Chapter Text
Gangle stepped back into the theater room.
Caine had told everyone to go to a nearby room to celebrate the character awards, but Zooble was too zoinked out to move at the moment, so she figured she’d just let them rest and come back for them when it was time to go.
As she entered, a round object came hurtling toward her at the same time Jax yelled:
“Catch!”
Gangle yelped, managing to duck in time to save her comedy mask. Taking a closer look, the object thrown at her turned out to be Zooble’s… eye.
Jax stumbled over to her, twirling a golf club in one hand. His face was completely covered in stupid sauce—it was a wonder he could still see.
“W-what are you doing…?” she asked hesitantly, flinching as he mockingly patted her on the back.
“Come on, sad face! Join in the fun!” he grinned loopily, bending down to retrieve Zooble’s eye from the floor before tossing it into the air.
Gangle took in a deep breath, steeling herself.
“I’ll take this-” she murmured, gingerly grabbing the eye from Jax’s hand. He giggled to himself as she went off to look for Zooble.
“Zooble? Caine said it’s time to go back!” she called softly, scanning between the rows of seats.
“Don’t bother. I’ve lost them a while ago!” Jax giddily called from behind her.
“What? Where did they go?” Gangle asked, worried.
“Oh, I think they abstracted or sumn…”
“They WHAT?!” Gangle squeaked, her comedy mask cracking.
“I’m just kidding! Jeez, chill out!” Jax slurred, slumping forward.
“Awh…”
Before she could respond, she was teleported back to the circus along with the others. Caine looked down upon them, chipper as always.
“Theree you all are! Phe-ew, I thought I lost you for a second.” He gazed at Zooble, who was lying facedown on the floor, rubbing his chin.
“Hmm… the toybox character seems a bit… different.”
“Nahh, they’ve never been better!” Jax piped up, way too loud for an indoor voice.
“Right, Zoobie?” He nudged their unresponsive body with his foot. This makes him lose his balance, and he ends up falling on top of them, making Ragatha and Pomni back away.
“Did we… miss something?” Pomni asks slowly. She glances at Ragatha, who shrugs.
“I think they got-” Gangle began.
“You’re very right, Jax! I think they’re finally starting to enjoy my adventures! Who knew guns could solve so many of my problems?” Caine laughed, snapping his fingers. The pile of bodies disappeared instantly.
Bubble, who had started licking them as if they were a mess to clean up, slowly looked up at Caine. Caine quickly popped him.
“Uh, Caine? Where did you send them exactly…?” Ragatha asked, concerned.
“Why, their rooms, of course! I understand my adventures can make you little humans so excited you just fall over from happiness! Rest well, my skibidi sigmas!” With that, he vanished.
“Right…” Pomni sighed, rubbing her temple. It was only her, Ragatha, and Zooble left—Kinger long gone to his pillow fort probably.
“So… why was Jax so…?” Ragatha began cautiously, shooting Pomni a nervous look.
“I think… he got high with Zooble?” Gangle spoke slowly, as if she couldn’t quite believe what she was saying.
“Huh. ” Pomni gave a knowing hum, like she had half-expected that.
Ragatha gave her a questioning look. Pomni nodded slightly, signalling she was going to explain later.
Ragatha bent down, retrieving the half-finished stupid sauce bottle from where it fell when it got teleported here. “Did anyone see where Kinger went?”
Gangle fidgeted with Zooble’s eye, silent.
Pomni answered. “I think he already went to his room. I’m gonna do the same. it’s been a long day.” Her voice faltered at the end, her gaze drifting to the ground.
The three women made the silent, somewhat awkward trek back to their respective rooms. All of them were too weighted down by their own thoughts to say anything else beside wish each other quick, tired good nights.
Gangle hesitated in front of her door.
She should do something about-
“Gangle.”
The eye in her hand spoke.
“AAH—BWAH?!” Gangle nearly jumped out of her skin, staring down at Zooble’s talking eye.
“Come to my rooooom~” it spoke in a ghostly voice. Was she hallucinating?
“Well, I mean, I guess I should return this…” Gangle blinked quickly, willing her exhaustion away.
She made her way to Zooble’s room, knocking before gently opening the door.
“Zooble? Are you…”
Zooble was sitting on their bed, curled in on themselves. The yellow “T” and lightning bolt on top of their head drooped to the sides, resembling a sad puppy. The purple bat wing attached to their back twitched every few seconds. They looked desaturated somehow, as if they were sick. Groaning, they clutched their head in their hands. They turned slightly, noticing Gangle. Gangle stood frozen for a moment, forgetting the reason she was here.
“Oh, right!” she chuckled, stepping inside. Gangle sat on the edge of the bed and held out the eye, uncurling her ribbon hand.
Zooble took it, their fingers brushing against hers for just a second. Gangle gazed away, a small blush painted on her mask. However, Zooble seemed too lost in their own misery to notice this as they fixed the eye back onto their triangle head.
“Thanks. Who in their right mind would program the ability to have a [BOINK] hangover? This place just gets stupider the more time I spend in it. ” they muttered, turning to face Gangle.
“Yeah…” Gangle whispered back, unsure of what else to say. “Is there, uh… anything I can do to help you?” She fidgeted with her ribbon hands before gently placing one on Zooble’s shoulder.
Zooble’s eyes widened. “Oh, maybe just stick around,” they mumbled quietly.
Gangle quickly retracted her hand, worried she’d made them uncomfortable. “I can do that,” she replied softly.
Zooble lowered their gaze. Then they shifted closer, tilting their head slightly—an unspoken invitation.
Gangle nodded and climbed fully onto the bed, sitting shoulder to shoulder with them. They always had a way of communicating through their actions instead of their words, something which Gangle found strangely comforting and easy to understand. She knew there was more to Zooble than the grumpy, irritable mask they often wore with Jax or Caine. They were actually very kind. Especially to her.
A small smile spread across her face as she thought of that. She instinctively leaned closer, nuzzling into Zooble’s side. A few quiet moments passed, the two of them lost in their own thoughts, until Zooble finally spoke.
“This really sucks,” they whisper, eyes scrunched shut in pain.
“It’s alright. It’ll pass,” Gangle murmured soothingly, slipping her arms around them.
Zooble grumbled softly, tucking their head beneath Gangle’s chin. It was rare to see them like this, with their guard down.
Within moments, Zooble drifted into sleep, Gangle stroking their head and humming softly.
As much as she wanted to stay in this moment forever, Gangle's exhaustion finally won out and she let her head fall back into Zooble’s soft pillows.
Right now wasn’t so bad.