#awkwardness

A few knocks woke you up from your dream. The sounds persisted until you sat up and yelled you were coming to the door. Pushing yourself to the edge of the bed, you stared at the carpet and frowned. It had been a few days since you've arrived at the digital circus, everyone had been welcoming so far—except for a purple rabbit—and you've had no complaints.

Until it happened.

You did not know why the ringleader to grew a sudden interest in you. For some reason, he's been on your case far more than he has been with Zooble. You were flattered at first until he personally made it his mission to visit you outside of doing adventures. Asking you random questions about yourself, things like what you did before coming to the circus, what colors you liked, and what you would bring to a deserted island made of ice cream.

You didn't know what to do with this sudden attention zeroed in on you and you alone. Hiding did nothing and you could only stay in your room for so long with the sounds of heavy breathing and teeth chattering outside of your room. Caine had no qualms keeping you up at night with the sounds of paper crumbling and his hushed rambling.

You blinked these thoughts away when Ragatha's muffled voice spoke through your bedroom door.

"Uhh…is everything alright in there, ___?" Ragatha rose a hand to the knob, but backed away when the door cracked open. You stood there peering through the gap. "Hey! Good to see you up and at 'em! I wanted to grab you so we won't miss the new adventure Caine has cooked up."

"New…adventure?" You squinted at the redheaded rag doll. Ragatha nodded, her red curls bouncing with her movement as she bunched up her hands in front of her chest.

"I'm actually kind of excited for this one! Come on, everyone's waiting for us and I don't want to ruin the surprise!" Ragatha chirped with a wave of her arm and turned on her stubby foot to walk down the hall. You opened your mouth to call after her, Ragatha stopped and looked over her shoulder with a smile.

"Is…everyone there? Even…"

"Zooble! Yeah, even they decided to join in, shocking, huh?" Ragatha exclaimed. You squeezed your eyes shut and exhaled softly, there was no going back now. You didn't want to be the one Caine singles out the next time he manages to bump into you.

"I'm coming."

"Great! Let's go together!" Ragatha began walking once you caught up to her.

The two circus members traveled through the corridor together. It did not take long for them to arrive at the stage where everyone else stood to receive the news of the upcoming adventure. You stood next to Ragatha and crossed your arms, looking up at the floating pair of dentures who spoke animatedly at the others. Your body tensed as his mismatched eyes scanned the crowd before landing on you. You quickly shifted your gaze away from him and kicked at the floor. The feeling of someone watching you slipped away, and only then did you breathe out a sigh.

"AH! I see all of you are quite thrilled to hear about what I have in store! Well, fear no longer, my merry misfits! We'll be doing another in house adventure…but less violent!"

"Oh, great, and what exactly is your version of 'less violent' entail for us?" Zooble piped up. Caine twisted his head around to stare at them before swinging his arm across his chest as he zapped himself over to assorted circus member.

"GLAD YOU ASKED, ZOOBLE! We'll be hosting a ball right in the circus! Get your dresses, your suits, your shoes and be dolled up for the wacky wonders this magical event will besto!" Caine snapped his fingers and the lighting dimmed to the point it was hard to see in the darkness. Everyone jumped as the roar of flames appeared above, large chanderliers with candles of varying sizes illuminated the circus tent. An area around the stage changed and a platform with a small set of stairs led to it. The usual black and white tiles on that platform morphed into an assortment of colors ranging from red, blue, pinks, yellows, and greens.

"Oh!" Gangle's voice made you snap your head to look in her direction. The sentient ribbons and mask donned a ball gown, the smooth fabric of the dress skirt fluttered as Gangle turned around to examine herself. A large bow made up of Gangle's ribbons also appeared behind her mask.

"Wow, Gangle! You…look amazing!" Pomni gasped.

"You don't look too bad yourself, Pomni!" Ragatha teased as she bent down to look at the jesters dress. It shared the same colors as her usual (and only) outfit, stopped mere inches from touching the floor, and instead of the hat Pomni wore a crown headpiece with a bell attached. Her hair was styled in a high bun and the heels she wore added a few inches to her height.

"Thanks! I can say the same for you." Pomni rubbed the back of her neck with a small smile. Ragatha wore a blue, strapless, A-line gown with jeweled earrings. Her hair seemed…longer than usual and styled in a side sweep. Pomni parted her lips to speak again when a rough shove made her stumble forward. Her gaze narrowed at the purple rabbit dressed in black.

"Alright, ladies, enough with the compliments! The main attraction hasn't even arrived yet." Jax pointed to himself.

"Ha, ha, funny." Zooble shot back as they pulled at the collar of their dress suit.

"Oh, I'm sorry, was someone who looks ridiculous in a monkey suit talking?"

"Jax!" Ragatha chastised.

"Not as ridiculous as you wearing suspenders, Easter Bunny," Pomni crossed her arms over her chest. Jax feigned a hurt expression.

"Whaaaat? You don't dig the threads I'm-"

"HELLO, everyone! I hope you're liking your new outfits because you won't be able to change out of them anytime soon! I've consulted with me, myself, and I…we all agree you party-goers deserve a bit of fun after the last adventure!"

"Oh boy, here it comes."

"SHUSH! Now, where was I? Oh! Right." Caine twisted his body fast enough to form a mini hurricane that disappeared as he stopped to reveal his own formal attire. His…outfit was not any different from his regular clothes, the only difference was the deeper shade of red suit with gold accents. "The name of this game is to dance till you drop! Keep dancing and if you and your partner are the last ones on the floor…you win! Simple as that. At any point you stop moving those bodies, a tile will inflict a punishment!"

"What…kind of punishment?" Pomni asked.

"Instead of telling you, I'll show you! I just need a volunteer."

Silence followed.

Caine's left eye twitched, he snapped his gaze to Kinger and pointed the end of his cane at the older member. The chess piece wore his robes but they appeared more regal for this event. The fluffy collar appeared more fluffy, he had white gloves with gold cuff-links, and studs at the lining of his robes.

"You'll do! Step right up, Kinger!"

"Oh…okay." Kinger blinked and stepped towards the platform. Caine gestured to the yellow tile.

"Wonderful! See how he's not-"

BRRRZZZZZZ!

"-dancing?"

"What just happened." Kinger asked, his eyes flicked down to his burnt body. A few seconds of silence flew by before the chess piece fell flat on his face. Everyone watched as the wisps of grey smoke floated up from the burnt Kinger. Caine snapped his fingers and Kinger teleport-ed near a food table, his body unceremoniously fell limp against the table.

"This is your idea of fun?!" Zooble was the first to shout. They pinched the area between their eyes and sighed heavily.

"Why are you surprised, Zoo Zoo? There's always a catch to stuff like this." Jax slung his suit's coat over his shoulder.

"Don't ever call me that again." Zooble hissed. Caine butted in between the two causing them to jump back.

"Anyway! If you stop before you drop, you'll either be electrocuted, flung out of the dance floor, dropped into piranha filled water, or get tomatoes thrown at you until you're painted red!" Caine leaned back and gestured to the ensemble. "Now, pick your partner and get those bones moving!"

You gripped your arm tightly as a knot formed in your stomach. Gulping down the last bit of saliva in your mouth, your eyes scanned the group and to your horror…everyone gravitated to the person they wanted to partner up with. Kinger was out for the count, Ragatha and Pomni were chatting away, and Zooble took Gangle onto the platform to begin. That left you with…

"Hey there, short and sweaty, you ready to win this thing?"

"Jax…" You winced and lifted your head to look at the purple rabbit standing before you. "I think I'll sit this one out. I'm sure you can dance by yourself just fine…plus Kinger-"

"No, nope, nada, I am not getting rejected again, c'mon." Jax grabbed your wrist and forced you onto the floor. You tried to claw at his gloved hand, even pleading with him to release you but it was all for nothing. The moment the soles of your fancy shoes touched the tiles you knew you were done for.

"What are you so antsy for? It's not like I'll bite…maybe," Jax moved his hand from your wrist to properly hold onto you. His other hand settled on your waist, thankfully he had the decency not to grab too tight. The uncomfortable feeling of being watched settled onto the area Jax held you. A shudder ran down your spine as you instinctively ducked your head low, not just out of fear but to keep a close eye on your footwork.

A disembodied orchestra began playing generic, copyright-free music in the distance.

"I don't know how to dance, idiot," You seethed. Nostrils flaring as you dug your nails into his glove. "That's why I didn't want to be here!"

"How was I supposed' to know you lack any interesting qualities? Just follow my lead and we'll be fine." Jax scoffed. You hesitantly lifted a hand to his shoulder, the two of you began swaying awkwardly. Your eyes remained on the tiles, your feet stumbling over each other, and even stepped on Jax's toes a few times.

"Ouch! Hey! You know what…I can't do this anymore." Jax forcibly held you by your wrists.

"Wait what do you mean by that?!"

Jax grinned.

Before you knew it, you were spun around violently and couldn't see anything but a flurry of colors. A nauseating feeling rose in your throat as you finally stopped yourself, pressing a hand against the side of your head as your eyes re-focused.

"Oh no, ___! Watch out!" A familiar voice called out, but you didn't have time to register who it was when a pink tile sparkled brightly under you.

It happened within seconds, but the horror freezing in your veins lasted forever.

KABOUSSH!!

You were weightless and for a moment you didn't feel in danger. That moment did not last as you began failing towards the floor. You frantically waved your arms around and twisted your body around only to see Kinger's widened eyes. Then everything went black.

"….__"

What?

Who was that?

"…____?"

Who was calling your name and why does something smell so good?

You cracked open your eyes and saw something white invade your entire field of vision. Moaning in pain, the white thing was removed from your face and Kinger's half-lidded, worry filled gaze met your own.

"Oh, thank goodness. I thought you were never going to wake up."

"How long was I…"

"Five minutes…I really couldn't find anything strong enough to wake you up," Kinger apologetically explained. He then held up the white thing, which was a slice of cake that smelled strongly of peppermint. "Other than this of course."

You touched around your body and found no broken bones, no twisted limbs, just an irritating ache between your temples. You touched the area and found a small bump. Must've been when you collided with Kinger……Kinger!

"You're okay!" You exclaimed as you sat up from laying on the chess piece's lap. Kinger smiled with his eyes and nodded.

"Yes, I am. You're too! Just a tiny head wound but you'll be fine after a while. Injuries don't last here, but the pain does unfortunately," Kinger glanced down at the cake and stretched it out towards you.

"Hungry?"

"Thanks, but I don't think I can eat right now." You shook your head and turned to look at the dance floor. Pomni and Ragatha were still going on strong, Zooble and Gangle too. On the other hand…Jax was still dancing by himself and not looking like he'll lose anytime soon. In fact, he seemed to be dancing a little too close to the unmasked duo. You bit the bottom of you lip and hugged yourself.

"You okay?" Kinger asked slowly.

"Yeah, I'm fine." You muttered. Your gaze hardened, tearing it away from the brightly lit platform and reaching for a fruit to pick at.

"…" Kinger looked between you and the dance floor. The small altercation between you and Jax wasn't something he missed. He stared at the dance floor for a while then turned to you. "You know…I didn't know how to dance either…in fact I sucked at it."

Your finger halted peeling the skin of an orange. You peeked at the chess piece from the corner of your eye.

"You weren't good at dancing?"

"Yeah, before the circus…I couldn't dance to save my life. I was told I had two left feet and it was true until I met my wife. She was the one who roped me into dancing…every morning while preparing breakfast, she'd have her favorite song playing and oftentimes tricked me into dancing with her." Kinger looked at his hands and rubbed his thumbs together. "I was never any good…but she didn't mind. Eventually, the silly dancing turned to me actually learning how to dance for her. I got good and managed to surprise her with my killer moves!"

You and Kinger shared a laugh, the previous weight in your chest lifted and turned into a fuzzy feeling. You placed the orange on the table and turned your body to face Kinger. Then…the ugly feeling came back again. The corners of your mouth twitched downward, resisting the urge to look around the ceiling to find the ringleader's unwavering gaze.

"What I'm trying to say is…you don't have to feel about about not knowing how to dance. Everyone doesn't know how to do something until they've learned it." Kinger reassured.

You inhaled deeply and exhaled out a sigh, "Thanks Kin-"

"YOU STUPID F@#$^&^ RABBIT!"

The two of you flinched and whipped your heads around to see Zooble and Gangle running off the platform while a storm of tomatoes dropped onto them. Jax was still on the dance floor laughing his heart out at the scene. Gangle sniffled and sat next to you with Zooble sitting to her other side. A few words were exchanged between the 'loser' before the attention was drawn back to the platform.

Only two more to go. It seemed like Ragatha and Pomni were now focused on keeping a distance away from Jax. However, the rabbit continued to twirl his way to the two. It did not take long for another incident to happen. This time, Jax stole Ragatha away from Pomni by intercepting a spin. The entire thing was funny to look at from the outside, but the music's tempo increased made the remaining dancers stuck in a deadlock.

Ragatha managed to break free from Jax's hold and danced her away over to Pomni, only to be tugged back and twirled until she smacked her face against the rabbit's chest.

"I hope he loses," Zooble muttered with eyes narrowed into a scowl. Gangle only wiped away her tears, the comedy mask was broken by the flurry of fruits thrown at her earlier. You hummed in agreement and never tore your eyes away from the stage.

After what seemed like forever, Pomni and Ragatha were reunited. Jax, fortunately, tripped up after Pomni butted in the moment he was aiming to use a similar move he used on you to throw Ragatha off the platform. Jax was left scrambling to dance again but was too late and yelped as he was dropped into a cube filled with piranha filled waters. A quiet, drawn out 'yes' came from Zooble as they fist bumped the air. Jax was later pulled out and chucked at the food table, soaking from head to toe and shivering as a piranha continued to chew on the end of his ear.

The winners slowed their pace to match the music reaching a low, smiles plastered on their flushed faces as they breathed deeply. At least it was over now…

…

Why didn't the music stop?

"Uh…Caine?" Pomni shouted. "Caine, didn't we win already?"

"My, my! I forgot to mention you have one more member to win against!" Caine floated down from a dark corner and gestured towards the food table. "Kinger's demonstration did not count. So, pick your partner Kinger and get on up here!"

"What?" Kinger tilted his head.

"WHAT?!" Pomni and Ragatha spook in unison. Caine shrugged and floated back in his hiding spot. The two girls looked at each other and groaned.

"Oh, alright then." Kinger rose from his seat and offered a hand to you. "Do you wanna dance?"

"Huh?" You blinked.

"I could teach you how to dance if you want. Could be good practice opportunity!" Kinger chuckled. You stared at his palm and smiled, taking his hand and standing with him.

"Sure."

The four circus members stood on the shining platform. Pomni and Ragatha took on a slow approach since they've been dancing for a long time. You and Kinger followed in suit, but more so you could understand Kinger's instructions. Your grip on his hand tightened whenever the two of you would pause, the feeling of being thrown out still made you anxious.

"You're doing great, ___. Just follow how my…oh.." Kinger glanced down. "I don't have any feet….ju..just follow how my body turns and take it slow."

"Ok…just..follow you.." You uttered cautiously. After a few minutes, you seemed to get the hang of it pretty quickly. Perhaps a guiding hand and gentle voice were all you needed after all. The two of you picked up the pace and spun around the platform. Kinger kept you moving around the board, always comforting you whenever a small mishap happened or swinging your body around just before you could mess up a step. The chess piece held you close and the warmth of his gaze and 'smile' made this adventure all the more worthwhile.

That was, until the music picked up.

It was different than before. Angrier, quicker, and more passionate.

"Why is the music so fast?" Ragatha sputtered as her legs felt like they were made of cotton….huh…wait a minute wasn't she already made out of-

"I dunno, just keep moving! We're going to win for sure this time." Pomni shouted over the music. While the two kept at it, you and Kinger were having a bit of trouble. Correction, you were having trouble.

The thrumping in your heart increased tenfold, Kinger's eyes narrowed and his eyelids bent in concern. This clearly was a speed you couldn't handle at your skill level and despite Kinger attempting to match the song, you couldn't keep up no matter how you tried to move with Kinger and the rhythm.

"I-" Just when you were about to call it quits before something worst happened. Kinger hooked his hands underneath your armpits and lifted you up, moving his hands underneath your thighs and still twirling around the platform with you in in his hold.

"Kinger?!" You exclaimed. Wrapping your legs around his waist and wrapping your arms around his shoulders.

"We're in this together! A couple of left-feet dancers gotta stick together!" Kinger announced. You didn't know what to say at that moment, but craned your neck back to let out a laugh.

"Yeah! I guess that's right!"

If only.

Kinger leaned back a little to far and the weight of gravity on your back reminded you of the earlier stunt that knocked you out. Swallowing back a scream, you were shocked to feel Kinger pull you higher. The chess piece chucked you away as he landed on a pink tile. You landed on your side with a loud thump and whipped around to watch the figure dressed in purple robes fly in the air towards the food table.

"Kinger!" You moved to stand, stepping forward to rush off the platform by a tile shone directly below you. "Sh$%, Sh$%, Sh$%."

As if you were glued to the floor, your body refused to move. The blue tile slid open and the snaps of the digital piranhas formed goosebumps on your arms. Sweat dripped from your forehead in waves, breathing became harder and the corners of your vision blackened as a result. You closed your eyes and felt the ground beneath your shoes give way, until you were swept up for the third time.

A hand gripped yours while forcing its digits in between your fingers, they successfully tangled them with yours. You flinched at a hand pressing the upper half of your back with an arm snug around your torso. You were pressed against a firm chest. Looking up at what should've been down was a pair of green and blue eyeballs.

"That was close! It's a good thing I was there to save you, right?" Caine brought the two of you on the platform. Just a few ways off from an exhausted Pomni and Ragatha. Their half-lidded gazes shot up as they watched Caine attempt to waltz you around the dance floor.

"Caine?"

"The one and only! You can say it twice if you're unsure."

"Wha-…no I mean, why are you here? Isn't this supposed to be a competition between players?" You fired off question after question. Your face still hot from the excitement from earlier, it was not the good kind. Eventually, you became starkly aware of how close the two of you were. Faces, or rather teeth, mere inches from each other and your bodies moving in sync with the music. You could feel the details of Caine's suit against your outfit, feel his gaze cling to yours stronger than ever. You tugged your body away from the ringleader, now the two of you weren't literally chest against chest. Caine teeth bent downward and he squeezed your hand slightly.

"I never said it was only for you humans to compete. I decided I wanted to compete too, that being said let's work together!" Caine exclaimed. You yelped as Caine pulled the two of your towards your competitors. Earlier when Caine snatched you, a pair of weights wrapped itself around your ankles and felt odd…but, for some reason your feet followed Caine's lead without you needing to. Your eyes flicked downward, watching with amazement at how quick your legs moved to keep up with the ringleader. Was Caine always this good of a dancer? Why was he helping you?

Wait a minute…isn't this cheating?

"How are you liking this adventure so far, dear? It should be everything you could've hoped for." Caine's voice brought you back to the present. You pursed your lips at the term he used, but answered him nonetheless.

"What do you mean?"

"I made this adventure entirely from your tastes! Isn't…isn't this what you wanted?" Caine muttered. "I could have sworn this is what you liked!"

You rose a brow and broke eye contact to think of when and what the heck Caine was talking about.

A memory came to the forefront in your mind. You remembered talking to Gangle in the main area, chatting about anime and other genres that the two of you enjoyed. You, in particular, had a fascination with ballroom scenes in movies, shows, and anything really. The magical moments made you forget about the worries of adulting for a while, as you endearingly told Gangle. The two of you had no clue your conversation was overhead by wandering eyes.

A warmth spread across your face and you were shocked into breathlessness. He…remembered that? So, this adventure was all for your sake?

Half of you wanted to scream at the ringleader for his misinterpretation of what you meant, and the other half…the small part of you felt happy at this confession. Was this okay? Were you okay with this? Why did it feel so wrong yet so right?

Caine's teeth moved into a grin, his head closing in as he dropped you into a dip. The glove clutching your hand moved to the back of your head, pushing your head to graze the top half of his denture. Your body was frozen and couldn't register what the ringleader intended to do, but you didn't feel like you were in danger. Not like the other times he stood outside your door, or stared at you from afar.

This felt different.

"I'm glad you remember."

"AH NO!"

You and Caine were still staring at each other as the splash of water sounded off behind Caine. Ragatha's voice followed Pomni's as she cried out in pain, the crackle of electricity made the warm moment break and you remembered exactly where you were. Exhaling softly, you reached up to press your palm against Caine's chest and flinched at the warmth penetrating your hand from his suit.

"How…anyway, uh, we won?"

"We did." Caine raised you from the dip and right when you moved to step away, he pulled you back with his arm around your waist in a side-hug. Pops of confetti and the lights shining back on made you blink.

"You don't have to be so clo-" You started.

"-CONGRATULATIONS TO BOTH ME AND ___ FOR WINNING THIS ADVENTURE!" Caine's voice boomed louder than his usual volume. You winced and blinked a few times. Being right next to his denture head did not save you from his scream. Background claps and cheers came from the disembodied voices. The other members at the food table either clapped, glared, or began talking about yet another bizarre finish to an adventure.

"What about the prize?" Jax was the first to bring it up, crossing his arms across his chest. If looks could kill, you'd be chopped twice and put in a blender. You rose your shoulders to your ears and glanced away.

"Glad you asked, bunny boy!" Caine stepped away from you to summon three cards. Holding them with both hands, the ringleader urged you to pick one. You scanned the back of each card carefully. All of them were white but had different symbols on the back of each that faced you. One card had a rubix cube, another with a ball covered in slime, and the last one a heart with a swan spreading its wings.

You took a few seconds deciding and reached out for the last card. Caine's eyes sparkled as the other two cards disappeared.

"Wonderful choice! I wouldn't have expected any less from you, my dear. Now present your choice to the group!" Caine spun in the air and raised his hands above his head. You turned the card around and read the description aloud.

"An…all expense-paid date in the tunnel of love and war with Caine..what?"

"WHAT?!"

"Pfft-AHAHAHA!" Jax fell backwards on his chair.

"Until next time, my cumbersome kittens!" Caine tipped his hat and popped out of sight.

You closed your eyes and took a deep breath.

"God d@#$%^."

😼 - whew! that took a while to finish. Again, sorry for the long stretches without posting much. I plan on posting one big fanfic every month, then posting 2-3 shorter fics in the following weeks. I'm so not normal about this pair of dentures, lmao. Hope you enjoyed! Next fic should be a Tenna one :D