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Pomni and Gummigoo were sitting at the table, just eating breakfast and chatting about something silly. On either sides of them, the circus members were busy doing their things. Zooble and Ragatha were sitting next to each other and talking about something — Pomni caught only a few snippets of their conversation, and Kinger was speaking to his plate of poorly cooked food about a new bug he had just added into his ever-expanding collection. Pomni had learned it was better to just let the middle-aged man do his thing, no matter how… strange, rather than startle him and make him flip the breakfast table over… again. On the other side of the table, Jax and Gangle were sitting and talking too, pushing their food around with the low quality forks. It seemed like the only people actually eating were Ragatha and Zooble.

“So, this is your brekky? Do we have the same thing … everyday?” Gummigoo asked as he nudged some very undercooked eggs around his plate to make it look eaten. “I… don’t know, honestly. I haven’t been here long enough.” Pomni admitted, poking at the charred slices of bread still wafting acrid black smoke on her own dish. “I really hope not.” “Who made breakfast today?” Gangle finally piped up after she was done constructing her plate into a piece of modern art, the table falling silent right after as everyone shared little side glances. “Well, someone’s gotta say it, this breakfast sucks.” Jax snarled, shoving his food away as Caine popped into existence in front of the banquet table. “GOOD MORNING MY MUSCLED LITTLE MICE!” “What the [f…k] did you just call us, dentures-for-days?” “GOOD MORNING TO YOU TOO, ZOOBLE!” He yelled, entirely too loud for the early morning. Ragatha was the only one who just barely mumbled a quiet hello, hyperfocused on her plate. “I HOPE YOU ALL ARE ENJOYING THIS MEAL MADE BY YOURS TRULY,” “Oh, we can tell you made it.” Jax sneered. Caine ignored Jax’s jab at him and instead tipped his little top hat as Bubble squeezed out like a rabbit. Jax scoffed, kicking his bare paws up onto the table. Nobody noticed one of Gangle’s silky red ribbons wrapping gently around one of his legs. “WHY AREN’T ANY OF YOU EATING YOUR FOOD?” “I am.” “NOW NOW, FUEL UP, YOU’LL NEED IT FOR TODAY’S ADVENTURE!” He said cheerily, ignoring the fact that the food was mostly being shoved around on its plates and not eating. “Why, what — what are we doing today?” Pomni asked, dropping her fork on her plate. “SINCE YOU SEEM SO EXCITED,“ “I’m not.” “YOU’LL ALL BE GOING ON A HIKE THROUGH THE TERRIBLY TREACHEROUS TRAILS!” Caine said, the words popping up in a rather jagged and rocky font behind him.

There was a moment of silence, then silverware clattered against ceramic. “A hike through the… where?” Ragatha asked, her voice suddenly very flat and dull. “THE TERRIBLY TREACHEROUS TRAILS, INHABITED BY THE MOUNTAINOUS RAGDOLL PEOPLE!” Caine said cheerfully. Pomni studied Ragatha’s face, wondering what could have caused such a strange reaction. The older doll looked… troubled for some reason. That was odd, as Ragatha always seemed ready to go on their adventures. “Ragatha looks a little worried… you think we should ask her what’s up?” Pomni asked. Gummigoo glanced over to Ragatha as well. “Maybe the hiking trail is full of sharp rocks that could cut away at her seams. Caine did say it was treacherous after all…” He said. “But what about the doll people that live there?” Gummigoo frowned. “Crikey, you’re right. Maybe she just doesn’t feel up to a long hike in a dress is all.” Pomni shrugged. Doing a long and strenuous hike in a dress didn’t exactly sound like the most enjoyable thing in this digital world. “Hm, I guess that could be a reason.” She went back to pushing her food around boredly. Caine floated over to the main stage and fumbled with his cane before seven little backpacks popped into existence on the stage. “HERE ARE THE HIKING BACKPACKS YOU’LL NEED FOR YOUR LITTLE EXCURSION!” He yelled out, snapping his fingers. The dining table and the seats vanished into thin air, causing everyone to fall. “Yeah, I’m not doing this [s…t].” Zooble said, before hobbling away around the stage. “ALRIGHT, EVERYONE ELSE GRAB YOUR ASSIGNED BAGS!” Pomni and Gummigoo grabbed their things. Ragatha was the only one who hadn’t picked up a bag. “Uh… Caine, I think … I’m going to be skipping out on this adventure, okay?” Everyone turned to face Ragatha. “Is something wrong, Ragatha? You’ve never skipped out on an adventure.” Gangle asked, looking worried. “Yeah Rags, what’s up?” Gummigoo glanced over at Ragatha. “I’m getting the vibe that she doesn’t blow off on Caine’s adventures often?” He murmured. Pomni shrugged. “Based off of everyone’s reactions, I guess not.” Caine shrugged. “ALRIGHT, WHATEVER YOU WANT RAGATHA… I GUESS?” Even Caine sounded confused, before opening a portal. Everyone except Kinger, who seemed generally oblivious as usual, shared a few glances. “Maybe Ragatha just didn't feel up to going on a hike with us.” Gangle finally reasoned as they walked through the portal and found themselves at the base of a mountain. The sky was dark with roiling clouds that seemed to sink lower with each second. A few feet away was a small town populated with several NPCs sitting on their porches or standing in store windows aimlessly. “So these are the ragdoll people? I've gotta say they bear a certain resemblance to Ragatha.” Gummigoo said, as they began walking through the the town. 

They stopped in one of the stores to interact with a few of the NPCs, examining their patchy clothing and caring manner. “They really bear a resemblance to Ragatha.” Gangle said, edging around a NPC to grab something off a shelf. “Yeah, a little too much of a resemblance.” Jax said, casting a side look at Gummigoo. After they left the store, they came upon the rocky base of the mountain. There was a rugged dirt path curving up the side, slick with mud. Pomni set her shoulders back, adjusting the heavy weight pressing against her. “Alright, let's go ahead and get this stupid [f……g] hike over with.” Jax snapped, stabbing his walking stick into the soft mud. The others followed suit, spurred by the sharp crack of lightning overhead. 

As they began to scale the path, Pomni cast hesitant glances at the village behind her. Something was definitely off. First, Ragatha opted out of their adventure, then all the NPCs patchy clothing and manner appeared just like hers. Pomni glanced at Jax, a pit growing in the bottom of her stomach. She'd seen the look he'd cast Gummigoo and was starting to believe its meaning to be true. 

Was Ragatha … an NPC who had snuck into the circus? Or was her own paranoia getting the better of her? 

Chapter Text

Ragatha watched the others vanish through the portal, before turning away and walking around the stage to her room, following after Zooble. She came upon the plasticky amalgamation of shapes just as they were entering their room, looking rather indifferent as usual. “Oh, hey Ragatha. Something wrong?” They asked in a monotone voice. “N-no, nothing’s wrong. Why would you ask that?” Zooble quirked an eyebrow. “You’ve never stayed back from an adventure is all, so I assumed something was wrong. [F…k] me for askin’, I guess.” “Ah, no, Zooble I didn’t… mean it like that…” Ragatha said, scratching at the seams on her arm. Zooble deflated a little, subconsciously adjusting their left arm in its socket. “Sorry for snapping at you like that, Rags. I didn’t mean to. It’s just… nevermind.” Ragatha shrugged. “That’s alright, not everyday is good. See you at dinner, I guess.” Zooble nodded before opening the door to their room and slipping inside. Ragatha followed suit, vanishing into her own room.

She didn’t bother to turn on any of the lights in her room, instead dropping like dead weight onto the thick, plush carpet coating her floor. The last time Caine put the circus members on that adventure, someone snuck onto their little party. The last time Caine warped them off the top of that mountain, one of the villagers in that little mountain town squeezed through the portal just in time, knowing exactly what she was and what it meant to be a NPC. That villager was here now, in this room. Ragatha leaned her head against the solid oak door, her mind flooded with memories of “that day”. It was so long ago she was sure only Kinger had a few fragmented memories of it, if even that.

When she first game to the digital circus, it was still in it’s very early developmental stage. Much like any other video game, the graphics and software evolved in the major annual update, getting better and better over time, glitches becoming fewer and fewer. However, back then, glitches were commonplace, and Ragatha had grown used to seeing people glitched into trees and walls. Over time, most of the glitches had to be manually executed due to all the bug squashing Caine was doing.

—

When Caine had first brought a group of circus dwellers to the map, he had coded in Ragatha with one purpose — to be a tour guide during the hike. She came pre-programmed with the knowledge of the mountain and all of its wild trails. She was standing in the hot rays of sun at the base of the mountain, hands clasped before the skirt of her patchy blue dress, her thick locks of red hair tied back tightly to keep them from obstructing her vision whilst she was leading the group. She noticed them coming around the bend in the road, talking amongst themselves and looking nervous. Ragatha supposed they all had a right to be nervous, this was a strange and new lace to them. They all wore massive hiking bags and thick boots. Ragatha’s gaze roved steadily over them, impressed at all their differences and bright color schemes, set apart from her own sun-bleached world. “Hello, hikers!” She called out, waving her arm. They all glanced up, a few of them shyly murmuring greetings. “Well…” Ragatha put her hands on her hips. “Let’s get to hiking, huh? After all, it’s only going to get hotter out here!” Ragatha had little perception of the weather, but it worked in spurring the hikers to get a move on.

She eagerly led the way up the mountain, digging her trusty walking stick into the ground as she walked. One of the visitors spoke up from behind her as she made her way over a particularly rocky hunk of ground. “You sure this is safe…?” Ragatha nodded as she effortlessly hopped over a crack in the ground. “I’ve walked this trail a thousand times before. You won’t be safer with anyone else in town, I can guarantee it!” She said cheerily. “Don’t worry, she’s supposed to be coded to know the trails.” Ragatha stopped short, turning to look at a miserable-looking clown comforting a cocoa-brown chess piece with a crown and a red faux fur coat. “Yes, don’t worry dear. We can’t get inured anyway.” Another chess piece, this time with a red coat and a sandy brown color added, equally oblivious to the fact Ragatha had been listening on. Coded? What did that mean? Was it a harsh jab at her or a praise of her hiking abilities? She’d gone up this mountain as many times as there were leaves on the lush trees surround it. Or… had she? Her memories suddenly seemed spotty and incomplete, like the fragments of a dream. No. It’s just the oppressive heat screwing with her head, is all. Despite the chills running through her body, she convinces herself the raised temperature making her a little bent of out shape.

She snapped out of her thoughts suddenly aware of the group looking at her almost expectantly. That, and she’d been gripping her walking stick so hard it had cracked. “Are you ready to continue on? I thought I’d allow you to talk for a bit.” She said. The clown nodded. “Yes, we’re ready to finish this adventure.” Ragatha led them on robotically, more focused on talking to them, trying to pry information about that comment. Maybe it meant nothing, but it just felt off to her, a feeling she couldn’t describe because she had never felt it before. By the time they reached the top of the mountain and concluded their hike, Ragatha was feeling significantly better. “You know, you should come back with us to the circus!” The female chess piece, Queenie said. “The… circus? Is that where you come from?” Ragatha asked curiously. Queenie nodded. “I’m sure Caine wouldn’t mind a NPC like you coming along and joining us!” Ragatha froze for a moment. “I’m sorry, a — what did you just… call me?” Queenie quirked an eyebrow. “A NPC! That’s what you are, dear.”She said matter-of-factly. “But - but what’s a NPC?” Ragatha sputtered, digging her walking stick into the ground. Kinger glided up behind Queenie. “I don’t think she understands what you’re talking about, darling. You might have to explain it to her.” Ragatha took a step back. “What are you talking about?” She asked.

Queenie wrung her hands. “Well, you’re coded to be a tour guide, and that’s kind of your only purpose.” Ragatha frowned. “No, I help out in my town too! The town down there… I - I… why can’t I remember?” She glanced out over the forest. “Where’s the town? Where’s MY town? I should be able to see it from up here!” She said, panicking. “A town? There was only a little woods sign on the side of the road that said there was a town the opposite way of the mountain.” The clown said. “Caine most likely didn’t code one in, since we wouldn’t be visiting it.” Kinger pointed out, and the others seemed to agree. “If my town doesn’t exist, then - then why do I have memories of it?” Ragatha said, her hands shaking. “You probably had those memories fabricated for you.” Ragatha stumbled back, dangerously close to edge of the mountain now. “What are you saying?” “You’re not real, you were coded into this map for us.” Queenie frowned. “Jess! I was trying to let her down easy!” The clown shrugged. “No easy way to shatter a person’s reality.” She offered a gloved hand. “You want to stick around here alone till Caine deletes this place or you wanna come with us?”

—

Ragatha shouldn’t have taken that hand. It seemed like an peaceful offering, but it was the worst mistakes of her life. The only reason she never spoke up was the day she learned what Caine did to NPCs. His coding became more advanced, learning from the interactions with his ever-rotating cast of members. She brought back a NPC from another adventure, hoping for someone to share her own experiences with, only for Caine to pop them like a confetti-filled balloon, all the while explaining to her that if he ever got NPCs and humans mixed together bad things could happen. She could still remember his cheery voice, lamenting about mistakes and how he could accidentally hurt one of them, as if he hadn’t just killed someone infront of her. She never spoke up about her being an NPC, knowing she’d be immediately killed on the spot without any time to plead for her survival. She’d stood by Kinger as his mental state plummeted to the point she was sure he probably didn’t even know the word treacherous anymore, watching the cast change over and over again to the point she could hardly remember some of them. Maybe it was obvious that she was unlike the rest of the cast, maybe it wasn’t. The point was, if Caine remained oblivious she would be just fine. Pushing herself up onto wobbly legs, she stumbled over to her piano and sat on the toy box serving as its bench. She couldn’t bring herself to play anything.

She should have gone on that [g……m] adventure.

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Pomni winced as the rain blew directly into her face, pelting her with needle-sharp drops. The weather had only grown worse the farther they hiked up the mountain, and Gangle had been forced to ditch her happy mask and bag at the bottom of the mountain since she kept falling back and sliding down the muddy path. Kinger was holding up the rear of their tormented little party, exclaiming something about the familiarity of the path. “Just let hoo-haa be weird.” Jax had insisted, before they set off on their hike. “So… are you told how long it is or…?” Gummigoo asked. Pomni shook her head. “He just gives us the stuff we need and throws us into the map.” Gummigoo frowned. “Seems almost… cruel, doesn’t it?” She shrugged, wiping rain off her face and squinting into the thick sheets of rain. “Is the rain getting worse the higher we go?” She asked as the wind drove her back. “Huh, even the mountain doesn’t want us hiking up there.” Jax said. “Welp, time to head back then.” He spun and immediately face planted in the slippery ground, the wind battering his lanky body. “C’mon Gummigoo, the path widens up just a bit here.” “I miss my pillow fort.” Kinger mumbled tearfully from behind them, just barely audible over the howling wind. Pomni turned to face him, her hair violently slapping her in the face. Kinger was shuffling up to them, Jax hesitantly climbing to his feet. “Hey! What are you waiting for, Poms? Get a move on!” He snapped at her, wiping mud off his face. Pomni noticed Gangle had wrapped her ribbony body around him, perhaps to keep from being floated away by the wind. “Ah, right, yeah. C’mon. The trail gets wider up here.” Pomni said, shifting her backpack on her shoulders.

She didn’t know what happened. One moment, she was struggling up the path, half-blind, then next she was stumbling and falling. “AAAAAAAAAA!” Gummigoo lurched forward, grabbing her red-gloved hand as she dangled perilously over the edge of the cliff. “Pomni! Are you okay?” Gummigoo yelled, his arm reaching out for her other hand. “Y-yeah, I’m fine…” Pomni said, kicking and flailing her legs to find a grip on the mountain. “Okay, just relax and let me get your other aAAAARRRRRM!” Gummigoo slid over the edge of the cliff, and the two of them tumbled down, their bodies cracking against the stone in unnatural ways until they were just falling through empty air. “Ooof.” Pomni stumbled to her feet, rubbing her head where she’d hit it. “I think we’re under the map again.” She said, glancing around the almost familiar surroundings. “Well, let’s go find a way out again… I guess.” Pomni’s eyes roved over the various models lined up on their little white stands. “Are we just doomed to always glitch under the map like this?” Gummigoo asked from behind her, examining some of the decorum scattered around. “It’ll be fine, just let me…” Pomni trailed off, glancing up at the walls to see if there was anything to scale. “Uhhh… Pomni?” Gummigoo asked from behind her. “…Take a look at this model…” He said from behind her, sounding considerably worried. “What? Something wrong?” She asked, examining a few of the house models. ”Yes, very much so.” Gummigoo honestly sounded a little panicked, so Pomni turned to face him. “What is it?” Crossing over to him, she noticed he was looking at one of the models at the end of the line, partially shrouded in the dim light.

Upon seeing the model, she stopped short, a chill running through her body. ”Is that…” Ragatha stood idly on one of the stands, giving them a blank look. “That’s Ragatha! But she would only be under here, as a model in the map…” “If she was a NPC!” Pomni and Gummigoo uttered together, with shocked expressions on their faces. “B—but how? This is our first time going on this adventure!” Pomni said, in shock. Gummigoo analyzed the models. “Look, her seems a little out-of-date compared to these models. She might be from an old version of this map. It’s possible that Caine revamps some of his maps.” Gummigoo said, looking back and forth between Ragatha and the woman NPC next to her. Pomni frowned. “Just how long has she been in the circus?” Pomni muttered. “Longer than you…?” Gummigoo supplied unhelpfully. “We need to get back up to the map and… maybe inform the others.” Gummigoo nodded. “Look, that must be the old mountain model. We can climb it back up to the surface of the map.”

—

Gangle settled her tragedy mask on Jax’s shoulders, shifting a few of her ribbons to make him more comfortable. “You alright back there, ribbons?” Jax asked, as he strolled casually up the pathway. “Y-yeah,” Gangle mumbled tearfully, “I’m good. What about you?” Jax scoffed. “I’d be better if we didn’t have to go on this [f……g] adventure…” Gangle squinted through the sheets of rain. “We’re close to the top… hey, where are the others?” She said. Jax twisted to look behind him. “No… idea. We might be ahead of them.” Lightning cracked overhead, and she shuddered, leaning against Jax. “Hey, why don’t you want the others to know about us?” She asked as he trudged on, digging the cracked walking stick he’d picked off the ground deeper and deeper for a footing. “Don’t know if my actions are any indicator, but I’m not sure the others would be very approving of little old you dating the big, bad, bunny rabbit.” Gangle leaned her porcelain head back. “That’s your own fault then, Jax. Besides, would the others even care that much? There are worse things than you being in a relationship.” She said, calmly and evenly like a therapist. Jax scoffed, picking up the pace. “The others might think I’m… I don’t know, manipulating you with something like blackmail,” “You have.” “To stay in a relationship with me… or something. Listen, I just don’t want to tell the others.” Gangle sighed, giving him a gentle, whole-body squeeze. “If you were nicer to everyone in the circus and not just me, your life would be a lot better than it is now.” She said. “Yeah, well, you might be right but I just don’t have it in me to tolerate all of you.”

—

With a pop, Pomni and Gummigoo glitched through the map and spawned at the top of the mountain, above the cloud layer. “Guess we just spawn at the top. That was easy.” Gummigoo said, adjusting his trademark cowboy hat. Jax and Gangle were the first to appear, waving through the clouds. Gangle unwrapped herself from Jax like the ribbons on a present, teary-eyed as ever. “How did you guys get up here so fast?” She asked. “We glitched under the map again, but listen, we found something under there you’re not going to like.” Gummigoo said, his voice grave. “You’ve never been under the map, but know this. Because Gummigoo’s a NPC, there’s a model of him in the space under the Candy Canyon Kingdom. And under this map… there’s a model of Ragatha.” Pomni said. Jax’s and Gangle’s eyes widened in shock. “Are you serious, Poms?” Jax asked incredulously. “So does that mean that Ragatha’s a NPC like you, Gummigoo?” Gangle asked, a ribbon end placed almost thoughtfully at the chin of her mask. “Huh, so I was right as per usual.” Jax said boastfully. “I thought this adventure was all-new, how could Ragatha’s model be under there?” Gangle asked. “Well, her model looked a little off. The map must have existed before this and revamped just for us.” Gummigoo stated. Just then, Kinger shuffled through the clouds, looking as lost as always. “Am I missing out on something?” He asked. “Yes, hoo-haa.” Jax snapped. Pomni sighed. “Kinger, has Caine ever used any maps over?” She hoped the man would be lucid enough to answer her question. “Yes, actually… many times when he added updates to them.” All four of them shared a look. “That’s not helping Ragdolly beat the allegations.” Jax snarked as a portal opened to teleport them away.

Pomni entered last, mulling over what she had seen that day. How long had Ragatha been hiding here, masking herself as one of them, the humans, despite being a just a rogue hunk of code?

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Ragatha sat on her bed, her stuffed hands gripping the thick comforter tightly. God, was she ever the idiot. 

Over the course of a few hours, she’d shifted from sitting rigidly on her makeshift piano bench, staring emptily at her sheet music with her sewn hands clutched tightly in her lap to hunched on her bed, wrinkling her quilted sheets and keeping her gaze carefully trained on the simple clock sitting atop her wooden shelf. 

Tick. Tock.

The other circus members would be back in about half an hour, at the latest, just a few at the earliest. Her plush back had grown stiff and ached dully from being hunched over for so long, and her hands were sore and slightly numb from gripping the sheets so tightly and for so long. 

Tick. Tock.

Should she just skip this day’s dinner altogether and save herself from a possible confrontation? Or was her own fear taking hold of her? Maybe the others had just chalked up the adventure to some silly coincidence, and Ragatha had made herself suspicious by opting out. She knew, in the past when Caine’s old OS had made him seem just a little more human, that he had sometimes made adventures vaguely themed around the current circus cast. Maybe he was starting that up again.

A door creaked open faintly, and Ragatha perked up at the same time the background music started playing. The others must have just gotten back. Sure enough, she could hear muffled talking, Caine’s booming voice, and other miscellaneous noises coming from the main room. [F…k].

—

Pomni stepped slowly out of the portal, wincing briefly at the bright colors of the circus as she wiped rain from her face. It had been a little over a week, and yet she still hadn’t gotten used to the circus. Gummigoo stepped out beside her, slightly damp and bloated from absorbing the rain. Jax stepped out after him, Gangle unwrapping her silky red ribbons from his body. As the portal closed, Zooble hobbled up to them, sporting a fresh new avatar as usual and the same indifferent look. “Zooble, have you seen Ragatha at all today?” She asked, wringing her red-and-blue gloves. Zooble gave her a blank look. “Yeah, we talked a little bit in the hallway, but I haven’t seen her since. She’s probably still in her room.” Jax, Gangle, Gummigoo, and Pomni all shared a look. “Uh, okay…What the [f…k] is going on?” Zooble asked, raising an eyebrow. “Ra—” “‘Cause whatever it is, you’d better leave me out of it. I don’t give a flying [f…k].” Jax scoffed, crossing his arms over his soaked chest. “Eloquent as always, huh, Zoob.” He sneered as the mix-and-match toy rolled their mismatched eyes and flipped him off. At that moment Caine chose to warp himself into existence right above them, thus eradicating any chance of further conversation. “WELCOME BACK, MY HILARIOUS HIKERS! DID YOU HAVE FUN? JUST KIDDING, I KNOW YOU DID.” They absolutely didn’t but, Pomni wasn’t about to just say that. There were more pressing matters at hand. “HUH! IT SEEMS OUR RAGDOLL FRIEND IS NOT HERE! …POMNI!” Pomni raised an eyebrow. “PLEASE, FETCH RAGATHA FROM HER ROOM.” A golden, plasticky key dropped to the ground in front of her with a vaguely metallic clink. “Uh, sure, Caine.” Pomni said, crouching briefly to pick up the key. It was nice and cool in her hand, like a soda can fresh out a cooler. “NOW THEN, LET ME SET UP YOUR FEAST.” “Finally, I’m famished.” Jax muttered, shaking ice-blue droplets of water off of him and splashing everyone else in his vicinity.

—

Ragatha stood slowly, her body aching as she cracked her spine and hands. The relief only lasted a moment before there was someone knocking gently and slowly at the door. Ragatha froze, staring at the shaft of light spilling under door partially blocked by a figure’s shadow. “…R-ragatha? You… in there?” The ragdoll woman recognized Pomni’s tentative, faint voice through the oak door. Pomni shifted her feet, her shadow swaying at the door. “Caine wants you to come to the dinner tonight… since you skipped out on todays adventure and all.” Ragatha hesitated, before sighing and cracking the door open. “Um, alright.” She pulled the door open the rest of the way and stepped out of the room into the hallway. “Ready to go?” Pomni asked. “Yeah, yeah, let’s go.” Ragatha studied Pomni’s expression and body language. The jester seemed a little anxious as usual, but nothing out of the ordinary, which meant… they probably didn’t know. The realization took a moment to sink in, then she cheered, feeling victorious over the fact that her secret had been kept. Her mood improved drastically, her worried expression fading to the point Pomni noticed something. “You look happy Ragatha, something good happen while we were away?” Pomni asked as they walked into the main room where the big stage was. “Oh, it was nothing, you’re just settling in a lot better than I thought, it’s making me happy.” Ragatha lied, taking her seat at the long table. She noticed she was sitting at the end for once. Zooble muttered something about not being able to eat under their breath. Ragatha sat aimlessly in the plush-bottomed chair, poking at her poorly rendered tomato soup with a chunky spoon, waiting until dinner would be over. Her grip on the spoon tightened to the point it had started to glitch and bend in her hand, sloshing the soup around in its pristine white bowl. The others talked happily about their adventure and commented on the food, while Ragatha just sat there. 

Eventually, dinner wrapped up, everyone fulfilled from the adventurous day, some more than others. Ragatha shoved back her chair, its legs squeaking against the checkered tile. Following the others down the hall, she noticed how the lights had dimmed a bit since it was now technically nighttime. She wondered if she would ever be able to see the real night sky with her real eyes again. The door to her room was unlocked, and it was dim inside which was strange. She was sure that she had left her light on and locked her door when leaving. And, she’d had her door lock changed by Caine a few days ago since Jax kept getting into her room and going through her things. Whatever. Maybe her room just glitched a little, it happened. Shutting the door behind her, she flicked on the light switch with a sigh as a cozy glow lit up her room. 

And then she screamed. 

Pomni, Gummigoo, and Gangle were all perched on various pieces of her furniture. Pomni was sitting on her bed, Gummigoo at her piano on the bench, and Gangle on her vanity stool. All three of them looked deadly serious, even Gangle who had her happy mask on for once. She saw a flash of periwinkle in the corner of her eye and spun to find Jax leaning against the shelf in her room. “U-um… H-how did you guys get in here?” Ragatha stuttered out, stepping into a far corner of her room away from them. Pomni pulled out a small key. “Caine gave this to me when he told me to go get you for dinner…” She said. “W-what’s going on?” Ragatha asked, already knowing the answer deep down. A heavy silence settled over the room, everyone sharing glances. “Uh—” Pomni began gently, only to be cut off by Jax. “You’re a NPC, aren’t ya, Rags?”

Chapter Text

Ragatha stumbled back into the far corner of her room, feeling akin to a deer awash in bright headlights. Jax's words felt like a harsh, sharp slap to the face, and her hand twitched briefly as if to clutch miserably at her face. She froze up, a bout of whole-body paresthesia washing over her, head feeling even more cotton-stuffed than how it normally was. Her silence was giving the others all the answers they needed, anyway. She couldnt think of anything to defend her, not now, not ever. Her good eye pricked gently, a sign tears were soon to spill. She dug her bare, sewn toes into the thick carpet. 

She was doomed the moment she went through that godforsaken portal. 

She was doomed, really, the moment Caine created her for that adventure.

"...How did you find out?" She asked, her voice quiet and trembly. Her hands clutched at the patchy skirt of her dress. Pomni fumbled with the top button on her jester costume. "It was me and Gummigoo. On the hike, we glitched through the map again and found you...r model." Ragatha flexed her hands, clutching them into tight fists for a moment. "You... and Gummigoo? How did the others find out?" Her voice had gained a sharp, defensive edge to it. Both Pomni and Gummigoo averted their gazes sheepishly. "You... you told them, didnt you? Ragatha all but spat, her hands shaking slightly with rage. Perched on the vanity stool, Gangle had adopted a rather concerned look, stepping up to Pomni's defense. "Hey, Ragatha, thats... dont snap at Pomni like that. Maybe it wasnt right of her to tell me and Jax that, but we havent told anyone else, not even Caine—" "Yet." Jax cut in with a snicker. Ragatha huffed, scrunching up her face in anger. "See what I mean? Jax is probably going to [f......g] blackmail me for something!" She snapped, throwing her arms out in anger. "Well now, don't give me ideas!" Jax said slyly from where he was leaning casually against her shelf. "Jax," Gangle said sharply from the vanity, her ribbon arms crossed over her silky red chest. "That's quite enough. Pomni trusted us to tell us this." "Ah, you're no fun." Jax muttered, crossing his arms and looking away. "Listen, I know youre probably mad right now, but all we want to do is —" "Please get out." Ragatha said, her seamed hands clenched tight into fists, voice shaky. "Ragatha..." Pomni began. Gangle shook her porcelain face, rising to the door. "It's not worth it Pomni." She mumbled, twisting the doorknob. The bed creaked gently as Pomni slid off the edge and padded softy across the carpet, before slipping out the door. It shut with a muted click, leaving Ragatha alone in the room. 

—

Just outside in the hallway, Pomni crossed her arms over her chest and tapped her foot subconsiously. "Sorry, love, she just didnt want us around her." Gummigoo said, tipping his hat to her sorrowfully. "That's alright Gummigoo, we have tomorrow." Pomni muttered, uncrossing her arms and drifting away from the others. It was her fault Ragatha was mad at all of them, wasnt it? Guess jesters were always meant to be fools. She stepped into her room, looking around at the patterned walls, rich velvet curtains, and childs toys. Ragatha didnt seem like the type of person to hold long grudges, or grudges at all. Was that even programmed into her code? Then again, she had seemed extremely mad, Pomni had yet to see her snap at someone like that. Even Jax had looked shocked at her blowing up like that. Maybe they she had finally pushed her over the edge. She shucked off her shoes and dual-colored jester hat, listening to them thump against the childish objects in her room, her brown hair falling out of its loose bun. She would have to apologize to Ragatha in the morning, it seemed, and hope Jax wouldnt decide to be an [a......e] and tell Caine. She threw back her striped blanket and crawled into bed for the night. 

—

Ragatha kicked off her thick bedspread, staring up at the ceiling. She hadn't been exploded into a pile of rags and stuffing overnight, so she assumed her secret had been kept by the others. Speaking of them, she heard a sharp knock at the door. She looked at the vague shadow at the bottom of her door. Pomni, probably. "Hey, Ragatha? I'm sorry about what happened yesterday. It wasn't my place to tell the others without... consulting... you first." Ragatha sat up with a groan, the sheets rustling beneath her. "Uhm... Ragatha? Are you there?" Another knock, just a decibel louder. Staggering out of bed, Ragatha swung open the door. "Yeah, I'm here. Sorry. Just woke up from... a nice dream." This was another lie, she had been lying in wait for her inevitable exile from the circus. Pomni nodded, pocketing something oblong, small, and rather shiny. Ragatha didn't see what it was and didn't bother asking her. "I'm sorry too. You guys just wanted answers, and I shouldn't have snapped at you all like that. It was... cruel of me, wasn't it?" She asked. Pomni shrugged. "Hey, it makes you more human, doesn't it?" Ragatha blinked. "Huh. I guess, I hadn't thought of it that way. Are the others at breakfast yet?" Pomni nodded. "Yeah, breakfast ended a while back. I just wanted to rouse you for today's adventure. It's supposed to be a "relaxing" one, whatever that means." Ragatha laughed. "Um, Caine's idea of a relaxing adventure isn't very... relaxing. So, can you corral Gummigoo, Jax and Gangle for me so I can apologize to them, please?" Pomni nodded, moving through the bright hallway, sunlight streaming into the hall from the main room. The circus looked almost peaceful in the warm light. She edged around the circus stage, spotting Pomni speaking to Gangle, Gummigoo, and Jax, making gestures with her hands. Gangle tipped their head, looking past Pomni's shoulder and waved. Ragatha ambled over, feeling like a child in trouble.

"Hey, guys." 

There was a moment of silence, before Ragatha continued. "I'm... sorry for snapping at you guys yesterday. It was really dumb of me, you guys were probably more shocked than me." Gangle smiled. "Thanks for apologizing Ragatha, it's alright." "Honestly, I was getting suspicious when Caine sad "ragdoll people."" Gummigoo interjected, rubbing at the back of his neck. "You do look pretty similar to the townspeople, that's when things started clicking into place." Pomni added. "...Townspeople?" Pomni nodded. "yeah, there was a little town at the base of the mountain." Ragatha perked up. "Really? There's... a town now?" Jax raised an thin eyebrow. "There wasn't a town when you came over here?" Ragatha squinted. "Er... no. There wasn't one scripted in, just in my memory." Gummigoo frowned. "You were there, just by yourself? Sounds... lonely, almost. I had my mates, you had... nothing." Ragatha frowned. "I had my memories, that's all. I can't remember a lot now because I know it's not real, but I know there was a sign on the side of a road that told you where to town and the mountain was." Jax rolled his eyes. "God, this is boring. Your backstory doesn't have any chaos or blood or gore." Ragatha rolled her eyes. "I couldn't do much but wait for the group of residents, now could I?" Pomni paused. "Hey, did you ever try to bring other NPCs here like how I did for Gummigoo?" Ragatha nodded. "Caine... killed them." "Oh." 

And speak of the devil, Caine popped into existence with a portal. "ALRIGHT MY CAPITALIST CANARIES, THE ADVENTURES IS ALL READY!" "That feels like an insult. What the hell is a capitalist canary???" Jax asked. "TIME IS MONEY, GO, GO, GO!!!" He shoved them all through the portal without a second to spare. "Are you guys going to tell Caine?" Ragatha asked as they walked through a forest, evidently the map for their adventure. "No, of course not. I think it's pretty cool that you've been a NPC this whole time. Kind of like... An undercover agent, yo know?" Pomni said while giving Ragatha a pat on the back. "Thanks, Pomni." Pomni nodded. "You're welcome. I promise when I find a way out of this place I'll take everyone with me, even you and Gummigoo."