Chapter Text
Sometimes I think about what life may have been like before the circus. Before this nightmarish, mocking imitation of a colorful wonderland consumed my existence, trapping me. What could I have been if my life hadn't taken this turn…
“Zooble?”
I turn around to see Gangle, tilting her mask, looking at me in confusion as I realize I’ve been staring off into space for… Quite some time. I shake my head.
“What’s up?”
Gangle… She’s my friend. A companion to break the monotony of everyday life here in the circus. She can be shy, but she’s also so sweet. She’s probably one of the most sane people here, compared to the others. Unlike Ragatha, who’s always trying way too hard to please everyone here. Pomni, who’s…well, I’m not sure exactly what her deal is. She’s too new yet to tell. Jax, who simply enjoys the suffering of others, and Kinger. Kinger’s just insane. Caine and Bubble don’t count. They’re simply AI bots, so there’s no comparison there…but Gangle. She’s different, she makes me feel a part of my humanity again, almost like we didn’t only meet because of this psychedelic, cartoon hellscape.
“Zooble, I was just thinking…are we still people in here? I mean…sure, we were in the real world, but as time goes on, I find our humanity being less and less…”
I pause. Why would she be thinking like this? Is she feeling depressed? Did something happen?
“...Why are you asking this?”
Gangle’s eyes shift away, her expression falls to a frown.
“I guess I just want to know what I really am.”
“Well, we’re here. And even though we might be stuck with these stupid, cartoonish bodies, they’re ours. We’re real, as real as someone in the real world, and we can all feel the same.”
Gangle smiles. God, I hope that she’s doing alright. I can’t lose her to abstraction too.
Not Gangle.