Chapter Text
As much as Ragatha wished otherwise; a gloomy atmosphere wasn’t unusual at the Circus. It hung around people like a shadow, more distinct and dark when one stepped into the light.
But this mood…it was different.
And Ragatha also hoped it was fixable. There was very few things left in her life, left in anyone’s life, that could be fixed.
Pomni and Jax were avoiding each other. Despite Ragatha’s own opinion on it, it had been undeniable how close the two had become during and after their Lighting Round Adventure. Ragatha remembered the last time Jax had made a friend in this circus. And, for better or worse, Pomni took Jax’s whole Jax-ness in stride. They were doing fine, having fun, as Pomni had told her.
They went into that God-awful shoot up game as very chummy, very dangerous buds. And came out of in the worst moods. Ragatha wasn’t sure if she had seen Jax so upset since…
She and Pomni had talked after Caine’s award ceremonies. They had mainly talked about their own friendship, clearing up what could be misunderstandings. Ragatha knew she didn’t fully open up to Pomni, there was a lot in her life she didn’t want to share. But, thanks to Kinger, she felt she had gone in the right direction.
Afterwards she had asked Pomni about what happened to Jax. She didn’t get a super detailed explanation, only that they had had a fight. And that Jax claimed he and the jester had never actually been friends.
Ragatha admired Pomni-she would’ve believed Jax at face value if he said that to her. But Pomni, she insisted, she knew, that he was lying to both her and himself. Her short bonding time with Jax had left a clear and strong impact on the newest Circus member. Ragatha had swallowed back a bit of jealousy, and smiled at Pomni when she said she wasn’t going to give up on the cartoonish rabbit.
It was the present now, and Ragatha stepped out of her room with a stretch. Today’s going to be a good day, the adventure is going to be fun, everyone’s going to have a great time. She recited her daily mantra in her head a few times until she believed it to be true.
But before she could head down the hall she saw Pomni’s door open. The sleepy little jester stepped out, giving Pomni a tired but sincere wave as she closed the door. Ragatha waved back, ready to ask her if she wanted to head to breakfast together.
But then the door next to Ragatha (and across from Pomni) opened.
Jax stepped out, stretching just like Ragatha did. She silently watched as the rabbit noticed Pomni at her door. The two stared at each other for a moment, Pomni’s face twisting into something akin to concern and longing. Ragatha couldn’t read Jax’s expression, never could, but he wasn’t smiling.
Pomni took a small step forward, hand outstretching slightly, mouth opening to speak.
Jax turned sharply to the left and started walking. Ragatha had to jump back before he stomped right into her. She wasn’t even sure if he had noticed the rag doll standing there.
When Jax was out of sight, Ragatha turned back to Pomni. She was watching where Jax had walked off, her expression a kind of quiet sadness that broke the older woman’s heart.
“Pomni?” she began, unsure what she could say to fix any of this.
Pomni looked to her and offered a sad little smile. “It’s okay. I’ll see you at breakfast.” And then she walked away as well.
Ragatha watched her go, resting her hand on her chin. She couldn’t think of anything to call after her, anything that would cheer her up. She let out a soft sigh.
“Good morning, Ragatha~”
The rag doll nearly jumped to the ceiling at the words in her ear. She whipped around, red hair smacking her cheek, to see Caine floating right behind her.
“CAINE! Don’t-don’t sneak up on me like that!” she nearly shrieked, holding a hand to her chest.
“My apologies, dear,” Caine said, though not sounding all that remorseful. He rolled in the air until it looked like he was lying on his stomach, holding his giant bottom jaw with one hand. “But I heard you sigh. And it’s my job to keep my guests from being so forlorn.” He leaned so close Ragatha could see her reflection in his eyes. She resisted the (rude) urge to lean back.
“So tell me what’s troubling you so?” Caine asked. “Allow me to fix the issue.”
Fix the issue, eh?
Ragatha hesitated. Caine wouldn’t understand the complications of Pomni and Jax’s relationship. Even she didn’t completely understand it.
But…it wasn’t like she had anyone else she could discuss this problem with. Kinger had wonderful insight, but it was a gamble when he would share it. Gangle would try, but Ragatha was sure she’d rather not help the rabbit if she could help it. Zooble would flat out refuse, insisting Pomni was better off without Jax.
Ragatha kinda agreed but that was beside the point.
It looked like she was going to gossip with an AI.
“It’s not really something you can fix, Caine…” she began slowly. “I mean, I guess it could be fixed but not with a snap of your fingers. There’s been some…relationship…trouble…among the group.”
“Oh dear! Infighting!” Caine clutched the sides of his jaw. “We can’t have that! You’re suppose to be fighting the NPC villains I worked really hard on!”
“Right, we can’t have that,” Ragatha replied.
“Who is creating this trouble among the group?” Caine demanded, not pointing his cane at her chest. “I will personally speak to them!”
“Oh, no, no, no,” Ragatha quickly waved the suggestion away. “I know you mean well, Caine. But Pomni and Jax would not want you to-”
“Pomni and Jax are fighting?” Caine seemed to balk. “But they were winners in the last adventure! Does destroying your enemies together mean nothing anymore!?”
Ragatha’s mouth pulled into a thin line. She probably shouldn’t have mentioned the two by name. For the first time in-maybe ever?-Ragatha reached out and grabbed Caine’s hand. As she hoped it brought his attention straight back to her. For half a moment she wondered if any Circus member had ever touched him before.
“Promise me you won’t say anything to Jax and Pomni,” Ragatha insisted, almost begging. “I know you want to help. I do to. But butting in will only make things worse.”
“Then what should we do?!” Caine seemed to be about to panic, snatching Ragatha’s hand with both of his own as if to anchor himself.
That was the million dollar question wasn’t it? “I think…they just need time. I know Pomni wants to talk it all out but Jax…You know how Jax is.”
“Yes, I know how Jax is,” Caine said in a tone Ragatha couldn’t decipher.
Ragatha patted his hand before slipping out of his grip, “Just keep this between you and me for now. Promise?”
“Of course! Cross my heart,” he made an x on his chest. “I will see you all on the next adventure!” He slammed half of his mouth shut, covering one eye in a grotesque type of wink, then vanished with a poof.
Ragatha turned and headed down the hall after Pomni and Jax. Maybe she shouldn’t have said all that to Caine. But talking had pointed out what should’ve been obvious to her. The two did need time, the two did need to talk it out.
.
Pomni sat at the breakfast table, watching her spoon slowly make circles in a bowl of a cereal. She hadn’t eaten anything. Not like she was hungry.
There was a heavy weight in her stomach. It made her muscles tense and she was very aware of Jax sitting next to her.
The still used the same table from when she first arrived at the Circus. And apparently it had assigned seating. Jax still sat beside her like on that first day, when she had barely remembered his name, when her only opinion of him was that he was an [BEEP]hole.
He was leaning back in his seat, legs stretched out and crossed under the table. He was looking to his left at Zooble. He said something to them and they rolled their eyes, but Pomni wasn’t paying attention to any words. She was doing her best to appear nonchalant, like Jax avoiding her this morning hadn’t hurt her.
Maybe she was a bit of a hypocrite. She had told Jax he had been scared to show human emotion, to actually have a conversation about how they felt. But here she was, not dragging him by the ear to a corner to finish their argument.
That wouldn’t help, she reminded herself. It was clear that Jax…had been through a lot. At the time fighting him had made him open up, had made him actually angry and lashed out. And while it hurt, Pomni still considered it a step in the right direction. But she didn’t think tackling him to the ground would make any more process, it would only improve Zooble’s morning.
We need to talk, Pomni’s eyes slowly turned back to Jax. He was looking over her head now while Gangle talked to Zooble. Jax’s square pupils went down, catching her eye for a fraction of a second before quickly looking away. Pomni felt her free hand curl into a frustrated fist.
When breakfast was over everyone started to leave the table. Kinger and Ragatha were speaking quietly to each other, while Gangle hurried over to Zooble’s side. Jax was heading back toward the hallway. Pomni was considering following him, they could be alone and maybe she could get him to talk to her for a moment. She wouldn’t admit it but she was missing his attention, even the annoying, teasing kind.
But before she could go after him there was the sound of trumpets. The sudden loud noise nearly making her jump to the ceiling.
Everyone turned around to see Caine, now floating where the table used to be. Bubble hovering nearby.
“Hello, my tantalizing thespians!” he said in greeting. “I have our next adventure ready to go!”
Zooble made a loud scoffing noise. Pomni felt both frustrated and relieved. She needed to talk to Jax, but focusing on surviving one of Caine’s adventures could get her mind off this. For awhile at least.
“Don’t be like that, Zooble!” Caine insisted to the toy box character. “This is one of my most detailed adventures yet! I’ve worked hard to give you all a specific role!” He pointed at Zooble, “I even made sure you barely have to do anything in this adventure!”
“Favortism much?” Jax said, sarcastic.
“I’m calling today’s adventure; The Fairy Tale adventure! I’ve created a world that’s a mesh-mash of my favorite fairy tales!”
Pomni’s eyebrows rose. She tried to imagine what Caine’s favorite fairy tales were. With a sense of dread she wondered if he preferred the Grimm versions over the sanitized, cutesy, family friendly ones she grew up watching.
“So what, we’re all going to be fairy tale characters?” Zooble asked, still sounding annoyed.
“That’s right!” Caine either didn’t notice, or ignored, their irritation. “It’s come to my attention that these adventures aren’t bringing you all closer together like I’d like!”
From the corner of Pomni’s eye she saw Ragatha flinch. The ragdoll stared at Caine with one horrified eye and Pomni frowned. She was usually doing her best to be upbeat about the adventures.
Bubble suddenly spoke up, “We want you all to make out!”
Dead silence followed the bubble’s words. Caine staring at them for a moment before giving a deadpan, “Stop talking, Bubble.”
He then turned away from Bubble to face the group again, “ANYWAY! You all will have to work together to get the adventure’s happily ever after. Only after that will you be brought back to the Circus.”
Pomni wasn’t sure if working together would be such a good idea, considering some of the peopl who were in this group. But before she could speak (or Zooble could refuse), Caine snapped his fingers.
The all too familiar portal opened up and Pomni felt herself get lifted off the ground, and slung into the darkness inside.
.
When Zooble opened their eyes, they found themselves in what looked to be a throne room. To their right and left, windows as tall as the walls themselves let in sunlight. Velvet curtains, in an ugly mix of colors, decorated them. The floor was marble but looked like a chess board, just like the circus. The domed ceiling high above was painted blue and white to resemble the sky.
And Zooble was…sitting on a throne? A tall, plush one that they’d silently admit was very comfortable. At their feet was a box of parts. The leaned forward, eyes narrowing. It was not the parts from their room, these were new parts Zooble had never seen before.
“Zooble!” Ragatha’s voice made them start and look up.
The ragdoll was running into the room. She looked different, wearing a flared out black skirt, corset, and knee high boots. But what caught Zooble’s attention was the cat ears and tail she wore.
Deja-vu.
Ragatha smiled at Zooble when she reached them, looking them over. “I think your role is Prince Charming!”
Zooble looked down and for the time time noticed the crown sitting in the box. “You think so?”
“Caine, did say you wouldn’t have to do much,” Ragatha pointed out, tapping her chin. “I guess the princes in fairy tales usually don’t do that much.”
“What about Puss in Boots?” Zooble asked with a chuckle in their voice.
“Pardon?”
They pointed a finger at Ragatha’s new ears. “I’m no expert in these kind of stories. But I think you’re Puss in Boots.”
Ragatha looked up and jolted slightly when she spotted the ears. She reached up and touched them, rubbing her hands across them. “That’s…Huh.” She looked behind and spotted her tail, it flickered lazily back and forth. “I-uh, I only read that story once. I can’t remember all the details…”
Zooble looked expectantly at the door that led out of the throne room. It remained empty expect for two silent mannequin guards. “Where are the others?”
“I’m glad you asked!”
Caine’s loud voice filled the room before he popped up next to Zooble. They flinch at the sight of the ringmaster.
“To make the story more exciting and challenging, I’ve separated the group. You all will have to find each other in order to get the happily ever after ending!”
“But how?” Zooble demanded. “Where are we supposed to look?”
“Don’t you worry,” Caine said. “I’ve thrown you all a bone.” He snapped his fingers and Bubble appeared next to him. Caine grabbed the talking sphere and nearly shoved him into Zooble’s face. “Look into the Bubble.”
Zooble hesitated, but then with a resigned sigh, did as they were told. For a moment all they saw was their asymmetrical reflection-but then the image shifted and like a blurry tv screen-they suddenly saw Gangle and Jax.
.
The two had ended up in the yard of a small house in a village. Gangle had stumbled slightly at the sudden teleportation but Jax stayed sure-footed. He looked around, unimpressed by their drab surroundings. The yard was closed off by a fence, but beyond that he could see a tall hill, and on said hill was a fancy shiny castle.
He scowled, of course Caine would put him in the slums instead.
“W-Where is everyone else?” Gangle said in her ‘iconic’ nervous voice.
Jax looked around again, turning toward the house to see if he could see Pomni through its one window. He then bristled. Why was he immediately looking for her? He scoffed to himself, relieved he hadn’t done something stupid like call out her name. He then took note that none of the other Circus members were here either.
He looked down at Gangle, finally noticing she was wearing a tattered brown dress, an equally ratty apron wrapped around her. She was also, for some reason, holding a bucket of dirty water. Seeing her in such a depressing state made Jax pull his mouth up into a smile. “Guess it’s just you and me, Ribbons.”
Gangle flinched, but then she did a double take, staring at Jax’s torso instead of his face. He followed her gaze and felt a hot rush of mortification. “WHAT!?”
He was also wearing a dress, though this one was matched the color of his usual overalls and was in better shape than Gangle’s. It did not make him feel better.
“AGAIN!? ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?” Jax snarled. He nearly foamed at the mouth as he tried to rip the outfit off. He’d rather be naked then wear another dress! But the dress, just a few inches past his knees, wouldn’t budge.
“Nah-uh-uh,” a grating voice spoke up.
Jax and Gangle looked up to see Bubble slowly coming down from the sky to hover in front of them. “You can’t be naked today! It’s not your birthday!”
Jax scowled, dropping his fists to his side. Gangle stepped forward, talking cautiously to Bubble, “Do you know where everyone else is?”
Bubble opened his fanged mouth wide and Caine’s voice came out; a recording of what he had already told Ragatha and Zooble.
When the recording was over, Bubble slammed his mouth shut. All of a sudden an image appeared in the bubble’s wide forehead, showing two familiar faces looking at them.
“Zooble!” Gangle said happily. “Ragatha!”
“Where are you two?” Zooble asked, their voice slightly distorted like it was a bad connection.
“Is Pomni and Kinger with you?” Ragatha asked.
Jax frowned while Gangle shook her head.
Zooble looked at something off screen, “Caine?”
“Don’t you worry your triangle shaped head, Zooble!” Caine’s loud voice spoke up. “Those two will show up with then story demands it.”
Jax suddenly reached out and grabbed Bubble. “Wait, is Caine there? Caine! Get me out of this stupid dress!”
“Oh, I don’t know,” Zooble had turned back to the rabbit, despite the lack of a mouth he knew they were smirking. “I think that dress suits you. Maybe not as good as the maid dr-”
Jax popped Bubble, cutting Zooble’s insult off.
Gangle’s white mask seemed to pale. “Wait! We don’t know where they are!”
“Who cares?” Jax growled. He looked around the yard again. Weren’t fairy tales about killing dragons and poisoning people? Why couldn’t he be doing that? He felt his mind wandering toward Pomni and Kinger, wondering what they were up to. He recalled the time they had gotten lost in the Mildenhall Manor together. When they had come back Pomni had seemed to have a new opinion on Kinger, to genuinely like him. He felt a tightening in his throat and shook his head, wanting to shake out any thoughts of that annoying jester.
Suddenly a mannequin head popped over the fence, making Jax and Gangle jump slightly.
“Do you hear the news?” it asked. “The prince is having a ball! Tonight! Everyone’s going to be at the castle night! I even heard that they’re looking for a wife!”
The mannequin then ducked away, having only needed to do an exposition dump.
“A ball?” Gangle spoke softly, black eyes seemed to be starting to sparkle.
“Oh, great.” Jax growled, rolling his eyes. “That means ball gowns.”
“But…” Gangle was speaking slowly, as if she was figuring something out. “If there’s a ball…and I’m dressed like this…” Holding the bucket in one ribbon hand she grabbed the hem of her ugly dress with the other. “I think…” She popped her head up and looked at Jax with unbridled excitement. “I’M CINDERELLA!”
"Huh?” Jax furrowed his brow.
“I-I have to be,” she breathed, kind of hopping in place. “I’m clearly from a lowly life, and a ball is happening at the nearby castle.” She gave Jax’s outfit a scrutinizing look, which ruffled his fur. “Your dress doesn’t look that bad so I don’t think Cinderella could be you.”
“Oh yeah?,” Jax snarked, he felt that familiar dark twinge in his chest. It happened whenever he was about to have fun. “That must make me the Evil Stepsister.”
Gangle’s comedy mask actually slid off, hitting the ground. Her tragedy mask showed she regretted ever opening her mouth. “I, uh-”
Before she could finish the sentence Jax’s foot shot up and kicked the bucket she still held. It went flying into the air, spinning, filthy water raining down on Gangle. Covering her head she tried to run but slipped on her comedy mask. She hit the ground and the mask went up in the air just like the bucket. And when it hit the ground this time, it broke with a satisfying shatter.
Jax laughed, wrapping himself up in the comfort of tormenting others. Just like how it was suppose to be. Maybe this adventure wouldn’t be a drag after all.