Chapter Text
Jax was back to normal!!!
Ragatha could take a big sigh of relief. She honestly hadn’t known what to do after… that. Jax got so needlessly cruel and kept saying everything was fine and it was all just a mess.
Then gangle joined and she just felt so bad-
Gangles only been here a month… or less… probably less. She still feels so new. And the whole time Jax kept pranking her and tormenting her and she just didn’t know what to do. Jax hadn’t acted like that before. She knew the reason why, of course she did. But she wasn’t aloud to say it.
But a few days ago it just stopped. Out of the blue. Jax and gangle stood side by side, and he hadn’t remarked anything about how ‘pathetic’ she was. He hadn’t even ‘accidentally’ broken her mask.
He was just standing there. He’d comment, but not on much.
She wanted to cry. She could feel him slipping away, and She couldn’t lose Jax. Not after what had happened. And now maybe that fear was unfounded.
“How the [$%!#] did you find me?!” Zooble is in a box, hidden away from Caine, who had opened it.
“NOW NOW! OUR NEW FRIEND WOULDNT WANT TO MISS OUT ON OUR COOL NEW ADVENTURE!!! I’m thinking we do teams for this one! HA IM KIDDING I KNOW WE’RE DOING TEAMS FOR THIS ONE! I ALREADY PLANNED IT ALL!!!” Caine laughs.
“Guess we’re together ribbons” (ragatha hated that nickname. It sounded so much like her name… is that why Jax has been so nice to gangle lately? She hopes not.)
“Alright!” Gangle was smiling. Because she still had her happy mask on. Was it really going well.
“KAUFMO!!! Do you want to team up! I feel like I never talk to you” kinger spoke.
“Uh sure.”
W..wait…
“Uhm- gangle!” Ragatha then says “are you really sure it’s- uh…” she looks at Jax. “You’re teaming up with Jax huh?” Oh god she doesn’t want to be on Zoobles team-
“Yeah…?” Gangle says “it’s okay really! I like being with them” (with them. She’s noticed this a lot.)
“And Jax is with you… so I mean maybe I could- nevermind-“ She cringes back. “that’s good! I’m glad he- uh Jax is getting along well with you!! sorry.”
“He’s not being mean to you or anything.” Zooble is putting together their parts, leaving the box. That was… oddly sweet of them to ask.
“No! We’re all good now!”
“Yeah.” Jax had agreed simply.
“INTO THE PORTAL YOU GO!!!”
.
And ragatha and Zooble were sent off.
Ragatha really didn’t want to be with Zooble. Zooble must hate her.
She wasn’t totally oblivious to the whole nonbinary thing. Though in the real world she had never met someone who identified as that, she had met… her. They hadn’t talked about it much, but ragatha knew, and they said it in passing. Which meant ragatha should’ve known better than to just assume Zoobles gender. She had felt awful when they had to correct them, and she had only made it more awkward afterwards…
Actually it seems like it was after that moment that gangle had started calling Jax ‘they’ too? She hadn’t asked about it, not wanting to make the same mistake she had with Zooble. But honestly she’s so confused- she’s just been trying to use Jax’s name. But so far the others still use he? She really does want to ask gangle about it but what if she does it wrong? Jax JUST started acting better, she doesn’t want to ruin that process.
“[$%!#]” zooble curses. “God [$%!#]ing [$%!#]!!!”
And ragatha sinks back… she really didn’t want to be on a team with Zooble…
They were in a library, some parts of it obviously fake, some books were real but others seemed plastic-y, unable to be pulled apart. Just decoration. There was one locked door, with a keypad by its side.
The lights dimmed and a tv turned on in the corner.
“MWAAHHHHHAHAHAHAHA IVE LOCKED YOU IN MY LIBARY FOR THE CRIME OF NEVER READING!!! You’ll never be able to escape now!!!!” The tv turns off. Before turning back on “ALSO YOU HAVE 30 MINUTES BEFORE I UNLEASH THE SHARKS.”
“Oh golly!” Ragatha says “I guess we should uh… look for clues.”
“I’m not [$%!#]ing doing that” Zooble sits down in the corner, staring at the wall…
Huh… guess it’s just her then.
Jax stood in the hallway.
“pomni… I wanted to talk.” The words came out unnaturally, but she’s doing it now. Just like pomni had asked her too.
The door opened and pomni let her inside. Closing it behind her.
Her room was big, and dark. She sat in the bed in the middle. It seemed comfortable.
Her eyes darted anywhere but pomni herself. Much more focused on the projection lights on the walls.
“Well?” Pomnis voice was light “aren’t you gonna tell me.”
Yes. She must. She knows that. But what does she say “I’m sorry.” Is the first thing that comes out of her mouth.
Pomni hums.
Because that’s not really why she’s in here.
“I really am.”
“I know” pomni says “you know I know that already.” Because pomni always saw through her “you’re avoiding what you really want to tell me.”
And she is. Of course she is.
“I don’t know how to say it.”
“You already told gangle.” Yes she had. “I thought we were better friends? Why hadn’t you told me first.”
She… didn’t know. Gangle was the closest, not friend wise but proximity… or maybe friend wise too. She doesn’t really know.
She never really felt that close to ragatha before.
Jax didn’t know what to say
“I’ve been trying to be there for everyone” she says. “I’ve been waiting for you to open up to me.”
Jax knows that. Of course she does.
“So why was gangle the first you told.”
“I- I don’t know?” She shrugs “I mean I like you but- I don’t-“ she didn’t like her. Why was she even in ragathas room anyways? She should’ve brought gangle with her, in case this went south “I’m sorry.” She says again.
“I forgive you” ragatha says easily. “Now what did you want to tell me.”
There’s no more things she can say. No ways to beat around the bush.
“I’m… a girl.”
Ragatha laughs.
And Jax jumps back. Ragatha laughs harder at that. The worst part is it’s not even a mean laugh, it’s genuine. As if Jax had just told the funniest joke.
Her stance is defensive, standing and ready to dart to the door (wait hadn’t she been sitting? No. No of course not. Ragathas bed is in the corner of the room, not the middle. They’re standing in the middle.)
“You-? No you’re not?” Ragatha laughs “sorry sorry!” She says, still biting down “but what on earth are you talking about?”
She doesn’t know what to say. She really should’ve brought gangle here.
“I mean? How did you think I was going to react? Thought I’d just play along? You expect me to not laugh at you? When you’re wearing that-“
Wearing- oh… she’s in a dress.
Ragatha laughs louder “is this really the reason you pushed her away? For something as stupid as this? Is this why you killed my friend.” No. Wait no- she’d take it back. She’d take all of it back “is this why you killed your mom.”
Ragatha walks forward.
“It’s okay.” Pomni says “you’re just confused. You just need someone to fix you.”
Jax pushes her away.
Gangle falls to the ground and her mask shatters on impact. Crystal tears flying, and there’s no mask under the tragedy on.
She’s laying on the floor now. In this empty room, there wasn’t anyone else in here, there wasn’t even anything else. Just a grey empty room, with Jax standing near the door, and a pile of ribbons and scattered glass shards where gangles head used to be. You couldn’t even tell it had been a face.
She’s not moving.
Jax has been the one to push her.
And she’s not moving.
Jax scrambled out of the room, and the door slams and locks.
On the door is a plaque. Ribbit. With her face crossed off
“JAX?! Oh thank god- you weren’t moving or breathing- are you- are you okay???” It’s gangles voice. And she’s here, above her, still moving, head fully in tack.
Her ribbons are on Jax’s shoulders, and Jax tenses, crossing her arms and holding them there tight, as if they might betray her and push her off.
“I just-“ what was Jax to say. “Another nightmare.”
Gangle nods in understanding. Much more understanding than she should be.
“I think we’re doing an escape room, you were passed out but there was this tv thing that explained it all…”
Jax nods. That would be in line.
“Alright, what’s the plot?” It looks like they’re in some sort of office.
“Uhm… ghost are real and they trapped us in the Oval Office? I think we’re at war with them?” Gangle shrugs “it was a little confusing.”
That peaked her interest.
Ragathas opened up every book capable of opening, and they’ve all been blank.
It’s just so… awkward. She’s never too good at working puzzles out on her own, she’s at least a little less useless when she has someone to play off of. But the timer ticks down and down.
She’s shaking once it reaches a minute left. Frantically pulling at the map on the wall, and it doesn’t tell her anything.
The timer reaches 0. And a hatch opens up from the top. Three sharks fall down in the room and she runs to the corner that Zoobles sitting in.
The sharks flop around. They aren’t looking at them. They seem much more stressed about the fact there’s no water.
“Oh… I kinda feel bad for them” she expected there to be some sort of danger… but no… it’s just sharks here.
The tv turns on “the uh— THE SHARKS WILL GET GUNS!”
Immediately gunshot goes off and Zooble and ragatha both jump, trying to avoid getting shot.
Something clicks. It seems a bullet hit a button near the ceiling (the ladder. She maybe could’ve brought the ladder over there to click it.) and the door pops open.
They both run out and slam the door.
It’s quiet.
“I guess we escaped!! So uh!!! Good work team!”
Zooble glares at her. But doesn’t say anything.
They’re in a dark hallway now. It’s long.
“Uhhh I’m guessing something will be at the end! Let’s go!”
Zooble doesn’t seem to share her enthusiasm.
They walk forward.
“I’m sorry Zooble.”
“What?”
“This adventure kinda… wasn’t the most fun” she says “I mean I’m sure better ones will come later! But-“ zooble had tried so hard to avoid the adventure, why couldn’t they get a calmer one for them!
“This adventure was [$%!#]. You’re allowed to say that.” They say.
“I just want you to have a good time here.” That’s all ragatha wanted. Truly.
They groan “yeah. I get it. But I don’t like these stupid Adventures. I just want to go back to the real world.”
“Yeah…” she could agree. Somewhat. She didn’t want to be trapped here, of course she didn’t. She didn’t fully like the real world better, but at least it felt real. “I understand. I want to go back too. And these adventures- I hate- I don’t… they’re the worst sometimes. Sometimes it’s fun, but it’s so hard to make something good out of them when they just hurt so bad”
Wait- [$%!#] this isn’t about her. She was supposed to be trying to cheer Zooble up! Not complain.
Zooble sighs “thanks.” They say.
Oh.
Had that… helped.
“Of course-“ she mumbles. She had just complained. Agreed with Zooble, had that really been what they needed. Maybe not all the time, but just right now.
It’s nice that she helped.
The quiet felt a little less awkward, as they walked down the dark hall.
Jax found a code on the bottom of the desk “I think it’s for the door” she says.
“I found a button?” Gangle says “a big red one…”
OOOOOoo Jax knows exactly what that is “we should press it.”
“Why- are you saying it like that”
Wait- no. She’s good now. “Sorry” she says “I mean. It’s probably a nuke, fits the context of all of this.”
“Oh-…” gangle frowns. “Do you think Caine wants us to hit it?”
She wants to go YES. Back in that super cartoonish violent mode, blow up a ton of ghosts. But she holds her tongue instead “Caine probably has a good and bad ending, one where we get out without doing harm” she holds up the paper “and one where we blow up the ghost” she points to the button. “It wouldn’t be a game without choices.”
“Oh!” Gangle smiles “I think I understand. You’re really good at telling this stuff”
She shrugs “eh. I’ve been here a while” and gangle hadn’t, she supposed. This time gangles only been here for a little, she doesn’t know how caines mind works “sometimes I used to dissect adventures, with my friends, try and predict what would happen next.” It was fun (Zooble always talks about themself . So this is fine.)
“I like that… it makes it more… easy to understand what’s going to happen? I guess.” She looks at the red button “we could hit it”
“What-? I mean come on-!!! We probably shouldn’t” wouldn’t it be bad?? She’s trying to be a better person, Zooble wouldn’t hit that button! Why is gangle suggesting it?? Is it a trick.
“Oh, we don’t have too I just-“ gangle frowns and looks at it “it’s not that scary if I know what’s going to happen, or assume what’s going to happen at least. Plus playing the villain sometimes can be fun”
Huh… maybe that’s fair.
“Alright” she says. “Let’s press it!”
“You don’t have to answer this if it’s not my business, but do you know if Jax is nonbinary?” Zooble then asks. Oh thank god they noticed it too.
“Uhm… I don’t know either, I mean… I wasn’t told either way”
“I see.”
“You think…” it’s been on her mind a bit “gangle just doesn’t know… how it all works- I mean! I’m not saying that as a fact but… I don’t know.” She had considered the fact that maybe gangle had somehow misinterpreted the coming out, she had to listen extra close. But gangle didn’t seem to do it to anyone else? Just Jax and Zooble.
“I don’t know. And if they didn’t tell either of us it’s probably not our place to pry. I just didn’t want to seem like an [$%!#]hole if it was common knowledge”
She laughed “I’m so glad you said something, I’ve been having the same fear.” Maybe shes not as stupid as she thinks she is. “I wish Jax would just tell me- sorry I know it’s not. I wouldn’t want to push him… them? I don’t know”
“Should probably stick with him unless we’re told otherwise. Maybe they, I don’t really know. We shouldn’t pry though. Stuff like this… [$%!#]ing sucks sometimes.”
Yeah- “I know- I know. I’m sorry” she’s ruining it again.
“Nah. You are right. It would just be easier to talk about this sort of stuff. It’s not wrong to WANT people to make hard choices. You just can’t force them to do it, then that’s when it becomes an [$%!#]hole move.” They say.
That… makes sense “thank you Zooble… not just for that. But for helping me understand everything better too, I know you definitely don’t have to answer anything I ask, and I know I talk a lot and questions about this are annoying… I just… thank you”
“Yeah, well you’re being nice about it at least” they shrug “I don’t mind answering some questions sometimes.”
.
.
Jax and gangle are sitting down on gangles floor, gangle has a paper in front of her doodling while talking, while Jax lays down on her stomach. Listening to her
“And then I think light told L he killed those people, but it was on stage. So everyone thought they were just acting” gangle has been explaining a death note fanfiction to her for about two hours now (time is very hard to tell in the circus, but Jax asssumes it’s been that long.)
Honestly… it was on her! She probably shouldn’t have confessed that she watched it-… no no… she’s being open now or something, plus Zooble likes anime right? Yeah probably.
Jax nods her head in understanding.
“NO WAIT! It was a film!!! Not a stage. God” gangle sighs “I’m not explaining it well at all. It was beautifully written.” She says “I wish I could reread it. It was one of the best fics I’ve read. And it actually had an ending!”
“Yeah” she says “entertainment is hard to come by around here” (if you don’t view the circus as a show and everyone as characters. Which Jax doesn’t… anymore.) honestly she’d rather have to read an embarrassing fanfiction than have to suffer trying to listen to gangle explain it.
Gangle frowns “yeah…” she says. Then goes quiet. She looks down at the paper.
Oh.
Is she… going to say something?
Does she want Jax to leave?
“so… what happened next?” Yeah. This is 100% on Jax now.
But gangle lights up. “Oh-!!! Uh so then L goes to the editing station, to try and analyze Lights facial expressions when he said that-“ she continues to explain the plot.
Honestly. Jax was wrong, she doesn’t mind listening. And this is way better than reading what was probably a-… very well made (or something) fanfiction (she wants to call it cringe so bad! But no!!! She’s better now-!!!). At least gangle was talking to her. It felt nice. (Memories of pomni came to her. Not anything specifically, but just seeing her sitting down in the pillow fort. ‘Today ragatha and Zooble went to’ the words blurred, but she had said them ‘then we-’ adventure-’ ‘and Caine said-‘ all the words were foggy. But it didn’t matter. It had been so hard to see, all of these memories. She wasn’t even sure if they were real.)
Yeah. She liked to hear people talk.
.
.
.
“It’s getting late” gangle says “I’m going to bed, but if you want to stay here you can”
Jax bites her tongue. Not letting out a joke about that.
“Thanks.” She says instead “I’m actually going to-“ she needs to fix things “do something, but… I might come back later, if that’s okay?”
“Alright!” Gangles smiling at her. It’s strange. Was it that easy to have this. Even if gangle hadn’t been here very long in this world Jax still tormented her before. If she really had just… apologized and tried to be better… could she always have had this?
Jax leaves the room, and heads to the end of the hall. Even though her own room beckons her, she doesn’t go in.
Instead she pauses at the door across from hers.
It’s a mannequin. (Its where pomni will be.)
That’s weird. That feels weird.
She shakes it off, going to the room after that.
Ragatha.
Her hand lifts, and she knocks. (If only she had gotten here a little earlier. This could’ve been ribbits door-)
The door opens.
“O-oh! Uh Jax!!! Hi!” Ragathas smiling, it’s nervous.
“Hey.” She says.
Oh god it’s happening isn’t it-? Oh god what does ragatha say??? She doesn’t want to make it worse, especially not when Jax seems to be getting better.
“So- uh-“ no she’s being too awkward! She needs to get ahold of herself. “You can come in!!!” She quickly rushes in. (She should’ve asked Zooble for more advice. What if she ruins this??)
Jax comes in. “I wanted to talk.”
Ragatha sits on her bed (she’s got this!) “alright” she says instead the nicest way she can. Jax isn’t looking at her. She hopes it doesn’t feel fake, maybe she’s laying it on too thick.
“About… ribbit.”
Oh.
oh<\i>!
“I-“ she doesn’t know what to say. She was getting ready for something else entirely. “You- uh-“ oh gosh- she’s not crying is she-?! She has to hold herself together. This is for Jax. Not her.
“I’m sorry.” Jax says. “We can talk about them- you can- I never should’ve made you do that stupid promise. I’m sorry.”
No- this isn’t about her “it’s okay, I mean it was so- so hard- I understand why you didn’t want to talk about it”
“No-?!! That’s not-“ Jax sighs “it WAS wrong of me, and I acted like a jerk afterwards and I’m sorry.”
“It’s really okay Jax- I mean she was your best friend, even I kinda have been acting off- I mean it happened so recently and-“
“Ragatha!” He yells. Then sighs “sorry. Just- you don’t need to defend me. What I did was wrong, and you don’t deserve it. And I’ll make it up to you.” Jax says “and then we can be friends- or something”
Oh. That’s-… nice. It’s nice to hear. Even though she understands why Jax acted like it, it’s still nice to hear an actual apology, as well as an offer to get closer. That’s all she wanted. She doesn’t want to lose anyone friends.
“I want to be friends” she says
And Jax smiles.
She smiles back.