Indignation and disbelief vie for his attention. The annoyed curl to his mouth thins into a taut, inscrutable line as he takes notice of the rag doll's complete dismissal when she abruptly turns to head for the alley's entrance.
Honestly, he should have expected this.
The idea that she would take his word without a healthy dose of skepticism was so unlikely that it felt more like a plot twist in a poorly written sitcom. If Jax had a dollar for every time someone ignored him, whether it was for his ingenious ideas during an adventure or sage advice offered by someone who has been there-- he’d be rich enough to not care about the opinions of a cotton-stuffed puppet. Not that he does care, of course. The rabbit has never been particularly bothered when it comes to whatever opinion the others hold of him. All he needed now was a good punchline to lighten the situation.
Instead, he stewed in his unease while he waited for Ragatha to come to her inevitable conclusion, and his long arms folded themselves across his chest, striving to hold his metered patience together. As uncanny as their lives are in the Digital Circus, this little charade pushed the boundaries of what he would consider unsettling, and Jax can't help but wonder how he would react had the situation been reversed.
Would he have laughed at her? Told her it sounded like a personal problem, because it clearly was, and left her to her own devices? Could he have been bothered to help her?
Fortunately for him, Ragatha is too nice for her own good, and he's already convinced himself that she's going to help him when she surprises him, yet again, and spins around to jab that accusing finger at him.
Shock stuns him, freezing him in place. His jaw falls open to showcase his pointy teeth as he watches her approach. " . . .The REAL Jax?!" His ears stand ramrod straight atop his head, as stiff as his frame has become with the horrifying realization that she really, truly doesn't believe him with this whole rancid situation. She actively thinks he's lying; That HE'S the double here.
The worst part of the whole thing is that she's RIGHT.
If this were happening to literally anyone else, he would have found it hilarious. Jax would have been right in the mix, pointing and laughing at the doll's stunned face as she tried to puzzle out what was happening. It's the uncertainty that makes him cautious.
"Wow, Ragatha. I didn't know you cared so much about my artistic integrity as a jerk. I'm touched, really." He drawls, placing a hand over his chest. "Your belief in my ability to turn anything into a joke is heartening, but if I really wanted you to SUFFER, I'd have tripped you into the doppelganger myself. Get real."
This double slipped seamlessly into his place, without any warning, and has been acting on his behalf, with him none the wiser, and that's what makes him think that there's something worse in store for him. Jax isn't even sure how much time he has left.
Caine could snap-summon them both for an adventure at any time, and Ragatha is still here, making stupid demands and killing time they could be using to figure this OUT. "Like what?!" He demands, spreading his arms. Yellow eyes narrow to slits, and he closes the distance, taking the doll by the shoulders and giving her a single, solid shake.
"How should I know what that THING knows about me? What do YOU even think you know about me that's so deep and personal, huh, Rags?" God help her if she mentions R i b b i t.
It's not like the two of them have ever been friends. Sure, they've been around for the longest besides Kinger, and yes, they could have been considered something that resembled friends back when . . . back. . . before. But it's not like he's ever shared his tragic backstory with her.
With . . .anyone, who still mattered.
So what could she possibly think he could tell her, or better yet DO, that could convince her of his integrity?
