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Zooble knew your suggestion for an adventure from a mile away.
To be fair, they'd known Gangle's, too— but Gangle was the obvious sort. A girl who, as much as she tried to hide her indulgences, was incredibly clear when it came to it.
A trait she hated, you knew, with a strangling passion.
You, however, weren't so obvious. Among the other members of the cast, you tended not to share too much of yourself, keeping your real life away from your "digital life". Admittedly, the life you'd lived before this wasn't your ideal (to say the least of it), and the circus had somehow ended up as a strange blessing bestowed to you.
Privacy was important to you. Keeping your dignity— your integrity— was important to you. Nobody needed to know the little things; nobody actually cared enough to want to, you'd convinced yourself. So why should it matter?
Zooble, miraculously, had the answer.
Even though you kept to yourself when it came to reality, that didn't stop your interests from seeping through in your behaviour. When certain topics came up in adventures, they'd take notice of the way you'd brighten a little, curious. If someone mentioned something on the off-hand, they found that sometimes you'd glance away, distressed.
Small things, yet enough for a certain circus member to draw attention towards.
They never told you. Not honestly. Not in a way that'd make it obvious.
However, when the "lightning-round" adventures had switched into something incredibly adjacent to a slumber party— everyone dressed in their own sorts of nightwear, to add to the immersion— Zooble had glanced at you with intrigue.
To everyone else, it was normal enough. Something anyone could've suggested. Jax had given Gangle a bemused groan in her direction, and Ragatha had insisted that this was probably the most pleasant one yet— but you said nothing.
In fact, you'd wandered off, and Zooble couldn't stop themselves from following you.
The layout was akin to an apartment. Everyone had appeared in the bedroom- a large bed in the middle, with several mattresses and sleeping bags at the floor paired with a TV on the wall. The bedroom connected to a living room, which then included a kitchen section in the corner.
For some reason, you'd made your way over to the kitchen, now looking through cabinets. To your credit, you hadn't heard or noticed the assortment of toy parts following you. You were searching for something unspoken, and that was all that was on your mind, your hands sifting through different appliances.
Until Zooble spoke, and you hit your head on the kitchen counter trying to stand upright.
"So, what's—" They wince, "[%$!#], sorry, you alright?"
You rub the back of your head as you lean back, finally upright. Glancing to Zooble, you take note of their sleepwear— an oversized shirt with patterned bottoms; fitting— and then give a bashful smile.
"Yeah." Trying to act natural, you lean against the kitchen counter, appearing a little more awkward than intended.
Zooble stares at you. Their eyes narrow, and you look away, knowing you've been caught doing whatever you were doing.
"So," they try again, keeping their eyes on you, "What's inspired this adventure?"
You snap your head in their direction, staring back at them. If your pulse was heavy enough in this body, it'd be rocking you to and fro, unsettling your balance. It isn't, though, and all you can do is awkwardly fumble with the sleepwear you're in.
"Hmm?"
Acting aloof, you take another look away, and Zooble sighs. They glance around the kitchen— a wall of cupboards, a kitchen island, and the usual set of a sink, oven, with other necessities. It seems painfully normal, as much as they hate to admit it, and they wonder if this place exists in the real world.
Likely not. Caine doesn't know what the real world looks like, they're certain of it.
And yet.
"You don't have to tell me." Zooble assures, running a hand over the kitchen counter. They idly wonder if they could continue their drink making here. "Just thought I'd ask."
In the corner of your eye, you watch them. Even with the body they were given, they carry themselves in such a way that's so… captivating. You can only imagine what they were like before the circus.
Sighing, you briefly open another cupboard, only to not find what you were looking for and close it again.
"How do you…" You trail off. A lot of Zooble's perceptions are a mystery to you. They notice such small things when it comes to the others, including you, which makes you feel as though they have a bit too much experience people-watching.
Or, maybe it's a bit too much experience being in the circus.
That's a good contender, you think.
"A hunch." You look at Zooble, only to meet their eyes immediately. The sudden eye-contact has you fidgeting. "Your room has a lot of pillows— and I'm pretty sure I heard you talking about a sleepover at one point with Pomni. I just sort of just put those things together."
It's true. It's so very true that you pause. For them to notice such a notion is one thing, but to remember it is another. For some reason, you flush, warm.
"Ah."
Words won't come to you anymore, an absence of full sentences ringing in your ears. It's annoying, to be seen so clearly. When you try so hard, too— the circus isn't supposed to know you. It isn't supposed to learn you.
You're supposed to learn it.
Nevertheless, Zooble has you pinned. It's a little saddening, really, because you don't know half as much of them as they might of you. Sure, their bar adventure was quite wonderful in regards to getting to know more of the others, but why had it felt so surface-level?
With a wistful hum, you glance to different cupboard.
"What is it you're looking for, anyway?" Zooble moves a little closer to you. There's a comfortable distance between the two of you, and you understand Zooble isn't the sort to close gaps, yet it's something you take heed of anyway.
That is when you realise they'd noticed that, too.
Oh, curse you, Zooble. The ever-watchful, the ever-present. They're always there when you least expect it, and they're always absent when you can count of them to be. It's such a mystery when it comes to them.
To be honest, though, you find you don't necessarily have an issue with that.
Being seen for something more than the avatar given to you isn't a stunning achievement. Some of you choose to do so, and with others… not so much. A lot of you have maintained your humanity, and with you trying to hide yours, you feel as though you're unmatched in particular places.
Zooble doesn't appear to care too much on the fact that you "ignore" your past as a form of coping. Maybe that's something they haven't noticed, or maybe it really is a quality they're apathetic towards. It doesn't stop them from interacting with you either way, and you figure that is what matters to you in the end.
"It's silly." You shrug, pretending it doesn't matter. You press your back against the counter, finding yourself looking at your feet.
Slippers are fitted snugly on them. You hadn't even noticed that.
"If it's important to you, it isn't silly at all." Zooble leans their side against the counter with you. They're facing you, and you're caught looking directly back at them.
For a character without a mouth, they're very clear with their facial expressions. You suppose that's thanks to their eyes, considering a lot can be told through them. Whenever they 'smile' or 'frown' it's clear, and you feel grateful for it. It's nice to know what they're feeling, especially for someone who doesn't indulge in heart-to-hearts much.
At least, to your knowledge.
"I just," your mouth thins to a line, thinking, "I sort of… might've… included the mention of popcorn in the suggestion."
You watch as their features warm. A smile?
"I was wondering if it'd be in here, if anywhere."
Zooble shakes their head softly, a hint of a laugh emitting from them. You flush again.
"I told you it was silly, Zooble."
"I'm not laughing because you wanted popcorn," their laugh softens, trailing to a stop once they talk, "I'm laughing 'cause I think that's a cute thing to prioritise."
You run a hand over your face, embarrassed. In a way, you'd think the same if someone else did so, too. The image of Gangle or Pomni hurriedly searching for popcorn in a plethora of foreign cupboards flickers in your mind, and you chuckle a little to yourself as well.
In an unexpected turn, Zooble edges closer, their hand meeting yours as they pull it away from your face. Your eyes flicker to their hand, then back to their eyes.
"I can help." They offer it so genuinely you almost miss it, "If you think it'd be in here, then we can look here."
Slowly, they pull their hand away almost as soon as they'd captured yours with it, beginning to search through several different cabinets. Of course, with their strangely shaped limbs, some spaces can be quite difficult, but they make the effort nonetheless.
As you watch them you're stationary for a while. It's such a sweet thing to do— something they certainly didn't have to do, if they didn't want to. And, yet, they easily did without hesitance, skimming over kitchen appliances and mumbling to themselves about how there's way too many cheese graters.
You feel the grin developing on your face sweep over you easily.
The two of you scour high and low for a bag of popcorn. Anything would suffice really, though you feel that this chance is one of few.
It takes a significant amount of time— not horrendously long, but significant enough to require method to it. Unfortunately for the two of you, once every cabinet has been searched through, you're met with a lack of popcorn and, even worse, a lack of snacks in general.
It's a crime, truly.
"Well," Zooble slumps, "An attempt was made, right?"
You're still smiling as you look back at Zooble. They glance at you with a willing set of eyes.
"Yeah," you nod, "Thanks— for helping, though. And just… being here."
The sentiment evidently takes them off-guard. With the way they shift a little on their feet, their hands aimless, they give you what you assume to be another smile.
"'Course." Offering a slight thumbs-up, their gaze lingers on you a little longer than necessary, and you try not to think too hard in the moment.
They care so much. It's obvious now, with the way they've been acting. You wish you'd noticed before, but ultimately, they're one of the most low-key individuals in the circus that you can't even blame yourself. Getting to know Zooble is infamous for taking time, yet you wish it took a little less amount of signs to realise their genuine compassion for you.
In fact, you wonder if there's a reason you'd failed to notice it for this long.
A sudden distraction takes your attention as Gangle rushes into the room, Ragatha following. The duo offer their own smiles in your collective direction and you return it with a greeting.
"We somehow convinced Caine to give us more time in this one," Ragatha presses her hands together in a soundless clap, "Siiince we just found a bucket of—"
"Popcorn!" Gangle cheers, grabbing Ragatha's arm and swaying excitedly. "It was hidden under the TV! Now we can properly watch some movies!"
Exchanging a knowing look, you and Zooble can't help but reveal your own sets of laughter, a hint of annoyance edged with amusement between them. Both Ragatha and Gangle haven't a clue why you've found yourself in fits of mild hysteria, but they're pleased for the most part, a good reaction coming from their announcement.
"Sounds like," Zooble catches their breath, rapt in you, "We've got some popcorn to get to, then."
They outstretch a hand to you, and Ragatha whispers something to Gangle. The latter giggles with a nod, retreating with her back to the bedroom.
You focus on Zooble's hand for a bit. The patterns match their shirt. It's sort of cute, but you mentally kick yourself over how you hadn't recognised it before now.
Then again, you'd been a lot more focused on other things. The popcorn, all those disorganised cupboards, Zooble finding you in a state of searching.
Actually, forget the popcorn and the cupboards— you'd mostly been focused on Zooble themselves; the way their face lights up when you speak to them, the way they'd been so willing to aid you.
You're a little annoyed that things didn't go as perfectly planned in your suggested adventure, but you supposed it wasn't too bad. Mostly, to their credit, because of Zooble as a person.
Slotting your hand into theirs, you give them an affirming nod.
"Sounds like it." Voice warm, you squeeze their hand.
They do the same, pulling you with them.