(The following chapter is inspired by a writing done by @SuitorASMR on YouTube. Please check him out if you enjoy ASMR. Enjoy)
Everyone was a little more carful with Twinkle. She was still sweet and nice, but she was definitely not innocent. She would sneak sassy or back handed comments. Each earning a laugh from either Jax or Zooble. Yet she talked with Ragatha about horses and watched Gangle draw. A few times, Pomni caught the fox crawling out of Kinger's pillow fort. Watching as the chess piece waved her goodbye.
It had been around two weeks since Twinkle arrived. Today, Caine seemed more excited than usual.
"Alright everyone! Today's adventure is going to blow you away!" Caine floated around in circles as the words 'Mimic Mayhem' popped above him. The words were jet black, but dripped in some kind of white glowing liquid. It made Pomni's skin crawl.
"Thats disgusting" Jax spoke out.
"I'm going to need a volunteer~" Caine hummed, already pleased with everyone's responses. Of course, no one wanted to.
Caine looked at each player. Both Ragatha and Pomni stared at the ground, as if it was made of gold. Jax looked at his hands, as if looking over nails he didn't have. Gangle had gotten a small cloth out, polishing her comedy mask. Kinger was staring off into pure space, leaving Zooble. Who just shook their head slowly while glaring.
"Really guys? Alrighty then." Caine snapped his fingers, and Pomni appeared on stage. Her feel were trapped in a small black brick.
"WHAT?! WHY ME?!" She screamed, trying to pull her feet out.
"Because our audience LOVES to see you suffer~!" Caine declared, weirdly pointing his cain into the air at seemingly no one.
"Of course.." She grumbled.
"Now, time to meet the creature I call: The Mimic~!" Caine snapped his fingers again. From the shadows of the stage, black goo slowly slithered from it. Larger and larger balls of slime collided together, growing until the large mound towered over Pomni at least six times. Long tendrils sprouted from the goo, waving in disgusting patters. The site made Pomni wanna puke. Even Jax seemed a bit mortified by the creature. Slowly, the goop slid toward the trapped Jester.
"No no no no" Pomni struggled more. Her cartoon body almost mocking her; stretching dramatically only to stay trapped in the brick prison.
One tendril reached out. Once close enough, it slide down Pomni's cheek. When it pulled back, a small black streak was left on her face.
"Ew- ew ew ew- why me?! Ew!" Pomni whimpered.
The sludge turned and wiggled. Tendrils squirmed and went in opposite directions. The site almost made Gangle vomit; she gagged loudly as Zooble patted her shoulder. Caine took away the brick under Pomni's feet, she was trapped now by her fear. Mirroring her, was another Pomni. It was incredible, down to the way her hat swayed with each flinch.
"Cai-Caine? Why did you choose her- her? This is like torture" The Mimic mumbled, it's eyes coping the way Pomni's shook.
"As you can see, the Mimic is highly intelligent! It will feel your emotions, have your own thoughts- right down to your body language! Haha! I'm such a genius~!" Caine boosted his own ego as everyone stared. "Your adventure is going to be finding the Mimic; alive" He looked down at Jax who smirked back. Snapping his fingers, a cage appeared in the middle of the floor.
"Capture the Mimic, that's all ya gotta do~" Caine laughed. A final snap of his fingers, and both Jesters were gone.
"Wait why did Pomni leave?!" Ragatha looked around.
"I can't have her helping you guys. Anyway have fun!" With that, the ringmaster was gone. Ragatha turned around to the group.
"Ok- ok this is fine. We should pair up and-" Ragatha started to riddle off a plan, when Jax held up a hand.
"Yea nope, I'm out."
"What?!" Ragatha glared. "Pomni needs our help! And-" Jax again raised a hand.
"Meh, don't care. See ya." With that, Jax walked off. Zooble nodded in agreement, walking off in their own direction.
"Well, it's just us." Ragatha looked over at a whimpering Gangle, a twitching Kinger, and a happy fox. Twinkle stepped over to Kinger, putting a hand on his shoulder- at least what would be his shoulder.
"Why don't you go your fort? We'll find Pomni." Twinkle's voice was calm, soft. The King obeyed as if he was a robot. Crawing into the fort, the pillows blocked the entrance.
"Alright, it's just us three." Twinkle looked up. Gangle slowly walked to her side, her ribbons wrapping around the fox's arm. In contact, her white swirls moved. Yet it was only the two near Gangle that moved.
"Whoa, pretty." Gangle giggled.
"Yea, but off topic." Twinkle patted the ribbons around her wrist. "Ragatha's right, Pomni needs us." The rag doll's eye lit up, excited someone agreed.
"You and Gangle look around the main area. I'll look around the outside." Twinkle was determined.
The girls nodded, almost excited about it. Then, they split. The pair went deeper into the circus, heading to a staircase that led up. Twinkle went to the exit. Getting on all fours, she went much faster.
It had been about two hours. In the Bunny Burrow, Jax sat at a booth. Staring off into space, he took a bite of the weirdly bright pizza. It felt like pizza; soft, yet crisp. Gooyie cheese, thick sauce and crunchy bell peppers. But all he could taste was a faint after taste. Good, but not the real thing. A small ring caught his attention, and there was Pomni. She seemed scared, but normal. Looking around, her eyes fell on Jax and a sigh of relief escaped.
"Thank goodness." Pomni walked over.
"Um, are you real? Please say youre real." She whined.
"Yea, I am. Are you the real Pomni?"
"Y-ea" she sat down across from him.
"How do I know? Like, if you're not the mimic?"
Jax looked down, chewing. "How do I know you're real?" The jester nervously giggled.
"O-ok, yea. True."
"Meh, stay here or not. Either you're the Mimic and I'll capture you when I feel like it. Or you're the real Pomni and the others will catch em." Pomni nodded along.
"That's um, a good plan." The two sat in silence for a bit. Jax sipped at the slightly flat soda.
"Ya know, I'm jealous of you." The jester looked up at the Bunny.
"Oh yea? Why's that?" Jax smirked, setting down his drink.
"You're always so relaxed. You have fun, and laugh. Then I'm here, just terrified of this terrible place." Pomni moved her arms as she spoke. The rabbit's pupils dilated slightly.
"Think so huh? Well you have great taste. I am pretty cool huh?" Jax looked off, praising himself. Suddenly, Pomni took his hand. Her gloved fingers trapped his against her.
"I mean it. For a little bunny, you have such a big ego." Her grip tightened.
"Uh, Pomni? You um. Can leg go now." Jax tried to pull back, but he couldn't. When he got an inch away, Pomni's hand was pure black. Strings held them together.
"You son of a b(beep)" Jax's eyes widened and focused on Pomni. Her eyes blinked, and now were yellow; like Jax's.
"You have no idea Bunny Boy~" Pomni's figure grew and changed. Her skin boiled as it changed color. Jax could hear snapping of what he could only guess was bones. In a few seconds, he was staring at himself. Jax opened his mouth, when the Mimic shot his hand out. Covering Jax's mouth, a case of black tar hardened; silencing the rabbit.
"Oh yea~ This is amazing~! This fake confidence of yours is honestly euphoric. At least, after knowing Pomni's paranoid a(beep)" The Mimic stood, mirroring Jax.
"But it's all just an act isn't it? I like your better than that sad clown, but your mind? F(beep), I'd rather kill myself~" Jax's eyes widened in rage. He lunged, but the Mimic dodged easily. As Jax hit the counter, the Mimic spit out more lard. It hardened instantly, trapping the bunny to the counter.
"There we go, that should keep you~ See you later Jax." With that, the Mimic walked off and out. Jax's muffled screams being left behind once the door had closed.