Chapter 1: Where it all began.
Chapter Text
’Just another day in this digital prison.’ Pomni thought as she walked out into the hallway, before groaning when she spotted Jax leaned against the wall, arms crossed, smirking like he owned the world.
“Late again,” he hissed, eyes glinting. “You really have no concept of time, do you?”
Pomni shot him a look, one eyebrow raised. “And you think showing up fifteen minutes early makes you a better person?”
“Better than someone who can’t even wear a decent outfit,” he jabbed, tilting his head, eyes scanning her from jingly jester hat to silly jester shoes.
“Excuse me?!” Pomni huffed. “I look great today! In fact— I look great EVERY day!” She squeaked, visibly annoyed that Jax had the nerve to poker at her outfit, especially considering it’s exactly the same outfit every single day in the circus.
Jax grinned, clearly enjoying her flustered state. “Great? Sure, if you’re aiming for ‘trying too hard in all the wrong colors.'”
Pomni rolled her eyes and shoved past him with a little too much force than she had meant to. Whatever, he deserved it for being so fucking attractive annoying. “I swear, one of these days I’m going to—”
“—come to appreciate my brutally honest fashion critiques?” Jax finished for her, batting his eyelashes at her innocently. “I appreciate the thought, Jester.”
Despite the feelings the expressed outwardly, Pomni felt that familiar flutter within. Ugh. He was infuriating. And why did he always have to look like he knew exactly what he was doing? ’Surely he can’t know the effect this has on me. That would ruin whatever it is we have going on as friends? acquaintances..? frenemies.’
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The day dragged on, filled with their usual back-and-forth. Teasing, bickering, stolen glances that lasted a little too long… until finally, in a quiet corner of the library their adventure for that day was set in, the tension hit its limit.
Pomni was flipping through a book when she saw out of the corner of her eye Jax sliding into the seat beside her. Her heart nearly skipped a beat.
She put down the book she was previously buried in to glance over at Jax, before just as quickly scanning the surrounding area to see if anyone else was near to witness what surely would be ruthless bullying.
“Ya know, Pom-Pom, you look kind of cute—“ Jax froze in his tracks mid sentence as he instantly came to the realization of the words he let slip. “NERDY AND STUPID.” He sputtered out, his pupils now shrunken to a fraction of their previous size while he hastily attempted to correct himself.
’C-Cute?!?’ Pomni thought to herself whilst a red hot blush creeped up her neck. “Cute? Jax, how forward of you. I never thought of you to be a stalker-type.” She smirked at him, pleased to finally have a one up on Jax’s typical taunts.
“Sssshhhhut up.” He stared at Pomni, pressing a gloved finger to her mouth, his pupils still teeny tiny in the sea of yellow that were his eyes. His mouth snapped back into that familiar uncanny-esque smile. “Say a g[#!$?@]n word about this and I’ll see to it personally that you sleep with both F[#!$]ING eyes open.” He spoke with an eerie calmness before pulling his hand back to his side.
“Anyhow Poms. You really do look like such a NERRRDDD!” Pomni shivered as Jax slipped back into his persona. “Thanks Jax. You should really keep it down in the library though.” She returned the shushing gesture, pressing a finger to his mouth. “Rah!” Jax growled, snapping a playfully vicious bite at Pomni’s finger.
She yelped in response, ripping her finger back, holding her hand close against her chest, cradling it akin to a baby. “You’re such a jacka[$$] you know that?” She grumbled, trying to restrain her giggle.
In the end she failed, her laughter echoing throughout the strangely silent library aside from hers and Jax’s voices. “I hate you.” Suddenly she deadpanned, before bursting back out into laughter.
“Oww, my feelings are so hurt..” Jax feigned internal pain, pressing his hands to his chest and closing his eyes sadly.
Pomni tried as hard as she could, but watching Jax so close to her and so…strangely friendly…was enough to make her blush return to her neck as it creeped up her cheeks as well, flushing her face well past the permanent blush under her eyes.
Before either of them could say anything more, Pomni moved. She wasn’t sure what made her do it, or why even, but she did. Within the blink of an eye Pomni’s mouth was on his. Jax recoiled slightly, a hint of surprise and..something else… in his eyes as he closed them and leaned in, pressing against Pomni as well.
Pomni’s hands found their way to Jax’s sides as she grabbed and squeezed them for stability. Eventually they had to come up for air (despite not needing to, it sure felt like they did.) and when Pomni opened her eyes all she saw was Jax. It was like there was nothing else around the two but each other.
“Heh…are you…like..in love with me or something..” Jax poked again, he couldn’t help but be insufferable every chance he got. Pomni’s entire face at this point was beet red, while Jax only had a small blush on his cheeks.
Pomni just stared for a moment, unsure of herself or anything that had happened. Had that even happened? Or was she simply imagining it? Surely she had to be…surely…she just hasn’t woken up yet! This is a dream!
Suddenly Pomni was snapped out of her thoughts when soft footsteps could be heard approaching. Jax looked deep in thought as well, Pomni hadn’t noticed he’d turned to sit towards the table in his chair while he fidgeted with his thumbs, his eyes almost entirely yellow now, leaving only the tiniest slivers of black.
“Pomni? Are you over here?”
Pomni froze.
Jax snapped out of his own mind, whipping his head around towards the sound, his chest rising and falling quicker now.
“R-Ragatha?” Pomni stumbled over her words, panic falling over her entire body.
“Pomni! There you are—“ Ragatha stopped dead in her tracks as she rounded the corner of the bookshelf.
“Hello Jax.” She nodded briefly. “Am I..erh…interrupting…something…?” Ragatha took note of the flustered look on Pomni’s face and the way Jax wouldn’t make eye contact.
“No! No, nothing is happening to be interrupted dear Raggy!” Jax promptly got up from his seat next to pomni, the chair scraping across the floor loudly. “In fact, I’ll leave you two be to talk about whatever little nerd stuff you want to!” And with that he was gone.
The rest of the adventure went on as normal, until they returned to the circus.
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Once Pomni was back in her room she couldn’t stop thinking about what had happened during the adventure that day. What did it mean? If anything at all? She tossed and turned a lot that night. Eventually Pomni drifted off to sleep, unaware of whatever tomorrow would bring.
Chapter 2: Who are you anymore?
Notes:
Gsjdjfk sweats guys I hope you enjoy…it’s kinda rushed since I guess I have people to please now
Also ima be fr I Lwk forgot to write the smut
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!
Pomni jumped at the sudden sound, waking her from her sleep. She looked around groggily, surveying her surroundings carefully before responding. “Erh….W-Who is it!” Yeah, Pomni. Real slick..
“Guess, Pom-Pom.” That familiar voice responded.
Oh….okay….well… it was surely just a dream then? There’s no way he would come…back…for me…? Pomni’s thoughts spiraled as she scooted to the edge of her bed and hopped down with a soft thud. “What is it, Jax?” She asked, forcing her voice flat.
She could hear a chuckle behind the door. “What? Is a rabbit not allowed to torment his favorite little jester?” Woah. Pomni felt her stomach fill with fuzzy little butterflies. Favorite? That’s new..
“I— I’m not little!!” She instead yelled out in protest, pointing at her still closed door as if he could see her through it. “W-Whatever.” Pomni moved her hand towards the doorknob, twisting it ever so slightly when she stopped.
Jax shifted outside the door, leaning on the wall beside it. “…We have to talk.” He nearly whispered through the crack in the door.
Pomni’s hand lingered on the doorknob, her whole body buzzing with nerves. When she finally swung the door open, she froze under his gaze. “Are you… coming in?” She stared up at him with her big, round, pinwheel eyes.
Pomni swallowed hard, trying to find her words. “I… I mean, urh…come in..?” She mumbled, stepping aside just enough to let him slip past. Her face felt hot, and she swore she could hear her heart threatening to leap out of her chest and into her hands.
Calm down, Pomni. It’s just Jax. The uh… thing was just a dream..!
Jax stepped inside slowly, one hand brushing against the doorframe as he ducked past the top of the doorframe. He gave her a small, sly smile, which only made Pomni’s stomach twist into tighter knots. “So. Yesterday.” He adjusted his weight from his heels to his toes.
Pomni’s eyes darted around the room, unsure where to look. Her fingers fidgeted with the poofs of her pants, and she realized she was inching backward without thinking.
He leaned against the wall opposite her, arms crossed casually, but there was a tension in his shoulders that betrayed him.
“You look so stupid like that, all anxious, Pomni.”
Pomni paused, her breath catching slightly. “Have you come just to bully me? Yeah yeah, stupid Pomni, kissed—” she hissed, not feeling up to dealing with Jax’s bull[$#!@] this early in the morning.
Jax’s eyes narrowed, “Don’t. Don’t say another word.” His tone was sharp, biting, and for a moment, it felt like it cut straight through her chest.
He stepped back just enough to make her pause, his gaze cold and unwavering.
“Don’t think yesterday changes anything either. You think you can ’fix me’? Well someone tried. They’re gone Pomni. Abstracted. That’s what I do to people here. Because I’m the funny one . I make life hell for others for my personal gain. I’m not nice, and I’m not your friend.”
Pomni blinked, hurt and confusion fogging her thoughts. “J-Jax… I—”
“I mean it,” he snapped, finally raising his voice. “Stay out of my way, Pomni. Don’t pretend like this means something—it doesn’t. You’re better off forgetting I even exist. Run along and go hang out with nutso, or raggy, or whoever it is you even like here.” He turned abruptly, shoving past her toward the door, shoulders stiff, jaw tight.
Pomni’s hand twitched, almost reaching for him, but he didn’t look back. The door slammed shut behind him, leaving her alone with a swirl of hurt and confusion within herself.
Pomni fell back onto her bed, sitting down with her hands intertwined tightly in her lap. She felt like she was being squished as she struggled to breathe, and the room seemed to shrink around her. Stupid…Stupid fu[€£!@]g Pomni— did..— Did I really think something was there? Did I think that— that Jax could change?
She buried her face in her hands, attempting to muffle the shaky breaths that escaped her lips with every inhale and exhale. Her entire body buzzed with nerves, she was torn between the want to follow after Jax, tell him how wrong he is— how she lo—..how she cared for him.. the other half of her wanting to believe him. Believe that he was nothing but trouble and all that he would bring to her life is pain and suffering.
A slight thud somewhere in the hallway outside her door made her glance up suddenly. For a moment, Pomni imagined Jax standing outside her door, coming back to apologize— but no. There was nobody there. Nothing but the sting of her slammed door and her heartbeat in her ears.
Pomni crawled back further onto her bed, pressing against the wall and curling up, wrapping her arms around her legs. She wasn’t left in peace for long though. The world seemed to spin when she was suddenly dropped onto her feet, transported to the…roof.. of the circus tent?
She felt a little nauseous as she looked around. It seemed the entire tent had been flipped on its head. She took note of the others that were there. To her left were Zooble and Gangle, speaking to eachother in hushed voices. On her other side were Jax, Ragatha, and Kinger.
“WELCOME!” boomed a voice so loud it made her jump. CAINE’s grin stretched impossibly wide as he gestured to the chaotic upside-down tent around them.
“Today’s adventure, my galavanting gazelles, is the Upside-Down Tent!Everything you see here—floors, platforms, props—is suspended from the ceiling, and gravity… well, it’s a little negotiable!” He spun dramatically, narrowly missing a floating teacup that shot past his head.
“Your mission: collect the Gravity Orbs scattered throughout the tent! But beware—the platforms flicker, the tent shifts, and some props may vanish right under your feet. Thrilling, isn’t it?!”
Pomni blinked, trying to focus on CAINE’s enthusiastic gesturing, but her stomach still twisted from Jax’s words, and the sudden transportation. She took a cautious step onto the nearest floating platform, which flickered slightly beneath her feet. I—don’t even know where to start…
Pomni hugged herself tighter, her legs wobbling as the platform beneath her flickered again. Even with the chaos surrounding her, her thoughts kept drifting back to Jax—his sharp words, his cold stare, the slam of the door. It was near impossible to not think about it.
With a deep, shaky breath, she forced herself to look ahead. The tent stretched impossibly, a maze of floating platforms, and dangling props. Somewhere in the distance, a glittering Gravity Orb shimmered. Pomni took a tentative step forward. One foot in front of the other… just… focus. When suddenly the platform under her feet gave out.
“A-AAH!” Pomni screamed out, feeling herself plummet, until..she didn’t anymore? She was still braced for impact, curled up in a little ball when she popped her head up and turned her gaze slightly, freezing when she saw a purple arm connected to a gloved hand holding her by the scruff of her outfit.
Jax pulled Pomni up and into his arms, shifting her into a holding-like position, similar to how you’d hold a toddler. “We don’t have time for hanging around Pommy.” Jax leaped to the next platform, his long legs were definitely giving him an advantage on this adventure.
Pomni just stayed silent.
[MORE ADVENTURE CONTENT NEXT CHAPTER]
Notes:
Pls leave kudos if u liked it!!
Chapter 3: whoops
Summary:
idk
Chapter Text
Uh mini update sorry yall.. found out my beta used ai.. also I got trampled in a mosh pit so I had to get better after that. don’t play with that ao3 author curse yall it’s real.. uhm im really sorry to those that read this.. probably gonna re-work it. I’m gonna leave the chapters up, but I’m gonna re-do the fic in the next chapters..sorry☹️
heart4brainzzz on Chapter 1 Sat 23 Aug 2025 05:52AM UTC
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heart4brainzzz on Chapter 1 Sat 23 Aug 2025 05:08PM UTC
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ykbth (Guest) on Chapter 1 Wed 27 Aug 2025 03:06PM UTC
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