Chapter Text
Hushed. Stock-still.
From where she sat upon her bed, Pomni could only stare. The furniture and blue-red walls serving as her only current compainionship in this empty room.
Her two-toned eyes looked blankly down at the gathering of confetti in her lap—the few pieces of multi-colored paper she managed to catch before it all disappeared. It was with a heavy heart that Pomni realized just how little there actually was, and when she gathered the scraps into her gloved hands, it felt like she wasnt even holding anything.
Like it was nothing at all. Insignificant.
The passage of time was something that remained oblivious and unknown. Not that one could easily tell just how many minutes or hours have passed to begin with, but Pomni didnt know how long she remained in her room, rooted in the same spot. Did it really matter? She just needed some time to herself. Some time to process everything…
She was only broken out of her stupor by a series of repeated knocks on the door, knocks that sounded increasingly more hurried and concerned the longer there remained no answer.
”Pomni,” Ragatha’s voice was distinct and clear even through the closed door. “Pomni! Are you alright? I—“
”Can it, doll face,” Jax was apparently also present. “She’s clearly too busy sulking or whatever.” He scoffed. “Can we just go?”
“Jax!” Ragatha exclaimed, and though Pomni couldnt see what was going on, she could very well envision the annoyed glare Ragatha leveled at the rabbit.
Pomni hopped off the bed, and with one last glance behind her, made her way over to the door, swiftly opening it.
Jax and Ragatha stood before her, with Jax looking as unbothered as he could with Ragatha scolding him.
“You can’t just—“ Ragatha stopped mid-sentence as she heard the door open, peering at Pomni with evident relief at the sight of her. “Oh, Pomni! Thank goodness you’re alright!”
Jax regarded Pomni with a mocking wave of his hands. “Wow,” He snarked, “Pomni’s alive. Who could’ve guessed!” He said narrowly to Ragatha, gaze shifting back to the jester in question. “Huh, and here I was thinking you finally lost it, being sad over some alligator or whatever whatshisface was.”
Ragatha didn’t bother dignifying that with a response, merely sending Pomni an apologetic look. “Ignore him.” She sighed, taking ahold of Pomni’s hand and guiding her out the doorway. “Are you doing alright? Nobody’s seen you at all today! I was getting worried.”
”I..” Pomni let go of Ragatha’s grasp, “I’m fine.” The words felt bitter and wrong on her tongue as she said it. There was a sense of melancholy that hung in the air around her, one that more clearly spoke the obvious to just exactly how Pomni was feeling.
The ever-present grin on Jax’s face seemed to widen ever so slightly.
“You’re a terrible liar,” He punctuated his sentence with a laugh, yellow eyes glinting with mirth as he stepped away. “Have fun with this pity party. Seeing Gangle cry over stupid nonsense is more entertaining than this.” Jax walked off to go elsewhere, seemingly to do just that.
Ragatha frowned in the direction Jax left in, shaking her head as she turned her head back to Pomni, uncertainty to her face. “Are you sure?” She questioned. “I know you’d like time to be alone, since you lost your friend and all…but I don’t think it’s a good idea to keep to yourself like this.”
It was important to keep yourself stimulated—of course Pomni knew that, but she really didn’t feel up to it at the moment.
‘What is there to do anyway?’ An insidious part of Pomni thought. Go on one of Caine’s adventures? Pomni really didnt want to bother with any NPCs if she could, certainly not right now...
Instead of voicing that out loud, Pomni opted to give Ragatha a weak, obviously forced, smile. “I need time to think. It’s only been…” Pomni paused, taking a moment to recall what Ragatha said earlier. “a day.” That was hardly any time at all.
“Well, I think I have a better place in mind to go to if you want to think.” Ragatha said thoughtfully. “The digital lake isn’t that far. And it’s a lot better than sticking to your room.”
“…” Pomni regarded Ragatha’s offer with a pensive look, though it only took a small matter of time before Pomni made her choice.
“Alright.”
If she stared long enough, Pomni could make out each individual pixel in the water. Her focus blurring along the sharp dots enough to even forgot Ragatha’s presence and hovering hand over her puffed shoulder
“So, Pomni,” Ragatha piped up from where she sat next to the jester, following Pomni’s gaze. “What’s on your mind?”
Pomni’s eyes snapped to attention at the ragdoll, grimacing slightly with her mouth clenching. “I..well..” She started, tone nervous. Pomni’s two-toned eyes gleamed with apprehension, yet just as suddenly, her fear shifted into surprise, eyes widening as a familiar voice interrupted them.
“—Hello?” A crackly voice pierced the silence, Kinger’s wood-polished head shining as he emerged from the water.
Pomni and Ragatha jumped at the sound, both of them staring at Kinger in astonishment.
“Kinger!” Ragatha exclaimed, “Why are you..” She eyed him up and down, giving the chess-piece a small smile. “..here?”
Kinger settled the bucket he was holding near the edge of the pond, uncaring of the pixelated water droplets dripping off his cloak as he did so. “Looking for water bugs, of course!”
“..water..bugs?” Pomni echoed, giving a quick glance towards the bucket he usually wore; it was completely empty. No digital water or ‘bugs’ in sight.
“Yes.” Kinger reaffirmed, completely proud of the notion. “Why are you two here?”
”Oh, Pomni and I were just here to..relax.” Ragatha replied. She glanced over to the jester in question, who was busy staring back into the water. “Isn’t that right…Pomni?”
”Huh? Yeah..” Pomni answered, half-heartedly listening. Shoulders haunched and arms incircled around her body as she hugged herself tightly, lost in thought.
Ragatha glances at Kinger, who simply shrugs his hands in her direction. “Hmph..” Ragatha began to trail off as she wached Kinger’s bucket collide with a dull sound on the top of his head. “O..kay, a-“
“—Ah, I see this group is happily drowning in the digital lake!”
As if one interruption wasn’t enough then; it was with a snap of fingers and an aura of dramatics as Caine materialized out of thin air. “But nevermind that—“ A sudden twirl of his cane as he floated over to rather aloof Pomni, poking her directly in the chest. Pomni couldn’t help but feel a flash of anger rise up in her. “It’s time for another adventure!”