Chapter Text
"SHUT THE DOOR!" Ragatha called out as a raging, scraggly beast hurled itself toward the players.
Today's adventure, "The Mad Doctor's Laboratory of Doom" was NOBODY's idea of a good time, but, unsurprisingly, Caine had decided that dark hallways full of genetically modified werewolves and a mad scientist hypnotist villain were on the to-do list before anyone could object.
The group frantically sprinted into a room full of test tubes, machines, and a big metalic platform, like something right out of Frankenstein's Monster. With a loud bang, Pomni slammed the door shut, causing the werewolf to bump headfirst into it, securely locked out.
"...is that thing gonna be able to get in...?" Gangle whimpered as the sound of claws on metal scraped against the closed entrance.
"I don't think so, Gangle." Ragatha assured the theatre mask, putting a hand on her shoulder. "It looks like we just have another puzzle to solve so we to move onto the next room. I’m sure we can do it! How hard can it be?”
Pomni noticed Ragatha didn't sound completely sure of herself, but there was no time to dwell on that. Instead, the jester picked up one of the bubbling viles on the laboratory shelf to examine it. At least, she was GOING to examine it, but suddenly…
"WHOA THERE, PLAYERS!" Caine announced, nearly giving Pomni a heart attack. In a cloud of dust, he’d poofed into existence right in front of her. "YOU'RE DOING A GREAT JOB!"
"CAINE?" Ragatha stammered, taken aback. "What are you doing INSIDE the adventure?"
"That's a GREAT question, my dear Watson!" Caine spawned a Sherlock Holmes-looking hat on his head (gums?) and took out his pipe, using it to blow a few bubbles. "I'm here to explain today's MINIGAME!" As Caine shouted, the word: "Minigame" appeared in a colorful, polka-dotted, 3D font above his head. "Welcome to Test Tube-Tastrophe, where YOU will create a potion to CURE THE WEREWOLVES!"
"What?" Jax snapped, the prospect of NOT killing werewolves (and not killing at least SOMETHING) striking a nerve with him. "I'm not doin' that."
"I'M GLAD YOU ASKED, JAX!" Caine replied, completely ignoring the fact that he literally hadn’t asked anything. "The rules are simple. Combine ANY CHEMICALS YOU'D LIKE, but watch out for the EXPLOSIVE viles! When you add them, THEY EXPLODE!"
As The Ring Master babbled on, Pomni heard a clanking noise coming from beside her, like a rattling chain. Her muscles tensed for a moment, thinking one of the monsters had somehow gotten in, but it was just Jax, pulling something bronze and shiny out of his pocket. The small clock gently ticked as it dangled from its thin chain.
"Jax!” Ragatha whispered shrilly. “When did you steal The Mad Doctor's hypnotizing...pocketwatch thing?" Her tone was half-scolding, and Pomni wondered which was worse; The mad scientist having the hypnotic watch, or Jax having it.
"It was easy," The rabbit replied with a pleased smile. "I nabbed it when the guy was busy sewing that werewolf's arm back on. Heh.” He chuckled. “What a loser."
"...I’m…beginning to feel like nobody’s…listening to me.” Caine chimed in, awkwardly holding up one finger.
“I think...we should listen to the minigame directions." Pomni reminded Jax.
But the rabbit brushed her off. “Make me.” He taunted, slowly stalking toward Caine with that scheming grin of his. "Hey, Caine!"
“Jax, what are you doing! Ragatha gasped as Jax began swinging the pocketwatch in front of Caine's face.
Pomni crossed her arms. How could this adventure have gotten SO off the rails already?
"Watch this!" The rabbit snickered. "What's the matter, Caine? Gettin' sleepy?"
The ring master blinked a couple times, his big googly eyes tracking the watch back and forth. "Uh...I'm not sure what the purpose of this is, Jax.” Caine hesitated. “That item is for adventure-use only and I'm not- really- part of the adventure."
"Jax," Said Kinger. "I don't think that's gonna work on him- OOF!"
Jax punched Kinger aside, his eye-contact with Caine unbreaking.
"I...uh..." Caine muttered, a little distracted. "Kinger is right, uh...I am a Digital Being!" Caine made the letters "Digital Being" float over his head, but this time, they were a little translucent and foggy, like ghosts, and his voice didn't have that echoey, grandiose quality it normally did when he announced something. "Which means I can't...um...be affected...by..."
Pomni gave Ragatha a concerned glance. Caine's tone of voice seemed to be getting quieter. Almost…duller. It was weird hearing him sort of mumble like this. In fact, it was weird hearing him doing anything less than shouting. He was speaking almost like a normal person. It felt....wrong. He wasn't a normal person. He was Caine.
But the ring master kept getting softer, his pupils locked onto the swinging watch...back and forth...back and forth...his eyelids were getting heavy…
"...adventures..." He murmured incoherently, as if talking in his sleep...could Caine even sleep? "...that's right, Bubble...it's time...to go on...an adventure..."
Snap.
Jax snapped his fingers and, instantly, Caine's head lolled forward. He wasn’t floating now, just standing. He’d slowly been sinking to the ground this whole time, like a dying balloon. He was out cold. Awake and asleep, all at once.
Pomni gulped, on the verge of maniacal stress-laughing. "I-isn't Caine the only one who can end the adventure a-and get us back to the Circus? if you just put Caine in some kind of trance…
JAX, DID YOU JUST GET US STUCK HERE? "