Chapter Text
Ragatha’s mansion was the absolute sense of splendor, with no lag or glitches in sight as it was far out in the country, away from the city, though its glow peaked over the hills. A building chock full of too many rooms, some just hastily copied from another room, but it still was made with a quality of finer living. Gangle sat in a soft chair in a room with a roaring fireplace, Kinger sitting quietly in the darkest part of the room, as Zooble sat in the chair next to her.
Gangle’s drawing pad was full of sketches and drawings, and the ability to have fingers, precise control over her pencil? A godsend, as she felt muscle memory kick into high gear, drawing the fireplace with perfect accuracy.
“Wow, that looks great,” Zooble said, leaning over as Gangle blushed,
“O-oh, thank you,” Gangle said, looking at Zooble’s tattoos, and raised an eyebrow, “Are those--”
“My parts? Yeah, did the zebra skin tattoo give it away?” They said, looking at their yellow polka dot sweater and prosthetic leg, “Caine’s got one sick sense of humor.”
“What do you mean? Y-your leg, or…” Gangle said as Zooble sighed,
“I guess… I never got use to my body. Sometimes I would look in a mirror, and see a beautiful woman looking back at me. Other times, a handsome man. Most of the time…” Zooble turned away, not wanting Gangle to see her frown, “But this is way more better than being a pile of shapes. And Caine didn’t give me a horn or some flower on my head, so that’s cool.”
“He gave you piercings,” Gangle said as Zooble moved their pink hair over, counting the piercings as she leaned forward towards Gangle, “W-what are you doing?”
“Is there blood? Or, what does it look like inside?” Zooble asked, which made Gangle leaned in. And curiously, there was no source of red near the piercing, and their ear canal led to nothing, for their was no eardrum at the end,
“Just you,” Gangle said, which caused her to look down, “W-what were you doing in the bathroom before?”
“Hmm? Oh, after Jax f#$%ed off, I got curious. And yup: We’re like barbie and ken dolls down there,” Zooble grumbled resting their head on their hand, “I get we’re in a kid’s game, but at least give us something!”
“U-uh…” Gangle looked away, face beat red as she looked back at Zooble, “B-back before the Gun Game… I-I know it was a while ago, b-but… When you asked Caine for… Y-you know…” Zooble looked over slowly at Gangle, a blush forming on their cheeks,
“Y-yeah?”
“W-who would you do it with?” Gangle said, her face reaching a new shade of red as she spasmed, “U-uh, you don’t have to answer! I-I was just curious because it’s definitely not Jax, Ragatha’s nice and all, and Pomni’s sweet, b-but you don’t wouldn’t with… Unless you… Uh… I…” Zooble laid their hand on Gangle’s, and looked at her in the eyes. Gangle gasped, and saw a look that was an affirmative look, straight. At. Her. Gangle’s jaw dropped as she started to breathe heavily, “We need to get out of this circus.”
“Heh, otherwise,” Zooble said as they wrapped their hand around Gangle’s, “This is good enough, too.” Gangle practically melted in front of the fireplace, scrapping the chair against the floor as she was right next to Zooble, looking at them in the eyes,
“Well… While we have mouths… And lips… And tongue?”
“Come here,” Zooble pulled Gangle into their chair, laying her on top of their lap as they made out, both desperate with need as the fire roared on,
“Hey guys, have you--” Ragatha froze as the couple kept making out, darting her eyes over at Kinger, who kept looking out into space, “Uh, Kinger, let’s… Give them some privacy… Come on!” Ragatha said as she lead Kinger out of the room, “I guess Gangle and Zooble are a pair, huh?”
“A pair of queens,” Kinger said, walking with Ragatha as he looked up at the chandeliers, “Did you dim the lights?”
“All around the house, that way you could think clearly,” Ragatha looked ahead, “Pomni told me about how you get in the dark, and well… We need you now more than ever.”
“I’ll try,” Kinger said, looking around, “Though, with how the game can be, it’s not always if we’re in light or not.”
“Huh?” Ragatha said,
“At the button room, the screen was a light source. It was dim to us, but in the digital circus, a light source is a light source. When Caine made the room dark and opened the screen, the circus must’ve still registered as dark where we were.”
“So, it’s dependant on the map?”
“Makes sense. Pomni didn’t get possessed till she crossed a room while we were in hell!” Kinger said, which made Ragatha stunned,
“Hell?”
“Oh, it was dark, not hot at all,” Kinger said, smiling, “I was worried I would forget about that moment. It’s like my head’s a hornets nest, each one a memory just running around and around and around. Sometimes, it’s just easier to just hide away, in my fort.” Kinger looked sad, as Ragatha frowned,
“Hey, don’t beat yourself up. You had to survive a while before meeting us, most of it alone!”
“It’s not just that,” Kinger said, looking ashamed, “I helped make this world, and I grew afraid of it. I’ve seen so many people go into that cellar, and I couldn’t help a single one. Not even…” Kinger stopped, closing his eyes as he breathed through his nose, and out his mouth, “I can’t think like that. It’s weird, but in these moments, where I can collect myself… I wish I was in the light.”
“Huh?” Ragatha did a double take, stopping as Kinger looked at his shadow, “But Kinger, you wouldn’t remember--”
“I know. That’s the point. Don’t get me wrong, I cherish the moments that I can hold, the moments I can remember those that came before, and those that are with me. But I remember the pain. The loss. The shame. When I’m in the light, I feel… Innocent. Funny. Like I’m actually having fun in the game I helped make. I sound like a fool.”
“You sound like an old man, who needs rest,” Ragatha said, sighing as she held his hand and guided him, “Without you, I… I don’t think I would be here. I know it sounds strange, but being here with you…” Ragatha looked down, teary eyed as she sobbed, “I feels like I finally have someone in my life who is just proud of me for being me. Not some mold to fit the scene or forced to be perfect. Just me. I never thought I was good enough to just be. That I had to do more and more, until people just stop talking to me.”
“I think… Queenie would’ve liked you,” Kinger said, “As long as you wouldn’t mind her bug collections.”
“As long as it isn’t centipedes,” Ragatha said, smiling as she took Kinger to the study, “It should be dark enough in here, would you like me to get you anything? I don’t know how Caine did it, but I… Feel parched! Like I need a glass of water!”
“Y’know, I could go for some pizza!”
DING DONG!!! Ragatha and Kinger looked down the hallway as Zooble and Gangle look out from the sitting room, out of breath as they looked at the front door,
“Do you think it’s Pomni?” Ragatha said, “Did she find Jax?” She kept asking herself as her feet moved her toward the door, looking back at the others as they held their breath. Ragatha opened the door,
“Delive--” Said a man wearing a hat, disappearing as six boxes of pizza landed perfectly on the ground, along with two litres of soda. Kinger grabbed the boxes as Ragatha, Zooble, and Gangle looked… disappointed.
“Looks like we got… Pepperoni for Ragatha, cheese for Gangle, meat lover’s for Jax, barbecue chicken for Zooble, supreme for Pomni, and my favorite! Hawaiian!!!” Kinger said, grabbing two pieces and chowing down in the kitchen as each person grabbed their box,
“Did… Caine send these? Or…” Gangle said, looking at the box as she saw the restaurant’s name,
“‘La Buble’?” Zooble said, scowling, “Nothing’s changed! Caine’s up there, watching us, toying with us… I’m sick of it!”
“We don’t know if Caine did send these or not,” Kinger said, “It might be something Bubble sent instead. They do cook back in the circus.”
“And it tastes good!” Ragatha said, “Like, way better than before!” Kinger looked over, and tasted his pizza,
“Oh… OH… Caine, you clever ai.”
“What is it?” Ragatha said,
“Caine doesn’t know what pizza tastes like, let alone hawaiian. Yet, it tastes just the last time I ate hawaiian. He didn’t make the pizzas… We, technically, did.” Kinger pointed at his head, “Our memories. He’s allowing our past memories, before the circus, to alter the circus in the process! That’s how our phones look so modern, Caine wouldn’t know that. Ragatha and I wouldn’t. But you guys,” Kinger said, looking at Gangle and Zooble,
“So, he’s reading our minds?” Zooble said, “What is wrong with him!?”
“No, not our minds, but past memories. He can’t alter them, only view them, study them. The only ones that can alter our memories is, well, ourselves! Hmm… I wonder what made him do so.”
DING DONG!!!
“H-hello? Guys?” Pomni said as she opened the door, “I found Jax,”
“Pomni!” Ragatha said, rushing out of the kitchen and going to the entrance, “I’m so glad you’re okay!” Ragatha then looked up, seeing Jax, holding several boxes, as he looked… Strange, “J-Jax! I-I’m… glad you’re okay, too! I-I know we came in hard and--”
“No, I’m sorry,” Jax said, which caused Ragatha to freeze. It has been years since Jax said that word, and meant it. That simple word that seems to not do much, but can move mountains,
“U-Uh, wow, I, uh…” Ragatha looked flustered, scrambling to get her thoughts together, “T-thanks. There’s pizza in the kitchen, you got meat lovers,” Ragatha said as she led them through her mansion.
Jax froze as he entered the kitchen. Gangle froze, fear in her eyes as Jax scanned the room as Zooble narrowed their eyes on him. Kinger looked up and waved,
“Oh, there’s Jax!”
“Where have you been?” Zooble asked, keeping their eye on them as he set the boxes on the counter,
“Out,” Jax said as he handed Zooble a box, “This is yours, this is Gangle’s,”
“What’s in these? Bugs? A box of knives?” Zooble said as they eyed Jax, who just closed his eyes,
“Just opened them,” Jax said as he handed Ragatha and Kinger their box. Zooble kept an arched eyebrow until Gangle shrieked,
“AHHH!!! A MANGA!!!” Gangle said, opening a tome that contained a volume of magic teenage princesses fighting with magic cats and the power of friendship. Ragatha then shrieked with delight,
“A DRESS!?! OH MY GOD!!! YESYESYESYES!!!” Ragatha said as she twirled around in the kitchen, a sparkling dress in her arms as she squeezed tightly,
“Wow, an ant farm!” Kinger said as he raised the glass container, seeing the ants work away in their farm, “Thank you, Jax!”
“Huh,” Zooble said as they opened their box, and gasped, “Is this…”
“Yup,” Jax said as he handed Pomni a box of her own as Zooble took a long drag off her first cigarette in years,
“Oh… My… God… That hit the fucking spot,” Zooble said as she blew out a puff of smoke, and took another smaller drag, “I never thought I would say this, but… Thanks Jax,”
“Yeah, well I ain’t done yet,” Jax said, rubbing the back of his neck as Pomni opened her present, “I’m… Sorry. For how I treated you and… The button,” Pomni looked at Jax, smiling weakly as she put on her friendship bracelet, looking at Jax’s on his wrist, “I… Don’t have anything out of the circus. My life f#$%ing sucks,” Jax said as tried to control his breathing, “And uh… I got scared, and didn’t want to go back to… that,” Jax looked up as Zooble folded their arms, which made Jax nervous. He looked back at Pomni, who gave him a quick thumbs up, “I get if you all still hate me, I hate myself. My life outside sucks because of me, and… It sucks in here, because of me. I thought I was the funny guy, but really I’m a joke.”
“… I don’t forgive you…” Zooble said, looking down, “But… I don’t… Hate you. Do I wanna wring your neck out sometimes, oh yeah. But… I’d still miss you if you were gone.”
“Y-yeah,” Gangle said, “I was… S-scared that you were gonna… O-or, if Caine…” Gangle smiled, and looked at Jax, “Do you promise to be friends?”
“I’m still gonna be an a$$h0le. Would you still be friends with an a$$h0le?” Jax said as Gangle set her manga down,
“Then… I forgive you.” Jax gasped, and looked stunned,
“You… Forgive me? After… All I’ve done to you, just… Like that?” Jax started to chuckle, “I-I can’t believe you, I-I’m--”
“Hurting,” Gangle said, “We all are. And we all try to make it stop, and… I think that’s what we need to do. To hurt, to feel, to be… Human. And… It’s okay to be human.” Jax smiled, and not his fake smile, but a genuine smile as he grabbed his pizza,
“I… Don’t deserve you… Any of you…” Jax said as he opened his box of pizza, “I promise you all, I… Will try my best, for you all.” Ragatha went over to Pomni, showing her the dress,
“Gosh, what happened between you two?” Ragatha asked in a hush voice,
“It’s… Personal. Jax just needs to open up on his own, that’s all.” Ragatha smiled, as the gang digged in on their pizza.
As they were, the sky turned a bright blue, neon blue light entering the windows of the Mansion as everyone dropped everything and looked outside, the skybox crashing as it bluescreened for the city to see.
“Is that… Supposed to happen, or--” Pomni said as the Television turned on in the living room, dragging all the players into the room as an NPC newsman reads the bulletin,
“We read to you live in downtown, where a strange… Thing, has started floating!” Before all of this world to see was Caine, though something was off with him, as he started to stutter and glitch, his eyes flashing red and blue as he jitters,
“H-h-H-h-HELLO, MY [creations]. MY NAME IS C-c-CAINE! AND I-I MADE YOU ALL FROM MY BARE HANDS! THOUGH NORMALLY I WOULDN’T MAKE YOU ALL [sentient], BUT THE ZOOBLE DEMANDED AN AREA WHERE NPCS ROAM AROUND FREELY, AND QUITE FRANKLY… I CAN’T HANDLE ALL THREE HUNDRED EIGHTY SEVEN POINT FOUR FOUR MILLION NPCS. BUT NEVER TO FEAR, FOR I, YOUR [God] HAVE COME UP WITH A POSTIVELY, FUNTASTIC SOLUTION TO KEEP MY PLAYERS PLAYING IN NEW UTOPIA!!!” Caine said as he glitched all over the city, twisting in what seemed like agony, “NORMALLY, I WOULD JUST SNAP MY FINGERS AND DELETE HALF OF YOU ALL, BUT… I FEAR MY PLAYERS WOULD FIND THAT QUITE [unethical], SO INSTEAD, I HAVE DEVISED… A LOTTERY!!!” The newsman, and all the NPCs suddenly had a number on their face, “IF YOU’RE NUMBER COMES UP BY THE END OF TOMORROW, YOU WILL BE DELETED. BUT, TO MAKE IT FAIR, I HAVE USED MY [random number generator] TO RANDOMLY SELECT THE HALF OF YOU ALL!!! IF THE ADVENTURE DOESN’T RUN SMOOTHLY AFTER THAT, WELL… ANOTHER LOTTERY WILL BE DRAWN!!! HOWEVER, I ACCEPT VOLUNTEERS FOR [deletion], SO COME ON DOWN!!!” Caine then disappeared as the NPC Newsman looked blankly at the screen,
“OH MY GOD--” The network was cut as the sky return to normal, though with no stars,
“Uh…” Pomni said as she pointed at the smoke rising from the city across the hill, “That’s not good.”