Chapter Text
It had been a week since the gun adventure, a week since Pomni and Jax fought, and a week since Pomni has seen jax.
After the awards show, Pomni immediately rushed to find Jax. She looked through all the aisles in the theater, scanned all the hallways, asked the NPC who ran the concession booth who was absolutely no help, just repeating “What can i getcha’?”, at every word Pomni spoke. She even checked the boys bathroom because really, what was she gonna see? She'd only hoped it was Jax, but to her prevail, not a single trace of the purple hare was to be seen.
She felt herself collapse that night, tears streaming down her face, hyperventilating as Jax’s bitter words kept replaying like a broken record in her head. Every little thing felt like a sharp knife plunging into her digital skin, over and over again. But she also couldn't help but feel there was a tinge of fake behind all of his vile sentences.
Pomni didn't think she was Einstein, but she was very observant of everything. All of her surroundings, her cast mates and the interactions she has with them, she picks everything apart. And it didn't take her long till she began to piece things together about Jax, his story was a puzzle to her. There were lots of confusing bits that didn't really fit with what seemed to match, and plenty of missing pieces, gaps of his story on why he is who he is. She became determined to finish the puzzle to learn his story, and figure out why he acts the way he does.
She knew there was something rotting beneath the mask. There was something being hidden by his avoidant front that wasn't coming to light, but she was going to pick everything apart and figure it out.
After that night of weakness, Pomni walked out of her bedroom with her head held high, pulling herself together with every little encouragement she repeated to herself mentally. She wanted to figure Jax out, she wanted to learn everything about him. When his guard was down around her, she felt so comfortable and safe around him, the first time she's ever felt that way since getting stuck in this digital hell.
“Hey Pomni! How are you feeling?” Ragatha asked as Pomni entered the main room where a long table was with lots of breakfast items, ranging from rather large waffles to… some broken-textured cube on a plate. That thing is always at every meal..
“I'm fine.” Pomni replied to Ragatha, getting a smile from her as she turned to talk to Kinger who sat on a chair at the table, strangely enamored by said broken-textured cube.
Pomni looked around the main room, trying to find Jax, but he was nowhere to be seen. Her eyebrows furrowed as she felt her confidence crumble. Did he… abstract? No… there's no way he did… right?
She felt frozen as her thoughts began to consume her, but a plasticy hand gently grabbed her shoulder.
“You good Pomni? Your eyes are doing that scribble thing again.” A low-tone voice spoke softly behind her, Zooble
She turned to face them, but she felt her words catch in her throat as the panic caught up to her body. Zooble only looked more concerned, their eyes shooting her an unsure look, then looking back at the table, probably trying to see if Caine was around, then to her once again.
“How about we go take a walk? We don't need to talk if you're not feeling up to it but maybe it will help clear your head.” Zooble suggested, their hand motioning to a random hallway with a slight tilt in their head.
“Y-yeah that sounds nice.” Pomni’s voice came out more quiet instead of what she tried to hold her demeanor to.
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“Wow… I had no idea that's how the whole thing ended. I had just figured he shot you or something and you just didn't spawn in the loser corner.” Zooble grimaced when saying the word ‘loser corner’, but still focused on Pomni’s words.
Pomni ended up telling Zooble what happened between her and Jax during the gun adventure, from when they were truly bonding to the destructive words he spoke at her during their fight.
“But I haven't seen him since… since the awards show started.” Pomni complained, her perception of her tone no longer really mattered as she trusted Zooble, and knew they wanted to actually help her. Her hands subconsciously came together as her fingers pulled at the glove to try and ease her nerves. “But I'm worried that he's not okay. What if he.. Y’know.” She paused her walk after that sentence to look down at her hands, feeling herself panic and shut down again, but Zooble quickly stepped in.
“Look, theres nothing ‘okay’ or mentally well about that ba#!$rd, but if it'll make you feel better ill check in on him for you. I highly doubt he abstracted because… well there's tell-tale signs, but I get your concern.” Zooble placed a reassuring hand on Pomni’s arm, which helped ground her.
There was a moment of calm silence before Pomni sighed.
“Thank you Zooble, that would be really great if you could just check on him to make sure he didn't… “ Pomni could barely stomach staying her thoughts out loud. Saying something about him abstracting feels like she could curse or jinx him.
“No problem Pomni, but promise me you guys will sort this s*%t out? It will only stress you both out if you let it fester, and that will cause abstraction." Zooble asked, their removable wing piece slightly fluttering when speaking about abstraction.
“Yeah.. we’ll sort it out.”
Later that day, Zooble knocked on Jax’s door.
“Say something so I know you didn't abstract… also Caine might come looking for you later. We can't both stay at the circus during adventures.” Zooble spoke as they leaned against Jax’s door, their voice slightly throughout the hall.
They were met with silence, until his bedroom door was cracked open in the slightest, revealing a disheveled, purple hare. His ears were flopped down and his eyes were lidded with very dilated pupils. Slight bags were forming under his eyes and it looked like his room was pitch black.
Zooble was definitely taken aback by his appearance.
“Look, if you're not feeling well I get that… but for the love of god if you even think you come close to… y’know… come talk to me, or better yet, talk to Pomni.” Zooble began, noticing the way Jax’s pupils shot small at the mention of Pomni’s name.
“She seems really worried about you… and I don't know what really happened between you two but it's taken a toll on you both from the looks of it. So dont walk towards the edge… don't let it consume you.” Zooble finally finished, looking back up at Jax, almost waiting for him to come up with some du%!#bag quip but wasn't met with one.
“...why?” Jax spoke, his voice coming off irrevocably hoarse.
“Why what Jax?”
“Why does she care?”
Zooble was quiet. They thought about it, and in hindsight it was honestly a good question. Why does Pomni really actually care about this f*%k-
They sighed.
“...I'm not sure. You should ask her about it. Because honestly, I don't know why she does either.” And that was that. With Zooble’s last words, they walked away, not really in the mood to deal with him. They know he can deal with himself fine, but it was pretty shocking to see him so affected by something for once, not even attempting to mask.
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And the same routine of Zooble knocking on Jax’s door to make sure he hadn't checked out went on for an entire week. For an entire week, Jax hid away in the dark abyss of his room, hiding away from both the outside problems and hiding his own self away from the perception of his castmates. He couldn't bare being stuck in his thoughts but he also couldn't bare letting anyone see him so… vulnerable and broken.
Jax had especially felt so guilty for sabotaging his blooming friendship between him and Pomni. The words he said, how his tone warped into something noxious and his words became just as violent as any murderous act. And the torn look on her face, the defeated stance, her pinwheel eyes looking at him with pain… the image keeps recurring and it mangles him more every time.
He had stepped out of his room that night, at a late time, only to hear the muffled sobs and cries of Pomni. He felt himself gravitate towards her door, as he pressed his ear against it, hearing sobs rip through her and the small banging of her fist against maybe the floor… Was she on the floor?! His hand subconsciously reached for the doorknob but managed to stop himself from opening her door. He could open the door, run to her aid and hold her small frame against his own, breathing soothing reassurances and wiping the tears from her porcelain skin as he carried her to her bed- enough. He would only make things worse, probably break her more and watch her shatter beneath him.
So for that entire week, he isolated himself in his room till he felt put together enough. Caine would check up on him from time to time, but even he seemed a bit hesitant or even scared, even the ringmaster was scared of him…
And after a week, he finally felt stable enough to step out of his room for the first time in a week. The hallway light immediately burned his eyes, and faced straight towards Pomni’s bedroom door, seeing her stupid face framed to the door made him smile just a little. He walked with exhaustion but he harbored enough energy to semi mask, which was better then nothing at all.
He still was overridden with guilt but he just shoved it into the back of his mind as he made his way down the stairs and finally saw everyone for the first time in a week, and oh pomni…
Pomni looked straight up at Jax, with a face mixed with shock and hurt, and he met her pained gaze. He missed seeing her… but he f#&*%d it all up between them, nothing was the same. But with every muscle in his body he finally tore his eyes away from her, noticing everyone else looked a bit shocked… except kinger, who lit up.
“Oh hi Jax!” He waved and you can imagine his unknowing smile. Jax smirked and smiled back, then looked around as he leaned against one of the chairs that was tucked into the table.
“Whaat? You guys are acting like you haven't seen me in years… Did you guys miss me?” He snided as he made a motion to flip his imaginary hair. He saw Ragatha roll her eyes and walk away, which only fueled him. But that soon quickly drained as a particular voice spoke up.
“Where were you?” Pomni questioned, though her voice was painfully monotone. She glared at Jax, though he knew she wasn't angry as much as she was hurt.
Jax stuttered for a second, but before responding, Caine poofed into existence, floating at the end of the table. “JAX MY MALICIOUS CHOCOLATE MALT YOU'VE EMERGED FROM YOUR HIBERNATION! I SURE HOPE YOUR WELL RESTED FOR YOUR NEXT ADVENTURE BECAUSE THIS ONE IS AN ABSOLUTE DOOZY!”
Jax felt his face falter but fought the exhaustion. He snuck a gaze at Pomni, who stared up at the floating dentures, then quickly snapped out of it to do the same.
“ACTUALLY, THIS ADVENTURE WAS CURRATED SPECIFICALLY FOR ONLY POMNI AND JAX! SO THE REST OF YOU CAN BE GONE NOW!” And with the snap of his fingers, Caine teleported Gangle, Zooble, and Kinger to the couch more towards the entrance of the tent. They were scared as he snapped but then you could hear their faint ‘ohs”.
“Wait wha-” Pomni started but was cut off by Caine. He likes to do that..
“POMNI AND JAX, I'VE NOTICED THERE'S QUITE A LOT OF… TENSION BETWEEN YOU TWO AND I SIMPLY CANNOT HAVE THAT!” Caine pointed out as he spun into a pout with his arms crossed when stating how he can't have that… whatever that's about. “SO TO FIX THAT I HAVE COME UP WITH A BRILLIANT ADVENTURE FOR JUST THE TWO OF YOU! AND DON'T WORRY ABOUT THE OTHERS GETTING BORED, THEY'LL STILL HAVE THEIR DAILY SCHEDULED ADVENTURES BUT FOR THE NEXT TWO WEEKS, YOU'LL BE WORKING ON FIXING YOUR RELATIONSHIP!” Pomni now knows what Zooble meant when they said she gets scribble eyes, as she can feel it on her face from the lack of understanding. She felt beyond confused.
“And what's a more better way of fixing your relationship by starting a family!” Bubble’s incessant comment snapped the both of them out of their confused frenzies as they burst out into panicked ‘huh?!’s and ‘what?!’s.
“YOUR RIGHT BUBBLE! YOUR NEXT ADVENTURE IS CALLED ‘RAISE A BABY’! WHERE YOU GUYS WILL BECOME A SUBURBAN FAMILY WITH THE AMERICAN DREAM WHITE PICKET FENCES AND FANCY TOASTERS AND A LITTLE BUNDLE OF JOY TO TAKE CARE OF! YOU GUYS WILL SPEND THE NEXT 3 WEEKS CARING FOR YOUR NEWBORN BABY!”
Silence. Pure, empty silence. Pomni’s jaw felt like it fell to the floor with a slight eye twitch. Jax’s ears fell out of pure shock.
“I HOPE YOU GUYS ARE READY TO BECOME PARENTS BECAUSE ITS HAPPENING………. NOW!” As soon as Caine said this, a portal appeared as Caine swiftly picked Pomni up and off the chair, yanking Jax along and throwing them into the light fracture and into their suburban home they go.