Chapter Text
"LADIES, GENTELMEN,.."
Caine glances across the motley group, landing his eyes on the mitch matched creature that stood disinterested behind the others.
"AND ZOOBLE! Today, I have an absolutely, positively FUNALICIOUS little game for you! Whos excited!?" The ringmaster announced in his rambunctious voice, answered by only silence and tired eyes staring in his direction, with the only exception being a living chess piece raising a hand in agreement. As if the group hadnt shown their obvious dispassion of the idea, Caine continued on with his announcement.
"This morning, I arranged an EXCITING game for you all, and im just EAGER to let this mornings festivities unfold. Now, may i have a VOLUNTEER?" This time, an easy shove by jax's hand sent Gangle uneasily shuffling toward Caine, where she turned to scowl Jax with an irritate 'Hey!?'. Jax shrugs with a grin, as all attention is placed back onto Caine and Gangle.
"WONDERFUL! Now, allow me to explain your task.." In an instant, a whiteboard apears and unfolds from mid-air, wich showcased crudely drawn illistrastions of the group engaging in an array of activities. Caine points the bottom tip of his cane toward the first drawing, readying his performers voice with a clearing of his throat.
"Today... We will be playing HIDE AND SEEK! And better yet? IN THE DARK!" A mischevious grin etches across Jax's face, listing all the pranks he could pull on the unsuspecting players in his head. He glances at the rest of the group, who grimaced at the rather dangerous idea, with kinger unphased as if he hadnt heard a thing thatd been said. But glancing in Ragathas direction, he noticed her obvious displeasure, showing through a widened eye and the wringing of her hands. Jax thought for a moment, then when it finally caught on, he rubs his hands together like a plotting fly. He knew exactly how to get her.
"Our LOVELY volunteer, Gangle, will be the star of tonights show. If you couldnt tell already, Gangle is IT!" Gangle gives a fearful peep at her name being mentioned, and another while she was given the role. She brings her ribbon hands to her mouth as if to stiffle a third shriek.
"Now everyone, i must inform you of the rules and regulations you MUST follow..." As Caine bumbles on in his tirade of rules, Pomni looks up at Ragatha who was standing beside her, noticing her distraught stare. Ragatha soon meets Pomni's eyes wich looked at her considerably.
"You okay Raggs?" Pomni whispers to the taller lady, recieving a rather shaky nod as an answer.
"Sorry pomni im just- The rules yknow?" Pomni didnt look convinced as Ragatha swollowed hard. She considered her words, before giving a heavy hearted sigh.
"Look, its kinda embarrasing but.. Im just a teeny bit af-fraid of the dark..!" Pomnis eyes widen in slight shock, before growing softer in her concern. She hesitates, but eventually lifts her hand to take grasp of the other's, wich squeezed back in two soft shots.
"If you want, we could pair up!" Pomni offers, wich Ragatha considers.
"I know it wont solve the entire darkness problem but.. It has to be easier with someone else to be with." With not much thought, Ragatha takes up Pomnis offer with a grateful smile and a nod.
The two silently made a pact, while Caine finishes his long long LONG list of worse case scenerios and restrictions, before taking Gangle by her hand and leading her off to a not too far corner of the maine hall. The two became smaller, but Caines joyful voice rings out over the others just the same, instructing them on their next moves.
"So! Me and Gangle here are going to count to 1 MINUTE! In that single minute, each and every one of you MUST be hidden and hidden well! And if me or Gangle find you, your O-U-T! Areeee weeee readyyy tooo RUMBLE?!"
An excited "yippee" leaves kinger, with the rest of the group nodding and exchanging "yep"s and "i guess so"s.
"GREAT! Count down staaartss... NOW!"
In an instant, the group and a pair had seperated into all different directions. Kinger, of course, went for his unpenetratable pillow fortress, while the others ventured past the maine room and into other parts of the circus.
Zooble, largly uninterested in this entire game, thought to go to their room to "hide". In their thought, they came across a gaping black hole in the ground, wich from it they could hear faint sounds of gloinks chittering. Their last experience in this hole was far from pleasurable, with thier dismembered head being thrown into the maw of the Gloink Queen, but something in them brought up a competitive spirit. They expected Gangle wouldnt even step a foot down here, so itd be an easy win. Plus, if they found a good enouph spot, theyd be able to sit around until it was role call. A bit of excitement lit up their motley eyes as they prepared to dive inside.
Soon after they departed toward their spots, the lights flickered off, whirring as the apparant energy was released from each light source. Ragatha, who with pomni had been venturing toward the entrance of the jungle gym, squeeled as the lights suddenly shut off, and felt her knees begin to shake. Everything was pitch black, aside from the faint glow that came from the very distant sun. Now, noises that seemed to be unnoticable before to Ragatha were amped by ten, coming from behind and around her as she darted her gaze in the direction of every random click and whirr that stirred. She felt her heart skip a beat at each noise, before feeling a hand squeeze twice around her own. She sighed weakly as her and her partner continued to feel around for any familiar doors.
In the meantime, Jax was having the time of his life. He skipped along the darkened hallways with a delight that trickled into the occasional snicker. He was SOO ready to pull a trick on ragatha, now knowing her weakness. She was afraid of the dark! What a coincidence! A blessing, even! He thought of all the ways he could make her suffer right now. He could jump out at her, stalk her from behind, make little noises behind her thatd likely paranoi the ^#%@ OUTTA HER! His snickers would become full on evil laughter if he didnt know better. He had to stay quiet. Unsuspecting. Like a critter in the night. He fully intended on giving his all in this proccess, so he carefully jotted down the perfect plan in his mind, before lying his eyes on the pair he had hoped to see.
"56, 57, 58, 59... 60!!" Gangle exclaimed while lowering her hands from her eyes.
"Good work, Gangle! now... Where will we place our pretty little eyes FIRST?" Gangle hummed in thought as the two began to depart, feeling around in the dark until they reached a fork in their path.
"Maybe.. Uhmmm.. How about the kitchen?"
"We dont have a kitchen!"
"Oh.. Sorry.."
Gangle continued to think as they stopped in their tracks, hearing the pangs of metal, alongside harrowing screams that seemed to echo throughout the entire room. The screams became more distant, then eventually faded out completely, leaving the two confused and rather frightened.
"Maybe wherever that came from, Caine?"
"GREAT IDEA!"
The two follow the remaining echoes into the room quarters, continuing down the dark choridor with slight unease. Gangle, jumped at the little noises that were made around her, including the little pitter-patter that her ribbon feet made. Giving a sigh, she looks up at the ringmaster beside her expectantly, hoping he knew where the noise came from, since she didnt.
"Caine..? Do you know where were going?"
"Of COURSE i dont! Wheres the fun in that!"
"Well.. We just have to find where that noAAAA-" Suddenly, gangle was pulled downward into an unpatched hole in the checkered floor. Caine looked out in suprise as gangle was quickly devoured by an inky blackness, noting it as something hed have to patch later. With a puff of his chest, and a fix of his bowtie, Caine flung himself down the hole aswell.
"GOOD STUFF, GANGLE! IM ON MY WAY!"