Chapter Text
The circus was blanketed in darkness. With no more Sun or Moon to illuminate it, darkness was all there ever was. Inside the tent, eerie silence lingered in the air, so quiet one could almost hear it ringing. Even in the living quarters, all was pitch black and soundless, with no sign of life anywhere… except for a single room on the left, with a blank mannequin face on the door.
In the room were Gangle and Zooble, kneeling in prayer with a dimly lit candle between them. Neither said a word for a minute, until Zooble cleared their throat to pay respects. “Dear Pomni, Ragatha, Kinger, Ribbit, Kaufmo, and all the previous residents we were never able to meet… and Jax. We hope you’ve been able to find some peace, wherever you are.” they monologued without skipping a beat. “You’re missed very dearly.”
Gangle nodded slowly before blowing out the candle’s flame. “That was beautiful, Zooble.” she smiled, despite hearing the speech enough to have it memorised. Zooble smirked with their eyes and stood up to flick the lightswitch.
The room was once again bathed in warm yellow lighting, showing off the interior. There were two neatly made beds in the corner, a table with cards strewn across it, some chairs, a box for Zooble’s parts, and a shelf with figurines and books. Just enough to keep the duo comfortable and entertained.
Gangle and Zooble were the only two remaining members of the circus. It’d been like that for months. Caine and his AI buddies had all vanished long ago, leaving the circus members to fend for themselves. One by one, they all succumbed to their insanity and abstracted, eventually falling into Caine’s abstraction cellar. All except two.
Somehow, Gangle resisted caving in, maybe due to Zooble’s constant comfort. Zooble survived too, potentially because of Gangle’s unending support. No matter what reason they had for persevering, they did it, and now they remain the sole survivors.
After turning the lights on, Zooble took a seat on their cushiony bed, gesturing for their ribbony roommate to come over. Gangle nervously joined in on the post-memorial relaxation, sitting beside Zooble and leaning into the crook of their neck (which was admittedly quite difficult with the triangle head shape).
Gangle cleared her throat in an exaggerated manner before making a quaint suggestion. “Should we… explore a little? Just for a change of scenery?” In response, Zooble simply shrugged. “Eh, I think we’ve seen everything this trashfire has to offer.” they answered. Gangle, realising the truth in that statement, facepalmed, but then another thought struck her.
“How about the lake? We haven’t been out there since the beach adventure! Remember, when we built sandcastles with Pomni and…” She trailed off. Thinking about those old friends just made her heart ache and mask break. However, Zooble seemed to like the idea. “Awww, Gangle, that sounds so nice! I’d love to visit the lake again.”