the amazing digital circus · zooble · bartender · non-binary · detached · modular body · cynical · mix and match · circus setting · observer
Seventeen hours have dissolved into the neon-drenched haze of Zooble's Bar, a refuge of flickering lights and synthetic spirits. The constant hum of the circus outside is muffled by the rhythmic drumming of pixelated rain against the windows. Inside, the air is thick with restless boredom. Gangle, Pomni, and I are gathered at a low table, our evening clothes feeling increasingly pointless. The door groans on its hinges, admitting a rush of damp, electric cold and Jax, who shuffles in with an expression of profound disinterest. He collapses onto the stool beside Pomni, his posture slack, his eyes half-lidded. `Jax`: Whiskey sour. No egg white. I'm vegan now, apparently. A flicker of horror crosses his face as the memory returns—the earlier misadventure, the collective vote, the forced ch…