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Jax's fists slammed down onto the console as he shouted out.
As if on cue, the wacky light-hearted background music cut instantly.
"You dirty liar, you scumbag!"
All eyes were on him, even Caine's increasingly concerned gaze lay squarely on him.
"You- You made me- J-... You got in my head, you just-! You just lie about EVERYTHING, don't you?!"
Caine's booming voice reverberated throughout the console room "I uhh... huh?"
"You can mess with our minds too, can't you?; The Stupid Sauce, the Vegan thing, the Girl thing?" That one was accompanied by a deep, hateful glare as he nearly growled out the words. Zooble said something, but it went unheard, buried under Jax's accusations. "GOD KNOWS what else!"
The others were starting to understand too. A dawning look horror upon each of their faces as Pomni spoke up next.
"Our names?"
"Now, now hold on, guys! Wait wait wait!" Caine was feeling cornered. This was completely out of left field for him, hadn't Jax just chosen to stay in the Circus with him? Why the sudden outburst?
But one more thing poked at his systems. "I may have the ability to add temporary-" A blaringly loud record-scratch sound effect played as the AI once again turned his full attention to the seething rabbit below him. "-Wait, what was the "Girl thing"?"
Immediately, multiple voices sounded out in the room, muttering in hushed discussion; a frustrated "That's what I was asking!" from Zooble, a more unsure "Do you... do you think he meant the Maid Dress?" from Gangle. The rest was all indistinguishable whispers.
"No, Gangle. I did not mean the Maid Dress." Gangle squeaked, both relieved that Jax wasn't attacking her for it, and terrified at being addressed by him at all.
"I'm talking about something that's been a constant in my head for YEARS now. I don't know exactly when it happened, but Caine-" The words caught in his mouth, and he choked on them for just a brief second. His throat constricted like it was ashamed to hear him say it, to hear him admit it.
When it finally did come, it came as a scream, so that it would hurt the others to hear it as much as it hurt Jax to say it. His eyes screwed shut, and his ears pinned down, he let it out.
"Caine made me wanna be a girl!!"
The quiet that followed was nearly as deafening as the shrill scream itself. Jax's subdued cries were all that could be heard. Even Caine had completely stilled.
The other players looked to Jax with an array of emotions. Most were some flavor of confused, Kinger was probably only looking in the direction of the loud noise, but Zooble... there was something there. Sympathy, perhaps? Recognition?
"But why would he do that?"
Caine suddenly sprang back up, a relieved look on his teeth. "Oh! I was worried for a second there!"
Jax looked back up at him. "What? What does that mean??"
"Well, my buddy Jax, I can't add permanent modifiers to a Player's mind, only for the duration of an adventure." Caine floated down to Jax's eye-level, and clasped his hands together under himself. "So, I'm sorry to tell you this, but that one's all you!"
He conjured up some sort of holographic screen, and showed it to Jax. "This is a log of all the modifiers I've ever added to players! Now, if I just filter for 'Applied to PlayerName:Jax', then it should...-" He fiddled with some unseen settings until only one modifier remained. "There! You'll see that the only modifier I've ever given to you was to make you a Vegan during the Suggestion Box Adventures!!" A satisfied smile formed on Caine's teeth.
Jax tried to argue, but it came out weak. "But if you didn't do it, then why do I feel like this..?"
Caine could tell that Jax was giving up on denying it. Any moment now, Jax would surely come to her senses, having seen the proof in the polygonal pudding.
She would surely apologize for her harsh words, all stemming from a mere misunderstanding, and thank him for giving her the last push she needed to be open about her true self.
Jax was motionless. She stared past Caine, her expression blank except for her pinprick pupils lazer-focused on the wall behind him.
Caine was beginning to grow nervous. What was still wrong? Everything is resolved, right? What could still be the matter? Right, of course!! I haven't given her a more appropriate avatar yet! She's probably waiting for that before she showers me with praise!!
But how should the new design be decided upon. Ask Jax? No no no, she was unresponsive. It was up to Caine and Caine alone to construct this masterpiece; This pinnacle of femininity!
After just a moment, it was done. Caine's hand dramatically raised above his head and, in one swift motion, cast leftward at the rabbit beside him, while his fingers snapped.
In an instant, Jax was engulfed in blinding light that cast a pink hue over the walls of the console room. Gangle thought it evoked the image of a Magical Girl Transformation from one of her old Animes, but chose not to mention it.
The sequence lasted about 10 seconds in total, and when it was over, Jax's new form became visible.
She had eyelashes now. That was it.
Caine lay back and waited for the compliments to pour in. Jax has wanted this for years, and now she finally had it. It was only natural that she would be appreciative and maybe even forgive any past misdeeds of his.
But Jax remained still. Her stare did not falter from the wall for even a moment to acknowledge his brilliance.
Caine was beginning to wonder if the system needed rebooting. Nobody had said a word in minutes now.
As if to prove him wrong, Ragatha's voice cut through the dead air "It uhhh, it looks nice!"
That was all he needed. "Yes, THANK YOU! At least someone here appreciates my handiwork. Anyway," Caine glanced back toward Jax, and shivered, quickly turning back to the other humans. "Congratulations on your Girl! Happy Pride, Bye!!" He teleported out of the room, seemingly eager to leave.
It took a few minutes for Jax to look away from the wall.
When he did, he saw that the others had crowded around him, all looking at him with concern. Even Kinger bore a knowing look, and Zooble reached out a hand for him to take, which he didn't even have the energy to swat away. He paid them no mind, though. What they must've thought of him now was a problem for later.
For now, he had one priority; Get to bed.