I’ve seen quite a few people confused over Jax’s breakdown after finding out Kinger was the programmer, so I wanted to give my own two cents on it. I’ve heard both the takes that this scene means Jax was actually convinced everyone else was NPCs, and the take that he was overreacting to the lore. This is what I think was going through his head and why he responded the way he did, as well as a deeper analysis of Jax’s mental state.
The “this is real” scene is insanely important for Jax’s arc, and here’s why.
Jax’s Dissociation from Reality
The reason Jax says “this is real” when he hears Kinger become coherent and explain the creation of Caine isn’t because he’s shocked that this isn’t a video game afterall. Jax says himself in episode 5 that he only later convinced himself all they were is cartoon characters.
The key phrase being, “I thought we were [people] at first.” He knew the circus was real when he first showed up, but as he remained trapped there and time went on, he told himself that everyone was just archetypes, including himself, that no one was real at all. He was lying to himself, but this goes a lot deeper than just denial.
Jax is dissociating, to some agree, at all times.
We can see specific moments he blocks everything out when he physically shuts down— all those scenes where his eyes get huge and he mentally clocks out.
But deeper than these spells of blocking out the world, Jax is dissociating on a much larger scale. He’s not just in denial— he’s experiencing derealization and depersonalization.
Derealization: the perception that the world is not real. Depersonalization: the perception that the self is not real.
Jax isn’t just in a state of denial; his perception of reality is warped, not because he actually thought they were in a video game the whole time, but because his surroundings were so terrible he was unable to confront reality and he retreated into the back of his mind.
This is obvious with the way Jax reacts to Kinger telling them about the lore. The moment Kinger becomes coherant, Jax is immediately distressed.
In the last episode, Abel’s adventure wasn’t real. Even if Jax himself bought it in the end, once it was over, it was fairly obvious how Caine pulled the strings. But Kinger becoming stable and spilling insane secrets was something Jax never saw coming. And most importantly, it was a huge deviation from Kinger’s archetype.
Jax can’t deny the situation anymore. This is the moment the illusion starts to break, and he is pushed from the dissociation, pushed from his safe place, all at once.
He wasn’t overreacting— he had been living in a state of foggy emptiness for years, and he was forced to face real life all at once.
And for Jax, there is nothing more terrifying than reality.
To the extent that in episode 7, he would rather continue to play pretend in the circus than go back to the real world. Because this is easier. Shutting off his attachment to everything around him is easier than seeing himself as a person.
In episode 8, when reality sets in, Jax is forced to face not just his actions, not just his life, not just the circus, but he is forced to confront that *he* is real. There are only ever so many layers of masks that can keep him safely hidden inside, and now they’ve all been peeled back.
Jax has been totally emotionally and mentally gutted. He is a Jax that, for the first time, is processing the fact that he and his pain actually exist in any way that means anything.
And how is Jax supposed to face himself?
That’s why the “this is real” scene is a major turning point for Jax’s arc.
Jax wasn't trying to "start shit for no reason". His world was breaking down, he was scared and wanted a taste of normality.
I have some issues with the way people are seeing this scene here. At face value, it does look like Jax just wants to start fighting for no reason and Zooble and Pomni are ignoring him for that.
That isn't what's happening here.
See, Jax's coping mechanism is to keep things predictable, and keep himself in control. All he's ever known in his life was negativity, being yelled at and condemned and shamed for everything he does, and everything he does wrong. He acts out and bullies and abuses because that's what's normal to him.
It's shown right here in this scene,
Jax thought Zooble was going to yell at him. He turned to them, scared, anticipating a scolding or something to the nature of "Get out, nobody wants you here."
But no, Zooble offers him forgiveness and community. He's hit with that reality, the reality that people love him. Zooble is a kind person, not "the grumpy one", and they truly do want nothing but the best for him.
Here he was, antagonizing everyone, thinking they all want him to die. Assigning them roles because he believes they're as fake as Caine is.
Thinking Pomni would laugh at him.
Thinking Ragatha would try to downplay his feelings with her positivity.
Thinking Gangle would agree with Zooble and pin everyone against him.
But no. Jax realizes that the people around him are forgiving and kind and they actually want him around. He realizes that these people... they're actually his friends. That's pretty shocking for someone like him.
He jokes about it, saying "Hah, you guys worry too much!" when they tell him they're worried about him abstracting.
But he opens his eye, and looks at Pomni. The person in the group he trusts the most. Almost as if to ask...
You'd still be worried though, right? You still care about me, right? Even after everything I did...?
In the café scene, Jax was subconsciously testing that. He didn't intend it, of course, because he doesn't have that kind of self awareness. But subconsciously, he was testing Pomni and Zooble. Trying to see if they really were telling the truth.
So, he drops that bitter remark.
"Y'know things were just fine before you and Zooble came along."
But why? Why those words specifically?
Because Zooble and Pomni antagonize Caine. They call him out. And look what happens when that happens! Jax wants to avoid that!
Let's pause for a second, and go over to Ragatha. We're all familiar with her coping mechanism, and she even demonstrates it to Caine!
She's happy, positive, kind, always ready to help, and always ready to give you a little encouragement when you need it!
She's a people pleaser because her mother was a controlling matriarch. She learned that being a little doll, the perfect little daughter, the perfect little friend who never says anything you don't want to hear, will help her survive.
She. Fawns.
And so does Jax.
Jax, no matter how much he denies it, no matter how much he wants to pretend like he's in control, is doing the exact. Same. Thing.
Jax plays by Caine's rules. He gives the circus members their roles. He abides by his own, loyal to being the funny one. He's the perfect plaything, the perfect little cartoon character for Caine.
The perfect circus bunny, performing just for his ringmaster.
And what do Zooble and Pomni do?
They disrupt that. They disrupt that peace. They threaten Caine, they threaten HIM.
Now, let's get one thing absolutely clear here.
Jax HATES Caine. He hates him, he thinks he's a liar, he controls them, he abuses them, he's been stuck here with this controlling overlord that uses him like a fucking puppet for his own sick and twisted desire to stroke his own ego.
I'm sure Ragatha hated her mother as well and never actually cared about her, she only pretended to be positive and happy to appease her and avoid being punished.
Jax pretends to be a sadistic, funny, sarcastic, jerk to appease Caine. To avoid being punished.
"Caine's not gonna do anything malicious, it's not in his nature."
He's scared of what Caine might do to him. So he lies to himself thinking that if he's good enough for Caine, if he's artificial enough, cartoon enough, if he throws away enough of what makes him human, he can avoid punishment.
Now, back to what he said. "Y'know, things were just fine before you and Zooble came along."
Jax waits for an answer, because he wants Pomni to jump at his throat and scold him. He wants to be hurt, he literally uses them to self-harm. After all, his biggest fear is being laughed at by his closest friends.
And to his surprise, they ignore him. They don't engage.
And he's testing Zooble on what they said. Do you really care if I abstract? Even if I degrade you? Even if I'm an asshole to you?
That's the best way to deal with someone like Jax. Just don't engage, as Zooble said. Just ignore him. He wants to use you to harm himself, don't let him do that.
"Okay."
One last offer to give it to him. Let him have it.
But no. Nobody engages.
That is the confirmation in Jax's mind that Pomni and Zooble were telling the truth.
He...can trust them. He can trust Pomni.
So when Pomni starts her plan with Kinger, he jumps up to ask what's going on. Of course he TRUSTS her but he didn't think anything was ACTUALLY going to happen, right!?
Now he's finding out Kinger is actually capable of being sane! He's not a crazy old man!
What the fuck is happening right now!? Gangle is happy, Ragatha is being genuine, Zooble is forgiving, and now Kinger is sane and normal?
And look what Jax does about this information.
He doesn't double down. He doesn't take the bucket off Kinger's head, he doesn't throw a rude joke to catch everyone off guard, he doesn't try to sabotage what Pomni is trying to do.
When he says "Wait!" while Kinger is talking, it's not because he wanted to stop him. It's not because he wanted to distract him or make him crazy again so he'd stop talking.
It's because he remembered that Caine is always watching. He was trying to get Kinger to stop talking because he knew Caine could appear out of nowhere and throw this entire plan out of the window.
So he gets up, and he says,
"I gotta distract Caine so he doesn't listen in on this."
Jax gets up to help them. Jax chooses, on his own volition, under absolutely no pressure or request, to go and volunteer himself to be the distraction AGAIN, despite how much he hated it the first time. Despite how angry he knows Caine is, despite the fact he knows he could suffer greatly if he does.
Just so the others could have a chance.
"I'm never doing anything for you guys ever again."?
Yeah, right, Jax.
This progress is insane for someone like him. And he goes to have a mini panic attack about the fact it's all real, that these really are human beings and not Caine's playthings or his NPCs.
But he still goes to distract Caine. Because he trusts Pomni, he trusts that her plan is going to work.
Because what does Jax accuse Caine of doing?
"You lie to us constantly!"
Honesty is something Jax values so closely that he abandons his coping mechanism and OFFERS to get tortured by the AI overlord just so the others could have a chance.
It's not one of Caine's adventures or some random NPC he's never seen trying to tell him that there's a chance at escaping.
It's Pomni.
He trusts Pomni. Pomni is his friend.
And by extension, he trusts Kinger, and Zooble, and Ragatha, and Gangle, because they're all humans. They're not Caine, they're not AIs, they won't betray his trust like he does. Jax finally was able to break out of his delusion to see that.
Simon "the butcher", who is horrified when he finds out he sentenced a man to death by pressing the camera button.
Simon "the butcher" who keeps apologizing for not knowing better, for causing harm to the people in the room, for being rightfully angry and lashing out, turning every knob and lever and pressing that damn button because why would it work when he doesn't have any power and why didn't they just Tell Him??
Simon "the butcher" who gets teary and has the look of a hurt child on his face when ava mentions filament station and his voice trembles when he is quick to say "that wasn't supposed to happen"...
Simon "the butcher" who apologizes to the sm-13, an inanimate object, after hitting the console.
Just... Simon being so unbeliebably human throughout the whole movie, it makes my heart ache for him
hi, local music enjoyer here, i make a lot of music playlists for my characters and i've been able to give most of them to you guys! so i offer you a big ol post with the links to all of them! enjoy!
(also yes, theyre all Youtube Music, im a loser who doesn't mainly use spotify lmao)
Icarus Morningstar (Fable SMP)
....They have several playlists for different eras / vibes
The Main C!Sherbert Playlist (following the timeline of Fable SMP) Use !playlist in my twitch chat to get the link also!
The 'Icarus' playlist (music I think that they would listen to)
The 'Birdie' playlist (based on Icarus's childhood & the gilded timeline) Use !birdie in my twitch chat to get the link also!
Quixis (Sherbverse)
This could have been included with the Icarus playlists, but its more for Quixis in general! (songs apply to Midas, Icarixis, & Quixbert) Use !qplaylist in my twitch chat to get the link also!
Asrickus Threll (Starbound SMP)
The start of the playlist is in timeline order, but is unorganized after "Rumor Has It" (the present as of posting this) Use !asrickus in my twitch chat to get the link also!
Ashril Theron (Skybound SMP)
Mostly unorganized! Use !ash in my twitch chat to get the link also!
Ajax Zephyr (End of Days SMP / Sherbverse)
Mostly unorganized! Use !ajax in my twitch chat to get the link also!
Jett (Wild West SMP)
Mostly unorganized! Use !jett in my twitch chat to get the link also!
Ratchet (Ouroboros Protocol)
Mostly unorganized! A mix of songs I think he'd listen to, and ones about his character! Use !ratchet in my twitch chat to get the link also!
Crazy it’s me again- I’ve been thinking about a Fable Malevolent AU for a while- and I’ve cooked a bit so. Yall get the content
- Icky finds *something* probably a book. Maybe and it released an entity called “Quixis”
-said Entity cannot remember anything - other than it has a job and everything will go terrible if it’s gone too long
normal. Canon. Icky and Quixis relationship stuff - they argue a *lot*
-Oh yeah. Quixis sees tne name “Midas” on something and goes. “That’s me. I’m Midas now” so. Canon name time :D
- basically go and. Find about tne murder of some. So very random guy called Ven- I had no idea how to add this dude so he’s. Amanda Cummings(?) now. RIP c!Ven you would’ve loved not being brought back to life. probably. Who knows. Maybe he does question mark shrug
- now. It kind of follows the seasons 1-3 of fable. Loosely at least. *so*. Instead of Yellow replacing John. After. Arthur gets stabbed. ENDERIAN replaces Midas. Makes icky do corrupt!Icky things
-Icarus does absolutely kill Haley. When? Who knows. But Enderian made him so it so shrug
ANYWAYS.
-Midas comes back somehow. Arthur brought John back by playing Faroe’s lullaby. But Icarus doesn’t have a child. And, sadly, they don’t play piano. So shrug.
-Midas is like what the FUCK happened. Good lord why is everything not worlding
-spoiler alert. They’re in the ✨END✨
Also Fable is Kayne. Because I thought it was funny. And then Icarus gets to be manipulated like in s3 because I like to make the bird suffer <3
But yeah. That’s all I got- I got thoughts for the season 5 finale of Malevolent in the au but they ain’t cooked yet so. That’s for another time. Anyways- I enjoy this au a lot and it’s consumed my brain-
