Chapter Text
“Who’s Ribbit?” Pomni’s curious shrill voice inquired, her impertinent large eyes looking up at Jax.
The question felt like a gunfire going right through the purple bunny’s rectangle body. The rapid gunshots echoed in the form of a heartbeat. The illusion of an organ in his digital body shook him. He only had half a brain but his soul was intact with enough memories to fill a library or cinema.
Pomni was still, waiting for an eventual response that she still had hope to receive. Her eyes were fixated on the tall body overlooking her with an unreadable expression.
“W-what?” she finally asked, swallowing a hard lump.
And for a second Jax considered letting her off easy. She was new to the circus, why would she know any better than to ask a simple question. The thought lasted a moment before something began to bubble up Jax’s core. A mix of rage and deep longing cradles his insides and churns in his stomach like he would explode, abstract right there in front of everyone.
Everyone. That’s right. He had nearly forgotten that the entire cast was standing around him and the mini jester. He locked eyes briefly with Ragatha, her blush pleading for him to have mercy. He scowled back down at Pomni.
“Don’t ask me that. Or anyone.” Jax demanded, his breath caught in his throat, like he refused to inhale and breathe in the stuffy air. The air in the circus always tasted like a static shit but the mood of the conversation added an unneeded sheen of plain distaste.
“Why-”
“Pomni.” Kinger cut the girl off, coming out of nowhere to grab her arm gently and pull her back. His voice was squeaky but meaningful, he was looking out for Pomni, like always. But right now, he was really looking out for everyone.
Jax watched the chess piece slowly drag his opponent away from him with a knitted brow.
“Pfft.” he spat and crossed his arms. It felt almost juvenile to watch someone be coaxed away from him. Like a bully in an elementary school playground. Were they that scared of him, or were they just entertaining the idea of it? Whatever reputation he had been keeping up around the circus was really biting him in the ass.
“Wellllllllllllllllllll, Adventurers!” Caine appeared out of nowhere, accompanied by Bubble, looking eager and excited.
Jax huffed and strutted away. They watched him leave. They let him leave.
“Me and Bubble have been plotting some new and improved adventures for you all and are anxious to see your reactions to……. Coal Mining Simulator!” Caine was a mouth and eyes but somehow his overbearing smile seemed forced today.
“Coal Mining Simulator?” Zooble groaned. They had been around long enough to see some pretty dumb adventures but they insisted that lately they had been more and more idiotic.
“Yes, little Zooble!” Caine pumped his fist in an attempt to get the crowd excited, “You each have an inventory that stores up to 57 items! You have all already been equipped with the knowledge on how to mine for diamonds and been given a shiny shovel and pail. Whoever finds the twenty-billion carat gold crested diamond wins!”
“Wins what?” Zooble asked, arms still crossed as they rolled their eyes.
“....carat gold crested diamond…?” Pomni whispered to herself
“You win…..” Caine’s eyes glitched unsettlingly, “You win!”
“Ugh, [REDACTED] this.” Zooble slumped, raising their middle finger at the floating man and presumably walking back to their room.
“Seems like SOMEONE-” Caine huffed at Zooble, “-doesn’t want a head-start.”
“Caine?” Pomni approached the Ai tentatively.
“Yes, Pom-Pom?” Caine batted his eyes, clasping his hands together.
“Uh, where did…Jax go?”
“Jax?”
“...yeah?” Pomni raised a brow.
“The rabbit guy?”
“Is there…another Jax in the circus?”
“Nope!” Caine responded gleefully.
“Then… yeah the purple rabbit Jax, where did he go?”
“How would I know?” Caine shrugged
“Aren’t you the, like, leader here? You know everything that is going on?”
“Guhhhhhh- Hey Pomni!” Ragatha appeared, swinging her arm over Pomni’s shoulders, making the jester visibly flinch, “Why don’t we go find Jax ourselves?”
“Oh, okay.” Pomni replied, uncertain.
As they walked down the long, colorful halls, Pomni couldn’t help but notice all the crossed out faces on the doors they passed. Some were unused and had the default face, but a few seemed familiar.
“Ragatha?” Pomni fidgeted with her gloves, playing with the extra fabric above her fingers.
“Yea?” the floppy doll responded, eyes wide and kind.
“Should I not have asked about Ribbit?” Pomni kept her own eyes to the floor, watching the carpet pass under her moving steps.
“Oh,” Ragatha’s voice lowered, “Not really. Ribbit is… a bit of a sensitive topic for Jax. They were…best friends before.”
“Before?” Pomni egged Ragatha to continue.
“Just before.”
“Okay.”
The rag doll’s soft plush hand curled into a fist and banged against the wooden door, knocking just below a cartoon drawing of Jax where he was all smiling and happy. He was smiling earlier today. Pomni felt a pang of guilt having stripped that joy away from him.
Jax shoved his hands in his pockets as he trudged down the hallways. Fuck, his fake legs hurt from walking this long. His head ached and heart had gone back to a regular BPM but his fingers still twitched at the thought of those words leaving Pomni’s mouth.
“Who’s Ribbit?”
He wondered how the name tasted on her tongue. Was it bitter or sweet? Did it hold any meaning to her or was it just another mixture of letters to remember. It always tasted sour in his mouth and felt like 1000 pounds to hold in his throat.
“Man, I could go for a [REDACTED]ing cigarette right now.” Jax grumbled, kicking himself for not speaking up earlier.
How would he even answer it? Would he start with the good memories? Was the jester really asking WHO Ribbit was, or what HAPPENED to a picture she had seen scratched out on a door? She was selfish to ask for her own benefit.
Yeah, that’s what Pomni was; selfish
And he was selfish enough to say he wasn’t. Even though he knew damn well the coward and utter fool he hid.
He had just scoffed and slammed his room door when-
*knock knock knock*
Who could that possibly be?
There were only 6 options.
4 considering Caine and Bubble weren't prone to knocking.
Only 1 cared enough to check on him.
That's exactly what pissed him off.
“What do you want?” He asked in an exasperated tone, he was already fed up.
“Jax?” a muffled but recognizable voice said.
“Yeah, it’s my face on the door, isn’t it?” the purple bunny scoffed again.
“Are….are you okay?”
“Is Raggy with ya?”
“…..”
“Pfft.” Jax rolled his eyes, “You know, Pomni, you really are predictable.”
“C’mon Jax. I can get Caine to get us some guns again, you liked that adventure!” Pomni chuckled halfheartedly. She was trying more than she was amused. She was trying.
“Go away, I’m not unlocking the d-” Jax jumped seeing his door creaked open slowly. A pale face peeping in.
“You didn’t lock it.” Pomni gulped, “Sorry.”
“Don’t come in.” Jax ordered.
“Okay.” Pomni agreed, but kept her face between the doorjamb. “Can I talk to you?”
“If you have some sob-story, go whine to Gangle about it.” Jax approached the door, grabbing the upper side of it. He had the power to squish the jester’s face if he wanted to.
“C’mon, Jax.” Ragatha peeped from behind Pomni.
“Buzz off, guys. Seriously.” Jax admitted, looking to the side, his pupils bouncing from dilated to constricting every two seconds, “I kind of want to be by myself right now.”
“Okay, I understand.” Pomni sighed, accepting defeat. Although ‘defeat’ suggests the opposed feeling triumph, and Jax felt anything but pleasure getting Pomni out of his sight.
The door closed on the girls and they latched their eyes to one another as if to say “What now?”
Jax pressed his palm hard against the wood and gradually pushed this temple against it. His forehead turned and he landed on his back, sliding down the door in shared defeat with the clown. He put his face between his pink clothed knees and let his head hang low. His dark purple room was too quiet.
“Find the silver plated ruby yet?” Caine jumped behind Gangle in the cave mines. Her delicate ribbon arms shoving slag into her pail.
“I thought it was a gold crested-” Gangle sobbed in confusion and aggravation.
“Thaaaaaaaaaat’s exactly what I said!” Caine chuckled.
“Just try to ignore him.” Zooble encouraged, stepping closer to the two. Their oddly shaped headlamp blinding Gangle.
“What’s with the downer attitude, Zooble? I’m guessing YOU haven’t found the coveted jewel either!” Caine assumed pointedly
“I’m not trying to, why would I care about some gem with no real meaning?”
“Well because! Be-beca-cau-cause….” Caine's eyes glitched again, like on routine.
“What is with you today?” Zooble squawked, annoyed. Gangle was all bright-eyed despite her broken comedy mask that was still yet to be fixed from a rock breaking it in the mines.
The mines in question were colorful contrary to the type of mines viewers would think of. Glitter spewed instead of dirt and dusk, the bats lurking were kind and purple. And the cast’s headlamps were a joyful green.
“Oh, Zooble! Zooble, Zooble, Zooble, you silly goose! I am acting just the same as I do regularly! Maybe YOU are the issue.” Caine said rather offensively. Zooble squinted back at him, crossing their arms avoidantly.
“Why don’t you go and bother someone else?” Zooble huffed rhetorically, turning away and guiding Gangle away from his presence.
“Bother…. Someone else?” Caine looked down at his hand dejectedly. Bubble appeared in the air next to him.
“Why don’t we go sneak by Kinger!” Bubble perked up in an attempt to distract the disassociating man.
“I already did, and why is half the circus not present and accounted for?” Caine snapped out of it then, noticing the absent cast.
“Jax is moping and Pomni is in her room doing the same!” Bubble shed some light.
“And Ragatha?”
“Right here.” The rag doll yelped, her headlamp on and pail overflowing with slam and tiny jewels.
“Ah, there you are my precious sock puppet!” Caine cooed
“I’m not a sock puppet…” Ragatha objected silently.
Jax found himself in his violet bed after some time, cuddled up to himself in the fetal position. Damn, this was humiliating. He knew it was humiliating because he was alone and embarrassed. And pissed off at himself for doing everything wrong and nothing right. Pomni was right; he wasn’t the ‘funny one’. He was the ‘shitty one’ who couldn’t fix a screw with a tool and would lose his head if it wasn’t attached to his neck.
He faced the wall, he faced the turned over photographs plastered on the pattern wallpaper. His hand trembled in hesitation to flip one over. He refused to forget his friend’s face. But it was a mockery to have the treasure of remembering in this prison.
He began to give in, slide his hand out from underneath him and pick up the polaroid-
Another knock on his door. This one was scared and not pillowy like the last time. It was just the mini jester. Not the rag doll.
“Come in.”
Pomni jumped at the invitation, she felt like she was intruding by turning the door handle with the intent to go inside.
“Jax?” She asked, her eyes bulging seeing him all curled up on his bed. God, he looked so sad and vulnerable. His confidence and ego had completely plateaued.
“Mm.” was his response. No effort. No emotion. Just pursed lips and vibration in his vocal chords. That’s all Pomni deserved.
“I’m sorry for asking about Ribbit. I, I didn’t know it was a sensitive topic.” Pomni tugged at her gloves again, guilt making its way back in.
“You…You didn’t know.” Jax found that accusation hard to believe. “You think no one ever brought it up because it WASN’T a weird subject?” He turned his body 180 degrees.
“I didn’t- I don’t-” Pomni tried to defend herself with the limited stamina she had for her own ego.
“What context do you think would be alright to bring her up? Ever?” Jax sat up, peering at Pomni with a look of hatred. Even in a cartoon body it was an evident expression.
“I’m trying to tell you I-”
“Look, Pom-Pom. I know that you’re new here. But you aren’t THAT new. You have been here long enough to know that rule number one of the circus is to NEVER bring up those who abstracted. Got it?” Jax had stepped closer and closer to Pomni throughout his monologue.
“Okay- G-got it.” Pomni gulped, Jax’s shadow loomed over her.
“If you ever bring Ribbit, or-or-or Kaufmo up again I swear to God I will rip your fucking jester head off.” Jax threatened.
“I-...wait, what did you just say?” Pomni's eyes jumped.
“I said that if you bring them up again I swear I will rip your [REDACTED] jester head off.” Jax balled his hands in angry fists. He internally was begging for Pomni to fight back so he would feel resentment towards her and less liability for himself.
“How was I supposed to know that though?” Pomni had contained herself until this point. She had a raised voice but still kept most of her cool.
“God, Pomni, I just told you that. I’m just repeating myself for you now. I don’t owe you that.” Jax threw his arms in the air and paced a circle. “I would be unfair to say ‘I never want to see you again’, because chances are, we are stuck in this digital world for the rest of our lives.”
“I’m sorry, seriously. I won’t bring them up again…” Pomni trailed off, noticing a soft glow where Jax was facing. “...Uhhhh, Jax?” she turned to see his face. His eyes. His grey-yellow eyes were illuminated.
“Jax!” she gasped, reaching for his face and shaking it practically off his neck. “Jax! Jax! Jax! Jax!” she repeated hoarsely.
His eyes were familiar, glowing and changing bright, vivid colors, multiple at once. The neon reflected on her porcelain jester face, blinding her sensitive eyes.
“Jax! Jax! What’s going on!” She screamed into what felt like the void before Jax went back to normal, now gasping for his own air. “Jax??” Pomni kept hold of the bunny’s face, watching him gain… consciousness.
“Ri-Pomni? What happened?” he grabbed her shoulders, bent down in front of her at the same height.
“You-you were…abstracting? I think? I’ve never seen that happen before?”
“I was,,, I was what??” Jax was scared. Holy shit, Jax was actually horrified. “I don’t remember anything, Pomni.”
They were rudely interrupted by-
“CONGRAAAAAAAAAADULATIONS!! Ragatha found the emerald crystal and won today's adventure!” Caine announced, everyone suddenly spawned into the main room, the checker floor under their feet. Pomni and Jax were propped away from each other. No one in the entire circle except for them knew what had just happened.
“What do I win?” Ragatha giggled, barely jumping up and down.
“You win!” Caine exclaimed gleefully.
“Yay!” Ragatha cheered.
“Booooooo, I didn’t even get a chance.”
Pomni’s eyes turned to see where the voice had come from. Jax had one hand on his hip, standing egotistical and like the jokester he normally was. How could he morph into his regular self after what had just happened?
“Well, youuuuu didn’t show any interest, Jaxypoo!” Caine taunted, “But anyways. I’m cooking up some new adventures for tomorrow, get some rest- you’ll need it!”
Caine and Bubble disappeared, leaving the cast to go to their own rooms.
Ragatha, Kinger, Zooble, and Gangle made their way up front to their rooms. Jax began to follow the line when Pomni grabbed his arm to tug his back.
“Jax?” she said, her voice the tiniest bit shaky, too little for anyone to really notice.
“Yeah?” He dropped his act. His face went a bit bleak.
“I’m worried about you.”
“Me too, what’s your point?”
“Would you want to…maybe… sleep in my room tonight?” Pomni gulped, “Just to make sure nothing happens to you when no one can… get to you in time.”
“Awww, Pom-Pom. I didn’t know you cared about me that much!” Jax smiled somewhere in between a real grin and one of mocking “Would that look a bit, I don’t know, suggestive to everyone else?”
“Everyone else is already in their room. No one is gonna notice.” Pomni has that optimistic chuckle in her voice, her tone light and airy. Just what Jax needed, air to actually breathe.
“Okay- but no weird [REDACTED].” Jax crossed his arms. Yeah, it was definitely a real smile.