Chapter Text
Chapter 8 – Video Files: Ribbit and Ragatha
The circus, revived.
In the main tent, a loud gurgling sound echoed through the area. That was something that Kinger has been waiting for. Moving down the aquarium turned laboratory, he observed the last few of them left.
“Bizco?” He checked. No. Still abstracted, but dormant. “Someday, old friend. Wormo wants to apologize to you.”
He walks past Scratch as he thrashed in the water. He refused to be cured. Kinger sadly understood why.
“Over here, Kinger!”
Kinger rushed forward and met his wife, Queenie.
“They called him… Jax, right?” She asked.
He looked in the tank and saw a familiar purple rabbit. “Y-yeah. That’s him.” Kinger hugged his wife out of relief. “I thought he would be like Scratch.”
Queenie comforted her husband. “This was a group effort. He has many that care for him here.”
They both watch as the black mass and colorful eyes fully disappear from Jax’s body. It’s time.
“Caine! Caine!” Kinger calls out.
Caine appeared. “EGADS! Jax?!” Carefully, he lifted him out of the tank. “To the recovery chamber with you!”
“Careful, Caine.” Queenie warned. “Ribbit and Pomni would get mad at you if you hurt him.”
“I know, my dear, I know.” The chess pieces followed as Caine carried Jax out.
In the entrance of the aquarium, Kaufmo hears Caine’s magic working down there. That can only mean two things, either an abstraction escaped, or… “Another one!” He announced. “We have a cured abstraction!”
“Alright, you know the routine!” A small, purple and turquoise rat girl with a flower on her head called out to her friends. “Spike! Ready the pod!”
A purple, kid-friendly Godzilla looking guy with colorful spikes on his spine ran off. “On it, Rattie!”
“Wormo, help him!”
A worm on a string-type toy moved to be with Spike. “R-right!”
Gangle and Zooble appeared beside Kaufmo. “Do you know who it is, Kaufmo?”
“We’re about to find out.”
Caine flew out, still carefully carrying something behind him.
Just in time, Pomni, Ribbit, and Ragatha showed up to see long, purple rabbit ears.
Ragatha gasped.
“Jax…” Pomni teared up.
Ribbit sobbed. “What took you so long, you dumbass?!” She screamed at his unconscious, floating body.
“A.N.A.N.G.E.L. has sent up the video files!” Caine told them, almost dropping Jax in the process. “Whoops!”
“CAREFUL!” Pomni and Ribbit angrily yelled at Caine, making him flinch.
Kinger and Queenie emerged from the aquarium.
“I told you they’d get mad, Caine.” Queenie chuckled.
Rattie went to Kinger. “Spike and Wormo are already with the pods, Kinger.”
He nodded at her, and then addressed the rest. “Wish we could stay, but we’re all needed.” He waved goodbye, hurrying to Caine.
“…what now?” Gangle asked.
“Let’s head to the couches.” Ragatha suggested. “We can see what he went through to get… cured.”
Ribbit
One or two videos were normal, but five? No wonder it took Jax so long to get out.
Another strange thing was… names. Theirs. The videos were numbered, making the watch order clear. What scared Ribbit though was that her name was up first.
She looked around and, as expected, everyone was looking at her. Kaufmo and Ragatha were seen gritting their teeth, but her new friends did not know her that well to assess the situation. Anxiety built up within her, why was she first? What happened in Jax’s mind?
“Hey!” Kaufmo pointed at the screen. “How come my name’s not on there? Was it because of that prank I pulled on him?”
She snickered. “The one with the bees?”
“The one with the bees.” He confirmed.
That alleviated the room. “Thanks, Kaufmo, but we gotta suck it up to help the big baby.” She grabbed the remote and pressed play.
Jax was crying on a bench. Terrible start. The AI introduced itself, and this is when the room saw that maybe the AI needed a bit more tweaking.
“He looks terrified.” Gangle commented.
“Can you blame him? That AI is scaring him.” Pomni said in concern. “Who introduces themselves like that?”
“Something made by Caine.” Zooble answered.
“Oh… right.”
“I wish I could have given the love shown to me by Ribbit, by Pomni… I would have given it back to them, to everyone, tenfold!” He declared.
“You would?” The angel asked.
Jax turned to face it and nodded. “In a heartbeat.”
Ribbit’s heart skipped a beat. Unwittingly, she glanced at Pomni. She had a slight blush on her and was holding her heart.
Geez, girl. Can you be any more obvious?
…
No. Bad Ribbit. No jealousy.
The AI brought up Jax’s life video. “Oh no.”
There it was. When they were in their room with him. Of course that was the first stop.
Ragatha paused the video. “Ribbit, if you feel uncomfortable seeing this again…”
“What’s the big deal?” She tried to play it off. “All of you know about it already!”
They all give her a look of worry.
Ribbit sighed. “I’m… yeah, it hurts still, but we can’t move forward if we cling to the past, right? So, play it already.”
“If… you’re sure.” The video resumed.
“I’ll do it, you weird angel thing!” He screamed at the ceiling. “I’ll #@$%ing do it!”
Come on, Jax, she thought. What are you gonna do here?
“Kauf! KAUF! Now’s really not a good time.”
“Uh, if now’s a bad time, I can come back—”
“Yeah, I’m—” He turned to Ribbit and gave her a reassuring smile. “We’re in the middle of something.”
Ribbit let out a breath she did not know she was holding. Tears prickled her eyes. Jax is using his second chance to be with her.
“Are you two trying to have $@%?”
Ribbit instinctually punched Kaufmo.
“OW! That isn’t me!” He paused. “Oh, well, that is me, but you know what I mean!”
She continued watching. A.N.A.N.G.E.L. was nice enough to cut out the extra stuff like sleeping, so all the scenes were of Jax and her.
An hour in, she could not hold back her tears. The days now differ from what happened. He wasn’t pushing her away, he was pulling her in. He wasn’t isolating her, he was connecting with her. They were closer than they ever were.
Ragatha offered Ribbit a hug, she took it right away.
Another hour passed, and now there was no denying it. Jax was trying to be romantic with her. They watched as he had gotten bolder with his actions and words.
After he said an embarrassing one-liner, Kaufmo could not help but laugh out loud at how cheesy things have gotten. The others also made joke comments on it, making her blush and look away.
“Come on!” She whined through her flushed face. “You bunch of jerks.”
Her eyes, once again, unwittingly landed on Pomni. She was silent, but she watched the screen intently. She had one of those smiles that try and fail to hide sorrow.
Okay, now she feels bad.
Sorry, Pomni, but Ribbit cannot deny her feelings!
Then, on screen, a familiar setting that brought about a terrible memory. The snow adventure.
Pomni must have noticed her discomfort, because she put a comforting hand on hers. “You okay?”
Okay, now she feels extra bad.
“I’m… great.” She reassured her. “Let’s just… see what happens.”
“I’m doing it.” Jax said happily. “I’m actually doing it.” He started to shake from how happy he was.
Suddenly a snowball hit him. “Hey dumb@$$!”
He grinned, tactically scooping some snow as he turned around to retaliate. “MORON!”
From here, her blush grew deeper and deeper with each minute that passed.
Gangle started gasping and clapping, she was doing that almost the whole video, but now she was not trying to hide it.
Ragatha lightly bumped Ribbit shoulder to shoulder. “I’m happy for you. I know that you had a thing for him before he… you know…” She cringed to herself for bringing it up.
Happy? Oh, Ribbit was ecstatic. This is everything she dreamed of.
Another scene of them flirting and teasing each other, then, finally…
“Oh my Gosh!” Gangle exclaimed. “The heart-stopping pause! The romantic eye contact! Here comes the ki—”
“We get it, Gangle.”
Ribbit blinked. Dang, Pomni.
Funny as that was to Ribbit, it could not stop her from lovingly sighing when he saw Jax kiss her.
Ragatha congratulated her, Kaufmo gave them a thumbs up, Gangle squealed, Zooble nodded, and Pomni looked sadder.
…Pomni has been a good friend to Ribbit. When this is over, and Jax wakes up so they can be together, she should try to cheer her up. She does not want anyone in the circus feeling isolated, after all.
“Hey!” Ribbit laughed. “Come back here!” She brought him back instantly and got a bit more overzealous with the second kiss.
“Calm down, Ribbit. No one is taking him from you.” Kaufmo joked.
“Huh.” Zooble mischievously chuckled. “So, he inflates when he holds his breath. Good to know.”
A little more watching, and they are at Ribbit’s room again.
After the… salacious scene of Jax crawling on her bed, she sees herself stop him. She wanted her to declare their relationship out loud, definitely. She was a little old-fashioned that way, but she—
“I love you, Ribbit.”
Ribbit gasped at the same time as the Ribbit in the video. She was completely stunned.
“I-I-I-I meant, like declaring that we are officially together!”
Jax blinked. “Oh.” Then he grinned. “I love you though.”
Again, just like herself in the video, she squealed and put her head down in embarrassment.
“Ribs.”
She looked up at the screen.
“I love you.”
“OH MY GOD STOP!” Ribbit lightly thrashed around on the couch from how happy she felt.
“Pfft. Ribbit, has anyone ever told you how adorable you are?” Gangle teased.
“SHUT UP!”
“This is the happiest I’ve ever been!”
Ribbit turned back to the screen.
“Ribbit…”
“Jax… I love you too.”
It was then that they saw him get pulled away from that universe.
They were shocked at the abruptness of it.
“Woah, what the heck?” Zooble sat up in surprise.
They watch Jax pound the screen, screaming Ribbit’s name. It broke all their hearts.
“Why would A.N.A.N.G.E.L. do that?!” Ragatha asked.
“A bug? Has to be.” Kaufmo theorized. “In my video, I stopped Jax from isolating Ribbit. I got unabstracted after.”
“Ugh, of course Caine would mess up like that!” Zooble shook their head.
“Good bye, Ribbit… I’m so sorry I wasn’t like this with you.” Jax turned to A.N.A.N.G.E.L. and thanked it.
“How was it?”
“Everything I dreamed of.”
The video ended. Ribbit rewound it back just a bit and paused it. She approached the screen and put her hand to Jax’s face. “Jax… when you get out, we’ll be together again.”
“He must not be out yet because that AI is glitching!” Kaufmo stood up. “I have to tell Kinger.”
“Kaufmo wait.” Pomni stopped him. “Kinger wouldn’t leave any bugs for something like this.”
Ragatha agreed. “Pomni’s right. Especially since most of the original programmers are helping him with this task.”
“Then what is keeping him there?!” The clown raised his voice, mad that Jax did not get his happy ending.
“It’s… It’s Jax still” Ribbit said sadly. “I’m not the only one he’s wronged.” She faced Ragatha. “Play yours next, Ragatha.”
Ragatha
“O-okay.” Ragatha played the next video that had her name on it.
Oh. This was after Ribbit’s abstraction. She turned to the said frog and saw her saddened.
“This is… new territory for me.” She sighed.
“Ribbit, you don’t have to watch if—”
“I have to, Ragatha. It’s Jax.” She breathed in deep to calm down. “This is when he made you promise to never mention me again, right?”
The doll didn’t answer out of shame.
“I know it’s hard. Just… don’t be afraid to reach out to me.”
“Can we… talk in your room later, Rags?”
Ragatha gasped. He… didn’t make her promise to never mention Ribbit’s name.
Ribbit lightly laughed. “Made a change already, huh?”
Gangle suddenly appeared in the video.
“Oh…” The red-ribboned girl teared up. “I came in at a terrible time.”
“It’s not your fault.” Zooble hugged her.
Then, as a more pleasant surprise, Jax treated Gangle in a friendly manner.
“Looks like he’s already better in my book.” Zooble joked, but they were happy he treated Gangle well.
It cuts to Jax visiting Ragatha’s room. He was helping her clean up.
“Wow, Ribbit. One relationship with you and he’s already treating everyone well.” Kaufmo jested.
Ragatha shook her head. “Oh, I’m sure he wants to get my part done quick, so—”
“Rags, stop.”
“Oh!” She exclaimed in surprise. It was like he was talking directly to her. “See? I’m already annoying him. I bet he’s—”
“No, Ragatha.”
She shut her mouth and swallowed. He has never used that tone with her before.
“I’m here because I want to be here. I’m choosing to be with you right now. I—” He looked away for a second before making eye contact.
THUMP!
…huh?
“I’m choosing to be fully honest with you and I want you to reach out to me too.”
THUMP!
Was that her… heart?
No, she thought, it can’t be. As she saw in the last video, he was in love with Ribbit.
She looked back at the screen to watch, for the first time ever, Jax become vulnerable in front of her. He fell into her arms, and she became vulnerable with him.
She saw him hug her back, gently at first, but as emotions ran higher, he squeezed tighter.
Ragatha imagined how that would feel, to have his arms wrapped around her.
THUMP!
STOP.
“That’s… wow…” Gangle’s mask showed bewilderment.
Bewilderment is the appropriate use here! She should feel warmth, happy! But Ragatha feels worried because of this—
THUMP!
“Ragatha, that’s great.”
She flinched. “Oh, uh, w-what is?” She asked Ribbit.
“When Jax gets out, you and him can be close friends! Like you always wanted.” The frog smiled at her.
Close?
THUMP!
“That sounds nice.” She smiled, hiding the worry behind it.
An hour has passed, and Ragatha was in tears, same as Ribbit. He said what he was going to do. He mended his friendship with Kaufmo, treated Gangle well and became her friend, and he never let Ragatha ever feel alone.
Watching what could have been… it hurt her.
She shook her head. No need to dwell in the past now! With Jax unabstracted, this can and WILL be a possibility.
The rest of the room sees it too, talking about potential friendships that will endure with the new, redeemed Jax.
Ragatha had learned about Jax’s past from Pomni and Ribbit. So, watching herself call Jax and her ‘Kindred spirits’ was nice to see. Being there for each other was such an important lesson here in the circus. She wished that maybe she should have pried more.
She sees Jax knock on her door again and slightly blushed. Nightly visits to her room, does that not look…?
THUMP!
The sound of her own heart is making her even more flushed.
The thing is, if she, just watching the video, is feeling this way… then the her in there might just have a little crush.
So far, it was not obvious to the anyone, but Ragatha. Everyone is excited on her future platonic relationship with him and—
Pomni is staring at her.
Ragatha sheepishly smiled. DON’T BE TOO OBVIOUS. She shakily waved at her.
The jester is studying her face. When she finished, Pomni’s eye twitched.
Shoot! Pomni had confided in her that she loved Jax. Watching Ribbit’s part of the video must have broken her heart! Now, she’s watching another fall for him?
Wait… fall for him?
THUMP! THUMP!
The doll was in a small panic. She chose to just look straight ahead at the video.
“You know I can… play the piano.”
“Really? Can you play something?”
Right, Pomni told them all about this too. So sad that he kept himself hidden like this.
Jax started playing a familiar tune.
“♪Daisy, Daisy
Give me your answer, do~♪”
Oh no.
Ragatha watched herself get excited and join in.
Double oh no.
“♪I’m half-crazy
all for the love of you~♪”
“Ugh, I can never escape this song.” Zooble groaned.
While the others laughed at that, Ragatha could feel Pomni staring a hole into her.
Jax abruptly stopped playing.
“Jax? What’s wrong?” She asked in concern.
“I… sorry.” He sighed. “It’s just that…”
Ragatha watched him squirm in his seat a little. “Are you… saving that song for someone special?”
The gasp that came out of Pomni had all eyes turn to her.
Now, she was the one sheepishly smiling.
“Huh?” Everyone tensed, and then their eyes shifted to Ribbit.
The video continued playing while tension grew as the jester and the frog defiantly stared at each other.
“Uh—Hey, Ribs, look!” Kaufmo tried to alleviate the situation. “Ragatha just joked about her trauma! Haha, what? That’s crazy— Oh, hang on, she’s crying.”
That made everyone look back at the video.
Jax put his hand on her back. “Hey, Rags, what’s wrong?”
She let out a breathy chuckle before turning to him. “It’s just that… making friends here is hard, and…” She reached out and held his hand. “I got to be friends with someone like you? So talented and funny. So patient with me too.”
“What? Ragatha!” He fully turned to her. “I already said you are much more than you believe. You’re smart, kind, pretty—”
The whole room reacted loudly from such a surprising thing Jax would say, and to Ragatha of all people!
However, the doll did not, could not, pay attention to them. She mirrored herself in the video, blushing just as deep, being just as nervous, heart in full gear.
THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!
“H-he… he thinks I’m pretty?” An unwitting, but not unwelcome smile reached her trembling lips.
“Y-you…” She inadvertently tried to tuck her hair behind her non-existent ears and then stared straight at him. “You think I’m pretty?”
Jax stared back with wide, stunned eyes. “You aren’t just pretty… you’re beautiful.”
Ragatha blushed harder, hiding her shaky smile behind her doll hands. “Oh…”
“Oh…”
THUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMP
“H-huh? M-me? I…” Ragatha grabbed her hair and hid her face behind it. A million different thoughts entered her mind. Some guilty, some embarrassed, some confused, and most… happy.
She now could not stop smiling, and started giggling.
“Jax thinks I’m beautiful…” saying it out loud made her squeal and giggle more.
She heard Gangle squeal and giggle with her.
Ragatha almost did not notice Kaufmo’s voice. “N-now, Ribbit calm down!”
“THAT WOMANIZER!” Ribbit was holding a pillow in a death grip, most likely imagining that it was Jax.
“In retrospect, having two touch-starved people get intimately close to each other? That would lead to this.” Zooble said, finding all of this amusing.
“Thanks, Zooble.” Pomni narrowed her eyes at them. “Appreciate it.”
They snicker. “No problem.”
“Ragatha, I told you what I did to Ribbit.”
They all turn back to the video to see Jax crying.
“I’m scared. Scared that I would do that to you…”
The room calmed down from the weight of what he said. Ribbit sat back down. “Right… I… I abstracted here.” She sobbed. “O-of course he had to move on…”
Whatever feelings they all had were dropped so they can comfort Ribbit.
“Ribbit, listen.” Pomni began. “I’m bad at secrets, and I’m sure you all know that I have a thing for Jax.”
Kaufmo blinked. “You have a thing for Jax?”
Zooble smacked him. “This isn’t the time to joke, Kaufmo.”
“No, I really didn’t—you know what? Yeah, I’ll shut up.”
Pomni continued. “I…” She looked at the video. The cast of that time gathered on stage. No Pomni yet, not even Zooble. “I’m not even there yet.” She put her hands on the shoulders of Ribbit and Ragatha. “If he wakes up, and he doesn’t choose me…” She blinked away her tears. “Then I’m glad it’s one of you.”
Ragatha hugged her immediately. “Oh, Pomni. There is still a chance he chooses you, and… even though it’ll hurt, I’ll support you.” She flashed them her famous Ragatha reassuring smile. “I’ll be okay.”
Ribbit joined the hug. “Same goes for me. You guys aren’t losers, so I’ll approve!” she joked.
That lightened the mood. They stayed hugging a few more minutes.
“This is very mature of you guys.” Zooble complimented.
“Yes. Now, let’s go see how far Ragatha falls for Jax.” Gangle smiled with obvious impatience.
The next hour of scenes Ragatha watched had her fall deeper in love with him. Not hiding what she felt anymore, she loved how he was treating her. He was still as energetic as he was, but was gentler with her. He would notice if she felt a little down and talked to her. When they argue, he would always win by catching her off guard with some flirty one-liner.
Then when Kinger said that they reminded him of his married days with his wife? That sealed the deal.
She let out a loving sigh. It was so… bittersweet, knowing this side of him was always there, just… under all those masks.
They got to the part where Zooble arrived and they threw them a welcome party.
Ragatha in the video just gifted Jax a scarf she made.
“I made it too long.”
Ragatha did not expect to feel the fabric around her. She gasped when she opened her eyes to see that Jax has wrapped the scarf around the both of them.
“I think it’s just right.” He grinned.
Ragatha swayed her body from how happy she was. “I hope he stays this sweet when he wakes up. I—oh!” She sees herself kiss him on the cheek and then get flustered.
“Oh my gosh! Jax, I’m sorry, I know that you have someone outside the circus, b-b-but I just—” She exhaled. “You’re just so—”
Jax interrupted her by catching her lips with his.
She fluttered her eyes closed and wrapped her arms around him to deepen the kiss.
“Oh my God, it’s a romance hallmark movie.” Zooble jokingly said.
Gangle gasped. “IT TOTALLY IS!”
“Guys, don’t be mean.” Ribbit ribbed.
“No, hang on, they have a point!” Kaufmo laughed. “Try imagining they were in a Christmas party.”
“Huh.” Pomni tilted her head. “I see it.”
Ragatha giggled. She was so lucky to have them as friends.
“M-maybe we should have done this somewhere more private?”
She tried to pull away, but Jax did not allow it. “Eh, who cares what they think? I’m with you now, and you know what?” He flashed her a love-struck smile. “I love you, Ragatha.”
Ragatha let out another loving sigh, this time much deeper. “I love you too.” She whispered.
She giggled, and it turned into a laugh. “You really are the best thing to happen to me.” She held his face and leaned close. “I love you too, Jax.”
Then, just like in Ribbit’s part, they all watched as Jax was pulled away.
It was just as shocking as the first time.
“W-what?”
“…know that I am truly sorry for doing this.”
“…why?”
“I can’t watch this.” Ribbit turned shifted on the couch to look away from the screen.
She, along with everyone else winced when Jax let out a visceral scream.
“Goodbye, Rags.” He sniffed. “I would have given you the world.”
Ragatha’s heart, which had thumped loudly the whole time, broke. Gangle and Zooble moved beside her for comfort, which she very much appreciated.
However, her guilt ate her up. Guilt not just for the what ifs, and what could have beens with Jax… but for also lying.
Lying when she said that she would be okay if Jax chose someone else.
As the video ended, they stayed quiet. For some, even though Jax had treated them poorly, they believed that he did not deserve to have love ripped from him twice.
They were all so lost in their thoughts that they did not see a black queen chess piece walk up to them.
“Hey, kiddos. What’s wrong?” Queenie asked. When they all looked up at her, she could see that Ragatha and Ribbit were most affected by what they watched, and opened her arms for a hug. “There, there.”
Pomni tugged her robe. “Queenie—”
“Why am I here and not helping your friend?” She guessed, correctly.
The jester felt ashamed for wanting to ask that, considering all the original programmers have done to help already.
“My husband scolded me.” Queenie chuckled. “I have not been resting as much as I should.”
“You have been working too much. Your friends complain about it in my bar.” Zooble told her.
“I know, I know. Kinger put his foot down and now I’m taking a forced vacation.” She sighed. “Guess, I should be lucky to have someone who loves me that much.”
Upon saying that, Ragatha cried harder, Ribbit hugged tighter, and Pomni also joined her hug.
“Oh… So, this Jax is more special to you than I thought.” She softly caressed the girls. “Maybe take a break watching the videos and resume tomorrow.”
Pomni parted from the group hug. “But I—”
“Need a break.” Queenie finished for her. “Like me.”
Zooble stood up with their rubber arm around Gangle. “She’s right, guys. We need a drink.”
The couple waved goodbye and headed to the bar.
Kaufmo put his hand on Ribbit’s shoulder. “Hey, let’s double check the café and see if it still has Jax’s favorites.”
“Y-yeah.” Ribbit wiped their eyes. “Thanks, Kauf.”
That left Ragatha, Queenie, and Pomni on the couches.
Queenie did not say anything. If silent comfort is what they need, she will provide it.
She inwardly sighed. Kinger was right about them now having six more kids. Now with a seventh rabbit shaped one on the way.