Chapter Text
Pomni fidgeted in her folding chair as she struggled to concentrate on Gangle's speech. Despite being in the front row, the words didn't fully register in her mind. A grand red curtain hid the rest of the art gallery as Gangle stood in front of it, chittering into the built-in microphone of a podium. The sincere joy in her amplified voice contrasted starkly with Pomni's nerves. Her pied eyes darted between the curtain, her gloved hands in her lap, and Ragatha seated next to her. She strained to keep them from wandering anywhere behind her, where Gummigoo was sitting with Max and Chad a couple rows back.
The trio of gummy crocodiles stood out easily in the crowd of oft-used art mannequin NPCs. Normally she'd be excited by his presence; he had a special way of brightening her mood without fail. Part of her was happy, of course, but with the current situation, his attendance was ample cause for suspicion and concern. Today was supposed to be all about Gangle; this adventure was born to simulate the accomplishments she couldn't reach in the real world. It was why she hadn't lost her comedy mask or whimpered or cowered since they all stepped through the portal. It was why her speech was so honest, open, and deserving of attention.
"I'd like to thank my associate director, Zooble, for all their hard work in getting this event ready for tonight. I'd also like to give a huge thanks to the rest of my community college friends for their support over the years. They inspired me to keep going and finish my art degree when I thought I should just give up."
Jax, who sat on Ragatha's other side, audibly snorted. She elbowed him with a brute, "Shh!" to which he elbowed her back and quietly hissed, "You shh!"
Gangle continued with an affectionate and oblivious gesture to the front row. "Without them, none of this would be possible. Let's give them a round of applause."
A polite clapping session rippled through the crowd as Ragatha, Jax, Zooble, and Kinger waved in acknowledgment. Pomni did too, albeit late. Her gaze slid toward the forbidden zone, locking on to the yellow-and-green gentleman she cared so deeply for. The contact was as heartstopping as it was brief. She instantly twisted back in her chair.
"Let's see..." Gangle glanced upward, tapping her chin. "I think that about wraps everything up. I am proud to say the grand opening of my art gallery is now official! Please enjoy your stay and take your time browsing all the exhibits! Feel free to approach me or Zooble with any questions you may have, but please refrain from taking photographs of anything!"
Jax cleared his throat loudly. "Ahem! You're forgetting something, Ms. Director!"
A moment of confusion swept her face before she understood. "Oh, right! And please be sure to join us for the after party at the nightclub next door come closing time! It's been exclusively reserved for all of you, my humble guests!"
"And it's the only reason some of us even agreed to be here," Jax added with a smug grin.
The red curtain behind the podium was pulled open by two mannequin security guards, revealing the rest of the classy interior. Paintings, drawings, digital art, and even 3D renders lined the walls within their own areas. Each piece was illuminated by soft lighting. Some were in their own glass display case; others were sectioned off by rope. Every one of them was personally created by Gangle's hand, most of it in the style of typical anime. Subjects varied in genre from horror to adventure to romance.
Pomni wanted to be happy for her. Unfortunately, the guilt of not acting supportive enough was too weak to override her sense of worry.
Upon first arriving at the gallery, she happened to spot a familiar candy-themed rig from the window and assumed it was merely passing by. Later, Gummigoo and his crew entered the lobby, cementing their place in today's adventure. It was a bad sign. Caine's final words before sending them away from the circus earlier that day haunted her...
"Remember, the portal won't appear to pick you guys up until three o'clock in the morning! Meet back at the gallery by then! Have fun, but not too much fun! I'm sure this adventure will be a real... shall we say... blast. Hmhmhmhmhm." He laughed suspiciously at his own little joke.
It didn't take much to put two and two together. Blast? Art exhibit? NPCs whose initial function was that of troublesome bandits? A heist was brewing, and it sounded like it would be a violent one.
She grew more uncomfortable with each passing minute. Caine let them believe today was all about a peaceful adventure dedicated to Gangle, but he tricked them by deploying the candy bandits. Even worse, her conjecture was just that—conjecture—and the surest way to prove anything was to wait for the chaos to unfold. However, panicking about it would do no good for herself or the others... so her plan was to blend in with the patrons while secretly keeping an eye on the three crocodiles. The moment any of them tried anything, she'd stop them somehow, someway.
Engaging in stealth would be easier if she wasn't anxiety-riddled and if it wasn't her favorite NPC she had to be subtle around. Eavesdropping on their conversations was impossible if she didn't want to blow her cover. Were they sizing up the value of each artwork? Were those glances toward every security camera on the ceiling a means of mapping out the area?
At times, the gummy trio looked at exhibits together and at other points, they split up. Keeping her distance from all three was tough; she nearly bumped into Max after rounding a corner, which was one close call too many. Maybe she should report her suspicions to Gangle now, at least. Better safe than sorry.
Seizing the chance to speak with her alone as soon as it presented itself, she got straight to the point. "Hey, Gangle? Did you see that Gummigoo is here?"
"Hm? Yeah, I noticed. Kinda hard not to when all the other NPCs are art mannequins. Makes him look weird in comparison, huh? Oh, but no offense, Pomni."
"That's alright. I just thought I should warn you about him, since, you know, he's a bandit and this is your art gallery and all."
Gangle frowned, puzzled. "Wasn't he also one of the NPCs that showed up at Spudsy's, too? He didn't try to rob us or anything back then. He was a normal customer if I remember right."
"Yeah, but Caine was acting strange before sending us here. He said this adventure would be a 'blast' and then laughed about it."
"Oh. I guess that is pretty suspicious. But not to worry! I've got a good security system in place if something bad happens."
She stood tall and placed her hands on her hips, but her confidence didn't rub off on Pomni. The few security guards patrolling the gallery didn't look threatening. They all carried nightsticks. Weapons like that wouldn't stand a chance against whatever "blasters" Caine might've snuck in.
She did bring up a good point about the Spudsy's adventure, though. Maybe Pomni was overthinking things. Maybe Gummigoo and his friends were just here to admire the art like all the other guests.
Maybe it would be okay after all if she... talked to him?
She pushed the idea out of her head, scolding herself for entertaining such a premise. If she talked to him, she'd be happy. And if she was happy, then it would hurt too much when she had to say goodbye. She didn't want to go through that awkward pain again, so it was wiser to let him be. She'd keep to herself and focus on the art exhibit. Gangle deserved her full support for achieving her artistic dreams in this made-up world.
Ending their talk with well-meaning congratulatory wishes, she walked off to view the gallery in its entirety.
There was one piece that stood out from the others because, surprisingly, she was in it. Not just her—the whole crew was together. It was a traditional drawing titled College Days that almost directly mirrored Gangle's slice of life anime high school adventure suggestion from a while back. They were all in uniform and smiling. Pomni reminded herself of the role given to her today, that of a former community college student. It was her part to play and if she worked to ground herself in it, then it'd be easier to chill out until they had to return to the circus.
Ten o'clock was the art gallery's closing time and no hint of a robbery took place. Caine's strange remark still nagged at the back of her mind, but its effect was much weaker now. She relaxed considerably.
Everyone filed out to begin the next phase of the event: the after party. The building next door was adorned with neon lights. Jax shoved his way to the front of the crowd and was first to burst the doors open.
"Alright, party time!"
He was greeted by an underwhelming atmosphere. The interior was clean and classy, similar to where they just came from. There were paintings and statues for décor, chandeliers and pendant lights hanging from the ceiling, cozy loveseats and ottomans for relaxation... At the back of the room was a small stage where an equally small band of art mannequins played classical music.
Jax stood frozen in the doorway with his arms spread wide, grinning ear to ear as the crowd moved around him to get inside.
"Gangle?" he asked as she reached him, still poised in the same position.
"Y-Yes?"
"I thought the after party was happening in a nightclub."
"It is."
He dropped his arms, along with his smile and ears. "This isn't a nightclub, it's a... lounge! Where's the DJ booth? The spotlights? The dance poles? Can't you do anything right?"
Unafraid and unabashed, Gangle snapped a quick retort. "If you don't like it, then go drown your disappointment at the bar."
Jax scoffed toward the long fancy counter set at an adequate distance from the stage. "I bet that juice stand doesn't even have brandy."
"Actually, I think the hardest liquor they have is the stupid sauce from Spudsy's."
"Ugh, that stuff again. Figures." His eyes zeroed in on the NPC band. "I'm gonna see what I can do about the music."
No one tried to stop him as he sauntered across the room. His outspoken comments didn't insult Gangle, but her friends took the time to reassure her about the club anyway. They liked it just the way it was.
Once again, Pomni avoided Gummigoo and his buddies, opting to seek Ragatha's company as a distraction. A heist was still within the realm of possibility; the gallery was close by and making their move now would be all the more unexpected. Caine could certainly pull something like that off at the last minute. If she thought about it too much, her nerves would build up again, so chatting with Ragatha was the best way to keep calm.
They ended up standing against a wall near the restrooms, talking about their favorite pieces from the exhibit and how nice it was to see Gangle in high spirits.
An NPC security guard marched past them at one point, twirling his nightstick. Ragatha's mouth twitched upward. "Heh, for not having fingers, those art mannequins sure are dexterous... Oh, did you notice a lot of the guests are wearing monocles? I thought that was a cute detail. It's like they're the rich snobs of this world, but they're judging which anime artwork is the highest quality."
She paused, still smiling. Instead of changing the subject, to Pomni's surprise, she continued by bringing up another NPC...
"You kept looking at that gummy gator in the gallery, but you haven't talked to him yet. I thought for sure you'd want to hang out with him here, not with me."
The digital muscles in Pomni's body tensed as her eyes widened. She babbled a mishmash of words in a mix of defense and denial, but Ragatha laughed at her, amused at the frenzied reaction.
Oh, oh, hold on Pomni; get a grip. Ragatha wasn't judging her.
Her face flushed as she quickly shut her yap. Taking a small breath, she tried again. "Oh, I... Yeah, I was just making sure he didn't, you know, try to ruin Gangle's big night or anything. That's all."
"Ruin...? Why, because of what our first adventure was about? But he was a normal customer at Spudsy's, remember? Caine doesn't always give NPCs the same role every time."
"Yeah, I know, but he said we'd be having a 'blast' tonight, so I thought he was trying to say there'd be guns or dynamite exploding when we least expect it. Or something."
Ragatha's singular eye lit up in understanding. "I can see how you'd think that, especially since your first days in the circus were such... nightmares." She shifted, leaning casually against the wall and peering at the crowd of folks enjoying themselves. "Nothing bad has happened so far, though. These low-key adventures might be here to stay, if we're lucky enough. Tonight that gummy guy really seems like an innocent background character... You can tell from the way he's sitting by himself at the bar right now."
Pomni followed her line of sight. At one end of the fancy counter, Gummigoo hunched over a full glass of champagne. At the other end, a bartender served a shot to another mannequin. The number of empty stools between them made it look like he was all alone. Staring into his glass, he cradled it within his fingers like a flower.
Her heart beat faster.
"Yeah..." she agreed, her voice soft. "He does seem... innocent."
Ragatha didn't smile anymore, her face crumpled in concern as she looked at Pomni. Her one eye asked an unspoken question: You want to talk to him, so why don't you?
There was a simple answer to that, but she wasn't able to say it to her friend's face. She sighed and cast the floor a dejected glance as she spoke to it instead. "He won't remember me, so what's the point?"
"I think the point of going up to someone and talking to them is to have a nice, pleasant conversation. None of us are going anywhere until three. You sure you won't regret not reaching out? It could be a while until he shows up again... or it could be never."
The weight of that statement stung, but she quickly recovered. "N-No, I could always put him in a suggestion..."
"That's true... assuming Caine will let us keep making them. But there's no time like the present." She let her musings hang in the air for a moment before moving off the wall. "Well, it's your choice in the end. I'm gonna go talk with Kinger now. Think about what you want to do while there's still time. Good luck."
"Huh? Oh, yeah, sure... Good luck. I mean, goodbye, Ragatha. See you."
She continued staring at Gummigoo, just barely aware of Ragatha's departure. He was alone, and now she was alone. A sudden image sprung to mind, causing her heart to jolt. What if someone else sat next to him right now? And what if they struck up a conversation with him?
If that happened, it'd be her fault. The opportunity for it to be her instead of somebody else was right there. She just had to take it. She had to risk it. Even if it meant getting hurt later... he was worth it.
Besides, if he really was still planning a heist, then maybe she could talk him out of it before it started.
Her feet carried her over, but not before nearly knocking over a couple sculptures and decorative plants along the way. Another NPC approached the bar faster than her, but to her utmost relief, sat at the other end near the bartender. She successfully averted collapsing from the stress.
The stool beside Gummigoo required her to physically climb onto it to sit comfortably. Once settled, she looked at him, didn't know what to say, wondered if she needed a drink to loosen her tongue, and then he looked at her and her soul alighted. His direct acknowledgment was enough to make her feel at home. The words flowed like milk and honey.
"It's nice to see you again."