The cast of odd avatars were groggily gathered in front of the stage, wiping digital sleep from their eyes as their ringmaster appeared in a puff of-not confettiâŠfeathers?
âHowâd you do, my sleepy salt shakers?!â The Artificial dentures exclaimed, tone filled with pure concentrated energy.
âCaine, why the f#%k did you wake us up?â Zooble asked with disgruntlement, the jumbled mess of colour was actually wearing something other than hatred tonight but it was just a tâshirt, noticeably darker than any of their parts.
The excited A.I. Was unaffected by his favourite actorâs annoyance and carried on with his performance.
âIâm glad you asked, Zooble!â The programme explained, shoving his toothy face in the fore view of his players.
Said players looked rather exhausted, all having had a rare night of restful sleep and still in their pyjamas.
Pomni, since her arrival, had been given her own set of digital pyjamas; a royal purple set of tâshirt and pyjama shorts, they made her look similar to Kinger in a way.
Gangle was dressed in a simple pair of fluffy duck slippers, considering her ribbon body, it made sense that most clothing doesnât fit her.
Kinger was wearing a fluffy navy blue robe, much more casual than his usual royal attire. If you looked closely, you could see little beetles embroidered on the fabric.
Jax was wearing only a pair of black boxers, they were covered in a pink pocadot pattern, Ragatha had to stop herself from staring at the scene.
Speaking of; Ragatha was clad in a baby pink nightgown, it was tea length and sleeveless, the empire waistline was shockingly flattering on her, Jax tried to hide his agreement.
Caine payed no mind to their dischevilled states.
âToday you graceful gumballs must scour the enchanted forest and each find your own personalised gems!â The ringmaster explained as a hologram of some beautiful pear cut crystals hovered above his head.
âBut what are they for?â Bubble asked, appearing out of nowhere.
âIâm glad you asked, Bubble!â The creator of adventures said with gratitude. âOnce you have all your own gem, you must place them into the tree of eternity!â He explained with a flourish.
The group yawned amongst themselves, this was gonna be a long one.
âOnly then will all curses be lifted from the enchanted forest!â Caine finished his speech, his voice echoing through the circus tent.
Jax rolled his eyes at the Clankerâs enthusiasm. âWhy wake us up for this? you can choose if you want to make it nighttimeâ the purple rabbit pointed out.
The mechanical man opened wide to respond âwel-â but stopped before he could make a proper sentence, his eyes blue screening for a moment.
The silence was relieving but only for a second, as the ringmaster perked up once more.
âThat doesnât matter! now get out there!â A large cartoonish glove shoved the group out of the circus tent, when the cast turned around, the tent was gone.
âGreat, just greatâŠâ Zooble mumbled under their breath, taking a look around with the others following suit.
They were standing in front of the entrance to a large, dark and oddly sparkly forest.
The ground was littered with clusters of crystals, but not the crystals that they needed.
There were also mushrooms and many a colourful wildflower, all glowing with cold illumination.
Ragatha beamed at the sight, it was certainly one of the most beautiful adventures sheâd ever gone through.
She took at deep breath and strode forward into the darkness âletâs get going then!â She said cheerfully, trying to hype up the group.
The others let out muttered noises of tiredness but followed none the less, Jax running up to walk by the rag doll.
As they walked, the forest grew darker and it appeared like the trees were reaching out to grasp them.
Ragatha looked up at the lean rabbit who strutted beside her.
It had been a few months since they had made their relationship officialâŠwell, official between each other.
They had decided to wait for a while before they would inform the rest of the cast of this.
It wasnât that they didnât trust the other players, it was just that they knew that the others wouldnât approve of them dating each other.
It was obvious that pretty much nobody sane liked Jax, but for once in her life, Ragatha didnât mind being crazy.
Jax stopped dead in his tracks, ears twitching as he held out an arm to halt his girlfriendâs movements.
âWaitâŠI hear somethingâ he whispered cautiously, scooting closer to Ragatha as he looked around.
The wind blew thorns and branches around the circus actors, barely brushing their skin.
As Ragatha tried to listen, she heard the rustling of the bushes, there was something there with themâŠ.
âYes you doâŠ.â A gravelly voice, strained yet smooth piped up, causing everyone to jump in surprise, Jax and Ragatha just barely stopping themselves from grabbing each other.
Ragatha looked forward in the direction of the voice and saw something straight out of grimâs fairy tales.
It was a fox but not a normal fox, it was dark and shaggy and made almost entirely of thorns.
The doll tried not to let the unsettling appearance disturb her positivity.
âOh hello! weâre here to remove the curses of the forest, can you help us?â She asked in her most polite voice, sounding especially pleasant with the ambiance of Jax very obviously growling.
The fox chuckled, the sound coaxed goosebumps upon Ragathaâs fabric.
âOf course, I shall lead you through the forestâ the beast confirmed with a sly grin âJust one word of adviceâ
Ragatha tittered curiously. âWhatâs that?â
âIf you must stand in the middle of the woodsâ it seemed to be barely holding back laughter. âDonât stand in a fairy circleâ
Ragatha and Jax looked down to see that just around where they stood, the couple was surrounded by flowers, stones and mushrooms, all which glowed white as a dove.
âOh s%„tâ Jax deadpanned before the ground below them disappeared and they began to fall.
The couple screamed as they fell down the seemingly endless hole, holding onto each other with grips of pure desperation.
His arms wrapped tightly around her waist and hers clung to his neck, each hiding their faces within the softness of the other.
The group stood in shocked silence as the ground closed up where their friends had sauntered vaguely downwards.
The thistled fox snickered as it turned around, motioning for the cast to follow.
~~~~~~down the rabbit hole~~~~~~
The pair felt the wind blowing their pyjamas and hair all over the place.
Ragatha attempted to lift her face from Jaxâs chest but he pushed her head down with a tender hand.
âWeâre reaching the bottom! just hang on!â The rabbit reassured his partner, holding her closer to break the oncoming fall.
It would have been heartwarming if they werenât being hurdled towards the ground at the speed of a freight train.
Light began to flood their vision as debris fell atop them, clinging to their bodies and clothing.
Once they finally hit the ground, Ragatha landed on top of Jax, he had completely taken the impact, tiny birds circled his delirious face.
âUghâŠyou okay, dollface?â He asked, shaking his head to rid himself of the confusion.
The rag doll lifted herself from her boyfriendâs chest, dusting off her now filthy nightgown. âIâm alright, how about you?â
He lifted himself from the floor, cracking his back into place. âIâm goodâŠactually that really hurtâ
Ragatha giggled slightly and looked around at their new surroundings, it was similar to the woods above but less unsettling, they were in a clearing where the moon shone bright and full and surprisingly inanimate.
The trees surrounding them looked firmer and less likely to turn into a fox, reaching high above their heads.
The grass felt soft beneath her cotton feet, like an old carpet that never wore out.
And finally, there on the edge of the clearing was a large sparkling pond, the water seemed to reflect the surroundings with even more beauty.
What was confusing was that there was no obvious sign of where they had come from, the hole was gone and there was nothing above the couple but stars.
But the doll payed no mind to their strange circumstances, her eye filled up with the glory of her surroundings, this was by far one of the most remarkable things sheâd ever seen.
Jax chuckled breathily at the sight, his doll always had loved things that were as gorgeous as she.
The excitable lady ran into the middle of the clearing, twirling around happily as she took in the sights.
âOh would you look at this place! Caineâs really outdone himself!â She exclaimed with that joy that she didnât bother to contain.
God she was so perfectâŠ.
Jax strutted forward, pulling his girlfriend into another embrace, much less panicked and much more relaxed, it was an embrace that exuded gratitude and tenderness.
The pair pulled one another into a kiss, eternally thankful that they were left alone with their affections.
They pulled away but stayed eternally close, breathing softly and slowly.
âRagsâŠâ he whispered to her, a kindness in his tone that would have been alien to any other.
âJaxâŠâ she responded with a content smile.
âWeâre fâŹ$king filthy right nowâ he stated bluntly, pulling away from her as they both shared a laugh.
The dusty doll rolled her eye and began walking towards the pond, her charming bunny following closely behind.
Once they reached the shimmering water, they both knelt down beside each other, staring at their reflections.
Ragatha reached out her hands to scoop up some water, pulling it towards her face and beginning to rub away the dirt and grime.
Jax preferred the more efficient method, shoving off his undergarments and sliding into the water with a relaxed expression.
Ragatha giggled fondly at his nonsense as he tried to convince her to join him.
âCâmon, you know you wannaâ he teased, splashing her slightly, earning a shocked squeal from his girlfriend.
She huffed slightly but pulled off her nightgown anyway, stepping into the surprisingly deep water.
A wave of calm washed over her, as did a wave of cold, pleasantly cool and refreshing.
Ragatha locked eyes with her partner, who seemed just as calm as she was, the two were still so tired.
On instinct, the pair swam closer together, the tall rabbit holding the sweet doll against his chest.
âThis is niceâ she murmured, running her fingers along her loverâs ears.
He nuzzled his face into her neck, agreeing wordlessly yet saying oh so much, it filled her candy heart with joy and affection.
They both closed their eyes as tranquility took hold, luring them deeper into the calming waters.
Such tranquility was likely the reason for their obliviousness as the water began to illuminate with the Same pure white that got them here.
It was Ragatha who went under first, her hair pooling before she disappeared under the light.
Jax came shortly after, his ears flat against the sides of his head, a sign of rest and vulnerability.
The water barely stirred as the two descended, their breath still.
~~~~~~~~along the fox trail~~~~~~~~
Zooble had had just about enough of this condescending rodent.
It was almost worse than Jax.
Despite the fact that everyone present had found their own gems, the fox led them onwards, rambling about random bulls#&t.
âAnd as such, you should never hold a horseshoe above your headâ the smug creature rattled on.
âWhatâŠare we even talking aboutâ Pomni asked with confusion, wasnât this thing just talking about brownie recipes?
Before her question could be acknowledged, the fox stopped dead in itâs tracks, the trees here were less threatening and sharp, more firm and tall.
The thorny beastâs tail tucked between its legs, spiny legs shaking and ears tucked into itâs skull.
âOh buggarâŠâ the beast turned tail and ran for the hills, faster than one could follow.
The group was stunned, this creature had been so full of confidence the whole time theyâd dealt with it, what on digital earth could have scared it into fleeing?.
Kinger, who had been somewhat sane throughout the darkness of the woods, put himself in front of the younger members of the circus, grabbing a thick branch for self defence if needed.
âStay behind me, that fox didnât run off for no reasonâŠâ The older man said seriously, the others complied without a momentâs hesitation.
The group huddled close together, all in a defensive stance, even Gangle, using her comedy mask as a makeshift shield.
As they approached the edge of the thicket, Kinger could see a shining light from within a small clearing, but with the purpose of protection, he held onto his clarityâŠfor them.
Pomni looked forward and saw in full view what they were approaching.
A clearing that wouldâve otherwise been lovely, the grass was soft, the sky was clear and the air was sweet.
But just there at the pond on the edge of the clearing, half surrounded by trees and filled with glowing water, there atop the angelic light stood the missing members of the cast: Jax and Ragatha.
Except they didnât just stand on the water, they were dancing.
They looked so differentâŠ.
Jax was dressed in white dress trousers that were covered in the most intricate silver embroidery that could be found in the digital world. He wore silver tap shoes that gave him the appearance of wearing fully metal shoes, they made no sound against the glowing liquid below. The top half of the rabbit was clad in a white marching band jacket, silver buttons with more embroidery around the arms, he looked Almost like a nutcracker. He wore pristine white gloves, tight enough that Pomni could see the bumps of claws on the fingertips. Finally at the cuffs of his sleeves and neck lay many coats of pure white feathers.
Despite his sadistic nature, Jax looked like an angel.
Ragatha looked absolutely majestic. Her feet were clad in white ballet shoes that had matching silver embroidery to her dance partner, her legs hugged by a pair of shimmering jazz tights. Around her thighs, a tutu made entirely of white feathers framed her soft legs, at the tip of each feather was a coat of silver glitter. The dollâs torso was wrapped in a shimmering white bodice, it was meticulously embroidered with the outline of many feathers, in the centre of her chest sat a completely silver feather. Her neck was clad in an elegant pearl necklace, held together by silver clasps. But the most beautiful thing of all sat atop her head; A shining silver tiara that was covered in pear cut diamonds, sparkling bright in the light of the moon, the two crystals in the centre of the accessory were clearly Jax and Ragathaâs Gems.
She looked every part a princess.
Pure confusion washed over the group who stood on dry land as they watched the pair dance with the Grace of professionals yet the passion of devoted lovers.
The two waltzed together, slowly and dearly, never looking away from one Anotherâs gaze.
Evidently, it was Zooble who broke the silence.
âWhat the f#&kâŠwhat are you doing!?â They exclaimed, throwing their arms up into the air with frustrated confusion.
The pair did not stop their performance but they did acknowledge their friendâs presence.
âWeâre dancing, silly!â Ragatha said cheerfully, spinning beautifully to glance at her androgynous companion.
The doll and rabbit both laughed jovially, looking more carefree than they had ever seemed capable.
Pomni stumbled on her words slightly, this was weird, how were they walking on water? why are they dressed like that? who decided it would be a good idea to give Jax Jesus abilities?
âOkayâŠbut why?â Gangle beat the jester to the question, putting her comedy mask back onto her face.
The pair laughed once more, this time in a somewhat mocking manner, too polite for Jax but too malevolent for Ragatha.
âBecause we wanted to, duhâ Jax responded casually, lifting his doll by her waist and twirling her playfully.
The cast was in shock, this made zero sense, the two were acting as if all was normal and standard.
Ragatha reached into Jaxâs Breast pocket and pulled out an envelope. âYou might need thisâ with that, she tossed the paper towards the others like a throwing knife.
Kinger caught the note in one hand, beginning to open the envelope and read the message aloud.
âThe lake of truth brings down all walls, for it blocks the telling of tales that are tall, to free your friends from my honesty cover, end the dance and tear lover from loverâŠâ
Silence fell among the talking toys, the only sound coming from the oblivious dancers.
The group looked at each other with uncertain eyes, their confusion eminent.
âLover from lover? you donât think theyâreâŠâ Pomni started, the implication hanging heavy amongst the crowd.
âOh thatâs been going on for a whileâ Kinger said calmly, as if it were common knowledge.
The others looked at him in shock. âWhat!?â They all exclaimed unanimously.
The chess piece only shrugged his shoulders, âthe two of them asked for my approval months agoâ he explained, his usual voice creeping into his tone.
The group immediately burst out into a flurry of questions.
âWhy didnât you tell us?â
âWhy didnât they tell us?â
âWhy is Caine larping off of swan lake?â
Kinger didnât answer a single one, instead he approached the water, scanning for some kind of information.
âIt mustâve been the water that gave them the ability to walk on liquidâŠâ the eldest member hummed to himself thoughtfully.
Pomni walked over to the kingly man, looking down at her reflection. âMaybe we could make a bridge orâŠâ she gasped in revelation, turning to the other players on soil.
âZooble, we could use your legs to get across!â The newest member suggested.
âNoâ the jumbled up character responded plainly.
Pomni took a double take âbut why? we need to help themâ she said with slight confusion.
Zooble took a moment to reply âitâs risky and i would rather die than dance with that guyâ they pointed at Jax who was somehow even closer to Ragatha.
Speaking of which: the two feathered dancers were anything but oblivious to their friends plotting.
âShould we tell them that we can stop if we want to?â Ragatha whispered almost inaudibly.
Jax grinned at her as they spinned ânahâ he responded lowly.
All conversation was swiftly interrupted by a slipper flying through the air and hitting Ragatha right across the face, causing her to let go of Jax and fall into the Water, her lover followed not a moment later.
The group who were not soaking wet gaped at the action, all turning to Gangle.
She had thrown her slipperâŠand it worked.
The sounds of coughing and spluttering broke the cast out of their shock.
They all turned towards the lake to see Jax and Ragatha, completely soaked but still wearing their intricate costumes.
âWhat the fÂŁ%k, Ribbons!?â Jax exclaimed, picking up a pebble and chucking it at Gangle, breaking her comedy mask instantly and earning an unhappy squeak from the artist.
Ragatha groaned as she pulled herself out of the water, dragging Jax along by the ear.
Coughing up water, the pair tried to shake off the moisture that clung to their bodies.
âThat wasâŠunpleasantâ Ragatha said with obvious exasperation, taking the tiara off of her head and handing it to Jax.
âBreak it, letâs just get out of hereâ she ordered calmly, squeezing the water out of her yarn hair.
Jax smiled destructively âyes maâamâ he said before snapping the tiara over his knee, retrieving the two Gems.
The crystals were quite beautiful, pear cut and glimmering iridescent.
Ragathaâs was a sweet baby blue colour while Jaxâs was a pale purple.
All questions were held off until they reached the âtree of eternityâ which was the tallest tree in the forest, the bark was magenta and strong.
Everyone placed their gems into a carving at the base of the trunk, finally putting an end to this ridiculous adventure.
The portal opened and the cast trudged through it, Kingerâs eyes becoming unfocused once more.
The ringmaster hovered over them with his usual flare and decent dental hygiene.
âWelcome back, my blue hump camels!â He greeted, flying around with excitement, glancing down at the decorated duo, before disappearing as soon as he arrived in a puff of confetti.
The questions once again started pouring out but the curious couple just walked away, leaving their friends alone with their nosiness.
Jax pulled out a key and unlocked the door to Ragathaâs bedroom, motioning for her to walk in first.
Once the pair had both entered the comfortable bedroom, Jax shut the door and locked it.
The couple settled down onto Ragathaâs bed, queen sized with four wooden posts, and climbed under the patchwork quilt.
Ragatha found her head laying on Jaxâs soft chest âwhat are we gonna do?âŠâ she asked in whisper.
Jax held her close, resting his chin atop her head âweâllâŠwork it outâ he responded, god damn this boy sucks at comfort.
The doll and rabbit lay there in a minute of comforting silence.
âI love you, DollfaceâŠâ he spoke in the most genuine voice sheâd ever heard.
The two rarely spoke that phrase to one another, they never got a moment to do so.
âI love you too, Jax.â
That night, the two of them slept in peace and company, they both dreamed of a future where they could be together, in the real world.
They would have a quaint home together, have lazy morning coffees, be able to learn each otherâs real names.
And to speak them fondly every day.
you can all blame @dirty-snowball for this nonsense.
