Chapter Text
“You don’t have to be so nervous, these guys are great”, Pomni said once more as Caine took another deep breath.
“I just want to be liked. I’m… trying to estimate how many will scream or will run out of the door or will jump through the windows.”
“Because of your charming looks that is beyond of our comprehension?”
“Pomni…”
Caine stopped walking, softly glaring hat her. He was not in the mood for sarcastic compliments about his look. Compliments that he usually would have accepted to simply to amuse her.
Pomni sighed, turning around.
“Jax and Queenie already have met you. And the others were shown pictures of you. And Zooble already knows you.”
“Well, then it’s decided!” Caine declared, turned around dramatically and walked away, “I’m calling in sick!”
“Oh no, you don’t!” Pomni snapped, running after him and dragging him back towards the building that they were heading towards to, “you’ll be fine, Caine! They’re going to love you!”
They’re going to love you! Love to hate you!
Caine shook his head, his feet not moving. Instead, he pulled away from her.
Or tried to.
Quinn held a cup of water to her husband, watching him idly take it. Transforming it into consumable light, he absorbed it swiftly and thanked her for this ‘interesting tasting milk’.
She sighed, kissing him on his cross and gently took the cup.
The dark chess piece looked around the lobby, watching Zooble attempting to hit on Gangle once more, Gangle giggling from all the attention, Jax with Ribbit and Kaufmo playing some form of scissor-stone-and-paper game that involved slapping the loser’s face while Ragatha was talking to her mother on the phone in a hushed voice.
For someone who got invited to her own birthday party, Ragatha looked far to stressed out.
Quinn looked over to her husband who was mindlessly staring ahead, sitting there at the lobby table like a statue that was put there.
She took his hands, smiling sadly at him when he did his adorable “Oh!” of recognition.
“Honey, how about you go over to Ragatha and comfort her a bit?”
“That’s a great idea!” he announced, already standing up and shuffling over to the nervous ragdoll.
Grant simply grabbed the phone, told Ragatha’s mother they were not interested in buying property on the moon and hung up.
Though the doll stared in horror of what just happened, it was evident to see her relax, not being forced any longer to talk to this vile woman.
Quinn frowned.
She so often invited Ragatha into their home. Invited her to talk. But nobody can offer the help if the person in need refuses to take it.
The chess piece tried to not take it personal that Ragatha felt more comfortable with her husband, knowing clearly that her mother was at fault for fearing older women in general and being so painfully nice all the time.
Quinn just wanted to strangle that doll for making Ragatha feel that way.
Her train of thought was interrupted by strangled cries and the front doors being kicked open.
She watched in amusement the jester carrying her denture head boyfriend over her shoulder with said boyfriend snapping and shouting up a storm to be let down.
And when he was finally set down and turned towards the group milling around the lobby, his eyes turned blank, looking in different directions as he put his fists on his hips and shouted out in over-confidence.
“Good evening my fellow cartoony-toons!”
Awkward silence filled the room until Jax broke out in laughter, soon followed by Kaufmo and Ribbit until everyone laughed along.
Quinn quickly shuffled over when the man already turned around to exit the building, her gloved hand placed on his shoulder.
“I’m so glad you made it, Caine. I wanted to give you some honey from the bees you took care of. After the party, of course.”
With nervousness gone in seconds, his eyes grew twice their size, glowing happily.
“R-really!? How are the bees doing?”
“Wonderful! They loved the flowers you sent me the other day.”
“They did?! Wowie how wonderful! I read that bees love lavender so I couldn’t help but-”
As Caine was rambled on, the dark chess lady glanced over to Pomni who gave her a thankful smile.
The jester didn’t show it, but she was just as nervous to introduce Caine to the group just as Caine was to get to know them.
Not that surprising, seeing how Caine grew up mainly around humans. This must be his first time joining an activity with only toon people around.
She noticed Caine quieting down and saw Zooble approach.
Oh yeah, there was also this Zooble-Caine past that the group was speculating about for a while.
All they knew is that they both were in the same orphanage but that was about it.
“Bee-Lord”, Zooble greeted, already causing Caine to shut his jaw and cross his arms defensively.
“Mismatched cash piano”, Caine greeted back, to which now Zooble glared and crossed their arms.
“Alright! We’ve waited long enough!” Jax shouted, already walking towards the register to get their equipment.
Zooble rolled their eyes and followed the rest of the group that also went to the register. Quinn and Ragatha helped Grant not shuffling off, each of them taking his hand and leading him towards the others.
“He’s having a bad day… huh?” Ragatha asked carefully.
“Sadly, yes”, Quinn answered.
“Isn’t he usually staying home when he’s refusing to wear his prescripted light covers?” the doll asked, eyes widening at her own question, quickly backing down, “I- I mean I’m really happy to have him here! I do! J-Just confused that he’s-“
“Don’t worry. I know what you mean”, Quinn assured her, “he just… really wanted to be there to celebrate your birthday. But sadly, he was struggling too much with his sanity today. I apologize for that.”
“N-no no! Don’t apologize for that! It’s okay! Really!”
As they stood in line for confirming their booking for this evening and for their equipment to be given, Pomni went quick to work on introducing Caine to the rest of toons and introducing the toons to Caine.
Most of it went without a hassle, simple ‘Hellos’ were exchanged and polite conversation was made.
Caine was such a sweetheart.
He kind of reminded her of Grant when they first met.
Queenie looked over to her husband flinching as he looked at her surprised.
“Oh! Wonderful to see you here… where are we?”
It always broke her heart when she saw him like this.
“We are at the ‘Great LazerZone’, honey. The one where we had our third date, remember?”
“Oh, yeah!” Grant chuckled, looking around once more, this time in amazement, causing Ragatha to giggle softly.
Pomni and Caine finally made it to the back of the line.
“And you already met Queenie. And this is her husband Kinger and, last but not least, our birthday girl, Ragatha”
Caine gave the chess couple a weird glance before stuttering out his congratulations to the doll.
Quinn didn’t comment on his behavior, knowing why he was confused. Seeing a white and a black chess person being a couple usually caused people to react this way.
The fact that the most racist people on this planet was and would always be the chess people... Oh, the drama it caused when Grant and her started dating.
But that was all in the past.
With both royal chess pieces being disowned by their respectable families, they had all the peace they could wish for.
“Oh!” Grant exclaimed, “I think I had a denture appointment!”
“Oh honey…”
The booking got confirmed by Jax and the equipment was given to the group, already causing them to shout out in frustration.
“Jax, are you for real!?” Ribbit shouted, only holding up the black vest with three red glowing hearts on the chest, “did you book the hardcore-mode again? Where are the weapons?”
“Don’t be like that~”, the bunny drawled with a lazy smirk, “you all love the hardcore-mode.”
“I-I do not love the hardcore-mode”, Ragatha squeaked, “I don’t even like it!”
The guy behind the register, also a jester with red and yellow pinwheeled eyes and spiky teeth, walked up to them and led them to their booked map.
“The rules are easy”, the jester sighed in boredom, “You play in pairs of 2. Your three hearts are your three lives. If you lose all three, you die and are out of the game. Winner will be judged by the kills and remaining hearts. Since this is the hardcore-mode, the weapons and monitions are hidden in the map. Also you will be put into the map at random. To do so, you have to go to each of those capsules over there. You have four minutes to prepare. Start whenever you are ready…. Oh, and friendly fire is allowed.”
Caine watched the jester when he walked pass them, the jesters eyes widened when they fell on Pomni talking to Gangle and Mrs. Kinger.
The denture head crossed his arms and glared at the male jester who stopped in his tracks, combed his short black hair with his red gloved hands and made his way once more towards them.
Caine stepped sideways to block his way, “can I help you with something, Sir?”
The jester was clearly disgusted by his appearance, glaring right back at Caine,” no, just wanting to talk to the lady, is all. Help her with the vest that she seemed to struggle with.”
Both men turned to Pomni, not struggling with her vest at all, laughing instead at something Mr. Kinger said, now standing next to his wife.
“Try again”, Caine replied.
“Just move it man. It has been a while since I had a sexy jester girl cross my way”, the guy hissed, coming close to Caine who closed his jaw somewhat to avoid the spit from the other.
“I’m afraid to inform you that she is taken”, Caine said swiftly, holding out his hand, “Caine Eden. Her boyfriend.”
“Tche,” the other huffed with a malicious grin, not taking the offered hand, “no way is she dating a freak like you. Did she lose a bet or something?”
Caine didn’t comment on it, not wanting to give him the excuse that Pomni is dating him out of pity since he ‘saved’ her.
“My frog friend over there has a podcast. She has some topics that might pique your interest”, he said instead.
The jester guy frowned at that, not knowing how they ended up talking about podcasts.
“Just move it or I’m about to give your face a permanent window view”, he threatened the man.
Not intimidated in the slightest, Caine replied, “do you always treat your customers that way? How unproffesional-“
“Caine! The other’s are already entering the map”, Gangle shouted out, her silk hands circling around Caine’s elbow and pulling him along.
He gave the fuming jester a wave before turning to Gangle with a smile, “sorry, I was a bit distracted. Where is Pomni? Is she waiting in a capsule for me?”
“No”, the mask lady giggled, “I’m going to be her team mate.”
“What?”
“Here you go!” she cheered, shoving Caine into the capsule, where a shocked Zooble stared at the stumbling denture head.
“Gangle! What the fuuuuuuuuu-!!!!!!“ Zooble’s started to curse as the capsul fell into the deep darkness towards their destination.
“Languaaaaaaaa-!” Caine’s scream followed right after.
Gangle giggled, happy that Pomni’s plan was a success. Now they had to get along and talk.
Humming happily, she walked towards the last open capsule where Pomni was waiting.
Suddenly, a red gloved hand stopped her.
“Excuse me”, the jester from the register said, “it seems like your vest has a defect. Let me take care of it. I will bring you a new one.”
“Oh! Okay!”
She took off the vest and handed it to him, watching him put it on and running towards the last capsule and joining Pomni.
Gangle stared. Just stared.
“Guuuyyys….?”
She looked around, already seeing a large gloink mother with her uncountable bunch of children screaming and hopping around.
“Oh no….”