#macawla

"Oh it was somethin' alright," he goaded, leaning into her personal space. Her eyes flickered between his face and the feathers in his hand.

"I-I'd like those back now..." she said, holding out her hand. Jax responded with a high five that left her hand slightly stinging. She gave him a deadpanned stare as he barked out a laugh.

"Nice try pretty bird, but finders keepers," he taunted, using the feathers to fan himself.

"Stop calling me that!" she snapped, trying to snatch them from his hands. He pulled back at the last second, holding her at pay with the other arm.

"Why? Don't you think you're a pretty bird?" he teased, swiping a feather along her jaw. She recoiled with a strangled squeak, feathers ruffled with embarrassment.

"No!" she snapped, face flushing as he continued to tease her.

"Aw, what a shame. Ragatha, be a doll and tell her what a pretty bird she is; I think her self esteem could really use it."

"No it couldn't!" she argued, her blush growing darker.

"Jax, cut it out! Can't you see you're making her uncomfortable?" Ragatha spoke up on her behalf, only for Jax to switch his sights on her.

"Wooow, ya hear that? She must think you're ugly!" he cackled as both Macawla and Ragatha took the bait.

"She didn't f^%*ing say that!"

"No I don't!" Ragatha quickly rambled, speaking in unison as Macawla continued to scold him.

"Look, you can call me pretty all you want, but leave the bird part out of it!"

"Fishing for compliments, are we?" he drawled, seemingly ignoring the request.

"What? No! That's not-" she cut herself off with a muffled yelp, clamping her mouth shut as Jax suddenly drug a feather along the cutout of her dress.

"Not what?" he goaded, wiggling the feather a little faster to garner more of a reaction. Her breath hitched and she slapped his hand away, blush returning in full force.

"Stop that!" she demanded, hugging herself defensively.

"Whaaat? You ticklish or somethin'?" he asked smugly, paying close attention to her reaction. She flinched at the question, leaning further away, watching him nervously from the corner of her eye.

"You are! Oho man, this day just keeps gettin' better an' better," he mused aloud, smirk growing sinister as he looked her up and down.

"Don't even think about it! Jax, I'm warning yohohou! Dahahamn ihihit!" she immediately broke out into bubbly giggles as he pounced, swiping the handful of feathers across her bare tummy.

"Who would've thought your own feathers would be the cause of your demise? Certainly not me," he taunted in a casual tone, ignoring her giddy protests.

"S-shut uhuhup!"

"You're not the boss of me!" he countered, deciding to ditch the feathers for the time being. He squeezed up and down her sides, climbing higher until he reached her ribs.

She let out a shrill shriek, arms clamping down to protect her as she fell victim to a fit of laughter. "Jahahax, c-cut ihit out!" she begged, legs kicking frantically as she curled in on herself.

"I don't think I will, actually," he replied, seemingly having a retort ready no matter what she said.

She tried to growl in frustration, but it instead morphed into a giggly whine."You suhuhuck!"

"Aww, is that really the best you can do?" he goaded, seeing if she'd take the bait and fight back. As he spoke, his hands continued their journey downward, working their way towards her feet. He noticed how her laughter got louder and more desperate, only serving as encouragement to continue.

"NOHO! Jax- Jahax I'm seheherious, stohohop!" she pleaded, tears already welling in her eyes from the force of her laughter.

"Funny, you don't sound very serious to me," he argued playfully. His ears twitched as he heard Ragatha scoff, somewhat amused.

"Oh come on, that's mean. She can't help it!"

He knew she was probably just talking to herself or to Gangle, but he couldn't let her commentary slide. "Better watch what you say, unless you wanna be next," he threatened with a wink, wiggling his fingers in her direction. They both promptly shut up, flinching at the sight. Jax couldn't help but chuckle to himself, "That's what I thought."

He reached Macawla's top set of knees, giving the joints an experimental squeeze. The reaction he got in return was priceless, yet unexpected.

Macawla, much to her growing horror and humiliation, let out an honest to God squawk. Just as loud and obnoxious as any parrot could ever be, and she immediately felt the heat rise to her cheeks.

They both froze in shock at the sound; Jax gawked at her as she stared back, hands clasped over her mouth tightly, before a cocky grin overtook his features. And then he was laughing.

"Ohoho my GOD! Did you just f#€&ing squawk? I gotta hear more of that!" he exclaimed, grabbing her by the ankle to drag her closer.

"NO!" she cried, more desperate than before as she yanked her leg back. She pressed herself further into the couch, staring at Jax with wide, almost fearful eyes.

"C'mon, I just wanna hear what other funny sounds you make," he said, crawling closer.

"I-it's not funny!" she argued, growing defensive and closed off.

"No, you're right. It's not funny..." For a moment, she thought he would concede, but she really should've known better. "It's hilarious! I mean, don't get me wrong, I've heard some pretty ugly laughs before, but this one takes the cake!"

Macawla's feathers pressed flat against her head upon hearing his words. "W-what?"

Jax noticed the shift in demeanor, but decided to press on. "Yeah, I don't think I've ever heard such an embarrassing sound before. I never would've thought you'd laugh like a complete dork!"

"Stop!" she demanded, lips curling into a hateful sneer to keep from trembling.

"Or what?" he asked smugly. She adverted her eyes, choosing not to answer his question. She was about to stand when he suddenly lunged forward, squeezing her hips until she was squawking and squealing in surprised laughter once more.

"Oho man, you sound so stupid right now!" he teased, scribbling along the cutout of her dress she thrashed in his grip, torn between trying to hide and escaping.

"Jax, maybe you should-"

"Hey, what did I say?" he reminded, effectively cutting off Ragatha's objection.

Macawla fought with all her strength and Jax was having trouble keeping a hold on her. "Wha- hold still, will you? I'm not done yet!"

"Like h@%# you ahahare!" she growled through a particularly desperate bout of giggles.

"Ooo, I'm so scared," he mocked, kneading her hips. She bucked and shoved at his hands, and when that didn't work, she tried a different tactic.

She reached up and grabbed one of his ears, yanking hard.

"OW!" he screamed in pain as she tugged him closer, only to yell in his face, "I SAID STOP!"

He recoiled from the loud outburst as she shoved him back, panting for breath as she glared at him.

"What the h@^£ was that for?" he demanded cluelessly.

She scoffed, looking away. "Don't play dumb, you know exactly what you did," she snapped.

"Oh please, I didn't even tickle you that much! You could handle way more than that. I mean, unless you're just a whimp-"

"Stop! Just- stop talking! God you really are just an insufferable a$$hole," she scolded, staring at him in disbelief and contempt. He blinked in shock, acting as though he had no clue where her outburst was coming from.

This time when she stood, he didn't try to stop her. She quickly turned her back to the others so they couldn't see the tears building up in her eyes as she walked away.

Jax waited until she was out of earshot before he spoke, "Geez, what a drama queen! Like, where did that even come from?" he asked, amusement lacing his voice while he addressed the others. Gangle remained quiet, busying herself with her sketchbook while Ragatha awkwardly avoided looking at him, though the expression she wore said she clearly wanted to say something.

"What?" he prompted, grabbing their attention.

"Well..." Ragatha started, rubbing the back of her neck, still avoiding his gaze.

"Just spit out, I don't got all day!"

She huffed, crossing her arms with a glare. "I think it's pretty obvious you hurt her feelings," she said bluntly, scoffing when her words made him laugh.

"What? No way, you're delusional," he brushed off the concern with ease.

"I mean, you did make fun of her," she pointed out. Gangle nodded in agreement.

"So? I always make fun of her!" he justified, making her grimace.

"Yeah, but this time felt a little... I dunno, personal?" she reasoned with a shrug.

"Pft, no it wasn't," he denied. She could only stare at him in disbelief.

"Wha- you literally called her laugh dorky and ugly to her face! That's pretty mean and personal if you ask me."

"Whatever doll face, you don't know what you're talkin' about," he brushed her off, as to be expected.

"Okay..." she relented, staring off in the direction Macawla had stormed off. Let Jax figure it out for himself for once.

~~~

At first, everything seemed normal. Macawla was her usual self, though she was particularly distant and rude to Jax. He brushed it off, assuming she was just moody about earlier. But as the days continued, one thing became clear.

Macawla... wasn't laughing anymore. Sure, she'd play along and pretend when the moment required as such, but for the most part, she stopped laughing at jokes or during adventures. She also spent more time locked away in her room.

Today however, she was spending time with the others, watching as Kinger and Gangle put on a puppet show. Jax was the only one not in attendance, and there was no telling where he could be. Although Macawla herself only arrived five minutes prior.

It was pretty cute, if she was being honest. Caine provided them with puppets and a set,so it actually looked pretty good.

"Rapunzel Rapunzel, let down your hair! Or I'll huff, and I'll puff-"

"No, that's Three Little Pigs!" Gangle corrected in a hushed tone, but could still be heard. Macawla began to laugh at their antics, but stopped herself when she seemed to realize what she was doing.

Jax silently watched the exchange before making his presence known, tucking the information away for the time being.

~~~

As the days passed, he realized that Macawla wasn't herself. She pretended she was fine, but he could sense the melancholy behind the facade, and the more he dwelled on it, he couldn't help but feel a little guilty.

The next team adventure, Jax weaseled his way into pairing off with Macawla. Once they were alone, he brought it up. Bluntly.

"I didn't think things like this could happen here, but are you, like, on your period of something?"

"WHAT?" Macawla yelled, whipping around to face him. Her pupils turned to flames, feathers standing on end. "Why the f@$# would you even say that?"

"Because you're being a total b!%*&," he justified, earning an annoyed scoff in return.

"Oh please, like I'm gonna be nice after what you said," she snapped. Jax cocked his head in confusion.

"Huh?"

"What do you mean huh? You made fun of me!" she clarified in a huff.

"You're gonna have to be more specific. I make fun of you a lot," he goaded, smirk stretching wider across his face.

Macawla took a deep breath and crossed her arms. "Are you asking to be an asshole, or do you actually wanna know?" she challenged.

He faltered, glancing away before answering. "Well- now you got me curious. Go on, tell me what I did wrong," he drawled, assuming they were having a playful back and forth banter.

"You said I have an ugly laugh!" she blurted out, notably looking away from him. "So now, any time I laugh, I think of- that and I get pissed off."

"Geez, you're still hung up over that? We were just messin' around!" Jax defended himself, trying to ignore the creeping guilt at her words.

"Well you hurt my feelings!" she said stubbornly, storming off.

Jax didn't like the fact that he felt so bad about it...

~~~

He tried to make things right. He acted like everything was normal, even going out of his way to joke with her. All his attempts to cheer her up fell short, met with an awkward smile. She was keeping her distance on purpose, and it was kinda driving him insane.

"C'mon, will you just talk to me?" he asked, fed up with the silent treatment.

"I don't know what you want me to say," she spoke flatly, looking him up and down. She rolled her eyes, rubbing her temple as she sighed, "Look, I don't really have time for this."

And she just. Walked away.

Jax stood there, blinking in shock. Pomni had seen their little spat and walked over to check on him.

"Sooo, what was that about?"

He shook himself out of it, signature smile back in place as he scoffed and rolled his eyes at the question. "Apparently I "hurt her feelings" or something," he mocked, going as far as to use air quotes.

"Well... did you apologize?" Pomni asked.

"Pft- no, why would I do that? She's just overreacting, she'll get over it," he brushed off the suggestion.

"Maybe, but saying you're sorry might help her get over it a lot quicker."

Jax crossed his arms, staring in the direction Macawla walked off. "Yeah, maybe..."

~~~

Jax finally worked up the courage to apologize after his talk with Pomni. He caught Macawla passing by in the hall and flagged her down.

"Heeey, just the bird I wanted to see!" he drawled, shooting finger guns. He cringed internally.

"Oh great, what do you want?" she rolled her eyes, deciding to cut to the chase.

"Well, I was thinking about what you said, and I just wanted to say... I guess I'm sorry. So... we good?"

Macawla stared at him, completely dumbfounded. Did Jax just apologize?

And then she came to her senses.

"Apology not accepted."

"Oh come on!" he yelled, throwing his arms in the air in frustration. "I said I'm sorry, what more could you want?"

"Oh please, I know you didn't mean that! If it took you this long and that was the best you could do, you clearly don't care! So do me a favor and stop pretending like you do. I'm smart enough to know the difference."

"Macawla wait! That's not-" he called out after her, but she was already gone.

~~~

Jax was nothing if not stubborn. He continued to crack jokes, poking fun and teasing where he could. Macawla was bound to break at some point; no one could hold a grudge forever.

But she would damn sure try.

They were in the middle of another adventure, and she was still giving him the cold shoulder.

"Another strike! Up top!" he cheered, holding a hand up for a high five. "C'mon, don't leave me hangin'!"

He was met with a bored expression. "Congrats."

Jax finally snapped. "Alright, that's it! I've had enough of your attitude!"

"Hm. Sounds like a you problem," she quipped, biting back a smirk. Jax's eye twitched in annoyance.

"Ohoho you're gonna regret that," he warned.

She rolled her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest. "Ooo I'm so scared," she mocked, smirking when she noticed Gangle giggle off to the side.

Jax thumped his foot in annoyance before an idea came to him. A devilish smirk stretched across his features.

"Hey Caine!" he called for the AI's attention. Caine appeared above them in an instant.

"What is it, my little bowllerinas?"

"Is- don't call us that- is the voting system still in place?"

"It is now!" Caine answered with a snap of his fingers.

"Oh great, what are you up to?" Zooble asked, glaring at him skeptically.

"Nothin' you need to be worried about," he said cryptically.

"For some reason, that doesn't make me feel better," they quipped.

Caine was gone as fast as he had appeared, and the game continued. Jax slid along the seat until he sat next to Macawla, and she let out a long, heavy sigh.

"I didn't even say anything!" Jax whined, crossing his arms.

"But you're going to."

"Oh quit with the dramatics."

"Did you want something? Or are you just being annoying for the fun of it?"

Jax tapped his chin in thought. "Hmmm... both!"

"Well could you wrap it up? It's almost my turn," she pointed at the scoreboard conveniently keeping track of the game.

"Oh this won't take long," he snickered to himself, quietly submitting a poll for the others to vote. He just hoped they went along with it.

Macawla's feathers perked up when she heard the notification. "Huh? What's this?"

Vote: Make Macawla twice as ticklish?

Yes ✔️ No ✖️

"WHAT?" she yelled, feathers ruffled from shock and embarrassment. "What the f%*# is this?"

"You like it? Kinda hard to ignore me now, huh?" he asked smugly, stretching out on the seats.

"Whatever! It's not like anyone would actually vote for that besides you," she huffed, immediately pressing the no button.

However, much to her dismay, the rest of the cast  voted the opposite.

"What the h€££?" she yelled, looking around the group in betrayal. Meanwhile, Jax couldn't stop laughing.

"I love democracy!" he cheered in triumph.

A tingling chill coursed through her body, and a sound of confirmation rang overhead as a feather icon appeared above Macawla.

"What? No!" she growled, snatching the icon and ripping it to shreds

"You've gotta admit, you've been pretty uptight," Zooble was the only one bold enough to call her out.

"You're uptight!"

"You're not really making me regret my decision," they justified, earning a frustrated huff in response.

"Oh come on, it could be worse," Ragatha said, patting her shoulder. Macawla shot her an icy glare, slapping her hand away.

"I'll be sure to remember that when he kills me!" she yelled in her face, pointing past Ragatha's shoulder to a very smug Jax.

"Whaaaat? I might not even take advantage of it!" he feigned innocence, despite the shit eating grin plastered on his face.

"Yeah, that'll be a cold day in h#!$," she quipped, crossing her arms defensively, only to pull away with a help as her feathers brush against her sides.

"What's that? Sounds like you want me to come over there an' tickle you!" he taunted, cupping an ear as he leaned closer. He relished in the way she yelped and scrambled backwards.

"Stay away from me! I mean it!" she threatened, but it held no weight.

"Nah, I got a better idea," he practically purred, staring at her like a predator waiting to pounce.

"Jax... Jax don't!" she yelped when he lunged at her.

"Don't worry! This won't hurt, but it miiiight tickle. A lot."

~~~

She navigated the endless maze of the office building, ducking down and hiding as armed figures passed nearby.

Fuck, this was bad. This was so bad.

She carefully rounded a corner and came face to face with a large man in tactical gear. She screamed in shock, turning on her heels to run, only for him to grab her by the wrist. She tugged futilely as she fumbled around in her purse with her other hand. She pulled out her pistol, firing a pointblank shot to his temple.

He landed on top of her with a heavy thud. Hot blood oozed out of the wound, seeping into her clothes in the few seconds it took her to shove him off. She was hyperventilating, hands shaking as she stood to her feet. She ran blindly through the halls, desperate for an exit. The gunshot had drawn a lot of attention, and she could hear yelling and footsteps getting closer.

She shot at anyone she saw, barely looking to see if they went down before she continued running for her life.

She rounded a corner to see a man blocking her path, and without any hesitation, she raised her pistol and fired.

And then a hand came around from behind, forcing a rag over her face until everything went black.

~~~

When she came to, she was tied to a spinning office chair. She gasped for air, jolting in place as she struggled in her bonds.

"Oh good, the rat's awake."

She was too scared to speak, so she just stared at them. She swallowed hard, finding her voice. "Please, just let me go. I-I won't tell anyone what I saw, o-or what I heard..."

"I'm afraid it's too late for that. Y'see, we found your little notebook," he began to explain.

"I'll burn it! I'll drop the story, I'll even quit my fuckin' job! I promise, you'll never hear a word from me about any of this-"

"Oh I know I won't," he cut her off, taking a headset off of a nearby table.

"W-what is that?" she questioned, growing more fearful with the lack of answer. "Get away from me! I won't tell anyone, I swear! Please, don't kill me," she broke down, begging for her life as he crept closer.

"Shh, sh sh shh, relax, it'll be okay," he hushed her in a mockingly soothe tone. "I'm not gonna kill you."

"Please- just let me go."

"Now you know I can't do that." He spoke calmly even as two more men restrained her, holding her down as they slipped the device on her head.

"No, please! Let me go!"

"No. You're a liability that we simply can't risk. You have no one to blame but yourself."

Before she could scream, beg, curse, him out, he flicked the visor down, covering her face.

There was a blinding flash and a jarring noise before she was bombarded by a cacophony of colors. She saw flashes of a strange circus tent and odd looking people, before the world gave way beneath her and she began falling, falling falling.

~~~

It was another day in the circus like any other, with everyone gathered in the common area to chat before their daily adventure.

"Uh, does anyone else hear that?" Jax suddenly asked, interrupting Pomni as he looked around in confusion.

"Hear what?" Ragatha asked, just as the sound of a distant scream came into earshot. "Oh, yeah. I do hear that," she confirmed, seemingly just as confused.

"LET ME GO! GET IT OFF!" Words soon became legible through the frantic screams as they noticed a new player dropping into the game.

"Another one so soon? This can't be good," Zooble muttered. Sure there was no set pattern for when a new player was due to arrive, but they can't remember anyone arriving so close together. Well, except for Kinger they supposed.

"Um, did they just say "let me go"?" Pomni questioned, concern growing.

"Nah, you misheard them. They said "let's go," as in let's go meet them," Jax easily dismissed her, mischief already seeping into his tone.

"That's- actually not a bad idea," Pomni said, knowing he was right, even if he only wanted to stir up trouble.

"I know, I only have good ideas," he bragged casually. Pomni rolled her eyes, an annoyed smile tugging at her lips.

"Uh, hello over there!" Ragatha took a step closer and gave a friendly wave as she saw their newest companion sit up.

~~~

Her head was pounding, and it felt like the wind was knocked out of her from the harsh fall. She laid there wheezing for breath, trying to regain her bearings.

She had no clue where she was, but everything looked... off. Too bright and saturated, like she was living in a cartoon. When she reached up to rub her head, her skin felt too smooth, almost hard. Her hair fell over her shoulder, revealing long black locks that shouldn't be hers. Her hair hasn't been black in years.

"Hello over there!"

She froze at the sound of voices, seeing figures in the distance. She took a long pause, deciding whether or not to answer.

"... Hi."

One of them began walking over and she backed away until her back pressed against a the wall of a set piece.

"Don't come any closer!" she demanded, holding her hands out defensively.

"Woah, it's okay! We're all friends here!" a chipper voice sounded, but it was hard to tell who was speaking from this far away.

"Oh are we?" she shot back, taking a step forward, trying to appear as threatening as possible. She just hoped it worked.

"I think I like her already," Jax drawled, placing a hand on his hip.

"Jax," Ragatha said, shooting him a warning look.

"What? I'm being nice, aren't I?" he asked, but despite his words, there was a snide, mischievous undertone.

Across the circus tent, she couldn't hear their side conversation, and lack of a reply didn't sit well with her.

She could make out enough detail to realize that no one here looked, for lack of a better word, normal. And then she looked down at herself.

"ARE THOSE MY F#@%ING LEGS?" she screamed and scrambled to her feet, staring down at her legs in horror.

Mangled. Grotesque. Clawed. Scaly. Fucking bird feet. What the actual fuck was going on?

The only way she was going to find out was to talk to the only people around. Great.

"Aaaaand she's freaking out," Jax pointed out with clear amusement.

"Oh please, like you were any better," Zooble shot back, arms crossed as they rolled their eyes.

Pomni was already walking over, with the others trailing behind. Jax tilted his head back with a drawn out sigh, but followed nonetheless. After all, this was bound to get interesting.

"Uh, yeah, could someone tell me what the h€/! is going on? Where am I? Who are you people?"

As if on cue, Caine popped into existence behind her, drawing her attention with a loud pop and streamers.

"Welcome, to the Amazing Digital Circus!"

She jumped and screamed at the sound, but it was nothing compared to her scream when she saw him.

"EW WHAT THE F#@$ IS THAT!"

"Excuse you, that's not very nice! It's just a bubble."

"I'm talking about you you freak! W-why does no one here look normal? What did you people do to me?"

"Whoa, calm down. No one did anything," Ragatha said, trying to defuse the situation. "What's the last thing you remember? Putting on a weird headset, right?"

Oh, she remembered alright. But she wasn't about to tell these strangers anything. She reared back defensively from the comforting touch.

"And just how did you know that?"

"W-we all put it on. It's how we ended up... here," Pomni explained, deciding now would be a good time to speak up.

She snorted sarcastically, muttering under her breath, "I didn't."

Of course, Jax caught her words. Something about the way she said it didn't sit right, even for him. Maybe he'd mention it to Pomni and Ragatha later.

"Welcome, to your new home where you'll live a life full of fun and adventure!"

"I'm sorry, my new what now?" she questioned, crossing her arms.

"Yeah, there's no real easy way to say this, but-"

"You're trapped here forever."

And just like that, her world shattered around her.

"No. No, no, no, no, NO NO NO!" she paced back and forth, tugging frantically at her hair and- feathers?

"It's really not as bad as they're making it sound, they're just teasing!" Caine reassured her, patting her back. "They love it here, and so will you! But I can see you need some time to adjust, so for today's adventure, why don't we do something in house?

"Oh no, don't dumb down whatever it is for my sake, I'm not going. I have more important things to do with my time."

"But, what's more important than having fun with new friends?"

"Um, literally anything else? No offense," she added offhandedly.

"Uh, Caine? Could you maybe come back later? I think it might be best if we help her adjust first," Ragatha suggested, sensing the tension.

Okay, what the hell was with this patronizing bitch? Acting all fake nice and concerning; clueless even though she knew exactly what was going on here. They all did, she was sure of it. What if they were spies? The same men who hunted her down and forced the headset on her in the first place?

"Oh alright, but I won't be gone long! After all, I still haven't given her the grand tour!"

"Can't wait," she practically growled through grit teeth.

"That's the spirit!" he cheered. "In the meantime, I'll be sure to create an extra special adventure, just for you!"

"Oh... you shouldn't have," she said, any joy or excitement devoid from her voice.

"Nonsense! I have to make a good impression after all," he said, waving before fading out like a cheap slideshow effect.

"So is he just... like that?" she immediately asked once he was gone. She got  handful of responses that more or less confirmed her suspicions.

"Yeeeaaah pretty much," Pomni stretched out the word, rubbing the back her neck as she avoided eye contact.

"Well, at least you're honest," she shrugged, talking more so to herself. She took a deep breath and held her hand out for anyone to take, ready to introduce herself. "Anyway, I'm-"

She can't even remember her own name! She can remember everything else, but she doesn't even know who she is.

"Oh my God, I don't know!" she began to panic, tears welling in her eyes as her breath quickened.

"It's okay, that's normal too. We'll just uh, get you a new one," the red haired doll said, trying her best to sound cheery and reassuring.

"There was nothing wrong with the old one," she lamented, slowly sinking to the ground as the weight of it all set in.

"I bet you had a pretty name," the short jester said as she sat down across from her. "I'm Pomni." She held her hand out, and she hesitantly accepted it. She squeezed a little tighter than she should've, but she needed to hold onto something real.

"Y-yeah, people would say that," she muttered, sniffling softly. "It's... nice to meet you," she said, though she wasn't sure she actually meant it. Under different circumstances, sure, but now?

"And I'm Ragatha," the red haired rag doll spoke up as she also sat beside her.

"Yeah yeah, and I'm Jax, that's Zooble, Gangle and Kinger," Jax introduced everybody else in a rush, eager to get it over with.

She gave a weak wave, forcing a smile to be polite. "Hello. I'm sorry about- all that. I promise I'm not usually like this."

"Oh no, I believe you," Jax nodded along, voice oozing with sarcasm. She struck him with an icy glare, looking him up and down.

"What is your problem? I just got here," she snapped, immediately going on the defensive.

"Ignore him, he's just like that," Zooble said, arms crossed.

"That's promising," she huffed, drying her tears, but it did nothing to wipe away the cartoonish streaks of mascara running down her face.

When he received harsh looks from, well, just about everyone, he rolled his eyes with a sigh, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Ugh, fine, I'm sorry. Look, I think we got off on the wrong foot."

"That's all you got, is two wrong feet," she huffed, dusting herself off as she stood. Jax sputtered in shock, but used to his sarcasm being challenged- or matched.

"I- uh- what?"

"Big f#*!in' ears too and you can't even hear," she continued, still worked up and on edge, ready to argue with anything she saw.

"Okay! Why don't we just focus on finding a new name that suits you? Unless you want Caine to pick something," Ragatha suggested, cutting off the argument before it could start.

"Ew, that dentures guy? Ha! No thanks, think I'd rather die," she recoiled at the mention of Caine, laughing off the suggestion.

"A-actually, he picked out my name, so it's not too bad, right?" Pomni joked, trying to lighten the mood.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry, I just came off like a total b*%€#- okay, who keeps doing that?" she cut off her own apology with a question, looking around frantically for the source of the sensor sound effects.

"Oh yeah, that's another thing you're gonna love," Jax drawled, grabbing her attention once more. "You can't swear in here. No one can! Don't you love it here already?"

"Can you not?" she sighed, shoulders sagging in defeat. She looked back at Pomni and Ragatha, "So, what were you saying about a new name?"

"Oh, well, it might help if you had a mirror. That way you can choose something more fitting, y'know?" Ragatha answered with a shrug.

"I have one you can borrow," Jax drawled, pulling out a mirror from his back pocket.

"Wha- hey! That's my mirror!" Zooble yelled indignantly.

"Oh, is it? Sorry," he shrugged her off, holding up a handheld mirror to show her reflection.

She really tried not to cry again, but her lip trembled and her eyes filled with tears, so she just walked away as she burst into quiet sobs as reality hit her like a truck.

Dear God, what had they done to her?

Had she really been so close to the truth, that this was their solution to silence her?

And yet, she still felt like she had no fucking clue.

It was all right there, so why couldn't she see it?

"Hey, it's alright," a gentle voice shook her from her thoughts. "We know it's a lot. But, we'll help where we can."

"Thanks," she said with a sniffle, wiping her nose. "But I don't understand what's going on? Why do I look like this?"

"Oh geez, I wish I had a better answer, but-" Ragatha stuttered through an answer, "This is just kinda... how you look now."

"Yeah, but why?" she pressed.

"I don't know, that's a question for Caine," Zooble interjected.

"If you didn't like that, you're gonna hate what you're wearing," Jax taunted further. His words filled her with a dread she hadn't felt in years.

"Jax! Not helping!"

As if on cue, she noticed a full length mirror on a nearby wall that she could've sworn wasn't there before. How convenient.

She walked towards the mirror like a moth to a flame.

She was tall. Freakishly so, and all leg. Speaking of legs, she had a had time comprehending what she was seeing. She had two knees: the top set was normal and human like, but below her shins, her ankles were replaced by a backwards set of joints- extending her legs even further to support herself on birdlike talons. They were covered in vibrant red orange leggings that she wore beneath a shimmering red dress with gold and blue accents. That wasn't the issue.

The dress was... revealing, to put it lightly. It had a deep V that went all the way down her chest, almost coming to a close, but not quite, before opening into a diamond on her stomach. When she spun around, she saw that the back had a similar design, accentuating her shoulder blades and newly acquired wings. Wait- wings?

And then she noticed the feathers. Dear God, how had she not noticed them before? They covered her from head to toe; lining her hairline to form a crown of sorts, and sewn into her clothes. The wings reminded her more of a flying squirrel than an actual bird- more for the aesthetics of the costume than practicality. Behind her trailed long, cascading tail feathers that just barely swept the floor as she walked. She wore a high ponytail with jet black, almost blue hair, and her makeup looked painted on with bold colors that she would've never picked out herself. Upon closer inspection, she swore her skin was actual plastic.

It all felt very showgirl, and she suddenly felt very self conscious. All her life she'd performed for others. She grew up competing in pageants with ruthless girls and even more ruthless mothers, prancing across a stage as adults gawked and judged her more by her looks than her performance. How it pushed her into gymnastics and cheer, then only gymnastics once she realized she'd never really fit in with their clique. How she'd have to do a whole floor routine in a leotard that covered less than her bathing suit, knowing all eyes were glued to her.

It reminded her of how people only ever valued her for her looks; assuming she was vapid or bitchy just because she would style herself a certain way. How she's always given fashion articles to write instead of hard hitting pieces.

Everywhere she goes, no matter what she does, she is reduced to her looks, and the judgment is always the same.

Fake.

The others fell silent as she stared at herself in the mirror. She had been quiet for too long, and her posture was tense. Her shoulders rose and fell in measured beats with her breath as she tried to stave off her simmering anger.

"So? What do you think?" Zooble asked, deciding to be the one to check in.

"It... could be worse," she admitted, though she was still trying to convince herself. She dried her tears, putting on a brave face in front of the others.

"So, any name come to mind?"

She had been so focused on scrutinizing her appearance that she'd forgotten why she was doing this.

She stared at herself for a long time, spinning around and looking over her shoulders to get a full 360 view. She wanted something cute; something that matched both her personality and her new looks. Something that just rolled off the tongue.

"Not exactly," she said, cocking her head to the side as she examined herself. Was she supposed to be some kind of parrot? The colors were certainly bright enough.

The more she scrutinized her reflection, the more she began to recognize her costume's influence. She'd seen them at the zoo on multiple occasions, and they were her favorite bird.

The scarlet macaw.

Hm. Macaw... Makayla... Macawla...

"What do you guys think of the name Macawla?" she asked, eyes still glued to her reflection.

"I think that's a great name!" Ragatha chirped, relieved to see the newest circus member start to adjust and calm down.

"I really like it," Gangle finally spoke up, a shy smile gracing the tragedy mask.

"Yeah, it suits you," Pomni agreed, meeting her gaze with a reassuring smile of her own.

"Thanks," Macawla said, looking at the group around her.

She was still internally spiraling, and she didn't quite trust any of these people, but she would get some answers.

~~~

When Caine appeared in the common area of the circus, it didn't take him long to notice their newest arrival's absence.

"Who's ready for an adventure? Today's adventure is- uh, where's Macawla? We can't do the adventure without her! I made it special just to impress her!"

"She said she was working. Can you believe that?" Jax asked, clearly amused.

Zooble stared at him in confusion. "What?"

"I know, right?"

"Are you sure it wasn't just an excuse to get out of it? I mean, maybe she needs more time to adjust," they reasoned. After all, it's what they would do.

"Actually, she seemed pretty adamant," Pomni agreed, looking between Jax and Ragatha for backup.

"Well that simply won't do!" Caine exclaimed, and with a snap of his fingers, Macawla appeared before them, still in a seated position and gripping her pencil before she fell to the ground with a plop.

She looked around in shock before glaring at Caine.

"I was busy," she spoke through clenched teeth.

"You can be busy later! Right now, there's adventure to be had!" he exclaimed before appearing in front of a title card, "Today's adventure is: Beach Party Massacre!"

A picturesque backdrop of a beach appeared behind Caine while he explained the adventure, blood splattering on the title card as he spoke. “That's right! Your totally groovy beach party is being stalked by a serial killer! It's up to you to stay alive, keep your wits about you, and reveal the killer before it's too late!"

Macawla was frozen stiff when she heard the explanation of the game. It was a far leap from capture the flag, and it proved to be just a bit too much for her.

"Uh, Macawla? You alright?" Ragatha asked, noting how the color had drained from her face.

"Yeah, quick question? He can't actually kill us in these adventures, right?" she asked, glancing nervously at Caine.

"Oh no! You don't have to worry about that," Ragatha reassured her, only for Jax to interrupt.

"No one can die in here. Something worse happens instead," he said, sporting an even smugger grin than usual.

"Jax! Are you trying to scare her!"

"Um, what's he talking about?" Macawla asked nervously, looking around the group.

"I'll explain later," Zooble offered, resting their claw on her shoulder.

"No time to waste! On to the adventure!" Caine interrupted, opening a portal and ushering them through.

Macawla had to shield her eyes as she walked out into bright sunlight. Warm, loose sand shifted beneath her feet with every step as the rest followed.

"This doesn't seem so bad. Wait, where'd Zooble go?" she asked, already nervous at the idea of losing track of someone so early.

"Oh, they always stay behind," Jax waved off her concern.

"Sooo what? Do they have, like, a doctor's note or something?"

"What're you talking about?"

"So it's fine for them to skip, but not me?" she asked, confused on how this was supposed to work, and why other people apparently got special treatment.

"Geez, I dunno, ask Caine! Don't take it out on me," he said, feigning innocence.

"What? No, I wasn't-"

"Relax, I'm just pullin' your leg," he teased, walking closer to sling an arm over her shoulder. She looked him up and down in response, stepping away.

"I'd prefer you didn't."

"Come on, loosen up! We're at the beach for cryin' out loud," he reasoned, gesturing towards the waves crashing against the shore.

"A beach with a murderer on the loose!" she reminded.

"Uh, she has a point. We should probably group up. Y'know, for safety," Pomni suggested.

"I'll stick with Ragatha," Macawla called out before Jax had a chance to pull her aside.

"Oh! Really?" Ragatha flinched in surprise when she heard her name, not expecting to be Macawla's first choice.

"Yeah, I could use some girl time," she shrugged, offering a bright smile. 

Jax rolled his eyes, propping an elbow atop the jester's head.

"Perfect, that leaves me with Pomni, and Gangle with Kinger. What could go wrong?"

~~~

A lot, apparently.

It had started off nice enough, with the beach party in full swing complete with music and swimsuit clad npc's. It wasn't too crowded, but there were enough people to make it difficult to keep track of everyone.

Jax and Pomni went to the snack bar while Kinger and Gangle slipped away for a game of beach volleyball. Macawla sat with Ragatha on some nearby loungers, scanning the crowd for anything suspicious.

"You okay? You look a little tense there," Ragatha noted her rigid posture. Macawla sighed.

"Honestly? No," she said, a sad bitterness to her words.

"Oh, uh, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked," she was quick to apologize, looking away as she tucked a few strands of yarn behind her ear. Macawla watched her from the corner of her eye and smiled.

"No, it's fine. I'm glad you did," she admitted. "Are these adventures always so dangerous? I thought it would be something fun like yesterday..."

"Caine tries to make them fun and exciting, but I think he gets confused sometimes, and they end up, well, like this," Ragatha explained, pointing at the bloody sand where an npc had disappeared minutes ago. "But it's not all bad, right? I mean, we still get to hang out at the beach, so that's something!"

"Girl, you've been here too long," she said bluntly. "Just because he tries doesn't mean he's doing a good job, and you don't have to make excuses."

"I-I'm not making excuses!" Ragatha was quick to defend. Macawla giggled and bumped their shoulders together.

"You kinda are. You'll go blind if you keep looking for silver linings where there are none," she teased. Ragatha looked away, a slight frown tugging at her lips.

"I'm just... trying to look on the bright side."

Macawla was about to answer when another blood curdling scream pierced the air, signaling the death of another character. They both jumped at the sound, sharing a worried look.

"You were saying?" Macawla drawled, earning an annoyed huff from Ragatha.

They met up at the rendezvous point by the lifeguard tower, Pomni and Jax already waiting for them. A sense of dread fell over the group as Kinger walked up to them- alone.

"Uh, Kinger... Where's Gangle?" Pomni asked hesitantly.

"What? Oh, she went to find the ball! But I don't think she's found it yet," he answered, confirming the worst of everyone's suspicions.

"You were supposed to stick together!" Macawla snapped, fingers carding through hair and feathers.

"We were!" he said, oblivious to her growing concern.

"Yeah, until you weren't. Did you even see what happened?" she questioned.

"What happened?"

"With Gangle."

"No, she went to go get the ball," he not so helpfully supplied. Macawla ran a hand down her tired face in frustration.

"Yes, but could you see her?" she repeated with added emphasis.

"Why yes! Until the crowd blocked my view of course."

"I'd give up on the questions if I were you," Jax suggested, and she hated how right he was. She wasn't getting anywhere with Kinger.

"We had the buddy system for a reason. Just- stay together unless you wanna be next," she warned, but it came from a place of genuine concern.

"Whoa, take it easy there, Birdbrain," Jax taunted, a shit eating grin plastered on his face. Macawla gasped, a hand flying to her chest in shock.

"What did you just call me?"

"Aw, is that bird brain of yours so tiny you can't even remember?"

"I have a masters degree, b%@€#!"

"Oh, good for you."

Macawla growled and stomped her foot in the sand, turning away. "Fine, you know what? I quit."

"Wha- you can't quit!"

"Sure I can, I'll just get myself fake murdered." Assuming they were telling the truth when they said you couldn't die in this place. But right now, she was willing to take the gamble, just to prove a point.

Petty was her middle name.

"Macawla wait!" Ragatha called out, but she was already walking away.

"Nope, I'm too curious to find out what dying is like."

Was she being dramatic? Absolutely. Did she care? Not at all.

"Jax! See what you did?"

"Relaaaax, I'll handle it," he waved off Ragatha's concern, gesturing for Pomni to follow. She shared a look with the rag doll and shrugged, falling into step behind him.

Ragatha watched them leave, fighting off a frown.

"So. You wanna play some volleyball?" Kinger asked, drawing her out of her thoughts.

"You know what? Sure."

~~~

Macawla stood in the surf, rolling waves washing up to her knees.

She heard quick sloshing closing in from behind and instinctively whipped around, fist colliding with something.

"OW! What the f*%!$ Macawla?" Jax yelled, falling backwards into Pomni's arms. They locked eyes before he scrambled to stand, promptly avoiding each other's gaze.

She stared in shock, both hands covering her gaping mouth. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry, I thought you were the murderer!"

"Sure you did," he dismissed, not really buying it.

"Are you okay?"

"Eh, I've had worse."

"Okay... well, did you just come to scare me, or..." she trailed off, expecting them to explain.

"No, but that's a pretty good idea."

"Excuse me?" she warned, but he continued.

"Look, we really should stick together if that psycho's on the loose. We don't even know what he looks like, it could be anyone!"

"Mmhmm," she hummed in agreement rather than give a proper answer.

"So, you comin' or what?"

"Or what."

Jax sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Seriously?" When she didn't answer, he added, "Am I gonna have to drag you back?"

She gasped in shock, whipping around to face him. "Don't even think about it!"

"Too late for that," he taunted, flicking some water at her.

She glared, splashing right back. "Will you just leave me alone!"

"Jax, maybe we should just go," Pomni suggested.

He looked between the two of them, rolling his eyes with an annoyed huff. "Yeah, sure, whatever." He began wading through the water, Pomni casting a worried glance toward Macawla before following.

Now that she was alone again, she breathed a sigh of relief. She closed her eyes and laid back in the water, allowing herself to drift with the waves.

Everything was quieter- muffled, which was why she didn't hear it at first. Voices- no, screaming. She sat up just in time to see Jax running through the water.

"What ha-" she was cut off as he yanked her up.

"While you were having your little temper tantrum, the killer struck again! Twice," he said as he drug her along, only to be yanked backwards when she stopped in her tracks.

"I know you didn't just blame me for that!"

"I didn't say anything of the sort! That must be your guilty conscience talking," he goaded, sporting a sly smirk.

She let out a frustrated growl and shoved him into an oncoming wave, running to the shore as he washed back up, sputtering and cursing her out.

"You're f%#*ing dead Birdbrain!"

She just ignored him, shaking herself dry once ashore; her feathers fluffing comically. Jax stumbled out of the water, getting slapped in the face by a long, wet ponytail.

"Will you watch it?"

"Whoops," she apologized in a deadpan tone.

Her smirk faded when she scanned the beach, noting the absence of Ragatha, Kinger, and a few npc's. The sand was stained red, pools of blood already darkening as it seeped into the ground.

"I wasn't even gone that long..." Macawla said in disbelief.

"Hey, it'll be okay," Pomni tried to comfort her, but her sudden presence only startled her. "Remember, it's just a game-"

She was cut off by a slow, manic laugh that got louder as Macawla pulled at her hair and feathers. "No, yesterday was a game! This is- I don't even know anymore! It's-"

"A slaughterhouse? A slasher film?" Jax finished her sentence, sporting a smug grin.

"Exactly!" she agreed, snapping her fingers.

"Alright, let's just take a deep breath," Pomni tried to talk her down, but it was no use.

"No! That digital psycho killed your friends, and you guys don't even care?"

"Okay, you're taking this waaay too seriously. They're probably back at the circus, waiting for us to finish up this dumb adventure so we can get on with our day," Jax easily dismissed her concern.

She stared at him, a mix of shock and horror clearly written in her face. "Probably?"

"Sorry, they're definitely waiting for us."

Something about that tone didn't make her believe him.

"Okaaay..." she said awkwardly, looking away.

"He's just messing with you, right Jax?" Pomni reassured, giving him an expectant look, subtly nodding towards Macawla.

"Huh? Oh right, yeah, sure," he answered casually, scanning the beach for any sign of the murderous npc.

"Well that was reassuring," she snarked, crossing her arms over her chest. She too kept an eye out for anything out of the ordinary, but all was quiet.

Too quiet...

Until another scream pierced the air, this time, right next to them.

Macawla's head snapped over to look just in time to see a hulking figure looming behind them, standing directly behind Pomni. She saw a long spear tip protruding from the jester's chest, and Pomni wasn't the only one screaming anymore.

Before any of them could react, Pomni was yanked backwards by the harpoon, pulling her into the killer's grasp where she immediately vanished with a poof.

Macawla stood, completely petrified with fear, until Jax once more began dragging her along.

"Do you wanna get fake murdered? Up an' at 'em, Birdbrain!"

"Quit calling me that!" was the only thing she could think to say.

They managed to hide behind the snack shack, taking a moment to catch their breath.

"Okay, I think we lost him."

No sooner than the words left Jax's mouth, did a harpoon grapple him from behind. His eyes went wide with shock, looking down at the pointed blade before settling into a bored expression. "Oh you gotta be f@$%ing kidding me."

This time, Macawla had a second to react, grabbing one of Jax's hands just as he was yanked around the corner, leaving his glove behind.

Macawla stared at the fabric in her hands, tears welling in her eyes. What the fuck? None of this was fair!

She stood up, throwing the glove to the ground before storming off, before turning right back around to retrieve the discarded glove. It wasn't hers, after all.

"He'll probably want this back," she mumbled to herself, bending down to pick it up before shoving it in her pocket.

She noticed an employee entrance to the shack and tried the handle. It opened with a slight creak and she slipped inside. It wasn't very full, but there were bags of chips, hot dogs, and an ice cream freezer. There was also a fridge stocked with ice cold drinks.

A sudden noise caught her attention and she ducked down, peeking over the counter. The killer roamed the now empty beach, clearly in search of his last victim.

As quietly as she could, Macawla grabbed a bottle from the fridge, creeping over to the front of the shack. She stood slowly, using the wall as her cover. She took a deep, grounding breath, looking out one last time.

A loud, shattering crash and fizzing noise caught the npc's attention, just as she planned. "COME AND GET ME MOTHERF$*#ER!"

~~~

Back at the circus, the rest of the big tops watched with varying degrees of excitement and worry. Zooble sat on the edge of their seat, leaning closer to the screen. Gangle sat between them and Kinger, wringing her hands together. Ragatha was glued to the screen, but chewed at her nails. Pomni and Jax, being the newest arrivals back home, weren't as engrossed in the movie, having just escaped the nightmare.

Still, Jax was more than curious to see how this was going to play out.

~~~

Macawla vaulted over the counter, broken bottle in hand. She barely got two steps before the harpoon came barreling towards her.

She instinctively tried to shield herself, and the blade only pierced through her wings. She let out a cry of pain, falling to her knees before getting dragged across the sand. She mustered what strength she could to right herself, holding the makeshift weapon out in front of her.

They slammed into each other, and she immediately felt the way the bottle pierced through skin, warm blood trickling down the bottle neck and running down her hand.