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“Damn. Shit. Fuck. Bit-”
Jax laid on a glitching purple couch, throwing a ball up and down.
Up and down
Up and down
Up and do-
The ball disappeared mid-throw. Jax frowned at the empty air.
“Jax. What are you doing?"
He didn't need to look to know who was talking.
When would she just give it up already?
“Whaaat? We're all gonna die soon so may as well say what I've been so rudely prevented from all this time. It's been years since I've been able to curse without the stupid breeeepp noise. You've only been here a little while so you haven't had the chance to really miss it.”
“Jax.”
“Really? Can't I just enjoy myself for a bit? Why bother scolding me when we're gonna die any minute-?” He looked over to her, eyes intentionally narrowing. “-You would, wouldn't you.”
She sighed loudly.
Jax ignored her.
“Get up.”
Jax grinned. She sounded pissed.
“And would you stop saying that? We're not going to die.”
He turned towards her, raising an eyebrow- or he would if his model had any at least -”Aren't we? Face it.” He sat up, gesturing to the breaking circus around them, they could see eyes from the void underneath them through holes in the floor.
“Endless positivity doesn't mean shit right now. We're aaaalll gonna die. Caine is gone, so he can't fix any of this. The circus will just-” he put his hands in a fist before opening them dramatically "-poof. Gone. Along with all the poor humans caught inside.” He laid back down. “There's no point in pretending differently.”
“So you're just- just giving up?! Kinger is working on fixing this with the interface in Caine's office! It's just a matter of time-!”
“Time we don't have.”
Pomni threw her hands up, groaning loudly. “It's like you want to die! God, Jax! We can't just give up now! Caine’s gone, which, well isn't great but it could be worse! Kinger can work on fixing the circus first, then we'll go from there! But we need you to help us too! The floor is breaking out here, the main circus is gonna disappear first, if you stay here then-! ”
He sighed, turning away from her.
“Jax? Don't you…” she trailed off.
She nudged at his feet that were laying across the second couch cushion. With a groan he sat up, gesturing at the seat next to him. She sat.
“Why don't you want to leave?”
“Who says I don't? Like I said, that last adventure was suspicious from the sta-”
“Yeah it was, and you were right about that. But even so, you really don't want to leave. Why not?” She fiddled with her hands on her lap. “Don't you….have anyone you want to make it back to?”
He didn't say anything.
“Or like, I dunno. Something you wanted to do still? You must have some sort of unfinished business?”
He didn't say anything.
“....Jax-”
“I don't want your pity. It never mattered if I died in here or out there anyway.”
There was never any point. Maybe he had wanted to leave in the beginning. When he was naive and full of hope.
What a load of shit.
No one would have cared when he disappeared. No one cares if he dies here.
He made sure of that.
“It matters. I..I don't want you to die. The others don't either.”
Jax scoffed. “Yeah, cause me and Zoobie are such greaaaat friends. I think they'd throw a party if I abstracted or just poofed into non-existence.”
“You and Zooble, well you aren't best friends, but it's like we said, we're all in this together. Even you. No one would be happy if you abstracted. And now… things look bad, things are bad. But we have to at least try.”
Pomni stood up quickly.
“And when we make it back to the real world. And we will-.”
She put her hands on her hips, leaning close to his face. He leaned back an inch at her intensity.
“-Then you'll have at least one friend." Her face twisted into a small smile that looked difficult to hold. "I mean I'm nothing special, I work a 9-5 as an accountant of all things, I was always working and I could barely afford rent for my apartment…. But, still. I wanna be there for you. If you'll let me.”
“Y-you...?! God, I'm fine! I don't need you, or anyone else!” Jax scowled at her before looking away.
Why is she like this?!
“I'm fine!”
“You're not! You can lie to yourself but you can't lie to your friends!”
Why did Pomni have to remind him so much of her?!
“You do though! Life…life wouldn't be worth anything if you don't have people to share it with. So even if we're in different cities, or countries or something, we'll be friends. That way you can have something to go back to.”
Jax groaned, rubbing his hands up and down his face.
“You're an idiot.”
Pomni grinned at him offering a hand. It was shaking.
“Yep! So then-” she took a deep breath. “-let's start by figuring out a way to save the circus. Partner.”
She smiled with sharp shark teeth.
Despite himself, he laughed.
Back to it then. He would surely be able to rest soon.
With a scoff, he grabbed her hand. She pulled him up, and they began to walk.
They only made it a few steps before he stuck out a foot and tripped her.
Pomni groaned from the floor “Jax!”
“Heh. Watch where you're goin." He paused, taking a breath and looking away. "You better have a plan after that whole speech Pomni.”
“Guys! What are you still doing down here?! It’s dangerous!” Oh good, Ragatha’s here. Wonderful. “Kinger said to get you two, he thinks he found something that might be useful!”
Pomni stood up and brushed herself off, grinning cheekily at Jax.
He groaned. “ Not a word.”
Pomni laughed. “I told you so-AHH.”
He grinned, stepping over her body laid across the glitching floor.
“Weren't you the one saying we outta give this leaving thing a go? Why are you hanging out on the floor? Change your mind?” He laughed.
“Uuugh, you’re insufferable.” She was scowling at him from the ground, but her hands had stopped shaking, and there was a grin tugging at the corner of her mouth.
He smiled at her, and did a dramatic little bow. “Why thank you.”