Chapter Text
The bar didn’t pay well, but it was the best thing Quinn was going to get.
They needed something familiar after being trapped in the circus, so going back to making drinks was the closest option. The consistent flow of customers kept them busy enough to not think about waking up in a hospital after escaping digital hell.
Tonight was slower than they’re used to. Quinn ended up with the closing shift in the middle of the week, and the bar wasn’t popular enough to be consistently packed. There were a few regulars milling about playing pool, so Quinn was left alone, mindlessly tapping along to the music behind the bar.
Their attention strayed when a new person walked in. Long silky hair tied back with a red ribbon, glasses, and baggy streetwear. She took off her headphones as she sat down at the bar, quietly opening up her sketchbook.
“Welcome in,” Quinn greeted, approaching the newcomer. “Anything I can get you?”
“A Long Island, please,” the woman said with a gentle smile.
Quinn prepared the drink and set it down, earning another smile from the woman as thanks.
“I don’t think I’ve seen you in here before,” Quinn said, polishing a glass. “Are you new around here or am I just always on a different shift?”
The woman shook her head. “This is my first time. A friend of mine told me it was pretty quiet at this hour.”
“I take it you’re not the bar-going type?”
“No, but it's been a long enough day that I needed a drink.”
“Fair enough. I’ll leave you to it, then. Wave me down if you need something.”
The woman nodded as thanks, putting on her headphones and starting to draw.
The last hour or so went by passively, with Quinn getting the occasional drink for the regular and carefully watching the woman.
She was gorgeous, no doubt about it. However, whatever enchantment Quinn would normally be in with a beautiful woman was drowned out by a weird sense of familiarity. The way she hunched on the stool, focused on her art but occasionally peeking around, and her voice. It sounded just like-
Quinn cast the thought away. Seeing Gangle again was a one-in-a-million shot, and they always had shitty luck.
“Alright boys, closing time!” Quinn eventually shouted, wiping down the bar and locking some things up.
The regulars finished their game and walked out, leaving Quinn and the woman alone. She still was focused on her drawing, headphones probably on full blast. Quinn picked up the empty glass and gently knocked on the table, getting the woman’s attention.
“Hate to interrupt the flow, but I gotta close up.” Quinn said.
“Right, sorry!” The woman exclaimed. “Let me pay and I can get out of your hair.” As she fumbled for her wallet, Quinn stole a glance at what the woman was drawing.
They had to stop themself from gasping aloud.
They knew that art style anywhere. Hell, they’re pretty sure they’ve seen that exact character before, although Gangle would always draw so many characters it was hard to pinpoint the exact one.
They shook out of their trance and took the cash the woman was holding out. “Do you post your art anywhere?” Quinn asked. “Like a webcomic or something?”
“Oh!” The woman blushed. “Um, I have an Instagram but I don’t post often.”
“You should start doing it more. Your stuff looks great.”
“Maybe I will. Thank you for the drink, I’ll let you close up.”
“Anytime. Get home safe!”
The woman gave one last smile before leaving, and Quinn was left with their shock.
Gangle was here.
Gangle was alive.
-----
Quinn had the same shift a few weeks later, and they spent most of their time anxiously watching the door for Gangle. Their time off was spent scouring the internet for any hint of the circus, unable to find anything useful. They eventually pivoted to trying to find Gangle’s Instagram, but that bore no fruit either.
The door opened, and Gangle walked in. Her hood was up with her sketchbook held tight, and Quinn could clearly see the exhaustion on her face. She perked up slightly noticing Quinn was behind the bar.
“Welcome back,” Quinn said, picking up a glass. They wanted to ask so many questions, but didn’t want to overwhelm Gangle. “Same as last time?”
Gangle nodded.
Quinn fixed up the drink and slid it over, leaning on the counter next to Gangle. “I don’t think I caught your name last time you were in here.”
“I’m Victoria,” she greeted. “Thanks again for the drink.”
“Quinn, and no problem. Another long day?”
Gangle nodded as she took a sip. “I don’t know why I went back to that fucking job.”
“What do you do, if you don’t mind me asking?”
Victoria took another sip. “I’m a shift manager at the nearby McDonalds.”
Quinn swallowed. More confirmation of the obvious. “That sounds like hell on earth,” they commented.
Victoria chuckled. “Hell would be better than that place, and I was trapped in one for almost a year. I’m trying to find a job somewhere quieter, but not a lot of places want a community college dropout.” She took another sip and sighed. “Sorry, I probably shouldn’t be dropping a good chunk of my past on you.”
Quinn shrugged. “Hey, I’m a bartender. Listening to people without judgement is part of my job.”
Victoria sighed, her eyes drifting to a random spot on the wall.
“Do you need a listening ear?” Quinn asked, leaning on the countertop.
“Depends if you’re willing to believe a story that sounds like the plot of an anime, but is something that actually happened.”
Quinn shrugged, masking the thumping of their heart. “Hit me.”
“About a year ago, I went exploring one of the abandoned buildings near my old home. I ended up finding some old VR headset connected to a computer. I had heard rumors about an old company going out of business after trying and failing to make some VR game, and I figured putting it on wouldn’t hurt. Maybe there was a slight chance that it actually still worked!”
Quinn’s heart thundered louder.
Victoria continued. “Next thing you know I’m seeing this wild… circus around me, and no way to escape! I spent so long putting up with bullshit created by an AI, only furthered by one of the jerks I was trapped with.” She paused to take a sip of her drink and a breath. “I woke up in the hospital about three months ago, right when everyone escaped. No one will believe what I’ve been through, so I’ve given up on that front.”
Quinn swallowed. “Can I ask how doctors interpreted everything?”
Victoria scoffed and took another sip. “They passed it off as some sort of dream while comatose. Apparently I was found passed out next to the headset, so everyone can only assume I just fell over, but I know, deep down, that all of that actually happened.”
Quinn decided to take the risk. “Was there an asshole of a purple rabbit trapped with you?”
Victoria’s eyes locked onto Quinn’s. “What?”
“An asshole of a purple rabbit. Always breaking your comedy mask when he wasn’t busy terrorizing everyone else.”
“How- How do you know that?”
“Because that same purple rabbit didn’t give a shit when the Gloink Queen ate me.”
Victoria clamped a hand over her mouth, eyes widening. Tears gathered in the corners of her eyes, but she didn’t bother to wipe them away. “Zooble?” She whispered.
“Hi, Gangle.”