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In the middle of the circus tent Caine floated with his usual unhinged enthusiasm, his teeth gleaming as he spun a colorful wheel that displayed various bizarre adventure prompts.
"Today's adventure is extra special, my delightful little superstars!" Caine boomed.
"Welcome to... The Great Pet Shop Adventure!! You'll all be transformed into adorable fuzzy animals in a bustling pet shop full of fun, chaos and maybe a little light existential dread! Remember, it's all in good fun! Just try not to get adopted!"
Before anyone could protest, bright digital pink light swirled around the group.
Ragatha meowed in surprise as she became a fluffy pale cat with a red stripe of yarn-like fur on her back, blue and white patches, and a button eye.
Gangle turned into a red ribbon-patterned snake with a white face.
Kinger transformed into a golden retriever with white fur patches while still wearing his purple robe.
Zooble shifted colors rapidly as a colourful chameleon with a triangle pink head and detachable blocky limbs.
Pomni squeaked as she turned into a tiny pale hamster in her signature jester hat. (Basically her hamster Pomni merchandise)
And finally, Jax landed with a dramatic flop as a purple rabbit, complete with his mischievous grin and a stubborn black bowtie.
"Wait, what-" Pomni started in a high pitched voice, but the teleport hit.
They materialized inside a noisy, brightly lit pet shop. Cages, tanks and playpens filled every corner. The air smelled of sawdust, kibble and mild disinfectant. Reused npc’s were turned into shoppers and kids and they wandered the aisles, pointing and cooing at the animals.
Ragatha landed gracefully on a tall cat tree, her tail swishing.
"Well, this is... different. Everyone okay?"
Gangle and Zooble appeared together in a large shared enclosure labeled "Reptiles & Exotics." Gangle's ribbon snake form twisted into a nervous knot around one of Zooble's detachable arms.
"This tank is... cozy?" Gangle hissed softly.
Kinger (in the dog section) immediately started barking at his own reflection.
"The floor is lava! No, wait- the floor is carpet! Everything is fine!"
Pomni found herself in the small animals area, inside a glass enclosure with a wheel and some bedding. As a hamster, she was tiny, barely bigger than a teacup. Her little jester hat sat perfectly on her fuzzy head. She backed into a corner, heart racing since being this small made everything overwhelming and she was already sort of touch-averse on a good day.
Jax hopped onto a high platform in the rabbit enclosure across the aisle, pretending to inspect his floppy ears.
"Eh, could be worse. At least I can still bite people."
The shop buzzed with activity. Kids pressed their faces against the glass, giggling at the "new arrivals." Pomni tried to stay hidden behind her wheel, but a group of excited children spotted her almost immediately.
"Awww, look at the tiny hamster with the hat!" one kid (presumably a child version of Princess Loolilalu from that one candy adventure) squealed. Before the shop assistant could intervene, she reached into the enclosure and scooped Pomni up in her sticky hands.
Pomni froze, eyes wide. "N-no... please..." she squeaked, squirming helplessly. The fingers stroked her back roughly, knocking her hat slightly askew. Panic surged through her tiny body, she couldn't pull away, couldn't escape. All she could do was tremble.
Jax's ears perked up from his platform. He watched for a second, ears twitching.
“Not my problem” he told himself.
“She's a big girl.. well, tiny woman, she can handle some dumb kids.”
But when Pomni let out a distressed squeak and the kid lifted her higher, something twisted in his chest. He didn't care. Not really. But Pomni was... different. She got under his skin in a way no one else did.
With a dramatic sigh, Jax launched himself out of the rabbit enclosure. His powerful hind legs sent him flying across the aisle. He hit the floor running and skidded to a stop at the kid's feet.
"Jax, don't—" Ragatha yowled from the cat tree, but it was too late.
Jax reared up and chomped onto her dress, not hard enough to rip but firm enough to tug and startle.
"Let go, you little gremlin!" he mumbled around the fabric, yanking backward.
The kid yelped in surprise and dropped Pomni. Jax released the dress instantly, twisting mid-air to catch her gently in his front paws. He cradled her against his soft purple chest, one paw carefully straightening her jester hat.
"Gotcha, shortstack," he muttered, hopping quickly back toward a quieter shelf near the rabbit area.
"Stupid kids never read the signs."
Pomni was still shaking, tiny paws clutching his fur.
"Jax... you didn't have to..."
"Yeah, yeah," Jax grumbled, ears flicking back. He hopped up onto a high display shelf that overlooked the shop, giving them a clear view while staying out of reach. "I was just bored and wanted to bite someone. Pure self-interest.”
From their tank, Zooble's colours settled as they waved a detached limb in acknowledgment while Gangle untied herself slightly to watch. Ragatha groomed her yarn-fur on the cat tree, shooting Jax a knowing look. Kinger was busy having a conversation with a squeaky toy.
Jax curled around Pomni a bit more on the shelf, his warm rabbit belly pressed against her back like a living blanket. He told himself it was just to keep her from falling. Nothing more. But his usual smirk softened as her trembling eased.
Pomni's breathing gradually slowed. The shop noises faded into background hum. Exhausted from the scare, she nestled deeper into his fur, eyes fluttering shut.
Jax's nose twitched as he glanced down at her. "Don't get used to this," he whispered, voice unusually gentle. But he didn't move. Instead, he rested his chin lightly on her head, one floppy ear draping over them protectively.
As the afternoon light filtered through the pet shop windows, the pair dozed off together while Jax was still pretending he didn't care, even as his body language said otherwise.
•~~~•~~~•~~~•~~~•~~~•~~~•
The afternoon sun had dipped lower, casting warm golden beams through the pet shop's large front windows. Jax and Pomni were still curled together on the high display shelf, the purple rabbit's fluffy body wrapped protectively around the tiny hamster. Pomni's little jester hat had tilted slightly in her sleep, and Jax's black bowtie was messed up a bit from all the earlier chaos. Their friends had been carrying on in their respective spots.
Ragatha batting at a dangling toy on the cat tree with elegant swipes of her yarn-furred paws,
Kinger chasing his own tail in dizzy circles while muttering about "invisible grass hopping zebras",
Gangle and Zooble in their shared reptile tank. Gangle's ribbon-snake form loosely coiled around Zooble's chameleon arm as her colors shifted in very subtle lazy patterns.
But peace in the Circus (even in animal form) never lasted long.
The pet shop owner Martha Mildenhall (the lady from the ghost adventure) in a green apron with "Paws & Claws" embroidered on the front finally spotted the misplaced pair during her rounds.
"What in the world? How did you two get up there?"
she exclaimed, grabbing a step ladder. She scooped Jax first, who immediately went limp in fake surrender but shot her a glare with one half-lidded eye. Pomni stirred awake with a startled squeak as the owner gently lifted her next.
"Back to your proper spots, you rascals."
She said with a tired chuckle. Jax was deposited into the rabbit enclosure with a soft thud, where he shook out his floppy ears and grumbled under his breath. Pomni went into the small animal habitat, her tiny paws scrambling on the bedding as she tried to hide behind her wheel again. The glass door clicked shut firmly this time.
"Finally," Ragatha meowed from her perch, stretching luxuriously.
"Maybe now we can avoid any more... incidents."
Zooble shot a sarcastic eye-roll from the tank.
"Yeah, because that always works out for us."
Jax hopped to the front of his enclosure, pressing his nose against the metal wire.
"This is boring. I liked the shelf better."
His eyes kept drifting across the aisle to Pomni, who was still looking a bit rattled from earlier but gave him a small, grateful smile. He flicked an ear dismissively.
"Not that I care about you being there or anything, more for the view."
Before anyone could settle, a new wave of customers entered the shop. Among them was Max (one of the gummy alligators) but turned into an energetic boy around eight years old, eyes wide with mischief as he tugged on his parent's hand.
"Mom, look at the hamster with the funny hat! I want it!"
The older alligator was distracted by a phone call, barely noticing as Max wandered closer to Pomni's enclosure.
The latch on the small animal habitat wasn't fully secured and with surprising speed for a kid his age the boy popped it open, reached in and grabbed Pomni before she could even react.
"You're coming home with me!" he whispered excitedly, stuffing her into his jacket pocket. Pomni's squeaks of protest were muffled as the boy bolted toward the exit, weaving between displays like a tiny thief on a mission.
"HEY!" Jax shouted, though it came out as a series of angry rabbit grunts. His ears shot straight up. Without a second thought, he slammed his powerful hind legs against the loose latch on his own enclosure. It sprang open, and he launched himself out like a purple rocket.
"Nobody steals the jester but me!"
Ragatha yowled in alarm from the cat tree.
"Jax! Get back here, this isn't part of the adventure!" She screamed unknowingly of Pomni’s disappearance.
Kinger barked wildly, "Intruder alert! The floor is now a battlefield!" Gangle tied herself into a tighter knot in the tank, while Zooble detached a limb to point dramatically. "Go get her, bunny boy."
Jax didn't hear them. He was already hopping at full speed out the pet shop door, which had been left ajar by a departing customer. The bustling streets of what looked like a quirky digital city unfolded before him- sidewalks lined with colorful shops, cars honking in the distance and mannequin pedestrians who barely noticed the frantic purple rabbit dodging feet and puddles. The boy was fast, sprinting ahead with Pomni's tiny head peeking out of his pocket, her jester hat askew and eyes wide with panic.
"Put her down, you oversized gummy-gator!" Jax yelled, his voice a mix of rabbit chitters and surprisingly clear words. He weaved through legs, narrowly avoiding a bicycle and a spilled ice cream cone. His heart pounded, not from the run, but from the sight of Pomni being carried away. He didn't care about adventures or rules, but Pomni? She was his to tease, his to protect when the world got too big and scary for her. No random NPC kid was changing that.
The chase stretched several blocks. Jax's floppy ears streamed behind him like banners as he bounded over benches and under cafe tables. People pointed and laughed, mistaking it for some elaborate street performance. "Look at that rabbit go!" one woman called. Jax ignored them, laser-focused. He finally caught up near a small park, where the boy had slowed to catch his breath behind a bush.
Jax didn't hesitate. He launched himself upward, latching onto the boy's shoelace with his teeth and yanking hard. The kid stumbled, dropping Pomni onto the soft grass with a surprised yelp. "My hamster!"
"She's not yours," Jax growled, positioning himself between the boy and Pomni. He scooped her up immediately, cradling her against his chest with both front paws. This time, there was no pretending. His grip was firm, possessive, his ears flattened protectively over her, and he bared his teeth in a rare show of real aggression. Pomni clung to his fur, trembling but safe. "Touch her again and you’ll see what these teeth can really do."
The boy, wide-eyed and a little scared by the unusually vocal rabbit, backed away and ran off toward the pet shop direction, probably to find his mom. Jax didn't chase further. He nuzzled the top of Pomni's head roughly, his nose twitching. "You okay, Pomni? That idiot didn't squish you or anything?"
Pomni squeaked softly, her tiny paws wrapping around his bowtie. "I'm... I'm fine now. Thank you, Jax. Again."
He huffed, trying to play it cool even as his body language screamed otherwise.
"Yeah, well, couldn't let Caine's adventure end in you being squished. What a lame end that'd be."
But his paws lingered, stroking her back gently once, twice, before he adjusted his hold. The possessiveness lingered too, he kept her tucked close, scanning the street like any passerby might try to snatch her again.
With the park behind them, Jax began the long walk back to the pet shop. The streets felt longer now, the afternoon light turning orange. At this pace, the sky would be dark by the time they get there since he was only walking on two legs, so Jax made a decision.
"Hold still" he muttered, and carefully, he gripped the scruff of her little jester outfit in his mouth—not too tight, just enough to carry her securely like a mother rabbit with a kit. Her body dangled gently, feet tucked and hat bobbing with each hop, but she didn't struggle. It felt... safe, in a weird way.
Jax's hops were steadier, more deliberate. Every few steps he'd glance around, ears swiveling for threats. "Mine," he seemed to mutter around the fabric, the word muffled but clear in intent. Pomni's weight was nothing to him, but the responsibility? That was new. He didn't soften completely (no full confessions or sappy nonsense cuz that’s lame) but the usual insults was gone and replaced by quiet focus. Passersby cooed at the "cute" sight, but Jax ignored them, protective instincts in full swing.
They passed a fountain, a row of flower stalls and a street musician playing upbeat tunes. Jax even detoured slightly to avoid a group of rowdy kids playing ball, not willing to risk another grab. Pomni relaxed in his hold, her eyes half-closed as the rhythmic bouncing lulled her. By the time the pet shop's colorful sign came into view, Jax's jaw was a bit tired, but he didn't let go until they were right at the door.
He set her down gently just inside, immediately walking around her again in a possessive ball of purple fur. "No more wandering off without me, got it?" he said, voice gruff but warm. Pomni nodded, snuggling into his side as the shop owner (now thoroughly confused by the returning runaways) gave up and scooped them both up with a sigh.
Back in the enclosures, the others cheered (or barked/hissed/meowed) their return. Ragatha purred approvingly now knowing the full story, Kinger declared it "a victorious quest!" and Zooble offered an approving nod. But Jax stayed focused on Pomni, sharing her habitat space for the rest of the adventure as the digital sun set outside.
As the group waited for Caine to pull them back, Jax rested his chin on Pomni's head once more, bowtie brushing her hat. He still pretended not to care... but his soft spot had grown just a little bigger, and everyone could see it.