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It had been around a month and a half since Jax woke up from his abstraction, and he’s been able to move around a little now.
He still stayed in the tent, not quite ready to explore the circus again, and see what was new.
Caine…still made him nervous…
But…having Pomni here helped, especially as she guided him through their new ability…being able to conjure.
Though…he was struggling to even make a simple box.
The featureless box shook before fizzling into pixels once more “Dammit! Not again!” The lagomorph cursed, throwing his head back in frustration.
“Hey how about we take a break, give yourself a chance to breathe. You’re doing good so far…” Pomni says reassuringly, patting his back, knowing how frustrating it could get in the beginning.
A small huff “Pom, I haven't gotten a single generic cube to stay solid for more than two seconds.” A small flick of the ear as his fur bristled.
“The solid shapes are harder, you’ll get it eventually, it just takes time. It took me weeks before I could even form a cube, the flat shapes were easier.” Pomni replied, even if her learning was to help fix the circus.
Jax sighed “Dunno how conjuring the ability to be an insane sharp shooter is easier than making a dumb cube…” turning to the jester “the circus has gotten…bigger, hasn't it, can't tell by much from my tent but…it feels bigger than before.”
“It has, I think I told you about the expanded kitchen already right? Where we could cook our own food?” Pomni confirms, smiling at the topic change, curiosity was good, meant he was warming up to the idea of leaving the tent.
“Yeah, guessing a new kitchen set isn't the only thing that changed?” Jax asked, eyes on his hands as he spoke
“No, Zooble’s got a bar in the circus now, like a homage to them in the real world, we’ve got portals to all the worlds and adventures we’ve been on…”
She hesitated before- “There’s also an aquarium now, the abstractions like swimming in it, it calms them. Kinger likes reading to Queenie there, it looks like she recognizes him through the glass.”
Jax gripped at his overalls then in small fistfuls “Are…all the abstractions down there…?”
“Yes, all of them…you were there a few times, you’d always swim with two others.” She replied gently.
Jax had an idea of who “Are they…okay in there? Do you think it's better than the cellar? I know I wasn't thrown in the cellar when I was abstracted but…i figure it wasn't particularly pleasant.”
“It’s a lot better than the cellar…we think the hydrotherapy helped with you coming back so soon, added with the fact we never put you in it, even when Caine came back and offered to help. I couldn’t…I just couldn’t leave you in there…something had to change in how we took care of them, especially since we know now that they still have their consciousness in there.”
Pomni was violently against the idea of the cellar from the beginning, demanding Caine find another way to keep the abstractions safe but also happy…and now hopefully to recover too, just like Jax did.
“And…they’re ok, they’re happy…they’re looking for you from what I hear from Kinger.”
Jax felt a lump in his throat “Do you think…any of them will come back…like I did?”
“I think so…it might take longer since you only abstracted last year and…never had to be put in the cellar but, I like to think so…seeing you when you’re ready might help them too.” Pomni says reassuringly.
“I dunno…I doubt she'd ever wanna see th’ real me again…” Jax didn't need to say who he was referring to.
“She might surprise you…but only if you want to…and, if it helps, I can go with you, as emotional support.” Pomni offers gently,
Jax sighed “I dunno Pomni…the last conversation we ever had I was just awful when she just…wanted to fix our friendship and I was too big a coward to even accept it when she didn't even do a damn thing wrong, you saw my messed up head, I practically killed her and Kaufmo too.”
“…I’m not saying it’ll be easy, it’s definitely going to be hard and take time to fix things, even with them currently being abstractions…but I’m sure they miss you, and would like to see you, especially working to be better…”
She hums silently before adding- “And…I don’t think you killed them Jax…or at the very least it wasn’t completely on you. Yes your last conversations with the two didn’t help with what lead to them abstracting but, I don’t think it was solely that…there probably was other factors that lead to it…it wasn’t completely on you…”
“I…I hope you're right, Ribbit and Kaufmo were…the first friends I ever had, you could probably tell being in my head and all but…out there I didn't have anyone but…my parents and you know how good that did me, Ribbit and Kaufmo they were my first real friends and I just…ruined everything.” Jax sighed.
“…There’s still time to fix things, there always is…especially if we can bring them back. You can fix things with them Jax…it might be uncomfortable at first but…I know they’d be happy to see you improving and working to be better. I know I am.” Pomni says, offering a smile.
A hollow laugh “I don't get ya Pomni…woulda thought you give up on somebody like me ages ago.”
Pomni grins- “Well you know me, always seeking small thrills!”
But then her expression softens- “But seriously, I’d never give up on you, especially now. Sorry to say but, you’re stuck with me, even when you act like an ass.”
A laugh escaped Jax “Your somethin’ else Pomni, you sure know how to pick your friends” he pauses “...assuming ya still wanna be friends, I know I haven't exactly made shit easy”
Pomni leans against Jax- “Of course we’re still friends…who else would I team up with for a surprise gun adventure?” She asks with a teasing lift in her tone.
He chuckled “Guess I'm glad I didn't scare ya off then…” he felt something in his hands, looking down he saw…a daisy, he held it to Pomni “Well its no cube but…”
“It’s better…thank you Jax.” She says, taking it gently. She was going to keep it forever.
He smiles “No problem Pom-Pom, thanks for not giving up on me.”
Pomni smiles- “Never will.”