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Jax wakes up to teethman in her face (which must be who gangle said was Caine.) she jumps, because of course she does. He’s hovering over her bed… watching her sleep??????
“GOOD MORNING!!!!!” Caine flips in the air, and a burst of confetti falls from his hands, and despawns before it hits the floor.
“Uhhh huh?” Her vision blurry from just waking up, and it seems she stumbled back to far she fell off the bed, and right onto the floor. It hadn’t hurt very much though?
He’s… an ai right? That’s what gangle had said. For some reason that comforts her more then if he was a human. She could brush it off as him not knowing that this is a weird thing to do.
“WELCOME TO THE AMAZING DIGITAL CIRCUS! IM YOUR RINGMASTER, as much as you are mine as well! For you see the CIRCUS IS A PLACE OF LIMITLESS POSSIBILITIES (some limits apply.) and as your host I’ll show you the ropes on how you can make your VERY OWN ADVENTURES! I’ll answer any questions you have, once we get too…. THE WELCOME PARTY!!”
“I’ve already been here for a week.” This wouldve been far more useful back then.
“YES AND A WEEK IS NEW!!!” Well- yeah-… but.
“Gangle already told me most of it… so I’m good.” She hasn’t been on an adventure since the theme park one (she’s also learned that worlds on the other sides of the portals have ‘adventures’ in them, that’s what they’re called.)
“… I’m confused.” Caine then said.
“I’m good.” Jax says again “thanks though” honestly she’d rather die than go to a party with everyone at the moment.
Caine floats down to the floor, looking at it sadly. “I guess you don’t have to go… im not forcing anyone to go on adventures anymore” gangle had mentioned that too, hadn’t she? “But I’ve been working really hard on it, and this has never happened before! So it would mean a lot to me if you went!”
Ughhh does she even have a choice? “Okay…” Jax sighs “yeah I’ll go to your party.”
“OH YES YES YES!!! THIS WILL BE THE BEST PARTY EVER!”
Jax couldn’t find it in herself to share that enthusiasm. And Caine readys his hands to snap.
Before pausing “uhm… you’re okay with me teleporting you to the party right?”
…might as well? It’s not like she wants to walk. She nods.
.
It’s… a party for sure. It looks like a collage house party, not that she’s ever been to one, but from what she’s seen from movies this is it. It’s like a suburban house. But outside it’s night, and the lights are multicolored, flashing. There’s a big banner that says ‘WELCOME BACK!!!’
Ahead of her is ragatha, pomni, and kinger. They’re all by the Dj, a mannequin who’s playing music. They’re don’t notice her appear. She honestly isn’t bothered by that.
Next to her is a bowl full of punch, as well as a table with food laid out on it… oh. She looks back up at them, and stands kinda awkwardly in the corner… gangles isn’t even here? What is she supposed to do.
“Well?!” Caine says “do you like it!”
“It’s… a party.” What is she meant to say?
“Try some of the food!” …yeah no. Maybe she’ll get gangle to make her a plate later. But she definitely doesn’t want to pick food out now.
“Nah I’m good.”
Caine frowns. But it quickly fades away, as he floats back up “I’ll get the others! So you can mingle!” He starts to make his way to the group of ragatha and all them, and she wants this even less then food.
“Uh Caine-“
He immediately pauses, turning back towards Jax.
“Could you actually make me a plate? For the food? Don’t put too much.”
“Oh!!! Of course!!” He speeds to the table “you love all you can eat stuff don’t you?”
….”do I?”
“Yes! You always loved eating at dinner.” Oh. Past Jax. “You’d eat a lot.” Did she not get sick from that back then?… is it different here? To be fair if she can manipulate the world who’s to say she can’t just… imagine she doesn’t feel full, and eat more without consequences. It’s definitely something to try. But she doesn’t want to do that right now.
“I don’t really like that stuff anymore.” She settles on instead.
“Oh.” Caine finishes making the plate “we’ll never fear! For your host Caine has put only the best of the best food here to serve you!” He hands her the plate. “Don’t forget the punch!! Now is it mingling time?”
…really? No gangle still? It’s still just the others. Have they noticed her yet? Caine is being pretty loud, but the dj seems louder.
“When is gangle coming here?”
Caine looks at his watch “she should be on her way! Her and Zooble wanted to walk!” God damn them.
“How about we mingle with each other instead.” She had just said it to avoid an awkward moment with the people who hate her (and she hated.) but caines eyes swell up, into hearts.
“Mingle?!! With me?! That’s a great idea Jax!!!”
Jax looks down at the plate. Mini Sandwich, chips, as well as a side of deviled eggs… strange. But she starts to eat it anyways.
“So… you uh… made this place?” She starts.
“Yep! With my own mind!!! You can make places like this too!”
She nod. She kinda already knows.
“And this party… what’s the plan for it.”
“Well in the first few hours we mingle! Then it’s time for the party games, then drinking! Zooble offered to make the drinks! At the end I’ll give you a tour of the circus, and I thought I could show you were past Jax is before I get rid of him!!”
“…past Jax?” What does that mean???? Isn’t she dead??? Get rid of?????
“past Jax!” Caine smiles “we have a big pillow fort for him!”
Is- is that’s what’s in there? Her corpse-?? What the fuck?? Why didn’t anyone tell her that???? “What do you mean get rid of…?”
“Right now you and Jax are different brain scans, only apart because you have the word (copy) at the end of your file! But to reduce file space I removed it will replace Jax’s code with yours! But it’s taking a while to load” …so Jax IS still here? What??? “So you might as well meet Jax now!!”
“I thought- I mean… what-“ is abstraction not death??? Is she stupid??? “What’s abstraction then???”
“Well” Caine gets a bit more somber “sometimes when a member of the circus gets a bit… unstable. They might choose to glitch out their files. I’ve tried working around it but…” he sighs “I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen to you!!! Especially not after you went through so much trouble of coming back!!! You’re gonna love it here!”
Oh. So this is a ‘don’t kill yourself’ party. Honestly she wants to be annoyed, but… she can’t find that in her. She feels a little bad for asking now. Sure she’s… had some fun with gangle. But this place still sucks (she still thinks about her notebook. The words abstract written on the list of her plans.) Caine seems so happy she’s here. Gangle had too. Shit… this is making everything harder.
If she could like being here that wouldn’t be so bad. Even if she preferred the real world… if she just liked it then maybe she wouldn’t have to think about…
“I do actually have a question for you my dear friend!” Caine smile “though it’s quite personal, so forgive me for asking!”
Huh? “Okay…?”
“I saw on your friends instagram she had called you a girl, though our Jax wasn’t. Zooble had said before in the past not to tell other people about that kind of stuff and just wait for the person to tell them. But I kinda didn’t know how that applies to someone who can’t tell anyone” he says “LUCKILY! That probably is solved! Because you’re here!!!!”
“Oh-“ instagram???? Can-??? What????
“So…?”
What? What is she meant to say??? “Uhm… gangle knows? But I haven’t told anyone else yet…” she says “so only call me she in private! I’m not ready to tell the others yet.” She gives a nervous glance at the dj booth, but still they don’t notice her.
“THAT SOUNDS GREAT MY GIRLY BUNNYPOP” ???? (She gives another look, but the others probably can’t hear him, even if he is screaming.)
“Uhhh Thanks Caine?” she smiles at least he’s trying? That’s two people down right? She still doesn’t want to be here. But she’ll try to enjoy the party. Just for Caine.
“Hey Jax!!!” Oh! It’s gangle. Running up to her, Zoobles behind her.
Yeah. She’ll try and enjoy the party.
.
.
.
The party wasn’t the worst. She stayed glued to gangles side, and when it was clear Zooble wanted to hang out with her, she stayed with Caine instead. Who rambled on about how he made every asset to the party. It wasn’t the worst? A little boring maybe.
They’re on the end of the tour now thankfully (she had already seen all of these places.)
The pillow fort is in front of her.
She hadn’t gone in it before. She had learned from ragatha to read the signs, and they had one saying to keep the door shut. She didn’t want to have to deal with whatever was inside.
But now Caine opens it for her. And she steps in.
It’s… a big thing? Almost animal like, a black blob with multicolored eyes through it, almost looking like the inside of a 3D model. It’s sharp too.
That’s… her?
“Oh.”
“The dark calms them!” Caine says helpfully “or else you’d be attacking us?”
…is this her? It’s weird. It’s easy to say she is Jax, because it’s the same person. But now. Faced to face with her. It’s strange.
“Hey…? Can she uh…. Hear me?” Is she even alive?
“Pomni seems to think so!” Caine says “but probably not very much”
The abstraction just stars at her.
“Do you want to talk alone?” Caine asks. “Say your goodbyes!”
She nods, even though she’s not really sure.
Caine exits. And it’s just her and past Jax.
“Hey” she says again. “So I don’t know if anyone told you, but I’m you I guess? I put on that headset again?”
She’s just being looked at.
“I don’t really know what to say? Goodbye? I don’t really know what’s happening.”
The thing takes a step closer.
So she takes a step back. “Everyone misses you… I guess. I don’t really know what’s going on. I didn’t even know you were here.”
Another step towards her. And another. Until the abstraction is right up in her face.
What is she meant to do?
She takes a step back. And it follows her until she reaches the door of the room. Is it trying to… push her out?
“Oh uh… okay I’ll leave?”
She does.
Weird.
.
.
.
She’s was sleeping in her room. But something tapped her. Once then twice. (For a moment she assumed it was Sally’s cat. Trying to brush it off lightly.) then of course the realization dawned on her.
And her eyes shot open.
Oh.
It’s Caine.
“Heya Jax.” He spoke.
She hummed.
“You’re not planning on abstracting anytime soon right?” His voice was slightly shaky, sitting on the edge of her bed.
Dread shot through her, as she thought about her notebook. Had he seen it? Had he put the pieces together.
“Uhm… no?” God she’s such a bad lier… is she even lying? She doesn’t know.
Caine sighs in relief “okay good!!” Before disappearing.
Huh.