Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It was another scorcher. The sun was blazing hot, beating down on Jax’s neck. The rabbit glanced up to see a buzzard circling above. He lowered his head, shielding his vision from the sun's glare with his wide brimmed hat. He was leaning against a mountain of crates outside the general store. On the wall, there was an array of wanted posters. All with images of rough n’ tough looking characters who you clearly wouldn’t want to mess with.

WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE: “Jax Conejo” REWARD: $200

On the poster was a poor attempt at a sketch of Jax. Whoever drew it clearly didn't know how to do proportions. The sketch depicted a rabbitoid figure with a large hat covering most of his features. Good luck finding him with that kind of vague description! Most folks didn’t recognize him as the same man on the poster. He ripped it off the wall and chuckled to himself. He couldn't believe he was worth $200! So little... At least in comparison to other big outlaws whose posters were on that wall. He bet he could get it up to $500 in a week. He looked up across the town. He’d been hiding out here for the past 2 months or so. He meant to leave sooner, but everyone in this dirt pile known as Cainston was so completely brainless, that they couldn't put two and two together and recognize him as The Jax Conejo. So Jax stuck around. Even that new girl in town, Pomni, (or whatever the hell her name was) was too stupid to suspect a thing.

Jax lit a cigarette and brought it to his mouth, taking a deep huff; the smoke filled his lungs and calmed his buzzing mind. Across the town was the saloon. He stood up and walked towards it. A drink would be nice. The sound of a piano became louder as he approached. He opened the saloon's double flapped door and the room went quiet. Despite no one recognizing him as a wanted outlaw, they still knew he was trouble, and was a rabbit you did not want to mess with. The only one who was unbothered by his presence was the bartender, Zooble. Jax and Zooble were well acquainted with each other. Tensions were always thick between the two, as they were seemingly the only person in this god forsaken town with half a brain. They were smart. Real smart. And to Jax, that was dangerous. Jax sat at the barstool as the saloon returned to its normal atmosphere. The saloon was once again filled with music, poker, and men so drunk they couldn’t stand up.

“What d'you want Jax?” Zooble eyed him with malice. He was known for causing a ruckus in their saloon, and they did not want to be the one to clean up after him again.

“What?” He chuckled “Can’t a guy get a drink without being harassed by the local bar dog?”

“What did you just call me, you bastard?!” Zooble said, their voice seething with resentment.

“Whaaaaaat? It's the truth, Zoobie.” he teased.

“Either order a drink or get the hell out of my saloon.” Zooble said with hatred for both the nickname and the rabbit.

“Alright, alright, sheesh!” Jax smirked, “I'll make it easy on ya. I’ll just take my usual.”

Zooble rolled their eyes and got to work on his usual. Straight whisky. Jax looked around at the saloon's other patrons. All were folks he didn't care enough about to look at, let alone speak to. They were all the same to him. Nameless bastards who existed only as a population to this god forsaken, good for nothin’ town. The only good thing about them, was they made it easier to blend in. Especially when that so-called Sheriff Gummigoo of theirs started sticking his snout in places he shouldn't…

Zooble slammed the glass on the bar. “There. You got your drink. That’ll be twenty five cents.”

“Twenty five cents?!” Jax exclaimed in outrage “That ain’t fair! You charged me double!”

“Yeah. And you better pay up before I make it triple!” Zooble said as they crossed their arms. They were clearly trying to spite him.

Jax gritted his teeth. The nerve of them to charge him double! “Zooble, you son of a bitch! You cheat! I ain't payin’ double!”

“You’ll pay what I tell you to pay, and then you are gonna get the hell out of my bar!”

The screaming match continued. Soon everyone in the saloon turned to watch Zooble and Jax. Jax had pulled out his revolver, and Zooble was quick to grab him by the ear. The patrons watched as an all out fight broke out between the two. Jax was trying to take aim at Zooble when they knocked the gun out of his hands; skidding across the bar as Zooble bashed his head against the table. They both screamed colorful obscenities at each other as a small crowd gathered around the fight. Jax slung a few punches at Zooble’s head, resulting in them getting a black eye. Zooble slammed him into one of the saloon booths, and punched him until his face was beaten and bloody. The fight continued in a bloody mess. Jax finally managed to get across the bar and to his revolver. He was just about to fire when-

BANG

The whole saloon, nay, the whole town went silent and turned around. In the doorway stood Sheriff Gummigoo holding his revolver in the air.

“What in the sam-hell is going on here?!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jax was kicked out of the bar. His face was bloody and bruised. He sat outside of the general store once more, cleaning his face from the fight. He was lucky Sheriff Gummigoo had let him off with a warning. One thing he certainly did not want to do was spend the week in the slammer.

“Goddamn it…” He muttered to himself. He couldn't believe he had lost a fight to Zooble of all people! “If that goddamn sheriff hadn’t gotten in the way, I would've won! Stupid Zooble… Stupid sheriff…”

He looked down at his clothes. They were ripped up and torn from the bar fight. “Great! Just great! So not only does my face look like a swollen grape, but my clothes are ruined too! Just great! Thanks for that, Zooble!” After he finished cleaning himself up, he glanced over to the nearby tailor shop. He didn't need their help! He didn’t need anyone's help! He was a loner! He didn't need Zooble! Or that saloon! Or this town! He’d fix his clothes himself! So he got up and walked over to the inn where he was staying to sew up his clothes.

The next morning, he went to the tailors.

Chapter Text

Ragatha opened her eyes as the early morning light filtered through her window. She sat up and stretched her arms over her head. Today was a new day, and she’d better get to work! She got out of bed and started her morning routine. She searched through her wardrobe, eventually settling on a periwinkle, ankle length dress. She put on a white lace petticoat, as well as a small pad on the back of her waist. She laced up her corset and slipped on the dress. She tied up her soft, yarn hair into a braided chignon with a matching ribbon. She made sure she looked presentable in the mirror before heading down the stairs. She looked around her shop, making sure everything was in order for opening. Gangle was already up and adding some finishing touches on the dress in the display window.

“Mornin’, Gangle!” Ragatha waved to the ribbon girl.

“H-Hi Ragatha…” Gangle waved back. The poor thing was always so nervous.

Ragatha looked around the shop. Gangle had spruced it up with her own special touches of decor. The walls were lined with vibrant ribbons and fabrics, as well as small art pieces Gangle had worked on over the years.

“Gangle! This is amazing! I love what you’ve done with the place! Your art looks so amazing!” Ragatha said with a warm smile.

“R-really?” Gangle’s face lit up. “Thank you, Ragatha. No one has ever complimented my art like that before…”

“I think it's amazing, Gangle.” Ragatha said as she examined one of Gangle's paintings. A small cottage next to a bubbling stream. “You know, I bet these could fetch a few silver dollars if you sold them.”

Gangle looked up at her. “You really think so?” She looked at her paintings. “Well, maybe we could try and sell a few… but I'm not sure if anyone would like them…”

Ragatha frowned “What? Of course they would! Why wouldn’t they? These paintings are gorgeous! You really do have a gift, Gangle.” Ragatha thought for a while. Even though Ragatha’s job as a tailor was making enough to sustain the both of them, a little extra dough wouldn’t hurt…

“How about this? We can have some of your art in the display window and sell them for, say… $5 a piece! And if there's enough demand, we can sell them for more!”

“You really think people will actually buy them?” Gangle said with uncertainty.

“I know they will!” Ragatha gave her friend a reassuring smile. Gangle smiled back.
Ragatha grabbed some price tags from behind the counter and tied them around some of Gangle's paintings. Or, at least the ones she wanted to sell. Soon the front window was covered head to toe in Gangle’s paintings. Beautiful artistic renditions of landscapes and animals were on full display for everyone in Cainston to see. Ragatha turned to Gangle.

“Are you ready to open?”

Gangle nodded. “Yep!” she put on her comedy mask, and Ragatha flipped the sign.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ragatha looked over at the customer. He was a tall fellow. At least a foot taller than her. He was a purple rabbit, to be exact. His clothes were torn and battered. His poncho was a deep pink with streaks of gold and frayed edges. She glanced down at his boots. They were the same color as his poncho. His pants were a deep tawny. Around his waist was a leather belt with an obnoxiously large gold buckle. His hands were covered with violet gloves, and his ears were folded back to make room for a wide brimmed cowboy hat. The hat in question was decorated with a plethora of exotic feathers. She could tell that this man had a “history” judging by his body language and the condition of his clothing. When he turned to look at her, her suspicions were confirmed. His face was bruised and slightly puffed up. His left eye was swollen shut in a black eye. Judging by the deep blue and purple marks on his face, this rabbit had been in a fight. And by the looks of it, lost rather badly. His good eye met hers, its sharp, yellow gaze was difficult to read. Was he planning to rob her? Did he want her to fix his clothes? Ragatha knew to keep her guard up around him. She glanced at Gangle, who nodded in understanding. Gangle went behind the counter where the gun was located. Just in case things went south.

“Howdy, sir! How can I help you today?” Ragatha said with a cheerful voice.

The rabbit's gaze didn’t falter. His golden eye looked over her. Ragatha tensed up. After a few heartbeats he finally looked away and spoke.

“Yeah, I’m uh… you the tailor here?”

Ragatha wasn’t sure what she was expecting his voice to sound like, but she was certainly taken by surprise. She didn’t know why, but she expected his voice to be deeper, perhaps a little more intimidating? Granted, he still sounded threatening to some degree, but it was lighter. It was more soothing than she initially expected. Like the stroke of a paintbrush on a fresh canvas.

“That’s me! My name is Ragatha, and over there is my assistant, Gangle!” Gangle waved meekly. “So, sir, how can I help you today?”

The rabbit glanced over at Gangle before turning back to her. “Yeah.. I just need a quick patching up. Ya think you can fix this?” He gestured to his poncho. It was torn up alright! Upon further examination, she saw that there was some attempt made to fix the holes. A very poor attempt, but an attempt nonetheless.

“Sweet mother of Mary, what did ya do to the poor thing?” she giggled, slightly amused by the poor sewing job.

The rabbit simply looked away. “W-whatever, just fix it.” He removed the poncho, revealing a white collared shirt and suspenders.

Ragatha couldn't help but laugh a tad more. “Alright, alright. This should be an easy job. I can have it done by noon today.” She took the poncho from him and looked up. “Lemmie guess? You got into a fight?”

The rabbit muttered sheepishly, still avoiding eye contact. “Yeah, yeah. It's none of yer business. Just tell me how much, so I can get outa here.”

Ragatha rolled her eyes. “Well someone’s in a good mood.” She examined the poncho. “Alright. That’ll be $2.”

The rabbit sighed and handed her the money, grumbling to himself. Ragatha made sure it was the right amount. She nodded, now satisfied. “Thank you, sir! And can I get a name?”

The rabbit looked at her briefly. “Jax.”

Ragatha wrote down the name. “Alright, Mr. Jax! Your poncho will be ready by around noon! While you wait, you can head over to the doctor and get your face cleaned up.”

Jax grumbled. “Yeah, yeah… sure, whatever…”

Ragatha watched him go. “Thank goodness he's gone…” Gangle whimpered. “He was scary.”

“Yeah… scary.” Ragatha muttered quietly, before she walked to her sewing machine, and got to work.

Chapter Text

Jax walked out of the shop. His mind was a convoluted mess. What the hell just happened? Did he actually stutter? In front of that woman? What the hell was wrong with him?! He glanced back at the shop. Why did he act like that? Usually he was so confident around folks. Especially around women! So why was he suddenly so… nervous? Was it perhaps the way she walked so confidently? Or the way her hair was done in such an intricate way? Was it how her eyes seemed to be so focused and tender at the same time? Could she even see through that blue button eye of hers? Jax snapped himself out of his daze. What the hell was he thinking!? She is just a tailor! A tailor whose job is to sew up his poncho! How could a simple tailor make him so… so nervous? He probably made such a fool of himself. Especially with how ugly his face looked…

He scoffed. Nervous his ass! He did not get “nervous”! He was a fearsome outlaw! He had won countless shootouts, robbed hundreds of banks, and had more money than half the folks in this shit hole could ever dream of seeing! His wanted poster was on every general store in the state! He had looked fear dead in the eyes and spat on its boots! He did not get “nervous”! Especially around some red headed doll that made his stomach twist into knots… Was he sick? Yeah! That's it! He was sick! Probably got some sort of concussion from that fight with Zooble. That had to be what was going on with him! He let out a satisfied chuckle, glad he had figured it out. He strutted across the town with his usual confidant smirk. Nothing wrong here! He just had a little concussion from that bastard, Zooble. He made a mental note to get back at them for that later.

Cainston was up to its usual mundane hustle and bustle. The residents were living out their redundant and pitiful lives. Jax calmly observed them. To him, they were all nothing but dirt under his boot. Just a gaggle of nobodies whose only purpose in life was to entertain him. Might as well make use of his time while he waits for his poncho. He spotted Pomni walking out of the mayor's house at the end of town.

“Bingo.”

As soon as Pomni saw Jax approach her, she let out an annoyed groan.

“Howdy there, Pom-pom! How's my favorite cowgirl doin’ today?” Jax said in his usual condescending tone.

Pomni sighed in frustration. “Jax, I’m not in the mood right now, so if you could please just leave me alone, I’d-”

“But where's the fun in that, Pomni? C’mon! I got nothin’ better to do. And you…” He poked her cheek. “Just so happen to be my favorite way to pass the time!” Pomni looked like she wanted to kill him. Jax chuckled. “Awwww! Look at your face! You’re so grumpy! C’mon Pom-Pom! Turn that frown upside down!”

“Jax, I swear to God…” Pomni glared at him. “...What happened to your face?” She asked upon seeing his eye.

“Nothing! That's none of your business!” Jax said defensively. Pomni raised an eyebrow at his statement. “I-I mean, I just got into a fight.” Jax scoffed, regaining his confidence.

Pomni looked unconvinced. “You lost, didn’t you?”

“A-” Jax stopped. Goddamn it, was it really that obvious?! “No! No, I won it! Or at least I would’ve if that damn sheriff had not gotten in the way!” Jax stumbled over his words, his face red with embarrassment. The last thing he needed right now was for Pomni to think he lost a fight to Zooble of all people.

Pomni rolled her eyes. “Look, Jax, I don't have time for you or your bullshit right now. I’m really busy, So what I'm gonna do is leave, and what you’re gonna do is leave me alone and not follow me! She stamped her boot and walked into the saloon, grumbling to herself.

“Great chat, Pomni! Glad to see you’re as happy as you ever were!” Jax called out to her in his usual condescending and sarcastic tone of voice. As soon as she was out of sight he dropped his smirk. “Shit.” He said to himself. No doubt Zooble was in there, and no doubt they would tell Pomni all about their fight. “Godamnit…” He grumbled. Zooble was going to tell the entire damn town about that fight, he just knew it.

He looked up at the sky. The crystal blue above was disrupted by the glare of the sun, now at its highest in the sky. He supposed it was noon by now which meant two things. One, His poncho was ready. And two, he would have to see her again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jax walked into her shop. The smell of fabric and lint filled his nostrils. He glanced over to her assistant, Gangle, who was hiding in the corner behind the desk. He could tell she was scared of him. He smirked, his heart full of pride. Damn straight she should be scared. He was one of the most feared outlaws this side of The Mississippi! Sure, no one in Cainston knew who he was, but that was besides the point. His thoughts were interrupted when he heard her voice.

“Oh! Howdy Mr. Jax! I got your poncho all fixed up for ya!” She held out his poncho. She did more than a good job! He couldn't even see the stitch marks. It looked even better than when he'd first gotten it.

“O-oh! Why, thank you kindly ma’am…” He felt like a million butterflies had found their way into his stomach with the way she was looking at him. He took the poncho and threw it over his head. Jax looked back at her. Good Lord above, her eyes were pretty. Her normal eye was a rich, deep, emerald green that reflected the sunlight perfectly. What the hell was she even doing to him? He tipped his hat to her. He had to get out of here before he did something stupid. But something inside him told him to turn around. “Say, er… you said your name was Ragatha, right?”

She gave him a warm smile. “Yes sir! Ragatha Stoffpuppe!” She held out her hand for him to shake.

Jax committed her name to memory. He wanted to make sure he wouldn’t forget it. Jax took her hand. Even though he was wearing gloves, he could feel how soft her hands were. His heart gave a flutter. “Right… Well, thank you kindly, Miss Ragatha.” He tipped his hat to her.

“Oh, it was my pleasure, Mr. Jax! Please don’t be afraid to let me know if you need anything else!” She waved goodbye. Jax looked back at her.

“I will.” He said under his breath as he left her shop; his heart feeling as though it might burst.

Chapter Text

Ragatha watched as Jax left her shop with a smile on her face. “See, Gangle? I told you he wasn't so bad… I think?” She turned around to see Gangle hiding in the corner.

“I-is he gone?” Gangle was quivering like a leaf.

“Yeah, he’s gone. You alright over there? You look pale.” Ragatha walked over to Gangle with a worried expression on her face.

“I’m fine Ragatha.. H-he just s-scares me real bad.” she said with a noticeable quiver in her voice.

Ragatha looked her friend in the eye. “Hey, it's ok. I know he looks all big and scary, but he seemed nice enough. He ain’t gonna hurt you.” She said reassuringly.

Gangle still seemed unsure, but Ragathas words seemed to comfort her in some way. She sniffled and slowly nodded. “Ok. L-let's just finish working.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ragatha and Gangle both worked long and hard. Ragatha had overworked herself once more, and Gangle’s art remained unsold. Exhausted and dejected, They closed up shop for the night. She watched as Gangle picked up one of her paintings from the window

“Oh… I knew that no one would like them… why did you tell me to sell them?” Gangle said with tears forming in her eyes.

“Oh, Gangle no! Please don’t cry. I’m sorry that today was a little harsh. It's just how some days go, y’know? I’m sure there's someone out here who’ll like your art! We just gotta find them first.” She gave Gangle a soft smile of reassurance. “Hey, hey it’s alright.” Ragatha wiped her tears with a handkerchief. “Hey, how about we head over to the saloon? It's been a while since we last went there, and Zooble always seems to cheer you up! We can just talk with them for a while, and catch up a bit.”

“R-really?” Gangle looked up at her. “Well, I suppose I wouldn’t mind too much.”

“There we go! C’mon, let's have some fun!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~

The saloon was bustling with life and laughter. Folks from all over Cainston were gathered for a night of drinking and poker. The smell of lit cigarettes filled the air, burning the back of Ragathas throat. She covered her mouth, letting out a hefty cough. “Woo.. ahem… It's a little uh, rowdier here than I last remember, haha…” A bottle flew past Ragatha's head and shattered on the wall. “Ok, um… well that's fine! Just a little extra flair! Let’s just go and find Zooble.” ” She laughed nervously as she and Gangle made their way to the bar stools.

Zooble was throwing the man who chucked the beer bottle at Ragatha out of the saloon, before resuming their post at the bar. “Damn varmints! Who the hell raised you?!” Zoobles' angry expression shifted to look slightly less perturbed upon seeing Ragatha and Gangle. “Oh, Howdy Gangle, Ragatha.” They nodded to the two of them.

Ragatha smiled and waved. “Howdy there Zooble! Good to see you’re doin’ well!”

Gangle stuttered over her words, as a rosy blush began creeping over her porcelain face. “Y-yeah. Hi Zooble…” She trailed off, breaking eye contact and staring at the ground as she fidgeted with her ribbons.

Zooble poured them their usual drinks. “It’s on the house tonight. I’ve had a hell of a week, and plenty of stories to tell.” Ragatha took a sip from her drink as Zooble began their story. “So I was mindin’ my own business servin’ folks, when this one customer of mine comes strutin’ in. And this one’s a real cocky bastard. He begins insultin’ me and calls me a “bar dog”! So I decided to give him what he deserves and charge him double. And you know what he does? The son of a bitch pulls a gun on me!”

Ragatha let out a gasp. “He did? Oh that's terrible! What kind of ruffian would do something like that?!” She was absolutely appalled that anyone would pull a gun on someone for something so small as jacking up the price.

Zooble continued to describe the fight. Gangle's eyes were mesmerized. Ragatha took another small sip as the three shared stories. Her eyes wandered over to the opposite side of the saloon, where in the corner, sitting at one of the booths, was a familiar looking rabbit. She didn’t expect to run into Jax again, but there he was. He covered his face with his hat and poncho, leaving only his piercing yellow eyes visible. Ragatha looked back over to Gangle and Zooble. It wouldn’t hurt to maybe say hello to him. Plus, Gangle and Zooble were having fun by themselves. “Hey, y’all have fun, I’ll be right back!” Gangle and Zooble didn’t seem to notice as Ragatha walked over to Jax.

“Howdy there, Mr. Jax!” She waved to the rabbit with a warm smile.

Jax glanced up at her, he looked startled and confused, maybe even a bit scared. He quickly regained his composure and let out a “humph.” “Oh, it’s you.” He avoided making eye contact with her.

Despite his hostility, Ragatha continued her attempt to strike up a conversation. “Do you mind if I sit?” Jax didn't respond, instead taking a sip from a beer bottle. “I’ll take that as a yes!” She sat across from him.

After a long moment of silence, Jax finally spoke up. “Never expected someone like you to come ‘round places like this.”

Ragatha snorted out a laugh. “Oh, you wouldn't, would you? I’m actually friends with the bartender here! Been friends with them for a long while now!”

She noticed how Jax looked uneasy. He dropped his smirk, his ears folded back as he glanced over to Zooble. “Oh. You are?”

Ragatha looked back to him. “Yes sir! But enough about my life, how's the poncho? Did it turn out the way you liked?”

“Y-yeah. It turned out fine.” He huffed, and took another sip from his bottle. Neither of them said anything for a long while. Ragatha tapped the the table with her finger, slightly disappointed with how fruitless the conversation was turning out to be. After a few minutes of silence, he spoke up. “So, sewing, huh? What got you into that kinda thing?”

Ragatha stopped fidgeting. She was a bit surprised that he was asking her something like this. None of her clients had ever asked her much about her personal life before, so this was a welcome surprise. “Oh! Well, it’s a bit of a family business actually! My momma was a seamstress in Germany before she and my daddy moved here. One day she decided to teach me how to sew a dress, and I knew right then and there that one day I was gonna have my own shop!”

Jax gave her an amused smile and nodded. “Ah, so that's where the Stoffpuppe name comes from.”

Ragatha nodded. “Yes sir!”

Jax listened to her talk more about her family life when Zooble spotted him. “HEY!” they called out as they rushed towards him. “Jax, you bastard! I told you not to come ‘round here anymore!”

Huh? What did Zooble have against Jax? She looked over to him. “Ah shit. Sorry, dollface! Gotta run!” Jax darted away with Zooble chasing after him. That’s when it hit her. Cocky smirk? Conceited attitude? Looked like he’d just come out of a fight? “Oh dear…” Ragatha said to herself. Jax was the “bastard” who’d pulled a gun on Zooble.

Chapter Text

The sun had set over the desert valley where Cainston lay. The darkness had crept over the town in a comforting indigo embrace. The only source of light besides the stars was the faint amber glow of the oil lamps that illuminated the roads and buildings. Jax hid behind a mound of discarded crates and bottles in an alleyway. His heart pounding as the adrenaline rushed through his body. Zooble had lost track of him and marched back into the bar. Jax let go of the breath he was holding and turned his head around the corner to know for sure if Zooble had given up. He smirked, now satisfied that he had escaped trouble yet again.

“Another flawless escape if I do say so myse-AH!” Jax turned around and found himself face-to-face with Ragatha. Her hands were on her hips and she did not look too pleased with him.

“Dollfaceeeee… What’re you doin’ here?” He tilted his head at her; a guilty smirk spread across his face. Ragatha looked unamused.

“What kinda complex do you have to make you think it is EVER okay to pull a gun on someone?!” Ragatha scolded him. “How do you think I feel knowin’ that one of my close friends had a gun pulled on them by one of my customers!? You could’ve killed them!”

Jax rolled his eyes and scoffed, keeping up that same smirk. “Hey now, how’d you know for sure that it was me who did that? It could’ve been any rabbit with a gu-”

“Oh please, you’re the only rabbit I’ve ever seen in this town! Don’t you dare try to deny it! I know it was you, and Zooble knew it was you! Have you no shame? What the hell is wrong with you!?” Ragathas face began to turn red.

“Now hold on there! So what if I did? I say it was completely justified! I mean c’mon, that bitch has had it comin' for years now. They ain’t exactly the friendliest person ‘round these parts. It was only a matter of time before someone did what I did.” Jax chuckled and glanced back at her.

“Justified? JUSTIFIED?!” Ragatha began screaming in frustration at him. She went on and on and on about how uncivilized someone must be to do something like that.

But Jax wasn’t listening. He instead focused on her eyes… her good eye sparked like the most beautiful gemstone, and her button eye was polished so well that he could practically see his reflection in it. A deep red blush crept over his cheeks as she continued to lecture him. A few of her curls had come undone, and he would be lying if he said it wasn’t incredibly enduring to see. Something about how those curls bounced as she moved, and how she used her hands to express what she was saying while she scolded him made his heart flutter wildly. She was so alluring when she was mad. Only proved further by her red face and her unruly red hair. Jax hadn’t even realized that a wide smile had spread across his face. Her words began to blend together and were muffled by the rosey fog in his head. Every time she spoke he would just nod in agreement with the same stupid grin on his face. Her voice droned on and on, but he ignored her words and focused on the melodic sound that came from her mouth. It sounded like the most sonorous music he had ever heard as it mixed with the crickets' chirps and a barn owl's hoots. Jax was getting lost in her when he was brought back to reality by her snapping her fingers in his face.

“Hey. HEY! Jax! Are you even listening to me?” Ragatha snapped her fingers in his face.

“Whu-? Oh y-yeah I’m listenin’...” Jax said with a slight drag in his voice as he was lifted out of his daze. Oh Lord above, she looked so pretty in the lamplight. Her hair seemed to glow as the lamp flickered. Jax found himself slipping back into that glittery pink daze as he saw her in the dim lighting-

“JAX!” Ragatha stomped on his foot.

“AH! Jesus, Ragatha! I said I’m payin’ attention!”

“Ughhh! Why do I even try with you!?” Ragatha pinched the bridge of her nose in irritation.

Jax could tell that she was pissed off with him, and he knew from previous experience that when a woman is mad, it would be wise to get your ass out of there as soon as possible. So naturally, he did what he always did, and began to sneak off further into the ally.

Ragatha grabbed him by the ears. “Oh no you don’t! Did you think you could just walk away without any consequences? Well, you’re dead wrong!”

“AHK- HEY! OW!! LET GO OF ME! HEY!” Jax writhed around and tried to pull away, but Ragatha had an iron grip on his ears. How the hell was she so strong?

“Oh, I’ll let go of you… If you apologize to Zooble!” She yanked on his ears again.

“What?? I ain’t doin’ tha- OW!” He felt another sharp pull. “Alright! Alright! I’ll apologize! Mercy!” The sharp pain stopped as Ragatha let go of his ears, which were now practically throbbing.

“Are you going to behave yourself?” She put her free hand on her hip.

Jax nodded.

“Good!” Ragatha reverted to her usual cheerful tone. “Then let's head over to Zooble, where you are going to apologize!

Jax stood up, dusted himself off, and grumbled as Ragatha walked him back to the saloon. She shoved him to where Zooble was standing behind the bar. “YOU!” They began to rapidly approach him. “I’m gonna cut out your throat, you little-”

Ragatha stepped between them. “Don’t you worry Zooble! Jax has somethin’ to say to you!” She slowly turned her head back towards him with that same smile on her face. “Right, Jax?”

Jax gulped and begrudgingly mumbled, “Sorry…”

“Mm mm! Nope! You gotta speak up Jax. A proper gentleman always speaks clearly, AND makes eye contact whenever he’s talkin’ to someone! Now apologize again, properly.”

Jax had never wanted to leave a place more than he did now. Between Zooble's death glare, and Ragatha’s rather… aggressive presence, he felt like a caged animal. Who knew a little lady such as Ragatha could be so threatening when she wanted? Although… it was kind of attractive. Nope! Don’t think about that right now! Just apologize and get out of there!

Jax clenched his fists, causing his knuckles to whiten. He brought his yellow gaze up to the cold, hard glare of Zooble. “I. Am. Sorry.” He spat out while clenching his teeth. He was as stubborn as a mule.

“Sorry… for what?” Ragatha put her hands on her hips.

Jax was getting irritated as Ragatha continued her attempt to draw more and more of an apology out of him.

“I ain’t gonna-” She reached for his ear again, causing him to wince. He sighed and with no other options, turned back to Zooble, removing his hat. “I am sorry for pulling a gun on you, Zooble.

Zooble looked at him, and then to Ragatha, then back to Jax. “Apology accepted.” Jax doubted they meant it. “But I got my eye on you Jax. Don’t think I’m letting you off so easily.”

Jax and Zooble stared each other down, only stopping when Ragatha spoke. “There! That wasn’t so hard, wasn’t it Jax? Bye Zooble!” She smiled and waved goodbye, taking Jax back outside. “Alright, Mr. Jax! You’re free to go, but don’t you ever try to do somethin’ like that again, alright? You take care now!”

Jax watched as the redheaded tailor skipped back towards her shop. All he could do was stand there and watch as she entered the building. Jax sighed to himself, his gaze never leaving that spot. Damn that Ragatha Stoffpuppe. Damn her, and all the ways she made his heart melt. Even when she was yelling at him, and squeezing his ear until it went numb, she made him feel things he’s never felt before. It made him want to know her better. It made him want to learn the story behind that little ragdoll. It was only then that Jax realized how, maybe all these feelings he had weren’t just from some concussion after all.

Chapter Text

It had been two weeks since Ragatha's “chat” with Jax, and she had not heard a word from him since. The rabbits' usually chaotic presence had seemingly vanished. She hadn't even caught a glimpse of him since then. “Hey Gangle, you haven’t seen Jax ‘round here, have you?” She turned to her friend, who was organizing the many spools of thread in one of the drawers on the work table.

“Hm? No. I haven’t,” Gangle said in her usual meek voice.

Ragatha frowned. Jax didn’t seem like the kind of man to just leave all of a sudden. He wasn't exactly the quietest person around, to put it lightly. She turned her attention back to the broom she was using to sweep the floors. The silence was heavy, only occasionally interrupted by the sounds of the broom brushing against the wooden floor when Gangle spoke again.

“Can we put my art away, Ragatha? N-no one seems to like them.”

Ragatha paused and looked back up at her. “What? Gangle… ”

“Not a single one has sold, Ragatha! It's been two weeks, and no one has bought a single one! I'm no good! Oh, why did I think I could ever do anything right…” Gangle sniffled, holding back a sob as tears welled in the eyes of her tragedy mask.

“Gangle…” Ragatha went over to comfort her when the door to the shop opened, startling the both of them. Gangle rushed to put on her comedy mask. Ragatha looked over to see who had entered the shop at this hour. Was it Jax? Ragatha turned around to see Zooble standing at the door. “Oh! Zooble! It’s so nice to see you! What’re you doin’ here?”

“Hey,” Zooble said. “Just thought I’d stop by is all. You two are probably the only folks ‘round here I can stand.” They turned to Gangle. “Hey… Gangle.” Gangle began to blush. She did that a lot these days, especially when Zooble was around. Constantly avoiding eye contact and hiding behind her comedy mask. Zooble looked back at Gangle, their eyelids were half closed in a tired expression, yet Ragatha could see they were hiding their emotions. Zooble was good at masking their feelings beyond anger and contempt, but Ragatha was just as good at telling when people hid their emotions.

“Can we help you with anything at all, Zooble?” Ragatha smiled at her friend. Zooble nodded.

“Yeah, I just… I saw some art in the window and thought about sprucin’ up the bar. Give it some color, y’know? Make it a bit more appealing to folks.”

Gangles face lit up and a small smile crept across her face. “Y-you like the art? You actually like it?”

Zooble nodded, dropping their rough exterior for a bit. “Yeah. How much for them?”

“Oh! Well, how many did you want to buy?” Ragatha asked.

“Well, how about the ones in the windows?”

“All of them?” Ragatha looked to the window, then to Gangle, whose face had practically lit up like the glow from a fire.

Zobble nodded “Yeah... Gangle, you painted those, right?” Gangle was nothing short of a gushy red mess, avoiding any form of eye contact with Zooble. Ragatha noticed Gangles nervous jitters and was about to step in when Gangle spoke up.

“Y-yeah! I did! Do you like them? I can make more! I-I mean only if you want me to…” Gangle blabbered and stumbled over her words, her ribbons twining around themselves in a nervous habit.

“I mean... I’d pay you if you did, but only if that's something you’d be interested in.” Zooble shrugged, rubbing the back of their head.

“Yes! I'd love to! I-I mean, I can... I can work on some pieces for you!”

“Yeah. Yeah, I’d like that Gangle. Thank you.” Zoobles eyes softened.

Gangle smiled as she looked up at them. Ragatha gingerly grabbed the paintings displayed in the window and wrapped them in leftover fabric and twine before handing them to Zooble. “Here ya go! " she said as she took the money from them. It was enough money to buy them food for a week. Oh, thank you kindly, Zooble!”

They nodded. “Yeah, don’t mention it. Y’all are my friends, y’know. We gotta look out for each other.”

“Well let us know how we can make it up to you!” Ragatha put the money in the cash box and locked it. “Take care now, Zooble!”

“Yeah… take care…” Gangle waved goodbye as she watched them left the shop, and just as the door shut. “Ragatha! I need to tell you something!” Gangle blurted out, her eyes wide and panicked, her cheek a bright pink.

“Woah woah, hey! Calm down, Gangle. Are you alright?”

“N-no… well maybe I don't know!”

“Oh dear. Gangle you ain’t gettin’ sick now, are ya?”

“No! I mean… I don’t think so! I-Its Zooble! Every time I’m around them I get all these fuzzy feelings in my stomach! I get so nervous around them, and I… I don’t know what to make of it!” Gangle's mouth began to quiver.

Ragatha grabbed her friend’s hand. “Hey, Gangle… hey, calm down. It’ll be ok. Hey. Gangle, those sound like normal feelings, ok? I ain’t gonna judge you.”

Gangle’s breathing steadied as she calmed down. Her ribbons gripped Ragathas hand and squeezed the soft fabric. “I think I like Zooble. They’re nice to me, and they stand up for me, and they’re really sweet when you get to know them. B-but there’s no way they like me back! Oh Ragatha what do I do! What if they find out and they stop coming over here? What if-”

“Gangle, it's ok! I think it's great that you like them! You’re an amazing person, and you deserve love just as much as anybody else! And if you think that Zooble might be the one for you, you should put yourself out there, and show them how amazing you are!” Ragatha smiled at Gangle, but she still looked unsure.

“B-but what if they don’t like me like that…”

“Well, then I’ll be there for you. You miss one hundred percent of the shots you don’t take, after all. And I’ll be cheerin’ you on, every day.”

“You’d do that for me?”

“You know I would Gangle. I’ll be someone you can count on! Now, you just be yourself and I’ll be rootin’ for you!” Ragatha smiled and gave Gangle two thumbs up. Gangle wrapped her ribbons around Ragatha in a tight hug.

“Thank you.”

Ragatha returned the hug. She was happy for her, and she knew Zooble would be good for her. She knew she would always be there to support Gangle in her pursuit. But, Ragatha couldn't help but feel a small ache inside her at the idea of Gangle being rejected… better not to think about that possibility! She released Gangle from the hug.

“I’m gonna go find Zooble! Thanks again, Ragatha!” Gangle left the shop and Ragatha smiled as she watched Gangle enter Zooble’s saloon.

Now left alone in the shop, she began to sweep the floor. She whistled a happy tune, carefully sweeping up the dust into a neat pile. It was just her and her thoughts for now. “I hope Gangle’s doin’ alright.” She thought to herself. “I'm sure she’ll be ok, Zooble’s gonna see her for the amazing person she is.” She continued whistling, making sure to glance out the window now and again. “Oh, I hope the poor thing doesn’t get rejected… that’d be awful.” She could only imagine the pain Gangle would feel. Liking someone without them liking you back? That was truly heartbreaking. But she knew Zooble. And she was positive that they weren't that cruel.
.
.
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“I hope Jax hasn’t gotten himself into any trouble.” She muttered to herself. “...Who am I tryin’ to kid? That silly rabbit always finds ways to get into trouble.” She sighed. She really did hope he was alright. She hadn’t seen him in a while, but maybe he was just avoiding her after she made him apologize. “Maybe I was too hard on him.” She looked back at the floor. It was clean enough as it was. She was still upset about his actions, but she had forgiven him for the most part. “Maybe I should try and find him. Just to make sure he’s alright.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ragatha walked through the streets, looking around for any sign of the purple rabbit. She checked the alleyways, the local shops, and the inn but he was nowhere to be found. Ragatha started to get worried for him. Every lead was a dead end, and she should probably start heading back to the shop. Gangle must be back by now. She turned to head home when she spotted Kinger sitting on the porch of his shop. “Oh! Hi Kinger!” She waved to the chess piece, but he didn’t move. Oh dear… “Kinger?” she walked closer to him.

“AH!” Kinger suddenly jolted out of his trance and looked around before his lopsided eyes settled on Ragatha. “Oh! Ragatha you startled me. I’m sorry, I didn’t see you there. How are you?”

“Oh, I’m doin’ fine Kinger. How’s the shop doin’?” Kinger owned a small shop near the outskirts of town. The shop sold all sorts of strange and exotic curios and doubled as a museum. It had all kinds of insects and birds. Many of the townsfolk saw Kinger as nothing more than a nutcase, but Ragtha enjoyed spending time with him. There wasn’t a dull conversation when it came to Kinger. He somehow always knew how to say the right things.

“It’s doin’ as it always does. If you want you’re more than welcome to come in. I could get some tea goin’ if you’d like.”

Ragatha was touched by the gesture, but it was getting late, and she had to head back to Gangle soon. “I’d love to Kinger, but I don’t think I can today. I’m lookin’ for Jax, and I gotta get home soon.”

“Jax?” Kinger tilted his head.

“Mhm!” Ragatha nodded. “Tall, purple, rabbit fella. Wears a poncho and this big ol’ hat. You haven’t seen him around, have you?”

Kinger thought for a while. “Oh! I think I have! He was ridin’ a horse, I think he left town that way.” He pointed out into the desert.

Ragatha froze. Did he skip town? She gazed out into the desert. It was only natural she supposed. In the time she’d known him, he always seemed like the kind of guy who wouldn’t stay in one place for too long. Still, she couldn’t help but feel a little hurt by it. “Oh. He didn’t even say goodbye.”

“Oh I don’t think he’s gone for good, he didn’t have much packed with him, so I’m sure he’ll be back soon. How did you meet him?”

So he didn’t leave for good. She breathed a small sigh of relief before looking at Kinger again. “We’ll he got into a bit of a fight and asked me to fix his poncho for him, and I suppose we kept runnin’ into each other after that. He’s kind of a jerk, actually.”

“Well, I’m sure he’ll be back soon.” Kinger gave her a reassuring smile. Or at least he would if he had a mouth.

“Yeah, I’m sure he will. I shouldn’t even be out here lookin’ for him, it ain’t my business to butt into people's lives like this. I suppose I’m just worried because he’s reckless. I just don’t want to see him gettin’ into any more trouble than he has already.” She sighed. She always worried too much about people.

Kinger nodded as the sun began to set. “It’s understandable. You’ve spent every day of your life looking out for others, it's a part of who you are. You’ve looked after Gangle, You looked after that new girl when she first came to town. What's her name… Pomni?” Ragatha let out a small chuckle and nodded. “Yeah! Pomni! And now you’re lookin’ after Jax. There’s nothin’ wrong with carin’ for folks. Just remember to take care of yourself every now and then, ok?”

Ragatha knew that Kinger did seem a little crazy to the other townsfolk, but sometimes he really did have good advice. Hearing something like that with such sincerity… well needless to say it caused her eye to go a little glossy. “Why… thank you, Kinger. That means so much to me. You take care now. How about we have some tea on Sunday?”

“Oh. yes. I’d like that Ragatha.” He waved goodbye. “Say hi to Gangle for me.”

Ragatha waved back. “Don’t worry. I will.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~

She walked back to her shop, shutting the door behind her and locking it. She walked up the stairs where Gangle was lying in bed. “Hi Gangle. How was it?” Gangle simply smiled at her. Ragatha nodded. She’d ask more about it in the morning. She got ready for bed. Slipping on a nightdress she had made herself “Goodnight, Gangle.”

“Goodnight Ragatha.”

Ragatha put out the oil lamp, leaving only the faint glow of the moon providing any light. She rolled over in her bed and looked out her window into the vast desert. “He’ll be back.” She thought before closing her eyes and drifting into a deep, dreamless slumber.

Chapter Text

The sun beat down from above. Its sweltering heat shone onto his back as he rode across the desert. Jax covered himself with his hat atop his black stallion. He had been riding for what felt like months, yet it had only been a day. Jax wiped the sweat that dripped from his brow with one gloved hand while the other gripped the reins. When he left Cainston, he had only one thought on his mind. He had to clear his head. He had spent the past two weeks trying to get her out of his thoughts, but nothing worked. Everywhere he turned, she was there. She was like a viper, ready to sink her teeth into him at every opportunity. He knew she hated him deep down underneath that smile of hers. He subconsciously reached to his ear, brushing his fingers over where she had grabbed him. He had spent many days and sleepless nights going through that moment in his head. When he did sleep, he dreamt visions of her, his fingers combing through those soft, yarn locks. In his dreams, he held her close to his chest where his heart beat like the thunderous clops of a cattle herd.

He hated those dreams and the way she made him feel. So, he did what he always did when he needed to clear his head. He picked a direction and rode. After two weeks of avoiding her, he finally hit the road and left. Some might call him crazy or a vagabond, but that was exactly what he was. A vagabond, a wanderer, a criminal. He woke up to the morning sun after one of these dreams, and the next thing he knew, he was on the road with nothing but a gun in its holster and a flask of whiskey. He brought up his bandana to his mouth. The desert air stung the back of his throat, and he could feel the dust entering his eyes and lungs, each speck scraping against the walls of his throat like a sticker burr.

As the sun began to set along the horizon, streaks of scarlet and gold spread across the sky like paint spread across a canvas. Jax set up camp for the night, and by the time he had finished, those golden streaks had faded into a deep indigo. The first stars peeked through the sky, looking down on the world like a thousand all-seeing eyes from some cosmic entity up above the earth, watching him as he skewered a cactus with his pocket knife and ridding it of its spines before roasting it over the flame. A skill his mother had taught him when he was a kit. The slimy innards quenched his thirst and hunger, if even for just a moment. Despite the short-lasting relief, he was grateful for it, as he had not eaten since leaving Cainston. Not since leaving her without so much as a word.

He wouldn't call his feelings towards her “love”. Love was something special. Something personal. Something beautiful. Ragatha was all of those things, but Jax was not. No…what he felt for the seamstress was more of an infatuation, or envy, one could say. She both confused and fascinated him. She always had a smile on her face. A smile that felt fake. The kindness she had been showing him disgusted him, and he knew better than to trust people like that. Nothing about them is genuine, and in the end, they’ll always want something from you. They slither into your mind like a cottonmouth and seep their teeth into you. Taking everything you have to give, and before you begin to realize what they’ve done, they leave you.

Despite this, Jax's fondness for her grew, and he knew he had to leave before this disgusting fondness could ensnare him. Jax was not a lover. He could not love when he had received none himself. He was neither kind nor tender. He had no love to give nor to receive. Jax could never love her. He looked at his revolver, opening and closing the cylinder again and again. He ran his finger across the barrel, feeling the jagged grooves of the makeshift engraving.

“Mía es la venganza; yo daré el pago”

He stared at it.

He stood up. He put out the fire. And he got on his horse.

He rode.

Was it away from her? Or was it away from himself? Those painful memories rising inside him burned like the sun. But he said nothing. He felt nothing. He refused to feel anything. He didn't deserve to. He was a criminal. A murderer. That’s all he would ever be.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ableton.

The railroad town was 20 miles north of Cainston. By comparison, it was very similar to Cainston. It too had a saloon, a general store, a doctor, a gunsmith, a tailor… The only substantial difference between the two towns was that Ableton lacked the distinct scent of cow shit. A welcome difference. Across from the saloon was the bank. A tall and imposing building that dwarfed the surrounding shops. Ableton was far wealthier than Cainston due to its location along the Continental Railway. Trade was a prosperous business here in comparison to the cowtown of Cainston, where the stockyards always reeked and there were more cows than people. Ableton’s bank was bound to be full of cash.

He hitched his horse outside the general store. This was once a routine of his before he had to hide in Cainston. He would arrive in a new town, grab a meal, lie low for a few hours, rob its bank, and make his escape before fleeing to another state. It was a routine he had been following since he was thirteen. As Jax walked into the store, he couldn't help but notice the clerk. The resemblance they had to Zooble was rather… unsettling. Their body was made up of the same mismatched toy parts; they had the same triangular head, with those large buggy eyes, as Jax liked to refer to them. The clerk would've passed for Zooble if it weren't for the colors and clothes. It was as if someone took all the eye-straining colors of Zooble and jumbled them up in the wrong order. Jax didn't like it.

He shook off the eerie feeling before turning his attention to the food. There was bread, candies, strawberries, apricots, salmon, beets, beans, corn… Jax flinched when he saw the shelf of canned corn. Why did they have to sell that god forsaken vegetable in every shop in the country? He grabbed a few cans of beans and a pack of dried beef, whatever was farthest away from the corn. He sighed and rubbed his eyes before walking to the counter.

“Just-”

“HELLO.” the Not-Zooble interrupted with a loud, indignant voice.

“Uhhhh… yeah I-”

“I’M BAZOOBLE YIBBA-DOOBA-DABBA-DOO”

Jax clenched his teeth. What was this guy's problem? “AHEM! I would like to-”

“WHats YOUR naMe, buNnY?!??”

“Thats none of your business, look I’m tired so ju-”

“WeLL THATS NoT VeRY nIcE!”

“Now hold o-”

“YoU ShOULD ReAlLY Be nICEr tO pEopLE! ThEY mIGHt LiKE yoU mOrE!”

“Ughhh, Jesus Chri-”

“YoU ReaLLY ARE aN AsShOLe!”

“Oh for the love of God! Just shut up!” Jax slammed his fist on the counter, fuming at the nerve of this mismatched, featherbrained, windbag. “You listen to me! I would like to buy THESE!” He held up a can of kidney beans. “From YOU!” He jabbed a finger at Bazooble, who maintained the same dumb-witted expression on their face. “I have been riding through the desert all night! The very last thing I need right now is a lunkhead like you to keep patronising me!” He chuckled while pulling out his gun, teasing it against their face. “I am a very dangerous person. I have done things to people you can't even fathom. You do NOT want to see what happens to people like you who think that you can call me an asshole. Do you understand me!?”

Jax was breathing heavily, his eyes were wide, and his knuckles whitened. Bazooble blinked, their eyes staring off in two different directions as Jax huffed down their shirt collar. “Oh! Well, wHY dIDn’t yOu juSt Say so, MiSter Rabbit? Hereeeeeeeee you gO!” They put the food in a paper bag and held out their hand for money. Jax scoffed and handed them a dollar. Bazooble blinked for a while and did not move for a good three minutes before Jax slammed his hands on the counter again.

“ByE ByE nOw, RaBbIt BOY!” Bazooble yelled as Jax left the store, his ears folded back in annoyance. And he thought the real Zooble was annoying… Good God, he needed a drink. Even the town drunks would be more normal than whatever the hell Bazooble was.

But before Jax could even reach the porch of the saloon, he heard what he at first thought was a barn owl screech, but upon looking where the sound had come from, he saw it was another ragdoll. Similar to how Bazooble looked like a poorly made Zooble, this Ragdoll looked eerily similar to Ragatha. Except this Ragatha had blue yarn hair and a deep red button eye. She did not look nearly as soft or sweet as Ragatha. Contrary to her usual periwinkle dress and petticoat, this woman was wearing a scarlet and black gown with the front hem up to her thighs. She wore black lace tights and long heels. Her hair was done up in messy curls rather than the braided bun Ragatha wore so elegantly. Instead of the beautiful blue ribbon ragatha wore, crimson feathers decorated her hair. She was waving at him, stumbling over her feet.

“Howdy there! HEY! You look like a nice, strong guy! C’mere! I’ll show ya a good time!” She slurred out before cackling again. If Bazooble infuriated Jax before, this mockery of Ragatha made him boil with hate.

“Fuck off, you whore.” He hissed through his clenched jaw.

“Well, you should at least get a drink with me! It's not polite for a man to deny a lady some company, OHOHOHOHOHO!”

Jax pushed her aside and sat down. The bartender was a man made of a clump of red orbs. “Just gimmie a whisky.” He sighed, slapping a dime onto the counter. Despite his aversion to eye contact, this doll was persistent.

“Awwww come on, you silly bunny! You should buy me something to drink! I think we should get to know each other!” She sat next to him, propping her legs up on another stool. “I haven't seen you around here before. Where you from?”

Jax ignored her and downed the shot. Jax was all too familiar with saloon girls. He had been with his fair share of them after a night of drinking, usually tonight wouldn't have been any different if it weren’t for this woman's disgusting resemblance to Ragatha. She acted so differently from her. So superficial and bland. He hated everything about her; she was nothing like Ragatha. Ugh… why was he even thinking about Ragatha right now anyway? He should be robbing the bank. But when he looked at this woman, he was filled with rage. He had left Ragatha so he could forget about her. Why was he thrown back into these dangerous, weak thoughts at the sight of this cheap, ugly copy of her? This loud, crass, drunk saloon girl?

“OHOHOHO! You should watch me dance! I sure know how to keep men like you entertained! Maybe after I could show you some other things I can do…”

The anger bubbled over. The fact that she even sounded like Ragatha, like she was mocking her sweet voice, made him furious. He snapped and shot her a death glare, smashing the shot glass on the bar.

“I don’t know who you think you are, but if you keep pestering me, I will kill you. I am not afraid to do it. So shut up, you sleazy, disgusting bitch.”

She stopped. Instead of scampering away in fear, she huffed. “Fine then. I can see when I’m not wanted, you filthy bastard. I’ll be on my way. But if you ever change your mind, you know where to find me,” she winked before moving on to another table where a few men were playing poker. Jax felt his eye twitch at the audacity of her comment.

He ordered one more shot before he decided to make his move. He walked across the street, passing a wanted poster for a bandit that looked like Pomni, but just like all the others he had met, looked slightly different. She had a bounty of $100. Jax smirked, his mood immediately lifting. Ah, well, at least he still had the higher bounty over one of these cheap doppelgangers. He stood in front of the bank, cracking his neck and rolling back his shoulders. This was just like the good ‘ol days. Jax whistled and walked in, and to his luck, the only one there was the bank teller. Jax chuckled, readying his revolver. When the teller turned around, Jax was left in a state of confusion. The teller looked exactly like him except… red. And more put together. His fur was smooth, and he wore a blue collared shirt and tie. He looked like he came straight from the big city. Jax immediately hated him more than all the others before.

“Oh! H-hi there! How may I help you? I love your outfit. You look r-really great. And look! You’re a rabbit too!” He gave him a shy smile and a wave. “I saw you talking to that saloon girl with the blue hair.. Y-you seem like a confidant, upstanding guy. I-I know we just met, but could you maybe put in a good word for me? Please?”

Jax flicked his ear. Of course… OF COURSE! God, what did he expect!? This whole town had done nothing but mock and belittle him, so of course, this limp wristed copy of him would be interested in the slutty mockery of someone as sickeningly sweet as Ragatha! This was the last straw! He wanted this son of a bitch dead! Jax pulled his bandana over his face, drawing his gun and aiming it right at the teller's head. “Put the money in the bag, you son of a bitch! You have ten seconds to get going before I riddle that ugly skull of yours with lead!”

The teller froze, and his hands shot up into the air. “Ah! Wait, ok! I’ll give you the money, just please don’t shoot me!” He began filling up a bag of cash, handing it to Jax with shaky hands. But that wasn't enough for him. The adrenaline was rushing, and he wanted to keep that high.

“Open the safe.”

“I-I’m not supposed to-”

“OPEN THE GODDAMN SAFE BEFORE I BLOW YOUR HEAD OFF!”

He opened the safe, and inside was a jackpot. Bill stacks, gold bars, jewelry, and bonds, enough to let him live a life of luxury for the rest of his days. Jax took everything he could carry before bolting out onto the streets. He hoisted himself onto his horse, and he gave the town a big middle finger before bolting off into the desert. Jax looked behind him and saw he was being pursued. He let out a crazed laugh. He hadn't felt so alive since… he…

BANG!

Jax felt a bullet whizz past his ear, the heat singeing the fur. So, they wanted a gunfight. Well then, that's what he was going to give them. A gunfight with THE Jax Conejo! Jax aimed his revolver behind him, pulling the trigger.

BANG!

Again.

BANG!

Again.

BANG!

A loud whail echoed across the desert as one of the men on horseback fell to the ground, blood spewing from his gut, the crimson liquid pooled into the dirt, and he stirred no more. Jax left the men pursuing him behind in a cloud of dust. He had escaped the law yet again! Another flawless robbery carried out by the fiercest outlaw in the country!

“Yah!” He spurred his horse onward, feeling the wind and dust against his face. This was what it meant to be alive! But then, his horse toppled to the ground following another ear-piercing bang, having been shot in the leg. Jax was thrown from its back, rolling across the rocky terrain, its skin scraping on the rocks and cacti. Before he could even reorient himself, a hand had grabbed him by the neck, and he was in a headlock. He left the familiar blade of a knife pressed against his neck. He turned his head up, where he saw the bandit from the wanted poster. She smiled with her sharp teeth.

“Hey there, fucker. You’re in some big trouble, aren’t you?”

Jax tried to break away from her grip. “Kiss my ass.”

“I wouldn’t say things like that if I were you.”

The men pursuing him caught up to him, their guns aimed at the two of them. A purple chess piece got off his horse and approached the two of them.

“Give him up. The rabbit is ours.”

She laughed. “Have you forgotten that I’m just returning the favor here? I'll give him to ya, but not until I have some cash. This petty robber should cost you… Let's say $100? Because if not, well, I’m afraid I'll have to show everyone what the inside of his throat looks like.”

Petty robber?! How dare she! He had a bounty far higher than hers! He was no petty robber! He had killed hundreds of men before; the man he had shot just now was simply another body to add to his count.

The chess piece gestured to the bags of money Jax had stolen from the bank. “Take what you see fit and get out of here.”

“Glad to see that you remember our agreement, Dictatorer. Alright then. I’ll be on my way. Enjoy the rabbit!”

The bandit smiled as she took a bag of cash, dropping Jax to the ground and riding away into the desert.

Jax’s arms and legs were soon bound in rope, and he was hoisted onto a horse's backside. He was in some deep shit.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

He was locked in the sheriff's office, his arms still bound now to the bed in his holding cell. Dictatorer slapped him across the face.

“Alright, you jackass. You're gonna be in here for a long time, you get me?”

Jax spat at him. That earned him another hit

“Where did you come from? I ain’t never seen you here around these parts before.”

“No hablo inglés, cerdo.” He smirked. He loved to toy with lawmen like this. He got beaten again, and the metallic taste of blood filled his mouth.

“Don’t bullshit me here, I know you can, rabbit! You'd best tell me the truth, or I’ll see to it that you’re hanged. I know folks like you all too well. You think you can come in here and rob us of our hard-earned cash? Well, we don't take too kindly to criminals like you. You killed one of our best men in cold blood! You think you’re so untouchable that you can get away with murder because you’ve gone so long in a lawless land. Well, times are changing! If it were up to me, I would have a noose around your neck by dawn! People like you are what's wrong with society. These are hard-working folks. Do you even think about what you did?!”

Jax spat the blood from his mouth and chuckled. “Si. Tu madre.”

The purple chess piece then pistol-whipped him, and everything went black.

Chapter Text

Ragatha’s scissors glided swiftly through the red fabric on the table in front of her, slicing it into strips. She worked with cultivated precision and skill, pinning the strips together with needles she held between her lips. She shifted over to her sewing machine, aligning the fabric beneath the needle, her foot resting on the pedal, pumping it rhythmically. She gently slid the fabric across the table, the machine needle moving up and down, stitching the pieces together. Once the base of the outfit was finished, she folded the ends over themselves and ran them under the machine again, ensuring a smooth hemline. She took her foot off the pedal and held up the vest, examining every seam under the lantern's light. She opened her sewing kit and took out her measuring tape, marking even slits across the front and snipping a hole along each mark. She took a needle out of her pincushion and slid a red thread through the eye, tying a knot around the end, before sliding the needle between the folds of fabric, stitching a barrier around each slit to make them into button holes. Ragatha glanced over to the small leather bag of golden buttons. Each was delicately engraved with a large “C” intertwined in olive branches. She took a button from the bag, turning it over in her hand. She lifted the red vest, threading the needle through the underside of it and up through the shank on the back of it. She did this twice, then three times, then six times, and then ten times, finally knotting the back to secure the button. She did this again with another button, and again. Each one was carefully stitched onto the vest. She held up her work, looking it over for any minute mistake she could have made, but no. Every seam was covered, and each button had been sewn on securely. It looked fancy. Just like the client she was making this vest for.

Now there was only one thing left to do. She closed her eyes and let out a breath, practicing her breathing so her hands would steady. Ragatha was just about to touch the needle to the vest again when she paused. Her hands were quivering over the fabric. She set the needle down.

“Come on, Ragatha, it’s just embroidery. You’ve done those before! Get a hold of yourself!” She slapped herself before lifting the needle again, but she froze; her hand began to shake more and more. She let out a huff of frustration and jammed the needle into the pincushion, or at least that’s what she was trying to do. Ragatha thrust the needle right into her soft, fabric hand.

She jolted back in pain. “Ah! Oh owowowowow… AH SHIT!” She held out her hand, ripping out the needle with a wince. Bloody cotton began to fall from her wound, dripping onto the ground. Each slight movement ripped more of her skin open. “Oh no no no! Shit shit SHIT!” Ragatha began to panic. Gangle was with Zooble, so she was alone in the shop with no one to help her. She began to frantically search the shelves, a trail of bloody cotton following her. She felt around the dusty corners, her fingers passing between sheets of fabric stacked upon the shelves and over spools of thread until she found the roll of dressing. She fumbled the roll in her hands before quickly wrapping it around her wound, the red of her blood seeping into the white dressing. When the bleeding stopped, she removed the wrap, getting a better look at her cut. The fabric has ripped from a small prick to a button-sized hole in her hand. One of the larger holes on her hand she’s had to sew up before. As she closed her wound, she glanced back at the vest and the needle with the golden thread that lay beside it. Right. She was supposed to embroider a monogram… She got up and began to walk back to her desk. She rubbed the new stitching on her hand with her finger, each step towards that foreboding golden string weighing her down. It felt like all her stuffing had fallen into her legs; each step felt agonizing and heavy. She sat down, lifting the needle with her scarred, bloody hand, thrusting it into the fabric.

“You’re doing it wrong, Ragatha!” She swallowed the lump back into her throat.

“Ragatha, did you do this with your eyes closed?!” Sweat began to drip from her brow.

“You are a disgrace to this family!” She could feel her own eye shaking in her skull.

“I did not leave my country behind and sacrifice everything I did, only for you to make an embarrassment of me!” A tear ran down her face.

“Don't you dare cry! You know you deserve this! Now stitch that up before you bleed all over your dress.” Ragatha finally knotted and cut the string.

The monogram was finished. A beautiful “C” curled around an “A” and “E”. Ragatha stared at it. Flawless. Not a single stitch out of place or warped, just a perfect, golden monogram. She clutched her hand, covered in faded stitch marks, each one a reminder of a past mistake. The feeling of the needles that were stuck into her small, soft hands as a child stung, taunting her. She gazed upon the golden lettering and felt nothing. No joy in what she had created, no disappointment in her antiquity. She simply gave the vest an empty, tired smile, nothing behind her eyes. “I did it, mama. Just like you taught me.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ragatha was cleaning once again. The sun had set, and the only source of light came from the oil lamp outside. She was organizing fabrics, sweeping the dust from the floor, and preparing the red vest for the client. Truthfully, she was cleaning the shop not just to prepare for closing, but also so it would look somewhat presentable for when the mayor came to pick up his vest. As she was polishing up the cash register, she heard the soft jingle of the bell and turned to the door. Gangle was finally back, and she was laughing with Zooble, her ribbons tied around their arm. Ragatha smiled. They looked so happy together.

“Thank you, Zooble. I...” Gangle blushed, gently unwrapping her ribbons from their arm. “I had a really great time.”

Zooble looked back at her, their eyes soft. “Mhm… No problem, Gangle. Oh, howdy, Ragatha. Sorry, we took so long. How are you doing?”

Ragatha blinked, not expecting them to acknowledge her. To be honest, she was quite embarrassed for ruining their moment. They were clearly so happy together. She felt guilty. “Oh! I did just fine. I’m just getting ready for some last-minute client pick-ups; you two carry on! I won't hold you!” She said while shuffling awkwardly to the other side of the room.

Gangle couldn't help but giggle. “Ok, Ragatha.” When she made eye contact with Zooble again, her giggles trailed off as her porcelain face turned completely red. Zooble blushed too.

“Hey, so-”
“So Gan-”

They spoke over each other. Both stopped, not wanting to interrupt the other.

“I’m sorry-”
“That was my fault-”

They paused again, embarrassed to have spoken on top of each other again.

“You go first, Zooble.”

“Oh, alright. I just wanted to ask you if…. Maybe you’d like to go somewhere sometime, not for business. Maybe we could go to the sweets shop together and talk? Would you… like that?”

Gangle's eyes widened, the blush completely taking over her face. “Yes! Yes! I’d uh…. I would really, really like that.”

“O-Oh! I’m glad. I’ll see you tomorrow, then?”

“I’ll see you then.”

As the door shut behind Zooble, Gangle let out a squeal. “Ragatha! Did you see that? Zooble actually wants to…. OH! B-but what if I say something wrong? They’re so amazing and sweet… What if they end up hating me?”

Ragatha ran over to her. “Hey, hey, calm down. Everything is going to be fine. I’m so happy for you! I told you that they’re gonna see how amazing you are!”

Gangle looked at her with uncertainty.

“Be yourself, Gangle. Zooble clearly likes you just as much as you like them. You are worth so much, and Zooble sees that. I see that.”

Gangle teared up and hugged her. “I don’t deserve a friend like you.”

“Aw, Gangle…”

“Your advice really helped me out. Thank you.”
Ragatha had never felt so appreciated. It was nice. She gazed out the window and watched as the dim lantern outside flickered when a man began to approach the shop. She froze. “Oh shit!” She broke away from Gangle's hug and rushed to clean up the rest of her workspace. Everything had to look clean and presentable; this was the mayor after all.

Gangle looked outside as well. “Oh! Is the mayor here?”

Ragatha had just finished putting away her sewing machine when the door opened.

“Why, howdy there, Miss Ragatha!” A short man with a thunderous voice stood in the doorway. Caine was an odd fellow, so to say. He wore a dark grey suit with a golden bee embroidered onto his collar, and atop his head was a black cowboy hat. He stood out against the rest of the town, not just because of his wealth as mayor, but also due to his mannerisms. He always spoke with a booming, grandiose voice; many people would suspect he was a traveling salesman or a circus ringmaster. However, once you really got to know him, it would become clear he was a true politician. He had arrived in the town almost a decade ago, when it was just a simple cowtown, and quickly garnered support and soon won election after election for mayor. No one really knew where he was from, but many suspected some big-shot city like New York or New Orleans. Caine was more of a figurehead than anything. Sheriff Gummigoo was the one always working behind the scenes to keep the town running smoothly.

Ragatha leaned her body against her desk, attempting to hide the mess. “Oh! Welcome, Mister Mayor, sir! I hope you’re doing well!”

“Oh, I’m doing just dandy, my dear! Now, about that vest I requested.” Caine gave her a wide smile, not that his smile could be anything except wide; his head is just a set of teeth after all.

“Of course, sir, it’s right here!” Ragatha let out a laugh to conceal her nerves. Gangle grabbed the hanger the vest hung upon, handing it to Ragatha, giving her a smile and a thumbs up, before heading upstairs. Ragatha’s hands were shaking as Caine inspected it, sweat was beading on her forehead, and her heart was pounding against her chest. She probably made it the wrong style, or the buttons weren’t sewn tight enough. She made mistakes so easily, and this business has no room for errors. And making a mistake for someone as high profile as Caine would end her business. Everything she’d worked so hard for, every scar she had earned at the hands of her mother, would have been for nothing. Her heart quickened, and she could barely draw a breath. She was exactly what her mother said she was. If she failed, she deserved it.

Ragatha waited with bated breath for Caine to tear into her, but nothing happened. Instead, the mayor was smiling.

“Oh, Miss Ragatha, you outdid yourself with this one! This is fantastic, stupendous even! ‘Wunderbar,’ as they say in Germany! Have you ever been to Germany, Miss Ragatha?”

“Oh actually, I-”

“Of course you haven't! I’m the only one with money in this town AHHAHAHAHA! But soon you’ll be raking in the dough yourself! In all my years, I have never seen such stellar craftsmanship! From now on, you, yes, you Miss Ragatha, shall be making all of my clothes! And as for the vest, here is your payment as we agreed.” Caine reached into his suit pocket and pulled out a stack of bills, handing them to her. She flipped through the bills, counting each one. It was double the original price.

“Opps, he gave me too much.” She thought, turning to him. “Mister Mayor! You gave me too much by mistake.” He started to hand the bills back to him, but he stopped her.

“It’s no mistake, My Dear! Your work was so marvelous, so outstanding, that I will be paying no less than double! Maybe I should make it triple….

“Oh no! You really don’t have to do that, Mister Mayor, Sir! But I…” She looked down at the bills in her hands. $50. That was enough money for a new sewing machine, shop renovations, and three months' worth of groceries! Ragatha was in complete disbelief. This was more than anything she could have dreamed of. “You’re too generous, really.”

“Oh nonsense, my dear! From now on, you work for me! There is plenty more money in it for you and your assistant! Goodnight, Miss Ragatha! I look forward to seeing you again!” Caine gave a bow before sauntering out the door.

Ragatha held the bills in her hands, her thumb gently brushing over the detailed printing. The most powerful man in the valley wanted her to work for him. And if just one job could earn her this much…

“Gangle! Gangle look! HAHA! Look at this! All of this for just one job! We’re set for life!” Ragatha said, giddy with excitement.

Gangle was lying in her bed trying to sleep. “Huh? Oh yeah. That's great, Ragatha…” She yawned.

Ragatha immediately covered her mouth with her hands. “I’m so sorry, Gangle. I just got excited and…” Sigh. “We’ll talk in the morning, ok? You just go back to sleep.” She gently shut the door behind her before getting ready for bed herself. She set the money in the safe box under one of the floorboards and stared up at the ceiling, stretching out her sewn hand. She observed the slightly off-color thread that held her skin together. Today, she proved her momma wrong. As she began to shut her eyes and fall asleep, one last worry clouded her mind. One that hadn’t crossed her thoughts for days. Where was Jax?

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ragatha sipped her tea across from Kinger, on his front porch. Tea time with Kinger had become a tradition for the two of them. Every Sunday, they would sit on his porch after Church and drink tea, talking about their week. This time, Kinger was showing her his collection of Revolutionary War memorabilia. “My grandfather fought in that war. He would always tell me stories about his time fighting all those redcoats. And he gave me all of this when he passed. I treasure it deeply. Heh. Funny how I would end up fighting a war, too. More tea?” Ragatha nodded, letting Kinger pour her another cup.

“I didn’t know you fought in the war,” Ragatha said

“Heh, oh yeah, I don’t think I’ve ever told you about that,” Kinger muttered. “It was… horrifying. I wouldn’t wish what I went through on anyone, but I did meet my wife there.”

“I didn’t know you had a wife…”

“She was funny and smart… She lived just south of the Mason-Dixon line, where I was stationed. She and I would sneak out sometimes to see each other… After the war ended, we got married and moved out west.” His eyes glazed over as the memories flooded into his head. “Turns out that some people didn’t like or understand us… We were used to harassment, but… well…” Tears prickled his eyes, his grip on the table tightening. He began to shake as the memories flooded his mind. As he stuttered over his words, Ragatha reached out and gently touched his hand, A look of concern on her face. Kinger's breathing slowed, and he looked at Ragatha once again. “Ah, I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me…”

Ragatha kept her hand resting on Kingers. “I should go. I’m so sorry for bringing that up, Kinger.” As she got up to leave, Kinger stopped her.

“Oh no, don’t go. That wasn’t your fault. That was nobody’s fault. I’m sorry I… I really am. Here, why don’t we just change the subject? I can show you some other things, like my bug collection or some old arrowheads.”

Ragatha hesitated. She was clearly making things worse for him, bringing back those horrid memories for him. But, the look in Kinger's eyes, that look that said “please, stay.” Made her sit down again. Kinger poured her another cup, helping the tension fade into the back of their minds. And then, Kinger began to ramble once again, as if nothing had ever happened. She rested her head against her hand and let him talk for hours. As the sun began to set, Ragatha realized she should probably get back home.

“Thanks again for the tea, Kinger. I had a really swell time. I should probably get back home before dark. Here, I’ll help you clean up.”

“Oh, don’t worry about it, Ragatha. I can do it myself. Maybe you could come again sometime next week! I could invite the Mildenhalls! I’m sure they’d love you.” Kinger said.

“I’d love that Kinger.” She nodded her head and turned to leave, not before cleaning up, regardless, when Kinger called out to her.

“Oh, and Ragatha, I forgot to ask. How’s your search for that rabbit fella going?”

Ragatha stopped. Right. Jax. She’d been worried about him, but between the order from Caine and helping Gangle with her dates with Zooble, she had almost forgotten about him. He’d probably left the town behind for good. Even though she knew this fact, it still stung a bit. Despite her better judgment, she wanted to understand him.

“I haven’t seen him around here in weeks. I think he’s gone for good.”

“You don’t know that for sure.”

“No, I’m pretty sure. It’s fine. I knew him for what, a month? He’s long gone by now.”

Ah alright. Goodbye Ragatha.” Kinger waved as Ragatha made her way home, now with more uncertainty than before.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ragatha walked down the dusty streets of Cainston, her mind racing. She couldn’t help but worry about Jax. What if he was lost or hurt out there? What if he is dead? Her mind was teeming with thoughts of every scenario, her worry clouding her head in a hazy fog. She was so wrapped up in her own thoughts that she didn’t even realize Pomni was riding towards her.

“Whoa! Ragatha!” Pomni yanked back on her horse's reins, causing it to rear. This snapped Ragatha out of her thoughts, almost falling to the ground.

“Buagh! Oh, Pomni! I’m so sorry, I wasn’t paying attention. That was completely my fault! You aren’t hurt, are you? Is your horse okay?!”

Pomni patted her chestnut mare. “It’s okay. Just be more careful next time. It was partially my fault, too. I was riding a bit fast.” Pomni tied her Morgan outside the Sheriff's office, and as the horse turned its flank towards Ragatha, she noticed what she thought was a parcel on its back wasn't a parcel at all! But rather, it was a person tied by their hands and feet.

“Oh my God! Pomni! What happened?!”

“Huh? Oh, don’t worry about it. I caught her trying to steal some of the herd, so now I’m just going to hand her to Gummigoo and let him deal with it.”

“Her?” Ragatha took a closer look at the unconscious body, and sure enough, Pomni was right. The bandit wore a long-sleeved white undershirt covered by a dulled yellow and red vest. Her hair was cut to her chin, not unlike Pomni’s own hair. Come to think of it, this lady looked a lot like Pomni. Scarily so. “That's… concerning.”

Pomni hoisted the bandit over her shoulder. “Ngh… I’ll be right back. You can wait out here with Butterscotch if you want.”

Ragatha’s eyes lit up. “Yes! Of course! I’d love to!” She paused, “Uhhh, being with Butterscotch, I mean! Not waiting out here without you. I’m not avoiding you on purpose or anything like that, I just-”

“Hey Ragatha, stop. I know what you meant. No need to get all flustered about it.”

“But I was just trying to tell you…” Ragatha sighed. “Actually, I’ll just come in with you. Butterscotch’ll be alright on her own.”

Pomni’s brow furrowed slightly. “Are you… okay?”

“What?! PSH I’m fine! Great event! Let’s just head in! It’s been a while since I’ve seen Gummigoo, anyway! HAha….” Ragatha trailed off. She clenched her jaw so tight that she could hear the screech of her teeth grinding against each other. “You did it again, Ragatha. You screwed up yet another relationship. She thinks you hate her, and now she hates you. Way to go,” she thought to herself. First, she triggered Kinger's trauma over his wife, and now this? Why was she like this? Why did she have to make everybody around her hate her? It felt like a thousand needles stabbing into her stomach. Ragatha saw that Pomni was already walking through the door. Flustered, she brushed away her spiraling thoughts as she rushed to follow her in.

Sheriff Gummigoo’s office was a simple room. Towards the front of the room was a large oak desk, covered with an assortment of open journals, loose documents, and pens. The walls were lined with photographs and laws. On Gummigoo’s desk was a framed photo of an older gummy gator with a warm smile, presumably his mother. In the other corner of the room was a jail cell with a cot just big enough to sleep on. Gummigoo had just come down the stairs to the 2nd floor. He wore his usual leather vest with boots and a worn, brown cowboy hat. His sheriff's badge was pinned to his chest.

“Oi, what’s goin’ on here? I-” He paused. Looking at Pomni, then to the unconscious bandit, then to Ragatha, and back to Pomni. “Bloody Christ, Pomni, what happened?!”

“She tried to steal my cattle. Figured I should just let you deal with her.”

“Ok, ugh, Jesus, just… throw her in the cell, would ya?”

Pomni plopped her into the cell and shut the door, Gummigoo locking it behind her.

“Ah, sorry about that, ladies. Would you like anything to drink at all?”

Ragatha started to say, “Oh! Thank you, Gummigoo! Pomni and I would lo-”

“I’m fine, actually, thank you.” Pomni finished. Ragatha looked at her, embarrassed. How could she have been so quick to assume? The tension between the two of them grew, and the silence spoke volumes before Ragatha retreated back into her chair. She gave an awkward wave to Gummigoo, hoping that striking up a conversation with him would lighten the mood.

But before he could open his mouth to respond, the bandit began to stir. “Uuughhhh… fuck…”

She even sounded like Pomni. It was unsettling.

The not-pomni looked around, her eyes adjusting to the light. “Oh fuck! Come on!” she whined

“A’right lass, lets cut the bullshit. What's your name?” Gummigoo rubbed his eyes.

“Wouldn’t you like to know.” She couldn’t help but snicker.

“You ain’t in a position to mock me, miss. Ya stole cattle from Pomni here, and that’s gonna earn you ‘bout 5 years.”

“Psh. So? I’ve gotten worse threats from dogs. Fucking. Dogs. Your words don’t mean jack shit to me.”

“Miss, don’t make me resort to violence in front of the ladies.”

“Oh, so they’re ladies now, I see how it is.” She rolled her eyes, glaring at Pomni, who responded with an equally deadly stare. “You seem like an upstanding guy. You want money? I can get you money. That's what you lawmen like, right? Money”

Gummigoo grumbled, “Ya tryin’ to bribe me? Unless you got $5,000 for the cattle rustling, I ain’t interested.” He opened a book of legal warrants and bounties, flipping through the pages, attempting to find a description of the woman in the cell. Nothing. Either this was a first offence, or her bounty had not yet reached this county. Gummigoo suspected the latter, but without any proof, he could only charge her for the cattle.

Ragatha observed over his shoulder, catching glimpses of mugshots and bounties. All of them looked about the same. Scary. A mannequin here, a frog there, until something, or rather someone, caught her eye. “Wait, Gummigoo!”

He looked up at her. “You found her bounty, Miss Ragatha?”

“No, no… Could I see this for a moment?” She let Gummigoo gently hand her the book. As she speedily flipped through the pages, she stopped. Her heart raced as she tried to catch her breath. No… no, it couldn’t be… but there he was. A crude illustration of a tall rabbit in a poncho, with a crude smile spread across his face. His piercing yellow eyes were covered by the brim of his hat. Below the illustration were words that made her heart stop like a cow dropping dead on its side. “WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE: “Jax Conejo” REWARD: $200 for robbery.” She nearly dropped the book. She stared at the poster; a million thoughts raced in her head. This had to be a mistake, right? But sure enough, there was his name. Inked in black. Was this why he left town? He was a robber, a bandit, the scum of this world.

The Bandit took notice of Ragatha’s distress, a sny smile creeping across her face. “Oh, that rabbit. Heheh. I know him very well, indeed.”

Ragatha snapped her head over to her, her eyes intense. “Y-you do?”

“You could say that… yeah. Maybe I’d be willing to tell you a little about him, if you let me go, of course.”

Ragatha rushed over to the cell. Gummigoo and Pomni both stood up, trying to stop her.

“Now, Miss Ragatha, you’re in no place to-”

“Where is he?” Ragatha gripped the bars; her mind was a whirlwind of worry and anger. She needed the truth; this had to have been a mistake. Jax wouldn’t do such things, she knew it in her heart. But if this bandit had a clue to where he was, she had to find out.

“Let me out, then I’ll talk.”

Ragatha looked back to Gummigoo and Pomni, her eyes full of worry and desperation. “Sherif, please…”

“Miss Ragatha, I can’t just let her walk. She broke the law! Wherever Jax is, it’s out of my jurisdiction. Goddamn it, how did I not know that he was… fuck!” Pomni put her hand on his arm, calming him down.

“Wait, I’m confused. Ragatha, why do you care about him?" Pomni asked

Ragatha paused. Why DID she care about him? “I just… I don't want him to hurt anyone.” That was a fat lie. “Can’t we negotiate something? If this really is him, uhh… we can try him for his crimes here??” She tried to keep up her unsure smile. Truth be told, she just didn’t want him to get hurt. Sure, Jax was a little rough around the edges, but that doesn't necessarily mean anything! There was no way he was a hardened criminal… right?

Gummigoo sighed. “I suppose so… but I can’t just let her go free like this. And I don’t want to risk the lives of my deputies over some guy who’s out of our jurisdiction!"
“Gummigoo, please. I just want to make sure everyone is safe from this… criminal.” She muttered.

Gummigoo said nothing. But then, Pomni spoke up. “Yeah. Gummigoo. I agree with Ragatha. We can’t let him go out and hurt more people. I don’t care about the cattle rustling anymore, what matters is putting someone who's actually a threat in jail.”

Ragatha wanted to speak up, to clarify that he wasn’t a threat, but she held her tongue. Pomni was offering to help her! Gummigoo looked back and forth between the two and sighed.

“Alright then. Let's get this done with.” He turned to the bandit in the cell. “Now, tell us what you know, and you’re off the hook. But don’t you dare let me see yer face ‘round here again.” He held the keys to the cell in his hands. The Bandit chuckled.

“You ever been to Ableton? That rabbit? Yeah, he’s over there last time I saw ‘em.”

“Ableton?” Ragatha had never heard of the town.

“ ‘Bout a day’s trip north of here.” She smiled, showing off her sharpened teeth. “Your little boyfriend got into some trouble over there, heh.”

"He is NOT my boyfriend!” Ragatha interjected rather indignantly.

“Oh, I’m sure he isn’t. You wanna know what he did?” She whispered, taunting her. “He robbed a bank. And you know what else? He shot a man. Right between the eyes. And he smiled while doing it.”

Ragatha paused. Those words echoed in her skull. Shot a man. No. No. Jax wouldn't have done something so heinous, so vile. It stung her insides like a thousand needles. This bandit was lying; she had to be. She was lying! This bitch was lying to her!

In a swift movement, blinded by rage, she balled up her fist and punched her square in the nose. Blood oozed from where she had struck, the bandit's face now bloody.

“RAGATHA! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!” Pomni pulled her away from the bandit. “What the hell is wrong with you?!”

Ragatha paused, her rage subsiding. She looked at her hand, now stained with blood. Oh God… She looked back at Pomni. “Pomni I… I-I’m so sorry, I don’t know what came over me!” Ragatha had ruined it yet again. Pomni looked at her with disgust. She hated her. Ragatha ruined everything she touched. She hated herself. What had she done?

Gummigoo took the girls outside, leaving his deputies, Max and Chad, to deal with the bandit who was still taunting them.
“Jesus, Ragatha, you can’t just do that.”

“Gummigoo I-I’m so sorry, I don’t know why I-”

“It’s alright, miss. She deserved it.” Gummigoos' soft, sympathetic eyes met Ragatha, quieting her down. Both of them secretly wanted to do it. It was just a matter of who would do it first.

“Alright, let’s get going.” He led Ragatha to the stables while Pomni grabbed Butterscotch and Gummigoos' horse. “Okay, Miss Ragatha. You ever ridden a horse before?”

Ragatha was still looking at her hands; her pupil was shaking.

“You alright? Don’t worry about what happened earlier. If it wasn’t you, it would’ve been me.” He lightly chuckled, trying to lighten the mood.

A flash of pain.

“Ragatha?”

Seething anger.

“Miss Ragatha?”

The sound of screaming.

“Hello?”

Blood on the walls, on her hands.

“Miss Ragatha!”

The screams were silenced. Now replaced by an all-consuming guilt.

A snap.

“Huh? Oh, I’m sorry, Gummigoo. I’m just a bit tired, that's all. What were you saying?”

“Ah, sorry, Miss Ragatha, I was just asking if you’ve ridden before.”

“O-Oh!” Ragatha lit up, the burning pain fading, now replaced with excitement. “I have actually! I really love horses! I rode them all the time when I was younger!”

“Oh well, that's perfect then! Means I won’t have to teach ya.” The stablehand brought out a beautiful Blue Roan with a speckled coat. Her eyes sparkled as she laid her eyes upon it.
“Oh my goodness! Ahhhh! She’s adorable!! What's her name?” She rushed over, gently running her hands over the mare’s neck. She laughed as the horse nudged her with its muzzle. “Aww! Hello, you sweet baby! Oh, you’re just the cutest little thing, ain’t you?”

Gummigoo looked over from where he was talking to the stablehand. “Her name’s Babette. I got her a few years ago from a traveling merchant, but she was a bit small for me. Might be perfect for you, though.”

Ragatha was already busy coddling Babette, like a child would a stuffed animal. “She’s wonderful!” She cooed. “Gummigoo, I don’t know what to say.”

“Don’t worry ‘bout it. I ain’t got much use for her, so I don’t see why I shouldn’t let you keep her.”

Ragatha’s eyes widened. “Surely not! Gummigoo! That's too generous!” She looked back at Babbette, stroking her mane. “Thank you!”

She led Babette to where Pomni was waiting with the other horses. The joyful mood had now shifted. The pit in her stomach returned, and the air turned thick like molasses. Ragatha and Pomni said nothing to each other as they sat atop their steeds. The three of them rode into the desert. That pit inside her started to feel heavier and heavier, only comforted by Babette and the steady sounds of hooves on rock. All she could bring herself to think about now was Jax. She prayed to God, or to whoever might be listening, that he was alive. The bandits' words repeated in her mind. “He shot a man.” She believed everyone deserved a chance, but what if the bandit was right? What was she to do if Jax was a murderer? A merciless killer with blood on his hands? She glanced down at her own mitten hands, and the stitching that made up her scars seemed ever so slightly darker. No matter how many times she fixed them, she’d end up cutting them open again and again and again. The needles would just keep thrusting into her flesh over and over, and the blood would keep pouring out from her wounds, never fully washing away. An eternal reminder of her sins.

Blood does not wash from fabric so easily.