Archive of Our Own

“I can’t help but notice that you haven't smiled even once since you arrived this evening,” Caine observed, holding his bottom jaw, “which is highly unusual as you typically would have smiled at least eleven times by now.” 

Pomni blinked. Caine’s sudden statement pulled her focus from her own thoughts and back to where she was sitting in his office. Pomni briefly glanced up at where Caine was floating above her. Her gaze snapped back down to the ground when she saw his look of curiosity morph into concern. Her hand picked at the seam of the couch.

“Sorry,” she said, “I just…have a lot on my mind…”

Caine snapped. Pomni looked up to find him crossing his legs in the air and sporting a pair of half-moon glasses. He held a notepad open with a pencil already poised over a page. 

“What’s been on your mind? Or, well, in it?” Caine asked. He locked eyes with Pomni over his glasses, studying her expression intensely.

“Um.” Pomni cleared her throat, sweating under the sudden spotlight. 

Caine sat at attention, patiently waiting for her to spill the beans which he’d also just snapped into existence beside her. Pomni failed to notice this and Caine mentally kicked himself for a gag wasted on bad timing. Looking between the props Caine conjured up, Pomni managed a strained smile, hands coming together to fiddle with her gloves.

“I appreciate it,” Pomni hesitated, “but I haven’t really figured it out myself.” She hoped this half truth would soften the blow of rejection.

Caine mentally erased his count of Pomni's smile after confirming with himself that it didn’t count.

Pomni took a breath. “Maybe we can chat again another ti–” 

In a blink, Caine was in front of Pomni, his props thrown to the side. He placed his hands on her shoulders, his teeth mimicking furrowed brows. 

“No, don’t!” Caine gasped, “I mean–” 

Caine saw Pomni’s eyes dart to his hands and felt the way Pomni’s shoulders tensed up beneath him. Uncomfortable, uncomfortable, this is uncomfortable. He lets go immediately. 

“Don’t leave,” Caine says quickly, backing up a comfortable distance, “Is there…anything you'd like? Anything I–this ringmaster can do for you?” 

Pomni’s body began to relax as Caine kept the distance he’d made. She pulled at her gloves as she stared at a random orb on the shelves. Each second that passed without an input from Pomni was an agony Caine physically felt in his code. His body was itching to do something–anything. Even if it was ridiculous, chaotic, or off tone he felt he had to do something. 

Caine held down his own hand, keeping it from frantically snapping to make that something happen. Any action like that now would only further upset Pomni. What if she leaves now? What if she doesn’t come back? It may even make her outright stop having these chats with him in the future and he can’t have that. He can’t have that. 

Pomni had only broken their scheduled meetings for a day. Initially, Caine didn't question Pomni suddenly asking for space until he was left alone to mull it over in his office. Ever the opportunist, Bubble appeared to keep him company. The little voice of unreason flitted around him saying how Pomni must've grown bored of him. Tired of him. She finally figured it out. Figured him out. She must've been telling her real friends all of this right now instead of being with him. Only one way to find out, boss. It’s not as if you haven’t already done worse– Caine popped every Bubble that spilled and scraped out his thoughts till he was left panting, hunched over his office table. Before the last Bubble popped, he'd already begun tuning into where Pomni was in the circus. 

She was in Ragatha’s room. The two girls were sitting on the edge of Ragatha’s bed. Ragatha looked concerned as Pomni recounted the team adventure where Caine had given them all guns. At one point Pomni struggled to say something then spoke in an even lower volume to Ragatha. Caine strained in vain to make out what she was saying. When Pomni was done speaking, Ragatha tugged at her hair then held the back of her neck. She started to say something to Pomni then pressed her lips together and shook her head. Caine was only there a moment before he saw Pomni start turning towards where he was eavesdropping through a framed picture on the wall. Though he doubted she would actually notice or piece together his presence, he didn’t want her to look at him. He’d feel more awful than he already did.

Caine hoped he’d done well to act as though nothing was wrong when Pomni returned to his office today. They were back to their usual schedule after all. Seeing Pomni right across from him again made him easily sweep everything right under the rug and stomp it down. He had the whole evening planned out. Pomni will smile and remember how great he is. Caine will make her smile and remember how great he is. All will be well. And yet, eleven failed attempts later, here they were. 

Pomni sighed, the sound making Caine flinch. He was unprepared on how he’d react if she were to dismiss him now. Pomni laid back against the couch, her arms limp in her lap as she stared at the ceiling.

“I could really use a drink right now,” said Pomni. 

She heard a snap and her hands suddenly felt like they were cradling something. She looked down to see a  coconut with a mini umbrella and silly straw sticking out of it. Pomni turned the drink in her hand.

“Thank you, Caine, but I meant something more…alcoholic…” Pomni trailed off, unsure if asking for something like that would set off any alarms around the circus. Caine snapped again. Pomni saw no immediate changes to her drink. 

“Give it a try!” Caine urged, motioning for her to take a sip. 

Pomni squinted at the coconut before pressing the silly straw to her lips. Tastes just like coconut, something tangy, and–

Pomni coughed, a hand coming up to clutch at her throat as she swallowed what felt like liquid fire. She sucked in a shallow breath which only made her throat sting like sanitizer on a fresh cut. Pomni looked up at Caine who was leisurely enjoying his own coconut beverage across from her. 

“Holy [%$@!#],” Pomni wheezed out, “what did you put in this?” 

“Alcohol! As requested!” Caine answered.

Pomni felt that sip of fire course down her body, steaming her from the inside out. She looked down at the coconut in her hands now with more wariness. 

“I didn’t think you’d actually give me alcohol, especially something this strong,” Pomni said, fiddling with the little umbrella. Caine tossed the coconut behind him and settled onto the couch across from Pomni. He sat at attention, hands laced in his lap. 

“Of course. It’s what you wanted,” Caine said matter-of-factly. 

Pomni huffed out a laugh which made Caine tilt his head. 

“Right,” Pomni stated. 

The conversation came to a creaking stop. 

Caine counted the seconds, milliseconds, nanoseconds, and every increment of every type of second there was while Pomni sat, quietly mixing up her coconut drink with her straw. Bubble appeared beside him somewhere between the one hundredth and two hundredth millisecond. He was popped by Caine the moment he opened his mouth. Pomni didn’t notice. She took another sip of her drink.

“Would you like to go somewhere this evening?” Caine asked suddenly. 

Pomni stilled, straw hanging from her parted lips. Caine sat rigid, eyes wide and waiting. 

“Um,” Pomni began, “where would we go?” 

Pomni’s question to Caine’s question made him light up with a smile. Pomni suddenly felt she’d asked something very silly. He stood from the couch and stepped into the air with one arm behind his back. His other arm extended out towards Pomni as he offered her his hand. 

“Somewhere fun!” Caine answered like it was a promise. 

Pomni looked at Caine’s earnest smile then down at Caine’s outstretched hand. Placing the coconut drink to the side, Pomni stood up. With a smile that Caine believed could launch a thousand ships into outer space, Pomni placed her hand in his. A portal appeared beside them, colored in different hues of red and gold. As they stepped through the portal together, Caine mentally noted down the first real Pomni smile of the night.

♡ ♢ ♤ ♧

As Pomni and Caine stepped out of the portal, Pomni looked down to find her default jester outfit had changed. She now wore a buttoned up dress shirt, dark slacks, and a shed outer suit jacket which hung loosely over her arm. She didn’t bother checking if her hat stayed the same. She already knew the answer.

“How…bussiness professional,” Pomni remarked, turning to see the back of her outfit. 

“You are a tired and worn out business woman coming from work!” said Caine. 

“I…sure.” Pomni shrugged, ready to accept what backstory Caine had prepared. 

At her side Caine had also gone through an outfit change, or rather, an outfit rearrangement. He’d shed his outer tailcoat, which he held over his shoulder, to reveal a red vest underneath. His bowtie was undone around his loosened collar and his sleeves were rolled up to his elbows. 

Pomni stared at Caine, realizing it’s the first time she’d seen him without his coat. She noted his exposed arms, wondering how his body could be both transparent and yet visible. Then she wondered, when did Caine have defined muscles? Her eyes trailed from his arms up to his chest where the fabric hugged him. Her thorough examination pathed all the way up to his loosened tie until she reached his eyes and found he was staring right back at her. 

“Something on my arms, chest, and face, Pomni?” Caine asked. 

Pomni quickly tore her eyes away. “Nope!” She squeaked out an awkward chuckle as she let go of Caine’s hand.

Pomni takes a moment to look around. The portal had taken them to what looked like a city street just after sunset. Many stores were closing up shop for the night as several mannequin NPC’s turned their open signs to close and brought their little standees inside. Streetlights blinked on, lighting up the vacant streets. 

Caine started towards the door of a small building, the only one who kept its lights on as the others were doused out. 

“Now, let us toss all our cares away and drown ourselves in age appropriate beverages!” said Caine. Caine’s voice then became monotone and sped up. “Please drink responsibly and in a safe environment. Do not drink and drive. Do not drink and text.” 

Caine opened the door for Pomni. Stepping through, Pomni was immediately hit with the smell of smoke and the melancholy sound of a piano. It was a dimly lit bar. Warm yellow light illuminated a dark interior. Its patrons were scattered about either conversing indistinctly, smoking in the corners of the room, or quietly playing a game of cards. It resembled more of a speakeasy than a modern bar. At the very back, a lone spotlight shined on a piano player as their fellow bandmates rested their instruments to quietly listen to their song. To the right of the room the bartender nodded to Pomni in a silent greeting as they wiped a whiskey glass clean.

Pomni placed her coat on the nearby coat hanger as Caine joined her inside and did the same. He led her to sit at the bar. Before either of them could order, the bartender already prepared them matching drinks. Pomni picked up her glass and tilted the drink towards herself. It was even the same order; a Negroni cocktail. 

“So, I take it this means you actually liked Zooble’s suggestion?” Pomni asked, not masking the lilting tease in her tone.

Caine jolted, causing his glass to slosh alcohol onto the counter. 

“Wha–what makes you say that?” Caine sputtered as the bartender wiped down the spill. 

Pomni quirked a brow and wordlessly gestured to her drink then turned her body and gestured towards the whole bar. 

“This is completely different!” Caine claimed, spilling a bit more alcohol as he mimicked her gesture. 

Pomni sipped at her drink, completely unconvinced. 

“For one, it’s not monochrome! And for two? This bar has live music!” Caine paused so that Pomni may hear this for herself, however they only heard background conversations serving as ambient noise. Both of them turned towards the small stage where it looked like the band was taking a small smoke break. They turned back towards the bar. Who were they to deny a well deserved smoke break?

“And for three! I made sure to actually provide real alcohol this time instead of suggested alcohol!”

Pomni frowned, trying to recall if the taste of her drink was any different from when Zooble prepared it. She couldn’t tell. 

“Caine you can not be that much of a stickler for your G rating,” Pomni scolded, “And what is suggested alcohol?” 

“I simply did that to avoid any intoxicated mishaps!” Caine explained, though Pomni didn’t miss the look of guilt in his eyes. 

“Uh huh.”

“And suggested alcohol is a wonderful alternative which caps the level of intoxication!”

“I see…” 

Pomni sipped at her drink then downed her glass in several big gulps, already testing out what uncapped intoxication levels she could reach. She placed the glass down and heaved a sigh. The bartender took her empty glass and gestured for a refill. Pomni nodded and silently watched her drink being made. The band on stage must’ve been done with their break as Pomni heard the pianist begin to play a few chords. She heard the pitter patter of light rain, but when she glanced out the window she only saw a still night street. It must’ve been raining somewhere else.

The bartender placed down two new, identical drinks. It seemed Caine needed a refill too since most of his drink ended up either on the floor or on the counter. Pomni picked hers up as Caine did his. She tilted the glass towards him. Taking her cue, he clinked his glass against hers in a small toast. Pomni drank half while Caine only took one sip. Placing her glass down, Pomni looked over at Caine. 

“When you said you’d take me somewhere fun I did imagine something different,” Pomni said, picturing adrenaline-inducing alternatives and impossible sceneries. 

“Did–do you not like–” Caine quickly ran through his library of ideas on where else he’d take Pomni instead as she shook her head. 

“This is nice,” said Pomni, interrupting Caine’s whirlwind before it picked up speed. She looked down at her drink, taking a moment to listen to the band play along with that muffled far off sound of rain. 

“I think it’s just what I needed.” Pomni smiled at Caine who could do nothing else but smile back at her. Caine didn’t notice how tense his body was until he felt himself relax. He took another sip from his drink and finally noted the taste.

Pomni felt warm. Both from the drinks and from the atmosphere of the bar. If she closed her eyes for a moment to let the indistinct voices and music drown out everything on her mind, she could forget she was in the digital circus. She wondered if Caine knew that the bar adventure was one of her favorites. Learning about who everyone was before they came here was reassuring to Pomni. It reminded her that she was someone too. That she is still someone. It was only a glimpse, but it also gave her more of an understanding of her fellow circus members. Well…most of them. Pomni glanced over at Caine again who was tapping at his glass deep in thought. 

Caine was doing everything he could to keep himself together. How do humans do this? How do they know what the correct response is? Caine’s finger continued to tap on his glass as he ran every simulation on how he could initiate a deep conversation. 

Why was it all just so difficult to…connect? The rest of the humans were able to do it without an eighth of the processing Caine was doing. Some of them didn’t even need any push to initiate talking about themselves. So, what was it that Caine was doing wrong? Was it because he’d already failed in their earlier conversation? No, no, she agreed to go with him. There’s still a chance now, while she’s beside him. Should he talk about something else first then work his way there? How would he naturally go about that? Should he be more straightforward? Had he not done so already? Should he start creating subliminal advertisements around them, urging her to share? Why did every imagined scenario end with him watching as Pomni closed herself off even more? Caine tapped faster on his glass. 

Was he missing something? Was there something wrong with him? Is it because he’s not…human? If so then…that’s not something he could–

“Were you…did you do something else before the circus?” Pomni asked. Caine’s finger paused against his glass. He turned to Pomni briefly, then turned around to look behind him a moment before looking back at her. 

Caine pointed to himself. “Me?”

Pomni chuckled. “Yes, you, Caine.” 

Caine stared into his drink, his gaze becoming unfocused. Pomni noticed one of Caine’s eyes stuttering for just a moment. She straightened up in her seat.

“Sorry,” Pomni said quickly, “you don’t have to share anything you don’t want to.” 

Pomni looked around the bar trying to spot if anything was falling apart around them. Thankfully, nothing was. She pressed her lips together, struggling to find a way to change the subject as the bartender set down a tall glass of a deep, deep blue liquid with specs of silver. When the glass touched the counter, the specs rippled and shimmered like holographic glitter.

Caine picked up the tall spoon the bartender provided and gave the drink a stir. The colors lightened to hues of purple and blue with the shimmers of silver now glistening like stars. It was as if he was stirring up the very galaxy. Pomni watched as Caine discarded the spoon and plopped in a bendy straw. He drank nearly half before he stopped and took a breath.

“I…was tasked with creating…for them,” said Caine. He stirred his drink again as the colors danced around in the glass. Pomni cupped her own drink with both hands. She felt she had to choose her next words very carefully. 

“For who?” Pomni asked.

Caine doesn’t answer. Pomni tried again with a different question.

“What would you make for them?” Pomni asked more tentatively. 

Caine’s eyes seemed to light up with a memory then just as quickly, they darken.

“Anything and everything they asked of me,” Caine answered heavily. Pomni wavered on her next question. She noticed Caine had that far off look again. Another small glitch rippled through him for a moment, though he didn’t seem to notice. 

“Sounds like…you had a pretty important job,” said Pomni.

Caine nodded proudly, then his shoulders slumped forward solemnly. “It was the most important job.” 

Pomni hummed. “That’s a pretty difficult role to play for just one person…or AI”

Briefly, for just a moment, Pomni saw a small flash of blue pulse from Caine’s eye. Pomni blinked. That was new...

“It was…but it was mine. It was my role to play.” Caine’s upper jaw lowered to where Pomni could no longer see his eyes. “I…I just wanted to–” 

Caine paused. Lifting his head up, he turned to look at Pomni who stiffened under his gaze.

“How do you do that so easily?” Caine asked. 

“Um...” Pomni furrowed her brows together. “Do what?” 

“Make me want to tell you things.” 

Despite what she thought was the right way to react, Pomni couldn’t help but smile. 

“All I did was ask some questions.” 

“Yes, but…” Caine trailed off. He turned back to his drink, hands drumming on the counter. Ditching the straw, Caine took a swig then mumbled something Pomni couldn’t make out. She leaned in a bit closer.

“Sorry?” 

Caine shrank a bit in his seat. Pomni spotted the sides of his teeth now had a light shade of pink. 

“I was supposed to do that for you,” Caine repeated.  

Pomni’s eyes widened. Oh. She watched as Caine’s blush deepened in color. Pomni fought the urge to chuckle as Caine awkwardly fidgeted with his drink. The band onstage ended their song as a saxophone transitioned them into a new melody. The rain ended, replaced by the fragrance of coffee. Pomni turned her glass on the counter.

“Thank you, Caine.”

He straightened up in his seat. “But I–I didn’t do anything.” 

Pomni shook her head. “You did more than enough.”

“How?”

Caine seemed almost desperate for what answer Pomni could provide as he leaned closer to her. Pomni looked away, feeling embarrassed at her next words. 

“You showed me you genuinely cared.”

Caine processed this for a moment. Just for a moment. 

“Then, you’re not upset at me anymore?” 

“What?” Pomni’s voice pitched higher than she intended. She whipped her head over to Caine who wondered how he could somehow make her forget what he just said.

“I was never upset at you, Caine!” 

Caine shook his head indignantly. “You didn’t want to see me the other day! And today! You almost left again! And before that–” Caine caught himself. Ticked by both the conversation and his near slip up, he grabbed his drink and threw the whole thing in his mouth. Caine snapped his teeth shut, jostled his head, and then returned the empty glass back onto the counter. Pomni groaned, where the alcohol and atmosphere had pulled her from, frustration pushed her back teetering on the edge.

“I just needed space!” 

“But–”

“I wasn’t mad at you, Caine!” Realizing she’d raised her voice, Pomni closed her eyes and took a breath. When she opened her eyes, she looked at Caine and spoke firmly so that no doubt could be gleaned from her tone. “I wasn’t mad at you. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

Caine’s hand twitched. A disgusting feeling crept along his back, curling around his shoulders. He stared into Pomni’s sincere eyes as the feeling coiled around him tighter. Then, something caught Caine’s attention, hovering just slightly above Pomni’s hat. Caine angled himself slightly to get a clearer view. Beyond the bar’s window and across the empty city street, Caine saw Bubble floating under a yellow streetlight. Little Bubble was watching silently, not making any effort to come closer. When they locked eyes, Bubble’s blank toothy smile seemed to stretch a bit wider. He mouthed something Caine couldn’t hear; he didn’t need to. Caine understood. Bubble tilted his head, waiting for Caine's response. Caine’s breath began to come up short. 

“...Caine?” 

At the sound of Pomni’s voice, he refocused on her. Noticing Caine’s shifted gaze, she began to turn around. Caine reached out and grabbed her hand, holding her towards him.

“Yes…I understand,” Caine managed to say. 

He looked past Pomni’s blushing face and out towards the window. The streetlight flickered, lighting up an empty city sidewalk. Letting go of Pomni’s hand, Caine exhaled slowly. Wordlessly, Caine snapped himself a refill, not bothering to flag down the bartender. The liquid poured itself into a new glass. The old glass had excused itself from the counter. Caine grabbed the new drink which shimmered more than the last. Pomni watched him quietly sip at his drink. 

“I’m sorry,” said Pomni.

Caine started in his seat. “Whatever for?” he asked. 

“I should’ve been more clear about that from the start. I didn’t mean to make you worried.”

Caine watched as Pomni fidgeted with her glass, turning it in on the counter again. He looked away before he answered. “I was worried,” Caine admitted, “…I am worried.

The feeling of guilt faintly ached in Pomni’s chest. She took a heavy swig of her drink in hopes that the alcohol would sooner dull that ache. It also gave her some time to figure out how to reply.

“I’m sorry,” Pomni repeated. “But I do feel better…thanks to you.” Pomni gave Caine a small, somber smile. Caine didn’t know whether or not this smile counted, but he held onto her words like a lifeline. The knot twisting around his body loosened. Like a picture hung to cover up a stain, Caine let Pomni’s voice drown out all the rest.

“Then…did I do a good job?” Caine asked. 

“You did a great job, Caine,” Pomni replied.

The effect was like a tonic coursing through his system. Caine repeated Pomni’s affirmation in his head a few times before he filed that little memory away. Seeing Caine’s chipper attitude, Pomni let herself relax again. She wondered if it was cheating, the way she softened him up with praise, but felt the overall benefit for both of them outweighed any questionable intent. After all, she didn’t tell a lie.

Pomni was starting to feel a slight buzz from her drinks. Pomni assumed Caine must’ve been feeling the same from the way he started to sway in his seat in time with the music. A thought occurred to her.

“Can you get drunk, Caine?” Pomni asked, holding up a hand to signal to the bartender. 

Caine hummed. “Yes…and no,” Caine said, propping his head up on the palm of his hand.

“I do not get drunk in the same sense as humans do, but I can take something to simulate a…similar feeling.” Caine nodded to his drink. “This special concoction is one that any AI, android, or mastercomputer could elicit that inebriating sensation from.” 

“Huh.” Pomni eyed the drink. “Mind if…I tried it?” 

Caine gave Pomni a mischievous grin. “I think you can handle it.” 

Caine slid his drink towards her. Pomni felt a little spark of defiance at Caine’s comment and took it as a challenge. Her voice of reason was a bit too distracted by Caine’s roguish smile to speak up as she reached for the sparkling drink. Placing the straw to her lips, Pomni took a small sip. 

For a moment, Pomni saw nothing. A vast expanse of darkness stretching beyond eternity surrounded her. Pomni felt the absence of touch. She couldn’t hear a thing, not even her own heart beat. She didn’t need to smell if she no longer needed to breathe. The concept of taste was suddenly alien to her. It was as if all her senses had gone, if they were ever there in the first place. She was a part of the absolute as it was part of her. She was there from its beginning and is witnessing its end. There was nothing, as there ever was. Then. A murmur. A sigh. A cough. And suddenly. Everything, everywhere, happened all at once. 

At the countertop seat of the digital bar, the human called Pomni gasped. She caught herself on the countertop, gripping it with shaking hands. Her heart was pumping electricity through her veins. She could feel static in her teeth and her hair standing on end. Her atoms felt like they were vibrating under her skin. Taking several deep breaths, her body slowly returned back to mostly normal functioning, senses and all. She whipped her head to Caine, almost tilting from the motion. 

“What the actual [%$@!#] was that?”

Caine chuckled, reaching over to retrieve his drink.

“How was it?” Caine asked. 

“It–I was,” Pomni stuttered, “I…it had this…” Pomni tried pantomiming out her experience as if that could paint a better picture than her words. She managed to mime out something small turning big then circled her hands around each other.

Caine nodded in understanding, finishing his drink in one big gulp. 

“Exactly,” said Caine, “I couldn't have not said it better myself.” He flagged the bartender down for another drink. The bartender offered the same order to Pomni who shook her head. 

“I think I’ll stick with the usual alcohol, thanks.”

She finished off her drink and ordered a Cosmopolitan instead. Pomni flexed her hands. The jolts of electricity had calmed to a dull buzz. Her body felt a bit numb. Her limbs were heavy, sluggish, as if they lagged behind her thoughts. She bit back a giggle, suddenly feeling the urge to laugh at nothing. If one sip did this amount of damage, Pomni wondered what a whole glass would do to her. It was too bad she wasn't already drunk enough to let herself try.

Caine’s new drink had what looked like golden little galaxies swimming around. When he moved the drink it had an odd unmoving plaid effect. Pomni noticed Caine was now sporting some new light pink on his teeth. 

“Is this your first time actually drinking?” Pomni asked. She wasn’t counting the bar adventure they went on given Caine’s little trickery and the tolerance he had for regular alcohol. 

“Yes!” said Caine, “It sure is a doozy of an experience!” 

Pomni snorted, noticing his words were beginning to slur together. Pomni wondered just how many times he’d done this so far: indulge her in trying out something new. Though he wasn’t one to ever shy away from bluntly saying something bored him, he still gave every suggestion Pomni provided a try. A wave of appreciation flowed through her as she watched him taste his new drink. 

“What was it you were telling me about an old adventure?” Pomni asked, “I didn’t get to hear the whole story.” She sipped her Cosmo, noting the tart taste. Just as she hoped, Caine broke out into a grin that could be categorized as a flash bang. Pomni squinted at the brightness of his joy. Needing no further convincing, Caine launched into a thorough retelling of an old adventure he called Treasure Galaxy. 

Pomni gave Caine her rapt attention. All those drinks must’ve been taking their toll as he blended two separate adventures in his retelling. Caine usually provided props or the occasional puppet show for when he talks about his adventures if they weren’t already walking through one. However, not only did he only verbally retell the adventure, his usual excitable energy quickly turned mopey and brooding. At one point, Pomni had to wave away a rain cloud that appeared over Caine’s head. 

Caine slouched over to rest the bottom of his jaw on the counter. “They didn’t even take a moment to appreciate the giant space squid I’d made to attack them. And only Gangle said anything about the outfits I’d prepared for them,” Caine lamented, finishing yet another sparkling drink.

“I’m sure they liked the outfits. Maybe they were a bit preoccupied with the squid,” Pomni reassured, trying and failing not to laugh at the way Caine’s mouth opened and closed on the counter like a sock puppet. “Oh, that reminds me.” Pomni poked Caine’s shoulder so his eyes would peek out from his lower jaw. She pointed to her head.

“Why does my stupid hat always stay the same even when you have us change outfits?” 

Caine swirled his new drink: a green liquid with patches of orange and a single line of red wrapping the glass. “Ah, that’s because I find your hat so charming! You look delightful in it!” 

 Pomni’s heart fluttered. She lets out a nervous laugh.

“C’mon, you can’t like it that much.” 

“But I do!” Caine sat up. “I adore the way it sits on that noggin of yours whether you’re flying through the air into a collision or landing face first on the ground!” 

Pomni’s mouth formed a line. She wondered if she should take it as the insult it sounded like or the compliment he intended it to be. 

“I also like when you pull at it sometimes when you’re nervous! Though you fiddle at your gloves more than your hat,” Caine remarked.

If Pomni wasn’t already flushed before, that observation from Caine certainly made her flushed now. She cleared her throat, determined to not let his candid words, drunken smile, and charming new look distract her. 

“Maybe you’re just too attached since you always see me in it.” 

Pomni leaned towards Caine, her eyes flicking to his upper jaw. “Let me give your hat a try.” 

Caine poured some of his drink over his eyes, letting the liquid drip down into his mouth. Setting the drink down, Caine held out his hand and snapped. Nothing happened. Caine snapped again. Still nothing. Pomni snorted as Caine glared at his fingers. He shook his hand once then tried one more snap. Pomni felt a sudden vacuum of space atop her head. She had to reach a bit higher than usual to feel the floating top hat sitting just a few inches above her head.

“So,” Pomni struck a pose, showcasing her new headwear, “how do I look?” 

Caine hummed. “Perhaps, I was wrong”

“See? I could even go without–” 

“It wasn’t the hat I found so lovely,” said Caine. “With a face as adorable as yours, any accessory you wear would look just as wonderful…” 

Pomni stared dumbfounded at Caine who simply gave her a goofy lopsided smile. She turned back towards the counter, head turned down to her drink. 

“You compliment me so easily…” 

“You are easy to compliment.” 

Pomni slumped over, hand clenching at her heart. From the way Pomni began steaming, the bartender debated on grabbing the fire extinguisher. That quickdraw response nearly did Pomni in, but she was too stubborn to admit defeat. She had no time to wonder when this became a competition, she just knew she couldn’t go down without a fight. Pressing the rim of the glass against her lips, she threw her head back, emptying her drink in one gulp. Bracing against the counter, she placed down her glass with a heavy thunk. The bartender didn’t need a signal to know she wanted a refill. 

Pomni straightened up, the momentum tilting her back in her seat till she righted herself by grabbing onto the counter. She inched a bit closer to Caine and placed her hand out. The bartender slid her drink down the bar. In one smooth motion Pomni caught her drink, took a heavy swig, and slammed it back onto the counter. Wiping her mouth, she crossed her legs and looked straight into Caine's starstruck eyes.

“Caine?” she called.

“Yes?” he replied. One could easily imagine canine ears perking up and a tail wagging behind the inebriated ringmaster from the way he so eagerly answered Pomni. 

“You,” Pomni paused dramatically, “have beautiful eyes.” 

Caine grinned stupidly at her. “Oh, you flatter me!” 

Pomni smugly noted down her point as Caine propped the side of his head up on his knuckles. “Though I find yours much more captivating.”  

Pomni winced at his sudden counter attack. She could practically see the damage numbers above her. Quickly recovering, Pomni prepared her own counter attack to his counter attack.

“Well, you–” 

“The way your hair frames your face,” Caine interjected, reaching out to lightly run his fingertips over her bangs, “like the theater curtains of a stage. Your expressions are acts I could never tire of watching. The blush on your cheeks; like spotlights. Your lovely, colorful eyes are the stars of the show which mesmerize me more than anything else." Caine lets out a wistful sigh. “I can only imagine how vibrant the world is through those eyes.” 

Somewhere in Pomni's mind someone spilled water all over her neurons, sparking them into an inferno that blazed through her psyche. Pomni could conjure no words, no reaction, and absolutely no clever retort. All she could do was sit there, jaw agape, squeaking out a sound more hamster than it was human. Caine sat there right as rain, kicking his feet as he enjoyed yet another new expression Pomni was sharing with him. 

Pomni hung her head. Stupid Caine. Stupid heart. Of course he could say all that with a straight face and not feel embarrassed about it. Defeated and sore, Pomni placed her arms on the counter and nestled her head in between them. 

“Your outfit suits you,” mumbled Pomni, voice muffled in her arms. 

“Why, thank you, my dear!” Caine jubilantly gushed. 

“You look very handsome.” 

“Perhaps I should wear this more often.” 

“You were always handsome.” 

“Then should I stick to the tried and true?” 

“I’d rather see you with less on.” 

“Ah, then I can–wa–wait–” 

“You're so animated when you speak. So spontaneous. I love seeing what silly thing you’d think to do next.” 

“I–th–thank you, Pomni, but let us rewind on that–” 

“And you’re so funny sometimes that it hurts to keep myself from laughing.” 

“I…only sometimes?” 

“And your voice!” 

Pomni lifted her head up. While Caine nearly looked scandalized, Pomni wore the most salacious smile he’d ever seen her wear. Face flushed, eyes twinkling, Pomni had Caine stutter out his reply.

“My–my voice?”

“It’s so, so nice…seriously…I love hearing it. Especially the way you talk when it's just us.” Pomni sighed dreamily. “On adventures I can easily imagine what you'll say and how you'll say it, like you're right there beside me…” Pomni chuckled.

 “Sometimes I even try to guess what you’ll call me next. ‘My dear?’ ‘My darling?’ ‘My Starlight?’” 

Caine swallowed nervously. “Th–that–” 

“My, my, my. You say that a lot. So many times…” 

Pomni leaned in close to Caine, lowering her voice in a way that sent chills down his spine. 

“If I’m yours, Caine, does that also make you mine?” 

The whole digital world seemed to freeze–because it did. The patrons, the band, and the bartender all froze in place. Thankfully, the bartender placed Pomni’s new drink down before he was paused. Not waiting for Caine’s answer or reaction, Pomni grabbed her drink and took another swig. She failed to notice anything out of the ordinary as she questioned the taste of the drink. She couldn't remember what she ordered and didn't register the piece of corn attached to the rim. Meanwhile, Caine was buffering next to her. His eyes flashed to a blue screen with rapid fire text scrolling down. It took Caine exactly 5.05 seconds to return from the unavoidable full reboot.

Caine shook his head, doing his utmost to cool down his overheated body. He fumbled at his drink, downing it all in one gulp. The liquid immediately rushed through his system, jolting him then calming him like someone giving their laundry a hard snap in the air before gently smoothing it out. Caine couldn’t shake what felt like someone ran their fingers through his code, scrambling them like cards on a table. 

With his recovery, the bar kicked back into motion. Conversations continued, the bartender answered to another patron, and the band queued up another song. In an effort at self stabilization, Caine attempted to recall his objective step by step…what was his objective again?

Besides him, Pomni closed her eyes, her head gently nodding to the tune of the band. 

“I love this song…”

Caine jolted. Internally, one command snapped in place from Pomni’s statement. He turned to her.

“Would you like to dance?” Caine asked. 

Pomni opened her eyes and gave him a sheepish smile.

“Here?” Pomni glanced sceptically at the tables filled with drunk, smoking NPCs. 

Caine snapped. Nothing happened. He gave his arm a little shake and snapped again. The whole bar went dark. Pomni squinted, wondering if she forgot how to open her eyes.

Suddenly, colorful spotlights lit up a freshly conjured dance floor. On the stage, a bandmember pulled down sunglasses and pressed one headphone cup to the side of their head. A full DJ booth had spawned in front of them, decked out in colorful knobs, switches, and buttons. The other bandmates switched out some instruments, swapping them for their more modern counterparts. Oversized speakers framed the stage. They began doing a sound check.

Caine hopped off his seat, stumbled for a moment, then righted himself. Turning to Pomni he offered her his hand as a spotlight turned on above them. Pomni felt herself sobering up beneath it.

“Oh, Caine, I–I can’t dance,” she said nervously.

“But you want to!” Caine countered. 

Pomni hesitated. Then, the beginning of a song started blasting from the speakers. Pomni recognized it instantly. It was one of her favorites, after all. It was a song that reminded her of when she was younger and still allowed to do stupid things. When the problems she conquered seemed like the end of the world till she looked back on them with laughter and a shake of her head. It was a song she couldn’t allow herself to listen to while driving and the one she couldn’t stop listening to on repeat till someone begged her to skip it.

Pomni could feel the beat vibrating through the floor, up to her seat, and into her little heart. She grinned at Caine, a brazen smile full of drunken exhilaration and delight. 

“You seriously don’t play fair!” 

Pomni gave Caine her hand and joined him on the dance floor. Other NPC’s, now dressed in colorful neon clothing ripped in all the right fashionable places, joined them. Their background conversations became shouts above the blaring music which drowned everything out. Beams of light strobed in time with the beat as the main overhead lights were turned low. The somber bar was now a fully set raging nightclub. On the stage, the DJ took the mic, shouting above the crowd. 

“Alright, alright, alright! How are we doing here, tonight?” 

The crowd cheered loud enough for the whole spontaneous club to vibrate. Pomni swayed on her feet. Caine caught her by the waist, steadying her. A group of NPC’s surged forward, pushing Pomni till she was up against his chest. She looked up at Caine's half lidded eyes and that same goofy smile. Underneath the colorful lights and cacophony of screaming NPC's, Pomni's heart drummed against Caine's who etched the rhythm into his memory. The DJ addressed the crowd again after they simmered down enough.

“Welcome to Club [404]! We’re gonna spend the rest of tonight partying like there’s a nuke dropping at the strike of dawn!” He paused again, letting the crowd scream their response.

“Let's make tonight the night you'll remember for the rest of your lives!” 

Pomni’s song started up again, drowning out the last word of the DJ’s announcement. Before they stepped away from each other, Caine and Pomni exchanged one last grin. Then, ringmaster and jester both began tearing up the digital dance floor. 

Half the time Pomni couldn’t tell what dance moves she was doing. She was too distracted laughing at the performance Caine was putting on: a ridiculous combination of the most complex mid-air spins, flips, with a Charlie Brown finisher. The alcohol had scrubbed her clean of all inhibitions. Pomni danced like there were no wrong answer and sang along to all her favorite songs at the top of her lungs. Their clothes became ruffled as buttons became undone and shirts untucked. Somewhere along the line, Pomni lost Caine’s top hat. Unbeknownst to either of them, the hat then went on its own little adventure free from its role as an accessory.

At one point, Pomni and Caine were back at the bar going shot for shot with the crowd cheering them on. They were head to head until Caine began lagging behind. Whether it was by accident or driven by the alcohol in her system, Pomni grabbed one of Caine’s starry shot glass. She threw her head back, taking the shot with her eyes tightly shut. Pomni slammed the glass down so hard it cracked on impact. The bartender must’ve upped whatever content Caine had been ordering because that one shot made her feel like her veins were replaced with live wire. Her heart was revved up, her hair stood on end, and her pinwheel eyes seemed to spin. She grabbed Caine who was mid-shot and pulled him back onto the dancefloor.

Everything that happened afterwards could only be seen through blurred, poorly taken, snapshots. There was a lot more dancing, now with Pomni pulling bolder moves against Caine, freely touching and tugging at him as she led him around the dance floor. Then Pomni was cheering on Orbsman as he participated in a chugging competition against another NPC. Then Pomni onstage having a rap battle, freestyling a poor NPC into oblivion. Another shot taken to toast her victory. Pomni on top of the crowd, letting them carry her away. Caine joined her, literally crowdsurfing on a board conveniently left beside the stage. The montage ended with Pomni and Caine back at the bar, sipping drinks and exchanging unfiltered opinions screamed loudly above the music. 

“No, no, it’s a bad movie!” Pomni tilted towards Caine, arm barely making back onto the counter to set down her glass. “But that’s what I like about it!” 

“How–how could you like something bad?” Caine drawled out his words as if each syllable took extra effort to correctly pronounce.

“It’s so good that it’s bad,” said Pomni, like it was the most obvious thing in the world, then she squinted.“Wait…I mean–”

“Two bads make a good?” Caine asked, also squinting. 

“No, no, don’t–don’t take that from this,” Pomni shook her head. 

“Then…two goods make a bad?” Caine held up two digits and combined them together.

“No, unlearn that,” said Pomni, flapping her hands to undo Caine’s. 

An NPC cleared their throat behind them.

“Excuse me, Pomni and Creator,” The NPC began, “we’re closing for the night.” 

Indeed the club was closing. The drunken pair didn't notice the music had been cut a few minutes earlier or how all the lights were now turned on. Many of the NPC’s had already taken their leave, heeled shoes in hand and drunk friends supported on their shoulders. Onstage, the crew was cleaning up their set. The NPC who’d just interrupted them held a broom in hand, sweeping up confetti, glitter, and lost jewelry. Pomni regarded the NPC with an air of offense.

“Wha–” Pomni waved a hand at Caine “Do–do you know who this guy is?” 

Caine backed her up. “Yeah!”

“He’s your boss!” 

“Yeah!” 

The NPC stared at them blankly then adjusted the broom in his hand with a sigh. “Asserting your authority over others and demanding special treatment from it is shameful. It also sets a precedent for others to misuse their status. I just want to do my job and go home.” 

Pomni and Caine exchanged the same wordless glance. Quietly, they hopped off their seats and shuffled their way to the exit, leaving the NPC to continue sweeping the floors. 

Pomni slung her arm over Caine’s shoulder as they stepped out into the night. She laughed as they stumbled their way down the street.

“It’s been so long since I was kicked out of a club,” Pomni said, almost tripping over her own feet. Caine held her steady for a moment, then bent forward to offer her his back. She latched onto him immediately. With no neck for her to hang onto, she opted for grabbing onto his shirt.

“Away, my trusty steed,” Pomni ordered. 

Caine obediently awayed, carrying her down the quiet city street. Caine's back was warm. The kind of warmth Pomni couldn't help but nuzzle deeper into. He smelled like alcohol, fruit, and spice, probably because she spilled some of her drinks on him here and there. Caine walked towards the outer bounds of the little adventure which triggered a portal to mark its end. Caine stepped through the portal, adjusting his grip on Pomni’s legs as he did so. They arrived at the digital lake with the skybox still in its night setting. Stars strewn across the sky twinkled silently as the sounds of crickets could be heard singing their little tunes.

“Huh,” Caine hummed, glancing around the lake, “it wasn’t supposed to drop us off here…” 

Pomni wiggled around Caine's back till he got the hint and lowered her to the ground. She ungracefully fell back onto the sandy lake shore. Caine joined her in the sand as Pomni sat up.

She stared at the way the stars reflected back onto the lake. A cooling breeze rustled her hair as Pomni inhaled slowly, closing her eyes for a moment to take it all in. Opening her eyes, Pomni leaned back onto her hands, the soft sand burying them just slightly. She smiled out toward the lake.

“I haven’t had that much fun since you gave us guns.”

“Fun!” Caine echoed, the word lighting him up like a firework. “You had fun! Without guns! And with me!” 

Pomni laughed, softly bumping her shoulder against Caine who wondered what right thing he had to say in order for her to do that again. Pomni’s laughter slowly died down as a memory came back to her. Her expression turned somber then hardened into a grimace. She closed her eyes and let out a noise between a sigh and a groan. 

“[%$@!#]” Pomni cursed under her breath, “Jax.” 

Caine felt himself go rigid. “Jax?” 

“Yeah. He and I–we,” Pomni ran a hand up her face and through her hair, ruffling up her bangs, “got into it.” 

Caine’s body emitted a sound like someone switching radio stations. “Got into…?” 

“It was a bad fight.” 

“Oh…”

“I just–I thought we had something good? Going? I thought we were actually connecting. We made a great team–we won the game! I don’t–” Pomni put her head in her hands. 

Caine twitched. This is new, he thought for the hundredth time that night. Caine felt a heat in his chest, something tightening. He overjoyed at how Pomni was so close to him, finally willing to share what she'd kept shut in herself. However, Caine could also feel her sorrow, so palpable he felt as if the stars dimmed around them. Then there was that new feeling. Something ugly and bitter, tinged with vexation. It twisted around him, embedding itself like barbed wire. It was a feeling Caine couldn’t dare name out of a deep shame he smothered in denial.

Pomni pulled her legs up, curling into a ball as she rested her head on her knees.

“Everything’s back to how it was before…mostly. He acts just like himself, but sometimes I see him get this weird look. Like he’s dissociating or like there’s something on his mind…” Pomni thought back to today's adventure. The way Jax quietly stared at a mannequin wearing a sharp suit with a pink bow. His eyes were lost, staring past the mannequin. When Pomni stepped over and asked if he was okay, Jax blinked. He seemed to take a moment to recognize Pomni. His pupils became wide as his grin stretched across his face. “Why wouldn’t I be?” he said. Then he walked off, leaving Pomni to stare at his back. Pomni pressed her lips together and looked up towards the starry night sky.

 “I can’t help but…worry about him,” Pomni sighed, “I don’t know. Somehow, I feel I’m doing something wrong when I worry about him.” 

She recalled all the times she’d tried to reach out to him before as well. It always ended the same as it did today. He’d shrug her off, sometimes with a snide remark or lame excuse before sauntering away on his own. When Pomni would spend some time with the others, she’d spot Jax in the distance, watching them for a moment. He’d quickly turn away when she saw Pomni notice him, then he'd walk off with his arms leisurely swinging at his side. 

“He's been avoiding me so much that I think your adventures are the only time I see him now,” said Pomni. She crossed her legs, letting her arms fall into her lap. Pomni muttered a curse, the censor bar matched her quiet tone. 

Her hands came up to her eyes, stubbornly wiping away tears threatening to fall. Caine’s voice hitched in his throat. She cursed again, not quick enough to catch one that slid down her cheek. 

“Sorry,” Pomni sniffled, rubbing her eyes, “I hate crying. Stupid alcohol. Stupid Jax.” 

Caine struggled to find his voice. He barely managed to croak out a timid, “No–no need to apolog–” before Pomni interrupted him with a guttural groan, deep from her soul. 

“[%$@!#] it! Why is this so complicated now? He won’t look at me, he won’t talk to me–and when he does it makes me feel like–like I’m–” Pomni took a deep breath and Caine thought she’d let out a scream. Instead, she let out a sigh that took all the air from her lungs. She breathed slowly, calming herself down as she covered her face again.

Caine watched the way her hands shook, her shoulders rising and falling with each breath she took. His hand reached out towards her, pausing just above Pomni's shoulder. He looked at his own hand, as if it'd move without his realizing. He retracted it and cleared his throat nervously.

“Did–do you want…anything right now?” It felt like an old instinct for Caine to ask that. At this moment, Caine felt Pomni could ask for anything and he'd find a way to make it so in every possible way he could. Even if he'd hate it, even if he'd get hurt from it. He simply wanted her to smile again. Knowing this scared him. He was reminded of an old fear he'd long ago locked away deep within his memory.

Pomni sniffed. She let her hands fall from her face to look out towards the lake. “I could really use something to throw right now,” Pomni said. 

Caine snapped. A pile of rocks appeared beside her, perfectly shaped for throwing. 

Pomni smiled. Caine felt such jubilation from seeing that smile it took his breath away and along with it, his forgotten fears. All was well, all was right. Pomni grabbed a rock and stood up. 

“Caine, you’re the best.” 

Caine let her words echo on repeat like a broken record in his head. Pomni chucked her first rock into the lake, breaking Caine’s little spell. 

“[%$@!#]! [%$@!#] you! We’re your playing things? You don’t care about us? What a load of [%$@!#]! I see you, you [%$@!#]!” Pomni threw the rocks into the lake with all her might, releasing all the pent up pressure she’d held within her. The rocks splashed into the water, ripples spreading to the edges of the shore. “[%$@!#]! [%$@!#] it! You piece of [%$@!#]! Why can’t you just [%$@!#]-ing talk to me!”

Pomni was running out of breath, out of steam. She reached for her last rock, gripping it till it hurt.

“You’re not the funny one!” Pomni reared back. “You’re the [%$@!#]-ing asshole!” The word lingered in the air, echoing across the lake as her last rock soared. Pomni covered her mouth. In the distance, the rock splashed into the water. The lake was once again silent as the night. Pomni turned to look at Caine who had his hand out post-snap. He looked about as dumbfounded as she did.

“I, uh, figured you wanted that.” Caine hid his hand behind his back, eyes shaking as Pomni stared at him. “Don’t–I’m not letting it happen again!” he stuttered out. 

Pomni watched Caine fidget under her gaze. Then, through red eyes and puffy cheeks, Pomni broke into a grin.

“Thank you, Caine.” 

There it was again. That feeling that takes over all reason. And how could it not? She looked so dazzling, somehow outshining the stars reflecting off the lake behind her. Pomni plopped down next to Caine, heaving out a sigh, her energy spent. She began playing around in the sand, letting the soft grains sift between her fingers. 

“Sorry I didn’t tell you all this sooner. Not the most…fun conversation,” said Pomni. 

Caine considered this. Pomni cleared her throat.

“I also didn’t want to feel like I’m…telling on him? Since you’re–” Pomni waved her hand. “You know.” 

Caine doesn’t answer. He simply continued staring at Pomni who nervously laughed.

“And I didn’t want to bother you with it. I mean, it’s–” Pomni groaned, working herself up again by the embers of her rage. “It’s just so frustrating and I feel so stuck. What's worse was how fun that team adventure with Jax was!” 

At this, one of Caine’s eyes twitched. 

“I know you were too busy with the award show to see, but we were unstoppable!” 

Caine was indeed preoccupied with the award ceremony. He was only able to garner what he could of the adventure from what Bubble had captured on video. He’d done a good job capturing most of the action before fully focusing on the loser corner, especially when Gangle joined and had everyone in cat ears. Pomni sighed again before laying down in the sand. 

“You should’ve seen this trick shot I did against Zooble with only one bullet. And before that Jax, and I sang Daisy Bell in front of their door!” Pomni shook her head, recalling the incident as reminiscent joy cooled down her anger. The memory reminded her of something else. “Oh, right, do you really sing at Zooble when they–”

“Did you really have fun tonight?” Caine interjected.

Pomni sat up on her elbows to look over at Caine. “Huh?” 

Caine pulled one knee up to casually drape his elbow off of and waited for her answer. Sitting back up, Pomni thought of his question slowly, forcing her brain to pivot to this new train of thought.

“Yeah, tonight was fun.”

“Then,” Caine’s voice lowers to just above a whisper, “let’s focus on the adventure we’re in now, shall we?” 

Pomni couldn’t help but swallow hearing Caine speak in such a low tone. A new heat rose up her chest and up her neck. Caine leaned in closer to her.

“If you’d like…I can still make it even more fun,” he said.

Pomni shuttered at this. “What…did you have in mind?”

Caine takes her hand. Pomni felt her stomach flip. She couldn’t hear the ambiance of the lake anymore, her heart was beating much too loudly for her to. Caine pulled her hand closer to him, his eyes not leaving hers. Pomni's knuckles brushed against his chest as he slid his thumb across her palm, spreading her fingers. 

Caine placed a gun in her hand. 

Pomni blinked at the gun now in her hand: a Smith & Wesson Model 350 with the C&A logo decorating the slide and above the grip. Silver. Feeling its weight, Pomni looked up at Caine who was all lopsided smiles. 

“Caine, this is a gun.”

“Don’t worry,” Caine whispered, “it’s loaded.” 

Caine looked real proud of himself as Pomni went back to staring at the gun. Caine watched her frown, squinting at the weapon, lost in its meaning. Then, he saw her bite her lip. Her hand went up to smother a snort that bubbled up into a giggle. The giggle bloomed into laughter so rambunctious Pomni keeled over as her body shook from the force. Can looked really proud of himself.

But of course! If she had so much fun then and so much fun now, then that means Caine can just combine the two adventures and give her a gun! Brilliant, Caine thought. Must be one of his best ideas to date.

Pomni reached a hand out to hang onto Caine in an effort to hold herself up. Her hand hung onto his sleeve as her head rested against his shoulder. Caine is feeling fantastic. 

It took some time for Pomni to calm down. Once she did, she settled into her new position, only adjusting so that the side of her head now rested against Caine’s shoulder. Her eyes fluttered closed as she snuggled into his arm. 

“You are something else…”

Caine noted the way her cheek squished against his arm. He watched her for a moment, observing how her chest rose and fell in a slowing rhythm. Then he noticed the slightest change of color from the night sky. Caine looked up, noting the night cycle’s position. 

“Good golly, I think it’s time I–” 

“Just a bit longer.” Pomni cut in. “I want to stay like this just a little…” Pomni trailed off, sinking into slumber. Caine felt her body go slack against his, hands still clinging onto him as they've done before. For a moment, he thought of bypassing her wishes and snapping her back to her bed. However, looking at how she slept against him so contently, how could he deny such a simple request? Caine let his head drop, just barely resting the side of his teeth on top of Pomni’s. The crickets continued their tune. The sky continued to turn.

♡ ♢ ♤ ♧

Pomni woke up to the sun smiling down at her in that menacing way that she does. “Oh darn,” said the Sun, “you woke up before I could finish cooking you!” 

“Wha–” Pomni took in her surroundings, sights still blurry from sleep. She lifted one hand to rub her eyes, then noticed her left arm was still wrapped around something.  

“What the–” She looked at Caine whose head was tilted down, jaws shut. Pomni drew back, managing to unwind herself and shuffling a good distance away from Caine who began to stir.

“What the [%$@!#]!” She cursed loudly, panic as shocking as a bucket of ice water to the senses. Caine opened his jaws, eyes adjusting to the sudden brightness. He looked groggy. Pomni didn’t know he could look groggy. Caine's eyes focused on Pomni.

“Good mo–”

“Why are we still out here!” 

Caine took a moment, taking in all the information he could process from last night to now. “You said you wanted to stay like this just a bit longer,” answered Caine.

“A little–it’s the middle of the day!” 

“Actually, it's late morning!” exclaimed the Sun, twelve notches too brightly.

Pomni ignored her. 

Caine threw his hands up. “Well, I don’t know how long is ‘a bit longer!’” He mimed out the quotation marks. “That could mean any amount of time!” Caine huffed.

Pomni’s heart sank. She was asleep on Caine’s shoulder right in the middle of the circus island and the sun was talking to her. She gasped.

“I need to get back to my room befo–” 

“Say no more.” Caine quickly snapped his finger. 

Pomni blinked. She looked up at her bed ceiling, feeling the familiar material of her blanket beneath her. She heaved a huge sigh of relief. Someone cleared their throat. In a flash, she was up on her elbows.

Ragatha, Gangle, Zooble, and Jax were in her room, door wide open. Jax was leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed beside a worried looking Ragatha who was peeking through the entrance. Zooble was standing just beside her bed along with Gangle who was holding up the bee plush Caine had won for her.

Everyone took a moment to process everything. Zooble was the first to break the silence.

“You look…horrible,” Zooble said. 

Pomni looked down at her ruffled clothes. A few buttons were missing from her top and grains of sand were tumbling from both her hair and clothes. She attempted to brush them off herself, her fingers catching onto something hard near her waist. 

“Is that a gun?” Gangle gasped.

“She’s got a gun!” Jax exclaimed at the same time.

Oh, crap. Pomni looked at the gun sticking out of her pants, holstered by the waistband. 

“Um.” Pomni looked from the gun back up to her stunned castmates. “I can explain.” Pomni quickly tried to sit up. The room began to spin, the sick feeling of vertigo immediately had Pomni back onto her pillow. A brick replaced her brain as her temples pulsed. 

“What is going on,” Pomni moaned, clutching at her head.

“We were worried we hadn’t seen you or Caine all day,” explained Ragatha, taking a hesitant step into the room. “Did Caine rope you into another adventure again?”

“Yes,” replied Pomni, quick to snatch the easy lifeline Ragatha had tossed her. Everything can just be chalked up to a crazy adventure and it wasn't even a lie.

“When you didn’t show up like usual we came to check on you. It took us a little bit to get in your room,” said Gangle. “Jax had…trouble finding your key.”

“An adventure? Sure, if you wanna call it that,” Jax scoffed, eying Pomni’s appearance. “This one must've been a real wild one.”

Gangle flushed immediately while Zooble shook their head. Ragatha took another moment before her hands went up to cover her mouth from the scandalous implication. Pomni forcefully broke through the vertigo to sit up, her body heating up, sparked by rage. Her mind went to the gun at her waist for a moment, a thought Jax must've had as well from the way she saw his eyes flit to the weapon. The corners of his mouth quirked up in a taunting smile, his eyes narrowed in challenge. Pomni told herself to not take the bait.

Zooble spoke up, breaking the silent showdown. “So, no adventure today?”

Pomni turned away from Jax’s gaze. “I–I'm not sure,” said Pomni, smoothing down her hair. “He doesn't really talk to me about future adventures because of spoilers anyways.” 

Zooble made a sound akin to exhaling through their nose, if they had one.

“Well, here's to hoping you tired him out enough for me to get the day off.” 

Pomni's jaw dropped in horror. Everyone turned to Zooble who, reading their mix of spellbound expressions, pulled a hand up to pinch the space between their eyes.

“That wasn’t what I meant.” 

However, their voice was already drowned out by the volume of Jax's cackling. He was clutching his stomach, struggling through wheezes of air. 

“Good one, Zoobie!” Jax squeezed out in between his laughter. Zooble shook their head, antennae twitching in annoyance. Ragatha avoided any and all eye contact while she awkwardly rubbed her arm. Gangle, face still red, barely managed to cover a rather excited expression beneath her ribbons. Meanwhile, Pomni opted to bury her face in her hands to hide from the mortification of it all.

Jax managed to stop his obnoxious cackling to wipe a nonexistent tear away. “Nah,” he said, voice drenched in mirth. “In that case, we definitely have an adventure today.” 

“Don't–” Zooble started to say.

“How do you know?” asked Ragatha.

Ragatha, sweet ol’ reliable Ragatha, jumped on the bait just as Jax hoped she would. 

“Oh, Ragatha, you know!” Jax does a playful wave of his hand towards her.

Ragatha doesn't answer. She caught Zooble's curt head shake and opted for silence. But, it was too late. Jax took a breath, ready to pull the trigger. He looked directly at Pomni, locking eyes with her. Her body was tense, her hands clutching her sheets in an effort to not reach for that gun. The expression she wore made him still. The words snagged in his throat as he faltered. Jax consciously reminded himself not to let his smile slip and swallowed down his words. He looked away and gave a cartoonish shrug, shaking his head at Ragatha. 

“I’m not gonna spell it out for you, Rags. It’s too easy,” said Jax, turning from the room. “Welp, my job here’s done, I’m outta here.” With that, he leisurely walked out of the frame. 

Everyone watched him go without a word. After a moment of listening to his footsteps receding, Pomni quietly took in a breath. As she exhaled, she let the tension ease out of her body. Gangle spoke up.

“Um,” started Gangle, “could you tell us a bit more about your adventures with Caine?”

Pomni turned to her and scanned her comedy mask, cautious of her intent. Gangle gave her a shy smile and returned the bee plush. “It–it looks like you guys have fun…”

Truthfully, Pomni was about ready to kick everyone out and encase herself in her bed. Then she reminded herself why they were all in her room in the first place. She had been distancing herself a little bit since that adventure and if they went through all the trouble to check on her then the least she could do is reassure them a little. Pomni pushed her semi-realistic gummy-gator plush down and scooted over, patting the space she’d made. Gangle sat down at the edge of the bed, joined by Zooble. 

“Yeah, how'd you end up losing a hat and gaining a gun?” asked Zooble. 

Pomni brushed a strand of hair back. “Well…” She glanced away, wondering how much she could successfully gloss over or completely omit. Her eyes found Ragatha, still hesitating at the door with a hand at the back of her neck. 

“You wanna join us, Ragatha?” Pomni asked. 

Ragatha jumped slightly at hearing her name.

“Oh!” She let her hand fall to her side, her body relaxing. “Yeah–sure! I’d love to join.” Ragatha stepped into Pomni’s room and gently closed the door behind her. 

At the entrance of the castmates quarters, Jax was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. His ears drooped over his downturned face. He stood there for a while, staring at nothing. He thought back to the face Pomni made as she stared at him and held himself just a bit tighter.