Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Zooble was the first of the main 6 to abstract after a particularly bad argument with Caine. They refused to participate in yet another adventure and stayed behind while the rest got thrown into a pool party complete with hungry piranhas. When the group got back, Zooble was no where to be found. Which was odd, given that they had grown a habit of welcoming the group back (really it was just Gangle they wanted to see). Gangle went to check on them, but never returned with the update they were waiting for.

Being pushed by the others to investigate, Jax unlocked Gangle's door only to find her unraveled. Literally. Her ribbons were unraveled from their vague humanoid form and was instead coiled around an abstracted... Zooble? Gangle's comedy mask wasn't just broken in half this time, it was on the floor in shattered pieces. Her tragedy mask, rested on top of Zooble's abstracted form, had a strange crooked grin, her eyes blank with the usual tears at the corners.

Jax stumbled back, he was at a loss for words for the first time.

"Oh... hey Jax... don't mind me, I figured I can keep Zooble calm like this... in the dark," Gangle started saying softly, gently.

Jax became acutely aware of the light he was letting into the room. The abstraction started towards Jax, but Gangle wrapped her ribbons slightly tighter, reigning in whatever is left of Zooble.

"Would you mind closing the door?" Gangle whispered, and Jax thought he could hear a hint of fear in her voice. Still not knowing what to say, Jax did as he was requested and headed back to the main tent. He kept his head down, refusing to look at the crossed out doors. Their numbers kept increasing.

"Jax! Where's Gangle and Zooble?" Pomni asked, running towards the rabbit. Jax didn't say anything, just let himself be dragged back to the group by the small jester. Ragatha frowned, noticing his uncharacteristic silence.

"Are they...?" Ragatha never finished her question, but the word hung in the air like a cloud of poison, suffocating them. Jax shook his head.

"Zooble is gone, and Gangle is... keeping them company I suppose," Jax finally said, deciding this was the best way to phrase it.

"What does that even mean?" Ragatha demanded.

"Believe me or not, it's exactly what it sounds like!" Jax didn't mean to yell, he truly didn't. But he did anyway. Ragatha's eye widened by a fraction, and Jax turned away.

"Jax, is Gangle ok?" Pomni asked.

"Is she ever?" Jax shot back, too quickly. He didn't mean to, but being snarky and sarcastic was basically coded into him. Or so he believed. Nevertheless, he apologised, "If you mean to ask whether she's abstracted, then no. But if you ask me, I think it'll happen sooner rather than later."

Ragatha begins to scold him, but he has learnt to tune her out. He walked away from the group, deciding he needed some isolation. Pomni went towards Kinger, the chess piece was in his impenetrable pillow fort.

"Kinger, you heard Jax, right?" Pomni asked cautiously as she peeked into his fortress. He turned towards her, eyes wide with solemn acknowledgement.

"Gangle hasn't abstracted, but she figured out a way to keep Zooble calm, in the dark. If anyone should go talk to them, I think it should be you, Kinger," Pomni implored. Kinger was silent for two beats, then nodded and got up slowly.

When the two re-emerged from the pillow fort, Ragatha too had returned to her room. Pomni held onto one of Kinger's disembodied hand, leading him towards the door which showed Gangle's mask.

"What was I supposed to talk to them about again?" Kinger questioned, back to his usual forgetful self.

"Ummm I'm honestly not sure either, but I'm sure the words will come to you when you're in the dark!" Pomni encouraged, "while you do that, I'll go check on Ragatha and Jax. The worse thing we can do here is leave someone feeling unwanted, right?"

With that, Pomni knocked twice on the door before opening it to shove Kinger in then closing it in a smooth motion. She did it as quickly as she could, trying not to look at her abstracted friend and her other likely insane friend. Still, she caught a glimpse of an erratic neon blue eye that seemed to stare straight at her from the darkness. She silently prayed that Kinger would come out in one piece, and maybe bring Gangle back along with him.

Chapter Text

Pomni made her way across the hall to check on Ragatha. She knocked twice on the door and waited. No response. She tried again, the doll was still unresponsive. There were also no sounds from within the room. She tried Jax's door, which only returned the same lack of response from the rabbit. She didn't know where Ragatha may be, but she did have a few ideas on Jax's whereabouts.

The jester walked back to the main tent, where the pipes were. She tried to keep her own thoughts out of her head, tried not to worry about the two (three?) of them in Gangle's room, tried to push away her own paranoia, and most importantly tried to not wonder what had happened to Jax and Ragatha.

They were fine, probably just taking time to themselves to process what just happened. Yes that must be it, and that's a good thing! That's a healthy thing to do. Except, Pomni had been here long enough to know that being on your own with just your thoughts is anything but healthy in this godforsaken virtual land. Her footsteps quickened as her destination came into sight.

"Would you just leave me alone?!" The yell echoed in the tube Pomni had just crawled into, it made her ears ring but also gave her relief at the same time. That meant that Jax, and Ragatha, were here. Good, at least she found them both together. They were arguing, but together. She crawled faster towards the voice.

"Maybe this isn't about you this time!" Ragatha shouted back, her voice breaking into a whisper, "maybe it's me! Maybe it's me... who needs your company... I don't want to be alone right now."

Pomni still couldn't see them yet, when did this tunnel get so long? Silence filled the air for a moment.

"Well, I want to be alone now, so scram!" Jax bit back. This was when Pomni finally found the pair. They were crammed in the tube, Jax's lanky limbs sprawled out and Ragatha curled into a ball just meters away from him. She was sobbing.

"Hey guys-"

The two snapped their heads towards her, Ragatha quickly wiped her tears away and Jax slapped on his signature grin. Though it didn't quite reach his eyes this time.

"Pomni! What are you doing here? Are you okay? Where's Kinger?" Ragatha quickly asked, worry filled her tone. Jax snorted behind her.

"So much for making it about you for once," he muttered. It wasn't meant to be heard, but the enclosed space they were in basically announced his sentiment for the ladies loud and clear.

"YOU-" Ragatha wheeled on him, forcing him backwards.

"Woah chill Raggy! Look Pom Pom is here now, she can keep you company, and I can go back to being alone. It's a win-win situation! I'll even let you guys have my favorite tunnel just cause I'm so nice," Jax grinned, holding his hands up in a surrendering position. With that, he turned to leave, only to find that it's a dead end. Cue the censored sound that blared from his lips.

"Looks like you're stuck with us. Kinger is with Gangle, I suggested he try to talk to her, y'know with it being dark and all," Pomni explained, "so I'm here to check on the two of you!"

"You sent the nutcase to counsel the other nutcase? Wow Pomni maybe I should be the one checking on you cause what is wrong with you to think that's a good idea?" Jax deflected, earning a whack on the head from Ragatha. She was usually too short to even reach his head, but here in the tunnel where he was forced to slouch over, they were finally on equal ground.

"Yeah Pomni, how are you holding up? You're still new, I'm more worried about you. Jax and I had been through this before, we have our own coping mechanisms," Ragatha added, her attention once again focused on fawning over the newest member of the circus.

"Kinger said the worst we can do here is make someone feel unwanted or unloved," Pomni thought back to the surprisingly deep conversation she had with the crazy king down in the hellish basement of Mildenhall, "so I figured the least we can do is keep each other company."

At that, both the rabbit and the doll turned away, facing any direction but Pomni. She knew these two were the ones that struggle the most with being vulnerable. Both of them had a need and requirement of themselves to put up a strong front. Jax's was being a nonchalant asshole that couldn't give a shit about anybody, to prevent being hurt himself. Ragatha's was to be the perfect mum friend, the caretaker of everyone else to fill that mum shaped hole in her own life.

"Well, we don't have to talk if you don't want to. But promise we'll stick together? None of us can afford to lose anyone else," Pomni said softly, extending an open hand to Ragatha. The doll stared at the hand, an olive branch extended, a possibility of ending her eternal loneliness. She took it, mustering a tired smile at the jester.

"Well not like we can get out of here, you have us trapped." Jax grunted. The girls let out a broken chuckle, but none of them made any attempts to move. And so they just sat together in the tunnel. In silence, but together.

Chapter Text

Before Kinger could protest, he was shoved into the dark room by Pomni. He heard the door click shut behind him, not locked. The pitch black room was so dark it brightened his own mind, granting him some lucidity.

He could make out the countless staticky eyes blinking out of sync, watching his every move. That must be Zooble. They seemed to be docile enough still. Then, Kinger saw what Jax had meant, and he has to admit the rabbit really did say it as it is. His eyes followed the red ribbon wrapped around the abstraction, curling up until he made eye contact with the familiar tragedy mask that was Gangle.

For a moment, none of them spoke a word. He knew Zooble was no longer capable of speech, but Gangle was still conscious. Still herself. Though Jax was right, it wouldn't be much longer until she lost her hold on reality too. Kinger chose his words carefully as Gangle watched him warily. He could sense that there was a shift in her demeanor, she was no longer the cowardly girl who needed protection. Instead she became the protector for the very person who used to stand up for her. Oh how the tables have turned.

"Everyone is looking for you," Kinger started.

"Jax came by earlier," the mask whispered back, "probably against his will. He was never one to care about me."

"Gangle, we all care about you. And we're all worried, even Jax. He's just bad at showing it."

"I'm good here... I don't want Zooble to be alone. They have always defended me, the least I can do is keep them company," the mask shook slightly, "if I go back, Jax is going to pick on me again and... and I would be on my own..."

"Zooble is," Kinger's lopsided eyes trailed towards the abstraction wrapped in Gangle's embrace, "I'm sorry Gangle, but Zooble is... no longer with us. I'm sure you know that much."

The ribbons shuddered, but the mask remained silent. So Kinger continued speaking.

"Come back with me, we only have each other left. We need to stick together to keep all of us sane. I promise you that the rest of us will keep Jax in check, okay?"

Tears welled up in the mask's eyes.

"I know it's scary to come back to Jax. I'm not excusing his actions, but there's a reason he acts the way he does. This place does horrible things to all of us, and we all come up with our own coping mechanisms. Some of us are self destructive, others put up walls around themselves. Jax's way of coping happens to be one where he hurts others, it's not healthy, but it's the only way he knows how. We are all broken, Gangle. That's why we need each other. We need others in the group to keep us accountable, to show us different ways of living and coping," Kinger reached out a hand. One end of the ribbon slowly reached towards him, the eyes on the mask was wide. Then, the ribbon retracted.

"But what about Zooble?" Gangle asked.

"Caine will move them to the Cellar, and we will hold a funeral to remember the time we had spent with them," Kinger said gently, "then we will continue living in this circus and carry a piece of their memory with us."

"I don't want them to be thrown into the Cellar..."

"I wouldn't worry about that too much. The Cellar is a dark and quiet place, with... our other friends. In a sense, Zooble will have company, and they will be at peace together. If you ask me, it's a nice break from the overbearing circus lights and obnoxiously loud music," Kinger extended his hand a bit more, urging Gangle to take it.

"You're somehow really coherent in here," Gangle muttered as she slowly released her hold on Zooble, "I'll believe you, please don't leave me alone?"

"The darkness brightens my mind, and yes I promise you we'll always stick together." Kinger watched as the ribbons went back to their usual humanoid form and the mask settle back on where the neck was. Gangle was back. The abstraction became restless, but not hostile. Gangle turned to face her friend.

"I'm sorry it had to end this way, but don't worry. Kinger says you'll be fine," Gangle whispered as a ribbon reached out towards the abstraction, "and thank you, for everything. I hope you'll finally find peace."

Kinger shut his eyes as they left the room and closed the door behind them. He called for Caine, still refusing to open his eyes. He was sure the ringmaster made a ruckus as he handled the abstraction, but Kinger paid him no mind. He opened his eyes again when he was sure the rimgmaster had left, and he felt his mind slipping away once more.

"Ah, Gangle! What are we doing here?" Kinger exclaimed, looking at the girl beside him. They were in the hallway where all of them had their rooms. Gangle stared at him in confusion.

"I- well, we umm we're just about to head back to the others! Come on, let's go before they get worried," Gangle stuttered. She didn't quite understand Kinger's mental state. How had he been so put together in the dark room but once they came out he's back to his scatterbrained self? But she decided that didn't discredit the conversation they just had. So she grabbed onto his hand and led him back to the main tent to find the others.

Chapter Text

When Ragatha, Jax and Pomni left the tunnel, Kinger was back with Gangle. Just, Gangle. The absence of Zooble hit Ragatha like a truck. In the enclosed tunnel, the trio didn't speak much, just sat in each other's company. It felt like an escape from reality, almost peaceful. Even Jax kept quiet for once. But now they were back in the colorful, loud circus tent, missing their most colorful companion.

"Zooble..." Ragatha trailed off.

"They're with our old friends," Gangle rushed out, like she was scared to stay on the topic too long. Kinger was distracted by some unseen butterfly and he had started wandering off.

"Well," Jax started, his usual shiteating grin back on his face. The mask was back, "it's getting late, we should all go to sleep." And with that he headed back towards the rooms.

"Wait! Jax come back here! Don't we still need to do a funeral?" Pomni asked hesitantly. Everyone was weary and high strung, Jax stopped in his tracks but didn't turn back around. No one spoke for a good while, this time the silence was heavy and suffocating.

"We should definitely do one, but maybe not tonight. Jax is right, let's get some rest first. We'll do the funeral tomorrow, how does that sound?" Ragatha suggested, her voice gentle. Jax resumed his walk back to his room, throwing up a hand in the semblance of a wave. Gangle guided Kinger back to his room, and Ragatha was about to make her way back too.

But Pomni hung back, and Ragatha noticed. The doll walked back to the jester's side, taking her hand lightly.

"Hey, you okay?"

"Hm? Oh yeah," Pomni shook her head, as if to clear her thoughts, "I just thought, you guys usually hold the funeral ASAP. But maybe I was wrong...?"

"Oh Pomni, we usually do it as soon as everyone feels ready. That may be the night itself, or a few days later. It's just this time, well it happened much more abruptly than the previous ones, I think we all need some time to process before we grieve," Ragatha explained, "I know you meant well, and it's okay! Don't feel bad about suggesting it, if it makes you feel better you can help me set up for the funeral tomorrow?"

"Yeah, that sounds good. Thanks Ragatha," Pomni smiled, a fragile but genuine smile, "Ragatha, can I... ask you some questions? About the circus... and everything. But if you'd rather go to sleep I totally understand too!"

Ragatha blinked, part of her was hoping Pomni never asked about the circus. She hoped that Pomni would know ignorance is bliss, the more one knew, well the more they became like Kinger. Or the more likely they are to abstract. Really, ignorance is bliss. Knowing to much can only go two ways, and it's tough to know which path one will take until it happens. But Ragatha knew Pomni wasn't stupid, she wasn't a child, Ragatha had to trust that Pomni would be able to handle it. And the others will be there to support her.

"Of course, but let's talk in my room, kay? This place gets creepier the later it gets," Ragatha smiled, leading Pomni towards her quarters. Their hands were still lightly holding each other, and neither wanted to let go. They quietly walked to the doll's room, passing countless crossed out doors, including Zooble's. After what felt like forever, they finally stopped before the door with the doll's portrait, but there were still more doors further down.

Ragatha opened the door and ushered Pomni in. Half done sewing projects were scattered around, sketches with designs laid on the table, three beanbags were on the floor facing each other. On the contrary, the bed was made neatly. Pomni invited herself to plop on one of the beanbags, not wanting to mess up the bed.

"Sorry it's a little messy, just be careful of the needles. I'm pretty sure I lost track of a few, they don't hurt me but you should keep an eye out," Ragatha cautioned. The doll busied herself to tidy up, that being to gather the papers and projects into one pile in no particular order.

"I didn't know your room was so far in," Pomni commented absentmindedly, still looking around the room.

"Oh yeah, Caine likes to line the rooms up in chronological order. Kinger's room is a couple more doors down, out of those of us who are still around, I've been here the longest after him." Ragatha explained, finally settling in the beanbag opposite Pomni.

"Do you ever think about the members who used to be around?" Pomni asked. Ah so that was the first question. Ragatha fought back feelings of guilt and regret, trying to focus on the present and positives.

"Well, sometimes Kinger and I share a cup of tea over stories of the people who used to be here," the doll started saying, "he says it helps keep him grounded, I personally like to keep their memories alive by remembering them. It's like if someone dies back in the real world, we still talk about the times spent with them. I believe it's a healthy way to grieve, just because they've passed doesn't mean that their lives were wiped from existence. They left an impact on the people still around, so I think reminiscing the good times is a way of honoring them."

Pomni hummed.

"We usually keep it to ourselves, we both got the feeling that the younger ones aren't exactly keen to remember the past. But we made a promise to each other that if anyone asks, we won't hold back any details," Ragatha continued, "so if you're ever curious about the past members, feel free to ask."

"Younger ones huh, you're not that old, are you?" The jester's voice had a slight teasing tone to it. Ragatha laughed.

"I'm almost a decade older than you, or at least I was when I first put on that headset. Depending on how many years have passed since I've come here, which I have no way of knowing, I'm probably biologically in my late thirties by now. But I still feel the same age as when I first came, so I'd say I'm 33."

"That's not too bad, but you're right there's no way of telling the time in here," Pomni mulled, wondering how long it's been since she came in.

"Im sure you've realised by now, time barely leaves it's mark here. Night is simply a dimming of the lights, and there's no seasons. For all I know I could have been here anywhere between three months to three years. Likely longer," the doll fiddled with her yarn, weaving together a formless pattern. Crocheting and knitting had always been a hobby of hers, and she was delighted when she realised she never lost the skill even in this digital world.

"You mentioned Zooble's abstraction was more sudden than the previous ones, does abstraction usually happen slower? Jax mentioned something about how they're not pleasant to be around before they abstract..." Pomni asked cautiously. Ragatha turned her attention to the yarn in her hands, trying not to break into tears. She can do this, she can talk about it rationally. Pomni was just trying to understand.

"Abstractions usually happen over a couple days. From what I've observed the person will start becoming more distant, reactive. They'll become aggressive and drawn into themselves. Sometimes they still go on adventures, but they're different, they would say or do things that seemed so out of character," Ragatha explained slowly, working the yarn into a pouch, "as for what triggers the start of the abstraction process, we're not really sure on that yet. A few of us theorized that its when a person loses their grip on reality, or whatever is important to them. Maybe when something pushes them over the edge."

Ragatha grabbed the colored yarn and started stitching a pattern onto the pouch.

"I dont know what Zooble's sped up abstraction means. There's several possibilities, maybe they've already been going through it and just managed to hide it very well," Ragatha glanced up at Pomni, "or something so drastic happened that they fell off the edge instantly. If I'm being honest, I'm disturbed by how fast it happened. I mean, Zooble seemed to be their usual self before we left for the adventure. Then... then they were gone. It's not normal."

Ragatha blinked back tears, returning to the pattern she was creating. She switched colors again.

"Im honestly surprised it was Zooble, I was actually worried it might have been..." Pomni trailed off before finishing her thought, she was afraid it may become real if she verbalized it. But Ragatha nodded as if she understood.

"Zooble was the one that came in right before you did, so they're one of the more recent members. Like we've mentioned I don't know exactly how long they've been here, but it wasn't too long before you came too," Ragatha agreed, "and I think we both have the same guesses as to who would have abstracted... but he wasn't always this way. He was... happier before Ribbit abstracted. I was worried for him when his behavior first changed, but its been quite a long time already and he's still here, so I figured the way he acts is the way he copes."

Pomni thought about the door with the crossed out frog portrait. Neither of them mentioned a name, but they both knew they were talking about a certain rabbit.

"He's told me that much too," Pomni confided, "back when we were teamed up for the gunfight adventure. But it's not a good way of coping, he detaches himself from reality, convinced this is all fake. But the people here are still humans and are still affected, I don't think he's realised that. The things he does and says to the rest of us... it hurts. And poor Gangle, she's always being targeted. The poor girl is already struggling and he's just making things worse for her."

"I know what you mean, I've been hurt too. There are times I feel angry at him, and times I feel angry with myself," Ragatha confessed, she flipped the pouch over and started another pattern on the other side "I feel like I've failed him. I never stopped his behavior, and so in a way I enabled him. Gangle... she was here for a bit already before Ribbit abstracted, so she has seen some of his better days. But I don't blame her if she's wary of Jax. In a way, I failed her too when I didn't protect her from him. But I didn't want to draw lines between us and cause divisions. I didn't know how to handle it, so I just... stood by and watched it happen."

Pomni gently placed a hand on the doll's forearm. When had her hands began to shake? Ragatha didn't know, but she paused her stitching as she tried to stabilize the trembling.

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Ragatha," Pomni offered a comforting smile, "just because you've been here longer or you're older than the rest doesn't mean you have to be responsible for them. I know how you feel though, I was the oldest sister back home, it felt like everything was on my shoulders and when..."

Pomni caught herself before she started trauma dumping. That wasn't the point, this was about the circus and Ragatha. She withdrew her hand.

"Anyway, I know how you feel. But please don't beat yourself up for it. We have to rely on each other in here, but that doesn't mean we have all the answers. As long as we're still together it isn't too late to work towards a better tomorrow. Besides, we're all broken in our own ways," Pomni assured, "I'm glad I got the chance to know you, promise me we'll stick together as long as possible?"

Ragatha's posture relaxed, she sighed like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She resumed her stitching, putting on the finishing touches to the pouch.

"How do you always have the right words, Pomni? But yes, I promise we'll stick together for as long as possible," Ragatha held out the finished pouch towards her friend, "here, you can have this as a testament to our friendship."

One side of the pouch was embroidered with a jester hat in the same appearance as the one on Pomni's head, and on the back was the letter 'P' with a button resembling Ragatha's as the top part of the alphabet. Pomni took the pouch.

"Thank you, Ragatha, this is beautiful," Pomni beamed, "I should let you rest. But always remember that you don't have to shoulder everything alone, lets share the burden together."

With that, the jester returned to her own room, leaving Ragatha alone but no longer lonely. The doll let out a breath she didn't realise she'd been holding. She felt... at ease. Slowly, she smiled to herself, she had made a new friend. Putting aside her yarn and needles, she climbed into bed for the first time in many days and closed her eyes without worry.

Chapter Text

Gangle laid in bed, eyes wide open. Try as she might she couldn't will herself into whatever passed for sleep in this place. Everytime she closed her eyes images of Zooble's abstracting form flashed through her mind, sending her into panic and fear. She still couldn't understand why Zooble had abstracted.

Sure, she knew her friend had bad days, she knew her friend had a vehement dislike for Caine's adventures, and she knew her friend had always preferred quiet solitude over joining in the chaos. But, if Gangle was being honest, she always thought Zooble to be one of the more stable ones. They always seemed strong and independent, never faltering.

That doesn't mean Gangle was under the assumption that Zooble was completely fine. No one here was fine, no fully mentally sane person would ever see a strange suspicious headset and think "ooh let me put that on and see what happens." That's how they all ended up in here, something had pushed all of these people into doing something absolutely absurd like putting on a weird unmarked headset.

And with Zooble's everchanging avatar, Gangle never felt the need to confront them over it, but she had guesses about what Zooble struggled with in the real world. She didnt know the details, but she knew for sure that Zooble had their own battles to fight too. They just seemed so much more capable of holding their own, not needing to confide in anyone.

And Gangle, she had always been the more fragile one in their friendship. She was the one who needed protection, Zooble was the protector. Of course, if she ever saw that Zooble needed her help she would not hesitate, but Zooble seemed fine all along! Gangle never thought to ask about them, figuring that they must have had it handled.

So why, or rather when, had Zooble's decline began? Gangle tried hard to think back on their interactions. She remembered when Zooble first came into the circus. They were closed off, seemed resigned to their fate of being part of the circus. Ragatha, sweet Ragatha, stayed true to her role as the friendly one and tried to strike up conversation with Zooble. Their responses had been short, but polite enough to not provoke anything.

Gangle admittedly had been intimidated by Zooble at first. After all she herself had just gotten adjusted to the group dynamics of the circus members only shortly before Zooble's arrival. This new colorful character made her wary and nervous of how things would change. So Gangle kept her distance, and Zooble didn't seem too keen on befriending anyone either.

She remembers how Zooble started showing up with a different assortment of parts everyday, usually minute one-piece changes that no one called out. Gangle wasn't even sure if the others noticed it, but she did. She didn't call it to attention either, guessing that the new member likely wouldn't appreciate prying eyes on them so soon.

Zooble did use to join adventures, albeit taking on a more passive role. They didn't seem too interested in whatever Caine had planned, or in anything much, really. Ragatha's following attempts at roping them in for conversations or random moments to hang out were met with disinterested replies that just toed the line of rudeness. Even Jax's efforts at riling them up were met with just a deadpan glare, and the rabbit had quickly lost interest.

They started opting out of adventures when they realised that Caine doesn't force the attendance of the members. But they were always around the main tent, waiting for the rest to get back. It was one of these times when they first stood up to Jax on behalf of Gangle.

Gangle remembered the incident as clear as day. They just returned from a traumatizing adventure where Gangle was (unwillingly) used as a tool in various ways, thanks to her body being made of ribbons and therefore being very versatile. The group finally stepped back through Caine's swirling portal to the main tent, when Jax pulled his stunt.

The rabbit had intentionally stayed behind Gangle and was the last in line to pass through the portal. Just before Gangle's leg went through, Jax had grabbed the end of the ribbon limb and tied it around a pole that was in the adventure map, essentially unspooling Gangle's entire being much to her shock. She quite literally collapsed on the ground between worlds, in tears as Jax hopped through the portal, his maniacal laughter echoing in the tent.

Ragatha started scolding Jax, who paid her no mind. Kinger was trying to pull Gangle up, but that only made things worse as she was now unwinding from both ends. Zooble, who had been sitting on a nearby couch watching them, let out a shout of alarm. It was then Gangle felt her ribbon being lifted upwards swiftly. The portal was closing! Caine, still engrossed with his monologue ranting to Kaufmo about something or other, was oblivious to her plight.

Kinger was still tugging at Gangle, not yet realising how bad the situation was. She couldn't find the voice to tell him to stop, panic had seized her throat. Ragatha and Jax paused from their quarrel, alerted by Zooble's shout. The doll started freaking out, even Jax had the decency to look aghast at the consequences of his actions. But they were both frozen in place, not knowing how to help. Gangle could feel her ribbons rising faster.

Zooble had rushed over to her, and with hardly any hesitation, leapt straight through the portal. Gangle felt her leg ribbon being gently tugged on, and then it was released from the pole that it was tethered to. Kinger's grip on her hand ribbon never let up, and now without the opposing force, he yanked her full length over to the side of the circus just before the portal swirled shut. It was then Gangle realised that Zooble had untied her limb to free her. Zooble, who was now stuck in the adventure world.

"Gangle you're free! But where's Zooble?" Kinger exclaimed, glancing around in confusion. Ragatha, who could only watch the series of events in shock up till then, suddenly snapped back to the present and yelled for Caine's attention. Finally the AI ringmaster turned towards them, Kaufmo had also turned to see what the ruckus was about.

"OH MY, ZOOBLE GOT TRAPPED IN THE MAP?" Caine's hands grasped at the side of his jaw-head, exaggerating his shock and desperation too much to be considered genuine, "THAT'S NOT SAFE, THE MAPS FOR ADVENTURES ARE TEMPORARY AND ARE DELETED PROMPTLY AFTER COMPLETION."

"Then teleport them out!" Kaufmo suggested cheerfully.

"GREAT IDEA, KAUFMO, THAT'S WHY YOU'RE MY FAVOURITE!" With that, Caine snapped his fingers and Zooble appeared with a pop, looking no worse for wear except for a mild annoyed expression. Gangle was still hyperventilating on the ground, trying to gather herself. Both physically and emotionally. Tears poured out of her mask as her ribbons slowly coiled back into a humanoid frame.

"What did you do that for? Are you insane!" Zooble was now the one yelling at Jax, who had an unrepentant smile back on his face now that he saw Gangle was fine. He just shrugged carelessly. Gangle's heavy breaths drowned out the rest of their bickering, but she was sure Zooble had not only saved her life but had also stood up to Jax for her.

Since then, Gangle tried to gather the courage to talk to Zooble. She had shyly gifted them a drawing as thanks, and from then on the two of them became closer. Zooble still didn't open up much, but at least there was a blossoming friendship. They still didn't go on adventures when possible, but continued standing up to Jax when his antics bothered Gangle. And Gangle had cherished the friendship, she didn't know much of her new friend, but she figured they have pretty much eternity to know each other.

Well, that was, until Zooble suddenly abstracted. Gangle choked back a sob, her mind back to the present. As Zooble got more comfortable in the circus, they started expressing themselves more too. They didn't bother holding back out of courtesy anymore, especially with Jax, which just seemed to fuel his desire for banter and chaos. But in the more recent days, now that Gangle was really trying to recall, she does remember Zooble arguing with the ringmaster more and more frequently. Caine always seemed to know which buttons to push when it came to Zooble, unfortunately it seemed to be buttons that triggered annoyance and disdain rather than joy and gratefulness like he always hoped.

Did their abstraction have something to do with Caine? Did he say something that pushed her over the edge? But it was hard for Gangle to imagine the AI saying something so extreme that he managed to topple one of the more held together member of the circus. Gangle ran a face over her mask as she sat up, giving up on ever sleeping that night.

Chapter Text

The group, now 5 members, gathered in the main tent as usual. Caine had another adventure lined up for them, the rhythm of the circus never stopped. The glaring lights and deafening sounds never paused for grieve or pain. The overstimulating, ear-grating, too-loud voice of the ringmaster never quietened to allow for silence.

"ALRIGHTY MY DEAR CIRCUS MONKEYS, ARE YOU READY FOR ANOTHER MARVELOUS ADVENTURE?" Caine boomed, oblivious to the generally downcast mood. No one responded, but that didn't stop the AI's programming to continue his daily announcements, "YES YOU ARE! TODAY'S ADVENTURE IS... A SERIES OF CHILDHOOD GAMES WITH A TWIST!"

The ringmaster spread his arms wide, his cane spinning in mid air near his outstretched hand. His eyes looked around at the cast, waiting for some reaction. No one humored him, not even Ragatha. They just returned blank stares to him. His shoulders drooped a little, then he snatched his cane, doing another flourish with it.

"WELL, AREN'T YOU GONNA ASK ME WHAT THE TWIST IS?" Caine's eyes nearly popped out of his dentures as he darted forwards, getting right up into Jax's face. The rabbit groaned.

"Fine, oh Caine, what twist did you possibly add to harmless childhood games?" Jax asked, not nearly as energetic as he used to be. Even he was bothered by Zooble's abstraction.

"EXCELLENT QUESTION, JAX! I THOUGHT YOU'D NEVER ASK!" Caine spun around excitedly, ignoring Jax's quiet 'you literally made me ask' in favour of revealing his grand plan, "WELL THE TWIST IS, BE CAREFUL OF WHERE YOU STEP! ONE MISSTEP AND YOU MAY FIND YOURSELF FALLING TO YOUR (temporary) DEMISE!"

With that, Caine snapped his fingers to open a portal, shooing the group to step through. Jax was the last one through, and just before he stepped over fully, he thought he heard Caine mention Zooble's name to Bubble. That was odd, Caine never ever mentioned the names of people who have abstracted. It was like once the abatraction was thrown in the cellar, the person had been erased from Caine's memory. So why did he mention Zooble?

Before he could ponder on it, Jax found himself in the adventure map. They were on a giant suspended platform, Jax could see an enlarged hopscotch frame illuminated on the ground, leading them to the next game. Ah so that was the first childhood game, it should be simple enough. Then, Caine's voice started booming from no where.

"ALRIGHT LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, RIBBONS AND RABBITS, ROYALTY AND COMMONERS, LISTEN UP!" Caine laughed to himself, proud of his new greeting, "AS YOU SEE BEFORE YOU, THE FIRST GAME IS HOPSCOTCH! YOU MIGHT THINK IT IS EASY, A NO-BRAINER, EVEN! WELL YOU COULDN'T HAVE BEEN MORE WRONG! I KNOW GROUP MORALE IS A LITTLE LOW AFTER AHH... RECENT EVENTS, SO I'VE THOUGHT OF A WAY TO FACILITATE BONDING AND TEAMWORK! FOR THIS ADVENTURE, YOU WILL BE SUPPORTING EACH OTHER IN THE MOST LITERAL SENSE EVER."

At those words, Jax felt his left ankle being bound by a ribbon like material. He heard Gangle's surprised yelp from that direction and he saw the most uncomfortable sight ever. He was bound to Ragatha, with Gangle as the connection between them. Her right leg had been forced into a knot around Jax's left leg, and her left leg had been similarly attached to Ragatha's right leg. Gangle stumbled from the sudden lack of grounding, and would have toppled over if Jax didn't have the reflexes to steady her. Once he was sure she was steady, he quickly removed his hands.

"Careful there Ribbons, don't make us trip over you," Jax sneered, but his voice was devoid of the usual venom. He couldn't imagine this situation was any more comfortable for her. At least he wasn't the one whose limbs were used as connective rope. Gangle's comedy mask was already on the ground, broken in half. Probably since the moment they had been bound together. She didn't say anything.

Ragatha shot him a glare as she let the crying girl lean on her for support. What? He couldn't just drop the mean persona overnight, he had to do what he can to keep some semblance of normalcy! He was the funny one! It's the least he can do to keep the mood up. He just rolled his eyes instead of retaliating and turned to look at the other two. Pomni's right ankle was tied to Kinger's... bottom half? Leg? Whatever he functionally used as a singular leg. Jax couldn't be bothered to figure out the anatomy of a chess piece.

"SO, JUST TAKE NOTE THAT THE GAME AREAS OF THE FLOOR ARE VERY VERY WEIGHT SENSITIVE," Caine continued his rambling, "ANYTHING MORE THAN TWO LIMBS IN CONTACT WITH THE FLOOR WILL CAUSE THAT SECTION OF THE FLOOR TO GIVE WAY, DROPPING YOU INTO THE DEPTHS OF THE FUDGE!"

A muted gurgling sound originated from the brown chocolatey swamp WAY too far below for Jax's liking. He squinted at the fudge monster, sure he knew it wouldn't eat them, but the long drop and being submerged in chocolate still didn't seem like a fun idea.

"I WILL LEAVE YOU ALL TO IT, THERE'S NO TIME LIMIT TO THIS ADVENTURE SO JUST MAKE IT TO THE END TO FINISH THE ADVENTURE. GOOD LUCK EVERYONE, REMEMBER TO LEAVE NO ONE BEHIND!" Caine laughed maniacally until his voice completely dissipated, replaced with cheerful gameshow music that was just a little too loud.

Pomni turned her head around to look at the three, wincing at their predicament.

"I guess Kinger and I will go ahead, scout out the other games. You guys take your time! And be careful!" She called out to the trio. Then she placed a hand on Kinger's back to balance herself, and the two of them awkwardly hopped off to the start of the hopscotch.

"Well, that's not fair. Their team is basically just Pomni with extra weight to her right," Jax complained. And, as if he had jinxed it, the duo tipped over onto Kinger's side just as they landed on the first square. Sure enough, as Caine promised, the tile shimmered below them and disappeared. The two screamed in unison as they fell.

Ragatha sucked in her breath in a wince, and Gangle shrieked. Jax didn't even try to hold in his laughter.

"At least we have a better chance at distributing our weight," Ragatha started, "Gangle, put your arms around our shoulders. We need to even out our weight if we don't wanna fall to the same fate."

"Why are you looking at me like that, Ribbons? Just do it, don't worry we'll try not to tear you in half," Jax grinned when Gangle hesitated to follow Ragatha's instructions. The doll reached over the mask to smack Jax on the head.

"Stop saying those things! We're stuck together whether we like it or not, and Gangle is still a person! Try putting yourself in her position, it's terrifying!" Ragatha hissed at him. Gangle herself could only whimper. Jax sighed.

"Fine, you have a point," Jax admitted, "let's just get this over with."

"That's all? No 'I'm sorry'?" Ragatha pushed. The rabbit shot her a dirty look, but she didn't back down this time.

"OK, I'm sorry Ribbons. Now can we just go?" Jax bit out. Pomni and Kinger still hasn't respawned yet, he just hoped they have already hit the fudge at the bottom.

"Gangle, you ready?" Ragatha asked gently, turning to the mask, "I'm so sorry you're stuck in this position, we'll go slow and careful. Let us know if you need us to stop, 'kay?"

Jax rolled his eyes, turning his head away so the girls wouldn't see. He didn't need another scolding from the doll. He knew he had always been too harsh towards Gangle, but Zooble was always around to act as buffer between them. Right, Zooble was gone now. Shit maybe he did have to reign himself in a bit.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks Ragatha," Gangle said softly, finally finding her voice, "let's get this over with."

Gangle rested her arms around Ragatha's and Jax's shoulders. Ragatha took a step with her left foot, Jax took a step with his right. And they promptly fell over onto their faces. They piled on each other unceremoniously, just as they heard a DING! Sound from behind. Great, Pomni and Kinger had spawned back just in time to see their failure before they even reached the starting line.

"Boy, this is going to take a while," Ragatha mumbled, pulling herself and Gangle up.

"What a great start," Jax grumbled, also getting up himself. Gangle was awkwardly trying to steady herself between them, without any real footing to rely on.

"Shush, we can do this. Let's start with the right foot, and try to keep in count," Ragatha insisted, trying not to feed into the negative energy. Things had to go right today, they were all too weary to deal with anything going wrong. The trio very slowly took their first steps towards the hopscotch frame, only speeding up a little when they found a comfortable rhythm. They stopped again when they reached the first square.

"Ok we'll hop with our tied foot, Jax lift up your right leg," Ragatha decided, lifting up her left leg to balance herself. Jax grunted, but didn't argue. He didn't like taking orders from Ragatha, but couldn't think of any better ideas either. He lifted up his right foot and swayed a bit before managing to find his balance.

"Okay. One, two, jump!"

In almost perfect sync, Jax and Ragatha hopped forwards onto the first square. Gangle yelped at the momentary feeling of weightlessness as she got lifted up by the two of them. Her body lurched forward and she shrieked, unable to steady herself. In an instant, Jax grabbed her around the waist from the back, and Ragatha put out an arm in front of her. A blush bloomed across Gangle's mask and she quickly ducked her head down.

"T-thanks, sorry!" She stammered, now steady and balanced between the two of them. Jax jerked his hand away once they were all balanced, not saying anything. Ragatha gave her a kind smile.

"Alright let's continue."

The trio hopped through the hopscotch frame, steadying each other whenever one stumbled. They were all silent in concentration other than the occasional grunts from Jax or yelps from Gangle. Ragatha tried quiet encouragement, which neither of the other two found the strength to respond to. Pomni and Kinger were a little ways behind them, also struggling.

When they finally cleared the hopscotch, the three of them were out of breath. The screams of Pomni and Kinger were heard, they had fallen off again. How? They literally only had two limbs! Jax let out a tired chuckle, one that sounded genuine. Ragatha's head nearly snapped towards him upon hearing the soft sound. Gangle was still heaving for breaths between them.

"What?" Jax asked, noticing Ragatha's stare. She shook her head, smiling. He huffed, looking forward to the next game.

"Guys..." Gangle muttered, "what's that?"

A circle was drawn on the ground, empty except for an object in the shape of a shuttlecock in the middle. It was decorated with feathers and had a base of metal rings. An old memory itched at Jax's mind, this was something he had seen a long long time ago.

"I've never seen that before, what are we supposed to do with it?" Ragatha mused, her head tilting at the strange object. Jax was trying hard to recall, sure that he had definitely seen it before. But just what was it?

"Let's get closer." Jax suggested, already shifting his weight, forcing the girls to match his pace. They waddled towards the circle, now able to use all their legs since they weren't on a playing field. Jax squatted down to observe the item closer, and finally the memory surfaced in his mind. It was so many years ago, when he was just a boy. He heard laughter and shrieks from himself and fellow kids in the neighborhood.

"Come on! Keep it in the air, you can do it!" A young voice had cheered, as Jax was desperately trying to keep kicking the item to prevent it from landing on the ground. He remembered the objective of the game, it was to keep the item up in the air as long as possible, only using the insides of his feet to kick it up. Whoever kept it up for the longest would win the game.

"I think I know how to play this game," Jax started, really hoping he was right. Otherwise, he would look really dumb. "We have to kick the thing, keeping it in the air for as long as possible. I'm gonna assume Caine's two legs cap still remains, so Raggy we're gonna have to balance on our tied legs and use our free legs to play the game. Just make sure not to put your free leg down so that we don't exceed the cap. I'm gonna start the game by tossing the item, after that we just gotta keep it in the air by kicking it, no hands."

"I... don't really get it, how are we supposed to know how long to keep it up for?" Ragatha questioned.

"I guess we'll find out." Jax answered, stepping into the circle and picking up the shuttle. He tossed it in front of him, then kicked it up once with his free leg. It bounced off his foot and flew higher. A number 20 appeared above their heads, and when Ragatha managed to kick it again, the number went down to 19.

"We gotta do this another 19 times! We should be able to clear it afterwards!" Jax shouted as the shuttle came down again, he hopped towards it and desperately extended his right leg to reach it. The number was now 18. Gangle and Ragatha barely managed to follow along and balance out their weight before the shuttle came back down on the doll's side.

She shuffled forwards to try to reach it, but the sudden movement threw their center of gravity forwards and Jax instinctively put down a hand, trying to break their fall. The floor shimmered beneath them and promptly dissipated, sending the three into a free fall. Ragatha was falling faster, pulling Gangle along.

From his slightly higher position, Jax could see Gangle's ribbons starting to come undone. The view reminded him of something he never wished to see again. They're in an adventure, Zooble isn't here anymore. KEEP HER TOGETHER! Jax reminded himself. Jax strained as he stretched out his hand, grabbing onto Ragatha and Gangle to pull them closer together. Hopefully that would keep Gangle together and not cause her to unravel fully. Jax didn’t need to have that sight again.

The girls screamed as Jax's long arms wrapped around them, just seconds before the three splashed into the fudge. Jax kept an arm around Gangle's waist as his other hand moved to propel them upwards, years of lifeguard training from way back then kicking in. He could only hope that Gangle also kept a hold on Ragatha, or better yet, the doll was also able to swim up and pull her own weight.

The rabbit's head finally broke the surface and he gasped for air, doesn't matter that he doesn't technically need air, he still felt the physical urge to inhale exaggerated breaths. He shook his head, wet ears flinging chocolate everywhere, as he grabbed for Gangle, finally finding her ribbon hand and yanking her up. The mask gasped as she surfaced too, tears streaming out from where the eyes are.

"Ragatha-" Gangle choked out, "she's still under-!"

"What?" Jax tried not to yell, he really didn't. But the adrenaline had blood pumping in his ears. He dived under again to look for the doll. She couldn't be far, Gangle was still tied to her. That thought reminded him that he had to do a delicate balancing act between the three of them.

He cursed mentally, the brown fudge made it hard to see. He pushed his arms through the thick liquid, hoping to catch sight of Ragatha's red hair noodles, or her blue dress. Then, he saw it, the red yarn standing straight up. He pushed himself forward, grabbing onto her hair, not caring if the force hurt her. Getting her out of the fudge was more important than a little hair being torn out.

The two surfaced to see Gangle floundering a bit from all the tugging. She and Jax quickly paddled towards the banks of the fudge river, getting onto dry ground. The rag doll had the thousand yard stare in her eyes, clearly unfocused and oblivious to her surroundings.

"Ragatha? Ragatha!" Gangle called, shaking the doll. Ragatha just flopped back and forth with Gangle's push and pull, just like a real rag doll. Jax rolled his eyes, Gangle kept trying, her voice getting louder with each time she called Ragatha's name. It clearly wasn't working.

"Ribbons, get off her," Jax snapped, "turn around and keep watch. I got this."

"Jax she's NOT ok, I'm trying to help!" Gangle cried, facing Jax for once.

"And I'm telling you, you're NOT HELPING!" There it was again, the unintended yelling. Gangle's eyes widened. Jax growled, mostly at himself, shaking his head as he forced his tone into a softer one, "just, trust me okay? But don't look."

"Fine, have it your way." Gangle turned around, arms crossed. Jax crouched before the doll, who was still disassociated. He put one of her hands onto his arm, moving it gently in a stroking motion. It felt dumb, but he remembered Ragatha telling him that whenever she panicked, or freaked out, stroking her horses always helped to ground her. That was a long time ago, when they were still close.

Jax wasn't a horse, but his rabbit fur seemed to have the same effect. He watched as Ragatha slowly zoned back in, she jerked her hand away, and that's when he knew she was fully present again. OK, ouch that hurt a little, but he forced a smile on his face.

"Welcome back, Raggy! You good?" He asked with a gentleness so uncharacteristic, Ragatha flinched. Damn, had he been that bad to her?

"I'm- I'm okay, thanks. What happened?" She stammered. Jax swept an arm towards the fudge in a ta-da motion.

"Well we lost balance and fell straight into our old friend fudge," Jax surmised. At this point Gangle had heard the conversation and turned back around. Granted she hadn't been far at all, considering they're all still connected to the ankles.

"Ragatha! Oh thank goodness you're fine!" Gangle exclaimed, jumping the doll in a hug. Ragatha awkwardly patted Gangle's back as she stared at Jax, with an expression of mild confusion. The rabbit just shrugged. He waited till Gangle untangled herself from the doll, and it was at that exact moment they got respawned on the platforms right before the circle.

"Okay, let's try this again," Jax says.

It took a couple tries and a few more falls, but they eventually cleared the stage. Pomni and Kinger at some point had gained the lead on them, already on the third game. The trio collapsed on a safe space wordlessly, catching their breaths as they watched the other two try and fail at the third game. It looked to be some kind of rope jumping game, and had a similar counter floating above the play area. What confused Jax was that the counter seemed to reset at a different number each time the pair failed.

The rabbit had been so focused on the game before them that he failed to sense Ragatha's unwavering gaze on him. Gangle was trying to untangle herself as much as she could to be a little more comfortable. One unintentionally hard tug from Gangle snapped Jax back to the present. The mask flinched instinctually but Jax didn't mention the incident. Did he really not realise? Or was he giving Gangle some breathing space?

"I've figured it out, the counter resets randomly in no particular order of ascension or descension. So we best not fail too many times lest we risk the counter going up to an impossible number," Jax announced, stretching and getting to his feet. He pulled the girls up with surprising gentleness yet sufficient nonchalance that left them second guessing his intentions.

"Come on ladies, let's get on the playing field before the jester and crazy man respawns."

The three of them walked over to the jump rope, with more ease than they started off with now that they have mostly adjusted to their predicament. Ragatha sucked in a deep breath as she lifted her free leg, mirroring Jax’s movement. Together, they hopped onto the platform with Gangle in tow. As much as the doll hated to admit it, she felt her chemistry with the rabbit building with each step. The rope was attached to a small piece of translucent wall and immediately started swinging as soon as they were on the platform.

Gangle yelped as she felt herself being lifted, against her will, as her two friends started jumping without warning. She forced herself to be quiet, she was basically dead weight in this team, the least she could do was to keep quiet so the other two can focus on the task at hand. But try as she might, some small sounds and whimpers still made it out of her tightly pressed mouth. She glanced up at the holographic number above their heads, it was counting down from 10. Looks like they got lucky.

“Two more to go!” Ragatha gasped, preparing to jump yet again. Her legs were so, so, so sore. One more left, Jax heaved himself up with a last burst of energy. The counter finally hit 0 and some fanfare sound effect played from nonexistent speakers. The three of them stumbled over onto the next safe space before doubling over. Before any of them could say anything, Caine popped into existence right before them, raining confetti on the worn out trio.

“CONGRATULATIONS! BY SUCCEEDING A SUBSEQUENT STATION IN ONE ATTEMPT, YOU HAVE UNLOCKED THE SECRET END TO THE ADVENTURE!” Caine yelled, which was really unnecessary considering they were merely a metre away from him. “HOWEVER, YOU DO NEED TO WAIT FOR YOUR OTHER TEAMMATES TO FINISH THEIR ADVENTURE BEFORE YOU CAN RETURN TO THE TENT! PLEASE ENJOY SOME REFRESHMENTS THAT DEAR BUBBLE HAD PREPARED WHILE YOU WAIT.”

At those words, Gangle’s limbs untied from her friends, dropping her to the floor at the sudden lack of footing. In front of them appeared three lounge chairs under a beach umbrella, a huge bowl of fruits and candy set up on the table in the middle. There were also two NPC… masseurs? The NPCs waited patiently beside the chairs, each holding an arm out towards the chairs as if ushering them in for a massage session.

“MADE WITH ALL THE LOVE I’M LEGALLY ALLOWED TO GIVE!” Bubble gushed, “AND ENJOY THE MASSAGE, THEY HAVE BEEN TRAINED BY THE ONE AND ONLY MULTI-TALENTED ME!”

Gangle groaned, slowly getting up with the help of Ragatha. Once they were all steady on their feet, Jax and Ragatha made a beeline for the chairs beside the masseur NPCs. Right, Gangle thought, there’s no way the massage is for me. It’s impossible to massage ribbons anyway. But still, her ribbon limbs ached as well, she tried not to grumble as she plopped herself onto the third lounge chair. At least she had the food to herself while the other two got massaged.

Gangle watched Pomni and Kinger continue to struggle at the jump rope session, waving encouragingly when the pair occasionally looked over. She tried to tune out the satisfied sighs of her teammates as she gently rubbed at her legs. She worked at the ribbons, hoping to feel some relief from the ache, but her ribbons just flopped around, all flimsy. She sighed, returning to the fruit bowl. At least the false sensation of hunger was one she could satisfy.

Finally, Pomni and Kinger cleared the jump rope station. But instead of completing the adventure, a new station materialised before them. The rest stop was also whizzed back to be behind the newly established game.

“Caine…? Why isn’t it over yet?” Ragatha asked cautiously as she sat up, having finished her massage. The ringmaster didn’t appear, but his voice rang loud and clear.

“WELL, THE ADVENTURE ENDS WHEN THE TEAM CLEARS A SUBSEQUENT STATION ON THE FIRST TRY. OTHERWISE, THEY HAVE TO CLEAR ALL THE GAMES! WHICH IS… A TOTAL OF 10!”

Ten? There have only been three so far that the pair had cleared. Gangle could hear Pomni’s groan from all the way across the fourth playing field. The fourth game seemed to be a version of Red Light Green Light. Bubble floated at the far end of the field, facing away from the pair. Gangle silently prayed that the pair would be able to clear this in one goal, she didn’t want to stay here any longer.

“Green light!” Bubble announced. Pomni wrapped her right arm around Kinger for support, and let him be the main force carrying them forwards. Smart move, it made sense to let the heavier chest piece be the one hopping instead of petite Pomni who struggled to balance their weight. Kinger only managed to do three hops before Bubble turned around.

“RED LIGHT!” Bubble shouted, his eyes dilating as he studied the pair. Neither of them even seemed to breathe. He turned back around and announced green light. It took a while, since Bubble’s turning frequency increased and the duration of each green light decreased. But Pomni and Kinger took it slow, and they eventually passed by Bubble when he wasn’t facing them.

“GOOD JOB MY DEAR NIMBLE NINJAS! YOU HAVE COMPLETED THE ADVENTURE!” Caine’s voice boomed, a portal opening up before the group.

“What, we’re going back already? But I wasn’t done with my massage!” Jax whined. Ragatha ignored his protests as she dragged him off the lounge chair.

“Let’s go back, Gangle can you walk?” Ragatha asked, looking over at Gangle’s still somewhat limp ribbon legs.

“Y-yeah, I’m good.”