Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Caine reads the next suggestion aloud to the circus members. 

Caine: "In my adventure, Princess Pomni has been captured, and four brave knights on horseback must go on a quest to free her from the Ice Mother's evil grasp, by challenging her to a game of—"

Jax: "Uhgggggg these suggestions all suuuck! Hey Caine, how about instead of reading them all out one by one, you look through and get back to us once you find an actually good suggestion?"

Caine: "But how am I supposed to know what you all consider to be an actually good suggestion, when all of you like different things?"

Jax shrugs. 

Jax: "I donno. Just ignore the boring ones and pick one you like." 

Caine crosses his arms.

Jax: "I actually like your ideas."

Caine perks up at that. 

Caine: "You...like them? I like the way you think, Jax!"

Zooble, Ragatha and Gangle groan, almost in unison. Ignoring their objections completely, Caine starts silently reading through the next paper, and the next, and the next. He crumples the many rejects and tosses them back at bubble, who catches them in his mouth and swallows them. As he gets through more suggestions, he speeds up, until all his movements are an incomprehensible blur, until finally he settles on a suggestion. 

Caine: "Aha! Perfect!"

He pulls a wet magnifying glass from Bubble's mouth and begins reading aloud.

Caine: "An actually good idea. Everyone is gender swapped for a day, and we all go on some kind of adventure. Caine gets to decide the rest."

Bubble: "Don't read this next part out loud, at the end there are—"

Caine pops him. 

Caine: "Spoiler alert, Bubble! Why, this suggestion is perfect! No notes, it's decided."

He glances to the sides before whispering the next part.

Caine: "The rest of you really need to up your game."

After a few moments of stunned silence from the circus members, they all begin talking, some over each other. Ragatha speaks up first.

Ragatha: "Is the gender thing really necessary? I sort of...like being a girl, yknow?" 

Jax: "Relaaaax, being a boy is fun! You'll just love it, Rags."

Jax puts on a cruel, mocking grin, and punctuates the word "love" by punching Ragatha in the shoulder.

Pomni: "So a normal adventure but I have to boymode for a day? Seriously?" 

Zooble: "That's IT?? We don't even get to choose an adventure? This is total bull[$#!4]."

Caine: "Well, technically you did choose an adventure. You just made the choice to outsource what that adventure is to our resident adventure expert, yours truly. A very wise choice might I add."

Gangle: "This is like that episode of Highschool Wizards Academy where..."

She makes shy eye contact with Jax before quickly trailing off.

Ragatha: "I...think I would like your adventure a lot more if I could stay as a girl."

Pomni: "Is it just our physical sex? How exactly do you decide what changes to make?"

Zooble: "How would that even work for me? I don't have a gender."

Kinger: "Hey! I have one of those. You can borrow mine if you like, Zooble."

Jax: "Just what you always wanted, isn't it, freak?"

Jax emphasizes "isn't it" by knuckling her comedy mask, which she shies away from. 

Gangle: "No, but I'm curious if we'll look anything like the designs I—"

Jax: "Nothing wrong with your loser interests, Ribbons. Personally, I'm just excited to see Ragatha as a man."

Jax points at Ragatha's face while saying her name, before miming an exaggerated walk with large steps, perfectly straight posture, and a serious frown.

Ragatha: "Jax! You know I don't want this! Why would you say that?"

Pomni raises her eyebrows. 

Pomni: "You do know this will apply to you too, Jax."

With a puffed out chest and a hand pointed dramatically inward, Jax retorts.

Jax: "Nothing my impenetrable masculine aura can't handle."

Zooble gestures angrily at Jax as they speak. 

Zooble: "I swear to GOD Jax, WHY did you have to tell Caine that?"

They look down and place their fingers on their temple before starting to walk away.

Zooble: [#?@%] this, I'm not going anywhere.

Caine: "Now now Zooble, the suggestion did say you ALL go on an adventure. You don't even know what it is yet! For all you know it could be a...what was it you like again?"

Ragatha: "How about we switch to a different suggestion?"

Caine: "What a terrible idea, Ragatha. But enough bickering already! Today's adventure will be: New Gloink City Justice Friends! But first, our genders."

Caine snaps her fingers.

Chapter Text

In an instant, everyone's body and clothes change, including Caine's own, with the sole exception of Zooble. Before anyone can react, she gestures with her arms, sitting everyone down in lawn chairs in front of a slide show presentation. Her voice sounds higher and lighter than before, but it still has her signature chaotic speed and dramatic intonation. Her suit and tophat have been replaced with a flowery pink dress and a matching pink sunhat. 

Caine: "You've received some intel that Zork the Space Conqueror has an attack planned on your place of residence, New Gloink City!" 

The slide changes with every new bit of information. She emphasizes Zork's name with a dramatic pose and by throwing her voice with a significant echo while tentacles reach out of the projection. 

Caine: "As the cities final, most powerful, and most marketable line of defense, you, the Justice Friends, must face off against this dastardly foe and save New Gloink from its inevitable enslavement."

No one is paying her any attention whatsoever. 

In the far left seat sits Zooble, squinting at their arms to confirm that no, absolutely nothing about their body has changed.

Zooble: "You didn't even [#?@%]ing TRY?"

Zooble is next to Gangle, who's busy feeling...her? his? their face with one hand while staring at the other. Their ribbons are now blue, thicker, wider, and the shape they fill out is taller and more flat on the sides. Their mask looks different too; the overall shape is more angular, and the face has thick eyebrows, a thin mustache, and a thin vertical beard. 

Gangle: "Interesting...OH! Hahaha...this feels weird."

Their voice is significantly deeper than usual, which seems to catch them off guard. 

Also next to Gangle, Jax is admiring the bottom of the black dress her red overalls had turned into. The dress accentuates her newly acquired hips as well as her chest, which she glances down at and places a hand against, before her eyes widen and a grin spreads across her face. 

Jax: "Not baaaaaddd!"

Her voice is still on the lower side, but not as resonant, and distinctly feminine. The transformation seems to have given her eyelashes, some subtle bangs camouflaged the same color as her fur, and a less-than-subtle layer of goth makeup. 

On Jax's other side sits Ragatha, seemingly on the verge of tears. Her dress has been replaced by a long sleeve purple plaid button down shirt, and blue pants that go up past her waist, fastened to her shoulders by suspenders. Her hair is much shorter, and covered by a large blue sailor hat. 

Ragatha: "I'm- I'm horrible..."

Pomni, seated between Ragatha and Kinger, blinks slowly at her new body. Her costume has been replaced with a fancy suit striped in the same colors, with long straight sleeves and pants that make her body and limbs look thicker and more boxy. Or perhaps they really are thicker. It's hard to say, as not much skin is showing under her suit. The blush spots under her eyes have been replaced with four black triangles, one centered above and one centered below each eye. Her bangs are gone, and her hair now looks quite short all around, barely visible under her hat. 

Pomni: "Was my clown costume not humiliating enough?"

Despite the changes in appearance, her voice sounded exactly the same as before. 

On the very end, Kinger felt around her head. The cross was gone, and it was replaced with a shallow spiked crown and a small ball centered on the very top. 

Kinger: "Wah?? I've been promoted!"

Caine, noticing the commotion at last, puts a pause on her monologue. She snaps, and the slide changes to a mirror, reflecting the circus members in real time. 

Caine: "Admiring my handywork, I see? Your all-new gendrified bodies, now complete with 110% more gender, will be just what you need to harness your new powers and save the city from certain doom."

Ragatha sees her reflection in the mirror and flinches, quickly looking back down. 

Jax points at Zooble's reflection and looks over Gangle at the real Zooble.

Jax: "Hey Zoobie, check out how ugly Caine made you!"

Zooble just rolls their eyes at that. 

Kinger: "And look how good-lookin Caine made you, Jax!"

Jax: "Why thank you! As I always say, I am kind of a beacon of femininity."

Pomni: "Didn't you say the exact opposite like two minutes ago?"

Jax: "You must be misremembering."

Gangle is still experimenting with their new voice. They gasp when they notice their reflection, but quickly recover and use it to watch themself while perfecting an impression of a certain anime protagonist.

Gangle: "I chal— I— He-Ahem. I challenge you, to a— I can do this."

Their impression is starting to sound pretty good. They look ready. He looks ready.

Ragatha: "Caine, y'think maybe I could have my old body back?"

Caine: "Not today, Ragatha! The suggestion—"

Zooble: "I never got one, Caine. She shouldn't have to. [#?@%], I could actually use the upgrade."

Zooble briefly takes one of their arms off and holds it out in front of them to demonstrate. Jax retorts in a mock-offended tone. 

Jax: "Why Zooble, I thought he was your friend. Caaaine, are we just gonna let them misgender poor Ragatha? I didn't think such offensive material would be allowed in the circus."

Ragatha: "Jax!"

Jax puts her hands behind her head and leans back, grinning. 

Zooble: "Just because she looks like a man doesn't mean—"

They catch themself too late, putting a hand to where their mouth would be, and Ragatha look hurt.

Caine brandishes Bubble from her sunhat. Bubble looks nearly identical, but she seems to have stolen Ragatha's purple bow and put it on her own head.

Caine: "Jax makes a great point, Bubble! As part of your digital gender experience, you will be required to refer to each other using only the appropriate gendered vocabulary."

As she speaks, several new slides appear, featuring pronoun charts and gender symbols. Finally, she snaps her fingers. 

Zooble: "But I wasn't misgendering [#@&]. [$#@]'s still a [@)&!] so— CAINE!"

Bubble: "You can still call me a fffilthy ffff[#@&&\*!]"

Caine: "I...don't think they can call you that, Bubble."

Pomni is trying and failing to get comfortable in her seat and fidgeting with her hands while quietly observing Jax and Gangle. 

Pomni: "Did [#@] just-- [#?@%]. Did Caine say something about powers?"

Gangle: "Ooo...what's mine gonna be?"

Caine: "That, my valiant vigilantes, is for you to find out."

Caine gestures and a portal opens to the left of the slide show. Jax stands up and stretches, before walking towards it. Zooble also stands up, but walks in the opposite direction.

Caine: "New Gloink City awaits!"

Zooble: "Noooooo thank you."

Ragatha: "I...think I might also sit this one out. If you need me, I'll be in my room."

Caine: "B- But New Gloink City needs you! Get back here."

Caine snaps her fingers once more, and massive white gloved hands grab each circus member and pull them towards the portal. 

Zooble: "Caine you mother[#?]—"

Zooble is pulled through last, and the portal closes behind them. Caine stands still for a moment, looking disoriented, before glancing down at her wacky watch.

Caine: "Why, would you look at that! It's time to get a watch!"

Chapter Text

The six circus members are released from a horizontal portal 20 feet above an empty street. Jax lands first, instinctively catching her fall like a cat, and then stands around and observes as Pomni, Ragatha and Zooble fall flat on the ground. While the rest are still groaning in pain, Ragatha manages to get up first in time to catch Gangle's mask before it hits the ground. His ribbons, which were trailing behind it, fall down on top of her in a tangled mess.

Gangle: "Sorry!"

Ragatha: "Are you okay?"

Gangle: "..yyeess..."

None of them appear to have noticed the devices on their wrist. They look superficially like watches, but rather than a time, the screen displays a "JF" logo. Kinger seems content to keep lying down on the street, but Pomni and Zooble have started to pick themselves up off the ground when a voice blares from their watches, speaking at a rapid pace, and a tiny hologram of Caine appears above each display.

Caine: "Welcome home, Justice Friends. You got back just in time! Captain Bubble's simulations predict that in a mere fifty-seven minutes, New Gloink City will be under attack."

Caine does her shocked face and suddenly disappears, leaving a 57-minute timer on their watch screens.

Pomni: "Wait what? What do we do? Are we supposed to have like, weapons or something?"

Caine reappears once more to reply to Pomni. Apparently, he can hear them through the watches.

Caine: "Any weapons and/or abilities at your disposal are for you to discover, my eldritch little corncobs."

Caine disappears once more.

Zooble: "Well, if this is supposed to be New York, I'm gonna go find a restaurant. See you guys."

Zooble starts walking down the street.

Gangle: "What about our powers??"

Jax: "God, Gangle, weren't you paying attention? We have to discover those ourselves."

Ragatha: "Would you leave [#@&] alone for once?"

Jax points a flat vertical hand at Ragatha's face.

Jax: "Shush! Nothing personal, Raggy, I don't listen to men."

Ragatha: "Well- I- You- Hurghhhhhh!"

She balls her gloved hands into fists and storms off in the same direction as Zooble, but takes a different turn at the end of the sidewalk.

Kinger: "Ragatha, wait! I'll listen to you!"

Kinger chases after her. But she doesn't walk with her robes stretching to emphasize her steps like she normally does. Instead, she travels in a perfectly straight line along the sidewalk at a tremendous speed, accidentally overshooting the corner and running into an NPC, before reversing directions in an instant and making the sudden 90 degree turn correctly this time.

Pomni: "What did [%!^&]er just do?"

Jax: "Welp! I guess it's just us. You boys ready to have some fun?"

Pomni rolls her eyes and scoffs.

Ragatha is walking with Kinger. She looks back and fourth at the NPCs walking around them. Their faces are blank and indistinct, so it's hard to tell which direction they're facing or what their expression might be. The best clue available is from their body

Ragatha: "Oh god...they're all looking at me..."

Kinger: "Looking at you? Why would they be...oh hey! You look different, Ragatha."

Ragatha stops walking as her limbs begin shaking, and her skin starts to ripple like a fluid. In a panic, she ducks and sprints into a dark alleyway and runs off. Kinger follows her.

As the darkness from the alley floods Kinger's eyes, they shift a bit, and she looks more focused.

Pomni and Gangle are walking next to one another, several yards behind Jax, who seems to have run off ahead to do...whatever it is she's excited about.

Pomni: "So...is this your suggestion?"

Gangle: "Actually, it isn't. I kinda like it though."

Pomni: "What were you saying about your designs earlier?"

Gangle blushes and his body language gets all nervous.

Gangle: "Well, umm, I uh...I mean I hope it's okay with everyone but...I kind of, uhh-"

Pomni: "You don't have to be embarrassed. I think I can handle it."

Gangle: "I may have come up with genderbent character designs for...all of you."

Pomni giggles a little at that, but catches herself when she sees his horrified expression.

Pomni: "That's okay! You're okay. Don't worry about it."

An awkward silence ensues.

Pomni: "So do we look anything like your designs?"

Gangle: "Oh! Uhmm...no, not really. No."

Pomni: "What did I look like?"

Gangle: "Have you ever seen The Lorax?"

Pomni: "The...kids book?"

Gangle: "I-It's probably better if I show you sometime—"

BOOM. The shockwave from an explosion causes Gangle to shake and Pomni to stumble back. Jax's maniacal laughter soon follows, along with the screams of some nearby NPCs.

Pomni: "Okay, sure, show me sometime! I gotta go check on Jax. Aaand I got the answers I needed, so uh. Thanks."

Pomni runs off to catch up with the rabbit.

Zooble sits on some stairs to an unmarked building. They punch the air weakly, before glancing down at the watch where Caine's hologram appeared.

Zooble: "[&@^] builds a whole-[@$$] legally distinct replica of New York and [#@] doesn't include a single restaurant."

They lean back, resting their head against the top stair, and their entire body starts to bend, as if it's made of molten metal. Looking to the left and then the right they suddenly sit back up and their body returns to normal.

Zooble: "Huh?"

When Kinger gets to Ragatha at the end of the alley, she's sobbing. She also appears to have grown significantly, to about three times her normal height with much bulkier proportions, and large visible muscles.

Ragatha: "...oh god, what's happening to me? is this what abstraction feels like? please tell me I didn't abstract...ca-can you even hear me?"

Kinger: "You didn't abstract, Ragatha. You just grew a few sizes larger. You're gonna be okay. Maybe that's the superpower Caine gave you for this adventure."

Ragatha: "I don't, I- I can't do this."

Kinger: "You don't have to do anything right now. How would you like to just stay here and talk for a while?"

Ragatha: "O-okay...I just don't understand. Why would Caine do this to me?"

Kinger: "I doubt it's anything personal. It seems like Caine was just trying to follow the instructions on the suggestion."

Ragatha: "How is everyone taking this so well? I know I'm usually the optimistic one...heh. Who would even suggest something like this?"

Kinger sighs and the two of them just sit there breathing for a bit.

Kinger: "Sometimes it can be fun to experiment with gender and clothing."

More silence.

Kinger: "I know it's not exactly the same, but I used to wear women's clothing sometimes, before the circus. My wife would help with my makeup, and I would get on stage and sing Karaoke."

Ragatha: "You..."

She freezes after that first word, still processing what Kinger said.

Ragatha: "You were a drag queen?"

Pomni follows the trail of tormented NPCs and the sounds of two more explosions, until she finally catches up to Jax.

Pomni: "So it WAS you!"

Jax turns around, startled by her sudden company.

Jax: "Wha- No it wasn't. Gangle—"

Pomni: "You're not a very good liar, Jax."

Jax: "What are you talking about?"

Pomni: "You already answered, it's a little late to play dumb now."

Jax: "I'm not doing this. I can explode things. With my hands."

Pomni: "Why did you suggest this adventure?"

Jax: "I'm not answering that."

Pomni: "So it is your suggestion. Interesting."

Jax: "Stop it. No. Why would I want to be- No."

Pomni: "Want to be what, Jax? Finish that thought."

Zooble is staring intently at their fist. It droops slightly from relaxation, before starting to melt once more, meshing into a blob at the end rather than distinct fingers. They try to shake it out, and it transforms again. This time, it's thicker and more rubbery, wobbling like a pool noodle. With a look of concentration and effort, they straighten it out and it hardens into a metal-like substance, forming sharp corners at the edges, before they relax it once more and it returns, not to its normal toy-like appearance, but a more realistic mannequin-like limb.

At this point, they're hyperventilating a little. They stand up and punch the air again, with much better form this time. First with their left fist, then their right, then their left again. As they do, their fists transform into an oversized boxing glove, a dagger, and a metal claw shaped like a bear trap respectively.

Zooble: "No [#?@%]ing way...what the [#?@%]?"

They run down the steps and into the street, legs transforming first into stilts, and then cartoonish mannequin limbs, and their head morphing from a triangle into a sphere. Their watch has stayed completely unharmed through the whole process, and is now clipping through their arm as if it itself is a hologram. They attempt to hit their watch with their other hand and yell into it

Zooble: "CAINE! I forgive you for dragging me out here, this is amazing!"

Kinger: "Deep breath in."

Ragatha has her eyes closed, and is slowly breathing while Kinger coaches her on what to do.

Kinger: "And deep breath out."

Ragatha starts to shake and her skin starts to ripple once more.

Kinger: "I think it's working. Stay relaxed. Deep breath in."

Ragatha slowly starts shrinking. The shrink is lopsided, with different limbs going at different paces.

Ragatha: "What's happening. What's happening?"

Kinger: "Don't open your eyes yet. Deep breath out."

Ragatha keeps breathing, until she's down to her normal size.

Ragatha: "I don't feel anything anymore. Is it safe to open my eyes?"

Kinger: "You're back to being small!"

Ragatha opens her eyes. She looks relieved, but not particularly happy.

Kinger: "Well, small for this adventure."

Ragatha: "How are we speaking so clearly right now? Usually I, no offense, but I can't understand much of what you're saying. But right now you're different, you're- you're-"

Kinger responds as she's searching for the word.

Kinger: "Not crazy?"

Ragatha looks uncomfortable and winces at that ending to her sentence, but does nothing to correct Kinger.

Kinger: "The darkness helps a lot with the brain fog."

Ragatha: "[%!^&]er...oh. [%!^&]—I'm trying to say your name."

Kinger: "Yes? Oh, you can call me Queener if that's easier."

Ragatha: "Can we stay here for a little while longer?"

Queener looks at her watch.

Queener: "We've got some time."

Gangle's walking pretty far behind Jax and Pomni now. He seems to be lost in his own world, doing impressions of different voices and looking back and fourth.

Gangle (high): "So what could my gift be?"

Gangle (low): "You must find that out for yourself."

Gangle (high): "But how can I find it if I don't know what to look for?"

Gangle (low): "Experiment. Try things. You will know when you find what you're looking for."

He punches the air downward, and flinches in suprise and stops walking when a bolt of visible energy releases from his fist to the sidewalk below.

Gangle stares at his fist, blinking before punching again. This time, he punches forward, pulling his fist back beforehand, and a much larger energy bolt releases, traveling until it hits a tree, flashing on impact and leaving a visible smoking crater on the bark.

He tries folding his arms into an X in front of his neck, and a blue transparent forcefield appears in front of them.

He tries clapping what would be his hands together, and slowly pulling them apart, and firey orb looking like a tiny star appears where he had clapped. It starts tiny, but as his hands grow further apart, the orb grows bigger. All at once, he lets go with both hands, and it rockets forward, causing a minor explosion which completely obliterates the tree upon impact.

A few of the surrounding NPCs are now watching, and one appears to whisper something to another.

Gangle turns around and starts sprinting off in the direction Zooble went.

Gangle: "ZOOBLE!"

Jax: "Even if I wanted to humor you, I haven't the slightest clue what you're trying to imply."

Pomni: "YOU'RE A WOMAN, Jax."

Jax laughs at that and gestures to her new body.

Jax: "Way to go Sherlock, did my tits give it away?"

Pomni: "No. I mean yes. Obviously I noticed those. But internally. You're, like, an actual woman."

Jax crosses her arms.

Jax: "And Ragatha's a man now. Your point?"

She cocks her head as if noticing something and her eyes widen while her pupils shrink to tiny squares.

Jax: "...Are you coming on to me?"

Pomni: "Not if you're gonna keep misgendering my friends."

For a moment, everything is silent. Jax seems frozen in thought, while Pomni looks uncertain about herself. Jax suddenly snaps out of it.

Jax: "Ooh, just what everybody wants. A straight couple."

Pomni: "What? Wh- Who is 'everybody'? Wait what do you mean 'straight'? If you're a girl, then..."

Pomni shrugs her hands up. Jax is grinning mischievously and stretches as she delivers her next line.

Jax: "Oh, I'm well aware. But I donno if you've noticed: Caine changed you too, clown boy."

Pomni: "Don't call me that. And I know what we look like, but I still think and feel like a woman, don't I?"

Jax hesitates, and she looks away while answering with noticeable venom.

Jax: "And why exactly would that matter now?"

Pomni: "Uhm, Jax?"

Pomni sighs. Jax still won't look at her.

Pomni: "Do you...know...what a trans person is?"

Jax: "Sure I know what a [#&@^^%] is."

Pomni: "You can't say—wait, actually nevermind. Elaborate."

Jax: "When a guy delusional enough to think he can escape the hell that is his body fills it with girl juice and wears skirts to cope. And if he's very lucky and starts very young, he might even look half legit."

Pomni: "Jesus, Jax."

Silence. Pomni looks down, thinking carefully about what to say next.

Pomni: "You are legit."

Jax looks back at her, smiling again, and pokes Pomni between the eyebrows as her voice goes high.

Jax: "Bingo. Caine made me a legit woman for a day. Cope pills could never achieve this. A [#&@^^%] would probably envy me right now."

Jax smirks at that. Pomni has an exasperated, pleading look in her eyes, with body language to match, and speaks slowly.

Pomni: "Look. I don't know how to get through to you, but whatever theory of gender you were sold has clearly been hurting you."

Jax rolls her eyes and looks up, gesturing wildly with her hands.

Jax: "Ooh, didn't realize I would be spending all of eternity in digital hell with a preachy SJW, here to tell me all my problems can be solved if I just believe."

Pomni: "Estrogen is legit! You know, I'm—forget it. You're legit. Even when you're not in this body. It's okay to be trans."

Jax turns around to face Pomni and speaks slowly, in as low a register as her new voice will take her, her eyes now minuscule squares. Firecracker sparks fly from her hands several times as she speaks.

Jax: "There must have been a misunderstanding between us. I didn't suggest this stupid adventure, I don't care what I look like, and I'm not interested whatever dumb metaphorical womanhood you want to sell me, cause I may be a girl now, but I. Am. Not. Your. Stupid. [#&@^^%]."

Her eyes unfocus and dialate. When she talks again, her frustration is gone, and replaced with her usual sarcastic cheer.

Jax: "I'm just here to kill some NPCs and laugh at you all struggling with the gross bodies caine gave you. Later, Poms!"

As he strolls off, Pomni stays still, staring.

Zooble looks up. Their body looks like some kind of humanoid figurine, and they're wearing a patched punk jacket. The only part of their body obviously recognizable as Zooble is their head, which, while it does have a mohawk and a nose and mouth, remains its signature shade of pink, and their eyes haven't changed at all.

Zooble: "GANGLE? IS THAT YOU?"

Gangle's new voice sounds in the distance.

Gangle: "ZOOBLE YOU NEED TO SEE THIS!"

Zooble starts sprinting

Zooble: "YOU NEED TO SEE THIS!"

Gangle comes running around the corner, with visible motion trails behind him.

Zooble: "Gangle!"

Gangle stops dead in his tracks, staring in awe.

Gangle: "Is that..."

Zooble: "This is what I look like now. I can shapeshift."

Gangle: "You look...amazing."

Zooble: "I can't make myself look too realistic or it starts glitching out, but I have a suprising amount of freedom if I keep it stylized and cartoony. I took your design as inspiration."

Gangle, now snapped out of his trance, has stepped forward and his ribbon hand on Gangle's bicep, looking at it closely.

Gangle: "Can I...take a look?"

Zooble: "Sure! What was it you wanted to tell me about?"

Zooble moves around to make it easier for Gangle to inspect their new body.

Gangle: "I have energy powers."

Zooble: "Holy [$%!#]. [@!&?], I need to see this."

Gangle: "Yes! But, um. One other thing?"

Zooble: "What is it?"

Gangle: "I'm kind of enjoying the gender stuff. Do you think you could maybe...play along?"

Zooble: "Of course! You know I don't have a preference."

Gangle: "Thank you. I want to change back when the adventure's over, I just...thought it might be fun to be yaoi for the day while we fight some something."

Zooble sighs.

Zooble: "I guess I can fight some NPCs with you. Just this once."

Caine appears each of Ragatha and Queener's watches, startling them both, as per usual.

Caine: "I hope your preparations were adequate, scrumptious knights, because only 57 seconds remain until the invasion starts."

As suddenly as she had appeared, she is now gone. The two look at each other.

Queener: "We should probably leave now and find the others."

Ragatha: "I don't really want to come out there."

Queener: "I'm pretty fast as a queen. If you get on my back, I can take you quickly so New Gloinkers can't see."

Ragatha: "Okay..."

She climbs on Queener's back, and in an instant, she's darted out of the alley, leaving only motion trails and a rapidly fading afterimage.

Pomni looks up as a blur of motion shoots down the sidewalk, dodging NPCs in sharp, straight and diagonal motions, and comes to a halt right in front of her. It's Queener and Ragatha, who lets go and falls off her back, looking very dizzy.

Just then, the sky appears to darken, as a massive green portal, the size of half the city, appears above the city, facing the ground below. The timer on her watch hits zero.