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Gangle sighed as she boarded the plane along with the others. Caine's "adventures" were getting more mundane. First was the fast food fiasco that nearly drove her insane, now they were on an airplane, apparently only booked for six. Well, five actually. Kinger chose to opt out, apparently being afraid of heights.
Jax happened to be hogging three seats, laying down with his feet on the window, tossing dice. He seemed to mellow a bit after the employee training. What even happened in there? Eh, at least he seemed less intent on breaking her comedy mask now.
Pomni was staring out her window as if it would suck her out the moment she blinked. And Ragatha was sitting there too, trying to shoot her shot. At least that’s what it looked like. Gangle blinked and wondered if she had read too much romance manga lately…
After Gangle was Zooble, muttering complaints about being there, yet they still followed. Their feet both pad across the ground as they walk to their seats, which happened to be right next to each other.
Gangle moved, shimmying into her seat and then fastening her seatbelt. Though it would be debatable if it would even work to hold her flimsy ribbon body down. Zooble then slumps into the aisle seat and picks up a safety handbook from a pouch in front of them and starts reading aimlessly.
A loud voice blasted from the speakers, causing Gangle to jump a little, clutching her comedy mask. Zooble lay a reassuring hand on Gangle's shoulder. Gangle nods Zooble her thanks.
The speaker says the flight will start soon and garbles safety mumbo jumbo such as “wear a seatbelt,” “do not kill someone,” and “don't make out while aboard the plane.” Zooble let out a snort at that last comment.
The plane starts, jostling passengers in their seats. Gangle grips her seatbelt with one ribbon hand, and covers her mask with the other. She tries to stay still, if not just because how pathetic it would be to fly away from just your seat moving. And also Jax would absolutely mock her if she did.
Zooble turns their shapely head to look at Gangle, concerned.
“Ehh… I’m usually better on planes,” Gangle winces, plane settling down.
“Don’t worry,” Zooble says sympathetically, “I was worse.”
Gangle tilts her head.
“The first time I got on a plane, I had a panic attack and altitude sickness. Passed out, felt like $#!% .”
Gangle winces sympathetically, “yeowch.”
Zooble nods at her before turning back to the book, staring at it with dull eyes.
Gangle turns her head to the window, staring out into the blue. The color is radiant, a diamond sky unobscured by the pale clouds. White fluff moves under the plane, or the plane moves over it. She stares, mesmerized by the void before she sees it.
Her face.
Gangle’s mask grins goofily back at her, a twinkle in her eyes.
Her eyes.
Gangle’s eyes.
Gangle.
Gangle.
“Gangle?” Zooble nudged her a bit, knocking her out of her stupor, “do you want anything?”
Turning her head to face a rather annoyed looking flight attendant, Gangle’s mask reddened a bit, “eep! Didn’t see you there! Uhm... can I have a…”
Pausing, Gangle stopped to wonder if a Sprite (ehrm, Spritz) would be too childish. Then she realises, that nobody there would judge, Zooble out of friendship, and the flight attendant out of wanting a paycheck.
“A Spritz please?”
“Coming right up,” the flight attendant walked off to grab the drink.
Zooble was back to the handbook, but instead of reading it, they were folding the pages into origami. Trying to fold the pages at least. It was hard to be precise when one of your hands was a claw.
“Can I try that?” Gangle asked.
Zooble looked up in surprise before ripping a page out with their claw, “yeah, here.”
Gently taking the paper from Zooble, Gangle accidentally touched their hand before pulling away a bit. Now both people were staring intensely at their papers.
Whenever Gangle thought Zooble wasn’t looking, she snuck a glance at them for reference before quickly going back to the paper she was folding. Once they ended up making eye contact before staring intensely at their papers yet again.
After Gangle finished folding, she poked Zooble’s shoulder with her ribbon hand.
“I’m finished!” Gangle stated, concealing her creation.
“Me too,” Zooble then slid an origami version of Gangle’s comedy mask to her before looking away into the aisle.
Picking up the little mask, Gangle clutched it to her ribbony chest and giggled, kicking her feet a little, “thank you!”
Zooble looked back at Gangle, a bit pinker than usual, “uhh… you’re welcome.”
Gangle picked up the origami she made before proudly presenting it to Zooble, “looks like we had the same idea!”
The paper was folded into a Zooble head, as accurately as she could make it.
Zooble took it with a blush, “thank you.”
“You’re welcome!”
Right then, the flight attendant from earlier walked down the aisle, looking like something exploded in her face as she carried her drink tray.
“Your drink miss,” the woman said, offering a glass of Spritz with a swirly straw.
Gangle took it hesitantly, “are you okay?”
“Soda machine exploded,” the woman said.
“What?”
“Soda machine exploded.”
The woman then sauntered off without another word.
Gangle turned her head back to Zooble, “I don’t think she’s okay.”
Zooble shook their head, “definitely not.”
Sipping her drink, Gangle turned back to the window and noticed three things. Her reflection, Zooble’s reflection, and a rainbow despite the fact there was no rain. Must be a bug.