Chapter Text
Pomni talked to Jax every day.
She liked to think that Caine was wrong about his abstraction being a vegetable of sorts. That it was the same as any other. She really believed that each one was different, and that Jax was still in there. She’d attempted to make the connection she had with him that day, when he’d burst into light in her arms, but all that had achieved was Caine dragging her glitching body into bed, with a warning that if she ever tried anything like that again, Jax would be a permanent resident of the aquarium. Caine, like the others, only really referred to the abstractions by their names because Pomni insisted on it. She didn’t like them being Corpse One, Two, Three Etcetera.
“Hey Jax,” she said as she entered the pillow fort. Caine brought him out on her request only, because the others didn’t really request to visit him in the fort, though they came to the aquarium often. Jax did not even blink in acknowledgment, as usual. She crossed her legs and placed her basket on the floor. Inside it were two sandwiches (one for her, one for him), a plate, and the book she’d been reading to him. She made sure to read to him for at least an hour daily. It must be boring, swimming all the time. She took the book from his bookshelf. His room had been unlocked when he abstracted; that’s where they’d found him. He’d probably gone there after Pomni hadn’t talked to him. Then he’d locked himself in his room and abstracted. They’d only thought to check there a week after he’d come to her, because he always wandered off. They searched for ages, only to find his room locked. They’d knocked with no response; he must’ve already been abstracted then. Kinger had then conjured a key that matched Jax’s door and they’d opened it up to Jax’s abstraction. They’d all run. What else were they to do other than that?
Pomni got comfortable while Jax chased some butterflies lazily. He’d wait for them to come near and swipe at them, often missing, but that didn’t dampen his mood in any way that Pomni could tell. She really tried to put emotion into the words that she read to him, so that he would maybe listen in whilst messing around with the poor butterflies. She finished a little under 6 chapters in the hour. She spoke at a relatively fast pace. Also, the books on his shelf were mostly fairytales. But the original endings, which greatly ruined Pomni’s childhood memories. Who knew the little mermaid was so dark?
”Bye, Jax,” she said, and dared to stroke his shiny black skin. He glanced at her to move his eyes out of the way because she assumed he didn’t like being poked in any of his eyes. As usual, his sandwich was uneaten, and she packed it into her basket with everything else. “Have a good day.” He watched her, but made no other move to acknowledge her. She smiled at him, hoping his eyes would see her and remember how much she loved him. Caine was waiting outside for her. “Are you done?”
”Yes,” she replied quietly.
”Okay,” he replied, and took Jax with him back to the aquarium. Pomni put the sandwich in the bin, alongside all the other ones she’d made. They didn’t rot or anything, but she liked the routine of making a sandwich for him every day and she didn’t want anyone else eating Jax’s sandwich. Because it was his, and it always would be.
Ribbit was getting tired of dodging the abstractions. She’d just woken up, and found herself unable to breathe and surrounded by all the abstractions. She’d touched an abstraction before. It had not ended well. But she was getting tired of swimming. She wasn’t a good swimmer nor a fast learner so she was exhausted. Why does the universe spend a fraction of its infinite power to torment me so? Doesn’t it have better things to do? she asked in her head. She did not get a reply.
After what seemed like hours, Caine flew in, an abstraction floating next to him. Ribbit’s heart sunk. Who’d been lost? Ragatha, Kaufmo, Kinger, or… him? Any of them would hurt her. Was that why she was here? To watch the corpse of someone she knew get thrown into this aquarium? Ribbit banged on the glass to get Caine’s attention. He noticed her and immediately teleported her out.
”Oh my god,” Caine said. So it wasn’t him who’d put her in there. “Ribbit?” he asked.
”Who… was that?” she asked, putting aside her other questions.
”It was Jax, but that’s besides the point. How are you here right now?”
Jax?
He was…
Oh.
Was that why he’d pushed her away? Because he’d known?
Oh.
Oh god.
”Jax?” she said in a shaky voice, tears in her eyes. “He… abstracted?”
“Oh right, you don’t know about that. What do you remember?” Caine asked her.
”I— what? I just… I went to sleep in my room and I woke up here and I’ve been dodging abstractions for the past few hours and now you’re just telling me Jax is dead and you don’t seem to care?”
Caine put a sympathetic hand on her shoulder. “Ribbit… Jax has been dead for quite some time now.”
”What? No he hasn’t!”
”You abstracted, Ribbit. That was why you were in there with the others. And somehow you’ve come back. With no memory of being abstracted.”
She couldn’t handle that last bombshell. Caine wrapped his arms around her and she didn’t care that he was just an AI, she collapsed into his arms and started sobbing.
”It’s gonna be okay,” he murmured, and she noticed how his feet were on the ground. She’d never seen him stand before. It was unnerving. He nearly always flew.
”No, it’s not,” she replied.
Caine held her face in his hands and tried to wipe away the stream of tears down her face. “Yes, it will be. I promise.”
She didn’t take the promise of an AI to be worth much, but she decided that she may as well find out what else had happened since she was gone. May as well take all the bombshells at once. The worst it could do was kill her, and she’d apparently already been dead once. “How long have I been gone?”
”About 2 years.”
Oh. So she was 25 now? 2 years was a long time. A lot could happen in 2 years.
She took a shaky breath in. “Oh. Okay. Okay…” she took another couple of breaths. “Okay.”
“Are you good? Do you need a minute?”
”No, I can take it, I can—“ she was interrupted by a sob. “What day is it today?”
Caine didn’t react to that. He didn’t think that was a weird question, at least. “20th November.”
She saved that day in her memory. The day when everything fell apart.
She always thought November was the prettiest month. Well, that’s one more dream ruined.
Which reminded her of another dream. Of that night, if Kaufmo hadn’t interrupted. Where they’d dreamed together, preferably in her bed at the same time, and preferably they’d be in each other’s arms.
Guess that was another one to add to the list.
”Catch me up,” she told Caine.
”Are you sure?”
”I’ve literally returned from the dead. Yes, I can handle it.”
Caine sighed. “Well, the main highlights in chronological order: a new girl called Gangle came, then a new they called Zooble, then Kaufmo abstracted—“
”Kaufmo abstracted?” So she was the last of the trio remaining.
”Ribbit. Are you sur—“
”Caine.”
”Okay. Well, another new girl called Pomni came, then I went a little crazy and they deleted me, then Jax abstracted and Pomni went in his mind or something, then I came back from the dead after changing my entire worldview and we decided to make the circus a better place where everyone could input and make their own things. Oh, and your real name is Leah.”
”Oh.” She genuinely didn’t know how to react.
”How are you feeling?”
Ribbit laughed. “Like I should’ve stayed in bed.”
Caine squeezed her hand. “Well, you reckon you can handle going outside?”
”Well, I’ve handled everything else.”
He took her hand and stepped out into the light.
She then collapsed.
Kinger often went to the aquarium. He knew every single person in the tanks, and they seemed calm in there. He liked that they got this happiness. It was beautiful.
He did acknowledge the irony that these people had been placed in the repurposed ‘Loser Corner’. He didn’t think any of them had lost the game of life, though they’d all chosen to metaphorically kill themselves. Except Scratch, of course. Caine had only ever wanted to make them happy, and as an AI he had simply calculated the quickest path to it. Though mind-control hadn’t worked.
Truthfully, he really came for Queenie. Despite them all being ‘vegetables’, over time each abstraction had begun to resemble their original form. He didn’t really talk to her, but he liked watching her, checking she was okay. As okay as she could be.
As he walked down, he saw Caine cradling a figure. Pomni? She often visited the aquarium too, and maybe she’d gotten emotional. But as Kinger approached them, he realised it was Ribbit in his arms.
”Ribbit?” Kinger asked aloud.
Caine looked up. “I found her in the tank. She’s managed to unabstract, somehow.”
”Is she asleep?”
”No, she passed out in the light. I ran some checks on her files though, and there’s nothing to suggest why she reacted like that, though.”
”I’d imagine the transition from being an abstraction to a human would be extremely challenging. I’ve often thought that their aggression in the light stems from the fact they have so many eyes. Seeing everything at once would be a sensory overload, which could frustrate them. And the darkness would therefore be grounding.” Kinger said all of this in a thoughtful tone, but his thoughts were with his wife. If Ribbit can return, why not my own Queenie? My Destiny?
”I’d agree, but she has no memory of being abstracted. Why would she face a sensory overload from the change if she isn’t aware a change has happened?”
”Maybe she subconsciously remembers.”
Caine considered this. “Well, let’s keep her in a dim room for observation for now.”
Kinger nodded to the best of his ability. “Do you need me to come with?”
”Maybe when she wakes up. But, could you do me a favour and tell the others about… all this?”
Kinger nodded again. “I can do that.” He often took on tasks for Caine. He saw the AI as a son, and he thought that he overworked himself sometimes. Caine couldn’t smile, but he tipped his hat appreciatively and teleported himself and Ribbit to a different room.
Kinger was going to do what Caine asked, but he went to see Queenie first.
He put a hand against the glass, and she swam over to him. “Hello, Queenie. Destiny. I still can’t decide what to call you.” She watched him. He really believed that she was aware of her surroundings, though Pomni never had any luck with Jax. Kinger never visited Queenie when she was around because of this. He didn’t know how she’d take it. “You’re beautiful as ever.” He doubted Queenie could hear him through the glass. “I miss you. I wish you were here. Like Ribbit is now.” She pressed herself against the glass where his hand was, and he imagined her warming it. “I love you.”
He left her there, and wondered how he was going to tell the others about Ribbit’s return.