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Gangle barely managed to peel her sweat drenched body out of bed that morning. She regretted even trying to open her eyes. Despite the darkness of her room, a headache had latched onto her “skull” like a parasite. Gnawing away at her resilience. Tenderly she rubbed her head, trying to alleviate her pain. It used to work, back when she was a human. But not now.
Frustrated, she shot up, far too fast for her body's liking, the world around her spinning like a convoluted kaleidoscope. To make matters worse her legs were plagued with tremendous trembles and that wretched headache still felt like a knife in the skull. Her stomach felt tight and unsteady. Her eyes burnt with tears, more than usual. When she had reached for the comedy mask on her bedside table it instantly dropped to the floor. Of course it broke upon impact, it always did. Every single time without fail. Despite the predictability, she yelped out in surprise, hiding her face in her hands. Now it would be painfully obvious to the cast that she was unwell. Questions would be asked, ones she did not want to answer.
Upon standing her body was rattled with relentless coughs. Each one more ferocious than the last. Her throat felt torn as she endured a round of choking. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, her ribbon ribs feeling broken with the force. Tears of exertion streamed down her face and she let out a pained whine. The floor was quick to meet her, the floorboards were stiff and uninviting. And the rug was rough as ever. Her head slumped to the floor with a muffled clink, unable to fight off the fatigue. For a while she remained on the floor, but the fine fibres of the rug irritated her face. Like a nettle sting it burnt.
Reluctantly she rolled onto her side, her eyes landing on a shawl that Ragatha had gifted her. It was wine red with embroidered swirls and a cursive G. Gangle seldom wore it however in fear that its soft texture would vanish with use. She would only use it during desperate times of need. These were certainly desperate times.
After forcing herself away from the floor she delicately removed it from the chair it had been laid out on. The furniture's legs squeaked in protest. Carefully she fiddled with the button, securing the item around her shoulders. It perched on her perfectly as it always did. The scent of lavender curled around her. The warmth it brought was significantly less than usual. However she would be much colder without it.
She took a single deep breath before opening her door. Instantly, light flooded her room. Gangle but her lip and turned her head down, pulling the shawl up to meet her eyes. It would be easier that way. She made sure that she had locked the door before leaving .
When she reached the assembly point everyone was already there, and they were looking right at her. Her eyes drifted up to the clock, it read 9:45. She had arrived twenty five minutes later than she was supposed to. Gangle was usually the first character there. But today she was not. Suspicion hung in the air, looming over her like a miserable cloud. Silently she slipped down on the sofa, bringing her knees up to her chest.
“Hey Gangle“ Zooble said with a gentle wave
“Hi Zooble” she replies weakly, her head hung low. Until now she had not realised that speaking would be a struggle. After all throat felt like she had swallowed a cheese grater.
“You don't look too good, are you feeling alright?” Zooble asked, their head tilting to the side.
Gangle does not manage to conjure up a verbal response, instead she shakes her head. The swaying movement only intensified her nausea and dizziness. Her eyes drift shut for a second.
“Maybe you should go and lie down, before Caine sees you,” Zooble suggested, pushing themselves off the furniture. A colourful hand is extended towards Gangle, who takes it weakly. Zooble’s fingers lock onto Gangle's thin hand. Within seconds Gangle practically collapses into Zooble's arms, her head resting on Zooble's shoulder. The cold sensation provides a whisper of relief.
“I'll walk you there“ Gangle places her arm over Zooble's shoulder, using them as a support beam. Asking for help was troublesome, but falling flat on her porcelain face was not ideal. Especially not now with everyone looking. Watching. Staring. Judging…
Unsurprisingly Jax makes a mocking comment, one that Gangle fails to hear, but Zooble does. A vulgar gesture is covered by an obnoxiously loud censor. Gangle shudders intensely, Jax would probably end up visiting her room with a nasty surprise, taking full advantage of her weakened state. He'd probably slip ice cubes down her back, or awaken her from a feverish sleep using an air horn. It would be agonising, and he would relish every single second.
Gangle vaguely recalled a corn on the cob she had hidden in a sock under her bed. It had been there since the lightning rounds. Disappointingly, she had never mustered up the courage to use it on Jax. Maybe one day. Just not today.
The pairing only manage to travel a few measly metres before Caine appears, Bubble was close behind panting like a dog. The Ringmaster hovers over them, uncomfortably close. Gangle could practically hear him blinking.
“Hold your horses there my daring daffodils, you know skipping adventures is prohibited! Poor Bubble would be heartbroken!” He commented disapprovingly, shaking his finger in Zooble's face. Zooble edged away and their headpiece flicked in annoyance. Caine clearly had no concept of personal space.
“Caine please…” Gangle whimpered, the Ai was more likely to listen to Gangle. Zoobles' voice was like insignificant background noise to him. His eyes flickered down to look at her but he took no notice of how sickly Gangle appeared. Reluctantly she raised her hand in an attempt to gain his attention. Of course he was still totally oblivious, his “mind” was focused on the adventure he was plotting and not the welfare he claimed to care so much about. Gangle quit before her hopes could rise too high. The fall would only drain her.
Caine shoved the circus members into a disorganised bundle at the stage. Gangle latched onto Zooble for support, still dizzy from Caine's erratic transportation. Ragatha had been looking at her with worry for quite some time. It was a nervous habit of hers, it rarely helped. In fact it only caused unease. Pomni just looked like she did normally, anxious. The jester fiddled with the bells that dangled loosely from her hat. Jax was not doing anything spectacular, and Kinger was playing patty cake by himself. If Gangle still possessed the strength to lift her arms, she might have been drawn to the idea of accompanying him. But of course that was not an option.
A neat puff of grey smoke appeared and Caine came out from it. He removed his hat, lowered it and gave a polite bow. Bubble shot out from his hat, floating by his side. The ringmaster was practically dripping with enthusiasm and excitement. His fingers wiggled like earthworms, and his feet kicked up and down.
“Today's adventure is….!”
“Bug hunting!” He finally announced, the drum rolls had lasted longer than anyone would consider necessary.
“Woohoo!” Kinger exclaimed enthusiastically, his hands shooting up into the air. The chess piece was practically jumping for joy. His eyes lit up with a nostalgic wonder.
Caine quickly snaps his fingers and the portal opens, it hums and swirls. Encouraging the cast to step inside. Excitedly, Kinger speeds past everyone and dives through the portal head first. Surprisingly he made it through unharmed.
Then Jax strides towards the portal, shoving both Zooble and Gangle out of his way. Zooble stood their ground, forcefully punching Jax in the arm. The same however could not he said about Gangle stumbled clumsily before bashing into Pomni.
“I got you” Pomni reassured as she held Gangle up, she was unsurprisingly light.
“You okay?” Pomni asked softly, but Gangle could barely hear her through the piercing ringing noise in her ears.
“Sorry!” Gangle yelped, clumsily stepping backwards. She barely managed to stay upright. Pomni's hands remained out prepared to catch her again. Pomni gave her a sympathetic look, one that suggested she had no reason to apologise. But Gangle still felt obliged to, embarrassment clutched sharply in her chest.
Gangle cautiously stepped through the portal, her eyes not daring to open. The eyestraining colours made her squint on a decent day. Let alone one like this. A reassuring hand was placed on Gangle's arm, rubbing calming circles into it.
Once she reaches the other side she is met with a vibrant rainforest filled with towering trees and beautiful flowers. Insects chirped from the bushes, birds joined in forming a cacophony. It felt so natural, which was a rare occurrence in the digital realm. It would have felt significantly nicer if she was not fighting to stay upright.
This was the circus however, nothing was predictable and you always have to be prepared for anything to happen. The peace would not last, and Gangle was sure of it.
“Before the teams are chosen you guys have to climb into the wagon and travel to the camp! Hold on tight! This is going to be a bumpy ride, so might I request that you keep all limbs inside the cart at all times. That applies to you too, Zooble! We don't want any accidents.”
Placed in front of them was a horse drawn wagon, well not quite. It was being pulled by an oversized stick insect with peculiar eyes. It wore a black leather saddle and long reins.
“Who wants to pilot this magnificent creature?” Caine asked proudly, gesturing towards the insect.
Nobody answered, all eyes landing on Kinger who was fully focused on a butterfly that had landed on his robe. Its blue wings daintily lifting up and down. Ragatha stepped forwards to alert him about the free position but she hesitated when Jax perked up. Out of all the people to lead this animal, Jax was the least preferable. Nobody would argue with that. Aggravation was his specialty, everyone knew that.
“Well if you losers don't want to I'll do it! God you have to do everything yourself around here!” He commented as he sauntered over to the creature. Jax held the reins in his hands, curiously inspecting the leather. He pulled it tight and nibbled it for a second. Though the look on his face suggested it was not delicious.
Jax took a lengthy step back and threw his leg up. It missed, his ears twitched a red tint reached the tips. There was no salvaging that failure. His attempts only became more and more uncoordinated. Ragatha must have gotten bored of watching him as she walked forwards. It was similar to mounting a horse, something Jax had clearly never done. She attempted to give him some tips but it quickly turned into an argument. Nobody could actually hear what exactly they were bickering about.
“Jax, for once in your life could you just listen!” Zooble barked, silencing the two characters. Jax only rolled his eyes dismissively, lightly shoving Ragatha back. This time he managed to get up, proudly perching on the saddle.
Ragatha clambered into the cart on the back and helped to pull Pomni up. The shorter individual was about the height of the vehicle's wheels. Kinger was next, he tumbled inside with a thump. Gangle moved forwards and feebly crawled in, Zooble slipped in next to her. It was not a comfortable seat, the wood was damp.
“Forwards! Jax commanded, but it did not move. It did not even flinch.
“North!” Still nothing…
“Is this thing broken?” Jax complained, flicking its antenna like a TV aerial trying to gain signal.
“Onwards!” Silence.
“MOVE!” He yelled, yanking the reins with excessive force. The creature reared up on its hind legs and neighed? Gangle would have pondered it further if she was not thrown backwards. She rolled into a tight ball nearly shooting out of the wagon. Zooble barely managed to catch her.
The rabbit cackles wildly rocking backwards and forwards, his sharp teeth peeking through. He had not looked this happy in digital decades.
“Jax!” Ragatha gasps disapprovingly, holding on for dear life. Her hair had exploded into her face, blowing everywhere.
“Are you alright Gangle?” Ragatha turned to Gangle, her harsh glare softening as she lowered her voice.
Gangle turned over, facing away from Ragatha. She was still clutching onto Zooble like they were a lifeline. Grey mist clouded her vision, fogging up her brain. Her head felt impossibly heavy, almost impossible to lift. Her eyes fell shut, the light becoming too intense to tolerate. A series of forceful chills coursed through her frail body. Her chest and head hurt the most, but her legs felt scarily numb. Each heavy breath tired her out, each intense coughing fit shredded her digital lungs. Eventually she hacked up a disgusting slimy substance. It burnt like acid, but she gulped it down. Not wanting to cause more of a scene. The taste was abhorrent and it ultimately made her feel worse. But soon after Gangle slumped back down, trying to ignore her illness.
“Just hang on Gangle, we'll get there soon. Caine should be there, he might take you back.” Zooble softly massaged Gangle's back. Zooble noticed just how twisted her shawl had become, they quickly untangled it. The fabric highlighted how her arched back shook, the sight was unsettling. Why this felt so real was a perplexing concept.
“I hope so” She murmured as she fiddled with the cords of her shawl.
The vehicle came to an abrupt halt, jolting the cast forward. Jax clumsily clambered off the Stick insect, Gangle could not help but notice how he awkwardly stumbled around. The fool had made himself dizzy, a consequence of his atrocious driving.
Much to everyone's surprise, Caine was nowhere to be seen. It did not take the group long to discover a note which had been loosely pinned on the tree that read
Unfortunately I could not attend this gathering, I had to attend to my beehive. You will be paired up in teams of two. I've selected these teams based on data from previous adventures so no complaints could be raised. Ragatha and Kinger, Zooble and Pomni and Gangle and Jax. Your task is to collect as many critters as possible. Don't even think of swapping, I'll know… Have fun, my bamboozled burritos!
Gangle lost whatever hope she had left inside of her. No one was coming to help, she would just have to suffer. Suffering was guaranteed whilst paired up with Jax, the day was only getting worse. She could not bear to think about how Jax would torment her today.
Gangle considered just teaming up with Zooble despite Caine's threats. But an invisible forcefield had been put in place, unfortunately Caine knew that people would attempt to swap. Gangle's heart sank and she walked over. Jax had a lengthy stick in his hand which he was waving around flamboyantly. He stopped dead when she arrived in front of him.
“Keep far away from me, I don't wanna catch your disease” He hissed, prodding Gangle with the stick whilst backing away.
“Okay”
“Jax if you try anything I will throttle you!’ Zooble warned menacingly. Jax ignored the yell and immediately walked ahead, the net held over his shoulder. His footsteps were light and intentional, for once he really seemed to be trying. Gangle envied his energy, continuing felt like an impossible task.
Time ticked by slowly, Gangle had no idea of how long she had been out there for. It must have been well over an hour judging by how unsteady and hot she felt. Jax had been snapping at her non-stop to catch the insects, he seemed to be in a really foul mood today. But maybe it just felt worse because she felt so unwell.
Without warning a net came crashing down over Gangle's head, effortlessly scooping her up. It felt like her veins were being set ablaze with panic and pain. Feebly she kicked and flailed, but nothing happened.
“Sorry Gangle, I thought you were a bug” Jax snickered, tightening his grip on the pole.
“Please don't drop me” Gangle pleaded quietly, a fearful shiver running through her body. She broke out into another raspy coughing fit, the episode overtaking her body. Desperate for air, she twisted onto her side. Sucking in air like a vacuum cleaner.
“No promises” Jax said ominously, his signature smile reappearing. He started walking, the net bouncing up and down steadily. It was an oddly soothing motion. Gangle hated to admit that the journey had actually been going okay. Just watching the scenery was surprisingly relaxing. Much to Gangle's surprise the graphics were spectacular, Caine seemed to have really gone all out on this one.
“Alright, my arms are getting tired. Get out and walk” He complained, suddenly flipping the net over. Gangle did not even have the time to put her hands out before she tasted dirt. The agitating noise of Jax laughing shot through her ears. She grabbed a fistful of dirt and weakly threw it at him. In playful retaliation he threw it back, but not hard enough to do much harm.
Eventually, Gangle flopped over and shoved herself up dusting off the specks. The faint hum of a dragonfly's wings could be heard, Gangle weakly turned her head. The creature had landed on a wide tree stump, its wings slowing down to a halt. She could feel Jax looming over her, his fur tickled her.
“What are you waiting for, grab it?” He muttered impatiently, tapping her on the shoulder. Gangle shrunk down, why did he have to be so touchy?
Quickly she pulled away, her shoulders tense. Reluctantly she reaches out to collect the insect. Just before she could catch it, her knee buckles and she falls. Her cheek smacks into the stump with a sickening crack. Pain shoots through her face like a gunshot. Protectively, she curls up cradling her face. The sensation blossoms out, clawing at her jaw. Her face turns sticky with digital blood. She remains unmoving until the scorching pain passes.
“You done?” Jax asks, pushing her onto her back, her breath hitches and tears dribble down her face. “Since you can hardly stand, I'll do the catching from now on”
When Jax got his foot lodged in a burrow, Gangle took the time to stare up into the sky. Clouds the colour of coal swallowed the sky. A sense of dread coiled in her stomach, but that could also be blamed on her sickness. It appeared that he was not getting out any time soon, so Gangle sat down.
Unfortunately Jax did not remain stuck for long. When he got out he spewed complaint after complaint on how bad this adventure was. He did not seem to mind until now.
Much to Gangle's displeasure, they kept on walking. On and on, possibly in circles. An infinite loop, Jax was lost. Hopelessly lost. The rabbit would rather abstract than admit he was incorrect.
When Jax nearly hit that stupid hole again Gangle was sure that they were aimlessly wandering around. Was he doing it on purpose, to be annoying? If yes it was most definitely working. At this point she would prefer choking herself until her mask started spinning over continuing.
“Hey, I've always wondered. Can you feel this?”
Jax asked feigning innocence, he then abruptly reached inside of Gangle's ribbons. Twirling them roughly, a wicked smile crawled up his face. He knew that she could feel it, this was not the first time he had tried. He also knew the consequences, but of course he went for it anyway.
Gangle shuffled back, the prodding caused her stomach to twist. Her hand flew up to cover her mouth as pain shot through her. Gangle rushed behind a tree and retched, hacking up black liquid onto the grass. Her eyes burnt with tears of exertion. She had never felt worse, another heave and choke was interrupted by Jax appearing in the corner of her eye.
“What are you doing back here?” Jax asked rather rudely, leaning into the tree. He rolled his eyes when she did not respond. His hand twitched impatiently.
“Come on Ribbons, we don't have all -” before he could finish his sentence a gigantic Stag Beetle burst out of the undergrowth. Leaves spraying up into the air. It roared deafeningly, stomping on the ground in rage. Before Gangle could even consider running she became entangled in its mandible. Desperately she reached out to grab the trunk of the tree. Her hands barely grazed the bark when she was pulled further back. Her body unraveled and she flailed around helplessly. The sound of her frail fabric body tearing crackled in her ears. She was rapidly lifted up and thrown down by the beetle as it tried to shake her off. She could not see anything through the blur, in fact Gangle was certain that she would just have to die and respawn.
Jax took a heavy stone from the ground and threw it towards the insect. It missed by a country mile, flying off into the distance. He could not bring himself to laugh it off.
The rabbit watched on in horror as the Beetle continued rapidly shaking her like she was a prey animal. Gangle's petrified wails rang in his ears, a raspy crackle accompanied them. She was glitching, and it was rapidly worsening. The shawl tightened around her neck as the creature thrashed. It took hold of her, tightening like a noose. Her legs kicked, a strangled whine escaped her now restricted throat. She clawed erratically at the fabric, but her strength was rapidly draining.
A lasso suddenly whipped around its neck, the beetle was pulled back. But it resisted, thrashing and snapping. After a prolonged battle, the creature fell to the earth with a heavy thump. When the dust cleared Kinger climbed atop the not defeated beetle with a triumphant nod and salute. Ragatha came close behind, though she was not as willing to touch it. Possibly in fear that it might spring up and devour her.
“Oh hi Jax, does this belong to you?” Kinger chirped, holding up the rock he had thrown earlier. Kinger tossed it over. Jax nodded recognising its unnatural shape, he slipped the item into his endlessly deep pocket. It could be of use later.
“Jax, where's Gangle?” Ragatha asked with a hint of anxiety.
“Who?” He joked, but no one was laughing. The air was thick with tension and he knew that. The moment had passed.
“…”
“Under there” He carelessly pointed to the stag beetle as if it was obvious.
“Well don't just stand there, help me get her out!” Ragatha exclaimed frantically, pushing the bug. It shifted, but not very far. Kinger seemed to randomly switch on, joining Ragatha in the grand heave. Gangle was visible now, her body almost entirely flattened. However the pair could not lift the creature and pull Gangle out at the same time.
“Jax!” The ragdoll snapped urgently.
“Ugh fine” He sighed before joining in on the effort. His spaghetti arms lacked the strength to lift something of that size. So he did the next best thing.
At a speed nobody could process, he began digging. Dirt sprayed up behind, luckily nobody was in the way. At the same time, Ragatha and Kinger lifted the beast. Gangle's limp body slipped into the dip. She appeared so small and fragile. Ragatha made a frightened noise, a tear pooling in her eye. Jax wasted no time and pulled her out of the hole. Dirt stained her ribbons and mask, she looked an absolute mess. Tensely, Jax attempted to untie the shawl. But the knot that had formed was frighteningly tight. Impatiently he started rummaging through his pockets. The rock, a bowling ball, five meters of arcade tickets, a shrivelled worm and finally a pair of scissors. Perfect! The rabbit forced his finger beneath the string and snapped it with the blade. Several unbearable seconds passed. Then her chest rose and fell shakily, alas she was still unconscious. However, that was most likely for the better.
“Do you think she's going to respawn?” Ragatha asked silently, breath catching in her throat.
“Probably not, despite the violent nature of the attack. It isn't enough to trigger a respawn. She's probably just resting, she didn't look well earlier. Give her time” Kinger replied gently, the chess piece began picking chunks of dirt off her body. His pristine white gloves became stained with filth.
Gangle's hand twitched and her eyes opened slightly, but she could hardly see. A murky green blur replaced the forest. She could hardly make out the figures that surrounded her. The world spun making her unbearably nauseous.
Without warning she shot up and spewed an ink coloured stream, she looked absolutely horrified. In a panic she tried to push herself away, but another gag interrupted. A second violent wave was expelled from her mouth. She whined miserably as spit dribbled down her chin. Tiredly, she fell down into the foetal position, the grass brushing her face.
“Do you feel any better?” Ragatha asked as she moved over, tenderly rubbing Gangle’s back. She pulled out a handkerchief and handed it to Gangle. Hesitantly she took it, wiping her face clean. Gangle folds it back up and places it down.
“Here ya’ go” Kinger said, dropping his robe over Gangle's shaking body. The material was luxuriously smooth and heavy, like a weighted blanket. It wrapped around her body, holding her securely but not tightly. The fur lining brushed up against her chin, it was comfortingly soft. Gently, she pressed her face into the fabric, breathing in its warmth. The robe rustled as she dragged it over her face as she was covered by darkness. The external noises were muffled, Gangle breathed a sigh of relief. The pain in her head was still noticeable, but no longer unbearable. The low lighting soothing her.
She tucked her arms in and pulled her knees up. Muffled voices could be heard outside, mainly Jax's and Ragatha’s. It sounded like they were arguing again, what a surprise. Tuning out the noise, she turned her head down. But the gash in her cheek still stung and her entire body was dreadfully sore. It felt like she had been struck down by a train, and Gangle knew how that felt from experience. Sleep swiftly carried her away, hopefully the rest would numb her pain.
“Gangle honey, it's starting to rain. Do you want to move? There's a cave nearby”
Gangle shakily lifted her head as she was gently pulled from her sleep. The covering had been partially removed from her face, exposing her tear stained cheeks. Ragatha was right, the rain was heavy and it was rapidly soaking the robe. How did she not notice? Humidity was rapidly building, moving seems like a decent option. But the moving aspect would be troublesome.
Ragatha held out both hands and Gangle reluctantly took hold of them, dragging herself up. The robe dropped to the floor with a splash, Kinger swept it up and lightly placed it on her back.
“Up you go” Ragatha hummed as Gangle rose, her knees trembling unsteadily. The ground beneath her was rapidly dampened by rain, causing her to slip. Ragatha caught her, the ragdolls stuffing acted as a pillow. Gangle eventually regained her strength and began walking, albeit very slowly.
BANG
Gangle squeaked in fear as thunder clapped furiously, the unexpected loud noise exploding in her ears. She went stiff with terror, her breathing sped up into rapid short huffs. Gracelessly she stumbled back, colliding with a tree, the harsh bark scraping her back. She coughed wetly from the impact. Ragatha hesitantly shuffled forwards, but her words were muffled by a thick veil of pain. Another taunting bang triggered a louder yelp. Nervously, she rubbed her hands together and she tilted forwards lightly rocking.
“Gangle, sweetheart just try to breathe. You're going to make yourself sick again” Ragatha intervened, modelling calm and regulated breathing patterns for Gangle to replicate. The attempt was fruitless as Gangle only ended up choking on her own saliva.
Smoothly, Jax slid forwards, an item concealed behind his back. Suspicious, Ragatha flicked her fingers trying to shoo him away. When he refused she shot him a warning glare.
“Jax, back off” Ragatha requested firmly, Jax rolled his eyes and stormed off. Kinger followed him, possibly to stop him from getting lost. The likelihood of Kinger getting lost or distracted was significantly higher. But the thought was there.
“It's alright Gangle, you're safe” Ragatha reassured “let's try to keep going, okay?”
Gangle nodded in agreement, her breathing had relaxed significantly. But she was still unsteady as a newborn fawn. She was reminded of the scrapes on her back when she rose up.
The cavern was not very far away, less than a mile. It was hidden away behind giant ferns and thick vines. Flowers arranged in rows were wilting miserably with the weight of the rain.
The luscious ferns parted, exposing the wide entrance. The entrance was swallowed up by vines and ivy, making it hard to part. It acted as an effective curtain against the rain. Tentatively, Gangle shuffled forwards, her hand traced over the plants. She split the heavy plants apart and stepped inside. Ragatha stopped outside for a moment, looking around for Jax and Kinger. Due to the drastic conditions, it was nearly impossible to see. Ragatha took hold of her hair and squeezed the water out.
Gangle immediately sat down and tried to make herself comfortable, well as comfortable she could get on the stone floor. Then the coughing started up again, wonderful! Her body convulsed and she rasped thorns prickled her throat with each difficult inhale. Ragatha stayed back the entire time, not wanting to overwhelm her further.
“Kinger!” Ragatha said with a heavy but relieved sigh.
“Oh, hi Gangle! Hi Ragatha!” Kinger responded cheerfully, Gangle looked up from her coughing fit, Kinger was present but Jax was nowhere to be seen. Could he be lost, it would not surprise Gangle. But he would catch his death out there. Pomni and Zooble were out there too…
“Wait, where's Jax?” Gangle squeaked, her hand raising to catch Kinger's attention. Soreness lingered in her chest.
“He's gone on a quest, to find Pomni and Zooble” Kinger said, voice trailing off as he pulled the soaked robe off his body, exposing his shiny wooden frame. He hopped far away from the two and thoroughly shook his robe, forcing the water out. He made sure to not splash anyone. When he returned it was bone dry and extremely fluffy. Like a startled feline.
“Right” Ragatha hummed, twirling her hair anxiously. Kinger shuffled over, his body squeaking awkwardly as he sat down. At that moment, Ragatha seemed calm. Her tense shoulders relaxed, she sunk down.
The mellow atmosphere soon rubbed off on Gangle. Her tired head dropped, tipping into Kinger’s side. She did not intend to, but she lacked the strength to move away. Also, he did not seem to mind, the shining light in his eyes was welcoming.
It was not long before Gangle felt dreadfully hot again, the fever was rising quickly. Possibly due to the huddle. Warmth stuck beneath her chin and filled her face. Sleeping it off would prove difficult, the temperature made it difficult to focus.
Gangle flinched when Kinger pressed his gloves hand into her forehead. He hummed in concerned acknowledgement, he got up and sped away. Gangle could hear his “footsteps” retreating, how far did he plan to go?
When he finally reappeared, a massive leaf was positioned over his shoulders like a cape. Possibly for ease of transport, it did appear heavy.
“Here!” Kinger chirped, slowly waving the leaf up and down like a fan. The cool air brushed up against Gangle's face, she managed an appreciative smile. Kinger continued for a while until the red tint left Gangle's cheeks.
“Thank you”
The peace was swiftly interrupted by wet footsteps and agitated noises from outside.
Jax let out an enormous sigh as he entered the cave, water was practically pouring off his body. His ears dangled limply. Under his left arm was Zooble, under his right was Pomni. He disposed of Zooble first, carelessly launching them in Gangle's directions. The many pieces of Zooble's body fell off from impact, shooting off in random directions. Then Pomni was launched like a missile, her terrified screams carrying on as she disappeared from view. It was impossible to truly grasp how far she had travelled.
Abruptly he shook off all the liquid from his fur, flapping side to side like a dog. Ragatha shielded her face and Gangle remained still, barely registering the water on her face. Zooble rolled around as they struggled to locate their legs.
“Did you have to do that here?” Zooble asked in annoyance, Jax's smile widened. Zooble could tell that it was strained.
“Here's your arm Zooble” Ragatha handed Zooble a limb, the second one was yet to be found.
“Thanks” Zooble replied, Ragatha had to click their arm back into place. After ten painfully long minutes, all of Zooble's necessary parts were located. Only an insignificant antenna was broken, Zooble did not really care for it anyway. So it was no great loss, nothing worth getting upset over.
Then it went almost entirely silent, except for Gangle's coughing and rugged breathing. The quiet was a pleasant change, adventures were usually loud and extravagant. It was a rare occasion indeed.
If only it could last forever, not the sickness factor of course! Just the harmony, the constant stress and tension between the members was a source of anxiety. Not just for Gangle, it seemed to get under Caine's artificial skin the most. He would suffer from terrifying glitches which posed threats to the circus members. No one else seemed afraid of him though, the all powerful ringmaster.
“What are you all doing here? There's an adventure to be had!” Gangle's heart metaphorically leapt into her throat when Caine appeared in a sharp flash. Pollen littered his uniform and a flower peered out from his pocket. It looked like he had been having the most fun.
“Gangle isn't feeling very well, so we had to stop” Ragatha said calmly, Gangle felt “not very well” was the understatement of the century.
“I see, oh Gangle! Why didn't you tell me? I don't bite!” His eyes went glossy with tears, he looked genuinely upset. Gangle would have felt bad if she had not tried multiple times to catch his attention and inform him. Caine would not pick up on discomfort if it was spelled out for him.
“I do!” Bubble chirped menacingly drifting to the side. Caine's face went blank and he popped Bubble, getting swiftly back on track.
“Well I suppose we could end the adventure prematurely, your happiness is my second biggest concern!” He reluctantly agreed, hands fidgeting distractedly. Something was bothering him, his rejection sensitivity had probably been set off. It was impossible to avoid upsetting him.
“What's the first?” Zooble asked suspiciously, narrowing their mismatched eyes at the ringmaster.
“That's for you to discover!” Caine answered loudly, but his voice was drowned out by the static swirling of the portal.
When Gangle stepped out the other side, the lighting was lowered and the music was turned off completely. Distractions were reduced and she felt an unfamiliar sense of calm wash over her.
“Is it nighttime already?” Pomni asked, sounding surprised, adventures typically never lasted a full day. Was it Caine's intervention?
“I suppose so,” Ragatha replied, sounding very unsure. The sounds of her conversation lessened as the two traveled to the common area. Gangle only heard fragments of the interaction, Ragatha was informing Pomni of what had occurred.
It took a while, but Gangle managed to make it to her room, and Zooble had offered to accompany her. But she reassured them that she could make it just fine on her own. In reality, Gangle would have appreciated the company but she did not wish to worry Zooble. Limply, she rooted for her key, but she could not produce it. If she had lost it on the adventure then she was absolutely never getting it back. The world would have been deleted by now, and Caine was not keen on providing replacements.
“Have fun in quarantine” Jax said in a sing-song voice, appearing behind Gangle. Startled, Gangle turned lashing out slightly. Jax leaned back before handing Gangle her room key. It was still wet from the rain, but at least he was giving it back for once.
“What, how?”
“I have my ways”
When Gangle entered she locked the door and wasted no time clambering into her bed. She grabbed one of her many plushies and hugged it tightly. Squeezing the day's frustrations out onto it. She then apologised for squeezing it so tightly. The blanket was discarded within seconds, its warmth proving too much. Relief washed over her, so did the wish to sleep and sleep she did.