Chapter Text
“Why didn't you team up with me yesterday, I thought we were friends?” Jax appeared abruptly in front of Gangle, she wasn't aware that he had been following her this whole time. Honestly, he was scarily good at sneaking up on people.
“Friends?” Gangle tilted her head to the side, her display of confusion was unexpected. She always looked so innocent as if she wasn't playing with Jax's feelings.
“Since day one!” He replied in a teasing, but still relaxed tone.
“It's not like I had a choice…” Gangle whimpered in a low voice, her ribbons rubbing together. Jax looked displeased, but he playfully shoved her shoulder. Gangle was far from amused.
“Ribbons, out of all the options you could've picked, why Zooble? It's hilarious really that you actually believe they care about you! It's not in their nature to care, so why try? The only reason they stay with you is because you're submissive and agreeable. Why else would they pick you to be on their team? I'd call it pity. Why stay with someone as fake as them, when you could experience me in all of my unfiltered glory!”
“STOP TALKING!” Gangle demanded air leaving her body in a rapid agitated pace.Her comedy mask splintered and shattered dropping to the floor. Gangle's eyes were narrowed in a hateful scowl, Jax wasn't aware that one tiny body could even contain so much fury.
“Is that how you would talk to-” Jax continued before he was cut off.
“Don’t even start! You don't know what Zooble's like! They're kind, patient and they do care! You're just jealous aren't you…” Gangle hissed, there was still a permanent look of fear in her eyes. But it had been conquered by the blaze of repressed rage.
“Jealous? You really think I'd be jealous of someone like you! I always knew that you were pathetic, but I didn't take you for an imbecile” He insulted suddenly, Gangle took the attack personally. Normally she would be overwhelmed with despair. But today she felt something new, pure uncontrollable wrath.
“This is why I didn't team up with you, your envy will destroy you Jax. I, for one, will relish in your downfall!” She had started confident, but it quickly subsided. In its place came a manic rasp, tears dripping from her glassy face. Gangle turned away, heading for the sanctuary of her room.
“Don't lie to yourself, you wouldn't last a day without me” He falsely defended himself
“Do you truly believe that? Or is it just your hubris talking?” Gangle questioned with a newly found sarcasm, her sudden boost left her riveted. Practically begging for an excuse to plunge a dagger into his ego again.
“What?” Jax said, his voice rattling with disbelief. Gangle had never seen him look that upset, it was motivating her to push him further over the ledge of rejection.
“Leave me alone,” Gangle asked, feigning politeness.
“Ribbons, come on why can't we just go back to being friends? Like old times, I know you'll love it“ He rambled, looking around desperately he seized Gangle's arm and pulled it closer. The fibres frayed and stretched beneath his firm clasp. The friction burnt, but Gangle held her ground staring back at the rabbit.
“I'm not going to fall for it, let go” Gangle repeated, sharply.
“No, I'm not going to let you just walk away!” He snapped frantically, shaking and snarling like a rabid animal. His world was crumbling down with each word. His mask had evaporated.
“Why not? You've never cared about me before! Why start now!” Gangle pulled away, a rotten writhing sensation crawled up her arm, the physical contact was out of her control.
“Oh my god, why won't you just let me help you?” He finally cracked, his hands flew up covering his face for a couple of seconds. His breathing was heavy and ragged. Eventually his hands dropped, his pupils were barely visible. Gangle remained completely unsympathetic, her ribbons flicking impatiently. She paused for a moment, a spark of malice turned into a glaring flame of spite.
“Because I hate you! For so long, I've despised the air you breathe! You take and you take but you never provide, do you have any idea how draining it is or be pushed around every day? How exhausting it is, when you are constantly being tortured for the pleasure of others? I am not your [!BOING!] pet! Words would fail to describe how much hatred I feel for you! I don't want your pity, I don't want your help and I don't want you! Even now while I'm screaming about your flaws, I still feel guilty for all of this! Internally I am being ripped apart with fear that I might cause your abstraction. I'm sorry Jax, but I'm not scared of losing you. I'm scared that I won't be able to watch as you writhe in agony as the flesh peels from your body!” The rant took the majority of Gangle's energy and drained it. But she had never felt this satisfied or this relieved.
“You don't mean that” Jax mumbled in disbelief, he rolled his eyes dismissively. But Gangle had already seen those tears gathering, threatening to spill. But she didn't want them to spill, she wanted to watch him sob.
“I meant every single syllable” She spat each word like an unforgivable curse. Jax took a step back, shaken by her words. He looked around for some support or something to lean on. Instead he tensed up, teeth grinding together.
“Say you care!” He lunges for her, thrusting her into the ground. Gangle squeals in shock, but she is quick to respond. She summons her ribbons and knots them around his body in a tangled red mess. She winds around his body like a snake. Each bind tighter than the last, squeezing the life out of his body. Eventually he was almost completely wrapped up, except for his face. Gangle needed to hear him whine in submission. To hear him plead for mercy. A ribbon trailed up his chin almost seductively. The allure was undeniable, but also sickening.
“No!” She squeals, loud enough for the entire circus to hear.
“SAY IT OR I'LL [!BOING!] MAKE YOU!” He struggled beneath her unbreakable knots. Over and over he twisted and pulled, only making her squeeze tighter each time. Eventually, a scream escaped from his throat. The sort of cry that would burst the eardrums but leave one feeling thrilled. Tears rolled down his purple face, his face a vibrant shade of scarlet.
“You're in no position to make demands now Jaxxy boy, you are my puppet. I make the rules not you and if you want to be with me, you'll have to obey my every word!” She purred, her voice was absolutely drowning in corrosive poison. Jax hadn't heard her sound this controlling since Spudsy’s. However, this time his digital life was precariously hanging in the balance.
“You're completely insane!” He strained, his voice increasing in pitch. The sound was comically similar to the squeak of a dog's toy.
“Insane? Last time I checked you were the one trying to force me into caring about you! If anyone here's insane it's you!” She criticised, using Jax's foolish actions against him. Jax screwed his eyes shut, avoiding Gangle's furious glare.
“What the hell is going on out here?” Zooble's door swung open and they wobbled out. Gangle's neck snapped towards the abstract character, her gaze softened slightly. She nearly let Jax go, but instead gripped him tighter. Gangle hovered over Zooble, casting an intimidating shadow.
“Zooble, shut the door and lock it. You never saw this” Gangle instructed in a warning tone, she didn't want Zooble's view of her to change. Not after she had fought so long for an unbreakable connection. Zooble didn't budge.
“Gangle, I know he's a [!BOING!] but this, it's too far” Zooble took a few cautious steps closer, their hands held up in a display of care.
“Too far! If you think this is anything close to “too far” then you are wrong! He's made my life, and yours a living hell for years! I'm doing this for us!”
“Gangle I know you're upset, and I don't blame you. But if you continue you know what-” They hesitated, not wanting to frighten Gangle with the prospect of abstraction. Gangle was still vibrating with anguish.
“NO, I'm not going to do anything but put him in his place!” Gangle turned away, shielding her face from view.
“[!BOING!]” Zooble cursed, a look of dread spreading across their face.
Briefly Gangle's eyes went blank, a void of emotionless mystery. She slowly turned towards Jax, head falling slowly to the side. A sadistic grin climbed up her cheeks, nearly splitting her mouth.
“Gangle” Zooble questioned unsurely, trying to de-escalate the situation. It was undeniable that Jax was deserving of some suffering, but not this.
“Leave, now” Gangle demanded pointing Zooble away but they still stayed put. Not moving an inch. Gangle sighed defeatedly, for a split second Zooble thought that she'd given up. But such an optimistic belief was instantly squashed. Gangle's ribbons rose high into the air and were brought down with such a brutally intense force that Zooble was nearly swept away.
Jax's head became bandaged in a tortuous wrap of anguish and misery. An abhorrent screech was completely silenced as a ribbon seized his throat. Jax choked, frothy saliva dripping from his parted jaws. She continued winding round and round to the point in which she had hurt herself. Jax's face had been obscured beneath her taut veil. Viscous black fluid began seeping through her ribbons, the mounting pressure bulged. Threatening to spew out. Her face pressed into where Jax's face used to be. She whispered something unintelligible to him, a sickly sweet smile returned to her face. She began throwing herself and Jax, into the field floor. Screaming and howling, not caring about the damage she had sustained. She continued madly thrashing around smothering herself in the pain she was experiencing. Eventually a moist squelch echoed through the circus. A burst of digital fluid sprayed up, splattering her face in bloody glory. She released a content breath, sounding almost aroused at the current event.
“Gangle stop, this isn't you!” Zooble practically begged, how unbelievably out of character for them.
“I told you to leave,” Gangle said gravely, loosening up. Her body contorted unnaturally as she untied herself. Tight ribbons became slack, sagging to the floor. The rabbit was still stringing up by a single rope that clung to his neck like a noose. Jax's barely purple fur showed itself, he wasn't breathing. More of that dreadful slush began dribbling from his mouth. Slowly dripping to the floor. Dread was totally haunting, death wasn't an unfamiliar concept in the circus. But it was normally associated with abstraction. After what felt like hours,the final knot came loose, Jax slumped lifelessly to the floor. His body produced a wet noise when he hit the ground. Jax was completely unrecognisable, it was like he had been dissected and discarded. Zooble felt nauseous at the sight. His body had almost turned inside out, all that used to be inside of him was pouring out in a vulnerable display of helplessness. His neck was horrifically bruised and swollen. His face was nearly crushed, teeth and eyes were replaced by empty holes that seemed to go on infinitely.
Meanwhile Gangle was also drenched in Jax's viscera, his fluid and his entrails. She became totally infatuated by the slippery drip, the way the oily substance dribbled and stained. She found herself studying each individual droplet, losing herself in the glossy shine. Gangle wanted to roll on it,she wanted to drown in it to absorb it all as a trophy for her success. Part of herself felt completely appalled by her erratic behaviour. But that was overcome by the thrilling sensation she received from conducting her unforgivable experiment. Jax was her lab rat. It may have been her in the past, but she was no longer his toy.
“I'm not going to leave you like this!” Zooble stated , still shaking with almost unbearable shock.
“Like what?” Gangle questioned, seemingly unaware of the way she had been acting.
“Can't you see what you've done?” Zooble asked silently, fearing the response. There were so many possibilities for how it could go, not many were preferable.
Gangle collapsed, harrowing sobs shook through her frail body. She curled up, hugging herself tightly almost enough to rip herself into pieces. Almost instinctively, Zooble cradled Gangle in their arms. Gently stroking the back of her head. Zooble tried their best to ignore the sticky texture that had painted Gangle's body. The two remained on the floor for nearly half an hour. Eventually Gangle's ferocious sobs concluded, leaving them in silence that would only be interrupted by the occasional drip from Gangle's drenched ribbons.
“Let's get you cleaned up, I know where to find a bath” Zooble said, sweeping Gangle up in their arms, properly securing her. Gangle's head resting on Zooble's body like a pillow.
“Okay” Gangle agreed, her eyes dropping shut in exhaustion.