Chapter Text
"RISE AND SHINE MY LITTLE SUPER STARS! I CAN'T WAIT TO SHOW YOU WHAT I HAVE PLANNED FOR YOU TODAY!"
Caine's voice echoed through the large space as everyone was teleported to the main area of the circus. It was just another day.
The circus members looked extremely tired, the adventure Caine had sent them on yesterday was one of the most exhausting ones yet. Caine couldn't choose between the adventures he had planned and had decided to do all of them at the same time.
It was horrible.
"Uh, Caine? We would all use a break from adventures for today, we did a lot yesterday." Ragatha stood a little slumped over, like the rest of them.
"Yeah, yesterday was brutal." Zooble mumbled.
Caine froze and looked at the circus members, "You guys should be fine for today, adventure awaits!"
Jax sighed and ran a hand down his face, his usual big cocky smile was smaller and more exhausted, "Caine, even I'm tired. We don't want an adventure today."
Caine froze mid air and spaced out, his body shaped like a star and his cane starting to slowly float away from him.
Jax? Tired of adventures? Why he'd never heard of it! Usually Jax was the most enthusiastic about Caine's adventures and now he didn't want to participate? It was absolutely diddley donkley (and quite frankly) RIDICULOUS!
Everyone looked at one another in confusion with a twinge of nervousness before looking back at Caine. The sound of silence mixed with exhaustion was deafening.
He snapped out of it and swiped his cane back into his grasp before greeting them all again with a slightly crazed look, "Oh, hi there everyone!"
Pomni stepped forward, her hands rubbing together nervously, "Caine, please, we don't want an adventure today. I think Ragatha is right, and there's no harm in taking a break for today..."
"But I haven't even told you what it is yet! I'm sure you'll want to hear it!"
The group groaned simultaneously in annoyance, knowing that if they wanted rest, then they would have to hear him out.
Ragatha spoke for them on their behalf, "Okay, what's the adventure about today Caine?"
Caine smiled and spun in a loop, "I'm glad you asked Ragatha! I knew you guys would want a simple adventure after my totally and wonderfully planned chaos yesterday, so I thought I would give you all something about your pre–circus lives that you've all probably been DYING to know!"
They all went silent, shocked that Caine would even allow a little sliver of their past lives.
They had all been wondering about certain things when they had free time, such as what they looked like, who their family was, what their names were, if they had any friends. They had honestly no idea that Caine had all of this information on them.
He looked at each of them, wondering why they all went silent, "Well? Don't you wanna hear more or do you want your "rest day"?"
They all looked at Caine, suddenly not focused on how tired they all were and only wanted to engage in Caine's adventure.
"Tell us more!" Pomni said desperately, her eyes wide and her pupils small.
Caine somehow gained more energy and his voice got more cheery, "I'm so glad you asked Pomni! In today's adventure, you will all get to see what you looked like as humans! How exciting!"
Everyone's minds erupted into chaos. Questions, theories, worry, excitement, joy, and fear was what was looping around in everyone's heads.
Is this real? Is Caine actually doing this? What do I look like? What was I wearing? Is this a joke?
...
Is this a joke.
They all looked at Caine with suspicion. Jax spoke up, "Is this real or are you just trying to get us to go on an actual adventure?"
Caine looked offended, "I'm offering you all to see what you looked like before the circus and you all assume that I'm TRICKING you all? How offensive."
"I just wanna know if this is genuine, that's all."
"I assure you that this is 100% real. Because you know what they say about assuming, it makes an ass out of you and Ming!"
An NPC walked in front of the group, "Hi, I'm Ming. And I really don't appreciate what your assumptions have done to my reputation."
Zooble looked at Ming, "I thought you got rid of that guy?"
"How come he can swear?" Pomni muttered.
"I like Ming. Ming is cool." Caine explained simply, not hearing what Pomni uttered.
Ming walked away and everyone's attention was on him. Caine grew bored (he wanted the attention on him) and decided to get the adventure started already.
"Ok my little chicken nuggets! Off you go on your little adventure!"
He snapped his fingers and a portal opened underneath all of them, sucking them in.
The portal opened in mid air, and everyone fell through, landing on the ground with a thump. They all landed in a heap, legs and arms sticking out in various places of the People Pile.
Grunts and tired groans erupted as everyone got up, some hands stretched out to help people up.
No one helped Jax, who would anyway? And besides, he was fine on his own.
Pomni and Ragatha were the last to get up and she held out a hand for Pomni to grab. She smiled and gratefully took her plush hand, getting gently pulled to her feet.
They had landed in a long, dimly lit room, the walls were made of stone and the floor a tacky imitation of concrete, although it might as well have just been... grey?
There was nothing to decorate the place. No rugs on the cold floor, no paintings of Caine or empty frames to line the walls, no tables or chairs to fill the empty space.
There was, however, a metal door on the other side of the room. The door was just a normal door, a handle and a keyhole. Nothing special.
Caine had obviously not been bothered with the details.
"So..." Ragatha's hands fidgeted nervously, a small smile on her face, "I guess we just go through that door?"
"I think so." Kinger answered.
Jax pushed swiftly past her, a hand on his hip and the other swaying freely beside him, "Welp, there's only one way to find out!"
He walked over to the door and was about to open it before he turned around, "Do you wanna see what you freaks looked like or what?"
Zooble glared at him before sighing, walking over to where Jax now stood. The others followed suit, all of them excited yet nervous to see what they looked like before the circus.
Gangle stayed close to Zooble, her comedy mask had broken on impact when they all fell through the portal and she didn't like the dark that much. Zooble noticed and offered their hand, in which Gangle gladly took with a soft blush on her face.
Jax opened the door wide and they all went inside. One huge mirror was stuck onto the large wall in front of them, covering every inch. The floor stayed the same grey colour and didn't change.
Instead of the overly colourful character designs that Caine had given them as their new bodies, there were humans. Completely normal human beings that stood there, staring at themselves from the other side of the glass. No stupid avatar gimmicks, no weird shapes, no overly bright colours. Just people.
They all froze, every single one of them, and looked at themselves in the mirror.