut short as the rest of the group approached, all but Kinger looking at him with disdain.

"Give her sketchbook back, Jax." Ragatha ordered, glaring daggers at the rabbit.

"What, am I not allowed to look at something she made?" He asked, feigning innocence as he wiggled the book in the air above Gangle's head.

"Quit being a jerk and just give it back." Zooble snapped, their arms crossed defiantly as they impatiently tapped their foot. "I mean, are you really so miserable that you can't let other people enjoy things?"

"Oh, because you're just a giant ray of sunshine?" Jax asked, finding his patience already starting to wear thin. It was annoying when they would intervene with his teasing at all, but today he was finding it especially grating.

"Just giver her back the sketchbook, Jax." Pomni chimed in, not nearly as angry as Ragatha and Zooble, but still clearly not a fan of his antics.

Jax rolled his eyes as he threw the book into where Gangle's chest would be, knocking a breath out of her as he looked back at the people who spoiled his fun. "There, happy?" He asked in annoyance, turning and preparing to leave until it was time for the adventure to start.

"And the mask." Ragatha said, her tone holding a slight smug arrogance at having made him back down. Jax clenched his fists as he turned back to the group, pulling the porcelain comedy mask out of his front pocket and holding it out towards Gangle. She wiped a tear away and slowly reached for it, her hands trembling slightly. Just before she could grab it, Jax reared back and threw the mask on the ground, making it shatter into tiny pieces that quickly scattered across the floor. The group fell silent as they watched the mask shatter, their eyes drifting up towards the smug and angry look on Jax's face.

"Oops." He said, not an ounce of remorse in his voice as he turned and walked away, smiling to himself as he heard everyone start to pick up the pieces of the mask. Another yawn escaped him as he walked to the other side of the room, leaning against the wall as he watched Pomni and Zooble try to comfort Gangle as Ragatha and Kinger picked up the pieces before Kinger got distracted. He watched as the scene before him grew blurry, rubbing his eyes to refocus them and hopefully push away the sense of fatigue that had been gnawing at him all morning.

"Time's up!" Caine yelled as he appeared in the air, holding a comically large stopwatch in his hand. With a snap of his fingers, everyone was summoned to the center of the room as a door opened beneath the floating man. Looking through the doorway, the interior of an old-timey train car could be seen, with featureless mannequin npcs dressed in time accurate clothing. "Hop to it, detectives!" Caine said eagerly, "You still have to find your rooms!"

"On trains they're called roomettes." Kinger chimed in, looking at everyone happily.

"It will be two of you to each room!" Caine explained, ignoring the correction, "Zooble and Pomni, you'll be in room 1."

"O-oh, ok." Pomni stuttered, "Is, uh, that ok with you, Zooble?"

"It's cool." They replied nonchalantly, their hands resting on their hips.

"Excellent!" Caine interrupted, "Ragatha and Kinger are in room 2."

"Oh, hello." Kinger said as he held a hand out to Ragatha, "I'm Kinger. Have we met?"

"So that just leaves..." Ragatha trailed off, silently adding up who was paired with who.

"Correct!" Caine cheered, "Jax and Gangle have room 3!"

"Wh-what!?" Gangle asked in a panic, glancing at Jax with a worried expression. Jax's grin fell at the idea of having to share a tiny room with Gangle of all people.

"Caine, maybe me and Gangle can switch rooms." Ragatha offered, looking up at him with a pleading look.

"Could I just have my own room, actually?" Jax asked the ringleader.

"Sorry folks, but that's not an option." Caine replied as he shook his head. "Those tickets were expensive and nonrefundable!" Before anyone could protest further, a large hand appeared and shoved the group through the portal. They all landed in a heap with a groan, struggling to pull themselves up in the corridor.

"Get off me, Plug n' Play." Jax grunted as he shoved Zooble to the side, earning a punch in the arm from their claw hand in response. Eventually, everyone had clambered to their feet and took in their surroundings. Grassy fields and farmland flew by outside the windows, only taking about a minute before the scenery repeated itself. The train car itself was very detailed, with ornamental details careful carved into the table legs and burnt onto the wooden walls. A patterned carpet covered the floor, the design on it matching the designs on the walls. The npcs stared at the group silently, before abruptly returning to their activities and talking amongst themselves.

"This was honestly nicer than I expected." Pomni commented, looking up at the ornate walls. "Too bad someone's going to be murdered." She laughed weakly at her own joke, visibly relaxing once Ragatha chuckled.

"Maybe we should find our rooms first." Kinger said, his eyes darting around nervously. "I heard there's a killer on the loose."

"Kinger is right." Zooble said, glancing at the chess piece, "...mostly. Knowing Caine there could be something important in them."

Normally, Jax would do anything but help with the adventure if it didn't interest him, but the thought of having somewhere he could try to sleep without anyone bothering him was too good to pass up. Plus, it would get him out of having to help. "Alright, Crybaby and I will go see if we can find them." He said as he grabbed Gangle's hand and ran off, ignoring the worried questions directed toward his unwilling companion and the protests directed at him.

"J-Jax, shouldn't we stay as a group?" Gangle asked as she stumbled along behind the lagomorph.

"No need, they'd just slow us down." He replied, shoving passed an npc as he glanced at the numbered doors around them. He came to an abrupt stop at the end of a car, making Gangle stumble into his back. "Hey, watch where you're walking." He said, pulling Gangle in front of him. "Look, we already found them."

Gangle looked up and, sure enough, they were standing in front of a door, a placard on it displaying the number 3 "How did you find it so fast?" Gangle asked.

"Oh Ribbons, you wound me." He replied with a grin, "Do you really doubt my abilities that much?"

"...A little." Gangle muttered, looking away nervously.

"Well it doesn't matter." Jax said as he slid the door open and pushed Gangle inside. Once they were inside, Jax closed the door and sat on the small bench next to Gangle. "Could Caine make this place any smaller?" He frowned, reaching over and picking up the single chair the room had. He carefully wedged it in the doorway, the back of it pinning the door handle to the wall and preventing it from being opened.

"Jax, we really shouldn't." Gangle said anxiously, "The others will be-"

Jax pressed a hand over her mouth, looking at her with an angry glare. "The others will think I got us thrown off the train or something as long as you keep your mouth shut." He growled, making Gangle's eyes widened with a mixture of shock and fear. "I'm too $@^&ing tired for this today. So unless you want to have to stay up tonight waiting to see if I come in with a pair of scissors, I suggest you zip it, got it?" Gangle nodded softly, making Jax's smile return as he pulled his hand away from her. "You should be thanking me anyway." He said as he rested his head against the wall to his left, "This gets you out of this dumb adventure too."

With that, Jax closed his eyes as he focused on the sounds of the train, trying to squeeze even the tiniest bit of sleep out of the situation. He waited and waited for sleep to claim him, but it never came. After awhile, he sat up straight and leaned back against the wall, hoping by some miracle it would help. The sound of footsteps approached the room, muffled voices being barely audible through the door. Jax opened an eye and glanced at Gangle, finding her asleep against the wall of the train. With a content sigh now that his plan couldn't possibly be ruined, he closed his eyes and refocused his attention on trying to sleep. The sounds of doors being opened and closed invaded his ears, making him grimace. Thankfully, it seemed like the others had searched their rooms and left, leaving Jax alone once more.

Another eternity passed as he kept his eyes shut tight, sleep still eluding him after what had to be at least an hour. He slowly leaned to his right, hoping the wall would feel better this time around. Much to his surprise, it actually did. It felt much softer than before, the movement of the train making it rise and fall slowly beneath his head. He focused on the pleasant warmth that came from it as he felt his body begin to relax, feeling more comfortable than he had in the past few days of sleepless nights. He could swear it felt like someone had draped an arm over him too. Ignoring the sudden shift in comfort, Jax hummed softly as he finally drifted into unconsciousness, the soft, breath-like sounds beneath him helping lull him to sleep.

Chapter Text

"Jax, we know you're in there!" Zooble's voice shouted from outside as they slammed their fist on the door. "The adventure is nearly over and we can't find Gangle! Where is she!" Jax grimaced as he ignored Zooble's shouting, trying to tune out the banging on the door and get back to sleep by focusing on the gentle caressing on his back, slowly drifting off once more.

"Oh god." A voice whispered, pulling Jax away from the brink of sleep. With a groan, he opened his eyes, being met with bright red ribbons wrapped around his body. He looked up and locked eyes with Gangle, his stomach dropping as he looked at the position they were in. His head was resting on her chest as his arms were curled around her waist. One of Gangle's ribbons was holding him against her, with the other gently stroking one of his ears. Gangle stared down at him with a look of horror, one that was mirrored on Jax's face. With a scream, Gangle untangled herself from Jax and quickly pushed him away, stumbling to the floor as she tried to put as much distance between them as possible.

"Gangle?" Ragatha asked through the door, "Jax, what's going on in there? You better not be bullying her again!" Jax and Gangle stared at each other, neither of them saying a word as the realization of the situation dawned on them. Without a word, Gangle stood up and removed the barricade from the door, quickly sliding it open to reveal Zooble, Pomni, and Ragatha, all with varying emotions on their faces.

"Oh Gangle, thank goodness." Pomni said with a relieved sigh, "Ragatha said your room was locked and-"

"What did Jax do?" Zooble interrupted, glaring at the rabbit. "We couldn't find either of you after he dragged you off."

Gangle glanced back at the tall rabbit, tapping her ribbons together nervously. "We, uh..." She mumbled, looking at the floor.

"We got thrown off the train." Jax interjected, resting his arm on top of Gangle's head. "Turns out trying to hijack the train makes people upset. Who'd have thought, huh?"

The trio looked at Jax suspiciously. "You...tried to hijack the train?" Pomni asked, looking at Gangle in confusion.

"...It sounded better in practice?" Gangle said unconvincingly, an awkward smile spreading across her face.

"...If you say so." Ragatha said as she eyed Jax suspiciously before she turned to leave, with Pomni following close behind.

"Wow, I can't believe you all don't trust me." Jax said with a smug grin, "Have I really not proved myself to be helpful?" He rested his hands on his hips as he began to leave, only for Zooble punch him in the face and send him to the floor.

"That's for skipping out on the adventure." They said as Jax clambered to his feet, stomping away as they muttered something under their breath.

"Oh, I don't like lying." Gangle said sadly. "Why do you have to rope me into stuff like this."

"Ah, it gets easier the more you do it." Jax said as he rubbed his jaw.

Gangle looked up at him anxiously as she tapped her ribbons together. "Uh, about what happened." She began, only for Jax to shove her to the ground.

"I don't know what you're talking about." He said as he made his way out of the room, with Gangle scrambling to follow behind.

"Jax, it's ok if you're embarrassed." She said with a hopeful smile. "It was shocking for me too, but if we just talk about it, maybe it can turn into a funny story between friends."

Jax stopped in his tracks and looked at Gangle with a glare. "Let me make this clear, Cry baby." He said, his voice low and devoid of his usual snark, "I had been running on no sleep and needed a nap. All you were was a bystander who happened to be in the same room. The last thing I would call you is a friend." Gangle's smile fell as Jax spoke, any hope of an even somewhat friendly relationship with the rabbit shattering. "As far as I'm concerned, you're just a slightly less annoying alarm clock that woke me up." She fell silent as he spoke, rubbing one of her arms as she looked towards the ground in defeat. With his smile returning, Jax continued towards the car where the adventure began, with Gangle trudging along behind him.

"So it was you!" Kinger yelled, pointing an accusatory finger towards a random npc on the train.

"Kinger, for the last time, we already found the killer." Zooble said with an eye roll.

"Seems like Hoo-Hah still has mystery fever." Jax said as he wandered into the train car. "Maybe you aren't such good detectives after all."

"Bubble admitted to it as soon as we found him." Ragatha said, gesturing towards the smiling creature that floated nearby. "He seemed weirdly proud of it."

"I don't think he actually killed anyone, though." Pomni added.

"Not on this adventure!" Bubble said cheerfully, making Pomni shoot him a suspicious look.

"Well, as long as we get to leave." Jax said, resting his hand behind his head.

"Oh, because you did so much to help." Zooble said, shooting a glare towards the purple figure. Before the bickering could continue, the door they had entered from swung open into the circus. The group quickly piled through, finally free from the continuous sound of the train's wheels on the tracks.

"Well done, team!" Caine congratulated, "You found the clues and put a stop to that monster on the train!" He shot a glare towards Bubble, who stared back with an unblinking expression. "A celebratory feast will be ready soon, so I hope you're hungry!" With a snap of his fingers, he and Bubble disappeared.

"Pass." Zooble said as they began to walk towards the hall that held everyone's rooms.

"Aw come on Zooble, don't you want to celebrate finishing another one of Caine's adventures?" Ragatha asked, trying her best to make the invitation sound exciting.

"No." Zooble replied with a deadpan expression, before continuing on their way.

"I should be going too." Kinger said as he headed towards his impenetrable fortress, "I need to reorganize my insect collection."

Ragatha's smile fell as she looked towards the others. "Gangle, how about it, huh?" She asked, a hopeful look in her eye.

"Sorry Ragatha." Gangle said with a sniffle, "I have to go fix my comedy mask... again." She slowly walked away, leaving only 3 of the colorful characters.

"As much as I'd love to hear your generous invitation," Jax said sarcastically, "I have things I need to attend to. Catch you later, Doll Face. You too, Pompom."

"I'll eat with you." Pomni said, looking up at Ragatha with a small smile, "Well, if you still want to."

"Thanks, Pomni." Ragatha said with a chuckle. "At least you want to hang out with me." The two of them began to head towards the dining area as Jax walked back towards his room, another yawn escaping him as he went.

"Guess a nap wasn't enough." He said to himself, his smile falling as he rubbed his eyes. Shaking the fatigue from his mind, he walked through the empty hall until he reached his door, unceremoniously throwing it open and shuffling into his room. He kicked the door closed behind him as he looked around the place he begrudgingly called home.

It was rather simple, with just a queen sized bed against the wall in the center, with a desk across the room from it. A lone wardrobe sat across from the door, with multiple copies of the same pink overalls he had to wear everyday. A large trunk sat at the foot of his bed, with various pranking instruments stuffed inside haphazardly. A lone analog clock hung above his desk, though he wasn't sure if the time was ever accurate. He stumbled towards his bed and collapsed into it, pulling a blanket over his body as he stared at the wall. Even after the nap on the train, he was still exhausted. As he laid there, memories of laying on Gangle began to drift into his mind. The rise and fall of her breathing, the warmth that seemed to spread through his entire body, the way she stroked his ears that made every inch of his body relax. He quickly shook the thoughts from his mind, trying to ignore the slight heat in his face as he shut his eyes.

"Just sleep." He mumbled to himself, hoping that after awhile he would slip into unconsciousness like he did on the train. So, he waited.

And waited.

And waited.

And waited and waited and waited and waited and waited and waited and waited and waited and waited and-

He sat up angrily, pulling at his ears as he screamed through clenched teeth. He hopped out of bed and walked towards the clock on his wall, hoping it had only been a few minutes and he was just being impatient.

"Four !$*#ing hours." He groaned, letting his head fall against the wall. His ears drooped as he stared at the top of his desk, his eyes beginning to ache with fatigue. With a sigh, he shambled over to his prank trunk, tossing the lid open as he began to rummage through it. If he was going to be up all night, he might as well try to make it fun. He pulled out various items from the trunk, tossing each and every one to the side as he failed to come up with anything interesting he could use them for.

A box of centipedes? Nah, he already used it on Ragatha a few days ago.

An air horn? His head was already pounding from lack of sleep, no need to make it worse.

A pair of pruning shears? It's more fun to terrorize Gangle if he gets to chase her.

His eyes widened at the thought of her, a twisting feeling in his stomach. For some unearthly reason, he was able to sleep in that train car. Not because of the sound, or the movement, or the joy of skipping an adventure.

Because of HER.

He stared down at his hands for awhile, silently mulling over the thoughts in his head. "Do I really need sleep that badly?" He asked himself aloud, weighing the pros and cons of giving up sleep for who knows how long. With a frustrated groan, he stood up and ran his hands over his face. He already felt worse than he did this morning, and who knew how much worse it could get before his virtual body would start to give out. Snatching the pillow and blanket from his bed, he tucked them under his arm and quietly opened the door to his room. He slinked out into the dark hallway, silently closing the door behind him as he walked towards Gangle's door. The sound of his footsteps echoed through the hall, an unwelcome reminder that everyone else was sleeping just fine. He stopped in front of her door, staring up at the smiling cartoon depiction in front of him. "I can't believe I'm doing this." He mumbled as he raised a gloved hand.

He knocked on the door softly, feeling an uncomfortable pit form in his stomach. Why was he nervous about this? It was Gangle for crying out loud! If there was one person he was sure he could make keep this secret, it was her. He waited for any sign of the ribbon woman inside the room, growing more and more impatient as time went on. He knocked again, placing an ear up to the door to listen for any sign of movement. "Gangle." He called out quietly, accompanied by another few raps against the door, but the room inside remained deathly quiet, much to his annoyance. He knocked louder, beginning to wonder if it would be easier to just grab a key from his room, when the door suddenly creaked open.

Gangle rubbed the sleep from her eyes as she stood in the doorway, her comedy mask still nowhere in sight. Her gaze slowly trailing upwards to the rabbit's face. "...Jax?" She asked incredulously, her eyes growing wide with shock. "What are you-"

"Can I crash on your floor?" He asked, making her stop mid sentence. The pair stared at each other for what felt like an eternity, the longer Jax stood there the worse the pit in his stomach felt.

"Are you joking?" Gangle asked, "Because if so, I don't get it."

"Oh come on, Ribbons." Jax said, pulling a grin onto his face, "What's the problem with two friends having a sleepover?"

"But we aren't friends." She said tearfully, "You said so yourself."

Jax forced a laugh as he leaned against the door frame. "Oh come on, you bought that?" He asked, "I was just messing around. We're best buds, you and I."

"Were you messing around when you threatened me with scissors today?" She asked with a sniffle, "Or how about when you tried to feed me to that bear a few weeks ago? Or when you snuck into my room and tore up all my art? Or when you broke my comedy mask for the thousandth time?"

Jax's smile fell as she spoke, the pit in his stomach only growing worse. "...Would it help if I said I was sorry?" He asked, a strained smile on his face.

"Goodnight, Jax." She said as she slowly closed the door, leaving Jax standing alone in the hallway.

"Oh come on, really?" He asked through the door, a nervous laugh in his voice. "What do I have to do to make it up to you, huh Crybaby?"

Gangle's room fell silent once more.

"Ribbons, you can't be serious?" He asked, his voice growing quieter and more deflated.

Silence.

"...Gangle?" He asked, his voice barely above a whisper. He stared at the door dejectedly, silently hoping she would come back and give him some reprieve, but she never did.

Slowly, his sadness was replaced by anger as he began to glare at the door, balling his fists. "Fine, I don't need your help anyway." He called through the door before stomping back to his room. He slammed the door behind him as he climbed back into bed, pulling the blanket over himself as he put the pillow under his head. "I can do this without her." He mumbled to himself. "What was I thinking, asking that useless mess of velvet for help." He stared up at the ceiling, lying deathly still in hopes that he could force his body to relax. The longer he stared up at the ceiling the more his anger dissipated, leaving him with nothing but his own thoughts, which all pointed to one thing.

"This is bad."

Chapter Text

Jax groaned as the circus' lights flashed on, throwing an arm over his eyes to try and block it out. Despite his best efforts to sleep, he had spent most of the night sitting in bed just staring at the clock as it ticked. With a sigh, he pulled himself out of bed and stretched, trying to ignore the sick feeling in his stomach and the throbbing pain in his head. He looked at his reflection in the clock and grimaced. His eyes were dull and bloodshot, with heavy bags hanging beneath them. His ears fell back against his head, his fur matted and unkempt. "Who programed this?" He mumbled aloud as he rubbed his eyes, trying his best to smooth out his fur to look presentable. After a few minutes of trying and failing to make himself look normal, he gave up and shuffled to the door, stifling a yawn as he went.

He threw the door open and stepped into the hallway, the lights above stinging his eyes. He slowly trudged down the hall towards the main area, the sound of the others in their rooms barely registering through the fog in his mind. He stumbled towards the furnished area and collapsed face first over the arm of the couch, letting his legs dangle above the ground. He stared at the other side of the couch in a daze, his body aching with lack of energy. The sound of approaching footsteps pulled him from his stupor, pulling himself to sit on the couch properly as he forced a smile on his face. "How are you doin, folks?" He asked.

"Since when did you care?" Zooble asked, squinting at the rabbit curiously, "And what's wrong with you? You look like %$!&."

"Oh, I'm flattered that you care so much." Jax replied with fake sincerity, making them flip him off with a censored middle finger.

"They have a point, Jax." Ragatha said, looking at him with concern. "Are you feeling alright?"

"I'm fine." He replied, rolling his eyes. "I know you all love my dashing good looks, but can't a guy just relax for once?" With a huff, Ragatha walked away to the other couch, with Pomni following close behind.

"I didn't even know he had fur." The jester said quietly, taking a seat next to the rag doll. Kinger and Gangle soon entered from the hall way, with the former eagerly telling a story and the latter smiling and nodding along with a newly fixed comedy mask.

"Oh, the adventure was so great. Queenie was one of a kind. " Kinger explained happily.

"It sounds like it." Gangle said with a smile, "That was a wonderful story, Kinger."

"What story?" The chess piece asked, quickly walking away to sit in an armchair that Zooble was leaning against. Gangle followed into the furnished area, her eyes locking onto Jax as he stared off into space. She stared at the rabbit for a minute, a look of deep thought on her face.

After refocusing on his surroundings, Jax locked eyes with Gangle, glancing side to side in confusion. "Uh... Can I help you?" He asked. Her eyes went wide as she quickly looked away.

"Oh, sorry." She said with a chuckle, "Guess I spaced out a bit."

"Well next time look at someone else." The rabbit mumbled, stifling a yawn as he leaned his head on the back of the couch and stared up at the ceiling. He felt the couch shift slightly and looked up, finding Gangle sitting next to him doodling in her sketchbook.

"Gangle," Zooble said, looking at the ribbon figure in confusion, "You sure you want to sit there?"

Gangle glanced up from her book, being met with puzzled looks from her friends. "Yeah, I'm alright." She said cheerfully, turning her attention towards the rabbit next to her. "Unless you want me to move, that is."

Jax stared at her for a moment, wondering what exactly she was up to. He'd usually stay far away from her unless he wanted to mess with her or wanted to bully her into helping with a prank on someone, but for some reason he didn't want to push her away this time. In fact, ever since yesterday on the train, he hasn't found her nearly as annoying as he usually did. He must really be tired if that was the case.

"...Whatever." He mumbled, leaning back once more and trying to tune out the noise around him.

"See, he's fine with it." Gangle said, gesturing towards the lagomorph.

"Well..." Ragatha began with an awkward smile, "if you say so." Giving Pomni and Zooble a questioning look. Without warning, Caine appeared in the center of the room, effectively cutting off any more discussion that could be had.

"Hello, my little rapscallions!" Caine yelled excitedly, making Jax jump as he quickly sat up. "Are you ready for an all new adventure?"

"Maybe we could... not have an adventure today?" Pomni asked sheepishly.

"Hahaha, no!" Caine laughed, looking down at her. "We don't have the budget for filler episodes!" Without waiting for anyone to respond, Caine launched into an explanation of the day's adventure.

Jax stared up at him as he spoke, the words he was saying not even registering to the rabbit. He draped his arm across the back of the couch, feeling his eyelids grow heavy as his head fell back against the couch. His eyes closed as he felt his body relax, a warm feeling in his chest starting to spread throughout the rest of his body. The ringleader's voice began to fade away as the pain in his head subsided, slowly drifting off into peaceful slumber.

"Jax, my boy!" Caine's voice shouted, ripping him from the brink of sleep in a panic. He looked around wildly, finding Caine in front of him with a disappointed look and the others looking at him in amusement. All except Gangle, who had a look of surprise and concern on her face.  "Adventures are no sleeping matter! What if you miss my explanation and wind up lost in the ocean?!"

Jax sat upright and and looked at Caine with a frown. "Does this adventure involve the ocean?" He asked the AI.

"Well... no." Caine said slightly deflated.

"Then I think I'll take my chances." The rabbit said, laying his head back once more.

"Not on my watch!" Caine said proudly, wrapping an arm around Jax's shoulders and ripping him up into the air, much to the rabbit's displeasure. "Now listen once more everyone! Today's adventure will be all about plundering an ancient temple for a priceless artifact! There will be traps! Trials! Snakes! No bathrooms! Only the bravest of adventurers will be able to traverse the temple and take home the greatest treasure known to man!" He smiled proudly as he looked at the rabbit he was holding. "Did you get all that?"

"Yes." Jax said annoyed, "Now put me down."

"Will do!" Caine replied as he let go of Jax, letting him fall to the floor with a yelp. "Now get ready to set off everyone!"

Jax groaned as he sat up from where he fell, rubbing his head as he glared up at Caine, only for the ringleader to vanish before his eyes. "$@&# it, Caine." He grumbled as he stood up, dusting himself off as he ignored the snickering from Zooble.

"You ok, Jax?" Gangle asked as she walked up to him, holding out a hand to help him up.

Jax looked up at her confused, smacking her hand away as he stood up. "I'm fine." He mumbled.

Suddenly, Caine reappeared hovering above everyone. "Time to go!" He said excitedly.

Zooble rolled their eyes as they looked up at him. "Caine, we barely had any time to-"

"Off you go!" Caine interrupted, clapping his hands and making a cave opening rise from the ground. On the other side was a lush jungle, the sounds of exotic birds and buzzing insects filling the air.

"Is it too late to ask to stay here?" Pomni asked, only for Caine to disappear before answering. "Guess so..." The six unwitting adventurers walked through the cave archway, being met with humid air in their faces and mud beneath their feet.

"I hope this mud doesn't stain." Kinger said nervously, glancing back as his robe dragged across the ground. "I don't have a washer."

"Did Caine even tell us where to find this stupid temple?" Jax asked through a yawn, cringing as one of his paws sunk into the mud accompanied by a gross squelching sound.

"I don't think we'll have to look very far." Ragatha said, pointing towards the skyline. In the distance, a large pyramid-like structure loomed. It shimmered in the sunlight like it was covered in gold, standing out amongst the deep greens and browns of the jungle floor. A large golden statue sat at the top, seeming to be some type of lion or tiger.

"It doesn't seem too far, actually." Pomni said with a hopeful smile. "Maybe this won't take too long."

With a few groans from Zooble and Jax, the group began their trek through the jungle. It went surprisingly well, except for when a large bird swooped down in an attempt to grab Gangle, breaking her comedy mask in the process. After what felt like an eternity the group came to the base of the temple.

"Ok..." Pomni said sheepishly, "Maybe it took longer than I thought."

"You think?" Zooble grumbled, beginning to walk up the steps towards the entrance. "We haven't even found this stupid treasure yet." The group began to clamber up the steps, only for Jax to grab Gangle's arm to hold her back.

"Talking. Now" He demanded, pulling her away from the temple into the jungle.

"J-Jax, what are you doing?" She protested, trying to pull her arm out of his grasp. "They're going to get mad at us if we skip another adventure." Once the pair were a sufficient distance into the wilderness, Jax let her go and turned to look at her.

"What are you doing?" He said abruptly, his usual smile falling away.

"Uh..." She stuttered, "What do you-"

"You never talk to me." He interrupted, "Much less willing be anywhere near me. Yet today, you're treating me like we're all buddy buddy. So I ask again: What are you doing?"

Gangle looked up at him in confusion. "I-I was just being nice." She stuttered, "You seemed like you were having a rough morning, and I thought that maybe if I tried to be nice to you despite how you act, that maybe you'd feel better."

Jax glared down at her, stifling a yawn. "I don't need your pity." He growled, making Gangle step back nervously. "I tried to be nice last night and you turned me away."

"B-because that was self serving." Gangle protested, "You're only nice to people when you need something."

"And you're only nice when it makes you feel good about yourself!" Jax yelled, his annoyance having been growing since this morning. "You're not some good natured person, you're just as selfish as I am. All you've done is lie to yourself about why you're being nice."

Tears fell from Gangle's eyes as he spoke, looking down at the ground sadly. "...I'm sorry." She mumbled, turning and running back towards the temple's entrance. As soon as she was gone, a sick feeling washed over Jax.

"Son of a #!&@$." He mumbled to himself, rubbing his eyes. He didn't know why he said all of that, but he knew he regretted it. He leaned back against a large tree, sliding down to the ground as he hung his head. He stared down at the ground for awhile, mulling over the thoughts in his head that weren't covered by the fog of exhaustion. He had tried to plan out what he wanted to say to her when he dragged her off, but once he started talking, all the frustration from his lack of sleep poured out. Now he had just assured that she wouldn't help him no matter what. With a groan, he stood back up and slowly made his way back to the temple, finding the rest of the group back outside with a small golden idol in hand. Ragatha was softly patting Gangle's back as she cried, trying her best to comfort the ribbon woman.

"Are you sure you don't want to talk about it?" Pomni asked, making Gangle shake her head as she sniffled.

"I think I have a theory." Zooble said, glaring at Jax as he walked into the clearing. "What did you do?"

Jax wanted to make a quip or a snarky joke, but he just couldn't. He was mentally, physically, and emotionally drained. He ignored the questions that were lobbied at him as he approached the group, snatching the golden idol from where it was sitting and beginning to head back towards the cave where they began. They continued to shout at him as they started to follow, but it all sounded like white noise to him. He just wanted to go back to his room. Eventually all the yelling died down, no doubt them getting annoyed by his lack of answers.

It remained silent on the way back, the only sound around them being the buzzing insects that filled the jungle landscape. Eventually they arrived at the cave entrance, stepping back into the circus as Caine materialized before them.

"How was the adventure, my animated archeologists?" He asked cheerfully. Without a word, Jax simply tossed the idol at the ringleaders feet and began to head towards his room, another yawn forcing it's way out of him. "Well, seems like someone is a little grumpy!" Caine said, looking towards the others expecting a laugh, only to be met with more sour faces. "Boy, that adventure must have been harder than I thought." He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, picking up the idol and quickly vanishing.

Jax kicked the door to his room open and slammed it closed behind him, before falling into the chair at his desk and letting his head fall onto it with a bang. He stared into the wood motionlessly, his eyes aching and his mind begging for rest. He sat up and reached into the front pocket on his overalls, slowly pulling out item after item and throwing them to the side. A key, a comically large hammer, a jar of centipedes. They all clattered into the corner of his room until he pulled out a crumpled piece of paper. He quickly unfurled it, staring down at the drawing he had ripped from Gangle's sketchbook. For the first time, he actually felt guilty about how he treated her. Sure, it was partly because he couldn't get something he needed from her, but he also regretted how he left her. He was no stranger to making her cry, but something about this time felt different. She sounded... broken. Like what he said had affected her more than his usual taunts and bullying.

He looked up at the clock in front of him, finding he had been staring at the drawing for hours. It was the middle of the night once more, a time he had grown unfortunately used to being awake at. With a sigh, he stood up and tucked the drawing back into his pocket, before making his way to the door. "One last shot." He mumbled to himself, swallowing his pride and exiting out into the hallway. He slowly walked towards Gangle's room, his mind racing a mile a minute. He wanted to go back to his room and just lay in bed. He wanted to suffer in silence and hope this problem would go away. He wanted to just give up and let whatever happens, happen.

But he couldn't.

He was sick. He was miserable. His was angry and sad and in pain. But most of all, he was tired.

He stopped in front of Gangle's door and held up his hand, hesitating slightly. Would she even give him a chance to say anything? What if he does all this for nothing? What if someone is in there with her and doesn't even let him see her? He shook the thoughts from his head and refocused, taking a deep breath as he knocked on the door. He couldn't turn back now.

The sound of shuffling came from the other side as someone slowly walked to the door. It slowly opened to reveal Gangle, a miserable look on her face. The two of them locked eyes, freezing in place as they stared at each other. "Gan-" He began, only for the door to shut in his face. He sighed as he knocked again. "Gangle, please open the door."

"Go away, Jax." She said through the door, her voice weak and hoarse from what he assumed to be crying.

"Please," He said, "I just want to talk."

"Like how we 'talked' earlier?" She asked, the air quotes audible in her voice. "I really thought you had lines you wouldn't cross."

"Gangle, please." He replied, resting his head on the door. "I know I messed up, and it's just..." He fell silent as the words caught in his throat, "I'm sorry." The words felt foreign as he said them, not used to apologizing if it wasn't insincere. The other side of the door fell silent, much to his dismay. "I really am." He continued, turning to rest his back against the door and sliding down to the floor. "I know you have no reason to believe me. I know I've been a jerk, and a bully, and a monster, and any other words you can think of, censored or not. I've been nothing but cruel to you, and today only showed that in spades." He felt tears well in his eyes, wiping them away in surprise as he sniffled. "But I really am sorry." He said, his voice cracking slightly. "I know no matter how many times I say it can make up for how I've treated you, but I just..." He let out a shuddering breath as a choked sob escaped him. "I can't sleep."

He leaned his head back against the door, letting the tears in his eyes fall as he kept talking. "It's been days, Gangle. I've been awake for nearly a week now." He let out a strained laugh. "I feel sick, my head hurts, my body aches. Hell, I can barely think straight half the time. The only real sleep I got was on that train, and it was only because you were there. I tried to rationalize it any way I could, but I can't." Another sob. "For some cosmically insane reason, you helped me sleep." He fell silent as he waited for a response, only for none to come. He sighed as he pulled the drawing out of his pocket. "I know this doesn't undo everything I did but," -He slid the drawing under the door- "I figured giving this back was the least I could do." He stood up as he wiped the remaining tears from his face, pulling his smile back on. "And... can we just keep this between us?" He asked with a weak laugh, "They'd never let me hear the end of it." He fell silent once more as he fiddled with the cuffs on his gloves. "Anyway, I'll head back to my room now. See ya tomorrow, Gangs." He turned to walk away, only for the sound of the door opening to stop him in his tracks. He turned back and saw Gangle standing in the doorway, a small smile on her face despite her tragedy mask. She held the drawing he had returned tightly against her chest.

"You didn't call me a single mean nickname that entire time." She said softly, a light blush on her face.

Jax chuckled as he scratched the back of his neck, his own face heating up slightly. "Would have made the whole thing less sincere, I feel." He mumbled.

"...Do you really think being near me would work?" She asked, looking at him curiously.

"It's the only option I have left." He replied, looking at her with tired eyes.

She leaned out and looked up and down the hall nervously, sighing in relief at finding no one else. "Hurry up before someone sees you." She said, ushering him inside. "I can assure you this is more embarrassing for me than it is for you."

Jax quickly made his way into her room, the door closing behind him as he took in the decor. The walls were painted a deep red that matched the color of her ribbons, with dozens of drawings pinned all over them. Her desk was covered in paper and art supplies, a few half finished doodles peaking out from beneath the mess. A variety of plushies and figurines sat on shelves nailed to the walls, none of them recognizable to Jax except for a group of plushies that were of everyone in the circus. Her bed was neatly made, with a white comforter resting atop pink sheets. "It's very... you." Jax said with a teasing grin.

"I can still kick you out, you know." Gangle replied, a half-hearted smirk on her face as she walked towards her bed.

"Wow, I didn't know you had jokes." Jax shot back, making Gangle roll her eyes.

"Just get into bed." She said, taking a seat on the left side. "It's the middle of the night."

Jax's smile fell as he looked at her awkwardly. "...Are you sure?" He asked, "I figured I'd just sleep on the floor."

Gangle's face heated up as she held up her hands defensively. "N-No, that's not what I meant!" She stuttered out, "I just meant you can take the bed and I'll sleep on the floor! I was just sitting here for a second! It's not like I, uh..." She trailed off as she stared down at her hands. The two of them fell silent, averting their gaze from each other as Jax climbed into bed and Gangle laid on the floor nearby. Jax pulled the blanket over himself and stared up at the ceiling, letting himself sink into the mattress as he prepared for sleep to claim him.

At least, that's what he thought was going to happen. What he wasn't prepared for was for his insomnia to persist even here. He stared up at the ceiling in disbelief, a wave of anger flowing through him at the thought of having done all of that apologizing for nothing.

"Jax?" Gangle asked, sitting up and peaking over the edge of the bed.

"What's up, Ribbons?" he asked back, a clear disappointment in his voice.

"O-oh." Gangle said in surprise, "I didn't think you'd still be awake. I, uh, can't sleep."

"Neither can I." He said as he sat up, throwing his legs over the side. "I'm sorry about... all of this. I'm just gonna leave." He stood up to leave, only for one of Gangle's ribbons to wrap around his wrist.

"W-wait!" She called out, a nervous look on her face.

"What?" Jax asked, looking at her confused. "I tried to sleep with you nearby and it didn't work. Must have been something else with that stupid train."

She averted her gaze nervously. "Well..." She started, her voice quiet, "on the train, uh..." She trailed off.

Jax sighed as he pulled his arm forward, dragging her onto the bed. "Just spit it out, Gangle. I have my room's ceiling to stare at while I don't sleep."

"On the train we were... a lot closer" She stuttered out, her face bright red. Jax stared at her in disbelief, a blush creeping up his face as her words sunk in. "...It might make a difference." She added quietly. Jax stayed silent, thinking long and hard about what she said. Part of him was freaked out at the idea, the mere thought of having to be so intimate with someone completely alien to him. However, a different part of him was curious if she was right. If he really wanted to sleep again, surely this was a small price to pay, right? So why did the thought of it make his chest tighten?

After a few seconds, he looked towards Gangle. "This never leaves this room." He stated, earning a nod from his temporary roommate. "I'm serious. I won't speak of word of this if you don't, alright?"

"...deal." She said, slowly adjusting herself to lay comfortably on the bed, quickly climbing beneath the covers. Jax soon followed suit, the two of them staring at each other for a minute before slowly inching closer.

"How do we..." Jax mumbled, looking at her nervously.

"Just put your arm..." She started, grabbing his wrist and guiding his arm to rest over her waist, "right here. And I'll put my hands..." -She wrapped a ribbon around his torso and pulled him against her body, her other hand sliding up and resting near his head- "there." She looked at him with an awkward smile. "...Is that ok?" He nodded silently as slowly relaxed into her hold, an immediate wave of fatigue washing over him. He yawned as his eyes fell closed, a warm feeling spreading throughout his body as he subconsciously slipped one of her ribbons between his fingers. He felt her hand gently wrap around one of his ears, caressing it softly.

"I can't believe... this is working." He mumbled through a yawn, nuzzling deeper into the pillow he laid on.

"Me either." Gangle said, her voice soft as she fought to stay awake just a bit longer.

Eventually they both drifted off to sleep, neither of them letting the other go.

Chapter Text

Jax yawned as he nuzzled deeper into the covers, slowly opening his eyes and letting them adjust to the light. His eyes widened in surprise as he looked at Gangle's sleeping form, her head buried into his chest as his hands were intertwined in her ribbons. Suddenly, the events of last night came flooding back. His apology, the two of them making up, awkwardly cuddling up together. He ignored the way his chest tightened at that last thought, closing his eyes once more and pulling Gangle closer against his body. She hummed contently as her arms tightened around him, the soft material slowly gliding across his fur as a smile spread across his face.

"Gangle, you up?" Pomni's voice called from outside, knocking on the door. "You didn't show up at the living room today and Ragatha was worried you were still upset." Gangle and Jax sat upright in a panic, looking at each other silently as they scrambled out of bed. Jax's leg became tangled in the sheets as he tried to hop out of bed, sending him tumbling to the floor with a yelp. "What was that?" Pomni asked, jiggling the doorknob in an attempt to get in the room. "You ok in there?" In a moment of panic, Gangle leaped forward and wrapped a ribbon around Jax's head, pulling it tight to silence the rabbit.

"Y-yeah, I'm alright!" Gangle yelled back nervously, glancing down at Jax as he shot her a glare. "Just, uh... knocked some stuff off my desk!"

"Oh." Pomni said, a slight confusion in her voice "That sounded like a lot. Do you need some help cleani-"

"NO!" Gangle interrupted, making the jester fall silent. "S-sorry. I'm just a bit... rattled from a dream is all. I'll be out soon." Gangle stared at the door anxiously, silently hoping her lie was convincing enough.

"Well... if you say so." Pomni said, a clear uncertainty in her voice. "Caine hasn't shown up yet, but I'm not really sure how long that gives you." Her footsteps began to fade down the hall, eventually vanishing completely as Gangle let out a sigh of relief.

"That was too close." She said glancing down at Jax, who wrestled with the ribbon over his mouth. "O-Oh, sorry." She said quickly, releasing him from her grasp.

"Next time, I'll just stay quiet." He said, shooting a glare at the ribbon woman as he picked himself up, dusting off his overalls. A shimmer of light caught his eye, turning towards Gangle's desk and finding a newly repaired comedy mask sitting atop it. He picked it up and looked it over curiously. "Huh, so it just shows up?" He glanced towards Gangle, "I always thought you had to rebuild them."

"P-please don't break it." Gangle said sadly, looking at the mask in the rabbit's hands.

"I have never done that even once." He smirked, tossing the fragile item back and forth between his hands. Gangle's eyes widened in a panic as she squeaked in fear, her gaze locked on the mask as it precariously bounced between the rabbit's hands.

"Jax, please!" She pleaded, her hands gripping the sides of her tragedy mask anxiously. He laughed as he stopped passing the mask back and forth, looking at the nervous pile of ribbons. Usually this was the point where he'd break it and watch her start crying like usual, but something inside him made him stop. He found himself unable to look away from her, taking in every small detail he could see. The small chips in the paint that made up her features, the way the artificial light bounced off the porcelain, the small signs of wear in her ribbons at spots that were used most often. In fact, in this light, he swore she almost looked...

pretty?

He shook the thoughts from his mind, refocusing on the panicked expression on her face. "Alright, alright." He said, hoping his face didn't give away the thoughts in his mind. He held the mask out to her, a relaxed smile on his face. "I guess I owe ya one." Gangle looked at him suspiciously, hesitantly reaching towards the mask he offered her. Her hands made contact with the smooth material, gripping it tight as she pulled it away from the rabbit. She looked down at it in shock, glancing between the smiling mask and the tall bunny.

"You... didn't break it?" She asked, an incredulous look on her face.

"You sound surprised." He said as she slipped it on, her mood immediately brightening. "Like I said, I owed you one." He was caught off guard by Gangle's ribbons wrapping around him in a hug, her smiling face looking up at him.

"Oh, thank you, thank you!" She said cheerfully as she released him.

Jax rolled his eyes as he made his way to the door, ignoring the odd tightening in his chest that appeared once more. "Yeah, yeah, I'm amazing." He said. "You're just lucky you're more fun to tease around the others." He joked, earning a giggle from the newly cheerful character that made him look at her in confusion.

Gangle's eyes widened as she locked eyes with him, a slight blush dusting her white cheeks. "Sorry." She said with a sheepish smile, "Something about that one just tickled me." She slid past him and opened the door, quickly making her way down the hall towards the main area. Jax watched as she walked away, his smile returning a bit larger at having made her laugh.

His smile fell as he shook the thoughts from his head again. "What the hell are you thinking, man?" He asked aloud, pulling Gangle's door closed behind him before ambling down the hall. "Being nice? Not breaking her mask? Thinking she's anything but annoying?!" He pulled at his ears in frustration. "You're losing your edge, Jax. That loss of sleep really messed you up." He entered into the main room, spotting everyone relaxing in the furnished area. He locked eyes with Gangle who waved at him with a smile, making him relax as he smiled back. "Ok, maybe she isn't that bad." He mumbled as he walked over, hopping over the back of the couch to take a seat.

"Where have you been?" Ragatha asked, "You've been the first one up the past few days, but all of a sudden you're the last one to arrive?"

"Who cares." Zooble said with an eye roll, "Probably trying to find a way out of the adventure again."

"Wow, I can't believe you'd accuse me of such a thing." He said with mock sadness, "I thought we were friends, Zoobie."

"Don't ever call me that again." She glared.

"If you must know." Jax continued, ignoring the daggers that Zooble glared at him, "I was simply relocating a few... friends." He looked at Ragatha with a wide grin, making the doll's face drop in horror.

"Jax, why are you... No, no way. Did you put centipedes in my room again?" She said, a mixture of anger and fear in her voice.

"Maybe I did, maybe I didn't." He teased, leaning back on the couch causally, "Guess you'll just have to find out when you go to bed."

"You're joking right?" She asked hopefully, "You have to be. You... you aren't joking, are you?" Jax's smile only grew, making Ragatha grown as she put her head in her hands.

"Hello, my Freakish Friends!" Caine yelled, seeming to have appeared out of nowhere.

"How long have you been here?" Pomni asked suspiciously.

"The whole time!" He said happily. "But that's not important! It's time for today's adventure!"

"Can't we have a day off?" Zooble asked.

"For once, I agree with Picasso." Jax said, only for one of Zooble's arms to fly across the room and smack into his face, sending him tumbling backwards over the couch.

"No can do, you two!" Caine replied, earning a groan from the pair as Zooble reattached their arm and Jax climbed to his feet. "After receiving a few complaints about the way an unnamed rabbit treated an unnamed Gangle, I decided you all needed a team building adventure more than ever!"

"Gee, I wonder who you could possibly be referring to." Jax said with an eye roll.

"I know! I made sure to keep it as vague as possible!" Caine said proudly, the obvious sarcasm going unnoticed, "Anyway, today you are going to a fall festival!"

"Isn't it the middle of summer?" Gangle asked.

"There will be lots of activities!" He continued, the question going unanswered, "Bobbing for apples! Pumpkin carving! A hayride! Even a corn maze!"

"Huh, that doesn't sound too bad, actually." Pomni said with a small smile.

"Are you sure this is a good idea, Caine?" Ragatha asked, "Maybe we shouldn't have a corn maze on an adventure." She glanced towards the rabbit, who's eyes had grown wide in panic.

"Oh, don't worry about that!" Caine said dismissively, "It's entirely optional!"

"Still," Ragatha continued, "I still think-"

"Whoops, would you look at the time!" Caine said, glancing down at his wrist as if he wore a watch, "We're late! Time to go everyone!" Caine snapped his fingers, making the floor drop out from under everyone. Their screams echoed through the pitfall, only stopping when they landed in a massive pile of leaves.

One by one, they all stumbled out of the leaf pile. "Someone should talk to him about these entrances." Ragatha said as she pulled leaves out of her hair.

"I found it quite exhilarating, actually." Kinger said, lifting the back of his robe up, letting a seemingly impossible number of leaves pour out. Pomni fell to her knees as she began to cough, a clump of leaves coming out much to the jester's disgust.

Jax rubbed his hands together nervously as he glanced around, his eyes darting towards everything he could see. "You ok, Jax?" Gangle asked, making the rabbit jump and his fur stand on end.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm all good." He said with a forced smile, a slight shakiness in his voice. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Gangle placed a comforting ribbon on his arm. "It'll be ok. I promise." She said with a small smile.

"Hey, Gangle." Pomni called over. "Wanna come carve pumpkins with me and Kinger?"

"Be right there!" She said, skipping away happily and leaving Jax alone.

"Yeah... I'll be fine." He mumbled to himself, glancing around suspiciously. He spotted the entrance to the corn maze in the distance, making him freeze as flashes of memories entered his mind. A farm, screaming, darkness. He shivers as the memories fade, quickly making his way towards the group.

Surprisingly, the adventure wasn't going too badly. Ragatha managed to win the apple bobbing contest against one of the npcs, Kinger was incredibly happy with the jack-o-lantern he made, and Zooble even managed to score a bullseye at the axe throwing booth, even if they had to stop themselves from throwing it at Jax. Currently, they were all on the hayride, the hooded driver directing the horses down a relaxing path as the group lounged in the back.

"I never thought I'd say this," Pomni began, leaning forward with her hands on her knees, "but Caine actually came up with a pretty good adventure today."

"I'm surprised too." Zooble said, laying down on a square hay bale.

"It's been quite a few years since the last team building adventure." Kinger added, staring up at the setting sun. "My, these graphics are stunning."

Jax sat rigidly near the back of the cart, his leg bouncing nervously. "I'm just hoping it ends soon." He mumbled, staring down at his hands. The only one who seemed to hear him was Gangle, who looked at him with concern.

Turning towards the driver, she tapped them on the shoulder. "Uh, maybe we could head back soon." She said with a forced yawn, "I'm feeling a bit tired." The driver threw it's hood off, revealing Caine with a large smile.

"Why didn't you say so sooner, Gangle?" He asked with animated flair, snapping the reins and turning the horses to charge into the corn maze. "We'll get back much faster this way!" The cart began to shake violently as it was dragged over the rough terrain, a chorus of complaining being directed towards Caine. "Don't worry, we're almost there! Oh, watch out for the bump!" Immediately after the warning, a large bump rocked the cart, sending Jax tumbling out the back of the cart and being left stranded in the middle of the maze.

"W-wait!" He yelled after the cart, beginning to chase after it in vain. He panted from a mix of exertion and panic as he quickly grew lost in the maze, whipping his head around wildly for any sign of where to go. He broke out into a sweat as he stumbled backward, breathing heavy as he stared up at the stalks of corn. They towered over him, seeming to grow larger as his panic grew worse. Tears welled in his eyes as he grasped his ears and pulled them down against his head, trying in vain to silence the ringing that grew louder and louder. "Nononononono." He whispered to himself repeatedly, feeling like his throat started to close. More snippets of memories began to crop up in his mind.

The sound of a slamming barn door echoed in his head, making him bury his head into his knees as he let out a muffled sob. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry." He mumbled, apologizing to a shadowy memory in his mind. He remembered someone raising their hand to strike him, making him flinch as the sound of angry voices rang through his mind. Another sob escaped him as he remembered running off into a corn field, the angry voices chasing after him. His stomach twisted in knots as his body began to shake, panic coursing through every inch of his body.

"Jax!" A voice called out, only making him curl in on himself more. "Jax, where are you?!" The sound of someone pushing their way through the corn grew closer, every creak and snap making another wave of fear shoot through his body. "There you are." The voice said as the noises came to a stop.

Gangle placed her hand on his shoulder, making the rabbit flinch away as he refused to look at her. "Come on, Jax." She said, pulling a smile on her face. "We can get out of here in no time!" Jax only shook his head as he continued to cry, his arms still firmly wrapped around his legs. "Come on, Jaxxy Boy." She said in an attempt to lighten the mood. Gangle's smile fell as she looked at him huddled on the ground, her happy demeanor doing nothing to pull Jax out of his panic attack. Her mind raced as she tried to think of what to do, her eyes widening as a light bulb went off in her head. Without another word, she pulled off the comedy mask she had tried so hard to keep in tact. Raising it above her head, she threw it to the ground, making it shatter and snapping Jax out of his panic induced memories. "J-Jax, please." She said with a sniffle, tears falling from her eyes. "I need you to listen to me."

Jax wiped the tears from his eyes as he focused on Gangle's face, her white tragedy mask cutting through his blurry vision. "...Gangle?" He asked softly, his voice cracking and hoarse.

"Yeah," She said, sitting down in front of him, "I'm here." She placed a ribbon hand on his knee, feeling him tense beneath her touch before slowly relaxing and taking her hand in his. The pair sat in silence as Jax slowly calmed down, his tears drying up and his breathing returning to normal. The sound of crickets chirped around them as night settled upon the land, the full moon casting a dim light across everything. "You feeling better?" Gangle asked softly, meeting Jax's eyes as he glanced up from his knees.

Without warning, Jax leaned over and pulled Gangle into a hug, making the woman gasp as her eyes widened in shock. "Thank you." He whispered, pulling away from her as he stood up and dusted off his clothes. "Now, how do we leave." He said, a weaker mischievous nature than normal being present as he forced a smile.

"It's not too far." She replied, taking his hand in hers as she began to lead the frightened man out of the maze, both of them trying to ignore the flutter they each felt in their chests. Once the exit was in sight, Gangle released his hand and put a bit of distance between them as the rest of the cast was waiting outside nervously. "H-hey, guys." She said with an awkward wave as the pair exited he maze, a sigh of relief coming from Ragatha.

"Oh, thank goodness you two are ok!" Caine cheered, zipping over and wrapping an arm around each of their shoulders.

"After you fell out of the cart, Gangle said she was going to go find you." Pomni explained to the rabbit, "It was taking so long we were worried she had gotten lost or something."

"I'm surprised she found me too." Jax said in his usual teasing tone, trying his best to bury his still rattled feelings. "Guess she isn't so useless after all."

"What is wrong with you?!" Zooble yelled, glaring at Jax as they stomped towards him, making the rabbit's smile fall. "She went out of her way to help you and you still act like an @$#hole?!"

"Zooble, i-it's ok." Gangle said, holding her hands up defensively.

"Can't you be nice to someone for once in your life?" They continued, ignoring Gangle's protests, "And did you break her mask too?! What the hell is wrong with you!"

"Zooble," Gangle said nervously, though a slight anger was evident as well, "now isn't the time for this. Let's just go back to the circus."

"Honestly, we should have left you in there." Zooble said, still ignoring her as they continued to lay into Jax, who simply stood there with a blank expression. "What good have you done anyone, anyway? All you are is a jerk who-"

"ZOOBLE, STOP!" Gangle yelled, making the abstract character fall silent as everyone looked at the angry woman in shock. Gangle's anger quickly subsided as she looked at everyone nervously. "S-sorry," She said quickly, looking at Zooble apologetically, "But Jax didn't do anything. I tripped and broke my mask while looking." Zooble stared at her in disbelief, glancing at the just as surprised rabbit before letting out an annoyed huff.

"Fine." They said as they turned away, walking away as they muttered something.

"Look, it's been a long day." Kinger said, snapping out of his surprised daze as he clasped his hands together in a rare moment of lucidness. "How about we all head back and relax. I'm sure we could all do with getting out of this place."

"Excellent idea, Kinger!" Caine cheered, seemingly unfazed by the events that had just transpired. With a wave of his cane, a portal back to the circus appeared, with everyone stepping through and being back in familiar surroundings. "Now then, I have some important work to attend to! Please behave yourselves, or I'll have to start instituting punishments again!" With a snap, the ring leader vanished.

"I'm going to bed." Jax said, forcing his smile back on. "As much as I'd love to tell you all about the daring adventure Ribbons and I had, I think it's more fun if it remains a mystery." Before anyone could ask any questions, Jax sauntered off down the hall, only letting his smile drop once he was sure he was out of sight.

"I-I think I'm gonna head to my room too." Gangle said with an apologetic smile. "I have some stuff I wanna finish drawing." She quickly began to leave, pausing as they passed Zooble. "...I'm sorry for snapping at you." She mumbled, earning a sigh from her friend.

"It's fine, Gangle." They said, rubbing the back of their triangular head awkwardly. "At least you're finally standing up to people more. I just figured it would have been to Jax." The two shared a brief laugh before Gangle walked off down the hall way, with Zooble looking at her suspiciously as she left.

Jax stopped at his door as he fished a key out of his pocket, popping it into the lock and turning it until the mechanism clicked. He opened his door and took a step inside, only for a ribbon to grab his wrist. "Hey, uh..." Gangle began, "Are you ok?"

Jax, looked down the hall, making sure no one was nearby. "Yeah, I'll manage." He said, his voice still a bit hoarse. "But... thanks."

"O-oh, no need to thank me." She said with an awkward laugh, "I was just helping out a..." She paused as she looked at him uncertainly, a glancing between his face and the floor nervously.

"A friend?" He finished with a chuckle, making Gangle shrink in on herself as she prepared for another tirade. He felt that weird feeling his chest return as he looked at her, quickly averting his gaze and clearing his throat. "Well... you're not the worst friend I could have." He mumbled, a light blush on his cheeks. He glanced back towards Gangle, finding her looking up at him with a small smile. He quickly pulled his arm out of his grasp as he turned back towards his room. "Whatever, just don't think this means I'll stop picking on you."

He walked into his room and went to shut the door, being surprised when Gangle followed him inside and closed it for him. She looked at him nervously as she tapped her hands together. "Uh, I guess I should have asked first." She stuttered out, "I just thought, since we both slept so well last night that, um, maybe we could... do it again?"

"Wow, one night and you're obsessed with me." He grinned, though he couldn't lie and say he wasn't happy to be able to do it again. "I know I'm the pinnacle of masculinity, but you have to leave some of me for the other ladies, Gangs." Gangle rolled her eyes at his teasing, strangely finding it more endearing this time around. Usually this kind of thing annoyed and depressed her, but she couldn't help but smile at his childish behavior.

"Do you want to or not?" She asked, feeling the odd flutter in her chest once more.

"If you insist." He said with a shrug, though it was clear he was happy to accept the offer anyway.

Gangle looked past the rabbit towards his bed, a look of confusion crossing her face. "...Do you really only have the single blanket and pillow?" She asked, earning a shrug from her companion.

"What, it's all I've ever needed." He replied with a shrug.

"I'll be right back." Gangle said with a sigh, leaving Jax's room and heading across the hall into her own.

Jax chuckled as he hopped into his bed, resting his arms behind his head as he stared up at the ceiling. For the first time in weeks, he had a whole day where he didn't feel tired. Sure, the corn maze may have put a damper on his mood pretty quickly, but at least he wasn't exhausted and scared out of his wits. As he stared off into space, Gangle returned with a large blanket, a pillow, and her sketchbook. She climbed into bed next to him and made herself comfortable, before flipping open the book and beginning to doodle. "You better not get any pencil shavings in my bed." Jax said, adjusting his position to lean against the wall as he peered over Gangle's shoulder to see what she was drawing.

"Oh, because your room is so spotless." She shot back, gesturing to the various pieces of clutter spread around the small area.

"Wow, and here I thought I was the bully." Jax said, a casual grin on his face. Gangle chuckled softly as she continued to draw, the large anime eyes on the figure being surprisingly finished compared to the rest of the rough sketch. "Whatcha drawing, anyway?" He asked, making Gangle glance at him surprised.

"You never cared about my art before." She said puzzled.

"And you never stood up for me before." He said, leaning in to get a better look at the drawing. "So I guess today is just full of surprises."

"Well," Gangle started, looking at him nervously, "it's a character from a manga I've been making in my spare time."

"Really?" Jax asked with a small laugh, making Gangle's expression deflate.

"Y-yeah..." She said sadly, "I know it's stupid and all, but-"

"No, no." Jax said quickly, "I think it's kinda cool, actually." She perked up at hearing his words, making him laugh. "Sure, I may not understand all of this weeb nonsense, but it's still pretty interesting that you're writing your own story. What's it about?"

Gangle's eyes widened in excitement at the question. "You want to know about my manga?!" She asked happily.

"Sure." He said with a shrug, "It's be a good way to bore me to sleep." Ignoring his last comment, Gangle quickly flipped through the sketch book, stopping on a page filled to the brim with bullet points, crossed out ideas, and different character arcs and story beats. She immediately dove into an explanation of the plot, going over every character's motivation and backstory as she went. Jax watched her info dump with a smile, not really understanding what an "isekai" was or what "gyaru" meant, but trying his best to follow along regardless. "Man, she's such a dork." Jax thought to himself as she dove into yet another character backstory.

"I can't believe he's actually listening?!" Gangle thought as she rambled on, "I never get to talk to people about this stuff!" The two smiled at each other as she began to show off a few drawings over her characters, unknowingly scooting closer together.

"Maybe they aren't so bad after all." The pair thought.

Chapter Text

Gangle let out a sleepy groan as she nuzzled into Jax's chest, trying to block out the circus' lights and squeeze out a bit more sleep. The pair had fallen asleep while talking about... something. Gangle couldn't exactly remember what, having talked about everything from things they wished the circus had, some of the things they remembered from their real lives, and even what their ideal adventure would be. Whatever the case, it didn't matter. What mattered was she didn't want to get up yet, regardless of the circumstances.

Unfortunately, it seemed like the circus had other plans.

"Get up, you lazy $#% rabbit." Zooble's voice called from the other side of the door, banging on it with a fist. The sound shook both Gangle and Jax from their comfort, much to the latter's annoyance.

"I'm not here right now." He yelled back, rolling over so his back was towards the door. He draped an arm over Gangle, pulling her closer and making her squeak in surprise.

"Just get up before Caine comes by and drags you out of your room himself." They said, the eye roll audible in their voice as they walked away.

With a groan, he sat up, dragging Gangle up with him. "Stupid Caine." He mumbled, releasing the ribbon woman as he slid off his bed and onto his feet. Gangle sat in the bed, watching Jax as he stretched and yawned. Her gaze trailed over his figure, subconsciously drinking in every detail. She watched him stretch his arms above his head, her gaze slipping downwards to stare at his fuzzy chest. She looked over his lean body, her eyes lingering as he arched his back in a stretch. She looked back towards his face, finding his trademark smile plastered on it. The way the light illuminated him, exposing the slight unkempt nature of his fur, Gangle could swear he looked...

handsome?

"Hey, Ribbons, take a picture." The rabbit said, snapping her out of her trance, "It'll last longer."

"O-oh, sorry!" She stuttered out, her face growing red.

He laughed as she looked away sheepishly. "Aw man, relax Crybaby. I'm just teasing ya." To Gangle's surprise, she felt a smile creep up her face at the sound of the familiar nickname. Something about the teasing felt... nice. "Anyway, we should probably get ready." His voice snapped her out of her thoughts once again, quickly hopping to her feet.

"Right." She said, "I should go get my comedy mask." She made her way out of Jax's room and into the hall, thankful that the others weren't there to question why she was in the rabbit's room. She walked over to her room, opening the door and quickly snatching her mask from the desk, slipping it on and feeling her mood shift immediately. Closing the door, she found Jax locking his door as he began to head towards the main area. "Jaxxy boy, I have a question." She said in a sing song tone.

"Don't ever call me that again." He said, thought his tone didn't sound genuine.

"You wanna walk together?" She asked, ignoring his comment as she took stride next to him.

"Really?" He chuckled, resting his hands on his hips as he stopped and gave her a bemused look, "You want to walk around with the big bully of the circus?" The masked character nodded happily, a cat-like smile on her face. He rolled his eyes as another laugh escaped him. "Alright, but I won't hesitate to break your mask if people start asking questions."

"I'm willing to take that risk." Gangle replied as they resumed walking. "Wouldn't want me to tarnish your reputation, after all."

Jax's smile grew as he looked at his friend with a mix of confusion and respect. "Since when did you get this sassy?"

She shot him a smirk "I learned from the best." She winked as she walked ahead of him, putting enough distance between the two of them that it wouldn't look suspicious. Walking out into the main area, she waved towards her friends as she took a seat, glancing at the hallway as Jax sauntered in a few seconds later.

"About time." Zooble mumbled, cracking open a can of soda.

"Good morning to you too." He smiled, flipping them a censored middle finger.

"Oh come on Jax." Ragatha said as she shot him a disappointed look from the couch, her grip on the small plate and teacup in her hands tightening ever so slightly. "We've been waiting on you and Gangle all morning."

"Then Zooble can be all snarky to her, too." He said in annoyance.

"Gangle isn't the one who oversleeps." She rolled an eye. Without a word, Jax approached the rag doll and snatched the teacup out of her hand, before dumping the contents all over her head. The doll gasped and sputtered as the warm tea drenched her, seeping into her hair and clothes.

"Whoops." He said, his grin growing larger, "Guess I was so tired I missed the floor." He gently set the cup back on the plate as he walked away, taking a seat in an open chair.

"Jax!" She yelled, looking at him with fury. Pomni was desperately looking for something to dry the doll with, Zooble simply glared daggers at him, Kinger was sipping from his own teacup as if nothing had happened, and Gangle simply watched the scene unfold in front of her, stifling a laugh. Ragatha began to lecture the purple rabbit, growing more upset as he held up his hand in a "blah blah" gesture.

Before the argument could grow any worse, Caine appeared before the group. "Good morning, you silly billies!" He cheered, before he saw Ragatha and physically recoiled. "My goodness Ragatha, you really should try to be more clean!"

Ragatha looked at the ringleader on bewilderment. "But it was-"

"Not my problem!" He interrupted, snapping his fingers and drying the doll instantly, though the scent of tea still remained. "Now then, today's adventure!"

Pomni fiddled with one of the balls on her outfit as she looked up at Caine hesitantly. "Uh, maybe we could have the day off today? The last few adventures have been pretty rough for... some of us." She snuck a glance towards Jax, being met with a roll of his eyes.

"Nonsense, Pomni!" He took off his hat and a pulled a piece of paper from it, holding it up for everyone to see, but not seeming to realize he was too far away for the small text to be legible. "As you can see here, I have strict rules to not let a day go by without an adventure, unless there is a horrible, catastrophic event going on!"

"What counts as a catastrophic event?" Gangle asked.

"Oh you know, the usual stuff. Abstraction, tornadoes, hurricanes, Bubble getting off his leash, malware." He explained casually, despite the subject matter. He tossed his hat back on and threw the paper into his mouth, making it disappear into nothingness. "Speaking of incredibly horrible things, today's adventure was RUINED by Bubble!"

As if on cue, the little character popped out of Caine's hat, nearly making it fall off the ringleader's head. "I'm a liability." He said cheerfully.

Caine glared daggers at his little companion, before taking a deep breath as he recomposed himself. "Yes, unfortunately the adventure to save Bubble from the top of the highest tower has been ruined by the destruction of the tower."

"Oh no, guess that counts as a catastrophic event." Jax said as he went to stand up, only for a rope to appear from the chair and pull him back into it.

"Don't worry, Jax, I salvaged what I could and came up with a brand new adventure!" Caine cheered, much to everyone's muffled disappointment. "Instead of a tower, it will be a small shack, and instead of Bubble, it will be one of you!" He pointed down at the group with exaggerated flair.

"So, who's the damsel in distress." Zooble said with an eye roll

Caine laughed loudly, wiping a tear from his eye. "Oh Zooble, I wouldn't be so blasé as to make a female presenting person be our person in distress! Unfortunately, that does mean we have to chose between our two princes!" With a snap of his fingers, Jax and Kinger were poofed into the center of the room, with the former's eyes going wide in shock and the latter still holding his teacup in his hand.

"You can't be serious." Jax groaned towards the floating man.

"What are we doing?" Kinger asked, looking around in a panic and dropping the, thankfully plastic, tea items.

"So, what do we think folks!?" Caine asked, gesturing towards the rest of the group, "Which of these fine fellows should be locked in a shack until you find a way to rescue them?"

"Jax." Pomni, Ragatha, and Zooble said in unison, much to the man's dismay.

Caine looked at the group in surprise, before clapping his hands and making a small wooden shack appear. "Well, seems like we don't even need everyone to vote!" The door to the shack swung open as a large cartoon hand grabbed Jax tightly.

"Whoa whoa, come on! We can talk about this!" The rabbit cried, struggling in vain to escape.

"Sorry Jax, but the masses have spoken!" Caine said as he was thrown into the shack, with the door slamming behind him. "The neat thing is that he can hear us, but we can't hear him! So there's no way he can give any hints!"

"Uh, how long do we have to get him out?" Pomni asked.

"Oh, I'd say... as long as you need!" The ringleader cheered. "I've hidden various clues around the circus that will eventually lead you to the key!" -He snapped his fingers and a small scrap of paper fluttered to the ground- "And that's your first clue! Anything you want to say before the adventure begins, Bubble?"

"Whoever finds the key first gets a big kiss from me!" He said with a sharp-toothed grin.

Caine groaned as he pinched the space between his eyes. "You make it so hard to include you." The pair vanished soon after, leaving the players, minus one smart mouthed rabbit, alone once more.

As soon as Caine was gone, Zooble turned and began to head back toward their room. "Welp, I'm out." They said, throwing up a peace sign as they walked away.

"Don't you think we should help Jax?" Gangle asked, glancing toward the shack nervously.

"Why should we?" Ragatha asked, looking down at her dress in annoyance as she began to follow Zooble. "He wouldn't help us if the roles were reversed."

Despite her comedy mask, Gangle felt a slight annoyance bubble inside her. "Sure, he's annoying sometimes, but it's a bit cruel to leave him locked in that shack for who knows how long, isn't it?" She glanced towards Pomni, who looked at the ground sheepishly.

"...He doesn't exactly deserve our help right away." The jester mumbled, quickly following after her rag doll friend.

"I'm going to make more tea if you want to join us." Ragatha said, offering a hand out to the ribbon woman.

"...I'll be fine." Gangle muttered, turning away from her with a slight huff.

"Don't worry, Gangle, I'll help you." Kinger said cheerfully. Gangle opened her mouth to respond, only for the chess piece to start to wander off in a random direction, seeming to have forgotten about the clue.

"Alright... guess I'm on my own." She mumbled, an annoyed expression on her face despite the still intact comedy mask. Usually she'd be all for letting Jax suffer a bit before begrudgingly helping him, but after getting to know him more, she found herself feeling bad for the mischievous guy. Sure, he could be annoying, and a jerk, and upsetting, and a million other things, but he was still their friend.

Well he was her friend, at least. And friends are supposed to support each other, even if they were annoying.

She plucked the scrap of paper off the ground and looked it over. It featured a crudely drawn picture of a fridge, no doubt referring to the one in the kitchen that rarely anyone used. Glancing back towards the hallway to see if anyone changed their minds, Gangle let out a sigh as she began her solo mission to free Jax. "He's right." She mumbled to herself, "They really can be annoying."

So, she marched all over the circus, finding clue after clue and growing more and more irritated with each one. It was fun at first, sure, but once she found herself in the same areas multiple times, often checking the same places, she was ready for it to be over. She had passed by Kinger a couple of times, who seemed more than happy to tag along for a bit, until Pomni came by and asked if he wanted to join them for a movie, which the older man happily accepted. It must have been hours of following poorly drawn visual clues until Gangle finally found the key, which was taped beneath a chair in the dining area.

"Finally." She sighed in relief, trudging back to the main area. Even with her happy mask, Gangle found herself miserable. Not in a sad way, but in an irritated sense at having to do all of this alone. She couldn't blame any of the others for not helping. After all, she knew first hand just how miserable Jax could make someone. Yet, she still found it annoying that none of them even bothered to try and search for the stupid key. If they just gave him a chance, they'd see Jax wasn't really so bad if you got to know him. Even if not for him, the least they could have done was helped her look so she wasn't forced to be alone. She felt a knot form in her chest, like she was about to cry, only for the feeling to linger as no tears fell.

Gangle approached the wooden cabin and unlocked the door, pushing it open to find the rabbit sitting in the dark as he stared at a wall. He glanced towards the door, his eyes widening in shock as Gangle walked in, a smile climbing his face. "Wow, I was beginning to think you all left me in here to rot." He chuckled, but there was a slight hint of worry in his tone. Without a word, Gangle approached the rabbit and grabbed his wrist, forcing his fist up and into her face and shattering her comedy mask. Her annoyed expression remained the same, only with the addition of tears from her tragedy mask. Jax stared at her perplexed, glancing down at the porcelain shards on the floor.

"It's been a long day." The woman said, a slight waiver in her voice despite the clear anger she spoke with. She turned and began to leave the shack, dragging Jax by the arm as he stumbled to his feet to follow behind.

"Wow Ribbons, I didn't know you had more than two emotions." He teased, wrestling his arm out of her grasp as he locked pace with her. "So, what finally made you snap, huh? Did you spill something on all your drawings? Did Pomni not want to hang out with you? Did Kinger talk about his bugs again?"

Gangle quickly turned and shoved the rabbit backward, knocking a breath out of him as he stumbled to retain his balance. "Can you just... not?" She asked, her voice weak and holding an air of defeat. Jax's grin fell as she sniffled, wiping away a tear. "It's just... been a really long day."

He felt his chest tighten again, a strange sorrow washing through him as he watched Gangle cry. He wasn't used to her being this upset if he wasn't responsible for it. His ears fell as he walked up to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. With a choked sob, Gangle leaned her face into him as she began to cry, the stress and annoyance of the day finally starting to fade as she let her emotions out. She mumbled out a few apologies, her voice muffled by his overalls as he just stood there, gently patting her back. After awhile, Gangle's tears slowed as she pulled away from Jax, sniffling as she looked up at him with a small, thankful smile.

"You've been smiling without your mask a lot more." The rabbit said, his own smile stretching across his face.

Gangle laughed weakly as she wiped her eyes. "I guess I haven't been feeling as sad lately."

"I'm glad." He replied as he continued on the way back to their rooms, "It looks more... genuine this way."

Chapter Text

Jax sat up in Gangle's bed and stretched, glancing down at the sleeping girl beside him. The pair had gone straight to bed after she rescued him from the locked shack, with neither of them particularly happy with how the adventure had gone. He reached down and brushed his thumb across Gangle's cheek, a soft smile on his face as her eyes fluttered open.

"Wakey wakey, Ribbons." He teased, feeling her wrap a hand around his wrist.

She mumbled sleepily as she gently pushed his hand away, burying her face into the bed. "Jaaax, you woke me up." She groaned, making the rabbit chuckle as he took her hand in his and pulled her into a sitting position.

"That was the point." He said to the still drowsy woman, "We're going to be the last ones up again if we don't get ready." He hopped out of bed and stretched once more, feeling Gangle's eyes on him like they were yesterday. "Again with the staring." He turned and shot a teasing look towards her. "I'm starting to think you just want me for my body."

Gangle rolled her eyes as slowly slid out of bed, ignoring the burning in her cheeks. "Oh, because you're the peak of masculinity?" She shot back, sticking her ribbon tongue out at him.

"Yes, I am." He smirked at her as she rolled her eyes once more, before the both of them headed out into the hallway. "What do you think the adventure will be?" Jax asked as they walked down the hall, glancing towards his companion. Gangle looked up at him, squinting in thought.

"It'll be a pirate treasure hunt." She said with a small laugh. "We'll have costumes and weapons and everything."

Jax smiled at the idea. "Interesting idea, but I'm sad to say you're wrong." He said, booping Gangle on the center of her mask, "Cause the adventure is gonna be a baseball game against the most interesting NPCs we know."

"Seems a little basic for what Caine has been up to lately." She replied, "These past few adventures have been pretty big in scale."

"Which means he's running out of ideas." The rabbit's grin grew wider as the pair entered into the main area, being met by the confused faces of the rest of the cast. "#@%!, we were last again?" He groaned as he walked over and lazily flopped onto the couch. Gangle followed behind him and took her seat next to him, only making everyone's faces grow more confused. Well, all except Kinger, who simply waved at the pair happily.

Gangle looked at everyone suspiciously. "What's wrong?" She asked nervously, looking behind herself in fear.

"So many things." Zooble said, "First of all, where's your comedy mask? Did Jax already break it?" They shot a glare towards the rabbit, who rolled his eyes in response. Bringing a hand to her face, Gangle felt around as her eyes widened in surprise. She hadn't put her comedy mask this morning, and she didn't even notice.

"Oh, I didn't even notice." She replied in surprise, "Must have left it in my room."

Pomni looked between her and Jax cautiously. "Are you...sure?" The jester asked.

"Wow, since when did you see Ribbons as a liar?" Jax asked mockingly, "If I was her, I'd be seriously offended by that, Jingles."

"Shut up, Jax." Zooble interjected, earning a censored middle finger from the lagomorph.

"Yes, I'm sure." Gangle said, an almost undetectable annoyance in her voice.

"Well, It's just..." Ragatha began, ringing her hands awkwardly, "You've been around Jax a lot lately, and given his track record-"

The appearance of Caine forced the conversation to a halt. "Hello, my high fructose snacks!"

"That one doesn't even make any sense." Jax said, "Did you finally run out of names to call us?"

"I have Bubble writing up a new list as we speak!" The ringleader explained, his excited tone ever present. "Now then, shall we get on with the day's adventure?"

"Like we have a choice." Zooble mumbled, slouching in their chair.

"Now then, it seems some of you didn't participate in yesterday's adventure!" He looked around at the group, shaking his head disapprovingly. "That simply will not do! These adventures are designed to keep you engaged and having fun! Skipping out on them means you aren't enjoying them! And that means I'm failing at my job." His voice grew quiet as he stared off into space, the space around him seeming to darken before he erupted into manic laughter. The scene left everyone staring at him with a mix of fear and confusion. "Anyway, for today's adventure, you'll be robbing a bank!"

"Didn't we do something like that before?" Pomni asked.

"Not in canon!" Caine replied excitedly, zooming down into Pomni's face, much to her discomfort.

"Isn't robbing a bank sort of... immoral?" Ragatha asked, only for Jax to leap towards her and clasp a hand over her mouth.

"Don't listen to her!" He said, his eyes wide with excitement, "I can guarantee all of us think this is the best adventure you've made yet!"

"Oh boy." Zooble groaned as they stood up, "You got the edgy kid excited."

He shot a glare at them. "We're the same age, Lost and Found."

"I'm six months older, Jack@%$" They shot back.

"Age doesn't matter when it comes to crime!" Caine interrupted, clapping his hands as a car materialized. "You'll drive to the bank, take them for all they're worth, and leave before the cops show up! You'll find everything you need in the trunk!" With a flash of light, the ringleader disappeared. Jax immediately hopped to his feet and opened the trunk of the car, his eyes practically shining as he looked down at the assortment of items inside.

"Ohohoh, this'll be fun." He said, pulling out a small handgun, "Who wants to be the get away driver?"

"I don't exactly feel comfortable using a weapon." Ragatha said as she quickly hopped into the drivers seat.

"Are we sure this is a good idea?" Pomni asked as she hopped into the backseat, "Maybe we could just pretend we did it." Jax shoved her over as he hopped in, with Kinger and Zooble following in as Gangle hopped into the passenger seat.

"Not a chance, Tiny." He replied, smiling manically, "This is the only time I'll be encouraged to shoot someone." Ragatha turned the key and the car roared to life as a tunnel archway emerged from the ground, revealing a cityscape on the other side. The engine roared as the car took off, driving through the arch way and being surrounded by the urban sprawl. The sound of cars honking and thousands of people surged around them as they drove, slowly pulling up to the bank and parking across the street.

"Who's ready to commit felony?" Jax asked the car, the excitement in his voice nearly suffocating.

"I, uh..." Gangle started, looking toward the bank nervously, "I'll stay in the car with Ragatha. I'll help be a lookout."

"Suit yourself, coward." Jax teased, earning a small smile from her in response. With all the grace of a bull in an elevator, Jax began to shove Kinger and Zooble out of the car, with Pomni awkwardly shuffling out after them until they had all piled out into the street. He quickly ran to the back of the car and popped the trunk open, pulling out a variety of items. "Alright, pick your weapon. Except this one," -He pulled a double barreled shotgun from the trunk and closed it with a satisfying click- "I'm not gonna miss out on this again."

"Oh, be careful of the recoil." Kinger said as he pulled out a small revolver, "It's got a kick like a mule."

"Noted." Jax said with a nod.

"Noted what?" Kinger asked, cocking his head to the side.

"While I'm all for letting off some steam in this virtual hell," Zooble said as they grabbed rifle from the trunk, "I don't know if I can shoot someone without reason."

"I agree with Zooble on this one." Pomni said, plucking a pistol from the boot.

"Ah relax." Jax waved at them dismissively as he turned to the bank, "Just pretend they're all me."

Gangle watched as the four walked into the bank, smiling as Jax looked back at her and saluted before disappearing inside. The sound of Ragatha clearing her throat snapped the ribbon woman out of her thoughts. She turned to the doll and was met with a bemused expression.

"What was that all about?" Ragatha asked.

"What do you mean?" Gangle asked, tapping her hands together nervously.

"Since when did you and Jax get along?" She continued.

Gangle felt a blush rise to her cheeks. "I... I don't know what you mean." She mumbled, turning away quickly.

Ragatha rolled her eyes, "Gangle, I haven't seen him so much as call you a mean name in, like, five days. Either he suddenly grew a conscience or you're blackmailing him, and I don't know which is actually more likely." She turned the ribbon woman to face her, "Just tell me if he's messing with you."

"He's not." She said quickly, looking away sheepishly, "We've just been... growing closer." Ragatha looked at her confused, making Gangle sigh. "I know it's weird, but he's actually not that bad when you get to know him."

"I've known him for years, and I'm pretty sure he IS that bad." The doll replied.

"I'm serious!" Gangle interrupted with a pleading look, "Ever since we... spent time together on the train, I think him and I have become real friends. He can be funny, charismatic, handsome, nice, thoughtful."

"I'm just surprised, is all." Ragatha explained, "The two of you aren't really who I'd pin as being buddy buddy." The pair of them fell silent as they stared out the window, watching as a few cars drove by. "He's not treating you badly, is he?" She asked, breaking the silence and making Gangle jump slightly.

She shook her head quickly. "H-he's not, I promise. I wouldn't willingly sit next to him if he was." The pair shared a laugh as they fell into comfortable silence, waiting for the rest of the group to finish their morally dubious adventure.

"Hey..." Ragatha began, glancing at Gangle, "Did you just call him handsome?"

Before she could reply, the sound of an alarm blaring drew their attention towards the bank as Jax, Zooble, and Kinger came sprinting out with cartoonishly large bags of money, with a blue dye splattered Pomni close behind. They threw the bags into the trunk and slammed it shut before quickly piling into the car. "Drive!" Zooble yelled as a swarm of faceless guards poured out from the bank. With panicked mumbling, Ragatha stepped on the gas and the car sped off, thankfully without any police in pursuit.

"What the heck happened?" Gangle asked as she looked towards the backseat. Jax had a scowl on his face as he glared at Pomni, who was doing her best to sink into the seat. Zooble kept glancing out the back window frantically, while Kinger simply smiled at the ribbon woman.

"Pomni blew it." Jax grumbled, crossing his arms in a huff.

"I didn't know there was laser grid in the vault!" She cried, trying to scrub the dye off her skin and clothes, "Aren't dye packs supposed to be in the bags, anyway?"

"I think the color suits you." Kinger said cheerfully, "It really brings out your eyes."

Zooble turned and glared at everyone in the car. "Can we save this for when this stupid adventure is over?!" They snapped. The car fell silent as Ragatha followed the signs towards the tunnel they arrived in, though the game's censor was quick to pick up on each of Jax's mumbled swears. After awhile, the tunnel came into view, with the circus' interior providing an inviting atmosphere. The crunch of the gravel beneath the tires gave way to the quiet linoleum of the circus, the tunnel's archway disappearing behind them and the entire car letting out a sigh of relief. One by one they exited the car, being met by Caine dressed in a police officer's outfit and Bubble with a muzzle over his face.

"Well done, my heisting hooligans!" He said cheerfully, spinning a baton on his finger.

"I made the dye myself." Bubble said from behind his muzzle, making Pomni look down at her stained hands in horror.

"Do we get to keep any of the money?" Jax asked, fishing the bags of money out of the trunk, only for Caine to yank them out of his hands.

"Sorry Jax, but this money must be returned to the bank to avoid any legal problems that may arise!" He replied, earning a groan from everyone involved. "Don't be sad, everyone! I have prepared a very special dinner for you all!"

"I guess that's better than nothing." Gangle replied meekly.

"No, it's not." Zooble interjected. The group begrudgingly headed towards the dining area, finding the large table decorated with an assortment of both familiar dishes and concoctions none of them had seen before. "Are we sure he knows how to cook?"

Jax slumped into his seat as he stared at the food laid out before him, trying to decide what simulated flavor he could eat without too much complaint. Gangle pulled out a chair and sat next to him, drawing his attention away from the mix of edible items. "How was the adventure?" She asked, making him crack a smile.

"Could have been worse." He replied as he snatched two bread rolls from the basket in the center of the table and tossed one to her. "I think Zooble tried to shoot me at least twice, though. How was sitting in the car with Dolly?"

"It was peaceful." Gangle replied, taking a small bite from the roll, "She asked if you were forcing me to hang out with you."

Jax chuckled softly. "No need to. You're obviously obsessed with me by now." He teased, making Gangle roll her eyes playfully.

"Because the only two things a person can feel about you are utter hatred or complete obsession?" She asked through her laughter.

"It's a blessing and a curse, honestly." He winked, earning a shared snicker between the two.

Ragatha stared at them from her spot at the other end of the table, her brow furrowed in thought. "Uh, Ragatha?" Pomni's voice echoed, snapping her out of her thoughts, "You alright?"

She shook the thoughts from her head a smiled at the still dyed jester. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking about something."

"What about?" She asked the doll, following her eye line to the rabbit and ribbon pair across the table. "Oh, are you worried about Gangle again?"

"Not worried." She replied, looking down at the food she had subconsciously piled onto her plate, "Just... have you notice she and Jax have been getting along better?"

"Maybe he decided to stop being a jerk." Pomni mused as she harshly scrubbed her arm with a paper towel, only to pull it away and find it completely stained blue with no change to her body.

Ragatha eyed the pair curiously, watching as they talked and laughed between each other. "What happened on that train?" She whispered to herself.

Chapter Text

Jax twirled his fork between his fingers as he stared off into space, occasionally poking at the food that remained on his plate. He felt a gentle touch on his arm, making him jump slightly as he whipped his head towards Gangle, who looked at him with a frown. "Where you listening to anything I just said?" She asked, a slight annoyance in her voice.

"Course I was." He replied, tossing his fork onto his plate as he leaned back with a cocky smile, putting his feet up on the table as he balanced the chair on it's back legs. "You were talking about the ideas you had for more drawings."

"Not even close." She replied with a slight chuckle, making the rabbit roll his eyes. "I was asking what you thought about dinner."

"Basically the same thing." He said, his grin somehow looking more teasing even though nothing about it changed, "They both start with a 'D'." She sighed as she reached down and gently tilted the chair's front legs up higher, making the rabbit panic as he nearly fell backwards, just barely managing to regain his balance and set the chair back on all four legs. "Not cool, Ribbons." He playfully stuck his tongue out at her, making her chuckle.

"Just tell me what you thought about dinner." She said, making him raise an eyebrow at her.

"Why do you care?" He asked in amusement, "Tastes the same as it always does. Vaguely of static."

"I'm just curious." She defended, tapping her hands together as she looked away anxiously, "I've been enjoying talking to you, so I just, figured I'd try to make small talk."

Jax smiled softly as a light blush spread across his face. "...You can just say you want to talk more." He mumbled, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. Gangle's eyes widened as she smiled softly, meeting his eyes with a small giggle. His blush grew brighter as he shoved his hand into her face and pushed her away. "Don't get a big head about it, nerd. You're lucky you're not as annoying as I used to think." He pushed himself away from the table and stood up. "Anyway, I'm out of here." He cracked his knuckles as he lazily waved to the table, "I'll see you freaks tomorrow."

"Go to hell." Zooble shot back, flipping a censored middle finger at him as they returned to their conversation with Pomni. Jax smirked as he walked by, grabbing the back of their chair and yanking it backwards to topple it and Zooble over, much to their annoyance.

"Whoops." He shrugged, "My hand slipped."

Zooble glared at him as he walked away. "@$&! you, jack@#$." They growled as they climbed to their feet and righted their chair, "You should have been left in Spudsy's training room."

He stopped in his tracks at the mention, his blood running cold. He had tried his hardest to bury those memories, barely succeeding after days of avoiding anything that reminded him of it, including Gangle. He felt his chest tighten as his breathing grew labored, feeling like someone was strangling him. His knees began to shake as he fought with himself not to collapse, taking slow, shuffling steps forward. He looked down at his hands, watching as they trembled. He felt his stomach turn as the repetitive song from the video began to echo in his mind as sweat collected on his brow.

"Jax?" A voice asked, making him jump as Gangle walked up next to him, "You alright?" He stared at her with wide eyes, visions of the mask imagery flashing in his mind as he took a hesitant step away.

"I-I'm fine." he mumbled, quickly looking away from her as he started to walk away.

"Are you sure?" She asked, reaching out and wrapping a hand around his wrist, "Because you-" She was cut off when he yanked his arm away in a panic, his whole body shaking as he refused to look at her for more than a second. The few times she could look into his eyes, she saw pure fear.

"I'm..." he mumbled, looking at the floor as his body rose and fell as he hyperventilated, "I'm tired." He quickly made his way out of the room, leaving a confused Gangle in his wake. He silently made his way to his room, pushing the door open and kicking it closed behind him. As soon as he was alone, he collapsed to his knees with a gasp, feeling tears well in his eyes as memories of his "training" resurfaced. He could feel the hands holding his limbs tightly, the buzz of the screen against his face, the sting of the flashing light in his eyes. He pushed himself into a sitting position and quickly backed himself into the corner of his room, the buzz of the crt and the repetitive song seeming to escape his mind and fill the silent room. He grabbed his ears and pulled them down against his head, trying in vain to block out the haunting sound. It grew harder and harder to breathe as his throat tightened, subconsciously scratching in a futile attempt to make the feeling go away. His entire body shook as tears fell from his eyes, a choked sob escaping him as his thoughts grew clouded and unintelligible, the only thing he could make out being that damned room and video.

"No, no, no." He whispered to himself, watching as flashes of the masks popped up in his vision. He squeezed his eyes shut to block out the visions, a stab of pain coursing through his head. "I'm sorry... I'm sorry." He mumbled, unsure of who exactly he was talking to, but feeling like he had to do something to not find himself back in that horrid restaurant back room. The nightmares that had followed that adventure were already more than he could handle, with him waking up more than once fully convinced he was still there. "Let me go, let me go." He whispered, slowly losing track of whether he was actually in the training room or not. He felt bile rise in his throat, threatening to spill over as panic seemed to encompass every line of code his body was made up of.

"Jax?" Gangle's voice called from the other side of his door as she knocked, only making his panic grow worse. He whimpered as he tried to push himself farther away from the door, only managing to press himself against the wall even harder. The door creaked open as the ribbon woman stepped inside, quietly closing the door as she looked at the frightened rabbit nervously. His eyes widened in fear as she took a step closer.

"I'll listen, I'm sorry." He whimpered, burying his head in his knees. "I completed the training, I promise." Gangle was taken aback by what she was looking at. In the cornfield, she could see he was frightened, but this was different.

He was broken.

"Jax, please listen to me." She whispered as tears began to fall from her own eyes, sitting down a few feet away to try not to scare him, though it seemed like just the sound of her voice was enough to make him flinch. "You're not in the training room." His body rose and fell with labored breathes as she spoke, the trembling continuing full force. She shuffled closer to the rabbit, unsure of how to comfort him when it was her that he was afraid of. "...I'm sorry." She said, looking at the ground sadly, "I'm sorry for how I acted at Spudsy's. And for what I did to you." She watched as the shaking began to slow, scooting closer until she was resting against the wall next to him. "I used it as a way to get back at you for all the bullying, but I went too far." She saw his ears perk up slightly, indicating he was listening. "If I had known it would have affected you this much-" She stopped talking when she heard him whimper. The stuff she was saying was only bringing up more bad memories. "Do you remember when we first met?" She asked, a small smile on her face as she switched focus to a different moment between them. "I was still getting used to this body and could barely stand, much less walk." She watched as his trembling slowed until it was barely noticeable, "I don't even remember what name Caine had chosen for me. You called me 'Gangle' and he thought it was perfect." She chuckled softly. "I still can't believe it stuck."

She reached over hesitantly, slowly resting a hand on his shoulder. She felt him flinch and tense beneath her touch, the trembling growing worse. She began to rub back and forth, feeling him start to relax under her touch and lean against her. "I can't say I understand how you're feeling." She sighed, "But if it helps, Spudsy's was rough for me too. I don't think I'd ever been less happy than with that mask on." She looked over at him, slowly moving her hand from his shoulder to his back as she continued to pet him. "Do you think you could try to look at me?"

She could see him hesitate, like he was contemplating if this was all some sort of trick. After a moment, he nodded softly and began to slowly raise his head. His eyes were bloodshot and glossy, with tears still threatening to fall at any moment. She watched his eyes study her face, like he was scanning for any sign of something wrong. Eventually, he let out a soft sigh and wiped the tears from his eyes with a sniffle. "God, I'm pathetic." He mumbled with a tired laugh, only for him to yelp as Gangle wrapped him in a tight hug.

"No you're not." She whispered, feeling him look down at her awkwardly. She pulled away quickly as a blush spread across her face. "S-sorry."

He let out a breathy laugh as he draped an arm over her shoulder and pulled her closer. "It's fine. Just don't tell anyone about this."

"I won't." She said, wiping tears from her eyes, "They'd probably think I was crazy." The pair shared a chuckle as they locked eyes, a comfortable silence filling the room. Jax took one of her ribbons in his fingers, slowly rubbing his thumb back and forth over the surface. Gangle was slowly trailing her hand up and down his back, occasionally brushing against his fluffy tail. Neither of them said a word, their gaze unbreaking as they slowly leaned closer to one another. Their faces grew closer and closer, only stopping when they could feel the other's breath on their faces.

Jax's eyes widened as the realization of what they were doing dawned on him, making him quickly hop to his feet as a bright blush spread across his face like a wildfire. "Wow, It's late!" He said quickly, laughing nervously as he looked at the clock on his wall. Gangle seemed to snap out of whatever trance she was in at the mention, her cheeks turning as red as her ribbons as she stood up as well.

"Y-yeah." She mumbled awkwardly. The pair glanced at each other every so often, quickly looking away if they happened to meet each other's gaze and silently shuffling into Jax's bed. "I'm, uh, glad you're feeling better." She said, still avoiding looking the rabbit in the eye.

"Y-yeah," He stuttered out, silently cringing to himself, "thanks for, you know, helping."

"Of course." She nodded, "That's what friends are for."

He fell back into bed and stared up at the ceiling, his hands fidgeting nervously. "Yeah, yeah, friends." He mumbled out.

They fell into an awkward silence, with it only being broken by the occasional cough or sniffle. After an eternity of both of them laying motionless and staring at the ceiling, Gangle slowly shuffled closer to Jax, draping an arm over his chest as she rested her head on his shoulder. He slipped his hand beneath her and gently grabbed her waist, pulling her closer as they both began to relax into the other's touch. A smile pulled at his face as he finally glanced down at Gangle, only for their eyes to meet. He felt his stomach twist into knots as they locked eyes, an all too familiar tightness in his chest making itself known.

Gangle wanted to break the eye contact, but something in her mind wouldn't let her. She couldn't stop staring into his yellow eyes, finding them oddly alluring despite the mischievous glint they always seemed to hold. She felt the familiar tightness in her chest return as they continued to stare at each other, though she didn't try to ignore it this time and instead relaxed into it, feeling it soon blossom into a comfortable warmth that spread throughout her entire body.

A knock on the door shook them both from their thoughts, making Jax shoot up in a panic as Gangle ducked beneath the covers. "Jax, are you in there?" Pomni called out, knocking on the door again.

"What do you want, Joker?" He called out, trying to keep his voice casual.

"Well, Ragatha said she saw you run off earlier, so she wanted me to check on you." She replied, the nervousness practically a staple in her voice. "She said Gangle followed you, but I haven't seen her."

"I'm fine." He rolled his eyes, already planning ways to mess with them so no one would ask him about it later, "She's probably off doodling or whatever. Have you checked the dumpster?" Gangle emerged from beneath the blanket and punched him in the arm for the comment, a bemused look on her face.

"Are you sure you're alright?" She asked, "You sound like you're hiding something." The pair's eyes widened as Gangle slipped beneath the blanket once more, wrapping a ribbon around Jax's wrist nervously, before he subconsciously took her hand in his and gave it a gentle squeeze

"When am I not." He shot back, hoping the anxiety in his voice wasn't noticeable to the jester. The other side of the door fell silent, only making them grow more and more nervous with each passing second.

"Fair enough." Pomni said, earning a silent sigh of relief from both of the room's occupants. "Oh, also, Caine showed up after you left and said we had the day off tomorrow. I guess something must have thrown a wrench into his adventure." With that, the sound of her footsteps grew faint as she walked away, finally letting the pair relax as Jax fell back on his pillow and Gangle emerged from her poorly conceived hiding place.

"At least we can sleep in." He smiled, gently pulling her closer against him.

"Finally," She replied as she laid her head on his chest, gently nuzzling into his fur, "I've been getting sick of all those adventures." Not long after, the pair slowly drifted off to sleep, the emotional weight of the last hour having quickly drained them of energy. Their hands were still intertwined. Every so often one of them would squeeze it in their sleep, earning a squeeze back shortly after.

Chapter Text

The sound of Gangle humming slowly brought Jax out of sleep, cracking his eyes open and finding her happily doodling in her sketchbook. She glanced towards the rabbit every so often, seemingly unaware that he was awake. A devious thought crossed his mind as he forced away the smirk that tried to cross his face. He stayed silent as he let her draw, waiting until she was focused on her sketchbook to make his move. As soon as she looked away, he lurched forward with his hands held up to strike. "Hey, Gangle!" He yelled, making her shriek as she fell backwards off the bed and making him fall backwards laughing.

"Jax!" She whined from the floor, rubbing her head to ease the pain of hitting the ground.

"Aw come on," He said as he peaked over the side of the bed to look down at her, "you act like I had the will to not do that." She looked away with a pout as he continued to chuckle, resting his arms over the edge of the bed. "You gotta admit, it was funny." She glanced towards him, looking towards his arms that dangled lazily near the ground. "Saaaayyy iiiiit." He prodded, his grin widening.

Before he could react, Gangle wrapped her ribbons around his arms and yanked him to the floor with a loud thud. "You're right, it is funny." She chuckled, leaning over his face as she smiled.

"You got lucky that time." He shot back with a smile, snickering along as he stared up at her as he laid on the floor. The pair stayed in the position for a bit, just enjoying each other's company as they stared into each other's eyes. "You're pretty cool, y'know?" He said, his eyes widening immediately as if he hadn't meant for the thought to leave his mind. Gangle's eyes widened in turn, her face morphing into a look of shock.

"...You mean it?" She asked, a light blush dusting her cheeks.

Jax sat up as his face grew bright red, looking away quickly. "Well, maybe a bit." He mumbled, "You're still a huge weirdo and stuff, but-" He glanced towards her with a shy smile, "-yeah, you can be kinda cool sometimes."

Gangle smiled as she wrapped Jax in a tight hug, tears in her eyes despite the happy atmosphere. "Aww, Jax! That's the nicest thing you've ever said!"

"Ew, gross!" He complained as he tried to push her off him, retching as she continued to hug him, "I take it back, I take it back!"

"Too late!" She teased, "You already told me!"

Eventually, he managed to push her away as she giggled. "You're the worst." He said as he stuck his tongue out at her, though he wasn't able to hide the smile on his face as he pulled himself to his feet and offered his hand to help her up. She laid her hand in his, letting out a squeak in surprise as he practically threw her to her feet. "So, what were you drawing anyway?"

"Ah, just some anatomy practice." She said with a dismissive wave, tucking the book beneath her arm, "It's hard to draw human proportions when there aren't any humans to compare to."

"Maybe Caine would give you a more realistic body if you asked." He teased, "Add a few more ribbons and you could have quite the figure."

"Don't be gross." She huffed, gently smacking him on the arm with her sketchbook as she walked towards the door, trying to ignore the thoughts his comment made race through her mind. He followed behind her as she opened the door, stepping out of his room into the quiet hallway. "So, what are your plans for the day?"

"I'm not sure." He shrugged, "It's been awhile since I last pranked someone."

"Or you could try being nice to the others." She replied, earning a scoff from the rabbit.

"Oh please, like I'd ever do that." He rolled his eyes, "I'd probably abstract."

"You were able to be nice to me." She noted, "Would it really be that different?"

"Yes, it would." He said, making her sigh in defeat.

"I tried." She shrugged, "I'll be in my room if you want to hang out."

"See ya later, Ribbons." He waved, earning a smile and a wave in return as she disappeared into her room. He smiled as he turned to walk away, only to jump as a smug looking Ragatha blocked his way. "Geez Stitches, you trying to give me a heart attack?"

"What was that?" She asked, ignoring his annoyed question.

"It's called talking." The tall rabbit replied, "I figured you would have heard of it. We're doing it right now, unfortunately." He went to walk away, only for the rag doll to block his path once more.

"That's not what I meant, Jax." She said, narrowing her eyes at him, "Why are you being nice to Gangle?"

"Are you implying I can't just be nice to someone?" He asked with overdramatic flair, "Oh, you wound me."

"Yes, I am." Ragatha replied flatly, "Now what's your angle?"

He rolled his eyes as he pushed past her. "None of your business, that's what my angle is." He sneered, hoping she'd leave him alone so he could go about his day. Unfortunately, she quickly matched his stride and began walking alongside him.

"Gangle already said the two of you were on better terms." She explained, "And while that's great, I just want to know why."

"You don't need to insert yourself into everyone's business, y'know?" He shot a glare at her, "I don't owe you an explanation for anything." Ragatha stopped in her tracks at the comment, making him smile to himself as he kept walking.

"Can you at least explain why she was in your room with you?!" She called out as he walked away, making him stop dead in his tracks and look at her with wide eyes. Without a word he walked back over to her and grabbed her arm, beginning to lead her back towards his room. "What are you-"

"Shut it." He interrupted, his voice wavering slightly. He threw the door open and shoved her inside, before slamming it closed behind him. "When did you see that?" He asked, his usual carefree and mocking tone replaced by an uncharacteristic seriousness.

She looked at him with a puzzled expression, glancing back and forth between him and the rest of the room. "This morning." She replied hesitantly, "I saw the two of you leave your room and-"

"If you tell anyone,-" His voice got quiet and threatening as he grabbed her shoulders and looked into her eyes, "-I will make your life hell."

"Jax, it isn't that big of a deal." She said as she pulled out of his grasp, "If you two are friends, then you're friends. No one would make fun of you for that." She paused in thought for a moment. "Well, maybe Zooble would."

"I don't care what you think would or wouldn't happen." He snapped, "What I care about is you keeping your mouth shut about this to anyone that isn't me."

"Shouldn't Gangle know too?" She asked.

"No." He stated quickly, "I don't want her to worry about this." His felt a blush rise to his face, much to his annoyance.

She rolled her eyes at the rabbit and placed a hand to her head. "She's not as weirdly defensive about this as you are, Jax. I'm sure she wouldn't think this is that big of a deal. And since when have you cared about Gangle's feelings this much? I know she's your friend, but-" she stopped mid-sentence as she looked at his face more intently. He could feel her scrutinizing ever little movement he made, every minute change that she could see. Suddenly her eyes went wide as she gasped, a smile begin to pull at her lips. "You like her, don't you?"

"Wow, you pieced together I have to like someone to be their friend? Nice one, Sherlock." He said as he rolled his eyes, trying to ignore the knot in his stomach that seemed to come out of nowhere

"Oh, you know exactly what I mean." She replied, her smile only growing with each passing second, "You LIKE-like her" He cringed at the extra emphasis she put on the first instance.

"What is this, preschool?" He groaned, trying to ignore the increasingly annoying flutter in his stomach. "Just call it a crush like a normal person."

"Ok, fine." She said as she crossed her arms, looking at him with a teasing expression. "You have a crush on Gangle."

"Did you finally go insane?" He asked, looking at her in annoyance.

"It all makes so much sense now." She began, "Sitting together, not calling her names, talking more frequently,-" she held up a finger for each piece of evidence she listed, "-being nice to only her."

He sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose, "I can't believe I have to say this, but no, I don't have a crush on Gangle."

"You can deny it all you want," She looked at him smugly, resting her hands on her hips, "but I know I'm right." He tried to ignore the thoughts her accusation brought to mind, quickly grabbing her shoulders and beginning to push her towards the door.

"Well, I'd say it was good to have you here, but it wasn't." He said as he pushed her out the door, her knowing smile and laughter only making him want to get rid of her faster, "Do us both a favor and never bring any of this up again."

"Aww, it's ok to have feelings, Jax." She said in an overly sweet tone, clearly enjoying having the upper hand for once, "I knew that deep down you had a heart." He slammed the door on her as she chuckled to herself, glancing around as she forced herself to adopt a more serious demeanor. "In all seriousness, Jax,-" She leaned against the door so her voice would travel though, "I think it's nice that you've found someone you can trust, even if it was the last person I would have expected. I can tell you care about Gangle, whether you want to admit it to yourself or not, and I know she cares about you too. Whether or not she feels the same isn't up to me, but I hope she does. As different as you two are, I think you bring out the best in each other. I won't tell anyone about our conversation, alright?"

He leaned back against his door with a scowl as she spoke, his expression softening the longer he listened, even if he didn't believe a word of the whole "crush" thing. At least she said she wasn't going to tell anyone, which would save his and Gangle's pride from the teasing and questions that would most certainly follow, though he had a feeling the teasing would be directed at him. He heard the soft sound of her plush footsteps as she walked away, letting out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. "A crush." He scoffed to himself, "Yeah right". Once he was sure Ragatha was gone, he left his room and quickly walked over to Gangle's, not bothering to knock as he entered and making Gangle jump in surprise. She was sitting at her desk, surrounded by various new drawings, crumpled up pieces of paper, and a frankly surprising amount of pencil shavings. She had moved her comedy mask to rest atop her dresser.

"Even if I consider you a friend," She began, "I'd still prefer if you didn't barge in."

"Tough luck, Ribbons." He smiled as he walked over to his bed and flopped into it, "I don't knock unless it'll be followed by a 'who's there'."

Gangle chuckled softly as she refocused on her drawing, "I heard Ragatha talking to you out there. Anything interesting?"

He grabbed a small plush from the nightstand, some type of penguin it looked like, and began to toss it into the air, catching it as it fell back towards him. "Apparently she saw me and you leave my room." He replied, continuing to throw the plush into the air over and over.

Gangle froze as she turned to look at him, "She did?!" She asked in a panic.

"Yeah, but I made her promise not to tell anyone else." He said, watching as the ribbon woman let out a sigh of relief, "Besides, if anyone should be panicking about people finding out, it's me. I'm the one with a reputation to uphold."

"It's a dumb reputation." She commented, taking Jax aback and making him miss the catch, causing the plush to bounce off his face to the floor.

"Hey, it's not dumb." He frowned, only making his friend snicker in response.

She picked up her drawing materials and made her way to the other side of the bed, climbing in to lay next to him before she resumed. "It is." She continued, "Your reputation is acting like the antagonist in a high school drama."

"I resent that." He replied as he picked the plush up off the floor and continued his one man game of catch, "If anything I'm the jock that surprises everyone by not siding with the antagonist because he fell in love with the nerdy main character girl."

"If that's what you believe." She teased, poking his side with the butt of her pencil.

"Well if you're such an expert, what's your role in the high school drama?" He teased back, purposely not catching the toy so it would smack into her face. She plucked the toy out from between her ribbons, placing it on his chest as she leaned close to his ear.

"The nerdy main character girl." She whispered.

Jax froze as his face grew bright red as his ears shot straight up like a cartoon. Gangle fell backwards with laughter, clearly having gotten the outcome she was hoping for as she struggled to catch her breath. After the embarrassment died down enough for him to think clearly, he couldn't help but laugh at how expertly she had tricked him. "Well played, Ribbons." He smiled, watching as she finally managed to compose herself.

"That's for saying my art belonged in a dumpster last night." She said as she wiped away a tear, only for it to be replaced by another one immediately after.

He rolled his eyes as he started a third game of catch with himself, "Fair enough." He chuckled, "Your art isn't as bad as I make it seem."

She picked up her sketchbook and flipped through the pages, stopping on one and smiling as she angled it so he couldn't see. It was a carefully sketched picture of Jax sleeping, an image she had found surprisingly cute when she had awoken that morning. "Yeah," She said as she looked at the sketch, "it's not."

Chapter Text

"Are you sure you want me to do this?" Pomni asked as she nervously pulled Ragatha's hair back, "I've never braided hair before."

"I'm sure you'll do fine." The doll replied with a soft smile. She had floated the idea of a sleepover before, and while she had hoped to get everyone involved, she was happy that Pomni and Zooble had agreed, though the latter didn't seem all that enthusiastic about it.

"I still don't know why you suggested this." Zooble said from their spot resting against the wall, lazily flipping through a magazine. "Aren't we all a bit old for this kind of thing? Also, isn't it, like, noon?"

"I thought it would be fun." The doll replied sheepishly, "I wasn't allowed to have slumber parties growing up. My mom didn't like when I would see my friends. She said it made me "soft" whatever that meant. She always had a problem with-" She fell silent as she glanced at the other two in the room, who were staring at her with a mix of confusion and concern. "Haha, yeah, just didn't get the chance." She said with a forced laugh, the room falling into an awkward silence.

"Uh, what about you, Zooble?" Pomni asked, breaking the silence, much to everyone's relief, "Did you have slumber parties growing up?"

"Eh, only a few times." The abstract character replied, tossing the magazine away, "I didn't really see friends outside of school until I was a teenager, and by then we were doing anything but staying at home." Pomni nodded along the planned hair braiding seeming to have been forgotten by everyone. "How about you, Pomni?"

The jester snapped to attention. "Oh, yeah I had a few growing up." She said, "I didn't have many friends, so it was always with the same group of people. Made it feel more... personal, y'know?"

"Yeah, I get that." Zooble nodded.

"That sounds nice, Pomni." Ragatha chimed in, "Did you guys do anything special?"

"Not really." She shrugged, "Just the normal tween stuff. Gossip, scary movies, talking about guys."

"Speaking of guys, wasn't Kinger going to join us?" Zooble said, glancing around the room curiously.

"Maybe he forgot?" Pomni suggested, "Or he's sleeping in his fortress again."

"I'm sure he's fine." Ragatha said with a dismissive wave, before pausing in thought, "Though, it would have been nice to have more people here."

"Maybe Gangle and Jax would want to join us?" The jester asked, earning a scoff from the colorful character across the room.

"Sure, if you want to deal with his %@!&#* comments all night." They said, the cartoonish censor cutting through the relative quite like a knife, "I'm still not sure how I feel about Gangle hanging around him."

"He's not the worst... sometimes." Pomni weakly defended, "Maybe he finally decided to stop being a jerk."

They stared at the jester incredulously, making her shrink in on herself slightly. "We're talking about the same Jax, right?"

"I think Pomni may have a point." Ragatha chimed in, earning a similar look as the jester, "Well, Gangle is more than capable of avoiding him if she chose to, right? Maybe she knows something we don't." She glanced away anxiously as she fidgeted with the hem of her dress.

"Are you guys messing with me?" Zooble asked, eyeing the pair suspiciously, "Is he, like, blackmailing you to say nice things about him."

"I've seen him act at least somewhat nice before." Pomni explained, "He asked me a genuine question at Spudsy's. I didn't even know he knew how to do that." The two of them looked towards Ragatha, who was shuffling in her seat nervously as she avoided eye contact. "Are you... feeling ok, Ragatha?"

"Mhmm, yeah, just peachy!" She nodded rapidly, her voice oozing with nervousness.

Zooble rolled their eyes at the response. "Oh yeah, not suspicious at all."

"If something happened between you and Jax, we can help." Pomni reassured, patting the doll on the arm, "We're your friends."

"Nothing happened, it's just..." The rag doll began, her leg bouncing nervously, "I promised I wouldn't tell."

"When it comes to Jax, that's never good." Zooble said as they stood up in a huff, "I'm gonna go get him."

"N-no, wait!" Ragatha yelled out.

"Look, either say it or I'll figure it out myself." Zooble said, looking at the doll with a small bit of annoyance.

"Maybe it'll feel good to talk about it?" Pomni suggested.

Ragatha clenched her fists as she tried to think through the haze of emotions in her mind. "I saw Gangle leaving his room this morning!" She yelled, immediately slapping her hands over her mouth once the words had left her. Everyone in the room froze at the statement, a horrified expression on her face as she realized what happened. "%@&# it."

"I'm sorry, you what?" Zooble asked, walking closer to the doll.

"I promised him I wouldn't tell anyone." She sighed as she buried her face in her hands.

"I didn't think they'd be that close." Pomni muttered, fiddling with one of the balls on her shirt, "What were they doing?"

"I don't know." Ragatha whined through her hands, looking up with a miserable expression, "Just hanging out, I think." The room fell silent, only broken by Ragatha's mumbled regret.

"I don't buy it." Zooble said suddenly, making the doll and jester look at them curiously, "You wouldn't have made such a big deal about it if that was all it was."

"Wh- Of course I would." Ragatha said, her sorrow replaced with a slight anger, "I broke a promise."

"Jax and Gangle hanging out isn't anything." They continued, "It's weird, sure, but not enough for you to cry over. I think you're upset that you almost said to much."

"Zooble, I don't think-" Pomni began, only to pause when she glanced toward Ragatha, who had a nervous look on her face, "Wait, are they right?!"

"Pssh, of course not!" Ragatha replied with a dismissive wave, though it was obvious to everyone she was lying. The pair stared at the doll, with Pomni holding a look of confusion while Zooble held on of smug satisfaction. "Alright, fine." The doll sighed, finally folding under the, relatively light, pressure. "I may have also accused him of... having a crush on her."

As soon as the words left her mouth, Zooble busted out laughing as Pomni tired her best to hold back her own chuckling. "Oh man, what I would give to have seen his face!" Zooble said through their laughter. Ragatha simply stared at the two dumbfounded.

"I am so confused." She mumbled.

"I think what Zooble meant to say," Pomni began, finally managing to swallow back her laughter, "is that you may have overestimated the extant of Jax and Gangle's friendship."

The doll shook her head earnestly. "What?! N-no, I know what I-"

"Ragatha, what's more likely?" Zooble asked, finally managing to bring their uncontrollable laughter down to a barely contained snicker, "That Jax managed to lose all his hate for Gangle, grow a conscience, and develop feelings for her? Or that you may have been a tad overzealous when learning the two of them hung out?"

The doll fell silent as she thought, mulling over what her friends had told her and the conversation she had had with Jax earlier in the day. After a bit, she groaned as she flopped backwards onto the floor. "I'm so dumb."

"Aw cheer up, Rags." Zooble said, using their leg to nudge the doll's foot, "I think it would be worse if you had been right."

"Yeah, I don't think Jax is built for romance." Pomni added, bringing a small smile to the doll's face.

"I guess I was just excited for something different." Ragatha chuckled as she sat up, "Especially with Jax's personality."

The group shared a laugh before Zooble stood up and stretched their back. "I'm gonna go see if I can find Kinger and maybe grab something from the kitchen." They said as the began to head to the door, "You two want anything?" The two shook their heads as Zooble left, stepping out into the hallway and turning to walk towards the last place they saw Kinger's pillow fort. Before they could take a step, a curiosity began to gnaw in their mind. They looked back over their shoulder, staring into the cartoon decal on Gangle's door. Sure, they had made a big deal about Ragatha's crush theory, but they'd be lying if they said they weren't a little curious as to why those two started getting along.

With a roll of their eyes and a defeated sigh, Zooble gave in to their demanding thoughts and turned around, heading right to Gangle's door and giving it a few sharp knocks. The other side remained silent, much to their confusion. Gangle was almost always in her room if they didn't have a reason not to be, and considering they hadn't seen her all day, this was the only place she could be. They raised their fist and gave another round of raps against the door. "Gangle? You in there?" They called through the door.

Still, no answer.

"Zooble?" A voice from behind asked, making them jump as they spun around, only to be met with Gangle's confused expression, "What are you doing?"

They let out a sigh of relief as the rested a hand on their rapidly beating heart. "Jeez, Gangle, you scared me."

"O-oh, sorry." The ribbon character mumbled, looking down apologetically.

"Ah, don't worry about." They chuckled, "I was just wondering where you've been. Pomni, Ragatha, and I were all hanging out, and I was gonna to see if you wanted to join."

Gangle gave a small smile as she shook her head. "Oh, thank you for the offer, but I'm kind of in the middle of something. Sorry."

"It's all good." Zooble replied as they moved out of the way of the door as Gangle went to go inside, "I'll see ya later."

"Bye, Zooble." She replied with a smile, pushing her door open and stepping inside. As she pushed the door closed, Zooble prepared to walk away, only for the slight crack of light from the door catching their attention. The door had just barely stayed open, allowing for sound and light to flow through unabated. They reached over to pull it closed, only for Jax's voice to echo out and stop them in their tracks.

"What took ya so long, Ribbons." He chuckled, "I was starting to get bored."

To say Zooble's curiosity was peaked would be an understatement. As quietly as they could, they pushed the door open ever so slightly more, giving a clearer view into the room. They saw Jax relaxing on Gangle's bed, his typical grin plastered on his face as his eyes followed Gangle's every movement.

"I told you, I left some sketches in the living room." She replied, tossing a few pieces of paper onto her desk, "I ran into Kinger while grabbing them and stopped to talk to him for a bit. Believe it or not, I do have friends outside of you."

He playfully rolled his eyes, "Yeah, well I'm your coolest friend." He teased, "I don't think that's even up for debate."

"Hey, Zooble is pretty cool, too." Gangle replied as she walked towards where he was lounging, "Probably cooler than-"

"Zooble?" Pomni whispered as she tapped them on the back, making them jump and quickly slap a hand over her mouth.

"Shhh." They hushed at the jester, only making her more confused as Zooble's hand moved away from her face.

"What are you doing?" She asked, this time whispering. They simply nodded towards the door, inviting the jester to peak inside with them. As the pair looked inside, they were met with a sight they found both horrifying and confusing. Gangle was sitting in Jax's lap, with his head resting atop hers as she used a ribbon to gently pet between his ears. Her other ribbon was wrapped around his wrist, with his thumb slowly sliding back and forth against the end of her ribbon. Both of them had a light blush on their faces.

"Who knew you were so cuddly." She chuckled, looking up into his eyes.

"Say that again and I'll kill you." He replied, though it was clear his words were devoid of any truth or malice. His eyes slowly closed as he leaned into her touch, a content hum escaping him. "Don't stop, though."

Before they could intrude any more on the scene, Pomni pulled the door shut and stepped away from Gangle's room, looking as if she had just seen a ghost. She looked towards Zooble, who had a similar, although less confused and more horrified, look on their face.

"I don't think we should have watched that." Pomni said, her voice shaking as she tried to ignore the feeling of shame in her gut at having spied on what the pair clearly thought was a private moment.

"Agreed." Zooble replied, stepping away from the door toward their own room.

"Do you think Ragatha was right?" The jester asked, "Could Jax really have a crush on her?"

Zooble opened the door to their room before looking at Pomni, still unsure of how they felt about the scene they witnessed. "I think they might both have one."

Chapter Text

"Do you even like rabbits?" Gangle asked, snapping Jax back to reality. He hadn't even realized he was starting to drift off until her voice practically slapped him awake. He opened an eye and glanced down at her, finding her laying across his lap as he leaned back against the wall. The last thing he remembered was the door closing, having made the both of them jump at the sudden noise.

"What are you talking about?" He asked, raising an eyebrow and earning a shrug from the woman in his lap.

"I just hadn't thought about it before," She elaborated, "but how do you feel about being a rabbit? Were they, like, your favorite animal when you were younger?"

He stayed silent as he thought, subconsciously tapping a rhythm against the bed. "Eh, they're alright I guess. Never had strong opinions about them." He sat up straighter and stretched, feeling a satisfying pop in his back. "Why do you ask? You think just because I'm a rabbit here there must be some tie to my real life?" He smiled wider as she shot a playful glare at him, "Were you into ribbons and masks in the outside world?"

"Alright, you made your point." Gangle replied with a soft chuckle, "And no, I didn't have a particular fondness for ribbons and masks."

"See, assumptions hurt." He smiled as he looked down at her in his lap. It was only then did he realize she had dawned her comedy mask once again. "What's with the happy mask?"

Her eyes widened in surprise, clearly having forgotten she was wearing it. "Oh, I just wanted a little change." She replied happily, "It had been a few days since-"

Before she could finish her thought, Jax snatched the mask off her face and threw it across the room, the pair watching it shatter against the wall. He looked back down at her and was met with a familiar tearful expression, giving Gangle a small pat of the head. "There, that's better."

"Do you always have to break it?" She asked with a sniffle, "Can't you just put it somewhere else?"

"Yes." He replied smugly, "Because it's funny." She sighed at his response, before a small, cheeky smile spread across her face.

"I thought you liked me better this way." She asked, making his smile falter as a light blush crossed his cheeks.

"W-well yeah," he replied, silent cursing himself for stuttering, "it's not fun to pick on you if you're happy about it."

"I think there's more to it." She said as she sat up, her smile growing as he leaned away from her, "Didn't you say you liked when I smiled without it?" Jax's smile had completely changed, having gone from his usual teasing smirk to a nervous and flustered smile. He averted his gaze as his blush deepened, a nervous chuckle escaping him despite his best efforts.

"I don't know what you're talking about." He defended.

She leaned towards him slowly, his hands reflexively moving to her shoulders, though he didn't really try to push her away. "No, no, I'm pretty sure you said it was more genuine like this." She giggled, wrapping her hands around his wrists, "Could it be you have been trying to see the 'real me' more often?" Her face grew closer and closer to his, his eyes darting towards her every so often as if he couldn't help but look into her eyes. "Is that it, Jaxxy boy? Or do you just think I'm cute when I cry."

He quickly shoved her off of him, his face bright red as he glared at her. "Would you cut that out." He grumbled, looking away as she laughed to herself, "When did you start getting so confident anyway? I thought you were supposed to be shy and submissive."

"Well," She began, her laughter beginning to die down, "hanging out with you has been helping. Ever since we became friends, I feel like I can just... be myself."

Jax's eyes widened slightly as he looked towards her and stifled a laugh, his smile and attitude quickly returning. "And being yourself includes flirting with me?" He asked with a teasing smile. It was Gangle's turn to blush, as she smacked him on the arm as she stammered out a variety of protests.

"That's not what I meant!" She cried, continuing to hit his arm as he howled with laughter. She crossed her arms in a huff as she stuck her tongue out at him. "Besides, it's not my fault you get flustered so easy. You'd think you've never talked to a girl before."

"Hey, I'm the peak of masculinity." He replied, "I had to beat the women off with a stick. I barely got a moment to myself."

She moved to sit next to him on the bed, looking at him skeptically. "I don't believe you." She stated.

He rolled his eyes as he poked her mask where her nose would be. "What, you think I'm lying?"

"Jax, if you said the sky was blue, I'd go outside to check." She said as she move his hand out of her face.

"Believe what you want, Ribbons." He said as he leaned against the wall, "But I'm telling ya, I was irresistible."

"How many dates have you been on?" She asked. He opened his mouth to respond, but she continued talking before he could. "Do you remember your first date? How about your first kiss? Did you ever have a crush? Have you held hands?"

"What is this, twenty questions?" He asked in frustration as he shot up straight, being met with Gangle's smug smile, "I could ask you the same questions."

"I wouldn't deflect." She replied flatly, making him sputter as he tried to think of a response, "I'm not going to make fun of you or anything. I just... want to get to know you a bit more."

"Fine, if it'll get you to stop asking." Jax groaned as he turned away from her. "No, I haven't done any of that stuff. Never had the opportunity." He pulled his legs to his chest and rested his chin on his knees. He saw Gangle scooch up next to him out of the corner of his eye, looking at him with a mix of confusion and concern. He let out a breath and gave her a tired smile, gently pushing her away. "C'mon, don't look at me like that."

She grabbed his arm and moved it out of the way, leaning closer to him. "Why did you lie?" She asked softly, making his eyes widen as he stared at her.

"I... don't like talking about myself." He mumbled, pulling his arm out of her grasp and looking down at the floor, "Takes away from the mystery." He laughed weakly. He felt a ribbon caress his cheek as Gangle forced him to look at her, cupping his chin.

"You're grinding your teeth, again." She said, squeezing gently to keep his jaw still.

"Hadn't noticed." He mumbled, relaxing into her touch before looking at her in confusion, "Wait, what do you mean 'again'?"

"You grind your teeth when you're stressed or anxious." She said, reaching up and petting between his ears, "I heard it in the maze and when we talked about Spudsy's."

"Maybe that's why my jaw gets sore." He mumbled, more so thinking aloud than directly talking to Gangle.

"Or it's because you talk too much." She teased, making the both of them share a chuckle as he nuzzled into her hand, which had moved to caress his cheek.

"What about you?" Jax asked, earning a confused look from Gangle, "You asked me about my history with romance and all that %$!&, so now I'm asking about yours."

"Well..." She began, continuing to pet the rabbit as she spoke, "I had a few dates over the years, but none of them really went anywhere. I did have one serious relationship, but..." She trailed off as tears welled in her eyes, wiping them away with a sniffle.

Jax glanced up at her, having adjusted his position to rest his head in her lap as she pet him. "You don't have to talk about it if it's, y'know, trauma or something." He said, trying his best to be comforting.

She chuckled at his clunky attempt at comfort. "You're bad at that." She replied, with him sticking his tongue out at her in response, "It's not anything like that. I just... still miss her sometimes."

"Can I ask what happened?" He asked, gently taking one of her hands in his and beginning to rub his thumb against the ribbon.

"She- cheated on me." She replied, "Said I wasn't 'providing for her needs' or something like that."

"What a !$@^#." He stated, the censor making it unclear which inappropriate name he had chosen.

"Jax!" Gangle gasped, trying to keep the shocked smile off her face.

"What? Even my backwards morals don't support cheating." He shrugged, "I'm a jerk, not a monster."

She rolled her eyes as she began to run a ribbon through his chest fur. "Regardless of what she did and whatever you called her-"

"It starts with a W" He interrupted, a conceited smile on his face.

"-I still miss her every so often." She continued, ignoring his comment, "It turned me away from dating for awhile. I felt like it was my fault, and that I didn't deserve someone else. Sometimes I still feel like it's my fault." She laughed weakly, tears running down her cheeks.

"You must be dumber than I thought." Jax said, much to Gangle's surprise

"Why would you-" She began, only for Jax to sit up straight and cut her off.

He grabbed the sides of her mask and looked into her eyes intensely, a serious expression on his face. "Ribbons, I've been mean to you more than anyone else in the circus." He began, wiping her tears away with his thumbs, "I know things you never wanted anyone to ever figure out. I've said things to you that wouldn't make me deserving of anything other than complete and utter alienation from any rational human." -she wrapped her ribbons around his wrists, a look of shock etched on her face- "Despite all of that, you chose to be my friend. I don't know if you're insane or just plain stupid, but for whatever reason, you gave me what must have been a hundredth chance. If there is anyone the least bit at fault for being cheated on, it's you."

Gangle felt a flutter in her chest as he spoke, more tears welling in her eyes. "Jax, I-"

"Shut up, I'm not done." He interrupted, "You're an amazing friend, a better one than I deserve. You're nice and understanding and creative and a million other things that that woman wouldn't have appreciated if it was used to beat her over the head. I know what it's like to be a bad person and let me tell you, you're the furthest thing from it. If I hear you blaming yourself for anything like this again, I promise you I'll become so much worse."

Gangle stared at him in amazement, before a small smile began to spread across her face as she chuckled softly. "I don't think it's possible for you to get worse." She sniffled, tears continuing to fall as looked at the rabbit in front of her.

"Oh trust me," He laughed, still holding her face in his hands, "I'm not even close to my worst." The pair continued to stare at each other, the virtual world around seeming to fade away as they looked into each other's eyes. Jax traced his thumb across the edge of Gangle's mask, the smooth porcelain shining in the light. Gangle trailed her hands up his arms and rested them on his shoulders, the soft fur tickling against the ribbons. Neither were sure how long they were sitting there, nor did they care. All they could think about in that moment was the closeness between them. They seemed unaware as the distance between them grew smaller, both of them inching closer and closer. They could feel the other's breath on their face, could feel every small movement they made. Jax could see every tiny scratch and imperfection in her mask, the light reflecting off it in an entrancing way. Gangle could see each hair of fur on his face, finding some tangled and matted together in a way that was uniquely charming. They froze for a moment, their faces mere inches apart as they waited for whatever would happen next.

Finally, they closed the distance, neither of them sure who did it first. Their lips met in an instant, their eyes closed as they embraced in a way neither of them could have expected. They tried to pull each other closer, the feeling of smooth porcelain against soft fur driving them both wild. Jax felt a shock run through his body, a warmth he never felt before filling every inch of his body as he fought to keep it from going limp. Gangle felt a flutter in her chest, a sense of calm washing over her as she slid her hands up to brush through his fur. After a mere few seconds that both wished could have lasted, the kiss was broken as they pulled away from each other, breathing heavily despite the lack of needing air.

It was only then did they realize what happened.

A blush broke out on both of their faces as Jax quickly hopped off the bed as his eyes widened in shock and fear. Gangle stared at him with a similar expression, her tears having vanished as she wrung her hands together nervously. Neither spoke a word as realization dawned upon them both, knowing they couldn't take the moment back even if they wanted to. As silence drenched the room, he turned away from her, his ears pressed flat against his head as his body trembled slightly. Without so much as a glance, Jax made his way to the door and threw it open, stepping into the hall and pulling it closed behind him. For a while, he simply stood in the hall, the lights beginning to dim as an indication of the approaching night. He walked to his room in silence, kicking the door closed behind him as he stumbled into bed. He stared up at the ceiling, his face still burning from what just transpired. His lips tingled, longing to return to the cool embrace they had grown fond of in such a short time. He watched as the circus' lights shut off and bathed his room in darkness, a scene that just this morning he had hoped he'd never have to lay awake in ever again. Yet this time, sleep was the furthest thing from his mind.

Gangle sat at her desk in shock, staring down at it's surface as she rested her hands on the back of her head. She tried to ignore the cold and longing that burned inside her, wishing the fluffy rabbit was still by her side. She wanted to cry, to scream, to abstract, anything other than sitting here with the feelings and thoughts that swirled around in her mind. She remained motionless at her desk as she replayed the kiss over and over in her mind, trying to sort through the conflicting emotions as she attempted to piece together what series of events led to it happening. The circus' lights shut off and cloaked her in darkness, though she barely registered the change as she continued to mull over her thoughts. She hadn't so much as made a sound since they pulled away from each other, but in the darkness, she asked a single question to the suddenly lonely feeling room.

"What the $@%# just happened?!"

Chapter Text

Jax silently walked through the circus, an unusual darkness having blanketed everything. His footsteps echoed off the walls, only making the the eerie silence all the more prevalent. "Hey, what's the big idea?" He called out into the darkness, his usual smile plastered on his face, "What, did Caine forget to update the lighting or something?!" His voice faded into the distance, drawing no response other than the echoes that rang back. He made his way into the main area, creeping up towards the couch in anticipation for whatever prank he had a feeling was planned. "Look, if you're trying to scare me, it'll take more than the dark." He called out with a chuckle, popping his head over the arm of the couch, expecting to find Zooble or Ragatha hiding there to jump out and scare him. His grin faltered when he was met with nothing but the same empty space he had seen everywhere.

"Seriously you guys, this joke is a little blasé." He yelled out, slumping down onto the couch in annoyance, "If you're trying to teach me a lesson about something, it's not gonna work." He stayed in his seat in silence, waiting for Caine to appear and reveal some kind of adventure or for Kinger to come wandering through. His grin had grown strained, eventually falling into a annoyed grimace as he pushed himself back to his feet. "Fine, I guess no one is here!" He called out, beginning to stomp back towards the hall, "I guess no one will be here to stop me from rummaging through everyone's rooms!" He waited for any kind of response, whether it be pleading for him not to or scolding him for having the idea, but nothing came. He stomped a foot in anger, growing increasingly annoyed at seeming to have been left alone for whatever reason.

He made his way back to the rooms and stopped in front of Zooble's door. "Oh man, look like I have free reign to raid Zoobie's box of parts!" He called out, expecting for them to coming stomping over and strangle him, "If only someone was here to-" The words died in his throat as he grabbed the doorknob and twisted it, finding it uncharacteristically unlocked. He looked down at the handle suspiciously, before throwing the door open and being met with a room as dark and empty as the rest of the circus. He strolled inside and looked around, finding everything covered in dust and cobwebs. It was like it had been abandoned. "Is it Halloween, or did you just give up on cleaning?!" He called out, a nervous laugh escaping him. He was met with an increasingly unnerving silence that only made his nervousness grow worse. He left the room quickly, rushing over to Ragatha's room and testing the door, finding it unlocked as well. He pushed the door open and was met with another abandoned room, in perfect order, yet indescribably dusty and unnerving.

The fur on the back of his neck stood on end as he backed away from the scene, running from room to room in hopes that he would see any sign of the others.

Pomni? Nothing.

Kinger? Empty.

Gangle? Not a trace.

"Haha, alright guys, you got me!" He yelled out, his voice shaking slightly as panic coursed through his body, "I'm freaked out now! You can pop out and laugh at me!" He looked around wildly, hoping for anything that could point in the direction of what was going on. Suddenly, a thud rang out from nearby, making him jump as he whipped his head towards the origin. He scanned the line of doors in front of him as more thudding rang out, slowly drawing him towards the door of one of the poor saps who had abstracted. He soon found himself standing in front of the room the thudding was coming from. He stared in horror at the crossed out image of a cartoon frog, feeling his chest tighten as a lump caught in his throat.

"Ragatha, if this is a joke, it's pretty fucking uncool." He called through the door, not even realizing the lack of censoring on his swear. He hesitantly reached towards the door's handle, his hand trembling. He grabbed the smooth brass and turned it, finding the door unlocked just like all the others. He felt his stomach churn with anxiety as he pushed the door open, a loud creak ringing through the empty circus as the room was revealed. The inside was empty, having been reverted back to it's placeholder state after Caine dealt with the abstraction. No bed, no colors, nothing. Just an empty box of a room.

Except for the lanky frog sitting in the center, looking away from Jax.

"...Ribbit?" Jax asked, his voice barely above a whisper. His eyes widened at the sight of his friend, a mix of emotions and memories swarming his mind. He took a slow step inside, the floorboards creaking beneath his feet as he entered. "Ribbit, it's me." He said, feeling tears prick at his eyes, "It's Jax." The frog stayed silent, not doing so much as twitching as he continued to stare at the wall in silence. "I'm... sorry for what I said back then. I was confused and angry and I'm not good at that sort of heart to heart stuff." Jax couldn't stop himself as he approached the hunched figure, the words he had been wanting to say ever since Ribbit had abstracted. "I wish I could go back and change how I reacted." He hesitantly reached out towards the frog, his hand trembling, "I was stupid and selfish and scared, and I know that nothing I say will make it ok. I just... I miss you, Hops." He smiled softly while using the old nickname, wiping away the tears that ran down his cheeks. He gently placed his hand on Ribbit's shoulder.

"Jax?" The frog asked quietly, making the rabbit's ears perk up.

"Yeah, I'm here buddy." He smiled.

"You... left me." Ribbit said, making Jax's smile fall as he pulled his hand away.

"Wh-what? No, I didn't meant to." The rabbit defended, trying not to let the hurt in his voice show, "I didn't want this to happen, I just-"

"You left me." The frog repeated, slowly climbing to his feet, "We were supposed to be... best friends." The way he spoke was unnatural and slow, like it took physical effort to say the words.

"We were." Jax said, trying to ignore the panic that was bubbling inside him, "I'll never be able to forgive myself for letting this happen. You were my best friend, and we could have been-"

His sentence was cut off as Ribbit's head snapped backwards, twisting in unnatural ways as he slowly turned to face the rabbit. His form glitched and writhed, like something inside him was trying to break out. He had a smile on his face, though it was freakishly large and unsettling. His eyes were black, like pits of void had replaced the cartoonish design Jax was familiar with. "Abandoned me." He said, his voice growing distorted and staticky. Jax backed away slowly as his friend twitched where he stood, with black tendrils beginning to pierce through his green skin and wrap around the frog's body.

"No, no, no, not again!" He cried, watching in horror as his friend once again abstracted. The mass grew larger and larger, with Ribbit's form no longer being detectable beneath the writhing sea of darkness. Multicolored eyes began to snap open, all of them looking around wildly before settling onto Jax. His heart sank as the creature glitched in front of him, the eyes all over it's body locked on him with a glare. "...I'm sorry." He whispered, knowing fully that his friend wasn't there to hear it. The beast charged towards him, terrifyingly silent despite the anger that shone in it's eyes. Jax's eyes widened in fear as it grew closer and closer, reaching out with one of it's writhing limbs to grab him by the throat.

Jax's eyes snapped open as he shot up in bed, breathing heavily as he looked around at his surroundings in a panic. He was back in his room, with the light from the moon pouring in through the window and bathing everything in a soft, blue glow. He brought a hand to his neck and rubbed it softly, finding no signs of the abstraction's attack. As his heart beat gradually began to return to normal and his racing thoughts slowed, he let out sigh as he rubbed his face with his hands.

"$@%#ing nightmares." He mumbled to himself, slowly tossing his blanket to the side as he swung his legs over the edge of the bed. He yawned as he stood up, immediately being met with the unfortunately familiar sting of fatigue as he shuffled towards the door. He didn't even bother to check the time, instead hoping it wouldn't be too long until the day started and he could try to put the rough wake up behind him. He trudged out into the hall and began to head towards the main area, doing his best to ignore the thoughts in his head as he stumbled towards the couch and collapsed onto it. He groaned as he flipped himself over and stared up at the ceiling, hoping that morning would come sooner rather than later. Though, he wasn't exactly in the mood to interact with anyone. And with what happened earlier in the evening, he was especially dreading having to see-

"Jax?" Gangle asked, making the rabbit's eyes widen in panic. He sat up and saw her peaking out from Kinger's fortress, though he assumed the chess piece himself was asleep in his room. "What are you doing up so early?"

"I could ask you the same thing, Ribbons." He replied, forcing a smile onto his face.

Gangle's eyes widened slightly as she averted her gaze. "Oh, uh, I couldn't sleep." She mumbled, a light blush on her face.

"Riveting story." He chuckled as he hopped off the couch and approached her, "What are you doing in Hoo-Hah's fort?" He asked, waiting until she was about to answer before kicking a few pillows away and making the structure collapse on top of her. She popped her head out from beneath the mess and shot him a playful glare, grabbing a pillow and throwing it at him, only for it to harmlessly smack into the rabbit's chest.

"Well, I was drawing." She began, making sure to emphasize how he had ruined her activity, "But I just came here to relax and think." Her soft smile fell as she averted her gaze once more, tapping her hands together nervously. "Jax... I'm sorry about the ki-"

"No." He interrupted, his forced smile being replaced by an effortless frown.

"...No?" She asked, unsure of exactly what he meant.

"We aren't talking about it." He stated, subconsciously stomping his foot in anger, "I don't want to talk about it or hear about it or even think about it." He was hoping she would just drop the subject like she usually would. The last thing he was in the mood for right now was thinking about how close the two of them had gotten over the past few weeks. Unfortunately, the look of annoyance on her face seemed to indicate she had other plans.

"Well, I want to talk about it." She replied, pulling herself out of the pillow pile and walking closer to him, "I don't want things to be weird between us."

He rolled his eyes in annoyance, crossing his arms as he looked down at her. "They won't be if you just keep your mouth shut and forget about it." He growled.

"Why do you have to make it so difficult to talk about things?" She asked, placing her hands on her hips as she looked up at him, "Why can't you just have a normal, adult conversation with me."

"Because as far as I'm concerned, that stupid mistake we made never happened." He shot back.

"Are you purposely trying to be a jerk about it?" Gangle asked, a slight hint of hurt in her voice, "Just because I'm fine with the teasing doesn't mean I'm fine with you acting like this."

"Why should I care what you want?" He asked, poking her in the chest, "It didn't matter to me before, why should it matter to me now?"

She shoved him back and glared at him as familiar tears welled in her eyes. "Because I thought we were friends." She spat, "I figured you'd have grown at least a little bit by now."

"I don't need friends." He replied, his voice growing low and serious, "I didn't need one before and I don't need one now. All they do is weigh you down."

"Whoa there!" Caine's voice called out, forcing the argument to a halt as he appeared in the air between the two. "Seems like you two early risers aren't familiar with the rule of using your inside voices!" Jax glared at the floating AI, finally realizing that morning had arrived and the circus' lights had come on. "As happy as I am to see you two eager for adventure after the day off yesterday, I can't have you waking up everyone else! That's not good for morale!"

"We're already awake, Caine." Zooble said as they and the rest of the cast entered into the main area, "It's hard to stay asleep when those stupid lights come on."

"Wonderful!" He cheered, seemingly forgetting about scolding Jax and Gangle. With a snap of his fingers, he summoned everyone into the center of the room. "Now then, who's ready for an adventure of dangerous proportions!"

"Count me out." Zooble said dismissively, already walking away to a more secluded seating area.

"Haha, oh Zooble, you crazy mismatched character! If you keep skipping out on my adventures, I'm going to have to start taking it personally!" He replied happily, though an underlying tone of anger was clearly present. Turning back to the rest, he locked eyes with Gangle and gasped. "Oh goodness, is your comedy mask already broken?!" He asked. Without waiting for an answer, he snapped his fingers and produced a new one in her hands, "There we go! Adventure is no place for misery!" She looked down at the mask in her hands, glancing towards a still sour looking Jax before slipping it on silently.

"Uh, are you sure about the whole 'dangerous' part of this adventure?" Pomni asked, looking up at the ringleader sheepishly.

"Of course I am!" He replied, "I'm always one hundred percent sure about all my adventures, Pomni!"

"That's right, Boss!" Bubble chimed in, seemingly appearing from out of nowhere.

"Thank you, Bubble!" He smiled, before turning back to the group, "I hope you all know how to swim!"

"Why would that-" Jax began, only for Caine to wave his cane around and make the floor drop out from under them all and send them falling and screaming  into who knows what.

"And remember to have fun, my pesky plumbers!" He yelled down after them, before dusting off his hands and looking towards Bubble, "You prepared life jackets at the start, right?"

"I sure hope so!" He replied happily, a large smile on his face.

Chapter Text

"How is yours coming along, Zooble?" Gangle asked, peaking over at her friend's sketch.

They glanced at her with a smile, "Not too bad, I think." They replied, sliding the paper over for her to get a better view, "It's not much different than using a tattoo gun. At least my canvas doesn't flinch." Gangle giggled at the comment, turning back to her own project as she carefully sketched the features on her friends. She had decided to draw a scene of everyone in the circus simply relaxing, something she wished would happen more often. She quickly grew focused on the drawing, tuning out the world around her and not realizing that Zooble was looking over her shoulder. "That's a nice scene." They said, making her jump in surprise.

"Wh-what? O-oh, thank you." She stuttered out, scooting over so Zooble could take a seat next to her, "I just thought, after all those adventures yesterday, it would be nice if we could all just hang out again."

"Does that include you and Jax cuddling?" They asked with a smirk, making Gangle's eyes widened as a blush spread across her face. She looked at her drawing and, sure enough, she had drawn herself sitting in the rabbit's lap, his arms wrapped around her as he rested his head atop her's.

"I-I didn't mean to draw that!" She cried out, scrambling to hide the drawing from her friend's view, "I just, uh, messed up the proportions and stuff, yeah!"

Zooble stifled their laughter as they place a hand on her shoulder. "Gangle, I'm just teasing you." They reassured, making the ribbon women calm down ever so slightly, "I don't really care if you want to snuggle with that freak again, I just want to make sure you aren't, like, being held hostage by him or something."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to freak out, I'm just-" She began, before her eyes widened and she looked at the mismatched character in confusion, "What do you mean 'again'?".

It was Zooble's turn to panic as they averted their gaze quickly. "Oh, did I say again? I just meant, uh-I didn't mean anything by it." They said quickly, rubbing the back of their neck nervously. Glancing back at the skeptical woman, they sighed in resignation. "Alright, fine." They mumbled, "A few days ago, me and Pomni may have... spied on you and Jax in your room." Their voice was barely audible by the end of their confession, but Gangle had heard it regardless. Her face had turned bright red, quickly burying her face in her hands as she screamed into them. "I didn't plan on it, I promise!" Zooble defended, "I heard Jax's voice and I got worried, so I just-"

"I don't know how I feel about him." Gangle interrupted, looking at her friend with tears in her eyes.

Zooble's worried expression quickly morphed into one of confusion, staring at Gangle curiously. "...What are you talking about?"

Gangle sighed as she began to explain everything, her hands tapping together nervously. Everything from the train, to the fight in the jungle, to comforting him in his room after being reminded of Spudsy's. She rambled on and on, unable to stop herself from pouring every detail out into the open. "-and he said such sweet, sweet things about me. He called me kind and creative and said I was an amazing friend, but then we kissed and neither of us knew what to do, so-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Time out!" Zooble interrupted in shock, "You two kissed?!"

"I don't know how it happened!" Gangle whined in response, "We were just talking and the next thing I knew we..." She groaned as she fell backwards, staring up at the ceiling. "Then him and I had an argument about it in the morning and now it's back to all the bullying like it used to be." -She put her face in her hands- "And I don't know what I feel towards him anymore. He's a jerk and arrogant and self-centered, and I used to want nothing more than to never have to see him, but he's also kind and understanding and funny, and now that we aren't spending time together I just miss him and wish me and him could hang out again."

Zooble stared at their friend in silence, a mixture of shock and disbelief on their face. "...You guys kissed?!" They repeated, still unable to move past the fact in their mind, "Oh my god, I owe Pomni so much money if we ever get out of here."

Gangle shot back up with a look of disbelief on her face. "You bet on that?!" She asked incredulously.

"It's not my fault Caine didn't put anything to do in this stupid circus." They shot back, before looking away in shame, "But, I'm sorry."

Gangle sighed as a small smile spread across her face. "It's alright, Zooble. I can't exactly say I wouldn't have bet on something equally as insane." The pair fell silent, neither of them sure how to continue with the conversation or their drawings.

"Ok, but-" Zooble began, breaking the silence, "Really? Of all people in the circus, it was Jax? I know options are limited, but I still feel like you chose the bottom of the barrel."

"I don't know how it happened either." She replied, "I'm still not even sure how I feel about HIM, much less the kiss."

Zooble rubbed their arm awkwardly as they shuffled closer to her. "Look, I'm probably not the best person to give advice about guys." She began, looking at her ribbon friend nervously, "But if it's anything like it is for girls, than I think the fact you can't stop thinking about him is pretty telling."

"What do you-"Gangle began, mulling over Zooble's words before her eyes widened in realization, "N-no, that can't be it?" She whispered, looking at Zooble with a mixture of panic and confusion.

They looked at her with a deadpan expression, "Gangle, the two of you slept in the same bed for the better part of a month, he stopped bullying you, and I've seen the two of you flirting."

Her blush deepened at the accusation, "Flirting?! I don't know what you're talking about."

"I'm not blind, Gangle." They replied, "The teasing, the banter, actually caring about him. It'd only be more obvious if you were using pet names... which I'm starting to think is what he's doing when he calls you 'Ribbons'."

Gangle remained silent for awhile, staring at her hands as she thought about everything Zooble had said and everything she had been feeling. "Oh god, I have feelings for him." She whispered in realization.

"My condolences." They replied, patting her on the back softly.

"What do I do now?" She asked, "I haven't thought about actual romance in years. It always looks so easy in my anime."

"Maybe just talk to him?" They suggested, "Unless you plan to drop your books so he helps pick them up."

"I can't do that!" She whined, seeming to either not register or purposely ignore the other comment, "After all that stuff we did, I don't think he'll want to even see my face."

"Then just give him time to cool off." They shrugged, picking up their forgotten drawing and continuing to sketch, "Whatever the next adventure is is bound to !%#@ him off."

Gangle nodded softly, tapping her hands together nervously. "Do you think we went too far with the maid dress?" She asked, making Zooble chuckle at the memory.

"Nah, he definitely deserved it. He needed an ego check." They replied through their snickering, "Good idea, by the way. I don't think I would have come up with something like that."

Gangle smiled softly as she picked her sketchbook back up. "I guess you're right... and thanks."

"Where'd you get the idea from anyway?" They asked, making her face flush bright red.

"O-oh, nowhere really, just uh..." she trailed off, mumbling as she used her sketchbook to block Zooble's amused face from view.

"Yeah, I figured." They replied, a teasing smile in their eyes, "You seem like the type who'd be into that stuff."

"What's that supposed to mean!?" She cried, her face going beet red.

Chapter Text

"Jax! Get out here!" Zooble called through the door as they pounded a fist against it, "Caine said we only have an hour until the next adventure, and he'll blow a gasket if we aren't all there."

"Are you sure he'll answer the door for you?" Pomni asked, "He's probably still sore about the whole vegan thing."

"If he is, I'll drag the big baby out myself." They replied, pounding on the door once more, "Get out here you jack@%#!"

The door swung open to reveal a tired and angry looking Jax, who glared at Zooble as he held the doorknob in a death grip. "What do you want, Lost and Found?"

"Are you feeling ok, Jax?" Pomni asked, "You don't look too good."

"Can it, Jingles." He snapped, making the jester fall silent.

"Caine, adventure, let's go, now." Zooble grumbled, grabbing his wrist and beginning to drag him out, only for him to yank back and pull their arm out of it's socket.

"I don't think it's fair that I have to go." He growled, "You've skipped out on more adventures than I have. Maybe I'll stay here for once, and you can go get attacked by whatever freak Caine has cooked up, you useless- GAH" He struggled against Zooble's arm as it choked him, trying to pry it off his throat.

They snatched their arm back, allowing the rabbit to breathe once more. "Maybe we can vote on it." They sneered.

"Uh, Zooble," Pomni began nervously, "maybe we should just leave him alone."

"You mismatched freak!" Jax yelled as he shoved them back, sending them tumbling to the ground.

"I'll kill you for that!" They snapped as they got back to their feet as they prepared to lunge at him, only for Pomni to step between the pair to keep them apart.

"Guys, can we please just talk about this?" She asked worriedly, barely able to hold them back as they glared at each other.

"Blame Long Ears over there!" Zooble said, pointing an accusatory finger at him.

"Big talk for someone who'd fall apart from a gust of wind!" Jax yelled back, swiping at them wildly.

"What's going on?" Ragatha asked as she rushed towards the commotion, with Gangle and Kinger following close behind. Her confused expression was replaced with one of annoyance upon seeing scene in the hallway. "Oh, not again."

"I'll make sure it's the last time." Zooble said as they lunged at Jax, the pair tumbling to the ground as they began to fight.

"Oh dear." Kinger said, watching the fight unfold, "I haven't seen them fight this much in awhile."

"We should stop them." Pomni interjected, looking at the rest of the group, "...right?"

"Maybe it'd be better if we let them tire themselves out." Gangle posited.

Jax grunted as he shoved Zooble off of him and glared at the group of onlookers. "Can it, Crybaby!" He snapped, only for Zooble to punch him in the jaw in response.

"Leave her out of this, you @&$*!" She yelled back.

"Ok, let's step in now." Ragatha said quickly. The group rushed in and pried the pair away from each other, Jax still swinging wildly as Zooble yelled a torrent of censored words at him.

"Jax, please calm down." Gangle said, using all of her meager strength to hold back the writhing character with Pomni.

"Why are you taking his side?" Ragatha asked as she and Kinger struggled to keep Zooble from lunging at Jax once more, "He's probably the one who started this, anyway."

"That's not very fair, Ragatha." Pomni commented, "Not to put the blame on them, but I did tell Zooble he was probably still upset."

"That sounds a lot like you're blaming me." Zooble replied in annoyance. The group quickly devolved into argument, with everyone except Kinger shouting over one another.

"ENOUGH!!" Caine's voice rang out, bringing the argument to a screeching halt as everyone looked up at the ringleader in shock.

"Oohh, that's not good." Jax whispered, glancing at Pomni nervously.

"I can not BELIEVE you all!" Caine continued, "After all the adventures, you all still can't get along?!"

Gangle took a hesitant step forward, looking up at him nervously, "Um, we're sorry Caine. We just-"

"I don't want to hear it!" He interrupted, making her shrink in on herself, "All this fighting has cut into our adventure time! You people have no idea how hard it is to deal with you all sometimes!" His eyes widened as he spoke, a smile stretching across his head, "Actually, that might be just the thing!"

"This can't end well." Pomni said as Caine clapped his hands, transporting everyone to a large maze, with an entrance dedicated to each player. With a flick of his cane, a puff of smoke enveloped the area, fading away to reveal a group of familiar characters.

"O-oh, hello again." Evil Jax said, giving his counterpart a shy wave.

"Oh god, not you again." Jax replied, shooting a glare at the second rabbit.

"Indeed it is!" Caine said proudly, gesturing towards the new crowd, "It's the return of the Evil Digital Circus!-" He zipped over towards Gangle, who was staring at her counterpart in confusion, "-Featuring the all new Evil Gangle!"

"Get away from me." The red masked character said angrily.

"Nice to see you again, $!^@&." Evil Pomni grinned, draping an arm over her counterpart's shoulder.

"I don't like you." Pomni replied, looking at the evil jester in annoyance.

"Your goal for this adventure is to make it to the other end of the maze with your evil counterpart's help!" Caine said happily, gesturing towards the entrances.

"Can me and Pomni switch partners?" Jax asked.

"Now there's an idea!" Evil Pomni said with a laugh.

"No can do, Jax!" Caine replied, "This adventure is specifically designed for each of you with your mirror self in mind!"

"And what's to stop us from leaving them behind?" Zooble asked.

"Why woulda wanna do that?" Bazooble asked their annoyed counterpart, before devolving into nonsensical babbling.

"Ok, new question." Zooble began, looking at their mirror self uncomfortably, "Can I opt to do the maze alone?"

"Nope!" The ringleader said with a snap of his fingers, handcuffing each player to their mirror self, much to everyone's displeasure.

"What happened to their Orbsman?" Ragatha asked.

"Maybe he just hated you that much, RagaDUMB." Evil Ragatha replied with maniacal laughter, much to the other doll's annoyance.

"Hey, that's not very nice." Evil Jax protested meekly, earning an unsettling stare from the purple rabbit he was chained too.

"I'm going to maul you again." Jax said with a growl, making his mirror self whimper in fear.

"Well, you all know the rules!" Caine said, drawing the attention of both groups, "I'll be waiting for you all at the end! Oh, and no trying to kill your counterpart! I'm looking at you Coach Dictatorer."

"Fine." The grey chess piece groaned as he tossed away the dagger he was holding, "Stupid @%!&*%#." He grumbled under his breath as he glared at Kinger, who smiled at his counterpart obliviously.

"His... first name is Coach?" Gangle asked her counterpart.

"And he's not even a good one." The white ribbon character replied.

"Alright teams," Caine called out, "your time starts now!" He pointed towards a large digital timer on the wall. With that, he disappeared, leaving the unwitting teams to begin their trek through the maze.

"Try not to &!%$ it up this time, Rags!" Evil Pomni called out to the doll as she starting pulling her normal self into the maze. "Let's hope you can walk better than you bat!"

"Let's just get this over with." Jax growled, yanking his handcuffed counterpart along behind him.

"O-oh, ok!" The pink bunny replied, waving towards Evil Gangle, "Bye, Gangy! See you later!"

"See ya, Cottontail." They replied with a teasing smirk.

"If you keep talking, I'm getting violent." Jax interjected angrily.

"Haha... he's joking, right?" The mirror rabbit asked, looking at classic Gangle nervously. The pair of ribbon characters watched the rabbits disappear beyond the wall, before the two of them began to head into the maze themselves.

"So..." Gangle began, looking around at the maze's high walls, "You and your Jax seem to get along."

"Man, is your voice always this whiny?" Evil Gangle asked, "If you must know, yes, Bunny Boy and I are friends."

"That's nice." She said, doing her best to ignore the insult, "I'm not sure where me and my Jax stand on things."

"If he's anything like my boyfriend, he's a pushover." They shrugged, "Just be firm with his fluffy butt and he'll fold."

"No, he's-" Gangle's eyes widened as the words finally registered in her mind, "boyfriend?!"

"I didn't want to believe it at first either." Evil Gangle replied, "I hated that whiny little twink for the longest time, but after awhile all the crying and submissiveness went from pathetic to... sorta endearing."

"But... why?" She asked in disbelief, making her counterpart roll their eyes.

"Ugh, somehow you're more annoying than he is." They groaned, "What does it matter why it happened? All that matters is that it did. Man, I hate this mushy @$!&."

"But wouldn't talking about it help make things less awkward?" She asked.

"I shouldn't have to talk about something if I'm not comfortable with it!" They snapped, a mixture of annoyance and worry in their voice, "Just because someone like you feels better talking about something doesn't mean I do!"

"I-I'm sorry." She mumbled, looking away from her angry counterpart.

The pair continued on in silence, with neither of them sure how to continue the conversation, but neither of them particularly wanting to either. They passed beneath an overhanging area of the maze, the sound of knocking against glass drawing the pair's attention upward to be met with the two Jaxes above. Jax made a variety of mocking faces as the pair, while Evil Jax opted for a friendly wave at them instead. Evil Gangle chuckled softly as they shot a censored gesture towards the pink rabbit, "What a dork." They said with a soft smile.

Gangle rolled her eyes as she gave a shy wave up to her Jax, a light blush dusting her cheeks. "...I guess I can see where you're coming from."

"Man, those two are such losers." Jax laughed as he turned away from the window, yanking his counterpart along and earning a yelp in response.

"I think they're pretty cool." Evil Jax replied, tapping their hands together nervously.

"Of course you would." He groaned, shooting an annoyed look at the pink rabbit.

"S-sorry." They stuttered as an awkward silence descended on the pair. They continued walking through the maze, taking turn after turn and running into more dead ends than either thought possible. "So..." Evil Jax began, earning an annoyed sigh from their mirror image, "when did you and your Gangle start dating?" Jax stopped in his tracks and looked at them in utter confusion, making them shrink back anxiously, "O-oh, sorry, did you two break up?"

"Oh my god, stop talking!" He cried, pulling at his ears in distress, "I'd rather listen to Kinger talk about his bug collection than date that pile of ribbons." Evil Jax snickered softly, earning a glare and snarl from the purple rabbit.

"I-I'm sorry!" They cried, holding their hands up defensively, "I didn't mean to laugh, it's just... you sound a lot like my Gangle."

"What are you talking about, whimp?" He asked, looking down at the cowering character.

"W-Well, they always tease me and call me names and say how annoying I am." They explained, "They even made me promise not to say anything when they confessed or else they'd tie my ears in a knot again."

"So what?" Jax asked, tugging his counterpart along as the pair began to walk through the maze once more, "I'm pretty sure all of those reverse freaks bully you."

"Well... that's true." They admitted sheepishly, "But it's different with Gangle! They do all that stuff, but with their happy mask they're less mean and more confident and fun. They'll also hold me and say nice things when we're alone and sometimes they'll let me lay in their lap and-"

"Shut up, shut up!" He screamed, pulling his ears down against his head, "I don't care about your weird relationship with your bully and I don't have those feelings for my Gangle!" His mirror self fell silent for a moment, before a small grin spread across their face, making his anger give way to a nervous confusion. "What's that? What's with that look? I don't like seeing you smile."

"I, uh... I didn't say you had feelings for your Gangle" They stuttered out, making Jax fall silent as the realization dawned on him.

"Oh %!@#." He stated, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Heh, that's what my Gangle said too." Evil Jax interjected, quickly falling silent as Jax glared at them, "...I'll never bring it up again if you promise not to hurt me."

"I'm holding you to that." He replied, yanking the pink rabbit forward as the pair kept walking through the maze.

"Gangle doesn't like talking about stuff either." They said after awhile, making Jax glance back at them curiously, "They aren't good with emotional conversations. I try my best to help how I can, but... it's not easy when they won't talk to me." Jax stayed silent as he listened, a wave of shame washing over him.

After managing to stumble their way to the exit after only a few more wrong turns and dead ends, Jax let out a groan as he saw that the two of them were the second to last pair to arrive.

"Finally." Evil Pomni grinned, staring at Evil Jax menacingly, "I was starting to hope he killed you."

"You don't mean that, right?" The nervous rabbit asked, only making the jester smile wider.

"Ooohh, so sorry Jaxes!" Caine said as he snapped their handcuffs away, "It looks like you two didn't make it on the maze race podium!"

"You never said it was a race." Zooble said, currently engaged in a tug of war for on of their limbs with Bazooble, "And would you let go, already!"

"Okie dokie." The evil assortment of shapes replied, relinquishing their grip on the arm and sending Zooble tumbling backwards.

"About time you got here." Evil Gangle said as they approached Evil Jax, "I was starting to think you were more useless than usual." The shy rabbit laughed awkwardly as they averted their gaze, a blush spreading across their face as a white ribbon curled around their hand.

"Oh barf." Jax said as he rolled his eyes, quickly walking away from the pair and leaning against a wall near his version of Gangle, "Can you believe that's supposed to be me?"

"Oh, are we talking again?" She asked, looking at him nervously, "You aren't still... mad?"

"Well, after being stuck to that loser for hours,-" he nodded towards his evil counterpart, "-I realized that maybe I was being a jerk... more than usual."

She smiled softly at him as she tapped her hands together. "I wasn't being very fair either." She admitted sheepishly, "I shouldn't have tried to pry if you weren't comfortable with it."

Jax felt heat rise to his cheeks as he averted his gaze. "I'm... I'm sorry." He mumbled, making the ribbon woman chuckle softly.

"It's ok." She nodded, sliding closer to him, "I'm sorry too... Cottontail." She shot him a teasing look.

He shook his head as silent laugh shook his body. "Never call me that again."

"You're no fun." She said, giving him a soft smack on the arm.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say." He said as he rolled his eyes, "I forgive you... Gangy."

"Oh gross, that's the worst!" She laughed, giving him a playful shove as he smirked.

"There you two are!" Caine yelled out as the pair of Ragathas exited the maze, "Unfortunately, you two are the last to arrive!"

"Just unlock us." Ragatha said, a barely contained anger in her voice.

"What's the matter, Ragatha?" Her evil counterpart asked with a laugh, "Was it too embarrassing to fail in front of your superior self?"

"I hate you so $@#&ing much." Ragatha mumbled under her breath, the loud censor giving away the less than savory context.

"Ooohh, she's mad." Jax chuckled, only for his and Gangle's evil counterparts to approach.

"Hi Gangle." The shy rabbit waved, "I just wanted to congratulate you on coming in second place."

"Not much of a compliment, Bunny Boy." Evil Gangle commented, smiling up at them.

"I appreciate it nonetheless, Evil Jax." She replied, "I'm just a bit surprised Zooble and their counterpart came in first."

"Loony isn't many things, but they're surprisingly good with directions." Evil Gangle said, glancing towards them as Zooble finally stole back their arm.

"Alright everyone!" Caine called out, "Let's get ready to leave! Say goodbye to your mirrored friends!"

"I hope we never do this bull%!@& again." Evil Gangle said as they crossed their arms.

"I had fun!" Evil Jax said with a smile, "How about you, Jax?"

"I'd be lying if I said yes." He shrugged, looking his counterpart up and down.

"Aww, you don't really mean that, do you?" The pink rabbit asked with a smile, only making Jax's frown deepen.

"I still have time to kill you, y'know." He scowled, making his evil counterpart shrink back in fear.

Gangle looked between the two, her eyes widening slowly. "Toxic yaoi." She whispered in excitement, jumping as her evil counter part snickered next to her.

"Oh, you're so right." They said, smirking as they glanced at her.

"Time to go!" Caine yelled out with a snap, bathing everyone in a puff of smoke. A chorus of coughs rang out as the smoke cleared, revealing everyone back in the circus, and a noticeable lack of evil counterparts. "Well, I hope everyone learned a valuable lesson about APPRECIATING WHAT I DO- and that your enjoyment is the most important thing for my adventures." Before anyone could say a word, he had already vanished.

"I'm going to bed." Ragatha mumbled, an uncharacteristic annoyance in her voice.

"That's the first thing she's said that I agree with." Jax said as he prepared to head to his room, only for Gangle to wrap a ribbon around his wrist and pull him to a stop.

"U-um, I was wondering if..." She mumbled, averting her gaze as a blush crossed her face.

He glanced towards the remaining people in the room, finding Pomni and Zooble deep in conversation, while Kinger had already wandered off to rebuild his fortress. "Alright, we'll go to your room." He mumbled, a bright blush on his face as Gangle smiled up at him, "You're lucky I sleep better around you."

"I do too." She replied, before the unlikely duo began heading towards her room, unaware at the pair of eyes watching them walk away.

"Do you think they're going to the same room?" Pomni asked, looking towards Zooble with a puzzled expression.

"I don't know what's going on with them anymore." They sighed, resting their hands on their hips, "...Fifty bucks says Jax confesses first."

"Deal." Pomni said with a nod, "You already owe me for the other bet anyway."

Zooble looked at the jester in shock, "How did you-"

"Kinger told me." She said with a small smile, "He also said he's sorry he's bad at keeping secrets."

Zooble's shocked expression fell, being replaced by one of annoyance, "God $!#@ it."

Chapter Text

"Hey you two!" Ragatha said in a chipper tone, taking a seat next to Pomni and Zooble as they stared across the table, "What are you guys up to?"

"Trying to figure out if Gangle is going to get her heart broken." Zooble replied, their eyes locked on their friend across the table as she talked to Jax.

Ragatha looked at them in confusion, following their gaze towards the pair. "I... don't follow." She said, looking towards Pomni with a questioning glance.

"Zooble helped Gangle realize she had feelings for Jax, so now they are stalking the both of them to make sure Jax doesn't hurt her." The jester said, drawing Zooble's attention away from the pair to glare at her.

"I'm not stalking them." They defended, "I'm just making sure he isn't doing some messed up prank or something."

"Wait, what do you mean Gangle has feelings for him?" Ragatha asked with a dumbfounded look on her face, joining Zooble and Pomni in watching the pair.

"I thought we told you." Zooble stated, making the doll shake her head in response.

"I guess you don't know they kissed either?" Pomni asked, making Ragatha's eyes widen in shock.

"WHAT?!" She yelled out, quickly clasping her hands over her mouth as she realized just how loud she had gotten.

"Jeez, Dollface." Jax said from across the other side of the table, "These ears aren't just for show y'know."

"S-sorry!" She stuttered out, looking towards the floor nervously as his attention shifted from her towards the other two who were staring at him.

"Can I help you?" He asked with a scowl.

"Bite me, @%#hole." Zooble shot back, making the rabbit roll his eyes in response.

"That costs extra." He chuckled as he turned back towards Gangle to continue their conversation as Zooble glared at him.

"Maybe he's always been like this." Pomni posited as she looked towards her angry friend.

"What are you talking about?" They asked, with Ragatha leaning over to be a part of the conversation.

"Maybe his whole attitude was just a persona, and he's actually a lot nicer than he seems." She continued, making the other two look at her in doubt.

"Well, he did get along with..." Ragatha began, stopping herself as she glanced at Jax to make sure he wasn't listening, "he had a friend here a few years ago."

"I don't buy it." Zooble interjected, looking over at him suspiciously, "As long as I've known him, he's been nothing but an arrogant, hateful, @^%#."

Pomni fiddled with the balls on her outfit anxiously. "Maybe... you're being too harsh?" She suggested, her voice falling quiet as she spoke.

They looked at the jester with a mixture of confusion and annoyance. "Are you really suggesting that I'M the problem?"

"N-no, not at all!" Pomni stuttered out, holding her hands up defensively, "It's just, well, maybe he acts the way he does for a reason."

"I'll believe it when I see it." They muttered, leaning forward to rest their chin on their arms.

"Didn't you bet on him confessing first, anyway?" She asked, "Why make that bet if you don't trust him?"

"I can distrust him AND think he'll confess first." They replied with a small smile.

"You guys are betting on them?" Ragatha asked in shock, earning a nod from the pair as she fell silent. "...Can I join?"

"Really?" Zooble asked with a chuckle, "Miss prim and proper wants to join our shady gambling ring?"

She averted her gaze as she rubbed an arm nervously, an awkward smile on her face. "...I've been feeling a bit left out, recently."

Across the table, Jax was leaning back in his chair with his feet on the table, making Gangle look at him with a mixture of amusement and annoyance. "Were you raised in a barn?" She asked with a chuckle, the sight of a small smile on her tragedy mask becoming pleasantly common.

"Nope!" He said with his usual grin on his face, "I was actually feral. I lived in the woods with a pack of wolves."

"The fact that I wouldn't be surprised if that was true is worrying." She replied as she turned her focus back towards her sketchbook.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He asked as he put his feet on the ground and sat up straight, "Are you calling me uncivilized?"

"You said it, not me." She teased, earning a small laugh from him.

"Whatcha drawing, anyway?" He asked, leaning over to peak at the book, "It better not be more of me and that knock off kissing."

"I told you to stop looking through my sketches." She replied, "It's your own fault you saw it."

"You're the freak who drew it." He said as he flicked the corner of her mask, making her bat his hand away. His smile grew as he flicked it again and again, watching as the ribbon woman's smacks got harder.

"If you do it again, I'm going to strangle you." She said, looking at him with a straight face.

"Hey, threats are my bit." He said defensively, before a mischievous look flashed in his eyes, "Then again, maybe I'm into that sorta thing~" He waggled his eyebrows at her, only earning a bemused groan in response.

"I'm going to tell Caine to up the censor if you keep being gross." She laughed, pushing his face away as he continued to grin.

"Did somebody say my name!" Caine cheered as he flashed into existence.

"I heard the moon saying it last night." Bubble said as he appeared next to Caine, earning a horrified and annoyed look from the ringleader.

"You never fail to disgust me, Bubble." He said as he used his cane to pop the smiling creature, before turning his attention back to the characters sitting around the table, "Ignoring that, who's ready for a brand new, all expenses paid, exci..." His cheeriness fizzled out as he looked around the table in confusion, "Where's Kinger?"

As if on cue, the chess piece popped his head out from beneath the table, looking around frantically. "Well... this isn't my room." He stated as he crawled out and got to his feet, dusting off the front of his robe as everyone looked at him curiously.

"Were you under there this whole time?" Pomni asked, only earning a blank stare from him in response.

"Well, now that everyone is here, let's get on with today's adventure!" Caine exclaimed, "Today is a good old fashioned scavenger hunt!"

"Didn't we do something like this already?" Ragatha asked the AI.

"Because of the lack of participation from so many of you, I decided we give this a second go!" He replied, "This time there won't be anyone locked in cabins!"

"Aww, but I liked being stuck in a dark room with nothing all day." Jax said, his voice oozing with sarcasm.

"Haha! Oh Jax, you poorly behaved rapscallion!" Caine said as he zipped over to the rabbit and gave him a pat between the ears, much to his annoyance. Shooting back to where he was, Caine snapped his fingers and produced a long list of items that he handed to Kinger, "Now then, you'll have to find a total of twenty items hidden around the circus' grounds! You all should be done in no time as long as you work together!"

"What's to stop us from not doing this?" Zooble asked with a bored look on their face.

Caine sighed as he pinched what was the equivalent to the bridge of his nose, "Alright, I see there is a lack of motivation for this one, so how about this. If you find all the items on the list before the end of the day, I'll let you all pick the reward!" He looked at everyone expectantly, waiting for applause and cheers from the players.

"Wow, that's... not a bad idea, Caine." Pomni said with a small smile, earning various noises of agreement from the rest of the cast.

"Excellent!" The AI cheered, "You all have 16 hours to finish the hunt!" -He clapped his hands, causing a digital clock to appear and drop into the jester's hands as it began to count down- "Good luck, my freaks of nature!" With a wave, he disappeared from view as everyone began to pull themselves out of their seats.

"My, look at all these strange markings." Kinger said as he studied the paper intently, "Perhaps our first clue will help us decode them!"

"You're holding the paper upside down, Gramps." Jax said, grabbing the list and turning it upright so it could be read, before shoving it into Ragatha's hands, "Now, where to first, Cyclops."

Shooting him a quick glare for the nickname, Ragatha looked over the list carefully, mouthing the words to herself as she read. "Well, it seems like the items are spread across the entirety of The Grounds. The lake, the carnival, even the areas just surrounding everything."

"Great, nothing screams 'adventure' like looking for a bunch of random garbage." Zooble said as they crossed their arms.

"Do we get hints?" Gangle asked as she peaked at the list, "Or are we just supposed to, uh, wander around until we find things?"

"Each item has a riddle tied to it." Ragatha said as she pointed at the page, "and it looks like he's just reusing assets from old adventures. A Spudsy's bag, the ghost vacuum, a softball, Gummigoo's hat."

A sad expression crossed Pomni's face at the mention of the candy alligator, looking down towards the floor for a moment before she shook the thoughts from her mind. "Well, should we get started? We only have" -she checked the timer in her hands- "pretty much the same amount of time we did when Caine first spawned this thing."

"Let's start with around The Tent." Zooble suggested.

"Yeah, wouldn't want to work too hard right out of the gate." Jax said with a teasing smirk, only to be knocked to the ground as one of their hands was thrown directly into his face.

"Can we please try to focus?" Ragatha pleaded as she looked between the two, "We might actually be able to get something new in the circus if we can work together." After a moment of silence where Jax and Zooble glared daggers at each other, they eventually broke eye contact as he climbed back to his feet.

"Whatever." He mumbled as Zooble reattached their hand.

"Alright team." Kinger said cheerfully, "Let's go find that treasure!"

"It's not-" Pomni began, before shrugging as she let out a sigh, "Eh, I guess it's close enough."

The mismatched group of characters soon left the confines of The Tent, being met with what would be considered a beautiful day if it wasn't for the fact it was simulated. They all began to search around The Grounds, making quick work of the items on the list. After only about half an hour of searching, the area around The Tent was cleared and the group began heading towards the crystal clear Digital Lake, watching as a few fish leapt from the surface for no other reason than to add a nice atmosphere to the area.

Pretty soon, a discussion about what reward should be asked broke out, with a variety of suggestions being tossed around. "I would ask for a library." Ragatha stated, "I think it could help us to relax."

"Oh, could it have a manga section?" Gangle asked eagerly.

"I don't see why not." The doll replied with a smile.

"Can't believe I'm stuck here with a bunch of nerds." Jax teased, "We should ask for something actually good, like an arcade or unrestricted internet access."

"An arcade wouldn't be too bad, actually." Zooble commented, before a horrified look crossed their face, "Oh god, I'm agreeing with Jax."

"This must be the darkest timeline." He chuckled.

"I think somewhere to listen to music would be nice." Pomni posited as she looked up at Kinger, who smiled down at her, "We could keep it dark so everyone can relax."

"Oh, a music library would be great." Kinger nodded, "I've always been a fan of jazz, personally." The conversation died down as they got closer to the lake, the sunlight reflecting off the water and giving a clear view to the bottom and revealing a briefcase.

"A briefcase?" Pomni asked aloud.

"Oh yeah, that's the case I put the bomb in when you were president." Jax smirked, resting an arm on top of Gangle's head, "Heh, good times."

"Why did you make us Australian and a New Zealander?" Gangle asked.

"I wanted to do the accent." He said with a shrug, "Anyway, go get it, Short Stack." He stepped forward and shoved Pomni into the water, laughing as she flailed and sputtered in the water. Eventually, she began to tread water as she looked at the rabbit with an unimpressed expression.

"Jax!" Ragatha cried in a scolding tone.

"I would have just jumped in, y'know." The jester said.

"Yeah," He shrugged, "but this was more fun." As he began to turn around, he felt Gangle and Zooble's hands shove him towards the water, causing him to yelp as his arms shot out in a panic as he grabbed the first thing he could, which just so happened to be Gangle's hand. As the pair tumbled into the water, Gangle managed to reach out and grab Zooble's leg, pulling them in as well with a massive splash. After a bit of flailing and coughing up water, the three surfaced as Jax glared at the pair. "You two are no fun."

"It's just water." Zooble said as they rolled their eyes, splashing some into his face as Gangle giggled, "What, are you scared of that too?"

"You guys," Ragatha interrupted, "Can we please try to focus?"

"Thank you, Buttons." Jax said as he looked at the others in the water with faux disappointment, "Honestly, you guys can be so immature." Without him noticing, Gangle swam behind the man and reached out to his ears, which were flopped against the back of his head from the water. She flipped them over his head, making them smack into his face with a wet slap, much to Zooble and Pomni's amusement.

"He's right." She smiled as she peaked out from behind him, "This is no time for goofing around."

"We should refocus, though." Pomni said through her snickering as Jax playfully shoved Gangle away from him, "Zooble and I will get the briefcase, you two help Ragatha and Kinger search on land."

"Alright, alright." He said with a groan, swimming back to the shore and climbing out with Gangle close behind.

"Maybe Caine will do a beach party adventure." The soaked ribbon character suggested as she wiped the droplets of water off her mask. She held her arm up in defense as Jax dropped to all fours and started shaking himself dry like a dog, sending water in every direction and making sure that Kinger and Ragatha didn't escape the lake dry.

"Not with the buzzkill hanging around." He said as he stood up, pointing towards the now wet doll.

"I'm not against having fun." She defended as she shook the water off her hands, "I'm just... I don't like time limits." Her voice wavered ever so slightly as she spoke, the look in her eyes distant and holding a touch of fear before she pulled her positive demeanor back on. "Besides, if we take too long, we won't get to pick our prize!"

"Yeah, yeah, we remember the prize." He replied as he smoothed his fur back down, with it having puffed up as he shook himself dry, but not before Gangle caught a feel of his fluffy tail. The group began searching once again, quickly finding a number of items and being rejoined by a still wet Pomni and Zooble as they pulled the briefcase out of the water. After collecting a few more items, and letting Pomni be the one to collect Gummigoo's hat, the group were down to the last item on the list as they approached the carnival's entrance.

"A Bubble plush toy." Zooble read in a flat tone, "Who would want a plush of that weirdo?"

"Put it in the comments if you would waste your money on that." Jax said as he looked towards nothing, much to their confusion.

"Why do you keep doing that?" They asked, only for him to ignore the question as his grin widened.

"It says we have to win it in a carnival game." Ragatha relayed as she looked up from the list, "Not much of a riddle, but I guess that isn't so bad."

"Attention, visitors." Pomni said, drawing everyone's attention towards her as she read a large sign posted near the entrance, "Due to issues with the standard NPC models, there will be more reused characters than usual, including models and data that have been left over from... the rest of it is smudged."

"Caine hasn't warned us about reused NPCs before." Gangle said.

"Maybe it was written by one of the workers." Kinger posited.

"Who cares." Jax said as he began to head through the entrance gate, "As long as one of those losers is at whatever game that toy is at, then it doesn't matter who we see." As the group walked into the carnival, they saw a variety of familiar faces working the booths and walking the grounds. Max and Chad were working a snack booth, Martha Mildenhall was running one of the rides, and Orbsman was even there playing a game.

"Isn't it a little weird to see these characters again?" Pomni asked, glancing up at Ragatha, "I mean, no matter what your last interaction was like, they won't remember it."

"I try my best not to think about it." The doll replied with a weak smile. The group walked through the carnival slowly, checking every game they came across for the ever elusive item they were searching for. After many failed checks, the plush toy was spotted hanging from the wall of a can toss game's tent.

"Finally." Zooble said with a roll of their eyes, "I was starting to think the list was lying."

"Heya, Folks!" A man's voice said from behind the counter. Before anyone could respond, a clown popped up from below, his banana yellow outfit standing out harshly against his snow white skin. Everyone's eyes widened in surprise as they stared at the character in front of them. "My name is-"

"Kaufmo?" Ragatha asked in shock, taking the clown by surprise.

"My my, sounds like you'd be more at home in the psychic's tent." He said, laughing at his own joke, "Tell me, have we met before? Or am I just more famous than I thought, haha!" Ragatha simply stared at him, her mouth opening and closing repeatedly as she tried and failed to say anything.

"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god." Gangle whispered to herself, holding the sides of her mask as tears welled in her eyes.

"What the %@!$ is wrong with Caine." Zooble said quietly, subconsciously backing away from the booth.

"Oh, hi Kaufmo." Kinger said happily as he waved at the clown, "Where have you been?"

"W-wow, I guess they're all a bit tongue tied, haha." Pomni said awkwardly as she stepped in front of the booth, "Anyway, we're here to try and win that plush of the, uh, round guy."

"Ah, you're after Bubble, are ya?" Kaufmo asked as he pointed towards the hanging toy, "He's quite the popular one."

"Haha, yep!" She said with a forced, awkward smile, "Just, uh- Just can't get enough."

He bent down and picked up plastic bin filled with baseballs, setting it on the counter as he stepped to the side. "All you have to do is knock down these three pyramids of cans! Since you all seem like nice folks, I'll even cut you a deal and give you as many tries as ya need!"

Jax watched the scene unfold silently, doing his best to ignore the reactions of those around him. He wasn't exactly friends with Kaufmo for a number of reasons, mainly because he felt the clown's constant positivity was annoying and fake, but he'd be lying if he said it wasn't unnerving seeing him again. Without a word, the rabbit began to back away as Pomni started throwing balls at the stacked cans, missing nearly every throw as she tried to adjust her aim. The rest of the group was doing their best to pull themselves together, with mixed results.

He continued to back away, only stopping when he deemed it far enough away that they wouldn't hear him and turned around, only to walk straight into another patron of the carnival. "Whoa, sorry about that, dude." A familiar voice said, making Jax look up in a panic as he came face to face with a smiling frog character, "I should have been watching where I was walking."

Jax felt his chest tighten as tears began to well in his eyes, quickly wiping them away as he scrambled to his feet and stared at his former friend. "The name's Ribbit." The frog said, holding his hand out casually, "You have a name, Bunny Boy?" Jax stayed silent, his body trembling as the sound of ringing started to fill his ears. He didn't even realize he had started grinding his teeth, his mind too clouded with panic and confusion. "Alright then..." Ribbit said, looking around awkwardly as he dropped his hand, "I'll just... go." He walked away, continuing to glance back at Jax with an uncomfortable expression.

"Got it!" Pomni cheered, snapping him out of his stupor as he whipped his head back towards the can toss booth, finding Pomni had finally managed to knock down the pyramids and was holding the Bubble toy high above her head.

"N-nice job, Pomni." Gangle stuttered out, her voice barely above a whisper as she kept her eyes trained on the ground.

"Welp, we finished the list." Ragatha said with forced cheerfulness, "Let's head back to The Tent now." She quickly started heading towards the exit, with the rest of the group following close behind. They soon passed by the still shaking rabbit, though it didn't seem like any of them noticed, as they simply walked past him in a daze.

"Jax?" Gangle asked, making him flinch, "Are you ok? You're shaking a-and... crying."

He quickly wiped his eyes, his gloves being stained with tears as he tried to compose himself as fast as possible. "...I'm fine." He whispered, his voice cracking. Before she could pry any further, he had already started walking away on shaking legs. The walk back to the beginning was eerily silent, the only thing breaking it being the sound of the dirt beneath the players' feet. After what felt like an eternity to the group, they finally arrived back at The Tent, walking inside where they were greeted by Caine holding a comically large pocket watch.

"Well would you look at that!" He said happily, "You found everything with time to spare! Seems like you all earned that reward!." He pulled a notepad and pencil from his pocket and looked at the expectantly. "So, what did you all decide on?"

"O-oh, I forgot about that." Gangle mumbled as she turned towards the others, finding them just as devoid of the suggestions they had earlier as she was.

"We want a bar." Jax said suddenly, making everyone look at him in confusion.

"Now Jax," Caine chuckled, "I can't have you all drunk and disorderly on adventures. A bar would just-"

"No, we want a bar." He interrupted, stamping his foot on the ground, "It'll help us unwind, give us another place to socialize, and we all liked Zooble's bartender adventure, right?" -He looked towards the others, who all hesitantly nodded in agreement- "See, we're all in agreement."

Caine hummed in thought as he tapped his pencil on the notepad, a contemplative look on his face. "Well Jax, you make a compelling argument!" He said, "And since you are all in agreement, I guess I'll give you all a fully stocked saloon to rest your weary heads at!" With a snap of his fingers, a bar quickly materialized in the corner of the room, the shelves stocked to the brim with various bottles of different spirits, liquors, and ales. "Well, I'll leave you all to enjoy your new toys!"

As soon as Caine disappeared, Jax made his way to the bar, stealing a brown bottle from the shelf and pulling the cork out with an audible pop. "So, what made you actually pick a good reward?" Zooble asked as they looked at him suspiciously, "Did this adventure make you go soft or something?" Jax simply gave them a censored middle finger in response as he began to chug the bottle, his throat beginning to burn with each gulp of the amber liquid. Zooble rolled their eyes as they walked behind the bar and snatched the bottle out of his hand. "Sit down before you drink all the good stuff." They said, grabbing a rag from beneath the counter to wipe the top of the bottle off.

"Whatever you say, Barkeep." He mumbled as he walked back around the bar and sat on one of the stools, with the rest of the cast joining soon after, "Well, isn't this some déjà vu."

"Alright," Zooble said as they draped the rag over their shoulder and pulled a cocktail shaker from under the counter, giving it a few twirls and tosses into the air, "who wants a drink?"

Time seemed to slip away as Jax had drink after drink, doing everything he could to numb that feeling that had settled in his chest after seeing Ribbit. He didn't care what was mixed or how many he had, all he knew is that he wanted to drink until today was nothing but an unpleasant memory. He hadn't even registered his surroundings for who knows how long, until a bottle slammed on the counter in front of him.

"As much as I'd love to help you kill yourself," Zooble said as they poured what remained in the bottle into a glass and took a swig, "I'd rather go to my room before the lights shut off."

"Its nah that late, izzit?" He asked, his words slurring heavily as he picked his head up off the makeshift pillow he had made with his arms. When did he lay his head down anyway?

"It's nearly midnight." They said as they raised an eyebrow, "You're the only one here besides me, and I'm only here because Pomni asked me to keep an eye on you."

He let out a mixture of a laugh and hiccup as he sat up straight, one of his ears hanging down in his vision as a sloppy smile spread across his face. "Ha, ya really ssstayed here cause the jester wanted you to?" He laughed, making Zooble roll their eyes as they swirled their drink in their hand, "You're... you're a good person, y'know?"

They looked at him like he had grown three heads, setting their drink down as they leaned on the bar, "@&$^, how drunk are you?"

"Not enough to think this is a good idea, but just enough ta do it anyway." He slurred, "Ya didn't have ta stay, y'know? I wouldn't have blamed you."

Zooble sighed as they picked up a clean glass and pulled a bottle off of the shelf behind them. "This is just sad enough for me to make you one more drink." They said, pouring an amber liquid into the glass and sliding it over to him.

He took the drink in his hand and stared into it, looking at his reflection in the drink as it rippled, his smile falling into a frown. "Do you really hate me?" He asked, making Zooble gasp and choke on their drink as they looked at him in confusion, "I know me n' you don't get along, and I'm just the worst to ya, but... I don't hate you."

"I can't tell if this is a prank or not." They said, finally stifling their coughing fit as they wiped the splattered alcohol off their face with a napkin.

He let himself fall forward and rest his chin on the bar, looking up at them with a drunk smile. "You remind me of someone I used to know. From before all this @^$&." He mumbled, taking a large gulp from his cup, "Can't remember her name anymore, but you were just like her. Tough, jaded, hated my guts." His grip on the glass tightened as he sat up, staring down into the drink once more as anger flashed across his face. "I tried everything to get her to leave me alone, but it never worked."

Zooble glanced at their surroundings awkwardly as they listened. "Is- there a point to this story, or are you looking for bar therapy?"

"My point is," He said, downing the rest of his drink in one gulp, "I'm sorry. You just... remind me of someone I tried to get away from, and I didn't treat you fairly as a result."

They looked at him in silence as he stared at the empty cup in his hand, rubbing their arm awkwardly as they stepped out from behind the bar. "Just... stay here, Jax." They said as they pat his shoulder, before slowly walking off towards the hall. Jax wasn't sure how long he sat alone at the bar, but it was long enough for the overhead lights to shut off and bathe everything in darkness. He stared down at the empty glass in his hand, sighing as he set it on the bar as he prepared to leave.

"Jax?" a voice asked from behind. He spun around on the bar stool, nearly falling off as he locked eyes with Gangle, who held a look a confusion and worry.

"Oh, heyyyy Ribbons!" He said with a smile, the smell of alcohol practically emanating off of him, "If you came for a drink, you're out of luck. Zoobie already left."

"I know, they came to my room and told me to come get you." She explained as she walked up to the inebriated rabbit, "They said you were so drunk you weren't making any sense."

"Nonsense, I'm fiiine." He slurred as he stood up off the stool, nearly collapsing as he swayed side to side, "Hey, when did Caine make the circus spin?"

"I think it's time we get you to bed." She said, gently taking his hand in hers as she led him away from where he had been since the end of the adventure.

"Why weren't you at the bar, Ribbons?" He asked as he stumbled forward to walk alongside her, "We coulda shared a drink."

"I was." She replied, looking at him with a gentle smile, "I had a few drinks and then I went to my room. You said you were going to have one more drink and then come say goodnight."

"I did?" He asked, earning a nod from his friend, "I don't remember that."

Gangle stopped in front of her room as she looked up at him in amusement, "I'm not surprised. You were already at least six drinks in before I finished my first one." She let go of his hand as she turned to open her door, pushing it open before turning back to find he had vanished in the mere moments she didn't have her eyes on him. "Jax? Jax, where'd you go?" She called out as she looked around quickly, only to find him a few doors back down the hall. She walked up next to him, looking up at the crossed out image of a frog on the door.

"I miss Ribbit." He whispered, his voice shaking.

Gangle looked up at him nervously, tapping her hands together as she tried to think of a way to navigate the situation. "He-uh-he was one of the people here before me, right?" She asked hesitantly.

"He was my best friend." He continued, tears falling from his eyes as he reached a shaking hand towards the doorknob. "He helped me adjust when I first got here. Told me all about the circus and it's weird quirks. He hated that I called him 'Hops'. Said it was uncreative." He smiled softly at the memories, a silent sob shaking his body. "We'd do pranks together and complain about Caine's adventures. We both hated them, but doing them together actually made them fun."

Gangle placed a hand on his back, rubbing small circles in an attempt to comfort him. "He sounds nice, Jax." She whispered.

His smile fell as he began to tremble softly, grinding his teeth as a choked sob escaped him. "The way I was raised made me think that kind of stuff was wrong. Heck, I felt guilty when I found girls cute. I thought I was wrong for having feelings at all. So when he told me he wanted to... to be more than friends, for me and him to escape this digital hell and go live a normal life, I was scared." Gangle's eyes widened as she listened to Jax speak, a mixture of shock and sadness filling her mind. "I didn't like the feelings he made me feel, because I didn't know what they were. So I told him... he was wrong. I told him he shouldn't feel that way and that I couldn't be his friend if he was 'like that'. I told him he was a freak and that I wish I never met him. I didn't even let him respond, I just left."

"Jax..." She whispered, her voice catching in her throat.

"He didn't leave his room after that." He continued, his voice catching in his throat as another sob threatened to spill over, "He abstracted a few days later. I had gone to his room to apologize and to tell him I was willing to try to make it work... but he was already gone." He finally looked away from the door, turning towards Gangle but not daring to look her in the eye. "I didn't even say goodbye." His voice was barely above a whisper as he finished talking, his voice cracking as he tried to keep himself from breaking down completely.

Without a word, Gangle threw her arms around Jax's waist, pulling him into a tight hug as her own tears fell. She couldn't think of anything to say, nor could she bring herself to say anything. All she could think to do was hug him as tight as she could, hoping, in some way, it would help. She felt him hesitantly wrap his arms around her, his body still trembling as his hands gripped her tightly. "Jax..." She whispered, pulling back to look up at the glassy eyed rabbit, "It wasn't your fault."

Those four words seemed to break something in Jax, making him drop to his knees as he buried his face into her shoulder, a chorus of sobs and wails ringing out as she rubbed his back in an attempt to soothe him. He mumbled out apology after apology, some directed at her for the state he was in and some towards Ribbit for reasons she couldn't decipher through his muddled speech. "Come on, Jaxxy Boy." She whispered in as soothing a tone as she could muster, "How about we head to my room so you can get comfy, ok?" He nodded silently as he slowly stood up on uneasy legs, though whether it was from his drinking or his crying she couldn't tell. She led him toward her room, the door still open from earlier, and ushered him towards her bed. Closing the door behind her, she helped him climb into the bed and watched him curl in on himself as he continued trembling.

She sat near his head and gently pulled it into her lap, running her hand through his fur as she softly hummed a tune. His shaking slowly died down, but never fully going away, as he gently nuzzled into her touch. "Your hands are soft." He mumbled, making her smile as she reached down and took one of his hands in her's, "Thanks, Gangle."

"No need to thank me." She whispered, sliding the hand she was running through his fur up to gently stroke one of his ears, "I just couldn't stand listening to the sound of your teeth grinding anymore."

The pair shared a small laugh at the comment, with Jax's tears having slowed to a much more manageable amount as he continued to lean into Gangle. "I don't deserve a friend like you." He mumbled, finally managing to meet her gaze as he wiped his face with the back of his hand.

"You deserve a lot more than you think." She replied.

"I'm gonna have one ^!@%$ of a headache in the morning." He mumbled, "Do you think they programed in hangovers?"

"I guess we'll find out in the morning, won't we?" She asked as she helped slide him to lay on a pillow, "Now get some rest, drunk bunny." Jax opened his mouth to reply, only for his face to turn a shade of green as he leaned off the side of the bed and threw up a torrent of black sludge on the floor, groaning as he clutched his stomach in pain. Gangle's smile fell as she sighed and hopped out of bed, plucking a spare ribbon from her nightstand and using it to tie his ears back. "Stay here." She said as she cupped his cheek and tilted his head up to look at her, his eyes watery and unfocused, "I'll get a bucket and something to clean this up with. Try not to throw up again, alright?" He tried to mumble out a response, but all that came out was a barely audible groan as he nuzzled into her hand. She felt another smile pull at her face despite the situation, another sigh escaping her. "You're lucky you're cute."

Chapter Text

Jax groaned as he cracked his eyes open, hissing in pain as the circus' lights stabbed into his pupils. He pulled the covers over his head to block out the light, trying his best to get back to sleep despite the agonizing headache that throbbed in his mind. He shut his eyes tight, hoping he'd be able to squeeze out a tiny bit more sleep. Unfortunately, sleep seemed to allude him in his sickly state, leaving him to mumble out a censored swear as he slowly crawled out from beneath the blanket. He grimaced as the light once again pierced into his eyes, making his stomach turn as he fought to keep himself from getting sick. "Who programs a @^$#ing hangover?" He groaned as he took in his surroundings. The last thing he remembered from yesterday was convincing Caine to give them all a bar. Everything after that was either blurry or nonexistent. As his vision adjusted to the light, he quickly realized he was in Gangle's room again, though the usual occupant was nowhere to be found. Before he could think much more about it, the door swung open as Pomni walked in carrying a glass of water, her eyes widening in surprise when she saw the rabbit.

"Oh, you're up." She said with an awkward smile as she approached him, holding the cup out to him, "Here, I got you some water in case-"

"Sshhhhh." Jax said, holding up a hand to make her stop talking before pressing his fingers against his temples as he shut his eyes with a grimace, "You're talking too loudly. Just... shut up forever." He sighed as he took the glass of water from the jester, quickly chugging it's contents like it was the last drink on earth.

"Everyone is on one of Caine's adventures." Pomni continued, her voice now barely above a whisper, "Gangle told him you weren't feeling well and tried to stay behind to take care of you, but he had me do it instead." Jax gave her a questioning look at the explanation, earning a sigh as she shrugged, "I don't know why he picked me either."

"Any word on when they'll be back?" He asked, setting the cup on the nightstand and gently rubbing his face in his hands.

"No, I didn't get a time frame." She replied, taking a seat next to him on the bed, "Do you, uh, know your ears are tied back?"

He raised an eyebrow at her in confusion. "Huh?" He reached up and, sure enough, his ears had been bound together by a red ribbon. Quickly untying it and making his ears flop down in front of his face, he looked at the ribbon in his hand, a small smile pulling at his face as he slipped it into the pocket on the front of his overalls.

"Do you like her?" Pomni asked suddenly, making Jax flinch.

"What?!" He asked, before cringing as a sharp pain stabbed into his head from his shouting. After taking a moment to let the pain subside, he opened his eyes and looked at the jester in annoyance. "What are you talking about, Jingles?"

"Well, you guys have been hanging out a lot." She began, "The jokes, the closeness, the flirting, the-"

"We aren't flirting." He interrupted, "It's just... banter."

"You don't banter like that with me, and we're friends." She said, before her face fell slightly, "We... are friends, right?"

"You're alright, I suppose." He mumbled, placing a hand on his knee to stop it from shaking up and down, "You're the least annoying person here, at least."

"And yet you don't spend nearly as much time with me as you do with Gangle." She said, earning an eye roll from the rabbit, "So unless this is the longest set up to a prank ever, I can only assume you must like her."

He tried to think up something to say in response, but he found it nearly impossible to think about anything for more than a few seconds. "My head hurts too much for this." he mumbled as he put his head in his hands as he took slow, deep breaths, "Yeah, I like her, alright? Go ahead and get your mocking out now when I'm not able to kill you for it."

"I-I'm not going to mock you." Pomni defended, "I think it's... kinda sweet, actually."

He shot her a suspicious look at her. "You've been hanging out with Ragatha too much." He replied, gritting his teeth as a wave of nausea washed over him.

"I know you probably aren't thrilled about it," She said, "but I think you and Gangle are a good fit for each other. I haven't seen her this confident in herself in, well, ever, and you were actually helpful during yesterday's adventure."

"So?" He asked.

"So," She continued with a small smile, "I think you two are bringing out good qualities in each other."

"I don't have good qualities to bring out." Jax mumbled as he got to his feet, bracing himself against the wall as the world around him seemed to spin, "I'm a jerk through and through."

Pomni's face morphed into a look of concern at his words, finding them unusually self hating for the egotistical rabbit. "Jax, are you feeling ok?" She asked as she got to her feet, reaching out to place a hand on his arm, only for him to jerk away from her.

"I need more water." He mumbled as he picked the cup up off the nightstand and prepared to leave, only for the small jester to block his way.

"No, I promised Gangle I'd take care of you until she got back." She said nervously, making him stop in his tracks as he thought.

He stayed silent for awhile, only occasionally placing a hand to his head to soothe its aching. "I thought you said Caine told you to stay." He stated, making Pomni freeze as her eyes widened slowly.

"W-well, uh..." She stuttered out, fiddling with the pom poms on her outfit, "I may have... lied." Jax rolled his eyes as he tried to step past her, only for her to once again run to block his path. "Ok, ok, I'm sorry. Caine was going to let her stay, but she felt bad about skipping out on an adventure, so she asked me to watch you until she got back. She didn't want me to let you leave the room for any reason if you were hungover."

Jax felt a blush spread across his face at the revelation, sitting back down on the bed to both let the information sink in and to make the room stop spinning in his vision. "...She really wanted to make sure I was ok?" He asked in confusion.

Pomni nodded in response as she carefully took the glass out of his hand. "I'll go get you another glass of water." She said, "You just relax so Gangle doesn't get mad at the both of us." He nodded silently as she left, wracking his brain to remember anything that happened the night before to warrant someone caring about him this much. He groaned as a wave of pain washed through his head, bringing his thinking to a screeching halt. He felt his stomach churn as another wave of nausea washed over him, his face turning a sickly shade of green as he quickly scanned the room for anything to throw up into so he didn't ruin the floor. He soon spotted a plastic bucket tucked between the bed and nightstand.

He dropped to his knees as he pulled the bucket towards himself, burying his face into it's opening as his body finally decided to let the torrent of bile, alcohol, and whatever other digital substances were inside his artificial stomach. His eyes watered as he gagged and spat into the bucket, with wave after wave of sick rushing up his throat and spraying into the bucket. He wasn't sure how long he was bent over the bucket, but it was long enough for Pomni to return and let out a panicked gasp as she rushed over and held his ears away from his face. "Oh god, this is so gross." She whispered to herself.

"She'd never go for me." Jax said as he rested his head on his arm and looked towards Pomni, a line of black sludge running down his chin.

"What do you mean?" She asked as she averted her gaze to avoid the scene before her making her sick as well.

"She's got a million better options than me." He continued with a tired chuckle, "She's smart and talented and funny. Heck, I'm surprised her and Zooble aren't already a thing with how well they get along."

"Jax, I'm..." She started, rubbing the back of her neck awkwardly, "I don't know what to do in this situation."

"I'm just some jack@$# with issues." He said as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, "Why'd she ever want someone like me?"

She glanced around the room awkwardly. "You, uh... make her laugh." She said, though the tone of her voice made it sound more like a question than anything.

"What if I mess things up?" He asked, his eyes unfocused, "I don't want her to..." His voice trailed off as he stared off into space, like he was replaying a memory in his head.

Pomni sighed as she pat his back, helping him back into Gangle's bed as he groaned and shut his eyes as tight as he could. "If she was willing to give you a second chance after everything you have done to her," She said, "than she must not see you that way. She must see you for all the things you are when you're with her." The sound of Caine's voice echoed softly from the main area, indicating the end of the adventure and everyone's return, much to Pomni's relief. "Sounds like everyone is back." She gave the miserable looking rabbit a small smile as she started to leave, "I'll go tell Gangle you're ok...ish." He watched her leave the room and close the door behind her, the sound of it making him flinch in pain as he sat up.

"Stupid Gangle." He mumbled as he fished the ribbon from his ears out of his pocket, looking it over slowly as he smiled. He rolled up the wrist of his left glove and quickly tied the ribbon around his bare wrist, folding the glove back down to hide the new accessory from view. "Why do you have to be so nice." He mumbled to himself.

A few minutes later, the door slowly creaked open as Gangle peaked inside. "Jax? You awake?" She whispered, earning a grunt from him in response as she closed the door and approached him as he laid on the bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Well," He began as a mischievous grin spread across his face, "My head is killing me, I feel sick, lights and sounds make my head feel like it's going to explode, I'm dizzy, and my mood has been all over the place. But worst of all, Pomni was here. Aside from all that, though, I've been great."

Gangle rolled her eyes as she gave him a light smack on the arm, "Oh, that must have been awful." She said sarcastically as she giggled.

"It was." He nodded, "I was sure I would abstract if you hadn't come back."

She climbed into bed and pulled his head into her lap, gently petting and massaging between his ears and eliciting soft purring from him as he closed his eyes. As she looked down at him, she felt a knot form in her stomach as she thought about what Pomni had told her. "Are you sure you're ok?" She asked, "Pomni said you were... sad." Jax's content smile fell as he opened his eyes to look up at her, only to wince from the bright florescent lights above. Gangle carefully shifted her position so that her body would block most of the overhead light from his eyes. "If you're thinking about Ribbit, then-"

His eyes snapped open in shock at the name. "How do you-" He began, only to stop as he began to piece together a particularly fuzzy memory from last night and sighed in annoyance, "I was hoping that was a dream."

"O-oh, I'm sorry!" She said quickly, slapping her hands over her mouth at the unintentional rise in volume that made the rabbit grit his teeth in pain.

After his head stopped pounding, he glanced up at her and was met with an apologetic expression that made the slight annoyance he had felt fade away in an instant. "Just... you didn't tell anyone, did you?"

Her eyes widened as she shook her head. "N-no, I'd never." She said softly, "I understand that personal things are difficult for you to share. I won't say a word of it unless you want to talk about it."

"What happened to 'not wanting things to be awkward'?" He chuckled, making Gangle look away sheepishly.

"Well, I realized that just because I feel better talking about things, doesn't mean everyone does." She said as she tapped her hands together nervously, "And I don't want to make you talk about things that upset you. I... care about you, even if you're a jerk sometimes." A blush crossed both of their faces as she spoke, with Jax looking up at Gangle in stunned silence as she did everything in her power to avoid looking at him.

"I-" He began, glancing down at his wrist with the hidden ribbon tied around it, "I care about you too." He leaned up and placed a small kiss on her porcelain cheek, making her squeak in surprise as he laid back down and turned away from her so she wouldn't see how red his face was getting. "If you tell anyone about that, I'll light you on fire."

Gangle placed a hand on her cheek as her eyes widened, her breath caught in her throat. "Y-yeah, got it." She muttered out, her voice barely audible as she finally snapped out of her stupor. She looked at Jax's figure as a nervous smile spread across her face. She laid down next to him and wrapped one of her arms around his waist, pulling him closer and feeling him lean into her grip as he took her hand in his. She nestled her face in the crook of his neck, feeling his fur tickle against her face as she nuzzled into him. She felt the gentle rise and fall of his body as he breathed, soon finding her own breathing pattern matching with his as they both began to drift to sleep.

Chapter Text

"Oh, have you figured out what your body's power is?" Ragatha asked the jester sitting next to her, making her stop mid sip from her teacup. Everyone's attention was drawn towards the sudden question, looking at Pomni expectantly as they stopped their activities.

"Special... power?" She asked in confusion, glancing around at the various pairs of eyes staring at her.

"Yeah, everyone here has some unique ability with their body." Jax said as he sat up on the couch, "You already know about Zooble's stop and swap parts-"

"Stop calling it that." The abstract character said from their chair, shooting him a glare.

"Ragatha can be stabbed without having to worry," he continued, "Gangle doesn't have any bones," -he shoved a hand through the side of the ribbon character next to him, much to her annoyance as she tried to keep herself from getting tangled- "and Kinger's hands don't have a limit to how far away they can be from his body."

"It makes catching bugs quite fun." The chess piece said happily.

"What about you?" Pomni asked, making his smile widen as he hopped to his feet and reached into the pocket on the front of his overalls. After a bit of rummaging, he pulled out a comically large mallet that he held above his head in preparation to strike.

"Hammerspace." He said as he swung the mallet down towards the jester, crushing her into the couch she was sitting on.

"Jax!" Ragatha yelled as she glared at him.

"Ah, she's fine." He said dismissively, pulling the mallet back up to reveal a flattened and disoriented Pomni smashed into the cushion, "See? She's got that squash and stretch thing."

She shook her head to refocus herself, pulling herself from the body shaped crater in the cushion as her body regained it's usual shape. "I regret asking." She said, placing a hand to her head to ease the ache.

"Most people do." He said as he returned his hammer to his pocket, with it seamlessly, and impossibly, vanishing inside and leaving no trace on the seemingly empty pocket.

"How much %#!& do you even have in there?" Zooble asked suspiciously.

"You know," He began, pulling the pocket open and looking down into the darkness inside, "I have no idea. I lost count after I didn't even try to keep track."

"Maybe you'll find something important." Gangle suggested as she set down her sketch book. After a moment of thought, he shoved a hand into the pocket and began rummaging around, tossing out random items both big and small.

"It's mostly just keys and stuff I found on adventures." He commented as he pulled out a plate with the letters "MM" engraved on the edge.

"Did you really steal something from Mildenhall?" Ragatha asked as she put her hands on her hips, "How did you even do that? You were tied up."

"I have my ways." He smiled as he tossed the plate over his shoulder, making it shatter on the ground as he returned to rummaging through his pocket, "Let's see... a piano, some trash, a stick of dynamite" -he pulled the explosive out to reveal it's fuse had been lit, licking his fingers and pinching out the flame before it could reach the stick before putting it back in his pocket- "a box of centipedes."

"You... carry centipedes in your pocket?" Pomni asked with a mixture of confusion and disgust. Jax's smile only grew more mischievous as he looked towards Ragatha, who's eyes widened in panic as she met his gaze.

He turned back to his pocket and pulled out one of Zooble's antennae. "I forgot I took this one, honestly."

"Stop going in my room." They said angrily as they snatched the item away from the rabbit.

"No promises." He said as he reached deeper into the pocket, his eyes widening in excitement, "Oh, I thought I lost this!"

"Lost wh-" Gangle began to ask, only for an obscenely loud air horn to sound out as everyone covered their ears.

"Hey, it still works." Jax smiled as he looked at the air horn happily before dropping it back into hammerspace.

"What still works?" Kinger asked curiously, oblivious to everyone around him checking to make sure their hearing wasn't damaged.

"You rang?!" Caine's voiced echoed through the room as he zipped in from who knows where, with Bubble hot on his heels.

"No, we didn't." Zooble replied, finally free from the ringing in their ears.

"Well I'm here anyway!" The AI said happily, "And with today's adventure no less!"

"Do we have to?" Zooble asked as they lazily flipped through a magazine, "Can't we just use the suggestion box again?"

"NO!" Caine yelled, a sudden anger in his voice that vanished as quickly as it appeared, "The suggestion box is to only be used on special occasions and shouldn't be overdone."

"So why even have it?" Pomni asked.

"Maybe it's so he can pick an adventure when he's too lazy to come up with one himself." Jax suggested, earning a small chuckle from the others.

"Now, now everyone, let's not get carried away with this banter!" Caine said with a strained laugh, "It's time for the new adventure!"

"He's using one of my ideas." Bubble said happily, making the players look at each other nervously.

"That's right, Bubble!" The ringleader said, giving the odd fellow a pat on the head, "We're going to-"

"Can I sit out on this one?" Jax asked, "I have, uh, a hernia."

"Don't interrupt me." Caine said with a frown, "It's rude."

"Not to be rude," Ragatha began, "but, Caine, uh, you tend to interrupt us a lot. Don't you think it's a little unfair to-"

"I said don't interrupt!" The AI yelled, pointing an accusatory finger at the doll, "Honestly, it's like you all weren't taught manners."

"You should kill th-" Bubble began, only for a glitch to interrupt him mid sentence, "Put them in time out!"

Caine hummed in thought as he looked at the group below him. "Bubble, you're right! This has given me a much better idea than that silly beach party you suggested!" With a snap of his fingers, the circus' lights shut off and left everyone in the pitch black darkness. A few shouts of confusion rang out, quickly dying out as the lights came back on, revealing the circus had vanished, leaving everyone standing in what looked like a preschool classroom.

"Welcome to the Digital Daycare, children!" Caine yelled out, having swapped his usual outfit for a sweater vest, black slacks, and eyeglasses. Bubble rose up from behind the desk, sporting a red tie hanging off his body.

"What, you plan to make us take care of a bunch of fake babies?" Jax asked as he crossed his arms.

"Not quite, my lagomorphic lad! Bubble, why don't you explain the premise of today's new adventure!" He said, gesturing towards the tie wearing sphere. He opened his mouth and let out a garbled and staticky noise, making Caine's expression drop as he stared him. "Bubble, timeout corner." He said, pointing over at a corner of the room blocked by a baby gate.

"You got it, Boss!" He replied happily as he floated over and stared into the corner.

Turning back to his players, Caine clasped his hands together excitedly. "Now, in an effort to teach you all some valuable lessons, I've decided to take you back to your formative years!"

"Aren't we a little... big?" Gangle asked as she looked around the room, nudging a building block with her foot.

"Don't worry," Caine said as he raised his cane, "I have a fix for that!" Before anyone could protest, a bolt of energy shot from the end of his cane and struck the group, bathing them in a cloud of smoke. The sound of coughing came from the cloud as it faded, the voices getting higher pitched as silhouettes of small hands attempted to wave the cloud away.

"Ugh, it smells like baby powder." Jax coughed, pausing when he heard sound of his voice. He looked down at his body, finding himself much closer to the ground than normal. He was nowhere near as lanky as before, instead finding his arms and legs having shrunk to be much stubbier, and his overalls no longer extending down to his feet, instead stopping just above his knees. "Oh no." He mumbled as he whipped his head around to look at the others. Much to his horror, everyone had taken on a sort of "kiddie" appearance, all of them equally as shocked and confused at the sudden change.

"There we go!" Caine said happily as he dusted off his hands, "How are you feeling, my little rugrats!"

"Are you insane?!" Zooble yelled, their sharper body parts having been made rounded, "Why are you even able to do this!?"

"This is... disturbing" Pomni said as she looked herself over, fighting with her slightly too big hat to keep it out of her eyes.

"Why did we have to say anything." Gangle whimpered, the excess ribbon that made up her older form having been repurposed to give her a small dress.

"Oh my, I haven't felt this youthful in years!" Kinger said happily, now taking the form of a pawn with a robe dragging on the ground behind him.

"Caine, we told you we hated when you messed with our bodies." Ragatha said sadly, being the only one of the group to not look radically different, only having her hair up in pigtails instead.

"Aww, but look at you all!" He cooed, "You're all so adorable!" A chorus of complaints rang out from the group, the sound of the circus' censor going off more than once. "Well, it seems like we have some grumpy kiddos here! Bubble!" Bubble zipped away from the timeout corner as soon as his name was called, panting like a dog as he waited for his orders. "Help me get everyone ready for a bit of playtime! That'll be sure to get out all that extra energy!"

Bubble nodded as he turned to the group of newly de-aged characters. "Let's play tag!" He cheered, staring at them with a manic look in his eyes as his smile grew wider, his razor sharp teeth glinting in the light, "I'm it." He whispered, before charging at the group. With a scream from Pomni, everyone quickly scattered and began to run away from Bubble as he chased after them, almost like he was hunting them.

Jax ran as fast as his small legs could, quickly diving into a playhouse and pushing himself back against the wall as he caught his breath. He heard Bubble laugh as he floated around the room, with Caine having leaned back in his chair and pulled out a book. "This is really weird." He said aloud as he peaked out through the playhouse's window, watching as Bubble continued to search everywhere he could for where everyone went, with the game quickly turning into hide and seek. He could see Kinger in a small playpen, figuring it must be where you go when you were caught.

With a sigh, he sat on the ground and looked at his small body. "You've got to be kidding me." He said to himself, "Could have been relaxing on the beach with a drink, but noooo, I just had to make fun of the floating dentures." He stomped the ground in annoyance. "Now I look and sound like a spin off made to sell toys." He stood up and quietly peaked out the window once more, finding no sign of Bubble. "Where'd that freak go."

"Found you." Bubble whispered from behind, somehow having made it inside the playhouse without using the door. Jax's blood ran cold as Bubble tackled him, making the rabbit let out a scream of terror as he was picked up by the back of his overalls. He was quickly carried out of the playhouse and to the playpen with Kinger. Bubble released his hold on the young rabbit, dropping him into the gated area with a soft thud before running off to continue searching.

"Oh, hello Jax." Kinger said as he looked at him curiously., "Didn't you used to be taller?"

"Shut up, Kinger." Jax groaned as he grabbed a nearby blanket and threw it over the chess piece, with it quickly covering his entire body. Jax looked at the playpen's wall, jumping up and grabbing the edge before attempting to pull himself out, only to fall backwards onto his backside. After a few more failed attempts, he let out a frustrated growl that made Caine look up from his book.

Setting it down and hopping up from his desk, he sauntered over to the playpen, peering down at the angry rabbit inside. "What's the matter, Jax? You look cranky."

"Yeah, I am 'cranky'!" He yelled up at the AI, "I don't wanna be a little kid! Put me back in my normal, stupid body and let me go back to the circus!"

"Uh oh, looks like someone is feeling some big emotions." Caine replied as he picked Jax up, despite the latter's attempts to wiggle out of the former's grasp, "I have just the thing for that!" He reached into his pocket and pulled out a pacifier, stuffing it into Jax's mouth before he could protest and setting him back into the playpen. "There, that should help." He said with a smile as he returned to his desk.

Jax spat the pacifier out, crossing his arms as he growled to himself. "If I ever get out of this circus, I'm smashing this computer."

"That wouldn't do much besides ruin a computer." Kinger commented from under the blanket, having simply continued to leave it covering himself, "All the data would be stored on the company's servers, which are most likely still in their headquarters, wherever that may be." Jax raised an eyebrow as he looked over at him.

"When did you start making sense, Hoo-ha?" He asked, making the chess piece chuckle beneath the blanket.

"It's..." He began, adjusting the blanket so he could see out of it but still be covered, "A long story." A flash of movement caught their eyes as they looked over, watching as Gangle ran towards a cubby shelf and ducked behind it to hide as Bubble came floating past. Jax smiled softly as he watched her, unknowingly beginning to purr. "You must really like her, huh?" Kinger asked, snapping the rabbit out of his thoughts.

"I have no clue what you're talking about." He replied as he rolled his eyes.

"Jax, I'm not stupid." The chess piece said sternly, taking Jax by surprise, "I've seen how the two of you talk and act as of late. I know you're used to lying to everyone, but can you put that aside with me?" Jax stayed silent for a minute, tapping his fingers on his knees as he thought. "If it helps, I won't remember it in a few hours." Kinger added with a chuckle, making Jax laugh softly as well.

"Do you think-" He began, watching as Gangle slipped out of her hiding spot and ran towards where Ragatha was hiding, "Do you think I even have a chance?"

"Well, that depends." Kinger replied, "Are you willing to take the risk?" Jax looked at him in confusion, silently urging him to elaborate. "Having a relationship with someone isn't just the good stuff you see on tv, Jax." He continued, "You have to be prepared for anything that could happen. You have to be there for them even at the worst of times. Through the sadness, the anger, the..." -He subconsciously fiddled with his ring finger, as if he was turning a ring that didn't exist- "even through the loss." He looked over at Jax with a serious expression, "Are you prepared for that kind of risk?"

Jax fiddled with the snaps on his overalls nervously, mulling over the words Kinger said. He thought back to when Ribbit abstracted, remembering the days after when he barely left his room and just stayed in bed. "Yeah." He whispered, quickly clearing his throat as he swallowed back a wave of emotions, "Yeah, I'm prepared."

"Then yes, I do think you have a chance." Kinger said happily, before looking down at the finger he had been rubbing as a bittersweet look crossed his face, "You know, you remind me of when I first met my wife."

"You're married?" Jax asked in surprise.

He nodded softly. "I know, I still can't believe I got so lucky." He continued, "She was the most amazing woman I had ever met. I was scared witless at the idea of asking her out. Figured she'd never go for someone like me. Then one day, she just grabbed my hand and said she was tired of waiting for me to ask and that we were going to lunch."

Jax chuckled at the story the older man shared. "She sounds like the exact opposite of you."

"She was." He replied with a laugh, before it slowly died as he pulled the blanket tighter around his small body, "...Not a day goes by I don't miss her."

"Ah... I'm sorry." Jax said awkwardly as he looked towards the floor.

"Oh, no need for all that, boy." Kinger said as he perked back up, "I still have the time her and I spent together. Sure, it still hurts a bit, but the warmth I get from her memory outweighs it tenfold." Jax nodded along with his words, still unsure of what to say, only for a torrent of censored swearing to snap the both of them out of their conversation as a young Zooble was carried to the playpen and dropped inside.

"This is the worst adventure by far." They said as they picked themselves up and dusted themselves off.

"Oh, hello Zooble." Kinger said cheerfully. Jax glanced over at him and saw he had taken the blanket off and neatly folded it next to himself.

"This isn't working, Bubble!" Caine shouted out, drawing everyone's attention towards him, "We don't have time to finish hide and seek! Not to mention I don't know if any of them are potty trained." with a snap of his fingers, Bubble was snapped to float next to him as everyone else was summoned to the center of the room, with Pomni, Ragatha, and Gangle all still crouched down from hiding.

"Did-" Pomni began, looking around in confusion, "Did we win?"

"I've decided this may be a bit too young for the lessons I wanted you to learn!" Caine explained, ignoring the jester's comment, "So, let's go a bit later in development!" He clapped his hand and bathed the room in darkness once more. When they came back on, the preschool classroom had been replaced by a new classroom, with the various toys and soft carpet having been replaced with a few desks and a white tile floor.

"I was hoping we would go back to the circus." Gangle said as she looked around, her eyes widening in surprise as she looked at everyone. The young, almost toddler-like, forms they had were aged up, looking to now be around the age of preteens. Aside from being taller and their limbs less stubby, their designs remained the same, with the exception of Ragatha's hair now being done up in a ponytail, and Kinger having changed into what seemed to be a rook.

"Goooood morning, students!" Bubble cheered as he popped up from behind the larger desk at the front of the room.

"Oh god, he's going to kill us." Pomni said quietly, only for Caine to open the classroom door and stroll inside, his attire having not changed from the last location.

"Ah, this is a much better age to teach you all!" He said happily, "Now then, would everyone please take their seats!"

"Oh great, school again." Jax said in annoyance, his voice cracking and making him groan, "Oh yeah, because puberty was so great the first time."

"Do you always have to complain?" Zooble asked as they passed by him to take a seat at the desk furthest from him, though with only six to choose from it was still closer than they liked.

"Caine, is-" Ragatha began, only for him to shake his head and hold up a hand to make her fall silent.

"No so fast, young lady." He said, "You didn't raise your hand." She looked at him in confusion, slowly putting her hand into the air. "Ah yes, what do you need, Ragatha?"

"Is all of this really necessary to teach us a lesson?" She asked, gesturing around at the room, "Couldn't we have stayed our normal selves and just stayed in the circus?"

"No!" He replied with a large smile, before turning back to the whiteboard without elaborating more on his answer, "Now then, today we'll be learning about the hero's journey! Now, who can tell me what that is?" He turned to look at the involuntary students, finding none of them paying attention. Jax had his head down on the desk as he slept, Zooble, Pomni, and Ragatha were all talking to each other, Gangle was doodling, and Kinger was staring out the window watching bugs. "Excuse me!" He called out, snapping every to attention, "We have a very important lesson going on right now, and none of you are paying attention!"

"Caine, how does the hero's journey relate to whatever lesson you're trying to teach us?" Zooble asked, making the AI freeze as the sound of an old modem began to ring out from him. After an uncomfortable few seconds, he sprung back to life with a laugh.

"Oh, what was I thinking?!" He said with a laugh, "I've been going about this all wrong!" He clapped his hands and darkness enveloped everyone for a third time, coming back on after a few moments to reveal what appeared to be a classroom inside of a library. Everyone looked down at themselves in confusion, having been aged up once more into full blown teenagers and given a brand new set of clothes.

"Does Caine know anything from the modern era?" Jax asked as he looked down at the letterman jacket he was wearing, "We look like a 2000s high school drama."

"It could be worse." Ragatha said as she looked at her preppy and expensive blouse and jeans, "At least we get a change of clothes for once."

"It's been awhile since I was in high school." Kinger commented, not seeming to care about the white button up and tie he had been given.

"I don't think anyone at my school dressed like this." Pomni said as she looked at her hipster outfit with a mixture of disgust and confusion.

"This feels at least somewhat accurate for me." Zooble shrugged, having been given a simple pair of jeans and a hoodie.

"Me too." Gangle added, glancing down at her anime t shirt and sweat pants.

"Welcome to detention!" Caine said sternly, drawing everyone's attention to the front of the room.

"Detention?" Kinger asked, looking up at the clock on the wall, "But it's already past breakfast."

"I realized that my attempts to teach you all wasn't working, so I'm trying a new approach!" He continued, pacing around the room with his hands behind his back, "I'm going to leave you all in here for a couple hours so you can think about what you've done. By the time I get back, if you've all learned your lesson, I'll take us back to the circus."

"Caine," Pomni began, "I don't think any of us know what lesson we are supposed to be learning."

"And that's exactly why you're here!" Caine cried out, slamming his hands on her desk and making her flinch back, before quickly snapping back to walking around the room, "Now then, I'm leaving Bubble to watch you all and make sure you learn. With that, I'll be going!" He bowed to the group before leaving the room quickly as Bubble slowly rose up from the large desk at the front of the room and silently stared at everyone.

"Do you have any idea what he wants us to learn?" Ragatha asked Zooble, earning a shrug in response.

"Maybe if we just apologize he'll think we learned something." Gangle suggested.

"Careful, Ribbons." Jax chuckled as he grabbed a few pencils from a nearby counter, "You're starting to sound like me." He leaned back in his chair and started throwing the pencils towards the ceiling in an attempt to get them stuck.

"Are you sure that's a good idea, Jax?" Pomni asked as she watched him throw another pencil, "What if Bubble tells Caine and he gets mad at us?"

"I don't think he even knows we're here." Zooble said as they gestured towards the AI at the front of the room. He hadn't moved at all since he appeared, remaining deathly still as he continued to stare at, or rather through, the group. Zooble hopped to their feet and approached him, waving a hand in front of his face, trying and failing to elicit a response. "Man, that's creepy." They said, using a claw to pop the silent character, "There, now we aren't being watched." They began rummaging through the desk's drawers, pulling out a book and returning to their desk to read.

"I'm starting to understand why you're in detention." Jax snickered, earning a censored middle finger from them as they read. Hopping to his feet, Jax strolled over to the desk and began to rummage around the drawers as well, his eyes widening as he pulled out a pair of car keys. "Now that's more like it!" He ran towards the window and clicked the button, quickly spotting a car's lights flash as he lifted the window open and began to climb out. "Welp, I'll be back later. Anyone wanna come with?" He paused halfway out, glancing back at the others and locking eyes with Gangle, "How about it, Ribbons? Wanna go upgrade this detention into prison time with me?"

"O-oh, uh... no thanks." She replied softly, a light blush on her face as she looked away.

"I'll go with you." Kinger said as he approached the window.

"Well, at least one of you is cool." He smiled, "We'll see the rest of you losers before Caine gets back." The pair hopped out the window and ran towards the car, with the remaining four all watching as they hopped inside and drove out of the parking lot, swerving and driving on the wrong side of the road as they left.

"Think they'll make it back in time?" Ragatha asked as she watched the car disappear down the road.

"Either that or they'll crash." Zooble replied as she closed the book she had stolen.

"I don't think Jax knows how to drive." Pomni added before glancing over at Gangle, "Hey, why didn't you go with him?"

Gangle's eyes widened as she tapped her hands together anxiously. "I just... didn't feel like it, is all." She mumbled.

"It's cause she too nervous to be around her crush." Zooble snickered, making the masked character's face go bright red.

"Zooble!" Ragatha chastised, "Don't tease her about that! I expected better from you."

"Well you shouldn't have." Zooble shrugged before turning her attention back to Gangle, "Besides, you know I'm right."

"That's not the point." Ragatha mumbled as she turned her attention to the flustered woman, "But..."

"What?!" Gangle asked in shock, "You all know about-"

"Yeah..." Pomni said with an apologetic smile, "There isn't a lot to talk about in the circus." Gangle groaned as she let her face fall to the table, the others quickly moving to desks closer to their friend.

"If it helps," Zooble began, "I'm pretty sure we all knew before you told me."

"I-I'm sorry." Ragatha stuttered out, "I shouldn't have agreed with Zooble."

"No, it's not that." Gangle said as she lifted her head off the desk, tears having started to fall, "I just... What if he doesn't feel the same way? What if he laughs at me and all this friendship him and I have built up gets ruined because I couldn't just be normal?"

"Gangle," Pomni began, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder, "Jax may be a jerk, but I think even he wouldn't be that cruel."

"I think you might be thinking of a worst case scenario, too." Ragatha added.

"But why would he even go for someone like me?" Gangle tearfully asked, "He's funny and charming and kind, even if he doesn't show it all the time, and-"

"Gangle, Gangle." Zooble interrupted, turning her to face them, "I want you to honestly think. He consistently shows that side of himself to you and no one else, he's treating you better than he ever had before, and he has been practically glued to your hip for what must be two months by now. Does all of that really say he doesn't feel the same, or at the very least respect you enough to let you down gently?" Gangle went silent as Zooble's words sunk in, trying and failing to form words as the three others looked at her expectantly.

"I... see what you mean." She mumbled, looking at her friends with a shy smile.

"We can't promise things will go perfectly." Pomni said, trying her best to sound comforting, "But we can at least support you."

"Even if I have a lot of... questions about your choice in men." Zooble added, earning a chuckle from the group.

"Just make sure to tell us if he starts acting..." Ragatha said, a strained smile on her face, "like he always did."

The sound of a car door shutting snapped the group out of their conversation, watching as Jax and Kinger made their way back to the window they had climbed out of. The pair climbed inside and shut the window behind them, with Kinger giving the group a wave and Jax scowling as he walked over and slumped into his desk. "What's got you all %#!&@*?" Zooble asked.

"There wasn't a single thing outside of this place." He grumbled, "No NPCs, nothing in the buildings, not even anything to drive into."

"At least you didn't go alone." Pomni offered with an awkward smile.

"Oh, who did you go with?" Kinger asked obliviously.

"I guess." He shrugged, "Kinger is fine and all, I just would have preferred..." -He shot a glance towards Gangle- "Ah, nevermind. I'm gonna try to take a nap. If any of you need me, don't." He put his arms on the desk and laid his head down, mumbling to himself as he closed his eyes.

The rest of the group's time in detention was spent finding any way they could to pass the time, with the clock on the wall seeming to move at a snail's pace. After what felt like an eternity, the door swung open and smacked into the wall with a loud bang, making everyone jump to attention as Caine sauntered in. "Well, I sure hope you all thought about why you are here!" He called out, snapping his fingers and making Bubble reappear. "So, Teacher Assistant Bubble, how were they?" Everyone's eyes widen in panic as the small character opened his mouth, silently preparing themselves for whatever punishment Caine would dish out when he learns they popped him.

"They were great, Caine!" Bubble said cheerfully, turning everyone's panic into confusion, "They said they were so sorry and that they'd never be mean to Daddy Caine ever again."

"That's... disgusting. Don't ever call me that again." Caine replied, before turning to the group, "Well, it seems like you all learned your lesson, so I think it's time we head home!" He clapped his hands and bathed the world in darkness one final time. When the lights came back, they were standing in the circus once more, their digital bodies back to how they were supposed to be.

"I never thought I'd be happy to see myself like this." Pomni said as she looked down at her familiar look.

"I'll have Bubble whip up a wonderful meal to celebrate!" Caine cheered, wiping away a tear that welled in his eye, "I'm so proud of all of you. You've all grown up so fast." Before anyone could comment, he had zipped off to set the dining table.

"Hey Gangle." Jax whispered, nudging her with his elbow, "Wanna do something funny for me?"

"Depends..." She replied, eyeing him suspiciously. Pomni, Ragatha, Zooble, and Kinger all watched from the sidelines as he leaned down and whispered something into her ear that made her chuckle.

"I still don't know who's gonna win the bet." Zooble said.

"Me neither." Pomni replied with a nod.

"That's why I bet on them trying to confess at the same time." Ragatha replied with a smug smile, "And you two thought I was crazy."

"Hey..." Kinger interjected as he narrowed his eyes at the rabbit and ribbon pair, "Is it just me, or are they better friends than they used to be?"

"Hey, Caine!" Gangle called out with a smile, the ringleader's attention being pulled away from setting the table as he quickly floated over towards the group.

"What did you need, Gangle? Have you lost your comedy mask again?" He asked as Gangle stifled her laughter behind her hands.

"No, I just had a question." She said, earning a nod from the AI to continue, "I was wondering, what lesson were we supposed to learn from today's adventure? Just to make sure I learned the right one."

"Oh, I'd be happy to help, my ribbony rascal!" He said cheerfully, "I simply wanted to teach you a lesson about-" Suddenly, he froze mid sentence as his eyes displayed a computer's blue screen as a loud beep rang out from his mouth. The group shared a laugh as they watched the ringleader fail to come up with an answer, a proud smile spreading across Jax's face. After a few seconds, Caine sprang back to life as he continued talking as if nothing happened. "-That's the lesson I wanted you all to learn! I hope I was able to clear things up!"

"Y-yeah, it did." She said as she tried to swallow back her laughter, "Thank you, Caine."

"It was my pleasure!" He said with a bow, before rushing back to the dining area to continue setting up.

"See, told you he didn't have any idea what he was talking about." He chuckled as he rested his arm on top of Gangle's head, "So how was it? Pranking on behalf of the master?"

"It was... alright." She said as she pushed his arm off her head, "But what would you have done if he didn't freeze?"

"Simple," He shrugged with a teasing grin, "I would have made fun of you for asking."

"Are you serious?" She asked through her chuckling, reaching up to give him a soft punch in the arm, "I hate you."

"Yeah," Jax replied as he grabbed her wrist to keep her from trying to hit him, "I hate you too."

Chapter Text

Gangle cracked her eyes open as a yawn forced its way out of her, grumbling as she shut her eyes tight and tried to get back to sleep. She reached over to try and pull Jax closer, hoping to nuzzle into his fur and let it's warmth lull her back to sleep, only for her hand grope fruitlessly in the air. Popping an eye open, she was surprised to find no trace of the rabbit, her tiredness leaving her as she sat up and looked around her room. Much to her disappointment, it seemed like he was nowhere to be found. "He must have woke up before me." She mumble aloud, sliding out of bed and stretching her limbs, "Why didn't he wait for me this time?" The sound of someone screaming pulled her from her thoughts, quickly rushing out of her room to see what was going on.

"Why do you have so many of these!?" Ragatha screamed as she frantically brushed centipedes off her body, only making Jax laugh harder.

"Jeez, Raggy." He said with a large grin, "I didn't realize it would BUG you so much." He cackled at his own joke as Ragatha finally threw the last centipede off herself, glaring at the rabbit as he laughed. Once the laughter had died down, it was only then did the pair notice Gangle's presence. "Oh, looks like Crybaby is finally awake." He sneered.

"Why can't you be nice to her?" Ragatha asked, before turning her attention back to Gangle, "Did he break your mask already? I can go get Caine if-"

"Mask?" Gangle asked, cutting the doll's sentence off, "I haven't been wearing my comedy mask very much lately. I thought everyone knew?" The pair looked at her confused, only making her grow more confused herself.

"Looks like she thinks she figured out how to keep me from breaking it." Jax chuckled as he turned and began walking down the hall, "Hate to break it to you, but I still have the key to your room."

"You shouldn't have keys to anyone's room." Ragatha scolded as she walked towards Gangle, placing a hand on her shoulder and forcing a smile on her face, "Are you feeling ok? I know it's pretty early to deal with Jax and all."

"I guess so." The ribbon character replied, staring at Jax as he walked down the hall, "I just... He hasn't acted like this in awhile. Why start now?"

Ragatha's smile fell as a confused and worried expression crossed her face. "Gangle, are you feeling ok?" She asked, kneeling down to meet her eye line.

She brushed the doll's hand off her shoulder as she backed away slightly. "I'm fine. It just feels like something is... off this morning."

Ragatha slowly got to her feet, not taking her eyes off Gangle as she wrung her hands together. "Are you sure? First you don't wear your mask, then you think Jax acting like himself is new..."

"Ragatha," Gangle interrupted, "I'm ok, honest." The doll averted her gaze nervously, before a small smile crossed her face as she nodded softly.

"Well... if you say so." She said with a small laugh, "Just let me know if things keep feeling... off." With that, Ragatha began to head down the hall herself, leaving Gangle alone to question if she was going crazy. The sound of a door opening snapped her from her thoughts, turning around to find Pomni shuffling out of her room with a thousand yard stare towards the floor.

"Hey, Pomni." Gangle called over, making the jester flinch as she looked up.

"O-oh, hi." She said with a small, nervous wave, "It's Gangle, right?"

Gangle's confusion was replaced by a feeling of unease that settled in the pit of her stomach. "...Of course it's me, Pomni. We've been friends for months now."

The jester looked at her suspiciously, fiddling with the pom poms on her outfit. "I've... only been here for a few days." She mumbled, quickly heading down the hall as she kept an eye on Gangle nervously.

Gangle felt her chest tighten as a wave of anxiety washed over her, her breathing growing labored as she stumbled backwards into the wall. She reached over and pinched herself, wincing in pain as she hoped to wake up from this nightmare of reverted characteristics.

"You alright, Gangle?" Zooble asked, waving a hand in front of Gangle's face.

Her eyes widened as she looked at her friend, looking them up and down nervously. "Z-Zooble? Is it really you?"

They raised an eyebrow as the glanced around. "Yeah... it is?" They replied in confusion, "Are you, like... ok?"

"Something weird is going on." She said, grabbing Zooble by the shoulders and pulling them down to her level, "It's like everyone is losing all the personal development they've had. Jax is bullying me again, Pomni is nervous and acting like she just got here. I don't know if this is some weird nightmare or something, but... this isn't right-none of it is."

As soon as the words left her mouth, everything around her froze, most notably Zooble. Their eyes became unfocused as they stared off into space, the entire circus falling silent as Gangle felt her panic grow worse and worse. She felt like she was drowning, her knees buckling as she collapsed to the ground, tears falling from her eyes. She tried to scream, but no sound came out, her body shaking as black dots faded in and out of her vision.

She shot up with a scream, looking around in a panic as she panted heavily. She found herself at the dinning area table, the rest of the players all passed out in their chairs. Slowly, the memories of that morning came flooding back. Caine had posed a challenge to them all, offering an entire week off from adventures if they would test the new world simulation by all being trapped in a world of their biggest fears and either overcome them or figure out the situation wasn't real. They all had reservations about doing it, but a week without adventures was deemed too good to pass up. She slowly regained her composure, watching her friends lay motionless in their seats.

"Hello, Gangle!" Caine said cheerfully, making her jump as she whipped her head around to face him, "You're the first person to complete your challenge! I hope your fear of things never changing is successfully quelled!"

"Caine, I think you may have gone a bit overboard on the, uh, fake world." Gangle said nervously.

"Nonsense!" He said with a dismissive wave, "I had to make them as close to reality as possible, otherwise there wouldn't be a challenge!"

"Caine, if someone doesn't realize it's fake, and the genuinely think their worst fear is coming true, aren't they at risk of... abstraction?" She asked, making the ai fall silent as he thought.

"You raise an excellent point, Gangle!" He said, clapping his hands together, "In order to ensure everyone succeeds, I'll be sending you into their challenges to help them out!"

"Wh-what?!" She asked in shock, "Can't you just pull them out early?"

"That would defeat the point of the challenge!" He said with a chuckle, before pointing his cane at her, "Now then, good luck!"

"Caine, wait!" She yelled, but it was too late as a blinding light enveloped her, soon fading to reveal a strange area that looked like an office. She looked around the dusty place, finding abandoned computers and desks strewn about without reason.

"No, no, no!" A voice cried out, a door slamming soon after. Gangle turned and saw Pomni rush into the room, a panicked and desperate look on her face. She locked eyes with Gangle, a mix of emotions flashing across her face, before landing on a mix of relief and confusion. "Gangle, what are you doing here?" She asked as she ran up to her, "I thought you had escaped with the others."

She tilted her head in confusion at the jester. "Escaped?" She asked, making Pomni's expression fall into horror and despair as tears started to well in her eyes. The jester collapsed to her knees as she let out a choked sob, with Gangle quickly following suit and placing a hand on her shoulder.

"I woke up and found a letter saying you had all left." She sobbed, "I tried following the exit signs, but they just lead back to this stupid office. I've run through door after door after door and I haven't gotten any closer to making it out of here."

Gangle rubbed her arm awkwardly, unsure of how to navigate the situation. She had never been great at comforting people, with even the times where she helped Jax being more a matter of practice than an innate ability. "I'm... sorry." She mumbled out, making Pomni look at her with teary eyes, "I know you want to find an exit. I think all of us have hope of finding one some day." She sat down in front of her friend, doing her best to give a comforting smile, "I can't say if we'll find one," -Pomni whimpered at her words, making Gangle panic as she quickly course corrected her statement, "b-but! I can assure you, if we did, no one would be left behind."

Pomni wiped the tears from her face, looking at the floor sadly as she traced the seams in the carpet with her finger. "What if- we're stuck in the circus forever?" She asked, her voice weak and on the verge of crying once more, "What if we never find an exit and we have to spend eternity in this place."

Gangle stayed silent for a moment, trying to find the right words to say. "Well," She began as she stood up, offering her hand to the miserable jester, "then I'm glad I'm here with such good friends." Pomni sniffled and smiled softly as she took Gangle's hand, being helped to her feet before throwing her arms around her ribbon friend. Gangle looked at her in surprise, with Pomni pulling away from the hug quickly with an awkward laugh.

"Sorry," She said, rubbing the back of her neck, "I'm, uh, not good with physical contact. It felt like the right thing to do in the moment, but now that I did it, I feel like it was weird and kinda wish I hadn't." Gangle chuckled at Pomni's awkward demeanor, making her visibly relax. She looked around the office, her earlier panic being replaced with confusion. "Now that I'm thinking a bit more clearly, something about this place doesn't make sense. Why would Caine just let everyone leave?"

The world froze around the pair as Pomni spoke, reminding Gangle of what happened during her challenge. Before either of them could discuss the sudden pause, a light blinded Gangle once more, fading soon after to reveal that she had been taken to a dark room somewhere in the circus. Her eyes slowly adjusted to the dark, with small, familiar details beginning to make themselves present. She soon realized she was standing in Zooble's room, with various pieces of the character strewn about haphazardly. To say the scene was eerie would be an understatement. She saw a figure sitting on at the foot of the bed, slumped over and deathly still. It didn't appear to have any limbs, featuring only a triangular head and cylindrical body.

"Zooble?" Gangle asked quietly, slowly approaching the hunched figure. The closer she got, the more of them she could see, finding them devoid of both eyes and antennae. Her eyes widened in horror as she quickly began to search the ground, quickly scooping up two discarded eyeballs and carefully placing them on her friend's face. Once in place, they blinked to life and locked eyes with her, before looking down at the floor sadly.

"What are you doing here?" They mumbled, their usual calm and relaxed attitude nowhere to be seen.

"Caine, uh, 'suggested' I check on everyone to make sure they were ok." She said, sitting down next to them, "That being said, are you ok? You seem a bit... sad." Zooble stayed silent for awhile, simply staring at their parts they had thrown across the floor with a mixture of loathing and misery.

"Why am I like this?" They asked quietly, "Why did I have to get stuck in this body?" Gangle remained quiet as they spoke, tapping her hands together nervously. "I hate all these stupid parts. All the claws and horns and whatever other toy box reject Caine has given me. I've tried every combination I can think of, and none of them work! I just... why can't I find something that feels like me? What if I never can?"

Gangle looked around the room awkwardly, racking her brain to try and find anything to say that would be of comfort to her friend. "Well," She eventually mumbled out, finally drawing Zooble's attention away from the ground, "then I guess we'll have to keep trying." She gave an awkward smile as Zooble looked at her in confusion. "I know your body isn't... ideal, but I don't think you should give up."

They sighed as they leaned back against their bed, "Gangle, I-"

"I know you've tried everything," She interrupted, taking them by surprise as she stood up and began to walk around the room collecting pieces, "but I'm not going to let you give up. We may not find the perfect matches, but I'm willing to help find the closest we can get." She sat in front of Zooble with an armful of parts, carefully slotting them into place as Zooble's look of sadness slowly gave way to a soft smile. Once all their pieces were in place, Gangle helped them to their feet. "We all have things about ourselves we don't like." She continued, "But we can't let that stop us from living the best we can."

"Since when did you start giving inspirational speeches?" Zooble asked with a snicker.

"I, uh-" Gangle blushed as she rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly, "may have taken that from an anime." The two shared a laugh as the room became deathly silent, having frozen as another bright light enveloped Gangle and whisked her away, dropping her in another dark room in the circus, this one appearing to be Ragatha's. She quickly spotted the doll laying on the floor, with a miserable look on her face and tears in her eyes as she stared up at the ceiling.

"Are you here to tell me how awful I am again?" Ragatha asked, not even looking at the ribbon character as she spoke.

"Wh-what? I'd never say that." Gangle stuttered out, a feeling of guilt washing over her as she was reminded of her talk with Pomni outside of Spudsy's.

"No need to lie anymore, I get it." The doll continued with a dismissive wave, "Everyone told me how 'fake' I was being. That I'm not being genuine and that I'm selfish. And you're all right." Gangle sat next to her as she spoke, tapping her hands together anxiously. "I just wanted to help everyone. I thought if I was nice all the time and tried to stay positive that everything would be ok. I mean, Jax already brings enough negativity, why would I add to that? But I guess I was only making things worse."

"Ragatha," Gangle began, "you need to stop worrying about what others think about you."

"That's easy for you to say." She replied, "You haven't been built up thinking that you didn't matter if you weren't perfect."

"But how can you be 'perfect' if you aren't happy with yourself?" Gangle shot back, making Ragatha fall silent, "If you keep focusing on not upsetting others, you're only going to upset yourself."

She sat up and looked at Gangle in confusion. "But earlier you all said-"

"Forget what was said earlier." She interrupted, "Is it hard to know if you are being genuine sometimes? Yes. But that doesn't mean you're a bad person or that you aren't trying." She placed a hand on the doll's shoulder and gave her a gentle smile, "I'd rather have a friend who tries to much than one that doesn't try at all."

She laughed as she wiped a tear from her eye, brushing the hand off her shoulder. "I just wish it was easier."

"I think we all do." Gangle replied, "But we'll all get through it together." Ragatha smiled as she rested her head on Gangle's shoulder, a noticeable calm atmosphere filling the air. "Also, for the record," Gangle continued, "I don't think anything you heard today was real."

"I don't see what else-" Ragatha began, only to cut herself off as she narrowed her eyes, "Oh, god %@!$ it, Caine."

The world around them froze, an already familiar sight for Gangle, as Ragatha's challenge came to an end. "This is getting repetitive." She muttered to herself, closing her eyes in preparation for the blinding light to engulf her once more. As soon as it appeared, the light faded and she found herself in a quiet garden, the sun setting on the horizon as various different insects skittered and fluttered around. The entire place was bathed in a peaceful orange hue as she took in her surroundings, watching a butterfly fly by an land on a nearby flower. She saw a bench out of the corner of her eye, sitting alone in the center of the garden with a single occupant resting on it as they watched the sunset. She approached the bench slowly, leaning over the back of it and catching the attention of the man sitting on it in silence. "Hey, Kinger." She said with a small wave, earning a cheerful expression from the older man.

"Oh, hello Gangle." He said happily, "Would you like to join me?" He scooted over to make room for his new companion, who promptly took a seat and looked towards the sunset with him. They remained silent for awhile, both of them taking in the scenery around them, with birds chirping in the distance and insects buzzing through the air.

"Hey, Kinger?" She asked, finally breaking the silence and drawing the chess piece's attention away from the sunset, "Are you doing ok?"

"Oh, I'm fine." He said, "I figured out what was going on awhile ago."

Her eyes widened in surprise at the revelation. "You mean you already-" She began, only for Kinger to hold up a hand to make her stop talking.

"I think if I don't say it out loud, I can stay here for awhile longer." He explained, earning a nod from his friend as he returned to watching the sunset.

"Do you mind if I ask why?" She queried. Kinger looked around the garden with a smile, slowly standing up and approaching a lone flower that was beginning to droop towards the ground.

"My wife and I used to sit out here and watch the sun set." He said, gently pushing the flower upright, "Being here reminds me of her."

"O-oh, I don't think I've heard much about your wife." Gangle said, watching him tend to the flowers from her spot on the bench, "Is it... tough to think about her?"

"Not usually." The chess piece continued, "It's just something I don't find much reason to share when I can think clearly." He finished tending to the garden and returned to his spot on the bench, looking towards Gangle curiously. "What about you?"

"What about me?" She asked, cocking her head to the side.

"Are you doing ok?" He clarified, "You aren't usually so talkative."

She gave a weak laugh as she looked down at her hands. "Caine is making me check on everyone to see if they are doing ok with their challenges." She explained, "I've been trying my best to be comforting and helpful, but I don't think I'm very good at it. I'm starting to get why Pomni seems so tired after listening to us vent."

"Well, I think you've been doing good." Kinger reassured, giving her a quick pat on the back, "If how Jax has been is any indication, you must be a natural at it. I haven't seen him as happy as he has been in a long time."

"Really?" She asked in surprise, earning a nod from the man sitting next to her.

"The fact he has been open with you about how he feels is an achievement in itself." He continued, "He started closing himself off from others a few years ago, but I couldn't figure out why. Though, I guess I'm hardly ever in my right mind to find out." He chuckled at his own joke as he looked off at the sunset. "My point is, I think the two of you are a good match, whatever form it may take. I want my friends to find the same happiness I do in this garden." Gangle smiled as she rested her head against his shoulder, the both of them falling silent as they watched the last few minutes of the sunset. As it dipped below the horizon, Kinger sighed as looked down at Gangle. "Well, I guess that's my cue."

"I'm sorry you can't stay here longer." Gangle said as she sat up, "This place is nice."

"It is." He said as he stood up, "But all adventures have to end sometime."

Once again, the world froze as the words were spoken, shrouding everything in light once more as Gangle was brought to the circus. "Only one left." She said to herself, a quick feeling of pride swelling in her chest at having been able to help everyone so far. It was quickly snuffed out by the sound of shouting from the hall, abruptly reminding her that her job wasn't quite done yet. Rushing towards the hall, she saw a crowd had formed near one of the doors, all shouting over one another at someone in the middle. As she walked closer, she started to make out the faces of her friends, though she was almost positive this was simply some of Caine's NPCs like she had seen during her challenge. A feeling of worry soon washed over her as she saw Jax in the center of the group, his disheveled form barely recognizable as he stood in front of the door in a daze.

"You really thought you had a chance with her?" The fake Zooble sneered, "You're more pathetic than I thought."

"I had pretty low expectations, Jax, but I thought even you were above pushing someone to abstraction." The fake Ragatha added in disgust.

"I'm so disappointed in you." The fake Kinger said sadly, "I thought you were better than this."

"She was right about you." The fake Pomni continued, "You really are nothing more than a bully." The groups mocking came to an end as they dispersed, heading into their rooms and leaving Jax alone as he stared at the door, tears streaming down his face.

"I'm sorry." He whispered, "I'm so, so sorry. I didn't want this to happen. Not again." A sob escaped him as Gangle carefully approached, finally being able to see who's door he was in front of.

She saw her own cartoony decal with a large red X over it, realization dawning on her of what Jax's fear was.

"I take it back. I take everything back." He whimpered, placing a hand against the door, "You can't be gone, not now. @%#$, this can't be happening."

"Jax?" Gangle whispered, making him go rigid as he whipped around to look at her, his eyes bloodshot and brimming with tears, "What's going on?"

"Oh god," He said as a panicked chuckle escaped him, "I'm already going insane. I thought it would have taken longer." He leaned back against the door as he looked down at his trembling hands, another laugh escaping him, followed by another, and another, until he was all but howling with it despite the flood of tears that ran down his face.

She knelt in front of him in a panic as she placed a hand on his shoulder, his body shaking from both his laughter and his strangled sobs. "J-Jax, please try to calm down." She said, though it was unclear if he had even heard her over his manic laughter.

"Oh man, this place really is hell." He said through his laughter, though it frequently fluctuated back to sobs, "I'm in hell, aren't I?" He met her terrified gaze as he trembled, putting his hands on her shoulders and gripping them tight. "It only makes sense! You abstract, everyone blames me, I have to live with my guilt and loneliness for the rest of time. If that's not hell, I don't know what is!"

"Jax, stop talking!" She yelled, grabbing his wrists as tight as she could and forcing them to his chest, trying to think of anything she could to snap him out of the downward mental spiral he was in, "You aren't in hell, you aren't alone. I'm right here. It's going to be ok!"

"Man, I really messed things up, huh?" He asked, still clearly unstable.

"No you didn't." She snapped back, quickly running out of ideas and growing more and more desperate to ground him.

"I mean," He continued, another laugh escaping him, "what kind of monster kills their best friend?!"

With a growl of frustration, she quickly decided to do the only thing she could think of to shock him out of this state. Releasing his hands, she grabbed the straps on his overalls and pulled him forward, planting her lips on his and immediately silencing his ramblings. His eyes widened in shock, the erratic look in them vanishing as he slowly leaned into the kiss, closing his eyes and resting his hands on her shoulders. Gangle pulled away soon after, catching her breath as she looked at the now much calmer rabbit seriously. "Will you listen to me now?" She asked in a firm tone, still holding his overalls in a death grip. He nodded silently, earning a sigh from her as she herself finally relaxed. "Everything is ok." She began, making sure to speak as gently as she could, "I'm not abstracted. You didn't do anything wrong. You aren't a monster."

"I think that second point depends who you ask." He chuckled as he wiped the tears from his face, forcing his usual conceited smile back on.

"Please, no jokes right now." She said as she looked him over with concern, "Are you ok?"

"Oh yeah, I'm just peachy." He said as he rolled his eyes, slowly climbing to his feet and helping Gangle to her's, only for her to punch him in the arm with a scowl, "Alright, fine, I'll stop."

"Good." She said, before she sighed and looked around the hall, "The others are all finished with their challenges, so we should be back at the circus once you-"

"Challenges?" He interrupted, only for the confused look on his face to slowly morph into anger, "This is one of Caine's #!%$ing adventures, isn't it?" As soon as he said it, the world froze once more, the bright light returning one final time to envelope Gangle.

She shot up in her seat and looked around wildly, finding herself back at the table like she had at the beginning of her impromptu mission. The other players all sat around the table, looking at Caine with varying levels of anger as they waited for her and Jax to wake up. With a groan, the rabbit lifted his head off the table and slowly took in his surroundings, his eyes widening as more and more of the actual day's events came back to him. He looked up at Caine and grit his teeth, glaring daggers at him, though the ringleader didn't seem to notice.

"Welcome back, everyone!" He said cheerfully, either unaware or purposely ignoring the angry looks he was getting, "It seems like everyone completed their challenges! Which means that you lucky duckies will be getting the next week off from adventures!"

"You need to be reigned in." Zooble said, narrowing their eyes at the floating character, "I don't know what it is with your adventures lately, but they've been more upsetting than usual."

"Well, I can't have an adventure with it being a little upsetting!" He defended, placing his hands on his hips, "That'd be like having milk without the things to dunk in it!"

"Cookies?" Pomni suggested.

"No thanks, I just had lunch." He replied, before looking down at his watch, his eyes widening a cartoonish amount, "Good heavens, look at the time! I almost missed my conference call!" He bowed towards the players before promptly vanishing, making the tension in the room noticeably lessen.

"If he messes with my brain again, I'll find a way to kill him." Jax growled as he stood up from his seat.

"For once, I don't think you'd be in the wrong." Ragatha mumbled, before her eyes fell on Gangle and she perked back up, "Oh! Gangle, I almost forgot to thank you for your help today."

"Oh, me too." Pomni chimed in.

"O-oh, guys, that's really not necessary." She said with a small laugh, though it did little to stop the multiple rounds of thanks she got from the table. All except Jax, who had already left his seat and started heading towards the hall.

"Hope you all have fun celebrating," He said, "cause I'm too tired to stick around and ruin it."

"Wow, how kind of you." Zooble said as they rolled their eyes.

"I know, aren't I just the best?" He snickered as he continued on his way.

"He didn't even thank you." Ragatha pointed out with a frown, looking back towards Gangle, only to find her staring in the direction Jax had walked off in. After a moment, she turned her attention back to the group, finding them all staring at her with knowing looks.

"O-oh, um-" She began, a blush creeping up her face as she tried to think of an excuse, only for Zooble to sigh and derail her train of thought.

"Just go." They said, nodding towards the hall, "It's not like we don't already know."

With an embarrassed smile, Gangle slid out of her chair and quickly headed towards the hall, jogging through and finding Jax just before he entered his room. "Wait, Jax!" She called out, making him stop and look at her curiously as she approached him, "I just wanted to say I'm so-"

"Nope, save it." He said, holding his hand up to make her stop talking, "You don't have anything to apologize for."

"B-but, I-" She continued, her face heating up as she thought about earlier, "I should have asked or tried something else. You weren't in a good headspace and I shouldn't have-" She was cut off as Jax pressed his lips to hers, killing the apology in her throat and stealing her breath away. His thumb slid along the edge of her mask, sending a shock through her body as she began to lean into the kiss, only for him to pull away as soon as she did.

"There," He smirked, the blush in his cheeks as bright as her own, "now we're even." She tried to say something, but all that came out was a faint groan as her mind replayed the moment over and over again. He turned to his door and pulled it open, stepping inside and pausing as he began to close it. "Oh, and... thanks." With that, he shut the door on her, leaving her in stunned silence as she finally registered what was going on.

"U-uh, yeah!" She called through the door, a giddy smile spreading across her face, "I was happy to help!" She prepared to leave, only for the door to crack open and for Jax to poke his head out, a mischievous grin plastered on his face.

"Oh, by the way," He began, holding a blue notebook out the door and waving it at her, "I popped into your room and, uh, 'borrowed' that sketchbook you had on your desk." Her smile fell into a look of horror at the mention, only making his grin grow wider. "I gotta say, Ribbons, I didn't take you for the freaky type. I never expected this to be how you let off steam, but I can't say I'm upset. Though I am a bit surprised how often you draw everyone in the circus. Though, I'll give you credit, you're pretty accurate on the size of my-"

"JAX!" She screamed as she lunged at the door, with him quickly pulling it shut and locking it. She couldn't help but laugh as she pounded her fists on the door, hearing his own laughter on the other side as he presumably flipped through the book, "When I get in there, I'm going to kill you!" Despite her words, she'd be lying if she said she didn't find the situation a little humorous.

"From the drawings I'm seeing, I have a few suggestions of things I'd like to try first." He replied, only making the two of them laugh harder as she continued trying to get into his room.

Chapter Text

Gangle yawned as she slowly opened her eyes, sitting up and looking around Jax's room as the fog of fatigue lifted from her mind. She glanced to the side and found Jax still fast asleep, having sprawled out on his side. He occasionally kicked a leg in his sleep as his jaw made small movements back and forth, a faint grinding sound spilling from him, almost like a cat's purr. She smiled softly as she reached over, giving him a few gentle pets between his ears and watching as they twitched in response. Her hand trailed down to his cheek, feeling the rumbling of his purrs and his soft fur as he nuzzled into her touch, making a light blush cross her face as she stared at the adorable scene in front of her. Pulling her hand away, she slowly slid out of his bed and made her way to the door, slipping out as silently as she could as to not wake the sleeping rabbit. She let out a breath she hadn't even realized she was holding, turning towards the hall and letting out a yelp at the sight of Zooble and Ragatha staring at her.

"Good morning." Ragatha said with a friendly wave, "Did you sleep well?"

"U-uh, yep! Sure did!" Gangle replied with a nervous laugh, feeling her face begin to heat up once more, though for a much different reason than before.

"Jeez, you act like it's still a secret." Zooble teased, leaning back against the wall, "Well, unless you two have started sleeping together in the other way, then-"

"Zooble!" Ragatha chastised, making the abstract character snicker as they glanced at her. She rolled her eyes as she looked back towards Gangle, finding her rubbing her arm and looking towards the floor sheepishly, making the doll's eyes widened in shock. "Wait, did you actually?!"

Gangle's face went bright red at the accusation, immediately holding her hands up defensively. "N-no! Nothing like that!" She cried, glancing behind herself towards Jax's door before quickly moving further away, "I'm just... a bit flustered is all. This is the closest thing to romance I've experienced in years, and I'm still scared if I tell him he'll freak out and-"

"Oh, hey Gangle." Pomni interrupted as she stepped out of her room, seeming to be the reason Zooble and Ragatha were in the hall to begin with. She glanced around at her friends, slightly shrinking in on herself as she gave an apologetic smile. "Sorry... did I interrupt something?"

"Gangle still hasn't told Jax how she feels." Zooble explained, making the masked character let out an embarrassed squeak, "So the bet is still going strong."

"Did you guys really bet on that too?" Gangle asked, earning a shrug from Zooble and sheepish looks from Pomni and Ragatha, "There has to be better things to do."

"You'd be surprised how quickly Caine reuses magazines." Ragatha said with a weak chuckle.

"Besides," Pomni began, "we all... kinda thought it would have happened by now."

"What?!" Gangle asked in shock, her face going bright red.

"Even if I lost, I still thought one of you would have confessed already." Zooble chimed in, "%!@&, I thought that's what you were doing when you ran after him yesterday."

"I heard her in his room that night." Kinger chimed in, making everyone jump as he seemingly appeared from thin air. He looked at everyone curiously, before glancing around at his surroundings thoughtfully. "Well, now how did I end up here."

"I think you should tell him, Gangle." Ragatha said, redirecting the conversation back to the topic at hand, "No matter what happens, I imagine you'd feel better after the fact."

"That's easy for you to say when you aren't the one who'd have to say it." The ribbon character whined, "I've never been good at that kind of stuff."

"Well, maybe you just need the right moment." Pomni suggested, "We have a whole week without adventures to work with, after all."

"M-maybe I should just wait until he says something so I don't make things weird." Gangle muttered, tapping her hands together anxiously.

"If he says anything at all." Zooble added with a roll of their eyes, "Do you really expect Jax of all people to truthfully say how he feels without a gun to his head?"

"Do any of you freaks understand the concept of quiet?" Jax asked as he stepped out of his room, having clearly just woken up.

"Well, good morning, Sunshine." Zooble mocked, earning a scowl from the rabbit, "Did we ruin your beauty sleep?"

"You pulled me out a great dream, actually." He replied, walking up and resting his arm on top of Gangle's head, "I was watching you get pulled feet first into a wood chipper. Shame I didn't get to finish it. You still had half your body to go."

"Keep me out of your dreams, #!$@head." They shot back, making a conceited smile spread across his face.

"Oohh, you got testy quick." He snickered, "I think that's a new record, actually."

The group tensed as they prepared themselves for another fight to break out, only for Caine and Bubble to appear in a flash, quickly shifting the tension from each other towards the two AI instead. "Good morning, my bouncing babies!" He said cheerfully, "Who's ready for a fun filled romp created by yours truly?!"

"Nuh uh, no way." Jax replied in annoyance, "You said if we tested your stupid little horror scenarios we got the week off."

"That doesn't sound like something I'd do." The ringleader said defiantly.

"Wh—Are you seriously trying to get out of your end of the deal?" Zooble asked, glaring up at him.

"Not at all!" Caine defended, "If I had made such a deal, which I didn't, then I would happily fulfill my side of the bargain!"

"But you did promise us the week off." Gangle chimed in softly.

"We wouldn't have agreed to the challenge otherwise." Pomni agreed.

"Caine, don't you think, if we all remember this deal, that it must have happened?" Ragatha asked.

"I think I remember something about time off." Kinger added, "I hope I don't have to use my sick days."

"Well, this is clearly a case of mass hysteria!" Caine said proudly, only making the players below him begin to protest louder, "Thankfully this adventure I cooked up should be more than enough to cure you! Bubble, please gather the players."

"I love it when you gaslight people, Boss!" He replied happily, before swooping down towards the group with his mouth wide open, quickly gobbling all six of them into his mouth and swallowing. One by one, they were dropped in a long corridor-like area, falling into a heap atop one another as various sounds of disgust rang out.

"I think I'm gonna be sick." Pomni said as she climbed to her feet, looking down at her drool covered body.

"Remind me to burn these clothes when we're done." Jax commented, "Actually, maybe I'll burn my entire body." He glanced behind him and found Gangle sitting on the ground, trying in vain to shake off whatever Bubble had covered them all in. After making sure everyone was preoccupied with themselves, he offered his hand to her, taking her by surprise and making a shy smile cross her face. She placed her hand in his and let him help her to her feet, her ribbon slowly curling around his wrist as neither of them dared to let go of the other. Only a moment later, Jax slowly pulled his hand away, putting a small distance between him and Gangle as everyone began to gather their bearings.

"Where are we, anyway?" Ragatha asked, looking around at the strange area. The room stretched forward a few dozen meters, ending with a button on the other side. Along the center of the room stood a window that stretched to the ceiling, cutting the room in half up until the end, where it converged with the other side. Both sides looked identical, with a distinct lack of anything populating the corridor.

"Maybe Caine finally gave up on anything challenging." Zooble suggested flatly.

As if summoned by his name, Caine soon zipped into the room, looking down at the unwitting adventurers with a smile. "On the contrary, you colorful comedian!" He exclaimed, earning a confused look from them at his choice of name, "This adventure is a team building exercise! You'll have to make it to the other end of the room" —he pointed towards the far side of the room with his cane- "By working together!"

"Th-that doesn't sound too bad." Gangle said hopefully, only for Caine to laugh and make what little hope she had vanish.

"You won't just be walking, oh no no!" The AI said, snapping his fingers and making a large, metal clamp lock around each player's waist, with a chain connecting them to each other in a line. Thankfully he also removed whatever it was that they had been covered in.  "You'll be racing!"

"I know I'll regret this." Pomni sighed before looking back up at the ringleader, "Who are we racing?"

"I'm so glad you asked, Pomni!" Caine cheered, pointing towards the glass as another group of six fell into the room on the other side. They all climbed to their feet, quickly making it obvious just who it was they were competing against.

"Please welcome back, the Evil Digital Circus!" Caine cheered, gesturing down towards the AI opposites.

"Oh you've got to be kidding me." Jax groaned as he looked at the second group, "Don't you have any other NPCs to pick from? What about those gummy dudes, or disappearing guy or something?"

"But these are the most expressive and life like NPCs I've made! I can't just use them once or twice and be done with them!" The AI replied, zipping to the other side of the glass and looking down at the group of doubles, "Besides, they're excited to see you all again!"

"You won't beat me again, you #^!%$!" Coach Dictatorer yelled, slamming a fist on the glass as he glared at the players.

"Haha, save the trash talk for when the race starts, Coach!" Caine laughed, snapping his fingers and chaining the evil duplicates together the same way he had the first group, "Now then, you have five minutes to warm up! Better stretch those muscles if you don't want to pull something! Oh, and watch out for traps." Before anyone could protest the sudden adventure any more, the ringleader vanished, leaving the two groups alone, separated only by a large window.

"You #!&$#% ready to lose?" Evil Pomni laughed, holding out her hand to high five her Ragatha.

"Come on now," Evil Jax protested meekly, "maybe if we're nice we can all have fun."

"It'll be more fun when we demolish them." Evil Gangle smiled, her equivalent to a comedy mask still firmly stuck to her face.

"We'll demolish them like this!" Bazooble said as they snatched the mask off Evil Gangle's face and threw it on the ground, making it shatter into pieces and earning a scowl from the now angry red masked character.

"Nice going, you moron!" She yelled at her scatterbrained companion, who didn't seem to register anything that was said to them. The original cast stared at the antics of their counterparts in a mixture of confusion and annoyance, a few groans escaping from the members less than pleased to see the evil characters for a third time.

"I could have still been in my room," Jax grumbled to himself, "but noooo, I just had to go out and say something."

"I'm so tired of seeing her." Ragatha said, glaring at her counterpart through the window, who laughed and stuck their tongue out at her.

"Hey, wait a second..." Kinger said, looking at the second group suspiciously, "Do those people look familiar to you guys?" Before anyone else could vocalize their thoughts on the situation, a loud buzzer rang out through the room, signifying the race had begun, though no one on either side seemed very eager to begin.

"Let's get this over with." Jax groaned as he started to walk down the long corridor, "Maybe they'll be less coordinated than us."

"Didn't Caine say something about—" Pomni began, only for her sentence to be cut off as a large mallet swung down from the ceiling, slamming into Jax and sending him flying backwards into the wall, the others stumbling backwards as the chains they were connected by pulled them after the rabbit. He collapsed to the ground in pain, his arms wrapping around himself as tears welled in the corners of his eyes.

"Ok." He croaked out, finally managing to pull himself to rest on his hands and knees, "That hurt." Gangle and Pomni quickly rushed over to him and carefully helped him to his feet, with the former shooting a few glares at the mirror team as they laughed at the scene.

"You ok, Jax?" Ragatha asked, watching as he grimaced and held a hand against his side.

"Oh yeah, I'm great." He said through gritted teeth, "By the way, did you know we have ribs? Cause I think mine are broken."

"Smooth moves, Bunny boy!" Evil Gangle called from the other side, before shoving her Jax towards the surprise obstacle course, "Show them how it's done, Cottontail."

"Uh, are you sure this is safe?" The pink rabbit asked as he took a hesitant step forward, only for a pillar of the ceiling come slamming down on top of him, crushing him in an instant. As the pillar raised back up, a battered and bruised Evil Jax slowly crawled back towards his group, groaning in pain as he collapsed at their feet.

"Well, at least they're in as much danger as we are." Zooble said, glancing back at their own team, "Who wants to go next?" Not a single person dared step forward, with all of them just looking at the long path ahead nervously and searching for any sign of where the traps may be. After receiving no answer, Zooble sighed and rolled their eyes as they turned to look towards the goal. "Alright, I guess I'll give it a go." They looked ahead and took a hesitant step forward, an uncharacteristic nervousness in their movements. As soon as they began to walk, a torrent of fire shot up from the ground, engulfing the abstract character in flames and leaving them charred. Once the flames dispersed, they stepped back to their group, coughing and sputtering as they wiped the soot from their face.

"Is Caine trying to kill us?" Pomni asked in a panic, quickly scanning the room for any exits that may have been around, but being unsurprised when none were found.

"He never tries to." Ragatha said with an awkward smile, "He just sometimes forgets to make his adventures... safe." A scream from the other side of the room drew their attention, finding their duplicates were already a third of the way down the hall as Evil Pomni was dropped into a pit filled with what sounded like buzz saws. "For anyone." Ragatha added, watching the other group try to pull their Pomni out of the pit.

"How are we going to get through this?" Gangle asked, "I don't think I want to find out what happens if we lose."

"Maybe we just have to... not think about it." Ragatha suggested as she turned towards the path that had already injured two of them. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and began to walk, making it a few steps further than anyone expected, only for a massive pair of scissors to shoot out of the wall and cut her left arm clean off, making her stop in her tracks with a mix of panic and annoyance. Small bits of fluff fell from her shoulder as she bent down and picked up her severed arm, running back to the group with a disappointed look on her face. "Ok... that could have gone better." She gave a weak laugh as she held her arm tight, locking eyes with Pomni as she stared on in horror, "Oh, don't worry, this isn't the first time something like this happened."

"Maybe we should just run." Jax suggested as he stood on uneasy legs, still clutching his side as pain radiated through his body, "Unless Jingles, Ribbons, or Gramps want to try their luck."

"I've always considered myself quite lucky." Kinger chimed in happily, only for a still burnt Zooble to grab him by the shoulders and pull him away from the figurative, and possibly literal, minefield.

"Not a chance." They said as they lead him away, their voice hoarse as they stifled back another fit of coughing.

"I told you you wouldn't beat me again!" Dictatorer yelled from a little over half way down the corridor, the team bruised and clearly in pain, but still miles ahead of the rest of them.

"Just keep trying, you guys!" Evil Jax called back, only for Evil Pomni to elbow him in the stomach and make him double over in pain.

"M-maybe Jax is right." Gangle began, "Maybe if we just run we can make it to the end safely." She glanced at the sorry state of her friends and grimaced. "Well... relatively safe."

"I guess it can't be any worse than trying to go one by one." Pomni said as she approached the beginning of the corridor, with Ragatha and Kinger joining her soon after.

"Think you'll be able to run?" Zooble asked as they turned to Jax, "Because if you can't, we'll just drag you with the chains."

"That almost sounded like genuine concern." He chuckled, wincing as pain shot through his body once more, "Yeah, I can push through this." He hobbled up to the start, with Gangle close by and Zooble having one last coughing fit before stepping up with the others.

"Alright," Ragatha began, trying her best to put on a confident and inspiring attitude, "once we start, we just have to keep going. No stopping, no matter what."

"Let's just hope we can still win." Pomni said, looking towards the group of AI as the grew closer and closer to the finish.

"Should we do a countdown?" Gangle asked, looking towards the others, "Or should we just-"

"RUN!" Kinger screamed suddenly as he took off across the floor, catching everyone by surprise as they scrambled to chase after him, stumbling over their chains and each other as an absurd number of hazards made themselves known. Fire, blades, mallets, bullets, and a number of other things flew past them, only injuring the cast further as they pushed through the painful onslaught. They were drenched with water, pelted with stones, beaten and bludgeoned with clubs. It was a miracle no one collapsed and had to be carried the remaining way.

Despite being less than a hundred meters, the run felt like it lasted for miles, the only thing keeping them going was the thought of it being over sooner rather than later. Ragatha was the first one to cross over the finish line, falling to the ground and gasping for air. The others soon followed, with Pomni being the last to stumble to the end as she tried to pull a bear trap off her leg. The group was singed, cut, exhausted, bloody, and barely hanging on to what remained of their strength.

"Hit the button." Pomni groaned as she tried and failed to pull herself to her feet, "Please." Gangle slowly climbed to her feet, barely able to stand as her legs trembled and pain throbbed through her entire body. Glancing back at the obstacle course, she saw the evil circus members quickly approaching the ending, seeming to have doubled their efforts once they had been passed. She limped forward and reached out, slamming her hand against the button and making a buzzer ring out through the room, a series of bleeped out swears coming soon after from the AI team as they began to argue amongst themselves about who was to blame.

"Congratulations, team!" Caine cheered as he appeared out of thin air, snapping his fingers to make both the chains vanish from both teams, "I hope this has taught you all a valuable lesson about teamwork!"

"So they won." Evil Pomni sneered, "Big @#^%!$@ deal."

Coach Dictatorer let out a furious scream as he glared at the winning team, his body quite literally shaking with fury. "When I get my hands on you, I'll tear you limb from limb!" He roared, turning and glaring at Evil Jax, "This is your fault!"

"Wh-what did I do?" The meek character asked nervously.

"Nothing." Evil Ragatha laughed, "Just like always, you were useless and undeserving of love!"

"Well, seems like we have some sore losers over here!" The ringleader laughed, "But that doesn't change the fact that it happened! And now, as is tradition, the losers will be incinerated."

"Wait, what?" Bazooble asked in a sudden moment of clarity, only for a the floor to open beneath the team and drop them into a pit of flames, their screams ringing out as they fell, only making the scene all the more disturbing.

"Well, that settles that!" Caine said happily as he looked down at the remaining team, cringing as he saw their sorry state, "Boy, seems like you all went through the ringer." With a wave of his cane, a large, cartoon glove appeared and grabbed the battered players, before floating along with Caine as he sped back to the circus' main area and dropping them in a heap on the floor. Once they were back, Caine clapped his hand and made the injuries they had sustained vanish, much to everyone's relief. "Well, I hope you all had fun on today's adventure!"

Jax grit his teeth as he climbed to his feet, everything in his body screaming at him to lunge at the AI and kill or injure or even just scare him for putting them through that literal torture. He clenched his fists as he thought about what exactly to say, finding it hard to pick between the insults he wanted to hurl. He opened his mouth to yell, ready to finally let what must be years of frustration out.

"What the #@^% is the matter with you!?" Someone screamed, stopping Jax before he could even utter a single syllable. He would have expected it from Zooble or maybe even Pomni, but seeing Gangle standing there, shaking in anger as tears fell from her eyes and poured over the uncharacteristically furious expression she had. Everyone stared at her in shock, their own anger quickly being forgotten as they saw the last person they expected explode in rage.

"Now, Gangle, there's no need for that kind of language." Caine tutted in disappointment, "If you have a complaint about the adventure, then feel free to file it with the complaint department."

She looked at him with a mix of shock and anger at his response. "Complaint depart— you nearly killed us!" She yelled as she stomped her foot on the ground, though it didn't make much of a sound.

"Oh please, it's a well known fact you can't die here." Caine replied, crossing his arms and turning away with a pout, "But if this adventure was too much for you, then I'm sorry."

"It's not just this one, Caine!" She yelled, her voice cracking as her tears began to fall faster, "Going back on the deal, forcing us to be children, trying to teach lessons you don't even know yourself! You used people who have abstracted as NPCs! What purpose did that serve?!" The longer she ranted, the more the anger in her voice was replaced with misery, a choked sob escaping her as she continued. "I-I just can't understand why you would do that? Are you trying to drive us crazy? Did we do something to make you mad?" Caine's defiant expression fell as he turned to look at her, fidgeting with his tie nervously. She tried to say more but all that came out was a series of stuttered words and sobs. She wiped the tears from her eyes, though they were quickly replaced by more, before she took off, running towards the hall with their rooms as a mix of sobs and whines continued to escape her.

"Boy..." Caine began, trying to force his usual attitude back on, "that was a bit uncalled for, don't you think?" He turned to the rest of the group, only to find them all either glaring at him or staring at where Gangle had ran off to with worry.

"You went too far this time, Caine." Zooble said as they began to walk off towards their room. He rubbed the back of his neck nervously as he watched them leave, turning to the remaining four players hopefully.

"Gangle's right, Caine." Pomni said, looking away from him awkwardly, "This adventure was messed up." She began to head off after Zooble, with Ragatha nodding silently before following after the jester.

"We-well... Jax-" He looked towards the scowling rabbit in desperation, "-surely you enjoyed the adventure, right?!"

"Next time, use the knock offs." He snapped as he followed suit in leaving the main area, only making the AI's mood worsen. He looked toward Kinger, finding the usually unfocused man looking up at him sadly. With a simple shake of his head, he walked over to his fortress and crawled inside, leaving Caine alone to let the results of his adventure sink in.

Jax walked down the hall silently, finding Pomni, Zooble, and Ragatha all gathered around Gangle's door, talking amongst themselves about something he couldn't hear, nor did he care about. As he got closer to the group, he was eventually able to piece together what they were talking about. "Maybe we should give her time to cool off?" Pomni suggested.

"I don't know." Zooble said, glancing at Gangle's door worriedly, "I've never seen her that upset before."

"Maybe we could throw a sort of party." Ragatha suggested, "That way, if she does want to talk about it, it's a calm and welcoming environment."

"Or you could all just keep standing around her door like a bunch of stalkers." Jax chimed in, bringing their conversation to a halt and earning a glare from Zooble.

"Are you actually going to suggest ideas, or are you going to keep being a jerk." Ragatha asked, putting her hands on her hips.

"Oh, you and I both know I can't stop being a jerk." He smiled, reaching into the pocket on his overalls and fishing out a key, "Anyway, I already know how to make that crybaby feel better, so if you'll excuse me-" He pushed past them and put the key into the door's keyhole, turning it and hearing an audible click as it unlocked. He prepared to head inside, only for Zooble to grab his shoulder tight and turn him to face them.

"If you think I'm going to let you-" They began, only for Pomni to clear her throat and interrupt them.

"Zooble," She began, "maybe... Jax could actually help her." They looked at her in thought for a moment, before glancing back at Jax suspiciously.

"Hey, I know you doubt me, but do you really doubt Pomni?" He asked with a teasing smile, "I'm pretty sure she's incapable of lying."

They rolled their eyes as they finally let go of his shoulder, glaring at him warily. "Just try not to make things worse." They said as they crossed their arms.

He shrugged and pushed the door open, slipping inside and peaking out at the small group one last time. "No promises." He smiled, before shutting the door and locking it once more.

He turned and saw Gangle curled up in her bed, laying on her side with her back to the door. He could hear soft sniffles coming from her, with a few hiccups breaking through as well. He had told the trio outside he knew what to do, but that was just a lie so he could actually get into her room. Beyond the basic idea of "comfort her", he didn't really have a plan on what to actually do. He quietly approached the bed, hoping he would be able to figure out the right thing to say as he went.

"Hey, you still upset, Ribbons?" He asked, only for the masked woman to turn and shoot him a glare. Maybe he shouldn't have used that as an opener.

"What do you think?" She asked, her voice hoarse from crying. She turned away from him once more, making him cringe as he tried to think of something else to say. He glanced around her room and saw one of her sketchbooks on her desk, quickly snatching it up and hopping into bed next to her.

"You wanna talk about your manga stuff again?" He asked, "I promise I won't purposely use the terms wrong this time."

"Just leave me alone." She mumbled, curling in on herself tighter. He sighed as he tossed the book to the foot of the bed and leaned back against the wall, subconsciously tapping his hands together nervously as he thought.

"You know..." He began, feeling a blush spread across his cheeks, "it was pretty cool what you did back there. Standing up to Caine and all."

She scoffed at the compliment, wiping a few tears from her face. "Yeah, nothing cooler than having an emotional breakdown and yelling at a guy who could make our lives even worse than they already are."

"Well, that's one way to put it." He said with an awkward laugh, "But I meant it more that is was cool to see you have a backbone for once. I don't think I've ever seen you so confident before."

Gangle paused and slowly turned to look at the rabbit, her face still stained with tears. "...Do you really mean that?" She asked weakly, earning a gentle smile from him.

"Course I do." Jax replied, "I mean, you said what we were all thinking and put Caine in his place."

"I doubt I did that much." She said, a small smile on her face.

"I'm serious!" He said, giving her a playful smack on the arm, "You ran off, but he was looking at the rest of us hoping we would agree with him."

She pushed herself into a sitting position as she looked down at the bed anxiously. "...Did anyone agree with him?" She asked.

"None of us did." He said, scooting closer towards her and placing his hands on the bed to prop himself up, "Heck, even Kinger was upset with him. I didn't know Kinger could even get upset." She giggled at his comment and inched closer towards him, placing her hand on top of his, though neither of them seemed to notice or mind.

Her eyes widened for a moment as a thought seemed to cross her mind, smiling up at Jax with a light blush on her cheeks. "...Thanks for checking up on me, by the way."

"Ah, don't worry about it." He shrugged, "I figured if anyone should make your mood worse by bothering you, it should be me."

"Well, you did the opposite." She teased as she leaned against him, making him roll his eyes as he draped his arm around her back and pull her closer against him, "I wouldn't have pegged you as the cuddly type."

"Based on what I saw in that little blue book of yours," Jax began, a sultry smile on his face, "that's not the only type of pegging you—GAH!" He was cut off as Gangle wrapped her ribbons tight around his throat, a look in her eyes that he couldn't tell if it was playful or serious.

"Bring that up again and I'll tell everyone you whimper when I play with your ears." She said, a mischievous smirk on her face.

"D...deal." He choked out, gasping for air once she finally unwrapped her ribbons from his throat. He coughed a few times as he rubbed his neck, shooting her a glare himself. "You know, if that leaves a mark, people are gonna ask questions."

"Then just lie like you always do." She said as she rolled her eyes, leaning against him once more, "Besides, didn't you say you might be into that?"

Chapter Text

Zooble sat at the bar with a glower, staring at Jax and Gangle on the couch, the former resting his head on top of the latter's as she drew. They rolled their eyes and took a sip from their drink, someone clearing their throat pulling their attention away from the pair on the couch to find Pomni, Ragatha, and even Kinger had taken seats at the bar as well. "Is there a reason you're staring at them?" Pomni asked, nodding towards Jax and Gangle.

"I'm getting sick of this 'will they, won't they' stuff." They replied in annoyance, downing the rest of their drink and setting the glass on the bar, "I mean, are they just messing with us? I've never seen two people act more like a couple than they do."

"I understand what you mean." Ragatha nodded, "It does feel like one of them should have confessed by now."

"Any guesses on who's going to win the bet?" Pomni asked, now joining Zooble and Ragatha in watching the pair on the couch talk.

"I've taken the liberty of creating a ledger for that." Kinger chimed in, pulling a small book out of his robe and flipping through the pages, "Currently Pomni's bet that Gangle will confess is it at two-to-one odds, with Ragatha's dual confession coming in at five-to-three odds, and Zooble with the long shot Jax confession at twenty-to-one odds."

"Where did you get those numbers?" Pomni asked with a soft chuckle.

"Forget the bets." Zooble interjected, "At this point I just want them to confess so we can stop pretending like we don't know."

"Zooble," Pomni began nervously, "don't you think you might be, uh... overreacting a bit?" Without a word, Zooble pointed towards the pair on couch, where Jax was currently rubbing his chin on Gangle's head, though if either of them even realized it was happening was unclear. The group watched the scene silently, a slow realization dawning on them all. "...On second thought, maybe you're right."

"So, what, are we just going to try and force them to confess?" Ragatha asked, "That feels a little unethical."

"I doubt it would even work." Zooble muttered, looking down to the floor as they thought, "There's gotta be something we can do to at least speed up the process."

"Maybe we can try to orchestrate scenarios that will make them feel comfortable enough to confess." Kinger suggested, making the other three look at him in surprise.

"Kinger," Pomni began, "that's actually a pretty good idea."

"What is?" The chess piece asked, his eyes going wide in excitement, "Did Caine implement my idea for a bug petting zoo?"

"Well, that could work." Zooble said, tapping a finger against their chin as they ignored the older man's question, "We just need it to be believable. Gangle would see right through a trope like that, and even Jax isn't stupid enough to think any scenario we come up with would happen naturally."

The discussion was cut short as Caine appeared in the air, making everyone tense as they looked up at him. "Hello, my frequent fliers!" He said cheerfully, looking down at the cast and finding them staring at him warily.

"What do you want, Caine?" Jax asked angrily, the four at the bar soon making their way to the lounge area.

"Don't worry my furry friend!" The AI replied, "I'm simply here to talk, so there's no need to be so protective." Jax raised an eyebrow and glanced towards Gangle, only to find he had subconsciously pulled her closer, making the masked character blush profusely as she stare down at the hand that was holding her waist. He felt his own face begin to heat up as he let go of her, crossing his arms and leaning back against the couch with a sour expression.

"We don't want to hear you talk." Zooble said, drawing the AI's attention away from the pair on the couch, "After your stunt yesterday, none of us are exactly open to trusting you."

Caine's cheerful expression fell as he turned his gaze towards the floor, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly as he sighed. "That's... actually what I wanted to talk about." He muttered, "I was thinking about what you all said. About how you all felt I went to far and that my adventure wasn't good." The group tensed as he spoke, mentally preparing for some kind of outburst or punishment to follow. "And... you're right."

"Say what now?" Pomni asked, having never thought Caine would admit his adventure wasn't anything but perfect.

"I realize my last few adventures have been negatively affecting you all," He continued, "and for that, I'm sorry."

"W-wow, Caine." Ragatha said with a small smile, "We really appreciate-"

"And to make it up to you all, I've thought up something even better than just this silly apology!" Caine interrupted, his usual showmanship returning.

"Oh dear." Gangle whimpered, curl in on herself slightly.

"With the help of Bubble," -He snapped his fingers and made the little character spawn out of nothing- "I've set up the perfect thing to make you all feel better!"

"Thaaat's right, Caine!" Bubble cheered, only making everyone's nervousness grow worse, "It's a nice, exciting, fun filled day..."

"I'm gonna need another drink." Zooble mumbled to themselves as Bubble paused much to long for his dramatic effect to work.

"At the beach!" The little character finished, taking everyone by surprise.

"The... beach?" Ragatha repeated in confusion.

"That's right, my asbestos filled lass!" Caine said as he twirled his cane in his hands.

"And, what, there will be a tsunami?" Jax asked sarcastically, "Or some kind of sea serpent?"

"Not this time!" Caine replied happily.

"You're actually just giving us a day at the beach?" Pomni asked suspiciously.

"Not just any old day at the beach!" Caine laughed, "I'm-"

"He's throwing a #^@%ing beach party!" Bubble interrupted, much to the ringleader's annoyance.

"Why do you keep saying that?" Caine asked in irritation, "Just call it a beach party."

"How do we know if we can trust you won't go back on your word?" Zooble asked, narrowing their eyes at him, "...again."

"I promise, there are no strings attached on this one." He replied, placing a hand over his heart, "You can trust me. Scout's honor!"

"Well," Ragatha began with a hopeful smile, "I guess it couldn't hurt to see what the beach is like."

"Now that's the attitude I like to hear!" Caine cheered, before looking over the group carefully, "But these outfits aren't suitable beachwear!"

"Oohh, are we skinny dipping?" Jax asked as he waggled his eyebrows, earning a groan from the rest of the cast in response.

"Sorry Jax, but that would raise the age rating too high!" He replied as he snapped his fingers. Above each of them, a circular privacy curtain appeared, unfurling to cover them before zipping back up in an instant to reveal everyone had been given a new set of beach attire.

"CAINE!" Pomni yelled as she covered herself as best as she could, her face bright red. She had been given nothing more than a bikini top and bottom, leaving very little of her body actually covered, having even had her hat removed for the first time since the softball game. "Can I please have something less, uh, revealing?!"

"Whoops! That's a little too risque for the audience!" He replied, snapping his fingers and making the curtain surround her once more, flipping back up to reveal a much less revealing red and blue one-piece and earning a sigh of relief from the jester, "That should protect more of your modesty!"

"...I thought it was kinda cute." Ragatha mumbled, making Pomni whip her head to look at her in surprise and causing the doll's face to flush bright red, "I-I mean, uh... Wow! My outfit is so cute!" She stuttered out quickly, looking down at her purple, skirted one piece swim suit, her hair having been tied back in a ponytail.

"We can change ourselves, y'know." Zooble said, having been giving a simple pair of black swim trunks and a light blue t-shirt, with some sunglasses perched atop their head. They glanced down at their outfit curiously. "Well, at least you picked well."

"I look good in anything I wear." Jax shrugged, been given an unbuttoned pink Hawaiian shirt dotted with pineapples and a pair of trunks, his gloves having been removed and freeing his hands for the first time in ages. He looked down at the now revealed red ribbon he had tied around his wrist, running a thumb across the smooth silk and feeling it tickle his skin now that his gloves were gone before quickly slipping it off his wrist and tucking it into his shirt pocket.

"I've always liked these kinds of hats." Gangle said softly, adjusting the large sunhat that sat on her head, "I tended to get sunburned pretty easy."

"I prefer my robe," Kinger said, looking down at his purple Hawaiian shirt and pants, "but this isn't too bad."

"Well, it seems like everyone is happy with their attire!" Caine said, snapping his fingers and replacing his usual suit with a red and white striped one-piece swimsuit, looking like it was ripped straight out of the 1920s, "I'll be on lifeguard duty!"

"And I'll be there in case anyone needs mouth to mouth." Bubble chimed in, a whistle somehow hanging around him.

"I think I'd rather drown." Zooble said sarcastically.

"You beat me by one second." Jax said, looking at the abstract character with a snicker.

"Well, what are we waiting for!" Caine yelled out, holding out his cane and sweeping it out in front of him. The players looked around in confusion, waiting for whatever wacky form of transport he summoned to take them to the beach.

"...Did something break?" Pomni whispered towards Ragatha, only for a thin, black line to pass through her vision, replacing every part of the circus it passed with a beach. She looked around wildly, a look of confusion etched on her face.

"Ah screen wipes." Caine said with a dreamy sigh, "Nothing quite like them."

"I don't think that works in this format." Jax said, glancing towards nothing.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Caine asked, gesturing towards the wide open beach, "Let's-"

"Beach party, go!" Bubble shouted, blowing into the whistle as loud as he could.

Caine glared at the manic character and snatched the whistle away from him. "Don't make me send you back to the circus." He growled, before clearing his throat and turning back to the players, "Well, go have fun!" He snapped his fingers and teleported him and Bubble to a nearby lifeguard tower. The group looked around the beach in awe, the crystal blue water reflecting the light beautifully, lapping at the white sand and silently inviting the players to jump in and swim. A concession stall sat a few yards away, offering free drinks and treats to anyone who passed by. A volley ball net had been erected on the beach, a ball sitting in the sand, patiently waiting for a game to begin. A wooden dock jutted out a few feet into the water, an ideal spot for diving into the water a few inches below. A few beach umbrellas sat near the water's edge, providing an inviting spot of shade to lay down and relax in, with some even having folding beach chairs already prepared.

"Wow..." Pomni said in awe, "I wasn't expecting Caine to really go through with making a beach."

"Well, I'm not gonna keep standing here and letting it go to waste." Jax said, crouching down and scooping up a handful of sand. He let the coarse substance slip through his fingers, a smile spreading across his face at the rare feeling. Scooping up another handful, he stood up and walked up behind Ragatha, reaching out and dropping the sand into her hair before he started to walk further onto the beach.

"Jax!" She yelped, quickly trying to shake the sand out of her hair as she shot him a glare.

"Would've happened sooner or later." He called back as he started heading towards the concession stand.

"Maybe we'll get lucky and he'll get attacked by a shark." Zooble commented as they flipped their sunglasses down and started heading towards one of the umbrellas, stuffing their hands into their trunks' pockets.

"I think I'll make a sandcastle." Kinger wondered aloud, following Zooble towards the lounging area.

"How about we go for a swim?" Pomni suggested to the doll, who was still trying to shake her hair clean, "It'll probably get most of the sand out."

She sighed as she gave up trying to clean her hair out, shooting the jester a soft smile. "Yeah... that sounds nice." She turned to Gangle curiously. "You want to join us?"

"O-oh, no thanks." The masked woman replied, "I think I'll help Kinger with his sand castle for a bit.

"Have fun." Pomni said happily as the three of them began heading towards the shore line, giving Zooble a wave as her and Ragatha prepared to enter the water.

"Hey, Gangle?" Zooble began, catching her attention just before she sat down, "Sorry to bother you, but could you go see what they have at the concession stand?"

"O-oh, sure!" She replied happily, giving Kinger a quick apology before turning and beginning the trek towards the concession stand, where Jax was already sipping from a coconut drink. Once she was far enough away, Zooble leaned forward and snapped their fingers to get everyone's attention.

"Alright, this is our chance." They said, "We needed a situation to try and get them to confess, and this is it."

"Are you sure we should meddle in this?" Pomni asked nervously, "What if we upset them?"

"Don't think of it as meddling. Think of it as... anonymously helping." Zooble said, narrowing her eyes at Jax and Gangle as they talked at the concession stand, "Besides, if I have to see those two eye @^#% each other one more time, I'm going to abstract."

"Well...I guess they could use a little push." Ragatha mused, glancing towards the pair and her eyes going wide, "They're coming back, they're coming back!" Without warning, Kinger shot to his feet and shoved her and Pomni into the water, looking at Jax and Gangle with a panicked expression.

"We weren't talking about anything!" He yelled, only making the pair more confused than they already were as Pomni and Ragatha surfaced from the water.

"Was that really necessary?" Pomni asked, a slight annoyance in her voice.

"Was what necessary?" The chess piece asked curiously.

"You never fail to confuse me, Kinger." Jax said as he walked to an open chair and flopped down, taking a sip from his drink, "Now if you'll all excuse me, I'm going to pretend none of you are here."

"I-I didn't see a menu there." Gangle said to Zooble, making them raise an eyebrow in confusion

"Huh?" They asked, their eyes widening as they remembered the diversion, "O-oh, right! Thanks for checking anyway."

Everyone settled into the calming vibe the beach provided, quickly getting absorbed in the activities they chose. Zooble relaxed in their chair, making small conversation with Gangle and Kinger as they built a sandcastle nearby. Pomni and Ragatha had taken to swimming through the water together, occasionally splashing one another as they discussed whatever topics came to mind. Jax had finished his drink as was currently enamored with the feeling of the fuzzy coconut in his hand, before tossing it aside and leaning back in his chair. He glanced towards the others as, his eyes quickly landing on Gangle as a small smile crossed his face as he reached into his shirt pocket and pulled the red ribbon out once more. He traced his thumb along the edge, a shiver running down his spine at the sensation, before quickly tying the soft item around his neck like an ascot. Hopping to his feet, he slipped off his Hawaiian shirt and let out a content sigh as the cool ocean breeze brushed through his fur. Slipping his hands into his pockets, he started to head towards the dock, passing by where Zooble was relaxing and pushing the umbrella to the ground.

They hissed in pain and threw a hand over their eyes as the sun beamed down on them, sitting up quickly as they rubbed their eyes in an attempt to clear their vision. "Oh, you $%@#!" They growled, blinking their eyes to clear their vision.

"Would you believe it was an accident?" He asked with a chuckle.

"Not on your life." They replied as they stood up, pulling the umbrella back upright.

"Good, cause it wasn't." He said with a shrug, continuing on his way towards the dock. Gangle stared at him as he walked by, a light blush on her face as her eyes trailed over his body, taking particular interest in his bare torso and the way his tail poked out from his trunks. He glanced back and saw her staring at his body, a suggestive smile spreading over his face. "Enjoying the view?"

Her eyes widened as her blush deepened, quickly snapping her eyes to meet his. "I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to stare, I just, uh..." She quickly stuttered out, only making his smile grow wider, "I've just never seen you without your overalls, is all!"

"I know I'm the peak of masculinity, but I'm more than just eye candy." He teased, "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to the dock." He turned and continued on his way, with Gangle forcing herself to turn away, lest her eyes start to wander again. Jax ambled down the dock, making it to the end and taking seat over the edge, letting his feet hang down into the water. He shivered as the cold water lapped at his legs, reaching down and slowly dipping his hand in. It was almost euphoric to feel the water, letting it swirl and caress his digits as he moved his hand back and forth. He pulled his hand back out and stared at it curiously, watching as droplets fell from his fur and splattered on the wooden dock. He reached down and traced a finger along the gaps between the boards, flinching back as a small piece of wood pricked him, though it did little to dampen his mood.

"I don't think I've seen you without your gloves before." Gangle said from behind him, making his ears turn in her direction just before his head did. He looked up at her, finding her smiling down at him as her sunhat bathed her face in soft shadow.

"It doesn't happen as often as I'd like." He replied with a shrug as she took a seat next to him, "Sucks that's it's only temporary, though." Without warning, Gangle reached over and took on of his hands in her, slowly running the end of her ribbon over his palm.

"Softer than I thought." She commented, glancing up at him and watching as he shuddered from her touch, "S-sorry, is that weird?"

"No weirder than you usually are." He chuckled as he pulled his hand away, "I'm just... not used to how that feels."

"The tickling or someone holding your hand?" She teased, earning an unamused look from the rabbit in response. Before she could say anything else, he pushed her off the edge of the dock and sent her splashing into the water, snatching her sunhat before it fell in and placing it on his own head. She breached out of the water with a gasp, coughing out sea water as she glared up at him.

Jax smiled wide as he leaned forward, propping his head up with his hand and resting his elbow on his knee. "Oops." He said, not an ounce of remorse in his voice as he looked down at Gangle in the water.

"I'll get you back for this." She said, a mischievous smile on her face.

"Sure you will, Ribbons." He said as he rolled his eyes, taking off the hat and resting it on one of the dock's pillars before reaching down giving her a pat on the head. His hand lingered as he explored the texture of her mask, feeling it's smooth edges slowly before he pulled his hand away, a light blush on his face as he realized how long his hand had lingered. Gangle averted her gaze as she tapped her hands together, a nervous smile on her face.

"Jax..." She began, looking into his eyes as she tried to summon the little courage she had, "There's something I've been wanting to tell you for awhile now, but-"

"Hey," Pomni called from the beach, with her and Ragatha having left the water at some point, "you guys wanna join us for some volleyball?"

"Eh, not like I have anything else to do." Jax shrugged before turning back to Gangle, "What were you gonna say, Ribbons?"

Her confidence had all but vanished as she held on to the dock, averting her gaze nervously. "O-oh, it wasn't important." She mumbled, forcing a smile back on, "Let's go play some volleyball."

"Correction." He said as he stood up, grabbing her hand and helping her out of the water, "Let's go win some volleyball." He took her hand in his and began to lead her towards the others, feeling her ribbon curl around his hand as she matched his pace. Coming closer to the court, he released her hand and approached Pomni, snatching the ball from her hands and spinning it on his finger. "So, what are the teams?"

"Well, Kinger offered to be keep score so the teams would be even." Ragatha explained, "We asked Zooble if they wanted to join, but they didn't want to."

"No surprise there." Jax said as he looked over at the abstract character as they laid back in their chair, raising his voice so they could hear him "They've always been against having fun."

"#&!% off." They called back, flipping him a censored middle finger.

"Then prove me wrong, Picasso." He replied, throwing the ball at them and knocking their hand out of it's socket. They shot up immediately, looking at him furiously as they reattached their hand and picked up the ball. They threw the ball as hard as they could, with it slamming into Jax's chest and knocking him to the ground.

"Kinger, Ragatha, and I against you, Gangle, and Pomni." They said as they joined the others at the net, watching as he climbed to his feet, "Unless you're against having fun."

He glared at her as he rolled the ball onto his foot, kicking it into the air and catching it in his hands. "Bring it on, Shapes."

"Zooble," Ragatha whispered to her abstract companion, "are you sure you want to do this? You shouldn't let Jax ruin your day."

"Oh relax." They whispered back as they got ready for the game to begin, "We let them win, he and Gangle celebrate, someone confesses."

Ragatha's eyes widened slightly, nodding in acknowledgment at the plan. "That may actually work. Good thinking, Zoo-"

"Incoming!" Jax yelled as he spiked the ball over the net, with it slamming into Ragatha's head and sending her to the ground.

"Wh- Jax!" Pomni yelled, looking at the rabbit in exasperation.

"What?" He asked, snickering to himself as he watched the doll pick herself back up, "I gave a warning."

"That's one point for Jax's team." Kinger said happily as he picked up the ball, "How does first to ten sound?"

"Good enough for me." Zooble replied as they grabbed the ball from the chess piece, tossing it into the air as another volley began. The sound of the ball echoed out across the beach as the ocean's waves lapped at the shore, a seagull crying out in the distance adding to the calming atmosphere. Laughter and cheers rang out from the volleyball court, with each team scoring points on one another as the original competitive nature of the match slowly faded into something much more friendly. It wasn't long until both teams were at match point, with Jax tossing the ball back and forth in his hands with a smug smile.

"Last chance to back out." He said in a sing-songy voice, "You can save yourself the humiliation and make this a tie if you just admit we're better and give up."

"Just serve the @^#% ball." Zooble said as they rolled their eyes.

"How unsportsmanlike." He said as he shook his head, making Gangle and Pomni chuckle softly as he tossed the ball into the air and smacked it over the net. Ragatha quickly hit it back over, only for Gangle to return it soon after. The ball went back and forth and back and forth, the tension of the game rising with every passing second. "Hey Gangle, wanna win the game?" He asked, glancing towards the ribbon character.

She looked at him in confusion, trying to keep her attention on the game while engaging in the question. "What are you talking abou-aaAAAHHH!" Her words devolved into a scream as Jax picked her up by the waist and held her into the air.

"Spike it!" He yelled excitedly as the ball was lobbed back over the net. Gangle flailed in his grip as she tried to keep herself steady, inadvertently smacking the ball back as she waved her arms about, sending it towards the ground as Kinger dove forward to try and save the ball, only to miss it by mere inches.

"Woohoo!" Pomni cheered as she watched the ball come to a stop in the sand, "Good game, you guys."

"Well played, Pomni." Ragatha said happily as she crossed beneath the net and placed a hand on the jester's shoulder.

"Told ya we'd win." Jax said, looking at Zooble with a smug expression.

"Whatever." Zooble said as they helped Kinger up, glancing up towards Gangle as Jax continued to hold her aloft, "You only won because of her anyway."

He looked up at Gangle, who was staring down at him with a mixture of amusement and annoyance. "They wouldn't have scored a single point if I wasn't there to lead them." He said dismissively as he lowered her a bit above the ground before dropping her. She stumbled forward as she regained her balance, letting out a sigh of relief at being back on solid ground. Before she could turn to chastise him, he leaned down next to her face with a coy smile. "But I guess you were pretty good out there." He whispered, before standing up straight and preparing to leave, only for Gangle to reach up and grab the ribbon around his neck, pulling him back down to her level.

"First of all," She began, glancing around to make sure the others weren't watching, "If anyone was the team leader, it was Pomni. Second," —She loosened her grip and looked at the ribbon around his neck— "Where did you get this from?"

"It was the one you used to tie my ears back when I was drunk." He replied, his usual smile on his face, though it was clear he was nervous, "I maaaayyyy have kept it after the fact."

"Why?" She asked, her teasing demeanor being replaced by genuine curiosity, "I figured you would have thrown it away or something."

A light blush crossed his face as he averted his gaze, his smile falling. "Sometimes, when I got stressed or angry, I would... look at it. Rub it between my fingers. Helped calm me down." She looked up at him with wide eyes, an enamored smile slowly creeping on her face. He groaned as he pulled her hand off of him and pushed his hand into her face. "Stop looking at me like that." He said, the blush on his face getting worse as she began to laugh and try to push past his hand.

"Aww come on!" She said through her laughter, "How am I not supposed to think that's cute!"

"Nothing I do is cute." He replied as he rolled his eyes, unaware of his smile returning, "I'm the furthest thing from it."

The others watched the scene at a distance, with Zooble face palming as the pair continued to flirt without a direct confession. "I really thought that was going to work." Pomni said, glancing at her companions.

"Well, anyone else have any ideas?" Zooble asked, making Kinger's eyes light up in excitement.

"I have one." He said happily as he made his way over to Caine, who hadn't so much as blinked since taking his station in the life guard tower. They watched as the chess piece tapped the AI on the shoulder, asking him something that no one was able to hear. After a moment, Caine smiled and nodded happily, turning to Bubble and sharing a quick word before the both of them disappeared as Kinger walked back to the group.

"What did you talk to Caine about?" Ragatha asked curiously.

"Oh, I asked him if we could have dinner on the beach." He replied, smiling with his eyes.

"Do you think that will get Jax and Gangle to confess?" Pomni asked, making a confused expression cross the man's face.

"Confess to what?" He asked, earning a sigh from the rest of the group.

Across the beach, Jax and Gangle had made their way to the concession stand, with Jax getting another coconut drink and Gangle opting for a simple bottle of water. "What is Bubble?" Gangle asked abruptly, making Jax raise an eyebrow at her.

"He's... a bubble." He deadpanned, "I thought the name was a dead give away."

"No, I mean what is he to Caine?" She clarified, "Is he a sort of pet? Or, like, a co-host?"

Jax paused, humming in thought as he took a sip from his drink. "Y'know, I never thought about that." He replied, "Maybe they're lovers."

"Oh god, that's disgusting!" She laughed, playfully batting him on the arm, "That's the worst thing you could have possibly said."

"Don't say that just yet." He muttered to himself as he leaned back against the concession stand, feeling his leg start to bounce with anxiety. "Hey, can I be... real with you for a second?" He asked, meeting Gangle's gaze as she nodded, before looking down at his drink, "I've been doing some thinking lately... about how much we've been hanging out and stuff." He used the straw in his drink to swirl the liquid around, trying to ignore the knot that twisted in his stomach. "And even if you're still a massive loser, and a dork, and pretty cringe, and-"

"I don't think you understand how compliments work." She interrupted, the two of them sharing a brief laugh as he refocused himself.

"But, despite all that," He continued, "I've been wanting to ask if-"

Before he could finish his thought, the sun dropped out of the sky as night fell on the beach. "Dinner is served!" Caine announced, gesturing to a newly created table on the beach, covered in dozens of different foods and being lit by pole mounted torches. A sudden chilly wind blew through the air, making everyone shiver as they began to move towards the table, which was warmed by the fire of the torches.

"O-oh, that's nice of him." Gangle commented, before turning back to Jax curiously, "What were you going to say?"

He sighed as he looked away, before pulling his smile back and tossing his drink away. "Ah, it wasn't important." He shrugged, "I got the important stuff out at the beginning anyway."

"Oh ha ha, very funny." She replied sarcastically, rolling her eyes as she began to head towards the table, with Jax following close behind. He stopped by the chair he had used earlier in the day, slipping his forgotten shirt back on to try and fight off the slight cold that had settled on the area before joining the others. With meats and veggies and fruits and drinks all being laid out for the taking, it didn't take long for everyone to pick out something they liked and fill their plates. There was idle conversation during the meal, mostly about how nice the day had been and how they wished it could last longer.

"I have to say," Pomni began as she poked around her plate, "I wasn't expecting Caine to keep his word this time."

"Me neither." Zooble said, "But... it was nice to have a chill day for once."

"For once, I didn't hate being around you all." Jax said with a smile, picking a pea off his plate and flicking it at Ragatha, much to her annoyance.

"Maybe this will show Caine that calm adventures are enjoyable too." Gangle suggested, turning to look out at the dark ocean water. Her eyes drifted towards the dock, here eyes widening when she spotted her sunhat that had been left at the dock. Jax watched as she slipped away from the table, bouncing his leg nervously as he looked down at his half finished meal.

"I'm gonna take a walk." He said abruptly, standing up and stretching his arms over his head.

"How nice," Zooble said as they stabbed a piece of food with their fork, "now I can enjoy my meal."

Jax didn't pay the comment any mind as he walked away, humming the tune to Daisy Bell as he made his way towards the dock that was now bathed in moonlight. Gangle stood near the edge, looking off into the night sky as with her hat in her hands, her ribbons rippling softly in the breeze. He walked up next to her, looking up at the stars with her as a sense of calm washed over him. "Are any of these constellations real?" He asked quietly.

"I think some of them might be." Gangle replied, before turning her attention towards him and looking away nervously, "Jax... are we friends?"

He glanced at her suspiciously, a confused smile on his face. "Of course we are." He chuckled, "Why, you having regrets?"

"Not at all." She defended quickly, fiddling with the hat in her hands nervously, "I was just... I wanted to tell you something, and I wanted to make sure you were happy before I did it."

"Wow, what a coincidence." He said, trying to keep his relaxed attitude despite the anxiety that coursed through him, "I actually had something I wanted to tell you myself."

"O-oh, what was it?" Gangle asked, making a look of panic cross his face before he forced his smile back on.

"Ah, it's not that important." Jax said dismissively, "So, what was it you wanted to tell me?"

"No, no! You go first." She insisted.

"I'm not doing this back and forth." He interjected as he rolled his eyes.

Her eyes widened in excitement as a smile crossed her face. "Let's say it at the same time."

"You serious?" He asked with a soft chuckle, "That's so lame."

"Nooo, come on! It'll be fun!" She pleaded, setting her hat on the ground and grabbing his arm happily, "Pleeeaaassseee?"

"Alright, alright." He relented, though he knew it didn't take much actual convincing, "We doing this on three?"

She nodded as she took a deep breath, gathering her courage as she looked into his eyes. "Here we go... One."

He took a deep breath himself as he forced himself to ignore the sick feeling that settled in the pit of his stomach. "Two..."

"Three." She said, the both of them closing their eyes tight.

"I have feelings for you." They both blurted out, their eyes snapping open as they stared at one another in shock. They remained silent for what felt like hours, just staring at one another as the weight of the situation dawned on them.

"Seriously?" He asked, confusion plastered on his face that he quickly replaced with a sly smile, "Man, you are a dork."

Her shocked expression fell into an unamused one as she placed her hands on her hips. "You literally confessed at the same time." She stated.

"Yeah, but when I do it, it's cool and shows character growth." He declared, folding his arms as he smiled down at her, "When you do it, it's weird and cringe."

"Fine," She shrugged, a teasing smile crossing her face, "I take it back."

"Oooohhhh no, that's not how it works." He chuckled as he poked her chest, "You made us a do dumb little same time confession cliche, you don't get to back out now."

"YES!" Ragatha cheered from the shore, immediately throwing her hands over her mouth as Jax and Gangle turned towards her, only to find she was joined by Pomni, Zooble, and Kinger, the former two looking at her with glares for blowing their eavesdropping.

"How long have you all been there?" Gangle asked, making the group look at each other awkwardly.

"Pretty much the whole time." Kinger answered, as he pulled his ledger out of his robe.

"It was Zooble's idea." Pomni accused, earning a glare from the abstract character.

"Oh, real mature." They replied, crossing their arms angrily.

"I'm just happy I won the bet." Ragatha interjected chipperly.

"Actually, Ragatha, I won." Kinger corrected, passing the ledger to her as she stared down at it in disbelief.

"Dual confession, in the moonlight, on a dock." She read, looking at the chess piece in confusion, "When did you add that?"

"None of you bothered to look at what I wrote down." He replied with a shrug.

"Can you all get out of here!" Jax yelled out, glaring at the group as they quickly scurried off, leaving the pair alone once more.

"So," Gangle began, turning back to the rabbit with a hopeful smile, "does this mean we're... together?" He looked away as a sad expression fell across his face, the mood of the evening noticeably dimming and making Gangle's smile fall. "I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to rush-"

"It's not that." He interrupted, rubbing his arm nervously, "I haven't done anything like this before. The last time I was close to anything resembling a relationship was..." He felt tears well in his eyes as memories flooded his mind, quickly wiping his eyes as he cleared his throat.

She tapped her hands together nervously, slowly reaching out and taking his hand in hers, making him flinch at the unexpected touch. "Jax." She whispered, making him look at her through the corner of his eye, "I'm not going to force you into anything if you aren't ready." She grabbed his other and turned him to look at her directly.

He stared down at his feet, shifting uncomfortably as he slowly raised his eye line to meet her gaze. "...I don't want it to happen again." He whispered, a fearful look in his eyes. She pulled him into a tight hug, making him stiffen as he stared down at her.

"It won't." She whispered, "I promise." She felt him relax into her hug, slowly wrapping his arms around her back as he rested his head on top of her's, neither of them wanting to pull away. "Hey, Jax?" Gangle pipped up, breaking the serene silence that had settled over them.

"Yeah, Gangle?" He replied.

She stood on her toes and leaned up towards his ear, dropping her voice to just above a whisper. "This is revenge." She whispered, a smile spreading across her face. His eyes snapped open as he felt her grip around him tighten. Before he could react, she shifted her weight sideways and pulled the both of them over the side of the dock, sending them down into the water below.

Jax surfaced with a gasp, watching as Gangle surfaced nearby and immediately begin to howl with laughter. "You ruined the moment, y'know." He said as he rolled his eyes, splashing her with water as he began to chuckle himself.

"I told you I'd get you back." She retorted, swallowing back her laughter as the two of them stared at each other. The moonlight shone down on the water, giving the area around them a soft glow as they floated in the water together, slowly inching closer and closer.

Before either of them realized it, they had started to lean in, closing their eyes as their lips met and they pulled each other closer. Jax trailed a hand down her body, sliding his fingers across every inch of her ribbons as he used his other hand to cup her cheek, the smooth porcelain having grown cold from the water. Gangle drug her hand down his chest, feeling the lean figure that was concealed beneath his wet fur. Her other hand caressed his back, slowly moving lower and lower until she was teasing his soft, round tail.

They weren't sure how long they stayed in the embrace, with time having seemed to stop as they held one another close. Eventually, Jax broke the kiss, leaning away as he looked at Gangle with a lovesick smile. "Out of all the times we've kissed," He whispered, "that one was my favorite."

She chuckled softly as she draped her arms over his shoulders, hanging off him with her own smile as she rolled her eyes. "God, that was so cheesy." She teased, "And you call ME cringe."

Chapter Text

Jax glowered as he stared down at his hand, scratching at his palm through his gloves to little result. "What's up with you?" Pomni asked from her spot on the couch, looking at him curiously and setting her magazine to the side.

"My gloves feel weird." He grumbled as he scratched his wrist, "That dumb beach day let me take them off, and now wearing them feels itchy." He lifted his hand to his face and bit at his palm, trying to use his teeth to get a deeper scratch and relieve some of the discomfort. "It's been days with this @^%$."

"You can't take them off yourself?" She asked, "I thought you wore them because you liked the look."

"Would if I could." He grumbled as he ceased his futile scratching and biting, grabbing the wrist of his glove and trying to pull it off to show the jester that it didn't work, "Most I can do is mess with this part." He flipped the wrist of his glove up and down.

"Maybe Caine would let you take them off if you asked." Pomni suggested, earning a sharp laugh from the rabbit.

"Yeah right." He said as he rolled his eyes, putting his hands behind his head as he leaned back in his chair, "Caine won't even give us different outfits unless it's adventure specific. Says it's to make us 'recognizable to the audience' or whatever."

"Did somebody say my name?" Caine asked as he sped into the room, his body stuck in a T-pose before quickly snapping to life.

"We did, actually." Jax replied, taking the AI aback.

"Oh... that's the first time I was right." He said in surprise as he looked down at the two players, "Say, where's the rest of you miscreants? We have an adventure to do!"

"O-oh, I haven't seen them." Pomni answered as she averted her gaze, clearly lying to keep the others away from Caine's nonsense.

"Why not just summon them here?" Jax suggested with a mischievous grin, "After all, it wouldn't be fair for them to miss out on one of your fantastic adventures."

"Why, Jax, you're right!" Caine cried, snapping his fingers and warping the four missing characters to the room. Unfortunately for them, they were warped to his height as well, leaving them momentarily suspended in the air, before falling to the checkerboard tile floor with a thud. "I can't believe I forgot I could do that."

"Are you kidding me?!" Zooble yelled up at him, picking themselves up as they shot the ringleader a glare, "How many times do we have to tell you to stop doing that?"

"At least three more!" Caine replied happily.

"My sewing machine is still on." Ragatha said nervously as she got up, preparing to run back to her room, only for Caine to pop up in front of her and stop her in her tracks.

"There's no time for that!" The AI yelled angrily, before quickly composing himself, "We're running out of time to start the day's adventure!"

"But, I promised Kinger I'd help him catalogue his bug collection." Gangle mumbled.

Jax hopped out of his seat and grabbed her by the ribbons that made up her back, pulling the woman to her feet as she yelped in surprise. "If I have to be here, so do you, Ribbons."

"Well now, this isn't my room." Kinger observed as he stared up at the ceiling, not having moved since he fell to the floor.

"Enough chatter!" Caine interrupted, drawing everyone's attention to him, "Today's adventure will test your reflexes, push your confidence to the limit, and give you a chance to let out all that pent up aggression!"

"It's not another obstacle course, is it?" Pomni asked as she helped Kinger to his feet.

"My back still hurts from the last one." Zooble commented dryly.

"The only obstacles you'll be facing are the ones your friends send your way!" Caine explained, "Today is an all out, no holds barred, good old fashioned..." He snapped his fingers and made a pile of fire arms fall into the center of the room, "Paintball fight!"

"Hooway!" Jax cheered as he dove into the pile of weapons, popping out with a toy rifle as his tail wagged excitedly. He rested the gun on his shoulder as he looked up at the ringleader. "Why paintball, though? Wouldn't there be more excitement and intrigue with real guns?"

"Oh please, do you really think I'd be so irresponsible?" Caine asked with a laugh, "Besides, that doesn't work with this story."

"I'm getting déjà vu." Kinger said as he watched the scene, narrowing his eyes.

"I'll be splitting you into two teams." Caine explained, "Each team will have six players, three of you and three NPCs. You'll only have one life, so make sure every shot counts!"

"Oh no." Ragatha groaned, "Are our evil counterparts going to come back?"

"Unfortunately, they're still out of commission from being incinerated after the obstacle course." Caine explained, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly before he perked back up, "However, I have more than enough NPCs to go around!" He clapped his hands and warped the group in front of the main stage, the lights going dark as a pair of spotlights began to swirl around the red curtains. "Our first NPC teammates come from the far off Candy Canyon Kingdom." He began, "It's the badlands bandits! The Aussies with attitude! The crocodiles you haven't seen in awhile! It's the one, the only" -The curtains parted to reveal a familiar group of gummy crocodiles- "Gummigoo and his lads, Max and Chad!"

"G'day, mates." Gummigoo said as he tipped his hat towards the group.

"Oh hey, it's those guys." Jax said, nudging Pomni with a conceited grin, "Remember? You tried to bring that one back to the circus and watched Caine murder him in front of you."

"Jax!" Ragatha chastised, shooting him a glare.

"What? I was just asking if she remembered." He replied as feigned innocence.

"Uh huh, I remember." Pomni said with an uneasy expression, "How could I not?"

"Thank you three so much for joining us!" Caine said cheerfully as the bandits stepped down off the stage.

"Ah, don't mention it." Gummigoo said with a shrug, "We never say no to a scrap, ain't that right, Lads?"

"That's right, Boss." Max said happily, before looking down at his hands, "I think me arms might be too short, though."

"Haha, that's great!" Caine said to no one in particular as the curtains closed once more and the spotlights returned, "Visiting us from the haunted halls of Mildenhall Manor, it's the ectoplasmic icon of everyone's dreams! Please give a round of applause to everyone's favorite spirit..." He gestured to the curtains as they parted, a soft cyan glow shining out from the stage. eventually, a small, happy ghost popped out onto center stage. "It's Ghostly!"

"Hello, everyone." Ghostly said cheerfully as he spun in the air, "I'm hoping we can all have fun on today's adventure!"

"I was kind of hoping we'd see Martha again." Gangle said quietly as she tapped her hands together.

"Oh, she would have been fun to see." Ragatha agreed as the small ghost floated down off the stage, the curtains closing again and the spotlights returning.

"Our next player is a classic to all of you in the circus!" Caine announced, "A character who needs no introduction, say hello to" -The curtains parted to reveal a tall, blue character staring out at everyone- "Orbsman!"

"Oh come on, out of everyone he could have picked?" Jax groaned. Orbsman said something in his garbled language as he stepped off the stage, taking his place next to the other four NPCs that had been brought out. The lights returned to normal as Caine floated between the two groups.

"Now then, let's shuffle up these teams." He said as he glanced between the groups, before snapping his fingers as a few large, cartoon hands appeared and picked up Chad, Max, and Ghostly, moving them to the other group before the hands grabbed Zooble, Pomni, and Gangle and dragged them to where the three NPCs once stood.

"We can walk, y'know." Zooble complained as they pushed the disembodied hand away.

"Perfect!" Caine said as he dusted off his hands, ignoring the abstract character's complaints, "The teams are as follows! Team A: Jax, Ragatha, Kinger, Max, Chad, and Ghostly! Team B: Pomni, Zooble, Gangle, Gummigoo, and Orbsman!"

"Uh, Caine." Pomni piped up, glancing at her teammates, "We have one less person than the other team." The AI froze as he looked down at her, his attention shifting towards the whole team as he began to count up how many people were there, before turning to count the members of the other team.

"Well, it seems you're right, Pomni." He said, furrowing his brow as he thought, "Well, I don't have time to pick another NPC, soooo... have Bubble." He snapped his fingers and made the round character appear with the rest of Pomni's group.

"Oh, nice to meet ya, Mate." Gummigoo said as he looked at his new teammate.

"Has anyone ever told you you look delicious?" Bubble asked with a smile, making the candy character shuffle backwards as a worried look crossed his face.

"Well, I guess it could be worse." Jax said as he looked at his team, "At least all of us have arms."

"Now that the teams are settled," Caine continued, "Let's go somewhere more appropriate for this kind of adventure!" He spun his cane in his hand, making the circus follow suit as the scenery around them began to spin, slowly morphing and coming to a stop to reveal a medium sized dirt area, with scatted pieces of wood for cover and a rough looking two story building in the center of the area. "Much better! Now, I'll give each of you a few minutes to prepare. Once the time is up, the match will begin! The last team with people standing are the winners!"

"Seems simple enough." Gummigoo said looking towards Max and Chad with a small smile, "No hard feelings for this, aye lads?" He called over.

"It's ok, Boss!" Chad called back, "We know it's just a game!"

"Alright, Team B, let's get you to your side." Caine said as he snapped his fingers, teleporting the group to the other side of the field, "Now, you have 5 minutes to grab a weapon and get ready!" He called out, snapping once more and making a pile of weapons drop in front of both teams, "Good luck!" With that, he disappeared as a large timer appeared over the battlefield and began to count down.

"Shouldn't we get safety goggles or something?" Ragatha asked as she glanced at her teammates.

"You won't need them if you don't get hit." Jax said as he leaned down to the pile of weapons, tossing them over his shoulders into his teammates' hands. He stood up with a rifle in hand, a smile spreading across his face as he looked across the field at the other team. "Who do you think will get hit first?"

Across the field, Gangle looked over at the other team, watching as they talked amongst one another. Her eyes trailed over to Jax, smiling as she watched him excitedly play with the rifle in his hands. "Does this count as your first fight?" Zooble asked as they placed a hand on their shoulder, making her jump slightly as she turned to look at them.

"O-oh, I don't think it does." She replied with a soft chuckle, "I still don't really know if me and Jax are together or not." Zooble raised an eyebrow at the ribbon character, earning a sigh from her as she glanced back over at the rabbit across the way. "Sure, we confessed and all, but we didn't really come to a decision on if we were... y'know."

"A couple?" Zooble asked, earning a small nod from her.

"I say give 'im some time to adjust." Gummigoo chimed in, much to the pair's surprise, "Sorry Sheila, didn't mean to intrude."

"I-It's ok, Gummigoo." Gangle replied with a soft smile, "Honestly, I'll take all the advice I can get."

"Well, in my travels, I've seen and learned a lot, but only two things have stayed constant." The crocodile began, "Always call your mum when you can, and don't try to rob a bank at noon."

"Is that second one literal, or..." Zooble asked, eyeing the candy character in confusion.

"Bit of both, truthfully." He chuckled, "But to keep it simple, it just means not to try and rush something because you want the end result."

Gangle perked up slightly at his advice, wiping a tear from her eye, only for it to return right after. "Thanks, Gummigoo." She said.

"Ah, no need for all that." He said with a dismissive wave, "I give me lads advice all the time. It's part of being a bandit." His expression grew worried as he whipped his head around, somehow having felt Bubble's presence behind him.

"If I licked you, would you feel your body losing mass?" He asked, a horrified expression spreading across the crocodile's face.

"You're one disturbed little bogan, you know that?" He said as he backed away from the character, snatching a paintball gun from the ground and turning his attention to the field, though he still glanced at Bubble suspiciously.

"I don't think we're going to do very well." Pomni said as she approached the two other human players, handing each of them a rifle, "I mean, Orbsman can barely hold his gun, and Bubble doesn't even have arms."

"At least you can see Gummigoo again." Gangle suggested, making a bittersweet look cross the jester's face.

"He's nice to talk to, but..." She sighed, "There's always that lingering thought in my mind that he doesn't remember when we first met."

"Maybe that's for the best." Zooble replied, "I mean, he did sort of... explode that time."

The sound of Orbsman's garbled speech snapped them out of their conversation, with him pointing up towards the timer that was quickly approaching zero.

"He's right, that did seem shorter than five minutes." Pomni mused as she and the rest of the team all got into position for the game to begin.

Across the field, Team A also readied themselves, with Jax crouching down behind a piece of cover and peeking up at the other team.

"This is quite invigorating." Kinger said with a smile in his eyes, "Maybe I'll get the chance to use my ricochet super move!"

"Would you teach me that?" Max asked hopefully, "I've always wanted to have a unique move."

"I hope we don't fair too badly." Chad said as he pulled his gun to his chest, "The Boss is a crack shot when he's not holdin' back."

"Eh, how bad can it be?" Jax shrugged, "I mean, Bubble doesn't have any arms." He turned to look at the other team with a smile. "You hear that! One of your teammates isn't even ARMED!" He yelled over, earning a groan from the human players in response to the pun.

As soon as the time reached zero, a loud buzzer rang out over the field. Almost immediately after, the sound of the toy rifles began to echo through the area, with the wooden cover around them quickly being splattered with yellow and red paint. Bubble's eyes widened as he watched the fighting begin. "Ooohh, we're playing paintball." He said in realization, slowly floating over to the remaining weapons and scooping a couple into his mouth. Pomni watched him from her place behind cover, confusion written all over her face as he floated towards the front of their slowly advancing team. Without warning, Bubble began to spit paintballs from his mouth with machine gun like speed, much to everyone shock and horror.

The other team had no time to react as the barrage of plastic balls flew towards, striking Max, Chad, and Ghostly and sending them to the ground in an eerily realistic fashion. They disappeared soon after, leaving half of Team A already wiped out by the time the rapid firing had ceased. "HA!" Zooble laughed as they popped their head out from behind their cover, "How's that for-"

Their sentence was cut off as a paintball slammed right between their eyes, sending them to the ground before they were warped into a small set of bleachers outside of the play area. "O-oh, sorry Zooble!" Ragatha called out, shrinking back behind her cover nervously.

They looked at their surroundings in confusion, before a sour expression crossed their face. "Son of a @!&#$." They grumbled as they conceded themselves to their new role of spectating the game.

"Hello." Chad said from a few yards away, with him, Max, and Ghostly all having been sent to the bleachers as well.

Back on the ground, the arena had fallen fairly silent as the weight of Bubble's attack sunk in. "Well," Pomni began, glancing towards Gangle as they both hid behind cover, "five against three is pretty good odds, right?" As soon as she asked, a pop rang out as Bubble vanished, not appearing in the bleachers and presumably being returned to Caine.

"That's for shootin' my lads, ya mongrel." Gummigoo said as he lowered his rifle. He glanced at his shocked teammates and gave an apologetic smile. "Sorry ladies, but winning a game with him ain't worth it."

"Ok, four against three." Pomni corrected as she turned back to Gangle, the sound of paintball fire beginning to pick up once again "That's still one up on their team."

A garbled groan rang out as Orbsman fell to the ground, being transported to the bleachers soon after. "Ha, you're making this too easy!" Jax called out from across the field.

"Ok, it's tied." Pomni said in resignation, "But we can still win, right?" She looked over at Gangle, only to find her nowhere to be found. She peaked up from he cover and saw the ribbon character running towards the run down building in the center of the arena. "Ok yeah, good plan." She mumbled to herself as she held her paintball gun tighter and jumped out of cover, shooting wildly into the arena as she ran for more cover further in. Amazingly, one of her shots hit Ragatha in the chest, sending her to the bleachers with a thud.

Jax watched from his cover near the building as the jester dove behind a rusty barrel, raising his rifle and taking aim at the small amount of her that was still visible, his grin growing wider as he began to squeeze the trigger.

"Pomni, look out!" Ragatha yelled from the bleachers, making both the jester and rabbit jump at the sudden interjection. Unfortunately, the slight movement was more than enough to make Pomni move into the path of Jax's paintball, striking her shoulder and sending her to the bleachers where a flustered and horrified Ragatha immediately began to heap apologies onto the still bewildered character.

"Just Ribbons and the croc left." Jax said to himself, peaking out from his cover to try and find any sign of the remaining opponents.

"Tactical roll!" Kinger's voice rang out from somewhere, followed by the sound of his body falling against the ground. Jax sighed as he looked over, finding Kinger sprawled out on the ground in front of a confused looking Gummigoo. "Oh, hello Gummigoo." The chess piece said politely.

"You doin alright, Mate?" The crocodile asked as he helped Kinger to his feet.

"Oh yes, I'm having a great time." He replied, "Now, what were we doing again?" He looked around the area curiously, before his eyes landed on the paintball gun in his hands. "Oh, right." Without warning, he shot Gummigoo at point blank range, sending the NPC to the ground before he was whisked away to the bleachers, where Max and Chad were happy to move over to sit next to him. "I got him, Jax!" Kinger called out as he looked towards the rabbit excitedly, only for a paintball to fly from the second floor of the building and strike Kinger in the stomach, sending him to the bleachers almost instantly. "She got me, Jax!" He called out, making Jax sigh as he slipped into the building as quietly as he could.

"Well, down to our last two players!" Caine called out, suddenly materializing above the bleachers, "Who will come out on top? The brash and sarcastic Jax? Or the meek and creative Gangle? It truly is anyone's game!"

Gangle rolled her eyes from her spot in the building, peering out the window as she scanned the terrain for any sign of the purple rabbit. From where she was, the bleachers were completely out of view of her, leaving her to focus only on the task at hand. She found herself getting strangely into the game, finding it exciting and oddly relaxing. Heck, maybe she'd even catch Jax by surprise and-

"Bang." He said as he pressed the barrel of his paintball gun against the back of her head, making her sigh as she set her weapon down and turned to face him, "You should listen to your surroundings more."

"Oh please, like you would have heard me coming." She replied, as she moved away from the window and leaned back against the wall.

"You weight, like, 8 pounds." He replied as he lowered his gun and sat down next to her, "and that's with the mask. A pin drop makes more sound than you."

"What, not going to take your win yet?" She asked, looking at him with amusement as he sat next to her. She briefly considering reaching for her weapon, before deciding instead to simply enjoy the peace and quiet.

"Ah, this game was kinda boring." He complained, "Everyone got out way too fast."

"Really?" She asked with a soft chuckle, "I figured shooting everyone would be right up your alley."

"Eh, maybe in different circumstances." He shrugged, "Besides, it'd be more fun if we were on the same team."

"Yeah," She nodded as she scooted closer and leaned her head on his shoulder, "it would be." The two sat in silence for awhile, just listening to the wind blow through the air and the wooden structure they were in creaking ever so slightly. The air was warm with the mid day sun as they rested together, both of them simply enjoying the quiet company of one another.

"We should probably wrap this up now." Jax said, breaking the silence with the unwelcome reminder that they weren't actually alone here, "The peanut gallery is probably getting antsy."

"Yeah." Gangle sighed as she sat up, looking at the rabbit with a soft smile, "Well, go ahead. You got me." She held up her arms in surrender.

"Nah, you should win." He said as he dropped his gun into her lap, "Who knows what Zooble will say if you turn up over there."

She raised an eyebrow as she lowered her arms. "Seriously, you're just giving up?" She asked with a mixture of confusion and amusement.

"Nah, I just don't care." He replied with his trademark smile, "Besides, if you win, it's cool. If I win, it's expected."

She took his paintball gun in her hands and pointed it at his chest, her smile dropping as a thought popped into her mind. "Jax," She began, lowering the rifle, "are we... together?" His care free expression fell as she asked the question, averting his gaze and making Gangle immediately regret opening her mouth. I-I'm sorry!" She stuttered out, "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable! I was just a bit confused and didn't want to assume anything and-"

"Yeah, I'd say we are." He interrupted, taking her by surprise at his uncharacteristic honesty.

"D-do you mean that?" She asked, a hopeful look in her eye, making him sigh as he hugged his legs against himself.

"Look, I'm not going to pretend like I'm fully ready for this or anything." He elaborated, "But being around you... it makes the circus a little less terrible. Ever since" -He paused as he let out a shaky breath- "Ribbit abstracted, I wrote off the idea of romance of any kind. Figured it'd be easier than sorting through any of those feelings a second time. But then everything with you happened, and..." He looked over at her as a small smile pulled at his face, this one much more genuine than the usual snarky grin he usually had. "I actually wanted to try and figure it out again." Gangle looked up at him with a lovesick smile, making him blush as he pushed her face away. "C'mon, stop looking at me like that. This is already cringey and weird for me." He said with a light chuckle, before quickly composing himself as he continued, "So... yeah. If you want to be together— to be a... couple, then I'm willing to give it a shot."

"Ohh, Jaxxy Boy." She cooed as she leaned up and place a soft kiss on his cheek and making him blush harder, "That's the sweetest thing you've ever said to me."

"Yeah, well don't get used to it." He said as he placed a hand on the cheek she kissed, his small grin growing wider, "I have a reputation to uphold." He reached over and pushed the gun back into her hands, pointing the barrel at his own chest. "Now hurry up and shoot your boyfriend. I don't think the building is stable." With a smile, Gangle squeezed the trigger, making a shot ring out through the arena as Jax was warped to the bleachers with the rest of his team.

"And the winner of our little romp is Team B!" Caine cheered out as he snapped his fingers, teleporting Gangle to the bleachers as they erupt into cheers and congratulations, "Congratulations, Gangle! I was beginning to worry that something went wrong in that building over there."

"N-no, not at all." She said as she looked at Jax, being met with a smile from the rabbit as he tried to act casual, "Just a bit of a stand off was all."

"Nice going, Gangle!" Ragatha cheered, before leaning closer and lowering the volume of her voice, "Don't tell Jax, but I was rooting for you."

"I think we all were." Zooble chimed in as they pat Gangle on the shoulder, "The last thing that @%$hole needs is something to boost his ego."

Jax's smile grew as he watched the others praise Gangle on her victory, only for Gummigoo to casually take a seat next to him. "She's got guts, that one." He said, nudging the rabbit with his elbow, "I've never seen a sheila so primed to have a go."

"Yeah," Jax nodded in agreement, "she's unique, that's for sure."

"Who is she anyway?" The candy crocodile asked, "I never got her name."

Jax watched as Gangle laughed and talked with the others, a smile on her face larger than he had ever seen with her comedy mask. "She's my girlfriend."

Chapter Text

"Is there a reason you always lay on me?" Jax asked, looking down at Gangle as she doodled in her sketchbook, leaning back into his chest.

"Your fur is warm and comfy." She replied flatly, pushing herself back against him even more, "Besides, who complains about their girlfriend sitting in their lap?"

"Hey, I wasn't complaining." He defended, snatching the sketchbook out of her hand, "I was merely asking." He lazily flipped through the pages, an unamused expression crossing his face as he came upon a sketch of him in a maid dress. "Really? You waste your talent on something like this?"

She snatched the book back from him as she closed it, shooting him a teasing smile. "What can I say, you're my muse." She teased, earning an eye roll from him as she hopped to her feet, "Anyway, I had plans with Zooble and Ragatha, so I should get going."

"Wow, already sick of me." Jax replied with a smile, "And here I thought you were supposed to be nice."

"I've had a bad influence." Gangle said with a roll of her eyes, leaning in and placing a kiss on the rabbit's cheek, "I'll see you later, Jaxxy Boy."

"Have fun, Ribbons." He said, giving her a wave as she walked off before he pushed himself off the couch and prepared to leave.

"Boy, she seems nice." Kinger said, making Jax jump and clutch his chest at the sudden appearance of the chess piece.

"Kinger, we've been over this." Pomni said as she joined him and the still panicked rabbit, "Jax and Gangle are dating."

"Oh, right." He said with a smile, turning his attention back to Jax as his eyes widened in surprise, "Oh, hello Jax. Did you hear Gangle is dating someone?"

"How many times do I have to tell you to stop sneaking up on me." The rabbit groaned, placing a hand to his stomach to try and soothe the sudden nausea he felt.

"Have the two of you been on a date yet?" Pomni asked suddenly, making Jax look at her in confusion as he finally managed to calm down.

"Date?" He asked, seeming more confused at the concept rather than the question itself.

"Yeah." Pomni replied, looking at him suspiciously, "Y'know, dinner, walk on the beach, a movie?"

"Those are real?" He asked with a smug chuckle, "I thought that stuff was a movie trope."

"On quite the contrary, Jax." Kinger chimed in, "Dates are an important way to show the person you are with that you care for them."

"She knows I care about her as much as I'm able to." Jax shrugged.

"Jax," Pomni interjected, "have you even tried to set up something nice for you and Gangle to do together?"

Jax paused as he thought back to all the interactions the two of them had had, quickly coming up empty handed as he shrugged once more. "Unless you count pranks as quality time, then no." He answered with a chuckle, "What's it matter, anyway? We can't really do anything in the circus, and Gangle hasn't even shown an interest in a 'real date' or whatever."

"You mean the same Gangle who reads nothing but romance manga?" Pomni asked, making the rabbit pause once more.

"...Alright, I see your point." He said, looking at the jester and chess piece expectantly, "Well, since you two seem to know more about this than I do, why don't you come up with an idea." A conceited smile crossed his face as he prepared to leave, sure that they would hear the sarcasm in his voice and finally leave him alone.

"Oh, that's a great idea, Jax!" Kinger said excitedly, making the rabbit's smile fall, "Pomni and I could talk you through how to make a date special and give you pointers on what to do!"

"You can't be serious." Both Jax and Pomni said in unison, looking at Kinger as if he had somehow lost even more of his sanity.

"Come on, I think I might have a bow tie in my room somewhere." He continued as he grabbed Jax's arm, beginning to drag him along before he could voice any protests as Pomni followed close behind, an uneasy smile on her face.

"Well... look at the bright side." She said hesitantly as she met the scowling rabbit's gaze, "Maybe this will be fun?"

Meanwhile, in Ragatha's room, Gangle wasn't in a much better situation, with both Zooble and Ragatha looking at her in shock at the information she had shared. "What do you mean you aren't planning on an actual date?" Ragatha asked incredulously, only making the ribbon character grow more nervous and shy.

"I-I didn't think it was necessary." She stuttered out, tapping her hands together anxiously, "It's not like there's much we could do. Besides, Jax doesn't seem like the type to be interested in that kind of thing."

"Probably because he's never had one." Zooble chimed in, "I'm almost positive you're the first person he's ever been with."

"Gangle, have you considered that Jax may want to go on a date, but he doesn't know how to ask?" Ragatha asked.

"I find that a bit, uh, unlikely." She replied, "I really don't think this is as big a deal as you two are making it out to be."

"I usually stay out of this kind of stuff," Zooble began, "but even I have to admit that it's a bit strange you two haven't had a real date."

Gangle sighed as she looked down at the half finished sketch of her and Jax, a small smile crossing her face before she looked back up at her friends. "So what should I do?" She asked, "I don't want to freak him out or anything."

"Maybe start with something simple." Ragatha suggested, "What if you two had a meal together? It's a bit early for dinner, but I'm sure it will work the same."

"A-are you sure?" Gangle asked hesitantly, "Maybe Jax and I can just have our own kinds of dates."

"I don't think Jax will consider anything a date on his own." Zooble commented with a small snicker.

"Come on, Gangle, trust me." Ragatha said with a pleading tone, "Me and Zooble will take care of everything."

"Wait, what?" Zooble asked in surprise, looking at the doll with a mixture of shock and annoyance on their face.

After a moment of silence, Gangle sighed and nodded. "Alright, I trust you guys."

Ragatha smiled wide as she hopped to her feet. "Great! Now, let's find something for you to wear!" She said as she grabbed the ribbon character's hand and rushed towards her room.

"W-wait!" Gangle protested, but it went unheard by her two companions, "I don't really have clothes."

The trio rushed passed Kinger's room, where, inside, Pomni and the chess piece were busy trying to make Jax look presentable. "There, that should give you a dapper look." Kinger said proudly as he finished tightening the bow tie around Jax's neck.

"Is this really necessary?" The lagomorph asked, wincing as Pomni drug a hairbrush through his fur, "Shouldn't me and Gangle choose how we spend our time together?"

"While I'd usually say yes," Pomni replied, struggling to smooth out the mess of tangled, purple fur in front of her, "I'm in too deep to stop at this point."

"Well, now that you look the part, we just need a date idea." Kinger said, scratching his chin as he looked off in thought, "On my first date with Queenie, we went to the natural history museum and she told me all about the different types of insects they had on display."

"I don't think that's an option for a number of reasons, Hoo-Hah." Jax replied, a sour expression practically glued to his face.

"Maybe the two of you could share a meal?" Pomni suggested as she finally finished brushing him down, tossing the hair brush to the side.

"That's every meal, stuffing muncher." Jax scowled, "There's only one place to eat in this entire place."

"I meant just the two of you." She clarified, pausing as his insult finally registered in her mind, "Stuffing muncher?"

"Well, what are we standing around for?!" Kinger asked enthusiastically, "Pomni and I will go prepare something, and you'll stay in your room until it's ready!"

"I'm really starting to regret ever talking to either of you." Jax complained aloud as Kinger grabbed his arm once again and started pulling him towards his room. It wasn't long before the trio were at his door, with Kinger pulling it open and unceremoniously shoving Jax inside.

"Now, don't leave until we say so." Kinger explained, an uncharacteristically stern tone in his voice, "We wouldn't want to ruin the surprise for Gangle." Jax opened his mouth to respond, only for Kinger to shut the door on him, a muffled censor ringing out from inside the room.

"Kinger, are you sure you know what you're doing?" Pomni asked as the pair began to head down the hall, their end goal being the seldom used kitchen on the other side of the circus.

"Of course I do!" He replied confidently, "I can cook a great mushroom chowder with couscous!" He paused as a confused expression fell across his face. "Well, at least I think I can."

"Oh boy." Pomni muttered, only for the sound of a door shutting to snap her out of her confused and nervous thoughts.

"Oh, what are you two up to?" Ragatha asked as she closed the door to Gangle's room.

"We were trying to figure out if I used rice or couscous." Kinger answered, only making Ragatha and Zooble look at him in confusion.

"Kinger and I somehow got roped into making dinner so Jax can ask Gangle on a real date." Pomni explained with an exasperated sigh.

"What a coincidence," Ragatha began as Zooble rolled their eyes, "we were doing the same thing for Gangle."

"Ohh, that's very nice of you two." Kinger said, seeming to finally have abandoned his thoughts about couscous, "Would like our help? Me and Pomni don't have anything going on at the moment, right?" He looked down at her, being met by a confused, yet accepting expression on the jester's face.

"Sure, Kinger." She sighed, pulling a small smile on her face before turning back to Ragatha and Zooble, "Well, why don't we work together? It would make the work take less time, at least."

"Is it too late to back out of helping?" Zooble asked, earning a small glare from Ragatha, "Fine, fine. I'll go set the table." The abstract character turned and began to head towards the dining area, with the rest of the group following close behind, discussing what exactly they should make for the couple.

Meanwhile, back in Jax's room, the rabbit stared up at the ceiling, having taken to tossing a pillow into the air to try and pass the time. It had only been a few minutes, but he was already bored out of his mind waiting. "Can't believe I let them talk me into this." He said aloud. He would have loved nothing more than to blow this whole thing off and go set up pranks or wander the grounds until nightfall, but a part of him was worried that Kinger and Pomni were right. What if Gangle did want a date? What if some cheesy rom-com scene was something she would enjoy? What if-

"Listen to yourself, man!" He cried out, interrupting his own thoughts as he sat up in his bed, "If there's one thing you know about romance, it's that it's supposed to be enjoyed by both parties. This dinner sounds boring enough to make even Gangle think it's lame. So why don't you go get her and go do something fun!" He smiled wide as he hopped out of bed, cracking his knuckles as he chuckled to himself. "Man, I am such a good negotiator." He slowly opened his door and peaked out into the hall, making sure neither Pomni nor Kinger were around to bother him any further. Once he was sure the coast was clear, he crept out of his room and quickly made his way to Gangle's, figuring it was the most likely place for her to be. "Oh Ribbons~" He called out in a sing-songy tone as he rapped his knuckles on the door.

The door swung open to reveal Gangle, who had a ribbon tied in a bow on the corner of her mask, making him pause as a light blush dusted his face. "What's with the bow tie?" She asked, snapping him out of his thoughts as his smile fell at being reminded of the forced plans.

"Ugh, don't remind me." He grumbled, "Jingles and Hoo-Hah found out we haven't been on an 'actual date', so they basically forced me to go along with a plan for me to take you to dinner."

"You're kidding." She said with a chuckle, "Zooble and Ragatha did the same thing with me. They're off making the food right now, actually."

"I think that's where Pomni and Kinger are too." He mused, his smile returning as he leaned against the door frame, "Well, I figured that that kind of thing would be too cheesy, even for you."

"As nice as it is in media," She began, a shy smile on her face, "it is a bit... boring in my experience."

"Well, then why don't we go make our own fun?" He offered, holding his hand out to her.

She began to reach out, on to hesitate as she looked down the hall, beginning to tap her hands together nervously once more. "Wouldn't it be kinda mean to make them do all that work for nothing?"

"Well, maybe a bit." He replied honestly, "But you know what's meaner? Forcing two people into a date that neither of them really want." His expression softened as he gestured his hands towards her. "So, why don't we get a bit of revenge by having fun in our own way." After a moment of silence, a confident smile crossed Gangle's face as she reached up and untied the bow tie from Jax's neck, tossing it aside before she undid her bow and tossed it away as well.

"Let's take a walk by the lake." She said as she put her hand in his, coiling her ribbon around his hand and wrist as he began to lead her down the hall.

"How does a walk sound less boring than something with food?" He asked, earning a chuckle from his partner as they quickly made their way to the tent's exit, stepping out into the cool wind that swept over the grounds. The pair took off running down towards the lake, their hands intertwined as they shared a laugh. It wasn't long before they were at the lake's shore, where Jax let go of Gangle's hand to pick up a few stones from the ground and begin skipping them across the water, watching as they bounced a few times before sinking into the depths. Gangle was quick to join him, grabbing a few rocks of her own and skipping them nearly halfway across the lake. "Oh come on, how is that even possible." Jax complained as he tossed another stone, watching it bounce once before it sunk beneath the surface, "If you tell me 'it's all in the wrist', I'll drown you."

"Me not saying it doesn't make it less true." She teased as she tossed another stone across the water, glancing at Jax as he watched it bounce farther than any of his throws did, "First of all, don't hold the rock like that." She reached over and grabbed his arm, carefully adjusting his fingers to pinch the edge of the rock instead of just holding it in his palm. "Then all you do is pull back and" -she guided Jax through the motions as she spoke, doing her best to make it as clear as possible- "flick it!" She watched him flick his wrist forward and fling the rock towards the water, making it bounce a handful of times before it sunk beneath the water, not as far as her throws, but still much better than he was doing before. "See? It's easy."

"If you wanted to hold hands again, you could have just asked instead of doing all of that." He snickered, earning a gentle punch in the arm from the ribbon character.

"Do you ever act any other way than 'insufferable'?" She asked with a smile.

"Sure I do." He replied with a shrug, "I think Zooble has a list of all the ways I act, but I doubt any of them are positive."

"I don't think they've seen the sides of you I have." She replied as she sat down on the lake side, slowly leaning back to lay in the grass.

"I try to keep it that way." He muttered as he joined her, laying down next to her as they stared up at the afternoon sky, watching as digital clouds passed by. The sat in silence for awhile, neither of them having anything to say, but not minding the comforting silence that they shared.

"Is this a date?" Gangle asked, abruptly breaking the silence and yanking Jax out of his thoughts.

"How should I know?" He answered, ripping a few pieces of grass from the ground and watching them blow away in the breeze, "Last I checked, you knew more about romance and %$!& than I did."

She turned herself onto her side to look at him, a nervous expression on her face. "Well... do you want it to be?" He froze as he heard her question, having to physically stop himself from jumping to his feet and running away. He hadn't even thought about what he'd consider a date to be, much less if he really desired it. He silently cursed his restricted upbringing for putting him in a position like this, before quickly refocusing his thoughts on the questions. Gangle grew more and more anxious at his lack of an answer, turning her gaze to the ground as she tried to keep herself from panicking. "I-it's fine if you don't." She stuttered out, "I understand if this isn't your thing, or if you're apprehensive about actually calling something a 'date'. Heck, we only officially became boyfriend and girlfriend a few days ago, so I understand if this feels rushed or-"

"Yeah, I guess I'd call it a date." He interrupted, rolling onto his side to meet her gaze, "Unless you want to keep spiraling, which I'm more than happy to laugh at."

"Do you really mean that?" She asked, a hopeful smile on her face.

"Well, partially." He explained, "It is fun to watch you freak out, but at a certain point-"

"No, the date thing." She interrupted with a soft laugh, "Did you really mean it when you said you'd call this a date?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah." He replied with a nod, "I just consider spending quality time with your partner a date, I guess. As long as all parties are having fun, then who cares what they call it."

"That's... a lot more mature than I figured your thought process would be." She noted, earning a small glare from the rabbit.

"Hey, I can be mature when I want to be." He defended, "I just hardly ever want to be. How am I supposed to keep everyone sane if I'm walking around serious all the time?"

"Oh, is that what you call your pranks and insults?" Gangle asked with a bemused chuckle, "Keeping us sane?"

"Exactly." He said with a self congratulatory smile, "If it wasn't for my antics, you'd all be bored out of your minds."

"Well, I guess I can't argue with that." She begrudgingly agreed, "You do add a certain... excitement to the circus."

"And you get most of it." He chuckled, slowly placing his hand on top of hers as a blush dusted his cheeks, "Whether that's a good or a bad thing is up to you to decide."

She glanced down at their hands and felt a flutter in her chest, curling her ribbon hand around his once more as she inched a bit closer to him, resting her head on his chest. "I'd say it's a good thing." The air fell silent once more as they laid together, with Jax gently tracing a thumb along the edge of her ribbon and making her tighten her grip on his hand.

"They've probably finished cooking by now." Jax commented, glancing down at the woman in his arms.

"Do you want to go back and see?" Gangle asked, earning a sharp laugh from him in response.

"Not a chance." He replied, pulling her closer against him, "I like our walk by the lake much more."

Chapter Text

Jax huffed as he slowly roused from his slumber, yawning as he blindly felt around for the ribbon character who was in bed next to him. He didn't know what woke him up, other than that something felt off about his surroundings that he chalked up to weird residual dream feelings. Well, that was until he couldn't feel any sign of Gangle in the bed with him. He cracked his eyes open to see where she was, only to find she had completely vanished and left her side of the bed in a mess, as if she had left in a hurry. He rubbed his eyes as he propped himself up, a look of confusion on his face as he scanned her room for any sign of where she went, though it was nearly impossible to see anything through the darkness. He was about to go back to sleep, assuming she had just woken up early or went for a walk or something, only for a soft whimper to ring out from somewhere in the room.

His ears perked up as he quickly sat up straight, immediately wide awake as he looked for where the sound came from. He quietly climbed out of her bed and began to creep around the room, listening intently for where the soft crying was coming from. Sure, Gangle crying wasn't exactly uncommon, but she almost never hid it from people unless it was something that really effected her. Not to mention the fact that, to his knowledge, he hadn't done anything to make her cry lately. He winced as he stepped on something sharp, hopping back as a shard of Gangle's porcelain comedy mask fell back to the floor. He looked down and found the mask in pieces on the ground, only making his confusion grow worse. Her comedy mask had been practically untouched for awhile now, having been left on a shelf in case it was ever needed for one reason or another. So to see it here on the ground...

Now he was worried.

Nudging the broken porcelain to the side with his foot, he followed the sound of whimpering and hiccups through the dark room, eventually finding himself in front of a large wardrobe near the corner of the room. He pressed an ear against the door, hearing a familiar voice on the other side trying to keep her panicked breathing and crying as quiet as possible. Without warning, he yanked the doors open and found Gangle inside, tears falling from her eyes like waterfalls as she looked up at him in surprise and horror.

"J-Jax!" She said in surprise, quickly wiping the tears from her face as she forced a smile on her face, "What are-" She cleared her throat as her voice cracked, "Why are you up?"

"What's wrong?" He asked, his tone uncharacteristically serious and worried.

"N-Nothing!" She replied quickly, forcing a laugh as she struggled to keep her smile on her face, "Just, uh, had a nightmare is all. You know me, heh... just a big crybaby."

"You're a terrible liar, Gangle." He stated, carefully stepping into the wardrobe and sitting across from her. It was a bit cramped, but that was the furthest thing from his mind at the moment.

"Really, I'm fine." She insisted as she forced her smile wider, only for it to make her trembling lip more obvious as she held back another sob, "I-I just had a bad dream and-"

"You never hide when you cry." Jax interrupted, "You only shut yourself away when something is really bothering you. Not to mention the last few times you had bad dreams, you woke me up to help calm you down, and your comedy mask is in pieces on the ground." He bit his tongue to keep himself from adding a snarky joke to the end of his sentence, knowing that was the last thing that would help right now. "So tell me what's wrong... please."

Gangle fell silent as she stared at him, his face practically dripping with concern and fear. He reached forward and placed a hand on hers, giving it a comforting squeeze as he silently urged her to explain. She felt the tears well in her eyes once more, trying her best to hold them back as she squeezed his hand tighter. She felt her breath grow labored as a tear slipped from her eyes, quickly followed by another and another as the dam finally burst. With a wail, she through herself into Jax's chest and began to sob again, her tears soaking into his fur as she began to tremble.

He quickly wrapped his arms around her as she broke down, softly shushing her as mumbled out muffled apologies against his chest. He rubbed his hand against her back, feeling the rapid rise and fall of her body along with her breath. After she had sufficiently cried into his chest, she pulled her head away and looked up at him, tears still cascading down her face as she let out choked sobs and whimpers.

I-I'm sorry I woke you up." She stuttered out, "I was having bad thoughts, a-and I couldn't get to sleep, so I tried to calm myself down, but I kept spiraling." -The more she rambled, the more tears fell from her eyes as she replayed the upsetting thoughts in her mind- "And I didn't want to bother you with this stuff, so I thought maybe wearing my comedy mask would help, but all it did was make my head hurt and make the thoughts worse, so I took it off, but then I dropped it and it broke, so I got even more upset and hid in here to try and calm down, but I still woke you up and I'm sor-"

"Hey, hey." He finally interrupted, cupping her face in his hands and using his thumbs to wipe away her tears, "I'm more concerned about these 'bad thoughts' you keep talking about than I am about you waking me up at three in the morning."

Her hold on him tightened at the mention, trying her best to not let the thoughts make her spiral any further than they already had. "I j-just got scared that we'd never get out of here." She admitted, "That we'd be stuck in the circus forever and that we'd all grow to hate one another." She averted her gaze as she explained, her hands running through his fur in an attempt to keep herself grounded in reality. "I don't want us all to... get stuck here. I care about everyone in the circus, especially you. And the thought that we could all be here for eternity... nothing changing or getting better... I just got scared and started to spiral. I started to think about if anything I did even mattered. If I even mattered. That maybe things would be better if I abstracted. That way something would be different and all of you could-"

"Stop talking." He interrupted, placing a small kiss on her forehead as he pulled her back against his chest, "You and I both know nothing good would come from you abstracting, right?" He felt her hesitate before nodding softly against him, a loud sniffle ringing out through the quiet room. "Good, then we can just throw that line of thought away. Now, as for you or anything you do mattering," He tilted her head up and looked into her eyes with as much care as he could make visible, "just look at me. If nothing you did mattered, I wouldn't be holding you right now, would I?"

"I... guess not." She mumbled in response, her tears finally beginning to slow.

"Gangle, a few months ago, I wouldn't have even thought I was possible of being genuinely happy." He continued, "But spending time with you has made me realize that, as much as the circus sucks, it isn't the end of the world to be here. Do you know why?"

"Are you going to say it's because of me?" She asked with a weak chuckle.

"Hey, you're finally catching on." He replied with a gentle smile, "Partially, yes. Spending time with you makes it feel less terrible being trapped here. But you also helped change my outlook on things."

"What do you mean?" She asked curiously, adjusting her position in his lap to be more comfortable as she finally regained most of her composure.

He smiled down at her and placed a kiss on her cheek, silently chuckling as a soft blush dusted her cheeks. "You showed me that people are capable of change. I had resigned myself to believing that the circus was just an endless slog of the same poor saps over and over. That one day all of us would abstract and be replaced by new suckers for Caine to mess with." He averted his gaze as he mentally prepared himself to say something he found exceptionally cheesy, knowing he'd have to do a lot teasing and pranking to make up for it if anyone else heard him say it. "But then you actually gave me another chance. You had absolutely no reason to, other than because you believed I was capable of being nice despite how I've treated you."

"Because you showed that you were." She interjected, "You actually apologized after our fight in the jungle and gave me back a drawing you stole. Even if it was out of desperation, the fact you did that showed me you were capable of being a better person."

"And, in doing that, you made me realize that maybe things could get better. That maybe I could BE better." Jax added, "Long explanation aside, don't ever think that your actions don't matter. And especially don't think that you don't matter, otherwise I'll have to start being terrible again."

"I was wondering when you'd start making jokes again." Gangle said softly, closing her eyes as she leaned into Jax's arms.

"I figured it'd ruin the moment." He replied with a sheepish laugh as he began to trace a finger over on of her ribbons, feeling her shudder under his touch as she nuzzled against him. "So... wanna head back to bed now?"

"Just a few more minutes." She mumbled into his chest fur as she hugged him close, earning a bemused sigh from the rabbit as he adjusted himself into a comfortable position. It wasn't until noon that day when anyone found them, with Pomni stumbling upon the pair fast asleep in the wardrobe, still holding one another close.

They were both smiling.

Chapter Text

Gangle groaned softly as she roused from her sleep, rubbing her eyes as she turned over in the bed and buried her face into a familiar, fluffy chest. "If I didn't know any better," Jax began as she nuzzled into him, "I'd think you only liked me for my body."

"It's not my fault you're nice to cuddle." She replied, her voice muffled by his chest. The rabbit chuckled softly as he draped an arm over her body and pulled her closer, leaning back in his bed as he looked up at the ceiling.

"We should probably get up soon." He commented, glancing down at the ribbon woman in his arms, "Pretty sure everyone else is already awake."

Gangle picked her head up and looked at him with a puzzled expression. "Already?" She asked, rubbing the remnants of sleep from her eyes, "But it's so early. Did Caine do another morning adventure?"

"Beats me." Jax replied with a shrug, "All I know is I heard a lot of talking not too long ago."

With a sigh, she pushed herself up and stretched her arms above her head as a yawn escaped her. She peaked over at Jax and blushed as she caught his eyes trailing over her figure, quickly putting her arms back down to cover herself, though what she was covering she didn't know. "Quit ogling me." She huffed, a small smile on her face despite the flustered state she was left in.

"What, I can't help it." He snickered as his teasing smile grew wider, "It's not my fault you don't wear any clothes." She rolled her eyes at him using her early words against her, playfully smacking him on the arm as she crawled out of his bed. She heard him hop up behind her and begin to grunt as he stretched his limbs, glancing back at him and frowning at the disheveled state he was in. "What?" He asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

"When was the last time you brushed your fur?" She queried, resting her hands on her hips.

"Well, Kinger and Pomni forced me to let them do it not too long ago." He replied as he used his hands to smooth down his fur, "But other than that, it's been about uh... never."

"You're joking." She said, a slight disbelief in her voice.

"Hey, it takes a lot of work to get that perfect 'rugged' look." He defended, crossing his arms as he looked away with a pout.

"I'm getting you a hairbrush today." She decided as she grabbed his hand and started heading towards the door.

"Eh, no thanks. Brushing seems like a waste of time." He replied as he followed behind her, "Especially when Caine's adventures are just going to mess it up the same day."

"It wasn't a suggestion." She shot back with a playful smirk, "I'm not going to let my boyfriend walk around looking homeless."

"Ugh, can it at least wait until after today's adventure?" He asked, "It's too early for me to care about this."

She sighed as the two of them exited into the hallway, beginning to head towards the main area as they continued talking. "Fine, but only if you don't complain when we do it."

"Oooohh, that might be a deal breaker." He chuckled, "I really like complaining."

She stifled a laugh as the two of them entered the main area, her eyes going wide as she saw the state the others were in. Zooble looked miserable with deep bags under their eyes, barely able to keep themselves awake as they sat on the couch. They watched as Kinger continued to try and pull a bucket off Pomni's head, with the chess piece seeming to be no worse for wear, while Pomni yelped in pain as the bucket refused to release it grasp on her head. Ragatha sat nearby, hugging her legs close to her chest as she looked around herself in a panic, seeming to be on the lookout for something that had left her in a frenzy.

"Ooooohhh, right." Jax said, his grin widening, "I forgot to mention I was the reason everyone was up so early."

"I thought you stopped doing pranks." She scolded, looking at him with a small scowl.

"I never once said that." He defended, "And if I did, it was only to stop doing them to you." He poked the spot on her mask where her nose would be before walking away and settling down in a nearby chair.

"Sorry, Pomni." Kinger said as he stopped pulling on the bucket, "I don't think it's budging."

The jester sighed from beneath the metal item, hanging her head in defeat. "It's ok, Kinger. I appreciate you trying anyway."

"Wh-what happened?" Gangle asked as she approached the rattled group, making Zooble snap awake and look towards her.

"Jax happened." Ragatha muttered out, still shivering as she hugged her legs tighter, "He put so. many. centipedes in my room." She shuddered at the memory, subconsciously scratching at her arm. "I can still feel them crawling all over my body."

"He snuck into my room and put a @$!% ton of alarm clocks inside." Zooble complained, shooting a glare at the smug rabbit, "He had them set to go off every five minutes. Every" -A yawn interrupted their explanation, rubbing their eyes in an attempt to wake themselves up even the smallest amount- "five minutes, I'd hear another one going off. I still don't think I found them all."

"He glued a bucket to my head." Pomni added, her voice echoing beneath the metal container, "I've been trying to get it off all morning. I didn't even know we had something like this in the circus."

"Ah, it's always nice to hear the results of my work." Jax laughed from his chair, earning a glare from the doll and abstract character on the couch, "It took awhile to set up those clocks, y'know."

"Do you devote your time to anything productive?" Zooble asked in annoyance, their angry expression much weaker than normal due to the fatigue they were under.

"Oh, I think messing with you is very productive, Zoobie." He snickered.

"@^#$ you." They mumbled as they rested their head on their hand, their eyes drifting closed as they quickly nodded off.

"Did he do something to you, Kinger?" Gangle asked, tapping her hands together nervously.

"Oh no, I was asleep in impenetrable fortress when everyone came out here." He replied happily, "I just wish I knew what caused all these wacky antics to happen to everyone."

"Guess we'll never know, Gramps." Jax shrugged, leaning forward in his chair as his smile relaxed into a more casual, yet still smug, grin.

"Good morning, my mentally well adjusted party animals!" Caine yelled out as he appeared in the air, snapping everyone's attention towards him, except for Pomni, who looked around blindly for where the ringleader appeared. He looked down at the players and flinched back, tugging on his collar awkwardly. "Yeesh! Looks like you've all gotten yourselves into a bit of a mess here!" He dropped down to the ground next to pomni and grabbed the bucket tightly. "Here, let me help." Without warning, he yanked upward, ripping the bucket from her head with a sickening rip sound. She stood there in shock, with patches of her hat and hair having been ripped out along with the item that was stuck to her head.

"...Ow." She whimpered out, a single tear rolling down her cheek.

"There, that should-" Caine began, only for his happy expression to fall as he locked eyes on a sleeping Zooble. He snapped his fingers and produced a pot of coffee from nowhere, throwing the contents on the sleeping character and making them jolt awake as they coughed and sputtered.

"What the #^@% is wrong with you!" They yelled as they jumped to their feet, wiping the lukewarm liquid from their face.

"Sorry Zooble, but I can't have anyone sleeping when I'm getting ready to explain today's adventure." He explained, "Besides, I didn't want to waste the rest of the coffee." He snapped his fingers once more and undid the damage he caused to Zooble and Pomni, before adjusting his tie as he ascended back into the air. "With all of that taken care of, it's time for... Actually, I don't remember what the adventure is." He pulled out a notepad and began to flip through it, muttering to himself as he looked through his adventure catalogue. "Let's see... apocalypse? No, the map isn't ready... a musical? Eh, the songs still need some tweaks... Team Abstribbun Vs. Kinger, Pomni, and Ragatha? Ugh, I really need to figure out a team name for those three... Ah, here we are!" His smile returned as he slapped his hand against his notepad, "Superheroes!"

"How original." Jax commented, "Coming up with that idea on your own? Wow, that's truly a MA-" He was cut off as Caine slapped a hand over his mouth, looking at the rabbit in fear.

"Don't say their name!" The AI cried out in panic, "The last thing we need is a cease and desist." Clearing his throat, Caine moved away from Jax and took a deep breath to compose himself. "Now then," he began, "today, five of you will be a crime fighting super team, tasked with taking down your evil arch enemy, who will be played by the remaining member. You should all know that this adventure will include physically fighting the villain, so I'd like you all to discuss amongst yourselves about who you think should be the villain, and-"

"I vote Jax." Zooble interrupted, a sour look still on their face from the man's pranks.

"Me too." Pomni added with a nod.

"He would be the best fit for the role." Ragatha mused, though the look on her face clearly showed she was still upset with him.

"I feel like I'm being typecast." He shot back, leaning back in his chair with a smug grin, "But who am I to deny the people what they want. I'll play the villain, and I'll win."

"Oh, how wonderfully selfless of you, Jax!" Caine cheered, "Volunteering for the position that lets the others attack you with special abilities and try to hurt you!"

"Uh, are you sure this is a good idea, Caine?" Gangle asked, glancing at her boyfriend anxiously, "Shouldn't heroes try to solve things without violence and-"

"Without violence!?" He cried in disbelief, "We can't have an action packed super adventure if there's no final showdown!"

"Don't sweat it, Gangle." Zooble chimed in, nudging her with their elbow, "You're free to sit out while we beat him up."

"Y'know, I'm starting to think you have something against me." Jax said as he hopped out of his chair, earning a censored middle finger from the abstract character.

"Enough chit chat, everyone!" Caine interrupted, "I have to give you all your costumes and powers!"

"We... don't get to pick them ourselves?" Pomni asked, a mixture of confusion and disappointment in her voice.

"Sorry, Pomni, but I have to take precautions to avoid any potential copyright infringement." Caine explained.

"Aw man, I was excited to make everyone's costumes." Ragatha pouted, earning a comforting pat on the arm from the small jester.

"Now, I've taken the liberty of choosing powers that I felt fit your unique characteristics the best!" The ringleader continued, swooping down next to Kinger, "Kinger, my friend!"

"Oh, hello Caine." The chess piece said happily, "May I ask what adventure you have planned for today?"

"Wha-You-I just..." He stammered, looking at the man with a baffled expression before sighing, "Never mind... Kinger! You have the ability to inflict confusion upon your enemies, making them lose track of where they are and what they are doing! You're the hero known as..." He snapped his fingers and engulfed Kinger in a puff of smoke. When it cleared, it revealed that the man had been clad in a tight red and yellow spandex suit, with a long cape hanging down his back and a large letter B emblazoned on it. "Dr. Dissociate!"

"Oohh, this costume is delightful." Kinger commented as he looked down at his outfit, "I feel like I'm at some type of convention."

"The colors are a little... bright." Pomni commented, only for Caine to zip over to her and drape an arm around her shoulders.

"Oh Pomni, those large, observant peepers of yours are exactly why I've decided to give you laser vision! Simply focus your gaze and blast away anything that stands in your way!" He snapped his fingers once more and engulfed Pomni in another cloud of smoke, with it clearing to reveal Pomni in a similar costume to Kinger, though lacking a cape and being given a simple red domino mask. "No one better step into the range of... Sightline!

"Are these introductions really necessary?" Pomni asked, looking down at her outfit with mixed emotions, "And shouldn't we be allowed to name ourselves?"

"Yes and no!" Caine answered, quickly moving over to Ragatha, who looked at him nervously, "Oh Ragatha. Sweet, caring, creative Ragatha."

"That's... unusually nice of you to say." The doll said with a forced smile.

"Keeping positivity in the face of adversity takes not just mental strength, but physical strength as well! That's why I'm giving you super strength! ...I feel this one is self explanatory." Once more, his fingers snapped and Ragatha disappeared in smoke, only to reappear in a costume, this time being a sportier version of the team costume, with her midriff and arms exposed for what seemed to be to imply her strength. "With this outfit dawned, you are now known as Dolly Dynamo!"

"That doesn't really seem connected to my power." Ragatha noted awkwardly.

"Yeah, well it's what I picked." Caine dismissed before zipping over to Zooble and Gangle. "Ah, Zooble and Gangle! You two already have your own powers!"

"Come again?" Zooble asked suspiciously as they crossed their arms.

"Why Zooble, you're swappable limbs lead perfectly into you being able to have any tool or weapon at your disposal! All you need to do is attach a new limb, and you're in business!"

"How original." They mumbled under their breath, thankfully going unnoticed by the AI.

"And Gangle!" Caine continued, making the ribbon character flinch back at his enthusiasm, "With just a bit of adjusting, you can now stretch your ribbons as far as your heart desires! Make your foes immobile and open to interrogation!"

"I suppose that's not too bad." She said aloud, looking towards the floor.

"This is one dynamic duo that shouldn't be underestimated!" Caine continued, again clouding them in smoke as he put them into costumes, with Gangle being give a cloth mask wrapped around the top of their head, while Zooble simply had a shield with the letter B emblazoned on their chest. "Watch out for Breakaway and The Wrap-Up!" He clapped his hands and summoned the "heroes" to the center of the room, forcing them into awkward hero poses. "Villains beware, there's a new super hero team on the prowl! When you're in trouble, don't hesitate to call for The Bigtops!"

"Wasn't that our softball team's name?" Pomni asked?

"Names are hard, alright!" Caine yelled back, making the jester shrink back at the sudden outburst.

"And here I thought you all couldn't get any lamer." Jax laughed as he looked at the newly costumed group, "I mean, seriously, you look like the rejects from a 60s cartoon."

"Save those insults for the showdown, Jax!" Caine interrupted, wrapping an arm around the rabbits shoulders, "Or should I say..." He forcibly spun Jax in a circle, sending him into a whirlwind that soon after stopped to reveal he had been changed into a fairly generic mad scientist outfit, with a torn white lab coat hanging off of him and a pair of goggles perched atop his head, "The Rabid!"

"Son of a @%!^&." He growled as he looked down at the costume he was given, snapping his attention towards the group as he heard them stifle their laughter and glowering at them.

"Looking great, Dr. Horrible." Zooble called over with a smug expression, nudging Pomni as they shared a laugh.

"Can it, Freak." Jax snapped back, crossing his arms in annoyance.

"Well, now that everyone is ready, let's go somewhere more fitting for this adventure!" Caine cheered, clapping his hands and making the lights in the circus shut off. Soon after, the lights came back on, revealing they had been transported to what seemed to be some kind of abandoned warehouse. "Perfect! Now show me those improv skills you all have and give us a superhero blockbuster!" The ringleader disappeared, leaving the cast alone in the warehouse with no direction.

"...Is that it?" Gangle asked, looking at her companions curiously.

"Was I supposed to come up with an evil plan or something?" Jax asked, quickly growing bored with the situation.

"Are we just supposed to... go?" Pomni asked, pulling at her costume uncomfortably, "This thing is way too tight."

"Maybe it'll be fun?" Ragatha suggested with a sheepish smile.

"Like LARPing." Kinger added, "But we're actually allowed to hit each other."

"Let's just get this over with." Zooble complained as they rolled their eyes, turning their attention towards Jax, "Brace yourself, whatever stupid name Caine picked, because you messed with the wrong... city? Is that what we're going with?"

"You're too late, Losers." Jax replied, with barely more enthusiasm as Zooble had, "By now, my, uh... evil chemical stuff has infiltrated the water supply, and soon the entire city will be under my control. Ha ha ha... this is dumb."

"Maybe if we just lean into it, it'll be fun?" Pomni suggested as she cleared her throat, before taking a defiant step forward as a smug expression crossed her face, "Don't try to scare us, Rabid!" She yelled, trying her best to make the acting at least a little serious, "No matter how bleak the situation looks, you'll never extinguish our spiriiAAAAHHHHHH-" Her monologue was interrupted as lasers began to shoot from her eyes, clearly unable to control it as she began to run around in a panic.

"P-Pomni!" Ragatha yelled out as she ducked beneath the path of the lasers, before quickly chasing after the jester as she ran around the warehouse screaming, "Uhh, try thinking cold thoughts, maybe?"

"Oh dear." Kinger commented as he watched the scene unfolding, "I didn't know Pomni could do that."

"Well look at that, two of you down already." Jax said with a smug grin as he watched Ragatha chase after Pomni, "This'll be my easiest win yet."

"Not if I have anything to say about it." Zooble countered, boredom still oozing from their voice. "I'll just swap out for my..." They began as they looked around, their eyes widening slowly before an annoyed expression settled on their face, "Caine didn't actually give me any parts to swap to." With another roll of their eyes and a sigh, they turned and walked away, leaning against a nearby wall as they watched the rest of the scene unfold. "Kick his @$%, Gangle!" They called over, seeming to grow more interested as soon as they weren't made to participate.

"Yeah, you two." Jax jeered, "How are you gonna get me to go back on whatever evil plan I said earlier."

"Would you be willing to say you're sorry?" Kinger asked.

"It's not that kind of party, Hoo-ha." He replied with a shrug, before turning his attention to his partner, "So what are you going to do, Ribbons?

"U-uh, Kinger?" Gangle asked, looking at him nervously, "I don't know if I'm comfortable fighting him."

"Oh, I'm sure you'll do fine." He replied cheerfully, "After all, it's just a bit of rough housing. Doesn't Jax do that all the time?" Before she could reply, he began to walk off, seeming to have forgotten they were even on an adventure to begin with.

She turned back towards Jax, finding him looking at her with a conceited smile as he held his hands behind his back. "Down to one on one, Gangle." He teased.

"Um..." She mumbled, tapping her hands together anxiously, "I-I don't want you to be upset if we fight."

"Ah come ooooon!" He replied with a dismissive wave, "It's just a bit of a tussle. Look, I promise I won't get upset at you if I actually get hurt if you promise the same to me, alright?"

A small smile crept onto her face, nodding in agreement with his suggestion as she stood up a bit straighter. "Y-You may have beaten my friends, Rabid, but you'll never be able to defeat me." She said, not really trying to give a convincing performance.

"Brave talk coming from you, Ribbons." He chuckled, making a playfully determined look cross her face.

"My name is The Wrap-up!" She shot back, throwing her hands forward and making her ribbons extended towards him. Being taken by surprise, Jax tried to move out of the way, only for the ribbons to coil around his body and immobilize him almost immediately. She drug the captured rabbit towards herself, a smug smile on her face as she looked up at him. "I thought you'd put up more of a fight."

"I'm beginning to think Caine not giving me any powers was unfair." Jax said with an annoyed grimace.

"Always making excuses." Gangle replied, using a hand to turn his face to look at her, "I just think you're too embarrassed to admit you lost so easily."

"Or maybe I just like when you have me tied up like this." Jax replied, a sultry smile crossing his face as he locked eyes with her.

"I don't think we should talk like that in front of my team." She chuckled, leaning into the situation ever so slightly, "They probably wouldn't be very happy if they found out our dynamic is more than rivals."

"Well, they do say opposites attract." He said as he leaned towards her, "Besides, you can just say you're trying to reform me."

"Oh, is that what you call it?" She asked, leaning in and feeling his breath against her face.

"I don't think the censors would like the other names I had in mind." He smirked as he closed the distance, pressing his lips against hers. She leaned into the kiss herself as she loosened her ribbons around his body, tuning out the sound of Pomni's yelling as she and the others tried to deal with her uncontrollable power. After a few moments, Jax pulled back as he smiled down at Gangle, shivering ever so slightly as she brushed her hand across his cheek.

In an instant, her ribbons unraveled around him and dropped him to the floor, much to both of their surprise. "Could have warned me a little." He said as he picked himself up off the ground, a small glare on his face.

"I-I didn't do it." She defended quickly, her eyes widening as she realized his costume had vanished. She whipped her head around to the group, watching as Ragatha restrained Pomni as the lasers from her eyes continued to shoot off wildly, only for everyone's costumes to vanish as the lasers disappeared and Ragatha collapsed to the ground from the unexpected change in her strength, with Pomni collapsing next to her. "W-wait, I think Caine is taking everything away."

Jax raised an eyebrow as he looked at her in confusion. "What, he just decided to cut the adventure short? What sort of travesty happened for that to be the solution." As if on cue, Caine appeared in the air, looking down at Jax and Gangle with a furious expression. He held his cane in a death grip as he looked down at them, the atmosphere of the room quickly turning uneasy. The lovers glanced at each other nervously, unsure of what they did to have gained Caine's ire in such a direct and obvious way. Gangle opened her mouth, preparing to ask if everything was ok, only for Caine to cut her off, his voice angrier than anyone had heard before.

"YOU TWO ARE IN A RELATIONSHIP?!"

Chapter Text

Jax tapped his hands on the arms of his chair nervously, trying his best to keep himself from being outwardly panicked. After he had confronted him and Gangle, Caine had brought the two of them to what seemed to be an office of sorts. The AI had left the room for some reason and had yet to return, leaving him and Gangle to wait inside, wondering what exactly he was going to do when he got back. Jax felt his chest tighten at the thought, quickly shutting his eyes as he tried to think of anything that may keep the anxious restlessness from turning into a full blown panic attack. He moved a hand down to force his leg to stop bouncing, digging his fingers into his flesh to try and ground himself in reality. He flinched as he felt a soft ribbon slowly wrap around his hand, forcing him to stop digging into his leg. He opened his eyes and glanced to his right, finding Gangle staring at him with a mixture of concern and care.

"It's going to be ok." She said softly, reaching up and placing her other hand beneath his chin to force him to stop grinding his teeth, "You're going to hurt yourself doing that." He stared at her as he slowly leaned into her touch, forcing himself to take slow, deep breathes in an attempt to calm himself. She moved her hand up to caress his cheek, watching as he visibly relaxed from the feeling. He closed his eyes and focused on her touch, slowly relaxing as his mind refocused itself. His trembling began to die down as she leaned closer, moving to wrap him in a gentle hug. "I'm nervous too." She whispered.

"What if he bars us from interacting?" Jax asked, a slight tremble in his voice.

"Then we'll figure something out." She answered, pulling away from the hug and looking at him with a small, teasing smirk, "Since when did you worry about Caine's rules?"

He laughed weakly at the comment, a smile finally returning to his face, even if just barely. "Since I had someone I actually cared about losing again." He replied.

She took his face in her hands and pulled it closer to her's, looking at him with a serious expression. "Hey, listen to me." She stated, "No matter what Caine does, I'm not giving up on this relationship if you aren't."

He chuckled softly as he gently grabbed her hands and moved them off his face. "Since when did our roles swap?" He asked, "Usually I'm the one making jokes and you're the one on the verge of a breakdown."

She rolled her eyes at his comment, pulling her hands away and crossing her arms. "I wasn't always on the verge of a breakdown." She defended, earning a snicker from her rabbit partner. Her serious look returned to her face as she stared up at him. "But I'm being serious, Jax. I'm not going to let Caine decide if we can date, and I'd hope you feel the same way."

"Of course I do." Jax reassured, "If anyone is going to cause the relationship to fail, it'll be me."

"I'm hoping that's a joke." Gangle said, shooting him a small glare.

"With my track record of behavior, I figured it's a least a non-zero chance." He shrugged, giving her a teasing grin in response.

"I think you've been better lately." She said with a disapproving tone, "I wish you wouldn't talk so negatively about yourself."

"That's something to work on later." He replied, "We don't have time this ch-"

The sound of the door opening made the sentence die in his throat, watching as a still angry looking Caine entered the room. They stared at him nervously, unsure of if or when he would start to chastise them. The ringleader gently closed the door behind him, doing it so calmly that Gangle had almost wished he slammed it. At least outward anger was easier to understand and navigate. The pair stayed silent as Caine floated towards his desk, dropping into his seat and resting his hands on the edge of the desk. The room was deathly still, with Caine sitting with his eyes closed, while Jax and Gangle were too nervous to do anything other than wait for him to do something. Jax slowly reached over and took Gangle's hand in his, both of them feeling a slight sense of calm wash over them in the stressful situation. If nothing else, they still had each other.

"So," Caine began, finally breaking the silence, "you two are in a relationship?" His voice was unusually calm and quiet, devoid of his standard boisterousness nature or any form of anger that would have been expected.

"Y-yes, we are." Gangle stuttered out, her earlier confidence having given way to a clear anxiety.

"Is there a problem with that?" Jax asked, narrowing his eyes at the AI suspiciously.

Without warning, Caine collapsed forward on his desk and broke out into sobs, taking the couple by surprise. He looked up at them with large, teary eyes as he cried, bearing a striking resemblance to a child crying to their parents in Jax's mind. "Wh-why didn't you tell me?!" He blubbered out, sniffling loudly as he tried, and failed, to stop crying, "Do you r-really not trust me? I've been trying to do better since you all got ma-ad at me, and I really thought I was doing good." He continued to suck in shaky breaths and whimper as he spoke, though whatever he was saying was unintelligible through his wails.

"This is... weirder than usual." Jax commented, looking at the miserable AI with a mix of confusion and unease. He glanced at Gangle, finding her wearing a similar look to his own. "Should we... say something?"

She met his eyes for a moment before turning her attention back to the sobbing ringleader. "Uh... Caine?" She asked, making the AI lift his head from the desk. His eyes were red and puffy, with his tears having created a small puddle on his desk. "We weren't purposely keeping this from you."

His crying started to slow at the explanation, sniffling as he wiped his face with the back of his arm. "R-really?" He asked, a hopeful look in his eyes.

"W-well, yeah." Gangle stuttered out, forcing a smile, "We only really started dating a little while ago, right Jax?" He glanced at her in confusion, being unprepared to be pulled into the conversation like this. She looked at him with a pleading expression, making him sigh as he turned his attention back towards Caine, who stared at them with wide, worried eyes.

"We confessed at the beach party, but we didn't really start dating until the paintball fight." He explained, averting his gaze as a light blush dusted his cheeks. He didn't think he'd ever get used to talking about their relationship openly.

"So... you weren't hiding it from me because you hate me?" He asked, shifting his gaze towards his desk but still looking at the pair through the top of his eyes, "Or because you think my adventures are boring?" Jax and Gangle glanced at one another, still unsure about how to handle the situation they were stuck in.

"We don't... hate you." Jax replied, hoping Caine wouldn't pick up on the half truth nature of his answer. He couldn't really say he hated the AI, he just had a lot of issues with... everything he did.

Thankfully, the reassurance seemed to be enough for the ringleader as he perked up immediately, his tears vanishing from sight as his usual cheerful demeanor returned. "That's wonderful to hear!" He cheered, zipping over and draping his arms over the pair to pull them into a sort of hug, "Oh, I'm just so so happy that we cleared up this horrible misunderstanding!"

"Wait, that's all this was about?!" Jax asked, glaring at him with disdain, "You ended the adventure early, put us in this principal's office for the better part of an hour and half, and acted like you were on the verge of losing your mind all because you thought we kept our relationship a secret from you?"

"Indeed it was, Jax!" He answered with a nod, before pausing as he narrowed his eyes in thought, "Wait... no it's not!" He let go of them and floated back towards his desk, fishing through the drawers and tossing away various items in disinterest. "Ah, here we go!" He smiled as he pulled out a large book, dropping it onto the table with a loud bang. He flipped through a few pages before stopping somewhere near the middle, scanning over the page intently. "I haven't had to look at these rules in quite some time, you know."

"I am beyond confused." Gangle whispered to Jax, glancing at him nervously.

"I would say we leave, but I don't want to do whatever this is later." He replied, propping his head up on the chair's arm rest.

"Here it is!" Caine cheered, forcing their discussion to an end as he began reading through the book, "'If two players are to enter into a relationship, then it must first be disclosed with the host so that they may go over the circus' rules regarding romantic displays and actions'."

"Oh boy." Gangle muttered.

"'Any public displays of affection must be kept within the rating guidelines'." Caine continued, "'In the event that this rule is broken, disciplinary actions are authorized'- blah blah blah, boring talk that I just KNOW isn't fun to hear!" He tossed the book to the side and refocused on the two sitting in his office. "I'll give a much more exciting explanation instead!"

"Do we have a choice on hearing it from you or the rule book?" Jax asked in boredom as he glanced at the door, silently wishing he could just get up and leave.

"Nope!" Caine replied, "Now then, there are four rules you have to know! Firstly, anything more than simple peck on the lips must be restricted to your rooms! We have to keep our show appropriate for most ages, after all! Secondly, if the two of you break up, we can't be held responsible for it! Third..." He paused as he looked down in thought, before quickly perking back up with a shrug. "I forgot the other two rules, but I'm sure they aren't important."

"Couldn't you just check the book?" Gangle asked, "If someone went through the trouble to write them, then-"

"Not important!" He interrupted, sitting back in his chair and gathering up a few scraps of paper that he began to look over in an attempt to appear busy, "Well, now that everything has been settled, you two are free to leave."

"...That's it?" Jax asked, raising an eyebrow at him, "You don't have any important life lessons to tell us or complaints that we ruined some grand romcom adventure?"

"Not this time!" Caine replied happily. The pair glanced at each other in confusion as they stood up, awkwardly making their way to the door and exiting back into the circus. Gangle took a glance back at Caine, earning a cheerful wave from the AI before the door closed behind them.

"So... that's it?" Gangle asked as she looked up at Jax.

"...I guess so." He replied, a confused look still plastered on his face.

"I was excepting more, honestly." She admitted, earning an amused look from the rabbit.

"What, you wanted him to yell at us?" He asked with a chuckle, resting his hands on his hips as the two of them started to head to their rooms, "In my opinion, I think this was the best outcome we could have hoped for."

"Doesn't it just seem a little... anticlimactic?" She asked, earning a roll of his eyes in response, "I mean, he seemed really mad when he first caught us."

"Ribbons, I think you've been reading too many of those comics you have." He answered, his usual smile having finally returned to his face.

"I know you know it's called manga." She interjected, shooting him a playful glare.

"Not everything has some grand ending." He continued, stopping in front of his door, "Sometimes things just end in a boring way."

She sighed and gave him a sheepish smile. "I guess you're right." She mumbled, "I guess I was just hoping for something more... exciting?"

"Then let's make it more exciting." Jax replied as his smile widened.

"What do you-" Gangle began, only for Jax to cut her off by pressing his lips against her. She let out a squeak in surprise, before leaning in and wrapping her arms around his back. He pulled away soon after, confusing her at the suddenness of both the beginning and end of their kiss. "Why did you stop?"

"Because I wanted to look you in the eyes when I said I love you." He said, his grin only getting more conceited as he watched her eyes widen in shock.

"You... I... you said..." She stuttered out, her face growing more and more red as she tried to string a full sentence together.

Jax simply chuckled as he reached behind himself and pulled his door open, stepping inside before he paused and looked at her with a teasing smirk. "No one's gonna believe you." He added, before he shut his door, leaving the ribbon woman alone in the hallway as the events that just transpired sunk in.

"Jax!" She yelled through her laughter, beginning to slam her hands against the door as he began to howl with laughter inside, "Get out here right now and... and..."

"And what, Ribbons?" He asked through the door, his voice dripping with mischief, "You want me to say it again?~"

"Oh my god, you're the worst!" She laughed, "Let me in right now!"

"Say it back and I will." He offered, the smile audible in his voice.

"You can't be serious." She chastised, earning another smug laugh from the rabbit on the other side of the door.

"Oh, I'm very serious." He replied, "I saw all those little notes in your sketchbook, I know you want to say it too."

Her blush only worsened at the revelation, quickly burying her face in her hands to let out a muffled scream in embarrassment before she turned her attention back to his door. "I hate you sometimes, you know that?"

"Ooohh, so close." He snickered, "You said 'hate' instead of 'love'. But I get it, they're pretty similar feelings."

She sighed as a smile crossed her face, unable to deny that the situation was fun in a way that only Jax could provide. "Alright alright." She called through the door, taking a deep breath as she steeled herself. "...I love you too, Jax."

Once the words left her mouth, the door swung open to reveal a smug looking rabbit leaning against the door frame, a deep blush present on his cheeks despite him attempting to keep a casual demeanor. "See, was that so hard?"

"What would you have done if I wasn't ready to say it?" She asked, looking at him with a smug expression.

"I would have dealt with the consequences like an adult." He replied casually, "Pretty sure that's something you wanted me to start doing, right? Or am I just being mature for no reason?"

"Oh please, you're the furthest thing from mature." She said as she rolled her eyes, stepping into his room as he began to close the door, "Oh, hang on one second." She grabbed the door from him and opened it enough to lean out into the hall. "I know you're all listening, by the way!" She called out, "I heard you mumbling in Pomni's room."

"No you didn't." Kinger's voice called back, quickly being followed by clamoring as the sound of multiple panicked voices echoing out from behind the jester's door.

The pair shared laugh as she closed Jax's door, turning to look up at Jax and giving him a gentle smile as she took his hand in hers. "So, what do you want to do now?" She asked

He smiled down at her as he gave her hand a gentle squeeze, leaning forward to place a soft kiss on her forehead. "I think I wanna take a nap." He answered, turning and leading her towards his bed, "Talking to Caine for prolonged periods of time makes me exhausted."

"A nap sounds nice." She agreed as the both of them crawled into bed, quickly snuggling together as he pulled a blanket over top of them. They drifted off soon after, the worries that had plagued their minds mere hours ago already a distant memory.

It was easy to relax around someone you love.