Chapter Text
The gang gathered boredly in the common area, awaiting today’s adventure. Caine was running a little late today - not unusual, but irritating. The thwacking sound of a paddleball echoed through the tent.
Zooble grunts, fed up with the noise. “Can you stop that?”
“What? Having fun?” Jax grins, paddling away. He’d actually got a pretty good streak going.
“Yes? It’s annoying.”
“Your face is annoying.” He retorts.
“What does that even mean?” Zooble squints, accessories twitching.
“WOAH, woah, WOAH! Is there TENSION in this ROOM?” Caine pops in out of nowhere, startling half the cast. He’s met with deafening silence.
“What seems to be the problem, my cherished cherubs? I trust everyone is getting along well?” Caine flutters his eyelashes, which have just appeared for this specific bit.
“Jax is being annoying with his paddleball.” Zooble states, disinterested in the entire conversation.
“Oh! An easy fix.” Caine snaps his fingers, putting the paddling noise on mute. Jax’s expression shifts, slightly thrown off by the transformation.
“H-Hey! You threw me off my rhythm! My precious paddling streak is ruined!” He howls in anguish, stomping his foot.
Pomni juts in. “Dude. You can just keep going after the adventure. We have nothing but free time, y’know.” Ragatha chuckles slightly, then regains composure after Jax shoots daggers at her with his eyes.
“You wouldn’t get it…” He rolls his eyes, pouting.
“Enough of that! Problem fixed!” Caine dusts his hands against one another, a plume of smoke appearing out of thin air for hyperbolic effect. Before anyone can protest his “fix”, he interrupts himself.
“I’m so glad you asked about today’s adventure! You all will be going to the WILD WEST, where dastardly bandits scourge the local population! It is your job to CATCH THEM, and COLLECT their BOUNTIES.”
Unenthusiastic groans can be heard from the audience.
“Why can’t we be the bandits? I’m sick and tired of this goody-two-shoes behavior. Let me loose!” Jax scoffs, turning his back to the ringleader.
“Fine. And Jax is a bandit. Go catch him, or whatever. I don’t care.” Caine never liked criticism, but complied nonetheless. A portal opened up in the middle of the room, kaleidoscopic shapes and colors morphing as it eagerly anticipated human entry.
“What are you waiting for! Go, go, go!” A comically large, spring driven boot kicks the cast into the portal, where they land into a pale, dry soil.
Pomni struggles to get up, coughing slightly from the new, dusty atmosphere. She looks down at her hands. No gloves? Sleeves? She adjusts her gaze to the new setting.
The hot sun beads down on them. A vast, blue sky, devoid of a single cloud, contrasts the brown and orange rock formations towering the landscape. The area is dotted with short, sparse shrubbery. They’d landed in a flat spot, thin grass and wildflowers below their feet. A tumbleweed blew in the distance, passing a weathered cow skull. All that was missing was a beat up, wooden sign that read: “MIDDLE OF NOWHERE.”
She leans on her knee to get up, inspecting her outfit a little further. She has a pair of dark blue jeans, adorned with tasseled, brown leather chaps. They match her leather vest, on which a sheriff’s badge hangs proudly. Golden spurs ride the heels of a pair of brown cowboy boots. She reaches for her neck, feeling something fluttering - a red bandana is tied loosely around the collar of her gridded white shirt. Now, the big question. What about the hat? She reaches up, expecting the soft, plush jester’s attire that usually rests upon her head, but is met with the firm brim of a cowboy hat. Score.
She looks around at the others, equally disoriented by the harsh transition. They all have new outfits, too.
Her eyes are drawn to Ragatha, looking unusually pissed as she dusts off her skirt. Her hair was done in a Gibson girl style, a few red ringlets falling over her shoulder. She wore a frilly white shirt with ridiculously large shoulder puffs, and a small blue bowtie hung tight at the collar. A thick black belt cinched an ankle length navy skirt to her waist.
The ragdoll lets out a sigh. “Everyone alright?”
Gangle speaks up in complete disbelief.
“A-Am I the LASSO?!” It did, indeed, look that way. Her usual ribbons had been replaced with a stiff, red rope, a large circle knotted at one end hanging where her chest would be. Pomni stifled a chuckle, knowing it was wildly inappropriate to laugh.
“Dude. You totally are.” Zooble chimes in. They had a new look too. A black, wide-brimmed hat sat atop their head. Similarly, a dark leather trenchcoat covered most of their body, an empty bandolier hanging off one of their shoulders. There were new limbs for the mission, too. One arm was enveloped in a long, black leather cavalry glove, tassels hanging off the edge, while the other was a rather rudimentary hook-hand. Striped, charcoal slacks covered what looked like two peg-legs, and a turquoise bolo tie hung around their neck. The look was completed by a wildly impractical (but totally bitchin’) silver belt buckle. The outfit was kind of cool, actually. Pomni just got stuck with a run-of-the-mill halloween costume. Could have been worse, though. Poor Gangle.
“You’ve got to be kidding me.” Gangle sounded despondent. They held up a hand (rope), flailing it in the wind. “This sucks!”
Zooble laid a gloved hand on their shoulder, looking sympathetic.
Kinger pipes up. “Oho! Do I get to drive a train?” He dons a striped flat cap, which matches his overalls. A large wrench pokes out from his chest pocket, accompanied by an oily rag. For some reason, he has a bushy moustache.
Is that wild west themed?
His comment is tepidly ignored by the rest of the cast.
“Wait a minute. Where’s Jax?” Zooble squints their eyes, scanning the group.
“He’s the bandit, right? He probably spawned in another part of the map.” Pomni rests her hand upon her chin.
“Where are we, anyway?” Ragatha shields her eyes with her hands, scanning the horizon. There are a few tumbleweeds, and a sign post a few yards away. “There’s a sign over there.” She walks briskly towards the wooden post, gathering her dress in her hands as she walks. The rest of the cast follows shortly behind.
“TUMBLETOWN -> 2 MILES”
“We don’t get, like, a horse or something?” Zooble comments, nonplussed.
Ragatha’s eyes glimmer at the possibility. “Maybe they’ll have horses in town?” She rests a hand against her hip. “Bound to be some leads there, anyway.”
The group begrudgingly shambles in the direction of the town, following a poorly-kept dirt path. A few shabby wooden structures come into view as they round the corner of a rocky precipice, a large sign reading “TUMBLETOWN” lazily hung from a plaque above the entrance. A few mannequins litter the streets, wandering aimlessly. There’s a general store, saloon, stable, and a sheriff’s office, as well as a few other unnamed (and equally dingy) buildings.
“Hey, check this out.” Zooble grabs a bounty poster off the side of a wooden post with their hook. “That’s him, alright.” There was a picture of Jax with a sepia filter, carrying a large cloth sack with a dollar sign on it. He wore a cowboy hat and poncho.
WANTED - Alive! Last seen consorting with a gang on the outskirts of Dry Creek.
REWARD - $4,000.
Wanted on several counts of comic mischief, horseplay, and tomfoolery.
Suspect is armed and dangerous. DO NOT APPROACH!
“A gang? When did he even have time to find a gang? We’ve been here for, like, 15 minutes!” Ragatha scowls, clutching the paper in her hands. “And a gun? Guns?” She looks up at the rest of the cast, who are equally bewildered.
“Well, at least we know where to go. Dry Creek?” Gangle musters up a smile. “We should look for a map.” Zooble nods their head in unison.
“How about we split up? Ragatha, you find us some horses. Me and Gangle’ll pick up some supplies, and Pomni and Kinger, ask around town for any more leads.” They pause for a second. “See if you can get any guns for us, maybe.”
Crap. Was this gonna be another gun adventure? With pain?
“Alright.” Pomni nods, leaning her hand on her hip. Huh? She pulls back her vest, revealing a holstered revolver.
“O-Oh! I guess we might have some already? Check your pockets, guys.”
“I’ve got… money?” Ragatha holds up a small sack of gold coins. “Let me check…” She lifts up her dress, revealing some ankle. Sure enough, a small pistol was holstered there. “Got one!”
“I’ve got a big wrench!” Kinger exclaimed, wielding a rather sturdy wrench mere inches in front of Pomni’s face.
“T-That’s great, Kinger!” Pomni gently nudges it away.
Gangle looks down, mulling over their lack of pocket space.
“I’ve got two. Maybe I’m meant to carry yours?” Zooble spreads open their leather trenchcoat, revealing two pistols in a double-holster. A smile returns to Gangle’s face.
“Still, we’ve got no ammo. I’ll just get a bunch of everything from the store.” Zooble scans the town, which is relatively small. No way anyone could get lost, but better to be safe than sorry. “Meet back here in 20 minutes?”
Everyone nods in agreement.
Pomni and Kinger head down the street to the sheriff’s office, looking for a few new leads. She follows Kinger as he pushes open the swinging door, taking note of the rather small facilities. Two jail cells are tucked away in the corner, opposite of a closed door. An office, maybe? There’s a desk at the front, manned by a run-of-the-mill wooden mannequin.
“Sheriff, sheriff! We’ve been looking everywhere for you!” A mannequin scrambles to stand up from its desk.
Pomni steps out of the way of the door, and looks behind her. There’s no one there.
“Sheriff, are you feelin’ ok? Here, sit down.” They bring over a chair, clacking their wooden hand against it.
“M-Me? I’m the sheriff?” She looks down at her badge. Huh. Right.
“Pomni! You didn’t tell me you were in law enforcement!” Kinger mumbles excitedly. “Now, I have to re-evaluate some of my opinions about you…” He squints, raising a disembodied hand to his chin.
“H-Hey! Not what you think!!!” She retorts, then sighs, redirecting her attention to the NPC.
“I was, uh, looking for leads on that rabbit. You got anything for me?”
“Yes. We saw him and his gang of misfits a little northeast of Dry Creek. We lost Isaac in the crossfire. I-I’m sorry, chief.” The mannequin hunched over and moved their hand to their face.
“Oh. Um. At ease?” She lets out an uneasy expression, not entirely sure how to react. “Sorry for your loss.” The NPC trembles, and lets out a sobbing wail, blowing their nose into a handkerchief. Kinger pats their back, a sympathetic expression on his face. “I’m made of wood, too.” He spoke softly, eyes glistening.
“I’m, uh, looking for the guy who did it.” Pomni shifts her weight from foot to foot, uneasy from the sudden emotional tension in the room. “Do we have some supplies I can use?”
Between sobs, the NPC gestures towards a closed office door. “Please, take whatever you need.”
She walked towards the office, closed the door behind her, and started rifling through the cupboards. There was a bunch of junk: old newspaper clippings, a rubber band ball, chattering teeth, and more useless clutter, but she picked up a few items that might be of use. Most notably, some handcuffs and a loaded shotgun. Once she was satisfied, she exited the office, finding Kinger and the NPC in an intense game of rock-paper-scissors. Guess he got over it? She never really knew what to expect with these NPCs.
“That’s not fair, you’re cheating!”
“How could I be cheating? You keep playing paper!” Kinger’s eyes bugged out of his head.
“W-Well, that’s all I can play…” The NPC looked down, ashamed.
Pomni shook her head and looked up. “C’mon, Kinger. I got what we needed, let’s hit the road.” She dragged him by the hand out of the building. “Oh, and, um. Good work, deputy. Keep it up?”
They walk through the dusty dirt path towards the general store, where Zooble and Gangle were waiting. Zooble gives them a slight wave as they approach.
“Get anything good?” Pomni asked, joining them as they leaned against the hitching post.
“Eh, this and that.” Zooble nudged a crate of supplies at her. “Some ammo, rations, maps, compass, bedrolls, canteens, the whole shebang.” Their eyes light up for a moment. “Oh, and this.” They pulled out a beautiful lacquered rifle, which had been hanging on their shoulder. “Thought it could be useful.”
Pomni’s eyes dance over the intricate engravings. “How much was it?”
“Oh, we get some kinda ‘good-guy’ discount. Everything’s like, half off.”
Gangle scoffs, amused. “Yeah, plus the cashier was totally in love with you.”
“May or may not be relevant.” Zooble rolls their eyes, playfully. “Anyway, we got a good deal.” They hold up a sack of coins and rattle it slightly. It seems mostly full.
“Hey!” Ragatha yells loud enough to be heard across town. "Check it out!" She pulled up driving a covered wagon, drawn by two wooden horses with wheels for feet. A few NPCs are taken aback, startled by the caravan, but she’s grinning from ear to ear. “Aren’t they cute?!”
The horses chortled as she pulled the wagon to a stop. From the side, they had one big black dot for an eye, and a slight absent-minded smile. Pomni gently petted the muzzle of the one closest to her. It reached out a long tongue, licking her bangs clear out of her face and tipping her hat back.
“H-Hey!” She hurriedly wiped her face with her sleeve, slightly embarrassed, and looked up to meet Ragatha’s eyes. She was clearly amused, stifling a chuckle. Her gaze softened, a smile lingering as she watched the jester fuss.
“I think she likes you!” Zooble laughed, watching Pomni’s face turn red. “The horse, I mean.” They winked and nudged Pomni’s side, chiding her slightly before making their way to the back of the wagon.
“C’mon, help me pack up. We should get moving before he’s on the run again.” Pomni loads a few wooden crates into the back of the wagon, pulling out the compass and map in the process. Gangle, Zooble, and Kinger all get in the back, settling on the wooden floor. Zooble rests one arm against their knee and tips their hat forward, presumably preparing for a nap.
Guess I’ll sit in the front.
The jester scrambles to the front of the vehicle, map tucked neatly under their arm.
Shit, this thing is tall as hell. How am I gonna get up here?!
As if reading her mind, the ragdoll leaned over, extending her hand.
“Th-Thanks.” Pomni stuttered out, thudding on the floor as she crawled over the lip of the wagon.
“Anytime.” She smiles warmly, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Does she normally have ears? I’ll have to check when we get -
“You’ve got the map?”
“Oh, uh, yeah.” She fumbles with the map, opening it fully. It’s so comically large that they both have to hold it. They squeeze in, shoulders touching as they focus on the path.
“Ok, so we’re here, right? So if we just follow this trail, we can get there in…” Ragatha pauses, looking for a scale bar.
“Christ, 1:1,000 ? No wonder this map is gigantic!”
Zooble pipes in from the backseat. “Hey, I asked for a large-scale map. That’s what they gave me.”
“Zooble, large-scale means zoomed in when it comes to map stuff.”
“Oops.” They paused, thinking for a moment. “I thought it was like big-picture. My bad.”
“It’s ok. It’s a stupid term, anyway.” Pomni looks back down, focusing on the route. “Let’s see… It’s about 4 miles from here?” She pulls the compass out of her pocket, flicking it open with a smooth motion.
“The fella at the sheriff’s office said they were on the northeast side, so we should head there when we get closer.” Pomni mumbled.
“Alright!” Ragatha turned her head to the back of the caravan, looking over her shoulder as excitement spread across her face. “Ready, everyone?”
Before they could respond, she switched the rope, sending the wagon lurching forward. The wooden horses whinnied slightly as they adjusted to the pace. Ragatha looked over at Pomni, a contagious smile beaming from her face.
“You’re, uh, really into this, huh?” The jester leans over slightly, propping up her head with her palm. She’s slightly amused at this newfound trait.
“Crap.” She looks away, trying to hide her embarrassment. “Is it that obvious?”
“Oh, um, not really.” She lies. “... a little.”
While the ragdoll usually kept an upbeat attitude, it was a pleasant surprise to see her genuinely and unabashedly excited about something.
“I have been begging Caine to let us have a horse adventure for…” She takes a moment to think, eyes darting to the horizon. “For forever! A-And he never, never gave me one!”
“What? Haven’t you been here for like, years?”
An uneasy malaise lodged itself in Ragatha’s chest after the unassuming statement.
“U-Uh, yeah. Probably.”
“And he never did a horse one? I feel like horses would be pretty commonplace in a lot of these scenarios.” She takes a moment to think of past adventures. Well, there was that gummy horse - no, that was an elephant or something. Camel? Huh.
Ragatha let out a tired sigh. “You’re tellin’ me!”
“So, you like horses?”
“Ha, yeah. I was a real horse girl growing up. I used to love being out there on the pasture, riding free, just me and my horse.” She looks on, wistfully. “It was, uh, a good escape for me. Living in that house wasn’t always easy.”
Pomni looks on, entranced.
“N-Not to say, um, it was bad or anything.” She chuckles unconvincingly. “Just, uh, good to have an outlet!”
She was obviously lying, but it wasn’t Pomni’s place to prod on such a subject in front of everyone. She’d ask about it later.
“I always liked horses, too. Never could get my parents to buy me a pony, of course, but… I always liked choosing out my horses in Red Dead Redemption. Finding a wild one, taming it, feeding it apples and stuff.”
The redhead looked on, interested.
“One time, when I was like, twelve, I stayed up late playing Red Dead on a school night. I killed my horse by accident, and I was so devastated that I cried myself to sleep. Like it was the end of the world.” She scoffs, then pauses. “Probably I was, uh, too young for that game. My sister let me play it, sometimes.”
“Awww… poor little Pomni!” While Ragatha's mouth contorts into a frown, the edges perk up into a smile. From anyone else, it would sound patronizing, but there was a genuine tone to her voice. “I think my brother had that game too. He never let me play it, though.” She rolls her eyes, a fleeting memory passing before composing herself once again. “Was it the one with the guy screaming on the front?”
“Nah, this one had John Marston with his mouth… closed. Are you thinking of, uh, Red Dead Revolver?”
“Yeah, I think that was it!”
“That was the first game in the series. They’re making another one, I’m pretty sure!” She looks excited, then deflated. “I’m probably gonna miss it coming out, though.” The jester sulks slightly, leaning over the ledge.
“You think it’s half as good as this?” Ragatha chuckles, pointing to a passing tumbleweed with a glitched object collision.
Pomni perks up a little. “Probably not.”
“You know what this reminds me of? Did you ever play Oregon Trail? Or watch, um, Little House on the Prairie?” She looks playfully towards the jester, awaiting a response, but before she can open her mouth, another voice rings out.
“Oh, oh, I did!” Kinger excitedly puts his hand up, waving it frantically in the back.
“You… you did?”
“Oh yeah! It was the best thing on TV at the time. I used to watch it when I came home from school.”
Pomni’s eyes widen. How old is he, anyway?
“Do you remember that one where they threw Nellie Olson in the pond when she was faking being disabled?”
“Yes!” He lets out a chortle. “Oh! Oh! And that one where Laura finds that baby, and Mrs. Olson thinks it’s hers!”
The two start laughing wildly, as Ragatha wipes a tear from her eye. “Ha, yeah. That episode was… really depressing, actually.”
They carry on the conversation as the caravan nears a railroad. Thick, rusted lines of track stretched out for miles. There was a small railway station in the distance, cloistered with a few other shabby looking buildings. Pomni checked the map, and looked up towards the structures.
“I think that’s it.” She muttered, squinting in the distance.
Ragatha flicked the reins a little more eagerly now, the horses’ wheels moving faster across the dusty road. As they neared the railroad crossing, Pomni noticed an oddly-shaped lump in the middle of the tracks.
“W-Wait, is that…?”
A lanky, poncho’d figure lay tied to the rail. Two bunny ears rose out of his cowboy hat, twitching nervously as he attempted to squirm his way out of the tightly bound ropes.
Zooble springs out of the backseat, shoving their head between Pomni and Ragatha in order to get a better look. “Why is he… red?”
Update 05/16/2026: I found a doodle from my storyboarding and thought I'd share it. Quick and loose but I think it captures the essence. I usually do little sketches as I'm working though my fanfics just to get a feel for it, even if it's not good.
