𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚊𝚑𝚊𝚔𝚒 | 𝚓𝚊𝚡 𝚡 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚛

memories reawakened

"(y/n)?"

I whirled around, slamming my palm on my desk, ears pinned back as I stared warily at Jax, whose hand was gently gripping my shoulder. My cheeks flushed hot with embarrassment. I couldn't afford to keep letting my guard down like this.

My claws slid out as I formed a defensive posture, hissing. "What are you doing here?" I spat. Jax looked surprised, hurt, even, and released me, taking a few steps back. "Whoa, calm down newbie, I just came to check on ya, you seemed pretty shaken up after the adventure."

I didn't move, narrowing my pupils suspiciously as I regarded Jax. Knowing him, he was bound to have some sort of prank hidden up his sleeve. My eyes darted to his left hand, which was folded behind his back, hiding whatever was in his hand.

My tail swished behind me dangerously. "Jax," I hissed. "What's behind your back?" He tried hard to keep a straight face but failed, his mouth twitching into a wide smirk. I realized too late what he was going to do.

Grinning, Jax threw a water balloon at me, shrieking with laughter as he ducked into a corner. Unfortunately for me, my outstretched claws meant that the balloon exploded in front of my face, completely drenching me in a tide of cold water.

Jax on the other hand was dying of laughter. Apparently this was all good fun for him, because he was chuckling in his corner, tears streaming down his face. 

I didn't think this was very funny.

He had chosen a bad time to mess with me.

Pupils dilating in anger, I stormed towards him, claws unsheathed. Jax stopped snickering, wiping his tear ducts as I towered over him. His smirk faltered, yellow eyes doubling in size. For the first time, a new emotion flashed in his eyes - fear. He was scared of me.

Rage blinded me. I slashed my claws down Jax's face, and where there should've been blood, three thin lines of glitchy substances trailed down his cheeks, similar from what Ragatha described as abstraction. His whole face was glitching.

My anger faded, replaced with a feeling of pure horror. I took a step back, retracting my claws and staring at Jax's distorted face. I started shaking violently. The world began spinning. I tried to run, but it was all too much, and darkness came crashing down on me. I was hardly aware of Jax screaming my name in a glitched tone before I was knocked into unconsciousness. 

༊*·˚

"Oh god, is she all right?"

Drowsily, my eyes fluttered open to see Ragatha hunched over me, a concerned expression plastered on her face. "Wha...what happened?" I mumbled, before the memory of raking my claws down Jax's face hit me like a boulder rolling down a hill.

I sat up hastily, eyes wild with confusion. Observing my surroundings, I realized I was on my bed in my room, with the rest of the circus crew also present. I quickly scanned the room for Jax, spotting him lying on the floor, barely conscious, his entire body now glitching like crazy.

Ragatha popped back into my field of vision, gently pushing me back down onto the mattress like a mother tucking in a child for bedtime. She gave me a reassuring smile. "(y/n), you just fainted, you need some rest." she cooed.

I struggled in protest, pointing desperately at the corner where Jax lay unmoving. "Don't worry about me, go help Jax!" I said, squirming out of Ragatha's grip. Ragatha froze, swiveling her head to notice Jax for the first time.

"What happened to him?" she cried, rushing over to him, Kinger, Pomni, and Gangle right on her heels. It hurt me to see Jax like this, vulnerable and suffering, bulbous yellow eyes regarding my every move but still frozen like a statue.