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“Are- Are you still gonna want to talk to me after today? Or will things go back to the way they used to be…”
“What are you talking about, Gangle?”
While the shift during their most recent fast-food adventure was awful, the free time after the fact wasn’t that much better to a certain bundle of velvety ribbons.
“Would you still want to be around me… Even after what I did?”
Zooble simply glanced down at the woman beside them and scoffed.
“You’re acting like you drove a bus full of elementary schoolers off a bridge or something- Of course I still wanna hang out with you.”
The two awkwardly met each other's gaze before Zooble spoke up again with a cough.
“Look- I know we’ve never really- Before this, I mean- I know we’ve never talked this much before, but I think I’d really like to get to know you. The real you.”
Gangle looked up at their fellow performer. Although her face was brimming with tears, their expression seemed far more bewildered than sad.
“Even without the mask?”
“I don’t need some cheap plastic mask to wanna be around you.”
“Even if Jax gives you a hard time because you’re h- hanging around me?”
“Screw that [@$$]hole. He’ll give anybody a hard time, no matter what they do.”
Zooble reached their hand out for the one Gangle had wrapped around a pencil and held the appendage with the utmost care.
“Regardless of what happens to me, I swear I’ll be there for you no matter what. ”
The ribbons looked up at them, completely awestruck as a few stray tears continued to fall.
“Why… Why would you do that…?”
Zooble looked at the sniffling set of ribbons before brushing off their concerns with a shrug.
“To be honest, I’m not really sure. But I don’t think we should be leaving each other for dead anymore. I’m sick of thinking we need to suffer here alone- ”
Holding eye contact with the woman as their hands absorbed the other’s warmth, Zooble smiled tenderly at Gangle.
“ -We should be in this together.”
The woman looked at the fellow performer as tears clouded her vision. A final question left the chamber of her lips; desperately searching for approval.
“Promise?”
“Promise.”
Most days in the circus were drawn out to begin with.
But to Zooble, those days seemed even longer when Gangle wasn’t around.
Currently, the other cast members were on their own unfortunate adventure of sorts, leaving Zooble all to their lonesome. Normally, they didn’t mind this, seeing as the toy box-like creature quite preferred being left alone to their own devices rather than putting up with whatever nightmare Caine had conjured up this time.
However, whenever Zooble interacted with the sentient bunches of ribbons they’d grown so near and dear to, it was as if all the boredom and annoyance they felt boiling inside themself simmered into relief at the sight of her masked face.
While Zooble would normally wait in their room until their fellow performers returned, recently they had spent more time lounging in the circus’s vibrant main hall while browsing whatever magazines they could get their hands on.
They didn’t know when or exactly why they had started doing this, but the habit had been on the rise.
Was it the sheer amount of strange boredom they felt without the chaotic nature of their peers?
Or perhaps the allure of those deep, black eyes and matching soft smile?
Zooble pushed the latter thought to the back of their mind, seeing as how just the mental imagery made their mismatched heart race.
As the colorful character continued eyeing a magazine the ringleader had made just for them- “Hot, Trending Zooble Parts for this Season,”- their flippant expression had turned to a wide-eyed one as a luminous portal opened up further down the hall.
Zooble watched closely as the fellow adventurers made a mad dash from the digital gateway as swords and arrows were launched at them with increasing fervor.
Once the last performer had fled from whatever terror was chasing them, a distinctive snap closed the portal in less than a second as an ear-piercing voice echoed through the mess hall.
“NOW HOW WAS THAT FOR A MORE ‘CLASSICAL’ KIND OF ADVENTURE?" Caine’s voice rang with enthusiasm.
Everyone stared, gobsmacked at the floating set of dentures, until yet another irritating voice made itself known.
“Wow, Caine,” Jax began sarcastically. “Way to put the ‘mid’ in medieval. Really appreciate it.”
While the sentiment was clearly disingenuous and quite nasty in nature, the ever-boisterous ringleader seemed completely unfazed by such a comment.
“ANYTHING FOR MY CUTESY LITTLE CHRYSANTHEMUMS,” Caine acknowledged, overflowing with pride.
The rabbit merely rolled his eyes and walked away as everyone else seemed to disperse back to their bedrooms.
Everyone except Gangle, that was.
The ribbons had walked slowly towards their friend with a small smile now that their comedy mask was back in working order.
But, as the pair waved to each other, something seemed… off.
Zooble wasn’t sure if “off” was the right way to put it, but something definitely seemed out of the ordinary.
“Hey, Gangle,” They greeted their friend with a pleasant tone. “How was the adventure Caine put together today? From the looks of it, probably kinda [$h!t]-ty, huh?”
With a slow start, the other replied back in a tired manner.
“I guess you could say that…” She said in a whisper before dragging a ribbon down her forehead. “I don’t really wanna talk about it right now…”
Now that was new.
Although Caine’s idea of fun for the adventurers wasn’t usually the most well-received thing within the digital plane, Gangle would always gush about the day's events with waving hand motions and a vivid retelling of her memories from earlier, regardless of which mask she had on at the moment.
These brief moments of recollection from Gangle were such a breath of fresh air for Zooble. Even if they dreaded going on adventures, it was somewhat nice to hear it from the perspective of someone who could find enjoyment in such a thing, even if it was just a little bit.
So, considering her comedy mask was perfectly intact, yet she had such a lethargic attitude, it was worrisome to the jumble of parts to say the very least.
“I didn’t mean to pry too much and upset you. Why don’t you sit down for a minute? You aren’t looking too hot right now.”
With an outstretched toy hand, Zooble guided the velvety woman to a spot beside them on the couch.
“Thank you, Zooble…” She sighed with relief as she took a seat. “I just think I have a headache. Ever… Ever since we entered that castle in the adventure from earlier I- I don’t think I’ve been feeling very well…”
A few of her usual stutters scattered themselves through Gangle’s voice, but Zooble couldn’t help but notice how exhausted she sounded.
“Hey, I know we don’t actually need to sleep or eat or anything like that, but maybe you should relax for a second? Just lie back and close your eyes for a little bit, y’know,” They said with a hint of optimism, although their eyebrows furrowed in worry. “It might help with your headache.”
Gangle complied with their friend’s request without skipping a beat. However, she could hardly form a sentence to begin with.
The most she could manage was a slight “Mhmm,” before sinking into the plush cushions as the world around them seemed to fade into nothingness.
A full sixty minutes had passed from the time everyone returned from their daily adventure.
While the other circus members were off doing whatever their digital bodies desired within family-friendly means, Gangle was fast asleep on the blue mess hall couch as her best friend sat beside them.
Although Zooble lacked the desire to get up from their spot on the sofa, they didn’t have that choice even if they wanted to, as a porcelain mask seemed to nuzzle itself between the crook of their neck and shoulder blade.
To be honest, they didn’t hate this.
Maybe if people were around, Zooble would be a bit more hesitant in letting Gangle sleep practically right on top of them.
But they never cared about what anyone else thought before this, so why start now?
If anyone else in this purgatory of a circus had a problem with them, they could get a big middle finger to the face and an even bigger “F” you.
While Zooble was absorbed within the realm of their own thoughts, a few slight twitches rattled against their side, effectively shaking the colorful creature from such daydreams.
Looking down at the sleeping woman beside them, something beyond strange grabbed their attention.
Normally, Gangle’s mask was a pale ivory color with a stark contrast between the deep color of her eyes and mouth. However, the closer Zooble looked, the clearer the crimson blush spreading across her face glowed.
This was certainly unusual.
Gangle only ever got red like this if she was overly embarrassed or particularly flustered by something. How could she be this flushed if she wasn’t even awake?
As the cogs churned in their mind, a horrific thought planted itself within Zooble’s mind as a pit grew deep within their stomach.
With the utmost care, Zooble gently began shaking Gangle awake with a growing amount of anxiety.
“Hey, Gangle,” They spoke softly. “I think it’s time to get up. Here, let me walk you back to your room. I think it’d help to sleep in an actual bed.”
Zooble’s request was met with nothing but silence.
“Hello? Gangle?”
Nothing. Her body rolled back into the couch, limp, akin to that of a corpse.
“Gangle?!”
Without wasting another moment, Zooble propped her up from behind and rested a hand atop her mask.
Her face was scaldingly hot to the touch.
Zooble could feel themselves slowly start to lose their cool as realization hit them at full force.
“[$h!t], [$h!t], [$h!t], [$h!t]- !”
Gangle was sick.
Without even having to touch her, Zooble could feel the heat radiating off her body and hear the quiet, yet short pants coming from her breath.
Zooble had never dealt with anything like this during their time in the circus. They didn’t even know they could get sick like this!
Who could help them out?
Who could possibly know anything about what was going on with Gangle?
There was only one person Zooble could think of off the top of their head who might’ve possessed even a sliver of knowledge on how to help the bunch of ribbons.
That being none other than the master of the circus himself-
“ -CAINE!” Zooble roared full of fury.
“YOU BETTER [ƒ#*k]NG SHOW YOURSELF RIGHT NOW, OR I SWEAR- !”
It took only a split second for the rambunctious ringleader to materialize before Zooble from seemingly thin air.
“SOUNDS LIKE ONE OF MY PRECIOUS PEANUTS FINALLY REQUIRES MY UNPARALLELED ASSISTANCE,” Caine announced in glee.
“Just shut up already!” The circus member cried in anger. “What the [h3l!] did you do to her!?”
As heterochromatic orbs peered down below them, Caine quickly gathered the reason they were summoned for.
Pretending to stroke a beard he didn’t have, the A.I. paused for a moment.
“AH, I’VE SEEN THIS BEFORE,” He spoke dramatically. “IT SEEMS ANOTHER ONE OF MY DEAR PERFORMERS HAS CONTRACTED A…”
“‘A’?!” Zooble yelled impatiently, clearly past the verge of calmness. “A ‘what’?! Just spit it out!”
The ringleader threw his arms over floating eyes as he leaned back to further the theatrics.
“A BUG!” Caine cried in horror. “OH THE HUMANITY!”
The sight of the all-powerful computer shuddering in fear at the very mention of a bug while their friend was writhing in pain beside them sent Zooble into a fury.
“A bug?!” They parroted. “Like a stomach bug?! Can we even get sick like that?!”
“NO, NO, NO, ZOOBLE. YOU MISUNDERSTAND ME.”
Caine’s attempts at reassurance fell on silent ears as he doubled down on his own words.
“NOT ONE OF YOUR DISGUSTING HUMAN AILMENTS, I MEAN THERE’S A BUG DEEP IN HER CODE- AND BY THE LOOKS OF IT, IT’S A NASTY ONE TOO.”
“Oh my god… Then [ƒ#*k]ing do something about it!”
“NO CAN DO, GLITTER GLUE. THERE’S ONLY SO MUCH I CAN DO FOR EACH OF YOUR INDIVIDUAL CODES WITHOUT THE PROPER TIME AND PREPARATIONS PUT IN PLACE.”
Zooble ran colorful hands down their face as the circus’s ringleader only “tsk’d” at them in response.
“Christ, why are you so freaking useless all the time?! This is the one time I actually need you for something, and you’re just gonna tell me there’s absolutely nothing you can do?!”
The rather accusatory nature of Zooble’s claims caused Caine’s words to suddenly come to a staggering halt.
The artificial intelligence personified by teeth stood silent and still before a menacing chuckle shook his floating frame.
“OH HOHO, ZOOBLE… I’LL RIP YOUR INSIDES OU- YOU KNOW I ALWAYS VALUE YOUR NEVER-ENDING BOUTS OF CRITICISM ABOUT THE WAY I RUN MY CIRCUS.”
As quickly as it started, Caine’s outburst swiftly vanished and was replaced by his usual cheery persona.
“I MAY NOT HAVE A CURE HANDY AT THE MOMENT, BUT HERE-”
With a snap, a bottle of what could easily be mistaken as cough syrup with Caine’s face plastered on the front appeared a foot above Zooble’s hands before the performer caught it with ease.
“THINK OF THIS AS A LITTLE HOLD-YOU-OVER ‘TILL I CAN GET OUR MASKED FRIENDS’ CODE UP AND RUNNING AGAIN.”
The ringleader pulled a smoking stuffed with bubbles seemingly out of nowhere while deep in thought once more.
“YOU KNOW WHAT? I HAVE QUITE THE SCRUMPTIOUS IDEA- ”
Another snap of his fingers echoed throughout the hall, and each and every other circus member came hurling towards their circus master’s location by force.
Each performer was dropped lightly on either the checkered linoleum floor or adjacent couches below.
“Huh? Wha- What’s going on?” Questioned a confused Pomni. “I thought we had just finished an adventure like… an hour ago?”
“HOW OBSERVANT OF YOU, MY JOVIAL JESTER,” Said Caine. “BUT IF YOU COULD KINDLY TURN YOUR ATTENTION TO THE COUCH ON YOUR LEFT, PLEASE.”
Everyone’s head swivelled to the side as each performer got a full display of Gangle’s unconscious form spread across the sofa as her mask took on a deep red hue.
Ragatha was the first to speak.
“Oh my gosh, is she alright?!” She cried before rushing to their friend’s immediate aid.
“IT SEEMS SOMEONE AMONG YOU HAS CONTRACTED A BUG WITHIN THEIR CODE.” Caine elaborated to save time with a bit of personal exposition.
Irritated, Zooble was quick to point fingers at their fellow cast members for Gangle’s current condition.
“I don’t know what kind of bull[$h!t] happened on that adventure you guys had earlier, but Gangle said she hasn’t been feeling well ever since.”
Jax was quick to deflect these claims with nothing but apathy and boredom lacing his tone.
“Honestly, good on her for finding a way to tap out,” He shrugged. “If she’s lucky, maybe she’ll fall into a coma and never have to deal with any of these stupid adventures ever again.”
These words alone were enough to cause Zooble to march over towards the rabbit and stare him square in the eyes.
“Give me one reason I shouldn’t just kick your [@$$] right here and now.”
Now, as the space between them was swiftly dealt with, the two performers were toe to toe with each other, waiting for someone to make the first move.
“Don’t get mad at me, Zoobie. I’m not the one who got your little girlfriend sic- ”
Jax’s taunting fell silent as he was met with a pair of plastic hands to the throat. The rabbit flailed in defiance, but Zooble was keen on not letting go.
“Oh my goodness- !” The ragdoll interjected as she tried breaking the pair apart. “Cut it out, you two!”
While Ragatha’s attempts to de-escalate the situation were all but in vain, Caine’s action of telekinetically moving the two away from each other’s personal bubbles seemed far more than effective.
“THERE IS NO NEED FOR VIOLENCE. IN FACT, THE ADVENTURE I’D LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU ALL TODAY IS THE EXACT ANTITHESIS TO SUCH A CONCEPT.”
With his gloved hands spread wide, sparkling words appeared above the cast of characters, spelling out the fresh, new idea Caine had come up with.
“‘NURSING THE SICK AND NEEDY’!” The ringleader announced with growing enthusiasm.
Within moments, a final mere snap of his fingers transformed his performers’ regular clothing to classic nursing costumes.
“NOW THAT’S MORE LIKE IT!” The circus leader relished his work. “NOW GO FORTH AND TAKE CARE OF THE NEEDY WHILE I TOTALLY DON’T USE THIS ADVENTURE TO BUY MYSELF SOME TIME TO EXPERIMENT WITH A LITTLE BIT OF CODE- ”
And with that, Caine had vanished while everyone else was now left to fend for themselves.
Slowly, Jax waltzed over to the pile of ribbons sleeping restlessly atop the couch as he gave her a quick glance.
“Yep, she’s dead. Okay- Needy helped. I’m going back to my room.”
“Is that it?” Questioned a clearly annoyed Ragatha. “You- You’re just gonna call her dead weight and head back to your room?!”
“Bingo.” He replied.
“Ugh,” Zooble groaned. “Just let him go. He’d just be more of a hindrance than a help anyway.”
The rabbit shot two finger guns at the collection of parts.
“Now that’s what I’m talkin’ about.” He said bluntly before turning the corner and walking away.
There was a grim pause between the remaining members as they helplessly watched Jax turn his back on the others and flee.
Without warning, a sharp cry rang through the circus tent.
“Gangle ate a bug?!” Cried a rather distressed Kinger.
“No, it’s what Caine said had happened to her programming,” Zooble attempted to respond as calmly as they could in such a predicament. “Apparently, whatever this thing turns out to be is what’s causing her to have such a bad fever.”
“Phew, well as long as it wasn’t one from my collection.”
Ragatha could see the visible twitch under Zooble’s eyes the longer Kinger spoke.
“Okay…” The ragdoll drew out as she tried reconciling the situation at hand. “Well, maybe we should get Gangle back to her room, and we can all take turns watching her there until Caine comes up with a cure.”
“That sounds like the best plan we have so far…” Pomni conceded.
While the others seemed to unanimously agree that taking Gangle back to her own bedroom would be their best course of action, Zooble was quick to shoot this idea down without a second thought.
“We won’t be doing that.” The plastic-like character rebutted with an unmoving attitude.
“Wha- What do you mean?” Questioned the jester, but Zooble simply scoffed at her.
“She doesn’t like it when people are in her room.” They said as if it were common knowledge.
Each performer silently turned their attention to Zooble’s prior claims before another voice expertly interjected.
“But you’re in there all the time.” Mumbled a rather tall chess piece.
While everyone else went still at Kinger’s observation, Zooble rolled their eyes and promptly turned their back on the older man.
“Ugh, I’ll just take her to my room,” They brushed the king’s comment off harshly. “I don’t give a [ƒ#*k] what you guys do in there.”
Zooble, now dressed head to toe in scrubs and a stethoscope, easily hoisted Gangle up by her back and carried the masked woman to their room- All while an entourage of other people dressed in nursing costumes followed in close suit.
Zooble’s room was just as colorful and vibrant as they were. It was a space full of stark hues and sharp angles that made anyone who wasn’t the room’s owner stick out like a sore thumb.
“Okay, I think we’re getting somewhere with this,” The ragdoll responded as she wiped a bit of sweat from her forehead.
Zooble had carried Gangle all the way to their room before tucking the ribbons into their bed in such a manner to make sure she was both comfortable and properly ventilated. Once content with their work, Zooble removed the comedy mask from their friend's face and gingerly placed it atop their nightstand so no harm would come to the prized piece of porcelain.
The others had made it a point to roam the circus tent and snagged an ice pack they had placed atop Gangle’s mask to keep her cool.
“Uh… What should we do now?” Asked an unsure Pomni who seemed more than uncomfortable with the whole situation.
“Well, Caine gave me a bottle of this earlier,” Zooble mentioned as they revealed the purple medicine they shook back and forth. “I wanna try giving her a dose of this, but she should probably eat something first.”
“Well, I do make a great chicken noodle soup,” Kinger chimed in proudly before soon trailing off. “Or was it chowder…”
Zooble was preemptively ready to disagree with the older chess piece, but they had suddenly found themselves at a loss for words.
“That… actually sounds kinda helpful,”
Although he lacked a proper mouth, it was clear Kinger was smiling wide and overjoyed at the chance to help a fellow circus member in need.
“Perfect!” He beamed. “I’ll go get started on that chowder now, then.”
Kinger was eager to take off as the chess piece made a mad dash for the circus’s kitchen.
“Maybe I should follow him to make sure he doesn’t accidentally set the pot of water ablaze… Again.”
Ragatha laughed nervously to herself before her eyes went wide in fear. She rushed out the door to chase the man down.
“Wait! Hold on, Kinger! You know you aren’t allowed to work the stove without supervision!”
The one-sided exchange of unparalleled anxiety followed the two down the dormitory hall and out of range.
This left just the abstract combination of toy parts and the miniature jester alone to watch their feverish friend.
“Welp… Guess it’s just us now.” Pomni gulped as she swallowed the nervousness in her throat.
“Guess so.” Zooble agreed, never breaking their line of sight from Gangle.
The jester fiddled around with her gloved hands while she mentally prepared to go down a list of questions to ease the awkwardness in the air.
“Sooo… What’d you do in the circus while we were all on the adventure? Y’know- The one from this morning?”
“Not much. Just wait around and sleep for the most part.”
Pomni cringed at the realization her fellow performer was all but uninterested in the conversation she was trying to spark between them.
Within this stupor of embarrassment, the jester keenly noticed how Zooble never displaced their focus from the mask and ribbons lying still in the bed.
“When’d you and Gangle get so close?”
Now that got their attention.
“Hmm?” The abstract creation turned its head towards her question.
Pomni was all too unprepared to deal with the sudden spotlight this had put her under and faltered under the pressure.
“Ah- Um- Sorry if that’s too personal. Well, what I meant to say was- ”
“It’s fine,” Zooble agreed pensively. “You’re right. We have gotten pretty close these past few months, haven’t we? I couldn’t pinpoint an exact time when we’d started hanging out more, even if I wanted to.”
Pomni looked at their digital peer, who seemed to be deep in thought.
“I mean- When I first got here, it was like you two didn’t even acknowledge the others' existence. But- Now- it’s like if one of you guys is in one place, then the other is bound to be nearby, y’know?”
Zooble glanced at the jester with crossed arms.
“That’s one way to put it.” The character smirked to themselves. “If you would’ve told me when I first came here that there’d be something I actually liked about this living nightmare, I probably would’a just told you to [ƒ#*k] off and die.”
The pair exchanged stoic glances as the small jester juggled with the weight of asking another question.
“I didn’t know there were things you actually enjoyed about this place,” Pomni commented, baffled that someone as uninterested and miserable-looking as Zooble could actually be interested in some part of this digital hell.
“Heh,” They chuckled aimlessly. “Well, ‘enjoy’ is a stronger word than I’d use. But things have gotten more tolerable.”
Zooble’s sarcastic personality slowly faded to one of a more melancholy demeanor the longer they ruminated on the subject.
“I’m still suffering.” They claimed without missing a beat.
“We all are. But, when there’s someone to suffer with you who understands what you’re going through- ”
Zooble paused to turn around once more and gazed into Gangle’s sleeping form.
“It’s as if those problems never even existed in the first place.”
Pomni simply stared into Zooble’s back as the two fell into a slightly more comfortable silence than before.
That was until a few twitches of movement seen from beneath the blankets caught both performers' attention.
“Mmm…” Quiet mumbles came from the once slumbering Gangle, who was now attempting to sit upright in the bed without ever opening her eyes.
Zooble hurriedly rushed to their friend’s side the moment a sound was made.
“Hey, hey,” They coaxed tenderly. “It’s alright, it’s just me.”
Pomni did everything she possibly could to hold in her gasp at the sight of Zooble behaving so domestically.
She had never heard the other’s voice so soft and gentle before. It was as if just being in Gangle’s presence made them a whole new person.
“Don’t get up too quick, ‘kay? You have a fever, and Caine said you contracted some kind of bug or whatever.”
“We can get sick..?” Gangle murmured in a voice oozing with displeasure.
“That was my question, too. Apparently, it’s happened before, but not in a while.”
The ill woman ached with ribbons full of soreness and a mask that felt hotter than an open flame.
“Do you need us to get you anything?” Pomni spoke up, letting the pair before her have their much-needed conversation beforehand.
“Not right now,” She sighed as a cough rattled her weak frame. “But thank you anyways.”
Just as Gangle had begun to rest her eyes again, a parade of footsteps approached Zooble’s bedroom door.
“Oh, look, Kinger! Gangle’s finally awake.”
Ragatha was quick to point out her friend’s lucidity as the ragdoll carefully balanced a tray bearing a beautifully cooked bowl of soup, some saltines, and a fresh glass of water.
“Oh, wow...! I did not expect you guys to make such a good-looking soup,” Said the jester before covering her own mouth at the realization of what she’d just said. “Not- Not to say I didn’t think you guys were capable of- ”
Ragatha was quick to cut her off.
“It’s alright,” She dismissed before leaning close into Pomni’s personal space with a whisper. “To be honest, I didn’t think he could do it either. I mean- to be fair, he did make three bowls of clam chowder before this and not chicken noodle, but I think Kinger did a great job.”
The ladies looked at the wordless chess piece as he stared off into the distance before jumping back from Zooble’s bed in a frenzy.
“Ahhh- Gangle!” He shrieked in a panic before quickly calming down again, “Oh, when’d you wake up?”
While she didn’t scream, such an unwarranted surprise sent Gangle into a violent coughing spell, which resulted in Zooble staring daggers into Kinger’s backside.
Once the hacking had finally ceased, Zooble propped a few spare pillows behind Gangle’s back to hold her upright as Ragatha gently placed the tray of food on her lap.
“I know you aren’t feeling the best right now,” Zooble began. “But I think it’d be a good idea for you to try and eat something. I can’t give you medicine on an empty stomach.”
Internally, Gangle seemed to pause for a moment as she turned lethargically towards the king and doll standing in the corner of the room.
“Did… Did you two make this for me...?” She questioned in a raspy tone.
“Yep!” Ragatha replied cheerfully as ever. “But thank Kinger first, he did most of the work. I was kinda just there to make sure a gas fire didn’t break loose throughout the circus.”
“Thank you. B- Both of you,” Gangle replied as her lips curved into a faint smile. “I’m sorry if it was a lot of trouble…”
“Not at all, Gangle!” Smiled Kinger. “I’d cook you a thousand bowls of soup if it meant you wouldn’t eat any more bugs.”
At a loss for words, Gangle gave the man a confused look as everyone else in the room seemed to be holding back face palms and deep sighs.
“Just…” Zooble sighed. “Ignore him.”
Gangle took their advice and paid the king no mind as she wrapped a ribbon around a silver spoon and, ever so slowly, began to pick away at the broth and cracker that scattered her plate.
Although the first few bites started fine and dandy, the woman grew increasingly hesitant to keep eating as she gauged the expressions of those around her. As soon as Gangle got close to raising the utensil to her mask’s mouth, each of the other performers would stare blankly at her until she had eaten her spoonful before the cycle started all over again.
To say this made Gangle uncomfortable would be a harsh understatement.
“Please... Don’t stare…” She mumbled as she turned her head to the side while continuing to slurp on a spoonful of soup.
These quiet pleas seemed to catch everyone’s attention as they all quickly swiveled their focus away from the person they were supposed to be taking care of.
However, Kinger continued to stare without shame.
“Ah- My bad.” Zooble softened with their apology to the ill woman.
Unfortunately, this soft demeanor quickly hardened once again as they immediately began spouting demands at their fellow circus members.
“Pomni…” Zooble started off slowly, clearly still thinking of a reason to even address the jester in the first place. “Go take Kinger with you and look around the circus for some extra pillows and blankets.”
Pomni, who was very much daydreaming prior to this moment, shot up at the mention of her own name.
“Pillows?” She questioned in a whisper before the memo seemed to hit her like a sack of bricks. “Oh- Oh, right! The pillows! The very, very important pillows and blankets you told me you needed me- Us- to go gather for Gangle. Of course, c’mon, Kinger.”
“I’ll make sure to grab you the softest pillows, Gangle, so we can make an amazing pillow fortress in here.”
The chess piece was once again sent to run errands as he was now accompanied by another performer to keep him company.
Once the door behind Pomni had shut completely, Gangle turned to their friend with relief wrapped in her tone.
“Thank you for that, Zooble.” She acknowledged.
A plastic hand ran behind Zooble’s thin nape as they waved off Gangle’s gratitude in a flushed embarrassment.
“Of- Of course, don’t mention it,” They began humbly, making sure to avoid eye contact with the bedridden woman. “I could tell you needed some more space so you could actually get a proper bite in.”
“Excuse him on my behalf,” Ragatha apologized sincerely. “He isn’t always like that…”
“I know,” Agreed Zooble. “But keeping him busy is the best thing we can do right now until further notice.”
“I mean- ” The ragdoll began once more. “I could’ve gone with him again.”
“Yeah, but you already prevented the first potential disaster only a few minutes ago, so why not take a break for a second?”
Zooble turned to face Ragatha completely.
“Plus,” They started. “You’re much better suited for nursing duties than those two. No offense to them, but physically caring for others isn’t really their thing. You seem quite good at it, though.”
“Oh- Um- Wow! Thank you, Zooble!” The doll beamed with praise. “It’s not every day you’re just handing out compliments like that. Well… I did get a lot of practice on my family’s farm with the animals back when I was growing up. But that’s neither here nor there.”
The two were seconds away from sprinkling a few additional comments about their past lives, but before the pair could finish, a rather loud yawn filled the entire bedroom.
“Ah, excuse me…” Gangle murmured softly with the usual tears running down her mask. “I didn’t mean to interrupt your conversation. I’m sorry.”
Zooble turned their attention to the ribbons and promptly tucked her further into the blankets.
“Hey, you’re sick, remember? Just sitting up to eat is probably wearing you out. Don’t sweat it, ‘kay?”
“What Zooble said- ” Ragatha added. “You need all the rest you can get. Just keep focusing on getting better! Doctor’s orders.”
The ragdoll mentioned that last part with a matching wink and cheeky grin. Her efforts to lift the other’s spirits paid off when Gangle gave the woman a tiny smile in return.
“Here- Before you go back to sleep, I need you to take some medicine. Does that sound alright?”
“Mhmm, that’s fine.”
As Zooble scoured the side of the bottle for dosage information, the closer they looked, the clearer it became that the medicine was covered in nothing but nonsense. The age and weight classes ranged anywhere from “Teeny Weenies” to “Curse-Word Age”.
Zooble made a mental note to wring Caine’s neck later when they weren’t in the middle of making sure their best friend didn’t abstract from high fever.
“Fifteen milliliters should be fine,” Zooble remarked.
The colorful character fiddled around with the child-proof cap for a moment before properly eyeing the syrup-like substance to equal the right dosage.
Once properly poured, Gangle reached out to tenderly grab the measuring cup of fever-reducer. She made sure to handle the medicine with care to avoid spilling even a single drop onto Zooble’s comforter.
The ribbons stared into the violet liquid close enough to see their own reflection staring back, and- God- did they look miserable.
“Bottoms up, right?” Zooble half-joked, which quickly shook the woman from her thoughts.
“Just think of it like a really strong shot or something.” They added.
With a few more attempts at lightening the situation, Gangle hesitantly put the cup to her mouth. She was a bit paranoid that Caine had tampered with the liquid in some nonsensical way, but after reassuring herself that something of that nature was unlikely, the woman tilted her head back and took the very first sip.
Zooble watched closely as their friend nursed the first half of the medicine in their grasp.
“How’s it taste?” They questioned slowly.
Gangle stopped as a sour expression overcame her.
“Awful…”
Zooble sighed deeply.
“Go figure, Caine probably made it taste like horse[$h!t].”
Gangle gazed into the syrupy liquid while swirling it around blankly within its small glass.
“I think it’s supposed to be grape, but it just tastes like sugary sewage.” She mentioned with immense disdain.
“Here,” Zooble said with an arm stretched towards Gangle’s lap.
With the utmost tenderness and understanding, Zooble took the remaining fever medicine from a pair of silky ribbons and placed it beside the discarded smiling mask atop their nightstand.
“You don’t have to finish it all if you can’t. Half should be more than enough.”
Although Zooble was quick to reassure her, Gangle still felt a decent amount of guilt for letting their caretaking efforts go to waste.
“I’m sorry…” She whispered with sorrow.
“There’s no need to apologize. You did great for how terrible it tastes.”
“I know, but…”
Gloved hands patiently grabbed ribbon ones.
“You’re stressing yourself out again,” Zooble said in a mellow voice, but their gentle understanding was met only with anxious silence.
“...”
“You know nothing you do could ever make me angry with you, right?” They tried reassuring the ribbon-like woman again.
“I know that too,” She agreed. “But- It’s just- It’s hard to put what I wanna say into words right now…”
Gangle looked as if she were on the verge of tears again, but her imminent sobs were interrupted as she glanced upwards to meet a pair of mismatched eyes peering into her with nothing but warm compassion.
“Then don’t.”
The way Zooble had said it made the action sound so easy.
“Just close your eyes and let your body do the talking. Whatever you think you need to explain to me can wait until you’re feeling better.”
The jumble of toy parts locked eyes with the bunches of ribbons as both their hands squeezed the other gently.
“Thank you, Zooble.”
Zooble could hardly look Gangle in the eyes anymore, as her dark smile was so warm and genuine that it nearly blinded the caretaker with its radiance.
“Don’t mention it…” They mumbled with an obvious blush upon their angular face.
Lying back down in Zooble’s bed, Gangle hadn’t realized how heavy her eyes felt. Just sitting up took an immense amount of effort, so to finally lie back down, a wave of exhaustion washed over the ribbons.
Closing her eyes and turning to her side, Gangle’s breathing grew slow, and with a bit of whispered confirmation from her fellow performers, the others determined she had properly tuckered herself out and gone back to sleep.
“Wow, Zooble,” A voice arose from the corner of the room. “I think I’ll have to reject your compliment from earlier.”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“Clearly, you make a much better nurse than I do.”
A knowing smile was covered by a sack-textured hand as Ragatha giggled to herself.
“Don’t take it the wrong way. I think it’s pretty cute how much you care about her.”
Zooble’s once gentle disposition fell short as their antennas shook in a mixture of frustration and embarrassment at the ragdoll’s accusations.
“Don’t say things like that!” They cried in a whisper.
Now full on laughing, Ragatha couldn’t help but shed a few humorous tears at Zooble’s effort in maintaining their uninterested, nonchalant facade.
“Okay, okay, I’ll knock it off,” She conceded while wiping a fresh tear from her cheek. “I’m just excited to see you so happy!”
The sharp-angled performed crossed their arms and huffed, clearly annoyed their cool persona was losing its usual edge.
“God, why is everyone treating me like some kind of saint today. It’s really starting to piss me off.”
Stiffling her amusement, Ragatha made it clear she meant no harm or foul towards her fellow circus member.
“I don’t think anyone else means anything malicious by it. Well- Except Jax that is- but the rest of us support you one-hundred percent, Zooble!”
“Support me in what?!” They growled in increasing frustration. “Ugh, you’re not making any sense!”
“Don’t worry. Your secret’s safe with me, okay! I won’t tell a soul!” Ragatha winked.
“What secret?! I don’t have any secrets! Don’t go around making [$h!t] up about me!”
In the midst of an intense, one-sided, whisper-yell argument, a mountain of blankets and an array of pillows stacked high completely overshadowed the digital bodies of the performers carrying such pleasantries.
“We’ve gathered all the materials necessary for a pillow fort unlike the world has ever seen!” Kinger exclaimed in glee before a more thoughtful expression overcame his features. “At least, I think the world hasn’t seen a fort like this before. I might have a few sources to check…”
“I didn’t even know we had half of this stuff here just lying around the circus,” Pomni added to the older man’s prior comment.
Although they were terribly frustrated mere moments ago, Zooble attempted to calm themselves to prevent any more comments about the extent of their and Gangle’s friendship.
“Thanks for doing that, you two,” They acknowledged. “But try to keep it down. Gangle’s sleeping again, and she needs all the rest she can get.”
“Of course.” Said the jester.
Zooble stood high and paced towards the bedroom’s light switch slowly so as not to step on any spare parts of theirs lying around. Any commotion too noisy might wake Gangle up, and that’s the last thing she needed to happen.
Now with the overhead light properly dimmed and every need of the ribbon-like woman taken care of, Zooble felt accomplished enough to pull up one of the chairs in their room and take a load off.
Seeing the room’s owner sit, the other performers felt somewhat compelled to find seats across the room to get comfortable in as well.
There were a few minutes of notable quiet accompanied by the occasional whisper, but unlike the prior occurrences, this silence was rather peaceful and lulled the circus members into a satisfied stillness.
“Wow, it’s been a while since someone’s contracted a bug like this.” Kinger disclosed attentively.
The sound of the chess piece’s voice was unlike its usual, crazed tone and carried a far more thoughtful weight in his words.
“Have you seen this happen before?” Pomni asked intriguingly.
“Not in a long, long time. I remember it took a few days until they started feeling up and at ‘em again.”
Zooble stared wide-eyed towards Kinger at the confession.
“A few days?” They repeated with a sense of dread. “So everything we’ve been doing for her up until now has meant nothing because she’ll just magically ‘get better’ when Caine [ƒ#*k]ing feels like it.”
“While you’re somewhat right, our digital bodies run on specific code tailored uniquely to each of us. It’ll take him a while to determine the issue in her system and deal with it accordingly.”
This revelation caused Zooble to scoff coldly.
“‘Omnipotent’ my [@$$].”
“The most we can do for Gangle now is to give her the medicine you have and to keep her company until Caine comes up with a solution,” Kinger added to try and give the others a sliver of hope in the matter.
“This is just ridiculous...” Zooble trailed off in a sigh.
Noticing the growing tension in the room, Ragatha gave unbridled optimism another shot to calm everyone down.
“On the bright side, I don’t think Caine will throw us into any adventures until he’s done considering now you and Gangle wouldn’t participate in them.”
The ragdoll had mentioned the thought of no more adventures for the time being as a positive in their current dilemma, but this pursuit of hope was swiftly shot down with cold words.
“So in order to be spared from participating in [h$l!] on Earth, one of us has to have either died or be in the process of dying?!”
Ragatha went quiet at their friend’s outburst. She’d quickly run out of positivity and motivation to supply the group with.
“Um… Well, when you put it like that…” She stamered, attempting to catch her own verbal footing.
In the corner of the room, the small jester was trembling in fear as she held herself tight.
“If we can get sick with these bodies, what other awful things could Caine do to us?” Pomni rambled carelessly in terror. “What if he starts controlling our actions- And then our mind- And when that’s not enough, what if then he decides to- !”
“Pomni!” A prevalent voice from Zooble cut cleanly through the short woman’s distressed mutterings. “That’s enough.”
Zooble sat further down in their chair, closing their eyes in thought.
“I… I don’t wanna think about any of that right now. We have a lot more pressing matters on our hands, and if we start freaking out about this all now, then…”
A serious, masculine voice stood out among the crowd and quickly made itself known.
“Then we might all abstract.”
At the sound of Kinger’s blunt words, Zooble dropped their angular head in their hands and slumped down in defeat.
“I hate this.” They exposed their feelings nearly above a whisper.
“Zooble…” Ragatha began gently. “You know everything will work out.”
“But I don’t know that!” The collection of parts suddenly raised their voice in anger before hitting a crescendo of melancholy. “Why the [ƒ#*k] would I know something like that...?”
The ragdoll’s hand was extending unseeingly towards Zooble’s back, but was quickly drawn in at the mention of her apologies.
“I’m… I’m sorry.” She whispered. “I- I shouldn’t have assumed something like that for you. You’re right- We don’t know if everything’s going to work out. We don’t even know how…”
Although Ragatha had lost her courage throughout their conversation, Kinger was quick to rekindle the group's spirit.
“But- ” The chess piece interrupted. “I do know that you’re capable of more than you think.”
Closing the space between them and the older man, Zooble grabbed Kinger by the fur of his violet robe as a furious expression overcame them.
“Don’t you [ƒ#*k]ing lie to me right now,” Zooble demanded angrily. “We’re not capable of [$h!t] in this god-forsaken [h3l!]hole! I thought you would’ve picked up on that by now.”
The chess piece didn’t retaliate. Instead, he opted to further explain himself to the lesser-experienced members of their current purgatory.
“There are a million things we can’t do,” He started calmly. “We can’t change the appearance we arrived with, we can’t remember our names, we can’t go against Caine’s wishes for us, and we most certainly can never escape the circus.”
“But there’s at least one thing we can do- ”
The man’s gaze was unmoving from Zooble’s own.
“ -We can learn to be there for each other.”
The warm understanding in Kinger’s voice echoed throughout the room.
Although Zooble’s fists were grasped tightly around the man’s robe, the pressure in their hands loosened as they released the plush fabric before falling back to their side.
“We’re still human beings. Just because our bodies may have changed, that could never snuff out the empathy we have as people. Sometimes, our attempts at consoling the people around us are flawed. The reasons we do things might be selfish, overwhelming, or terribly misunderstood.”
“But that’s what separates us from a computer or machine- we’re not perfect,”
The signs of a tender smile were seen in the man’s blue eyes as he spoke clearly without abandon.
“We’re just human.”
The performers simply stared at each other, all at a complete loss for words. There was nothing to say, nothing to add. All the doubts they’d each had swelling inside of them were disarmed with a single statement.
Zooble’s shoulders sank as they held eye contact with the floor.
“When… When the [h$l!] did you get so… wise all of a sudden?” They remarked, clearly alarmed by the older man’s sudden lucidity. “God, you’re so weird.”
A faint laugh interrupted the former’s ruminating.
“I think we all are,” Pomni interjected agreeingly.
Kinger nodded alongside the jester in near tandem. The man spared no time recalling what he could about Zooble about their first months in the circus.
“When you first arrived here, you were rather cold and closed off,” He claimed, not to target the colorful performer, but to put their situation into perspective. “You looked like you would punch anyone who even dared look in your direction.”
Zooble stared blankly at the man before crossing their arms and turning their back to him.
“Well, sometimes things change,” They mumbled with a hint of blush atop their cheeks.
The king piece smiled at the younger’s softness.
“If you’re asking me, I think it’s a change for the better.”
After their initial argument, the troupe of performers had slowly begun to converse more openly until each character was jumping from topic to topic as a mixture of laughter and intrigue overcame every debacle and anecdote left to cover.
Nearly three hours had passed since the circus members first gathered in Zooble’s bedroom to take care of their masked friend, but it felt as if only a few minutes had gone by.
Looking at the wacky-shaped clock that decorated their living space, Zooble’s eyes widened at the time.
“It’s getting kind of late,” They mentioned. “I think I can take care of things from here.”
Ragatha smiled at Zooble’s consideration, but was still eager to assist her companions.
“Are you sure you don’t need any more of our help? I mean, I know we haven’t done much, but I’d be more than happy to stay if you’d like.”
The doll had tried to show she wasn’t bored or itching to leave Gangle’s side, but was brushed off by the toy box character beside her.
“Nah, you’re fine.” Zooble smiled faintly, regardless of their lack of mouth. “Thank you guys for… for actually doing your best at helping her out. I appreciate it.”
They feigned a cough before mumbling something else a bit quieter.
“Sorry for being difficult…” They apologized quietly.
“It’s alright, Zooble,” Kinger mentioned forgivingly. “I understand tensions were high. We’re all going through a lot right now- Especially you.”
“This was sorta nice,” Added Pomni before doubling down. “Not saying I want anyone to get deathly ill again- ”
“I know what you mean,” Said Zooble. “Coming together like this- It’s kinda sweet.”
Slowly, everyone began rising from their seats as they felt the time they’d spent together coming to a close.
“You guys have a good night. I’ll let you know if anything comes up, but it probably won’t.”
One by one, each cast member rose from their chairs and waved their goodbyes before retiring for the night.
Now with their door shut and the room vacated except for its owner and prized guest, Zooble felt comfortable enough to pull their chair up to Gangle’s bedside to watch the woman dutifully as she slept.
“Still out cold, huh? Well, I don’t think ‘cold’ is the best word to describe someone with a running fever.”
Nothing was said in response besides the sounds of soft snoring.
“I can’t believe you were gonna keep all this to yourself,” Zooble said, near awestruck. “I want you to tell me everything. Even if you think it’s boring or that it’d lessen my opinion of you.”
The character grabbed Gangle’s hand in their own and squeezed just enough for some comfort without waking her.
“If I had just been there, maybe this wouldn’t have gotten so out of hand.”
Words poured out of Zooble as they rambled on without refrain; no one was there to hear their sorrows.
“I said I would protect you from anything. But I’m doing [ƒ#*k] all in keeping that promise.”
They squeezed Gangle’s hand tighter one last time.
“I’m sorry… When it comes to you, I feel so… so useless.”
When the final heartfelt confession left Zooble, they quickly turned their head towards the creaking sound of their door opening as a lanky figure unceremoniously stepped inside.
“Is there a party I’m missing in here?”
A tall, lavender rabbit character walked into Zooble’s locked room without permission, most likely having fiddled with his many stolen keys in the keyhole to get entry.
“Yeah, turn around, walk a few miles until you see a cliff, then jump off it. Party should be right at the bottom.”
Jax laughed at Zooble’s threat and shut the door behind him.
“No need to get your arms in any more of a twist.”
The jumble of toy parts rolled their eyes at Jax while making sure to keep their distance.
“What do you want?”
“Oh, nothing.”
“Then [ƒ#*k] off.”
The rabbit gasped in feigned offense.
“Ruh-ude,” He cried, drawing out the sounds in his words. “I just came to see what all that loud muttering was about. It was starting to get on my freakin’ nerves, I’ll tell you that.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Claimed Zooble.
“Really?” The rabbit challenged the other’s story. “Y’know, cuz I distinctly swore I heard you saying something just a moment ago. Hmm, but nobody’s here to talk to you back. Or nobody awake, I mean.
Zooble’s eyes twitched in growing succession as they felt Jax beginning to push all of their buttons.
He’d do anything to get a rise out of somebody, and usually would.
“God, can’t you go a single day without tormenting someone!?”
The comments finally got to Zooble as they yelled back in anger.
Jax knew he’d already won.
“No can do. Ever since Gangle went and got herself sick for no reason, I haven’t really had anyone to talk to all day.”
Zooble’s eyes scanned the man up and down, back and forth, searching for any reason why he would be grilling them right here, right now.
“She literally incapacitated, and you still want to be a [d!%k] to her?! The [ƒ#*k] is wrong with you?!”
“Whaaaat?” Jax questioned jokingly.
The more Jax acted like he didn’t know what he was doing, the angrier Zooble got.
“Can’t a bunny get lonely every once in a while? It’s been hard ever since you two started acting like you were connected at the hip. The only time I can get Gangle all to myself anymore is when we go on adventures.”
The rabbit sighed as he drew his attention towards the figure in Zooble’s bed, completely unaware of the tense argument unfolding before them.
“Oh, sweet, opinion-less Gangle… Is that why you like her so much? ‘Cuz she’s practically a pet who’ll do whatever you say?”
Zooble’s grip on the edge of their seat tensed as they stared violently into the rabbit’s eyes.
“Oh, don’t look at me like that. Just imagine how I felt when she said she didn’t wanna hang out with me anymore. Then, imagine my surprise when I realized she was ditching me to be with you!”
“Stop talking about her like some [ƒ#*k]ing inanimate object! She’s a human being!”
“No. She isn’t.”
While Jax himself wasn’t a serious person like Zooble, the sudden grim expression that spread across the rabbit’s features said otherwise.
“None of us are.”
The rabbit’s confession sent a shiver down Zooble’s plastic spine. They hadn’t realized how devoid of empathy the person they’d been arguing with was full of.
“And you wonder why she doesn’t wanna be around you when all you do is torture her for just existing.”
Jax smiled a grin full of spite.
“Torture is a strong word. I prefer… play around with?”
Zooble glared at the rabbit in disgust.
“Should I throw a thesaurus at you to help look for better synonyms?”
Jax pretended to mope around as he shot more insults towards Zooble.
“So grumpy… Although that is who you are.”
“So does that make you the annoying-piece-of-[$h!t] one?” Zooble growled under their breath.
“Nah, too much of a mouthful,” Jax waved them off. “Dont’cha just find her irritating, though? God, everything that comes out of her mouth is about her sketchbook or those little anime shows that she watches.”
“Shut. Up.” Zooble demanded.
They felt dangerously close to doing something they may or may not regret.
“Aww, did I strike a nerve?” Jax continued to tease. “I mean, even I can admit she’s kinda cute when she isn’t babbling and sobbing all over the place. The [$3x]iest thing she can do is shut the [ƒ#*k] up and be quiet, but you already knew that, didn’t you?”
Jax’s unwarrantedly sexual comment about the ribbons and their relationship with Zooble sent them stumbling backwards in shock before shooting up in rage.
“The [ƒ#*k] is your problem!?” Zooble roared as quietly as they could without waking the sleeping woman beside them.
In a flash of emotion, Zooble rushed from Gangle’s side and shoved Jax in the direction of the bedroom door.
If they weren’t more aware of their surroundings, they would’ve punched the rabbit square in the jaw. However, they didn’t want to risk the chance of Gangle somehow getting involved in the altercation.
“Are you trying to bully her or [ƒ#*k] her?!”
The rabbit character’s tall stature wavered as he was sent flying backwards. Clearly still a bit frazzled, but Jax continued with his barrage of insults.
“I could ask you the same thing. Based on your little ‘[$3x]’ comment the other day, I wouldn’t be surprised if you two were trying to scissor every time you got a minute alone.”
“You’re such a [ƒ#*k]ing pervert!”
Now Zooble was full-on yelling at the man adjacent to them.
“You’re one to talk…” Jax mumbled with a pout and crossed arms, but Zooble quickly shut down the innocent facade.
“I think we’ve all tolerated you pretty well so far, but this whole schtick you’ve been doing is starting to get really [ƒ#*k]ing old!”
“Oh, come ON!” The rabbit raised his voice on the last word with an eyeroll to match. “Y’know… Everybody already knows- ”
However, before Jax could get another word in, Zooble swiftly interrupted with their own feelings on the matter.
“I hate you.”
Although they had been speaking in a rather frustrated tone up until now, Zooble had adopted a voice calmer than a puddle with the fury of a tidal wave.
“I hate you,” They reiterated. “Gangle hates you. If anybody were to abstract next, I pray to whatever evil God trapped us here that it’d be you.”
The golden smile Jax had been keeping visible this entire confrontation had faltered just for a moment once Zooble’s words truly began sinking into his thick skull.
The rabbit shoved his hands into red overall pocked with a scoff.
“Don’t be so stuck up all the time. I was just joking.”
Zooble quickly shot back with a quip of their own.
“How’s this for a joke? Get out.”
“Okay. Fine, fine, but don’t try givin’ her back when you get sick of her.”
Slowly, Jax treaded the line between hallway and bedroom as he steadily approached the door to leave. With his back turned to Zooble and his gloves on the knob, the rabbit slowly swiveled only his head back around to reveal an expression bubbling over with hatred, madness, and self-pity all wrapped up with a familiar smile.
“Keep my toy safe and sound for me, alrighty?”
It was less of a request and teetered far more on being a threat, but the rabbit said nothing further as he made his final exit back to his hiding hole of a bedroom.
And- Of course- Jax was annoying enough to leave the door just perfectly ajar, so Zooble would have to walk over and close it regardless.
Zooble, pent up with an uncomfortable amount of rage, held the metal doorknob in their plastic hand. They squeezed the handle tight enough to tear the door straight off its hinges. Instead, they opened the large bedroom door towards them before slamming it shut with as much power as their digital body would allow.
The sound rattled through their small living space and most likely ended up filling the hallway with lingering echoes.
However, a much smaller sound ended up being the thing to catch Zooble’s attention.
“Hmm… Wha…”
Turning their focus to their bed, Zooble immediately noticed the now lucid woman sitting upright in their bed with a puzzled look upon their mask.
Zooble eagerly rushed to their side and gave the woman a tender glance.
“That was entirely my bad. Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you up like that.” They apologized gently.
While the sound of a door slamming shut initially woke the bunches of ribbons, she was much more concerned with other matters.
“Where’d everyone else go…?” Gangle questioned with the sleepiness still evident in her tone.
“Back to their rooms,” Said Zooble. “It’s pretty late right now. You slept for a good while.”
“Oh…”
Without warning, the ill woman suddenly shoved the blankets off herself and attempted to stand up. However, these attempts were swiftly intercepted by Zooble, placing their hands atop her ribbon-y shoulders and softly pushing her back into bed.
“Ga- Gangle?!” They cried. “What are you doing?!”
The masked woman looked at their friend as if the answer were obvious.
“Going back to my room,” She said palpably. “Where would you sleep if I’m taking up all the space in your bed?”
“All” the space was a rather hyperbolic exaggeration on the woman’s behalf. Compared to Zooble’s queen-sized bed, Gangle only filled a tiny portion of it.
“Don’t worry about any of that right now. You act like you haven’t slept in my bed before.”
The mention of a once distant memory was met with already red cheeks deepening in hue as Gangle flushed in embarrassment.
“...But that was different.” She timidly whispered.
“Enlighten me then.”
“I wasn’t gross, and sick, and sweaty.”
“It wouldn’t kill me to change my sheets after you started feeling better.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive.”
Gangle looked down at her lap as she fiddled with her own two ribbons, continuously rubbing them against each other.
“Zooble…?” A meek voice came from the woman.
She was met with an immediate response.
“Yes?”
“Are you… Are you feeling alright?”
The performers locked eyes.
Something about the dark contrast of Gangle’s eyes made Zooble feel as if she were gazing into their deepest, darkest secrets.
“Hmm?” Zooble hummed aloofly. “I’m feeling fine. You’re the one who’s sick.”
“You’ve just been spacing out a lot, is all…” Gangle seemed to trail off, deep in thought, but quickly caught herself before she could overthink any further. “Bu- But- Of course- You’re always fine. Nothing could ever bother you… I’m sorry for making it weird…”
The bunch of ribbons waved her velvet arms back and forth to show she meant no harm in her words, but Zooble had already taken them to heart.
“You… You know I’m not… perfect, right?”
“Oh- Um- !”
Did Gangle really think they were perfect?
“Well- I- I’m not really sure what to say- ”
The masked woman stamered in an attempt to explain herself, but her words came to a halt at the sound of their friend’s desperate begging.
“Just- ” Zooble began as they looked for the right words to say.
Gangle was rather sensitive when it came to how people addressed her, and Zooble, very well aware of this fact, searched their mind up and down for a sentence that wouldn’t cause their friend to burst into tears.
“Listen for a moment, okay? I… I don’t really know how to put this.”
The pair of performers fell into a lengthy silence.
As if the masked woman would break into a million pieces, Zooble took Gangle’s ribbon-y hand in their plastic one and held it tenderly. The collection of parts tensed their oddly shaped shoulders before releasing a sigh.
“I’m going to disappoint you.”
Gangle looked at Zooble as if they had two heads.
“Wha- What?” She cried with a face full of bewilderment.
“It’s like I said,” The vibrant character began. “Whatever great things you think of me, you should toss ‘em while you still have a chance.”
“Gangle, I haven’t been entirely honest with you. No- Scratch that- I haven’t been honest with you at all.”
“Wha… What do you mean?”
Zooble glanced downward to avoid the possibility of meeting the face of a disappointed Gangle.
“The person you think you know doesn’t exist. At the end of the day… I’m nothing but a coward.”
They slammed their eyes shut as their fists clenched the blanket tightly in their grasp.
“A horrified, pathetic coward.”
“Z- Zooble, I- ”
Gangle attempted to intervene with her own two cents, but quickly lost all courage to continue when Zooble’s ramblings grew more aggressive in nature.
“I should’ve been there, you know, when you got sick.” Suddenly, their voice rose a decibel as their frame shook with anger.
“[H$l!], I should’ve been there this whole time! Every adventure, every mask break, every time that rabbit [@$$]hole decides to practically harass you… I’ve been a coward to have waited this long to tell you who I really am.”
“Bu- But none of that was your fault…” The masked woman mumbled meekly into her ribbon-like palms.
“Maybe not directly,” Zooble continued. “But my own issues with my… body have been affecting you in the worst ways imaginable. I don’t want to treat you the way Jax does.”
“You deserve so much more than that- Than to be the collateral damage of someone else’s shortcomin- ”
All sounds of self-pity and internalized hatred were squashed at the sound of Gangle shrieking demands as loud as her timid demeanor would let her.
“ZOOBLE, WILL YOU JUST LISTEN TO ME- !”
The pitch of Gangle’s ear-piercing voice and sudden shift of dominance practically forced Zooble to turn all their attention to the woman lying sick underneath their covers.
“Do you remember the promise we made to each other that day? After the shift at that Spudsy’s place?”
Of course they do.
That specific promise replays in Zooble’s mind every time they’re met with the masked woman’s face. The memory looped verbatim in Zooble’s mind with every tear, every smile, every laugh.
The way Gangle’s tears rushed down her cheeks as Zooble comforted the woman.
The way the pair accidentally ended up brushing their hands together when reaching for the same pencil to draw with.
The way a warm smile beamed from the ribbons when Zooble reassured her they wanted to stay by her side.
“Of course I remember, Gangle,” They sighed with a faint feeling of sentimentality. “God, how could I ever forget?”
“Then- Then you remember the part when you said we were in this together?” She added with a smile. “You’re always reminding me to come and talk to you whenever I need to. Whether I’m confused, or sad, or even if it’s stupid stuff about my day, you still want me to come to you about it.”
“I’d like you to start doing the same for me.”
The woman glanced upward at their friend with a hopeful look in their eye before it was overshadowed by a hint of sadness.
“I’m sorry if I’ve been putting you on a pedestal a little bit. I never really… I didn’t have many people in my life who- who I could call my friends. N- Not I’m not trying to make excuses for myself or anything..!”
The ribbons quickly composed herself when a vibrant hand was placed atop her left shoulder. She immediately reciprocated the action by grabbing Zooble’s hand and moving it closer to her hollow chest.
“But what I’m trying to say is- You’re not the only one trapped here, Zooble. I wanna be someone you’re able to talk to. Whether it’s about your body or just how you’re feeling, I wanna listen to all of it.”
“Let me be there for you, Zooble.”
The pair never broke eye contact as the room grew quiet enough to hear a pin drop.
Zooble could hear their plastic heart pounding loudly in their chest as the space between the performers' faces slowly dwindled. In a split second of confidence, Zooble gripped the woman around her velvety back and moved their face into hers.
The two had found themselves enveloped deeply in a passionate kiss.
It lasted but only a second, but as Zooble opened their eyes to see what they’d just reaped from the only friendship they’d ever had in the circus, a shocked expression caused their heart to sink in horror.
Quickly regaining their composure, Zooble hastily removed themselves from Gangle as they stammered to find any kind of answer as to where any kind of their logical reasoning had gone.
“G- Gangle, I- I’m so sorry!” They swiftly apologized with a stutter. “I don’t know what came over me, I just- I should’ve never forced myself on you like that! You’re sick, and I’m supposed to be taking care of you. Oh my god, I’m so so sor- !”
Any attempt at reconciling the situation was cut short when Gangle smashed their face into Zooble’s. Although the latter lacked a mouth, the sensation of kissing was more than prominent as a loving warmth spread between the two.
This time, their embrace wasn’t a disregard for all logic or refrain, but a mutually accepted pleasure as the pair locked lips and let the outside world fade away to nothingness.
A minute went by before the circus members finally separated to properly catch their breath.
Although an awkward silence enveloped them, Gangle was the first to speak up.
“I… I didn’t know you liked me like that…” She mumbled with the faintest of smiles.
“Um- Well- ”
“I really like you too, Zooble.”
The toy box-like character could hardly get a word in as their face burned crimson.
“I guess I just don’t- ” Zooble paused to catch their breath. “I don’t understand why. And when even?”
Gangle looked at the other with a reminiscent expression.
“Do you remember our adventure at Spudsy’s?” She made a point of asking, but Gangle had already known the answer well in advance.
“How could I not..?” Zooble replied as their voice took on a softer tone. “I was the reason you had such a horrible time there to begin with.”
“Well, I don’t see it like that,” Rebutted Gangle. “Not only did you try to help me when it didn’t work out, but you were the first person to comfort me. The only person to comfort me…”
“You know I’d be there for you…” Zooble confirmed under their breath.
“So then- Then why are you confused that I like you back?” Added the ribbon-like woman.
Without thinking, Zooble felt all their yearning desires bubble to the surface as they responded to Gangle’s confession.
“I guess… Because I know you can do better than…”
Zooble made it a point to stand up tall enough so Gangle could get a full look at what they were fighting so hard to defend.
“This.”
Zooble’s usual confidence and cool demeanor were wrung out to reveal their every insecurity at the mention of their odd figure. Something about seeing their best friend suffer drew a deep anger out of Gangle that she’d never felt so strongly before.
“Ma- Maybe I don’t care if you think I deserve you- ” She commented. “Maybe I want you just because I can.”
Although Gangle had said the word with her usual chronic stutter, she made it clear that her desire to be with Zooble was not up for debate.
However, her attempt at an angry expression and demanding attitude where all for naught when the jumble of parts looked at ribbons with a blank look across their features.
Then- Without warning- A muffled smirk turned into a quiet chuckle, which eventually devolved into nothing but a fit of full-blown laughter.
Zooble wiped a tear from their eye as they quickly rushed to hug Gangle tight and make sure they’d never let her go this time.
“I’m sorry for laughing,” They said with a now sore voice from the amusement they’d felt. “I’m proud of you for advocating for yourself. I really mean it. I’m just not used to you using that tone for something stupid like this.”
The bundles of ribbons couldn’t take Zooble’s laughter too harshly. After all, it was true she was using her special move of advocacy on something silly like a lovers' quarrel.
“It’s- It’s alright,” Gangled agreed mid-giggle. “You’re right, I d- didn’t sound like myself at all.”
“It takes practice.” Reassured Zooble
“Then let me practice by your side.”
The pair held each other tightly in a warm embrace.
Neither had felt anything like this in a very long time. So, when Gangle felt themselves growing increasingly sleepy at the affectionate contact, an unwanted yawn managed to slip past her lips and catch the attention of the person they'd been clinging to.
The sound of her exhaustion caused Zooble to chuckle in amusement.
“You aren't tapping out on me, are you?” They questioned knowingly.
“Maybe…” Gangle muttered softly.
“Then I think you should lie back down under the covers.” They replied dutifully as ever.
The gaudy character begrudgingly tore themself from the hug to direct Gangle back towards the comforter and back to sleep. However, Zooble was suddenly incapacitated as a swirl of ribbons wrapped around their body and held them snuggly in place.
“He- Hey!” They cried out at the increased physical contact. “Wh- What are you doing? Gangle?!”
Zooble’s pleas fell upon deaf ears as a porcelain mask nuzzled itself closer into their chest.
“Stay with me… Don’t go, Zooble…”
When the mask glanced upwards, Zooble was met with the heart-melting sight of Gangle with their wide, black eyes and matching flushed cheeks. Whether the red hue was from embarrassment or fever mattered little to the character as the sight was equally adorable either way.
“Please? Can you hold me? Just for tonight…”
Zooble deeply sighed, pretending to be annoyed so as not to reveal how terribly their heart was jumping for joy at the request.
“You know I can’t say no to that,” They acknowledged. “Whatever you need to feel better, I’ll do it.”
Gangle loosened her hold on the other just a smidge so Zooble could properly wrap them both in blankets and sheets.
The pair had fallen into a comfortable silence, now lying down beneath layers of plush, but Gangle still wasn’t completely satisfied with the results.
“Zooble?” She started quietly.
“Yes?”
“Can you squeeze me a bit tighter?”
“‘Course.”
A few more minutes passed by before the ribbons felt another question lodged in their throat, itching to be answered.
“Can I ask you something?”
“What’s up?” Zooble replied without ever opening their eyes.
“What if we wake up tomorrow and things go back to the way they were. Like- Like what if this is all a fever dream and I’m just imagining all this?”
“Good thing you aren’t dreaming then.”
Gangle was yet to be content with their friend’s answers.
“But if I was- Would you still love me when I wake up?”
“I’d love you no matter what you’d do.”
A beat of silence grew between the two as the ribbon-y woman contemplated Zooble’s answer.
And yet- They still weren’t satisfied.
“Zoobl- ”
The woman began once more; however, this time she was swiftly interrupted by a stern, yet tender voice.
“Go to sleep, Gangle.” Zooble sighed a little more irritated this time than before.
Unfortunately, this feeling of slight annoyance was curbed at the sound of the woman’s timid confession.
“...I love you.”
Zooble sighed even louder than before.
Now feeling like a complete asshole at their assumption of Gangle’s questions, Zooble squeezed the woman beside them just a little tighter to make up for their own impatience.
“I love you too, but you need to rest if you wanna feel better,” They claimed out of a place of affection. “I’ll be right here when you wake up, okay?”
Zooble finally opened their eyes, and when they did, they were met with the midnight-tinted ones of the woman they adored so dearly peering up at them.
Before the two could finally bid the day farewell, Gangle had one last question to ask until she was truly satisfied.
“Promise?”
“Promise.”
The end.