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"ARE YOU ALL READY FOR ANOTHER AMAZING ADVENTURE?!?"
Ragatha did her best to smile, but after the previous adventure; in which they had to go through an obstacle curse filled with lots and lots of fire, she was just hoping that this adventure wasn't anything too crazy
Neither of the others said anything but Caine kept talking, as he usually did
"GRRREAT!"
Ragatha tunes out to Caine's voice as he rapidly talks, she knows it isn't polite and she should be paying attention to what he's saying but she just can't help it! This past week Was it a week or was she starting to lose it finally? had been extra rough.
With Kaufmo abstracting and Jax being, well, Jax. Ragatha wanted nothing to do but sleep. Sure they didn't necessarily need rest but it was the thought that counted, besides, once you did it a certain amount of times it did start to feel like you were asleep.
"-AND SO! TODAY YOU WILL BE VISITING, THE DARK, SPOOKY, MYSTERIOUS, AND AMAZING FOOL WOODS TO ATTEND THE PRINCE JESTERS GALA!" he waved his hands "THEY'VE BEEN KIND ENOUGH TO EXTEND AN IVITATION TO YOU, MY SUPERSTARS!"
Ragatha allowed the words to register slowly
...wait, huh?!
She wasn't the only one who was shocked by Caine's words, because this wasn't just one of the usual locations; this was new, and from what he had told them it sounded like a pretty normal event. But, knowing how things usually went, it was probably going to get crazy the second they got there.
"Huh, Well I'll be damned" Zooble hummed they crossed their arms "This might be a good one"
Jax rolled his eyes "Please" he waved a gloved hand as Caine continued to talk in the background "I'm sure this Prince fellow ain't nothing much to look forward to" he crossed his arms behind his head as he nonchalantly looked to the side
"W-well" Gangle sniffed "it's a party. Maybe it might be fun?"
"AH!" Kinger's scream made all of them jump, they would never really get used to it Ragatha does her best to get rid of the memories of when Kinger was sane. "Gangle. You startled me"
Ragatha smiled "Gangle's right. This might be fun"
She was, strangely, optimistic. And this time she didn't have to force it. This was something new and intriguing. And Ragatha would be lying if she said that she wasn't curious about who this mysterious Prince Jester was.
Were they nice?
Were they like Jax?
From the sounds of it, it seemed like Caine and the Jester were close. Hm...should she ask him?...no. Knowing Caine he would go on and on before finally getting to the actual point.
Finally, after what seemed to be an eternity, Caine snapped his fingers and all but shoved them into the dimensional hole he had opened up. Ragatha hid a yelp but couldn't hide the way she stumbled onto the...dirt?
"You okay there ragdoll?" Jax asked, but by the tone of his voice, Ragatha could tell the situation amused him. She huffed and stood up, dusting herself off as she took the new location in, and...wow.
Majestic was the only word that could describe this location. They were in a small clearing, which gave them a grand view of the Fool woods, the leaves of the trees were a light purple, and blue vines could be seen hanging off the tree. Ragatah lifted her gaze upward and she lost her breath again, the night sky was a dark blue and was decorated by red and blue stars that shone throughout the dark sea it covered, and to finish the look of a bright moon that was surrounded by a yellow light.
"Damn. Caine went all out with this, huh?"
Ragatha hummed in confusion, Zooble continued as they gestured to everyone's bodies.
Instinctively she looked down and blinked, huh, Caine did go all out. Instead of her usual clothes, she wore a beautiful sparkling, floor-length gown. It hung off her shoulders, revealing the seams where her arms met her torso and the top of the candy heart on her chest. And...huh, was her hair styled into bouncy ringlets?
Goodness, this was all too fancy for her!
Glancing at the others she noticed they too were wearing fancier clothing.
Zooble wore a suit, how that even fit with their body Ragatha didn't know but they looked good, Jax's overalls were replaced with a white shirt, purple waistcoat, and black dress pants. Even Gangle seemed to be wearing a dress that, ironically, fit perfectly well with her ribbon body; even Kinger was wearing a fancier-looking royal cloak.
Jax whistled "I could certainly get used to this"
"u-um" Gangle whispered "Where are we supposed to go"
On cue, floating lanterns appeared and lit up a path for them to follow.
"Well-" Ragatha began "That's convenient!" she said optimistically
After a moment of hesitation, they walked down the path, and once again Ragatha decided to take a look at the world around them. It seemed so...alive. She of course knew everything around them was digital and that none of it was, well, real. And yet...
She watched small critters run through the bushes, and birds landing on tree branches. The wind that briefly passed through her hair and just the peaceful atmosphere this world seemed to naturally emanate.
For once in her life she actually felt...alive. It felt like she was back home and not stuck in a digital world with no way out
Even if Kaufmo said there was, allegedly, an exit.
It reminded Ragatha of the time when she was human and not some doll that stayed sane by playing crazy games. Sure she acted optimistic and gave it her all but...there was only so much that would do for her.
Ragatha would trade her place in the circus for a place here in a heartbeat
"Gotta admit" Zooble began "This place kinda rocks"
"What's so special about it?" Jaz raised an eyebrow, his ever-permanent smile twitching slightly, "It's just a few bushes and trees. Sure the sky's pretty but there ain't nothing much to it"
Ragatha shrugged "I don't know, I think it's nice"
"Sure" he rolled his eyes "You say that now. Just wait until some crazy monster attacks us, that's how things usually go" he crossed his arms
"Um, guys" they paused and turned to stare at Gangle who had stopped "I think I see where the Gala is taking place" She raised a ribbon and pointed ahead.
They turned to face what she was pointing at and
"Holy @#$!..." Jax muttered
And for once, Ragatha wholeheartedly agreed with him.
From where they stood they could see a large kingdom; walls and water surrounded it and the only way to get in was through the bridge that connected the land to the castle. Ragatha could hear cheers and laughter and soon enough fireworks were being set off, some formed star shapes while others were just a combination of bright colors. She knew it was getting repetitive but wow, she really could not believe how alive this world felt at the moment.
"Well!" she clapped, ignoring Kingers yelp, "Let's get going, shall we?"
Walking down the hill they had been standing on they calmly made their way toward the bridge, but the second they began to get close to it-
"Halt!"
Two cards floated in the air before two guards appeared in a puff of smoke, Ragatha had to bite her cheek to stop herself from letting out a yelp. The guard's bodies were, actually, giant living cards. Each carrying a spear as they stared at the group.
"Who are you and how dare you trespass on the Jester Prince's kingdom?!" one of the guards questioned them, Ragatha noticed that the card was a four of spades. Hm...she wondered if that meant anything in this world; Ragatha glanced at the other guard--an ace of hearts-- and again wondered if there was some sort of symbolism to it.
"Wow there, big guy" Jax raised his hands in defense "We ain't here to stir trouble-" Ragatha resisted the urge to roll her eyes, not yet at least it is what went unsaid "We just came for the Gala"
The two guards shared a glance, before the Ace of Hearts turned to them "Were are your invitations"
Ragatha blinked and she could hear Zooble smack their head, oh boy, was this where things went wrong
She opened her mouth to respond "Well-"
"Spade, Heart!"
The cards turned around while Ragatha and the rest lifted their heads, only to see a small-figured jump from the walls and slide down against one of the many decorative flags that covered the walls surrounding the kingdom; the small figure seemed to fly, leaving a small trail of stars behind as they finally land
"It's alright!" The proclaimed Prince yells, and...huh- was it just Ragatha, or was his voice rather feminine? "These are the special guests that I announced were coming! You can let them through"
The guard's bodies forbade them from seeing the prince but by the way they bowed- or would it be folded? They had great respect for whoever the prince was
"A-apologies, Your Highness!" Four of Spades responded nervously "We did not know these were the quest"
"Nah" the prince responded casually "It's alright, Spades. You and Heart were doing your jobs, besides, it's not like I told you what they looked like; so that's my fault" the Prince responded kindly
Ragatha could feel her heart fill with hope, from the sounds of it the Prince sounded rather kind and humble; maybe this experience wouldn't be so bad.
The cards, if it were possible, relaxed.
"Do you wish for us to lead them to the palace?" Ace of Hearts asked
"Nope!" The Prince replied cheerfully "I'll do it myself. After all what kind of prince would I be if I didn't treat my guests well?"
Ragatha held back a frown, why did their words seem so...forced?
Could Ragatha even blame them for faking their Optimism? After all...she does the same.
"Of course your Highness!" the guards saluted and moved out the way to enter the kingdom and--oh.
The Prince wasn't a prince. In front of them was a short female, comically so. She wore a red suit, decorated with blue stripes, with a coat tail; A black bowtie and white button-up shirt under it, black dress shoes, and pants. And, just like Jax and Kinger, wore gloves; a red and blue one.
The Prince's hair was a dark brown and on top of it were a pair of black--almost floppy-- curled horns that were similar to those of a jester hat; gold rings wrapped around them and what seemed to be gold bells dangling off the tip of the horns and to finish the look off the prince had a black tail with a sharp tip.
Ragatha wouldn't say it out loud but the Prince resembled more of an Imp than a prince or Jester.
The "Prince" smiled "So, you're Caine's guests." she placed a hand on her chest and gave a light bow "I'm Pomni, the Prince Jester"
Once again the doll hid a small frown, there was something odd about Pomni. She wasn't like the other NPCs who wondered about the digital land. Quite the opposite. She seemed more alive than any of them.
Could it be that she was trapped here? Was she like Ragatha and the others?
Would it be rude of her to ask such a personal question?
"Wow" Jax deadpanned "Gotta say, never been more disappointed in my life"
Ragatha was about to scold the rabbit, they were guests for Pete's sake! But before she could do that, Pomni let out a snort and crossed her arms, and with a raised eyebrow and the most tired voice Ragatha had ever heard in her life responded with: "I could say the same, what crawled up your !@%, huh Bugs Bunny?"
Zooble let out a snort that turned into laughter and Ragatha couldn't help but hide her shock by the response. Glancing at the purple rabbit, she saw his eye twitch, and- She snorted. It was about time the tables were turned on him.
"Anyway," Pomni waved her hand "What are your names?"
They took turns addressing themselves, with Ragatha being the last. After that, Pomni gave a nod and smiled at them "Well, it's nice to meet you all!" She turned around and waved at them to follow her "Come on! The Gala is about the start!" and with that she took off
As she wandered off, they all shared a look, and after a few seconds of hesitation, Ragatha decided to lead the pack into the kingdom before them. It did not disappoint.
The kingdom was filled with lively Npcs. Adults, teenagers, and children alike roamed the street; they were all dancing and laughing, children were playing games and eating candy while the adults danced with their partners.
Ragatha felt the air sucked out of her cotton lungs. This kingdom...it was perfect. It was beautiful, lively and it seemed so...peaceful.
"You like it?"
She jumped and looked down, Pomni was staring at her with a smile, and- oh, Ragatha hadn't noticed her eyes were a red and blue pinwheel imprint and oddly enough it fits well with her white skin, including the small markings that seemed to be imitating a blush.
"You okay there Ragatha?" Pomni cocked an eyebrow at her
Ragatha jumped "Y-yes! Sorry, I'm just...distracted" she trailed off as she turned to look at the kingdom again. The rest of the gang was near her and Pomni but she could tell they were also exploring the kingdom.
Pomni hummed in response, crossing her arms as she nodded at Ragatha's words "I get it. I mean...it's something to behold, isn't it" She gestured to the world around them; Ragatha smiled and nodded "It is. It's so much...livelier than the circus"
She meant no offence to Caine but...there were only so many adventures he could take them on before they began to lose their minds. Ragatha thought of a time when Kinger was sane, when Queenie was there with them, and when things were...better. The Circus was chaotic, maybe for some it was fun but it was just unpredictable chaos; if Ragatha had a choice? She would choose this world in a heartbeat.
...but she knows she doesn't have a choice; it was still a nice thought.
A loud bell rang through the kingdom, Ragatha raised her head and frowned in confusion
"The Gala is starting" Pomni answered for her "Come on-" she nudged her head toward the castle "Let's get you guys to the party"
And so off they went, as Ragatha followed the small prince she couldn't help but keep staring at her. She couldn't help it. She was just so curious about her, there were so many things she wanted to know about her, and yet- she knew that she couldn't ask anything. It wasn't her place
"You're staring you know" Zooble whispered
She jumped and turned to stare at them, blinking at the look Zooble seemed to be giving her. "Shh" she whispered, glancing at the small girl who was now leading them into the castle where the Gala took place; thankfully, Jax was out of hearing range but she was just glad he hadn't heard what Zooble said or else he would never let her live it down.
"Chill. The Prince is busy talking with Gangle" They waved a hand dismissively
Ragatha turned her head and-...huh. Pomni and Gangle were talking softly under their breaths, they seemed to be getting along.
"So. The small jester caught your eye, huh? Gotta admit, didn't think your standards were so...unique" Zooble said lowly, if Ragahta didn't know them any better she would think they were making fun of her. But it was obvious by the glint in their Eye that they were genuinely curious about Ragatha's curiosity over the small prince.
"It's not like that!" she whined softly "I'm just curious is all!"
"Uh-huh," Zooble nodded, looking as bored as ever, "Sure. If that's what you're telling yourself" Ragatha rolled her eye at Zooble's words and focused on following Pomni.
It wasn't long before they finally arrived at a grand dancing hall, tables were sprawled about and there was plenty of food to fight all of the guests. The decorations and the stars that covered the room made Ragatha lose her breath.
The group soon split up; Jax near the food, Zooble and Gangle hanging around some of the guests that picked up a conversation with them, and Kinger...Kinger was near the door staring off into space.
And Ragatha? Ragatha leaned on a wall, absentmindedly drinking some wine she had shockingly been served. It's not like it would affect her, the food and drinks in the digital landscape did not affect them; other than filling their stomachs it didn't make them sick or drunk or whatever.
She stood there, watching as the NPCs danced about, smiling and laughing. She found herself envying them, the NPCs didn't have to worry about abstracting; they all followed distinct instructions built on code. Ragatha thinks about that and can't help but feel a small fire build in her, she wonders how easy they have it; not having to worry about losing their lives every second of every day in this digital hellscape they live in. She wonders what she would do in their position.
Then again...Ragatha can't even imagine not having control of her own life. So, she supposed, it wasn't as bad as she thought. Still, she can't stop those thoughts from popping up from time to time
"You look distracted"
Ragatha would forever be ashamed of the way she jumped and dropped the glass of wine, it didn't shatter --thank god-- and was instead caught by Pomni who placed it on a nearby table with a small sympathetic smile.
"Not enjoying the party?"
"Oh no!" Ragatha immediately shook her head "It's lovely but...it's just-"
"A lot?" Pomni finished for her as she stood beside her
"Yeah..." she nodded
The two stood there for a few seconds before Pomni asked softly "Come on, let's go somewhere else. I know a good place to get your mind out of all of...this" She extended her hand toward Ragatha, who, after a few seconds of hesitation, grasped the hand and allowed the small prince to lead her away from the crowd.
The castle halls were empty, not a single soul in sight; It wasn't long before they reached two grand doors, Pomni opened the door and allowed Ragatha inside. The doll immediately stopped.
They were in a bedroom; it was decorated in, you guessed it, red and blue. A grand bed with the covers thrown all over the place, which made Ragatha squirm and resist the urge to fix the bed up, a lone desk filled with papers, and to Ragatha's surprise the walls were filled with a multitude of drawings of the kingdom. They were beautiful. And what made the room glow and be put together were the small stars that floated around.
"Come on" Pomni nudged her head toward the balcony before walking away, and Ragatha followed her.
They walked through the doors and Ragatha was quick to lean on the balcony as she stared at the beautiful night sky; Pomni stood beside her, quickly jumping over the railing Which was so adorable, and sitting there swinging her legs back and forth.
There were no words, just pure silence as they watched the stars.
"Are you...real?" she finally asked
Pomni stopped and turned to face her, her smile was small but it was still there "Yeah" she nodded "Yeah, I am" There was a pause "I'm the only real one here"
Oh...
"How...how was it?" Ragatha almost wants to slap herself for how stupid the question is. Seriously? How was it? She already knew how it was, she had experienced it a long time ago; she was an idiot for even asking that sort of question, and yet--Pomni answered
She scoffed "Confused. Sad. Angry. I didn't know what was happening, I tried taking the headset off but...it didn't work. Suddenly Caine appeared and told me what I needed to do, what my role was. I was the Jester Prince. Which makes no !$%&*!@$ sense and then left. And then...I was the Prince" Pomni rolled her eyes "It was so annoying having to deal with them the first week I was here, Prince this, Prince that. It's endless"
Ragatha hummed in sympathy, it was normally difficult for her to deal with her companions. She was stuck with them but...sometimes she wished she didn't have to be the glue that kept them together and sane.
Sometimes she wishes she didn't have to carry the weight of caring far too much for them
"... how's the circus?" Pomni asked softly
Ragatha sighed "It's...okay"
The small jester raised an eyebrow "Just okay?"
She shrugged "It's nothing compared to this world." she said softly "This world feels so...alive and peaceful. I mean, sure the circus is lively but...every day it feels like we're fighting for our lives. Trying to keep our sanity and not...abstract"
"Abstract?" Pomni asked with a head tilt
Oh. She didn't know
...it was best if she didn't know
"It's nothing" She waved her hand, from the look the Jester was giving her she knew she didn't believe her. But thankfully, Pomni let it go
Pomni waved her hands "I don't know, this world isn't that great you know? I mean...I haven't seen the sun since I got here"
"Huh?"
She shrugged "Everybody sleeps during the daytime and parties in the night" Pomni frowned "It's weird and it @*^%#$ my sleep schedule when I got here" As she says that Ragatha suddenly notices how tired she looks. It's obvious she still needs to get used to it.
"And the partying can get annoying...I spend most of my time here-" she gestured to her room "-because of it. I sometimes go to bed early and sleep...for a concerningly long time" the Jester admitted with a wince
"Hm. I guess it does get annoying does it?" Ragatha said softly "I imagine it's like dealing with Jax's pranks and antics all day long"
Pomni laughed "Yeah. He's a real piece of work, huh?"
"He has his moments here and there"
She laughed at Pomni's shocked expression "Yeah, they're rare, But they happen sometimes. Even he knows when not to take it too far"
"I can't imagine that"
Ragatha snorts and bumps shoulders with Pomni
Soon the two are just looking at the stars in silence. Ragatha doesn't think she's ever felt more at peace than she does now, Pomni leans on her hands and smiles and Ragatha stares at the small Jester from the corner of her eye.
She can't imagine how the girl is still standing strong, how she can still smile and laugh knowing she's basically alone with people who are really just lines of code. Ragatha admires that
Pomni looked down before glancing at her "The bell's gonna ring soon, that means you're gonna have to leave soon" she said softly. She jumped off the balcony and extended a gloved hand toward the ragdoll "I know this might be weird but...may I have this dance? You know, before you have to leave?"
Ragatha looked down at the extended hand and after a second of hesitation she extended her own hand "I'd love to"
It wasn't long before the two were dancing under the moon, The height difference made it awkward but it was perfect. Pomni led the dance, clearly having more experience than Ragatha who did her best to keep up with the small jester. The pace quickened and the two found themselves close to each other.
"You're a good dancer" Ragatha whispered as she twirled Pomni, who was quick to grasp Ragatha's waist again and take the lead once more
"I've had a lot of practice" she responded swiftly
And in a move that surprised Ragatha, Pomni swiftly lifted the doll up and spun her around; she laughed as she did so and then dipped her. She shockingly didn't drop the doll and instead held her close
"But I'm glad to have a good partner like you," Pomni said softly with a wink
Ragatha laughed "Oh, stop it you~"
DING...DING...DING
Pomni brought Ragatha back up, she sighed softly "I guess it's time for you to go now."
She stared at Ragatha and smiled "Let's get you back to your friends"
"Yeah...let's go"
Neither noticed, but their hands stayed intertwined the entire time, they only separated when they reached the rest of the group standing in front of a portal. Ragatha makes her way toward them. She paused and turned to face the Jester who was standing there silently
"Thank you for the dance, Pomni" she smiled "I hope we see each other again"
Pomni blinked "Yeah...me too" she gave a smile in return
The group walked through the portal and back into the circus, Pomni waved goodbye and Ragatha continued to look over her shoulder even as the portal closed and they were back in the Circus
Ragatha hoped she got the chance to see the small Jester
Pomni sighed as they disappeared. Swiftly turning she made her way back to the castle and into her room. Groaning, she's quick to change into her sleepwear (A simple white shirt and sleeping pants).
However, she doesn't go to sleep.
Instead, she goes to sit at her desk and is quick to grab her pen. She doesn't let her mind wander and instead just draws; it's something that's become her routine since she got trapped in this digital world. It...helped her feel better.
Once she was done she took a glance at what she had drawn and...oh
Her face immediately went red.
She had absentmindedly drawn a Ragdoll, beautiful red locks, a button eye, and the dress the doll had been wearing. Pomni groaned in embarrassment and slapped her face with both her hands, letting out a whine.
Out of all the things that had to happen...why did it have to be this?!
Pomni laid her head on the desk
Still... she thought softly
Pomni prayed that she got the chance to see and talk to the ragdoll...at least one more time would be enough for her.