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It had been unreal, the feeling of just suddenly existing in a completely human body. Flesh and teeth and lungs and all the things they hadn’t had in, what felt like, years. They stared, dark eyes wide at the sight of their hands. Symmetrical appendages stared back at them. The intricate tattoos were all different, but no more plastic, no more stupid, removable pieces.
They turned to look around, not really understanding what was going on, but just too relieved to say anything negative. The other people, actual people! Their mind rejoiced, all stared back at one another in uninterrupted silence.
Zooble... hmm, they’d have to figure out their real name later... was impartial to all of the other faces once they found the one they’d spent so much time picturing in their mind.
Gangle, God, they couldn’t wait to find out her real name, looked just about as shocked as they were, and infinitely as relieved to see their face.
The girl grinned at them, teeth gleaming in the harsh lights, and before they knew it, she’d thrown herself at them, lithe arms wrapping around their shoulders as she tackled them to the ground in a bruising kiss, uncaring of the various gasps and laughs that rang out around the room. The only thing Zooble could care about in that moment was wrapped in their arms, laughing joyously against their lips as they closed their eyes and looped their arms around her back. An anonymous ‘whoop!’ from someone else only made Zooble hug Gangle with more security.
The older girl finally pulled back, laughing with a sincerity that Zooble hadn’t heard in forever as she draped her legs over their lap.
“Sorry, Zooble,” Gangle apologized, arms still wrapped around their neck.
Zooble quirked their head in confusion, “Sorry for what?”
Gangle just smiled at them, “For not being there.”
The silence permeated the room for a moment, “...being where?” they asked.
The pale girl just shook her head, holding out her hand for Zooble to take, but nothing was there when they went to grab it, only an alarmingly colorful and hollow limb where their arm should’ve been. Had they a mouth, they would’ve screamed.
Zooble jolted as they woke, mismatched eyes wet with tears that they blinked away furiously.
Of course, they thought bitterly, too good to be true. They’d all but gotten used to such false hope.
The amalgam would’ve stood, probably gone for a walk to clear their head, maybe smashed a few things in the relative seclusion of the digital outdoors, but they found themself being quite unable to move for the great lengths of ribbons wrapped around their limbs and torso, Gangle.
Her mask was resting right next to their own face, nestled against their pillow as she likely dreamt her own delusions of grandeur.
Zooble sighed softly, letting their body relax in the comforting pressure. They felt Gangle’s hold tighten on them by just a smidge, almost in a protective way.
They looked down at one of their arms, still colorful and hollow and loathsome, but they admired the almost artful way that Gangle had arranged herself; coils poised just so, for both her comfort and theirs.
Their eyes slipped shut, their brain still trying to grasp onto the phantom sensations they’d felt in their dream; maybe the next one would come up with names for their fellow circus members, a little more than voices in a room.
They felt the sensation of sighing through their nose, sinking under the duvet, maybe not completely at ease, but cozy enough to fall back asleep once more.